The Junto ~ Sports & Other Debates

Ski Charity event at Cannon Mountain to benefit Boston Medical Center

2009-12-02T12:56:00.005-05:00

www.billsrace.com

Skiing is my passion; my parents were somewhat the flower children type when I was born and when I was in kindergarten, we moved to Vermont and my dad worked at Killington, and so it began...

Now, I'm managing corporate partnerships for cause marketing at Boston Medical Center and we have a great charity ski race event coming up this March, 2010. It's at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire & is possibly the easiest mountain in New England to get to – it sits right on route 93 in Franconia Notch. It will be Saturday, March 6, 2010 and it benefits the Boston Medical Center, in honor of Bill Cunningham, a man who ran the ski school there for decades and succumbed to Amyloid. BMC specializes in treatment and research in this disease and tried to help Mr. Cunningham in his battle. Carol Cunningham started this event to benefit the BMC Amyloid treatment and reasearch center in his name.

Here are some quick basics:

- Cannon Mountain/NH Parks Dept. is fully on board and supportive of the event, so gives us great access to on-mountain space and in-lodge space.
- Sampling/Exposure to all skiers, not just those partaking in the event will be possible
- Signage opps include T-Shirts, banners, website, event promo…
- Cannon Mtn is the ‘official’ home mountain of US Ski Team’s most highly decorated skier, Bode Miller
- Raffles, prizes & auctions will be in-lodge on day of the event

Ski Magazine on Cannon Mountain (http://www.skinet.com/ski/resorts/cannon-mountain) 2010...

"There simply might not be a more soulful, less spoiled or more beautiful place to ski than Cannon. No condos, no mansions, no boutiques—just skiing the way God intended.

Readers rank it No. 4 for Overall Satisfaction and No. 1 for Value. (Last year’s top lift ticket price: $39.) It’s No. 2 for Scenery and No. 3 for both Challenge and Accessibility. Readers acknowledge the drawbacks (nightlife, dining, lodging, etc.), but generally rave: “Kicks my butt every time”; “spectacular scenery”; “awesome staff.”"

Passing on the corners

2009-10-27T15:27:00.004-04:00

I'm a terrible runner endurance-wise, I can go maybe 3 miles and that'll do me just fine for any jog. Speed-wise? Ahhh..... no so much. Faster than a few, slower than a few. Sometimes I felt like I played sports in high school in spite of, rather than because of, any running proclivities.

However, my dad ran track in high school and he was always running when I was a kid. I remember when I was little and my mom worked during the weekend, he'd take me to the local high school track and he'd run laps and play with me on the football field... letting me 'outrun him' while I carried a football almost half my size down the field. Sometimes he'd want me to run a lap with him as he slowed enough to allow me to keep up (which, in retrospect, must've resulted in a semi-fast walk for him, actually). I'd always tried to get past him running fast down the long stretching straight-aways. It was at this point, my dad - whether he knew it or not - gave me apice of advice that in many ways has helped shape much of my attitude towards work and competing in general.

It's funny when you're grown up what you remember in moments as a young kids in retrospect. I cannot remember a single conversation word for word except one sentence which my dad told me in an almost off-hand way: "When you're racing around the track, do your best on the corners, look to pass others there, because everyone tries to pass each other on the straightaways..."; meaning, go your fastest, focus on passing at that point, bear down just as much then. He said his track coach always told him that in was in the corners that a race can be won (or lost, I see now). Everyone focuses and bears down on the straight-aways; the corners can be mistaken for places to 'get by' on the way to the straight away.

Now, I have no idea as far as track & field whether this is true, false, or just made-up. But it sure-as-shootin' seems to me this is dead-on for competing. In track and in all-else. The corners are your moment for differentiation.

Think of your job requirements as your straight away; you know what you have to do and you go out there and do it. It's not always easy and not everyone does it, but most can and do walk the line they see in front of them. Then there are the corners; the moments when others may rest, or may get distracted, or, even, may simply say to themselves & others, "That's not my job, I don't have to do that...". And, of course they are right. But those are the corners, and believe it or not, the corners can be the easiest place in the world. Where you may find others trying to just get to the next straight-away (job requirements), you will will be proving yourself invaluable to your team (company).

And, you know what else? Your company, or even another company, will end up seeing that there are others who can do what you do and you should be ahead of them, because you can do more. Then... you've won the race. Wash, rinse and repeat.

(Oh, and by the way, still push yourself during the straight-aways)

J. D. Drew

2009-10-02T14:29:00.002-04:00

There's a sports writer I read quite a bit, whose opinion and writing style I truly enjoy. Recently, he threw out the idea that because J.D. Drew does not play all the time - and because everyone thinks he is overpaid, Mr. Drew should donate $2 million to a local Boston charity. Hmmm... I thought for a second what my opinion on it was, and realized it was along the lines of....

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Ha. Ha. Yeah, he needs to placate fans by donating $2 mill somewhere. Right, Sure. Don’t get me wrong, there is no better & more deserving charity than the Jimmy Fund, but just the thought that someone needs to do it to silence critisicm is a faulty premise perched at the top of a slippery slope while simultaneously tilting at windmills and refusing to knock on wood.

So, then, when he’s out ‘x’ number of games he should donate ‘y’ dollars more? Paps should donate a couple of thou when he blows a save?

I cry uncle on the fact he’s overpaid, because we all would’ve had our AGENT say, “whoa there, let’s just stop at $13 mill, don’t get all crazy on us”.

Since the Sox acquired Drew, please don’t tell me that they’ve not signed anyone else because they had too much $ tied up w/ Drew; they are a big market team that decides their own purse restrictions. As fans, we have never suffered due to his salary - the money & the injuries are both straw man arguments; the debate is about performance, and it is there. Pretending its our money or that we KNOW his injuries (or lack thereof) is a (fabricated) debate I will always concede.

So, forgetting about money, unless the fans are paying it, Drew is the best RF out there, bar none.

AL East is still out there....

2009-09-21T10:28:00.002-04:00

Hey, the the Wild Card team has won MLB's World Series enough for us to know it's not a matter of winning your division. The postseason is The Postseason and all-reguilar season bets are off, regarding homefield advantage. Yet, if the division is attainable, at no extra expense to rested & healthy players, and you hail from Boston or New York, well, to quote Boston's other big coach, it is what it is...

Sox have 14 games against KC, NY, Tor, & Cle (1 team over .500, and it's dem Yankees) — NY has 12 games against LA, Bos, KC, & TB (1 team under .500, and its the Red Sox). Sox are 4 games behind in the loss column, almost controlling own destiny w/ 3 to go in Gotham. Pettitte coming off tired arm, Joba shelled in 3 innings against Seattle, #5 starter for NY going in LA tonight (where NY has not won this yr). NY is on the second city of a west coast trip. I’m just saying I like what’s lined up...

Free as a Byrd now...

2009-08-31T09:21:00.003-04:00

By way of family agreement, Paul Byrd took off the first half of the seaon to be with his family, especially his sons who had time to be in school and play baseball, with Byrd himself the coach.

Then, once June hit and he was ready to play, offers didn't exactly come flooding in, leading to the thought that mayvbe this was it... but it wasn't. The Sox picked him up at the beginning of August and yesterday paid dividends to that frugal investment. What Byrd said in the postgame has made him a but of a hero for his team-first, just-happy-to-be-here attitude...

“Any way I can help this team get that, if they need me to clean toilets, I’ll go do that,’’ Byrd said. “I’m excited. Whatever they needed me to do, I’ll do. I told that to Tito. I said, ‘I’ll help you out any way I can. I’ll get ready. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do.’ ’’

Other Red Sox up notes: Drew continues to have his best month of the season, Victor Martinez has been proving what a great offensive force he is, while adding positive chemistry in the dugout -- he gets along great with Ortiz and I partially credit Papi's resurgence to the fact he likes Martinez and is inspired to some extent by him. Oh yeah, recent edition Billy Wagner struck out the side in relief yesterday...

Let's just call them the Highlanders until they win

2009-06-12T10:08:00.000-04:00

- Did I mention my fondness for Nick Green honing in on his former employer in this series? Lead-off 8th inning single off CC & then the insane spin throw to first… that was a pretty big calculated risk… if he didn’t spin, he wouldn’t have had the zip on the ball to get Jeter, but he loses acuracy — Youk made a solid play reaching for the ball.

- Caption in NY Post article on Yankees — Fools in the Rain (glad THEY said it)

- Nick Swisher doubled off second in a truly idiotic running gaffe; overall he had a deplorable series with miscues and misthoughts… at the end of the game he sat in the dugout looking truly dejected — he was only half an onion away from Freddie Patek

- Looks like the Sox have a thinking 3rd base coach in DeMarlo Hale… yes Pedey could’ve scored, but it was far from given and bases loaded with no outs was perfect, then having Drew tag on the still-shallow sac fly was awesome

- Speaking of which, while Brett Muney did his best Damon impersonation on that 8th inning throw, the Yanks can’t hide Damon’s ineffeciancies anywhere in the OF (yeesh)

- I say Torre would’ve brought in Rivera for 6 outs, given the albatross of being winless against the Sox circling their heads

- He’s probably not out of the woods yet, but doubling his HR total in one series - against the Yankees - sure has to help the Papi psyche

- Trading Penny after that performance is now even easier and more difficult (do you really want him to go away?)

- If Nick Green can play 90% of what he did this series, the talk will be of SS controversy

- Also speaking of which, I do not expect to see Lugo come into a game unless the Sox are in the process of BLOWING OUT a team

- (Sorry… little long, but hey, how often are we 8-0 against the Yankees.. or any team)

- Which leads me to my final question (also first question actually): What is the worst winless streak that the Highlanders/Yankees have ever had against ANY team since 1912? Is this it?

Sox Great Pitching Beats Yanks Great Hitting

2009-06-10T09:58:00.001-04:00

- Lowell was a trooper to even slide, given his hip… 2-1 count on Tek that was a missed hit & run; when Tek came in after scoring you could see him talking in explanation mode, along the lines of, ‘Sorry man, I totally missed that’

- Great pick-up by Orsillo last night of throwing at Jeter, Eck somewhat agreeing, then back from commercial & having time to think about it, saying “Ohmigeez, of course they were” — love the honesty from Eck

- Love Nick Green dialing himself in against the pinstripes after being let go by the Yankees last year

- Kotsay stepped in for Ellsbury and caught a tough liner to center after getting twisted & turned tracking it down

- Interesting pitch-calling over the game for Beckett: early part of the game he was a majority of breaking balls, followed up by pounding them on the corners with heat — looked like a well-orchestrated plan to get them off their timing - loved the three straight curves to A-Rod

- Strike zone seemed pretty wide for both sides through the first six innings — I’d guess there was a little inner-mandate to get-this-game-in, due to the weather

- When Delcarmen came in, he was initially squeezed - many pitches that were called strikes for Beckett were balls for Manny. Great that he kept his head, bore down, and started knockin' 'em down

- Great Pitching beats Great Hitting

Shhhh... don't tell anyone, but the Celts can win

2009-05-13T10:27:00.000-04:00

Look, I know the Celts still need to beat The Magic, and that IS NOT a given. But, if they do beat them, just by virtue of that and other variables that have shaken out through this series, I hafta throw this out there:

This Celts team would win a series against the regular season Celts with KG -- not necessarily because they are better per se, but because they are all being utilized. In all these battles, they have become a compleat team. Rondo and Allen were pretty average last night -- if I told you at the beginning of the game that Rajon would have a triple single would you have thought we'd win? Allen's 3 pointer at the end was awesome, but he was nowhere to be found most of the game.

Hey, I know Orlando snatched defeat from the jaws of vistory, but the Celts had to do their part -- having the bench (which is really the third string in many ways) score 26 points is huge. What if Stephon is just finally getting warm? What if the whole team is truly feeling what's happening? How can't they?

Look, everyone in Boston is saying that just making the Eastern Conference Finals is a victory, given the injuries. Lebron is too much of a Monster to get past. And to that I'd say that everyone agrees with them, except a few guys wearing white and green. What if these guys don't think they're supposed to lose? What if no one tells them?

Think about it: are they tired? Sure -- but without being put through the paces and galvinizing themselves and each other against their opponents, these Celts wouldn't stand a chance. But now, everyone has played a part -- better yet, everyone now knows they need to and can play a part. They may prove more valuable than a team that has come to rely on the stellar defense of one man.

The Celts right now have more options to create a win in any given game than they did at the beginning of the playoffs. Pierce, Allen, Davis, Perkins, House, Rondo, Marbury,... alone no match for Lebron, but - while I wouldn't bet the house they would win - I also can actually see it happening.

Red Sox & Celtics & Bears (okay, Bruins)... Oh my!

2009-05-06T14:25:00.001-04:00

I like how the Sox are doing, but the crazy thing is that between closing, mid-relief and the starting front 3, the front three have hurt them the most. I do think that will change for the positive as the season progresses.

Love Wake just being there for the team -- love that he's older than me and in the MLB.

Can't wait for Smoltz -- or for Tiger to come to Fenway to watch his buddy pitch.

Wake & Smoltz should open a New England Golf Open for charity up here.

Joba should be suspended, but probaly won't. He dings Back-Back Bay after the HR -- Beckett was suspended for coming close to Abreu. Bay was body, Abreu was near head, but still feels funky.

Joba has the physical attributes, cap-wearing demeanor of a Lambeer-playing-baseball. Love that flat brim pulled down look -- makes him appear the villain before he goes out and proves it w/ his behavior.

That said, he pitched awesome after the 1st - looks like he'll figger out the starting job to our detriment.

I think the Sox brought back Lugo early not because they wanted him to so much replace Green ASAP, but because they wanted to start showing him off to other teams ASAP -- kind of blew up in their faces.

Which actually leads me to another thought I can't elaborate on now, but it is this: I do not think Epstein is a wunderkind of a GM, picking players-wise; now within the org as a whole he may bring more to the table than others, but even in the crapshoot that is topnotch players and their respective rise and falls, I don't think Theo is truly more than above average (and, that said, I'd also posit that Cashman is significantly below average bordering on terrible).

When you have a chance, please comment on your thoughts of Theo, and I'll go into why my thoughts are as they are.

Celts w/out KG have a very slim chance of anything, but still:

- Powe just had surgery on his knee -- KG's injury calls for surgery, yet he hasn't done it and he still plays a little in practices -- Whuddup wid dat?

- Even if KG doesn't play, the Celts will be in the role of under-dog and this second string squad had a trial by fire with the bulls -- I belive they geled together a bit.

- Marbury stepped up, while Rajon stepped back in Game 1 w/ Orlando. Scal stepped up too; given the amount put on the shoulders of Rondo, can we fault him for having a let down after the big Bulls series? What if he steps back up, just as the rest everyone else really learnes to step in. There is just about no way getting past Lebron et al, but this is sports, and I'm not carving the Celts name in the tombstone quite yet.

- B's vs. the former Whalers -- I don't see it going past five fromeverything I've seen and heard, but I am largely hockey illiterate/ignorant

The Curious Case of Zack Greinke

2009-05-05T14:37:00.003-04:00

Okay, I haven't seen the movie, nor does this man age backwards -- although I do belive Brad Pitt originally hailed from Missouri, land of Kansas City, Missouri, of course.

Greinke is 25 and won't be 26 until October of this year.

He's been in the majors since 2004.

He has the microscopic ERA of 0.40.

He has started 6 games.

He has won 6 games.

He has pitched 3 complete games, or, 50% of his starts.

No other team in MLB has three complete games.

Greinke left the Royals in 2006 and was thinking he would leave baseball -- the Royals soft-talked him back.

By the way, the Royals locked up Geinke for four years this past January for $38 million; he gets $3.75 million this year, $7.25 million in 2010 and $13.5 million in each of the final two seasons of the deal.

From the AP (1/26/09): Greinke, "Each year we've improved and it looks like we're going to continue to," he said. "And that's pretty exciting for me because like I said, three or four years ago I didn't see it coming. It's really taken a good turn for the better.

"Three years ago I was in the minor leagues, two years ago I was in the bullpen not capable of getting hitters out as a starter. Just coming from being so low in those situations to being, after one good year, a really good deal and the chance to stay with Kansas City for four more years. ... It's just really neat to look back at it."

This will be a fun story to watch... (except if & when he's lined up to face your Boston Red Sox)

The Streak ends at 11

2009-04-29T11:44:00.001-04:00

Give Penny one more start, if no changes, look for a trade for any good role player; I’m in favor of a light-out bunter (I know how ridiculous that statement is, I’m not sure ‘lights out’ and ‘bunter’ have ever been juxtaposed) with solid D in the OF. If nobody wants a Penny for our thoughts, waiver the guy and bring up Bowden (yes, overBucholz).

I CANNOT wait for Smoltz.

I declared the playing of Lugo yesterday a sign of the Apocalypse, as his error proved, but y’know… he DID hit. He may be showing signs of life, even in contributing to the death of The Streak.

Mid relief bullpen is just starting to really get used to the pattern & habit of being used. Once these guys drop into a groove, I see greater things ahead.

My connection to the ‘Canes — if I remember correctly, this is the old Whalers franchise — I grew up in a town right next to Springfield and watched Gordie play for the New England Whalers in Springfield after the Hartford Civic Center’s roof collapsed.

Go B’s, go Celts, go Sox

Sox and stuff

2009-04-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

Beckett: Here’s what the home plate ump said, “Did he throw it up and in? Yeah,” umpire crew chief Joe West said Sunday. “Do we believe he threw it at Abreu? No. Would we have warned him had both benches not emptied? Probably not, but because both benches emptied, we did issue a warning.
“The Angels were the aggressors. That’s why they were ejected.”

Is the ump probably wrong? Sure. Guess what — it is his call. Watson can fine Beckett for approaching the plate, but he is substituting his own judgement for that of the ump’s. Let’s see him do that for balls & strikes then.

No other ump on the field told West that Beckett was headhunting (even though, I’m sure he meant to throw in his direction).

That ump likely knew how bush-league it was for Abreu to call time that late, and didn’t care how close the pitch came. Who knows? But until we can overturn all their bad calls after the fact, a suspension is contrary to MLB’s own support of umps.

Little talked about fact is that great pitchers are great at control — when they are throwing to areas they practice throwing to — even inside pitches are regularly practiced. It’s skill and muscle memory. However, when taken out of their delivery habit AND he decides to throw in Abreu’s direction in a pitch he knows doesn’t count for a ball or strike, it’s like when pitchers throw to first base and mess up — it’s a whole new ball game. Also, that was not a fastball - there was an actual arc the the throw.

(All that said, I do think he purposely threw in Abreu’s direction)

Interesting to think if he had hit him, Abreu wouldn’t have been able to take a base since time was out — although Beckett would’ve likely been gone.

Bubble Yum is the Coke to Bubbalicious’ Pepsi.

Would’ve loved to have picked up Orlando Cabrera when he was available.

Sleaze-Stack Enick had a hidden agenda.

30 Ways to know you're Irish

2009-03-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

What it Means to Be Irish

1) You will never play professional basketball.

2) You swear very well.

3) At least one of your cousins is a fireman, cop, bar owner, funeral
home owner or holds political office. And you have at least one aunt who is
a nun, or uncle who's a priest.

4) You think you sing very well.

5) You have no idea how to make a long story short!

6) There isn't a big difference between you losing your temper or
killing someone.

7) Much of your childhood meals were boiled. Instant potatoes were a
mortal sin.

8) You have never hit your head on a ceiling.

9) You spent a good portion of your childhood kneeling in prayer
(Catholic guilt forever!).

10) You're strangely poetic after a few beers.

11) You are, therefore, poetic a lot.

12) You will be punched for no good reason...a lot.

13) Some punches directed at you are from legacies of past
generations.

14) Many of your sisters and/or cousins are named Mary, Catherine, or
Eileen... and there is at least one member of your family with the
full name of Mary Catherine Eileen.

15) Someone in your family is very generous. It is more than likely
you.

16) You may not know the words, but that doesn't stop you from
singing.

17) You can't wait for the other guy to stop talking before you start
talking.

18) You're not nearly as funny as you think you are ... but what you
lack in talent, you make up for in frequency.

19) There wasn't a huge difference between your last wake and your
last keg party.

20) You are, or know someone, named Murph.

21) If you don't know Murph then you know Mac. If you don't know Murph
or Mac then you know Sully. It's conceivable you know Sully MacMurphy.

22) You are genetically incapable of keeping a secret.

23) You have Irish Alzheimer's... you forget everything but the
grudges!

24) You met your husband/wife/significant
other/accountant/lawyer/landscaper/etc.. in a bar.

25) All of your losses are alcohol-related (loss of... virginity,
driver's license, money, job, significant other, teeth from punch...) but this
never stops you from drinking.

26) Your skin's ability to tan.... not so much.

27) At this very moment, you have at least two relatives who are not
speaking to each other (not fighting, mind you, just not speaking to
each other).

28) Childhood remedies for the common cold often included whiskey.

29) There's no leaving a family party without saying goodbye for at
least 45 minutes.

30) You long ago learnt that 'Irish Stew' is a euphemism for 'boiled
leftovers.'

And another thing...

2009-03-16T13:43:00.003-04:00

- I'm getting a little nervous with all the coverage of Brady & Giselle... reminds me of The Natural when Roy Hobbs' game flags as he kanoodles with Kim Basinger (poor Hobbs - he had no luck with the fairer sex - one shoots him and one gets him in The Slump). I'm sure Brady is rehabbing to the utmost, but I just get a feeling that at the exact moment he needs to focus & concentrate on regaining his game, he's not. If this were a movie, I'd just have to say most of the audience would be expecting a large downfall this season. Of course, life is never like the movies...

- There is no way I see the Tampa Bay Rays coming close to what they did last year. Hey, they are chock full of talent, but last year, it all came together -- I think that was a star-crossing rather than a permanent alignment -- I'm calling for the Kansas City Royals to have a better end of season record.

- Red Sox have the best 1-7 hitters in the game, as long at Pedey makes it back unscathed from the WBC.

- WBC will be moved or eliminated by 2012 -- I think we'll see MLB player antipathy rachet up next year and even more the following year. I'm pretty sure the U.S. is the most imporatant demo in this exhibityion contest and NOBODY CARES.

- AIG execs getting mega-bonuses for retention. Retention? Shouldn't a retention bonus be predicated on a performance bonus? I.e., if you perform well & get a bonus, they sure as heck want to retain your services, but if you don't qualify for a bonus per your performance, why would a company want to retain you by virtue of paying you more money? We needed Toto to pull back the curtain earlier, since learning about all the financial goings-ons at these companies is akin to watching them all line up at the slot machines with our bail-out/stimulous money.

- Of the U.S. Big Three, Ford seems to be on the right track -- it's not asking for more money from the government, it has a deal with the unions, it trimming down and focusing on what will make them money. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, but it sure would be nice to have one U.S. automaker -- U.S. citizens who want to support the American economy could go to one company for their auto needs, thereby not dilluting the purchases, and the american carmaker wouls look to innovators like Toyota & Honda as the direct competition and actually start acting, instead of merely reacting.

- Its taken awhile, but I no know what kind of sports talk radio I like: I like a lot of facts (including ocassional irrelevant factoids for fun), a little attitude, and a lot of callers from which a least one relevant point is fished for by the hosts.

The good & bad of talk radio

2009-03-02T12:10:00.006-05:00

As a moderate Democrat, I hafta say, I love tuning in to Rush Limbaugh every day. Listening to him and his listeners talk is like reading Lewis Carroll - a mix-mash of words that are so implausible or made up they are hilarious! I could listen to this guy all day, because I know he knows that things such as true-socialism is not even a remote possibility.

And the people who throw around the terms Socialism and Communism are latching on to and giving preference to traditional fear-words over trying to understand. This economical melt-down doesn't have a singular demon, as 9/11 did, but make no mistake, it's in every way as serious. This country lined up behind Bush and gave him the benefit of the doubt for over four years. Heck, I'd be content with letting the Obama get two years -- he is surrounding himself with economic advisers who are both beyond reproach and have been tried and true during the U.S.'s great economic times. United we stand divided we fall doesn't have to just steeling ourself against seen enemies -- how about teaming up in the bad times as well?

Economy-wise, these are near-disastrous times -- guess what? The country elected Obama as our President. The President is employing the platform of his party, as well as all the ideas he said he stood for. Overtly and in full view, may I add. Ummm... where's the mystery, other than thje mystery in the fact that some people actually expected the Dow to go up (?) within his first 100 days?!... this tide has been ebbing for too long and it is a full moon. It'll turn, just maybe not the way you want it to, but it will turn.

This country will forever go back and forth -- I count on it. I'm not crazy enough to think my idealogy has all the right answers, just what I perceive as more of them. I'll always want GOPers in the mix -- I like some of their ideas a lot. I want both parties forever together to keep things balanced.

So anyway, Rush is funny because he's a zealot who, if he spoke in anapestic tetrameter, may give Dr. Seuss a run for his money in the ways of whimsy.

Sox with A-Rod

2009-02-18T09:43:00.004-05:00

A buddy emailed a group of buddies and me the fact that the Sox are psyched they never got A-Rod, since all the recent fun has come to pass. Well, I agree of course, but I agreed on my joy of being A-Rod-less a long time ago...

I'll be honest - I've been glad ever since we won the 04 WS that we bagged the trade (or rather, the trade got bagged) - although the mental shift began with the Tek/A-Rod confrontation of that summer. Then the Slap-happy A-Rod down the first base line (notice the extra strength his wrist flexor muscles had, so as to knock the ball from the glove ;) in the playoffs helped confirm my tilt.

All things being equal, we sure would have a distraction right now -- but let's backtrack & say all things were equal... say A-Rod sucked his dog's anal cavity in the playoffs as he has in NY... then he and Boras pulled that stunt during a NY Yank-WS game. I say he would have never come back last year, due to Theo and the trio's playoffs-first & team-first mentality. And the fact that they would at that point have been getting negativce value from A-Rod in the playoffs (all things being equal).

Or, all things not being equal, let's say that Magglio Ordonez (remember he was in the deal to replace Manny) & A-Rod & the Sox had a different chemistry and the Sox brought in at least two WS, as they have already -- if great chemistry, maybe three. Then, things may very well be oooo-gly. Or, since he was on the Sox, and the Sox seem to have a better relationship with Bud Selig, Mitchell (obviously, being part of the team) and the inner circles machinations in MLB, whoever dropped A-Rod's name may not have dropped that name. At this point, there's no telling if it was done just as much to drop the bomb on Hank & Hal, as it was to make A-Rod invent cousins. If that was even a slight component of the dropping of the A-Rod dime, we still may be touting him as The Savior in these drug-riddled times.

I do think every team has a cadre of players from 98 to at least 06, that juiced -- much of the league has skated.

Funny too, because while I backslapped you, SGC, for the fact that the heavy-juicing stars of the Yankees haven't been able to bring it home this decade, they did win in 2000, and that team definitely had a contingent of injectors in their midst. Clemens, Grimsley, Giambi, etc. But, I don't take that WS away from them -- because while I think steroids does affect a player's individual numbers, I also think that the fact that much of the league as a whole was pumped full PEDs - across all teams - the literal and figuarative playing field was relatively level, i.e., the bar was raised bi-laterally.

P.S. - I think A-Rod lied worse yesterday in many ways than the first time, but it is what it is... A-Rod cramming his face in uniquely rank orafices and asking us to smell him.

P.P.S. - How's Jose Canseco looking now? I swear if this guy told me he injected the Pope, I'd be forced the believe him, while noticing that the fabled pontiff has bulked up a bit under those robes, that funny hat does look a bit smaller on the noggin, and he sure can deliver longer sermons these days.

A-Everybody

2009-02-09T20:52:00.002-05:00

A-Rod just about completes the cycle (pun intended). Just about anyone that is good to great over the last decade has his name tainted by at least the suspicion. You know who is the greatest living ballplayer since '96 - Derek Jeter; for his 'o', his 'd', and for his team-first at all costs demeanor, coupled with his someone slkinny look, and his now-dropping numbers (at an age all the 'roids freaks kicked into gear), he is the new genuine Yankee Clipper...

Over that period of time, who's the man everyone laughed at, ridiculed, and comes out 100% vindicated? Canseco -- when he tried to publish the second tome, calling out A-Rod, he said he was gonna do it in the 2nd book because of the passes A-Rod made at his wife. Everyone dismissed it as payback with no basis in reality. But he said he wasn't lying....

A-Rod later divorced his wife -- noone can think Madonna was his first time astray, just his highest profile lady in waiting (ok, Madonna waits for noone, but whatever).

So, I take Jose at his word in both instances.

I actually think Manny may be clean -- but a revilesome person; although Ortiz was cut by Minne, only to perk up in Boston, right? That'll be the scuttlebutt anyway. Nomar definitely did (remember when the best SS debate was Jeter, Nomar, or Tejada-also tainted in Mitchell Report -- we know it was Jeter now).

There should be some pitchers in there big-time, but just by body type, I'd wager the Yankees soft stuff will continue to assault the fan -- some of those mid-relievers of the last 10 yrs are stereotypical Roid-bodies. If they didn't do it, who's fault is our thinking that they did... it's those players who never said a thing... it's themselves (more on that below). Who wouldn't note that in his later years, surreal Mariano Rivera's fastball picked up 6 to 8 mph.

In a way, it's so obviously widespread, it's fodder for endless debate and conversation, but the only ones that will suffer will be the kids that aren't tested in HS & college who start using.

As for MLB, here's what I think...

It made everyone - without exception, a ton of money. Selig made more than Jeter last year. Top players offensive numbers went nuts, raising the popular interest in the sport. Vendors flourished, owners won fans and advertising, players gained sponsorships. Middle tier players & those just not using did not say a word because they were in it for their money. They may not be be the best players in the game because of the Roid freaks, but because of the gargantuann payscale, middle-tier still guaraned easy street financially. I guess the other loser in the equation are men who would've just made the majors, but didn't because the bar had been set so high.

But, to me, this is a blip on the game; a big blip, but a blip (blip, blip, blip, blip -- sounds so funny, no? Sorry,.. anyway). Who gets in tthe HOF? All? Noone from this era? To me, it's the judgement ofthe writer -- tis isn't a court of law... if they think the numbers were affected by PEDs, then no-go Coops. If they feel the person was clean, hello Big Hall. Why more difficult? Sure there will be debates on some people that were rumored, but let's leave that to debate at that time.

Some may say that's unfair to tie players that were clean and I'd say tough noogies -- they should have figured out a way to come forward when it was going on, instead of cashing those annual 9 mill checks as a mid to high tier player.

Besides, even though football has been testing much longer, there is no way it has the same stigma as that in baseball. Shawn Merriman is an incredible player, was caught, and suspended for 4 games -- or one quarter of his entire season. He still ended up coming in third in MVP voting. Third. I don't see the writers holding PEDs too strongly against him.

But, it's all about the numbers inbaseball -- once you start putting up the big stat numbers, you start getting the big dollar numbers, and everybody else does too. The public can't help but love the numbers -- we'd know if it wasn't on the up and up -- a clean player would tell, right?... and every player looks at each other and puts a finger on the side of their nose and says not it.

(And by the way, love him or hate him, the Shill has never said not it on this topic.)

H

Vote early & often (okay, just vote once, please ;)

2009-01-28T16:36:00.005-05:00

YOUR VOTE CAN HELP BMC’S SPARK CENTER WIN $25,000 (and enter to win plane tickets)

The SPARK Center is a Boston Medical Center program that helps impoverished children with HIV/AIDS and other debilitating diseases. Virgin America will be launching in Boston soon and as part of their promotion, the SPARK Center is one of the charities that can win $25,000 if it receives the most votes. By voting, you are entered to win Virgin airline tickets around the world!

The charity that gets the most votes will receive $25,000 from Virgin America on their launch day of Feb 11th. Please take 2 minutes to help BMC’s SPARK Center win $25,000: -

Click on:
http://www.revolutiontakesflight.com/items/The_Spark_Center?c=70

- Click on the vote icon next to the SPARK Center listing
- This will take you to a page to create an ID, but this is very quick;
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On paper different than execution, but...

2009-01-24T10:59:00.002-05:00

But, I'm looking at the Sox and Yankees from a half-full kinda way these days, and I'm pretty happy with the ways things're setting up. I'm also curious to see the outcome of a few things, among them:

- Who will have a better season, Smoltz with the Sox or Lowe with the Braves -- not absolute numbers, because /Smoltz may not be in there right away, but on average. And, at least accordng to Simmons, Atlanta is a Mecca for hooking up - think D-Lowe will fall back on his rumored older ways (I was going to put 'self-destructing', but he still ddoes well either way)?

- Very strange the Sox & Tek haven't just said okay, 12 mill, 2 years, plus incentives (and, as we all know Tek could've had 11 for 1 yr if he accepted arbitration, but he's gotta just lookit that as spilt milk). I heard the Sox aren't budging ffrom a 1 yr deal on the radio, so who knows? I would not be stunned if, at the 11th hour, they pull a Salty Teagarden Montiero outa the terible new hanging Sox hat (to be seen at select away games at a theatre near you, rated 'V', fo vomit) .

- As it is right now, the Sox bullpen looks about 20 feet taller and a whole lot scarier than any Green Monsters. Think about a lot of the losses last year... they happened in games where the connection fom the starter to Paps dropped the ball -- while ramping Masterson up, going w/ on again off again Delcarmen, etc., something tells me Bill James and the Jamesettes sang a song at Yawkey way about the statistical possibilities with a team of strong mid-relievers.

Picture a starting bullpen off Beckett/Lester/Dice-K (especially the Diceman!)/Wake/Penny-Smoltz having to only go 6 - and yes, maybe even 5 on occassion - to essentially lock up games. Less innings, less wear on the arms, and a bullpen that can be relied on to give up zero to 2 runs before handing the ball to Paps. Again, this is on paper, but this doesn't even take into account some other pitchers that are sure to get a call-up to Boston occassionally... Bucholtz - if he gets the slot right, Bowden who seems very likely to step in... The 'pen has been improved by a possible factor of ten (pulling that number from my posterior's orafice) and the starting five/six is definitely an improvement, with solid pitching in the wings.

I would posit that more games were lost last year by either a mid-relief staff that blew the game, or Tito letting a starter go farther in the gamer than he should have, as opposed to games not won, due to the offensive drop off from Manny Ramiewz to Jason Bay.

- Yankees picked up CC (2-9 vs Sox, o8), Burnett, Tex & Swisher (who, I can only think was their safety net/smokescreen? in case they didn't get Tex). Moose knocked down 20 teams last year -- not a lot of 20-game winners in baseball anymore. That's a big number to match up to. Pettitte didn't have a great season, but there's no doubt he's a workhorse that always seemed to give the Sox problems when we least could afford it. Burnett is a very good pitcher, but comes with almost the exact opposite reputation.

- Yanks snagged Tex from the Sox in such a way, to me it was reminscent of the World Series paint being started in Fenway Park in '03 before Grady-ball took place. Both times, the Yankees decided they were not going to lose. But I think Tex would've meant more to the Sox than he will to the Yankees, this year -- overall, Tex will be a great face of the franchise, especially with Jeter on the back nine (not saying his play has declined, just saying he's no longer a young Turk!) and A-Rod skipping Spring Training for Kabala tutotials. Tex would've replaced Lowell - gotta love the man, but Tex is flat out better. As far as I can tell, Tex & Swisher are replacing Giambi & Abreu -- I'll take the latter two for overall better numbers (at least last year, which saw Giambi actually crushing the ball again).

- Damon and Matsui will both be back, but they are putting on the 18th green at this point -- I will be surprised if they play more than a combined 200 games next year.

- There's always the chance that Cano will return to his former brialliance, but who knows?

- I'd expect Jeter & A-Rod to do more of the same this year

- I'd expect Bay to be about the same, with a mid-June slump

- Even though I would've said bye-bye to Ellsbury for Hanley Ramirez (and Clay for that matter), I think Ellsbury will beat his last season.

- Rocco Baldelli portends some interesting possibilities filling in for both Drew/Jacoby/Bay -- let's hope this new disgnosis gives him the energy he needs. With his hometown just past the late afternoon shadow of the Pru, he'll have a lot of support.

- So, I guess I'm just saying, on my paper, the Sox should do as least as well as last year, while the Yankees will be lucky to finish as well.

AL East prediction: Sox, Yanks, Jays, Rays, O's

Admit it - Boston is no longer Sports Town USA...

2009-01-15T09:55:00.004-05:00

A buddy of mine from NYC emailed a bunch of us up here in Boston and mentioned that if the Eagles take the Superbowl, we will have to pass the title of Sports Town to Philadelphia. while posed as a serious email, we all know that he loves to just say stuff to see if he can get a rise out of us -- and it worked for a couple of emails... we catelogued this incredible decade, while pointing out that no other city has had nearly the same good fortune.

But, he wouldn't budge from his indefensible stand, which is when the, admittedly, very low watt light bulb went on over my head, and I realized how much he must laugh everytime he sees that we emailed back a retort to his position. Realizing we've been played, I decided we should just give in to his demands of reliquishing the title of Sports Town, USA...

"You know, you have a very good point, my leg-pulling New York friend. Before, I was always dying to have my teams just make the finals, let alone win it all. Now that we have so many wins under the belt, at a pace where teams are practically taking turns being the heroes of Boston every year, it's gotten kind of old.

I just don't care about it as much -- it's practically antiquated. Every time I see/hear Sportscenter talking about my teams in a disproportionate way, as compared to the rest of the entire universe, I find myself yawning and realizing that I've grown fond enough of SpongeBob Squarepants, that I can watch his clever quips with Patrick & Squidworth without the kids around. And so I do. Hearing about the day to day dealings of my teams on a national forum -- as if no other teams really mattered -- is frankly, a little bit embarassing. I've had to take a long hard look in the mirror -- and I just didn't like what I saw -- I saw a city that owns the best every league has to offer, and I saw a country that knows it. It was like looking into the sun. It hurt.

So, darn it, I think you're right, we should pass the torch on to some other needy city, as Zeus first touched Hercules and gave him back his qualities of the gods, once he had proven himself worthy. We now, as a city - nay, a region - must realize that we cannot crow about our dominance so unforgively. We must just let it exist as an entity. As a young high schooler, Peter Parker learned a valuable lesson when he let a thief pass him by without trying to stop him - a thief that would later kill his Uncle Ben... With great power comes great responsibility.

We wield a grossly disproportionate amount of power, almost too many championships across the spectrum of all imporatant major sports in these United States, and we have discussed it at length, lo' these many years. Even though there has been little ebb to this great tide of winning -- nay, it's actually gained ground on this lonely beachfront, considering the first half of the 21st Century's first decade was dominated by two sports, and we're now looking at four sport domination -- we must in fact lessen the stranglehold on the title Sports Town USA.

In letting the storied title purposely slip from our grasp - for there is of course no true contesting wannabe titan able to scale our slippery mount - we may in fact find that we have already reached the tanscendent state, that no city or region has ever held over such an extended period of time. Sports Mecca of the World. Philly, New York, LA, London for that matter... whoever... here... here is this title which has given us much happieness. In giving it to whomsoever among you can wrest the title from your bretheren, we look down upon you from our lofty perch with fondness. The game is, of course, on."

With a smug smile I emailed my missive off -- only to open his reply and read in a straight-faced note that it looks like I'm agreeing with him. Whaddyagonnado?

Pittsburgh Mayor Changes Name From Ravenstahl To 'Steeler'stahl

2009-01-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

PITTSBURGH -- Bye-bye Luke Ravenstahl and hello Luke Steelerstahl.

With the AFC Championship game between the Steelers and Ravens on Sunday, Mayor Luke “Raven”stahl doesn’t want to be mistaken for a Baltimore sympathizer.

Pittsburgh's mayor has modified his last name to honor the Steelers, who are vying for the AFC Championship.

Ravenstahl, er, "Steelerstahl" said he decided to remove raven from his name just as the Steelers will remove the hated Baltimore Ravens from contention on Sunday.

"They called the office, made the recommendation and of course, as soon as I heard it, I thought it was a great idea," said Steelerstahl. "Have a little fun with this weekend's AFC Championship game."

Ravenstahl made the ceremonious change on Wednesday and will keep it at least through Sunday.

Coincidentally, stahl is German for steel.

Steelers, Eagles, Cards, & Ravens...

2009-01-12T11:26:00.001-05:00

... but this is what I've thinking about, as opposed to match-ups, when I hear the final four for SB possibilities.

Fitting that the Steelers and Ravens are playing each other for the SB appearance. One of them has to win the SB this year, it's just simple deductive reasoning.

Steelers are the only non-bird team (Eagles, Cardinals, Ravens), so they win
or
Ravens are the only team that was never part of the Steelers, so they win:
- Steelers are the Steelers
- In 1943 the Eagles & Steelers were combined for the season, due to the heavy loss of personnel in WWII; called the Steagles
- In 1944 the Cardinals (then in Chicago) & Steelers were combined for the same reason, called the Car-Pitts (pronounced carpets)

But, maybe the Ravens - When the original Browns moved to Baltimore they became the Ravens. So named after Poe's adopted town, Baltimore. However, Poe was in U.S. srevice and stationed at Fort Independence on Castle Island, in south boston, prior to his literary career.
although, there is a Boston tie-in for the Eagles...

But Bostonian Mark Wahlberg starred in the movie that chronicles a regular Philly joe who tried out and became an Eagles receiver.

Leaving the Cardinals - heck, it'd be great if they won, since the Pats shmushed their statisticians who dressed for the Pats/Cards December game.

Sox, Bruins, Celts, & Pats (sorry, no Blazers)

2009-01-02T16:41:00.002-05:00

- Is Mark Teixiera better than Giambi in his prime (last yr w/ Ok. and first with Yankees up to, but not including, '04)? I don't think he is, even though he is a superior fielder -- that said, it'd be nice to have the Lowell/Tex conundrum, I'm just trying to look at the glass half-full. As of today, I'd trade Clay and Jake for Hanley in a heartbeat, if that is really an option, moving Ramirez to CF.

- Yanks are looking very very strong, but I'd wager the Sox pitching will outperform NY this season ~ which will be a cold comfort on which to hang my hat if they have no bats by the time they get to Spring Training. Will Cano rebound? Will Damon get through the season? If you had to answer the question of who will rebound from last season's injuries better, who would you pick, Matsui or Ortiz? I lean Kong-like while carrying Papi-wishes.

- Green going 1-3 on the West Coast ~ did they charter their flight through the NY Jets on some kind of package deal? Half-full: Kind of thought they may have a least a two-game skid after losing to the Lakers - splash of cold water now and again will keep them feeling hungry (still on pace to brwak the 68-win season).

- Bruins in a 10 game win streak - best since '73, with this continued pace, they may... or they can... well, someone will be able to... okay, okay... I know next to nothing about the NHL! But I like watching games live (been to a Bruins game in the last year), and they are the last Boston hold-out for success. I do love that we have two first place teams in our wintersports playing in the same building though. I wonder if the league champs of two different sports has ever been done in the same building in the same year?

- I think the Sox will break their sold-out streak this season. Can you believe that some scalpers were not able to resell some playoff tickets this season? Economy woes are what they are, and the Sox will need to add something to the party even after freezing ticket prices ~ a mid-August Royals match-up during a 6-day heat wave may spell sellout doom. (There are a lot of companies that buy up a lot of tickets that are not going to be spending that extra greet and gras dough this summer).

- I think the Rays are gonna have a sophmore slump.

- Pioli looks to be trading in the Red, Blue and Silver for Brown; if he can help turn them around he will be a God in Cleveland....

Bud-Lite hangs its hat on 'Drinkability'

2009-01-02T13:56:00.003-05:00

Seriously… Drinkability? so they’re saying that their beer is definitely a semi-non-toxic liquid? (not counting the alcohol toxcity, which I’ll never really count ;). Wow! I guess they have a leg up on all the other brands of beer that can’t lay claim to such landmark feature. It's not just a beer, it's a beer you can drink!

I would pay money for a video of the presentation meeting of Arnoild, BBDO, FCB, or whatever agency presented this to A-B in St. Louis…

A-B: So… you’re saying that our multi-million dollar account is looking to own the ‘Drinkability’ reputation?

Agency: Exactly!… you’re following us… you see where we’re going… it’s so simple! Noone has ever staked a claim to this feature of beer — now anyone else who does looks like they’re copying us.

A-B: Ummmm, not too many people try to share stupidity.

Agency: Hmmmm…. good point. Okay, think of it another way… you just got bought out by a European beer company, who will be employing their own marketing staff, so you’ll likely be working at Sam Adams or Miller Lite, competing against Bud Lite — you’ll be stacking the deck!!

A-B: You know… ‘Drinkability’ speaks to us…

Pats game weird-lights

2008-12-31T17:16:00.003-05:00

Okay, besides the whole dealio of the Pats not making the playoffs or the Cassel/Brady thingy (Brady mend delayed? Cassel franchised? By the way, I say franchise and trade for value - but that's a longer issue), how 'bout the weather conditions in that game? I mean, whaddafu?...

A lot of crazy stuff -- like the almost emtire lack of passing in the first half, especially against the wind, a 13 yard Bills punt, the Pats extra point almnost being blown directly back out of the uprights after passing through it (after the ball passed thru the middle of the uprights, 15 yards above the crossbar, the wind caught it and blew it back, landing inches past the crossbar -- the announcers first called it no-good, only to be corrected by the officials).

1. The Bills first field goal attempt -- never,... never have I seen a 36 yard FG attempt start 3 to 5 yards left of the the left upright, only to miss by 10 yards right of the right vertical pole. The ball travelled almost as far left to right as it did from the line of scrimmage to the end zone.

2. The Cassel 3rd down quick punt -- just wacko. Wacky in and of itself, and awesome that Cassel's punt went farther than Brady's 03 kick, but I kept thinking how cool it could have been if he had kicked it from a line o scrimmage that was farther back. his punt was 57 yards, but because of the insane wind, that ball was never gonna stop -- granted, given the oblong shape of the ball it likely would have eventually wobbled out of bounds, but he could have kicked from his own 10 yard line and lobbied fort a 90 yard punt. That ball was gaining steam when it was downed at the 1 yard line -- as mentioned during the broadcast, it wasn't gonna stop until it hit a wall. Loved that play from beginning to end.

2009 Patriots

2008-12-16T13:46:00.002-05:00

Just a quick, nice-to-have-to-worry about question. And by the way, all things being equal, obviously Brady over Cassel, but:

- Brady already had an infection after surgery, and the typical prognosis is around 10 months for his procedure... and this is a question I don't know the answer to: How much playing time - practice, pre-season etc., are the Pats going to see Brady in to see if he's back in Brady-form? What is their contingency plan... or what are they starting to think?...

- That Pats defeinitely need to add to their secondary in the off-season -- which will take some extra Spilocoli-dinero, after he pays for the pizza while learning about Cuba. But, if all that money is allotted to shoring up the secondary - and linebackers really, if Brady goes down or has lingering deficiancies, do we really want a 70% Brady or even 100% O'Connell -- a man who wasn't allowed one snap in last week's game? Even in the 4th quarter when it was an untouchable win?

- By the way, that lack of pulling Cassel... when you try to decipher why that was, don't the answers all seem a bit... interesting?...
--- Wouldn't you want to save Cassel from a very physical team when the time was right?
--- wouldn't you want your back-up to get some snaps in the NFL in case Cassel ever has to sit out a couple set of downs; i.e. a non-season-ending injury, whereby O'Connell has to at least keep the shiop afloat.

- Do the Pats tie up about 25% of their salary cap on two QBs - keeping Cassel - and look to work some behind the scenes magic in the front office - to improve the somewhat porous D.

Heard on the radio this AM: Assante Samuel intercepted a pass in last night's game -- had me flashing to that last drive by Eli last Feb -- why couldn't he intercept then. Spilled milk.

Bottom line -- I think Cassel should go to some team that will pay him big bucks, but selfishly, I want him to lean back on. Brady is not quite old enough for the Pats to think Young for Montana - Brady is just too good. But everyone is human, and what if this injury has longer consequences? Do you franchise Cassel, let him go unencumbered to free agency, or somehow keep him?

As Dennis Hopper said to Keanu Reeves: What Do You Do?...

Celtics and Lakers and Bulls (oh my!)

2008-12-16T10:41:00.003-05:00

30.2% of the NBA season is in the rear-view mirror and the Celts are still on pace with the historic '95-'96 Bulls season (72-10), with a current record of 23-2, and have a 15 game winning stream going. The Green's streak record is 18. The Lakers are compiling a nice little season too, although at 20-3, its a little off Celtic-pace. Follow both teams' head to head match-up with Michael's Bulls at:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/features/best
Next real test for Boston doesn't come until Christmas night, when they tip-off against L.A. If they can win all games up tot hat point, they will be going for 20 in a row against the Lakers -- a nice little Holiday Gift for New England (that, and the Pats winning out, the Jets & 'Phins going 1-1 or the Ravens losing and Fish losing... oh yeah, and the Bruins keeping the best record in the East... oops, and one more: Texiera wearing a Sox cap -- whether it's the new hanging Sox or not, we'll take it).

The 'K' in SKG

2008-12-15T09:36:00.004-05:00

I'm going to see Jeffrey Katzenberg speak this afternoon -- he's in town giving a presentation highlighting some of the new 3D technology DreamWorks is rolling into their upcoming movies. He'll be showing some select footage, so that's always kind of fun. I'm a sucker for gimmicks, even when they're done badly -- if Spielberg, Katzenberg, & Geffen are putting their name behind it, I'm thinking this 3D is probably pretty much must-see technology.

(I heard there were some glitches during the National Football League's 3D broadcast two Thursdays ago -- much of it because it was being broadcast live. I can't even imagine the cameras and technology that has to go into that one... Now if DreamWorks and the NFL got together, we could watch the Raiders vs. the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 3D).

Big Man Big City

2008-12-11T09:55:00.005-05:00

Yanks with Sabathia -- I read recently that with all the money coming off the books the Yankees could sign every big free agent and be at 215 mill next year - since they were at 207 this year, that's not too far-fetched (especially since the coffers are even bigger with the new stadium). I could see Burnett and d-Lowe going there -- although I's fear Lowe more than Burnett.

Funny though with C.C. on two fronts --

1. given that the Yanks record was 8-1 against him, and that the Sox have a winning record as well (but not as lop-sided), Hank could have been happy if the Sox had pusued him too - a thought probably not lost on the Yawkey Way offices, and,...

2. With Moose retiring and C.C. coming in - and a look at both of their first eight years in the league - it looks as if bringing C.C. on board is a wash, rather than an upgrade. He certainly isn't any better than Moose was while he pitched in Baltimore, and I'd throw out that Moose was actually better than C.C. over the same periods in their career (and later as well), although I'd stop short to say they will be worse off with C.C. than they were with Mussina in his prime, since that's unpredictable.

{Of course, I have no illusions that the Yankees are done in Vegas}

Terms on the other side of their half-life

2008-12-09T12:14:00.005-05:00

Now, this is going to be a continually updated post, so don't let the original post-date fool you into thinking it's dated...

Catch-phrases, terminology, and slang terms that have, in essence, 'Jumped the Shark' (the non-specific criteria for making this list is as follows: If the word or phrase makes me think that this is said way too much by way too many people in a verbal catch-all, then it's use is self-defeating -- by the way, that's not to say I don't find myself using all of these terms too... I just wish I didn't):

- At the end of the day... I used to like this one for a new way of saying 'After all is said and done', until it was said 14 times during an 11 minute conversation with a former boss.

- Jumped the shark (See? I told you I use these) this was more hip when not everyone knew what it meant... say, circa 1981, when some cable boxes were actually boxes that had a dial that you had to manually (the horror!) turn to one of the hundred or so channels -- which, incidently, is also the equivalent of my walking through the snow to school both ways for my kids: "When I was your age, I had to get up and change my own channels!".

- Bee-och Ummmm... no. Just no.

- Media Whore Seems to me the people who call someone this term are scouring all media for the current flavor of the day and when someone keeps popping up they are this (wait, that sounds uncomfortable familiar... oh well). As a term, it should've died when the X-Files was cancelled.

- Crackberry Term is actually not quite at its half-life yet, but it's fast approaching its own event horizon. I find it somewhat inversely proportional to saying 'text me', but not totally.

- 'Roid Rage Thankfully, this is reaching it's own end... seems to have died down ever since Clemen's curious press conferences following the Mitchell Report

- Wing Nut & Moon Bat Often used (at least in these parts) to decribe political leanings to the far right and extreme left, respectively. So old and stale they now sound almost mainstream for a term that is used to describe the fringe.

- Google it Another that hasn't lost it's touch yet -- I'm giving it halfway through Obama's first term though...

- ... degrees to Kevin Bacon Because I think I'm pretty good at doing this, my sense is that this is something I should not actually bring up in conversation and, as such, is somewhat self-defining for this list ;).

December observations...

2008-12-04T09:55:00.001-05:00

- Rajon on the Rise. (Just is)

- The perfect Holiday Gift for those of you with scary man-crushes on certain ballplayers:
http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/2008_12_04_A-Rod_s_undies_make_a_fan-tastic_gift/srvc=home&position=6

- Interesting take on the state of the rivalry -- one I actually don't really buy (I actually think Mazz is trying to show up on the NYC-readers radar); in my mind, it's just the way the wind is currently blowing before the final agreements have come down:
http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2008/12/as_sox_wait_yankees_worry.html

- With about 16 pine trees I'm thinking of excising from my property, I've been wondering why I'd have to pay for someone to take 'em down, when there should be tons of wood stove owners clamoring for my untapped fuel.

- Very sad - Longmeadow Lancer Football's winning streak came to a halt at 47 (state record is Acton-Boxborough's 54) on thanksgiving. On a rainy, sloggy field the Lancers drove to the 15 with no time -- since it was so crappy, they couldn't go for a FG and had an endzone pass tapped away, to lose 16-13 to East Longmeadow (see www.masslive.com). Insert farmboy epithet here:_____. But, hats off to East Longmeadow.

- Check this link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/features/best
It was set up to follow the Celts pursuit last year of the Bulls' historic season record, but it's working again this year (with the Lakers added in too)... and who knows...

- Only from Larry Bird: Interesting to note that the Pacers account for 50% of both the Celts and the Lakers losses so far this year. I do think the Green will beat last year's regular season record.

24 - Patriots - 24...

2008-11-24T10:23:00.000-05:00

Pretty entertaining episode of 24 last night, with the following observations...

- Took awhile to get going; if you weren't a 24-phile, it would not have been unheard of to bail after the first 15 minutes.

- Tough subject, that recruiting kids to fight thing in Africa; so much so that even at the end when Jack completes his mission, with shades of fleeing Saigon, tough to see the thousands of innocents who remain in peril.

- Since 24 was cancelled due to the writer's strike last yr - but the show was already half-written, I wonder if the female president was more in line with what the handwriting on the wall was at the time of the strike -- not clear Republican leader and hilary the Dem frontrunner.

- Heard on D & C this AM on WEEI - late in the show, when the helicopter was chasing Jack and the kids along the river, you can clearly see a cameraman dressed in black next to Jack and the kids. Anyone who still has it on DVR will see it (I didn't see it, but it was a D&C emailer who alerted them to it, then they replayed it and saw the 24-cameraman).

~

* By the way how about Matt Cassel? They still have their fate a little out of their hands & may not even make the playoffs, but watching these games are a ton more exciting than last year -- watching Cassel's Game get better and better is incredible. Totally different offense & personnel, so it's not an equal comparison, but Cassel's 1st season is shaping up better than Brady's first foray (Brady never threw for over 300 yards the first season and now we have the Pat-precedent setting two consecutive games of 400 from Cassel -- that said, even last year, Brady never had consecutive games of 400).

And, the one thing I've heard from analysts (and seen with my eyes) is that Cassel is undoubtedly a better runner. I love when he goes for it -- as we all know from last week, it's no small thing being the only QB in NFL history to throw for 400 and run for 60 (although, for the purposese of that stat, I'd only go back to, say, '96, as rules and the game have changed significantly to promote the pass and offense in general -- as well as protect the Cube).

I won't do the ridiculous thing of talking about a QB controversy, because Brady is cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow, Joe-Montana-Brady, but how difficult will it be before Brady's new knee is tested to let Cassel go?

~

- Interesting how last night's 24 is a prologue to the season. It flowed in real time, but you can't tell me on Jan 11, when the season starts, it picks up from Jack's 'copter ride -- just the air-travel to the states would take up half of the 24 hrs.

- Interesting how the UN-guy is painted as not just uninformed and ineffective, but such a back-biting two-timing scoundrel. Love his UN-baby-blue outfits too ;).

- I'll bet the burn on Jack's face (ear?) becomes a non-factor in the new season -- even last night... seriously, could you imagine the huge puss-filled bubble that would have resulted from that torture burn. I kept pictured Jack lancing that thing and wrapping his face in gauze for the rest of the show -- but I am just fine suspending my disbelief too.

- Jon Voight as the bad guy -- tons of corruption wiothin the US gov't itself - although this isn't too unique to 24 storylines

- Looking at the new President's son, I think he could be groomed to be a carry-over character in other 24 seasons.

- In the previews for the new season... five words -- A Very Bad Tony Almeida (and, Jack's line to him in the previews, "Tell me what I need to know, or else I'll kill you and this time you'll stay dead).

~

Go Pats

Hopefully we all win

2008-11-07T16:02:00.004-05:00

Obama wins -- it's the outcome I voted for, but there's a lot to do. However, the following story was found on boston.com today, and in and of itself, it's an incredible story. And I'd hazard a guess that this is not unique to this one classroom. I don't kid myself that the follow-through is not going to be a tough task, but the potential under-pinnings of what we have right now - socially, economically, and internationally - is the biggest in my lifetime, and even I can feel it...

In her own words: Teacher moved by students' joy over Obama win
November 7, 2008 11:57 AM
By Felicia Kazer

Boston teacher Felicia Kazer tells how Barack Obama's election transformed McCormack Middle School in Dorchester the day after the historic vote, stirring excitement, a sense of possibility, and unbridled joy in her students.

Wednesday was a great day to be a teacher.

The excitement started as soon as I entered the school in the morning. It turns out that a small group of students arrived before classes started to decorate our hallways with Barack Obama posters.

They had photocopied pictures of Obama's face. Under it they had written one word: "President."

By the time the rest of the student body arrived, our whole school had been plastered with these signs.

At 7:14 a.m., the hallways at my school looked very familiar: crowded, hectic and loud. Only on this morning, students weren't ignoring their teacher's requests to get to their homerooms because they were too busy gossiping about shoes or TV last night or one another.

Instead, they were simply too busy to get to class on time because they were all talking politics with their friends. It was stunning to overhear conversations between eighth-graders that included words like: electoral votes, democracy, and ballots. And it wasn't just a few kids -- it was all of them.

Felix, the tallest and coolest eighth-grade boy in homeroom 8F, came into our room with six Obama buttons on his sweatshirt. And as if this wasn't enough, he set the school trend for wearing the Obama posters that were once hanging all over the hallways. One minute he was asking to borrow some tape and the next minute the Obama printouts were all over his (and then all the other boys') torsos.

Meanwhile, I looked around my homeroom and had a shocking realization: This is a room filled with 13-year-olds, and all of them are in a good mood. But knowing how much their moods fluctuate during the course of a day, I was sure that by last class block the excitement would have subsided.

I was wrong.

I picked up 8C from lunch and on the way back to class I had to remind Lexxi that it wasn't appropriate hallway behavior to chant, "Obama,Obama, Obama" as loudly as she could.
By now, I had realized that my lesson on chemical formulas would be a hard-sell for such an over-stimulated and over-tired afternoon crew, so I decided to make them a deal.
"If we get all our work done this afternoon, we will spend the last 20 minutes of the day watching Obama's victory speech,'' I told them. "However, if we don't work efficiently, we won't have enough time."

When else would this be a successful incentive for adolescent children: Ifyou work hard, I'll let you listen silently to a grown-up give a long speech about our political process.

I couldn't believe it worked, but it did. The class only got off track a couple of times and I was easily able to re-focus them by providing one simple reminder: "President Obama would want us to get our work done."

As promised, at the end of the period we closed our chemistry books and tuned in to hear our next president give his victory speech. The first bell even rang and no one packed up their things.

Not only did they listen to Obama's speech intently, but a few times they began cheering so loudly I had to pause the speech and remind them that a class was taking place next door.
You remember this part of Obama's speech Tuesday night: "This victory is not my victory. This is your victory.''

To this, Vianca (one of my most chatty girls) said out loud: "Yeah, it's my victory!"
I looked around at the room of 28 students -- all of whom are people of color -- and I saw the future teachers, doctors, artists and presidents of this country. I almost started crying all over again.

Looking for a President for the current climate

2008-10-08T10:05:00.005-04:00

Ignoring the fact that It's the economy Stupid! (and that in every oppressively down economic time the U.S. has elected a Dem, to its benefit)...

McCain, and Palin for that matter, telling everyone who will listen that he is a 'Maverick', sadly sounds like an umemployed 24 year-old looking for a job and telling everyone how cool he used to be in high school. I got new for you - you ain't a 'Maverick' when you call yourself one.
McCain is a good soldier and a great American, of this there is no doubt. Unfortunatley, he is not a good leader -- never has been.

No one, not a single person, understood how to wage a battle against terrorists... they kept using traditonal warfare strategies and analyses that were equivalent to trying to project the seven day forecast by sitting in your office and holding a finger to your air conditioner...

I hold more against McCain for invading Irag than I do against Obama for being against the Surge. We opened an entire country - for hiding, pillaging, and as a new front-line to kill American soldiers, up to the very terrorists we were hunting (and, up until opening Iraq up to them, cornering) in Afganistan.

And, split as many hairs as you like, but of the following there can be no dispute: we entered Iraq to take down Saddam Hussein because the US Executive Office and its Cabinet, saw this as an opening to take him out. For an unjustified - and unproven - reason. If we want to take out despots across the world as policy, there's a lot worse - and at the time - less crippled, than Hussein. This was vendetta time. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong outcome. Cut off the head of an enemicserpent and allow a million venoumous spiders to take over.

Think of how many lives we'd have, how many funds could be spent in the U.S., and how World Opinion would still be pitted against Hussein had we not gone in. Whether you like World Opinion or not, it matters not, because in a Global Economy, at some levels of your daily life, you and yours will be subject to it.

Democrats are not the end all, and neither is Obama, for me. But, I don't hold his minister, or his tenuous Ayers connection against him. In the same way I don't think of the Keating five or McCain's chumminess with the Machiavellian manifestation known as G. gordon Liddy against him. But in economic turmoil, it is a Democratic Executive that understands how to employ the government to help lift the country. The Republican Platform is based on less government and asking them to step up some leveles of our gov't is akin to having credit card companies coach people on how to charge less -- it's the antithesis to their existence.

Two undeniable reasons to feel good about the Celts

2008-06-05T11:10:00.002-04:00

2008 - About the NBA finals:
1. Robert Parrish - 1986
2. Johnny Quest - 1987
Let me expound...

1. Robert Parrish was one of the Celts' Bid Three in '86. Then he won his last Championship with in '97 with the Bulls. He shared his place on that team with Tony Kukoc. The same Tony Kukoc that ended up playing '02-'06 with the Milwaukee Bucks. In '02 and '03 he played with a certain strong three-point shooter named Ray Allen. Our Ray Allen. So, 21 years later, with only two players in between, we connect our old Big Three to our new Big Three. (Of course, it may have been a little easier to just say that Parrish is a player consultant for the current Celts, but where's the Karma in that?)

2. At the prompting of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, P.J. Brown joined the Green at the end of February this year. From 1996-2000 P.J. was coached by Pat Riley at the Heat. Riley also coached Kareem Abdul Jabbar of the winning Lakers team in '87. Kareem starred with, among others, Barbara Billingsley in the movie 'Airplane' (you'll remember, she spoke jive). Barbara Billingsley was best known as Mrs, Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver. A young actor know as Tim Matheson appeared in two episodes of the show as a friend of the Beav. Tim Matheson voiced the character of the original Johnny Quest.

Johnny Quest never loses a battle.

Two new reasons for the Barack

2008-04-30T15:30:00.005-04:00

If you're a McCain-ite, then this isn't meant to persuade you. If you're a Clintonian, perhaps it's too late for switching allegiances... but if you're undecided? How can't you be all over the O Man.

1. The man who advised him, married him and baptized his kids goes mentally AWOL. After trying to maintain relations, Barack painstakingly breaks all ties with this man. He was his spiritual council, not his political advisor; after learning how disparate their politics are, he has broken - and alienated - the man he once looked to for spiritual guidance. Granted, he had to do it to stay viable, but it can't be understated how big a step this was.

2. The gas tax gimmick -- if what Hillary & McCain threw out there doesn't just reek of a D.C. make me look good in the short term jury-rigging attempt, I don't know what does. I honestly don't think clinton or McCain had a second thought about what this would do, other than make them look good in front of the populace. And if what they wanted top do was look like they are being led by the common poll, rather than their heads, they won. But this gas tax freeze is a boondoggle of epic proportions because every economist worth his/her salt has come out against it!

Think of how easy it would have been for the 'inexperienced' Barack to fall in line - without having to appear he was falling in line - and support the freeze. Instead, he comes out against it. Why? Because he's a smart man who has both foresight and the quality of a candidate that is doing what is right, not what is necessarily popular on first blush.

Why is the freeze a bad thing? I'll quote the common consensus that you can find from any number of sources of economists, not 'crazy left-wingers'. From Alister Bull of Reuters:

Economists said that since refineries cannot increase their supply of gasoline in the space of a few summer months, lower prices will just boost demand and the benefits will flow to oil companies, not consumers.

"You are just going to push up the price of gas by almost the size of the tax cut," said Eric Toder, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington.

Obama criticized the plan as pure politics and said the only way to lower the price of gas is to use less oil.

"It would last for three months and it would save you on average half a tank of gas, $25 to $30. That's what Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are proposing to deal with the gas crisis," he said on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

"This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's an idea designed to get them through an election."

Clinton followed up by saying this shows how out of touch he is with the common person. First of all regarding elitism, those in glass houses, second of all, I'll take someone who thinks an idea through 10 times out of 10 any day.

Yeah.. I want my tax freeze going to Big Oil, because that will show how 'in touch' I am... yeesh.

Five Game Skid, Celts lose again, but Glass Half-full (of lemonade)

2008-04-29T15:38:00.002-04:00

Couple of team lemon-like perfomances these days, but drink down these cool Paps-stats from Rob Bradford/Herald for some refreshing lemonade:

"...while pointing to the fact that he (Paps) might actually be better this year thanks to improved command. He hasn’t walked a batter since the first hitter he faced this season. But within the story are also tidbits supplied from our man, Gary from Chapel Hill, who sent along this stuff, which is truly amazing.

So here it is:
Strikeout % Yearly Leaders (8th Inn or Later, Ahead by 1 or 2 Runs; min. 50 such batters faced in ‘06/’07 and 15 in ‘08):
2006: Nathan 43.5%; F Rodriguez 41.0%; Saito 39.4%; Papelbon 30.3% (13th).
2007: Papelbon 41.8%; F Cordero 35.6%; Myers 35.4%.
2008: Papelbon 41.4%; Neshek 40.0%; Rivera 36.0%;

Three Up / Three Down Innings With 2+ Strikeouts, 8th inning or later
(2006 – 2008): Papelbon, 31; Saito 30; Nathan 24; Putz 23; Five tied with 19.

Strikeout % of all batters once count reaches 2 strikes (min. 100 BF in ‘06/’07 and 25 BF in ‘08):
2006: Nathan 59.4%; Putz 57.8; Jenks 56.3%; Papelbon 49.3% (18th).
2007: Putz 59.4%; Marmol 58.5%; Papelbon 57.1%.
2008: Papelbon 72.0%; Billingsley 60.4%; Affeldt 60.0%; Jesse Carlson 60.0%

Batting average allowed with 2 strikes
(since beginning of ‘07, min. 150 BF): Papelbon .082 (13 for 159); Soriano Rafael .085; Turnbow .087;

OBP Allowed Since Beginning of 2006 (min. 300 BF):
Papelbon .216; Soria .232; Putz .235*
Since becoming a closer (beginning of 2006), in road games Papelbon has allowed a .197 OBP (best in MLB),
allowed a .248 slugging percentage (best in MLB),
and has struck out 36.2% of batters faced (best in MLB).
Minimum 150 BF on the road.

Career Batting Average Allowed - 7th inning or later, leading, on the road, with RISP: Papelbon .000 (0 for 32, 1 BB, 1 HBP)"

It's going to be O-K

Obama likely to get the numbers before Convention

2008-04-22T14:20:00.002-04:00

Here's what I just don't get: Obama willl win the majority of the delegates, even if the following H-friendly primary numbers come to pass:
H% O%
PA 60 40
IN 53 47
WV 42 58
OR 50 50
SD 54 46
Guam 50 50
NC 52 48 (no way H wins NC)
KY 46 54
MT 47 53
PRico 50 50

If Hilary gets 51% of the superdelegates, she'll have 159 and Obama will have 152.

While somewhat arbitrary, all those numbers are even optimistic for Clinton and guess what? If it breaks down that way Obama is likely to have 2066 delgates (need 2025 to win) -- employing a neat little delegate counter found on the politics page of CNN. Stop telling me he can't land this fish before the Convention -- he can and in all likelihood, he will.

Make my CF a Jake

2008-04-22T11:27:00.002-04:00

Thank the Tito gods that Jacoby ‘Jake’ Ellsbury is consistently in at this point. I kind of think management had this ease-him-in plan from the very start… kind of how they platooned in Pedroia (I know, Pedroia for April stunk up the joint, but who knows here). Either that, or they are happy with the Coco sampling size — hitting well enough for other teams to say ‘hmmmm…’. ‘Course, doesn’t hurt that Coco is…, well… hurt.

But, besides what our eyes tell us, here are some Jake stats that stand out as what should be our everyday CF (and keep in mind his mostly split/time w/ Coco):

- His 16 Runs scored is tops on the team

- Has not only drawn the most walks (13) but has the best walk/at bat ratio on the team by far, at better than 1 in every four at bats

- Has the highest OBP -- pretty much the main stat I'd want to look at -- at .444, eclipsing Youk's .433, which would be 4th in the entire AL if he had enough at bats. ________ (fill in your counter-point regarding sample size here) (Oh, and Coco’s is the second lowest OBP before ‘Tek’s)

- Only Sean Casey has fewer K’s (3 to Jake’s 5)

- Only Manny & Youk have at least one double triple or homer on the Sox, like Jake. I’ll betcha he hits more triples than homers this year.

Make my lead-off CF a Jake

Other items found next to Big Papi's Jersey in the new Yankee Stadium...

2008-04-15T15:08:00.003-04:00

- Jimmy Hoffa's teeth, which, by an obscure New York City law, any new major stadium in the metropolitan area being built must have the former Teamster's President's remains

- Roger Clemen's testes and, ironically, a rat's ass

- Britney Spears' can't-miss business plan

- Phil Hughes control on his fastball

- Another fly-ball out by Wang the Magnificent

- A-Rod's Girl Scout Manual on how-to-slap-a-ball-out-of-a-glove

- The consistency of Dice-K

- Girardi's coaching acumen that tells him when to walk a batter

- The only smidgen of Manny than isn't in dead-on regular season form

- A hidden video of Theo Epstein standing in the mirror late Sunday night screaming at a make-believe press conference,... "So, J.D. Drew was a bad deal huh?!! Won't be good once his family stuff is done, huh?!!! Waste of Sox salary smart guy?!!!!! How you feeling now... sucka!!!!!!"

- The numbskull Boston fans who still exist cica, 2002, yelling 'Yankees Suck' at home games

- Mo Vaughn's healthy foot/ankle

- Hank Steinbrenner's convictions (Jinx?, What jinx?, There's no jinxes... just to be sure we'll dig it up to show you)

What is Starbucks planning on April 8th, 2008?

2008-04-04T12:17:00.004-04:00

This is currently on the Starbucks website:

We're planning something big at Starbucks. Like Venti big. We can't tell you what it is because that'll ruin the surprise. Just come to any Starbucks on Tuesday, April 8, at noon Eastern to find out what it is.

Cool... I like be promotional events from major companies - especially companies that are already thriving in a strong 'cool' niche. But, I'll tell you this right now... I think I have the answer. (Spoiler alert -- stop reading if you don't want to know the answer). I'm throwing this down just in case you wanna know what it is -- maybe you can't make it to a Starbucks and you hate to be the last to know. For whatever reason, this article appeared in seattlepi.com on Feb 1st, '08:

(don't page down if you don't want to know)

Top Pot Doughnuts goes nationwide

By CRAIG HARRIS P-I REPORTER

Top Pot Doughnuts, a small Seattle chain that caught the attention of Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz more than four years ago, is going national thanks to its growing relationship with the coffee company.

On April 8, Top Pot is slated to be in all company-owned Starbucks Corp. stores in 50 states, the companies said Thursday.

"This is a big, big leap for us and something we are really proud of," said Mark Klebeck, one of Top Pot's three co-founders.

Go to http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/349616_toppot01.html for the rest of the article.

Starbucks' mission seems somewhat adrift - or at least their plans for maintaining, or even growing, market share. Granted coffee doesn't have a rep for being all that healthy, per se, but as an entity, it seems to feel healthy. It going to be stopping the breakfast sandwiches it had going for awhile, stopping any kind of pushback it may have been attempting against Dunkin' Donuts or, more likely McDonalds (as Mickey-D's is making coffee inroads with more in the future).

Starbucks has had - and does have - pastries, donuts, etc. so, now there will be better ones? Lower margin on costs? I'd guess it's easier to outsource excellence in donut technology, but overall, it's still just interesting. It's not necessarily healthy (although they are trans-fat free), but it is providing something to eat in the AM. I'll have to wait to pass judgement 'til I try one, but it seems kind of like 'bucks is throwing stuff against the wall right now.

Obama steps to the plate

2008-03-18T16:39:00.003-04:00

Like him or leave him, I can easily understand why people want to, and don't want to, vote for Barack Obama. Wherever you stand, I would hope that you wouldn't deny that what Barack (and admittedly, likely a stable or writers) put together and vocally delivered at Independence Hall today puts him both in the middle of America and all its foibles, as well as above the fray in his natural eloquence. This blurb from today is my take-away:

"We have a choice in this country . . .," Obama said. "We can tackle race only as spectacle – as we did in the OJ trial – or in the wake of tragedy . . . We can play Reverend Wright’s sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she’s playing the race card . . .Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, “Not this time."

Who knows what will happen down the road, but this guy works pretty well for me. Well enough in fact, that I believe the intellect, empathy, and just the overall individual reflected in this speech has what I'm looking for inmy next president. That said, I also understand why there are those that don't share those ideas.

Watching renewable energy pass us by...

2008-03-13T13:35:00.001-04:00

I sure wish the businesses/lobbyists/government coalition/antagonists would stop getting in each others way, virtually insuring an outside-looking-in scenario regarding the forefront of what-is-next. My educated guess is that it ain't fossil fuel (although, lifting from the global warming vernacular to extend a metaphor, I think any true exit from fossil fuel will happen at a glacial pace).

Right now China is one of the high-fullutin' pollutin'-ist, raw coal burning placed in the world. No doubt. However, what incremental small steps are they taking to change that so they can achieve at least what we have here?...

In one city in China, they have a Solar cell making factory that manufactures more photovoltaic panels than is made in all of the U.S. And, 90% of it is exported to the U.S., U.K., Spain, and France. The handwriting is on the wall... they're looking to jump the chasm that we - in essence - are in. We're in it scratching to get to the other side.

Scary part is that while we bemoan the idea of relying on the Middle East for oil, we'll end up relying on outside sources for the tools for renewable energy, until we get up and running again. Heck, we invented PV cells, I just want to lead in the industry too.

Some info (with some stuff in bold; notice the growth of the solar industry and the U.S.'s businesses investment in it are couter-intuitively - and tragically - inversely proportional)...

January 10, 2008 Volume 15, No. 1
http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/08/0110/art1.html
U.S. Is Virtually A Non-Player In The Solar Power Production Business
BY RICHARD A. McCORMACK editor@manufacturingnews.com
The United States invented photovoltaics -- the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity -- but its industry is falling far behind the rest of the world in production and in installations, according to the Earth Policy Institute. In 2006, U.S. producers manufactured only 154 megawatts of PV systems, or 8 percent of total world production of 2,521 megawatts. That percentage is expected to decrease in 2007, as production throughout the world, especially in China, surged by more than 50 percent to 3,800 megawatts.

"Recent growth in China is astonishing," says the Earth Policy Institute. "After almost tripling its PV production in 2006, it is believed to have more than doubled output in 2007. With more than 400 PV companies, China's market share has exploded from 1 percent in 2003 to over 18 percent today. Having eclipsed Germany in 2007 to take the number two spot, China is now on track to become the number one PV producer in 2008. The United States, which gave the world the solar cell, has dropped from third to fifth place as a solar cell manufacturer since 2005, overtaken by China in 2006 and Taiwan in 2007."

The global market for PV systems is expected to be worth $12.9 billion in 2007, according to a market study from BCC Research. That should increase to more than $32 billion by 2012, a compound average annual growth rate of 15 percent. Shipments of PV systems should total 13,724 megawatts by 2013, says BCC.

China will export more than 90 percent of its production in 2007. It will install only 25 megawatts of PV, but it is planning to build a 100-megawatt-photovoltaics farm in Dunhaung City, "which would have five times the capacity of the largest PV power plant in the world today," says Earth Policy Institute.

Germany lays claim to being the world's largest market for installations, despite its cloudy skies. The country added 1,050 megawatts of capacity in 2006, becoming the first country in the world to install more than one gigawatt of solar power in one year. "Driven by a feed-in tariff that guarantees the price a utility must pay homeowners or private firms for PV-generated electricity, annual installations in Germany alone have exceeded those in all other countries combined since 2004," according to Earth Policy Institute. There are now more than 300,000 buildings in Germany with PV systems, triple the German government's goal of its 100,000 Roofs Program launched in 1998.

The United States is almost bereft of companies that produce photovoltaic panels. Only one of the top 10 companies worldwide in PV production is American owned: First Solar, which ranks in eighth place globally, with 61 megawatts of production during the first six months of 2007. First Solar's output of PV cells was about one-quarter of the production from world leader Sharp of Japan (225 megawatts). The other top 10 producers for the first half of 2007 were Q-Cells of Germany (160 megawatts) in second place; Suntech of China (145 megawatts); Kyocera of Japan (108 megawatts); Sanyo of Japan (87 megawatts); Motech of Taiwan (85 megawatts) Deutsche Solar/Shell of Germany (66 megawatts), Mitsubishi of Japan (55 megawatts) and, in tenth place, SunPower of the Philippines (54 megawatts).

[Silver lining alert] First Solar is capitalizing on the global shortage of silicon, which is used in both the making of PV panels and in semiconductor chips. First Solar is using cadmium telluride thin films for its PV panels, allowing it to "leap" into the top 10 list of global PV producers, says Earth Policy Institute. It is the fastest growing PV manufacturing company in the world.

"The average price for a PV module, excluding installation and other system costs, has dropped from almost $100 per watt in 1975 to less than $4 per watt at the end of 2006," says the Earth Policy Institute. "With expanding polysilicon supplies, average PV prices are projected to drop to $2 per watt in 2010. For thin-film PV, production costs are expected to reach $1 per watt in 2010, at which point, solar PV will become competitive with coal-fired electricity.
____________________________________

Germany is a heavily cloudy country and they are on top of solar...Japan, China,... something's wrong with this picture...

The first winner this year is....

2008-02-19T11:48:00.003-05:00

Blu-Ray DVD players!! With Warner and NetFlix both pledging their respective allegiance to Blu-Ray, it's over in a landslide. Toshiba has pulled the plug on HD DVD (just too many letters for a good name anyway), and you can go out and spend that impending economic stimulus check from the government on Blu-Ray -- safe in the knowledge that there won't be any new formats for the foreseeable future (likely a minor victory, since, in my limited understanding of technobabble these days, the foreseeable future amounts to just over 1.3 years). Don't think Toshiba -- along with everyone else -- isn't behind the scenes funding an even higher high definition DVD platform. I'm holding out until they can do 3D without the glasses.

Why Congress has to be involved in the steroid controversy

2008-02-15T09:32:00.001-05:00

I think Congress has to be in on the steroids issue, because all major sports operate under the good graces of Congress, which has given them anti-trust exemptions. Anti-trust exemption is all but unheard of as a general rule; it's like a Willie Wonka ticket -- if whatever business gets this anti-trust exemption executes their trade correctly, it's like your own monetary printing press. It guarantees you rights that have been essentially outlawed in the U.S to protect against monopolies and the graft that can ensue. When a sport - in these cases businesses that has been given a green light to run their businesses unchecked by any competition in their category - looks to be unable to self-rule, it falls upon Congress to slap them around.

All pro sports could learn a lesson from Stan 'the Man' Lee's Spider-man -- With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.

Camelot? Maybe... and then some....

2008-02-14T16:57:00.004-05:00

It's great to see not everyone falls in line with what Obama is doing & saying. A buddy of mine said everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid.

Truth is, I feel like I poured and stirred the Kool-Aid. I've been making the call for him as the Dem candidate since our first threads went out (when Hillary was the presumptive favorite). Methinks Republicans prefer the Hill for two resaons: 1. As I've mentioned, she will galvinize Republicans to get out the vote against her,... 2. She voted for the Iraq invasion (and I'm not here to quibble/debate that one, just my guess). Besides those two points the two are Platform-wise almost identical. Except for two things... 1. Hill wants Universal health care, while Obama wants to make it affordable enough that anyone can do it 2. Say what you want for how he'll do it, but if your gut doesn't tell you that given the exact same agenda, Barack won't get things done faster, than that's a genuine surprise.

I do not think experience counts for much in the presidency... I just don't. I think that fallacy is perpetrated by the man behind the curtain. Reagan was a governor (no nat'l office), Clinton was a governor (no nat'l office); Barack is a one-term Senator. Those congressmen in yesterday's Clemens fun only supported that idea. I wouldn't trust some of them to mow my lawn. I think it takes hard work, common sense, and the ability to build a consensus from a divergent audience to get 85% of the presidency done well. That last 15% is what makes stars or makes Nixons (although, even that is not totally fair, given his excellent foreign policy abilities that will forever be overshadowed by his later exploits).

Some have said that Barack is formulating the new Camelot. This is potentially better - and more real - than any Arthurian legend. I think Barack is bigger than Camelot, because there was no way near the amount of scrutiny then that there is now -- to that point, something could come to light eventually that dispels some of the O Myth, but even that is unlikely. JFK overcame being Catholic... oh, and his dad Joe may have bought him the nomination at the Dem Convention. Barack is where he is, despite the following obstacles:

- He's biracial
- His name sounds similar to the worst terrorist known in the U.S.
- His dad was Muslim - see above
- He has three years in nat'l office
- He is pitted against a modern political family dynasty - the Clintons
- If nominated, he'll face a war hero, (who he's currently polling better than)
- He has admitted not only to smoking pot... but inhaling
- What he's hoping to do has never been done

To most other candidates any one of those points would make it tough to win in states from every corner of the country -- he has 'em all and he's won in everywhere.

Crazy point? If you were 20 years old today, you've been voting for two years and the only last name for any president in your lifetime has been either Clinton or Bush. And whether that's happenstance or true laziness within each party, I'm happy rebooting the electoral process.

Winners, losers, losers, and losers

2008-02-14T09:54:00.002-05:00

Focus should be on president, but it still is -- for good or bad, we're a multi-tasking society that places as much emphasis on our advocations as our vocations. All the sports with all the examples they place out there to kids - warranted or not - should answer to a higher authority. However, we do need a Kenesaw Mountain Landis in baseball (granted, I think he screwed Shoeless Joe, but there is not enough fear within the players right now). Selig is a toothless Paper Tiger for the owners -- word is starting to spread that he knew about steroids well before he has said he did; if Massachusetts' Dan Lynch stepped into that role tomorrow, he'd be more up to date and carry a heavier hand within a fortnight.

Biggest winners - Dan Lynch, John Tierney, Waxman, & Cummings - they brought new things to the table (Lynch's MRI or Clems butt), were diligent in questioning both men; tierney broke thru the Clem stonewall on never talking to Mac about HGH; Waxman was impartial and reverent to both men, and Cummings thought on his feet - asking relevant Follow Up questions, upon Roger's answers.

Biggest loser yesterday was Clemens; baseball will go on as it always has through ups and downs, there will be other spectacles and bumps in the road. Eevryone knew at this point of Mac's crappy rep -- if anything, he practically redeemed himself through his admissions of guilt throughout (I did say practically).

Seond biggest loser (or tie for first) was the American public, but not because of anything that has to do with Clemens or the 'roids, but because a majority (thank God, not all) of congressmen and women yesterday were shining examples of the dumbest people pretending to do what they are paid to do by their constituents. This wasn't a hearing that just popped up on them, this was something they could have had their pages and interns prepare them for. The lack or preparedness - or even impartiality - scared the living crap out of me that these are the same people who represent this country every day as they work on our domestic and foreign policies, programs, and law-making. Lobbyists must laugh their ass to the bank everyday they meet with some of these pudding-like mental midgets. We always joke about politicians, but then to actually see person after person either ask the same irrelevant question, or make comments/questions like "What uniform are you going to wear in the HOF?" blew me away. there are way too many gaffs and misreads to detail, but how about Clemens always saying how hard he works out, and some of the congresspeople taking that as proof he didn't cheat? PEOPLE! After taking steroids, you have to work out to realize its benefits. The lack of preparedness on the knowledge associated with what was at hand in this hearing underlined, italicized, and put in great big bold letters that these people - that share the driver's seat of our very country - are the dumbest people on earth.

Third biggest losers - The scores of people Roger blamed beside himself for his predicament:
Pettitte - 'misremembered'
Mrs. Pettitte - also... misremembered
Hendricks Agents - never told him what the Report said
Selig - should have tracked him down re: the Report (which he couldn't, in fact, do - he had to go thru the Player's Union)
The Players Union/Gene Orza - didn't tell him what the Mitchell Report said
McNamee - told the truth on everyone else but him, somehow
Debbie Clemens - never even talked to him prior to having McNamee inject her derriere
_________________

News flash - Osama bin Laden was supposedly caught & brought behind a closed door U.S. Congressional hearing recently, but unfortunately, while the entire room stood slack-jawed/open mouthed during the time Dan Burton was praising bin Laden for being a 'Titan of the Middle East', Osama was able to slip away.

Rolling, rolling, rolling down the river

2008-02-13T09:36:00.002-05:00

Obama rolling along -- in a strategic move, Hillary didn't push too hard in the MD, VA, D.C., Primary trifecta, pushing harder in TX & OH, where she holds leads (and which have high delegate counts. The catch with that is that the 'O' Man has now won 20 states to her 8 (his catch of course, is that the states she has won had many delegates), and has won the last seven consecutive states. (Other catch is that TX has both a primary & a caucus format, which could still funnel many delegates to Obama, whether he wins outright or not.)

Does no one find it telling that the Obama/Clinton race is the close, yet, it was Obama who annihilated his opponent, while Huckabee gave McCain a run for his money?

Small or not, Hill's traction in every voter base is becoming less & less by the day. With numerous geographically diverse wins in ME, CT, WA, NE, & MO, & MT, among others, showing a nationwide push for the Barack, Hillary is no longer even looking for a geographic mandate to lead. She's just trying to cobble together the largest states as is possible for a delegate win.

My prediction is that Clinton will lose Ohio and not win enough of Texas to take away Obama's lead, or his eventual nomination.

More and more, it's going Blu-ray way

2008-02-11T12:23:00.000-05:00

Blu-Ray is the VHS to HD DVD's Betamax - it may not be fair, but it is what it is and someone has to lose this format fight. From today's Boston Globe...

Netflix opts for Blu-ray high-def DVDs

February 11, 2008

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—Netflix Inc., the online movie rental company, said Monday it is switching exclusively to the Blu-ray format for high-definition DVDs, following four major movie studios in selecting the Sony technology over one pushed by Toshiba Corp.

Toshiba and Sony have been vying to set the standard for high-definition DVDs for several years. The stakes are high because the winner will also get a boost in sales of DVD players needed to read the new format.

The Walt Disney Co., Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have endorsed Blu-ray. Paramount and Universal Studios publish their high-definition DVDs in Toshiba's HD DVD format.

Netflix has stocked both formats since they became available in 2006, but said the decision of four of the six major studios to issue films only in Blu-ray format made it likely that the Sony format will prevail.

"From the Netflix perspective, focusing on one format will enable us to create the best experience for subscribers," the company said, adding that not many customers order high-def DVDs.

Many consumers have held off on buying a high-def DVD player until the dominant format is decided.
_________
(I think it may be decided at this point)

Two Cents on Ten Topics

2008-02-11T10:24:00.001-05:00

- Koby's the next one on the docket - About three months ago, I heard Felger on ESPN radio (Boston-local guy) only half-kiddingly throw out Mrs. Rocket for HGH ideas - given her magazine spread with Roger... everything about this dark comedy is becoming prophecy
- He keeps going, and going, and going... - Pro Bowl (didn't watch, but heard talking points on the radio drive this AM) - with the no Blitz rule in eefect, the Giants lineman was still getting to the QB with semi-regularity.
- Yoooooooooouuuuuk - Youk is signed on for a 1 yr, 3 million dollar season. That's Goooooooood.
- "'...and Toto too?' 'And Toto too.'" - Huckabee won the Dorothy vote by taking the Kansas primary.
- I like the Condy for VP idea, but - whether perceived or real - with no elected office on her resume, she won't help.
- It's been dismissed, but Romney should be the VP guy; to reel in the Right side of the Republican party (even though he cultivated and has carefully projected that image, more than he embodies it); besides with McCain's age, Romney should be happy to be in the very-close-to-the-plate on deck circle.
- FYI - In Vietnam, McCain ejected from his plane, breaking both arms and one leg -- his captor approached him and stabbed him with a bayonet, once in the leg & once in the groin. He has a limited diet due to the stones he was forced to eat in captivity. Love him or hate him, he is a tough guy.
- The Big Mo' Part I - Clinton fired her campaign manager - that instills confidence.
- Dems would do better with Obama as the candidate, because Hillary would galvenize Repubs to actually get out the vote.
- The Big Mo' Part II - Obama beat Hill and Bill: his spoken album won a Grammy over Bill's and he beat Hillary in the Maine Democratic caucases.

LA Times endorses Barack Obama, followed by my take

2008-02-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama for Democratic nominee
Endorsements for president 2008
February 3, 2008
Democrats preparing to vote in Tuesday's California primary can mark their ballots with confidence, knowing that either candidate would make a strong nominee and, if elected, a groundbreaking leader and capable president. But just because the ballot features two strong candidates does not mean that it is difficult to choose between them. We urge voters to make the most of this historic moment by choosing the Democrat most focused on steering the nation toward constructive change: We strongly endorse Barack Obama.The U.S. senator from Illinois distinguishes himself as an inspiring leader who cuts through typical internecine campaign bickering and appeals to Americans long weary of divisive and destructive politics. He electrifies young voters, not because he is young but because he embodies the desire to move to the next chapter of the American story. He brings with him deep knowledge of foreign relations and of this nation's particular struggles with identity and opportunity. His flair for expression, both in print and on the stump, too easily leads observers to forget that Obama is a man not just of style but of substance. He's a thoughtful student of the Constitution and an experienced lawmaker in his home state and, for the last three years, in the Senate.

On policy, Obama and his rival Democratic candidate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, are a hairsbreadth apart. Both vow to pull troops from Iraq. Both are committed to healthcare reform. Both offer candid critiques of the failed George W. Bush presidency, its blustering adventurism, its alienating stance toward other countries and its cavalier disregard for sacred American values such as individual liberty and due process of law.

With two candidates so closely aligned on the issues, we look to their abilities and potential as leaders, and their record of action in service of their stated ideals. Clinton is an accomplished public servant whose election would provide familiarity and, most important, competence in the White House, when for seven years it has been lacking. But experience has value only if it is accompanied by courage and leads to judgment.

Nowhere was that judgment more needed than in 2003, when Congress was called upon to accept or reject the disastrous Iraq invasion. Clinton faced a test and failed, joining the stampede as Congress voted to authorize war. At last week's debate and in previous such sessions, Clinton blamed Bush for abusing the authority she helped to give him, and she has made much of the fact that Obama was not yet in the Senate and didn't face the same test. But Obama was in public life, saw the danger of the invasion and the consequences of occupation, and he said so. He was right.

Obama demonstrates as well that he is open-eyed about the terrorist threat posed to the nation, and would not shrink from military action where it is warranted. He does not oppose all wars, he has famously stated, but rather "dumb wars." He also has the edge in economic policy, less because of particular planks in his platform than because of his understanding that some liberal orthodoxies developed during the last 40 years have been overtaken by history. He offers leadership on education, technology policy and environmental protection unfettered by the positions of previous administrations.

By contrast, Clinton's return to the White House that she occupied for eight years as first lady would resurrect some of the triumph and argument of that era. Yes, Bill Clinton's presidency was a period of growth and opportunity, and Democrats are justly nostalgic for it. But it also was a time of withering political fire, as the former president's recent comments on the campaign trail reminded the nation. Hillary Clinton's election also would drag into a third decade the post-Reagan political duel between two families, the Bushes and the Clintons. Obama is correct: It is time to turn the page.

An Obama presidency would present, as a distinctly American face, a man of African descent, born in the nation's youngest state, with a childhood spent partly in Asia, among Muslims. No public relations campaign could do more than Obama's mere presence in the White House to defuse anti-American passion around the world, nor could any political experience surpass Obama's life story in preparing a president to understand the American character. His candidacy offers Democrats the best hope of leading America into the future, and gives Californians the opportunity to cast their most exciting and consequential ballot in a generation.

In the language of metaphor, Clinton is an essay, solid and reasoned; Obama is a poem, lyric and filled with possibility. Clinton would be a valuable and competent executive, but Obama matches her in substance and adds something that the nation has been missing far too long -- a sense of aspiration.
____________________________
T.H. take

Nice op-ed - not too thrilled with the poem metaphor (sounds kind of frilly), but the prose speaks well to the differences that have led to Barack's rise. His message - whether people believe in it or not - has been unwaveringly unchanged throughout. Clinton's spinmeisters have been shifting and adjusting to try to adjust to waht is seen as the publics' desires. It's about her experience, it's about her insider knowledge to effect change, throw Bill into the campaign, take Bill out...

The difference in Super Tuesday is telling, even though it was basically a draw, numbers-wise... with a few exceptions, Hillary won states that - in the General election - will likely go Dem this year, whether its Obama or Clinton (Mass, California, NY, NJ). Barack won states that would often go to a conservative Republican (bible belt,... ). In a contest against McCain, the Barack Movement will likely carry the states that would've gone to a true Reagan Republican -- I'm not so sure that's true of the Hillster.

Voters are stepping forward & are funding Obama to the tune of $30 mill a month right now; Hillary Clinton just loaned her campaign $5 million. Too early to call any momentum an unstoppable force, but the snowball is definitely still growing and gaining speed.

As the article mentioned, there are only nuanced differences between Hill & Barack, but what difference there is, tips in his favor. And, as scarily untangible as it is - he has an X factor that portends well. Not counting the Iraq Platform (a big issue that I'm not trying to belittle), McCain is probably farther left than some very right wing democrats.

But that's politics, the country swings back and forth around the middle.

Pats can't close the deal as the Giants are giants

2008-02-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

Well, we had a very good sports-run from '01 to now - mentally skipping over the Grady Little-ism of '03. Brady has been the Pats best piece of attack and live by the sword, die by the sword. Giants played a great game too.

Moving on, not that this is top of mind at this point, but I'm not gonna dwell on the rear-view mirror after I just passed a bloody mess on the road (possibly the biggest upset ever - for what was on the line - constitutes my thinking of bloody...).

The Petty playlist
Petty - Four songs...
- American Girl
- I Won't Back Down
- Free Fallin'
- Running Down a Dream
Seems like the last three were prophetic for the Giants

No really outstanding ads, but I think I liked the cars.com concepts & executions the best -- that ring of fire & shrunken head guy were pretty darn funny.

Pitchers and catchers coming up soon...

80 weeks and counting

2008-01-31T09:20:00.000-05:00

Jeez, really tough news... just when we thought all was going great for Brady and his healing ankle, the 80th straight week for that pesky Brady shoulder... I hope he plays.

Gotta love Belicheck listing the shoulder with not a whiff of ankle problems.

Here's my wish...

They've been working on a play that has Brady dumping the ball to Faulk (laterally)... since that has to be a huge part of the Jints preparation... keying on that winning Faulk out for a predictable 6-9 yard gain, NY closes as fast as possible on Faulk. As that happens, the supposedly gimpy Brady starts to jog downfield on the opposite sideline (I picture Faulk at this point about 6 yrds in back of the line o scrimmageon the opposite hash mark. With the 'O' line in run block, they buy Faulk just enough time to toss an 18 yard gain to Brady. Spectators' jaws across the nation have to picked up off the floor.

The two week 'ankle' serves two purposes... it distracts from all other superfluous media matters (Spyagte, Moss, etc.), and, with Coughlin insuring the 'D' is already on guard for any trick plays, this 'gimp' act will distract NY from Brady. I mean, this is the guy who was wearing an ankle boot, right?

All that said, this is a play that would likely never be used, but incorporating it their quiver of 'special' plays gives them a great weapon.

I know, I know, the ankle was 99% a real thing... but think about it: in all the questions to Belicheck, he never once actually even confirmed that the ankle was even hurting Brady, let alone an issue. When Brady was asked about it after that first practice, he said it felt 95% and that he only had one incompletion -- I thought it sounded funny that he put his practice in game terms... one incompletion... I mean, wouldn't you talk about it more in terms of how he ran, moved,... One incompletion may even support the continued phantom shoulder report, more than anything else.

I know some will say I'm conspiracy minded... or even paranoid... but I can assure you that just is not true... I rationally thought this whole thing out this morning while I was checking my toothpaste for explosives.

On to the NY..... Mets!

2008-01-30T10:39:00.000-05:00

Let me hear you say yeaaaaah!! Santana is off to the NY and the signature on his paycheck will not say 'Steinbrenner'. Best of all possible options. We keep our cadre of high-potential prospects, most of which have dipped their toes in The Show and have essentially excelled under the spotlight. Lester, Bucholtz, Ellsbury (until I'm proven wrong, the second coming of Freddie),... all still wearing red socks. Add to that Masterson , Moss, and others that were mentioned as possible Twin-chum, I'm much, much happier to have who we have.

That said, I may have felt differently if Steinny II had been able to bring Santana to the new House that the Boss Built. So, seeing the Mets sweep in is a beautiful thing, from a Fenway perspective. I think santana should excel in the NL, as long as the larger market distractions don't have any traction with him.

Chargers a lightning rod for scrappy Pats

2008-01-21T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Patriots of 01, 03, and 04 showed up for the AFC Championship game yetsterday. When the ever-building-legend-of-Brady took a bit of a day off (3 picks), the Red Zone Killer 'D' showed up, as did the running and short game. When Seau tackled the Bolts for a loss at the 7 yard-line, I had a flashback to the goal-line stand a few years back against the Colts, end of game. Bend but don't break indeed.

Looking at it another way, the Pats played the game that the Packers were expected to play. Relying on a strong defense and a very solid running game. While it's a shame New England won't face the last unique great team this year (Packers), I figure if they blew it against the Giants, then bring on NY. I'm looking for yesterday's defense and the offense of this season to make a simultaneous appearance on Feb 3rd. One nine and zero.

Pats/Jags

2008-01-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

What jumped out to me of the Pats/Jag was:

Gotta love Del Rio starting & effectively establishing the game heavy on the pass after everyone said he'd stick to mostly a running game -- while used pretty effectively, the run looked to be used more to keep the secondary honest, rather than vice-versa.

Anytime Welker or Faulk touched the ball (of course that Welker drop was brutal, but it all worked out); that was a clinic in the short pass run game. Once the the Jags knew they had successfully shut down the deep Moss threat, they knew where it was going and they still couldn't stop the 2-4 yrd plop pass, followed with 3-8 yrds running after each reception.

In the antithesis to the Charger's game-clinching punter, the Jags and Pats punters were seen playing online chess on their respective sidelines against each other (although the Jag's punter did have to pause the game in a quick field visit); Hanson only stretched out his leg on field with 29 seconds left in the game -- I kind of wanted Brady to kneel and turn the ball over, regardless of the field position.

Pats scored every single time they touched the ball, minus the missed 35 yard FG, and the end of game punt.

Faking a Staue of Liberty Play - I've seen the fake jump of Brady worked to perfection in the past, and thought how well Brady executes it, especially when you have the goal line D breathing down your neck, literally right on top of you. That's why I was glad I DVR'ed the game. Watching the elaborate hike, fake hand-off, fake-jump for the phantom over-hiked ball, neatly tucking the ball against his thigh as he turned his back on a Jags D. And this is where he has to presume the Jags scouted this Pats Statue of Liberty Play and what it looked like, because at this point, Brady commits what would normally be suicide and calmly turns his back on the D for a full beat, then turns - with noone in his face - to fire his TD. It was a better surprise ending than the Usual Suspects; The Golden Globes Press Conference Awards should've created a category for Brady. He had to double sell; first he acts hard that they ball goes over his head, then he banks on the fact that the D knows this move & both sees and buys the running back barreling to the goal-line.

Stallworth's long play (longest pass play of the game and he was the second or third option). As Simms pointed out, Welker was the primary on that one & Brady waited long before shifting his eyes at a streaking Stallworth. The catch was incredible (one hand, bouncing off the face mask back into the bread basket), but the crazy part was when they showed the replay, you saw Stallworth looking up at the JumboTron at himself mid-play -- some said to see himself running for a perceived touchdown, others say it was to see how close his pursuit was. I'll opt for the latter opinion.

Barack drifting into the mainstream candidacy

2008-01-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

Looks like Richardson is cutting his losses:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/09/richardson.out/index.html

Kerry endorses Barack - talk about mixed blessings, but on balance that will help Obama. This coming the day after the largest union in Nevada endorses Barack will help keep the for-one-second-stalled-by-NH campaign on a growth trend. I'd say his inexperience is going to be spun into a baggage-less asset combined with his very-likely consensus-building magnetic personality. Remains to be seen if there are any scary skeletons lurking in a closet somewhere, but he's good at turning lemons into lemonade, so it'd have to be pretty bad.

Hillary & Barack have virtually identical platforms, but if they both had to enter a smoke-filled room with the establishment to get things done, my money is on on Barack to outperform Hillary 8 times out of 10. In my opinion, her experience - and the fact that others know her as they do - will hinder more than help her. Every time Barack has been dismissed, due to his perceived lack of experience and gravitas, he's more than bounced back.

My ideal match-up of McCain vs. Obama would be very curious indeed, given that it would not only hinge on the vote of the independent voter, but their respective nominations would also vie for the non-affiliated citizen. The Kerry endorsement may add mainstream Dem votes, helping to lessen the Obama camp's reliance on Independents.

"What do you want me to do?","Just tell the truth","What do you want me to do?","Just tell the truth",...

2008-01-08T10:03:00.000-05:00

Here's what I got out of last night's peculiar Clemens drama...

We know Roger had lawyers with him, coaching and making sure he didn't sound like he was trying to push/intimidate the possible witness (Mac). But, it sounded like Mac was lawyered up too, although I've not only not heard that so far, I've mostly heard just the opposite. As stilted as Roger was talking because of his 'help', I felt like Mac was repeating his, 'What do you want me to do' mantra to get Roger to utter, 'Change your testimony', or say, 'Why did you tell them what I did? Change that'. To me, Mac was looking to get Roger to say, "Switch your testimony" to cover his own ass for civil or criminal litigation. He knew Roger was potentially going to be filing a lawsuit against him. Don't you think Mac has been hearing from the federal team that told him if he lies, he goes to jail? I think the story that is just as big right now is the firestorm that the government may be bringing on weasly Mac, on the chances that roger makes it look - or proves that - they got duped. Now, Roger got the bucks, so I think Mac was dribbling some doo-doo at this point, because often money - and not the truth - win. He lawyered up & they said to try to get Roger on tape. "What do you want me to do?" roger never even said, "Tell them the truth, that I didn't take steroids", because I think they were afraid Mac would say, "But, Roger, you did".

It was a comical tape really and I was surprised Roger's team played it as some kind of a vindication effort. The two danced around words that, I think, their lawyers told them not to say. When Mac was getting desperate for a new tact, he mentioned, "I'll go to jail for you", which to me, was him saying, "Look, ask me to lie and I will, even though I'll go to jail for it". You had Roger saying "Just Tell the truth" the whole time, and Mac practically chanting, "What do you want me to do?", as if he never heard Clemens. Again, to me, that was because he wanted Clemens to say, "Change your testimony", which would have helped Mac in any courtroom dramas.

It was as if they each had 14 words they could say & they kept trying to say them differently without blowing up. Mac played the victim card & Roger played the empathy card, but neither one won the hand.

By the way, Mac said he was on the East Coast -- I think he was probably in NY, because Roger's lawyer Rusty pointed out that NY & Texas both have one-party approval laws concerning taped conversations. to me the comedy was that both side's legal counsel were coaching and either taping or monitoring the conversations.

I have no idea how this will all end up, but to this point, last night's PR stunt has me further tilted towards the idea of Roger's guilt, which is too bad. The sliver of hope I was holding on to kind of disappeared.

Stoit is Ruler of Political Trivia / NH polls

2008-01-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

Stoit gets the answer to the trivia question!! All hail Stoit!! Stoit rules all that is trivia!! (Sorry for the exclamation marks, but, well, it is a shout out) - he was dead on. I liked the question because, being open-ended, it wasn't really look-upable, or at least not that easily, on the Internet.

That's a pretty crazy stat -- neither the current President nor the VP are running in this election. Not since 1952 has the field been 100% fresh faces (well, fresh may not be quite the right word for some, but metaphorically speaking anywho).

'W' won Iowa but lost NH in 2000 -- however, I'm not saying Hucklebee Hound has even the slimmest chance to gain the nom. He has as much chance of winning as the fossilized remains of Adam, Eve, and a T Rex have of turning up in the same geologic strata.

Neither Iowa nor NH has proven a 100% bellweather in the past, however, winning both portends very well (on balance, of the candidates who got the nod & won just one of the two, more were in NH) -- but with Super Tuesday being so soon, the Big Mo' is going to mean a ton of... ummm.... Mo'. I'll go so far as to venture that if Obama wins NH, he wins the nom.

As mentioned earlier, at this point, Hilary has been focusing on new 'change' messages, while basically just rearranging deck chairs on her own sinking ship.

(Polls are only so good, but that's all we have now) From today's Zogby:

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama rocketed to a 10-point lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire one day before their showdown in the state's presidential primary, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Monday.
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona also began to pull away from rival Mitt Romney, opening a five-point lead on the Massachusetts governor as what had been tight races in both parties began to open up.

I love a McCain-Barack match-up... I'm not sure it'll happen, but I think that pairing in battle may give us the best possible outcome from the current candidates... either way.

On to the Granite State....

2008-01-04T13:04:00.000-05:00

Although it's not surprising that Huckabee won, I love that he did. Sure, it's early; basically still in the first half of the first inning, but hey, it is a caucus, & every run counts. Purely guessing, but I'd have to say that the middle of the Republican Party is getting a wake up call to make sure they are not defined by the Religious Right... funny that Huckabee is only two places away from Clinton as Governor (after Clinton's replacement, Tucker, stepped down due to his involvement in Whitewater, Huckabee acsended to the Arkansinian throne... is that an oxymoron?). Interesting is that Huckabee was advised in his run for Lt. Gov by Dick Morris, the former Clinton advisor.

Clinton may win NH, but she peaked about 3 months ago... she is going down, down, down.

Oprah put him in the mainstream, & Obama is very good at keeping himself there. I'm not sure the lack of experience will be a problem... it may even be cleverly spun to help the cause.

Quick quiz question:
You have to go back to 1952 to find a U.S. election that has this very significant element in common with the 2008 contest. What is this element?

Winner gets a shout out on The Junto (will use only nicknames)

Take the trip with Journeyman

2007-12-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Journeyman is the best show not named Lost or Heroes, and, at this point in time, very likely is the best of the three. Part of that is because there is a ton more potential and the unanswered questions thatv are out there are a little more mentally scaleable. while not predictable.

Think of Journeyman as the real life story that Quantum Leap was originally based on (it's not, but just work with me), until it spun into a strong Sci-Fi story of its own. Sam Beckett of Q.L. went to the past to change things that went wrong. He looked the part of someone in the past and we never saw Sam in his own time. J.M. is Dan Vasser a regular guy - with wife and kids - suddenly transporting in time. There are a lot of twists and turns, but suffice it to say that he has no idea why he's jumping back in time - for only short periods - and then back to the present. Except that he learns that he is supposed to change something back in time for whatever reason.

While incorporating one of the mainstays of Sci-fi, time travel, J.M. is a story that takes place in the past and the present. We see the present day repercussions of adding or subtracting things in the recent history (usually somewhere from the 70's through the early 2000's). The journeyman affects his own present day life -- on occassion there are tangible, and even dangerous consequences.

There are layer after layer of storylines within each story -- the one hour conflict, the overarching why & how, as to his time travel, the frequent references to his father (who abandoned his kids when are journeyman was four), and even a former girlfriend who is also a time traveller and frequently helps him on the missions in the past.

Journeyman doesn't ask for, and doesn't pander to, Sci-Fi/time travel fans. But it remains painstakingly consistent in working within, while trying to stretch, the paradoxes that are incumbent to travelling back in time. Especially the warped sense of travelling back within ones own time and often dealing with issues and conflicts that directly affect the Dan's past and present.

The last episode of the season airs Decmber 19. While it is rumored to be in ratings trouble, this is a show that - with the right promotional schedule and the network-confidence to allow more time for the audience to build and the overarching storylines to develop - would be a series for the books. I guess time will tell...

Hall of Fame.. of Fame, not Shame

2007-12-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

Baseball is to many boys what Cinderella was to many girls. Towards that end, I do not want the Evil Step-mom going into my game's Hall of Fame. But, I'm metaphorically jumping ahead way to far... let me explain...

The ever-evolving quandry these days - regarding steroids and MLB's Hall of fame - is whether to vote for certain baseball players -- whose pre-steroid or pre-HGH numbers still hold up to HOF scrutiny -- to enter the HOF. The argument being laid out that they earned their place before the sojourn into artificially boosting their performance/endurance. It seems like most pundits I've been hearing say yes, they would vote for them for the Hall, because they already had HOF numbers. to which I say whoooooooa Nelly.

Now, let's just wait a minute before we actually reward these players for decisiding that being great wasn't good enough, so they went outside the game for help. Help which very likely robbed many other players the ability to play, while the limelight was extended or enhanced for other men. how can you not equate this to Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski? Here was a CEO who had worked hard all his life, had the bull by the horns - family, job, financial security and then some, and decided he wantedmore. He got caught and he's been put away. But according to some sports writers, if they had their way, he may have just received a corporate golden parachute; after all, his numbers were okay prior to going bad.

I take the opposite stance as many baseball writers for the same reason that they use for voting in the tainted players. I say because they had HOF numbers and a HOF career, I would never vote for them. Who the heck are they - when the world is essentially already their oyster - to add to the tarnishment of the game by padding their numbers or extending their careers? By enhancing their stats - either by enhancing their power on their gift of hand-eye coordination, or artificially extending their shelf-life - is placing their ego above all else. These men who had HOF careers previous to their juiced days, were going to be set for life, their legacy placed on a presitigious mantle.

Some say, in this day and age of so many 'using' where then do you draw the line? I draw it with my own eyes and ears. As any sports-writer worth his salt to vote should do as well. Perfect? no way. but it'll be many steps in the right direction. I've heard nothing about Sammy Sosa, but he came out of nowhere to do what he did. McGwire? Same. Neidemeirer? Dead (sorry, that's someone else's rant). If Palmeiro hadn't been caught, I never would have known & I would have voted him in. He was, so I wouldn't. It's as fair as we can make it and I don't make apologies for the inability to be perfectly all-inclusively exclusive or for looking to brush off the tarnish on the game.

It may seem unfair to those that don't get caught, but, so be it. If they are caught, or there is a preponderence of circumstantial evidence, no go. Preponderence of innocence is in the Constitution, not the Hall of Fame. Roman law presumes guilt until proved otherwise -- I'm not looking to go that deep, but as a baseball writer, I have no idea why they almost seem to be looking to give The Mitchell Report-players the benefit of the doubt.

I wouldn't want to take my children to the Baseball Hall of Fame and point to those players and explain that the second half of their career was entirely self-tainted, but that, not only did they capitalize on their cheationg, they were rewarded by being placed in the most presitigious place for their profession.

PPVJ (46 explained within post)

2007-12-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

A bright 46 to you. Some buddies and I are competitively prognosticating how many points the Patriots will dump onto the Jets this Sunday. Following are our geusses (at first I was going to omit the names to protect the missed guessers, but since everyone still carries a nickname in their back pocket, they are the only ones who will know who's who). See predicted number in 'bold' font...

Pats Points Versus Jets
Feef - 70 (love that one)
Hoom - I can't drive 55
Shafular - How many days does Kiefer get to spend in the clink?... 48!
Ritzer - Go ahead, I dare you to play it with The Wizard of Oz, for a 'Dark Side of the Rainbow' experience: Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' is exactly 43 minutes long.
Tomes - Waving his home run fair to win the game... 27!
Jedi - Wants to wake up to a score of 33. Wants to wake up to a score of 33. Wants to wake up to a score of 33 (Groundhog Day is the 33rd day of the year).
Bushes – 38 Shill’s number & the number of slots on an American Roulette wheel
T.H. - John Steinbeck dubbed it "The Mother Road'. What is Route 66?
Stoit - The Stoner 63 is a semi-famous machine gun used by the U.S. military from 1963 up until about 1971. I believe a Stoner 63 is what the Jets will need this Sunday to pull off what Stoit predicts -- a win in which the Jets score seventy points of their own (or the JPVP ratio).
Eh-Prop – Because 46 in Japanese can be pronounced as "yon roku", and "yoroshiku"（よろしく） means "my best regards" in Japanese, people sometimes use 46 for greeting.

Winner of this contest gets unmitigated bragging rights for 48 hours, to be scrupulously timed, immediately following the conclusion of the football contest.

Loser gets to step to the plate against Clemens with a cracked bat and take their chances battling the lesser known HGH-rage as he flings your shattered stick back at you on your weak nubber to the mound.

So, 46 to you and have fun watching...

The One to One on Brady vs. Manning

2007-12-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

A buddy of mine, Tomo, sent a great email out regarding the quality comparison of Manning & Brady. Of course, the head to head match-up over the course of their careers is always front loaded with receiver-quality caveats. But, then I started looking at Manning's signature season to date and then looked at Brady's season this year, and noticed something.

Perfect dead-on comparison. No caveats or handicapping necessary.

'04 was Mannings seventh year in the league -- this year is Brady's lucky seven (disregarding the one game appearance in 2000); same level of experience.

'04 the Colts went 13-0, with a dominating air attack from Manning to his strong receiver corps. Brady - ditto & looking for more.

The numbers:

YEAR.....TEAM....G....CMP....ATT.....PCT....YDS...AVG...T...INT...RAT
B-2007 ...NE.....13 ...334....476 ....70.2....4095..8.6...45....5...123.5
M-2004 ..IND... 16.....336...497....67.6....4557..9.2....49...10..121.1

Notable too is that Brady is averaging 3.3 yards on 25 QB rushes attempts so far and Manning averaged 1.5 yards on 25 QB rushes for the season -- although this may point to the notion that the Colts' offensive line was better, since Brady still has three games to go, it exemplifies the better running qualities inherent with Brady. Since his traditional QB stats are superior to those of the '04 Manning, you get a better running QB on top of the superior performance.

Thanks to Tomes...

Tigers or Tiggers

2007-12-09T13:10:00.000-05:00

So, as I mentioned earlier, Detroit added Willis and Cabrera. Now, add to that Renteria and the Tigers are looking to leapfrog to first in the central. Some would say their offense rivals that of the Yankees and the Red Sox -- actually, most wouldn't even include the Sox in the discussion anymore. The Tigers may grow to be the powerhouse they are reputed to be, but I don't think it'll happen 'til '09 at the earliest. They may end up getting what they want, but I think tplayers' performances will get lost in the NL/AL translation for awhile.

The NL is like Triple A plus, to the AL's Major League.

Detroit is a big market with big market pressures. It's also the American League. And it's one of the most competitive divisions.

Cabrera will be on a competing team, where other teams will be dialed in to playing the Tigers. I believe he caught NL pitchers and teams off-guard when they faced him. Besides being a better pitching league, that's not happening anymore -- everyone knows his hitting rep and, while I've heard he's a smart hitter in the vein of Manny ?Ramirez, it may take a season and a half to learn the new ropes.

Renteria may have a head start because he went this route before, to less than stellar results with the Sox... then went to Atlanta and broke out offensivesly -- I'm not convinced if the Sox had kept him he would've done the same in Boston, so it was a good let go. I'm similarly skeptical of Renteria being in the top 30 in hitting this year, even though he was #3 in the NL this year.

It took Beckett a season to overcome his fireballing tilted ego to reel it in, assess the league & himself, and approach hitters in a winning way. Willis isn't the pitcher that Beckett was in the NL, let alone what's going to happen in the AL. I don't see him getting past a #3 starter - #2 if the rotation sees injuries.

The odds of all three falling flat in '08 are far better than all three picking up where they left off, and I think I'll be wrong with someone.. but I think I'll miss the mark with only one player at best. However, in '09 or '10, who knows...

Romney's Church State speech (or, why that better be a presumed position)

2007-12-06T13:23:00.000-05:00

I know this may underline my own ignorance on religions. Other than knowing the basics of Mormons - that it's based on Christianity & practicers seem to try to get around the polygamy law in Utah (I know there's much more than just that, but what can I say), I became aware of how much I didn't know when Romney came out with his separation of church & state speech today.

So, I looked it up, and let me summarize how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to be (I apologize if you already know this story) : In 1827, a guy in New York name Joe Smith claims he was awoken by an angel named Moroni (who was the son of a guy named, you guessed it, Mormon) and brought to a plot of land near his yard. Buried in that spot were two golden plates (I guess stone tablets had already been used), from which he read, transcribed and founded the church. Oh, those tablets were in a language described by Smith as "reformed Egyptian" from a people that lived in ancient America (so they beat the vikings here! -- the original Native Americans -- they could've made a mint in casinos). After transcribing the stones, Joe was nice enough to return the plates to Moroni. (Of course he did.)

Fast forward a bit, Joe said that a "city of Zion" was in Missouri (where else?) - he went there with followers and got kicked out, went to Illinois, was killed with his brother, then Brigham Young won a head of church scrum to become the spiritual leader & off to Utah, followed later by a successful football career by Steve Young.

Hey, I know parting the Red Sea is a stretch, but at least that and all bible stories are ancient history that you can see developing through allegory, legend, myths, and metaphorical transpositions. Some take it literally and that works too. It's the founding of some major religions from storied history.

From wikipedia regarding Joe Smith's life prior to his backyard find:

"As a youth, Joseph Smith, Jr. lived on his parents' farm near Palmyra, New York a place and time noted for its participation in the Second Great Awakening and a "craze for treasure hunting". Beginning in the early 1820s, he was paid to act as a "seer", to use seer stones in (mostly unsuccessful) attempts to locate lost items and buried treasure.[4] Some contemporaries state that he would put the stone in a white stovepipe hat, put his face over the hat to block the light, and then "see" the information in the reflections of the stone. Some say that his favored stone, chocolate-colored and about the size of an egg,[6] was found in a deep well he helped dig for one of his neighbors."

Remember how I said I was ignorant about this stuff? I guess ignorance is bliss.

Wha?.....

2007-12-06T10:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, you know the judge presiding over the Kiefer Sutherland drunk driving case watches - or is at least overly aware of - '24'. Sentencing him to 48 days in the clink? Seriously?... how about 45 or 50 days? The number 48 is so easily extrapolated from 24 that it kind of makes a mockery of the ruling (not that Kiefer is laughing either way). I've already heard it today at the water cooler... "hey, do you think the next 24 will be 48 instead". I know they're days instead of hours, but why is it that judges in California consciously show the difference between stars and the general public. Kiefer should be glad he wasn't in the movie '300' I guess.

Other news today, a man was arrested for a hit & run -- he hit two pedestrians, and continued on home.... with one of the victims stuck in his windshield. He later called the cops and said the thought he may have hit someone on the way home. And, very likely, he wasn't being disingenuous -- when the police came and he blew .18 six hours after he hit the two walkers.

Tigers add teeth, Marlins go belly up

2007-12-05T09:38:00.000-05:00

Tigers just nabbed Cabrera and Willis ('watchoo talking 'bout Willis') from the Marlins. I thought the Tribe would be odds on favorites hands down next year, but Detroit is a growing monster -- they are close to luxury tax status. On the flip side, funny thing is, Marlins now have an $8 mill payroll. How insane is that? The Red Sox's Lugo gets $8 mill per year. I'd love to know how much the Marlins get in luxury taxes alone -- if they get $800 grand, they can say 10% of their salaries are covered by The Sox, NY, et al. There's been a lot of legitimate talk regarding a salary cap, but I gotta say there should be a floor too.

I know, Florida has won two World Series in the last ten years, with below par teams in between, so the odd formula seems to work, but I'd rather be a Cubbie fan than a Marlins fan. The postseason is a capper to a great season, but it's kind of hard to build a loyal following without competitive years connecting championship seasons.

Whether it's MLB retraction, or just moving to another market, the Marlins are in need of a big change. It can be argued that Miami is just a tough sports market, but how do you ever know if you don't even put a competitive product on the field. If the Pawtucket Red Sox played the Marlins 5 games, I'd say the PawSox win the series. Heck, if the double A Portland Sea Dogs play them 7 games, I say they take two or more.

A floor may be easier to institute than a cap, and once established, a cap may be the next logical step -- thereby easier to implement. Gotta take some first steps to insure qualioty in MLB.

Two Cents on Ten Topics

2007-12-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

1. Do you think Cashman is looking askance in the mirror every morning these days thinking, "My God, just when you start to get up and actually fulfill your job title, the new Steinbrenner keeps pushing you down..."

2. Just got off the road and heard Buster Olney talking on ESPN -- he said the Sox are the only ones talking to the Twins at this point... Hank's thinking, "c'mon they couldn't have taken me seriously, right? Look at A-rod... I just say those things... I don't really mean it..." -- all this said, watch the Hank-ees (nickname stolen from the NY Post) throw in Ian Kennedy at the last minute and do the Santana dance.

3. At first I thought I was just being fan-emotional over not wanting Jacoby Ellsbury (hereafter referred to as Jake... every team needs a Jake) on the potential trading block, but this is how I look at it: if the Sox get Santana at the expense of Jake, they've likely secured the next three to five years -- but, we all saw what Jake did in September and in the postseason -- the highest pressure moments of any season in one of - if not the - highest pressure town to do so. Jake's your man -- he's the guy you want at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the field (he was a little rough, with flashes of brilliance out there). Picture this... as good as Jake was on the basepaths and at bat, maybe he has as much room for improvement there as he does in the outfield. He started the season in AA Portland and he was a star in 95% of his starts. He was a doubles machine in the World Series. Getting to the postseason, and winning throughout, is an out and out battle. This guy is GOLD. In times of war, you can bank on gold.

4. Logically, doesn't it make sense for the Twin cities to fill their lefty loss with an up and coming lefty? Lester - Coco - Lowrie - Masterson is my prediction (may have to pick up all of Coco's next season, although, it may take Moss too).

5. Isn't the quantity of players for Santana getting more and more like the Celts/KG trade?

6. How much of a discount did Lowell take? Jose Guillen just got $36 mill for three years with the Royals. World Series MVP Mike Lowell got $37.5 mill for the same duration with the Sox. I was always better at english than math, but at every turn, dontcha just love Mikey?

7. I wonder how the line in Vegas is changing with the last two Pats scrapes?

8. Speaking of which, I usually like Mike & Mike in the morning on ESPN, but this AM the non-football player Mike (that's the Golick-one, right?) talked in conspiracy tones about the last two Baltimore penalties last night, implying that the league wanted the Pats to win and somehow willed this ref - who threw the defensive holding flag prior to the missed pass - to make the call. Huh? Waitjustaminute... where was this talking head during the Pats-Colts game?...

9. Which leads me to this: discussing officials' calls is so local market... these guys must not have had much to debate this AM,... do you think the two Mikes flipped a coin to decide what side of the issue they'd argue?

10. My favorite three shows on TV (scripted, main stream network shows, mind you), are Chuck, Journeyman, and Life... give them a two episode chance and I believe you'll be in.