Guys, do you ever feel so embarrassed by your gender that you wish you could crawl away to the mountians never to offend a woman by your mere possession of a penis ever again? Oh, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’re probably a good, decent, respectable gentleman like ol Samichlaus, but some other pecker possessing fool has, and you got wind of it. If this feeling of gender apologist du jour has never gripped you, then might I suggest one of my or St. Ides’s “classic” posts. The rest of you should read on.
I was pretty embarrassed all those years ago when Jimmy the Greek explained his advanced theory of Eugenics to a TV camera while sucking on a refreshing scotch. And I cringed when Fuzzy Zoeller refered to Tiger Woods as “that little boy” and implored him not to serve “fried chicken and collared greens or whatever the hell they eat” at his championship dinner at the Masters tournament. Racisism is borne of ignorance, and there are a lot of ignorant people out there.
Sexism is something else.
Sexisim is borne of hatred and insensitivity. It is passed from generation to generation as a belief system. A belief that women should be objectified. A belief that women are inferior. A belief that women are emotionally and intellectually corrupt. Many men and some women I have known absolutely believe these axioms. Some will go as far as to quote scripture to justify their beliefs. Oh, I know you don’t, because you’re not reading one of our classic posts as I suggested earlier, but those who do believe these axioms usually do not verbalize them. You have to watch their actions to weed them out. So when the occasion of a sexist ignorant misoginist spewing his dribble presents itself, I’m going to write about it. Even if it’s in the obscure world of Formula One racing.
A few weeks ago, Danica Patrick finished fourth in the Indianapolis 500. When Bernie Ecclestone, the President of the IRL, was asked for his opinion Ecclestone acknowledged her strong finish, but then made this assessment about women racing with men "You know I've got one of those wonderful ideas ... women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."
Danica Patrick was stunned. So when Bernie called to apologize on Saturday, Patrick indicated that Ecclestone complimented her on her performance at the Indy 500. But Ecclestone caught Patrick off guard when he repeated to her his statement about women and "domestic appliances."
According to ESPN:
"I just didn't make sense of it," Patrick said during an IRL teleconference this week. "I was surprised, I guess, somebody would say that to me. And the days after, when it actually came out in the press, people were asking me 'What do you think of that?' I was like, 'You know what he told me? He said that on the phone.'"
This isn’t the first time that Ecclestone has expressed his true feelings. The 74-year-old told Autosport racing magazine in Feb. 2000 that women would never excel in Forumla One. He added that if a woman did make it, "she would have to be a woman who was blowing away the boys. ... What I would really like to see happen is to find the right girl, perhaps a black girl with super looks, preferably Jewish or Muslim, who speaks Spanish."
Christ.
So here’s the deal. I’ve decided that for today I am king of all good men, and as your king I have made a royal decision. Bernie Ecclestone is hereby sentenced to spend 24 hours locked in a room with my wife, her mom, and her grandmother. Also, if there is an African American woman with Jewish and Muslim parents living in Mexico, please contact me ASAP. These four ladies will have 5 hours each to enlighten Bernie with some lively debate, highlighting opposing viewpoints. The final 4 hours will be spent having a “round table” discussion with all 5 participants. Topics will include, but not limited to “Sexisim: foolish men, foolish choices”, “You’re never too old to be castrated” and “You stupid fucking fuckity fuck broken chromosoned piece of shit”. I put that last one in just for my wife. Upon the conclusion of the 24 hours, Bernie will be allowed to make a statement. Based upon this statement, we will as a group determine the next course of action.
And here’s to Danica Patrick, the first woman to ever lead a lap in the Indy 500. Way to handle this situation with grace and style, two things your boss is sorely lacking.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Koren Dropinson
Well, a little slow (yes, I'm slacking during the NFL off-season a bit), but the Seahawks released Koren Robinson last week. It's a bit sad, considering this guy has a ton of potential. He had a rough year this past season, and soon became to be known as Koren Dropinson after being unable to catch balls that hit him in the fucking chest. Will I miss him? Nope...
He was just one of those players who didn't take the game seriously enough and didn't realize how lucky he was to be getting paid millions of dollars a year to play a game. His troubles date back a few years, when he was late or flat out skipped team meetings and optional workouts. He has had team-imposed suspensions for several games in both of the past two seasons. And, it recently came out that the team felt he had a drinking problem, so he went into a rehab program this off-season.
Well, in early May, he was pulled over and arrested for DWI. I'm too lazy to find the exact number right now, but I think he blew something like a 0.11, which was like twice the legal limit. Someone on the Seahawks board did some (questionable) math with the whole blood alcohol content thing and his bodyweight, and calculated he would have had to have 8 drinks in the past two hours to have been at that level.
Holmgren stuck up for this guy again and again and again. Hell, he might have even given him another chance if it weren't for the new front office with their real "we don't take crap from players" approach. I even read a quote somewhere that after Mr. Dropinson got out of rehab, he said something like, "Well, the team thinks I had a problem cause I drink sometimes, so they wanted me to enter this program. I did it, and now I'm ready to play." Notice the denial in there - he doesn't have a problem, the team "thinks" he does. He even had his mother talking to the media pleading his case about what a good boy he is, and he has things straightened out now, and he doesn't have a problem. Drinking problem or not, when you make millions of dollars a year… take a fucking cab home if you've been drinking!!!! Jesus H. Christ, I'll never understand this. Hire a fucking private limo for the night, for fucks sake. What's one cost? Like a grand, tops? You make that playing a single down, you fuck!
Anyways, I'm glad to see him go. Although there is the fear that he'll sign with some team and be dope, enough is enough. It looks like Bobby Engram will move up to the #2 receiver opposite Jackson. And although Engram dropped that tough catch to end the playoff game last year, he has had consistently better hands than Koren. Joe Jurevicious (no, I'm not looking up the correct spelling) and Jerome Pathon will battle it out for the #3 slot. Both are proven veterans with slightly different roles they're good at filling.
Overall, I'm still very happy with our offseason. There's still a chance we'll sign former Raven LB Peter Boulware (whose brother plays Safety), but there's some questions about the health of his knee and whether he could be an every down player. Oh, and early previews are not only picking the Rams, but the Cardinals (the fucking Cardinals!!!) to finish ahead of Seattle in the division. Considering it's pretty much the same exact offense as last year (between suspensions and injuries, Robinson didn’t play enough to make an impact) and I think the defense will be much improved, I think Seattle will surprise some people. Where last year at this time, they were a trendy Super Bowl pick, this year people think they will suck, as usual. And that's just the way I like it. I don't want people jumping on the Seattle bandwagon. I've suffered aboard it long enough to be entitled to some elbow room on it. Unless of course we make the Super Bowl. Then everybody can jump on. As long as I'm at the steering wheel.
He was just one of those players who didn't take the game seriously enough and didn't realize how lucky he was to be getting paid millions of dollars a year to play a game. His troubles date back a few years, when he was late or flat out skipped team meetings and optional workouts. He has had team-imposed suspensions for several games in both of the past two seasons. And, it recently came out that the team felt he had a drinking problem, so he went into a rehab program this off-season.
Well, in early May, he was pulled over and arrested for DWI. I'm too lazy to find the exact number right now, but I think he blew something like a 0.11, which was like twice the legal limit. Someone on the Seahawks board did some (questionable) math with the whole blood alcohol content thing and his bodyweight, and calculated he would have had to have 8 drinks in the past two hours to have been at that level.
Holmgren stuck up for this guy again and again and again. Hell, he might have even given him another chance if it weren't for the new front office with their real "we don't take crap from players" approach. I even read a quote somewhere that after Mr. Dropinson got out of rehab, he said something like, "Well, the team thinks I had a problem cause I drink sometimes, so they wanted me to enter this program. I did it, and now I'm ready to play." Notice the denial in there - he doesn't have a problem, the team "thinks" he does. He even had his mother talking to the media pleading his case about what a good boy he is, and he has things straightened out now, and he doesn't have a problem. Drinking problem or not, when you make millions of dollars a year… take a fucking cab home if you've been drinking!!!! Jesus H. Christ, I'll never understand this. Hire a fucking private limo for the night, for fucks sake. What's one cost? Like a grand, tops? You make that playing a single down, you fuck!
Anyways, I'm glad to see him go. Although there is the fear that he'll sign with some team and be dope, enough is enough. It looks like Bobby Engram will move up to the #2 receiver opposite Jackson. And although Engram dropped that tough catch to end the playoff game last year, he has had consistently better hands than Koren. Joe Jurevicious (no, I'm not looking up the correct spelling) and Jerome Pathon will battle it out for the #3 slot. Both are proven veterans with slightly different roles they're good at filling.
Overall, I'm still very happy with our offseason. There's still a chance we'll sign former Raven LB Peter Boulware (whose brother plays Safety), but there's some questions about the health of his knee and whether he could be an every down player. Oh, and early previews are not only picking the Rams, but the Cardinals (the fucking Cardinals!!!) to finish ahead of Seattle in the division. Considering it's pretty much the same exact offense as last year (between suspensions and injuries, Robinson didn’t play enough to make an impact) and I think the defense will be much improved, I think Seattle will surprise some people. Where last year at this time, they were a trendy Super Bowl pick, this year people think they will suck, as usual. And that's just the way I like it. I don't want people jumping on the Seattle bandwagon. I've suffered aboard it long enough to be entitled to some elbow room on it. Unless of course we make the Super Bowl. Then everybody can jump on. As long as I'm at the steering wheel.
Monday, June 13, 2005
The simplicity of the upcoming NFL season... Second attempt
Editors note: This post has been sitting on my blogger.com server for four days because every time I try to publish it, it fails. I'll talk more about blogger.com in a future post.
Samichlaus.
Before ol’ Samichlaus left the building yesterday, I had a conversation with my buddy James. James is the janitor here at my office building and is an ardent San Francisco 49er fan. Usually when we see each other, I’ll exclaim “What’s up James???!!!” and James will reply “I think that Favre guy ought to retire”
Yesterday however, James had a different response. “Tell me” he asked, “What’s up with that Javon Walker?”
I couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “I’ll tell you what’s up, it’s that Drew Rosenhaus. Walker’s a good kid with massive talent, and he’s holding out for more money.”
“How much more?” asked James
“He wants to be paid like a top 5 receiver”
“Is he that good?”
Uh oh. I was stuck. On one hand, I believe Walker might be that good. He put up incredible numbers last year as the number three receiver. On the other hand, if I admitted he was that good, would I also then be supporting his hold out?
“Yeah. He’s that good”
James howled, “Come on, REALLY? Alright, let me ask you this, you think the Packers have a chance this year?”
I pointed to my Packer lunch bag that I was carrying. “James, I have to believe they have a chance. Every year”
“Oh , right”
“Look” I said, “Here’s the deal. Of course they have a chance. With all the parity in the league every one has a chance. Well, except the 49ers”
“Even with their defense? If you can call it that.”
“Yeah, but they’ve got that new coordinator from Miami, and let me tell you, even if the defense is 10 % better, we’ll win 13 games. I guarantee it.”
“I don’t know… that defense…”
“We’ll be fine! First they’ll get rid of Cletidus Hunt… do you know about him?”
I didn’t wait for James to answer.
“Hunt didn’t show up for mini camp. He’s a pot smoker, and not that I’ve got anything against pot smokers, but I don’t want them on my defensive line. That stuff mellows you out. Frankly, I’d rather have a crack smoker on my line. Look, it’s simple. Walker will play, the defense will improve, Favre will have a monster year, the Bears still suck, Detroit can’t play outdoors after October and the Vikings are still coached by Mike Tice. We’re going all the way”
James laughed.
“I’ll see you James”
“Yeah, see you!”
James walked off and then from down the hall said over his shoulder from down the hall “Man, how did they let Randy Moss go?”
“Mike Tice is still their coach”
You see how simple it is?
Samichlaus.
Before ol’ Samichlaus left the building yesterday, I had a conversation with my buddy James. James is the janitor here at my office building and is an ardent San Francisco 49er fan. Usually when we see each other, I’ll exclaim “What’s up James???!!!” and James will reply “I think that Favre guy ought to retire”
Yesterday however, James had a different response. “Tell me” he asked, “What’s up with that Javon Walker?”
I couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “I’ll tell you what’s up, it’s that Drew Rosenhaus. Walker’s a good kid with massive talent, and he’s holding out for more money.”
“How much more?” asked James
“He wants to be paid like a top 5 receiver”
“Is he that good?”
Uh oh. I was stuck. On one hand, I believe Walker might be that good. He put up incredible numbers last year as the number three receiver. On the other hand, if I admitted he was that good, would I also then be supporting his hold out?
“Yeah. He’s that good”
James howled, “Come on, REALLY? Alright, let me ask you this, you think the Packers have a chance this year?”
I pointed to my Packer lunch bag that I was carrying. “James, I have to believe they have a chance. Every year”
“Oh , right”
“Look” I said, “Here’s the deal. Of course they have a chance. With all the parity in the league every one has a chance. Well, except the 49ers”
“Even with their defense? If you can call it that.”
“Yeah, but they’ve got that new coordinator from Miami, and let me tell you, even if the defense is 10 % better, we’ll win 13 games. I guarantee it.”
“I don’t know… that defense…”
“We’ll be fine! First they’ll get rid of Cletidus Hunt… do you know about him?”
I didn’t wait for James to answer.
“Hunt didn’t show up for mini camp. He’s a pot smoker, and not that I’ve got anything against pot smokers, but I don’t want them on my defensive line. That stuff mellows you out. Frankly, I’d rather have a crack smoker on my line. Look, it’s simple. Walker will play, the defense will improve, Favre will have a monster year, the Bears still suck, Detroit can’t play outdoors after October and the Vikings are still coached by Mike Tice. We’re going all the way”
James laughed.
“I’ll see you James”
“Yeah, see you!”
James walked off and then from down the hall said over his shoulder from down the hall “Man, how did they let Randy Moss go?”
“Mike Tice is still their coach”
You see how simple it is?
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Stoned Cold Reality Check
The Packers second post-draft minicamp began yesterday, and the big story out of Green Bay was the absence of four players. Three of these players, Brett Favre, Bubba Franks and Javon Walker were expected. The fourth, defensive end Cletidus Hunt, came as a surprise to his coaches and teammates.
But not to me.
Cletidus Hunt was drafted by Green Bay in the third round of the 1999 draft. The Packers took Hunt despite a huge red flag: Hunt had tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combines earlier that year. Hunt's plus side was that he is a tremendous physical specimen. He is 6'4" and 310 lbs. It was thought that his potential was unlimited; however one must question the character of a man who knows he's going to be drug tested and still tokes up. Maybe not the character, but at least the will power.
After 3 marginal seasons, Hunt was given a 6 year - $25 million dollar deal and was told that he was to be the cornerstone of the Packers defense. Hunt responded by failing 2 additional drug tests and is now one failure away from a 1 year suspension. Moreover, Hunt has displayed typical stoner behavior throughout his career. He has the reputation of being an under achiever. He has missed several mandatory training camp days as well as "voluntary" camps. Each year he is fined $250,000.00 for not participating in the Packers off-season training program. Each year he chooses to pay the fine and stay in Memphis where he lives. He was benched for the last game of the 2004 season. When asked why he was benched, he replied that "Coach Sherman wanted to rest me for the playoffs". This was a shock to Sherman who thought he had made it clear to Hunt that he was being benched for poor performance.
So why would anyone be surprised that Hunt was absent from the first day of minicamp?
Hunt is the modern day "Ferdinand the Bull", a brute of a man who would rather stop and smell the daisies, or in Hunt's case, the sweet sweet smell of frog. For me, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Hunt is probably a big ol' sweetie. I just have no need for him on my football team. I want you to think about something: Cletidus Hunt.... Ray Nitchke. See what I mean?
But not to me.
Cletidus Hunt was drafted by Green Bay in the third round of the 1999 draft. The Packers took Hunt despite a huge red flag: Hunt had tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combines earlier that year. Hunt's plus side was that he is a tremendous physical specimen. He is 6'4" and 310 lbs. It was thought that his potential was unlimited; however one must question the character of a man who knows he's going to be drug tested and still tokes up. Maybe not the character, but at least the will power.
After 3 marginal seasons, Hunt was given a 6 year - $25 million dollar deal and was told that he was to be the cornerstone of the Packers defense. Hunt responded by failing 2 additional drug tests and is now one failure away from a 1 year suspension. Moreover, Hunt has displayed typical stoner behavior throughout his career. He has the reputation of being an under achiever. He has missed several mandatory training camp days as well as "voluntary" camps. Each year he is fined $250,000.00 for not participating in the Packers off-season training program. Each year he chooses to pay the fine and stay in Memphis where he lives. He was benched for the last game of the 2004 season. When asked why he was benched, he replied that "Coach Sherman wanted to rest me for the playoffs". This was a shock to Sherman who thought he had made it clear to Hunt that he was being benched for poor performance.
So why would anyone be surprised that Hunt was absent from the first day of minicamp?
Hunt is the modern day "Ferdinand the Bull", a brute of a man who would rather stop and smell the daisies, or in Hunt's case, the sweet sweet smell of frog. For me, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Hunt is probably a big ol' sweetie. I just have no need for him on my football team. I want you to think about something: Cletidus Hunt.... Ray Nitchke. See what I mean?
Real REAL Sports
As I was flipping around channels last night, and went past HBO2, I actually stopped and left on Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel for the first time ever. And the only reason was because they were interviewing Kermit Washington (who I only recognized because it said "Kermit Washington" on the screen). Steve and I have had discussions before about the infamous Kermit vs. Rudy T. (sorry, I'm not looking up how to spell Tomjonovich) incident before, but I'd never seen the actual footage. Until last night…
Yes, it was a brutal punch. Yes, it really was uncalled for. As Rudy T. ran over to break up the fight, it didn't seem like he was an immediate threat. But there was also a degree of bad luck and flukey circumstances. I mean, the way his fist caught him pretty much full on, with Kermit's weight fully behind the punch, and then Rudy running RIGHT into it. And then the way he collapsed and hit the ground, the jarring as he hit the floor added additional damage, no doubt. Surprisingly, he got right back up. Even though he was then taken to the hospital in a life-threatening situation, as his skull had been displaced from his spine and spinal fluid was leaking into his brain and mouth. Or something gross like that, I forget the gory details.
So, as the show goes on, they have interviews with Jerry West (who was coaching Kermit at the time) and a couple other types who say that Kermit was a great guy, and it was unfortunate the stigma of that incident followed him forever after. The guy never played for the Lakers again, and that incident is still to this day the first thing people think about when they hear his name. And, in a way, I kind of understood and sympathized with this point. The guy didn't MEAN to almost kill Rudy T. He didn't really expect to do that sort of damage. There have been dozens of incidents in sports since then that have been just as ugly, but have been mostly forgiven and forgotten because nobody was seriously hurt. It was just bad luck, really, that in this one case, it was the 1 in a 1000 perfect punch that landed in such a way to do so much damage.
Just as I was beginning to feel bad for ol' Kermit, they cut back to the interview with him. And my sympathy quickly faded. First, he kind of recapped what led up to that point, how he was being elbowed by one of Rudy's teammates as they ran down the court, behind the action. He talked about how the player kept elbowing him, and when Kermit elbowed him back, the guy punched him. But, Kermit pointed out, back in those days there were not 20 cameras showing all the different angles, so the incidents leading up to the fight were not caught on film. He said that maybe if people saw what happened before The Punch, people would have understood his reaction. To his credit, Bryant Gumbel was skeptical, and pushed Kermit a bit, asking, "Do you REALLY think people would have understood you crushing this innocent man's face with your fist if they saw you being hit by one of his teammates first?" And Kermit actually said he did.
Then, the clincher was when Kermit started throwing around the word "stereotype" when talking about his dealings with the league officials regarding his suspension. At first I thought he meant the stereotype of the "NBA Enforcer" role. (Which HBO had opened the segment with by explaining…Apparently, back in that day, the NBA had enforcers just like the NHL, who beat up on people who were a little too rough with their team superstars.) But then it seemed like he meant more of a racial stereotype.. And, again, Gumbel asked him, "So, are you saying your suspension was so harsh because it was a racial thing?" Kermit seemed jussssssst about to agree with him, before he caught himself and said, "Let's just say there was a stereotype, and leave it at that." In the end, it seemed to me like he was not so much sorry about it because he almost killed Rudy T., but because of the repercussions he himself suffered.
It's Fantasy Baseball update time! The team I have more interest in, let's call it the "Traditional Scoring Team" from now on, is in second place. I'm pretty happy with the production as a whole, and I still think I have the starting pitching to stay near the top all season long, especially if Randy Johnson catches fire. My "Head to Head Scoring Team" is like tied for 5th, but it's real close between the 2nd-6th place teams. That team is doing better than I expected, and I had a very enjoyable 7-3 week win over one of the jackasses who rotated in like 5 scrub pitchers each week. He still won strikeouts, but I killed him in wins, ERA, and WHIP.
In the Traditional league, I was offered Beltran for Ichiro, straight up. As I was about to pull the trigger on this, I stopped myself for a moment to look a bit deeper… Right now, here are my rankings in offensive categories:
4th in runs, 1st in home runs, 3rd in RBIs, 5th in SBs, and 7th in average.
Here are the current stats for the two players:
Ichiro: 38 R, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 15 SB, .321 AVG
Beltran: 24 R, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB, .294 AVG
So, basically, I'd be trading a bit of Runs, Steals, and Average for some HR and RBI. HR and RBI are my two strongest categories.
In the end, I declined the trade simply based on need, and not who is actually a better player. Beltran also has a nagging leg injury, so that lowers his value a bit too. We'll revisit this at the end of the year, and see what kind of difference this trade would have made had I pulled the trigger.
Yes, it was a brutal punch. Yes, it really was uncalled for. As Rudy T. ran over to break up the fight, it didn't seem like he was an immediate threat. But there was also a degree of bad luck and flukey circumstances. I mean, the way his fist caught him pretty much full on, with Kermit's weight fully behind the punch, and then Rudy running RIGHT into it. And then the way he collapsed and hit the ground, the jarring as he hit the floor added additional damage, no doubt. Surprisingly, he got right back up. Even though he was then taken to the hospital in a life-threatening situation, as his skull had been displaced from his spine and spinal fluid was leaking into his brain and mouth. Or something gross like that, I forget the gory details.
So, as the show goes on, they have interviews with Jerry West (who was coaching Kermit at the time) and a couple other types who say that Kermit was a great guy, and it was unfortunate the stigma of that incident followed him forever after. The guy never played for the Lakers again, and that incident is still to this day the first thing people think about when they hear his name. And, in a way, I kind of understood and sympathized with this point. The guy didn't MEAN to almost kill Rudy T. He didn't really expect to do that sort of damage. There have been dozens of incidents in sports since then that have been just as ugly, but have been mostly forgiven and forgotten because nobody was seriously hurt. It was just bad luck, really, that in this one case, it was the 1 in a 1000 perfect punch that landed in such a way to do so much damage.
Just as I was beginning to feel bad for ol' Kermit, they cut back to the interview with him. And my sympathy quickly faded. First, he kind of recapped what led up to that point, how he was being elbowed by one of Rudy's teammates as they ran down the court, behind the action. He talked about how the player kept elbowing him, and when Kermit elbowed him back, the guy punched him. But, Kermit pointed out, back in those days there were not 20 cameras showing all the different angles, so the incidents leading up to the fight were not caught on film. He said that maybe if people saw what happened before The Punch, people would have understood his reaction. To his credit, Bryant Gumbel was skeptical, and pushed Kermit a bit, asking, "Do you REALLY think people would have understood you crushing this innocent man's face with your fist if they saw you being hit by one of his teammates first?" And Kermit actually said he did.
Then, the clincher was when Kermit started throwing around the word "stereotype" when talking about his dealings with the league officials regarding his suspension. At first I thought he meant the stereotype of the "NBA Enforcer" role. (Which HBO had opened the segment with by explaining…Apparently, back in that day, the NBA had enforcers just like the NHL, who beat up on people who were a little too rough with their team superstars.) But then it seemed like he meant more of a racial stereotype.. And, again, Gumbel asked him, "So, are you saying your suspension was so harsh because it was a racial thing?" Kermit seemed jussssssst about to agree with him, before he caught himself and said, "Let's just say there was a stereotype, and leave it at that." In the end, it seemed to me like he was not so much sorry about it because he almost killed Rudy T., but because of the repercussions he himself suffered.
It's Fantasy Baseball update time! The team I have more interest in, let's call it the "Traditional Scoring Team" from now on, is in second place. I'm pretty happy with the production as a whole, and I still think I have the starting pitching to stay near the top all season long, especially if Randy Johnson catches fire. My "Head to Head Scoring Team" is like tied for 5th, but it's real close between the 2nd-6th place teams. That team is doing better than I expected, and I had a very enjoyable 7-3 week win over one of the jackasses who rotated in like 5 scrub pitchers each week. He still won strikeouts, but I killed him in wins, ERA, and WHIP.
In the Traditional league, I was offered Beltran for Ichiro, straight up. As I was about to pull the trigger on this, I stopped myself for a moment to look a bit deeper… Right now, here are my rankings in offensive categories:
4th in runs, 1st in home runs, 3rd in RBIs, 5th in SBs, and 7th in average.
Here are the current stats for the two players:
Ichiro: 38 R, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 15 SB, .321 AVG
Beltran: 24 R, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB, .294 AVG
So, basically, I'd be trading a bit of Runs, Steals, and Average for some HR and RBI. HR and RBI are my two strongest categories.
In the end, I declined the trade simply based on need, and not who is actually a better player. Beltran also has a nagging leg injury, so that lowers his value a bit too. We'll revisit this at the end of the year, and see what kind of difference this trade would have made had I pulled the trigger.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
The End of the Abbey, The Contender, and Spring
Well, yes, I've been slacking, so here's a bunch of random thoughts thrown together in no particular order…
As Samichlaus mentioned, the Dear, Dear Abbey Tavern has closed down. Not only did the place serve excellent burgers and perfect Guinness, but after going there week in and week out for years, they actually treated BDF like the rock stars they totally were not. Including occasionally playing BDF songs through the stereo and consistently offering up frosty pints of Guinness "on the house". Hell, two BDF tunes ("Dear Abbey" and "This One's On The House") were directly inspired by the Abbey. And countless other tunes were penned sitting at the tables there, swigging pint after pint. The prototype for the BDF mascot, Swilley, was first scribbled on a half-used Abbey napkin. It was the perfect place to get some food in our stomachs and, more importantly, a nice buzz going before heading to practice across town. And, lest he forget, the Abbey Tavern was the site of the awarding of prizes to Mr. Samichlaus when he won the First Ever BDF Contest. Rumors abound that the legendary practice session that followed is still somewhere in the archives, just waiting to be rediscovered and unleashed on the world…
But, yes, we will miss the Abbey Tavern. And although I have no great sports stories about the place (I doubt Steve would consider witnessing the Scott Brosius and Derek Jeter homers off Byung-Yun Kim there considered "great"), it really is the type of place that will be hard to replace.
Onto sports news… The Contender came to a close last week with a rather unheralded Live from Las Vegas finale. It was on Tuesday night, which seemed kind of random, especially since the regular night for the show was Sundays. The final fight was mostly one-sided, though still pretty exciting. They also threw in the "consolation fight" between the other two semi-finalists, and that fight was pretty good too. Oh, and the fact that they had Sly and Sugar Ray doing color commentary live during the fight just added to the whole thing.. Or was it detracted?... They were AWFUL, often not able to muster up much more than ooo's and ahh's when big punches landed. It was one thing to kind of edit in their comments from the stands during the taped matches. It was another debacle altogether to allow them to actually attempt to give commentary during a live fight. And, after the final fight was over, it seemed a bit odd that they did not even interview (and barely mentioned) the losing boxer. All through the season, they basically spent the last 5-10 minutes of every show in the loser's locker room, getting his thoughts, watching his family comfort him, sometimes even catching them break down and cry as they wasted their chance to "make it." Yet, in the finale, they didn't even talk to him at all. How'd that happen?
That said, the series was wildly entertaining. Sadly, it looks as if the ratings kind of sucked, so it might not be back for another season. But just think of the continued careers of the boxers from this show though. I mean, they were all pretty good (and evenly matched) fighters. It wouldn't be unheard of for one or more of these fighters to wind up with a title shot somewhere not too far down the road. It gives you the kind of background into a fighter as a real person that makes you appreciate them (and maybe even the horribly corrupt and monopolized sport) a bit more. Anyways, if there is a season 2, watch it. :P
And, lastly.. Say goodbye to spring! With Memorial Day comes the unofficial start to summer.. Which means we're closer to football season! I must say though, I'm a bit disappointed with the idiots over at MLB who planned a Memorial Day baseball schedule where neither the Yankees or Mets even played! I was forced to watch the Braves vs. the Nationals and the Cubs vs. the Dodgers. Not exactly riveting games to drink beer to.
As Samichlaus mentioned, the Dear, Dear Abbey Tavern has closed down. Not only did the place serve excellent burgers and perfect Guinness, but after going there week in and week out for years, they actually treated BDF like the rock stars they totally were not. Including occasionally playing BDF songs through the stereo and consistently offering up frosty pints of Guinness "on the house". Hell, two BDF tunes ("Dear Abbey" and "This One's On The House") were directly inspired by the Abbey. And countless other tunes were penned sitting at the tables there, swigging pint after pint. The prototype for the BDF mascot, Swilley, was first scribbled on a half-used Abbey napkin. It was the perfect place to get some food in our stomachs and, more importantly, a nice buzz going before heading to practice across town. And, lest he forget, the Abbey Tavern was the site of the awarding of prizes to Mr. Samichlaus when he won the First Ever BDF Contest. Rumors abound that the legendary practice session that followed is still somewhere in the archives, just waiting to be rediscovered and unleashed on the world…
But, yes, we will miss the Abbey Tavern. And although I have no great sports stories about the place (I doubt Steve would consider witnessing the Scott Brosius and Derek Jeter homers off Byung-Yun Kim there considered "great"), it really is the type of place that will be hard to replace.
Onto sports news… The Contender came to a close last week with a rather unheralded Live from Las Vegas finale. It was on Tuesday night, which seemed kind of random, especially since the regular night for the show was Sundays. The final fight was mostly one-sided, though still pretty exciting. They also threw in the "consolation fight" between the other two semi-finalists, and that fight was pretty good too. Oh, and the fact that they had Sly and Sugar Ray doing color commentary live during the fight just added to the whole thing.. Or was it detracted?... They were AWFUL, often not able to muster up much more than ooo's and ahh's when big punches landed. It was one thing to kind of edit in their comments from the stands during the taped matches. It was another debacle altogether to allow them to actually attempt to give commentary during a live fight. And, after the final fight was over, it seemed a bit odd that they did not even interview (and barely mentioned) the losing boxer. All through the season, they basically spent the last 5-10 minutes of every show in the loser's locker room, getting his thoughts, watching his family comfort him, sometimes even catching them break down and cry as they wasted their chance to "make it." Yet, in the finale, they didn't even talk to him at all. How'd that happen?
That said, the series was wildly entertaining. Sadly, it looks as if the ratings kind of sucked, so it might not be back for another season. But just think of the continued careers of the boxers from this show though. I mean, they were all pretty good (and evenly matched) fighters. It wouldn't be unheard of for one or more of these fighters to wind up with a title shot somewhere not too far down the road. It gives you the kind of background into a fighter as a real person that makes you appreciate them (and maybe even the horribly corrupt and monopolized sport) a bit more. Anyways, if there is a season 2, watch it. :P
And, lastly.. Say goodbye to spring! With Memorial Day comes the unofficial start to summer.. Which means we're closer to football season! I must say though, I'm a bit disappointed with the idiots over at MLB who planned a Memorial Day baseball schedule where neither the Yankees or Mets even played! I was forced to watch the Braves vs. the Nationals and the Cubs vs. the Dodgers. Not exactly riveting games to drink beer to.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
A HUGE Victory for the Yankees
Lest there be any doubt, here at Sportsblog Steves this journalist will give credit where credit is due. I was humbled this weekend, and I intend to write about it here. It was in no uncertain terms a stupendous victory for the Yankees, and I am honored to tell you the tale.
The battle of Gettysburg
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was commanded by the great Robert E. Lee. Lee had commanded this army for a little over a year, and was 4-0-1. He had won decisive victories at the battle of Seven days, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg and Manassas, and fought to a draw at Antietam. He had never been defeated. The Yankees were skippered by General George Gordon Meade. Meade, who along with his favorite steed “Old Baldy” had been in command for three days.
On the first day of the battle of Gettysburg the South entered the town from the north, while the Yankees entered the town from the south. The Confederates had come to the sleepy Pennsylvania village in search of shoes, and were surprised to find John Buford’s Yankee cavalry waiting for them. After several skirmishes northwest of town, the Confederates drove the Yankees back through Gettysburg and into a defensive position on the high ground south and west of the town.
The second and pivotal day of the battle began with Yankee reinforcements arriving to fortify positions along Cemetery ridge. Lee, whose cavalry had not yet arrived, was uncertain of the Yankees strength or position. To the west of Cemetery ridge were two fairly large hills known as “Little Round Top” and “Big Round Top”. Lee deduced that from this position he could have a clear view of the Yankees, so he ordered his subordinate, General James Longstreet to take the hills. However Longstreet took over 5 hours to move his troops into position. By this time the Yankees had deduced the Confederate plan, and positioned several corps into a defensive position atop Little Round Top. Less than 15 minutes after the last Yankee was in place, Longstreet’s troops attacked and a fierce battle ensued. When the smoke cleared, the Yankees had prevailed due in no small part to the bravery and courage of the 20th Maine, which had been places at the far left end of the line and had been ordered to “hold the flank at all costs”.
Lee, who had never truly experienced defeat called the second day a Confederate victory.
On the morning of the third day, Lee decided he would defeat the Yankees once and for all. He ordered Longstreet to prepare a frontal assault on the Yankee center. He would send 12,000 men across a field from the Confederate position at Seminary ridge to smash the Yankees at Cemetery ridge. Longstreet strongly objected, but Lee would have none of it. Lee believed his army could do anything. At 1:00 PM, the attack began. For two hours the Confederates bombarded the Yankees with artillery, in an attempt to “soften the line”, but most of the artillery missed its target. When the Yankee guns, which had been returning the fire grew silent, the ground assault began. It took his troops 19 minutes to cross the field. Within and hour, 6,000 men lay dead or wounded. This infamous attack, forever known as “Picketts Charge”, was the single greatest military blunder in the brilliant career of R.E. Lee. As his troops returned in retreat, Lee was there to meet them. “This is all my fault” he said.
The battle of Gettysburg was the greatest battle ever fought on North American soil. Over 55,000 men were either killed or wounded. Today, the battlefield remains a living memorial to the bravery and valor of those who fought there, both Yankee and Confederate. Statues mark the placement of troops. On Seminary ridge, a statue of Robert E. Lee looks out across the field where Pickett’s charge occurred. From this vantage point you can see the statue of George Gordon Meade in the distance.
I realize that this material is not the typical material you are accustomed to reading at “Sportsblog Steves”. However, I did have the pleasure of visiting Gettysburg this weekend with my father in law and I had a really nice time, and if anyone thinks I’m going to write anything nice about the New York Yankees, you’ve got to be kidding me.
To read more about “Pickett’s Charge” click here; http://www.civilwarhome.com/pickettscharge.htm
To read more about my favorite Gettysburg Heros, click here: http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/sidebar/chambln.htm
To read about the most bizarrely named restaurant I’ve ever seen, click here:
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-3000515-general_pickett_s_all_u_can_eat_buffet_restaurant_gettysburg-i
The battle of Gettysburg
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was commanded by the great Robert E. Lee. Lee had commanded this army for a little over a year, and was 4-0-1. He had won decisive victories at the battle of Seven days, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg and Manassas, and fought to a draw at Antietam. He had never been defeated. The Yankees were skippered by General George Gordon Meade. Meade, who along with his favorite steed “Old Baldy” had been in command for three days.
On the first day of the battle of Gettysburg the South entered the town from the north, while the Yankees entered the town from the south. The Confederates had come to the sleepy Pennsylvania village in search of shoes, and were surprised to find John Buford’s Yankee cavalry waiting for them. After several skirmishes northwest of town, the Confederates drove the Yankees back through Gettysburg and into a defensive position on the high ground south and west of the town.
The second and pivotal day of the battle began with Yankee reinforcements arriving to fortify positions along Cemetery ridge. Lee, whose cavalry had not yet arrived, was uncertain of the Yankees strength or position. To the west of Cemetery ridge were two fairly large hills known as “Little Round Top” and “Big Round Top”. Lee deduced that from this position he could have a clear view of the Yankees, so he ordered his subordinate, General James Longstreet to take the hills. However Longstreet took over 5 hours to move his troops into position. By this time the Yankees had deduced the Confederate plan, and positioned several corps into a defensive position atop Little Round Top. Less than 15 minutes after the last Yankee was in place, Longstreet’s troops attacked and a fierce battle ensued. When the smoke cleared, the Yankees had prevailed due in no small part to the bravery and courage of the 20th Maine, which had been places at the far left end of the line and had been ordered to “hold the flank at all costs”.
Lee, who had never truly experienced defeat called the second day a Confederate victory.
On the morning of the third day, Lee decided he would defeat the Yankees once and for all. He ordered Longstreet to prepare a frontal assault on the Yankee center. He would send 12,000 men across a field from the Confederate position at Seminary ridge to smash the Yankees at Cemetery ridge. Longstreet strongly objected, but Lee would have none of it. Lee believed his army could do anything. At 1:00 PM, the attack began. For two hours the Confederates bombarded the Yankees with artillery, in an attempt to “soften the line”, but most of the artillery missed its target. When the Yankee guns, which had been returning the fire grew silent, the ground assault began. It took his troops 19 minutes to cross the field. Within and hour, 6,000 men lay dead or wounded. This infamous attack, forever known as “Picketts Charge”, was the single greatest military blunder in the brilliant career of R.E. Lee. As his troops returned in retreat, Lee was there to meet them. “This is all my fault” he said.
The battle of Gettysburg was the greatest battle ever fought on North American soil. Over 55,000 men were either killed or wounded. Today, the battlefield remains a living memorial to the bravery and valor of those who fought there, both Yankee and Confederate. Statues mark the placement of troops. On Seminary ridge, a statue of Robert E. Lee looks out across the field where Pickett’s charge occurred. From this vantage point you can see the statue of George Gordon Meade in the distance.
I realize that this material is not the typical material you are accustomed to reading at “Sportsblog Steves”. However, I did have the pleasure of visiting Gettysburg this weekend with my father in law and I had a really nice time, and if anyone thinks I’m going to write anything nice about the New York Yankees, you’ve got to be kidding me.
To read more about “Pickett’s Charge” click here; http://www.civilwarhome.com/pickettscharge.htm
To read more about my favorite Gettysburg Heros, click here: http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/sidebar/chambln.htm
To read about the most bizarrely named restaurant I’ve ever seen, click here:
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-3000515-general_pickett_s_all_u_can_eat_buffet_restaurant_gettysburg-i
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)