I read recently about the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association's move to try limiting the chants aired at almost every high school and college basketball game in America ...
As a Wisconsin native -- and later a Kansas kid who lived for Friday nights employing many of these chants while cheering on my state champion high school basketball team -- I could only shake my head.
ESPN's Scott Van Pelt argued my thoughts wonderfully on this segment ...
Showing posts with label ESPN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ESPN. Show all posts
10.09.2014
Finally ' Catching Hell'
So after several tries, this week I finally caught “Catching Hell,” the documentary about Steve Bartman and the infamous foul ball that he interfered with during Game 5 of the 2003 National League Championship Series. After missing its original airing in 2011, I’ve recorded it onto our DVR on multiple occasions over the years – only to have it deleted by accident. Finally, I noticed it was airing again a couple weeks ago, set the DVR once more and watched it before it could be deleted again.(And now I find out the whole film is available on YouTube.)
It’s a fascinating and expertly told story by director Alex Gibney, who explains at the outset that it’s really a story about the fans – who went to a dark place in their treatment of Steve Bartman. So dark that the film, at points, made my stomach churn because of how vile some fans had been toward Bartman.
Oh, how well I remember that night and that game. Kates and I were recently married and fresh off our honeymoon. In fact, Kates and I were married the night the Cubs played the Braves in Game 4 of the National League Division Series – a game they lost – and my father-in-law provided updates to me throughout the reception. The Cubs, however, won the series the next night and moved onto face the Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series.
I’ve been a Cubs fan for a long time, and sure my passion has ebbed and flowed with cross country moves and life changes. But, man, I loved those guys in 2003. Eric Karros, Mark Grudzielanek, Alex Gonzalez, Moises Alou, Sammy Sosa, Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Joe Borowski. And let’s not forget the midseason trade that brought over Kenny Lofton and an up-and-coming Aramis Ramirez. Dusty Baker at the helm and fans waving “In Dusty we Trusty” banners outside Wrigley. It was a magical time to be around Chicago.
Kates and I watched the first half of that NLCS while on our honeymoon. When Game 6 took place in Chicago that fateful Oct. 14, we were back home in our apartment and watching intently. Everybody thought the Cubs were going to go to the World Series that night. The newsroom at the newspaper for which I was a reporter at the time was buzzing, and we sent a reporter and photographer down to the city that evening to capture excitement – because, heck, the Cubs were ending their World Series drought that night.
The Cubs struck first in that game and seemed to have the game in hand. Then the eighth inning happened. The Cubs needed just five more outs to win the game.
Watching the game at home, I remember the foul ball being hit and thinking Moises Alou had a fair chance at catching it. I also remember watching the ball drop and Alou’s “temper tantrum” and feeling the frustration that most Cubs fans felt – What was that fan thinking!? Moises could have caught that ball! I also remember Steve Lyons saying, “That could be huge.”
It was interesting that Gibney points to Moises Alou’s reaction as the fire starter for the whole thing. Even though I watched the game at home, I was as much a part of the blaming Bartman saga. I, too, shared the internet memes.
Looking back now, the umpires didn’t have the grounds to rule fan interference. And if I was sitting in that area at Wrigley, heck yeah, I would have gone for the ball, too.
As Gibney explains in his film, it unraveled from there. Alex Gonzalez committed an uncharacteristic error that was just as huge – and truthfully, I immediately blamed him just as much as Bartman for the loss. Had Gonzalez fielded that ground ball cleanly and turned the double play, the Cubs, at the least, would have made it out of that eighth inning and all would have been forgiven. Instead, the Marlins tied the game and then, all of a sudden, it was 8-3, in favor of the Marlins.
The atmosphere at Wrigley, the film explains, went from Mardi Gras to funeral. I was so deflated afterward I refused to answer a phone call from my new father-in-law to offer condolences.
The next night’s Game 7 had a cloud over it. Doubt had settled in. I vaguely remember Kerry Wood’s home run to tie the game early, but the Cubs couldn’t finish it. Like Steve Lyons says in the film, I don’t remember a thing about Game 7, I remember Game 6. I had trouble sleeping for a couple nights afterward.
Says one writer in the film, “It seems incomprehensible that these kids (the Marlins) who seemed to have graduated from little league about six minutes before were beating the mighty Cubs.”
And I remember the aftermath. The guy who ended up with the foul ball sold it for $100,000 and did an interview that didn’t show his face. And oh yeah, I watched the live broadcast of the ball being blown up at Harry Carray’s restaurant.
What makes “Catching Hell” great is the ways Gibney analyzes the foul ball, the circumstances surrounding it and the aftermath in painstaking detail, with diagrams, computer effects and some fascinating interviews – including the media there covering the game and the fans who were sitting around Bartman that night. With everyone removed from the shot, it seems clear that Alou – Gibney interviewed him for the film, too – would have caught the ball.
How the television broadcast played the foul ball and Bartman’s attempt to grab it over and over. And some guy on Waveland had a TV on his head, fueling a chant from the bleachers. And Bartman sat oblivious to it with his headphones. Some fans wore the looks of cold-blood killers on their faces as they eyed up Bartman; they were irrational and took on a lynch mob mentality. Rod Blagojevich told a TV camera he wouldn’t pardon Bartman if he was convicted of a crime. Even Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass approached Bartman and his friends and handed them his card – a gesture for which he has since apologized.
I especially liked hearing Kass’ impression that Bartman was one of the most honorable fans at the game. He made a mistake. He admitted it and asked for forgiveness. … Bob Costas adds, “How mean-spirited and dopey do you have to be to rub it in on the poor guy.”
A security guard who responded to assist Bartman out of the ballpark tells the story of how Wrigley’s security staff disguised him, got him out of the ballpark safely. While they waited for a cab, the security worked invited him into her apartment to hide out. Bartman called his parents and watched the game highlights on TV. He had no clue of what had happened and he was devastated, so the story goes.
Finally, in the search to find Bartman after all these years, we hear from Wayne Drehs, a Chicago Cubs fan and ESPN writer who tried to track down Bartman for a feature story – that he didn’t want to write. Drehs did track him down and had an awkward parking garage encounter with Bartman. … I feel for Drehs. Been there. Done that. And it’s one reason I’m no longer writing for a daily newspaper.
And still another great aspect of “Catching Hell” is that it’s not just a film about the Cubs and their fans. It’s also a story about Bill Buckner, Boston Red Sox fans and their mutual reconciliation after Buckner’s miscue in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Gibney begins “Catching Hell” by laying out Buckner’s story, and the similarities are striking.
Buckner is shown 12 days before the world series, saying “The dreams are that you’re going to have a great series and win, and the nightmares are that you’re going to let the winning run score on a ground ball through your legs.”
From that quote, the omens and signs are all over these two incidents and franchises. The curse of Boston’s Babe Ruth trade and the curse of the Billy Goat in Chicago. The black cat that crossed Ron Santo in 1969. Bill Buckner’s trade from Chicago to Boston in 1984 during the Cubs’ pennant run that year – which ended with the Cubs one game short of the World Series because a ground ball went through the legs of Cubs first baseman and Buckner replacement Leon Durham. And then there was the revelation that Bill Buckner wore a Cubs batting glove during the 1986 World Series. Bernie Mac substituted “Cubbies” with “champs” during “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the seventh inning stretch of that Game 6 in 2003.
The Mets were down to their last out, up three games to two, on the verge of winning their first World Series since 1918 when Buckner let the ball roll through his legs. The Mets scored the winning run in Game 6 and won the World Series in Game 7. … Bob Costas’ story of him and the television production crew beating it out of the Boston clubhouse with the trophy and celebratory champagne has been told many times, and that few people realize it was only Game 6 and not a Game 7.
Media showed the Buckner play over and over, too, and fans were so quick to blame Buckner for the loss. Reporters asked Buckner, “How are you going to deal with this the rest of your life?”
But there were other mistakes made by Boston players in that game, too. Bob Stanley’s wild pitch that led to the game-tying run. “Four times in the final inning the Mets were down to their last strike,” Gibney says.
As we know now, the Red Sox reversed their curse and won the World Series in 2004 – has it really been 10 years!? – and the film culminates positively, showing Buckner’s triumphant reconciliation with the Red Sox and giving us a glimmer of what could be in the future for Bartman and the Cubs.
The final shot of the film shows the alternate ending in which Alou catches the foul ball and the Cubs head to the World Series. I got chills.
Good reads ...
It’s a fascinating and expertly told story by director Alex Gibney, who explains at the outset that it’s really a story about the fans – who went to a dark place in their treatment of Steve Bartman. So dark that the film, at points, made my stomach churn because of how vile some fans had been toward Bartman.
Oh, how well I remember that night and that game. Kates and I were recently married and fresh off our honeymoon. In fact, Kates and I were married the night the Cubs played the Braves in Game 4 of the National League Division Series – a game they lost – and my father-in-law provided updates to me throughout the reception. The Cubs, however, won the series the next night and moved onto face the Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series.
I’ve been a Cubs fan for a long time, and sure my passion has ebbed and flowed with cross country moves and life changes. But, man, I loved those guys in 2003. Eric Karros, Mark Grudzielanek, Alex Gonzalez, Moises Alou, Sammy Sosa, Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Joe Borowski. And let’s not forget the midseason trade that brought over Kenny Lofton and an up-and-coming Aramis Ramirez. Dusty Baker at the helm and fans waving “In Dusty we Trusty” banners outside Wrigley. It was a magical time to be around Chicago.
Kates and I watched the first half of that NLCS while on our honeymoon. When Game 6 took place in Chicago that fateful Oct. 14, we were back home in our apartment and watching intently. Everybody thought the Cubs were going to go to the World Series that night. The newsroom at the newspaper for which I was a reporter at the time was buzzing, and we sent a reporter and photographer down to the city that evening to capture excitement – because, heck, the Cubs were ending their World Series drought that night.
The Cubs struck first in that game and seemed to have the game in hand. Then the eighth inning happened. The Cubs needed just five more outs to win the game.
Watching the game at home, I remember the foul ball being hit and thinking Moises Alou had a fair chance at catching it. I also remember watching the ball drop and Alou’s “temper tantrum” and feeling the frustration that most Cubs fans felt – What was that fan thinking!? Moises could have caught that ball! I also remember Steve Lyons saying, “That could be huge.”
It was interesting that Gibney points to Moises Alou’s reaction as the fire starter for the whole thing. Even though I watched the game at home, I was as much a part of the blaming Bartman saga. I, too, shared the internet memes.
Looking back now, the umpires didn’t have the grounds to rule fan interference. And if I was sitting in that area at Wrigley, heck yeah, I would have gone for the ball, too.
As Gibney explains in his film, it unraveled from there. Alex Gonzalez committed an uncharacteristic error that was just as huge – and truthfully, I immediately blamed him just as much as Bartman for the loss. Had Gonzalez fielded that ground ball cleanly and turned the double play, the Cubs, at the least, would have made it out of that eighth inning and all would have been forgiven. Instead, the Marlins tied the game and then, all of a sudden, it was 8-3, in favor of the Marlins.
The atmosphere at Wrigley, the film explains, went from Mardi Gras to funeral. I was so deflated afterward I refused to answer a phone call from my new father-in-law to offer condolences.
The next night’s Game 7 had a cloud over it. Doubt had settled in. I vaguely remember Kerry Wood’s home run to tie the game early, but the Cubs couldn’t finish it. Like Steve Lyons says in the film, I don’t remember a thing about Game 7, I remember Game 6. I had trouble sleeping for a couple nights afterward.
Says one writer in the film, “It seems incomprehensible that these kids (the Marlins) who seemed to have graduated from little league about six minutes before were beating the mighty Cubs.”
And I remember the aftermath. The guy who ended up with the foul ball sold it for $100,000 and did an interview that didn’t show his face. And oh yeah, I watched the live broadcast of the ball being blown up at Harry Carray’s restaurant.
What makes “Catching Hell” great is the ways Gibney analyzes the foul ball, the circumstances surrounding it and the aftermath in painstaking detail, with diagrams, computer effects and some fascinating interviews – including the media there covering the game and the fans who were sitting around Bartman that night. With everyone removed from the shot, it seems clear that Alou – Gibney interviewed him for the film, too – would have caught the ball.
How the television broadcast played the foul ball and Bartman’s attempt to grab it over and over. And some guy on Waveland had a TV on his head, fueling a chant from the bleachers. And Bartman sat oblivious to it with his headphones. Some fans wore the looks of cold-blood killers on their faces as they eyed up Bartman; they were irrational and took on a lynch mob mentality. Rod Blagojevich told a TV camera he wouldn’t pardon Bartman if he was convicted of a crime. Even Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass approached Bartman and his friends and handed them his card – a gesture for which he has since apologized.
I especially liked hearing Kass’ impression that Bartman was one of the most honorable fans at the game. He made a mistake. He admitted it and asked for forgiveness. … Bob Costas adds, “How mean-spirited and dopey do you have to be to rub it in on the poor guy.”
A security guard who responded to assist Bartman out of the ballpark tells the story of how Wrigley’s security staff disguised him, got him out of the ballpark safely. While they waited for a cab, the security worked invited him into her apartment to hide out. Bartman called his parents and watched the game highlights on TV. He had no clue of what had happened and he was devastated, so the story goes.
Finally, in the search to find Bartman after all these years, we hear from Wayne Drehs, a Chicago Cubs fan and ESPN writer who tried to track down Bartman for a feature story – that he didn’t want to write. Drehs did track him down and had an awkward parking garage encounter with Bartman. … I feel for Drehs. Been there. Done that. And it’s one reason I’m no longer writing for a daily newspaper.
And still another great aspect of “Catching Hell” is that it’s not just a film about the Cubs and their fans. It’s also a story about Bill Buckner, Boston Red Sox fans and their mutual reconciliation after Buckner’s miscue in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Gibney begins “Catching Hell” by laying out Buckner’s story, and the similarities are striking.
Buckner is shown 12 days before the world series, saying “The dreams are that you’re going to have a great series and win, and the nightmares are that you’re going to let the winning run score on a ground ball through your legs.”
From that quote, the omens and signs are all over these two incidents and franchises. The curse of Boston’s Babe Ruth trade and the curse of the Billy Goat in Chicago. The black cat that crossed Ron Santo in 1969. Bill Buckner’s trade from Chicago to Boston in 1984 during the Cubs’ pennant run that year – which ended with the Cubs one game short of the World Series because a ground ball went through the legs of Cubs first baseman and Buckner replacement Leon Durham. And then there was the revelation that Bill Buckner wore a Cubs batting glove during the 1986 World Series. Bernie Mac substituted “Cubbies” with “champs” during “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the seventh inning stretch of that Game 6 in 2003.
The Mets were down to their last out, up three games to two, on the verge of winning their first World Series since 1918 when Buckner let the ball roll through his legs. The Mets scored the winning run in Game 6 and won the World Series in Game 7. … Bob Costas’ story of him and the television production crew beating it out of the Boston clubhouse with the trophy and celebratory champagne has been told many times, and that few people realize it was only Game 6 and not a Game 7.
Media showed the Buckner play over and over, too, and fans were so quick to blame Buckner for the loss. Reporters asked Buckner, “How are you going to deal with this the rest of your life?”
But there were other mistakes made by Boston players in that game, too. Bob Stanley’s wild pitch that led to the game-tying run. “Four times in the final inning the Mets were down to their last strike,” Gibney says.
As we know now, the Red Sox reversed their curse and won the World Series in 2004 – has it really been 10 years!? – and the film culminates positively, showing Buckner’s triumphant reconciliation with the Red Sox and giving us a glimmer of what could be in the future for Bartman and the Cubs.
The final shot of the film shows the alternate ending in which Alou catches the foul ball and the Cubs head to the World Series. I got chills.
Good reads ...
1.17.2014
15 Best Moments From ESPN's Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan Doc
Yep. Kates and I got sucked into ESPN's Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan Doc, "The Price of Gold," last night.
Actually, Kates was the one that was sucked in first. I only got sucked in after I went upstairs to ask her a question. Although, I would have seen the documentary anyway because I have a series recording for ESPN's 30 for 30 set up on our DVR.
Watching the documentary, I was surprised by how much of the Kerrigan-Harding drama I remembered -- because I remember nothing else of the 1994 Lillehamer games.
What a time it was.
Actually, Kates was the one that was sucked in first. I only got sucked in after I went upstairs to ask her a question. Although, I would have seen the documentary anyway because I have a series recording for ESPN's 30 for 30 set up on our DVR.
Watching the documentary, I was surprised by how much of the Kerrigan-Harding drama I remembered -- because I remember nothing else of the 1994 Lillehamer games.
What a time it was.
8.08.2011
Heating up
Ooh this is getting good ...
The Brewers are surging. They've won 11 of 12 going into a three-game series against the Cardinals tomorrow night.
Seeing the Brewers-Cardinals scores come in last week, in the Brewers' favor, was pure joy. And the highlights from Wednesday's game topped them all. I shrugged off the pitch that went up-and-in to Albert Pujols. Then it came as no surprise to see the Cardinals plunk Ryan Braun. Ok, that's baseball. ... But I gasped as I watched Yadier Molina light into an umpire.
The Brewers appear the better team in NL Central, for now. (What happened to the Pirates!?). And the prospects are good for the rest of the way. ... But they have to prove they can win consistently and beat the really good teams, like Phillies and, eventually, the Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers.
But seriously, ESPN. I enjoy the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry as much as any true baseball fan. And, yes,
last night's game was another extra-inning thriller. But c'mon, can't you go one Sunday or Monday night without showing a matchup that doesn't involve the Red Sox or Yankees?
The Brewers are surging. They've won 11 of 12 going into a three-game series against the Cardinals tomorrow night.
Seeing the Brewers-Cardinals scores come in last week, in the Brewers' favor, was pure joy. And the highlights from Wednesday's game topped them all. I shrugged off the pitch that went up-and-in to Albert Pujols. Then it came as no surprise to see the Cardinals plunk Ryan Braun. Ok, that's baseball. ... But I gasped as I watched Yadier Molina light into an umpire.
The Brewers appear the better team in NL Central, for now. (What happened to the Pirates!?). And the prospects are good for the rest of the way. ... But they have to prove they can win consistently and beat the really good teams, like Phillies and, eventually, the Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers.
But seriously, ESPN. I enjoy the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry as much as any true baseball fan. And, yes,
last night's game was another extra-inning thriller. But c'mon, can't you go one Sunday or Monday night without showing a matchup that doesn't involve the Red Sox or Yankees?
7.17.2010
The Decision
I didn't watch the ESPY's this week ... Haven't watched in years. Not worth it.
But this -- if you paid any attention to LeBron James' 'decision' -- is worth watching ...
But this -- if you paid any attention to LeBron James' 'decision' -- is worth watching ...
2.07.2010
Yeah, right
I stopped my Sunday Reading posts long ago ...
But these were too good to not post them here ...
First, from The Boston Globe ... Do we need a new punctuation mark?
Then, there's this one from John Feinstein -- about a proposal that deserves one of those SarcMarks. Feinstein makes an excellent case against a 96-team field, which, unfortunately like everything these days, is being fueled by money.
The 64-team field (Seriously. The 65th team is not part of the field ... ) is one of the most perfect numbers in all of sports. Adding more teams, which would mean more games spread over a longer period, would only dilute the tournament and turn off viewers. The notion of ESPN seizing the tournament and likely moving a chunk of the games to cable also would limit the scope of fans that make the tournament such a national event -- on CBS!.
Hey, I love Big Monday on ESPN ... But the notion of cable television's version of the New York Yankees owning the tournament makes my skin crawl.
I'd rather not imagine a tournament without Jim Nantz and Billy Packer calling the games. Or a tournament with ESPN replacing the sweet "One Shining Moment" montage with some god-awful super-charged montage -- that moves so fast it hurts your eyes -- set to a Rihanna song.
Ugh.
While I'm at it, here's the "One Shining Moment" video from 2008 -- after one of the greatest games ever! ... It still brings tears to my eyes.
But these were too good to not post them here ...
First, from The Boston Globe ... Do we need a new punctuation mark?
Then, there's this one from John Feinstein -- about a proposal that deserves one of those SarcMarks. Feinstein makes an excellent case against a 96-team field, which, unfortunately like everything these days, is being fueled by money.
The 64-team field (Seriously. The 65th team is not part of the field ... ) is one of the most perfect numbers in all of sports. Adding more teams, which would mean more games spread over a longer period, would only dilute the tournament and turn off viewers. The notion of ESPN seizing the tournament and likely moving a chunk of the games to cable also would limit the scope of fans that make the tournament such a national event -- on CBS!.
Hey, I love Big Monday on ESPN ... But the notion of cable television's version of the New York Yankees owning the tournament makes my skin crawl.
I'd rather not imagine a tournament without Jim Nantz and Billy Packer calling the games. Or a tournament with ESPN replacing the sweet "One Shining Moment" montage with some god-awful super-charged montage -- that moves so fast it hurts your eyes -- set to a Rihanna song.
Ugh.
While I'm at it, here's the "One Shining Moment" video from 2008 -- after one of the greatest games ever! ... It still brings tears to my eyes.
4.06.2009
Opening day!
I had the day off from work today. And it's baseball's opening day.
Does it get any better than this!?
I caught the Rangers beating up on the Indians. Then, I watched gleefully as CC Sabathia and Mark Texiera struggled and the Yankeees lost their opener. And now we're watching the Cubs opener in Houston before catching college basketball's national championship game a little later.
Last night I was all over the Philadelphia-Atlanta opener on ESPN. Seeing and hearing Jon Miller and Joe Morgan back in the Sunday Night Baseball booth was music to my ears. Not so happy to see Steve Phillips joining the team this year, though.
Here's some other good reads that caught my eyes as this season gets underway ...
a AP Poll: Ballpark figures are too high, fans say ... It's a travesty that ticket prices -- not to mention concessions, parking and souvenirs -- have risen so high. Then the Yankees go and build a monstrosity like this
a Red Sox Nation has been hit hard by the recession, and the team is feeling the pain as well
a Ace Zambrano Wants Cubs To Abandon Wrigley Field ... From the Are you kidding me!? file.
a Ken Griffey Jr. celebrated his second stint with Seattle by hitting an opening-night home run
a Healthy, Ortiz's drive is to resume status as a power broker
a Two New Baseball Palaces, One Stoic, One Scrappy
a Mets and Yankees Follow Well-Worn Path With New Old Parks
a Voice of Yankee Stadium May Be Done
a Ball-Strike Monitor May Reopen Wounds
a Curt Schilling's somewhat surprising statistical twin
a Answering Baseball’s What-Ifs
Does it get any better than this!?
I caught the Rangers beating up on the Indians. Then, I watched gleefully as CC Sabathia and Mark Texiera struggled and the Yankeees lost their opener. And now we're watching the Cubs opener in Houston before catching college basketball's national championship game a little later.
Last night I was all over the Philadelphia-Atlanta opener on ESPN. Seeing and hearing Jon Miller and Joe Morgan back in the Sunday Night Baseball booth was music to my ears. Not so happy to see Steve Phillips joining the team this year, though.
Here's some other good reads that caught my eyes as this season gets underway ...
a AP Poll: Ballpark figures are too high, fans say ... It's a travesty that ticket prices -- not to mention concessions, parking and souvenirs -- have risen so high. Then the Yankees go and build a monstrosity like this
a Red Sox Nation has been hit hard by the recession, and the team is feeling the pain as well
a Ace Zambrano Wants Cubs To Abandon Wrigley Field ... From the Are you kidding me!? file.
a Ken Griffey Jr. celebrated his second stint with Seattle by hitting an opening-night home run
a Healthy, Ortiz's drive is to resume status as a power broker
a Two New Baseball Palaces, One Stoic, One Scrappy
a Mets and Yankees Follow Well-Worn Path With New Old Parks
a Voice of Yankee Stadium May Be Done
a Ball-Strike Monitor May Reopen Wounds
a Curt Schilling's somewhat surprising statistical twin
a Answering Baseball’s What-Ifs
12.21.2008
Sunday reading
A collection of reads that caught my attention during the last week or two ...
Have fun.
Sports ...
a Taking another look at instant replay
a Baseball salaries should outrage, but don’t
a Unconventional wisdom: How to improve Hall of Fame voting
a Baseball Hall of Fame Needs to Change 5 Percent Rule ... I think I agree more with this philosophy then the one floated in the story above.
a It's the offseason of hope
a From the Phillie Phanatic, a Family of Mascots
a Chris Ballard reads athletes blogs
a Watching Favre From Baghdad Evokes Memories
Music ...
a Carly Smithson's post-'Idol' blues
a Hootie And a Hollerin':Rucker Finds Unlikely Success In Country Music
TV ...
a Role is a Joy for Jaime Pressly
a Denny Ghost Story Twist Revealed
a Leno decision shows retreat from 10 p.m. dramas
a Jay Leno to prime time: Why NBC is doing it
Politics ...
a On weekend before Jan. 20 inauguration, Obama to arrive in Washington by train ... Very cool.
a Games by Gov. Blago ... Yes, Rod duped Illinois. But if I remember correctly Judy Baar Topinka wasn't exactly a solid public official either.
a The Rules, Washington Edition
a Chicago's Karma
a Friends Say Kennedy Has Long Wanted Public Role
a The Young Know Caroline’s a Kennedy, but Which One? ... A good read about the different perspective people have of the Kennedys.
a Between Obama and the Press
a For Obama, Job First
a The Obama Speechwriter: Helping to Write History
Media & the Internet ...
a 20 years in the making ... I sent a resume to The Onion a few years ago. Never got the call.
a CNN Ticker, 2001-2008 -- R.I.P.
a ESPN Strives to Eject Clutter From Its Site ... 'Bout time.
a News About News, in 140 Characters ... I've been slow to get on board with the whole Twitter thing (I don't have that much time on my hands ...) but the site described here is really great ...
a Mr. Obama’s Internet Agenda
a Life on Blago's enemies list
a Advertisers Face Hurdles on Social Networking Sites
a MediaNews Sees Bad Timing on Newspapers, Not Bad Bets
Life & other stuff ...
a To Teach, They Reach For Obama
a Plane hits cow on emergency landing ... From my friend Raechel, with accompanying video.
a Sometimes, Fists Fly at Chuck E. Cheese's ... Also from my friend Raechel.
a Dad afraid his daughter will be Drew's next wife ... From the 'You've got to be kidding me!' file ...
a Wait a second: 2008 gets extended by timekeepers
a When Mommy takes the hit
Have fun.
Sports ...
a Taking another look at instant replay
a Baseball salaries should outrage, but don’t
a Unconventional wisdom: How to improve Hall of Fame voting
a Baseball Hall of Fame Needs to Change 5 Percent Rule ... I think I agree more with this philosophy then the one floated in the story above.
a It's the offseason of hope
a From the Phillie Phanatic, a Family of Mascots
a Chris Ballard reads athletes blogs
a Watching Favre From Baghdad Evokes Memories
Music ...
a Carly Smithson's post-'Idol' blues
a Hootie And a Hollerin':Rucker Finds Unlikely Success In Country Music
TV ...
a Role is a Joy for Jaime Pressly
a Denny Ghost Story Twist Revealed
a Leno decision shows retreat from 10 p.m. dramas
a Jay Leno to prime time: Why NBC is doing it
Politics ...
a On weekend before Jan. 20 inauguration, Obama to arrive in Washington by train ... Very cool.
a Games by Gov. Blago ... Yes, Rod duped Illinois. But if I remember correctly Judy Baar Topinka wasn't exactly a solid public official either.
a The Rules, Washington Edition
a Chicago's Karma
a Friends Say Kennedy Has Long Wanted Public Role
a The Young Know Caroline’s a Kennedy, but Which One? ... A good read about the different perspective people have of the Kennedys.
a Between Obama and the Press
a For Obama, Job First
a The Obama Speechwriter: Helping to Write History
Media & the Internet ...
a 20 years in the making ... I sent a resume to The Onion a few years ago. Never got the call.
a CNN Ticker, 2001-2008 -- R.I.P.
a ESPN Strives to Eject Clutter From Its Site ... 'Bout time.
a News About News, in 140 Characters ... I've been slow to get on board with the whole Twitter thing (I don't have that much time on my hands ...) but the site described here is really great ...
a Mr. Obama’s Internet Agenda
a Life on Blago's enemies list
a Advertisers Face Hurdles on Social Networking Sites
a MediaNews Sees Bad Timing on Newspapers, Not Bad Bets
Life & other stuff ...
a To Teach, They Reach For Obama
a Plane hits cow on emergency landing ... From my friend Raechel, with accompanying video.
a Sometimes, Fists Fly at Chuck E. Cheese's ... Also from my friend Raechel.
a Dad afraid his daughter will be Drew's next wife ... From the 'You've got to be kidding me!' file ...
a Wait a second: 2008 gets extended by timekeepers
a When Mommy takes the hit
2.17.2008
Sunday reading
... The bad news is Kates feet are swelling and she's having trouble finding any comfortable shoes.
... The good news is it's really mild out today and the snow is melting! It's melting!
Here's some of the reads that caught my eyes during the last several days ...
Politics ...
a Hillary Clinton fought the Republican attack machine, and emerged stronger
a In Hunt for a Running Mate, Ohio Governor Could Please All or None ... and old one, but still noteworthy.
a Change Is In the Air, At the Polls
a Obama's Economic Plan Is A Pitch to the Working Class
a The man behind Obama's message
a John McCain's birthright: Fit for the presidency
a MSNBC reporter suspended for 'pimped-out' Clinton
Entertainment ...
a Writers working late again
a Before they were stars: Stories about celebs with Chicago roots
a Leave Britney alone ... I kind of agree.
a 'Saturday Night Live' gets ready to rock with Tina Fey ... I was just thinking the other day, How awesome would it be if SNL brought back Tina Fey to host!?
Music ...
a The Baton's Been Passed Over: The Grammys Pretty Much Ignore Classical Music These Days, and Vice Versa
a The king of pop is back ... Say what you want about his creepy, messed-up personal life. But Michael Jackson's music is darn good, and there will never be another like him ...
a At the Grammys, some gold, some silver
a A night for the ages Amy, Kanye refresh music's roots
a Sheryl Crow finds her way with 'Detours'
a Having fun, and a breakout year besides, with Canada's Feist
Sports ...
a Berman caught with his mike on ... I stopped being a fan of Chris Berman a long time ago, and this didn't surprise me.
Life & other stuff ...
a Love Means ...
a Artists write of love
... The good news is it's really mild out today and the snow is melting! It's melting!
Here's some of the reads that caught my eyes during the last several days ...
Politics ...
a Hillary Clinton fought the Republican attack machine, and emerged stronger
a In Hunt for a Running Mate, Ohio Governor Could Please All or None ... and old one, but still noteworthy.
a Change Is In the Air, At the Polls
a Obama's Economic Plan Is A Pitch to the Working Class
a The man behind Obama's message
a John McCain's birthright: Fit for the presidency
a MSNBC reporter suspended for 'pimped-out' Clinton
Entertainment ...
a Writers working late again
a Before they were stars: Stories about celebs with Chicago roots
a Leave Britney alone ... I kind of agree.
a 'Saturday Night Live' gets ready to rock with Tina Fey ... I was just thinking the other day, How awesome would it be if SNL brought back Tina Fey to host!?
Music ...
a The Baton's Been Passed Over: The Grammys Pretty Much Ignore Classical Music These Days, and Vice Versa
a The king of pop is back ... Say what you want about his creepy, messed-up personal life. But Michael Jackson's music is darn good, and there will never be another like him ...
a At the Grammys, some gold, some silver
a A night for the ages Amy, Kanye refresh music's roots
a Sheryl Crow finds her way with 'Detours'
a Having fun, and a breakout year besides, with Canada's Feist
Sports ...
a Berman caught with his mike on ... I stopped being a fan of Chris Berman a long time ago, and this didn't surprise me.
Life & other stuff ...
a Love Means ...
a Artists write of love
6.03.2007
The weekend that was
Kates and I had Chloe for four nights before we had to deliver her back to Kates' parents Saturday night ...
As usual, I loved having her around as I worked in our yard. We enjoyed wrestling on the floor with her at night. She woke us up every morning with her kisses. And we took her for lots of walks ...
We'd grown so used to having her around, it was kind of weird when we were in the kitchen making breakfast this morning and there was no little dog pacing around us, watching our every move . And when Kates suggested the two of us take a walk tonight, I was less than eager ...
* * *
Kates and I tried taking in the annual Kite Festival on the lakefront Saturday. For weeks I had been looking forward to the event, with visions of launching a kite with Kates and having Chloe chasing us around the park ...
But Mother Nature wasn't so cooperative. We arrived at the park in time for the grand launch -- a spectacle that features hundreds of kids and their parents trying to launch their kites all at once, with "Let's Go Fly A Kite" blaring from a PA system. But we'd barely had time to settle in and grab a couple hot dogs for lunch before the first wave of rain started falling ...
Within a couple minutes we were in no moods to fly a kite ...
* * *
By late Saturday afternoon, the sun had come out and it was turning into a gorgeous evening. I had spent the latter part of the afternoon working in the yard and finishing my planting for the summer. The colors were blooming; all my hard work the last few summers was finally coming to fruition ...
To commemorate it, I pitched the idea of having a picnic supper on our deck. But I hardly had the energy to grill ... Instead Kates and I headed to Tenuta's Deli. We picked up a couple paninis for carry-out, along with a couple pints of pasta salad, some fresh asparagus and a couple roasted corn cobs. Mmm mmm mmm ...
We brought it home. Set up on our deck. Ate like kings. And enjoyed the nature surrounding us as if it were the last day of summer.
* * *
After church this morning, we returned downtown for the Summertime Art Fair. Nothing too exciting, although Kates did find a pair of handmade earrings and I got a "Go Brewers" door-hanging for my collection ...
After a stop at home for lunch, we took a peek inside an old colonial home that had caught our eyes and was on the market ( ... Beautiful hard wood floors, large rooms and a big lot; the price was a bargain. But it was obvious this guy had done a quick fix-up job to get it on the market, and we wondered what he wasn't telling us. Especially after I tried pulling the string on a closet light and the entire fixture fell from the ceiling ... )
All the while, the sky was rumbling and some fierce clouds were settling over the city. And it all came crashing down as we came out to the car ... But we still had stops to make and proceeded to drive right into the storm. The rain drops pelted our windshield like marbles, and blinding flashes of lightning were striking in front of us. The rain was coming down in buckets -- no barrels ...
It was coming down so hard and so fast, the roads could hardly contain it. Soon we were driving in a few feet of water ... Never driven in anything like it.
But finally we did it make it to our destination, which was on higher ground and outside of the storm cell ... And 10 minutes later, we were heading back home along the same road we came. Only now the police cars were blocking the flooded portions of the road ...
* * *
You wanna talk about a crazy weekend in baseball!?
My jaw dropped Friday night when I saw the crawl on ESPN with the news that Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett had exchanged punches in the Cubs dugout Friday, and the report that Barrett needed stitches from an injury he suffered when the fight spilled into the dugout ... Sheesh!
Then, Lou Piniella gets thrown out of yesterday's game (check out the video!). I was listening to the game on the radio while driving and had made a stop at the city yardwaste center. But I was so enthralled with Pat Hughes describing what Lou was doing on the field -- mostly the parts about kicking dirt on the umpire and throwing his hat into left field -- that it took me a few minutes to actually get out of my car ...
Add to that, apparently it was a wild weekend all over baseball with gobs of managers and players getting into trouble. I was laughing nearly to the point of tears tonight as ESPN showed a montage of all the guys going nose-to-nose with umpires this weekend. But the best, by far, was that Braves minor league manager who covered up home plate and put on quite the show. ...
And now here I am tonight, watching the Yankees and Red Sox. Classic as always! I laughed too when I saw tonight's ESPN news crawl with the report that Roger Clemens had pulled his groin and would miss Monday's start... But it was even better watching the Sox post a five-spot on the Yankees and then seeing Joe Torre's sorry face while the Red Sox Nation chanted "Where is Roger!?" behind him.
And still, I repeatedly found myself more compelled this weekend to watch the women's college softball world series. I can't recall ever watching any women's softball until this weekend, but I caught part of a game while I was home for lunch on Friday, and every time I turned on the TV the rest of the weekend, I was looking for a softball game! I caught a couple of the Washington games, an Arizona game and almost all of the Northwestern games, including Monica Abbott and Tennessee's domination of Northwestern this afternoon. Geez, every time I turned on a game Eileen Canney was pitching. It astounded me how tough and talented these girls are ... I'm already awaiting next year's matchups ...
As usual, I loved having her around as I worked in our yard. We enjoyed wrestling on the floor with her at night. She woke us up every morning with her kisses. And we took her for lots of walks ...
We'd grown so used to having her around, it was kind of weird when we were in the kitchen making breakfast this morning and there was no little dog pacing around us, watching our every move . And when Kates suggested the two of us take a walk tonight, I was less than eager ...
* * *
Kates and I tried taking in the annual Kite Festival on the lakefront Saturday. For weeks I had been looking forward to the event, with visions of launching a kite with Kates and having Chloe chasing us around the park ...
But Mother Nature wasn't so cooperative. We arrived at the park in time for the grand launch -- a spectacle that features hundreds of kids and their parents trying to launch their kites all at once, with "Let's Go Fly A Kite" blaring from a PA system. But we'd barely had time to settle in and grab a couple hot dogs for lunch before the first wave of rain started falling ...
Within a couple minutes we were in no moods to fly a kite ...
* * *
By late Saturday afternoon, the sun had come out and it was turning into a gorgeous evening. I had spent the latter part of the afternoon working in the yard and finishing my planting for the summer. The colors were blooming; all my hard work the last few summers was finally coming to fruition ...
To commemorate it, I pitched the idea of having a picnic supper on our deck. But I hardly had the energy to grill ... Instead Kates and I headed to Tenuta's Deli. We picked up a couple paninis for carry-out, along with a couple pints of pasta salad, some fresh asparagus and a couple roasted corn cobs. Mmm mmm mmm ...
We brought it home. Set up on our deck. Ate like kings. And enjoyed the nature surrounding us as if it were the last day of summer.
* * *
After church this morning, we returned downtown for the Summertime Art Fair. Nothing too exciting, although Kates did find a pair of handmade earrings and I got a "Go Brewers" door-hanging for my collection ...
After a stop at home for lunch, we took a peek inside an old colonial home that had caught our eyes and was on the market ( ... Beautiful hard wood floors, large rooms and a big lot; the price was a bargain. But it was obvious this guy had done a quick fix-up job to get it on the market, and we wondered what he wasn't telling us. Especially after I tried pulling the string on a closet light and the entire fixture fell from the ceiling ... )
All the while, the sky was rumbling and some fierce clouds were settling over the city. And it all came crashing down as we came out to the car ... But we still had stops to make and proceeded to drive right into the storm. The rain drops pelted our windshield like marbles, and blinding flashes of lightning were striking in front of us. The rain was coming down in buckets -- no barrels ...
It was coming down so hard and so fast, the roads could hardly contain it. Soon we were driving in a few feet of water ... Never driven in anything like it.
But finally we did it make it to our destination, which was on higher ground and outside of the storm cell ... And 10 minutes later, we were heading back home along the same road we came. Only now the police cars were blocking the flooded portions of the road ...
* * *
You wanna talk about a crazy weekend in baseball!?
My jaw dropped Friday night when I saw the crawl on ESPN with the news that Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett had exchanged punches in the Cubs dugout Friday, and the report that Barrett needed stitches from an injury he suffered when the fight spilled into the dugout ... Sheesh!
Then, Lou Piniella gets thrown out of yesterday's game (check out the video!). I was listening to the game on the radio while driving and had made a stop at the city yardwaste center. But I was so enthralled with Pat Hughes describing what Lou was doing on the field -- mostly the parts about kicking dirt on the umpire and throwing his hat into left field -- that it took me a few minutes to actually get out of my car ...
Add to that, apparently it was a wild weekend all over baseball with gobs of managers and players getting into trouble. I was laughing nearly to the point of tears tonight as ESPN showed a montage of all the guys going nose-to-nose with umpires this weekend. But the best, by far, was that Braves minor league manager who covered up home plate and put on quite the show. ...
And now here I am tonight, watching the Yankees and Red Sox. Classic as always! I laughed too when I saw tonight's ESPN news crawl with the report that Roger Clemens had pulled his groin and would miss Monday's start... But it was even better watching the Sox post a five-spot on the Yankees and then seeing Joe Torre's sorry face while the Red Sox Nation chanted "Where is Roger!?" behind him.
And still, I repeatedly found myself more compelled this weekend to watch the women's college softball world series. I can't recall ever watching any women's softball until this weekend, but I caught part of a game while I was home for lunch on Friday, and every time I turned on the TV the rest of the weekend, I was looking for a softball game! I caught a couple of the Washington games, an Arizona game and almost all of the Northwestern games, including Monica Abbott and Tennessee's domination of Northwestern this afternoon. Geez, every time I turned on a game Eileen Canney was pitching. It astounded me how tough and talented these girls are ... I'm already awaiting next year's matchups ...
5.22.2007
Nice work
I took the day off today …
Remember that bathroom renovation project we started in January? … Yeah, we’re finally finishing it. Today we’re getting the new window installed … Woo hoo!
And that means I get to watch an entire airing of Sportscenter this morning. Can I get another woo hoo!? (Woo hoo!)
I’m as big a fan of Sportscenter as the next guy, but there’s not a lot of changes or things the ESPN crew has done to its powerhouse the last couple years that have impressed me. Instead, they’ve done more to annoy me …
Until I noticed the addition of their “Rundown” a week or so ago … I love it! Finally, I can get ready for work, run around the house, brush my teeth, etc., and not miss a thing because thanks to the “Rundown” scrolling on the right side of the screen, I know exactly what story or game recap is coming next …
If I see on the “Rundown” that Michael Vick is next, I’m at my closet finding a shirt. But if I see the next story is about Barry Bonds or The Rocket, I know to sit tight in front of the TV …
Love it! Good thinking ESPN …
Remember that bathroom renovation project we started in January? … Yeah, we’re finally finishing it. Today we’re getting the new window installed … Woo hoo!
And that means I get to watch an entire airing of Sportscenter this morning. Can I get another woo hoo!? (Woo hoo!)
I’m as big a fan of Sportscenter as the next guy, but there’s not a lot of changes or things the ESPN crew has done to its powerhouse the last couple years that have impressed me. Instead, they’ve done more to annoy me …
Until I noticed the addition of their “Rundown” a week or so ago … I love it! Finally, I can get ready for work, run around the house, brush my teeth, etc., and not miss a thing because thanks to the “Rundown” scrolling on the right side of the screen, I know exactly what story or game recap is coming next …
If I see on the “Rundown” that Michael Vick is next, I’m at my closet finding a shirt. But if I see the next story is about Barry Bonds or The Rocket, I know to sit tight in front of the TV …
Love it! Good thinking ESPN …
2.11.2007
Sunday reading
Some of the good reads I found from the past couple weeks ...
Sports ...
a MLB wants balls kept in temperature control ... 'bout time.
a Owner explains Bonds' new contract to fans
a Hank Bauer dead at 84
a Bears fan prepares to become Peyton Manning
a Brett Favre says he will play in 2007
a 30,000 and counting: ESPN's SportsCenter still going strong
Music & TV ...
a LPs? Hold that swan song -- Several innovative bands may be demonstrating how the rock-album concept can retain its relevancy in an ever-evolving digital world.
a Network patience (yes, it exists) pays off -- Four sophomore series -- 'Close to Home,' 'Supernatural,' 'Bones' and 'How I Met Your Mother' -- benefit from careful nurturing.
a 'Heroes' saving NBC
a The hot button of a casual embrace -- Interracial relationships abound on TV now, but they're often colorblind. How real is that?
a Josh Holloway on his bad-boy 'Lost' persona
a The 10 worst Super Bowl ads of all time
a General Motors to edit robot ad ... Seriously?
a Where a lack of talent is its own reward
a 'American Idol': Point/Counterpoint
a Web site builds links to music connection
a Music Preview: Symphony celebrates Gibson, Robinson, Aaron
a Apple Revs Up Ad Attacks on PCs, Vista
Politics ...
a Putting 9/11 into perspective
a Many young Bostonians think city overreacted
a Obama's kickoff is steeped in symbolism
Everything else ...
a Intrepid armchair explorers -- Paper maps are a cartographer's view of the world, whereas digital versions in Google Earth, Google Maps and Microsoft's Live Search Maps are sophisticated collages -- moments captured by satellite and airplane cameras and blended to create a digital world that's irresistible to armchair explorers ...
a What Drew Us to Anna Nicole?
a How Smith's death hit Page 1
Sports ...
a MLB wants balls kept in temperature control ... 'bout time.
a Owner explains Bonds' new contract to fans
a Hank Bauer dead at 84
a Bears fan prepares to become Peyton Manning
a Brett Favre says he will play in 2007
a 30,000 and counting: ESPN's SportsCenter still going strong
Music & TV ...
a LPs? Hold that swan song -- Several innovative bands may be demonstrating how the rock-album concept can retain its relevancy in an ever-evolving digital world.
a Network patience (yes, it exists) pays off -- Four sophomore series -- 'Close to Home,' 'Supernatural,' 'Bones' and 'How I Met Your Mother' -- benefit from careful nurturing.
a 'Heroes' saving NBC
a The hot button of a casual embrace -- Interracial relationships abound on TV now, but they're often colorblind. How real is that?
a Josh Holloway on his bad-boy 'Lost' persona
a The 10 worst Super Bowl ads of all time
a General Motors to edit robot ad ... Seriously?
a Where a lack of talent is its own reward
a 'American Idol': Point/Counterpoint
a Web site builds links to music connection
a Music Preview: Symphony celebrates Gibson, Robinson, Aaron
a Apple Revs Up Ad Attacks on PCs, Vista
Politics ...
a Putting 9/11 into perspective
a Many young Bostonians think city overreacted
a Obama's kickoff is steeped in symbolism
Everything else ...
a Intrepid armchair explorers -- Paper maps are a cartographer's view of the world, whereas digital versions in Google Earth, Google Maps and Microsoft's Live Search Maps are sophisticated collages -- moments captured by satellite and airplane cameras and blended to create a digital world that's irresistible to armchair explorers ...
a What Drew Us to Anna Nicole?
a How Smith's death hit Page 1
1.21.2007
Sunday reading
Some of the interesting reads I caught this past week ...
Entertainment ...
a New year, new slogan for 'Heroes' ... Woo Hoo!
a Hero of the nigh: Unexpected hit lifts NBC to ratings tie
a Fey turns random into laughs on ‘30 Rock’ ... if you told me a couple months Kates and I would still be watching '30 Rock,' I'd have laughed you right out of our house. Well, here it is January, and we're still watching. Its looniness really is darn funny ...
a 'Idol' viewership goes up, up, up for Fox
a Madison teen advances to American Idol semifinals
a 'Lost' to conclude sooner than later ... Good thinkin!
a Spirit of '68, Animated & Kicking Off Sundance
a Reaching For the Moon At Sundance
a What I've Learned: Katie Couric ... Interesting. (... and while reading about Katie Couric, I discovered this one about ESPN ...)
a NFL TV makeover looks good now ... This whole thing with NFL games on the league's exclusive network is one of the worst decisions the NFL could make. They're alienating fans from coast to coast ...
Travel ...
a Cruise industry's dark waters
a Breathing life into a faded desert landmark
Politics ...
a What Would Jeb Do?
a On the Electronic Campaign Trail: Politicians Realize the Potential of Web Video
Miscellaneous ...
a What Shawn Went Through
a Who wants a deep-dish Olympics? ... We do! We do!! Kates and I are crossing our fingers harder than ever that Chicago can land the games! Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ... the other night we were talking about it and figured out we'll be 37 ... Whoah.
a Notice the Plus Signs at the New GM
a Hold Off On Net Neutrality
Entertainment ...
a New year, new slogan for 'Heroes' ... Woo Hoo!
a Hero of the nigh: Unexpected hit lifts NBC to ratings tie
a Fey turns random into laughs on ‘30 Rock’ ... if you told me a couple months Kates and I would still be watching '30 Rock,' I'd have laughed you right out of our house. Well, here it is January, and we're still watching. Its looniness really is darn funny ...
a 'Idol' viewership goes up, up, up for Fox
a Madison teen advances to American Idol semifinals
a 'Lost' to conclude sooner than later ... Good thinkin!
a Spirit of '68, Animated & Kicking Off Sundance
a Reaching For the Moon At Sundance
a What I've Learned: Katie Couric ... Interesting. (... and while reading about Katie Couric, I discovered this one about ESPN ...)
a NFL TV makeover looks good now ... This whole thing with NFL games on the league's exclusive network is one of the worst decisions the NFL could make. They're alienating fans from coast to coast ...
Travel ...
a Cruise industry's dark waters
a Breathing life into a faded desert landmark
Politics ...
a What Would Jeb Do?
a On the Electronic Campaign Trail: Politicians Realize the Potential of Web Video
Miscellaneous ...
a What Shawn Went Through
a Who wants a deep-dish Olympics? ... We do! We do!! Kates and I are crossing our fingers harder than ever that Chicago can land the games! Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ... the other night we were talking about it and figured out we'll be 37 ... Whoah.
a Notice the Plus Signs at the New GM
a Hold Off On Net Neutrality
9.11.2006
The long season
Packers got crushed by the Bears yesterday. First time Brett Favre has ever been shut out. It’s going to be a looooong season …Ugh.
At least the Colts-Giants game -- aka “The Manning Bowl” -- was fun to watch. Of course the importance of the game was way overblown, but at least it was a competitive game … And how cool was it to see Eli and Peyton spend several moments together in the middle of the field at the end of the game? I had expected the two to meet in the middle, pat each other on back and go their separate ways -- just like all the quarterbacks; forget the brotherly love stuff. Instead, the two met in the middle and spent more than a few seconds together, embracing and talking amid the hoard of cameramen and reporters, even graciously posing for pictures. Very cool.
… When a sideline reporter grabbed Peyton a couple minutes later, he told all of America how strong his bond with Eli really is, talking about the meeting at the end and saying how much he loved his brother. Sweet moment. … And when the reporter pointed out Peyton had never seen Eli play live, Peyton chuckled and said how impressed he was with Eli’s game, adding “he’s going to be in this league a long time.”
… Too bad it might be the most admiration I have for the game of football all season.
I’ve always known it on some level, but this weekend I realized straight up why I’ve never liked the game of football …
People who complain about baseball being too slow and boring -- good Lord! Have you watched a football game!?! … Football is such a herky-jerky, stop-and-start game, it drives me nuts. And I absolutely cannot stand to see a running back slam into a pile of 300-pound guys when there’s often a clear path to the end zone a few feet to the right or left. And there’s the waiting between plays… ugh.
With baseball, there’s a flow, a poetry. The battle between the pitcher -- not to mention the team in the field behind him -- and the batter at the plate is never ending. They’re constantly thinking about the opposing player’s next move. Add to that the elements of a defensive shift, or a base runner trying to throw off the pitcher… the only true break in the action comes every 10 or 20 minutes when the teams switch places in the field -- and then there’s always enough time to get up and raid the fridge.
…Football. There’s a play that lasts about 5 seconds, and it moves the ball two or three yards if you’re lucky. Then there’s a 10-second pause and the sequence begins again …
… Perhaps I’d like football a little more if ESPN didn’t beat it to death either. Aren’t there any other players or coaches in the league with some interesting stories aside from T.O. and Bill Parcells. … jeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzz. I refuse to watch Sportscenter on Monday mornings to avoid Sean Salisbury and all of their football blow. … As if the Monday Night Football moments they showed on Sportscenter every day since 2005 season ended weren’t pathetic enough, they kicked off their coverage for tonight’s Monday night game at noon today -- ok, maybe it was like 2 or 3, but c’mon!
What channel is the Cubs game on?
8.06.2006
Sunday reading ... and relaxing
... Nothing like a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon -- and some good baseball -- to ease your mind ... With our lawn mower still in the fix-it shop, combined with some rather unhospitable weather, my usual weekend yard puttering has been shut down -- forcing me to relax like I haven't in a long, long time ...
First, the baseball. So I discovered earlier this week, by accident, how to use the picture-in-picture feature on our TV. Whoah nelly, am I having fun now!! ... Now, on all those nights where I have three, four baseball games to choose from on the tube, I've got a way to watch at least two of them at the same time ... With the Brewers-Cards, Cubs-Pirates and Mets-Phillies all on yesterday, I took advantage of it and didn't move an inch from the couch for like four hours. ... And now we're doing it again! The rain falling outside has canceled our plans to partake in some of the community activities today, so here Kates and I sit, reading our books, newspapers and magazines, sprawled out in front of our big picture windows ... and on the TV, of course, the Cubs-Pirates and the Reds-Pirates ...
To prove that we aren't just merely a couple of bums who sit around watching baseball, we did get out last night to Prairie Family Days. Had mongo plates of Mexican Food. Took one of the free pontoon boat rides. Walked around the lake. And joked about all the teenie boppers beginning to congregate as the sun set ... I was most excited, however, to hear Wingspan -- a highly-touted Wings tribute band from Chicago -- but when they took too long to get through their sound checks and started 45 minutes late, eventually opening with a terribly loud, blown-out song to which no one could've possibly understood the vocals, Kates and I got up and walked away ...
We got home in time to catch the Saturday Night Live re-run featuring Natalie Portman -- in my opinion, the best and funniest of the season ... which is probably why NBC re-ran it ...
... And now, I'm presenting to you another edition of some of my favorite reads from this past week ...
Film ...
a Oliver Stone's 9/11 is a Tale of Courage ... I'll admit I was a little skeptical at first, but the more I read and see of this one, the more intrigued I am. I talked on here before about my fascination with 9/11. What's more, this film has it's own tragic story and it has an appeal to all ages...
a It Pays to Be a Print Journalist -- in Films
Techy stuff ...
a Why Wiki Can Drive You Wacky ... I've said it before and I'll say it again: Wikipedia is one the best, coolest sites on the Web. It's just too bad pranksters, politicans and vandals are so amused by wrecking it ... although Stephen Colbert's little prank was funny, I'll admit -- but it also goes to show how relentless and careful the Wiki-people are about their site ...
a Downloading firm settles global suits ... And another one bites the dust. I never thought I'd say this five years ago, but thanks iTunes for making us realize legal downloading can be just as fun ...
Music ...
a Marie Claire Editor, Readers Lash Out At Ashlee Simpson ... I don't care what kind of nose she has, to me, she's always seemed fake and too concerned about her image ...
a A Backstage Pass to Intimate Moments in Rock's Odyssey ... a downright fascinating read.
a MTV won't say how old it is (but it's 25) ... I still wish they would just play music.
Sporting news ...
a ESPN Should Return to Its Roots: Broadcasting Sports ... Can I get an amen!?! E$PN (as I saw it written on another blog today ...) seems to be growing further out of touch with its fans every time I turn it on ...
a Rodriguez's sloppy defense hurts Yanks ... The Yankees are getting what they deserve.
a It's still mostly downhill for Cubs' Wood, Prior ... Nothing shocking here. And as much as it hurts this Cubs die-hard to say, I'm not surprised either. With all the hype that surrounded both of them coming up, I laughed everytime someone inferred they were future hall of famers ... I hate it when the sports people do that. Now, Wood's career is as good as over with the Cubs, and unless Prior starts winning he'll be right behind ...
a It's time to tell all, for everyone ... Seriously. As if it's not breaking my heart enough to see the steroid news coming out now about the guys I idolized all through the 90s, I see today that McGwire is refusing to cooperate with MLB's investigation. These guys just don't get it; they're only making it worse by not talking ...
a This Artist Doesn't Paint by Numbers ... Lucky number or not, Maddux waz amazing the other night. It sucked to see him leave Chicago, but, hey, I still have my soft spot for the Dodgers, too! Go Dodgers!!
a A Decade Ahead of the Rest ... and just for kicks, I'm throwing in this one which I stumbled across while perusing the Post archives. It's a good read -- about the days when the Yankees actually won respectably, and not by simply paying top dollar to top talent ...
Life in general ...
a Are You a Toxic Parent? ...lessons in parenting.
a Daughter, Can You Spare a Dime? ... a great, funny read from the Post's Joel Achenbach. If only I had been so smart ...
First, the baseball. So I discovered earlier this week, by accident, how to use the picture-in-picture feature on our TV. Whoah nelly, am I having fun now!! ... Now, on all those nights where I have three, four baseball games to choose from on the tube, I've got a way to watch at least two of them at the same time ... With the Brewers-Cards, Cubs-Pirates and Mets-Phillies all on yesterday, I took advantage of it and didn't move an inch from the couch for like four hours. ... And now we're doing it again! The rain falling outside has canceled our plans to partake in some of the community activities today, so here Kates and I sit, reading our books, newspapers and magazines, sprawled out in front of our big picture windows ... and on the TV, of course, the Cubs-Pirates and the Reds-Pirates ...
To prove that we aren't just merely a couple of bums who sit around watching baseball, we did get out last night to Prairie Family Days. Had mongo plates of Mexican Food. Took one of the free pontoon boat rides. Walked around the lake. And joked about all the teenie boppers beginning to congregate as the sun set ... I was most excited, however, to hear Wingspan -- a highly-touted Wings tribute band from Chicago -- but when they took too long to get through their sound checks and started 45 minutes late, eventually opening with a terribly loud, blown-out song to which no one could've possibly understood the vocals, Kates and I got up and walked away ...
We got home in time to catch the Saturday Night Live re-run featuring Natalie Portman -- in my opinion, the best and funniest of the season ... which is probably why NBC re-ran it ...
... And now, I'm presenting to you another edition of some of my favorite reads from this past week ...
Film ...
a Oliver Stone's 9/11 is a Tale of Courage ... I'll admit I was a little skeptical at first, but the more I read and see of this one, the more intrigued I am. I talked on here before about my fascination with 9/11. What's more, this film has it's own tragic story and it has an appeal to all ages...
a It Pays to Be a Print Journalist -- in Films
Techy stuff ...
a Why Wiki Can Drive You Wacky ... I've said it before and I'll say it again: Wikipedia is one the best, coolest sites on the Web. It's just too bad pranksters, politicans and vandals are so amused by wrecking it ... although Stephen Colbert's little prank was funny, I'll admit -- but it also goes to show how relentless and careful the Wiki-people are about their site ...
a Downloading firm settles global suits ... And another one bites the dust. I never thought I'd say this five years ago, but thanks iTunes for making us realize legal downloading can be just as fun ...
Music ...
a Marie Claire Editor, Readers Lash Out At Ashlee Simpson ... I don't care what kind of nose she has, to me, she's always seemed fake and too concerned about her image ...
a A Backstage Pass to Intimate Moments in Rock's Odyssey ... a downright fascinating read.
a MTV won't say how old it is (but it's 25) ... I still wish they would just play music.
Sporting news ...
a ESPN Should Return to Its Roots: Broadcasting Sports ... Can I get an amen!?! E$PN (as I saw it written on another blog today ...) seems to be growing further out of touch with its fans every time I turn it on ...
a Rodriguez's sloppy defense hurts Yanks ... The Yankees are getting what they deserve.
a It's still mostly downhill for Cubs' Wood, Prior ... Nothing shocking here. And as much as it hurts this Cubs die-hard to say, I'm not surprised either. With all the hype that surrounded both of them coming up, I laughed everytime someone inferred they were future hall of famers ... I hate it when the sports people do that. Now, Wood's career is as good as over with the Cubs, and unless Prior starts winning he'll be right behind ...
a It's time to tell all, for everyone ... Seriously. As if it's not breaking my heart enough to see the steroid news coming out now about the guys I idolized all through the 90s, I see today that McGwire is refusing to cooperate with MLB's investigation. These guys just don't get it; they're only making it worse by not talking ...
a This Artist Doesn't Paint by Numbers ... Lucky number or not, Maddux waz amazing the other night. It sucked to see him leave Chicago, but, hey, I still have my soft spot for the Dodgers, too! Go Dodgers!!
a A Decade Ahead of the Rest ... and just for kicks, I'm throwing in this one which I stumbled across while perusing the Post archives. It's a good read -- about the days when the Yankees actually won respectably, and not by simply paying top dollar to top talent ...
Life in general ...
a Are You a Toxic Parent? ...lessons in parenting.
a Daughter, Can You Spare a Dime? ... a great, funny read from the Post's Joel Achenbach. If only I had been so smart ...
6.02.2006
The reality Bee
Seriously. How cool was it last night watching Katharine Close and the rest of the gang compete in the annual Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee!?!?
... I mean I've caught clips of it on ESPN here and there over the years, but watching it live last night on ABC ...it was TOTALLY reality TV at its best!! Kates graded papers while I sat next to her on the couch, watching intently. We hung on every word, cheering and groaning with each little speller that stepped to the mic. Oh, the tension ... Although I had little Katharine pegged from the beginning as a strong favorite, I, of course, was also cheering for the girl from my hometown Olathe, and Kates, of course, cheered hard for the kid from Lincolnshire. ... and then when Saryn Hooks was called out for supposedly misspelling her word and then! reinstated after the commercial break because of judges error -- heart-thumping suspense and drama, I tellya!
5.06.2006
Finding treasures
...So I spent last night flipping around to baseball games (... how 'bout that roller coaster, 14-inning Braves-Mets game! ...and the Cubs lost a-gain) and catching up on more TV shows (... would someone just hand Survivor Terry the $1 million and get it over with, the guy is dominating! ... and is it me or does the lame ESPN infomercial otherwise known as 'Bonds on Bonds' get more mundane and boring each week? The whole thing is edited just to make Bonds look good. He won't even touch the 'S' word and he relays every obstacle he's ever faced as if no one in the world has lived a harder life than him.... C'mon. Really. And we're supposed to feel sorry for THIS guy ...) all while searching the classified section for some intriguing garage sale listings ...
Kates and I are in search of a good entertainment center and buffet/hutch to match the rest of our woodwork and decor. And I'm in need of a corner shelving unit ... and, as always, good music and baseball collectibles ...
... So this morning, the alarm went off at 7:30 a.m. I dressed, snagged a quick breakfast and the first of the half-dozen garage sales I'd circled started at 8 ... one by one, I hit 'em all, working fast and scanning the inventory for treasures ...
... I came home a happy man.
... For a total of $24, I walked away with CDs of the Barenaked Ladies' 'Maroon,' Fleetwood Mac's 'The Dance' and Elton John's 'One Night Only: The Greatest Hits' (I just finished listening to the last two and they're even more amazing than I had expected ...), and on vinyl, vinyl! (my crush on the medium continues ... ) I took home copies of Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumors' (actually it's now the third copy I have of this album, the other two don't play so well ...it's such a great album!!), Carole King's 'Tapestry,' Cyndi Lauper's 'She's So Unusual' (classic '80s pop!), Crosby, Stills Nash & Young's 'So Far' (four words: 'Suite: Judy Blues Eyes'), 'Chicago at Carnegie Hall' (my pops had this one ... amazing!) and Neil Diamond's 'Hot August Night' (another awesome live album ...)
... And I'm not done yet. Still with that $24, I also picked up hardcover biographies by Sandy Koufax and Duke Snider, and a couple nice wood frames for about a quarter of the price I would have paid for them at a Target.
Can you say bargains? ... Yeah. I'm saying it right now.
Kates and I are in search of a good entertainment center and buffet/hutch to match the rest of our woodwork and decor. And I'm in need of a corner shelving unit ... and, as always, good music and baseball collectibles ...
... So this morning, the alarm went off at 7:30 a.m. I dressed, snagged a quick breakfast and the first of the half-dozen garage sales I'd circled started at 8 ... one by one, I hit 'em all, working fast and scanning the inventory for treasures ...
... I came home a happy man.
... For a total of $24, I walked away with CDs of the Barenaked Ladies' 'Maroon,' Fleetwood Mac's 'The Dance' and Elton John's 'One Night Only: The Greatest Hits' (I just finished listening to the last two and they're even more amazing than I had expected ...), and on vinyl, vinyl! (my crush on the medium continues ... ) I took home copies of Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumors' (actually it's now the third copy I have of this album, the other two don't play so well ...it's such a great album!!), Carole King's 'Tapestry,' Cyndi Lauper's 'She's So Unusual' (classic '80s pop!), Crosby, Stills Nash & Young's 'So Far' (four words: 'Suite: Judy Blues Eyes'), 'Chicago at Carnegie Hall' (my pops had this one ... amazing!) and Neil Diamond's 'Hot August Night' (another awesome live album ...)
... And I'm not done yet. Still with that $24, I also picked up hardcover biographies by Sandy Koufax and Duke Snider, and a couple nice wood frames for about a quarter of the price I would have paid for them at a Target.
Can you say bargains? ... Yeah. I'm saying it right now.
2.26.2006
Sunday reading
A collection of good, intriguing reads from this last week and beyond about some of my favorite personalities and subject matter ...Baseball...
a Eleventh heaven for Joe Torre
a Cubs begin 97th season without title
a Larry Walker serves as instructor at spring training for Cards
a Court Battle With Apparel Firm Threatens Nats Merchandise
a Garciaparra was shadowed by controversy in Boston and injury in Chicago; now, with Hamm in his corner, he relishes a fresh start with Dodgers, his 'home' team
a Johnny Damon changes sides, but still a fan favorite
a Miguel Tejada's words tangled in spin
a Steinbrenner Was Right in Picking Sheffield
a For Curt Schilling, clothes really do make the man
a Frank Robinson at large: Pearls of wisdom from a Hall of Famer
Entertainment...
a Ombudsman Keeps Watch Over ESPN Empire
a New Video Technologies Free TV Viewers From Couch
a Redford remembers ‘All the President's Men’
a `The Office' Growing On Viewers - And iPod
a Is ‘a la carte’ cable a good idea?
And in other news...
a Wikipedia's Help From the Hill: Edits Lead Site to Block Some Lawmakers' Offices
a Bottom line: Nude actresses sell magazines
2.08.2006
Spring fever
So I drove to work today amid bright sunshine, smiles, only a slight chill and feeling as though spring was about to begin ...
I got into my office, started up my computer and got settled into my work area. Barely two minutes had passed when a cohort groaned and several of us looked out the window to see GIANT SNOWFLAKES FALLING FROM THE SKY!
You've GOT to be kidding me.
I mean I've heard about this lake effect snow, but this is crazy. ... It continued ALL MORNING LONG. And I was insane enough to drive home for lunch in the whiteout that had become our poor, tortured city. ... All the while there were reports of sunshine and NO snow just miles away.
... and by the time I returned to work about an hour later, the sun was shining brightly as if we were returning to the tropics again.
Crazy, indeed.
* * *
My cohorts and I were happy to learn today that Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will be anchoring the new (and probably not-so-improved) ESPN version of 'Monday Night Football' ... actually we all agreed we're more happy that Stuart Scott and his -yo-yo homey jargon won't be part of the new MNF. ...It was unanimous. We can't stand him and he's a big reason we don't watch 'Sportscenter as much as we used to.
Seriously? ESPN made a smooth move by putting Kornheiser -- one of my absolute, all-time favorite writers for years -- in the booth.
Plus, it gives Al Michaels a chance to reunite with John Madden for what should be a promising new era of Sunday night football on NBC.
* * *
A few observations of tonight's Grammys ...
... Best moment of the night: Kelly Clarkson's tearful acceptance after her win for 'Since U Been Gone' Hey, my eyes welled up too. ... 'She's like a real person,' Kates said. ...'And that's why she's so likable,' I followed.
...Was it just me or did Alison Krauss look stoned as she and her band accepted their award for best country album?
... I still don't get all the hype about John Legend and his 'Ordinary People' ... Although, he got some points from me for being so cool and humble during his acceptance speech.
... The all-star tribute to Sly & The Family Stone was, well, pitiful ... except for Ciarra and Marroon 5's slick performance of 'Everyday People.'
... Kanye West and Jamie Foxx's performance -- drum, bugle corps., and all -- was awesomely entertaining. But why the heck was Foxx not singing his Ray Charles hook?
And Bono's acceptance speech after U2 took the album of the year honor was the classiest speech of the night. ... very nice.
I got into my office, started up my computer and got settled into my work area. Barely two minutes had passed when a cohort groaned and several of us looked out the window to see GIANT SNOWFLAKES FALLING FROM THE SKY!
You've GOT to be kidding me.
I mean I've heard about this lake effect snow, but this is crazy. ... It continued ALL MORNING LONG. And I was insane enough to drive home for lunch in the whiteout that had become our poor, tortured city. ... All the while there were reports of sunshine and NO snow just miles away.
... and by the time I returned to work about an hour later, the sun was shining brightly as if we were returning to the tropics again.
Crazy, indeed.
* * *
My cohorts and I were happy to learn today that Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will be anchoring the new (and probably not-so-improved) ESPN version of 'Monday Night Football' ... actually we all agreed we're more happy that Stuart Scott and his -yo-yo homey jargon won't be part of the new MNF. ...It was unanimous. We can't stand him and he's a big reason we don't watch 'Sportscenter as much as we used to.
Seriously? ESPN made a smooth move by putting Kornheiser -- one of my absolute, all-time favorite writers for years -- in the booth.
Plus, it gives Al Michaels a chance to reunite with John Madden for what should be a promising new era of Sunday night football on NBC.
* * *
A few observations of tonight's Grammys ...
... Best moment of the night: Kelly Clarkson's tearful acceptance after her win for 'Since U Been Gone' Hey, my eyes welled up too. ... 'She's like a real person,' Kates said. ...'And that's why she's so likable,' I followed.
...Was it just me or did Alison Krauss look stoned as she and her band accepted their award for best country album?
... I still don't get all the hype about John Legend and his 'Ordinary People' ... Although, he got some points from me for being so cool and humble during his acceptance speech.
... The all-star tribute to Sly & The Family Stone was, well, pitiful ... except for Ciarra and Marroon 5's slick performance of 'Everyday People.'
... Kanye West and Jamie Foxx's performance -- drum, bugle corps., and all -- was awesomely entertaining. But why the heck was Foxx not singing his Ray Charles hook?
And Bono's acceptance speech after U2 took the album of the year honor was the classiest speech of the night. ... very nice.
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