The Pistons were lousy, and are history for this year. The Lions are, well, the Lions. The Tigers have a long season ahead of them, and they appear to be about average. And, of course, the Red Wings got knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs last week. So what's left?
The rest of the NBA and NHL playoffs. But who to root for? Let's break it down.
In the NBA, there's Miami vs Chicago, and Oklahoma City vs Dallas. If you're anything like me, you've just about had enough of all the hype over Lebron, D-Wade, and Bosh in South Beach. Dallas/Okla is a tough call. I can sympathize with the Okies, because what else do they have going on out there? Then again, Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavs, a probable future Hall of Famer, is a heck of a guy and helluva player that has slaved away for many years in a bridesmaid's role, because the Lakers or Spurs always seemed to stand between him and glory. Yet every time I think of Dallas, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys come to mind. They rank right up there with the aforementioned Big 3 in Miami. What did the kids used to say? Gag me with a spoon? Close enough. So OK, ChiTown won the Stanley Cup last year, but the north-siders have been enduring the Cubbies since forever, and the south-siders have to tolerate Ozzie Guillen, so I consider that a push. And I'd "sooner" be a lot of places than Oklahoma. Go Bulls.
Then there's the NHL. Boston vs Tampa Bay, and San Jose vs Vancouver. Boston's got enough going on. The Celtics are perennial contenders, as are the Red Sox, and the Brady Bunch in nearby Foxborough is always an elite football team, so I can't get behind the Bruins. Tampa Bay? Nothing against them, but any place where Mother Nature hasn't made ice in the last few thousand years is difficult to consider a serious hockey town. San Jose? They're in the same neighborhood as the reigning World Series champions in San Francisco. Besides, they just knocked off our beloved Red Wings -- again. A pox on them. That leaves Vancouver. Maybe it's unpatriotic for an American to root for a Canadian team, but not counting a certain snooty waiter in a Montreal restaurant, I never met a Canadian I didn't like. They're a friendly bunch. And how can you not root for a club that calls itself the Canucks, ay?
Don't you think our northern friends would root for a team south of their border that called itself the Yankees?
Hmmm. Maybe not.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Debbie, Brenda, and a hockey game
Once upon a time there were these two women who had never been to a hockey game before. Then by the grace of God, or more likely from a third party that couldn't attend, they lucked-up and fell into a pair of tickets for the Red Wings' Game 6 at Joe Louis Arena, Tuesday night. As indoctrinations go, this was bound to be impressive. I suppose I could mention something about losing a "cherry", and of course that would be in reference to tuning out Don Cherry, that loveable Canadian hockey guru/announcer, but perhaps I shouldn't go there. Ahem.
Deb and Brenda hooked up on game day at the Gridiron, a bar on Montcalm, in Pontiac. It's a pretty cool place. Good food, great people, and it's owned by one Tom Jones. No, not the Welsh singer of old that had all the ladies drooling over him. Quite the opposite. While there's indeed some drooling that goes on, it's my understanding that Tom has upgraded his meds, and things are getting better. Just kidding -- I think. And beware of any bartender named Lynn, Mary, or Chris. You think you're slick? Good luck with those 3. Any of them could tear up Don Rickles and Robin Williams at the same time, while cooking food, serving drinks, handling all the Keno tickets, and never miss a beat. And of course, there's Dawn. Life got you down? Go in there on most any afternoon, and ask for her. She doesn't even drink, but she'll give you a hug to make you feel better, if only for a little while. Nobody hugs like Dawn. But I digress.
Then it was off to the Greektown Casino for D & B. After feeding the slots a few bucks, they jumped on the people mover and headed to Joe Louis Arena. Their tickets were in section 227, which means upper bowl, last row. Nosebleed country. Brenda later commented that it felt like climbing the steps to a Mayan temple.
LETS GO RED WINGS
Arriving early, perhaps they didn't understand why there were so many empty seats for such an important game. Then all of a sudden, maybe a half hour before game time, it filled up in a hurry. Wall to wall sardines, and red and white pom-poms on every seat. A nice touch, courtesy of Mike Ilitch. It surely beat trying to wave pepperonis or anchovies.
Along the way, they were treated to Bob Seger, Kid Rock, and Eminem's Chrysler video on the big screen. Goose-bumpy type stuff while the crowd worked itself into a fever pitch.
LETS GO RED WINGS
Somewhere during all this, the game was actually played. While it was highly exciting for the first 2 periods, the score was still 0-0. I called Debbie on her cell and left a message. It should be noted that Debbie is, ahem, rather well-endowed in a certain part of her anatomy. The message was this --- "Show em the girls. That ought to get em going".
Sure enough, a few minutes later, goals started happening. Did she really do it? Beats me. All I know is it didn't show up on TV. A while later I got a return phone call, but the only thing I could hear was deafening crowd noise.
LETS GO RED WINGS
When it was over, and everybody except the San Jose Sharks were happy, it was time for them to go. Considering their seats, and with the exception of Charlie Brown's kite, what goes up pretty much has to come down eventually. Somehow they navigated their way out of there, pom-poms in hand, hopped back on the people mover, and headed back to Greektown.
LETS GO RED WINGS
Some time later they wound up back at the Gridiron, where I presume they had a night-cap, and headed home. Both are still active GM shop rats on day shift, and 5 or 6 AM comes pretty quick after a night like that. Did they make it to work the next day? That seems to be classified information for some reason. Go figure.
Sounds like Deb and Brenda had a great time, enjoyed an experience they'll never forget, and it was a win-win all the way around, right? Not exactly.
Brenda said she really got into it, and she's a "cuz" of mine, so I'll always root for her.
Debbie? She borrowed a Red Wings jersey from some guy to attend the game. Turns out she's a Chicago Black Hawks fan, and was only going through the motions.
Girls or not -- that's a boo, hiss.
It's not my fault a certain web-site crashed yesterday and made this article a day late. If you scroll back up to the top, you'll notice it was finally posted on Friday, the 13th. Something was bound to go wrong. It did. The Wings have already lost game 7 and been eliminated.
Which means there's only one thing to do. Go see Dawn. I need one.
Deb and Brenda hooked up on game day at the Gridiron, a bar on Montcalm, in Pontiac. It's a pretty cool place. Good food, great people, and it's owned by one Tom Jones. No, not the Welsh singer of old that had all the ladies drooling over him. Quite the opposite. While there's indeed some drooling that goes on, it's my understanding that Tom has upgraded his meds, and things are getting better. Just kidding -- I think. And beware of any bartender named Lynn, Mary, or Chris. You think you're slick? Good luck with those 3. Any of them could tear up Don Rickles and Robin Williams at the same time, while cooking food, serving drinks, handling all the Keno tickets, and never miss a beat. And of course, there's Dawn. Life got you down? Go in there on most any afternoon, and ask for her. She doesn't even drink, but she'll give you a hug to make you feel better, if only for a little while. Nobody hugs like Dawn. But I digress.
Then it was off to the Greektown Casino for D & B. After feeding the slots a few bucks, they jumped on the people mover and headed to Joe Louis Arena. Their tickets were in section 227, which means upper bowl, last row. Nosebleed country. Brenda later commented that it felt like climbing the steps to a Mayan temple.
LETS GO RED WINGS
Arriving early, perhaps they didn't understand why there were so many empty seats for such an important game. Then all of a sudden, maybe a half hour before game time, it filled up in a hurry. Wall to wall sardines, and red and white pom-poms on every seat. A nice touch, courtesy of Mike Ilitch. It surely beat trying to wave pepperonis or anchovies.
Along the way, they were treated to Bob Seger, Kid Rock, and Eminem's Chrysler video on the big screen. Goose-bumpy type stuff while the crowd worked itself into a fever pitch.
LETS GO RED WINGS
Somewhere during all this, the game was actually played. While it was highly exciting for the first 2 periods, the score was still 0-0. I called Debbie on her cell and left a message. It should be noted that Debbie is, ahem, rather well-endowed in a certain part of her anatomy. The message was this --- "Show em the girls. That ought to get em going".
Sure enough, a few minutes later, goals started happening. Did she really do it? Beats me. All I know is it didn't show up on TV. A while later I got a return phone call, but the only thing I could hear was deafening crowd noise.
LETS GO RED WINGS
When it was over, and everybody except the San Jose Sharks were happy, it was time for them to go. Considering their seats, and with the exception of Charlie Brown's kite, what goes up pretty much has to come down eventually. Somehow they navigated their way out of there, pom-poms in hand, hopped back on the people mover, and headed back to Greektown.
LETS GO RED WINGS
Some time later they wound up back at the Gridiron, where I presume they had a night-cap, and headed home. Both are still active GM shop rats on day shift, and 5 or 6 AM comes pretty quick after a night like that. Did they make it to work the next day? That seems to be classified information for some reason. Go figure.
Sounds like Deb and Brenda had a great time, enjoyed an experience they'll never forget, and it was a win-win all the way around, right? Not exactly.
Brenda said she really got into it, and she's a "cuz" of mine, so I'll always root for her.
Debbie? She borrowed a Red Wings jersey from some guy to attend the game. Turns out she's a Chicago Black Hawks fan, and was only going through the motions.
Girls or not -- that's a boo, hiss.
It's not my fault a certain web-site crashed yesterday and made this article a day late. If you scroll back up to the top, you'll notice it was finally posted on Friday, the 13th. Something was bound to go wrong. It did. The Wings have already lost game 7 and been eliminated.
Which means there's only one thing to do. Go see Dawn. I need one.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Idle thoughts from a confused mind
No matter how you look at it, it's been pretty interesting for the last couple weeks in the world of sports.
The #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, as were the Orlando Magic. Who would have ever thought that would happen?
The Chicago Bulls quietly finished the regular season as the #1 seed in the East. They have one super-star and a pretty good supporting cast. Somehow that rings a bell from a couple decades ago. Does MJ sound familiar?
The 2-time defending world champion LA Lakers got the red-headed stepchild treatment from the Dallas Mavericks. Outta here. Good. I've had just about all the Kobe and Zen I can stand for one lifetime.
After a whole season of ups, downs, doubters and skeptics, it appears the Big 3 from the Miami Heat have finally come together and jelled with their supporting cast. Can anybody stop them from winning the NBA title? Barring injury, I think not, but I don't have to like it.
An Arabian guy got whacked in Pakistan by a navy SEAL team. Perhaps that wasn't very sporting of them but, hey, stuff happens.
Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers threw the second no-hitter of his career. That in itself is impressive, but what's truly amazing is that afterwards, Jim Leyland almost, but not quite, actually smiled. Getting a laugh out of that guy would be like getting a laugh out of Lurch, of the Addams family. Not sure, but I think maybe his face would break.
Some long-shot horse named Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby. It seems like the Disney influence is everywhere these days. Sigh.
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal on a clay court in Spain. Don't laugh. This is no small feat. Beating Nadal on clay, let alone in his home country, happens about as often as the Washington Nationals beating the Harlem Globetrotters, Rush or Hillary saying "I'm sorry", Lindsey Lohan spending a few months worth of quality time with the Amish, the Lions winning the Super Bowl -- well -- you get it.
Seve Ballesteros, one time world-class golfer and long time world-class man, died at the age of 54.
The Red Wings have come back from an 0-3 deficit to tie their series with San Jose. Like the Phoenix, they've risen from the ashes, and...... no wait. They whacked Phoenix in the first round, and they're never coming back. Dead is dead. Or was that that Saudi guy? I dunno. I get confused with so much stuff going on.
Not so surprising dept-----
There's another driver feud in NASCAR. There will be blood -- or at least sheet metal.
Manny Pacquiao easily dispatched another opponent and Floyd Mayweather is still afraid to fight him. One is a congressman. The other may soon be a defendant.
The NFL owners and players continue to act like spoiled 3rd graders on the playground. Maybe someday soon, both sides will realize the only people winning here are the lawyers. Cha-ching.
Not a peep out of Tom Gores, the new owner of the Pistons, lately. Evidently there's a law that says once a billionaire comes to this town, they must also become a recluse. Go figure.
I may be confused about a lot of things, but here's what I understand. After spending the last few weeks getting the usual spring chores out of the way, it's time. Unplug the trickle charger, change the fluids and pop in a new set of plugs, give it a bath, and fire up the old softail. It's time to go riding.
On that, I'm crystal clear.
The #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, as were the Orlando Magic. Who would have ever thought that would happen?
The Chicago Bulls quietly finished the regular season as the #1 seed in the East. They have one super-star and a pretty good supporting cast. Somehow that rings a bell from a couple decades ago. Does MJ sound familiar?
The 2-time defending world champion LA Lakers got the red-headed stepchild treatment from the Dallas Mavericks. Outta here. Good. I've had just about all the Kobe and Zen I can stand for one lifetime.
After a whole season of ups, downs, doubters and skeptics, it appears the Big 3 from the Miami Heat have finally come together and jelled with their supporting cast. Can anybody stop them from winning the NBA title? Barring injury, I think not, but I don't have to like it.
An Arabian guy got whacked in Pakistan by a navy SEAL team. Perhaps that wasn't very sporting of them but, hey, stuff happens.
Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers threw the second no-hitter of his career. That in itself is impressive, but what's truly amazing is that afterwards, Jim Leyland almost, but not quite, actually smiled. Getting a laugh out of that guy would be like getting a laugh out of Lurch, of the Addams family. Not sure, but I think maybe his face would break.
Some long-shot horse named Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby. It seems like the Disney influence is everywhere these days. Sigh.
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal on a clay court in Spain. Don't laugh. This is no small feat. Beating Nadal on clay, let alone in his home country, happens about as often as the Washington Nationals beating the Harlem Globetrotters, Rush or Hillary saying "I'm sorry", Lindsey Lohan spending a few months worth of quality time with the Amish, the Lions winning the Super Bowl -- well -- you get it.
Seve Ballesteros, one time world-class golfer and long time world-class man, died at the age of 54.
The Red Wings have come back from an 0-3 deficit to tie their series with San Jose. Like the Phoenix, they've risen from the ashes, and...... no wait. They whacked Phoenix in the first round, and they're never coming back. Dead is dead. Or was that that Saudi guy? I dunno. I get confused with so much stuff going on.
Not so surprising dept-----
There's another driver feud in NASCAR. There will be blood -- or at least sheet metal.
Manny Pacquiao easily dispatched another opponent and Floyd Mayweather is still afraid to fight him. One is a congressman. The other may soon be a defendant.
The NFL owners and players continue to act like spoiled 3rd graders on the playground. Maybe someday soon, both sides will realize the only people winning here are the lawyers. Cha-ching.
Not a peep out of Tom Gores, the new owner of the Pistons, lately. Evidently there's a law that says once a billionaire comes to this town, they must also become a recluse. Go figure.
I may be confused about a lot of things, but here's what I understand. After spending the last few weeks getting the usual spring chores out of the way, it's time. Unplug the trickle charger, change the fluids and pop in a new set of plugs, give it a bath, and fire up the old softail. It's time to go riding.
On that, I'm crystal clear.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Phil Jackson. Champ or chump?
Between the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers, Phil Jackson has 11 NBA championship rings. On the surface, that would seem to be very impressive. But is it really? Let's look deeper.
I wonder how much it had to do with him being in the right place at the right time, and the talent he inherited in both places, versus his own abilities. How many rings do you think he'd have if he'd been coaching, say, the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Wizards during those years?
Phil's not alone. Take George "Sparky" Anderson, for example. He's in the baseball Hall of Fame, and was generally regarded as a great manager, for a long time. But was he? With the Big Red Machine he managed in Cincinnati during the 70's, he had 6 or 7 position players that eventually went into the Hall of Fame themselves. All Sparky had to do was put a different pitcher on the mound every day and turn them loose. You and I could have done that. When the players got older, the team started losing, and Sparky got fired. About that time, the Detroit Tigers had several up and coming young players that were extremely talented. Like Jackson, Sparky fell into another rose garden. Right place at the right time.
There's other such examples in the sports world, if you think about it. Here's a quickie.... Most Tiger fans think Jim Leyland is terrific. Maybe. He won the World Series with the Florida Marlins, which was basically an All-Star team at that time, and made it to the Fall Classic with the Tigers. Yet if you look at his career stats, he's actually a sub .500 manager. That means he was pretty lousy somewhere else along the line.
But Phil Jackson is a unique sort of guy. He lives in a mansion in la-la land, gets paid bazillions of dollars, and dates the owner's daughter. In laymen's terms, this is commonly referred to as a pretty sweet gig. He's credited with creating the "triangle" offense, but I'm not sure anybody understands what that is. Ever read or hear a sports writer or talking head explain it? Not me.
Phil has been known as the "Zen Master". An interesting thought, indeed. First, Zen, has to do with Buddhism. Is he a Buddhist? I don't know, and to each their own, but Jackson doesn't act like it.
Consider some of the Buddhist precepts:
Wisdom. Regarding basketball, I suppose Phil gets a pass on that one.
Suffering. Most of us would stand in line to suffer like Phil has -- so that's a no.
Humbleness. Michael Jordan? The Lakers? Need I say more?
Reincarnation. He goes to sleep in Chicago on the down-swing and wakes up in LA on the up-swing? Buddha or not, a basketball god somewhere was smiling on him.
Nirvana. The state of absolute peace and bliss. Maybe that comes with winning those rings.
Beats me. The only thing I know about rings is you stand in front of a preacher to put one on, and you stand in front of a judge to take it off a few years later.
Yet there's another precept. Discipline. It appears Jackson forgot about that one, and, as the master, he surely didn't pass it along to his players. As long as he and they were winning, everything was hunky-dory, but when it came time to lose, the above mentioned suffering and humbleness went out the window.
As a clearly superior playoff team (the Dallas Mavericks) was completing their sweep of the Lakers, and winning by a large margin late in the game, Phil's boys reverted to goon-squad tactics. Namely, if you can't beat em, maim em.
Perhaps it's understandable that one player might do something stupid out of frustration, but to have another one resort to thuggery mere minutes later is inexcusable. There's only two ways that could happen. Either Phil sanctioned such behavior, or he had no control over his players. Neither one speaks well for a supposed "Zen Master". When it was over, Jackson came across with his usual aloof attitude, as if he is on some mental/spiritual level that us mortals will never comprehend. It's not working here.
Phil Jackson. Started out a champ. Now looks like a chump.
Some folks fret and stew this may be the last year Jackson coaches. I hope not, but for different reasons. Winning another ring is not one of them. It would be nice to see him come back for one more year. Maybe then, on a farewell tour, he can finally get the humbleness and discipline things right.
The suffering? That will never happen in Phil's world, but like Meatloaf once sang -- 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
(A couple hours later) Damn, almost forgot. It's Mother's day. Hope all the mothers and muthas had a great day today. Pretty sure I don't have to get into the differences. You know who you are......
I wonder how much it had to do with him being in the right place at the right time, and the talent he inherited in both places, versus his own abilities. How many rings do you think he'd have if he'd been coaching, say, the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Wizards during those years?
Phil's not alone. Take George "Sparky" Anderson, for example. He's in the baseball Hall of Fame, and was generally regarded as a great manager, for a long time. But was he? With the Big Red Machine he managed in Cincinnati during the 70's, he had 6 or 7 position players that eventually went into the Hall of Fame themselves. All Sparky had to do was put a different pitcher on the mound every day and turn them loose. You and I could have done that. When the players got older, the team started losing, and Sparky got fired. About that time, the Detroit Tigers had several up and coming young players that were extremely talented. Like Jackson, Sparky fell into another rose garden. Right place at the right time.
There's other such examples in the sports world, if you think about it. Here's a quickie.... Most Tiger fans think Jim Leyland is terrific. Maybe. He won the World Series with the Florida Marlins, which was basically an All-Star team at that time, and made it to the Fall Classic with the Tigers. Yet if you look at his career stats, he's actually a sub .500 manager. That means he was pretty lousy somewhere else along the line.
But Phil Jackson is a unique sort of guy. He lives in a mansion in la-la land, gets paid bazillions of dollars, and dates the owner's daughter. In laymen's terms, this is commonly referred to as a pretty sweet gig. He's credited with creating the "triangle" offense, but I'm not sure anybody understands what that is. Ever read or hear a sports writer or talking head explain it? Not me.
Phil has been known as the "Zen Master". An interesting thought, indeed. First, Zen, has to do with Buddhism. Is he a Buddhist? I don't know, and to each their own, but Jackson doesn't act like it.
Consider some of the Buddhist precepts:
Wisdom. Regarding basketball, I suppose Phil gets a pass on that one.
Suffering. Most of us would stand in line to suffer like Phil has -- so that's a no.
Humbleness. Michael Jordan? The Lakers? Need I say more?
Reincarnation. He goes to sleep in Chicago on the down-swing and wakes up in LA on the up-swing? Buddha or not, a basketball god somewhere was smiling on him.
Nirvana. The state of absolute peace and bliss. Maybe that comes with winning those rings.
Beats me. The only thing I know about rings is you stand in front of a preacher to put one on, and you stand in front of a judge to take it off a few years later.
Yet there's another precept. Discipline. It appears Jackson forgot about that one, and, as the master, he surely didn't pass it along to his players. As long as he and they were winning, everything was hunky-dory, but when it came time to lose, the above mentioned suffering and humbleness went out the window.
As a clearly superior playoff team (the Dallas Mavericks) was completing their sweep of the Lakers, and winning by a large margin late in the game, Phil's boys reverted to goon-squad tactics. Namely, if you can't beat em, maim em.
Perhaps it's understandable that one player might do something stupid out of frustration, but to have another one resort to thuggery mere minutes later is inexcusable. There's only two ways that could happen. Either Phil sanctioned such behavior, or he had no control over his players. Neither one speaks well for a supposed "Zen Master". When it was over, Jackson came across with his usual aloof attitude, as if he is on some mental/spiritual level that us mortals will never comprehend. It's not working here.
Phil Jackson. Started out a champ. Now looks like a chump.
Some folks fret and stew this may be the last year Jackson coaches. I hope not, but for different reasons. Winning another ring is not one of them. It would be nice to see him come back for one more year. Maybe then, on a farewell tour, he can finally get the humbleness and discipline things right.
The suffering? That will never happen in Phil's world, but like Meatloaf once sang -- 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
(A couple hours later) Damn, almost forgot. It's Mother's day. Hope all the mothers and muthas had a great day today. Pretty sure I don't have to get into the differences. You know who you are......
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Osama bin Laden and Rashard Mendenhall
According to our federal government -- a few days ago, a Navy SEAL team killed Osama bin Laden. His body was supposedly taken aboard an aircraft carrier and buried at sea. Our President has said there will be no photographs. No body, no pix, no nothing -- except the word of the government that it happened. Think hard about that and draw your own conclusions.
That said, Rashard Mendenhall, a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also coming under some fire these days for something he twittered, or is that tweeted? Beats me. I've got better things to do with my life than be a slave to some fancy phone, just so I can monitor tweets and twits every 5 seconds. I don't really care what Dwyane Wade's first thought is when he gets out of bed, or what Lindsey Lohan had for dinner last night. But I digress.
Upon news of bin Laden's demise, this country went into celebration mode. From politicians chipping in their usual useless 2 cents worth, to John and Jane working stiff, a lot of people are happy.
Mendenhall took offense and said, in part, "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side....."
I totally agree with Rashard. Be it war, state-sponsored executions, or even those that may have harmed us from without, I see no reason to celebrate the death of another human being. Some are evil and rightfully deserve to be brought to justice, but taking a life should never be a reason to party.
Indeed, Mendenhall has other valid points. We've seen grainy videos of bin Laden over the years, supposedly from a cave -- and we now know how accurate that so-called intelligence was -- but the audio was over-dubbed with an english translation. What was he really saying? I don't know, and you don't either.
As far as only hearing one side, Mendenhall's right on the mark again. Ask yourself this.... How do we know what we think we know about such things? Reporters are hand-picked to attend high-level press conferences. What they hear and write about has already been filtered. Whether it's true, false, or spin, they get only the information the powers on high want them to have. Most will add their own little touches, whether on-line or in print; even that goes through an editor somewhere, where it may be altered again, and finally the public gets to see the end-product. How close is that to what really happened to begin with? Your guess is as good as mine.
In the meantime, we have no idea what the "other side" is saying. As an example, Hillary Clinton can trot around the globe demanding this or that. Are leaders of other countries taking her seriously, or merely humoring her to keep the "foreign aid" bucks coming, then laughing after she's gone? You and I don't know. Like Mendenhall said, we only get to hear one side. (A prediction. Now that Osama's supposedly gone, the American people need a new Public Enemy #1. Another bad guy we haven't even heard of yet will be coming your way soon)
Of course, upon becoming aware of Rashard's comments, Steelers' team president Art Rooney II had to issue a poltically correct response. He hadn't spoken with him, can't comprehend it, is proud of the military, blah, blah, blah. Like most of his ilk, when presented with a dilemma, they'll trot out the stars and stripes. It's just another typical PC gloss-over, waiting for the next news cycle, so this will go away. This comes from the same family that instituted the Rooney Rules, whereby mostly black teams playing in front of mostly white crowds, have to interview mostly black men when head coaching positions come open, while mostly white owners in the end get filthy rich(er).
I take pride in having never having been a PC wimp. That is for those that worry too much about what everybody else thinks, while being afraid to say the obvious, even if it offends people. There's always countless lies and spins for any situation, but there's only ever one truth, so why not just say it? Some people will like it and some won't, but it is what it is.
In that respect, if anybody out there knows how to forward this to Rashard Mendenhall, please do so. Tell him I salute him. He had enough guts to put an unpopular truth out there. Hatred, killings, and especially celebrating death, no matter who is involved, or for what reason, is not something to be proud of.
Justice is one thing.
Blood-lust for pure enjoyment is quite another.
That said, Rashard Mendenhall, a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also coming under some fire these days for something he twittered, or is that tweeted? Beats me. I've got better things to do with my life than be a slave to some fancy phone, just so I can monitor tweets and twits every 5 seconds. I don't really care what Dwyane Wade's first thought is when he gets out of bed, or what Lindsey Lohan had for dinner last night. But I digress.
Upon news of bin Laden's demise, this country went into celebration mode. From politicians chipping in their usual useless 2 cents worth, to John and Jane working stiff, a lot of people are happy.
Mendenhall took offense and said, in part, "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side....."
I totally agree with Rashard. Be it war, state-sponsored executions, or even those that may have harmed us from without, I see no reason to celebrate the death of another human being. Some are evil and rightfully deserve to be brought to justice, but taking a life should never be a reason to party.
Indeed, Mendenhall has other valid points. We've seen grainy videos of bin Laden over the years, supposedly from a cave -- and we now know how accurate that so-called intelligence was -- but the audio was over-dubbed with an english translation. What was he really saying? I don't know, and you don't either.
As far as only hearing one side, Mendenhall's right on the mark again. Ask yourself this.... How do we know what we think we know about such things? Reporters are hand-picked to attend high-level press conferences. What they hear and write about has already been filtered. Whether it's true, false, or spin, they get only the information the powers on high want them to have. Most will add their own little touches, whether on-line or in print; even that goes through an editor somewhere, where it may be altered again, and finally the public gets to see the end-product. How close is that to what really happened to begin with? Your guess is as good as mine.
In the meantime, we have no idea what the "other side" is saying. As an example, Hillary Clinton can trot around the globe demanding this or that. Are leaders of other countries taking her seriously, or merely humoring her to keep the "foreign aid" bucks coming, then laughing after she's gone? You and I don't know. Like Mendenhall said, we only get to hear one side. (A prediction. Now that Osama's supposedly gone, the American people need a new Public Enemy #1. Another bad guy we haven't even heard of yet will be coming your way soon)
Of course, upon becoming aware of Rashard's comments, Steelers' team president Art Rooney II had to issue a poltically correct response. He hadn't spoken with him, can't comprehend it, is proud of the military, blah, blah, blah. Like most of his ilk, when presented with a dilemma, they'll trot out the stars and stripes. It's just another typical PC gloss-over, waiting for the next news cycle, so this will go away. This comes from the same family that instituted the Rooney Rules, whereby mostly black teams playing in front of mostly white crowds, have to interview mostly black men when head coaching positions come open, while mostly white owners in the end get filthy rich(er).
I take pride in having never having been a PC wimp. That is for those that worry too much about what everybody else thinks, while being afraid to say the obvious, even if it offends people. There's always countless lies and spins for any situation, but there's only ever one truth, so why not just say it? Some people will like it and some won't, but it is what it is.
In that respect, if anybody out there knows how to forward this to Rashard Mendenhall, please do so. Tell him I salute him. He had enough guts to put an unpopular truth out there. Hatred, killings, and especially celebrating death, no matter who is involved, or for what reason, is not something to be proud of.
Justice is one thing.
Blood-lust for pure enjoyment is quite another.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Fords? Kick them to the the curb.
Technically, the Lions can't draft an owner, of course, but the existing one can be shunted aside. Look at what recently happened elsewhere.
Frank and Jamie McCourt, the owners of the LA Dodgers, got caught up in their own personal nasty divorce business. They neglected a once proud franchise to the point of making it a laughing stock, while living like royalty. Some of their expenditures, that are coming to light, were outrageous.
Enter Bud Selig, the Commissioner of major league baseball. Some people think Selig's had too many Buds, and is a bumbler. Not true. Citing a recent article by Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated -- Selig's been Commissioner for 19 years. During his tenure, MLB has expanded from 26 to 30 teams, the playoffs have expanded from 4 to 8 teams, the owners and players have had labor peace for 16 years, revenue sharing and drug testing have come about, and two-thirds of the teams have new or renovated stadiums. Translation? Don't underestimate this guy. The man gets things done.
He'd had enough of the McCourt fiasco, so he basically stepped in and took control of the franchise away from them. Who's in charge now, and whether that will hold up to legal challenges is unclear, but Selig did it anyway. We'll see how that plays out.
Which brings me back to the Lions. The "laughing stock" bit has been well documented for many years from objective people in the media to comedians, to talk-show hosts, and even syndicated columnists. NFL commissioners have come and gone in the last several decades, but none of them was willing to address the obvious. If ever there was a team that needed to be taken over by the league -- it's the Lions. And it has been for a long time.
Given the current player/owner stand-off, you may or may not approve of the policies and tactics of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but I dare say nobody thinks of him as a dummy. When this negotiation business is finally over, maybe he should consider kicking the Ford family to the curb, as far as running the Lions. After all, like the McCourts, they've been living like royalty, while their team has been in shambles. It only took Bud-man a year or two to drop the hammer on the McCourts. The Ford thing has been going on for almost HALF A CENTURY.
Consider: According to Oakland Press business editor/writer Joe Szczesny, the CEO of the Ford Motor Co. could make in excess of $300 million dollars this year. Throw in the "board" people, the presidents of this or that, the executive vice-presidents, the group vice-presidents, your everyday garden variety vice-presidents, and on down the corporate line at a few million here and stock options there, and the next thing you know, we're talking about serious money. The total team salary of the Lions was $122.9 million. Does this mean the CEO of Ford Motor Co. alone is worth two and a half times what all the football players are worth?
Maybe. At least the car company has trotted out some winners over the years since William Clay Ford bought the Lions in 1964. From luxury to style to horsepower, there was a wide selection. LTD's, Crown Vics, Mustangs, Mercs, Cougars, pick-up trucks, vans, etc. There was something for everybody. Ford is even a major player on the NASCAR circuit. They've provided motors, bodies and other parts for several race teams over the years. Mark Martin used to drive one of those cars. He was long in the tooth and his primary sponsor was Viagra. Somehow that deal petered out and he had to move on. But I digress.
The football team has been a never-ending production line of Yugos. As in, you go to the stadium and you go away poorer and disappointed. The Lions PR machine will put out a lot of spin, and some reporters will say things are looking up. Playoffs this year. The Super Bowl can't be far away. What they don't seem to comprehend is that all the readers and watchers aren't idiots. Some of us understand that they have to play up to these people, in order to maintain their access to the "inside" stuff. It would be nice to think that the majority of these folks know better, and their Stevie Wonder vision through Janis Joplin rose-tinted glasses is all a facade for show, but sometimes I wonder. Optimism is a good thing. Reality is better.
At any rate, it's time for the Commissioner to step up and put an end to this travesty. If Bud can sit in Milwaukee and pull it off in LA, then Roger can sit in NYC and pull it off in Detroit. He can call it "in the interest of the league". He can call it "by popular demand". He can even call Doctor Jack. Maybe he's got one more left in him.
Just make the call. Any call. Do something. The status quo is not acceptable any longer. Is that a roger, Roger?
Frank and Jamie McCourt, the owners of the LA Dodgers, got caught up in their own personal nasty divorce business. They neglected a once proud franchise to the point of making it a laughing stock, while living like royalty. Some of their expenditures, that are coming to light, were outrageous.
Enter Bud Selig, the Commissioner of major league baseball. Some people think Selig's had too many Buds, and is a bumbler. Not true. Citing a recent article by Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated -- Selig's been Commissioner for 19 years. During his tenure, MLB has expanded from 26 to 30 teams, the playoffs have expanded from 4 to 8 teams, the owners and players have had labor peace for 16 years, revenue sharing and drug testing have come about, and two-thirds of the teams have new or renovated stadiums. Translation? Don't underestimate this guy. The man gets things done.
He'd had enough of the McCourt fiasco, so he basically stepped in and took control of the franchise away from them. Who's in charge now, and whether that will hold up to legal challenges is unclear, but Selig did it anyway. We'll see how that plays out.
Which brings me back to the Lions. The "laughing stock" bit has been well documented for many years from objective people in the media to comedians, to talk-show hosts, and even syndicated columnists. NFL commissioners have come and gone in the last several decades, but none of them was willing to address the obvious. If ever there was a team that needed to be taken over by the league -- it's the Lions. And it has been for a long time.
Given the current player/owner stand-off, you may or may not approve of the policies and tactics of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but I dare say nobody thinks of him as a dummy. When this negotiation business is finally over, maybe he should consider kicking the Ford family to the curb, as far as running the Lions. After all, like the McCourts, they've been living like royalty, while their team has been in shambles. It only took Bud-man a year or two to drop the hammer on the McCourts. The Ford thing has been going on for almost HALF A CENTURY.
Consider: According to Oakland Press business editor/writer Joe Szczesny, the CEO of the Ford Motor Co. could make in excess of $300 million dollars this year. Throw in the "board" people, the presidents of this or that, the executive vice-presidents, the group vice-presidents, your everyday garden variety vice-presidents, and on down the corporate line at a few million here and stock options there, and the next thing you know, we're talking about serious money. The total team salary of the Lions was $122.9 million. Does this mean the CEO of Ford Motor Co. alone is worth two and a half times what all the football players are worth?
Maybe. At least the car company has trotted out some winners over the years since William Clay Ford bought the Lions in 1964. From luxury to style to horsepower, there was a wide selection. LTD's, Crown Vics, Mustangs, Mercs, Cougars, pick-up trucks, vans, etc. There was something for everybody. Ford is even a major player on the NASCAR circuit. They've provided motors, bodies and other parts for several race teams over the years. Mark Martin used to drive one of those cars. He was long in the tooth and his primary sponsor was Viagra. Somehow that deal petered out and he had to move on. But I digress.
The football team has been a never-ending production line of Yugos. As in, you go to the stadium and you go away poorer and disappointed. The Lions PR machine will put out a lot of spin, and some reporters will say things are looking up. Playoffs this year. The Super Bowl can't be far away. What they don't seem to comprehend is that all the readers and watchers aren't idiots. Some of us understand that they have to play up to these people, in order to maintain their access to the "inside" stuff. It would be nice to think that the majority of these folks know better, and their Stevie Wonder vision through Janis Joplin rose-tinted glasses is all a facade for show, but sometimes I wonder. Optimism is a good thing. Reality is better.
At any rate, it's time for the Commissioner to step up and put an end to this travesty. If Bud can sit in Milwaukee and pull it off in LA, then Roger can sit in NYC and pull it off in Detroit. He can call it "in the interest of the league". He can call it "by popular demand". He can even call Doctor Jack. Maybe he's got one more left in him.
Just make the call. Any call. Do something. The status quo is not acceptable any longer. Is that a roger, Roger?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Brrr. I feel a draft. Must be the Lions
Is the NFL draft over yet? It seems like it's been going on forever and, in some respects, it has. You name the newspaper reporter that covers pro football, or any of a seemingly endless supply of talking heads on TV, and they've been carrying on about this for weeks. In the end, all they accomplished was wasting a lot of trees and throwing out a few trillion worthless sound bytes, because they can no more predict how the draft will go than they can tell us if it's going to rain on any particular day 2 months from now.
They'll break down teams position by position, list their needs in order of importance, ask and answer their own questions, go into "character" issues, tell you how this or that guy fared at the NFL combine, recount their college careers, and probe into every other aspect they can find. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew how much money the tooth fairy normally left under their pillows. They have all the data, but there's just one problem. None of them have a clue how it will eventually play out. Mel Kiper would seem to be the poster child for this nonsense. Here's a guy that's probably made millions by knowing every statistic on every player and team, then predicting the order in which they will get drafted -- by who -- and why. Thing is -- I can't remember him ever getting anything right. I wonder if he's related to Matt Millen somehow.....
Which brings me to the Lions. You name the position (and yes, that includes quarterback -- (if he can't play, what good is he?) other than defensive linemen, and they need help. So what do they draft with their first pick? A defensive lineman. Only the Lions could come up with a pearl of wisdom like that. That's like the Red Wings having 4 goalies, the Tigers having 4 catchers, or the Pistons having 4 point guards. They might all be very good players, but they can't all participate at the same time, which in turn weakens the team elsewhere.
There's a better way to go about this business.
First, the Lions need to draft an owner. Can't be done, you say? Wrong. There's a way. More about that next time.
They'll break down teams position by position, list their needs in order of importance, ask and answer their own questions, go into "character" issues, tell you how this or that guy fared at the NFL combine, recount their college careers, and probe into every other aspect they can find. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew how much money the tooth fairy normally left under their pillows. They have all the data, but there's just one problem. None of them have a clue how it will eventually play out. Mel Kiper would seem to be the poster child for this nonsense. Here's a guy that's probably made millions by knowing every statistic on every player and team, then predicting the order in which they will get drafted -- by who -- and why. Thing is -- I can't remember him ever getting anything right. I wonder if he's related to Matt Millen somehow.....
Which brings me to the Lions. You name the position (and yes, that includes quarterback -- (if he can't play, what good is he?) other than defensive linemen, and they need help. So what do they draft with their first pick? A defensive lineman. Only the Lions could come up with a pearl of wisdom like that. That's like the Red Wings having 4 goalies, the Tigers having 4 catchers, or the Pistons having 4 point guards. They might all be very good players, but they can't all participate at the same time, which in turn weakens the team elsewhere.
There's a better way to go about this business.
First, the Lions need to draft an owner. Can't be done, you say? Wrong. There's a way. More about that next time.
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