Why I prefer Russians

Yeah, I know. The college and NFL football seasons have kicked off, the baseball playoffs are coming up, and NASCAR's "chase" has started. Hockey and maybe basketball are on deck. So with all this going on in America -- why would anybody in their right mind be thinking about Russians?

Because we need more of them here to set examples in the sports world. Anti-American and outrageous you say? I don't think so.

Consider: When's the last time you heard of a Russian athlete coming to North America to make a living and play a sport at it's highest levels -- and getting in trouble? You haven't. There's no alleged wife or girlfriend beatings, no late night "club" incidents, no dog fighting, no guns, no association with people that may or may not have committed a violent act, no drugs, no steroids and, last time I looked, people like Pavel Datsyuk didn't have a "posse".

The Russians don't talk smack to the media and public after they had a good game. Quite the contrary. They quietly go back to work getting ready for the next one. Stupid commercials, like Deion Sanders becoming a fairy to hawk a product for a few bucks? Russians have far more dignity than that. Ever heard of a Russian athlete holding out for more money while under an existing contract? I doubt it. A deal is a deal, and they honor it.

While the powers that be have been busy since WWII trying to pit Americans against Russians, and had a great deal of success doing so over the decades -- the people here and the people there are pretty much the same. (I can remember in grade school going through a drill, whereby we'd have to line up in the hallway and sit down with our heads between our knees in case of nuclear attack. In hindsight, it was ludicrous, of course, and just meant to cause fear and hatred.) There's a few rich ones, a lot more poor ones, crime and corruption. Politicians and others on both sides have exploited this to their own advantage. The US refused to play in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 because the USSR had invaded Afghanistan. The Soviets returned the favor in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Athletes on both sides that had trained since childhood just to have a once in a lifetime chance of participating in the Olympics -- were denied. Fast forward a few years and the US is the occupying force in Afghanistan and looking for a way out that won't cause a loss of face. The militaries have changed, but Afghanistan is still Afghanistan. Nevermind the countless thousands that have been killed or maimed in the process. It's crazy, if you think about it. But I digress.

I think maybe the Beatles had it right a long time ago.

Well, the Ukraine girls really knock me out.........
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout.

Take me to your daddy's farm.
Let me hear your balalaikas ringing out.......

But mostly --

Come and keep your comrade warm........
I'm back in the US--

Yep, that's it.

But while I'm here, when it comes to class, give me Pavel over Deion any day.

Does Russia churn out world-class athletes?  Da.

Would any of them ever turn themselves into Tinkerbell for a few bucks?  Nyet.

Quick Hits and maybe a break

I might have to take a break from the usual nonsense presented here for a while. I bought a new computer and am having a helluva time transferring programs, files, data, etc, from the old one. To boot, the old monitor I'm looking at now is fading fast and I can barely read it any more. Typing semi-blind has it's disadvantages. How are you supposed to proofread something you can hardly see?

At any rate, a couple parting thoughts----

Why is it that ChiSox manager Ozzie Guillen got "released" from his contract when every other manager gets "fired"?
Why is it that players from other countries, notably Russia and Japan,  can come to America not knowing a word of English, and within a couple years speak it semi-fluently, but after 3 or 4 decades Ozzie is still spouting the same gibberish?
The Detroit Tigers?  They're one out of 8 teams with a seat at the Final Table. I give them the very same 1 chance in 8 of being World Series champs. You never know what's in the cards.
Why is it the Oakland Press features extensive daily coverage of high school athletics in print, when all the kids are on-line anyway --  leaving the old-timers (not on-line)  that go fetch their paper every morning, and who could care less about prep coverage, little to read in the sports section? It seems backwards somehow. The people that actually buy the paper are complaining, but nobody seems to be listening.
The Detroit Lions? For reasons I explained in an earlier post about a month ago, I don't root for them or against them. Wake me up when they get to the Super Bowl and maybe I'll pay attention. Until then -- apathy.
Given the Detroit Pistons, does anybody around here really care if the season starts on time or, for that matter, is played at all?
Hi to CC, Deb, Dawn, Stoner, N&R if you're still there, cuz, Cat, and whoever else has tolerated my rants. Thanks, and catch up with ya later -- I hope.

Kobe Bryant

Nobody seems to be paying attention anyway, but the NBA is still in lock-out mode. The owners and the players union have dug in, won't budge on a couple major issues, and appear to be nowhere near a settlement.

Some players, notably Kobe Bryant, as if he needs the money, are looking to play elsewhere. Italy, China, and Russia have been mentioned as possible destinations for him to take his talent.

Respectively:

I suppose pasta is a good thing, with the carb-loading and all, and the women are beautiful, unless one disrespects them, and then such an offender better hope that lady doesn't have brothers with crooked noses named Dominic and Rocco. That could get ugly -- quickly.

China has a booming economy. They have lots of bucks that Americans USED to have. Kobe could do well there, as long as he doesn't mind being "shadowed" every place he goes. That has nothing to do with adoring fans. Kobe may or may not be allowed to bring along his entourage, or "posse", but it wouldn't matter anyway. If there's one thing nobody disputes about China -- it's they have some serious manpower.

Russia? Kobe was always known for keeping his composure and rising to the occasion on the basketball court when the game was on the line. I wonder how cool he'll be when he's rising into the skies on some of those Russian airplanes carrying him across a few time zones from game to game that, by the way, have had this nasty little habit of crashing lately. Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated perhaps said it best.  "The money is green, but the knuckles are white".

I've never much cared for Kobe Bryant, but I wish him well in his endeavors.

Besides, no matter how outrageous he could be from time to time, Kobe never even approached the world-class guys in that sort of behavior.

It seems we have a US Congressman that is against rich people paying more taxes, because he can barely afford to feed his family on the paltry $400,000 he now makes a year. Now THAT'S outrageous.

Unless he has upwards of 50 children, I'm not buying that argument. Of course, that would never be allowed to happen in China these days. It's pretty much one and done.

Maybe we should give Kobe his job in Congress, and send that uppety schmuck politician over to China for an attitude adjustment.

Just a thought.

The Detroit Lions and being pregnant

I'll admit, I didn't do my homework on this one. I don't know why, other than it was just one of those days. Stuff going on here, stuff going on there, and I just didn't feel like researching a bunch of stats. So I'm winging it from memory. If I get something wrong, email the sports editor. If that doesn't work, try the executive editor, the publisher, or the chairman of the board. If that still doesn't work, get hold of your congressperson, the President, the Pope, God, or even Charlie Sheen. I don't care. It's been one of those days.

That said, the Lions are 2-0 after getting by Tampa Bay on the road and blistering KC at home. What are we already hearing? Some of their receivers are working on their end zone touchdown dances in practice. Gimme a break.

Here's where the memory part comes in. Back in the 90's, after the Lions had a similar start to a season, they had adopted the Queen song "Another one bites the dust". The late Freddie Mercury  blared from the speakers at the Silverdome at a bazillion decibels. Barry Sanders was running wild. Al "Bubba" Baker was sacking opposing quarterbacks. Head coach Wayne Fontes was known for his big smile, big cigars, and cruising around in a golf cart. It was discovered later that a starting safety for the Lions, who had the nickname "Spider", seemed to be on some sort of mission to impregnate as many women as he could.

I don't know whatever happened to the original Spiderman, but I would imagine with him being a high profile athlete and making a lot of bucks --- when those babies started popping out, the mamas probably came-a-calling for some dough. Spiders might be mysterious creatures that can spin a lot of webs, 8 legs and all, but good luck with that with the Friend of the Court in Oakland County, even back then.

That team started off 4-0, and the fans were delirious with joy. Even though the Silverdome had a seating capacity of about 75,000, ridiculous by today's stadium standards, Lions' tickets weren't that easy to get. Of course, the prices of those tickets, parking, concessions, souvenirs, etc, went up like a helium baloon, but fans snapped all that stuff up anyway.

Then, guess what? The balloon popped. The Lions took a serious nosedive and didn't even make the playoffs that year. The only ones that bit the dust in the end was them.

Fast forward a few years. Freddie Mercury died of AIDS. The Lions hired Matt Millen.

Now, they're 2-0, and they're talking about dance routines. This is not only arrogant, it's stupid. Worse yet, the local media has picked up on it and is fanning the flames. I can maybe understand the younger football players, who rightfully don't care about what happened in the past, getting all geeked up, because they don't know any better.

I can even excuse the kool-aided local reporters, because they desperately want to write about a winning team.

But shame on you if you're a fan that goes back a ways. YOU should know better.

Oh well. Stranger things have been known to occur. Maybe they'll go to the Super Bowl. For that matter, maybe I'll be sitting at a desk in the Oval Office at that time. Let's just say I wouldn't bet on either.

However it plays out -- look at the bright side.

It beats getting knocked up by a spider.









 

All hail the Chrome Cowboy

Who do you think are the hardest-core NFL fans? Raider Nation out in Oakland? Their owner, Al Davis says. "Just win, baby", and he doesn't appear to care much how. Those folks can get pretty rowdy. Pittsburgh Steeler fans have their "terrible towels", and up in Green Bay they wear cheese on their heads. Of course, in Green Bay, they don't have much else going on, but I always did wonder -- for a team that's supposedly owned by the fans --  who hires and fires the front-office personnel anyway? Beats me.

Yet you can combine all the above, liquor them up, and even give them some serious steroids, but there's one guy that puts them all to shame.

His name is Mel, and he's a close friend of mine. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I actually have a few friends. Mel and I first crossed pathes many years ago in, of all places, a campground just north of Daytona where we both found ourselves for Bike Week.

He was born in New York and got moved to southern California as a military brat. Mel did his own armed services stint where he got moved around a lot more, but eventually drifted back to NYC, got married, established a business, and settled down.

Mel became a hard-core Jets fan. He well remembers Joe "Willy" Namath, and not only his famous prediction that the Jets would beat Johnny Unitas and the mighty Colts, which as we all know happened, but also the flap about Namath wearing panty hose to stay warm.

Back to Daytona, same campground, the following year. Mel had this Harley that was unbelievable. You name the accessory or the piece of chrome that was available from Harley-Davidson, and that bike had it. Depending on the angle of the sun and which way you approached it, it could be blinding to look at. There were always bike contests that Mel would enter, and he'd always win a trophy. Near as I could figure, the judges must have worn welder helmets to even look at it.

Somwhere in that time frame, while Mel was going through more chrome polish than the rest of us were gasoline, he got tagged with the name Chrome Cowboy. I can't remember for sure if I'm the one that came up with it or not, but I was there. For any of Mel's friends that may read this, you now know his true identity.

Back to Brooklyn a few years later. Though he's seen a lot of years, coaches, and players come and go, Mel's even more entrenched as a Jet fan. The Big D involving marriage rears it's ugly head, so he retires and moves to Florida. At that, Mel still makes occasional pilgrimages back to his old neighborhood, but perhaps for different reasons than you might expect.

Having bounced around Florida here and there for a few years, you'd think Mel would forget about some NY team that actually plays in New Jersey, and develop a loyalty for a team closer to where he now lives. You would be wrong. He's even more hard-core. When the Jets beat the Cowboys on 9/11, I most definitely heard about it. There were the media accounts, and then there was Mel. He's still celebrating.

Rex Ryan is his hero, and he can't wait until playoff time for another crack at the Steelers, the Brady bunch up in Foxborough, Manning Schmanning, or whoever else gets in the way. Anybody coming out of the NFC doesn't matter. That's a mere formality in the Super Bowl.

Is he right? Hard to say. Here's what I know for sure ----

Like Jim Croce once sang ---

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit in the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and
You don't mess around with........ Mel

At least not when the Jets are playing.

One last thing. Joe Namath didn't leave a lasting legacy with the panty hose bit. That came and went. However, if Mel were to prance around in them at certain locations we both know about in Florida during Bike Week, that would be forever. This is not recommended. Joe Willy lived through it. The Chrome Cowboy might not.

Love ya, bro.

Enough with the jerseys already

From Oregon to Maryland, athletic jerseys have been a hot topic lately. Some are "approved" by the media, while others are mocked. Yours truly says everybody seems to be missing a more important point. There's a way to end all this nonsense. Stop paying so much for shoes. I'll get back to that.

It used to be that college football teams had 2 sets of jerseys. One was white and the other featured the predominant color(s) of the school. To boot, they had one set of helmets, one set of pants, one set of socks, and  2 sets of shoes. One for grass and one for turf. Not any more..

These days universities, supposedly places where young people go to obtain higher knowledge, somehow see the wisdom in spending mega-bucks on team wardrobes. Their fiscal policy iis not my idea of what should be taught in Economics 101, let alone graduate school. Of course, many of the players that wear this stuff probably never learn to even spell  "graduate", let alone actually do so, but that's a separate matter.

Nowadays, it's all about fashion statements and/or keeping up with the proverbial Jones'es. If the University of Henry  trots out new uniforms, you can bet Henry State won't be far behind. There's throw-back uniforms, legacy uniforms, and besides the old home/road uniforms, many schools have seen fit to add a few different colors for "special occasions". In some cases this will include a different set of helmets, socks, etc, as mentioned above. And cleats? I wouldn't be surprised if the larger programs had 8-10 different varieties for various conditions.

With the possible exception of the footwear, none of this stuff really matters on the field of play. Different uniforms and helmets arem't going to make the players any bigger, stronger, faster, or smarter than they were before. All this gear isn't exactly free. Somebody has to pay for it. Guess what? It's you.

I could make an argument about higher ticket prices, concessions, and even student tuition, but it wouldn't hold water. That's because people paying attention would counter with, "You're crazy, Leach. Nike pays big bucks to these universities to put their "swoosh" on everything, and they provide that equipment for free".

Personally, I don't know how that works but, at best, it's a half-truth. While certain athletic apparel companies seem to dominate the landscape, check the labels on the inside of the goods. Chances are, you'll see Made in China. Or Korea. Or Taiwan. Or some other Asian country. Unless these companies want to run afoul of federal regulations, that's the one little detail they can't get around.

It's no longer a big secret that the people actually manufacturing these products typically work in long-hour sweat shops churning out thousands of these products every day. If they're lucky, they make enough money to feed themselves and their families. It beats starving, but that doesn't make it right..

So let's put the pieces of the puzzle together. Our student athletes get the flavor of the month when it comes to athletic wear. Universities get paid big bucks to put a company's logo on all this stuff. Perhaps that company even throws in the goods for free. It's a win-win-win, right?

Not quite. Again, there's a reason these companies are manufacturing overseas. There's no child labor laws, let alone a minimum wage. Between material, labor, and bulk shipping costs, I'm guessing they might have $5 invested  in a particular item that you will fork over a couple C-notes for to buy off the shelf. Even if you don't care about foreign kids being cruelly used and abused -- there's profit, and then there's obscene profit..

How do you think these companies can afford to give all this stuff away? It's because you're subsidizing it. Here's a challenge. Go try and buy a pair of tennis shoes that are made in America. Last time I tried a few years back, I looked at a huge display and told the clerk I wanted a brand made in the USA. She didn't know if they had any. So I checked the tag on every single display shoe. There was only one, almost hidden up in the corner. The brand was Saucony, which was located in Maine. I think they've since gone out of business. Guess that'll teach them to pay a decent wage.

At any rate, this all started about jerseys. While the pundits debate the pros and cons of the latest "creations", at it's roots, they don't seem to realize it's just so unnecessary and a colossal waste of money.

And that point I was going to get back to? Sure, everybody needs sneakers/tennis shoes. I get that. None made in America anymore? Sadly, I get that too.

But when you buy them, just get the cheapest ones available. Chances are, you're not a world-class marathon runner or an NBA star. You don't need top-of-the-line stuff. Hell, they're going to wear out in a year anyway.

However, for those of you that insist on having the latest and greatest when it comes to foam, gel, lift, custom stitching, all the other whistles and bells, and don't care about the price, I hear the swooshers have a product coming out soon that should be right up your alley.

For the meager price of about $300 you can own a pair of these beauties.

Not sure, but rumor has it they may be called "Air Heads".

Personally, if anybody out there has a pair of Keds or All-Stars in a size 11 -- call me.

By the way, take another look around. The only state this uniform madness doesn't seem to be happening in is -- yep -- you guessed it -- New Jersey. If you figure that one out, bring along the Keds and a new stylus for my Marantz turntable and we'll do some serious negotiating.


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Novak Djokovic. Know when to hold em, fold em, or walk away.

Pro tennis keeps changing it's dominant players and personalities. Lately, Novak Djokovic, a Serb, is "the man". A 64-2 match record with 10 tournament titles, including 3 of the 4 "majors" this year?  That's about as dominant as it gets.

He's the best thing since Rafael Nadal, who was the best thing since Roger Federer, who was the best thing since Pete Sampras, who might have been the best thing since, hmmm, maybe John McEnroe back in the 80's. Johnny Mac was known to throw temper tantrums on the court when things weren't going his way. He'd whine and cry like a spoiled 4th grader while verbally abusing line judges and especially the umpire sitting up in the chair at mid-court. Though he was a terrific player, that behavior was childish, and sometimes even embarrassing.

I sure am glad today's players like Serena Williams don't do any things like that any more. Hmmm. Come to think of it, maybe things haven't changed that much after all..

At any rate, Djokovic has a serious flaw in his game plan. No, it's not on the court. He doesn't appear to have any weaknesses there.

After swatting Nadal like a mosquito to win the US Open in NY, he double-faulted on another front.

First, before he hopped on a plane back to his adoring fans in Serbia, he got suckered into appearing on the same stage as Regis Philbin. The former "who wants to be a millionaire" host. The guy that has set the all-time record for most hours logged on TV. Notre Dame's version of Don Rickles and Robin Williams combined into one body on steroids.. Yeah, THAT guy. Bad idea. I'm surprised Regis didn't pick up on his initials and refer to his (Regis') alma mater.

Then he tried to dance with Kelly, or Kathy, or Katie, or whatever her name is. Worse idea.

Don't get me wrong. I'm rooting for Djokovic and hope he goes on to win a lot more tournaments for many years to come. He seems to be a class guy, and when he's not playing tennis, word has it he's quite the partier, especially in his homeland. You have to like that combination.

But I think he should forget about Regis and Katrina or whatever next time and save his moves for the tennis court.

I missed Letterman's show last night. Please tell me Novak didn't wind up reading the Top Ten list.

He won the title, the trophy, the big bucks, and he shouldn't keep messing around in a country that's chock full of people waiting to exploit him. In the words of Horace Greeley -- go east, young man.

Or something like that.










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