Sunday, May 30, 2010

Rush - You Magnificent Bastard! I Read Your Book!

I should amend the title to this post because it wasn't really Rush's book I read but instead Zev Chafets'Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One.

Jet me say off the top that I do listen to Rush Limbaugh but I'd consider myself far from being a ditto-head. I also listen to NPR and sports talk radio but would equally hate to be labeled as a fan of either of those mediums either. I listen to Rush because he entertains and informs. Agree or disagree with him - Rush makes you think. When he doesn't entertain or inform - I turn the channel. Seeing as he's been #1 in his slot for so long - I'm guessing that millions find him entertaining enough not to turn the channel.

Reading the biography of Rush I was both struck and pleased by the fact that Rush is first and foremost a businessman. Not an entertainer as many who would try to minimize him would have you believe. Not an ideologue as the most ardent ditto-head would have you believe either. No Rush is something else.

Joseph Campbell famously espoused that people should follow their bliss in life in order to find the job or path that was right for them. Rush always wanted to be successful as a radio personality. And he has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Chafets artfully explains this journey in the book.

That's not to infer in any way that Rush does not believe in the things he speaks about on the radio. To paraphrase another old saying, Rush is true not just to his own self but also to that of his father and Ronald Reagan. I would also not try to minimize the impact Rush Limbaugh has had on politics in this country. The political history of the past 30 years could not be written without including chapters on Rush Limbaugh.

None of that explains his success though. My belief is that Rush has been successful because he not only believes in what he's saying but he has fun saying it. So much fun that you get caught up in his point of view and his way of expressing that view. And make no mistake - his is a man's man's point of view.

One stat jumped out at me - Rush's audience are 72% male while Bill O'Reilly's is just 53%. It occurred to me that the same could be said of the men themselves. Rush seems like he's more than 70% real man - interested in football, golf, cigars some sexual innuendo and people making it in this country by the sweat of their own brow. Those things interest me. Bill O'Reilly just doesn't cut if for me. Sorry - I could be 100% wrong but Bill O'Reilly gives me the gut feeling that he secretly tapes Oprah.

The book takes the reader all the way up to the present day and no issue is left out. His hearing loss, his drug addiction and his failure to buy an NFL team are all dealt with factually and evenly.

Reading the book I was reminded of Lance Armstrong who took a medium/sport with low expectations and viewer penetration to unprecedented heights - just as Rush saved AM radio. Older champions took their shots at the new champions - Larry King at Rush and Greg Lemond at Lance. Both famously overcame physical maladies that would have been career ending in lesser mortals (deafness in Limbaugh and cancer for Armstrong). And both have been dogged by the drug issue.

Maybe the most surprising thing gleamed from the book was the idea of Rush getting into politics at 35. It was like learning that Jacques Cousteau didn't lean to swim until he was 40. I heartily recommend the book.

Dennis Hopper 1936-2010


The video at the end of this post captures the Dennis Hopper I knew very well (video probably NSFW). And by the "the Dennis Hopper I knew" - I mean the crazy jazz-dialogue guy he portrayed on screen.
The Worcester - Philadelphia Perfect Game Connection

Philadephia Phillie Roy Halladay pitched a perfect game last night. It was the 20th perfect game in major league baseball history. The first was pitched in June of 1880 by John Lee Richmond of the Worcester (MA) Ruby Legs. This isn't where the connection to last night's gem ends though. The National League dropped the Worcester team in 1882 and added the Philadephia Quakers in 1883 to take their place. The Quakers were later renamed the Phillies.

The circle is complete.
Kendry Morales and Mike Lowell

Yesterday's freak injury to the Angels' Kendry Morales may set of a chain reaction that will result in Mike Lowell being traded by the Red Sox. Mike Lowell wants to be traded someplace where he can play. The Red Sox want to trade Lowell and almost had a deal done with Texas for catcher Max Ramirez before an injury to Lowell's right thumb put the kibosh on the deal.

The Angels suddenly find themselves in dire need of a 1st baseman. Do you think that they haven't already called the Red Sox about Mike Lowell? Since the Red Sox have shown a penchant for trading for players named Ramirez - how about catching prospect Carlos Ramirez from the Angels?

Knowing that the Angels may be desperate may spur the Rangers to get back on the trade horse in order to beat their Californian competitor to the punch. This may also get others into the mix.

The bottom line is that I'd be surprised if Mike Lowell is still with the Red Sox this time next week.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Why So Few Medals of Honor?

This post at NRO about the minimal number of Medals of Honor being awarded in Iraq and Afghanistan is a must read.

After reading that post - I immediately thought about the heroism of Brian Chontosh. Read what Chontosh did and ask yourself why he wasn't awarded a Medal of Honor.

Where do we find such men? And why aren't we properly recognizing their heroism?
Message Boards vs Twitter

I used to follow things on a few different message boards. These are mostly sports oriented sites and not only did I read the threads - I also started my share of threads and contributed my fair share of posts. Now I find I hardly participate on these message boards anymore (on one I stopped posting altogether). There are a number reasons why this happened but it occurred to me this morning that a main reason is Twitter.

If you think of it - Twitter is basically a gigantic message board but you specifically follow only those who you want to follow. Unlike a message board where any moron with an opinion can clog up an otherwise interesting thread. The 140 character limit of Twitter also combines two of the characteristics of good posts - interesting and to the point. People you chose to follow must be interesting (or else you un-follow them) and the 140 character limit insures things are to the point. If additional info in needed or helpful then part of those 140 characters can be used for a hyperlink.

It's also not that I did this consciously - it's just that I only have so much time. Following things on Twitter took priority from the start. The more I followed Twitter - the less I was interested in the message boards. It also seemed that I wasn't alone as suddenly many of the posters on the message boards that I found interesting were suddenly posting less and less. I think Twitter was in large part responsible.

I wonder if anyone else has had this change in habits due to Twitter? Also as a reminder - keep following me here but also you can follow me on Twitter - @ALargeRegular.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Linky Links

Some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- How bad has Javy Vazquez been for the Yankees?

- Excellent column by Joe Posnanski on heroes

- Heh heh - Lesbians who Look like Justin Bieber

- Blend a Cigar in Five (Not So) Simple Steps

- Top 15 Greatest Drinking Quotes
Distractions

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record in the league this year but lost to the Celtics in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Not to take anything away from the Celtics but I think the distraction of LeBron James' impending free agency cost the Cavaliers dearly. All the players were constantly asked about it and the Boston fans even mocked the team with chants of "New York Knicks" and "Lebron is leaving".

When the Cavaliers lost I couldn't help but think of the 1978 New England Patriots. They had one of the best teams in the history of the Patriots with 5 All-Pro's including running back Sam Cunningham, tight end Russ Francis, linemen John Hannah and Leon Gray plus cornerback Mike Haynes. A young Steve Grogan led the team on offense and a young Steve Nelson led the team on defense. This was a Super Bowl caliber team but a team that lost in the first round of the playoffs mainly because the team was distracted by the contract status of head coach Chuck Fairbanks who had agreed to become the head coach of the University of Colorado after the season. I clearly remember the first round game against Houston and how distracted the whole team seemed and played. If Chuck Fairbanks waited till after the season to sign a contract then I really believe that 1978 team easily could have won the Super Bowl.

I mention this now because I see the same distractor-factor building in Los Angeles with Phil Jackson and the Lakers. Suddenly the Lakers are in a tough fight against the Suns and it can be argued that Jackson has been out-coached. If the Lakers lose to the Suns look for the distraction angle to be played up in both the local and national media. If the Lakers make it past the Suns then look for the distraction of Phil Jackson's contract status to become an even bigger story.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Vince Carter is a big money player who is not a money player in crunch time. What are the odds that Vince Carter sits out game 5 against the Celtics with a migraine? I know that's ridiculous but honestly would it be surprising?... Antarctica's "bleeding" glacier... I did not know that! According to Mental Floss, "Before they settled on 'Magic,' names suggested for Orlando’s NBA franchise included Juice, Orbits, Challengers and Aquamen"... I don't always agree with Penn Gillette but I salute his honesty of argument and the solidness in which he tries to base his own personal views... I thought this was funny. I watched it over and over... Am I the only one waiting for the NASCAR headline that reads "Danica Patrick on Pole"? And it meaning what you hope it means?... Just for the record - I haven't seen a single episode of Lost and have no desire to. Ditto for the show 24.... Kevin Garnett explains Lost to Big Baby...

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Jose Lima Closing Time



Jose Lima died of a heart attack. He was 37.

In the past I've looked for almost any excuse to post the above picture of Jose and his then wife Melissa (for obvious reasons). You'll hear plenty of players reminiscing about how great a guy Jose was and that's fine. What will stick with me is the fact that after he divorced Melissa he got remarried and did not pay his child support. Dead beat dad.

At least now he won't be giving anyone else genital herpes.

For the record - Lima was 89-102 with a 5.26 ERA. For that he was paid over $24 million in his career. Which I guess was not enough money for him to be able to afford to pay child support.
Insane Hail Storm



HT Good Morning Silicon Valley
Into the Wild

Into the Wild is a book written by Jon Krakauer and first published in 1996. That means that this review isn't exactly what you would call "timely".

I picked up the book because my daughter had been assigned it by her high school English teacher. The next book she was assigned was Catcher in the Rye which makes me wonder if the teacher is aiming at cultivating a subversive streak in his students.

Into the Wild is a story of Chris McCandless who changed his name to Alexander Supertramp and went into the wilds of Alaska in an attempt to live off the land for a few months. This experiment cost McCandless his life. The book tries to explain who McCandless was and why he would attempt such a feat.

What has struck a chord with people and what allowed this book to become first a best-seller and then a "major motion picture" was the story of a young man trying to find himself and bring meaning to his existence. What made McCandless worth writing about was that he died trying to gain that enlightenment. To paraphrase Rick from Casablanca, "Yesterday Chris McCandless was just another kid enjoying the freedom of the road. Today he's the honored dead."

Should he really be honored though? McCandless in many ways brought his demise upon himself. He did not have the proper maps or equipment which could have easily allowed him to survive his trek into the wilderness. His hubris cost him his life. Is that commendable or worthy of emulation? McCandless wanted to be a rock, an island upon himself but a well read kid like McCandless should have known that no man is an island. This is a lesson McCandless seems to have learned. Very near his death he noted that true happiness is something that can only exist if it can be shared.

Overall the book was a good read. Not too taxing (as befits a book that is assigned to high school readers). The book gave me a greater appreciation of our abundance of food and the freedom it allows us. Instead of gathering or tracking food for most of the day - people are free to accomplish higher things like reading, writing, inventing or watching sports on TV. The book reminded me of Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge but whereas Larry Darrell's search for meaning was sparked by his war experiences and had him reach enlightenment on a mountain in Tibet - Chris McCandless' spark seems to have been daddy issues and his result was death by starvation.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So Roy Oswalt has asked for a trade? Seeing how he makes $15 million this year and will make $16 million in 2011 with a club option for another $16 million in 2012 - a team would not only have to be in a position to go to the playoffs but also have large amounts of cash available to afford him. What teams fit that profile?... Makes perfect sense to me... The Yankees would be an obvious candidate to trade for Oswalt. He could easily take Javier Vazquez's spot in the rotation and his contract wouldn't really make a dent in the Yankee bank account. The question is whether the Yankees have the prospects the Astros would want in return... A list of unusual words. I had pretty much not heard of any of these words. I may be up for some abligurition today. If there are some pretty girls maybe even engage in some apodyopsis. Yup - major abligurition and apodyopsis... A real Iron Man suit. I want one!...
Linky Links

Some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- 7 Famous People Who Were Unemployed Before They Got Their Big Break

- House Passes Beer Resolution

- Interesting - Wall Street and poker skills

- I thought this was amusing

- Underwater footage confirms that thresher sharks stun prey with their massive tails

Friday, May 21, 2010

Top 5 - Celtics Starting 5 and their Celtics Past Counterparts

The other day Chad Finn of the Boston Globe mentioned how Kendrick Perkins reminded him of former Celtics great Paul Silas. Not only do I agree with that comparison - it got me thinking of what past Celtic great matches up with each of the current starting 5.

1. Rajon Rondo - this to me is the easiest of the bunch. Rondo has always reminded me of Tiny Archibald.

2. Ray Allen - I'm going with Dennis Johnson for this comparison. Both players were not only traded to the Celtics but also both players made their NBA names playing for Seattle. Both players brought a veteran presence and acted as examples for the younger players to emulate. Similarities in their jump shots? Not so much.

3. Paul Pierce - this may be a bit of a stretch but when I think of who Paul Pierce most reminds me of it's John Havlicek. Both were top picks of the Celtics, never played for any other team, about the same height and weight and both never really received the recognition for their scoring ability. Havlicek averaged 20.8 points per game in his career while Pierce is currently at 22.5 points per game. Is it really a stretch to think Pierce may wind up his career at 20.8?

4. Kevin Garnett - KG reminds me of a cross between Dave Cowens and Bill Russell. He has the athletic ability and nimbleness of Russell and the intensity of Cowens. That's high praise for Mr. Garnett.

5. Kendrick Perkins - Paul Silas.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Dear ESPN

Dear ESPN,

I don't write these types of letters in general but I have something to ask of you and frankly I think I deserve to be heard.

I am your target demographic. I'm male, a sports nut and I make a pretty good living (your advertisers should love me). I am a devoted ESPN watcher. I haven't complained when you week after week forced upon the viewing public the brain dead ramblings of Joe Morgan or John Kruk during baseball broadcasts or on Baseball Tonight. I've defended Chris Berman even though he's become the Bozo the Clown of NFL analysis. I was disgusted yet silent when you foisted screaming Stephen A. Smith upon the viewing public. For the most part I've remained silent and loyal in my viewing habits.

But now I want something. I want you to force Stu Scott to wear a monocle.

I know it may sound strange but that's what I want.

Stu Scott is an embarrassment as sports reporter and now I'll be forced to endure large doses of his inflated ego because I'll be sure to watch every moment of the NBA Finals. I don't ask much and I don't ask often - I want you to make Stu Scott wear a monocle.

Most ESPN fans know that Stu Scott has a glass eye. For some reason it bothers me when I see him on-air wearing glasses. Only one of his eyes needs a corrective lens. A monocle would do several things; provide that corrective lens for the eye that needs it, let us the viewer know for certain which eye is the real one and maybe most importantly - humble Stu Scott. Perhaps looking like Colonel Klink on air will help keep Stu Scott from letting his mouth and ego run amok. I really want this.

I want you to force Stu Scott to wear a monocle.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Chris Lynch

EDIT: I wrote this two years ago but I still feel the same way. Please ESPN - make it happen

Monday, May 17, 2010

Linky Links

Some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- I would definitely vote for this guy if I lived in Alabama (maybe the best political ad I've ever seen)

- Wow - just wow! Where do we find such men?

- Funny beer commercial

- Cool - lost TV pilots

- Amazing Japanese water fountain

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Boston Bruins

The Bruins lost a heart-breaking 4-3 game 7 to the Philadelphia Flyers last night. When I say "heart-breaking" I mean for Bruins fans. I really don't count myself as one. I used to be able to name every player on the Bruins roster and used to watch every single game but my support for them waned when they trotted out the excuse that they wouldn't pay any player more than Ray Bourque because it would be an insult to Bourque and then had to trade Bourque to give him a chance to play with a championship team. My waning support disappeared when they traded Joe Thorton to San Jose. I even tried to cancel my subscription to NESN when that happened.

So last night I did check in on the game between innings of the Red Sox but today I'm not broken-hearted or even mildly upset. The Bruins always disappoint the fans like this. And this will be true until they get new ownership. Until that day - I'll remain off the Bruins bandwagon and on the sidelines caring about other things.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Linky Links

Here's some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Joe Posnanski nails exactly how I felt about Cleveland watching those last couple of minutes.

- Bruce, Lady Gaga, Sting, Elton, Blondie, Shirely Bassey sing Journey. Yeah you read that correctly. Like a train wreck on stage.

- This thread had some laugh out loud pictures.

- Rangers plan to place Garko on waivers. Makes me wonder if the Mike owell for Max Ramirez deal could be back on sometime soon.

- Here's your roller derby primer (including the reason nobody wears #1)

- Heh heh

- Iowa Kinsella Baseball Diamond For $5.4 Million (it should sell for a discount since Kinsella built it exactly opposite the way the vision showed him)

- Incredible! Bobby Bonilla Still Owed $30 Million in Salary

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Last night the Penguins lost their game 7 tilt against the Canadians. Not a good way to end the history of the Igloo. I have fond memories of the Igloo. I saw a Penguins game there (completely forget who they played) and I also saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play there. Both events were last minute deals where I just happened to be traveling for work and staying at the Marriott across the street. Fond memories... Speaking of travel - I'm in Syracuse and I'm pissed at myself. I love going to minor league baseball games in different towns and cities and last night I missed a great opportunity to see phenom Stephen Strasburg pitch for the Syracuse Chiefs. Pissed at myself I am... So the Red Sox have had Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffett, The Rolling Stones and The Dave Matthews Band play at Fenway. Meanwhile the Yankees just announced that Jay-Z and Eminem will play at the New Yankee Stadium. I think that explains much about the difference between the two team's fan bases... Who knew? The last battle of the Civil War - the Battle of Palmito Ranch - was a Confederate victory... Note to LeBron James - you haven't won anything in your career and unless you change your mindset you never will... Can you believe that Harvey Keitel turned 71 today? The movie City of Industry is one of his more underrated movies...

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Joel Sherman with a nice little article today on Johnny Damon. Simply put - not re-signing Damon and trading for Curtis Granderson were both mistakes. Still early in the season and small sample size and all but consider the following - both Nick Johnson and Granderson have an OPS less than .700 and both have missed significant time being on the DL. Damon and Austin Jackson (the main player in the Granderson trade) have OPS's of .867 and .901 respectively. Damon has played in all 32 games so far for the Tigers.... OK - I'll say it! First Janet Napolitano and now Elana Kagan? You have to wonder if Obama has a thing for chubby white women (just kidding)... 15 Celebrities Servicing Invisible Men... If people are going to start retroactively taking back awards from people who used performance enhancing drugs then the 1988 AL MVP should go to Mike Greenwell. Jose Canseco admitted to using steroids that year and he won the award... "Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees" famous last words of General Stonewall Jackson...

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Red Sox fans have about had it with Daisuke Matsuzake. After an injury plagued 2009 season - a season in which Dice-K's conditioning was in question - the Japanese import is 1-1 with a 9.90 ERA.

Fans outside of Boston may not understand the frustration Red Sox fans have with a guy who just 2 seasons ago was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Teams would love to have a guy like that right? Here's the two main reasons the frustration exists:

- Dice-K is a tight rope walker. The year he won 18 games it was not uncommon for Dice-K to walk the bases full, then strike out two batters and then get a fly ball out. Seriously. People were cracking jokes about Dice-K only feeling comfortable with the bases loaded. If a few of those fly balls turned into Texas-leaguers then suddenly he's 12-12 with a 4.10 ERA. Take the other night for example. In the first inning there was a grounder that was 50/50 being a double play. If it is a double play then he's out of the inning with just one run surrendered. He probably gets the win with 2 earned runs for the night. Instead he gave up 4 runs that inning and 5 for the night BUT STILL GOT THE W! Boston fans have enough drama in their lives. They don't need a tightrope walker in their lives to add more seemingly self-created drama.

- If the Red Sox are going to have a guy who can either throw a shutout or bomb completely - the fans would prefer that guy be Tim Wakefield. It's really that simple. Wakefield is a hard working old guy who does more community service than anyone on the team. Dice-K is taking Wake's spot in the rotation. Many fans aren't happy with that.

If anyone can sympathize with this situation it will probably be Philly fans. In 4 seasons with the Red Sox - Daisuke is 38-22 with a 4.14 ERA. In 5 seasons with the Phillies - Cole Hamels 50-36 with a 3.70 ERA. In both cases the numbers don't tell the story. Maybe the two teams could trade tightrope walkers?

Friday, May 07, 2010

The Troubled Milton Bradley as Larry Andersen

Rob Neyer reminds us that stud hitter Andre Ethier was traded for the troubled Milton Bradley. I'm guessing that most Red Sox fans cannot read that article without thinking about the Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen abomination of a deal.

The story also reminds me of how Marvin Hagler had his name legally changed to Marvelous Marvin Hagler. I think if I was a big league GM and was forced to deal with Milton Bradley - I would insert a clause into his contract that would force him to legally change his name to "The Troubled Milton Bradley" if he ever got himslef into another jam like he's in now.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Danny Ainge gets fined by the NBA for an unauthorized distraction. This makes me have to ask - are there authorized distractions? If so - what are they?... With all the focus on David Ortiz - the real problem the Red Sox have had (besides injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron) has been failure to get the job done in extra inning games. The Red Sox are just 1-5 in extra innings. If they reversed that then they'd be just 2 games behind Tampa Bay... PTI makes the JaMarcus Russell / Jim Plunkett comparison days after I did. Maybe they're reading this blog?.. The Mets are a surprising 11-5 at home. Who knew?... Dustin Pedroia leads the AL in sac flies with 4. Who knew?... Random trivia - In the movie Jaws - Captian Quint's name means "fifth" in Latin. In the movie he's the fifth person killed by the shark...
Mike Lowell

I'd love to have Mike Lowell coming off the bench for the Red Sox all year but you know he's not happy and would rather be someplace where he'd be able to play full-time. When I do an inventory of teams that could be trade partners for the Red Sox - I get three possibilities.

1. Texas - they were a trade possibility before and they remain one. Do they really want to rush stud hitter Justin Smoak? If after 20 games Smoak is still hitting sub .200 then a move for the veteran presence of Lowell would make lots of sense for Texas who has a real shot at the AL West. Let Smoak watch and learn from the bench how someone like Lowell goes about his business.

2. Florida - Mike Lowell was a big name for the Marlins before and could be a drawing card for the Marlins again (especially among the Cuban community). The problems are that Gaby Sanchez is doing a good jib at first base and since he's a Miami product - then sitting him for Lowell could have a negative impact on fan interest (plus it would be more costly for the cash conscious Marlins).

3. Toronto - would the Red Sox deal within the division? The Blue Jays certainly have a need as Lyle Overbay has been dreadful.

Of course someone could get hurt and create a need. The best thing to do, in my mind, is to sit tight and see how things play out. But if there is a trade - then I wouldn't be surprised if the deal was with one of the three teams listed above.

EDIT: I'd add Seattle to the mix. I had no idea how badly Mike Sweeney was doing for the Mariners as their DH.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The baseball world and America lost a giant with Ernie Harwell's passing. May the road rise to meet you Ernie... You learn something new every day - 143 means I love you in the texting world... Seeing Hideki Matsui in HD makes you understand why he has a huge porn collection. He is not a handsome man. Not quite Julian Tavarez ugly but not pretty... Justified is officially the best show on TV. I'm very happy that FX has ordered a second season even though they'd have to been crazy not to do so. Bringing in Deadwood actors the past two weeks have done the trick to move the show past The Pacific in my own personal rating system... I think I just found my next car!... Not for nothing but there's not much difference in the start that Mark Teixeira of the Yankees has gotten off to and that of David Ortiz of the Red Sox. The big difference is that people expect Teixeira to snap of it the way he always does. Many are doubting that Ortiz will do the same...
Celebrity Teachers

This was an interesting list and I knew most of the stories already but Kris Kristofferson surprised me:
The country star was a Rhodes Scholar who studied literature at Oxford before joining the Army and rising to the rank of captain. Towards the end of his tour of duty, Kristofferson took a job as an English teacher at West Point, but he decided against the professorship at the last minute. Instead of heading to New York, he resigned his commission and moved to Nashville in 1965.
A Captain in the Army? Almost a West Point professor instead of a songwriter / singer? Who knew?
Tasering

I'm fine with security tasering fans who run onto the field. No problems at all. In fact I think Philly should embrace the tasering of their fans.

Boston has Sweet Caroline as their 7th inning gimmick (and that's what it is) - Philly should have the "Don't Tase Me Bro" Taser Challenge. Here's what I would do:

Step 1: Get 5 volunteers from the fans at the game. They would have to sign a release and have a blood alcohol level that's not too too high.

Step 2. The 5 volunteers would race from 3rd base to home. The volunteer with the best time would get to be the "Don't Tase Me Bro" contestant for the night. And they would get to pick their song like a batter or closer does in the game.

Step 3: Have 4 "cops" at each base (including home) with the contestant on the pitchers mound. At a whistle or starter's gun - the contestant would have to elude the cops for 2 minutes without being tased. If the contestant made it to 2 minutes he (or she) would win $1,000. If he (or she) got tased - then the cops would each get $250.

Think about it! This would put the Sausage Race to shame. No matter how big a blowout people would stay till the 7th inning to watch "Don't Tase Me Bro." You know this would be huge!

Monday, May 03, 2010

Top 5 - Personal Goals for May

It's good to have goals. Here are my goals for May.

1. No more fast food. Period. Screw convenience. I'll go hungry instead if the only option is fast food. Besides - every time I eat McD's, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, etc. I always feel like crap half an hour later. No more fast food.

2. Lose 8.7 pounds. No more fast food and more exercise should help here.

3. No more shots. Almost every bad situation I've ever found myself in was in part due to doing shots. No more shots.

4. No more sleeping on the couch. It screws up my neck and back. I sleep on the couch for basically one of three reasons; A - I'm watching a game or a movie and I'm too lazy to get my ass upstairs to bed, B - I've smoked a couple of cigars and I don't want the smell to bother my wife (I'll just take another shower in those cases) and C - shots!

5. I want to shoot at least 3 rounds of golf with scores of 95 or better. I know I just basically admitted to being a lousy golfer but the first step is acceptance. Hi I'm Chris and I'm a lousy golfer but I'm trying to get better.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Linky Links

Some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Heh heh - Hans Solo

- 10 Coolest Secret Safes

- Obama has no balls

- Peak Everything

- Heh heh - the world's best engine
Player Comparison

Here's a player comparison that recently prang to mind. Both players were very highly rated college QB's who were both taken with the first pick of the NFL draft. Here's how these two compared through their first 3-years in the NFL:

Player A - 520 CMP / 1059 ATT / 49.1 CMP% / 6904 YDS / 40 TD / 58 INT
Player B - 324 CMP / 680 ATT / 52.1 CMP% / 4083 YDS / 18 TD / 23 INT

The players would seem similar with the exception that Player A got more playing time in his first 3-years in the league. Player A is Heisman winner Jim Plunkett who was less than stellar in his time in New England but who eventually flourished when he landed in Oakland. Plunkett is the only QB to win 2 Super Bowls who is not in the football Hall of Fame.

Player B is JaMarcus Russell who has also been less than stellar in his first 3-years in the league. I have to wonder if Al Davis is thinking about Jim Plunkett and maybe that's the reason Russell hasn't been released already.