Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So Barack Obama is wading into the California recall election on the side of Gavin Newsome. Will this yield the same results as when Obama waded into the Olympic selection process on the side of Chicago? Those Chicago Olympics certainly were memorable... Bob Ryan obviously not a fan of steroids guys... Dwight Eisenhower had to work after high school and he really wanted to go to Annapolis for college but by the time he was ready he was too old by a couple of months (he would have been 21 during his freshman year and they had a cut off of 20-years old). Good thing for us that West Point didn't have a similar cut off. Can you imagine how history could have been different if he went into the Navy instead?... Rocky Balboa's first name is actually Robert. Who knew?... Heh Heh... Still think Donald and Melania Trump should do a re-make of the show Green Acres. That would instantly become the highest rated show on TV. Huge, huge hit...  

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Tough to pick a team to root for between the four remaining MLB teams but kind of leaning towards the Orioles just because of the great job Dan Duquette has done. It should be remembered that he only got the job because other candidates deemed it too radioactive... Pool and beer help you live longer! Later today I'm going to work on extending my life expectancy!...  Would love to see an episode of Louie where Louis CK goes for a picnic in the park with his kids and runs into the missing Russian from The Sopranos...  39-years ago tonight SNL first took to the air. The original thought was to have Albert Brooks as the permanent host... For proper elocution a person must have consistent vowel movements... This website is awesome! I will buy all my Christmas gifts there!... Block Me Amedaeus would be a great name for a fantasy football team...  Fantastic article on the one of a kind Bob Ryan... Always remember that the word "listen" contains the same letters as the word "silent". To truly listen you should be silent... Big as a hat! Great joke from Big Stupid Tommy... The Obama Drone artist seems like a great guy...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Awesome video of a shark attacking a marlin - of course the nutty guy taking the video in the water with the shark is Australian

Ian Browne's excellent tribute to Johnny Pesky. There will never be another like him.

Oral sex cures morning sickness. Damn - where was this study when my wife was pregnant?

Spiderman just turned 50.

Awesome video of dolphins. The coolest dolphin video ever!

The fantastic Bob Ryan - basketball encyclopedia.

Bob Ryan's Goodbye

Bob Ryan says goodbye after 44 years.

I grew up with Bob Ryan writing about the Celtics and Peter Gammons writing about the Red Sox. Bob Ryan was always passionate about sports and it showed in his writing. That's why I'm amused by people who only know him from PTI or Around the Horn thinking he's some old curmudgeon. This feels like an end of an era. The Boston Globe sports section is a shadow of its former self.

I am glad he singled out Jackie MacMullan for praise but I am also curious about Bob pointing out "I have never once written to provoke or to attract attention." Is this a shot at Dan Shaughnessey who was not mentioned in the column and is known to write only to provoke or to attract attention?

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Bob Ryan's incredible basketball journey through New England.

Wow - photos from a phone lost by a Chinese gangster

Fantastic 120-year old color photographs of Ireland. I would love to have these series of pictures.

Many people have been giving VP Joe Biden grief because they think he was trying to slip in a dirty joke. I disagree. Lubricated in the sense he was expressing means slightly drunk (vs WD40 meaning of the rusty hinges). If he was guilty of anything it was of perpetuating a stereotype of the Irish as hard drinkers.

 Interesting read - A Backstage Look at Saturday Night Live's Corporate Counterculture

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Awesome - Bob Ryan basketball savant and the 1972 NBA draft

The new Redskins media guide cover starring RGIII (well it should be) 

The greatest discovery in modern archaeological history 

Guy Beringer invented brunch. His inspiration: the hangover

The Lindgren Thread, Loans, and Advice for my Generation by Phil Galfond. I didn't realize that Eric Lindgren was such a deadbeat.

Good point

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If you had bet $100 on the first game of the first game in the Detroit Red Wings 23-game winning streak and let it ride for every game - that $100 would be up to over $3.9 million today...  Damn it! I started watching Downton Abbey and now I can't stop!!.... If anyone ever asked me if they could pay me in gum - I think I would punch them in the face... The Detroit Tigers are such huge favorites to win the AL Central (-$1800) that if you placed $100 on the other 4 teams in the division you would be guaranteed to win at least $1400 if the Tigers failed to win... How the greatest prankster in political history messed with Richard Nixon... Two things that I am giving up are playing solitaire on my computer and playing Keno when out at a bar. They are both wastes - one of time and one of money... The over / under for wins for the Red Sox is set at 87.5 games. I really like the over. Last year they got off to an awful start and completely collapsed in September and still managed to win 90 games... Happy 66th birthday to Boston Globe great Bob Ryan who announced his his retirement recently.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Interesting read: "How Many Stephen Colberts Are There?" Long but amusing look at Colbert today and where he came from 

Bob Ryan takes a look at Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers. For the record - I loved Ainge as a player but I thought Doc was just slightly better.

Girl with great balance doing yoga - impressive in many ways

Was Ron Jaworski The Puppetmaster Behind Penn State's Odd Coaching Hire?

Louis C.K.’s lesson for marketers: Honesty is the best strategy

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Wow is Tom Brady great. I was too young for Bobby Orr. Wayne Grezky and Michael Jordan played in other cities and as good as Larry Bird was I don't think he was ever at a level that Tom Brady has exhibited in his last two games. This article gives a nice idea of what I'm talking about... I don't care about the Emmy Awards but I did find myself being very happy for Margo Martindale winning for Best Supporting Actress... Tom Brady is on pace for 7,520 yards and 56 TD's. Dan Marino's record of 5,084 yards in a season has lasted 27-years. This is the year it gets broken... Bob Ryan had a very nice tribute to Dave Gavitt. Well worth the read... Why is it that people who claim to be "pro-choice" will ridicule you if your "choice" happens to be to drink Zima?... I might be silly but I think this is funny in any language... I think college football announcers who insist on saying "true freshman" should be forced to also say "true sophomore", "true junior" and "true senior"... When Scott Boras is recruiting a new client - how long do you think does it take for him to mention the fact that he was able to make JD Drew over $94 million for his career? That has to be a huge selling point on his negotiating skill... I will assume that Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price did not come up with this ad campaign... Whippersnapper would be a good name for a licorice vagina shaped candy or a slang word for a newlywed wife who completely takes away her husband's manhood... Many people are surprised at how good Ryan Fitzpatrick has been but not me. I told you over 6-years ago that Fitzpatrick would be a very good NFL QB...

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics won their 17th championship on Tuesday night and I was a little melancholy about it. Don't get me wrong - I was ecstatic that the Celtics beat the Lakers like a drum. Ecstatic!

It's just that I had to watch the game from my hotel room in Pennsylvania. Alone.

I received text messages from friends out at bars going nuts. I was alone in my hotel room just a little ticked off each time my phone beeped with a new message. I didn't even get to watch the victory parade due to work. Let's just say that I feel more than a little disconnected from the victory.

I guess that makes me a little sad if truth be told.

So where does this Celtics team stand in the pantheon of past Celtics Champions? Bob Ryan had a great piece examining just that question. Far be it for me to argue with Bob Ryan but I admit that I was surprised that he ranked this year's team as the second best Celtics team ever.

I think this team reminds me more of the 1983 Celtics than the 1986 team that is often called the best team in basketball history.

That 1983 team had some older guys. Robert Parish was 30, Dennis Johnson was 29 and Cedric Maxwell was 28. Of course Larry Bird and Kevin McHale we just entering their primes at 27 and 26-years old respectively. That team, however, had role players who were tough and reliable coming off the bench. Players like Quinn Buckner, ML Carr and Gerald Henderson. That team also beat the Lakers in the Finals with the signature play of the series being Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis. (Those two have not spoken since that play - that's old school). The Celtics were tougher and had more heart than their Lakers' counterparts and they have rings to prove it.

Likewise this year's Celtics team won because they had more toughness and heart than the Lakers. The team may be slightly older than the 1983 vintage (with Allen 32, Garnett 31, and Pierce 30) but they also had those role players coming off the bench like Leon Powe, Eddie House and James Posey.

I just hope I can get to enjoy the next championship a little more.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Bob Ryan states the obvious for all Celtics fans:

I remember someone telling me near the end of the regular season it would be a good idea to bring Sam Cassell back next year. I'm sure that person has reconsidered.

I too hope Cassell gets a ring in Boston but that he's showing it off elsewhere next season... Todd Helton hit another home run today. That's 6 for the season and his 2nd in as many days. For his career he has 309 which is much more than Don Mattingly but still fewer than Mo Vaughn. Todd Helton will be an interesting case for the Hall of Fame (interesting in the sense that it should be interesting to see how the writers react)... Good for you Bob Dole! The former Senator from Kansas goes off on Scott McClellan:

"In my nearly 36 years of public service I've known of a few like you," Dole writes, recounting his years representing Kansas in the House and Senate. "No doubt you will 'clean up' as the liberal anti-Bush press will promote your belated concerns with wild enthusiasm. When the money starts rolling in you should donate it to a worthy cause, something like, 'Biting The Hand That Fed Me.' Another thought is to weasel your way back into the White House if a Democrat is elected. That would provide a good set up for a second book deal in a few years"

Dole is spot on. I am amazed though that Democrats are still focused on Bush and not the upcoming election. That's a sure path to defeat in November. Guys like McClellan don't hurt McCain or help Obama but they do energize the Republican base as exhibited by Bob Dole's need to speak out on the subject... The Reds Jay Bruce is giving off a Freddy Lynn as a rookie vibe to me.

Dan Shaughnessy Can Stick It

Dan Shaughnessy had a maddening column yesterday that I am compelled to comment on. The column lamented that today's basketball stars are not as accessible as the players of days gone by.

Shaughnessy specifically was speaking about the Celtics teams of the 80's and how he and Bob Ryan were so close with the team. Shaughnessy then tells lots of interesting tales including one about Cedric Maxwell:

We knew that Cedric Maxwell would always have Dolph Schayes paged over the terminal intercom when the Celtics were waiting for baggage. Anywhere in America. Every trip. For years.

"Would Mr. Dolph Schayes please meet his party at carousel seven?"

One day in Salt Lake City, Dolph Schayes just happened to be at the airport and appeared at the carousel asking who was looking for him. Max loved that one.

That's a great story but here's the problem - I read the Boston Globe sports section religiously in the 1980's and I never saw Shaughnessy (or Ryan for that matter) bring up the Maxwell story or any of the other stories Chinless mentions. It would be one thing if the writers used to fill the readers in on anecdotes like the one above but if they were keeping them to themselves - for the reader what's the difference? Boo hoo - Shaughnessy and the other writers don't get access and don't get to be chummy with the players. My heart bleeds for him. But what is the difference to the readers if those stories never made the paper anyway?

Bob Ryan's Loss

Bob Ryan's son has died.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Bob Ryan and his family.

Bless those who mourn, eternal God,
with the comfort of your love
that they may face each new day with hope
and the certainty that nothing can destroy
the good that has been given. May their memories become joyful,
their days enriched with friendship,
and their lives encircled by your love.
Amen.

May those who knew Keith remember only the good things.
May those who know Bob and his wife surround them with love and prayers.
May those who know Keith's wife insure she never has to shoulder a burden alone.

Bob Ryan on Boomer Wells

Bob Ryan has what can only be called an "appreciation" of David Wells. I too am a fan of Boomer. He was an original and I agree with Bob Ryan that he will be missed.

It should be pointed out that Wells will probably finish with 235 wins but going into his 4th pro season he only had 2 starts in 113 games. Tom Glavine, the most recent 300-game winner, already had 72 starts going into his 4th season. I'm not saying that Wells would have been a 300-game winner if he had those extra starts early in his career but I do think those extra starts may have been enough to have put Wells over the top for the Hall of Fame (as it stands right now it is doing Wells a kindness by calling him a borderline Hall of Fame player).

With just 10 more wins David Wells would have been in the top 50 all-time in baseball history. Wells is already in 50th place in all-time strikeouts. Of the players who are top 50 all-time in both wins and strikeouts - only 8 players are not in the Hall of Fame - Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, Randy Johnson, Jim Kaat and Jack Morris. You would have to say that Clemens, Maddux, Glavine and Johnson are locks for the Hall of Fame. My guess is that Wells doesn't quite stir the emotions of Blyleven or Morris but his emotional pull will be close.

Wells' Hall of Fame vote will probably be close to that of Jim Kaat's who was known for his great glove while Wells was known for his great gut.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Bob Ryan has posted sporadically (to be kind) on his new blog but I must say that I think his blog posts are actually better and more interesting than his columns for the Boston Globe (and that is saying something). Maybe it is because Ryan writes about what he wants to write about on his blog while he writes what he's assigned to write for the Globe (I know he has leeway at the Globe but he still has assignments). His latest post on the funeral of David Halberstam is very moving (and interesting)... Manny Ramirez is now tied with Fred McGriff for 37th place all-time on the RBI list with 1,550. Manny needs 15 more HR to catch the Crime Dog in home runs. McGriff has 493 career dingers which ties him for 22nd on the all-time list with Lou Gehrig. I think McGriff is under appreciated. Next up on the RBI list for Manny is Willie McCovey who has 1,555 RBI... Tiger Woods is an 11/4 favorite to win the US Open this weekend. Phil Michelson is his closest opponent according to the odds. Michelson is listed at 10-1 and Jim Furyk is at 14-1. You can find the full odds here... Adam Dunn is on pace for 38 HR but also 220 strikeouts. Are the 38 HR really worth the cost of the 220 SO? Baseball-Reference.com lists his nickname as "the Big Donkey" - is that really true? That seems a bit harsh. Baseball-reference.com lists the most similar hitter to Dunn as Ron Kittle but Adam Dunn doesn't even show up in Kittle's most similar batters (Steve Balboni is his most similar batter). I find that odd...

David Halberstam

I was saddened at the news of the loss of David Halberstam but I did not write anything about it. Bob Ryan gives an appreciation of the talent that was David Halberstam much better than I could (even if I took years to write it).

If you excuse me - I have to go find where I left my copy of The Best and the Brightest.