Searching for the Truth
Archive for August, 2007
August 28, 2007 at 6:25 am · Filed under The Past is always Present
From the Cameron Citizen-Observer
Taken from Aug. 28, 2001
Quote of the week:
“I was 11. I got straight A’s, had two recesses a day, had the cutest girlfriend and won 32 tournaments. Everything’s been downhill since.”
-Tiger Woods, on when he was the happiest.
THIS JUST IN: The New York Mets are just a 19 game winning streak away from being right back in the hunt and I would take Kevin Appier (7-10, 3.98 ERA) and Steve Trachsel (7-11, 5.05) over Mike Hampton (13-10, 5.14) and Bobby J. Jones (8-15, 4.58) all day, every day and twice on Sunday…
I’m rooting for Barry Bonds more than ever these days after reading Rick Reilly’s column in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. It’s an essay on how Barry Bonds has his own television by his locker in the clubhouse and doesn’t eat the same post game meal as his teammates. Jeff Kent, the Giants second baseman who edged out Bonds for the National League MVP award last year, says if Bonds leaves as a free agent next season, he won’t be missed. You know what, who cares?
Who cares what Jeff Kent thinks or if Bonds has a personal trainer and nutritionist? Who cares what Bonds does off the field, because this just in folks, he’s clearly capable of doing whatever he wants on it.
If it weren’t for sportswriters in love with a worst to first story in 1991, Bonds would have four MVP awards, instead of Terry Pendleton having one.
Mark McGuire is the best home run hitter I’ve ever seen, but he’s one-dimensional. When’s the last time you saw him leg out a double? Pedro Martinez and Greg Maddux are the most dominant pitchers of our generation, but they play once, maybe twice a week. Sammy Sosa is the best player in baseball right now, but where was he in 1993?
Yeah, he hit 33 home runs, stole 36 bases and knocked in 93 RBIs. But he batted .261, his fielding percentage is too horrible to mention and he struck out 135 times. Meanwhile, Bonds was hitting .336 with 46 home runs, 123 RBIs, 124 runs and 29 stolen bases. He won his third MVP in his first year with San Francisco, as they fell one game short to Atlanta in the NL West.
Bonds is the best player of my generation. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, fans would argue over Mays and Mantle. In St. Louis, they’ll probably remind you about Stan Musial. But today, there is no argument. And if he wants to have his own public relations man and not hang out with his teammates, I say let him. Last time I checked, it’s still a free country and that means you can do whatever you want. As long as he gives it his all on the field, Bonds can spit on his teammates for all I care and he’ll still go down as a better player than all of them. Period.
I watch the NBA for the same reason I watch the WWF – Introductions. In high school, I was the in-house voice of the Teaneck Highwaymen. Calling out scores and who committed a foul was fun, but the introductions were the reason I took the job.
Michael Nurse, who played for Iowa State with Marcus Fizer, was a year behind me at THS. During a summer all-star league, I once caught a game where he struck out 18 in seven innings, but that’s another story…
Nurse wanted me to call our home gym different names, but the head coach wouldn’t allow it. But they did let me announce his name like this:
“At guard, a six foot junior. number 53, ‘The Boogieman’ Michael Nurse.”
It sounds a lot better than it looks on paper, but the point is, I have things like that stored in my memory banks because that was one of the best times of my life.
Nevertheless, I was never the one getting called out. I never sat on the bench, waiting for my name to be called. When Reggie Miller was in the playoffs a couple of years ago, he and Mark Jackson would do a quick Michael Jackson impersonation before they got to the final huddle.
I wish NBC and TNT would always show when they drop the lights in the arena and start playing ‘The Final Countdown’ or some other motivational music.
Which brings me to wrestling. They took a great idea and ran with it, leaping hurdles of good taste in some cases to reach the grand entrances we see today. Who doesn’t get shivers when the glass breaks and the Rattlesnake starts stomping his way to the ring? I waited about four months just to hear “If you smell…” Well, you can’t really hear the rest over the ovations from the millions and millions of The Rock’s fans.
One of my personal favorites was The New Age Outlaws. To this day, I still catch myself saying, “Oh, you didn’t know? Well, you better call somebody!” These days I’m usually humming the tune to Booker T’s intro. I like the way the video pauses during breaks in his song, but I still think he should be posing with a cheesy grin on his face when it does.
Some of you might think less of me, but to quote The Great One, “It doesn’t matter what you think!” Seriously though, now that I’ve crossed off mechanical bull riding on my list of things to do before I die, walking into a dark and crowded arena, with 15,000 people screaming is now high on the list. I don’t care if I’m cheered or jeered because if they were silent, then it would mean they didn’t care at all.
Last week, NASCAR released a 293-page report on the death of Dale Earnhardt that costs one million dollars to produce. The final analysis is what any mongrel moron could have figured out for 20 cents. That anyone driving a car at 160 miles per hour, and then swerving into another car and a concrete wall is dangerous and could lead to loss of life.
Now I’m not a racing fan at all, but I do have my opinion on Earnhardt’s death. If I remember correctly, Earnhardt was running third with his son and a member of his racing team in front. This was at the Daytona 500, which, if I remember the movie ‘Days of Thunder’ correctly, is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you win there.
So here’s my theory. You’ve got one of the greatest race car drivers ever on the most storied track in the sport. His racing team and his son are going to finish in the top three. To some it’s an evil thought, to me it’s beautiful to believe that ‘The Intimidator’ saw an opportunity and took it, just look at the highlights again for proof. Twenty years from now, after all this stupidity has faded away, people will look in history books and see that Earnhardt went out at the top of his game, doing what he was known for.
I say he meant not to walk away from that crash last February, that he decided to die doing what he loves and that’s the truth.
August 24, 2007 at 6:05 am · Filed under The Past is always Present
From the Cameron Citizen-Observer
Taken from Aug. 24, 2001
THIS JUST IN: I hate the media just as much as the next guy, in fact probably more. I went to college to learn how to become a journalist, but all that really teaches you is how horrible the current version is. When it comes to sports, reporters are treated like the flu – a disease that one must deal with, but will go away in good time. Barry Bonds is chasing the Mark, but he’s still chasing away reporters that ask him stupid questions.
So I can completely understand Cameron football coach Roy Harden Jr., dogging my requests to learn more about the particulars of his ‘multiple formations offense’. He’s not the first coach to sidestep and dance around my questions, and if he’s the last, then I’m a distant relative of Fred Astaire.
Sometimes I wonder if there’s a handbook that everyone gets when they begin their coaching career. It would have motivational tactics, punishment exercises and a section on how to talk to the media. Ask any coach how they feel their team will do and although you might take a different path, you’ll always end up in the same place. It sounds something like this:
“We just want to go out and give it 110 percent and leave nothing in the locker room. If we can execute what we want to do and make the proper adjustments to our opponents, then we should be competitive and have a chance to win. The players have worked hard in practice and they’re looking forward to getting out there and showcasing their talent.”
That statement can be applied to any coach in any sport in any language. It sounds about the same after the game as well. The winning coach talks about the effort of the opposing team, then ‘starts preparing for the next game’. I’ve seen coaches win by 50 and say they were lucky to win, that the pieces just fell into place. On the other hand, losing coaches will sing the praises of their opponent, like they just played the 1927 New York Yankees. Granted, sometimes you’ll see a coach go ballistic after a loss, but there’s always an ulterior motive to their outburst. Either to motivate their players for next week or get on the television news that night to create some more exposure for their team.
Now, I’m not saying I have a problem with any of this. It’s just as a reporter, I get frustrated when I speak with a coach for 30 minutes and leave with less information then I came in with. It’s getting so bad that it’s filtered down to the players. More and more, they’re starting to answer easy questions with ambiguous answers that have no real meaning. I won’t name anyone, but you all know who you are…
So what’s the point of this rant? It’s hard to do a preview on a new team with a new head coach when you don’t know what to expect. That’s the point of a preview, to show the public what’s going on behind the scenes and give them some insight for the upcoming season. Without details from the coaching staff, that job is made a lot harder. Then again, if they gave out the playbook to anyone that asked, they probably wouldn’t have a successful season. Which puts me between a rock and a hard place.
When I hear multiple formations, my first thoughts are to last year’s New York Giants. Offensive coordinator Sean Payton designed an offense to fit the players he had, but regardless of who was out there, the play calling was similar. The same running plays that got Ron Dayne three yards became big runs for Tiki Barber. The formation they used out of the huddle was seldom the formation they snapped the ball out of, using shifts and motion to confuse the defense. That’s one of the main goals - to confuse the defense by showing something different each time out, even though you’re running the same base plays.
The state of Missouri thrives on running the football, maybe not the University of Missouri, but just look at the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I can only assume that the proximity to such a successful program breeds imitation. I can still remember the first time I saw the wing T offense.
I’m a freshman defensive lineman playing an exhibition game against Randolph High School in New Jersey. We lined up; they snapped the ball and the fakes began. I was looking in the backfield, amazed as backs and slot receives ran around behind the line.
Needless to say, they ran us off the field. They were one of the few programs in northern New Jersey to strictly run the option when I was in school. But here in northwest Missouri, it’s harder to find a spread offense like Maysville High School will run this year.
Therefore, the first priority on defense must be stopping the run and forcing offenses into third and long situations. Then again, that’s the goal of just about every defense since the game evolved to four downs until loss of possession. Regardless, in a league that had six 1,000-yard rushers and eight players with nine or more rushing touchdowns, shutting down the running game is even more essential. Platte County allowed 89 rushing yards a game last year and didn’t lose a game. Coincidence? I think not.
The Dragons already had a tough cavern to climb out of and it was made a little deeper with Rob Bowers leaving so late into the summer. Harden has a long and bumpy road to travel, but I feel he’s going to be fine. If he’s willing to put in the extra work and dedicate himself to this team, then I’m sure they’ll be able to prosper in these adverse conditions. They’re going to have to concentrate on each play and take it one game at a time. If they’re able to give a team effort each week and compete each time out, they’ll have a successful season and that’s the truth.
August 21, 2007 at 6:02 am · Filed under The Past is always Present
From the Cameron Citizen-Observer
Taken from August 21, 2001
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“3:30 in the morning with not a soul in sight. We sat four deep at a traffic light. Talking about how dumb and brainwashed sour of our brothers and sisters are. While we wait for a green light to tell us when to go.”
- Taken from the album “Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star”
THIS JUST IN: To paraphrase the great Bob Uecker from ‘Major League’: In case you weren’t watching, and judging by the television ratings, you haven’t, the Little League World Series started this week in Williamsport, Pa..
The only thing you might have heard about is Danny Almonte of Bronx, N.Y., or the Little Unit according to ESPN. In the finals of the Mid-Atlantic region, Almonte threw a no-hitter, striking out 16 of the 18 batters he sat down. This week, Almonte pitched only the third perfect game in Little League World Series history against Apopka, Fla.
But the real story was the 15 straight strikeouts that he recorded. The first two batters in the sixth tried to bunt for a base hit and were thrown out, before the final batter struck out to end the game.
Why do I mention all this? Because the youthful stars of today become the superstars of tomorrow. Nine years ago, a big-boned Sean Burroughs led Long Beach, California to the championship. Now, he’s a highly touted prospect, last seen in the San Diego Padres organization. In 1989, the team from Trumbull, Conn., ended a five-year reign by the Far East. One of the stars on that team was Chris Drury, who played a big part in Ray Bourque getting his hands on the Stanley Cup this past spring. Drury is a star forward for the Colorado Avalanche and was a Hobby Baker winner in 1998.
Since 1981, the Hobby Baker Award is given to the best collegiate hockey player in the nation and Drury brought the award to where it belongs, his alma mater and mine, Boston University (cheap plug). After the 25 NCAA tournament appearances (1st all time) and the four national championships that hang high from the rafters (cheap plug), it’s great to know that the alumni of a great school, such as Boston University, can continue to reach the highest level of excellence in their field of choice…
P.S. – Those are the best words I have ever said about the rattrap of a college I went to; at least until I’m done paying back my student loans. Does anyone want to lend me their first-born?
Now that Eric Lindros has decided to resume his career with the New York Rangers, can Michael Jordan please make a decision on his future? Lindros hasn’t played since Scott Stevens put him into a new zip code with an open ice shoulder check in Game Seven of the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals. Which might be as close as Lindros ever gets to kissing the Cup…
I got off the bandwagon about a week ago, but one more thing on my miserable Mets. Who is more pathetic: The defending National League champions, only three games away from the sewer of the National League East, a team with the fifth best ERA in the NL but the worst team batting average in baseball at .244. Or, the pathetic excuse of a fan that still believed two weeks ago they could contend for the division title if they just could hit the baseball. I heard the most anger-inducing stat last week and that was when I knew it was over. The Mets were one for 30 with the bases loaded. That’s a .033 batting average in a situation where a bloop hit, a Texas Leaguer, a ground ball with eyes, even a long fly out scores a run. And that’s why my Mets are losing ball games, not because Rey Ordonez is batting .232 in the eight hole. If I hear another commentator discuss Rey’s inability to hit, I will probably jump off my couch. Or something higher…
For the first time in WNBA history, the Houston Comets were eliminated from the playoffs. In the four-year existence of the league, the Comets were four time champions. Even last year as the lowest seed in the playoffs, they were barely challenged on their way to the title. My question is; is it good to have a dynasty at the beginning, like Houston, or smack dab in the middle, like the Chicago Bulls?
I’ve gone out to the double-rimmed courts next to CMS, looking for a game. When I first got here, I was under the impression that this was a basketball town. I know it’s not a baseball town and every small town loves its football team without fail. But every time I drive past the courts, they’re empty. It’s a central location, but more cars park at the golf course on a rainy day then ever stop at the basketball courts. I don’t take much stock in what I see in the mirror, but I’m getting a little pudgy around the edges. When I first came to this town, I was a size two, but now I can’t even get into my evening gown…
All joking aside, I need to find an outlet for this pent up energy. I didn’t want to say it, but I’m a pick-up baller in an 18-hole town. I’m actually considering driving to Chillicothe just to get a game and that’s the truth.
August 14, 2007 at 6:37 am · Filed under The Past is always Present
From the Cameron Citizen-Observer
Taken from August 21, 2001
THIS JUST IN: Most people would call me a loser because I spend most weekends on my couch with a remote in hand. I call myself happy because I’m able to lie on my couch and watch sports all weekend. And we’re getting close to the best part of the year. Hank Williams Jr. and John Madden are warming up in the back, because soon, they will take center stage. Autumn afternoons will always spark memories of falling leaves and Keith Jackson’s legendary voice. He sounds off until December and then takes a month’s rest while the NFL figures out the playoff chase. New Year’s bowl games and the Super Bowl make up January. Then, conference play in college basketball and March Madness. The NBA and NHL start their championship runs in April, right about the same time pitchers and catchers report to hotter climates. Then, the finals and the finality of the summer sun on your face as you cheer from the bleachers. With the fading sun, the cool breeze reminds me of the presence of fall. Yes, the season will soon be upon us and I know I’m ready for some, well, you know…
Most games get postponed for inclement weather: rain, snow, lighting and gale-force winds, hurricanes and tornados. What happened Monday night in Philadelphia has to be a modern record then, when the Eagles/Ravens preseason game was cancelled due to a poor playing surface. Veterans Stadium has long been noted for its horrible Astroturf and the many players that have blown their knees while playing there. It’s one of the cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1970s that looks horrible on the outside and inside. The main purpose was the ability to play both football and baseball in the same facility, hence the turf. In recent years, older stadiums like Giants Stadium in New Jersey have switched from Astroturf to grass. The Phillies are one of the few teams in baseball playing on outdoor turf. But if it were up to me, no team, even the Phillies, would play on artificial grass…
With the Washington Wizards set to play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to open the 2001-2002 NBA season, is there no doubt that Michael Jordan will return?
Is it fair to pick a preseason favorite in college football, when each year the teams change and with one loss, they’re out of the running anyway?
Are there really similarities between The Beatles and The Backstreet Boys?
If the Cubs and the Red Sox make the World Series, can’t they both win and save the world from apocalyptic disaster?
I know he’s out for at least a year, but what exactly would you do with The Game if he came back tomorrow?
Is it just me or are the questions for this year’s ‘ESPN’s 2-Minute Drill’ easier than last year?
Speaking of game shows, why don’t they bring back Nipsy Russell and ‘The $100,000 Pyramid’?
The first lockout threat of the new millennium is not in baseball, but the NFL, where the league and referees can’t seem to get along. Can’t the rich just share with those that help them keep the money?
Is it too early to think about basketball?
Is it too early to forget about hockey?
Should a secretary have an answering machine?
I’ve been here for three months and this is the ivory anniversary of this column. Although the picture is on unlucky 13, I’m only one week away from crystal, so that’s good for something.
It won’t, however, help answer the question I’m still answering: What are you doing here? I was thinking about it the other day and I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I could be waiting tables at a fancy restaurant in a big city and make twice the money (no offense, boss). But I would be working for a living, cleaning tables and sweeping floors and other things that I get enough of at home. I worked in food service for three years and there’s no clamor for me to go back. I like my job well enough. I talk, write and think about sports all day and someone pays me to do it. That’s good enough for me.
Now, I thought I grew up in a small town in New Jersey, but knew I lived in the shadow of Gotham City. When I moved away, I lived in cities, but none that could match the size of N.Y.C. Nevertheless, moving here is a huge step back in population numbers that I’m used to. Which is what makes the amount of athletic talent so amazing. There are stories everywhere and it’s my fault that I can’t get to them all.
I have yet to met someone that I wouldn’t introduce to my mother, if I were the kind of person that introduces people to his mother, which I’m not. No one has picked on me or any other stereotypical fears that a stranger in a strange place would have. I have been treated like a person and for that, I am grateful.
With that said, I thank everyone for their compliments and hope in the future, I can receive criticism, if only to better serve you, the reader. As a journalist, I am only the scribe for this scarred civilization. May my words be remembered longer than me, because I don’t plan to outlive them and that’s the truth.
August 8, 2007 at 9:26 am · Filed under First thoughts
A couple of Sunday’s ago, July 22 to be exact, I got a call from a friend at the Clarion-Ledger about this shooting story.
When the name Jeffrey Nason was mentioned, I stopped because he was a sophomore quarterback for a high school I cover.
The next day, Monday, I called the coach and asked him about the event and the result was this non-threatening informative webpage update.
Well, one of the news stations read this and ran with it. Alledgedly, they raced up to Canton High and “demanded” to speak with the football coach. When, alledgedly, told to leave the campus, they threatened to sit outside his home and wait for him.
Seems to me that they thought they had their hands on the next local quarterback does bad story. The first involved a Madison Central quarterback and althought it’s a terrible link, here’s the skinny…
I’m obilvious to all of this, so when I return to Canton later that week to interview the coach and others for a story that “real positive, real positive. It’s for the children” (Thanks, Coming to America and to hear more from a classic movie, go here.)
Anyway, the coach blows up at me, in anger about the TV people’s actions I hope. I shrug it off as an employment necessitity and continue about my business, producing a story about this beast of a young man.
While up there for this story, I ran into “Fat” Ratliff, who is far from overweight. Once of the best high school athletes I’ve seen, he’s been out of school for the past year due to academic problems…
I’ll continue when I can post the link to this story, which will be soon.
August 7, 2007 at 4:59 pm · Filed under The Past is always Present
From the Cameron Citizen-Observer
Taken from Aug. 6, 2001
THIS JUST IN: I watched my first WUSA game this weekend, Atlanta at Washington. Here’s another league where the best players in the world play every week to vast amounts of empty seats and no viewers. It certainly not for a lack of action. It might be an isolated game, but the women were clearly more physical than their male counterparts. I saw three yellow cards in 20 minutes and the ref could have handed out a lot more. Although the play was sloppy at times, it reminded me more of the European game than MLS. Back flicks, battles in the air and accurate crosses stood out like sore thumbs after watching the Wizards. The WUSA has legitimate stars. Granted they’re from other countries like China, Brazil and Norway, but isn’t that what this country is based on? Sun Wen of Atlanta was a star for the Chinese national team in the 1999 World Cup. She’s been battling a knee injury for most of this season, but with her team down 1-0, she entered the game in the 75th minute. Her first touch was poor, but then she changed the game around. Atlanta tied the game with Wen providing a nice ball off a corner kick. They took the lead seconds later when Washington was clearly marking Wen, allowing another forward to slip past the defense. Atlanta won and will be in the playoffs, but who will watch? Once again, soccer is blooming, but flowers grow in good conditions. If teams were given to smaller cities like Portland, OR and Rochester, NY, the stands would be packed. Like they are in the A-League and other smaller soccer leagues around the country. But I guess you can’t broadcast a game from Richmond, VA on national TV. Speaking of which, when will announcers learn that sports like baseball and soccer are better broadcasts when the announcer isn’t filling air with useless chatter. If you watch a English Premier League game, they allow the viewer to watch the game, only speaking when necessary. But then again, if people only spoke when necessary, there would be a lot of people that never spoke…
The MLB trading deadline has passed and now, I can make my predictions for the playoffs. My original picks, made way back in March, had the Mets winning the NL East and the Oakland A’s winning the AL West. I did have Ichiro winning the AL Rookie of the Year though…
American League Playoffs: Seattle vs. Boston – The Mariners could play .500 ball the rest of the year and still win 100 games. They’re a can’t miss to make the playoffs, but I don’t see them doing much after that. True, pitching and defense wins playoff games, but the Red Sox have the best pitcher in baseball in Pedro Martinez. With Nomar, Manny and Crazy Carl in the middle of the order, the Red Sox will be tough in September, when they play Tampa Bay and Baltimore to close out the season. They’ll be tougher in October.
Red Sox in four games.
New York vs. Cleveland – I’d love to say Minnesota will pitch their way to the AL Central title, but the safe bet is to go with the bats of Cleveland. Travis Fryman could bat cleanup for most teams, but he bats eighth in the Indians order. Truthfully though, it’s not going to matter to the Yankees. This team was built for October and last year was a perfect example. They had the worst record of all the playoff teams last year and look what happened. They got Clemens a ring two years ago and this year might be for Mike Mussina.
Yankees in four games.
National League Playoffs: Atlanta vs. Arizona – I’d love to put down that the Mets will win 15 straight and get back into the race, but reality has set in and ‘Wait till next year’ can be heard around Shea Stadium. The Braves are the Braves and Greg Maddux is a first ballot Hall of Famer toying with batters. They don’t have a great bullpen, but in a race with Philadelphia and Florida, I’ll take the guys that have been there before. I don’t see Arizona taking the NL West, but they’ll be the scariest wild card team since my 99’ Mets took the Braves to six games in the NLCS. Luis Gonzalez should win the NL MVP, but be certain the Cy Young winner will pitch in this series. It’s just a question of what team he’ll be on. Randy Johnson and Curt Shilling will pitch in at least three of the five games, therefore…
Arizona in five games.
Chicago vs. San Francisco – The Cubs have the lowest E.R.A. in the National League and that won’t change much. The addition of Fred McGriff means people have to pitch to Sammy Sosa, which is bad news. Houston will make a run, but St. Louis is all done. I had the Giants winning the West at the beginning of the season, and I’m sticking to it. Bonds might reach 70 home runs this year, but I can’t see him reaching the second round of the playoffs…
Chicago in four games.
I want to say that the Red Sox and the Cubs will make the World Series and end a curse, one way or the other. But to say that would mean that I’m wishing for the end of the world, because regardless of who wins that series, both cities will end up with riots. And there are enough Yankee fans that have vowed that the world will end before the Sox win the Series. I’d love to see the D’Backs and the Yankees for the pitching match-ups, but I don’t want to see the Yanks win another and I don’t think the people of Arizona deserve a world title in a major sport. So I am at an impasse, but no prediction is complete without calling the big game…
New York over Chicago in six games.
The USA Today ESPN Coaches’ Poll released its preseason poll last week with the University of Florida receiving the top spot. First of all, the poll is made up of a 60 coach-voting panel and I’d be surprised if 20 of them actually filled it out. Most coaches are too busy planning for the next game or coaching their own to watch other teams, yet alone teams outside their conference and not on their schedule. When I was at the University of South Carolina, I knew the guy that filled out the poll and it wasn’t Lou Holtz…
There are six teams in the top 25 from the SEC and I can guarantee that half of them won’t be there in December. Tennessee is ranked seven, but they’re more like a two. Mississippi State is ranked 19, but reality will set in once they hit the regular season. Oklahoma is number three and Nebraska is number four. Both schools will run up the score against Kansas and that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Virginia Tech received a gift ranking of nine, or was that to boost Miami’s number two ranking when they meet? The quarterback controversy at number six Texas will continue throughout the year, with the people getting what they want with Chris Simms as the starter. Major Applewhite was Offensive Player of the year as a freshman for Texas and that clearly wasn’t good enough. But Florida State is sitting pretty at number five. It may seem strange, but I’ve been a Florida State fan since ‘Wide Right’. I would have gone to school there, but Boston University gave me more money and that’s the truth.
August 1, 2007 at 5:49 am · Filed under First thoughts
From the Cameron Citizen-Observer
Taken from July 31, 2001
Quote of the Week
“I played in a death metal band. People either loved us or they hated us. Or they thought we were OK.”
- Mitch Hedberg
THIS JUST IN: Eddy Merckx of Belgium, who won five Tour de France titles, said, “Nobody can beat him. He can win as many Tours as he wants.” The pronoun that Merckx is talking about is Lance Armstrong, the great American success story. His life is the stuff of Hollywood writers dreams. The only question is who will play the role: Keanu Reeves or Bruce Willis?
Armstrong had cancer all over the place, including one place that, if mentioned, would send every man’s thoughts to one thing; actually, two things. While going for his third straight Tour victory, he lagged behind in the early going. It wasn’t until the course reached the mountains that he zoomed past all competitors, staring his chief rival in the eye before making him eat rubber and asphalt.
I don’t care for serious cycling. It’s another example of a leisure activity taken to an extreme. Bikes used to be a transportation tool, then, a serviceable tool for dirt jumps, bad decisions and bruised legs. But even with all my disdain, I can respect Armstrong and his storybook rise to the top of the world. He’s not only an inspiration to cancer survivors, but to Americans everywhere…
- I got a letter the other day from the IRS. Usually, I open, read and throw away whatever correspondence the government sends me. But this letter said they were going to send me money, just for paying my taxes.
Now if I remember correctly, in the early 1900’s, politicians in Chicago would gather up factory workers at lunch, feed them a good meal and give them beer, drive them to the voting booth and then hand out cash after they voted for ‘the right man’. Is it just me or is this the same thing?
Except Bush wants the public to shut up and let him run the country like Clinton. That’s the funniest thing about Slick Willie. Everyone will remember him for Monica Lewinsky and Paula Jones and all the other ‘constituents he personally polled’.
Nevertheless, the economy ran smooth and Israel wasn’t a living war zone for eight years. He was the first U.S. president to visit Nigeria and South Africa; plus, he appeared on Chinese national television and told the people their government needed change. It’s just sad he won’t be remembered for all the good he did, as opposed to the good he got…
With the baseball-trading deadline last Tuesday, there are more teams that think they have a shot at the playoffs. With the addition of the wild card, teams like San Francisco and Oakland believe they are one or two players away from breaking through.
The Giants, last year’s NL West champs, are only four games behind the first place Dodgers. Their acquisition of RHP Jason Schmidt and OF John Vander Wal for OF Armando Rios and RHP Ryan Vogelsong is the equivalent of trading two Angus steer for a bag of used baseballs.
But the fact Oakland is 20 games out of first, but only four games out from making the playoffs is the beauty (or the beast) of the wildcard…
Speaking of which, does anyone know the guys that make up the Royals pitching staff? I was looking at their roster the other day and realized that I knew about six of 14 pitchers, and one of them was Paul Byrd…
I am not a golfer. One time, when I was in Oregon, my friend convinced me to go to a driving range rather than a batting cage. We got a couple of buckets and my best ball landed 175 feet, way over to the right.
I can’t watch weekend golf of TV because I watch on my couch and know I would fall back asleep. I understand the sport, but it doesn’t belong in my house. So why was I watching the Battle of Big Horn last Monday?
I had three choices: watch Tiger and Annika, the Cleveland Rockers and the Orlando Miracle, or the return of The Rock on WWF Raw. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a no-brainer…
Did anyone notice Roy Jones Jr. batter another victim on HBO last weekend? How about the Arena Football League playoffs? Or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open, America’s equivalent to England’s FA Cup? Does anyone know what countries the Tour de France goes through or when the NHL will open their pre-season camp? Better yet, does anyone remember when Lynn Swann, Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield were elected to their respective Hall of Fames? Do we have a short-term memory or just not care…
I lost four of my good friends this past week. Although they have moved on, they will never be forgotten. Every time I see a rosin bag, I will think of Turk Wendell. Whenever a starting pitcher needs to be restrained, Dennis Cook will enter my mind. Who can forget Todd Pratt’s walk-off shot to straight away center field to beat the Diamondbacks in 1999? But Rick Reed, I will miss most of all.
A career minor league that crossed the picket line in 1995, he was called the poor man’s Greg Maddux, but he was just Rick Reed. He didn’t have an overpowering pitch, but pinpoint control and a knack for performing with nicks and scraps. I remember last year, he hurt his hand before a game, went out and pitched seven great innings.
I could go on reminiscing about the past, but it must be said that they will be remembered for the memories they provided inside a Met uniform. At the very least, they will be remembered in my mind forever and that’s the truth.