Most of you that know me, know that I was involved in the restaurant industry for almost twenty years. I began as a busboy at a Mr. Steak Restaurant on 28th Street in Boulder during my sophomore year at dear old CU. It was necessary for me to have some disposable income, as the Skunk Creek Inn became our nightly hangout, and though beer (3.2 beer) was cheap, lots of beer became rather expensive. I found that my industriousness and attention to detail (since departed, r.i.p.) fit rather well in the framework of a fast-moving, busy eatery. Plus the waitresses were nice, and the free food was good for my budget, too. Better than the Kittredge Complex Dorm food. One of the waitroids, I remember, became a regular on-air, at-the-scene reporter for Channel 4, Luann Akin (Beall).
I was informed at the end of the 1969-70 academic year that in order to remain actively enrolled as a student in good standing at the University of Colorado, I would have to attend summer classes to boost my GPA and complete some incompletes. You see, the spring of 1970 was when anti-war sentiment and student uprisings against the Viet Nam War (excuse me, Conflict) were at the zenith, and the tragedy at Kent State University on May 4, 1970 galvanized the student populations of college campuses across the nation. Students at CU engaged in a strike to empathize with the protests against the war, and show solidarity against the atrocities at Kent State, where four students were shot and killed by Ohio National Guardsmen when a Peace Rally Against the War got chaotic, and some of the guys in uniform with the military weapons panicked, lost control and fired on the protesters. Anyway, three of my class finals were cancelled and the CU campus was energized while immobilized. Why, there was even an impromptu concert on Farrand Field featuring the Blues Image (Ride Captain Ride) and Leslie West and his band, Mountain (Mississippi Queen). These two groups were scheduled to play Red Rocks Amphitheatre that weekend, so they came and set up on the back of a flatbed rig and jammed for a couple hours. Well, amnesty did not extend to me for the missed/skipped finals for my Anthro, Engineering Calculus and Surveying. By then, I was enjoying the restaurant scene, the work and the money, and I was offered a position as an assistant manager at the Mr. Steak in Longmont, so I said good bye to my college career, and hello to 65 hour weeks for the next 18 years. Not my best move, but hey, met lots of great people in the ten or so restaurants I worked with in the next 18 years.
One of the finest restaurants that I worked at, was Sebastian's in Boulder on 28th (where the IHOP is now). Slow roasted prime rib, Boulder's first complete salad bar with caviar and pickled herring, fresh seafood flown in daily and the best wine selection in Colorado. I started there as a busboy and worked up to Head Waiter within a year, still the best job I ever had. We had an ever-changing roster of chefs at Sebastian's over the years, but by far the best, Chef Bob Winick, was only there for about a year-and-a-half. His talent with fresh seafood recipes, nightly specials was superb. He once worked as a contemporary with Emeril Lagasse at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, before the popular personality became the most recognized chef in the world. Chef Bob maintained a calm and efficient kitchen, which to most of us in the business, was way out of the ordinary. He always prepared the nightly specials for the waitstaff before the shift, which was not done before Chef Bob. His dishes were fantastic, motivating me in a lifetime pursuit of good-tasting, appetizing food of my own. He was really the first, and best, Executive Chef that I worked with, and in retrospect, the only one with the talent and repertoire and recipe file, to qualify. Alas, he moved on, to California, when it became obvious that our restaurant owner, the infamous round mound of renown, Wayne Dozier, could not appreciate, nor recognize, nor reward the talent he had in his restaurant. From there, I lost contact, Chef Bob went to work for a hotel chain, then lost to the world of separate directions, and before social media.
Then, through the circumstance of BlogSpot.com, I found a certain Rambling Robert, a former chef, unemployed and homeless since October of 2003. Oh, not in a bad way. He up and sold everything in 2003, and became a world traveler, literally. Follow his journeys here, at: http://robertstravels.blogspot.com/ I sent an email, and yes, it is, Chef Bob! I look forward to catching up with Bob before he heads to South America. He is back in the US, in Florida for awhile. Seems he received word while in Nepal that his mother was gravely ill, so he came back to help care for her and help his father. He characterized his hospice servitude as a form of continuing education and enlightenment. A very worldly character, is Chef Bob, as I recognized way back when at Sebastian's, at his home at the foot of Haystack Mountain, when talking about life and people and the world over a beer or bottle of wine and a doobie.
The world of social media is awesome, but can be both bothersome and intrusive at times. But like the channels and programs on TV, shut it off, or change the channel if it bothers you. We can all choose how much we put ourselves out there, and I sure wish that most would be more selective about sharing their thoughts and words. But, it's times like this, when I can find a treasured old friend, that I am grateful for a shrinking world, at least in an electronic sense. And, I will be able to see the world through the eyes and from the blog of an enlightened world traveler. Welcome back, Chef Bob, into my life, and may I prove to be worthy.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Wintry Musings, part III, baseball
As I have previously mentioned, the baseball season ended for me on October 6th, when the Detroit Tigers eliminated the New York Yankees three games to two in the American League Division Series. Yes, I continued to watch as the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals advanced to play in the 107th World Series. I was rooting for Texas to beat the Cards, but the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th Series title in the deciding seventh game of the Fall Classic.
Albert Pujols pounded three home runs in Game 3, matching a World Series feat accomplished only by Babe Ruth (1926 and 1928) and Reggie Jackson (1977). His 14 total bases (3 HRs, 2 singles) set a new Series record, and he tied the single-game records for most HRs (3), most hits (5) and most RBIs (6). Texas should have won the Series in Game 6, but like the 1986 Boston Red Sox, came within one out of winning it all, then faltered in extra innings, ultimately losing Game 7. Game 6 was one of the most entertaining games in baseball history. It was not a particularly crisp, error-free affair with great pitching. But, for drama and excitement, it was a barnburner. The Cardinals twice came back late from two-run deficits, in the ninth and tenth innings, both times down to their last strike, one pitch away from crowning the Texas Rangers with their first title. The come-back Cards became the first team ever in World Series history to score in the 8th, 9th 10th and 11th innings of a single game.
David Freese, third-year third baseman for the Cardinals, earned both the League Championship MVP and the World Series MVP awards, only the 6th time a player has won both, all National Leaguers, never been done by an American Leaguer. The previous dual-award winners: Willie Stargell ("We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates, 1979), Darrell Porter (1982 St. Louis catcher, "Whitey-Ball" Herzog over "Harvey's Wallbangers" Brewers), Orel Hershiser (Dodgers, 1988, remember Kirk Gibson's HR off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1?), Livan Hernandez (1997 Florida Marlins who were promptly disassembled by owner Wayne Huizenga) and Cole Hamels (2008 Philadelphia Phillies). The World Series MVP has been officially awarded since 1955, when it was initiated and sponsored by SPORT Magazine. It is now determined by writers and MLB officials immediately during and after the final game of the Series. Only three players have won the Award more than once: Sandy Koufax (LA Dodgers 1963, 1965), Bob Gibson (St. Louis Cards 1964, 1967) and Reggie Jackson (Oakland As 1973, New York Yankees 1977). It has been predominantly a pitcher's award (27 times, 3 relievers), with third basemen winning 10 times, outfielders 7, catchers 6, shortstops 5, first basemen twice, second sackers once and a Designated Hitter once (Hideki Matsui, 2009, Yankees). Only once has the award been given to a player on the losing team, 2B Bobby Richardson of the New York Yankees in 1960, when he drove in 12 runs (still the record), batted .367 and had 11 hits (a record then, since beaten and then tied by Richardson in 1964). The Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 that year, and outhit them 91-60, but Pirate 2B Bill Mazeroski slugged a lead-off walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth over the ivied left field wall in Forbes Field to win Game 7 and the Series over the Yankees in Casey Stengel's final World Series appearance. Yogi Berra said afterwards, "We made too many wrong mistakes."
Continuing media coverage of this year's Winter Baseball Meetings is whetting my appetite for baseball. The newly re-named Miami Marlins are making the most noise, with their signing of SS Jose Reyes, closer Heath Bell and left-handed starter Mark Buerhle. And if you believe the rumors, the Marlins are still in the hunt to land Albert Pujols. With new manager, Ozzie Guillen, and a brand new ballpark, the former Florida Fish may make some noise this year in the National League East. I still think that Pujols stays with the Cardinals, but if he doesn't, won't that make it very plausible that the Cards go strong after Prince Fielder? If Pujols stays with the Cardinals, where will Fielder land? Hopefully, not in the NL West.
Meanwhile, our Colorado Rockies continue their ho-hum pursuit of marginal players and dumping salaries. Though I remain a staunch Monfort Brothers fan, I am not enamored with the foresight (or lack, thereof) from general manager Dan O'Dowd. Last year's big acquisitions: Jose Lopez and Ty Wigginton, where are they? Chris Iannetta to the Angels for an unproven starter, right-hander Tyler Chatwood, 25 career starts, 4.75 ERA, 6 wins 11 losses, only 22 years old. Sound familiar? Colorado's roster is filled with young, not-quite-ready-for-prime-time starting pitchers. Most successful Major League organizations have those types of pitchers grooming in the minor leagues, building up their strength and repertoire before being thrust into the Major League spotlight. Matter of fact, the Rockies have a slew of number 4-, 5-type rotation starters, and no ace, not even a viable, proven 2 or 3.
Oh wait, stop the presses...............the Rockies acquire starter Kevin Slowey, right-hander from the Minnesota Twins for a bag of balls and some Greeley grain-fed steaks. Yes, that Kevin Slowey, the one who started and lost all eight decisions last year for the Twinkies, plus they also lost all 6 games he appeared in as a reliever. Veteran Kevin Millwood coming back? Doubtful. Aaron Cook? Rockies paid him $500,000 to go away. Jorge De La Rosa might be ready to go by the end of May after Tommy John surgery on June 3rd and recuperation. Jhoulys Chacin has had another year and seasoning at the big league level, how will he respond? Can Juan Nicasio return to his pre-injury form? The line drive that fractured the verterbra in his neck was the most horrific baseball injury I have seen, rivaling the beaning that effectively ended Red Sox Tony Conigliaro's career with Boston back in 1967. The Rockies maintain a roster with the likes of Jason Hammel, Esmil Rogers, Alex White and Drew Pomeranz. Not quite a starting slate that will strike fear into anybody's opposing lineup. Sure, there are rumors that the Rockies are 'pursuing deals' for the likes of Jair Jurggens, Edinson Volquez, Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Garza, etc. Brad Lidge coming back home to Colorado? Unlikely. The best we Rockie fans can hope for, is that old "lightning in a bottle" phenomenon.
Hallelujah! Huston Street unloaded to the San Diego Padres for, a prospect to be named later. The important thing: unloading his $8-million salary and tendencies to cause ulcers in ninth innings of close games. He will do much better in pitcher-friendly PetCo Park.
Two more months to go until pitchers and catchers report to Arizona for Spring Training. In the meantime, we have Timmy Tebow and the Righteous Bronco Revival to entertain us. Has anyone ever asked Timmy if he would like to try his hand at baseball?
Albert Pujols pounded three home runs in Game 3, matching a World Series feat accomplished only by Babe Ruth (1926 and 1928) and Reggie Jackson (1977). His 14 total bases (3 HRs, 2 singles) set a new Series record, and he tied the single-game records for most HRs (3), most hits (5) and most RBIs (6). Texas should have won the Series in Game 6, but like the 1986 Boston Red Sox, came within one out of winning it all, then faltered in extra innings, ultimately losing Game 7. Game 6 was one of the most entertaining games in baseball history. It was not a particularly crisp, error-free affair with great pitching. But, for drama and excitement, it was a barnburner. The Cardinals twice came back late from two-run deficits, in the ninth and tenth innings, both times down to their last strike, one pitch away from crowning the Texas Rangers with their first title. The come-back Cards became the first team ever in World Series history to score in the 8th, 9th 10th and 11th innings of a single game.
David Freese, third-year third baseman for the Cardinals, earned both the League Championship MVP and the World Series MVP awards, only the 6th time a player has won both, all National Leaguers, never been done by an American Leaguer. The previous dual-award winners: Willie Stargell ("We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates, 1979), Darrell Porter (1982 St. Louis catcher, "Whitey-Ball" Herzog over "Harvey's Wallbangers" Brewers), Orel Hershiser (Dodgers, 1988, remember Kirk Gibson's HR off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1?), Livan Hernandez (1997 Florida Marlins who were promptly disassembled by owner Wayne Huizenga) and Cole Hamels (2008 Philadelphia Phillies). The World Series MVP has been officially awarded since 1955, when it was initiated and sponsored by SPORT Magazine. It is now determined by writers and MLB officials immediately during and after the final game of the Series. Only three players have won the Award more than once: Sandy Koufax (LA Dodgers 1963, 1965), Bob Gibson (St. Louis Cards 1964, 1967) and Reggie Jackson (Oakland As 1973, New York Yankees 1977). It has been predominantly a pitcher's award (27 times, 3 relievers), with third basemen winning 10 times, outfielders 7, catchers 6, shortstops 5, first basemen twice, second sackers once and a Designated Hitter once (Hideki Matsui, 2009, Yankees). Only once has the award been given to a player on the losing team, 2B Bobby Richardson of the New York Yankees in 1960, when he drove in 12 runs (still the record), batted .367 and had 11 hits (a record then, since beaten and then tied by Richardson in 1964). The Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 that year, and outhit them 91-60, but Pirate 2B Bill Mazeroski slugged a lead-off walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth over the ivied left field wall in Forbes Field to win Game 7 and the Series over the Yankees in Casey Stengel's final World Series appearance. Yogi Berra said afterwards, "We made too many wrong mistakes."
Continuing media coverage of this year's Winter Baseball Meetings is whetting my appetite for baseball. The newly re-named Miami Marlins are making the most noise, with their signing of SS Jose Reyes, closer Heath Bell and left-handed starter Mark Buerhle. And if you believe the rumors, the Marlins are still in the hunt to land Albert Pujols. With new manager, Ozzie Guillen, and a brand new ballpark, the former Florida Fish may make some noise this year in the National League East. I still think that Pujols stays with the Cardinals, but if he doesn't, won't that make it very plausible that the Cards go strong after Prince Fielder? If Pujols stays with the Cardinals, where will Fielder land? Hopefully, not in the NL West.
Meanwhile, our Colorado Rockies continue their ho-hum pursuit of marginal players and dumping salaries. Though I remain a staunch Monfort Brothers fan, I am not enamored with the foresight (or lack, thereof) from general manager Dan O'Dowd. Last year's big acquisitions: Jose Lopez and Ty Wigginton, where are they? Chris Iannetta to the Angels for an unproven starter, right-hander Tyler Chatwood, 25 career starts, 4.75 ERA, 6 wins 11 losses, only 22 years old. Sound familiar? Colorado's roster is filled with young, not-quite-ready-for-prime-time starting pitchers. Most successful Major League organizations have those types of pitchers grooming in the minor leagues, building up their strength and repertoire before being thrust into the Major League spotlight. Matter of fact, the Rockies have a slew of number 4-, 5-type rotation starters, and no ace, not even a viable, proven 2 or 3.
Oh wait, stop the presses...............the Rockies acquire starter Kevin Slowey, right-hander from the Minnesota Twins for a bag of balls and some Greeley grain-fed steaks. Yes, that Kevin Slowey, the one who started and lost all eight decisions last year for the Twinkies, plus they also lost all 6 games he appeared in as a reliever. Veteran Kevin Millwood coming back? Doubtful. Aaron Cook? Rockies paid him $500,000 to go away. Jorge De La Rosa might be ready to go by the end of May after Tommy John surgery on June 3rd and recuperation. Jhoulys Chacin has had another year and seasoning at the big league level, how will he respond? Can Juan Nicasio return to his pre-injury form? The line drive that fractured the verterbra in his neck was the most horrific baseball injury I have seen, rivaling the beaning that effectively ended Red Sox Tony Conigliaro's career with Boston back in 1967. The Rockies maintain a roster with the likes of Jason Hammel, Esmil Rogers, Alex White and Drew Pomeranz. Not quite a starting slate that will strike fear into anybody's opposing lineup. Sure, there are rumors that the Rockies are 'pursuing deals' for the likes of Jair Jurggens, Edinson Volquez, Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Garza, etc. Brad Lidge coming back home to Colorado? Unlikely. The best we Rockie fans can hope for, is that old "lightning in a bottle" phenomenon.
Hallelujah! Huston Street unloaded to the San Diego Padres for, a prospect to be named later. The important thing: unloading his $8-million salary and tendencies to cause ulcers in ninth innings of close games. He will do much better in pitcher-friendly PetCo Park.
Two more months to go until pitchers and catchers report to Arizona for Spring Training. In the meantime, we have Timmy Tebow and the Righteous Bronco Revival to entertain us. Has anyone ever asked Timmy if he would like to try his hand at baseball?
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Wintry Musings, part II
Game over, post-game analysis continues, Tebow and Bronco fans rejoice. The Denver Bronco football team traveled to Minneapolis to meet a going-nowhere-fast Viking team that, just this week, jettisoned Donovan McNabb into the scrap heap, signifying even more bad news for Syracuse University fans. And, the Tebow-led Broncos dispatched the Vikings 35-32 when Matt Prater drilled a 23-yard field goal as time ran out in the fourth quarter. The Broncos have now won five consecutive road games for the first time since their Super Bowl years, when the John Elway-led Broncos won eight straight road games from January 4, 1998 to November 29, 1998. That run contributed to their two Super Bowl victories and began in the Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium against Kansas City.
"January 4, 1998. Chiefs lose to the Broncos 14-10. That still burns for most folks in Kansas City. The Chiefs were 13-3 that year and would seemingly bring home a playoff victory for the first time since Montana.
The problem?
John freakin' Elway." (From Arrowhead Pride blog, June 21, 2010)
Actually, Denver running back, Terrell Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the closely contested game before nearly 77,000 chilly fans in Arrowhead. KC had a chance to win in the last 20 seconds, but an errant fourth-down pass from Elvis Grbac fell incomplete in the end zone. The Broncos had beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars the week before at Mile High Stadium in the Wild Card game, 42-17.
The next week, Denver traveled to Pittsburgh to battle the Steelers for the AFC Championship in Three Rivers Stadium. Terrell Davis rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown and Denver's defense forced Kordell Stewart into three interceptions and a fumble as the Broncos won 24-21 for the right to face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego's QualComm Stadium. We all know how that ended, as the heavily-favored Packers, defending Super Bowl Champions, were clobbered by the John Elway-Terrell Davis (SB XXII MVP)-Shannon Sharpe Broncos.
The next regular season began with the Broncos winning their first 13 games, including consecutive road victories over Oakland, Washington, Seattle, Cincinnati, Kansas City and San Diego, before losing at the Meadowlands to the New York Giants 20-16 on December 13, 1998 (Sports Illustrated cover jinx). The Broncos lost again the next week in Miami before winning the regular season finale at home over the Seahawks to finish at 14-2. After a bye week, Denver clobbered Miami 38-3 and Bill Parcells' Jets 23-10 to earn their second consecutive AFC Championship and the right to play the Dan Reeves-led Atlanta Falcons in Miami for SB XXXIII. Denver won easily 34-19 as Elway played his last game and took away the SB MVP trophy.
So, that brings us to this edition of the Denver Broncos. What an inconceivable season this has been! With the labor-lockout delaying the start to pre-season organization and workouts, a brand new head coach (John Fox), an inexperienced executive in charge (John Elway), uncertainty and dispute about whom should quarterback the team, the prospects of a successful season seemed dim and dying. And, as expected, the season did begin horribly. Matter of fact, the only thing of redeeming interest was the hopeful tenet that maybe the Broncos were bad enough to dream about getting a chance to draft Andrew Luck to quarterback next year's squad. The growing clamor of Tebow-lovers to give their savior the ball, combined with Kyle Orton's obvious lack of production and leadership, led the Bronco brass to hand the starting job to Timmy Tebow, and now we are seeing an unprecedented assault on the sensibilities of professional football purists everywhere. Even diehard critic Brian Billick muttered during the telecast today, "Okay, I'm a believer." Most of us would agree that perhaps the Tebow Project may not be a long-term solution for the Broncos going into the future, but for now, how fun is this?!
For all those detractors that Tim Tebow should be held accountable for technical faults, that he couldn't hit the ocean from the deck of the Titanic, that he won't be able to hold up under the punishment of running the ball in the NFL, that a collegiate playbook can't win on Sundays...........how about the fact that he just wins? Obviously, it should be noted, that he doesn't do this alone. The re-energized defense has kept them in games, Britt Colquitt's punting has helped Denver consistently win the field position battle, Willis McGahee is running with fierce determination, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's game-planning and play-calling is keeping opposing defenses confounded and the team as a whole is playing with growing confidence and competence. Today's game showed that the offense can score whilst the defense is giving up 489 yards, 25 first downs and 30 points. And, even though Tebow and the Denver offense had only 50 yards total in the first half, the defense had outscored Minnesota's defense 7-2 to keep the game close. Then, when a two-point conversion was needed to tie the score at 29 in the fourth quarter, and everybody everywhere just knew that Tebow would run up the middle, guess what, can't stop him. Timmy finished 10 of 15 for just 202 yards, but big plays and zero interceptions. To his credit, and the coaches', Tebow is throwing the ball better, on time and on target. But, to be honest, the passing game benefits from the play-action that confounds defenses because they have to account for both flanks and sometimes three options in the run game, on every play. Plus, Tebow rarely goes down at first contact, so he can keep plays alive even when pressed in the pocket, allowing his receivers to find holes downfield in the secondary.
Lastly, the energized spirit that this Denver Bronco team is experiencing isn't necessarily all due to Tim Tebow, but his attitude and comportment surely are stoking the fires of this most recent run. The bubble may yet burst at the hands of the Chicago Bears (backup quarterback and injured Matt Forte), or the hot New England Patriots with Tom Brady and an explosive offense (but maybe with nothing to play for on December 18 if they have a division title and first round bye secured), or the Buffalo Bills against a team that has lost 5 straight through today, or maybe even against the Kansas City Chiefs and Kyle Orton in the regular season finale. I'm through betting against this team and Tim Tebow, until, well, they fall back down to earth. Until then, all you Tebow-haters will have to wait for the bandwagon to run out of gas or get too crowded, because right here, right now, it's fun to be a Bronco fan!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
"January 4, 1998. Chiefs lose to the Broncos 14-10. That still burns for most folks in Kansas City. The Chiefs were 13-3 that year and would seemingly bring home a playoff victory for the first time since Montana.
The problem?
John freakin' Elway." (From Arrowhead Pride blog, June 21, 2010)
Actually, Denver running back, Terrell Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the closely contested game before nearly 77,000 chilly fans in Arrowhead. KC had a chance to win in the last 20 seconds, but an errant fourth-down pass from Elvis Grbac fell incomplete in the end zone. The Broncos had beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars the week before at Mile High Stadium in the Wild Card game, 42-17.
The next week, Denver traveled to Pittsburgh to battle the Steelers for the AFC Championship in Three Rivers Stadium. Terrell Davis rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown and Denver's defense forced Kordell Stewart into three interceptions and a fumble as the Broncos won 24-21 for the right to face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego's QualComm Stadium. We all know how that ended, as the heavily-favored Packers, defending Super Bowl Champions, were clobbered by the John Elway-Terrell Davis (SB XXII MVP)-Shannon Sharpe Broncos.
The next regular season began with the Broncos winning their first 13 games, including consecutive road victories over Oakland, Washington, Seattle, Cincinnati, Kansas City and San Diego, before losing at the Meadowlands to the New York Giants 20-16 on December 13, 1998 (Sports Illustrated cover jinx). The Broncos lost again the next week in Miami before winning the regular season finale at home over the Seahawks to finish at 14-2. After a bye week, Denver clobbered Miami 38-3 and Bill Parcells' Jets 23-10 to earn their second consecutive AFC Championship and the right to play the Dan Reeves-led Atlanta Falcons in Miami for SB XXXIII. Denver won easily 34-19 as Elway played his last game and took away the SB MVP trophy.
So, that brings us to this edition of the Denver Broncos. What an inconceivable season this has been! With the labor-lockout delaying the start to pre-season organization and workouts, a brand new head coach (John Fox), an inexperienced executive in charge (John Elway), uncertainty and dispute about whom should quarterback the team, the prospects of a successful season seemed dim and dying. And, as expected, the season did begin horribly. Matter of fact, the only thing of redeeming interest was the hopeful tenet that maybe the Broncos were bad enough to dream about getting a chance to draft Andrew Luck to quarterback next year's squad. The growing clamor of Tebow-lovers to give their savior the ball, combined with Kyle Orton's obvious lack of production and leadership, led the Bronco brass to hand the starting job to Timmy Tebow, and now we are seeing an unprecedented assault on the sensibilities of professional football purists everywhere. Even diehard critic Brian Billick muttered during the telecast today, "Okay, I'm a believer." Most of us would agree that perhaps the Tebow Project may not be a long-term solution for the Broncos going into the future, but for now, how fun is this?!
For all those detractors that Tim Tebow should be held accountable for technical faults, that he couldn't hit the ocean from the deck of the Titanic, that he won't be able to hold up under the punishment of running the ball in the NFL, that a collegiate playbook can't win on Sundays...........how about the fact that he just wins? Obviously, it should be noted, that he doesn't do this alone. The re-energized defense has kept them in games, Britt Colquitt's punting has helped Denver consistently win the field position battle, Willis McGahee is running with fierce determination, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's game-planning and play-calling is keeping opposing defenses confounded and the team as a whole is playing with growing confidence and competence. Today's game showed that the offense can score whilst the defense is giving up 489 yards, 25 first downs and 30 points. And, even though Tebow and the Denver offense had only 50 yards total in the first half, the defense had outscored Minnesota's defense 7-2 to keep the game close. Then, when a two-point conversion was needed to tie the score at 29 in the fourth quarter, and everybody everywhere just knew that Tebow would run up the middle, guess what, can't stop him. Timmy finished 10 of 15 for just 202 yards, but big plays and zero interceptions. To his credit, and the coaches', Tebow is throwing the ball better, on time and on target. But, to be honest, the passing game benefits from the play-action that confounds defenses because they have to account for both flanks and sometimes three options in the run game, on every play. Plus, Tebow rarely goes down at first contact, so he can keep plays alive even when pressed in the pocket, allowing his receivers to find holes downfield in the secondary.
Lastly, the energized spirit that this Denver Bronco team is experiencing isn't necessarily all due to Tim Tebow, but his attitude and comportment surely are stoking the fires of this most recent run. The bubble may yet burst at the hands of the Chicago Bears (backup quarterback and injured Matt Forte), or the hot New England Patriots with Tom Brady and an explosive offense (but maybe with nothing to play for on December 18 if they have a division title and first round bye secured), or the Buffalo Bills against a team that has lost 5 straight through today, or maybe even against the Kansas City Chiefs and Kyle Orton in the regular season finale. I'm through betting against this team and Tim Tebow, until, well, they fall back down to earth. Until then, all you Tebow-haters will have to wait for the bandwagon to run out of gas or get too crowded, because right here, right now, it's fun to be a Bronco fan!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Wintry Musings, part I
So, I have been silent, at least blog-wise, for a few months. It's not because I have nothing to say, more due to my apathetic attitude towards unfolding situations and putting my thoughts in order and into writing. The latest developments of the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow, the winter machinations of Major League Baseball, boxing and politics have brought me back to the urge to spew forth. And sometimes, hurl.
Let's get politics out of the way first. Not for long........I have an abiding, abhorrent distaste of watching or understanding politics and politicians. The cavalcade of potential presidential 'candidates' parading before us in the media and on TV has given me some entertaining moments, primarily because I filter the 'news' of these people through shows like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", "60 Minutes" and publications like The Onion. 'Real' news programs, such as MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and even FOX News give short shrift to news by appealing to the short attention span of the vast majority of the American public and by picking at the pimples on the public faces of people in the news. Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, Michele Bachman, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, et al, get picked apart and it has changed the way that politicians run their various campaigns. Most of the 'noise' we see and hear about politicians is designed to get attention, sometimes intentionally, but mostly determined by what news editors and spin doctors decide to put out there. Here's an idiomatic definition of politics:
To play politics;
Pretty accurate, I'd say.
Here's another word for today's lesson: obfuscate;
a) to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy,
Let's get politics out of the way first. Not for long........I have an abiding, abhorrent distaste of watching or understanding politics and politicians. The cavalcade of potential presidential 'candidates' parading before us in the media and on TV has given me some entertaining moments, primarily because I filter the 'news' of these people through shows like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", "60 Minutes" and publications like The Onion. 'Real' news programs, such as MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and even FOX News give short shrift to news by appealing to the short attention span of the vast majority of the American public and by picking at the pimples on the public faces of people in the news. Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, Michele Bachman, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, et al, get picked apart and it has changed the way that politicians run their various campaigns. Most of the 'noise' we see and hear about politicians is designed to get attention, sometimes intentionally, but mostly determined by what news editors and spin doctors decide to put out there. Here's an idiomatic definition of politics:
To play politics;
a) to engage in political intrigue, take advantage of a political situation or issue, resort to partisan politics, etc.; exploit a political system or political relationships,
b) to deal with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way.
Pretty accurate, I'd say.
Here's another word for today's lesson: obfuscate;
a) to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy,
b) to make obscure or unclear,
c) to darken.
To me, politics and obfuscation are synonymous with how we are led. Led by 'leaders' on a path that we are constantly told is 'best for the American public' and 'in the interests of national security', or 'necessary to protect a democratic way of life'. To me, most of what POLITICS is about, is to gild the pockets and coffers of POLITICIANS and their benefactors. Congressional representatives should not be allowed to continue influencing national policy as lobbyists after their elected terms are complete. Presidential cabinet officials and appointees should not be culled from the list of significant campaign donors. Big coincidence that many of the Cabinet members and financial advisors that crafted the bailout of the Big Banks in 2008 were formerly from Goldman Sachs, big campaign contributors to George Bush's interests initially, then Barack Obama's circle, later. Here's a recent list of Goldman Sachs former associates tied to the Obama circle of government:
To me, politics and obfuscation are synonymous with how we are led. Led by 'leaders' on a path that we are constantly told is 'best for the American public' and 'in the interests of national security', or 'necessary to protect a democratic way of life'. To me, most of what POLITICS is about, is to gild the pockets and coffers of POLITICIANS and their benefactors. Congressional representatives should not be allowed to continue influencing national policy as lobbyists after their elected terms are complete. Presidential cabinet officials and appointees should not be culled from the list of significant campaign donors. Big coincidence that many of the Cabinet members and financial advisors that crafted the bailout of the Big Banks in 2008 were formerly from Goldman Sachs, big campaign contributors to George Bush's interests initially, then Barack Obama's circle, later. Here's a recent list of Goldman Sachs former associates tied to the Obama circle of government:
ALTMAN, ROGER.
BERKOWITZ, HOWARD P.
BIDEN, JOE.
BRAINARD, LAEL.
BUFFETT, WARREN.
CLINTON, HILLARY.
CRAIG, GREGORY.
DONILON, THOMAS.
DUDLEY, WILLIAM C.
EFFRON, BLAIR W.
ELMENDORF, DOUGLAS.
EMANUEL, RAHM.
FARRELL, DIANA.
FRIEDMAN, STEPHEN.
FROMAN, Michael.
FUDGE, ANNE.
FURMAN, JASON.
GALLOGLY, MARK.
GEITHNER, TIMOTHY.
GENSLER, GARY.
GEPHARDT, RICHARD (aka "DICK") A.
GREENSTONE, MICHAEL (revolving door to Hamilton Project)
HAMILTON PROJECT, THE
HORMATS, ROBERT.
KAGAN, ELENA.
KASHKARI, NEEL.
KORNBLUH, KAREN.
LEW, JACOB (AKA "JACK") J.
LIDDY, EDWARD MICHAEL.
LIPTON, DAVID A.
MINDICH, ERIC
MURPHY, PHILLIP.
NIEDERAUER, DUNCAN.
OBAMA, BARACK H.
ORSZAG, PETER.
PATTERSON, MARK.
PERRY, RICHARD.
RATTNER, STEVE.
REISCHAUER, ROBERT D.
RIVLIN, ALICE.
RUBIN, JAMES.
RUBIN, ROBERT.
SHAFRAN, STEVEN.
SPERLING, GENE.
STORCH, ADAM.
SUMMERS, LARRY.
THAIN, JOHN.
TYSON, LAURA D’ANDREA.
Interesting connections. Google these names, one by one, along with "Goldman Sachs" and you will begin to understand how we have been led down the rosy path of financial ruin by these fucking crooks.
Enough for now, I'm exhausted, and pissed.
Gonna watch the rest of the Broncos vs Vikings, to get more insight on the Tebow phenomenom.
Later............
BERKOWITZ, HOWARD P.
BIDEN, JOE.
BRAINARD, LAEL.
BUFFETT, WARREN.
CLINTON, HILLARY.
CRAIG, GREGORY.
DONILON, THOMAS.
DUDLEY, WILLIAM C.
EFFRON, BLAIR W.
ELMENDORF, DOUGLAS.
EMANUEL, RAHM.
FARRELL, DIANA.
FRIEDMAN, STEPHEN.
FROMAN, Michael.
FUDGE, ANNE.
FURMAN, JASON.
GALLOGLY, MARK.
GEITHNER, TIMOTHY.
GENSLER, GARY.
GEPHARDT, RICHARD (aka "DICK") A.
GREENSTONE, MICHAEL (revolving door to Hamilton Project)
HAMILTON PROJECT, THE
HORMATS, ROBERT.
KAGAN, ELENA.
KASHKARI, NEEL.
KORNBLUH, KAREN.
LEW, JACOB (AKA "JACK") J.
LIDDY, EDWARD MICHAEL.
LIPTON, DAVID A.
MINDICH, ERIC
MURPHY, PHILLIP.
NIEDERAUER, DUNCAN.
OBAMA, BARACK H.
ORSZAG, PETER.
PATTERSON, MARK.
PERRY, RICHARD.
RATTNER, STEVE.
REISCHAUER, ROBERT D.
RIVLIN, ALICE.
RUBIN, JAMES.
RUBIN, ROBERT.
SHAFRAN, STEVEN.
SPERLING, GENE.
STORCH, ADAM.
SUMMERS, LARRY.
THAIN, JOHN.
TYSON, LAURA D’ANDREA.
Interesting connections. Google these names, one by one, along with "Goldman Sachs" and you will begin to understand how we have been led down the rosy path of financial ruin by these fucking crooks.
Enough for now, I'm exhausted, and pissed.
Gonna watch the rest of the Broncos vs Vikings, to get more insight on the Tebow phenomenom.
Later............
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Hope Springs Eternal........
This phrase is an exerpt from a poem by Alexander Pope, an English writer who died in 1744. The full quote goes:
Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
Interpreted, it basically means that no matter the circumstances, Man always hopes for the best, that no matter that things may appear bleak, but better times are around the corner. That Man continues to live through hopes and expectations. Perfect for referencing this special time of the year. Baseball Season has begun! And, while Mr. Alexander Pope most certainly wasn't a baseball fan, further research makes me think that he would have been. This familiar sentiment has always been deputized during Spring Training and at the very beginning of the baseball season, because it perfectly encapsulates what all teams, and players, in baseball feel. No matter that they lost 105 games last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates, with a new manager (Clint Hurdle) enter the 2011 season full of fresh optimism that the Pirate organization is on the upswing and headed in the right direction. No matter that the Colorado Rockies lost 12 of their last 13 games to end the 2010 season and sink completely out of playoff contention, this year will be different, better. No matter that the Rockies' offensive roster remains almost unchanged, Carney Lansford, the new hitting coach this year, will work miracles with the approaches of Ian Stewart, Chris Iannetta, Seth Smith, Dexter Fowler and Todd Helton and this year's team will be much improved. The team will NOT strike out 1,245 times this year. Maybe, maybe not. Franklin Morales and Huston Street will NOT give us all high blood pressure everytime they pitch. Hopefully, though Street's performance last night gives me no reason to think that he'll be the next incarnation of Mariano Rivera. And Franklin, well he hasn't made an appearance yet, so we'll see. Positive signs from newcomers Ty Wigginton and Jose Lopez after two games, Matt Lindstrom throws real hard. As good as they've been, why do the Rockies have such a difficult time with the Arizona Diamondbacks?
Back to Alexander Pope. More quotes from his writings:
"To err is human" (and an Arizona Diamondback)
"Men would be Angels, and Angels would be gods" (what, one World Series title in 50 years of existence?)
"And after all, what is a lie, 'tis but the truth in masquerade?" (Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens never knowingly used steroids)
"Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed" (never a better definition of a Cubs fan)
"Fools rush in, where Angels fear to tread" (remember Kendry Morales breaking his leg moshing into the reception committee at home plate last year at the end of his walk-off home run?)
"Get place and wealth, if possible with grace; if not, by any means get wealth and place" (Scott Boras' motto)
"Never find fault with the absent" (any Red Sox fans here?)
"Order is Heaven's first law" (Who's on first, What's on second, Idontknow is on third. Because in leftfield, Why in center field, Tomorrow is pitching, Today is catching and the shortstop is Idontgiveadamn).
So you see, Alexander Pope wasn't writing about baseball, but there are many universal truths that parallel baseball and illustrate its infinite appeal. I've always said that the difference between football and baseball is the same as the difference between checkers and chess. I don't take time anymore to argue with idiots, idiots that see baseball as boring, idiots that don't see the nuance in the strategy and skills necessary to play and manage at the major league level. I don't bother with fools who dismiss baseball as a true American tradition, as I was reminded standing there at Coors Field on Opening Day and experiencing the chills as the introductions were made, the National Anthem was sung, the F-18's roared overhead, the balloons were released as fireworks boomed overhead, and those magic words "Play Ball" were voiced. I like football (not soccer), I like the new Nuggets (Carmelo-less), I used to follow the Avalanche (the Sakic-Forsberg-Roy ones), I was glad to see the Colorado Buffaloes begin to succeed in basketball. I like most sports, but I LOVE baseball. And, I guess it's no accident that all my kids do, too. I'd guess you could trace it back to my Mom and my Grandmother. My grandma never spoke fluent English but there were two things she watched every day in the summer - General Hospital and Cubs' baseball games. She raised five sons and my Mom, and they all loved baseball. My mother took me to Denver Bears games at Bears Stadium (before it was Mile High Stadium) back in the 1950's when the Bears were a Yankee AAA farm team. That golden age of baseball featured Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Casey Stengel. Trying to get the old Sylvania transistor radio to pick up the occasional Cardinal game on KOMA or a Cubs game on WGN, listening to Bill Reed broadcast Denver Bears baseball every night on KOA radio. Attending games at Bears Stadium with my Mom, carrying bushel baskets of produce to bribe the gatekeepers and ushers into letting us sit in the section that the players' family and friends sat. Getting to visit the clubhouse after a game to get baseballs autographed with my friends Eddie Mizunaga and Walt Chikuma because Mom worked with the wife of Denver Bears pitcher, Mark Freeman, at the May Company (department store, before it was May D&F). Following, and coaching, my kids Alison and Ted all over the state when they played in Little League and high school. Visiting Yankee Stadium (the old one) with Alison and Sara, for the first time, on my 56th birthday, when Sara was pregnant with my first grandson, JD. Going to Comiskey Park to a White Sox double-header with my mom and two of my sisters. Wrigley Field for the first time (Cubs beat the Rockies and Bryan Rekar, 1-0). Oriole Park at Camden Yards with my family. My 59th birthday at Petco Park in San Diego with son Ted and his girlfriend, Amber (Rockies won two out of three). Memories, nothing bad about baseball memories.
Alexander Pope, as prolific and wise as he was in his writing, he had nothing on the ultimate philosophers in baseball: Yogi Berra and Bob Uecker. Google these guys, read some of their quotes. I guarantee you'll laugh out loud, oh I meant LOL.
Apologies for not delving into such more worthy topics like Libya and Qaddafi (or is it Gaddafi?), the tragedy and continuing drama in Northern Japan or Charlie Sheen's latest. But, I love baseball, and that's what I have been longing for since the end of the season last year. The season for me ended on October 22 when the Yankees lost game 6 to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS. Oh, I watched the World Series, hated it when the crybaby Giants won the title, but I was already looking forward to the off-season deals that the Rockies and Yankees might pull off, Spring Training, and now, the season is under way. Cheers to all you baseball fans, so much the pity to those who are not. As Alexander Pope once wrote, about a person who doesn't like baseball.... "A wit among dunces, and a dunce among wits."
Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
Interpreted, it basically means that no matter the circumstances, Man always hopes for the best, that no matter that things may appear bleak, but better times are around the corner. That Man continues to live through hopes and expectations. Perfect for referencing this special time of the year. Baseball Season has begun! And, while Mr. Alexander Pope most certainly wasn't a baseball fan, further research makes me think that he would have been. This familiar sentiment has always been deputized during Spring Training and at the very beginning of the baseball season, because it perfectly encapsulates what all teams, and players, in baseball feel. No matter that they lost 105 games last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates, with a new manager (Clint Hurdle) enter the 2011 season full of fresh optimism that the Pirate organization is on the upswing and headed in the right direction. No matter that the Colorado Rockies lost 12 of their last 13 games to end the 2010 season and sink completely out of playoff contention, this year will be different, better. No matter that the Rockies' offensive roster remains almost unchanged, Carney Lansford, the new hitting coach this year, will work miracles with the approaches of Ian Stewart, Chris Iannetta, Seth Smith, Dexter Fowler and Todd Helton and this year's team will be much improved. The team will NOT strike out 1,245 times this year. Maybe, maybe not. Franklin Morales and Huston Street will NOT give us all high blood pressure everytime they pitch. Hopefully, though Street's performance last night gives me no reason to think that he'll be the next incarnation of Mariano Rivera. And Franklin, well he hasn't made an appearance yet, so we'll see. Positive signs from newcomers Ty Wigginton and Jose Lopez after two games, Matt Lindstrom throws real hard. As good as they've been, why do the Rockies have such a difficult time with the Arizona Diamondbacks?
Back to Alexander Pope. More quotes from his writings:
"To err is human" (and an Arizona Diamondback)
"Men would be Angels, and Angels would be gods" (what, one World Series title in 50 years of existence?)
"And after all, what is a lie, 'tis but the truth in masquerade?" (Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens never knowingly used steroids)
"Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed" (never a better definition of a Cubs fan)
"Fools rush in, where Angels fear to tread" (remember Kendry Morales breaking his leg moshing into the reception committee at home plate last year at the end of his walk-off home run?)
"Get place and wealth, if possible with grace; if not, by any means get wealth and place" (Scott Boras' motto)
"Never find fault with the absent" (any Red Sox fans here?)
"Order is Heaven's first law" (Who's on first, What's on second, Idontknow is on third. Because in leftfield, Why in center field, Tomorrow is pitching, Today is catching and the shortstop is Idontgiveadamn).
So you see, Alexander Pope wasn't writing about baseball, but there are many universal truths that parallel baseball and illustrate its infinite appeal. I've always said that the difference between football and baseball is the same as the difference between checkers and chess. I don't take time anymore to argue with idiots, idiots that see baseball as boring, idiots that don't see the nuance in the strategy and skills necessary to play and manage at the major league level. I don't bother with fools who dismiss baseball as a true American tradition, as I was reminded standing there at Coors Field on Opening Day and experiencing the chills as the introductions were made, the National Anthem was sung, the F-18's roared overhead, the balloons were released as fireworks boomed overhead, and those magic words "Play Ball" were voiced. I like football (not soccer), I like the new Nuggets (Carmelo-less), I used to follow the Avalanche (the Sakic-Forsberg-Roy ones), I was glad to see the Colorado Buffaloes begin to succeed in basketball. I like most sports, but I LOVE baseball. And, I guess it's no accident that all my kids do, too. I'd guess you could trace it back to my Mom and my Grandmother. My grandma never spoke fluent English but there were two things she watched every day in the summer - General Hospital and Cubs' baseball games. She raised five sons and my Mom, and they all loved baseball. My mother took me to Denver Bears games at Bears Stadium (before it was Mile High Stadium) back in the 1950's when the Bears were a Yankee AAA farm team. That golden age of baseball featured Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Casey Stengel. Trying to get the old Sylvania transistor radio to pick up the occasional Cardinal game on KOMA or a Cubs game on WGN, listening to Bill Reed broadcast Denver Bears baseball every night on KOA radio. Attending games at Bears Stadium with my Mom, carrying bushel baskets of produce to bribe the gatekeepers and ushers into letting us sit in the section that the players' family and friends sat. Getting to visit the clubhouse after a game to get baseballs autographed with my friends Eddie Mizunaga and Walt Chikuma because Mom worked with the wife of Denver Bears pitcher, Mark Freeman, at the May Company (department store, before it was May D&F). Following, and coaching, my kids Alison and Ted all over the state when they played in Little League and high school. Visiting Yankee Stadium (the old one) with Alison and Sara, for the first time, on my 56th birthday, when Sara was pregnant with my first grandson, JD. Going to Comiskey Park to a White Sox double-header with my mom and two of my sisters. Wrigley Field for the first time (Cubs beat the Rockies and Bryan Rekar, 1-0). Oriole Park at Camden Yards with my family. My 59th birthday at Petco Park in San Diego with son Ted and his girlfriend, Amber (Rockies won two out of three). Memories, nothing bad about baseball memories.
Alexander Pope, as prolific and wise as he was in his writing, he had nothing on the ultimate philosophers in baseball: Yogi Berra and Bob Uecker. Google these guys, read some of their quotes. I guarantee you'll laugh out loud, oh I meant LOL.
Apologies for not delving into such more worthy topics like Libya and Qaddafi (or is it Gaddafi?), the tragedy and continuing drama in Northern Japan or Charlie Sheen's latest. But, I love baseball, and that's what I have been longing for since the end of the season last year. The season for me ended on October 22 when the Yankees lost game 6 to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS. Oh, I watched the World Series, hated it when the crybaby Giants won the title, but I was already looking forward to the off-season deals that the Rockies and Yankees might pull off, Spring Training, and now, the season is under way. Cheers to all you baseball fans, so much the pity to those who are not. As Alexander Pope once wrote, about a person who doesn't like baseball.... "A wit among dunces, and a dunce among wits."
Friday, February 25, 2011
A Super Egyptian 'Melo Berger
A beautiful and serene, snowy landscape greets me this morning as I contemplate (for all of two minutes) whether to go in to work today. Since my last posting, the Super Bowl has come and gone, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony have departed, Hosni Mubarak vacated the presidency of Egypt, Peter Forsberg came back and went away in the blink of an eye and, best news of all, baseball Spring Training has begun!
Super Bowl XLV was an entertaining game, as Green Bay outplayed the Steelers, thereby emphatically validating the Packers' decision to keep Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre. The NFL Draft will be held in New York City at the end of April, and then, the suspense over the pending labor negotiations intensifies. The owners and players will posture and argue over how 3 billion dollars should be divided. Billionaires arguing with millionaires. Thank goodness, baseball is here!
The Melo Drama over the last few months came to a head this week as the February 24 NBA trade deadline approached. Carmelo (no "D" in) Anthony and his wife LaLa Vasquez finally get their wish, and return to New York. I think the Nuggets will be a better team without 'Melo. They've only had two games since he left, just one with the new players, but they already look like they are going to be better for George Karl to coach than the team was with Anthony. More passing, more moving without the ball, more picks, more hustle, much more entertaining basketball. And did you see Karl's face after the Celtic game? He was smiling, and obviously happy that his team listened to him at the last time out when he told them that defense was going to win the game in the last 3 minutes. They held the Celtics scoreless after that. Now the battle of the comments begins. Karl said after the game that Carmelo's defensive focus and intensity was disappointing. When told of those comments, Anthony responded by tweeting, "Amazing, when the grass is cut, the snakes will show." Too bad that the Knicks and Nuggets don't meet again until next year, unless they meet in this year's NBA Finals (hardly likely).
So sad that the collateral damage from the deal is that Colorado and Denver basketball hero, Chauncey Billups had to be included in the trade. Billups, is the best basketball player from Colorado, ever. Four times an All-State player while at George Washington High School (one state championship in 1994), three times Colorado Mr. Basketball, two years at the University of Colorado, All-Big 12 and All-American in the 1996-97 season, and a first round NBA draft pick (by the Boston Celtics) in 1997. NBA Champion and Finals MVP for the 2004 Detroit Pistons. He led the Buffs to the school's first NCAA tournament victory in over thirty years in 1997, over Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the NCAA bracket. They lost to the North Carolina Tarheels in the second round. Lute Olson's Arizona Wildcats beat the defending champion Kentucky Wildcats in overtime that year. CU's previous appearance in the NCAAs was the Cliff Meely-led Buffs in 1969 (who lost to the Colorado State Rams in the second round of the Midwest Regional). I remember going to the old Balch Fieldhouse on the CU campus those days to watch the Sox Walseth-coached Buffs play. Cliff Meely, Mike Coleman, Gordie Tope, Jim Creighton, Ron Maulsby, Boyd Pickens, Dudley Mitchell..... fun times. It was so loud and raucous and fun. It's great to see renewed excitement surrounding the current Buffaloes' basketball team. They've been so irrelevant for so long, since Chauncey left.
So, I don't follow world events all that much, but the thing that happened in Egypt this month caught my attention. President Mubarak had ruled, or presided, in Egypt since Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981. He enjoyed over thirty years of largely unopposed, iron-fisted rule over Egypt. As a 'friend' to Israel and the United States, Egypt enjoyed billions and billions of dollars and shekels in aid and support. Now that Mubarak and his family have retired to southern Sinai with, presumably, his billions intact, growing concern emerges that Israel has no more allies in the Middle East. Growing unrest in Libya, Tunisia, Turkey in addition to the changing of the guard in Egypt, are bringing about some real disturbing prophesies. Have you ever played the old board game "RISK"? We used to play in college all the time, and ultimately, it always seemed that the critical end-game showdowns invariably boiled down to that geographical bottleneck around, you guessed it, the Middle East.
It was with great joy and anticipation that I heard the Peter The Great was going to attempt a comeback to the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche. I am not a big hockey fan, but the Avalanche sure were fun to follow when they moved here from Quebec for the 1995-96 season. Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg spoiled us Colorado sports fans by bringing the first ever major sports Championship to us in their very first year here. What amazing skill Forsberg possessed on the ice in his prime! Then, after a few practices, he made his appearance for two games, on the road, back to back nights in Columbus, then Nashville. He played over 17 minutes against the Blue Jackets and then another 17+ minutes effort the very next night against the Predators. Now, I appreciate that the Avs were struggling, and Coach Sacco was searching for any spark to get the team back on track, but too much ice-time for Forsberg, after over three years of retirement, burned him out, and he re-retired before even one appearance on the home ice at the Pepsi Center. No chance for his expectant, adoring fans to see him one more time, wearing the Avalanche colors, gliding across the rink, delivering his trademark hits, skillfully handling the puck like it was attached to his stick. What a wasted public relations opportunity for the woeful Avalanche, and what a disappointment for the dwindling hockey fans here in Colorado.
Finally, Spring Training 2011, has begun! Thank god for the MLB Channel. I just watched their (arbitrary) countdown of their Top 100 Major League Players Right Now. No shock, Albert Pujols #1, Roy Halladay #2. Top Rockies, Tulo #14, CarGo and Ubaldo in the top 40. Las Vegas Hilton sports book has the over/under for Colorado Rockies wins this season at 86. Last year, the number was 83-1/2. I had a $100 ticket that the Rox would win OVER 83-1/2 games, or an 84-win season would cash me a $100 profit. With two weeks to go in the season, the Rockies were 81-67. They beat the Dodgers in LA on Saturday night, Sept 18th to win their 82nd game. Five straight losses brought us to Saturday night, Sept 25. Against the Giants, Tulowitzki hammers a two-run homer in the 5th, a two-rbi double in the 8th, and hits the walk-off, game-winning double in the bottom of the 10th, to drive in Carlos Gonzalez. Rockies win 10-9 to knock the Giants temporarily into second place in the NL West. Little did I suspect that this would be the final win for the Rox in 2010, they lost the final 7 games of the year, leaving them with an 83-79 record, and just short of a winning ticket for me. Go figure. Spring Training always represents that age-old "Hope Springs Eternal" adage, everybody's tied for first, nobody's out of the pennant chase just yet. I predict the Rockies will win 90 games, win the National League West Division. I hope they face the Yankees in the World Series, and win Game 7 here in Coors Field. Then all Colorado Rockies fans, especially my mom, can rejoice, and vindicate the notion that good guys CAN finish in first.
Super Bowl XLV was an entertaining game, as Green Bay outplayed the Steelers, thereby emphatically validating the Packers' decision to keep Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre. The NFL Draft will be held in New York City at the end of April, and then, the suspense over the pending labor negotiations intensifies. The owners and players will posture and argue over how 3 billion dollars should be divided. Billionaires arguing with millionaires. Thank goodness, baseball is here!
The Melo Drama over the last few months came to a head this week as the February 24 NBA trade deadline approached. Carmelo (no "D" in) Anthony and his wife LaLa Vasquez finally get their wish, and return to New York. I think the Nuggets will be a better team without 'Melo. They've only had two games since he left, just one with the new players, but they already look like they are going to be better for George Karl to coach than the team was with Anthony. More passing, more moving without the ball, more picks, more hustle, much more entertaining basketball. And did you see Karl's face after the Celtic game? He was smiling, and obviously happy that his team listened to him at the last time out when he told them that defense was going to win the game in the last 3 minutes. They held the Celtics scoreless after that. Now the battle of the comments begins. Karl said after the game that Carmelo's defensive focus and intensity was disappointing. When told of those comments, Anthony responded by tweeting, "Amazing, when the grass is cut, the snakes will show." Too bad that the Knicks and Nuggets don't meet again until next year, unless they meet in this year's NBA Finals (hardly likely).
So sad that the collateral damage from the deal is that Colorado and Denver basketball hero, Chauncey Billups had to be included in the trade. Billups, is the best basketball player from Colorado, ever. Four times an All-State player while at George Washington High School (one state championship in 1994), three times Colorado Mr. Basketball, two years at the University of Colorado, All-Big 12 and All-American in the 1996-97 season, and a first round NBA draft pick (by the Boston Celtics) in 1997. NBA Champion and Finals MVP for the 2004 Detroit Pistons. He led the Buffs to the school's first NCAA tournament victory in over thirty years in 1997, over Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the NCAA bracket. They lost to the North Carolina Tarheels in the second round. Lute Olson's Arizona Wildcats beat the defending champion Kentucky Wildcats in overtime that year. CU's previous appearance in the NCAAs was the Cliff Meely-led Buffs in 1969 (who lost to the Colorado State Rams in the second round of the Midwest Regional). I remember going to the old Balch Fieldhouse on the CU campus those days to watch the Sox Walseth-coached Buffs play. Cliff Meely, Mike Coleman, Gordie Tope, Jim Creighton, Ron Maulsby, Boyd Pickens, Dudley Mitchell..... fun times. It was so loud and raucous and fun. It's great to see renewed excitement surrounding the current Buffaloes' basketball team. They've been so irrelevant for so long, since Chauncey left.
So, I don't follow world events all that much, but the thing that happened in Egypt this month caught my attention. President Mubarak had ruled, or presided, in Egypt since Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981. He enjoyed over thirty years of largely unopposed, iron-fisted rule over Egypt. As a 'friend' to Israel and the United States, Egypt enjoyed billions and billions of dollars and shekels in aid and support. Now that Mubarak and his family have retired to southern Sinai with, presumably, his billions intact, growing concern emerges that Israel has no more allies in the Middle East. Growing unrest in Libya, Tunisia, Turkey in addition to the changing of the guard in Egypt, are bringing about some real disturbing prophesies. Have you ever played the old board game "RISK"? We used to play in college all the time, and ultimately, it always seemed that the critical end-game showdowns invariably boiled down to that geographical bottleneck around, you guessed it, the Middle East.
It was with great joy and anticipation that I heard the Peter The Great was going to attempt a comeback to the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche. I am not a big hockey fan, but the Avalanche sure were fun to follow when they moved here from Quebec for the 1995-96 season. Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg spoiled us Colorado sports fans by bringing the first ever major sports Championship to us in their very first year here. What amazing skill Forsberg possessed on the ice in his prime! Then, after a few practices, he made his appearance for two games, on the road, back to back nights in Columbus, then Nashville. He played over 17 minutes against the Blue Jackets and then another 17+ minutes effort the very next night against the Predators. Now, I appreciate that the Avs were struggling, and Coach Sacco was searching for any spark to get the team back on track, but too much ice-time for Forsberg, after over three years of retirement, burned him out, and he re-retired before even one appearance on the home ice at the Pepsi Center. No chance for his expectant, adoring fans to see him one more time, wearing the Avalanche colors, gliding across the rink, delivering his trademark hits, skillfully handling the puck like it was attached to his stick. What a wasted public relations opportunity for the woeful Avalanche, and what a disappointment for the dwindling hockey fans here in Colorado.
Finally, Spring Training 2011, has begun! Thank god for the MLB Channel. I just watched their (arbitrary) countdown of their Top 100 Major League Players Right Now. No shock, Albert Pujols #1, Roy Halladay #2. Top Rockies, Tulo #14, CarGo and Ubaldo in the top 40. Las Vegas Hilton sports book has the over/under for Colorado Rockies wins this season at 86. Last year, the number was 83-1/2. I had a $100 ticket that the Rox would win OVER 83-1/2 games, or an 84-win season would cash me a $100 profit. With two weeks to go in the season, the Rockies were 81-67. They beat the Dodgers in LA on Saturday night, Sept 18th to win their 82nd game. Five straight losses brought us to Saturday night, Sept 25. Against the Giants, Tulowitzki hammers a two-run homer in the 5th, a two-rbi double in the 8th, and hits the walk-off, game-winning double in the bottom of the 10th, to drive in Carlos Gonzalez. Rockies win 10-9 to knock the Giants temporarily into second place in the NL West. Little did I suspect that this would be the final win for the Rox in 2010, they lost the final 7 games of the year, leaving them with an 83-79 record, and just short of a winning ticket for me. Go figure. Spring Training always represents that age-old "Hope Springs Eternal" adage, everybody's tied for first, nobody's out of the pennant chase just yet. I predict the Rockies will win 90 games, win the National League West Division. I hope they face the Yankees in the World Series, and win Game 7 here in Coors Field. Then all Colorado Rockies fans, especially my mom, can rejoice, and vindicate the notion that good guys CAN finish in first.
A beautiful, snow-covered Colorado landscape, as I delay reporting in to work on this Friday morning. Much has happened since my last post, and it's difficult to decide what to jabber about.
The Super Bowl, Green Bay beats Pittsburgh in an entertaining contest, a lot more engaging than the two weeks of pretext and preamble. Too bad for the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro-plex that the weather was so horrible in the days before the Big Event. Even Jerry Jones' money and influence couldn't deter Mother Nature from dampening the celebratory magnitude of the two weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLV. Snow and sleet and ice-covered streets did more for the integrity of many professional athletes than their normal tendencies would historically dictate. Fewer arrests, sparser-than-anticipated attendance at the two dozen or so strip clubs in the Dallas area, difficulty in navigating Escalades and Hummers to parties really minimized the TMZ/Enquirer moments. It's obvious gangstas don't like wintry weather. There's an idea - sentence gang affiliated criminals to prison work camps in Wisconsin or Minnesota or North Dakota in the winter months. They gots it too darn comfortable in California, Texas or Florida. Anyway, back to the Super Bowl; the popularity of the game each year astounds me. The road to that penultimate football game is a very difficult and arduous path. It's become a 12-month endeavor for all of the organizations, beginning, really, with the Super Bowl itself. For, it's the result of that game which finalizes the order in which the 32 teams draft the incoming class of college football players. Lots of finagling and jockeying with trades, free agents, waivers and franchise tags are in store before the draft is conducted in New York on April 28, 29 and 30 at Radio City Music Hall. This year, we have the added benefit of wondering and watching the owners and players' union play a huge game of chicken to see if the billionaires can subjugate the millionaires. The threat of "no football" hangs over us all as each side tries to pressure the other into dividing up three billion dollars 'equitably'. Thank goodness, Spring Training has begun.
The "Melo Drama" has finally concluded in Denver, and I think that the Nuggets did okay. They got rid of a selfish, one-way offensive player and got some talent in return. The collateral damage was that Chauncey Billups had to be part of the package. But, let's inspect the damage. We love Chauncey, Mr. Big Shot, Colorado's 3-time Mr. Basketball, Big-12 All-Star at the University of Colorado, All-American, first-round NBA draft pick. Best, most beloved basketball player to come from this state, ever. But, I maintain that the loss of Billups benefits the Nuggets. Chauncey is at his best on physical and methodical teams that play team defense. When Billups and Carmelo Anthony were on the floor at the same time, the rest of the team literally slowed down and watched, flat-footed and motionless. I know that it's just been two games since they left, but the team is now back in control of one of the best coaches ever to coach in the NBA, George Karl. One game with all the new players, against the Celtics (sure, the Boston squad was short-handed, but so what), defense and energy and passing are enjoying a renaissance at the Pepsi Center. Karl's coaching experience can now be utilized, without Carmelo (no "D" in Anthony) and Chauncey here, the kids will listen to the ball coach again. Twenty three games remain on the Nuggets' regular season schedule, 10 games at home and 13 on the road. They are in 5th place in the Western Conference, and if the season ended today, they'd face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. But, the Nuggets will probably finish as high as 4th and have a home-court advantage in the first round. Then, they'll beat Oklahoma City in the first round and fall to Dallas in the second round. We'll see. But, I maintain, the Nuggets got better with 'Melo gone, and even losing beloved Chauncey Billups. Still, thank god baseball is here!
Lots of warm and fuzzy reports coming out of Scottsdale. The new Rockies' spring training facility at Talking Stick, Scottsdale, Arizona, is being credited already for improving the Colorado Rockies' chances for success in the National West Division pennant race. No more long bus rides from Tucson and back. Helton gets to face better competition in spring training because he didn't make the bus rides out of Tucson, therefore only faced the Diamondbacks or the Rockies farmhands who didn't make the trip up to Phoenix. The Diamondbacks and Rockies were the last two teams to train in Tucson, and now they're together forever in their jointly owned facility at Talking stick.
The Super Bowl, Green Bay beats Pittsburgh in an entertaining contest, a lot more engaging than the two weeks of pretext and preamble. Too bad for the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro-plex that the weather was so horrible in the days before the Big Event. Even Jerry Jones' money and influence couldn't deter Mother Nature from dampening the celebratory magnitude of the two weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLV. Snow and sleet and ice-covered streets did more for the integrity of many professional athletes than their normal tendencies would historically dictate. Fewer arrests, sparser-than-anticipated attendance at the two dozen or so strip clubs in the Dallas area, difficulty in navigating Escalades and Hummers to parties really minimized the TMZ/Enquirer moments. It's obvious gangstas don't like wintry weather. There's an idea - sentence gang affiliated criminals to prison work camps in Wisconsin or Minnesota or North Dakota in the winter months. They gots it too darn comfortable in California, Texas or Florida. Anyway, back to the Super Bowl; the popularity of the game each year astounds me. The road to that penultimate football game is a very difficult and arduous path. It's become a 12-month endeavor for all of the organizations, beginning, really, with the Super Bowl itself. For, it's the result of that game which finalizes the order in which the 32 teams draft the incoming class of college football players. Lots of finagling and jockeying with trades, free agents, waivers and franchise tags are in store before the draft is conducted in New York on April 28, 29 and 30 at Radio City Music Hall. This year, we have the added benefit of wondering and watching the owners and players' union play a huge game of chicken to see if the billionaires can subjugate the millionaires. The threat of "no football" hangs over us all as each side tries to pressure the other into dividing up three billion dollars 'equitably'. Thank goodness, Spring Training has begun.
The "Melo Drama" has finally concluded in Denver, and I think that the Nuggets did okay. They got rid of a selfish, one-way offensive player and got some talent in return. The collateral damage was that Chauncey Billups had to be part of the package. But, let's inspect the damage. We love Chauncey, Mr. Big Shot, Colorado's 3-time Mr. Basketball, Big-12 All-Star at the University of Colorado, All-American, first-round NBA draft pick. Best, most beloved basketball player to come from this state, ever. But, I maintain that the loss of Billups benefits the Nuggets. Chauncey is at his best on physical and methodical teams that play team defense. When Billups and Carmelo Anthony were on the floor at the same time, the rest of the team literally slowed down and watched, flat-footed and motionless. I know that it's just been two games since they left, but the team is now back in control of one of the best coaches ever to coach in the NBA, George Karl. One game with all the new players, against the Celtics (sure, the Boston squad was short-handed, but so what), defense and energy and passing are enjoying a renaissance at the Pepsi Center. Karl's coaching experience can now be utilized, without Carmelo (no "D" in Anthony) and Chauncey here, the kids will listen to the ball coach again. Twenty three games remain on the Nuggets' regular season schedule, 10 games at home and 13 on the road. They are in 5th place in the Western Conference, and if the season ended today, they'd face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. But, the Nuggets will probably finish as high as 4th and have a home-court advantage in the first round. Then, they'll beat Oklahoma City in the first round and fall to Dallas in the second round. We'll see. But, I maintain, the Nuggets got better with 'Melo gone, and even losing beloved Chauncey Billups. Still, thank god baseball is here!
Lots of warm and fuzzy reports coming out of Scottsdale. The new Rockies' spring training facility at Talking Stick, Scottsdale, Arizona, is being credited already for improving the Colorado Rockies' chances for success in the National West Division pennant race. No more long bus rides from Tucson and back. Helton gets to face better competition in spring training because he didn't make the bus rides out of Tucson, therefore only faced the Diamondbacks or the Rockies farmhands who didn't make the trip up to Phoenix. The Diamondbacks and Rockies were the last two teams to train in Tucson, and now they're together forever in their jointly owned facility at Talking stick.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Unemployed and Uneducated
A bright sunny day, -4 degrees, up from 16 below this morning. Ah, Colorado, 70 degrees and golf on Friday, snow and frigidity on Tuesday. I get messages from a friend in Florida, and a friend in Maui, that temperatures are warm, sunny and tropical. For just a moment, I wish I were there. Ah shit, who's kidding who? I wish I were there right fucking now!
Spent a goodly portion of the last two days watching TV. Science Channel has a series, "How It's Made". Forty-eight hour marathon, I didn't watch 'em all, but I watched a bunch of them. Fascinating, the processes that have been developed to manufacture products. There is not much that the show features that is made by human hands, except that maybe the machines that do most of the 'manufacturing' had to be designed and built by humans, at least until there was a pattern made, then computers and robotic contraptions can do the rest. While I am watching these industrial marvels intricately and consistently produce item after item, I am struck by the reason why there is so much unemployment in this country. Industry and commerce reward, through increased profit, those companies which can produce goods efficiently so as to be more profitable. The 'Henry Ford' model of mass production has displaced human labor to an astonishing degree. And even those jobs that people can still perform, can be done more cheaply in China, Singapore, Thailand, India. Why? Because those nations' infrastructures do not require such cumbersome anti-commerce details such as health insurance, workman's comp, minimum wage, safe workplace rules, coffee breaks, pension plans, unions. Yes, American workers had it good, until they didn't. We hardly produce anything in this country anymore. And what we do produce, we make do with the minimum of human interaction and collaboration. I won't blame unions, or government, or immigration, or the media, or global warming, or even Barry Obama. The real reason are the money magicians. The ones who really operate the strings of the puppets they control. I am firmly convinced that less than a dozen people really control what happens in the world, as far as commerce and banking are concerned. And banking and commerce determine how governments and countries act and react. Our American Congress, because there are more than 500 greedy bastards out to accomplish their own agendas, cannot agree on anything of substance, so it's easy to pull their collective strings. Our lawmakers think that they can be very imaginative with their smoke-and-mirrors approach to hoodwinking the American public into assuming that they have our best interests in mind, but who are we kidding? By the time we figure out that we're getting fucked, it takes another couple years to get rid of the crooked scoundrels, and by then somebody else, who is bought and paid for, steps up and takes their turn in the sack. But, the real villains are the ones who pull the strings, like I said. The entrenched merchant bankers and 'industrialists' of the world. When one of them bastards cuts himself shaving, whole countries bleed to death.
Ah, but back to unemployment: why are there so many unemployed American citizens? Because there are too many goddamn non-citizens in this country. It's not an easy problem to deal with. I don't pretend to have a viable, humane answer to the question. In my opinion, it's too late to put the cat back in the bag. There is a terrible money crisis upon us, and the next thing that will happen is that slowly (I hope slowly), there will be an increasingly severe food problem. It's already reached famine proportions in many corners of the globe, and it will slowly creep into the 'civilized' pockets of the world, including right here. This country needs to get back to producing and making stuff again. Oh, it will eventually have to happen. Way before fossil fuels run out, money and credit won't matter. The only things that will matter are food and water. And SportsCenter.
Next question I have: why is our education system in such turmoil and disrepair? Because too many kids don't care because too many parents don't give a shit. I am reading article after article that chronicle the failings of our over-burdened school systems, the failings of our school boards to manage their resources, the failings of teachers that do not engage enough of their students, the failings of our government to prioritize education. STOP! Education begins, and ends, at home. And the state of national emergency should be focused upon what's happening at home. How many two-parent, stable homes are there any more? I know of many one-parent homes that are successfully maintaining stable family values, and I applaud them. But, for the most part, kids are struggling, because adults are struggling. How many homes have fewer than three televisions? What percentage of parents meet their kids' teachers? What percentage of kids get fed a wholesome meal away from school? How many kids really know what my generation would define as "The American Way"? My guess is that the current definition of the american way is: Fuck everybody, get as much as you can, any way that you can, and step on anybody in your way. Sounds about right. My son is in his first year of teaching, and he is eager to engage and affect every kid he comes into contact with. But, while he's doing that, he has to fill out report after report about how the required tests, and check-points, and competency guidelines are being met. And formulate and institute plans and ideas to increase 'average test scores'. So that administrators and officials can sit at their computers and examine the findings, and pontificate some more about how the schools need to do better to reach the poor, and the English-as-second-language kids, and the ones who are falling behind, and the disadvantaged, and the learning-challenged. Meanwhile, the kids who ARE learning, get punished because they have to wait for the others to catch up. We are dumbing down America because we are placating the lowest common denominators in our society. Teachers' hands are tied, because they cannot afford to teach the kids that are truly engaged, they have to spend most of their time allotted on trying to reach kids who really don't give a fuck anyway. Because each one of those kids counts just as much to the aggregate "score" as the kid who is really learning. Yes, there are targeted programs like IB and AP, and charter schools try to target a more motivated audience, but the vast majority of our citizenry is more interested in obtaining objects, than in reaching objectives. Do I see any improvement on the horizon? No, do you? So, kudos to the many engaging and influential teachers in my life. Not just the ones that I encountered in school. Many friends, relatives, and employers, co-workers, clients, children, people on TV and in some movies, and in books and magazines, everyone that I have learned from, thank you. And most of all, thanks to MY parents, who instilled the thirst to learn, to go forward, to engage the world, and make it a better place. That's what I hope to instill in my kids, and grandkids. That's the only hope I see for my part in improving the status quo, because I ain't got none of them fucking strings!
Spent a goodly portion of the last two days watching TV. Science Channel has a series, "How It's Made". Forty-eight hour marathon, I didn't watch 'em all, but I watched a bunch of them. Fascinating, the processes that have been developed to manufacture products. There is not much that the show features that is made by human hands, except that maybe the machines that do most of the 'manufacturing' had to be designed and built by humans, at least until there was a pattern made, then computers and robotic contraptions can do the rest. While I am watching these industrial marvels intricately and consistently produce item after item, I am struck by the reason why there is so much unemployment in this country. Industry and commerce reward, through increased profit, those companies which can produce goods efficiently so as to be more profitable. The 'Henry Ford' model of mass production has displaced human labor to an astonishing degree. And even those jobs that people can still perform, can be done more cheaply in China, Singapore, Thailand, India. Why? Because those nations' infrastructures do not require such cumbersome anti-commerce details such as health insurance, workman's comp, minimum wage, safe workplace rules, coffee breaks, pension plans, unions. Yes, American workers had it good, until they didn't. We hardly produce anything in this country anymore. And what we do produce, we make do with the minimum of human interaction and collaboration. I won't blame unions, or government, or immigration, or the media, or global warming, or even Barry Obama. The real reason are the money magicians. The ones who really operate the strings of the puppets they control. I am firmly convinced that less than a dozen people really control what happens in the world, as far as commerce and banking are concerned. And banking and commerce determine how governments and countries act and react. Our American Congress, because there are more than 500 greedy bastards out to accomplish their own agendas, cannot agree on anything of substance, so it's easy to pull their collective strings. Our lawmakers think that they can be very imaginative with their smoke-and-mirrors approach to hoodwinking the American public into assuming that they have our best interests in mind, but who are we kidding? By the time we figure out that we're getting fucked, it takes another couple years to get rid of the crooked scoundrels, and by then somebody else, who is bought and paid for, steps up and takes their turn in the sack. But, the real villains are the ones who pull the strings, like I said. The entrenched merchant bankers and 'industrialists' of the world. When one of them bastards cuts himself shaving, whole countries bleed to death.
Ah, but back to unemployment: why are there so many unemployed American citizens? Because there are too many goddamn non-citizens in this country. It's not an easy problem to deal with. I don't pretend to have a viable, humane answer to the question. In my opinion, it's too late to put the cat back in the bag. There is a terrible money crisis upon us, and the next thing that will happen is that slowly (I hope slowly), there will be an increasingly severe food problem. It's already reached famine proportions in many corners of the globe, and it will slowly creep into the 'civilized' pockets of the world, including right here. This country needs to get back to producing and making stuff again. Oh, it will eventually have to happen. Way before fossil fuels run out, money and credit won't matter. The only things that will matter are food and water. And SportsCenter.
Next question I have: why is our education system in such turmoil and disrepair? Because too many kids don't care because too many parents don't give a shit. I am reading article after article that chronicle the failings of our over-burdened school systems, the failings of our school boards to manage their resources, the failings of teachers that do not engage enough of their students, the failings of our government to prioritize education. STOP! Education begins, and ends, at home. And the state of national emergency should be focused upon what's happening at home. How many two-parent, stable homes are there any more? I know of many one-parent homes that are successfully maintaining stable family values, and I applaud them. But, for the most part, kids are struggling, because adults are struggling. How many homes have fewer than three televisions? What percentage of parents meet their kids' teachers? What percentage of kids get fed a wholesome meal away from school? How many kids really know what my generation would define as "The American Way"? My guess is that the current definition of the american way is: Fuck everybody, get as much as you can, any way that you can, and step on anybody in your way. Sounds about right. My son is in his first year of teaching, and he is eager to engage and affect every kid he comes into contact with. But, while he's doing that, he has to fill out report after report about how the required tests, and check-points, and competency guidelines are being met. And formulate and institute plans and ideas to increase 'average test scores'. So that administrators and officials can sit at their computers and examine the findings, and pontificate some more about how the schools need to do better to reach the poor, and the English-as-second-language kids, and the ones who are falling behind, and the disadvantaged, and the learning-challenged. Meanwhile, the kids who ARE learning, get punished because they have to wait for the others to catch up. We are dumbing down America because we are placating the lowest common denominators in our society. Teachers' hands are tied, because they cannot afford to teach the kids that are truly engaged, they have to spend most of their time allotted on trying to reach kids who really don't give a fuck anyway. Because each one of those kids counts just as much to the aggregate "score" as the kid who is really learning. Yes, there are targeted programs like IB and AP, and charter schools try to target a more motivated audience, but the vast majority of our citizenry is more interested in obtaining objects, than in reaching objectives. Do I see any improvement on the horizon? No, do you? So, kudos to the many engaging and influential teachers in my life. Not just the ones that I encountered in school. Many friends, relatives, and employers, co-workers, clients, children, people on TV and in some movies, and in books and magazines, everyone that I have learned from, thank you. And most of all, thanks to MY parents, who instilled the thirst to learn, to go forward, to engage the world, and make it a better place. That's what I hope to instill in my kids, and grandkids. That's the only hope I see for my part in improving the status quo, because I ain't got none of them fucking strings!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Virtual Mortality
Beautiful day, typical Colorado gem. I love living here, would gladly travel anywhere, but certain that I would end up here. I've never lived more than 30 miles from right here, my parents, ditto, my kids the same. Having roots is mostly a blessing. If those roots keep you firmly and comfortably planted in a nurturing and comfortable place, you're lucky. Some people are smothered and overwhelmed by their surroundings and never seem to grow, always seeming to spend life in the shadows. Or, they wander from place to place like nomads looking for the next oasis. I am fortunate to know a lot of folks who, like me, have been around these parts for a long time. I'm not saying that I'm unlucky to also know people who aren't from 'round here, just that it's so good to share communion with friends that you have known your whole life. I am reminded of this because I have attended numerous gatherings recently to celebrate the life, and to mourn the passing of a friend. Each life is a unique and precious mosaic of experience and affect. I shall not dwell here too long on the meaning of life and death, except to say that if we expressed our feelings for someone while they are alive, instead of waiting until they are gone, we'd all be happier for it. Ah, but I guess that's all part of human nature.
Another facet of modern human nature, is the awesome (not necessarily in a good way) urge that many have to project their thoughts and feelings out there to the world in an instantaneous manner. It's a lot like farting for a large audience. I'm referring to the technologies of Twitter/Tweet, Facebook, MySpace, IM, MMS, etc. News, and garbage, fly across the globe instantly, as it is happening. In some ways, this is a good thing. In my opinion, in most ways, it is over-kill. So much time and energy is consumed by present perceptions, that too many people cannot literally see the forest for the trees. Political process, sports news, tragic accidents, gossip, vanity ........ nothing is sacred. Jay Cutler was on the bench two minutes into the second half, and thousands of people world-wide were castrating him for being a quitter. The sentiment spread like wildfire, and before the game was over, even fellow professional football players were labeling poor Jay as a lily-livered, yellow-bellied, chicken-hearted, thumb-sucking baby of a quarterback. Combined with the relative lack of coherent action and post-game comments by the Chicago Bears' coaching and medical staff, the criticisms escalated. High-profile commentators like Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk, Mark Schlereth, Warren Sapp went on the air and said that Cutler should have tried harder to play in such an important game. But, this is more about the manner in which Jay Cutler was perceived BEFORE the game against the Packers last Sunday. He has exhibited a detached, arrogant, surly and aloof manner consistently, ever since he came into the public eye. And I can sort of understand how difficult it must be to be under the microscope constantly. To my estimation and observation, he has not made many friends with his personality and exhibition of character. Present and past teammates and coaches seem to be indifferent in their praise of him, while being very effusive about his talent. So, it's easy to dismiss him as one of those "million-dollar arm, with a fifty-cent brain" types. Especially since there are so many athletes that are admired for their class and character. And, if you were to believe the 'experts', why, sitting out a championship football game with an injured knee is MUCH MUCH worse than admitting to the sexual assault of a woman (Roethlisberger). Deferring to a medical opinion that your leg cannot allow you to play football effectively is WAY more atrocious than getting caught using crack cocaine and paying for prostitutes (Irvin). I'm just sayin'.
Life is a fragile phenomenon. Human nature lets us almost ignore the delicate balance between living and not. One minute you are, the next you're not. It's there for all of us, and yet we have the insular ability to proceed each and every day as if we shall live forever. That's a good thing, not to be cowered by the certainty of our mortality. We all need to forge ahead mindful that we are not alone in our journey, and allow others to touch and be touched (no, not that way Ben!). Be mindful of the others around you and conduct your life as if there's somebody following you around tweeting your every move. Because, you never know, lots of people are on the prowl for that special YouTube moment, and it wouldn't be cool to be remembered forever for farting in the church of cyberspace.
Another facet of modern human nature, is the awesome (not necessarily in a good way) urge that many have to project their thoughts and feelings out there to the world in an instantaneous manner. It's a lot like farting for a large audience. I'm referring to the technologies of Twitter/Tweet, Facebook, MySpace, IM, MMS, etc. News, and garbage, fly across the globe instantly, as it is happening. In some ways, this is a good thing. In my opinion, in most ways, it is over-kill. So much time and energy is consumed by present perceptions, that too many people cannot literally see the forest for the trees. Political process, sports news, tragic accidents, gossip, vanity ........ nothing is sacred. Jay Cutler was on the bench two minutes into the second half, and thousands of people world-wide were castrating him for being a quitter. The sentiment spread like wildfire, and before the game was over, even fellow professional football players were labeling poor Jay as a lily-livered, yellow-bellied, chicken-hearted, thumb-sucking baby of a quarterback. Combined with the relative lack of coherent action and post-game comments by the Chicago Bears' coaching and medical staff, the criticisms escalated. High-profile commentators like Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk, Mark Schlereth, Warren Sapp went on the air and said that Cutler should have tried harder to play in such an important game. But, this is more about the manner in which Jay Cutler was perceived BEFORE the game against the Packers last Sunday. He has exhibited a detached, arrogant, surly and aloof manner consistently, ever since he came into the public eye. And I can sort of understand how difficult it must be to be under the microscope constantly. To my estimation and observation, he has not made many friends with his personality and exhibition of character. Present and past teammates and coaches seem to be indifferent in their praise of him, while being very effusive about his talent. So, it's easy to dismiss him as one of those "million-dollar arm, with a fifty-cent brain" types. Especially since there are so many athletes that are admired for their class and character. And, if you were to believe the 'experts', why, sitting out a championship football game with an injured knee is MUCH MUCH worse than admitting to the sexual assault of a woman (Roethlisberger). Deferring to a medical opinion that your leg cannot allow you to play football effectively is WAY more atrocious than getting caught using crack cocaine and paying for prostitutes (Irvin). I'm just sayin'.
Life is a fragile phenomenon. Human nature lets us almost ignore the delicate balance between living and not. One minute you are, the next you're not. It's there for all of us, and yet we have the insular ability to proceed each and every day as if we shall live forever. That's a good thing, not to be cowered by the certainty of our mortality. We all need to forge ahead mindful that we are not alone in our journey, and allow others to touch and be touched (no, not that way Ben!). Be mindful of the others around you and conduct your life as if there's somebody following you around tweeting your every move. Because, you never know, lots of people are on the prowl for that special YouTube moment, and it wouldn't be cool to be remembered forever for farting in the church of cyberspace.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Good Luck, John Elway !!
The Duke of Denver has returned!! John Elway is officially the newly anointed savior of a crumbling, but once-proud franchise. He's got a lot of work to get done. There's been a lot of talk about the Broncos' needs, their mistakes and their storied past. The Denver Broncos are an original American Football League franchise. The AFL (the more recent one, not the one that existed in 1926, briefly) was begat in the late 1950's when a number of rich guys all attempted to buy a struggling Chicago professional football team in the National Football League. That would be the Chicago Cardinals, not the Bears. When first Lamar Hunt, then Bud Adams, Bob Howsam and Max Winter were rebuffed in their attempts to buy controlling interest in the Cardinals, they met and approached the commissioner of the NFL to discuss obtaining expansion franchises. When the Commish, Bert Bell, said "No, we're fine, no expansion for you!", Hunt and Adams decided to start their own social network, with a geographically-friendly natural rivalry, Hunt's team in Dallas, Adams' franchise in Houston. Howsam was invited, so Denver became an original, the Winters and his partner agreed to field a team in Minneapolis, so the Original Four were the Dallas Texans, Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings. Word spread, and then, a whole bunch of rich guys jumped on the bandwagon, and at the first charter meeting, franchises were awarded to the original four, plus New York and Los Angeles. That was 1959. Then, the NFL, to undermine the fledgling league, offered a real NFL expansion bid to the Minnesota guys, who then jumped ship. Further, NFL expansion franchises were awarded to Dallas and Houston, though the Houston NFL gig never got off the ground.
The American Football League began play in September 1960 with eight teams in the league — the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, and Oakland Raiders. In the first pre-season contest (they actually called them exhibition games back then) the Boston Patriots (without Bill Belichick) defeated the Buffalo Bills. The very first regular season tilt featured our very own Denver Broncos beating the Boston Patriots, 13-10. The very first touchdown pass in the history of the AFL was a 59-yard toss from Frank Tripucka to Al Carmichael. But, the Broncos were not very good for a long time, and it took drafting and signing their very first superstar, Floyd Little in 1967, to even be able to keep the franchise in Denver. Our Broncs were the only original AFL team to never play in a championship game in the AFL's history. The first league title went to the Houston Oilers who beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 on New Year's Day 1961. The Chargers moved to San Diego, Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson loaned money to the Oakland franchise to keep it afloat and the league survived its first year. Then, to build up interest, the AFL decided to challenge the Canadian Football League to an exhibition game. The first big embarassment for the Buffalo Bills, they lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in August of 1961. Competition and confrontation between the NFL and the AFL escalated through the years, when draft choices and quarterbacks coveted by both leagues began to inhabit AFL rosters and popularity grew for the fledgling league. Then, the first exhibition game ever to be played between two teams from the rival leagues was held at the old Denver University Stadium on August 5th, 1967. Alex Karras, star defensive end for the Detroit Lions, vowed before the game that, "if them fuckin' Broncos beat us, I'll fuckin' walk back to Detroit." Well, Denver won the tilt 13-7, but Mongo walked only as far as the team plane when it returned to Michigan.
The Broncos never really enjoyed any team success until the Orange Crush years, after the team mutinied and had coach John Ralston ousted in favor of Red Miller. His first year, the Broncos went all the way to Super Bowl, losing to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10. Denver had only 8 pass completions that game, with 8 turnovers, but passion had been ignited in Denver and the entire Front Range. The Orange Crush Defense, Edgar Kaiser, Pat Bowlen, Terrell Davis and John Elway escalated the fever to dizzying heights over the next 30+ years culminating in back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999. In the subsequent dozen years, the franchise has suffered from bad decisions, bad drafts, bad quarterbacking and bad coaching. John Elway has got his hands full, for the future of Pat Bowlen's legacy rests on his shoulders. The next head coaching position will be a tough one, one that requires a tough-minded coach, one that can create and attract a strong defensive philosophy. The personnel decisions will be critical to long-term success, even short-term to establish a tough mentality. With a handy (and deserving) scapegoat out of the way (Josh McDaniels), the pressure's on Brian Xanders and Joe Ellis to assist and enable Elway in getting the right coaches and players here in Denver. I have my doubts, who are the real football minds here in this organization? Is John really astute in the player evaluation department? The men who were around, maybe not totally responsible for, but around in positions of authority, Xanders and Ellis, are the only ones still around. Is that a good thing? I guess we shall see. At least Mr. Elway's hiring has breathed fresh enthusiasm into Bronco Nation. Good luck to him and all of us Bronco fans.
Spring Training starts in 40 days!
The American Football League began play in September 1960 with eight teams in the league — the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, and Oakland Raiders. In the first pre-season contest (they actually called them exhibition games back then) the Boston Patriots (without Bill Belichick) defeated the Buffalo Bills. The very first regular season tilt featured our very own Denver Broncos beating the Boston Patriots, 13-10. The very first touchdown pass in the history of the AFL was a 59-yard toss from Frank Tripucka to Al Carmichael. But, the Broncos were not very good for a long time, and it took drafting and signing their very first superstar, Floyd Little in 1967, to even be able to keep the franchise in Denver. Our Broncs were the only original AFL team to never play in a championship game in the AFL's history. The first league title went to the Houston Oilers who beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 on New Year's Day 1961. The Chargers moved to San Diego, Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson loaned money to the Oakland franchise to keep it afloat and the league survived its first year. Then, to build up interest, the AFL decided to challenge the Canadian Football League to an exhibition game. The first big embarassment for the Buffalo Bills, they lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in August of 1961. Competition and confrontation between the NFL and the AFL escalated through the years, when draft choices and quarterbacks coveted by both leagues began to inhabit AFL rosters and popularity grew for the fledgling league. Then, the first exhibition game ever to be played between two teams from the rival leagues was held at the old Denver University Stadium on August 5th, 1967. Alex Karras, star defensive end for the Detroit Lions, vowed before the game that, "if them fuckin' Broncos beat us, I'll fuckin' walk back to Detroit." Well, Denver won the tilt 13-7, but Mongo walked only as far as the team plane when it returned to Michigan.
The Broncos never really enjoyed any team success until the Orange Crush years, after the team mutinied and had coach John Ralston ousted in favor of Red Miller. His first year, the Broncos went all the way to Super Bowl, losing to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10. Denver had only 8 pass completions that game, with 8 turnovers, but passion had been ignited in Denver and the entire Front Range. The Orange Crush Defense, Edgar Kaiser, Pat Bowlen, Terrell Davis and John Elway escalated the fever to dizzying heights over the next 30+ years culminating in back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999. In the subsequent dozen years, the franchise has suffered from bad decisions, bad drafts, bad quarterbacking and bad coaching. John Elway has got his hands full, for the future of Pat Bowlen's legacy rests on his shoulders. The next head coaching position will be a tough one, one that requires a tough-minded coach, one that can create and attract a strong defensive philosophy. The personnel decisions will be critical to long-term success, even short-term to establish a tough mentality. With a handy (and deserving) scapegoat out of the way (Josh McDaniels), the pressure's on Brian Xanders and Joe Ellis to assist and enable Elway in getting the right coaches and players here in Denver. I have my doubts, who are the real football minds here in this organization? Is John really astute in the player evaluation department? The men who were around, maybe not totally responsible for, but around in positions of authority, Xanders and Ellis, are the only ones still around. Is that a good thing? I guess we shall see. At least Mr. Elway's hiring has breathed fresh enthusiasm into Bronco Nation. Good luck to him and all of us Bronco fans.
Spring Training starts in 40 days!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What is Right With Sports
Gleefully enjoying the news coming out that Carlos Gonzalez is following suit with Troy Tulowitzki and signing long-term with our Colorado Rockies. Against all odds, in that the hated Scott Boras is CarGo's agent, and we just know that Mr. Boras strongly advises his clients to never let a team control you for too long, or for too little. But, how much is enough? Carlos and Troy and Ubaldo traded semi-mega-wealthy for super-duper-wealthy in return for guaranteed financial security, and the opportunity to be the focal point of something really special here on the Rocky Mountain sports scene. Following any sport gives us all a venue to involve ourselves vicariously and vigorously in analytical and conjectural exercises. We formulate our own opinions based on what we glean from news accounts, statistics, conversations, television or from personal experience. We discuss and postulate with each other more about sports than we do about our families, or jobs. At least the people I talk to and relate to on a regular basis. Maybe that's why - birds of a feather (as long as you're not a bird in Arkansas). The point is, it's nice when sports personalities are individuals that, outwardly at least, appear to be upstanding, honorable examples of good citizens that do not flaunt their status and act like spoiled and entitled assholes. The latter category is rife with examples of celebrity/athletes/entertainers that are famous and rich because they're famous and rich. My son's a teacher, a first-year rookie middle-school teacher. Now wouldn't it be nice if there was a draft, and first-year salary slot for rookies, and agents could negotiate multi-thousand dollar (who's kidding who, multi-millions is out of the question) contracts for their clients based on what school best fits the talents of the teacher/draft choice, and what types of incentive-laden inducements are written into the contracts, no-trade clauses, free-agency contingencies, on and on. But, alas, SCHOOL is not a direct revenue-generating consortium such as are sports teams or movies or TV shows. Owners of sports teams are like Carnegie Steel or General Motors. I understand why there are players' unions, formed to deal with owners that used to control athletes' livelihood much as plantation owners controlled their slaves. The added leverage that sports teams' owners have is that they can extort cities or regions into paying for their lovely stadiums or they'll leave to go to another city that will promise taxpayer-built stadiums or arenas. The players' unions want the owners to "open the books" and share the wealth. The owners want to protect what the have. Now, there's a threat of the NFL not having football next year in a gigantic game of chicken being conducted by the two sides. It's happened in baseball, hockey, air traffic control, coal mining, steel production, even in the teaching profession.
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