Less than four weeks (February 19) until pitchers and catchers report to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Twenty-seven days to familiarize yourself with the new and improved(?) Colorado Rockies. Dealin' Dan O'Dowd has been a busy beaver this off-season. Gone from the 2011 Opening Day lineup are:
OF Seth Smith (traded to Oakland for two pitchers),
UTIL Ty Wigginton (traded to Philadelphia for nothing definite, yet),
INF Jose Lopez (cut on June 7, signed by Florida, released in July, signed with Cleveland) and,
C Chris Iannetta (traded to Anaheim for a pitcher).
Still with the Rox from that Opening Day lineup are Dexter Fowler, Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton.
On the bench for the Rockies last April were: C Jose Morales, 3B Ian Stewart and OF Ryan Spilborghs (all gone), with Jonathan Herrera and Jason Giambi still in purple pinstripes.
The starting pitchers: Ubaldo Jimenez (traded to Cleveland for three arms and a backup infielder), Jhoulys Chacin, Jorge DeLa Rosa, Jason Hammel* and Esmil Rogers. Chacin is the early favorite to be the Opening Day starter, DLR is recuperating from Tommy John surgery, Hammel is still in the rotation (for now) and Rogers is destined to be a reliever or starter at Colorado Springs with the AAA Sky Sox.
The 2011 Opening Day bullpen: closer Huston Street (traded to San Diego for a LHP), setup man Rafael Betancourt (now the closer), the three Matts, Belisle, Lindstrom* and Reynolds (all three remain), Felipe Paulino (sold to the KC Royals) and Franklin Morales (traded to the Red Sux for undetermined player or cash). Aaron Cook, the all-time Rockies franchise winner (72 career wins), started the 2011 season on the injured list, was released after the 2011 season, and signed a deal with the Red Sux for the 2012 season.
I anticipate the starting lineup this year to be:
CF Dexter Fowler (needs to be a threat to steal more and improve OBP)
2B Marco Scutaro (stay healthy and play sound 2B)
LF Carlos Gonzalez (stay away from the wall and improve plate discipline)
SS Troy Tulowitzki (just be Tulo, a healthy Tulo)
RF Michael Cuddyer (bang those gaps and make consistent contact)
1B Todd Helton (#3 active player in OPS, behind only Pujols and Ramirez)
3B Casey Blake (please strike out less than one in four ABs)
C Ramon Hernandez (solid professional, bring along Rosario)
DO'D has accummulated a boatload of arms to compete for pitching spots on this year's roster, and the competition during Spring Training, hopefully, will determine who stays, and who goes down to the minors for seasoning. There are a whole bunch of question marks, and not too many positive exclamation points with this roster entering in to Spring Training.
Juan Nicasio appears to be fully recovered from a horrific injury incurred on August 5th, when he was hit flush on the head by a line drive off the bat of Washington Nationals SS Ian Desmond. The combination of the blow to the head and the subsequent fall to the mound fractured Nicasio's C-1 verterbra. After life-saving treatment on the field by Rockies training and medical staff, he underwent emergency surgery at Denver Health Medical Center. After near-miraculous rehab and determination by the 25-year-old right-hander from the Domenican Republic, he is poised to compete for a spot in the 2012 Rockies starting rotation. At the time of his injury, he was the owner of a 4-0 record and a 1.58 ERA in 4 decisions at Coors Field before being felled in the second inning in that fateful game against the Nationals. IF Nicasio can prove he's fully recovered and pick up where he left off before the injury, it would qualify as a minor miracle. IF Jorge DeLa Rosa is fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery and capable enough to resume his career with his pre-surgical quality stuff by May or June, that would qualify as minor miracle #2. IF Jason Hammel can harness his grade-A repertoire and pitch with a bit more consistency, and IF Drew Pomeranz and Alex White can live up to their so-called potential, maybe, just maybe, the Rockies can survive in the upper half of the NL West. And, just what do we have in Tyler Chatwood, Guillermo Moscoso, Josh Outman and Zach Putnam? Chatwood came from the Angels in exchange for Chris Iannetta. Moscoso and Outman came from The A's for Seth Smith. And Putnam came to the Rockies from Cleveland for Kevin Slowey who came from the Twins.
Will Eric Young, Jr, Chris Nelson, Charlie Blackmon, Jonny Herrera, Wilin Rosario, Nolan Arenado, Jordan Pacheco, DJ LaMahieu, Tommy Field, Tyler Colvin or Jamie Hoffman hold the surprise keys to a muddled puzzle that Dan O'Dowd has assembled? Or, is there more conjumbling that DO'D has in store? That's what is great about Spring Training. Everybody thinks their team has hope. As I wrote last year, Eternal Hope and Spring are as timeless as Man and Baseball. So far, manager Jim Tracy and pitching coach Bob Apodaca haven't fucked anything up, and the Rockies are still undefeated for the 2012 season.
Get the goddam Super Bowl over with, so we can get on with the real reason that a real sports fan can get back in the saddle. YANKEES and ROCKIES in the 2012 World Series! Why not? Check back with me in June. As long as the Red Sux and Giants fall on their asses......................and DUCK the FODGERS!
*An update: Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom were traded to Baltimore on February 6th for a proven Major League starter, RHP Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie had started opening day for the Orioles three out of the last four years, and has averaged nearly 200 innings each season as a regular in the majors. Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd is unhappy with Jhoulys Chacin's off-season conditioning, so Guthrie becomes the odds-on favorite to begin the regular season as the Rockies' Opening Day starter.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Tim Tebow, Playoff Post-Mortem
I googled tebow and had over 31-million hits to choose from. I have never witnessed, nor participated in, such a frenzied outpouring of follow-like-dislike-love-hate exposition and exhibition in all my years of following sports. The media hype and discourse world-wide over Tim Tebow and the Denver Bronco quarterback situation crossed the boundaries of mere sports journalism. All in all, I think it was a very good thing to be a part of, to join in the discussion, debate the propriety of his performance, on and off the field. Reactions were varied, dialogue was often heated, opinions were opined, arguments and debates raged, and meanwhile basic football definitions were skewed. His footwork, his throwing motion, his overall quarterbacking skills, his constant reference to his Lord and Saviour, his consistent platitudes to teammates and coaches and fans..........all were fodder for criticism and implacable, often rancorous, denigration.
I watched and listened, and threw my two-cents-worth in, too. What I came away with, is that the young man has come a very long way, and by all accounts, in a steadfastly consistent manner, from humble, almost legendary beginnings, to a place where he could, should he choose to, capitalize in a very lucrative fashion. What I hope for, is that he remains resolute to his commitment to further his own, simple agenda: that of being a good person, who genuinely cares for others, works hard, and continues to prosper humbly and honestly. He got criticized for his underwear commercials and his auto-biography as examples of just another money-hungry, self-promoting jock personality. But, these endeavors were done way before he became a household subject, at least as an NFL shooting star. One thing that cannot be argued (until his lustre dulls as NFL history marches on, maybe) is that he wins. And what is a winner, exactly? Each individual can ascribe their own notion of what a winner is. Statistics abound that can support, and also contradict any definition thereby.
A winner is one who finishes in first place. Does that, then, define everybody else as a loser? No, we as a society cannot abide the definition that rigidly. Winners can be losers that don't "win" but compete courageously, overcoming almost all obstacles, bringing honor from the manner in which they compete, with graciousness in their pursuit. And yes, it is eminently obvious, that in many instances, a person who "wins" is also a loser (Charlie Sheen or any Kardashian).
Last Saturday, January 14th, the Denver Broncos traveled to Foxborough to battle the New England Patriots for a chance to play for the AFC Championship. The Broncos had shocked the football world the previous Sunday on Wild Card Weekend in Denver by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on the 80-yard lightning bolt from Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas on the first play in sudden death overtime. The prelude to the game against Bill Belichick and his Patriots was filled with discourse and rhetoric about how the Broncos could win, what Tebow needed to do, how Denver's defense had to perform and countless hopeful presumptions that the Denver Broncos had a chance to win. I didn't think for a minute that the game would be close. I think the game unfolded just about how it should have. For all their metaphysical spunk and ethereal fortune, Tim Tebow, and the Denver Broncos, were exposed for what they are: a mediocre football squad that played hard but ultimately lacked the overall skill to compete at an NFL Championship level. In spite of the fact that Tebow had made marginal improvements to his skill set since taking over as a starter in Miami on October 20th, his weaknesses and inexperience were magnified by Belichick and the Patriots' defensive discipline and intelligence. The Broncos are a team that has weaknesses in the interior of the defensive line, the deep secondary and at linebacker. Their team speed is a notch below competitive equality in the NFL. The wide receivers and tight ends are not consistent in their ability to get open, and in their actual ball-catching skills. And Tim Tebow........he will benefit from an off-season that is repleat with OTA's (official team activities), hands-on coaching from John Elway and Adam Gase (quarterbacks coach, assuming that Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy might be coaching in Miami next year) and rigorous study and practice in "traditional" NFL quarterback film study and drills.
Do NOT put it beyond Tim Tebow that he can improve. Also, do not put it beyond John Elway and the Denver Bronco brass to pick a QB early in the draft (I don't think they will). I think they'll concentrate early-on in the draft on defensive playmakers, but what can they expect drafting at #25? Hopefully, a good fat guy in the defensive middle, and a solid safety or tough linebacker to complement Elvis Dumervil and Vonn Miller defensively. And an improved, still motivated Timmy Tebow. He has proven, much to the consternation of many, that he IS a winner.
I watched and listened, and threw my two-cents-worth in, too. What I came away with, is that the young man has come a very long way, and by all accounts, in a steadfastly consistent manner, from humble, almost legendary beginnings, to a place where he could, should he choose to, capitalize in a very lucrative fashion. What I hope for, is that he remains resolute to his commitment to further his own, simple agenda: that of being a good person, who genuinely cares for others, works hard, and continues to prosper humbly and honestly. He got criticized for his underwear commercials and his auto-biography as examples of just another money-hungry, self-promoting jock personality. But, these endeavors were done way before he became a household subject, at least as an NFL shooting star. One thing that cannot be argued (until his lustre dulls as NFL history marches on, maybe) is that he wins. And what is a winner, exactly? Each individual can ascribe their own notion of what a winner is. Statistics abound that can support, and also contradict any definition thereby.
A winner is one who finishes in first place. Does that, then, define everybody else as a loser? No, we as a society cannot abide the definition that rigidly. Winners can be losers that don't "win" but compete courageously, overcoming almost all obstacles, bringing honor from the manner in which they compete, with graciousness in their pursuit. And yes, it is eminently obvious, that in many instances, a person who "wins" is also a loser (Charlie Sheen or any Kardashian).
Last Saturday, January 14th, the Denver Broncos traveled to Foxborough to battle the New England Patriots for a chance to play for the AFC Championship. The Broncos had shocked the football world the previous Sunday on Wild Card Weekend in Denver by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on the 80-yard lightning bolt from Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas on the first play in sudden death overtime. The prelude to the game against Bill Belichick and his Patriots was filled with discourse and rhetoric about how the Broncos could win, what Tebow needed to do, how Denver's defense had to perform and countless hopeful presumptions that the Denver Broncos had a chance to win. I didn't think for a minute that the game would be close. I think the game unfolded just about how it should have. For all their metaphysical spunk and ethereal fortune, Tim Tebow, and the Denver Broncos, were exposed for what they are: a mediocre football squad that played hard but ultimately lacked the overall skill to compete at an NFL Championship level. In spite of the fact that Tebow had made marginal improvements to his skill set since taking over as a starter in Miami on October 20th, his weaknesses and inexperience were magnified by Belichick and the Patriots' defensive discipline and intelligence. The Broncos are a team that has weaknesses in the interior of the defensive line, the deep secondary and at linebacker. Their team speed is a notch below competitive equality in the NFL. The wide receivers and tight ends are not consistent in their ability to get open, and in their actual ball-catching skills. And Tim Tebow........he will benefit from an off-season that is repleat with OTA's (official team activities), hands-on coaching from John Elway and Adam Gase (quarterbacks coach, assuming that Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy might be coaching in Miami next year) and rigorous study and practice in "traditional" NFL quarterback film study and drills.
Do NOT put it beyond Tim Tebow that he can improve. Also, do not put it beyond John Elway and the Denver Bronco brass to pick a QB early in the draft (I don't think they will). I think they'll concentrate early-on in the draft on defensive playmakers, but what can they expect drafting at #25? Hopefully, a good fat guy in the defensive middle, and a solid safety or tough linebacker to complement Elvis Dumervil and Vonn Miller defensively. And an improved, still motivated Timmy Tebow. He has proven, much to the consternation of many, that he IS a winner.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Colorado Sports Highlights
Sometimes Monday is a bleak, unforgiving and cruel day. Today is not one of those days. Yesterday, the Denver Broncos pulled off one of the most amazing victories in the illustrious history of sports in Colorado. I've followed sports ardently since I can remember, my earliest memories being of my uncles playing baseball in Brighton and following the New York Yankees and the Denver Bears. I learned to dissect a baseball box score in the daily newspaper by the time I was in the second grade. The Broncos were not on the scene yet, Major League Baseball was in the newspaper or on Saturday's Game of The Week, with Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese. Later, Curt Gowdy's voice, along with Mel Allen and his trademark, "How about that?"
I remember being in the basement kitchen and classroom area of the Brighton Buddhist Temple with members of the community, on December 28th, 1958, during the yearly tradition of pounding steamed rice into mochi. Mochi is a product with just a single ingredient, steamed rice. The rice is cooked and dumped into a large, carved and polished solid marble basin about 20" wide and 20" deep (like a huge mortar, used to grind spices). Two or three men stand by with large wooden mallets (like long handled pestles) and rhythmically begin pounding the rice into a condensed, glutenous gob while my grandmother kneeled next to the basin alternately wetting her hand in a bowl of water and reaching into the granite basin to unstick the rice mass from the sides of the stone bowl, and at the same time, reposition the clump so the next mallet blow could properly smash the rice evenly. When the loaf of smushed and pounded rice reached the right consistency, it was removed to the tables in the meeting room, already lined with wax paper and cornstarch. The women would begin portioning the loaf, still warm, into 3 to 5-inch 'cookies' about a third-of-an-inch thick. The process was repeated until all the rice was cooked, pounded and portioned and all the families had their share of mochi divvied up. The semi-hard and dried cake-cookies were bagged and taken home, some to eat right away, some to prepare traditional New Year's dishes, and some into the freezer to enjoy the rest of the year. Maybe I'll post a future blog about my favorite Japanese foods and traditions, as I'm getting off-track here, and hungry.
Anyway, on Sunday, December 28, 1958, there was a black-and-white television plugged-in in that church basement, with a grainy picture and maybe a 15" screen, brought in by one of my uncles to watch the NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts, at Yankee Stadium, on NBC TV. The Giants featured multi-talented receiver-runner Frank Gifford, linebacker Sam Huff, and two coordinators you might have heard about: Vince Lombardi (offense) and Tom Landry (defense). The Colts were led by QB Johnny Unitas and his favorite target Raymond Berry, RB Lenny Moore and defensive stalwarts Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan (famous for his funny appearances on Johnny Carson shows) and Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb (who died of a heroin overdose just 5 years later). The game, eventually won by Baltimore, in sudden-death overtime, 23-17 (a one-yard run by Colts RB Alan Ameche) was watched by virtually everyone who owned a television back then, and has been called "The Greatest Game Ever Played"...... It probably is one of the top three or four football games ever televised. I will always remember the game because of the excitement and reverence it generated amongst all who watched.
The first really big Colorado moment, for me, was at the end of the 1977 season of our beloved Denver Broncos, the original Orange Crush. The team had just been turned over to head coach Robert "Red" Miller following the 1976 season, when, even with a 9-5 record, the team missed the playoffs and key players issued a "no-confidence" statement concerning then head coach John Ralston, who resigned. The Broncos went on to a scintillating 12-2 regular season record, winning the AFC West Division and reaching the playoffs for the first time in team history. The team went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mile High Stadium 34-21 on Christmas Eve 1977. That same day, in Baltimore, the Wild-Card Oakland Raiders beat the AFC East Champs Colts 37-31 in a raucous double-overtime game to set up the third meeting of the year between the hated Raiders (head coach John Madden) and the Broncos. Denver beat up on the Raiders 30-7 on October 16 in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, but Oakland outlasted the Broncos 24-14 two weeks later in the rematch at Mile High Stadium. The Raiders were the defending World Champions, having dispatched the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI the previous January.
On New Years Day, 1978, my wife Joanne was 8-months preggers with my daughter Sara, as the Broncos and Raiders squared off at Mile High for the AFC Championship and a ticket to Super Bowl XII to be played in the Louisiana Superdome on January 15th. The game is still burned into my memory. Oakland led 3-0 when they scored on their opening drive. On Denver's second play from scrimmage, limping and hobbling Denver QB Craig Morton fired a 74-yard strike for a touchdown to Haven Moses. Hysteria at a mile high! The score was still 7-3 in the third period, Denver had the ball first and goal at the two, handoff to Rob Lytle (a Michigan Wolverine), who dove up and almost over the line and was met head-on by Jack "The Assassin" Tatum. The ball squirted loose, picked up by Oakland nose tackle Mike McCoy who was rumblin' and stumblin', uncontested toward the Bronco endzone. WHISTLE!! The line judge did not see the fumble and blew the play dead and the ball was rewarded back to the Broncos. John Madden was livid, red-faced and cussing out the refs, was penalized, half-the-distance to the goal, first down at the one. Jon Keyworth ("Make Those Miracles Happen") scored on the next play to make it 14-3, Denver. The officiating crew made up for the gaffe later when they ruled a touchdown pass to Denver WR Jack Dolbin incomplete. This game was a big impetus for the league to later institute instant replay to review marginal or incorrect decisions, and they still fuck up. The game ended, Denver 20, Oakland 17, as Tom Jackson ran in front of the Raider sideline taunting John Madden, telling the "Fat Man" to shut up and get out of town. The Raiders needed police escorts to depart Mile High Stadium, and the Broncos were on their way to the franchise's first Super Bowl. (Lost to Dallas, 27-10, not included in my highlights).
Other uniquely Colorado sports memories, for me:
January 29, 1984. NBA All-Star Game at McNichols Arena. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson, with Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe from the Nuggets, Julius Erving, George Gervin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and All-Star MVP, Isiah Thomas. The East won, 154-145 in overtime (not a defensive showcase). I went with my wife #2, Kathy and a bunch of friends that I worked with at Sebastian's. Awesome to see great basketball in an era that was relatively free of knuckleheads and idiots masquerading as Tattooed Millionaires. Even Isiah Thomas was kinda likeable back then. And, those stylish shorty shorts, very classy!
Super Bowl XXXII at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on January 25, 1998. Who can ever forget that magical season, and final crowning game? Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24. Terrell Davis returning home to his hometown and earning the MVP trophy. The favored and over-confident Green Bay Packers, led by Brett Favre and the defending World Champions. The John Elway's helicopter crash-landing to pick up a crucial third-quarter first down on third-and-seven to the Green Bay 4-yard-line. The score was 17-17 at the time, and Denver took the lead two plays later as TD scored from the one. Who can forget, as we found out later, that Terrell Davis couldn't see due to a severe migraine, but he was asked to just be a decoy so Elway's quarterback sneak could be successful to give the Broncos their 14-7 lead in the first half? I can remember the voice of long-time Bronco radio announcer, Dave Logan, saying, as the last-gasp 4th down pass from Favre was batted away by John Mobley, "Denver's gonna win this thing!" The next year, of course, the Broncos won it all again, against an inferior and overmatched Atlanta Falcon team, coached by former Bronco coach, Dan Reeves. Not as special as the first one, and sad, because it was The Duke's, John Elway's, last game.
Colorado Buffaloes-62, Nebraska Cornhuskers/BugEaters-36 on September 23, 2001. I shall always remember watching the game on a Carnival cruise ship with all 19 members of the entire Mabel Miyasaki Family on our way back to port in Miami at the end of a fantastic week-long Carribean cruise. Some of us were in a little bar on the ship watching on TV and my Mom took over the entertainment responsibilities as she single-handedly converted everybody in that ship's tavern into a Buffs fan, shoulder-to-shoulder. Colorado's RB Chris Brown, 24 rushes, 198 yards and SIX rushing touchdowns! My favorite college football game of all time. My two favorite college teams: the Colorado Buffaloes, and whoever is playing Nebraska.
Both Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup Championships. The 1996 Stanley Cup was won in an almost anticlimactic fashion, as the Avalanche swept the over-matched Florida Panthers 4 games to none, finishing on the Florida ice at Miami Arena on Uwe Krupp's overtime goal. Joe Sakic won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). Patrick Roy, Peter Forsberg, Adam Deadmarsh, Mike Ricci, Claude Lemieux, Adam Foote, the "Chief" Chris Simon. Fun team, followed by a very memorable parade in downtown Denver to celebrate the city's first-ever Major Championship. The second Stanley Cup was more memorable to me, the one that was won on home-ice in the new Pepsi Center, in a seven game series against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, New Jersey Devils (who were the Colorado Rockies until 1982). Joe Saki(c) handing Lord Stanley's Cup to Ray Bourque, who had spent 19 years as a Boston Bruin without ever winning the big prize. He joined the Avalanche a year-and-a-half (on March 6, 2000, my Mom's 75th birthday) before he hoisted the Cup, in his last game as a player. (I still don't think he merits a retired number in the rafters at the Pepsi Center). I watched Game 7 in a motel room on West Colfax. Do not jump to conclusions, I was staying in the city overnight since the Colorado State Open Steel Tip Darts Championship was being held that weekend at the Elks Club on West Colfax, near the motel. I remember seeing the smoke from downtown Denver that night as rowdy "fans" (looters) set fires and caused mayhem to "celebrate" (loot jewelry and liquor stores) the Avalanche victory.
October 1, 2007. Game 163 of the Major League regular season. Scene: Coors Field, 20th and Blake in lower downtown Denver. One game to determine the final playoff spot, against the San Diego Padres. The Play-In Game. A thrilling, 13-inning affair with heroics galore, home runs, five lead changes. Two-run home run off the bat of Padre OF Scott Hairston in the 13th inning. Doubles by Kaz Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki and a triple by Matt Holiday, off the best closer ever, in the National League, Trevor Hoffman, to tie the score. A shallow, soft liner to right off the bat of Jamey Carroll. The catch by Brian Giles, the tag at third by Holliday, the throw to catcher Michael Barrett blocking the plate. On target. The slide, chin-first. SAFE!! (probably). On to the playoffs, sweep Philadelphia and Arizona, on to the World Series, Rain, waiting, ticket fiasco, swept by the Red Sux.
Of all those aforementioned memories, yesterday's Wild WildCard game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers ranks right up there as a top-five. So much so, I think it deserves its own blog entry. Besides, this exercise ran long, and I'm running out of steam. It's fun reminiscing, for me, since small bites of my memory are eroding away, bit by bit. And maybe, just maybe, byte by byte I can save and savor some of these memories for me, my kids and grandkids. That game yesterday by the Broncos, led by Tim Tebow, was the most fun I've had with my pants on in a very long time. And those arrogant Pittsburgh Steelers will just have to wait for their 7th Championship Ring. Plus, they had to go back to ArmPittsBurgh after the game. Don't forget those terrible hankies, thanks for comin', have a right-nice trip home.
I remember being in the basement kitchen and classroom area of the Brighton Buddhist Temple with members of the community, on December 28th, 1958, during the yearly tradition of pounding steamed rice into mochi. Mochi is a product with just a single ingredient, steamed rice. The rice is cooked and dumped into a large, carved and polished solid marble basin about 20" wide and 20" deep (like a huge mortar, used to grind spices). Two or three men stand by with large wooden mallets (like long handled pestles) and rhythmically begin pounding the rice into a condensed, glutenous gob while my grandmother kneeled next to the basin alternately wetting her hand in a bowl of water and reaching into the granite basin to unstick the rice mass from the sides of the stone bowl, and at the same time, reposition the clump so the next mallet blow could properly smash the rice evenly. When the loaf of smushed and pounded rice reached the right consistency, it was removed to the tables in the meeting room, already lined with wax paper and cornstarch. The women would begin portioning the loaf, still warm, into 3 to 5-inch 'cookies' about a third-of-an-inch thick. The process was repeated until all the rice was cooked, pounded and portioned and all the families had their share of mochi divvied up. The semi-hard and dried cake-cookies were bagged and taken home, some to eat right away, some to prepare traditional New Year's dishes, and some into the freezer to enjoy the rest of the year. Maybe I'll post a future blog about my favorite Japanese foods and traditions, as I'm getting off-track here, and hungry.
Anyway, on Sunday, December 28, 1958, there was a black-and-white television plugged-in in that church basement, with a grainy picture and maybe a 15" screen, brought in by one of my uncles to watch the NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts, at Yankee Stadium, on NBC TV. The Giants featured multi-talented receiver-runner Frank Gifford, linebacker Sam Huff, and two coordinators you might have heard about: Vince Lombardi (offense) and Tom Landry (defense). The Colts were led by QB Johnny Unitas and his favorite target Raymond Berry, RB Lenny Moore and defensive stalwarts Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan (famous for his funny appearances on Johnny Carson shows) and Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb (who died of a heroin overdose just 5 years later). The game, eventually won by Baltimore, in sudden-death overtime, 23-17 (a one-yard run by Colts RB Alan Ameche) was watched by virtually everyone who owned a television back then, and has been called "The Greatest Game Ever Played"...... It probably is one of the top three or four football games ever televised. I will always remember the game because of the excitement and reverence it generated amongst all who watched.
The first really big Colorado moment, for me, was at the end of the 1977 season of our beloved Denver Broncos, the original Orange Crush. The team had just been turned over to head coach Robert "Red" Miller following the 1976 season, when, even with a 9-5 record, the team missed the playoffs and key players issued a "no-confidence" statement concerning then head coach John Ralston, who resigned. The Broncos went on to a scintillating 12-2 regular season record, winning the AFC West Division and reaching the playoffs for the first time in team history. The team went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mile High Stadium 34-21 on Christmas Eve 1977. That same day, in Baltimore, the Wild-Card Oakland Raiders beat the AFC East Champs Colts 37-31 in a raucous double-overtime game to set up the third meeting of the year between the hated Raiders (head coach John Madden) and the Broncos. Denver beat up on the Raiders 30-7 on October 16 in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, but Oakland outlasted the Broncos 24-14 two weeks later in the rematch at Mile High Stadium. The Raiders were the defending World Champions, having dispatched the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI the previous January.
On New Years Day, 1978, my wife Joanne was 8-months preggers with my daughter Sara, as the Broncos and Raiders squared off at Mile High for the AFC Championship and a ticket to Super Bowl XII to be played in the Louisiana Superdome on January 15th. The game is still burned into my memory. Oakland led 3-0 when they scored on their opening drive. On Denver's second play from scrimmage, limping and hobbling Denver QB Craig Morton fired a 74-yard strike for a touchdown to Haven Moses. Hysteria at a mile high! The score was still 7-3 in the third period, Denver had the ball first and goal at the two, handoff to Rob Lytle (a Michigan Wolverine), who dove up and almost over the line and was met head-on by Jack "The Assassin" Tatum. The ball squirted loose, picked up by Oakland nose tackle Mike McCoy who was rumblin' and stumblin', uncontested toward the Bronco endzone. WHISTLE!! The line judge did not see the fumble and blew the play dead and the ball was rewarded back to the Broncos. John Madden was livid, red-faced and cussing out the refs, was penalized, half-the-distance to the goal, first down at the one. Jon Keyworth ("Make Those Miracles Happen") scored on the next play to make it 14-3, Denver. The officiating crew made up for the gaffe later when they ruled a touchdown pass to Denver WR Jack Dolbin incomplete. This game was a big impetus for the league to later institute instant replay to review marginal or incorrect decisions, and they still fuck up. The game ended, Denver 20, Oakland 17, as Tom Jackson ran in front of the Raider sideline taunting John Madden, telling the "Fat Man" to shut up and get out of town. The Raiders needed police escorts to depart Mile High Stadium, and the Broncos were on their way to the franchise's first Super Bowl. (Lost to Dallas, 27-10, not included in my highlights).
Other uniquely Colorado sports memories, for me:
January 29, 1984. NBA All-Star Game at McNichols Arena. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson, with Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe from the Nuggets, Julius Erving, George Gervin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and All-Star MVP, Isiah Thomas. The East won, 154-145 in overtime (not a defensive showcase). I went with my wife #2, Kathy and a bunch of friends that I worked with at Sebastian's. Awesome to see great basketball in an era that was relatively free of knuckleheads and idiots masquerading as Tattooed Millionaires. Even Isiah Thomas was kinda likeable back then. And, those stylish shorty shorts, very classy!
Super Bowl XXXII at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on January 25, 1998. Who can ever forget that magical season, and final crowning game? Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24. Terrell Davis returning home to his hometown and earning the MVP trophy. The favored and over-confident Green Bay Packers, led by Brett Favre and the defending World Champions. The John Elway's helicopter crash-landing to pick up a crucial third-quarter first down on third-and-seven to the Green Bay 4-yard-line. The score was 17-17 at the time, and Denver took the lead two plays later as TD scored from the one. Who can forget, as we found out later, that Terrell Davis couldn't see due to a severe migraine, but he was asked to just be a decoy so Elway's quarterback sneak could be successful to give the Broncos their 14-7 lead in the first half? I can remember the voice of long-time Bronco radio announcer, Dave Logan, saying, as the last-gasp 4th down pass from Favre was batted away by John Mobley, "Denver's gonna win this thing!" The next year, of course, the Broncos won it all again, against an inferior and overmatched Atlanta Falcon team, coached by former Bronco coach, Dan Reeves. Not as special as the first one, and sad, because it was The Duke's, John Elway's, last game.
Colorado Buffaloes-62, Nebraska Cornhuskers/BugEaters-36 on September 23, 2001. I shall always remember watching the game on a Carnival cruise ship with all 19 members of the entire Mabel Miyasaki Family on our way back to port in Miami at the end of a fantastic week-long Carribean cruise. Some of us were in a little bar on the ship watching on TV and my Mom took over the entertainment responsibilities as she single-handedly converted everybody in that ship's tavern into a Buffs fan, shoulder-to-shoulder. Colorado's RB Chris Brown, 24 rushes, 198 yards and SIX rushing touchdowns! My favorite college football game of all time. My two favorite college teams: the Colorado Buffaloes, and whoever is playing Nebraska.
Both Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup Championships. The 1996 Stanley Cup was won in an almost anticlimactic fashion, as the Avalanche swept the over-matched Florida Panthers 4 games to none, finishing on the Florida ice at Miami Arena on Uwe Krupp's overtime goal. Joe Sakic won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). Patrick Roy, Peter Forsberg, Adam Deadmarsh, Mike Ricci, Claude Lemieux, Adam Foote, the "Chief" Chris Simon. Fun team, followed by a very memorable parade in downtown Denver to celebrate the city's first-ever Major Championship. The second Stanley Cup was more memorable to me, the one that was won on home-ice in the new Pepsi Center, in a seven game series against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, New Jersey Devils (who were the Colorado Rockies until 1982). Joe Saki(c) handing Lord Stanley's Cup to Ray Bourque, who had spent 19 years as a Boston Bruin without ever winning the big prize. He joined the Avalanche a year-and-a-half (on March 6, 2000, my Mom's 75th birthday) before he hoisted the Cup, in his last game as a player. (I still don't think he merits a retired number in the rafters at the Pepsi Center). I watched Game 7 in a motel room on West Colfax. Do not jump to conclusions, I was staying in the city overnight since the Colorado State Open Steel Tip Darts Championship was being held that weekend at the Elks Club on West Colfax, near the motel. I remember seeing the smoke from downtown Denver that night as rowdy "fans" (looters) set fires and caused mayhem to "celebrate" (loot jewelry and liquor stores) the Avalanche victory.
October 1, 2007. Game 163 of the Major League regular season. Scene: Coors Field, 20th and Blake in lower downtown Denver. One game to determine the final playoff spot, against the San Diego Padres. The Play-In Game. A thrilling, 13-inning affair with heroics galore, home runs, five lead changes. Two-run home run off the bat of Padre OF Scott Hairston in the 13th inning. Doubles by Kaz Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki and a triple by Matt Holiday, off the best closer ever, in the National League, Trevor Hoffman, to tie the score. A shallow, soft liner to right off the bat of Jamey Carroll. The catch by Brian Giles, the tag at third by Holliday, the throw to catcher Michael Barrett blocking the plate. On target. The slide, chin-first. SAFE!! (probably). On to the playoffs, sweep Philadelphia and Arizona, on to the World Series, Rain, waiting, ticket fiasco, swept by the Red Sux.
Of all those aforementioned memories, yesterday's Wild WildCard game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers ranks right up there as a top-five. So much so, I think it deserves its own blog entry. Besides, this exercise ran long, and I'm running out of steam. It's fun reminiscing, for me, since small bites of my memory are eroding away, bit by bit. And maybe, just maybe, byte by byte I can save and savor some of these memories for me, my kids and grandkids. That game yesterday by the Broncos, led by Tim Tebow, was the most fun I've had with my pants on in a very long time. And those arrogant Pittsburgh Steelers will just have to wait for their 7th Championship Ring. Plus, they had to go back to ArmPittsBurgh after the game. Don't forget those terrible hankies, thanks for comin', have a right-nice trip home.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Golf and Me
The holidays have come and gone, we here in Colorado are in the midst of a "typical" Western Prairie Winter. Intermittent snow, cold nights and sunny, cool days. A lot of my buddies have been playing golf the last week or so, but it's still too wintry for me. I do have to go over to Sunset Golf Course late this afternoon to clean and park all the golf carts, pick up the flags and lock the gates. Once a week through the winter (when the course is open) and twice a week during the season. Those volunteer hours beget free golf for me year-round at the three Longmont courses. It's amazing that, even with over a hundred-twenty rounds of golf and over a hundred scores posted to my GHIN (golf handicap and index network), that my handicap index remains about what it was a year ago. When I first started posting my scores and establishing my handicap about 5 years ago, I was around a 15 handicap. I joined the Sunset Golf Men's Club 3 years ago and started playing regularly in handicapped events at Sunset and Twin Peaks and Ute Creek, the other two municipal courses in town. In 2007 and 2008 I entered into the Longmont City Tournament which required one 18-hole round at each of the courses. 2007 included Fox Hill Country Club here in town, but they pulled out, so from 2008 on, the City Cup is just three rounds. I finished well back in the pack for the first two years in my flight. Golfers are grouped into handicap levels so that within each group there is a semblance of even competition. There is a Championship Flight, where all those golfers compete with zero handicap, First Flight (usually 6 handicap and lower), Second Flight (7 to 10), Third Flight (11 to 15) and Fourth Flight (16 and higher). I finished first in the third flight both 2009 and 2010, indicating that my handicap had not really lowered from one season to the next, which means that my game had not really improved markedly. Last year I hammered a total of 7 drives out of bounds in my three rounds and finished 9 strokes behind the winner, again in the third flight. So, if I had not suffered 14 penalty strokes for my wayward drives, I could have been in contention, but that's golf. With me, you never know what you're gonna get, like Forrest Gump and his chocolates.
This year, I ended the official season with a 10 handicap index. My goal is to improve to an 8 by the time the City Championship comes around in July. That will have to mean that I am improving as mid-summer arrives. Just 5 fewer putts per round and the goal is within reach. I am NOT a good putter, so that's where I have to practice and improve. I'm not much of a try-every-new-golf-club kind of a guy, can't afford it, and I should be able to play with what I've got, at least well enough to improve a few strokes. But, that's the frustrating thing about golf.........it's a game that you can never master. Virtually every shot is different, due to wind and the lie of the ball, the cut of the grass, the positioning of the trees, the location of the sand traps, the water, the slope and speed of the putting surface, and most of all, your confidence as you take that swing. Do I have the right club? Should I hit short of the green and bounce it up, or should I aim for the pin and try to stop the ball? Par 5, can I hit my driver straight enough to get in position to go for the green in two, or should I lay up with a three wood and medium iron? Should I try to get this 6-iron up over those trees and over the water, or play it safe and lay up to the right with a 9-iron and hope my 60-degree wedge can get me close enough to one-putt? Winston straights, or White Owl panatela? Dr. Pepper, or Arnie Palmer? Skittles, or Snickers? So many decisions, so many options. The best round I ever played, there were at least 5 or 6 fuck-ups. The worst round I ever played, there were a few good shots. To me, one definition of a good round, is if I finish with the same ball that I started with and all the clubs remain in one piece.
There is also the possibility of another way to succeed in golf tournaments: Handicap Manipulation. Now, some guys consider it cheating, and some just practice it as an art. The way it works, is that you do not enter all your scores into the GHIN computer after you've played, just the ones that support, or inflate your average round. That way, if you maintain a high enough handicap index, you are always (theoretically) in a position, in all the handicapped events, to be 'under par' with your actual (gross) score adjusted by your handicap index (net score). There are many ways that a person's competitive measure can be evaluated, and reporting only your worst scores (or at best, only reporting some scores) does an injustice to other golfers who report everything. This practice of under-reporting is called sandbagging, and usually is frowned upon by almost all golfers that keep score, and compete for prizes and cash.
The fellows I play golf with regularly are a varied and enjoyable bunch. Friendly competition and good-natured ribbing are de rigueur. It is true that you can really find out a lot about a person's character by playing a round of golf with them. One of the most important foundations of the game of golf is integrity. Many times, a person is faced with the possible temptation to bend the rules, to kick the ball a little bit to improve its lie, to count only 5 strokes on a hole that you actually scored 6, play a ball that was just out-of-bounds before the other players could verify its position or 'find' a ball in the woods and claim it as yours when yours is totally lost. In golf, the rules call for penalty strokes to be assessed for a variety of infractions. Many times, these infractions occur out of the sight of the other competitors, so it is contingent upon the player to call the rule upon himself. Remember the scene in "Bagger Vance" where Matt Damon's character(Rannulph Junuh) calls a penalty on himself when his ball moved imperceptibly as he was removing a small bit of debris near where his ball lay. His young caddy Hardy Greaves said that "nobody saw it move". Junuh said, "I saw it, and it moved". Honesty, integrity, honor. That's what the handicap system is in place for, in my opinion. Report all your scores and let the GHIN computer calculate your true index. Play the ball as it lies, count every stroke and penalty and play your game according to your index.
Off the soap box. I look forward to the next (warm) day that I can throw my clubs in the truck, drive out to the course, lace up my Calloway spikes and tee my Titleist Pro-V1 up (on top of my barely-legal 4" tees), waggle my Taylor Made R-7 Quad a couple times, wind up and smack the ball. Cheers, and a Happy New 2012 to you all!
This year, I ended the official season with a 10 handicap index. My goal is to improve to an 8 by the time the City Championship comes around in July. That will have to mean that I am improving as mid-summer arrives. Just 5 fewer putts per round and the goal is within reach. I am NOT a good putter, so that's where I have to practice and improve. I'm not much of a try-every-new-golf-club kind of a guy, can't afford it, and I should be able to play with what I've got, at least well enough to improve a few strokes. But, that's the frustrating thing about golf.........it's a game that you can never master. Virtually every shot is different, due to wind and the lie of the ball, the cut of the grass, the positioning of the trees, the location of the sand traps, the water, the slope and speed of the putting surface, and most of all, your confidence as you take that swing. Do I have the right club? Should I hit short of the green and bounce it up, or should I aim for the pin and try to stop the ball? Par 5, can I hit my driver straight enough to get in position to go for the green in two, or should I lay up with a three wood and medium iron? Should I try to get this 6-iron up over those trees and over the water, or play it safe and lay up to the right with a 9-iron and hope my 60-degree wedge can get me close enough to one-putt? Winston straights, or White Owl panatela? Dr. Pepper, or Arnie Palmer? Skittles, or Snickers? So many decisions, so many options. The best round I ever played, there were at least 5 or 6 fuck-ups. The worst round I ever played, there were a few good shots. To me, one definition of a good round, is if I finish with the same ball that I started with and all the clubs remain in one piece.
There is also the possibility of another way to succeed in golf tournaments: Handicap Manipulation. Now, some guys consider it cheating, and some just practice it as an art. The way it works, is that you do not enter all your scores into the GHIN computer after you've played, just the ones that support, or inflate your average round. That way, if you maintain a high enough handicap index, you are always (theoretically) in a position, in all the handicapped events, to be 'under par' with your actual (gross) score adjusted by your handicap index (net score). There are many ways that a person's competitive measure can be evaluated, and reporting only your worst scores (or at best, only reporting some scores) does an injustice to other golfers who report everything. This practice of under-reporting is called sandbagging, and usually is frowned upon by almost all golfers that keep score, and compete for prizes and cash.
The fellows I play golf with regularly are a varied and enjoyable bunch. Friendly competition and good-natured ribbing are de rigueur. It is true that you can really find out a lot about a person's character by playing a round of golf with them. One of the most important foundations of the game of golf is integrity. Many times, a person is faced with the possible temptation to bend the rules, to kick the ball a little bit to improve its lie, to count only 5 strokes on a hole that you actually scored 6, play a ball that was just out-of-bounds before the other players could verify its position or 'find' a ball in the woods and claim it as yours when yours is totally lost. In golf, the rules call for penalty strokes to be assessed for a variety of infractions. Many times, these infractions occur out of the sight of the other competitors, so it is contingent upon the player to call the rule upon himself. Remember the scene in "Bagger Vance" where Matt Damon's character(Rannulph Junuh) calls a penalty on himself when his ball moved imperceptibly as he was removing a small bit of debris near where his ball lay. His young caddy Hardy Greaves said that "nobody saw it move". Junuh said, "I saw it, and it moved". Honesty, integrity, honor. That's what the handicap system is in place for, in my opinion. Report all your scores and let the GHIN computer calculate your true index. Play the ball as it lies, count every stroke and penalty and play your game according to your index.
Off the soap box. I look forward to the next (warm) day that I can throw my clubs in the truck, drive out to the course, lace up my Calloway spikes and tee my Titleist Pro-V1 up (on top of my barely-legal 4" tees), waggle my Taylor Made R-7 Quad a couple times, wind up and smack the ball. Cheers, and a Happy New 2012 to you all!
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