Pirates' manager Jim Tracy is a positive guy. In fact, he brought all of that California sunshine all the way to Pittsburgh. I'm not talking about his relentlessly upbeat demeanor. I mean he literally brought nice to weather to our city. It's been sunny in the high 60s since opening day.

It's just that when the Bucs take the field, it rains almost every day. No, it pours. The first thing I said out loud after the Bucs looked semi-interested in competing against Roy Oswalt in Houston was that I should be expecting the "stay positive, fellas" article in my local rag the next day. True to form, there it was.

That's all I have to say. The Pirates get Chris Carpenter tonight. The Pirates get 5-16 tonight.

Ok, I'm going to talk about something else: LenDale White!  Kidding.  Wake me when the draft starts. 

So, in the biggest subject change in blogging history....

A hobby of mine is plucking dumb quotes out of the paper and off of the internet and I found a doozy from Indiana Pacers' coach Rick Carlisle after the Pace took the series opener from the Nets in the NBA Playoffs.  He was describing  point guard Anthony Johnson, who played well against the Nets and hit the game-winning free throws. 

"There are guys on your roster you know are going to be ready to play and take care of themselves and be professional, knowledgeable, they like the game. He is one of those guys who fits that description,"  Carlisle told the Associated Press.

They like the game? They like the game? Well, I'm glad. Good for Anthony Johnson. I would hope that the pre-draft interview included something like "Hey, Anthony, do you actually like this game we're going to pay you handsomely to play? Oh yeah? Really, you sure? Good. Just checkin'. 

He likes the game so much, he's trying to play for every NBA team, with six under his belt so far. I don't mean to make fun of Johnson,.He's taken over as the Pacers' starting PG and is finally finding some success in his ninth year. In fact, I believe he was on the College of Charleston team I picked that upset Maryland in the first round in the 1997 NCAA tourney. So he's cool in my book.

It's these coaches spewing these cliches that make me want to take up vomiting and watching opera at the same time (now there's a "World Series Of" sport if I ever saw one). It makes me actually appreciate a guy like Albert Belle, who never said a word to the media before, during or after a game. Or when he had the kid sneaking into the office to steal his corked bat. I think it was a line in the Simpsons that said, "Tis better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." (or something like that, I don't feel like busting out the DVD to check). Pro sports leagues actually fine guys for not talking to the media. I'm proposing we take up a collection to pay these guys not to talk. We'll call it the "RJ doesn't want to vomit anymore or have to watch opera fund" No checks, please.