Hanging tough with the Insane Forced Balloon Posse...
January 5th is
(A) the day you go back to school after Xmas vacation,
(B) the day you throw your Xmas tree out or
(C) the lousiest day of the year to have a birthday.
At least, in much of North America, as it's usually the coldest day on the first Monday after the holidays. Everybody is broke and cold and miserable. And it's the date I've been fated to celebrate my birth.
It used to be the first date in the Big Ten men's basketball schedule, for some reason they keep moving it up to where it began this season in December 2008.
Of course, it used to be that all of the college bowl games were over with, but again for some reason they scheduled the Fiesta Bowl for January -- giving the Big Ten another chance to lose a bowl game.
Not to get Orwellian, but some birthdays are more equal than others. And mine flat sucks!
My lifelong dream is to celebrate it one day at the ballpark -- either, Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, which ever is cheaper -- and call everybody back up in Wisconsin on my cell phone.
"Hey, what's the windchill today? Well, it's the third inning here, so I've gotta get another beer...see ya!"
Instead, back in glacial Madison, Wisconsin...we are forced to celebrate at the city's Birthday Palace, the venerable Nitty Gritty. On your special day, you are asked for your ID, they ring a bell, scribble your name on the board below the celebs with your sorry excuse for a birthday and give you a mug for free beer.
It used to be just certain entry-priced brews, but now they splurge and let you swill on the finer stuff. The only caveat is that this year, the bartender insisted that a balloon must be kept tied to the mug.
You're kidding me, right? Forced balloons? I can lose the balloon, right?
Nope, lose the balloon and lose the free beer privleges.
Wait a minute, I thought we just had an election to end this kind of tyranny. What the hell did we just vote for, if an American can't enjoy a lousy birthday's free brewskis without FORCED balloon?
And so, a sad, cold mostly friendless night becomes even more sad as we slurp with our balloon along for the ride. We men just looked at each other in sorry resignation -- fated to our balloon bondage.
One suggestion from a loyal reader was to create a half-Birthday date during the baseball season. So, should it be six months ahead on July 5th?
And what about that alternative Jan 5th? Would PR or the DR be a better place to enjoy a beer in the bleachers -- WITHOUT BALLOONS -- at a ballpark somewhere?
Well, that, my friends, is up to you. I'm asking your opinions on this.
1. Should I "move" my birthday to July 5 or
2. which is the best place to watch a baseball game on Jan. 5th?
Please reply with your thoughts and keep the balloons to yourself
Don't go away mad, don't go away sad, don't go away glad...
If I had run into ESPN's Mike Greenberg on the morning of March 4th, I would have slapped his smirky face off. Then, in a moment of Cosby-esque furor, I would have shrieked, "YOU PICK THAT #### FACE UP!" And then, I would have slapped it off again. That just begins to tell you how mad I was --- and likely, still am -- at Mr. Greenberg.
Of course, if I allow myself to get logical, I know that he's not the only reason why my QB is playing for his team and not for mine. But when it comes to love -- and yes, you can love a team and its QB as deeply and profoundly as anything in this world -- logic is besides the point.
Still, Greenie was among the Greek Chorus of sportswriters and talking heads who forced Brett Favre's hand back in March to retire -- kind of. "Oh, you have to tell us all what you're going to do,' they cried. "You CAN'T let the Packers go into the draft without saying whether you're going to retire or not, " moped Greenie and all the others -- ESPN's nattering nabobs of negativity.
So, of course, after he says goodbye, Brett Honey starts to get that proverbial itch and wants to come back to Green Bay. Except that team's present brain trust (and I use that term loosely) has other plans that don't include #4.
Ted Thompson might accomplish much in his NFL management career, but I doubt it. When he dies, the New York Times' obit will read, "MAN WHO TRADED FAVRE."
And where does #4 wind up? Yuppers, Greenie's beloved New York Jets! I used to like the Jets, I really did. Unlike Greenberg, I can actually remember Joe Willie Namath playing in Shea Stadium, the Heidi game and "chicken ain't nothing but a bird." (As another former denizon of Shea used to say, you can look it up, Greenie.)
Like any spurned lover, it would be much nicer to slide into the shadows and not reminded of it. No dice. All of the Wisconsin CBS affiliates are trying to cash in on the Brett Favre love train and have been broadcasting nothing but Jets games this fall. It's like some girl leaves you for the rich guy and you have to keep seeing them ride by in that flashy car.
Back in September, when locals were choosing sides and some were going through their own Kubler-Ross levels of loss, many were still saying Packers Uber Alles. This team can still be a winner, they shouted from the highest hills. I begged to differ.
When they were hyperventilating over the 2-0 start, I humphed and said, this team will finish 7-9 or 9-7 -- it's simply mediocre without you-know-who at QB. Now that it's December, to paraphrase Denny Green, the Packers are who I thought they were.
Okay, Ted Thompson becomes the Grinch who stole the Packers' season. I can hate him for the rest of my life -- and likely will. And Brett Favre becomes just another ex who dumped me when things got tough. That leaves Greenie.
Let's tally it up, shall we? Mike Greenberg:
A) pissed and moaned that Favre should retire
B) was rewarded by Favre playing for his New York Jets
C) wouldn't know trivia if it bit him on the tuckus, but still got to host a trivia show -- (even if nobody watched Duel) and
D) is still ducking me in a debate on who would make a better next baseball Commissioner.
Yes, I threw the gauntlet down back last summer -- even had a few fans write back with their own pledges to vote for me.
I feel not unlike Kool Moe Dee trying to call out LL Cool J in that rapper's duel back in the day. LL couldn't rap his way out of a paper bag, but jeez louise, he's sooooooo cute anyway. LL is making movies these days and Kool Moe is left with little more than the knowledge that he was the superior rhyme writing talent.
Still, I'm still throwing it down, Greenie. You got Duel, you got Golic (okay, you can keep HIM) and now, you stole MY QB! If I may channel my inner Ice T, it's on! As Kool Moe once rapped, "if somebody knows the boy, better tell him 'cuz the boy ain't got no heart."
I again challenge you, Mike Greenberg, to a debate on who would make a better baseball Commissioner. You can bring all of your ESPN buddies -- Buster Olney, Peter Gammons and the rest -- have them ask us both the same questions. Afterwards, let's see if they don't say, "jeez Greenie I like you but the Beer Man made some good points out there.'
Yes, a Beer Man should be the next Commissioner. And if someone like me -- the product of a white mother and black father -- can grow up to be President, why can't another White Sox fan aspire to run the National Pasttime.
And it would give me something to do while avoiding Greenie and the Bretts.
Locally, in the last week, we saw the arrival of something called the Australian Pink Floyd show. You may have had the same thought as I did when I heard of it -- "you mean, as opposed to the Austrian Pink Floyd show? Maybe, I'll wait for the Brazilian Pink Floyd show -- you know, more nudity and color with more flamboyant costumes?"
I mean, what in bloody hell is going on around here? I'll let their official website explain...The Australian Pink Floyd Show was formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1988, but weren't known as this until relocating to the UK. (Read the 'History' on this website) They were the first Pink Floyd tribute band to tour in the UK back in 1993, starting off with the first International Pink Floyd fan convention at Wembley convention centre. The event was run in conjunction with 'Brain Damage' magazine.
So, that's it? They're charging $23-53 American for a tribute band?! Oh, but the ad promises lazers and inflatables. Which means, what exactly? That this overpriced wannabe groove ship is going explode that silly pig again?
For some reason, I paid good money to see the REAL Pink Floyd -- three times -- back in the day and I have one question for you: Unless you're still smoking funny cigarettes, why would you spend fifty bucks to see a bloody tribute band?! As for me, I'll wait for the Brazilian Pink Floyd, thank you.
Speaking of us and them, I was still in the clouds of joy over the election last week. (And puh-leese, don't ask WHICH election, rilly...)
I was telling an older white woman about celebrating with steak and champagne on Nov. 5th, when she spat back in utter contempt, "oh you're one of THEM!"
Yes well, us IS them now, dearie. And I am he and you are we and we are all together now, eh? Isn't it now the United States of America?
I wasn't sure of how to reply, but I simply said, "you know what? You're welcome to stay. I'm not sure if I was ever welcome in YOUR America, but you're perfectly welcome to stay in mine!"
I'm pleased to say this wasn't the only reaction I received from a GOP voter. Another person -- my regular cashier at the local liquor store -- and I had a wonderful conversation where we shared our views, our hopes and concerns.
I mean, mean white folks have run things for the last eight years and we all know how that's worked out, eh?! It is the ultimate irony that they BLEEPED the country so badly that people were willing to give a black man a try at fixing it. In their own special way, Bush-Cheney did more to advance civil rights that anyone could have dreamed of.
Still, not everyone's civil rights were advanced on Nov. 5th. As you may well know, the state of California voted in favor of Prop. 8, which banned #### marriage. And you may have read that the Mormon church spent huge amounts of money for ads of Prop. 8.
What I'm waiting for is protesters -- who have been picketing Mormon churches -- to figure out that BYU's athletic teams are the most visible manifestations of the church and begin protesting at BYU football and basketball games.
This is where some dummy will say, they have nothing to do with each other. You shouldn't punish those poor kids for what their church decided to do. And that's where I'd say, bullfeathers -- or something of the kind.
At least, I'm consistant in this: I root against any school that in the least way implies that Jesus Christ comes out to shoot free throws and kick extra points. So, Notre Dame and BYU are equally culpable.
Still, the Fighting Irish didn't openly spend vast sums of money to promote bigotry in the state of California. The people who run BYU did.
And yet -- as in the 1960's strugfle for civil rights -- not all religious groups are acting in support of such bigotry. In St Louis, as in many cities this weekend, many in the Jewish community came out to protest the decision.
Still, a student from Tufts University asks that people not target the Mormon church. While I might not agree, he does make a few salient points.
Mormons did not create homophobia, and they were not the only people who voted for Prop 8. In fact, people of all religions and persuasions voted for it, even some #### men and women.
Other religious organizations contributed monetarily to the campaign to pass Prop 8 as well. While I am saddened by the lack of Mormon resistance to Prop 8 -- many Mormons are truly wonderful people -- it is wrong to demean their religion because of the actions of some.
As a Jewish man, I cannot and will not condone hate mongering of any religion. I know too well how my religion has been targeted for over two millennia, how we have been wrongly blamed for a litany of crimes we never committed. While Mormons contributed significantly to the campaign, it is counterproductive to single them out. Doing so may only make them feel even firmer about their beliefs, and this is obviously not our objective.
We must show them and all peoples that we have respect. An eye for an eye makes everyone blind. We must show the world our true colors, our strengths and our beautiful humanity. This is what we must do. We must not discriminate against those who discriminate against us. Though I am not a Christian, I believe the right thing to do now is to turn the other cheek. To follow in the footsteps of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., César Chavez, Harvey Milk and others like them will ultimately be our greatest achievement.
And maybe, we can all live past an era where people think in terms of us and them.
"Daily newspapers all need to put '####' in a headline above the fold one day -- it'll solve all their problems."
This column got its start in an alt-weekly -- that is, an altenative newsweekly, Isthmus of Madison (WI). From there, it flew off to another alt-weekly, the Milwaukee Shepherd-Express -- until their editor-killer publisher decided to sack the entire editorial staff.
If you think I'm kidding, simply do a Google search with the words "Milwaukee" "editor" and "killer" and you'll be rewarded (if that's the proper word) with his name.
So, back in the goodle days, I was also the webmaster for the Shep and so got to read "Savage Love" on a regular basis before it got to print.
Dan Savage hadn't intended to be a sex advice columnist, but since stumbling into the job (at a time before such columns were everywhere), his graphic, humorous, honest writing has been a staple in the paper, and is currently syndicated to many alternative papers across the U.S. and in Canada.
He spoke to mediabistro.com recently about what he thinks dailies need to do to solve their problems.
Dailies continue to try and swim around with an anvil under each arm. One anvil is objectivity and the other is "family newspaper." Alt-weeklies have the luxury of publishing writing by adults, to adults, and for adults. And that's a real advantage. It's a style advantage, it's an attitudinal advantage, and it's also an urban advantage.
The dailies here in Seattle we call the "donuts" because they write to the suburbs and they don't write for the city, or advocate for the city. Their worldview and their attitudes are suburban, because that's who they think their subscribers are. People pile up in cities not because they don't like yards, but because they want to get laid. People want to be where other people are, and we've always advocated for good urban values.
Alt-weeklies are really just about advocacy journalism and truth-telling, and they engage in arguments and throw bombs in the way that daily papers can't allow themselves to. I mean, daily newspapers all need to put "####" in a headline above the fold one day -- it'll solve all their problems. That's my prescription. And then in one fell swoop they'll get rid of all those 80-year-old subscribers who won't let them drop "Blondie." Catering to the 80-year-olds? Where's that getting newspapers? Making sure there's nothing in your paper that's inappropriate for an eighty-year-old to read?
In the Bay area, San Francisco Giants' pitcher Tim Lincecum was named the National League Cy Young Award winner for this past season and damn, if he doesn't look like one of those dope-smoking Olympic snowboarders.
(Now, I'm not making a judgement call here on either activity, even if I have far more and better experience with one and not so much the other.)
The kid did what all kids do when they hear something really cool.
"Woo-hoo!" the kid shouted.
That's what you do when you're 24 and win the most prestigious award your profession can bestow. Woo-hoo! You call your dad, text your friends and then you show up at the ballpark in a black knit cap and white T-shirt looking like you just skateboarded down the Embarcadero.
Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum put the exclamation point on his meteoric rise through baseball Tuesday, winning the National League Cy Young Award after just his first full season in the majors.
The kid showed up at the ballpark Tuesday but forgot to bring an attitude or an entourage. He and his roommate were trying to reconnect to the Internet when he got the news — which shocked him. He came to the news conference alone, thanked a bunch of people and couldn't stop grinning when he was introduced as the Cy Young winner, something that will happen for, oh, only the rest of his life.
In one season, Lincecum has managed to transform the Giants' public face from surly aging superstar (Barry Bonds) to fresh, unique youngster (Lincecum). In an otherwise lost year, Lincecum gave Giants fans a reason for hope, a reason to be excited. And his electric presence wasn't just a local phenomenon; it was noticed around the country.
There were other baseball happenings in the Bay area as the Oakland A's traded for slugger Matt Holliday, concluding a four-player deal that brings Oakland a much-needed middle-of-the-order bat and sends pitchers Huston Street and Greg Smith and young outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to the Colorado Rockies.
The A's apparently are looking at Holliday as a one-year (or less) prospect , much as they did Johnny Damon, another outfielder obtained in a high-profile deal eight years ago. Agent Scott Boras, who represents both men, praised Beane for the nearly finished deal.
"I called Billy and let him know what a smart guy he is," Boras said. "He basically traded Dan Haren (to Arizona in December) for Matt Holliday, Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland and Chris Carter."
Gonzalez was the centerpiece of the deal that sent All-Star starter Haren to the Diamondbacks last winter, and Smith also was part of that trade.
Holliday has one year remaining on his contract for $13.5 million. He is expected to be out of Oakland's price range, especially with Boras (Alex Rodriguez, Barry Zito, Manny Ramirez) as his agent. Boras called Holliday "a franchise player," and in Boras-speak, that means he's likely to look for more than $20 million a year for his client.
Boras argued that such players wind up paying for themselves in terms of productivity and increased attendance, and he added, "Matt Holliday single-handedly put his club in the World Series (in 2007). Owners don't forget that."
"I don't think anyone envisions that he'll get signed to a long-term deal here," Chavez said. "But in terms of an immediate return, he's huge."
There is rampant speculation that if the A's aren't in contention in July with a promising young pitching staff and a beefed-up offense that Beane would look to move Holliday in a blockbuster-type deal. Or, if Holliday left as a free agent as Damon did, the A's would take the draft picks for losing him.
Even though the deal has not been finalized, there already are rumblings that the Rockies will not hang onto Street but will spin him to the Indians, Mets, Tigers or Brewers.
Those Milwaukee Brewers might be in the market for a new closer, as last year's model, Solomon Torres told the club that he was indeed retiring and not returning next season.
Beat reporter Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Torres informed Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin on Tuesday morning that he was retiring as an active player. The club made the announcement official later in the day.
The Brewers had a $3.75 million option for 2009 on Torres, which they would have exercised by the Saturday deadline after his strong performance as an emergency closer last season.
"I wanted to make it easy for him," said Torres, 36, reached at home in Pittsburgh. "I already had made up my mind and wanted to tell him this was my last season."
Torres, 36, a deeply religious man, said he wanted to devote more time to his family, including three young children, as well as his faith.
"Doug was very understanding, which I appreciate," Torres said. "I had a wonderful experience in Milwaukee, but he knows I am serious about it."
Torres' decision did not completely surprise Melvin, who had heard "whispers" that the veteran reliever might retire.
"We would have liked to have him back," said Melvin. "He did a heck of a job for us. He's a real professional and a good teammate, and he's coming off his best year. I give him credit and I respect his decision."
Torres took over for the faltering Eric Gagné in late May as closer and was a stalwart, saving a career-high 28 games in 32 chances from that point (he was 28 for 35 overall). He led the Brewers with 71 appearances and 80 innings out of the bullpen, compiling a 7-5 record and 3.49 ERA.
Torres' numbers were much better until a September fade in which he posted a 12.46 ERA over his last 10 outings. He said the fact that he would walk away from the $3.75 million option shows how serious he is about retiring.
"It was a given (that the Brewers would exercise the option)," said Torres. "It's a small sacrifice I'm making."
Torres briefly thought of retiring after he was traded to the Brewers last December from Pittsburgh but decided to give it a shot in Milwaukee. He said he was grateful for doing so, especially after experiencing the playoffs for the first time. Torres saved the Brewers only victory in the NLDS against Philadelphia, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in Game 3.
"It was a great season," he said. "I thank everybody in the city - the fans, my teammates, the reporters - for all their support. It was a privilege to play there but you don't want to have me there half-hearted."
Torres retired in August 1997 after pitching for Seattle and Montreal that season, but returned to baseball in 2002 after signing a minor league deal with Pittsburgh. He said he would not change his mind this time about leaving.
"I know I'm doing the right thing, for me and my family," he said.
The loss of Torres creates a significant hole in a bullpen already thinned by free agency. Set-up men Guillermo Mota and Gagne and left-handed specialist Brian Shouse became free agents after the season.
"We'll see what offers they get on the market and determine what we want to do," said Melvin. "We haven't given a lot of thought to the bullpen yet. We've got other holes to fill first.
"There are more relief pitchers out there than starting pitchers and left-handed bats we're interested in. It usually takes some time to put together your bullpen."
Melvin mentioned hard-throwing right-hander Seth McClung as an internal option to try as closer. He said he didn't plan to bid on high-priced free agent closers such as Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes.
Personally, I wouldn't mind if the Brewers at least tried the afore-mentioned McClung in that role.
Finally, loyal readers may have noticed the rushed nature of this column in recent weeks. There is a very good reason, as this writer has taken on new employment. While it may not be writing or broadcasting sports for a living, this minor disappointment is tempered by the fact that some 13,000 Americans lost their jobs last week alone.
Still, yesterday came and went without one mention of Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day or whatever they call it in your country. November 1, 1918 was the end of the "War to end all wars," though we're still slogging through not one, but two wars at present, World War I is more than a footnote. And incredibly, there are still survivors of that conflict who are able to give a first-person viewpoint to us in the 21st Century.
The last surviving British World War I veterans, Henry Allingham,112, Harry Patch, 110, and Bill Stone, 108, gathered at the start of the Armistice Day commemorations in London yesterday and Chris Hampson, NBC News Director of International News gave this account of one of them -- his grandfather.
In 1911 he had lied about his age to join the fledgling Territorial Army – the reserves affectionately known as "the Terriers," and disparagingly as "Saturday afternoon soldiers."
But in the cold and bitter winter of 1914, with the British Regular Army exhausted and barely holding the line in Flanders, 19-year-old James Gordon Leigh and his regiment of part-timers found himself in France, fighting for his country – and probably his life.
In 1916 he’d served the five years he’d signed up for and was discharged. A few months later he was back in, re-enlisting for the duration. In the months in-between, his Army mates had been through the slaughter of the Somme. There but for the grace of God.
He didn’t ever talk to me about his time in the war – he was a stern and gruff man who frankly scared the bejabbers out of me, and my father too. He would sit by the fire wearing a forbidding big leather belt and severe black boots.
I learned only later that he’d suffered a shrapnel wound to his left ankle in one of the battles he’d been caught up in. The boots were the only footwear he was comfortable wearing.
After the war was over, Grandad Leigh lived most of his life just a few yards away from the gate of his old regimental barracks, and would spend many evenings drinking in the Sergeants’ Mess. Family legend has it that he liked to step outside for the occasional beer-fuelled brawl, and knew how to "take care of himself."
But that sense of "mateship" – of having lived through experiences that set him apart – never left him. Or us.
So I watched the dignifiedceremony at the Cenotaph in London’s Whitehalltoday with more than a passing interest.
Ninety years after peace was declared in World War I, the three surviving British veterans took their rightful place at the heart of our remembrance. The youngest is 108. The oldest is 112.
Accompanying them were brave men and women whose courage has won special recognition in more recent conflicts.
My grandfather died many years ago. It is touching – and right – that what he and millions of others went through on behalf of their countries, and what many more have done so since, should not be forgotten.
The three old gents in their wheelchairs today helped make sure they are not.
With the recent dismissals of Ty Willingham at Washington and Ron Prince at Kansas State, the number of black head coaches in the 119-school NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision was reduced to four.
In 1997, there were eight black head coaches, the most in history. In 1993, there were only three.
Fifty-five percent of all student athletes are minorities.
The report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida polled every major college on the ethnicity of its coaches, athletic directors, presidents, faculty, student athletes and NCAA faculty representatives.
"While the percentages are slightly better, the general picture is still one of white men running college sport," said Richard Lapchick, the report's co-author. "Overall, the numbers simply do not reflect the diversity of our student-athletes. Moreover, they do not reflect the diversity of our nation where we have elected an African-American as President for the first time."
Meanwhile, the Seattle News reports that barring last-minute additions, Seattle's newest manager will be one of these seven candidates: Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills; Red Sox third base coach DeMarlo Hale; Diamondbacks third base coach Chip Hale; White Sox bench coach Joey Cora; Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo; Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu; or Class AAA Portland manager and former Milwaukee Brewer Randy Ready.
Four of the candidates — DeMarlo Hale, Wakamatsu, Oquendo and Cora — fulfill the Major League Baseball mandate that strong, visible minority candidates be considered, while Cora and Wakamatsu also have previous ties to the Mariners. A new manager could be named by next week.
Former Green Bay Packer DB Herb Adderley scored another touchdown of sorts as a lawsuit he had filed was settled in favor of retired NFL players.
A federal court jury in San Francisco awarded $28.1 million Monday to more than 2,000 retired NFL players who claimed their union had cheated them out of revenue from video games and memorabilia, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The judgment included $21 million in punitive damages.
The jurors found that the NFL Players Association and its licensing arm, Players Inc., had violated contracts promising them an equal share of revenue whenever a company pays for the rights to use at least six NFL players' names or images.
The union argued that the contracts covered only revenue generated by active players and not retirees, most of whose names have little or no market value.
But though the jury held the opinion that the retired players did not lose any money due to breach of contract, it found against the union for a breach of duty to represent the retired players - concluding that the union had failed to protect the retirees' rights.
This judgment opened up the union to the steep punitive-damages decision.
The 10-member jury awarded the former players $7.1 million in compensation and, after brief deliberations, granted the additional $21 million - about 10 percent of the union's net worth - in punitive damages. The plaintiffs had sought $21.9 million in punitive damages.
In arguing for the punitive award, the players' lawyer, Ronald Katz, told jurors that union leaders, including the late Gene Upshaw, the association's president, "betrayed the trust of their members."
Defense lawyer Jeffrey Kessler pleaded for minimal damages, saying the union's ability to represent active and retired players was at stake.
"This was the only sports union that tried to do retired player licensing," Kessler told the jury. Afterward, he said the punitive award was "unjust as a matter of law" and predicted it would be overturned.
Locally, the Green Bay Packers were down already after giving away a game at division rival Minnesota, but comes word that their leading tackler four of the last five years and an emotional leader on defense is out for the season.
Tom Silverstein, beat reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Nick Barnett injured his knee in the third quarter of the Packers' 28-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at the Metrodome. Among all the things that went wrong for the Packers in that game, this was the topper.
"He's very disappointed," coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's unfortunate but we need to have the other guys step up."
McCarthy wouldn't specify in his news conference which ligament Barnett tore, but later on his radio show on WTMJ-AM (620) he said it was the ACL.
In the Packers' 94 games since Barnett was drafted in the first round in 2003, he had missed just two, the last on Nov. 27, 2006. He played the rest of that season wearing a club because of a broken bone in his hand, totaling 54 tackles in the final five games.
He won't be able to tough out this injury, however, and probably faces six to eight months of rehabilitation. He will undergo surgery at an unspecified time and provided there are no complications, there's a chance he would be ready for the start of training camp next year.
"He's a fiery player and obviously provided us with emotion," end Aaron Kampman said. "He's an emotional person. It flows out of him. Just the way he plays music, pumping and bebopping, it flows naturally with him. It carries over to how he plays and in his life. That's something you don't replace."
Statistics showed that Barnett was nowhere near the same player he was a year ago, although he came into the Vikings game leading the team in tackles with 63. But he did not have a sack or an interception and had just one forced fumble and one pass broken up. Eight games into the season last year, he had 84 tackles, 1½ sacks, two interceptions, three pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.
Barnett said earlier in the season that teams were attacking him differently and he was trying to adjust. He had been playing more aggressively the last couple of weeks, but he also had some breakdowns in coverage, including a mental mistake against Tennessee that kept the Titans' winning drive alive.
The Packers have been playing so poorly against the run - they rank 28th in yards allowed per game and 30th in yards per carry - that there's no telling what Barnett's loss will mean. It would seem hard to believe they could do worse than allowing the Vikings' Adrian Peterson to gain 192 yards Sunday, but it could happen without Barnett.
"When you lose a guy like Nick Barnett, there are going to be some challenges," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "Guys are going to have to step up and make plays. I think we have the guys who can do it. We'll work from there."
If you were looking forward to the antics of Mark Cuban running the Chicago Cubs, the Sun Times claims you can simply forget it.
Global financial crisis or not, baseball's old guard plans to stand firm against letting Cuban into the club. ''There's no way Bud and the owners are going to let that happen,'' a Major League Baseball source said this week. ''Zero chance.''
On Opening Day 2007, the Cubs officially went on the market. Zell's group was hoping for a quick transaction, certainly before Opening Day 2008. That same MLB source promised a deal won't be done by Opening Day 2009.
''We'll be standing here at next year's GM meetings,'' the source said, ''and this will still be unresolved.''
All of this likely will put the group headed by John Canning Jr. -- Selig's personal favorite -- back as the front-runner.
Either way, the slow process figures to have a financial effect on the Cubs, who are pursuing expensive San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy and still have their eyes on free-agent pitchers Ryan Dempster and CC Sabathia. A potential deal for Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, who's a year away from free agency, could include a new, richer contract.
Already, the payroll figures to make a significant jump in '09 with so many backloaded contracts. Among the notable pay raises, outfielder Kosuke Fukudome goes from $6 million to $11.5 million, pitcher Ted Lilly from $7 million to $12 million, pitcher Jason Marquis from $6.37 million to $9.87 million, left fielder Alfonso Soriano from $13 million to $16 million, third baseman Aramis Ramirez from $14 million to $15.65 million and pitcher Carlos Zambrano from $15 million to $17.5 million.
Will the Cubs' ownership question put a crimp in general manager Jim Hendry's ambitious offseason plans?
''We'll be given a fair payroll number,'' Hendry said. ''I don't have a final figure yet, but there is no indication that we are going to go backward. We're in the middle of a pretty good situation. The last couple of years, we've got it going in the right direction, and we don't have an old team. We still have a lot of positives, and our [minor-league and scouting] departments are doing real well.''
Had Cuban purchased the Cubs, there was a feeling he'd open the checkbook even wider to end the team's 100-year World Series title drought. But this week at the GM meetings, Selig cautioned executives to be prudent in the face of the world financial crisis.
''There are some very real issues in the global economy,'' White Sox GM Ken Williams said. ''For any of us to believe this isn't going to ultimately affect our business, you have to have your head in the sand.''
As I mentioned earlier this week, after the election, this isn't the time to gloat. Still, it seems like the time to throw garbage at Sarah Palin, if you're one of the losing Republicans. As Gail Collins observes in the New York Times.
The Republicans are being way more nasty to Sarah Palin than the Democrats are to Lieberman. They’ve been portraying her as both a shopaholic and a woman who walks around in nothing but a bath towel, a hillbilly who’s also a prima donna. The leakathon climaxed this week when Fox News’s Carl Cameron announced that Palin did not know that Africa was a continent.
Palin says this is untrue. But the worst part is that if these people get any meaner, we’re going to wind up feeling sorry for her. This is not something we are looking forward to, Republicans, and we will resent you for it.
"Mutts like me."
Obama made the remark as he revealed his thinking in what kind of puppy will he and his wife, Michelle, get for their daughters as they move into the White House.
Because Malia, 10, has allergies, the family wants a low-allergy dog. But Obama said they also want to adopt a puppy from an animal shelter, which could make it harder to find a breed that wouldn't aggravate his daughter's problem.
"Obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," Obama told the Associated Press with a smile. "So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household."
The man who will be president in just over two months described himself as a mutt as casually as he may have poked fun at his jump shot.
Cue Robert Goulet. The impossible dream came true.
Oh, that's right, he's not around anymore.
Same for Mom and Dad. Ditto for Aunt Hazel, Uncle Tolly, Uncle Stanley and Aunt Demetra, too.
I wish they all could have seen what happened Tuesday night, as they all spent the great share of their lives working to make this happen.
I grew up in the 1960's in a house fully involved in The Movement. You didn't have to ask WHAT movement -- it was simply The Movement, the civil rights movement. My aunts and uncles were local activists for either the Urban League or the NAACP and politics was all around me.
So, when I think of someone like me -- the product of a black father and white mother -- becoming President, I am beyond enthusiasm, beyond intoxication. The audacity of hope, indeed.
Yet, like Jesse Jackson Sr. at Grant Park the other night, my tears are both of joy and sorrow. Joy, of course, at living to see this day but also profound sorrow at so many people who didn't live to witness the culmination of all their hard work.
Oprah had it right, too. She said, if you were part of this, you spent most of the night calling people.
"Did you call Reggie? Did you call Janie? Did you call Mikey? Do you know if they're watching on TV? Well, you better TELL THEM to turn on their TV!"
For most of Wednesday, black and white people smiled knowing smiles at each other, flashing our Obama buttons and actually feeling like we shared a common citizenship.
Now, I was going to vote for Obama, anyway. Still, when he appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann in September, the host ended the interview with the quip, "we'll see you at the Cubs-White Sox World Series."
Obama sighed and replied, "well, I'm a little concerned about my White Sox." His White Sox? Hey, they're MY White Sox, too. A White Sox fan in the White House! Holy cow!
Still, what we don't need is to gloat. I had to talk somebody down at the bus transfer point, who was taunting everybody who looked remotely like they may have voted for McCain. We don't need that, I told him, that's what they've been doing to us. We need to be above all that nonsense.
No, what we truly need to do is what Maya Angelou asked us all to do some sixteen long and bitter years ago. Now, more than ever, we all need to look each other in the eye and say, good morning.
Thank you, Mr. President, for finally dispatching the division of 1968 and proving Gil Scott-Heron wrong.
On Tuesday night, the revolution truly was televised.
Baseball's winter meetings are taking place in California this week and the biggest topic of conversation is the San Diego Padres' presumed trade of ace pitcher Jake Peavy, with the Atlanta Braves the alleged frontrunner.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves made it clear they won’t trade top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson, the right-hander that Padres GM Kevin Towers craves as the centerpiece in a trade package for Peavy.
The Braves have at least $40 million to spend on 2009 additions and hope to land two proven starting pitchers and a power-hitting outfielder this winter. They are looking far and wide, including to the other side of the Pacific Rim, where a Braves representative met over the weekend with hard-throwing Japanese free-agent pitcher Junichi Tazawa.
Boston and Seattle also are vying for the services of Tazawa, whose price tag won’t be nearly as prohibitive as some Japanese stars coming the majors. Tazawa pitched in the Japan’s Industrial League and was passed over by the country’s 12 highest-level teams after making it clear he wanted to come pitch in the United States.
Peavy, an Alabama native, has a no-trade clause and told his agent the Braves were among five NL teams he’d want to be traded to if he can’t stay with the Padres, whose owner is going through a divorce and wants to slash Padres payroll in advance of a team sale.
St. Louis was also on that list and is expected to make an offer for Peavy, but doubts have been raised over whether Cardinals have enough young talent to entice the Padres.
Milwaukee could present a package to compete with a Braves offer, but some who know Peavy doubt he’d waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to Milwaukee. He has homes in San Diego and Semmes, Ala., outside Mobile, and also owns a lodge on the Alabama River in the northern part of the state.
A person familiar with the Peavy situation said Braves officials met with Padres general manager Kevin Towers on Sunday night and again Monday, and the two sides discussed several proposals that didn’t include Hanson, whom the Braves refuse to part with.
Braves general manager Frank Wren spoke only in general terms. “We had some conversations with general managers and also some conversations with [representatives of] free agents,” he said.
Towers wants two young pitchers in any package for Peavy, 27, the 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner who is under contract for $63 million over the next four seasons, or $81 million for five if an option is exercised.
Even with Hanson off the table, the Braves might be able to do a trade that included two from among other young pitchers including Charlie Morton and James Parr, left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes and prospects Kris Medlen and lefties Cole Rohrbough and Jeff Locke.
There were reports the Braves might go for Peavy with a trade package including shortstop Yunel Escobar and one of their center-field prospects, Jordan Schafer or Gorkys Hernandez.
Meanwhile, the LA Times claims that free agents CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira are drawing the most interest at the meetings. Sabathia received an offer from the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend that is believed to be worth about $100 million, according to multiple reports. He is expected to fetch more on the open market.
Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman confirmed that while that's an incredible, unprecedented move for the small-market team, and Sabathia remarked several times during the season how much he liked playing and living in Milwaukee, the Brewers are still viewed as a major long shot in what promises to be a spirited derby.
Brewers GMDoug Melvin this morning confirmed that an offer was made to Sabathia but declined to discuss the dollar figure for the 28-year-old left-hander who went 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA overall and 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA with Milwaukee. Word here is that the proposal was for four or five years and between $20 and $25 million, and quite possibly for $100 million over five years.
"We've given him a proposal,'' Melvin confirmed.
The competition will be stiff. The Yankees, desperately hoping to upgrade their rotation, are expected to make a big play for Sabathia, and at least the Dodgers and Angels are expected to show strong interest in the Vallejo, Calif. native as well. The world champion Phillies could also emerge as a surprise entrant in a derby that's expected to wind up well into the nine figures. He could beat Johan Santana's record $137.5-million Mets contract, though probably not with the Brewers.
Melvin declined to categorize the Brewers' chances but acknowledged the difficulty of any team retaining a major free agent once it gets to this stage.
"I don't remember the last time a club re-signed their own free agent,'' Melvin said. "We have a better opportunity than we would have thought. We probably wouldn't have made an offer for CC if he didn't do what he did for our club and seen what kind of individual he is.''
While everyone agrees Sabathia is a fine person, it still will be difficult to overcome a major dollar deficit. The other 29 teams are disallowed from making offers to Sabathia until 15 days after the World Series ended (Nov. 14), but the Brewers and Sabathia both understand they won't be the high bidder in this derby. The Yankees will most likely be that team.
"We know he liked the experience and he liked some of his (Brewers) teammates,'' Melvin said. "We'll just have to wait to hear from his guy. There are a lot of questions. Is it the right money? Is it where he wants to be?''
Tennessee fans are getting what they've been clamoring for -- the dismissal of head coach Phillip Fulmer at seasons' end. Still, Tony Barnhart, perhaps the South's top college football writer doubts whether the scholl can land the rock star coaching talent that would satisfy the fan base and compete in the SEC.
Tennessee is one of the toughest jobs in all of college football. It’s because the expectation is that Tennessee will be on par with Alabama, Florida, and Georgia on a yearly basis without some of the built-in advantages that those programs have, especially in recruiting. When Tennessee had it going in the 1990s, Fulmer and his staff were able to dip down into Georgia and Alabama for great players. Now Richt and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner, a former Tennessee assistant, have put up a wall around Georgia. Saban is doing the same thing at Alabama.
The new head coach at Tennessee has to accept the fact he will have to recruit nationally and work significantly harder in order to get the talent to compete with those three schools. Can it be done? Absolutely. Tennessee will spend whatever it takes to recruit. But it is hard.
The other names I see out there are younger coaches who would want to step up. Here is where it gets tricky and where, if Hamilton hires the wrong guy, he could be the next guy out the door.
Do you turn the keys to the Tennessee football franchise over to a Mike Leach (Texas Tech), whose offense is entertaining but plays in a league where the best defense (Texas Tech) is ranked No. 54 in the country?
Do you hire a young up and comer like Will Muschamp, 37, who looks like the next Bob Stoops or Mark Richt but has no head coaching experience?
Do you completely step outside your comfort zone and hire a Todd Graham (Tulsa) or Chris Peterson (Boise State) with no ties to the South?
Jon Gruden? Lane Kiffin? Are you kidding me?
Here’s the point. You can’t just plug anybody into a job like Tennessee, no matter how successful they might be elsewhere. There is a cultural component to this job that must be taken into account. Some Tennessee fans say they want to find the football version of Bruce Pearl. Pearl is a brilliant combination of basketball coach/promoter. But basketball and football in this part of the world are like Venus and Mars. What works on one planet does not work on the other.
That is why this is going to be such a tough hire. Let’s put it this way. Alabama, for all its great tradition, had to go through a painful process with some very public turn downs (Rich Rodriguez) before it convinced Nick Saban to come. Saban and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, had all the leverage and were able to extract one of the best contracts in college football history. Tennessee now finds itself in the same situation.
One suggestion to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Badger Blog was for the Wisconsin Badgers to pick up Fulmer and send suddenly-embattled Bret Bielema off to Knoxville. Long-time beat reporter Jeff Potrykus isn't convinced that the UW should dump him, but does ask fans for their thoughts.
Call me an apologist (that's been done) or tell me I'm walking on egg shells around the head coach (been accused of that, too) but I just don't believe one very disappointing season out of three warrants a pink slip.
I believe that holds true for all workers -- from football coaches to ditch diggers and even lawyers.
I wonder if the same folks calling for Bielema's head were calling for Alvarez's head after UW finished 4-5-2 in 1995. That sub-.500 finish came after an 8-3-1 finish in 1994 (helped by a Michigan State forfeit), which came after a 10-1-1 finish in 1993.
It seems some folks have chosen to ignore that dip, or the dip in 2001 and '02.
Not everyone is calling for Bielema's head, though.
Many of you are calling for my head because of my failure to hold Bielema "accountable."
So I ask today: What in the world does that mean?
According to the Associated Press, Bielema says he lost some credibility with his players after being penalized while complaining about a call at a critical point in the team's 25-24 loss to Michigan State.
But he says the penalty is not an indication of a lack of maturity. At 38, Bielema is the fourth youngest coach in NCAA Bowl Subdivision football.
Bielema agreed when asked if he lost some credibility with his players because of the penalty. Bielema was penalized late in the game for arguing a call.
He says his reaction was a poor example to the players. But he says that they understand a single play or penalty doesn't determine the outcome of the game.
Bielema says it's something that he will remember and use to become a better person.
Finally, if you think people aren't swayed one way or the other by those political yard signs, then you don't know Shirley Nagel, the Grosse Pointe Farms, MI lady who made a name for herself on Halloween for her refusal to pass out candy to the kids of Obama supporters.
As the Detroit Free Press reported, Nagel planted a sign in her yard that read, "No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters". Nagel, according to media reports, brought tears to the eyes of some of the young trick-or –treaters that she turned away.
Isn’t American politics great? Not only are the people you disagree with to be vilified; now their children are to be shunned? Forget the notion that reasonable people can disagree, politics is "war" and if a few children get caught in the crosshairs, well, what’s "war" without a little “collateral damage”?
So Nagel has made history for having the only presidential election yard sign in America that may actually switch a few votes. But probably not in the way she intended.
Hey, she even made Keith Olbermann's list as Worst Person in the World. As Don King would say, only in America!
The phrase, "on any given Sunday" usually refers to the National Football League and the ever-present possibility of an upset. Still, on any given Sunday, there are dozens of heartbreaks all over America due to college football losses on the previous day.
I can't begin to comprehend the sorrow in Austin, TX -- where the Longhorns' dreams of a national championship were broken with a loss to rival Texas Tech. And I can even feel some sympathy in Ann Arbor, MI -- where their Michigan Wolverines are eliminated for bowl eligibility for the first time in 33 years.
Still, there is also some sadness and anger here in Madison, WI -- after the Badgers' second collapse in the state of Michigan. For the third time, Wisconsin lost a 4th quarter lead and lost a winnable game, this time to the MSU Spartans, 25-24.
If you're wondering, the poll on http://www.firebretbielema.com/ is running 77% in favor of dismissing the UW head football coach. And before last Saturday's loss, I probably wouldn't have agreed with them.
That was then and this is now. And now, I am convinced that Wisconsin will never reach the Rose Bowl, much less compete for a national title, as long as Bielema is coaching this team.
Yes, you can point to his overall record, but you can also make the argument that most of those wins were stacked up with Barry Alvarez' recruits. And I'm not at all advocating a campaign of discouraging good kids from coming to play for Wisconsin.
And yet, I ask this question: What does a coach do?
To me, a college coach does three things:
Prepare his/her players to succeed -- both in the game and in life.
Instill team discipline -- that is, by repetition and enforcement, make sure the players know the rules and can play with passion but under control.
Finally, after all of that, the successful coach makes adjustments during the game to put his/her team in a position to win the game.
And in all phases of that assessment, Bret Bielema fails miserably. This recent loss to Michigan State is a microcosm of what's gone wrong with this program.
As in the loss to Michigan, the coaching staff prepared the Badgers with a good gameplan. But the Spartans made adjustments and Wisconsin did not. With the Badgers leading the Big Ten in penalties -- including 12 for 121 yards vs. MSU -- it's apparent that Bielema's team is sorely lacking in discipline.
Yet, the kicker was the fact that Bielema can't even show discipline himself. The game was essentially lost when the coach mouthed off to an official and was assessed a 15 yrd. unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. And after all that, the Badgers were still in a position to win the game by getting one last first down and running out the clock. But instead, they were socked with two straight penalties and had to punt the ball back to the Spartans.
Still, the clock was running out -- literally -- on MSU as they scrambled to get their field goal squad on the field. That's when the head coach called a time-out, allowing the other team to regroup and kick the winning score.
Last week, I suggested that the Motor City Bowl might not be such a bad thing. It's closer and therefore, much more affordable than a trip to Florida. But now, I feel that it would a waste of my time and money to return to the great state of Michigan to watch yet another Badger meltdown. I also wonder aloud, whether there are more UW fans who will vote with their pocketbook and skip that Detroit trip as well.
I'll say it again, the Badgers will NOT win the Big Ten with this man as head coach. If Bielema actually turns this program and takes the UW to Pasadena, I will print this column out and eat it with american fries at Mickey's Dairy Bar.
The schedule says that Wisconsin has three games left in this season. But I won't be watching them and I wonder how many others will find something, ANYTHING better to do than waste time on an undisciplined football team.
I can probably sing better than Joe The Plumber too!
The new guy in Milwaukee is the old guy that the players couldn't wait to get rid of in Oakland.
When the Oakland Athletics fired Macha after the 2006 season despite the team claiming an American League West championship, general manager Billy Beane said there was a "disconnect on several levels." Reports surfaced that Macha had poor relationships with some of his players.
None of that mattered much to Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, who made Macha the franchise's 17th manager Thursday when he announced a two-year deal for the 58-year-old career baseball man. As he told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel...
"I had received calls from people that said it wasn't that much of an issue," Melvin said. "If you look in the paper, every ballclub will have issues over the course of the year.
"You're going to have that whether you're a winning club or a losing club. Of all the people I interviewed during this whole process, almost every manager felt they were let go for the same reasons and said there was a disconnect of communication with the players."
At his introductory news conference at Miller Park, Macha said those reports made the situation appear worse than it really was.
Based on comments from several Oakland players after his ouster, it appeared that Macha wasn't well liked and didn't back his players. Jason Kendall, Macha's catcher for two seasons in Oakland, was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle as saying, "Maybe Billy saw the same thing the players saw. If Billy gets blasted in the media, it's ridiculous."
On Thursday, Kendall, now the Brewers' catcher, said there was more of a communication gap between Beane and Macha than one with the players.
"That whole thing got blown way out of proportion," Kendall said. "His track record speaks for itself. He's a great baseball man.
"I think it was more miscommunication between him and the general manager."
Kendall also said he enjoyed playing for Macha, and Macha said "Jason Kendall won't be a problem."
"When you get dismissed, there has to be a reason, and whatever reason that might be, it sticks with."
A JS-online.com poll has a slight majority of fans thinking that Macha's selection is a good thing. I just don't.
Now that he's made his managerial choice, Melvin's next job is trying to re-sign CC Sabathia. Macha said on Newsradio 620 WTMJ's "Greenhouse," Melvin is preparing an offer to Sabathia that likely will turn into a four-year, $100,000,000 attempt to keep him in Brewers blue and gold.
"We knew when we acquired him, the chances of keeping him were slim, but he enjoyed it here, and because of that, we feel we have at least that opportunity," said Brewers general manager Doug Melvin.
A week ago, it looked like the Wisconsin Badgers had little chance of making even the Motor City Bowl -- the reward to the Big Ten 7th place team. Now, with a victory over Illinois and a 4-4 record, fans are letting themselves dream of a return trip to Florida, albeit to the Champs Sports Bowl.
Vince Sweeney, UW senior associate athletic director, doesn't think those Florida trips will preclude UW from being considered for the Champs Bowl.
"We think we've got fans that follow us," Sweeney told the Badger Beat. "(Florida Citrus Sports') experience with us has been a positive experience. We haven't had any indications come our way that the folks in Orlando are looking for somebody other than us.''
Still, let's not dismiss that Dec. 26 trip to Detroit. Ken Hoffman, the executive director of the Motor City Bowl, never expected to be talking in late October about the possibility of the Wisconsin Badgers football team playing in his bowl.
Yet, one of the many reasons the Badgers would be so appealing to the Motor City Bowl is because they've never been there.
"When you have a chance to have new teams ... that kind of variety is just good for the game," Hoffman said.
"It's good for the city in which the game is played. I think it's really good for the fans who are coming to the game, to see something a little different."
Hoffman might have one of the toughest jobs among all bowl representatives in convincing a Big Ten team that a trip to Ford Field for a Dec. 26 game is a reward.
"Perception is reality," Hoffman admitted. "Some people will have a perception of coming to Detroit that's not what we believe it is. Detroit is so vastly improved from five or 10 years ago. We had the Super Bowl here two years ago.
"While some people understand it's not 75 degrees here in December, we have an awful lot of great things to offer for the winter fans. And the game itself is going to be in perfect weather conditions.''
Finally, I am NOT Joe The Plumber! Some woman at happy hour last night asked if I was and it threw off my whole night.
Sheesh, let me count the ways.
I'm not a plumber.
I'm not a Republican.
I'm not pretending to buy out my boss' business.
I'm not hiring a publicist. (Although, you think I should?)
And I am NOT considering making a country-western recording.
Yes, I shave my head, but that's as far as it goes, lady. I'm having a bad hair life, okay?
It was Opening Night in Oklahoma City as the hometown Thunder took to the NBA hardwoods for the first time. The Commish was there along with a full house in the Ford Center. There was a huge celebration. And then they went out and got rolled by the lowly Milwaukee Bucks.
John Rhode of the Oklahoman observed, "This season could be longer than originally thought, Thunder fans. Given what transpired Wednesday night at the Ford Center, patience not only will be a virtue with the Thunder, it will be a minimum requirement.
The Thunder got rolled by the Milwaukee Bucks 98-87 on opening night inside the Ford Center.
The home team trailed by double-digits for the final 29 minutes and trailed by as many as 24 at one point.
Granted, it's only one game, but is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Keep in mind, people, the Bucks aren't very good.
Much like the Thunder, no one is picking Milwaukee to play more than 82 games this season.
The Bucks wore green, but they hardly resemble the world champion Celtics, who next Wednesday will make their only visit here.
“We didn’t play like we were capable of playing, and that's a shame,” Thunder coach P.J. Carlesimo said afterward.
The Thunder struggled from the very beginning. The effort in the first half was questionable.
All summer long, we've been selling this team as a group that might not win, but it will at least play hard.
The Thunder did neither, and that's unacceptable, even to a bunch of forgiving, impressionable newcomers like us.
As for the Bucks, it appears that new coach Scott Skiles' patience with Charlie Villanueva lasted all of two games. Already, Charlie V is in the doghouse for his intermittant style of defense.
The Phillies finally won that World Series that wouldn't end last night and I'm truly happy for Geoff Jenkins, one of the good guys in the game. The former Milwaukee Brewer was always decent and available to the press. Even though, he didn't play that much, he was a major part of the deciding game.
Many, including ESPN's Mike and Mike In The Morning (yes, THEM again), noted that Ryan Howard became part of an illustrious crew: among the few to win a championship while HR and RBI leader of the season. Babe Ruth was the first and Roger Maris was the most recent before Howard.
But then, some dummy listed Henry Aaron -- which is true, but they listed it as:
Hank Aaron - ATL - 1957
No. no, no, no, no, NO! The MILWAUKEE BRAVES won in 1957.
Yeah well, this same dummy will reply, they're in Atlanta now, so?
SO?!
You don't say the Baltimore Ravens won the 1964 NFL title. You don't say (or at least, you shouldn't say) that the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA title in 1979?
Get it right, sheesh...
While we're talking on-air blunders , former Minnesota football coach Glen Mason claimed on the Big Ten Network that -- in his mind -- Michigan State is probably the 3rd best team in the league as "they've beaten Notre Dame and Michigan and Wisconsin..."
Uh, coach? Psst...the Spartans play the Badgers THIS SATURDAY!! Maybe, that attention to detail is why you're a former coach on the moribund Big Ten network, eh?
Finally, tomorrow is Halloween, which here in Madison means that we locals get to exclaim, "AARRRGGGH, what are you doing to my lawn???!!!"
October 31 in Madison means that thousands of drunken college kids ( I know what you're thinking now, there are other kinds?) decend on the city to get arrested as fast as possible. Think, a white trash, colder version of Mardi Gras, with none of the good food.
One year, Sponge Bob -- or some drunk kid -- got busted across from my porch. I saw this as I sat there -- after having 10 or 12 beer bottles thrown at my house. After the 12th, I took my lawn chair and a baseball bat, sat there and just kept saying, "just keep moving, kids."
Anyway, I don't live downtown anymore and October 31 is one of the major reasons why. Still, if you're in town for the festivities, DON'T think you WON'T get arrested.
This just in, Patti LaBelle can still bring down the house...
The talk of the sports world this morning came from an otherwise meaningless game between the currently hapless San Francisco 49ers and the distinctly mediocre Seattle Seahawks.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the new head coach Mike Singletary spoke a lot today about Vernon Davis. And he spoke a lot of about cancers in the locker room and how they can damage a team. But he was careful to separate the two. "Vernon is not a problem," Singletary said. "Vernon is not a problem guy. Vernon forgets sometimes that the team is more important. ... You have to be able to separate the two. He is not a guy who's a distraction on the team."
Which is not to suggest that Singletary isn't still steamed over Davis' performance yesterday. To recap: Davis was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty when he flicked the underside of Brian Russell's facemask. Singletary said he saw the whole thing and thought Davis was "kidding when he did it." What seemed to upset Singletary more was Davis' reaction. He tried to talk to Davis as he came off the sideline and Davis was defensive. When he looked behind him a few seconds later, Davis was being demonstrative on the bench.
Singletary said he had a conversation just last week with Davis in which he urged the talented tight end to be a leader on the team. His actions on the sideline were entirely opposed to what the new coach was looking for. "It just hit me the wrong way," Singletary said. He said he hadn't yet spoken with Davis and didn't mention any disciplinary action. He said he was not the type of coach who plays psychological games with players and would not give Davis the silent treatment. "It's not that he's out of my good graces," Singletary said. "Not at all. I don't have a doghouse." Which leads one to believe that Davis won't be subject to any disciplinary action ...
If anyone can get his team ready to play, Mike Singletary will do it after the players hear what he said. And I do mean, as in listenhere! Dan Patrick said on his radio show this morning that Singletary sounded like Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction" (remember the Ezekiel speech?) after the 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 34-13, adding "I don't think Singletary was trying to sound tough. I think he simply is tough."
Said Singletary: "... It will change and it will change ... because they want to be champions. ... Our formula is this: We go out and hit people in the mouth, No. 1. No. 2, we are not a charity. We cannot give them the game. That's No. 2. And No. 3 is we execute, from the very start of the game to the very end of the game. That did not happen ..."
There's an old James Brown song,"Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Nothin" -- and I think, after yesterday's rant, we can safely say that ditty does NOT describe the new 49ers head coach.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle, the ax fell this afternoon for UW coach Ty Willingham. Molly Yanity of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports Willingham and athletic director Scott Woodward made the announcement at a news conference Monday.
Willingham has been under fire for being unable to turn around the Washington program.
Woodward has said he did not want to change coaches during the middle of the season. But he said Monday's announcement ends speculation of what is going to happen with Willingham and lets the team focus on the final five games.
The World Series could come to an end in Philadelphia tonight, but that isn't even the talk of the town and it's not the Eagles,either. As Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News explains...maybe it’s because the World Series is in town, but so far there hasn't been the familiar outcry about the "typical" Philadelphia fans that usually erupts after one of those all too-"typical" Philadelphia sports scenes that become legend and get listed right under "throw snowballs at Santa Claus." In this case it was a flaming smoke bomb thrown onto the ice after a contested goal in overtime in Saturday's 3-2 Flyers win over New Jersey in the Wachovia Center. But can the noise be far behind?
It was an outrageous and dangerous act that covered the ice surface with smoke, chased the Devils' coaching staff from the bench and left the city with another fan-based black eye.
"We were not happy," Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko said yesterday. "That was as good a hockey game as can be played and it didn't need that. After all the talk last year about how tough our fans are to play in front of, we went to Washington in the playoffs and someone throws a beer bottle that hits Jeff Carter and in Montreal someone threw a beer into the penalty box that hit Mike Richards and nothing like that happened here. We were angry last night."
So angry, in fact, that the Flyers are conducting an investigation; there is video from security cameras showing two suspects running from the building.
The description being released is of two males about 6 feet tall. One is described as an African-American wearing a white Flyers jersey and a white male also wearing a Flyers jersey, with his face painted.
"We are working diligently to catch the culprit and hope to prosecute the person," Luukko said. "If we find that the person is a season ticketholder, we will permanently cancel their tickets."
As for the National League champion Phillies, the grizzled veteran columnist Bill Conlon opines...Joe Blanton wasn't supposed to be pitching last night. Not according to the army of bloggers, e-mailers and fantasy-team managers who trampled each other deserting Jamie Moyer's corner. Many exhorted me to demand that Pat Gillick, Charlie Manuel, Rich Dubee and all the Phillies' powers-that-be make sure that Moyer was denied his World Series turn in the wake of a brief and ineffective outing in Game 3 of the NLCS in Dodger Stadium.
Give the ball to Joe Blanton in Game 3, for God sakes. Don't send that old man out there again. Please.
Nor was Pat Burrell supposed to be playing left with his ponderous gait. The Bat had to be the DH against the Tampa Bay Rays' Game 1 starter Scott Kazmir. Against the Rays' righties, Ryan Howard had to wear the DH mantle with Greg Dobbs playing first base.
And remember the success Manuel had with the flip-flop of Jayson Werth to No. 6 and Shane Victorino to No. 2 in Game 2 of the Division Series wipeout of CC Sabathia and the Brewers? Shane set the Money Pit ablaze with an epic grand slam. Well, time for the old fliperoo once again, right, Chuck, with the engine room flooded and the Phillies taking more strikes than an Akron bowling alley and abandoning more guys in scoring position than a payday raid on a mining town brothel.
And while you're at it, Cholly, let's stick Burrell in between Utley and Howard to split that inviting left-left arrangement Rays manager Joe Maddon seemed to exploit by using rookie lefthander David Price for an extended Game 2 save. Yep, Manuel said, he had given that some thought when he looked out there and the gifted No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft was going through his lineup a second time.
Just don't expect to see your Honorary Managers Diplomas in the mail anytime soon. You all flunked Double Switch 101, Lineup Chemistry 202 and Hunch-Playing 303.
Jamie Moyer hauled his 45-year-old bones from the cocoon of a 90-minute rain delay and made the latest-ending World Series game in history one of the most memorable. He was amazing, mesmerizing, magicianly, baffling and masterful. The Phillies won an amazingly tense, flawed and quintessentially entertaining Game 3 with a ninth inning that called for a redefining of the word "bizarre."
Joe Blanton pitched on his Game 4 night and authored personal and World Series history. Haystack Joe is reputedly a "contact pitcher." In a 10-2 destruction of the Rays that moved the Phillies into the wind shadow of their second World Series title, Blanton fired seven strikeouts in six-plus electric innings.
But that's not all . . . With two outs in the fifth, Joe put a righthanded version of the Matt Stairs buggywhip stroke on an Edwin Jackson heater and sent a screaming tracer into the leftfield seats. Blanton dragged some impressive records with him running out the first World Series homer by a pitcher since Kenny Holtzman hit one for Oakland in 1974.
Oh, yeah . . . Charlie has played Burrell in left and Howard at first throughout. And when Werth smoked a double and then two-run homer last night, he was batting No. 2 because that's the way Charlie Manuel had it set up, in the thinking he has done since this incredible postseason began. And, once more, Utley and Howard hit back-to-back and the Big Man inside-outed a three-run homer to left and a monster shot, two-run exclamation point, to right off lefthander Trever Miller in the eighth.
A Cleveland writer asked Manuel before the Phillies went 10-3 in the postseason if he is a different manager than he was when leading an Indians team loaded with All-Stars. And has he improved as a manager?
"The same old Charlie," he said. "I'm the same manager I was when I managed in Triple A or Double A, or A ball. I'm the same manager. Just when you win you're better [laughter], and that comes from having better players."
Now, don`cha hate it when you have to explain your jokes? It's never funny afterwards, and yet this column is jam-packed on an everyday basis with allusions and pop culture references. Therefore, I was trying to make a funny when
