"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.
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!
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?
The nexus of today's column centers on the city of Seattle. Jack Zduriencik, the man who rebuilt the Milwaukee Brewers' franchise, will be introduced this morning as the Seattle Mariners' new General Manager. The teeth-gnashing in Milwaukee is only just beginning.
In what may be a bumpy off-season for the Brew Crew, Zduriencik could be the team's biggest loss. The man who drafted the likes of Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy and Rickie Weeks is leaving the team. As the Associated Press reports, Milwaukee Brewers’ general manager Doug Melvin has two big vacancies to fill.
He says he’ll choose a field manager before deciding who will run the team’s scouting operation.
Yesterday, scouting director Jack Zduriencik was named the general manager in Seattle. Melvin says he’s not ready to talk about candidates for the scouting post. The Brewers’ Web site says assisting scouting director Tony Blengino may be considered, along with long-time assistant Tom Flanagan. Flanagan is the director of administration for player development and scouting. Four regional scouting cross-checkers could also be in line to replace Zduriencik. They include Jeff Cornell and Bruce Seid.
Today, Melvin is scheduled to interview his third candidate for the managing vacancy, former Arizona manager Bob Brenly. Melvin says he has already interviewed ex-Mets’ skipper Willie Randolph and former Oakland manager Ken Macha. He expects to make a decision on the managing post sometime next week.
Revamping the Mariners will be a challenge, but it's nothing compared to the mess that was the Brewers, where the financial resources are nowhere close to what Mariners ownership has committed.
The Brewers farm system was ranked 30th by Baseball America in 2000 and 2001 but, by 2004, had risen to No. 1. The Brewers ended a 12-year losing streak in 2005, then, this season, made their first postseason appearance since 1982.
A year ago, Zduriencik was bypassed for the GM job in his native Pittsburgh but became the first nongeneral manager to be voted Executive of the Year by Baseball America.
Now Zduriencik will get his chance in Seattle, where those who have worked with him are convinced he will be a success.
"I'm confident in Jack Zduriencik," then-Brewers manager Ned Yost said when asked about the 2007 first-round selection of Matt LaPorta. "If Jack drafted Pee-wee Herman, I'd be feeling pretty good about it."
Funny that you should mention Yost, as the Seattle Times suggests that the recently deposed Milwaukee manager is Zduriencik's first choice for the next Mariners' skipper.
It was six years ago that the Milwaukee Brewers hired Ned Yost to manage a team that had lost 106 games. The guy in charge of drafting and player development for Milwaukee was none other than Zduriencik, and the fruits of his picks were about to be reaped by Yost at the major-league level.
Within three seasons, the Brewers were playing .500 ball. Yost then had them contending for the playoffs last year and again this season before being fired in mid-September with his team in a dreadful slump. The dismissal, an act of apparent desperation by team owner Mark Attanasio, came against the wishes of GM Doug Melvin and his staff.
And now, on the lookout for his next job, Yost would like nothing more than to team up again with old pal Zduriencik in Seattle.
"Definitely, most definitely," Yost said in an interview on Thursday. "The opportunity to work with Jack again is really, really appealing."
This column has already expressed the belief that Brenly is a no-brainer for the field manager's job. Macha was Melvin's first choice when he hired Yost, but it would take too long for the former Oakland A's skipper to get up to speed.
Willie Randolph may be a sentimental pick as he did finish his playing days in Milwaukee, but -- even though I like the man -- I don't feel he's the right man for the job at this time.
The reason I (along with many Brewer followers) are pushing so hard for Brenly is that he's spent the last four years working for their closest rival, the Chicago Cubs. Yes, he was in the broadcast booth, but if there's anyone around who knows how to beat the Cubbies, it's Brenly. And oh by the way, Brenly has something that neither Macha nor Randolph has -- a World Series ring as manager.
The Chicago Tribune is already sensing what could become of the budding Milwaukee-Chicago rivalry under a Brenly administration.
The idea of Brenly managing in the Central Division against good friends Lou Piniella and Dusty Baker, two men he has studied closely over the last four years in the Cubs' booth, is only part of the package of intrigue. The juicy stuff will come at Miller Park and Wrigley Field whenever Alfonso Soriano steps into the box.
Brenly vs. Soriano was just a footnote in a wild Cubs season, but it was one of the more interesting developments of the early going. In May, after Soriano dropped a fly ball to lose a game in Pittsburgh with two outs in the ninth inning, Brenly argued Soriano wasn't a true "superstar." He went on to add the memorable line that you could "throw a dart" in the dugout and hit someone who's a better fielder than the Cubs' $136 million outfielder.
There are two more sports stories of note in the Great Northwest. The NBA season opens up shop next week and for the first time since 1967, it does so without a team in Seattle. The former Super Sonics were allowed to move and become the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, as was the case with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the team agreed to release the SuperSonics' name, logo, and colors to a possible future NBA club in Seattle, but retained rights to its franchise history.
As Art Theil and Gary Washburn of seattlepi.com report in today's edition, a new plan to divert a portion of hotel-tax money from the state convention center to a remodel of KeyArena could help Seattle begin pursuing a replacement NBA team as soon as 2010.NBA Commissioner David Stern said Thursday "positive" talks have gone on between the league and a potential ownership group headed by Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, who led an ill-fated plan to save the Sonics earlier this year.
Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis confirmed the talks, and said he was optimistic that this time around the city's request for state authorization will meet little resistance when the Legislature convenes in January.
"It should be noncontroversial, because it's a city-only tax that already exists and will not be an increase," Ceis said of the latest attempt to find a long-sought public portion of a proposed $300 million renovation for a building currently deemed financially obsolete by the National Basketball Association.
"If we can get our funding package together this session, we can start to work with the Ballmer group on identifying a team for Seattle, but probably not until 2010."
TNT's Marv Albert made more than 30 years of trips to Seattle to call basketball games, and his disappointment was apparent.
"I would think the NBA is looking eventually to put a team back in Seattle," he said. "It's too good a city and the history of the NBA in Seattle is too strong for it not to be viable in the short time. I bet on it, that they will have a franchise."
Arguably a bigger story in town is the predicted demise of UW football coach Ty Willingham. He was came to Seattle after being dumped by Notre Dame and – wouldn’t you know it – the Fighting Irish come to town this weekend. Also from seattlepi.com, "before Willingham arrived in South Bend in 2002, the Irish had four .500 or worse seasons in the previous 20 years.
Willingham's three-year record was 21-16. After his 10-3 debut season, his teams put together records of 5-7 and 6-6 and never won a bowl game.
What was astounding, though, was how Notre Dame lost.
In 2004, the Irish lost to USC by 31 points, to Purdue by 25 points. The year before, they lost to Florida State, USC and Michigan by margins of 37, 31 and 38 points, respectively.
These losses really got people talking.
"All the stuff that people liked about him changed," Hansen said. "His being quiet and stuff? The first year it was, 'He's introspective.' Then it turned into, 'He's guarded.'
"Then they had these thunderous losses, and Tyrone didn't have an explanation."
Whatever went wrong for Willingham in South Bend seems to have manifested itself at Washington. The UW likely will give the coach a pink slip at season's end.
After three-plus seasons, Huskies fans have joined in the chatter, voicing their displeasure as much with the product the coach has put on the field as with his stoic demeanor and puzzling explanations.
With an 11-31 record and just two home wins against BCS opponents, Willingham may feel the world stacking against him yet again."
The other U-Dub, Wisconsin, celebrates -- if that's the right word -- Homecoming tomorrow with an 11am kickoff versus the Cheating (sorry) Fighting Ilini. Somehow, news of the Badgers' dismal losing streak must not have gotten to Las Vegas, as the oddsmakers have Illinois as a mere 2 1/2 point favorite.
Two and a half?! I'd put the over/under for people getting Tazered at 2 1/2.
In the Big Ten football game that matters, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises has the following assessment:
* If Ohio State wins: The Buckeyes would gain the inside track for the Big Ten title with only three games remaining against Northwestern, Illinois and Michigan. Ohio State might climb to No. 6 in the BCS standings on Sunday, but the Buckeyes would need a lot of help, including multiple Texas losses and a USC upset loss, to get back in the national title race. So the Big Ten champ would almost certainly wind up in its expected home, at the Rose Bowl. Even if Ohio State loses once after beating Penn State, the Buckeyes would still head to the Rose Bowl as the conference champ because of the head-to-head win over Penn State.
* If Penn State wins: The Nittany Lions would remain undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the country with games remaining at Iowa and at home with Indiana and Michigan State. Texas and Alabama would stay ahead of the Nittany Lions in the BCS standings - unless Alabama plays another close one and Penn State is particularly impressive. Then Penn State could leap to No. 2. But it's hard to imagine both Texas and Alabama finishing without a loss - there are too many hurdles remaining. When one of those team loses, I don't see another one-loss team jumping undefeated Penn State. So the path is pretty clear to Miami for the Nittany Lions with a win Saturday. And that would leave the Rose Bowl without the Big Ten champ and looking to pick a replacement. A 10-2 team that could very well be back in the top 10 by the end of the year with a rabid fanbase that hasn't made the trip to Pasadena in 12 years - that would be a pretty good replacement choice for the folks in Pasadena. If the Rose Bowl chose Illinois last year to replace Ohio State, when there were higher ranked teams out there, then Ohio State would definitely be chosen to replace Penn State. After Ohio State lost to USC, I made hotel reservations for the Capital One Bowl, but it doesn't look like that will be necessary. The easiest way for Ohio State to fall short of Pasadena is for Penn State to win on Saturday and then lose to Michigan State, falling out of the national title picture and then heading to the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champ.
He also suggests that, one way or another, Buckeye fans start making reservations for Pasadena now.
Finally, this column has received letters that we include too much politics while others have saluted its pulse on the body politic. I'd argue that this election is rather important, doncha think?
In 11 days, it'll be the beginning or the end of the world, depending on how you view these things. Unfortunately, it will not be the end of us having to suffer through Sarah Palin's face on our television screens. As John Kerry might put it, oh that it were so.
Many have suggested that the erstwhile hockey mom has been auditioning for some future job and that scenario was confirmed as the Hollywood Reporter gives us this ghastly news.
As campaign managers for Sarah Palin plot last-minute tactics to get her elected, Hollywood bigwigs are convening strategy sessions of their own. Their goal: finding the ideal on-air vehicle for the vp candidate if and when she exits politics.
Love her or hate her -- there doesn't seem to be much middle ground with Palin -- the 44-year-old hockey mom has captured the public imagination in a way no politician has since, well, Barack Obama.
But as more and more polls cast doubt on the McCain-Palin ticket, producers and agents across the entertainment world are discussing possibilities for capitalizing on her fame, ranging from an Oprah-style syndicated talk show to a Sean Hannity-like perch in cable news or on radio.
"Any television person who sees the numbers when she appears on anything would say Sarah Palin would be great," said veteran morning-show producer Steve Friedman, citing the double-digit ratings gains her appearances on "Saturday Night Live" and "CBS Evening News" generated. "The passion she has on each side, love and hate, makes television people say, 'Wow, imagine the viewership.' "
Although none of the execs has -- at least as far as anyone is admitting -- made direct overtures to the Alaska governor, they are readying their battle plans if she decides to give up her day job.
Of course, even if the McCain-Palin ticket loses, the Tina Fey look-alike still has a job in politics for at least another two years as governor of Alaska. A spokesman for Palin did not return calls for comment.
But the candidate has undeniable onscreen charisma as her "SNL" performance proved last weekend. And though the Palin Express sometimes veers off the tracks -- as it did in her notorious interview with Katie Couric -- Americans enjoy celebrities as much for their contretemps as their talent.
Most industry insiders believe a talk show is the probable route for Palin. Although daytime syndication can be tough sledding, it would take a personality of her stature to break through the clutter, and her folksy red-state persona could be just the thing to connect with this female-skewing audience.
One producer/packager said he has held internal staff meetings about how to best parlay Palin's appeal and skills, with a daytime talk show the likely vehicle. "I see her less as a variety-show host like Ellen (DeGeneres) and more of a single-topic host like Tyra (Banks), or maybe what Jenny Jones used to be," said Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA.
However, one syndie veteran who wished to remain anonymous believes Palin would not make an ideal candidate for talk show host or even court show judge.
"I would not put her on the air," the exec said. "I find her a little stiff, and her ability to read the room is not quite fully developed."
Cable news is another possibility, particularly Fox News Channel, if Palin wants to keep her conservative bona fides intact. There's a well-worn path between the Beltway and TV, from Pat Buchanan to as recent an example as former presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, who just began his own weekly series on Fox News.
So, we can either look forward (NOT!) to the vapid Palin hosting on Fox Noise or becoming the next Tyra.
The thing is, the best political commentary on the joke that is her VP selection has come from Saturday Night Live. While the rest of the press has treated her with kid gloves, the Baltimore Sun gives the show its much deserved credit for going where the conventional media has feared to go.
Watching the Thursday night installment of Saturday Night Live, I was reminded yet again what a profound service political satire serves in this democracy. Again, if the Peabody Awards folks want to retain any sense of relevancy as a reward for socially-conscious programming, SNL has got to be honored first and foremost.
Given the general sense of insecurity and even confusion as to the role of the press in this era of vast economic and technological change, I don't think there are any journalistic voices that could comfortably say what SNL said Thursday night about the performance of outgoing President George W. Bush and the increasingly obvious ambition and recklessness on Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. And yet, I am sure SNL's actions and words spoke to what millions of Americans are feeling (as the record ratings for SNL's overall skewering of the candidates and current administration has shown this year).
The concept of the opening sketch Thursday with Bush endorsing the McCain-Palin ticket was inspired. It cut straight to the embarrassment the president's own party has for his performance and the troubled state in which he leaves this country. Will Ferrell returned to play Bush, with Tina Fey (I had to stop myself from using the words "the brilliant" in front of her name) as Palin.
Here's a bit of it...
WILL FERRELL AS BUSH: "Hello, my fellow Americans. I have chosen to schedule this impromptu address at night because quite frankly every time I speak during the day, the Stock Market goes in the ####. So, sorry, Asian markets. You take the hit on this one. I come to you tonight in the midst of a very important election between two very qualified candidates: the hot lady and the Tiger Woods guy. Both candidates are heavily patriotized and display much characterization. And yes, I did have three Xanax and a Silver Bullet about a half-hour ago. I'm out of here in a few months, so screw it. But before I leave I wanted to help Sarah Palin and John McCain by giving them what every candidate wants most: a prime-time heavily publicized network endorsement from George W. Bush. Hey, don't pinch yourself John, you are awake!"
FERRELL AS BUSH (continues) -- "Now I tried to do this several months ago but somehow it kept getting pushed to a written press release or a shouted sentence as I walked to the helicopter. I began to suspect that they didn't want my endorsement to be too public. But now with the country on a big upswing and my numbers on the rise, I thought it was time to give a proper, large scale 'much love' to McCain and Palin..."
(WILL FORTE, playing an AIDE to the president, enters and whispers in BUSH's ear)
FERRELL AS BUSH (continues) – "What? Really? Why didn't you tell me Jeff? I've just been told by my trusted aide Jeff, that the country is actually in a horrible downward spiral and that my approval numbers are lower than ever. That one's on me. Four months ago, I declared the Oval Office a bummer-free zone. So... You know what, let's bring on Senator McCain and Governor Palin."
(TINA FEY as SARAH PALIN enters smiling and waving and sits next to BUSH on the front the desk)
TINA FEY AS PALIN – "So nice to meet you, Mr. President. I've seen you on TV."
FERRELL AS BUSH – "Where's McRage?"
FEY AS PALIN – "You know, John McCain and I have been so busy travelin' around this great country of ours talkin' about change and energy independence and William Ayers, and doin' a little shoppin', but unfortunately Senator McCain, upon hearing you wanted to give him a super public endorsement, cannot be found. He was last seen travelin' on foot through the Adirondacks. But my husband and two of his drinkin' buddies are in pursuit on snowmachines.
FERRELL AS BUSH – "Well, We'll smoke him out. George Bush always finds his man save for one huge exception."
FEY AS PALIN – "We are gonna get 'er done."
FERRELL AS BUSH – "My God you are folksy."
FEY AS PALIN – "Why thank you Mr. President. I like to think I'm one part practiced folksy , one part sassy and a little dash of high school ####y."
FERRELL AS BUSH – "For a little while I was trying to be folksy but after a bit, it just came off douchey. All right, let me get into my endorsement for you as Vice President. As you know America, the office of Vice President is the most important office in the land. The Vice President decides when we go to war, how we tax the citizens and how we interpret the Constitution. The President can do nothing without checking with the Vice President. That is why Sarah Palin..."
FEY AS PALIN – "Actually, Mr. President, I don't want to go all Katie Couric on you, but I think it's actually the other way around. I think the Vice President reports to the President."
FERRELL AS BUSH – "Really? That's not what #### Cheney told me when he sat me down on the first day."
The press could do better. NBC anchorman Brian Williams had a chance to ask Palin about her "little shoppin'" spree, but chose not to. But here is a group of comedy writers and performers not only riffing on it, but putting it in the context of her look-at-me/look-at-me personality. (She did all but elbow her running mate, John McCain out of the camera shot during the interview with Williams to the point where I was watching a political remake of A Star is Born.)
And SNL nailed it all like no one -- not even the savviest, smartest and snarkiest political columnists -- has this week.
SNL's live primetime Weekend Update Thursday ended its run last night. I will miss it. But what a service to democracy it provided.
And you know what, John McCain? If you hadn't gotten smitten with Palin in the first place, you just might have won this thing. You put her on the ballot to excite the red-meat "kill him, he's an arab terrorist" crowd, but you instead sent any and all independent voters (and what's left of the moderate Republicans) in droves over to the Obama-Biden ticket.
And for what? The angry white males would have voted for you anyway -- I mean, where were they going to go?
So, you -- a 72 year old man who had already dumped your first wife for a young blonde rodeo queen -- lose your last chance at the White House because you looked across the room and exclaimed, "I want THAT girl!"
And you know what else, Senator McCain?
In retrospect, Marlo Thomas would have made a much better choice.
"To anybody who's a soul music fan, this is like royalty dying," ...
Admittedly, it was awfully tough to watch the deciding Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last night. A big reason was my constant flicking back to watch Mad Men on AMC, THE essential MUST watch television program in my life at the moment.
(Note to AMC) Hey, bring Don Draper back to New York already! Don't pull a Desparate Housewives and get all goofy in only your second season and lose your faithful fan base!)
The main reason, though, that many other Americans couldn't bear to watch the baseball game last night was the sickening feeling that the plucky Tampa Bay Rays were about to be gutted by the fates and the Evil Empire 2.0 -- otherwise known as the Boston Red Sox -- were about to pull yet another metaphorical rabbit out of their caps to win yet another American League pennant.
I'll touch on the Evil Empire 2.0 in a moment, but consider the karma surrounding the game for Tampa Bay and their fans last night. They'd been seven runs up and seven outs away from winning it last Thursday night and now it was down to one single game -- after a whole season of defying expectations -- of finally falling just short of the World Series.
Even though they'd won the AL East, these Rays and their fans were in danger of being just another lovable loser, just another Bartman moment, just another speedbump as the Evil Empire 2.0 skipped right past them.
Could this miracle of a baseball season be consigned to the dungeon of great postseason collapses? Could the '08 Rays go from being the '69 Mets to the '03 Cubs in 72 hours flat?
It would be like those '69 Mets blowing a 3-1 World Series lead to the Orioles. It would be like the Soviets scoring two late goals to beat the U.S. Olympic hockey team at Lake Placid in 1980. It would be like Mike Tyson getting back up to knock out Buster Douglas.
It would be a shame if this season was judged by how it ended.
Flaming wreckage is no way to end this. No way at all.
Instead, it happened and nothing will ever be the same. This was big. This was Charlie Brown finally getting to kick that football big.
Now there is a mourning Red Sox Nation that is in total denial. They don't understand that their beloved team has become the NEW New York Yankees -- the NEW best-team-money-can-buy and therefore, the team America now roots AGAINST!
So how are we going to explain why, when it looked as if the Amazin' Rays would buckle under the pressure of a seventh game, they refused to buckle? How are we going to explain exactly why, when it looked as if the Red Sox would make the Rays another notch in their remarkable postseason belt, that it was the defending world champions who would melt?
All we can tell you is that it happened. All we can tell you is the Rays, the latter-day cousins of the '69 Amazin' Mets, beat the Red Sox 3-1 before 40,473 fans and at least that many cowbells at Tropicana Field to win the seventh game of the 2008 ALCS. All we can tell you is a team that had finished in last place nine of the 10 years of its existence answered a 96-loss season with 97 wins, a division title and its first World Series appearance.
"I hate to disappoint the hard-liners, but I really can step back [and enjoy this as a fan]," Rays` manager Joe Maddon said before the start of Sunday's game. "I actually was taking my bike ride today, and you just look out over the water and you think about Game 7. When you're a kid in the playground or in the backyard playing, you're always playing Game 7. Well, here it is."
Maddon said he never lost a Game 7 in his backyard growing up in Hazleton, Pa. Well, this isn't Hazleton. This is the big leagues. To be fair, Maddon was the bench coach when the Angels beat the Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. But those were the Giants. These are the Red Sox, and they steal dreams.
Last pitch: 11:40 p.m. Tampa Bay went nuts in celebration at 11:41. Within 10 minutes, the Rays were circling the field, spraying fans with champagne, jumping up and high-fiving them. And who could blame them? The Rays may have been too young and dumb to realize they were supposed to choke this series away, but they sure are special.
"I know our guys will be down for a little while, but they have no reason to hang their heads," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of a season filled with injuries and transition. And he's right.
If you're a Red Sox fan, you hate that your team lost. But if you're any kind of baseball fan, you can't hate the Rays for winning.
Locally, there was some baseball news of note. The Milwaukee Brewers announced that they'd signed General Manager Doug Melvin to a contract extension, would make a solid contract offer to free agent pitcher CC Sabathia and would NOT consider Dale Sveum for the field manager's job next season.
Sveum, of course, is crushed. He played for the Brewers, he pulled the team from the brink of elimination to make the playoffs and believed that he'd get a fair shot at managing on a full-time basis.
Melvin insists that he wants someone with previous managing success and the list of possibles includes many of the usual subjects. Still, this columnist's prediction -- a month ago, I might add -- is still Bob Brenly.
Brenly, the former Arizona manager now broadcasting Chicago Cubs games for WGN, certainly has seen the Brewers and other National League Central clubs many times in that role, and he fits the “previous success” qualification by leading the Diamondbacks to the 2001 World Series title.
Moreover, after watching both teams over the last few years, Brenly should have tremendous insight into what the Brewers need to do to overtake the Cubbies in the NL Central.
Curb your enthusiasm, but the Wisconsin Badgers are projected to go to the Motor City Bowl. (Yeah, baby, Detroit in December sure beats Florida on New Year's Day, ainna hey!)
Admittedly, Darst isn't sold on Wisconsin, and even said (after taking a longer look at UW): "wow, I'm looking at the schedule, not sure they can make it."
Darst is thinking UW will end up at 6-6 - but might need a three-game winning streak to close the season to get there. More of his reasoning: "But yes, out of 11 teams, 2 to the BCS, Indiana and Purdue out, Wisconsin is projected as the last team to get in -- Motor City bowl."
Still, the Badgers weren't even the biggest disappointment in the country last Saturday, not even the biggest flop in the Big Ten. That dubious honor goes to Michigan State, which laid a big fat egg on network TV in losing BIG to Ohio State.
The Detroit Free Press' Mitch Albom (yes, he still actually writes a column like the rest of us ink stained wretches) gives Sparty the big thumbs-down.
The weather was perfect, the stadium was packed and the whole town was pounding with green-and-white optimism.
And then the game started.
And Ohio State pulled the Spartans’ pants down.
Not ready. Not yet. The records suggested that Michigan State was an elite team, but records are just numbers. The field tells the tale. And on the field, there were the Big Boys and there were the Wannabes. Before this game was 15 minutes old, it told an age-old story about one team that has done it and one team that is still dreaming about it.
“What’s the one thing you did well today?” someone asked MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, after the 45-7 drubbing.
“I thought we did a good job in warm-ups,” he said.
Unfortunately, you missed those. What you saw was one team, on the road, that was more than ready for the big stage, and one team, at home, that was still in make-up.
And now the Spartans have must guard against their dreaded second-half-of-the-seasonitis. Plenty of MSU teams start out hot, and by November have cooled to mediocre. Should the Green and White lose next weekend to arch-rival Michigan, not only will the polish have come off this team, it will need a paint job.
Oh, the Badgers limp back home from their debacle at Iowa to face an Illinois team that crushed Indiana last Saturday, 55-13.
And you can expect a healthy number of Illini fans in town for Homecoming. In their Sunday Travel section, the Chicago Sun-Times obliged the Oskee Wow Wow faithful with suggestions on where to go and what to do --claiming Mad City Offers More Than Football.
No trip to Wisconsin would be complete without carting home cheese. Get your dairy fill at Fromagination, an artisan cheese shop at 12 S. Carroll St., on Capitol Square; www.fromagination. com, (608) 255-2430.
Almost as famous as Wisconsin's cheese is its bratwurst. Try State Street Brats, 603 State St., for its sports bar scene, burgers, chicken wings and of course, the brats; www.statestreetbrats.com, (608) 255-5544.
Speaking of food, the Dane County Farmers Market boasts more than 300 vendors and completely encircles the Capitol. It runs from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. All the produce and products on sale -- ranging from veggies to honey to meats -- were raised by the folks selling them; www.dcfm.org/wandw.asp.
For a special treat, make a dinner reservation at the widely acclaimed L'Etoile Restaurant, 25 N. Pinckney St. Named Sante Magazine's Culinary Hospitality Restaurant of the Year for 2008, L'Etoile's seasonal menus are based on ingredients from small Midwestern farms prepared with French flare; www.letoile-restaurant.com, (608) 251-0500.
Next door to L'Etolie is a traditional Wisconsin supper club, Old Fashioned, 23 N. Pinckney St. Dig into the beer-battered cheese curds, 16-ounce ribeye steak and rainbow trout; www.theoldfashioned.com, (608) 310-4545.
So, apparently, these cheese-seeking FIB's can't be expected to waddle any farther than State Street and Capitol Square. Hey, while you're at it, check out some Illinoise cuisine at the FIB's cart on the other end of State Street -- on the Library Mall. And by the way, it's Mad Town, NOT Mad City.
Finally, we lost somebody special this weekend. Perhaps the greatest voice in American soul music history was stilled on Friday as Levi Stubbs Jr. passed away.
That voice -- rough, raw, intense -- remains a fixture on the American music landscape, unmistakable on such evergreen Four Tops hits as "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Bernadette," "Standing in the Shadows of Love" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)."
Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. paid homage in a statement: "Levi was the greatest interpreter of songs I've ever heard. ... I remember when we heard their first Motown release, 'Baby I Need Your Loving.' Levi's voice exploded in the room and went straight for our hearts. We all knew it was a hit, hands down."
Unlike Marvin ####e, who used his voice to caress, or Smokey Robinson, whose silky croon sparkled, Stubbs headed straight for the guts of his notes, summoning a distinctive grit and fire. For most vocalists, the perky melody in the lines "sugar pie, honey bunch" was an invitation to go sunny and sweet. For Stubbs, it was a chance to insist -- to plead, cajole, declare, demand.
Ann Arbor's Chris Rizik, who runs the popular music site SoulTracks.com and calls Stubbs his all-time favorite vocalist, said Friday's news prompted an outpouring of tributes and reminiscing from fans around the world.
"The larger population might not even know the name. But to anybody who's a soul music fan, this is like royalty dying," said Rizik. "People are going to be talking about this for a long time. In the deep soul community, this will resonate just as much as Marvin ####e's death."
Do yourself a favor and rent the Motown 25 Anniversary special. In it, witness a recreation of one of the greatest moments and most vivid experiences in American soul music history.
Levi Stubbs' Four Tops would face often off in a mock duel with fellow Motowners, the Temptations and Stubbs would invariably steal the show. The Tops would sing a clip of one of their hits and the Temps would retaliate with one of theirs.
Watch the scene in Motown 25, when suddenly in the midst of "I Know I'm Losing You," Stubbs cuts in front of Dennis Edwards to scream...
"...it's all over your face, someone's taken your place, oooooh, baby, am I losin you..."
As for me, I've had the same verse going again and again in the back of my brain.
"...it's the same old song...but it's a different meaning since you've gone..."
The older gentleman in the grocery store had it right.
As he passed by and we compared our Sox caps and shirts, he added the obvious: "the difference between us and them" -- them, clearly being Chicago Cubs fans -- "is that we have no expectations. IFF we have a good season like this, we can enjoy it, where they have all that "curses and 100 years" stuff to deal with."
Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf seemed to concur as well, telling the Sun-Times, ''Once we got into the postseason that was it, it was a great year for us. Everything is about expectations and we overachieved this year I think, given the injuries. There's no way we should have been in the postseason with all these injuries. But these guys battled it, battled it and battled it.''
The rival Tribune's Rick Morrissey also agreed to a point, "This is a lesson in expectations. There weren't many surrounding the Sox, so when they won those three do-or-die games to clinch the division, it was a nice, fun story."
Still, he added, "the Cubs lost when the priest was brought in to sprinkle holy water Everything that came after was a pale imitation of that incredible error in judgment.
The Cubs were done, finished, cooked by the symbolic gesture—not for any karmic reasons, but because it was another reminder of a painfully misguided franchise."
So, while the Sox are reletively pleased and the Cubs are morose, the Angels are furious with themselves. ESPN's Amy K. Nelson observes, "since 1990, only the 1998 Yankees and 2007 Red Sox finished with the best record in baseball and won the World Series. Now you can add the 2008 Angels to the list of those who came up short."
After the Phillies clinched their first NLCS appearance in 15 years by beating the Brewers in Milwaukee Sunday afternoon, P Cole Hamels opined, "Hopefully it will turn the city red a little bit more than it is green."
Paul Hagen asks whether Philly is a football or baseball town while discussing something of feud between the Phillies and Eagles. "Hamels was onto something, though. These two organizations don't have the warm and fuzzies for each other. It appears that the bad feelings began when the Phillies felt the Eagles weren't doing their fair share to maintain Veterans Stadium. The Eagles were unhappy that the Phillies weren't as prepared as they were when state and city funds became available to build new parks, delaying the openings by a year. There have been reports of petty jealousies over which team has gotten the better play in the newspapers on a given day."
Is Fielder's power production and presence in the middle of the lineup still an essential part of the team's makeup? Or is all that outweighed by his defensive shortcomings, ballooning upper body and the virtual guarantee that as a Scott Boras client, he will be pushing the salary envelope over the next three years in arbitration before he inevitably becomes a free agent bound for the highest bidder?
* Is Weeks just a late bloomer who needs a little more time, a la Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips, to emerge as a top talent? Is he really a second baseman, or a center fielder, or a third baseman?
Meanwhile, Kurt Warner wants to set the record straight after that internet report that he considered retiring after seeing the scary way teammate Anquan Boldin was hurt on Sunday. "From one game to the next, it's the greatest thing in the world and the next game it's like, 'Do I really want to put myself through this again?' " he said. " . . . They're always looking to replace me anyway.
"But I don't think I'm going to be one of those guys that's going to be horribly saddened when it's over, because I count my blessings every single day."
It's bad enough that the Wisconsin football team has lost two winnable games in a row and hosts No. 6 Penn State this Saturday night, but add PennLive.com to the torrent of jokesters having fun with the school's disgraced and suspended marching band.
"The) Badgers might have to face unbeaten PSU without the services of one of the nation's top bands. The Badgers' marching band is on indefinite suspension and didn't attend the Ohio State game due to recent "misconduct" allegations, according to Wisconsin's student newspaper. Darn it! The Patriot-News has learned Douglas C. Neidermeyer, Sergeant-At-Arms, turned in the band to Wisconsin Dean Vernon Wormer. Neidermeyer, he's a dead man!
Still, the Badgers' slide hasn't hurt them in recruiting, as yet anyway. The Miami Herald reports that Conor O'Neill, a highly-ranked LB recruit, has decided to attend the university.
``It came down to Clemson, Auburn and Wisconsin, and in the end, the Badgers were the right fit for me.'' O'Neill said.
''The education, football program and environment all sold me. This is a huge relief for me to get this selection done so I can focus fully on the season.''
John Shivers is in his 25th season as a journalist -- for the least two years producing and hosting a funk music show -- Back In The Day w/ Johnny Rasta -- on WSUM 91.7FM Madison, WI. Started in radio as a Morning Sports Reporter and Late Night DJ with WMAD 92FM. Served a quarter-centu ry as a sportswriter most recently, for the Milwaukee Shepherd Express, including stints as a beat reporter covering Major League Baseball (Milwaukee Brewers) and college football and basketball (Wisconsin, Marquette & UW-Milwaukee) . Born on January 5, 1957, John is the great-grandso n of slaves who first homesteaded in Wisconsin in the 1840's. He holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism (2001) from UW-Milwaukee with a Minor in Africology. John, now single, resides in Madison, WI with his beloved kittie: Black Jack (McDowell)
