The View From Wisconsin

This, that and the other thing

2011-12-18T12:19:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I know, not much in the way of blogging as of late. I've been busy, as you can guess.

Fantasy Football Playoff Weekend. NFL.com public league, I'm #2 vs. #3; in my recurring league, I'm #7 vs. #2; in my other "private" Yahoo league (The HalForums gang), I'm #2 vs. #3 - against the gal who is the wife of the website founder/league commissioner.
The Predators game last night was the ugliest win, arguably, in franchise history. That they pulled it out with a David Legwand shootout goal is amazing. What was more amazing was that the Predators did not get a single power play during the entire 65 minutes of play - though the refs penalized the Blues at the 5:00 mark of overtime. In a situation like that, the penalized team should lose their first shooting attempt if it extends into the shootout.
The Packers have not lost in 364 days, while my alma mater has not lost in over three years. I wish I could say the same thing.

Missing

2011-07-31T09:21:00.003-05:00

One of the worst things about moving, at least, to me, is that sick feeling in your stomach that you get when you thought you brought something with you to your new home - but upon a search of all the boxes, bins, bags and what-not, you can't find them.

This probably stems from me losing things in various moves from house to house when I was growing up - though some of it wasn't my fault, thanks to a poor plumbing job at this house we had out on the far west side of Racine.

Unfortunately, the sickening feeling hit me hard about a month after we moved up here to Merrill. Sarah and I were talking to the pastor of a church in the area, and I mentioned a friend of mine from Nashville, Mark Hollingsworth. He recently wrote a book, Embracing The Gray, that I was simply floored over after reading - mostly because of all of his work with the Christian rock band Petra. Of course, his description of his first meeting with a then-little-known group called U2 wasn't exactly fluff, either.

It turns out the pastor we met knew Mark from his Wheaton College days. I was going to try to find my copy of the book to share with him at church the following Sunday - but when we got home, neither Sarah nor I could remember where we had put it.

Sarah had the book on her "to be read" stack on her nightstand back at the old condo in Pewaukee, along with an autographed copy of Amy Grant's biography, Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far. Somehow, in all the moving and packing, those books (along with, I think, one or two others) got misplaced. Sarah swears she remembers packing the books in a box, but can't recall which one.

My greatest fear is that the books got inadvertently sent to the wrong place - namely, they are now sitting on the bookshelf of the Pewaukee Goodwill at a discount price. Aside from my continuous pleas in prayer for the condo to sell and for Sarah to find work, I'm begging God to help me find those two books.

To lose something in a move isn't unusual - my former computer desk in the basement is proof of that - but to lose books written by two people who have been inspirations to me (yes, Mark, you inspired me to want to throw catfish onto the ice ;) has been frustrating.

Now, I'm not begging anyone, but you might notice that I put a link to Amazon for both of those books. I'll let you put two and two together on that. Still, I hope and pray that I will eventually find those books. If not - well, there's always the memories I have of both individuals. Both of whom I dearly miss seeing.

EDIT: Found them both. They were in a box that I mistakenly believed was from another room in our house.

Signs You Live In A Rural Community

2011-05-22T23:57:00.004-05:00

As I have moved up here to the Great North Woods, I am slowly compiling a list of things that indicate that you live in a small, rural community. I may add to this list as the days go on, but this is a pretty good start, I'd think. (EDIT: Added items are in italics)

There are chicken feeding along the side of the road - not less than a block away from the city limits.
The ratio of bars-to-churches in town is remarkably close to 1:1.
You can count the number of stoplights in the city on one hand.
The largest store in the city/town's downtown area is a hardware store.
The largest store in the city - is Wal-Mart.
The post office closes early on Saturdays.
Houses in town have at least one pickup truck, boat or motor home in the driveway.
Entertainment includes going to the part of town that was damaged in the last tornado, or the last big fire that happened to that one house.
Even though the city isn't all that big, you can't physically get from one side to the other directly - either due to a man-made (railroad, freeway) or a natural (river, lake, mountain, whatever) feature.
Your primary hospital is a clinic for a medical group based in another county.
Nothing is open 24 hours - not even the local Walgreens located near downtown.
Your local newspaper is a one-page sheet that covers the front page of another paper from a nearby town.
The closest fast food restaurant to the middle of town is either a Hardees or a Dairy Queen.
The Dairy Queen closes in mid-October.
You have a 30-minute or more drive to the nearest Starbucks.
There is no Menards, Lowe's, Home Depot nor Farm & Fleet in the city.
You have to dial the area code to call a local phone number.
You have to use satellite radio to listen to practically anything in your car, since there are about three radio stations in the listening area.
The side roads aren't even touched by plows or salters/sanders after a snowstorm.
The local municipality uses sand on the roads - when they use them.

The Great North Woods

2011-05-05T18:04:00.002-05:00

I'm not 100% moved up here, but I've got about two-thirds of my stuff here in wonderful Merrill, Wisconsin.

A few things I've observed en route:

The primary difference between here and SE Wisconsin is that there are more driveways between patches of trees downstate. Here, there's nothing but road and trees.
I've always joked about the weather here in Wisconsin, but Tuesday was the day I actually experienced snow flurries in the morning and sunny skies and (relatively) warm weather in the afternoon.
I have seen the devastation from the April 10th tornado first-hand up here. There's still balled-up sections of steel around the industrial park, and the MARC's Smith Center is still damaged (though nothing like this one building that looked like an explosion had hit it).
I've come to realize two things about my choice of residence:
First, I decided to live on the wrong side of the city of Merrill, as it will be an adventure to get to LHS from where I live. I will have to drive (at least part of the way) through downtown Merrill to get there. Second, my commute is going to be disrupted by bridge repair work on one of the seemingly hundreds of bridges over the Wisconsin River. Seriously: one lane with a stoplight? What, the three stoplights this town has isn't enough?
The Wisconsin River is now going to be my "guidepost" for which direction I'm headed. Unless, of course, I head down to civilization (aka "Wausau").
I honestly forgot how much moving COSTS. I'm keeping receipts and am planning on deducting EVERYTHING on my taxes next year, unless my employer finally breaks down and reimburses me for a few things. Of course, this IS the State of Wisconsin we're talking about.
This town seriously needs a Starbucks and an Aldi's.

Eighteen Years

2011-03-03T15:54:00.007-06:00

18 years ago, I got an offer to work for the state of Wisconsin at a juvenile corrections facility located (at the time) about an hour's drive away from where I was living. For about six months, I commuted back and forth between home and there.

Right before I got married, my fiancee and I moved to Waukesha, to be closer to my job. She found work out here, and I got my time in. I really thought that I was in the right job, the right place, the right thing to do.

And then I had a year where I was seemingly living a nightmare. An entire cottage of kids hated me, manipulated me, wanted to see me quit or fired. To avoid it, I went on to third shift in November of 1994. I never left.

After some years of struggling, both personally and professionally, I got into the hang of things. There were some rough spots along the way - things were forced upon us by the people in Madison that we really didn't want, but turned out we needed.

About nine years ago, I got the opportunity that I thought would be "it" for me - working as third shift staff in the reception cottage of the institution. I could stay there, retire there - just like the person I was replacing.

The institution's numbers started to go down at that point, though. Within a couple of years, we had two cottages completely shuttered. The old Hospital Building was completely unoccupied except for staff - and their numbers were dropping as well. Years of budget cuts, deferred maintenance and management turnover were catching up to us. Staff morale had hit lows that you couldn't even begin to quantify.

Then, in August of 2009, the first shoe dropped: I got a phone call from my supervisor, notifying me that my cottage - the reception cottage - was going to be closed. They were going to move the program elsewhere and shutter the cottage completely. I was going to be on utility position - essentially, "extra staff" - for the rest of my time in the institution.

Only I didn't know it at the time.

Then there was last year. Hoo boy, was there last year. I have learned over the years that the job of no state worker is safe as long as either the legislature is in session, or as long as there's someone with political clout in Madison has a beef with your workplace. I learned that the hard way with my dad and his job at Southern Center.

And that's when our division administrator convinced our previous governor, Jim Doyle, to convene a "committee to review juvenile corrections as a whole." However, it came out very shortly thereafter that this "committee" had an agenda:

Close Ethan Allen School.

It got as far as a final meeting, and it was only because the three judges who were on the committee removed themselves from any voting on the subject that it didn't get the six votes needed to pass. But the vote was 5-3 in favor of closing EAS.

I went into the election season last year with great trepidation. We all thought that if we elected Tom Barrett, that would mean that our division administrator would remain on board. And we'd be sunk.

However, we also knew about the other guy. Scott Walker was known to be very anti-union and anti-state employee as a whole. As I drove past the Country Springs Hotel on election night, where the Walker campaign was having its victory party, I wondered if we had won the battle, but lost the war.

It looked a lot like we had when the budget repair bill came out last month. Restricting union bargaining to only wages – which was ridiculous, because the state held the purse strings – was a sign that it would become that much harder to be a state employee.

Earlier this month, though, my fate was sealed. Our division administrator, after being allowed to stay on in "transition", was given her job back. The next day, Ethan Allen's closure was outlined in the state budget.

And now, I'm faced with no longer working at the one place I've worked for the last 18 years of my life – the only thing I've done, the only thing I've known, the only people and friends I've lived with, laughed with, commiserated with.

18 years. Gone, just like that.

Of course, the worst part is that it isn't immediate. I still get to see the whole argument over collective bargaining, budget bills and everything go swimming around. And now there's the state rep from the area of the facility who wants the state to sell the land that EAS is on.

Meanwhile, there's a sudden realization that's hit me and my fellow staff: there aren't very many job positions out there, except to go to LHS or to some other corrections facility in Elsewhere, Wisconsin.

And there is that quote from one of the teachers (Mary Joas, from JSonline.com) at EAS:

"I can't move to northern Wisconsin only to find out my job is being terminated again."

I feel the exact same way. In two years, four, six, whatever, who's to say that there will be any amount of youth up at LHS? If costs to send the youth go up, there will be even less and less incentive for the counties to send youth to a state facility; they're more likely to waive youth to adult court and deal with it that way. And there goes any savings they'd have in closing a facility.

I started writing this two days after the announcement came down. I was one of the unlucky ones who heard about it through the internet, and not from my supervisor or otherwise at work.

A week's gone by, and though I've managed to get over it enough to do my job, it's frustrating that there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of this tunnel.

I have some ideas where I'd like to try to go. I may, in fact, try to see about transferring to adult, or even to a DHS facility. But it's going to be hard with a house that I have to pay for.

Eighteen years ago, I thought I had landed a career that I could be proud of.

I'm more ashamed of it right now than anything.

Saturday Thoughts

2011-02-12T11:46:00.002-06:00

Just a heads up for anyone and everyone: if you don't see me online a lot in the next few months, it's because of the whole fiasco surrounding Gov. Walker's budget proposal.

Onto other things:

Yes, I got my Super Bowl Champions hat and t-shirt. The shirt is for Sarah, the cap is mine. I think I'm too much of a fan, sometimes.
I have to warn those of us in the Predators Nation that Mike Fisher is not the be-all and end-all for our problems - namely, the "inability to get past the first round" syndrome. I personally think that the move was pretty much inevitable; Ottawa probably wanted to trade him, and he only wanted to go one place (the city where his wife does most of her work). I personally think it's a good fit, but to think that we need to start planning the SC victory parade is way too premature.
On a similar note - I think that if you honestly talked to most of us Cheeseheads and asked us if we really believed we were going to win the Super Bowl, especially after how up-and-down we were at the end of the season, I think the answer would have been a resounding no. I thing the Packers really didn't show championship potential until the Falcons game. Yes, the Eagles game was nice for the "get past 4th and 26" thing, but it was at the Georgia Dome that the Packers showed they had what it takes to win a title.
I've taken a look at the seating chart and such for the six "temporary seating" sections that caused all the headaches at the Super Bowl. It'd be somewhat akin to the Brewers putting up temporary bleachers by the visitor's bullpen in RCF and in the RF corner plazas on the field and loge levels. My only question is this: why didn't they just build the temporary seats immediately after opening the stadium, then put them back up for the game? And why didn't they put them up for the Cotton Bowl?

Random Super Bowl Trivia

2011-02-05T12:43:00.002-06:00

Some random trivia and observations about the Super Bowl:

Both Green Bay and Pittsburgh have won two Super Bowls in a row; Pittsburgh did so twice (Super Bowls IX and X, and XIII and XIV).
Pittsburgh and Green Bay have both lost once in the Super Bowl - the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX to the Cowboys, and the Packers two years later in Super Bowl XXXII to the Broncos.
The Packers lead the all-time series between the two teams, 18 to 14. The Packers won the first nine games in the series, between 1933 and 1946.
The Steelers have won the last three games in a row against the Packers; all three have come since the last time Green Bay was in the Super Bowl.
The last game played between the two teams, on December 20, 2009, was decided on the final play of the game. Ben Roethlisberger threw a 19-yard pass into the left front corner of the end zone to Mike Wallace. Replay upheld the catch, determining that Wallace had both feet in bounds. Jeff Reed kicked the extra point with no time remaining to win the game, 37-36. It was the first time a game in NFL history had a final score of 37-36. Roethlisberger had 503 yards passing (a Steelers record) with three TD's - and five sacks; Aaron Rodgers threw for 383 yards and three TD's, with only one sack. There were only 125 combined yards rushing in the game on 31 attempts (compared to 94 total pass attempts).
The most one-sided game between the two teams came on November 23, 1941 - two weeks before Pearl Harbor and three prior to the Packers' only playoff loss to the Bears. The Packers defeated the Steelers 54-7 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have only scored 30 or more points on the Packers six times in the 32 game series between the two squads. Green Bay has won only two of those games (October of 1951 and November of 1969).
Green Bay has never been shut out by Pittsburgh in NFL play; Pittsburgh has been shut out three times by the Packers - but not since 1938, and not as they have been known as the Steelers.
The Packers have never been shut out in a post-season game in franchise history. They have posted two shutouts in their playoff history - both against the New York Giants, and both in the NFL championship (1939, 27-0; and 1961, 37-0).
The Steelers were shut out once in their post-season history - their very first playoff game, the 1947 Eastern Division playoff against Philadelphia. Pittsburgh lost to the Eagles, 21-0. They have never shut out an opponent in their playoff history.
Overall, the Packers are 28-16 in the post-season, compared to the Steelers' 33-19 record. The Steelers, however, have won all 33 of their games since moving to the AFC in 1970. The Packers have gone 16-13 in the playoffs since the merger.
The Steelers have had seven players named to five or more AP All-Pro teams in their franchise history (Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Alan Faneca, Dermontti Dawson, Joe Greene, Mike Webster and Rod Woodson). The Packers have had eight players named to five or more AP All-Pro teams (Don Hutson, Forrest Gregg, Jim Ringo, Willie Wood, Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Jerry Kramer and Lavvie Dilweg).
The Packers would be the third team to win the Super Bowl with three different quarterbacks. The Giants won the Super Bowl with Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler, and Eli Manning; the Redskins won with Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien.
Aaron Rodgers will be the fourth quarterback from the University of California to start in the Super Bowl. The three others - Joe Kapp, Craig Morton (twice) and (technically) Vince Ferragamo - all lost in their Super Bowl appearances.
Only three teams have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl since 2003 - the Steelers, the Patriots and the Colts.

Since the Packers last appeared in the Super Bowl (in 1996), 10 different teams have represented the NFC in the game: New Orleans, Arizona, New York Giants (2), Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Saint Louis (2), and Atlanta.
Only four teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl: Houston, Jacksonville, Detroit and Cleveland. The Lions and the Browns have both won NFL championships, prior to the Super Bowl, but have never made it to the Super Bowl. The Browns and the Jaguars both made it as far as the AFC championship, but lost.
Every team in the NFC, except for the Lions, have played in at least one Super Bowl since 1990. (That includes the Seattle Seahawks, who played for many years in the AFC.)
Three things have never happened in a Super Bowl: a punt has never been returned for a touchdown; a team has never been shut out from scoring; and the game has never been tied after regulation.
The longest punt return in Super Bowl history was in Super Bowl XXIII, when San Francisco's John Taylor returned a punt by Cincinnati's Lee Johnson across midfield for a 45-yard return.
The fewest points scored in a Super Bowl - and the only time the losing team did not score a touchdown - was Super Bowl VI, when the Miami Dolphins (making their first Super Bowl appearance) lost to Dallas, 24-3. Dolphins K Garo Yepremian kicked a 31-yard field goal with four seconds left in the first half for Miami's only score against the Cowboys.
The closest that any Super Bowl has come to going to overtime was in Super Bowl V, when the then-Baltimore Colts defeated the Cowboys, 16-13. Jim O'Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal with five seconds left in the game; had Dallas blocked the kick (or O'Brien missed the kick), it's likely the Cowboys would have simply ran the clock out and gone to overtime.
The only time a Super Bowl was won on the last play of the game by a field goal was in Super Bowl XXXVI. Patriots K Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to defeat the St.Louis Rams, 20-17; the ball was snapped with seven seconds left in the game.
The only time a Super Bowl was decided by a defensive play on the last play of the game was in Super Bowl XXXIV. The Tennessee Titans were losing to the Rams, 23-16, with six seconds to go in the game. The Titans had first and goal at the Rams' 10 yard line. QB Steve McNair passed to WR Kevin Dyson, who was diving for the end zone; LB Mike Jones stopped Dyson a few inches short of the goal line. Had Dyson scored, the Titans could have sent the game into overtime by kicking the extra point. (Rumors have it, however, that Titans head coach Jeff Fisher would have tried to go for a two-point conversion if Dyson had scored.)

Black and White(listed)

2011-02-05T07:44:00.002-06:00

At the end of January, web security software company OpenDNS released its web trends report for 2010. The heart of the report was the lists of sites blocked the most by employers (otherwise known as "blacklisted" sites), and the corresponding sites that employers specifically allow access to their employees (or "whitelisted" sites).

Lists like this fascinate me because it not only gives you a sense of what employers think are necessary and unnecessary websites for use in the workplace, but it also gives you a sense of which websites are really popular - despite what hit counters and such may suggest.

There is one really odd thing about the two "top 10" lists. Two websites in particular were in the top three on both lists - namely, Facebook and YouTube. Facebook is the most blocked site by employers, but is the second most whitelisted site, behind YouTube. YouTube is the third most blocked site - behind, of all things, MySpace. MySpace is seventh in the whitelisted top 10, which might explain why its popularity is plummeting.

Some of the names in the blacklisted site top 10 aren't surprising: eBay (10th), Orkut (7th), Twitter (5th), and two of the biggest banner ad companies on the net (whom I don't want getting press from my site, so I'm not revealing them).

Google makes its presence known on the whitelist section, with Gmail, Google search, and Translate as the numbers three, four and five most whitelisted sites. Yahoo, for all of its internet history, barely managed to crack the top 10. Microsoft's Hotmail (6th most blocked) doesn't make it on the whitelist top 10 - but internet telephony group Skype (8th) does.

There is one site that doesn't show up on the whitelisted top 10 that is, at first glance, odd: Twitter (5th on the most blocked list). When you think about it, however, it makes sense that it doesn't appear as a whitelisted site; too many people already have a Twitter feed on their smartphone.

One Of These Things...

2011-01-22T20:02:00.002-06:00

When you sit down to think about it, it's rather obvious that there's an odd-man out in the two conference championship games in the NFL on Sunday.

Consider this - the four teams in the NFC and AFC Championships are:

The NFL's winningest franchise (704 wins), formed, owned and coached by the man whose name adorns the NFC championship trophy;
The oldest franchise in the NFL, with more NFL championships (12) than any other team, and a long and storied tradition (including the head coach whose name adorns the Super Bowl trophy) - and a great rivalry with that first mentioned team;
The winningest franchise in the NFL, in terms of Super Bowls won - six championships all in the last 40 years, and the same family owning it through it all; and...
...The New York Jets.

The only thing the Jets have going for them is their large fan base and their reputation as an upstart, underdog franchise. That's about it.

As much as I'd think Fox would love to see the Bears-Packers winner take on the J-E-T-S (at least, from a viewership standpoint), I don't think they'll shed a tear if any combination of these teams makes it to Dallas.

Still - I'm thinking the winner of the game in Chicago is probably going to face the Steelers in the Super Bowl. I can only imagine the delicious irony if it were the Pack and the Steelers - both have historic rivalries with the Cowboys, both in championship games.

Some thoughts

2011-01-12T01:26:00.003-06:00

First things first: The senseless shootings in both Omaha and Tucson this week were mind numbing to hear of. The second one, of course, is going to be political fodder for probably the next two years or so, simply because of the intended target. However, that won't bring back the life of the assistant principal at Millard South, nor the little girl who was at the Safeway to meet a congresswoman. They were both tragedies, yes; they both, however, probably could (and would) have happened no matter the safeguards in place.

On to other things...

That the Nashville Predators have won their sixth consecutive game is not amazing (though they are turning into Team Streak - 10 game point streak followed by five game losing streak followed by 6 straight wins). No, what is astounding is that the two-headed Nordic monster in net have yet to surrender the team's 100th goal against on the season. It was a mere four years prior that the Preds took 40 games to allow the 100th goal against; it is a major, major kudo to our two Blocks of Ice (Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback) that they are, indeed, doing something right in net.
I do like the Predator Guardian from the mind of Stan Lee. However, "Matter Intake"? C'mon, Stan. Call "gaping jaws of death" what they are.
The Twitter Statement of the Day that I can get behind: "To all my non-Christian friends: Westboro is neither Baptist nor Church, they are a hate group." (J.J. Merrick, @jeremiahx on Twitter)
Speaking of Twitter: I've been reading an old book that I got when I was still a member of SABR - Ward's Base Ball Book. I noticed that the Dapper Pitching Deity @OldHossRadbourn was not mentioned at all in said book. I wonder why...
Not sure if it's a problem on my end or on TWC's, but my LCD TV's reception of basic cable channels has not been very good. Haven't noticed any issues with my 'net connection as of late (knock, knock).
Deep down, I think I prefer the owners of my favorite NFL team over that of the Falcons. Of course, I have to say that, since I see many of them on a daily basis...
Trevor Hoffman has retired. That means that he can start planning his 2016 Hall of Fame induction ceremony speech.
If you didn't catch it, I did alter my previous post apologizing to Bert Blyleven for not thinking he was a Hall of Famer. I still have my doubts, but once you're in the doors, you're in for life (and death, in most cases).

NFL Point Standings

2011-01-02T19:12:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder what the NFL's standings would look like if they used the NHL's points system? (2 points for a win, 1 for a tie or an overtime loss.)

Well, the AFC standings for 2010 would look like this:

American	TM	CN	DV	GP	W	L	T	Pct	OW	OL	OT	PTS	PT%	CSD
New England Patriots	NEW	AFC	AE	16	14	2	0	.875	1	0	0	28	.875	1
Baltimore Ravens	BAL	AFC	AN	16	12	4	0	.750	2	1	0	25	.781	2
Indianapolis Colts	IND	AFC	AS	16	10	6	0	.625	0	1	0	21	.656	3
Kansas City Chiefs	KCC	AFC	AW	16	10	6	0	.625	1	1	0	21	.656	4
New York Jets	NYJ	AFC	AE	16	11	5	0	.688	2	0	0	22	.688	5
Pittsburgh Steelers	PIT	AFC	AN	16	12	4	0	.750	2	0	0	24	.750	6
San Diego Chargers	SDC	AFC	AW	16	9	7	0	.563	0	0	0	18	.563	7
Jacksonville Jaguars	JAX	AFC	AS	16	8	8	0	.500	0	1	0	17	.531	8
Oakland Raiders	OAK	AFC	AW	16	8	8	0	.500	1	0	0	16	.500	9
Miami Dolphins	MIA	AFC	AE	16	7	9	0	.438	1	0	0	14	.438	10
Houston Texans	HOU	AFC	AS	16	6	10	0	.375	1	1	0	13	.406	11
Tennessee Titans	TEN	AFC	AS	16	6	10	0	.375	0	1	0	13	.406	12
Cleveland Browns	CLE	AFC	AN	16	5	11	0	.313	0	1	0	11	.344	13
Buffalo Bills	BUF	AFC	AE	16	4	12	0	.250	0	3	0	11	.344	14
Cincinnati Bengals	CIN	AFC	AN	16	4	12	0	.250	0	0	0	8	.250	15
Denver Broncos	DEN	AFC	AW	16	4	12	0	.250	0	0	0	8	.250	16

Basically, only difference would be that the Jets would face the Chiefs and Indy would host the Steelers next week.

The NFC playoff picture, which is still to be determined as I post this, would be already set under the point system. Why? Because Saint Louis lost to the 49ers in overtime week 10. That would give the Rams 15 points through 16 weeks of play, whereas Seattle only had 12 points (since none of their losses were in OT).

I'll post the final NFC standings after tonight's game.

Bowls and Other Thorns

2011-01-02T05:10:00.002-06:00

I think I've figured it out: Bowl games don't make the NCAA Division I-FBS's regular season more important. Instead, they actually make it less important. We don't get to see games between quality teams - Boise State vs. Auburn, or Oregon vs. TCU - until after the regular season. And then, it's a cabal of bowl committees, choosing teams via pecking order, that determine who will play whom and where.

Someone visiting from another planet (or, heck, another continent) would think we're insane to follow this stuff. Sometimes, I wonder.

Meanwhile, here's some other thoughts on the Bowl season so far:

Wisconsin fans, we need to admit something: it wasn't one thing that sunk our chances against TCU. It was several things. A missed field goal, a botched onside kick, passing instead of running on the two-point conversion - oh, and the fact that TCU had a pretty darn good team to begin with.
The Oklahoma-Connecticut matchup showed me something else about the Bowl System: just because you're an Automatic Qualifier conference's champion doesn't mean you deserve to play on New Year's Day.
My $0.02 worth on the K-State controversy: Adrian Hillburn should get an apology from the officials that worked that game. A salute, while fitting the definition of "excessive celebration", did not go against the spirit of the rule about sportsmanship. Either way, that call should not have been made (where's Steve Walkom and his disappearing whistle when you need it, anyways?), and it should not have affected the point-after attempt. Rule change proposal #1 of the day: any personal foul called after a touchdown will be enforced on the kickoff, not on the point-after attempt.
Second rule-change proposal: the 10-second runoff rule. Had the Music City Bowl been played by NFL rules, Tennessee would have walked back to Knoxville with a 20-17 win. Any penalty by the offensive team in the last minute of play of either half should be subject to an automatic 10-second runoff of the clock. That way teams don't "steal" games by committing a penalty to stop the clock.
Another overtime observation: when did the NCAA decide to have their overtimes start on the 25 yard line? And why would a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty (the one called against UT for running into the kicker) not simply result in UNC getting the ball first-and-goal at the 10, instead of half-the-distance? If it's that important to enforce something like that, let's just have the OT periods start on the opponent's 30 instead of the 25.
Last OT observation: If the defensive team in the first series of any OT period causes a turnover (fumble recovery, interception, blocked kick), and doesn't advance the ball, that team should have the option of starting their OT series from the spot of the ball on the other side of the field. For example, UNC's Quan Sturdivant intercepted UT's Tyler Bray at the 13 yard line. UNC should have the option of starting their half of the OT at UT's 13 yard line.
As much as I appreciate the TCU Horned Frogs, I have to say something: should Stanford win tonight's Orange Bowl, TCU would have to get in line to take on the winner of Auburn-Oregon. Especially if Auburn wins the game, since Stanford would have the right to claim a shot at defeating the team that defeated the only team they lost to on the season.
Not Bowl Related: the NHL and NBC really need to consider putting the Winter Classic on at night from here on out. Have the afternoon be full of alumni games, special events and whatnot; have the game be the star of the evening - and after the big Bowl games have aired. Oh, and the NHL needs to start considering putting on one of these games out West of the Mississippi. Target Field, anyone?

THE 20 BASIC TRUTHS OF MAJOR PROFESSIONAL TEAM SPORTS - REVISITED

2010-12-01T23:21:00.003-06:00

I've posted the "basic truths" list before in this blog; I figured I'd update it a bit - mostly because of a comment I heard about drafting and how a team can sink or swim based on how well they draft (yes, Ted Thompson, they were talking about you).

So here is the 2010 iteration of the 20 Basic Truths of Major Pro Team Sports:

Teams in small markets will, in all likelihood, never have the largest payrolls in any of the four team sports. No one who is a fan of a small-market team in MLB, the NHL or the NBA should expect to have the highest paid player in their sport playing for their team anytime soon. Even if fans cram in to the stadium and tickets are at a premium, small markets will never be able to pay what teams in New York, LA or Chicago will be able to pay. Of course, the definition of what consists of a "small market" varies from sport to sport.
A bad baseball team is the hardest of all team sports to turn around. For example, it will probably take the Washington Nationals franchise anywhere from six to 10 years to become a regular pennant contender. Turnarounds in MLB are difficult because of the way the sport includes and develops new players – through a large and complex minor league system that makes success harder as the player progresses. The biggest reason is that the MLB amateur draft is the greatest crapshoot of all four pro sports entry drafts. Baseball execs for a team aren't drafting for this season – they're drafting for four years from now – and they might not be around at that point. The next hardest is the NHL (the only other major sport with a minor league system), then the NBA, and then the NFL. The NHL is hard only because bad drafting can lead to problems down the road – which is true in any sport; the NBA and NFL have an easier time overcoming bad drafts because of the salary caps in their respective sports.
There are three main factors, universal to all pro team sports, that affect franchise movement: Facilities, finances and ownership. A major shift in any one of the three areas can trigger franchise movement, though all three factors are interdependent. The first of the three areas to generate trouble is that of facilities (arenas, ballparks, stadiums). The mainstream media tends to confuse "finances" for "attendance"; finances are more equivalent to revenues (of which attendance is a large factor in some sports). If there is drastic instability in all three areas – such as what happened with the Seattle Supersonics – then the team is as good as gone. Unfortunately, the three factors are not easily seen until after the fact.
Salary caps are good ideas for team sports – in theory. As good as the idea of a salary cap is to team sports, it's virtually impossible to get it to work in the real world. The reason for this is simple: there is no honor among thieves. All of the major pro sports teams have only themselves as the bottom line, and therefore are always looking for a way to get around the rules to their advantage. Thus, show me a salary cap and I'll show you at least five ways of getting around it. Even the NHL found a way around it with "long term" contracts.
Players do not make good owners. In general, if players are inclined to become team owners, your sport is not in good health. Players are about as clueless as to what it takes to run a team as a business as owners are about playing the game. The days of Curly Lambeau, Eddie Shore and Connie Mack are far gone; the only people who can succeed long-term in the game are people who have the money and are smart with their front-office decisions. The case study in this is what happened to Wayne Gretzky in Phoenix. Mario Lemieux, by the way, doesn't quite count, since he's a figurehead and not a decision-maker.
The Designated Hitter is not going to go away. There may be talk of abolishing it, even if MLBPA says they don't mind it going away. However, there are too many financial reasons why there should be a DH rule. In fact, it is more likely that the rule will be changed, within a generation, to apply to all of baseball. The main reason? Practically every league below the minors uses it full-time; within a generation, pitchers will not learn how to hit until they get to the pros. The first step to the DH becoming the law of the land may very well happen by mandating it for interleague play. This argument can also be made for the three-point shot in basketball, the shootout in hockey, and the use of instant replay in football.
Artificial turf won't be disappearing anytime soon, either. Though there has been limited success in growing grass indoors, there will come a point in time when it will be cheaper to put a safer, realistic, life-like surface down instead of constantly replacing dead or dying grass. As technology has improved "artificial" surfaces, it will be more appealing to use them. (Ice hockey, however, is still unlikely to follow this trend.)
It is only a matter of time before advertisements appear on player uniforms. Revenue streams will be such a large part of a franchise's continued success that this one won't be ignored in North America much longer. Don't anticipate seeing the Addidas logo overshadow the NY and the pinstripes, however. It's more likely that a single advertiser's patch will be permitted, either on the sleeve of the jersey or on a shoulder patch. And don't look for a team's uniform to look like a NASCAR stock car with labels all over. And teams will definitely not be renamed for a sponsor, like the New York Red Bulls were in MLS.
Ticket prices will continue to rise until they meet demand. And when demand is met, teams will start moving in to smaller facilities to increase demand before deciding to lower ticket prices. Oh, and variable rate ticket pricing – based on opponents and/or days of the week – will more than likely be the norm within a decade. Tickets will cost more for rivalry games and against teams from bigger cities (New York, Chicago).
The Internet has had a dramatic impact on how fans follow and support their teams. A fan of the Miami Dolphins with a computer and a satellite dish can follow his team's exploits in Anchorage, Alaska – and the growth of fantasy sports makes fans more knowledgeable about players on teams other than his or her hometown teams. In fact, the Internet makes it possible for people outside North America to follow a major league team – and to be relatively knowledgeable about their team (and players) at the same time. On the downside, people can set up websites demanding a coach be fired before he even holds his first practice with the team. And I won't even mention anything about Dan Ellis.
Women's pro sports leagues cannot survive in the long term. Anyone who anticipates women's professional team sports, or women playing in existing male leagues, lasting for more than a short period of time is dreaming. Yes, people like Lorena Ochoa, Candace Parker, Danica Patrick and Diana Taurisi are admirable in their performances. However, few people actually want to pay money to go see them play on a continuing basis. Danica, of course, is a special case, as she is "playing with the boys". However, I doubt that a racing series comprised of strictly female drivers would be financially viable at any time in the future.
Viable alternatives to the existing major sports leagues are highly unlikely – thanks to Vince McMahon. The failure of the XFL basically ended any and all serious attempts at creating viable alternatives to the existing major pro leagues (MLB, NFL and NBA). The reason, of course, is that all of the major TV networks saw how the league's ratings eroded so quickly, making the televising of any similar endeavor seem suicidal. There is the exception of leagues outside of North America (such as the Russian Super League of hockey, or the Japanese Major Leagues); however, their popularity within the United States is unlikely to surpass that of the existing major leagues.
No non-Major League team sport will retain its popularity for as long as the "Big Three" of baseball, basketball and football. As popular as NASCAR and golf are now, the cycle of popularity will eventually swing away from those sports to either the three sports that were first turned pro in the US, or to other sports. At some point, lacrosse or MMA or horse racing or any of a bunch of other sports may take precedent in the nation's consciousness – but eventually, everyone will come back to MLB, the NBA and NFL.
The only way that any Major League sport will go out of business is if people stop coming to games. The "SEW" principle is the primary reason why baseball came back from the strike, the NFL survived the player strike in the 1980's, and basketball has weathered its labor strife: if you decide to stop going to games, someone else will buy your ticket and go. Until such time as people decide, en masse, to stop going to games, there will be an NFL, an NBA, MLB – and even a NHL. It has always been true of pro sports – the fans vote with their feet.
For the first time in decades, the owners have an advantage in labor-related issues. The NHL's cancelled season had a huge role in that change, as did congressional investigation into performance enhancing drugs. Players unions can now no longer rely on the fact that the owners will cave in to demands if they strike; the C-words (contraction, cancellation) and the R-word (replacements) have become viable threats to players and their labor leaders.
Money can't buy you championships. However, put the money in the hands of people who know your sport, and it can move mountains. The equation is essentially money plus knowledge of the sport (plus pure dumb luck) equals success. This explains the New York Yankees as much as it does the New York Rangers. What money does allow you to do, however, is recover quicker from poor player acquisition choices (read: drafting and free agent signings).
The National Football League is in a class by itself in comparison to all other team sports in North America. No other team sport should even think about comparing itself to the NFL, whether it is for a salary cap, revenue sharing or other forms of business operations. The NFL is so unique as a sport that it is on a level that no other sport, save perhaps baseball in the first half of the 20th Century, has ever achieved in its existence in North America. There are so many exceptions and "onlies" surrounding their operations that it would be pointless for any other league of any other sport to try to be like them – completely. In fact, there is only one other professional sport globally that can compete with the impact that the NFL has on the US and North America – and that is major professional "futball" leagues across the globe, like the UEFA Champions League and its associated leagues.
ESPN should be careful that they do not allow the "E" in their name to outweigh the "S". As the so-called "Worldwide Leader In Sports" tries more original programming and movies, they are moving dangerously away from being a Sports network towards an Entertainment network. They are giving tenuous explanations that what they are showing is actually "sport" (poker, competitive eating, etc.). It would be a good idea for them to remember that it is emphasis on the four "major" team sports (and the "major" individual sports of golf, tennis and auto racing) is what made them in their first 25 years. Returning to the days of cheerleading contests and tractor pulls won't get them to the next 25 years.
Gambling will destroy a sport if it is allowed to permeate the game. The primary reason why players, owners, coaches and officials gambling on their sport is bad for the game is very simple: their own self interest of their wagers overrules the interest of their team or their sport. Even if a player is betting on his own team, it overrules the concept of being a "team player" because the player is trying to win more than just a game. Thus, it is for this reason and this reason alone that any athlete, official, owner or manager who is caught gambling on his sport should be suspended from the game indefinitely. Suspensions for drug use, law breaking, and other assorted misbehavior are minor compared to gambling. And yes, I am including performance-enhancing drugs in that generalization. The absolute worst thing for a sport is for their officials/referees/umpires to be "on the take". If the officiating is questioned because of gambling, the entire sport could be on the verge of collapse.
The law of averages suggest that even the worst team in a given sport will eventually win a championship. Someday, the Houston Texans will win the Super Bowl; the Memphis Grizzlies will win the NBA title; the Phoenix Coyotes will win the Stanley Cup, and the Washington Nationals will win the World Series. It might not happen in our lifetimes, nor may it happen while the team is playing where they are now – but it should happen. It actually takes more talent (in a backwards kind of way) to not win championships than it does to win them – which makes the 100-plus-year drought of the Chicago Cubs all that much more impressive.

Sunday Afternoon Thoughts

2010-10-31T17:19:00.002-05:00

Some random thoughts for a Sunday afternoon:

The Texas Rangers made history Saturday night, posting the first World Series win for a team based in Texas. If you recall, the Houston Astros were swept in the '05 Series by the White Sox. It'd be interesting to look up what the record of World Series home teams by each state would be. Obviously, my money would be on New York being the leader in the clubhouse.
On the flip side: Ron Washington is working hard at becoming the 2010 Grady Little Award winner for worst management of a bullpen in the majors. What is it about some managers that they just lose all sorts of common sense about their pitching staffs when the post-season rolls around?
So much for the "perfect season" in Nashville. Preds now have a two-game losing streak and a West coast road trip staring them down. The conventional wisdom is that you don't really get the sense of what kind of team you have until you've reached the quarter-pole mark (20 games in); that won't be until the day before Thanksgiving for the Preds. There is one disturbing statistic that has reared its ugly head: after going 4-of-13 on the power play in the first three games of the year, Nashville has gone 1-of-26 since that time. Shades of last spring...
All right, I'm getting a bit perturbed on FarmVille. These "Special Delivery" boxes are supposed to give you something you can use on your farm. Well, all they've given me is vehicle parts. And truth is, I don't have any vehicles that I can upgrade. Sure, I don't have a full garage (13 of 20 vehicles), but why give me parts when I don't have any vehicles that need upgrading? And, of course, there's the twenty "post this to your wall?" questions as you're just trying to harvest or tend to your farm animals.
Not looking forward to returning to work tomorrow. And no, it's not just because it's the end of my vacation. It's because Tuesday the 2nd is Election Day - or, as I like to call it, "Choose My New Boss Day". Unfortunately, both options don't look very pleasant. Walker seems to like the "professionalism" of the LHS staff. Barrett has been very non-committal about things, but the problem is that there is a bit of truth in those anti-Barrett commercials: Barrett would be, essentially, a third term for Jim Doyle. And if that's the case, the same people who are currently in leadership roles in the state service - the ones who apparently would like to see EAS close - would still be around under the Milwaukee mayor's administration. Of course, there's that big hit against Scott Walker - he wants to "stick it" to state employees (make us pay our pensions, increase cost of health care). All of this means I might actually prefer to write in "None of the Above" as an option...

"Oh, by the way, the Whitewater Warhawks are still undefeated..."

First Time Here?

2010-10-28T14:56:00.010-05:00

For all of you who are Rangers fans for the 2010 World Series, take note: History is not on their side.
Of the 11 previous expansion teams to make it to their first World Series, only five of them have won it in their first attempt - and only two of them were American League squads (the '92 Jays and the 2002 Angels).
FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE WORLD SERIES
OF AN EXPANSION TEAM, 1961-2010

Year	Team	1st Game	Opponent	Series
1969	New York Mets (NL)	Lost, 4-1	Baltimore (AL)	Won in 5
1980	Kansas City Royals (AL)	Lost, 7-6	Philadelphia (NL)	Lost in 6
1982	Milwaukee Brewers (AL)	Won , 10-0	Saint Louis (NL)	Lost in 7
1984	San Diego Padres (NL)	Lost, 3-2	Detroit (AL)	Lost in 5
1992	Toronto Blue Jays (AL)	Lost, 3-1	Atlanta (NL)	Won in 6
1997	Florida Marlins (NL)	Won, 7-4	Cleveland (AL)	Won in 7
2001	Arizona Diamondbacks (NL)	Won, 9-1	New York (AL)	Won in 7
2002	Anaheim Angels (AL)	Lost, 4-3	San Francisco (NL)	Won in 7
2005	Houston Astros (NL)	Lost, 5-3	Chicago (AL)	Lost in 4
2007	Colorado Rockies (NL)	Lost, 13-1	Boston (AL)	Lost in 4
2008	Tampa Bay Rays (AL)	Lost, 3-2	Philadelphia (NL)	Lost in 5
2010	Texas Rangers (AL)	Lost, 11-7	San Francisco (NL)	TBD
	Washington Nationals (NL)*	None	Never appeared in WS
	Seattle Mariners (AL)	None	Never appeared in WS

* - Formerly Montreal Expos, 1969-2004.

The MNLCS is over!

2010-09-13T23:22:00.002-05:00

It took them six games, but the 2008 Brewers proved themselves to be the best NL team in Milwaukee baseball history.

For those of you just tuning in, I had completed previously a "Selig Series" between the 1982 AL champion Brewers and the '08 squad, where the '08 Crew came one game away from a sweep (due to, as I later learned, a transcription error on the part of me in regards to Moose Haas' ERA rating).

When that series was over, my natural instinct was to have the '08 squad take on the other great NL team in Milwaukee history, the 1957 Braves. This series I dubbed the Milwaukee National League Championship Series - and it turned out to be a (relatively) close series.

The Brewers and Braves split the first four games, but it was CC Sabathia's solid performance in game five (scattering 10 hits and striking out six) that turned the tide towards the Crew. The Brewers clinched the series in game six, with a masterful performance by Ben Sheets - and despite a major scare from Salomon Torres.

There are a few things that I learned from this series:

"Spahn and Burdette, One Day Wet, and maybe Buhl yet" wasn't just a saying - it was the truth. The two big guns of the '57 Braves starting rotation were 2-2 in the series;
Bob Hazle was amazing for the Braves, but Rickie Weeks and JJ Hardy both had a better series. Hazle went 9-15 with a HR and 3 RBI (and he didn't even play in game four), but Weeks went 10-26 with a homer, 4 RBI and a 1.044 OPS. Hardy went 7-25 with 9 RBI and a HR.
Jeff Suppan sucks rocks. He was so incredibly bad that I actually changed the roster and activated a semi-healthy Ben Sheets to pitch game six. This turned out to be a good move, since Sheets struck out six in 7.2 innings.
LONGBALL, as a game, tends to favor the hitter over the pitcher by a wide margin. I was getting consecutive rolls of walks and hits, and I was openly wondering if the pitcher on the mound could actually get ANYONE out.

Anyways, as a final act to this theoretical championship post-season, I've decided to have the other 95-win team in Brewers history - the 1979 AL team - to take on the '08 Brewers. Game one has Mike Caldwell going up against Sabathia.

LONGBALL and the NEXT question...

2010-09-03T04:27:00.002-05:00

As I'm dissatisfied with the performance of the current Brewers squad, I've decided to continue playing my "greatest Milwaukee team" series - except the 2008 squad is now facing what could be its toughest opponent yet: the 1957 Milwaukee Braves.

Yes, there are four, count 'em, 4 hall of famers in the starting lineup for game one for the Braves (Aaron, Mathews, Schoendienst and Spahn). And it may be a shock for the Crew's players when they step out for games three and four and see a relatively brand-new ballpark in Milwaukee - and it's not Miller Park.

I'll post some updates about the series as it goes along. My eventual goal is to play out another series between the winner of this one and the 1979 Brewers - arguably the best Brewers team in AL history (that, unfortunately, ended up eight games behind the Orioles juggernaut of Earl Weaver and company).

Selig Series Goes To....

2010-09-01T17:57:00.002-05:00

The Bud Selig Series is over. The 2008 squad won in five games - it wasn't really close at all, in truth - but there were some moments that brought out a couple of issues I have with LONGBALL.

First of all, in game four, Moose Haas threw a no-hitter.

I'll let that sink in for a moment. It wasn't until after the fact that I realized I had transcribed his Pitcher Rating (the I-II-III-IV rating based on ERA) incorrectly. Because of the Type Adjustments that affect the first 13 spots on the playing board - which are pretty much all the hits on the board - he got break after break. The game ended with Mike Cameron grounding out to Jim Gantner for the final out.

I made a change afterward to the game board - the type adjustments for spots 8-13 on the board are now only good if the result came from the pitcher's rating card, and not the hitter's.

Sanity was restored in game five when CC Sabathia shut out the '82 squad - but that game had its own drama. First of all, Sabathia homered off of Vukovich in the bottom of the fourth. In the fifth, I had to give a "warning" to both benches as Vukovich hit Fielder for the second time in the game - and his fifth on the night. (I think it was more that I was getting tired of rolling HBP calls by that point, but still).

In the top of the ninth, CC got two quick outs from Simmons and Thomas, but then Ben Oglivie drew a walk. Marshall Edwards (who has an F-9 rating) went in to pinch-run for Benji (an S-3), and advanced to second on a Charlie Moore infield hit. Gantner hit a little bloop into left that loaded the bases - and once again a pinch-hitter was called on by Harvey Kuenn. Since he'd already used Rob Picciolo, Mark Brouhard and Edwards, the only one he had left on the bench was backup catcher Ned Yost.

On a 1-0 pitch, Yost hit a line drive that caught everyone by surprise - especially Charlie Moore, who was on the run between second and third. The ball hit him squarely in the posterior region and caromed towards second, where Weeks scooped the ball up and tagged second. The umpire at second immediately threw his hands up in the air and called Moore out to end the game and the series.

I actually had to do a double-check of the rule for that result; if a batter is hit by a line drive when they are not standing on the bag, they are considered out and the ball is dead.

Anyways... I think I've finally put the finishing touches on the game to where I can use it on a regular basis - including updated rating cards, scorecards and count sheets.

Selig Series Update

2010-08-26T05:02:00.005-05:00

Wow.

I finished Game Three of my mythical Bud Selig Series (82 Crew vs. 08 Wild Card) last night, the first game at Miller Park - and it was a barn-burner.

The AL squad actually took its first lead of the series in the first as the famed Harvey's Wallbangers played little-ball with a dink single by Ben Oglivie, and a walk by, of all people, Gorman Thomas. Dave Bush settled down, however, and did not give up another hit in the next six innings before giving way to Seth McClung.

The NL squad seemed to put the game away after a dropped fly ball by Oglivie (he lost it in the sun angle of the first-base "arch" windows, apparently) let in the first run by the '08 Crew. Corey Hart doubled to right center to give the National Brewers the 3-2 lead.

The way Bush was cruising (and a solo homer by Prince Fielder in the bottom of the 7th off Pete Ladd), it looked like the latter-day Crew were going to take their third straight win of the series - especially as Salomon Torres took the mound in the top of the ninth.

That was when Ted Simmons laced a single to left. Kuenn took the lumbering catcher out for a pinch runner - Ned Yost. After Oglivie lined out to J.J. Hardy (who would be key in the coming drama), Gorman Thomas rapped a single to left that put runners on first and second with one out. Charlie Moore popped up to Craig Counsell (who had taken over for an injured Billy Hall in the 7th), and it looked like all Torres had to do was get Jim Gantner out.

On a 1-1 pitch, Gantner laced a single to right. Yost and Thomas were off with the pitch, so Yost scored and Thomas beat the throw in to third. Torres was rattled, and it took everything backup catcher Mike Rivera had to keep his first pitch to pinch-hitter Mark Brouhard from skittering to the backstop. Meanwhile, Gantner took second on the play.

Brouhard lanced a line drive up the middle to bring both Thomas and Gantner in, tying the score, 5-5. Torres ended up walking Molitor. Cecil Cooper, who had been switched to 2nd in the order by Kuenn after two horrendous outings in the first two games (including four K's against Sabathia in game 1), looked like he was about to clear the bases on a 2-0 line drive.

Hardy, however, managed to snag the ball before it headed into the outfield, ending the threat. Though Hardy drew a walk off AL Crew reliever Jerry Augustine, the NL squad couldn't muster any more runs in their half of the ninth, and the game headed into extra innings.

The latter-day Brewers were having issues on the injury front besides Hall, who looks to be out for the rest of the series. Catcher Jason Kendall was hurt on a freak play at first in the bottom of the eighth, when Pete Ladd made an error trying to field a comebacker. Kendall apparently twinged his ankle as he crossed first. Rivera was already announced as the pinch-hitter for McClung, so Dale Sveum sent out game one starter CC Sabathia to pinch run for Kendall. Rivera singled and Cameron and Counsell drew walks to score CC.

Mitch Stetter went out there for the top of the 10th, and Robin Yount greeted him with a hot smash to shortstop. Hardy couldn't get a good grip on the ball and it went flying out of his hands as Yount made it to first on the error. Yost struck out, but then Oglivie sent what looked like a tailor-made double-play ball to Hardy. He promptly tossed it over the head of Rickie Weeks, giving the AL Crew two runners on. Thomas loaded the bases on a little dribbler to left.

And that was when Mitch Stetter made a play he'd probably rather forget. Moore hit a chopper that hit Stetter's glove, bounced off the mound and over to an onrushing Prince Fielder. Prince tagged out Moore, but was late on his toss back to Rivera to get Yount.

Augustine went back out for the bottom of the ninth for the 82 Crew, hoping to protect the lead. Despite a single and stolen base by Mike Cameron, Ryan Braun came up with two outs, staring down defeat and a three-two count. Braun laced a single to shallow left, but Oglivie fielded the ball and kept Cameron from scoring. Braun actually stole second on the next pitch, but Yost didn't even bother a throw, not wanting to let Cameron tie the game.

Fielder took two big swings and misses on Augustine's curveballs, but managed to work the count full. And that was when Augustine hung one. The lefty knew it as soon as it crossed the plate - and as soon as he saw Fielder's eyes light up like a Christmas tree.

Fielder's drive hit the clock above the Dew Deck in right field, and Uecker was insistent that the ball was still going up as it did so. As Cameron and Braun rounded the bases, Fielder was almost joyously ripping his jersey off in celebration.

Game four is set for "tonight" (by the way, a big thanks to Cassie Wells for her help with the series), with Manny Parra facing Moose Haas.

LONGBALL notes

2010-08-25T19:00:00.002-05:00

I finally got enough info and stuff together that I could play out a few games using LONGBALL. In the process, I remembered a few things about the game:

It is incredibly tedious to go from looking up rolls on a rating card to the playing board.
Some of the results on the boards can be very unrealistic. For example, in the first "test game" I played (2009 Brewers at 2009 Rays), there were a grand total of seven hit batsmen by both teams. Of course, I had to "guess" on a lot of the results when I recreated the playing board, since I still haven't found my copy of the playing board (and probably won't until I finally shell out $ for a replacement game - which won't happen soon).
Though the pitch endurance concept that I came up with was good to start, it makes more sense to do it the way I do now - one d8 for the ball count, one d6 for the strike count.
I'm currently playing out the "Selig Series" - the 1982 Brewers vs. the 2008 Brewers. In game one, CC Sabathia threw a three-hitter (with three HBP?) in a 6-2 game one win at County Stadium. Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy homered for the New Crew off of Mike Caldwell. In game two, Pete Vukovich didn't even get through the fifth inning; Gabe Kapler (who was starting in place of Bill Hall, as the DH), Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun all homered to hang an ocho on the '82 Crew. Yovanni Gallardo went six innings, allowing three runs. Eric Gagne closed the game out, though it took a base running mistake by Gorman Thomas in the 9th to squash a potential comeback rally. With one away, he singled to right and Corey Hart threw to the plate to try to get Ted Simmons, who led off the inning with a single and was advanced to second by Ben Oglivie. Simmons was safe at the plate, but Jason Kendall threw out Thomas trying to take second on the play. Gagne got Roy Howell to pop out to third to end the game.
That's the other thing about the playing board - a lot more pop fly outs than ground outs. I suspect that if I had a copy of the real board, I'd see that the grounders were spread out a bit more.
Because of the HBP fiascoes I mentioned, I actually had to re-write the entire list for one of the results on the main board (namely, 44). I had a fun one that I added for runners on first and second (A bonus no-prize for the first person who gets where the play came from): "Batter hits dribble down first base line; as first baseman tries to tag him out, batter intentionally swats ball out of his glove; batter is declared out by umpire (3-UA; roll one die: odd - batter is ejected from game for arguing; even - batter remains in game); runners advance one base;"
Doing the stats can be incredibly tedious, especially when it comes to guessing a player's Injury Factor. Molitor was healthy most of the '82 season, but I still rated him as a "2".
I still haven't used the park factor add-ons that I'd created way back in '94, mostly because I'm not interested in using even more charts and tables to play a simple game.
I've only used the stolen base a couple of times, though I could use it even more frequently, because neither Simba nor Kendall are very good at throwing out runners (Simmons is a T-4, Kendall a T-5).
Hits and scoring plays all tend to happen at one time because of a series of bad rolls - which does detract from the play of the game. And the Pitcher Ratings (the I-II-III things) don't help minimize that as much as they could (though that is a symptom of not knowing the board, of course).

I'm in the middle of playing out game three of the Selig Series at Miller Park right now. The 82 Crew had a 2-0 lead, but the 08 squad just took the lead on a series of errors by Cooper and Oglivie. Cooper, by the way, is having a nightmare series: seven strikeouts in 11 plate appearances. Yeeeah.

Longball Update

2010-08-22T21:33:00.002-05:00

I spent some time doing a "recreation" of the LONGBALL playing board, and actually did a fair to middling job of doing so - to the point where I could actually play a game between Tampa and Milwaukee (at Tropicana Field). The Brewers won in the 10th on a really weird play - bases loaded, runner on second was hit by a line drive while the winning run on third scored.

Longball Revisited

2010-08-14T20:42:00.003-05:00

The latest project of mine that has me running about is a reconstruction of an old baseball simulation board game that I got back in the 1980's. It was advertised frequently in the pages of Baseball Digest (which was probably the reason why I bought a copy of the game).

The game was Longball, produced by Ashburn Industries. It was actually a pretty simple game to master, as you didn't have to know some rare calculus to create a player card as in APBA or Strat-O-Matic. If you had some basic stats (batting average, home runs, ERA), you could simulated a pretty reasonable facsimile of a major league baseball game.

About a dozen or so years after I bought the game, I tried to update the rules to reflect the increase in statistical knowledge of baseball - things like park factors, tying stats to particular hitting and pitching styles, adding a pitch count to endurance ratings, and things of that nature.

However, after I got married, the game got put on the back burner - especially since by that time I'd gotten into computer baseball games like Earl Weaver (EA Sports first foray into baseball games) and APBA and SOM's online versions.

Somewhere along the way, though, my playing boards disappeared. I still have the rating cards, the rule book and my "adjustments" to the rules - but no play result boards. The rule book did have some "alternate" versions of the playing boards, but they didn't help in some situations.

So, I've spent the last week or so doing some "recreation" of the playing boards, using what little I remember of the real boards and combining a little bit of what the charts in the rule book have for the results. I've actually done a pretty good job - including adding a couple of "updates", like a play description that turns a home run into a ground-rule double because of replay.

That doesn't mean that I've stopped looking for my playing boards, though. And, if anyone else out there has the game, and still has the game boards (the ones from Ashburn Industries, not from Skor-Mor), feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I'd love to at least have a detailed photo or scan of the boards.

I do wonder, though, whatever happened to Ashburn Industries and whether or not the copyright for the game expired. Who knows? It might be all retro to bring back the game to the 21st century.

Some Random Thoughts

2010-07-22T18:25:00.003-05:00

I never enjoy looking out my front window and seeing the street in front of my place turning into a river. I especially don't like it when it's the second time I've seen it happen in the last three years.

Anyways, on to other things:

The surrender flag was flown months ago in the Brewers nation. We're all just spending the last week and a half of this month trying to figure how Doug Melvin is going to screw up with the Prince Fielder issue. That and figuring out what dirt Ken Macha has on him that he's still employed as a manager.
Two new websites to peruse: Formspring.me, which is an internet Q&A site along the lines of Twitter and Facebook - except it's all about asking questions (theoretically, anyways). Also, there's Scribd, which is where you can publish pretty much anything as an online digital download. Feel free to check out the stuff I've put up there.
Remind me again why I bother to keep my Yahoo mail account? Yes, I've had the thing since Yahoo first delved into the internet portal business back in the mid-90's, but I'm not kidding about my update: 99.58% spam since 1996. I get practically nothing in the way of legitimate e-mail through that account.
The merger between the two Pewaukees is all but dead after the village rejected the creation of a street utility district that was a key part of the merger. That idea of "The City of Pewaukee Lake" is looking better and better every day, IMNSHO.
I'm currently reading one of the three most depressing books of the Bible - the book of Judges. (The other two, at least in my opinion, are Job and Ecclesiastes.) I didn't know that Saul wasn't the first person who was "named" the king of Israel. (Points to you if you know who it was, by the way.)
Ironic moment of the month: Armando Galarraga, the Tigers pitcher who lost his perfect game/no-hit bid because of a mistake made by umpire Jim Joyce, was sent down to Toledo of the International League earlier this month. He's back up in Detroit due to injuries, but how lousy do you think the news of Galarraga's demotion made Joyce feel?
R.I.P., Ralph Houk. As far as I know, he and I were not related, but it always made me feel great when I heard his name being mentioned in baseball. What's sad is that he spent most of his career as Yogi Berra's backup catcher, when he could have started with practically any other major league team. He also lost some time due to World War II, so he really could have been a great player; he made up for it by being a halfway decent manager (904 wins, three pennants, two World Championships).

Don't Know What You Got

2010-06-17T21:32:00.002-05:00

I don't like talking about my workplace online. There are two reasons for this: one, it's considered to be borderline breach of conduct, especially if I'm criticizing my employers. Two, it's because of who I work for - namely, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

However, I might not be working much longer for the DOC, nor the state. It got a lot of play nationally a few weeks ago that the state of Wisconsin is considering closing the state's oldest juvenile detention facility (aka "Boys School"), located in Wales.

For those of you who don't know: Waukesha has been home for the state's school for delinquent male youth for over a century, and for the last 51 years that has been at the site of the old State Tuberculosis hospital on the side of Lapham Peak. Though the place has been in regular use for all those years, it is currently at a historic low in terms of population. In fact, the Average Annual Daily Population is projected to be lower than any time since the institution was completed (with all its living units open) in 1961.

There are a lot of issues as to why that is occurring - the greatest of which is, of course, money. It's not cheap to send youth who are convicted of crimes that would require them to serve six months or more in adult prisons to a facility - especially when they are charged a daily rate that will become $275 per day per youth as of July 1.

Even though the committee could not recommend closure of a facility, there's still that bad feeling that surrounded the vote - namely, five of the eight members who voted chose the option that would close Ethan Allen. The reasons that were given were so "out there" that I can't even begin to touch on them all.

The one that got completely glossed over, of course, was the travel issue. The bottom line is this: from the DOC headquarters in Madison, it is 53 miles (less than an hour, really) to the front door of Ethan Allen School. To Lincoln Hills, it's 166 miles - and not all of that is freeway. That is NOT going to be cheap for counties that send youth to a JCI (Juvenile Corrections Institution) over the long run.

In essence, it's almost like charging for an extra day or two just to transport the youth to and from the institution. Think about it: average youth is incarcerated for about nine months; assume there's at least one court hearing as he enters his reintegration phase (last 30-60 days of his stay); that's a total of four round trips for sheriff deputies for one kid. Roughly, that's about an extra 2,000 miles and another 12 hours of pay per trip. That could mean about $600 more in the way of expenses for one youth, just on the basis of trips - and yes, I'm worst-casing it about gas mileage, cost of fuel and the likelihood that the deputies are high-seniority with high hourly pay rates.

There's the other side of the story, of course - one that Eugene Kane (a man I don't normally agree with, by the way) brought up the week before the JCRC met for the final time. Namely, the distance would alienate youth from their families and support base. Yes, I know the arguments about how their families should have been stopping them before they got put at EAS, but sometimes it takes their little Johnny going off to prison to make them wake up and realize that they need to get involved in his life.

This is where I think the committee was grossly misinformed. They were led to believe that the number of visits at both institutions are "essentially the same". What they were being told was that LHS uses a great deal of videoconferencing to allow families to have contact with their kids up in Irma. That's all well and good, but have you ever tried to hug a video camera?

The truth of the matter is, EAS has about four times more in-person visits than LHS. And, if the state didn't run a charter bus from Milwaukee to Irma essentially once a month (and on the weekends only every other month), I'd suspect the ratio would be even greater.

There is one other area that should make people in Waukesha very nervous: what happens to EAS when it's closed? The state has never completely abandoned a facility that they have closed, at least not to my knowledge and certainly not in recent years. Besides, abandonment of EAS is out of the question, since there are at least three buildings on grounds that are on the National Register of Historic Places. So it's likely that the institution would be repurposed for something else - and the press release that announced the committee's formation has a clue as to what that might be:

Under any option to reduce juvenile institutional space, the committee also will examine options for converting it, including possible creation of a new juvenile community-based program or an adult alcohol and other drug (AODA) treatment facility (emphasis mine) to address higher demand expected under Wisconsin’s new, tough drunk driving legislation.

Yes, that's right, people of Delafield-Wales - your Boys School would become Wales Correctional Institution. And a lot of the people who worked there before would be gone from your community - likely including me.

That might not sound like a big issue - capitalism, after all, suggests that someone else would come in and spend their money in the stores and places that exist on the Highway 83 corridor. How much of that, though, might not be replaced? I once figured out that if I were to stop and get a large coffee and a doughnut (or cookie or whatever) from the local Kwik Trip in Wales (and don't ask "which one?") every day that I would be working, it would come out to just about $1,000 a year.

To be on the conservative side of estimates, let's say that the people who currently work at EAS spent maybe $200,000 at Kwik Trip a year. Some employees don't spend any money there; some get a lot of stuff (including, of course, gas) - we can pretty much assume that it evens out. Now, let's say that converting EAS to an adult facility means a 25% reduction in staff. That means a drop of about $25k a year.

Let's go back to our wonderful committee. They have said that if EAS were to be the one to stay open, they'd have to likely hire about 100 new staff to accommodate the extra youth. Go back up there and make that $200k figure a nice, robust $300k.

There's your pocketbook answer, Waukesha: rather have an extra $100,000 in your pocket, or $25,000 less?

Some random thoughts

2010-06-14T21:29:00.002-05:00

There's a really good reason why I haven't written much lately. But let me try to get up to speed with things:

I'm kind of glad that the Big 12 didn't implode after Nebraska and Colorado left. However, I'm wondering if the Big 10 and Big 12 have to switch monikers now?
I still think Bucky would win in a fight with that Nebraska Husker guy.
I failed to mention this elsewhere, but I'm saddened over the passing of Dana Key (the other half of DeGarmo and Key). Those two, along with Larry Norman, Keith Green, Stryper and Rez Band, were five Christian rock acts of the 1980's that I wish I would have had the opportunity to see in concert. It's almost eerie that I had just picked up a digital copy of Communication the week before he died.
My apologies to my cousins and other family that live up there, but dear Lord, there is nothing up in Merrill, Wisconsin! It reminds me of the rural parts of Middle Tennessee - mainly, Sumner County. Except there's no Nashville less than an hour away.

My Take On Imperfection

2010-06-04T07:42:00.002-05:00

As much ado as has been made of the situation that happened in Cleveland on Wednesday night, I have been pretty much on the opposite side of the fence as many of the mainstream media types are.

I do not believe that MLB should "take away" the hit, nor do I believe that this is a clarion call for instant replay to be implemented. I have pointed out to some critics that this is not the first time that an umpire made a mistake that "robbed" a pitcher of a perfect game (Hello, Bruce Froemming and Milt Pappas), nor is it the biggest mistake made by an umpire (Don Denkinger, please pick up the Whitey Herzog courtesy phone).

However, there's one nagging question that I have: why didn't the official scorer at Progressive "It's Still Jacobs To Me" Field just do the magnanimous thing and call it an error? I'd have been much more comfortable with Galarraga having a no-hitter with an error than a one-hitter with a bad umpiring call.

40 from 20 - CCM classics from 1972-92

2010-05-23T07:19:00.002-05:00

When you listen to today's gospel music - stuff from the last 20 years or so of Christian music, the kind of music they play on K-LOVE and Contemporary Christian stations - you can forget easily that CCM didn't just happen overnight.

In fact, here are 40 songs from the first 20 years (approximately) of the "Christian Rock" era - 1972 to 1992. Some of the artists listed here are no longer active in making music (including the dearly departed Larry Norman). Others are still going strong today. Some of these songs I remember listening to regularly in HS and college; others I only know tangentially but never got to hear back then because there was no such thing as Christian Rock radio.

As you listen to the music on these videos - and I'll admit, some of them aren't exactly the best in the world - keep in mind not only how much Christian music has changed over the years, but how much it has stayed the same. Especially when the focus is still on Christ.

Alleleuia, Christ Is Coming – DeGarmo & Key
Calling On You – Stryper
Destined To Win – DeGarmo & Key w/Jesse Dixon
Easter Song – Keith Green
El Shaddai – Amy Grant
Friends – Michael W. Smith
God Gave Rock 'n Roll To You – Petra [Original Version]
Gods Of Men – Randy Stonehill
Great Is The Lord – Michael W. Smith
I Want To Be A Clone – Steve Taylor
In The Kingdom – Whitecross
Lead Me On – Amy Grant
Living In Laodicea – Steve Camp
Love's Not A Feeling – Don Francisco
More Power To Ya – Petra
Old Man's Rubble – Amy Grant
Praise The Lord – The Imperials
Praise Ye The Lord – Petra
Reach Out – Stryper
Rise Again – Dallas Holm & Praise
Sail On – Chris Christian [Imperials version]
So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt – Keith Green
The Champion – Carmen
The Coloring Song - Petra
The Warrior Is A Child – Twila Paris
There Is A Redeemer – Keith Green
Trumpet Of Jesus – The Imperials
Via Dolorosa – Sandy Patty
We Are The Reason – David Meece
We Will Stand – Russ Taff
What A Difference You Made In My Life – B.J. Thomas
Where Do You Hide Your Heart – Amy Grant
Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music? – Larry Norman
Wish We'd All Been Ready – Larry Norman
Stranger to Danger - Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart
People In A Box - Farrell & Farrell
Place In This World - Michael W. Smith
Bread Upon The Water - The Imperials
Crimes - Resurrection Band
Get Ready - Sweet Comfort Band

A note on those last six songs: They are NOT the songs I think of when I hear the names of the artists/bands, but they were the only videos I could find. That needs to be kept in mind about CCM from the 1970's and 80's - before Stryper, not a lot of it was making it onto MTV or other mainstream music video outlets.

Dreary Sunday

2010-04-25T13:07:00.002-05:00

It's scary when you find out that your last name was the name of a Polish post-grunge metal band that disbanded in 2003 - via Google search.

Anyways:

Oh, surprise: Marian Hossa is going to be brought in to the NHL's offices for a hearing on his hit to Dan Hamhuis. Gee, that's nice. Too bad that's like locking the door after the horses have run from the barn.
Hamhuis, Hornqvist, Tootoo - we're a bunch of walking wounded in Nashville. You know things are bad when Denis Grebeshkov is getting significant playing time in a playoff game; you know Trotz has thrown in the towel if Wade Belak starts tonight.
This should say it all (and yes, I'm aware I messed up with the phone number):
Seriously though: How in the world do you explain the issues this team has had on the power-play, and how in the world do you fix them? And who is responsible for this mess? Is it really all because Hornqvist isn't out there that we're having so much trouble?
Okay, someone want to explain how the Crew can hang 20 on the Pirates, but lose two to the Cubs - and already be down 3-0 in the top of the first today? (Oh by the way -had to look it up, but this was the fourth time Milwaukee has scored 20 in a game. Milwaukee put up 20 against the Tigers in 1996, and against the Angels in 1990 - both were 20-7 wins. The 20 run difference tied the largest margin of victory in team history, as the Brewers beat the Jays 22-2 in August of 1992 at the SkyDome.)

Thought of the day: "Life is what happens to us between hockey games." - Fred Shero.

My personal observation: "I'd really prefer if I didn't have much of a life after tomorrow." (Admirals and Predators are both in elimination games tomorrow evening...)

If you're not the lead dog...

2010-04-24T15:58:00.002-05:00

I have come to an agonizing conclusion in the sports world:

If you're not in New York, Boston, DC, Chicago, Dallas or LA, the only way anyone who cares about sports is going to give you the time of day is if you win a championship. Otherwise, they'll give you thirty seconds of airtime, then move on to something else.

Case in point - today's Nashville/Chicago playoff game on NBC. Doc Emmerick and Eddie Olczyk spent maybe about 30 seconds analyzing David Legwand's first goal of the game, with maybe one or two replays. When Andrew Ladd scored a few minutes later - BAM! About a dozen different angles, and about a good minute or two droning on about how Ladd got left all alone, how the play was set up, blah blah blah.

For all the times that Emmerick dropped Shea Weber and Ryan Suter's names on the Olympic hockey telecasts, you'd think they might have spent a little less time analyzing a game-tying goal. But no - because the goal was scored by the home team, the one who plays in the Big City, you gotta spend countless minutes analyzing how the light reflecting off of Jonathan Toews' skate blades blinded the hapless defender just long enough to cause a turnover that led to a goal... Oy.

There are times when I would wish nothing more than for all four major league team sports to not have a single team from any of the Big Six cities in their post-season dances. But the odds are too good that they will have at least one.

2010 NHL Goals Created All-Stars

2010-04-19T03:31:00.003-05:00

2010 FINAL NATIONAL LEAGUE GOALS CREATED/HART/VEZINA POINTS ALL-STARS

NHL GOALS CREATED TOP 10
_Player____________Tm_Pos_GP__G__A_PTS_+/-_PM_ATOI___GC__
Alex Ovechkin......WAS LW 72 50 59 109 +45 89 21.80 149.2
Henrik Sedin.......VAN CE 82 29 83 112 +35 48 19.65 144.4
Nicklas Backstrom..WAS CE 82 33 68 101 +37 50 20.45 135.3
Sidney Crosby......PIT CE 81 51 58 109 +15 71 21.95 120.2
Daniel Sedin.......VAN LW 63 29 56 .85 +36 28 19.08 119.5
Alexander Semin....WAS LW 73 40 44 .84 +36 66 19.12 116.5
Mike Green.........WAS DF 75 19 57 .76 +39 54 25.48 112.1
Zach Parise........NJD LW 81 38 44 .82 +24 32 19.77 104.3
Joe Thornton.......SAN CE 79 20 69 .89 +17 54 19.85 103.1
Patrick Kane.......CHI RW 82 30 58 .88 +16 20 19.20 102.9

HART TROPHY ALL-STARS
EASTERN CONFERENCE

C - Sidney Crosby, PIT (81 GP, 120.2 GC, 167.1 FPTS, 105.1 HART)
LW - Alex Ovechkin, WAS (72 GP, 149.2 GC, 201.5 FPTS*, 127.4 HART*)
RW - Marian Gaborik, NYR (76 GP, 99.0 GC, 137.9 FPTS, 83.9 HART)
D - Mike Green, WAS (75 GP, 112.1 GC, 148.0 FPTS, 110.5 HART)
D - Chris Pronger, PHI (82 GP, 72.8 GC, 106.0 FPTS, 77.3 HART)
G - Martin Brodeur, NJD (77 GP, 187.25 FPTS, 56.98 HART*, 134.11 VZNA)
G - Ryan Miller, BUF (69 GP, 177.36 FPTS, 49.19 HART, 131.47 VZNA)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

C - Henrik Sedin, VAN (82 GP, 144.4 GC, 166.6 FPTS, 101.8 HART)
LW - Daniel Sedin, VAN (63 GP, 119.5 GC, 143.8 FPTS, 83.7 HART)
RW - Patrick Kane, CHI (82 GP, 102.9 GC, 126.8 FPTS, 73.5 HART)
D - Duncan Keith, CHI (82 GP, 87.3 GC, 108.3 FPTS, 86.7 HART)
D - Drew Doughty, LOS (82 GP, 76.1 GC, 110.0 FPTS, 77.5 HART)
G - Evgeni Nabokov, SAN (71 GP, 182.35 FPTS, 52.58 HART, 135.72 VZNA*)
G - Craig Anderson, COL (71 GP, 177.21 FPTS, 52.42 HART, 131.53 VZNA)
G - Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX (69 GP, 182.21 FPTS, 51.32 HART, 134.94 VZNA)

THE ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

C - Matt Duchene, COL (81 GP, 55.1 GC, 79.9 FPTS, 39.9 HART)
C - John Tavares, NYI (82 GP, 37.8 GC, 66.6 FPTS, 31.2 HART)
LW - T.J. Galiardi, COL (70 GP, 43.5 GC, 55.8 FPTS, 30.1 HART)
RW - Niclas Bergfors, NJD/ATL (81 GP, 33.5 GC, 54.4 FPTS, 22.6 HART)
D - Tyler Myers, BUF (82 GP, 59.3 GC, 74.7 FPTS, 53.0 HART**)
D - Ryan Wilson, COL (61 GP, 32.1 GC, 42.7 FPTS, 20.3 HART)
D - Cody Franson, NAS (61 GP, 35.1 GC, 41.9 FPTS, 18.2 HART)
G - Jimmy Howard, DET (63 GP, 156.88 FPTS, 43.43 HART, 123.52 VZNA)
G - Tuukka Rask, BOS (45 GP, 110.33 FPTS, 22.87 HART, 93.54 VZNA)

THE NO-STAR TEAM

C - Rod Brind'Amour, CAR (80 GP, -11.9 GC, 2.7 FPTS, -2.0 HART)
LW - Kyle Calder, ANA (14 GP, -5.4 GC, -3.1 FPTS, -2.0 HART)
RW - Fernando Pisani, EDM (40 GP, -8.5 GC, -5.6 FPTS, -3.4 HART)
D - Steve Staios, EDM/CGY (58 GP, -21.0 GC*, 3.1 FPTS, -5.6 HART)
D - Taylor Corney, EDM (42 GP, -18.6 GC, -15.1 FPTS#, -9.8 HART#)
G - Patrick Lalime, BUF (16 GP, 14.08 FPTS, 2.76 HART, 35.04 VZNA)
G - Devan Dubnyk, EDM (19 GP, 15.75 FPTS, 3.76 HART, 37.81 VZNA)
G - Yan Danis, NJD (12 GP, 12.55 FPTS#, 0.97 HART#, 22.41 VZNA#)

* - League Leader. ** - Leading Rookie. # - Worst in league (VZNA based on 10 GP minimum).

RED WINGS SOLD TO BALSILLIE!

2010-04-01T03:29:00.004-05:00

According to a news article posted on Topeka, Research In Motion magnate Jim Balsillie purchased the Detroit Red Wings from Little Caesar's Pizza honcho Mike Illitch.

Details were sketchy, but it's believed that Balsillie will move the team to Hamilton, Ontario for the 2010-11 season.

A press conference was scheduled for today at 4:01 PM.

No word as of yet from the NHL about the sale.

(If you can't guess by the reference to "Topeka" that this is a joke, you're obviously too far gone.)

Dear Bert, I'm Sorry.

2010-03-31T01:59:00.005-05:00

31 March 2010

Bert Blyleven
c/o Minnesota Twins
Target Field
1 Twins Way
Minneapolis, MN

Dear Bert,

First of all, I have to apologize. I am not a Twins fan, and have always been a fan of teams which you were always the opposition, not of my club. That's not to say that I never admired your work over the years; I always knew you were a good pitcher and you had a couple of World Series rings and everything, but you never pitched for my team.

In a way, I think, that's why it's a bit harder for me to break this to you and your faithful followers than anything else. I really don't like being the bearer of bad news, especially for someone who was, more often than not, "the enemy".

But, I'm going to have to level with you: you're not a Hall of Fame pitcher.

Not that I didn't get caught up in the numbers and everything. I mean, I've looked at the stats, done all the Sabermetrics and studied all the Bill James projections and what-not. But it kept bothering me - probably more than it should have - that you had yet to be selected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.

I think I've found out why.

I went through the "basics" of your numbers, just as Mr. James had suggested in his excellent book, Whatever Happened To The Hall of Fame?: Hall of Fame Standards, the Career Monitor, the Black/Gray Ink tests, comparisons to other players, Award Shares. It all looked too good for you to not be considered Hall-of-Famer. So, I set out to try to figure out what, exactly, was preventing you from being in Cooperstown already.

The first thing I did was look at that last area I mentioned - Award Shares. In looking at your career, I was surprised (at least at first) at how poorly you actually did in the Cy Young and MVP award voting. Only four seasons with at least one CYA vote, and two with token MVP votes, for a combined Award Share of .54. That does put you in the category of some pretty good pitchers - Mario Soto, Don Sutton, Dave McNally and J.R. Richard. But only Sutton is in the Hall of Fame.

So I had to do some further digging, Bert, and to do that I used a little metric of mine that I call Cy Young Points. You can find a better explanation of how it works elsewhere on this site; suffice to say that it takes the areas that most of the voters look at - wins, losses, ERA, WHIP Ratio, even Saves - and combines them into a number that is easy to understand, since it generally follows Wins. The best part about it is, it generally follows the CYA voting, in as much as the person with the best CYP total generally wins the Cy Young Award during a given season. It's not foolproof, but the CYA rarely goes to anyone who isn't at least in the top five in the CYP totals.

It's also great because you can use it to easily find the best seasons from an individual pitcher's career - like, say, yours. And it really wasn't too hard to discern your five best years: 1989 was your best, hands down; 1984 was next, followed by 1975, 1979 and 1973. Of the five, only in 1975 and 1979 did you not get any Cy Young votes.

Now, I think you may know why you didn't get any notoriety in 1979 - and it didn't take me too long to remember that year, either. I can only imagine how both incredibly great it was to be on a World Championship club that year - and, at the same town, how incredibly sucky it was to be far from the star pitcher on the team. It wasn't hard to see: John Candelaria, Jim Bibby, Kent Tekulve - all of them had as good, if not better, seasons than you did that year. You did, however, get a ring out of it, and a win (in relief, of all things) in game five.

That, however, isn't what concerned me. It was something else that just nagged me, especially when I started looking at your other "great" years. In 1973 and 1975, you had your "break-out" seasons as a pitcher for the Twins. Over the three year period from 1973-75, you won 52 games, struck out 740 batters, and were pretty much the ace of the Twins staff. That 1973 campaign, you struck out 258 batters - which was good enough that it may have led the league in many other seasons.

Except, of course, there was this guy named "Ryan" who struck out 383 that year, more than any other pitcher in the history of the AL. Two years later, when you struck out 233, it was still good enough that you might get a shake at the strikeout lead - and Ryan wasn't the strikeout pitcher he was two years prior.

That was when Frank Tanana had his 269 strikeout season, of course. And boy, it looked like Frank was on his way to something special back then, probably the same way you were with the Twins two years earlier. He, however, did something you never did: lose 18 in a single season.

Sure, you lost 17 five times (and, like him, led the AL in losses one year). But you were a lot better as you were collecting your World Series ring from the Pirates in the spring of 1980. That was a great time for you, I'd think (or at least hope) - you were essentially halfway to a 300-win career, and you'd been a key player on a pennant-winning team.

And then, in December, you were traded to the Cleveland Indians.

Now, I remember the Indians back then. They had so much promise - Joe Charbonneau, Miguel Dilone, Rick Manning, Len Barker. Heck, you were 7-3 when the strike hit in mid-June of 1981.

Boy, did things go downhill after that. The Tribe stunk after the players came back, and then there was the elbow injury the following year which you really didn't recover from until 1984.

The 1984 season was one of your finest, without a doubt. You did more with less in that season than almost any other pitcher in major league history. 19-7, 170 strikeouts, a 31.9 CYP total. It probably wouldn't have elevated the Indians out of sixth place that year, but you were arguably the best starting pitcher in the American League. And that should have meant a Cy Young Award for you.

Only problem: you weren't the best pitcher in the AL that year. I'd argue semantics over whether you were better than Dan Quisenberry - I say you were, if only because of the 19 wins - but when you look at the total picture, Willie Hernandez deserved his Cy Young Award in 1984. Part of me wonders if what happened to your former teammate Rick Sutcliffe that season didn't bother you to no end. He got out of Cuyahoga County and ended up nearly pitching the Cubs to a World Series. That might have been you.

Anyways, there's a recurring trend that is showing up in these "best" seasons of yours: someone else was always better. And what's frustrating is, we haven't even gotten to your best season, according to CYP: 1989.

1989 was a great season for you and the Angels: you were 11-2 through August 3rd, and the team had just taken a slim half-game lead over the defending AL champion Athletics with a win over the Mariners while the White Sox beat Oakland. You kept it up, ending the season with a 17-5 record, allowing only 76 runs - your lowest total since 1983 - and though the team had lost ground to the powerhouse "Bash Brothers" (aside note: you probably have every right to be angry over Canseco and McGwire's "apologies", if only because of this season - though you were 2-1 against the A's in '89), the Angels were still contending for a runner-up finish.

And, of course, on the penultimate day of the season, Bret Saberhagen threw a four-hitter against the A's, striking out 13 to win his 23rd on the season - and essentially clinching his Cy Young Award that year.

Bert, I'm truly sorry, but if you can't be the best pitcher in the league in your five best seasons, then maybe we shouldn't be considering you for Cooperstown.

That's not all, though. I did find out a few other things, after poking around more at those seasons (and the rest of your career):

Over your entire major league career, your teams went 1752-1741 in the games where you were on their roster (except for 1991). Your winning percentage was only 17.7 wins more than the rest of your teammates.
In your last season (1992 with the Angels) and your worst season (1988 with the Twins), your performance was, arguably, the reason why your team didn't perform better in the standings.
In the five years where you pitched for teams that were 90-wins or better (teams that could have won a pennant most years), you were a relatively mediocre 63-48 - which averages out to 13-10.
Based on the number of runs scored per game by your teams in the seasons when you played, and upon the number of runs you allowed (all runs, not just earned ones), you should have won 25.5 more games than would have been expected. In fact, most of your career was spent on teams that should have given you more than enough run support -but didn't.

Bert, I think you're a great guy, despite all the reports and such I've heard. I think, back in the early 1980's, I would have loved to have seen you in Brewer pinstripes. You probably would have gotten us over the hump, maybe even another pennant and even a World Series.

But no, I don't think you're a Hall of Famer.

The BBWAA might prove me wrong, of course. They have two more opportunities to vote you in, and you've picked up support over the last few years. I won't be sad or sorry if you do actually make it into the Hall of Fame, of course; there are wiser heads than me that have been watching baseball games longer that have the vote.

However, Mr. Blyleven, I honestly don't believe you really belong in the discussion.

And for that, I'm truly sorry.

Sincerely,
Joseph Houk

EDIT: Congratulations on your selection anyways. I still don't believe that you really deserve to be in the Hall, but you're definitely not going to be making things worse by being there. Robby, on the other hand...

The Rare Political Idea (All Politics Are Local Edition)

2010-03-26T19:42:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are unaware, I live in the village of Pewaukee, Wisconsin. I have to emphasize the word "village", though, because there are two Pewaukees - a city and a village.

Now, for the longest time, I had no idea why there were two Pewaukees. And at the same time, I heard all about these merger talks that would consolidate the two into one larger city. I kept wondering to myself, what exactly happened that caused this whole Pewaukee-within-a-Pewaukee thing?

Then, I happened to find out while randomly listening to that Biggest Stick In The State one afternoon. See, it used to be that there was the Village of Pewaukee and the Township of Pewaukee. The township was the traditional, old "Northwest Territories subdivision" of a county - one of sixteen in the county of Waukesha. Thing is, Pewaukee Township was located right next to the city of Waukesha - right by where the airport is located, and right where a couple of interchanges are located off I-94.

A couple of shopping plazas were built, and suddenly people in the township got annexation anxiety; the fear that the larger city would simply "eat up" the township's land and develop it, causing the township to lose tax revenue and a tax base. So, the township decided to incorporate as a city, essentially to "block" Waukesha from taking any more land. This happened in 1999 - about the same time that I moved to the village.

Now, this isn't all that bad, and I can understand why they did it, but I'm thinking that the township and the village should have gone in together on this incorporation thing instead of the township going off on its own to become a city. Because the two parts didn't do this, there is now a very unusual situation in Waukesha County: the city of Pewaukee surrounds the village of Pewaukee. In fact, you can travel down Capitol Drive and see two signs for "Pewaukee" - one that says "Population 11,783" and another that says "Population 8,170". The latter is for the village, while the former is for the city.

What this has led to has been a large boondoggle for both the city and village as millions of dollars have been spent on a "merger study" between the two Pewaukees. This wouldn't have been such a big issue if two major things didn't happen while the study was taking place:

The Village and the City both opened brand-new village/town halls, and
The City decided to do away with its police force, opting instead to "lease" the services of the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.

The latter move irked a lot of people in the Village, because it's a little like a couple who are engaged to be married and the groom-to-be decides to sell off his Mercedes 600SEL for a smart ForTwo coupe. Yeah, it's practical, but his wife doesn't care for small cars.

So the question is, how do we in the village deal with this whole merger thing, especially when it would mean closing down our brand new village hall and shutting down our police station - both of which would leave a rather large hole in the middle of the new city? This is essentially why the merger talks have dragged on and on and on (and not just over water and sewer issues).

I have a solution, though, that might make sense:

The city of Pewaukee Lake, Wisconsin.

Now, before there's too much outcry over this ("We were Pewaukee FIRST!" and all that), think of this: the Positively Pewaukee people have been advertising the businesses downtown as "Pewaukee On The Lake" a lot. And the village is located on the eastern shore of Pewaukee Lake, so it's not like it's a misnomer.

So how about it, people of the village? Instead of going all crazy over merging with Pewaukee, let's strike out on our own as the City of Pewaukee Lake. What's four more letters on outgoing mail, anyways?

Catching Up

2010-03-02T17:35:00.002-06:00

This just in: John Shuster just tried to swipe his ATM card, but it slipped and now a little old lady in Chisholm, Minnesota needs new glasses.

On to other things:

Why, why, why, why, WHY did it have to be Sidney Crosby? Nine times out of ten, that goal is scored by some absolute nobody that no one has ever heard of - the third-line guy who sneaks in and puts it by the goaltender because no one thinks of him as a scoring threat. The big star is practically never the guy to score that goal. What's worse, Sidney is now about ten times the National Hero in Canada than he was before. The man isn't going to have to buy dinner anywhere in any province for pretty much the rest of his life. Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal... sheesh.
Really? It went right through the net? I've seen Shea Weber's booming shot before, but even that impressed me.
Has the party stopped on Bourbon Street for the Saints yet? I lost track.
Dear Apollo: whining won't get you any more medals. It only make you lose respect in the eyes of the sports world. Good teams and good players overcome bad officiating.
The backtalk about "what's best for hockey" has already begun. It seems like there's a million ideas as how the NHL should take advantage of their Olympic "boost", but none of them are truly realistic. The NFL is all about the teams, while the NBA is all about the players - and the NHL is all about Canada. I don't have any ideas (other than my "power-play overtime" thingy), and I'm a bit too close to the sport to be objective.
Spring training has opened in Florida, and the first games are soon to start in the Arizona sunshine. There are a lot of interesting storylines, but the one I'm most concerned about is the starting rotation of the Brewers. Specifically, can any of these guys go enough innings and perform well enough that we can have Trevor Time on a regular basis?
The Bucks are currently in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings, which doesn't mean much with about a quarter of the season left. Brandon Jennings is helping this squad a lot, but I'm not sure they've got enough to hang with the Cavs, Hawks, Celtics or Magic - especially not in the playoffs.
I'm still waiting for a return call or e-mail about my glasses. I purchased a pair of glasses from an online retailer that advertises on XM Radio, and they arrived Monday - but, to my chagrin, they turned out to be smaller in size than my current pair. I went to get them adjusted today, but as the lab tech was fixing the temples, the right lens snapped out of the frame. I'm refraining from referring to the company until I get some sort of response back from them about the issue.

Post 501

2010-02-19T05:18:00.002-06:00

Boy, I didn't know I'd already hit 500 posts. Time flies, I guess. That's only about 6-7 posts a month since I started this blog.

Ah well... on to other things:

I can state categorically as an expert on the subject that it is not a good idea to spend too much time in close quarters with evil. That may sound a little cryptic, but given my occupation and how I've felt during my two days off this week, it fits. I'm not going to go into whats and whys on here, but suffice to say I haven't had a good week.
I did, however, get that brief respite from drudgery with the return of baseball cards. It actually made me dust off my 1982 Topps set (the one that I don't think I'll ever complete, thanks to Cal Ripken). I also realized something when I was going through the cards: boy, I was an idiot when it came to not keeping all my cards; the quality of the printing presses back in '82 was lousy, and so many cards were off-center and misprinted.
On that subject: is Topps doing some sort of "black foil" parallel this year, or is it a misprint that a couple of cards I pulled from a 55-card box had? If you haven't seen this year's Topps product, the team script logo is in the lower left-hand corner of the card, with the player's name in black with a foil border in the lower right-hand corner. A couple of cards had no apparent foil border around the name (which made it hard to see who the player was).
I do like the Million Card Giveaway, but why do I keep getting cards from an older set that I've already completed? Namely, the 1985 Topps set?
In a bit of an anarchist way, I like how Upper Deck did their non-sanctioned baseball card set this year. It actually makes the cards and such better, though it's annoying that all of the photos don't show the entire name of the team, nor does it give out complete names of the ballparks, either.

Awful Terrible No Good Very Bad... HEY!

2010-02-17T22:32:00.002-06:00

After having a lousy night at work, then not being able to get to sleep (and overindulging a bit while doing so), I thought I was going to have a lousy mid-week.

And then I realized that today was the four most beautiful words in the English language:

PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT.

Oh, sure, my guys won't be showing up to Maryvale until Sunday, but still...

And, to ease my pain a bit, I was reminded of the joy of the new baseball season by my overriding passion:

BASEBALL CARDS!

Of course, I had to get a pack of the "UNAUTHORIZED" Upper Deck cards. (I'm such a non-conformist.)

Favre On The Ground

2010-01-24T23:41:00.003-06:00

You have to wonder if Aaron Rodgers is secretly smiling to himself right now.

Anyways, some commentary on today's games:

I don't think there's ever been any other post-season game that has had so many replay reviews in a row at the end of the game like that. And don't get me started about the whole "OT needs to be fixed" complaints, Vikings fans.
I've said it already: Archie Manning's support is going to be for his son's team, not for his former employers. Yes, Archie still lives in the Big Easy (from all I know), and Peyton and Eli grew up there and have helped out the recovery of the city from Katrina. But he's going to be rooting for his son, and his son plays for the Colts.
I think I just saw someone intercept Brett Favre's bag in the luggage carousel at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International.
Consider this: four out of the last six NFC champions (Saints, Cardinals, Seahawks) went to their first Super Bowl as a franchise, and five out of the last eight.
Colts are already a four-point favorite to win the Super Bowl. I'm thinking it's going to be a great game - and another case of "last team to score wins".
EDIT: One last thing - the NFL made a big deal this year about the 50th Anniversary of the AFL. Well, in case you didn't notice, neither team playing in the Super Bowl this year originated in the old AFL. In fact, the Colts won an NFL championship before the AFL even existed. The Saints, meanwhile, are about a month and a half older than I am.

Mac, Pete, Aaron and Ryan

2010-01-11T16:00:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a busy sports news day. Let's get to them in some semblance of order:

Mark McGwire admits he did steroids. I know, everyone in the sports world is saying, "This just in: the sky is blue." But there's something interesting in all of this, something he mentioned in his statement that perhaps he doesn't believe now - but is obvious he did back then: " I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too."

Guess what, Mark? At the time, you were probably right.

I've mentioned before on this blog that I've always wanted to sit down with Henry Aaron, ask him that hypothetical question about his last few years in Milwaukee - if someone would have said that, by taking some medications and doing some exercises, you could extend your career for another three to five years - and not only have a chance at hitting 800 homers, but maybe end up making some really big money - would you have done it? I know now what Mark's answer was.

Could you go up to almost anyone who'll be there in Cooperstown when Andre Dawson is inducted - including Andre himself! - and said, if it would have meant you could have played more and longer, would you have done it?

None of this BS about, "Oh, but it would have been illegal." People were popping greenies and doing lines of coke (yes, Mr. Molitor and Mr. Raines, I'm looking at you), and last I looked those were illegal too.

Mark, thanks for being honest. I know your real reason for doing this was because you didn't want to get constantly badgered about it or hassled over it when spring training started. Still, I'm going to fall on the side of appreciation that the truth came out.

Pete Carroll goes from USC to Seattle. Well, of course you know, this means one and only one thing: the Seahawks are moving to LA. (pause to allow the laughter to subside) Seriously, though - this is a basically bad career move on the part of coach Carroll. He can't schedule games against San Jose State and Syracuse in the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers was apparently facemasked as he was going down before fumbling the ball Sunday night - which would mean that the touchdown should have been called back. My opinion? You don't put yourself into that position where one play means the ballgame, because bad things and bad breaks and officiating mistakes and such happen. A wise hockey coach who I greatly respect once said that good teams overcome bad officiating. And that is exactly why the Green Bay Packers aren't playing next weekend - not because of bad officiating, but because they weren't a very good team on Sunday. End of discussion.

Ryan Suter was named an assistant captain on the US Men's Olympic Hockey team. Ah, a wonderful piece of positive news on this day of sports talk. I'd say something about how dad and uncle Gary would be proud, but thing is that they'd only be impressed if Ryan brings home a medal. Preferably one of RGB Color #ffd700.

"But seriously folks... stay tuned for Late-Middle-Tonight with Conan..."

Well...

2010-01-10T19:50:00.003-06:00

...at least Aaron Rodgers didn't say, "We're gonna take the ball and we're gonna score!"

I hope Matt Hasselbeck calls up Aaron tonight and tells him, "It's okay, I know how you feel - in more ways than one."

So Where's Roy Scheider?

2010-01-10T08:52:00.002-06:00

Some thoughts as we head into the second full week of 2010:

There is something just incredibly wrong about getting a cold when you're supposed to be on vacation. I'm not scheduled to be back to work until Tuesday, and that's probably the same day that I'm going to be feeling better.
Speaking of sick, let's talk about the Nashville Predators special teams units. 25th on the power play, 27th on the penalty kill. No wonder people take liberties with our forwards - they know it won't make a difference. And, if by some strange reason we end up retaliating, they also know it won't make a difference.
I know, as a Packer fan, that I should be all excited and hopped up for today's game against the Cardinals. For some reason, though, I can't be excited about Aaron Rodgers' first playoff game as a pro. I think it has something to do with the locale - 71°F and cloudy. Compare that to 18°F and clear in Wisconsin - but with wind chills down to -5°F. Boy, if money weren't an issue...
This cold, by the way, is just not very good for the psyche. The grayish-white patina has covered the landscape, and not in the sing-songy way that everyone praised in Christmas songs last month. After a couple of months of deep freeze, snow just turns ugly. Industrial-strength ugly.
FarmVille on Facebook is turning into a time-sink for me. My farm's so big right now that I'm having trouble finding places for everything - so much so that I'm saving up coins so I can expand to the next bigger size of farm. I've already added two barns and four storage sheds, and can't rearrange them easily. And all those "gifts" we got from the Holiday trees are starting to take up space.
On a separate issue about another Facebook game: I've had a conversation with another friend from HS about playing Mafia Wars. I refuse to even consider playing it, as it reminds me too much of the youth that I deal with on a nightly basis at work. And how enjoyable can it really be when you're playing a Tony Soprano-lookalike?

Coffee's brewing downstairs. Time to make some breakfast for me and the wife. Go Packers.

Two Timer

2009-12-28T07:27:00.002-06:00

Shouldn't have worried. Austin had only 92 yards receiving (and didn't get docked a point for that bad attempt at the Wildcat), and my opponent ended up with only 69 points - compared to my 89 points (thank you very much, Big Ben, your check is in the mail).

My second NFL.com Fantasy Football championship! Life, it is good. :)

And It Comes To This

2009-12-27T20:00:00.002-06:00

One of the good things about being in multiple Fantasy Football leagues is that you have the hope that at least one of your teams can make it to the playoffs. Unfortunately, this year I had my Yahoo public team not even make the playoffs, while in the NQRFPTFL (the one I usually want to win, because it's against friends), I lost in the first round and am heading for the seventh place game after a loss this week.

That leaves my NFL.com Fantasy team in the Packers Green and Gold League. Despite a week 14 loss to the second place team in my division to give them the division title, I managed to make the playoffs as the wild card. They had a tie back in week nine, which put them a half-game ahead of me. Our two teams were the only ones with nine wins on the season; the playoff picture was still cloudy for most of the league through week 14.

Welp, because of how NFL.com does the playoffs, I ended up playing the division champions again for a second straight week. This time, though, he did something that was completely shocking - or should I say, Shockey-ing. He started the Saints TE even though he was listed as inactive for the game against the Cowboys. Of course, that wasn't the dagger, as Wayne Larrivee would say; he had Drew Brees starting as his QB. Brees, of course, had one of the worst games of the season against the Cowboys that week. Add to that the Colts "resting" Pierre Garcon that week, and he likely had about 20 points flushed down the toilet.

And then Big Ben Roethlisberger dismantled the Packers defensive secondary the next night to make anything he did moot. I advanced to the championship this week against a squad called the Lonestar Packers - I'm under the assumption he's a Packer fan lost in Texas. My tear-the-hair-out moment was whether or not to start Big Ben or my backup QB, Tony Romo. NFL.com suggested Romo, because of his recent play and because of the matchup against the 'Skins. I couldn't bring myself to not have Roethlisberger out there, though, since he was so good the previous week and the overall statistical picture suggested he was the better play.

Ben and the rest of my squad managed to get me 89 points, while he had only 60 points after the day games. He has one player going at the moment - Miles Austin, WR for the Cowboys. As I type this, he already has one point for the game vs. the 'Skins (11 yards receiving; yardage is at 1 for every 10 rushing/receiving and 1 for every 25 passing). He needs to get 29 more points, because if we tie at 28 points, I will likely win the week due to bench strength. He currently has 46 points to my 23 on the bench, less Romo's totals; since most if not all of Austin's points would be matched with Romo as well, I'd likely have more than 46 points on the bench.

Austin did have one 30+ point game this year in our league - he torched KC in week five, and after the bye he drilled Atlanta with 29 points. I got 24 and 33 from Romo those two weeks as well, so I'd be able to get the points from him. (Update: Austin just got 19 yards, which gives him 3 points for the game - but he just lost 14 yards on a Wildcat run. Ooops.) This could be a long night for me with this game. What's worse is that the NBC station in Milwaukee is "blocked" at work, since that's the station we have our educational channel set up.

The Even Bigger Ten

2009-12-16T03:45:00.002-06:00

As a Big Ten apologist, I kinda feel I have to give my US$0.02 on the news that the Big Ten is seeking to expand.

The reason isn't just to increase revenue by creating a championship game from two divisions in the FBS, but to address some inequities in the Big Ten's schedule (read: the conference falls off the map after the regular season ends, while the Big 12 and the SEC get the pub and the TV time for their championship games).

The Holy Grail of institutions, of course, would be UND - located smack dab right in the middle of Big Ten country and one of the largest and most loyal (Charlie Weis nonwithstanding) fan bases. The biggest issue with the Golden Domers, though, is that it doesn't fit the one main tenet that defines a Big Ten University: the big, state-run, research-minded institution. There are, however, at least seven other schools that the conference is considering:

Cincinnati. This makes sense, as it's not as far outside of the Big Ten "area", and there'd be an automatic rivalry with OSU. The Big East might balk at its champion (and potentially undefeated team, if they defeat Florida in the Sugar Bowl) leaving for greener pastures.
Louisville: This one would work as well, though it would make the Men's Hoops tournament the Rick Pitino Invitational.
Missouri: There are two issues with this choice - Mizzou wouldn't want to give up their lucrative position in the Big 12, and the travel would be nightmarish for them; they'd be the westernmost team in the conference. It would also mess up a potential divisional alignment; there's already six teams west of Indianapolis (Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa), and Lucas Oil Field would be one of the potential sites for a Big Ten Championship Game.
Pittsburgh: This one would be a winner, and the most logical of them all. It'd give JoePa and Penn State an in-state rival; it'd put six teams in the Eastern Division (Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt and Purdue); and Pitt's status as a long-tenured institution would also help. What the Big Ten presidents wouldn't care for, though, is that Pitt shares its football stadium with another team (the Steelers).
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights fit the Big Ten mold, but they're waaayyyy out of the way geographically. It'd give the Big Ten an "in" with the New York area, though.
Syracuse: Another "way out there" geographically option, and the fact that the Men's hoops tourney would become the Jim Boeheim Invitational as well. Pluses are the same as with Rutgers (read: New York fan base).
West Virginia: This is another geographical oddity, and though it's a "state" school, I don't think that would necessarily give them an in with the Big Ten's school presidents. And now that I've gone through and noticed, is there something to wanting to add three-fourths of the Big East's teams to the Big Ten or something?
Other "sleeper" picks: Illinois State; Northern Illinois; Iowa State; any one of the directional schools in Michigan (Western, Central, Eastern); and - the ULTIMATE sleeper, based on the "nationwide" comment Alvarez made - Boise State.

I would think that, if Pitt can't be convinced to make the jump to the Big Ten, Louisville or Cincinnati would be idea choices. I do wonder, though, if there's a school the conference honchos already have in mind; maybe Notre Dame realizes it needs to affiliate with a conference because it can't afford to keep firing coaches every five years?

Geeky Public Service Announcement

2009-12-05T09:28:00.002-06:00

A while back, I found that I had a new folder in the My Documents folder on my old XP machine, titled "SafeNet Sentinel". I was a bit concerned about this, since I didn't remember adding any apps or anything that would have created a folder like that, so I just deleted it. Strangely enough, it kept coming back.

For a minute or two, I thought that perhaps I had a keylogger or some other sinister program find its way onto my machine. It doesn't help when the top 10 Google searches for "SafeNet Sentinel folder" turn up either ! or X signs from McAfee SiteAdvisor.

However, the mystery suddenly cleared up one day when I had just deleted the folder (again) and then went to open up a document in Adobe Reader. I noticed that I had installed a toolbar from a company called TerraGo Technologies in Reader, one that allowed a user to mark and measure PDF maps from the US Department of Agriculture and the ArcGIS program used by the USGS. I minimized the Reader, and took a quick peek in My Documents - sure enough, there was the folder again.

Now, I'm not saying that TerraGo is putting out spyware, but it appears that they use SafeNet's software to track the movements of the mouse when you are using their toolbar on activated PDF files. What I'm concerned about, however, is that this could possibly be exploited by hackers to put a keylogger on a computer.

So it is for this reason that I'm putting the "How to delete the TerraGo Toolbar" out for all to utilize:

To uninstall the TerraGo Toolbar from the Control Panel

From Start, click Control Panel.
Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
From the list of installed programs, select TerraGo Toolbar.
Click Remove.
Click Yes at the confirmation prompt to begin the uninstall process.
In the Uninstall Complete dialog box, click Finish.

To uninstall the TerraGo Toolbar from the TerraGo_Toolbar.exe file

Double-click the TerraGo_Toolbar.exe file.
In the Program Maintenance dialog box, click the Remove radio button, then click Next.
Click Yes at the confirmation prompt.
In the Uninstall Complete dialog box, click Finish.

I haven't checked yet, but it appears that this will eliminate the folder from reappearing in the My Documents folder. YMMV.

Sunday's Fun Day Charlie Brown

2009-11-29T18:41:00.002-06:00

With all the re-airings of the various Peanuts movies this weekend, my wife started mangling the "Snoopy Come Home" theme last night. Amazing how so many people can get movie themes so wrong.

Anyways - some not-so-deep thoughts for the post-Turkey Day week:

Why is it that, just as you're about to replace a lightbulb in your car in a remote and difficult-to-get-to location, right before you pull it out of the socket - it flickers back to life? It's bad enough that I have the car that defines "hard to get to that part" (a PT Cruiser), but just as I'm trying to pull the bulb out of the shroud of the cargo lamp in the back of my car - it flickers back to life. I ended up replacing it anyways, since I'm pretty sure the bulb was on the verge of going out - thus it not coming on for most of the time when I had the liftgate up.
Signs that you like turkey: you have a turkey sandwich for lunch the Sunday after Thanksgiving - and it's not leftovers.
Strange dollar store indulgence: 2008 Upper Deck MLS Soccer cards. They're somewhat reminiscent of Upper Deck's Victory set for hockey, with the near-trademark UD 200-card "base" set and multiple inserts. For some reason, though, I didn't get a single Columbus Crew card. And no, no Landon Donovan nor David Beckham.
Matt Schaub cost me a win in my NFL Fantasy Football league game this week - but it's not the end of the world, since I'm leading my "division"by a game and a half. That's the one thing I like about NFL's Fantasy leagues - they divide teams into three four-team divisions, and have the playoffs with the three division leaders and the "wild card" team. I doubt the team in second in my division is gonna lose, as they're up by 41 and his QB is Drew Brees, but a win or tie by my guys next week gives me the division title.
My two Yahoo leagues are hard to figure; the NQRFPTFL (I think we're already in decade #2, by the way) is a bit jumbled up, but I'm pretty sure, barring a free-fall of some sort, I'm in the playoffs. My public league team... well, let's just say it's a good thing I caught that Kurt Warner was made inactive for the game today vs. the Titans. I'm currently up by just under 10 points (public leagues in Yahoo are apparently figured to the 100ths now), but he has Randy Moss and Mike Bell going for him.
You just know that Tiger Woods and his wife were arguing about something. That's the ONLY reason why you're pulling out of your driveway like an idiot at 2:30 AM without alcohol being involved.
A sign that my life is just sad: I did a Twitter "cloud" of words that I used in the last month and the last year on Twitter. My top words: time, times, please, game, night, team and goal. Maybe I should get Timex to sponsor my Twitter feed?

Comic Commentary Update

2009-11-20T07:40:00.004-06:00

A few comments on storylines and such from my regular webcomics:
Candi Comics by Starline Hodge: Starline's got the comic on hiatus this week, as she's off to the UK. The storyline focused mostly on Candi's roommate and her date with a celibate UF student. Heh, Tim Tebow must be rubbing off on the populace in Gainesville!

Dork Tower by John Kovalic: Our intrepid heroes have been battling the demon of the faulty internet connection and the CAPTCHA wars while the author has been slackin' a bit. And, unfortunately, Igor has seen 2012 - which means he now is going to go nuts over the world ending. (He needs to talk to Cassie - see below.)

The Dreamland Chronicles by Scott Christian Sava: Alex has finally realized what he's up against - and what he's got ahead of him. I don't know Scott all that well, but I'm suspicious that Nicole might be showing up in Dreamland in the near future.

Evil Inc. by Brad Guigar: Ah, the flashback to when CH was a kid. I think it's obvious that it's only by sheer luck that he didn't end up as an Evil Genius instead of a Superhero. And you have to think that therapists for superheroes would be a growth industry...

Girl Genius by Phil & Kaja Foglio: Agatha's finding out what's in the basement of her ancestral home - and it ain't pretty. What's worse is that she's apparently come down with a case of Hogfarb's Resplendent Immolation (note to Agatha: never kiss your patient before you start a procedure, no matter how cute he is). And the cherry on top is, the Castle's AI won't let her kill herself to save them all. So, when's Othar going to show up and really put a wrench in the works?

Girls With Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto: Welp... looks like Angel the Bartender and Hazel's ex-boss Thea have hooked up, but Clarice (the librarian/porn store clerk) is left without anyone of her own - and the girls don't notice. And since Maureen and Jameson got married, no one's seen Candy (though she did wander through the pages of Something Positive for a bit).

Pibgorn at GoComics by Brooke McEldowney: Ah, we appear to be at the end of the "Pibgorn and the Volcano on 77th Street and Park Avenue" storyline - as confusing as it was. While New York was becoming a breeding ground for demons, thanks to Dru, she and Nat Bustard (aka "The Bogey Demon") were overcoming the powers of everybody's least favorite gameshow host, Tom Torquemada! The faithful anticipate a new roller-coaster ride on Monday.

PvPonline.com by The Kurtz: Scott did a little five-piece story ("The Incident") that essentially repeats the old adage of "things are not always what they appear to be." Otherwise... well, PVP is PVP. It bounces from funny to "Huh?" to "Oh, geez" to "OMG!" to "ROTFL!" - and, sometimes it does it within the space of a single comic.

Questionable Content by Jeph Jacques: Jeph's been doing a lot of little mini-arcs as of late - Dora meets up with Marten's dad, who then informs Marten he's getting re-married to his new gay lover. They all go out for a night on the town with Faye, Hanners and company. Then, suddenly, we're talking about Marigold and Hanners going to a "NerdCon" at Smif, Faye having an existential crisis over turning down a date with Angus (lucky Marigold), and a rather interesting t-shirt find in the local thrift shop. (Question: how many thrift shops are there in Northampton? Don't they have like a Macy's or at least a Wal-Mart, for cryin' out loud?) Anyways, Steve shows up, looking for the girl who hit on Marten (and then ran into Dora and her broadsword later that same day) - and ends up visiting Tai for her college yearbook. I'm just wondering who the "new character" is... though if my memory serves (and the archives are right), that's her roommate Brianna.

Real Life Comics - The Online Comic by Greg Dean: A week of "Inside the Comic Studio", essentially an A&E-like documentary (basically to honor the 10th anniversary of the "Strip About Nothing"). Yeah, I went there - this webcomic is essentially the geek version of Seinfeld. Deal with it.

Sequential Art by Phillip M. Jackson: The bug's been slayed, the kids have been saved, and Scarlet's dragging the carcass back to the house. The question, of course, is what they're going to do with it. (Does it taste like chicken?)

Sheldon Comics by Dave Kellett: Seriously: you HAD to love the whole Sheldonsoft Offices story arc. I'd argue that Tuesday's strip was a bit too close to home for those of us in the state service; I have yet to see outpatient surgery in a cubicle at work, though.; As for Drive: the story's starting to progress nicely, and we're actually getting a hint of what's actually going on in the "big picture" of this futuristic setting. Apparently, the baddies don't like it that Earthlings have their space drive system, and they've managed to track one of the ships with "their" drive heading out of a prison planetary system. This one's gonna be neat -and with Dave writing it, you know it'll be awesome.

Shortpacked! by David Willis: No, I don't particularly care for The Office, so I have no idea what Ethan would be. Of course, after the whole "Revisiting the old Joyce & Walky universe" thing with Mike and Amber, the little one-shots are refreshing.

Starslip by Kris Straub: Ohhhhkay... The whole "Quine Saves The Day" storyline was weird (with InfraRedbeard's return!), but to follow it up with... sensitivity training????? (FACEPALM)

Times Like This by Thomas Overbeck: Good, our intrepid time traveler has made the obvious statement - NOTHING HAPPENS on December 21, 2012. Though I have to admit that I never heard of the Roxanne Wars before Matt mentioned it...

Tux and Bunny by Lorna Appleby: What's there to say? One-liners, puns and snarky stuffed animals.

XKCD - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language by Randall Munroe: Mr. Munroe's level of GeekSnark gets raised every day - okay, three times a week, but still.

Wapsi Square by Paul Taylor: I may need to put this one in a separate post altogether. We're coming up on the attempt at fixing the Calendar Machine - and suddenly Monica's feeling like she's going to be killed. Which, of course, might be accurate, since the instructions for Shelly is to secretly stab Monica during their attempts at fixing the machine... but what or why (or if indeed she needs to die) aren't quite certain.; Add to this a visit from Shelly's "Conscience" (all her demons rolled into one and made to look like her when she was a little girl), and Monica's bouts with sanity... when's the New Moon, again?

The Hosts File And You

2009-10-26T00:36:00.002-05:00

In a very odd way, I ended up returning to my Internet roots to solve a problem I'd wanted to solve for some time.

A little reveal here: I have had some issues with some websites on this big ol' place we call the Internet. (You can probably guess which ones; I'm not going to go into the details.) Now, for some time I've known that IE and most other browsers and internet apps access a file called "hosts" to map host names to IP addresses. Basically, if you type in some sort of shortcut in a web browser, it takes you to the list in the hosts file first before looking it up on the internet. The main use of this file nowadays is to use it to block websites at the core - basically, keeping you from even getting to the site at all.

I've used Spybot Search & Destroy to populate the Hosts file with blockable websites, and learned quickly to add my own as well. However, there was one thing I could not figure out: how to do it in the Mac OS.

I found out that there is a hosts file in OS X.4, located over in a hidden (from the Finder, at least) folder called /private/etc/. The Mac OS, however, is very very touchy about changing files like this, since anything in the OS's hidden files are password protected, as with most UNIX-type coding.

So I had to figure out how to get to that file and then edit it with a copy of the hosts file that I'd ported over to my Mac via my trusty thumb drive. It wasn't until I found some arcane coding tips that I discovered I could do it using an editor named "nano", which was part of the Mac application called... Terminal.

Terminal. Which was how I developed my first website on Exec-PC, about 16 years ago. And yes, it was back using the old Mac system 8. The app I used with Exec-PC, though, was something called pico... which was the editor that nano is based upon.

After a few starts and stops, I realized that I could use a UNIX code to edit the hosts file:

sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

By using the SUDO code, I could get around the password protection and save the thing, once I edited the file. And, with nano, I could simply copy and paste the hosts file list from my text file version to the hosts file on my Mac.

Nice and easy, right? Heh, WRONG. It wasn't that I couldn't do it - I did - it was that the file was 8,016 lines long. It took a good long chunk of time to get it all pasted; a little more than two hours, since nano could only post about one line per second. Once it was done, though, I saved it and cheered mightily.

Then came the fun of clearing the DNS cache. Took me a couple of stops and starts to do this in Terminal, but I got it done - and the blocking worked.

Early Sunday Morning Thoughts

2009-10-25T05:22:00.002-05:00

If Bucky Badger actually ends up playing in a bowl game this year, I'll be shocked. The Big Ten may be weak as a whole, but losing week in and week out isn't helping this program.
I don't get it. This Predators team should be a lot better than it is. I mentioned my SOMH adventures before; the Preds' power play in SOMH is immensely better than their real-life counterparts. Yes, I know that the Blackhawks are a drastically improved team, but being at the bottom of the power-play rankings in the NHL (while your AHL squad is near the top, by the way) isn't helping.
I have no feel or sense for the NFL season this year. There's just no level of excitement for the Packers or compelling reason for watching any other NFL game - other than just watching that train wreck of a throwback jersey the Broncos are wearing.
If it means no more November baseball, I'm all for monthly doubleheaders for each team to help condense the baseball season. I'm not sure if it's Fox, MLB or what to blame for the late starts to the World Series, but shouldn't the first few games be played during the day on the weekends, during weather that has at least a 50% chance of being decent instead of wet and cold?
I have a bad feeling that, if they actually manage to get game six of the ALCS underway tonight, and if the Yankees beat the Angels, that the Yanks will end up sweeping the Phillies in the World Series.
Woke up a bit early this AM to discover that the alarm clock was reading an hour early. Immediately realized this must have been the old DST weekend, back in the days when DST was the last Sunday of October. Not sure how many devices in my house will need to be fixed.
Somewhat surprised/saddened to hear that the Bank of Elmwood went under on Friday. I have a classmate of mine from Park who worked there, and I remember my parents doing some banking there. I know it's part of a larger nationwide trend, but still - it's sad that a bank that was around for nearly 50 years couldn't make it to 50 because of the home mortgage crisis.
After all those years of using my Macs for pretty much everything, I think I'd be lost if I had to go back to using the Mac exclusively. I still have too much stuff in my Mac archives to get rid of it completely, but I'd manage to live if I had to do without.

Strat-O-Matic Fun

2009-10-24T19:53:00.002-05:00

I spent the majority of this week that I had off on vacation doing some playing around with my copy of Strat-O-Matic Computer Hockey Version 6. Mostly, it was an effort to try to update the teams so I could do some season simulations; the main problem is that the player sets that I have are from the two seasons before and after the "You-Know-What".

Since SOM doesn't allow you to directly alter player cards by entering player stats, you have to do some "estimating" for those players who either don't have cards (virtual cards, of course) or have cards that were practically non-existent (20 or fewer games played for players who have played much more in the ensuing three seasons). This wasn't easy, considering that about 10-12 players per team were either new or drastically changed over the ensuing seasons.

I followed the following rules of thumb in adding/subtracting players:

If a player's stats hadn't changed drastically since 2004 or 2006, I pretty much left the player's card/stats alone. A lot of players fell into this category, as I didn't want to make things more difficult that they were going to be.
If a player's stats were drastically more or less than it had been since 2006 - for example, Shea Weber (who spent most of 2005-06 with Milwaukee of the AHL) - I used a "comparison" method to determine a player who did play in 2004 or 2006 (or even some Hall-of-Famers) who was most similar to this player. I used this sparingly, as most players were pretty much established from 2006.
If the player started playing in the NHL after 2006, and played a significant number of games afterward, I used their 2008-09 stats to determine a similar player from 2004 or 2006. I typically had to use this for five or six players per team.
If the player started playing in the NHL this season, but had played hockey elsewhere (AHL, NCAA, Juniors, Europe) between 2006-2009, I used an "estimate" of their performance to determine their stats for similarity estimation. This was easier for some players than others, but for rookies it was a necessity.

I made the estimates of similar players using an Excel spreadsheet (of course; you'd expect anything less from me?) and the stats from 2004 and 2006. There were two methods of comparing players:

For skaters, I used the four basic stats - games, goals, points, and penalty minutes. I used the absolute difference between the player I was comparing and every player in the 04/06 NHL. I had a tolerance level for each of the categories: 10 games, 5 goals, 15 points and 25 PIM's. If a player was beyond that amount of games/goals/whatevers between the player and the comparisons, the match total for that player was set at 1000. For each player, I totaled the sum of the differences between them to determine the player's "Match" score with comparison player. The lowest total was generally the player's card that I used in the game (unless the two players weren't from the same position, like a Defenseman and a Forward).
Here's an example: Chicago RW Patrick Kane's 2009 stats were 80 games, 25 goals, 70 points, and 42 PIM's. His similarity scores matched him to two players from 2004: Shane Doan of Phoenix (79 gp, 27 g, 68 pts, 47 PIM) and Steve Sullivan of Chicago/Nashville (80 gp, 24 g, 73 pts, 48 PIM). His "Match" score for both was 10 points. As delicious as the irony of using Sully as Kane's "match" would be, I opted to use Doan instead. Kane's top five were rounded out by Martin Straka (2006 NYR, 11), Slava Kozlov (2006 ATL, 12) and Mark Recchi (2004 PHI, 13).
For goaltenders, it was a bit more complicated: I used the goalie's games played, minutes played, wins and losses, goals allowed and saves made as the comparison stats. The thresholds were also different: 10 games, 240 minutes, 5 wins, 5 losses, 30 goals and 100 saves.
The example for goalies: Steve Mason, the Calder Trophy winner for the Columbus Blue Jackets, played 3,664 minutes in 61 games, with 33 wins and 20 losses, 140 goals allowed and 1,518 saves. He had only five matches that didn't have one stat that wasn't out of range (something that happened a lot with goalies, by the way): David Aebischer (2004 COL, 109); Dan Cloutier (2004 VAN, 231); Evgeni Nabokov (2004 SJS, 261); Chris Osgood (2004 STL, 272); and Curtis Joseph (2006 PHX, 275).

Now, as a Predators fan, there was this nagging question I had about Nashville, and whether or not the Preds would be a different team if a certain player currently playing for Salavat Yulayev Ufa would make a difference with this team. Guess what - it would. The Predators ended up finishing fourth overall in the Western Conference. The two biggest surprises? The Phoenix Coyotes AND the New York Islanders made the playoffs, while the Penguins missed the playoffs.

I'm not sure if I may have had some Mustard-colored glasses on with some of the players on the Predators, but this team just looks like it should be better than it is.

Stealing Teams (Part 2)

2009-10-12T17:41:00.003-05:00

I got some feedback about my previous post on franchise transfers, and after sitting down to do some figuring and remembering of sports history, I came up with some interesting facts:

In terms of "pure" franchise existence, only 66 teams in the major leagues have not moved or otherwise transferred elsewhere (significantly) during their tenure as a franchise. 17 of those are league founding franchises (Celtics, Red Sox, Bills, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Broncos, Nuggets, Tigers, Edmonton Oilers, Pacers, Canadiens, Knicks, Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, 49ers and the Maple Leafs).
There are six more franchises that "transferred" from their original locales, but not of a significant enough distance to justify a true franchise transfer (NY Giants to New Jersey; New York Jets to New Jersey; Cavaliers from Richfield to downtown Cleveland; Florida Panthers and Miami Dolphins from downtown Miami to Sunrise; and the Angels from LA to Anaheim). The move of the NY Giants was the shortest of the them all, only 14 miles west from the Bronx. The Angels move was 40 miles SE from downtown LA and the Chavez Ravine area.
The Pittsburgh Steelers merged with two different NFL teams during World War II (the Cardinals and the Eagles); the franchise never stopped playing completely in Pittsburgh during that time.
The Cleveland Browns are an expansion team, but retained a franchise name that was transferred elsewhere.
The Chicago White Stockings (now Cubs) suspended operations in the National Association for two seasons after the Great Chicago Fire. The White Stockings' owner, William Hulbert, raided the Boston Red Stockings' club for players in 1875 to fill his team's roster in the NL's inaugural season of 1876.
I had completely forgotten that the Phillies were a "replacement team" for the Worcester Ruby Legs of the NL.

Stealing Teams

2009-10-12T04:55:00.002-05:00

An interesting point was brought up on Twitter recently among Predators fans wondering if the team should try to take advantage of the Titans' failings so far this NFL season. The discussion led to a reference of how Bud Adams dragged the team to Nashville from Houston, and how the Predators were the "true" home team in the city.

This led to discussions about whether or not it was "right" to support a team that had been, in essence, "stolen" from another city and their fanbase. This gave me some pause, because of the obvious situation with my beloved Brewers (fka the Seattle Pilots). I wondered to myself how many of the 122 current Major League teams could legitimately say they were beholden to no other city for their franchise - either from expansion or from the inauguration of the league in which they began play?

The good news is, about 60% of the teams in the four major leagues fit this bill. However, there are some names that are not on the list that would surprise you.

Here's the "All Original" list:

Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Thrashers
Boston Bruins
Boston Celtics
Boston Red Sox
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Sabres
Carolina Panthers
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Broncos
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Tigers
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Marlins
Florida Panthers
Green Bay Packers
Houston Astros
Houston Texans
Indiana Pacers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Kings
Miami Dolphins
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timber Wolves
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Islanders
New York Jets
New York Knicks
New York Mets
New York Rangers
Orlando Magic
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Phillies
Phoenix Suns
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Steelers
Portland Trail Blazers
Saint Louis Blues
Saint Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Mariners
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Raptors
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals

There are two teams that I was hesitant to include, because of the nature of their current existence: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks. The Angels haven't left the Los Angeles metro area since joining the AL in 1961, but it's not like they represented the city of Los Angeles the whole time (despite what Arte Moreno may want us all to believe).

The Sharks are a completely different story, though: yes, they are an NHL expansion team, but for the longest time their initial owners (the Gunds) were part-owners of the Minnesota North Stars. The Gunds purchased the North Stars after their NHL club, the Cleveland Barons, had ceased operations in 1978, and in an agreement with the league they essentially merged operations of the two franchises. A decade later, the Gunds wanted to get out of Minnesota, and to do so the NHL did some wrangling to allow them to have the Sharks as an "expansion" franchise, while a group led by Howard Baldwin (who actually wanted a Bay-area franchise for the NHL) were given the North Stars - and both teams were subject to an expansion draft in 1991 (after, ironically, the Stars had made a run to the Stanley Cup finals against the Penguins).

Back to the list - there are a couple of very interesting omissions. The Chicago Cubs, for example. How could a team that had continued to play in the NL in the same city since 1876 be considered a "beholden" team? William Hulbert, the team's owner and founder of the National League, essentially raided the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association to build his White Stockings team. The real issue, of course, was that Hulbert was tired of the contract jumping of players from team to team, and wanted to have an organization of baseball clubs that respected their fellow members' contracts with players from year to year. Still, Al Spalding essentially brought with him to Chicago most of the roster of the National Association champion Boston Red Stockings when the NL started up in 1876.

The Red Stockings (who, of course, we now know as the Atlanta Braves) managed to recover from this to win eight pennants before the end of the century, but in a somewhat backwards way (as practically everything was back in these nascent days of professional sport in the US) the Cubs as a franchise were essentially beholden to the city of Boston and their baseball club.

I could give reasons for other teams' omission from this list (the Blackhawks, for example, are essentially the Portland Rosebuds of the WCHL, as are the Red Wings really the Victoria Cougars of the same league), but it's pretty transparent that most of the teams not on this list are obviously transients. Yes, that includes the Yankees, who were the Baltimore Orioles for a whole of two seasons in the AL before moving to Manhattan in 1903.

What's scary is considering the teams on this list that were true "founding members" of their sports leagues. There aren't many out there.

Boston Celtics (BAA original member, joined the NBA)
Boston Red Sox (AL original member)
Buffalo Bills (AFL original member, merged into NFL)
Chicago White Sox (AL original member)
Cincinnati Reds (AA original member, joined NL)
Cleveland Indians (AL original member)
Denver Broncos (AFL original member, merged into NFL)
Denver Nuggets (ABA original member)
Detroit Tigers (AL original member)
Edmonton Oilers (WHA original member; merged into NHL)
Indiana Pacers (ABA original member)
Montreal Canadiens (Only remaining NHA franchise)
New York Jets (AFL original member, merged into NFL)
New York Knicks (BAA original member, joined NBA)
Pittsburgh Pirates (AA original member, joined NL)
Saint Louis Cardinals (AA original member, joined NL)
San Francisco 49ers (AAFC original member, merged into NFL)
Toronto Maple Leafs ("expansion" team in NHL's inaugural season)

Sunday Notes

2009-10-11T21:42:00.002-05:00

Wanted: offense. Please apply at 501 Broadway, Nashville TN. Must know how to skate.
Both of LA's teams and the Yankees have won their series; Phillies and Rockies are tied at one game apiece in their series (with snow in the forecast - move it to Miller Park!).
Twins should have won at least one of the games in their LDS. That non-call on the fair ball was a series-changer at Yankee Stadium III. Methinks Bud needs to confab about mistaken fair-foul issues being challengeable by replay.
My fantasy football league teams are struggling. I'm 2-2 in all three leagues (NFL.com, Yahoo Public and my NQRFPTFL Yahoo league), and I'm struggling this week in two of the leagues.
I never did get why idiots would want to run out onto the field of play, either after a game or especially during one. It's so much a "look at me, ha ha! I'm dumb!" move that it's an embarrassment. I don't think anyone's going to remember that on the last day of baseball at the Met.
By the way: I do regret never seeing a baseball game at the HHH Metrodome. I think the main reason why I never had a desire to do so is that the Twins were the "enemy" for so many seasons that I really had no desire to enter the opponent's den.

2009 STANDARD RUNS/CY YOUNG POINT ALL-STARS

2009-10-08T17:02:00.003-05:00

Yep, it's that time again: The 2009 MLB Standard Runs and Cy Young Points All-Star Teams.

For those of you unfamiliar: Standard Runs is a Run Estimation metric (somewhat) of my own creation that takes OBP, Total Bases and Net Steals and adjusts them to account for all runs actually scored in a season. I explain it elsewhere in this fine blog, as I also do for Cy Young Points for pitchers.

Here's our lists of the best players in both leagues at their positions:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
C - Joe Mauer, MIN (16.1 OFIB, 131.7 SR*)
1B - Miguel Cabrera, DET (16.0 OFIB, 127.8 SR)
2B - Ben Zobrist, TAM (13.9 OFIB, 108.1 SR)
3B - Michael Young, TEX (11.7 OFIB, 101.7 SR)
SS - Derek Jeter, NYY (12.5 OFIB, 120.4 SR)
LF - Jason Bay, BOS (12.7 OFIB, 107.2 SR)
CF - Denard Span, MIN (9.9 OFIB, 93.0 SR)
RF - Ichiro Suzuki, SEA (17.0 OFIB*, 113.7 SR)
DH - Adam Lind, TOR (13.6 OFIB, 117.4 SR)

C - Victor Martinez, CLE-BOS (12.9 OFIB, 103.4 SR)
1B - Mark Teixeira, NYY (14.2 OFIB, 127.1 SR)
P - Mark Buehrle, CHW (0.15 OFIB, 0.96 SR)

ST - Felix Hernandez, SEA (39.5 CYP*, 1.289 PER)
ST - Zack Greinke, KCR (26.0 CYP, 1.194 PER)
ST - CC Sabathia, NYY (25.3 CYP, 1.616 PER)
ST - Justin Verlander, DET (23.0 CYP, 1.657 PER)
ST - Josh Beckett, BOS (22.3 CYP, 1.781 PER)
RL - Alfred Aceves, NYY (14.5 CYP, 1.566 PER)
RL - Matt Palmer, LAA (13.4 CYP, 1.812 PER)
CL - Andrew Bailey, OAK (18.2 CYP, 1.015 PER)
CL -Mariano Rivera, NYY (15.3 CYP, 1.061 PER)

NATIONAL LEAGUE
C - Brian McCann, ATL (9.6 OFIB, 79.4 SR)
1B - Albert Pujols, STL (21.5 OFIB**, 160.9 SR**)
2B - Chase Utley, PHI (15.8 OFIB, 114.8 SR)
3B - Pablo Sandoval, SFG (18.3 OFIB, 117.5 SR)
SS - Hanley Ramirez, FLA (16.1 OFIB, 126.6 SR)
LF - Ryan Braun, MIL (16.0 OFIB, 131.7 SR)
CF - Matt Kemp, LAD (13.44 OFIB, 104.70 SR)
RF - Andre Ethier, LAD (13.39 OFIB, 104.67 SR)
P - Micah Owings, CIN (0.93 OFIB, 7.77 SR)

1B - Prince Fielder, MIL (17.2 OFIB, 139.7 SR)
1B - Derrek Lee, CHI (16.7 OFIB, 115.9 SR)
LF - Matt Holliday, OAK-STL (14.7 OFIB, 114.3 SR)

ST - Chris Carpenter, STL (40.3 CYP**, 1.159 PER)
ST - Adam Wainwright, STL (29.8 CYP, 1.382 PER)
ST - Tim Lincecum, SFG (23.8 CYP, 1.289 PER)
ST - Josh Johnson, FLA (22.7 CYP, 1.555 PER)
ST - J.A. Happ, PHI (17.2 CYP, 1.481 PER)
RL - Blake Hawksworth, STL (8.7 CYP, 1.050 PER)
RL - Nick Masset, CIN (7.6 CYP, 1.187 PER)
CL - Jonathan Broxton, LAD (19.0 CYP, 1.267 PER)
CL -Heath Bell, SDP (14.5 CYP, 1.411 PER)

THE NO-STAR TEAM
P - Bronson Arroyo, CIN (-2.54 OFIB, 1.08 SR)
C - Dioner Navarro, TAM (-7.0 OFIB**, 30.8 SR; worst OFIB of any regular position player)
1B - Chris Gimenez, CLE (-3.1 OFIB, 6.6 SR)
2B - Aaron Miles, CHC (-4.2 OFIB, 8.5 SR)
3B - Bill Hall, MIL (-3.9 OFIB, 18.6 SR)
SS - Ronny Cedeno, SEA (-5.2 OFIB, 11.2 SR)
LF - Trevor Crowe, CLE (-2.6 OFIB, 17.2 SR)
CF - Willy Taveras, CIN (-3.9 OFIB, 32.9 SR)
RF - Brian Giles, SDP (-3.7 OFIB, 16.3 SR)
DH - Aubrey Huff, DET (-1.8 OFIB, 8.1 SR)

CF - Carlos Gomez, MIN (-2.7 OFIB, 30.3 SR; worst SR of any regular position player)

ST - Aaron Harang, CIN (-8.17 CYP**, 2.116 PER)
ST - Jose Contreras, CHW (-6.41 CYP*, 2.546 PER)
ST - Francisco Liriano, MIN (-5.54 CYP, 2.704 PER)
ST - Justin Masterson, CLE (-5.46 CYP, 2.350 PER)
ST - Jeremy Guthrie, BAL (-5.35 CYP, 2.378 PER)
RL - Felipe Faulino, HOU (-5.10 CYP, 2.921 PER)
RL - Yuseiro Petit, ARI (-4.58 CYP, 2.703 PER)
CL - Brad Lidge, PHI (-0.15 CYP, 3.367 PER)
CL - Matt Capps, PIT (1.9 CYP, 2.725 PER)

* - Led League. ** - Led Majors.

Major League averages (per 486 PA/162 IP):

3.7 OFIB
58.2 SR
3.8 CYP
2.083 PER

The Twelve Types of CCM

2009-10-02T12:59:00.004-05:00

The 12 Types of Contemporary Christian Music Songs
(aka the Gospel Music Tropes)

I've been playing around with this list for a while, and figured I'd share it with the world since it came up in conversation on Twitter.

Most of the lyrical content Contemporary Christian Music (CCM, also known as "Christian Rock") can be boiled down into a set of 12 different categories. Now, I'll let it be known right now that this is not a knock against any particular CCM artist, but when music tends to get formulaic, it loses any particular meaning to the listener. This is important, since the primary purpose of most CCM songs is for outreach and encouragement.

So, here they are. If you think I missed a few, or if you can come up with a few examples of your own, feel free to comment.

1. Hallelujah Praise The Lord Again
Examples: "Praise The Lord", The Imperials; "A New Hallelujah", Michael W. Smith
This is when the main theme of a song is about praising the Lord or singing Hallelujah – over, and over, and over again. These make good "worship songs" - like Hillsong's "For All You've Done". The problem is that there's not a whole lot beyond the "Hallelujah Praise The Lord" to encourage people.

2. Name-dropping
Examples: "El Shaddai", Amy Grant; "One True God", Mark Harris
God has many names; if the main theme of the song is about one of them (or more of them), it fits this type of song. By the way, the one thing that bothered me over the years was what exactly El Shaddai, El-Elyon na Adonai, and Erkamka na adonai actually meant. Thanks to Wikipedia, I found out: "God Most High", "God Almighty, Oh Lord" and "I love you, Oh Lord". Which, translated into English, makes it sound more like entry #1.

3. The Love Song To Jesus
Examples: "Calling On You", Stryper; "Free To Be Me", Francesca Battistelli
The first song in this genre of CCM songs was actually, "What A Difference You've Made In My Life" by B.J. Thomas and Ronnie Milsap. Songs of this content almost sound like the singer is talking about their boyfriend/girlfriend and not God or Jesus. Ms. Battistelli's song (or is it Mrs. Goodwin now?) isn't quite as "Oh I lurrrvve you Lord" as this category would normally require. That's one of the keys to these "tropes", as you could almost refer to them by - don't overdo them, and you have a pretty good song.

4. The Conversion Story
Examples: "Lucas McGraw", Petra (1974); "You Found Me", Big Daddy Weave
This is a song that tells about the conversion experience of the singer – or of another person. Big Daddy Weave's version is a Saul/Paul-like conversion experience, which isn't very common (at least, not with Christians I know). If it's a true testimony of what the singer's conversion was like, though, it can be very powerful. "Lucas McGraw", however... I wonder sometimes if Bob Hartman doesn't do a facepalm every time he hears that record.

5. Cover a Hymn
Examples: "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", Chris Tomlin; "How Can I Keep From Singing?", Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin is the champion at this kind of genre nowadays, but there have been plenty of Christian rock bands who've done a rock version of a hymn. In fact, this one punk-Christian rock band (One Bad Pig) did a cover of "Holy, Holy, Holy".

6. Pick a Verse, Any Verse
Examples: "More Power To Ya", Petra; "Everlasting God", Lincoln Brewster
Choose a verse in the Bible, and form an entire song around it. Petra was somewhat famous for doing this sort of thing; it's actually an easy "crutch" of sorts for Christian singers who've gotten a new meaning from a passage of scripture. Another example would be Amy Grant's "Thy Word", but that's also an example of our next category...

7. Sing a Psalm for Sixpence
Examples: "How Majestic Is Your Name", Keith Green; "How Great Is Our God", Chris Tomlin
This is a variant of the "Pick A Verse," except that the verse or verses are from the original songbook of God, The Psalms. As I stated previously, Amy Grant's "Thy Word" is a lifting of Psalm 119:105. David was a great man, a man after God's own heart, but he wouldn't have been a very good CCM artist - he was way too detailed in his lyrics.

8. Throw in a God Reference
Examples: "Find A Way", Amy Grant; "Free To Be Me", Francesca Baltiselli
This is a song that's about something non-scriptural – life in the modern world, unfaithful spouses, dents in the fender, and whatnot. Then, in one of the last parts of the song, the word "God" is thrown in. The problem with this type of a song is that even The Beach Boys ("God Only Knows") could write one like this. A lot of CCM prior to 1998 and Steve Camp's call for reformation was leaning towards this - trying to be "mainstream" but using God as a "hook".

9. The Storyteller
Examples: "For Annie", Petra; "Slow Fade", Casting Crowns
Sometimes the "storyteller" song gets confused for a country song, because it tells about suffering or heartbreak. Usually, the end of a "Storyteller" song is either "how they found God" (see "Mommy Don't Love Daddy Anymore", Rez Band) or "how we can keep this from happening again" (see "For Annie"). Mark Hall and Casting Crowns have gotten this right - witness not just "Slow Fade", but the song "What This World Needs".

10. The Prayer
Examples: "Crack the Sky", Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart; "Give Me Your Eyes", Brandon Heath
When a song sounds more like a prayer to God than anything else, this is what results. If it's plain that the person involved wants something that only God can give him/her, the only thing missing from this song is an "Amen." And even then, you might get that thrown in. This category sometimes gets thrown in with the "One More Hallelujah" category, like Christy Nockels' song, "Life Light Up".

11. The Words Of God
Examples: "Rise Again," Dallas Holm & Praise; "By Your Side", Tenth Avenue North
This is when the singer takes the First Person Singular of God. It can be controversial when used, though; Dallas Holm's song was actually converted from first-person ("drive the nails in my hands") to third person ("laugh at Him, where you stand") in different versions. It can be very moving when done right, though.

12. Combination
Truly great CCM songs are a combination of one or two of the previous types of songs – mostly because it's very hard to write from strictly one POV for an entire song. If there's thought, concern, and a desire to stick to scriptural tenets in the music, you have something that's lasting - and not just a one-hit wonder that you hear 20 times on K-Love for a month and then practically never again afterwards.

What No Sale Means

2009-10-01T19:28:00.002-05:00

Nothing like a little "light reading" for an overnight... I, like most other knowledgeable hockey fans, sat down and read through Judge R.T. Baum's decision of "No Sale" in the Coyotes bankruptcy case. There was a lot there, but I think there are a few things that can be taken from the decision:

Balsillie expected way too much from the court when he tacked on the "must move to Hamilton" provision to his bid. What Rodier and his band of Weasels didn't realize when ol' Diamond Jim dug in his heels about the 'Yotes is that the court was required to provide "adequate protection of any interest in the property being sold free and clear of that interest." That's legalspeak for, "If anyone other than the buyer is interested in the property under bankruptcy protection, the court has to make sure their interests are protected." In the NHL's case, that's the right to determine who owns the team and where they play.
The NHL may have a conflicted interest in their bid, but that's because they are in the unique and unenviable position of being an affected party and a potential debtor. However, that doesn't mean they can't bid on the team, nor does it mean they rescind their rights to determine where the team plays because they bid on the team.
PSE's bid was rejected outright by the court simply because the NHL rejected them, and because the NHL has the right to do so. It was interesting that the court realized that the NHL has the right (under anti-trust law, as I mentioned previously) to determine who owns a team, where that team plays its home games, and how much money a team must pay to be able to play home games elsewhere. Ballsy and company are best to not even attempt to litigate against the NHL on that point, because that is the equivalent of suing Bentley because they won't let you buy a Veryon with Monopoly money. Okay maybe not; it's more like the case of an individual owner in a condo association suing the entire association over the right to own more than one dog in their unit - even though the condo rules say they can't. (Not that I have any experience with that sort of thing...)
The only thing standing in the way of this mess ending is the NHL coming to some sort of an agreement with Moyes and Gretzky over their standing as creditors. If they bump their bid up to include the pair as creditors, and essentially "buy them off", Baum would likely hand the league the keys to the team in short order. And as soon as that is done, it's likely Jerry Reinsdorf can start negotiating with the City of Glendale to become the real owner of the Coyotes in 2010-11.
The saddest thing about this whole fiasco is that the Coyotes as a franchise may be beyond repair in Glendale. Bettman and the NHL will do whatever it takes to try to keep the team there, but the team was put behind the 8-ball this year financially with the uncertainty accompanying the bankruptcy hearings. Nothing short of a sustained playoff run could possibly get this team out of financial straits by June of next year.

The Blah of our Discontent

2009-09-24T07:58:00.002-05:00

As wonderful as it was that we held on to win last night against the Cubs, it was a Pyhrric victory in that it was only our seventh against them on the year - and that we were eliminated from the Wild Card race before the game started. Meanwhile, the Cheesehead nation is doing the Chicken Little routine after losing to an arguably lesser team in the Bungles... er, I mean, the Bengals.

At least the Admirals have opened up training camp - though I wonder why we have Wacey Rabbit on the roster. I do have eight of my 10 vouchers turned in for tickets already, so I'm good (though I'm up a row from last year due to Row F being a full-season ticket now).

In all of this, I'm just feeling down over all this wet, humid, ucky weather. It's like all of Southeastern Wisconsin has turned into the Scottish Moors.

Chapter 7

2009-09-13T07:34:00.003-05:00

No, I'm not talking about a portion of scripture today; I'm talking about bankruptcy - the "bad" kind. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is simply described as "cutting up the debtor's assets among the creditors."

In essence, it's liquidation - a business that declares Chapter 7 bankruptcy ceases operations and a trustee appointed by the court sells off pieces of the the company to the creditors. Once all the creditors are paid off and all the pieces are sold, the case is done and everyone moves on with their lives.

So why would I be talking about bankruptcy? No, not because of my personal financial situation (thank God); it's because of the circus that's going on in Phoenix over the "sale" of the Coyotes.

A Coyotes fan by the handle TheYotesDiva (the head of the Save The Coyotes Coalition) made a very interesting point about the sale on her Twitter feed:

"I've been frustrated with Judge Baum (the judge overseeing the case) for not making any decisions on anything and drawing this thing out; but I just realized something: he didn't rule on anything because it would've drawn things out even more. The more decisions he made, the more appeals the lawyers would file. He's going to rule on everything at once and I'm willing to bet that he'll go the path of least resistance."

Unfortunately, the "path of least resistance" is to rule against all parties involved. That would mean Chapter 7 bankruptcy for the Coyotes.

What exactly would this mean for everyone involved? Let's go through it from top to bottom:

The National Hockey League would have the biggest migraine headache in the world - the forcible termination of one of their franchises by court order. They would probably be named the trustee for the liquidation - which would make Balsillie and Moyes howl, but would be completely within the rights of the NHL, since they were the incorporators of the franchise. The dispersal of the players wouldn't be an issue (I believe that is actually covered in the CBA with the NHLPA), and there'd be a few headaches in re-doing the schedule (mostly in altering the dates the 'Yotes were scheduled to play Eastern teams), but the NHL could (for the most part) get past it.
Jerry Moyes would be a HUGE loser. He wouldn't get anywhere near the money that he was promised from the sale to PSE. He'd likely appeal the decision, but I doubt that he'd get far.
PSE and Jim Balsillie would lose, but only because he wouldn't get his precious NHL team. Then again, no one else would, either. You can bet he'd try to appeal, or he'd just wise up and make a full-court press against Len Barrie and Tampa. Knowing Jim, though, he'd take this whole thing personally.
The players would end up on their feet, but there would be losers among the roster. Not all teams would want to or be able to draft and pick up players from what is arguably a team of lesser talents (Shane Doan notwithstanding).
The City of Glendale would be a HUGE loser, because not only would they lose the Coyotes, but it's likely that Balsillie would get a court injunction preventing any future NHL "expansion" teams from playing in the Phoenix area prior to him getting his precious team in Hamilton. Which will be, at the current pace, on the twelfth of never. The NHL could get Baum to agree to a settlement that the league would have a certain number of rescheduled games that would have involved the Coyotes to be played "neutral site" at the Jobing.com Arena - though Balsillie might balk at that idea.
The San Antonio Rampage of the AHL (the Coyotes' minor league team) would have issues trying to field a team this late in the game; theoretically, the AHL and the PHPA could come to an agreement to allow the team to sign free agents, or have the Anaheim Ducks send their players to SA for this season only.
The fans of the Coyotes would get the worst of all of this, because they'd get no hockey, no team, and no hope of hockey ever returning to the Valley.

Baum mentioned the idea of going to Chapter 7 a few times over the previous week, and he may have used the nuclear option as a veiled threat to make the two sides (the NHL and PSE) come to some sort of an agreement that would allow for a ruling that wouldn't be appealed constantly.

If neither side is willing to budge, though, be prepared to see the dissection of the Coyotes - and people in PHX screaming when they hear the number 7.

Annoyance of the Day

2009-08-25T18:01:00.003-05:00

Computer annoyance of the day (too big for Twitter or Facebook): I have been trying to print out a simple set of directions using Streets & Trips 2006. Only one small problem: Every time I've printed them out, the print is backwards and upside down. The map itself is okay; it's the words and writing that are messed up.

Now, there's a Knowledge Base article on support.microsoft.com that covers this issue. I've read it before, and I believe it's got something to do with bi-directional printing or some ridiculously simple thing.

There's just one problem: it no longer exists. See, apparently Microsoft doesn't keep issues to products that have been replaced by three new versions (2007, 2008 and 2009) around on their website. So, I'm stuck with printouts that are readable if I hold them upside down and backwards - but not if I'm just reading them.

What's strange is, I can print the maps to PDF, and the text comes out OK. The Maps look bad, though.

Weekly Thoughts

2009-08-22T09:29:00.002-05:00

Some thoughts for a Saturday Morning in August:

I just ran through my iTunes list, comparing it to the titles on The Beatles: Rock Band. Of the 45 regular tracks and the one "bonus" track for the Xbox ("All You Need Is Love"), I only have 25 of them. Does that make me less of a Beatles fan than I thought I was?
Speaking of which, part of me wants to read through the Rolling Stone article on the breakup of the Beatles, and part of me doesn't. Mostly because trying to explain the breakup of the Beatles is like trying to describe World War II.
I think I did a good thing in scheduling my Furlough days prior to November/December, and not on a weekend. I suspect at some time before the year is over I will get ordered on to first shift due to snow and such.
After watching the Cowboys-Titans game, I'm convinced that that HD scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium is going to get hit, hit, hit with punts - unless they figure out how they can raise it up without causing other problems.
The Brewers are on the Triple-A portion of their schedule, with games against Washington, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh (who, unfortunately, we've proven that we can't beat). If they go 9-0, then maybe we can salvage the season. I doubt it, though.
Saw a new "100 Calorie" product at the store last night - Little Debbie has a new Cookies & Cream cake that looks yummy on the package. Only one problem: you open up the box, pull one out, and it's smaller than an iPod nano. Seriously: it's smaller than an inch by inch by two inches. I tried not to eat it in two bites, but it was incredibly hard to do so.
Marcel Goc. Why? In essence, signing him was a trade between the Preds and the Sharks for third-line centers. Former Pred Scott Nichol signed with the Sharks, essentially as an "upgrade" from Goc, who isn't as tough and doesn't score as much. Most observers see him as a Milwaukee pickup. I'm thinking I'll be seeing him in Admirals laundry this year.
Guilty pleasure: watching Man vs. Food. I'm waiting for him to show up at the Heart Attack Grill in Tempe, AZ.

PT Cruiser repair update: My PT Cruiser's vent issue was finally solved on Thursday. The replacement cable came in, and the only thing left to do was remove the old one and put the new one in. So - slip the old cable off its connections to the control levers on both sides, take it out of the clip attaching it to the control panel, and... wait a minute, that's a bolt there stuck all the way back under the dash frame. And the head is recessed enough that my nut driver can't get around it to loosen it.

So, as I'm struggling to figure out how to get it off - and considering snipping the cable off - I realize a neighbor of mine is out in his garage. He has a small wrench that fits, and with a little more help after getting the cable seated right, I finally have the vent system defogging my windows. Putting everything back in was relatively easy compared to that.

I took a good look at the old cable - what had happened was that the cable itself got frayed, probably from years of constant switching and (perhaps) the lever seizing up on the lever atop the vent canister. When the canister got stuck, for whatever reason (I'm still thinking that a seed or twig or something fell into the vent system), the cable got bent from my attempts at switching from vent to defogger.

After seeing how the controls for the HVAC system in my car works, I can only say two things:

It is rather disheartening how Chrysler cut corners on the PT Cruiser by concentrating more on the exterior and looks of the car instead of thinking through the interior and controls, and
Looking at the inside of your car is a little bit like going to a sausage factory or attending a congressional hearing. You know the old saying by John Godfrey Saxe: "Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made."

Furloughs.

2009-08-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

I just found out that I start my "furlough" journey this week on Thursday. I got three of the top four days I had selected for my chosen furlough days, and it just happened that my first two "wrap" around my vacation right at the end of this month.

In one way, it's good, but in another, it's not, mostly because it's unclear as to whether or not I can take OT this week.

Big Stories

2009-08-13T23:39:00.002-05:00

I had a whole blog post put together on my opinion on something that happened Saturday night, but a lot of things have happened since then to push them to the back burner.

First of all - I fully expect the city/county of Waukesha to get the Highway 164/59 Waukesha Bypass renamed to the Les Paul Memorial Parkway within a short time. My greatest regret is that I never got a chance to meet the man since moving to Waukesha in '93.

Secondly - I have no qualms about the Eagles deciding to sign Mike Vick. Better them to get steamrolled by PETA and the other nut-groups that are going to protest his every move. And I still am not convinced he's going to be anything more than an "anomaly" in the history of the NFL, anyways.

Third - What the heck is up with the Admirals and their weird schedule to start the season? Six straight road games, then six out of seven at home, then another eight straight on the road?

Fourth - When in the world are the Predators going to get their message boards back up and running so I don't have to go crazy blogging and Tweeting?

Black Wednesday

2009-08-12T19:46:00.002-05:00

So I wake up, turn on the 'puter, do a few clicky-linkys and find out that the Brewers have, in essence, thrown in the towel for 2009.

Bill Castro fired as pitching coach; J.J. Hardy sent down to Nashville; Bill Hall sent down "for assignment" (IOW, we're about to give him his unconditional release).

A face palm isn't adequate to describe these moves. This is close to "bang your head against the wall" level.

Good Lord, I do NOT want to have to wait 26 years before this team goes back to the post-season again.

We were played.

2009-08-07T00:17:00.002-05:00

So even as I'm sitting there, still stewing and wondering how I'm going to replace the remote control I'd thrown at the TV after watching Gary Bettman's press conference, it appears that there were some nefarious acts going on in the Great White North that would lead to me nearly punching out a newspaper box outside a Waffle House a few years later.

In all the lovely stuff that's been happening with the Phoenix Coyotes, a little piece of information has come out that the sale of the Nashville Predators back in 2007 was started - not because Craig Leipold was getting tired of owning them, nor was it because he wanted to own the Wild instead - but because Richard "Just Chill" Rodier was trying to undermine the continued existence of the team by some very underhanded means.

Rodier, apparently a good two years prior to asking Leipold about purchasing the team, inquired about the lease terms between the team and the city of Nashville - by contacting the city's Director of Finance. In early March, there started to be a bunch of articles in the TG&M about the "financial difficulties" of the Predators. Part of the articles related that the terms of the lease agreement might not be met because of the lockout.

Guess what happened two months later? Yep, Metro Nashville asked the Preds for their financials, because there was all this "media frenzy" about it. And, apparently Rodier was arguing that the only physical assets of the team were hockey pucks.

(pause here for meaningful eye rolling)

This began two years of bickering and arguing between MDC and the Predators about their lease. And it made the situation that eventually led to the Predators' sale to David Freeman and company that much more difficult.

Guess what - that's only the TIP OF THE ICEBERG. Leipold also mentions that Balsillie and Rodier were negotiating to purchase the team while all along planning on moving the team to Hamilton. (Which, of course, Predator fans already knew after hamiltonpredators.com went live.) In fact, it was the very first Terms of Sale Sheet that Ballsy gave CL. CL rejected it, but Ballsy basically presumed from that point until the team was sold to Freeman that the team was his to do whatever he (blankety-blank) well wished.

And then there was Rodier's attempt at trying to sic the Canadian Competition Bureau on CL and the NHL. Guess what, Canadian taxpayers? For the next 10 months, your federal government spent your money to determine that Ballsy and Rodent were acting stupid.

I'm not happy as to how CL ended up dumping the Preds and then scrambling to purchase the Wild instead. That hurt a lot. But as it turns out, he wasn't the bad guy in all this.

I have claimed over on the Predators message boards that the whole story of Balsillie's attempts at getting into the NHL should be published, like either Lords of the Realm or Barbarians at the Gate. Unfortunately, such a book would probably not be able to make print until sometime in like 2014, because you know Rodier would sue the publisher.

Too bad, because Dirty Ice: How Jim Balsillie Tried To Break Into The NHL would be a VERY interesting read.

So Whaddya Do?

2009-08-06T08:38:00.002-05:00

Twitter's down, Facebook's acting up. So what do you do? You blog.

Defcon17 is happening right now in Vegas, and I understand that they do little "warmup" exercises to show their L337 H4Kzor Skillz (or something like that).

Of course, Twitter's server can't take high loads to begin with, but hey.

Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?

2009-08-04T08:44:00.002-05:00

This may come to a complete shock to those of you who haven't known me for a long time, but at one time I was really into Christian Rock music. I got away from it after I was married, partly because of the distance and partly because I was getting more into "regular" rock and roll at the time.

One of the things I've always loved about River Glen Christian Church in Waukesha (point of order: the church is about as "Waukesha" as I am; they're located halfway beteween Wales and Genessee Depot - but I digress) is that they use contemporary worship music. As much as I kid with Jamie Formea and Sarah Huckaby about the "Chris Tomlin Song of the Week", it was that very music that got me back and hooked on Christian music again.

Only one thing bothered me (and still does): I didn't recognize many of the names I was hearing in the service, or on the radio (when I started listening to K-Love and The Message), or on iTunes. I started openly wondering - where are the guys, gals and groups that I know? Of course, I already knew what happened to my favorite band, Petra (they retired in 2000). And Amy Grant - well, I know what happened there. But what about Mylon? Or Stryper? Or Steve Taylor?

Now, I can imagine some people who're reading this and aren't quite that old are saying that magic word: "Who?" Well, I can help fill you in on some of that. I tracked down a book I was given back when I was in high school, titled Why Knock Rock? by Dan and Steve Peters. It's a good analysis of the pitfalls of Rock and Roll - some of which doesn't really apply anymore, and some of which does. However, there's one section where the authors list artists that were popular in Contemporary Christian Music 25 years ago. I provide you all with the list of the ones that I either know, or have heard, or (in those strange instances) have heard live in concert:

Keith Green (Rest in Peace)
DeGarmo and Key
Joe English
Phil Keaggy
David Meece
Second Chapter of Acts
Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart
Petra (of course)
Leslie Phillips
Rick Cua (still rockin', by the way)
Larry Norman (also RIP, sadly)
Resurrection (aka "Rez") Band (also retired)
Isaac Air Freight (comedy troupe)
David & The Giants
The 77's
Darrell Mansfield Band (though I don't remember their sound much)
Sweet Comfort Band (they broke up right before I started getting into CCM)
Daniel Amos
Jerusalem (I love some of their videos)
Steve Taylor (I wanna be a clone!)
Sheila Walsh
Carmen Licciardello (aka Carmen)
The Imperials
Russ Taff (a former member of the Imperials)
Benny Hester
Debby Boone
Andrus Blackwood
Dallas Holm & Praise
Michael & Stormie Omartian
Chris Christian
Leon Patillo
Randy Stonehill
Silverwind
Farrel and Farrel (Hosanna Gloria!)
Whiteheart
Michelle Pillar
Sandy Patty
Andrae Crouch
Brown Bannister
John Michael Talbot
Twila Paris
Cynthia Clawson
Michael Card
Phil Driscoll
B.J. Thomas
Michael W. Smith

That last one threw me a bit at one point. See, I'm sitting there, listening hard to try to see if I recognize any of the music on K-Love the first time I tuned in, and then all of a sudden this guitar riff starts playing, and I hear this voice... nah, that can't be him, can it? Sure enough, it's Michael. It made my heard glad a few weeks later when we actually sang, "A New Hallelujah" in our worship service at River Glen. 25 years ago, I'd have never guessed I'd sing a Michael W. Smith song during a church service.

What I wouldn't mind, though, is hearing some of these again. It's been a long time, obviously, and I will freely admit that I didn't hear everything back in those days - CCM was more of an
"indie" music style than anything else back when I was in school. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't be willing to give a couple of songs a go at some point.

Here's what I've been thinking about doing: start with Petra's "More Power To Ya", then Keith Green's powerful "There Is A Redeemer", and then "Sail On", the song written by Chris Christian and performed wonderfully by the Imperials. Then, to bring it all home, we go all the way back to the song considered the first Christian Rock song: "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?" Of course, it'd be one thing to do it as a one-off, one service thing... THREE services in one weekend might be difficult.

Still... I'd love to hear something old-school in a service, at some point. I mean, they didn't exactly sing hymns back then. (Right, Mr. Taylor?)

Things Not Blogged, Part One

2009-07-29T00:02:00.002-05:00

It wasn't until someone mentioned on Facebook (that bastion of social small talk) about bad experiences with GPS systems that I realized I'd never written about my little "incident" with a GPS from December of 2007 of last year.

Let us flash back to that time: we'd gotten dumped on by a ton of snow, but suddenly in the weeks before Christmas it had warmed up a bit. That led to a decision one Tuesday when I didn't have to work to head to the old alma mater, UW-Whitewater, to pick up a 2007 NCAA Division III National Champions sweatshirt. Or three.

Now, there is no direct route to get to Whitewater from Waukesha, except for Highway 59. It was a rather strange day - very foggy in spots, with the snow basically causing visibility to be nil in some spots. This wasn't a huge problem, until I got outside of Palmyra on 59. Apparently, a trailer truck had jackknifed or otherwise had an accident to block the highway, and there was a long line of cars looming ahead in the mist. I decided to take a U-turn and head back to the previous side road, and try to cut across to one of the other roads that led into Whitewater.

After spending some time wandering through the countryside, I remembered that I had signed up for EasyEdge with US Cellular, their Internet-like application that would allow me to download and use all sorts of apps - like, for example, a mini-GPS app known as "Your Navigator". I fired it up, set my phone to send GPS signals, and entered the address of the UW-W Bookstore on Starin Road.

Only one problem: it kept telling me to head down roads where there were these signs saying, "ROAD CLOSED AHEAD." Then, I finally get to a point where it tells me to "Turn left", and I can't - because there's this long "ROAD CLOSED" barrier and, beyond that, a bridge that is completely out.

I gave up on the GPS after yelling at it a bit, then ended up swinging north and onto Highway 106. Somehow, I got turned around, ended up over on the far west side of Whitewater, and came into the campus from Tratt Street. This wasn't all that bad, but I was NOT looking forward to the drive back home.

I was reminded of this earlier this month when Sarah and I decided to drive to Whitewater in her convertible on the 12th. This time, we had to take a complete detour of Highway 59, which is under construction between Whitewater and Palmyra. I'm pretty sure I drove over the bridge that was out back then.

One of One

2009-07-21T14:51:00.002-05:00

I'm going into my fourth decade of collecting baseball cards and other sports card memorabilia. Over the years, I've collected a LOT of cards. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey, movies, television, comics, military (Operation Desert Storm), and even music cards.

I've collected many different types of cards, too. Along side the regular cards out of a wax pack or "cello" pack, I've collected:

the Hostess premium "cut out" cards;
the Kellogg's and SportFlics "motion" cards;
a couple of hologram cards (yes, most of them from Upper Deck);
oversize cards;
3-D "relief" cards (Topps made a set of plastic with a photo on top that looked like those relief maps with the bumps for mountains that you used to see in elementary school);
cloth cards, sticker cards, and cloisonne "pin" cards;
miniature baseball, football and hockey jerseys (that weren't "cards", per se); and
even playing cards with baseball players on them.

And then, of course, there came the "special inserts". First it was autographed cards - not the "facsimile" ones, but real ones signed with Sharpies or with pen. Then it got complicated:

The authentic jersey card - cut-up patches of a historic or game-worn jersey;
the autograph card, both of the sharpie type and of the "tape-on" type;
the "double jersey" card (two pieces of jersey from the same player, or two teammates);
the rookie redemption card;
the "short prints" or "variation" cards (thanks to Topps' Cracker Jack series);
the "patch" card, with either the piece of a patch or letter from a jersey;
the "leather" or "bat" or "slat" card, with either a piece of a glove, a slice of a baseball bat, or a sliver of the seat from a departed ballpark;
the infamous "biological insert" card (Washington's hair, for example - something I never got, thankfully);
the "faux" letter card, with a cloth letter "embossed" into a card (a recent Topps innovation); and
the sketch card.

It is this last one which gave me the so-called "holy grail" of cards - the "One of One" card. A card so unique that it is the only one out there. And, this past April, I got an insert in my Topps Baseball Series One pack with a redemption code for a special "one of one" Artist's Sketch card.

After waiting for months and months to receive the card (and a phone call or two to Topps HQ), I finally got my card via Certified Mail. It is a sketch of David Wright by artist Brian Kong. Initially, I wasnt' very impressed with the card (no, it's not the one that is seen on his page, by the way). However, after looking at some of his body of work, my opinion has changed a bit. I guess I'd be more gung-ho about it if it was a player I cared about - say, Prince Fielder, of course - but the card is a nice piece of art and, of course, it's unique.

I'm still in a bit of a non-plussed stage over the card, but I think I'm going to drop Brian a line telling him that I got the card. It's a bit hard, though, to think that I got something "unique" without it being more connected to the sport than just a drawing of the Mets' 3B.

Catching Up

2009-07-13T00:28:00.003-05:00

Seems like as good a time as any. Besides, 140 characters at a time was getting so confining...

This is NOT how we wanted to go into the All-Star Break. Three wins in our last 10, and two and a half games behind the Redbirds. Someone tell Doug Melvin that Ryan Braun was right.
Safety tip for the month: if you own a convertible, and you plan on putting the top down during the summer - WEAR SUNSCREEN.
When you are going to any sort of sporting event where you have no rooting interest in either team, it is much, MUCH more enjoyable when the home team is not getting their butts kicked. West Michigan whipped up on the Beloit Snappers today, 11-3, thanks to an awful-beyond-words 10-run third inning. That inning sapped any joy I might have gotten from watching a baseball game live for the first time this year right out of me. And the Paul Molitor bobblehead wasn't all that, either.

And now, for some comic commentary:

Candi - Heh, gotta love Menjou's new girlfriend, Coconut. When the Squirrel Mafia is out to get you, it's always good to have a girlfriend who has lasers for eyes.
The Dreamland Chronicles - This is getting good. Daniel, the only one who's never dreamt in his life, is going to be the one to suddenly show up in Dreamland, perhaps?
Girls With Slingshots - A Groom with cold feet (and a bandanna hiding a bald head)? This could be real interesting.
Girl Genius - I said it in the Yahoo Group, and I'll say it here without fear of spoilering: I think we now know how Klaus Barry Heterodyne was killed: SOMEbody was holding the new Seneschal hostage.
Times Like This - After that long little storyline about Cassie's "Hook-up" (pun intentional), a couple of music-themed one-shots aren't too bad. My only question about the strip today (7/13) is, why teach Peter, Paul and Mary a song by Jon Anderson of Yes?
xkcd - That's funny, that's exactly what happens when I click his "random comic" link... And I completely agree that Cracked.com is way too funny at times, too. (Then again, I preferred Cracked over Mad magazine when I was kid.)
Wapsi Square - Monica's getting tossed around by Doubt (literally). There are times when I want this whole Calendar Machine storyline to end, but part of me can't wait to find out what Pablo (aka Paul Taylor) throws into the works next.

THE REAL GOLDEN AGE OF BASEBALL

2009-06-22T07:57:00.005-05:00

It's not too often that Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy for ESPN:TM) brings up a question that really intrigues me. And, in his latest column for The Magazine (June 18th ), he tackles a very intriguing question: "What was the purest baseball era, from a statistical perspective?" He gave some reasoned arguments as to why the era from 1988 to 1992 was the relatively "purest" era in major league history.

Of course, being the stathead that I am, I figured that Mr. Simmons might just be on to something here. And, if it was indeed true, it would show up in statistical analysis over the history of MLB. Lucky for me, I had the Lahman Baseball Database at my disposal – and, consequently, the league totals for every season from 1871 to 2008.

I decided that I didn't want to go too elaborate, since I couldn't easily measure everything that he mentioned in the articles (innings by starters and pitchers used per game, for example). So I decided to limit my season-by-season analysis to two basic areas: runs scored and batters reaching base. Those two were measurable both on the offensive and defensive side, which was an added benefit. I figured two sets of totals – one for the AL and NL combined from 1988 to 1992, and one for the major leagues from 1871 to present. The stats I used were:

Runs per Plate Appearance (.11009 for 1988-92, .11894 for 1871-2008)
Men on Base per Plate Appearance [(H+BB+HB)/PA] (.31832 for 1988-92, .32295 for 1871-2008)
Earned Runs per Inning (.42041 for 1988-92, .42423 for 1871-2008)
Hits and Walks per Inning [(H+BB+HB)/IP] (1.35220 for 1988-92, 1.38604 for 1871-2008)

You'll notice that each of the four were "rate" stats. That is to even out totals affected by the number of games played over a season, which changed drastically over the course of major league history. I took the individual totals for each league/season and compared them to the total for the "normal" era. Next, I averaged all four categories to get a league "normalization" total. For example: 2008 NL vs. 1988-92 ML totals are 1.06657, 1.02867, 1.13331, and 1.05682, for a 1.07134 Normalization Average.

To make it easy to understand, I took this total, subtracted by one, multiplied the result by 100, and removed the negative sign (for you math geeks, that would be called "taking the absolute value of the result") to indicate difference from the zero-point, calling this the NORM total. In our example, the 2008 NL had a NORM percentage of 7.13%. That means that the 2008 NL was significantly far off from the target totals from the 88-92 era.

I broke this down two ways, once for each individual league and once for the majors as a whole: first, I compared individual seasons to the "norm" totals; next, I averaged every five year period of "norm" totals. I did it this way because it was both easier and because the 1988-92 era wouldn't automatically jump out from the statistics. Last, I did all four of these comparisons for both the 88-92 "norms" and the overall "norms".

First of all, let's look at the five "most normal" single seasons in MLB – in each league and the majors as a whole:

Based on the 1988-92 standard: 1952 Major Leagues (0.17% from the normal)
Based on 1871-2008 Major League Totals: 1962 Major Leagues (0.24%)

That last one should be a surprise, as it was the first year of the 20-team majors, and featured the return of National League baseball to New York City. The "longball" era wasn't quite over, while teams hadn't gone crazy with steals like the White Sox had in 1959. Teams were starting to become more integrated, and pitchers hadn't yet taken dominance over hitters like they would six years later. Astroturf wasn't even invented yet, and contracts hadn't become mail-it-in level – at least, not yet, and not knowingly.

Looking at individual league/seasons, things get more interesting – and we see the first appearance of seasons from Mr. Simmons' "ideal era" make the top five in each of the norm standards:

"Most Normal" Seasons in any Major League
Based on the 1988-92 standard:
1. 1990 National League (0.061%)
2. 1911 National League (0.068%)
3. 1979 National League (0.091%)
4. 1958 American League (0.098%)
5. 1952 American League (0.128%)

Based on 1871-2008 Major League Totals:
1. 1962 American League (0.035%)
2. 1945 National League (0.058%)
3. 1958 National League (0.151%)
4. 1992 American League (0.170%)
5. 1959 National League (0.219%)

The 1962 American League's comparison ratios, by the way, were .968 for RPA, 1.039 for ER/IP, .996 for BRPA, and .9978 for WHIP. Those are the closest any single season has come to matching the overall ML rate stats in our four comparison categories.

Now, as to five-year periods in baseball: you would expect that the 1988-92 era would still stick out statistically from the rest in comparisons, even though I wasn't measuring it the exact same way.

You would be wrong.

"Most Normal" Five-Year Periods in Major League Baseball
Based on the 1988-92 standard:
1. 1956-60 (2.15% from norm)
2. 1957-61 (2.24%)
3. 1973-77 (2.30%)
4. 1974-78 (2.34%)
5. 1958-62 (2.71%)
Based on 1871-2008 Major League Totals:
1. 1958-62 (1.23%)
2. 1957-61 (1.59%)
3. 1955-59 (2.00%)
4. 1956-60 (2.08%)
5. 1954-58 (2.33%)

I'm pretty sure you can see a pattern here. MLB was as close to the norm – both overall and in comparison to the "Golden Age" of Simmons – in the era right around 1958-61. In fact, I'd even be as bold as to stretch it to a seven-year period between 1956 and 1962. That era saw the greatest amount of change ever seen in the history of the game: complete integration, new ballparks, new cities, new teams. The clincher is the five-year spans in each of the two leagues:

"Most Normal" Five-Year Periods in the AL or NL
Based on the 1988-92 standard:

1956-60 National League (1.67%)
1957-61 American League (1.96%)

Based on 1871-2008 Major League Totals:

1988-92 American League (0.73%)
1958-62 National League (1.10%)

And it's this little piece of information that tells me volumes about why our Sports Guy believed that the era from 1988-92 was the "Golden Age" of baseball: Mr. Simmons has a small amount of bias in his sports view. Namely, he sees only one side of the game – the American League side.

During that five year period, he probably was right on that the AL was as balanced as you could get. However, the NL during that time frame was far from balanced. The league, if you recall,
consisted of seven teams that played on Astroturf – one, of course, who was the namesake for the stuff. 10 teams played in cavernous multi-purpose ball fields. Another park, Candlestick, was a nightmare of a place for the entire era. Teams were rewarded for slapping the ball around and manufacturing runs instead of getting runners on base and then driving them home with base hits.

That's not the case for the Majors in the late 1950's and early 1960's. If I had to choose a five-year period that was truly the "purest" in comparison to what baseball should be, I'd say 1957-61. I'd be more willing to extend it out to a seven-year period from 1956 to 1962, where the game went from being 16 teams with three based in New York City, to 20 teams with teams literally from coast to coast. Add to that the amount of integration that occurred during that time, and I'd say you've probably got an era that is as "pure" as you're going to get.

My SOAP Study, John 21

2009-06-06T09:07:00.003-05:00

River Glen has been doing a series on TEXT:_ over the last three weekends, and today is the "wrap-up" of the series, which featured a challenge - read the entire book of John, one chapter a day, and utilize the SOAP method to read and understand the chapter being studied.

Pastor Ben Davis has been blogging about each chapter over the last three weeks, and in a completely unsolicited way, I present to you my own notes from the final chapter - the story of a fishing trip.

Scripture: John 21:15-19
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicated the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Observation: This whole paragraph is about a discussion that Jesus had with Peter – one that Jesus knew he'd have to have, or else Simon the son of John wouldn't be the "Rock" that he would build his church upon. The first act of this little two-part scene was that of Peter and six of the disciples (including, it is assumed, John) going on a fishing trip. Jesus appeared, not only to help them with their catch, but to have breakfast with them. In the second act, however, the scene shifted to Peter. Remember, he had denied knowing or being a follower of Christ three times; Jesus had to resolve this, especially in the presence of the other disciples. He did this by asking Peter three times if he truly loved Him. Jesus then informed him that his life was going to change – and how he was going to die for His name. But Jesus didn't care about that – he just demanded the same thing of Peter that he had the other 10: "Follow me."

Application: We really screw things up sometimes. We look back at things that we've done and think, "There is no possible way that Jesus is going to forgive me for doing that." Doubt was what kept Thomas from believing in a risen savior without seeing and feeling; doubt here was what kept Peter from being in fellowship with his Lord and master. It is symbolic, of course, that Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him once for each time he denied Him. I've always wondered if, when Jesus told him the third time to "feed his sheep," a rooster crowed in the distance. That would have been a sign to the others as to why Jesus kept asking him the same thing over and over. Not that it matters, of course – because he forgives us every time we screw up. Every time we do, though, he does want to hear us say that we believe him.

Prayer: Lord, even though we love you and have believed you to be our Savior, sometimes we do things that we're afraid to bring to you for forgiveness. Remind us, dear Jesus, that you have removed all of our sin, as far as the East is from the West, and that you die for all of it – not some, not a little, but all. Teach us to confess our sin, regardless of how bad we think it may be, and give it up to you.

More Random Thoughts

2009-05-23T21:18:00.002-05:00

Scariest Moment In The World: You're about to pay for dinner with your debit card, and you suddenly realize you don't have it. Thankfully, with a quick search of my online banking (and a frenzied, panic search of every pair of jeans or shorts I'd worn in the last 24 hours) I discovered I'd left it at a restaurant that was (fortunately) open 24 hours. They had it in their register; when I'd stopped in to get the fish fry the previous night, I apparently forgot it there or the waitress didn't hand it back to me with my receipt. WHEW!
I'm starting to get tired of Interleague play. Are the Twins that much better than we are, or are we just not as good as we think we are here in Milwaukee?
The Canes can start planning their tee times for next week. Oh my goodness, Evgeni Malkin is playing like a man possessed. If the Pens actually manage to keep the Wings close, how he can't get consideration for the Connie is beyond me.
Part of me wants to see Providence win tomorrow over the Hershey Bears, just so that series can be extended out beyond the Western Conference finals.
I'm thinking Helio wins Indy tomorrow, and Danica posts another DNF when she tries to pull into her pit - and plows into the car in the pit in front of her. This time, though, she doesn't get restrained when she pops out of the car and goes for the other driver. (Okay, maybe not on that last thing.)
Enough of all the Gosselin Clan hatred, already!

Mom's Day Confusion

2009-05-10T12:28:00.002-05:00

See, I always got Mother's Day confused when I was growing up. The reason was simple: My grandfather was born on May 13th, and my grandmother was born on June 19th. So, when we went over to my grandparent's house on Mother's Day, we'd be giving my grandfather his usual chocolates or golf balls (or chocolate golf balls!); in June, it'd be giving my grandmother her gifts and flowers (and, for some reason, my grandpa would still get his chocolate and golf balls for Father's day!).

ADMIRALS MILESTONES

2009-05-04T08:24:00.002-05:00

A few milestones that the Admirals may be able to achieve during this Calder Cup playoff run. Consider this: if the Admirals...

...win two more games in their series with Houston, they would have posted their 100th playoff victory in franchise history. (The depressing part of this fact is that the Admirals have been playing as a professional team in league play for 35 seasons.)

...defeat Houston in the Western Division Finals, it would be their 10th time winning a series in the Calder Cup playoffs - more that all of the other playoff series won by the Admirals in the USHL or IHL.

...advance to the Western Conference Finals and win at least two games in that series (against either Manitoba or Grand Rapids), they would have won more games in the Calder Cup (AHL) playoffs (47 wins) than in the Turner Cup (IHL) playoffs (46).

...win the Western Division Finals series AND the Western Conference Finals series, it would be their 19th and 20th playoff series wins, respectively.

...make it to the Calder Cup Finals, it would be the franchise's sixth appearance in the league finals, and the franchise's third appearance in the AHL's Final series - more appearances that in any other league finals (2 USHL, 1 IHL).

...extend their Western Division Finals series to seven games and win, then win the Western Conference final in seven games, game three of the Calder Cup finals would be the franchise's record 23rd game of any single playoff season. (The current record is 22 in the Cup-winning season of 2004.)

…win the Calder Cup, they would have won more playoff games as the primary affiliate of the Nashville Predators (55) than in their prior seasons in the USHL and IHL (54).

Sunday Evening Thoughts

2009-05-03T20:20:00.002-05:00

They need cameras focused on the red line between the posts. That was a goal in Boston.

Anyways:

Things have just gone completely downhill over the last year for the Cowboys. Injuries, failure to make the playoffs - and now their practice field collapses. My heart goes out to the scout who apparently is now paralyzed from the part of the structure that fell on him. Something like that is just a freak accident, but when you look at everything that's happened to Jerry's Boys... Someone out there check for goats.
Dave Bush deserved better out there today. At least the Crew won, even if it wasn't pretty. And I don't know about you, but to me it's rather strange to be hearing "Hell's Bells" coming on over the Miller Park sound system.
I hope the Admirals played their last really-bad game of the year on Thursday. They stayed in it, but the Aeros were much better. I hope that game was a "wake-up call" for Lane's boys.
By the way: the black drapes that "hide" the unoccupied upper deck of the Bradley Center are a bit unnerving if you're not used to seeing them. I never knew that the BC had them in the first place; apparently they were put up at the request of the Milwaukee Iron AF2 football club. The problem I have is that when you're looking up at the end boards, there looks like this large, black mass between the ribbon boards and them. I would guess you'd get used to them after a while, but I hope they're not a permanent feature during future Admiral games.

Thoughts for an early morning

2009-04-30T04:57:00.003-05:00

You're kidding - you can't use Opera to login to Facebook? I suddenly hear the sounds of millions of Wii owners screaming in agony.
Small update: I have officially surpassed the 50k mark in sports cards. I now have 50,131 cards in my collection, of which 36,288 are baseball cards. It's a bit slow going at the moment, because I've got 87% of Series 1 Baseball from Topps collected. Thanks to a minor binge of buying those new Topps American Heritage boxes from Wal-Mart, I've now got 89 sets at 50% complete or more.
Boy, Firefox is slogging along this morning. 105 MB of memory and I only have four tabs open. There has GOT to be a way of getting around FF being such a memory hog with add-ons and extensions.
Game One of the Admirals Western Division Finals series with Houston is tonight. Houston was 3-1-1-1 against us in the regular season; that means they won three of the six games in regulation, lost one, and took us to overtime once and the shootout once. Part of me isn't very thrilled at that stat, but part of me also realizes that three of those games were from the early part of the year (before the team started to gel), and all three of those were road games. The two games we played them after the All-Star break, we split - but, as is often mentioned to me, we didn't have a full complement of players for those two games. This one's going to come down to the better goalies - Mac and Dek, or Khudobin and Brust (or whoever the backup is in Houston).
There has been a proclivity of spiders appearing in our kitchen area. Not tarantula-size, mind you - the typical small nickel-sized garden variety. They seem to not like the rash change in temperatures much, and like to hole up in the corners of our kitchen. And, of course, the one that decided to camp out in the far corner of the office here as I was typing this up.
Slowly, the Crew is working its way back up the standings. I remember when I used to complain that it was usually how we played the Pirates that would determine the success of our season; we just swept them here at Miller Park. Hopefully these guys don't tank against the Snakes this weekend, and then fall apart at PNC in that short two-game set next week

Some added thoughts (aren't I wonderful?):

From the "you can't go home again" department: I dusted off one of my old Petra albums, Never Say Die, after contemplating how much I liked the music on that tape. It's amazing that you can like some kind of music so much at one point in your life, and later on, it just doesn't sound the same.
Unintentional Mood Lighting 101: The new energy-saving bulbs I bought for our downstairs bathroom have this slow-glow feature that mean they don't come to full power right away. That makes for an interesting time after you turn the light on and the night light slowly fades off.
I have to remember when making chocolate chip cookies from pre-made dough to keep them in the oven longer, to make sure they turn nice and golden brown. This was the first batch I made (from generic Roundy's stuff) that came out pretty good - and very tempting.
Three unknown things from the Bible:

The words Jesus wrote in the dirt (John 8:6b).
The song the disciples sang (Mark 14:26).
Who, exactly, Jacob wrestled with before he visited with Esau (Genesis 32:24-30).

A Note to Fox Trot fans

2009-04-26T00:20:00.001-05:00

4 - 19 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 23 - 4 - 15 - 9 - 23 - 10 - 7 - 11 - 23 - 15 - 20 - 2 - 15 - 18 - 2 - 15 - 9 - 1 - 15 - 22 - 13 - 20 - 5 - 3 - 16 - 4 - 13 - 12 - 19 - 12 - 19 - 13 - 23 - 1 - 13 - 16 - 19 - 10 - 9 - 15 - 9 - 8 - 13 - 6 - 6 - 11 - 22 - 10 - 20 - 17 - 2 - 15 - 9 - 19 - 13 - 23 - 22 - 11 - 12 - 19 - 22 - 13 - 23 - 12 - 11 - 26 - 10 - 23

(If you're clueless, see the comic from the 19th.)

The Notebook - An Update

2009-04-25T08:04:00.000-05:00

I finally got through all of the notes in my NIV study bible. 81 pages worth. As I suspected, I had way more notes in the NT than the OT - 58 and a half to 22 and a half. The Gospels were 14 pages total.

Speaking of 14 - that was the number of books that I didn't have notes for. Only three were NT books (2nd Peter, 3rd John, and Jude).

Two chapters had about the same number of notes: I Timothy 3 and James 1. Though I Corinthians 15 had a little more than a page, it wasn't as concentrated as the two previously mentioned chapters.

I also had 28 different verses/passages that were marked "John 3:16". No, that's not a misprint; they are 28 different verses that point to John 3:16. (I'll post them one of these days.)

I also added a page that I'd highlighted from the Ryrie section on doctrine, about the doctrine of Salvation. That made for an even 82 pages of notes.

At some point, I'll share some of the stuff I had written down here - some of it's fun, some of it's serious.

The Notebook

2009-04-21T15:02:00.003-05:00

Normally at this time I'd be complaining about the Brewers' slow start, or the Admirals playoff woes (which, at this point, there are none), or on some other topic of general interest to sport (LeBron James deserved the MVP award in the NBA).

However, today I'm going to be talking about something else: notes.

I don't know about you, but if I think something's important, I write it down. I usually grab some paper, a pen and start writing. Lately, I've gotten into the habit of sitting down in front of the computer, book propped open in front of me (aside: anyone who can find me a book holder that can do that for me would be appreciated greatly - and twice that if you can get it for me...) and copying my notes into Microsoft Word. It's how I did it with The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

Back in the old days, though, I wasn't fussy about where I wrote notes. In fact, I think I'm like many of us who went to church and bible studies and wrote in the margins of our Bibles. Back on Saturday night, I decided to sit down with my old Ryrie NIV Study Bible and copy down the notes I had in the margins into a separate notebook.

I knew for a fact that I would likely have much, much, much more in the way of notes in the New Testament than in the Old - and I'm pretty much dead on with that. I managed to wind my way through the entire OT - not reading every page, mind you, but just skimming to find the tell-tale sign of ink on the pages. I had a habit back in the days of my youth of preferring ink rollerball pens, which are nice for writing - they give you a feel of using a "real" ink pen, at least to me. However, they tend to bleed through most paper - and they definitely bleed through the thin pages of most Bibles.

All in all, I had 22 1/2 pages of notes on the 39 books of the OT. Thanks to Pastor Nathan James, I had 3 1/2 of those on the book of Hosea. 11 of the books, though, had no notes at all: Ruth, 2nd Chronicles, Nehimiah, Lamentations (yeah, I never was crazy about Jeremiah's wailings), Joel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi. I was somewhat surprised at that last one, because I thought I had noted some of the last verses in Malachi.

So 22 1/2 pages on 28 of the 39 books of the Bible. That sounds like a lot, but keep this in mind: I've only gotten through three of the Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark and Luke), and I've already got nine full pages of notes. I can pretty much assert that I'll have much more in the way of notes on the NT than the OT. I commented to Sarah in church about how hard it was for me to read when we were doing a series on the book of James - because I had practically every word of the first two chapters already underlined and highlighted!

Anyways, there were some really neat things that I've come across in my transcriptions so far. One of them was, of all things, a song. In the book of Numbers, the tribes of Israel were on the verge of entering the Promised Land, as they were sitting at the Desert of Paran. God told Moses to have one of the leaders from each of the tribes go into the land and explore it, spying out the fruits, trees and soil of the land; and the people who live there and the cities they live in.

In the narrative, each of the 12 men were listed by their tribe. At the end of the list, it was noted that the representative from the half-tribe of Ephriam was given a different name by Moses. We know from his words earlier in the book of Exodus that Moses was "slow of speech and slow of tongue", so it's possible that Moses, due to his speech impediment, couldn't say "Hoshea" properly. Either way, Moses gave him the appellation Yah-Shua - what we call in English "Joshua".

An aside: Joshua isn't the only Yah-Shua in the Bible, of course; by the time of the return of the Jews to Palestine, the name of the other "Joshua" had been shortened to Yeh-Shu, which the Greco-Roman alphabet shortened to IESU, and then later (when "J" was added to the alphabet) Jesus.

Anyways, 12 men went to spy on Canaan. What do you think they saw in Canaan? Well... some saw giants, big and tall - or is that big and strong? Some saw grapes of clusters long. But some, like (assumably) Joshua and the elder Caleb from the tribe of Judah saw God was in it all.

"We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." was Caleb's statement to Moses and the people. Unfortunately, this was drowned out by the cries of the other 10 elders, who started circulating rumors about the giants who roamed the land they explored. When Joshua and Caleb tried to make their case for taking the land - the people of Israel considered stoning them. In the end, the 10 who were bad ended up dying of the plague after 40 more years of wandering through the desert in Sinai - while Joshua and Caleb, the two who were good, ended up leading Israel into the Promised Land. Unfortunately, all of Israel suffered because they believed the 10 that were bad over the two that were good.

And that was where the song comes in:

Twelve men went to spy on Canaan
10 were bad and two were good
What do you think they saw in Canaan?
10 were bad and two were good
Some saw giants big and strong
Some saw grapes of clusters lo-ong
Some saw God above it all
10 were bad and two were good

I might be a bit off on some of the lyrics; I've seen "giants big and tall/grapes from clusters fall" in Google searches instead of strong/long. Still - that song got lodged in my brain over the weekend. I think it might even take over the vaunted title of "song dislodger" from Abba's "Take A Chance On Me."

Back to the story: Joshua apparently didn't forget about the public relations loss from this incident at Kadesh in Paran. This was evident when he became the leader of the Israelites after Moses died - and he sent only two spies into Jericho to look over the land.

Anyhow - I'm having fun with this transcribing. I've already peeked ahead, and I believe that of the 66 books of the Bible, I've got notes on 52 of them - and that's just in this Bible alone. (The other three books are the second book of Peter, the third book of John, and the "forgotten" epistle of Jude.)

I hope to write a few more of my findings in a blog or two over the next few weeks as time permits. To me, it's like finding something you had hidden up in the attic from your childhood.

Relevancy

2009-04-15T19:25:00.002-05:00

One of our local sports talk guys (Doug Russell from WSSP 1250 AM) made a somewhat sarcastic comment on his Facebook page about being "done" with the Brewers after their 2-6 start. The truth is, eight games in the major league baseball season is a blip on the radar compared to the NFL and NBA.

In fact, being the stat geek that I am, I went as far as doing an equivalency table, just so you can tell your friends:

One out in baseball is equivalent to...

33.7 seconds in an NHL game (about a quarter of a power play, roughly two to three end-to-end rushes up the ice);
21.6 seconds in an NBA game (almost the same as the shot clock);
6.6 seconds in an NFL game (about the same amount of time as one play).

One full inning of baseball (six outs, each team) is equivalent to...

3:22.5 in a hockey game (practically all of a double-minor; also about the amount of time that a team would cycle through their entire lines in a typical game);
2:09.6 in an NBA game (last two minutes of a game = eternity);
39.5 seconds in an NFL game (about the time frame of a three-and-out series).

One nine-inning game of baseball is equivalent to...

30:22 in a hockey game (Just over half a game);
24:17 in an NBA game (about one possession in the second half);
5:56 in an NFL game (about the same time as a long, sustained scoring drive in the NFL; for example, Arizona's first drive of the second quarter of the Super Bowl was 5:20 in length).

2008-09 NHL GOALS CREATED ALL-STARS

2009-04-15T01:21:00.003-05:00

Yep, it's that time of year again. Here are the best players (statistically) in the NHL from 2008-09 (* indicates league leader in the category; ** indicates the Norris Trophy winner):

EASTERN CONFERENCE
C: Evgeni Malkin, PIT (82 GP, 125.5 GC, 169.5 FPTS*, 110.7 HART*)
LW: Alexander Ovechkin, WAS (79 GP, 113.9 GC, 166.3 FPTS, 107.4 HART)
RW: Martin St.Louis, TAM (82 GP, 83.2 GC, 100.0 FPTS, 65.0 HART)
D: Mike Green, WAS (68 GP, 93.1 GC, 142.8 FPTS, 101.3 HART**)
D: Zdeno Chara, BOS (80 GP, 67.6 GC, 108.6 FPTS, 76.6 HART)
G: Martin Biron, PHI (55 GP, 4.0 GC, 4.0 Offensive FPTS, 7.7 Offensive HART; 97.2 VZNA, 29.8 HART)
G: Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (70 GP, 142.0 FPTS, 113.2 VZNA, 44.3 HART)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
C: Pavel Datsyuk, DET (81 GP, 130.8 GC*, 157.2 FPTS, 92.2 HART)
LW: Daniel Sedin, VAN (82 GP, 104.0 GC, 129.2 FPTS, 73.0 HART)
RW: Jarome Iginla, CGY (82 GP, 84.9 GC, 112.3 FPTS, 71.0 HART)
D: Nicklas Lidstrom, DET (78 GP, 88.3 GC, 114.3 FPTS, 83.8 HART)
D: Duncan Keith, CHI (77 GP, 73.6 GC, 89.6 FPTS, 69.5 HART)
G: Marty Turco, DAL (74 GP, 4.0 GC, 7.6 Offensive FPTS*, 11.3 Offensive HART*; 128.0 FPTS, 101.3 VZNA, 42.2 HART)
G: Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY (76 GP, 167.8 FPTS, 123.4 VZNA, 51.7 HART - best among goalies)
G: Evgeni Nabokov, SAN (62 GP, 180.7 FPTS*, 136.9 VZNA*, 46.8 HART)

Calder Trophy Candidates:
Kris Versteeg , RW, CHI (78 GP, 64.9 GC, 87.9 FPTS, 43.4 HART)
Bobby Ryan, RW, ANA (64 GP, 68.1 GC, 98.7 FPTS, 42.9 HART)
Steve Mason, G, CLB (61 GP, 159.4 FPTS, 124.4 VZNA, 42.2 HART)
(Sorry, Pekka; you were just outside the top three)

THE GOALS CREATED "NO-STARS
C: Yan Stastny, STL (34 GP, -8.1 GC, -4.1 FPTS, -2.6 HART)
LW: Jeff Tambellini, NYI (65 GP, -6.8 GC, -0.4 FPTS, -1.58 HART)
RW: Andreas Nodl, PHI (38 GP, -11.1 GC, -10.7 FPTS, -4.05 HART)
D: Brendan Witt, NYI (65 GP, -30.3 GC*, -11.5 FPTS*, -14.16 HART*)
D: Scott Hannan, COL (81 GP, -11.5 GC, -6.3 FPTS, -6.62 HART)
G: Curtis Joseph, TOR (21 GP, 9.7 FPTS, 18.1 VZNA, 1.4 HART)
G: Andrew Raycroft, COL (31 GP, 1722:26 MIN, 29.8 FPTS, 46.3 VZNA, 7.4 HART)

Wii Golf Masters - Round 2 update

2009-04-09T16:37:00.003-05:00

I don't think I'm cut out for tournament play just yet.
The Island Woods hole (Wii Golf hole #9/18) bit me in the posterior big time today.
There was a wicked 20 mph crosswind, and every time I tried to get the ball onto the island with the green - it sailed either just short of the island or too far.
I ended up having to "give up" the hole (10 over par, or a horrendous 15) for a round of 45. Unfortunately, that would get me DQ'ed from most tournaments, so this ends the Masters for me.
Sigh.

Scorecard:
OUT: 3 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 15 -- 45 (121, +13, DQ)

Best shot of the day: Tie between my agressive move on the 7th (Dogleg Woods) to use the wind to hit the green directly - which I did; or the chip-in putt on the 8th (Snake Point) from the edge of the green.
Worst Hole of the Day: If you have to ask, you weren't paying attention.

(Posted via Wii Internet Channel; didn't even want to bother turning on my computer.)

The Wii Masters

2009-04-08T15:43:00.003-05:00

In attempts at trying to get more "in shape", I'm picking up Wii Sports again. And, in honor of the Masters golf tournament that's going on this weekend, I'm going to play the Wii Sports Nine-hole golf course as a tournament.

Here's the basics:

One "round" is two nine-hole games on the full course. I play them in the order they are presented in Wii Golf.
The course is a par-4 course, rated at 5,540 yards for 18 holes. In case you've forgotten, there is another post in my blog about the course and my take on each hole.
I note my rating before and after each nine-hole "segment". As I started the first round, I was rated at 1,168, or Pro level.
To play in the fourth and final round, I need to at least have a score of par or better for the tournament, or be at a rating of 1,210 or better.
I'll post my scores here on a daily basis, from now through Saturday.

Round One

OUT: 4 - 3 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 6 -- 36 (Even; 1,184)
IN : 4 - 2 - 5 - 2 - 6 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 11* -- 40 (+4, 1,168)
TOTAL: 76; +4

Best hole of the day: Probably the Eagle on the par-five third hole (Cliffside Woods). There was enough wind where my second shot carried enough to get to the lip of the green. I holed in with a nice putt.
Worst hole of the day: Gee, I wonder which one I had the most trouble with (Hint: Island Woods). Two drops and nightmare winds on the 18th, and I posted a godawful 11. I have this mental block about that hole, for some reason. Anyone out there who could give some tips on attacking it would be appreciated; I can never seem to get to the green in regulation.

Gotta work on my approach shots, that's a definite.

Random Sunday Rants

2009-04-05T14:29:00.002-05:00

More stuff from the disgruntled Sports Fan:

The Admirals finally managed to clinch the AHL Western Division title last Sunday after a week and a half of unmitigated Fail (four straight losses, three in regulation, and five in six straight games). The team celebrated by sending their top two scorers to Nashville for essentially the rest of their season, due to injuries to the Preds' top guns (Erat and Legwand).
I got my wife into Facebook last week, and she dove into it like a mad woman. She loves the "View Profile Photos" sections, so that's practically all she did last week Saturday. Fortunately, she doesn't like sitting in front of the computer too long, or she might still be there on her laptop.
Color me unimpressed by IE8. First of all, I don't care for the Yahoo toolbar; second, I don't like that you have to dig into RegEdit to change the "Windows Internet Explorer by Yahoo" line on the windows.
Oh, yeah, it's opening day tonight, isn't it? Braves at CBP to watch the Phillies lift only their second-ever World Championship banner. Yay. Brewers don't open until Tuesday afternoon in San Fran.
Speaking of the Brew Crew - not too many people think they're going to be back in the post-season in 2009. As things are right now, I'd have to agree with them. The only thing that would make me feel better about things this year would be a solid start by Yovanni and Looper, and the Cubs having a horrendous April.
I'm off to my last regular-season Admirals game tonight in a bit. Time to add Fred Berry to my bobblehead collection, right next to Danny Lecours. Not going into tonight's game with high expectations, since it's only meaningful to the Wolves (they HAVE to win or they're done).

Note to the United Football League

2009-03-31T07:51:00.002-05:00

THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS OF STARTING
A NEW PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

These are free of charge for the people trying to go where the XFL, WLAF, WFL and others failed so miserably:

1. THOU SHALT NOT COMPETE DIRECTLY WITH THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

From the start, you are either maneuvering to become a "feeder" league to the NFL, or to eventually have your teams absorbed into the NFL via merger. The latter is not a sustainable business model; the former seeks a happy coexistence between the two leagues.
The best way to not compete with the NFL is to have your league play during the NFL's off season; the second best way is to play your games on a different night than the NFL's games (Friday night, for example).
You should NEVER put your championship game up directly against an NFL game or event (like the draft).

2. THOU SHALT NOT START PLAY WITHOUT A NATIONAL TELEVISION CONTRACT.

You need a national TV contract (over-the-air or cable TV channels) to gain some measure of exposure for your league, as well as an additional source of league-wide revenues.
You also need nationwide sponsorships to help cut your losses in the early stages of your league's existence. (See rule 7.) Official uniform, equipment, footwear, ball suppliers are mandatory.

3. THOU SHALT NOT MAKE YOURSELF OUT TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT – OR NEVER CAN BE.

Don't say you're on the same level as the NFL. NO professional league is on that level, at least not in North America.
Don't try to be all glam-and-glitz, or emphasize something that you cannot realistically provide. (See the XFL and "smash-mouth football".)
Don't try to be a truly professional league if your game officials are primarily amateur. If you want your league to be the best, pay your officials accordingly and train them to be the best.

4. THOU SHALT NOT PLACE TEAMS IN PLACES WHERE THERE ALREADY IS A MAJOR PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PRESENCE – WITHIN REASON.

Putting teams in existing NFL cities is suicide, especially with the exclusive nature of existing football facilities in those cities.
Don't be over-regionalized in your league, or else people will consider your league as "that southern-based league".
Don't put teams in cities that are completely sold out to their college football squads (Oklahoma, Boise State, Tennessee, etc.).

5. THOU SHALT NOT OVER-EXPAND.

Going from four teams to 10 in one year is suicide. Once you get a good number – six or eight – don't expand any further for a while.
Try to keep franchises from moving constantly. Build up your existing markets over the course of a few years before allowing teams to move elsewhere.

6. THOU SHALT NOT TRY TO OVER-INNOVATE.

Some new technology (RFID chips in the ball, for example) is good; don't go overboard, though. For example: Helmet cams - okay; Camera men on the field at all times – bad. Sideline interviews – okay; interviews "in game" – bad idea. College overtime rule – good; "Battle for Possession" – very bad.
Some innovations might get your raked over the coals (i.e., allowing players with no college experience to play); be ready to defend yourself.
Do NOT change the rules of the game mid-season, unless it is to protect players from injury.
Don't make a complete mockery of the game by instituting gimmick rules, like a three-point PAT or multiple offensive players in motion, or the A-11 rule.

7. THOU SHALT NOT EXPECT TO BE PROFITABLE IMMEDIATELY.

You can and will lose money. Any amounts you get from TV contracts and national sponsorships will help stanch the bleeding, but you will end up losing money.
You must minimize the losses by cutting costs and increasing "cost certainty" (read: salary caps and contract amounts).
You must, at some point down the road, be willing to negotiate with the NFL and its entities over agreements for either player development or honoring contracts. By the time you get to this point, you'll be on your way to profitability anyways; such an agreement will cement that profitability.

Thoughts for a Sunday

2009-03-29T16:04:00.003-05:00

The only reason why I want to see UNC lose to the Sooners this evening is becaue I want to see the Sports Fan In Chief (Mr. BHO) have his brackets busted.
The Admirals are playing like they don't want to win the AHL Western Division. They have lost four straight going into their game this evening with the Woofies, and only have one point to show for it. All it'll take is one win by them, or one loss by the Aeros, to clinch the division. I'm almost doubtful they'll actually manage to get the one win.
They were predicting anywhere from a few inches to a foot of snow yesterday. We got the four inches, not the foot. Sometimes I swear the guys over at Sullivan get overly gunshy when it comes to predicting big storms.
Speaking of Sullivan: big win yesterday for the Preds, but it's going to be tough sledding at the Joe this afternoon. And you have to think that Ellis is going to be in net, because Rinne has been playing for the last three months now (or so it seems, anyways).
We got back late from the shootout loss against the Chops last night, and with my kitten waking me up at 4 in the morning because she wanted daddy to feed her (which, it turns out, she didn't need because her food bowl was full), and because I didn't bother to set the alarm... I was a heathen and didn't go to church this weekend. (shock) I think it's the first time we've skipped for several months now. I think I need to fire up iTunes and listen to the podcast.
The Brewers aren't exactly inspiring anyone as they limp into the regular season next week. Yes, the squad is 16-9 going into the last week of play in Arizona, but eight of our opponents in the Cactus league aren't exactly world-beaters. And McClug, Gallardo, Suppan, Parra and Villanueva have given up ungodly amounts of runs this spring. Dave Bush is the only starter who's got a sub-3 ERA, and Suppan is the only other one with a sub-4 ERA.
There are times I wonder about why I eat so much on my days off. And why I eat so freakin' much on days when it's snowy and cold. I think the cold part is a hibernation reflex; the days-off thing is probably just being lazy and not paying attention to my food intake.

Music and SAT Scores

2009-03-13T07:13:00.004-05:00

As an occasional browser of comic forums and such, I noticed a little thing from a website called Music That Makes You Dumb (http://musicthatmakesyoudumb.virgil.gr/music.php) about the correlation between average SAT scores of a college and the top 10 most popular musical artists or genres with people that attend that school.

The study is really unscientific, as the gentleman behind it admits that he just used data from Facebook for the music preferences, while he used the average SAT scores from College Boards, to create the info.

The top 10:

Beethoven (Average SAT score was far and away greater than anything else; standard error doesn't even touch the top end of the next closest entry)
Sufjan Stevens
Counting Crows
Guster
Radiohead
Ben Folds
U2
Bob Dylan
Norah Jones
The Shins

Interesting to note: the six bands right around the average SAT score in the US were Yellowcard, Jimmy Eat World, Linkin Park, David Crowder Band (a Christian group), Pearl Jam and Kutless (another Christian group). Down at the bottom of the heap was Lil' Wayne, the rather notorious rapper.

UW Madison's Top 10 (103 overall in SAT scores):

Jack Johnson
Coldplay
The Beatles
The Fray
Radiohead
Bob Dylan
Sublime
Red Hot Chili Peppers
U2
Green Day

(Someone at WIBA-FM will be memorizing that list, for certain.)

And as for my alma-mater (What? 704th in SAT scores? The outrage!):

Jack Johnson
Country (entire genre)
Green Day
Incubus
Sublime
Rap (entire genre)
Rascal Flatts
Tom Petty
Coldplay
Fall Out Boy

This That and Another Thing

2009-03-05T02:03:00.002-06:00

Time for some updating:

Yes, I am now all a-Twitter now. I'm not suitably impressed.
Somehow, I expected that the Predators weren't going to do anything at the trade deadline. Crawling back into the playoff picture this late in the season prevents you from clinching deals you though you'd be able to make weeks ago when you thought you were going to be a "seller" instead of a "buyer". At some point, I'm going to have to go back through the years and see when the trade deadline was each season, and see how the Preds did after the deadline passed. I suspect it's not very well.
Ever get the feeling that you wanted to do something on your days off, but didn't do because you thought it'd take up too much of your time? Well, that's why I haven't been to the newest Sonic Drive-In yet. I saw how they were opening day, and reports indicate that the place is still ultra busy. Amazing for a drive-in that has carhops.
Working on my wife's side of the family on Ancestry can be frustrating at times. Her mom's dad was essentially orphaned at a young age, which makes research into his mom's family very difficult. And the search engine at Ancestry can be overly well meaning, like Google with a conscience. "No, my grandfather did NOT live in Wausau, thank you."
Baseball Card update: I'm at 264 base cards and 309 total cards for Series 1 of Topps' latest baseball release. Also, I pulled an interesting card in my latest purchase from WSC: an Artist Drawing Card (1/1). Not quite sure what it's going to be, though it says I'll get it by mid-June.

Ocho-Nada

2009-03-01T08:01:00.002-06:00

I couldn't believe it when I saw the box score on NHL.com.

I heart Pekka Rinne.

2009 Topps Baseball - A Review

2009-02-25T01:36:00.003-06:00

So I've hit the 400 total card mark with Topps Baseball Series One, and I've come to a few impressions on the set so far:

It was about time that Topps decided to make their Topps Town codes part of "real" insert cards. As much fun as it may be to have an online "virtual" card collection, the code cards from last year had all the personality of a piece of cardboard.
You can still put me down as "not a fan" of the series release concept. And you can also put me down as a "HUGE not a fan" of the variation release concept. I did get one of the "variation" cards of Cy Young, but I'd rather that these be labeled differently - or give them their own number in the set. I mean, honestly Topps: you never limited your previous releases to only 660 cards in the past, why do it now?
The "Legends of the Game" subsets are the most confusing to me. There's actually three separate versions of these cards, delineated by their lettering only. It's not a good thing when you have three different Babe Ruth Legends of the Game cards and the only thing that is different about them is that one has "LG-7" (the main insert in all Topps packs), one has "LLG-3" (the ones in Wal-Mart packs) and one has "LLP-3" (the ones in Target/Dayton-Hudson packs).
Biggest complaint of all: someone at Topps' graphic arts department does not get one basic concept about their target audience. I would have to believe that an overwhelming majority of the people who buy their cards are male. And, given that seven percent of the male population have color deficiency, the idea of putting black card numbers on red and blue backgrounds is incredibly stupid. Sorry if that comes off as "Get off my lawn!", but it's the truth - squinting as you're sorting cards is not fun.
I do like how they made checklists out of the "Classic Combos"cards in the set. That answers the question that had been floating around in the last few years of Topps' baseball sets, whether or not those Checklist cards were actually part of the set or not. Of course, it would be more important if people actually tried to complete sets pack-by-pack instead of just waiting for the "factory" set in November.

Pitchers and Catchers Report

2009-02-12T08:03:00.000-06:00

Today is the day.

Sports fans reckon today as the real New Year's Day. Today is the four sweetest words in all of sport, the words that indicate that spring is on its way, that all things are once again new and filled with hope.

Pitchers and Catchers Report.

Now, granted, not every team has its spring report date today. The Cleveland Indians, however, open their camp for their catchers and their pitching staff – including reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee.

What's important is that the season unofficially starts today. And, fans of every single team in the majors hopes that it's the beginning of a long ride that doesn't end until late in October with a trophy and a victory parade through downtown.

The hope that springs eternal with the beginning of Spring Training is badly needed in times like these. Hope is hard to find when the economy is so bad, people are losing their jobs and scandal rocks the sports world.

Teams are feeling the crunch of the poor economic times – some more than others. The oldest NL franchise, the Cubs, is up for sale as its parent company declares bankruptcy. Meanwhile, another team – the Mets – are dealing with the fallout not only from their new ballpark's naming rights holder, but with the financial swindling by a financier of the team.

What should be a year of celebration – two brand new ballparks in New York City, the final year of a monstrosity in Minneapolis – has turned into a tour de farce. Steroid scandal has reached from Roger Clemens and his "dirty needles" to Barry Bonds and his charges of lying to congress. And as camps open, the story suddenly has a new face: Alex Rodriguez, whose reputation had already taken a hit over the off-season from name calling by his former manager, Joe Torre.

There should be expectation in the air, as the second World Baseball Classic is upcoming. Unfortunately, uncertainty in south Florida over a new ballpark could mean their last year in a stadium that was never meant to be a baseball field. And even as they celebrate an American League pennant across the peninsula in Tampa, there are questions over the Rays future. Can they hope to compete when they share a division with two teams that try desperately to outspend each other annually? Is a new ballpark in their future? Or are they going to be the ones that leave for greener pastures?

While the City of Brotherly Love basks in the glow of the Phillies' second world championship in franchise history, the city of Oakland is wondering how much longer it will have the A's as its own. Their owner, Lew Wolff, has been actively pursuing a new ballpark down the road in Fremont – though that has been fraught with hurdles that make about as much sense as the BALCO grand jury's actions.

Excitement is brewing in Milwaukee after their first playoff appearance in over a quarter century – but there's also a fear that they may not be able to replicate that feat with the loss of their mid-season acquisition CC Sabathia. The question as to whether Braden Looper can be an adequate replacement for Ben "Ouch" Sheets got kicked off the sports pages when – once again – Brett Favre told everyone he was retiring. "And this time, I mean it."

Still – it is the true first day of spring, the day that pitchers and catchers report. For at least one day, anything is possible. Teams can see ways that they could be this year's Rays or Phillies; young rookies look more promising, while aging vets are trying to recapture lightning in a bottle

Let the games begin. We've got eight more months before the World Series gets underway.

Sunday Morning Comin' Down

2009-02-08T09:20:00.002-06:00

Some random thoughts for a Sunday:

I decided, for some reason unknown to me, to go through the entire archive of Questionable Content. Whereas there are a lot of things in the comic that I'm not a fan of - especially the comic he has up at the current time about one of his more loosely-moraled characters - the whole story is an intriguing read, if only to get some sort of insight into the mindset of the under-30 crowd. I know, this is a first for me: Webcomics as a means of social anthropology.
On a completely unrelated note (but one more on topic for this weblog): It is official. I have started year 32 of my obsession with baseball cards. Two jumbo packs of Topps and one of Upper Deck. The two Topps packs got me a pull of a Johnny Mize "commemorative letter patch" (don't ask), and an Albert Pujols Career Best Authentic Game Worn Jersey (behind a cut-out "1B").
I am, at the present time, in /ignore mode with the Predators. I just do not have the adequate amount of attention to spend on them, and they seem to do better when I am not actively delving into their daily successes and failures. The Admirals, I'm a little bit more attached - but that's proximity and season tickets talking, I think. (I do have to get the UMAW updated a bit more frequently, though.
From the "It Never Fails" department: Last weekend I bought a discounted Andrew Bogut swingman jersey at the BC's gift shop (during an Admirals game! Oh the horror!). I got home and discovered it was a youth size jersey. So, I call up the BC, they tell me to just bring it in, exchange it and upgrade to an adult jersey. The day I do that, I find out - huh - Bogut is out indefinitely with a back sprain. Eh, at least I have a Bucks jersey before they leave for Seattle... wait, was I supposed to mention that?*
Personal revelation time: I'm on the final three chapters of The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. I've had more trouble getting through these last few chapters than the previous 37. It's not that I have trouble with the Great Commission; it's that I have trouble with rebuilding my Christian walk that, over the last 15 years, has deteriorated worse than Northwestern Avenue between the Milwaukee County line and Highway K in Racine. (Seriously - it's like riding through the GM Proving Ground's suspension test strip.)
Song of the moment: "Yours" by Steven Curtis Chapman. For some reason, this song reminds me of one of my friends from Nashville, Mark Hollingsworth.
Seriously - do NOT drive down Highway 38 in Racine if you don't need to do so.

* - Sorry, I just wanted to see if I could get some web traffic here. I've already asked for forgiveness.

Steelers win number six.

2009-02-01T21:10:00.003-06:00

Roethlisberger and the Steelers pull it out. I'm still not entirely sure about that fumble. Why didn't the Cards linemen jump on it instinctively?

The game really wasn't as close as the score would indicate, bottom line.

Well... that's it for me for the night.

Super 43 - The Last Three Minutes

2009-02-01T20:45:00.006-06:00

Cardinals get the free kick at the 36. Need a touchdown to take their first lead in your first Super Bowl.

Incomplete; Boldin couldn't get the quick pass from Warner as they blitz.
FITZGERALD!

TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS!

FIRST LEAD OF THE GAME FOR ARIZONA!

Arizona 23, Pittsburgh 20 with 2:37 to go.

Fitzgerald was looking to see who was behind him on the video screen.

Big Ben: you want the Caddy? You gotta do it on this drive.

Pittsburgh with exactly two and a half to go, and 78 to go.

Likely holding on a little flare-out pass. Yep - boy, what's the record for most penalties in a game?
1st and 20 from the 12 - Gets away from the rush, but can't get the pass off.
Incomplete semi-busted play with 1:56 to go. Cards HAVE to stop them to win it.

Final Two Minutes.

Two minutes to go in the season for the Steelers.
Holmes catches it... but clock is the Steelers' enemy.
Keep 'em in bounds. But they're getting close to FG range.
Roethlisberger runs it down to the 46.
Time out, Pittsburgh... Hm, didn't some guy named Norwood have issues with the wind around here?
1:02 to go... Uh oh. Holmes down to the six. Time out again with 49 seconds, their final time out. Francisco slipped and fell down on the play.
Figure one shot at the EZ, then a FG attempt....
Over Holmes head. 43 seconds, second and goal.
CAUGHT by Holmes! Was he in? Review comes from the booth...

And the call... TOUCHDOWN, PITTSBURGH!

Dear Ben: Your Escalade Hybrid is waiting.

27-23 Pittsburgh, though the Cards have two timeouts, and they have to score a touchdown to win.

Three words: Not gonna happen.

35 seconds. 77 yards in 29 seconds against the best defense around.

Fitzgerald catches it, time out.

I can't even blog this one.

Super 43 - The Last Waltz

2009-02-01T20:28:00.004-06:00

Half a quarter to go, and the Steelers have it at their own 24 on the runback.

Parker for a few.
Ben's buried at the 18. Dockett sacks Roethlisberger. Are the Cards wearing the Steelers out?
3rd and long - time for a penalty here, I'd guess. (/fatalism)
All the time in the world, 10 yard gain - but no first. Punting time. Cards are going to get the ball back one more time.
Punt dies at the Cards 25. 75 yards to get back into this game.

Cards with their season on the line and 75 yards to win the game?

Things are looking bad. Gotta get the touch here.
Boldin for 11 and out of bounds - and a unsportsmanlike (probably on the Cards, way things have gone.) Wow, it's on the Steelers! Another 10 tacked on. First penalty for the Steelers in the second half.
Arrington up the middle. No huddle, four wide.
And Breaston on a cut over the middle for 22. "Prevent Defenses just 'prevent' the win," isn't that the saying?
Of course, they have to call the Cards for another penalty. What is that now, 104 yards?
Warner nearly has it picked off on pass to Boldin. That would have been bad.
Incomplete, third and 20. Don't make it here, you have to go for it with under 3 and a half to go.
Hit while throwing and incomplete. Kick? Field Goal? Nope, punt.
Dropped on the one - but an penalty AGAIN. Unnecessary roughness - and the Steelers are pinned at the half-yard line. Harrison - there was NO NEED to throw that punch.

Steelers lining up in the end zone.

Incomplete pass as Roethlisberger is rushed in the end zone. 2nd and all of Raymond James in front of them.
STOPPED... Okay, entire ball has to be in the end zone for the safety. I'm not sure... Whisenhunt? Arizona Time out... are they going to look at it and challenge?
Third and long.... And HOLMES CATCHES IT FOR THE FIRST. Good night Irene.
Oh wait - HOLDING in the End zone for a SAFETY!

Safety!

Super 43 - The Final Act

2009-02-01T20:01:00.007-06:00

And here we go. Cards at the 20.

About five yard gain for Breaston.
James willing himself for three, four.
Okay, Al, we KNOW about the groceries. Cleanup on aisle three.
Boldin gets the first down. I feel for him; he's wearing gloves.

15 Minutes Left.

NFL's advertisement:Usama Young of the Saints. "It's just a commercial, son." Nice.

By the way: the 3-D commercials weren't that good on OTA television.

Back to the Cards:

Boldin catches it for a first - but more laundry. Holding, of course, on the Cardinals. (SIGH).
91 yards of penalties for the Cards. 94 is the record - hm, in Super Bowl 12?
Right through the hands of Hightower. Punt time. This game's going down the tubes fast.
Nearly blocked... and a poor punt.

Steelers can ice this one with a touchdown.

Roethlisberger for MVP, anyone?
And guess what... first play is a defensive holding call. And 99 yards on penalties for the Cards.
Student Body left. Tomlin is having a ball on the sidelines.
Stuffed by Dockett. Steelers are 3rd and long for first time in a long time.
AND A SACK! (Sure there's no "roughing the passer" call there?) Cards might get it back in good position.

Steelers punt it away - and knocked down at the 13.

By the way: www.dennys.com crashed after their free breakfast offer.

Warner passes to Breaston for the first.
Urban gets another first, hurry up offense...
Fitzgerald gets the catch, but only for a few yards. Another no-huddle.
Nice little release pass to Arrington. Steelers obviously playing prevent
Fitzgerald gets it in the 10 - ANOTHER penalty. Defensive holding. 1st and goal.
Fitzgerald again. More catches on this drive than all game.
Cards call TO. That Taco Bell commercial is El dumbo.
Dear GE: L. Frank Baum is probably rolling in his grave.
Hightower to the one.
And of course Fitzgerald got the jump-ball catch for the TOUCHDOWN.
Rackers tacks on the extra point - and the Cards are still in this one.

Hulu = zombie invasion? Typical.

Super 43 - Third Quarter Again

2009-02-01T19:40:00.002-06:00

Steelers start out deep in their own territory...

Ward falls down in the backfield.
Four to the left? And they throw right? Sheesh. And a hanky. Facemask, and there goes the "pin 'em back" idea.

And, after a brief bladder break... Third and short.

Ward gets the little flare for the first. *Sigh* Steelers have it at midfield.
Roethlisberger avoids the sack - AND THEY GET A ROUGHING THE PASSER PENALTY! THAT is going to be the drive-changer.
Short gain.
Holmes gets the first. Why aren't the Cards trying for the strip?
"Cards don't have a defensive answer for that." - Understatement of the game, Mr. Madden.
Oh boy... first and goal. Sorry, but the Steelers get six here and we're talking game over.
Good pass to Miller - but he drops it.
Gee, we gonna call ANOTHER Roughing the Passer? Oh, gee, they'd never call intentional grounding.
Reed for the 27 yard attempt - and it's good. Uh oh - more laundry. Personal foul? Automatic first. There goes the game, kids.
Not a matter of if, but who'll put it in. They stop Parker on first.
OH! Almost intercepted! Knocked down, and that could have been a 90-yard pick-six.
And they DIDN'T fall for that one. Ben gets back to the line, nothing more.
Reed for a chip shot at 21 - and he gets it. 20-7 Steelers with 17:11 to go in the game.

Second Half time.

2009-02-01T19:26:00.004-06:00

30 minutes until the Steelers get their 6th ring...

You know, if Fitzgerald was the receiver on that play, I'm not sure Harrison gets the pick. Ifs and buts, of course.

Time to get a touchdown, gentlemen.

Boldin for a short gain... and he's off with an owie.
James takes out the field judge.
Still running.
Still running. James doing pretty good though with short runs. (peeking at Yahoo... 26 yards on 6 rushes?)
Boldin taken down after a small gain. Notice a pattern here?
James on the out-and-down pattern. I used to use that play on the old video game with the trackball.
Incomplete pass... or is it a fumble? Oh boy. Whisenhunt is going to challenge it.

(Aside: YAY! Free breakfast at Denny's!)
Arizona now has to punt. He's got another challenge.

Heh, Steelers' Holmes learned from his last time, and called for a fair catch.

Super 43 - THAT was a first half.

2009-02-01T18:55:00.001-06:00

Forget it. Steelers going in with the 17-7 lead? No way Pittsburgh, barring a massive collapse, loses this one.