Having worked there for one summer, I have a weakness for the Tampa Bay Rays. They are having a surprisingly good season and, as of this writing, have the best record in the American League. I hope they make it to the playoffs. On Tuesday, they defeated the Angels for the second night in a row but not before suffering one of the worst calls ever in major league history. The link is here.
Now I am generally not a conspiracy guy but this call leaves one to wonder. Tampa Bay is hardly a premier market. Despite having the best record in baseball, they have not been on national television all season. If they make the playoffs, Fox will have no choice but to televise them. And you know they would much rather have games in New York, Boston or Chicago.
The umpire -- Gerry Meals and his crew chief Gary Darling -- insisted after the game that B.J. Upton turned towards second and the right call was made. After viewing the call again, I can only conclude one of two things.
1) These two guys are the most imcompetent boobs ever to work a professional sporting event.
OR
2) Maybe the NBA ref who said the league wanted certain teams to win was right after all. He just had the wrong league ... and the wrong sport.
I hate to think the latter but look at the link above and decide for yourself.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The modern family has changed
I hate to ever publicize the "competition." But there are exceptions to every rule. My friend Nick Nash has a wonderful piece on his blog that should be must reading for everyone. The link is here
The piece is about going to a recent family reunion. The computer age has brought us a lot of good things but some bad ones as well. Instead of writing letters, making phone calls or getting off our butts to go see relatives, we simply send them an email. (A friend of mine recently was told by her longtime boyfriend their relationship was over via email. I've also head of couples breaking up via text messages. It's dreadfully modern but rather impersonal.)
The same is true for family that is spread out. In some ways, this is good. Instant contact ... for those who are computer inclined ... is a good thing. But not everybody is that savvy or even wants to have contact that way.
My immediate family is spread out hither and yon across the country. It is almost impossible to get folks in Denver, Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota together. So, email is not a bad thing. But, as I was reading Nick's post, I was reminded that, in the past 30 years or so, my brothers and myself have only been in the same place on five occasions. On two of those reunions, it was a brief get-together, lasting no more than a couple of hours.
(My wife, her sisters and her mother all live within 45 minutes of each other. While they probably don't get together as often as they would like, the fact is they can do it a lot easier than many of us. For that, I am envious.)
It is, I suppose, just the way it is. And I suppose I shouldn't be complaining because it is, after all, in our control to an extent. But we certainly don't have as much people contact as we used to. Earlier this year, I was sitting in a restaurant at lunch watching two people at a table, each busy texting somebody else. At least I think it was somebody else. Either way, they weren't talking to each other. Maybe that was the plan all along.
The piece is about going to a recent family reunion. The computer age has brought us a lot of good things but some bad ones as well. Instead of writing letters, making phone calls or getting off our butts to go see relatives, we simply send them an email. (A friend of mine recently was told by her longtime boyfriend their relationship was over via email. I've also head of couples breaking up via text messages. It's dreadfully modern but rather impersonal.)
The same is true for family that is spread out. In some ways, this is good. Instant contact ... for those who are computer inclined ... is a good thing. But not everybody is that savvy or even wants to have contact that way.
My immediate family is spread out hither and yon across the country. It is almost impossible to get folks in Denver, Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota together. So, email is not a bad thing. But, as I was reading Nick's post, I was reminded that, in the past 30 years or so, my brothers and myself have only been in the same place on five occasions. On two of those reunions, it was a brief get-together, lasting no more than a couple of hours.
(My wife, her sisters and her mother all live within 45 minutes of each other. While they probably don't get together as often as they would like, the fact is they can do it a lot easier than many of us. For that, I am envious.)
It is, I suppose, just the way it is. And I suppose I shouldn't be complaining because it is, after all, in our control to an extent. But we certainly don't have as much people contact as we used to. Earlier this year, I was sitting in a restaurant at lunch watching two people at a table, each busy texting somebody else. At least I think it was somebody else. Either way, they weren't talking to each other. Maybe that was the plan all along.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The modern jounalist
Don Boxmeyer, a wonderful writer and an even better human being, died this week. At his wake tonight, I found myself in line standing behind St. Paul's mayor, Chris Coleman. It took well over an hour to wind through to give my sympathies to his family. We should all be so lucky.
Gregg Wong, an old friend who retired years ago from the Pioneer Press, was in line with me. We regaled each other with Boxmeyer stories and then got into a discussion about the differences between today's journalists and the writers of Gregg's era.
"When we were done at work, we headed to the bar to talk over the night," he said. "Today, they go for a solo run after work."
Granted, one might be a healthier activity than the other.
But his next observation might not be.
Gregg noted that journalism changed the day reporters started sending in stories via computer. They didn't need to be in the office as much and they didn't need to have as much people contact. Consequently, the modern newspaper staff has little comraderey and doesn't work well together. This leads to other problems in the modern journalist, including the apparent need to to find something nasty to say in every article.
Boxmeyer was just the opposite kind of guy. He could be critical but it was never personal and it was always constructive. He was as competitive as the next guy but he wanted to make sure his paper had the big story. If he got to write it, great. If somebody else ended up writing the story -- and he could help -- he did.
There was no form of Can You Top This? in Don's writing. I miss Don and his writing already. More importantly, I miss what he stood for as a journalist.
Gregg Wong, an old friend who retired years ago from the Pioneer Press, was in line with me. We regaled each other with Boxmeyer stories and then got into a discussion about the differences between today's journalists and the writers of Gregg's era.
"When we were done at work, we headed to the bar to talk over the night," he said. "Today, they go for a solo run after work."
Granted, one might be a healthier activity than the other.
But his next observation might not be.
Gregg noted that journalism changed the day reporters started sending in stories via computer. They didn't need to be in the office as much and they didn't need to have as much people contact. Consequently, the modern newspaper staff has little comraderey and doesn't work well together. This leads to other problems in the modern journalist, including the apparent need to to find something nasty to say in every article.
Boxmeyer was just the opposite kind of guy. He could be critical but it was never personal and it was always constructive. He was as competitive as the next guy but he wanted to make sure his paper had the big story. If he got to write it, great. If somebody else ended up writing the story -- and he could help -- he did.
There was no form of Can You Top This? in Don's writing. I miss Don and his writing already. More importantly, I miss what he stood for as a journalist.
Monday, August 11, 2008
A happy anniversary
Today is the 40th anniversary of the one of the happiest days I ever spent at an athletic event. On this day in 1968, I took a bus down to Tiger Stadium to watch the Tigers play the Red Sox a doubleheader. We got there in time for batting practice at 11:30 a.m. ... and left at 9:05 p.m. after the home team rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 6-5 win.
The first game went 14 innings and saw Detroit rally to tie the game on a rare Don Wert triple in the eighth inning (It was his only one of the season) and then win it on a Gates Brown pinch-hit homer in the 14th. (Not that I am anal about such stuff but he hit it off Lee Stange into the lower deck in right.)
In the second, they trailed twice but rallied both times with Brown getting the winning hit in a wild rally.
I can remember it like it was yesterday. I think the only time I ever left my seat in the upper deck behind third base was to go to the bathroom.
My wife says that I explained it how this can happen one day. She asked me how it was I could remember such an event but forget to take out the trash. The explanation was simple: I don't have a passion for the trash.
Now I grant you I might have a hard time sitting at a ballpark now for 9 1/2 hours watching a baseball doubleheader. But the memory of this one on August 11, 1968 will stay with me until my final out. And it never ceases me to make me smile. Any memory that does that is worth every minute to get there ... all 575 of them.
The first game went 14 innings and saw Detroit rally to tie the game on a rare Don Wert triple in the eighth inning (It was his only one of the season) and then win it on a Gates Brown pinch-hit homer in the 14th. (Not that I am anal about such stuff but he hit it off Lee Stange into the lower deck in right.)
In the second, they trailed twice but rallied both times with Brown getting the winning hit in a wild rally.
I can remember it like it was yesterday. I think the only time I ever left my seat in the upper deck behind third base was to go to the bathroom.
My wife says that I explained it how this can happen one day. She asked me how it was I could remember such an event but forget to take out the trash. The explanation was simple: I don't have a passion for the trash.
Now I grant you I might have a hard time sitting at a ballpark now for 9 1/2 hours watching a baseball doubleheader. But the memory of this one on August 11, 1968 will stay with me until my final out. And it never ceases me to make me smile. Any memory that does that is worth every minute to get there ... all 575 of them.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
It hurts to admit this truth
There are literally hundreds of folks around the country who serve as marriage counselors. Then there are the Dr. Phils of this world, the person who thinks (s)he can get into every person's soul and tell us if certain couples are compatible.
I am sure they are all fine people and some of them may even make sense. But here is a subject that never gets covered in these sessions. Mastering it can help a relationship immensely.
I speak, of course, of laundry.
There are a lot of potential land mines for couples doing things together. Wallpapering is a well known battle spot. Ever try painting together? (My neighbor had the best idea. She painted upstairs by herself while he went solo downstairs.)
Laundry? I am here to report that, with a few exceptions, it is best to let everybody do it on their own.
Currently, we are sans washer and dryer because we are redoing our basement. As a result, we have using the local laundromat the last couple of weeks. While it has gone better than anticipated, it is still an adventure.
You see, men compromise easily when it comes to laundry. (It becomes even easier to do this at $2 a load for the washer.) Women, for some reason, do not. For example, women don't think grays can be allowed to mingle with whites. Women also don't like to share the washer with their male counterparts when it comes to ... er ... unmentionables. A waste of two bucks perhaps. The again, what price do we put on for peace in the household?
Men shrug off potential landmines. A stain that didn't quite get eliminated doesn't bother us because we'll get it next time. And is there any real reason a shirt has to be totally wrinklefree? Men say no. Women tend to disagree. And so it goes.
It's not all bad there. I have learned to like the fact you can use several washers at once. Getting all the clothes done in less than two hours is a good thing. The laundromat we go to even has a Ms. PacMan machine. Revisiting your youth now and then is okay, too.
But here is something I never thought I would say and may get me demoted in the man union: I miss having a washer and a dryer at our immediate disposal. One can only wears the same pair of socks for so many days in a row.
I am sure they are all fine people and some of them may even make sense. But here is a subject that never gets covered in these sessions. Mastering it can help a relationship immensely.
I speak, of course, of laundry.
There are a lot of potential land mines for couples doing things together. Wallpapering is a well known battle spot. Ever try painting together? (My neighbor had the best idea. She painted upstairs by herself while he went solo downstairs.)
Laundry? I am here to report that, with a few exceptions, it is best to let everybody do it on their own.
Currently, we are sans washer and dryer because we are redoing our basement. As a result, we have using the local laundromat the last couple of weeks. While it has gone better than anticipated, it is still an adventure.
You see, men compromise easily when it comes to laundry. (It becomes even easier to do this at $2 a load for the washer.) Women, for some reason, do not. For example, women don't think grays can be allowed to mingle with whites. Women also don't like to share the washer with their male counterparts when it comes to ... er ... unmentionables. A waste of two bucks perhaps. The again, what price do we put on for peace in the household?
Men shrug off potential landmines. A stain that didn't quite get eliminated doesn't bother us because we'll get it next time. And is there any real reason a shirt has to be totally wrinklefree? Men say no. Women tend to disagree. And so it goes.
It's not all bad there. I have learned to like the fact you can use several washers at once. Getting all the clothes done in less than two hours is a good thing. The laundromat we go to even has a Ms. PacMan machine. Revisiting your youth now and then is okay, too.
But here is something I never thought I would say and may get me demoted in the man union: I miss having a washer and a dryer at our immediate disposal. One can only wears the same pair of socks for so many days in a row.
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