Netflix ain't no Mom and Pop shop

I'd seen the class action suit from the San Francisco subscriber who wasn't getting one-day delivery as promised, but this is new.

The gist is that the automated system at Netflix takes into account how many movies you rent per month and ranks you on a list from there. This seems sort of self-defeating to say the least. If I rent 20 movies a month and you only need four shipped, you will get yours faster and will get more new movies that have longer wait lists.

So, in short, the customers who turn movies around quickly and get them back to Netflix where they can be shipped out again are passed over in favor of the salesman who travels, never checks his mail and will leave that DVD sitting on their TV for two months before they send it back.

Netflix is presumably doing this to protect profit margins and to keep the bulk of their users happy (those that rent to watch on weekends, etc.) and point to their user happiness polls. Well, no shit Netflix - what would we compare it to? Blockbuster's too little too late foray into the mail-order rental business or just borrowing movies from our cinema snob friends?

I think I'm on this slow list, so this really annoys me. It's a good thing I have no taste, so I only really get screwed if I want to see the new Ben Alleck movie within six month of it hitting the shelves.

Screw the Yankees and their cold, dark hearts

In a story that's getting some legs with the national media, the Lowell Spinners (Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox) have offered to replace any and all Yankees jerseys being worn by kids across New England.

Is it a ridiculous move made by a minor league team to grab headlines and cause a stir?

Hell yes.

Is that ridiculous move made to grab headlines and cause a stir completely awesome?

Hell yes!

According to the release, "Red Sox fans understand how devastating it can be for any child to be on a Yankees youth baseball team in New England. The Spinners have heard stories first-hand of children actually crying and refusing to play if they have to play for the Yankees. The Spinners believe they have found an answer to the problem."

On a kinda cool note, the press release also says that it's in fun and meant to appeal to fans in New England, which is better than blasting the Yankees for the sake of feeding the fire.

If there's a classy way to say, "Hey Yanks, screw you and we don't even want our kids wearing your name in Little League games..." well, this might be a close as it'd get.

In other baseball nonsense consider this your warning shot. I'm lining up team-by-team breakdowns, because let's face it, I have that kind of time. I figured I could do dvisional breakdowns that went on and on or team capsules that go on and on, but are broken up more. I went with Option B.

The other, more practical option is to do team-by-team bits for the divisions that interest me. I think that the Option C darkhorse is gaining ground.

(Image from www.lowellspinners.com)

Wrigley! Sheffield! Addison! Come here, boys!

The Labrador retiriever is still king of Chicago's dog parks. While the French poodle and other designer dogs (golden doodles, cockapoos, other stupid dogs that apparently are combinations of slang words for penis and what a three-year-old calls their excrement) have gained ground, Chicago's growing Trixie population has sustained Chicago's growing lab population.

When it came time to name my dog, I made approximately 3,264 jokes about naming him after

a.) Wrigley Field
b.) Any North side street
c.) Any designer clothing line

If I see another black lab named after a, b or c, I'm calling animal control to have them step in and do something on the animal's behalf.

John Flaherty, you poor bastard

I'd mentioned in the starting rotation write-up last night that I thought losing Doug Mirabelli would really have an impact on Tim Wakefield this year.

In addition to the loss of another good clubhouse guy (Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar are others) Mirabelli was the designated catcher for Wakefield. While I'm sure the pilfering of John Flaherty from the Yankees (evening the score for their pickup of Damon, for sure) will be a fine move in retrospect, I really question if he can handle Wakefield every five days.

Now, for those who are casual fans of baseball, I'd like to point out that a lot of teams have a second catcher who will only catch one pitcher and it automatically builds in an off day for your starter. This is a brilliant idea, especially in late July and August.

Now, take a team with a strict knuckleballer like Wakefield and it adds another dimension. Mirabelli was known in Boston for being the knuckleball catcher. This is a much bigger deal than most people would give him credit for.

For starters, you have to be quick to adjust to a dipping, cutting, sinking or sliding ball. The scary thing for fans of a team with a knuckler on staff is that admittedly, even the pitcher has no idea where the ball will end up. Let me repeat that - no idea where the ball will end up.

Actually, that's not entirely true - with the wrong wind or inside a dome, that ball will probably end up in the left field bleachers. See, that's the thing with most knucklers, they aren't overpowering pitchers, just adaptable. I believe it was in The Last Good Season by Michael Shapiro that he wrote of a beat writer who asked to hit against the team's resident knuckler. The team stepped in because they were pretty sure that the reporter would succeed and ruin their pitcher's confidence.

Many knucklers start as more traditional pitchers and age or hit a wall where their talent can't keep up anymore. Some, like Wakefield, have thrown knucklers for most of their careers, and those careers tend to go on forever. Charlie Hough pitched well into his 40s and others have done just as well thanks to the lack of stress put on their pitching arms.

A knuckleball succeeds because it is thrown without any spin, allowing the air to move around it and make it wobble and dance erratically. Basically, no one in the park, including the pitcher or catcher knows where a ball will go once it's released. If it doesn't dance, it's only moving 60 or 70 miles per hour and it gets tagged. A knuckleball exists to throw off a hitter's timing and the trade off is that you risk a wild pitch every time you let go.

Getting back to the issue at hand, a catcher that is regarded as a knuckleball specialist it a rare commodity in the league, especially for a team with a knuckleballer in its starting rotation (and Wakefield is the longest tenured member of the team at this point), so it's an odd move to ship him out west. The only reason the Red Sox made the move was to get Mark Loretta to fill a minor hole at second, a move they had to make, but now Mirabelli is sitting behind Mike Piazza in San Diego, so it's not the best trade the Padres have ever made.

Now, with Flaherty taking his place behind the plate, either he or Varitek will be forced to adapt. It does little for Red Sox Nation's peace of mind and will make in impact in Wakefield's starts, at least in the beginning. I hope he can get work in with Wakefield and step right in, but it's far from a sure bet.

Is this splitting hairs? To a point, but while many fans write off knucklers as 'whiffle ball pitchers' I think it's pretty interesting to watch. If you follow the Red Sox on the MLB Extra Innings package, it's a real treat to see opposing team's broadcasters on days when Wakefield takes the mound. They seem just as confused as some hitters and you can expct plenty of replays showing the lack of rotation on good pitches.

While batters don't quake at the plate or keep an eye on probable pitchers like they do for fireballers like Randy Johnson or Nolan Ryan in his day, they hate to see a knuckler. There are stories of guys who have problems with their swings after spending the afternoon trying to hit a ball fluttering at random. If a hitter relies more on timing than anything, the knuckleball is the most devastating pitch around. You can speed up or slow down for fastballs and off-speed stuff and even try to time curveballs, but with a knuckleball being so unpredictable, there's really no way to prepare for it.

As nerve-wracking as it can be for a hitter seeing Wakefield once or twice a year, it's worse for the man behind the plate. Honestly, if you're calling a game for Wakefield, know about his sub-par fastball and know that the hitter knows the same thing, it puts you in a bad spot. Do you really want to be the one to call for a lukewarm, 70-mile-per-hour fastball with a man on third, or do you want to call for a ball that could be a foot over your head or in the dirt? Mirabelli had made his peace with that proposition, and for that reason he'll be missed.

As for Flaherty, hopefully he can get ready for 2006 by asking questions and getting time in behind the plate. Bob Uecker's advice on catching a knuckleball is simple, "Wait until it stops rolling, then go pick it up."

Geno Petralli's outlook wasn't as sunny. Asked for comment after he gave up four passed balls in one inning catching Hough, Petralli said simply, "Knuckleballs suck."

(Illustration by Dugald Stermer/Available at goodnaturepublishing.com)

I don't need HBO Latino. I really don't.

OK, so for years, the cable industry has claimed that channels came in blocks (12 channels of HBO, 13 of Showtime, 10 of MLB/NHL/NBA Season Pass options) and that it would be more expensive to break those down further.

"We don't need a repeat of movies playing on a Pacific time zone clock," we said.
"Shut up, we're the cable company... you want us to cut your cord, bitch?" said Comcast.

For whatever reason, sending the signal in blocks made things cheaper and easier and we all bitched and moaned and forked over $100 a month so we didn't miss an episode of Nick and Jessica's Newlyweds or I Love Lucy reruns.

Life without Cribs? Unthinkable and damn near un-American.

Now this from the Chicago Tribune (and hundreds of others, I bet).

Most cable TV customers would save money if allowed to pay for only the channels they want to watch, a report from the Federal Communications Commission concluded Thursday, reversing an earlier finding that so-called a la carte programming would raise cable bills.

The report set off howls of protest from the cable industry, praise from consumer advocates and mixed reactions from special interest groups trying to calculate whether mandated channel choices help or hurt their causes.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a longtime a la carte advocate, praised the new FCC study and said he would introduce legislation next week to require channel choice.

Two things:

1.) I can't wait to see where this goes and what lengths the cable companies go to in order to kill this backlash.

2.) McCain is focusing on this? really? This is on his radar and is a pet issue. I might have to consider him as a viable candidate in the future. He's like Ralph Nader, crusading for the public good, but without the hippie stench and better suits.

Craiglist posting #332498 - Looking for 40 roommates, spacious accommodations, large gatherings not a problem

Two aging multi-purpose stadiums, two power struggles, two situations where neither team is going anywhere any time soon.

In today's Washington Post Thomas Boswell has an interesting column about the newly-minted Nationals and their fight to build a ballpark in Southeast DC. After the fights that brought the Nationals (nee Montreal Expos/San Juan Touristas) to the District, there's a new one being played out to give them a full-time home outside of RFK Stadium.

Basically, the team wants a space to call their own and compete with the Baltimore Orioles and their relatively new digs at Camden Yards, while DC's city council is trying to cover their bets and make sure they aren't left holding the bag for the cost of the construction.

Anyone familiar with DC knows the stigma of that part of town and questions why there would be any hesitation to try and add a viable economic engine to the area (both in direct benefits like jobs for concessions, but also for the souvenir stands, bars, restaurants, etc. that come with a major league ballpark. Anyone who knows about past stadium builds (see Milwaukee) can see why DC is so cautious.

"We have accommodated every single issue of every council member," fumed a disgusted [Robert DuPuy, president of Major League Baseball]. "This is shortsightedness in an election year by some politicians. They have no vision for the city. They can't see the forest for the trees.

"We will file arbitration tomorrow to have the original contract enforced and we will consider all other options."

Turns out those other options might be moving the Nationals from DC. It also turns out that the council then backed up and voted to approve a ratified version of the lease that MLB will be looking into soon.

Seeing as the first two incarnations of a DC team (Senators I and II) have bolted town - to Minneapolis and Texas, respectively - I can't see DC bailing on this too quickly. As DuPuy said, "We've worked our butt off to make this work in Washington."

This week, the Twins were told by a Hennepin County District Judge that their lease is up this year, which means they have been given more ammunition in their fight to pick up a new ballpark and get out of the Metrodome. Speaking as someone who walked out on the field last weekend at TwinsFest, the field is a parking lot painted green and it's beyond me why the players' union hasn't filed a grievance on behalf of the Twins players and any team unfortunate enough to have to play there.

It might be better if they were to upgrade the turf itself to something akin to the carpet at the University of Illinois and other stadiums, but it seems the Metrodome has kept the original carpet that came with the place. I hope that I'm wrong and that with thousands of fans kicking about, the Twins put out any old rug, but something tells me that's not the case.

'[The Judge] wrote in his decision that the Twins are playing on a season-by-season basis and can leave the Metrodome before they start advertising, distributing tickets, securing sponsors or otherwise indicating an intent to play an upcoming season in the Dome.

The issue isn't over yet, as the commission is mulling whether to appeal the decision. The commission's lawyer, Corey Ayling, told The Associated Press that he believes the Twins could still trigger a 2007 playing obligation by their actions.

"If the Twins do take steps to sell tickets and reserve dates, we will define that as a renewal of the current arrangement to play ball in the Metrodome under the current terms," Ayling said.'

The Twins have made no secret of their desire for a new, outdoor ballpark, launching this page off their web site, with matching tabs, front and center. Heck, even The Girl walked into the place for our first game in the Dome last season and said, 'This isn't right. Baseball shouldn't be played indoors.'

She's right and the facility is a little out of whack. With Minneapolis lacking viable public transportation, it's not like moving the venue is going to be too traumatic either. Drive 20 miles to the Dome, drive 20 miles to northwest Minneapolis, what's the difference? If anything, they can take a page from the Brewers' book and custom make a ballpark with easy parking and better traffic flow.

As it stands, they want to build near the Target Center, just north on what is largely industrial land. While it's going to be interesting (and the retractable roof hasn't been added to any price quotes yet) to see what allowances are made for the weather, etc. the general park overview looks great. Then again, anyone who has ever seen a game at the Dome knows anything is an improvement. Baseball shoehorned into a football stadium doesn't really work as baseball at some point.

Personally, I'll settle for a time in this town when the sun can shine on home plate in a major league ballpark.

(Larry Salzman/AP)

Like sausage, you don't want to see your puppies being made

While I will try and stay away from evangalizing too much (at least on the important stuff, I make no such promises for TiVo, unwatched TV shows and my personal campaign against Tim McCarver), something has been bothering me for a few weeks now.

I have been volunteering twice a week at the local Humane Society, if for no other reason than it helps add normal schedules to my life. I also can keep track of the days better, having a commitment twice a week. In return, the dogs get out, get a buddy for a few hours a day and some much needed attention and socialization.

Most of these dogs are strays or mutts or stray mutts, but late last year a puppy mill was raided and the Humane Society took possession of 150 rat terrier puppies. Most of these little guys are still being pushed through the system as they were too small at the time of siezure, but they are out the door within 12 hours of seeing the adoption floor.

This is a very good thing.

This makes me very happy.

'You don't have many dogs...' is a whine that is music to my ears.

However, let me tell you about Peggy. Peggy was a four- or five-year-old yellow lab that looked twice her age with sad, droopy eyes and a nose that had been punched limp by someone who thought it was OK to beat a dog in a cramped cage. Unlike the puppies that people drool over as they shake and sleep in the quieter kitten room, Peggy slept on a blanket in the back of her cage and refused to move.

When I say that, I mean just that - she had been beaten all of her life, doomed to lay on her side and crank out litter after litter. As people bought countless lab puppies at pet stores and from the breeder, Peggy was never let out, just fed and beaten every day for a half a decade.

When I first saw Peggy, she showed no aggresion, resigned to let people do what they would, and I needed to pick up her limp body to place her on a pile of blankets. To take her out was a two-person job, requiring one to pick her up by her middle and set her back down on her four feet. Two people were then needed to keep her upright as she tried to keep as low a profile as possible, despite two people coaxing and prodding her to get outside.

Peggy is on a long road to learning to be a dog again. For a few days the adoption staff would take her and her new bed to the front, where she got just what she needed - 50 people a day who would walk by and not beat her.

Peggy went home with a sweet couple a few weeks ago and should be on the mend, possibly moving around a bit by now as she begins her new life as a middle-aged dog.

Are all breeders evil? No. Are most breeders not on the up and up? I'd be inclined to say yes. Should you think twice about the next puppy you see at the pet store? Damn straight.

Reasons I can sleep at night

In no particular order (well, it's a lineup order) here are the reasons I can take a deep breath and wait patiently for pitchers and Varitek to report to Fort Myers, Fla. in just a few short weeks.

Schilling
Beckett
Wells
Clement
Wakefield
Papelbon
(Arroyo)

***Warning. This is a long post, centered around the Red Sox pitching staff. You may want to skip it if you are not a Red Sox, baseball or rambling nonsense fan. Also, yes, I am aware of the Roger Clemens rumors. No, I won't comment until I see him at a press conference with Theo.***

Curt Schilling - 8-8, 5.69 ERA, 9 saves
Not what you want from your staff's ace, huh? Yeah, I'm not too pleased, either. However, it's not what he did last year, it's the 2004 season that really counts for any Red Sox fans. If it took a year of injury and disappointing results to win the World Series, so be it. There's really no fault to be found in Schilling's performance when you view it through that prism. Is it making the best of a bad situation? Sure, but for anyone who saw him enter the game from the pen in his first relief start knows what he means to this franchise.

He recently did a Q&A session with Bill Simmons of Boston Sports Guy fame and sounds ready to rebound in a big way. Instead of worshipping at the dual altars of BSG and Schilling, I'll just say that he's a gamer and I have little question that the spirit is willing. Whether or not his body keeps pace remains to be seen.

As a man who holds dual-citizenship in both Red Sox Nation and the Cult of the Cubs, let's just say I've been down this road before. There is no harsher mistress than 'If this staff stays healthy' but considering it wasn't arm or shoulder trouble, I'd be ready to bet on a strong year from him.

I could go on for weeks about how much respect I have for Schilling. He was brought in to be a Yankee Killer and he did just that. He was brought in to win and he did that. If you need any more proof, don't take my word for it, Google 'Schilling" and 'sock' and see for yourself.

On a final note, despite his Republican boosting and love of Jesus, I can't hate Schilling because when all is said and done, he gets it. He understands the fan perspective better than most players and you have to respect someone who calls up sports talk from his car to read the hosts the riot act. Was it the smartest idea from a PR perspective? Hell no, but it sure was a lot of fun.

Josh Beckett - 15-8, 3.38 ERA, 178.2 IP
I have to admit I'm a lot more comfortable now knowing that his nickname is 'Country.' Although, Enos Slaughter was nicknamed Country, too - maybe that's a bad omen, huh?

Let's see, a stunning young pitcher with blister problems (fingers, not Kyle Farnsworth blistering) who the Sox picked up for a song in the offseason and recently avoided arbitration with. Why worry, right?

Try these numbers on for size - 24.0, 107.2, 142.0, 156.2, 178.2 - those are inning counts for Beckett in his first five years as a pro. The first season is indicative of the four starts, but it's still troublesome (see the thoughts on Schilling above). Prior and Wood move over for Curt and Josh?

Nothing is worse than a starting staff that falls apart piece by piece as the season progresses, aside from a staff that falls apart piece by piece from the top as the season progresses. Here's to hoping the Florida humidity was causing the blisters or that the Red Sox have those tiny band-aids they give you at the doctor's office after they draw blood. For the life of me, I'll never understand professional pitchers who are shut down for finger blisters. They pitch in a fice-man rotation and can't gut it out with finger blisters? Really? Really?

Last thing on Beckett is that they'd given up on Hanley Ramirez, the star of the Red Sox farm system to pick him up in a package with Mike Lowell's bloated contract. Ramirez was the crown jewel you hear about for years and years before they hit the majors. Like the Cubs with Kerry Wood and the Mariners with King Felix, you get a buzz that builds and builds until they hit the scene and light up the league or fizzle out.

Now, with the gaping hole that existed at short until last week, I wonder what went wrong there. Sure, Beckett was a deal too good to pass on, but the choice of trade bait is puzzling. This may warrant its own post in a week or so, along with the Andy Marte deal.

David Wells - 15-7, 4.45 ERA, 184 IP
In the words of Ted Williams, 'Hello, whale belly!'

The Pillsbury Throw Boy had a quiet season last year, which off the field is a great thing. The problem was that Boomer was pretty silent on the field as well. I'd go into depth about how he was actually as solid a pitcher as the Sox had, but honestly, with Wells trying to get out of his contract to head out west and head back with the Padres (rumors were in the works for a Dave Roberts trade) it's hard to think of much more to say until opening day.

If the Human Donut Apocalypse comes back, great, if not, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a fan who will take this very hard.

Matt Clement - 13-6, 4.57 ERA, 191 IP
True story. I was sitting in the stands last spring, watching a Red Sox spring training game with Clement starting one of his first games after he signed over from the Cubs. He'd done well the year before, but got no run support. He was 9-13 while holding batters to a career best 155 hits all year. For whatever reason, the Cubs just took the day off when the Amish Outlaw took the mound. It was the damnedest thing.

I remember two things about that start. First, no one in the stands around us (mainly snowbirds and people who made the trip to call their friends in New England and rub it in) knew who he was. After he gave up a few scattered hits, he got hit pretty good in the early innings before he was pulled. Not good. I made a joke about the ex-Cub factor, but had spent the week seeing some pretty brutal pitching performances.

Secondly, I tapped my buddy, Rich, and said, 'I think the Sox will do as well as he does this year.'

'Who the fuck is that guy?' asked Rich.

Well, fast forward to the Tampa game in July/August and Clement getting the Charlie Brown treatment and so went the season. He never seemed right after that and neither did the Sox. This has since been proven untrue, but still, something was off. I wish this guy could catch a break, but for whatever reason he keeps falling short.

His numbers weren't awful last year, but he didn't pitch well, either. He's a solid second-tier starter, but should benefit from not having to be the top dog all season.


Tim Wakefield - 16-12, 4.15 ERA, 225.1 IP
What's wrong with this picture? At 39, Wake was the most dependable member of the staff? Well, knuckleballers pitch until they're in their mid-70s (see Charlie Hough), but there's no way this guy should have chewed up this many innings last season.

What the stats fail to show is that in that 4.15 ERA are games with two runs and others with six or more runs. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground here. When the wind is kicking up and the knuckler is dancing, it's great. When you're in the Metrodome, you get slapped around like Flavor Flav at Bridgette Nielsen's house. Not the best pitcher to put up there on some days. Making matters worse, is that it usually takes Terry Francona a bit to catch on to this.

Colorful as he is, Wake becomes a liability some days. I remember spending the day of his playoff start against the White Sox nervous and going back and forth with Frankie, a long-time friend and White Sox fan. It's never a good feeling to have to rely on a 39-year-old knuckleballer in the postseason. Never.

Should Wake be on the Opening Day Roster? Yes. Should he sit in October? Yes again.

Also worth mentioning is the loss of Wake's show pony, Doug Mirabelli. The backup catcher caught every fifth day and only for Wakefield. His glove was the size of a garbage can lid and he has quick, soft hands. These are two great qualities for a knuckleball catcher.

Anyone who discounts this factor needs only watch game tape of Varitek (a very good defensive catcher) trying to catch for Wakefield. It's a mess. If there's a stat for percentage of runs scored by pitch type, it'd hands down be on knucklers. A runner on third is a very real threat, no matter the count or number of outs with a knuckler on the mound. Again, this might be worth its own posting. Something to keep an eye on this season.

Jon Papelbon - 3-1, 2.65 ERA, 34 K, 34.0 IP
The fair-haired child and possible savior for the Red Sox was the only bright spot on the mound in October. The only one who didn't look totally overmatched. The only one who held the White Sox in check. The only one who didn't seem like he could get shelled at any moment. Ah, youth...

Not much on that stat line yet, but it looks like he'll be moving into the rotation this year. I think he's ready, Red Sox Nation thinks he's ready, hopefully he thinks he's ready, too. He was 12-7 with a 2.64 ERA for AA Sarasota before making the leap to the show, but a season with the big club doesn't seem like over-reaching to anyone who saw him in October.

He was the one not sucking.

Bronson Arroyo - 14-10, 4.51 ERA, 205.1 IP
The man who Schilling said had 'balls the size of Saturn' in the 2004 playoffs was up and down last year. Like Derek Lowe before him, he showed flashes of what it takes to be a starter with a bright future, but then sunk just as quickly.

His side career as a rock star has been blamed for erratic performances (especially when spot starts required him to step in the night after a planned gig) and I think the guy named after Charles Bronson needs to suck it up and realize that most rockers would rather be pitching in the bigs just as he'd like to perform in front of sold out arenas.

This choice reminds me a bit of the Kyle Farnsworth epic in Chicago where you always saw him for what he should be versus what he is and don't think that it's too rash to say that this is a turning point for him in his career. Either he can focus, lose those stupid cornrows once and for all, and get down to the business of baseball. With six seasons under his belt (only two worth much, though) it's make or break time.

It looks like he'll be farmed back to the bullpen for now, but he'll be a heartbeat, blown ankle or finger blister away from the starting rotation.

So what's it going to be? You wanna be a starter in this league, or are you happy to bounce around with Tim McCarver calling you 'Brandon' before World Series starts?

The Wrap-up
In all, it's a good staff on paper. If I get my act together, I'd like to do division breakdowns in the weeks leading into the season, but suffice to say with neighbors like the Yankees, Orioles and retooled Blue Jays, serviceable isn't going to cut it this year.

I hate playing the games where if the staff stays healthy, they have a shot, but the Sox have done more with less in the past. Without even peeking into the bullpen and regardless of how the David Wells story plays out, I think that this is a pretty shaky starting staff.

For the record, there are two "if healthy's," a rookie, two "if they pull it together's"and a knuckleballer who'll turn 40 in August. Add Wells and you have a human bullpen cart. However, if just half of those actually pan out, you might have something and if that half is Beckett and Papelbon, you have a contender in the East.

And that is something I can live with... at least until April.

(Photo from Boston.com)

The Apathy Bowl recap

Seattle versus Pittsburgh... eh, sure, I guess. When is Family Guy on?

Despite precious few story lines and two teams that matched up well on paper, it seems that most people feel pretty good this morning about the big game yesterday.

The Steelers pulled down one for the thumb and sent Jerome Bettis out on a high note, in all a pretty good showing by both teams. Even losing quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck was 26 of 49 for 273 yards, one TD and one pick. That outgunned Ben Roethlisberger's 9/21, 123 yards, 0 TDs and 2 INTs.

It also marked the game that featured the two most difficult QB names to spell on the first try. Go ahead and pick up the laptop from any of the national media who covered the game last night and odds are 'Roethlisberger' is still on the clipboard for easy cutting and pasting.

Strangely silent was league MVP Shaun Alexander who didn't crack the century mark and was kept out of the end zone all night. For marketing and contract purposes, he would have loved to make a bigger splash on the national scene. As it stood, the Steeler defense held tight, despite outwardly quiet nights by Troy Polamalu (four tackles and an assist) and Joey Porter (three tackles). While Polamalu seemed to be a step slow on his banged up ankle, the Seahawks largely stayed away from Porter.

While I'm not putting him in the category of Lawrence Taylor, keep in mind that most big defensive players get small numbers in the Super Bowl as teams stay away from them. That's the reason why when players like Reggie White have three sacks in a Super Bowl, it's a big deal. Porter himself addressed the issue in the postgame insanity when he asked reporters if they saw Seatle running all over his side of the field. Good point. Of course anyone familiar with Porter would be legally insane for picking a fight with him after a game, but he was right.

A few other quick thoughts:

• It seemed almost strange that there were no off the field incidents this weekend from Ray Lewis, high-profile problems to Eugene Robinson finds a hooker cop distractions. In Detroit? Nothing happened? Can I check the Detroit Police arrest records this morning?
• Aside from Cowboy/Raider fans from back in the day, there's not a lot of animosity towards the Steelers of today. While there is plenty of reason to get up for a team like Pittsburgh, there isn't the backlash you see from teams like New England, Dallas and the 80s/90s vintage San Francisco squads. And hatred towards Seattle? It's like cheering against a cripple.
• Will either team make it back next year? Maybe Seattle, depending on how they do in the off-season, who they keep, which free agents they can pull in. I feel Seatle is at a crossroads much like Green Bay was at a few years ago. A remote city, a mid-levle team, only the Seahawks didn't have the pedigree to try and sell free agents on the franchise. While you can't play in the footsteps of Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr or Jerry Kramer (who wants to share a locker room with the ghost of Brian Bosworth?) at least you don't have to live in Green Bay. Still, until the NFC gets its act together, the road to the Super Bowl is pretty wide open next year. As for the Steelers? Without the Bus/Cowher's first championship to play for, I question if their season of destiny will carry over to 2006.

My name is Carl

Just a short blurb on Carlos Boozer, the man who knifed the Cavs in the back and renegged on a gentleman's agreement.

For a quick recap, Boozer was temporarily released from his contract by the Cavs front office to rework a deal a few years back. He then bolted from playing with Lebron James and the budding franchise to sign with Utah.

This was a big deal when it happened and then fell by the wayside. Carlos has since been injured and hasn't played since Valentine's Day last year.

"It's karma, Randy. It's not like a dog you can just call..."

(NBC.com)

Shrapnel creating big problem for military docs, servicemen

I was rushing through the Washington Post this morning, mainly seeing what news was coming from the Nationals camp when the lead story caught my eye. It's worth a read, but in a few short sentences:

'Shrapnel wounds have been part of combat for more than 200 years, since Henry
Shrapnel, a British artillery officer, designed an explosive canister that sent
metal balls flying during the Napoleonic wars.
"It has probably become the
single best man-killer, barring a nuclear weapon," said Dale C. Smith, chairman
of the Department of Medical History at Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences.'

Kind of shocking in a 'never thought of that, but it makes perfect sense' kind of way. Check out the full article here.

It's the little things

Here:

The Civilized World:


Tugboat vs. enormous submarine with historical value. It's the little things.

(Science Museum of Minnesota /Scott Brownell, Museum of Science and Industry)

Johnny Cash is becoming an unhealthy distraction for the Nation

I wanted this to work out well for the Sox.

I really did.

After last year's textbook example of how to keep a solid veteran in their dealings with Jason Varitek, the Red Sox really shit the bed on the Johnny Damon deal this winter. Strikes against the front office were not having a real GM, having their house in disarray and having to deal with Scott Boras. Depending on who you listen to, the Red Sox made a 'take-it-or-leave-it' style offer before Christmas and Johhny and Scott decided to leave it.

While I have a hard time believing that MLB negotiations really operate this way where the player doesn't come back to try and bargain his price up, I also refuse to believe that Johnny didn't think that he'd be able to at least ask for another round of negotiations. I really think this all came down to respect, especially after Varitek's royal treatment 12 months prior.

Is it sad to see a cornerstone of the World Series team leave? Yes, I also felt bad about Dave Roberts, Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe (yes, even Derek Lowe) leaving for greener pastures. Does it kill me that he went to the Yankees? More than I can express in words. Johnny was the anti-Yankee and the one player above all who you could point to as such. That 2004 team was a collection of mutts and Johnny was top dog. (Side note: How dumb is it for a man who built his entire commercial image on long hair and a counter-culture persona to go to the epitome of corporate baseball and a team with strict facial hair regulations? Have you seen pictures of this guy in Oakland and Kansas City? Considering that commercial appeal is a strong draw for the New York market, this was probably the dumbest miscalculation by Team Boras).

This isn't about that, though. No, what's been bothering me today is the constant coverage of what Johnny's doing in New York, who he's talking to, the constant surveillance of his every step daily. From the Boston publications, I've seen and heard more about Damon than anyone who is actually still on the team.

Me: Hey, Cyberspace! How's Adam Stern's shoulder?
Red Sox Fan Sites and Local Media: Who knows, but did you see that bastard Johnny Damon just got a new Ferarri from Puma? What a dick!
Me: Oh, I'll check back later, then.

Andy Marte and others for Coco Crisp knocked Johnny off the front pages for a few days, especially after Mota failed his physical, but we're back to JNN. Check out Dirt Dogs this morning and the top three posts are all Johnny-related.

Now, without getting into why this may be OK for the Sox in the long run, how I think he'll break down before his contract is up and what would happen if he gets off to a slow start in the Bronx, I'd like to say this whole thing is really unhealthy for Red Sox Nation.

To put it in perspective, I dated the same woman for three of the four years in college. The last year was marred by stops and starts, breakups and makeups and while we'd been through a lot, it was really time to move on. Johnny's contract kind of became like that in many ways.

Now we're in the uncomfortable time where everything the other person does is a personal attack directed at you (ie. the alleged poaching for Manny and others) and even if you wanted to get them out of your head, other people won't let you. In short, you spend all day wondering, "What's that bitch doing???" and then have your friends and hers come up at the bar that night with reports ("That bitch is doing WHAT???")

Not that it takes any insight to say this won't end well... but this won't end well. If he does well, expect icier relations than with Roger 'The Pocket Rocket' Clemens when he comes to Fenway. It's too bad, I liked Damon a lot. He was one of my favorites to watch the past few years and a steady-hitting leadoff man with speed is hard to find (even if he does throw with a rag arm). Heck, that speed also led to an entire chapter on defensive range in Moneyball.

When all is said and done, this will be a fairly embarrassing chapter in Red Sox history. Probably less than the A-Rod/Nomar mess, but still a bad time to be a Sox fan. Lusting after someone has left you only makes it worse.

(Getty Images Photo / Al Bello - From Boston.com)

Mike Tyson's Punched Out

Stupid Canadians. This is one of the only reasons I was even interested in the NHL this year.

I still say it's a pretty sweet helmet and think that goalie masks are one of the coolest elements in all of sport.

Head down to your local sports card shop and chances are they still have masks from years ago with Ron Hextall, Andy Moog and Patrick Roy's designs on display.

While I can see a problem with Iron Mike (especially with the front office being the ones who have to deal with the phone calls, I'll miss seeing him on the mask. This is so ridiculously brilliant that I hope it'll spur a renaissance in mask painting. Really, haven't we seen enough bear heads, demons and variations on team logos? At the least, can we get a Leon Spinks mask next?

According to Canada.com,

"While Ray Emery had an excellent 6-0 start to his season, he has lost his past three starts, allowing 17 goals on 62 shots. He now has just two wins in his past seven games," so this may be a moot point as Emery fades into Bolivian.

(Photograph by : Jana Chytilova/Ottawa Citizen)

Thoughts on last night's State of the Union Address

Fuck you, you fucking evil midget! I wanted to watch Scrubs. Fucking dumbass smackhead.