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December 31, 2004
Photo of the Day - One More Abandoned Vermont
Addison, Vermont, December, 2004. Here's another shot of the abandoned house that we came across up in Vermont last weekend. The cool thing about this house was that all the glass in all the windows were gone so you could see straight though to daylight on the other side. I'm sure at sunrise or sunset or even just when it was a sunny day it would make for some interesting effects. Too bad that house is so far away otherwise I'd make frequent visits to take photos there. And probably get myself arrested in the process for trespassing! (The house is very close to the side of the road so I was just in the front yard taking photos, not really doing anything wrong.)
As I mentioned previously, no those "orbs" are not ghosts but snow falling. I practically got frostbite taking these photos! I definitely should have put my gloves on!
Posted by silverdsl at 12:03 AM | Comments (0)
December 30, 2004
Randy Johnson Almost a Yankee... Yet Again
It looks like the Randy Johnson to the Yankees deal is finally done. Okay, not really completely done but looking like a sure thing. As long as the Comissioner approves, all players pass physicals, Randy Johnson officially waives his no-trade and then the Yankees work out an extension with him, the deal will go through. The Yankees will send Javy Vazquez, Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro and $9 million to the Diamondbacks for RJ. I discussed my feelings about this trade back in November here when RJ first stated that he wanted out of Arizona so I won't bother repeating what I think here again since much of what I said then is still how I feel. But I will say that I think the Yankees are going to regret trading Vazquez. In the short-term RJ may be dominant for the Yankees but I think Vazquez will be pitching well long after RJ is out of pinstripes. I guess the Yankees think that if he's good in the future they can just go out and re-aquire him.
Some think that the Yankees are assured of winning the World Series now. I'm not so sure about that. The games still have to be played and won. The players still have to play to the best of their abilities. And if there are any injuries to key players the Yankees could be in trouble. Especially since they don't have many chips to trade with anymore in case they have a major player who will miss significant time for some reason. Of course with the crazy amount of money invested in this team, both in actual salaries and how much they've sent to other teams as part of trades it's almost a waste unless they do get all the way back the World Series and win.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
Site to Be Unavailable
Probably for the next 24-48 hours this blog will be unaccessible as Jim moves it to the new server and then the DNS has to propogate. At some point this weekend hopefully we will also be doing a redesign to make things look a little nicer. I'd also like to add a section for links and a way for people to email me if they want.
So I'd like to wish everyone a happy New Year now since I probably won't be able to update tomorrow at all. Have a very fun and very safe New Year's! :)
Posted by silverdsl at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)
Tino's Back in Pinstripes!
In a move that has been rumored heavily for quite some time the Yankees have apparently re-signed Tino Martinez, who was the starting first baseman from 1996-2001. Tino was much beloved by Yankee fans and many were very sad to see him go. Assuming that the Yankees don't find a way to get rid of Jason Giambi, Tino will be the back-up first baseman and see time at DH as well.
I've got mixed emotions about Tino coming back to the Bronx. On one hand he was one of my favorite Yankees during his first go-around in pinstripes. He is also a good guy in the clubhouse and very good defensively. But there is no question that Tino has been in a decline at the plate for a while now. Yes, last season he had a better year than the previous two but just about anything would look good in comparision to his dreadful stats from 2002-2003. If Tino is truly going to be the back-up to Giambi this will probably work fine. But if somehow Tino is the full-time first baseman or sees significant playing time at DH, I'm not so sure this will be a great signing. I think that Joe Torre is likely to try and give Tino as much playing time as possible, even if it means sitting other players who should be out on the field, so in that regard it might not be so great either.
I hope fans will be realistic in their expectations for Tino. He's just not going to be the same player at age 37 as he was during his first stint in the Bronx when he was in his early 30's. Even then there were times when he stuggled tremendously at the plate. Fans will surely go wild the first time he is announced at the stadium but as everyone knows Yankee fans are very quick to turn on just about any player not named Jeter or Rivera.
It will be interesting to see what happens on the NYYFans forum as well. There were any number of battles between the pro-Tino and anti-Tino factions and things often got extremely ugly. In fact some of the rules and ways that we moderate are directly tied to some of the nonsense we had to take care of when Tino was last in pinstripes and when the Yankees were debating whether they should re-sign him or sign Giambi. Unfortunately I anticipate we will have to deal with some of those issues again but I suspect that this time we will be a lot more heavy-handed in terms of taking care of issues that crop up so that they don't turn into major problems and real ugliness between users.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:23 PM | Comments (0)
1 in 5 People Under the Age of 21 Drink and Drive
It's scary at any time of the year but particularly troublesome just before New Year's when drinking is so common. Not only is underage drinking a problem but more than 4 million people ages 16-20 said that they drove after drinking last year. 14% of these same kids said that they also drove while under the influence of drugs. Surveys like this make me think that there is a desperate need for increased education about the dangers of drinking and driving. It's truly scary how often one hears about horrible accidents that kill any number of people, often young people, that involve drinking and driving.
Of course on New Year's it's not just the drunk kids behind the wheel that you have to worry about but the drunk adults as well. And drinking and driving is a problem at all times of the year, not just New Year's. But it is definitely more of a concern at this time of the year. So with that in mind often Jim and I go out fairly early for New Year's so that we are not on the road late, when there are likely to be more drunk drivers out. We aren't completely against staying out late if we have some place to go but who might be sharing the road with us is definitely a concern.
So thinking about all of this, I hope that everyone has a fun New Year's but especially a safe New Year's!
Posted by silverdsl at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Ogunquit
Ogunquit, Maine. July, 2004. In a discussion about the horrible disaster of a few days ago the subject of abnormally high and low tides came up. Which reminded me of Ogunquit because when we were up there over the summer they were experiencing abnormally high and low tides. In fact the tides were so extreme that even long-time locals were amazed. One morning I walked along Marginal Way taking photos at sunrise and at that time it was low tide. The tide had gone way, way, way out to the point where areas that were always underwater were exposed. So this is a photo of what was exposed. It was very cool to see the patterns left on the sand from the retreating water. I took lots of photos because it was so neat looking.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
December 29, 2004
Birthday!
Today was my birthday so to celebrate I went to Manhattan, to Soho, with my cousin to do some shopping. There's a few stores there where I really love the clothes. The only problem is that everything is super-expensive. So I didn't end up getting anything but it was fun to look.
Sometimes when I go to Soho I get something at Anthropologie, where they have some really funky clothes. I especially like the skirts they have there which are often embroidered and really unusual. I tried on a few today but only one fit and not only was it kind of pricey but I already had something similar. Another store I really like is Ina, a high-end vintage clothing store. The clothes there are in near perfect condition and everything is really, really nice. Many of the pieces are by designers too. As one might imagine the things are pricey there too. We also went to Bloomingdale's, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, Big Drop, and some other clothing stores as well as a fancy paper store and a pocketbook store. So it was a very full day of shopping!
After all the shopping of course we were hungry so we went to Aquagrill, a seafood restaurant, also in Soho. It was kind of pricey but very, very good. I had Manhattan Clam Chowder and grilled Salmon in this wonderful sauce that I'm not sure what it was over parmagean polenta. Even the bread they served there was awesome which is really the sign of a good restaurant because sometimes some places don't pay attention to details like what kind of bread they serve. I would definitely go back again for sure. I would especially love to try the lobster sandwich they have for lunch.
The only thing that would have made today better was if I had gotten to spend it with Jim but given that he had to work down in Tom's River today and got home late that wasn't possible. We'll celebrate plenty this weekend though!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:48 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2004
Photo of the Day - More From Vermont
Addison, Vermont, 2004. This is another photo from that abandoned house that we saw during our drive in Vermont this past weekend. You can see that the former inhabitants left behind some of their furniture which certainly does raise some questions. No, those streaks are not ghosts, that is the snow that was falling. In some of the other photos the snow came out as "orbs" which many believe are signs that an abandoned house is haunted but it is very definitely snow, not ghosts.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)
No, Not Dead After All
Gee, here's a surprise. The Yankees and Diamondbacks are talking trade again. No doubt in my mind that even if they don't get it done now, eventually Randy Johnson will be in pinstripes. There really isn't even much more to say on this topic that I haven't already said before other than I wish they would just get it over with. I'm not happy with the prospect of the Yankees trading Javy Vazquez so each time they don't complete the trade it gives me false hope that he might remain a Yankee.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Mussina Fan Club
A lot of times the fans clubs for athletes aren't good for much other than to say that one is part of that particular person's fan club. But there are some fan clubs like Kevin Harvick's or Mike Mussina's that do a little more for their members than other fan clubs do.
I joined the Mussina fan club because he's my favorite Yankee but also because he does the meet & greets for fan club members at Yankee stadium each summer as well as the fan club meeting every January. It's funny because Mussina is somewhat reserved at times and I don't think interacting with lots of people comes easy to him but he obviously cares about making his fans happy so he does this stuff anyway. While Nascar drivers do all these things all the time it's pretty unusual for baseball players to do meet & greets or have fan club meetings.
One year I would love to go to the fan club meeting in January because I've heard it's a huge amount of fun. Besides lunch or dinner at a restaurant, there's a question & answer session and Mike signs autographs and poses for photos. It sounds like he's a lot more relaxed than during the regular season as one might imagine and his off-beat sense of humor is often on display. It seems like every year something comes up and I can't go to the fan club meeting. This year is no different as I will be in Las Vegas. Increasingly I'm beginning to wish I had just opted to go to Pennsylvania for this than to Las Vegas!
But what made me think of the Mussina fan club is that I got a birthday postcard from them signed by Mike which is neat. Yes, it does appear to be hand-signed though of course there's no way of knowing if it's actually signed by Mike or someone else signed it for him. I assume it probably is signed by him and that he signs a whole stack of them once or twice a year and they are just used as needed for fan club members thoughout the year. The postcard is funny as it's a picture of a Moose blowing out birthday candles. It's just something that they do that is a nice little thing to make fan club members feel good and put a smile on their faces.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2004
More on Steve Park and Operation Marathon
Last week I talked in a previous entry about my Disappointment about Steve Park withdrawing from the Operation Marathon Getaway trip to Las Vegas. Well, I've since found about some additional information about this and I can't say I feel too much better about it. Steve Park Motorsports is saying that the travel agent didn't fullfill their obligations. The travel agency is saying that he pulled out because they weren't going to be able to pay him the original agreed upon amount due to not having enough people signed up, something they partially blame him for. At that point he was certainly justified in pulling out but the travel agency says that they approached him with a revised proposal for less money to keep him involved and he declined in spite of the fact that he will apparently still be going to Las Vegas and taking part in other Operation Marathon related events. Then there's the other bit of information. Unfortunately I will probably never know what the real story is.
What really burns me is that the overall Operation Marathon is basically a charity event to raise money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which is a camp for terminally and chronically ill children. I understand that Steve Park needs to be paid if that is what was agreed on and that the travel agency needs to make money, and everyone needs to look out for their own best interests but when the Getaway events were taking place in conjunction with a charitable cause I think that should provide quite a bit of motivation for everyone involved to work out a compromise. Steve knows what Operation Marathon and the VJGC is all about given that he goes on the Petty ride each summer which raises money for the camp and that Michael Waltrip, driving force behind Operation Marathon, is his good friend. Given how closely connected the Getaway is with Operation Marathon, some have already indicated to me that this does not reflect well, not only on Steve and the travel agency, but also on Operation Marathon. That bothers me most of all. (ETA: Upon returning from the trip, Steve told us that he never wanted to do this trip in the first place and had to be talked into it. I guess that explains why no compromise could be worked out.)
What also bothers me is that now I have to worry about where the money I paid for the upgraded packages is really going to go. 100% of that money is supossed to go to Operation Marathon and the travel agent has assured me that is the case and that she will send me something in writing to that effect. I have no choice but to trust that she is telling me the truth but after what's going down and the story she told me today about the financial issues on her end, well, it does make one nervous. Not only was this no small amount of money, but this was money that was my grandmother's. Part of the reason I've been donating to Operation Marathon is because I know it would have made her happy to know that some of her money would be going to help terminally and chronically ill children. So I want to make sure that her money goes where it should.
Hopefully from here on out the trip will go off without any other hitches. Maybe we'll even get lucky and see Steve at some point, though I'm not counting on that.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Abandoned Vermont
Addison, Vermont. December, 2004. Yesterday Jim and I took a drive with his Mom up to Burlington, Vermont. We drove through some pretty rural areas with a lot of farmland. So it wasn't surprising that we came across a few abandoned houses. This one in Addison, Vermont, was of particular interest to me so on our way back to Jim's Mom's house we stopped so I could take some photos. Unfortunately, it was snowing lightly so that meant that some of the photos didn't come out as good as I would have liked but they are interesting so I will post a couple here over the next few days.
It's pretty unusual to come across an abandoned house like this one which isn't boarded up. Usually the owners or the town in which it is located boards it up so that kids don't go in to vandalize it or vagrants don't use it as a shooting gallery or a place to crash. There wasn't much evidence of too much of that happening at this house, maybe due to how close to the road it was, though it was apparent that people had been in and out over the years to some degree.
Whoever abandoned this house had left some of their furniture behind and that always makes one wonder why they left some of their possessions behind and what the full story is behind the house, something which I will probably never know. The furniture which could be seen inside the house though the broken windows definitely made for some interesting pictures. I think the greyness of the day, in spite of how the snow effected the photos, also added to the creepiness factor. I converted this photo to black and white, as I probably will to most of the others, to further emphasize the atmosphere of the house.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)
More than 22,000 Dead
There really aren't any words to describe how awful this disaster is. Right now the death toll from the huge earthquake/monster tidal waves is at 22,000 in ten countries and it will surely go higher as more bodies are recovered and survivors die from disease and other post-disaster injuries. Most of the countries had no warning system for tsunamis but I wonder how much good it would have done anyway considering that these waves were moving as fast as 600 miles an hour. The amount of people who died in this disaster is probably difficult for a lot of people to comprehend. It's even more unbelievable when one listens to the news coverage and realizes that many of these people were wiped out instantly when the waves hit and there was no way of escaping.
I've been listening to CNN's coverage on and off and the video is just incredible. Whole coastal areas just completely wiped out. Where do the survivors go? What do they do now? Many of them probably have nothing but the clothes on their backs. This is a disaster which will be very difficult for the affected areas and people to recover from.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
December 23, 2004
Upstate
Well, here I am in upstate New York. We're at Jim's Mom's house in a small town near the Vermont border, about an hour north of Albany. It's very different here than it is downstate, that's for sure! Tonight we went out to eat and do a little shopping and everywhere we went it was super-quiet and the stores were pretty empty. This in spite of it being so close to Christmas. Down by us stores are jam-packed at this time of year and we would have to wait quite a while for a table at any restaurants in the shopping areas. There are a lot of differences in people's lifestyles up here too.
The weather was so strange today. Usually when we come up this way in the Winter it's freezing cold and we've been here on Christmas during huge snowstorms. In fact, just a couple of days ago Jim's Mom said it was -14. But today it was almost 50 degrees out. Which was a good thing because it poured all day and had it been colder it would have been a huge amount of snow. Unfortunately the relatively warm weather won't last as it's going to be in the upper 20's tomorrow. Which still isn't bad in comparision to how cold it was earlier in the week.
I might be able to update over the next few days or I might not so I figure while I can I will wish everyone who celebrates Christmas a very happy holiday. May everyone have a great time with their friends, families and loved ones, both of the human and furry kind!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:54 PM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2004
Disappointment
I really don't want to rip Steve Park as he's my favorite driver and it was probably out of his hands anyway but boy am I upset and disappointed in him right now. We spent a lot of money on the trip to Las Vegas on the basis of his presence at two days worth of events in conjunction with Operation Marathon and now I've been informed that he's pulled out. This after the travel agent assured me that there was a signed contract and there was no question that he'd be there. So much for contracts.
In her email the travel agent said that there was a schedule conflict and implied that he was told by Orleans Racing that he had to do something else that weekend. Well, that's kind of an uncool thing to do since this was a little more than just an autograph signing given the amount of money participants were spending on this. I am one of the most understanding people when it comes to the drivers and how hard it is to live up to all the expectations that fans have for them. I also know that sometimes important things come up and it's probably the case here. But this really doesn't sit well with me at all.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)
Ding-Dong, the Deal's Dead, the Darn Deal is Dead
It looked like such a sure thing just a few days ago but now the three-way trade between the Dodgers, Yankees and Diamondbacks which would bring Randy Johnson to the Bronx has apparently fallen apart. The Dodgers pulled out at the last minute, saying that they decided that the trade wasn't in the best interest of the team. I wasn't in favor of the trade because I thought that the Yankees were going to be giving up way too much young talent for a 41-year old with chronic back and knee problems but I still think it's ridiculous that the Dodgers pulled out so late in the game.
Much of what the Dodgers are citing and I'm not sure I believe them, is Javy Vazquez. According to an article in Newsday, they claim that Javy refused to report to Los Angelos to take a physical and that he was very against the trade. Well, considering that Javy was on vacation in St. John and it's a holiday week, I can understand why he might not have been willing to hop on a plane right away. He also wasn't thrilled about being traded to a West Coast team but according to his agent had resigned himself to that. Some Yankee fans are angry with Javy and are blaming him for why the trade fell apart but I think Javy has a right to be upset with the trade. He has to look out for himself regardless of how much Yankee fans want the trade for Randy Johnson to happen. But as with any player who doesn't have a no-trade or 10/5 rights, he knows that he could be traded at any time so I highly doubt he was threatening not to report at all or act up for the Dodgers.
Personally, I think the Dodgers did themselves a disservice by pulling out of the trade this late in the game. Yes, it's important for them to do what is best for their team. But the time for second thoughts is before the deal is thought to be just about finalized by all parties and the paperwork is in Bud Selig's office. That they pulled out so late indicates to me that they didn't do a good job of researching and thinking about the players involved or the various scenarios about how the trade would effect their team. And that is a very bad way to operate. I don't think that teams are going to stop dealing with the Dodgers because if they have players that other teams want they will try to make deals with them anyway. But I think other GMs will deal with the Dodger's GM with a lot more hesitation and caution because they will have to be nervous that a final deal with the Dodgers isn't really final.
Eventually I think Randy Johnson will be traded to the Yankees. He wants the trade to happen, the Yankees want the trade to happen and so do the Diamondbacks. It will just take longer than expected.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2004
Photo of the Day - Spaceship Earth at Night
Spaceship Earth, Epcot, Walt Disney World, January, 2004. The side of Spaceship Earth all lit up at night. I had to take shots of Spaceship earth and all it's pretty colors really quick because it was starting to rain and I didn't want to ruin my camera. I'm actually surprised any of them came out but I guess it's a testament to how good the camera is.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)
Dale Earnhardt Junior's Personal Webpage
Down below I mentioned that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has his own webpage. It's mostly SIM racing stuff but if there are any Nascar fans who haven't visited it's worth a look for the personal photos that he has on the page. Some are recent shots of his friends, as well as some of his "toys," but the most interesting are the old family photos which include plenty of his father.
There's also a message board there. Now it's only restricted to SIM racing-related discussions but at one time there were general racing and non-racing forums there. Those had to be shut due to a number of problems, some of which were due to who was attracted to the board knowing that Junior himself reads and posts there.
From what I could tell Junior sure wasn't like Gehrig38 (Curt Schilling) on his forum in that he mostly talked about non-racing or SIM racing related stuff which was a shame because it would have been interesting to get his insight on some things in a more casual setting than what the mainstream media provides. But for those folks who are reading from NYYfans or another baseball board, take the problems that are caused by G38's presence on message boards and multiply that by 100 and that is the situation that Junior would be faced with and he's not anywhere near as outspoken as G38.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
Jeter, Rivera Have No Problems With Giambi
Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera were asked yesterday at an event about Jason Giambi and both said that they would welcome him back to the team and that he made a "mistake." Several anonymous Yankees, one of which I suspect was Jeter, made comments to this effect earlier when the news about Giambi's grand jury testimony first came out but that the team captain and another team leader are throwing their support behind Giambi publically, as far as his status on the team goes, speaks volumes as to how the players view this situation.
Fans and the media are outraged over the Giambi relevations and the rest of the Balco mess. But I don't think it's as big of a deal to the players as it is to everyone else. Both Jeter and Rivera say that they support Giambi and that is something that many fans are unwilling to do. Granted they know Giambi the person rather than just Giambi the player/steroid user, so they probably feel sympathy for him and his situation because they know him in a way that most fans don't but I suspect that there is more to it than that.
The use of performance enhancers has been a part of baseball for a very long time so I think that there is an acceptance that this is going on which doesn't lead to the same shock and disgust that fans seem to feel. For all we know Jeter and Rivera know of other current and former Yankees who use performance enhancers too. I think the biggest issue for many players is that they don't want to be wrongly suspected or accused of steroid use because fans are suspicious of all players due to the Balco mess, not that they want to rid their teams of all their performance-enhancing using teammates.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
Had to Disable Comments
Unfortunately Jim had to disable the comments in my blog because Movable Type, which is the software that powers this blog, has a vulnerability in which spammers use the comments function to hit blogs with tons of spam. Apparently over the past few weeks this is becoming a bigger and bigger problem with a lot of blogs. Jim couldn't take the risk of the server getting attacked since it's the same one that NYYFans is run off of so until Movable Type comes up with a solution no one will be able to comment on any of my entries. :(
Posted by silverdsl at 02:02 PM | Comments (0)
Dale, Jr. Creates Two Online Radio Stations
So what has Dale, Jr. been doing in the off-season? Well, other than doing online SIM racing, he has apparently been creating his own online radio stations. The first station is on 24/7 and just plays music, presumably that which he has programmed it to play. I haven't given it a listen yet but it appears that it's mostly alternative music with a little rap mixed in. The second station isn't on all the time. It will only be on when Junior decides that he wants to do a show in which he is the DJ and spins whatever he feels like playing. It's probably going to be pretty random and at odd times when he decides to broadcast on the second station but it might be pretty interesting to check it out.
Junior tries to do all these things like any other computer geek - SIM race, create his own website, have a message board, chat online, create online radio stations. Yet it must be so much more difficult for him due to who he is. He tries to keep a low profile with all of this but of course the word about anything he does makes the rounds very quickly and suddenly there's way more attention drawn to these things than he would probably like. It's been said that if Junior hadn't been a racer he probably would have been a mechanic but with how much he seems to do with computers I think he'd be doing something in IT or designing websites.
What's too bad is that due to who he is, Junior is going to have to be careful about what he says when he's DJing on his station, in spite of the audience for an online radio station being pretty small. I wouldn't be surprised if Junior is looking for an outlet for some of his thoughts with some of what he does online but unless he keeps it a secret and keeps it anonymous, he's going to have to censor himself, lest he upsets someone. It would be pretty funny if he has an online blog or journal somewhere - that seems to be about the only online project he hasn't jumped into yet.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)
Walmart Unveils $500 Laptop
Walmart has unveiled what is sure to be a big seller for them - a barebones laptop for just under $500. The Balance notebook comes with the Linux operating system, Linspire, and is equipped to allow users to connect to the internet via either dial-up or broadband. Additional features like a CD-burner can also be added on for an additional cost.
While it's great that Walmart is introducing a portable computer which is affordable for almost everyone, my question is how good is this computer? If someone just wants to do basic operations like play around on the internet and do some word processing I'm sure it would be fine. But for anything more complicated such as working with graphic programs I suspect that it probably wouldn't be so great. Hopefully people who are thinking about buying this laptop will think about what their needs are and do the research to make sure that this is the computer for them. Because if this computer doesn't have the necessary memory and speed to run a lot of programs, many people might be better off saving up some extra money for a more expensive laptop or desktop computer that will allow them to do everything that they want.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)
Harvicks Welcome New Addition...
You really know it's slow in the off-season when the lead news story on Kevin Harvick's official site is all about their new dog and the story of how they came to get her. "Lo" is a teacup Chihuahua that fits into Delana's pocketbook and she has apparently been wanting one of these dogs for a long time. Chichuahuas, as well as other small dogs, are popular among the drivers because they are a lot easier to take with them to the track and take care of than larger dogs are. The Harvicks have three other dogs, all of whom are on the large side, so they better hope that none of the other dogs get jealous and decides to make a snack out of "Lo!"
Posted by silverdsl at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
Five National Parks I Really, Really Want to Visit
I love National Parks. They are usually some of the most beautiful places in the country. Only thing is that I haven't been to many in person though I've admired many wonderful photographs that have been taken in national parks. So while I'd love to visit as many national parks as possible here's the top five that I really want to go to:
1. Yellowstone: I've always been fascinated by the geysers and the hot springs of Yellowstone. Just such an unusual place. But Yellowstone has much more than that. There are beautiful waterfalls and lots of wildlife as well. Year round Yellowstone is a beautiful place and I'm really anxious to go there some day.
2. Grand Canyon: It's incredibly amazing to me how vast the Grand Canyon is and that it was formed by erosion. The Grand Canyon is so vast that there are probably still areas that are relatively unexplored. I will be visiting the Grand Canyon briefly next month and I can't wait!
3. Arches: The Arches in this park created by erosion are really beautiful. Unfortunately a lot of them can only be reached by a long hike and it can get very hot out there but someday maybe I'll get to see some of the Arches.
4. Yosemite: The rock formations and waterfalls of Yosemite are really gorgeous.
5. Canyonlands: Another national park where many of the features were formed by erosion. Also another place which seems so unique and beautiful.
What's interesting is that as much as I love the ocean and I always want to go places by the ocean, not one of these places is on the coast.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:34 AM | Comments (0)
Of Course There's a Lawsuit
One of the Pistons fans who was cited for trespassing for his role in the huge November 19th brawl has filed suit against the Indiana Pacers and two of the players. Based on the description in the above article I can't quite figure out exactly what it is that he's suing for but I'm not surprised. I expect that there will be other lawsuits filed as time goes on. These days the immediate first reaction by anyone anytime they feel that they've been wronged is to threaten and sometimes even actually sue. It's amazing sometimes how the smallest thing can become the basis for a lawsuit. But what's really amazing is that a guy who might have played a part in making that embarassing brawl worse is suing, claiming that he was wronged.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2004
Photo of the Day - More From Disney
Outside "The Living Seas," Epcot - Walt Disney World, Florida, January, 2004. Since Finding Nemo was a recent hit for Disney when I went to Walt Disney World they tried to incorporate some FN stuff both inside and outside of "The Living Seas" at Epcot. The plastic fish in this display were pretty bright and colorful but I thought they looked pretty neat in black and white too. That way nothing distracts from the big eyes and playful look on it's face.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
Dangers of the Internet
Slain Pregnant Woman Met Killer on the a Message Board
Most people probably heard about the pregnant woman in Kansas City who was killed by another woman who then cut her open and stole her baby, who lived. As it turned out the slain woman was a dog breeder and she met her killer on a message board specific to that breed of dog. The breeder had a photo of herself pregnant on her website and the killer saw the photo and apparently made an appointment with the woman saying that she wanted to buy a dog from her but instead killed her.
Many people who are leery of the internet and corresponding with people on the internet are afraid of stories like this one where someone mets someone online who stalks and then kills them. And it is very true that it's a good idea to use caution on message boards and in chat rooms. Some people will tell virtual strangers their entire life stories but I'm pretty careful about how much personal information I give out. In addition, while there are photos of me floating around in various places, I don't post a tremendous amount of photos of myself because I think it's better to be safe than sorry.
However, I also interact with a lot of people online and it can be very rewarding. In fact, while Jim and I didn't exactly begin our relationship online, we knew of each other via the forum on his website and later met in person which led to us getting together. There's also all the other people who have met and become friends from NYYfans, Steve Park Central or any of the other sites that I frequent. The yearly forum party we have through NYYFans is a great example of a group of online friends getting together to have a fun time without any incidents. And the same type of thing happens though countless other message boards and forums.
There is always a risk when you develop an internet friendship with someone because someone can tell you anything and it can be hard to verify if what they are saying is the truth. However, there is a degree of risk to offline relationships as well. There are plenty of pathological liars and other deceptive people who lie about who they are even when you meet them face-to-face. In addition, meeting someone offline doesn't unfortunately guarentee that someone is a good person who won't hurt the other person. So it pays to use common sense and be cautious about anyone, not just people that are met online.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2004
Photo of the Day - Epcot
Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida. January, 2004. I love Epcot! From the World Showcase to Innoventions to Journey into Imagination I love everything about Epcot and it's my favorite theme park that is part of Walt Disney World. When I went this past January I had a great time with my cousin and her friends, as well as seeing Melissa and Sean, but as I think I already mentioned once before in this blog, I loved taking photos of everything around me in Walt Disney World, but particularly in Epcot. There's just so much to see and Disney does a great job of making everything very photogenic.
My favorite ride at Epcot is Spaceship Earth. It's dated now as compared to when it was first built and it's no thrill ride but there's something about it that I've always loved. Maybe I just remember riding it as a child so I have fond memories of it. I also love taking photos of the ball, both during the day and when it's lit up at night.
The other thing I love about Epcot is the food at the restaurants in the World Showcase. Of course it's all Americanized to a degree but it's neat to have a variety of food from different countries to be able to try. My favorite restaurant is the Norweign one which is an all-you-can-eat buffet. They've changed it slightly in that the cold foods are still buffet style but you have to order the hot foods though you can have as much as you want of anything you want. I absoluely love the food there and my mouth is watering thinking of all the high-quality yummy smoked fish and meatballs and pasta I had when I ate there. I was the only person by myself and I'm so tiny so they were probably laughing at seeing me at a buffet but I definitely chowed down on the food there! Yum!
Maybe I'll make this week's Photo of the Day have a Disney theme. I took so many photos on that trip that I could do a Disney Photo of the Day probably every day for the next couple of years!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)
The Oakland A's Big Three Becomes the Big One
Oakland A's Deal Mulder, Hudson
A few days ago the Oakland A's dealt Tim Hudson to the Atlanta Braves and yesterday they followed that trade up by sending Mark Mulder to the St. Louis Cardinals. Both of these deals were pretty much for prospects and unknown players but the A's most likely thought that there wasn't going to be any way for them to be able to afford to re-sign either of them when they became free agents so they may as well get something for them now. There are injury concerns about both pitchers but for the most part they are excellent pitchers who will probably make their respective teams stronger.
The A's are now left with Barry Zito who it has been rumored for a while that the A's want to trade. The problem with Zito is that while he is a former Cy Young winner and still pretty young, he appears to be in a decline. In fact at times last season he looked pretty dreadful so it may be hard to move him. I saw him pitch in person over the summer and I was shocked at how bad he looked on the mound. At no time did he look comfortable and he was completely rocked by the Yankees hitters. He's definitely young enough where he might turn things around but this season is going to be very important for him in terms of determining where his career will go from here.
I wonder what A's fans are thinking right now. They go from having one of the strongest starting rotations in the majors to a very weak one, at least as it appears right now. So it could be a very long and difficult season for A's fans as their team may struggle to win as opposed to recent years when they have been perpetual playoff contenders.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)
When Neighbors Help Neighbors
In Deltona, Florida, an area still suffering from the aftereffects of the various recent hurricanes, a giant sinkhole opened up which swallowed five lanes of a major road and threatened 20 homes. While many residents have been allowed back into their houses, two houses stand a very good chance of being swallowed by the sinkhole.
So obviously when it became apparent that their houses might be lost the families who lived there tried to move a lot of their possessions out while they still had access. The neighbors seeing their plight all pitched in to help them move out not only their valuables but just about every single item in both houses. And they didn't just leave it to those families to flounder around finding storage space, they allowed them to store their stuff in their own houses. They did such a good job moving stuff out of the houses to the point where they moved out refrigerators and chandeliers!
I barely even know my neighbors where I live. In my old neighborhood people used to talk to each other a little and if there was a problem people might pitch in to help each other but that doesn't seem to be the case around here. But I'm glad to hear that not all neighborhoods are like this one and that there are still plenty of people who will help each other out when it's needed in an emergency.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
Might Not be Too Many Entries This Week
For the next week or so my blog entries might be sporatic, if at all. Jim is doing work on the server which houses my blog so there may be a few days before the site is accessable. Then we will be heading up to his Mother's house in upstate New York for Christmas festivities so I don't know how much I'll be able to update this blog from there. On top of that, it's sure to be a slow news week for the most part. So I'm not sure how much there will be for me to post about but we'll see.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:37 PM | Comments (0)
What Did I Do This Weekend?
Well, aside from stress over something major which I don't want to detail here (nothing directly to do with Jim), I went looking for a wedding dress and bride's maids dresses for the wedding. I love to shop but for some reason wedding dress shopping wasn't exactly something that was high on my list of things to do. It's not that I didn't want to get a dress, of course I did, it's just that it's such a process. When I go shopping I just like to hit a store, walk though and if I see something try it on, otherwise I'm out the door pretty fast. When you go wedding dress shopping there's a whole posse of people to coordinate with and you have to make appointments at all the stores. At least at the place I went to you don't browse either. You tell the person helping you what you want in a wedding dress and she brings out ones that might fit your taste. Then you try them on.
Unlike other clothing, which you try on in your own size, a wedding dress comes to the store in a sample size and everyone tries on that particular dress whether they are a size 1 or a size 21. Well, I'm a size 0 and I was trying on dresses that were something like a size 10 at least. So I was totally swimming in these dresses which made it really hard to tell how they would fit without a lot of pinning and holding things up. On top of that so many of these dresses have so much fabric and fru-fru on them that they totally overwhelm me and they are heavy to boot! But by trying to mostly just look at dresses by one particular designer whose dresses I knew I liked a lot of I did end up finding a beautiful wedding gown and I only had to go to one store thankfully! Jim reads here so I can't detail it but it is a bit unique fitting my style.
As for the brides maids dresses, all I knew is that I wanted something purple if possible because purple is my favorite color. My maid-of-honor was with me at the store and together we found a really nice dress which is going to look really great on all the bride's maids. It's something that hopefully they will be able to wear again too, assuming they all actually like purple, since the dress is in two shades of purple!
So it was a very succesful weekend from that standpoint!
Posted by silverdsl at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2004
Carl Pavano Officially a Yankee
According to ESPN, Carl Pavano and the Yankees finalized a deal today to put him in pinstripes for the next four years, with an option for a fifth year. The deal is reportedly worth $40 million. I think Pavano is an excellent pick-up for the Yankees. Last season he was 18-8 for the Marlins but even more important was that his ERA was 3.00. Of course as with most players there is something to be concerned about with Pavano and that is that last season was a career best for him so it's possible that he may not be able to repeat those numbers.
But Pavano is young, only 28, so he more than likely has many good years ahead of him. And it there's one thing the Yankees need it's young players who can potentially be successful for them for years to come, rather than adding more veterans who are added risk for injury and will most likely only be around short-term. Pavano also has World Series experience having been part of the Marlins team that beat the Yankees in the World Series in 2003. So there shouldn't be too many concerns with him about whether or not he can handle pressure.
What's unfortunate is that apparently Pavano is good friends with Javy Vazquez dating back to when they played together with the Expos. Well, it's looking increasingly likely that Vazquez is about to be shipped elsewhere as part of a three-team trade which will land the Yankees Randy Johnson. So more than likely they will not be playing together again. But even without Vazquez, I think Pavano will do well in pinstipes.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
Eco-Challenge
As I mentioned down below, before Mark Burnett was known for "Survivor," "The Apprentice," and a whole host of other reality shows he was known as the man behind the giant adventure race, Eco-Challenge, which is what "Survivor" is based on. The Eco-Challenge was not a reality show, though it was filmed a few times for Cable TV. Adventure racing is an actual sport in which four person teams, race non-stop, 24-hours a day through courses that are hundreds of miles long. During the course of the race they have to be able to work as a team and do certain challenges such as mountain-climbing, horse-back riding, kayaking, etc... They also have to be able to find their way using their own navagation skills since they are provided with a limited amount of information as to how to get from checkpoint to checkpoint and then finally to the end.
I used to love watching Eco-Challenge. The participants trained seriously for months to take part in these races and it was incredible what they put themselves through for days. For the elite teams they were trying to be the fastest to finish but for some teams they were just trying to finish no matter how long it took them, and for others it was just an accomplishment to finish part of the race. The race was grueling and it wasn't unusual for competitors to have various injuries that they had to race though since if a team lost a member they were disqualified. It was fascinating to see how these teams worked together, or in some cases didn't work together, to get through the harsh conditions and the stresses they were under. There was always so much going on and it was such a long race that what they taped of Eco-Challenge was enough to fill several nights.
The last Eco-Challenge was in 2002 and it's a shame that it hasn't continued, though it's certainly understandable give what a huge undertaking it is and how many other projects which probably make him a lot more money Burnett is involved with. It was far better than any reality show, even "Survivor," because it featured real athletes who weren't in it for fame and fortune like most reality show competitors are.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)
Kelly Clarkson - "Breakaway"
Just on a lark, I randomly decided to listen to Kelly Clarkson's new album "Breakaway." Although I had read a couple of good reviews of it, I really wasn't expecting much because the American Idol performers usually put together albums featuring music that really isn't my style. But Clarkson's album isn't bad. It's certainly not the greatest thing I've ever heard but there are some catchy songs and her voice sounds pretty good. It definitely seems to be an improvement over her last album. I'm not going to go out and get it but I think I'd listen to it again.
Now Clay Aiken on the other hand, at the risk of angering the mightly Claymates, I have to say I don't think there's any album or any style of music that I can stand listening to him sing.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
Photographing "The Apprentice"
Reed Hoffman's company, Blue Pixel, has as one of their clients Mark Burnett, who is the creator of reality shows such as "Survivor" and "The Apprentice." They first started working with Burnett when he needed photographers to cover the Eco-Challenge adventure races that he organized, which is where a lot of the inspiration for "Survivor" came from.
At any rate, in the above article from sportsshooter.com, Hoffman discusses shooting "The Apprentice" and other similar shows and how he's shooting in a documentary-style, which is apparently very different than much of the usual work that he does. When he shoots on reality shows he has free reign to take pictures without having to ask permission first and he can take whatever he wants as long as he and his camera don't make any noise or otherwise get in the way of the shooting for the show. Apparently he could have access to them 24-hours a day without any restrictions. They had to ignore him completely as if he wasn't even there, as all contestants on reality shows are required to do for all the cameras that are around them, and he couldn't speak to them either. So basically he has to be invisible but he can take whatever pictures he wants, or in reality whatever pictures will satisfy his client.
I would guess that all TV shows have photographers of some sort that work with them periodically capturing images, not just for publicity purposes but for archival purposes as well. It's not something that I gave much thought to since TV shows are already been caught on tape. But it's just as important to have still images as well.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina. New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers. 2001. Now that the server isn't having issues due to every Yankee fan online trying to get onto NYYFans to discuss the potential Randy Johnson trade, I can finally post a photo of the day. Of course now I'm about to go to sleep and I'm so tired I don't have much to say. So I just figured I would post a shot of my favorite Yankee, Mike Mussina. This was another one of those great days at the stadium where the weather was perfect and I had a great seat to take photos. I just wish Mike's face wasn't in the shadows quite as much.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:45 AM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2004
MLB Teams Only Care About Steroids When They Want to Get Rid of a Player
Assuming he passes a physical, Benito Santiago will be traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Normally a trade between lower tier teams, of a not very well known player, wouldn't really be worthy of a blog entry. But Santiago is different. He is a player who was named as part of the Balco scandal. I don't recall whether or not he testified in front of the grand jury but he was named as a player who might have received performance enhancers from Balco.
So the Pirates have gone out and gotten a player who might have used steroids and other performance enhancers. There is a risk that any player might have used performance enhancers but Santiago has actually been named in the Balco case. This trade says to me, as if I didn't know this already, is that the only time that the teams are concerned with possible steroid use is if a player doesn't perform or is of no use to them. The Pirates have a need for Santiago so they're going to go out and get him regardless of any baggage he might come with. Of course this was also the Yankees thinking in relation to Gary Sheffield as they signed him after he had been named in connection with Balco.
Jason Giambi, the Yankees want to get rid of because he was terrible last season. But Sheffield gets to stay and Santiago gets traded for. What motivation is there for players to stop using performance enhancers when the teams turn a blind eye towards it as long as the players in question perform? If teams don't shy away from these players it sends a message loud and clear, in my opinion, that as long as the players put up the numbers the use of performance enhancers is a-okay with the teams. That attitude needs to change if MLB is really going to get rid of the use of performance enhancers.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
Dimebag Killer's Mom Says he Was Deranged
Not surprisingly it turns out that Nathan Gale, the man who killed "Dimebag" Abbott and others last week was mentally ill. Apparently while he was in the Marines he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which led to his discharge. What do you do with someone who is severely mentally ill, especially those who might pose a danger to others? On one hand you want them to be able to live independant lives if they can do so without harming others, but on the other hand those that really have severe problems need constant monitoring of some kind. It's probably impossible to find a balance. Nathan Gale's mother feels terrible and I'm sure for a very long time she will question what she could have done differently.
A former roommate of mine was a paranoid schizophrenic. I didn't know until she left what was wrong with her but the longer she lived here the more apparent it was that she had mental issues. I feel sorry for her because she was a sweet girl who desperately wanted to be normal and successful but that may be impossible for her due to her problems. Hopefully her life will take a different path than Nathan Gale's.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Tickets Go On Sale December 21; Ticket Prices Go Up Yet Again
I like to try and buy some tickets to some Yankee games each December when they first go on season for the following season. But each year I've bought less and less tickets and it's looking like I'll be buying even less this year. I love going to games and seeing baseball in person. I also love taking pictures at games. But what I don't love is the continuing rise in ticket prices, which together with Ticketmaster costs, the price of either parking or the train as well as food and soda, makes going to games quite an expensive outing.
Of course many of the most expensive seats are going to end up with corporate entities where the ticket prices doesn't matter. But for the average fan who wants to treat themselves to good seats at a game or two, the prices are just getting out of hand. Of course some of the cheaper seats are getting a hike in price too so soon even the inexpensive seats aren't going to be so inexpensive anymore.
Where does it end? If the Yankees keep raising prices year after year soon there will be more than a few seats that will cost over $100. And I shudder to think about how high the prices could be if the Yankees ever build a new stadium down the road. Of course without the revenue from ticket sales and other places the Yankees can't afford to put a great team on the field but it still doesn't make it hurt any less when the ticket prices make such a dent in my bank account.
I know Jim feels similar to me and so do other Yankee fans. It's a pretty sad commentary in my opinion when Jim who is the webmaster of the largest Yankee fan site on the internet and me, who helps him run it, feel discouraged from going to games. Sometimes it seems a lot more enjoyable to sit at home in front of the TV and watch the games. It's certainly a lot cheaper.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:59 PM | Comments (0)
Derek Jeter Enjoys the Ladies
Derek Jeter: All-Star Ladies' Man
The above article which appeared on ESPN's page 2 section, was meant to poke fun at Derek Jeter's love life and the many women he has been linked to. But I can only just imagine the reaction among many of the the Jeterettes to this article and they probably won't be laughing. Some of Jeter's female fans delude themselves into believing certain things about him, including that he doesn't get around and hasn't dated many of these women or that they actually have a chance at capturing his heart, even though most of them will never even meet him. Of course Jeter is not the only celebrity whose fans decide that they are going to see him in a particular way and will ignore or try to discredit anything that doesn't fit in with the way they view him or her.
Jeter's off-the-field image has always been one almost as perfect as his on-the-field image. He's considered by many to be the perfect man that every woman would want to take home to their parents. The guy who has it all - money, fame, intelligence and looks. The guy who would treat a woman like a Queen and never do anything to hurt her. The man many women would like to marry. Meanwhile, the reality might be very different in that some would say that Jeter is a player off-the-field as well as on, not that there's anything wrong with him enjoying his single status.
Of course Jeter's love life really isn't anyone's business unless he decides to talk about it publically, something he had made it clear he will not do, or something in his personal life somehow becomes newsworthy. First and foremost is how Jeter plays on the field, and more than likely no one that he hooks up with, dates or marries will ever have any effect on what he does with the Yankees. But the reaction to these articles and as well as any Jeter items in the gossip columns is always amusing.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2004
Pedro Martinez Confirms That He Will Sign With the Mets
It was widely expected that Pedro Martinez would return to the Boston Red Sox but instead he confirmed on TV in the Dominican Republic a strong rumor that he will be signing with the New York Mets instead. The deal is a guarenteed four-year deal worth as much as $50 million. Apparently the Red Sox were unwilling to guarentee a fourth year, especially with that kind of price tag so Pedro went to the team that would give him what he wanted.
In the short-term I think this deal will work out for the Mets. Pedro is probably in a slight decline but he is still an outstanding pitcher who will probably give the Mets a lot of quality outings. I would not have been against the Yankees signing him to a two-year deal, but there was no way he would have taken that kind of deal. What really has to concern anyone about Pedro is that he has a partial tear of the labrum of his shoulder, which he has thus far been able to pitch through but eventually it will probably tear completely. The question is when that will be. Giving the fourth year to Pedro is risky in my opinion because I doubt that his shoulder will last that long.
One other way this deal benefits the Mets is that Pedro has a huge following in the Dominican community in New York City. The Mets should see a boost in attendance from people who will go to games specifically to see Pedro pitch.
What remains to be seen is how Pedro will fit into the Mets clubhouse. He's something of a free spirit and he likes to get his own way. The Red Sox catered to him and allowed him to come and go as he pleased in a way that other teams wouldn't put up with from their players. There was also the whole midget thing. I don't know what the Mets or Willie Randolph's tolerance level for that kind of behavior is going to be.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
Slugger Labbe Offered #8 Crew Chief Position and Turned it Down
From Jayski's: Labbe turned down #8 crew chief gig: Richard "Slugger" Labbe told Sirius Speedway - Sirius Satellite Radio/MRN Radio host Dave Moody (Sirius Satellite Radio/MRN) that he was offered the crew chief position with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s Budweiser Chevrolet Team, but turned it down. "They offered me five or six different things, including the crewchief job on the 8 car," he said. "But I didn't like some of the things that were happening there. I've been in this business for 18 years, and I'm in it because I love it. I want to go to work, have fun and be challenged. I didn't see myself being happy in any of the jobs they offered me."(Sirius Speedway - Sirius Satellite Radio/MRN Radio)(12-15-2004)
This really speaks volumes in my opinion about what's going on at DEI. Now Junior is a difficult person to crew chief for no doubt, but most guys would be falling all over themselves to be the crew chief for a team that will most likely be a championship contender for years to come. That is a very prestigious position. Yet Slugger turned it down. Not only did he turn it down but he left DEI completely saying that he didn't think he would be happy in any of the roles that they offered him.
A happy employee is happy for, among other reasons, because they are treated well. So I can't help but think that Slugger may have been jerked around by DEI in some ways like I think Michael has been at times. When Slugger left the #15 it was said to be because of that oft-used excuse, "communication problems." But I can't help but wonder, as I have before in this blog, what was really going on there. Clearly, DEI did want to keep Slugger given all the positions they offered him but it's possible that they took him for granted prior to this fall, thinking that he would never leave and only came to their senses about him after hearing the rumors about him possibly going to Gibbs.
Then there's the comment about not liking some of the things that were happening at DEI. I'd love to know exactly what he was referring to. That really doesn't make me feel too good about what's going to happen with Michael in 2005. As much as I would hate to see Michael have to worry about finding a ride with another good team or fielding his own car in 2006, maybe leaving DEI won't be such a bad thing for him if the direction they are headed in isn't going to be such a great one.
Actually when you look at it, maybe there have been signs that things have been amiss for a while. The whole Steve Park situation, losing Pennzoil as a sponsor, not being able to find a new sponsor for the #1 car, and Ty Norris leaving are just a few examples. Granted every organization has their issues but DEI is supossed to be one of the best organizations in all of Nascar. For Michael's sake, as well as for Martin Truex, Jr, who I also like, I hope DEI can get their act together.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
NHL, Player's Union Reject New Proposals
As if the writing wasn't already on the wall, with the latest rejections of each other's proposals the NHL and the player's union set the stage for the cancellation of the entire hockey season. The biggest issue is the salary-cap. The NHL wants one and the player's union says that there is no way that they will ever accept one. So unless they are just posturing and one side or the other will eventually give in, not only might there be no hockey played in the 2004-2005 season but I fear for the 2005-2006 season as well.
Who really loses in all of this? Well, the fans for one because other than non-professional or minor league games they have no hockey to watch. They can't see their favorite teams or favorite players and that has to hurt. I'm sure plenty of folks are starting to resent both sides for not being able to come to an agreement. But more than that the games not being played has a big economic effect as well on individuals and businesses who depend on revenue from hockey games to survive. It's the stores and restaurants near the arenas that lose money and the people who work the games as ushers, vendors or in other capacities who really suffer. Certainly not many of the players who are looking into opportunities to play for leagues in other countries or have earned plenty of money already over the course of their careers. And certainly not the owners, all of whom have to have a ton of money otherwise they wouldn't be able to afford to own a team in the first place.
It will be a very sad day when the season is officially cancelled. I think that the NHL will lose fans over this and whenever they resume playing they will have to do a lot of work to regain the hearts of the fans.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
Sprint and Nextel to Merge
I'm a Sprint customer so first and foremost I'm wondering how this will effect my service. I assume it will effect it in a good way since more than likely the coverage areas will be increased. I get a signal in most places but perhaps I'll get an even better signal now in some of the dead zones or weaker areas now that Sprint and Nextel will surely be using each other's equipment.
In addition, I'm also wondering how this will effect Nextel's sponsorship of the Nascar Cup Series. Will the Cup series now be called the Sprint-Nextel Cup Series? The most important question is really whether the folks on the Sprint side will have the same committment to Nascar that Nextel has. If so, the relationship will continue to florish. If not, it could be a long ten years for Nascar until that deal expires. It is key to the growth of the sport that they have a supportive sponsor for their biggest and most visible series.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Waves Crashing
Oqunquit, Maine, July, 2004. If I were walking along Marginal Way in Oqunquit, Maine right now I'd be freezing my ass off but at least I would be by the ocean! I love walking along Marginal Way seeing the waves crash over the rocks and make their way to shore and I wish it wasn't so far to get there. The sights, the sounds and the smells of the ocean are all wonderful to me.
Actually it would be pretty neat to see Marginal Way in the winter. It would be pretty much deserted and very, very cold but I would be interested to see where the snow and ice builds up on all the rocks. It's probably pretty crazy during a storm! Might make for some cool photos.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:03 AM | Comments (0)
Phil Anselmo Barred From "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's Funeral?
The funeral for "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was shot and killed by a crazed fan during a concert last week, was held in Texas tonight and reports are that his former bandmate, Phil Anselmo, was barred from attending. Anselmo had made some harsh comments about Dimebag recently, including one remark that basically said that Dimebag deserved a beat-down because he was to blame for Pantera's break-up. While I have no idea how bad the rift really was between Anselmo and Dimebag and it's the family's decision, I think it's a shame that Anselmo was barred from the funeral, if that report is true.
Regardless of what ill-advised comments he might have said, Anselmo is not to blame for Dimebag's death. All the blame rests soley with the shooter who was obviously mentally ill. These two men spent years together writing, recording, and playing music together and while their relationship might have been rocky, it seems to me that he was a part of Dimebag's life and should have been at the funeral.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:50 AM | Comments (2)
Stevie Nicks
So during lunch I dropped off my dry cleaning and I couldn't resist stopping in at the used CD store next to the dry cleaner's. I was looking for a Beatles CD that they didn't have but they did have the Steve Nicks box-set "Enchantment." Just as I've always loved Fleetwood Mac, I've always been a big fan of Stevie Nicks as well.
I've not had good luck with my Stevie Nicks CDs though. For some reason they keep vanishing into thin air! But hopefully a 3-CD box set won't disappear so easily.
My favorite song by Stevie Nicks is "Edge of Seventeen" but she's got a lot of great songs. She's also got a very unique and cool sense of style.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2004
Sigh...
Today I was told that I was wrong about something I saw which Jim and I witnessed with our own two eyes but the other person wasn't present for. At least two other people have also seen this thing in person themselves but they're apparently mistaken too. I'm all for discussing, disagreeing and even being skeptical of things on the internet but when two people who don't know each other are saying virtually the same thing and are describing what was seen and heard, not just giving opinions, perhaps it's because they have a clue about what they're talking about. It's not like we were saying anything bad either just describing what we observed but those things don't fit in with what the other person believes to be always true, even though it's not possible for that to be the case all the time. Even though this other person wasn't present in any way, shape or form, somehow they know that all of us are incorrect in our observations.
I could argue the issue more but I said my piece and that will probably be it. When someone is so dead-set on thinking they are right like that, in spite of evidence to the contrary, there's really no point to trying to discuss it further. Not the first time something like this has happened either and I'm sure it won't be the last either.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:53 PM | Comments (0)
Curt Schilling May Miss Opener for Red Sox
This is potentially big news, and not in a good way, for the Red Sox. Curt Schilling had surgery on his troublesome ankle this off-season and once the cast came off this weekend discovered that he won't be able to rotate his ankle for another 4-5 weeks. Which apparently throws off his entire timetable for throwing to get ready for the start of the 2005 season. This morning he told WEEI in Boston that he didn't think that he would be ready by the start of the season.
Of course it's always possible that Schilling could gain the mobility back in his ankle faster than expected or be able to modify his throwing program to still allow him to be ready by opening day. But if he's not and he has to miss more than a couple of starts that could present a problem for the Red Sox, especially as it appears that Pedro Martinez is likely to sign elsewhere. It wouldn't be the end of the world for the Red Sox to not have Schilling to start the season but it doesn't make things easy for them and it means that they will have to play harder and hope that no other starters miss time early on with injuries.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)
"Call of the Green Monster"
Jim came across this blog yesterday and it's absolutely hysterical! It's all sorts of parodies about the Red Sox and a few about the Yankees as well. From what I can tell the author is probably a Red Sox fan because nothing is anti-Red Sox, just poking fun at some of the players and the organization in a good-hearted way, not a mean way. Just really, really funny stuff by someone with a good sense of humor who is obviously creative. Well worth checking out for not only Red Sox fans who want to laugh about their own team but Yankee fans as well.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:47 AM | Comments (2)
"Slugger" Labbe Named Jeremy Mayfield's Crew Chief
From Jayski's: Effective immediately, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, who joined Evernham Motorsports to lead Speedway Development, adds responsibilities as Crew Chief for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge race team with driver Jeremy Mayfield.
I think it was just a week or two ago that Slugger left DEI to be the Director of Speedway Development at Evernham and now he's been named Mayfield's crew chief. I wonder if this was in the works all along and they just made up that title for him temporarily so they could sort out all the personnel changes they wanted to make at Evernham, since Slugger's not the only one with a new job.
Mayfield was in the top ten this past season so it's not like his crew chief in 2004 did a bad job but they were probably looking to have him do even better since once he got into the C4C he was pretty much a non-factor. Though a lot of that was not of his own doing thanks to a Robby Gordon wreck.
I wonder how this is going to go over with my fellow Michael Waltrip fans? Many folks are resentful of Slugger to begin with for not staying on as Michael's crew chief the whole season and then leaving DEI. So that he will now be working as a crew chief for another driver might not go over too well either. But I say just like Michael or anyone else Slugger has to look out for himself and do what is best for himself and his career. With all that has happened with the #15 team and now all the major changes to both teams at DEI I can't help but wonder if Slugger just didn't want to be around and be part of what is going to be happening in the future at DEI. At any rate, he's got a good job at Evernham now and I hope he's successful with Mayfield.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2004
World's Tallest Bridge to Open in France
A few weeks ago Jim and I watched an interesting program on one of the hi-def channels about the building of this bridge and it was absolutely amazing to see. Not only is this bridge the tallest in the world but it is also the world's longest cable-swayed bridge. The bridge was built by 3,000 people and cost 390 million euros (520 million dollars). One of the pillars is taller than the Eiffel Tower! Just an incredible piece of engineering and design.
I really wish it wasn't all the way over in France because I would love to see it in person and take the tour of the bridge that they offer.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Orange Rose
Elizabeth Park Roses, West Hartford, CT, June, 2002. I hope I haven't posted this one before but I really like this shot. I love taking photos of roses though I didn't get to do any of that this summer. That is definitely something I will have to do next summer, especially since there's a park not too far from Jim's house where there is a nice rose garden. Roses are so cool and they come in so many more shades than just red. Though roses aren't my favorite flower overall, I do enjoy taking photos of roses more than any other flower other than tulips.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)
U2 To Be Inducted Into the Hall of Fame
I can't believe it's been 25-years since U2 released their first album. Wow! That band has been together playing music since I was five years old. That's just incredible and they're still going strong in 2005. As a result of all the great music that U2 has put out over the years, they will be inducted into the rock-n-roll Hall of Fame on March 14.
A lot of people really love U2's latest album which I think is good but I like some of their older stuff better. Some of my favorite songs are "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day," "Mysterious Ways," and Beautiful Day." I listen to their best of albums all the time in the office. Just a great band.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)
It's Even More Official: Steve Park to Return to the #62
Steve and Brendan to be Teammates
Brendan Gaughan already made an unofficial announcement about this last week but today Orleans Racing officially announced that Steve Park will return to the #62 in 2005 and that Brendan will race the #61 for Orleans Racing for at least 16 races in 2005. The 16 races will be those that are on weekends that coincide with Cup events so I guess Brendan is still hoping to get something going on the Cup or Busch side of things. If that doesn't come through I guess he will probably run more of the truck races. Brendan and Steve seem to get along great so I think they're going to have an awesome time as teammates. I can't imagine how hysterical it must be to be around them when they're together because they both seem to have such great senses of humor.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:34 PM | Comments (0)
Ward Burton to the #4?
From Jayski's: #4 ride? hearing the #4 Morgan McClure team will run in 2005, unsure if full-time, supposedly the driver is choice is between Mike Wallace and Ward Burton. No word on a sponsor, but supposedly Lucas Oil will be back in some capacity.(12-13-2004)
I don't see Ward Burton taking this ride. The #4 isn't a great ride and he was unhappy in the #0. So it seems to me it's more likely that Mike Wallace will end up there. Ward might be better off investigating opportunities in the truck series like other former Cup drivers have. He may discover that he really enjoys it like all the others do and he may have better success there if he can hook up with a good team than on the Cup level with a not very competitive team.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2004
Photo of the Day - Dale, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr.
From the Busch Series Banquet on friday night. It won't be often that I post someone else's photo as the photo of the day but I think this is a funny shot because of the way the Junior and Martin are looking at each other. It sure does look like they're staring lovingly into each other's eyes. Well, Junior did appear to bring Martin to the Cup banquet as his date! Maybe it's time for Junior to find himself another "girlfriend" so no rumors about him and Martin start making the rounds.
Seriously, I think Junior is actually looking at the trophy in this photo, not Martin. On top of that even if there was something going on between these two or any other drivers for that matter, there's no way that they would show any hint of it in public, as much as some fans like to look at these photos as proof of secret relationships between drivers. Nascar is a conservative sport and all the drivers have morality clauses so their sponsors or the teams themselves could give a driver the boot if they felt like they behaved in a way that was considered inappropriate. I'm fairly sure that there have been and there will be drivers who are gay and bi-sexual, just like there are people in everyday life who are, but unfortunately with how close-minded most people in Nascar and many of he fans are, there is almost no possiblity that any driver who is in any way different than the accepted norm can allow their true nature to show.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:45 PM | Comments (1)
David Ortiz Gets Shoulder Checked
David Ortiz, of the Boston Red Sox, will head to Boston this week to get his sore shoulder checked out. Ortiz is the Red Sox designated hitter and a major reason for their success last season. Apparently Ortiz first injured the shoulder sliding head-first into home plate during a game in August but after missing some time was able to finish the season without it effecting him much.
So this off-season Ortiz went on a postseason tour of Japan with other major leaguers in which they all played a bunch of exhibition games. Well, it occurs to me with this bit of news that perhaps Ortiz should have rested his shoulder instead of going to Japan and playing more games there. While the Red Sox have a good team anyway, Ortiz was huge for them last season and they are surely depending on him to be a big contributor in 2005. So with that in mind I'm not sure Ortiz made a wish decision as it relates to the Japan trip. It may turn out to be nothing serious but any kind of shoulder injury is something to take special care with.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)
Brendan Gaughan on Steve Park and More
From Jayski's (in part): UPDATE 2: Brendan Gaughan tells Sirius Speedway (Sirius Satellite Radio) that he will run a heavy schedule of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events next season, after being released by Penske-Jasper Racing earlier in the week. “Steve Park will run the full season in the #62 Orleans Dodge, and I will be in a second truck – the #61 – in a bunch of truck races, maybe even the full schedule... I beat Brian Vickers in the Rookie of the Year chase this season, but you never heard anything about him being replaced. There were no rumblings coming out of Hendrick Motorsports. You need to know you have the support of your team.” Gaughan said he expects to make major sponsor announcements for both himself and Park within the next 2-3 weeks.(12-11-2004)
The biggest news is that Brendan confirmed what was pretty much obvious for a while now that Steve Park is resigned with Orleans Racing in the #62 for 2005. He also says that he will be Steve's teammate for some races. I'm really happy to hear that it's a done deal that Steve is back in the #62 next season. He seems so happy with that team and I'd love to see him win a few races and hopefully contend for the championship next season.
Of particular interest is that Brendan said that they expect major sponsor annoucements for both he and Steve in the next few weeks. I hope it really happens this time. Last season it was said that Orleans was about to announce the biggest sponsor signing in the history of the truck series and then it fell through completely. So for Brendan's sake and Steve in particular I really, really hope that everything works out this time. Granted, the Gaughan family has plenty of money but the support of a sponsor is probably still a help in a variety of ways.
Brendan made some very pointed comments about his release as well. As much as I think he was screwed by Penske and that they should have given him at least another year in the #77 to show what he can do, I think he's off base with his comments about Brian Vickers. I understand his point that Vickers also struggled but Hendricks didn't release him and is willing to give him more time to develop. However, Vickers' average finish in 2004 was 22.1 while Brendan's was 25.4 and Vickers average starting spot was also better. In addition, Brendan only finished one point ahead of Vickers in the rookie of the year standings. So some might say that Vickers still has his job because on average he did better than Brendan in his rookie year. Truly, I think Brendan got a raw deal from Penske and that they made a mistake but I think he would have been better served by leaving Vickers out of his remarks.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)
ESPN's Dale Earnhardt Movie "3"
Last night Jim and I watched the movie "3" ESPN made about Dale Earnhardt. I thought the actor who played Earnhardt, Barry Pepper, did an outstanding job and overall the movie was pretty good. I did feel like there were a lot of things that were either left out or rushed though but there's no way that a two-hour movie could possibly cover everything this man did and all that he was about. While some may not feel that the movie was as strong as it could have been, I thought they did a good job of capturing Earnhardt's essence and depicting the person behind the legend.
I liked how they handled what we all knew was coming - Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500. They combined some real and fake footage of the race, then showed the initial wreck and then faded out with viewers hearing Darrell Waltrip's words asking if Earnhardt was okay. Just as it was hard for the movie to fully capture everything about his life, it would have been hard for the movie to accurately depict Earnhardt's death and the effect that it had on those that knew him as well as Nascar itself. I'm glad that the movie focused on his life rather than his death.
So for a TV movie I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't so amazing that I'd watch it again but I enjoyed watching it last night.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
Big Waves
Jim and I watched a very cool show about big wave surfing in Hawaii in an area called the Pipeline. The show was in high-def and that made it even more impressive to see these surfers on these gigantic waves. It's truly incredible how huge these waves get and how powerful they are! Seeing them crash to shore and the wildness of the waves was quite a sight. The surfers really need an elevated level of skill to successfully surf waves like this.
I couldn't find any great photos of anyone surfing the Pipeline that did justice to the immenseness of the waves but I did find the above site with the photo of big wave surfing at the Mavericks off the coast of California. It's really amazing to me that people risk live and limb to surf these huge waves. The above sight seems to have lots of good shots of big wave surfing at the Mavericks which show how large these waves really are.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:29 AM | Comments (0)
Second Time's Charm - Jaret Wright Passes Second Physical to Become a Yankee
Jaret Wright needed two physicals but he finally passed on the second try and he is apparently now officially a Yankee. I've got to say that it makes me just a little nervous that a guy who has had so many injury problems throughout his career failed his first physical. I'm sure the Yankees know what they're doing and that they checked him over very, very well but I would have felt a little better if he passed his physical on the first try. I don't think I'm going to feel too good about this signing until he shows up for Spring Training and pitches well.
But if the Yankees sign Carl Pavano as it appears they are poised to do, that I will be very happy about!
Posted by silverdsl at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2004
Photo of the Day - Monkey Business
Bronx Zoo, 2002. Getting down to business cleaning each other. Of course if these were two people instead of two monkeys in this photo it would take on an entirely different meaning!
Posted by silverdsl at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
David Wells Signs Two-Year Deal With the Red Sox
The Red Sox have signed 41-year old David Wells to a two-year deal which could be worth as much as $18 million with incentives. Wells is guarenteed $8 million in 2005 and that could be bumped up to as much as $13 million if he makes 31 starts. Personally, I think the Red Sox are nuts. Yes, Wells has been an excellent pitcher, even as he's gotten older. But he also has chronic health problems which have plagued him in the form of back and gout problem and any pitcher over 40 is an injury risk to begin with. On top of that Wells often finds trouble off the field, including last season with the Padres when he missed three starts due to cutting a tendon in his wrist after he fell on a broken wineglass at home.
Wells has a larger-than-life personality and he doesn't respond well to those in authority telling him what to do. So in some regards the Red Sox clubhouse is perfect for him because the players are allowed the freedom to do just about whatever they want. However, I think that Wells needs some structure. One of the biggest examples is his weight. When he isn't forced to follow some sort of weight control plan he gets huge and that can lead to an increased chance of his back and gout problems acting up. In addition, allowing him to act out could certainly be problematic as well.
Time will only tell how well this deal will work out for the Red Sox.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:08 PM | Comments (0)
Amphetamines as Performance Enhancers
Debate Between MLB and Player's Union over Amphetamines
Yesterday's New York Daily News has a very interesting article about the use of amphetamines by baseball players. Use of amphetamines, which are stimulants, otherwise known as "greenies" or "beans," is widespread among baseball players. Many probably don't consider these drugs to be performance enhancers but studies have shown that athletes that use amphetamines have shown improvement in their performance.
So MLB would like to add amphetamines to the list of drugs officially considered performance enhancers which would mean that players could be tested for them up to four times a year. Otherwise the players could only be tested for them if a team had "probable cause" to think that a player was abusing them. As one might imagine the union is less than thrilled with the prospect of increased testing for "greenies."
To show how prevalent the use of "greenies" are, one doesn't have to look further than the Yankees clubhouse where one unidentified former Yankee noted that there are special coffee pots for players separate from those for coaches, with the player's coffee spiked with amphetamines. If the players are unable to use amphetamines this will apparently present a major problem for some of them as one veteran player notes in the Daily News article that there's no way he could get through an entire season without them. I suspect there are many players who feel exactly as he does, including many Yankees.
Many fans think only of steroids when they think of performance enhancers. But the problem is far greater than just steroids. Human growth hormones, amphetamines and other drugs are used and abused by players all the time to try and give them an edge and help them get through the season. I applaud MLB for attempting to end the practice of turning a blind eye towards some of this garbage. I don't know how successful they will end up being considering the strength of the player's union but something needs to be done to rid MLB of what I believe is widespread use of performance enhancers, especially if you consider "greenies" to be a performance enhancer.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2004
Must Resist!
I have the urge to buy a Beatles album or two. I don't own any but I've been hearing some Beatles played on XM the past few days and thinking about how nice it would be to have some of their stuff to listen to when I wanted. I've never been really into the Beatles but my parents used to play the Beatles sometimes in the house when I was growing up and of course there's plenty of their songs that I like. Unfortunately that is one group that isn't available for me to listen through Rhapsody, which is where I usually turn when I have the urge to listen to a particular artist.
So what's the problem you might ask? Well, in addition to being addicted to cheese, it appears I'm also addicted to buying CDs! I just love having a ton of CDs on hand with music in all sorts of genres to fit every mood. So it's impossible for me to walk out of a CD store with just one CD. Which can get pretty pricey if I'm not in a used CD store. So I should probably stay away from the CD store for a while since I just bought a bunch of CDs not too long ago. But oh how I want a Beatles CD....
Posted by silverdsl at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
Ed Lowe Leaves Newsday After 28 Years
Ed Lowe, well-loved for his columns in Newsday, which feature stories about Long Islanders, has taken a buyout and will be leaving without even a farewell column. "I came to Newsday during its ascendancy and loved every minute of it," he [Lowe] said. "I have no interest in being around while it's circling the drain." Well, isn't that a depressing commentary on the state of affairs at Newsday?
I read Newsday every day and I haven't liked the direction the paper has took for a while. It just seems like there is less in-depth coverage than there used to be. In addition, there's also the circulation scandal which makes one question what's going on with Newsday management. It's really unfortunate what has come to pass over there.
Lowe may end up at the Long Island Press where his columns will probably fit right in.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)
Gaughan Not Quite Gone from Penske?
From Jayski's: UPDATE: hearing that Gaughan will drive the #77 Jasper Penske Dodge Truck with Jasper Engines as the sponsor in the Truck Series?(12-10-2004)
There may be nothing to this rumor but if this is true I just don't get it - why would he expect running a Jasper-Penske truck would be any different than running a Jasper-Penske car in Cup? Unless they have some kind of contractual obligation to each other I think Brendan is probably better off getting away from them completely. I'm sure he knows what he's doing but Ithink he really needs a situation where he can make a fresh start.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2004
Shooter May Have Been Disgruntled Pantera Fan
There is some strong speculation that the shooter who murdered "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott may have been upset about the break-up of Pantera, Dimebag's former band, and may have blamed him for it. According to some eyewitnesses someone, and no one is 100% sure whether it was the shooter or a fan, shouted at Dimebag that he was responsible for breaking up the band.
In fact, last week, Phil Anselmo, the former lead singer of Pantera had blamed Dimebag for the breakup and made comments to the effect that Dimebag needed a good ass-kicking. I really hope this isn't a case of some nutjob taking Anselmo words literally and taking matters into their own hands. Anselmo and Dimebag had supossedly made up and they were close previously so the guilt he would then feel, even though it's certainly not his fault what a crazy person does, would have to be almost unbearable.
If this a situation in which a disgruntled fan took things too far unfortunately it wouldn't surprise me. That was what I immediately thought of when I heard about this shooting. We hear so much about stalkers and I've seen a lot of disturbing fan behavior myself. I'm not just talking about the people who really, really, really like a player, driver, team or band. I'm talking about the people who are so obsessed that whoever or whatever they are a fan of is the center of their life to the point where it is unhealthy. These are the people who aren't in touch with reality and can lash out if provoked or if they become unhappy or disappointed with the person or people that they worship, because they feel personally slighted.
It's scary what I come across or see sometimes. Especially frightening is the thought that there are other people just like this shooter who are ticking timebombs waiting to go off. I hope that this shooting makes clubs, and also anyone who is well-known, take a look at some security precautions that they can take to try and prevent other incidents like this. Because unfortunately I fear that this won't be the last time we hear about something like this happening. I don't know how or why people latch on to something, someone or an idea in such a way that eventually it leads to violence but in some cases there are probably warning signs that something is very wrong with the person in question. So I hope that if anyone encounters someone who sets off some real warning bells that they will speak up and let someone know who might be able to do something about it. It could prevent a tragedy.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)
Just Like High School
It's just like high school all over again in some ways and high school wasn't a lot of fun, except for my friends. Nothing that can be done about it, that's just the way things are and I just have to ignore it.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)
Former Pantera Guitarist, Four Others, Killed During Concert
Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott Killed
This is just unbelievable. Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott, former guitarist of the metal band Pantera, was playing a gig in Columbus, Ohio, last night with his post-Pantera band, DamagePlan. During the show someone came up to Dimebag on stage and shot him point-blank numerous times and then starting shooting others, including audience members and apparently a security guard who tried to pull him off of Dimebag. A police officer on patrol nearby heard the call and rushed in and shot the shooter to death, probably preventing others from losing their lives.
I feel horrible for Dimebag's brother, who witnessed the whole thing, as well as all the victim's friends and families. But I also feel terrible for everyone in the audience who went out expecting to hear a great show and have a good time and instead witnessed this horror. I can't even imagine what kind of nightmares these folks will have and the memories will unfortunately probably remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Only time will tell what the shooter's motive was so there's really not much to be said on that subject as of yet. But preliminary reports from people who were at the show or have been to the club before indicate that people who enter aren't searched for weapons. In addition, some have said that the shooter entered through an unlocked side door which people commonly sneak in though to see shows for free. So it appears that while one security person made a valant effort to prevent this from happening and gave his life, in other ways security was lacking.
Despite never being a big Pantera fan, I am really saddened by this news.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2004
Photo of the Day - Cool Flower
Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, New York, 2002. I think this shot is pretty neat. Nice detail on the flower. Now that it's getting cold out and we're in December when I go outside everything is so dreary and colorless. Very blah. I would really love to see some flowers but I've definitely got a while to wait for that!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)
Billboard Awards
Can't anyone sing anymore? Granted I didn't hear 100% of the entire awards show but what I did hear of the musicians who performed was pretty dreadful. Evanescence and Gwen Stefani were particularly horrid I thought and this is coming from someone who likes both of them on CD! Usher was about the only artist of recent times who seems to have some real singing ability but otherwise they all sounded pretty weak.
On the other hand Stevie Wonder schooled them all and showed how it should be done. Of the performances I saw he was absolutely the best. He won a lifetime achievement award and after some of his songs were sung by others, he got up on stage and sang a song himself. Well done Stevie, well done. I'll have to listen to some of his music tomorrow at work via Rhapsody.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
Evernham Signs Erin Crocker to Development Deal
Erin Crocker, the first female to win a World of Outlaws race, has been signed by Ray Evernham to a development deal in a partnership between Evernham Motorsports and Kasey Kahne Motorsports. She will race in the Silver Crown Series in a Kasey Kahne Motorsports car and in three Arca and three Busch races in a Evernham car. I think this is pretty cool. I've heard nothing but good things about Crocker and I'm thrilled that there is finally a female driver who has the support of a major organization behind her. They are also taking the time to develop her instead of just throwing her right away into Busch or Cup full-time so by the time she ends up in the higher series most likely she will be prepared.
Tina Gordon and Kelly Sutton are both current drivers in the Truck Series and Deborah Renshaw has also made some starts. Jennifer Cobb and Kim Crosby have made a couple of Busch starts and in the past Shawna Robinson has raced on the Cup level. For the most part in recent years none of the female racers have enjoyed any kind of success. Most people assume that's either because they aren't good racers or that women can't handle racing in Nascar but I don't think any of these women have been in quality and competitive rides that give them the chance to show what they can do. More than likely, Evernham and Kasey Khane Motorsports will give Crocker as much support as possible to give her the best possible chance to be competitive and do well so it's possible that down the road Crocker could make an impact in Nascar. Or at least I hope so.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)
Lieber Signs With the Phillies
It's now official that Jon Lieber will not be returning to the Yankees as he signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Phillies that will also garner him a $1 million signing bonus. I really wanted Lieber back in pinstripes as he was solid, and only got stronger, as the season went on. He was 5-0 with an ERA under 4 in his last six starts and ended up winning 14 games to co-lead the Yankees pitching staff in wins. He was good in the post-season too. All of this while coming off of major arm surgery that caused him to miss all of 2003.
But given that Leiber apparently wanted a fairly long-term deal I think it's probably a good thing that the Yankees weren't able to work out a new deal with him. At the beginning of the 2005 season he will turn 35 so by the time this deal is over he will be 38. With an ace-type pitcher there is some measure of confidence that he will still be effective at 38 but while Leiber is solid he's no ace, so I have my doubts about how happy the Phillies will be with him by the end of that deal.
The other factor is also how willing he was to re-sign with New York, given that he made some comments about not really liking New York (the city) all that much and not having a huge amount of friends in the clubhouse. So I can understand why he might look elsewhere if he wasn't fully comfortable in New York. At any rate, I wish him well and hopefully he will enjoy playing for the Phillies.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:04 PM | Comments (0)
Work a Little Faster Nascar!
Via Jayski's from an ESPN chat, Mike Helton said the following regarding Pit road speeding: "we are working on the introduction of electronic timing hardware and software, possibly as early as the '05 season."
For crying out loud! With the advances in technology there is no good reason why this isn't already in use. I understand the need to take the proper time to test and develop a good system but it seems to me that this is just one more example of Nascar dragging their collective heels when it comes to technology. Especially technology that might benefit the competitors because it would be clear who is speeding and who isn't.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)
I Really Must Be Tired...
I read this sentence off of Jayski's: "If you’re looking for a truly unique gift for that special someone this holiday season, you can now give them their very own Sycamore or Tulip Poplar tree growing kit from Dale Earnhardt’s North Carolina farm, or you can plant trees in their honor in the Dale Earnhardt Forest." as "If you're looking for a truly ugly gift..." and I wondered why Jayski's would refer to something Earnhardt related as ugly, and how much hate mail he was getting. Then I re-read it and realized that it said "unique." Silly brain.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:56 PM | Comments (0)
Chicago Fire Might Have Destroyed Rare Photos
There was no loss of life in the major fire in the 43-story LaSalle Bank Building in Chicago a couple of days ago but the company is afraid that part of a large collection of rare photographs that they have were either damaged or destroyed. The collection contains works by Ansel Adams, Matthew Brady and William Henry Fox Talbot, and the collection is considered to be one of the oldest and largest collections of photography held by a corporation.
Luckily, about 1,000 pieces in the collection were in temperature controlled vaults on a floor much lower than where the fire was but other photographs were hung on the walls of offices throughout the entire building. It's always a shame when there's huge fire like this especially when people are injured (30), and how the fire effects people is of course the most important thing rather than any loss of property, but it's also a little sad that important works by major photographers are probably lost forever.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
Tony Womack Signed by the Yankees; Jaret Wright Too
At the arbitration deadline the Yankees were pretty busy signing Tony Womack to play second base and possibly Jaret Wright as well (ESPN reports the deal as done, other sources say they're close). In addition, the Yankees are reportedly close to a deal with Eric Milton. They also offered arbitration to Jon Lieber, El Duque and Ruben Sierra but decided not to offer arbitration to Miguel Cairo, John Olerud, Tony Clark, Travis Lee, Enrique Wilson and a few others.
I really don't like the Womack signing. He's 35, he doesn't hit much, he rarely walks (and he'll be the leadoff hitter!) and his defense isn't too great. While Cairo did a good job for the Yankees last season at second I wasn't so thrilled with him that I was desperate for the Yankees to re-sign him. I just wanted whoever played second to be a good fielder which Womack apparently is not. The Yankees have not made a strong defense a priority for a while now and unfortunately I think that hurts them. So I'm disappointed that they targeted Womack.
As for Jaret Wright, well, at least he's under 30 and had a decent season for the Braves last year. That's about all you can say for him since prior to 2004 the last time he had a good season was way back in 1998. Wright has had injury problems so it's possible that now that he's healthy he will pitch like he did last season but will he stay healthy? A three-year deal seems like a lot for a player who has struggled so much to put together back-to-back good seasons. In 1998 I remember Wright being tough against the Yankees, and given the fascination of anything from the years 1996-2001, that might be what they are remembering too. Unfortunately it isn't 1998 anymore.
I'm assuming that El Duque and Sierra will probably be back. My only issue with El Duque is that I hope they don't throw too much money at him given his age and that he had shoulder problems at the end of last season when the Yankees needed him most. As for Sierra he has filled his role off the bench well the past two seasons so if he can do that again in 2005 that would be a good thing.
I knew that it was unlikely that the Yankees would offer arbitration to John Olerud or otherwise try to keep him but I'm still a little disappointed since he's a long-time favorite of mine. I'm just glad that I got to see him play in pinstripes, even if it wasn't for long. I would guess that more than likely Tino is on his way back to the Bronx which is both good and bad. If that deal materializes I will have more to say on that for sure.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:06 AM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2004
"Photo" of the Day - Something a Little Different
Ogunquit, Maine, 2004. I put photo in quotes because obviously this isn't really a photo anymore as it's heavily manipulated and abstracted in Photoshop. It was a part of a wave crashing on some rocks and I just got to playing with various effects until I got to that.
Looking through my Maine photos is a reminder that I need to finish going through all the photos I took up in Ogunquit over the summer. Somehow I went through all the photos I took in Dover but I never finished all my Maine photos or the ones from the National Zoo. There are some decent photos in there too I think. *Hangs head in shame.* I'm going to have to try to work on them little by little even if it's just a matter of doing ten each night and eventually I'll get done. That way I'll have more material for Photo of the Day! After that I have to burn a bunch onto CD too.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
Not Much to Say Tonight
I think tonight is going to be a slow night on this ol' blog of mine. So far I haven't come across all that much I feel motivated to comment on. Well, correction - there are two items that I would love to comment on but they both might get me in a spot of trouble so on those things I'll just have to keep my thoughts to myself.
But hopefully I'll at least come up with a good photo for "Photo of the Day."
Posted by silverdsl at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)
December 06, 2004
Colorado Rockies Void Denny Neagle's Contract
Former Yankee Denny Neagle, who is married with twin daughters, was arrested over the weekend for soliciting a prostitute. So the Colorado Rockies responded by terminating his contract. Of course they would have just thrown Neagle into counseling or trotted him out for a remorseful press conference had he pitched well for them. But since he has been pretty dreadful and he was owned $19 million, this gave them an opening to try and get rid of him without having to pay him since if they had released him they would still owe him the balance of the money on his contract.
It will be interesting to see how the Union responds. I can't imagine they won't try to get Neagle the money owed to him, despite it being pretty clear-cut that he violated what passes for a morality clause in his contract. Most of the players have something similar only it is very rarely enforced. Personally, I think the Rockies could have at least waited until he was found or pleaded guilty but I can see how they want to do damage control and send the message that this behavior is unacceptable for players in their organization (at least if they get caught and it becomes public knowledge).
The thing is that this could effect what the Yankees do in relation to Jason Giambi's contract since they were also thinking of trying to get it voided due to supossed violations of the morals clause. So if the Rockies are successful it could clear the way for Giambi's contract to be voided though the issues involved are different.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)
Motley Crue to Reunite, Tour and Release Album
It was denied repeatedly as recently as just a few days ago. Nikki Sixx was probably still denying it as he walked into the press conference for the announcement. But all the rumors are true - the orginial lineup of Motley Crue will reunite for a tour in 2005 which will coincide with the release of a new 2-CD greatest hits album.
As a long-time fan of the Crue, I am definitely looking forward to the release of the greatest hits album. The only thing is that in looking at the track listing that I saw somewhere while there are a lot of awesome songs included, at least on the first CD, "Home Sweet Home" is not included. At first I thought it was because they didn't want to include any "wimpy" material but there is a later ballad included. So it doesn't make any sense to me to not have one of their best known songs on there. But perhaps that track listing is still subject to change. The second CD in the package is all the Crue's later work, probably not all of which has Tommy Lee or Vince Neil on it so I would much rather they would have included more classic Crue material than some of the newer stuff.
The Crue are playing Madison Square Garden in March and it might be a fun show to go to. As I detailed in this entry about Tommy Lee I've never gotten to see a full Motley Crue concert even though I've been to see them twice so maybe the third time would be the charm. Unfortunately I suspect that the ticket prices will be outrageous like the prices are for so many reunion tours.
Of course given how unstable the personalities are of the guys in Motley Crue, who knows if the tour will go all the way through without any fist fights, arrests or band breakups!
Posted by silverdsl at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Wrinkles
December, 2004. Bailey wrinkles. So I didn't get to take too many photos with my new camera but this is one that I snapped of Bailey. So far the camera looks like it's going to work out great! I had hoped to use it a little more today during lunch but it rained but maybe tomorrow it will be a little nicer out and I can play with the camera a little more.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:37 PM | Comments (1)
Spiderman 2
I used to collect comics when I was a kid so I eagerly anticipate any comics related movie. I never got around to seeing Spiderman 2 in the theater so I was very anxious to watch it when it came out on DVD, especially since I loved the first Spiderman movie. Well, I guess I got my expectations up a little too high on the basis of the first movie because I was disappointed with the sequel.
There were plenty of awesome effects for sure so in that way Spiderman 2 fullfilled expectations. But Jim and I both didn't enjoy how much of a focus there was on Peter Parker and how much of a loser he is, for want of a better word, when he's not fighting crime as Spiderman. I realize that the average movie fan wants to know the personal side of the heroes, especially as it relates to relationships, and loves a good romance but Jim and I both felt that there was so much of this that it really bogged the movie down. On top of that they made Peter Parker seem so pathetic that I didn't end up feeling too much sympathy for him when he was struggling with his various problems. Just suck it up and find a way to deal with life! He's a super-hero for crying out loud!
In the comics they almost always depict the heroes dealing with human problems and issues. Which is good because the reader can then relate to them and it makes for a more interesting story. But first and foremost they are super-heroes and they can use their powers to help them get through life in a way that the average person can't. How a man who can save an entire city can't manage to fix his bicycle without disaster striking is beyond me.
Which means that I don't think seeing Spiderman 3, if they do another one, will be high on my must-see movies list.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)
Red Sox to Auction Memorablia from 2004 Season
The Red Sox are going to be auctioning via MLB.com, starting tomorrow, a number of a unique items from the 2004 season, including some game-used and player signed things. On one hand this is a cool thing for the fans as it will give them an opportunity to bid on some items that they know are authentic. However, just like I had an issue with The Ultimate Experience, it bothers me a little that it appears that all proceeds from these auctions are going to the Red Sox. It seems to me that this would be a great way to raise additional funds for The Jimmy Fund, rather than additional revenue for a team who already rakes in large amounts of money. If the Yankees did this and the profits went anywhere but charity I think they'd be raked over the coals for it.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:03 PM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2004
Not Going to Apologize for That
I'm not going to detail exactly the circumstances where this occured but I ran into a situation on a non-baseball forum in which I got called a dumbass and a bitch because I dared to suggest that there was a problem with the way someone had written something that related to a real person and pedophilia. Well, I'm not going to apologize for speaking out. Pedophilia is always wrong, wrong, wrong and it's an incredibly sensitive topic that needs to be handled with care. There is no way in which writing seriously about a real person as a pedophile is okay when it's almost certain that this is not the way they are in real life. None. That some folks don't understand why this is a problem is pretty scary.
What's equally as scary is that so many people are so resistant to reading opinions that are different from their own. I'm not offended when someone disagrees with me, in fact I expect that over the course of a discussion. I knew that some people would feel differently about the subject than me and that's okay. But some folks seem to think that automatically any opinion that they don't agree with shouldn't be expressed and that it's a bad thing if everyone doesn't agree. That really makes it hard to have any kind of meaningful discussion about anything.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Re-aquire Stanton for Heredia; Trade Lofton for Rodriguez
So lost in all the chaos last week that came with the release of the grand jury testimony from Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds was the news was that the Yankees made two trades in an effort to improve their bullpen. The first trade sent Felix Heredia to the Mets for former Yankee Mike Stanton who left as a free agent after the 2002 season. The second trade was Kenny Lofton in exchange for Felix Rodriguez from the Phillies.
Mike Stanton was always a favorite of mine when he was with the Yankees. Not only was he a solid member of the Yankees bullpen most times, he seems like a good guy and he's not afraid to speak his mind, something which I very much admire as some might know. However, Stanton has really struggled with the Mets so I'm not sure how much can be expected of him in 2005. But more than likely even if he continues to struggle he will still be better than Heredia who was absolutely dreadful as a Yankee. I actually can't understand why the Mets even wanted to take him, though I know they wanted to get rid of Stanton. In a lot of ways this is all about the Yankees trying to recapture the magic of '96-'01. But getting back to the World Series and winning is going to take a lot more than adding Stanton.
Kenny Lofton never worked out as a Yankee so it's no surprise that he was traded. Joe Torre never really used Lofton consistantly which made it hard for him to contribute in a meaningful way and Lofton annoyed fans by complaining about his role on the team. Really what it came down to is that there just wasn't a role for him with the Yankees. I don't think he was as terrible as most fans seem to think he was, rather I think he just wasn't a good fit in the Bronx. The Yankees biggest need is pitching so I'm glad that they were able to get a reliever for him.
Now if only the Yankees can do something to improve the starting pitching...
Posted by silverdsl at 10:36 PM | Comments (0)
Jayski's to be Hosted by ESPN
So the racing news and rumors site Jayski's will be hosted by ESPN.com after January 1 as they try to expand their motorsports coverage. I hope it's true what Jayski has said that he will continue to operate the site exactly as he has been and not let his partnership with ESPN effect what he posts on the site. Jayski's is a great resource for the latest news, links to articles and for information about the various teams and I visit every day.
Some people don't like that he publishes rumors, and some things definitely have to be taken with a grain of salt, but more than once he has gotten news before anyone else which is probably why ESPN wanted to hook up with him. Generally he does a good job of handling rumors, writing them to reflect that they are rumors and correcting stuff that is inaccurate when he gets more information.
This partnership reminds me of the partnership between Boston Dirt Dogs and Boston.com. They wanted to take advantage of his unique content, the occasional rumors about the Red Sox that he gets before anyone else and the heavy traffic that goes to his site. ESPN obviously also wants a piece of Jayski's traffic. I think down the road we will see more of these types of partnerships between semi-professional fan sites and the websites for newspapers and other media outlets as they seek to add interesting content which will create traffic for their sites.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)
Yummy!
Jim's birthday is Monday so I took him out to this absolutely delicious restaurant in Manhattan, Blue Smoke. They serve Southern style food there and it is so good! The first time we went there was with our friends Aly and Leo who live in the neighborhood and we've wanted to go back ever since.
So tonight we did and we ate and ate and ate! We got so much food that it was impossible to finish it all! Two of the best things that I had were the barbeque homemade potato chips and especially the macaroni and cheese. I think the mac and cheese is the best I've ever had - just so creamy and delicious! I also had fried chicken, cole slaw, salad, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit. Jim had a sampler with ribs, pulled pork and some sort of chicken along with a few sides. We were so stuffed we had no room for dessert. Such a great dinner!
Posted by silverdsl at 12:52 AM | Comments (1)
New Camera
Jim got me a very awesome birthday/Hannukah/Christmas present! I have a most excellent Canon Digital Rebel that I love to use but one drawback about it is the size of the camera. It's a hefty camera and so are the lenses that go with it. So it's not always easy to have it with me all the time. So some time ago I decided that at some point I wanted to get a small digital camera that could fit in my pocket or pocketbook so it would be really easy to have it on hand all the time so I wouldn't miss any photo opportunities.
On Saturday morning we went over to Best Buy and Jim got me the Canon Powershot S500 which definitely is exactly what I wanted! It's not a fancy camera in terms of having a lot of features but I didn't want anything that would be a replacement to the camera that I already have which has more features than I know what to do with. It's a basic point and shoot, but a good quality 5 megapixel one, so while I might not be able to take the same shots I could with the digital Rebel, I won't have to bemoan having missed a great shot because I didn't have a camera with me. Since it has 5 MPs the print quality of the photos will be good as well.
I will have to try and take a few test shots tomorrow and post one of the pics here. Fun stuff for sure!
Posted by silverdsl at 12:31 AM | Comments (1)
December 03, 2004
Dave Blaney Back to RCR to Drive #07 Sponsored by Jack Daniels
Over the summer Dave Blaney spent some time driving the #30 car for Richard Childress Racing until he was replaced by Jeff Burton. Widely rumored for months, it became official today that his release was only temporary. Blaney was named this morning the driver of RCR's #07 car which will be sponsored by Jack Daniels. The #07 car replaces the #30 AOL car.
Blaney is a good guy and a good racer who seems to be able to nurse so-so cars into getting half-way decent results. He will be driving a very sharp looking car and hopefully RCR will put the resources into the #07 to make it a competitive ride. Of course RCR as a whole needs to do some major work to their entire Cup program but that's a whole other story.
What's interesting to me is that RCR and Jack Daniels bucked the recent trend of hiring drivers who are young in favor of hiring a veteran. Blaney is 42, which is not old by any means but these days Cup drivers over 40 are a dying breed. I can only imagine that part of that had to do with the fact that it is a hard liquor brand that is the sponsor. While Dale, Jr. is obviously sponsored by Bud and Matt Kenseth by Smirnoff, Nascar was very resistant to allowing hard liquor companies in as sponsors and one condition was that they had to promote responsible drinking. So it makes some sense that they would hire a slightly older driver who would appeal to older fans, who probably make up the Jack Daniels target audience anyway.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees to Use Giambi's Partying as Excuse to Void Contract?
In the article above Jon Heyman makes some pretty serious allegations about Jason Giambi, stating that he is a party-animal who has shot up steroids on team planes and in the open, stayed out late partying prior to post-season games that he begged out of, and would drink beer on the bench during games. Heyman seems to say that the Yankees will use all of this as reasons why Giambi's contract should be terminated rather than the steroids, which may be covered under the CBA, preventing them from punishing him the way they would like.
Well, if you punish Giambi for his partying then what happens with the other Yankees who like to party? Derek Jeter is out on the town all the time and so are any number of other Yankees. Giambi was in Jeter's inner circle for crying out loud! In fact, George Steinbrenner was so concerned about Jeter's late nights that he said something publically about it a few years back. If Jeter struggles again like he did in the first half of 2004, will the Yankees look to void his contract too? To paint Giambi as the only Yankee who parties is absolutely ridiculous.
Futhermore, there is no way that I can believe that the Yankees suddenly became aware of all of this now. I don't think they knew any details about his steriod use or the specifics of his personal life. But if Giambi was doing all of these things publically they had to have known some things. I really don't believe that if he was shooting up openly no one ever saw him doing it. At the very least, if Giambi was drinking beer on the bench you can't tell me that Joe Torre and others weren't aware of this. They would be able to smell it on his breath! So it's very convienent that now that the Yankees want an excuse to void Giambi's contract that all of this stuff comes out. If he played up to the level that they expected from him they would continue to bury their heads in the sand, but now they want to paint him in as negative as a light as possible to try and find a way to speed him out of town.
The Yankees made their bed with Giambi and now they have to lie in it. This is ugly and I predict it will only get uglier. And who knows what other players may be exposed as using performance enhancers down the road?
Posted by silverdsl at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)
I Wasn't Born Yesterday!
The lastest grand jury testimony related to the Balco case is that of Barry Bonds, in which he admits to using steroids but like Gary Sheffield claims that he didn't know that he was taking steroids. Bonds says that he thought he was taking "The Clear," "The Cream," and whatever else he was using to treat fatigue and arthritis. Give me a break! While it's of course possible that both Sheffield and Bonds are telling the truth I am increasingly skeptical that they are.
First of all, Sheffield claims that Bonds gave him "The Clear" and "The Cream" and told him, at least in the case of "The Cream" that it was to treat scars. Well, how is that possible when Bonds says that he thought it was to treat arthritis? So someone is lying right there. On top of that in the Sports Illustrated article Sheffield talks about using "The Cream" and "The Clear" but neglects to mention that he was apparently also popping pills given to him by Bonds. This is via a reporter who has seen Sheffield's testimony. So he's taking three different things that he has no idea what they're actually for - I find that very hard to believe. In addition, Bonds was confronted with a calendar which essentially listed his doping schedule, as well as a long list of drugs he was supossedly taking, and denied all of it - why would Balco make something up like that? And how could Bonds be taking such a long list of stuff and not know what any of it really was?
Furthermore, Bonds has arthritis. Well, it should be noted that one potential side-effect of taking HGH is an arthritis-like condition. That's far from proof that Bonds uses HGH but it sure would explain how he's able to play at such an elevated level at 40-years old. And Bonds and every other player taking HGH can go right on their merry way doing so because as far as I know HGH is not detectable via drug tests. Who knows how many players might be taking HGH?
What all of this means is that unless some bombshell evidence surfaces to prove that Sheffield and Bonds are liars, Giambi is going to be the one to take the fall and be punished the worst when it's very likely in my opinion that Sheffield and Bonds were right there with him knowingly using performance enhancers. Sure, their careers may be tainted but it will be no where near the way that Giambi's career is going to be ruined by this. If Bonds and Sheffield go on to have good seasons in 2005, a lot will probably be forgiven, especially by their home team fans. Giambi will never be able to redeem himself in most people's eyes.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:22 AM | Comments (0)
