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April 30, 2005
Bride Re-Surfaces; Got Cold Feet
I'm getting married in September and I can't imagine doing something like this to Jim. How cruel does someone have to be to run off like this? I understand she got cold feet but her fiancee, friends and family thought she was dead on the eve of her wedding. Then she resurfaces and tries to pretend that she was abducted. It's speaking the obvious to say that she apparently runs from her problems. When people have issues or panic sometimes they can't see things clearly but it seems like this is a very selfish thing to do. She was so concerned with her own need to have sometime to herself before the wedding she didn't even think about how it might effect her fiancee or anyone else. I wonder if the local law enforcement is going to send her a bill for the expenses of conducting a search for no reason or if she might face charges for falsely reporting a crime?
Posted by silverdsl at 11:13 PM | Comments (0)
Part Confiscated from #00 Team
Via Jayski's: #00 Team in trouble? Kenny Wallace's #00 team could be in big trouble with NASCAR after inspectors at Talladega Superspeedway confiscated a trick rear-end housing from the team, owned by Michael Waltrip. A fine is expected, and some speculate it'll be $50,000, because the design might be considered a safety issue.(Winston Salem Journal), the team failed to qualify for the race.(4-30-2005)
The details seem sketchy on this one so far but as noted above the #00 team owned by Michael Waltrip was caught with a trick rear-end housing and are expected to be fined pretty heavily for it. I have no idea whether this is considered cheating or just a safety issue as mentioned above or what. Michael's expenses for getting the car and the team to Talladega along with whatever the fine ends up being will make fielding this team very costly considering Kenny wasn't able to qualify the car well enough to make the race. What's unfortunate is that Aaron's was the sponsor on that car, they are a big sponsor of Michael's and they are sponsoring both races at Talladega. So ideally it would have been a good thing to have that car in the Cup race and not have any parts on it that weren't supposed to be there.
Ironically, last week Michael said on Inside Nextel Cup in relation to the James Finch mess that the teams are responsible for making sure that every part on their car is 100% legal, no matter the extenuating circumstances, and if there are any illegal parts they have to be willing to face the consequences. I wonder if he feels differently now?
Posted by silverdsl at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2005
Disappointing Qualifying for DEI
After a great race for the DEI drivers in Pheonix, there were high hopes heading to Talladega. While the race might still be a good one for Michael Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr. who is also running the race for DEI, the three DEI teams were very disappointing in qualifying this evening. Michael was 38th, worst of the three and that's just not good. They could make adjustments and find something between now and Sunday but it has to be a disappointment to start off like this.
At a plate-race a driver who starts at the back can find himself in front before too long but to do that they need to avoid trouble. And unfortunately the middle and back of the pack is where most of the trouble starts. So instead of feeling confident about Sunday for Michael, I now feel pretty nervous. He may still contend for a good finish but he's going to need luck to be on his side, even more than usual, to avoid the big one which is almost always inevitable at a plate track.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:39 PM | Comments (0)
Not Too Bright
Men Who Claimed To Have Found Treasure Arrested
A couple of days ago two men made headlines because they claimed that they dug up buried treasure possibly worth as much as $125,000 in one of their backyards. Well, turns out their story contained any number of inconsistancies and neighbors can't recall seeing any evidence of them having dug in the backyard. So after an anonymous tip, police arrested them for stealing the money out of an old barn they were roofing. Or at least that's what one of the men confessed to after being questioned. The police aren't even sure whether to believe that and are looking into the possiblity that they stole the money from the barn owner's house.
What's amazing is that because the barn owner had no knowledge of the money, had they kept quiet and not gone to the media, they probably would have gotten away with it.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)
With Loss Last Night Yankees Assured of First Losing Month Since 2003
With the Yankees 3-1 loss last night to the Angels, the Yankees have sealed the deal that they will have a losing April. This is their first losing month since 2003, when they went 11-17 in May of that year. I'm trying to stay optimistic about this team but the more time that passes with them playing such flat and uninspired baseball, and more importantly the more losses that pile up, the harder it is to think they will have many winning months in 2005, much less make the playoffs. It is still very early in the season so all is not lost for the Yankees, but I don't see many positive signs to make me think that this team is suddenly going to turn things around. And if they do suddenly turn into a dominant team at some point will it be too late to save the season?
While the Yankees may still go on to play in the post-season in 2005, the reality is that at some point they will have a poor year eventually, maybe even several poor years in a row. Yankee fans have gotten used to the recent Yankee teams being perpetually in the post-season and going to the World Series frequently. But it is impossible for any team to keep that going forever. That is especially true with a team of aging veterans, several of whom are struggling with physical problems. Add into that a depleted farm system with few really promising prospects, at least for the near future, as well as the fact that they are handcuffed by several large and unmovable contracts, and it spells a team that could run into trouble sooner rather than later.
What really bothers me is that this team is playing with no spark what-so-ever. Are any of them even enjoying themselves in the least out there? I don't expect them to play with a spring in their step on every play or be laughing in the dugout every second - after all this is work for them. But on the other hand to be playing like they can't wait for the games to be over is distressing. Players are going to slump, not execute or make mistakes. There is just no way for every player to come through in every situation all the time. But when an entire team is just not playing up to their talent level, that's a problem.
I'm also finding it troubling that the outcomes of many of these games seem to be decided very early on. It often seems as if as soon as the Yankees get behind, even if it's in the early innings, they give up. I'd really like to see a few come from behind wins. Last night being down by two runs shouldn't have been insurmountable for a team with so many great hitters. Yet I had no confidence that they would come back to win that game. And they didn't. That's very different from the way things used to be when I always had confidence that even if they were down by more than just two or three runs they could come back to win.
There is still much baseball to be played this season so I'm not going to give up on the Yankees chances this season. And even if they continue to play poorly I will still watch and cheer for them. But increasingly I'm getting the feeling that this could be a very disappointing season for Yankee fans.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)
The Saga of One Rejected Spin Magazine Intern Wanna-Be
Krystal Grow is a college student and aspiring journalist who wrote an article for the North Adams Transcript where she was interning about her failed attempt to get an internship at Spin Magazine. Her article drew a lot of attention, and not in a good way, because it was linked to on Jim Romenesko's website on journalism which is where I saw it. I guess the way Grow comes across in her article is typical for many college students who sometimes seem to think that everything should come easily for them because they are so wonderful. Grow assumed that the Spin internship would definitely be hers to the point where she looked for an apartment in Manhattan and was devestated when she didn't get it. Confidence is a very good thing but it also pays to be realistic and take into consideration factors such as how many other people also probably applied for the intern position.
Not only that but taking a swipe at the editorial intern coordinator and basically saying that she didn't believe his excuse for not getting back to her with the reasons she was rejected quickly that they had fallen behind in their production schedule, isn't a wise idea. Does she not realize that this person probably has another responsibilities besides coodinating the intern program? Not only that but it isn't a wise idea when you're trying to break into a very competitive field to take shots at someone who is already in the business because you never know when you might run into them again.
In the second article the writer apparently spoke to Grow, who she says is a very nice and hard working person. What jumps out at me is that Grow says she got her start by writing horror stories in junior high that featured members of her favorite rock bands. Well, a little advice for her - mentioning that you wrote real person fan fiction, especially since a lot of people probably won't remember that it was long ago in Junior High, isn't a great idea when you want to be taken seriously as a journalist. Even more of a bad idea if she happens to still write real person fan-fiction. In a perfect world we'd be able to write whatever we wanted without it reflecting on us, but in reality particularly when it comes to trying to get hired, it's amazing how much the little things can matter. Of course Grow knows this as one thing that didn't impress the Spin internship coordinator was the crazy font she used on her resume which was interpreted to mean that she wasn't serious.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Inside Spaceship Earth
Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida, January, 2004. I've been enjoying looking through my photos from Walt Disney World recently. This is one from inside of Spaceship Earth which remains one of my favorite rides at Walt Disney World despite the fact that the ride is outdated. To a lot of people it's probably boring but I guess it's always been a ride that I've rode so I have a lot of memories of it. I remember being very impressed with it as a child.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:20 AM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2005
Wynn Las Vegas Casino Opens
Luxury, Luxury and More Luxury
So the eagarly anticipated Wynn Casino opened in Las Vegas just after midnight last night to huge crowds. In fact some people waited for more than three hours to get in for a first peek at the hotel and casino that Wynn spent $2.7 billion building. Of course the entire complex is lavishly decorated both inside and out and features 18 resturants, theaters and a bunch of expensive designer stores, including a Ferrari dealership. I think there's also a golf course on the property as well. Wynn was very secretive about photos of the interior and if I remember correctly up until this point Vanity Fair had an exclusive on the first photos of what the hotel and casino looks like on the inside. I'll be interested in reading some reviews of what people think of the Wynn to see if it lives up to the hype.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
Another American Idol Finalist With a Troubled Past
Bo Bice Once Arrested for Felony Cocaine Possession
Scott Saval isn't the only American Idol finalist this season who has had run-ins with the law. According to The Smoking Gun, Bo Bice was arrested back in 2001 for felony cocaine possession but later had the charges dropped last year when he completed a drug treatment program for first time offenders. Unfortunately for him that wasn't the last time he got arrested for drugs. In 2003 he was arrested for marijuana possession, public intoxication, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The possession charge was dropped after he completed the treatment program for his first arrest. The other two charges he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for. You'd think he would have learned after the first drug arrest to be more careful.
I have no idea how this might effect his tenure on American Idol. I was sure AI would bounce Saval but it turned out that he had told them about his incident so they let him stay. If Bice was honest with producers about his arrests he may be allowed to stay as well. Or he could get the boot which would pave the way for Constantine Maroulis to return, who was voted off last night, something that may fans felt was unfair. Of course if things did shake out that way I'd be very suspicious that this information about Bice was leaked simply as a way to Marlouis back on the show.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:58 PM | Comments (0)
April 27, 2005
Photo of the Day - Mickeys
Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida. Jan. 2004. It's Mickey! Or more precisely multiple Mickeys! At Walt Disney World they spend a lot of time arranging everything, even the toys just so that there are plenty of photo ops to be had of all the toys standing at attention.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)
New York Post's Mike Vaccaro Answers My Questions
New York Post reporter Mike Vaccaro and author of Emperors and Idiots: The Hundred Year Rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox, From the Very Beginning to the End of the Curse, recently answered questions submitted by users at NYYFans.com. Vaccaro was nice enough to answer questions on a wide variety of topics from the Yankees to the rivalry with the Red Sox to his job as a reporter for the New York Post. I was very impressed with the effort he put into answering everyone's questions in detail and it's obvious that he gave some thought to his answers. I asked five or six different questions related to his job as a journalist thinking that he'd just pick one or two but much to my surprise he answered all of them. I thought his answers were really interesting so I'm going to post them here in my blog followed by some of my comments.
Me: Have you ever developed friendships with any of the athletes that you write about? Does that make it hard to write an objective article?
MV: Lots of good questions, Deborah, I hope I can give you satisfactory answers. Sad to say, it’s exactly because objectivity is the key to professional newspaper reporting that all but makes impossible the notion of developing friendships with sources or subjects. To me, it would be phony and fraudulent of me – or any writer – to befriend a player, for instance, if both you and the player know a time may come when you’ll have to call for that player’s benching, trade, or release. Same with managers. You can reserve soft spots in your heart for certain guys, but full-blown friendships are mostly out of the question.
My comment: I'm glad that he recognizes the impossibility of having good friendships with the athletes he reports on and staying objective. I would guess that most of his colleagues have the same philosophy. But as I've noted previously in this blog you have journalists like Marty Smith at Nascar.com, who I had in mind when I asked his question, who have close friendships with the subjects that they write about on a regular basis. I guess Smith figures that he will never have to write a story about how Jimmie Johnson or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are done and should be released from their rides. I guess that seems impossible now given that they are two of the top drivers in the sport. But one day that might not be the case. Or what happens if either one of those two does something grossly wrong? You look at the article Smith wrote about Jimmy Johnson in relation to the penalities given to his team for cheating and as I noted I have to wonder if Smith would still have wrote that kind of an article if not for his friendship with Johnson.
Me: How do you think the internet has influenced what you do for a print publication?
MV:The internet, to me, has been the most influential change in newspapers the last 30 years. The immediacy of life now is impossible to gauge, but the fact is it has forced newspapers to give their readers more than just the score, more than just the basic facts. It’s forced reporters to report, and columnists to be a lot more incisive with their commentaries, and so if it’s forced us to work harder I think it definitely qualifies as an instrument of good.
My comment: I have to agree. Not only are the newspapers not just competing with each other for readers or competing with the evening news they are competing with hundreds of websites who can often get information to their readers in a much more timely manner. So for newspapers to maintain an audience they are forced to ensure that they offer content that appeals to people who are now used to getting information about every subject under the sun, including news, immediately.
Me: What is an average day for you like when you have a game to cover?
MV: On an average day, which I guess qualifies as a 7:10 start, a baseball writer will arrive at the ballpark between 2:30 and 3 o’clock, in time to get to the clubhouse when it opens 3 ½ hours before first pitch. In the clubhouse you’ll check with sources, interview players, spend time with the manager, all so you can write your “early” story, which needs to be in before the first pitch, for the earliest editions of the paper. For the next edition, you’ll need to file a “running” story, which is basically the play-by-play of what happens, which needs to be filed as soon as the game ends so it can be included in suburban editions of the paper. Then you have to write a third story, or the “write-thru,” which generally needs to be in by midnight so you can reach the final editions of the paper. When all’s said and done you’ll leave the ballpark around 12:30 or so.
My comment: There are some people who think that a sports writer has it easy. All they have to do is watch whatever game they are assigned to and throw together a story to send off to their paper. Well, Vaccaro has at least three stories to write for three different issues and to put those articles together he's got to do all sorts of interviews and collect all kinds of information. It's a lot more than just sitting there and watching the game, there's also a lot of legwork that goes into it. It also appears that on average Vaccaro spends at least ten hours at the stadium for every game that he covers which has got to be very draining.
Me: Have you ever been confronted by a player or team representative who didn't like something you wrote? How do you handle that?
MV: I have been confronted by disgruntled folks, and it’s definitely an uncomfortable situation, or can be, if you lose your professionalism. To me, there is a very basic rule of thumb: if you rip someone, you’d better show your face the next day and let that player/coach/GM have a chance to take a shot (verbally that is) right back at you. It’s only fair. In almost every case, if you give your target a chance to get back at you, the whole situation will blow over quickly. As it should.
My comment: Of course my first follow-up question would be who confronted you and what didn't they like that you wrote? But I'm guessing that he'd never answer that. I had folks like Steve Park in mind when I asked that question. Steve has complained for quite some time about what the media wrote about him after his accident. I wonder if anyone who wrote something that Steve took issue with gave him an opportunity to confront them in person after they wrote the article. I'm guessing probably not otherwise Steve probably wouldn't harbor so much animosity against the media.
But I think some members of the media write very harshly about the athletes they cover never intending on doing what Vaccaro does. If they don't intend on facing the person they wrote about then it probably makes them think they can write whatever they want. While baseball players are supposed to cooperate with the media and give interviews as requested there are some players who will periodically boycott the media. But in Nascar the drivers can't do this. Sponsors want their drivers to be as visible as possible therefore their produce or company is as visible as possible. So they must grant interviews to the media regardless of how much they feel mistreated.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
Alex Rodriguez Becomes Only the 11th Player to Hit 10 or More RBI in a Game
Alex Rodriguez has been a New York Yankee for more than a year now but until last night he hadn't really shown while he was in pinstripes why he is considered one of the best players in baseball. In fact he had taken a lot of heat from Yankee fans for his lack of production with runners in scoring position. Well, he couldn't have done any better last night. A-Rod went 4-5, with 3 homeruns, including a grand slam and an amazing 10 RBI. That is just incredible and of course the fans at the stadium were going nuts for him. Not only the fans, but his fellow players were thrilled for him as well since they recognized how special it was what he did.
To put in perspective how outstanding it is what A-Rod did last night only four players have ever hit more than 10 RBI in a game. The major league record is 12 RBI which occured twice, once in 1924 by Jim Bottomley for the Cardinals and once in 1993 by Mark Whiten, also for the Cardinals. In addition, this accomplishment is so rare even in the age of increased offense that the last player to knock in 10 RBI was Nomar Garciaparra in 1999. Six years since the last time this happened! Every thing has to come together just right to make a night like this possible - his teammates had to be on base in front of him, the pitcher(s) have to throw pitches he can hit, his swing has to be dead on, etc... And all of that happened last night.
The expectations have always been so high for A-Rod both because of his astronomical contract and because he's considered to be one of the top players in the game. It's always seemed like no matter how good of a night he has, fans still aren't going to be satisfied unless he drives in a run or hits a homerun in every at-bat. Well, last night he just about did exactly that. I don't think there can be any complaints about A-Rod today or worries about how productive he might be for the Yankees. Every player who comes to the Yankees seems to have their one big moment when they are finally accepted by the fans, as if they're finally "earned" their pinstripes, and while I think players become Yankees as soon as they put on the uniform and don't have to do anything special to earn their pinstrips, I would guess that this was A-Rod's moment to a lot of fans.
I've long admired A-Rod and counted him among my favorite baseball players long before he came to the Yankees. How could I not with how talented he is? When he became a Yankee I was astonished because I thought there was no way for it to happen. I was never down on him like a lot of fans were because I always knew that he was capable of great things on the field. And we certainly saw that last night. I hope A-Rod truly enjoyed his defining moment as a Yankee (thus far) and that there are many more special games in his future while he's in pinstripes.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip Gets Questioned on His Spirituality
From a chat Michael Waltrip did earlier today on ESPN.com:
Doug (Bowling Green, KY)
In the past (say 3 or 4 years ago), you seemed more open about your spirituality and racing. The last 2 years you seemed less so. Just wondering what was up.
MICHAEL WALTRIP
NOthing's up. I love the Lord, He rides with me every week. The better you run, the more you get to say, so I'll have to run better so I can say more.
There are two subjects I won't be discussing often in this blog, religion and politics. However, in this case I'm going to make an exception. I'm really shocked that someone had the nerve to question Michael Waltrip about his spirituality and question why it seems as if he's not as open about that subject as he once was. Granted Michael choose to answer the question and I assume that he didn't have to but it just seems like such a personal topic to question someone on. There are some topics that I think should be competely off limits as a topic of dicussion unless the driver chooses to bring it up himself and religion/spirituality I think is of them. How someone expresses their spirituality and any of their choices in their area are deeply personal matters and I don't see how it's anyone's business why Michael might or might not discuss his spirituality more or less than he has in the past.
It's not just Michael that gets questioned by fans in this regard. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've seen Jeff Gordon's Christianity questioned because he does or doesn't do certain things. Well, Jeff doesn't have to live up to the fans standards for being a good Christian. He has to live up to his own standards and act in the way that satisfies himself in that regard. Just like Michael does. Or Dale, Jr. Or any of the other drivers. There are some drivers who go to trackside services every Sunday after the driver's meeting. There are others who don't go or only go occassionally. There are some drivers who pray before they get into their cars. While it seems as if most do I imagine there are a few who don't. All of this is fine and doesn't make any one driver better than another. Everyone has different beliefs and a different way of expressing those beliefs.
I have no problem with the drivers who do speak of their spirituality. Michael did discuss this topic recently in an article on religion in Nascar. I have to admit since I'm Jewish it does make me a bit uncomfortable when a lot of drivers talk about Jesus or their religious beliefs that are so obviously different than mine simply because it highlights another way that I don't fit in as the protypical Nascar-type. Yet I also understand that this is an important part of the driver's lives - that is most definitely the case with Michael. This is part of who he is as a person and I wouldn't expect him to do anything different than be himself and express himself in the way that he feels comfortable with. Why should he have to talk more or less about his beliefs because a fan thinks he should?
Posted by silverdsl at 01:24 PM | Comments (0)
"New York Daily News" To Be Featured in New Reality Show
I'm not a huge fan of most reality shows but occassionally there are a few that will catch my interest such as Ceasar's 24/7. A six-part show which will air on Bravo that will focus on the newsroom of The New York Daily News sounds like it might have potential. The show will will follow editors and reporters as they cover stories and try to meet deadlines. If this show is a success they may continue it with newsrooms of other newspapers.
Perhaps the reason the show sounds so interesting to me is because I read the Daily News every day. But I've also always been interested in the media and the way journalists operate so I'm looking forward to getting a peek behind the scenes. Of course no reality show is truly "reality" but hopefully a show on Bravo will make more of an effort in that regard than a show on MTV or Fox. The only unfortunate thing is that the show will not air until next year.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2005
Rhapsody To Go
Unlimited Song Downloads for $15 a month
I'm happy that I didn't get an IPod considering that the portable digital music player that I did get is made by one of the only two brands that will be compatible with Realnetwork's new "Rhapsody to Go" which will allow unlimited downloads of songs for $15 a month. That is going to be a must for me for sure. I will then proceed to go nuts downloading music like crazy! I can't wait for this to be available!
Posted by silverdsl at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)
Bobby Hamilton Jr. Could Face Arrest Warrant
Involved in Incident on Pit Road During Late Model Race
Bobby Hamilton, Jr. took part in a Late Model race in Tennessee but just ten laps in he and Mark Day, a driver who he and his father have previously feuded with, were involved in an incident on the track. In the pits after that incident, Hamilton got into Day's car which then hit one of Day's crew members. A brawl then broke out on pit road which resulted in the race having to be red flagged so order could be restored. The crew member who was hit by Day's car is considering pressing charges for vehicular assault though Hamilton's crew claims that the reason he hit Day's car on pit road was because he didn't have full control of the steering due to the incident on the track, though he was able to get around the track with no problem to the pits.
I doubt that charges will end up being filed and it's always hard to tell who is really at fault in incidents like this. Usually it's more of a case of there being fault on both sides and circumstances coming together in such a way that tempers boil over. But Hamilton represents Nascar and his sponsor, Tide, whenever he is in the public eye and that includes when he races in other series. Regardless of how much of a feud he and his family have with another driver he needs to be careful about letting things get too far out of control. I fully understand that emotions are going to run hot and things are going to happen some times but getting involved with brawls and incidents to such a degree that there is a possiblity of charges being pressed shouldn't happen.
Nor should Hamilton be making comments like this: "This is the reason Mark Day's where he's at today." That is a reference to the fact that Day races at local tracks whereas Hamilton races in Cup. Well, the Tide ride isn't exactly a premier ride these days and Hamilton's results thus far have been pretty dismal. So for him to start talking down to other drivers like that is pretty bad. In Cup he's not proven to be anything special thus far, though to be fair it might be hard for anyone do to much in the #32.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)
High Schools Roll Out Red Carpets for Proms
Back when I was in high school proms were a big deal but nothing like this. I can't believe that these days at some proms kids enter the prom location via a red carpet. Parents and friends will gather near the red carpet in an awards ceremony like extravaganza where they take photos and see all the kids dressed up. Superlatives winners at some schools will receive Oscar like statutes. I remember prom tickets being pretty expensive all those years ago so I shutter to think about how expensive it is now. Especially after the dress or tux, flowers, limo, and everything else is added in.
I went to three proms. Two were at my own high school which were okay, but nothing special. The third was at the high school of the guy I had been dating at the time and it was dreadful. My date had broken up with me prior to his prom but he still needed a date and we stayed friendly so he asked me to still go with him. Big mistake as he decided to ignore me and hook up with a girl in his circle of friends post-prom who went to the prom without a date. I had no car, I was with people I barely knew and it was in a town I was completely unfamiliar with in a different state so I couldn't just get a taxi and leave. I didn't even know where to have a taxi come get me from! And even if I could I didn't have enough money to get all the way back home. To get home I had to take advantage of a friend of his who had a crush on me and get him to drive me home, way out of his way, on his way to work at 6 a.m. It all seems pretty ridiculous now but back then it wasn't that funny. To his credit some months later the jackass realized that he hadn't treated me very well and wrote me a long letter of apology.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2005
Photo of the Day - Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens, PA. 2001. A few entries ago I blogged about the amazing fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Well, Longwood Gardens also has some very cool fountains which also "perform" to music. I keep saying that I want to get back to Longwood Gardens and I hope that happens this summer. It's kind of far but it's worth the trip.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:50 PM | Comments (0)
Jeter Calls Player's Only Meeting
Not Just Steinbrenner and the Fans Distressed
Prior to yesterday's game Yankees captain Derek Jeter called a player's only meeting to try and wake the team up. In addition to Jeter speaking five other players spoke including Alex Rodriquez and Mike Stanton. As much as I think it's a good thing that Jeter and the players are taking the disappointing way that they're playing seriously, I think that the Yankees have bigger problems than can be solved in just a meeting or two. Poor starting pitching and a lack of hitting needs to work itself out via healthy players and a good approach on the mound and at the plate. The hitters can't be going up there trying to hit five-run homeruns to rescue the team and the pitching has to be much stronger. What the meeting will help with is making sure that the players are motivated and have a postive mental approach. That they know that the season isn't over yet and that they give 100% effort at all times. The Yankees won yesterday but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to shake their early season struggles.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)
This is One thing I Don't Get About the Crew Swap
Open Mic with Dale, Jr. and Brandon Bernstein
Okay, there are plenty of things that I don't get about the crew swap between Dale Jr and Michael Waltrip over at DEI but seeing as how it seems to be working well for Michael right now it seems like it might have been a good gamble, though only at the end of the season will we really know how it worked out. What still perplexes me though is how not only did they switch crews and cars but they also switched radio frequencies, haulers, tools and everything else. From a Q&A that Junior did: "The toughest part of that whole change was all the haulers, and all the pit boxes and jack stands. All the tools. Everything they had was blue. We had to paint it all red. That was the hard part. Once we got that out of the way, it’s been pretty smooth sailing."
Couldn't the new crew members use the old crew's tools? Why the need to switch radio frequencies? Or haulers? I got to thinking about supersititions and racing rituals this past week and I wonder if that has something to do with it. Maybe there's a certain comfort level with using the same tools and just repainting them a different color. Just seems kind of strange to me to make the switch so complete. It also seems like a lot of work repainting everything instead of just letting the new crews use the old crew's tools, haulers and other stuff.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)
Got Some New Music
So I went to Tower Records today and as usual I couldn't walk out with just one CD! I got Rob Thomas "Something to Be," which I loved when I listened to via Rhapsody so I wanted a copy to listen to in the car. I also got Jet "Get Born," The Smashing Pumpkins "Greatest Hits," Keane "Hopes and Fears," The Best of Pink Floyd "Echoes," The Best of Blue Oyster Cult, Audioslave "Audioslave," and Crosby Stills & Nash "Greatest Hits." I've been meaning to get the Audioslave one since I listen to it a lot via Rhapsody and the Jet has been on my must-get list for a while too. No surprise that I got four "Greatest Hits" CDs considering how much I love greatest hits packages. The Keane is one CD I took a risk on since I no almost nothing about it other than I like one song so hopefully I will end up liking it.
I've also wanted to get Hootie and the Blowfish's greatest hits ever since I saw them back in January but Tower didn't have it. I guess I'll have to do what I've been meaning to do for a while and burn it from Rhapsody onto a CD. It's just that I always like to have the album package and liner notes for a lot of CDs - maybe tomorrow I'll take a swing by the used CD place and see if they have it.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)
Andy Phillips Impresses
Andy Phillips, a first baseman in the Yankees minor league system has been impressing people for a while with his hitting but due to the Yankees logjam at first base and DH, there was no spot for him on the team coming out of spring training. But when Ruben Sierra was put on the disabled list with a torn biceps Phillips was called up and he made the most of his first start. During yesterday's game Phillips hit a homerun, a double and had four RBI, which was outstanding for someone who's never played in the majors before.
Phillips definitely looked good at the plate on Sunday and it's great to see someone playing with the spark that the Yankees have seemed to be missing this season. However, I'm not ready to say that he should be the everyday first baseman yet and bench Tino. I'd like to see Phillips get some more playing time, which he surely will to see if he can hit like this consistantly, to see what he can do over an extended period of time in the majors. The thing is that no matter how well he does in the majors he will almost certainly be sent down when Sierra comes off the DL. I just hope the Yankees don't include him in a trade if his future really is as bright as it seems that it might be.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
Positive Vibes
Well, I got a pretty big thrill this morning. It wasn't really any big deal but it still made me smile... a lot. It would be inappropriate to give the details but needless to say I had sent someone an email expressing my happiness at a job well done this past weekend, just because it seemed like the right thing to do. People always seems to appreciate hearing a genuine acknowledgement of accomplishments, hard work and some positive feedback so I try to do that when I can. So Mr. X, who has many more important and pressing issues to concern himself with than what little ol' me thinks, responded back with some words of appreciation. It made me feel good to know that I might have made someone else smile, especially that particular person.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2005
Photo of the Day - Pit Stop
Dover, Del., September, 2004. Michael Waltrip's old pit crew at work. It seemed appropriate to use some sort of photo of Michael as photo of the day given his fine run last night. I was going to use one of the photos of him I took in Las Vegas but I realized it's probably been a while since I posted one from Dover. Michael's old crew is now with Dale, Jr. and Michael has Junior's old crew so these aren't the guys who did so well last night but this bunch were very, very nice to Jim and I. It was really awesome seeing them at work from so close.
At one point I was taking photos from an empty pit next to them to get closer to the action but security chased me and everyone else standing there away. One of the members of Michael's crew saw this happen and motioned me over to stand right next to him during the pit stop. So for the rest of the day I was able to get really outstanding shots because they were kind enough to let me stand so close. He didn't have to let me do that and to this day I am so appreciative that he motioned me over because it allowed me to get some really cool shots and see a pit stop from much closer than I ever thought I would.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
Contrasting Attitudes Between MLB and Nascar in Relation to Children of Players/Drivers
What a different world Nascar is than Major League Baseball. In MLB, there is a considerable amount of concern for what could happen to the player's children if a nut gets it into their head to go after one of them. As such many players don't like photos being taken of their children and do as much as they can to keep them out of the limelight. Jorge Posada's son Jorge, Jr. is an exception because of the life-threatening surgeries he had to endure at an early age because that was newsworthy and prompted Posada to form a foundation to raise money to help fight the condition that Jorge, Jr. was born with. But for the most part the players keep their children hidden away from view and out of the spotlight.
Contrast that with Nascar where visibly being a family man is important for a driver. The driver's children are seen everywhere - pre-race with their fathers at the car, in Victory Lane, sometimes at appearances and vitually everywhere else that their fathers are. Of course I have no doubt that the drivers are also concerned with the safety and security of their children but most of them don't seem to have any second thoughts about having their children on TV or highly visible in general. A lot of that is due to how Nascar promotes the sport as a family sport and what better way of demonstrating that than by having the drivers frolicing with their children before races on TV? It's always nice to see the drivers with their families but still sometimes I can't help but wish for safety's sake that they erred on the side of caution like they do in baseball and have the kids be a little less visible.
Periodically I like to stroll through a bunch of driver's message boards to check out race reports from fans who have been to races or see if there is anything going on with individual drivers that might not have gotten much attention from anyone other than their fans. So in visiting Travis Kvapil's message board recently I discovered that his daughter who is about eight or nine, posts on his board. There is another family member, maybe an aunt, who seems to run things there so it's not like she's on the board unsupervised but I'm still surprised that even with how relaxed Nascar is in general towards the driver's children being a public presence, that the Kvapils are comfortable with their daughter posting on a message board. It appears to be a small and friendly message board but even the smallest and best boards can have problems that one might not want a child, particularly one that happens to be the daughter of the person the board is about being privy to. There are just a whole host of issues that could arise no matter how much supervision she may have, particularly as she gets older and has more independance. Maybe that just comes from occassionally having to deal with a few of those issues at NYYFans. I certainly wouldn't want any of the player's children posting or even reading regularly on NYYFans, particularly ones that were as young as Travis's daughter is.
I wonder if there are other driver's children who post on message board devoted to their fathers or to racing?
Posted by silverdsl at 09:13 PM | Comments (0)
New Def Leppard Collection Out Soon
Since I was always a fan of 80's/early 90's glam/hard rock bands naturally I was a big fan of Def Leppard. I often listen to their Greatest Hits collection but in May they will be coming out with a double-disc career overview. I'm really looking forward to that, especially if it has a lot of their early work on it, which is what I'm most fond of. Def Leppard will also be releasing a CD of all-covers. In addition, this summer they will be going on tour with Bryan Adams. That is one busy band! Which is very important for a band who probably has to fight harder for attention considering their style of music isn't as "in" as it once was. I don't know if I'll get the covers CD or see them on tour but the collection is a must.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Lose Jaret Wright for 4-6 Weeks
Not surprisingly Jaret Wright was ineffective for the Yankees yesterday against the Rangers. As it turns out Wright felt pain in his shoulder during the game, and tried to pitch through it. That didn't work too well as he gave up six runs on eleven hits in just over five innings of work. Now he's headed to the disabled list for at least four to six week due to scar tissue in his shoulder.
Normally, I'd say the loss of a starting pitcher is a huge blow to the Yankees but with the way Wright has been pitching it might not be such a bad thing. This will give Chien-Ming Wang a chance since the Yankees will be calling him up to take Wright's place in the rotation and he will start on Friday. He pitched well in Spring Training and there are many who are very high on him so it will be interesting to see if he lives up to expectations. The only problem is that if Brown can't get straightened out I don't know who would take his place in the rotation.
As for Wright one can only hope that the time on the disabled list will give him time to sort out what ever problems he has that are preventing him from being effective.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip Finishes Second at Phoenix!!!!!!
Absolutely outstanding race for Michael Waltrip in last night's race in Phoenix! A second place finish at a non-plate track - awesome! I didn't get to watch any of the race last night since we were up at my parent's house in Connecticut for Passover, so I just finished watching my recording of the race a little while ago. Wow! I'm so impressed with the way Michael raced! He really gave 110% and everything he and the car had to try and win this race. Tony Eury, Jr. and the entire #15 gave Michael a great car and they had very good pit stops too. I had such a good feeling about this race for Michael when I woke up on Saturday morning and I literally had my fingers crossed for him at one point on Saturday night just wanting to send some good vibes his way. When I got home and discovered that he finished 2nd I was so happy!
At the end of the race Michael was right on eventual winner Kurt Busch's bumper but in spite of doing everything he possibly could he was never able to complete the pass at the end. In fact he was trying so hard to figure out a way to pass Kurt that he got himself loose and got into the wall once. That might have hurt him a little but he was just doing everything he could to try and get that win. Winning at a non-plate race is something that I'm sure Michael is almost desperate to do so he was going to do everything short of wrecking the car to try and pass Kurt. It would have been so sweet if he had been able to get the win but 2nd place is almost just as good, particularly with how much bad luck they've had at times. Hopefully now Michael is in for a string of great luck!
I'm just so excited for Michael! Last week he finished 6th at Texas and to follow that up with a 2nd place finish is exactly what he and the team needed. Michael moved up to 18th in points which doesn't sound great on the surface but is actually awesome considering how far down he was in points early on. Next week is Talledaga, a plate race, and the expectations are always high for both DEI cars at all the plate races. I'd love to see Michael follow-up this 2nd place finish with a win next week but since anything can happen at a plate race I never feel comfortable making too many predictions. Actually, with how unpredictable racing is in general that's probably true of all races - anything can and will happen, even to the best cars and the greatest of drivers. But there are some guys who definitely have a knack for running up front consistantly at some tracks and Talladega is one of those for Michael.
The only thing that bothered me about Michael's run last night was two things he said after the race was over. First he reportedly said to his crew over his radio thanks for "making up for my lack of talent." Then during a post-race interview he also referred to running out of talent. I suppose that's disappointment talking that he couldn't pass Busch for the win. No racer is really ever fully satisfied unless they are in Victory Lane. Yet it also comes across as Michael being down on himself, which I find a bit distressing after what I think might be his best finish since Charlotte last May when he also finshed 2nd. He should be feeling good about himself yet two references to his "lack of talent" indicate that while he's probably thrilled with the finish, he's not feeling as good as he should. Maybe he thinks that he messed himself up by over-driving a little but I don't think he can be faulted for pushing himself and his car as hard as possible to try and get that win that he wants so much. Hopefully, his disappointment will fade and all he'll feel is happiness at such a great finish. Confidence is really important for a racer, for anyone, and this race shows why Michael and everyone else should have confidence in himself.
Michael made reference during his pre-race interview to having people around him who believe in him. Well, it's not just his crew chief and crew. In spite of the fact that Michael is frequently a target for those who like to bash drivers who aren't those elite drivers who have had a tremendous amount of success, there are just as many people who believe in him, myself included. Though it's impossible to predict with any certainty what will happen, I believe with all my heart that Michael is capable of beating the best of the best drivers and winning many races. He is a much better racer than he's sometimes able to show between the equipment he's given and the bad luck he has to endure. I hope to see him in Victory Lane more than once this season and dare I say it, be in the Chase for the Championship.
On to Talladega next week...
Posted by silverdsl at 05:53 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2005
Tech Editor on the "Today" Paid by Tech Firms to Promote Their Products
My thanks to my friend Melissa for sending me a link to this article. The tech editor for NBC's "Today" show, Corey Greenberg, was found to have taken payments from many tech firms including Apple, Sony, Hewlett-Pakard and others to act as a spokesperson for their products. Which means that when he was supposedly objectively reviewing those companies products on the "Today" show and elsewhere as "news" he was promoting products he has financial ties to. No way could he possibly claim to be objective.
James Oppenheim, the technology editor for Child Magazine, also found himself in hot water over the exact same kind of issue in that he was also making TV appearances for companies he accepted payments for. In fact Child took it so seriously, that they severed their ties with him. Sue Geramian, a vice president at the parent company of Child, Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing said, "We view this as a breach of journalistic ethics." Of course she was also quick to say that he was not representing Child when he made those problematic TV appearances.
I highly doubt that those two are isolated incidents. It's amazing how much "news" is really disguised ads, as I've discussed recently in relation to Nascar.com. But you see it on morning news shows and elsewhere too. Just the other day I saw it on "Good Day New York" Fox 5's morning show here in New York. They did a segment on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast based on a study done by Tropicana. So they had someone in talking about what a good breakfast might constitute and of course they mentioned Tropicana every five seconds. There was never any mention that I can recall of the person appearing in the segment being from Tropicana but if they weren't they surely received money from them in some form given how much they touted Tropicana and the study results. Kind of scary to think of how often this probably happens without a lot of people thinking anything of it.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
Two Die in Narrow Utah Slot Canyon
Canyoneering Dangerous Even for the Well-Prepared
Often I read stories about those who venture into the outdoors to do some exploring or hiking and run into trouble because they get in over their heads due to being ill-prepared for the conditions they are going to encounter. But in this case it appears that the two students from Brigham Young University who lost their lives in Choprock Canyon, a narrow slot canyon, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, were prepared as they were wearing wetsuits to protect them from the cold, both in the air and in any bodies of water they might have to navigate. Yet they still lost their lives and the cause is thought to be a combination of hypothermia and drowning as their bodies were found in a deep pool of water in the canyon that gets as narrow as 18 inches in some places. The one thing that these two didn't do which made the jobs of the rescuers who were called to find them after they didn't return as expected from a two-day hike was that they hadn't registered their plans with the Bureau of Land Management Field Office nearby.
Last month I had written of another incident of a man who was trapped for days in another slot canyon. This canyon is probably even more extreme in terms of conditions because based on the description it is even narrower and isn't as frequently explored as some other canyons. The more remote and less visited one of these places is the greater the danger as if one runs into trouble there isn't anyone around to help. In the above article it's noted that once you get into some of these slot canyons it can be impossible to get out without following it all the way through to the end which also heightens the danger level. In addition, sometimes a wet suit isn't enough protection against the cold and that may have been what happened to these two students.
Slot canyons are often beautiful and fascinating places but they can also be deadly places unfortunately.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:02 PM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2005
OMG! Paris and Nicole No Longer Friends!!!!!!!
Breaking News! Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are no longer friends! Whatever will we do? What's going to happen to that most wonderful show, The Simple Life? Gee, can you tell that I'm oozing with sarcasm? But yes, it is true that the two women who are famous for doing nothing, well nothing other than acting like dimwits on TV, have ended their friendship for mysterious reasons that way too many people seem to care about based on the fact that this bit of news was not only a story on CNN but was for a time one of the lead stories on CNN.com. I just wish they'd both go away but apparently most people don't agree with me.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:41 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Bellagio Foutains
Las Vegas, Nevada. January, 2005. To go with my previous entry this is a shot of the Bellagio fountains. I really thought I had taken some other shots of the fountains but thus far I can't seem to find them.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)
Behind the Scenes of the Bellagio Fountains
This is a neat article all about the inner workings of the fountains outside the Bellagio. I'll have to post a photo later of the fountains but essentially it's a show of dancing water and light set to music. Some might say what's the big deal but it's very impressive, especially at night. When we stayed at the Aladdin our room looked out at the fountains and it was quite some sight to be able to see them go off. Even better was seeing the show from up close.
The above article is filled with all sorts of interesting information about the inner workings of the fountains such as that it takes 36 engineers to put everything together. In addition, the fountains and the lake that they are in don't draw from the city water supply. Instead they use well water and in case of a fire in any of the nearby casinos water can be pumped from there by firefighters. Another interesting tidbit is that once everything has been coordinated and programmed there is one show operator who controls everything. All he or she has to do is pull up a show on a computer screen and press play. The computer system then controls everything. It's pretty incredibly really how it all works.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:15 PM | Comments (0)
Another Ad Posing as a News Article on Nascar.com
A while back I wrote about how an article on Nascar.com about "Fatback" McSwain using Trackpass to crew chief from home when he was recovering from back surgury and couldn't get to the track was nothing more than an ad disguised as a news article. Well there's another one on Nascar.com. The above article about Winfuel is clearly meant as a promotional piece for that suppliment. In fact it's obvious that at least several paragraphs, maybe even most of the article, are directly taken from official promotional materials from Winfuel.
Now there are plenty of people who have wondered what Winfuel is all about and the page that this article appears on is devoted to sponsor and financial features. So it's not like it's outrageous for there to be an article on Nascar.com about Winfuel. However, there are ways of writing articles on products and companies without making them into thinly veiled ads. Perhaps those at Nascar.com think that their readers won't pick up on it, but I think most people can probably recognize that article for what it is. I'd also guess that they would probably have a lot more people reading all the way through if it was more than just a plea for people to order Winfuel (phone numbers and website address conviently provided).
Posted by silverdsl at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)
Interesting Definition of Journalism
From LA Times Column on Apple Suit
There are many who look down on blogs, websites or even those who work for smaller or obscure media outlets. Some feel that unless someone is writing for an established media outlet their opinions or information they present are less worthy. Some even feel that those people should keep their opinions to themselves. But in speaking in relation to Apple's suit which is seeking to force some websites and blogs who have recieved and published proprietary information about Apple to reveal their sources, Michael Hiltzik from the Los Angeles Times has an interesting definition of journalism.
He says: "The truth is that the only useful way to define "journalist" is functionally: As anyone who hunts down suppressed, overlooked or misunderstood information of public interest (even trivial interest) and presents or explains it to an audience. The medium of publication is irrelevant. Newspapers, magazines and TV and radio services aren't invariably exemplars of serious news gathering; many are brainless, irresponsible or purveyors of propaganda. Conversely, although many weblogs and websites are outlets for wingnuts and noodniks, many others provide trenchant and incisive news and analysis."
Really he's dead on. Some blogs and websites have uncovered news, some of it serious and very newsworthy. Some news shows from mainstream media outlets are filled with fluff and little hard news. I watch Fox 5 here in New York a lot and they are most definitely guilty of that. I am amazed when stories about dogs running down the highway, American Idol and other relatively "light" news take precedence over hard news on their newscasts or on "Good Day New York." But I might go to a website or blog and find more hard news analysis and coverage than on anything that Fox 5 does.
Increasingly the ways in which people get their news is expanding. No longer do they just find out what's going on in the world via the evening news or the morning paper. Blogs and websites are providing people with information they might not know about otherwise. And as the author of the above column states, those folks also deserve to be called journalists and have equal protection under the law as such.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
Archeologists Discover Ancient Egyptian Tomb
An American-Egyptian team has found the largest funerary complex ever that dates to the Predynastic era, of which little is known or has survived, particularly from the early years. This time period is apparently when Egypt was first coming into being as a nation. The discovery was made more than 300 miles south of Cairo and is thought to have belonged to a ruler around 3600 B.C. of the ancient city that was there. 3600 B.C.! That's incredible to me that they found something that dates back that far! It took them five years of digging to uncover it but all that work paid off big time.
One of the things that they found was a intact flint figurine of a cow's head and one of an ibex and this is significant because only 50 have been found thus far. In addition, 46 limestone fragments from Egypt's earliest life-size human statue, a collection of fine pots and seven bodies that had been buried in various parts of the tomb were among some of the other items found in the tomb.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:45 AM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2005
Photo of the Day - Epcot Fountain
Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida, January, 2004. This is a shot of one of the fountains outside of Journey Into Imagination. I've always liked that fountain. As one might imagine outside of a ride called Journey Into Imagination it's very creative. There is one part of the fountain in which water jumps from place to place. It's hard to describe, or capture on film, but it's pretty cool. All of the fountains at Epcot are actually really neat.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)
Surge Soda Discontinued, Fans Upset
Fans Hope to Convince Coca-Cola to Bring Surge Back
I don't even remember Surge soda but apparently Coca-Cola introduced it in 1997 as a competitor to Pepsi's Mountain Dew. Although there are some very avid Surge fans for the most part the soda never really caught on and Coca-Cola appears to be phasing it out most likely in favor of a new soda they hope will compete with Mountain Dew, Vault. However, die-hard Surge fans want Coca-Cola to bring Surge back and have started an online campaign to convince the company to do so. Fans love this soda so much that recently a 12-pack of it went for $152 on Ebay.
I can't see myself ever being so passionate about a soda but I guess everyone has something that they adore and are a die-hard fan of. Lots of people don't understand why I collect gems and minerals or why I like Nascar. And the internet is a place where anyone with even the most unusual interest can find someone who is like-minded. Which is certainly the case with the Surge lovers as the website devoted to this cause averages 500 visitors a day.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)
Stanton Barrett vs. Tony Stewart
Most people have probably never heard of Stanton Barrett but he's a Nascar driver who races in the Busch series and occassionally in the Cup series. He's also a stunt driver for TV and movies. Last week Barrett tangled with Tony Stewart which led to Stewart being wrecked out of the race. Afterwards Stewart had harsh words for Barrett which included saying that perhaps he should go back to his other job. Barrett who almost never gets any media attention at all pro or con, didn't take too well to Stewart's comments and lashed out at him.
Yesterday he gave a very lengthy interview to XM in which he said that he's tired of being picked on by Stewart and others. Barrett feels that he's been spun out by some drivers who feel they can get away with it because essentially he's a little fish and that he gets blamed for things that aren't of his doing, such as the incident with Stewart. Barrett's comments were pretty interesting. I have no idea how much validity his comments have but I can see how the more established drivers with big teams probably feel free to take liberties with the drivers who are with small teams or aren't well-known. After all, who would really care if they spin out a Stanton Barrett because they're frustrated or rip him in the media? Whose comments would get more play - Stewart's or Barrett's? Previously Barrett had never been one to speak out on anything but the above article doesn't even have a comment from him. I think it speaks to the hierarchy in the garage area if Barrett feels that some drivers get away with bullying or picking on him and others in his position. It must make it even harder for these small teams to operate to have to deal with some of these issues.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
Two Girls Rescued From Insanity Ride on Top of Stratosphere
The newest ride to open on top of the Stratosphere hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Insanity, had a major malfunction early this morning leaving two girls stranded more than 900 feet above the ground, dangling in the air at the end of a mechanical arm, for an hour in the cold. Luckily technicians were eventually able to pull the ride back in and get the girls off of it. I was on top of the Stratosphere back in January and even if I already wasn't a fan of thrill rides, I don't think I'd ever be able to get myself on one that's all the way up there. Strangely, I had no problem with the helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon but something about being up that high and being tossed around in a ride on top of that - yikes! Which is the least of what those two girls were thinking.
A few weeks ago a segment of "Mikey Mike'd" featured Michael Waltrip and Shane Hmiel riding Insanity on it's opening night. After they rode it the ride was shut down for a while due to high winds and if I remember correctly Michael even commented on that. It sure would have been an exciting edition of "Mikey Mike'd" if Michael and Shane got stuck up there! But even when Jim and I were up there it was windy and I imagine that on top of a tower that high there is always a degree of wind. I imagine that was taken into consideration when the ride was built but it seems that they might have to reevaluate the threshold for when the ride gets shut down due to high winds.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)
More on Mitch Albom
Free Press Killed Negative Review of Albom's Book
The investigation at the Detroit Free Press continues into the circumstances surrounding the publication of a Mitch Albom column that contained fabricated descriptions of events. The managing editor of the Free Press, Thom Fladung, acknowledges that it was a breakdown of their system but he believes that the reason that this is being made into such a big deal is because of how well-known Albom is given that he is a best selling author and also makes appearances on ESPN. It's true that incidents like this are going to get more attention when they involve large newspapers or "name" journalists, but I think that the overall issue of accuracy in journalism and media ethics is of concern to a lot of people right now. I've certainly discussed it enough in this blog.
What might speak to how this occured is that Fladung admits that preferential treatment had been given to Albom at the newspaper. For example, a negative review of one of Albom's books by a freelancer was killed before it ran. That's amazing to me. The Free Press is there to disseminate information to readers and provide news, not help Albom sell books. But apparently Albom was treated with kid gloves and that probably explains how his column slipped through. He was probably allowed to do things that no other writer would be allowed to do, such as write a column about an event prior to when it actually occured as if he had been there. And even if one of the editors thought that the column might be a problem with how he was treated there, how likely was it that anyone would say anything? Probably not very likely.
The other interesting thing is that Albom apparently didn't treat a lot of his colleagues very well. So now there aren't that many people who are willing to stand up for him. That shows the importance of treating people with respect and as you'd like to be treated because otherwise at some point down the road when you need people in your corner to support you no one will be there.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)
Arrows Restaurant to Open in Perkins Cove
Will Open in Space Formerly Occupied by Hurricane's
Arrows, a very good restaurant has announced that they will be opening a new restaurant in Perkins Cove, where Hurricane's used to be. I had a feeling such prime real estate wouldn't be empty for long. Arrows is a fancy restaurant that Jim and I haven't tried on any of our excursions to Ogunquit as of yet. But the new restaurant will be more casual so I suspect we would be more likely to end up there than at the original Arrows. They've expanded the space that Hurricane's was in and once it opens in June, the restaurant sounds like it will bring some added life to an already busy Perkins Cove.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:34 PM | Comments (0)
Selig Thinks Rivalry Not Alcohol Contributed to Sheffield Incident
Bud Selig appeared at a panel discussion last night and commented on The Sheffield Incident in which he said that he believed that the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox was more of a contributing factor than alcohol. While his point that there is a behavior problem is a very valid one, I question whether a completely sober fan would be as likely to reach over and try to interfere with a player making a play as a drunk one. I think that to downplay the role of alcohol in this incident as well as others that have occured at stadiums across the country is to ignore a very real issue. I can't say for sure but my guess would be that the majority of people that are getting thrown out of stadiums for misbehavior particularly things like running onto the field or fighting have probably consumed more than a few beers, which makes them more likely to do things they might not if they were sober.
Selig says that MLB has no intention of making uniform alcohol policies throughout the sport as the NBA did after the incident between fans and players during the Pistons/Pacers game. I think that's unfortunate. Some teams have recognized that excessive alcohol consumption is a problem and have instituted policies of their own. Beer sales stop before the end of the game in most stadiums to begin with but the Pirates decided to end sales at the end of the 7th inning rather than the 8th as they had been doing. And the Twins have changed the maximum amount of beers that can be purchased at one time from four to two. I think adults should be able to buy beer at the games but I have no problem with more stringent rules to try and cut down on the amount of problems with fans who are drunk.
Selig said, "But sometimes people think that it's alcohol and it really isn't. There are ballparks I walk into and I can feel the tension of that rivalry in the first inning." Which is in direct contrast with Mets manager Willie Randolph who said, "Alcohol is part of what's going on." I have to agree with Randolph. Heated rivalries bring emotions on all side there's no question of that. But I think the majority of fans, no matter how passionate they are about the rivalry, aren't going to a game thinking that because of the rivalry they should lean out onto the field of play and get in a player's way. But you add alcohol into the mix and people are more likely to do things that they normally wouldn't.
Trot Nixon said, "That's why they need to stop selling beer in the third inning. I'm sure the beer companies won't like that, but I could care less. Matter of fact, you can take it all out." That a player, and he's not the only one to express similar sentiments, openly says that beer shouldn't be sold at games really speaks volumes as to how much of an effect alcohol has on what goes on. Nixon and other players see the effects every single game. Nixon also alludes to something which I think colors Selig's comments - the beer company sponsorships. The Rockies, Cardinals and Brewers have stadiums that are all sponsored by beer companies and of course Selig owned the Brewers for 35 years. So it's possible that Selig is tempering his remarks because of those sponsorships out of fear of upsetting sponsors who spend a lot of money in the sport.
MLB buried their collective heads in the sand about the steroid issue for years and I think they're doing the same thing here. The increasing problem of fan misbehavior at games needs to be addressed. And there are very definitely ways of doing that without cutting off all beer sales completely. However, unfortunately at least at this point Selig is opting not to do that.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2005
Web Polls and Fanbase Rivalries
Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch (I've been looking for an excuse to use that phrase!) the following entry isn't directed at any specific person, group or poll, given that something similar has been playing out in several different online polls. Kinda sad that I even have to say that, no? At any rate, when it comes to Nascar polls that relate to a particular driver winning the point is to get that driver as many votes as possible within the rules so that the driver will win either the entire poll or that segment of the competition. And there are many ways to try and get votes in ongoing polls from posting links on various websites, to asking for help on different driver's message boards, to sending emails to friends and families, to forming alliances. I've seen alliances done in two different ways. In one poll drivers from different fanbases get together to try and vote off particular drivers they view as a threat to their own driver. Or fanbases do a vote exchange of a sort in which they make an arrangement with another fanbase to vote for each other's drivers in different polls.
I see nothing wrong with any of this and it amazes me how much hand-wringing there is and how many people feel that these tactics are "wrong." As if only "real" fans who are true-believers should be voting for a particular drivers. As if it taints the process if there are others who might like another driver more vote for a different driver. Or that it reflects badly on particular fanbases when they do certain things. Or that developing these alliances are somehow unfair. But really what's so wrong with anything that's happening? All that's going on is various fan bases trying to make it possible for their driver to win within the rules, exactly the point of the poll.
When other driver's fans are recruited to vote for another driver it is no different from sending out an email to get friends and family to vote. In both cases people are doing the person who asks a favor and voting for a driver that might not be their favorite or in some cases they might not know anything about. So why is it perceived to somehow be different? No one gives a test of true fandom before someone casts a vote, no one asks whether a fan truly likes that driver or whether they actually think he's the hottest driver in all of Nascar. I'm betting that there are plenty of casual fans who vote in these polls too - should that be disallowed because they aren't die-hard fans? The results aren't any more or less valid based on who specifically votes, just that enough people voted to get that driver the win.
And there certainly isn't anything unfair about developing alliances. Hasn't anyone watched "Survivor?" Although I think that figuring out alliances is perhaps giving the polls a level of importance that they don't deserve (as I write my third entry related to online polls but at least I have an excuse given my ongoing interest in fandom and related issues), it's actually being smart. Look at these polls as a game and strategy is a part of being a good game player. Perhaps part of the problem is that some wish that they had thought of that kind of tactic first.
Maybe some people get very wrapped up in how the various fan bases vote but I think for the majority of people all they care about or remember in the end unless there's a major incident is who won. Months after Junior wins the sexiest driver award no one is going to remember that some fans on the pit board worked up some sort of alliance with another driver's fans to vote off one of the K/Caseys. When Steve Park or Johnny Benson wins the truckseries.com Most Popular Driver Award no one is going to remember that the Craven fans had an alliance with the Blaney fans or that someone on the Johnny Benson board asked fans on a Jimmie Johnson board if they would vote for Benson. None of this reflects badly on any of those fans either. It's not desperate to try and get your guy as many votes as possible or figure out a way to get them a win - that's the way the game works.
After a while what happens is that the various polls don't see like much fun anymore. That was said today by more than one person and I would have to agree. It ends up seeming like a lot of work and appears to be somewhat stressful for some folks. My wish is that everyone just goes about their business voting for who they want, trying to get as many votes as they can and not give too much thought to what other fan bases are or aren't doing.
On a somewhat related topic (I don't feel like starting a new entry for this), someone on the Johnny Benson board brought up a great point about the ts.com MPD poll. That site accepts advertising so a very big reason for this poll is probably to drive traffic to their site and increase the amount of hits they would otherwise get. Then they can show potential and current advertisers how many hits the site gets and charge them accordingly. Which partially explains why they are unresponsive to some people who complain about glitches or other things related to the poll - they may not care that much about the poll itself as long as there's no cheating and the hits are there and keep on coming.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park, January, 2005. I'd really love to do the helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon again and also visit the Grand Canyon more extensively. It's funny how much I loved that helicopter ride considering I don't enjoy thrill rides. But it was so cool to see all the sights from above. And of course seeing the Grand Canyon was awesome. I just wish I had gotten to see more of it. With a wide-angle lens would be good too!
Those people in this photo are a couple from Germany I think it was who were on the helicopter with us. It's amazing how tiny they look in comparison to the huge walls of the canyon. It really is incredible how immense the canyon is!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)
Rob Thomas - "Something to Be"
I've been eagerly anticipating the release of the new Rob Thomas album, "Something to Be," and today it finally come out. I really like the first single "Lonely No More" so that made me optimistic about the rest of the album, though with some artists only the singles are the good songs and the rest of the album is a waste. But not so with "Something to Be." Thomas doesn't break much musical ground or stray too far from what he did with Matchbox 20 but the album is a good listen and there are many strong songs on it. In fact I ended up listening to it twice in a row I liked it so much the first time. I think this album is going to end up being huge for Thomas as there are many radio-friendly songs on it. I just hope I end up liking it as much after I hear the songs over and over again on the radio.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:18 PM | Comments (0)
No Apology From Fan in Sheffield Incident
So through his lawyer, Chris House, the fan who sparked The Sheffield Incident has released a statement essentially expressing his displeasure with the way the incident has unfolded and that his season tickets have been rovoked. I think it's really unfortunate that he doesn't think he has anything to feel sorry about. A simple apology for "acting on impulse," or "not giving careful thought to what he was doing" or anything really would have been nice. But instead he just makes excuses and trys to justify what he did.
House says that in his twelve years as a season ticket holder many balls have gone into left field like they did that night and "Quite often, excited fans lean or reach over the wall to follow the action of the ball. On Thursday, as the ball approached my seats, the fans to my left leaned into the action and I did the same." Well, just because countless other people lean onto the field when they shouldn't doesn't mean that it's okay for him to do it too. Even the most dimwitted of fans knows that leaning onto the field while the game is underway and particularly when a play is unfolding in front of you is a huge no-no. So anyone who does it is at risk of getting into trouble if things go wrong which they most certainly did the other night.
I noticed that in his statement while House says that he wasn't trying to punch Sheffield, no where does he say that he wasn't trying to interere with Sheffield making that play. One could infere that while he might not have been trying to hit Sheffield that's an admission that he was trying to get in Sheffield's way. Something which he's probably not too sorry for. He probably thinks that he should be celebrated as a hero by the Red Sox Nation for trying to interfere with Sheffield. Unfortunately for him the prevailing opinion seems to be that he's an embarassment. I would have to agree because as I've said before fans who misbehave give all fans a bad name.
What gets me is that in his statement House sounds so surprised that the Red Sox took any action against him. It's bad enough that he leaned out onto the field of play but he sparked a huge incident which was televised across the country. There is no way that the Red Sox were going to look the other way on this one. They needed to send a message that they take matters like this seriously but also they want to discourage other bozos from getting any ideas. He shouldn't surprised if they give him a hard time about getting season tickets again in the future, particularly if it's true as has been rumored that he's been a problem in the past at other times.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)
Quote of the Day: Charles Scribner, Jr.
"Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own... For learning purposes there is no substitute for one human mind meeting another on the page of a well-written book."
So said the publisher Charles Scribner, Jr. and those words were repeated by his son, Charles Scribner, III, at an event here at work. I thought that was a very intriguing quote with a lot of truth to it. When someone writes they often put a piece of themselves into their writing and there is much to be learned from books.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)
Yankees Crush Devil Rays 19-8
A day after George Steinbrenner erupted and Joe Torre held a closed door meeting, the Yankees responded in fine fashion, beating the Devil Rays 19-8. Or maybe they just played a team with bad pitching. At any rate it was an exceptional night for the hitters as every regular in the lineup had at least one hit. The hitting stars were Alex Rodriguez who went 5-6, with two homeruns, six RBI and five runs scored; and Tino Martinez who was 3-5 against his old team with a grand slam and six RBI. I also liked seeing Jason Giambi on base so much. He was 2-6 with an RBI but he also walked twice. Even Bernie Williams who has been struggling a bit in the early going got into the act with three hits and an RBI. The Yankees will not hit like this every night but with such a talented lineup they should be hitting much better than they had been so hopefully this is a sign that they are breaking out of the early season funk that they had all been in.
My only area of concern with last night's game is the pitching. Jaret Wright was putrid and the only reason it looks better than it was is because he actually got the win thanks to his teammates' offensive outburst. Wright pitched 5.1 innings and gave up eight runs on eleven hits and three walks. That just isn't good no matter which way you look at it. While Wright has two wins and only one loss this season I have not been impressed with him so far.
Comparing Wright and his ERA over 10 with the man who he replaced, Jon Lieber, really makes Wright look bad. Thus far Lieber has won all three of his starts and his ERA is just 2.49. While things can change very rapidly and it's still early in the season I just don't have a good feeling about Wright. I had really wanted the Yankees to re-sign Lieber but they didn't and I think that may end up coming around to haunt them.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)
Weird Part II
It occured to me that aside from getting an email out of the blue from the person who I had been thinking about emailing for the past week, around the time we were exchanging emails in which I mentioned that one particular thing that show was being filmed and it later turned out that one particular thing was mentioned there as well very randomly. What was really amusing was the exact thing that I said that I liked was what he said he's trying to change. I wonder what he'll think if my comments do get passed along? Funny how coincidence works sometimes. A little creepy too.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2005
An Accurate Prediction
There was this situation that I was perplexed by, wondering why something had unfolded as it did considering that it didn't make too much sense based on what I knew and what I had seen myself. Some things just didn't seem to fit. But I came up with one explanation and turns out I might have been right about that. I'd give myself a pat on the back but in the end do I really want to be right? In a way it's funny that might have been dead on in my prediction but on the other hand it's a little scary and sad too.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)
Interesting Discussion on Fire on Inside Nextel Cup
I've long thought, probably from reading it somewhere, that drivers worst fear is fire. In that they will wreck, get trapped in their car and get burned because they can't get out fast enough or at all. In yesterday's race Tony Stewart's car caught on fire and before he could get out he received minor burns to his thigh and elbow. So that set off a discussion about fire on Inside Nextel Cup.
What amazes me is that in spite of seeing what can happen - Junior's firey wreck from last season is a prime example - there are drivers who still don't wear the full fire-resistant undergarments under their race suits. Yes, it gets hot to have that extra layer on but fire is a lot hotter and I would think the drivers would rather sweat more than get burned. Yet many drivers only wear a t-shirt under their uniforms. One thing that I've always noticed about Michael Waltrip is that he always wears the fireproof turtleneck under his uniform and on tonight's show he mentioned that he always wears the full length fire proof underwear too. In fact he said that he doesn't feel ready to race unless he has it on. So why don't more drivers do as he does? I guess maybe they think nothing will ever happen. As much that I hope and pray that nothing ever does, fire is still a very real danger for the drivers and at least once a season it seems we see a car go up in flames with the driver forced to scramble out. I would have thought what happend to Junior would have been a big wake-up call to other drivers but apparently not.
Michael also mentioned that he goes to the shop periodically and practices getting out of his car with his helmet on so that just in case he needs to flee his car quickly he can do it. That's especially important for him because he's so big that it's much harder for him than for smaller drivers to get out of the car. It's really a shame that he doesn't have the escape hatch in the roof of his cars anymore. I actually don't know why DEI isn't doing that any more for him and no one is saying anything but I can't help but wonder if that doesn't bother Michael just a little. I imagine it might have something to do with the crew/car switch but it would seem to me that would be something they could put in.
He's very concious of safety issues. Often he will talk about the safer barriers and apparently this past weekend he got to talk to the man who created those. And then he practices getting in and out of his car quickly and there's also the full fire-resistant undergarments. He also mentioned the two things that can still get drivers in spite of all the safety precautions - fire and a t-bone wreck in which the driver's side is hit. There are other drivers who will comment on safety issues but it seems that often on INC, Michael will make comments here and there on that topic whenever there is a hard wreck or otherwise when the subject comes up.
I can't help but wonder if that's the aftereffects of not only Dale Earnhardt's death in the Daytona wreck but also some of his own wrecks. That awful Bristol wreck that he was lucky to walk away from. The practice wreck of a few years ago in which he was trapped in his burning car with the driver's side pinned against the wall - I would guess that made him very conscious of the fire issue. In addition, there's the horrible Daytona wreck from last season in which Michael was trapped upside down. Tonight he said how scary that was (he actually started to say scary and then changed it to terrible or something like that - I guess he thought it wouldn't sound good to admit that he was scared) and I can't even imagine what went through his head when that happend. He lands in the dirt upside down, he's probably disoriented, he had no idea if the car's on fire or not at first, he discovers he can't get out and if what I heard is correct he was smelling gas which probably made him fear that the car could catch on fire at any point with him trapped inside.
So it seems to me that the realities of the dangers that lurk on the track are very much on his mind and sometimes it seems like more so than with other drivers. Every driver has experienced bad wrecks or seen hard hits so they all know what can happen but Michael seems to talk about it a lot which I find interesting. It's actually a good thing because I think it's important for drivers and others to be vocal on safety issues to make sure that Nascar continues to make advances to make the sport as safe as possible for the drivers. That Michael uses INC to speak his mind on safety issues is a particularly good thing considering that there are many watching that show. I certainly hope a few of his peers were listening when he endorsed wearing the full fire-resistant undergarments.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Place Tanyon Sturtze on the Disabled List
Buddy Groom Called Up To Take His Place
Some fans didn't understand why the Yankees held onto Buddy Groom instead of releasing him when he didn't make the major league roster our of Spring Training. Well, with Tanyon Sturtze being placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left oblique muscle, it's a good thing that the Yankees kept Groom around. In fact this was exactly why the Yankees didn't release Groom - for insurance in case of injury and one has occured. Unfortunately with a roster that is advanced in age overall as the Yankees, injuries could be a common occurance. Hopefully Sturtze's injury heals quickly because the Yankees had come to be very dependent on him.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
Red Sox "Fan" Gets Season Tickets Revoked for Role in Sheffield Incident
Second Fan Can't Buy Tickets for Remainder of Season
Because of his actions in The Sheffield Incident in which he leaned onto the field of play and seemed to try to interfere with Gary Sheffield as he was making a play, Red Sox season ticket holder Chris House has gotten all of his 2005 season tickets taken away by the Red Sox. Not only that it's not a given that he will get to get season tickets again in 2006, only that the Red Sox will consider it. I bet if they do let him get season tickets again there is no way they will be that close to the field. In addition, another fan who appeared to throw beer on Sheffield during the same incident will not be allowed to buy tickets for the remainder of the season. I applaud the Red Sox for taking a strong stance on this issue. And yes, it is a strong stance. Think of what it feels like to have your favorite team tell you that they are taking your season tickets away or that you aren't allowed to buy any tickets for the rest of the season.
Some have taken issue with the fact that the Red Sox are refunding the money House paid for his season tickets but it's very likely that legally they have to do that. In addition, others feel that the punishments given to these two fans aren't harsh enough, that perhaps they should be banned for life from Fenway. Well, if the Red Sox try to do that surely there will be lawsuits, legal bills, and lengthy legal battles. There is no way they want to see this dragged out and garner any further negative publicity. Others have said that they think charges should have been pressed. Well, if House had run onto the field that would have happened but unless Sheffield wants to press charges which I doubt he does, then the Red Sox can't do anything in this area. So I think the Red Sox did the most that they could do. Overall, I think this is a pretty harsh punishment that will send a message that trying to interfere with a play on the field isn't going to be tolerated.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)
Weird...
For the past week I've been thinking that I should email someone that I am occasionally in touch with. But in spite of the fact that she is a very friendly and nice person given that I know she's very busy I was hesitant to bother her. I guess it was on my mind because over the weekend she was in a dream that I had and then last night I was thinking that I really should just go ahead and email her. So this morning out of the blue I get an email from her about something! So funny how those things work out sometimes! Strange too.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2005
Photo of the Day - Another From My Grandparent's
March, 2005. Today was the unveiling of the headstone at my Grandparents grave at the cemetary in Staten Island. So it seems appropriate to make the photo of the day another shot of the distinctive lamp that was in their house.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:35 PM | Comments (0)
Massive Wave Damages Cruise Ship
Encounters Rough Weather on Way Back to New York
Can you imagine a seven-story wave? I can't but that's exactly what this cruise ship ran into on the way back from the Bahamas. Although a couple of windows were broken and 62 cabins were flooded, luckily there were only a few minor injuries. Which is pretty incredible when you think about it considering the wave reached all the way to the tenth floor of the ship. I guess it's testament to how well this ship is built that there was no major damage or injuries. I can't even begin to picture what that wave looked like when it smashed into the ship. I would be terrified if I was on board!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Swept by Orioles
Due to work and other obligations I didn't get to watch all that much of the games in this series between the Yankees and the Orioles. And that is probably a good thing considering what I did see was pretty distressing. The Yankees have now lost four straight, eight of their last ten and are in last place in the division. In fact they are playing so badly that I believe they have one of the worst records of any team in baseball. Of course it's only two weeks into the season so a lot can and most likely will happen to change things but I can't help but be both dismayed and concerned by the poor play by the Yankees thus far.
What bothers me the most is that it's not like there's just one area in which the Yankees are struggling. If it were just a lack of hitting one could feel heartened by the pitching or vice versa. But this seems to be an overall team funk in which the hitting, pitching and defense is lacking. The team just looks so flat and unenergetic on the field. Apparently Joe Torre was so distressed by what he's been getting out of his players that he had a closed door meeting with them today in which he yelled at them. Well, I'm glad that he is trying to wake them up but if the players need to be yelled at to get motivated to play well this team has some pretty big problems.
Torre wasn't the only one upset as George Steinbrenner also issued a statement expressing his displeasure with his team. He said, ``Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team. It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around.'' Many Yankee fans and the media are viewing this as Steinbrenner warning his team to win or else there will be major changes and people will lose their jobs. I say this is mostly for the fan's benefit. Steinbrenner and everyone else associated with this team knows that the players don't need to be told to play well and win or else. Every player knows they need to produce, every manager and coach knows they need to make sure their team wins otherwise people will lose their jobs.
Just as with Torre yelling at his players, if the team needs Steinbrenner issuing a statement to start playing well, then they have serious issues. The players should be highly motivated to win, especially considering their collapse in last year's post-season against the Red Sox. Not only that these players are highly talented, some of the best in all of baseball. So these are players who should be hitting well, pitching strongly and playing solid defense because they know how to do it. But for some reason they aren't.
I still have full confidence that this team will turn things around and go on to have a great season. But it's not fun to see them playing so poorly and the longer it continues the more concerned I get that things might not be as easy for the Yankees this season as they have been in the past.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)
6th Place Finish for Michael Waltrip in Texas!
Yes! Michael Waltrip finished 6th in today's race and I couldn't be happier! Ok, I'd be happier if he had won but a top ten is exactly what he needed! I was starting to get worried about where his season was headed but finishing 6th made me feel a lot better about things. What I really liked seeing is that Michael moved up to 24th in the points so if he and his team can put together a few more great finishes in a row they can get right back in the thick of things.
It really shows that when Michael has a great car and it doesn't fall apart either due to engine problems or tire issues, he can race against anyone on the track, race his way to the front and finish well. Maybe he didn't have a winning car today but he was out in front twice today which was sweet to see. What was outstanding was that once Michael got into the top ten he pretty much stayed there. I didn't get to listen via Trackpass so I don't know what was said over the radio but I assume pit stops were excellent and the overall team communication was very good as well. When the whole team from driver to crew to crew chief to spotter works together well results like today are sure to happen. This is a non-restictor plate track too. Everyone only seems to notice when Michael finishes well on a plate track but given this top ten and the top ten in Atlanta clearly he can race on these kinds of tracks as well. It all comes down to what kind of a car he's given, which luckily was a very good one today.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how Michael does in Phoenix - I'm hoping for another top ten but a top five, or dare I say it, a win, would be even better!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2005
I Don't Know What Was Worse...
... Third Watch tonight or the Yankee game. Or possibly the image that came to mind that made me want to bleach my brain but that's a whole other story. I kept switching back and forth between TW and the game and neither one made me want to watch for long. The lethargy that the Yankees are in right now is really distressing. It may be early in the season but if they continue to play like this they could find themselves in a real hole before too long. As for TW, apparently the writers were in a similar lethargy when they wrote this episode but I didn't expect much different.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)
Boston Globe Freelancer Fabricates Story
The Globe Has Journalistic Standards?
So a Boston Globe freelancer from Nova Scotia wrote a story about a seal hunt that had supossedly taken place the day before as if she witnessed the scene personally. Only one problem - the hunt had been delayed by weather and never happened, in spite of all the details the writer provided.
From the correction from the Globe, "The author's failure to accurately report the status of the hunt and her fabrication of details at the scene are clear violations of the Globe's journalistic standards. Because the freelancer was not reporting from the scene, Globe editors should have demanded attribution for any details she provided about the hunt itself." Well, another issue I keep harping on in his blog besides Michael Waltrip and Steve Park is the way the Globe (mis)handled the BDD situation which also involved a fabricated story with no attribution. So the Globe has said they will never use that particular freelancer again, so why are they still involved with BDD who did something similar which would also be a violation of most media outlet's journalistic standards? I understand BDD isn't the same thing as a freelancer but it seems to me that the same journalistic standards should be applied across the board.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Maine
York, Maine. July, 2004. Figured one from Maine would be appropriate as a photo of the day since I was thinking about Maine after reading the article from the previous entry. This was taken by the Nubble Lighthouse and no, that's not Jim and I sitting on the rocks. I just thought it made for a better photo to have those two in the photo. Now that it's starting to get a little warm I wish I was up in Maine!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
New Coastal Trail in Wiscasset, Maine
Not really too much to say about this one, particularly since I'm not familar with the Wiscasset area but it always gives me a little thrill to hear about coastal trails because I love walking along the coastline. And I especially like the coast of Maine.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)
$3,329.38 Raised to Fight ALS Via Fundraiser on NYYFans.com!
This is just awesome! Our users at NYYFans.com really stepped up and by the end of the fundraiser on Wednesday we had raised $$3,329.38 to fight ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease via donations to Curt Schilling's charity, "Curt's Pitch." I mentioned how this all came about a few weeks ago so anyone who paid attention to that entry knows that Schilling also made a matching donation out of his own pocket back to "Curt's Pitch" and will also donate a matching amount to NYYFans.com. From the money that we receive from Schilling we will be making another large donation to at least one other charity, possibly more to be determined shortly. What really helped us raise so much money was probably that Schilling agreed to make a matching donation to the site but also because one of our users has a memorablia store and he donated an autographed Derek Jeter ball which we will give away in a drawing which was open to anyone who donated at least $25.
I really felt good helping to raise this money to fight ALS. I'd love to work on some more fundraisers of this nature. If we do another one through the site it would be great to work with one of the players on the Yankees since afterall we are a Yankees fan site. Many of the players have foundations but not too many of them are quite as active as Schilling is. Otherwise, if Michael Waltrip does another Operation Marathon type project to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp it would be cool to somehow raise some money for that.
But everyone who donated to help us raise the money for ALS or otherwise supports charities should be very proud of themselves!
Posted by silverdsl at 08:07 PM | Comments (0)
Good Looks and Personality Matter in Nascar
Good Looks and Good Drivers Join to Complete a Nascar Package
I've long thought that in addition to a driver's potential for winning races, a major role in their staying power in the sport has to do with their attractiveness, personality and marketability and finally there's an article which supports my theory. As pointed out in the article when you take a look at who's in the Cup garage area, particularly when you look at the younger, up-and-coming drivers the majority of them are very attractive and personable. Even the Busch brothers who aren't thought by most as terribly attractive are pretty media-savvy and smooth. Of course the drivers still have to be able to race and win but there is no question that every team wants a driver who a ton of sponsors will want to get involved with and will also generate a lot of merchandise sales. Both of those things equals revenue and potentially a lot of it.
I discussed this kind of issue in relation to Brendan Gaughan recently and again when the rumor surfaced that he might be a candidate for a third Evernham car. I remember when Gaughan turned up in Cup last season he was clean-cut and fit in completely with the image that many of the younger drivers are trying to portray. Now that he's not in Cup he essentially looks like a caveman, which is probably his preferred way of looking. Travis Kvapil, who took over for Gaughan in the #77 car, also seemed to get a subtle make-over when he landed in Cup. Kvapil was always fairly decent looking but it just seems like this season there is something about him that is more stylized and less rough around the edges than when he was in the truck series last season.
The drivers all know the "right" things to say too. I discussed it in one entry or another just recently but they are all very polished and media savvy. Even Kurt Busch has learned how to be diplomatic and say the "right" things as opposed to what he might really think. Just look at his comments after the incident with Jeff Gordon in Martinsville. He didn't rip Gordon a new one, even though you know he must have wanted to. His sponsor doesn't want him to cause waves and the fans would just get on him if he did too. Busch and the rest of the drivers the majority of the time just say what's safe and expected, half of which they are probably coached on ahead of time by a PR person.
I thought this was an especially interesting comment by Jeff Gordon who said "In order to attract sponsors, we have to entice them to spend money with our teams. So we go there and we say, 'O.K., we've got a great team and we've got this great, young, good-looking driver, very marketable guy.' Because the sponsor's going to look at it and say, 'O.K., well, in case we don't win races, what do we have to fall back on?'" Which makes me wonder if there are sponsors out there who are okay with not winning as long as they garner a lot of attention because their driver is very marketable. Kasey Kahne hasn't won yet on the Cup level, though he's come close, but I'm pretty sure his sponsors don't have too many complaints. And of course there's Michael Waltrip, who readers of this blog are probably sick of hearing about, who goes above and beyond when it comes to taking care of his sponsors and being personable. Which apparently pays off considering how many advertising campaigns he appears in, despite not having won on the Cup level since 2003.
I thought about this in relation to Steve Park when he got the ride with Orleans Racing. No doubt that Steve is a talented driver who as we say in Fontana can win races. Yet at the time that Orleans signed him Steve hadn't won since 2001. So why did they sign him? Orleans says that he was the best driver out there but I think that Steve's personality, how good he is with the fans, his strong fan base and that he would represent any sponsor exceptionally well also played a role. Steve's fans will buy almost anything that he is associated with which of course means added revenue for Orleans in terms of merchandise sales and is attractive to sponsors. Correction, should be attractive to sponsors, given that for some strange reason the #62 still doesn't have a primary sponsor for most races.
There's also the issue that some female fans make their selections about what drivers they are fans of on the basis of which driver they think is the most attractive. Fox's Sexiest Driver poll certainly caters to this type of fan. Given the increasing amount of female Nascar fans it shouldn't be discounted that this is a way that looks plays into things as well. Teams know full well that the more attractive the driver the more female fans there will be. No doubt in my mind that some promotions and ad campaigns specifically play up the driver's looks and sexiness in order to appeal to this demographic.
I don't think there will ever be a day when a driver with no talent gets a ride just on the basis of their looks and personality. But I do think that drivers who aren't the complete package may find it more and more difficult to move up in the ranks as time goes on.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:33 PM | Comments (0)
Martin Truex, Jr. May Leave DEI?
Truex Not Signed Past 2005 Yet
According to the above article Martin Truex, Jr. is not yet signed with DEI beyond this season and may look elsewhere for his entry into Cup full-time. If there's any truth to this I have to say I'm extremely surprised. Not too long ago I seem to remember a press conference in which Truex and DEI announced that Bass Pro Shops would be sponsoring Truex in a limited amount of Cup races in 2005 and then the plan was for them to be his full-time sponsor in the #1 car in 2006. Apparently that plan might not have come to fruition.
I don't understand how DEI doesn't already have Truex under contract long-term. He was the Busch Series champion last season and is an excellent driver. He's not as outgoing or personable as a Carl Edwards but he's still got a tremendous amount of appeal. On top of that he's a good friend of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. All of this seems like he would a good choice as one of their Cup drivers of the future. Yet, it's possible he may go elsewhere. I wonder if this is something that Truex is thinking of or whether DEI isn't sure about him. If Truex is entertaining offers from other teams it may just be to shop around and try and get the best deal possible which is smart. But I have to wonder if Truex has questions about the way DEI is operating and whether or not they will be able to provide him with the best and most competitive cars on the Cup level. That's not a stretch to think he might wonder about that considering the way things have gone for the DEI cars this season.
If there is no long term plan to put Truex in the #1 car with Bass Pro Shops as the sponsor and DEI doesn't re-sign Michael Waltrip, I would rather see Truex in the #15 than Shane Hmiel. I would guess that if there was a choice between Truex and Hmiel NAPA would also rather have Truex who doesn't come with the same baggage that Hmiel does and is less likely to get into trouble and tear up cars. Of course, ideally I'd like to see Michael remain in the #15 with Truex in the #1, but as time goes on I think it's less and less likely that's going to happen.
I like Truex a lot. He's from New Jersey which automatically wins him points in my eyes as there aren't a lot of Northeastern drivers. Though he's on the quiet side, at least publically, he seems like a decent guy. More than all of that he seems like he's a very talented racer. So I'd like to see him go whereever he's going to have the best chance for success. Maybe that's at DEI, maybe that's not. I just hope he ends up in a competitive ride.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:15 PM | Comments (0)
The Sheffield Incident
During last night's game as Gary Sheffield was fielding a ball near the low right field wall in Fenway Park, a fan clobbered him in the face. Sheffield shoved him away, fielded the ball, turned back as if he was going to go after him but didn't and essentially all hell broke loose as the Yankees bullpen, security and virtually everyone else nearby descended on the scene. I really have no idea exactly where to begin when commenting on this incident other than to say right off the bat, this fan is completely out of line for at the very least attempting to interfere with Sheffield fielding the ball.
Fans like this idiot who misbehave like this give all fans a bad name. There is no excuse for leaning over like he did, regardless of whether or not he meant to hit Sheffield in the face, and try to grab the ball while it's in play. Fans who do things like this not only need to be removed from the stadium, but perhaps need to be arrested and if they are season ticket holders lose those seats. A message needs to be sent that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated. That should happen no matter where an incident of this nature happens, at Fenway, Yankee Stadium, wherever. It was said that this fan was simply thrown out and if it's true that he's a season ticket holder he can just come back the remainder of the season to potentially cause trouble again.
A lot of people seem to think that this moron is reflective of all Red Sox fans. That's ridiculous. Every single team, including the Yankees have their share of fans who don't know how to behave appropriately. What's scary in my mind is the increase in the amount of people who don't seem to care one bit about how their actions impact the people around them or themselves for that matter. From little things like talking on the phone incessantly to big things like getting into fist fights with other fans sometimes I'm absolutely amazed by what some people think is acceptable behavior when they go to a game. Sometimes it really makes going to a game a lot less enjoyable when you get unlucky enough to sit near a trouble-maker.
I'd like to say I have no idea what jerks like this fan are thinking but for a lot of people going to a game getting drunk, getting rowdy and harrassing the other team or their fellow fans is fun. I'm all for adults enjoying a few beers when they go to a game. But when it gets to the point where a drunk fool causes an incident like this, then perhaps it's time for the Red Sox and other teams to rethink their policies on alcohol sales. Of course that's hard for a team to do because of how much revenue comes from beer sales but it seems as if alcohol is always always a common denominator in incidents like this.
The big question is whether or not Gary Sheffield will be suspended for shoving the fan. I think that he will be, though probably not for long. I understand that Sheffield was angry that he got hit in the face and was probably afraid that the fan would attack him further. I also understand that Sheffield showed restraint and didn't jump into the stands to beat that fan up. However, in the past MLB has shown zero tolerance for players who lash out at fans, regardless of how much they might have been provoked. I think the Comissioner's office is in a tough situation because on one hand you have a player who is just defending himself because he's been hit in the face and he has no idea what the other person's intent was. But on the other hand players have to be professional and not get physical with fans. As far as I know so far the Comissioner's Office has been silent on this issue but they will probably have to address it at some point.
What's unfortunate is that the more incidents of this nature that there are the more likely it is that one day it won't be so fun to sit in the close seats anymore because there will be high walls, glass barriers or netting to separate the fans from the field, security guards stationed everywhere and lots of other precautions. All because a few jackasses have to ruin everything for the fans who do know how to behave.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)
April 14, 2005
Man Posed as Sports Reporter at Countless Sports Events
This is pretty incredible. Since 1998 at least, Mark Sabia has been a presence at New York area sporting events covering them for a service he called Westchester Cable Services. He's just been arrested on five felony counts of falsifying business records and 16 misdemeanor counts ranging from petit larceny to criminal impersonation by the Queens District Attorney who says that Westchester Cable Services doesn't exist. What's unbelievable is the scale of what he did. He scammed media credentials out of all the New York area sports teams for both regular season and post-season games, was in press boxes and media rooms, was a presence at pre- and post-game interviews and interviewed players for one-on-ones. Only problem was that none of this was actually used as the basis for any real story or distributed to any media outlet though Sabia claims otherwise.
The scary thing is that despite what the MLB spokesman would like us to believe, people posing as members of the media, both as journalists or photographers, or otherwise scamming their way into sporting events of all kinds isn't as rare as it should be. Some will forge credentials either to get press passes or forge the passes themselves. Some just want to say that they've snuck in and beat the system, others are amateur photographers or journalists who want to have covering that type of event on their resume. What worries me is the possiblity that someone could one day scam their way into a press pass for reasons that could ultimately prove harmful to competitors and fans alike. I've already heard about camera equipment and laptops being stolen out of media rooms, I'd hate for anyone to get any ideas to do anything even more criminal. Which is probably why the MLB spokesperson is saying this happens so rarely so no one thinks that it's an easy thing to do. And I would guess that it isn't very easy and involved a large degree of research, hard work and luck to actually scam a press pass. Sabia got away with it was because he was always at these events so no one had any reason to suspect that anything was amiss he had been "covering" the local sports scene for so long.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)
Gary Sheffield - Those Who Use Mental Coaches are "Weak-Minded"
New York Yankees Hire Motivational Coach
Gary Sheffield mouths off yet again and this time I think it's pretty offensive. The New York Yankees, like many other professional sports teams and businesses, hired a motivational coach to work with the players in order to help them become mentally tougher to achieve their goals, or so says the website of the company that said motivational coach works for. Instead of just saying that working with a motivational coach isn't for him, Sheffield had to say, ""I don't believe in it. I think it's for people who are weak-minded. I think there are people who need someone there for them. It's not for me."
So does that mean that Sheffield thinks that anyone who works with a motivational coach, therapist, counselor, or psychologist is just "weak-minded?" As the daughter of a physchologist, who knows many people who have used the services of various kinds of mental coaches from motivational counselors to psychologists, I find Sheffield's comment not only ridiculous but offensive. When someone has psychological issues, whether they are minor or an actual mental illness, resolving it is not a matter of being strong-minded. People often need help dealing with those issues and there's no shame in getting help from others. That's where those who work in the mental health field come in. Obviously, the countless teams and organizations who have motivational coaches and other types of counselors on staff seem some kind of benefit to it and know that it works for their employees or players.
I think in this case Sheffield has no idea what he's talking about and his comments don't reflect very well on himself or on the way he views others.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2005
Orange County Choppers Visits DEI
Today the boys from Orange County Choppers, Paul Teutul, Paul Teutul, Jr., Mikey Teutul and Vinnie DiMartino, visited the #15 shop at DEI with none other than one Michael Waltrip as their tour guide and host. This visit came about because NAPA is now going to be working with OCC, presumably as a sponsor and advertiser on the OCC show on the Discovery Channel. Apparently there will also be ads with the OCC gang and Michael.
I used to enjoy watching OCC but had stopped. However, I'll have to start watching again or at least pay attention enough to know when Michael will be on since the article seemed to indicate the visit was filmed for the show. Perhaps the episode with the visit to DEI will actually be bareable to watch, since not only will Michael be in it, but surely the guys won't be arguing while they're at DEI. Or maybe they will since that's such an ingrained part of their shtick. That's pretty much why I stopped watching because I got sick of every episode pretty much being the same - arguing and yelling.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:02 PM | Comments (0)
Gunman Who Killed "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott Had Previous On-Stage Altercation With Damageplan
In April of 2004, Nathan Gale jumped on stage during a Damageplan show in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the band played he caused $1,800 in damage to lights and equipment as he struggled with police. No charges were ever filed in that incident because the band didn't want to have to return for hearings. Fast forward to December, when Gale jumped on stage and shoot "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott to death and wounded three others.
I had heard rumors about the April incident but at the time no one was confirming anything. Now that it turns out it's true I'm just amazed. Because apparently Gale didn't just up and one day decide to shoot Dimebag. He had an issue with him that was on-going that he had acted on before. Yet no one did anything about it. The hands of the police were tied if the band didn't want to press charges. But what about the people around Gale? His mother knew he was a paranoid schizophrenic. It's certainly not her fault what he did as it can be very difficult to get those who are mentally ill the help that they need but still that he acted out against the band in April in such a dramatic way should have set off some warning bells. Even with the band - Gale was apparently hanging around the band's bus prior to the fateful show in Columbus - didn't anyone recognize him from the previous incident a few months before?
It's just sad how many "if only's" there are as there often are in these kinds of situations. If only charges had been pressed against Gale in April he might have been forced to get help or be in jail. If only the people around him had paid closer attention to some of the warning signs. If only security at the club was different. So many things.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:42 PM | Comments (1)
Previously Unpublished Tennessee Williams Poem Found
A Tennessee Williams scholar stumbled upon an unpublished Williams poem simply by asking the owner of Faulkner House Books in New Orleans if they had any other Williams material other than what they had on display. He was handed photographs and the test booklet. The booklet was from a Greek exam from when Williams was a 25-year old student at Washington University in St. Louis, where the scholar is a professor. The poem titled "Blue Song" reflected Williams depression at the time. Apparently he had lost an English writing competition, was on the verge of failing the Greek class and was experiencing some family problems. Washington University has bought the booklet and poem and the scholar is in the process of trying to get it published.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)
Gaughan to Evernham in 2006?
From Jayski's via Sporting News: Gaughan to Evernham in 2006? Evernham Motorsports is the Dodge mainstay and is expected to add a third car, with Brendan Gaughan, next season.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(4-13-2005)
Ironically after I just posted last night about Brendan Gaughan's new look and the possiblity that he's thumbing his nose at some in the Cup garage comes this item that Brendan might be going back to Cup next season in a third Evernham car. Now this would be an ideal situation for Brendan as Evernham is a strong organization who would surely support him a hundred times more than Penske ever did. There's no question that Brendan can race. Given the right equipment he can win too - all his truck wins are proof of that. Even last season there was evidence that he could race with anyone else up front, only problem was most of those good runs were spoiled by blown engines or the car otherwise falling apart. My only question would be if, as I discussed down below if his individualistic personality is suited for Cup. I would hope that if Evernham signs him for 2006 that he doesn't try to rein Brendan in too much.
However, Nascar as a whole is pretty intolerant of people who try to go against the norm. Michael Waltrip, seems to have one of the more unique personalities among the drivers, which has worked well for him as he's parlayed his off-beat sense of humor into a persona on the various shows he appears on. But even Michael has learned in what situations he can be free-sprited and when he has to toe the line. He is very good at knowing what to say in what situation. But Brendan's personality seems to be on, 100% full-force at all times. Michael seesm to know when he can get away with speaking his mind, which he does a lot more than he is given credit for. However, Michael often gets his points across subtly, rather than stating things outright, which probably wouldn't go over so well. But it's struck me in the past that Brendan just says whatever is on his mind openly, which is a very good quality, but is something that tends to be frowned upon for the drivers who it often seems are expected to be cardboard cutouts of each other. Of course Brendan's willingness to state his opinions freely can get him into trouble too - his ill-advised comments on gambling is a good example of that. There needs to be a balance between stating one's opinions and knowing when it's best to not say certain things or phrase them in a certain way to stay out of trouble.
Sometimes I wonder what the drivers really think. Not what they say because they think it's what the fans, Nascar or their sponsors want to hear. Not what a PR person has coached them to say or outright wrote for them. Which is often how the drivers sound. Sometimes even what they say in Victory Lane after they've just won a race sounds stiff, rehearsed and devoid of a lot of emotion. When I listened to a bunch of drivers and other speak in relation to Shane Hmiel and the fallout from his run-in with Dale Jarrett there were a lot of great comments made but I still couldn't help but wonder what they'd really be saying if they weren't worried about saying the "right" thing all the time.
It's funny because a lot of people love Dale Earnhardt, Jr. because they think he's just like one of them. That he's real all the time and says whatever is on his mind. Yet I often feel like Junior is also speaking through the filter of what he thinks people want to hear from him. Now, with Jade Gurss as his PR person who is so liberal minded and out-spoken himself, there may be more of a willingness to let Junior speak freely. Yet I still feel that Junior presents a persona publically, just as every single one of the other drivers do. And you have to wonder with how influential Junior is because of the huge fan base he has how much Nascar tries to get him to say what they want him to say (or his sponsors, or DEI, or any number of other people) to get their preferred message out. Of course in thinking about that of course that happens because these drivers are acting as spokespeople for their sponsors, their sport and their teams. Which of course leads you back to wondering about how much of what the drivers really say is what they actually believe.
In addition, in terms of the driver's images and personas some of that is created by the public relations and marketing teams for the teams and sponsors. They decide upon the way they want to present, promote and market the driver as if he was a product just like the goods and services that the sponsors are pushing. So what you see isn't always what you get because it's sometimes a creation of the machine that sells the drivers and the sport. In essence I think it's hard to tell sometimes what's real and what's not. There's very much a "show" aspect to Nascar and people are very aware of doing and not doing certain things publically. Which means that people can't really fully express themselves as openly or as freely as they might like.
So the point of all this rambling? It will be interesting to see how Brendan does in another go-around in Cup.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
Leeann Tweeden a Liar?
A couple of months ago I discussed how Leeann Tweeden from The Best Damn Sports Show appeared on a radio station and talked about going out drinking and to a strip club with Nascar drivers Hermie Sadler, Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett. Well, now Elliott was on the same radio station and was asked about that outing and he claims that it never happened. So my question is why would Leeann make this story up? Or if it really did happen why would Elliott be denying it now (other than because his brother and Jarrett are married. Not that anything necessarily happened but it doesn't sound good a night out at a strip club with Leeann and her friend). The whole thing is very peculiar to me. It's not unusual for two people to have completely different versions of events, but there is a pretty radical difference between "We all went out to a strip club" and "I'd never hang out with her," which is apparently essentially what Elliott said.
Way too many times to cite each one I've discussed in this space the importance of good journalistic ethics and integrity. Leeann doesn't really cover hard news so the standards for her type of reporting is much less. Still, she is a member of the media and as such I think it's a problem that she might be a liar. If her night out with Elliot is a lie, what else might she be lying about either on Best Damn Sport Show or in interviews? If she really did make the whole story up you have to question everything else she's said too.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:54 AM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2005
Brendan Gaughan Has an Interesting Look These Days
I just saw a photo of Brendan Gaughan that someone posted over at SPC and Brendan is starting to bear a startling resemblance to Johnny Damon. I hate commenting on the drivers looks or the players for that matter except in a joking way because I don't think the way they look has any bearing on how they race or play the game. However, in this case I'm going to make an exception because I find the change in Brendan's appearance from when he went to Cup last season to now somewhat interesting.
Brendan is a character and it's likely that his unique personality clashed with the stifling and conservative atmosphere in the Cup garage. Which is probably why he's back in the trucks where he can say and do virtually anything he wants not just because there's less of a spotlight on the truck drivers but also because he's the general manager at Orleans Racing. Who's going to tell him no? Actually now that Brendan is back in Las Vegas no one is going to tell him no there either considering how prominent his family is in Vegas due to their long-time involvement in the Casino business. I've always wondered if there was friction between Brendan and some in the Cup garage because in the truck series and in Las Vegas he was used to being a big fish who could do as he pleased but in Cup he was the little fish surrounded by much bigger fish. I just can't imagine someone who is used to be in a position of power in a way due to his family and their business being able to easily kow-tow to others, particularly since he likes to say whatever's on his mind all the time. Brendan probably had a great deal of trouble conforming to the sometimes restrictive expectations in the Cup garage area in terms of behavior and acceptable ways of expressing opinions.
But back to the way Brendan is looking these days. He seems to have gained weight, he's grown his hair pretty long and hasn't shaved for a while. That look is pretty unusual even in the truck series because appearances do count in Nascar, even in a series where there is less attention focused on the drivers. Sponsors want their drivers to get results on the track but also be well-spoken and look good too. Obviously Jasper Motorsports has no problem with the way Brendan looks but I suspect another sponsor might not be so pleased with the unkempt look. No matter how outgoing Brendan's personality is or what a great guy he is that look just isn't going to translate well in ads or on TV, when people judge and make assumptions on the basis of what someone looks like.
Brendan is a free-spirit who is probably having a lot of fun growing this look. Yet at the same time it's eye-catching and I can't help but wonder if subconsiously that's exactly the point. Is he trying to thumb his nose at the Nascar "establishment?" Maybe so. Get their attention and send a message that like it or not he's going to do things exactly his way. Maybe. I can only speculate on the "whys" but I find it very intriguing just as I find all aspects of human behavior and the motivations behind why people do the things they do interesting.
I applaud Brendan's individuality and his insistance that he's going to do exactly what he wants, what other people think be damned. That is the way I've always tried to be as much as I can, though I don't always have the freedom like Brendan does to express myself completely the way I want without having to worry about the consequences. I'd wonder if in the long-run going too crazy with this look is going to cause problems for him but what does Brendan have to lose? Brendan will always have a ride through Orleans and he sure doesn't have to race for the money.
Since I don't know Brendan, only met him the one time, it's impossible to know for sure why he's doing the things that he's doing but it will be interesting to see how far he takes this look.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Sculpture
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, 2002. Now here's a place I'm really anxious to get back to so I can take more photos there. Outdoor sculpture gardens are a great place to take some cool photos.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:44 PM | Comments (0)
MGM Mirage to Build New Casino In Las Vegas
Two Soaring Towers to Be Located on the Strip
MGM Mirage has hired a well-known architect to design a new 4,000 room hotel/casino which will eventually be located on the strip between the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo, both properties owned by MGM Mirage, as part of a $4.7 billion project. Yes, that's billion. Apparently both towers of this hotel/casino, which they would like to open in 2009, will be made entirely of glass to give guests great views of the strips and the desert around Vegas. I can only imagine how extravagant it will be. Yet another sign of how much money flows in and out of those casinos that another large hotel/casino will be built there.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
Jorge Piedra Says Positive Test Due to Use of Painkillers
Yesterday Jorge Piedra from the Colorado Rockies' organization was suspended for ten days for testing positive under MLB's drug policy for performance enhancers. Piedra claims that his positive test was a result of something that was in painkillers he took for hamstring and ankle problems. Bud Selig then said, ""It's unfortunate. I'm afraid this probably won't be the last one." So let me get this straight - a player tests positive for something which they were taking legally and had every right to take to treat a medical condition and they still have to serve a suspension? It would be one thing if Piedra was making a claim that he couldn't back up but Selig's comment appears to indicate that he is acknowledging that Piedra is telling the truth.
Now of course Selig shouldn't just take a player's word for it that there's a good reason why they tested positive. But in that case there should be a doctor who perscribed those painkillers to Piedra. Shouldn't there be provisions for players who are going to test positive because they might have to take something for medical reasons that is on the banned list as a performance enhancer? Unless Piedra wasn't supposed to be taking that kind of painkillers in the first place. I can't help but wonder if Piedra and others like him might be used by Selig or the Player's Union as a way to try and soften the policy by trying to get that clause back in about the suspension being at the Commmissioner's discretion that they were forced to remove after the hearing in front of Congress. The problem with that is that Selig could use that clause to not suspend players at his discretion that might be embarassing for baseball such as a Manny Ramirez or an Alex Rodriguez. (No, I don't think either of those players use steroids, just examples of popular players that Selig might want to exclude.) But perhaps there should be an independent appeals committee that could prevent players from having to be suspended for false positives or for legitamitely using substances they tested positive for.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)
Yankees Watch Red Sox Ring Ceremony
But Ring Ceremony Still Not Enough To Wake Yankees Up
Yesterday prior to a game with the Yankees, the Red Sox received their World Series rings in a ceremony held on the field. There was much debate prior to the game about whether or not the Yankees would watch from the dugout. I figured they wouldn't because of the timing of the ceremony which was right after the Yankees finished batting practice because that was really the only time they had to get ready for the game. Joe Torre however, had said that he planned on watching the ceremony. From time to time Torre will have team meetings such as during spring training to set out his expectations for the upcoming season but for the most part Torre leds by example rather than by telling his players what to do. So in the back of my mind I did wonder if he was trying to send a message to his players by publically saying that he would be sitting in the dugout watching.
Well, as it turned out every single Yankee was in that dugout on the top step watching the Red Sox get their rings alongside of Torre. Not only that but in a sign of respect the players clapped for the Red Sox as they got their rings. No one, not Torre or Bud Selig, had to tell the Yankees to do any of this. They simply did it. It's been said by others but the word "class" is thrown around a lot by fans in reference to certain players or teams. But that was truly a classy move by the Yankees. Out of all the teams, the Yankees truly understand what it takes to win the World Series and how hard it really is. So they know the meaning of those rings. I think it really says something about Joe Torre and his players that they were standing there showing their respect for the Red Sox, in spite of how heated the rivalry is.
But seeing that ring ceremony didn't wake the Yankees out of the early stupor they seem to be in. Yesterday's game featured more lifeless play, more errors, a continued lack of production at the plate and more poor pitching. I can handle when players make errors or have a slump at the plate or on the mound. No player is perfect or can produce in every situation. But what really bothers me is when it seems to be a team-wide malaise as what we're seeing with the Yankees thus far. It's super-early in the season so there's no reason to be overly concerned but still I don't really like what I'm seeing from this team right now. Ultimately they should be fine but seeing the Red Sox get their rings should have given the team extra motivation to do everything they could to win and that didn't seem to be there yesterday.
Mike Mussina definitely didn't have his "A" game yesterday either. Seven runs on seven hits, three walks and a HPB in five innings is not good. Last start the umpire was squeezing Mussina so it was understandable that he had some problems. But yesterday there didn't seem to be any of that. What may very well have happened is that Mussina was unsettled by having to wait around for the game to start when it was suppossed to given the clean-up from the ring ceremony and that threw him off considering how married to his routine he is. Mussina is one of my favorite Yankees but if there's one thing I wish he would change a bit is how hard it is for him to adjust to any change in routine. Of course after this long and with how much success he's had in the past it's unlikely he's going to become less rigid in this way but if he ever did he might have it easier at times.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2005
Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill
Haven't had one of these for a while... (Quote of the day that is)
"It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." So said Winston Churhill in relation to Russa one day long ago. But that quote could certainly cover any number of situations including the puzzling one that presents itself to me now.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
Last week I blogged about Mitch Albom, The Detroit Free Press reporter who fabricated events for a column he did about the NCAA basketball tournament. At the time Albom had simply apologized for what he did and it appeared that nothing more would happen. However, unlike the Boston Herald who choose to ignore their own problem with a staff member who didn't practice good journalistic ethics/standards, the Free Press's editor had harsh words about this incident and there will be an internal investigation as to how this column was allowed to be printed when any number of people from Albom to his editors knew he wrote about something that didn't happen yet. And as it turned out never happened period. Most are expecting that Albom will be fired and I agree that the Free Press might not have any choice but to do that particularly if any other problems turn up in his previous columns. It's a shame because he's a very well-regarded and respected sports writer who had published a number of books.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
Dallas Marverick's Owner Mark Cuban Has His Own Blog and Isn't Afraid to Use It
Mark Cuban Uses Blog to Correct Inaccuracies
Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks, has had a blog for a while now and as one might imagine from someone who has gotten into trouble with the NBA for some of his comments, he is highly opinionated and doesn't hold back in his blog. He's gone so far as to call for Jim Gray from ABC to be fired and called another reporter "clueless." It's interesting how Cuban is using his blog. Often you won't see people like him speak freely without making sure to run it by a PR person and make it as non-confrontational and nonoffensive as possible. But not Cuban. He's going to say exactly what's on his mind, regardless of who it might upset. While I'm never a fan of people calling others "clueless" or saying that others should be fired, particularly when it's over differences of opinion, I admire Cuban's willingness to try to correct what he sees as inaccuracies and state his opinions exactly as he sees them.
I haven't had the chance to read his blog in depth as of yet but based on what I have read it appears to be pretty well-written too. His entires are long and well-thought out. So while I'm not an NBA fan I will have to make his blog a periodical stop because it appears that he writes on some interesting topics.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)
XM and AOL Form Partnership
Will Offer Online Radio Stations
AOL and XM Satellite radio have announced that they are forming a partnership in which they will offer 200 web-based radio stations which will broadcast in CD quality, which people can subscribe to for $5 a month. Apparently AOL users will be able to access the stations for free and if the XM stations are the same as those they currently have presumably their subscribers won't be charged extra to access those as well. This will be a win-win for both companies since AOL desperately needs to do something to try to stem the tide of defecting subscribers so this is a little extra that they can offer to try and get some people to stick around. For XM it gives them access to a lot of people who could become potential subscribers to their full Satellite radio services if they like what they hear online. Since XM already broadcasts their music channels online it's not like they have to start from scratch with any of this either.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2005
Photo of the Day - Jeff Gordon
Dover, Del., September, 2004. Jeff Gordon walking through the garage area in Dover. I might have posted this pic of Jeff before or maybe another one from Dover - I was lucky enough to see him a few times. When Brooke asked me which driver other than Michael that I wanted to meet I should have said Jeff given how hard it is for fans to get close to him but my mind went blank and all I could think of was Kevin Harvick and Brendan Gaughan. Both of those guys were awesome but I'll probably never have an opportunity to meet Jeff again.
All the drivers are just swarmed by fans no matter where they are but Jeff and Dale, Jr. really get it the worst of anyone. I can't imagine how these guys put up with it all the time. Jim and I just sat by Michael's hauler and watched not wanting to be part of the chaos. But unfortunately a lot of fans have no problem chasing after their favorite drivers for autographs. On one hand I can understand it because they want their "moment" with their favorite drivers but on the other hand I just hate how much the drivers are pulled in every direction and don't have one moment of piece when they're in public. Jeff is one of my favorite drivers and I just couldn't see myself chasing after him. I was perfectly happy just getting a few photos.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)
Jeff Gordon Comes From Three Laps Down to Win at Martinsville
What a great win by Jeff Gordon! He goes three laps down early in the race due to some problems with one of the wheels but both he and the team never gave up and eventually get all three laps back. But he doesn't stop once he's back on the lead lap, he ends up working his way into the top ten, then the top five and finally he won! That was just so amazing to see and it really shows what kind of a driver Gordon is that he was able to do that. The win is even more special because it comes at Martinsville because of the tragedy there last fall. That Gordon won really meant a lot to Rick Hendrick and everyone else at Hendrick Motorsports as well as the families of all those who lost their lives. The only miscue Gordon made in this race was when he got into Kurt Busch. He definitely could have let up in that situation but at least he apologized to Kurt after the race.
Sadly, yet again it was a dreadful race for Michael Waltrip. What does this man have to do to get a little luck? First there's a cut tire, then Jeff Green spins him which pretty much ruins the car, then Green gets him again. On top of that there were all sorts of radio problems which meant that Michael could hear his team but they couldn't hear anything he was saying. I guess out of frustration Michael ended up spinning Green, which led to a rare warning from Nascar to Michael. I can certainly understand Michael's frustration today. It has to be such an awful feeling to be just making laps out there yet again. He ended up finishing 30th and drops to 30th in the points. Not a very good day but hopefully Texas next week will bring better results.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)
Not Feeling Too Sorry For Bosco on Third Watch
Last night Jim and I got around to watching Friday's episode of Third Watch. In it, Jason's Wiles' character Bosco accidentally shoots his partner Monroe in his first day back in a patrol car after his recovery from being shot in the head. Monroe survived but she was pregnant and her baby didn't. Of course Bosco is completely torn up about the whole thing and there were lots of dramatic scenes of Bosco being upset, which is sure to please many of his fans who love to see him suffer. Well, I'm not feeling too sorry for Bosco considering he had an issue with his vision and knew that he wasn't really ready to be back on the street yet couldn't bare the thought of not being back at work so returned to active duty anyway. I guess the producers/writers want us to see Bosco as this poor tortured guy and feel so sorry for him that he shot Monroe and caused her to lose his baby. But Bosco had a choice and if he was still experiencing vision problems he made the wrong choice given that his job involves a lot of risk for himself and others.
There was also another pretty big goof-up on Third Watch in that in some scenes it was raining and in others it was a beautiful sunny day. But these scenes were supposed to be taking part at the same time in different parts of the city. With as dark, dreary and rainy as it was in some scenes no way could it be a perfect clearly day just a few miles away with no sign that it had ever rained or ever will rain. Just not very believable.
Nor did I care for the way that they had Davis get a blow-job on a stakeout from a woman he didn't realize was a hooker and then at the end of the show he runs to Monroe's side, the woman he's treated like garbage for some time. Increasingly Davis has been written like a real jerk and the scene with the hooker really capped that off for me. Monroe never told him about their baby and I guess this will be the way for them to resolve their differences in the face of their shared grief but the whole thing just didn't sit well with me. Particularly the way they had this character, who is supposed to be such a great cop, think nothing of getting a blow-job from a random woman, when he's on a stakeout.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2005
Photo of the Day - Valley of Fire State Park
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. January, 2005. This isn't actually what I wanted to post as a photo of the day but since I've never been to Arches National Park this will have to do as the stone of the formations at Valley of Fire is similar to those of some of the arches at Arches National Park. I've seen some photos from Arches National Park over the past few weeks which I've absolutely loved and it's just really made me want to go there even more than previously. Which was a lot to begin with!
I might have mentioned in a previous entry on Valley of Fire but the red of those formations is caused by iron levels in the stone.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Vaccaro Book Signing at Yogi Berra Museum
Today Jim and I went to Mike Vaccaro's book signing and discussion at the Yogi Berra Museum. Vaccaro is a reporter at the New York Post and wrote a new book on the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, titled "Emperors and Idiots: The Hundred Year Rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox, From the Very Beginning to the End of the Curse." The cool thing is that Jim is actually in the book in a few places! Vaccaro used Jim and NYYFans.com as a resource as he was writing the book. So Jim's story about his experience at the amazing ALCS game seven from 2003 between the Yankees and Red Sox is in the book as well as some other quotes. You too can find out the role that sweet tart candies played in that amazing win by the Yankees via a Aaron Boone homerun! But it's so awesome that Jim (and a few others from NYYFans) are in the book!
Vaccaro spoke well and answered a lot of great audience questions about the rivalry and the teams in general. I thought it was interesting about how he asked current players about the rivalry and he said they had a hard time articulating how they feel about it. Well, based on what they said it sounds more like they were being politically correct as they said stuff like "It's just another game to us." Yeah, right! Not when you have the Red Sox mouthing off about how much they can't stand A-Rod. (Which Vaccaro credits to A-Rod, who he says is a very intelligent guy, speaking without thinking and making some comments that didn't go over well.) But when Vaccaro spoke to Yogi about the rivalry he had plenty to say including a classic Yogi line: "You don't know what it's like to play in the rivalry unless you play in the rivalry." Vaccaro will be doing a Q&A over at NYYFans so he will probably have some other interesting things to say at that point too.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)
Randy Johnson's Teammates Bail Him Out
The Yankees beat the Orioles today 8-5 but for a while it wasn't looking too good because Randy Johnson struggled in his second start in pinstripes. Over six innings Johnson gave up five runs, four of them earned, on eight hits. But thanks to a double by Hideki Matsui, who is absolutely on fire to start the season, to tie the game up and a three-run homerun by Ruben Sierra to put the Yankees ahead for good, RJ was off the hook. It was also a good day for Alex Rodriguez who had three hits and an RBI as well as Jason Giambi who hit a solo homerun. Giambi hit a very long foul ball during last night's game that came within inches of being homerun so I had a feeling he would be hitting one for real soon so it was good to see that happen today.
Not everyone is thrilled with Sierra being on the team. I have to admit that I'd like to see someone other than Sierra or Bubba Crosby as the back-up infielders. But Sierra can still hit and today's homerun is an indication of why he is on the roster. What got me in today's game was Tino Martinez coming in to run for Jason Giambi. That is really an indication of how slow Giambi is since Martinez is extremely slow himself. But Tino stayed in to play first base in the later innings of the game and that will probably be a familar pattern as Tino is much better defensively at first that Giambi.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)
Shane Hmiel: Winning Friends and Influencing People Yet Again
Musgrave, Spencer Have Words for Hmiel
I never got around to blogging about it but Shane Hmiel was fined, docked points and placed on probation for "actions detrimental" after last Monday's incident with Dale Jarrett. Hmiel was penalized for giving Jarrett the finger on live TV and that didn't go over well with his fellow drivers who aren't too pleased that their favorite way of letting other drivers know that they are displeased with them during a race may now be a no-no. On top of that Hmiel's lack of respect for a veteran driver and his rough driving during that race didn't go unnoticed either. So with that in mind one would think that Hmiel would go to great lengths to make sure that he tones things down a little and flys under everyone's radar. But that's exactly the opposite of what he did today.
Hmiel didn't do anything that will get him further penalties from Nascar but he did continue to drive very aggressively. In fact so aggressively that Nascar warned him to lay off. And after the race Jimmy Spencer and Ted Musgrave, both of whom are veteran drivers, expressed their displeasure with how Hmiel raced them during the race. Well, making more enemies is exactly what Hmiel doesn't need right now. Not that he shouldn't be racing hard but it would be in his best interest to make sure that he doesn't piss any more drivers off. Instead he's got two more drivers taking issue with the way he's racing them.
Just yesterday Hmiel released a very apologetic statement regarding the incident with Jarrett. And it rang very hollow, as did his his remarks on Nascar Nation. Right now they're doing damage control for Hmiel but it's going to take a lot more than his public relations people writing some statements for him. It especially looks bad when he says those things and then goes right back to driving like he doesn't give a hoot about Nascar, who just put him on probation, or his fellow drivers. Surely, he must be capable of driving one race very carefully and keeping a low profile. Or maybe not based on today's race.
If Hmiel is unwilling to change his approach and unwilling to listen to some of the good advice that is coming his way, both directly and indirectly via all the numerous comments that have been made by Cup drivers about him he's going to have some serious problems in the future. Does he not realize that being the talk of the garage area like this, for negative reasons isn't a good thing? Particularly for a driver who will forever be linked with drug use. There are some things that even his father won't be able to help him with if he angers enough people. Hmiel really makes me nervous that if he doesn't change his attitude and approach there may be even more serious incidents on the horizon for him. Kind of like Milton Bradley in baseball.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)
More Bad Luck For Steve Park and Orleans Racing
So Martinsville didn't treat Steve Park and Orleans Racing any better than Atlanta did. More bad karma once again. For the second race in a row the #77 of Brendan Gaughan failed to qualify for the race. That's pretty bad considering Brendan and his team tested at Martinsville just last week or the week before. At that time Brendan said that Martinsville has never been one of his better tracks so perhaps that played a role. Then Steve's #62 truck was just awful during the race and he couldn't do anything with it. On top of that there were two problems in the pits, a tangle with Ted Musgrave and an air gun hose got caught in the truck which led to repeated pit stops and caused Steve to go laps down.
I'd love to really know all of what exactly happend to Steve's truck in today's race but since Speed barely said anything about him during the broadcast and not suprisingly there were no post-race notes (no pre-race notes either that I could find) we might just only have the race reports of fans to go on once they get back. Already someone has said that Steve was very frustrated with the truck and didn't understand how the truck could be so good in practice but so poor in the race. I don't remember the truck being so great in practice, it seemed mid-pack in terms of speed at best, but perhaps it handled great even if the speed wasn't there. Another person said that Steve kicked the truck when he got out of it - wish someone got a photo of that!
I'd really love to know about what happened in the pits especially. It's a tight pit road at Martinsville so it's crucial that the spotters and the crew chiefs really give their drivers a lot of help going in and out of the pit stalls to avoid problems. Unfortunately it appears there was a problem with Ted Musgrave and Steve. No idea what the details are though since Speed didn't show it but I would have liked to have seen it. I can't quite remember but I'm curious as to whether that was the same pit stop as the one in which the air gun hose somehow got collected when Steve left the pit. That necessitated him having to come in again. If it was the same pit stop I wonder if either the crew or Steve were flustered because of having gotten into Musgrave or they were paying so much attention to the air gun hose problem that they made the miscue with Musgrave. Might never know. I don't think the problem with Musgrave effected either truck as Ted had a top ten finish and Steve's truck wasn't too great regardless.
When you look at the season for Orleans Racing overall, other than Steve's awesome win of course, it's really not that great. It's still very early so I'm sure things will turn around for them but so far other than the win, there's been wrecks, engine problems, failures to qualify and other assorted problems. For an organization like Orleans, particularly since they have a primary sponsor for one of those trucks so there is some sponsor dollars coming in, that's just not very good. Expectations are higher for Orleans Racing as they are a strong organization with a lot of resources. Again, it's very early but Steve should be in the hunt for the championship right now given his win not 16th in points. 16th isn't bad by any means but I just would have liked to have seen some momentum carry over from his win and that hasn't happened yet.
ETA: Another person who just returned from the race said that the air gun hose issue came because there was a cross up with the jackman. That's really unfortunate because problems with the pit crew cost Orleans last season at times and it appeared that problem raised it's ugly head again this season. No team is perfect so there are always going to be some mistakes but I just hope they sort out whatever communication problems there might be so it doesn't happen again. Unfortunately I can imagine what the chain of events were for Steve once that problem happened especially hearing he asked for his shoes and stuff to be ready right after the race so he could get the hell out of there. Yeah, that's a guy who's not feeling too great about things. Not a good mindset to be in, especially since the next race isn't until the end of the month.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)
April 08, 2005
Photo of the Day - Baby Squirrel
Kearny, New Jersey, 2002. Baby squirrel. I'm not a fan of squirrels when they're grown but they sure are cute as babies.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
Sterling Marlin Most Likely Out of the #40 After 2005
From Jayski's: Marlin doesn't expect to be back with Ganassi in 2006: #40-Sterling Marlin said Friday he is "99.9% certain" that he won't be back with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2006 Nextel Cup season...(David Poole/ThatsRacin.com)(4-8-2005)
I heard an interview Marlin did which was played on XM in which he pretty much confirmed this. It's true that the results for Marlin haven't been great as of late but I hate to see another veteran lose their ride. But what bothers me the most is that the decision has apparently already been made without giving Marlin a chance to show what he can do this season. I don't like that. So no matter how well he finishes in the points he's most likely out. It's so early in the season. What if he finishes in the Chase for the Championship? That's probably not likely but I think organizations should evaluate based on a larger sample size than just a few races. Of course Ganassi is probably salivating over the possiblity of getting a young gun in the #40, though they will have to be careful about just exactly how young if they are going to retain Coors as a sponsor, which they might not.
What also bothers me is that Marlin said in his interview that Ganassi hasn't directly said anything to him about it but people around him have. They were apparently supposed to speak in Nashville but never did so Marlin is left having to track him down to find out what the story is. Ganassi should be approaching Marlin directly to discuss things, not have his "people" make hints. On one hand a driver knowing this far in advance that they are out for the following year gives them plenty of time to try and find a new ride. But on the other hand it can't do much for that driver's confidence. It also opens up the possiblity that the driver will be removed from their ride prior to the end of the season and I would not be surprised to see that happen to Marlin unless he's pretty high in the points.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
Massacre in Rio de Janerio, Brazil
30 People Killed Randomly by Death Squad
Death Squads made up of former or current off-duty police officers are apparently fairly common place in Rio. They are paid by local businessmen to "take care" of certain matters for them. It's insane to think that the way these death squads operate are pretty much accepted in Rio. But last week a death squad upset that eight of their fellow police officers were arrested for dumping the bodies of two local criminals outside a police station went on a rampage killing 30 people at random. 30 people! And they apparently thought that they could get away with it because they had been killing others for so long. But they didn't get away with it - 12 current or former police officers have been arrested so far and eight have been charged with murder.
What's even more amazing is that apparently this story has gotten little attention even in Rio. Until the Yahoo story above about how this massacre has gone unnoticed I had heard nothing about it but that's not surprising because often news from other countries doesn't get too much attention from the media in this country. But because the massacre happened in one of Rio's slums and at the same time as the Pope's death, there has been little concern about it, even in Brazil. Pretty sad that it appears that human life, particularly those who are poor, means so little to so many. The brutal deaths of 30 people, regardless of what social class they belong to, should concern people. Perhaps if it did the death squads in Rio wouldn't have so much freedom to operate.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
April 07, 2005
Headrush Email
So today I got this automated email and somehow I'm on an email list for the band, Headrush, which is the band the lead singer from Splendor is now in. The only thing is I never signed up to be on this list so I have no idea where they got my email address from or knew I'd be interested. Long ago I signed up for some sort of message board or something related to Splendor so I can only guess that that's where they got my email address from. I actually would like to keep updated on what's going on with Waymon and Headrush but at the same time I don't particularly like getting added to email lists without my permission.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Ogunquit
Ogunquit, Maine. July, 2004. Another shot from the abnormally low tide at sunrise. Oh, did I have to get up early to get these shots!
Posted by silverdsl at 11:32 PM | Comments (0)
Nascar Says: We Do Test for Drugs!
From Jayski's (in part): More on Drugs and NASCAR: NASCAR confirmed Wednesday that it has issued 40 to 45 drug tests during the past two years, a figure that includes multiple tests for some individuals. NASCAR only drug tests individuals based on reasonable suspicion that they are abusing a drug. Jim Hunter, NASCAR spokesman, said that Shane Hmiel has been tested 12 to 15 times since he was reinstated in February 2004. NASCAR suspended Hmiel on Sept. 18, 2003, for violation of the series’ substance abuse policy.
So in response to some rumbling from Congress about their drug testing policy, which I think is a laughable policy for a sport in which it is essential that the participants are not under the influence of anything, Nascar said that over the past two years they have conducted 40-45 drug tests. Look see, they're trying to say. We do test for drugs! Only thing is that when you look at the next sentance which says that Shane Hmiel alone has been tested 10-15 times it's entirely possible that 40-45 drug tests only encompasses a few people. Which is not enough in my opinion. There should be random testing of every driver and maybe even the pit crews as well to ensure that no one is engaging in what is a very risky sport while they're impaired. That Hmiel was suspended for such a short period of time is laughable too.
In addition, more than likely Nascar isn't testing for performance enhancers which should be happening at least with the pit crews who are the ones who would benefit the most from those substances.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)
Detroit Free Press Reporter Writes About Events That Never Happened
More Than Just an Apology Required
Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press interviewed two NBA players who said that they intended on flying in to watch their alma mater, Michigan State University, play in the NCAA final four on Saturday. So he wrote a column on Friday that appeared in the paper on Sunday which described the two of them at the game, in the stands in MSU gear and even how they flew in to get to the game. Only one problem. Neither player ended up attending the game. And even if they had the entire column would have still been a huge lie because Albom made up the entire thing from thin air, based on his interviews with those two players, rather than having seen it himself.
That's appalling. Not only did Albom make up the events that formed the basis of his column, his editors knowingly published it. There is no way that those editors couldn't have know it was false considering the column was written on Friday for a game that hadn't taken place yet. It makes one wonder how much else has been in Albom's column, or the paper in general, that has been made up? Sure, it makes for a great column that these two players love MSU so much that they are going to drop everything to attend the game but that's the kind of story that should be written after it's confirmed that they actually went to the game. Albom talks about making assumptions - well, you know what they say about assuming things...
Posted by silverdsl at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)
Jason Wiles Has Plans After Third Watch
From the above article: THE COMMUTERS (CBS) - Jason Wiles ("Third Watch") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about three couples in the suburbs, the husbands of which all commute together each day on the train to New York City. No details were available about his character in the project, which also stars Jeri Ryan, David Arquette, Christine Taylor and Johnathon Schaech. Dan Bucatinsky and Michael Taylor are executive producing the pilot, which is set up at Paramount Network Television with Stephen Kay directing from a script by Bucatinsky.
Sounds a lot different from Third Watch, that's for sure. In fact, it doesn't sound very interesting in the least, unless they're planning to give it some sort of Desperate Housewifes-esque twist. Over on Television Without Pity someone thought that it didn't reflect well on Wiles for getting another show so quickly I guess because it made his claim when he annouced that he was leaving the show about wanting to spend more time with his family seem like BS. I don't understand that - is Wiles supposed to not work at all? Apparently the show tapes in L.A. where Wiles' family lives as opposed to New York where Third Watch was filmed. Even if it taped somewhere other than L.A. doesn't the man have the right to take roles that appeal to him? I'm sure he will look back at the time he spent on Third Watch fondly but I think it was too much to expect that he was going to be in mourning over leaving and the overall demise of the show and never work again.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)
Hurricane Restaurant to Close Ogunquit Location
Will Concentrate on Kennebunkport Location
For fourteen years, the Hurricane Restaurant had a location in Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine. But now due to not being able to afford a new lease they will be closing that location and concentrating all their efforts on their Kennepunkport restaurant. That's a shame because Jim and I really enjoyed eating at the restaurant in Perkins Cove. I remember we had a window seat looking out over the ocean and it was beautiful. The food was excellent as well. However, it was a smaller restaurant than the one in Kennebunkport, which we also dined at, so I imagine the profits might not be quite as much as from that location in Dock Square. I wouldn't be surprised to see them open a new Hurricane restaurant somewhere else as both locations were extremely popular.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)
April 06, 2005
Mariano Rivera Blows His Fourth Straight Save Against the Red Sox
Although the Yankees won the series against the Red Sox, they lost today's game 7-3 and it was a game they should have won if not for Mariano Rivera blowing his second save in two days against the Sox. Granted he had some help today from Alex Rodriguez who booted a ball, but ultimately Mariano cost the Yankeed today's game. Not only was it the second blown save in two games for Mariano but it's the fourth straight blown save for him against the Red Sox dating back to last season's horrifying, if you're a Yankee fan, ALCS. Over the course of his career Mariano has blown more saves against the Red Sox than any other team that he's faced and at this point I think it indicates there might be a problem.
Overall, I have supreme confidence in Mariano's ability to close games for the Yankees. Despite the fact that he is getting older and is surely starting to decline, Mariano still remains one of the most dominant closers in the game. However, it's a different story when he faces the Red Sox. I no longer have the confidence I once did when Mariano takes the mound against the Red Sox. For whatever reason the Sox seem to have him figured out and that spells disaster against a division rival.
So what's the solution? I wish I knew. Joe Torre is going to continue to have to use Mariano because he is the closer. Torre would also never do anything that reflects a lack of confidence in Mariano. He is fiercely loyal to his players, particularly those veterans who have played for him for a long time. In addition, Mariano has accomplished a tremendous amount in pinstripes. I just can't imagine Torre going to someone else in the 9th inning against the Red Sox. Yet, it's apparently not a sure thing anymore that Mariano will be able to seal the deal against the Sox.
Some fans booed Mariano today when he left the mound after blowing the save. While I would never boo a player and I don't like when it happens I can understand why some fans felt like booing Mariano. This is the second blown save in a row for him in a game against the hated division rival. This series, and the rivalry in general, is hyped to such a degree that it probably feels very personal to a lot of fans. So they take it hard when what they probably felt was a sure sweep by the Yankees disappears before their eyes.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)
Nikko Smith Gets Voted Off of American Idol
Apparently I was wrong. America voted and it appears that domestic violence is perfectly fine as long as one can sing well as Scott Savol, who was arrested for throwing a phone at the mother of his child, is safe for another week. Instead Nikko Smith, son of Ozzie Smith was voted off. Not that Nikko was great last night but I figured that voters would be horrified by the fact that the AI producers kept Savol on the show in spite of that arrest, despite giving the boot to others who were arrested or involved in a scandal. They claim that it's because Savol was up-front about his arrest but it still seems to me that an arrest for something as serious as domestic violence wouldn't be what either producers or voters would want associated with American Idol.
Last night's theme was Broadway and I thought overall the contestants did a very poor job. Just like last week I think the song selections were pretty weak. Of course due to issues with getting the rights to certain songs they are probably somewhat limited as to what they can perform but still there must be a pretty decent variety of songs they can choose from. Yet there were very few upbeat, energetic songs and they seemed to all sound the same. Which wasn't very good. At the rate they're going instead of choosing who sings the best it's going to be who doesn't sound the worst. This season's contestants really are disappointing thus far which is pretty unbelievable since I actually think a lot of them might have decent voices, they just aren't putting their talent to full use.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)
Photo of the Day - Rose
Elizabeth Park, West Hartford, CT. June, 2002. I can't remember posting any flower photos lately but now that Spring is here it seems appropriate. It was a beautiful day today, on the warm side for a change so blooming flowers can't be far behind! Hopefully, I'll be getting to take some rose photos this year once they start coming up.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:20 AM | Comments (0)
Archeologists Discover Ancient Mayan Saltworks
Under the water near Belize, archeologists have found 41 salt production works that were apparently used by the ancient Mayans. Apparently four had been known previously in the area but not the 41 just discovered which indicate that salt was mass-produced there and then shipped upstream by canoe. I've blogged about other discoveries by archeologists in this space and I continue to be amazed by how much continues to be uncovered and found!
Posted by silverdsl at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2005
Steve Park Answers My Questions
So over on Steve Park's website they gave fans the opportunity to send in questions for him to answer on the site. And the question that I sent in got answered:
How long do drivers hold grudges aganist each other for incidents on the track? How hard is it or how do you keep your emotions in check and keep your focus after an incident on the track with another driver or something goes wrong during a pit stop or you get penalized by NASCAR?
Steve's Answer: Drivers don't hold grudges, whatever happens in one race, needs to be over by the next week. It is hard to contain your emotions in the heat of battle, especially if a decision or a mistake costs you and your team valuable positions.
Much as I figured that it would be if the question got answered is a very PC, carefully worded answer. Steve has a very good nature and is very easy-going in general so perhaps he lets things go that happen on the track in terms of when he feels wronged by other drivers easier than others. But I believe many of his fellow drivers hold grudges a lot longer than Steve says he does (or says they should). Consider a recent discussion on Inside Nextel Cup in which the guys said that drivers keep a running list of drivers who have wronged them and when the opportunity presents itself, usually far enough down the road that Nascar isn't paying attention, they will look for payback.
Then there's this interesting blog entry from Mike Davis, one of Dale Earnhardt, Junior's PR people: Junior Never Forgets . In that entry Davis talks about how Junior said (in part) "It makes you so mad you don't forget, and at some point you'll have the opportunity to pay them back. I can name you every time I've been wrecked, and the people who caused 'em." Then Davis went on to say that Junior named wrecks going back to his Busch days and who caused them. So I would say that drivers most definitely do hold grudges. Perhaps everyone doesn't stay angry at each other from week to week but I think drivers just don't forget when they get wrecked or done wrong on the track. There's a lot of emotion in racing, as Steve alluded to, and it's probably very hard not to let that spill over from time to time, particularly when there's a history between two drivers. I highly doubt that Steve has forgotten what Jack Sprague did to him in the race in the Fall, particularly since Steve immediately sought payback and was penalized by Nascar for it.
I can't imagine that Dale Jarrett is going to easily forget what Shane Hmiel did to him in yesterday's race. In fact, I'd say that Hmiel is very lucky that he's not, at least as far as I know, racing in the Cup race in Martinsville this weekend. I think Hmiel might find himself getting turned, if not by Jarrett than by someone else on Jarrett's behalf. Rusty Wallace for instance, who had some extremely harsh words for Hmiel during an interview today on XM. Wallace did not take kindly to the way Hmiel drove in that race, the way he gave DJ the finger or the lack of respect overall that Hmiel had for a veteran driver.
So today was a banner day for getting questions answered. Two by Steve Park and then I can cross one off of my other list. Hee, hee, hee...
Posted by silverdsl at 11:49 PM | Comments (0)
Not to be Seen on Caesars 24/7
Lawsuit Claims Employees Sexually Harassed
Several kitchen workers at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas are claiming that they were sexually harassed by their bosses and have filed a lawsuit. I think it's highly unlikely that anything even remotely about this will appear on A&E's reality show Caesars 24/7! I've not gotten to watch that show lately and one reason is because I didn't realize it had been moved to Saturdays at 6 p.m. So I've gone looking for it on Mondays at 10 p.m. and thought that it was on hiatus or something. Little did I know it was just on a different day. I will have to try and catch it (or Tivo it) on Saturday since it's a new episode.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)
Pre-Game Media Notes to Be Available For Free to Fans!
In the past only the media or those who were willing to pay could have access to the pre-game media notes for each of the teams. But MLB has decided to make those notes available for free to fans this season and I'm thrilled! The media notes are usually ten or more pages, longer as the season goes on, and are done by each team's media relations department prior to every game. As one might expect the media notes are filled with a huge amount of information on the team, the players, how they match up with the team they are playing and any other stats, facts or information the team wants the media to know. It's incredible how much is contained in each edition of the media notes. Being able to read through the media notes for each team prior to, and during games, is really an asset and it gives me a great reference to look to for information about the players and teams involved. Can you tell I'm excited about this?
Posted by silverdsl at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2005
Photo of the Day - Mountains
On the way back from the Grand Canyons, somewhere in Nevada, January, 2005. I don't think I uploaded this one before. I guess to people who live in mountainous areas this isn't anything too special but to me who has never seen mountain views up close, I was amazed by everything I saw as I looked out the window of the helicopter on the way to and the way back from the Grand Canyon. I'd love to see even bigger mountains that I did in the Las Vegas area!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
Steve Park Makes it to Inside Nextel Cup
So Steve Park was rescheduled to appear on Inside Nextel Cup for this week and not only did he show but apparently he showed up early, before anyone else. Which is a good thing since last week he missed the show entirely. But Steve seemed to be in good spirits and talked about a variety of things. I liked how happy he was for his father, who finished fifth in a recent race in a car that Steve fields for him though Steve Park Motorsports. The panel talked some of the truck series and you know all three of the guys sitting there who will be running the trucks in Martinsville, Steve, Johnny Benson and Ken Schrader will be beating and banging off each other, hoping for the win. In general, it was great to see Steve happy and laughing with the guys on the INC panel, which stands in stark contrast to his appearance on Windtunnel where he seemed so miserable during the interview and rightfully so considering what kind of questions they threw at him. Well, it was a much different story tonight and Steve seemed to enjoy himself which is no surprise with his good friend Michael Waltrip on the panel plus Ken Schrader who he is also friendly with and Johnny Benson who he races with each week in the Truck Series.
As for Steve's reason for missing last week? He said he never got the message about when he was supposed to appear on the show and that he didn't know until he was at the gym and Phil Parsons mentioned it to him. By that time it was too late for him to make the taping. I don't understand how that happens. It's his public relations person's responsibility to make sure that Steve gets to his appearances, particularly his media appearances on the right day and time. Yes, it's hard when the client is in another state but his PR person should be calling the day before or the day of to double-check that Steve knew he had to be on Inside Nextel Cup. And if his PR person wasn't involved with booking the appearance he should have been to ensure that problems like that doesn't happen. Steve having to say that he never got the message and didn't know he was supposed to be on the show until someone else told him, someone who wasn't even his PR person, just sounds dreadful and makes everyone look like they don't know what they're doing.
Speaking of his PR person, that reminds me of something else Steve talked about which I thought was interesting. He was asked if he spends a lot of time in Las Vegas at the Orleans shop (which is where his PR person is based). And he said that he spends about a week every couple of months. Additionally, he said that the team pretty much runs themselves, which I'm sure is true of most of the teams, and that he goes for morale reasons. When he was with DEI, which was very close to where he lived in North Carolina, Steve used to go to the shop all the time. Obviously that the Orleans shop is so far from where he lives makes it impossible to go there on a regular basis but I wonder how that effects the dynamic between himself and his crew? Might be a good guestion to ask on a future Q&A through his website, whether he has to work harder on developing a rapport with them since the majority of the time he spends with them is on race weekends when everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off, instead of hanging out at the shop with them on a regular or semi-regular basis like some drivers do with their crews.
In other INC tidbits, Michael reiterated his comments from earlier about his spotter. He said that his spotter warned him way too late that there was a wreck to watch out for, pretty much right when he was running into Ashton Lewis. As Michael said "his water broke" and he used up all his water at once (the radiator was damaged) and that just doesn't work with a race car if they want to finish the race. Again, I wonder who spots for Michael in Busch. How does one qualify to be a spotter? And since there is an ongoing issue with Michael's spotter how does he "train" him to be better? I suppose only with experience does someone get better but I would think that whoever spots for any of the drivers on any level has to be able to see things and react quickly which apparently Michael's spotter did not do today. I'm not sure that's something that can be learned.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)
38 Minor League Baseball Players Test Positive
In numbers that speak to the true depth of the problem with performance enhancers in baseball, 38 minor league players tested positive. Why does this speak to the true numbers of how many players in baseball actually use performance enhancers? Because in the minors the players can be tested for more substances than they can in the majors because they aren't covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Hence, the players can be tested for the use of amphetamines. Given how prevelant it's been said the use of amphetamines are I would say it is a very good bet that "greenies" are what more than a few of these folks tested positive for. If the testing policy in the majors covered amphetamines I have no doubt there would be a lot more players serving suspensions right now with Alex Sanchez.
Eight players tested positive from the Mariners organization, seven from the Cubs, and five from the Angels, A's and Rangers as well as four from the Padres. Multiple players testing positive within the same organization, particularly when it's as many as seven or eight speaks to a problem within an organization. Of course since this is random testing and not every player was tested it's possible that there are even more players in those organizations using performance enhancers.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)
More Than 35,000 Stories About Pope In One Day
Just to show how influential the Pope was, in the 24 hours after his death there were more than 35,000 stories both online and in print media and broadcasts round the world. That's just a staggering amount of stories and rightfully so. Just to put that number in context, when Bush was re-elected there were only 3,500 stories in the 24 hours that followed.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)
Shane Hmiel Needs An Attitude Adjustment
Late in today's Busch race, which Kevin Harvick won (yay!), there was an incident between Shane Hmiel and Dale Jarrett. I didn't get to watch the race as of yet so I'm loath to place blame but some have said that Shane was driving on the rough side. In any event Jarrett ended up in the wall and during the ensuing red flag, he went over to have a chat with young Mr. Hmiel. Jarrett ended up pointing his finger in Hmiel's face and Hmiel responded by giving him the finger. Ok, what's the big deal, just one of those racing deals where tempers fly right?
Well, Hmiel then proceeded to say in an unapologetic post-race interview "(Jarrett)threatened he would get me and all that stuff. He better hurry up because he ain't got much longer." He apparently made a similar comment over his scanner as well. I understand that drivers are going to say things in the heat of the moment, particularly when they are upset about an incident on the track, but I think the drivers need to show each other respect. Particularly the younger drivers for the veterans. Talking about Jarrett as if he's a has-been who has one foot out of his ride, shows a complete lack of respect. Hmiel is talking about a two-time Daytona 500 winner who is also a former Cup Champion. And Jarrett isn't going anywhere yet. Hmiel is an up and coming driver no doubt but Jarrett has accomplished way more than Hmiel has and as such there should be some level of respect there.
Many already think that Hmiel has an attitude problem and comments like that aren't going to win him any more friends in the garage area. Which he probably thinks he doesn't need since his father, Steve Hmiel, is a big-wig at DEI and he's friends with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. But Hmiel should have a chat with Johnny Sauter about what happens when one has attitude problems and rubs their fellow drivers the wrong way, both on and off the track.
One would think that after being suspended by Nascar because for the use of drugs, Hmiel would want to make sure he stays on his best behavior. Apparently he doesn't see any reason to do that. I guess he thinks his father can always protect him and maybe that's true. It's just incredible to me that he seems to have no sense of appropriate behavior. It will be interesting to see if he eventually apologizes to Jarrett, either on his own or by being forced to do so by others.
Apparently Shane Hmiel is the leading candidate to take over for Michael Waltrip in the #15 next season. I can't imagine that NAPA or DEI for that matter would be thrilled with having a driver that doesn't show any respect to his fellow drivers. Though Michael has been known to speak out of anger himself, you'd never catch him making a remark like that. But perhaps NAPA and DEI are willing to overlook Hmiel's attitude problems because he is a young gun. Well, all the youth and talent in the world isn't going to help him succeed if he tears up equipment due to overaggressive driving and his attitude makes him persona non-grata in the garage area.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)
On Michael Jackson
I've got no idea whether Michael Jackson is guilty of molesting children or not but all his eccentricies and at the very least inappropriate behavior towards children, is a shining example of how those people around stars will enable their behavior even if it's things that should set off some warning bells or they should be discouraged from doing. There were countless people it appears who were in a position to tell Michael Jackson that he shouldn't be sleeping with children, among other things, yet it appears few people ever did. There are any number of other things that Jackson did that were bizarre that no one ever told him "no" about. I guess when someone has enough money they can make anything happen and few people are willing to discourage them. It just boggles my mind how many strange things Jackson has done throughout his life that should have been questioned at some point but no one really ever seemed to do.
Of course Jackson isn't the only star this happens with. The bigger the star, the bigger their entourage and the more "yes" men or women they have. No one ever wants to say "no" which is unfortunate because it can save some problems down the road. Those stars who have people around them who they can actually trust to give them sound advice and then listen to that advice are both lucky and smart.
What's a shame is that Jackson is a talented musician and entertainer, or at least he once was. There are a number of his songs that I still like but given the accusations I feel kind of icky listening to his music.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
Spotter Problems
During today's Busch race Michael Waltrip was involved in a big wreck in which he ran into the back of Ashton Lewis's car. Michael's #99 Dream Machine suffered quite a bit of damage which ended up being terminal for the car. When he was interviewed on the radio, Michael said that there was poor communication between himself and his spotter and that he couldn't see what was happening in front of him. His implication was that he ran into Lewis because his spotter didn't do a good job of talking him through the wreck. This isn't the first time that Michael had made mention of problems with whoever spots for him during Busch races and I can't help but wonder why he hasn't made a change to a different spotter. It's entirely possible that Michael has a friend spotting for him and doesn't want to hurt someone's feelings by making a change or he has tried several different people and none of them have worked out too well. It just seems as if this is an ongoing problem to one degree or another.
A good spotter is essential because that person is the driver's eyes on the track. The drivers just can't see much of what is happening around them, beyond what they can see out of their windshield, because they can't turn to look too much. In addition, with how fast they are going it's essential that spotters be able to alert their drivers quickly and clearly to any trouble in front of them on the track, particularly if there is a smoke condition which further cuts down on the visibility, sometimes to nothing. The spotter can also relay information and act as a cheerleader for the driver. Michael's spotter in Cup seems to do a pretty good job and it's too bad that he doesn't have anyone like that working with him in Busch. Hopefully Michael can either work with his current spotter more to get him to improve in terms of talking him through on-track incidents or find someone else who he gels with better.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)
April 03, 2005
Yankees Win Home Opener Over Red Sox 9-2
The much hyped first meeting of the 2005 season between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox resulted in a 9-2 victory for the Yankees tonight! Yay! David Wells was less than steller, giving up four runs on ten hits in just four innings, which really isn't much of a suprise for an overweight, 42-year old with a chronic back problem on a chilly night. The other Red Sox pitchers didn't look so hot either. On the other hand, Randy Johnson was strong, giving up just one run over six innings, striking out six. It's only one start but thus far it appears that Johnson won't have too much trouble adjusting to the American League. Tanyon Sturtze was also strong in relief pitching two scoreless and hitless innings.
The Yankees hitters were on fire too. Particularly Hideki Matsui who was 3-5 with RBI and three runs scored (and a terrific play in the field). Matsui has the distinction of hitting the Yankees first homerun of the season, setting the tone for what I think will be a very fine season for him. Other Yankees with multi-hits were Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriquez and Jorge Posada. Bernie Williams had no hits but at least he walked twice. Jason Giambi, who it's impossible to know what the Yankees will actually get out of him this season, did get a hit tonight and possibly could have gotten more had he not been hit by pitches twice, ending his at-bats early.
In addition, to the strong pitching and solid hitting was some good defense. Tino Martinez came into the game as a defensive replacement for Jason Giambi, something I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of this season, and he made an outstanding play almost immediately. Tino's defense is one of his biggest assets and obviously he still has it when it comes to playing first base. Only time will tell if he has anything left with the bat. Tino recieved the biggest ovation of any Yankee which just shows how well-loved he's always been considering that he's only a bench player now.
It was just a really great way for the Yankees to start the season. I'm pretty sick of the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry because I think the Yankees need to play hard against every team they face, not just the Red Sox, but still it was nice for the Yankees to win the first game of the series against a division rival. Tomorrow is an off-day but there are games on Tuesday and Wednesday that I am very much looking forward to. Unfortunately both of those games are day games so I will have to listen on the radio as much as I can from work but I can try to catch replays on Yankee rewind on YES in the evening. It's just not the same as watching live though. But no matter if I get to check out the games live or not, I'm hoping that the Yankees win the next two games against the Red Sox like they won tonight's game.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)
Yes, You Guessed It - More Bad Luck For Michael Waltrip
Not a good race for Michael today. Oh, sure he could have finished worse - 19th isn't as bad as it could have been when you think of how many wrecks there were and how many other guys were knocked out for at least part of the race. But it should have been a lot better. Michael led part of this race and for much of the race he was running in the top 13. Then calamity struck as it often does. First, he got caught in the big 14-car wreck when he couldn't get down low enough to avoid Ricky Rudd. After his crew hustled to make repairs he was still on the lead lap in 13th or 14th position and it seemed like if he was just able to hang on for the rest of the race he'd get a good finish considering how many other cars had been involved in wrecks. That was not to be as he cut down a tire which sent him two laps down. Then on top of that while he was trying to get one of his laps back he accidentally got into Jimmie Johnson because his (Michael's) car was pushing which resulted in a second cut tire. That put him four laps down and he could only gain one more position before the race ended to finish 19th.
What's good is that Michael didn't drop any in the points. However, he's still mired in 27th position and that's just not very good, particularly for a driver who is racing for his job. What really gets me, and I seem to say this every week, is that Michael is racing his ass off but he keeps getting bit by things out of his control. Blown engines, cut tires and getting caught in other people's wrecks are all things that he can't do much about. Which really sucks for him because at the end of the year DEI probably won't take any of those things into consideration when they evaluate his year. They will simply look at where he finishes in the points and if it's not close enough to the top ten they will probably opt not to re-sign him. I just hate to think of Michael having to look for a new ride in this climate where younger drivers are so much more valued than the older ones. Michael deserves better.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)
Kevin Harvick Wins at Bristol!
What a race for Kevin Harvick! His crew chief, Todd Berrier missed today's race, since he's suspended due to cheating so heading into this weekend some felt that Kevin would have a rough go of things. Then, the team discovers that the #29 is leaking power steering fluid after qualifying. So they were forced to make unapproved repairs which made Kevin have to start all the way at the back of the field. Well, Kevin came from 43rd to win the race! It was just outstanding to see! He really had a great car but he also drove an extremely smart race, keeping himself out of trouble all race long which was no small feat considering how many wrecks there were.
Oh, those wrecks. You expect at Bristol that guys are going to get into each and with how small of a track it is that those wrecks could collect a lot of guys. But I still hate to see what happened today. First, the 14-car pile-up that collected so many guys, including Bobby LaBonte, who really needed a good run and Michael Waltrip who had been running well previous to that. At least Bobby Hamilton, Jr. took the blame for starting that one, though I'm sure that won't make a lot of guys feel too much better about him.
Then, there was a nasty wreck between Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton in which Burton's out-of-control car went up the track head on into Busch. It looked absolutely nasty and I am very glad that Nascar has put so much into safety the past few years. Otherwise Kurt Busch might have been very seriously injured today, maybe Burton too. As it was Busch appeared dazed when he first got out of his car and stated later in an interview that it might have been the hardest hit he's ever taken. Jimmie Johnson appeared to be the culprit for the Burton spin but given that Burton was a lapped car I suposse he felt that Burton was in his way and got frustrated with him.
In happier news Kyle Petty finished 8th today. Incredibly it's his first top ten since Talledaga in 2002! Three years since his last top ten! To Petty finishing 8th has to feel like a win. It was just so great to see. He's another driver who just drove a really smart race. But more than that perhaps Petty finally is driving some decent cars this season. With crew chief Paul Andrews and engines from Evernham, I think Petty might show up in the top ten or top fifteen a couple more times this season. I doubt he will be Chase for the Championship contender or anything like that but I do expect that he will have a better finish in the points this season than the past few.
What I didn't like was that the post-race was over so quickly. That's par for the course these days, especially when a race runs long, because the stations have to get back to their other programming. But I would have liked to have seen more interviews and post-race analysis. The Victory Lane interview with Harvick was great, particularly since Delana was right there with him, and I liked the Elliott Sadler interview too. But it really would have been great to hear from Petty, on the occassion of his first top ten in three years, from Travis Kvapil the rookie who finished 7th or Scott Riggs who finished 10th. Or Dale Jarrett who also finished in the top ten or Sterling Marlin who finished 11th and seems to get zero attention these days. But they didn't even interview Dale, Jr. who finished 4th and given that there has been much discussion, a lot of it from Junior's own mouth, about problems at DEI and how they may struggle season long it would seem that they should have tried to ask him a question or two.
I'd be perfectly happy with a much short pre-race and a longer post-race. The pre-race is always filled with so much feel-good puff-pieces that don't give much insight into that day's race. All I really care about is hearing about any news that might effect that day's race, a couple of interviews hopefully with real questions, not softball ones, and then the pre-race ceremony and race. Maybe if they shortened that pre-race they could do a longer post-race, which is when I think the more interesting interviews and analysis would come.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)
Alex Sanchez First to Test Positive For Performance Enhancing Substance Under MLB's New Drug Policy
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Outfielder Suspended Ten Days
Though MLB and the player's union have agreed that the specific substance that a player tested positive for won't be named, steroids and other performance enhancers are the only drugs that players draw ten-day suspensions for under the new drug policy. So it appears that the Tampa Bay Devil Ray's outfielder Alex Sanchez has earned himself the dubious distinction of being the first player to be suspended for testing positive for using a performance enhancer. It's assumed that he tested positive for using steroids but Sanchez denies using steroids, blaming his positive test results on over-the-counter milkshakes and multivitamins he's been using. I would hope that MLB's tests are sophisticated enough that they do not give false positives for completely legal substances that are in over-the-counter milkshakes and multivitamins.
The thing with Sanchez is that if he's been talking steriods or other performance enhancers long term they have done nothing for him. He's hit exactly four homeruns in his career. Which again speaks to a reality that a lot of people often overlook. Steroids can't make a poor hitter into a great one. Performance enhancers simply augment (enhance) a player's already existing talent. So while there's no doubt that some players who use performance enhancers get benefits from using these substances, they still need to have the ability to hit and play without the use of performance enhancers. Otherwise they still won't be very good players.
Of course MLB will point to Sanchez and crow about how great the testing policy works and how it surely cuts down on the amount of players using performance enhancers. But Sanchez just happens to be the only who was caught so far. I have no doubt there are still players using, particularly HGH which MLB doesn't test for and designer steroids that MLB's tests won't pick up on.
I'm sure that Sanchez won't be the last player to test positive this season.
Posted by silverdsl at 09:19 PM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2005
Jeter, A-Rod Most Marketable Players
Giambi, Bonds Sink Due to Steroids Scandal
In an annual study of baseball's most marketable players, to be published money in SportsBusiness Daily, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriquez top the list but Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds, not surprisingly, dropped out of the top ten, more fallout from Balco. What's interesting is that the Yankees and Red Sox each have three players in the top ten. Randy Johnson rounds out the list for the Yankees and the Red Sox have Curt Shilling, Johnny Damon and David Ortiz. I expect Damon will take a hit in next year's poll due to his recent relevations that he cheated on his first wife just after she gave birth to twins. Fans won't look kindly on that. But after seeing how the Yankees and Red Sox dominate this list one can see why MLB and just about everyone else hypes the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry so much.
I'm a bit surprised that Schilling is in third on this list. No doubt he's a popular player but for as many people who like him there seems to be just as many who dislike him. So I would think that might put him further down on this list. Other players who round out the top ten are Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, and Carlos Beltran. I'm a bit surprised at Beltan's inclusion in the top ten but given the attention he's gotten now that he joined the Mets perhaps I shouldn't be.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)
Nascar Spokesperson Says They Don't Have a Steroid Problem
While there's no doubt that Nascar doesn't have a steroid problem on the scope of that which faces other sports, simply because the drivers wouldn't benefit from using steroids, I think it's a little ridiculous for Nascar to say definitively that steroids "are not an issue in this sport." Because they do absolutely no random testing what-so-ever of anyone involved in the sport in reality they have no idea how many might be using or what kind of a problem they might have. They say they will test if they suspect someone is using but how likely is that when it comes to steroids? And especially when it comes to pit crew members who are the ones most likely to be using steroids, but less likely in my opinion to attract attention for using banned substances. Except for gross misbehavior, the people that Nascar are most concerned with in terms of drug use or other behavior that could bring a black eye to the sport are the drivers.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2005
Congress to Expand Steroids Probe to NFL, Other Sports
Congress was criticized for focusing on MLB when they conducted their hearings into the use of steroids by players recently. Well, apparently now they've shifted their focus to the other major sports most specifically the NFL. Which comes on the heels of a report that several members of the Carolina Panthers filled perscriptions for steroids last season. I'll be interested in seeing if the NFL is grilled as hard as officals from MLB were. NFL has a stricter testing policy than MLB does but they still have a problem.
What's interesting to me is that Nascar is mentioned as one of the sports that will be contacted in reference to their drug testing policy. Of course there probably wouldn't be much benefit for drivers to be taking steroids so I doubt there's any problem there but with the pit crews it's an entirely different story. There was once a throwaway reference in a column about the use of steroids being common among the pit crews and I believe that is probably accurate. Being big and strong is very much an asset for crew members and I would guess that there are some who are willing to take steroids to achieve that.
In my opinion Nascar's overall drug testing policy is woefully inadequate in that as I understand it they only test for drugs when they are given a reason to. In other words only if they suspect someone is using something on the banned list. Personally I would have no problem if they conducted random tests of drivers and crew members throughout the season. In relation to the drivers, someone who is under the influence of drugs on the track could very much be a danger to their fellow competitors. I'd like to think no driver would ever do something like that but considering there is a possibility that Shane Hmeil did exactly that it appears that there are some who might not give too much thought to what the consequences of their actions might be.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
American Idol Contestant Once Arrested for Domestic Abuse
Scott Savol, who says on the American Idol website that he doesn't have any embarassing moments, was arrested for domestic violence back in 2001. Apparently he shoved the mother of his child and threw a phone at her during an argument. He was arrested and eventually took a plea to a lesser charge. In the past other finalists who have been arrested or have other skeletons in the closet have been thrown off the show. At the very least viewers probably won't take kindly to this tidbit of information so I would say that his days on the show are extremely numbered.
Supposedly all the American Idol contestants go through background checks. Well, how is that possible if a background check didn't turn this up? Or the other issues with past contestants that have surfaced while the final rounds were already underway. It makes me suspicious that the producers are aware of this stuff heading into the finals and put these people on the show anyway. Then they leak this dirt to create some buzz and drama. Otherwise they need to hire a more thorough company or investigators to do these background checks if so much is missed.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)
Liz Smith Out at Newsday
Long-time gossip columnist Liz Smith has been let go from Newsday, yet another high-profile columnist who is no longer affiliated with the paper. Newsday says that it's a contract dispute and blames Smith giving them late notice that she wanted to re-new her contract as the reason that this happened. But since Newsday offered her a new contract at only 5% of her salary, it appears that may only be an excuse and the real reason is budgetary concerns. Smith was probably making at least $1 million a year to do her columns, so that's a good chunk of money to be saved if she's no longer there. Instead of accepting Newday's ridiculous offer, Smith signed with the New York Post and her columns will continue to be nationally syndicated.
It's sad to see what's going on over at Newsday. Liz Smith gone. Ed Lowe gone. Marvin Kitman gone. And there are probably many others, fine reporters whose names I'll never know who are no longer there directly or indirectly because of financial issues that Newsday is experiencing.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)