Gifts From Jolly Old Papa John

Barrack Obama - A Photo of Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright and Tony Rezko sitting on Santa's "Chicagoland" lap.

George Bush - A "Get out of Washington" Free Card

Nancy Pelosi - A Job...any job or just a little more Botox.

Christopher Dodd & Barney Frank - Each other.

New York Times - A "Going out of Business Sale"

Sean Penn/Robert Redford/Bab's - A mansion in Iran or Cuba or Venezuela

Al Gore - A "Global Warming" expedition to the North Pole or South Pole, with only a bottle of sun screen and a bathing suit.

Bill Clinton - Hillary on long, long, long diplomatic trips.

UAW - A partnership...with the Detroit Lions.

MLB - A Yankee / Dodger World Series in '09

NY Yankees - An accountant.

Red Sox Nation - Get a life...nothing.

Wall Street - A "TARP" application

"East Coast Bias" - As usual, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Mom & Dad - Another year of good health and good cheer.

My Wife - Me or course

Merry Christmas

Hiring Window Is Open at the Foreign Service

I pick Ireland. Or New Zealand.

Bailout Madness

Here's what's on my mind about the bailout:

• Cut out all executive bonuses for companies receiving bailouts. Don't encourage them to stay. Of course companies will say that bonuses are part of the comp plan. The companies we're propping up are failures, by any reasonable market measures. So encourage executives who have talent to find other jobs and help other companies or start new businesses. Isn't that supposed to be the upside of a downturn?
• Pay reasonable interest rates on savings accounts, including CDs. Tell the financial institutions to pay, oh let's say 5% on savings accounts under $50,000. This will encourage more savings and make more money available for local (read: housing and small business) loans. Use the bailout money to make up the difference between what banks are currently paying for savings and the target rate.
• Set a cap on total union benefits. Many public workers make more in total compensation in retirement than they did while working. And union workers in the private sector aren't any better. Let the unions negotiate a reasonable hourly wage. Then set a maximum cap of some percent of that money and tell the workers: you can take it to buy current benefits (health, vacation) or future benefits (retirement) or both. But once you reach the max, you're on your own. No lifetime benefits. And no double-dipping. How's that part of the bailout? It reduces taxes and cost of goods and puts more money into the economy.
  

That's it. That's my list.

My Civic Duty

I trudged through two feet of snow yesterday to do my civic duty: buy a large-screen television. I saw an ad for Best Buy that caught my attention and off I went. Unfortunately for me (actually, the rest of the family since I really don't want another TV), the TV was out of stock and needed to be ordered. But since I was looking for immediate gratification I promptly lost interest.

However, I'm not one to let a little decision like buying a TV pass by without some fretting. So fret I did. Not getting the television gave me time to think about the conflicting messages we're getting right now in the midst of a struggling economy.

The state of CT, for example, is begging for money, and needs sales tax revenues to allow over-paid state workers to continue accruing time towards retirement. So should I buy a TV to generate sales tax to keep paying Governor Rowland - among others - his ill-gotten retirement (how do you retire from a job you didn't do in the first place - and get paid for it?)?

Or should I buy a TV from a Japanese company in order to help the US fulfill its core mission as the economic engine of the world?

Or maybe, by driving to the store instead of ordering online, I can help keep gas prices just a little more stable.

What about the savings rate, on the other hand. Shouldn't I be saving money and thereby providing banks with capital that they can lend out to homebuyers and businesses in the area (shades of 'It's A Wonderful Life')?

I'll bet you never knew that a simple purchase could carry so much potential for angst.

Trend or Eye of the Storm?

It's possible to conceive that if the current price of gas remains stable for a while - a couple of months, let's say - that the economy could rebound by the middle of next year. But there are a lot of people rooting against the current price levels. Even as oil prices continue to trend downward, OPEC and industry analysts are sending signals that $45 oil is going to be short-lived.

“Commodities will be the place to be if and when we come out of” the downturn, Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, said yesterday (note: 12/4) in an interview on Bloomberg.com. “The only thing where fundamentals are unimpaired are commodities ... So we are going to have some serious, serious supply problems before too much longer.”

A Wall Street Journal blog reinforced that idea when they noted that Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries need oil prices in the range of $60-75 per barrel and have expressed a willingness to cut production to reach those levels. OPEC has generally been unable to dictate the price of oil in the past, and their public expression of concern might actually work against them.

Regardless, the economic climate - especially the price of gas - has an eye-of-the-storm feeling. The fundamental questions are when will the price rises begin and how steep will the climb be.

The (Auto) Bailout is Not in Our Best Interest

Snakeoil salesmen and gullible bumkins still exist.

You can't blame the auto execs for trying to grab a share of the money bleeding out of Washington these days. They see how easy it is to use the media to back Congress into a corner and they probably figured, why not. They may have made a public relations blunder when they hopped on their corporate jets three weeks ago. But believe me, they learned their lesson quickly. They probably figured that their corporate-jet excursion would soon be forgotten if they changed the headline. And they did. The new headline is: we want more money, and we need it quicker.

It seems to be a matter of sharp executives taking advantage of a Congress that does a poor job of showing any sense of discipline. Look at how easily Congress rolled over when President Bush wanted to start a war in Iraq. Every one voted for it. Until this election cycle when they all insisted that they really meant to vote against it. And of course, Congress jumped at the chance to fund the bank bailout. And only now are they figuring out that former Wall Street execs sold them a bill of goods.

I know it would be a shame to see iconic organizations like GM go out of business. But their best days are long behind them and even with a bailout, it's highly unlikely they're going to be a dominant player again any time soon.

And you know what? We've seen this before, right? Railroads have gone under, as have construction companies, universities, banks, insurers, retailers and, yes, automakers.

So would it be so bad if GM went bankrupt? It might actually be a good thing. It's possible to conceive of a US auto industry similar to the aviation industry in which one company seems to be alone building commercial jets (Boeing) but actually partners with lots of manufacturers to get the work done. It would be terrible, however, if we bailed out GM only to be left with the equivalent of Airbus.

Congress has to get out of the lending / bailout business. Government has demonstrated repeatedly that it makes knee-jerk, ill-informed judgements.

Pleeeeeeeeease

Pleeeeeeeeease

I can't take it anymore. Who the hell does ESPN think this Plaxico Burress guy is? Non-stop coverage of a true moron. With what's ailing us as a nation, this shouldn't get one second of airtime. Just put him and his kind where they belong.....JAIL.

Self-Marketing ... Self-Doubt

Truly one of the hardest jobs I've ever taken on is (drum roll, please)... marketing myself. I (think) I know exactly what other people need and I'm pretty good at communicating it. But when it comes to marketing myself, I'm beyond hopeless.

There are so many opportunities in the world and so little time. You'd think I could just focus on one. Or two.

Breaking News...

Breaking News...

NBC Sports officially announced this morning that effective immediately they are dumping Notre Dame Football. They will now become the official network of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Women's Soccer. Dick Ebersol, President of NBC Sports, said at least now our viewers will get to see a #1 team in action.

You Go Girl!

A New Sponsor for GM

GM has announced that it's dropping its long-term sponsor-relationship with Tiger Woods. They'll save $8m. But wait. There's a better way.

How about giving the money to someone who can actually use it? And actually drives a GM car? And might, if he gets the gig, go golfing with me?

Here he is, GM. And a bargain, too. He'll be happy to do the job for, oh let's say, less than $8m.

Start the negotiations. I'll bet a sleeve of golf balls will get things rolling.

The Bailout's Contribution to our lexicon

Like many crises before, The Bailout has spawned it's own crisis-related term: "too-big-to-fail." Like "hanging chads" and "Watergate", a new phrase has entered the lexicon. It may become overused, like "the perfect storm", now used to describe almost any and every confluence of circumstances. Or it may be truncated to fit other situations such as, "-gate". For example, this fall Sarah Palin was involved in a potential issue dubbed 'troopergate'. I can only imagine how 'too-big-to-fail' will be used in the future to excuse all kinds of excessive behavior.

Too Big to Fail - $7,000,000,000,000

The bailout of Citi is the latest attempt to prevent the economy from collapsing. Citi will be loaned $20b, not because it has a great business plan, but because it's too-big-to-fail.

And now an analysis on Bloomberg.com makes the assertion that the Citi bailout is a tiny number in comparison with the total amount the US is throwing at the economy. It appears that the total government commitment exceeds $7 trillion. I actually don't know what that number looks like, but I think it's this: $7,000,000,000,000.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, our GDP is $14,429.2 billion. So the equivalent of half our GDP has been pumped back into the economy in the form of loans, bad-debt buy-backs and loan guarantees. To a large extent, all this government action seems to be occurring because certain companies are too-big-to-fail.

Assuming that certain companies are truly too big to fail, are there other companies, possibly in other industries that are also too big to fail? Right now the bailout is focussed on financial companies and other companies - like GM, Ford and Chrysler - that rely on consumer purchasing to survive. But there must be companies elsewhere in the economy that are too big to fail. What happens if GE falters? Or Google? Or Microsoft? Have we discovered - at the point of an economic gun - that we should not allow companies to grow too large?

This would end house and senate financing abuses

We've talked about this before. But more than ever, I think it would work.

One day after each election, we randomly select 10% of the congress - 10 Senators and 43.5 Representatives (think anyone will notice that half a Rep is missing? Really?) - and tell them, thanks but you're services are no longer needed. We then go to local phone books and ask hard-working Americans if they'd like a two or six year job in Washington, all expenses paid.

I can't think of a downside, can you?

Bailouts for the Big 3

Detroit, GM, Ford, Chrysler

No Way!!

The only way I'd give you one dime is when you shut down every one of your unions...period. Have a nice winter.

The Fleecing Starts Today

The annual baseball free agent buying spree officially kicks off today. Teams are now free to overwhelm players with cash and considerations.

As a fan and let me state I'm a huge baseball fan, because I hate the NFL and can't stand the NBA, I hope all the owners choke on the money they toss around. You'd think some of these teams and I have to include my beloved Yankees as being in on the government bailout plan (TARP). Has anyone told these morons what it's really like out on the streets. Rich and poor alike are getting slammed. Who's going to think about laying down hundreds of hard earned dollars to catch a game next year? How many beers and hot dogs do they think they'll sell?

Let me answer that. No one. We are in a recession bordering on a depression and the Yankees are thinking of making a $140 Million offer to C.C. Sabathia. It's insanity and it had better stop quick or we'll have teams heading the way of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. Gone.

Our President

Our President.

Anything is possible.

Now the Fun Begins

College basketball is here. No grousing about the fact that only 3 non-BCS schools are mentioned in the pre-season polls. Which is three too many for UConn Coach Jim Calhoun who's still upset by the fact that Emeka Okafor did not win the National Player of the Year Award four years ago.

And let's face it, Davidson is going to struggle to be a top 25 school by the end of the year.

So here's a two-parter:

• Who are the first three teams in the ESPN pre-season poll to fall out of the top 25? (my guesses: Davidson, Miami and USC)
  

• Who are the first three teams that enter the top 25? (my guesses: Xavier, Syracuse and UNLV)
  

It's Over: The End of the Beginning

Barring some last minute, radical development like Osama bin Laden turning state's evidence against Whitey Bulger, Barack Obama will be the President-elect by nightfall on the Left Coast.

Truth be told, I voted for him. It wasn't a hold-your-nose vote either. I really think he's the better choice. I just wish I had confidence in his ability to control other members of his party. Or for that matter, the other party, too.

Obama's election could mean that meaningful, constructive changes could occur. Change is critically needed. President Reagan declared, "Morning in America" when he was elected. I hope Obama triggers a similar re-awakening.

We've just come through almost two decades of decadence. No matter how times Bill Clinton said that he "feels our pain", his self-absorption was his lasting legacy. His behavior either mirrored or kick-started a divisive, acquisitive, me-absorbed era. Dot-coms anyone? It continued with eight years of lurching from crisis to crisis, including a mistaken war (still looking for WMDs), horrible criminality (911), ridiculous crisis management ("Heckofa job, Brownie").

We've been through periods of societal frustration / stagnation before. Almost immediately after Richard Nixon's election in '72, the country became aware of the Watergate scandal and we began a slide ("malaise") that lasted through the Jimmy Carter presidency. We didn't really emerge - despite Ford's earlier assurances that our "long national nightmare is over" - until Ronald Reagan figured out a way to re-awaken the "silent majority" that Carter had dismissed as esssentially unreachable.

I fully expect that Barack Obama will bring hope to the country. In turn, my hope is that he rides his popularity to make lasting, fundamental changes.

Be afraid ...

... be very afraid ...

Forget Palin (if you can) and remember this face when you enter the polling booth.

Even the Dems have to be afraid. Think corruption ... special interests ... higher taxes.

What's wrong with this picture?

I'm not entirely sure for whom I'm voting - thanks for the boost drag you've given to the McCain ticket, Sarah - but I'm certainly concerned about the drift to the left in this country and around the world.

I'm particularly concerned that the current financial crisis will simply shift more power to government, with even less accountability. Congress is quick to blame 'greedy Wall Street types' for our current problems. And I don't entirely disagree. But at least there's been some accountability in the private sector.

It's hard to believe not one government official has stepped up to take responsibility for this mess. As Sen. Obama says in the video below, "What's wrong with this picture?"

Post World Series Headlines

The Phillies beat the Rays, finish fourth in the AL East.

Yankees sign Manny. Joe D rolls over.

Selig makes a decision. He WILL take fries with that burger.

Nomar sighting in Boston. Begs for forgiveness. Theo says nothing.

The Monday Morning Fullback

1. My new favorite coach in any sport is Mike Singletary. In his first game as a NFL head coach he sent a player to the showers and called out his team. Mike spelled out to his batch of spoiled brats there was no 'I" in TEAM and if anyone thought there was had better take a remedial spelling course. Can you imagine if other professional coaches take this lead? We could clean up the kids in no time. Only wish TO was still a 49'er.
   
   
2. "Midnight Lute" struck again. This time he swooped in and plain old quit. There are rumors of health issues and if there are then I apologize in advance. But this guy single-handily may have destroyed an University of Arizona basketball program he built from the ground up. He's always been a bit pompous but the guy could coach. My troubles with Lute are two-fold. First as one of the highest paid if not the highest paid employee of the State of Arizona, we fellow tax payers deserve the truth, and I for one can handle the truth. Secondly, he just played with the lives of kids who had looked to him for his expertise. A complete recruiting class is gone and players who might have left after last years travesty are stuck with their third coach in as many years. Tucson is going to start looking a lot like Corvallis and Pullman
   
   
3. We are heading down the homestretch of the presidential campaign and why is it Obama continues to get a free pass? I know McCain is no treat but when did the mainstream media decide tough questions aren't part of the process. Hey folks, it's tougher than tough out there and the next bozo who works out of the West Wing had better be prepared for the toughest job of his life. America will be watching and we we remember.
   
   
4. Fox, Fox, Fox. Let me count the ways I hate thee. At the very least they set a record for viewership in the 1:30-2:00 AM time slot for Friday's or was it Saturday's game three of the World Series. All 1000 of those glued to their sets get an 99 cent gift certificate to the Waffle House.
   
   
5. Bud Selig. You're a bigger moron that I even thought. Repeat after me. I am the commissioner of Major League Baseball. The World Series is a premier event. Get rid of Fox. Now. And find a national television network (NBC) that pledges to showcase the World Series. Not run away and hide from College Football on Saturday and NFL on Sunday. You are the problem for the sport. Do us all a favor and pull a Lute Olson.
   
   
6. The NBA starts another season this week, oh boy, so look for my predictions for the 2008-2009 season. I'll have a couple of surprises.
   
   
7. Let's get this boring World Series over and get on to the Hot Stove League.

"The Monday Morning Fullback"

I was thinking over the weekend about this "Joe the Plumber" phenomenon. It just amazes me how quickly the liberal print and broadcast media can jump on a guy like Joe, find info about back taxes owed, the status of his plumbing license, his personal life etc. and then basically give a free pass into any connection Barrack Obama, the leading presidential candidate might have with a known terrorist, Bill Ayers, a convicted felon, Tony Rezko, a wacko pastor, Jeremiah Wright and ACORN. Seems to me they have asked more questions about a plumber from Toledo, Ohio than they have all the above mentioned items combined. Oh to be the "anointed one"

2.) Fox is looking at the lowest rated World Series of all-time. Rays-Phillies will even stretch the limits of nonsense Tim McCarver can spew. I guess they'll give us more close-ups of the crowd. And how many "American Idol" singers are lined up for the National Anthem?

3.) Texas looks tough to beat. At least for now. Think how good they must really be because the last time I looked Mack Brown was still the head coach.

4.) Walking the beaches in San Diego sure can beat whatever ails you.

5.) Finally, thank God. Red Sox Nation is in tears. I can watch the World Series now if I want. Could be a start to a very long year for the Beantowners. Patriots stink and won't be making the playoffs. Celtics will prove to be a one year wonder and the 2009 AL East already has the Red Sox penciled in for fourth place.

I Love America

I recently returned from Italy, my first time out of the country other than Canada and my first real vacation since 1981. I finally got a stamp in my passport. Here are my takes.

1.) Rome is a big city, not unlike NYC. Great attractions. Loved the Coliseum and Vatican. Didn't see the Pope. Traffic is brutal. Smart Cars and scooters everywhere. No street signs. Got lost more than once.

2.) Did I mention the food was incredible.
3.) Train travel to Assisi, Florence and Naples was great. High speed and very relaxing. Why we don't have this in the USA?

4.) Did I mention the food was incredible.

5.) Everywhere we went people knew all about McCain/Obama. Most were surprisingly rooting for McCain. All expect some moron store owner in Assisi. People know it's in their best interests for the U.S. to be strong and prosperous.

6.) Pompeii blew me away. They had "fast food" nearly 2000 years ago. Felt eerie walking along the streets.

7.) The Mediterranean was blue and beautiful. We were the last ones in the Blue Grotto for the day. Nothing like Irish luck.

8.) I had art museum burnout by the time we left our last museum. It's too overwhelming. I didn't care much for Renessance art, how many Madonna's did they paint? My highlights were "David" and the Sinstine Chapel. Awesome is not enough to describe. Anything by Michaelangelo had my attention. If he was a free agent on the market today, he'd blow away a guy like A-Rod. The boy has talent galore.

9.) Did I mention the food was incredible. I was shocked when I weighted myself on my return and found I hadn't gained a pound. Maybe walking 10 miles a day had an effect.

10.) Lastly, I will never again fly coach and will never again fly US Air to an international destination. My eight year old granddaughter would have been scamped. And their on board personel were ruder than rude. It's First Class for me for now on or I'm not departing. It was sure great to visit a new land and new people but give me the good old USA anytime.

The Next Great Basketball Player?

If you haven't heard already, the next basketball superstar is living on the West Coast. Jamie Nared is so skilled, she's having a hard time finding a team to play on. She was recently kicked off a boys' team for being too good.

The 6-1 twelve year old is currently playing on a travel team with high schoolers. The story of this talented girl is told in this NY Times Play article.

Possibly even more interesting is that it took the threat of a lawsuit to clear the way for her to play once again against boys.

Let's see: Division I Coaches; Lawyers threatening lawsuits; leagues resurrecting arcane rules; parents on television. Sounds like a game to me.

Take a look at this video from ABC's Good Morning America to meet a youngster who, at least so far, has stayed away from the chaos being generated by the adults around her.

Officer Un-friendly

Lucky he's wearing his helmet

Watch out kids, not wearing a helmet could wind up costing you your bike.

In Holliston MA, the police are threatening to take bikes away from kids who refuse to wear helmets. The 'School Resource Officer' insists that it's for the students' own safety.

"We're not looking to take bikes away from the kids who forget their helmets," School Resource Officer David Gatchell said yesterday. "This isn't something where we're looking to collect a hundred bikes. We don't want to seize bikes, but for the kids who repeatedly ignore the warnings, it will happen."

The article also mentions that the SRO is standing with the School Superintendent who says, "Officer Gatchell was standing next to me a couple of weeks ago and we both noticed that too many students were not wearing their helmets."

About 700 bicyclists died last year. Over 40,000 died in traffic accidents. Think the Holliston Police are targeting the right problem? While it's absolutely a good idea to wear a helmet when riding, it's not a good idea for this to become a matter for the police. Here's what's wrong:

1. Bike riders will be a lot safer when local traffic laws are enforced (now there's something for the School Resource Officer to do).
   
2. Targeting kids is consistent with too many laws that target those with little power. Who represented the kids when this law was passed? If Officer Gatchall wants to be consistent, try confiscating a car if the driver is not wearing a seat belt.
   
3. Schools and the police are too cozy. The School Superintendent should be standing with a parent, not the police. Schools and the police should be at arms' length with one another and not casually sharing observations and tacitly offering permission to take highly intrusive action.
4. The 'School Resource Officer' is doing what responsible educators used to do: watch the kids, give direction and then - assuming all goes well - get out of the way.
   

This all sounds like a wow-am-I-a-tough-guy "School Resource Officer" who's really saying, "I got nothin' ta do." Maybe Holliston would be better off taking away his toys.

Blowhard

This windbag rivals Democrat VP Nominee Joe Biden for the honor of biggest blowhard alive. He thinks he's really important. He thinks he has more answers than God. He never thinks for a moment of calling into any national or local sport talk show with his blabber. Yesterday, it was to call out New York fans for cheering Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady blowing out his knee. To say the Yankees suck. He was there when the dynasty ended. He thinks he single-handedly took down the Yankees and flushed their 26 World Series championships. His arrival alone to Red Sox Nation brought their long awaited championship. Curt old boy you have a very serious case of the me, me, me's.

Well Curt, I went door to door in your Paradise Valley, AZ neighborhood and they said stay away away as long as you can. They hate you. Checked with a few of your former Phillie and Diamondback teammates. They hate you. Randy Johnson said bring your gloves next time you meet. That's boxing gloves. He hates you. Talked to Pedro and Manny and Big Papi. They hate you too.

Do you ever get the sense as soon as you hang up with one of those sports talk show jocks, the laughs start and you're the brunt of that laughter. Well, you are and it's time you go away, forever. Your time is up. One last thing, the marketing firm of Schilling, Schilling & Schilling has no chance of Cooperstown. Ha, Ha, Ha. So now take that bloody sock and stuff it... in your mouth.

Winners and Losers for the Week

---------------
3 WINNERS:
---------------
Is there a better player in any sport than Roger Federer? Prepared, precise, articulate, athletic. And well-groomed. Should I have said that?

But I'd have to say that Andy Murray was a major winner this week. He survived two days of Nadal (and Hanna) and then acquitted himself admirably in the finals. His stock is rising.
==========
The Red Sox of course. It's fun to watch the Sox outspend overtake the Rays.
==========
The Slovakian women's hockey team. They beat the Bulgarian team 82-0. In hockey. One goal at a time. 82. Think about it.

-------------
3 LOSERS
-------------

The PGA. In the post-Tiger era could there be a worse FedEX cup winner / face of golf than the aloof and sometimes surly Vijay Singh? Where have you gone, Phil?

==============

The Yankees. Actually GM Brian Cashman. The slide towards mediocrity has been going on for years. Maybe signing Manny is the answer. And the fact that the Yankees may be considering signing him is part of the problem.

==============

The NFL. The league that says it's all about parity is really all about knocking off the latest mini-dynasty. Without Tom Brady, the Pats are ordinary. Who's left to hate? Who will step up? Forget Eli, he was lucky. Opportunity knocks, Payton. Meanwhile, the TV guys are scrambling to re-do the schedule.

March Madness Goes October

Major League Baseball needs to re-invent its playoff system... NOW.

Stop praying and use just a little genius Bud and give all us sport crazies a second March Madness. Just thinking of filling out a bracket twice a year sends thrills to parts of my body that have long ago lost feeling. A single elimination tournament, a match race, call it what you want but it sure beats the hell of watching a month long crawl to crown a winner.

If I were Commissioner:

1. These games are played on weekends - Saturday and Sunday. I don't give a rats ass about going up against College Football and the NFL. Baseball is the National Pastime, start acting like it.
   
   
2. These games start at 1:00PM...Period - For the Kids and for all of us you can't stay awake past 10:00PM


3. No Fox - How about asking NBC to get back in the game. They damn well helped to invent the World Series. And we use local team announcers. Let's have a little fun with the local yahoo's in the booth. They know these teams and players a lot better than pretty boys sitting in a booth like Bob Costas.


4. We seed these teams just like they do with the real March Madness. Use HOF's as a selection committee. And it doesn't have to be an even split of AL vs NL. If the AL has six of the best teams one year, so be it. Best teams get to play and bad teams go home.


5. Pitchers hit. And we also use the DH. That's right we are now batting ten. Sort of keeps the lineups humming and at the same time allows managers to tinker.


6. No Replay. If we need to use a dozen or so umpires to get it right then that's what we do
   
   
7. Finals are played at a neutral site. Big doings. This allows us to make this an EVENT, something those bigwigs at the networks drool over. Bet they can even come up with a snappy new name for the World Series. Insures the best pitchers are on the mound.
   
   
8. Here are my seeds: 1.Rays, 2. Angels, 3. Red Sox, 4. Cubs, 5. White Sox, 6. Mets, 7. Brewers, 8. Yankees (did you think for a minute they wouldn't make the cut).

I'm sure there's plenty more that I'm forgetting, so all you bloggers, send me your list of what you'd do if you were commissioner for a day.

701??

Biking is more popular and probably less safe than ever. According to a story printed on the Rails to Trails website, more than 700 bicyclists die in an average year on America's roads. While the number is tiny in comparison with auto deaths, it's still sobering.

The picture to the left is a "Ghost bike", a memorial to the victim of a biking tragedy in DC this summer. And it's a reminder that there are individual tragedies behind large-number statistics.

The Rails to Trails conservancy is doing great things. Turning abandoned railroad rights of way into multi-use recreation trails are generally welcomed by most communities.

However, there are times when the only place to ride is on a roadway. With more and larger cars on the road (even with the current energy crisis, there are plenty of large vehicles out there), danger is a constant. I live on what was once a country road but is now a busy suburban street. But its evolution hasn't made it any wider. But ironically, it's at intersections where cars slow down that the greatest danger exists.

Cars looking for an expedited path through intersections often pull into breakdown lanes to go around cars ahead of them, cutting off bikers. In addition, right-turn-only lanes create a particularly nasty hazard as drivers look left entering the intersection and rarely to the right where bikers and pedestrians are found. I've had countless near-misses with cars looking to save a few precious seconds by disregarding my presence.

I really don't want a 'ghost bike' memorial in my name.

Coaching and Sports

Yesterday, Rafael Nadal defeated Mardy Fish in the US Open. The four-set match took about 2 hours, forty minutes. Earlier, Andy Murray needed almost 4 hours to win his match against JM Del Potro. No player was allowed a formal visit with a coach during either match. In fact, tennis does not allow in-match coaching during sanctioned events at any time. It's an idea that resonates internationally and should be more widely considered in the US.

In tennis - like soccer - athletes are charged with the responsibility to face their opponent, size up the situation and make appropriate changes based on their own skills and fitness. What a concept. Yesterday the no-coaching rule resulted in two intriguing matches with plenty of ups and downs for each player. In fact, tennis often produces incredible drama and tension during its major events. Tennis coaches, it would seem, have done their jobs very successfully without having to thrust themselves onto the stage with their athletes. Not that they wouldn't, given the chance.

Try watching sports, American-style. A pitcher walks a batter, and now we get to see some manager or coach lumber out of the dugout with the sole purpose of telling the pitcher, "you have to get this next guy out". Really? 50,000 fans in person and possibly millions on television find that compelling drama? Think what it would be like if the managers were forced stay out of the game, except to make lineup changes.

And football? basketball? It's become unusual to see a football or basketball game clock run off even 2-3 minutes without a timeout. The insertion of coaching into the flow of games has gotten to the point of ridiculous. It just seems silly for athletes to be told to "throw strikes' or 'play better defense'. What happened during practices that those messages weren't delivered and received?

Fun with numbers: The East is the Beast

Manny before he left the best division in baseball to go to the worst.

The lack of balance in MLB is clear when you tease apart the records of all the teams. And it may produce - as it has in the past - an unfair end-of-season result.

It's clear from today's standings (Sept 2nd) that the AL East is far and away the best division in baseball, even with the Yankees completing their five-year swoon. They never did recover from Josh Beckett's masterpiece in 2003, did they?

At any rate, the AL East stands at 58 games above .500 (370-312). The only division close is the NL Central, 34 games above .500 (429-395). Each team in the NLCentral averages 6.8 games above .500, while teams in the AL East - a division with fewer teams - average 11.6 wins above .500.

Incredibly, 4 of 6 divisions in baseball are below .500 and the AL Central is only 3 games above even. So excellence is concentrated in just a few teams and a couple of divisions. But while it seems inconceivable to think that the NL wild card will come from anywhere but the Central division, it's possible that the best division in baseball will produce only one playoff team. It hardly seems fair, especially in baseball with its unbalanced schedules. Some credit should be given to the teams that battle at a high level all year. It would be an unfitting end to the year if Boston did not make the playoffs or if the Dodgers, currently just 2.5 half games back in the worst division in baseball, somehow did.

Useless Elements in Sports

On the useless theme, there are inconsistencies, traditions and and anomalies in sports that should be banished to the "ash heap of history" (Thank you Ronald Reagan. Although he MAY have been referring to something a little more serious).

Get rid of:

• Second serves in tennis (a "do-over" in pro sports? C'mon)
• Off-sides in hockey. The most exciting play in hockey - the breakaway - is virtually banned. Why? Do what soccer does, make the last non-goalie defender a moving 'blue line'.
• Offensive goal-tending in basketball.
  
• Time-outs in any sport in which coaches are allowed to talk with players. What were they doing in practice that they need a refresher every five minutes? It's an insult to the players and it's totally changed the game. I think all the time-outs that have been added in recent years only help teams with deeper benches. Which is why the BCS basketball teams love them.
  
• The 'two club-length' rule in golf. How many times have we seen a golfer hammer a drive wide of the rough and behind a tree only to determine the lie to be unplayable. The they get rescued by the two-club length rule which gives them plenty of distance to find a better lie. I seem to remember Ernie Els winning a US Open this way. These guys get free clubs ... hit it where it lies.
  

What do you think?

Most Useless Player

Who do you think is the Most Useless Player in baseball?

Andruw Jones?

Change for the Worse

What a week: The LPGA threatens to kick non-English speakers off the tour. Baseball gets ready for instant replay. Barak Obama is the Dem's pick for President.

Is there a connection? Try this: we don't trust ourselves. Or at least the powers-that-be think that we can't tolerate ambiguity or personal frailty. So their answer is to add controls in the form of technology, rules, or governmental oversight. The latter is the most odious. And frankly the most easily dismissed.

But the fact that the LPGA thinks that Americans can't relate to foreigners is ridiculous. What the LPGA is missing is an interesting game. Why copy men's golf? Aren't there variations on the game that might make it more interesting or encourage personalities to emerge? The way women's golf is structured now just begs it to be compared with men's golf - and in any comparison it's always going to come up short. So change the game. Make it a team event. Or just match play. Play all par 3's. Or widen the cup. Or put a clock on it. Believe me, the language of the players is not the problem. Americans understand excellence.

Baseball's instant replay is just wrong. Baseball is a sport that has plenty of rules that encourage arguments, which are inherent to the game. At the same time, it's always amazed me how often umpires are right on faster-than-the-eye can process calls. And when they're wrong, let's talk about it. That's baseball.

I have to believe that instant replay will make umpires second-guess themselves and in that moment, lose their certainty and their accuracy. Paralleling football, in five years fans will say, "See, look how many times the umps are reversed which shows we needed instant replay all along." We don't need it.

Let's re-build trust, not add oversight.

NBC...King of the "Tape Delay" announces Apollo 11 has landed on the Moon. Coverage in prime time starts at 8:00PM EST.

I live on the West Coast for TV purposes and NBC seems to think they can delay us broadcasts of "LIVE" events shown for the East Coast. Gathered around the TV Sunday night to watch Michael Phelps chase his pursuit for 8 Gold metals my sons made their case to me not to miss the race. More than once might I add. But all I saw in our west coast time slot were 10-year old Chinese gymnasts. I could see it if they were showing American gymnasts, but who the hell really cares about the rest of the putrid world. I wanted to see the race. So instead I did what any modern well informed American would do given today's technology...I checked the Internet and sure enough ESPN had what I wanted. It was called one on the great races of all-time and because I live on the left coast, I missed seeing it live. Had to wait to see replays Monday
Do you think NBC forgot Al Gore invented something called the Internet? It's full of great info... Like Olympic Results in Real Time.
I do have one thing suggestion for NBC to tape delay...McCain vs Obama. Let me know say in ten or twenty years.

West Africa Wins Again

This is what the Olympics is all about. Benjamin Boukpeti won Togo's first ever Olympic medal when he finished third in the men's white water kayak race. Boukpeti will be hailed as a national hero as soon as the West African nation he represents figures out who he is.

I visited Togo twenty -five years ago as part of a trip to visit International Schools there and in Kenya. It was a poor nation then, and presumably a poor nation now. Simply flying into the Lome, Togo airport was a risky proposition. Looking out the window as we landed a quarter century ago, I was astonished to see a jet nose-down into the ground next to the runway. I soon found out that it had crashed just a week or so earlier. It was still sitting (standing?) in its crash-position because there were no funds for removing it. When I asked a person at the airport what happened, he said, "WAWA" or "West Africa Wins Again". The expression meant that there are seemingly inexplicable things that occur that can only be attributed to the curse / charm of living in West Africa. The nose-down plane didn't seem that charming to me at the time. I actually thought of Maxwell Smart ("I was this close").

But the airport experience aside, the trip to Togo was intensely enjoyable and to this day I sit up when I hear news from that country. So it was with great interest when I heard that Togo had won its first-ever Olympic medal. Every country deserves one.

Like a number of Olympians through the years, Benjamin Boukpeti decided he could not make the national team of his home country, France. And like so many French, when the going gets tough, he got going. After finishing 18th at the Athens Olympics in 2004, Boukpeti assessed his chances of making the French team. Apparently not feeling confident, he made effective use of his heritage and chose to represent Togo.

This year, he won the African Championships in Kenya which qualified him for the Olympics. Subsequently, he won the first medal in white water kayaking by a non-European. Togo has now joined the countries of the world with an Olympic medal. Next time, I hope the athlete is home grown or at least better known in the country he's representing. Regardless, when they win again, I'll be the first to say WAWA.

1. I never ever thought in a gazillion years I would utter this. "Hurry back Tiger...Please".

I'm no Tiger lover, Phil's my guy but after sitting at home resting my weary bones watching yesterday's final round of the Bridgestone Invitational I can now draw a pretty easy conclusion. Phil you, STINK.

The next time you have a swing lesson, how about having the guy start with how to hit it straight. Those trees you see on each side of the fairway are in fact hazardous to your game, not some hiking path to pack a lunch and wonder aimlessly. I know you're from San Diego and love the beach, but sand on a golf course is not a place to take your pail and build sand castles. Stay out at all costs

Who dresses you? Those shirts you wore on Saturday and Sunday! No man alive and maybe that's your problem would be caught in. It's also time to get rid of that "YES MAN" on the bag. You need someone to hammer you over the head with a 1 Iron whenever you want to pull a "Phil" and hit one of those only Phil can hit shots. It's all about winning pal. Tiger had to be home laughing his ass off waiting for you to hand another tournament away. This time to Vijay. Did you notice this guy had a little difficulty with the watermelon caught in his throat making 3-4 foot putts.

It's PGA week and a major. Remember "Tin Cup" Fairways and Greens.

I Hate Cell Phones

I was sitting home in my comfy chair watching the Yankee/ Twin game last night and low and behold the camera seeks out a shapely gorgeous blonde. What a sight....every red blooded American male dream.

But it stops there. She's on a "cell phone" talking to Suzie or Lizzy about who knows what. Head down gabbing away like she's hearing the latest sale items at Bloomingdale's.

It's then that it hits me. Whenever they show one of these dizzy broads board beyond tears sitting at a sports event that they could hardly care being at, they need to take a hot line drive to the kisser. That should wake them in a New York minute as to why they're there.

What Do Senators Do?

Quadrennially, numerous senators throw their hat into the presidential race. The word quadrennial can mean either every fourth year or lasting for four years. For many senators, the latter definition seems more apt. They run, threaten to run, recover from running or advise someone else who's running (i.e. travel to interesting places). And yet, these are people with current jobs and, I assume, current responsibilities. But they have no qualms traipsing around the country while accepting the full-time guaranteed salary and benefits and pensions they receive as US Senators.

Connecticut voters in particular have to be confused by the presidential-wannabe-with-no-chance meanderings of Sens Dodd and Lieberman the past few years. Each moved out of state for a while. Lieberman to New Hampshire. Dodd to Iowa. Each may or may not have returned. Who knows and how can you tell. The other day for example, Lieberman was seen in Mexico with Senator Obama. Did he call in sick? Did I miss the memo?

All the while, Dodd may have been at lunch in Washington renegotiating the mortgages on his houses. But who'd know? Senators report to no one.

Several times during the Obama - Clinton cross-country lovefest, each was seen back in Washington to participate in a vote or to make a speech. Nice gesture, but hollow. How engaged could they possibly have been in the debate and the topic leading up to the vote? Their fly-ins make a mockery of the debates and discourse that are supposed to be a core element of being a Senator.

Or is it that the job of a US Senator not full-time? Has the wanderlust of Lieberman, Dodd, Obama, Clinton, McCain etc demonstrated the utter lack of necessity for having full-time Senators? Or any Senators? Let's face it, in midst of this historic economic meltdown, the only thing that kept the Senate's attention was Roger Clemens and Spygate.

Double Fault: Get Rid of the Second Serve

The Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal match will go down as one of the greatest in tennis history. It could have been improved with a rules change.

To anyone watching, the level of play was as great as ever seen, regardless of the circumstances. Given the circumstances - Wimbledon and a changing of the guard at the top of the sport - the two best players in the world put on a tremendous performance.

The defending champion - as great and classy as any player in history - put up a magnificent fight. When faced with match points, Federer conjured up some of his most sublime shots. After losing the first two sets, Federer seemed the better player, but just barely. And when it appeared that Nadal might, just might, crack under the rejuvenated Federer's relentless pressure in the fourth and fifth sets, the Spaniard translated some of his most creative clay-court shotmaking to the slick grass of Wimbeldon. He earned his championship through high-level play and relentless energy.

But as great as it was, the match underscored one of the most fan-challenging aspects of tennis. The length of late-in-major matches often undermines the brilliance of the play. Federer and Nadal dueled for almost five hours. Add in the rain delays, and the match lasted almost 6. In fact, since there are no lights at Wimbledon Center Court, the final point was played in near darkness, a situation not immediately apparent to the audience watching on television due to the ability of cameras to pick up ambient light. It's conceivable that the match could have been suspended, to be continued the next day.

A solution to the challenge of interminably lengthy tennis matches is relatively straight-forward. Eliminate the second serve. No other sport allows a do-over the way tennis does. In fact, there was a time that tennis was dying as a result of the Ivan Ivaniseivic's of the world (the 1980's version of Andy Roddick). Smash and volley tennis was boring to watch and hard for the average fan to enjoy. There was little drama and long periods of what amounted to inactivity. Thank goodness Andre Agassi came back to demonstrate that it was possible to return 120+mph serves. But even at this year's Wimbledon, players ole'd serves knowing that, with two chances, they'd probably win their own.

The risk-reward of a single serve means that the server has to choose to go for an all-out smash or hit a somewhat safer offering. It also means that the returner has every reason to believe he can break his opponent at any time. Without having to wait for second serves, matches will have more action, possibly be shorter and probably have more drama.

NBA Refereeing

Convicted felon Tim Donaghy may be doing the NBA a favor by focusing attention on the refs. He says that several series were thrown in the past few years by crooked refs conspiring with the league.

While that may or may not be true, what is true is this: rules in the NBA are interpreted from night to night, based on location and player involved. As a result, of course viewers (and players and coaches) are going to think there's a conspiracy.

The real conspiracy, if there is one, is that the league gives refs way too much leeway from game to game and even minute to minute. Or perhaps even tells them to cal the game based on the situation.

Case in point, Game 2 of the Finals. Even during a game in which the Celtics were beneficiaries of crowd-pleasin' refereein',the worst call went against them. In the midst of the fourth quarter Laker rally, the refs ate their whistles while a Laker took five steps from mid-court with nary a dribble on the way to a dunk. Any elementary school player would have expected to hear a whistle on the play. But not in the NBA. Why break up a potentially historic comeback?

Why make the call at that point? Easy. Because it's the right call. And it'll make the next call - no matter how difficult - much more palatable for fans, players and coaches. The real challenge for the league is to have the refs achieve game-to-game consistency without regard for venue, situation, score or player status.

We can use more like him

Ok, I’ll admit I hate David Ortiz. He wears a uniform of the enemy. He was a nobody until he was claimed off the scrap heap from Minnesota and now that he’s in Boston he’s sold his soul to the Green Monster. Now, he’s a real “Godzilla” not to mention bearing a strong resemblance. Batting in front of who may arguably be one of the top five right handed hitter of all-time Manny Ramirez, they form an imposing challenge to anyone who toes the rubber. But remember I hate him.

But I have to take off my Yankee hat and stand and applaud this man. He chose to become an American citizen. He went all Red, White and Blue. He gets it. It’s great to see an athlete with some skill above the neckline. He’s not abandoning his native Dominican heritage; he simply has shown the understanding and appreciation what the United States has allowed him to accomplish both professionally and personally. In the fouled up sportsworld we live with, he’s providing a great sense of leadership. Keep it up and bring a few more in from the cold.

Next time though he digs in at the Stadium though…hard up and in.