Okay, we have one Baseball position in this series...Outfield...I've noticed, the biggest factor for the most part seems to be offensive numbers...well, except when 3B...Read More
Lots of shit to talk about this week, so lets get right into it...Thursday night news broke that the Cleveland Browns had hired a new head coach...I had planned on going to bed early, but the news broke just around 11:00PM and I had some shit to say on Facebook and Twitter...
The Cleveland Browns hired a guy that the Cleveland Browns had twice fired...No, I'm not lying...The Browns hired Rob Chudzinski...He was last the Panthers Offensive Coordinator...A position he held in Cleveland, before getting shit-canned for the second time...Thursday night, I wrote that I was "Officially tapping out." I'm standing by those words...I am done with the Cleveland Browns...Fuck fan loyalty, players and owners show no loyalty to fans...I've had enough of the shit football that as been played in this town, since 1999...Why is it so hard to hire a proven, winning NFL coach...'Cause the Browns refuse to...The Browns can Eat my ass!
Fans seem about 50/50 on the hiring of "Chud"...Those who are happy with it, point to the 2007 season when he was the Browns OC, and their offense was really good...Lets be clear, no team that he has been an OC of, has ever made the playoffs...In 2007 the Browns were 10-6...They didn't make the playoffs...Also, they all seem to refuse to look at the 2008 season, when his Browns offense was #31 in the NFL...31! "Chud" can eat my ass!
You know who else can eat my ass...Peyton Manning, and the nut-swinging sports media that love him so much...Peyton choked again, but how the talking heads wanted to stick up for him...The guys at BARSTOOL nailed it...The only thing worse is the ESPN darling, Ray Lewis...The most annoying, obnoxious, camera mugging, accessory to murder but got off, piece of shit, alive...I mean this totally...100%...I hope some one on the Patriots cripples him next week...Fuck that guy!
And while people are eating my ass...How about those high and mighty, ass-hat, baseball writers who vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame...These twats decided to not elect anyone to the Hall this year...They all are hiding under the umbrella of the whole steroids speculation...And that's the problem, right there...Speculation...Very little has been proven, so all were punished...That and the assholes who try to say a guy "isn't a first ballot Hall of Famer"...Holy shit, that's retarded...If he's a Hall of Famer, then that's it...No questions about it...And a guy like Craig Biggio, with over 3000 hits and never any speculation of 'roids should have been put in...His numbers are right there with other Hall of Fame second basemen...
But the best statement about what transpired, came from a commenter on ESPN.com...Of course it wasn't from some one who worked there...My pal AFD clued me into this guy Rob Erickson's comment....
"So the baseball writers who were covering the sport every day and watched guys' numbers and muscles inflate at an inhuman rate for years and didn't say anything about it are punishing the guys who aren't even suspected of using PEDs for not snitching... on their friends and teammates? Because they didn't feel like doing their own job as journalists, they're blacklisting an entire era of players for not doing something they weren't willing to do themselves. Great, shut out anyone who played in the steroid era. Just take away the HOF votes of any journalist who covered the sport during the steroid era too."
Dead on Rob!
And since I got an ESPN dig in there...Let me get another, because there's always a reason for them to eat my ass...Am I the only one who noticed that they love talking about coaching, with two certain members of their staff...Two certain ex-head coaches...Some how, these two ex-coaches are the know-it-alls when it comes to coaching...Odd, since they both have losing records as head coaches...That's right, Eric Mangini, and Herman Edwards....Shut the fuck up and go win some games before you tell us how to coach, or eat my fucking ass!
And how can I forget lance Armstrong? Lance has finally decided to come out and admit to having cheated....A sport that most people don't care about, that had hardly any credibility, now will have it's only star confess to being a fraud...And who will Armstrong confess to? Not a sports journalist...Not even a sports news reader...No, he's going to give confess to a rich bitch, who can't stick to a diet...That's right, Oprah...Just another reason not to take Lance or his sport seriously...This is simply a PR move for him...He's trying to save a bit of his rep, and repair the damage he did to the charity he started, that so many are thankful for...Lance, Eat my Ass...Just don't bring Oprah...there won't be anything left for the rest!
All this talk of SALAD_TOSSING reminded me of the "Macho Salad"....
Yes, fucking Bob Costas...You can always count on this smug little douche to get all high and mighty...And he has pissed off plenty of people after his commentary Sunday night...Costas felt the need to make Javon Belcher murdering Kassandra Perkins, and then killing himself, into a political statement about control laws...
In his little smarmy voice, he quoted sportswriter Jason Whitlock, "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kassandra Perkins would both be alive today."
Okay, so Whitlock is gas-bag #2...Are these two dopes shitting me? Listen, I'm not Johnny Fucking Gun Collector...I'd have no problem if we tightened up the gun laws...But do these ass-clowns really believe that Kassandra Perkins would really still be alive is this fuck-stain Belcher didn't have a gun!?! He shot her 9 times...9 fucking times...If you shoot some one 9 times, you're pissed...You're trying to make a point...Like I want you fucking dead...
So if Asshole Belcher didn't have a gun, he still would have fucked her up....He would have choked her out...Or beaten her to death, or both...The dude was huge compared to her...Believe me, he could take her out, without using a gun...Dude was in a rage for some reason...You don't shoot some one 9 times when you're just joking around...You don't shoot some one 9 times, and storm out the door saying 'dinner better be ready when I get back!' No! You shoot some one 9 times to kill them...Gun or no gun, she didn't stand a chance...
As for him...If his reaction to shooting and killing her was to off himself...It's most likely he would have felt the same way, had he choked her out, or bashed her head through the granite counter tops...Whitlock and Costas' point here is just fucking stupid...I use to like Whitlock, but over the last few years, he's become a real fucking dolt...Costas...He's always been an asshole...He can't help it...He's just an obnoxious, arrogant twat...It's gotta be tough for a fucker that short, to always be climbing up on that high horse...(yes he really is short as hell...I saw him in a Cleveland restaurant in '97...and he was a dick)
All networks let their star gas-bags get on the air and spew bullshit from time to time...But NBC, this was a major mistake...Costas looked like a fool...And no one likes it when a 3 month old with two dead parents gets politicized...
There was another gas-bag this week that pissed me off...Cleveland Browns left tackle, Joe Thomas...After a year has past, he has finally decided it was okay to come out a bash former Browns running back, Peyton Hillis...This has become a big trend in sports...Everyone protects the team asshole...Coaches, GM's. players...Everyone...Then, after he's gone, the blast him in the media...It's nothing new, but I'm sick of it...
If Thomas would have said the shit last year, that he said this week about Hillis, I would have respected him...Thomas called Hillis "toxic" to the team...He blasted Hillis for how he handled his contract dispute with the team...Thomas basically said Hillis faked injuries....Easy for the guy who got a $84 million extension...
The thing is, most Browns fans were pushing for Hillis to get a new deal...The fans were behind him, and vocal about it, for the first half of the season...But the fans noticed a lot of the things Thomas brought up...But maybe if Thomas would have spoken up publicly last year, the fans would have backed off their support of Hillis sooner...Maybe a teammate, and team leader blasting Hillis publicly, would have made him re-think how he was acting...
But no....Thomas waits until the nest year...The week that the Browns are going to play Hillis and his new team, the Chiefs...One, way to try and motivate the guy now that he's playing for some one else...Two, shut up you pussy! If you had any real balls, you would have bashed him last year...I hate the contract disputes in sports...But you know what pisses me off more? In this fucking era of "I gotta get mine"...These fuckers only care about getting theirs, and fuck my teammates if they're trying to get theirs...And then I'll shit on them in the press when they're long gone...
Fuck Joe Thomas! I hope former Browns coach Romeo Crennel runs Hillis all day, and he gets 200 yards...While former Browns QB, Brady Quinn finally has that career day, that he couldn't get here, because the O-line sucked balls, and he had no receivers...
It’s Thursday once again and it’s been a crazy week. I have had meetings all week at work. The funny thing about meetings unless they actually addess and resolve an issue or develop a plan and put in place they are a huge waste of time. That has been my week.
It’s already week 2 of the NFL season with an NFC North matchup tonight the Bears and the Packers.It will be interesting to see how good that Bears defense really is against Aaron Rogers this early in the season. Of course this will set up the second match up in week 15. That one could decide the divsion.
I’m not sure I like all the Thursday Night games this early in the season. I like them after Thanksgiving and maybe it’s just a matter of getting use to it. Then again it’s football and pretty good football. I was very impressed with Peyton Manning this week he looked like he had never taken a day off. You kew he was pumped up and ready and he never missed a beat. It will be very interesting if he can keep his intensity all year. I think he will but than again I always have enjoyed watching him play. I know the Steelers defense was a bit beaten up but nevertheless he looked good.
So on Friday afternoon I ended up doing a sub varsity scrimmage on a spanken new turf field. The plot of land this field is on use to be called the pit. It was this schools sub varisty game field and varsity practice field. Anyway I remember several years ago being there after a run storm and they only had a goal post at one end and the damn tree line would kind of jet out on the field at the end with the goalpost. So you would have to spot the ball almost in the middle of the field instead of the hash a on that side. You would also have to avoid the puddles. I ruined to pairs of the old white knickers and a pair of white shorts doing games there. Thank good for black officiating pants.
Lil Lanz 13 year old refereed his first soccer game and yes he is a patched official. I was proud as a peacock watching him as a sideline judge in a U14 girls soccer match. His best friend is on one of the teams and her dad is the coach. So lil Lanz goes into Ref mode. He tells her I have to check your clients to make sure they are regulation. She mutters something at him and complies. The funny part was he was with her when she bought them. At the end of the game the coaches shook the officials hands . he and another kid was with an adult High School official. His friends dad puts him in a headlock and he pulls out a red card. It cracked me up.
It’s have time so I decide to test the lad a bit. He is in position to start the second half and I walk over and I say to him Hey Mr. Official can explain how three of you missed that last call. (there are parents of the girls standing close by). Lil lanz not missing a beat says it went off her toe we got it right. He threws a few barbs back my way before I give him his water . A dad of one of the players is standing nearby and he realizes his my kid. He chimes and says geez he is quick with the comebacks to. He looked scared to death andf an official friend of my just remember your first game. I said yeah. I worked a two man football game 11 on 11 the guy just had a double knee replacement me being the rookie he says I’ll stay with the QB and you get everything else. It was awful I ran about 8 miles and had no clue what the hell I was looking at.
Anyway, he’ll be back out this weekend between his soccer and baseball games. He will be just fine.
The littlest Lanz got his Hockey Season underway, a little quicker than the NHL. The players don't want this lock out . It will be ineteresting to see what if any resolution theycomeback with before the CBA expires on Saturday. As I have said before the league has everything going for them and a lockout will just deystroy everything they have built over the past several years.. A good TV deal and a huge boost in populaity. They can't afford the lockout.
The question of the week did the courts open a big can of worms for the NFL by lifting Jonathon Vilma's suspension. I think it was a slap in the NFL's face and a serious encroachment on Roger Goodells power. Now every guy who gets suspended will be fighting it in court. Maybe Vilma was innocent but there had to be enough involvement for Goodell to suspend him .What do you think?
Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. I know that March is known for being windy, but I am ready for this month to segue to the lamb part. After a week of cloudy windy weather, we finally had a calm day. Of course, some of this is because of a late night filled with thunderstorms Monday night. After going months without rain, Texas has begun 2012 with plenty of rain. The storm we had dumped another 3 inches on Austin, but from what I have heard the hill country got perhaps twice that much. The last report I heard was that Lake Travis was rising about 6 inches an hour. Since the lake is only 46 percent full, we have much room to go. I remember an old guy told me years ago that water was one of our most valuable resources and that one day I would realize just how important it was. If you know your US history, you will probably remember that most range wars were fought over water or at least the rights to the water. If we are indeed headed for a warming trend, water may become an expensive necessity. What a depressing thought...time to talk sports.
Of course any sports discussion of late has to start in Denver. I am not sure why Peyton chose Denver, but I think it will be a good fit. I could not envision Manning in Miami, but I really thought he might consider San Francisco. One thing that I do like is that Manning made his brief tour and made a quick decision. I really don't get the animosity toward John Elway and John Fox for courting Peyton Manning. Elway and Fox did not draft Tim Tebow, but they played the hand that they were dealt last year. So here's the deal. Life is not fair. Sometimes you get screwed over and you move on. As an owner, John Elway has every right to choose to upgrade any position, even if it means sending Tim Tebow down the road. Any objective fan must admit that Tim Tebow will never be what Peyton Manning is...a HOF QB. There may be some disgruntled Denver fans now, but I suspect a Super Bowl trophy will quickly quiet any discussion regarding Tim Tebow.
I have always admired John Elway and I think that this is one reason that Manning chose Denver. John Elway is Bronco football and wants nothing more than to bring winning football back to Denver. For those that weep for Tim Tebow, stop it. Tim Tebow is a professional football player and will land on his feet. The best thing that could happen to Tebow is that he is cut loose and allowed to cut a deal with the team of his choice. Tim Tebow is unorthodox and is a very raw QB, but one thing he has going for him is that he can play football. In the right situation, Tebow can be successful under center or perhaps another position. It is rather funny to think that if Tebow had not rallied Denver to the playoffs last year that the Broncos might not have been able to lure Manning to Denver.
Why not keep Tebow and allow him to "season" under Manning's tutelage? There are several potential reasons, but I suspect the main thing is that Fox and Elway did not see Tebow as the long term answer at QB. Another likely thought is that with Tebow in camp, the controversy would linger and provide a distraction. By putting all of the cards on the table, Elway allows Tebow a fresh start somewhere else and the Broncos can more quickly become Manning's team. For those that assume that Denver will coast to a playoff spot next year, the schedule looks daunting: Texans, Patriots, Ravens Bengals. Saints, Patriots and Steelers await the Broncos next year. Oh and by the way Peyton, the Broncos play all of their home games outdoors...
The Houston Astros announced today that they have acquired LHP Kevin Chapman from KC for Jason Borgeouis and Humberto Quintero. Borgeouis showed promise last year, which is surely why the Astros decided to send him to KC. Maybe Chapman will turn out to be great pitcher, but I am not holding my breath. But I am still looking forward to the MLB season!
Last week I mentioned that I was heading to the southern Texas coast with my son for a few days for fishing. I have to say, that this trip far exceeded my expectations. Fishing trips do not always involve "catching"...but this one certainly did. We took a 30 minute boat ride last Friday to a remote island south of Baffin Bay. The wind blew the entire time, but the fish did not seem to mind. Saturday night, I easily caught 100 trout by myself off the dock. I kept 10 and released the rest as we literally ran out of room in the ice chests. It so happened that our trip coincided with the black drum run. They loved the shrimp we offered.
This was the largest drum that we caught this day, it was 35 inches long and was too big to keep. It sure was good to see my son smiling. I was smiling, but that fish was biting the hell out of my thumb.
This was back in Corpus Christi we weighed in 300 lbs of fish.
This is the cabin we stayed in. It was "rustic" but did have direct TV so we could watch March Madness. They also have fresh water that is piped in
This was an incredible smoker. It was a stainless steel storage bin before it was converted to a supreme smoker. We enjoyed smoked chicken and tenderloin. They had a shrimper tote the cooker to the island for them.
The cooker has fire bricks inside the box and two racks to place meat on...really cool!
Packing up to go home. Notice that Blake has his suitcase in a plastic bag. It was a pretty bumpy, wet ride.
Here is a shot from the dock. The Gulf of Mexico is 20 miles or so across the bay.
I love to dive. I have been on numerous dives to Cozumel and would go tomorrow. But, damn if I would dive with Tiger sharks...
I had high hopes for the Westwood Baseball season. Blake began the season on a tear, but the team struggled to close out games. We have lost in every manner possible. We have lost pitcher's duels, slug fests and everything in between. It is sad to see the season slowly slip away and to see the players begin accept losing. All I can do is watch. After years of coaching, watching is the hardest thing I have ever done. So many things I would love to say. Words of encouragement formulate in my head, but I am a spectator now. I have an idea for shoring up the rotation, but it is quickly dismissed...a dad has no voice in rotations. My son hates to lose, and all I can do is watch...
Thank goodness there is summer baseball.
That is all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey:
"If you ever go temporarily insane, don't shoot somebody, like a lot of people do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you'd really be surprised."
"Marta said I don't seem to like to read fiction very much. 'I guess you're not an `afictionado',' she said. Poor Marta. For all her reading, she doesn't even know the right word."
Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own...
