Monday, November 29, 2010

Where I've Been

My mother was doing some work on her bathroom when she stepped off the ladder she was painting from and right onto an exposed bolt, sticking from the floor.

The bolt went through her sandal and pushed a large chunk of the shoe into her foot.

She went to the ER, where they cleaned and dressed the wound but refused to investigate further if that lump inside her foot was chunk of missing sandal. The PA told her to keep an eye on her foot and sent her home.

My mother, not content with those instructions, went to a podiatrist and the good doctor was flabbergasted that the ER staff had told her, a diabetic, to leave a bacteria-infested piece of rubber in her foot over the weekend after she stepped an on old, rusty bolt that was used to keep a toilet in place.

Good news is that she's out of surgery now and doing fine.

Plus, she won $5 from the surgeon, who bet her that the chunk of sole didn't go into her foot.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Half A Victory

Halftime. 19 - 14. In Eugene. Super excited.

Then came the second half...

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all, and to all a good...

Whoops, wrong holiday.

But, still hope everyone has a great one.

Now off to stand in line. My nephew wants a "red kitchen."

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Really? Really?

OK, so the president of OSU thinks that a playoff system in college football is ''a slippery slope to professionalism.''

You know what else is a slippery slope to professionalism?

Athletic scholarships.

Playing your games in a stadium that seats over 100,000 people.

A marching band.

Paying coaches more than most professors.

''You know, it's a mystery,'' Gee said. ''We were No. 1 then No. 11 then No. 7 and we ended up playing for the national championship. I think I kind of like that mixed-up mystery.''

I don't care about the "mystery" of a national title. There's a reason college football is the only semi-professional or professional sport that decides a title by voting. Don't try to maintain a stupid and corrupt system by offering flowery reminiscences about mixed-up mysteries.

Maybe it's just me, but glance at the image below and tell me how "amateur" that looks.



Then explain why a playoff system is part of that slippery slope.

Oh, and here's a joke: How do you get an OSU grad off your porch?

You pay for the pizza.

It Gets Better...

Derek, Now A True Yankee

Isn't it a pity?

Jeter's agent, in trying to fight this battle through the press, has reminded those willing to write it down that there is a reason Jeter has been compared to Babe Ruth for his contributions to the Yankee organization.

Clearly, Mr. Close has forgotten how the Yankees treated the Bambino in the twilight of his career.

Nor does he remember the way they treated such icons as Phil Rizzuto, Roger Maris, or Reggie Jackson.

While it is absurd to insist Jeter played no part in the rise of the Evil Empire in the late 90s/early 00s, members of the press like Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal appear unwilling to admit that they allowed the hype machine to go into overdrive when promoting Jeter as the "face" of the franchise and now have to wonder why the Yankees, unlike much of the press during the last fifteen years, is paying attention to his abilities on the diamond and not his cologne line or who he's dating. As a Red Sox fan, much as I hate to admit it, those Yankee teams were great "teams," they won because the collective often played better than the sum of its parts. Derek Jeter was a part of that machine, he was not the straw that stirred the drink.

Lest anyone think this is historical revision, consider two sets of numbers. Let's argue that the five pennants in six years (1996 - 2001) are what led to the creation of YES. How many of those years was Jeter the best player on the team?

I'd argue one: 1999, when he was probably the 2nd best player in the AL (1st: Pedro Martinez).

Here are Jeter's numbers (BA/OBA/SLG/HR) for that period (1996 - 2001):

.321/.393/.471/99

Excellent, though they are, how did Bernie Williams do during the dynasty:

.321/.407/.546/157

And Williams actually deserved some of his gold gloves.

Does anyone remember the "classy" way they treated Williams on his way out the door?

Has the press forgotten that Bernie almost went to Boston, as the Yankees wanted to sign Albert Belle, after the 1998 season?

So when Ken Rosenthal wonders, "Why are the Yankees taking such a harsh stance" on Jeter and his absurd demands?

The answer is simple: Tradition.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

(The Press Hates) Days Like These

Usually, around this time of year, baseball's award season, you'll find articles here or there and sometimes everywhere expressing outrage or some minor form of vitriol towards their fellow writers for voting so incorrectly for [fill in the award]. Sometimes the postseason and even last few weeks of the regular season will take up space in the sports pages.

Who among us can forget Allen Barra's hilarious, Swiftian parody of those singing the praises of Jeter and begging that he should be MVP of the AL despite being statistically outweighed by his fellow players. Deadspin even wrote a response, obviously not getting the joke.

A dissenting voice can be good for clear thinking, but Phil Rogers, of the Chicago Tribune wondered out loud how much of Felix Hernandez's Cy Young was the result of "Bullying on the Internet" is something else entirely.

Is that what they call clear-headed thinking today? "Bullying." Yes, King Felix only managed a 13 - 12 record, but he also led the AL in IP and ERA while finishing 2nd in K's (by one strikeout, btw) to Jarred Weaver. Yes, the games are about winning, but when your offense bottoms out in virtually every major offensive category and is 2nd in strikeouts, why should the pitcher be blamed for not winning more? Where is the critique of CC Sabbathia, who only managed to win 61% of his starts despite having the Yankees leading the AL in runs?

Statistics are like a picture mosaic, and if you focus on one image, you're going to miss the bigger picture.

In 1989, Oakland A's pitcher Storm Davis went 19 - 7 despite posting an ERA 15% higher than the league average. The Kansas City Royals gave him a large contract, insisting that they didn't care about ERA, but about pitchers who could win games.

Rob Neyer pointed out that's like a CEO saying they don't care if the company makes money as long as the stock price goes up. Funny that some writers (and players) still think that.

I hesitate to even call it a minor controversy, but I'm sure the BCS will offer plenty for sports reporters to get up in arms about. As well it should.