tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30061162139688439602024-03-08T13:00:58.843-06:00Sports & GamesA Minnesotan's blog about the things that make life fun.Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-68129848367332689562015-09-25T15:36:00.001-05:002015-09-25T15:36:50.339-05:00Looking Back, Looking Ahead<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
The other night I was thinking
about the things I didn’t like about fall and I realized that last fall was
possibly the greatest overall sports season of my life. Almost all my teams did something amazing, it
could scarcely have been more fun for me in the sports I played and there were
so many moments which just made me proud to be a fan of sports in general.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I
don’t think I can talk about when things started getting better w/o adding how
my signing on with Reading Corps and having something to go to every day, as
well as a legit source of income, made me feel better overall. But there were also a couple other endeavors
which probably contributed equally to that feeling. When Tom L. asked me to sub for his Fall
League team. And even though I hadn’t
been invited to a team since high school, I just went out and had fun, not
worrying about results. Why would you
when you’re a sub, anyway? Then they
made me part of the team and it was one of the most fun seasons I’ve had in
anything for a while. On top of this, I
played a little pickup soccer, another thing I wasn’t afraid to throw myself
into, given how the last year had gone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
And
once again The Big Hrbowski was in the Monday night RanHam League, which
despite my continued improvement, I think, could probably be characterized as a
disappointment. As I’ve pointed out so
much, one of the great things about being on a bowling team is all the things
you can tinker with to get your team playing well. The names, the music, the order, the balls,
the amount of beverages. The problem last fall was that we were usually the
only ones bowling on any given week, and rarely even saw the appearance of an
opponent in another lane. A couple times
they had overbooked the alley as well, which pushed us back to where we just
said Screw It and left. But this year
they’ve got new pin setters and we’re gonna do it right!<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Fall
is when the best sports happens, IMO, and even beginning with the sports I
wasn’t as invested in, it was amazing.
Being able to watch the Royals for so long was pretty amazing. Yost is a terrible manager, so every time
they advanced, it was all the more incomprehensible. I loved the Wild Card game, and I would say I
was rooting for them in that game, and in the playoffs after that. But Game 7 couldn’t have been a more perfect
cap. The Royals and Yost did Royalsy,
Yost-y things (bunting with one out, head-first slides into first) and made me
kinda hope they lost. But then Gordon hits it and starts running at the very
end and there were then always going to be what-ifs. And even though the Twins weren’t in it, we
got to watch former Twins be heroes, such as Josh Willingham and “Boom Goes the
Delmon-ite” Young. <a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This year, we’ve still got the Twins in the playoff chase and it’s now going to
be really fun!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Meanwhile,
my Sounders, in the first season I really got to watch all their games, had one
of the most excited final stretches of the season and came home with the
Supporters’ Shield, aka Regular Season Championship. Between that run and the playoffs, which
ended against the hated Galaxy, I finally felt what it was to have a winning
soccer team. Meanwhile, closer to home,
the Loons were doing even cooler things!
And losing in even <i>more</i>
heartbreaking ways.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
John
and Steve and I went to probably the coldest soccer game I ever hope to go to<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
at the National Sports Center in November for the semifinal of the NASL against
the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. It ended
up having the most controversial ending I’ve seen, when the Strikers got a goal
originally ruled offsides <i>allowed</i> in
the final minutes to send it to extra time and eventually beat the Loons on
penalties. We ran into one of the
leaders of the Dark Clouds, Raj, at the Riv later that winter and commiserated
that abomination with him a little bit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
And
yet, having a good time at a cold, outdoor football game was still in the
cards. There have been a lot of good
decisions my family made regarding Packers tickets in the past couple years. My
mom trading tickets so we can have Gold Package games in the newly sheltered
south end zone has worked out very well.
So has getting canvas bleacher-attaching folding seats. Both those
helped Mike and ‘Eye even further enjoy the Packers’ trouncing of the Eagles
later in November on their way to getting a first-round bye.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
And
around that time, another out-of-state football team started their own
improbable run. When Ohio State’s QB
went down the game before the B1G ‘ship, they didn’t think they had a chance. But Then Cardale Jones turned out to be the
best QB they have. As in, they had
potentially the three best QBs in the B1G.
That’s when even Katie got really interested in the new Playoff. Which became absolutely the right move for
the FBS. S-E-C! S-E-C! Already ESPN’s
getting excited about who every one of the conference teams won (because that’s
difficult in the outta-conference week), and they have 10 teams in the top 25.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> All I know is, as long as the Buckeyes play
in Ohio and Urban Meyer is their head-coach, they’re going to be a force to be
reckoned with.</div>
<br />
<div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Update: TBH is <i>not</i> going to happen
this year at this point, unless we can get at least one more person who can
commit full-time- Any takers?</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Story:
we’re watching the deciding game of the Orioles’ Division Series at Ol’ Pickety
when Delmon comes to the plate, bases-loaded, down 1. Bebop says what we’re all
thinking- “Don’t throw him a first-pitch mistake”- and he immediately hits a
double.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Besides
maybe the Snow Game.</div>
</div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/FallFourteen.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Though, again, they still have to play <i>each
other</i>, so I’m pretty sure it’s just not going to stay that way. And I also
feel like coaches are <i>notoriously </i>power-conference-biased.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-77194900290082565972015-04-03T10:49:00.000-05:002015-04-03T10:49:01.664-05:00My Reality Teams<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everything in my life
relates to sports. I acquired a new cologne yesterday which was actually just
an old cologne I had, but then lost since I’ve moved back home. It was like getting an ace starting pitcher
back who is coming off of Tommy John surgery.
It’s probably not the exact same as you remember, but he’s still better
than anyone else you got, and gives your whole staff a psychological lift. But the way I see it, you can’t build a whole
rotation around just one. Which is why I
put together a five-bottle staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> When I lost my first bottle of <i>Velocity</i> (by Mary Kay) in
the move from Nordeast back to the Old Homestead, I was devastated. I even wanted to go out and get some bottle
by some designer or other to replace it.
I think it cost me personally more than I’ve paid for any other of my
bottles<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Sports.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>,
but I will use it as much as I think is necessary, because it’s really the ace
of the staff. (That’s something a smart manager would say, right?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>Real</i> by
American Eagle is my first bottle, so it has paid its dues, and as much as any
of the other members of this staff travels pretty well. Doesn’t lose its head, er, cap too much when
it gets caught in a tight spot. The
pedigree on it is pretty good, even though it comes from a team I haven’t had
that much affiliation with otherwise.
But I think simply its presence in my arsenal gives all the other
bottles a little more genuineness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Even though I’m not sure about its cowboy ways or
upbringing, <i>McGraw</i> by Tim McGraw adds
a little flavor and variety into this rotation, which it was previously
lacking. A solid enough number three in
a rotation that could use a bit of wildness.
Could work on its delivery a little bit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>Affection</i> by
Mary Kay is for sure one of the best pound-for-pound workers that I can turn
to, and it travels extremely well.
Despite its small size, I don’t mind using it as a starter on various
nights while I’m in town, and often do use it in relief if we’re on the road
and get in a jam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>Ocean </i>by Bath
& Body Works is an absolute wreck.
It’s a pretty tall drink of water (or some kind of fluid), and despite
its shiny exterior, just can’t bring the stuff anymore. I’ll use it every sixth or seventh time out,
but it’s still frustrating how often its mechanics come undone and it sometimes
just makes me want to cut it completely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">Ties don't play baseball. That'd be dumb- the tie game is much more fast-paced and high scoring than that. So when you play a game like that, you need more players.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The red tie is what I’ve for a long time now called my
Power Tie. It completely holds down my
ensemble and always shows up. You notice
when someone’s wearing a tie of that color, and though I didn’t think much of
it when I first got it, this piece of cloth has done enough to lock down a job
in the starting lineup for years to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> At the small forward position is my Paisley tie- simply
put, any collection of this type needs something along the lines of a paisley,
and this particular one doesn’t mess around.
It’s pretty solid because it’s almost a Tron-type version of one, with
simply the paisley pattern in bright blue on a black background. It’s gotten oohs and ahhs from onlookers
before, and for being one of the first ties I bought, it’s really stood the
test of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Grey Artsy tie is pretty expensive, largely because
it’s made out of silk, but it’s also an abstract pattern. I think of this as more of a “fun” tie, but
make no mistake, this one shows up to play.
Given the color scheme, it goes with pretty much anything, and isn’t so
wide that you miss part of the big picture.
As an added bonus, it’s a material that’s really easy to actually tie,
so I don’t end up stressing it out too much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Blue-Striped tie is one of the least distinctive ties
I have, because like its brother the red, it relies on doing one thing well,
and it’s something it doesn’t do quite as well as Red. But because it can do it in the other
direction and in a different color, it’s a nice complement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The newest tie I have is the Men in Blazers Warpig
tie. I just trotted it out for the first
time the other day, and I really like how it showed up. There’s nothing incredibly commanding about
it, but it knows what it’s doing out there, and absolutely makes a
statement. It’s a style that will stick
around for a long time, and, if anyone looks close enough, can serve as
conversation starter, and maybe even a conversation continuer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately, not all the
ties can make the starting lineup, but I have at least three or four more that
are solidly in my rotation at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Green Checked tie has seen better days, having gotten
an irremovable stain in a place that’s almost too-noticeable to wear anywhere
people might be interested. But it for
sure used to be in my top two or three favorite ties and I try to break it out
occasionally for old-times’ sake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Solid Dark-blue (I do hesitate to say navy) tie is
another really good one. Everyone needs
a reliable solid, and this one is definitely the right color of that for me,
although I could also use a lighter version at some point. What I would say is there is a textured
pattern in back that if it had <i>any</i> of
on the front, would give it the leap into my top three probably. But it’s also just kind of bulky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Finally, I recently broke out an old tie that I had not
used for a while on a night that I didn’t think I would care what tie I wore,
and it turned out pretty awesome. It was
a tie with a red and light blue small checker-type pattern on it and it worked
well as a classy look, which isn’t too closely inspected. (Official name to come...)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surely these must be the
only two sports and accessories Buckeye has a comparison to sports for,
huh? Well, you’re out of luck, pal. I have at least one more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The quarterback of my Monday
mornings, and Tuesday, Wednesday and every other morning that I’m here, is my
New York Mug. It’s a classic mug with a
few years and some dings on it, but there’s no carrier of coffee, tea or other
hot liquid which I would rather use than this guy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> My sister gave it to me as a present (apparently she’s
been to New York more times than anyone can remember), and I’ve had an
attachment to it ever since. I don’t
just like that it has a matte finish and a cool script for the words New
York. I appreciate more than merely the
alternatingly distinct and generic skyline circling from one side of the handle
all the way around and ending at the other.
And I more than forgive a little knot in the ceramic of the bottom which
may have scratched more nice tables than I’m willing to admit. But there is also something very satisfying
for me as a denizen of a mid-sized city like Minneapolis declaring that there
are definitely places out there which I would enjoy visiting and to be reminded
of that every morning.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Sports.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It is the quarterback of my lifestyle because if I’m
forced to take another of my mugs, its really not the same. A couple others that I’ve had have completely
shattered, but I’m not going to put this one in a situation where that could
happen and would rather subject one I don’t like as much, such as the Class of
’06 one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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Nothing</div>
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Suck it, Chicago</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-18105874774900506552014-09-23T16:02:00.002-05:002014-09-23T16:02:45.142-05:00Chattown<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Chatype Regular";"> </span>Thoughts on Chattanooga: it
seems like a really fun city, because much of what’s determining the size of
the town, is the valley in which it sits.
I later learned that this is the Lookout Valley, named after the
mountain, which is also one of the largest geographical attractions in the
area. It’s this very valley which makes
you forget it’s there until you are right on top of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rolling
through the Appalachians on our way back from Tybee Island, GA on spring break
our sophomore year, our car was getting hungry right around the time we hit
Chattanooga, Tennessee, a town most of us had heard of, but very few had
seen. Getting to anywhere that served
food seemed to require us driving into the heart of the city, picking out a
place, and then trying to park somewhere free.
As I recall, there was a Three Doors Down concert at a theatre down
there, and so there seemed to be both less parking and fewer people about than
you might expect for a Saturday with less going on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The place we spotted was called
Sticky Fingers, a barbeque joint which despite belonging to a small chain,
seemed to be genuine, down-home fare. We
hit the head pre-meal, and as I was walking back towards the front of the
store, I said mostly to myself, “Where are our friends”. The hostess quipped right at that moment “You
don’t have any friends”, and I immediately understood what kind of place I was
in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had
no trouble getting a table quickly, which was fortunate for our stomachs. The
meal didn’t disappoint either. The ribs
were fantastic, and we tried just about every variety with every sauce provided
as well. We proved their name correct
(me probably more than anyone). And we
looked forward to stopping in next year on the same trip.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately
it didn’t happen like that for everyone involved in the first adventure. Being
in a car full of people more impatient as well as ignorant of the joys of
Sticky Fingers, I was outvoted when we and another carful showed up the next
year’s ride back and found that there may be a 30 minute wait. So our car ate Qdoba instead, waiting about
as long to sit down as it sounds like the other car did at Sticky Fingers. But I’m not bitter or anything. Especially
not because I was then 21 and could have had an adult beverage there. We did make it back to the area for the same
restaurant at a slightly different location the next year, but all my dreams
were fulfilled once more.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And
this was the emotion dug back up when the Twins announced they are moving their
AA affiliate to Chattanooga to take over the Lookouts (also a great name). I was aware of the team of course, and I now
have a connection reasonably close in Atlanta, that we could base camp from if
we were to fly in and take a day trip. And bring him to the restaurant of my
dreams which he momentarily kept me from.<o:p></o:p></div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-50626382276280407422014-08-04T14:08:00.001-05:002014-09-22T12:11:38.277-05:00City Ball<div class="MsoNormal">
Watching the Giants and Phillies is making me think that the
National League has about the best location not just amount leagues in the
Majors, but among almost any American sport.
(Arguably the MLS western conference might be the second best such environment
and dynamic among team locations.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
fact is, though, that most of these teams are almost inarguably the important
teams in their area. Cincinnati has the
oldest professional baseball team in existence, Miami has a very large Cuban
population, despite a terrible ownership history. The Giants own the bay area, have the most
beautiful stadium in the game, and a couple recent ‘ships under their belt, and
the Phillies are still in their city!
But let’s take a look at a cross section of the most ideal locations for
the National Pastime.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Los Angeles</b>: Despite the fact that
they’ve only been in this area since 1958, this team is probably the most
storied team of any kind on the west coast.
They’re the team of Sandy Koufax, Steve Garvey, and Kirk Gibson. In the nineties they won six Rookie of the
Year awards in a row. They’ve played in
the same place since moving from the Colliseum early in their residence. They have the best announcer in sports. And while they haven’t won a Series since
’88, the team has probably the brightest future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best
current pitcher in the game; one of the most exciting young players in the
game; a giant new TV contract and an owner who is most famous in the town for
his accomplishments in another sport.
And they’ve done it all while surviving a team that plays an hour away,
but insists on calling themselves “Los Angeles”, another team in San Diego and
one of the worst ownership fiascos in recent memory. What helps the Dodgers here is that their
uniforms are just classic, they have a rival in the Giants who are generally
competitive and pretty close (by American standards) and did I mention more
money than God? Yes, a lot of people
might argue that the basketball team still owns the town, but I have my own axe
to grind with them and that team hasn’t even been the best basketball team in their
town the past couple years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>St. Louis:</b> I hate the Cardinals. They were named after the trim and socks’
colors on their uniform around the time of their founding, having first taken
the name Perfectos. For a time, they
weren’t even the only St. Louis Cardinals (the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL
having moved there around the middle of the century). They kicked another, lamer-color-named team
out of their city, and sent them to another place which liked birds. Then they stole the design of that team’s
park for their new park. Their fan
territory infringes further across their state then it should and into most
of the western Mason-Dixon states.
They’ve stymied the potentially great stories of the ’67 Red Sox, the
’82 Brewers (<i>thank you!</i>) and the ’11
Rangers. They have the second most
championships in baseball, but their fans still complain about a measly first-base
call in a (non-deciding) Game 6 against a team with only <i>one</i> championship in <i>their</i>
history.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/BallTowns.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> But they are the best baseball city in
America.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Their
fans show up year after year. They do
benefit from a lot of exposure in TV commercials, given that they are owned by
a certain famous beer company. But year
after year they also have great pitching, role players who are pushed to new
heights, and an environment that loves baseball above all else.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Milwaukee:</b> As a Packer fan and Twins fan, this pains
me. But I also kind of feel for the
place. Their current franchise is an expansion club, and they’ve only had one
World Series appearance, which wasn’t in the league they are currently in. But the first club they had was in too much
of a hurry to leave, despite a couple Series appearances (including one win
over the Yankees), and some of the greatest players of the generation, playing
in a city that loved them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure
the city is largely Packer territory, but they take baseball fandom to new (if
drunken) heights. Their ballpark is
incredibly spacious and breezy. They
originated the costumed-fan races that have swept the league and for once
there’s something besides Bernie Brewer sliding down three levels to come to
the ballpark to watch. Who cares if
there’s probably way too much Miller Lite at the park? They’ve got anti-heroes, cast-offs and rebels
on a team which will show their true colors down the stretch, one way or
another. They used to have the greatest
hat logo in baseball and they often still pay tribute to it. And of course, despite being on the outskirts
of the city, fans troop out every game-day to get sloshed in the parking lot
while playing bags, and then mosey in for some more beer and delicious
brats. And maybe, for the time, some
winning baseball.</div>
<div>
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<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/BallTowns.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Yeah, it was their cross-state rival, but the Royals also had been down 3-1 in
the Series. So no sympathy, Redbirds.</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-46810749070408599532014-07-08T22:43:00.001-05:002014-07-08T22:43:48.895-05:00The Brand Doctor<div class="MsoNormal">
The
biggest problem with McDonald's is that they are just so omnipresent. They are going to have a stake in everything,
everywhere, always. I don’t think I have
a problem with them sponsoring so many things, because I don’t inherently
support McDonald’s when I, say, watch a World Cup soccer game, but rather just
get more exposed to the restaurant chain than I would like to. One of the biggest problems with this country
being so money-driven and class-conscious is that people think having very
little money is an excuse to have very little class. The times I have gone to any kind of Mickey
D’s in the past two years or so are those times when I am on the road with my
family and they’re buying. As they
pointed out at the end of our Wyoming trip last year- ‘We can’t <i>always</i> afford to spend a lot of money on
dinner.’ So I suppose I should be
thankful that I live in a country that allows cheap meals sometimes. But when you make a place like McDonalds part
of your regular lifestyle, you miss out on so much joy in life that isn’t just
out of reach because you, say, can’t afford a sit-down restaurant, or have very
little time. It’s just SO easy to go
grocery shopping and have some frozen pizzas and just try your best to have a
sit-down meal. Your kids need to be able
to<i> </i>feed themselves, they need to feel
like they’re part of a family and that they’re a self-sufficient breed, and
they need to be getting <i>proper</i>
nutrients. No matter what you get at
McDonalds, it’s just not going to be as good for you as something you make for
yourself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All of these consequences build on
themselves, and this is to me why McDonalds is so evil. They’ve just insinuated themselves into the
lives of a certain class of people to such a large extent, that a lot of people
think of it as just a way of life. Like,
this is where <i>normal</i> people eat on a
regular basis- which is sad, because McD’s has a very effective method of
making it seem that way, and the more it starts to seem that way, the more it
becomes true. Their slogan now, which
they haven’t changed in a decade and probably won’t ever again<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
is “I’m lovin’ it!” What is “it”? It is everything you can possibly imagine,
because this place is everywhere and everything. You can’t escape it. First of all: support Mom and Pop shops as
much as you possibly can.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Secondly: Fix your own meals as much as you
possibly can. Because while the Krocs
have done a very good job of making you think that you should only eat stuff
that’s familiar to you, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. One of their most recent commercials is some
guy who just became a rich pro athlete- but hey, he stays true to his roots by
buying all his friends McDonald’s. I’m
glad we’re not friends, because I would be telling him to take us out for
something good, like sushi. Like good
sushi. When I go to a store, I’m
suspicious of things that are too inexpensive.
I would rather pay more for a superior product which I don’t have to
replace or otherwise regret getting sooner than I’d like.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
However, there are some soccer
sponsors I do respect, and one of the reasons I respect this one so much is in
large part due to their commercials.
There are several really good Heineken commercials, but I think one of my
favorites has to be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUlCqKghdic" target="_blank">the one with the guy</a> chasing down some chick who left her
business card case in the cab. (Be warned, the version of this that appears on TV is much shorter.) He goes to a place called The Chop and gets a shave. He later goes to a place called Step Sisters. He learns to swing dance. Then he ends up at a jazz joint called the
Broken Note. Here he buys the piano man
a Heinie and plays a few notes on the piano.
Then he’s quickly out of cards and hasn’t found the lady, whose name is
apparently Eve. Eve is both a great name
for an attractive chick, because it is the name of the first woman, but it’s
also quite possibly just the name (a <i>great </i>name) of an upper level restaurant which he soon
finds from a giant neon sign. He gives
the red-haired hostess the case, as if to ask who he can give it back to, and
she leads him to some kind of private urban gondola where they share a couple
cold ones. What’s great about this
particular Heinie commercial to start with, is that each of these places just
has such a perfect name. And while other
commercials for Heineken have featured men with a lot of talent wooing ladies,
they’ve mostly been dudes who are offensively over-confident in whatever
environment they enter. This is one with
a guy who, while obviously not shy, definitely doesn’t know what to expect from
any part of this adventure, but he’s able to roll with anything. Especially a hot redhead<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. The other great part is that while some of
the other commercials take place on a cruise or somewhere foreign, even though
the main character is most likely American, this ad made the correct choice of
setting with a large (American-looking) city, probably NYC. Thus we don’t have the subliminal message
that you need to be rich to be as suave as the guys in the commercial. You just need to drink Heinie and have some
class.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
When I was growing up, my dad had a
Chevy S10 with a flatbed in which he would transport us around the neighborhood
in the spring and summer. It was black,
had a small cab, a stick shift and he later sold it for about $2000. But Chevys from there on were always
synonymous with trucks for me- the machines of Men, which separated us from the
Canadians and the French. When I was
trying to even out the themes in T-shirts I owned, I found one with a Chevy
logo at Target and it became one of the only tops I own that doesn’t honor some
sports team. But I do feel like Chevy is
a team in its own right. It was the car
answer to the Coke-Pepsi rivalry<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. I was on team Chevy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And Chevy has done a lot of things
right to close that gap, especially in the truck department. They always had the better slogan for their
trucks- Like a Rock. It even had its own
song: <i>“I was strong as I could be…”</i> The Chevy logo is simple and classic as
well. It’s one shape, and while the
outline of the shape is essentially 12 segments or so, they do a really good
job of emphasizing that it’s pretty much just two really thick lines that cross
each other. You can see on the grill of
most of their vehicles, that the long, horizontal line sits on the
distinguishing middle bar, with the thicker, vertical line hangs out
un-assumingly in the middle, only slightly dangling off either side. (This simplicity of design was something Ford
still hasn’t nailed down.) And the name
Chevy has itself a very American appeal, given that the full name, Chevrolet,
is obviously French in origin. You both
ignore that root and honor the forebears who shortened it in this country.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Lately Chevy has been very much
trying to emphasize its place in Americana, and is in my opinion
succeeding. Their campaign in the middle
of the last decade was “An American Revolution”. They introduced a bunch of new cars, and
brought back many of the old ones.
Everyone loves and knows the Camaro and the Corvette. But the Impala has a place in the urban
landscape of this country and the Suburban was the first major vehicle for
people who had a lot of stuff and/or people to carry around, but didn’t want to
drive a creepy van. And I don’t care
what people say, the El Camino might be the best vehicle ever, and the granddaddy
of all <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup%C3%A9_utility" target="_blank">coupe utilities</a>. But while not
all the new vehicles have stuck, I think those who own the Equinox love the
name of the vehicle at the very least.
There may not be much of a point to the SSR, either, but let’s be
honest- it’s pretty sweet that <a href="http://media.caranddriver.com/images/05q2/267355/chevrolet-ssr-photo-5300-s-429x262.jpg" target="_blank">it exists</a>.
I think they’ve done a great job of solidifying their identity- as a
company that takes risks, but knows what it’s done right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The fact is that I haven’t been a
huge Ford backer historically and they haven’t done a lot in this area lately
to make that change. They do just tend
to rest on their laurels a little bit. But
there are a few things they’ve had working against them in the past few
years. For one, they can’t help that a
lot of Canadians wanted the Ranger, inherently reducing its appeal in
America. And they definitely got hit by
the brunt of the recession. The new
image they are trying to create is doing really well for them. They are fully embracing the eco-revolution
and from everything I’ve heard the Fiesta and Focus are really fun to
drive. The main thing that has gotten my
attention is their new grill, which I think is more of a representative for
your company than people tend to give credit to. We’ve known for a long time that you want
generally to stick with one style across all of your vehicles, but the main
conundrum was how to make yours unique compared to every other car
company. Could I look at your car or
truck and say “Oh, that’s a <u>______</u>”? Ford has succeeded with their new-style grills
which look equally appropriate on any type of vehicle<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and are especially identifiable, more so even than Chevy lately.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But what they haven’t been able to
do is get a logo that you only have to see part of, the way you do with Chevy,
Coke or McDonald’s. The Ford logo has
been the same for a long time, but now that a lot of auto manufacturers are
using ellipses for their main logo, it has become so much less unique, despite
its trademarked status. What they
probably should do is make a close-up of part of the Ford script within the
enclosure. Something with white-on-blue,
ala the Coke tail, which they’ve leveraged so deftly. The only thing I can think of they may have
that people think of them in even the top 5 for is the color blue.</div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Until the sh*t hits the fan and it becomes something like “It wasn’t <i>just </i>us!”</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
I’m glad we live in the age of Yelp!, we have a means of telling what places of
those we’ve never heard of are actually good.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
“Fine! We’ll go somewhere private and have sex! Settle down!”</div>
</div>
<div id="edn4">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Which really isn’t one anymore.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn5">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Review%20of%20commercials.docx#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Even on the embarrassingly wide array of cars that are going by the moniker “Crossover”
these days. Can we just admit that some
of them are essentially Station Wagons?</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-48190346333681715362014-06-11T00:02:00.001-05:002014-06-11T00:02:39.537-05:00Under the Radar Television<div class="MsoNormal">
FX is a
channel that I have gained more respect for over the recent years. The shows it has are usually as well thought
out as any on premium television and it has simply become a network known for
trusting showrunners to do their thing and just create really good TV. Such was the case with the show <i>Louie</i>, through which the network lays
claim to the guy many agree is America’s funniest of the moment, Louis CK. They have for a long time had the cult
favorite <i>It’s Always Sunny in
Philadelphia</i> and even shows which I’ve seen almost none of, such as <i>Justified</i>, but from everything I have
heard and seen of them are also really good.
But my favorite at this point has to be <i>The Americans.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
title was the first thing that appealed to me.
It summons a jingoistic part of me, which, as I started watching, was
quickly leveraged me to root for the main couple, who feel as strong of
feelings for their country as I and a large chunk of us felt, say, just after
9/11. And while the commercials for the
show pressed onto your cerebral cortex with visual stimulation and even the
opening credits built a fantastic fast-paced montage of Soviet and American
images juxtaposed, the scenery in the show (save the people) seemed
purposefully dull. That also juxtaposed
nicely with how fine-tuned and fast-paced the plot and character development
became. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
first season was exceedingly tight, and bore itself like a show already hitting
its prime. They weren’t afraid to
dispatch or scale back the roles of certain characters. And everything about the backstabbing,
camaraderie and intrigue made me want to have participated in an era that I
only lived during about four years of.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/TheAmericans.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> There is a good amount of action and
suspense, as well as misunderstandings and screw-ups that add to the authenticity
of the show. Some of the most dastardly
things these people do aren’t even physically violent. Philip (the husband), has his alter-ego Clark
<i>marry</i> the secretary at his neighbor’s
FBI division, who he has convinced he’s an Internal Affairs investigator, so
that he can continue to use her as his informant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What
strikes me about it too, that brings special appeal to me, is the magnitude of
how serial it is. So much so, that I
can’t really tell you what has happened episode to episode, but more just over
the course of one season of another. As
I’m starting to figure out some of the beats of shows, I start to see where
they head sometimes. Since the end of
last season, Philip and Elizabeth’s oldest, Paige, has started to stop trusting
her parents. Earlier this season, it led
to a fantasticly awkward encounter in her parents’ bedroom at night. But as a parallel of their relationship with
her, the couple has had to deal with the aftermath of a massacre which left
their best friends’ oldest an orphan.
This all seems to be pointing to a watershed moment where Paige either
learns the truth or is told it. And
while the show has in no way been predictable, this event would actually contradict
one of the central tenants of the show.
But I also think it would strengthen the Jennings’ as a family and the
Philip and Elizabeth’s identity as both a couple and operating partners.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The season finale a couple weeks
ago also did not disappoint. At the risk
of spoiling too much, I’ll just say that this show has an uncanny ability to bring
everything full circle, both in respect to themes addressed throughout the
season as well as the collision courses of certain characters. There are very
few wasted scenes or characters, and while there is no giant cliff-hanger
ending, it’s clear we are in for so much more in coming seasons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
What appeals to me in this tv show
as much as anything, is what it really gives me of the 80’s. Since I mostly see that decade from the
perspective of what music and movies we get from them, there is very little more
appealing to me about it than the Cold War.
But they do a good job of showing how bland I think we all truly
understand it was, and maintaining the distinct <i>J’ ne se quoi </i>of the decade.
The little I remember of it from my own life is a lot of beige. I remember boxy cars and I wish I remembered
more sweaters. Sooo many sweaters… Fashion-wise, it’s not better than the
sixties, of course. But when viewed
through the espionage side, it’s way more fun.
Just as espionage without as much technology as today is itself way more
fun.</div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/TheAmericans.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Although even as late as ’95-’96 (which I remember most of), I think there were
enough leftover feelings and suspicion around the country, and from my parents
more specifically, that I probably got a little taste of it.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-91930819133379169162014-05-13T15:12:00.001-05:002014-05-13T15:12:04.915-05:00A Reasonable Call for Attention<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was in church yesterday, I was sitting next to one
guy who seemed to be there by himself, in front of one couple who was probably
in their forties, and had a younger couple in front of me who walked in a
couple minutes late. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It has increasingly become my habit
to go to the so-called Last Chance Mass at OLL, simply because that’s when it
ends up working out best for me during the weekend, and it’s pretty close
by. The only part of it I don’t like is
that I haven’t been able to find a bike rack around to save my life (or my
soul). But yesterday I was psyched,
because coming down 2<sup>nd</sup> St., I found one sitting just outside the
Punch Pizza. I was able to both be smug
about the fact that I found a bike rack close to somewhere else I wanted to
patronize, and also take that of someone who maybe wanted to patronize a place
I don’t like so much. Because- it’s not
like they’re going to tow a bike for biking in a spot that person isn’t going
to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thus I
ended up being much more punctual than usual for this Mass, but with the added
worry of not being sure if my light is going to be taken off my bike. It looks enough a part of the thing that I
don’t think I should worry, but I would say there’s still about a 1-in-20 chance
that someone takes it. The light is kind
of a piece of crap- plus I also just don’t want to keep it on my person the
fewer clothes I start to wear as the weather gets warmer. And this particular Mass is pretty short,
while invading the daylight hours at this point, so all the less opportunity
for some petty thief. Nonetheless, it all
added to an increased amount of stress throughout Mass, so I suppose I might
have been making too big of a deal about what happened at the sign of peace,
but it was still just so far out of the spectrum of my experience that I almost
could not deal with it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
sign of peace came and I turned to give the sole guy next to me a
handshake. Then I turned around and gave
each one of the couple behind me a firm sign of peace as well. But I turned around to do the same to the
couple in front of me and……. nothing. I
didn’t know what to do, so I didn’t really do anything, except mentally write
half of this out in my head. In
retrospect, was there something I could have done? I’m honestly asking. Should I have cleared my throat? Should I have just stuck my hand out so if
one of them sees it out of the corner of their eye, something might come of
it? I had a theory, that they were sort
of SoP’d out at that point, having just been given huge hugs by the couple in
front of them. That would explain a lot,
especially because they may not have known that couple and it was just something
that happened. That might have used up
all their love. And peace. (They also may have known them, but I may still
have reason to be mad at that couple in front.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is
it with all this hugging? I hope they
were all like Best Men and Maids of Honor in each others’ wedding or something
like that, because what other reason would you have to justify such a possible
invasion of their personal bubbles, not to mention taking up enough time for
them to be turning around and giving the guy behind them, who isn’t there with
anyone, the sign of peace?<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Hugging.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Not that I have anything inherently against
hugging. Quite the contrary. I think hugs are very important. I just think what they should essentially
mean is “I <i>love</i> you”. And in that vein, if there are people I am
out there hugging, it’s because I almost literally see them as my family. I’ve heard more and more about humans just
needing daily contact with each other lately, because it’s unhealthy not to get
a certain amount. Hugs are a good way to
do that, I suppose- but so are high-fives, handshakes, chest-bumps, even the
occasional hip-bump<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Hugging.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. Just allow the rest of us to share in the
human contact, when given certain time constraints.</div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
</div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Hugging.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> To
be fair to the couple two rows ahead, the people just ahead of me still had
plenty of Sign of Peace interlude to notice me.
I hate to say it, but this whole thing is very typical of this church.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Hugging.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Which I’m actually pretty sure I invented my junior year of high school with my
Hungarian friend Dani.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-79789540374510543192014-04-23T14:03:00.000-05:002014-04-25T14:29:27.250-05:00Do You Know Where Your Team Is Right Now?<div class="MsoNormal">
I was watching Pujols hit number 500 out in Nationals Park
this morning on SportsCenter, and just thinking about how much I disapprove of
the Angels now being called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I do understand the owner’s perspective that
he wants to market the team to the bigger city in the metro area, but anyone
who actually lives in Los Angeles makes a clear distinction between L.A. and
Orange County. It’s not the same place,
so the team name shouldn’t pretend it is.
It really isn’t even pretending- it’s saying “We know they play in one
place, but we’re naming it after this other one.” I was accused the other day about trying to
make up the names for how teams name each other, in regards to what right the
Brooklyn Nets have to name their team after the borough. But I’ve come around on that. Brooklyn is a huge entity, with a huge
identity, so they should go for it.
Which brings me to the first rule:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Rule 1: Thou Shalt Name Thy Team
After the Smallest Possible Entity Thou Can Which Most Respects the People of
that Area.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>When I was first granted
these rules from the Great Sports Commissioner in the Sky, I didn’t understand
all the wording. But I believe this
simply means that whatever entity the people of the area most identify with is
probably the right one to choose to name the sports team after. All the teams in Chicago are named after that
city because no one cares about the rest of Illinois. You could sooner name it the NE Illinois/NW
Indiana/Southern Wisconsin Whatevers, and it would have the same kind of
resonance. (Except it would be a
mouthful.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
Rangers play in Arlington, Texas, which is not a very well-known city outside
that area, despite having almost as many people as Dallas or Fort Worth. So for that and reasons of synergy with their
nickname, they chose to name them after that state. Probably for similar reasons, the Minnesota
Twins chose their state name, even though there had already been a very
successful major sports team in their state named after their biggest city. Bloomington still had to be associated with
the whole state, and as great a name as Twins is, it wouldn’t be possible to
call them the [Insert a single city’s name here] Twins. Nonetheless, I do feel like they are our area’s
team most closely named after the Twin Cities,<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
which suits me just fine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A
couple other questions can be brought up in regards to the GSC’s first
rule. What would he have to say about
the Golden State Warriors, who play in Oakland?
First, I would have to argue that no one wants their team named after an
s---hole like “Oaktown”, especially if there is no competing team in San
Francisco, aka The City<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. And while Golden State technically refers to
the whole state of California, it specifically highlights the history of
Northern California, whither everyone headed during the area’s famed Gold Rush
of 1849.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then we
come to the question of Tampa Bay- the fact that they have two rather large
cities surrounding one geographic feature does not necessarily define the area
geographically. It’s said that Tropicana
Field in St. Pete is about a 40 minute drive for anyone from Tampa, and
considering very few people are from that area and Tampa itself actually hosts
a minor league affiliate of the Yankees, this translates to rock-bottom
attendance even when the team is good.
This is easier to justify in the football realm, because with only eight
home games a year, people from all over can completely justify the trip, and
there is very little else competing in that area that time of year. So considering its giant population, its
history as an independent city, and a very recognizable cultural association in
the present-day, Brooklyn can have their Nets- and maybs take the Isles when
they have the chance.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Rule 2:
Thou must at least play in the same Metro Area as thou claimest thy team
is from.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>This is a rule that has
mostly been rectified, although there are a few cases which at least bear
further discussion. The first and
probably most notable is in the Meadowlands of New Jersey, where not one, but
TWO teams claim to represent a city in one state over. I have myself been to new Jersey, and I can
tell you that there’s still a strong association with the Big Apple all the way
over in Northwestern New Jersey, which the Meadowlands is much closer
than. In fact, most of the entire state
of New Jersey is a ‘burb of NYC and they’re content with that. The original incarnation of the MLS franchise
now known as the New York Red Bulls was at least originally called the New
York/New Jersey MetroStars. And they had
to point out that the recent Super Bowl in the unfortunately named MetLife
Stadium<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. In the case of the NJ Devils, they found a
great name, a multitude of competition from two other New York hockey teams,
and a nickname with which people of the area identify (plus a few more Cup wins
than those teams in our lifetimes).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sin
of FC Dallas of MLS is not so much a sin against their fans, but a symptom of
what’s wrong with having a team in that area in the first place. The team plays in Frisco, a city so far outside
Dallas, that no one in the city would try to claim being from Big D. And if that’s where you are resigned to play
as a pro sports team, something needs to be re-addressed about the alignment of
teams in your league<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. It just sucks that the team happens to be
doing really well so far this year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
former Boston Patriots have acknowledged the distance Foxboro is from the
capital of the region in their name, on the west coast, we will soon have an
egregious violation of this rule and the geographic sensibilities of all
Californians. The San Francisco 49ers
are moving to a stadium just outside San Jose (Frank to Joe?) and about a 75
mile trip to the city they profess to represent. I have <i>no
</i>idea what they could do to redefine themselves (not that they’d want to),
but if I was an Oakland Raiders supporter (who are scary enough), I would pull
a George H.W. Bush and tell them “This aggression will not stand”! Nor would I be happy as a resident of San
Jose, for our generosity to go so unacknowledged in the team name. “We’re home of the Earthquakes and Sharks,
for crying out loud!” Naming them
something to do with the Bay Area or NoCal would completely contested by
Oakland, but they might have to take a more Angelic approach to it. In Anaheim, they rarely refer to the ‘Los
Angeles’ moniker, given the risk of alienation to those actually attending the
games, saying simply “Here are your Angels!”
I genuinely feel bad for these teams.</div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
See My Thoughts on <a href="http://buckeyejk.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-home-team-assessment.html" target="_blank">The TC Logo</a></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Which I believe the team actually had on their uni’s for a few seasons back in
the day.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Brooklyn Jets also has a nice ring to it, considering those two other teams’
second class status in the city, and the presence of JFK on the edge of the
borough.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn4">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
How could they not call it JetBlue Stadium? So much going for that name.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn5">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/NameRules.docx#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
City of Lakes FC!</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-77974865672073998702014-04-03T00:34:00.001-05:002014-04-03T00:34:12.368-05:00Line 'Em Up!<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes
I play a game with football team names, which itself doesn’t have a name. It seems to work well with football
nicknames, because they are, in all honesty, somewhat derivative of each other. You’re going for a lot of the same things. They generally want the name to be scary, and
in as much as in any sport, I think fans picture an actual representation of
their team fighting one from their opponent.
Thus, I’ve noticed, there are correlations across the conferences of
team nicknames. Here’s how they lined up
this time:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Houston and New
Orleans:</b> These are both southern
cities, so it makes sense why they should have a similar theme as far as the
marketing of their team goes. And while
on the surface this may seem like the correlation between their names isn’t
very strong (there aren’t going to be many <i>Texan
Saints</i>, let’s just say), where they connect the most is, I believe, in the
logos. Both are versions of
somewhat-overused symbols from the places they associate with. Texas is something like a different country,
but Louisiana is one of the more under-ratedly provincial states in the union.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Kansas City and
Minnesota:</b> These places also seem to
have a connection with each other, given that they are both western areas on
rivers. But while many might see no
connection between a Norse warrior and a stoic Native American, I see it more
like this: Vikings are members of a type
of tribe, in a very dog-eat-dog world.
The chiefs could very well be a member of a similar tribe in America,
from a time when they might have first been starting to make tools (thus the
Arrowhead), and many think the Vikings made it to America anyway. Plus their logos are very pointy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Indianapolis and St.
Louis:</b> When you have a couple
franchises like this which take long and storied journeys across the United
States (and in some cases folding back east, a little bit) you do start to have
some similarities in the image of the teams, if not the logos and nicknames
themselves. Both teams have one
championship within most of their fanbase’s lifetime, but also play in a market
that generally prefers a different sport (baseball for St. Louis, basketball
for Indy). And both teams have rounded
logos which are shorthand for hoofed quadrupeds you wouldn’t want to have to
fight, but aren’t inherently scary, either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Seattle and Miami:</b> In each of these coastal towns with large
foreign ethnic identities, football has nonetheless become an important part of
the local identity. Unfortunately for
fans of aesthetics, each of these teams has changed their marine-animal logo to
one that misunderstands the original’s charm.
Seattle’s ‘Hawk has gotten more angry, though less like one you’d find
on one of the area’s famous totem poles.
And Miami didn’t realize that what its logo had going for it was just “It’s
a Dolphin wearing a Helmet!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pittsburgh and San
Francisco:</b> To start, I had always grouped my Packers with Pittsburgh on “Midwestern
towns whose teams pay tribute to an historical industry” qualifier. But I tried something different this
time. The Steelers and 49ers both pay
homage to their area’s history, and both of these industries revolve around a
metal (useful and valuable, respectively). Each of these teams has also had
strong recent runs after dominant runs in the early days of the Super Bowl era.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Rest:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Philadelphia
Eagles <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Cincinnati Bengals</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dallas
Cowboys <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Buffalo Bills</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
New York
Giants <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Tennessee Titans</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Washington
Redskins <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
New England Patriots</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Chicago Bears
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span> Cleveland Browns</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Detroit
Lions <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
San Diego Chargers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Green Bay
Packers <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
New York Jets</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Carolina
Panthers <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Jacksonville Jaguars</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Denver Broncos</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Atlanta
Falcons <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Oakland Raiders</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Arizona
Cardinals <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span>
Baltimore Ravens</div>
<br />Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-40282001929879683582014-02-23T14:32:00.001-06:002014-02-23T20:15:09.393-06:00Selling the Farm [Teams]In my fanaticism for the greatest sport in the world, I like
to debate strange topics with myself.
These arguments are often a result of the Baseball Book Club I’m a part
of. But usually it’s just things I think
of. Team names, team uniforms, rivalries,
schedules. All of these things come
together in one of my all-time greatest searches: which Minor League is the
best?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
By
Minor Leagues, I mean leagues affiliated with Major League teams. But I also have a lot of other arbitrary rules
for what constitutes a good league. You
like the League to have a certain amount of its own tradition, but also not
take itself too seriously. This can be reflected in the team names, how
far away the teams are from each other, and even just what cities the teams are
in. One of the prime candidates for the
title of Best League has got to be the Midwestern League. It has a FANtastic combination of the perfect
places for baseball teams, relationships these teams can foster with their big
league clubs, and identities they can forge with their own fan bases.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A
perfect example of this can be found in the <a href="http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t492" target="_blank">Cedar Rapids Kernels</a>. The Minnesota Twins’ low-A farm club down in
Iowa, which a couple buddies of mine and I went down for a road trip to see,
are in my opinion doing everything right in the aforementioned categories. The name Kernels identifies well with the
area’s farming industry, but is goofy enough for the kids to enjoy. The logo itself is a baseball bat dressed in
a corn husk, wearing a baseball cap- it’s everything you want a minor league
logo to be. But besides that, they’ve
just made all the right marketing decisions.
Their field is beautiful, and as developed as any I’ve seen at that
level. And when they realized what they
had in new prospect Byron Buxton and went above and beyond their normal plan by
actually making sherseys with his name, they also made the right call.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But all
this seems very typical of the franchises in that league. There are sixteen of them, so they all have
to distinguish themselves in their own ways.
Alliteration in a name is a good place to start because it’s fun to say. The Dayton Dragons and Lansing Lugnuts both
fit this description quite well. And
most of these teams are located in reasonably-sized metro areas. They don’t have the warmest weather, but
they’re able to support a baseball team that size, especially if that team has
an exciting attraction or an identity the area can be proud of.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Piedmont.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Connections to the major leagues probably
help, too. The Wisconsin TimberRattlers
are a couple hours from their big league club, the Milwaukee Brewers; same goes
for the Peoria Chiefs and theirs, the St. Louis Cardinals; nor are the Western
Michigan Whitecaps much further from the Detroit Tigers. So a lot of these fans have easy access to
the teams their favorite players will soon end up on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
Carolina League, on the other hand, is in my opinion a very poorly thought-out
league, which could learn a few lessons from the Midwestern League. It’s a class A Advanced league, but it
contains only eight teams, without many nearby connections to the big league
clubs, relatively speaking. Only two
teams play less than two states away from their big league affiliates, and
several are much further than that. But besides that, the names are not so much
uninspired, but rather miscalculated. I
think there’s a rule somewhere that you can’t name a team after the league they
play in, and yet the Carolina Mudcats are trying to do that.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Piedmont.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> I wouldn’t call a team playing in the
American League, America! Other
questionable teams’ names include the Potomac Nationals, named not after a
city, county or state but a <i>river</i>. I wonder how many of their fans live on or in
said river. And finally, I originally
thought the Wilmington Blue Rocks were out of North Carolina, as there is a
major city of the same name located there, a place the league names itself
after. But nay!-they represent the city
in Delaware. If you’re keeping score at
home, that makes three out of the eight teams representing one of the two titular
states. Classic Carolina League! Also, these eight teams are spread over five
states ranging from Myrtle Beach in the Deep South, to Wilmington, <i>well</i> into the Mid-Atlantic region.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
bigger reason the Carolina League has to be a poor idea for the type of sport
it’s trying to promote has to do with what they’re competing against. While I haven’t compared the types of attendance
they have to the other events to which I’m about to refer, it stands to reason,
given the scale of these respective events.
There is a limit to the amount of sports an area can handle, and I
surmise that the Carolina League is topping the area out of it. Auto racing is a much bigger deal in this
area than it is elsewhere. And despite
the small concentration of teams in this particular area, nowhere in America is
ever going to escape the influence of the NFL.
This is all without mentioning what the area might be the most well
known for: college basketball.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Piedmont.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> North Carolina has enough die-hard fans for
the rest of the area, but the ACC has a strong grip now on the whole eastern
seaboard. The North Carolina-Duke
rivalry is one of the country’s best in <i>any</i>
sport, and Georgetown, not even an ACC member, is one of the most storied
programs in the region. Therefore, my
fixes: rename the Carolina team Raleigh, rename the Potomac team to one of the
cities or counties around there, and rename the league The Piedmont League.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Piedmont.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Just one of these teams, the Great Lakes Loons, sins in a way to which I will
refer later, not picking a city, county or state in their name.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Piedmont.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
And they play in Five County Stadium.
Way to assert a specific identity…</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Piedmont.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
My apologies to NASCAR and college football, both with valid complaints.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-5728045633870414102014-01-08T23:29:00.000-06:002014-01-08T23:29:20.263-06:00Because I Know You Guys Care...<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>[The following was started in mid-September of last year, and completed about mid-November. It's an insight into just how insanely into fantasy baseball I became this year, and how much I've come to accept that.]</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m
pretty satisfied with my fantasy baseball team right now. Having been eliminated from the playoffs in
Mike Anderson’s league, I’m of course referring to the team I have in Marshall
Isotopes, Obsessed. It has so far been a
pretty good season, with a pretty hot start, hovering around fourth place for
the first couple months, but then dropping into the middle to lower part of the
pack in the middle of the season. What
spurred the slump was part not being able to find a solid 5<sup>th</sup>, 6<sup>th</sup>
or 7<sup>th</sup> starting pitcher, but also ignoring my needs on the offensive
side of my line-up. It didn’t help that
Gomez and Harper kept running into walls in center and then going on the
DL. But my not being vigilant in the OF
pickups also allowed teams nipping at my heals to acquire the latest hot studs
and use them to pass me.\</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it
started to turn around about late July.
Harper was coming back, I had just gotten Aaron Hill back and producing
and I picked up the oft-ignored Dillon Gee.
None of my team is assembled in a vacuum, and I of course remembered how
well Gee had produced for a stretch for me the year before, before he was
benched for the season after an aneurysm (?!).
But unfortunately with Brandon Beachy finally returning and a couple
rookies producing, my favorite young pickup from last year, Kris Medlen, was
about to be scratched from the Braves rotation.
He wasn’t happy about it and it was probably affecting his
performance. But then Tim Hudson (who
hadn’t been pitching outstanding, but had sort of earned his spot) was smoked
on the shin by a line drive and was all of a sudden done for the year. Medlen’s rotation spot now more secure, he
caught fire a little bit, and I like to think sparked the rest of my team
(because that’s how that works).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gee
settled into a groove, despite not-outstanding stuff and a terrible team, and
he and the suddenly Red-hot Mat Latos carried my team through a couple rough
starts from Wainwright and Cliff Lee. And
the offense started to do their part. As
many times as I had threatened to cut Elvis Andrus, he refused to go quietly,
remembering he’s fast and just stealing every time on. Bryce Harper’s done everything he can to
salvage his fantasy season, and has done a pretty good job of it, despite the
Nationals’ overall disappointing year.
Of course, Andrew McCutchen has been my most consistent play all year,
insisting on making the NL MVP his, while his Pirates continue to surprise
everybody.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There
was a note on McCutchen’s profile the other day, which was one of my favorite
of the season. “Manager Clint Hurdle is
electing to sit McCutchen today vs. the Reds…
This is a very questionable move, considering he’s clearly their best
player, the Pirates are in the midst of a pennant race and they just had a day
off on Thursday [this being the next Wednesday].” Not sure if Yahoo itself was trying to cover
its own ass or just defend playing McCutchen, but it always makes me grin when
a fantasy analysis criticizes an on-field decision and also happens to be
right. The fact of the matter is, that
while many criticize fantasy sports in general for only worrying about
individual players, sometimes what’s best for a player’s fantasy value <i>is</i> what’s best for team value. The happy ending is that McCutchen was the NL
MVP, completely worth his value, and anchored an outfield that when healthy,
was as good as anyone’s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet
probably my most deft move of the season took place on the pitching side. Ubaldo Jiminez had been a fantasy enigma for
a couple seasons, but after coming back from injury and putting together a
couple good outings, his numbers became too much to ignore. It probably helped that I was able to watch
him in person (or on TV, can’t remember which) early in his run, and so was
pretty confident that this was for real.
Nonetheless, given how competitive this league is and how valuable good
starting pitching was, it was surprising that I was able to get him when I
didn’t. Perhaps someone had over-reacted
to a couple good outings, and a couple others looked and trusted their preconceived
notions of him from years past. But he
was able to put together a great second half, which when coupled with my
already-strong top of the rotation, was nothing short of unstoppable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At a
certain point, though, I didn’t know if it was gonna work out the way it
did. I had been jockeying with one other
guy from 4<sup>th</sup> to 5<sup>th</sup> and back well into May. June hit and the team seemed to slip
further. I could not find a solid 3<sup>rd</sup>
starter even, to compliment Lee and Wainwright.
My third base was super weak and Gomez and Harper kept running into
walls. Literally- they were back and
forth from the DL for a couple months.
Somewhere along the course of getting a couple of my probably-league
leading Over-Negative-Fifty pointers from my starters, I tweeted out “I hate
fantasy baseball”. The effect it had on
my team couldn’t have been more positive.
I ran off a string of more over 250 days than probably anyone else in
the league during that span, most of those days going for over 300. It ended up being too much for the 3 or for
other teams I was hanging back with. I
was soon in third behind the Malherek having the fantasy year of his life,
Terry. But Terry seemed to lose focus,
as it was probably easy to do with football season starting and Ellis still
sitting so far ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I never
thought it was conceivable to catch Ellis.
It was my goal to reach and maintain second place, which I was able to
do. Because I had not made so many moves
throughout the season, I had an advantage on many of the guys who were chasing
me. But Ellis had an even bigger
advantage. He only had used half his
moves or so well into September, and so streamed a bunch of pitchers down the
stretch, burying the rest of us. My lead
over Kyle was still not secure until I got decent performances from Estrada
(rejoining my team from when I dropped him a month in) and Ubaldo the last day
of the season didn’t hurt. And another
value pick for me, Greg Holland, really carried his weight down the stretch. It was such a psychological advantage that your
great points day could be helped by another 40 pointer from the KC closer, or
that a bad pitching or hitting day could be salvaged by such a bonus. He got 33 on September 29<sup>th</sup> which
more than shut the door on Kyle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
whole season I had been viewing my respective two teams as based around certain
divisions in baseball. My team in my
Sporty Friends’ league, Shades of ‘24<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Obsessed.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>, was
more or less based around the AL West.
Kinsler, King Felix, and the the Flying Salmon (Iwakuma) were staples of a team
that wound up mounting a 3<sup>rd</sup> place season.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Obsessed.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Obsessed was based even more around the NL
Central. So when I needed another bat
down the stretch to replace the hurt Desmond Jennings, I turned to the division
again, taking Matt Adams, who had now taken over for Allen Craig. It was a double advantage because Terry had
Allen Craig, who wouldn’t play the rest of the year, and he’d been a big reason
the team was in that position. Between
that and Jose Fernandez reaching his innings limit, Terry was doomed down the
stretch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Obsessed.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
A reference to the Washington Senators, the Twins’ predecessors, of the year
they won their only World Championship.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Obsessed.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
In the Poo Holes’ Dynesty [sic] League</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-57311386316989021022013-08-22T20:47:00.000-05:002013-08-22T20:47:24.673-05:00A Home Team Assessment<div class="MsoNormal">
The
Twins’ TC hat is one of the most unique pieces of apparel in sports. They’re probably the only franchise to
essentially have a logo on any part of their uniform that doesn’t stand for either
the place they’re named after or the nickname of the team. The Hornets got creative recently and started
writing out NOLA on their jerseys, so as to remind people that New Orleans
was in LA [Louisiana], but that’s not quite the same thing. You could make the argument that they have
put the T there for Twins and the C is just an afterthought- meant to stand for
Cities, if you’re in the mood. The Twin
Cities, as what the hat represents, are able to be both the place
the team plays and the inspiration for their nickname.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nicknames
for teams probably started with English soccer teams being given these (still)
unofficial designations by their supporters, usually based on the kit colors
(Reds, Blues, Magpies, etc). But in
America we decided it was important that all teams have more formal team
names, specifically when cities like Boston or New York would have multiple
teams. And while those teams have in
their histories changed nicknames a fair bit, our franchise has been
called the Twins since moving from DC.
While the name change has led to the two incarnations never connecting
their shared history (<i>see </i>Senators’
Banners at Target Field, Lack of), the Twins have recently decided to honor the
earliest eras of baseball in this country by including Baseball Club in their
most recent logo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
logo itself may only use the Baseball Club as an excuse, however, for the key
addition to the logo that most adds to the Twins’ identity. As long as I’ve been a fan of the team, they’ve
worn Navy blue and Red<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/Twins%20(1).doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. But I don’t think they’ve ever been <i>the</i> Navy and Red, the way other teams
identify themselves with their colors.
One of the problems is that neither is really the primary color, but more on that later. The other problem is
that there’s a couple other ways to identify the team, whether it’s that they
have TC on their hat (using the time-honored “wishbone C”) or the fact we have
pinstripes on our home unis. But both
of these ideas are semi-borrowed from other teams, so they’ve each failed to
grab a foothold. They realized that the
closest thing the team has to an identifier is the Navy and Red. By adding the navy outer ring to what is
still essentially the classic Twins full logo, the organization is at least
able to garner some attention to its color scheme.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
way that the Twins have made people associate the team with the colors is by
the pennant flags out in left field.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/Twins%20(1).doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> The pennants themselves offer fans another
glimpse of their color scheme- emphasizing their World Series wins with Red,
the bolder of their two colors. And by
making the flags as understated as they are, they make the somewhat modest
success of the franchise actually seem grander.
“We can’t afford to take up room in the stadium with unnecessarily large
flags- we just have too many championships.
And we count on getting even more.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
they still made a bad call taking those trees out from behind the centerfield
fence.</div>
<br />
<div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/Twins%20(1).doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Because there are so many named shades of red, no team ever calls their color
just “Red”. It’s generally called either
Cardinal or Crimson or Burgundy or something else. Ironically, as many distinct colors of blue
as there are, teams generally call their shade of blue just “Blue” regardless
of how specific that is. All this is to
say that I really don’t know what the Twins refer to their scheme as.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/Twins%20(1).doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
My friends and I have joked that while the Twins don’t seem to have any extra
room for more pennants out there, it’s not something they’ll have to worry
about for a while.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-26501696051113674262013-07-25T23:31:00.001-05:002013-07-25T23:31:31.107-05:00Another Irrelevant Question<div class="MsoNormal">
Why did the Boston Red Sox fail to win the 1986 World
Series? Did the fact that their
franchise had not won a World Series for 68 years in any way contribute to
their failure to close the deal? They were
one strike away, though I don’t consider that much more significant than just
being one out. All it takes is hitting
the ball in play, and that’s a strike, too, just a more productive one. Whether or not you believe in the Curse of
the Bambino, there just seems to have been (and continues to be)<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
a collective cloud hanging over it.
Maybe it’s the Boston media or pressure from the fans themselves, but it
was this moment that above all others brought attention to the Red Sox’ plight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There are a number of things that
set the Red Sox far enough back <i>after</i>
1918<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
that they didn’t even gotten many subsequent chances to take on the best team
in the National League. The expansion of
the major leagues actually didn’t help, I would have to guess, because the big
league talent reached an equilibrium of competitiveness with that number of
teams they added through the 60s. That
was in part because they added a whole new demographic to the talent pool by
breaking the color barrier. And with the
Sox being one of the last teams to add black players, it’s not surprising they
were behind in their capitalization on that market.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
they found resurgence in ’67, they were already battling about 20 straight
years of second-division finishes and had to win one of the most exciting
pennant races in history to boot. So
winning the World Series would have been icing on the cake, but was probably
beside the point. In truth, they didn’t
even have as bad a time of it as the Indians, who were finishing in second in
the AL for most of these years<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and finally made it back to the World Series in ’95. The Red Sox also made it
back to the Fall Classic in 1975, but they were doomed to lose to one of the
most unstoppable teams of all time, the Big Red Machine. By ’86 their fan base was starting to get
impatient.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
part of the Red Sox history, though, is undoubtedly engrained in their
stadium. They were bound to win or lose
with that place, but it was going to contribute to their ultimate destiny one
way or another. The doubles-friendly
layout was a factor in Enos Slaughter’s Mad Dash, and then Bucky Fucking Dent
drilled his heart-breaking homer over the Monster. I honestly think the Sox coulda won the
Series in ’86 if they had ended it at Fenway. As many times as it had hurt them
when they most needed it, they were due for some help from the park. To come that close to a championship, it made
me think that they were actually a better team than the Mets, but it could not
have helped their chances to have to finish them off in the city of their most
hated rival.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
most ignored part of the whole episode is how clutch the Mets themselves
were. A large part of winning the whole
battle is opening the psychological floodgates by doing just a few things your
opponent would not have expected. Even
scoring one run with the bases empty and the Red Sox that close to ending the
season was 90% of the battle. I don’t
know if it was Calvin Schiraldi just trying to make the Mets get themselves
out, but simply the fact that they were able to do what the Sox own Ted
Williams described as the hardest feat in sports, hitting a baseball- for a
clean base hit, three times in a row when they had to, gives them the majority
of the credit for the win in my book.
Bad things like wild pitches and booted balls are going to happen a
certain percentage of the time, but the Mets had put themselves in a position
to win well before all that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They
had the entire population (and the 68 years’ torment) of Red Sox Nation pulling
for them from several hours away. But in
the end, the collective will of a fan base that had only existed for 26 years<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>-
and was present with their team at that time- was able to win the day.</div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
See <i>2011 Season, End Of<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Besides selling still the greatest (yeah, I said it) baseball player of all
time to an as-of-then unsuccessful ballclub from the Bronx, NY.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
…had a rare ten-year run of incompetence around the time the first <i>Major League </i>movies were being made</div>
</div>
<div id="edn4">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/EightySix.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Albeit a fan base cobbled together from the remnants of two previously tortured
ones, the Dodgers and Giants- both perennial WS losers to the Yankees, and at
least one would go on to achieve much greater success in their new home.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-12378572936627665962013-07-05T18:03:00.000-05:002013-07-05T18:03:44.163-05:00Living West<div class="MsoNormal">
The Kardashian-West’s new baby girl is going to be named
North. It’s not a terrible name, all
things considered. If we see it as just
a name made up of letters and take away the meaning first, it checks out
decent. A lot of solid ladies names
start with N. Nora, Nell (or Nellie),
Nina, Natasha, Nancy, Naomi. But we
can’t ignore that it is a cardinal direction as well. If I had to choose a direction for a first
name, I think North would probably be the best one.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/NorthWest.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> I also think West is among the two best
directions for a last name, but more on that later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
concept of North started out as a very arbitrary one. It refers to the top of the globe at this
point, but started with its origins in a time when the earth was thought to be
flat. The first real cartographers were
Europeans<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/NorthWest.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. That is to say, the ones we have most been
influenced by today. And fortunately
they were also explorers, because they lived by the sea and because they needed
more room to contain their growing population.
They looked in the direction the sun rose from and saw a lot of land,
but which had people on it. Then they
looked toward where the sun set, saw a lot of ocean, a lot of open space that
was relatively easy to navigate, and which they could pass through without
having to pay tribute or encounter enemies<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/NorthWest.doc#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>- and
they decided that whatever land they found they were going to claim. And during all of this, they were plotting
out their courses and making maps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
where to put their starting point, aka Europe?
Scientists have figured out that the human eye, when reading anything
(which by our nature was evolutionarily predetermined) our eyes are drawn top
to bottom and left to right, in that order.
So it was the most logical and inevitable for the early mapmakers to put
their homelands on top of these flat representations of the world they were
creating. They would just be easier to
read that way. And by virtue of putting
Europe on top of the map, they put most everything else below it and to the
right. Right, the secondary direction
the eye is drawn, was given to the first lands they knew for sure existed,
besides their own, because of their proximity.
It has come to be understood, however, that the Europeans put themselves
on top of the world because they thought they were the best. I’m starting to think this to not be the
primary reason, though North has now come to signify an improvement in relative
position.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It
would be hard for the West’s new child to go any further North, in many ways-
except, in many people’s opinion, in the name department. I, however, disagree given this couple’s constant
striving for success, hopefully one that they pass on to their daughter. But I wouldn’t blame her, after she grows up
and realizes the incredible circus she’s been born into, if she wants to,
idiomatically speaking, head West.</div>
<br />
<div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/NorthWest.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
I once played the “I’m going to Hollywood” name changing game, which in this
case was Your Middle Name + The Street You Grew Up On. Mine came out Kenneth South (Numbers don’t
play well in Hollywood).</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/NorthWest.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Coulda been the Chinese, even, but let’s ignore that for once.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/NorthWest.doc#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Eventually pirates came around to correct this market inefficiency. (Not
ninjas)</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-83593586939556696352013-06-18T19:06:00.001-05:002013-06-18T19:06:50.964-05:00Speaking with No Authority<div class="MsoNormal">
The
origin of my last name actually just comes from a more Norwegian-sounding
pronunciation of a word pairing that to some American naturalization officer
sounded like “Buckeye”. The name was
supposed to be Bukk Oy, or Island of the Male Goats. But for a period of time in college, I joked
with those less familiar with my last name’s origins that it was actually an
Ojibwe Indian name (and that I was still waiting on that casino money). The irony is that as pale-skinned as me and
most of my family is, my grandpa (on my Mom’s side) said he actually has reason
to believe that we are part Native American.
And you can definitely see a slightly darker pigment in him and my
little sister than you might expect if they were strictly descended from
northern Europeans. And I guess it makes
me about 1/32 to 1/64 Native American.
Which earns me absolutely nothing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s
such a small part that it doesn’t even get one day out of each month. But the part of a morning that I did give it
some time last week told me something interesting regarding the recent debate
over the Washington Redskins’ name change debate. It said that it was a little offended. This is genuinely surprising to me, because
for the most part, I wasn’t offended by the name. In fact, everything about my demographic has
been immune to repression over the years; White, male, blond-haired, blue-eyed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And
while I haven’t been too much in favor of it ever, the part of me that wasn’t
against it rationalized it in a very simple way. It’s about money. The Washington Redskins, a very successful
NFL brand, have been making money off their moniker for many generations- and
there simply hasn’t been an organization with enough political or monetary sway
to take them down. The Washington
Bullets (arguably a less-offensive name) changed their name to the Wizards in
large part because the NBA is a less-successful league and the Bullets a much
less successful franchise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I don’t understand why there hasn’t
been a bigger uproar about how racist the Cleveland Indians franchise is,
actually. Not even their name so much,
which is ironically pretty politically correct at this point- I have it on good
authority that they prefer American Indians to Native Americans anyway<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/RedskinsRant.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>- but
rather their logo of Chief Wahoo, which is a ridiculous and downright offensive
caricature. But while their logo might
be insensitive, the name itself is pretty innocuous, if inaccurate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Now I would usually say in this
particular case, “Why doesn’t Congress find something more important to do?” Yet the first thing they might respond with
is “There’s enough Congresspeople to take care of most of these things.” It’s important not only for the country’s view
of itself that it do right by one of its most marginalized demographics, but
also for other countries’ view of us.
Cowboys and Indians are one of the things that other powerful countries
like Germany most closely associate with us.
And let’s be honest our own reputation in the human rights category isn’t
completely spotless, either. On top of it all, this should be something American
football strives to improve, if it wants to improve its stature in the world as
a whole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
part of the name that did make sense was mostly in how it connected to one of its
biggest rivals. Everyone makes a
connection between Cowboys and Indians, and the fact that a franchise named
after the latter was huge rivals with one named the former had a really nice
ring to it. Given their lack of
geographical proximity, it could even be argued that their shared name theme
was what made them rivals in the first place.
I don’t want an NFL whose nicknames don’t pay homage to the history and
spirit of this country.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/RedskinsRant.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So
under the right circumstances, I think the ‘Skins should be allowed to keep the
overall theme of their team nickname. It
would save them having to change most of their color and logo scheme, and pay
homage to the history of their team, while acknowledging that “mistakes were
made”. The first and most common sense
thing to do would be to turn to the local tribes and lobby groups for the
Indians and ask what they would recommend.
Perhaps Braves, or even Indians.
But I have a better idea. Name it
after a semi-local tribe. The
Algonquins, let’s say. Then you could
call them the ‘Quins for short!</div>
<br />
<div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/RedskinsRant.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
“He doesn’t speak for us” ~My 1/32<sup>nd</sup> Native American part</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/RedskinsRant.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
I’ve often tried matching up the nicknames of teams in one conference with
their counterparts in the other conference.
It’s pretty easy.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-48350593556339885802013-05-23T23:23:00.000-05:002013-05-23T23:23:00.994-05:00A Bit of Local Folklore<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There seems to be new construction going up everywhere in
this city lately. For a lot of reasons
it pisses me off; it takes longer to drive some places, and it feels like
nothing is ever complete. But to an
extent I appreciate that lack of completeness. This city is never satisfied and we’re always
reaching for something more. That shitty
bar Cowboy Slim’s down on Lake was dynamited for what will be some more highrise
apartments and an even denser population in this most noticed part of
Minneapolis, Uptown.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
big new addition to Uptown is the Mosaic parking structure, Bar Louie, the new
Greenway bridge and entrance off Girard Avenue and a bunch of new fun stuff in
that same area. One of the most fun
additions is a giant brick head facing south just across the bus road from the
Greenway. My housemates and I have come
to name him Cornelius Uptown. He’s a
statue erected to the memory of the hyper-intelligent alien who landed on this
spot to found Uptown in ancient times.
He had two golden surfer angel servants (best way to describe them) also
commemorated atop two incomplete looking pillars which lead into this
somewhat-abbreviated park. And a model
of his spaceship is a short ways down the path in the form of a spherical
interpretation of the type of trolley car this area used to be famous for. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
story has given me endless enjoyment every time I pass to the extent that I
have even made it one of my security questions at work to access my password
account in the system (“Q: Statue south of the Greenway?:” “A: Cornelius”)<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Cornelius.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. It’s a story that really only we know, so
logically I tell anyone visiting the area willing to listen. But I also want to break down exactly why
this is funny. Many questions arise in
the telling of this story which are better left unanswered: Why does he have the name Cornelius? Wasn’t Uptown just named such because it was
Up from Downtown? What do you mean Uptown
was founded independently of the city of Minneapolis?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
logical answer to all these questions is Shut Up. But seeing as if I was an outsider I would be
asking them at least internally, if not externally, I plan to answer them all
once and for all to everyone. His name
is Cornelius because that is the name of all those probably-important ancient
(like, at least a couple centuries past) historical leaders or explorers that
we vaguely remember. So that applies
even if he was an alien from another planet.
Because, of course.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s
better that we gave him the last name Uptown, because firstly, it’s based on
the assumption that aliens have last names and that they, like us, name things
they find after themselves (both correct). In the show Recess (<i>One Saturday Morning! ABC! Today!</i>), the
kids went to Third Street School. Later
on we find out that one of the most important men in their town is Thaddeus T.
Third III, and so presumably Third Street is named after his Grandpa. Uptown is named after an alien from another
planet with the last name Uptown.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
answering the last question reveals a little about the place we live, too. Was Uptown founded independently of
Minneapolis? For all most of us care, it
might have been. We have an identity
with the area possibly as strong or stronger than with the city. So we don’t just live in Minneapolis- we live
in Uptown. And yea, there’s a certain
black-hole aspect to the area. But I’ll quickly admit that my favorite readily-
available beer is named after another part of Minneapolis.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Cornelius.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span></a></span></div>
<div>
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Cornelius.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Given how much other security my as-yet unnamed employer has and the amount of
traffic on this blog, I am not concerned with that bit of info.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Cornelius.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Nordeast. By Grain Belt. Duh.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-2862892796952631042013-04-04T17:36:00.000-05:002013-04-04T17:36:11.544-05:00Refugee City<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Magic
Johnson and Co. made a really good purchase recently. Yes, the Dodgers cost a lot of money, but
what he’s really investing in is the greater Los Angeles area. This is the area that has throughout the
years made giants out of runaways. What
I mean by that is it has taken into its arms those entities which have come
from the east seeking greener pastures.
And it doesn’t get much greener than Los Angeles, it turns out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
L.A. is
the nickname for a city whose original full name<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Dodgertown.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> was
twenty-five times bigger than that. But
it’s all marketing. And a better market
is what early motion picture producers saw when they started bolting for the
area in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century.
You see, there was this guy named Edison who invented the motion picture
camera, and he wanted everyone to pay him royalties when they used it for
profit. And if he couldn’t do it the
legal way, he had some “helpers” who would make sure it got done. So these pioneering filmmakers went as far
away from Edison and his goons as they could get while still getting noticed in
the US of A. But the added benefit of
being in California was that the state was pretty lenient on patent law and
generally ignored Edison’s suits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But the Dodgers might be the most
assimilated entity that has come out to California, especially considering
their roots. They were so despised when
they left Brooklyn that there’s a story told in the borough about three
business men who went to lunch to decide who the three worst men in the world
were. They all wrote three names down on
their napkins, and when they went to look at each others, they had all written
the same thing: <i>Hitler, Stalin, Walter
O’Malley.</i> It didn’t seem to bother
Los Angeles much. With a strong core of
players who had all played in Brooklyn, they went on to win a World Series in
their second year out there. The team
was so successful, they lured an expansion franchise to the area in three years
and the west coast soon became a bastion of Major League Baseball.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d be
remiss as a Minneapolitan if I didn’t mention the <i>second</i> most successful pro <i>basketball</i>
franchise of all time. My biggest
problem with their franchise is not the rampant success they’ve had, in
contrast to the terrible track record of the team the NBA later saddled us with,
but I feel as though their insistence on keeping the name ‘Lakers’ is
essentially a slap in the face. There
are absolutely no lakes in the greater Los Angeles area, nor is it a name that
you could argue applies to just about any city in America, or even just to the
West Coast, as ‘Raiders’ and ‘Clippers’ might.
And while the Dodgers only moved out West a couple years prior to the
city stealing what-would-have-been-my team, it feels like Dodger Blue has made the
nickname the city’s own, due to both the nickname’s ambiguosity, and the
immediate success they found out there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Yes, the fans in Brooklyn were very
upset, possibly even about L.A.’s refusal to change the team name or colors,
but the fans in SoCal as a whole embraced the team. Ironically, L.A. might have been able to
stake a claim on the reference to street-car Dodgers were it not for the
burgeoning automotive conglomerate which elbowed out the trolley system to make
it the car traffic hell-hole it’s now known as. So it’s almost justifiable to keep the name in
that sense. Maybe you even argue that
the name refers to all the automotive traffic fans of the team or just denizens
of the area are required to Dodge on a daily basis. Heading out west with the rival Giants
probably kept a little of the old Big Apple spirit alive, and they managed to
meet the Yankees often enough in the Series to keep the fans cognizant of who
else they should hate.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Dodgertown.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I went on the Lakers’ internet site
the other day and was dismayed to discover that they do list all the old
Minneapolis incarnation’s NBA championships as their own. And it kind of makes sense, as that team was
also called the Lakers. But what I never
understood was how the Twins would never list the Washington Senators’ meager
championship resume as their own. It’s true that they have a different
nickname, but they were the same franchise, and nobody knows<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Dodgertown.doc#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> what
colors they wore anyway because everything was in black-and-white. It’s not like the District is going to claim
them, because nobody missed the team when they were gone anyway, partly due to
the expansion team they received the same year the Twin Cities got their
franchise. I understand that the team
didn’t want to be like that city that stole their first major franchise, and
while I’m always in favor of the area-specific name, calling them the Minnesota
Senators makes a lot more sense than does L.A. Lakers.</div>
<div>
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<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
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<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Dodgertown.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Dodgertown.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Not to mention meeting their fellow itinerants, the Twins, in a riveting 7-game
World Series classic that helped bolster the baseball (and sports) profile of
both areas.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/Dodgertown.doc#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
I don’t know, rather.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-8425583369401102782013-03-16T16:02:00.002-05:002013-03-16T16:05:20.160-05:00Our State Pastime<span style="line-height: 115%;"> The Minnesota Golden Gophers Men’s hockey
team has become, in our state, more than a team- it’s a religion, and it’s a
way of life.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">One that I wish I could be
more into.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">It’s not that I don’t like
hockey, but I have so much on my sports fan plate already, and understanding,
appreciating and rooting for hockey is so time-and-effort-consuming that I just
can’t give it the attention I know it deserves.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">College hockey even more so.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">That’s partly a product of the country as a whole and what the national
media outlets tend to devote time to.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">But I understand that with many people in the state we live in, it’s what
they eat, breathe, and sleep.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">It starts
in high school, where we have the most glorified (and rightly so) hockey
tournament in the country.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">It’s what
basketball is to Indiana, or Brooklyn, perhaps.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Katie Baker of Grantland wrote <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8684840/a-visit-eden-minnesota-where-college-hockey-endures">a great piece</a> detailing just this
relationship between the hockey buffs and their team.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> The reason I get chills and want to
go bake a Hotdish while drinking an ice-cold Pop is that this team is probably as
much Minnesota’s team as any team in any sport is to any state or area. It’s because almost every player on the
Gophers is from our state specifically.
Taking from Baker’s story, they all seem to grow up playing on those
frozen ponds dreaming of one day playing for the Gophers. It’s the big leagues of that
demographic. Even when I was growing up
watching mostly other sports, I once asked my dad about the Twins, “Are all the
players on that team from our state?”
They should be, it felt like, so we could prove that we were better at
that sport than the other areas. And
that’s what this program epitomizes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> But the sport itself generally has
two major hubs of talent- Minnesota and Boston.
No two other places could produce as many colleges who are all that good
at hockey. And for the most part they
each take players from their respective areas.
There are good teams in places like Michigan and New York state for
sure, but none have as a deep of histories as the two aforementioned. So with all the recent sports success the
Boston area has had, this is pretty much our last grasp at besting them in
something. It seems even more personal
for us given all the good players the town has stolen away from our teams with
the allure of cash, but for once it’s nice that one sport has come down to
strictly home-grown talent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I’m pretty sure the reason I don’t follow pro hockey that
closely is the lack of a pro hockey team in my state during my formative years.
I knew a lot of kids who played, but my
parents really didn’t encourage it because it was just about the most expensive
sport a kid could play and they (and I) liked most other sports better anyway. But the NHL has made some horrible mistakes
with the relocation of their teams.
Let’s examine- they moved a team from Hartford, Conn, to Raleigh,
NC. Not the obscure state capital I
would have picked, not to mention having to change the greatest logo of all
time. 2) Moving the Winnipeg Jets to
Phoenix, home of no natural ice… ever.
And 3) Moving The North Stars out of the State of Hockey to the State of
Football. (Sorry, Quebec- hockey seems
to have thrived in the move to Colorado, which never was a horrible place to go
to begin with.) But it was a good idea to bring major league hockey back to the
North Star State, if only because I could never be sure if the Moose (that
minor league team) was meant to be a singular or plural noun.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/sportsthoughts.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> And it’s really sad, when you think
about it, that this state, which invented the sport, went even as long as it
did without a pro team. It may indeed be semi-hypocritical of me to say that
teams shouldn’t ever leave the city they start in. It worked out pretty well for the original
Baltimore Orioles franchise (now known as the New York Yankees), it seems to
have worked out for the Dallas Stars (curse you, Tom Green!)<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/sportsthoughts.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>, and it
worked out alright for the original Washington Senators. But it seems like we’ve lost a part of our
state’s sports history having lost the North Stars. You never hear about the Stanley Cup Finals
run we had around the same time the Twins were winning their second World
Series, probably because we feel like it doesn’t belong to us anymore- it
belongs to Dallas<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/sportsthoughts.doc#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. But you do see people walking around in North
Stars jersey-shirts (sweater-shirts?) or hats a lot around here, so it seems
like it meant something. I remember when
they were holding the naming competition and such for our new NHL franchise and
as a sports fan it was interesting. But
even then I didn’t really feel like I was going to get into it. I was used to having one team to root for in
the summer, one in the fall and one in the winter. When you’ve left an area for a while, even a
hockey-mad area, I think you end up losing a generation of fans, because
another sport will just take its place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div>
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<br />
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/sportsthoughts.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
And I’m still unsure if I think singular or plural nouns make better team
nicknames as a whole.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/sportsthoughts.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Same for the Lakers, too, it seems.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/sportsthoughts.doc#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Put up the Senators’ 1924 World Championship banner already, Twins!</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-74505998523789571532013-02-01T00:10:00.001-06:002013-02-01T00:10:25.400-06:00The ForerunnerKurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Tim O’Brien, Salman Rushdie
are four of my favorite authors. They are not necessarily American. Vonnegut and O’Brien might even be called
Anti-American, Rushdie is at best Trans-Atlantic and Douglas Adams is without a
doubt British, in what he writes about and his sensibilities. Then I realized why I thought of them as
American: because America is the heir-apparent to what the United Kingdom once
was.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though
to say that America is what the United Kingdom and even just England once was,
is to ignore the long history of what they had done to the world. Even we are part of that history, kind of
like a phoenix that rose from the ashes of their empire.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/England.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> They were once the only thing in the
world. It was a truly global empire that
they say the “Sun Never Set On”, in the sense that there was always some part
of the empire that was in daylight. If
America is the only global superpower right now, England once <i>was</i> the globe. Why else would this language developed on an
island in the North Sea with French (yeck!) influences become the dominant
language in the world today?<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/England.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Essentially, they had influence in so many
parts of the globe, that it’s almost impossible to go some place that doesn’t
have some kind of influences from this place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And
therefore, my tribute to authors from across the pond is a show of appreciation
for their past influence (and in reality, a certain amount of continued
influence) on the modern world. You
can’t ignore any kind of place where any sort of thing, specifically something
as important as soccer, is done at the highest level.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/England.doc#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> There are 6 billion people in the world, but
the best of those at the most popular sport in the world come from all over the
face of the earth to play in a country of about 50 million. And England itself is impressive enough at
the sport for a country of that size, but at a certain point they simply cannot
overcome their lack of a population base.
And it’s their fault, really.
They’re the ones who spread the sport all over the globe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What
seems to be the difference between the time when England ruled and the present,
dominated more by America, is that there’s a lot more acceptance of the other
countries and their cultures. It’s a
much faster-moving society, and we’re all now on a more level playing
field. And it’s not a surprise that the
country that was founded and grew based mostly on immigrants and the joining of
many different cultures is now the most successful in an era of a lot of
equally-recognized cultures. I think if
we recognize those ways we are better than other countries and cultures, we
will not only help ourselves grow, but also continue to improve the world as a
whole.</div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/England.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Phoenix, by the way, is a terrible name for a city. Sorry about that, World.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/England.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
There’s actually reasonable evidence to suggest that what is now known as a
British accent is more recent than the founding of America. Something to do with an influx of French
culture into England around the time of Napoleon, which may have entered into
their mode of speaking. An interesting
argument to make, as there were no recording devices to attest to this either
way. The point being, we may actually be speaking in the original pronunciation
of the language. Go America, and
Minnesota most of all!</div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Graduation%20Photos/England.doc#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
America carries on this tradition, in its truest manifestation, in the game of
basketball. It is everything that soccer
could never be (high scoring/small playing surface) and therefore everything it
is (exciting/nuanced) and has itself become a truly global sport.</div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-17492731332323035042013-01-03T21:51:00.001-06:002013-01-03T21:51:59.548-06:00Musings on Basketball<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are a lot of things about basketball that have always
bugged me, and formed my semi-distaste of actually watching it. As far as playing ball, I had a sort of knack
for it, for the same reason that I was a reasonably good pitcher in about 5<sup>th</sup>
and 6<sup>th</sup> grade. I understood
that having accuracy was important, whether it was throwing the baseball in the
strike zone or throwing the basketball in the hoop. But what bugged me about watching it was a
couple things. It was a high enough
scoring game that I thought it made every basket that much more trivial. And it had a weird enough schedule that I
couldn’t follow it religiously, having been raised on weekly football games and
daily baseball.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
schedule thing I’m starting to gain an appreciation for, because the people
always need sports. And since I’ve been
watching more, you really start to get an appreciation for which baskets mean
the most and when <i>not</i> getting a
basket means a lot, too. I got roped
back in I think by the George Masons and Gonzagas of March, which is when I
started to pick up on some of these things.
And I warmed to the Wolves when they picked up Kevin Love, who I had
seen play well in the tournament the year before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With
all that, I’ve found so much more to like about the sport- the personalities
and polarity that they cultivate; the excitement that almost every game comes
down to; the fact that we have the top league in this sport that has become
truly a global one, possibly second only to soccer. But there is at least one deficiency that it
has become painfully obvious needs to be addressed. There needs to be a legitimate minor leagues
of basketball.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
sport, we’re finding out, is not like football in that college serves as a
default minor leagues. College football
and the pro version are similar enough that the transition is much easier, and
pro football teams have enough room on their rosters to keep any talent that
they may need in the distant future.
Teams even seem to be nervous these days that late bloomers like Jeremy Lin,
who they won’t be always able to justify keeping, are going to slip through
their fingers. But a lack of additional
talent might also hold back the expansion of the current D-League format. Players see being sent down as much more
shameful, and basketball players, as much as those in any sport, got where they
are because of pride and ego. Part of
the process, then, would be transitioning the lower league from a mentality of
“You failed to make the pros” to “This is actually just part of the pro system”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basketball
is also, for a variety of reasons, probably as suited as anyone to maintain a
widespread, lower-level version of itself.
They already have one of the better expansion strategies of major pro
sports in America. The NBA has found
that it works really well in areas that don’t have any other sports teams,
examples being the Thunder (sorry, Seattle), the Magic (no, Jacksonville
doesn’t count) and Memphis. It’s a very
accessible sport, and people just like their city being put on the sports map
in any capacity. Minor-league-sized
arena would be easy enough to fund, and may already exist in many places they
would try to do it. The drawback is that
so many of the accessible markets might already be in use or would be trampled
on by some nearby team.</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-24803558778879152122012-12-01T14:50:00.000-06:002012-12-19T22:24:14.817-06:00Where We Live<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
Say you are from a
large metropolitan area, and you come into contact with a person from that same
area in the presence of people from other metro areas (either because you are
in a different area or these people are visiting or new to your area). There
might be no more exclusive conversation you can have than one about radio
stations in your respective area. Now,
you may have conversations about different types of radio, based on your shared
or conflicting interests with the Hometowner You’re Talking To, but I don’t
think there’s any conversation this Outtatowner With You would be less involved
in. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
But say you were all
sports fans- generally said OWY would have some knowledge base regarding this
sports team, either because his Area’s Sports Team might have played them a few
times, or because sports is just an interest of his. Probably same goes for a band from your area,
because oftentimes these bands get big, or there’s going to be a similar band
from his area that you and the HYTT might have heard of. Even if you guys get talking about the
weather or politics, that’s something the OWY could have some opinion or
insight on about simply because he’s a semi-informed person. But if you talk about a radio station,
there’s nothing he could offer an opinion on, because said local station would
never need to make itself known outside of the metro area it calls home. In this era of instant interaction with
different people in far-flung areas, it might be one of the last bastions of
regionalism. Anyway, it’s probably best
to change the subject quickly, unless you want that dude to just leave.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So
being a representation of the local area is probably the best thing radio has
going for it. And one of the best ways
to do this is by obtaining rights to a local sports team. My favorite station right now is JACK fm,
which seems to be most highly competing with the upstart K-Twin (also on a pre-set
in my car- since, I’m guessing, the station was called B96). I say that, since they’ve been advertising a
lot using ‘Twin Cities’, which seems to be in answer to K-Twin’s “Everything
for the Twin Cities” campaign. K-Twin
might actually start winning the race for title of the Twin Cities Station, as
they are going to have the Twins broadcast rights starting next year. This is bad news for JACK. FM tends to have such a small broadcast range,
so very few fm stations are allowed to carry sports of any kind. WCCO let the Twins go a while back, though
they really don’t have to worry about losing any kind of regional foothold, as
they also have a TV affiliate people know and love. And there’s probably a reason that stations
like Cities97, which have a local nickname for our area in their name, have
been so successful (despite, quite honestly, really sucking). One of the last advantages radio has is its
ability to make people feel connected to those they live near. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
And another way
they do this is to run a lot of commercials for local enterprises. But even the most diehard tuners-in, tend to
want to tune those out. The best policy
I’ve learned is that you have to have other pre-sets at the ready in case it
does go to commercials. They follow one
of two strategies- either it’s a commercial you’ve seen on tv without the
picture, or a very annoying dialogue that could never happen in everyday life,
between two people you’d never want to meet.
They also usually last for about 10-15 minutes, so too much time to try
to justify waiting them out if you actually want to be entertained. I do believe JACK fm has a semi-smart
strategy, which is to rip on the fact that they have commercials, saying things
like “Wow, you made it through all of those?
Here- have a cookie!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
One of the ways
radio can stay part of the fabric of a city so much more easily than other
mediums, I’m starting to realize, is because of what you can do while listening
to it- driving around, biking around, playing video games, yard games-
whatever! And I can honestly say that
I’ve done all of those things recently listening to radio. (My roomies are quickly finding that I
cannot, however, do any of those things while watching tv.) Growing up, one of
my most regular summer activities was listening to the Twins while I shot hoops
in the driveway. It helped me not stress
out so much. And I’ve often felt like
sports radio, no matter how annoying, can make it seem like you’re listening to
the heartbeat of a city. There’s still a
huge (though friendly) rivalry in the Cities between those who listen to KFAN
and 1500 for their sports talk. It’s not
just sports talk. I’ve noticed a lot of
dudes with a 93X pre-set in their car which actually never seems to be touched
in the course of a short trip. I have
93X as a preset in the car that I haven’t changed the presets on since I bought,
and I understand that it had previously been owned by a middle-aged woman. Because what’s better than blasting
rock-and-roll while you’re cruising down 35W?
While tv keeps us connected to people throughout the country or the
world, radio is the means by which we stay connected to where and when we are.</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-18925424717996124412012-11-03T15:29:00.001-05:002012-11-03T15:29:37.626-05:00The Anatomy of a Collapse<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> What I want to figure out is, how did a team like the
Washington Nationals lose a six-run lead at home in the deciding game of the
first playoff series in the history of their franchise (and the city’s first
since 1933). My friends who watch
baseball and I were watching the game that night, and later keeping tabs on it
from our phones at the bar, and as we were watching it- rooting for the Nats-
we felt this impending sense of doom that the Cardinals comeback was just
inevitable. In fact, I was sitting there
just before we were trying to leave for the bar (with our two other friends who
aren’t so big on sports), and I pretty much had to be dragged kicking and
screaming out of the house. The clincher
was Mike saying “Look, the Cardinals are going to come back, and you don’t want
to be here to watch the end of that.” I
knew it was true. The greater
knowledgeable world of baseball knew it was true. The biggest shock leading up to the last
inning was that the Nats had actually tacked on an extra run, which gave us
some fleeting hope. But is a two-run
lead safe when facing the Cardinals?
Nope. It’s like that team has the
collective knowledge and experience of their franchise’s entire history- from
the Gashouse Gang, to the Mad Dash, to Gibson, to Herzog and the Wizard, and
even last year with the Rally Squirrel and Happy Flight (which I guess was also
a thing).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> I’ve always railed against those fans who say, “I
shouldn’t have gotten invested” because I feel like there’s a reason we get invested
in sports. Or at least if you’re not
then just don’t be a sports fan. But
I’ve also found that it helps the healing process a little to be able to
explain it. And maybe in the course of
the explanation, one says things like “I should have seen this coming” or “I
should have known”. But in wanting to believe that sports will continue to
surprise you, there’s a reason you didn’t let yourself know. That doesn’t always mean the surprise is
going to be a pleasant one. This whole
experience for fans of the Nats and just those rooting for them in the meantime
should not have been a huge surprise, as it seems like collapses like this do
happen in baseball, more than you might expect.
And so what I want to try to understand is why.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Part of it is just the odds involved in getting out to a
lead in the series. Baseball is a game
of inches, and when you get out to even a one game lead with 2 games to go,
simply by plugging away and hoping you can take one. But to settle at that would be to ignore just
how resilient this Cardinals team is.
They won Game 6 of the World Series last year down to their last out and
down two. They won the Play In Wild Card
Game on the road against an Atlanta team that finished five games ahead of them
and got the benefit of the <i>worst</i> <u>baseball</u>
call probably since 1985 (paging Don Denkinger). And then this. So they clearly know how to strike against
teams that aren’t going to put them away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Trying not to completely ignore for a second that the
Nationals are relative newbies to the postseason, there’s a lot they did to
shoot themselves in the foot in Game 5.
Having gotten a six run lead in the early goings, the case could be made
that they didn’t do enough to extend their lead. They didn’t score again until the eighth, and
by that point the Cards had already made it a one-run game. Though there was a rally or two, the
Nationals’ hitters seemed a bit too easy on the St. Louis pitchers and seemed
to really get themselves out. But
Washington was playing at home and had the crowd and the momentum behind them. And I understand that it’s an easy pattern to
fall into, because when you’re that close to a series win, you just root for
the innings to go by faster, no matter what that means. Plus, if you’re the
Cardinals, it’s probably easier to pitch when your teams losing by a lot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> But I think the biggest mistake was in how the Nationals
pitched the Cardinals. Gio Gonzalez
could not seem to get a batter out, and needed to be relieved in the 6<sup>th</sup>. In that respect, they need to still treat
their starter like it’s the last game of the season and they need a win. That being said, he may have deserved
it. The Cards just kept putting it in
play and making things happen, and the Nationals played like they were going to
get themselves out. This was all capped
off by Ian Desmond’s just-miss of a grounder that would have ended the
game. Those are plays that just need to
be made in a championship season. Every
season has one, and last year it was Nelson Cruz not running through that fly
ball in St. Louis. If they’re made, you
have the Jeter Flip play or Kirby Puckett’s The Catch in Game Six of the 1991
Series. Even Willie Mays’s original The
Catch in the 1954 World Series. But
suffice it to say, sometimes not being able to make that play is where your
team is done in. There seemed to be just
too many plays the Cardinals made and that the Nationals didn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-32562208804080710572012-10-10T22:18:00.000-05:002012-10-10T22:18:43.390-05:00My T-shirt Glossary<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
New Britain RockCats Shirt</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
it means to me: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I like that this is a Twins farm team,
but mostly it’s one of those quintessential minor league team names that follow
the pattern of Aspect Of The Area +
Random Monosyllabic Animal. This
one is especially perfect, because I don’t even know if Rock refers to their
area being famous for certain rocks, or for the genre of music. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
I want it to project: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This shirt ought to say that I care
about sports, but not so much that I always need to represent a team that I
actually follow, or even a major league team.
It should also say that I somehow have connections to get apparel from a
place you may not have heard of or at least don’t know where it is. The connections I have, of course, are simply
to the big league team…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Story:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In one of my best purchases of the winter, I went
to TwinsFest™ for the usual excuse to look over apparel and merch I’m probably
not going to buy. But mostly just to get
psyched about the Twins. In the farm
system section, I chose this one over a Fort Myers Miracle hat, which honestly
would have been cool, but I didn’t think they were worth my time as an A ball
team. The only other choice was a
Rochester Red Wings T-shirt, but since we’ve changed Triple A affiliates twice
already since I started following the team, doesn’t seem like a great
investment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Loyola
Marymount T-shirt<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/My%20T-Shirt%20Glossary.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Um…
Why…?:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It actually means something to both me and Mike
B. Even though the team is not a
contender anymore, we became enamored of the team when we watched ESPN 30 for
30’s “The Guru of Go”, which was mostly about that late ‘80s team that made a
huge run. It’s just so amazing that a
guy could go so unrecognized for not so much revolutionizing a sport, as
turning it in to something else. That’s
what he did with the game of college basketball. This team had could not be beaten at full
strength and they wouldn’t have been at all if not for one of their star
players, Hank Gathers, <i>dying</i> on the
court. That’s what he did. And his good friend Bo Kimble then shot the
first of every pair of free throws in the NCAAs left-handed in honor of him-
and made <i>every single one</i>. So Mike and I just have this code for gushing
over the whole thing which will come up either whenever there’s something about
that team even tangently in the news or if I’m wearing the shirt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So…
Who…?: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The whole story is that I got it from a guy at my
church who was giving them away to volunteers for some charity run that I ended
up not even volunteering at but my mom did and of course they got drenched in
the rain which I hear happens every year at this particular thing. [gasp] But suffice it to say, about the least I’ve
ever earned a T-shirt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Carbon
Leaf T<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/My%20T-Shirt%20Glossary.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
Is That?:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I have loved this band since I first heard them
when Marty downloaded a bunch of (illegal?) music onto my laptop my sophomore
year of college. They sat there
unlistened to for several weeks, as I was too busy judging them by their
name. But when I did, I loved every
album. Bought the third one that I
couldn’t listen to, and have since bought 2 ½ more albums from them (they
recently release a legitimate half album, which of course, I bought). And last fall it worked out that they were in
town, and I was available to go to one of their shows. Alex Hennen didn’t really know them, but he
knew I liked them and informed me they were playing. I was panicking in the weeks leading up to
it, while we still didn’t have tickets.
And when Al got them with a week to spare, I was both psyched and
offended. (How are they not popular
enough to be sold out at this point?!)
The show was everything it ought to have been and more. This wasn’t the first concert T I have, but
it will be the last one I own, if I have my druthers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
I Want It To Project: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the most hipster way possible, I want it to be a band you haven’t heard of, but
maybe you have, in which case you’re cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Decision: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
had to decide at the concert between this one and a white one. I’m normally not much for black shirts, but
this was a good decision. It’s kind of a
European fit, and I’m less of a European size now, so I’m glad it is black and
therefore thinning. But the design is a
cool one, too, though not one I’ve seen on any album covers. Kind of got a gothic thing going on, which I
respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Israel
Coke T (retired)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why
I Like It:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> This shirt, red like the product it endorses,
essentially embodies what I’m about. I
love Coke, and I love travelling. Having
a Coke shirt from another country is really one of the most American things you
can do, in that you are showing off what another country has made of an
American establishment. It is
imperialism at its finest. But on a less
cynical note, I simply enjoyed showing off that I appreciate the language and
culture of another country, whether that’s what other people actually got out
of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
You Should, Too: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the very least, I wanted people to
get my love of Coke, one side of one of the great nonexistent debates in our
society, up there with Burger King or McDonalds. The fact that it’s from another country shows
that my experiences in another country may have been relatively superficial,
but the country that I went to was deep enough that there’s no reason to
expound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Story: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The marketplace in the Old City of Jerusalem is
where some of the most intense haggling I’ve ever encountered occurs. Later on in the trip, my haggling skills
would get more polished, but I remember the first deal they offered at this
particular t-shirt shop was pretty reasonable. So I made sure to get a Coke
shirt, because it was truly one of the experiences I will remember most fondly
about the place. It ended up being one
of the few times I’ve actually worn something on a trip that I bought as a
souvenir. I would later wear it to a
party at the house of my Jewish cousins (he married into the family), where his
mom explained to me what the Hebrew literally translated to. As she went from right to left (it being
Hebrew), I was disappointed to learn it pretty much just wrote out Koh-Kah
Koh-Lah, phonetically. Why? They could call it whatever they wanted? I guess the Israelis just thought it meant
something to maintain its authenticity, even if they couldn’t understand it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/My%20T-Shirt%20Glossary.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
I’ve concluded about why I don’t have any soccer gear is the simple reason that
it’s not something that’s that important to me.
I have a couple basketball shirts, many Twins shirts and a bunch of
Packers stuff. I still feel comfortable
enough with the stuff I do like, that I’m okay knowing a little less about the
sport than those I watch it with. And
their being able to answer any questions I have allows me to enjoy it that much
more. I know enough about baseball,
football, and more recently basketball, that I can watch those sports on my own
and appreciate them. I just don’t think
I’m at that point with soccer yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/My%20T-Shirt%20Glossary.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">…As many shirts
as I have, there are still a fair amount that I wish I did have. I recently acquired a shirt for an alcoholic
beverage I actually enjoy, Magic Hat #9, which I got at Bonnaroo. The closest thing I had to that previously was
a free Miller-Liteguard shirt from a promotion they were doing at a bar
downtown. I hate Miller Lite. But I would like any Leinie’s apparel. Another shirt I don’t have is any soccer
jersey. I might have to get a USMNT shirt
for when we go down to Kansas City this fall.
I also wouldn’t mind getting a Seattle Sounders kit. They’re my unofficial adopted MLS team, as
I’m not going to cheer for a Chicago team, and I really like the city of
Seattle. But I would probably get an
Aston Villa jersey above all, as they are my first team, a Premier League team
(hopefully for a while), and their kits are pretty awesome, too.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-84660965777235644462012-09-20T17:28:00.002-05:002012-09-20T17:35:26.400-05:00Duck Season<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">[Editor's note: This is a re-posting of a column I wrote back in 2010, but one that I wanted to revisit and revise before using it to start up my inevitable fall season of getting in your face about stuff. Enjoy!]</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It’s duck season up here in the North (which is to say, the
market covered by Fox Sports North) and that means everyone is excited to eat
some delicious Teal or Mallard, the former of which I recently found out is
very good with a fine Cabernet Sauvignon. But one of the more satisfying
aspects of eating duck, of course is the fact that they have been hunted down
and brought to your table, and it is this whole endeavor to which Minnesota
grade schoolers pay tribute by playing a game known around here as Duck, Duck,
Gray Duck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>It has recently come to my attention
that not every state in the union knows the game as such. In fact, people
in every other state but Minnesota call the exact same game Duck, Duck, Goose,
which is completely wrong. The game has its origins in a very realistic
and distinctly Minnesotan philosophy, that we are all Ducks. We would
never single someone out so ostentatiously as to call them a Goose. Geese
and Ducks wouldn’t hang out in the same flock, waiting to be provoked by a
mysterious hand from above and then run in a very tight circle to track down
the target, the It, before It reaches the point from which the race
began. (“It”, suffice it to say, is also a Duck). A Goose
definitely wouldn’t abide by these strict rules. But Ducks follow the
rules and know when to give up, because they understand that they will not
always be the Gray Duck. They will hopefully be a different kind of Duck,
one that does not have to chase It. We Minnesotans know that sometimes it
is simply your day to be the Gray Duck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This brings me to the next part of
this philosophy. Though we are all Ducks, we are also all unique.
The tradition of these gamers in our fair state is that it is the
responsibility of It to signify to each of the Ducks exactly what kind of Duck
they are. Just because one duck is Gray, doesn’t mean the other Ducks
don’t have adjectives. They all should. There is the requisite
Smelly Duck, Pretty Duck, Ugly Duck and others. The only reason the Gray
Duck is the type of Duck that has to chase is because that is the way it has
always been. It doesn’t mean he or she is any better or worse than the
others. We just need to know that we are being appreciated for our
attributes by the It Duck. And if the It Duck tilts our head back to get
a better look at us in order to figure out what kind of Duck we are, so much
the better. We are one community (which is what the circle signifies),
but we are also individuals, with names given to us based on the gifts we bring
to the table. We watch and wait for the impending race and root for the Gray
Duck because one day we may have to be him, and one day he might actually catch
It Duck, though the odds are against him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Should he catch It Duck, we all
rejoice, because there will be a feast of Duck Soup (is Goose Soup even a
thing?), which is signified by the defeated Duck having to sit in the middle of
the circle and be observed by those who he once shared the ranks of. This
is not cannibalistic or barbaric, but it shows that someday we may have to
sacrifice something of ourselves for the good of others. It is not right
that some may have to leave us, but that is the way of things, and we know that
in some ways, they are still with us, silently staring back at us from the
center of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Does anyone have a good Cabernet to
share?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006116213968843960.post-42013117293891913502012-05-09T23:51:00.002-05:002012-05-09T23:51:39.148-05:00The Best New Show on TV (No- really!)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> There
are those out there who’ve said I’m not very discerning- about movies, TV
shows, music, books, etc. And I would
say they’re not completely wrong. These
people claim that I like everything.
They’re not completely wrong on that, either. (And what’s so wrong with liking everything,
anyway?) But allow me to address both
issues. I have different ways of telling
myself whether something is good or not.
It often just comes back to a pleasant memory about something, the
perception that the enjoyment of a certain piece of media or experience was prevalent
throughout the group I’m experiencing it with.
This may be the truest about TV shows in general, however. I enjoy “having shows” with people. I’ve heard it said that with as complex and
high-brow as a lot of TV has gotten over the past decade or so, that TV is the
new reading, in that it’s full of stories people religiously follow and enjoy
discussing. I still enjoy reading, and
there is still a lot you can get out of reading that you can’t get out of TV,
but this gap is becoming increasingly narrow.
The show I want to discuss now would in no way replace reading, both
because of how long it would take to catch up with it and because of a lack of
need for height in one’s brow for those who watch. That show is Fox’s <i>New Girl</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> There
are many reasons I should not like this show.
It has Zooey Deschanel who, while I think she is very attractive, very
much and for a long time has annoyed the H out of me. [Excuse me while I try to convince myself
that is not a phrase she would use….. okay, I’m good.] She has that really annoying iPhone
commercial, which I don’t like for several reasons, and she’s definitely not as
good an actress or singer as she thinks she is.
Though I give her an A for effort in both. And the other simple fact is that I rarely
hitch my wagon to shows that are so blatantly vehicles for big name stars. But this vehicle has been able to glean
adequate performances from the lesser cast members and create characters you
root for. If the show were Zooey and
Anyone Else You Recognize, it wouldn’t work, because you wouldn’t buy those two
famous people ever in the same place. As
it stands, the rest of the cast’s anonymity is one of its strengths. They are able to form a believable rapport
with each other and an actress who at least tries to cultivate a down-to-earth
vibe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> As
a side note, this was a show that cut out the first Token Black Guy from the pilot
(probably because he didn’t test well), and if it was because of his character,
I blame the writers- he was an amalgamation of different characters they had in
mind, which didn’t work for anyone.
Though the other roommates referred to him as Coach and I thought that
was cool. The recent reference to him
leaving in a recent episode made me forgive them for this whole debacle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The
show could also have shot itself in the foot with all the things Fox has done
wrong historically: Over-estimating what
it had and putting it in a timeslot where it couldn’t succeed, for one. Over-selling it. Under-selling it. Incorrectly packaging it with another show or
simply marketing it poorly. In my
opinion, they pretty much did everything right.
They gave the public the pilot free on iTunes, so they could make up
their mind in good time. They packaged
it with <i>Raising Hope</i>, a similar style
of sitcom, together in the 9/8c timeslot, and moved it ahead of that show when
the time came. The only issue I kind of
have is that the show’s poster on Hulu is a weird one with Jess (Zooey) giving
some joyous pose and her roommates sitting behind her looking exasperated. The tag is “Boys will be boys. Jess will be Jess.” That doesn’t quite capture the dynamic of the
show. I would say the opening song and
credits does that better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>Hey girl… whatcha doin’?</i> Zooey starts
singing. Her roommates come in with
cardboard cutouts that eventually form a picture frame with her in the middle
with the label New Girl. When she’s done
singing, they bring the cutouts down and walk away, not resentful-like, but
conspicuously ignoring her. This
captures the relationship the show-writers are trying to cultivate- one of
mutual respect and tolerance, but sometimes annoyance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> And
they do a fantastic job. They’re
greatest strengths include creating situations which themselves create the
tension and awkwardness from which great dialogue simply appears. They are the least clichéd circumstances for
a show that I’ve seen in a long time. While
the script isn’t jam-packed with as many jokes per second as possible, like <i>30 Rock</i>, it has as many memorable scenes
as any on network TV right now. The Christmas
episode, for example, had two of the most genius plot devices that I’ve ever
seen. In the opening scene, you find out
that Jess has gotten the three late 20s guys she lives with roller skates. This is without a doubt the most perfect gift
she could have gotten them for the purposes of the show. I could probably spend the next three
paragraphs dissecting how it’s funny.
But I won’t. I’ll just say that I
split a gut and then yelled at my own roommate for five minutes after the
episode about why that was the single funnies thing they could have done, him
nodding and agreeing the whole time. The
other scene which was pitch-perfect, was when her roommates and her best
girlfriend went with her to this street where all of the houses put up lights,
only to find they were all turned off.
Her friends proceeded to get out of the car and make a ruckus so that
all the neighbors turned their lights on.
It had the perfect mix of sentimentality, rebelliousness, and
visually-pleasing Christmas-themed props.
Just a textbook scene from a show that I will be keeping tabs on for
many seasons to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Johnny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01219164097699620639noreply@blogger.com2