Home All Day

He's a "Rascal." Just like the Renegades' mascot.

I started writing earlier and deleted every last word.

Honestly, I don't know what I want to say tonight.

I did two radio shows today and mowed the lawn and lifted four air conditioners and cleaned and threw stuff out and simply occupied my brain.

There was some connecting with the cat -- it looks like "Rascal" will be his name here -- but he stayed hidden under a desk for most of the day.

My first draft of this post was just babbling. There was no rhythm to it and, frankly, no narrative. Not that this is exactly The Great Gatsby.

I'm hardly Nick Carraway, I can tell you that much.

So I think I'll just keep this short tonight. I did "The Clubhouse" and "Doubleheader" and planted the seeds for some more game broadcasts.

And there's the football news in Connecticut, which is basically, "We're not going to authorize you playing but we're not going to stop you from playing if you form your own league."

You can just hear the wheels turning towards a league in Fairfield County and Chris Erway and I will call whatever we can.

You don't have to be Woodward or Bernstein (ah, they're priceless, aren't they?) to know that a private club league is forming as we speak.

But that's for another day.

This is where this one ends.

“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” -- Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby

Momentum is Tomorrow's Starting Pitcher

Cubeta Stadium -- Stamford, CT. July 21, 2019

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.

I love baseball.

I'm sure that comes as no surprise. Yes, I love all sports. Football, hockey, and basketball for sure. I've grown with soccer. I've broadcast field hockey and water polo and lacrosse and cheerleading and wrestling and more. Honestly, more than I can remember.

That's a lot of sports over the years.

I'd go with any team that would like me in any sport. Hire me. I'll love it.

But, when you get right down to it, maybe it was because it was my first love, I'm a baseball person.

And today was a terrible baseball day.

We know what happened: Mike Axisa's parsing of the Rob Manfred report on the Astros' cheating scandal says, essentially, that AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow took the fall because Manfred is afraid of the Players Union. Then Jessica Mendoza said some really silly stuff. Then Carlos Beltran was...er...fired by the Mets (there's such weak attempts at wiggle room, as in "it was mutually agreed upon").

Then -- perhaps most egregiously -- rumors began to surface that the Astros players were wearing buzzers under their uniforms. The video of Jose Altuve, following his ALCS-winning home run seems quite damning.

Here’s the clip of Altuve screaming at his teammates not to rip his jersey off including audio from the interview with @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/y7Lv76QFpX

— ً (@NYYDJ2) January 14, 2020

Supposedly, Beltran's niece had some sketchy tweets about more stuff, but it turned out it was NOT Beltran's niece and, at last check, might be a player using a burner account.

By night, Scott Brosius's son was on Instagram saying that Mike Trout is using HGH.

As of now, Major League Baseball is saying there's nothing to the Altuve rumor, but nobody is buying it, except Astros fans.

Even the Mets of a different time are sort of quietly in the news for what went on a few years later. This story is bad, so be forewarned.

Is that everything?

For the love of Christy Mathewson, stop.

Just. Stop.

I realize there are some conspiracy theories in this stew, and I struggled with reporting it, and even got called out on Twitter for doing so. Fair enough. But there just feels like there's a shooter in the Houston grassy knoll tonight (Yes, I realize the grassy knoll was in Dallas, but work with me here).

I'm here to tell you we'll survive.

I don't see this as darker than the awfulness of what the Black Sox scandal was like from 1919-1921, but I realize it's pretty bleak, given baseball's "weakened status."

It will take people to help our grand old game.

We're out here. We need to get people interested. Not through pithy narcissism but through fun, enthusiasm, and passion. It's out there. It's what I'll be doing, most notably when I call games for Brunswick, the FCIAC, Little League Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, and the Hudson Valley Renegades.

For what it's worth, even those who don't understand or like baseball have said it gets conveyed during my broadcasts, and I'm going to bring all of that.

People need to understand why this game is so great. I've had to listen to the soccer loyalists explain why it's not boring. Well, they can listen to me.

The history matters. The strategy matters. The drama matters. But the integrity and purity matters also.

America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.

It also needs the right people. That matters a lot.

In a tweet today, I mentioned people who I think help spread the word, but it is more than just Mike Hirn, Nate Stidham, Dan Gardella, Jake Zimmer, Mike Genaro and Alex LoParco. It's Mike Buswell and Mike Scott and Shaun McGee and Myckie Lugbauer and Shawn Sailer and AJ Szymanowski and Paul Silverfarb.

Coaches. Broadcasters. Fans.

It's my beloved coach, Lou D'Aliso, who knows so much about this game that it's scary.

It's my cousin Kris. It's even my son -- if only to explain his dad's passion.

It's even my mom who, at 82, can tell me about my baseball-crazy grandfather who played semi-pro ball in New Jersey and Peekskill.

I can't possibly name everyone (Mick and Steve and the Section 5 gang and Dave Torromeo and Mark Jeffers and Kato and...my God, I can just keep going). It's Jon, who was always this closet baseball fan in some ways that surprised me.

It's Sacha and a whole lot of other women who can more than hold their own talking about it. With Susan comes Lucy and Annabelle, who have both wowed in talent and passion on the softball field (even if Lucy has retired).

It's people. Race, religion, gender, etc does not matter. It's open to all.

It wasn't always. That's part of our history. We need to explain that history.

We -- hell, I -- need all of these people. Then I need it passed on.

Yes, all of this news stinks, but don't buy into silly narratives that the game isn't fun. There are plenty of voices -- mine included -- that will tell you how great it is by simply describing it.

The game is still great. We just all need to get back on the field. More than ever.

Let's learn from this -- expose this -- and get back to playing ball.

We need a rhubarb in the catbird seat.

We need the sounds and the smells.

I need a chili dog or a bratwurst or some nachos or some other stadium concoction. Stat.

Let's argue over all of it. Try to convince Ruth isn't the GOAT (you won't win, but proceed at your own peril).

Or that Derek Jeter (yeah, Jeets!) is overrated.

Or that Tom Seaver is the greatest pitcher ever.

Do you prefer Mantle or DiMaggio?

Teddy Ballgame or Ty Cobb?

Tonight is about the Yankees and Mets and Red Sox and Astros and Rays and Twins and Renegades and literally every other team. It's about the Greenwich Cardinals and the Montgomery Biscuits and the Greenwich Cannons and the Cal Ripken League.

It's about the Mahopac Indians and the John Jay (East Fishkill) Patriots.

It's the whole sport.

Tonight stinks. I get it. I sat in my car, almost paralyzed, as I watched baseball explode today.

Now, I want an uprising.

This is still our game in that it is a motley combination of other games that we dropped into a melting pot.

I realize I sound like the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce. Understood. The cynic can decry my "Rah! Rah! Baseball!" approach. They can mock my quoting Field of Dreams and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

I don't care if I ever get back. Let me root root root...

I want to have a catch. I haven't swung a bat against so much as a hitting machine in years.

Let's. Go.

People will come, Ray.

People will most definitely come.

Movie Quotes

Good talk, son.

Twitter had something called the #BestMovieLineEver trending today.

Which isn't easy, of course. Too many movies. Too many great lines.

I immediately reached for my Ferris Bueller's Day Off bag of tricks to use "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Oh yeah (chibba cha kaaaaaa).

Chris Kaelin chimed in with some goodness from The Godfather (again, highly quotable).

There were others, and I'm sure you get the idea.

Horror quotes. Literary quotes. Dramatic quotes. Humorous quotes.

In a 2005 list published by the American Film Institute, they went with "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" from Gone with the Wind at number one.

In truth, can you go wrong with any quote?

We can go for Caddyshack, Bull Durham, Major Leauge, Airplane!, Blazing Saddles, any of the Star Wars movies, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, any John Hughes movie, Pulp Fiction...well, you get the idea.

So many quotes and so much fun.

The best is when you hear the quotes and never know where they came from. Sean (he of the brand new learners permit) didn't realize how many quotes came from Caddyshack until he watched it for the first time last year.

We could just do a list of sports quotes.

"Just a bit outside."
"Dynamite drop-in, Monty. That broadcast school has really paid off."
"If you build it, he will come."
"MOONLIGHT GRAHAM."
"The rose goes in the front."
"Candlesticks make a nice wedding present."
"Lollygaggers!"
"I mean anything travels that far oughta have a damn stewardess on it."
"You Adrian!"
"WE'RE LOSIN'! They're burying us alive!" "Eddie Shore?" "Oh, piss of Eddie Shore!"
"Come on, Hobbs, knock the cover off the ball!"
"There's no crying in baseball!"
"The cathedral that is Yankee Stadium belongs to a chapel."

And, speaking of crying...
"I love Brian Piccolo. And I'd like all of you to love him, too. And so tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him."

I haven't even gotten to Rudy, Remember the Titans, Hoosiers, Miracle, and so on.

I mean, I'm just giving you a small sample.

So, anyway, how could we possibly come up with one single quote and call it the best ever?

Besides, many quotes get bungled anyway (Ilsa doesn't say "Play it again, Sam" in Casablanca. She says, "Play it, Sam.").

So to close, I say, "Good talk, son" (which is from National Lampoon's Vacation) and is often misquoted as "Good talk, Russ."

Incidentally, Vacation is by far the best of the National Lampoon movies, but that's a debate for another time.

Off the Bench Sunday

I posted the above picture on social media earlier today. It's just a good reminder. I tend to live in the moment, believing in two of my favorite mantras:

"All I want from tomorrow is to get it better than today." - Bruce Hornsby/John Hornsby (sung by Huey Lewis)

"Keep moving forward" - said by many, I assume, but used frequently here.

Anyway, once in a while, I get hung up. There's nothing deeper to what I'm saying here, except to say that when I saw my old friend John Monty of Sears days (1986-1988) post it on Instagram, I had a moment of EUREKA!

Or HOLY MOLY! I'm not sure which.

So there's that. I'm just reminding myself to live in the here and now.

***** (please notice I use five stars, because 55 would look ridiculous)
So hey, er, that was some game last night in Arizona, no? A week after the utter insanity of Steelers/Bengals (Bengals=thugs, Steelers/Joe Porter=not 100% smart), we got an "off-the-hook" game last night.

Remember one key thing though: Larry Fitzgerald is one fantastic football player. One kids should emulate.

Speaking of that Packers/Cardinals games, this is a crazy good play-by-play call from one of the absolute best: Kevin Kugler of Westwood One.
He keeps it simple. Works in some humor. Gives you all of the details. Isn't too flashy. He's absolutely brilliant.

*****
I give the Steelers very little chance today in Denver. No Antonio Brown? No DeAngelo Williams? Banged up Ben Rothlisberger? A weak secondary?

Yeah. No.

*****
Pitchers and catchers report in last than a month. Consider this a public service announcement.

I was partially responsible for the notion of #Metsies15. I believed in that team, even when they weren't playing so well. Then they went to the World Series, and doggone it, they lost.

Given the offseason they're having, I'm struggling with the notion of #Metsies16.

Though, with that pitching, well, yeah.

#Metsies16 it is!

*****
On Friday, this happened:

The Force is strong with me, I think.

*****
I hope you catch the HAN Network soon (if you haven't already). We have hockey twice this week, along with hoops, programs, and more. Go check everything out at han.network.

As parodies of sports broadcasts go, this had me cracking up.

I'm Not the Voice of the Cardinals Anymore

Interviewing Peter Salvatore after the 2002 FCIAC Championship Game

"All changes are more or less tinged with melancholy, for what we are leaving behind is part of ourselves." - Amelia Barr

I have to write this: I will no longer be calling Greenwich football on WGCH.

I probably needed to write this about a month ago. Then, suddenly, I didn't. So I began to relax and forget about it. In fact, yesterday I told you (my trusty reader) to forget about the whole thing.

Moments later, my various means of communication began to light up.

Now, I'm back, needing to say it out loud.

After 14 years and 161 games (give or take), two state championships, five FCIAC titles, and countless other moments, I'm done.

I was first a part of GHS football for a playoff game in 1999 as a sideline reporter and analyst at Boyle Stadium, as the Cardinals beat Fairfield Prep to move onto the state championship game. When Sports Director John Connelly stepped down the following summer, I ascended to the lead role.

I worked with great people. People who became friends. The staff at GHS, through three athletic directors, have been phenomenal. The great Brian Kennedy, who set me up time after time with anything I needed, is a true pro and a friend. The same can be said for the coaches, from Rich Albonizio through Wayne Gioffre and TJ Ostruzka. They, among so many other coaches, all made me feel welcome and trusted me with information. I thank them all.

Of course, it's the players who make it all work. From the Longo boys to the Jones brothers to Pat Wilson, Ricky Riscica, Justin Gaccione, Jeff DeVico, Peter Salvatore, Mike Lefflbine and beyond, I've been blessed to broadcast them, and I can't possibly name them all. Many of them are now friends. Beyond that, I watched John Sullivan go from being a high school great to a Viking.

I also got to know their parents. Whether it is Susy Bawol, Alyce Kavanagh, Roe Lefflbine, the Riscicas, the DeVicos, the Hahns, Cindy Poletsky or anyone else, I've loved you all for allowing me to know your kids and for your kindness. You invited me to join you for the captain's breakfast, or tailgates, or even postgame beverages.

The Chelwicks, Dick Leonard, the late Bob Darula, Evan Dubin, Avery Belicka, and too many other people to name...just all the best. The backbone of the GHS football family. We laughed in the booth too many times to count. Or on the field. Or at film night.

My fellow reporters, from Dave Fierro and Tim Parry to Jesse Quinlan through Paul Silverfarb. We all seemed to get that the right thing was to cooperate with each other. That will continue, regardless.

For the listeners, many of you didn't always like me. Maybe it was my sense of humor, or you wanted more, or you didn't like me getting excited when another team scored, or whatever. The criticism helped - both positive and negative.

Lastly, the WGCH team that was assembled over the years was remarkable. In the beginning, it was just Sean Kilkelly and I. It evolved through Mark Rosen and Ian Handwerger. It added Tommy Dee, Tom Polina, Tom Kane, Ricky Fritsch, Chris Erway, Chris Kaelin, Ryan DeMaria, Jason Intrieri, Nick Angotto, Matt Hamilton, Tom Prizeman, Max Barefoot, Nick Fox, Rob Crowley, Zach Fisher, John Collins, Amanda Romaniello, and a few others. I've tried to name you all and have likely failed.

It's been a remarkable run. I'm told that I called more games than anyone else in GHS/WGCH history, and I'm honored if that's true. I've tried to give you my best while being honest and fair. I wanted to stay a lot longer than I did.

I guess that comes around to the simple question of what happened...

I heard back in the mid-summer that another broadcaster was going to come aboard with promises of sponsor money and maybe even a big-name analyst. Assuming he could, I was likely out. While I tried to hold out hope, I also had to get my own fall schedule in order, including my list of games for HAN Radio.

Last week, I heard various things disputing the above, but it was soon discovered that, with some work and cooperation, I'd be back. I began to prepare for year number 15 at the microphone, with the task of finding other play-by-play voices to jump in on HAN.

Yes, calling Greenwich games meant that much to me. It often took precedence over my real job, or my personal life. So, as I've done before, I crafted out a game plan to get me on the WGCH call. I passed it along to the management of both WGCH and HAN. Marty Hersam at HAN was on-board. It seemed, at first, that WGCH was as well.

I found out yesterday that I was out, when friends reached out to me. I have yet to hear anything official from my radio home since 1997, but I'm a fairly bright guy.

I don't know if this means I'm totally done at WGCH (some want me to walk out now, but that's not how I am). There is certainly some anger at how this was handled. If it is, I was honored to do this for as long as I did. Nothing lasts forever.

If it is, my thanks climbs immeasurably to Bill Brehm, Mike Mora, John Spang, Mark Smallwood, John Connelly, and so...so...many others. Owners. Management. Salespeople. Lindsey Romeo, Joy Marshall, John Iannuzzi, Jim Thompson. Other show hosts. Man...the list is endless.

What you learn is nobody owes anyone a thing. You can do a show for free for two years and it means nothing. You can give and give and give. It just doesn't matter. It's business. Nothing personal.

I'll still be around Greenwich with HAN Radio (we have at least three football games lined up for this year). Except now, more than ever, I have to treat Big Red like just another team.

Sean Kilkelly, the first person I called when I became Sports Director, and my friend, will now be the voice of the Cardinals on WGCH. I wish him good voice and good games. I also understand that it's an opportunity. Take it and run.

I hope you'll all come find me over at HANRadio.com.

So thanks, Greenwich. Thanks for these wonderful football memories. Thanks for everything. It's been an amazing honor.

To better days...

Saturday Stuff (It's Off the Bench!)

I just like quotes. That is all.

First of all, I'm feeling the urge to write again, and that really thrills me. There are a ton of topics rolling around in that danger zone known as the lump three feet above my ass.

- Sometimes I think I feel a little intimidated by working with such a smart, well-read group of writers like my colleagues at Hersam Acorn. They're quite awesome. If anything, I feel like I have regressed by working with them. But they do inspire me.

- OK, so Michael Sam has been cut by the St. Louis Rams, and I'm pleased. Stay with me here before you attack. The reason I say that is because Jeff Fisher, a man of character, didn't keep Sam around because he wanted to put the first openly gay man on his football team. He dropped him because, succinctly, he didn't think there was a fit on his football team for him.

I want Michael Sam to succeed. Because he's a football player. I don't care about his shower habits. I don't care who he is dating. I don't care about anything other than if he's a good football player. Sure, I care if he's a good man, but in the bottom line of sports, I want him to succeed or fail on the pure merits of his football ability.

The rest of it isn't for me to concern myself with.

- I don't care how close the Yankees are to the wild card, or even the division, I just don't think they're good enough to make the playoffs.

- I paused today to watch Derek Jeter hit (full disclosure: he took a called third strike) and felt a tinge of sadness that a great career is just about a month from ending.

If he's not the greatest shortstop of all-time, then he's in the top three, with Honus Wagner and Cal Ripken Jr. A-Rod would have been there at one time. He's not.

- I had a blast talking about things various and sundry yesterday during The Open Hour (Fridays at 10am) on HANRadio.com. It might not be the most compelling hour that we broadcast, but I still enjoy it. It reminds me of the old days of my eponymous show on WGCH.

- Yeah, so about WGCH...remember a few weeks back I said I had a pretty big announcement I was holding off on telling you? Ummm...forget it. At least it seems unnecessary now, but we'll see. Stories change all the time.

UPDATE: Yup, stories change all the time. I'll explain later.

- Oh, back to The Open Hour. I rambled on about a lot of things. I found myself feeling quite musical, and was thinking about how some of my tastes have changed over the years. Some things that I listened to so much just seven years ago are now on the fringe. Strange how life can impact that.

For instance, I don't find myself quite into U2 or The Police anymore. I suppose the feeling could return.

I also found myself railing about bullying - real and not real. For instance, I watch, read, and listen to criticism that some of my HAN colleagues take from these keyboard yahoos in their towns. I mean, really? Isn't there something else they should be doing?

I get it. Criticism is necessary. I got some a week or so ago that really - really - troubled me. The who and what and so on aren't necessary, and it's now in the rear view mirror. But...yeah.

But sometimes, criticism just becomes a vehicle for garbage.

If you're so inclined, please check out yesterday's Open Hour.


- Sean Adams, he of the near-teenager/seventh grader, wants to get some ice poured on his head. Not because he got pressured. But because in his heart he wants to.

And he'll donate (via me).

- I love quotes of all kinds (thus the Oscar Wilde one at top). It's the reason I'll randomly post a song lyric if I hear one. I just like quotes. Sometimes I don't even have a purpose as to why I'm posting it. I just might like it. It doesn't necessarily have to have an intended message for anyone or anything.

Sometimes it's fun to post a lyric and see if others can pick up on it.

- It's the beginning of the college football season, and once again, I want to embrace it. I want to watch it. But I feel overwhelmed with games and overwhelmed with other things going on in life.

And overwhelmed with the large amount of high school football games I will be broadcasting.

The first is next Saturday (St Luke's/Cardinal Spellman) on H-A-N Radio...dot com.

- Roger Goodell thinks he's God. I'm convinced of that. Thus he's the Emperor. I know NFL players need to be accountable for their off the field behavior, but I love where the Emperor just throws himself into the midst of people's lives.

- I just saw a bit on Pro Hockey Talk saying that fans voted Bobby Orr as the greatest Boston Bruin of all time. Wow. I'm relieved we got that result.

In a related story, Babe Ruth - just might - be the greatest Yankee.

- The Hudson Valley Renegades are playoff-bound. Good for them. Would I love to be calling the games? Sure. I do wish, however, that Tom Prizeman could get back here to do it. Far be it for me to say how they should run their broadcast booth, and Tom is at college anyway. But they need some life in the booth.

Somewhere along the line, the young broadcaster became all about numbers and less about keeping listeners interested. Not screaming like Gus Johnson. Not boring them. Just telling stories, finding enthusiasm. Maybe even laughing.

I used to think doing play-by-play really wasn't anything special. I almost felt anyone could do it.

I was wrong.

Eight Years

Yogi and Bill Dickey both wore 8 in The Bronx.

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." - John Wooden

The history is simple. Eight years ago, after feeling the pressure of other writers who stepped into the world of blogging, I took the plunge. Many of them have come and gone, and I'm sorry they haven't returned (and I, at times, out of nowhere, will remind them of this. I'm like that).

I didn't want to do Exit 55 unless I did it right. I didn't want to write for a few months and walk away. I needed a name, and it hit me just before I began our efforts here. I wanted it to be topical, sometimes personal, and create conversation. Sometimes, the goals have been met.

I got more at times. I made friends as a result. I ticked people off. The readership numbers have never been great, and while I didn't write for the readers, it sometimes made me wonder why I should keep doing it.

Kind of like radio in that way where you just keep plugging along with the hope that someone is interested.

Yet here we are. A lot has happened in eight years, and those who have been around know this. My life has changed so drastically from August 17, 2006, and you all know it. I think, in a lot of ways, I have changed. In many ways I'm still the same, but I really think if you knew me then and now, you would say the shell is still the same, the heart and soul are still the same, but that there are differences.

I'd like to think I'm a better person today. I don't really know who can judge that.

It's been fun, and I still lament that I don't write enough. Most of the time, I have a story I want to tell but finding the time/energy/words isn't always easy. There are still a few who tap me on the shoulder and say "you need to write more" and I'll put Mick at the top of the list for that. I know a few others who, best to my knowledge, still read all of it. I think Jon is always there, and Harold, and have picked up Paul and John and some others along the way. I can't thank you enough. I like to write. Sometimes I didn't care if anyone read it. In reality, I think that's false. I care.

I'm sure I've lost some along the way also. Sometimes members of my family read, and sometimes they don't. To be honest, I don't really know for sure. Overall, I don't know who is reading.

The journey has been like all journeys. It's been sad, spectacular, thought-provoking, angry, bewildered, and more.

We've seen hurricanes and Super Bowls. Births and deaths. Broadcasts and World Series. We've talked about Blue Knights, Renegades, Cardinals, Rams, Blue Wave, Tigers, Bluefish, and Sound Tigers. We've covered the Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Steelers, Devils, Giants, and so on. You get the point.

We've been to Aberdeen, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Virginia Beach, Key West,  Las Vegas, Washington DC, Tampa/St. Pete, Oneonta, Albany, Charleston, Reading, Lancaster, Allentown, Scranton, and of course, Richmond. I'll likely pass through Richmond on Wednesday on my way to Fayetteville, NC.

Which brings to me Waffle House. Krispy Kreme. Wawa. Yacco's hot dogs. Too many roadside stops on too many roads.

I've taken you to too many press boxes, and a Press Box. We've been to WGCH, WBNR, WLNA, and HAN Radio. There are new horizons and big changes in my radio life to come...

I've perhaps said the names Bobby Murcer, Vin Scully, Huey, Lewis, Sean, Lisa and a few more way too many times. Maybe that pushed you away. Maybe that endeared you.

I've enacted Rule 55 a bunch of times also, when I just really wanted to say something, but couldn't.

I've had to explain the words written here, or on social media probably more than I ever really wanted to. Sometimes it was because I was too vague. Sometimes it was because I was too blunt. Sometimes it was because of an error in judgement.

I've introduced you to friends and writers who have come and gone.

At best, I've been loyal to those same friends, no matter who they might be. If they've walked into my life, I likely haven't dropped them.

At worst, I've been loyal to those same friends, no matter who they might be. If they've walked into my life, I likely haven't dropped them.

The last two sentences are the same, all based on perception, but it's just part of being me.

To quote a wise man (Popeye), "I yam what I yam."

That still couldn't get me to eat spinach.

As we start year nine, I make no predictions about writing more, and I realize I don't need to. I'm not paid to do this, but I remain committed to it, no matter how many times I've plotted my farewell post (to go along with shutting down my Facebook and Twitter accounts).

But I'm still here. Lisa is along for the ride. Sean, the most wonderfully unique and loving child/young man, is still the co-pilot. I'm trying to simply enjoy these days as I can.

I know my life isn't perfect. I'm not perfect. Yet all I can do is go a day at a time. I learned that a long time ago. Just keep moving forward.

So we will.

Thought for the Day

OK, I'll return the TftD for this quickie. I have several great quotes and thoughts, but after seeing Paul McCartney sing at the Grammy's, I'm reminded of the closing line from "The End" off of Abbey Road.

Here it is:

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

With that, Happy Valentine's Day to those who love, and who care about today.

Thought for the Day

It's February 9th.

Forty-eight years ago, a Sunday night, 73 million people tuned into The Ed Sullivan Show. It was not any old show. It was a really big show. It opened looking like this:


Following the commercial, Sullivan returned to say five of the most famous words in popular culture:

"Ladies and gentleman...The Beatles!"

Paul McCartney got the first lead vocal, singing "All My Loving":

"Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you. Tomorrow I'll miss you. Remember I'll always be true. And then while I'm away, I'll write home every day. And I'll send all my loving to you."

The rest, of course, is history.

Thought for the Day

On the left is Eli Manning, the quarterback of the New York Giants. Mr. Manning is the younger brother of one of the greatest players to ever play the position of quarterback, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

But Mr. Manning, the younger, doesn't need that kind of identity crisis any longer. He is now Eli Manning, TWO-TIME Super Bowl Champion, and TWO-TIME Super Bowl MVP.

(In case you don't know, Peyton has one Super Bowl title and one MVP. So there).

On the right is Mark Sanchez, quarterback of the New York Jets. Seems like a nice guy, and a nice player if he can ever put it all together (which he is having trouble doing).

And so, my friends, we come to yesterday. Now I have reasons that I think these championship celebrations of junk, and nothing makes it more obvious than when the "loyal" fans who have loved this team since Christmas Day (of 2011) come out, get liquored up, and stand in front of a TV camera. As such, we come to the TftD. When asked by a reporter for Channel 4 in New York (WNBC-TV), the Giants "fan" exclaimed:

"Sancheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz!"

Brilliance.

You better believe that video has gone mighty viral. (Link courtesy New York Daily News)

Thought for the Day

My streak for TftD will end eventually, and today was almost that day.  Nothing jumped out at me.  But, thanks to the Random Quotes tab on the The Quotations Page, I found a dandy from Dan Rather, who has faded into amazing obscurity:

"Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic."

Amazingly, I think he's quite right. At least he's correct as far as I'm concerned.

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

Thought for the Day

I have to say, you all rock in the social media world! My friends keep unknowingly providing me with amazing TftD's.

Today's contributor: Matt Hamilton!

That's right, by way of Greenwich, WGCH, Mizzou, the GHS Cardinals, and now the NFL Network, Joe Theismann's friend put the following on Twitter a few hours ago...

"The past teaches us lessons, but has no other bearing on the present. Put it behind you and take things as they are now, not as they were."

That's a great quote, right there.

Thought for the Day

I saw my friend Alyce Sinnott Kavanagh post this video on her Facebook page last night. It's a simple message from The Beatles, with a lead vocal by John Lennon, in one of his sappier songs. Still, for a Saturday morning, it's very sweet.

"If I fell in love with you, would you promise to be true, and help me understand? 'Cause I've been in love before, and I've found that love is more than just holding hands."

And so it goes from there.


Thanks, Alyce!

There's an element of fear in the song, especially of being hurt. That swings towards Jeff Pearlman's recent post regarding Josh Hamilton's latest fall from grace. I found it interesting the way Jeff moved the narrative from a scoundrel friend of his to Hamilton. The Hamilton thing is sad, and I also hope he gets whatever help he needs.

Thought for the Day

Today's TftD comes from my former WGCH colleague (though once at 'GCH, ALWAYS at 'GCH...it's very "Hotel California" like that) Anthony Kalogrides, who posted these nifty couple of lines tonight from one of the world's greatest pieces of music:

"You don't need money, don't take fame. Don't need no credit card to ride this train."

I had to counter with "It's strong and it's sudden and it's cool sometimes, but it might just save your life!"

Yessir! Happy Friday, y'all, and feel THE POWER! I always preferred the longer version of the video...

Thought for the Day

I saw this quote last night from Stephanie Abrams of The Weather Channel.  While you might see it as being a little too "Stuart Smalley", I liked it a lot. 

"You ARE good enough!  Never make assumptions!  We are too hard on ourselves and others!  Live an authentic life!" :)

I immediately posted it on Facebook and it got literally no response. But, to me, when life gets you down, it's nice to have a little reminder like this.

So there.

Thought For The Day

I was struggling to come up with a TFTD, which is part of why I'm not going to commit to doing one every day (plus some days I don't have the time or I'm not near my computer - shockingly).

Anyway, with it being February and the Super Bowl approaching, I found a video of Steve Jobs introducing the famous Apple 1984 ad. It's a little long, and there's an awful interpretation of Irene Cara's "Flashdance...What a Feeling" (an awful song). But if you stay with it, the payoff begins at 4:08.


Then I Googled "quote of the day" and there it was. A George Orwell quote! Symmetry!

"On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time."

Have a good day! Happy February! And oh yeah, Groundhog Day is tomorrow, for whatever that's worth.

Thought For the Day

Among the many lessons that I've tried to teach my son is to be gracious in both victory and defeat. This seems to resonate right now at Super Bowl time, but it also works outside of the sports arena. I think it is probably more difficult to be a good winner, but then again, it's sometimes tough to not be a sore loser.

With that in mind, we hit our thought for the day. We'll stick with sports, and go with the guy that Sunday's big trophy is named after: Vince Lombardi. The great Green Bay Packers coach once famously said, "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser." Well, a bit harsh, but probably true in sports. Yet he also authored this:

“If you can accept losing, you can't win.”

On this morning, that works. Accept it and move on because, some times, it's out of your control. Or it wasn't your fault. It just happens.

Thought For The Day

I'm trying to write to the old bloggity from my cell phone, so forgive any spelling errors (darn auto correct).
I've been thinking about doing a "thought for the day", which I wouldn't have to do daily but could still be fun.
Based on my current state of mind, I think I need to call on Crash Davis of Bull Durham fame, who said:

"Don't think.  It can only hurt the ballclub."

Don't think...good advice on this day.