The Home of the Braves

Coach Rob here, to tell you that the 2008 Carmel Sports Association Soft Toss season is off and running, and our beloved Braves are UNBEATEN! That's right, due to my incredibly savvy coaching (shades of a combination of Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, and my boyhood Mahopac Sports Association coach) the Braves haven't lost a game.

The Braves haven't won a game either. We don't keep score.

Sigh.

Anyway, once again it's a blast for me, and I hope for the team as well. It's a good group, and I can begin to see some really good skills coming together. My own beloved Sean is a work in progress, and that's OK - if he's having fun then I don't care. That's my first goal with these kids. My next goal is to teach them a love for the game of baseball. From there it's the teamwork and sportsmanship aspect. After that, we'll worry about the intricacies. Oh there are a few tough nuts to crack - making sure that the boys (no girls on the roster) focus on paying attention and not on the dirt below their feet. Then I make sure that they are worried about baseball, and not their families or goofing around with other players, and so on.

It's easier said than done, of course.

Naturally, Coach Rob is considered the big meanie by The Son, who still shares the same abode with him. That's because I don't always let him hit first, or get him every ball and stuff like that. Instead I play very fair, and I have my rules (oh, you want to be up? Don't ASK if you can be up!).

Coach Daddy was especially in big trouble last Saturday. Top of the second...we're in the field...and it is slightly chilly. Sean is asking when we'll be done. Move to the bottom of the second, as we're batting. Sean is up and I'm ready to pitch to him (we pitch to our own team). So I run a fastball in on his hands...

OK, just kidding. I pitch underhand and I'm lucky if a radar gun would even pick up the speed. It's that s-l-o-w. Anywho...the pitch does run in on Sean, and it hits his left hand as he swings. No biggie, or so I thought. Other kids have had it happen, so I just keep on pitching.

The molehill though turns into a mountain. Think Everest.

Sean is missing literally every pitch. Right now, he doesn't even look at the ball - he just swings and hopes to make contact. So compound the chill in the air with the sore hand and the swinging and missing and the fact that he's basically done playing, and we have a situation on our...um...hands. A shoulder-shaking, waterworks-producing cry explodes out of him and now I balance that fine line of coach...and daddy. I hugged him and tried to keep him focused. That's where I needed Coach Dave to step in and finish pitching to him, with me helping Sean swing. When he finally hit one, I had to pick him up and help him run. It was to no avail. He was done.

Again, sigh.

This is where others need to step up around me (and yes, Sandi did just that). You see, if I push him to play, then I'm big-mean-monster-uber sports dad! But Sandi and I quickly marshaled our forces to agree that he has made a commitment to play and quitting will not be allowed.

Quitting is not something I'm a fan of. But I digress.

Thankfully it wasn't an issue, and Sean was back to being himself by Saturday afternoon, and he was a solid participant at practice last night. So we've dodged the bullet for now.

I won't name the other kids on the team because parents can sometimes get offended by such things. In fact somebody recently said to me that I shouldn't even touch them (high fives, pats on the head and the like) for that very reason. I know that's the reality of our crazy world but come on!

Sad. Very sad.

Anyway, I've put some pictures up on my Flickr site. Have a look and enjoy. Comments, as always, are welcome.

Oh and I'm pleased to say that, if only for a couple of weeks, I was back with the T-ball Giants again. One of my close friends is one of their coaches, and he needed a little assistance, so I jumped in, and will do so again whenever needed. The irony is that at last Saturday's game, neither of us had a child either in the game or even at the game site. What more needs to be said about love of the game and the commitment that we make to it?

Huey Lewis and the Foos!

I mean, what more can be said? Rock Royalty recognizing the greatness and genius that is Huey Lewis. Don't look now - those of you who scoff - but there's lots of love for the boys.

I'd rather talk about stuff like this than real life. It's nicer, and it's such a lousy day here in the northeast.

Yes, Some People DO Get It

Athletes typically don't have the best reputations these days. From Pacman Jones on down, there are some pretty bad guys, or guys with really bad judgment. Yet every once in a while, something reminds me that there are some really terrific people in sports.

Like Curtis Granderson.

Granderson is the center fielder for the Detroit Tigers. At 27, he was expected to continue his rise to the top of the elite players in the American League. In 2007, he hit .302 with 23 homers 74 RBI's, and 122 runs scored.

OK, he struck out 141 times (and 174 in 2006), so he's not quite elite yet.

Anyway, Granderson's 2008 - much like the rest of the Tigers - got off to a rough start when he broke his hand. After the hand had healed, Granderson went to a rehab assignment, for the West Michigan Whitecaps in Grand Rapids.

So far, this story is pretty basic, no?

This is where it gets cool. Granderson is from a family of teachers - both his parents and his sister are educators. So when Granderson hit Grand Rapids, he figured he could use his time there to do some good. Let Dave Murray of the Grand Rapids Press take it from here (and thanks to Awful Announcing for the tip).

Granderson is in town to play some rehabilitation games with the West Michigan Whitecaps as he recovers from a broken hand. With some time on his mending hands, he called Grand Rapids Public Schools and offered to spend some time with students.

Riverside Middle School was the lucky place, and if you read the article, it sounds like everyone had a blast.

So the next time Granderson burns your team (like, say, the Yankees) with a big hit or catch, remember this story. It might make the sting just a little easier.

John Sullivan is a Viking

John Sullivan, one of the best players in Greenwich High School football history (along with Ken Bell and some guy named Steve Young and others) has made the big leap into the NFL. A two-way lineman who dominated the FCIAC and the state of Connecticut, Big John was drafted today by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round - the 187th overall pick.

Analysis can be harsh, and the word on Sullivan was not the praise that one might have expected when he left Greenwich for Notre Dame following the 2002 season. Coming into the draft, NFL.com said:

Sullivan has short arms, which is not ideal for a center, and he may lack some toughness, but he has smarts and is adept at knowing the offense. He was the leader of a Notre Dame offensive line that struggled mightily and he needs to show more tenacity.

To me, there's no doubting his smarts. Having called every single one of his games from 2000 to 2002, I got to know John and his family a little, and they're quality people. John joined me on WGCH on Thanksgiving Day in 2002 for a quarter and he was fun to talk with.

I'm no draft guru, but I've always thought that if he came out of school following his junior season, he would have been a high second round pick. John showed tremendous durability, starting 31 straight games until a knee sprain put him on the sideline in 2007. Of course the Irish also had, shall we say, a rather disappointing year in '07 - and that's putting it mildly. Those factors saw Sullivan's stock fall.

So congratulations to John Sullivan. All of Greenwich takes pride in seeing a good guy make it to the NFL, though I don't think anybody is surprised.

Cosell Meets Lennon

Howard Cosell died 13 years ago today. With that in mind, enjoy one of the truly classic Monday Night Football interviews, as the big mouth visits with John Lennon, and gives us perhaps the first indication that The Beatles might have eventually gotten back together.

I stand firm in my belief that it would have happened - if not before 1985, then by the time Live Aid took place (in July of '85). Sadly, we lost John Lennon in December of 1980, and all hope went with him.

The Retired Number Debate...Again

Once again, the topic of retired numbers came up and after having some time to think it over, I decided to weigh in.

For those out of the loop, the Yankees had not issued Paul O'Neill's number 21 since "The Warrior" (yes, I'm calling him that. Sue me.) retired after the 2001 season. Finally, Morgan Ensberg was given the number this spring. Early on there was a buzz about anybody daring to wear a number that had come to be so strongly identified with somebody else. When Ensberg made the team, he opted to switch to 11 - feeling that he wasn't worthy of wearing 21.

Enter LaTroy Hawkins. By all accounts, Hawkins is a great guy - the kind you want as a teammate. The rub is that he is a middling reliever; one whom critics thought shouldn't have been signed in the first place. Hawkins' heart was in the right place - he wanted to honor Roberto Clemente, who wore 21 with the Pirates. Yet as soon as he was introduced on Opening Night, the boos began. A few nights later Hawkins got lit up and the chants began.

"Paul O'Neill!" Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap "Paul O'Neill!"

I was there and as usual, I was mortified. The guy meant no harm, yet the damage was done. It took a few weeks but finally, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter - the holdovers from the O'Neill years - told Hawkins that the number wasn't worth the pain. Hawkins gave in and changed his number to 22.

Incidentally, Hawkins has worn 32 in some of his other career stops. Thirty-two is retired for the late Elston Howard.

So here we are again, faced with the discussion of retired numbers. Only the Boston Celtics are as over-the-top on this issue (22 numbers to the Yankees current 16). The Yankees have overdone it, and some have even suggested un-retiring some numbers.

Dumb. In fact, stupid. I wouldn't agree with that.

Others have said that there needs to be standards (Hall of Famer and so on). Again, I don't agree. Sometimes a player just hits the right note (Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly).

So let's look at it again. First - I don't think O'Neill's number should be retired, yet I liked that it hadn't been issued since Paulie left. It was only a matter of time before somebody else would get it, yet my thinking was that it would be somebody of some standing. That's no disrespect to to either Ensberg or Hawkins, but that somebody needed to be a star player with "the onions" to withstand the possible abuse of wearing 21.

Let's do it this way: there are the no-brainers (3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 16). I think we can assume that number 2 (Derek Jeter) will be a no-brainer. He will be, if not already is, the best shortstop in team history.

I think we're OK so far.

Next up are the people's choices and sympathy votes (1, 9, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49). Face it, Billy Martin (1) was a note of "I'm sorry" by George Steinbrenner for the idiocy that occurred during the Billy years. Roger Maris (9) was put aside to make up for the poor treatment that Raj received from the press, fans, and the team during his epic 61 in '61 and after. Twenty-three is Donnie Baseball. Not a Hall of Famer but aguy who struck a Mantle-like note in popularity. Elston Howard's 32 is as much about politics as anything else. I get it. Casey Stengel (37) was a great manager who was fired for borderline age-discrimination. Retiring his number was to make peace, and bring him back from the Mets, who also retired his number (though I'm not sure why).

Anyway, don't get me started on Reggie Jackson (44), and while I love Ron Guidry (49), I'm still baffled why his number was retired.

That leaves the one number retired due to death (15 for Thurman Muunson). Honestly, and this will hurt, but his number doesn't get retired without his sad passing on August 2, 1979. Don't get me wrong - I loved him also as a player.

Then there's the up-and-comers. I've already mentioned 2 for Jeter. What about Joe Torre's 6, Jorge Posada's 20, Bernie Williams' 51, and Mariano Rivera's 42? Rivera's out of the conversation, thanks to the still-idiotic-in-my-opinion retiring of Jackie Robinson's 42 league-wide in 1997.

Again, is Babe Ruth's number three retired league-wide? Didn't think so. Next argument. So with the retiring of 42 to Robinson, I have no leg to stand on with 32 for Elston Howard. I wouldn't retire it, but I get the socio-political ramifications here.

Back to the numbers that are expected to go. I already said I wouldn't retire 21. So...I'm not retiring 20 for Posada and (sorry, gang...take a deep breath), I am not retiring Bernie's 51. This franchise was reborn when O'Neill came along in 1992. If I'm not hanging up 21, then I'm not giving in on 51.

Again, sue me.

So in my world, here are my Yankees retired numbers:

* Babe Ruth - 3
* Derek Jeter - 2 (let's assume)
* Lou Gehrig - 4
* Joe DiMaggio - 5
* Mickey Mantle - 7
* Yogi Berra - 8
* Bill Dickey - 8
* Roger Maris - 9 (a special case)
* Thurman Munson - 15 (the guy was the Yankees' heart and soul. Again, special case)
* Whitey Ford - 16
* Don Mattingly - 23 (tough choice, but I know what he meant when there was so little to cheer about)
* Elston Howard - 32 (politics. I understand)
* Mariano Rivera - 42

There you go. You may call me crazy, those of you who love Billy Martin, Joe Torre, Phil Rizzuto, Casey Stengel (no Torre? No Old Professor), Reggie Jackson, and Ron Guidry. This is why there is a Monument Park, and I often think that it's under-utilized. That's where I hope Bobby Murcer will get honored, but would I ever - EVER - think of retiring his number? Good God, no!

Here ends the discussion. For now.

Rioting...After the FIRST ROUND?!?

OK, I've heard of the riots after the Tigers won the '84 World Series. Chicago had its share of problems during the Bulls' run. Even Boston has had a few issues as well. It happens; it's not acceptable, but at least those moments occurred after their team's had won the whole shooting gallery. You know, the title, the Championship, the Super Bowl, the ring!

But not the first round!

Well that's what happened in Montreal last night, after Les Habs eliminated the Boston Bruins for - what? - the 35th time in the playoffs?

Some 10 businesses were damaged as well as 16 cars. Some police vehicles were set ablaze during the incident and police estimate damages to their cars at about $500,000.

Way to go, Montreal.

Again, let me stress, rioting, really for anything, is NOT COOL. Especially for a sporting event.

The Mick Hits One Out on TV

Please indulge me for three minutes and twenty-one seconds. I've told you about how broadcasts used to be - well here's a prime example. Neil Best posted this at Watchdog, and it's worth a look. In case you need to know, it's Mel Allen on the call - working solo on NBC (Red Barber likely worked the first half of the game, but they didn't share the booth).

So look closely - no "Fox Box", no scroll, no insane promotions for "Frank TV", no embedded logo - just a black and white picture and only a few camera angles. It's gorgeous.

Mets/Phillies...Let's Get it ON! (The In the Stands Version)

Perhaps it's because I know that Yankees fans can be quite the asshats that it does my heart good to read about boorish behavior in other places. Not surprisingly, this comes from Philly - a town that's also known for being...um...pretty bad.

By the way, Boston, you don't get off easy either, but I'm not here to knock you. Just a quick note - the Bruins lost last night. I'm not sure hockey fever has gripped the Hub, but I know of at least two TV's that watched the game in NEW YORK. For the record, I like the B's and wanted them to win. Alas, no.

Anywho, back to the issue at hand. Overall I don't think that Mets fans' behavoir is that bad normally...just...(oh stop it, Rob. Please be more positive).

So read the musings of those over at Deadspin and, by extension, the 700 Level for more.

A Few Quick Yankees Thoughts

Another April, another brutal performance by the Bombers. Middling around .500, they're giving me no reason to believe that they will make the playoffs for the 14th straight year (it would be 15 if we could count 1994...nice work by those greedy SOB's).

So Kyle Farnsworth throws behind Manny Ramirez's back the other night and I'm thinking, Uh oh...that's going to p*ss Manny off." On YES, Al Leiter and John Flaherty make it clear that there was a purpose behind the pitch, and that while it's dangerous, a pitcher needs to establish the inside of the plate. With Nuke Laloosh Farnsworth, one never knows where the ball is going. But Manny doesn't seem bothered and the whole thing seems to go away.

Not so fast. Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball (which is akin to being a schoolyard monitor) takes matters into his own hands and suspends Farnsworth for three games.

Now, was it a purpose pitch? Hell yeah! Did he throw behind him - yup, and that's probably where he meant to put it. But if the umpires didn't eject him, and Manny's not freaking out, then let it go!

Never did like Watson anyway. Didn't like him as a player, and though he presided over the '96 World Champion Yankees, I wasn't a big fan of him there either. So it doesn't hurt me an ounce to say that he's gutless, and clearly forgets that he was once a player...and a player during the time in which PITCHERS THREW AT HITTERS. Perhaps if this was Bob GIBSON dishing out the suspensions, I'd be more understanding.

Memo to clueless Bob - Let the players resolve the matter on the field. The umpires (you know, those arbiters who often have a little too much to say on the field as well) didn't eject anybody, so it shouldn't be up to you either. I'd like to see you step back into a batters box again.

At least Mr. Watson didn't create a new rule...mid-playoffs. Colin Campbell...COME ON DOWN!

Oh, back to the Bombers. The offense is putrid and the rookie pitching ain't exactly clicking. So yes, the "why the hell didn't they get Johan Santana" watch is officially on. I stand by the decision to not trade for him, even if the rooks struggle all year.

Away from the Yankees (but from Pete Abraham, Yankees beat writer for The Journal News), I'm sorry to say that the lights on E Street are dimmed due to the passing of longtime keyboardist Danny Federici. If you're a Springsteen fan (and most of us are purely nuts...not just fans), then your heart hurts just a little today.

I know, many are sick of the hype that surrounds Yankees-Red Sox. But have a lookie at this new proposed commercial from ESPN...one thing that Worldwide Leader does right is their spots. This is just plain funny.

By the way, I'm not Catholic, and I'm hardly religious, but I'm watching some of the coverage of the Pope at Yankee Stadium, and it's pretty cool. Shea has The Beatles (yes, I'm jealous) but the House has hosted the Pope three times - 1965, 1977, and 2008. I'd have to be inhuman to not appreciate this fact. Just one more reason why I love the great building.

Get Your "Local Sports Feed!"

Tim Parry has been hinting at a major announcement for some time now, and it appears that he has achieved that goal. For those who love sports in Fairfield County, please welcome (and set your browsers to)...

LOCAL SPORTS FEED!

Local Sports Feed will serve as a catch-all for Fairfield County Sports, but knowing Tim, it won't be only FCIAC-driven. Expect to see mentions of the SWC and even prep schools (he assured me that Brunswick can have their fair share of attention).

Will I play a role? Tim has already set me up with a user name and password, so now I just have to start writing some things there. I'll probably add some of my exploits with the Greenwich Cardinals baseball team (who have welcomed me with open arms), for instance. As I've done in the past, I'll probably cross-post things between here and there.

What does this mean for Tim's beloved FCIAC Football Blog? Well, to quote Tim (hope you don't mind me quoting ya'):

With a little luck and time, the FCIAC Football Blog as you know it will not die. But LocalSportsFeed gives me a chance to fulfill my dream, which is to provide some alternative high school sports coverage to Fairfield County. Football will be a main focus, but I also want to give credit to some of the underserved sports and teams within the market.

Tim is a very driven, hard-working guy who has quickly become a very close friend of mine. I'll do whatever I can to help him. What this proves to me again is how much I admire his wife, Ursula, who seems to support him implicitly in all of these efforts.

Now one of theses days, I'll get my own play-by-play website up and running!

A Little Hooky Dookie for Ya

The Internet, in case you haven't heard, is a wonderful thing. Thanks to the magic of streaming audio, great radio stations and concepts can be heard once again. Several friends and outlets, including my friend Mick alerted me to the return of WNEW, the groundbreaking FM radio station whose slogan was "Where Rock Lives."

They're back, but they're only back online. Frankly I haven't listened to it yet, but it's like having an old friend back. Check them out here. They also seem to be running a blog on the homepage, and among the entries is their list of the "Top Fifty Guitar Riffs of All Time." Let's have a lookie at the Top 10, eh?

1. Back In Black - AC/DC
2. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
3. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix Experience
4. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
6. Barracuda - Heart
7. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
8. Natural Born Stepson - Sonny Landreth
9. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
10. Cocaine - Eric Clapton

I like "Smoke on the Water" better than Back in Black as a riff, but that's just nit-picking. I'm sure many will be angry that the mightily overplayed "Satisfaction" isn't number one (I'm sure you can hear the wimpering of Caroline Corley from 107.1 The Peak). I like the boldness of choices like "Barracuda" (I think I was eight when I bought that album), but thought they dropped the ball by leaving "Sunshine of Your Love" (by Cream, in case you don't know) out of the top 10 (it's at number 11).

So what say you? Go through the rest of the list and I'm sure you'll find something that you higher or lower, on the list or off. For instance, where's "Born to Run" by Bruce? That riff just screams warm weather to me!

Oh, and if you don't get the title of this post, "a little hooky dookie" was one of many memorable things spoken by perhaps 'NEW's most famous DJ of 'em all - "Fats", "Scottso", "The Professor", the late Scott Muni.

Off The Bench (The "Jesus, I Haven't Posted in Over a Week" Edition)

OK, I've been out of touch. That's what happens sometimes. I think I'd be more diligent if your beloved "Exit 55" was sponsored. Then I'd really feel a responsibility.

Then again, this could be a dormant blog...hint hint to those who are guilty.

Initially I was going to go "rip city" on the Yankees for the whole buried jersey curse thing. It seemed pretty lame of the Bombers to dig it up, and Randy Levine was going to be the subject of my wrath for saying his usual asinine things. I mean, really, who promoted this clown to Yankees god?

In fact, I found the curse thing humorous. Then I heard the ass clown who buried the jersey speak and my mind was quickly changed. Not only am I glad they dug the damn thing up, but I hope they do prosecute him or make him overall miserable. Besides, as I read somewhere, what if the Yankees didn't dig it up? Then we'd spend the next "X" number of years listening to the talking heads (me, inclcuded) talk about the curse of the stupid jersey.

So we can stop all of that talk about Tiger winning a Grand Slam now, right?

Kudos to those who put on the Carmel Sports Association opening day ceremonies on Sunday. It's not easy to organize such a thing - especially when it turns out that the site was double-booked - but the kids seemed to have a blast.

That's what matters. I also had a blast. That doesn't matter, quite honestly.

I hate office drama and soap operas.

In case you were wondering.

I was going to write a lengthy tribute to Pat Summit last week, but got detoured, so I'll some it up this way: that woman can coach. Sorry, Uconn fans, but I like and respect her a lot.

I don't agree with her canceling the annual meeting with the Huskies, but that's for another time. She's won eight titles. She's good.

A guy goes to Shea Stadium with his two young daughters and other family members. He has watched the Mets win, and is on his way down an escalator that isn't moving when he loses his balance and falls to his death.

There is no joke here. There are only condolences.

You just never know in life, do you?

Kids Dreams Come True

In some way, what you are going to read her might be construed as an elaborate joke. View it however you wish. Personally I would have thought this was one of the most awesome things ever.



Go here to read the details. Incidentally, these are the same people who organized the amazing Frozen Grand Central effort. If you haven't seen that, watch this.

Consider Yourself Rickrolled

Since I haven't checked in recently, I figured I had to give you something. So here - you've been rickrolled. Now, I didn't exactly do it correctly (I'm supposed to link something else here that spams you to go to the YouTbue video), but hey! How often can you put Rick Astley on your blog without VIMMing (that's Vomit In My Mouth)?

Yet since I can't find a version of the video that I can embed, play along with me here and go to this proof of unconfirmed gaming news or trailers (well that's what Rickrolling is supposed to be).

Don't thank me now.

I'll be back in better blogging shape soon. Just too much going on these days - you know, real life stuff like work and so on.

Typical

This is one of the many reasons why I love baseball. There's nothing like this in sports - the Cubs should be dead. Scoreless through eight innings with the Brewers, Milwaukee tacks on three in the top of the ninth. So here are the Cubbies, down 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth. They bring the tying run to the plate in newcomer Kosuke Fukudome (pronounced KOH-skay foo-koo-DOH-me). Let Brent Musberger and Orel Hershiser bring you the rest...

Ah, but alas, just when you think the big Mo (that's momentum, people) is on the side of the Cubbies, one thing must always...be...remembered.

These are the CUBS!

The Brew Crew tacked on a run in the top of the 10th, and they went on to win 4-3. Folks, I've said it before, and I'll say it now - these are the games that you can not lose. When you've ripped victory away from the other team, you have to go for the kill. I think it is essential that you get the win.

Welcome back, baseball. Thanks to Mother Nature (who once told us that it's nice to fool with her), the Yankees will try again tonight.

OK, Let's Get Going (just another way to say "Play Ball.")

All day, it began to feel right. Although somewhat chilly, there was warmth in the air. Sean and I ceremonially hung the Yankees flag up, then Sean recited the Pledge of Allegiance (with a few minor changes provided by me).

And yet, it was a normal spring day. We tried to drain water off the top of the pool and washed the cars. Laundry was done, the garage was cleaned, and a snake was spotted outside (pathetic little thing). Eventually, dinner was served (perhaps it should have been hot dogs, but pulled pork and mac and cheese will do). Then we watched Aladdin - an oldie, but a goodie (yeah, it's an oldie now - let's call it a classic).

Finally, I walked to the office, popped on the TV, and there it was. The Braves and Nationals were getting ready to open the Nats' new park in Washington. The National Anthem would be sung, the President would throw out the first pitch (say what you want about his politics, but the guy can throw), and we got underway.

There are plenty of things to nitpick at, sure. I still hate opening on Sunday night because ESPN mandates it. That's bull, but that's sports in this era - being dictated to by TV. I can't stand that ESPN is so busy listening to themselves talk that you don't get to see the lineup intros and the other pomp and circumstance. Again, that's TV. I'm shocked they showed the singing of the National Anthem. And of course, this is not my team that's playing. So for me, the REAL opener is tomorrow - 1:05 - in the still grandest cathedral of them all.

Baseball really should do it the way they used to - no other pitch could be thrown until the Reds held their annual parade, and started their game in Cincinnati. While baseball still does so many things right, it seems so destined to force feed countless things (Robinson, Jackie) yet forgets some of the little things that people love (single admission doubleheaders is a good example).

For tonight and, by extension, tomorrow, none of this matters. We don't care about Roger Clemens or even Andy Pettitte (the HGH user, not the pitcher). Jose Canseco is a sad, pathetic schlock-meister. He's not worthy of this conversation.

No, tonight we think about taking the extra base. About testing the right fielder's arm. We think about the new guys (LaTroy Hawkins will wear 21 in New York, in honor of Roberto Clemente. Nice thought, but there's a guy who wore 21 in The Bronx that's held in pretty high honor. Don't stink, LaTroy. That's all I'm saying.). We'll oil up the glove (maybe you won't, but I did). We'll turn on the radio (or Internet) and listen to the Voices. Especially the Great Scully. Always. So long as he's still doing it, there's nobody better, and I dare you to debate me on it.

The excitement builds to see my friends in Section 5 - Mick, Kennedy, Lizzie, Eddie, Steve, John (or some combo therein), and my cousin Kris.

Oh, we'll debate. Yankees? Mets? Red Sox? I don't want to debate about A-Rod doing steroids. I want to debate A-Rod versus Manny, or Papi, or even the Captain.

In fact, we're getting closer to debating A-Rod versus history. Is he better than them all?

The answer is still no. For now.

You can tell me I'm nuts if you wish; that baseball opened on Tuesday in Japan. I'll say poppycock (because it sounds more argumentative than Cracker Jack). That was a marketing ploy and exhibition that counts in the standings. It didn't give me the emotional charge that tonight has, or tomorrow will.

I wondered if it would happen. Why wasn't I getting that charge about baseball? I realized that I just needed tonight. No other sport does Opening Day like this. It just doesn't mean that much.

Indeed it hit me. The Final Four no longer seemed important. Wrestlemania? Irrelevant to me, but brilliantly covered by Sean Kilkelly. Fathers and sons tossed a ball around, and talked about the game. Our game. The American Game. Say what you want. I get it - football is king, the National Passion. But there's no doubt that baseball is still, and forever, the National Pastime.

Winter is over. The year can now begin. Baseball is back.

Play ball.

Steve Serby Q&A with Bobby Ray

I know, you're probably sick of the Bobby Murcer references by now. Well, here's some more. Here's a question and answer that Steve Serby did with Bobby Ray in the New York Post.

More Fearless and Incorrect Predictions

Well at least I have one team in the Final Four so far (thanks, UCLA). I should have taken North Carolina, but tried to be different, thus choosing Louisville. Such is life. If Texas and Kansas join the Bruins and Tar Heels, then I'll have three out of four. Not so bad.

That brings me to baseball, 2008. I've read some of the pros, like Peter Abraham, who I don't know and have never met, so calling him "PeteAbe" as some do doesn't seem right to me. Peter reminded me in his column today why I don't believe in heckling opposing players:

A fan wearing a Yankees shirt heckled Trot Nixon - a former member of the Red Sox who is now with the Diamondbacks - earlier this month during a game in Tucson, Ariz. Nixon heard the trash talk, then belted a two-run home run. He glared at the man as he crossed the plate. "If you want to get me right, bring in some Yankees fans," Nixon said. "You can hear everything in spring training."

I once saw people mocking Juan Gonzalez before Game One of the 1996 ALDS. I warned those around me that it might awaken a sleeping giant. All Juan Gone did that night was pop a three-run homer off David Cone as the Rangers beat the Yankees, 6-2. Full disclosure - the Bombers won the series in four games, but Gonzalez played like a man possessed.

Anyway, we'll start in the NL - in the East, to be exact. Despite what Abraham thinks, I believe there is nobody as good as the Mets in the league. Johan Santana is amazing, Pedro Martinez is revitalized, and John Maine looks scary good. Whispers are that Willie Randolph is in trouble, but I don't think it matters. I'm telling you now that they'll roll in the East, and they'll be representing the NL in the World Series. They do have some concerns - the bullpen is shaky, and Carlos Delgado looks done right now, but David Wright is big time, and can you really believe that Jose Reyes will be that bad again? No, me neither. Plus there's quiet Carlos Beltran, and as my colleague Sean Kilkelly said on WGCH with me on Friday, the Mets have a trade or some kind of significant move up their sleeve. I agree with him.

Oh I still like the Phillies, but their pitching scares me. Still I think they can grab the Wild Card.

In the Central, I'll ride the wave and say that Louie and the Cubs will win it. Sadly, in this 100th anniversary of their last World Series win, they won't pick up the hardware.

Colorado was a nice story in 2007, but who really remembers them at this point? I'd love to put Joe (Mr. Torre) and the Dodgers into the playoffs out of the Western Division, but they continue to run their organization like it's a small-market team. Laughable, really. I think Arizona is in better shape, with Brandon Webb and Dan Haren at the top of the rotation. If Randy Johnson returns and has anything, as a number three starter no less, then the D'Backs will be solid, and will jump to the NLCS.

I'll still take the Mets in the NL.

To the American League, let's get right to it. The Red Sox have enough to win the East Division. The Yankees, in my very humble and dark opinion, do not. The Central will be taken by the Tigers, so long as they get the pitching that they should have - especially from Dontrelle Willis. I'm not hearing good things from Seattle, so I'll take the Angels - the freaking pain-in-the-neck-play-like-the-Yankees-of-the-late-90's Angels - in the West.

That leaves the Wild Card. Oh, to have it be the Yankees. The grand lady (Yankee Stadium) has to have one more raucous October crowd.

Sports gods are funny in that they don't often behave that way. Sometimes yes; sometimes no.

These are the Yankees. The sports gods are not big fans (believe it or not).

(This will please Mr. Tim Parry) The Indians will take the Wild Card. They're better, and they have a true ace in CC Sabathia, who will show the world why he will be a Yankee in 2009. There's your first starter in the new Stadium.

I'll take the Tigers to win the AL, and the whole shooting match (over the Mets - don't thank me now, Mets fans). The primary reason for this is their pitching - Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, D-Train (Willis), Nate Robertson, and even Kenny Rogers. Their offense is solid, led by Pudge Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez, and they have arguably the best in the managerial business in Jim Leyland. Put it all together and it spells a party in Motown.

As usual, I hope I'm wrong and that the Yankees are nailing down those final outs to win that now-elusive 27th Championship...in the Cathedral, before it's used as a hockey rink.

By the way, there's a law in New York that building can't be imploded, thus we can not share the joy of watching Shea Stadium crumble ala the Kingdome. Sad, that.

Incidentally, Ken Rosenthal picked the Braves to win it all. While I appreciate his high praise in thinking that Sean and I will lead our SoftToss team to the top of the Carmel Sports Association, I must remind Mr. Rosenthal that the CSA SoftToss division doesn't keep score. So nobody wins.

Oh, he didn't mean our Braves?

Well never mind then.

Might be Time For the Seahawks to Get Over It

- Photo by Dan Powers, The Post-Cresscent.
I've had my say about the Steelers win in Super Bowl XL. A couple of the so-called "bad calls" that went the Stillers way in that game were RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE OFFICALS' EYES.

As I recall, the striped shirts didn't have much to do with the blown plays (like letting the Steelers complete a 37-yard pass on THIRD and 28, or the dropped passes, or the Hines Ward touchdown catch...).

OK, so that was then. Gotta get over it, you say? Well give a read to THIS!

A 24-year-old South Kitsap man — and self-proclaimed Seattle Seahawks fan — was arrested Sunday for allegedly spitting on the hamburger he prepared for a man wearing Pittsburgh Steelers attire, according to Kitsap County Sheriff's Office reports.

Is it something you might have thought about? Perhaps, but to actually do it?

Yikes.

Move on, fella.

Besides I have more pressing things to worry about. Like why - in the Facebook quiz called "What is Your 80's Song?" was my answer Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive?"

Why oh why?

Quickly Off The Bench

Stopped by Cardinal Yard today in Greenwich (that's where Greenwich plays their baseball names, and I felt that they needed a better field name than "Greenwich High School Baseball Field") and saw the Cards whip Port Chester in a scrimmage. If all goes according to plan, I will be with the Cardinals for every pitch (give or take) of the 2008 season. Coach Mike Mora introduced me to the squad and said I was a "good luck charm."

Um...Coach? You know I love baseball and being with the Cards, but the team has won one FCIAC Championship since I called my first game in April 1999. I'm just letting you know that I'm not good luck.

Speaking of baseball...HUGE NEWS! I got the email I've been waiting for - to let me know our roster and name for Sean's (aka "The Son") soft toss Carmel Sports Association (CSA) team. Ladies and gentlemen (Met's fans, please hold your projectile vomit), Sean will play for...and I will coach...THE BRAVES!


Logo credit to Chris Creamer's ridiculously awesome Sports Logo site.

Does this mean Sean will be Chipper Jones? Will I...since I'm technically the assistant coach...be Leo Mazzone? No...and No. What this means is that we'll have a blast again (I hope), just as we did when we were T-Ball Giants in 2007. We'll get underway sometime in the next week. Incidentally the Giants will be in the good hands of friends. There's a chance I may join them to assist from time to time. What can I tell you? I love this freaking game.

Oh, if you have nothing better to do, please check out WGCH (1490 on your AM dial) between 6:00am and 9:00am this Monday and Wednesday (and the following Tuesday as well). I'll be anchoring our NewsCenter, filling in for Tony Savino, who thinks it's his patriotic duty to run off to Florida for the Mets' opener against the Marlins. He reports that it's 80 degrees and sunny down there.

He's just paying me back for when I was in Naples last November.

Among my many guests will be the Governor of Connecticut, M. Jodi Rell, and the truly one and only Sean G. Kilkelly (aka "The Killer"). I'll also interview the mayor of the good city of Stam-Ford, Dan Malloy.

Truly good times, and fine listening for all. And if you can't get enough, join me from 12-12:30pm on those same days for more merriment.

Fairfield County's (arguably) Favorite Musician Comes Into My Territory

John Mayer and I have very little in common. He's a very talented musician and a chick magnet. I can sing in the car (or shower) and do not measure up to him with the ladies.

The only thing I thought we had in common was Fairfield, Connecticut. He lived there and went to school there. I have visited there for broadcasts and family stuff. But perhaps John and I will be calling games together one day (thanks, Awful Announcing)...

Apparently that's really him. With a little training, he just might make it. So John, send me a note sometime. I'll find a spot for you in the WGCH booth.

Pretty Cool Memories

The Journal News put their 2008 baseball preview online, and a big theme involves the demise of both Shea and Yankee Stadiums. A few of the articles that jumped out at me:

- The Stadium timeline.
- An oral history.
- Peter Abraham's top 10 games played there.

I will admit that I think Pete missed quite a few but I won't quarrel with him. The article though that grabbed me the most was this one, gathering the thoughts of players with local ties. Brian Heyman caught up with Ralph Branca, Ken Singleton, John Flaherty, and Mahopac's own Dave Fleming, who graduated with a future broadcaster/blogger in 1987.

"Growing up, I always thought I was a hitter, like most pitchers do," Fleming said. "Bobby Murcer was my idol growing up, so I always pictured myself hitting at Yankee Stadium and playing first base."

The former Mahopac High standout ended up pitching there during his major-league run from 1991-95, going 3-0. He got to wear a Yankees uniform late in his career in an unsuccessful bid in 1998 to make the team during spring training after rotator-cuff trouble had thrown him off course.

Fleming will always remember his first time working on the mound in the Bronx, starting for Seattle just before the All-Star break in 1992, when he was on his way to a career-high 17 wins.

"I remember a lot of people being there from Mahopac," said Fleming, now a 38-year-old fifth-grade teacher who works and lives in Connecticut. "There were two banners hanging up with my name on it, which you usually didn't see for an opposing player at Yankee Stadium. I think I got one out in the ninth and I gave up a hit and they took me out.

"I got to walk off the mound with a 5-2 or a 4-2 lead. So that was kind of neat to just hear some people clapping. Some people had walked down to the dugout, screaming out my name. It was a lot of pressure because I didn't want to let everybody down, but it was also a lot of fun."

Dave's memory is pretty good - he left with a 5-2 lead with one out in the bottom of the ninth after Robert Kelly singled. I was there that night, and it was the first time that I ever gave an opposing player any kind of ovation. By the way, I also flew out of my seat when Danny Tartabull hit a bomb to dead center off of Flem ( A Yankees fan to the end, I suppose). Still, I was pretty proud to see a classmate who I shared the same favorite player with, and talked with him about that, on the mound at the most hallowed place in sports.

I saw a lot of my old school friends that night, and despite our love of the Yankees, we knew that they were probably going nowhere that season, so letting a local guy beat our team wasn't the worst thing that could ever happen.

The box score for the game is here. It makes me ill to look at it (from a Yankees perspective).

I hit against him in our town leagues, and he owned me most of the time, but I recall getting a hit against him...once.

Good memories there.

Crime Town?

I kid, of course, with the title of this post, but the quiet little area of Carmel and Lake Carmel has been in the news over the past 48 hours for being a hotbed of crime activity.

Things began on Monday, when a robbery occurred at the Putnam County Savings Bank on route 52 in the town of Kent - just north of the hamlet of Carmel.

Then things got really crazy yesterday. An attempted robbery was foiled inside the Rite Aid pharmacy in the Shop Rite plaza on route 52 in Carmel. Just for reference purposes, this plaza is close enough to the current Casa Adams that I've walked there to get lunch from Redendo's pizza place and to buy pool supplies at the now-defunct Orange County Pools location.

Next came the shocker - a rare Putnam County murder. This happened in Lake Carmel.

Allow me to stop here for a moment to give you the geography lesson. Lake Carmel is situated in the town of Kent. The hamlet of Carmel is in the town of Carmel. Mahopac is also part of the town of Carmel. Lastly, the lake you see when you're in the hamlet of Carmel is Lake Gleneida...not Lake Carmel. That, as I said earlier, is in the town of Kent.

And just for Ricky Fritsch, the Cardinals are defending the west end zone.

OK, I digress.

I have to admit that I made a fast phone call to my brother, who lives fairly close to where the murder took place. He assured me that A) he's very much alive, and B) that he wasn't using his one phone call from jail to call me.

Trust me, we have that kind of relationship. It's a sick sense of humor.

UPDATE: Holy Cow! We have a Bobbitt on our hands! From the Journal News:

Pamala L. Murray Mirra, 41, of 49 Clubhouse Road, Lake Carmel, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, felonies, in the beating and stabbing of 56-year-old Frank J. Mirra, whom authorities believe was her husband.

Christopher York, chief assistant district attorney for Putnam County, said today that Kent police recovered a sledgehammer and knife believed to be the murder weapons from the two-story house at 49 Clubhouse Drive in the Lake Carmel section of Kent.

He also confirmed that the victim was knifed in his groin area and that his penis was cut.

"There were knife injuries to the genital area," York said.

Well now! That sounds...um...nasty.

F***ing Right I Did!

Uh oh...a little trouble for Andy Brickley, colour (it's hockey, after all) commentator for the Boston Bruins on NESN. It seems Mr. Brickley didn't realize that they had come back from a commercial break.

I'm unable to embed the video, so hop over to Boston Sportz for the proof.

UPDATE: An intrepid reader (and the person who this post was actually directed at) sent me an email (as I knew he would). I hope he doesn't mind me pasting in a few of his notes:

- He made his comments when they were supposed to be going into a commercial break
- It may have only been heard/broadcast on the HD feed. I don’t have the HD feed and nothing was broadcast during the standard definition broadcast.

That being said, a lot more was made (from B’s fans on the hockey boards) that he seemed to be taking veiled shots at Dale Arnold (former B’s announcer)

So there you have it. In all honesty, not a whole lot is really being made of it so far outside of Boston, so we'll see what (if anything) develops.

Yankee Stadium: Let The Memories Begin

ESPN has often been the subject of my criticism, but they get a solid from me for this. I have to laugh when some think that the Worldwide Leader is so-Yankee-centric, but whatever. This video gave me chills, and reminded me of why I love that freakin' patch of ground so much.

Patrick Roy's Son Will Take On All-Comers

From Deadspin, here's a little something for you hockey fans (read: Harold, Sean, Mick, Tim, and that's about it). For the rest of you, let's put it this way - hockey fights are cool, especially when they involve legendary players kids acting like punks.

The goalie in the red jersey is Jonathan Roy, the son of Patrick Roy (pronounced "wah" by the way). Patrick Roy - like him or not - was one the greatest (if not the greatest) goalies ever (honestly - don't even try to make a top five without including him). His son appears to be desparate to keep the Roy name alive.

Watch and enjoy.

Have a Good Weekend

Yesterday went very well in my March Madness brackets. Today didn't quite go as well. I mean, who saw a key injury striking UConn? A lot of these things can't be predicted.

Oh well, I've always said I'm not a good prognosticator.

I visited with my old friends today at the red bullseye. It was good to see them, and I felt a little weird. I don't think I've been there since October or November, and there was some deja vu or something. That's OK.

Happy birthday, Sandi. I'd give you a compliment here, but you don't take them well, so I'll quit while I'm ahead. I just hope you had a good day, and Sean and I tried to give you a nice night.

I'm off to Pennsylvania for the weekend with Sean and Stephanie and Laura and Steve's. Sean will have a blast with Kendall and Emma. If you don't know who these people are, then buy a scorecard! I'm conflicted about going, but I'll go, and we'll have fun. I doubt I'll be able to check in, so be safe and well, and if Easter is your thing, then enjoy.

I suspect David Patterson will still be New York's governor when we next get together, but you never know.

At the Very Least, the Yankees are New York's Team

Based on the comments of Hank Steinbrenner last month, the Yankees may or may rule the universe. What's for certain, based on a Sienna Research Institute survey, is that the Bombers rule New York...by far.

What's also revealed is that a very high percentage of New Yorkers think that Roger Clemens used PED's. Shocking, that.

Thanks to Neil Best:

By better than four-to-one (54-12 percent) New Yorkers believe Roger Clemens used performance enhancing drugs, despite his repeated denials. This helps explain why more New Yorkers (36%) have an unfavorable opinion of the former Yankee pitcher than those (28%) who have a favorable impression of Clemens, according to a new Siena NY Sports Poll released today by the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI). Nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers would deny induction into a “Hall of Fame” for athletes that used performance enhancing drugs and a majority endorse the investigation of drugs in sports by Congress. The Siena NY Sports Poll also finds that the Yankees are the team with far and away the most New York fans. The Bronx Bombers were selected by 27%, followed by the Mets (12%) and the Superbowl champion Giants (9%).

Beyond that, Derek Jeter is the most popular athlete, New York is a baseball state, and an overwhelming majority think Yankee Stadium should not be torn down.

There's still more, including a stupid notion that New Yorker's would have stripped the Patriots of any championships due to Spygate (which the Giants negated, of course).

What does this prove? Nothing, other than more chest-puffing for those of us in Yankees Universe. I consider the two teams to be about equal, but this is still Yankee-land. Every once in a while, the pendulum will swing slightly (late 60's/early 70's and mid-80's).

I'm ready for some basketball now. The Yankees begin on March 31st against the Blue Jays, and yes, I'll be watching it on TV. At home (though probably via replay that night - I have to work that day).

Speaking of TV, the folks at DirecTV might not love me so much right now, after I went all-don't-hit-me-with-disconnect-fees-crazy on them. But that's for another time.

March Madness

By far, this is the least comfortable I've ever felt with my brackets. I try to do conventional thinking, but also think "outside the box." Some years that works great - other years don't go so well (last year was pretty bad).

For the record, Sandi won the pool that we were in last year. No - it did not bother me. It was found money, first of all, and it proved what I knew all along:

- That just because I'm a sports broadcaster doesn't mean that I automatically excel at these things,
- That you need a lot of luck to win these things, and more importantly...
- Despite what she says, she has a clue about sports. She'll deny it, but she knows just enough.

Honestly, I was proud of her.

OK, enough stalling. Here are my god-awful picks for the Final Four:

East - Louisville
Midwest - Kansas
South - Texas (almost took Pitt, just because)
West - UCLA

Two number one's, a three, and a two. After that, I have Kansas and UCLA in the title game (not out on a limb there). In honor of the Wizard of Westwood - the great John Wooden (Yankees fan, by the way), I'll take the Bruins of UCLA to win the National Championship.

Incidentally, I heard Billy Packer interviewed today by Mike and the Mad Dog, and he said the Wizard's body is breaking down (he's 97, after all) but his mind is still as sharp as ever. John Wooden is a treasure - that's for sure.

Let the Madness begin!

MLB TV Might Want to Fix This

I'm enjoying the coverage of the Yankees/Virginia Tech baseball game, courtesy of MLB TV, who offered it for free. Believe me, I'm not complaining, but there is something that is a touch wrong.

The coverage is from the YES Network, with Michael Kay and Bob Lorenz on the call. No problem there. When they go to commercial though, that's where MLB kicks in. Among their spots is one from the San Francisco Giants - looking to drum up ticket sales. Fans are asked for their favorite Giant. By now, you can figure out where this is going...

Barry Bonds.

Just...one...problem...

Barry Bonds isn't a Giant anymore.

Oops.

Perhaps they would like to update the spot and add perhaps Willie Mays? Stretch McCovey? Bobby Ray Murcer (who was, sadly, a Giant from 1975 and 1976)?

Oh, and great job by the Yankees today with this appearance in Blacksburg. Sorry, once in a while, the Bombers look really really good. This is one of those days where the Evil Empire isn't very evil.

The Cards Get Their Rings

They handed out the hardware at Greenwich High School last night. I passed on the ceremoney, opting for some corned beef with Sandi and Sean. Fortunately Jesse Quinlan was there, and you can read what he has to say.

For me, the most important part of the article is the look into Cardinals football in 2008:

Not only will the Cards graduate a standout senior class, they'll play an 11-game regular-season schedule that is full of challenging obstacles and some tweaks, like a rare matchup against Ridgefield.

In addition to the season-opener against Central and the Thanksgiving Day finale against Staples, Greenwich has another game slated against an out-of-state powerhouse - only this time the Cards won't have to travel more than 1,300 miles to play it.

Actually, the Cards won't even have to leave town for this showdown as they'll host St. Joseph Regional, of Montvale, N.J., in Week 7. The teams tossed around the idea of playing at Giants Stadium, but under that scenario, changes to the rest of the schedule were necessary - something that would have affected other CIAC schools. The Green Knights went 9-2 last season, including a 43-21 victory over perennial power Bergen Catholic in their finale.

Under a CIAC proposal, league title games such as the FCIAC championship would be wiped out and the state tournament expanded to eight teams per division. As soon as next year, the CIAC may also do away with spring football practices, a move that Albonizio opposes.

"Once we lose spring football, we may never get it back," he said. "That's the proposal I'm most concerned about."

I have to level with you - I have just one question in regards to Cardinals football right now (besides "where is the schedule?"), and that is:

When is the Quarterback club golf outing at The Griff? It might be the only time I touch my clubs in 2008...at least, on the golf course.

Well This is Just Uplifting

I Guess Youll Do - Watch more free videos
Yup.

Consumer Alert!

Looks like I, along with many others, was potentially part of a huge security breach at Hannaford Supermarkets. According to media reports (including this one in the New York Times):

The Hannaford Brothers supermarket chain announced a security breach that began Dec. 7 and led to thefts of customer credit and debit card numbers from more than 200 stores. Hannaford says the security breach affects all of its 165 stores in the Northeast, 106 Sweetbay stores in Florida and a smaller number of independent groceries. The company estimates that 4.2. million credit and debit card numbers were potentially exposed, and that there have been about 1,800 cases of reported fraud related to the breach, said Carol Eleazer, Hannaford’s vice president of marketing in Scarborough. The company says card numbers were stolen in the authorization transmission process.

This might explain why my debit card wasn't working for the past several days (and I thought it was due to just a little ol' lack of funds). The truth was that my card was used and the pin was incorrectly entered. It seems that nothing was stolen (not that there's much to steal - HAH!). Anyway, I'm back in business and to show you what a loyal customer I am, I went to Hannaford last night for some sliced corned beef ('twas St. Patty's Day, after all).

This is obviously a serious matter, to be sure, so if you think you might have been affected, this link will take you to a statement from Hannaford's CEO.

Again, I have faith in Hannaford, so they can keep my business, but this serves to remind us all how vigilant we have to be on so many things.

Wrapping Up the Winter

So we've crowned our winter champions in Connecticut high school sports (congrats to all), and as we get ready to turn our attention to spring (baseball, here I come!!), I was struck by a well thought-out piece by my compadre, Mr. Tim Parry. Tim says, in short, that FCIAC hockey can't compete with the big boys. Ridgefield, Darien, New Canaan, Greenwich, all had over .500 records, yet all came up short. Your Division I champion? Fairfield Prep, with the lofty regular season record of 9-10-1.

Now don't get me wrong - I'm down with Prep. My nephew Conor goes there, so big ups to the Jesuits! Yet as Tim points out, the level of competition is much higher for Prep than it was for virtually anybody in the FCIAC.

Tim's got suggestions, and his complete post here.

I'm going to return to my lunchtime interview with my friend Olivia. She has been asking me lots of important things about life (favorite foods, people, games, etc). The probing inquiries of a six-year-old!

Happy St.Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day. I love it and loathe it. I love it more than I loathe it. I only loathe it when I'm left to think too much.

Whatever, maybe you know what I'm talking about, and maybe you don't. Without it being stereotypical, allow me to raise a pint (Guinness? Smithwicks? Killians? Warm milk? Your call!) to happy times!

And enjoy this video of one of the great "Irish" films of all-time: "The Quiet Man." I mean what can be more Irish than John Wayne, right? OK, let's just enjoy the fiery red of Maureen O'Hara's hair then, eh?


Sláinte!

Enjoy This

I've decided that when I want to rant on something that I shouldn't, or when I just have nothing to say, I'll post something cheap, cheesy, and perhaps irrelevant. For this morning, enjoy (Courtesy of Awful Announcing, where I've decided he has some definitive agendas and a bizarre fascination with Gus Johnson), here's highlights of Mike and the Mad Dog calling some play-by-play during the Big East tournament.

Yes, this is real. Frankly, and I don't know why, I like when they do this.

More From The "Are You Kidding Me" File

Credit to The Journal News (and AP):

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) - Danbury officials have been notified they are being sued by a student who was awakened in class by a teacher who made a loud noise.

Documents filed with the Town Clerk, a prelude to a lawsuit, claim that a sleeping student suffered hearing damage when his teacher woke him up by slamming her hand down on the boy's desk in December.

Attorney Alan Barry says 15-year-old Vinicios Robacher suffered pain and "very severe injuries to his left eardrum" when teacher Melissa Nadeau abruptly slammed the palm of her hand on his desk on Dec. 4.

A city official says the matter has been referred to Danbury's insurance carrier.

This is our world. All we do is bitch, moan, sue, complain, and just flat-out quit. We're paying over $3.50 per gallon of gas around these parts, we can't trust our politicians, and we're really not sure who we CAN trust. We've still got innocent people dying overseas, are focusing too much on building schools in places that aren't in the US, and care more about worthless celebritites than the fact that New York city was recently terrorized (at the military recruiting station Times Square) and NOBODY seems to care.

Maybe that's my problem. Maybe I should just quit. Just give up. I mean, Hay-sooz Christmas (which is a nicer way of saying "Jesus Christ"), we have to get our shite together. I don't want to head off on a rant but come on - whoever it was that was involved in that infamous McDonald's Coffee suit seems to be the people who started all of this (the litigious world that we live in). Gee - coffee might be hot...YOU THINK?

OK...must stop before suffering dangerous meltdown...might...say...things...I will...regret...so instead enjoy this!
Thank you, Rob Leth of Global Television Network in Canada, for giving me a laugh and showing me remarkable professionalism.

They're Really Going to Work the Emotions

Let it begin.

In an emotional-related story (of a different kind), the Bombers and Rays apparently brawled today, thanks to a hard slide by Shelley Duncan. No word on if Joltin' Joe Girardio and Don Zimmer came to blows.

And Elliott Spitzer - we barely knew ye. Really.

WGCH-FM?

Believe it or not, the current WGCH was not the first radio station in Greenwich. That honor belongs to the original WGCH, which broadcast not on the AM dial at 1490, where it has been since September 17, 1964, but at 95.9 on the FM side - a frequency that is currently occupied by WEFX (95.9 - The Fox) in Norwalk.

While trolling today for some goodies in regard to our current incarnation, I stumbled upon the work of Dick Bertel, who produced a program on the all-too-brief history of WGCH-FM. Fascinated, I immediately downloaded the nearly 40-minute effort and just finished listening to it. What pleases me most about it is that Mr. Bertel has included several audio clips. To my knowledge, this is the only audio proof of WGCH-AM.

I'm a big believer in the preservation of such things. No - I don't own every recording of everything I've done in radio, but I do have the items that mean the most to me. For instance, the first time my name was said on the air was when I won a contest on WVIP (AM) in 1984. I have a tape of that moment. I also have a "scoped" tape (without commercials and full songs) of my first night on the air - September 2, 1990 on WMJV (Majic 105). Obviously, I have too many other tapes and CD's to keep track of since moving on to WREF, WLNA/WBNR, and of course, WGCH.

There are literally countless websites dedicated to the history of early broadcasting in the United States, and some cool ones from the UK as well. Individual stations get the treatment as well. Try a Google search and you'll see what I mean.

I have long thought that a project on the history of WGCH would be fun to do, with pictures, artifacts and naturally, audio clip. As a history buff, I want to know what came before I arrived on that Sunday morning in March of 1997 to train for my first shift. For instance, I can tell you that before I was Sports Director, there was my old friend John Connelly. I've been told that Todd Schmidt preceded John, and perhaps Pete Gersec or Mark Yusko before that. See? It gets fuzzy - and I'm only into the 1990's.

I've stated that we've done football on WGCH for 44 years now, but to be honest, that's because I've assumed, based on what people have told me, that we began covering games in 1964 - when we first went on the air. I'd like to know more! Who else called these games?

I know there are some people with the wealth of knowledge, but now it becomes a question of time and energy - two things that are tough to find right now.

So with that said, please take a look at the pictures (just a couple), and download the recording that tells the story of the original WGCH - on the FM dial. It's a trip back to a very different time.

UPDATE (7/5/15): I've been asked - seven years since the original post - to add an addendum. A reader named Nancy wrote: "I'd appreciate it if your history included my father, Henry (Hank) Hovland, who was hired by Walter Lemmon to be the general manager of WGCH in 1964. He was the manager there until his death in 1972. He was a perfectionist and the ultimate professional in how he believed a radio station should be run, and he expected no less of all the employees. Almost every broadcast was live, every day. He was very active in the business community of Greenwich and belonged to the Rotary Club, working to get commercial time and sponsorship of many area activities. He also worked with Greenwich High School to start a student group interested in the radio field. My father was an amazing radio announcer, having started his career at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa after WWII. Walter Lemmon may have gotten WGCH its license and funding, but my father put it on the air."

Thank you, Nancy. I didn't know this story. Duly noted, and thank you to your father as well.

Human Nature

Music calms the savage beast. For me, it's like collecting baseball cards. I love owning a massive library. Mine is clearly bigger than the average one, but it could be far, far worse.

I'm going to dance carefully around the subject of music trading, but work with me here. Prior to the digital age, we passed around mixed tapes like there was nothing to it. You want a copy of "1984" (Van Halen, just in case you didn't know)? OK, give me a Maxell (or TDK) 60-minute cassette, and I'll work my magic.

Yet the music industry didn't seem troubled. I suppose it's gotten too easy in this era (hit "burn" and your disc is done in minutes), but the concept hasn't changed. Oh but follow the money, of course. The biz is losing money (being in a recession can do that, though that's just one reason) and now they want to hurt people. Yet what's best for the artist - let me get a copy of a CD, hear that it's great, and spread the word (like, um, here) or just never get it because I can't afford it?

A tough dichotomy, to be sure.

Anywho, my old radio friend (code name: John Harrison) turned me on to some things (which I could tell you, but then I'd have to...you know...). So I dabbled by seeing what I wanted to add to my collection.

Jack Johnson? Check. Eagles? OK. Sheryl Crow? Bingo! Michael Jackson? Thriller!

Hold it. Back up. Say WHAT?

I was telling Sandi about the items in question, and was trying to pick her mind about some music that she would like to add. Her early answer was anything by The Sundays (good call, I might add) and then it hit her - Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

'Twas once a time when this would have sent me into a twitching, vomit-induced, whatthehellareyoufookingnuts fit. I won't own anything by that so-and-so. But come on - if I'm not going to ignore the movies of Jane Fonda, then why ignore Michael Jackson? Separate the politics and scandal, and accept the art for what it is, no?

Here is further proof that ol' Uncle Robbie is kinder and gentler. Yes, the "bad man" can indeed change. I'm open to embracing things - lots of things. Try me!

For the record, I'm not a "bad man", in case you were wondering. But I have been told that people like me can't change. I'm sorry, people like who?

I'll admit it - I was often an arse on the subject of music. I think I've said that here before. I still think, for instance, that John Mellancamp is a poor imitation of my man Bruce Springsteen, but he's had a following for nearly 30 years. He's done something right. It took me roughly fifteen years to get over my U2 issues. Blah blah, hmm-hah (that's for you, Myron Cope) and so on.

I could tease terribly on such things. Sandi might be the biggest a-ha fan in Carmel (well there has to be one, I suppose). I probably teased her so much that she became embarrassed by it (don't worry, she's gotten even with a certain act from the San Francisco-Bay area). Eventually I would buy her a CD copy of "Hunting High and Low" (yes, that's the one with "Take on Me" on it) to begin to alleviate the guilt.

The problem is that teasing can be a weapon. I've apologized repeatedly, and I'm kind of done with that. It's all about moving forward, isn't it?

Back to tonight. When she stated that she was ready to reintroduce "Thriller" to her/our collection, I didn't flinch. I just shot into the office and downloaded it.

See, here's the thing. Not owning a copy of "Thriller" was like a badge of honor (sort of like not seeing the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy). It was too easy, too trendy, too girlish, too non-rock to own it. As 1982 turned to 1983, I was happy with other musical exploits - mostly whatever was on the rock stations, but I also listened to the Top-40 outlets as well. Oh I understood the thrill of "Thriller." The songs were all good - on the first listen - but by the 700th (on the same day) it was a bit much. Besides, being a rock guy, it wasn't "cool" to show any interest in it - unless it was "Beat It" and that was only because our guitar god (Eddie Van Halen) was playing the axe.

So we return to this early night in aught-eight. The thought of "Thriller" joining our music collection was thrill-ing. It brought back the memories - nostalgia! - of 1982 and 1983. What cassette was in our boom boxes? What girl liked which guy? What movie were we going to see? Should we shoot hoops today, play baseball, or get the football out? Jeez, that painters hat looks so cool! And of course, did the Yankees win today?

It felt great to welcome a classic album. I listened to a few of the songs I have admired - "Wanna Be Starting Something" and of course, "Beat It." And yes, I put it on my iPod. It might not stay, but it felt right to honor it like that.

And it - this new open-minded, fair and balanced (copyright, Fox News, 2008) way of mine showed me that, while I'm going to stumble, I CAN change. I CAN grow, and as I have always said, I never want to stop learning. Even if it's learning about me.

Teach me. Tell me why the music moved you. Why do you like it so much, or want to go see them in concert? Don't hide whatever it is you're listening to. I've said it, over and over again, that I'm a pushover to the right person. Share with me - that's the beauty of music. To state a song, try a little tenderness.

So when I burned the CD and gave it to Sandi, I had a little burst of pride. I said nothing - and she'll know nothing of it unless she reads it here - and returned to the office. I think the gesture said it all, and even I can realize that actions really do speak louder than words.

She got "Thriller" back. I was happy for her.

Before we close, let me add that while I've picked up a bunch of fine CD's that I'm test-driving right now (this new Jack Johnson effort - "Sleep Through the Static" is quite relaxing), the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss combo, called "Raising Sand" has blown me away. Sean Kilkelly (who's having another classic March Madness at his blog) and I have similar musical tastes - that is, we like everything. I recommended it to him, and we discussed why we were both a touch skeptical of the Plant/Krauss album. It seemed too cliche; too "Crossroads" (ooo, let's take a rock icon and mix him with a bluegrass singer - COOL!). Yet it works - it really works. I hope in 25 years (at which time "Thriller" will be 50) that I regard "Raising Sand" in a similar classic tense.

Rock on!

Working for the Weekend

This was one wacky weekend. It began on Friday night, when I attended the classy Great Chefs affair, put on by the fine people at Greenwich Hospital. I sampled some of the fare from many of the best restaurants in the Greenwich area, including the Bulldog Bar and Grill (who get a mention here because they were one of our sponsors for Cardinals hockey and hoops).

Also to be sampled was some, um, libations. So I visited with the man from Red Hook Brewery (their Copper Hook Spring Ale is quite good), then the martini table (well, I'd never had one and my great friend and coworker Joy wanted one), then the scotch table (Joy's husband, Thomas is responsible for this), then some Merlot at our table.

Yeah, a bad combo indeed.

Now before you get your "Rob's drinking too much" jones on, that wasn't the issue. I was fine - a little toasty, perhaps, but I'm very smart when it comes to this. My drive home was ultra-peaceful, thank you very much. I also know that Joy, for one, wouldn't have let me out of her sight if I wasn't right.

The night went better than I could have imagined. The food was good, the drinks were fine, and the band was tight - playing a mean mix of pop hits from the 60's to the 80's (and very well, I might add).

I thank my boss for inviting me. I could, however, do without the image of he and my other boss dancing. Not with each other, of course, but you get the idea.

Joking, of course. I don't need another batch of "there you go again, slamming the bosses" emails.

Well, not a batch, just one. And somebody said something to me. I'd like to delve deeper into that subject (being critical in regards to WGCH not carrying games), but now's not the time. Let's leave the topic at this: a business exists to make money. I'm a broadcaster, and my bottom line is to call games, make smart programming decisions, and please our listeners. It might, in theory, sound like a difference in philosophy, but it's not. I understand the realities, but that doesn't make them easier to swallow.

I hope, in that one simple paragraph, I've resolved it. Moving on...

Anyway, I was dateless and we all decided to hit the road just after 10. I wish Sandi had been with me - it was the kind of night that she would have been awesome at. She would have mocked everyone (with my support, of course). And I know she would have looked better than anyone there. She is just too stylish. But there was no room for more at our table, so she was off at a book club party at a girlfriends' house.

I digress. Back to why the weekend was whack.

We agreed to be home by midnight - give or take. Sean was off at my moms' house. I was home by 11:20 and proceeded to begin feeling a wee bad. For one, my heart was racing as if it was the final lap at Daytona, and Tony Stewart was on my bumper (is that a good NASCAR reference? I don't know...). For another, midnight came and went...no Sandi. So did one...two...three...

I got maybe an hour's worth of sleep. Then I would toss and turn in bed...or on the couch...nothing worked. I was wide awake. I read some, but it wouldn't calm me down.

Damn.

I called her cell phone around 3:30. Not that I was trying to check up on her - that wasn't my intention. I was worried. When she says she'll be home around midnight, and it's now 3:30, and there's no word, I worry.

Fast forward to 6:13 - exactly. My cell phone vibrated with the sound of a text message. Long story short - she didn't feel well and crashed. She was mindful of calling me but before she knew it, it was, well, 6:13.

So I got my three hours sleep (tops) and moved onto Saturday - slowly and painfully, with a side of rain (or was the rain the main course?). In fact, I spent most of Saturday dealing with the rain - build a trench, climb onto the roof(!) to unplug the gutters, dig more trenches, clean the garage, and try to cat nap every now and then.

With that said, I didn't get straight to bed on the night that we flipped the clocks forward. Instead, I met my buddy Scottie to blow off the proverbial steam. Much needed, and thanks.

The band that I heard there was very good. Of course, I can't remember their name.

PJ's bar and grill in Baldwin Place will never be known as a trendy, classy hot spot. Instead, it should be known as a place with character and characters. More often than not, that should be good enough. I suppose I could look like an outcast there, but nobody treated me like one.

So that leads us to the calmest day - today. With the chill back in the air, Sandi decided to pass on the St. Pat's Parade in Mahopac. I almost did, but I felt like I wanted Sean to get there, so we set off, and my mom tagged along. Truthfully I could have (should have?) gone to the Greenwich parade, but I'll get back there again (I drove in in twice - once was a blast, once was a test of patience).

The moral of this weekend is the classic "I need a weekend to recover from my weekend."

Give Mikey a TO, Baby!

Mere words won't work here. Thanks to Neil Best for this tip to Mike Francesa getting a bit, shall we say, territorial.
If I ever make it big - in anything - please, please, PLEASE remind me of this!

Love ya, Mikey, but this was, um, obnoxious.

Greenwich is Done

Thanks to the work of Bob Sagendorf and company on WATR in Waterbury, I listened to Greenwich's season come to an end, falling to Crosby, 76-68. The Cards proved the skeptics wrong, keeping it close, but unable to pull off the upset. Russ Rosenband was just amazing - 37 points.

Great season, Cards.

One other update - Trinity Catholic has also advanced. Based on what Bob said, the Crusaders beat Torrington at the buzzer.

Good News For Bobby

Hoping of course that the news is true, Ed Price from the Newark Star-Ledger says that Bobby Murcer's biopsy did not show a new tumor.

Very good news, indeed.

The Heat is On

No, I'm not trying to quote my inner Glenn Frey. I'm just happy that we've moved past that barrier. Now can Spring just get her, please?

Congrats to Greenwich boys basketball. The Cards beat Danbury 57-49 and now play Crosby Thursday night. No further editorializing.

Has the World Gone Bleeping Mad?

OK, I'm in a mood today. Yep, it's happening too often lately. Having no heat in the house will do that to a guy.

First, we had the story of what went down between Greenwich and Trinity Catholic in hockey, with an arrest, and all the other shenanigans.

Now, I hear about this from the FCIAC Championship, with the key sentences being:

Police arrested eight high school hockey spectators on charges of brawling in the Terry Conners Rink parking lot and fighting with officers after Saturday night's county championship game between Darien and New Canaan high schools.

Future hockey games between the rivals will be played in the afternoon, officials said yesterday.

Yeah, because that's the answer.

As always, Tim Parry's fabulous FCIAC Football Blog (which is about much more than football and the FCIAC, truth be told) has more, and there are plenty of people who are happy to post comments there, so the rhetoric just rolls on!

Next up is this! Are you just fooking kidding me?

A group of men — some with Irish accents — beat up a 23-year-old Cambridge man and sent him to the hospital after they spotted him sporting a Yankees baseball cap.

Ask me again why I don't flaunt my team colors when I go to another team's building? Yet you should be able to at least wear the hat when walking around town. But I guess I shouldn't be shocked. If Bostonians are willing to make comments to my young nephews, then anything's possible.

Oh New York's no better, by the way.

Please people, I'm begging you. I realize to many of us that it's more than just a game (I HATE that saying), but can you please get a perspective on it all?

Oh don't look for me with a microphone at tonight's Greenwich-Danbury basketball playoff game, any more than you might have looked for me at last night's GHS-Daniel Hand hockey playof tilt (which Greenwich won in double overtime). And don't hold your breath for us to be in Hamden. Sorry - I'm deeply embarrassed and frustrated...that's all I'm saying.

Steelers News - Both Good and Bad

I'll start with the bad news. Alan Faneca is gone - moving to the Jets. In theory, this should be a good deal for the J-E-T-S, as Faneca is a perennial pro-bowler.

On the other hand, the Jets once signed another big name Steelers free agent - Neil O'Donnell. How'd that work out?

Now onto the good news. He won't have Faneca, and hell, he might not have even have an offensive line, but Big Ben will be in black and gold for a long time, to the tune of eight years and $102 million.

Incidentally, I took the picture - from my seat at Heinz Field in 2004, during Ben's rookie year. Seems like a lifetime ago.

The Sins of the Father...

So young Skywalker, er, Steinbrenner has begun to run his trap. This of course is wonderful for the media and Yankees haters, but pure hell for those of us who see the Yankees get beaten enough without mouthy owners.

In an interview that will run tomorrow in a glossy portion of The New York Times, Hank said this:

"Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of (expletive) that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans," he said. "Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order."

Of course I find this funny, but you just know it's going to light the fuse again. What I found funniest was a few years ago, during this whole creation of (Insert Team Name) Nation. By 2006, the Yankees said, "OK, we'll jump on board...but we ain't gonna create no stinking nation. We rule the universe!"

And Yankees Universe was born. And better yet - the money goes to charity.

UPDATE!!! And the Sox respond...via Dan Shaughnessy:

Red Sox owner John Henry, responding by e-mail to Steinbrenner's comment, wrote: "A wise man once said, 'Don't poke the bear!' "

And Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino - no stranger to pie tossing with the Yankees - cackled when he heard the statement.

"I don't deny there are Yankee fans everywhere," said Lucchino. "But it's blind of him not to see the phenomenon that is Red Sox Nation. I expect he will become more aware of the passion and breadth of Red Sox Nation as long as he is actively involved in baseball. I do appreciate that he has picked up on the Star Wars metaphor, though. He said he was happy to be Darth Vader and we are happy to be the Rebel Alliance."

Oh, but there's more...

The Boss's son got off to a rocking start a few weeks ago when he came to the defense of HGH-using Andy Pettitte, telling the New York Post, "I don't think they would want to be hollering too loud at Andy up in Fenway. They [the Red Sox] had plenty of players doing that stuff, too. It's just that those players weren't mentioned in the Mitchell Report. That's my biggest problem with the Mitchell Report . . . "

Hank's not-so-thinly-veiled remark is a broadside at the SS Red Sox, which still features the name of former Senator George Mitchell on the company masthead. Mitchell is listed as "director" of the Red Sox. His is the sixth name from the top, directly below Lucchino's. It's a hideous conflict, recklessly allowed by Mitchell, the Sox, and Selig. Hank, God bless him, wasn't afraid to call the Sox on it.

Lucchino was not amused when reminded of Hank's steroid scandal salvo.

"I don't think there's any point to be made reacting to comments of the Yankees that I thought were gratuitous and reckless accusations," said Lucchino.

I have a lot fo respect for John Henry, because he seems to have class and, for the most part, lays low (Hank, can you get the hint?) As for Lucchino, we've long known that he's an ass-hat.

Sorry.

I've tried to not overdo the bias angle of the Mitchell Report, but one has to see what a HUGE New York slant there is to it, and the continued obvious fact that Mitchell's name sits near the top of the Red Sox organization. That is a very bad conflict. But it is what it is - and it doesn't excuse the fact that Clemens, Pettitte, et al are all guilty as sin. But where oh where are the Sox names? You can't tell me - sorry, you can't - that there isn't ONE Boston player that wasn't getting a bit juicy.

Come on, are you all that naive?

So Larry, shut up. Same for you, Hank.

Geez, it's only March 1st...

Oh, before we lay this to rest, I have to add my .02 to the Worldwide/Universal Yankees appeal. I've traveled quite a bit - including two trips to the United Kingdom. The sports logo that I saw the most of - by far - was the interlocking NY. No, I don't mean the Mets. I mean the Yankees, and I'm not kidding when I say that it outnumbered everybody else by 10 to 1. I saw one Red Sox hat in two trips.

So you can have that - for what it's worth.