- 07:46 AM
- 11/22/09
The issue with mammograms is whether the benefits outweigh the risks. For women in their 40s, more than 1,900 women have to be screened for an entire decade to save a single life.
I don't think I want to tell the above to a woman who wasn't screened and has developed breast cancer.
posted by Howard_T at 04:38 PM on November 20
The goddamned Klan are planning a rally at this weekend's LSU/Ole Miss game
If the sheet is required costume, could this be the southern version of the Penn State "white out"?
posted by Howard_T at 04:34 PM on November 20
One of my wife's co-workers recently lost an English Bulldog to a heart problem. She subsequently learned that they don't sweat through the tongue as other breeds do, and that a heart problem is one of the manifestations of dehydration. Too bad.
.
posted by Howard_T at 04:31 PM on November 20
If there were video replay available of every play in every sport, and the video replay showed indisputable evidence of the validity or error on every call, then what the hell would we have to bitch about every day? I say leave it alone and let humans both play and officiate the games.
posted by Howard_T at 04:27 PM on November 20
Chris Carpenter
Trinity HS of Manchester, NH's own Chris Carpenter. I think I might have umpired him once. I do know I worked the plate at Trinity once or twice while he was there. How does a little state like NH come up with so many pretty good players (Carpenter, Fisk, Mike Flanagan, to name a few)?
posted by Howard_T at 05:31 PM on November 18
Yet another reason to drink during the week.
So who needs a reason?
posted by Howard_T at 05:23 PM on November 18
Trouble with this is that now he'll kick backwards, but very powerfully. He'll also eat a lot of oatmeal, and may occasionally be caught lying on the pitch contentedly munching at the grass.
posted by Howard_T at 05:07 PM on November 17
Since Gostowski had been consistently kicking in excess of 70 yards all night, why not take an intentional safety and the resulting free kick from the 20? You would still be ahead by 4, and barring a runback of more than 25 yards, the Colts are still back around the 30. Agreed that it might have been difficult for the punter to get to the end zone before being tackled, but he could always have thrown the ball out when feeling contact. It is still safer than a punt, that could be blocked, shanked, or run back. I believe Belichick was correct in his decision. I also believe that the call of "bobbling" on the first down attempt was very creative.
posted by Howard_T at 04:26 PM on November 16
I would be all for this move had Jordan had the same impact on the NBA that Jackie Robinson had on MLB. Perhaps the NBA should retire the numbers of Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, Nat Clifton, Don Barksdale, or some of the other early black NBA players. Maybe LeBron should read some of the history of the game that pays him so well, instead of trying to draw attention to himself.
posted by Howard_T at 07:10 PM on November 13
Some idiot graphic "artist" sold the NFL on the new Patriots' design, claiming it was easier to reproduce than the old Pat Patriot logo. Immediately upon its introduction the new logo was derided as "the flying Elvis". This year, with the throwback uniforms being used to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the AFL, Pat is getting a lot more exposure. The commentary is quite favorable, so I say BRING BACK PAT!!!
posted by Howard_T at 05:18 PM on November 11
This is a sad one.
Drood, a bit of "sensitivity training" for you might be in order here. You seem to think a little bit like the Japanese Prosecutor in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, did a few years ago. The wife of a Marine Corps aviator stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni committed suicide by parking her car in front of a limited express on the Sanyo main line. The law in Japan says that if you cause an express train to be delayed, you are liable for the fare surcharge refund to all of the passengers. It amounted to several thousand dollars. The status of forces agreement with Japan says that a sponsor (in this case the Marine aviator) is responsible for all acts by his dependents. The prosecutor began to institute proceedings to collect from the grief-stricken Marine. The good news was that one of the Japanese security liaison personnel, a man with far more compassion than the prosecutor had, got wind of the scheme and warned the base commander. The Marine was immediately ordered back to the 'States.
posted by Howard_T at 05:11 PM on November 11
Now if they could only develop streak-resistant underwear, I could get behind that, sure.
Now why would anybody want to get behind someone with a tendency to streak his underwear? At least close behind, that is.
Didn't we have a discussion of flatulence in the huddle a while back?
posted by Howard_T at 06:44 PM on November 06
Anyone who is driving a Mercedes within 5 miles after crossing a state border has to understand that he has a big target on his back. Even a few MPH over the limit, and Mr. Smokey is requesting an immediate interview. I'm not condemning Lincecum for his choice of tobacco, but for his apparent lack of awareness of the habits of the Highway Patrol.
posted by Howard_T at 06:35 PM on November 06
OK, I'll be the first to try my hand.
Washington's nickname
So ugly on its face ist
Has to be racist
I know I spelled it "ist". It's called poetic license, and I got mine on line at a diploma mill.
posted by Howard_T at 06:26 PM on November 06
Whoever came up with this idea deserves a Nobel Prize.
I can't do even that well in the normal method. Really cool, owlhouse.
posted by Howard_T at 05:42 PM on November 03
Just remember: It ain't over until Ronan Tynan the fat lady sings.
posted by Howard_T at 05:36 PM on November 03
I cannot believe that any serious writer who is being paid for his or her efforts could have written what Mr. Rovell has. What a piece of crap! This American of un-American parentage (on both sides) is proud of Keflezighi's accomplishment. I would bet that Mr. Rovell couldn't even find Eritrea on a map.
posted by Howard_T at 05:30 PM on November 03
Blame Lidge, not for his pitch selection, ability to locate his pitches, or anything else to do with his arm. Simply enough, when a shift pulls the 3rd baseman away from the bag, and the runner on 1st takes off, it is the pitcher's job to cover 3rd. As soon as Damon reached base, the infield, pitcher, and catcher, and Manuel as well, should have been at the mound to go over coverage. Lidge's failure to cover was the bonehead play of the entire postseason. For no other reason do the Phillies deserve to lose this series.
posted by Howard_T at 01:48 PM on November 02
NHL star? Courtney was up for a cup of coffee and a doughnut. If that's an NHL star, then I've been watching the wrong league. Oh well, I guess in the UK that's close enough.
posted by Howard_T at 03:49 PM on October 31
Does anyone really think that ABC wants to pay millions to have Utah vs Indiana in the NBA finals? Even if either of these teams had a realistic chance to make it that far, you can bet they wouldn't. Once the playoffs start, your betting guide should be to compare the size of the TV market for each team.
One of the Boston writers tried to explain away the referees' bias toward the stars by saying that "they're only human". Excuse me, but on the court (or field or ice) referees (or umpires) have no business being human. They must be absolutely impartial, unbiased, clinically fair, and otherwise neutral. There's no room for emotion, letting someone look good, or helping someone to pad his stats.
posted by Howard_T at 03:45 PM on October 31
A high school football player faces criminal proceedings for a head-butt during a game. There is sentiment that the player's 3-game suspension was sufficient, but evidently the victim's parents and the court system did not agree.
posted by Howard_T at 05:11 PM on October 30
Ah yes, Fraze, you've not lost your gift for imagery. All the consistency of a trip to the can the morning after a Taco Bell dinner. I can feel the burn now. Please be careful on Hallowe'en. I don't think the authorities take kindly to cruelty to children by pretending to have Oakland draft them.
posted by Howard_T at 05:03 PM on October 30
Justus, you posted exactly what I was about to say. Here's the quote from the NHFS (National Federation of High Schools) regarding bats:
2001
Bat standard was modified effective January 1, 2003, that all non-wood bats must meet BESR standards, which includes the diameter shall be 2 5/8 inches or less and shall not weigh more than three ounces less than the length of the bat, the maximum ball exit speed shall not exceed 97 miles per hour and the bat must meet the moment-of-inertia requirement.
In addition, the NHFS will expand their bat rule to make it the same as the NCAA rule that applies the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard to non-wooden bats. Here is an explanation of the measurements. Note that the rules changes will not apply until the 2011 season.
If the lawsuit were entered against the parties truly at fault, it would have included the league (for allowing the use of dangerous bats) and the American Legion (for sponsoring leagues that allow the bats), as well as the bat manufacturer. I'm sure the attorney for the parents adhered to the old legal maxim, "Always go after the defendant with the deepest pockets".
In the defense of Legion Baseball, the participants are generally over 16 years of age. I used to umpire Babe Ruth leagues where the participants were as young as 13, and Bambino leagues, where the kids could be as young as 10. Neither organization has any restrictions on BESR. They're begging for trouble.
On edit, I just saw tron's second comment. I was not aware that Legion Baseball had a bat restriction. Is this true for all Legion leagues, or is it a local option? When was this rule put in? I umpired Legion up until about 5 years ago here in NH, and I do not remember this rule.
posted by Howard_T at 04:48 PM on October 30
Hockey practice reaches a new level of intensity(?). I guess one could say the team stripped the game of all but its essentials.
Instead of shirts vs skins, it could be boxers vs briefs.
posted by Howard_T at 02:15 PM on October 28
My son, a lifelong Boston fan, is at Penn State. This is as close to the middle of PA as one can get. During football season he suffers between Eagles fans and Steelers fans. Now he will hear it from the Phillies fans and the Yankee fans. I think he'll secretly be rooting for the Phillies, because no self-respecting Red Sox fan can possibly root for anything New York.
posted by Howard_T at 04:00 PM on October 27
Jerry Jones didn't build that stadium by himself. Arlington taxpayers provided over $933 million.
Hmmm... This leads me to an interesting train of thought. If the government can dictate the amount of compensation given to the executives of firms that have received federal "bailout" money, should not the taxpayers of whatever political entity (state, county, city) who have given money to construct a stadium be entitled to dictate compensation or profit margin to the team's owners? In other words, the taxpayers in Dallas should be able to say to Jerry Jones, "It's our money. If you make over a certain amount, it comes back to us." I realize that team owners usually justify the help by pointing out the impact to the local economy, but there are too many cases where the only impact was on the owner's bank account.
posted by Howard_T at 03:15 PM on October 26
From the NHL come 2 items of interest. First in his weekly Boston Globe "Hockey Notes" column, Kevin Paul DuPont tells us who the man behind the mask really was.
On a more somber note, Bill Chadwick, the first US born referee and for 14 years a fixture in the New York Rangers' broadcast booth has passed away at 94. This is the USA Today obituary. Chadwick told the story of a fan in Boston who yelled out, "Hey Chadwick, you're so good we named a town after you." When Chadwick asked where Chadwick, Mass, was, the fan replied, "It's not Chadwick, it's Marblehead."
posted by Howard_T at 03:23 PM on October 25
Tom Brady could use a #3 receiver. I'd take a risk on him, simply because Bellichek would have no problem firing his ass the second he acts up.
While Belichick has taken a couple of supposed "bad boys" (Corey Dillon and Randy Moss), neither one had a bad reputation in the locker room. Their problems were with management or the way the coaching staff was using them. Belichick recognized the obvious talent, and was willing to take a chance that with the right usage, both would blossom. TO's attitude in the locker room is such that he would probably wind up on the injured list after the first time he tried to place blame for his own poor performance on someone else.
New England injury report: Owens, out (broken face)
posted by Howard_T at 05:16 PM on October 24
I think you've hit it, u_c. I seem to remember that word from a few disagreements between "cocktail waitresses" in Olongapo. After all these years, the only Tagalog I can remember is "I love you, Sailor, buy me a drink."
posted by Howard_T at 04:56 PM on October 23
Zorn should give up the offense as soon as the Washington NFL franchise gives up being offensive.
But, hey, when you suck, you suck.
posted by Howard_T at 05:01 PM on October 22
An aspiring Chinese place kicker is still a work in progress, but if there were ever a perfect name for the position, it is his.
posted by Howard_T at 04:01 PM on October 22
I read somewhere once that variety is the most effective aphrodisiac. It would appear that just the change of pace, and not the quality, is the determining factor here. Any married man who would mess around with a 22-year-old is begging to have problems. There is an immaturity factor there which, when coupled with the fact that it's probably her first serious affair, turns a 22-year-old into a ticking time bomb. There's also a bit of hubris held by those in the public eye that think their position elevates them above criticism for affairs like this. Steve Phillips is only the latest, and certainly not the last.
For what it's worth, my wife is 11 years my junior; she was a youthful appearing mid-30s and I in my mid-40s when we were married. The funniest incident was when we went to pick out the formal clothes for myself and the groomsmen. The clerk said something about me being the father of the bride. After my wife got through with him, he barely escaped with his life.
posted by Howard_T at 07:02 PM on October 21
One could say "Too much information", but the article really brought out some things that I had known but never understood why. It's too bad Klosterman never got into the way to beat the wildcat offense, if there is one. Rex Ryan boasted about how he had the key to doing so, but look what that got him.
The other thing the article did not stress was how in the midst of so much innovation, things really don't change much. The wildcat is really a single wing offense without the blocking back, the spread is a variation on the wing-T that places a running back and one receiver into the slot positions, some variations of the 3-4 defense are really throwbacks to the old Oklahoma 5-2, and so on. I'm not trying to run the article down, it was really good, but there are things that perhaps could have been added.
Confession: I am old enough to have gone to a high school that played a combination of wing-T and single wing. I also remember when the 5-2 was the defense of choice in college. I also remember when cheerleader's skirts were much longer, and now that they are shorter, I'm too old to do anything about it.
posted by Howard_T at 12:48 PM on October 21
...spend this type of money on a totally new system to replace a cheap one...
Actually, a training system could be done at very low cost, and might even make some financial returns to the MLB umpires' union. All that needs to be done is to have candidate umpires pay for their training. After their training, if the candidates pass written and on-field exams, they would be then guaranteed jobs as "apprentices" in leagues affiliated with MLB teams. They would then be graded regularly, and if found competent would be either retained at their present level (with the apprentice tag removed after a period of time) or promoted to a higher level. If found wanting, they could be demoted or released. The trainers would be current major league umpires who would be paid for their services, and the fees could be set low enough that a season or 2 in the low minors would pay enough to offset them.
Standardized training of umpires would be of great benefit to MLB. When I was umpiring HS baseball in NH, we were all apprenticed for the first year, required to go through a standardized set of classroom sessions and on-field clinics, and had to pass both the standard NFHSOA umpire's exam and an on-field game test. After that, we worked a limited varsity schedule and filled our cards out with JV and middle school work. We were also graded in each game we worked at the varsity level. By the time we got through with a few years of this, we could seamlessly work with anyone else who had been through the system. We all worked the same mechanics, knew the coverages, and understood where our partner would be in all situations. It becomes really easy to cover a game when you can trust your partner.
posted by Howard_T at 03:46 PM on October 18
Great post, goddam, the pure joy of the Hondurans is evident, even to a non-Spanish speaker. There has been some comment in the press that the qualification by Honduras might have a beneficial effect on the tense political situation in that country (several links to that accompany the You-Tube video). Let's hope so.
posted by Howard_T at 06:56 PM on October 16
Somehow the idea of a tutor reading test questions to a learning disabled college student rings a bit hollow to me. My wife has severe dyslexia, but that did not prevent her from earning her degree in Early Childhood Education. She is now employed as a Special Needs educator (mostly with autistic children) in a combined first grade (the special needs kids) and kindergarten ("typical" children) that attempts to use the typical kids as role models for the autistic kids. I am not insensitive to special needs of students at all levels, but were the student in question not an athlete, I doubt he or she would have gained admission to FSU without enough preparation to make him or her able to study and test independently. Some colleges will help such students by offering special courses for them.
I agree with jc about the overall quality of education today. Unfortunately, in an attempt to make things better, the No Child Left Behind law made it essential for schools to "teach the test" rather than educate the children. Further, the way improvement is scored is on a percentage basis. That is, the percent improvement of the standardized score, and not the score itself, is the basis for whether or not your school meets guidelines. What this leads to is the better schools being penalized because they started high, and thus cannot demonstrate a high percentage improvement. The poorer schools, starting low in the scoring, make a large percentage improvement, but are still not up to the level of the better school. Yet the lower school has met its goal, while the better school is called "in need of improvement". Where does that begin to make sense? Even worse, there is no national standard test; it is strictly on the state level. Thus, the schools in one state may be looked upon as making improvement even though that state may lag behind others in the quality of its education.
I could go on and on about the problems with education in the US, but we don't have 300 or so pages. If you have a kid in school, ask his or her teacher someday about how much time is taken up with administrative paperwork, not just test grading and such, but various forms and reports. You'll be surprised.
posted by Howard_T at 06:47 PM on October 16
As I said, I question how the strike zone representations used on TV broadcasts are adjusted for each batter. The same applies to Questech, and as you inferred, it might not be used any more, possibly for this very thing. Until better sensing systems are developed, the strike zone should remain as it is. The problem is not so much with umpires missing calls as it is with a few umpires being very inconsistent.
posted by Howard_T at 05:04 PM on October 13
Gary, Fatty, running up the pitch count is all well and good, but once you are down 2 strikes, you have to do something better than swing for the fences. The Angels were for the most part able to stay out of the 3-0 and 3-1 counts, and thus denied the Boston batters the chance to look for the fast ball in the middle. What I advocate is going to a more compact swing when down in the count. Years ago the theory was to choke up on the bat when down in the count, and attempt to put the ball in play someplace. Has the game changed so much that this no longer works? I think it has more to do with players ascribing to the theories that "chicks dig the long ball" and "singles hitters drive Chevrolets and home run hitters drive Cadillacs". By that I don't mean that the Boston batters put their statistics ahead of the series win, but that these hitters have been coached for most of their careers to go long.
posted by Howard_T at 04:58 PM on October 13
...create an electronic strike zone...
While the technology is there, it would require each batter to wear some sort of device to indicate where his knees, waist, and shoulders are. Even then, it probably wouldn't work. The strike zone is defined as from the knees to half way between the shoulders and the waist when the batter is in his normal hitting stance (emphasis mine). Thus, you can see that the zone will be slightly different for each batter.That's one of the things I question about the "K-Zone" or "Pitch Zone" representations you see on the broadcasts. How are they adjusted from batter to batter? The other part of it is the "normal hitting stance" part. If a batter gets into an exaggerated crouch in order to shrink his zone, the umpire is supposed to call the pitches as if he were in a stance to swing the bat.
Any umpire, even the best, will miss several pitches in the course of a game. If he at least tries to be consistent and admits his mistakes, the players can live with it, and the fans should. MLB needs a true rating system for umpires, and needs to be able to somehow demote those who have poor grades. The grading needs to be done over a long term, perhaps as long as a season. The same grading system should be applied to AAA umpires so the best can be moved up as the others are moved down. The umpires' union needs to stop fighting reality and accept this sort of move.
posted by Howard_T at 04:37 PM on October 12
Wait 'til next year! (Anonymous Red Sox fan in October, 1919, 1920.....2003)
Boston had many deficiencies in hitting this year when facing above average pitching. Their approach all season seemed to be "bombs away", typified by big, aggressive swings resulting in either strikeouts, long fly ball outs, or home runs. This approach works in Fenway because of the proximity of the left field wall. On the road, unless the opposing pitcher is barely of the 4th or 5th starter quality, it does not work. I've watched hitters all season use short swings and put balls in play for bloop singles, line drives to the opposite field, or seeing-eye ground balls. These things add up. While Boston batters try to run up the pitch count, frequently getting themselves behind in the count, they seem unable to shorten up on the swing and maintain better bat control. By throwing first pitch strikes and maintaining decent control, the Angels pitchers were able to put Boston's batters into unfavorable situations throughout the series. Even though other teams have also adopted this strategy against Boston, I really don't see any change coming as long as the present management and coaching staff is in place.
posted by Howard_T at 04:13 PM on October 12
...I got a nice little cut on my head, headbutting one of my highschool players Friday night.
Debo, ya gotta look to see if he's still got his helmet on!
posted by Howard_T at 03:56 PM on October 12
Tuskers?
The plural of a beer brewed in Kenya. Also the plural of the nickname of the African elephant, Loxodonta Africana. Either can be hazardous to one's health.
posted by Howard_T at 05:45 PM on October 10
For some ammunition in fraze's war on the team name of the Washington, DC, franchise, check out this from Sports Illustrated. It's a long article, but well worth the read. Before you invest a lot of time in it, look at the second paragraph on page 2, then if you are interested, read the whole thing. It told me a lot that I hadn't known before.
posted by Howard_T at 05:38 PM on October 10
For those who wonder about John Henry's attachment to numbers, he made his pile investing. His approach was to use cold, hard numbers, performance data, and the like in order to determine his moves. He runs his hedge funds just like he has the ball team run.
posted by Howard_T at 05:30 PM on October 10
I have to agree that the post-season umpiring this year, at least in the AL, has been abominable. I did not see the bad call on Mauer's non-hit, but I did watch C B Bucknor's rotten performance at 1st base on Thursday and his wandering strike zone on Friday. One wag in the Boston papers said that Bucknor's initials, CB, stood for "Clinically Blind". Joe West on Thursday night also had a wandering strike zone, punishing both starters. If the series goes far enough, I can't wait until Greg Gibson puts his attitude behind the plate into the game.
As far as Phil Cuzzi feeling bad about blowing the fair/foul call, if he feels that bad, let him take himself out of the crew and sit out the rest of they year.
One disclaimer; I'm not blaming umpiring for the outcome of the series so far. Boston really needs to analyze its approach at the plate when not in Fenway and facing good pitching.
posted by Howard_T at 05:24 PM on October 10
Golf in the Olympics in Rio? Gee, I can't wait until some idiot starts yelling "Get in the hole" in Portugese.
posted by Howard_T at 05:53 PM on October 09
Sportsfilter bake sale to purchase it and build something to rival Telemanjaro?
Who's making the brownies with the "special" ingredient?
posted by Howard_T at 03:47 PM on October 08
Boston Red Sox in 1912, the year Fenway Park opened and the Titanic sank.
For you wiseacres out there, I was not around to see it, but had my parents been in the US at the time, they could have.
posted by Howard_T at 03:44 PM on October 08
Coming soon to a stadium near you: The Revenge of the Manginius But on whom, Jets or Patriots?
Maybe Edwards will decide NY isn't big enough for himself and Derek Jeter. Then he'll find the smallest member of Jeter's posse.and have at it.
On the other hand, maybe Rex Ryan can convince him that Bill Belichick was behind his lack of success in Cleveland, so he'll play his head off in Foxborough when the Jets and Patriots next play.
To be serious about it, Cleveland did get a couple of draft picks, so maybe the idea is to get something marginally useful for the rest of this season and start rebuilding from there.
posted by Howard_T at 06:23 PM on October 07
...fans of both programs might want them to stay on the sidelines as long as God lets them.
Try to convince anyone in State College, PA, that Joe Pa is NOT God.
I have to agree that the FSU athletic programs seem to have more than their share of off-field problems, and the won-loss records don't appear to have been helped greatly by this. For a couple of seasons recently, Joe Pa appeared to have lost a little control of his team (on-campus fights, pot and under age alcohol use in apartments), but this year there have been no significant problems. Even "Pecks Bad Boy" Quarless has been a model citizen. The difference between Paterno and Bowden might be in the amount of authority the assistants have and their ability to exercise it.
posted by Howard_T at 11:47 AM on October 06
If Ron Gardenhire is not one of the best managers in the game, I might trade in my Red Sox t-shirts. Year after year he keeps his club in contention, and then has a finishing kick to get to the tape. He does all this on a club that limits payroll. Minnesota's farm system and player development personnel are really good at what they do as well. It's a remarkable organization from top to bottom.
Having to play on Tuesday instead of today is all Bret Favre's fault. His name had to sneak into this thread somehow, didn't it?
posted by Howard_T at 02:59 PM on October 05
Sports and politics should, and do, mix here on SpoFi. Sports and politicians should never mix, especially in the chambers of the Congress of the United States. Nothing good is likely to come from it.
posted by Howard_T at 04:03 PM on October 03
but if they have a really big conference who knows
Um, lets think on this. Big 12. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are 12 members to this conference. Of course, if they count as well as the Big 10 does, maybe it's more.
Not intended as a slur on you, zyx. Just poking some fun at the Big 10.
posted by Howard_T at 02:55 PM on October 02
They did the same thing in 2007.
In 2007 there was no blank banner, just an empty spot upon which a spotlight had been trained on the wall of the training facility.
posted by Howard_T at 02:42 PM on October 02
Watermelon colonoscopy? Coincidentally, watermelon was one of the flavor choices for the mandatory pre-colonoscopy beverage. The others were orange, lemon, and my choice, mixed berry. It's one of those rituals that those of us eligible for AARP membership must undergo, but would rather avoid. I believe you were speaking of the implement to be used rather than the flavor, fraze, but in either case it is unpleasant.
posted by Howard_T at 02:38 PM on October 02
Don't look for any members of the IOC to be guests on Oprah anytime soon.
I can't believe that the President actually wasted his time just to try to pay off some political debts. (Please note that one of his senior advisers is closely connected with real estate development companies in Chicago.)
posted by Howard_T at 02:28 PM on October 02
Much of the comment places the blame on Mark Shapiro, the Cleveland GM. He, in turn, was probably under a lot of pressure from ownership to clear payroll. Shapiro has accepted his part in it, and refuses to place all of the blame on Wedge. If you want to rebuild a team with young talent, firing Eric Wedge is not a good move. From all I have heard, he was a good teacher of the younger players. He would be a nice addition to someone's coaching staff, with the intent of moving him into a managing job.
Here in the Boston area there is speculation that John Farrell, Red Sox pitching coach, might be considered for the job. He has worked for the club in the past, and his home is in the Cleveland area. He has a clause in his contract that prevents him from taking a managing job before 2011, but one league source is cited as saying that all that does is give Boston an opportunity for some compensation.
Gutting your team in the interest of reducing payroll, and then replacing the veterans with youngsters, is a tactic used by another team not too far from Cleveland. It hasn't worked too well with Pittsburgh, has it?
posted by Howard_T at 04:07 PM on October 01
Aw gee, New York, just because you couldn't get the NHL outdoor hockey game this year doesn't mean you have to try to steal some thunder from Boston with a meaningless "Bowl" game. Number 7 in the Big 12 vs #4 from the Big East should produce a real thriller. If Notre Dame is in there, there's a lot of NY local interest, what with the Irish thing and all, but still not much quality football.
posted by Howard_T at 03:50 PM on October 01
I read a comment by a blogger this morning to the effect that while there is irony in an alcoholic celebration, the sentiment cannot be overlooked.
Walks away singing, "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall..."
posted by Howard_T at 03:45 PM on October 01
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
Coaches use statistics all the time to make decisions...
I'd be willing to bet that BB probably did not know what the statistical probabilities were. I believe that he had his team go for it, respecting Manning's abilities and thinking that going for it gave him the best chance to put the game away. My biggest objection to the call came on the previous play, when the attempt was an incomplete pass to Moss. My call (and of course, I'm a world-renowned expert on calling football plays on the following day) would have been to put in the "jumbo" formation and just run power up the middle. If nothing more, the play would have lost nothing and kept the clock running, forcing Indianapolis to take another time out. Had the play gained yardage, but was still short of the first down, put in the same formation, but if the defense clogs the middle, run something wide or make the short throw.