Blammer Catcher...Ignore

This is a test

The Beauty of the Blog

I took one year off of blog writing. It wasn't intentional. Part of it was a function of my workplace (which made accessing the Internet a bit difficult). Part of it was a need to devote nights and weekends to completing my PhD. Part of it also was a need to detach myself from the burden of writing. Blogging becomes addictive in the sense that one feels a need to keep coming up with things to write about, to keep the comments coming, to keep the blog interesting. Although I promised myself I would write regardless, I found myself trying to elicit responses, to keep a dialogue going, to keep my few readers interested.

With time, I have been able to recognize that the Blog itself can be therapeutic, as long as remember the spirit. I now know, that if I blog in a forest alone, it does make a sound.

Life is Beautiful

Ever have an experience that normally would get you all up in arms. One in which you feel violated. Taken advantage of. One which ordinarily would get you seething. Burning. Offended. Yet, this time, you are surprisingly taking it in stride. Naturally disappointed, but comfortable with the outcome. ever have the experience of being pleasantly surprised with yourself that you are not getting bent out of shape over something that in the past would REALLY bend you sideways.

Now, imagine it happening so frequently (the feeling of taking things in stride) that such an event no longer amazes you. Imagine being so calm, so zen, that life begins to play itself out in a manner that provides its share of pleasure and disappointment, but never injustice.

What would life be like? I have such days now and again. I'd like to learn to have them more frequently. Would you?

New Blammer Catcher

A night on the town

I had been itching to get out and soak in the energy of Super Bowl week for awhile, so my buddies Airtime and Chrysler Guy heade out for several hours to see and be seen. The evening began with a vist to Hooters to say hi to Andrew Siciliano and the fine Fox Sports Radio team broadcasting live on location. I am sure you are familiar with his work on FSR, as well as the ocassional subbing for Rome (BTW, he is by far the best at that). After spending some time there, we headed downtown. A stop at the Town Pump whetted our appetite, and we observed members of the mayor's security detail drinking while the mayor hosted a party at Centaur.

But of course, the night was young. Chrysler Guy wanted to hit the Hard Rock Cafe, and we walked down Woodward, past several buildings with temporary bars and clubs, and several street guys trying to sucker peole into providing them with enough gas money because their wives were in labor on a car on the freeway which had run out of gas. The Hard Rock was a major disappointment, with lots of older, fatter people who looked like they could be Steeler fans. We walked up Broadway to the Detroit Beer Co., which I expected to be more happening, but was itself rather dead. It was useful though as a place to take care of business, and on we went back to the car, which we had paid a nobody $5 to let us park in a lot he had no ownership over.

We drove from there to Greektown, parked in the structure on monroe and headed to the Ole Sheleighleigh, where we saw Sean Salisbury, and later on (you guessed it) Andrew Siciliano. We stopped in to the Greektown casino to validate our parking card, drop a few bucks, and headed on home. So, to summarize, 1,2,3,4,5 bars...1 casino, 3 beers, 2 trips to the bathroom, and a few sport celebrity sightings.

Oh, and we did bump into someone I knew from my dojo, who is no hawking t-shirts called "Detroit Classic."

The night revealed one thing: Steeler fans outnumber Seahawk fans about 100 to 1.

The Big Game is coming to town...

and all I want to do is mingle with a bunch of sports radio nuts, talking shop, exchanging random trivia and selling people on Detroit. I have no interest in the Vivid, FHM, Playboy, or other VIP parties, where it costs $100s just to get in and you are ignored if you don't either stink of money or look like somebody's sex toy.
No, what I want to do is hit Radio Row, at the GM Wintergarden, hang out with the DFN crowd like Seanny B, the Diesel, and Tony and No Show. I want to meet Jim Rome, talk Detroit sports with Mike and the Mad Dog, and try to find and stump the Schwab.

I don't care about celebrity...all the sports world in one place!!! Better than Heff's mansion, I'll tell you that. Oh, by the way: Steelers 29 Seahawks 24.

The Big Game is coming to town

Shh! Don't tell anyone, but the big game, the extra large Kwame version of football excess, is coming to town, and I won't be there. That's right, I'll be here for the week of parties, red carpet VIP stuff. I'll be mingling with all the celebs, jock sniffers, and other Stump the Schwab wannabees. But on the day of the game, you won't find me within 100 miles of here. That is right, I am escaping to the Great Wolf Lodge. Why? I don't know, something about a water park in February that has a hot tub and a bar and lots of large TVs sounds more and more appealing to me...

Maybe I am losing my edge

Back in the saddle again

So people have been giving me a hard time for leaving Dear Dave Dombrowski for over a month. Well, what do you want, people? I was trying to send a consistent message to Tigers management!! I still believe that deal will get done before the next time a team goes 35 and...oh wait a minute, that just happened.

So let me chime in with my opinion that it is more difficult for a baseball team to go 35-5 than it is a basketball team, although I am very much impressed with the way the Pistons have been mauling the competition. People have been giving all sorts of reasons why the Pistons run is more impressive than the Tigers run. I can't fault them for their position, but here is mine: Statistical analysis will show that (a) 5 times in the past 20 years, NBA teams have either matched or exceeded the 35-5 start of the Pistons and (b) top NBA teams routinely win 30+ games out of their first 40. So the Pistons winning 35 games is only 3 or 4 games better than the Spurs, Mavs, etc. The best start in baseball over the same period may have been the Cardinals of a couple years ago, and I think (without looking up stats) that they were around 33-12. Most years, top MLB teams win between 25-28 games out of 40. So, simply put, the stats suggest it is more difficult to do it in baseball and the evidence is that no team has come close to the Tigers 35-5 start.

I am too lazy and tired to give a better argument than this
Booya

Dear Dave Dombrowski

Dear Dave,
I appreciate the small effort you have made so far this offseason to provide depth and veteran leadership to our team. However, as you recall, the two guys you brought in have a history of being "me-first" players. I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and let's assume that combined, they are good for 5 additional wins next year. Let's even say that Leyland over Trammell is another 5 game improvement. That gets us to 81 wins. And here is my proposal:

Miguel Tejada has demanded a trade from the Orioles. Now I know you have already tried once this offseason to trade for a player in a similar situation and he refused to come here (Javier Vasquez). I appreciate the effort. However, effort is not enough. It is your job to close the deal. I don't care what it takes, you need to convince Tejada to come here. He is a great player that will bring a spark to the team, something sorely lacking last season. Send Inge, Rodney, and Zumaya to Baltimore, bring in Tejada and move Guillen to third. Now, we are talking IMPROVED BALLCLUB.

Sincerely,

SportPsych Detroit