I want to get this on the record.
I think the New York Giants will win Super Bowl XLII.
I don't know why, but I do.
1.30.2008
1.18.2008
Shutter
I've been taking photos for the section.
If your wedding is sports-themed, I might be your guy.
All photos ©ABigCompanyThatWillSueYou
If your wedding is sports-themed, I might be your guy.
All photos ©ABigCompanyThatWillSueYou
1.17.2008
His favorite songwriter? You guessed it: Randy Newman.
I marked "see Art Garfunkel" off my bucket list tonight.
He sang the hits, talked down to the crowd a bit, did two encores, read some poetry and mentioned the venue's name ... wait for it ... twice. A solid outing by a half-legend.
Not sure if he understood the demographic of Highlands County, however.
If we were making a list, Art was probably the 13th youngest person in the venue. Out of 2000.
This crowd was older than the line at the voting booth. And Arty got a little peeved when the sea of retirees before him produced a few emphysema coughs. He tried to be nice while kindly asking for the sound of silence (zing!) ... but he also mentioned the lobby. Nicely done.
Sarah, the sixth youngest person in the crowd, was immediately offended by the comment, though nobody else seemed to mind. They were all still wondering where Paul Simon was.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: "This next song is an anti-war song. Nobody plays anti-war songs any more. War is really big right now."
He sang the hits, talked down to the crowd a bit, did two encores, read some poetry and mentioned the venue's name ... wait for it ... twice. A solid outing by a half-legend.
Not sure if he understood the demographic of Highlands County, however.
If we were making a list, Art was probably the 13th youngest person in the venue. Out of 2000.
This crowd was older than the line at the voting booth. And Arty got a little peeved when the sea of retirees before him produced a few emphysema coughs. He tried to be nice while kindly asking for the sound of silence (zing!) ... but he also mentioned the lobby. Nicely done.
Sarah, the sixth youngest person in the crowd, was immediately offended by the comment, though nobody else seemed to mind. They were all still wondering where Paul Simon was.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: "This next song is an anti-war song. Nobody plays anti-war songs any more. War is really big right now."
1.14.2008
HI, ME 5¢
Returned today from a getaway to Gainesville ... Hemson country.
I combed the local cemeteries for Tom Petty's grave, wrestled Tim Tebow, enjoyed some delicious cold pizza, and otherwise kicked back Gator-style with Ben and Lyndsay.
Attention: Mustachioed. I've found your messiah. He wore a powder blue polo shirt and favored clear dixie cups of light beer.
Attention: Self. Whiskey sours? Really?
Ben made sure I saw the sights; The Swamp and the O-Dome — two places where national championships, I'm reminded repeatedly, are cultivated. When Ben and Lydsay make their way south, I'll be sure to show them the raceway and Firemen's Field ... and then pretend not to notice the inevitable pity in their eyes.
I combed the local cemeteries for Tom Petty's grave, wrestled Tim Tebow, enjoyed some delicious cold pizza, and otherwise kicked back Gator-style with Ben and Lyndsay.
Attention: Mustachioed. I've found your messiah. He wore a powder blue polo shirt and favored clear dixie cups of light beer.
Attention: Self. Whiskey sours? Really?
Ben made sure I saw the sights; The Swamp and the O-Dome — two places where national championships, I'm reminded repeatedly, are cultivated. When Ben and Lydsay make their way south, I'll be sure to show them the raceway and Firemen's Field ... and then pretend not to notice the inevitable pity in their eyes.
1.08.2008
On the recruiting trail
I was interviewing our offensive player of the year today (our paper has a thing called 'The All-Heartland Team,' which profiles a POY and runs down other standouts in each sport, each season), who happened to be a stud running back for one of our local schools.
I was talking to him about his college plans, asking him where he was planning to go.
"Anywhere they like to run the ball," he said. "Florida, Auburn, Oregon ..."
I stopped him dead in his tracks. "Dude, you need to go to Oregon State, man. Don't go to Oregon."
Not sure if it will change his mind, or even if the kid is D-I material (I can see him catching on somewhere), but I'll be damned if he goes to Oregon without hearing my opinion on the matter.
Mike Riley, you're welcome.
I was talking to him about his college plans, asking him where he was planning to go.
"Anywhere they like to run the ball," he said. "Florida, Auburn, Oregon ..."
I stopped him dead in his tracks. "Dude, you need to go to Oregon State, man. Don't go to Oregon."
Not sure if it will change his mind, or even if the kid is D-I material (I can see him catching on somewhere), but I'll be damned if he goes to Oregon without hearing my opinion on the matter.
Mike Riley, you're welcome.
Indy Rocks!
So I registered to vote in late November, when I got my official Florida drivers license.
Since my first exercise in democracy in 2000, I've never registered with a party, mainly because I think the two-party system is a joke. Also, as a journalist, I tend to live by the notion that aligning oneself with a party could allow people to question your neutrality — even if you are just covering sports.
Who knows, I thought, maybe I'll work in news some day (or run for office), so I better play it safe and keep bumper stickers off my truck, my signature off partisan petitions and my vote out of the primaries.
Then I moved to Florida. When I got my license, the DMV lady asked me what party I'd like to register with. "I'm an Indpendent," I replied.
I got my registration card a few weeks later, and, low and behold, I'm registered with the Independence Party of Florida.
Long story short, I called the election office today and asked them to change my status to "unaffiliated with a party," though because the elections books are officially closed as of Dec. 31, for the rest of time, when my future enemies look back at my voting record, I will officially have been a member of the Independent Party for a month.
Please vote for me anyway in 2036.
Since my first exercise in democracy in 2000, I've never registered with a party, mainly because I think the two-party system is a joke. Also, as a journalist, I tend to live by the notion that aligning oneself with a party could allow people to question your neutrality — even if you are just covering sports.
Who knows, I thought, maybe I'll work in news some day (or run for office), so I better play it safe and keep bumper stickers off my truck, my signature off partisan petitions and my vote out of the primaries.
Then I moved to Florida. When I got my license, the DMV lady asked me what party I'd like to register with. "I'm an Indpendent," I replied.
I got my registration card a few weeks later, and, low and behold, I'm registered with the Independence Party of Florida.
Long story short, I called the election office today and asked them to change my status to "unaffiliated with a party," though because the elections books are officially closed as of Dec. 31, for the rest of time, when my future enemies look back at my voting record, I will officially have been a member of the Independent Party for a month.
Please vote for me anyway in 2036.
1.06.2008
Huckabama
Like everyone else who's been mentally ready to move on from the Bush regime since the first Wednesday of Nov. 2004, I've been giddy with anticipation for the political season and impending presidential election.
It fascinates me, the future of our country.
The recent Iowa caucuses have only fed this feeling, especially with the relative-upset victories of Barry Obama and Big Mike Huckabee (maybe it's the sports writer in me that appreciates the game actually having a level of unpredictability).
I read the following on a message board I frequent, posted by one of the more respected members of said board. It was a view I hadn't heard — or thought of, for that matter — which, to me is WHAT THIS SHIT IS ALL ABOUT.
It's about the possibility of Iowa's choices taking it past the conventions and onto the national ticket. I figured I'd post it here:
I think what would be most intriguing about a Huck-Obama match-up is that both represent parts of the party that the establishment expects votes from, but doesn't really want as a candidate. The Bush family represents the perfect GOP candidate: a faux-redneck who is really a wealthy elite with an Ivy League education and blue-blood connections. Huck is the opposite. He really is a redneck. For years, the Repubs have wanted the salt-of-the-earth vote for their blue blood candidates, and now a salt-of-the-earth guy has suddenly hijacked their party. I suspect it's making a lot of people nervous.
But the same is true of Obama, in a way. The Dems have come to simply expect the African American vote -- (I know for a fact that Kathleen Kennedy Towsend once told a black leader, "Who else are you going to vote for?" which shows how stupid she truly was) -- but they didn't exactly run to get in line to support someone like Jesse Jackson. His campaign, from most Democratic establishment types, got a nice pat on the head. Thanks for playing. Now run along and drum up support for us. But with Obama the Dems are actually looking at the possibility that an African American could be the top guy on the ticket. I suspect it's making a lot of people nervous on the Blue Team as well, regardless of what they say in public.
—— posted by 'Double Down'
Interesting take. More to come.
It fascinates me, the future of our country.
The recent Iowa caucuses have only fed this feeling, especially with the relative-upset victories of Barry Obama and Big Mike Huckabee (maybe it's the sports writer in me that appreciates the game actually having a level of unpredictability).
I read the following on a message board I frequent, posted by one of the more respected members of said board. It was a view I hadn't heard — or thought of, for that matter — which, to me is WHAT THIS SHIT IS ALL ABOUT.
It's about the possibility of Iowa's choices taking it past the conventions and onto the national ticket. I figured I'd post it here:
I think what would be most intriguing about a Huck-Obama match-up is that both represent parts of the party that the establishment expects votes from, but doesn't really want as a candidate. The Bush family represents the perfect GOP candidate: a faux-redneck who is really a wealthy elite with an Ivy League education and blue-blood connections. Huck is the opposite. He really is a redneck. For years, the Repubs have wanted the salt-of-the-earth vote for their blue blood candidates, and now a salt-of-the-earth guy has suddenly hijacked their party. I suspect it's making a lot of people nervous.
But the same is true of Obama, in a way. The Dems have come to simply expect the African American vote -- (I know for a fact that Kathleen Kennedy Towsend once told a black leader, "Who else are you going to vote for?" which shows how stupid she truly was) -- but they didn't exactly run to get in line to support someone like Jesse Jackson. His campaign, from most Democratic establishment types, got a nice pat on the head. Thanks for playing. Now run along and drum up support for us. But with Obama the Dems are actually looking at the possibility that an African American could be the top guy on the ticket. I suspect it's making a lot of people nervous on the Blue Team as well, regardless of what they say in public.
—— posted by 'Double Down'
Interesting take. More to come.
1.01.2008
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