What's New?

Every once in a while life hangs a curve ball and you get to drive it over the fence. The Professor got a good swing, and planted it in the bleachers. Now it is Whitey's turn to get some chalk on his spikes.

I have two nieces and four nephews. One of my nephews became deaf at the age of two. He had a cochlea implant and has done very well. He is going to have the second implant put in in a month or so, and I have moved to Tobacco Road for the time being. Yes, I'm down here in ACC territory.

I started the process of moving thinking mostly of my sister and nephew however, the best was yet to come. Just a stones throw from the house is the TEAM USA training facility, N.C. State is a driver and a wedge from the house, and the Tar Heels are playing at the USA facility this season. There is baseball everywhere.

The best story I've heard about my nephew was from my sister. Micah went to his first baseball game two summers ago. Being from Norfolk, just down the road from the Durham Bulls, my sister loves baseball. That said, the game they attended was a pitcher's duel - not much action. After the 7th inning my sister said it was time to go. Micah asked if the game was over, to which she replied no. He wanted to watch every pitch, every play. There was no way he was getting up from this - through the 9th and into the 12th inning.

By this time my sister was assured that he would be ready to go. Not so fast my friend. And as if it was just a made up story....it had a classic ending with a walk-off home run by the Bulls, complete with fireworks. After the game on the ride home my sister asked Micah how he liked the game, and his response could bring you to tears. He said it was the first time he could understand a game. All because the umpire called balls, strikes, and outs. He didn't need to hear - he watched.

He loves baseball so I'm sure we'll see more than a few games. UNC is actually hosting Gardner -Webb this season, so the whole family will be at that game. With the second implant, Micah will be able to triangulate sound and background noise will be minimized. It's quite interesting. If you would like to read more on Micah, please check out my brother in law 's live journal the Noetic Toe. I look forward to seeing alot of baseball...and I'll have a couple of nephews in tow. I can't wait.

Reality TV?

I was sitting in history class on the morning of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The teacher had cut on the TV and we were witnesses to history. It was unbelievable then, but thinking of the physics of the whole thing it's not out of the question. Space travel is very dangerous and I applaud the men and women that put their lives on the line who know all too well the danger.

The crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia knew the risk and paid the ultimate price. I watched that on the television also. I watched Discovery's night launch yesterday evening from my dock in Florida. It was like there was a small sun lighting the entire night sky, light reflecting off the water that was smooth as glass. I remember thinking how neat it was when John Glenn became the oldest person at 77 to space travel in 1998. This wasn't the first time he had gone into space, he was the first - 1962, sorry I missed that one. I hadn't been born, but I've seen it on film.

Growing up near NASA, space has always been something interesting to me. It was an annual school trip through the tunnel to Langley for the tour. I'm by no means an authority on the reasons for strapping yourself into a seat attached to a rocket. Go up and down, and risk your life with full knowledge that you could explode at anytime. Glenn returned to earth with a parachute and landed in the ocean. That's staring death in the face and grinning.

Today there is a good chance that the Rocket named Roger will explode, right on the screen, in front of all of us. The U. S. Senate is having hearings today surrounding the Mitchell Report. The reality TV is here and now. Roger Clemens has attorneys advising him, and I know that he is aware of the danger he faces. Will he invoke the Fifth? If he doesn't, he will either be telling the truth or lying. If he stays with his story, he may be in for a Federal investigation for perjury. He knows the stakes, his chips are on the table, insert your own cliche here.

Most people love a train wreck, and if your one of them, tune in today and watch one. I for one am not a rubber-necker, but for this, even I have to watch.

Pedro and The Cocks

If only we had camera phones in Babe Ruth's day...

Pedro Martinez was caught on tape last week at a cock fight in the Dominican Republic which, according to Pedro, he was invited to by Juan Marichal. There appears to have been a video circulating of the two at some event (Pedro claims the video shows an evening of fun from two years ago), but the video has been removed from every site I have visited. Oh well.

Regardless, the question seems to concern the amount of ire Pedro should draw from this episode. I believe he had a legitimate reason for attending, but have no sympathy for him concerning the wrath he has brought upon himself.

The interesting aspect of this story involves the parallels drawn in certain circles between cock fighting and dog fighting - and thus the Michael Vick fiasco. Here's a quick rundown of some pertinent points:

1. It's part of the culture. This argument is a good one, except for the fact that cock fighting is legal in the Dominican. Thus, the Dominican Republic can be viewed as giving cock fighting a stamp of legitimacy, something dog fighting most definitely does not have here in the U.S. Notice I did not say that cock fighting is right, or morally sound, or any other term of approval. I would harbor a guess that Pedro would not attend a cock fight in say, Long Island. Michael Vick knew what he was doing was illegal. And from what I have gathered Juan Marichal is treated like a minor deity in the D.R. To refuse an invite of one of your idols to attend an event that has been approved by the country in which you were born and raised may be a bit, I don't know, strange.
2. Quote from Pedro: "I was invited by my idol Juan Marichal to attend the event as a spectator, not as a participant." Well, this statement has a good side and a bad side. Michael Vick wasn't technically "a participant." Or was he? He trained the dogs, bet on the dogs, funded a battle-ground for the dogs, and (purportedly) actively participated in killing more than a few dogs. I'd assume Pedro shows up at these cock fights in the off season on a lark. I doubt he returns home to breed pugilistic fowl.
3. What do you eat? Curiously (or sadly) this will probably save Pedro any serious backlash over this issue, although I'll bet you he sees chickens in every ballpark from now on. Here in the U.S. dogs have a status afforded no other animal save cats, and maybe horses to some degree. We eat chickens. We eat alot of chickens. We have entire restaurant chains dedicated to serving chicken. The fact that some other country allows the common folk to engage roosters in mortal combat is not going to compel us to close the Embassy. (Side note: The Chinese government has told restaurants in Beijing to stop serving or advertising dog in any way during the upcoming Olympic games.) I'd venture a guess that the cocks fighting in the Dominican are better cared for than 95% of their counterparts in the U.S. At least they are given a fighting chance...{Don't believe me? Read this.}
   

The argument to culture is an important one - and a dicey one. Should we impose our cultural norms upon others? Barbie dolls are illegal in Saudi Arabia. Ridiculous? Maybe. Cock fighting is a part of Dominican culture. And legal. Dog fighting is not legal in the U.S. Claiming an argument to cultural norms requires one to examine the norm. If an illegal activity can be considered the norm, such as drinking might have been during prohibition, then a society's laws more often than not change to reflect public sentiment. Often such laws are ignored and slowly no one continues to enforce them. Otherwise these actions are considered subversive and abnormal - and illegal.

Should Pedro have attended a cock fight? Probably not. Is it going to ruin his public image? Doubtful. He's Dominican. Dominicans approve of that stuff. Michael Vick is an American, and he has had to deal with American culture. Name an endorsement Pedro stands to lose. Will you refuse to go to games in which he pitches?



If you want to get really mad, check THIS OUT. This magazine, Grit and Steel, is published out of South Carolina by someone insane. The website mentions "The Pit Master," which is reassuring. It also has a reference to a Bible verse, John 13:34-35, which, of course, I looked up:

34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

I had to cross check that one twice. I'm speechless.

Whitey and Reggie Sanders

Whitey's comments in a previous post concerning Reggie Sanders and his Hall of Fame credentials deserve more than the parting shot I gave them in the article. Most Reds fans remember Reggie best in a pose similar to the one on the left - on the bench.

While Sanders has some nice stats (Whitey mentioned his 300/300 HR/SB), I remember his memorable performance in the 1995 playoffs: 29 at-bats, 19 strikeouts. He eventually put up some decent post-season numbers for Arizona, San Francisco, and St. Louis - playing in the World Series for all those teams - but his overall post-season stats are less than impressive. In 14 post-season series, Reggie batted a stellar .195 in 221 at-bats. He managed 43 hits, striking out 79 times.

"Ah, but what about the regular season?" you say. Sanders' lifetime batting average is .267. He has 1666 lifetime hits - and 1614 strikeouts. His strikeout total is good enough to rank him 21st on the all-time list. #1? Reggie Jackson, with 2597 K's which is 13 more than his total hits. But which Reggie would you rather have standing at the plate in October...

Pigeons

The FedEx ad featuring pigeons (which aired during the Super Bowl and can be seen HERE) piqued my interest in, well, pigeons. Growing up in Cincinnati, I had the opportunity to visit the Cincinnati Zoo on many occasions. One of the most striking exhibits is actually a memorial to the last known passenger pigeon, Martha.


Now, the ad explicitly states that the enterprising young office worker has employed carrier pigeons not passenger pigeons. Unbeknownst to me they are two different pigeons:

Passenger Pigeons are native, wild North American Pigeons while Carrier Pigeons (more appropriately known as Homing Pigeons) are domestic pigeons that were trained and used in WWII to carry messages. They are totally different birds! Homing Pigeons are still popular used today in the sport of Racing Pigeons and seldom used to carry messages today. [SOURCE]

Learn something new everyday. And in an effort to learn y'all something as well, I present the demise of two birds (from a list of eight in the book), from The New Book of Lists:

4. Passenger Pigeon, September 1, 1914
These brownish grey pigeons were once so numerous that a passing flock could darken the sky for days. As recently as 1810, an estimated 2,230,272,000 pigeons were sighted in one flock. But massive hunting by settlers and a century of forest destruction eliminated the passenger and its native forest habitat. In 1869, 7,500,000 pigeons were captured in a single nesting raid. In 1909, a $1,500 reward was offered for a live nesting pair, but none could be found. Martha, the last of the passenger pigeons, died of old age, September 1, 1914, in the Cincinnati Zoo.

5. Carolina Parakeet, February 21, 1918
The striking green and yellow Carolina parakeet was once common in the forests of the eastern and southern United States, but because of the widespread crop destruction it caused, farmers hunted the bird to extinction. The last Carolina parakeet, an old male, named Incas, died in the Cincinnati Zoo February 21, 1918. The zoo's general manager believed it died of grief over the loss of Lady Jane, its mate of 30 years, the previous summer.

This isn't meant to be an ad for the conservation efforts of the Cincinnati Zoo, but if you're ever in Cincinnati I highly advise you check the place out. My favorite is the Insect House. And since this post is apparently meandering out of my control, it ends here.

Professor's Note?

I agree with the Professor on the Hall. You ARE or ARE NOT a Hall of Famer. Nobody gets a stat after retirement, so what is it that changes the voters' minds?

I do so enjoy tweaking the Professor with statements that are idiotic. I attempt to get under his skin every once in a while, just to get a rant.

You should see the looks he gives me - priceless!

Bonds Decline?

Spring Training is not too far off and there are a few FREE AGENTS still on the market. One flying under the radar is Barry Bonds. He is ranked as the 4th best free agent of 2008. There are only 10 free agents in the Top 50 left unsigned. Six of the unsigned are pitchers, four position players.

Ranked 24th is Shannon Stewart (33), who played left field for the A's last season for a one year, 1 million dollar contract. He played in 142 games, but after a shoulder injury he is considered a defensive liability. In 12 years of play he has 114 Home Runs, so I don't see him as a good DH.

At 25th, we have Kenny Lofton (40 years young). This guy just gets it done. 17 years, 11 teams, three times in Cleveland and still hitting at a .300 clip. You may see him in the playoffs - maybe even the League Championship.

Last, but not 50th, coming in at 46th is Reggie Sanders (40 years old). He missed the 2007 season after surgery. He is one of six guys in the 300 - 300 Club - 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases, with the likes of Willie Mays, Andre Dawson, Bobby Bonds, Steve Finley, and the guy at #4. We will have to see what camp he shows up in, but there is a good chance Reggie is done. Great career, and should get into Hall of Fame, but not on the first ballot.



[Professor's Note] This ridiculous claim by Whitey - that Reggie Sanders should be in The Hall - cannot go unnoted. I feel that not only is it absurd to mention Sanders and the Hall in the same sentence, it is asinine to claim he should get in "...but not on the first ballot." This rationale has existed, in much higher circles than here, for quite some time. The argument goes pretty much how Whitey put it, that some players aren't 'First Ballot' Hall of Famers.

I believe either you are a Hall of Famer or you are not. None of this first ballot bull. Again, this crap has been floated out there for years by the writers who vote. If a player is a Hall of Famer, then he's a f%$^&in' Hall of Famer. Don't wait for the year when no one automatic is up for election and you have to "vote for someone..." Screw that. Don't belittle our great game by electing mediocre players in off years. Back to Whitey...

Barry Bonds (43 years?) is the All Time Home Run King and can't get a gig. He is a liability in the field, and the clubhouse, but in the box he is as good as it gets. Chances are he is going to jail for perjury. If so the price of Bonds will drop - like a stone!

Rocket's Red Glare?

After the Mitchell Report came out, I told the Professor that I was not going to comment on it until it came to a conclusion. Well, the court of public opinion has already found Roger Clemens guilty of some type of performance enhancing use. On the drive to the lunch meeting we were going to, I asked the Professor to indulge my musing on this theory.

I started by saying that I thought Brian McNamee was a weasel; the kind of guy that hangs out at the local gym pumping iron with his crew of muscle heads. In the years that McNamee worked with the Rocket I'm sure that he injected something into Roger. He has admitted to being injected. This is where it gets shady.

There are reports that seven years after the alleged action, McNamee has turned over vials, syringes, and gauze pads with steroids, HGH, and blood on them. I'm sure that they were kept in evidentiary condition.

Imagine working out and being approached by a personal trainer. He seems to have your best interests at heart, and you have the means to hire him. After working out a lot of athletes inject B-12 and lidocaine [the same thing you get at the dentist] into their system in order to speed the absorption, just like a physician would inject an antibiotic or give you an oral treatment. The injection is faster and easier on the body.

After working out with your trainer he gives you a pill that he says is a supplement, and a safe one at that. Shortly thereafter you are recovering at a good rate and working harder in your sessions. Like most people in the world who take daily pills, I would get a shot once a month instead of having to worry about my liver and kidneys working overtime. Your trainer gives you this as an option - and you bite.

The supplement pill works, but the injections work faster and you get into better shape. Getting into shape is the reason you have the trainer in the first place. Your feeling like you're on top of the world and do your job with energy to spare. I don't think you are changing anything in you regiment, and know you're referring all your friends to your trainer. His business is booming and he is getting paid.

Since most of us don't have the cash flow that Roger Clemens has, one must think in grander scale. With his endorsement of the trainer, Brian McNamee was hired by the New York Yankees. Now he has 25 highly paid athletes looking for his services. As we have found out, some of them bit also. Andy Pettite has admitted to using HGH, supplied by McNamee. Most of the names in the Mitchell Report were Yankees.

McNamee has since been busted for steroid distribution. In a plea bargain with Federal Prosecutors, McNamee agreed to cooperate. He was deposed by Senator Mitchell for the Report in which he gave names of numerous MLB players, one of whom was Roger Clemens, the guy who was his ticket to the "Bigs." The biggest chum line in the boat, that would certainly help in leniency from the judge.

Roger Clemens lawyered up and mounted a defense. Now it's Roger v. McNamee. That's a fancy way of saying, "It's on!" The media asks if you're innocent. Sue? Well, Roger has now filed a civil suit against McNamee and only after Roger Clemens goes under oath, in Congress, does this 'evidence' show up. What kind of a person keeps something like used syringes and vials? How was it stored? Where was it stored? And for the sake of audience, I'll stop with this question: If you kept it, why only Roger Clemens junkie kit and not Andy Pettite, or anyone else?

McNamee goes under oath today at Congress. He releases this material the day before his testimony. He has to stick to his story, or he goes to jail for a long time. Where was this evidence when he talked to Senator Mitchell? Jack Ford of True TV, formerly known as COURT TV, was interviewed by Mike & MIKE in the Morning. His opinion was that it was in no way admissable in court, but that means real court. Public opinion is a whole 'nother animal. Nevertheless, it is out there now.

Roger Clemens has asked to come back to Congress and rebut the testimony of Brian McNamee. That sounds like a showdown in front of the Congress and the world. The Senators will give their scripted baseball stories and their opinions, pro and con...basically grandstanding like they don't have anything better to do, but that is another story.

Is it possible McNamee has manufactured evidence to make his story sound better in public, and keep himself out of jail? What it all comes down to is Roger Clemens v. Brian McNamee. Mano y Mano. Roger dotted his own kid in batting practice after hitting a pitch over the wall. Brian McNamee is now in the box, lookin' out at the Rocket's Red Glare, and the only thing he can hope for is that the gauze is more historical than the "Shroud of Turin!"

Don't forget history?

There will be people, primarily in the New York area, that will hail this Giants team as the team that pulled off the biggest upset in the history of sports. That can't be farther from the truth. The Giants won that game. The Patriots didn't choke, they got beat.

If you follow that logic the first time these teams was played an epic, in the 17th and final week of the season. The score differential was 3 points in favor of the Patriots. Both teams had nothing to play for. They were both in the playoffs and couldn't lose their seed. Neither of the teams pulled starters in the second half, which is common in the final week.

These teams met for a rematch in the Super Bowl five weeks later. The score differential was the same, but this time in the favor of the Giants. So in the scheme of things, they split. Yes, the Giants won the important game, and with a stellar defensive exhibition that beat Tom Brady senseless. I guess I'll continue to follow the old adage that "Defense Wins Championships." Seems to ring true.

What isn't true is that it was the greatest upset in sports. New York just wants to forget having to swallow that series that went from up 3-0 against the Red Sox, to making tee times early for the "Boys in Pinstripes." Boston went on to exorcise the "Curse of the Bambino," and now seems to own the Bronx Bombers.

I'm as happy as I can be for Eli, who six weeks ago was a bust to the majority of the media and the fans that praise him today. I'm glad Micheal Strahan got his ring, and Jeff Feely, who is now the oldest player to win, or play, in a Super Bowl. Tom Coughlin changed his coaching style and leaned on his veterans to guild the player - coach dynamic. Worked out well.

I'm not thrilled that I'll have to hear Mercury Morris for the next 20 years. He must sit around all day to write the catch phrase for the next time he is relevant: "Serenity Now!" Somehow he forgets to inform people that he led the team with 8 fumbles in 1972, and he spent time in the can for cocaine trafficking in the late 80's. His stat spikes during '72, and '73 are Bonds-like.

All the media that lift the dust covered note pad in the corner every time a team gets to 13-0 to find Mercury's phone number seem to forget to ask about his entire history. Maybe Congress could investigate whether or not the 1972 Dolphins team was jacked out of their minds. The NFL had no drug policy then, but when has that stopped Congress?

Finally, I'll just say: Buster Douglas.

Fear the Monkey

I have this little item on my desktop homepage which refers to itself as, "How to of the Day." Fine. Usually it offers banal instructions on how to do things that no one really needs to do, like cutting radishes to look like roses.

Today, however, it has swerved disturbingly off course - step-by-step instructions on how to create this monstrosity:




That, my good friends, is what's known to at least one person as a "Towel Monkey." Whitey thinks it looks like "Towel Predator" and I tend to agree with him.

Should you want to turn your bath towels into the stuff your kids' nightmares are made of, go HERE. If you ever see one these things, I advise you wet it down and whip whoever made it. Be sure to scream like a gibbon in the process so they don't think you're completely unappreciative of their effort.

Super Bowl Fun

For once the game far out-shined the commercials. A couple highlights but really average overall. The Declaration of Independence opening was new for me...I guess they've done this for a couple years now. Obviously I've missed it. I'm not sure what the impetus was (9/11?), but it was a nice little civics lesson before my sporting event.

Enough! The commercials...

1. Ford. Attach chains to front tow-hooks. Swing truck in giant centrifuge. Prove strength of tow-hooks. Fantastic. Next time I need to use a pick-up in the hammer throw I'll know where to turn.
2. Chase. I'm rock climbing..."Whoa, is that my phone?" Why, yes it is. "Well, I'm obviously gonna have to answer that NOW, 300 feet in the air...Hey, it's someone from my bank telling me I'm almost out of money so I better transfer..." Next time your bank calls you, hell, ANYONE calls you while you're scaling a sheer mountain face remember you have an extremely valid excuse not to answer.
3. Under Armour. Under Armour likes ridiculously melodramatic commercials in which athletes appear positioned to change the course of humankind. The Matrix-like scenario in this one continues the trend. I have to hand it to them though, they make money hand over fist with this stuff.
4. Life Water. Lizards. Drinking Life Water. Then they dance with...is that someone famous? That is Thriller. What is the product again? And what's up with the lizards? I swear I thought this was going to be an ad for Geico.
5. Sales Genie. Whoo boy, someone's gonna be fired over this. GardenBurger shot their ad budget and then some during the Super Bowl a few years back and it paid off. I'm sure Sales Genie is hoping to catch the same lighting in a bottle. Good luck with that. Wow, the panda ad is even worse.
   
6. Budweiser. It's a horse! It's Rocky! It's going on waaaaay toooo looooooong.....Some people will like this. I am not one of them.
   
7. Garmin. Napoleon needs directions. Imagine the marketing folks discussing this..."So, it's Napoleon, in some European car you see, and he's using Garmin for directions to the front you see...and then when he gets there he hides his Garmin contraption see, and then, get this, they bring him a pony!" Hilarious.
8. GMC. Cartoon dude pushing a rock uphill. The theme is, "Never say never." I thought this ad was going the way of an investment company and turns out it's for the Yukon. Waaaay over the top. It's an SUV, not the cure for cancer.
9. Bud Light. Lots of Bud Light commercials. The cheese and wine dinner was ok. The rest were ho-hum, although I did like the bottle opener in the caveman one. And Will Farrell was good.
   
10. Bridgestone. The screaming animal commercial was interesting, but the one with Alice Cooper and Richard Simmons was pretty good. Don't know whether I'll go shopping for new tires based on that though.
11. Go Daddy. Danica Patrick! Undressing! Go check it out! I believe Go Daddy has done this before, I guess they think these stunts work. And no, I didn't go check it out.
12. Audi. The Godfather commercial was one one of my favorites. That car looked pretty good. Too bad everyone I know who has owned an Audi has had nothing but problems with them. For the rest of you, feel free to shop unencumbered.
13. Dell. Dell had an ad for some computer in which I was more interested in whether or not that was a new Stones song they were playing than the actual computer.
14. ETrade. No more talking babies. Please.
15. NFL. Probably the best ad I saw was for the NFL itself. Chester Pitts goes from playing the oboe to playing in the NFL. True? I guess so, but who cares?
    
16. Coke. I liked the Charlie Brown balloon, although I thought it just a bit shy of great. The Carville/Frist ad was ok.

There were others. The Pepsi Justin Timberlake fiasco. Shaq playing a jockey for....I don't remember. Vitamin Water? The T-Mobile (?) Barkley/D-Wade ad was ok. Overall they were all just that - ok. Maybe next year. Like I said, at least the game was memorable.

This just in.

Yes Virginia, there is baseball goin' on right now. The Caribbean World Series started yesterday with the Dominican Republic - who is fielding two freakin' teams - proving why it gets two teams by rolling in the opening games. There are four teams in the CWS this year: the two D.R. teams, Mexico, and Venezuela. From what I can gather there are (at least) four separate leagues south of the border: the Mexican League, the Dominican League, Venezuelan League and the Puerto Rican League. I assume there is a Cuban League, but it appears they either haven't been good enough to make it or have been banned since around 1960 (there was no CWS held between 1961-1969). I'd bet on latter. There may be a Panama League too.

I believe the Series operates as a Round Robin tournament, with each team playing six games. The one with the best record brings home the hardware. Thus, it is possible for the final games of the Series to actually mean nothing as the champion has already been decided.

Someone may know how these teams qualify for this, but that someone is not me. Again, I'd assume the teams have to win their respective leagues but that doesn't explain how the Dominicans got two invites. It appears the U.S. was involved in this thing at some point (and may still be...) as the finals were held in Miami in 1990 and 1991.

If you're lucky enough to have ESPN Deportes beamed into your home, I highly recommend you check some of these games out. The list of players who have, and currently are, participating in the CWS reads like a hallway in Cooperstown: Frank Robinson, Rod Carew, Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente and current players like Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, and David Ortiz. Even if some of the names are unfamiliar chances are they won't be for long.

I'm not sure why ESPN doesn't broadcast the CWS on one of their mainstream channels. I know I'd watch. The schedule is below:

Saturday, Feb. 2:
Dominican Republic (2) 6 Venezuela 4
Mexico 6 Dominican Republic (1) 13
Sunday, Feb. 3:
Dominican Republic 2 @ Mexico 3:00 PM EST
Dominican Republic 1 @ Venezuela 7:00 PM EST
Monday, Feb. 4:
Venezuela @ Mexico 3:00 PM EST
Dom. Rep. 1 @ Dom. Rep. 2 7:00 PM EST
Tuesday, Feb. 5:
Venezuela @ Dominican Republic 2 3:00 PM EST
Dominican Republic 1 @ Mexico 7:00 PM EST
Wednesday, Feb. 6:
Mexico @ Dominican Republic 2 3:00 PM EST
Venezuela @ Dominican Republic 1 7:00 PM EST
Thursday, Feb. 7:
Mexico @ Venezuela 3:00 PM EST
Dom. Rep. 2 @ Dom. Rep. 1 7:00 PM EST

At last...

Fear not faithful readers, Whitey & The Professor have not disappeared, merely relocated. Less than two weeks until our beloved game begins a new season...

I have been slacking on the political commentary which I promise to correct. Alas, my Republican preview never materialized but I promise fearless, scathing insight into the potpourri of wannabe Presidents we have before us.

And some Super Bowl commentary, probably on the best part - the commercials.

The Professor returns....

Happy New Year?

Well; not until the the clock runs down...........