#1 Rant = Michael Vick.
First of all I am sick of this story. What he is accused of is disgusting. I cannot fathom such acts or getting a kick out of watching such cruelty. I think Vick should be thanking his lucky stars that he is only going to get what he pleads to, because it could have been a lot worse.
Now, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. He is still proclaiming his innocense. This as he agrees to a plea deal in which he is goign to enter a guilty plea. I think they have approximately 5-7 witnesses lined up against him. It doesn't look good for him, but we'll see what the plea deal is. If it is ony for interstate commerce violations, the federal case against him probably wasn't as strong as the media made it out to be. If it was that strong, then there is no way a federal prosecutor would let this go.
Also, this is not a race issue. IF some other high profile QB in the NFL was accused of the same things, they'd be all over him, white, black, green or purple. It wouldn't matter. I cannot stand the supporters of Vick, i.e. the NAACP, saying this is a witch hunt just because he is black. No, if you really want to advance your race, you would not defend this guy, but say, yes, make an example out of him. Here is a guy that had everything given to him once he was recognized as a talent. However, instead of using his talent to escape the drudgery and the low life surrounding him in the ghetto, he brought the ghetto with him. It cost him dearly. It didn't take very long for the thugs he hung out with to turn on him forcing him into the plea deal.
If the NAACP, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et. al. wanted to do some good, they'd be out promoting the other 98-99% of the good guys around the league. Guys like Steve Sanders on the Browns, who came from a rough neighborhood. But he's worked hard and he's raised himself up. He's graduated from college and is competing for a spot on the team. He has not forgotten where he comes from, no, he still goes back to the neighborhood and tries to help out. See this article in the Pain Dealer.
In addition, I cannot stand the people that say Michael Vick Deserves a second shot at the NFL when he gets out of prison... WHAT?!! Horsesh*t! Playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right. They guy had the opportunity and he squandered it. In my opinion he'd be out of the league for good. He has God given talent that is undeniable, and could be an extremely exciting player to watch. But, in my opinion, he should be out.... good bye. However, as soon as he's out of prison, there will be about 20 NFL teams fighting over the chance to sign him. Ugh.... If he does get a second chance, he better show remorse and "get it" this time.
#2 Rant = Negativity in Cleveland
I'm a life long Cleveland fan, and it is very easy to get sucked into this. However, I've had enough. I will not be part of the negativity that surrounds our sports teams... I've heard enough of it on the radio. Kenny Roda and Kevin Keane are by far the worst as of recently. I can't stand listening to them.
I hear fans talking about it. Even they guys I tailgate with are pretty negative and some of them have been season ticket holders for more than 20 years. It is depressing. Enough already.
Negativity breeds negativity... self-fulfilling prophecy.
I will continue to try and be optimistic. I expected the Browns preseason to be bad. Game #1 is where I thought they'd be... granted Game #2 was a step back for the starters, but I think Quinn could ignite something in this town. I don't want him to start, so I'm hoping it ignites a fire under Frye or Anderson. I think we will win on Sept. 9th against the Steelers, but we'll see where it goes.
The Indians just finished taking 2 out of 3 from the Tigers building their lead to 2.5 games as they go into a series with KC and the Tigers have to go play the Yankees. It looks good for us. So I am believing it will be. I expect us to win the Central... period.
Go Cleveland. Stay positive. A winning attitude will help bread a winner.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
My Weekend, the Browns, and the Indians
We had some nasty weather come through NE Ohio last week. In fact, a Tornado touched down in Lodi. Lodi is not horribly far from my house, but it is much closer to my in-laws house. My in-laws happen to be in Florida as we speak, so my wife and I spend Friday and Saturday cleaning up their farm. The weather took off a top of a tree, broke a bunch of branches, including one that was bout 5" in diameter and sent it flying about 15 -20 feet. This clean-up also allowed me to step on a Bee's nest, which they did not like. They let me know by stinging me multiple times. Not good times...
I went to the Browns' first preseason game against the KC Chiefs on Saturday with my Dad. I didn't ride up in the the "Ugly Dawg" (our 1969 Dodge Camper painted up in Browns Colors), because of my cleanup efforts.
The game was pretty lack-luster. Charlie Frye did not look good, but he was the best quarterback on the field. That isn't good for the Browns or the Chiefs. I did see that Charlie was more comfortable in the pocket, probably because he had time. He didn't finish every play on his back. He still made some dumb ass decisions though (his first pass that the LB for KC dropped, and trying to scramble into the end-zone with less than 10 seconds in the half).
The best part of the game had nothing to do with on-the-field activities. About midway through the 2nd quarter all of a sudden there was this loud standing ovation coming from behind me. It made no sense, we were on a TV timeout or something, nothing was happening on the field. I turned around and about 30 guys in the back rows were standing up and applauding. I looked down the aisle and coming up the stairs was a very VERY fine looking young lady that was either gifted by God, or bought her gifts from her friendly neighborhood plastic surgeon. She was sitting in row 44, which is second to last. It was a long walk for her. It was a wonderful moment... then she also had to go down the steps after the game, another fine site to see.
In all, the game was OK. I had a good time and I was entertained. I saw some potential on Offense as they get the new offense down and understand the ins and outs of its execution. Joe Thomas did pretty well. He had a couple holds, which I blame on the number since it was Dieken's old number. Eric Wright had a couple nice plays and didn't look out of place. The defense overall looked pretty good, but we have to cover the guys in the flats much better. I look for Brady to get in against Detroit, but he won't be pushing for a starting job until after the bye week.
As for the Indians, I don't have much to say after a weekend sweep by the Yankees. All I can say is, get your head out of your asses and lets get going. You are gonig to have to win the AL Central to get in, so lets get to it.
There is so much else going on right now, but I'm just out of time...
I went to the Browns' first preseason game against the KC Chiefs on Saturday with my Dad. I didn't ride up in the the "Ugly Dawg" (our 1969 Dodge Camper painted up in Browns Colors), because of my cleanup efforts.
The game was pretty lack-luster. Charlie Frye did not look good, but he was the best quarterback on the field. That isn't good for the Browns or the Chiefs. I did see that Charlie was more comfortable in the pocket, probably because he had time. He didn't finish every play on his back. He still made some dumb ass decisions though (his first pass that the LB for KC dropped, and trying to scramble into the end-zone with less than 10 seconds in the half).
The best part of the game had nothing to do with on-the-field activities. About midway through the 2nd quarter all of a sudden there was this loud standing ovation coming from behind me. It made no sense, we were on a TV timeout or something, nothing was happening on the field. I turned around and about 30 guys in the back rows were standing up and applauding. I looked down the aisle and coming up the stairs was a very VERY fine looking young lady that was either gifted by God, or bought her gifts from her friendly neighborhood plastic surgeon. She was sitting in row 44, which is second to last. It was a long walk for her. It was a wonderful moment... then she also had to go down the steps after the game, another fine site to see.
In all, the game was OK. I had a good time and I was entertained. I saw some potential on Offense as they get the new offense down and understand the ins and outs of its execution. Joe Thomas did pretty well. He had a couple holds, which I blame on the number since it was Dieken's old number. Eric Wright had a couple nice plays and didn't look out of place. The defense overall looked pretty good, but we have to cover the guys in the flats much better. I look for Brady to get in against Detroit, but he won't be pushing for a starting job until after the bye week.
As for the Indians, I don't have much to say after a weekend sweep by the Yankees. All I can say is, get your head out of your asses and lets get going. You are gonig to have to win the AL Central to get in, so lets get to it.
There is so much else going on right now, but I'm just out of time...
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Maybe I'll always be quiet.
So the Indians lost on Wednesday to the rangers, after having a 6-4 lead. I was pretty pissed. If time would have let me, I would have gotten on here and ranted. I would have ranted about their horrible offensive showing and the bullpen sucking hind-tit.
However, they went out on Thursday and put together a very good outing. Jake pitched well for the second straight game, getting his first win since April. The bullpen held the lead and the offense put some more runs on the board.
Then last night, they went out and beat Johan Santana in Minnesota, giving CC his 14th win this season. Oh, they stay a game ahead in the wild card and more importantly, move into 1st place in the Central.
Hmm. I guess I'll just shut up...
Carry on tribe.
Side note> Ryan Tucker suspended for 4 games... at least this year we have depth. Did I mention how glad I am we didn't trade Shaffer? Oh and Brady.. enough is enough. Get your ass in camp.
However, they went out on Thursday and put together a very good outing. Jake pitched well for the second straight game, getting his first win since April. The bullpen held the lead and the offense put some more runs on the board.
Then last night, they went out and beat Johan Santana in Minnesota, giving CC his 14th win this season. Oh, they stay a game ahead in the wild card and more importantly, move into 1st place in the Central.
Hmm. I guess I'll just shut up...
Carry on tribe.
Side note> Ryan Tucker suspended for 4 games... at least this year we have depth. Did I mention how glad I am we didn't trade Shaffer? Oh and Brady.. enough is enough. Get your ass in camp.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Randomness
So, it has been a week since I started this thing. There have been a few items that caught my interest that I figure I'll share my thoughts on:
Politics
So is it just me or do the Presidential Elections start way to soon. The Dems had a CNN/You-Tube sponsored debate this past week. It was a joke. The questions from You-Tube were predictable, and horribly presented. I mean a guy dressed as a snow man asking about global warming? Please. Not one candidate had the gull to stand up and say some of the questions were ridiculous. What kind of leader sits there cow-toes to every little thing, just to get vote? A weak one, that is the kind of leader.
Having debates 8 months before the first primary vote is even cast is horrible. You see the bitterness and dirty politics for so long, this is why so many Americans are disgusted with the political scene. Every candidate, on either side, is pretty much the same-old same old. Even someone that is "new" and "fresh," as they are claiming Barack Obama is, doesn't set themselves off from the pack. They are afraid to, because there is a core in each party that the candidates don't want to piss off. Therefore their differentiation from others in their party are minor in the grand scheme of things. It then becomes a party vote as opposed to a vote for a candidate, which is one of the reasons the two party system in this country is failing us.
Onto a lighter note...
Sports - Browns
So I am a huge Browns fan for those that do not know. And as a Browns fan, I am eternally optimistic, despite everything that continues to happen. I don't know why, I just am. I'm excited for this season, but we'll know what kind of season it is going to be, before October even starts. The first 3/4 games are against our division rivals. If we do well in these games, we'll have a great shot at being drastically improved. I'm hoping for 8-8, but if a team in the NFL can go 8-8 anything can happen... even 10-6 and a playoff birth, but that is just wishful thinking.
Why am I so optimistic?
1. Three guys with horrible injuries last season could actually play and help out this year. Kellen Winslow, Gary Baxter and LeCharles Bentley. The last two are longer shots than Winslow, but they say Gary should be on the practice field tomorrow. Wow. LeCharles will probably remain on the PUP list for a while. If we can get him back anywhere close to where he was before he went down, it will just be a huge bonus to this team.
2. Solid Defense. The third year in the 3-4 defense with some good players. As long as the offense can maintain some sort of ball control and not have the defense out there for 80% of the game, we are in good shape.
3. Addressed the offensive line. They picked up Eric Steinbach, the premier offensive lineman in free agency (and he lasted more than one contact play so far in this training camp). They drafted a projected stud left tackle, kept Hank Fraley, and could possibly get Bentley back. It all starts in the trenches... so this is a good start.
So here is to optimism... and if we fall flat on our faces (again)... here is to tailgating in the Muni-Lot with good friends.
Sports - Indians
So I got to go to the GE loge on Monday to watch the Tribe take on the Red Sox. Westbrook sucked in the first inning, and pretty much gave up the game right there. After that he settled down and pitched pretty decently, which was good to see. The Loge was awesome. This was my second time in a loge at the Jake, first time in the GE loge. It is difficult though to go to the loge with work. As this was supposed to be a chance to hob-knob and schmooze with some upper management. However, I was too much of a fan. I did a little talking, between innings, but I wanted to watch the game. Oh well... I really have a hard time with the management stuff I get into now. It is a very big stretch for my personality.
Anyhow, on the Tribe. Overall, they are only 0.5 games out of first and are a pretty damn good team. They are very streaky though. I'm looking for more consistent play out of them down the stretch.
They just picked up Kenny Lofton (again) for Max Ramirez (minor league catcher). I like this trade. My buddy Dan (http://buhtros.blogspot.com) and I were talking about this possible acquisition when the Indians were playing the Rangers in Texas. We were both kind of weary of it, depending on what we had to give up. I think this will work out well, and I don't think we paid too much for his services this year. It was cool to see #7 roaming the outfield again, strange to see him in left field though. The other added benefit of having K-Love around will be the ability to give Grady some breaks down the stretch so he is fresh in September and deep into October.
Mark Shapiro said they are still looking to add an arm to the bullpen if possible. That would be good, but the prices I've seen being thrown around are some what preventative. We'll see what happens, but it should be a great stretch run!
More next time....
Politics
So is it just me or do the Presidential Elections start way to soon. The Dems had a CNN/You-Tube sponsored debate this past week. It was a joke. The questions from You-Tube were predictable, and horribly presented. I mean a guy dressed as a snow man asking about global warming? Please. Not one candidate had the gull to stand up and say some of the questions were ridiculous. What kind of leader sits there cow-toes to every little thing, just to get vote? A weak one, that is the kind of leader.
Having debates 8 months before the first primary vote is even cast is horrible. You see the bitterness and dirty politics for so long, this is why so many Americans are disgusted with the political scene. Every candidate, on either side, is pretty much the same-old same old. Even someone that is "new" and "fresh," as they are claiming Barack Obama is, doesn't set themselves off from the pack. They are afraid to, because there is a core in each party that the candidates don't want to piss off. Therefore their differentiation from others in their party are minor in the grand scheme of things. It then becomes a party vote as opposed to a vote for a candidate, which is one of the reasons the two party system in this country is failing us.
Onto a lighter note...
Sports - Browns
So I am a huge Browns fan for those that do not know. And as a Browns fan, I am eternally optimistic, despite everything that continues to happen. I don't know why, I just am. I'm excited for this season, but we'll know what kind of season it is going to be, before October even starts. The first 3/4 games are against our division rivals. If we do well in these games, we'll have a great shot at being drastically improved. I'm hoping for 8-8, but if a team in the NFL can go 8-8 anything can happen... even 10-6 and a playoff birth, but that is just wishful thinking.
Why am I so optimistic?
1. Three guys with horrible injuries last season could actually play and help out this year. Kellen Winslow, Gary Baxter and LeCharles Bentley. The last two are longer shots than Winslow, but they say Gary should be on the practice field tomorrow. Wow. LeCharles will probably remain on the PUP list for a while. If we can get him back anywhere close to where he was before he went down, it will just be a huge bonus to this team.
2. Solid Defense. The third year in the 3-4 defense with some good players. As long as the offense can maintain some sort of ball control and not have the defense out there for 80% of the game, we are in good shape.
3. Addressed the offensive line. They picked up Eric Steinbach, the premier offensive lineman in free agency (and he lasted more than one contact play so far in this training camp). They drafted a projected stud left tackle, kept Hank Fraley, and could possibly get Bentley back. It all starts in the trenches... so this is a good start.
So here is to optimism... and if we fall flat on our faces (again)... here is to tailgating in the Muni-Lot with good friends.
Sports - Indians
So I got to go to the GE loge on Monday to watch the Tribe take on the Red Sox. Westbrook sucked in the first inning, and pretty much gave up the game right there. After that he settled down and pitched pretty decently, which was good to see. The Loge was awesome. This was my second time in a loge at the Jake, first time in the GE loge. It is difficult though to go to the loge with work. As this was supposed to be a chance to hob-knob and schmooze with some upper management. However, I was too much of a fan. I did a little talking, between innings, but I wanted to watch the game. Oh well... I really have a hard time with the management stuff I get into now. It is a very big stretch for my personality.
Anyhow, on the Tribe. Overall, they are only 0.5 games out of first and are a pretty damn good team. They are very streaky though. I'm looking for more consistent play out of them down the stretch.
They just picked up Kenny Lofton (again) for Max Ramirez (minor league catcher). I like this trade. My buddy Dan (http://buhtros.blogspot.com) and I were talking about this possible acquisition when the Indians were playing the Rangers in Texas. We were both kind of weary of it, depending on what we had to give up. I think this will work out well, and I don't think we paid too much for his services this year. It was cool to see #7 roaming the outfield again, strange to see him in left field though. The other added benefit of having K-Love around will be the ability to give Grady some breaks down the stretch so he is fresh in September and deep into October.
Mark Shapiro said they are still looking to add an arm to the bullpen if possible. That would be good, but the prices I've seen being thrown around are some what preventative. We'll see what happens, but it should be a great stretch run!
More next time....
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Here we go
Ok, so I'm new at being a blogger... this probably won't happen very often.
Here is a little about me...
This is me....
Here is a little about me...
This is me....
This is my wife (Amy) and Son (Christian)
They are awesome; one of the main reasons to get up in the morning. I couldn't see myself without them.
Amy and I have been married now for 7.5 years, but we've been together since our freshman year in High School! We are now 30 years old.
Christian is almost 7 months old now, and it is amazing how time flies. The memories of being so nervous waiting for his arrival are still so vivid, but it seems like it was years ago.
That is enough for now... more to come.... probably.
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