11.21.2022 – show redirected

show redirected
and rehabilitated
reconfigured life

It’s sad, more than anything.

So starts the article, Pete Rose hasn’t given Rob Manfred any reason to change his mind by Ken Rosenthal.

Mr. Rosenthal writes, “The average person who has not followed along closely might sympathize with Pete Rose, believing he has suffered long enough. That at 81, it’s time for baseball to forgive and forget. Reinstate him. Make him eligible for the Hall of Fame.”

Except with Rose, it’s never that simple.“

Mr. Rose was banned from baseball for life or until he could show a redirected, reconfigured, rehabilitated life.

Those words come from the pen of then Commissioner Bart Giamatti.

He is the feller who wrote a book about baseball titled, Take Time for Paradise.

I have long been a fan of Commissioner Giamatti and I have to admire the alliteration he achieved with the that sentence.

A redirected, reconfigured, rehabilitated life.

Redirected.

Reconfigured.

Rehabilitated life.

BANG – BANG – BANG!

It should almost be a standard when a jail sentence is read out in court.

The reason for a life time ban?

Mr. Rose was betting on baseball games.

Apparently games he was playing in or taking part as the team Manager.

Even today that might not be acceptable.

Back in 1989, it was far far beyond the pale.

Because of his lifetime ban, Mr. Rose in not eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Rose has often said how are going to keep 4,256 hits out of the hall?

Then Mr. Rose goes how to show you how, or at least, the why.

And Mr. Rosenthal chronicles all those ways so I don’t have too.

I have commented on this before.

I think I have a solution to the problem, how do you keep 4,256 hits out of the Hall of Fame.

Give Pete a plaque.

A blank one.

There is a precedent.

There is a building at the United States West Point Military Academy known as the ‘Old Chapel’.

Inside the chapel are 14 marble plaques.

One for George Washington and each of his Generals in the Revolutionary War.

There is one blank plaque.

That plaque would have been for General Benedict Arnold.

Arnold achieved his own measure of fame in that just the mention of his name pretty much sums up why his plaque is blank.

And if we ever forget, the blank plaque and explanation is there to remind us.

So give Pete Rose a plaque in the Hall of Fame.

A blank one.

So when kids see it and point and ask why its blank.

We can say that would have been for Pete Rose.

For Pete Rose … had he not …

It’s sad, more than anything.

11.14.2022 – no recognition

no recognition
it’s exciting searching for
anonymity

In the article, Don’t mention the penalties! England’s 1990 team look back at the World Cup match that changed everything, by Simon Hattenstone, the writer tracks down as many members of the team as he can.

Mr. Hattenstone writes this about David Platt. (Full disclosure, I had never heard of the man,)

David Platt came on for the injured Bryan Robson against the Netherlands and went on to have a wonderful World Cup.

He scored three of England’s eight goals, including a famous acrobatic winner against Belgium.

That volley came in the final minute of extra time and was his first international goal.

I assumed Platt would be happy to recall his glory days but he, too, is proving elusive.

After years coaching and managing, he has now left football to focus on his business interests.

Eventually he replies, saying: “I’m afraid I don’t do media any more.”

I text back, asking why.

His reply is fuller, and more interesting, than I expect: “I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m fortunate to be able to live as I choose – within reason.

I have a couple of business interests that keep me occupied, play my golf, walk the dog, watch my boy play sport.

There is no need to retain my profile because I am happy living how I am doing.

I don’t need to be in the public eye, don’t need to be recognised … it’s exciting searching for anonymity.”

I liked that.

I liked that a lot.

I am going to go off and search for anonymity.

Don’t wait up.

11.3.2022 – it’s individuals

it’s individuals
Coach can do so much – day’s end
we’re individuals

but each got to just
dig down deeper – be better
that’s just what it is

This two stanza haiku (my blog, my rules) is based on a quote from NBA Star Kevin Durant and the situation with the Brooklyn Nets in the ESPN article Mounting losses and controversies: How the Brooklyn Nets devolved into chaos in a matter of weeks by Nick Friedell.

The article explains, “Back inside the practice facility — before the tumultuous 2-5 start, before Simmons’ poor play, before the players-only meeting, before the controversy over his superstar teammate’s social media posts about Alex Jones and an antisemitic movie and book — Durant continues to try to shape the narrative of the coming season.“

The article ends with the quote.

“It’s on the individuals,” Durant said. “Coach can do so much and tell you what to do, but he’s not playing for us.

I know coaching matters, chemistry matters, but at the end of the day we’re individuals.

So we got to do better as individuals, and then we’ll bring that to the group and figure it out.

But each guy’s got to just dig down deeper and just be better.

That’s just what it is.”

There is a post script to the article.

Editor’s note: The Nets fired coach Steve Nash on Monday, after this story published.

That’s just what it is.

10.7.2022 – even though ugly

even though ugly
belief gets created when
find way get job done

Football player sans peur et sans reproche Tom Brady got some attention on Wednesday by talking about, of all things for once, football.

NFL football.

A game he has played professionally for the current century-to-date.

Mr. Brady said, “I think there’s a lot of bad football from what I watch. I watch a lot of bad football. Poor quality of football. That’s what I see.“

Mr. Brady is about as close to a King Midas in sports that we may ever see.

Somehow, almost everything he touches turns to gold.

The day after Mr. Brady said, “I think there’s a lot of bad football from what I watch. I watch a lot of bad football. Poor quality of football. That’s what I see.”, the NFL proved Mr. Brady right by playing one of the worst games in NFL history.

YAHOO Sports reported that, “The Thursday night game between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos was awful. Irredeemably, comically, surreally awful. Four quarters and an overtime of self-inflicted gut punches.

The Colts and Broncos combined for 15 penalties, multiple injuries including a scary concussion, 12 punts, 10 sacks, six fumbles (none lost), four interceptions and zero touchdowns despite six (six!) red zone trips.”

How bad was it?

It was so bad that at one point, in this game between Denver and Indianapolis, the Referee announced, TIME OUT SAN DIEGO.

used without permission – gonna get sued

Announcer Al Michaels said, “Sometimes a game could be so bad, it’s almost good. You know what I mean?”

Commentator Kirk Herbstreit’s responded, “No.”

Winning Quarterback Matt Ryan (one of the two Super-Bowl Alumni quarterbacks in the game that failed to lead their team to a touchdown as all scoring was by field goals) tried to find some redeeming value to the game said, “… there’s belief that gets created, even though it’s ugly. There’s belief that gets created when you find a way to get the job done.“

I liked that.

There has to be a positive spin.

Right?

Dig down and find it.

As Frank Reich, the winning coach said at the end, “Isn’t it awesome that you can have a game like that and still win.“

Got to give Coach Reich a sticker on the helmet for scrapping the bottom of the pool and coming up with that one.

I go back to Mr. Brady (why does he always seem to be right?) and say I think there’s a lot of bad football from what I watch.

I watch a lot of bad football.

Poor quality of football.

That’s what I see.

10.1.2022 – 1st one thousand wins

1st one thousand wins
hail to victors valiant
those stay, champions

I first wrote this haiku in 2019.

Just a few weeks ago I updated this post.

Then Michigan went off and went undefeated and is now 11 wins away!

Back in September, 2020, I wrote:

At that time, Michigan had 953 ALL TIME NCAA College Football Wins

With 47 more wins, barring any sports tragedies (as opposed to those real life tragedies), Michigan will be the first team to record 1,000 college football Wins.

Then COVID hit and backed up things as Michigan had but 2 wins in 2020.

When will this game happen and who will it be against?

Sorry to say that the BIG TEN has messed this all up by expanding and there are only 3 announced games for 2023 and nothing as yet for 2024.

But we can still speculate.

PIE IN THE SKY, Michigan wins their next 19 games, that would mean they win the National Championship this year for a total of 10 wins which means, again this is winning ALL THEIR games, Michigan’s 1000th victory would be in Game 9 of 2023.

I think that maybe 7 more wins this year (Including a BIG TEN Championship and beating Darth Vador Earl Bruce’s team) and another 10 wins next year means that the 1000th win would come early in 2024.

Oddly enough, looking a the math, with 981 wins since 1896, that is an average of only 7 wins a season.

Of course it must be pointed out that for 40 years the norm was a 9 game season.

ANYWAY, hang on to your maize-and-blue fedora’s as this is gonna be interesting …

Back in 2019 I wrote this:

If Michigan went the next 47-0, they would win 3 Big Ten Titles, 6 College Playoff Games and 3 National Championships and on Sept 3, 2022, a victory over UCLA would be win 1,000.

We know that won’t happen.

A possible 47-9 over the next 56 games put Michigan in position to win their 1,000th game on Sept 30, 2023 at home against MSU.

Not only a Michigan Great but our neighbor for years in
Grand Rapids

I went through a 47-9 record and picked the games but its pure speculation.

In compiling this record, over 4 years, I have Michigan going 2-1 in the Big Ten Title Game but 0-2 in the College Playoffs.

All speculation but I predict the 1,000th win will come in the 2023 season.

Should be a big party but planning on this will be like planning on winning the Stanley Cup at home in Game 6 … how do you plan for a win?

I also attached the above info a spread sheet so you can make you own predictions …

michigan-1 Download