RE: RE: Wolverines Dirty Rotten Cheaters

"Those who stay will be champions."

Who the ________ is P.F.C. Toney Clemons. This kid broke the chain of command and ratted on a former team and it would appear he can't run from here to there without collapsing from heat exhaustion. What is going on in Big Blue country.

So what should Michigan do? I think those who don't like the program can transfer. Wait, let's transfer the entire senior class off the team. Let's--on second thought, Men's Sports. Let's transfer the entire men's sports department. Bill Martin, go on out there and get those boys off the field. They're packing their bags. Judy Van Horn, associate athletic director, get President Mary Sue Coleman on the phone. We're surrendering our season.

Wait a minute Judy, don't get the president just yet. Maybe we should consider this for a minute. Maybe, and I'm just spit-balling here, maybe we have a responsibility as coaches to train these crybabies. Maybe as coaches we have a responsibility to the University of Michigan football to see that scholarship athletes are trained professionals. I'm certain I've read that somewhere once.

And now I'm thinking that your suggestion of transfering these players, while expeditious and certainly painless, might not be, in a manner of speaking, the Michigan way.

The players stay where they are. We're going to train the lads. Rich, you're in charge. If these players don't run 4.4 on their next 40-yard dash, I'm going to blame you. And then I'm going to fire you.

Do off-season training rules get broken at Michigan? On the record I tell you I discourage the use of over-training in accordance with the NCAA's directive. Off the record, I tell you it is an invaluable part of championship training. And if it happens to go on without my knowledge, so be it. I run my unit how I run my unit. You wanna investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances. I eat breakfast 100 miles from Ohio State Buckeyes who are trained to destroy us. So don't think for one second you can come to Ann Arbor, flash an investigation, and make me nervous.


1. I want to hear from the other 85 guys on the team that are either fine with the weekly practice schedule or are too darn afraid of big, bad, Rich and his conditioning coach.

2. I want to hear from former West Virginia players. I want to first give Rodriquez the benefit of the doubt. I want to assume that whatever he is doing with Michigan is the same he was doing with West Virginia. So, former WV players should be relevent testimony.

3. "Go play intramurals brotha'".

4. Do I think this goes on at all the other big programs, yes! Am I condoning it, not at all. I really hope he is respectful and responsible to the players health and well-being. If the allegations are true, I want something done about it.

5. I agree with Big Daddy. Winning cures everything and when you come off a 3-9 season and practicing longer than the NCAA rules allow...allegedly..., then I'd probably be upset too. Maybe this is their way of getting off the team, rather than going down as a quitter.

6. I understand that Coach Rodriquez is still bringing in his brand of players and selling his program. I realize he still has some Lloyd Carr recruits that may be a cause for mutiny. So, I'd like to know how many of these guys are RR guys and how many are Carr guys. Maybe they were a little soft. Give me some reason to explain the 1-6 record versus Jim Tressel.

7. What in the world are Ohio State players and Jim Tressel doing? Why would they defend their arch rival in saying that they also practice longer than what is allowed? The only answer I can think of is this: They don't want to beat their arch rival short handed. They don't want any asterisk or cheap wins. They want their opponent at their best. No excuses. So, if you want to be happy beating a suspended team, so be it. I get that for some teams, a win against Michigan is huge no matter what.

In all seriousness, I've never played a college sport, let alone Division I football for the U of M. You go there with the dreams of making it to the pros. To play for a shot to win a National Championship any given year. So, forgive me if I don't have much pitty on you when you say football is no longer "fun." Cry me a river. Everyone knows there is nothing more INVOLUNTARY than VOLUNTARY workouts.

Jerry freakin' Rice

Now this is what I love to see from Hall of Famers, especially our sports heroes (and Tecmo legends). Jerry just forearm shivered Brandon Marshall, Michael Crabtree, T.O., and Plax. MAN'S GAME!

We need more guys speaking up and speaking out in the NFL and MLB. I want to hear what Nolan Ryan thinks. I want a piece of Ronnie Lott's mind. Give me some Bill Laimbeer (who just landed an NBA Assistant gig with Kurt Lambis...the Scott Hastings of the Lakers). I love when Hank "The Hammer" Aaron tells it like it is. What does Ripken have to say?

War more legends of the game putting the primadonnas in their place.

RE: Wolverines Dirty Rotten Cheaters

Have to admit I'm enjoying reading UM fan comments (like the ones here) about how everybody cheats, or the writer hates UM, or it's a conspiracy, or the players are wimps, etc. For a Wolverine fan, it's never the Wolverine's fault, there's always an excuse.

One (serious) question: How often does an allegation like this get proven false? I can't think of any time off the top of my head where an investigation turned up nothing.

Disney buys Marvel

Not sure I'm too excited about this news.

One Week

It's one week until the fantasy draft. We still have a few people that need to sign-up (Schott, Rusty, Joe, Ross, and Fritz); it would be nice to have that done before we started drafting. We do need an even number to start the season.

Also, typing that title made me think of the song, so:

Wolverines Dirty Rotten Cheaters

The front page story in the Free Press today (we get it for the coupons) details players accusations of persistent violations of NCAA rules regarding practice time during both the season and off-season.

Rich Rodriguez says "We follow the rules".

For example, players say the were working out from noon till 10 pm on Sundays during the season, in dramatic excess of the 4 hrs per day allowed.

The pressure on the head coach, especially after a bad season, is obviously tremendous, and I am certain many schools have minor violations from time to time, but to have the violations be so great and so consistent that multiple players would take it to the news, risking NCAA penalties has to say something.

Hope the maize and blue didn't want all those scholarships.

On a side note, former Spartans stated that they followed all the rules.

Coverage of Evolution in State Standards Better, Says NCSE

Evolution is receiving better coverage in state science standards compared to 10 years ago according to a review of all 50 state science standards and the District of Columbia by the National Center of Science Education (NCSE). Louise S. Mead and Anton Mates of NCSE conclude that "[t]he treatment of biological evolution in state science standards has improved dramatically over the last ten years." Nine states and the District of Columbia received an A for their treatment of evolution, However the study authors point out that five states--Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia-- received a grade of ‘F’ for their treatment of evolution and there are others that didn’t include key concepts such as the Big Bang Theory. “It’s almost surprising to us that we are having this discussion about inclusion of evolution,” given that the theory is well-accepted by scientists,“ said NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle to Education Week reporter Mary Ann Zehr in her August 12 article.

An "F"? Ouch. Giving them a "D-" wouldn't be enough? Those five states probably should have been given the "A's" and everyone else "F's."

Chuck freakin' Norris

When Chuck Norris was a baby, he didn't suck his mother's breast. His mother served him whiskey, straight out of the bottle.

See more Chuck Norris stuff here.

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.
Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
It takes Chuck Norris 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.
Chuck Norris can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.

Arkham Asylum Launch Trailer

I don't know how to score that.

There was an unassisted triple play by Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett in the Phillies-Mets game today, only the fifteenth in MLB history. Read more about the game at ESPN or The Corner.

Pretty Good.

Marty Mornhinweg says Michael Vick looks "pretty good" in practice. Might as well slot him into the Pro Bowl right now.

"It won't work."

We can, however, be certain of some facts about the health care reform plan. It won't work. No government proposal more complicated than "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private" ever works. And that doesn't work.

-P.J. O'Rourke, on the Clinton health care reform plan, Wall Street Journal

Limited

I just read this article from the Washington Post that argues the government does not have the authority to require every American to buy health insurance based on the powers enumerated in the Constitution. The specifics are interesting, but I thought the conclusion was the most important part. We've gotten so used to the idea of government power that it sounds strange to say the government doesn't have the authority to do something. But that was the idea the founding fathers had; they wanted the government to be weak so that it didn't turn into a tyranny. They'd had enough of that from the king of England. It's a good thing to keep in mind.

The Black Brigade

Is this a photo shoot or a porno?

If you haven't heard about Tim Tebow's GQ pictures, here is the authors comments:

Tebow is six feet three and 245 pounds, all thick polygons and smooth flat planes and inescapable corn-fed handsomeness. He's wearing a billowy white shirt and loose-fitting jeans that somehow only underscore the solidity of his bulk, like a tarpaulin draped over a concrete pylon. You can see why coaches have always wanted to deploy his body as a battering ram. ...

He looks smaller in person than on TV or on a stage. Something to do with the geometry of his body, the relentless blockiness; distance turns Tebow into a cartoon. Close-up he's rounder, reassuringly 3-D, wearing a sea blue T-shirt and long ivory shorts. He grabs a hard-boiled egg from a bowl at the dining commons. With exquisite casualness, he tosses it back and forth from hand to hand without cracking the shell. ...

Tim Tebow moves; glides? drifts?-back to his seat, his plate heaped with three sausage patties, a syrup-drenched waffle, and five hard-boiled eggs. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asks, and pours me a glass of orange juice. ...

His chin is stubbly. He smells strongly of deodorant, and his thick-lashed eyes are impressively serene, considering that a mere forty-five minutes ago, back in the Florida weight room, Tebow was grunting next to a painted slogan that read PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY, doing calf raises with a 300-pound offensive lineman sitting on his shoulders. (In the weight room, Tebow wore a blue spandex shirt with an orange flame crawling up the sleeve; everyone else was in gray.)

To Sand We Return

Top 15

IMDb has posted its "The Top Rated Films of the New Millennium", the best rated films since 2000 based on the IMDb user ratings. The top three are The Dark Knight, LOTR: The Return of the King, and City of God.

John Nolte at Big Hollywood has also posted his top 15 in response. His top three are: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Passion of the Christ, and The Dark Knight.

I've seen most of the films on both lists and I'd say they're both pretty solid selections. Except for Napoleon Dynamite, I hate that movie, even though it has a llama.

Punch Line

I think Wojo pretty well sums up my feelings on this Favre joining the Vikings.

Breaking News

Brett Favre is really awful at making up his mind.

I'll Huff, and I'll Puff...

The Tigers aquired Aubrey Huff from the B-more Orioles yesterday. If I'm correct, when we went to Cleveland for one of our Baseball Stadium Tours, they were playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (not just the Rays, the Devil Rays). We were all standing on the porch in left field...about 25 yards from a delicious lemonade stand...watching the TB batting practice. All of a sudden, a homerun ball came flying right at us. The ball hit my hand (ouch) and bunced around us. I eventually got the ball. But, if memory serves me correct, I wanted to know who hit the ball, and all I could see was "Huff" and #44.


UPDATE BEFORE POSTING: Apparently memory only served a little bit correct. I remember the batter hitting from the right side of homeplate. I just realized Aubrey Huff's profile lists him as batting lefty, hence the major reason the Tigers traded for him.

My bad. Well, it was a great story. At least I plugged the lemonade stand back into our memory banks.

Heck. Why not make a reference to the annoying guy dressed up as an indian banging the drum 9 innings straight in the top row of the left-center seats.

Rock Star

I was reading the paper as I was getting my oil changed this morning and there was an article about how popular Jay Cutler is with Bears fans. It included a chart comparing Cutler to... the Beatles. Really. Apparently fans knocked down a fence at training camp so they could get closer to him.

I'm sure they have realistic expectations for the season though.

Imagine That

Michael Vick, on returning to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles:

"I think everybody deserves a second chance, I think as long as you are willing to come back and do it the right way and do the right things and that you’re committed, then I think you deserve it. But you only get one shot at a second chance, and I am conscious of that."

Shocking that the guy who desperately needs a second chance after taking a wrecking ball to his life believes in second chances. So did Vick actually change, or just learn that he's not untouchable? Tony Dungy seems to think he's changed. Does anyone else?

MSU vs. Notre Dame

I need to start getting ready for the season.

Fantasy Draft

Is anyone ready to make plans for the 2009 Fantasy Draft? The season starts 9/10. Labor Day is 9/7. I will be in town from 9/5 to 9/12. Thoughts?

By the way, you do have to sign up to be able to play.

The Butcher

Top Gear tests communist cars, part 2.

Top Gear tests communist cars, part 1.

Top Gear reviews the Ford Fiesta

Unwinding from the long drive on Saturday I sat down on the couch, started flipping through channels, and came across Top Gear on BBC America. What I've seen before was pretty entertaining, so I stopped surfing and started watching. They featured this segment, which may be the best car review ever:

Global Warming

Quote of the Night

After starting the game throwing in the low 90s, Verlander ramped up it up near 100 mph in the later innings.

That's what he does," Rangers center fielder Marlon Byrd said. "There's a reason he's leading the world in strikeouts.

Leading the WORLD! Awesome.

Game Notes: Granderson led off the game by sending the third pitch into the bleachers. (He also did it on Monday.) He added another HR later in the game, his fourth career two-homer game. It was the 20th time he's led off the game with an HR (I realize "homerun" does not start with a vowel, so that should be the word "a" instead of "an" before "HR." However, on the baseball team, we call them "H-R's". Then again, the letter H, last time I checked isn't a vowel either, but I believe if you spell H, it is spelled a-i-t-c-h. Sorry...that was one of the words on the spelling bee contest on ESPN. Revoke my Man Card). Not too shabby your lead-off hitter is 9th in homeruns in the AL.

Bumper Music, Vol. 3

The Black Keys - "Strange Times"

Airplane Movies

Our flight back from Hawaii took us straight to Minneapolis. That was a nice 7 hour flight. But, each seat had it's own 6" monitor and could pick from about a dozen or so movies. Not many really peaked my interest, but I haven't seen "Watchmen" and that was one of the choices and I wouldn't mind seeing it. I've got nothing better to do, what is 2.5 hours going to hurt?

I really know nothing about the comic book, but this was definately long, weird, and dark. It was also difficult to hear well on the plane, so some parts were a little confusing. It appeared the comic book was really hard to bring to life on the big screen, but did a pretty good job. Seemed like there was a bunch of story they wanted to fit into 2.5 hours. And, I would agree with Adam, "Rorschach" was my favorite character.

Speaking of "Rorschach," I am addicted to the IMDB, so I did a search. "Rorschach" was played by Jackie Earle Haley, who, come to find out, will be playing the character of "Freddy Krueger" in the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street."

Also according to the IMDB, Jackie Earle Haley had a role in an episode of "MacGyver" from season one, which I own and just watched not too long ago. What a small world.

College Fantasy Football

CBS Sports is offering college fantasy football this year, and unlike previous years, you get to draft individual players instead of team positions. Anyone interested? Apparently you can't change the settings after you sign up, so everyone who wants to play will need to be committed before I can create a league.

Vacation

I'm going to be in CC approximately August 1st through the 8th for some R&R. I know we talked about going to see the Tigers in September, but would anyone be interested in trying it that week instead? I've got a wedding to go to on the 8th (maybe Matt does too?), but the rest of that week is wide open.

In the Valley of the Dying Sun

Idiots

While I haven't supported the government's actions in dealing with the automakers, the members of Congress that are grilling the auto task force are idiots. Or maybe marginally intelligent people hoping to score a few points with voters. They claim to know better than GM or Chrysler about how many dealerships they need, but most of them have never run a business, or even done real work, in their lives. And looking at the way the government runs, I don't think there's any doubts about the quality of their collective business sense, and drunken sailors have more spending restraint. But back to the point at hand, let's look at an example. How many GM and Chrysler dealers are there within a thirty minute drive of Cass City? And how many people live in the Thumb? Does that seem right to you?

That's a Wrap

In case you're interested, Iron Man 2 finished shooting principal photography over the weekend, which was right on schedule. The sequel has a release date of May 7, 2010. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow return and new cast members Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson. Samuel L. Jackson is also expected to make an appearance.

"Can we get another angle?"

Check out Pujols's feet. On top of homeplate and he had to practically lunge forward to get it and scoop it off the ground.

"Never tell me the odds."

The Detroit News has a story on the odds of various teams winning the national championship, per Las Vegas Sports Consultants. Florida is the overall favorite at 2-1. Ohio State has the best odds from the Big Ten at 12-1. MSU has 75-1 odds; Michigan checks in at 150-1. Notre Dame is predicted to have 30-1 odds, which just seems silly to me. Eastern Michigan has 3,720-1 odds.*

*I made that up. That number and the title are both references to a particular movie; coolness points to whoever posts the source.

"...want to loosen up my arm a little bit."

President Obama is planning on warming up before throwing out the first pitch at the All-Star Game tonight. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think ceremonial pitchers usually warm up. But I'm sure a guy who thinks as highly of himself as our president wouldn't want to one-hop a pitch into home plate, especially since George W. Bush was known to throw some pretty good strikes for a guy wearing a bullet-proof vest. If he does short it, I'm curious to see the media reaction, because you know throwing a strike will lead to days of reflection on how "cool" and "studly" our president is.

UPDATE: I'd make some comments about the actual pitch, but since Fox didn't even bother showing home plate it's kind of tough. Also, is there a game tonight? I was hoping to see at least one inning before I had to turn in, but at the rate they're going I'll be able to catch the third when I'm eating breakfast tomorrow morning.

UPDATE 2: Apparently the pitch made it to the plate, but it was short. In the game itself, Curtis Granderson hit a triple in the eighth that led to the AL winning the game 4-3.

UPDATE 3: Andy McCarthy has more at The Corner.

UPDATE 4: After watching the MLB in McCarthy's link, that pitch definitely wasn't going to make it past home plate. It would have been in the dirt if Pujols didn't lean forward and grab it.

Big Ten Predictions

The Detroit News has a good roundup of preseason Big Ten football predictions. The general consensus: #1 Ohio State, #2 Penn State, #3 Michigan State, #6 Michigan.

Grownups

I have to admit, I find this idea kind of compelling. If we're determined to let people act like children, giving them a chance to without ruining it for the rest of us just might work.

Bumper Music, Vol. 2

Even More Stupidity

I hate it when Congress gets involved in sports, which I've mentioned before. They've got more important things to do, like try and spend more money than we've spent in the entire history of the United States. But that's neither here or there. The real problem is that representatives like Orrin Hatch and Joe Barton are abusing their power to try and score some points with their constituents. Now, I could go on and on about how any replacement for the BCS will be vulnerable to the same issues at a different level, but I'll just skip to the most interesting quote from the article:

The point is that rankings were never about fairness or producing a clear-cut winner. They were about creating what fans need most: something to argue about. Before he died, the AP sports editor who created its famous poll, Alan Gould, explained it this way: "It was a case of thinking up ideas to develop interest and controversy between football Saturdays. . . . That's all I had in mind, something to keep the pot boiling. Sports then was living off controversy, opinion, whatever. This was just another exercise in hoopla."

So the whole thing is flawed right from the get-go. But it sure does produce controversy.

"The Saga of the Catalytic Converter" or "Detroit Sucks"

I've been meaning to post this story for a few days but haven't had the time. On July 3rd, I went with my dad, brother, and brother-in-law to see Star Trek: The Exhibit, a display of various Trek props and costumes, at the Detroit Science Center. We got there 10:30am and parked down the block next to the African-American History Museum, just off a main street near an apartment building. There were lots of other vehicles on the street. We were driving the Grand Am. To my knowledge, this is a pretty decent part of Detroit.

A little over an hour later, we had finished with the exhibit and returned to the car. We got in, and my brother turned the key. The engine rumbled to life with a throaty roar, which was unusual for a 3.4L V6. "It didn't sound like that when we parked, did it?" As we pulled away from the curb the noise mounted to unbearable levels. Something was obviously wrong, so we pulled back to the curb, shut the car off, and made an inspection. The muffler was fine, but between the muffler and engine was a bright metal cut. Someone had stolen the catalytic converter. Keep in mind, the car sits a whopping 4" off the ground. We discussed what to do for a while, finally coming the conclusion that calling the Detroit Police was a waste of time. We headed down the one way street so we could head back toward the freeway and my brother's house. We drove around a park and came to a four-way stop when a car shot through the intersection, bumping up over the curv and through the park:


It nearly ran into a fountain, then kept on driving through the park. I think I spoke for us all when I said, "Let's get out of here."

After an extremely loud ride back to my brother's place my Dad was able to track down the local Midas online and schedule an appointment so we could get the car repaired that afternoon. I was able to make it to the reunion.

As for Detroit? I say we burn the place down.

Gordon and Villanueva

I don't follow the NBA that closely, but this seems like a pretty big deal for the Pistons.

Bumblebee

A friend at work sent me this link, which I thought was pretty cool.

Simpsonized

This site had me clicking for at least an hour. It features pop culture characters drawn in the Simpsons animated style, like so:


Much more at the link.

Samurai Baseball

Wow

A picture of a volcanic eruption, taken from the International Space Station:


More here. (Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

Walk-Off

The best part of my day after Ryan Raburn's walk-off HR last night? Saying to a Cubs fan, "Hey, how'd the Cubs do last night?" One second of silence until they remembered I'm a Tigers fan, then profanity. It was awesome.

Global Warming

According to Yahoo! Weather at 4:17pm in Cass City:

Partly Cloudy - 90 degrees
"Feels Like" - 96 degrees

Dead Snow...beat this

Bumper Music, Vol. 1

This is the first edition of a summer-segment of bumper music that can be heard on the Jim Rome show. I think in this case, Jimmy Kimmel uses this song as well, usually towards the end of his show, heading into the final break.

Hall of Famer

Steve Yzerman selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame today, along with former teammates Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. There's not much to write about the Captain that hasn't already been written, so I'll just link to one of my last posts on him. So, the only question left is whether Steve Yzerman is the greatest all-time Detroit sports hero, or is there someone (Gordie Howe? Joe Louis?) who would rank ahead of him?

Reunion

So, just before I commit to going, is everyone else in or out?

Chicks Dig the Long Ball

This commercial is funnier in retrospect:

Don't click the link...

...unless you want to see pure awesomeness. I think I need to take up a new hobby, and I even know where I could pick up some cylinders. (Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

...Goes Around

Please read the previous post "What Comes Around..." before reading this one.

I knew since June 2008 what teams would be in the baseball district tournament with Cass City. Five teams...and one of them was Harbor Beach. I was also pretty sure,... yup, wait for it...THAT DAN BROWN WAS THE VARSITY BASEBALL COACH FOR HARBOR BEACH.

So, after this situation had happened, I started to come up with plans that were as evilish that I could make them...baseball-wise.

Knowing we would be playing against each other in the regular season, I contemplated running up the score as high as I could. However, knowing we could possibly face each other in the baseball districts (and we might not actually be good enough to run the score up even if we wanted to), why would I want to "even the score" in the regular season only for him to "punk" me in the baseball districts when it really mattered.

In the regular season, we were ahead 10-0 in game 1 and finished 10-3. We lost the second game 3-8.

Life can be funny sometimes, and wouldn't you know it, we drew Harbor Beach in the baseball district semi-finals.

I never told anyone on the team about my "ulterior motives," but I so BADLY wanted to mercy HB in the districts, squeeze the coaches hand, and tell him "don't ever swear at me again!"

Long story short, I lost the coin flip, so we batted first. We scored 4 runs in the first inning like a little leaguer was on the mound. Steffin Bader gave up 2 in the bottom of the 1st to make it 4-2. But, we answered back with 3 more like we were batting off a Tee in the second inning. The next inning was side toss and next thing you know, we are winning 11-2 in the 6th inning. I even stole home on a passed ball to make it 12-2 (which came after a call that Dan Brown argued forever, making my runner return to 3rd base, only to score on the VERY NEXT PITCH after the argument..."The ball don't lie, DAN!")

Final score, 12-2. I now accept your apology.

"MAN'S GAME" DAN!

What comes around, goes around.

What Comes Around...

I had alluded to this story and finally have time to get back to it. And I'm glad I postponed the story, because it really got good. Better than I was hoping for.

I was refereeing a FRESHMAN boys basketball game on Friday, February 20 at Marlette. I was scheduled to do a freshman/JV doubleheader. It's a pretty good gig. Less than 1 hour of total drive time, 2.5 hours of work, $110. The opposing team was Harbor Beach. Before the game, my partner had mentioned the HB coach was a pretty good basketball official himself and did a lot of Varsity games in the Saginaw area. (I believe that, however I don't know how long ago that was. It's pretty difficult to coach a freshman game and then have time to do anything else after the game, let alone drive to Saginaw in time to ref.)

Let's cut to the chase. HB has the ball at halfcourt after the timeout with :09 seconds remaining. Marlette is winning by 2. HB takes a shot and misses. A HB player gets the rebound at the low block, right in front of me. IN MY JUDGEMENT, he was fouled, but a non-shooting foul. I blew my whistle about a half second before the buzzer went off to end the game. I called "on the floor," meaning he was fouled, but not when shooting. Again, the key here is, in my judgement, when he was fouled, he was NOT attempting a shot. Normally, at the freshman level, this wouldn't be all that bad because the other team probably had committed too many fouls in the half, making this a one-in-one situation for HB. But, HB was not in the bonus situation, so the game just basically ends. The HB coach new Marlette did not have enough team fouls to put HB on the free throw line unless it was a shooting foul. So, he was extremely...

In my 13 years of officiating any sport at any level, to my best recollection, no one has ever swore at me (that I've been able to hear).

Coach: (On the basketball court, following me to the scores table to report the foul)

That is horse bleep. No way! You can't end the game like that! Are you kidding me? That is horse bleep. No way are you going to end the game on that!

Not only was he "giving me the business," but so was the Varsity basketball coach:

Varsity Coach: (Sarcastically clapping) "Great call ref. Excellent call."

Oh, and my mom was at the game that night too. She was sitting behind the HB bench, about halfway up the bleachers. However, she never mentioned anything to me about the call. I'm not so sure she even knew this happened.

Like I mentioned before, this was a doubleheader. So, I had to go in the coaches office in the locker room after the game, try to completely forget about what just took place, and the come back out for a much faster, competitive tempo JV game...with more people in the stands.

The ironic thing is, really no one knew I had to work the JV game as well, but the one guy I don't remember ripping on me after the game was the HB JV coach. He must have known there was a good chance I'd be reffing the next game, so why get on my bad side (not that I didn't want to stick it to HB anyway). Side note, HB won the JV game.

That was one of the more mentally challenging nights of officiating I've ever had to deal with. Some of you were with me at the 12-year old State Championship baseball game that I umpired behind homeplate with 2000 people in attendance. That was easy compared to coming out of the locker room for the JV game that night.

Fast forward to boys basketball districts at Cass City, March 9. HB was one of the 5 basketball teams in the district. I had "girls/opponent locker room supervision" duty for the districts. When HB showed up, I immediately recognized all the HB coaches, including Dan Brown, the freshman coach. I didn't know if he would recognize me in regular clothes and glasses 3 weeks later, but I sure hoped he would so I put myself in positions where it would be easy for him to see me next to the wall.

I never knew what I would say had we met again. But I tried to burn a hole through his eyes anytime we made eye contact. I so badly wanted him to know it was me.

Later that night, as the HB team huddled near the locker room waiting to take the floor, Dan Brown approached me. Dan is bald, mid-40's, shorter than me, but looks like he can hold his own. He shook my hand and deeply appologized for what he had said. (He also couldn't help himself from commenting/correcting my positioning on the floor when I refereed.)

I politely "accepted" the apology...

"Expecting you to be able to count to three isn’t unreasonable."

Hilarious take yesterday from Romey on "The Volcanic Milton Bradley."

With Man-Ram on “maternity leave”, we need to venture off to “other parts of the galaxy”. And back on “Planet Milton”, things are getting nice. I’ve been loaded up on the NBA Finals the last few days and wanted to double-back to Cubs’ outfielder Milton Bradley’s “act” last Friday.

As I’m sure you already know, trailing by two runs in the 8th, Milton caught a Joe Mauer fly ball…styled it for a few moments…and then tossed it into the bleachers. Better to toss the ball to the fans, than to slam a water bottle at their feet. Progress! Nice touch, Milton.

Or it would have been had it not been just the second out of the inning with runners on the corners. “Uh-oh!!!”

Of course, as unforgivable an act as that is, Milton’s inevitable reaction to it is worse than the crime itself: “…that’s life. These people have high expectations. I have high expectations for myself. I never made a mistake like that in my life. Sue me.” See, Milton, this is why you’re not misunderstood! Why the world really isn’t out to get you! But you could see how it might be after hearing something like that.

Striking out with the bases loaded in the 9th…that’s life. Forgetting how many outs there are and throwing the ball into the stands is unforgivable! That can’t ever happen! And what do you mean “these people have high expectations”?! Expecting you to be able to count to three isn’t unreasonable. Mix in an umpire indicator, my man! If you’re going to go “bonehead” like that…you better “own it”, “promise it will never happen again” and “just keep moving”.

Bad things, Cubs fans! He’s hitting .220, getting booed, the team is struggling and he’s hooking fans up with two out souvenirs. “Head for the hills, North-siders”, because it’s only a matter of time before “Mt. Milton” erupts.

One of the Guys (Live)

United

This is amazing

According to our bulletin insert "Church Around the World: News of Significance to Christians" June edition:

"Korn Member Becomes a Christian"

Quoting word for word:

Another member of the heavy metal band Korn has become a Christian and overcome drug addiction. Korn's bassist, Reginald Arvizu, says he was an addict and womanizer who quit drugs cold turkey when his father, a born-again Christian, told him his dying wish was for his son to find God. Arvizu says Jesus Christ and the Bible were his only rehab and that the change in his life is 'an amazing and powerful thing.' A former bandmate, Brian Welch, left Korn after becoming a Christian in 2005. Arvizu has written a book called 'Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn.'

Scribblenauts

This looks like a lot of fun:

Not Dead Yet

Reunion Update

In case those I forwarded the email to missed it:

THE LOCATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED!!!!
We will meet at Charmont for dinner at 7:00pm. If you plan to attend dinner please let me know. I need to let Charmont know how many of us there will be. Also, they have a buffet that night for $8.99 or we can order from the menu. Please let me know 9by 6/26) which you intend to do so I can give them a heads up. You can either email me on Facebook or email or call my email address/phone number listed below.

After dinner we will head to the tavern for drinks. No need to RSVP if you are just planning on coming to the tavern. Just show up! We will be there!

The Old Republic

The pen is mightier...

I don't know if I need a pen this tough, but I want one. A "tactical pen" sounds like the kind of thing I need to have. But maybe not at $80.

Collapse

Bill Simmons thinks that Big Papi might be older than he has said he is and that accounts for his struggles this season. I'm not sure whether he's right or not, though I like the theory, but I can agree that "Everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end." is a great quote.

"Career Change"

Vince Young is talking about making a "career change" if the Titans want him to play behind Kerry Collins. I get that Young is frustrated, even though I can't blame the Titans for considering sticking with Collins since they went 13-3 and Vince had a few issues last year. My beef is all about language. I don't think he wants to make a "career change", more like a job change. What's he going to do, sell used cars in Austin?

Ein, Zwei, Die!

I'm not much of a horror guy, but this might be the best horror film ever (from Big Hollywood via Hot Air).

Helpful Advice

When I mentioned to my friend at work today that I was considering possibly replacing my S10, he suggested I buy one of these:


His reasoning being that with the government soon to take a majority stake in GM, the Camaro will most likely be killed and become a collector's item. Of course, he also offered to keep it in his garage if there wasn't room in my apartment's parking lot, so he might have an ulterior motive.

If I did buy a 2010 Camaro, I think it would have to look like this (which, according to the Camaro website, is a $470 paint option):


And, yes, I'd buy an autobot badge for it.

Rack 'em

Check out the History of the Smack Off! What a great website. Just what the clones needed. I highly suggest you listen to Jay Mohr's and Joe in the OC's rants on the 2009 Smack Off.

Diamond in the Rough

The Red Hawks of Cass City played at Dow Diamond on Wednesday night. Check out the photos and the story here.

20-1

Oof, that's an ugly box score for the White Sox, who lost to the Twins 20-1 today. How often do you see twenty runs scored?

"Biblically terrible."

This review of the Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE Hybrid by Jeremy Clarkston of Top Gear is the best car review I've ever read. And by best, I mean hilarious. A small taste:

And the sound is worse. The Honda’s petrol engine is a much-shaved, built-for-economy, low-friction 1.3 that, at full chat, makes a noise worse than someone else’s crying baby on an airliner. It’s worse than the sound of your parachute failing to open. Really, to get an idea of how awful it is, you’d have to sit a dog on a ham slicer.

And it goes on like that. Awesome. (Hat tip: Iain Murray at The Corner)

Curve Ball

Here's the three best visual illusions in the world, as chosen by a group of neuroscientists and psychologists. The best one illustrates why a curve ball is difficult to hit, and will freak you out. (Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

Best & Worst

According to SI, Detroit has one of the best owners in sports (Mike Ilitch, #1 in the NHL) and one of the worst (William Clay Ford, second worst in the NFL).

Song and Dance Man

Sounds like Tom Izzo was pretty good at his one man fund-raising show "Izzo Goes To Broadway." I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea that Izzo was willing to go that far to help out Coaches vs. Cancer. That's why the man is the most beloved college coach in the nation.

More Terminator

Reunion

Okay, there's an official Facebook event for the the class of '99 10-yr reunion. I don't know if that matters to anyone, but there it is. It's going to be July 3rd, 7pm at an undisclosed location in CC. Are the Monkies going to be well-represented?

Again?

I am shocked, shocked that Brett Favre is considering unretiring... again. It must feel good to be Tarvaris Jackson right now.

Baseball Update

For those living outside of Cass City, here is a quick recap of the 2009 Varsity baseball season. Keep in mind, our record last year was 9-21 overall, and 1-9 in conference play:

16 Official Games
6-10 overall
0-5 league record

"Fun" stats:
5 of our 10 losses have come by one run. (We had a 3-game losing streak of one run.)
Another loss was by two runs.
Number of victories by one run: ZERO
Number of victories by two runs: ONE

We just lost to Bay City All-Saints tonight (they were the 2008 Division 4 State Champions).
Game 1: 5-6 (We scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first inning. BCAS scored 2 runs in the top of the 7th inning to grab the lead.)
Game 2: 1-10. Enough said.

Of the 11 total innings that we played tonight against BCAS, the lead-off hitter each inning for BCAS got on base NINE times. That's a bunch of crap.

Last season, we gave up 3 or more runs in the 1st inning 16 times out of 30 games. We lost 84% of the time when we gave up 3+ runs in the 1st inning, whether they batted first or not.

This season, we've given up 3+ runs only 3 times. We've lost 2 and one game didn't count as an official game.

On the flip side, we've scored 2 or more runs in the 1st inning 5 times. Our record: 1-4 (that includes tonights 4-run first inning loss).

Positive Notes:
We have a freshman on the team. Let's just say we tell the defense, "Fence, coming your way!" He's got some power.

Quote of the Day

I was talking in the hall with a teacher today after the bell had rang. I was on my prep hour, he was heading to his classroom to teach. We were still talking at least 3 minutes after the tardy bell had rang and a student came into the hall:

Student (Female 8th grader): You're really slow.
Mr. Meunier (Teaching his 39th year): You're really ugly so get back in the room.
Student: You're mean!
Mr. Meunier: I know. But switch that around.

The joke is that his name is pronounced "Mean-yer." So, when you say the words "you're mean," it's the same pronounciation of his name, only backwards.

By the way, the entire middle school loves him as a teacher, so that's just how he jokes around with them. Plus, after teaching 39 years, he's taught all of their parents.

Movie Review

Has anyone seen the movie "The Happening"? If you have, I'm curious what your explanation is to why the people were committing suicide.

The Buzz

The buzz on Facebook is that there might be a 10-yr reunion for the class of '99 over the Fourth of July weekend. Maybe.

I figure a real baseball trip is out this year, but would anyone be up for a Tigers game? Or a blowout minor league weekend? I've got vacation that I need to decide when to take.

Wow

I don't follow horse racing. I didn't bother to watch the Kentucky Derby. But I saw the end of the race on PTI, and 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird's win was amazing. As Kornheiser said: "...it looked like the other horses were running in oatmeal."

Also, I thought this Derby had quite a good showing of names. My favorites: I Want Revenge, General Quarters, and Atomic Rain.

IRS Short Bus Kids

This is possibly the best comment I've read on government intervention this year. An excerpt:

We've looked at the numbers and know what he's planning to do. I know dozens of people who are already putting the legal structures in place to move their companies and themselves offshore and away from the grip of the tax man. These are some of the smartest most dynamic people in the world and they'll have no trouble staying ahead of the kids from the short bus over at the IRS.

Now that's an insult. (Hat tip: John Derbyshire at The Corner)

Jim Rome's Take on "Isiah Thompson"

Isiah Thompson? WHOM?!?!

Terminator: Salvation Trailer

I'm getting kind of pumped for this one:

Re: Memo

Well, looks like I'm done with the Lions.

Foiled

Mel Kiper Jr. says even his draft prognosticating powers are foiled by the black hole of ineptitude that is the Detroit Lions.

Open House

Memo to the Lions

If the Lions draft Stafford I'm done being a Lions fan.* I agree with Wojo: Stafford isn't worth the risk, and I don't think he's a sure-fire prospect. Did anyone watch them play MSU? An NFL-caliber quarterback would have carved up MSU's secondary, like Matt Ryan did the year before. C.J. Bacher (Northwestern) looked better against the Spartans than Stafford. My prediction: If the Lions take Stafford, fans are going to end up wishing for the good old days of Joey Harrington.

*For a minimum of one season. I reserve the right to return to being a fan of the Lions during the 2010 season or if Drew Stanton is named starting QB. Void were prohibited. Watching Lions football may be harmful to humans, small animals, and some monkeys.

Huh?

Lego Rock Band? Well, obviously building blocks and rhythm games are meant to go together. I think I'm suffering from franchise overload.

New Logo

The Lions officially unveiled their new logo today, the one that was spoiled almost a month ago. They also showed off new uniforms and logotype. I like the new logo, but the rest? Generic. Boring. If they can't do better than that, just go back to the classic look.

Sideswipe

It's come to my attention that some haven't seen pictures of the new Corvette Stingray concept, which will be seen as autobot "Sideswipe" in the new Transformers movie (6/24). So, here you go:


More pictures at Dvice.

Monorail!

After President Obama's remarks about high-speed rail, I think this is necessary: