In 1981, the sweetest, most glorious sports car, ever, was introduced to America. It was going to change the landscape of motor transportation forever. With stainless steel panels, gull-wing doors, and a fiber glass underbody, it was suppose to be superior to every car before it.
Of course that car, that model of excellence was the DeLorean. It didn't exactly live up to expectations. Nope, it actually never made it atop the throne of cars. Sure we all wanted one because McFly busted through time, punched out Biff, and altered his family's existence from being a group of unmanageable dorks into a solid family unit of successful professionals. But that was as far as the DeLorean made "it". An investment gone terribly wrong.
Flash forward to 2010. I give you the Chicago Cubs. Just like the famously failed DeLorean, the Cubs have managed to make $140+ million disappear into the abyss of completely wasted money. A team that's supposedly built to win has become nothing more than a team looking to survive the first 2 months of the season.
How could this have happened? Surely there's a reasonable explanation as to why a team, who's payroll is in the top 3 in all of Major League Baseball, is destined to be one of the biggest flops this sports year. Let's see, could it be team chemistry? Can't blame it on Milton Bradley because he's gone, and the team seems like it's void of any Michael Barret-Zambrano situations. What about hitting? Well, several Cubbies are hitting well over .300, all be it not while runners are on base, but there's still hope that changes. Even Soriano's hitting, so we can't blame it on him, much to the dismay of Fonzie haters. Then there's the D Lee/Rami situation; you'd have to combine their averages in order to get it around .300 and that's obviously a problem. Maybe we should put the blame solely on the shoulders of those two. I mean, they are the veterans of the club. They're the leaders of the team and the RBI guys, so let's just blame them and move on. Naw, there's more to it than that.
I'm starting to think Sweet Lou is the problem. That's fair, right? He is the manager of the club. He's the one that's championed with getting the overpriced talent to produce. It's his job to get these guys to compete, isn't it? And he's not getting it done. "We've just gotta hit" isn't an acceptable sound byte after a loss, anymore, and that's the pre-programmed response we've too often heard from him this year. His ability, or lack there of, to push the right buttons in order to run a winning team out on the field daily has to come into question, at some point. And it needs to happen sooner than later or this team might quit by July. It's not like we're talking about the Pittsburgh Pirates--who swept the Cubbies right out of town, recently--no, we're talking about a team that's stocked with talent. Enough to win and certainly enough to be at least a .500 team, at this point. Yet we as fans are asked to sit back and wait. As if we haven't waited throughout the entirety of our lives for the Cubs to make an appearance in the World Series. Sometimes it takes a change and I'm not talking about sending Fontenot away via a trade or upgrading the bat boy. It starts with Lou. Regardless of his track record in the as a manager, he has to produce and at a high level and he's been unable to. It's not like he's acquired tenure or anything. Cut him loose, bring in some new blood, or at the very least give him a stern talking to.
Maybe the Cubs will rebound this year. Maybe Lou will right the ship. Maybe, just maybe, the Cubs will remember what it's like to win consistently and surprise us all. Or, and this is highly likely, they'll continue down the path of complete failure and end up like the DeLorean....New Coke....The XFL. A once grand idea, with so much promise, that refused to succeed. I can only hope, for the sake of all Cubs fans, that's not the case.
I guess if Back To The Future part II was right, we'll get the chance to see the Cubs win a World Series in 2015?
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mothers Day
This year my mom is celebrating her 30th Mother's Day, and she's not even 50 years old. Every once in a while, when I get to thinking about it, it hits me just how young my mom was when she gave birth to me. Before the age of 21 she had already committed to putting me and my needs before hers, and that's pretty amazing. I couldn't have imagined being responsible for a child at the age of 20. I was so consumed with myself that I rarely thought about anything other than what I wanted, what I thought I needed. She did, however, and here I am, at 30, more thankful than ever that I have a mother like her.
Everyone say's their mom's the best mom in the world, and I'm no different. My mom has given me everything and never has she asked for anything in return. A mother in the truest sense of the word. She's always around when I need her; the one person I've been able to lean on when my life didn't make sense at all. She's one of the great ones.
Mother's have an almost super hero mental strength to them, don't they? There's no other way to explain it. Even when I've been completely crushed by events in life that shouldn't have happened, she's able to exude strength. I've seen it first hand many times in my short life, but while dealing with the deaths of my Great Grandmother and my cousin (two of my favorite people on earth) is when she proved just how much stronger she is then me. While I have no doubt that she was an emotional wreck on the inside, she was nothing if not the stabilizing force for me on the outside. It's times like the aforementioned when you really appreciate how much a mother can endure and still be standing strong. For better or worse, she's always the one that has to be the face of strength during times of crises. I can only imagine how exhausting it has to be, and yet, she does it with as much of smile as one could muster during family tragedies.
Mother's have an endless amount of time to give. Whether it was waking up at 5am to make sure I made it to a wrestling tournament in Kansas 5 hours away, or spending every other night at my baseball games even if she was sick. She always put me first. Why, I have no idea. It's not like I was the most respectful kid, and I surely didn't show any appreciation for anything she did for me, when I was young. But that didn't matter to her, she just kept on being my biggest fan, camcorder in hand, celebrating every win and taking losses as hard, if not harder, than I did. She was unequivocally dedicated to making sure my childhood was the best, most eventful that it could be.
It's no secret that I think the world of my mother. Of course, I have regrets that I didn't tell her that when I was younger. For whatever reason, when I was young, I took my mother for granted. Luckily, the older I've gotten the more I've come to appreciate her and all she's done for me, my sister, my dad, and the rest of my family. She's always given me hope, and deserves so much more than I'll ever be able to give her back. I can only hope that she knows, now, just what she means to me and our family. She's been a mother for 30 plus years, now, and has unconditionally given everything she has in her heart to making my life great.
So Happy Mothers Day to my mom; a beautiful, kind, loving mother who deserves all the best things in life.
Everyone say's their mom's the best mom in the world, and I'm no different. My mom has given me everything and never has she asked for anything in return. A mother in the truest sense of the word. She's always around when I need her; the one person I've been able to lean on when my life didn't make sense at all. She's one of the great ones.
Mother's have an almost super hero mental strength to them, don't they? There's no other way to explain it. Even when I've been completely crushed by events in life that shouldn't have happened, she's able to exude strength. I've seen it first hand many times in my short life, but while dealing with the deaths of my Great Grandmother and my cousin (two of my favorite people on earth) is when she proved just how much stronger she is then me. While I have no doubt that she was an emotional wreck on the inside, she was nothing if not the stabilizing force for me on the outside. It's times like the aforementioned when you really appreciate how much a mother can endure and still be standing strong. For better or worse, she's always the one that has to be the face of strength during times of crises. I can only imagine how exhausting it has to be, and yet, she does it with as much of smile as one could muster during family tragedies.
Mother's have an endless amount of time to give. Whether it was waking up at 5am to make sure I made it to a wrestling tournament in Kansas 5 hours away, or spending every other night at my baseball games even if she was sick. She always put me first. Why, I have no idea. It's not like I was the most respectful kid, and I surely didn't show any appreciation for anything she did for me, when I was young. But that didn't matter to her, she just kept on being my biggest fan, camcorder in hand, celebrating every win and taking losses as hard, if not harder, than I did. She was unequivocally dedicated to making sure my childhood was the best, most eventful that it could be.
It's no secret that I think the world of my mother. Of course, I have regrets that I didn't tell her that when I was younger. For whatever reason, when I was young, I took my mother for granted. Luckily, the older I've gotten the more I've come to appreciate her and all she's done for me, my sister, my dad, and the rest of my family. She's always given me hope, and deserves so much more than I'll ever be able to give her back. I can only hope that she knows, now, just what she means to me and our family. She's been a mother for 30 plus years, now, and has unconditionally given everything she has in her heart to making my life great.
So Happy Mothers Day to my mom; a beautiful, kind, loving mother who deserves all the best things in life.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Radio's Sleeper Hold On Good Music
It's been a little over 30 years since The Buggles let us all know that "video killed the radio star". While that might not have been completely true, there are several people putting forth a strong effort to kill radio all together. The Justin Bieber's of the world are making it unbearable to listen to anything other than my ipod. In a day and age when the digital world is making it easier for anyone to release music, you have to really search through the bad to get to the good. It's not impossible, but don't think for a second that the radio is an outlet to use in your attempt to hear anything of substance. Advertising and big biz have flooded the airwaves with the terribleness on FM stations nationwide and it's becoming laughable. Laughable because some listeners are actually buying into this "music". Laughable because several great musicians and bands go unnoticed due to lack of appreciation by the same radio stations cramming Nickleback down the listeners throats 3 times an hour.
Granted some people might like Nickleback, and that's unfortunate. Their ears have been sentenced to life without parole, and they'll continue to support the murderess noise that NB produces, regardless of any type of intervention. Poor souls. There's nothing you can do to help these people, so it's best to leave them alone. And steer clear of riding with them on long road trips; chances are, you'll end up with one less friend at the conclusion if you choose otherwise.
Why has radio become the anti-good-music establishment? It wasn't always like this. There was a time when one could flip to a station and here the likes of Sinatra, or Otis Redding, or Janis Joplin, or Bowie blaring over the speakers. Now great music has given way to Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Ga Ga, Adam Lambert, and Ke$sha. All talented in their own way, but I'd rather go all Beethoven and cut off my own ear than listen to any of the aforementioned singers or groups. They're just not good.
This radio problem isn't relegated to cars, either. It can have a drastic effect on cook outs, too. There's nothing worse than cracking a fresh beer to the sound of Justin Bieber's "Baby". Talk about fun levels plummeting. Can I really listen to this kid sing about love and romance one more time? Can I please? I get that little girls swoon over this lil dude, but somebody take the mic away, now. A marketing scheme gone wrong. Label fat cats making millions on this kid at the expense of so many peoples ears, namely mine.
Of course there's a small exception to the rule. That exception is Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA". No matter what I say about that song, after a few too many drinks, it never fails, everyone seems to like it. I don't know why, and I'm not gonna fight it. It just wins. Congrats Miley, you remade "Tubthumbing".
I guess I'm a bit of a music snob, I'm okay with that. And I'm sure there are thousands of people that would castrate me for saying that Lady Ga Ga is absolutely terrible. I'm okay with that, too. Radio is what it is, and it isn't going to change as long as people continue to ask for "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down. It's a shame, really. There's a lot of great music out there, but some people let the radio stations dictate what they listen to and ultimately what they end up supporting. I doubt that's what radio was intended for when it was created.
I gave up on radio years ago. You should too.
Granted some people might like Nickleback, and that's unfortunate. Their ears have been sentenced to life without parole, and they'll continue to support the murderess noise that NB produces, regardless of any type of intervention. Poor souls. There's nothing you can do to help these people, so it's best to leave them alone. And steer clear of riding with them on long road trips; chances are, you'll end up with one less friend at the conclusion if you choose otherwise.
Why has radio become the anti-good-music establishment? It wasn't always like this. There was a time when one could flip to a station and here the likes of Sinatra, or Otis Redding, or Janis Joplin, or Bowie blaring over the speakers. Now great music has given way to Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Ga Ga, Adam Lambert, and Ke$sha. All talented in their own way, but I'd rather go all Beethoven and cut off my own ear than listen to any of the aforementioned singers or groups. They're just not good.
This radio problem isn't relegated to cars, either. It can have a drastic effect on cook outs, too. There's nothing worse than cracking a fresh beer to the sound of Justin Bieber's "Baby". Talk about fun levels plummeting. Can I really listen to this kid sing about love and romance one more time? Can I please? I get that little girls swoon over this lil dude, but somebody take the mic away, now. A marketing scheme gone wrong. Label fat cats making millions on this kid at the expense of so many peoples ears, namely mine.
Of course there's a small exception to the rule. That exception is Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA". No matter what I say about that song, after a few too many drinks, it never fails, everyone seems to like it. I don't know why, and I'm not gonna fight it. It just wins. Congrats Miley, you remade "Tubthumbing".
I guess I'm a bit of a music snob, I'm okay with that. And I'm sure there are thousands of people that would castrate me for saying that Lady Ga Ga is absolutely terrible. I'm okay with that, too. Radio is what it is, and it isn't going to change as long as people continue to ask for "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down. It's a shame, really. There's a lot of great music out there, but some people let the radio stations dictate what they listen to and ultimately what they end up supporting. I doubt that's what radio was intended for when it was created.
I gave up on radio years ago. You should too.
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