Thursday, December 31, 2009

BK's Top 102 Songs of the Oughts- Part 1

I'm back from Scranton and ready to get back to blog work. For those who won't get to hear my massive countdown on New Years Eve, I will be sharing the songs in backwards order here with you. I will do this in two parts, with the final 50 songs being listed here on New Years Day. I will also include a short snippet to explain how a song got to that spot (if nothing is written, it just means I like the song!). Here's #'s 102-51:

102. Fergie- Clumsy
101. Creed- Rain
100. Splendor- I Think God Can Explain
99. Puddle Of Mudd- Blurry
98. Linkin Park- In The End
97. Lee Ann Womack- I Hope You Dance (1st song a woman dedicated to me)
96. Foo Fighters- Long Road To Ruin
95. Twista, Kanye, Jamie Foxx- Slow Jamz
94. Five For Fighting- Superman (It's Not Easy)
93. Alicia Keys- Fallin'
92. Eminem- We Made You
91. Velvet Revolver- Fall To Pieces
90. Sheryl Crow- Out Of Our Heads (reminds me of Sheryl concert in MD)
89. Staind- Right Here
88. Chad Kroeger- Hero
87. Black Eyed Peas- Don't Phunk With My Heart
86. Green Day- 21 Guns
85. Stone Temple Pilots- Sour Girl
84. Jason Mraz- The Remedy
83. Def Leppard- Now
82. Rihanna & Jay-Z- Umbrella
81. Train- Drops of Jupiter (trip to Tampa with Mel)
80. Switchfoot- Dare You To Move
79. Maroon 5- Sunday Morning
78. U2- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (an early bump in Staci & my relationship)
77. Chris Brown- Forever
76. Plain White T's- Hey There Delilah (1st season with the P-Nats)
75. Fat Joe- Lean Back
74. Kanye West- Heard Em Say
73. Billy Joel- 2000 Years
72. Outkast- I Like The Way You Move
71. Daughtry- Home (return to Myrtle in '07)
70. Jay-Z, Kanye & Rihanna- Run This Town
69. Fall Out Boy- This Ain't a Scene..
68. Faith Hill- There You'll Be (Mary & I sis-bro dance)
67. DMX- Party Up
66. Ben Folds- Landed
65. Shinedown- 45
64. Green Day- Boulevard of Broken Dreams
63. Lil Jon- Get Low (my infamous St Pats 04 dance)
62. Rob Thomas- Someday
61. Def Leppard- No Matter What
60. Kelly Clarkson- Because of You (theme to my former mother)
59. Ludacris- Welcome To Atlanta (one of my ATL songs)
58. Miley Cyrus- The Climb
57. Beyonce & Jay-Z- Crazy In Love
56. Train- When I Look To The Sky
55. Puddle Of Mudd- Control
54. Vertical Horizon- Best I Ever Had (the end of Lynn & I)
53. The Fray- You Found Me
52. Don Henley- Taking You Home (mine & Staci's wedding song)
51. Boys Like Girls- The Great Escape (move to Q-Town)

Decade Maifesto



So here we stand at the precipice of another..decade? Holy crap, how does time fly by so quickly? Was it not just yesterday that I was watching the Atlanta Peach drop and looking excitedly towards life in my still-new city? No, 3653 days have passed since that moment. And life has taken many interesting turns since that night. In my writings from 12/31/99, I looked hopefully towards the next adventure, to pursuing Lynn and finding my path in life. Optimism- so unlike me, even then. But I wasn't far off, though it would take some time to get there. The love of my life was still 4 years away at that point, and I would go through no less than 3 careers before finding my rightful place in sports.

So what differentiated the 00's from the 90's? A sense of finally starting to find take the right path. Turmoil and uncertainty marked the previous decade, and while that did not completely disappear (for example, what area are we going to finally settle down for good??), the angst has disappeared.

And I can thank Staci for much of that. Most certainly the best thing that has happened to me in ANY decade, my beautiful wife is my rock. Moving to DC was certainly a mixed bag, but while I am certain we would have found each other anywhere, meeting in a Kingstowne bar was perfection.

It has been a joy watching the little people grow up, none more than my 2 wonderful daughters. Abby is a pure joy to see as she approaches teen-dom. She is a beautiful, intelligent, and talented young woman. My brothers, sisters & nephews have also become young adults, which makes me feel old and young simultaneously. And to all my family, esp. my Dad and Mary, who have been through more with me than anyone on the planet.

Close friends, as was the case ten years ago, remain the anchor of my life. I'm so thankful for the people who have been there for the good and bad, who have been a part of my life since I was young. And the many more friends that I have met these last ten years who have become integral to my life. And Facebook has brought so many lost friends back to the fold. "No man is a failure who has friends!"

So there it is- 10 years in a tiny snapshot. Ten years from now, where will my life be? Wherever it is, I hope it's with the same wonderful people. Happy New Year to all!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2009

We've arrived at the last year of the decade in review. Hope it's been as much fun for you as it has been for me.

News:
Sully saves hundreds while crash landing in the Hudson. Obama gets inaugurated. Celebrity deaths seem to happen every day this year, including Michael Jackson. And to put a cherry on top of the decade, Staci & I found out we're having a baby!

Sports:
The Dodgers rush out of the gate, survive a 50 game suspension for Manny, and win their most games (95) in 25 years. And then they lose in the playoffs again. Cowboys are 8-5 currently with 3 games remaining. My guess is I won't have anything good to put here in a few weeks, which will make the first decade of my life where neither of my two main teams wins a championship. I return to my baseball roots and work for the P-Nats in '09.

New MLB Stadium Seen: 2 (New Mets, Milwaukee)

TV/Movies:
The Middle, Community, Modern Family, Flash Forward
The Hangover, I Love You Man, Capitalism: A Love Story

Music:
3 Doors Down- Let Me Be Myself
3OH!3- Don't Trust Me
Black Eyed Peas- Boom Boom Pow
Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling
Cobra Starship- Good Girls Go Bad
Creed- Rain
Daughtry- No Surprise
David Cook- Come Back To Me
Eminem- We Made You
Foo Fighters- Wheels
Green Day- Know Your Enemy
Jamie Foxx- Blame It
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys- Empire State of Mind
Jay-Z, Kanye & Rhianna- Run This Town
Kelly Clarkson- Already Gone
Kelly Clarkson- My Life Would Suck Without You
Keri Hilson- Knock You Down
Kings Of Leon- Use Somebody
Miley Cyrus- The Climb
Muse- Uprising
Nickelback- If Today Was Your Last Day
Norah Jones- Chasing Pirates
Pink- Please Don't Leave Me
Plain White T's- 1,2,3,4
Rob Thomas- Someday
Seether- Careless Whisper
Shinedown- Second Chance
The Fray- You Found Me
TI & Justin Timberlake- Dead & Gone

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Oh Girl!



As anyone who is my Facebook friend knows, Staci & I have announced the impending arrival of our first child together. And yesterday we found out the exciting news that we are having a girl. This makes me 3-for-3 in the daughter department, which is fine by me. I readily admit that when I found out about Abby and Alexis, I was rooting for a boy both times. This time I was quietly rooting for a girl, even if it means tougher teen years and no real shot of a kid in Major League Baseball. That doesn't she can't be Jenny Finch, though! I'm not sure what's changed my thinking over the last dozen years, but I think Staci & I both got what we wanted. More importantly, everything looks healthy on the baby, though we won't know for sure till Friday's doctor appointment.

A note on the Ultrasound itself. How far technology has come in 12 years! I don't why I'm surprised when look at the progression of other "electronics" (computers, video cameras, computers, etc). The best pictures we saw back in the 90's were grainy and limited to certain angles. Flash forward to 2009, our nurse was able to get every angle of the kid, including split-screen and 4-D (that's live-action 3-D. I didn't know either). And the pictures were as clear as a bell, as you can see from the picture above. It was like watching an embryonic version of "24."

So Addison Brooklyn will join us sometime in May. So we're now onto the fun stuff- like planning the theme and clothes (Staci) and figuring out which baseball game will be little Addy's first (me). Should be a blast!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Down To 150...

The Decade Countdown is starting to get down to the semifinals, down to the best 150 songs. This process has gone fairly quickly for me. A friend was asking me about my criteria for the countdown. I've basically followed the same rules since I started doing this in 1986 (!). My "rules":

1) I have to like the song. It is my countdown, after all. So no "Moulin Rouge," country, Jonas Bros, etc, etc, no matter how popular the idiotic public might have found it.

2) My favorite artists get some special treatment, but not alot. There will be more Sheryl Crow or Foo Fighters than someone else might have, but I try to limit each artist to 5 songs in a countdown. How much fun would a top 100 be if I had 35 Sheryl songs?

3) The song should have some lasting power. As much as I might have liked a Chingy song back in 2003, do I cringe hearing it now? That said, music changes so much in 10 years, so it's important to accurately represent the entire decade. Which leads to #4..

4) Every year gets equal play, at least until the semi-finals. This is similar to sports, where every conference gets so many teams in a tourney, then whatever happens, happens. I certainly have my favorite years of music (2004 and 2007 were particularly good), but it's not a fair assessment of the whole body of work.

5) Perhaps most importantly, the songs that form the tapestry of my decade will be much higher in the countdown. Songs that "take me back" to my beloved Atlanta, meeting my wife, starting in baseball, friendships, road trips, lost loved ones, etc, make the soundtrack of my life. Why wouldn't they get the honor being played closer to midnight on New Years? This is a small but significant factor that can break ties between songs and bump a song into the top 20, or 10.

So there it is. The next step? I will be listening to all 150 songs over the next few days to find the top 100. Then the ranking will begin, which is the most difficult part, but also the most fun!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Are Nickelback The Atlanta Braves Of Music?



As I work on my paring my massive list of top songs of the decade from 312 to a more manageable 100-150, I noticed a very interesting trend. In 8 of the last 9 years (2008 being the only exception), there has been a Nickelback song in my top 40. Consider:

2001- How You Remind Me, Too Bad
2002- Never Again
2003- Someday
2004- Figured You Out, Feeling Too Damn Good, Paperback Novel
2005- Photograph
2006- Far Away
2007- Rockstar
2009- If Today Was Your Last Day

Yet, as I started cutting songs, many Nickelback tunes were the first to go. Why is that? I find their music pleasant enough, but so many of their songs are interchangeable. They are just one of those bands that doesn't take much time off, so you're constantly hearing a new song, but when it comes to distinguishing one from the other, you'll find yourself at a loss. So, sorry, Nickelback, you had a great decade, but very little will be represented in the BK's Oughts Countdown.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Cure For The Wintertime Blues



The older you get, the more depressing winter becomes. Even Christmas isn't what it used to be, so the "blahs" start earlier. So what I do to get through that? I start planning our baseball roadtrips for the following year. The steps are easy:
1) Figure out when and where we want to try and go next year. Adding the minors to my list a few years ago has made this especially fun.
2) Picking 2-3 new MLB cities to go to. The MLB parks left to see is dwindling, but in some ways more difficult (ie expensive).
3) Scanning through dozens of minor league teams' schedules. Trying to make sure as many teams as possible are at home in a certain radius is the key. My Christmas comes as a team I've been waiting to release their schedule finally does.
4) Looking at giveaways. This is not really that huge to me, the only thing I tend to care about is a hat giveaway, with an occasional bobblehead thrown in. The other problem is teams tend to release that schedule right before the season, long after the choices for us have been made. It's fun to see what other teams are doing, however.

So the rough outline for 2010 has been established. Here's the possibilities:
MLB Parks: With only 6 left, we are not going crazy in this department next year. The new Yankee Stadium is on the docket after my one-year ban. This will probably include a stop by one of the minor league parks I haven't gotten yet, the candidates being Long Island, Newark and Sussex. There will most likely be only one other MLB park for '10, with either Seattle or Minnesota as the choice. It will come down to which plane ticket is cheaper. Plenty of good MiLB to hit in either region with the St Paul Saints in Minnesota and Tacoma and Yakima in Seattle.
Local/regional trip: One of the good things about the DC area is the choice in baseball in a fairly close proximity. No less than 10 teams in a 2-3 hour drive. The 2nd annual P-Nats tour will occur the first weekend in June, with a stop in 3 states and DC, 4 different Nats affiliates, and 1 Flying Squirrel. Richmond, Hagerstown, Wilmington and DC, here we come!
Longer road trips: In some ways, these have become my favorite aspect of the baseball season, as they are fairly inexpensive and you get to see so much of the surrounding areas. Last year's North Carolina and Midwest trips were huge amounts of fun while continually clicking off more ballparks. For 2010, I have a New England trip planned as we go to visit Staci's parents in Maine. So many teams to choose from on the 750 mile journey, including Lowell, Pawtucket, and Portland. We will also be looking at an Upstate New York trip as well, as this is a quick 6-hour drive to dozens of teams, including Binghamton, Oneonta, and Tri-Cities.

2010 is going to be a great year in many ways, and plotting the baseball season is one small but important aspect of that.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2008

News:
The completely dominant story was the race for President. Obama v. Hillary, McCain & Palin, all ending in an historic election. Something I was very proud to volunteer and be a tiny part of.

Sports:
The Dodgers finish 84-78, but win the division and their first playoff series in 20 years. Get crushed by the Phils in the NLCS, but it was a fun ride. Cowboys fade again down the stretch, going 9-7 and narrowly missing the playoffs. I work for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, getting a taste of the playoffs, though we are quickly eliminated by my former team the Potomac Nationals.

New MLB Stadiums Seen:
4 (New DC, Toronto, St Louis, Kansas City)

TV/Movies:
Sons of Anarchy, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother
Dark Knight, Step Brothers, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express

Music:
All American Rejects- Gives You Hell
Britney Spears- Womanizer
Chris Brown- Forever
Colbie Callait- Realize
Coldplay- Viva La Vida
Daughtry- What About Now
Estelle- American Boy
FloRida- Low
Foo Fighters- Long Road to Ruin
Gavin Rossdale- Love Remains the Same
Jason Mraz- I'm Yours
Kanye West- Love Lockdown
Kardinal Offishall & Akon- Dangerous
Katy Perry- I Kissed a Girl
Kings Of Leon- Sex on Fire
Lifehouse- Whatever It Takes
Lupe Fiasco- Superstar
Madonna & Justin Timberlake- 4 Minutes
Mariah Carey- Touch My Body
Metro Station- Shake It
NeYo- Closer
Pink- So What
Sheryl Crow- Love Is Free
Sheryl Crow- Out Of Our Heads
Staind- Believe
TI & Rhianna- Live Your Life
TI- Whatever You Like
Three Days Grace- Never Too Late
Usher & Young Jeezy- Love In This Club
3 Doors Down- It's Not My Time

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2007

News:
Scooter Libby goes to jail. The Mitchell report rocks baseball. And I get married.

Sports:
Dodgers finish a disappointing 82-80. Cowboys have a tremendous regular season, going 13-3. Unfortunately, they continue to stink in the playoffs, losing in their first game. I also start my baseball career in earnest, working for the Potomac Nationals.

New MLB Stadiums Seen: 4 (Cubs, White Sox, San Diego, Anaheim)

TV/Movies:
Mad Men, Back To You, Big Bang Theory, Pushing Daisies
Knocked Up, Die Hard 4, Superbad, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

Music:
Arcade Fire- Keep The Car Running
Avril Lavigne- When You're Gone
Boys Like Girls- Great Escape
Colbie Callait- Bubbly
Daughtry- Home
Daughtry- It's Not Over
Don Henley- This Love
Fall Out Boy- This Ain't a Scene..
Fergie- Clumsy
Fergie- Big Girls Don't Cry
Five For Fighting- 100 Years
Foo Fighters- The Pretender
Good Charlotte- Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)
Graham Colton- Best Days
Gwen Stefani- Sweet Escape
Gym Class Heroes- Cupid's Chokehold
Incubus- Discover
Kanye West- Stronger
Katherine McPhee- Over It
The Killers- Read My Mind
KT Tunstall- Suddenly I See
Maroon 5- Wake Up Call
Maroon 5- Won't Go Home Without You
My Chemical Romance- Welcome to the Black Parade
Nelly Furtado- Say It Right
Nickelback- Rockstar
Pink- Who Knew
Pink- U + Ur Hand
Plain White T's- Hey There Delilah
Rascal Flatts- Broken Road
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus- Face Down
Rhianna- Umbrella
Shop Boyz- Party Like a Rock Star
Timbaland- Apologize

Thursday, December 03, 2009

BK's Top 20 TV Shows of the Oughts

Despite all the garbage on TV (reality shows/horrible game shows), I believe that this decade has seen a resurgence in solid and innovative TV. I could count on 2 hands (with some fingers left) the shows from the '90s that I would rewatch today. I don't think I will have that same problem with these '00s shows in the future. A key to my list, especially when distinguishing my top 5, was rewatchability and shark-jumping (as in, did the show stay around way too long?). I also tried to factor in the "what-if" factor, as there are alot of shows here that disappeared quickly, and would they have stayed as good if they had made it to their 5th (or in some cases 2nd) season. So here is my favorite 20 shows from the last decade:

20. Entourage (04-present)- Vinnie Chase and his crew started so well, but the last 2 years have just been okay.
19. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (06-07)- Alot of potential for Sorkin's West Wing follow-up, but people just didn't care about rich actor's behind-the-scenes problems.
18. Undeclared (01-02)- This show about college freshmen was not given a proper chance by Fox. Very smart and fairly accurate depiction of starting college life. Created by Judd Apatow before he was Judd Apaptow. Also look for Jason Seigel and Seth Rogen before they were stars.
17. Mad Men (07-present)- Life in a 1960's ad firm, just as women's rights (and everything, really) were changing. One of the better ensembles of the decade.
16. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (01-present)- Cartoon about a milkshake, fries and wad of meat who solve crimes in New jersey. Yup, it's exactly what it sounds like. But funny as hell and helped launch Adult Swim.
15. Saturday Night Live (75- present)- Some so-so years in the mix this decade, but Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, et al continued to make mostly-great comedy 35 years after the show debuted.
14. Andy Richter Controls The Universe (02-03)- This show was also treated poorly by Fox, as it bounced to a million time slots. But "Andy" was a pre-cursor to shows like The Office or 30 Rock, by swaying away from "normal" sitcoms with wild sequences and awkward moments. Great cast as well.
13. The Sopranos (99-07)- When this decade started, it looked like this could be the best show ever. Then they started taking 2 year breaks between seasons. And uneven writing and weird plots. And having strange dream sequences. And the controversial finale (which I loved by the way). Still one of the best dramas I've ever watched.
12. Chapelle's Show (03-05)- For 2 season, this became the "SNL" of its time. Water-cooler material, quotes galore, and some of the funniest sketches you'll ever see. Then Dave lost his mind. Oh, what could have been.
11. How I Met Your Mother (06-present)- I didn't start watching till the 3rd season, but so glad I finally did. The plot: a father in 2030 explaining to his kids how he and their mom had met. The catch: 100 episodes in and we still don't know. But the stories leading up to that fateful day have been great. The "Friends" of the Oughts.
10. Rescue Me (04-present)- A dark dramedy about an NYC firehouse and the multitude of problems they go through. I started watching for Denis Leary and stayed because of the great writing and acting.
9. Scrubs (01-present)- I was very late to this party, catching up just as the 7th season was beginning. Just like Seinfeld the decade before, once I watched, I couldn't believe it took me so long to start. JD and his inner monologue, Dr Cox (one of my favorite characters ever) and his rants, and so much more.
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (00-present)- The true master of awkward comedy (on Mt Rushmore with Ricky Gervais and Steve Carrell), Larry David's look behind the curtain is still funny ten years later. Every situation that Larry puts himself into is painful but hilarious. and the Seinfeld "reunion" this season drove it to new levels.
7. 30 Rock (06-present)- Tina Fey is the funniest woman on the planet. and she gets to show it in this SNL-like behind-the-scenes show. And Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are hilarious as well.
6. The West Wing (99-06)- The incredibly well-written show about a president and his administration. While they had a small creative slump in the middle seasons, it surged while covering the campaigns of the presidential wannabes.
5. Arrested Development (03-06)- The smartest comedy ever. Which is why it barely lasted 3 seasons in a world where "According to Jim" and "Til Death" get renewed multiple times. It had jokes that you actually had to think about and pay attention to. Rumors abound that a movie is in the works. Let's hope so- bring back the Bluths!
4. 24 (01-present)- I'm proud to say that I was one of the few watching this when it debuted, and that I brought alot of people on board as the show gained popularity. Set in "real time," Jack Bauer saves the world season after season from every catastrophe possible. It's had a great run, but I'm actually hoping this upcoming season is the last- before it goes off the deep end.
3. Family Guy (99-present)- One of the greatest success stories of the decade, Family Guy is a cartoon that goes off on crazy tangents, pop-culture references, and unbelieveable story lines, but almost always finds the funny. This show was killed by Fox (a recurring theme- maybe Fox should stop being a network). But 3 years later, thanks to tremendous DVD sales and repeats on Cartoon Network, the show was revived and is now a staple on Sunday nights.
2. The Office (05-present)- Did I watch in the beginning hoping to see them bash my hometown of Scranton (the show's setting)? Yes. But while waiting for that, I discovered the funniest show on TV. It took some time to find its footing (but so did Cheers and MASH). And kudos to NBC for allowing it to do so in an era that good but underachieving shows are quickly canceled. One of the best comedy ensembles ever.
1. Lost (04-present)- How many shows do you actually miss when they are not on? Lost is one of those shows to me. But it's so much more- the questions that it raises about destiny, faith vs. science, and how much of our life do we control. The twists and turns the plot has taken have pushed some people away- fine by me. To those, I say go watch "Gilligan's Island." The finale next year should be fantastic, and the ride through 6 seasons has been worth it.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2006

News:
Not a lot of big news this year. Lobbyist Jack Abrahamoff is sentenced to 6 years for fraud. And on a personal note, I got engaged.

Sports:
The only year this decade that the Dodgers and Cowboys both make the playoffs (hopefully that changes in '09!). Dodgers sport an 88-74 record, and the Cowboys go 9-7. Both are eliminated in the first round.

New MLB Stadiums Seen:
5 (Denver, Houston, Texas, Detroit, and Cincy). Also start the minor league tour in earnest.

TV/Movies:

Studio 60, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men
Borat, Talladega Nights, Pursuit of Happyness, Clerks 2

Music:
Blue October- Hate Me
Chris Brown- Run It!
Coldplay- Fix You
Daniel Powter- Bad Day
Evanescence- Call Me When You're Sober
Five For Fighting- The Riddle
Foo Fighters- Best of You
The Fray- Over My Head
The Fray- How To Save a Life
Gnarls Barkley- Crazy
Goo Goo Dolls- Better Days
Jay-Z- Show Me What You Got
Juelz Santana- There It Go (Whistle Song)
Justin Timberlake- SexyBack
Kanye West- Heard Em Say
Kanye West- Touch The Sky
KT Tunstall- Black Horse & The Cherry Tree
Nelly Furtado- Promiscuous
Nickelback- Far Away
OK Go- Here It Goes Again
Panic! At The Disco- I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
Pink- Stupid Girls
Red Hot Chili Peppers- Dani California
Shakira- Hips Don't Lie
Shinedown- Save Me
Snow Patrol- Chasing Cars
Switchfoot- Dare You To Move
U2- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Papa



11 years have come and gone. Michael Martorana, the anchor of my family, the man who was admired and loved by everyone he came in contact with, was taken from us on this date in 1998. Thanksgiving time always reminds me of this, though this year seems to be resonating with me more. That may be because it's the first time that the anniversary has fallen on a Tuesday since the original day. That also happened to be 2 days before Thanksgiving. Or maybe as the problems that a certain sector of my family continue to fester, so does my yearning for my Papa to set it straight. There is no doubt in my mind that he would not have stood for the things that have caused this rift.

Enough of that- onto the happy memories. My grandfather was a giving person- he not only worked for the same company (Acme Supermarket) for 40 years, he volunteered his free time to his local playground (where he cooked, supervised kids, and kept St Anthonys Park running like a fine-oiled machine), his church, and his family. He loved his grandkids like nothing else, making sure we were always taken care of. And his love of sports- going to Yankees and Phillies games with him, watching football with him on Sundays- was a huge influence on me and who I am today. (see here for my last trip to Yankee Stadium and more about my grandfather)

Time heals these things, but only to a point. The dull pain that you feel about someone you have lost never quite leaves you. And I think that's probably a good thing- keeps us human. At least we had the time we did with someone so special, and those memories that can never be taken away.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2005

News:
Iraq elections and the tsunami. But the biggest story of the year, which also cemented Bush's already-questionable presidency, was Hurricane Katrina. As much as 9/11 was unimaginable, so was Katrina, for different reasons. The US should never look like a third-world country.

Sports:
Dodgers have their worst season of the decade at 71-91. Nats have a great first-half to start the franchise right. Cowboys go 9-7 and miss the playoffs. Staci & I start our ballpark tour in earnest, getting 7 new MLB stadiums in '05.

New MLB Stadiums Seen: 7 (Philly, DC, Mets, Cleveland, Boston, Florida, Pittsburgh)

TV/Movies:

The Office, My Name Is Earl, South Park, the return of Family Guy!
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Wedding Crashers. 40-Year Old Virgin, Napoleon Dynamite

Music:
Akon- Lonely
Alicia Keys- Karma
Anna Nalick- Breathe (2AM)
Ben Folds- Landed
Black Eyed Peas- Don't Phunk With My Heart
Coldplay- Speed of Sound
Def Leppard- No Matter What
Fall Out Boy- Sugar We're Goin Down
Fall Out Boy- Dance Dance
Foo FIghters- No Way Back
Goo Goo Dolls- Give a Little Bit
Gorillaz- Feel Good Inc
Green Day- Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Green Day- Wake Me Up When September Ends
Gwen Stefani- Hollaback Girl
Kanye West- Gold Digger
Keane- Everybody's Changing
Kelly Clarkson- Because of You
Kelly Clarkson- Since U Been Gone
Lifehouse- You & Me
Ludacris- Get Back
Mariah Carey- We Belong Together
Maroon 5- Sunday Morning
Nickelback- Photograph
Sheryl Crow- Good is Good
Staind- Right Here
TI- Bring Em Out
Will Smith- Switch
50 Cent- Just a Lil Bit

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2004



If I were to pick a favorite year of the decade, it would be '04, and not just because I started dating my future wife. It was the year that began the glimmer of a baseball career for me, the funniest movie of the decade (Anchorman) was released, and the best TV show of the decade (Lost) began. The Expos announce a move to DC. And the music was more solid than most other Oughts. Here ya go:


News:
Bush "beats" Kerry, cicadas return from a 17 year sleep. I start working as game day staff for the Potomac Cannons. And oh yea, I started dating some chick named Staci. Wonder what ever happened to her?

Sports:
Dodgers make the playoffs after an 8-year absence by going 93-69, but are quickly eliminated. The Cowboys go back to sucking with a 6-10 record.

New MLB Stadiums Seen: 1 (Baltimore). Also the first place Staci & I see a game together (above)

TV/Movies:
Rescue Me, Lost, Entourage
Anchorman, 50 First Dates, Farenheit 911, Saw

Music:
Alicia Keys- If I Don't Have You
Avril Lavigne- Don't Tell Me
Black Eyed Peas- Hey Mama
Black Eyed Peas- Let's Get It Started
Bowling For Soup- 1985
Britney Spears- Toxic
D12- My Band
Eamon- F*** It
Eminem- Just Lose It
Evanescence- My Immortal
Fat Joe & Terror Squad- Lean Back
Five For Fighting- 100 Years
Hobbastank- The Reason
Howie Day- Collide
Jason Mraz- You & I Both
Jet- Look What You've Done
Jimmy Eat World- Pain
JoJo- Leave
Kanye West- Through The Wire
Kylie Minogue- Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Lil Jon- Get Low
Maroon 5- This Love
Maroon 5- She Will be Loved
Nickelback- Paperback Novel
Norah Jones- Sunrise
Outkast- Roses
Shinedown- 45
Switchfoot- Meant To Live
Train- When I Look To The Sky
Twista, Kanye, Jamie Foxx- Slow Jams
Usher & Lil Jon- Yeah!
Will Ferrell- Afternoon Delight
3 Doors Down- Away From The Sun

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

It's His Basement...






Another '80's celebrity is taken from us, as Ken Ober died last night. This may be a minor one for most people, and my guess is that most people under 30 (not you, Paul!) don't even know who he is. But Ober was huge back in the late '80's as the star of MTV's "Remote Control" game show. It was MTV's first venture into non-music programming (and sadly, the beginning of the end of the "M" in MTV). The premise was simple: Ken Ober used his "basement" to host a pop-culture game show where contestants answered questions about TV, movies and music by clicking their remote to one of 9 channels. Every show began with the phrase: "It's his basement, it's his rules, it's his game show, the quiz master of 72 Whooping Cough Lane, Ken Ober!" It was kitcshie, and the first game show that kids and teens could play along with. Besides Ober, it was the starting point for future stars Colin Quinn, Kari Wuhrer, Adam Sandler, and Denis Leary. RIP Ken, and thanks for the memories. Here's a sample of the show from 1988.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2003

News:
Space Shuttle Columbia explodes, War in Iraq begins, Saddam is captured

Sports:
Dodgers finish 85-77, and Cowboys go 10-6 and make the playoffs in the first year under Bill Parcells. No new MLB stadiums this year (only time this decade), but I do get to Vero Beach, spring training home of the Dodgers, for the first time.

TV/Movies:

Chapelle's Show, Arrested Development, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Andy Richter Controls The Universe
Matrix Reloaded, Scary Movie 3, Old School, Lost In Translation, Bruce Almighty, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Music:
Ashanti- Rock With You
Audioslave- Like a Stone
Baby Bash- Suga Suga
Beyonce & Jay-Z- '03 Bonnie & Clyde
Beyonce & Jay-Z- Crazy in Love
Chingy- Right There
Coldplay- Clocks
Coldplay- The Scientist
Def Leppard- Long Long Way To Go
Eminem- Superman
Evanescence- Bring Me To Life
Foo Fighters- Times Like These
Fountains Of Wayne- Stacy's Mom
Fuel- Falls On Me
Hootie & The Blowfish- Innocence
Jason Mraz- The Remedy
Jay-Z- Excuse Me Miss
J Lo & LL Cool J- All I Have
Jimmy Eats World- Sweetness
John Mayer- Why Georgia
Justin Timberlake- Rock Your Body
Kelis- My Milkshake
Live- Heaven
Liz Phair- Why Can't I
Ludacris- Get Out The Way
Mariah Cary & Busta- Give It To Me
Matchbox 20- Unwell
No Doubt- It's My Life
Outkast- Hey Ya
Outkast- I Like The Way You Move
Sheryl Crow- First Cut is the Deepest
Staind- So Far Away
3 Doors Down- When I'm Gone
3 Doors Down- Here Without You
50 Cent- In Da Club

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2002

News:
Enron collapses, Sniper attacks terrorize DC, very sad remembrance on the first anniversary of 9/11.

Sports:
Dodgers remain in contention until the final weekend, finishing 3 games out of the wild card with a 92-70 record. The Cowboys complete a 3rd year in a row of suckiness and finish 5-11. I have my first visit to LA and Dodger Stadium.

New MLB Stadiums Seen: 1 (Los Angeles)

TV/Movies:
8 Simple Rules, Friends, SNL, Six Feet Under
Bowling For Columbine, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Super Troopers, Austin Powers: Goldmember

Music:

Ashanti- Foolish
Avril Lavigne- Complicated
Avril Lavigne- I'm With You
The Calling- Wherever You Will Go
Camron- Oh Boy!
Chad Kroeger- Hero
Coldplay- Trouble
Dave Matthews- Where Are You Going
Def Leppard- Now
Default- Wasting My Time
Destinys Child- Emotions
Eminem- Without Me
Eminem- Lose Yourself
Eric Clapton- I Get Lost
Fat Joe- What's Luv?
Foo Fighters- My Hero
Foo Fighters- All My Life
Goo Goo Dolls- Here Is Gone
Hoobastank- Running Away
Jimmy Eat World- The Middle
John Mayer- No Such Thing
John Mayer- 83
Lonestar- Already There
Ludacris- Welcome To Atlanta
Nelly- Hot In Here
Nickelback- Too Bad
No Doubt- Hey Baby
Norah Jones- Don't Know Why
P Diddy & Usher- I Need a Girl Pt. 1
POD- Boom
Puddle Of Mudd- Control
Puddle Of Mudd- Blurry
Sheryl Crow- Soak Up The Sun
Sheryl Crow- C'mon C'mon

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Big D Revisited



We made our return trip to Dallas this weekend, our first to see a football game. When we were there in '06, we saw a Rangers game and did the old Texas Stadium tour, which was awesome in its own right. But we really wanted to see an NFL game, as I hadn't been in 4 years and Staci had never seen an NFL game. The opening of my Cowboys' new $1.5 billion stadium was a perfect opportunity.

Cowboys Stadium is simply breathtaking. There's not alot of football stadiums you can say that about. Most don't have the character or uniqueness that many baseball parks have (which is part of the reason we're not doing a nationwide football stadium tour). The two places I had seen games at before, DC's FedEx Field and ATL's Georgia Dome, are God-awful. They serve their purpose, but that's about it. Cowboys Stadium goes out of its way to be fan-friendly, from the nosebleed seats where you could still have a good view of the game, to the ridiculously large video board that hangs over the field. The team store was 2 levels and the size of a small department store. And the fans were well-behaved, not many drunken idiots surrounding us or falling over themselves. Even though it was my "home" team, I think I am fairly unbiased in saying this a must-see for any sports fan. And, oh yeah, the Cowboys won 38-17. Well done!

Monday, November 02, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2001



Here's year 2 of the decade for your perusal:

News:
One event will always be remembered from 2001, of course I am speaking of 9/11. Everything else that occurred (Gary Condit & Chandra Levy, continuing controversy of the Bush election, etc), fell by the wayside when we were attacked on that fateful day. No one will ever forget where they were, nor should they.

Sports:
Another crappy year for my teams, in fact both the Dodgers (86-76) and Cowboys (5-11) finished with the exact same records as the year before. Atlanta continued its run of major sporting events, as we hosted the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Basketball Tourney, and the PGA Championship. I got to attend both, along with my first major college football game (UGA vs. SC) and first NFL game (Cowboys vs. Falcons). The return of MLB after the attacks, followed by a World Series for the ages (Yankees v. D-Backs), capped off a good sports year.

New MLB Stadiums Seen: 1 (Tampa Bay)

TV/Movies:
24 & Undeclared debut, Curb Your Enthusiasm & Sopranos rule HBO
1st Lord of the Rings, American Pie 2, Scary Movie 2, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Saving Silverman

Music:
Alicia Keys- Fallin'
Blu Cantrell- Hit Em Up Style
Crazy Town- Butterfly
Darude- Sandstorm
Dave Matthews- The Space Between
Destinys Child- Bootylicious
Eve 6- Here's To The Night
Faith Hill- There You'll Be
Five for Fighting- Superman (It's Not Easy)
Fuel- Bad Day
Incubus- Drive
Jagged Edge- Where The Party At
Jessica Simpson- Irresistible
KiCi & JoJo- Crazy
Linkin Park- In The End
Michelle Branch- Everywhere
Missy Elliot- Get Your Freak On
Mystical- Shake That Ass
O-Town- All Or Nothing
Sheryl Crow- Safe & Sound
Staind- It's Been Awhile
Staind- Fade
Tonic- You Wanted More
Tool- Schism
Train- Drops Of Jupiter
Trick Daddy- Take It To The House
U2- Stuck in a Moment That You Can't get Out Of
Uncle Kracker- Follow Me
Willa Ford- I Wanna Be Bad
3 Doors Down- Be Like That

Friday, October 30, 2009

Retro Music Moment

Something got me to thinking about one of my favorite shows as a kid- "Friday Night Videos." Now, we had MTV from day one in my house, but for some reason, this weekly NBC show always had me riveted. Maybe because it was "late night"- it ran from 12:30 AM-2 AM. It was the first show i can remember being allowed to stay up late and watch, which was probably my angle at the time. Here's the intro to a 1983 show:



Another favorite music/weekend show of mine from this era was "Casey Kasem's Top 10". Much like his popular radio show, Casey counted down the hits from the week. Here's a show from 1988. For an added bonus, check out the classic ads. And how about the "Prevue Channel" at the beginning of the clip? Yup, kids, we only had 40 channels and to find shows you had to sit through bland elevator music.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

No Classic For Me

I have resolved to watch none of the World Series this year. People, including my own wife, are amazed at my position on this. How could as big a baseball fan as myself not watch the biggest games of the season? It's simple and complicated at the same time. The easy answer is that I don't like either team, and could care less which outcome occurs. This is only the second time in my life that I have not watched the Series (other time being '00 Mets-Yankees). Here's the more convoluted reasons:

1. I can't root for the Yankees. Ever.
Yes, my wife is a fan. So is half of my family. That doesn't mean that I can switch allegiances and forget all the years of hatred toward this franchise. They tortured my Dodgers for a good two decades, ensuring we only won one championship while losing 5 times to the Yankees from 1947-56. And of course, the 1977-78 debacles as well. And is it really an accomplishment if you outspend everyone and win it all? No.

2. I can't root for a team that just pummeled my team.
The Dodgers lost two years in a row to the Phillies, and it was even more painful this year. There is no way I can get myself up for rooting for them, even against the hated Yankees.

3. The Drought Factor
As I wrote about here, once the Dodgers are out, I typically root for the team that has been waiting the longest for a title. And it's been an embarrassment of riches the last few years. Consider:
'08 Phillies (28 years), '08 Rays (never), '07 Rockies (never), '06 Cards (24 years), '06 Tigers (22 years), '05 White Sox (88 years), '05 Astros (never), '04 Red Sox (86 years). This year? Yankees (9 years) vs. Phils (1 year). While 9 years is a long time to spoiled Yankee fans, it's not long enough. It's never long enough in my opinion.

4. The Annoyance Level of the Fan Base

This does not include most people I know,including my wife (Yankees) and best friend (Phillies). Wow, these two teams would battle every year based on this, with the Red Sox and Mets thrown in for good measure. The sense of entitlement, the hijacking of away games, the fistfights and drunken stupidity. And look no further than Facebook to see how ridiculous these people are. Do I really need to know how you feel during every second of the game? No, I do not. State your excitement before and after the game and leave it at that.

So there you have it. The next baseball game I watch will be next March. In the meantime, I will be entrenched in football- until the Giants-Patriots Super Bowl.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Oughts In Review- 2000



Today I begin a 10-week series on the decade that is coming to an end. Most of my focus will be on music, but will include other pop-culture, sports, and news as it is relevant to me. The music portion will include some of my top hits from that year, and will culminate in a massive "Top 200 Hits of The Oughts" on New Years Eve. So without further ado, here is 2000:

News:
The year started with the ridiculousness that was Y2K, or the lack of Y2K. Planes were supposed to fall out of the sky, life as we knew would end. Yeah, not so much. I started my first full year in ATL watching the Peach drop. Then there was the "hanging chad" election. Bush "beats" Gore, thanks to brother Jed, and country goes into 8-year tailspin.

Sports:
The down side: my teams sucked. Dodgers finished 11 games out, as Fox continued to ruin a proud franchise that still shows its effects today. The Cowboys went 5-11, and the Dave Campo era was in full disarray.
The up side: Location, location, location. Including the NLCS the previous fall, my new hometown hosted one of the most exciting Super Bowls in history (Rams 23, Titans 16) & the MLB All-Star Game, which I went to and also volunteered for. My first foray into working in baseball.

TV/Movies:
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, Friends, Family Guy, West Wing
Meet The Parents, Castaway, Almost Famous, Scream 3, Scary Movie

Music: (alphabetical, not ranked)
Aaliyah- Try Again
Backstreet Boys- The One
BBMak- Back Here
Big Tymers- Get Your Roll On
Billy Joel- 2000 Years
Britney Spears- Oops I Did It Again
Creed- What If
Creed- With Arms Wide Open
DMX- Party Up
Eminem- The Real Slim Shady
Everclear- Wonderful
Filter- Take a Picture
Foo Fighters- Next Year
Fuel- Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
Garth Brooks- Lost In You
Jay-Z- Big Pimpin'
Lee Ann Womack- I Hope You Dance
Lonestar- Amazed
Matchbox 20- If You're Gone
Matchbox 20- Bent
Papa Roach- Last Resort
Red Hot Chili Peppers- Otherside
Sister Hazel- Change Your Mind
Splendor- I Think God Can Explain
Stone Temple Pilots- Sour Girl
Stone Temple Pilots- Atlanta
Vertical Horizon- Everything You Want
Vertical Horizon- Best I Ever Had
3 Doors Down- Kryptonite
9 Days- Story of a Girl

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Georgia On My Mind



Today marks the tenth anniversary of my move from PA to Atlanta, and in many ways the beginning of my adulthood. True, I had lived through the college years, had 2 kids, but now I was going to do something with my life. I had reached a ridiculous level of depression and melancholy. I was "stuck" in restaurants, living with my Dad, and muddling through Scranton life. I had known for at least a year that I would be moving away, just where and when were always the question. DC? North Carolina? LA? Atlanta was on my list, but far, far down. Then I got the opportunity in August of '99 to help my friend Mel move to Atlanta. And what an eye-opener that trip was. I fell in love with the city immediately, and started to make plans to move there.

It took a few months to get everything in order, but soon I was driving down I-85 into the beautiful lit-up Southern jewel. It stands 2nd only to Mansfield as the best move I ever made. What about DC, you say? True, I met my wife here, and started my baseball career here, but neither would have been possible without the leap of faith (with the help of some dear friends) that it took to move 850 miles from everyone and everything I knew. And it wasn't always easy- searching for a job, the Carl melt-down, driving 13 hours to see friends and family. But the people I met, the jobs I worked at, the ambiance of a city that was still in the after-glow of the '96 Olympics, the cultural changes..it was wonderful.

I moved from Atlanta to be closer to family and friends in 2003, and unfortunately I have not been back. The plan is to change that next year, and to show Staci what I have been gushing about all these years- that Atlanta is one of the best cities in the country, and more importantly, the place that gave me my life back.


Tuesday, October 13, 2009

New TV Season So Far



We're about a month into the new TV season, and so far, it's one of the best the networks have had in a very long time. Here's my take on the new shows I have been watching.

The good:
Modern Family (above)- Best new show, period. Ed O'Neill heads a great ensemble which puts many twists on the "traditional" family.
Community- Joel McHale & Chevy Chase. Great to see Chevy being Chevy again.
The Middle- Nice comedy about a family in Indiana.

The so-so:
Cougar Town- Courtney Cox makes this show, but the jokes are hit and miss, mostly miss. Only giving it a another week or so.

The downright ugly:
Hank- High hopes for Kelsey Grammar. Sad-sack show which we turned off 15 minutes in.
The Cleveland Show- Just awful. Taking the most boring character from a great show and spinning them off is a bad idea to begin with (see: AfterMASH), but this show has no point. Watched an episode and a half and laughed zero times.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

The Long Wait



Our new dog Willie came home last night. It's been a long wait in a couple of ways. I've wanted a dog since I was a kid, and after 36 years, i was finally going to get that opportunity. Also, Staci & I have wanted to get a dog practically since we moved in together. We were always held back by something- Staci being in school, my crazy landlord who was allergic to dogs, us moving back and forth to PA, and so on. When my season ended, it was finally the right time. So after searching through dozens of postings on many different shelters, we found Willie. He seemed perfect for our needs- low-key, older (ie trained and not hyper), and just the right size for our small apartment.

After visiting him on Saturday, we were able to finally get him yesterday. And after one day, I've got to say so far, so good. I really have only 2 "musts" for a dog. First, he can't be a beggar. I can't stand having a dog in my face when I am trying to eat, especially when their food is more expensive than mine! As we sat down for dinner last night, Willie barely looked up from his new favorite spot on the floor to sniff the aroma. Test 1: passed! My second thing is that my being awoken by said dog should be kept to a minimum. I have so many sleeping disorders, that I don't need anything adding to that. Aside from needing to go out at 2:30 AM, Willie did remarkably well, especially for a first night in a new home. He slept on the floor next to the couch, and while he woke up every time I moved, he would go right back to sleep. Test 2: passed!

So far, so good for Willie. I am curious/worried how his first day alone will be with both of us at work, but I am sure he will be fine. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

'09 Playoff Teams' Current Droughts


World Championships:
Phillies- 2008
Red Sox -2007
Cardinals- 2006
Angels- 2002
Yankees- 2000
Rockies- Never (started in '93)
Twins- 1991
Dodgers- 1988


League Pennants:
Phillies- 2008
Red Sox- 2007
Rockies- 2007
Cardinals- 2006
Yankees- 2003
Angels- 2002
Twins- 1991
Dodgers- 1988


Besides the Dodgers, I usually root for the team that has gone the longest without a World Series Championship or at least a League Championship. I never thought that team would be the Dodgers, in both cases. Sigh.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Playoff Hibernation




Tomorrow starts the MLB Playoffs, a wonderful time of year. This is the 3rd time in 4 years, and 4th in 6 years, that the Dodgers have made the playoffs. Which is fantastic, except for two factors: the stress that I feel watching my team in must-win games every day- I live and die with every pitch, and drive myself crazy; and the way it affects my schedule. The latter is not a horrible thing, it just alters my planning on a day-to-day basis for a month. Want to do something next Tuesday? I can let you know Monday after the networks figure out what time the Dodgers game is. And there's no phone calls, emails, Facebook, etc. I have only missed one game in the last 25 years of Dodger playoffs, and that was to be best man in a friend's wedding (which I will never let him live down). The Dodgers haven't made it very far since 1988, so this usually only a week and a half of anomaly. But one of these years, they may actually make it back to the World Series. When that happens, hold your calls and emails till the second week of November.

Friday, October 02, 2009

MLB Stadium Visit #28/ Midwest Baseball Trip



Last week, we did our first big MLB trip of the year. And it was one of our most ambitious trips to date. Our main goal was Milwaukee to see a stadium we hadn't been to in Miller Park. But there was so much more to do.

After driving late Thursday night to Canton, OH, we woke up Friday morning to head to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While all Halls have been ruined for me by how great the Baseball Hall is, this one wasn't bad. Plenty of Cowboys stuff to see, along with old uniforms. After a few hours there, we drove the 45 minutes to Cleveland to see an Indians game, where we hadn't been in 4 years. I made sure to get us seats close to where we sat the last time, as this was the place that I had decided to ask Staci to marry me. Jacobs Field still ranks as one of my favorite parks.

After the game, we drove 4 more hours to give us a head start on Saturday, which put us in South Bend, IN. I'm always a fan of college towns, even when I hate the team (like Notre Dame). Saturday morning, we walked around campus and took in the football field. Even got to see Touchdown Jesus, well-known throughout the college football world.

Then it was back on the road to head to Milwaukee. We drove through Chicago, and made a stop at Gino's East Pizza, a famous Chicago deep-dish pizza place. After having Giordano's (its main competition) in '07, I have to give the edge to Giordano's.

We finally arrived in Milwaukee late Saturday afternoon. We decided to take in the Riverwalk to get some Milwaukee food, and also so I could see the bronze Fonzie statue. Had some cheese curds, took my picture with the Fonz. On Sunday, we went to the Brewers game to see Miller Park. This stadium would be an easy top 5 for me, based on atmosphere, food, concourses, the stadium itself. But one fatal flaw- the scoreboard is awful- tiny screen, with a bigger 1980's style stat board below it. So it falls somewhere in the top 10.

After the game, it was time for 7 more hours of driving, to a small town in Ohio that would put us just a few hours outside of Pittsburgh for the next day's game.

Monday was a return to PNC Park to see the Dodgers take on the Pirates. I was excited not only to see the Dodgers, but because they had a chance to clinch the pennant that day. They did not, instead losing 11-1. But PNC is still a great place to catch a game. The final 2 stops were exciting as well- the site of Forbes Field, where Pittsburgh played until 1970, where they still have a piece of the outfield wall. And West Field, where the Negro League's Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords played. It's now used for a middle school soccer field, but you can still see the outline of the diamond.

Another great trip, and only 6 parks left! We are getting there!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Da Bums Leave Town



52 years ago today, the Brooklyn Dodgers played their final game at Ebbets Field before heading west to LA. It was not officially known at that time that they were leaving, but the writing was on the wall, and most fans knew they were seeing their beloved Bums for the last time. Even with this knowledge, barely 6000 fans showed up to see the Dodgers play the Pirates. That is unimaginable today, where tickets to a final game in places much less majestic than Ebbets Field go for 10 times their face value on ebay.

I've always been torn on this move of my favorite team. LA is certainly a wonderful home for the Dodgers, and Brooklyn desperately needed a new park to replace the crumbling Ebbets. And contrary to most reports, the fact that this couldn't get done was more the fault of politician Robert Moses, as opposed to Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley. Would the team have survived much longer with the changing profile of the city, along with the fact that a 3-team city was no longer viable? We'll never know for sure. The Brooklyn Dodgers, like a celebrity who dies too young, are romanticized in a way that no other team is. And maybe that's better that way.

Here is video of the last pitch ever at Ebbets Field:

Health Care Companies

In case you missed this posted on my Facebook, here is the hilarious video with Will & friends concerning health care:

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Catching Up- Week 1



The first week after my season ended has been a relaxing one. A full weekend of football and baseball was wonderful, plus six months worth of DVDs and books that need to be dusted off and caught up on. I have spent alot of my DVD time watching "The State," a sketch comedy show that ran in the mid-90's on MTV. This was, hands-down, the funniest sketch show on TV during that time- SNL was in a severe down cycle (pre-Will Ferrell), The Daily Show (and Comedy Central, for that matter) was not on the radar, and the Internet was just getting started. And this 11-person group was hilarious, and most of it still holds up today. The State tended to avoid topical humor, not wanting to seem dated just a few years later. And how right they were! As funny as Dana Carvey doing George Bush on SNL was, it seems like a million years ago now.

Younger fans would recognize some of the group from "Reno 911" (of which I am not a fan). "Michael & Michael Have Issues" is a funny show currently airing on Comedy Central featuring two of The State. But do yourself a favor- put this The State on your Netflix list and get ready to laugh your ass off. Here's one sketch to get you started:

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Third Season In The Books



Yesterday ended my third full season in Minor League Baseball, 2nd with the Potomac Nationals. There is a definite melancholy associated with the finishing of a physically and mentally draining 5-month period, but also a sense of relief. Things to look forward to: catching up on much-needed sleep, hanging out with friends you haven't seen much since March, spending time with your wife, and knowing you do not have to worry about what the weather is for a long time. Though it has been a trying season at times (being sick twice, various knee and ankle injuries, dealing with the owner's crazy-ass wife), it also has been the most fun and rewarding. The people I got to work with this year have (mostly) been a pleasure, and good friendships were formed or strengthened. It was also alot of fun running the Team Store (except for the afore-mentioned crazy bitch). It solidified my thinking that merchandise is where I will be in the long run. So, here's to you, '09 P-Nats- and looking forward to to '10!

Thursday, September 03, 2009

K-Tel Records- Those Were The Days!



K-Tel popped into my mind last night during a conversation with Paul. If you're over 30, you could not avoid these commercials on your 4 TV channels when you were a kid. K-Tel mostly did compilation albums of popular songs (much like "NOW That's What I Call Music" CDs in present times). The difference being that these ads aired seemingly every 5 minutes for about 15 years. Ah, memories..here's an example:



Which brought me to this...a stand-alone music compilation called "Freedom Rock." The songs were fine- it was the commercial that sucked and was shoved down our throats. Two aging hippies- "Is that Freedom Rock? Well, turn it up man!" Here it is:

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Last Great Kennedy



"This is the way he lived. My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."- -Eulogy to brother Robert, 1968

"With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion. With Barack Obama we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay."- Endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, January 2008.

"Although my doctors informed me that I suffered a cerebral concussion, as well as shock, I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical and emotional trauma brought on by the accident, or on anyone else. I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately. ...
It has been seven years since my first election to the Senate. You and I share many memories...And so I ask you tonight, the people of Massachusetts, to think this through with me. In facing this decision (whether to resign), I seek your advice and opinion. In making it, I seek your prayers – for this is a decision that I will have finally to make on my own."
-Statement to the People of Massachusetts on Chappaquiddick, 1969.


Ted Kennedy's passing this morning brings the close to an era that began nearly 60 years ago. Of all of the Kennedy brothers, Ted was not the one that anyone thought would succeed, and if not for all the tragedy that surrounded his family, he may have been forgotten to time. Brother John became a young charismatic President, and brother Robert was a vibrant Senator and Presidential candidate. Both were assassinated in their primes, which left Teddy as the patriarch of the Kennedy family. He became a Senator in 1962 and had Presidential aspirations, until a fateful night in 1969 in which he accidentally drove his car off of a bridge. he escaped but his female companion did not. Teddy did run for President in 1980, but was beaten by incumbent Jimmy Carter.

His place was in the Senate, and for nearly 50 years, Kennedy represented his country well. He was not afraid of controversial bills, including a health-care reform bill 30 years ago. He was widely respected on both sides of the aisle, and may think his endorsement of Barack Obama sealed his victory in the Democratic primaries. Kennedy will be missed, and you will likely never see a Senator again with his record or longevity.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Dearest Abby..



"...Time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too.."


Abigail Elizabeth, my first child, you turn 12 today. How could this be? Was it not just yesterday that I held you as a baby, that I talked to you and tried to make you laugh? Did the years pass by so quickly that you have gone from a cute little girl to a beautiful young woman in the blink of an eye? Did you really have Junior High Orientation (above) the other day? Part of me wants to slow time down, the other part of me can't wait to see what your future holds as you get ever closer to being grown-up. All of me loves you like I love no other, and while our time together is always much too short, it makes every moment as precious as can be. Have a wonderful day today and always!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

A Dodger Passenger



Sorry that I have been MIA, but I have a very busy stretch, followed by vacation. But hopefully, you will be hearing more from me in the coming weeks, including the Family Guy Madness promised in my last post.

For today, let me tell you of my meeting with semi-greatness. During one of our games last week, my GM asked if I could drive a sick coach to the hospital. That coach happened to be former All-Star and World Champion Devon White, who was also considered the best defensive center fielder of the '90's behind Ken Griffey Jr. But even more exciting to me was the fact that Devon had two mediocre years with my Dodgers.

Of course, there was no way I could even a conversation with someone who was keeled over in pain, let alone tell him that I was a big fan. I felt bad for him, as he was clearly in alot of pain. Later, I found out that he had a mild heart attack, but is doing better. I feel good that I might have played a small part in saving his life.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Family Guy Countdown Is Coming...Giggity!



A big project is brewing here in the P-Nats ticket office..with all the quotes and references to "Family Guy" made on a daily basis, Paul and I have decided to make a Top 50 FG Episode List. This will be a cross-blog effort with Bigtinypig, a first of its kind for BK's Big Baseball Page. The countdown will begin shortly, and will based on many different criteria, as you can read about here. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Two More Ballparks!



Staci and I headed to NYC for a belated birthday weekend. On Friday night, we went to Staten Island to see an SI Yankees game (below). It was a very nice park, especially for low New York-Penn League. It was situated right next to the St George Terminal for the Staten Island Ferry. Our seats were great, and it was great to be able to see the ferry and Manhattan in the distance.

On Saturday, we headed to Coney Island and Brooklyn. We got to ride the famous Cyclone, headed to the original Nathan's Hot Dogs, and went to a Cyclones game (above) that night. I loved this park, and not just because of the semi-association with my old Brooklyn Dodgers. Everything about the park was 1st class, from the 2-level store to the many concession stands to the fan interaction.

After some time in Manhattan on Sunday, we headed home. A great birthday weekend!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Anytime's Great To Get Friendly!



Sorry that this has turned into the "Nostalgia Blog," but it's something about years that end in "4" or "9" for me..

So it was 20 years ago today that I started my first regular job at Friendly's Restaurant in Dunmore. I has worked many other odds-and-ends jobs, paper route, summers at St Anthony's Field, etc, but this was a new thing for me. I never foresaw myself working in a food-service environment (how funny that is now, considering I have been in it in some form pretty much ever since). I started that day as a dishwasher, but quickly moved into a cooking position. I ended up staying at Dunmore Friendly's for 3 years, and over the course of time, worked at over 10 stores in 4 different states, and as recently as this past winter worked in Quakertown Friendly's as a waiter. I made so many good friends there, not to mention many girlfriends through the years. I can even credit the place for my start in baseball- if I never started in food, I may never have gotten my first break in baseball. Friendly's holds a special place in my heart for all of these reasons, and it all started when I was a 15-year old just looking to make a little money.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Emmy Nominations- Finally Getting It Right!



The Emmys have finally moved into this century with picks for shows that aren't just "safe." Quirky shows like "The Office," "30 Rock," and "Weeds" have gotten alot of nominations, including Best Comedy. And the best of all (to me, at least) is "Family Guy" being nominated for Best Comedy, becoming the 1st animated show since 1961 to have such an honor. It's amazing for a show that was canceled- twice!- and started from very humble beginnings (see above- Lois with blonde hair!) to be bestowed such an honor. I will actually have plenty of shows to root for this September.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Time Flies...



Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of our first trek down to Myrtle. It was an idea that Tracy and I had toyed around with for a few years, as a way to make sure all of us Mansfieldians got together at least once a year after school. On July 15th, 1999, at 5:45 AM, Brian and Steve were getting lost on the way to my Dad's house in Dunmore. We went on this trip with very little planning, not even having reserved a hotel room! What we found was a great place with plenty of clubs, restaurants, and, of course, women. There were also plenty of cultural events that week at the beach- JFK Jr died in a plane crash, Lance Armstrong won his 1st Tour De France, and David Cone pitched a perfect game. And oh yeah, Brian got us watching a new show called "Family Guy."

Alot has changed in the 10 years since then- plenty of other MB-ers have come and gone, we all got married, I moved from Dunmore to Atlanta to DC to Q-Town back to DC. But as Brian and I and our wives (and Steve in his first appearance in 4 years!) head down for the 10th time in August, one thing has remained- a great vacation week with great friends that we will hopefully be still doing when we are all old and gray.

This blog approved by Fred McGriff

This blog approved by Fred McGriff