The door accordions shut, the school bus pulls away, and summer is over. Baseball, swim team, basketball camp, day camp, Camp Invention, two weeks at the beach - done. Sunscreen, snow balls, mini golf, lemonade stands, Orioles Dugout Club, Ravens training camp - over. Pack the new school supplies in the new backpacks, fill out the emergency medical contact and early dismissal forms, fix a couple lunches, and off they go. It's a long way from that first anxious day at the bus stop a few years ago, and middle school is still a year away, so, aside from a minor crisis involving a defective three-ring binder, Day One is a pretty smooth affair.
So, where does that leave FitzFacts? Well, certainly without any excuses. Step one is remembering the password that hasn't been used in almost three months. Okay, good. Now, what's big in the news? Presidential campaign? Way too early for me, but, naturally, I'm pulling for the Irish guy, Obama.
President Bush visited New Orleans on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Did he also stop by Trent Lott's house? You know, the one that Senator Lott was supposed to rebuild bigger and better? And where is Mike "Heckuva job, Brownie" Brown these days? Ah, here's the answer, buried in the "A" section of the Washington Post. A "disaster preparedness consultant?" (In my best Jon Stewart voice) So you preside over the agency that horribly mismanaged the worst natural disaster in American history and now you make money by what? Reciting everything that you did wrong? Hope that gig pays by the hour. (Alternate punchline: right up there with the Michael Jackson babysitting service and OJ Simpson, marriage counselor).
More politics. Idaho Senator Larry Craig wants everyone to know that, despite trying to hide his arrest for disorderly conduct in a Minneapolis airport restroom, he is not gay and further, has never been gay. And here I thought his gayness had been successfully treated and was in remission.
Okay, enough heavy world news. Let's turn to the lighthearted world of sports, where the Orioles have lost eight in a row. I flipped over to the game last night just as the Camden Yards crowd rose to its collective feet, cheering for Danys Baez to get the third strike on Tampa Bay's Delmon Young and end the game and the losing streak. Of course, Upton singled, Delmon Young walked on a 3-2 pitch, and the next batter singled to drive in the tying run. I didn't even watch the rest of the inning, let alone the game. This morning, for about the fifth day in a row, I tried to explain to my older son that the Orioles are looking ahead to next year and trying a lot of new players. Pretty tough argument to make when veterans like Baez, Miguel Tejada and Melvin Mora play a big part in blowing the game. Firedavetrembley.com has been purchased, but, as yet is not an active page.
Countdown to Ravens is almost under 10 days.
Showing posts with label Orioles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orioles. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Friday Blogstrosity
And away we go ...
NBA
Spurs win. Spurs win. Spurs win. Sorry for the lack of enthusiastic punctuation, but after this snoozer of a championship series, it might be time for the league to change its name. Nyquil Basketball Association? Nighty-night Bron-bron Association? Look, I love Tim Duncan's game, and Tony Parker made the Cavaliers look like fight extras in a Bruce Li flick, but the Spurs dominated this series so thoroughly, I expected them to get a quick drink and get back on the court to see who had next.
So the next question is, with four titles in nine years, are the Spurs a dynasty? First answer, who cares? Second answer, yes, they have won multiple titles over a period of time with only two constants, Duncan and Gregg Popovich. Third, and correct, answer, no. They are good, and I know I just said they crushed the Cavs like zinfandel at harvest time, but the term dynasty implies a mythic quality. Certainly the Celtics of Russell and Bird had, as did the lakers of Magic and Kareem, Shaq and Kobe, and the Bulls of Jordan and Pipper. But the Spurs of Duncan and Popovich? Not so much.
Before the season, all I read about Duncan was that injuries would likely limit him again. All I read about Manu Ginobili was that he had lost a step. . And all I read about Parker was what he was wearing on the red carpet next to Eva Longoria. Nowhere did I see an article about how a Spurs title would amke them a dynasty. Once the season started, the Spurs were an afterthought behind the emergence of Dallas and Phoenix, the Iverson trade to Denver, the Kobe soap opera, and the fascinating specimen that is Gilbert Arenas. In the playoffs, the Spurs fell behind Golden State's upset of Dallas and Steve Nash's blood.
The point is, no one was talking about San Antonio until the Finals. Even today, the front sports page of my local paper (The Baltimore Sun) carried a picture of James being defended by Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto, not MVP Parker, not Duncan and Popovich, and not Bruce Bowen, whose defense on James was crucial to the Spurs win. A dynasty has to seize the headlines and grab the public's attention in a way the Spurs just haven't.
In a final schadenfreudean nonsequitur, it delights me to think of all the Celtics fans banging their heads against the bar every time Duncan hoists a championship trophy aloft.
Baseball
If both the Orioles' decline and my son's team's improvement continue at the same rate, I think Baltimore might lose to a bunch of 10-year olds in the spring of 2009. And for all you Clemens/Yankees haters, here's little treat from Funny or Die. Link.
Golf
Lots of excitement about the U.S. Open this week, of course. Everyone seems very up in arms about Phil's wrist. I thought Phil got whacked Sunday night on the last episode of the Sopranos. But seriously, if you are looking for a golf article that is not about Tiger, Phil or Johnny Miller, check out Rick Maese's column on Jim Furyk in today's Sun. At first I hated Maese because he looks like he's about 15, but my annoyance has gradually been mitigated by his quality coverage of stories I don't see anywhere else. Worth looking for.
NBA
Spurs win. Spurs win. Spurs win. Sorry for the lack of enthusiastic punctuation, but after this snoozer of a championship series, it might be time for the league to change its name. Nyquil Basketball Association? Nighty-night Bron-bron Association? Look, I love Tim Duncan's game, and Tony Parker made the Cavaliers look like fight extras in a Bruce Li flick, but the Spurs dominated this series so thoroughly, I expected them to get a quick drink and get back on the court to see who had next.
So the next question is, with four titles in nine years, are the Spurs a dynasty? First answer, who cares? Second answer, yes, they have won multiple titles over a period of time with only two constants, Duncan and Gregg Popovich. Third, and correct, answer, no. They are good, and I know I just said they crushed the Cavs like zinfandel at harvest time, but the term dynasty implies a mythic quality. Certainly the Celtics of Russell and Bird had, as did the lakers of Magic and Kareem, Shaq and Kobe, and the Bulls of Jordan and Pipper. But the Spurs of Duncan and Popovich? Not so much.
Before the season, all I read about Duncan was that injuries would likely limit him again. All I read about Manu Ginobili was that he had lost a step. . And all I read about Parker was what he was wearing on the red carpet next to Eva Longoria. Nowhere did I see an article about how a Spurs title would amke them a dynasty. Once the season started, the Spurs were an afterthought behind the emergence of Dallas and Phoenix, the Iverson trade to Denver, the Kobe soap opera, and the fascinating specimen that is Gilbert Arenas. In the playoffs, the Spurs fell behind Golden State's upset of Dallas and Steve Nash's blood.
The point is, no one was talking about San Antonio until the Finals. Even today, the front sports page of my local paper (The Baltimore Sun) carried a picture of James being defended by Michael Finley and Fabricio Oberto, not MVP Parker, not Duncan and Popovich, and not Bruce Bowen, whose defense on James was crucial to the Spurs win. A dynasty has to seize the headlines and grab the public's attention in a way the Spurs just haven't.
Nor am I ready to accept Popovich's ascendance into the august company of coaches with four titles: Auerbach, Jackson, Riley, Popovich? Not so fast, Poppy. I'd put him tied with Riley, but a long, long way from the other two. (Yes, I know Riley won titles with two different teams, but he loses points for appointing himself head coach at Miami once he realized just how good Dwyane Wade is). One mroe title, preferably next year, and I'll cease and desist my arguments against both Popovich and San Antonio.
In a final schadenfreudean nonsequitur, it delights me to think of all the Celtics fans banging their heads against the bar every time Duncan hoists a championship trophy aloft.
Baseball
If both the Orioles' decline and my son's team's improvement continue at the same rate, I think Baltimore might lose to a bunch of 10-year olds in the spring of 2009. And for all you Clemens/Yankees haters, here's little treat from Funny or Die. Link.
Golf
Lots of excitement about the U.S. Open this week, of course. Everyone seems very up in arms about Phil's wrist. I thought Phil got whacked Sunday night on the last episode of the Sopranos. But seriously, if you are looking for a golf article that is not about Tiger, Phil or Johnny Miller, check out Rick Maese's column on Jim Furyk in today's Sun. At first I hated Maese because he looks like he's about 15, but my annoyance has gradually been mitigated by his quality coverage of stories I don't see anywhere else. Worth looking for.
Friday, June 08, 2007
If a Blog Falls in the Forest ...
During my last lengthy hiatus from FitzFacts, a good friend of mine described the "arc of the blog" in a way that I can't exactly recall, but it was a pretty fair assessment of the way my blogging endeavor had progressed: start with a flurry of posts in a variety of areas, settle into a groove of topics (college basketball, American Idol, FX tv shows), and then, as material begins to dry up, posting peters out until, suddenly, weeks and months have passed with nothing new.
This time, I stopped posting about college basketball right in the middle of the NCAA Tournament and abandoned AI when the contestants still numbered double digits. So what was my excuse? Well, I did go away on vacation for a week, broke a few bones in my hand (that put me in cast for three weeks), spring sprung here in Phoenix, Maryland, which led me to as much gardening and landscaping as my hand could tolerate. None of those are really good reasons. Then again, I don't have a good reason for getting back to it now.
So where are we?
NBA Finals
I watched parts of the second and third quarter of this game, and other than the stupefyingly low score, all I noticed was that San Antonio always seemed to have the ball and at least a five point lead. And every basket, whether it was Manu Ginobili converting an alley-oop from Tony Parker, Tim Duncan making a jumper from the free throw line, or Francisco Elston powering up from the block, every basket came with the Spurs' player squared up to the hoop as if he were making an instructional video. I noticed this morning that Parker and Robert Horry - who, by the way, is 11 years younger than Julio Franco - had more assists (13) than the entire Cleveland team (9). And it seems important that I mention the name Bruce Bowen before the man he held to 14 points (none in the first 13 minutes), LeBron James. If the Cavaliers don't show up a lot more quickly in Game 2, the NBA and ABC can kiss the ratings goodbye.
Hockey
The Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup. The 2007-08 season starts in less than four months. That seems like more than enough hockey information.
Horse Racing
After thrilling races in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, the Triple Crown closes with a whimper this Saturday at the Belmont. With Street Sense out, Curlin can only hope to pull a Secretariat and crush the competition. Two questions: When was the last time three different horses won the legs of the Triple Crown ? And, will the Belmont draw a bigger rating than the 1.1 million households that watched the Stanley Cup final game?
Baseball
I won't be watching the Belmont because I'll be at the Baltimore Orioles' game with the boys on Saturday night. The Orioles won six in a row at the end of May and then lost their first five games in June before winning at Seattle Wednesday, so I have no idea what to expect, except that I'll spend too much of money on hot dogs, programs, peanuts, cotton candy, etc. This game will be one of seven baseball contests that I'll be attending in the next four days, but the other six will all feature young men in my immediate family. By Monday night, I just might be able to answer the question: is there ever enough baseball?
Paris Hilton
And let's end this post with a slightly different spectator sport. The Baltimore Sun wrote the following subheadline in this morning's paper: "Hilton's image may be further hurt by early release from jail." I don't know who wrote that copy, but it seems to me that Paris Hilton thrives on publicity, so the only publicity that would be bad for her image would be none at all. Maybe if she murdered her ex-spouse and a friend, or turned out to be connected to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Or dogfighting. Unless it was those annoying little chihuahuas. Okay, I think I should stop typing right now.
This time, I stopped posting about college basketball right in the middle of the NCAA Tournament and abandoned AI when the contestants still numbered double digits. So what was my excuse? Well, I did go away on vacation for a week, broke a few bones in my hand (that put me in cast for three weeks), spring sprung here in Phoenix, Maryland, which led me to as much gardening and landscaping as my hand could tolerate. None of those are really good reasons. Then again, I don't have a good reason for getting back to it now.
So where are we?
NBA Finals
I watched parts of the second and third quarter of this game, and other than the stupefyingly low score, all I noticed was that San Antonio always seemed to have the ball and at least a five point lead. And every basket, whether it was Manu Ginobili converting an alley-oop from Tony Parker, Tim Duncan making a jumper from the free throw line, or Francisco Elston powering up from the block, every basket came with the Spurs' player squared up to the hoop as if he were making an instructional video. I noticed this morning that Parker and Robert Horry - who, by the way, is 11 years younger than Julio Franco - had more assists (13) than the entire Cleveland team (9). And it seems important that I mention the name Bruce Bowen before the man he held to 14 points (none in the first 13 minutes), LeBron James. If the Cavaliers don't show up a lot more quickly in Game 2, the NBA and ABC can kiss the ratings goodbye.
Hockey
The Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup. The 2007-08 season starts in less than four months. That seems like more than enough hockey information.
Horse Racing
After thrilling races in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, the Triple Crown closes with a whimper this Saturday at the Belmont. With Street Sense out, Curlin can only hope to pull a Secretariat and crush the competition. Two questions: When was the last time three different horses won the legs of the Triple Crown ? And, will the Belmont draw a bigger rating than the 1.1 million households that watched the Stanley Cup final game?
Baseball
I won't be watching the Belmont because I'll be at the Baltimore Orioles' game with the boys on Saturday night. The Orioles won six in a row at the end of May and then lost their first five games in June before winning at Seattle Wednesday, so I have no idea what to expect, except that I'll spend too much of money on hot dogs, programs, peanuts, cotton candy, etc. This game will be one of seven baseball contests that I'll be attending in the next four days, but the other six will all feature young men in my immediate family. By Monday night, I just might be able to answer the question: is there ever enough baseball?
Paris Hilton
And let's end this post with a slightly different spectator sport. The Baltimore Sun wrote the following subheadline in this morning's paper: "Hilton's image may be further hurt by early release from jail." I don't know who wrote that copy, but it seems to me that Paris Hilton thrives on publicity, so the only publicity that would be bad for her image would be none at all. Maybe if she murdered her ex-spouse and a friend, or turned out to be connected to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Or dogfighting. Unless it was those annoying little chihuahuas. Okay, I think I should stop typing right now.
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