Sunday, June 29, 2008

It's Just a Dog........Folks



In this southern college town..........


People are grieving.......mourning.....reminiscing.........about a dog. A dog named Uga.......as in Uga VI. For those of you not familiar with the passion of Georgia football......Uga is .....or was........ an English bulldog and the live mascot of the UGA football team.


Well........Uga passed away. He died. As most dogs do when they reach the age of 10 human years. The local newspaper, The Athens Banner-Herald, cited the cause of death as congestive heart failure.


I have lost a dog.......Buster.......a miniature dachshund. He lived 15 human years........

I'm sure we have all..........lost pets.......dogs and cats. You know, it happens.

But in this southern college town...........a dog dying ........makes the front page.

Guys....gals...........get a hold of yourselves.......it's only a dog. The sun will rise tomorrow.......you will go to work or school........it will be business as usual.

There have been five other Uga's ..............there will be many , many more to come.

When Uga VII is presented to the Bulldog Nation........I will see him as ........just another dog.......an English bulldog........a mascot. Nothing more........nothing less.

It's just a dog ..............folks!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Once Again......Nothing good ever Happens...At 3:00am....In the Morning



How many times ..........

How many times have we read or heard of a high profile professional or college athlete involved in some kind of wrong doing.....in the wee hours of a morning?

It almost never happens between the normal hours. You know.......9-5.....Daylight!

It is always an A.M. thing. As in after 12 midnight. And....it's never ....a good thing.

As a matter of fact.....most of the time........it's bad........all bad.

Well.......it has happened ....yet again. This time a rising senior basketball player at the University of Georgia was driving on GA 316........about 3 in the morning.......drifting from lane to lane to shoulder to lane to shoulder.


Of course...........at 3:00 am..........cops seem to notice these type drivers, and sure enough, Billy Humphrey (2nd leading scorer on the UGA basketball team) was inevitably pulled over. The initial reason for the traffic stop was "failure to maintain lane".........but when the officer confronted the driver (Mr. Humphrey).....he smelled a rather strong odor of .......yes.......alcohol . Humphrey........knowing that this was not his first time.......pleaded with the officers. "This will destroy my career!.......Please , plea
se, please........just follow me home..........I'm just a few blocks from my moms'." His pleads.....went .....unanswered...


The officer administered six field sobriety test..........and Humphrey failed them all. He was arrested and booked into the Gwinnett County jail.

Here is the officer's incident report:

View document (395k)


A day later, Georgia coach Dennis Felton dismissed Humphrey from the team.

Another case of a talented athlete......doing bad.....making bad decisions..........in
the wee hours of a morning.

These guys never learn..........the ....."Pacman " Jones' of the world.....they never learn.......You can not get in trouble in the warmth of your own living room...doing .....whatever.

But .......on the streets.........after midnight.......

Bad things tend to happen. Young bloods.....young athletes.....please learn.....Please?

Nothing good........ever happens at 3:00 am..........Stay the F*............home.


Thursday, June 26, 2008

At Least.......A Dog won the Darn Thing....


The outlook wasn't brilliant .......for the Georgia nine that day....

The score stood six to one....with but one inning left to play.....

And when the "Dawgs' went........ one......... two........... three..........

Fresno State.....chuckled....."hee hee hee".......


And there was no joy in Mudville..........much less the "Bulldog Nation".


Georgia had lost........Fresno State had won. It happens..........There must be a winner.....there must be a loser. If there is a high...........then........inevitably there will be a low.

This Georgia team came from nowhere..........Fresno State, came from even further..........

This was Fresno State's first national championship......in any sport ........ever.......Georgia has 40 something.

As much as it is ........to get to the championship series..........and lose..........Georgia, hold your head up. There are several hundred schools who never got to Omaha........

And .........Georgia........remember this.......at least .......a........dog..........won in the end.......


Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Hump Day News & Views





If.....it's Wednesday.......it must be .....Hump Day!


Your midweek source of news and views......

Just a few notes today..........enjoy....



Dog eats dog........


Literally.......The Fresno State Bulldogs and the University of Georgia Bulldogs will square off tonight to determine the NCAA champions of the "ping league" known as college baseball in the best of three series.

Georgia won game one, Monday, while Fresno State walloped the "Dawgs" last night, 19-10.

I'll be on ESPN if you care to watch.


Across the pond.......

Over in England, the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament is well under way. Defending women's champion Venus Williams will try to make two in a row, while sister, Serena has victory plans of her own.

Not that anyone in the U S is watching.......check out the Nielson Ratings over the last 34 years:

Long Term Ratings Decline More Pronounced Than Other Sports Championships



No draft picks? No worry........

Believe this.......'cuz it's so Hawk like. The Atlanta Hawks do not have a single draft pick in tomorrow's NBA Draft. Stupid trades......and more stupid trades have made the Hawks merely spectators come Thursday.

But........if this was ever a year not to have picks......2008 is the year. Outside of Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley.......can you name any players in this draft? Thought not........me neither.



Sick bay..........at Turner Field...........

The Atlanta Braves health problems continue.......They may not have enough healthy players to finish the season:

Injuries
Player Date Status Injury
T. Glavine SP Jun 11 15-day Sore left elbow
R. Soriano RP Jun 6 15-day Right elbow inflammation
J. Smoltz SP Jun 3 15-day Right shoulder surgery - out for season
M. Diaz LF May 28 15-day Torn ligament, left knee - out 4-6 weeks
M. Kotsay CF May 26 15-day Lower back soreness
M. Prado 2B/3B May 5 15-day Sprained left thumb
P. Moylan RP Apr 12 60-day Right elbow surgery - out for season
M. Hampton SP Mar 30 15-day Strained left pectoral
A. Lerew SP/RP Mar 21 60-day Recovery from left elbow surgery

Last updated through games completed on Jun 24, 2008

Not making this list.......but also currently not playing are, Chipper Jones 3B, Yunel Escobar SS, and Omar Infante (utility infielder).



Finally...........

Tiger Woods underwent successful reconstructive surgery on his left knee yesterday in Utah to repair a torn ligament. Woods should be even stronger in the 2009 season....Tiger, we'll see you then.


Finally, finally.......

It's getting just a tad bit warm in this southern college town. And........we sure could use some rain.

Have a great "Hump Day".......








2008 BET Awards

In case you missed it........

Check out this link of our friends at "The Young, Black & Fabulous"..........


2008 BET Awards: The Show




Will Somebody Put this Horse's Ass......out to Pasture?

I've had just about enough of one.......Don Imus.

Yes.........that dirty old white man has done it again......In trying to be funny.....the only way he knows, Don Imus , put his big foot in his mouth .......again.

You remember Mr. Imus.....He , of the "nappy headed hoes" quote about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

That got the I-man fired from both WFAN radio and MSNBC TV.

But .......as is usually the case.......someone else is always willing to take a chance. The someone this time was WABC radio in New York.

And the I-man is still Imus.......crude........unfunny......and still just doesn't get it.

I know Mr. Imus owns a ranch.....somewhere.....

Suggestion: Retire there.......leave the air waves to people who are not only relevant .....but funny and entertaining too.

You , Mr. Imus , are a washed up disc jockey whose time has come and gone.......

Oh....by the way....in case you missed it, here's what happened........Thanks to Red Lasso and ESPN for this cut..........


Tuesday, June 24, 2008

If it's a Dream.....Wake me up.....Quick!


0-13............

The Atlanta Dream of the WNBA is in it's expansion season. This is their inaugural into the world of professional women's basketball.

Can we please get a "do-over"? This is embarrassing ........

Forget all the feel good stories the WNBA would have you believe.....with all those commercials on ESPN.

This cannot be good. The Dream.....is not a good basketball team........no household name brand stars.....no nothing.......just a punching bag for better WNBA teams.

But .......this is the ATL...........

You gotta come with game!

Note to the league........If you want to maintain any sort of interest in your sport............try making this team........somewhat.......competitive.

0-13?

Pitiful...........

And then some.

George Carlin (1937-2008)


RIP..........George Carlin

Here are some classics..........

Our thanks to YouTube........

Enjoy.....












Jack, the Ripper? No.....Shaq, the Rapper


So.......Shaquille Oneal free styles.....at a New York nightclub.....


I still don't know what all the fuss is about.

You decide.....

Thanks to "YouTube" and TMZ.com


My take is this.....ESPN has too much air time to fill...

And.......you've got to hand it to Shaq......this was a pretty good impromptu rap!

Off the cuff........spur of the moment.......making rhymes on the flow?

You go boy!


Dream Team 2008?


Introducing..........



The 2008 USA men's basketball team:










Thanks to NBA.com for the following......

2008 USA Men’s Senior National Team Roster
NAME POS HGT WGT DOB TEAM SCHOOL
Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 230 5/29/84 Denver Nuggets Syracuse University
Carlos Boozer F 6-9 258 11/20/81 Utah Jazz Duke University
Chris Bosh F 6-10 230 3/24/84 Toronto Raptors Georgia Tech
Kobe Bryant G 6-6 220 8/23/78 Los Angeles Lakers Lower Merion H.S. (PA)
Dwight Howard F/C 6-11 265 12/08/85 Orlando Magic Southwest Atlanta Christian Acd. (GA)
LeBron James F 6-8 240 12/30/84 Cleveland Cavaliers St.Vincent-St. Mary H.S. (OH)
Jason Kidd G 6-4 212 3/23/73 Dallas Mavericks University of California
Chris Paul G 6-0 170 5/06/85 New Orleans Hornets Wake Forest University
Tayshaun Prince F 6-9 205 2/28/80 Detroit Pistons University of Kentucky
Michael Redd G 6-6 215 8/24/79 Milwaukee Bucks Ohio State University
Dwyane Wade G 6-4 212 1/17/82 Miami Heat Marquette University
Deron Williams G 6-3 205 7/26/84 Utah Jazz University of Illinois


TEAM STAFF
Managing Director: Jerry Colangelo
Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University
Assistant Coach: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University
Assistant Coach: Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks
Assistant Coach: Nate McMillan, Portland Trail Blazers
Team Physician: Sheldon Burns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Athletic Trainer: Keith Jones, Houston Rockets
Athletic Trainer: Casey Smith, Dallas Mavericks


A few points to make.......

This team consists of 6 guards, 5 forwards, and 1 center/forward. No true big man. But in International play.......none necessary.

Michael Redd is the designated zone buster, a magnificent outside shooter.

Tayshaun Prince is the defensive stopper..........Dwight Howard is the beast in the middle.....Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are the setup guys.

Jason Kidd is the "old man" of the bunch.....he will bring leadership.......While Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, and Chris Bosh will be counted on for energy and rebounding.

Kobe and LeBron? Those two will just take over a game..........when needed.

In this summer's Beijing Olympics, this team will not only win the gold medal..........they will destroy the competition.

Welcome to Dream Team 2008.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Some Things We Learned.......From the Weekend...Of Course

Greetings from Keveekev........

It's Monday.......



I have worked all weekend........I'm tired.......I'm sleepy.......so I'll be brief. No Videos........No photos....


But so much happened this weekend. There are so many possible posts...They will come later. As for now.......here is what we will be writing about this week. Each in itself .......a story.


There's ....fight in them there Bulldogs....


Who'd a "thunk" it? The College World Series feature the Bulldogs of Georgia versus the Bulldogs from Fresno State.

Dream Team?

The USA announced its basketball team to compete in the Summer Olympics..........

A dunk in the WNBA?

Shaq disses Kobe in a rap song at a night club........

Pacman Jones wants to shed his nickname....

Big Brown had a loose shoe.....

The WNBA Atlanta Dream is 0-13.......

George Carlin dies? My hero!


All great stories........

I'll be back!


Saturday, June 21, 2008

Sports We Watched Last Week

Most watched sports programs ........according to the Nielsen people....

June 20th, 2008 by Bill Gorman

NBA Finals Are Top 3 Sports Shows For Week

NBA Finals on ABCThe final 3 games of the NBA Finals took the top 3 sports shows for the week of June 9-15, 2008 with viewership of 17.3, 14.5 and 13.8 million respectively. The US Open golf tournament [won by someone named Tiger Woods] scored 12.1 million viewers on Sunday and 6.6 million on Saturday to finish fourth and fifth. Friday’s US Open round on ESPN placed thirteenth with 3.1 million viewers. We should have final numbers for the Monday playoff no later than next Friday.

Top Sports Shows for the Week of June 9-15, 2008:

RANK PROGRAMS Network Persons Live+SD (000) HH Rating Live+SD
1 NBA FINALS BOSTON AT LA LAKERS GM 5 6/15 ABC 17,394 10.2
2 NBA FINALS BOSTON AT LA LAKERS GM 3 6/10 ABC 14,509 9.2
3 NBA FINALS BOSTON AT LA LAKERS GM 4 6/12 ABC 13,762 8.7
4 US OPEN GOLF-SUN 6/15 NBC 12,080 7.5
5 US OPEN GOLF-SAT 6/14 NBC 6,645 4.6
6 SPRINT CUP RACNG/MICHIGAN TNT 5,084 3.3
7 NBA COUNTDOWN-GM 3 6/10 ABC 4,698 3.1
8 WWE RAW USA 4,681 2.6
9 NBA COUNTDOWN-GM 5 6/15 ABC 4,622 3.0
10 WWE RAW USA 4,499 2.5
11 NBA COUNTDOWN-GM 4 6/12 ABC 4,382 3.0
12 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN CW 3,931 2.2
13 U.S. OPEN GOLF 2ND RD ESPN 3,088 2.2
14 US OPEN GOLF CHALLENGE 6/15 NBC 2,805 1.9
15 FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL (VARIOUS) FOX 2,723 1.9
16 US OPEN GOLF-FRI 6/13 NBC 2,525 1.9
17 US OPEN GOLF-THU 6/12 NBC 2,201 1.7
18 RUMBO AL MUNDIAL BELIZE VS MEXICO 6/15 TEL 1,562 0.7
19 NCAA OUTDR TRCK & FLD CHP(S)-06/14/2008 CBS 1,076 0.8
20 OFF ROAD RACING 6/15 NBC 1,066 0.7

Close behind with its weekly race, the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Michigan placed at #6 with 5.1 million viewers.

As usual, WWE Raw put 2 episodes in the top 20, this week at #8 and 10 with 4.7 and 4.5 million viewers. Their broadcast relative, Friday Night Smackdown came in at #12 with 3.9 million viewers.

Major League Baseball put one game in the top 20 at #15 with 2.7 million viewers.

Note: Our Sports Ratings combine the top Broadcast sports shows and any cable sports shows that appeared in the top 40 cable programs. It is possible that a cable sports show that had enough viewers to make this list is left off because it didn’t have enough viewers to make the list of the top 40 cable programs for the week (which is all we have access to).

Nielsen Ratings Data: ©2008 Nielsen Media Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Our thanks to ........

http://tvbythenumbers.com

More Willie Randolph

This is a very funny take on the Willie Randolph firing, thanks to Comedy Central, The Daily Show, and Jon Stewart.

And.....of course..........our good friends at Red Lasso......

Enjoy:


A Serena Sighting in London

Thanks to our friends at "The Young, Black, and Fabulous" for this Serena Williams sighting last week in London.







Friday, June 20, 2008

Willie's Story



This is interesting.....and different......





From the New York Daily News:

Willie Randolph opens up after his recent firing as Mets manager

Friday, June 20th 2008, 4:00 AM


Three and a half years and 555 games after it began, my dream of bringing a championship to the New York Mets officially expired a few minutes after midnight in Suite 1602 of the Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif.

You've heard of Black Friday? Well, this was my Black Tuesday.

Call me naive if you want, but I never saw it coming. I was sitting on a sofa across from Omar Minaya, the Mets' general manager and the man who hired me.

Omar was baseball's first Hispanic GM, and on Nov. 4, 2004, he made me the first African-American manager in New York baseball history. The kid from Queens and the kid from Brooklyn doing some pioneering together, hoping to lead the team they grew up rooting for back to glory.

It was a sweet, storybook day. It's too bad there wasn't a storybook ending. I remember how upbeat and excited Omar sounded when he hired me; he could barely get out any words at all.

That was then. Now, on Black Tuesday, we'd just beaten the tough Los Angeles Angels, playing one of our best games of the season. Mets VP Tony Bernazard came into my office.

"Omar wants to see you in his room when you get back to the hotel," he said.

"Okay," I replied. There had been a slew of stories in recent days that a couple of my coaches, Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto, were about to be fired. All the stories were leaked by "Met front-office sources."

It got to the point over the last month or so that whenever I saw the word "sources" in a story, I knew either me or someone on my staff was going to be declared on the verge of unemployment.

Anyway, when I walked into the room Omar asked me to sit down. He sat right across from me. He started talking about how the team was underperforming, how it needed to turn around.

He said it was time to make some changes, and I waited for him to talk about whacking Rick and Tommy, but he just kept talking, for a minute or two, maybe longer, about how the team was better than it was playing, about all the stories that were out there and the cloud hovering over the team.

As Omar went on and on, looking very uncomfortable, this weird chill started to course through by body. I could feel myself going cold. He kept talking, almost stammering, and the chill got worse.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that maybe he was talking about me. Maybe I was the one about to get whacked.

Finally, I stopped him. I looked right at him.

"Omar, are you firing me?" I asked. He looked away for a minute and then met my eyes. "Yeah, I'm going to make a move," he said. "It's a hard decision, but I have to make it."

To continue reading..... click:

Next Page

So.......Summer is Finally Here?


Today, June 20, is the first day of Summer.......

Spring was nice. It brought us March winds, April showers, and May flowers.

The seasons of the NBA and the NHL finally and mercifully ended.

Golf gave us The Masters and the U S Open.

The Tennis world brought us the French and Australian Opens.

Major League baseball began its' 162 game marathon of a season.

The WNBA season started.....at least that's what I've been told.


Now we have Summer.........

June, July and August. Hazy, hot and humid...........with a chance of scattered afternoon thunderstorms. We can look forward to 4th of July fireworks and picnics..........Baseball's All-star game...........NFL pre-season games..........

Fresh peaches, blackberries (the kind you eat), corn on the cob, and chicken on the grill......Beaches and swimming pools......

Ahhh..........summer is here......

Summer.......as in summer school, summer camp, and summer semester. We will have summer blockbusters, summer vacations, and summer jobs.

There have been lazy summers, crazy summers, and endless summers.

We even have the Disco Queen herself..........Donna Summer.

Summertime......

Welcome back.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Hump Day News & Views




Way to go, Doc.......

Last night Doc Rivers' Boston Celtics dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers in game six of the NBA finals to win its 17th world championship.

Not that we're bragging........but at the start of the season, we predicted the Celtics would win it all.......and just last week, we said Boston would win this series in 6.

This Boston team was not your father's lily white Boston team of the 50's and 60's. This Celtic bench was a sea of black. All black.......players and coaches. Not a single caucasian in sight.

A black coach beat a white coach in a world championship. When .....if ever.......has that ever happened in the world of sports?


Doc..........Boston..........we salute you.




Happy Trails...........Willie.....

In recent blogs, we have documented the trials and tribulations of one Willie Randolph.......now the ex-manager of the New York Metropolitans. Randolph was fired sometime in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

Timing.......is everything. And this was bad . Last season, after the Mets historic collapse......Randolph should have been fired. Instead, they did nothing. Last month as the Mets continued to struggle.......ownership met with Randolph...........again.....nothing.

Now, less than a month later, while New York is on a west coast road trip in L A.....and having won 2 in a row........the Mets make a move. Randolph became the first manager in the majors to be fired this season, the move announced in an e-mail at 12:14 a.m. PDT Tuesday.

While inevitable..........the timing of this stinks......Willie deserved better.





A Lame Tiger........

The golf world suffered a major blow today as Tiger Woods announced he will miss the rest of the season to have surgery on his ailing knee.

Tiger .......IS.......the PGA. Tiger equals TV ratings.

After that huge win Monday in the U S Open.......interest in golf and the PGA were at an all time high.......


Oh well..........no more golf on TV for me.......for the rest of the year. Just won't be the same.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Where's the Gray?


Maybe I'm jealous.......

Or .....at the least a little skeptical. The artist known as Prince just turned 50. 50! As in 50 years old. I reached that half a century age a year ago.

My gray hairs......arrived a few years earlier. That "Purple Rain" stuff must work wonders. How can one man retain such boyish looks?

Face lifts? Hair dye?

Since the early days with ......."Prince & the Revolution".......my man has not changed at all .

50?

50?

I still can't see it........But .......one day, Prince............it'll all catch up to .....even you. We will all get old.....at some time.

And even you.....will eventually gray.

A Few Things......From the Weekend....We Learned

Tiger Woods.....is the greatest golfer.....ever!


Seeing Mr. Woods limp around the U S Open on a bum knee Thursday, then Friday, then Saturday and Sunday..........and then Monday........and then win the darn thing in a sudden death play-off......Well, simply amazing! We are witnessing history. The grea
test golfer ever. It took 91 holes of golf to secure his 14th major, ( second only to the great Jack Nicklaus), to finally emerge as the winner in Torry Pines.


In my life time, I have never seen a golfer put himself in bad situations........only to make
miracle shots to get out of trouble. That's what separates Tiger.......from the field. He can turn a miss shot.....into a birdie.....or he saves par.

Tiger was pushed today. But as is with most champions.......he dug deep......f
rom within........and mustered just enough........to win.


This was Tiger's 61st tour win. At this pace, not withstanding injuries, he will simply obliterate the record books and rewrite golf history.






The NBA wanted a game six......


While, I am not one of those conspiracy fanatics who think there was more to the JFK assassination.....or we did not actually land a man on the moon..... Or that the NBA lottery drafts are fixed so the big market teams get the best players.....

I am kind of wondering. In last nights game 5, the Los Angeles Lakers streaked out to a big lead, only to have Boston come storming back........with a chance to win at the end. But....L A got all the calls in the final minutes.......I mean .....all the calls. It was as if the refs were making sure the L
akers would win to force a game six.


Boston is still the better team, and with the final two games to be played in Beantown, the series is still theirs to lose. The Lakers cannot win this series......Boston has to lose it.


My advice to Boston, "Beware of Hollywood.........They can create unusual endings. I'd .......be just a tad bit careful".


Boston ..........you have been warned.




Junior wins a race.......



Dale Earnhardt , Jr won a NASCAR race Sunday. He ended his 76 race winless streak, coasting to victory........literally.......on fumes at Michigan International Speedway.


NASCAR's most popular driver gave the folks what they've waited for. A victory with his new team, Hendrick Racing. And he did it on Father's Day........As we all remembered his fath
er, Dale Earnhardt, Sr..........the "Intiminater" ......of all intiminaters........Well done, Dale, Jr.






UGA......says, WTF...........


As an 8th seed in Omaha..........home of the NCAA college baseball world series.......the
Dawgs from Georgia were not fazed when playing the number 1 seeded Miami Hurricanes Saturday. Trailing 4-3 going into to 9th inning, the Dawgs scored 4 runs to stun the best team in the nation, 7-4.


To me ..........it's still the "ping" league........with the aluminum bats..........but this thing could get very interesting. Stay tuned .




I had a great Father's Day.......did you?

Signs of the times.........my mother and my daughter took me and my father out to dinner. And they both........picked up the tabs. How good is this? I was a proud papa.....and a happy son.

And the evening and the food.....and the atmosphere........could not have been better.......

It.......was ..........a very good weekend!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Chicago Cubs........World Champions?


Don't laugh.......it could indeed happen.

Through Friday, June 13th.......the Cubs of Chicago held the best record in all of baseball at 45 - 25. They are in first place in the NL Central. The Cubs just completed a 3 game sweep over the Atlanta Braves.

But........World Champions? Lets' review a few facts.

Chicago has won 2 World Series Championships..........Back to back in 1907 and 1908. So if my math is correct..........it's been 100 years. 100 years since the Cubs won it all.

I say......the Cubs are due. With the help of a cable superstation (WGN) .......I get to watch several Cub games a year. And .........they are pretty good.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Friday........the 13th?


I am a simple man.......

I am not superstitious ..........


To me, the number 13.......is well....just another number. It just happens to fall between 12 and 14. In a game of spades, there are 13 possible winning books.

13..........a bakers' dozen. 13..........as in no hotels or motels ever have a 13th floor.......or a room 13. Bad luck, they say.......that number 13.

But..........we have 6eVoice.......born on the 13th..........We have fellow poster, GaPeach913.......yes.....born on the 13th. They both have led successful and meaningful lives.

But..........Friday the 13th?

In my life time.......spanning over 4 scores plus 10........I have never had anything happen negative to me on a Friday the 13th.

For those who want to know..........Wikipedia lists all Friday the 13ths we will encounter:


Year Months
2001 April, July
2002 September, December
2003 June
2004 February, August
2005 May
2006 January, October
2007 April, July
2008 June
2009 February, March, November
2010 August
2011 May
2012 January, April, July
2013 September, December
2014 June
2015 February, March, November
2016 May
2017 January, October
2018 April, July
2019 September, December
2020 March, November
2021 August
2022 May
2023 January, October
2024 September, December
2025 June
2026 February, March, November
2027 August
2028 October

So how did Friday the 13th become....what it is today. Again.....we go to Wikipedia:

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia,[1], a word derived from the concatenation of the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή) (meaning Friday), and dekatreís (δεκατρείς) (meaning thirteen), attached to phobía (φοβία) (meaning fear). The term is a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a simple phobia (fear) of the number thirteen appearing in any case.

Words and thoughts I can't begin to announce.

But I digress...........Really..........this day........this Friday the 13th.......is just another day....No more ...........no less.

The following is a list of events that happened on todays' Friday the 13th.....You be the judge as to how the importance of the events........rank:

415 - Henry the Navigator, the prince of Portugal, embarked on an expedition to Africa.

1777 - The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in the American colonies to help with their rebellion against the British.

1789 - Ice cream was served to General George Washington by Mrs. Alexander Hamilton.

1825 - Walter Hunt patented the safety pin. Hunt then then sold the rights for $400.

1866 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. Congress. It was ratified on July 9, 1868. The amendment was designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

1886 - King Ludwig II of Bavaria drowned in Lake Starnberg.

1888 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Labor.

1898 - The Canadian Yukon Territory was organized.

1900 - China's Boxer Rebellion against foreigners and Chinese Christians erupted into violence.

1912 - Captain Albert Berry made the first successful parachute jump from an airplane in Jefferson, Mississippi.

1913 - Ralph Edwards, the host of "This is Your Life" and "Truth or Consequences" was born. Ronald Reagan was the only person to ever substitute for him.

1920 - The U.S. Post Office Department ruled that children may not be sent by parcel post.

1922 - Charlie Osborne started the longest attack on hiccups. He hiccuped over 435 million times before stopping. He died in 1991, 11 months after his hiccups ended.

1923 - The French set a trade barrier between the occupied Ruhr and the rest of Germany.

1927 - Charles Lindbergh was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City.

1927 - For the first time an American Flag was displayed from the right hand of the Statue of Liberty.

1940 - Paris was evacuated before the German advance on the city.

1943 - German spies landed on Long Island, New York. They were soon captured.

1944 - Germany launched 10 of its new V1 rockets against Britain from a position near the Channel coast. Of the 10 rockets only 5 landed in Britain and only one managed to kill (6 people in London).

1944 - Marvin Camras patented the wire recorder.

1949 - Bao Dai entered Saigon to rule Vietnam. He had been installed by the French.

1951 - U.N. troops seized Pyongyang, North Korea.

1966 - The landmark "Miranda vs. Arizona" decision was issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision ruled that criminal suspects had to be informed of their constitutional rights before being questioned by police.

1967 - Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

1971 - The New York Times began publishing the "Pentagon Papers". The articles were a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam.

1977 - James Earl Ray was recaptured after his escape from prison 3 days earlier.

1978 - Israelis withdrew the last of their invading forces from Lebanon.

1979 - Sioux Indians were awarded $105 million in compensation for the U.S. seizure in 1877 of their Black Hills in South Dakota.

1981 - At a parade in London a teen-ager fired six-blank shots at Queen Elizabeth II.

1983 - The unmanned U.S. space probe Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to leave the solar system. It was launched in March 1972. The first up-close images of the planet Jupiter were provided by Pioneer 10.

1988 - The Ligger Group, a cigarette manufacturer, was found liable for a lung-cancer death. They were, however, found innocent by the federal jury of misrepresenting the risks of smoking.

1989 - The Detroit Pistons won their first National Basketball Association title. They beat the L.A. Lakers in four games.

1989 - U.S. President George Bush exercised his first Presidential veto on a bill dealing with minimum wage.

1991 - In the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament a spectator was killed when lightning struck.

1992 - Future U.S. President Bill Clinton criticized rap singer Sister Souljah for making remarks "filled with hatred" towards whites.

1994 - A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, found Exxon Corp. and Captain Joseph Hazelwood to be reckless in the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

1994 - O.J. Simpson was questioned by Los Angeles police concerning the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

1995 - France announced that they would conduct eight more nuclear tests in the South Pacific.

1996 - In Montana, the 81-day standoff between the Freemen and the FBI ended when the anti-government group surrendered.

1997 - The same Denver jury that convicted Timothy McVeigh of the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahama City recommended the death penalty for his crime.

2000 - Julius "Dr. J." Erving issued a public appeal for help finding his 19-year-old son, Cory. Cory had been missing since May 28, 2000. His body was found July 6, 2000.

2000 - In Pyongyang, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il welcomed South Korea's President Kim Dae for a three-day summit. It was the first such meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea.


Just as I thought............just another day ........in the life of man kind..........nothing more........nothing less.

Folks...........it's just another day..........son get over it.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

A Letterman Top Ten

Top 10 signs ....an NBA game is fixed.....


Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Hump Day News & Views



NBA update....

The L A Lakers..........predictably won game 3. The Celtics of Boston still lead 2 games to 1. This is a 2-3-2 format. Meaning 2 games in Boston..........3 games in L A...........and.......(if necessary 2 games in Boston.) Never in the NBA finals have teams won all games on their home court. Boston is the better team. All they have to do is win one game in Hollywood land. But.......we will see. Or ....we will hear about it.....as these games end at around 1 AM on the east coast. (But ....that's another post).


The Dogs are in Omaha...........

That's .......the Georgia Bulldog baseball team. Yes ...it's true. The Dawgs are in the College World Series...........Go figure. The "ping league" is going to make me watch this thing. Go Dawgs.


Brave new world?

My beloved Atlanta Braves........are in trouble. They have lost 4 in a row......Tom Glavine injured........something last night. John Smoltz is already on the DL..............The Bravos have dropped back to 6 games out of the NL east. And they can't win on the road. Can you say....."Long season.....coming?"

$4.00 per gallon?

It...........has happened.......In our life time. I got lucky. In my north Georgia travels........Tuesday took me to Cornelia, Georgia..........$3.95 is what I filled up with. But ....the national average of a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.00 a gallon. Unbelievable!!!!


Finally............

I'm .......a little tired.....I'm going to sleep now......

Have a happy ...........Hump Day.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Snakes on a Plane? How 'bout in the Back Yard?


It has been hot....and dry....

In this southern college town. In an attempt to circumvent mother nature, I was going to water my vegetable garden, when ........out of the corner of my eye .....I saw this black string.

Not an ordinary string.......big..........black........and crawling. About six feet ..........I immediately went back to the garage to get what I thought would be my necessary tools. A cultivator and a hoe.

And there it was........him .....and me. A 6 foot rat snake. In my back yard. I stared..........he stared....Hissing and taunting me with that forked tongue. He had made the mistake of coming out into the open. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I measured him...........I swung the cultivator ...........and pinned him down. He still did not surrender. I stood over him and admired his tenacity ......

And with one swing of my hoe............off came his head. The rest of his body still moved and slithered...........His tongue was still wagging from its' head.....even after being severed from its' body.

My first snake kill. And I'm here to tell you..........what a rush! Man against beast..........good versus evil...........It just doesn't get much better.

Summer time in the deep south? Priceless........

Monday, June 9, 2008

A Few Things.......Learned From the Weekend


A horse is a horse.......of course, of course..........

After sitting through an hour of pre-game hype Saturday........we finally got to see the Belmont Stakes race. We all were suppose to be seeing history. What we got was a horse who didn't want to be there.....much less run. Big Brown turned into the Big Frown. He finished dead last. Post race testing revealed nothing wrong physically with Big Brown.

Our take is this........the horse just didn't feel like running.......case closed. It was all mental.

When I was in high school, my freshman year........I decided to be on the cross-country track team. This is where you run 6 to 8 miles in the woods. Up and down hills........through creeks.....underbrush ..........etc. Some days I felt like running.......some days I didn't.

Big Brown is a horse...........an animal.......He didn't feel like running.....so he didn't.


Home sweet home?

A funny thing happened in Atlanta..........and to Atlanta. The Braves played 3 home games at Turner Field over the weekend ..............and lost .......all three! To the division leading Philadelphia Phillies....no less. Atlanta had been the leagues' best home team. But they were swept right of the "Ted". I could start getting worried and write a bunch of posts on the underachieving Bravos'..........but........talk about your long seasons..........there's still over 100 games left to play this season. But I will say this........The Braves stink!


Remember ....when?

I may be showing my age. I may indeed be getting a tad bit old. But I do remember when graduation ceremonies on a high school level were very solemn. There was silence when each name was called. There was applause only at the very end. And then the graduates would march out the same way they marched in.......to the music of "Pomp & Circumstances".

Well ........I'm here to tell you.....I have been to the mountain top.....I have now seen it all. This weekend , I traveled to Winston-Salem, NC to attend my nephews' high school graduation. My graduation was held at the high school football stadium........in the heat of the afternoon....My Nephew's high school held its ceremony in an air conditioned Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (home of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons). There had to be over 5,000 folks in attendance.

And the noise? Every group was in competition..........to see who could cheer the loudest for their particular graduate.... It was ..........awesome! I've never heard this much noise at UGA basketball game. The attendees were vocal..........really into it.....I was indeed ....impressed.


And I thought it was hot in Georgia.......

Don't know if it's a global warning thing or what......when we left the peach state Saturday, the temperatures were in the high 90's............but North Carolina? Can you say 100 degrees? It was ...........sooooooo hot there.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Aaaahhhhh........The Weekend!


Yes..........it's Friday

That means the weekend is upon us. For us sports fans, it means Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes........hoping to win the triple crown.

Or it could be the NCAA baseball Super Regionals........by the way, Georgia destroyed N C State in game 1 of their series earlier today.

The NBA Finals resume.......The Atlanta Braves have a huge weekend series with division leading Philadelphia.....

And then there are graduations.....one of which ........I will travel 5 hours tomorrow to attend. My nephew is graduating from high school. Wow! Are we getting old .......or what?

So this weekend.......don't look for any posts from yours truly ...........I'm going to stop the world and get off.......if only for a couple of days.

See you guys.....and gals ......a little later.

Peace......

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

The year was 2004.....

Ebony magazine had an article featuring Evander Holyfield. Here are some of the highlights :

Ebony, April, 2004 by Kevin Chappell


BY all accounts, Evander Holyfield was never supposed to be much of anything. Born in Atmore, Ala., one of nine children reared by a single mother with a sixth-grade education, he was told over and over again that he was too poor, too inarticulate, too Black to break the grip of poverty and despair. But armed with a strong faith in a higher being, a strong belief in himself, and a strong chin, Holyfield defied the odds, rewrote boxing history, and earned more than $150 million.

Today, home for Holyfield is a 54,000-square-foot estate on 235 acres outside of Atlanta. One of the biggest homes in the Southeast, it boasts a mind-boggling 109 rooms, including 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a bowling alley, Olympic-size pool and a stable stocked with a half-dozen horses.
Inside the home, a double-spiral staircase at the foot of a three-story rotunda greets visitors. The foyer features a baby grand piano. The dining room seats more than two dozen people. There is even an elevator for easy access to each floor.

Now.......

Fast forward 4 years for this article which appeared in today's Wall Street Journal:

A Knock Out: Evander Holyfield Facing Foreclosure


The last time Evander Holyfield was making big news, he had just had his ear gnawed off by Mike Tyson in their now infamous “Bite Fight” — a boxing match that ended when Mr. Tyson was disqualified for biting off Mr. Holyfield’s ear in 1997. He reportedly earned $34 million for the bout.

That haul appears to be gone. The Associated Press is reporting that the former heavyweight champion’s $10 million estate in suburban Atlanta is in foreclosure. A legal notice that ran Wednesday in a small local paper said that Mr. Holyfield’s estate will be auctioned off at a local courthouse on July 1.

The foreclosure is just one of the former heavyweight’s financial woes: A federal lawsuit was filed about two weeks ago in Utah seeking repayment of $550,000 in loans allegedly made to Mr. Holyfield in late 2006 and early 2007 to pay for landscaping on his 235-acre estate. And the mother of one of his children is suing for unpaid child support.

Wow........what difference 4 years can make....

But wait........there's more! Evander speaks out.......Breaking news from the Atlanta Journal Constitution web site:

Holyfield: 'I'm not broke'

Boxing icon Evander Holyfield says he's "not broke," and that he's always taken care of his children, despite reports this week that the three-time world champion's 109-room mansion in Fairburn was in foreclosure and that he's behind in child support payments.

"I'm not broke. I'm just not liquid," Holyfield told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday. "I do feel kind of sad because things have always been positive and now everybody wants to jump on me like I'm the worst person in the world and I went out and blew all my money."

On Friday, Philip Hasty, an attorney for Shapiro & Swertfeger in Atlanta, the law firm representing Holyfield's lending company, confirmed that the estate is no longer up for auction. Hasty said that the change happened Thursday morning but he declined to comment further.

Holyfield would not elaborate on the foreclosure listing but said "everything is alright with the house now."

So........there!

But answer me this........How can a person blow $248 million ? And if one has made $248 million and the house is worth just $10 million...........why did he still have payments?

Why was there even a hint of a foreclosure?

I always thought the Mr. Holyfield had surrounded himself with reputable people who looked out for his best interest.

But as Evander reminded us, "I'm not broke....I'm just not liquid."

Well......Mr. Holyfield .....lets hope you get .........liquified.......and ....liquidated....quickly.


Thursday, June 5, 2008

Our Kind of "Big Brown"

This week ........

All of the sports world is talking about the possibility of a horse named "Big Brown" winning the Belmont Stakes........and thus.....winning racings' triple crown.......The first in 30 years.

Well .......we have our own "Big Brown".........as in Serena Williams.

Thanks to our good friends at "Young, Black & Fabulous" we have a copy of the upcoming Ebony magazine July issue cover........We may even buy this issue....



Now.......do you think........it's .......summer time?

A Major League Tirade

John McLaren lets it rip..........

There are about 5 or 6 of these blow ups for major league baseball managers in the course of the season. And .......it's such a long season.

Current Seattle Mariner skipper, John McLaren voiced his views about his underachieving team.....in no uncertain words.

Courtesy of ESPN and our friends at Red Lasso:


Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Hump Day News & Views


Happy Trails........John Smoltz

The Atlanta Braves future Hall of Fame pitcher announced today he will under go season ending shoulder surgery. The announcement was made today at a news conference in which Smoltz appeared surprisingly upbeat. One of the good guys in sports, we are all saddened with this news.


There's ....no place ....like home!

After the afore mentioned Braves lost 5 of 6 on their last road stand .......they come home ........and promptly win the first 2 against the Florida Marlins. And in both games, they came back from an early deficit ........and won. Go figure!


Welcome back, Pedro Martinez.......

After a long stint on the disable list.......Pedro finally pitched a game last night.....for the struggling New York Mets. And he won!


Welcome back, Pac Man Jones.......

The NFL has re-instated the troubled corner-back ........well, sort of. He is cleared to participate with all pre-season activities with the Dallas Cowboys. And if he can stay clean, he may get to even play in real games come September. Note to Pac Man, "Don't F* it up"!


Let the hype.......begin.....

Game one of the NBA finals is about 24 hours away and ABC & ESPN are in full hype mode. Before this series is over, ESPN Classic will show every Celtic/Laker Championship series ever played. And the comparisons between one Michael Jordan and one Kobe Bryant.....will be scrutinized like never before.


Happy Trails...........Flip Saunders......

The Detroit Piston head coach was fired Tuesday by GM Joe Dumars . Saunders led the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2006, 2007, and this year. One problem. Detroit lost in each. The players never bought what he was selling. They had won an NBA championship (2005).........he hadn't......and now, probably never will.

Finally........

Summer is not suppose to get to this southern college town until June 21st..........But today the temperatures topped 92 degrees with no end in sight.......and no rain in the forecast. Not good.....for this master gardener wannabe ....

Finally....finally.....

Our sincere congratulations to Barack Obama. Be truthful, now........Did you really think winning the democratic presidential nomination was even a remote possibility ......a year ago?