 Monday, November 19, 2007
The Light of Freedom is Kept Burning as the Leadership Torch Passed from One Generation to the Next (Army Football)
Steve had MBA class on Saturday so Kathleen asked me to accompany her to West Point to watch Army host Tulsa. I was honored as I hadn't been to an Army football game since 1989, around the time that the current Corps of Cadets had been born.
It brought back lots of memories but I was able to hold back the tears. Kathleen was also pretty emotional as her parents had organized the get together in memory of her little brother Jimmy, CPT James Gurbisz, who graduated West Point in 2002 and was killed in Iraq in November 2005.
We got to the game just as the canon went off. I happened to be troubleshooting an IT issue on one of my Crackberries so I advised my colleague back at the office not to fear the background noise from the canons, attack helicopters flying overhead, and bagpipes. I successfully troubleshot the issue in short order, touch wood.
We then entered Michie Stadium, home of the Army Black Knights. The Corps of Cadets was still there in their same section as in my day. It was nice to see the 21st century additions of the "Spirit Saxes" (Saxophones), thunder sticks, and the "Michie Maniacs", cadets in yellow shirts with Devoesque helmets. Who can't love keeping the 1980s alive? I know Jimmy would as he went to a "Whitesnake" concert as a kid. We're kindred musical spirits who have yet to meet.
We settled into our seats and met Kathleen's parents and her childhood friend Kim. Mr. Gurbisz looked bewildered when I told him that I root for the Yankees and Mets. He probably didn't appreciate my anti-smoking sermon but I am about to lose my Dad and my friend Robert in Tampa from cigarette related illnesses in the near future so I don't want to lose him too. (BTW, anti-smoking will be a key plank in my presidential campaign. I plan take all the tobacco in cigarettes, cigars, and other smoking nonsense and convert it into ethanol or some other useful product to stop climate change and save lives at the same time. More on that later.)
The stars of the game weren't the football players on the filed but the 18 underprivileged children in attendance. Kathleen and her parents formed a foundation in Jimmy's memory after his death. They work with kids trying to get their GEDs and/or dealing with discipline issues. Mr. Gurbisz is a no-nonsense Vietnam helicopter pilot who deals with the kids with discipline issues. Mrs. Gurbisz helps the kids returning to school to get their GEDs -- the gentle touch to her husband's discipline and strength. Kathleen's parents prove that you don't have to wear a uniform to serve your fellow man, woman, or child.
Most of the kids were seventh and eighth graders but the most special were the fifth graders who are my nephew's age. The two buddies combined their money to buy an Army mini football. What unselfish teamwork! Where did they buy the football so I can buy one too? Remember, I am 37 years in calendar years but have the emotional maturity of an eight year old.  The Army Mule is a new mascot who put up with little kids hitting him/her in the head like a human/animal piñata.
Back to the game. It was an offensive barn burner as both teams traded the lead. Whenever Army got a first down, the PA announcer would say "First Down Army. Mr. Referee, move those chains." And the crowd would respond, "Go Army!" It's great how some things stay the same.
Army kept it close till late in the game until Tulsa pulled away for a 49-39 victory.
As I left Michie Stadium, it was great seeing the kids light up and talk to Kathleen's parents about the Academy, serving the country, and improving themselves. These kids need our attention and guidance as they will be our next generation of leaders. The light of freedom is kept burning as the leadership torch passed from one generation to the next -- from our parents' generation to us and to today's and future kids.
Posted by a inspired Tank reporting live from Michie Stadium at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Paul LoDuca's Price Just Went Up
Jorge Posada, is back with the Yankees. As the week progressed, the Mets looked like they would sign their second choice, Yorvit Torrealba. But by the weekend, it fell through. Why are the Mets wasting time in this department, they should just resign Paul LoDuca. Sure he is a hot head at times and gets suspended. But he has passion, can catch, can hit, and wants to win. When Willie Randolph said yesterday that he believed in his players' character right to the final game, but was wrong he said: "I definitely gave them too much credit. I was looking for them to reveal to me that they were ready to be champions, but they showed me they weren't ready.'' LoDuca is ready. He has the passion and the fire and the hunger. Resign him and then go after some rock star pitchers who also share his passion. Posted by Steve in New York.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
NFL Week #11 Picks
I was 1-1 in my picks last week and 11-7 on the season. The Giants didn't "get 'er done" against the Cowboys and the Bills thankfully pulled it out against the Dolphins.
This Week's Fearless Picks:
The Bills lose at home to the Patriots.
The Jets lose at home to the Steelers.
The Giants bounce back and win at the Lions.
Posted by the Tank in NY.
Friday, November 16, 2007
My Buddy A-Rod Comes Back Home
Lots of ink has been spilled about my buddy A-Rod. Will he stay or will he go? If you have been a faithful reader (which I thank you for), you will remember that I predicted long ago back in the summer that A-Rod will stay with the Yankees. How did I know this? Yes, I met A-Rod recently. Moreover, I also know how the business of sports works. If I learned one thing for working for different law firms in paralegal, IT, and other capacities for over a decade is that there is lots of anger and shouting but most cases settle at the last minute before going to trial. This wasn't much different in the A-Rod situation in that there was lots of huffing and puffing and bluffing. As Steve correctly noted a couple of days ago, Scott Boras overplayed his hand by opting out during Game 4 of the World Series. When the dust settled, the deal got done because A-Rod wanted to be a Yankee and they were the only team willing to paying him $275 million plus incentives. (It would have been closer to $300 million because of the $21 million Texas Ranger subsidy over the next three years.) For that kind of money, most everyone would "crawl back" to their former employer.
I don't expect other teams to send the Yankees thank you notes but I think the humbling of Scott Boras is good for teams around Major League Baseball.
The most important thing is that A-Rod will help the Yankees get back to Baseball's Promised Land over the next decade and break the all time home run record held by his friend, the newly indicted Barry Bonds (as I discussed long ago). As Thanksgiving approaches, A-Rod breaking the home run record (God Willing) will make me very thankful in the years to come. This year's Thanksgiving will be complete if the Yankees re-sign Mariano Rivera and hope Pettitte comes back. Keep the faith! Go Yankees! Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by a grateful Tank in NY.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Week #12 College Football Picks
I was 3-0 in last week's picks. I am 30-11 on the season.
This Week's Fearless Picks:
#7 Ohio State wins at #21 Michigan. Both teams are trying to "salvage" an otherwise promising season.
The Big Ten title, a trip to the Rose Bowl, interstate pride, and an outside chance at the BCS Championship if Ohio State wins and other teams ahead of it falter over the next few weeks in regular season and conference championship play. The stakes were even higher for both teams like last year's "Immortality Bowl" which I thankfully picked the margin of victory, three points, and wasn't far off on the final score, 41-38, touch wood.
#9 Georgia wins at home against #23 Kentucky.
#6 West Virginia wins at #22 Cincinnati. Ohio State needs West Virginia to lose this game.
#15 Clemson wins at home against # 17 Boston College.
Local Picks:
Syracuse loses at #24 Connecticut.
Rutgers wins at Pittsburgh.
Posted by the Tank in NY.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Did Boras Overplay His Hand?
Most likely on the advice of his agent, Scott Boras, ARod opted out of his record setting contract with the Yankees on the final moments of the World Series. The Yankees are the team with the deepest pockets and said that they will not negotiate with A-Rod if he opts out. Boras figured that a large contract was out there and displayed a lot of hubris. There has been no record breaking deal yet. Maybe it is not out there, epically now that teams know that they don't have to compete with the Yankees. But Red Sox fans indicated they don't want him. The Mets obviously opted out telling David Wright that he can do his winter workouts on 3rd base. Maybe the Angles will pick him up or the Dodgers or Cubs, but that is it, smaller market teams can't afford him. NY Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, quoting sources close to A-Rod, wrote yesterday that A-Rod may return to the Yankees. The Yankees? Is Luplica nuts, a reversal like that would lose Hank Steinbrenner a lot of credibility. But maybe A-Rod is nervous that he will not get the money and that Boras overplayed his hand? Lupica writes: "It would mean Rodriguez has figured out that even Boras can over-promise sometimes and under-deliver, that there is no $350 million offer out there and was never going to be. More importantly, he realizes how much Boras damaged him and damaged him a lot by having him walk away from his Yankee contract without even giving the Yankees a chance to come to the table." I think Lupica is wrong. A-Rod is afraid of playing in New York under the spotlight. Posted by Steve in New York
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Bob Costas
I recently had the pleasure of meeting fellow journalist and 19 time Emmy award winning journalist Bob Costas. Bob talked about different experiences watching sports since his childhood. Today's school children face a problem with late night baseball games as they have to go to sleep around the third inning. When he was a kid, Bob had the same problem with a twist as World Series games were played during the day. His sixth grade teacher knew this and brought in a television with rabbit ears so he could watch Whitey Ford pitch against Sandy Koufax in 1964.
He joked about sitting in between Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker during a baseball game. Morgan was one of the best second baseman of all time and a Hall of Famer while Uecker bounced around on six teams over a seven year career and hit a mediocre .200. Costas asked Morgan for World Series insight which he then asked Uecker for his. Uecker replied that he was on the disabled list in the 1964 World Series. Costas asked Uecker what was his injury. Uecker replied hepatitis. Uecker sensed that it was a sensitive issue and noted that the trainer injected him hepatitis.
Costas brought up one of his own faux pases and the crowd applauded. He said that broadcasting is not brain surgery. We briefly discussed Syracuse basketball as he is an alumnus and I am a huge fan. Coach Boeheim's successor appears to be Mike Hopkins when the time is right in the future -- hopefully not for a long time. Long live Coach Boeheim! Let's go Orange!
Earlier that week, Costas interviewed Joe Torre for HBO Sports. Costas' producer was wise enough to pull his ten year son out of school. After the interview, Joe met the young boy and wrote a note to the boy's principal saying that he spent the day with Torre. That shows Torre's class and going the extra mile for young people even though he was going through a difficult situation himself in the public limelight. (True and related story: This was reminiscent of my friend Ned who was a broadcasting major in college. He needed to get an interview for a journalism class and he saw Ned waiting to interview him during Spring Training. He stopped the interview with the rest of the media and talked only to Ned. As a result, Ned aced his class and is now a sports producer at a major network. Wow, I miss Joe Torre already.)
Posted by the Tank reporting live from Midtown Manhattan.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Posada Likely to Return to Yankees
The Yankees look like they are closer to signing Jorge Posada, "My first priority is the Yankees," Posada told reporters Sunday at halftime of the New York Knicks' game against the Miami Heat. "I would like to stay with the Yankees. My heart is with the Yankees, so hopefully we can get something done." After losing their manager, MVP 3rd Baseman, hitting coach, 3rd base coach, and pitching coach, Pettitte on the fence, the Yankees can't afford to lose Posada and his numbers. Next stop on the resign train is Mo. Posted by Steve in New York.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Trouble Maker
"I don't take anything he says to heart. Obviously I think I can be better defensively. But I have a Gold Glove, and that's the bottom line, and that's something I'm very proud of, and I feel like I'm getting better and better defensively, and obviously managers and coaches have seen that." --David Wright Yesterday Chipper Jones lashed out in "shock" that David Wright won the Gold Glove: "When I find out [Wright won] I was speechless, for quite some time... Certainly the guys with the least amount of errors and best fielding percentage quite obviously didn't win it.... I wouldn't have been disappointed had someone like [Pedro] Feliz or [Aramis] Ramirez won it. I'm a little confused by the final tally, that's a head-scratcher for me." Chipper is just making trouble. Pedro Feliz is a utility player and while Aramis Ramirez had 10 fewer errors than David Wright, he also played in 40 less games and turned less double plays. David Wright makes a lot of great plays, some truly amazing dives, and I suspect that the number of games played (almost all of them), the depth of the plays, and contribution to his team were taken into consideration, subjective votes, rather than pure statistics. If pure statistics decided the Gold Glove and MVP, then it would be boring and done by a computer. Time for Chipper to Shut Up. Maybe he will name his second daughter Citi. Posted by Steve in New York.
|
| November, 2008 (20) |
| October, 2008 (31) |
| September, 2008 (29) |
| August, 2008 (30) |
| July, 2008 (30) |
| June, 2008 (30) |
| May, 2008 (31) |
| April, 2008 (30) |
| March, 2008 (31) |
| February, 2008 (29) |
| January, 2008 (30) |
| December, 2007 (32) |
| November, 2007 (32) |
| October, 2007 (33) |
| September, 2007 (33) |
| August, 2007 (31) |
| July, 2007 (33) |
| June, 2007 (30) |
| May, 2007 (32) |
| April, 2007 (33) |
| March, 2007 (31) |
| February, 2007 (29) |
| January, 2007 (32) |
| December, 2006 (30) |
| November, 2006 (26) |
| October, 2006 (32) |
| September, 2006 (28) |
| August, 2006 (23) |
 |