Dom's Dish - Friday, May 30, 2008
Sure, some of you think I was away. Nope, I still wrote, I just was too lazy to log into the other email account and copy and format it, then post it. I have written two editions since the last Dish, they can be found at domsdish-dot-blogspot-dot-com as my mother has so eloquntley put. Right John Carlo?
Anyway, a lot has happened in sports these past few weeks. In no particular order: The owners opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement - basically the entire contract for the way the NFL is run in terms of money. They do have reason to feel slighted - everyone is making tons of money, but you know guys like Jerry Jones, want more - looking for that oil field. Basically the owners are not happy with the amount they need to pay to players in terms of a percentage of the entire EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization - cash flow - if you look at it as the players being part of the payout) (5 years in undergrad business school and all I remember is EBITDA and Supply and Demand...and Bozena Leven, lol). Anyway, it will be good for everyone, the owners, the players, the fans and even others in all of sports. Yeah, we might be without football for a year, but a) I don't think it will get that far and b) the benefits outweigh the depression for one year.
Where were we anyway? Baseball JUST started. Now it's May and the Phillies lineup is as on fire as the color of the bright red $5 Phillies cap I got in the parking lot/truck yard in Philly 3 years ago. Holy cow they're hitting the ball. Here's one for you, Rollins is going to save Ryan Howard's season and career as a Phillie. Unlike below, this one is definitely true - look it up. Howard was slumping. Hitting .160 (that sucks for you non-baseball fans) with as many RBIs as rookie RF-er, it really looked like the Phillies got the raw end of the "arbitration" deal that pays Howard $10 Million for this year alone. (What other sport has lawyers this involved in "contract negotiation" / payment?) Funny thing is, Jimmy Rollins was hurt early and gimping around for like 10 days before he went on the 15-day Disabled List. Around a month of this and Howard struggled. Shit, I boo-ed him when I was at the game wearing my blue Phillies Howard #6 t-shirt in 40-degree weather. Jimmy comes back in San Fran, his hometown (I'm telling you, hit up Fisherman's Wharf), starts the Phillies off on the road that they're on now - crushing the baseball. I think it was May 3rd, and basically this whole month, the entire lineup has dominated slowly but steadily. I say with confidence, the Phillies have the best Infield in Baseball right now. Who else? BoSox? No. Yankees? No. Mets? Hell No. Tigers? Nope. Marlins? Close, but no. Diamondbacks? Who do they have? The last two MVP's, gold glovers, silver sluggers, hitting streaks. Shit, even Pedro Feliz lead the Giants in RBI's the last two seasons!!! Howard, Utley, Rollins, Feliz. Up until 6 days ago, I would have betted that Howard would be let go at the end of his contract/arbitration period. Now, I say he'll remain a Phillie. In that lineup he can do some bad things. And apparently all he needs is Rollins there. From their interview though, I hope they don't wind up a McNabb/Owens duo. (It's funny, my wife saw David Wright on TV for a closeup interview after his game the other night. She asked who the 12 year old was. He had this huge pimple above his right eye on his forehead. Either it's steroids for the little man or puberty's last final breaths?)
We're into the part of the sports year that seems to drag ON and ON. Don't get me wrong, I love 7-game series. Shows a lot about a team, character, conditioning, diligence, etc. I just don't understand why they need to spread out the NHL and NBA playoffs? I mean, it's great seeing hot teams like the Flyers a few weeks back or the Detroit Red Wings just dismantle teams and/or handle teams, but you can only wait so long. Yeah, I know there's a ton of people like me out there that can wait a week for the next NFL matchup or a new episode of Schrute Beet Farm, er...The Office. But here's something. NFL is fast paced, but there's news throughout the week and NFL Network and Sirius. The Office, yeah, there's the website, but it's not as up-tempo and in your face as the NFL or hockey. 7-game series? 10 days, maybe 11. Only extra days between games for travel days. It's gonna be June already! Hockey? It's not even freezing in 90% of the NHL cities right now, if not 95/100%! And basketball? Great sport too, but the days are the same, I wish someone would rescue us from this. How about the NFL having a development league in non-NFL cities right about now? April to July. NFL. Kids that could play in the NFL in September to December? I want Roger Goodell out there at the games, Monday Night Football, Emmitt and Dan Marino broadcasting game coverage, Mike and Mike, analysis, the NFL logo, big networks - shit give the losers of the NFL Networks (NBC, ABC, WGN) the chance to broadcast.
Tiger Woods is out and on his way back. I can just about guarantee that of all 200 people that get this and the assorted others on the "net" AKA internet, only 2% of you have sat and watched more than 1 hour of golf COMBINED since Tiger's been gone. And those heard about Sergio or Phil on Sportscenter the night before. It's crazy, the media (SportsCenter, newspapers) barely touch on golf when Tiger's not winning. So to all of you I pose this - Tiger coming back will revive the US economy. Now you may say, Dominic, Tiger can't control gas prices. And to you, I say, YOU'RE WRONG, SIR! Fact, Tiger Woods has been out since April 9 or thereabout. I can guarantee you that 80% of you have changed your spending habbits or thoughts. Gas, eating out, presents for friends, etc. (Whatever Ed Harley) Fact, Tiger plays the Dubai tournament every winter (around February). You know what Dubai has? Lots of oil and oil money. Theypay him to come over, he brings it back to the US, we watch the tournament or SportsCenter highlights, Oil and gas were low back then. Therefore by virtue of my flawless logic, Tiger coming back will save the US and World Economy. Hell, he's no Chuck Norris, but he CAN change the world. Shiiiiit.
Speaking of washing your hands, I finally found a totally awesome hand washing sink! It was in the Chipotle in Laurel, Maryland, outside of University Park. Plenty of room to "do the action" without bumping into the sides of a nasty pissed on sink. See the pic on the web log, AKA "blog" (we're so lazy in America - 2 syllables is tooooo much).
One of the best movie's ever- "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective". Knowing my audience, you've just about all seen it. Probably once or twice and you forgot about it. Go find it. Rent it. Buy it, whatever. It's one for the collection. I say it's one of the biggest movies of our generation. Eventually leading to all other Jim Carey movies, SNL movies, silly Eddie Murphy movies (not included 2 great series - 48 hours and Beverly Hills Cop), Mike Myers movies, etc. I have to say, if I could own 5 "modern" movies out there, they would be: Ace Ventura, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, Dogma, and Enemy of the State AND (I'm not counting Trains, Planes and Automobiles, or the ones I own, Wedding Crashers, Borat, The Matrix, or Saving Private Ryan). Anyway, back to Ace. First off, it's Jim Carey at his prime! Then you throw in a dolphin mascot, Courtney Cox (still single at that time), Iced someone rapper dude, "Finkle, Einhorn", 1980's police cruisers...WOW. Classic! Ok, the movies to follow were good and bad (Ace 2, Dumb & Dumber, Cable Guy, Batman & Robin) but this movie kind of broke the mold. Ace Ventura is there with the lesser "sports movies" than the usual ones critics blurt out - "Hoosiers", "Field of Dreams", ... - This is there with "Any Given Sunday" and "Jerry Mc-F***in Guire" - starring a young, somewhat attractive, non-crack-whorish Renee Zellweger.
ESPN posted a story the other night "Big Brown gallops nine furlongs". Does anyone off hand know what a furlong is? Apparently, 1/8 mile (9 furlongs is 1 1/8 miles) - so just under 200 meters. I think we should measure more things in furlongs. The Daytona 4000 furlong. I drove 6240 furlong to Chicago last weekend. Make a right then drive 2.1 furlong and make your first left before driving a furlong to my house. That'd almost be as annoying as driving in Canada with the kilometers. And to be honest, I don't think there is a plural to the word furlong, is there?
Around the Balls:
Big-brown-oblong - Hey, there's still tickets left for the Saints/Chargers game in 5 months. Problem is, you'll have to fly to London to see it. So that's like 9 and 12 hour flights for them to get to London. If we can't even expand to Canada because they have different rules and bigger fields, what makes us think London or Europe is a place to expand. Obviously this didn't work before - see NFL Europe. Europe has its soccer. US has its football. Canada has its football. Leave it at that.
Huge-orange - The Chicago Bulls got the first pick in next month's draft! Wow. The rich keep getting richer. Maybe they'll take another pot-smoking hippie kid who likes to drink in public. It's a shame. Seriously, I hope they take Derek Rose and he does become the next "Jason Kidd with a jump shot". I think Rose can have a career in the right system, whereas Beasley could just be a mini-LeBron and be only a 15/5 player. Just as long as either's father doesn't admit to smoking pot and give a hint of Joakim Noah type trouble in the future. I don't know about Doug Collins as a coach either. He's a great analyst on TNT, but a career 53% win percentage. Interesting move, don't get D'Antoni so go after a broadcaster? Should have taken Mark Jackson or even Charles Barkley, you know he could use the money.
Small-white-stitched - The Big Unit is still tossing and yesterday tied Roger Clemens on the strikeout list for second behind Nolan Ryan. Nolan has over a 1,000 K edge on Randy (5714 vs 4672) and I don't think he'll be breaking that soon. Even looking at the current "young guns" out there, I'm not sure these records will be topped for a while. Pedro is #15 with 3,030 but he's 36 and oft injured. Tough to strike guys out these days. Maybe someday Joba Chamberlain or Jon Papelbon will own this record, then again, maybe it's Nolan Ryan's forever.
Tiny-white - Only about 2 weeks to the US Open. Tiger should be back as mentioned about 300 words ago, and he gets to play his favorite course - Torrey Pines. I've been to San Diego, and shit, I'd be too relaxed to play that beautiful course. Maybe he doesn't see the beauty like everyone else and can win if he finishes the tournament healthy.
Round-rubber-non - The Red Wings trounced the Penguins the first two games in Detroit, but last night, Home Ice advantage again rung true. This year might be one for the books for NHL and NBA playoffs with all these home court/ice wins.
Program Alert:
Phillies vs. Marlins in a three game set at The Bank.
Phillies J-Roll Bobble Head night next Wednesday vs Reds.
Celtics vs. Pistons Game 6 tonight on ESPN at 7:30pm. Pistons on brink but home.
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