tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309479852024-03-07T03:02:15.216-06:00Spaulding, Get Your Foot Off the Boat!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.comBlogger293125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-72711134548236197542008-01-07T23:01:00.000-06:002008-01-07T23:02:06.298-06:00Look at the Crowd<object width="425" height="373"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RSdvnk8Byfc&rel=1&border=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RSdvnk8Byfc&rel=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="373"></embed></object>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-56850609188762033772008-01-03T21:26:00.000-06:002008-01-03T21:28:17.290-06:00Size Matters NotVia <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320005,00.html">Fox News.com</a>:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Boy, 11, Uses Toy Lightsaber to Defend Mom From Attacker</span><br /><br />An 11-year-old boy demonstrated The Force when he defended his mom by hitting an attacker with a toy lightsaber.<br /><br />The man, in his 30s, fled after being confronted by the youngster outside a bakery in Swardeston, near Norwich, England.<br /><br />Police said the boy hit the man with his toy after the man had punched and verbally abused his mother as she approached her car.</blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-40628215731330216372007-12-17T11:55:00.000-06:002007-12-17T11:57:57.177-06:00Experience<a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/15/obama_clinton_and_the_negative.html">Washington Post.com</a>:<br /><blockquote>Obama tossed back a remark by President Clinton during his 1992 campaign to answer questions by both Clintons about Obama's short political resume (he was elected to the U.S. Senate two years ago, after eight years in the Illinois state Senate). The Clinton campaign believes one of Obama's greatest vulnerability is his short tenure in public office, especially with the country at war, and the issue is expected to surface again and again in the weeks ahead.<br /><br />"Here's a quote," said Obama. "The same old experience is irrelevant. You can have the right kind of experience or the wrong kind of experience. And mine is rooted in the real lives of real people and it will bring real results if we have the courage to change. And that was Bill Clinton in 1992."</blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-72397979676855888062007-11-19T23:10:00.000-06:002007-11-19T23:16:17.639-06:00Garland Out, Cabrera InNow it gets interesting. The first of perhaps many moves?<br /><a href="http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/cs-071119rogers,1,3474832.column?coll=cs-whitesox-headlines"><br />ChicagoSports.com</a>:<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><blockquote>Cabrera, an excellent shortstop who also is signed only through next season, is due $9 million; Garland is due $12 million. Normally the money goes to the team taking on salary, but Garland's trade value was so high that Williams was able to get cash even though he is shedding the bigger commitment. That almost never happens.<br /><br />Williams compares the deal with the trade that sent Carlos Lee to Milwaukee for Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino before the 2005 season. The difference between Lee's $8 million salary and the combined $1.85 million due Podsednik and Vizcaino allowed Williams to make some more moves, most notably signing A.J. Pierzynski and Orlando Hernandez.<br /><br />It's clear Williams wants to sign one of two free-agent center fielders—Torii Hunter or Aaron Rowand—and the extra flexibility will help. But the plan to add players through free agency runs deeper, and Williams is confident he can turn Garland into Cabrera and another player or two.<br /><br />"The message I have been giving everyone we have targeted is we are 100 percent committed to winning a championship in 2008," Williams said Monday. "Yes, I always have my eye on the future, but I'll tell you this: Last year did not sit well with any of us. I'll be damned if we go through that again."</blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-27017126508520185122007-11-19T20:38:00.000-06:002007-11-19T20:39:07.709-06:00Eyes on Iowa<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EpAG008EHCU&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EpAG008EHCU&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-78116863955387892072007-11-03T06:04:00.000-05:002007-11-03T06:05:21.040-05:00Jump...Barrel...Jump<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_KyIpMtvJvE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_KyIpMtvJvE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-53297417682076088222007-10-30T21:54:00.000-05:002007-10-30T21:59:12.655-05:00A-RutDear news media,<br /><br />Please, please, please quit running articles that say Alex Rodriguez will potentially end up with the White Sox. <br /><br />And here's why: Scott Boras. The White Sox have a history of not working with the guy. So why all of a sudden would they be in the market for his show pony? They wouldn't. A-Rod will have to put up his gaudy numbers with no postseason results someplace else.<br /><br />That is all.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Spaulding, Get Your Foot Off the Boat!</span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-57699536736698766472007-10-30T21:35:00.000-05:002007-10-30T21:54:46.886-05:00Greatest HitsBritney Spears has a <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=28211057&s=143441">greatest hits album</a>. Seriously. Britney Spears. And it came out in 2004.<br /><br />She's now 26 years old.<br /><br />Yeah...that's a career.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-52630466888890566092007-10-29T20:11:00.000-05:002007-10-29T20:15:17.885-05:00Mysteries of the UniverseAs a universal rule, staplers will always, ALWAYS have plenty of staples in them when you are in no hurry. That said, as soon as you have something you need to staple quickly because you're rushing off to a meeting, the stapler will be empty. It's strange, infuriating, and true.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-72220596473875406922007-10-16T23:20:00.000-05:002007-10-16T23:23:40.383-05:00I'm Guessing These Guys Aren't Stopping at Railroad Tracks<object width="425" height="353"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fh7fQz4xzW4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fh7fQz4xzW4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="353"></embed></object>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-16931827306025348772007-10-15T22:20:00.000-05:002007-10-15T22:25:54.488-05:00Viva ViagraThose happy-go-lucky, can't stop singing about Viagra, guys are still going at it. I'm surprised Pfizer keeps running this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PH9qAGPULk">pathetic ad</a>. <br /><br />The commercial has been on the air for MONTHS. <br /><br />Wait...<span style="font-style: italic;">months</span>?<br /><br />If the Viva Viagra ad campaign lasts longer than four hours aren't we supposed to call a doctor?Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-35654559172021363402007-10-15T21:35:00.000-05:002007-10-15T22:25:32.592-05:00Critics Say It's...Is it just me, or have there been about a hundred different films labeled "the funniest film of the year"?Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-60934373194894660952007-10-09T22:52:00.000-05:002007-10-09T23:08:20.580-05:00Egads! Sputnik!<span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span>Even though the Cold War is now a chapter in American history textbooks it appears that some people are still scared of Sputnik.<br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-google9oct09,1,749704.story?coll=la-headlines-technology&ctrack=1&cset=true"><br />LA Times</a>:<br /><blockquote>Google Inc. occasionally features light-hearted doodles on its colorful home-page logo to commemorate special occasions. But now they are drawing criticism from conservatives for not being more patriotic.<br /><br />The Mountain View, Calif., company bathes its logo in stars and stripes every Independence Day, but last week's decision to honor the 50<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> anniversary of the Sputnik launch -- the second "g" in Google was replaced with a drawing of the Soviet satellite -- is being blasted by some conservatives.<br /><br />Not only did Google honor an achievement by a totalitarian regime that was our Cold War enemy, they griped, but it did so without having ever altered its logo to commemorate U.S. military personnel on Memorial Day or Veterans Day.<br /></blockquote>So given the variety of problems plaguing the world, the paint job is what some people are spending their time focusing on?<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hmmmm</span>...<br /><br />Google: misplaced priorities.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-49896514523921134062007-10-09T07:44:00.000-05:002007-10-09T07:47:22.072-05:00Foreign Policy Wisdom from Obama<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama_wed_03oct03,0,3448446.story">Chicago Tribune</a>:<br /><blockquote>Obama also defended his previous statements about being willing to meet -- without precondition -- in the first year of his presidency with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea.<br /><br />"Kennedy had a direct line to Khrushchev. Nixon met with Mao. Carter did the hard work of negotiating the Camp David accords," Obama said. "Reagan was negotiating arms agreements with Gorbachev even as he called on him to 'tear down this wall.'"</blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-30645983904470978722007-10-05T21:38:00.000-05:002007-10-05T21:46:35.463-05:00Wild Card<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2007/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3048274">ESPN.com</a>:<br /><blockquote>"I made my arguments and went down in flames. History will prove me right." -- Texas Rangers owner George W. Bush after voting against realignment and a new wild-card system during a Major League Baseball owners meeting in September 1993. Bush was the lone dissenter in a 27-1 vote.</blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-12502562912335208322007-10-01T19:02:00.001-05:002007-10-01T21:39:52.798-05:0015 Minutes of FameSupposedly everyone will get 15 minutes of fame. But who really believes that? Let's face it, most people -- if they get any "fame" at all -- will get far, far less than 15 minutes of it.<br /><br />To quantify this, the research department at <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Spaulding</span>, Get Your Foot Off the Boat!</span> conducted a highly unscientific survey to determine what people do with their 15 minutes (or less) of TV fame.<br /><br />Here's a look at the results:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 percent: Streaking</span><br /><br />Once a more popular choice for TV fame than today (due to the fact that most sports broadcasts no longer show crazy fans running onto the field), streaking is still the favored attempt at fame for a small, but dedicated percentage of the population.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Estimated actual time of fame:</span> 20-30 seconds depending on the speed of the security guards on duty; roughly a semester around the frat house<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15 percent: Hand concealing the face</span><br /><br />Made famous by individuals appearing on <a href="http://www.cops.com/">Cops</a>, raising one hand to ruin the TV camera's shot and possibly retain one's anonymity while being escorted into a police vehicle is a common use of TV fame.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Estimated actual time of fame:</span> four to five seconds; actual time may increase depending on how many local TV newscasts use the footage.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">22 percent: American Idol</span><br /><br />A dedicated contingent of Americans regularly line up for the chance to showcase their lack of singing skills on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FOX's</span> <a href="http://www.americanidol.com/">American Idol</a>, and maybe, just maybe, garner a Simon Cowell insult so merciless that it becomes the stuff of family lore for three to four generations. This newer method to gain one's 15 minutes is increasing in popularity.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Estimated actual time of fame:</span> 20-45 seconds; longer if the clip makes it to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">YouTube</span></a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">60 percent: Sports fans </span><br /><br />Despite the increase in all of the above methods of securing TV fame, none have come close to the "sports fan" method.<br /><br />Originating with the inception of television, the sports fan method for 15 minutes of fame can most commonly be identified by the individual shouting, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">WHOOOOOO</span>!!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">WHOOOOO</span>!!! NUMBER ONE, BABY!!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">WHOOOOOO</span>!!!" This exclamation is utilized no matter how much the fan's team is losing by and irregardless of whether the fan's proclamation of first place status is accurate or not. An adaptation on this method is used at golf tournaments, when the sports fan shouts, "IT'S IN THE HOLE!!!" at the moment the club head makes contact with the ball. This method is most expertly used during the tee shot on par fives. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Estimated actual time of fame: </span> two to five seconds; screen time is most commonly determined by how quickly the broadcast goes to commercial or goes back to showing sports instead of drunken blowhards.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Researcher's</span> note: Though there are other methods of achieving fame, all others examined for this report were determined to be statistically insignificant.</span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-45785163770172311432007-10-01T13:03:00.000-05:002007-10-01T13:07:56.889-05:00MLB Play-In GameI feel like I'll probably be rooting for San Diego (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0357413/quotes">which is German for...</a>) but I think Colorado will ride their late season surge and home field setting to move on.<br /><br />We'll see...<br /><br />(Hey, I did correctly predict Philly would win their division).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: These predictions are provided solely for my entertainment. If you use them for anything else, you're crazy.</span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-82542538324601211122007-09-23T21:54:00.000-05:002007-09-23T22:06:49.623-05:00Guess Who Must Be Reading This Blog...The Wisconsin Badgers were found in violation of <a href="http://spauldinggetyourfootofftheboat.blogspot.com/2006/12/spaulding-law-unitards.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Spaulding</span></span> Law</a> the last few weeks when they wore the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unitard</span></span> look (matching jersey and pants) on the football field, seemingly turning their backs on the wonderful, rich football history of the school.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Spaulding</span></span>, Get Your Foot Off the Boat! </span>jumped on the team immediately and criticized them soundly for dressing like amateurs.<br /><br />Then came this week versus Iowa...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=247363&ntpid=2">Wisconsin State Journal</a>:<br /><blockquote>Since <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bielema</span></span> figured it was going to be an old-fashioned Big Ten game, he had his players go back to their customary white pants, instead of the red ones they wore in the last two home games.<br /><br />"I talked to our team on Thursday night, I said, 'You know what, this is an old grind-out football game, we're playing one of our arch-rivals, it's a 40-40-2 (series) split, a rivalry game, it's a trophy game, let's get back to doing what we do best, ' " <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bielema</span></span> said.<br /><br />"They all started grinning. (Defensive tackle Jason Chapman), who never says anything, exclaimed very loudly that he likes the white pants look. We have to keep everybody guessing from here on out."</blockquote>You know what this means...<br /><br />...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bielema</span></span> reads this blog.<br /><br />Thanks for dressing your team like football players this week, coach.<br /><br />We'll be sure to speak up if you bust out those red pants with anything but the white jersey tops.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-9780955949149242862007-09-23T15:45:00.000-05:002007-09-23T16:01:43.935-05:00Let the Speculation Begin21.5 games out of the Wild Card lead with seven games left to play, there isn't much of interest left to follow in the White Sox season this year. Let the offseason speculation begin...<br /><br /><a href="http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/cs-070922soxgamer,1,5377720.story?coll=cs-whitesox-headlines">Chicago Tribune</a>:<br /><blockquote>...But with Cleveland on the verge of clinching the division for the first time since 2001, emphasis has shifted to how the Sox and Twins will regroup, whether it's Minnesota surviving the potential loss of All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter or how Sox general manager Ken Williams will revamp his roster after a disastrous 2007.<br /><br />Williams hasn't been shy about making bold changes, such as reshaping the lineup that produced a 2005 World Series championship. A retooled bullpen was 2007's major alteration, but it collapsed two months into the season.<br /><br />Manager Ozzie Guillen expects Williams to make more daring moves, but he doesn't expect first baseman Paul Konerko to be involved.<br /><br />"I don't think Konerko is going to be one of the guys [traded]," Guillen said. "We don't know, but I don't see that coming. I see [pitcher Jon] Garland saying, 'I'm going to get traded.' I don't think that's the right comment because we don't know that.<br /><br />"One thing about Kenny, he will let you know what you need to know. If we put any one of our five starters on the market, someone will take it. You have to be careful of that and say, 'Well, why do these people want to take it and we cannot keep it?'<br /><br />"I'm not just talking about Garland. I understand why he thinks about it because it seems like every year he's been [rumored to be] traded. But we're not going to play dirty with guys who were important for us. We're not going to lie to people."</blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-82869436115438422962007-09-17T20:00:00.000-05:002007-09-17T20:07:05.737-05:00The Most Dangerous Round of Golf EVER<span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span>I wasn't too too concerned that I played golf through the world's largest mosquito convention on Sunday afternoon until I saw this...<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070914/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_spain_bullfighter">Reuters</a>:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bullfighter wiped out by mosquito</span><br /><br />Fri Sep 14, 4:38 AM ET<br /><br />MADRID - If the bulls don't get you, a mosquito might, as Spanish bullfighter Jose Maria <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Manzanares</span> has discovered to his cost.<br /><br />After surviving 57 bullfights this season with the usual share of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">gorings</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tramplings</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tossings</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Manzanares</span> dropped out early suffering from Dengue fever.<br /><br />...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Manzanares</span> had been fainting and generally feeling unwell for months, but doctors could not decide what was wrong with him until detailed tests showed he was suffering from one of the milder forms of Dengue.<br /><br />...The more serious forms of Dengue kill hundreds of people every year especially in Asia. </blockquote>I'd better <a href="http://www.webmd.com"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">WebMD</span></a> the Dengue fever symptoms...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-68760020619738045152007-09-16T22:22:00.000-05:002007-09-16T22:37:39.671-05:00Kind Actions Deserving of AttentionWhen all we seem to hear about are the tales of people in or surrounding sports that are only in it for the profit, we need to be sure the stories of the Will <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Stewarts</span> of the world are shared.<br /><br /><a href="http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070916&content_id=2212817&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MLB</span>.com</a>:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fan gives home run ball to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Thome</span></span><br /><br />09/16/2007 8:50 PM ET<br />By Alex <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Gyr</span> / <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">MLB</span>.com<br /><br />CHICAGO -- Sell it, keep it or give it back?<br /><br />That is the question that is left to every fan that comes away with a milestone home run ball. With the news that Barry Bonds' record-breaking home run ball recently sold for $750,000, the stakes are as high as ever.<br /><br />So when Jim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Thome's</span> 500<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span> home run ball bounced into Will Stewart's hands, it should have been a tough decision for the 28-year-old accountant. Instead, he admitted the choice was easy.<br /><br />"I feel it is a part of Chicago baseball history," said Stewart, right after handing the ball back to the White <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sox</span> slugger during a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">postgame</span> press conference.<br /><br />...The game was actually Stewart's first ever at U.S. Cellular Field. The Austin, Texas, native flew into Chicago early Sunday morning for an accounting conference and decided to take in a game on the South Side before getting to work.<br /><br />He bought a ticket in the left-center-field stands online, not knowing that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Thome</span> was nearing the historic home run mark. After coming straight from the airport, he found out about the slugger's home run chase when he got to the ballpark. When the big fly was hit, Stewart turned out to be in the right place at the right time.<br /><br />...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Thome</span> has said for days as he approached the mark that he wanted the ball back and planned to drive with his father to deliver it to the Hall of Fame.<br /><br />While Stewart is passing up whatever the ball could earn at an auction house, he isn't coming away empty-handed. After the game it was announced that he would receive a number of signed pieces of memorabilia and two season tickets for the 2008 season.<br /><br />In another truly altruistic move, Stewart elected to donate the two season tickets to the charity of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Thome's</span> choice. The tickets will be auctioned off during the Joyce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Thome</span> Benefit for the Children's Hospital of Illinois, an event named in honor of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Thome's</span> late mother.<br /><br />"As I'm from Austin, Texas, and not from the great city of Chicago and not able to use the season tickets, I've asked to donate the season tickets to your charity for use," Stewart said. "That's the best thing I can think of to give back to the city of Chicago."</blockquote>Looking beyond yourself to the larger picture -- that's a lesson that bears remembering even when you're not at the ballpark.<br /><br />Mr. Stewart, you're welcome on the South Side anytime. Thanks.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-65402292489051936432007-09-15T20:23:00.000-05:002007-09-15T20:36:45.351-05:00As Heard at Miller Park<blockquote> "I like night because I get to play NOCTURNAL!"<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-- A 4 year-old girl leaving the Brewers game</span><br /></blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-29387307037958285222007-09-15T15:22:00.000-05:002007-09-15T15:27:18.451-05:00As Heard at Camp Randall<blockquote>"Up yours, Michigan!!!"<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-- Shouted by a 10-year old girl, who was previously disinterested in the Wisconsin-Citidel game until the Badgers scored their final touchdown.</span></blockquote>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-44094357306666231122007-09-15T14:17:00.000-05:002007-09-15T15:00:37.415-05:00Uniform Blasphemy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D1DyD9y1nx9lFklQT7hJbw6DPzAczBxQG2laPouR2VCqbl_Lcv-EwBaFLgq4L30Z1ABGJyFNimWb0axu-XZB9YPQnz6cXX-DIiinUoGpfvVJ23o3dRJL1KT8PV6mol_46np31w/s1600-h/Page_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D1DyD9y1nx9lFklQT7hJbw6DPzAczBxQG2laPouR2VCqbl_Lcv-EwBaFLgq4L30Z1ABGJyFNimWb0axu-XZB9YPQnz6cXX-DIiinUoGpfvVJ23o3dRJL1KT8PV6mol_46np31w/s320/Page_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110513832963058930" border="0" /></a>The photo at the top is a Miami (Ohio) University football player. The photo at the bottom is a University of Wisconsin football player. Anyone else see a problem here?!? When a football school like Wisconsin starts dressing like a not-known-for-our-football school like Miami (O-h-i-o) you know you're not doing something right.<br /><br />Why this hideous (matching colored pants and colored jerseys) uniform decision?<br /><br /><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-t25-wisconsin-bielema&prov=ap&type=lgns">AP</a>:<br /><blockquote>[Badgers coach Bret] <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bielema</span></span> broke with tradition for the Badgers' home opener two weeks ago against Washington State, dressing the players in all red instead of red and white. While the new uniform drew a mixed reaction from fans, the players loved it, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bielema</span></span> said it will be back against The Citadel.<br /><br />"I love to see just red swarming the football," <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bielema</span></span> said. "As this thing hopefully gains momentum, it will have a huge effect at Camp Randall."<br /><br />While time will tell if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bielema's</span></span> color scheme catches on, the Badgers are riding an 11-game winning streak that is tops in the nation. </blockquote>Memo to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bielema</span></span> -- the winning streak started back when your team dressed like football players, not wrestlers in a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">unitard</span></span>. Bring back the white pants.<br /><br />[Note: Before my reader asks, yes, the all white road uniforms are A-OK because that is a classic football look. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">unitard</span>, on the other hand, is something that a high school team would wear when the school district can't afford to buy both home and road pants].Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947985.post-14183579272847798392007-09-15T11:59:00.000-05:002007-09-15T13:29:34.823-05:00The Problem with Apple TV<a href="http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2007/1001/046.html?partner=yahoomag">Forbes</a> has a big article about <a href="http://www.apple.com/appletv/">Apple TV</a>, Apple's computer-to-TV video streaming box, that the publication declares an "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">iFlop</span></span>."<br /><br />Apple TV may be an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">underperformer</span></span> now, but it doesn't have to be.<br /><br />As an avid Mac user who is ordinarily easily pulled into the Steve Jobs reality distortion field, let me tell you the problems with Apple TV:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) Requires a flat screen TV</span><br /><br />Most people still have standard televisions -- not the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">flat screen</span></span> beauties. And for whatever reason, Apple TV doesn't play with regular televisions.<br /><br />Flat screen TV prices may be falling, but that still doesn't mean that everyone has them. Apple seems to overlook the fact that it is the college crowd which made the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">iPod</span></span> the most recognizable media player on the planet (after all, look around any college campus and all you'll see are white headphones). The catch is that for the early adopter, college crowd a flat screen TV of any size worth purchasing is still out of reach. $300 bucks for a top-of-the-line <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">iPod</span></span>? Sure. But $2,000 for a TV? No way.<br /><br />Limited early adopter pool = no momentum.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Poor quality</span><br /><br />For those that can afford a flat screen TV there's a reason that they bought one -- because the picture looks amazing. How does the Apple TV look? Well, not so good. Go into an Apple Store and even the demo doesn't look compelling (and the TVs they are using for the demos aren't even that big). That's because Apple's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">iTunes</span></span> store doesn't sell any high definition content. The video you get on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">iTunes</span></span> looks great on an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">iPod</span></span>, acceptable on your laptop, and downright mediocre-to-poor when blown up on a large TV.<br /><br />The content quality hasn't caught up with the technological capabilities Apple TV appears to be presenting. The result is a sub-par, very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">un</span></span>-Apple-like experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) It's not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">TiVo</span></span></span><br /><br />Apple TV has a hard drive in it. What do we want to do with a hard drive connected to our television? Use it a digital video recorder (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">DVR</span>) a.k.a. <a href="http://www.tivo.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">TiVo</span></span></a>, of course.<br /><br />Apple TV has zero, zip, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">nada</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">TiVo</span></span>-like capabilities. It is a svelte box for streaming the content you have in your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">iTunes</span></span> library (video/music) to your TV and that's about it. (True, it can access movie trailers online, and display your digital photos but these features aren't going to make you run out and buy an Apple TV).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) It's too expensive</span><br /><br />The problem is Apple TV does so little (stream content from your computer to your television) for such a big price. [The price is "big" because the Apple TV content doesn't look spectacular, it doesn't satisfy those other "needs" we all have -- it's not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">TiVo</span>, it is not a DVD recorder, it's not a video game player -- and it will require most people to buy a flat screen TV if they want the Apple TV experience].<br /><br />The Forbes article says that the components of Apple TV cost $237. On a $300 product, that doesn't leave a lot of room for profit. So it is true that the company isn't making much off these things, but that offers minor consolation for the consumer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solutions</span><br /><br />Apple TV needs to be overhauled and replaced with "Apple TV 2" (for lack of a better term). Here's what Apple TV 2 should offer:<br /><ul><li>Works with all TVs, not just the new flat screens (make Apple TV an option for all who are interested in it)</li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">DVR</span> capabilities (enabled by a bigger hard drive) -- this would truly lay the groundwork for tearing down the barriers between our TVs, DVDs and downloaded content<br /></li><li>Ability to stream <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">DVR'd</span> content back to your PC so you can "save it" by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">burning</span> it to a DVD</li><li>Ability to transfer television content saved on your Apple TV 2's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">DVR</span> to your iPhone, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">iPod</span> Touch or notebook computer so you can watch your shows on the go</li><li>Same $300 price tag<br /></li></ul>If Apple gives us this (and any other whiz-bang ideas that Apple can dream up like no other) then Apple TV will be a success. Whether we get there or not is simply a matter of whether or not the company believes in the product.<br /><br />Apple TV right now is half a product. Here's one customer who hopes Steve Jobs and Co. will make it a whole.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617219559130430363noreply@blogger.com0