This baseball off-season has been nothing but exciting. Big things have been happening everywhere. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has captured the imagination of the nation. The Cubs are being pinned as the team to beat in the National League. Pudge went from first to worst. Montreal continues to wither into obscurity. Everything is coming to a head.
Unfortunately the situation in St. Louis has continued to become more murky. We bolstered our struggling bullpen, but Jason Isringhausen continues to look fragile at best. We still do not have answers to questions like, "Who's batting lead off, and who's playing left field?" And I am getting more and more uncomfortable with the idea of Kerry Robinson or So Taguchi being the answer to both of those questions. Believe me I will be rooting for the two of them, as I will be rooting for successful homecomings for Ray Lankford and John Mabry, but reality has to take control at some point over wishful thinking.
The Cardinal Nation did breathe a refreshing sigh of relief when the Pujols deal went through, but then more things came to the surface. Failed negotiations for Matt Morris' contract extension, and Woody Williams' shoulder stiffness reminded us of the shaky status of our starting rotation. Jeff Suppan brings us nothing more than Brett Tomko had last year, and Jason Marquis and Chris Carpenter, although already slotted in the rotation, are huge question marks. We still have Danny Haren and a hopefully rejuvenated Alan Benes to fill in, but who knows how that will go.
People keep bringing up Jason Simontacchi as a possible fill in starter too, but last season proved that he was much better in a relief role. If I calculated things correctly, he had a 3.60 ERA in relief appearances last year versus a 6.64 ERA as a starter. Diagnosis: Keep him in the bullpen.
I am also a little miffed about how they tore apart the bench. Miguel Cairo had proven to be a clutch pinch hitter and a versatile fielder. Eduardo Perez was turning into a real threat at the plate, and although Eli Marrero was streaky at best from the plate, anyone that can play catcher and center field dependably deserves a second look.
My only hope for the next year is that we can stay competitive in the Central Division. Winning against Chicago and Houston was hard enough last year. Now they both have improved their rotations, which were their strongest parts last year anyway. I also hope that we can keep Edgar Renteria. Pujols is important, but Renteria has shown that he is the leader of this team, and he has the ring to prove that he can win.
Every now and then, I still have to remind myself that we still need to play 162 games. The Yankees have not won the World Series yet. The Red Sox have not lost again, yet. The Cubs and Astros have not swept us in a four game series yet. The Cardinals organization has not used the money tied up in the new stadium as an excuse to sell off the team, yet. Somehow, though, I'm already losing my hair just thinking about it.
Has Anyone Else Noticed?
I think J.C. Chasez is losing his hair. He was on Jay Leno last night and his hair line looked like it was losing the war with his forehead.
...but I Digress
The fanaticism surrounding the Super Bowl Halftime Show is quite exciting. People are talking as if something is going to happen. People are worried about the fact that their children were exposed to a split second of nude breast on a 19" T.V. screen. Other people are worried that the government is going to censor our free speech. It is all quite interesting.
What has been very interesting to me is the fact that reporters and editors have mentioned more than just the halftime show as part of the indecency surrounding the Super Bowl, but also the lewd commercials. I'll tackle this first.
First and foremost anytime we get to see a dog biting a man in the crotch, it's going to be funny. Add to that the fact that it was a mangy dog, he was biting a preppie guy, and he got the hero the beer, and you just happen to have genius in the form of a paid advertisement. Second, horses pulling carriages do poop. I have driven a horse drawn carriage many times, and they do get gas. The whole thing with the candle and the explosion was a little unrealistic, but still funny. Verdict: dog biting crotch and horse farting in woman's face equals hilarity that far over powers anyone's call for decency.
I love defending advertisements. It makes me feel kind of dirty.
Now some people have been arguing that a breast is nothing to get all crazy about. "Look at the Europeans," they say. "They have nudity everywhere, and they don't care." First, when in our history have we ever thought that doing what the Europeans do is cool. It's a sad day when France becomes more socially acceptable than the U.S. Think about it! Second, in the context of the performance as a whole, the breast was not simply representing a breast, it was representing a culmination of a crotch-grabbing-lewd-dancing-American-flag-ripping-sexually-charged half time show. So in that context, it represented a piece of flesh that was supposed to get us aroused.
It also was supposed to get us talking, and look what happened. Entertainers have their tricks. My mom, amazingly enough, probably put it best when she said, halfway through the show, "You'd think the only people watching this were 20 year old men." Unfortunately everyone was watching. Then anyone else who did not see it got to see it later on the web or on the news.
What our culture defines as indecency has evolved rapidly over the past 50 years. From Elvis shaking his hips and the Rolling Stones changing the words to "Let's Spend the Night Together" to Britney and Madonna kissing upstaging Christina and Madonna kissing, our world has changed. It will be interesting whether this is just the beginning of what is to come, or if this marks a turning point in what people find to be offensive. It will be intriguing to see what my children (whenever I get around to having some) will have access to. It could be a scary place by then.
What has been very interesting to me is the fact that reporters and editors have mentioned more than just the halftime show as part of the indecency surrounding the Super Bowl, but also the lewd commercials. I'll tackle this first.
First and foremost anytime we get to see a dog biting a man in the crotch, it's going to be funny. Add to that the fact that it was a mangy dog, he was biting a preppie guy, and he got the hero the beer, and you just happen to have genius in the form of a paid advertisement. Second, horses pulling carriages do poop. I have driven a horse drawn carriage many times, and they do get gas. The whole thing with the candle and the explosion was a little unrealistic, but still funny. Verdict: dog biting crotch and horse farting in woman's face equals hilarity that far over powers anyone's call for decency.
I love defending advertisements. It makes me feel kind of dirty.
Now some people have been arguing that a breast is nothing to get all crazy about. "Look at the Europeans," they say. "They have nudity everywhere, and they don't care." First, when in our history have we ever thought that doing what the Europeans do is cool. It's a sad day when France becomes more socially acceptable than the U.S. Think about it! Second, in the context of the performance as a whole, the breast was not simply representing a breast, it was representing a culmination of a crotch-grabbing-lewd-dancing-American-flag-ripping-sexually-charged half time show. So in that context, it represented a piece of flesh that was supposed to get us aroused.
It also was supposed to get us talking, and look what happened. Entertainers have their tricks. My mom, amazingly enough, probably put it best when she said, halfway through the show, "You'd think the only people watching this were 20 year old men." Unfortunately everyone was watching. Then anyone else who did not see it got to see it later on the web or on the news.
What our culture defines as indecency has evolved rapidly over the past 50 years. From Elvis shaking his hips and the Rolling Stones changing the words to "Let's Spend the Night Together" to Britney and Madonna kissing upstaging Christina and Madonna kissing, our world has changed. It will be interesting whether this is just the beginning of what is to come, or if this marks a turning point in what people find to be offensive. It will be intriguing to see what my children (whenever I get around to having some) will have access to. It could be a scary place by then.
Super Bowl Party
That was an exciting game, but man do I hate those Patriots. I still don't quite understand how this could have happened. Yes, I was expecting the Patriots to win, but in the way they did, it became quite strange. The Patriots managed to put together a game winning drive with less than two minutes remaining after a game tying catch by Ricky Proehl. That was at the end of Super Bowl XXXVI. Now two years later they managed to do the exact same thing, helped somewhat by that bonehead kickoff out of bounds.
Some highlights and lowlights and random thoughts:
Steve Smith gave quite possibly the most vicious stiff arm I have ever seen on that wide receiver screen early in the game. It is unfortunate that he could only get 3 yards on the play.
Jake Delhomme's two long passes for touchdowns were two of the most perfectly placed long passes I have ever seen.
New England made those play action passes near the goal line look too easy. They forced the Carolina DB's to spy the backfield by establishing a solid running game early. Ricky Manning Jr. managed to look like a fool a couple of times after playing like a hero for most of the playoffs.
Houston's Reliant Stadium has some obvious turf problems. If I had the biggest game of the year in my house, I would have the best turf available. The turf caused obvious problems for both teams. It is unfortunate to say the least.
I was really pulling for Rod Smart, but "He Hate Me" managed to have a crummy game. Even he was embarrassed by that slip on his third return. At least the turf was better in the XFL!
After a typically pedestrian half time show, I'm glad that Justin Timberlake made good with his surprise appearance and tore off that piece of Janet Jackson's costume. Justin later apologized for the "wardrobe malfunction." Don't apologize Justin. You saved the show and showed up that silly streaker.
Before tonight, has the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" ever been used?
The Panthers offense in the first quarter was the worst I have ever seen.
John Fox proved tonight that he has a lot of learning to do as a coach. Greg Gumbel put it best when he said you shouldn't "chase the points" going for two that early in the fourth quarter cost his team the game.
On a more positive note, it was refreshing to see a fantastic, live performance of the National Anthem by Beyonce.
Some thoughts about the Super Bowl Commercials:
Although there were a few good ones, this was quite possibly the worst crop of Super Bowl commercials ever.
The commercial with the donkey and the one with the horse and carriage were clever, but I only found them funny because of personal experience.
That Ford GT looks mean!
Homer was funny as usual.
The best commercial was the NFL commercial with the players singing "Tomorrow."
I kind of wish that CBS had shown that MoveOn.org ad. At least then I could have gotten mad. It would have felt better than being bored during the commercial breaks.
I do not feel bad for that ref in the Budweiser commercial. He dug his own grave on that call he made as his own wedding.
One word for that new CBS show "Century City": BOMB!
Some highlights and lowlights and random thoughts:
Steve Smith gave quite possibly the most vicious stiff arm I have ever seen on that wide receiver screen early in the game. It is unfortunate that he could only get 3 yards on the play.
Jake Delhomme's two long passes for touchdowns were two of the most perfectly placed long passes I have ever seen.
New England made those play action passes near the goal line look too easy. They forced the Carolina DB's to spy the backfield by establishing a solid running game early. Ricky Manning Jr. managed to look like a fool a couple of times after playing like a hero for most of the playoffs.
Houston's Reliant Stadium has some obvious turf problems. If I had the biggest game of the year in my house, I would have the best turf available. The turf caused obvious problems for both teams. It is unfortunate to say the least.
I was really pulling for Rod Smart, but "He Hate Me" managed to have a crummy game. Even he was embarrassed by that slip on his third return. At least the turf was better in the XFL!
After a typically pedestrian half time show, I'm glad that Justin Timberlake made good with his surprise appearance and tore off that piece of Janet Jackson's costume. Justin later apologized for the "wardrobe malfunction." Don't apologize Justin. You saved the show and showed up that silly streaker.
Before tonight, has the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" ever been used?
The Panthers offense in the first quarter was the worst I have ever seen.
John Fox proved tonight that he has a lot of learning to do as a coach. Greg Gumbel put it best when he said you shouldn't "chase the points" going for two that early in the fourth quarter cost his team the game.
On a more positive note, it was refreshing to see a fantastic, live performance of the National Anthem by Beyonce.
Some thoughts about the Super Bowl Commercials:
Although there were a few good ones, this was quite possibly the worst crop of Super Bowl commercials ever.
The commercial with the donkey and the one with the horse and carriage were clever, but I only found them funny because of personal experience.
That Ford GT looks mean!
Homer was funny as usual.
The best commercial was the NFL commercial with the players singing "Tomorrow."
I kind of wish that CBS had shown that MoveOn.org ad. At least then I could have gotten mad. It would have felt better than being bored during the commercial breaks.
I do not feel bad for that ref in the Budweiser commercial. He dug his own grave on that call he made as his own wedding.
One word for that new CBS show "Century City": BOMB!
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