Toby Keith and Beer for the Voters

The day is grey down here and the surf rough as Faye sends some weather our way, so I thought to offer some random thoughts while my coffee brews…

Toby Keith, Democrat?  Anything to sell records, I guess.

I see that some college administrators want to stop binge drinking in part by lowering the beer age to 18.

I turned 18 while a senior in high school, and while 18 was the beer age when I was in college I attended a dry college.  I can tell you this-beer tastes a lot better when it is drunk illicitly…it is like a victory against The Man.

But I will tell you now what I said 25 years ago when states started rolling the beer age up to 21…

If you can vote at 18, and you can carry a weapon and defend our country at 18, then I think you should be able to buy beer at 18.

Obama may still pick Hillary, but I doubt it…unless he finds a way to keep Bill Clinton’s mouth shut.

BTW, all the stuff that happened this year on the Democratic side is much more understandable if you read Bob Shrum’s Concessions of a Serial Campaigner. The background and behavior of so many of the Democrats was in wide view to insiders four to eight years ago, including Bill Clinton’s unwillingness to allow someone else to hold the spotlight.

Next time you head to Myrtle Beach, remember: Georgio’s on NMB main street for pizza, Ella’s in Calabash for seafood. Oh, and they have opened a Five Guy’s down here. Yes, the controversy over the various Bike Weeks continues.

Be careful buying ground beef from the Food Lion’s down here…apparently “sell by” dates mean something else in SC than it does in VA.

For tapping your toes, nothing surpasses being here at the ancestral home of Beach Music, right here on Ocean Boulevard.

GO, USA!  Congrats Misty-May and Kerri!

Football Hall of Fame-Levels of Honor?

Washington Redskins Art Monk and Darrell Greene were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. I defer to the summary at the Art Monk Hall of Fame blog to describe how great it was!

Now I can sit back and wait and hope that Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, and Bobby Beathard might one day make it.

I originally planeed to sit back, ignore the silliness of Doctor Z and all the naysayers, and revel in the moment.

But after the inductions on Saturday and the game on Sunday I had a chance to catch a show on the NFL network about the “Top Ten Players not in the Hall of Fame“.   One-Steve Tasker-I was not familiar with.  Others-like Alex Karras-I thought was already in the HOF. I am mystified why Jerry Kramer has not been inducted.

But as I watched the show the ego of some of these guys rose up from the screen like steam off a hot road after as summer shower…and it caused me to ask what are they thinking, and also to wonder are there levels of honor at Canton and Cooperstown?

What are They Thinking?

The “what are they thinking” came to me via Ken Stabler…

First, two points:

a) If there is a flaw in the Football HOF process, it is the very limited number of sportswriters who vote, and who can thus stop a nominee. 
b) There is a constant discussion of whether the decision should be based solely on what happens on the field or if off the field concerns, actions, and activities should be considered.

Stabler is blocked apparently because (1) while he was brilliant over 5-6 years, he played for 14, and he wasn’t so brilliant then, and (2) certain off the field activities. Paul Zimmerman (Dr. Z) was briefly interviewed as part of the show saying “I will never vote for Kenny Stabler as long as I live”, and Stabler supporters go on about how his partying should not be held against him.

Zimmerman is a little different. His opposition is based in an act more than simple late night partying:

In his prime, while it lasted, he was very accurate. Then he became consistently inaccurate. His teammates wondered why. That’s as far as I’ll take this one. A few years ago, the person presenting him at the enshrinement meeting mentioned how he had “always been cooperative with the media.” My hand shot up as if it were on a spring, and I reminded this ninny about how the Snake invited Bob Padecky of the Sacramento Bee down to the Redneck Riviera to do some offseason interviewing. And when Padecky showed up, all of a sudden Kenny’s buddies on the Mobile PD found some drugs that had been planted in the writer’s car, and off he went to the joint. For a night. Then he was released with no charges filed. Yeah, Kenny will make it. After I’m morto.

This was a big deal at the time. Invites a writer-who had been critical-to do an interview, gives him the run around after said writer gets into town, writer gets set up for a drug bust. Oh, and the interviews?

Most of Padecky’s time in the bars [for interviews] was spent either waiting for Stabler or listening to Stabler harangue him for his journalistic shortcomings

You can call this one way or the other. Did Stabler set him up? I don’t know…but it doesn’t look good. More to the point, while this is off the field conduct, it is the direct result of on the field activities…Padecky wrote for the Sacramento Bee, and had been critical of Stabler’s performance.

So all you Stabler guys out there…you want him in, you have to address this. Otherwise…

Levels of Honor

Then there is Chris Carter, who everyone is up in arms because he did not go in his first shot. Big Deal…Vince Lombardi didn’t go in on his first shot, and his name is on the trophy awarded to the Super Bowl winners! But to hear the Carter folks talk, this is some terrible insult.

I am reminded of my time in the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society at UVa. A probationary member has to give a speech, and have his/her effort approved by the membership present. A majority present voting for you meant you passed the speech. If the speech was good, it was nominated for best of semester. A member could even move “unanimous consent” for approval and dispense with voting. Many felt such a motion was an administrative tool to streamline the process for clearly deserving speeches. Others felt that “Unanimous approval” was an honor in itself that should be reserved for only the best presentations. It was not unusual to see Old Guard members vote no on a “UA” motion, then vote to approve the speech in a general vote.

The reaction of the Carterites strikes me in the same way. They act as if there are levels of honor in the Hall of Fame, that the guys approved in their first year of eligibility get a special medal attached to their bust. I imagine some of the voters think the same. It seems to me that Hall of Fame membership is like pregnancy-you either are or you are not, and there are no degrees of the condition. But that observation is tempered by other conditions.

Take a look at the Carter clip, and you notice that no one deals with the mathematics of the situation or the politics. No one notes that by consensus each class will be 4-7 members. So if this year’s class had only six members, that means one more could have come in…so maybe Carter was not the first round lock you thought. So they could have taken him in…even though it meant two wide receivers in the same class.

There will alwasy be obstacles. As long as voters are limited by statutue or agreement on how many can go in per class, deserving folks will be left out. As long as the voters focus on statistics, then offensive linemen will be underrepresented. As long as voters focus on the recent past, then older players will be ignored (i.e., what about Tommy Nobis?).

I can understand the Carter clique being disappointed, but their comments are way to whiny for my taste. One is either in the Hall or not, no matter whether you go in on the first ballot or not.

Perhaps Chris Carter should take a page from a man who waited many years for his induction. As Art Monk said:

“Getting here did not come without controversy, as I’m sure it did with some of the guys sitting behind me. But through it all, I’m here with a greater appreciation for something that not every player is able to achieve and for the people who stood up for me and spoke out on my behalf.”

It took a deserving career, years of manfully shouldering disappointment, and a concerted, non-stop effort to get Art Monk the recognition he deserves…years of waiting he should not have had to endure, but no complaints were heard from Art Monk.

Maybe The Snake Squad and the Chris Clique should take notes.

Bull Durham Twenty Years On…

Have you ever wondered what happened to the denizens of the wonderful baseball movie Bull Durham?

Have you pondered the ultimate outcome of the Crash Davis philosophy of life?

Wonder no more. To quote Annie Savoy, “Oh My…”

Enjoy!

Go Rocco!

SO, this afternoon do I pull for the all time great player who is still recovering from a knee surgery (something I know a little about) that is appearing to be a little more serious than let on?

OR

Do I pull for the balding middle aged guy (stand up and say amen!) who has never won a major, has not won a tournament in six years, and has chronic back problems?

You might say I have a foot in both camps…

But I have to pull for Rocco. Frankly, I don’t think Tiger should have played in the US Open, and I hope that having to play an additional play-off round doesn’t do real injury to his as yet unhealed left knee. He can rack up the next of his path to two dozen major wins some other day-give this to the unknown guy, the “Tin Cup” of the bunch.

So, I guess my real hope for this afternoon goes something like this…Rocco and Tiger stay close all afternoon. On one of the late holes Tiger hits a shot too long that takes a horrible hop, hits Johnny Miller in the larynx, and Miller is unable to broadcast in snide tones for the balance of his career.

The stroke and distance penalty gives Rocco the room he needs to edge through and win. Tiger, furious with himself, goes home and passes on the British Open to allow for full recuperation, and then wins the PGA later this summer.

It could happen, right?

Postscript:  Well, it didn’t, but our guy put up the good fight…and took enough out of Tiger that he is out the rest of the golfing season.  So he obviously went down swinging! (no pun intended)

Great job, Rocco!

Beijing Olympics-Like Mackerel in the Moonlight

When I see pictures of the Beijing Olympic facilities, and then read of the human rights repressions going on in the lead up to those olympic games, I am reminded of John Randolph’s comments about Edward Livingston, of whom he said “He is a man of splendid abilities but utterly corrupt. He shines and stinks like rotten mackerel by moonlight.”

The same can be said of these games. 

My friends at RK have derided Frank Wolf for his opposition to the games.  In fact recent developments suggest this criticism may be like that magic moment in 2006 when Feder briefly attacked Congressman Wolf for a vote on earmarks…then went silent when it was realized he had voted with the democrats because the bill offered was a sham and did nothing to really change things.

Here too we can anticipate a fast drop of the subject, as it is rapidly becoming clear that no matter how beautiful the facilities may be that the Beijing games are turning into a front for the Chinese government to amp up its already repressive policies.  While Congressman Wolf may have overstated the case, he is right that there is something very wrong with these games. In fact, he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are in agreement on the matter.

You know something is amiss when even the French are considering protest possibilities ranging from a leadership boycott the opening ceremonies to not broadcasting the games.

Today’s WaPo column by the great Sally Jenkins examines the bad craziness surrounding these games:

At this point, the Beijing Games are shaping up as a disaster. The violent police action in Tibet and other events of the past two weeks make one wonder if the Chinese government is fundamentally unfit to host an Olympics. Officials there have violated the basic spirit of the event and reneged on every promise they made to the International Olympic Committee about their willingness to accommodate the world. When anyone publicly tries to hold them to account — such as our State Department, that “bad-tempered” Nancy Pelosi or the Dalai Lama — they charge critics with trying “sabotage” the Games. The only event they seem interested in hosting is the Totalitarian Propaganda Back-flip.

Yep, you read it right…Nancy Pelosi, who has taken China to task over the human rights policies and been insulted for her trouble, is on the same side as Frank Wolf…so I wonder where that leaves Ms. Feder?

Ms. Jenkins goes on to note:

The centerpiece of China’s bid seven years ago was a promise to make progress on human rights and to open the country to world media coverage. Chinese officials practically begged for the Games and made all kinds of assurances. But instead, the direct opposite has happened — the Games actually have caused a significant pre-Games crackdown, abuses that range from sweeping arrests of dissidents to the strong-arming in Tibet, where as many as 130 may have died, according to the exiled Tibetan government.

In addition to the body count, the list of Chinese actions contrary to their promises include:
a) Officials have issued an edict forbidding live broadcasts from Tiananmen Square during the Games.
b) The jailing of dissidents for merely writing on the Internet.  This is known in China as “inciting subversion”
c) Bulletins about food so contaminated and air so polluted they could harm the athletes.
d) Oh, and there is that little thing about continued revelations about lead paint in items manufactured in China.

About here you might expect wailing about boycotting the Games.  You won’t get it here.  As one who was in college and then grad school during the 1980 and 1984 Olympics and had peers who hoped to participate-as anything from a spectator up to being an actual participant.  I remember those young men and women who lost the opportunity to test themselves on the Olympic stage due to the US boycott over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.  I recall the disappointment of the next crop of Olympians whose achievements in the 1984 LA games were derided as somehow less than legit because the USSR and its client states returned the favor.

This is the point where Ms. Jenkins offers an original and highly creative solution-threaten to move the 2008 Olympics.  Have it in Athens or Sydeny, where the facilities and infrastructure are still in place.  The Chinese have not lived up to their end of the bargain.  Besides, when the best that proponents of keeping the games in China can offer is to say politics and controversy have always been with the Olympics and cite Berlin 1936 as an example…well, is it worth holding an athletic event that from the get-go welcomescomparison with the most odious, racist, and propaganda filled Olympics ever held?

Something needs to be done, and while there is difference on means and actions I think it better if we err (w/in the means at our disposal) in support of human rights than in effectively supporting suppression of human rights.

Better to be fresh yet dull fish instead of that bright and stinky mackerel-just ask John Randolph of Roanoke.

Feder “Out of State”, Connolly “Over the Top”, LB3 in Denial

My bad knee has been diganosed as a torn meniscus. Bwana tv-fave Jericho has officially been cancelled, the Rock and Roll Nurse was booted from American Idol-guaranteeing us weeks of boring same old, same old performances…oh, and my NCAA hoops pool picks are shot to pieces.

So, we turn to more mundane subjects…back at the ranch, life is popping in the Northern Virginia congressional races…and generally courtesy of the WaPo.

Recently, the Wapo caught up to one of the prominent facts about Judy Feder’s fundraising, namely that the bulk of her fundraising to date has come from out of state. Given that this is exactly what happened two years ago, it seems surprising that the Post took this long to see that Feder has been unable to establish a reasonable fundraising base in the 10th district. Even the Federian spin on the matter is interesting…:

Feder asserted that Wolf was in her position during his successful 1980 campaign against incumbent Joseph L. Fisher (D). In an Oct. 18, 1980, article, The Washington Post reported that “nearly half of Wolf’s money has come from political action committees and other special action groups, many of them outside Virginia.”

…which does not seem to address the question at hand. Or, put another way and given the context of the article, in the midst of of a second general election campaign effort against an incumbent in a presidential year it would seem that Frank Wolf was already getting over half his money from inside Virginia.

I expect the Feder campaign to spin away from this issue as quickly as possible…although I see the possibility of Feder being labeled as “the candidate from [fill in the blank]” if she continues to focus on out of state money.

Life is really popping in Va-11. ChairGer was the target of a mailing from the Emily’s List PAC, and he was accused of “bullying, over-the-top tactics” as an elected official. ChairGer responded in a recent event by suggesting that LB3 “has a history of going really negative, really fast.” LB3 denied any part in the mailing, then said her campaign paid the EMILY list mailing expenses to put out the mailing.  But while clearly the LB3 team had a hand in the mailing, can you look at some of ChairGer’s antics and deny the “over-the-top” label?

All this happens while D-Day and LoriBlue are ignored by the media…which perhaps makes the recent “Kindler” diary at RK more significant. This post suggests that Va-11 is not a lock for the winner of the Democratic primary, and proceeds to list reasons based in GOP fundraising and geography.

In other Virginia news, the DCCC targets three Virginia GOP candidates…and in doing so gives us some of the wishfulness the democrats have for 2008. They are targeting Va-11, which makes sense as it is open; Va-2, which make sense because of the close 2006 race; and Va-10, where they say “Rep. Wolf will face a tough challenge from a strong Democratic candidate fighting for change.” The reason for the target here is “a strong Democratic candidate”. What struck me as unusual is that there were several GOP incumbents who are listed as targeted because they will face strong opposition, but the democrats won’t name that “strong candidate”. One would think they would go on and list these “strong candidates”.

Yep, tv faves may disappear and the body fail, but Old Man Politico just keeps rolling along!

The 2008 Arnold Classic Starts Today…

Today marks the start of arguably the second most important bodybuilding event in the world-The Arnold Classic.

While the exercise has grown into a multi-discipline athletic festival highlighting everything from aerobic fitness to martial arts, and the name has changed to The Arnold Sports Festival, the thing that got it going still puts The Arnold on the map-bodybuilding.

The Arnold provides a counterpoint to the Mr. Olympia contest, which has grown to focus on definition within mass. The Arnold seems to focus more on pure form, regardless of how big the contestant is.

This year’s field is:

Melvin Anthony
Gustavo Badell
Adorthus Cherry
Toney Freeman
Kai Greene
Deshaun Grimez
Phil Heath
David Henry
Dexter Jackson
Johnnie Jackson
Desmond Miller
Ronny Rockel
Silvio Samuel
Branch Warren

In looking at this field, I am curious about three things:

1. Why did Dennis Wolf not participate? Is he so fired up for the 2008 Olympia after his “fan favorite” Fifth Place in 2007 that he is completely focused on running the table in Las Vegas?

2. How will Phil Heath do? Heath stunned the world with twin victories upon coming a professional bodybuilder, but had to put on more bulk to compete with the big boys. He is fresh off a win at the IFBB Ironman Pro, and many pick him as the favorite.

3. Branch Warren-what’s the story? Will his hyper developed granularity be able to carry the day? His 2006 Olympia finish (12th) was a disappointment, and he pulled from the 2007 event. While he was second at the 2006 Arnold, he fell to 7th in 2007. Is 2008 the year of atonement and resurgence? We shall see!

Good Luck to all!

Art Monk and Darrell Green Elected to Pro Football HOF…

…and all is right with the world.

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!

Monk HOF 2008-The Truly Important Upcoming Election

The banners have not come down from the Florida primary, and the nation looks toward Super Tuesday where those still standing battle it out next week.  My fellow bloggers are even now sharpening their keyboards to wax eloquent about the chances of their candidate of choice.

Let them.  The truly important election on my horizon comes on Saturday, Februrary 2, 2008.

The occasion?  The Football Hall of Fame voters gather at the Super Bowl to select the 2008 Class for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The listis down to seventeen players, including three Washington Redskins, with Joe Jacoby missing the cut. The three ‘Skins remaining are Russ Grimm, Darrel Greene, and the oft and unjustly overlooked Art Monk.

It is my opinion that Art Monk indisputably should be in the HOF. It is a crime against logic and nature he is not already so honored. His numbers, his performance, the standard and the example he set say he should be in. Perhaps no one phrased it better than Hall of Fame Member Ronnie Lott, a man who went head up on Monk numerous times:

“There’s nothing negative to say. He has the numbers, the catches, the championships….You have a Hall of Fame for all it represents. I know he represents all that it’s about. Integrity, love and passion for the game, community, what he gave back. Look how he conducted himself. Nobody I know deserves it more.”

Many of the naysayers have come around. Peter King changed to the pro-Monk camp last year, and apparently Paul Zimmerman of SI is coming around.

I know the arguments against him…Monk wasn’t the first option, Monk only made three All-Pro teams, Monk doesn’t have signature plays. But the sports writers who trumpet these options not only conviently choose to forget that it was Art Monk who was selected for the NFL All-1980’s team, along with Rice, Largent, and Lofton. Each of the last three is in the HOF, and players who made more All-Pro teams are not.

It also surprises me that in a time when the league is cracking down on questionable conduct by its players, and sports writers around the country say it is long overdue…these same sportwriters will turn around and say when voting for the HOF off the field actions should not be considered. This hypocrisy leads Michael Irvin to be inducted while Monk stays in queue…only to see Irvin arrested on drug charges within a month of being selected.

One thing is for sure-if the voters are sincere about these objections, then Darrel Greene has to be a first round induction. Greene has the numbers, was the DB the opposition avoided, had the physical gifts, had the signature plays (running down Tony Dorsett in 1983, running down Eric Dickerson in a 1986 playoff game, his “hurdle” punt return against Chicago in the 1987 playoffs), and has the community standing. So, if all the objections against Monk to date were sincere, then you almost have to select Darrel this year.

Russ Grimm deserves to go, and I think it would be especially fitting after the way he was so badly treated by the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. The 1980’s ’skins are badly underrepresented, and I think inducting Monk and Greene at the same time is fitting and proper.

However, I have worries…and I have worries that go beyond the specious and rebutable arguments offered against Monk to date.

One concern is the lack of immediate conversation to date about the selection.  Normally by now King and Zimmerman have posted articles about the upcoming HOF selection, and given some idea as to how the winds were blowing.  Not so to date…and I have no idea what that means.

My other concern is that Dan Snyder has torpedoed the good ship Monk by virtue of his scavenger hunt for a new coach.  One thing that has been consistently lacking in the Snyder era is a sense of good feelings about the Redskins by the national media.  I think Monk has caught some of the brunt of that. 

I won’t rehash the past football season.  However, in the wake of the Redskins overcoming their difficulties and making the playoffs I thought there would be some diminution of that feeling, or at least that it wouldn’t be as overt.

Then Joe Gibbs stepped down, and Dan Snyder not only did not select Gibbs heir apparent Gregg Williams but he released Williams from his position as HC/Defense.  Snyder has gone on to interview everyone under the sun, reinforcing the reputation he had pre-Gibbs as a rich owner who was smart enough to make the money to buy the team but not smart enough to get out of the way and let the football people run the football team.

I worry that the Redskin nominees this year will be hurt by a Snyder backlash, but I hope and pray that this is the year that Art Monk makes the Hall.  It is an honor well deserved grossly overdue.

One last note-I believe Art Monks case for the HOF is so strong and convincing that only folks with axes to grind (like the Dallas rep who regularly talks down Monk) or some physiological inability to process the information of his credentials would vote against him. 

The same will be the case on replies for this post, where I will depart from my normal posting policy.  Don’t dare come around these parts talking trash about Monk and expect to get a comment posted.

Yep, I’m a homer. 

Go Art Monk, and good luck on Saturday!

Joe Gibbs Retires…

…and I don’t know if it is a good or bad thing.

One part of me thinks it is for the best…he has family health issues, he is 67, the last month or so has been stressful but the way he carried the Redskins through the Sean Taylor tragedy to the playoffs resuscitated his rep as a leader.  There have been issues with certain mechanical issues of coaching (clock management, the Buffalo 2-time out thing, etc.).  Gibbs has never been a personnel maven, and his greatest successes happened with someone else picking players (see Archuletta and Lloyd).  Maybe it is just a good time to leave.

On the other hand he has yet again established that he is the guy that these players will go to the wall for.  He can get that extra effort from them.  The team is loaded with “Joe Gibbs” guys…all of whom are ready and raring to go for 2008.  Plus it is my understanding that the Redskins salary cap situation for 2008 is not pretty…so who will want to coach a team with (a) a bad salary cap situation and (b) an owner who wants to win, but is renowned for a lack of patience and making knee-jerk decisions?

Personally, I rather he finish out his contract.  By the same token, I reckon if Joe Gibbs wants to go he has earned the right…plus, if he is burned out or exhausted it does no one any good for him to stay.

The good news is that in retiring he has done it early.  When Gibbs I retired it was in March, teams were already ramping up for the next season, and Jack Kent Cooke was virtually forced to go with Richie Pettibon…and we know how that ended.

Now there is time to be in the mix, although my best guess is that Snyder will tab Gregg Williams to be the head coach. He is in house, he was Sean Taylor’s mentor on the team and can carry on the bond and emotion that has developed in the wake of that tragedy. Beyond going to a former ’skin like Russ Grimm, I don’t know that you will do well going outside the team for a coach and risk upsetting the team chemistry that seemingly developed in the last portion of the year.

That is part of the challenge for Dan Snyder. This team seemed to develop an identity in the last month. If it is a real chemistry and team spirit, do you risk it and go outside for a coach, or do you stay inside the family with either Williams or Al Saunders and keep the chemistry?

But before we over analyze…take a moment and think kind thoughts for Tom Boswell, who this morning published a column that stated that certainly Gibbs would be back and wanted an extension, that he hesitated only because of the vagaries and dance steps that are part of contract negotiation.

Vaya con Dios, Joe Gibbs…thank for what you are and what you have accomplished! You will be missed.

UPDATE:

It has been pointed out in several mediums that the presence of the “Rooney Rule” requiring the interviewing of miniority candidates for head coaching positions means the Redskins can only announce Williams this PM at the risk of league action, fines, etc.  Also, Brother Boswell has withdrawn his earlier certitude about Gibbs and 2008 with this piece.