Archive for All-Star Game
A Fourth of July Spectacle
Posted by: | CommentsHello again this week to my trust of friends and readers. I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th! Was it loud enough in your neighborhood? My windows vibrated several times. It seems that Americans are now going to as much excess with the 4th of July as they do for Christmas. Some of my neighbors started setting off fireworks as early as June 24. When I was young, we looked forward to the 4th as the only day all year we got to see fireworks. That made it something special. Now we get firework shows for every celebration and 1-2 weeks for the 4th of July. It has become just another show. Plus, the rudeness factor is growing as people are setting off some fireworks as late as 12:30 am. Where are the manners and consideration for your fellow citizens? These are probably the same people who talk loud in restaurants on their cell phones. Can we use some common sense and make our holidays special again?
Where is American tennis and golf? With Wimbledon just ended, it is apparent no Americans will be challenging in the near future. Do Americans no longer have the zeal and drive to compete in sports in which there are no “guaranteed” contracts?
Speaking of sports, one of my favorites, the All-Star game, will be next week. I must admit the game has lost some of its luster due to the voting system and interleague play. The “us” verses “them” factor has been diminished. With the players now getting to vote on all but the starters, many “stars” are now left out. As I looked over the rosters for the upcoming game, I noticed that outside of the Yankees’ three veteran stars, there is no one in the game who has been to more than eight games. Where are all the veteran super stars? When I was young, the rosters would be practically the same every year. Rose, Aaron, Mays, Clemente, Killebrew, Jackson, Robinson, McCovey, Oliva. These guys were there every year and that’s who the fans wanted to see. Now it seems every year the rosters are half filled with one-year wonders who have disappeared by the next year. I miss the “glamour” of the game. Can we return the game to the fans and have the veteran super stars we want to see? Of course, one problem is a lack of veteran stars. With the big money now involved, the older high priced players are pushed aside for younger, cheaper players as soon as their skills start to slide. As the song goes, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?”
Until next week, Doc.
The 4th of July and the All-Star Game
Posted by: | CommentsAh, July 4th – Independence Day. The rockets red glare! The bombs bursting in air! The good old smell of sulfur! What could be more exciting. Except for the few killjoy environmentalist “wackos” who complain about the metals in the fireworks. These people take all the fun out of life. I am not a scientist, but I don’t think igniting fireworks once a year will bring the world to an end. If we don’t reverse policies soon, though, we may not have any freedom and independence to celebrate.
Since everyone else is throwing in their two cents worth about the All-Star game selections, I figure I might as well. There seems to be two schools of thought: (1) the game should be for the stars the fans want to see. (2) it should be for the players having the best years. It seems to me in recent years a good balance between both has held sway as the game seems to have a bunch of “rookies” every year along with the veteran stars. What is on the increase that I dislike are the shenanigans being employed more and more. Managers are going to extreme measures to select their own players and also inflating the rosters by selecting players already injured and then “replacing” them or selecting pitchers who pitch on the Sunday before and thus aren’t eligible, thereby necessitating a replacement. When all is said and done, 34 man rosters are reaching into the 40’s. This is a disgrace to the game and should be halted.
In what century is dentistry going to cease being the poster child for a generic painful experience. I’m speaking to companies who advertise how easy or nice their services are by contrasting them with a dental visit. This majorly annoys me every time I hear our profession being slandered in this manner. Why not pick on having to visit any government agency. Now there is an unpleasant experience!
Lastly, why did we need to endure several weeks of road repair on Gene Snyder only to end up with a road so wavy it’s like riding a ride at Holiday World? Did these roads even need repair? I never noticed them before, but I sure do now! This was another excuse to spend money we don’t have on something we didn’t need. If this is the best the road crew can do, we totally wasted our money.
See you next week, Doc
