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Tiger Woods and other things

June 18, 20082:44 p.m.

Guess I won’t be watching golf the rest of the year. That’s a little harsh, perhaps. And if Woody Austin plays himself into contention somewhere along the line, I’m sure I’ll give it a look. But I am one of those people whose interest in golf catapulted forward upon the arrival of Tiger Woods to the scene. I almost always watch a tournament that includes Tiger; I almost never watch one that doesn’t.

Who else is there to compel me? Truthfully, I’m not a huge Phil Mickelson fan. He’s all right. Seems like a good enough guy. Has talent. But he doesn’t really do much for me.

Ernie Els falls into the same category. Really nice guy. Really good player. Really registers nothing.

Sergio Garcia is too slow. Vijay Singh bores me. Davis Love III is so yesterday. I can’t really even name another golfer, outside of Woods and Woody, who interests me that much.

  • My column this morning, about the Cardinals-Royals 1985 World Series and my inability go get over it, was satiric in its nature. Which means it was tongue in cheek. Which means I’m not really still dealing with the pain of the World Series and I’m really not still holding it against umpire Don Denkinger. It always amazes me when people read something intended to be satire and take it literally. Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough. But the point of satire is to be unclear and trust the intelligence of the audience to pick up on it.
  • The city’s decision to prop up Bill Warren and his Old Town Theater with a very low interest, $6 million loan is an interesting one. On the one hand, it’s a message to business owners who might be more deserving of a load that Warren is special. And it beckons the question: Why is Warren special. I can see why so many people who own small and large businesses would be against this idea. But let’s face it, people. We need Old Town to continue working. It’s the most significant piece to the downtown puzzle, which is beginning to fill out with other projects in and around Old Town. I don’t think this is a favortism gesture toward Warren; I think it’s an acknowledgment that we really can’t afford for the Old Town Warren, with its connecting parking garage, to go belly-up. Hopefully, the $6 million will propel Warren on to bigger and better things, although it’s a valid concern to wonder: If the theater isn’t working now, why are we adding another theater where Oscar’s Sports Bar currently is located and what makes us expect the theater (plus one) to work in the future?
  • Does Paul Pierce belong in the discussion of the greatest Boston Celtics ever? I bring this up after Pierce’s MVP performance in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, which Boston wrapped up Tuesday night after six games. Pierce was outstanding in the Finals, both offensively and defensively. And I believe he is one of the greatest Celtics in history, definitely in the top 10 and maybe the top five. Pierce just finished his 10th season with Boston and, certainly, never came close to winning a title before this season. But here is where he ranks all-time in some of the most telling categories: Games (10th), field goals (10th), free throws (third), three-pointers (1st), assists (8th), steals (2nd), points (sixth), blocks (fourth), points-per-game (2nd). Is there really any doubt. In fact, I would listen to an argument for Pierce to rank as the fourth-greatest Celtic. Here’s my top 10: 1) Larry Bird; 2) Bill Russell; 3) John Havlicek; 4) Bob Cousy; 5) Kevin McHale; 6) Robert Parish; 7) Paul Pierce; 8) Dave Cowens; 9) Jo Jo White; 10) Sam Jones. I picked Bird over Russell for selfish reasons; Bird is my favorite player of all-time.
By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

What am I qualified to do?

June 17, 20082:53 p.m.

Certainly not to be a sports columnist, right? Thought I would beat a few of you to the punch on that one. Ha, ha.

But occasionally _ and especially when McClatchy announces it is laying off 10 percent of its workforce _ I’ll think about life after newspapers. Honestly, I hope I get to retire from The Eagle because it’s a place I have worked since I was 19 years old and it’s really all I know. But who knows? Newspapers are struggling to be as profitable as they once were and I still have 26 years until retirement. Actually, more like 10 to 12, but I like to pretend I’m young.

What would I do if I suddenly was without this job? Interesting question because I have no skills to speak of.

I could not be an auto mechanic, since I don’t know a manifold from the Ben Folds 5. I was under the hood of my car once. I quickly closed it and went on about my business.

I could not do anything that required working from 8 to 5. I would explode with boredom. The greatest thing about being a sportswriter is the variety of hours I get to work. I know that would drive some people crazy, but for me it’s just a way of life and I adjust my schedule. The inability to work 8 to 5 eliminates approximately 87.6 percent of jobs.

I couldn’t do manual labor because I’m just not made that way. I hire people to scrape paint.

I couldn’t be a lawyer or a doctor. Well, maybe a lawyer. But definitely not a doctor because of this aversion I have for bodily fluids.

I couldn’t be a cop. I probably couldn’t teach, even though I like kids. Small doses of kids. Teaching does not equal small doses of kids.

I couldn’t be a psychologist. Just ask my psychologist if you don’t believe me.

I couldn’t be a bee keeper. I couldn’t work at the zoo. I couldn’t be a pilot or an actor or a tailor. Selling insurance sounds boring. Selling anything sounds boring.

Nope, this is what I was meant to do. I suppose I could be a baseball play-by-play announcer. Know of any major league teams looking for a 53-year-old without any experience to do radio of their games? Didn’t think so.

This is what I do. I have done it since I was a junior in high school. I write about sports. And I entertain the masses with this blog. I do some sports-talk radio. I’m shallow and proud of it and I hope I don’t have to go looking for another job anytime soon because I just don’t know where I’d look.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (1)

Bond issue

June 16, 20086:21 p.m.

Been meaning to address this since I read the story in The Eagle recently about the possibility that the leaders of the November bond issue are considering backing off some of important aspect of the potential improvements to facilities in the Wichita schools, namely those that involve athletics and fine arts.

In that story, it mentioned that the potential cost to a home owner in Wichita to approve the bond issue was in the neighborhood of $40 a year for a $100,000 home. That is about 80 cents a week. So, it astounds me that there is so much opposition to this bond issue when, if you’re paying any attention at all, you recognize there is nothing extravagant in this wish list; everything included is there simply as a matter of keeping up with the Maizes, Goddards, Derbys and Andovers in the suburbs.

This is a real hot-button issue for me. I did not attend Wichita schools; I went to school in Derby. I had a fabulous educational experience in a great town. But I have lived in Wichita since 1975 and I love this city. It’s where I want to be. So many of my friends are here. So much of what I do is here.

We need to take care of our schools. The bond issue we passed several years ago did wonders for the spirit and vitality of the school district. But it was just a beginning. There is so much more we need to do. People who argue that Wichita schools aren’t growing are stepping on their feet from the outset. How are they ever going to grow, then, unless we upgrade them to at least compete with schools in the suburbs. Do Wichita kids not deserve the same kind of amenities kids are getting in the outlying districts?

I no longer have a child in Wichita schools, but am more than willing to pay what it takes to upgrade them. I know, because of my job, the scope of the disrepair of our athletic facilities. It’s alarming and we should be ashamed that we have allowed them to get so bad. Athletics probably mean more to me than to most, because I do believe they are a window into the school as a whole. Bad athletics equals a less-than-ideal school, in my opinion. I think it’s difficult to develop school pride when your sports teams are constantly losing and, worse, being disbanded.

I’m disappointed that some associated with this bond are backing off, saying they might be willing to compromise on certain points. I understand the value of compromise, but this isn’t the time for a compromise. I would want our school leaders to unify on this matter and adamantly sell the community on why this is such an important bond issue. Speak to the community about the needs. Show them the needs. Make them aware of the needs on a daily basis. Shout from the roof tops about the importance of passing this bond issue and make people understand that, while a tax can be a burden, the value of this tax will be felt in ways that nullify the pain of paying it.

Schools are so important. Without quality, updated schools, your property values in Wichita are going to drop as more people move away. Making investments into a community is such a vital part of a vital community. Why does that seem to be so hard for some people here to understand? I hope we don’t allow those people without passion for Wichita to direct our future. I hope the people with passion for the city take on the leadership roles necessary to convince the majority that this bond issue is every bit as important as the last bond issue.

Progress costs money. In this case, it’s not so much progress as it is catching up. Our school leaders need to be school leaders. Stop talking compromise and start talking catching up.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (4)

Father’s Day

June 15, 20089:34 p.m.

I have loved being a dad. I wanted to have three kids, two boys and a girl. Life, in case you haven’t noticed, doesn’t always turn out like you plan.

I had one boy, Jeff, and he has been the most important person in my life since the day he was born _ Dec. 21, 1982. It has been a series of ups and downs. My memories of his childhood, like many of my memories, are a little rough around the edges. I know I am proud of the man he has become and of the ways he is like me and the ways he isn’t.

Since Jeff moved out of our house this spring, I have missed him. But I have also felt closer to him. It’s a strange dynamic at work and I don’t pretend to understand it all. I just know that I feel a connection with my son that feels stronger to me today than it has in a while. Maybe it’s because we talk more. Maybe it’s because I don’t hassle him as much. Maybe it’s just because he’s a good guy whom I respect and admire. His good qualities far outweigh those with which I have wrestled with so often over the years. He’s not as driven as me _ at least not outwardly. So? Good for him, really. My drive has been rewarded, but it also has its drawbacks.

He’s not as cynical as me. Again, good for him. My cynicism is probably pretty enjoyable in small doses. I’m sure, however, that too much of it is a drag.

He’s probably equally as sensitive as me. You can see his sensitivity plainly. Mine takes a little longer to un-earth. But it’s there. You would have seen it had you been watching the tributes to Tim Russert on television today. I was a mess. But watching Russert got me to thinking about being a father and being a son and all that goes with being either.

I want my son to be successful, but I too often define success by my standards. I’m sure he has his own standards for success and I hope they go deeper than mine. I have defined success mostly by my achievements in the workplace. There are so many, many more avenues for success and I believe Jeff is on a path to do much better in many of those areas than I ever did.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot about fatherhood today and how much I appreciate all good fathers. There aren’t enough of them in the world; it’s one of the things that is wrong with the world. I have tried to be the best dad I can be and although there have been many times when I have fallen short, I do believe my son knows how much he means to me.

I apologize for the sappiness of this post. I’ll be back to my normal, nasty self soon.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Tim Russert

June 14, 20089:44 a.m.

You know how there are some people you just enjoy listening to? When they’re talking, you realize they’re smart, articulate, informed and entertaining. It doesn’t come along all that often, so when it does you’re really appreciative of the time.

That’s how I felt about NBC’s Tim Russert, the chief Washington correspondent and host of Meet the Press. I have always had profound respect for Russert, who was knee deep in the political atmosphere of the country but never provided a hint of his own allegiances. It takes a real reporter to be able to do that and I can guarantee you that anyone in journalism held Russert, who died Friday, in the highest regard.

A Russert interview was a piece of art. He was dogged and determined, yet always human and polite. He managed to get his subjects to divulge things they probably never thought they would divulge. In this remarkable year of politics, in which Barack Obama is the first person of color to be his party’s nominee for president, Russert will especially be missed. I’ll miss his insight and remarkable knowledge. One of the best things about the Don Imus radio show was the fact that Russert was a regular guest.

I was shocked to read of Russert’s death Friday and still sad today. He seems like a guy who would have been great to drink a beer with. And definitely a guy who would have been amazing to talk politics with.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (2)

FSU won’t let go

June 12, 20082:26 p.m.

Florida State shortstop Tony Delmonico, according to a story in the Tallahassee Democrat, is going to play Saturday in the Seminoles’ College World Series opener against Stanford. Good. Delmonico is a good player and it’s great to see that his season didn’t end with the ankle injury he suffered in Game 1 of the super regional last week against Wichita State.

An injury, I might point out, that was unavoidable and in no way should be blamed on WSU’s Ryan Jones, who collided with Delmonico near second base in the first inning. It came on a potential force out but a throw to Delmonico from FSU second baseman Jason Stidham pulled Delmonico off the bag and directly into the path of Jones, who tried to avoid contact but couldn’t.

Yet, Seminoles volunteer assistant Rod Delmonico, Tony’s father, continues to blame the Shockers for his kid’s injury, which forced him to miss the final two games of the super regional. Tony Delmonico did play the remainder of the first game, however.
He deemed slides by Jones and, later in the game, Dusty Coleman to be “dirty.” The Coleman slide was a good, hard slide into Delmonico. It wasn’t close to dirty, but it was tough and Coleman did go directly into Delmonico’s injured left leg.

“That’s not part of the game,” Rod Delmonico said. “In professional baseball, that’s part of it and you deal with that by throwing at hitters. In college, you don’t do that kind of stuff. You don’t throw at hitters. You play hard and you play aggressive, but you don’t go out of your way to hurt someone. When you do that, that’s bad. If you condone that as a coach or teach that as a coach, that’s bad.”

Please.

As someone who watched both plays live, and then again on replay, neither play was “dirty.” Not even close. Jones was the first person to show concern for Delmonico after the injury, waving for medical personnel to come to the field and attempting to help Delmonico up. He felt badly about the situation. A situation which, as I have said, was unavoidable.

Coleman’s slide was tough and hard, but not even close to dirty. If the Seminoles were so concerned about Delmonico at that point, the coaches should have taken him out of the game or moved him from the shortstop position.

This is a silly argument, but it’s one the FSU coaches and players have continued to push.

“Those two players that took Tony out were dirty plays and they ignited us so much that there was nobody who was going to beat us,” Rod Delmonico said.

He’s a cry baby. I know it’s his kid who was injured, but if he’s really a baseball guy he knows the Shockers are not at fault.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (6)

Catching it from Tallahassee

June 11, 20083:29 p.m.

If you read the posts from Tally, you can tell the natives aren’t too happy with my negative comments about the city. Now, I absolutely admit I did not make the greatest effort to get out and enjoy the nightlife. The fact that it was 300 degrees with 200 percent humidity might have had something to do with that. When I’m in a new city, I normally like to look around and get a feel for the place. I wasn’t compelled to do so in Tallahassee and was probably shortsighted in not getting out and about.

I apologize to the fine citizens of Tallahassee. I will say, I was impressed by the university and the campus and, by all means, the Florida State baseball team. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my stay; it’s that it was just too dang hot to find out if I would have enjoyed my stay.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (5)

Florida State 11, Wichita State 4 (it’s over)

June 8, 20085:17 p.m.

That close. Or was it?

Sure, Wichita State went on top in this best-of-three super regional against Florida State by winning Game 1 on Friday. But the Shockers were never really even a factor after that, so to say they were close to breaking their long College World Series drought might not be accurate.

After that Game 1 win, everything went flat. Pitching, hitting, defense. Maybe it was the unbelievable heat and humidity, but I hope not. A team has to be able to rise above that. However, I do wonder why the NCAA and ESPN put all three of the games here in the middle of the day. Doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Have to tell you I’m impressed with so many of these Wichita State players, starting with senior center fielder Andy Dirks. I can’t wait to see where Dirks goes with his life, whether it’s in professional baseball or public life. He’s an impressive guy and a great leader. He’ll be missed. So will a bunch of others: Rob Musgrave, Aaron Shafer, Tyler Weber, Conor Gillaspie, Anthony Capra. They’re all really good players and really good people.

It’ll be a brand new team next year in so many ways. Outside of Ryan Jones and Clinton McKeever, there’s a chance no one else in the every-day lineup will return. Shortstop Dusty Coleman and second baseman Josh Workman could be back. Both were chosen in the lower rounds of the amateur draft. My advice, as if they’ve asked, is that they do return and try to improve their professional status. Coleman, especially, could move up into the top 10 rounds with a solid junior season. He has much work to do, both offensively and defensively, to prepare for pro baseball. But his upside is huge.

The pitching staff will have a new look with Tim Kelley, so impressive in his five innings of relief during Sunday’s game, as the potential ace of the staff. A bunch of bullpen guys will return, but it will be interesting to see who joins Kelley in the starting rotation.

It’s a stretch to think the Shockers will even be the favorite in the Missouri Valley Conference next year, let alone a pick to reach the NCAA Tournament. But don’t put it past them. I know the coaching staff is very high on the incoming recruits and many of those freshmen will be thrown right into the fire. That always makes for some excitement.

I am impressed that as many WSU fans showed up here for the super regional. Tallahassee is not an easy place to get to and once you’re here, you’re not sure why. Let’s just say, as I wrote on yesterday’s post-game blog, this is not one of my favorite places. Perhaps I just haven’t tried hard enough to find out what’s good about this city. Anyway, congratulations to the Shocker fans who did make it here; I’m constantly amazed by the passion you people have for this baseball program.

Looking forward to getting home tomorrow morning and staying for a while. I know my buddy Paul Suellentrop, is excited about taking his kids to the swimming pool. I’m excited about seeing all of my friends, who so badly miss me. Right, guys and girls? I know you do.

On another note, I’m getting tickets to see the Eagles in Chicago in September. Just thought you should know. So, that’s something I’ll be looking forward to.

See ya soon.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (4)

Florida State 14, Wichita State 4 (Game 2)

June 7, 20083:50 p.m.

There are a whole lot of Florida media folks covering this super regional. A whole lot. The Wichita media is badly outnumbered and, truthfully, some of these guys are getting on my nerves.

They are continuing to make something of what they see to be some acrimony between Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson and his Florida State counterpart, Mike Martin. Neither coach has added any fuel to what isn’t even close to being a fire, but some in the Florida media won’t let it go.

It stems from a couple of hard slides during Friday’s Game 1. First, Ryan Jones went into second base hard on a play in which FSU shortstop Tony Delmonico had to awkwardly take a toss from second baseman Jason Stidham. Delmonico was out of position and Jones couldn’t help but ram into him. It caused a gash to Delmonico’s shin and it badly sprained his left ankle. Later, the Shockers’ Dusty Coleman went in hard to Delmonico on a force play, but it wasn’t anything dirty.

Martin, though, took offense at the second slide and visited with the umpires. But he refused to comment on the situation after Friday’s game. When he didn’t go to home plate with the Seminoles’ lineup card before Saturday’s Game 2, some in the media took it to mean that he didn’t want to talk to Stephenson.

Hogwash. Martin said after Game 2 that it was no big deal. Stephenson, when asked what he said to Martin after the Saturday game, told reporters he praised Martin for the job he has done with the Florida State team and even said he loved Martin.

They are two war horses in college baseball and they’re pitted against one another in a huge super regional. WSU hasn’t been to the College World Series since 1996; Florida State last went in 1999. These are legendary programs that have lost some of their legend and there is a lot at stake. Do we expect these coaches to hug one another at home plate before each game?

From what I can tell, there is no animosity between the coaches or the teams. Now, do nerves get frazzled in this series? You better believe it, especially with temperatures hovering near or at 100 degrees and humidity high. Throw in the that that both games have taken more than three hours to play, and you have a good amount of tension.

But let me repeat, I don’t think there’s any ill will here. I believe Martin and Stephenson, who have coached for 60 years between them, are just two very competitive men doing whatever they can to try and figure out a way to win this super regional.

It’s going to be hot and humid again today and both teams are going to be using their No. 3 starters. WSU does have an edge though. The Shockers’ No. 3 starter is Anthony Capra, who early in the season was good enough to be an ace and who was taken in the fourth round of Thursday’s amateur draft by the Oakland A’s. But Capra hasn’t been nearly as good over the past month and he’s a guy who usually has to grind. This isn’t weather conducive to grinding.

Check back later; I’ll try and post something before the end of the day. And look for my pre-game blog from Dick Howser Stadium tomorrow.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Pre-game from Tallahassee

June 7, 200810:35 a.m.

Not that I’ve been really trying, but I haven’t found a lot to do here. It’s hot, muggy and the city just isn’t that interesting. Now, as I said, I haven’t really been out and about. But having been to most of the “places” in Florida, this doesn’t rank even close to Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, St. Petersburg, etc. Tonight, I’m going to make an attempt to find something to do so perhaps I’ll have a different outlook tomorrow.

It is so hot here. Even the locals are complaining about the weather, and especially the humidity. Truthfully, though, I have spent most of my time in the sweet air-conditioning of the Florida State press box and the Fairfield Inn Room 129. What I look for in a hotel or motel room are the following: an air conditioning unit that keeps the room cool and hums throughout the night. Check. This AC situation is wonderful and I like to have the noise during the night, while I sleep.

I also look for a lot of comfortable pillows. Check. The pillows are fantastic and there are five or six of them. They’re fluffy and cool and when I get tired of one, I simply go to another. Plus, I enjoy holding pillows close to me at night while I sleep. Yes, that’s a little bit too much information. And kind of pathetic information. Nonetheless, there are no secrets on Bob’s Blog, which is how my 11 readers want it. I also look for a soft bed and I have one here. Free wireless Internet access is also a must. Check. And I like drapes that can be pulled over the window that keep the sunlight out. So does Dracula, by the way. Again, it’s all working in this hotel room.

The one thing I’m not crazy about is the television. I’m used to high def and this is a long way from that. And it’s not a very big TV, either. All in all, though, things in Tallahassee are wonderful as long as I stay in my motel room with the room dark and a pillow nearby.

By Bob | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (3)