Idol Prediction

You'll notice, if you visit here even semi-regularly, that I have resisted the temptation to write about American Idol this season. It was at this point in the season last year that I was so absorbed in it that I could barely think about anything else. I hate to admit that....but it was true. It was also at this point last year that I was totally shocked by the ouster of Chris Daughtry from the competition. He, of course, as most predicted, has gone on to great success despite the disappointment.

So, I will make this promise. This year, because I don't have anywhere near the same interest level, I will predict how the remaining contestants will finish. And that will be the last time I subject anyone to my "Idol thoughts" on this blog. Incidentally, this year I think America is getting it right...with the exception of the ultra-long and excruciating stay of Sanjaya. His prolonged presence on the show bears out my previous writings about Idol not being a talent contest...but more a popularity contest.

So, let's rank the remaining contestants according to talent. But then let's also predict how they will finish...talent aside.

Singing Talent
1. Melinda Doolittle
2. Jordin Sparks
3. Lakisha Jones
4. Blake Lewis

Performer
1. Jordin Sparks
2. Blake Lewis
3. Melinda Doolittle
4. Lakisha Jones

Order of finsh
1. Jordin Sparks
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. Blake Lewis
4. Lakisha Jones

Reasoning
Lakisha has an amazing voice...but often enough she misses on the interpretation of her song. She seems to overpower the song frequently and "overuses" her voice in spots where she needs to back off and communicate the lyric. She is also the most difficult of the bunch to warm up to. For that reason I think she's next to go home.

Blake has been rewarded for his likeability and his willingness to take a risk with songs. His beat box interpretations have been amazing. However, he cannot outperform Jordin or Melinda. He's the strongest male in a weak year for the guys. Being a guy may even get him to the final week of the show.

Melinda has been consistently the best singer...just about every week I've been able to watch. She is a pro. But, she doesn't come through the camera to the TV audience...and she doesn't have the stage presence of either Jordin or Blake. Remember at this point it gets to be more of a personality contest...and while Melinda is likeable...she is not charismatic.

17-year-old Jordin Sparks will be this year's American Idol because she has the total package. She's a great singer with outstanding interpretation of the material. Her You'll Never Walk Alone a few weeks back was tantamount to Katherine McPhee's Over the Rainbow of last year's show. The camera loves Jordin. It's easy to see how she...even at her young age...could move right into professional performing.


So...There's my prediction. By the end of the month we'll see if I'm anywhere in the ballpark.

How Very Sad

-I tried to put myself in the shoes of the Cardinals players today after learning of the death of pitcher Josh Hancock. The team cancelled its Sunday night game with the Cubs. And, if my attempt to identify is anywhere close, the team likely will be very distracted until after the Hancock funeral on Thursday. Playing ball between now and then will be very secondary, and very difficult.

When I was about the age of most of the young people on this team, I had the experience of losing two co-workers in a traffic accident. It was one of those "out of the blue" phonecalls in the middle of the night that informed me Pete Basch and Nancy Dintelman had been killed in a head-on crash caused by a drunk driver. Pete was not only a co-worker, but a fellow sports fanatic with whom I shared many a great time at sporting events. Nancy was a talented and brilliant news reporter who, I'm still convinced, would have eventually made it to national prominence in the broadcasting business. Nancy and Pete had just announced their engagement to her parents, and were traveling to share the news with his, when the tragedy occurred.

Just as Tony LaRussa described it at the Cardinals press-conference, your work family is not "real family" but it's still family. And when someone that close to you is suddenly gone under tragic circumstances, you hurt. And the hurt doesn't go away very quickly. It's not easy to think about anything but that hurt, and that person who is no longer part of your life.

So, let's all forgive the Cardinals if they are not quite playing up to their capabilities in Milwaukee over the next three days. Experience tells me they will be thinking about things that are much more important than the final score.

Missilaneyus

-The title comes from my lack of patience for misspellings. Everywhere one goes these days you will see poor spelling. And, the worst part seems to be that nobody really cares. You will see it in formal letters, in newspaper articles, and other public displays. And this in the day of spell-check software. Wow. I saw the plural of Silverado...spelled "Silveradoes"...in a TV ad recently. Come on...are we that pathetic when it comes to teaching kids how to spell these days? Sad.

-Looking forward to seeing Rick Majerus on the sideline of Billiken basketball games. I just hope, considering his health history, that he's not taking on a bear he can't wrestle.

-I really enjoy the NFL Draft...which begins a little over an hour from when I'm writing this. I have a hunch that the Rams might provide a surprise with their first-round pick. Everybody is expecting them to go with a defensive lineman. Some of Coach Linehan's comments recently lead me to believe they might not necessarily go that route.

-Tony LaRussa's blow-up at the post-game press conference Friday night has me scratching my head. He apparently refused to answer questions posed by the reporters from the Post-Dispatch because he objected to an article in Friday's paper that was critical of the Cubs. It seems to me if he had a problem with what was written he could calmly confront the writer instead of making a spectacle of himself in front of TV cameras. He also could have gone to his counterparts with the Cubs and told them that he was sorry for what appeared in his hometown paper. Now, we all have to wonder if he's unravelling in the wake of the team's poor start and his DUI arrest in Florida.

-Speaking of the Cubs, while in Chicago to visit son Stewart last weekend we scored some Cards-Cubs tickets for Sunday's game. What a treat it is to watch a ballgame in a stately, old stadium like Wrigley Field. The weather was perfect. The crowd was full of rivalry energy. Wrigley had that "old ballpark smell"...both good and bad. What a great experience. The new Busch is great too...but in a much different, less authentic, and more sanitized, way.

-I have never been an anti-gun guy. I've also never believed in keeping one around...but that's just me. But the recent spate of hand-gun related crime has me wondering if it isn't time to discuss hand-gun laws similar to those in Great Britain. It just seems that here in America the resolution to all disputes is achieved with a gun. And people practice their marksmanship with video games which doesn't help anything. What happened to good old fist-fights?

-I'll finish up this post with another thing that bugs the stuffing out of me. You see TV ads, and hear radio ads, all over the place that tout union workers. Hire a union plumber...Hire a union painter..etc. Do they bother to hire a union talent to perform their commercial?? Nooooo. I'm not a big suporter of the concept of unions. But, because of some of the voice work I do I am required to belong to AFTRA...the radio/TV actors union. Frequently, the "hire the union guy" ads feature an announcer or spokesman that hasn't paid a penny of union dues in his or her life. I guess those other unions won't mind when I cross one of their picket lines then.

More Imus

Everyone seems to have their own opinion on the Imus firing. Obviously, I was mistaken when I wrote--

"Do they really think that their protests will get Imus fired? After all this free advertising, MSNBC and CBS radio would be irresponsible business-people to do that."

Well, I guess there's always a chance that the networks could rescind their firing, but that appears unlikely. I have several thoughts about all this.

1) Because of the way this all played out, very little of an on-going nature will be done to make a difference in how women and minorities are treated in our culture. Had Imus been allowed to stay on the air to make amends and actually institute some sort of awareness campaign, the plight of minorities and women may have been addressed. But now, who will be in a position, beside the usual voices, to say anything about it. And the usual voices, and you know who I mean, are almost laughable. Were those usual voices really injecting themselves into this situation to make the world a better place? You decide.

2) The Rutgers women's basketball team had the courage and grace to accept Imus's apology. Will Reverends Sharpton and Jackson say that's good enough for them? I'll be surprised if that happens. Their stance on proper behavior doesn't seem to include themselves.

3) Who will replace the many millions of dollars that Imus raised for charity each year, those who want him to go straight to Hell?

4) As long as we're jumping on people who cross the line with hateful and hurtful language concerning women and minorities in the public arena, when is somebody going to say they are outraged at rap music? Or any other kind of music these days that objectifies and degrades women...particuarly minority women? Have you seen the lyrics to some of the songs in this art form lately?

5) Why is there a difference between what an old white guy says on the radio...and what an old white guy says on HBO...or any other mass-media setting. Obviously, it appears to be OK to say anything to millions of people, as long as they paid to watch or hear it. I don't think the impact on society is any less because the media that's being enjoyed is paid for.

6) Who is going to make the world realize that Imus does a radio show based in comedy? And, that most of what he has ever said in his whole life was intended to make someone either laugh or cringe. Someone needs to say that he's not a Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, or Al Franken who are trying to change the world to their way of thought.

7) What happens when a radio show is taken off the air? Something else takes its place. What will that be for WFAN? Probably the Mike Francesa show. And he's already said it was a big mistake for CBS to can Imus, and that he was embarassed that the company did it. Doesn't sound like there will be any help for the civil rights agenda there.

Oh...there will be more to come. You can bet on that.

Imus Ratings to Jump

I don’t think it was calculated. I don’t think he intended anything other than to poke fun…insensitive as it was…as part of what he does to everyone. But the resultant firestorm of the recent remarks by self-styled radio cowboy Don Imus, wind-whipped by the Reverends Sharpton and Jackson, will only serve to send more listeners to find the Imus show. If that’s not what they wanted, it’s too late now, because they have already provided the grist for the publicity mill. Do they really think that their protests will get Imus fired? After all this free advertising, MSNBC and CBS radio would be irresponsible business-people to do that.

The Reverends would have accomplished more to bring about racial harmony if they had issued a press release saying they were disgusted by the remarks. In it, they also could have provided background information about the young women Imus belittled so that everyone would know that these were real people with real feelings. But, of course, they had to stage marches and protests, and jump on every media outlet to declare outrage, making matters worse. There's a difference between being offended, and using every opportunity to advertise that you are the leader of an oppressed people. As long as your message contains the implication that you lead a somehow lesser people, many will believe it. Does that do anything for civil rights and harmony among the races? As long as everyone is forced by others to be uncomfortable in their own skin, how will anyone be comfortable with the color of someone else's? But, back to Imus.

Several years ago while working at the former WIBV, I was the morning news anchor when the station carried the syndicated Imus show. I got an up-close and personal dose of the show every day. For those who aren’t regular listeners, this show is predicated on poking fun at just about everybody. Presidents and politicians, star athletes and movie stars, recording artists and international figures, you name it…Imus skewers them all. It’s a show that’s based in comedy, satire, and irreverence (much like our own Frank O. Pinion show locally). Everybody is slammed with equal vigor while Imus keeps his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. Sometimes he sounds venomous…but usually he retreats from being truly hateful. Taking that into account, I buy Imus's explanation that his racially insensitive comment was part of the overall comedy of that day. Even he says that it went too far, though.

Sure, Imus likes to think his is a destination show for big-wigs, entertainers, and political movers-and-shakers to be interviewed. But, in the context of that show, almost anything that anyone says is taken with a grain of salt. Most of his “name” guests are on to show that they like a good joke as much as the next person. They come on because they know that Imus won’t go after them with really tough questions and they’ll be allowed to exit with their dignity intact. That, plus they know that they’ll be heard by millions of listeners coast-to-coast to get their own message out. Bottom line...it's a comedy show...not a "we're trying to change the world" show.

I’m sure that Imus knew as soon as he uttered the phrase “nappy-headed ho’s” that he had crossed the line. There are certain boundaries in broadcasting that can’t be crossed, and he knew he had just had an “uh-oh” moment. Anyone who has done a radio talk show has a strong feeling for where the boundary is. Imus’s job, like many of the so-called “shock jock” variety, has been to dance right up to the boundary without crossing it. When they do…they had better be willing to pay the price. Frequently, they are. Perhaps he was prepared in this case.

Usually these guys are more than willing to serve a suspension…also known as time off from the job…without a second thought. What happens during the suspension? Usually more publicity is given to why the host isn’t there. Regular listeners get all wound up about the host’s return to the air. The rest of the media covers it like a blanket. And, ultimately, the host is better off in the ratings game for going away for awhile. How’s that for a promotion?

I’m not saying that Imus intended to get himself into this mess. That would be hard to prove without somebody ratting on the boss. But I do think he cares little about the consequences of his words. Why should he? He’s got all the money anyone could ever spend. He’s probably at the age where he’s thinking about retiring anyway. The only thing holding him back these days is how much he wants to hold on to some measure of dignity. In that light, he says that he hopes to serve his suspension with dignity.

The guy certainly will have the bright lights shining on him during his suspension so we’ll be able to see what he means by that. And he will certainly have a larger audience when he returns to the air in two weeks than what he had before the incident. Imus can thank the publicity machine that cranks up every time someone in the public eye, or on the public airwaves, even slightly crosses the line. I’m sure the ad salespeople that work for his station and networks are thanking their lucky stars these days…no matter what color they are, or what the texture of their hair.

Season Wrap-up

As the Blues play the final week of their season, I began to reflect on this season under new ownership and management. There was a time late in ’06 when I was seriously concerned about these new, and unfamiliar, people. Even though I’m not at Scottrade Center on a daily basis, I am there enough, and talk to enough of the people who are, to get a pretty good feel for what’s going on. And my feeling was not a good one back in November. But, I have to say that now that the new leadership of SCP Worldwide and its business and hockey management team is settled in, I could not be more excited about the chances of finally having a Stanley Cup parade down Market Street in the not too distant future.

My sense back in the early part of the season was that the hockey operations were struggling for direction and that Mike Kitchen was frustrated and confused. Of course, we would learn that he was not the man for the head coaching job here when Andy Murray was hired and immediately got things turned around. That one move by John Davidson seems to have gotten the entire organization re-charged and ready for great things. Murray has been magical.

I also wondered back then how JD and Larry Pleau would handle the situations with veteran free agents come the trade deadline. Obviously, whatever worries I had were answered with a series of fantastic moves for the future. Not only did our guys get big returns in the Bill Guerin and Keith Tkachuk deals, but they put a cherry on top with the outstanding Dennis Wideman-Brad Boyes trade. The team is wonderfully positioned for the youth movement of the next 3-5 years.

Jarmo Kekalainen should have some terrific assets to work with come draft day in June. There is still some worry that there hasn’t been an announcement yet on an extension of Jarmo’s contract. But Davidson promised that would happen, so I’m confident it will.

It also seemed that early on in the season some of the old front-office management team was being supplanted by new personnel without reason, other than they had been associated with the old regime. Because of my long-time association with many of the sales, marketing, and communications folks who worked under the Laurie ownership…and those before it…I probably was more emotional about seeing some of them go than I needed to be. From an objective standpoint, the energy around the office now seems to have multiplied enormously. I now see sales people who appear to be excited about their jobs, the team, and its overall direction. They obviously have goals to meet in their sales effort, and seem genuinely excited when they achieve one. Making money, after all, is also a part of any business. And with more money from ticket sales, comes the opportunity to invest in players and fan-friendly operations.

Recently, more money was brought into the ownership group by bringing aboard Tom Stillman of Stillman Distributing. The fact that Stillman is aligned with the Miller beer company in the hometown of Anheuser-Busch is causing concern for some. But I tend to think he’s on board more for his contacts in the community than to upset the beer-selling applecart at Scottrade Center and run the risk of alienating the wrong business people in town.

In summary, it is obvious that smart and talented people are now in place at the top levels of management with the St. Louis Blues. As they say, success in any business starts at the top. Believing that is true, I am of the opinion that my long tenure of working for the “lovable losers” of the NHL is about to end. The World Series-winning Cardinals and the Super Bowl-winning Rams should prepare to be joined in the next few years in the hearts of St. Louis sports fans by the champions from another pro sport in town.

No Brainer?

Upon arrival for the Blues game at the Scottrade Center Thursday, I was aware that there would be a press conference at 6 o’clock introducing a new minority owner. What I wasn’t privy to was that it was a double-barreled newser with a second announcement that would be more impactful on Blues fandom.

Tom Stillman, who owns a Miller beer distributorship in Earth City, was intro’d as the new minority partner. Some are making a big deal of the fact that the guy sells Miller in a town known for A-B products. I don’t think the new Blues ownership would bring in a minority owner, no matter how much money he is willing to throw on the table, if it would jeopardize the relationship the team has with “The Big Eagle”. You just don’t do anything around here without the explicit approval of the folks down on Pestalozzi. I’m sure Dave Checketts, Peter McLoughlin (a former A-B man himself) and company, have done their homework on this one.

The second announcement, that Blues games will be aired on KMOX in a multi-year agreement starting in the fall, is of more interest to Blues fans. It’s also of more significance to the re-building of the team itself.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know when I say that KMOX’s image as a sports radio station…particularly the “Sports Voice of America”, as it once billed itself… has come crashing down with a gigantic splat over the last few years. Tim Dorsey and company at KTRS accomplished their mission of stripping the boys on Memorial Drive of their prized sports properties. The occasional Mizzou football and basketball game on 1120 isn’t going to impress many that your station is a leader in anything. Having said that, the enormous, clear-channel signal of “the MOX” hasn’t changed at all. And those call letters still have a fair amount of magic associated with them…even if you have to be 35 or older to remember the real glory days of the station.

As the current radio rights agreement with 550 was nearing an end, there was apparently a fair amount of competition among the broadcasting companies in town to land the Blues next deal. On the face of it, this was a slam-dunk, mail-it-in, no-thinking-required, call for Blues ownership and management. To have a station with the reputation of KMOX as your exclusive playground should be too good to pass up. If you were wanting to expose your sport and market it to people in this part of the country would you rather be on a station that has a whopper of a daytime signal…but struggles for nighttime coverage (when most of your games are played)? Or would you rather be on a station that can be heard, with a few exceptions, in most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains? Right. Some of the other stations in town were also given a chance to make a pitch…but they likely had the same problem arguing against that big night-time signal.

What’s interesting here…and what I will be curious to watch…will be the form that the new Blues/KMOX relationship takes. Why? Because the Blues are buying the time and will be selling and producing the broadcasts themselves…as I understand it. Brokering out the time to the Blues puts KMOX in a less passionate business position than if they had bought rights and stood to profit based on their own sales and promotional efforts.

So, just how excited will KMOX be to promote the games? Will the sports shows focus on hockey? Or will the station fall into the trap of talking about baseball (which is King.. right now anyway…in St. Louis) and football which is currently more popular too, to the detriment and exclusion of the Blues? Promises have been made to do a Friday night hockey show...a Sunday morning segment...and a drive-time segment. That's all fine. But there also needs to be a "hockey mentality" at the station. Simply fulfilling those promises won't require much in the way of commitment to the hockey fans of St. Louis.

One doesn’t have to strain to imagine a very difficult relationship ahead for Blues management with its new broadcast partner unless KMOX GM Dave Ervin demands his staff “play nice” with their new hockey friends. How much time will Chris Kerber and Kelly Chase get on 1120 aside from the Friday night show? Anywhere close to what they got when KTRS had only hockey? Will there be any mention of hockey during the day by show hosts? Will morning drive and afternoon drive sports reports lead with Blues hockey, or Cardinals baseball, when there are stories about both? Will there be call-in shows devoted strictly to hockey when a big trade is made...or some other significant story breaks? Even in the off-season? In my mind, these are all things to keep an eye on.

Not having to be bumped for baseball is a good thing for Blues fans. Having that big signal to rely on, no matter where you might be in the region, is also a good thing. Being able to market your new, young-and-improving team to mid-America on a signal like that can only mean good things for attendance. As long as the Blues are not treated like “the other pro team in town” by KMOX, this will be a great move all-around.

Lucid? You decide.

I haven’t done a stream-of-consciousness post for a while. Let’s give it a whirl.

-Well, all of that concentration on what to name the new NHL team in Kansas City will apparently have to be put on hold. Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania leaders have stepped up and the Penguins will be staying. Rumor has it that Nashville, Florida, Atlanta and Tampa Bay are all more than mildly interested in the KC situation.

-I wish I was more confident about SIU’s chances in the NCAA tourney. I have them going to the Elite 8. But I think that's out of wishful thinking more than anything. I’m still wondering when Randal Falker will be the player he was in the regular season after a disastrous MVC tournament performance. They need him to dominate to go deep in the bracket.

-An Illinois, SIU match-up this weekend would be sweet…but I think it’s unlikely. Virginia Tech is too good for the Illini.

-Recently attended a meeting at which Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert and Police Chief Bill Clay both spoke. Eckert continues his energetic leadership of the city…and it’s easy to see why he wanted Clay to run the department…very impressive.

-The Blues are pointed in the right direction. No doubt about it. Young stars are beginning to become obvious. Now we all have to support the team and, at the same time, be patient while the youth movement takes hold.

-It was fun seeing a full house at Scottrade again. 19-thousand plus for the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday.

-I read an interesting op-ed piece the other day…can’t even remember who wrote it…but it struck a nerve nonetheless. The gist…we in the baby-boom generation have only a short time left to make a significant mark on the world in which we live. The leading edge of the boom is now in its sixties and will only be in a position to wield influence (political, monetary, etc.) for so much longer. What have we done to improve the world? What can we still do? As young people we promised the world we’d be different, and better. The clock is ticking.

-I still haven’t had the opportunity to meet Andy Murray. But I couldn’t be more impressed with the job he has done. I intend to introduce myself soon and hope some of what he brings to the Blues rubs off.

-I wonder how close O.J. is to catching the “real killer”.

-Is it me? Or is there something to the weather being more severe lately? Seems like when there’s a storm system these days …it’s really a dandy. Is Al Gore onto something besides doughnuts?

-My favorite movie of the last month-- Little Miss Sunshine. Finally rented it.

-I am one of the many who is not nearly as interested in American Idol as I was last season. Not sure why. But the lack of overall talent this season is obvious. I was either glued to the TV or recorded every episode last year. This year…not so much. I can’t even name more than two of the finalists. Maybe I’m getting my life back.

Speaking of Idol… last year’s “shoulda won guy”…Chris Daughtry is doing OK isn’t he?

The Cardinals should be at least as good as they were last season…and will be much better if their starting pitching holds up. Obviously, it’s doing fine in spring training. What seemed like a strength…relief pitching…is struggling though. I’d like to see Izzy pitch well for a month or two before we declare him back to “dominant closer” status.

I see the St. Louis Zoo has had to deal with an issue that Barb and I are starting to discuss. “When do you put down a beloved animal?” The zoo euthanized Clara, the matriarch of it’s Asian elephant heard today because her arthritis had become too much for her. Our beloved Springer Spaniel Fergie is beginning to decline rapidly. Accidents in the house, arthritic hips, deaf, vision , are all beginning to cause us worry. It’s so hard to know when the time is right.

Kansas City Penguins?

During the warm-up skate at the Blues-Flames game, I engaged in some interesting banter with some of my friends who regularly watch “the boys” from up close. We were trying to decide if the Penguins should remain the Penguins if they indeed complete a franchise re-location to western Missouri. Mario Lemieux, and the Pens ownership group, declared an impasse with the powers that be in Pittsburgh on Monday over the lack of a new arena deal. The Penguins lease at Mellon Arena is up at the end of June. And, all indications are that shortly they will announce a move to Kansas City if the Pennsylvania power-brokers don’t step up in a significant way.

For those who haven’t been following this drama, Kansas City is building a new state-of-the-art arena…Sprint Center…that has already sold out all of its luxury boxes for major events, including hockey. This dramatic display of community and corporate support for the NHL can be compared to the St. Louis effort of the 90’s to lure the NFL back to town. The grass-roots civic organization in KC that has been working on getting an NHL team there…NHL21…has pretty much guaranteed any ownership group that chooses to operate in their new digs a windfall for the foreseeable future. The building will be operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group, an investor in the arena. The company, led by Philip Anschutz, also owns the Los Angeles Kings, so there is a link to the inner circle of the NHL.

Paul McGannon…who I’ve become friends with through doing the p-a for Blues pre-season games staged at Kemper Arena in recent years…leads NHL21 (stands for the goal of getting KC hockey in the 21st century) and has some one hundred Kansas City business leaders involved. They have waged a concerted and energetic campaign to lure an NHL team to town for a number of years. With Lemieux and company struggling to make it in western Pennsylvania, or at least not being in a position to overlook such a pot at the end of the rainbow, we might expect a new look to hockey in the Show-Me State soon.

If the Pens leave the Steel City, the debate over whether the nickname goes with them will rage as in the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens situation. If the NHL intends for Pittsburgh to be one of its markets again soon, Commissioner Gary Bettman may try to persuade the team owners to abandon the Penguins name for a re-start in Pittsburgh when, and if, they are able to situate another team there in the future. Given that possibility, what would you name the new team in KC?

The long-ago team in Kansas City was known as the Scouts. They left for Denver after the ’75-’76 season to become the Colorado Rockies. That didn’t work out, and they headed for New Jersey to become the current Devils. Going back to the name Scouts might have some appeal. But I would think a fresh start with a new nickname would be more likely. The current minor-league team in KC is known as the Blades. I would think that’s out too. You wouldn’t want the small-time implication on the new club.

So, let’s come up with a new name for this bunch of pro skaters. Here are my suggestions—

-Kansas City Pioneers… (fits the American frontier geography/history)
-Kansas City Cowboys or Wranglers… (cattle market of the past etc.)
-Kansas City Commanches…(oops! Better not go there..but they do have the Chiefs)
-Kansas City Monarchs (Tribute to Negro league baseball team…and fits regal theme of Royals baseball)
-Kansas City Cougars..(grrrrrrr)
-Kansas City Bears… (what the hell..use a polar bear in the logo. Makes as much sense as penguins)
-Kansas City Huskies… (Mush!!)

I’m not a fan of the not-specific-to-humans and animals nicknames like Avalanche…or Lightning... but if you want to go down that road, how about-
-Kansas City Blizzard… (cold like ice, prairie weather etc.)
-Kansas City Comets… (good illiteration).
-Kansas City Crunch.. (I don’t even like that one)
-Kansas City Sparks …(like the glint off a skate blade)

My head is starting to hurt. You can add your thoughts in the comments link at the bottom.

Another Star-in-the-Making

A few weeks back I took some space here to brag on the theatrical talents of our youngest son. In the interest of equal time, and equal love, I dedicate the following paragraphs to first-born son Ian, who informs us he has also chosen to pursue a life of performing. It must be in our genes.

Ian Robert Calhoun was born on a sweltering day in July of 1980. Those with a good mind for history might remember it as the year that Mount St. Helens blew its lid. That summer’s drought caused the place where Ian was born, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, to conserve water by serving patients food on paper plates and forbidding them to bathe or shower for days at a time. It was an awful source of discomfort to Barb while recovering from childbirth. But the person we got out of it was worth it.

For the last year-and-a-half, Ian has been part of the ski-resort culture of Colorado. He’s been a personal trainer and all-purpose employee at the Allegria Spa at the Park Hyatt hotel at Beaver Creek. He possesses a degree in marketing from SIU-Carbondale. But, like many with a formal education, he hasn’t quite found his niche in the field of his training. He now believes his true calling to be music.

This doesn’t come as a surprise. Ian amazed us a number of years ago when he stopped tooting the horns of his grade and high-school days and picked up a guitar and taught himself to play. Not just play… but REALLY make it sing. He demonstrated right there the instinct, patience, and talent to be a professional musician and songwriter. Now, his rock music love affair has caused him to pull some friends together to form a band. Ian will be a singer/guitarist. He’s got a friend who also writes and plays guitar. Another is lined up as drummer. They’ll need to add a few more pieces to the puzzle, but that’s already in the works.

Ian comes by his musical inclination and proclivity naturally. The musical genes on his mother’s side run deep. Grandpa Bob is an excellent singer with the St. Peter’s Cathedral men’s choir. Given the right opportunity, I’m convinced he could have become a famous classical tenor. Barb’s late grandfather, “Prof” Miller, was the organist and music director at “the Cathedral” for many years. He was said to have been a wonderfully talented man as well. On my side, well nothing quite so renowned, but I played a mean accordion and was a pretty fair singer in the high school and college choirs in my day. My parents were musically inclined as well.

Ian and favorite Colorado tree--->

Ian has now decided to abandon the mountains and head for the big city after this ski season. What big city? Right now it looks like either Chicago or New York…but I’m guessing that could change depending on how opportunity presents itself. Our young rocker has impressed the pros enough in the past to be invited on stage to sing a tune or two with bands performing in Carbondale. Now he’s written enough music, and feels confident enough as a performer, to go for the brass ring professionally.

When you see the way some people in music become instant stars…and then flame-out to obscurity…it’s not terribly easy to watch your offspring walk into that environment with great expectations. Music “stars” seem to come and go with the seasons. But your child’s dream is what’s important. If Ian has settled on what his life is about, who are his parents to question it? Just as with his brother Stewart, we can only say “go for it with all you have” and be as supportive as we can. The life, the dream, the talent and the time are all his to do with as he pleases. I’ll let you know here when the first CD comes out.

One thing is for sure, there's no dad anywhere that could be any prouder of his sons than this one.

Amazing!

The John Davidson/Larry Pleau team did a pretty fantastic job with their trade deadline transactions. I saw JD in the hallway at Tuesday night’s game after his press conference and congratulated him. You could see that he had gotten little sleep in the previous few days. But, I would say, and I'm sure he would say, it was worth it.

I know what this is going to sound like. It’s going to sound like I’m a shill for the organization. But, I don’t care. What you’re reading here is how I really feel. And if that sounds like shilling, so be it. I’m still a Blues fan, even though I work for the team on game nights. And I get excited when exciting things happen. After all, we Blues fans haven’t had much to get cranked about for three or four years.

Of course, we'll never know what other deals were offered, or what JD and company might have turned down, but the packages for Tkachuk and Guerin. The re-signings. The Wideman-Boyes trade with Boston. Outwardly, I can’t imagine anyone handling the situation much better than they did. While the draft picks will take a while to reap dividends, having that many high draft picks for the next couple of drafts will put the team in prime trading position…and/or prime drafting position. Either way, great things almost have to come from it.

Getting a player like Boyes for Dennis Wideman, one of the expendables considering the number of quality players the team currently has working the blueline, was icing on the cake. Brad Boyes is the kind of player that should be able to thrive under Andy Murray. He apparently got demoted to some degree in Boston because they needed to give quality ice time to other higher profile kids. So, naturally his production was a little down this year. You just get the feeling that the kid has the skill (26 goals last year) to do great things in a top-six forward role here. He’s already had one star-quality season.

I think most non-insiders have the wrong opinion of Jamal Mayers. I might have been one of those people in the past. I, like many, have been frustrated with Jammer's inability to finish, and his lack of play-making prowess. But, the Blues, and apparently many other teams in the league, think very highly of the rest of his game. His ability to put in quality ice-time in just about every other way made him a valuable commodity on deadline day. So much so that the Blues decided to resign him to, what appears to be, a reasonable three-year deal. The other thing about Mayers is his obvious passion about wearing the Blue Note. He truly does bleed blue, and doesn't mind shedding some of it for the good of the team.

With Jarmo Kekalainen running things on draft day, and JD/LP ready to move up or turn picks into players, draft day ’07 will take on a significance rarely seen in Arch-town. I, for one, can’t wait.

No more Tkaaaaaaa-chuuuuuuuk

Well, we knew it was likely…. If not inevitable.

As much as I have enjoyed the Keith Tkachuk era of Blues hockey, I am really excited about the package that John Davidson and Larry Pleau have received in return from Atlanta. How could you expect to get more than a first and third-round pick this year, a second rounder next year, and a decent roster player (Glenn Metropolit)? Then, if Walt decides to re-sign in Atlanta… something I think is unlikely…but, if he does, the Blues get another first-round pick next year. Wow...Wow…Wow!!

That’s an enormous package for the future..even though the “experts” say this won’t be a really great year for players in the draft. There’s always the opportunity to package multiple picks to trade for other players or higher picks. Let’s understand that Mr. Tkachuk is still a very good player. But at one time he was considered one of the top ten, or so, players in the league. I think even he would admit that he’s not quite in that category any more. So, for the Blues to turn him into that sort of package in return…is an amazing feat in my book.

Now, by the time you read this it may be a moot point, but if the Blues can get a similar package (and why wouldn’t you expect that) in return for Bill Guerin, it would really set things up for the future of the team. The youth movement wouldn’t take full effect for a few years, but it should set Blues Nation to salivating about the possibilities, and get a lot of buzz going about hockey in our town. But, I think it's also likely that the team might be more inclined to keep Billy around for his ticket-selling ability.

As for myself, I will have to come up with a new “signature call” for one of the players at the games. Keith Tkaaaaaa-chuuuuuk was so much fun to do. And, maybe, I’ll get to do it again if he re-signs with The Note this summer. But, until then I might have to work on… Leeeeeeee Stemp..neeeeeeee-aaaaaaak. Or David…Baaaaaaaaaaa-ckesss. But it’s not so much the enthusiasm that I use in making the announcement. It’s the name itself. Tkachuk is just a great name for a p-a announcer. It’s almost like Ka-ching…and the first syllable..ka..is just so easy to have fun with. I always growled it out…and held it out…and then came in behind it with the powerful “chuck”. Just the perfect name for a pro athlete. Not many other names lend themselves to that kind of enthusiastic pronunciation.

As good as they are, Dallas Drake, Doug Weight, Bill Guerin and several others don’t have names that give you much of a chance to “play up” the announcement. On the other hand, I might try to have a little more fun with Eric Brewer, Manny Legace, Bryce Salvador, and some others that offer a little more fodder for fun.

I’ll miss "Walt". I remember when he came to the team in the deal with Phoenix several years back, I asked him before his first game if he minded if I had some fun with the announcement of his name. He encouraged me to do whatever I felt would work. He’s a great guy, and I’ll certainly miss having fun with his goal announcements. But the team will be much…much…better in the long run for this trade. And, hopefully, he’ll be on the same track that Weight was last year. Success in the playoffs…and return to wear The Note once again, afterwards.