Low Rant District

-Settle down Blues fans. Nobody promised a dominant team this year. This team, as much as we'd like to think otherwise, still has some problems to work out. Just enjoy that they are competitive as we work our way down the Yellow Brick Road. As people like Erik Johnson, T.J. Oshie (pic), Patrick Berglund, David Perron and some others start figuring prominently in the mix, then we'll be able to start getting really excited.

-Congratulations to cousin Gary Calhoun who's entering the world of retirement after 38 years with Illinois Power...now Ameren IP. I noticed Ameren filed for a rate increase the day after "cuz" retired. I guess they figured they'd have to hire a bunch of people to replace him. Gary is a long-time track/cross-country coach and supporter of athetics at Althoff Catholic High School and once upon a time worked with me on high school sports broadcasts on the erstwhile WIBV Radio. Gary is one of the best people on this earth and I'm proud to have him as a cousin. But you can tell him I said he was an athletic supporter.

-Hey...the Rams didn't lose this weekend. Hardy-har.

-We were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for downtown Belleville's new streetscape Sunday. City leaders, including Mayor Mark Eckert, were on hand as was Illinois State Representative Tom Holbrook to wax eloquent. The project turned out beautifully, after many months of blocked streets and detours. Belleville is ready for a new chapter in it's downtown redevelopment and the welcome mat is out for the holidays. By the way, if you have really good eyes you might find me in the photo at right that appeared in the Belleville News-Democrat. Where's Waldo?...click photo to enlarge.

-The world of Big 12 football is totally upside down. When the biggest game of the year figures to be Mizzou-Kansas you have to wonder if we're in dreamland. When Nebraska gives up 10 touchdowns in 10 posessions to the Jayhawks...and Mizzou rings up 55 points at Boulder...you better enjoy it. Because you have to wonder how long it will last.

-Ron Zook's Illini are one Ohio State win away from an amazing season too. Don't forget the Salukis Calhoun...they're strong again in the Valley.

-I saw where a 21-year-old professional bull rider from Missouri was stomped to death over the weekend. Seems he had just completed his ride when Mr. Bull stepped the wrong way. Frankly, I'm surprized this doesn't happen more often. When you've got a two-ton bull stomping all over the place...and pretty pissed off too...I wouldn't want to be within 100 yards, let alone ride the thing and then try to get out of its way. For that matter, I'm surprized there aren't more deaths in all sports. 300 pound men colliding head-on in football. 100 mph fastballs...and struck balls at 150 mph flying at people in baseball. Chunks of frozen rubber sailing at 100 mph in hockey...not to mention guys getting checked into wooden walls by 250 pound players flying around on iceskates. I guess basketball is about the only pro sport besides golf and bowling where you don't have to worry too much about your life insurance being paid up at the start of the game. Of course, basketball players have been known to drop over during the stress of running up and down the floor full-tilt for long stretches of time too.

-Sad about the marathoner who died during the Olympic trials. Ryan Shay was 28, and a veteran of such competition.

-Another movie that glorifies lawbreakers heads the list of movies at the box office. American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington chalked up 46.3 million in ticket sales as people flocked to see the story based on 70's Harlem crime lord Frank Lucas played out on screen. More food for the "the only way to make it big is by breaking the law" monster. The much more family-friendly Bee Movie concocted by, and starring, Jerry Seinfeld was right behind at 39 million.

The Latest

-The Blues could easily be 9-2. Andy Murray is not happy with the 7-4 of reality. Everywhere I go people are talking about the team with great excitement. I hope the expectations aren't too high. While making the playoffs is a realistic goal for this season...let's remember that John Davidson and company are very early in a re-building process that A) I'd hate to see destroyed by trading some great prospects....and B) will be a few more years in developing into a fully legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

-Interesting to see that the Cardinals have contacted Curt Schilling's agent about a possible contract for next season. Might be a good fit. But at what price? New GM John Mozeliak has at least come out of the gate running.

-Jim Edmonds put out a challenge to himself on local TV Thursday evening while promoting his new restaurant. Jimmy Baseball said he feels better than he has in years and intends to prove that he's still an elite centerfielder in '08. Let's hope he's right, and he does.

-Clocks moving from savings to standard time. Can't we all agree on one time for the whole year? What am I missing?

-Saw the Sean Penn written and directed Into the Wild at the movie house the other night. Based on the true, post-collegiate adventures of Christopher McCandless in the early 90's, I found it to be a sad yet wonderful film...one that you walk out of the theater knowing has deeply affected you...but also wishing the real-life, unhappy ending could be changed. I hope it will garner Penn some Oscar consideration for how beautifully it was shot and presented. Lead actor Emile Hirsch was also outstanding. And you might look for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for 70-something Hal Holbrook out of this one too.

-Speaking of outstanding performances. Talented niece Lindsay Heffernan did our family proud as Natasha in the Mascoutah High School presentation of Woody Allen's, Don't Drink the Water. (A TV movie with Michael J. Fox in the starring role was made from the play in 1994) Not only was Lindsay perfect as Natasha, but she had to learn the part in just a few weeks after being asked to jump into the role at the last minute. Lindsay is likely headed for Champaign-Urbana and the U. of I. in '08.

-Is anybody excited about any of the candidates for President in '08. Seems like Hillary is talked about most...but not because she's top dog. Mostly because she's a she. What I find interesting at this point is the groundswell that's beginning to form for underdog and GOP outsider candidate Dr. Ron Paul. It seems his message is starting to connect with a lot of folks...and mostly by way of the internet. More, if you're interested, by clicking his photo at right.

-Baffling in many ways. The case of the River Man, as he's being called by police. The body recovered from the Mississippi River in June that's been in the St. Louis morgue since. Noone has inquired about the man and nobody has any clue as to who he is. No fingerprint matches. No ID or papers on the body. Just a watch that he was wearing that they're hoping someone will recognize. Geez...someboy is missing a son, or grandson, or dad, or uncle and either doesn't know it...or doesn't care. Sad.

-So, son Stewart treks to Hollywood a couple of months ago to pursue an acting career. He gets great reviews in his first on-stage role out there...and Whammo...a writers strike. Because Stew is in the early stages of career growth, it's hard to say what impact the strike (set to start on Monday) will have on him. But here are some of the facts--(lifted from Reuters)--on the strike itself-

* Economists estimate a strike of the same duration as the 1988 walkout (22 weeks) would result in at least $1 billion in economic losses.
* The U.S. film and television industry employs more than 200,000 people -- from actors and directors to hairstylists, electricians, truck drivers and clerks.
* The motion picture and TV industry generates $30 billion in annual economic activity for Los Angeles County alone.
* One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the contract talks has been writers' demand for an increase in the "residual" fees they earn on the reuse of their work on DVDs -- from about 4 cents for every DVD to about 8 cents.
* The studios say members of the WGA West earned $56 million in DVD residuals last year.
* The union says the total compensation package sought by writers would cost $220 million over three years, a fraction of the $24.4 billion in revenues generated by U.S. DVD sales and rentals last year alone, according to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Rambarassing!

-Geez...How bad are the Rams? I know they've had to deal with more injuries than anyone could imagine this year, but come on. Let's see...they're 0-8 in what most people believe to be the worst division of the worst conference in the NFL. I guess that puts them one small step above Ohio State. Maybe.

In talking with friends, and hearing the comments of many on sports talk radio, it appears the honeymoon with Rams football in our town is definitely over. Could it have been that long since the Rams played New England in the Super Bowl? I guess so, because now people are tired of the absentee owner, the absentee president, the place where the team plays, the seeming lack of involvement in the community of most of the players....all adding up to a huge mountain that the organization must climb to re-connect with the local fan base. Put the lousy football aside, these other things have to be addressed first...the return to decent football will eventually come. It might take a while. But it almost always does in the NFL where the bad teams are rewarded with top draft picks.

In a perfect world, Georgia Frontiere would realize that she has major problems in her company that she is not willing to address. She would ask Stan Kroenke if he is ready to assume majority ownership of the team and, of course, he would say yes. Kroenke would ask for John Shaw's resignation and bring in someone who would not only be more football savvy...but who also would be willing to have his office in St. Louis. The new team president would then hire a general manager who has a proven track record with another organization...(preferably the Patriots who can't seem to do anything wrong)...who would then hire a head coach that can coach.

See that was easy. Oh yeah, that was a perfect world. In our imperfect world we will have to wait for Georgia to pass away...or be physically incapacitated in some way to where she loses control of the team... and then maybe some of those other things might happen.

How patient are St. Louis fans? It appears that the Edward Jones Dome (and that place is a rant for another time) is not going to be full for anything other than strong out-of-town fan bases...i.e. Green Bay, Da Bears, Colts, Chiefs, Cowboys etc... and maybe an NCAA basketball game or two...anytime soon. We will not see the Rams on TV. We will lose interest. We will not buy tickets. We will blame our horrible Sundays on the pathetic ownership. Uh-oh...Haven't we been down this road before? Will Georgia soon become akin to Bill Bidwill in our town? I hate to predict that...but things seem to be shaping up that way.

If the Rams need a template for running their team...they might look at what the Dave Checketts ownership has done with the Blues in their short time in town. Good people top to bottom catering to every fan in every possible way. They just get it. But the Rams would first have to have ownership that cares. Georgia continues to shop in Scottsdale. And as long as her credit card isn't rejected, she seemingly won't care if the football team goes 0-5,000. Shaw is taking care of things from his L.A. digs...right? Where have you gone Kurt Warner...Marshall Faulk...London Fletcher...Tony Horne...Charley Armey...and Dick Vermiel?

Quickies

-I'm honored to have been asked to be chairman of the fundraising effort for Phase 2 of the renovation and expansion project at Lindenwood University's-Belleville campus...(The former Belleville West H.S.) If you haven't seen it lately, there are already many great improvements that have been accomplished. It will be an honor to serve this project. I have some great members on the fundraising committee.
-Kathleen DuMontier
-Roger Wigginton
-Rosella Wamser
-Kathy Wilson
I'll be starting a new blog soon to keep everyone informed about the investment/contribution opportunities...and the progress of the project.

-The Blues are the best entertainment value in town right now. When's the last time I could say that? Don't 'member.

-Son Stewart is getting many great "feelers" from prospective agents and managers after the very well-received opening of his play in SoCal. More to come on that...but if you'd like to visit his blog....click here.

-Think the Rams will sell out any more games this year? That aren't already sold out that is. Looks like the pressure is starting to get to coach Linehan. Saw that he walked out of his press conference at Rams Park yesterday.

-Tony's back. Who will be his boss? Somebody that better be able to work with him. (That guy is already picked I'll bet...they just can't announce it yet.)

-We had dinner at Paradise Cove in Malibu on my recent West Coast trip. I hope it survives the wildfires. A half-million people ordered to evacuate their homes. Scary! (No threat to where Stewart lives in Studio City...thankfully)

-Too bad the Illini couldn't win one of these last two outings...but they've already accomplished more than most thought they would this year. Mizzou, on the other hand, could have it's best year in decades. Who thought that season-opener at the EJ Dome was that big a game?

-Kid Rock arrested in brawl at IHOP. Livin' the low-life high-life.

-President Bush asks for 46 billion more to fight war. When do we reach the bottom of that piggy bank?

-I'm picking the Rockies to upset the BoSox. Playing at atltitude, in snow, or both, can only favor one of these teams.

-I think we've had some pretty good times as St. Louis sports fans. But, how would you like to be a Boston fan these days? BoSox--World Series. Patriots--well, they're the Patriots. Celtics on the upswing. Boston College football--#2 in the nation. Bruins are so-so..but not bad. Sports heaven...right now.

Review-(from an incredibly biased source)

-Back in town...to regular business...and to blogging.

Barb and I spent the last several days in sunny (well most of the time) southern California...enjoying the sights...doing a little ad agency business...battling the traffic...and experiencing the first, post-collegiate, professional acting performances of son Stewart. (Professional name Stewart W. Calhoun) Our youngest son played Nick (the central character) in the West Coast premiere of playwright Carlos Murillo's dark play or stories for boys. (Intentionally lower-case due to the internet chat subject matter)

I've written about the play before because Stewart has had previous opportunities to engage himself as Nick in productions staged in Chicago. His first go-round was in a classroom production when the piece was still "coming up to speed", and Mr. Murillo was still formulating portions of the dialogue. Later, as part of the Chicago Latino Theatre Festival, d.p.o.s.f.b. was performed in a reading at the famed Goodman Theatre. For that, the Theatre School at DePaul cast, of which Stewart was a member, was re-assembled. So, when the rather new, but already prestigious, Theatre at Boston Court in Pasadena picked up the play for a run this season, Carlos was thrilled, and Stewart was incredibly excited to help debut the piece in the West. The young fellow's parents, of course, were bubbling over with excitement to be on hand for the unveiling this past Saturday evening.

As I write, the published reviews of the show are mostly in. All but one, have been overwhelmingly appreciative of the Boston Court production and critically positive of the actors and the play. That one, in Variety, has gotten the dander up of this old guy as the reviewer seems to go way out of bounds to be negative. Links to all of the reviews I've been able to find are at the bottom of this post.

First, you have to understand that this show is about the consequences, and inherent problems, that arise when a kid invents other personalities while interacting with others on the internet. That, in itself, is enormously difficult to translate into a stage production. But, Murillo does so brilliantly, and Michael Michetti, the Boston Court director, engages some incredibly talented behind-the-scenes artists to bring a "stage life" to the mostly isolated and stationary practice of internet chatting. (Mr. Michetti, by the way, is also one of the nicest and most interesting people that I have encountered in a long time.)

At first, Stewart's character Nick is entertained and amused by his ability to manipulate others on line. But, as the story devolops he choses to interact directly with an internet pawn which brings suspense and danger to Carlos' tale. And, what's even more, this is all based on a REAL LIFE STORY that required law enforcement involvement in England. The Variety reviewer must have either not known, or missed this fact, because he seems to have problems with the plausibility of some of the occurences on stage. In actuality, the real-life news story is much more bizarre and fantastic than this fictional presentation. I'm sure the outlandish details of the true adventure can be secured through a Google search.

As for the other reviews, you can read them for yourself by clicking below, but they are incredibly gratifying and seem to reflect the opinions of most everyone we spoke to. (I know, I'm a parent of the lead actor...but still.)

We think, of course, that Stewart's performance was sensational. Adam Haas Hunter, who plays the character of Adam, a gullible teen that Nick enjoys "screwing with" in the play, was extraordinary. Danielle K. Jones, who plays two female characters, was splendid as both. Bethany Pagliolo and Jonathan McClain, who portray numerous characters, bring amazing versatility and believability to each. This appeared to me to be a cast full of young people from whom we will be hearing much more down the road.

When Barb and I first saw this show in Chicago, we came out of the performance saying to one another that this story is ripe for the movies. Well, while enjoying the pleasure of Carlos Murillo's company at dinner Sunday, he shared with us that the ball is rolling toward that end. A screenplay is next for dark play, and it's obvious that Carlos is quickly becoming a hot commodity in Hollywood circles. We, of course, hope that as this story develops into a film, that a certain young fellow from Millstadt, Illinois will get the chance to maintain his connection to the piece.

All in all, having a son who's trying to establish himself in show business made for a fantastic and memorable extended weekend for his grateful parents. It seems like yesterday that this kid was playing with his smoke machine and making up stories for family entertainment in our makeshift basement theater. Keep breaking those legs Stew!

Backstage.com review
LA Weekly review (scroll down)
Talkinbroadway.com review
Variety review
LA Times reader reviews

Could Blues be #1?

-I'm not talking about winning a Stanley Cup....or even the Central Division. I'm talking about the Blues being tops in the minds of St. Louis sports fans. I'm not sure that has ever happened.

Even in the best years the Boys of Winter have had since coming into the NHL in the mid-60's, our city, and its media, has always relegated hockey to second-class status in the sports pecking order. Newspaper editors and sports talk-show hosts go out of their way to talk about baseball or football no matter how well the Blues are playing, or what place they were in the standings. "How's that fourth-round draft pick, left-handed pitcher doing in winter ball?"...or "Can't we find somebody to cover punts?" is always more important than "Al MacInnis scored a hat trick and the Blues took a 3-2 lead in games in the Western Conference finals."

This year, it seems we may finally be seeing the Blues get a shot at sports page banner headlines, top-dog on sports talk stations, and more importantly, the topic at the water cooler. After all, that's where it counts as far as ticket sales are concerned.

The Blues gave the market every reason to get wound up with the opening night pageantry and solid play on Wednesday night at Scottrade Center. I'm an old dog at the p-a job and have seen a lot of exciting nights in my time, but the 4-1 win over Nashville and the bang-up pre-game ceremonies were about as good as I've seen on opening night. Everyone involved should be proud and stoked for more. And, the boys dominated a very strong Predators squad without 3 of their top defensemen suiting up. Wow!

As I peel myself down off the ceiling, let's all observe closely how the local media treats the Blues resurgence this season...especially if they continue their winning ways for a while. Will we see TV sportscasts leading with the Blues score? Or was that an opening-night phenomenon? Will the suddenly-pathetic Rams roster moves outshine a Blues victory in the Post? Will the boys at KTRS ignore the Blues on their talk shows because they don't own the broadcast rights anymore? Will KMOX...the new Blues rightsholder...give more than a "tonight's game promo" in their daytime sportscasts? Will the all-sports stations resort to the Cardinals soap opera in the front office for talk fodder? Will the casual St. Louis sports fan get some background info presented to them on some of the kids who play for the Blues...anywhere other than Andy Strickland's blog? Never has happened before..will it now?

Just some things to keep an eye on as the Checketts regime continues to show the other major league sports teams in town how to operate.
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I've added a link here to Norm Sanders' Blues blog. Norm is the outstanding Blues beat writer for the Belleville News-Democrat...just in case you didn't know. Norm will have many good insights on Blues hockey this season. So I urge you hockey nuts to visit there often.
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I'll be away from an available keyboard until Thursday 10/18. Look for an update then.
-Tom

Chiming In

-Everyone in St. Louis will have an opinion on the Walt Jocketty/Cardinals divorce over the next few days...so I might as well throw one out too.

You didn't have to have you head buried too far to expect that something like this was coming down the pike. In fact, I wrote on this blog back on May 12th that it was apparent that Bill DeWitt was preparing for "life after Walt Jocketty/Tony LaRussa". The Cardinals obviously were divided into factions in the front office and there was an apparent difference of philosophy between how a non-major market team is supposed to be constructed. DeWitt and Jocketty were not-so-secretly heading down different management roads regarding high-dollar players and their contracts.

With the firing...and that's what it is...of Jocketty, I would be totally shocked if Mr. LaRussa wears the "birds-on-the-bat" on his chest ever again. LaRussa and Jocketty were on the same page philosophically, and just about every other way. I think they were as much of a package deal as you're going to find in pro sports management. I also believe, without really knowing, that Jocketty knew that he would be canned at season's end and told TLR so. That's as good a reason as any for LaRussa's "I'm not sure if I'll return" rhetoric over the last several weeks. It was probably his way of making a "power play" to get DeWitt and company to re-up with Walt.

So, what happens now? I'm surprized that they are saying Jeff Luhnow isn't a candidate for the open job. He was the guy who apparently was the cause of much consternation by Jocketty and posed the greatest obvious threat to his front-office supremacy. I don't know him, but I've been impressed with John Mozielak, the now interim GM, when I've heard him speak on the radio. If he's a Jocketty disciple though, I wouldn't expect him to get the gig permanently. Some of the comments by Mark Lamping at the press conference would indicate that they're pretty excited about the possibility of bringing in someone from the outside. In baseball circles, heck in in any business, the likely successors usually are on top of the rumor mill and what it generates. I would expect most of the potential new GMs have already had a conversation or two with Messrs. Lamping and DeWitt.

As far as the team is concerned. I would expect we'll be hearing a lot of talk about "building for the future" and "investing in our farm system" etc. The "we have to win with a few stars and a bunch of young studs" mentality will be the mantra of Cardinals Nation. Whether that works remains to be seen...but I'm thinking fiscal responsibility is going to take precedence over creating excitement with free-agent signings and the like...even more so than before today. Keep an eye on the minor leagues Cardinals fans...and don't get jealous of how much money Mark Cuban spends as new owner of the Cubs. Hey, it could happen.

Touching Base

Hey there! I've been too busy to write recently. Sorry. But I promise to be more communicative in this space. Please don't quit visiting.

-The story of my frustrating attempt to purchase a projector lamp on eBay has a happy ending...sort of. After receiving the new lamp...finally...I installed it and re-positioned the projector. Turned it on....and Voila! It worked fine....for about ten minutes. Then the projector turned itself off and displayed a flashing red LED that had been the problem from the beginning. I assumed that it needed a new lamp because the LED was next to the word lamp on the housing. So, not knowing whether I had another bad lamp...or there was some other problem...I took my frustrated self to the internet to see if I could track down what was going on. Lo and behold on the manufacturer's website there was a forum where customers could discuss problems with the maker's equipment. After about an hour of looking through old customer posts to the forum, I found someone with the same problem I was having. Turns out all I needed to do was take the housing apart and blow the dust out of the thing. I did....and it's been working like new ever since. The bad news is I didn't really need the lamp I bought on eBAy...but it doesn't hurt to have a back-up anyway.

-If the Rams lose at Dallas Sunday...which everyone seems to think they will do...we might be able to start concentrating solely on Blues hockey for the Fall and Winter. The problem with that right now is the Blues are sending some pretty bad signals to fans with the way they're getting handled in the pre-season. But, as I've said before, the pre-season in hockey is all about picking your team...not necessarily winning games. I know Andy Murray and John Davidson would rather win pre-season games...but I don't think anybody should panic until we're a couple of months into the season and still struggling. The one thing I'm a little concerned about is that it looks like we're setting up to put largely the same bunch of players out there that we had last year. I hope some of our kids...like David Perron, Roman Polak, Martin Kariya... etc., very impressive in training camp...get a chance to show what they can do.

-I, for one, hope that the Cardinals and Tony LaRussa continue their relationship. I have problems with the guy's moves from time to time. But, you can't argue with the kind of success on the field that our Birds have had with TLR calling the shots. If he was working for the Yankees or Red Sox, he would have been considered a god by now. LaRussa gets more out of his roster than just about anybody could expect. Add up the injuries that he's had to endure this year and then tell me that the Birds should have finished anywhere close to the top of the NL Central. Carpenter, Rolen, Edmonds, Eckstein, Encarnacion, Duncan, Molina, Spiezio, Hancock, Mulder...well, you get the idea. This was the year from Hell as far as injuries go...and we still had a pretty interesting season up until the last few weeks.

-Happened to catch ESPN the other day while they were doing the "Town Hall Meeting" show on Michael Vick. The audience appeared to be loaded with Vick supporters...and it appeared most of them were of the minority persuasion...when the question was asked.."Do you think Michael Vick has been unfairly persecuted in this whole dog-fighting case?" It appeared at least two-thirds of the audience applauded..some while standing...to show support for Vick. I have to admit I just don't understand that mindset. Is the minority part of our population so devoid of real heroes that they must support someone who can avoid tackles in football, but is unable to get out of his own way in real life? The day after the show it comes out that he has already broken the pre-trial rules set out for him by testing positive for marijuana use. It appears Mr. Vick is either unable to distinguish right from wrong...or just doesn't care. But, because he is/was a star quarterback of color he is seen in the minority community as some sort of hero. What's wrong with this picture? And haven't we been down that road before with other minority sports heroes? There are plenty of sports heroes of color who are also good solid citizens. Let's recognize them, and let the others deal with their problems unsupported.

-I notice that the Cahokia District 187 school board did what a group of parents asked them to do in settling the teachers' strike there. They went back into a negotiating session and got a deal done. That's all fine. But the school board is charged with running a district and staying within a certain budget. They do so at the behest of the taxpayers of the district. One has to wonder how many of those parents hollering at the school board members to, essentially, give in to the teachers demands A) are taxpayers, and B) will be happy if their tax bills go up significantly. I'll bet the tax bill wasn't foremost on their minds at the meeting. It was getting the offspring out of the house and back to school.

-I've got a son...actually two sons...but the oldest one is looking for work here in the St. Louis area. Rock music stardom is being put on hold for now. He's got an SIU marketing degree in his pocket...and extensive experience as a certified personal trainer. And I happen to think he's a pretty good young guy. Any ideas or leads can be posted in the comments section below.

Follow-Upping

-First things first. Former broadcasting buddy, and the brains behind stlmedia.net, Mike Anderson is going through a rough stretch. His weekend storm damage can be fixed. But, the loss of beloved pet Boy Dog cannot. Both unfortunate occurences made life miserable for my friend this weekend. Mike was so supportive and understanding when we lost our Springer Fergie in July, I wanted to call to offer condolences...but knew that we would both wind up a mess if I did. I'm sure in doggie-heaven "Boy" is singing the praises of the animal-loving Andersons to all of his canine buddies who will listen. In honor of Boy, and at Mike's suggestion, I'm adding links to the Belleville Area, and Metro-East Humane Societies to the links list at the right.

-Thanks to those who've offered advice as to how to approach the apparent attempt to rip me off by an ebay seller that was written about last week. Both comments, one by old friend Matt Gordon, another by Gary, were helpful. As it turns out, I was fortunate enough, (certainly not wise enough) to pay through PayPal which offers a process by which one can report a problem sale and begin a dispute resolution procedure. If, after a reasonable time for both parties to resolve the problem, PayPal's people feel the buyer was "ripped-off", they will refund your money. Since filing a dispute last Friday, the seller has contacted me by e-mail offering to, again, send me a projector lamp...and a little something extra for my trouble. After I demanded it, he also offered to provide a tracking number so the delivery process can be monitored this time. I'll let you know how, and if, things work out.

-Looks like the Cardinals, led by their "urine-weak" pitching, are going into a death-spiral. The World Champions looked anything but after a spanking by the Cubs in Chicago in the make-up of that earlier rain-out. Really good teams rarely lose four-in-a-row at this time of year. But, I guess, our red-feathered friends did it last year before winning it all, didn't they?

-The Gateway Grizzlies found out about the old baseball adage..."Good pitching always beats good hitting" in the Frontier League playoffs. The "Murderer's Row" line-up that manager Phil Warren was able to field all season couldn't outscore the Washington WildThings and Warren's outstanding rookie campaign came to an end with three straight losses. I'm sure it still hurts a bit for Phil. But, he's a smart baseball man and I'm sure will use this lesson when constructing his team in '08.

-I'll be at the Scottrade Center Thursday through Sunday of this week. I'll be on hand to do the p-a announcing for scrimmage games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Then it's the Blues and Atlanta Thrashers for a pre-season tilt on Sunday at 5. Saturday at Scottrade should be fun with all sorts of fan-friendly stuff going on at FanFest from 9am to 5pm.

-I'm thinking that as soon as Rick Ankiel has his day with the folks at the Major League Baseball offices, that he'll come out with more details about his "prescription drug" involvement back in '04. The way I see it, all he has to do is stand up and say "Yeah, I took HGH at the advice of my physician. It was done to help me heal from surgery. It was perfectly legal at the time. Once it became a substance banned by Baseball, I never touched it again. Thank you very much. Have a nice life of your own. I'm going back to take some BP." I can't see how anyone would think he's a terrible cheater in the category of Barry Bonds if he did that.

-Whatever fantasies anyone ever had about Britney Spears were "cold-showered" by that pitiful display at the MTV VMA's. Geez, what made her think she could get away with that? Her once promising entertainment career is likely at it's cellulite-filled end.

-Speaking of those awards, I'm sure the Ultimate Fighting guys are trying to line up a match between Kid Rock and Tommy Lee after their little dust-up. I might even pay to see that one.

Am I Stupid?

-So, about three weeks ago my projector in the home theater starts acting up. After a little diagnosis, I figure out that the bulb is about to shoot craps. Rather than pay full price by buying a new lamp from the manufacturer, I decide to see what I can do on e-bay. I look around a little and find that someone is selling a new bulb for my projector. I see the opening bid and decide it's worth a shot. So, I put in a bid. Lo and behold I win the auction and am a happy camper.

That is until the last few days. Shortly after making my payment (now two weeks ago)..the guy says in an e-mail that he's putting the bulb in the mail...should have it in a couple of days. Nope. A few days later he e-mails again..."Got it yet?" he says. Nope. Now...after a couple of weeks of waiting for my bulb to be delivered and not seeing it. I lose my patience. I e-mail the guy telling him to call me and explain what the hell is going on. No response.

His profile on e-bay gives his name and where he lives...(supposedly) Gus Somebody on Long Island, New York. Only one previous customer who has dealt with him had anything negative to say about the guy so I thought it was a relatively safe deal. I'll admit that I'm no veteran of internet commerce. What are my options? Is there anybody out there able to provide a little advice on how to proceed to either get my money back...or make this guy sorry for stealing? Any recourse through e-bay? Please post a comment if you can help.

Other stuff...

-Rick Ankiel's comeback story is too impossible to be a Hollywood movie script. If you wrote a story like his...nobody would believe it. Two more homers and seven RBI in today's game with the Pirates. Everybody knew he was a good athlete...but who could have imagined this kind of stuff? Certainly not me. But, if he continues to play like he is...I'm picking the Cardinals to win the Central.
******UPDATE--9/7******** I get up this morning to find that the NY Daily News is reporting that Ankiel received a shipment of HGH in '04 from that on-line pharmacy operation in Florida that's been under investigation. Baseball began regulating HGH in '05...so he's probably not in much legal jeopardy....but that probably shoots this feel-good story right in the hindquarters. Now, no matter what Ankiel does, baseball fans will now see him in a much different light....guilty or not. What a bummer!!

-Don't look now...but the Blues first pre-season game is right around the corner. Sunday 9/16 5pm vs. Atlanta. Expect good, if not great, things from Andy's boys this year. And I've heard about a few new-and-different things coming in the game night experience. I'll share as soon as I get the go-ahead. Should be fun.

-Well....what to say about the Grizzlies. Here's a team that tore up the Frontier League opposition all season....made amazing comebacks in many games...and set all sorts of franchise records when it comes to offensive output. But, they now find themselves down 2-0 in games to the Washington (PA) WildThings in their first-round, best-of-five playoff series. And both losses were at home. They only thing you can say now is they are primed for another amazing comeback. Don't put it past these guys. They need to get a little better pitching out of their starters in games 3 and 4. And, if they do, they'll come back home to win game 5 on Sunday.

-It's sad. But it appears his daredevil lifestyle has finally caught up with millionaire adenturer Steve Fossett. The guy has defied the odds for years. When you're flying a small plane around in the windswept mountains of western Nevada and eastern California...you better not lose your concentration. I'm afraid he did. No signals from his two potential distress beacons is another bad sign. Our son Ian encountered Fossett a few times at the spa in Beaver Creek, Colorado (Fossett's current home town) when he worked out there. Said he seemed like a great guy...didn't have his nose in the air like some others with money.