Catchup

-Many thanks to all of you who have congratulated me on my 1000th game with the Blues. As I've often said, my association with the Blues organization has been a lucky break for me and something I'll always cherish. I hope I can hang in there for another few years.

-Also thanks to Jamie Ingle and the folks at the Belleville News-Democrat who included me in a story about people who use their voice to make a living. The story ran in the Sunday Magazine (3/8) and I thought it was very well done.

-Speaking of the Blues, it would be great to see the team make a strong run at a playoff spot in the next five weeks. The odds are stacked against them. But Andy Murray's team has shown that they don't much care about the odds so far this season. They've got a big mountain to climb...but that's what makes sports such an interesting part of life. Nothing is impossible until the numbers say so.

-Some things I will never get a grip on--

• Why some people can't manage the energy to buckle a seat belt...or use a turn signal while driving.
• Why a woman who has been beaten up by a man often gives the guy the chance to do it again.
• Why an adult will shake...and often kill or maim...a helpless infant.
• Why some people don't understand that you don't want to hear their cell phone conversations in a public place. And why they have to talk loud enough for the entire county to hear them.
• Why when some people attain the title of supervisor...they somehow manage to lose the ability to be friendly.
• Why things that taste really good are almost always really bad for you.

-I had an encounter with a young man at the hockey game Tuesday night that got me thinking a bit about what I do. In a good way. I was in the middle of making a few announcements between periods when I noticed this guy being shown into the penalty box to my left out of the corner of my eye. After I finished up, I turned to greet the fellow who had asked one of the ushers to meet me. I introduced myself and we shook hands and the guy said "So this is where you do it huh?". I said, "Yes. This is the place." He told me if he could get this close to the action all the time that he could enjoy hockey a lot more. I said I was sure a lot of people feel that way...when I noticed that he was using a white cane to get around. He told me that I was his connection to the game where he sat in the area set aside for physically challenged fans. He wanted my autograph on his ticket...which, of course, he would never see but I was happy to provide. It reminded me that there's a section of the population that can only enjoy sports through sound and feel...and that I always need to be mindful of that. Next time I'll try to be in less of a hurry to get back to my announcements so I can write down a person's name and phone number to make a follow-up call.

-Khalil Greene--early nominee for Comeback Player-of-the-Year.

-I would have enjoyed seeing Mike McKenna and Ben Bishop play goal for their respective teams in the Blues-Lightning game Friday night. It's amazing how far youth hockey has come in St. Louis...and how many St. Louis kids are now playing...or soon will be... in the NHL.

-Sad to see what's happening to some people and their jobs in the broadcast industry. I thought things couldn't get much worse when I stopped going to a radio station daily in 2004. But I was wrong.

-Good for Brian Williams...at least trying to do some good news in amongst all the gloom-and-doom economic stuff on his NBC Nightly News.

Buyers, Sellers or Both?

-A few days back I mentioned here that it would be interesting to watch what John Davidson, Larry Pleau and company do when faced with the March 4th NHL trade deadline. (That's Wednesday folks) Now that the team has pulled itself back into close proximity of the final playoff spot, it will be even more interesting. Let me share my thoughts. (Remember, I am not a pro sports executive...nor do I play one on TV) First...let's recap some of the trade deadline rumors in the wind.

-The Hockey News has touted a Keith Tkachuk/Dan Hinote to New York Rangers for a prospect-and-a-pick deal for several weeks now.
-There have been rumblings out of Boston that the Bruin fan base will be sick if the B's don't acquire Tkachuk before the deadline for their stretch run. KT being a hometowner and all.
-Bernie Miklasz dropped David Perron's name as one who may go to Anaheim in a deal to bring back Chris Pronger to anchor the Blues D. It seems likely the Ducks would deal Pronger if possible before he goes free-agent on them.
-Hockeybuzz.com and Team 1380's Andy Strickland has said Tkachuk won't go to the Rangers because of his no-movement clause and their up-in-the air coaching situation. Andy also blogs about the possibility of a Pronger deal but says young D-man Alex Pietrangelo might be the Blues youngster involved in such a transaction. So, with all that as a backdrop, here are a few thoughts.

If I'm JD and LP (and I'm not) I keep my eye on the future. If we're being honest with ourselves we can't get so wound up about this year's team that we lose focus. I believe we have to keep putting horses in the stable for the teams that will actually have a chance to win it all. That won't happen..IMHO..this year. Sure, Andy Murray's bunch has been wonderful to watch, especially considering the injury-hampered roster, since the first of the year. Lots of hard work. Lots of emerging talent. Great goaltending. But does this roster realistically have a shot at the finals? Even the playoffs..considering the brutal roadtrip in early April?

So in order to formulate a championship roster for 2010-15 or so when we can realistically envision a Cup, I would both buy and sell. If I can coerce Mr. Walt to spend the rest of this season in the Eastern Conference, I would move him to acquire another top offensive prospect or high pick. I might consider attempting to re-sign him to come back home for his final season or two after that if the deal is right, and he's willing to accept a lesser role on the team.

Then, if acquiring Pronger for a propspect or two is a possibility, I would also do my best to make that happen. Not only would he bring the size and nastiness back to the blue line that this team lacks, he has plenty of name recognition and equity in the market to regain his fan favorite status of a few years ago. Think of what Prongs would mean to ticket sales for '10 and beyond. And ticket sales, don't kid yourself, are a big part of winning any championship. If the front office can count on a season of sellouts...and at least a few post-season "bonus cash" games, all resources necessary can be channeled to the on-ice effort. (I don't think anybody is using number 44 these days either).

Let's see...even if you sent Pietrangelo to Anaheim in the deal. You would be looking at a defense next year that includes Chris Pronger, Eric Brewer, Erik Johnson, Barret Jackman, Roman Polak, Carlo Colaiacovo and then take your pick of (Jeff Woywitka, Jonas Junland, Jay McKee, Steve Wagner, Tyson Strachan, Ian Cole, Mike Weaver, or a few others). With or without the potential Pronger deal it appears that soon the Blues defense should almost have an embarassment of riches...minus the injuries that held the team back this year.

Managing to pull off both a buy and a sell at the deadline would also send the signal to the fans that you're still in it for this year...but making the necessary roster adjustments to be a real contender for next year, and beyond. Like I said, it will be interesting to watch.

-0-

By the way, Tuesday night's game with Detroit will be my 1000th as Blues PA man. I am blessed to have been associated with this organization and to have been healthy enough that its also 1000 consecutive games since I sat behind the mic for the first time in January of 1987. Much thanks to the man upstairs for both.

Five Things

-I'm pulling for Skip Schumaker to be able to pull off the transition to second base. He seems like the kind of athlete who could make it happen...and the kind of person who will give it his best shot. If he does it effectively, The Birds, when healthy, will sport a very formidable lineup. It would give them their best chance to compete for another championship. Even without Schumaker's fliperoo, they'll be OK if Chris Carpenter is able to stay healthy and the closer situation is settled down effectively early in the season.

-Keep your eyes on the Blues over the next week or so. It will be very interesting to watch how they handle things as we approach the March 4th trade deadline. Being only 5 points behind the 8th place team in the Western Conference (as I write), and with several teams either tied with them or between them and a playoff spot, its how they do in the next 3 or 4 games that might determine whether John Davidson, Larry Pleau and company will be in a buy or sell mode. People like Keith Tkachuk, Dan Hinote, Manny Legace and a few others could easily be moved if it appears that the playoff spot is out of reach. The interesting part is that with so many young stars ready in the wings to claim spots on next year's roster, it would be silly to hold on to some guys if you can get anything in return in a deal. The temptation will be great to stock up on some more draft picks.

-I was infuriated to read about the woman who ran the disgusting puppy mill in southwest Missouri at which 208 dogs were seized the other day. There needs to be stricter punishment for people who try to make money on the backs of helpless animals. These dogs were all but being tortured in the living conditions they had. The woman was apprarently even feeding some of the puppies (alive or dead?) to a tiger she also had in her compound. I pray that A) somebody writes and passes a law with teeth that will put an end to this stuff, and B) there's a special place in Hell for the sub-humans who use dogs in this way.

-Which brings me to my next topic. Maria Keena (my co-host on KMOX on weekend mornings) and I were chatting off the air this morning about some of the stories in the news. We wondered if there are any honest people left in the world? There was the puppy mill lady...investment schemes to bilk clients (i.e. Bernie Madoff and others)...Roland Burris/Rod Blagojevich...the many culprits in the mortgage crisis. And that's non-violent crime stuff. It all makes one wonder if conducting a life with dignity and honor has completely gone out of style. Whatever happened to an honest day's wages for an honest day's work? Too much like work I guess...which is maybe too hard to find with the current economy.

-I haven't mentioned it here before, but wife Barb has been thrilled with the response since she opened up her own dog-grooming shop at the Bellson Animal Hospital in Columbia, IL in January. Business at The Doggie Stylist at Bellson has been building steadily without even much promotion. Of course, some of that has to do with the fact she's located on the lower level at a very successful veterinary clinic. But there's also been considerable word-of-mouth business as well. I know one thing. If you have a dog that needs grooming on a regular basis and live in or somewhat close to Columbia (Waterloo, Millstadt, Red Bud, South County, Dupo etc.) where it makes geographical sense, you could not do better for a groomer than Barb. I watched her work with a dog the other day when I had some free time. And she has the most gentle, loving manner with these animals that you can imagine. It's obvious she enjoys (even though some subjects are a little difficult) her new career and the relationship she has with each and every canine customer. She kinda likes the humans that come in too. If you're interested, check out the website we've put up for her at http://www.281dogs.com/.

Meanderings

-The Blues loss to Vancouver on Tuesday was one of the most painful since the Dave Checketts regime has been in place. To finally have the fans geeked up on playoff talk and then blow two, two-goal leads. Wow...not what the doctor ordered for sure. But, no matter what happens for the rest of this season...(and I know Andy Murray wouldn't like to hear this) the team's best days are at least months away... and more likely a year or two. The thought of having a healthy group (dare I have that thought?).. and the continued infusion of some of the budding stars who haven't even put on a sweater with a blue note yet...is exciting to no end. I still tend to wonder who's going to be playing in goal when these guys hoist The Cup though.

-I see where Chris Carpenter passed his first "on the mound" test with little difficulty. Even if he shows no ill effects from all the surgeries this year, you tend to wonder how many innings he'll be able to go. I'm guessing LaRussa and Duncan will have a pretty quick hook with him most nights if he shows signs of struggling. Carp's importance to the '09 possiblities is obvious and how he will be used..and how much...will be very interesting to see.

-This California woman who had the octuplets...is doing a really bad Angelina Jolie impression...and now has 14 kids...deserves some sort of punishment. But you tend to think that dealing with 14 kids will be enough. Maybe the doctor who implanted the embryos should have to kick in some bucks for support too.

-I'm starting to get into American Idol mode a bit. I watched most of last night's show because we're getting to the point where all of the silly stuff is over...and the real talent contest begins. I also see that one of the top 36 has already been eliminated. No explanation given by AI as to why 23-year-old Joanna Pacitti (pic) was disqualified. But I'm willing to bet that they decided she was too professional to continue. (Annie on Broadway as a kid--sang on the soundtracks of two movies...and she even had a CD released on '06 that sold 16-thousand copies.) If someone like that goes on to win...all of a sudden the show loses the "out of nowhere" appeal that the contestants have had so far.

-I read today that there's a guy here in St. Louis who claims the Blues...and more precisely Jim Woodcock, former Blues VP and now at Fleishman-Hillard...used his ideas when they came up with the team's new third jersey. Here's an article about it that ESPN put together. This fellow...Darryl Swint (pic)...claims that the final look of the third jersey is way too close to ideas and drawings he submitted to the team back in '03...and as a long-time Blues fan he has his feelings hurt. Well, no disrespect intended Mr. Swint...but, A) the logo you came up with isn't really that close to the new logo. (No circle surrounding the Arch and Bluenote. The old "flying Blues" script in yours...doesn't appear in the new logo.) Yes, it has the Arch as part of the design...but if Joe Blow was coming up with a new logo for a St. Louis sports team, I think even Joe would think of including the Arch. B) Everybody was doing darker-scheme uniforms back in '03. So the idea of going with a darker blue (navy) would also be something that Mr. Blow would consider immediately. Heck, ordinary fans were talking about doing that when some of the other third jerseys in the league started showing up on TV. And even if there were more similarity between the two designs...if you really wanted some credit for the idea you should have covered yourself legally. What do you really want now? Should the Blues have you drop a puck before a game, or wave to the crowd during a TV timeout, while they announce you as the inspiration behind the new jerseys? We all know that ain't gonna happen.

Manny's Legace?

-In my last post earlier this week I wondered about Manny Legace's future with the Blues. Not because I had any inside information that he was about to be waived...but because he had all the earmarks of a player who was headed for a trainwreck. So, I have to say that his being sent to Peoria to "work things out" didn't really shock me as much as some others. When you come out with a statement like "I was the worst player in the NHL tonight", you probably expect something not too great to happen yourself.

But beyond the headlines, I think this is the story of a guy who was headed for a difficult stretch in his life...i.e. older player facing possible retirement, the lack of interest in his services, diminishing abilites...all of the things that an older athlete has to deal with eventually. And I tend to believe, since he reportedly fired his agent after being waived, that the representative steered him down the wrong path in dealing with those issues. I'm guessing that the agent told him to be out front with his feelings about being underpaid (at least compared to Chris Mason) and to attempt to play on his status as a fan favorite to "up the ante" on Blues management. Well, that negotiating in public thing hardly ever works for any athlete. All it usually serves to do is make the player look like an overpaid, pampered prima dona or crybaby who doesn't appreciate his position as one of the few in the world to play sports and make money at it. And Manny was coming off that way big time lately.

While, again, I don't have have any facts to back it up, it appears by jettisoning his agent Legace was "clued in" by somebody during the day Friday that he needed to "take a 180" in his public relations efforts. After being waived he gave a number of interviews in which he expressed shock, anger at management, and that he felt like he was "dumped on". Later, after clearing waivers on Saturday..and even before that... he seemed to go in a totally different direction with comments like" I look forward to the challenge in Peoria"and "playing there will be fun..I look forward to helping out".

Perhaps one of Mr. Legace's fellow athletes got to him with a bit of advice to straighten up and fly right. If he's going to get another NHL contract, in St. Louis or elsewhere, he's going to need to not only play like an elite goalie, but back that up with his off-ice actions. His "legacy" depends on it. I wish him all the best.

By the way, this whole thing was done by the Blues front office at the risk of fan alienation of enormous proportions. But once again Davidson, Pleau and the gang have made the right call at the right time and given us even more confidence in the top decision-makers with The Note.

My Take

Super Bowl

• I was pulling for Kurt Warner more than the Cardinals. Its amazing to me that Kurt has played in three Super Bowls and in all three has managed to lead his offense to a late score to take the lead. In two of the three his defense has surrendered the victory to the opposition. In the third, Mike Jones made the tackle at the one yard line to save the championship. Kurt's big problem has been getting his team a touchdown with too much time left on the clock... and playing for teams with so-so defenses, or defensive coordinators.
• In that vein...How much evidence do D-coordinators need to understand that the prevent defense is the obvious way to cough up a victory in the last 2 minutes of a game? It happens almost every time they try it. 10 yards here, 20 yards there and in a few seconds the opposition is in the red zone with a chance to win. One sack or bad throw based on a little pressure and you win the game. The Cardinals were dominating the game on defense until they tried "not to lose" in the last couple of minutes.
• I'm not a big Springsteen guy, but I enjoyed his half-time show. At least the guy puts some thought and effort into it. Not like the 'Stones who seemed to stumble and mumble through their show a couple of years ago.
• Did John Madden offer a cogent piece of analysis in the whole broadcast? Seemed to me he just stammered his way through the obvious.

Warner

• There was a lot of talk about Kurt Warner qualifying for the Hall of Fame with a win in this game. Whoever doesn't believe he's already qualified for The Hall should look at some of the quarterbacks who are already there. Just leading the Rams (who were supposedly nothing after Trent Green got hurt) to the Super Bowl championship...and this year taking the usually pathetic Cardinals to the SB should be proof enough. But if that doesn't do it for you, how about having the three top passing yardage games in Super Bowl history? If Kurt wasn't such a nice guy nobody would question his credentials. Because he's always pleasant, and defers credit to a higher being, some believe he doesn't have the grit to be a great quarterback. If he had led one great team, or marquis franchise, in three consecutive seasons to a Super Bowl, instead of spreading them out with pedestrian under-achievers as he has, he'd get mis-directed credit for being part of a dynasty. But it has to be tougher to do what he's done than what Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach or Bart Starr did...doesn't it? I say it takes a greater quarterback to lead a so-so team to high achievement than a great team to accomplish what's expected.

Blues

• In light of Manny Legace's "I was the worst player in the NHL" quote after being pulled in last night's shootout loss to Detroit, I'm wondering what his future in St. Louis holds. Here's a guy who is coming off an All-Star season and is playing for a new contract. With that credential and incentive he should be having the season of his life. Instead, he's been so-so at best most of the season. The fans love him...but John Davidson and Larry Pleau can't decide a roster based on who's a fan favorite. As the March 4th trade deadline approaches, it will be very interesting to see if Manny is trade bait, and if there are any interested teams in a goalie-rich NHL.
• As the current season progresses, I'm getting increasingly excited about what next season may hold. Berglund and Oshie both look like "real deal" stars, if not superstars, in the making. David Perron is beginning to show signs of being a more rounded player besides just having amazing talent. David Backes is proving that matching Vancouver's offer sheet in the off-season was a very smart move. The young support staff of Crombeen, Winchester, Polak, Strachan, Janssen and others have given terrific cause for optimism too. If McDonald and Kariya are part of next year's mix and can stay healthy...throw in Erik Johnson, Alex Pietrangelo and two or three of the budding stars that haven't even played in the NHL yet...and you begin to see the makings of something great happening. That's not even counting Keith Tkachuk in the mix. And he's been awesome no matter what age. Exciting...very exciting.

Oops

• As soon as he said it in the Matt Lauer Super Bowl pre-game interview, I knew people would think that President Obama was putting in a dig at Jessica Simpson's apparent weight problem. If you missed it, Lauer held up a copy of a magazine cover that showed the Obama family with the President being covered up by a pic of Simpson. Lauer was looking for a reaction to Mr. Obama being edited out. Instead he got a comment from The Prez...paraphasing here..."Yeah...and it looks like she's having a weight problem." Well....it was obvioius to me that he could have phrased it better and wasn't really taking a shot at Simpson. But, of course, the gossip mill press had to seize on it as a comment by The Chief on poor Jessica's poundage difficulties. Had he said..."I don't mind being upstaged by Jessica...even though the article seems to be negative toward her"...nothing more would have come of it. But even the most eloquent among us, if given enough face time, will put at least part of a foot in our mouth.

A True Legend

-I received an e-mail yesterday indicating that I should provide a new post here. That means two things...I've been bad about writing lately, for which I'm sorry. And, some actually come here regularly to read my stuff...for which I'm grateful.

I would have written today anyway because I'm inspired to remember an old friend upon his passing. I was sad to read in this morning's Belleville News-Democrat that Joe May died Saturday. I knew Joe had been battling some health issues but was caught off-guard by his obit in the paper.

Joe was truly a legendary figure in the world of high-school sports and "good-old days" radio broadcasting. His membership in the Illinois High School Coaches Association Broadcasters Hall of Fame is a testament to that. Among those of us who have made a career in the media, particularly in the Metro-East, the name Joe May brings a smile to the face, and a flood of stories to the lips. I'll take a few moments here to share a few of mine.

When I first came to WIBV radio as a full-time employee in 1972 the station was a major player in the market. (Many called it the KMOX of the Metro-East in those days) Joe May was Sports Director, a job that I aspired to having at some point even though I was fresh out of school. I didn't know how long he would be in that spot...he had already been there for a few years..but there was so much sports play-by-play on the station I decided to accept a job as a staff announcer and do the play-by-play "leftovers". Joe couldn't do all the games, so Dave Bollone, Joe Albright and I would do the "non-Joe" games. I considered the opportunity a good one, but a stepping stone to higher places in sports broadcasting.

Right off the bat, I became somewhat frustrated with Joe because of his "personal tendencies" and seeming lack of attention to detail when it came to both on-the-air and off-the-air responsibilities. For example, he would show up to do a game and forget a microphone...or line-up information for one of the teams...stuff like that. Somehow Joe always got the job done...but it was always, to me, done in a state of turmoil. As a recent college grad, it didn't take long to grow frustrated with that and make my thoughts known to then GM Norm Greenberg.

Norm immediately made me understand Joe's place, and mine. He informed me that he was more than willing to put up with Joe's "negative traits" because of his overwhelming passion for the sports we did and his ability to put a "larger-than-life" personality on WIBV Sports. After that conversation, I knew there was much more to the broadcast business than what I brought to it. And Norm was right. Joe might not have been the greatest technical broadcaster to ever live...but he knew everybody in high school and college sports in our area...and they knew and liked him. For a station in the business of selling advertising in local sports broadcasts, he was a gold mine. Joe approached his work passionately and made all of those involved believe that whatever games were on our station were the most important in the world. He lived for them and loved them with a zeal that I'm still not sure I understand.

Another story I always tell about Joe, and it's a fair example of his struggles and successes in those days, is the one about a high-school football playoff game we did together in the late 70's. Belleville West was playing one of the Chicago suburban schools (Elk Grove?) in an important playoff tilt and we drove up early on a Saturday morning to get there for a 1 o'clock broadcast. As was common in those days, when we showed up at the stadium a few hours before the game, we found that Illinois Bell had not installed our phone line in the press box. Somehow installation orders from southern Illinois were always botched by the Chicago-area phone people. This day was no different. Of course, particular old me always suspected Joe might have mishandled the order somehow...but I doubt it in this case.

Joe called the phone company to see if they could get a technician out to the stadium to put in a line in time for our broadcast. They told him they would try...but it never did happen. So we were forced to come up with some other way to get the game on the air. I didn't see how it would happpen. (Remember there were no cell phones in those days). Joe asked me if I had brought my cassette recorder along. I told him yes, that I had it for the pre and post-game interviews that we normally recorded and played back on the broadcast.
"How many cassettes do you have?", he asked.
"Two"..I said.
"Great"...said the big guy.
"Great?"
"Yeah...you broadast the game into your cassette recorder. Then give the cassette to this kid (He found some student to help) and he'll run it into the school building where I will play the cassette back over the phone in the Athletic Director's office to the station back in Belleville. The game will be delayed by about a half-hour...but at least it will get on the air."
"You've got to be kidding?"..says me.
"Nope"
And that's what we did. It turned out to be a great game..(West lost though). And I don't think too many people back in the Metro-East knew there was a phone problem. Joe's determination to get the game on the air was the key. I might have thrown up my hands and called in some reports after each quarter...but Joe knew that people were expecting a play-by-play broadcast and fought tooth-and-nail to get them one. That speaks to his passion for what he did.

There are other stories that we might share at another time. But for now I would prefer that we remember Joe and an important part of life in the Metro-East that he represented so well. He was the personification of passion for high-school sports on the radio in Metro-East...something that has, for some inexplicable reason, mostly gone out of our lives. Sadly, now so has Joe. The stories about Joe May, and the experiences folks had with him, will surely survive for decades. In that way, Joe lives on. Rest well old friend...and enjoy the buffet line in the sky.

Unbelievable Times

-We may not remember 2008...particularly the last quarter of it...with much fondness. But one thing's for sure. We will remember it. To wit--The first non-white man in history to gain the nomination of a major political party ran for President of the United States and actually won. The year will be remembered forever simply for that. But look at what else we have--

• The Governors of two of the nation's most populous states become embroiled in mind-boggling, incredibly-stupid scandals. One resigns. The other??

Directly from Wikipedia-

Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American lawyer and former politician of the Democratic Party. He served as Governor of New York from January 2007 until his resignation on March 17, 2008 in the wake of his involvement in a high-priced prostitution ring. Prior to being elected governor, Spitzer served as New York State Attorney General. On March 10, 2008, The New York Times reported that Spitzer was a client of a prostitution ring under investigation by the federal government. Two days later, he announced his resignation as governor of New York, effective March 17, citing "private failings."

Milorad "Rod" R. Blagojevich , born December 10, 1956) is an American politician from the state of Illinois. A Democrat, Blagojevich currently serves as governor of Illinois and previously represented parts of Chicago in the U.S. Congress. He is the second Serbian American to be elected governor of any state of the United States, after George Voinovich of Ohio. On December 9, 2008, Blagojevich was arrested by FBI agents and charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as well as solicitation of bribery. The Justice Department complaint alleges that the governor conspired to commit several "pay to play" schemes, including attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacated United States Senate seat to the highest bidder. As a result of the arrest, Blagojevich has faced calls for his resignation or impeachment and removal from office.

No matter What you think of these two guys, you have to be fascinated with the Why and the Who of them. Why do they think they can do these things and get away with them. And Who the hell do they think they are? I'm no psychologist, but it seems that these two guys must have been so drunk with power, and assured of their own superiority, that they thought they could get away with anything.

Speaking of that unfathomable mindset here's the poster boy-

Orenthel James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947, also known as The Juice) is a retired American football player, actor, spokesman, and convicted felon. He originally attained fame in sport as a running back at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set during the 1973 season. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman after a lengthy, highly publicized criminal trial. A 1997 judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths was awarded in civil court by a jury, but to date he has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment. In September 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada and charged with numerous felonies, including robbery with a deadly weapon, burglary with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon, coercion with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit a crime. A jury found Simpson guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008; and he was sentenced on December 5 to at least nine years in prison.

Is it possible that some high-profile personalities need so much to be the center of the universe that they act irrationally and without fear of failure? Must be...Because these clowns will be the prime examples of narcissism for college Psych 101 for as long as they teach it.

Other '08 memories--(and I'm beating the late December news shows to the punch here)

-Stock market goes bust amid mortgage crisis etc. etc. etc. We've heard enough.

-Michael Phelps

-Sarah Palin...and to some degree John McCain

-Tina Fey does Sarah Palin.

-Bailout becomes the word of the year

-W gets all-time low approval rating

-Pirates (not Johnny Depp) rule the sea

-Terrorism strikes again (Mumbai)

-Gas falls to below $2-a-gallon

-California (of all places) votes to outlaw same-sex marriage

And, in my humble opinion, the biggest story that went under-reported-Researchers Decode the Genome of a Cancer Patient: Scientists at the Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University report that they have sequenced all the DNA from the cancer cells of woman who died of leukemia and compared it to her healthy cells. In doing so, the experts found mutations in the cancer cells that may have either caused the cancer or helped it to progress. It is the first time scientists have completed such research. They're getting close to figuring it out. And how big, and positive, would that be?

Yep, Twenty-oh-Eight will stick with us for a while and we're not done yet.

Tinseltown Update!

-Still smarting today from yesterday's passing of our girl Liza... but its with excitement that I write today. Ohhh...the emotional roller coaster.

-Son Stewart has taken another significant step toward the acting success he is seeking in Hollywood. And we're jumping up and down here at the ol' Millstadt ranch. And this time we can share his work with you! Since it's video, and it's on the internet, anyone reading this, with a fairly high-speed connection, can watch. I'll give you a link a little later on.

Stewart landed a role with the producers of the webisodes found on Take180.com. For the unititiated, this is essentially a website that produces television shows for viewing only on the internet. So, the show that Stew is in can only be seen by people at the computer...not on any of the traditional broadcast or cable TV networks. But, having said that, Take180.com is gaining a large following and you may notice, if you spend any time on the computer, that they do a significant amount of national, heck international, advertising on various websites. I've seen the ads on MSN.com and several others. You'll see the ad (right) frequently on the net these days.

The series in which Stew appears is In2ition. I can't claim to know exactly how the show is set up, or the basic premise. I do know that certain people have super powers...similar to the show Heroes on NBC. The young lady pictured at right...Emily Pennington...plays the central character Hope Fox. There's a fair amount of intrigue/espionage going on. I haven't gone back to the show's beginnings yet to get the full picture. But what's obvious is that this show is very well done. The technical quality and production values are quite good...which you will see if you look for yourself.

What also makes these internet shows interesting is that viewers are invited to suggest story lines, character introduction and development. So each webisode is sort of co-written by the suggestions of someone who views it. Apparently, a young man suggested the introduction of the character that Stewart portrays in his webisode.

So Stewart W. Calhoun plays a fellow named Seth in webisode #7 titled Bring Them Home Safe. He apparently is brought in by one of the show's lead characters..Mrs. Fox (Emily's Mom).. to interogate someone by using his super ability to "get into the head" of others. He takes on a real "Keanu Reaves--The Matrix" look in this part. Or at least he does to ol' dad. By the way, the young man in the show who plays the part of Alex is actually Alex Schemmer who played opposite Stewart in the musical Thrill Me--The Leopold and Loeb Story back in the early part of the year. Alex apparently recommended Stew for this part. That's kind of how things work in "the biz". Thanks Alex!! from Stew's parents back in the Heartland.

This webisode, as are most of them you'll find on this website, is very short...around 2 minutes. So, you won't spend a lot of time downloading...or viewing. Here's the link. Just click on the icon to the right.

Feel free to post a comment on what you think of the show and our guy in Hollywood.

Good Bye Liza-Loo

There was absolutely nothing special about the dog.

That's what I thought when I first saw her. In a moment of weakness in 2001 I consented to "board" her for a short time while "Outdoors Dan" Young found a home for her with some people who had a farm in Iowa. Dan and I were working together at KTRS at the time, and he said a client of his had this black lab puppy that was wandering around their place of business in downtown St. Louis and getting into the trash. He said it was a good dog and he would make arrangements for it long-term if we could take it short-term. I made the mistake of asking Barb if she wanted a boarder for a few days. Of course, once the dog came home with me that day and jumped out of the box in the backseat to huddle up close to me, the deal was done. Dan was off the hook.

But, there was nothing special about the dog.

I kept thinking...What are we doing taking in a lab/who-knows-what mix when we already have a nice Springer Spaniel? We don't need another dog...especially one that is nothing to get excited about like this one. This dog was no prize winner. It was no guard dog. It was terribly undersized for a lab...even a lab mixed with border collie...or whatever. It wasn't a proud dog. It was always afraid of something. It would cower in the corner, or somewhere, during storms. It wouldn't even protect it's own food from the other dog. What a wimpy mutt. What did I do...bringing this thing home?

What did I do? Well, we better come up with a name... How 'bout Liza...y'know like Liza Doolittle from My Fair Lady. A girl from the streets...with no fancy breeding or training...one that needs to be taught the ways of the world. OK...yeah Liza. That sounds about right.

So over these past seven-plus years the dog proved itself pretty smart and learned a lot.

She learned to enjoy running. Not like on the mean streets downtown. But running like crazy after squirrels in our woods...looking skyward as they jumped from tree-to-tree and she barked. She loved to run. If she wasn't chasing the squirrels, it would be a romp through the woods with the occasional dip in the creek, a bark at an owl, or a growl at a deer.

She learned to love that ride in the back of the pick-up as I drove down to the end of the driveway to get the mail or paper. That ride in the front with that nose stuck out the window wasn't too bad either...especially when we stop at the bank drive-up. Because dogs get treats there. She knew when we were pulling in to get excited.

She learned that the place to be in a storm is the basement. And she might have saved our lives one day in '03 when a small tornado slammed into our woods. The weather guys on TV were way behind on that one. But Liza was on duty barking and asking to go downstairs seconds before the trees started blowing around and down. Had there been any damage to the main level...and potential injury...she would have been the hero of the day.

By this time, obviously, my opinion of her had begun to change. We now sometimes referred to her as "The Black". It solidified her position in our household as not just the other dog. She was "the black one".

About a year-and-a-half ago, about the same time we were putting down our old Springer Fergie, we began to notice a growth on the back of Liza's right hind leg. We didn't think much of it at first. But when it started to grow rather rapidly, we decided it was time to see the vet. We were told that it was a growth that should come off and be biopsied. The biopsy indicated, as the vet had feared, that it was a cancerous tumor known as a hemangiopericytoma which you can read all about by clicking the link. It's not an uncommon thing for larger dogs and it's definitely not a good thing.

We had surgery done to remove the tumor twice. We were told that it was likely to come back more aggressively each time. So when the tumor re-appeared after this summer's surgery, we knew we would have a problem keeping her much longer. The options we had were to have the leg amputated and/or undergo very expensive radiation treatment or keep her as long as possible and then have her put down. I couldn't bring myself to agree to an amputation. This dog lived for running in the woods and playing with the critters outside. She was always on guard, and ready to spring into action, as in the photo above (taken this morning). She wasn't going to be a frustrated three-legged dog on our watch.

Recently the tumor was approaching baseball size. And it was obvious the skin on her leg couldn't contain it much longer. Yesterday it didn't. Barb and I looked at each other knowing the time had come to face the fact that pet owners always fear. Our beloved pets aren't forever. She was still a healthy dog...or so it appeared. But that damned tumor...why won't it go away and let her live? So I took her back to Doctor Mike Harres this morning...and stopped at the bank drive-up on the way. (She seemed to enjoy the milk bone more today.) Having the vet tell me this morning that I was doing the right thing because her life would be miserable very soon didn't make it any easier to watch her draw her last breath.

As I sit here now writing with tears streaming down my face...I say...with tremendous respect for the mutt in all of us...Liza, you will always be proof that first impressions aren't nearly always correct. You were a very special dog. We will love and miss you forever.

30-Second Timeout

-Some random thoughts this time on the world of sports...or at least the region of sports.

-Poor Jim Haslett. Did he anticipate it could be this bad? Now, even though Scott Linehan started the season, Haslett's name is now more closely associated with this debacle of a season as head coach. I can't imagine he's getting much sleep. And, I can't imagine him getting the two wins that he supposedly needs to stay on as coach. He may be better off career-wise if he doesn't.

-It appears the Blues have something of a "Who's number one?" goaltending contoversy brewing. Manny Legace has served the team well during his tenure. But Chris Mason has suddenly become the more reliable guy over the last few weeks. It will be interesting to watch how Andy Murray handles this juggling act going forward. If Mason starts to clearly separate himself as the top dog, it would seem logical that Legace would become trade bait by the 3/4/09 deadline.

-Jeff Cooper's WPS club that will start play at Korte Stadium at SIU-E in April will be called Athletica. They say the name was sort of made up... which was verified by Cooper at the press conference announcing the moniker.-- "People ask, 'Is that even a word? Well, it is now." Sounds sort of "soccery" to me.

-I have nothing against Marc Bulger the person. He seems to be a decent fellow. But Marc Bulger the quarterback has sunk to the level of...dare I say, Tony Banks, Mark Rypien, or Jim Everett... during the Rams current mess. The one-time Pro-Bowl player is now among the worst QB's in the NFL...no matter what numbers to which you refer. To be sure, it's not all his fault. But a great quarterback, which most of us thought he was, or would become, would win a game or two during the season all by himself. It doesn't look like he's nearly capable of that given his borderline-pathetic play lately. I suppose most of us would get shell-shocked too if we were constantly harassed by enormous defensive linemen the way he's been. But, even so, the money that management has invested in Bulger...some 65 million dollars in the current contract...seems like a colossal misjudgment as of now.

-The next few weeks should prove interesting for Cardinals fans. With the Winter baseball meetings getting underway next week, and much on the wish list for GM John Mozeliak, we should get a pretty clear picture soon of how aggressively the 'Birds ownership will approach things. Aggression has never been a word associated with our team's spending habits...so noone should expect a major upgrade in payroll. And there seems to be more intent to build from within the system...so the expected future of certain minor-leaguers will likely be a major part of the thinking process too. If we get to the end of '08 with the lefty reliever and middle infield situation clarified for the better, I'll be pretty happy. After that, anything else deemed exciting will be a bonus.

-The Davids...Backes and Perron. Difference makers...sometimes. When they know their way around the league a little better, they'll be much fun to watch.