Lotsa Stuff

-I see where the folks who run SIU-Edwardsville have decided to go for Division 1 status with their athletics programs. I am an alumnus and support the move. However, I have always had a problem with the Edwardsville campus's status as a step-child of Carbondale. I hope they can somehow address that perception as they make the move to D1. It might be time to address the concept of SIU-E autonomy once again.

-Does anyone else think this Rosie O'Donnell feud with "The Donald" is a big publicity stunt? These people seem to be smart enough to concoct a little feud for the sake of staying in the spotlight and increasing ratings don't you think? DJ's on radio stations used to do it all the time.

-Andy Murray is starting to look like the greatest hockey coach since Herb Brooks rallied the US team in the Olympics. Mike Kitchen must be wondering what he was doing wrong.

-I read where Meryl Streep will star in the movie version of ABBA's musical Mamma Mia. I know she has sung a little in the past. But, I don't know if she's the person I would have to buy a ticket to see in a musical. We did watch The Devil Wears Prada this weekend and thought she was teriffic in it.

-Just goes to show you how ridiculous the salary structure is in baseball when the Cardinals are willing to pay Mark Mulder what?.. 9 million dollars a season?.. when he had a couple of mediocre seasons and then shoulder surgery. Unbelievable.

-The college basketball season...that started with such high hopes for fans in our area...is in danger of going down the commode. SLU...touted as a tournament team...lost to their first two A-10 opponents and both were supposed to be easy wins. Mizzou has started to fade after walking through their pre-conference (i.e....weak) schedule. Illinois is struggling...which gives Bruce Weber's detractors some ammo. SIU-C is strong again this year...but not dominant in The Valley. There's time for our guys to get back on track...but they better get crackin'.

-I'm guessing the civil war in Iraq will be nothing compared to the fighting that will begin now that the Democrats control Congress. The President will have his work cut out for him....especially with polls saying the public is against the "surge" in Iraq.

-Collinsville is working on building a stadium just off I-255 that would be home to a team in the MLS. They might step up their efforts... which sounded exploratory in nature based on published quotes by the Mayor. The reason... David Beckham is signing to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy and will bring a much needed boost in soccer interest because of his "rock star" status in the rest of the world.

-Glad to hear that Jon Brough is home...and is comfortable. The man will have to live the rest of his life without sight or smell....but based on the outpouring of support from the community of Belleville, and the region, he should be alright. I know, based on what friends close to him have told me, that he's the kind of guy who will find a positive approach to his situation.

Sad Sack...Not Big Mac

"Sir...I'm not here to talk about the past".

These words may go down in history as an example of the worst legal advice ever. Obviously, when Mark McGwire uttered those words in front of the Senate hearings in Washington they weren't his own. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable and putting on some kind of rehearsed act. His lawyers had told him that if he wanted to avoid criminal prosecution, he needed to stay away from the truth...or lies. So what did he do? He danced around somewhere in the middle. And, because of that dancing, he was snubbed by the baseball writers for the Hall of Fame today.

I contend that had McGwire blurted out the truth, or lied like Rafael Palmeiro, he still might not have been voted in today, but he would have been better off.

The truth might have sounded something like this:

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate panel, and baseball fans everywhere. I come here today to lay myself bare and own up to what I have done with regard to steroids and performance enhancing substances. As you probably know, I have used, and admitted using, androstenedione in the past. This substance, when I used it, was not illegal in any way. I have also in the past experimented with steroids and human growth hormone. And when I did, they too were not on baseball's banned substances list. So, now that these substances are banned, and illegal to use, I am profoundly sorry for having put myself in a situation where I thought I was enhancing myself, my team, and my sport with their use. Looking back, I wish they hadn't been available to me, or anyone else in our sport. And, I wish the sport had done more to discourage players from using them. I truly believed that these substances were just another part of an overall training regimen that I was using to create the best possible athlete I could be. I also realized that there was a possibility that I would be creating some long-term physical problems for myself with the use of these substances. That, at the time, was a price I was willing to pay in order to achieve at the highest possible level. Once again, let me say that I am profoundly unhappy with the choice that I made then. I am sorry for having made it, and will do anything and everything possible to discourage young people from going down the same path. I also stand ready to answer any question anyone may have in a private, but legal, forum away from national exposure. This would initially protect anyone I might name from immediate scorn and humiliation. Please understand that I was operating in a time and place that featured vastly different attitudes, opinions and rules about these substances than we are in today. Once again ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for what I have done. And I hope you might be able to put yourself in my shoes of ten years ago to understand the issue from my perspective. Thank you. "

An untruthful presentation might have gone like this:

(Pointing at the panel with index finger extended) "I don't know how to say this any more clearly. I have never, ever used performance-enhancing substances of any kind. And I challenge you, or anyone else, to prove otherwise. I will be happy to cooperate in any way to help discourage young people from using these terrible substances. Thank you."

Gee, that sounds familiar. Doesn't it?

Had McGwire lied on that day in '05, he may have been voted into The Hall today. Noone could have proven between now and then that he took 'roids. Although everyone believes he's guilty, noone has definitively, conclusively, and without doubt, proven that Barry Bonds did...and he's the poster boy for the stuff. McGwire might have slid by if he gave a strong performance to the Senate.

Had he told the truth, I believe he would have done himself far more good than harm. America is a forgiving place. We have had famous criminals and ne'er-do-wells forgiven many times over for much more dispicable acts than steroid use. I think had "Big Mac" fessed up on that day he would have been the first "steroid era" player to go into The Hall. And he could have done it in a positive, society-changing way. His speech at the induction ceremony might have been the opportunity to leave a lasting and wonderful legacy that would have rid baseball and all sports of the "steroids cloud". But, unfortunately, he didn't want to talk about the past.

Blues Anniversary

-After a bit of research, and with the help of the St. Louis Blues staff, we've determined that I will be celebrating 20 years of continuous service as the public-address announcer on Sunday January 7th. My first game as a solo act (The first two in January '87 I was an observer) was on 1/7/87--Blues vs. Hartford Whalers. Blues 6, Whalers 3. There's no game on the 7th this year. So, there may be some sort of recognition of my anniversary at the game on Saturday, January 13th.

Not only has it been 20 years, but what I'm most proud of is the fact that I haven't missed a single game in that time. I've been lucky with my health...and have had very few significant schedule conflicts...so I'm working on something around 900 straight games....pre-, post-, and regular-season. The story of how I got started goes like this....

I was working in the sports department at KXOK (AM 630) in those days. KXOK had won the radio rights to Blues hockey away from KMOX for a few years and was attempting to do essentially what KTRS is doing now. Eventually there was a problem at the ownership level...but that's another story. Ron Jacober, my boss at the time, approached me one day and said that Susie Mathieu (then Vice President of Everything with the Blues) had asked him if I would be interested in being the p-a announcer for the rest of the '86-'87 season. She needed somebody because Charlie Hodges, who had been doing it, was leaving the team to take a job with Bud Sports. Ron said, "If you're interested, talk to Susie".

I had been covering the team regularly for the radio station anyway, so it was a comfort zone that was easy to walk into. Susie and I met. She informed me that there would be very little compensation attached to the job because Charlie had been on-staff in the media relations department and they hadn't budgeted anything for the p-a position. Also, she said, the Harry Ornest ownership philosophy was in full effect. If you don't have to pay for something, don't. So, I agreed to fill out the season for a small remuneration, and the chance to do something fairly high-profile that was fun. I had no intention of doing it past the end of that season...certainly not at that original pay rate.

As we approached the end of the season, Susie called me one day and asked if I'd be interested in doing the p-a on a permanent basis. She said they liked the way I sounded and handled the job. I told her that I was flattered...but that I couldn't justify the time investment if there wasn't more compensation involved. She said.."Stop by my office after the next game and we'll discuss it. " At that meeting, Susie and the Blues made the job worth my while financially. And we've been able to maintain a working relationship ever since.

Highlights? Let's see....

• I've worked for 5 owners....Ornest, Shanahan, Kiel Center Partners, The Lauries, Dave Checketts/SCP Parners.
• I've had several bosses...all of which I consider great people and friends.
• I announced every single goal that Brett Hull scored on Blues home ice.
• I handled the player intros on ESPN for the '88 NHL All-Star Game..(A big thrill.. I think Mario Lemieux scored 4...or 5?.. goals in that one and won MVP).
• The night that "The Great One" played his first home game in a Blues uniform..(I think that was the most nervous I ever was doing the player intros before the game).
• The Dan Kelly, Bernie Federko, Brian Sutter, Al MacInnis and Brett Hull number retirement nights.

The Blues p.a. job has brought many wonderful friendships and business relationships into my life in these twenty years. I can't imagine what could have brought more enjoyment than having been associated with the classy, hard-working people that I've been able to work for, and with, in the Blues organization. Not to mention the NHL off-ice official crew, and many great hockey fans with whom I've become friends over the years. I dare not start naming names, because I wouldn't want to disrespect anyone who deserves to be mentioned by not doing so. There's a good chance, if you're reading this, you are one of those people. If so, thank you.

My deepest thanks to Ron and Susie for hatching this egg...and the Blues, and the great people they have brought into my life. Go Blues!

New Year...New Blues

-As we begin 2007...I'll get back to more regular business here on the ol' blog. And, by the way, Happy New Year!

I guess the question I was most asked during the holidays was..."What the heck is going on with the Blues...Can a new coach make that much difference?" I guess that's two questions rolled into one. But I have to tell you I struggled to answer it (them?) each time. Here's my take on it.

I have to believe that as much as the players liked and respected Mike Kitchen, they had given up on him as a coach. They must have had the belief that there was no way Kitchen and his strategies were going to get them headed in the right direction. So, as a result, there was little or no effort in most games. I'm not saying there was a conscious effort to get Kitchen fired. But, it sure did look like it at times.

But, if you want to believe there was a conscious effort, one night in particular could spawn such a conspiracy theory....

On December 5th, the Scottrade Center was packed with fans who came to see Brett Hull's jersey be retired. The ceremony was fabulous. The emotion of "the good old days" charged the atmosphere inside the building. Then, despite all that, the team came out, after sitting on the bench and watching the fans shower Hull and the other dignitaries with heartfelt cheers, and laid an enormous, effortless egg. The Red Wings skated around the Blues like they were snowmen built by the building staff and wearing Blues sweaters.

As a lot, hockey players are pretty smart people. Very few, especially the leaders on teams, fall into the "not so bright" category. Isn't it almost impossible that after such a ceremony, the team could come out and play such an uninspired game unless it was seen as a way to eliminate the coach that was holding the team back? Could there have been a meeting after practice that day between some of the leaders of the team? Could they have discussed "tanking" the game as a way to get "Kitch" out of the way? They knew that the owners would be in attendance. They knew the building would be full. They knew that losing pathetically to the Red Wings would be distasteful to the owners and fans. They knew that the situation was already precarious for their coach. The Blues have several veteran players (notice I'm not naming names) who could make a decision to "not compete" happen.

If something like this did happen, noone would ever admit it. It would be unflattering to them as players, a slap in the face to the coach who is gone, and suggest that fans may, or may not, get their money's worth on a given night if the players decide to "take a night off". One would hate to think that such a conspiracy to get Mike Kitchen fired could be launched. But, it sure seems that from day one of the Andy Murray era there has been an entirely different mindset on the team. Same players...different attitude, effort, and results.

Did the core leadership among the players believe that Kitchen's strategies and approaches were flawed? Did they discuss that among themselves? Did they suggest a possible replacement for Kitchen to John Davidson? Did Davidson, if such a suggestion were made, agree to bring in Murray as a concession to the players? Did Davidson make a recommendation to the ownership to make a coaching change based on conversations with certain players? Did ownership agree to such a change because of the paltry numbers of people showing up at games?

All of these questions are legitimate. But, of course, they all fall into the category of speculation. Someone privvy to the conversations of the team's top players might be able to tell us if they hold water, but that's not likely to ever occur. It might be interesting to ask Mike Kitchen at some point whether he would put any credence in such a theory.

In the meantime, St. Louis now has a team to get excited about. So, go Blues!

Glitch at Scottrade?

-I find it very interesting that St. Louis U. won their game over Missouri State Monday night after a last second tip-in by Ian Voyoukas was ruled good. The officials didn't declare SLU the winners until after reviewing the last-second play on a TV-replay for over two minutes. The replay apparently showed that the big Billiken tipped the ball with one-tenth of a second still showing on the clock. But......wait a minute.

A story on stltoday.com (read it by clicking here) now says that the scout tape...a no-frills taping of the game for coaching purposes...indicates a discrepancy. Apparently, the game clock used on the broadcast differed from the one on the scout tape...(which has a live shot of the court and the clock displayed at the same time). And, Missouri State people are understandably confused and upset. Why would the clock be different on the broadcast of the game than it is on the raw tape? It causes me to wonder if a glitch in the game-clock system, which is hard-wire connected to the television truck and it's broadcast, at Scottrade Center is the reason.

First, remember that there was an entirely new scoreboard, and ribbon-board set-up installed in the building prior to the hockey season. These new electronics also brought with them an entirely new game-clock and penalty-clock system. The new boards have brought an added vibrancy and enjoyability to the games. But, as with any new system, there were bugs to be worked out. It is my understanding that the Scottrade Center operations people are not at all thrilled with the company that sold and installed the new system. The lack of supervision and follow-up help by the company seems to be the main issue...from what I can gather.

Some of my Blues game-night colleagues and I have noticed inexplicable pauses and jumps in the clock at random times during a game. I have noticed it while watching the clock for the one-minute warning at the end of the periods. Others have also noticed it while watching the clock countdown toward the end of the period, or game. It's pretty obvious when it happens. You watch the clock countdown...5, 4, 3.. pause....2,1. The clock will hold on a number for an extra bit of time before switching to the next number. I have to admit that I've noticed it from the time pre-season games started in September. I have mentioned it to some of the people who regularly communicate on the in-house "clear-com" system. (The series of headsets that allows those putting on the show at the games to all be on the same page.) So, I know that there are a number of folks who are aware of this phenomenon.

Of course, there is no way of knowing if this timing mechanism glitch is responsible for the discrepancy in the replays, but it seems like a good possibility to me. I have a feeling we will be hearing more about this problem before it's put to bed.

Eat the Tickets?

-Well, if you didn't have enough evidence that professional athletes are out of touch with reality, along came Steven Jackson of the Rams to prove it.

So, he was embarassed by the fact that the Bears appeared to have more fans at the Monday Night Game than the Rams did. Awwww. Poor guy. He was embarassed and proceeds to take out his discomfort on the St. Louis fans. How dare they sell their tickets to those nasty Bears fans? How dare they take the money that somebody was willing to pay them for their seats and not show up to cheer for Steven? How dare they decide to boycott the Rams even though there is little entertainment value left to this season?

Are you kidding me? How dare Jackson question the behvior of the fans? What is this guy using for brains? He may be an all right player, but his sensibilities are really screwed-up. Jackson has probably been removed from the real world since he was a little boy because he was a "special" athtlete. He could do things on the football field that most couldn't...so, he got a free pass in school, and everywhere else. This is one part of our sports culture that gripes me to no end. I would suggest that in order to earn your first million dollars an athlete should have to spend his first off-season in the military with some drill-seargeant barking out orders 24/7. You don't do as Mr. Sergeant says...you just stay there until you do. Maybe then some of these prima-donnas would see things from a fresh perspective.

These players just are so far from the reality of the every-day world that they have no chance of relating to the average fan. They don't get it that most people can't call a limo when they need a ride. They don't understand that there aren't a bunch of lackeys hanging around most of us ready to do anything at the snap of a finger. Oh, we all have hordes of fans folowing us around waiting for a hand-out or begging for autographs, don't we?

I think Mr. Jackson has just earned himself a pot-load of boos next time he steps on the field at "The Ed". Gee...I sure hope he doesn't get embarassed again.

Kitchen Sinks

-I saw Mike Kitchen at the Blues annual Christmas skating party at Scottrade Center Sunday night. What was more important was that I didn't see John Davidson. GM Larry Pleau was doing the "holiday glad-handing" and "thank you for all you do" greetings on behalf of management at the party. When I realized that JD wasn't in the house, I suspected something was up regarding the coaching job. Turns out, my suspicions were correct.

Sad to see a quality person like "Kitch" go to the annual NHL coaching scrap heap. But, he had to know that the writing was on the wall. You can't continue to have the kind of effort that the Blues have NOT been putting out and expect to keep a coaching job. The leisurely skate after the Brett Hull jersey retirement ceremony was likely the last straw.

Unfortunately, the way things are structured in pro sports, the coach is always the first one to be blamed. The players are not nearly as easily replaced as the man who is telling them what to do. There's only one of him...and a bunch of them. And there are a bunch of players on the current roster who do not deserve anywhere close to the kind of money they are being paid. A number of these veterans have let down Kitchen, Davidson, and the fans. You don't need me to name them for you. The Blues youth movement should be on in full regalia as soon as possible. Why continue to lose with highly-paid veterans? You can do that with young players that the fans might actually like to come see while peeking into the future.

I don't know much about Andy Murray except that he's a journeyman coach. He's been around the league for quite a while and has mixed reviews as a coach...depending on who's talking. I don't know what qualities he will bring to the job that might get these players pointed in the right direction. But, in my humble opinion, whatever he does will be more important in a couple of seasons...than it will be now. There is virtually no chance that the '06'-07 season will turn around to the point that we will be talking about a playoff berth. So, look for Murray to be more of a teacher of the game to the young blood from the organization that we'll be seeing before the season is over...and in the next couple of seasons to come.

Poor John Davidson...I wonder if he had any idea that it would be this hard. He might be longing for that microphone by now.

Hummel to Hall

In thinking about the election of Rick Hummel to the Writer's Wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame, I recall an incident in the fall of 1981. As part of my duties for Belleville radio station WIBV, I hosted the broadcast of a banquet put on by Belleville Area College (now SWIC). We broadcast the event because of it's keynote speaker--Whitey Herzog. The "White Rat" was beginning the process of rebuilding the, then struggling, Cardinals and we anticipated the possibility of some of his remarks being newsworthy. To my knowledge, I was the only member of the media in attendance.

Well, not only did Mr. Herzog manage to make news, he managed to stir up some juicy controversy with his remarks about shortstop Garry Templeton. In a question-and-answer session following his speech, Whitey signaled the impending trade of Templeton by indicating that his shortstop--paraphrasing--"Only played when he felt like it". There were some other racially insensitive remarks as well.

The next morning I took a call at the radio station from Hummel, who apparently had heard about Whitey's not-so-guarded comments, and asked if I had taped the broadcast. After I told Rick that we had, he was on his way to the station through a deep, new snowfall to review the tape for direct quotes.

The next day, even though few were aware of Whitey's comments from our broadcast, the story went nationwide with a banner headline on the Post-Dispatch sports page reading-- Whitey Says Cards Can't Win with Tempy.

What was important to me about this whole incident was that it spoke to the integrity of Rick Hummel. Even though Whitey had quickly built up a reverence in the local media with his "home boy" personality and hell-bent-for winning attitude, Hummel wanted the story and went for it knowing that it would ruffle Whitey's feathers. Rick was going to make sure Herzog's inflammatory words and baseball opinions were not lost in the banquet hall that night, and didn't care how it might effect his relationship with the Cardinals' skipper. A few days later, one Ozzie Smith became a member of the Cardinals and their lore.

Congratulations Commish! I'm proud to know you.

Ketchup

-Time to get back in the swing here. Too much to do...and too much Thanksgiving- and its aftermath- to sit down and write.

-Many are speculating about whether Mark McGwire will be voted into the Hall of Fame on this year's ballot. Because of the strength of the class he's up against, it's likely that he would have had a hard time without any steroid suspicions. But with them...not a chance. I think most people, including McGwire himself, would be surprised if he was voted in this year. I'm not sure what that says about the rest of the steroid-era sluggers and their chances in the coming years. Nobody seems to consider that McGwire was likely batting against pitchers who were juiced up too. But, baseball's hall asks the baseball writers to vote in who they feel is deserving and tells them to consider character issues. That's a strange and unscientific way of determining who the fans of the sport should consider their heroes to be. The other halls stick more with basic statistical criteria and, to me, that seems more fair. Why should writers be put in the position of judging a man's character? Values on those things change from decade to decade.

-I like the Cardinals moves in picking up Adam Kennedy and Kip Wells. Kennedy seems a better fit at second than Ronnie "Belly-lard". Wells comes fairly cheap and seems to have a good "upside". Eli Marrero can't hurt anything either. Good versatility.

-The Blues...and President John Davidson...appear to be heading toward an early-season tough decision process. With the way the team is currently playing, Davidson undoubtedly is feeling some pressure to "make a move" or two...or three. The veterans on the team seem to be playing with little or no emotion. And unless they do...there's really no reason to keep them around. If you're going to lose, you might as well do it with the prospects who will be making up your team in the future. If Tkachuk, Guerin, Rucinsky, Weight, Drake, Johnson, Mayers, etc. can't get it done...then get what you can for them and start positioning your team as geared for the future. Don't take it out on Mike Kitchen unless you really think he's to blame for the lack of effort. If you make the move to the future now, you certainly couldn't hurt attendance any. The crowds are awful anyway.

-If you are looking for a good deed to do this Christmas season, donations can be made to the Jon Brough fund at any Commerce (formerly West Pointe) location in the Metro-East or St. Louis. Or click here for other ideas.

-I was feeling bad about the blast of wintery weather coming through the area...until I heard my son Ian tell me that he was looking at a "white-out" blizzard out his window in Vail, CO (photo). They've gotten about two feet of white frozen water over the last couple of days. Good for them...and the ski industry.

-How in the world do the St. Louis County Police not find those three dead bodies in the basement of the Lemay home where the shootout took place until several days later? At least the Chief didn't make any excuses on TV admitting that they screwed up. I'll bet somebody in charge of that operation is getting a good a**-chewing...or demotion.

-My buddy Chris Daughtry from American Idol fame released his first CD this week. So far, sales are "gangbusters". I haven't gotten my copy yet...but, many have. Click on this link for more info.

In the Wind

-I’m hearing a lot of stuff about the Belleville Police/Larry Sicka house raid last Friday. Some of it I can’t, in good conscience, write about yet. But, what I can tell you is that once the decision was made to enter the house, Sergeant Jon Brough almost insisted on being the first man in…the most dangerous place to be in the operation. Those who know say that it’s just the kind of policeman Brough is…ready to put himself in danger to accomplish the mission…and protect his fellow officers. His bravery and commitment to law enforcement is admirable. I’m sorry for his injuries and continue to pray that he recovers to some sort of enjoyable life.

-As to the firing of Chief Dave Reubhausen … Even though I really don’t have any inside information, all indications point to something more than a simple disagreement between two men…Mayor Mark Eckert and the chief…as to how much input a city boss should have in running the department. Apparently that is the foundation for the termination. But, it also appears that there is something else that will eventually come to light that precipitated the Mayor’s actions at this time. It will be interesting to see how Eckert handles the situation from here. People tend to forget that Eckert’s dad was a Belleville cop and the mayor himself was once was a sheriff’s deputy. So, he knows a little bit about law enforcement. He will have to do a lot of damage-control with the rank-and-file officers. “Reub” was very well-liked and respected by his fellow cops. Interim Chief Bill Clay appears to be the best option for the top job internally.

-Would you trade Chris Duncan for Dontrelle Willis? Some are saying the Marlins pitcher will be available in a deal because his salary won’t fit into the Florida payroll much longer. Duncan is still a natural first-baseman (as he proved several times in the outfield) and is apparently coveted by the Marlins. Their current first-baseman, Mike Jacobs, had a decent season…but not the kind to get excited about. The Cardinals might not be able to play Duncan on a full-time basis if he continues to be such a defensive liability in the outfield. Willis was 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA in ’06. It’s a tempting potential deal…especially with the holes the Cardinals have in their rotation due to free-agency. I’d say if you can make that deal, make it. Then try your best to re-sign either Suppan or Weaver... then go-ahead with the Luis Gonzalez free-agent signing for the outfield.

-I’m thinking that even though the Cardinals are World Champions, they will be very active at baseball’s Winter Meetings in early December…almost out of necessity.

-The Blues can’t get healthy enough to put what you would call a regular line-up on the ice. Now Curtis Sanford is out for a while with a groin strain. Hockey is a sport where you expect some injuries…but not to the degree the Note has had.

-There’s a committee at my alma mater, SIU-E, studying the feasibility and financial ramifications of the school going to Division 1 in athletics. The Cougars currently compete in Division 2. Many think that a move to D-1 would be the ticket the “step-sister” of Carbondale needs to forge a separate identity. I tend to think that the school could eventually compete in some Division 1 sports… basketball, soccer, and baseball for sure. But, to me, as long as the school is called SIU-Edwardsville, it will continue to fight Carbondale for an identity of its own. The committee should take that into consideration too.

Another Week

-The wounding of Belleville police Sergeant Jon Brough (pic) on Friday hit particularly close to home. While I, like most around these parts, am praying for Jon's recovery, I must admit to being relieved to hear that it wasn’t a family member that was shot. My nephew, Mark Heffernan, has been on the Belleville force for over a year now, and your thoughts can't help but immediately go there when you hear such news.

I’m sure there will be more written and reported about the strategy behind the raid on the house Friday. But, I have to wonder exactly what the purpose of such a storming of the house was. If they were certain that murder suspect Larry Sicka was in the building, and unless they thought that he had a hostage, or was putting someone else in danger, I don’t quite understand why there was a need to rush the building. Because you’re obviously dealing with an armed and desperate suspect, it seems rushing the building was unnecessarily risky to the health of the policemen. I’m no expert on police tactics, but it seems to me if you know the guy is in there, and he’s by himself, you wait him out. It’s nice to think that you could storm the place and walk out with your suspect in cuffs. But, wouldn’t that only happen in a perfect world? I read in Sunday’s News-Democrat that the City of Belleville is saying it will review the tactical unit’s strategy in response to this incident.

-The Blues won their game Sunday over Edmonton 5-3. Officially, there were 9,000 or so fans at Scottrade Center. Unofficially, I’d say it was more like 6,000. It is sad that the new owners of the team, who’s hearts are obviously in the right place, are saddled with the leftovers of the Laurie regime. But, let’s be honest. St. Louis is a fair-weather sports town. We just don’t support a losing product. Blues fan support has been very good from the early 90’s through 2003-04 when winning was a regular part of the picture. But now that we’re in a re-building mode, St. Louis doesn’t have enough hockey-loyal fans to overcome the fact that tickets are not a casual expense.

Unfortunately, winning appears to be the only remedy being talked about for the current sad state of affairs at the Scottrade Center. And I’m afraid a real quality team, that’s capable of a serious playoff run, is at least a couple of years away. Unless the Checketts regime comes up with a totally different strategy when it comes to ticket prices and marketing of the product, I’m afraid that half-full houses will be the norm for a while. Having a World Series hangover can only explain things for so long.

-While we’re on support for sports teams, I wonder how long affection for the Rams, in the wake of recent success, will last. New coach Scott Linehan has done some impressive things so far. But, the overall product has been mediocre at the Jones dome for three or four years now. The days of expecting the Rams to be a Super Bowl contender are long gone. If the team continues it’s current losing ways and falls to another losing record, what will the support be like at football games next year? Similar to the Blues?

-Congratulations to Dr. Charles DuMontier on the World Premiere of The Oregon Trail-The Musical. Performances at the Lindenwood Auditorium in Belleville Thursday, Friday and Saturday were well-attended and should give a good boost to the fund-raising effort for both the auditorium renovation and the future projects of newly-formed Main Street Community Theater, a new pro theatre company for Belleville. The show featured a spirited cast and many memorable and enjoyable songs penned by "The Doc".

-We watched a couple of DVD movies this weekend. Mission Impossible 3 strayed very far from the original concept of the Impossible Mission Force franchise. What was cool about Mission Impossible in the TV series days was that they had a mission to accomplish. They planned it out, and executed it flawlessly to the amazement of the viewing audience. In this movie, you had that element, but if it weren’t for his luck, Tom Cruise would have died about 15 times in this movie. The old IMF relied very little on luck. I wasn’t a big fan of this one.

The other movie was The Sentinel with Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger and Eva Longoria. This was a pretty decent tension-packed, suspense-thriller about the inner workings of the Secret Service as they protect the President. A few rather far-fetched plot twists…but, not bad. And, Michael Douglas has just about run his course as an action movie star. He looked really old in this film at times…and had no business playing a character who was 50…when he is actually 63.

Thursday Thoughts

-Good for the Blues! Adding Al MacInnis to the hockey operations management mix is not only good for the future of player decision making, it sends the right signal to hockey fans that the team wants top-notch individuals on its management team.

-Speaking of the Blues. The Eric Brewer (and some others) for Chris Pronger trade looks like the worst deal of all-time at this point. Not only did Pronger lead the Oilers to the finals last season, he looks to be the final piece of Anaheim’s puzzle in their quest for the cup. Meanwhile, Brewer either isn’t putting out much effort in a Blues uniform, or he’s totally lost the idea of how to play his position. He's been giving away pucks like candy at a parade. Other players are constantly having to cover up for his mistakes. I’m hearing that he’s being discussed as trade material these days…and could wind up his career as a Blue very soon. Hopefully, JD and LP will be able to get more than a couple of pucks and a broken stick for him in a deal.

-If Tuesday’s election were a little-league game, the Democrats would have won by the mercy rule. If it were a prize fight…they would have stopped it. I guess GW and the Republicans were sent a message. “You screwed up…now it’s somebody else’s turn”. Too bad a lot of good public servants…who happen to be Republicans…had to pay for the dissatisfaction voters had with the President’s policies.

-Kinda hard to be too revved-up about the Rams these days. They’re an OK team. But we are used to OK... and exciting... around here.

-Illinois basketball should be good….not great. St. Louis U. should be very good, and possibly make the NCAA tourney field. Mizzou basketball, with new coach Mike Anderson, should be interesting…at least. And, from what I hear, SIU-C should be very good again this year…picked to finish second (behind Creighton) in the Missouri Valley.

-Absolutely astonishing... that the Britney Spears-Kevin Federline marriage didn't last. You just can't rely on anything anymore. When two highly-intelligent, solid citizens like that can't make a go of it, it could happen to anybody.

Don't Be Silly

-I have no problem with anyone who makes the effort to get to the polls on election day. Everyone is entitled to cast votes for whomever...or whatever...they so desire. That's the way it works in the good ol' US and A...as Borat would say.

But, there is one aspect of the political process that rubs me a little raw. Straight party voting. To me, for someone to go to the polls and vote straight Republican, Democrat, or any other party, is a waste of the right to choose the right people...and policies...to run our country. Voting a party line seems to me to be one of the biggest cop-outs imaginable...almost an unpatriotic act. I believe I read that Missouri is not giving voters the option of voting a straight ticket anymore...at least not by pushing a single button in the booth. Good for the Show-Me state, if I got that right.

I realize that some folks, depending on their financial circumstances, feel more inclined to vote a straight ticket. But, even these people, I believe, should understand that the candidates themselves, and their stances on all of the issues, are more important in the long run than any party affiliation. The best person for the job will be more beneficial to everyone in his, or her, jurisdiction no matter the party. If it so happens that one's beliefs and core values align them more with a certain party, fine. But don't go to the polls hellbent on voting a certain party without regard to the person wearing the label.

When I was younger...I leaned more to the liberal/Democrat way of thinking. As an older person, I tend to see things from a more conservative standpoint...and therefore Republican candidates have become more appealing. I have voted for independent candidates in the past. Some say that's wasting a vote. I disagree. How will anything about the two-party system ever be changed if people aren't encouraged to vote their conscience? (The two-party system seems more geared to keeping one or the other party in control than providing us with reasonable candidate options) If that includes a vote for an indy...so be it. Bottom line for me...I don't care if someone is Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green, Blue, or whatever. As long as they are the best person for the job, according to my homework, they get the vote.

Most political party leaders will tell you, if they're being honest, that from time to time they have a bad candidate running on their side. It happens. It's up to us to make sure when it does that we don't sweep that person into office with a vote that's oblivious to qualifications. When we go to the polls, we should vote our own conscience...not somebody else's priorities.

Snipits

-I've been working with Kathleen DuMontier, the President of Main Street Community Theater, on their upcoming project. Dr. Charles DuMontier, Kathleen's husband, has written The Oregon Trail, a musical complete with 17 original songs, that will stage it's world premiere next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Lindenwood University Auditorium. My work has been nothing compared to all of the toil being put in by Kathleen, Charlie and some of the others involved in the production. But, I hope Belleville-area people who appreciate the fine arts will turn out to see this new show. We need to see more professional theater on this side of the river, and the great old auditorium building on the former Belleville West campus would be the perfect place to develop it. There are some talented people performing in the show. And it's not often that you get to see the world premiere of anything right here in our own back yard. You can order tickets for any of the three shows on line by clicking here.

-Congratulations to my friend Phil Warren...named today as the new field manager of the Gateway Grizzlies. Phil was a great player in the Frontier League and I'm sure will make a great manager. He's got a teriffic personality...and understands the game. Randy Martz, former manager of the River City Rascals, will be Phil's pitching coach. Sounds like a great decision by owner Rich Sauget and his GM Tony Funderburg.

-The Blues seem to be coming around a bit. Thursday night's 4-1 pasting of the Colorado Avalanche at Scottrade Center was about the most encouraging game for Blues fans in a long time. Hopefully a few more of those will get fans back in the seats. The crowds for the last four or five home game have not been good.

-How about this Kanye West guy? He wins an award at the MTV Europe awards show...but then gets pissed when he doesn't win another award that he expected...goes up on the stage and throws a hissy fit. A little success goes a long way with some people. Grow up or stay home buddy.

-I have to admit one of the things I do miss about not being involved in radio news anymore is covering elections. I can't stand TV and radio political ads. But, being on hand at a candidate's election headquarters on election night as the results come in is a pretty good buzz. I'll miss that...it's almost as good as covering sports.

-I had an interesting encounter with a member of the reptile world today. After stopping by the house in Millstadt for a bite of lunch, I came out to the car parked in the garage to find about a 4-foot-long snake slithering under my car. The thing stopped right under the driver's-side door. So, I wasn't interested in getting too close. I went back into the house to get something to shoo it away with and came back out to the garage to find it was gone. "Oh good"...I thought..."he took off on his own". So, I drive into Belleville for a brief meeting with my friend Roger Wigginton at Don Rodgers Limited clothing on West Main. We have about a 15 minute meeting. Then I take off to drop something off several blocks down the street. Roger calls on my cell and says..."Hey, you need to get back here. Your snake (I had told him about my encounter) is by the front door of my business." Apparently the thing had crawled up into the engine compartment when I went back in the house and was in there the whole way into Belleville. I couldn't believe it. Well, Roger calls the police...who call the Humane Society...who send a couple of young ladies out. They caught the monster in a bag and said they would haul him out of town and drop him off in the woods. We think it was a rat snake. Not sure. But non-poisonous anyway. I'm not quite sure what I would have done if the thing would have found it's way into the passenger compartment of my car while I was driving. Wouldn't have been pretty though.

-Roger and I have been involved with a committee formed by Mayor Mark Eckert to better market Belleville as a great place to live, shop and work. There was a nice article about the committee's efforts in the Belleville News-Democrat today. We just had a billboard (pic) go up on I-64 near the JJK center in East St. Louis. You can read the N-D article here. I'll be helping to produce a TV spot featuring the Mayor that will run on Charter cable early in the holiday season to encourage people to shop in Belleville for the holidays. Make no mistake, the hard work of Mayor Eckert is creating a renaissance for Belleville. The city is very close to re-claiming it's one-time status as the best place to be in Illinois south of Chicago.