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by williamwallace
I believe John Smoltz will pitch deep into October and reclaim the best postseason pitcher of his era title ESPN has mistakenly handed over to Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling.
I believe the Braves will play the Red Sox in Game 7 of the World Series and John Smoltz will be the one who goes 10 innings this time against Beckett and wins a 1-0 game. A reversal of sorts of the Jack Morris game, with Smoltz being the old dude this time beating the fireballing young ‘un.
I believe Tim Hudson will continue to be the David Cone of this decade.
I believe Tom Glavine is more like the pitcher from his first 31 starts last season and not like the pitcher from his last three starts of 2007.
I believe Mike Hampton can stay somewhat healthy and give the Braves 100 innings.
I believe Chuck James will fill in the Hampton health gap and provide the other 100 innings Hampton can’t provide. The two of them combined will make for one helluva fifth starter.
I believe Jair Jurrjens is going to be pretty special and will be the 2008 version of Fausto Carmona.
I believe Rafael Soriano is going to be a heckuva closer. Sure, he will blow about 5 saves like all closers do because of his propensity to give up the dinger but, otherwise, he is gonna be lights out.
I believe Peter Moylan is going to continue to cause hitters to kill worms all season long.
I believe Will Ohman will be awesome now that he is away from the not so friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
I believe Royce Ring will be pretty special as well if he can learn not to cause Bobby Cox heart attacks by walking so many hitters.
I believe Tyler Yates will once again be Tyler Yates. Nothing special but pretty darn good for long stretches of the season when he is not going through awful periods where you want to shoot him.
I believe I will enjoy watching Jeff Bennett pitching like a hungry man who wants to make the baseball world regret the day they left him for dead.
I believe Brian McCann will take back the crown of best catcher in the National League from Russell Martin.
I believe Javy Lopez will provide much needed pop off the bench and hit 8 to 12 meaningful homers for the Braves this season.
I believe Tex will be a beast and win an MVP.
I believe the Braves have no shot to sign Tex.
I believe I won’t shed a tear when Tex acts like the prostitute his pimp Scott Boras has made him and he leaves the Braves.
I believe I will laugh my butt off at Tex when he signs with the Yankees or Mets and is torn to shreds.
I believe Kelly Johnson will be an All Star this season.
I believe Yunel Escobar will continue to prove he is the new and improved Derek Jeter.
I believe Omar Infante is much better than Woodward and Orr, who are most certainly not to be confused with Woodward and Bernstein.
I believe Brent Lillibridge will be a very special utility player.
I believe Chipper Jones will continue to be one of the best third baseman and switch hitters the game has ever seen.
I believe Matt Diaz will win the batting title his manager should have let him compete for the last two seasons.
I believe Brandon Jones will make all of those fellas who gave up on him early in spring training very, very sorry they did that.
I believe Mark Kotsay will be Mondesi and Jordan all over again but that will be okay because Jordan Schafer will pull what Frenchy pulled in 2005.
I believe Frenchy will take the next step and become the superstar we all expect him to become.
I believe this will be the last season for the great Bobby Cox because the Braves are going to win the World Series.
I believe Bobby, Smoltzie, Union Man Tom, Mad Dog and Javy will all ride off into the sunset together come November.
I believe that in 6 years the entire TBS Nation and Generation will flock to Cooperstown, New York as Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux are all inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame together.
I believe there will not be a dry eye in the house and that no one who attends will forget the day.
I believe that although many have questioned the attendance record of Braves fans through the years, the Braves fans will set a Cooperstown attendance record should they induct that fantastic foursome in the Hall together as they all deserve.
I believe it would be a great shame if the Hall of Fame did not find a way to induct Ernie Johnson, Pete Van Wieren, and Skip Caray in on the very same day they induct Bobby, Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine.
I believe it would also be criminal if they did not find a way to induct Ted Turner and The Homeboy Upstairs in on the same day they induct Ernie, Skip, Pete, Bobby, Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine.
I believe that if they inducted all 9 of those fine baseball men into the Hall of Fame on the very same day, it would be the greatest day baseball ever had.
I believe it would be a stroke of absolute marketing genius by a game in desperate need right about now of some good p.r.
I believe that Ted Turner, Ernie Johnson, Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, John Schuerholz, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux should all be enshrined together on the very same day.
And, yes, again, I believe the Braves will win the World Series in 2008.
~williamwallace~
Just terrific, ww! Many thanks!!
Lew, will do!
jjs, will you transfer that post and link over here. Interesting that the young guy thought he wasn’t being “respected” in some areas of his proposed contract as he felt he was due. Rather sounds as if some bum advice was given by a certain agent.
OK – stuff awaits! Later!
(jjs, behave yourself!)
WW: Excellent post. Agreed on all of it… or at least hopeful on the World Series part of it. They can do it. Also hopeful Tex doesn’t play out like that, but like you, I expect it might. Signals point that way at the moment.
My timing is way off… haven’t been posting much lately and every time I do a new blog pops up immediately. So, WW hope you caught my post to you there.
Lew: Get well soon. Give Modest Mouse and Shins a few listens. Their music gets better each time you hear it. It’s contagious… oh, maybe I shouldn’t use that word around you right now.
Now, once again I’ve gotta make like a tree and leaf. Will catch up later…
journalist jimmy smith also believes. good lead, ww.
okay, carolina lady . . . hear it is:
journalist jimmy smith Says:
March 14, 2008 at 11:02 am
a little something different:
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/219673/
some beet writers would not uncover this . . . some would not share this.
and hear is another:
journalist jimmy smith Says:
March 14, 2008 at 11:18 am edit
bobby cox was not joshing. oh, the humanity! that was bad. jimmy smith is trying to blog about bobby cox and not use the now-banned word synonymous with bobby cox on the braves and stuff blog. it is requiring considerable effort on the part of jimmy smith. journalist can be clinical when clinical is called for. “dried nasal mucus” can be substituted, when necessary, for the offending word. see, jimmy smith can cooperate.
and a bitter bobby cox? bitter? never known bobby cox to be described as bitter. and if girardi was postured to become manager because girardi was a bench coach, does that mean that chino cadahia is postured to become a manager hear? old 3b coaches seem to do best off this staff. not bench coaches. and 2 games out of the playoffs. all blamed on players. would pat corrales and bobby dews have made a difference for last year’s team? fredi?
and leadership . . . jimmy smith is gathering jimmy smith’s thoughts on leadership. do not mirror those of terence moore. go figure.
and game ranch. chipper should open a game ranch down by the stadium. money making idea from jimmy smith.
rhinovirus? catch it from a hartebeest?
Terrific post, brave Sir knight! And all this coming from a Yankee fan!
If half of the things that you believe for this season come true, it is going to be one heck of a season.
I’ve never been to Cooperstown. It’s on my “Life’s To Do List”. I’ll be there the day all of those guys gain their entrance. Can’t wait, either.
If Huddy is the current version of David Cone, when can we expect the perfect game?
SG-They both were good, they just caught me while in a Hard Rock mode (which neither of them is). I will listen to them more extensively when I get to my Prog Rock mode-as opposed to my Southern Rock mode or 60’s rock mode. I’m a changeable music listener. Sometimes I even get into a Queen and Jethro Tull mode. BTW-You never told me if you were interested in any of my Tull collection. I’ll record whichever (or all) if you’d like.
I should be glad it’s only a Rhino virus instead of a Ceros Virus, which would mean I was-OH!!!!!The Humanity. Maybe I’d better not go there.
good blogging taking place on the braves and stuff carolina lady blog colossus today – and many of the bloggers are sick. sick in a normal sort of way – not sick in the ajc sort of way. and two ajc employees have been involved in a shooting incident – one more than the other. getting shot is more involved than shooting it seems.
and beware the ides of march. just beware.
Lew, I thought you had one of them, whatyacallit, photogenic rememories??? Even I remember him asking you if you could copy some music for him….
Can’t tease Lew too much today, I need to ask some fairly serious diabetes questions via Email if I can….
SG, big weekend coming up for the Coastal Empire! You gonna steer clear of all the nonsense on the riverfront or are you gonna go find yourself some cheap, green beer down there?
JJS stole my idea before I could post….but anyway,
WW, I believe you are right on most everything in your blog!!! Well done sir! (Even though I am more a Medium rare kind of guy)
I also believe WW should put lawyering on the back burner, and find a way to write for a living….which of course would be a tougher road to hoe. We seem to need lawyers more than we need writers. I don’t see nearly as many ads on TV saying how a baseball beet writer helped X collect $200,000 for “this” accident.
If WW has to continue his lawyerly ways, perhaps free advice on the web??? Lot of ads around the freeness to help pay the way???
Like I said, I can give all sorts of advice no one has asked for, It’s a gift. The Unmarried, childless Berigan is also there for any marital, or child rearing advice anyone should want as well!
Berigan-Ask away. You can always do that and I’ll answer to the best of my abilities. I guess I missed SG’s response in some of the occasional inanity that takes place here (Me and Braveheart having testosterone contests and Bob and Paladin trying to remember what having testosterone was like). However, he knows how to get in touch with me in several ways, so all he needs to do is call or email me and I shall record what he desires.
ww; Great lead!! And it is one of the few posts, and certainly leads, with which I can’t disagree with one word. If that doesn’t scare you, then you are fearless.
And Lew; I remember what having testosterone was like; it’s just that I have forgotten what it’s primary purpose was.
cannot say testosterone hear. also cannot say – .
ww: I believe that was one terrific lead.
While I can’t throw Kotsay under the bus being driven by Mondesi and Jordan, I am pretty much on board with every other point you made.
I believe Chuck James will fill in the Hampton health gap and provide the other 100 innings Hampton can’t provide. The two of them combined will make for one helluva fifth starter. Very astute point, indeed…
(Me and Braveheart having testosterone contests and Bob and Paladin trying to remember what having testosterone was like).
If ever a single line was Wurlitzer-worthy, that was the line!
But, that would be taking/rewarding yourself! Still…bloody good line! 
Paladin! Equally worthy reponse!
You’re quick-witted, when the cells click! 
One more observation before I get back to work: ww has gradeated from beet righters school…he’s now a kolumnist.
WW…outstanding lead!
You’re in the wrong profession, period! You are one very sharp cookie!
FBG and jimmy…belated condolences…and prayers.
VOR…a belated Happy Birthday…actually, jimmy, you as well! Who else have I missed?
CL, SG, Klobber, Berigan…hi to you all!
Running off again!
and carolina o’lady will be having a st patty’s day blog special hear. not to be confused with that other o’blog host. good holiday though for leprechaun-like beet writer with o’name. can wear green socks and eat green cheese. and what might happen to such a beet writer in the clubhouse on st patty’s day?
and posts hear on st patty’s day can be made in green and the favorite emoticon can be mr green
and somebody must hide eggs with chipper on st patty’s day.
good thing about bob and paladin – can hide own easter eggs.
oh, the humanity!
and jimmy smith wonders whatever happened to senor smoke?
Thanks Salty. But, while my mind might have once been a castanet, it now is a Grandfather’s clock. That is one reason I am doing the Law School thing. As long as you can keep the gray matter active, you have a reason for taking up air. Have a good ‘un.
jimmy; Will your — be green on Patty’s day? No, come to think of it, I don’t want to know?
keeping active also keeps the gray matter from turning to mush. jimmy smith admires paladin’s determination. jimmy smith believes in stimuli to keep sharp. not p.e.d. stimuli – keeping active stimuli. of sourse, this journalist is still a young journalist but never too early (or too late) to engage the mind.
jjs: Where will Bobby Cox hide Chipper’s eggs?
Oh, the nasality!
paladin, cannot say that hear. but, yes, green — are a product of st patty’s day. watch the dugout carefully. shamus o’cox will be digging for that pot o’ gold.
and is chino cadahia irish? green pants? green hat?
SG, thanks for the kind words at the back end of the last blog. Wished I worked for The Firm, then I would be rich. Well, not really. I am much more of a public interest/public servant kind of lawyer. Doesn’t make me rich but there is damn good government money to be had in that as well if you are content to never become a millionaire….. I just plan on marrying one.
But I gotta work where the passion is. And, for me, that’s being down in the trenches and dealing with the people. I could do all the other fancy lawyering stuff but I wouldn’t be any good at it because my heart would never be into it. If I feel like I can right a wrong or an injustice at the small individual levels or be a part of something more grand in scope at an overall level that is going to make the government or the people better off, then that is what I want to be doing because it presents challenges and a cause and a reason to believe.
sure and here is a little something for the dugout . . . green doilies. good, green doily-talk on the braves and stuff carolina o’lady blog colossus. and what will the chop o’chick blog be doing to commemorate st patty’s day? molting? oh, the humanity! jimmy smith still remembers. must move on. some good baseball being talked hear in addition to some stuff. remember the name joe borchard.
jimmy; the residue from my strokes makes keeping physically active, difficult. And I am too old to chase blossoms. I just admire pulchritude(like CL’s)from afar. But, it’s never too late to think about it.
the cubs had hoped felix pie could play today after surgery monday to correct what the cubs described as “testicular torsion.”
journalist must sit down and rest for a time.
Is it just me, or has the word dugout taken on a new meaning here in the B&S-hood?
The filter swallowed my nicest post of the day. Go figure!
It spit it out.
pulchritude
I had to go to the dictionary for that one. CL, it is a compliment. It is not another word for ________.
Uh, oh. jjs, move over…
“…correct what the Cubs described as “testicular torsion.” oh, the humanity! worse than twisted testicle.
and greg maddux was struck by a line drive and ww reminds this journalist a bit of atticus smith, lawyer in the smith family. practices in uganda.
and soon – baseball.
VOR, perhaps so, but BC must have taken the expression literally!
Klobber, I hope Hudson has a perfect game in him. But David Cone was pretty awful for the next season and a half after throwing his, so maybe not. That Cone perfect game always reminds me of that Costner movie “For the Love of the Game”. I think it came out right about that time.
Lew: I believe I did respond to your music offer (I think so anyway) and you know I like Jethro Tull a lot, so yes, absolutely… I’d love to get anything pre Benefit or whatever else you have that you think I’d like. We can email details.
Chris, a big weekend for sure and big day today in old Savannah. The Saint Patrick’s parade is about halfway through and the city is busting at the seams with Mardi Gras-like party folks from all over the place. But no green beer for me… or parades this year. Spent many years doing both to it’s fullest and greenest. Grinch would fit right in (beer and green). Nowadays I prefer staying out of the crowds and checking the parade on TV once in a while. Much work to do today anyway.
Music this weekend will include the Pogues, Drop Kick Murphy’s… on and on with many the Irish lads and lasses.
“Pogues, Drop Kick Murphy’s”
That sounds more like a tag-team match than a musical event. Green beer? Green whiskey? Why?
What? No Green Day?
JJS, you may want to sit down, but Felix might not want to yet!
That’s good Irish rock Paladin. Why green beer and whiskey? I just say no to that stuff. I like my whiskey color between clear and brown and my beer unadulterated and free of dye.
A green alcohol exception would be Pernod. Pretty good sipping stuff. Like truth serum. Just check Ernest Hemingway’s Sun Also Rises for that.
SG, you might like Chartreuse too.
Any game info?
Anybody?
No, no, Paladin. I would never want to be a columnist. The days of the columnist has sadly passed in my opinion. There is only one columnist in this town and that is Furman Bisher. The rest of them are clueless waste of print space clowns. Moore, Bradley, Schultz. Gimme a break already.
I read this blog and I read those AJC blogs and I see so many insightful and knowledgeable and passionate regular folks who are far better writers and thinkers than the hacks the AJC puts out there as columnists. If the rest of us can talk and talk and talk and write and write and write all day everyday, why is it they can only put out three crappy columns each a week (If they even do that many)?
Their opinions are often vapid. There is no substance demonstrated. Limited knowledge. No heart and soul. No passion. No outrage. I often wonder if they even watch the games or know what is really going on with the teams. It seems like they don’t like writing or thinking or reading. They often seem afraid to write. I often wonder what these poor saps do with themselves all day everyday. They have all the time in the world to write something and they spit out something that would only take the bloggers here 10 minutes to write. I estimate that they only work 30 minutes combined over the course of a week to write their 3 crappy columns each week.
They are almost always completely out of touch with what is going on. The other trend I have noticed is that they basically plagiarize things all the bloggers have been saying for weeks. By the time they express that opinion themselves, the point is almost no longer relevant because the bloggers have already discussed, argued, and blogged that issue to death. They often seem so timid to challenge a local team. Usually, their articles are nothing more than glorified proaganda brochures for what the team wants them to say. Or, when they do express a negative opinion, it seems to be expressed for the sake of having a negative opinion rather than something they have been objective about and thought deeply about before arriving at an opinion that could only be negative if they were being truly fair and objective about the issue.
And that is not only in this town. It’s all over America. The local columnist is becoming irrelevant because fans are tired of them and are turning to amateurs on blogs and other internet outlets because they express what they as fans think and feel and know and experience. And, frankly, because the amateurs are often far better than the professionals.
There are some great columnists remaining that I read everyday. Guys like Bob Ryan, John Feinstein, Tom Boswell, Shaun Powell, Paul Finebaum, Ian O’Connor, Murray Chass, Harvey Aarton, George Vecsey and a few others. They have their strengths and weaknesses but they all know and love and think and research deeply about the games and people they decide to write about on a particular day. And they are never afraid to express an opinion that is unpopular with the readers or the local teams.
The problem I see with alot of blogs from the amateurs though is the problem I see with the professionals. Their blog columns are not in depth enough. That does not compel me to ever return to their website.
If I had the money to buy the AJC, I would fire almost everyone on staff and hire every blogger here. With all of our different and unique writing styles, knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and thought processes, that would make the AJC the most unique and relevant and kicka@@ newspaper in the country. I would be very afraid to let Furman Bisher read or write anything I wrote though. He would tear my work to shreds.
I’ll google Chartruese… haven’t heard them. Think I’ll do an Irish music weekend starting with the Dropkick Murphys and Pogue, then U2 of course, Smashing Pumpkins, Cranberries and such. Even some good ol’ Chieftains (while eating).
That and some corned beef sammiches and stout beer. Pure Irish mmm…
Erin go Bragh to all’uvya lads and lasses. No blarney.
SOLD!
Erin go braless to you to, SG.
Wait! I have a 13 year old niece named Erin!
Not you, niece dear!!!
I feel so dirty…
Damn, SG knows how to be a dirty mick like me with his music and food choices. Don’t forget to watch The Quiet Man. Always essential St. Paddy’s Day viewing. John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara. A real man and a real woman. Doesn’t get much better.
Just had a post for Raisin that was eaten. That’s twice in one day. Hmmm…
Wellalrightythen… I have to leave. I shall return. Later…
thisworkstuffisseriouslycuttingintomyplaytime.com
6-1 Braves in the bottom of the second. A six-run top of the second, highlighted by a GRAND SLAM by Escobar.
Hudson scratched due to the rain; Bravos don’t want him out there pitching an inning or two then potentially not getting any more work due to the rain (game delayed 30 minutes due to showers, and the forecast in Clearwater is not promising).
Royce Ring starting. Good first inning, but a homer by Greg Dobbs in the second gave the Phils a run. A guy on base now. Probably going to end up with two or three minor-leaguers pitching at the end, since Huddy was going to go five and now instead I’m sure Ring will go no more than two.
–30–
The Quiet Man is on my list of all-time fave 5.
youandmeboth.com
Dammit WW… tryin’ to leave and you hand me that crack pipe!!!!
Quiet Man is one of my all time favorite films. John Wayne an all time favorite actor and, ooh ahh Maureen O’Hara… my first serious crush.
Also watch the Molly Maguires with Richard Harris and Sean Connery. Also, Bloody Sunday… powerful. Then Michael Collins, then The Commitments then My Left Foot… many more. Too many. Looks like I may be inside all weekend.
Try that Raisin post again…
Raisins, you may want to keep an eye on your son. Chip off the old block he is.
Now Scribe hands me the pipe… Grand Salami Yunelescolito!!!
OK… GONE. Really. No, really…
SG, if you have never seen State of Grace, you should see that. Real good highly fictionalized Irish gangster flick made in the early 90s about the Westies. I know you abhor Sean Penn though so you may not want to watch it. But it has Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Robin Wright, John Turturro, John C. Reilly, Burgess Meredith
SG: That actually resembles me more than my boy…
puff puff puff…. what?
State of Grace is indeed a great film. As much as I detest Sean Penn’s politics and warped sense of social priorities, I think he’s one of the best actors and is in some of the best films in the last decade. He’s such a good actor, I forget immediately the other stupid stuff he does in real life, so no problem.
That is a must if you love music, film and politics.
Now, nobody say anything interesting for five minutes and I’ll leave. I know, I know… I won’t let the doorknob hit me in the… on the way out.
Bravo WW… Another fantastic and insightful blog lead by the B&S staff…..
Now, game time…
And that tree still awaits….
My favorite Irish movie was Gone with the Wind.
I use to drink Green beer. I would mix beer and Scope to mess up the old lady.
The Bravos added a field goal. The Foolies get 1 for spelling their name correctly.
Since nothing I say seems to draw fire: The Democrats are in a real quandry. They don’t know whether to vote for the nut with two boobs or the boob with two nuts. Move over jimmy and Klobber. I have senority.
Berigan-You should have mail soon. I just sent chapter two.
SG-On days like today when I paint for a couple of hours and then come back, there are so many posts that I just scan them and it’s real easy to miss something that way.
There were only two albums released prior to Benefit (also one of my favorites), This Was (The only Tull without Martin Barre on guitar and somewhat different than any other-very old blues based-less traditional British folk music) and Stand Up. There are approximately 27 after Benefit. I’ll do a three or four CD compilation and then you can see what you like best and I’ll record more extensively.
For St. Patty’s day-listen to Horslips-sometimes referred to as Ireland’s answer to Jethro Tull. To my way of thinking they are totally different, but I like them both. Let us also not forget Thin Lizzy.
Suspensions given
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/specials/spring_training/2008/03/14/heyman.duncansuspend/index.html?eref=si_mlb
Ow! Thanks for the link, CL. The picture, though, definitely gives me pause to, uh, cringe in brotherly sympathy. I hope nothing got twisted in the incident…
Whew!! When I saw CL’s post I thought I… But seriously folks(comic’s transition)those suspenions were richly deserved. I want ‘em to play hard, but clean. That weren’t clean. And Gerardi will get his.
Braves LIVE boxscore:
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2008_03_14_atlmlb_phimlb_1
Thanks for the link CL. Doesn’t quite seem right to me. Now, granted, I have not seen video of the incident, only still photos. Duncan clearly come in and tried to hurt Iwamura and gets a three day suspension. Gomes comes in and tries to defend his teammate and gets a suspension that lasts almost as long. Duncan’s action was premeditated in my mind, while Gomes was reactionary. Something doesn’t quite seem right about that to me. EIther way, I’ll bet someone bought Gomes a beer that night.
Smoltz and Soriano tomorrow against the Rays
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080314&content_id=2426043&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
Klobber; I agree with you in principle, but you have got to have order. It’s like going to the mound. You have to let the umpires do their job, or its going to become like hockey, with “enforcers”. New subject: The Bravos are playing like “I Believe”!
Duncan’s a goon
Paladin, you gonna start a fantasy baseball league for the blog?
LINEUP:
Paladin – on deck (ready)
Flange1 – AWOL
jjs
ssiscribe
Top of the 9th: 9 – 1 Braves
Yeah, an old timers. I take Ted Williams, Duke Snider, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Micky Mantle, Scooter, Roy Campanella, Ted Kluszewski, Carl Furillo and Billy Martin. Pitching staff: Spahn, Sain, Rain, Maglie, Drysdale, Koufax, The Dean Brothers and The Neikro Brothers. Y’all ready? Play ball!
Speaking of AWOL, where’s Hillbilly??? Did he mention going anywheres???
No Hammer on your team Paladin?
In the supplemental draft Paladin corrects an earlier mistake and takes Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews.
I guess my choices revealed an early-life partialiity to the Brooklyn Dodgers. I loved them and have hated them ever since they moved. But, I hated the Yankees then and have put several of them on my team. I did the Hammer an injustice. He should be on the first line.
Click on it or don’t….but, it does make one wonder how the next president could listen to his preacher more than once without quitting the church!!!
http://election.newsmax.com/obama_pastor2/?s=al&promo_code=4735-1
Paladin, my point about Duncan and Gomes suspensions was that I thought Duncan deserved a lot more time off than Gomes. Looking at the intent, it appears to me that Duncan’s actions were pre-planned while Gomes’ were reactionary. Doesn’t mean that Gomes was completely right in his actions (although his teammates have a little more respect for him) but I just find Duncan to be “more” guilty than Gomes.
And Lew, thanks for taking the time to write all that! I will be smarter this time, and print it out…easier to reference info that way……
I also left off who I think is probably the best pitcher to ever play the game. Bob Gibson
Klobber; I agree. I would have given Duncan 5(and Garardi 3, for ordering it)and Gomes 3.
Paladin, you are clearly prejudiced!!!
No Babe Ruth??? No Jimmie Foxx,Honus Wagner, Goose Goslin, Nap Lajoie, Rogers Hornsby, no Jake Beckley??? No Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Mordecai(Three finger) Brown, Chief Bender, Rube Marquard, Charley Radbourn, Kid Nichols, Christy Mathewson, or even Urban Shocker????
Ageist!!!!
And no, of course I didn’t go to baseball-reference.com to look up a bunch of names I couldn’t think of off the top of my head!! How dare you think or say that!!!
Forgive an old man’s further reminisces. I put Sal Maglie on the team but I HATED him. I well-remember once when he tried to stick it in Ted Williams ear in an ALL STAR GAME, and I had to be restrained from attacking our 5″ screen, b & w TV.
I think Uncle Paladin just took players from his lifetime. Not even he’s old enough for Babe Ruth
Is that the team you are entering Berigan? Loser.
Jake Beckley has 1575 RBI’s…really!!!
and you want a real tough trivia question??? Without looking(Just like me!) guess who is tied for 3rd in all time wins with Christy Mathewson’s 373?????
For leaving him off his roster, Juan Marichal is gonna come over and beat Paladin over the head with a bat like he did to that catcher one time.
What’s a b & w TV?
You are correct, ww, as usual. These are all players(except for the Dean brothers)that I had the privilege to see play. And it was a privilege.
Sal Maglie….a name I didn’t know….what in the world was his story, Paladin??? Rookie at 28???? Then didn’t play again until he was…..33????? And won 18 games that year??? 23 the next???
Dang!!! That almost sounds like a story for a made for TV movie! Too bad he was a headhunter…
Berigan-You’re welcome-It might just be easier for me to write that damn book and get it over with. I really hate writing, though. I’d much rather paint.
“Black & White television”. Jeez! You left-coasters. And ww, I can’t put everybody on my team. I have to leave a few for you chumps.
Just be careful Paladin. Marichal didn’t mess around. And he didn’t like Dodger lovers like yourself
Berigan; Maglie’s nick-name was “The Barber”. He was the original headhunter, as far as I know. And the brushback was the #1 pitch in his arsenal. And NOBODY dug-in on the Barber. As no one later dug in on Gibson.
What I wrote was ridiculous. Maglie certainly was not the original headhunter. Many tried to bean Ty Cobb. Unfortunately, none were successful.
pie traynor
pie a la mode
eskimo pie
rusty kuntz wants to play on your team paladin
American Pie?
rusty kuntz wants to play on your team paladin
Careful! A name like that will get you banned.
Sorry Paladin. But it’s the man’s name. How else am I supposed to say it?
Wouldn’t it be funny if the Braves signed HoRam to a minor league deal, and ended up helping us later this season????
One must have a trainer to eat pie? Never needed any help, myself. I thought it came naturally.
I’ve got to go out and give the pooch some TLC and exercise. Probably see those without dates, after dinner. Take care.
Berigan-Why would you think Horacio would be a help? He wasn’t the last few years he played for us and he sure didn’t help the Mariners last year.
Lew… That is what would make it funny….
what? broke the blog
who? lew
how? rhinovirus at 5:33 P.M.
paladin has a pooch? shrimp sammiches?
I thought that my time in the dog house (death row) had come to an end and my death sentence had been carried out, without me knowing it.
with today’s homerun thorman is now hitting .179. joe borchard is hitting .346. hmmm…..
carolina lady works in mysterious ways. must have pulled the plug. turned off the water. emptied the trash. put out the cat. starting to sound like chipper – gotta go.
Maybe she forgot to pay the blog light bill. Poof! Lights out!
jimmy doesn’t have dates. He doesnt even have raisins.
roughage. need more roughage.
At certain times of the day, I certainly agree.
Where is ww? Don’t tell me he got a date. Bet she’s uglier than a mud fence. But, you got to go with the pitch.
test… test
Can’t hear you. Try later.
SG, Chartreuse is a green-colored liqueur from France, not an Irish band.
and now, for those who miss music with the blogging – celine dion . . .
Every night in my dreams
I see you. I feel you.
That is how I know you go on.
Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on.
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you’re here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never go till we’re one
Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold to
In my life we’ll always go on
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you’re here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
There is some love that will not
go away
You’re here, there’s nothing I fear,
And I know that my heart will go on
We’ll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And the cheese will go on and on
Velveeta?
savannah – not working right now. paladin is right.
Cris is right. Chartreuse is a liqueur made by the monks at the Chartreuse de Champmol in France. This liqueur that gives the color chartreuse (a vivid bright green) it’s name. They’ve been making it for centuries (but probably with different monks)
Excuse me-Chartreuse de Champmol is a monastery.
Don’t mean to be so testy. It’s back!
Funny, I had the same exact thought about Paladin’s pooch. Well, not the shrimp sammich part, but the same otherwise. We’re sick. Paladin has a pooch and a dog.
Chartreuse works at KrYstal.
We have monkeys here in Tennessee that are making green(we can’t spell Chartreuse)sour mash. Can you help us find a market?
Ron, Julia, party of two, your table is ready
Yes, you impolite yahoos, I have a pooch and a dog. But, I got both after I was 70. You should be so lucky.
walking off the pooch while walking the dog . . . very confusing.
Pretty cool stuff. Braves and (cool) Stuff. Look and listen: Chartreuse
CL!!! It did it again. Wah!
SG; I thought you were the “Chablis” type.
Chris, it was just one of those days that Carolina Lady thought it best that we all spend time in the dog house. Pretty tight in there too. Claustrophobic and all. Glad nobody, uh…
Lyrics are good for a blog. Sometimes fitting. Here are some Spring Training baseball lyrics:
Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner
But he knew it wouldn’t last.
Jojo left his home in tucson, arizona
For some california grass.
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back jojo. go home
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Oh dear, seems like the Calabash just won’t go away!
as I was saying 2 1/2 hours ago…
WordPress keeps trying to stop me from posting this! WordPress bored with HoRam talk already???? will try…again!!!
Well, he’s a lefty, and he’s alive!
Don’t know that he would help, but it would be funny(And kinda cruel) if he re-signed with us and was of some use….supposedly 7 teams are looking at him……I assume, all NL teams????
Thanks to NICK in WordPress support, we’re back in business!
(Sorry, gang!)
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Where to? Richmond?
Speaking of the dog house: If I catch one of you sniffing my behind, it’s duke city.
Chablis is no lady Paladin. But if you’re interested I might be able to set you up. Think, The Crying Game. That’s Irish… but irish it were’nt.
Berigan, Braves camp is thick with lefties. I don’t see him getting re-signed here.
(in unison) THANK YOU NICK.
Now playing on a radio station in Myrtle Beach:
Rock The Calabash Bar by The Clash
So that’s who Capt. Calabash is!
Paladin, it isn’t in the filter; dunno what happened to it!
Julia? Julia Child? She had a pooch, but damn she could cook.
Chris, yes. Or elsewhere. Anywhere.
It’s alright CL. I’m like the 10,000 monkeys in a room full of typewriters. Sooner, or later, I’ll re-write it.
Blog problems = cream of chicken soup and a bologna sandwich for supper.
Alright gotta go watch the Bama game. Roll Tide!
Paladin, it isn’t in the filter; dunno what happened to it!
CL was busy upgrading the blog with a new high-tech device that can read minds.
Fried bologna sammich. Mmmm…
SG; and in your case it read “tilt”.
should take chino out for some calabash.
Oh, it’s the half. 217 more hits to go for 30,000 hits.
That would make it 40 days for 10,000.
34 days for the next 10,000.
26 days for the next 10,000.
You’re trending CL. You’re trending. And the season has not even started yet. You go girl!
Way to go, gang!!! Thanks, ww!!!
I think tomorrow will be the 100th day of the B&S blog.
What better day could there be to accomplish 30,000 hits?
I had sauteed green, red, and yellow bell peppers, artichoke hearts, green onions mixed with pasta. Crusty french bread and Chianti. But, I like fried bologna, too.
CL; Any girl should be proud of 10,000 hits made at/on her.
Sorry, 30,000
Is it something I said? Regardless, my eyelids are drooping.
30,000 in 100 days. Not bad at all! It’s because y’all are so entertaining to read! Got the BEST bloggers that have ever been!
ww, you keep good records!
No, Paladin – was arguing with the auto-refresh on Firefox!
I have some catching up to do. Back later!
CL; Was iit somebody in India?
WW has a head for numbers. Bob has a head for numbers. Lew has a head for numbers… Lew’s numbers are rolled.
I have a head for numbers. 1-2-3-4. See, I’m smarter than most on the other blog.
I know this announcement will be greeted with great jubilation by some. I’m going to bed. C many of you tomorrow?
Well, you all have made me hungry reading about your dinners and such. Then, movies and popcorn with Mrs. Guy. I’ll check back later if can.
Will there be a dominator amongst you tonight? Lyrics? Poems? Baseball? Opines?
whereintheheckhasthelatenightshiftbeenoflate.com
Caught you before you left… G’nite Paladin. Good night all. Good night John Boy.
smootch smootch.
Leave you night owls with this to ponder. Another in the case of how the mighty have fallen.
`King of Torts’ Cops a Plea
Published: 3/14/08, 8:27 PM EDT
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, the legendary trial lawyer who made Big Business tremble every time he set foot in court, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to bribe a judge – a crime that could send him to prison and spell the end of his storied legal career.
Federal prosecutors are asking for the maximum of five years behind bars for the 61-year-old Scruggs, the multimillionaire “King of Torts” who combined a shrewd legal mind and aw-shucks country-lawyer charm to extract billions of dollars from the tobacco and asbestos industries, among others.
He will also lose his license to practice law.
Scruggs and another lawyer in his firm, Sidney Backstrom, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud for offering a $50,000 cash bribe to a Mississippi judge for a favorable ruling in a dispute over legal fees from a Hurricane Katrina insurance lawsuit.
In return for Scruggs’ guilty plea, prosecutors will recommend that the judge drop several other counts against him, including fraud. No sentencing date was set during the hearing at the federal courthouse in Oxford.
Scruggs’ son and law partner, Zach, also is charged in the case but did not enter a plea and is expected to go to trial.
For months, Scruggs appeared intent on fighting the charges, and many reporters who had closely followed the case were caught off-guard by the plea bargain. Scruggs folded after two of his co-defendants turned on him, one of them secretly tape-recording him for the FBI.
Federal prosecutors refused to comment, and Scruggs’ attorneys did not immediately return calls.
A giant of the nation’s plaintiffs’ bar, Scruggs was a chief architect of the $206 billion nationwide tobacco settlement in the 1990s, working with whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco company scientist. The actor Colm Feore played Scruggs in the 1999 movie about the case, “The Insider,” starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.
After Katrina struck in 2005, Scruggs sued insurance companies on behalf of hundreds of homeowners whose claims were denied.
Many industries that have tangled with Scruggs regard him as a buccaneer, a shakedown artist with a law degree.
Scruggs has been “the bane of Wall Street,” and leaders of some of the companies he sued might take satisfaction in his downfall, said Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor and authority on legal ethics. He described Scruggs as “an exceptionally prominent American lawyer with astonishing success and wealth from law practice.”
Scruggs’ license to practice law will be revoked, which is standard in the case of a felony conviction, said Bobby Bailess, president of the Mississippi Bar Association. Under the rules, Mississippi lawyers who are disbarred for a felony cannot seek reinstatement.
Scruggs was indicted along with his son and three associates in November.
They were accused of conspiring to bribe Lafayette County Circuit Judge Henry L. Lackey, who was overseeing a dispute between Scruggs and other lawyers over $26.5 million in legal fees from a mass settlement of Katrina cases. Lackey reported the bribe overture to the FBI and worked undercover.
Two of the men indicted, lawyer Timothy Balducci and former Mississippi State Auditor Steve Patterson, pleaded guilty and began working with the prosecution.
Balducci admitted to the FBI that he paid the judge $50,000 in cash and said he did so at the behest of the Scruggses and Backstrom. Balducci also wore a wire and recorded incriminating statements from Scruggs.
Scruggs lives in Oxford and flies to and from legal engagements around the South in his personal jet. The Mississippi native is also supremely well-connected politically as both the brother-in-law of former Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., and a major contributor to Democrats.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi, he is one of the school’s largest donors. The music department building at Ole Miss bears his name.
Lew uses a pipe.
67890
OH thanks CL. Now I look like an even bigger idiot than usual!
I look like I”M the one using a pipe!
anyone watching the SEC basketball tournament? Georgia Dome looks like it might have been hit by a tornado. The roof and scaffolding is shaking
Not watching but I just flipped over to ESPN and they were showing the catwalks and roof swaying from side to side. Crazy stuff!
jimmy smith was doing research on famous beet writers and jimmy smith did a google search (caution! this is high risk stuff on a blog) for “beet writer” . . . and jimmy smith found out that chop seal is the number one beet writer that comes up – and braves and stuff blog is number one, too. oh, the humanity! already the number one beet writer and only a seal.
008… sounds like the subject of a John Grishom book….
yes, the georgia dome took a hit of some kind. imagine how bad that might have been with the huge crowd in attendance! and worse, imagine city of atlanta responders having to take charge! the mitchell street bridge was closed today owing to deterioration. the whole infrastructure of the city is in disrepair. and city government is dysfunctional. oh, well . . .
You can’t put that much tornado bait in one place and not expect a tornado to hit. I mean you got Bama, Tucky, UGA, Miss State people all in one place.
jjs, infrastructure everywhere is falling apart and Obama wants to send hundreds of billions of US tax dollars – overseas. Does that make sense to anyone???
yep, lots of trailer dwellers in that group
well, carolina lady . . . city of atlanta deserves no bail-out and jimmy smith thinks sewers and bridges and sidewalks and public safety are for the locals to provide. but, yes, jimmy smith understands carolina lady’s point.
Everybody OK in Atlanta?
Hey, everybody! Is the UGA/UK game on TV anywhere? The ajc says its on FSN, but I get the PAC-10 tourney there. That makes sense, doesn’t it, to have the PAC-10 on in the south and no SEC..?
Raisins, I found it on a weird channel. I’d tell you which one but since we’re not in the same area I don’t think it would help!
play has not yet resumed. the building did get hit. there is exterior damage and damage to buildings in the immediate area.
Has the SEC tourney been halted because of the Dome damage?
Possible Tornado hits Atlanta
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/03/14/atlanta.tornado/index.html
Well, that ’splains that, huh?
journalist jimmy smith, do you know if Blossom is working tonight? Is she safe?
Just heard on the Weather Channel that CNN Center & Phillips Arena were damaged too.
world congress center and cnn just on t.v. – both damaged. windows knocked out -debris on the ground. possible tornado touched down at 9:40 p.m. 10,000 customers without power. reports of large hail downtown.
teams have returned to the floor and the game will resume.
no blossom tonight – only obama and obama’s preacher. over and over and over again.
Texted Grinch. He said it was all north of him so far.
Oh the humanity!
lots of debris on the ground. debris around the exits. the crowd will leave soon and no responders are evident. no one removing the twisted metal and broken glass. can see no evidence of debris removal – no police presence visible on camera.
63 minute delay. play has resumed.
It’s all south of Jefferson. Nothin’ goin’ on around here…
fbg: Rabun is clear…
Still showing USC/UCLA on FSN.
Raisins, it’s not showing on FSN in Charleston. Showing some other weird channel. Check your TV guide.
Thanks, VOR. Looks like a 2nd round of storms headed for downtown. I know Grinch, Berigan & Scribe are south of there. Be safe, y’all!
Hmmm… TV guide… now there’s a thought…
roads are blocked – centennial olympic park was hit. billboards down – roofing on the ground. one serious injury at philips arena. trees down in park. hail stones 1 3/4″ in diameter. news reports are that people will not be allowed to leave the area for a time. storms popping up all around the area. dangerous situation.
OK… UGA/UK has not yet even begun due to the delay. It may not. Surreal situation at the Dome and at Philips…
more video on t.v. streets blocked. trees down. gsu hit, edgewood ave closed. looks like there will be no one leaving downtown for awhile. can’t get out. live wires down (electrical) -big mess on the streets. raining again – hard rain.
journalist is going to bed in the face of danger . . .
I’m watching the news now. Alot of damage downtown. Wow… Unbelievable that there weren’t more people hurt. Windows were blown out of CNN Center and down onto Marietta St. damaging cars and stuff. Crap strewn everywhere.
A hotel chair is in the middle of Marietta St. having been blown out of the Omni Hotel.
more video – dozens of injuries. windows blown out of omni hotel. structural damage cnn and omni hotel. vacant building has collapsed. porta potties in the road! that’s right, porta potties in the road.
now, really going to bed.
I just saw a few minutes of streaming video from WGCL? and one building shown was 90% destroyed. Looked to be an office building. Lost signal.
Weather channel is doing a “show”, CNN is all-Obama all the time & Headline News is talking about Paris Hilton. Is a natural disaster not newsworthy anymore?!?
I’m still watching the news from Atlanta on Fox 5. It is a miracle that more people weren’t hurt. Fortunately, they were mostly inside in relative safety. Omni Hotel, CNN Center, World Congress Center… alot of damage.
Spoke briefly to Grinch. He & Pup are OK right now but could see the lightning getting closer. Power & internet are out, of course.
Grady Hospital and Peachtree/Westin Hotel were damaged as well.
from CNN:
“Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Capt. Bill May said there were numerous injuries and widespread damage reported in downtown Atlanta, with roofs ripped off and trees torn down.”
ATL police officer reporting that I-75 is slow due to trees blown onto the roadway.
Tony Taylor is interviewing a cab driver that cannot clearly communicate. Live TV at it’s best…
Wow! Just got back from eating dinner with a friend at a Ruby Tuesdays in Lovejoy….not a drop of rain…we saw flashes of lightning, wondering if we might get some rain….had no idea!!! No one talking about it at the restaurant, just amazing!!!
At least you’re getting coverage, VOR. That’s better than what the news channels are providing.
Now, they switched to Charles Molineaux, who chose to interview another cab driver. Can’t understand him either…
Raisins, they always seem to find those people in a crowd, don’t they?
Glad to hear from you, Berigan!
THe game has been postponed
Not a big surprise there. It was something to see the replay of all the players just stop in their tracks & look up.
Crazy… Outside the Omni Hotel, there are ceiling tiles, linens, roofing material, glass, insulation and other debris all over the road. A billboard fell over on a bunch of cars. At least one small building collapsed. A part of an apartment building on Boulevard (The Stacks Lofts, they are saying)has collapsed and people are trapped inside.
More info is now coming in from several areas, not just around the Dome.
FLB, you mentioned the weather channel, you wouldn’t expect the weather channel to have live footage of the weather, or give warnings, when they can run a canned program, that has little to do with weather, do ya???
A couple of South Carolina fans say they saw the tornado coming and just ran for cover inside the Omni Hotel. They both say they are thankful to be alive. All these folks are now coming outside; they’re cut up from all the flying glass.
An eyewitness is reporting downtown as “chaotic.”
Raisins, you can’t trust those SOuth Carolina fans. Remember that scene in the Borat movie where he was with those frat boys from USC? Mmm-hmmm.
You NEVER hear of tornados hitting big cities! I mean, it can happen, but very rarely. People still talked about a big one that hit St Louis in the 50’s…
Channel 2 is showing water running down the stairs in some building….
Both the Dome and Philips has let all of their people out, and new storm warnings were just issued for just east of Atlanta; should arrive downtown in about 35 minutes.
I haven’t been to ATL in a few years now, but I don’t remember seeing ANY trailer parks anywhere downtown. What gives? Did mother nature get some bad directions, or what?
Berigan, while it is 15 minutes or so early, please allow me to be the first to wish you a Happy Birthday!
Berigan: You’re right. It NEVER hits downtown, but WW very astutely noted earlier: You can’t put that much tornado bait in one place and not expect a tornado to hit. I mean you got Bama, Tucky, UGA, Miss State people all in one place.
These people aren’t going to be able to go home with so many streets closed…they need to plow some of the roads free of junk and let people leave, or there will be real trouble!!!
Very funny, Scottish knight…
Thanks Chris! Now, I guess my biggest wish will be the storm headed our way will not be as bad as the storm that hit Buckhead!!!
It looks like the current storm may skirt to the north of downtown Atlanta, but who knows?
Alot of damage around the Dome. UGA/UK was postponed. Semi’s and finals yet to play. I wonder if they will have to move the rest of the tourney…
I still can’t get over the fact that with 10,000+ fans at both the Dome and Philips, no serious injuries have been reported. The good Lord had His arms around alot of folks tonight!
You got that right VOR!!!
The Peachtree/Westin Hotel sustained significant damage to its exterior. No injuries are reported there.
Happy Birthday, B3. Duck and cover!
Good news! Nobody trapped at The Stacks Lofts…
CNN Finally has coverage….Weather channel back to weather…but got off Atlanta, so we got off their channel….both are based in Atl, so naturally it took about 2 hours to get to the story in their back yard….
Reports of tractor trailers blown over onto their side on Memorial Dr. in Atlanta.
B3, I’m watching Fox 5. They are covering this extensively…
Thanks VOR!!! by the by, don’t no one think they get out of wishing me a happy birthday once the sun comes back up!
I like birthdays, unlike some people…even being 41…well, don’t like that fact….but, whatyagonnado???
Many old magnolia trees on Marietta St. near GSU were blown over.
About 19,000 homes without power right now…
Raisins, If they don’t move some other games of the tourney that would force one team to play two games in one day. Is that a reasonable expectation? I’m not a baseball fan, so someone else needs to answer that question.
Berigan, I don’t like birthdays, but I suppose it’s better than the alternative!
I just realized that I am repeating to the colossus blog the news that I am watching on TV. I don’t know why…
You sure write a fair bit about a sport you don’t like!
klobber: I can’t imagine any way they’d have a team play twice in one day. From the looks of things, the Dome may not be useable tomorrow… I did just hear a report that Philips Arena saw only minor damage. Maybe that is a possibility… Regardless of where they play, the semi’s and final would have to be delayed at least one day because of what you mentioned. Perhaps they move the UGA/UK game to Philips, or even Alexander Memorial, and the Dome could be ready to resume hosting on Sunday.
That’s OK Raisins. I finally found coverage on CNN so I’m just now seeing the first images of it.
I like all sports, just some more than others…
BERIGAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!!!
VOR, I was just kidding Chris since he said he wasn’t much of a baseball fan, when he of course meant basketball….
Raisins, I’m seeing images of Phillips Arena and it’s pretty beat up too. Of course, it could just be cosmetic.
Funny enough, I spent my long ride home last night listening to a good portion of the UGA/Ole Miss game on the radio. It was a good’un. I have been looking forward to the UGA/UK game all day.
You know this is going to look terrible tomorrow when brick buildings are damaged!!!!
It just occured to me that I’m supposed to go downtown to a concert at Philips Arena tomorrow evening!
I was in Charleston for Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Hugo was a strong Category 3 storm. I saw the damage first hand and can tell you that the video and still images that I saw of it didn’t do the damage any justice. This was no Hugo, but I’d be willing to bet that the damage looks a lot worse in person than what we are seeing on tv.
CNN finally got with the program. Wow.
It looks like a bomb went off outside CNN Center.
VOR, looked to me like the outside of Philips was peeled off. They call that minor?
Methinks you will be saving some gas VOR!!! How ironic, you will no doubt get a raincheck…..
I don’t think you are now, VOR. Heard a report of holes in the walls of the World Congress Center.
I haven’t seen the images of Philips. I’m still on the network news. They reported the “minor damage” earlier. I’ll move over to CNN (which I NEVER watch)
Oh! I’m getting seasick from that camera dude!
I have luckily only been in weaker hurricanes & tropical storms, Chris, but even those caused a huge mess. And I saw the parts of Florida south & east of here that were hit by the series of hurricanes a few years back. They have still not fully recovered.
The inane newscrawl running across the bottom is killin’ me…
And in the midst of all this mess… Happy Birthday, Berigan!!!
Oh, man, that woman’s voice is completely annoying! I gotta get off of CNN…
Wow, I’m looking at a pile of bricks that used to be an automotive shop. Dang!
Fox 5 reporter saying witnesses are telling him they saw 2 tornados. Of course, they look like they might see double often.
Thanks FLB!
Everyone still has to wish me the same thing after I wake up “tomorrow!”
I was going to say there is something to beware the Ides of March, but the storm hit when it was still the 14th…..
And now CNN has breaking news of Tori Spelling on Larry King……..
Fox 5 again reporting only minor damage at Philips Arena…
More eyewitness accounts of seeing “the funnel.”
Maybe its just some kind of siding on the building. Looked to me like big metal strips had been peeled off.
Fortunately, it looks as though the last 2 smaller/weaker cells of this storm system will pass just barely to the north of downtown Atlanta. Of course, the big storm is due in tomorrow.
I must now go to bed. It is way past my beddy-bye time, and God knows I need my beauty sleep.
G’night everybody…
fbg: Is that Philips? The Dome kinda looked like that.
Goodnight VOR! Remember, no concert tomorrow!
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin will be holding a news conference in about a half-hour where she will announce that due to the fact that the city of Atlanta has a $65 million deficit, and that since all city departments are ordered to reduce their annual budgets by 25% which will result in massive layoffs, that the storm damage must also reduce itself by 25%.
That’s a good one Raisins.
The shot I saw had the Philips sign on the outside.
Looks like the worst is over now. ‘Night, y’all.
Last note:
<a href=”http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3294382″ rel=”nofollow”Info on the SEC tourney canbe found here. I hope I did that right…
G’night!
I did not do that right…
Cut and paste this link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3294382
Holy crap! It still posts as a hyperlink… cool!
Now, g’night.
goodnight flb!!! Getting tired myself….
One last note (again):
ajc.com
Hawks official: Philips Arena OK
Published on: 03/14/08
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said Philips Arena apparently sustained no damage from the severe windstorm that hit downtown Atlanta on Friday night.
Inside the arena, there were no immediate signs of fallen debris, but small pieces from a ceiling tile landed on the Hawks’ practice court.
“From what I hear, we’re OK,” Triche said after the Hawks’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers. “They’re checking the roof right now in one corner, but everything looks fine so far.”
The Hawks were playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth quarter when the storm tore a hole in the roof at the Georgia Dome, which is located in the same complex as Philips and less than one-half mile from the arena.
During the Hawks’ game, arena officials made no public announcements about the storm.
At the dome, Southeastern Conference officials briefly stopped the final night game of the men’s basketball tournament, but play later resumed in Mississippi State’s win over Alabama.
Concert is on! G’night!
Grinch, I agree, women are confusing.
And, I expect more from you than simple 3:00 eastern time domination. You originators are held to a higher standard. You are required to post something meaningful at all times. Us hangers-on/followers/ninth-wheels only have to post jibberish to achieve domination.
Mr. Savannah, check this website:
thelateshiftisreadybutfeelsstupid(andisstupid)postingalone.com
In all seriousness, I’m glad all you folks are ok. I didn’t even realize a tornado was possible in Atlanta. Us California folk don’t like these earthquakes, but the sizeable ones are twenty years apart, and the best thing is we get no warning. I don’t know how these people in the Mid-West and Florida do it, with constant tornado and hurricane warnings.
So, do you think Hampton was hurt by 80 mph winds and falling glass 400 miles away?
Morning, Steve; it’s fixin’ to hit here; the thunder/lightning is continuous and getting closer and louder. Time to shut the ‘pooter down. I have no regrets in life.
008,
a small test to see if you skim the overnights, as I recently saw you post criticizing others who don’t. I was joking about the b&w television. Where I come from, about the only way to show appreciation for someone is to criticize them (lovingly, of course). And it’s awful hard to find something to be critical of for anybody here. I figure the age gap is the one area I can score a point or two.
Hiya, Christmas Stealer.
Miss Velvet said the power had already shafted you once…you got another one coming through?
Do you folks actually shut the electronics down during a storm? I didn’t think so, but with the journalist’s (the hot tub one) many posts on the subject, and now Grinch’s, perhaps you do. I thought (in my infinite wisdom) that this stuff was grounded, and it didn’t matter.
Keep in mind, we have no idea on the left coast. Half an inch of rain and it’s “Storm Watch 2008.”
It may be grounded in the City …. but out hear, it can be dangerous if the generator gets overloaded, especially outside hear in in the bathroom where the TV antenna serves as a lightning rod.
Over the years, we’ve had three, maybe four power surge incidents that were storm related … two years ago, two servers were hit and both motherboards and five hard drives were “fried” with all data lost.
Downtown Atlanta was a mess last night … we drove to Roswell yesterday … rained all the way from Nashville to Atlanta … thunder rolls this morning before dawn and the wind is up on the lake …
From the southern rim of our bruised and battered capital city, all are safe here. Up early, thanks to a second round of storms that have no doubt wiped out this morning’s double-dip of T-ball practice, but that’s a minor loss compared to what I’m seeing on my TV this morning.
I have sat in the Dome many times, mostly as a reporter high up in the building. I honestly don’t know what I would have done last night had I been in there covering the Falcons or a high school game. Having covered a major political summit, a Super Bowl and other big events, the thought of a terrorist attack has crossed my mind.
Never thought about a tornado interrupting an assignment, though.
I think the scary thing for me is this: I actually had considered taking my kids downtown last night. I was in New York City Wednesday night and saw the crowds milling around Madison Square Garden, and thought it might be cool to go down to CNN Center and grab some dinner with the kids, do some people watching as folks milled around for the SEC Tournament and maybe go hang out in Centennial Olympic Park, one of my and my kids’ favorite places to go in downtown.
Obviously, glad I didn’t.
Keep our city and the victims in your thoughts and prayers. It’s at moments like this when the significance of the SEC Tournament is dwarfed by much greater concerns.
Stay safe. God Bless.
The Scribe abides.
–30–
Happy birthday Berigan!
A nice early gift of yet another storm blew thru at 6:30 am….4 hours of sleep. Bad enough I often wake up for no good reason, now…a good reason! At least I have a roof over my head, so can’t complain too much!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERIGAN!!!!
And Gil, at 5:53 you posted a “test” for me. I saw it during my regular scan of the overnights. I also saw where you think the “King of Torts” would make a good Grisham novel. I do too.
Hoist on my own petard! It was BAS who was testing me. The “oo8″ threw me off. Anyway, I saw both posts.
And I knew you were busting my chops, Steve, just as I–in return–was busting yours. C yah later?
Salty, did you see where the Birmingham News is doing a thing where you can vote for the greatest all time Bama sports legend? I think they have already done the first round but here is the bracket for the second round:
http://www.al.com/contests/madness/sports-legend-bracket.pdf
You can vote here:
http://www.al.com/contests/madness/
I would almost pay out of my own pocket to get Boof Bonsen from the Twins. A season’s worth of comments by jimmy would be worth it.
Harry Gilmer.
And if Boof was from Ala would he just have one toof?
As for the damage in Centennial Park: At least they can’t blame Richard Jewell, this time.
7 out of 8!! Domination!!!
Boof is from Alabama…toofless, though!
WW…thanks for the link…will have to check that out!
Going for domination here!
I am one of those ‘and idiots’ that officiates sporting events. I got into it because:
1. there weren’t enough officials at my kids’ soccer matches
2. I thought I knew more than I did
3. I wasn’t being a very good fan, and
4. I believe in ‘walking a mile in another’s shoes’ when push comes to shove.
So…last night I subjected myself to yet another round of ‘torture’ doing some high school soccer. The crap I and my colleagues hear, the behavior displayed by coaches, and the actions of the kids defy belief at times. Interstingly, one school was religious affiliated. Trust me when I say neither fellowship, nor Christianity were in evidence!
I do, however, believe the course in hypocrisy has full attendance!
Must get to my Sat. am chores and errands. But, let me leave you with this:
A FOOL AND HIS MONEY…can throw one hell of a party.
Interstingly is the same as interestingly, just light on the e!
Looks like all Braves and Stuffers (stuff’ers?) survived the tornados. That storm caught everyone by surprise and several hours earlier than was even expected in Atlanta. Glad our capital city denizens were unscathed. Good thing Scribe didn’t take the little scribes to Centennial Park, after seeing the debris and those big torches downed. Looks like more storms coming today… be safe Atlantians.
As for the damage in Centennial Park: At least they can’t blame Richard Jewell, this time.
Classic Paladin. Well done sir.
Next round of storms will be on the city doorsteps in time for lunch!
G’morning everyone. Happy Birthday again, B3.
Craziness overnight in Atlanta. And how about this quote: Friday’s storm could be “nothing to compare with what’s coming in tomorrow,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Leary. I slept through this morning’s edition.
As far as I know, the concert I am attending at Philips Arena later today is still on. The arena is OK, but I wonder about navigating the area. The SEC tourney is moved to Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Salty: Unfortunately, many private schools, including “Christian” schools, are simply the landing place for kids who have been banished from public schools. They and their biological predecessors (it takes more than reproduction to be parents) should not be a reflection of the school itself.
Salty, you’ve entered the belly of the high school sport beast. I’m sure most is very enjoyable and even inspirational, but some of the behavior there is pretty disturbing.
Good for you to put your money where your mouth is and invest your time there. Maybe you’ll do or say one thing that can make a difference there.
SG: Could Braves and Stuffers (stuff’ers?) be abbreviated to BSers?
Raisins…I don’t think they’re allowing anyone into the area yet…which is largely why the SEC tourney was moved. Getting everyone out last night was a logistical nightmare! It’s not the buildings, per se, the streets aren’t passable and power lines are down.
Salty; I have to comment. When soccer began to take hold here in the South, two of my boys were “of the age”, so I became a “coach”. All I knew was you kicked the ball and if it went in the “net” you got points. I didn’t even know how many. But, away I went. And you can’t believe the crap I took from parents. As a result, my boys who were 2 of my best players sat more than anyone else. And I was harder on them. If I go to hell, that will be one of the mortal sins I will answer for. Anyway, one who hasn’t walked in those shoes(coach or ref) would be appalled at how tightly they pinch. Good luck, my friend.
paladin: I have coached in several sports, but the sport in which I have witnessed the most unbelievable parent (again, I use that phrase loosely) behavior was baseball. The very first team I coached was a Pony League (11-12) baseball team. I was only 21 at the time. 11-12 is a great age to coach, because the kids are old enough to have talent, but not so old that they think they know everything. My third baseman was a pretty good kid, good not great, whose dad had played minor league ball. He rode the kid constantly. After the kid struck out in a game, the dad yelled out onto the field to the kid, “You better find a ride home, because you aren’t getting in a car with me!” Appalling; the kid was more embarassed than anything. The irony is that he probably would have been a much better ballplayer if his dad woulda layed off. I think the kid hated being there at all.
Raisins; I wasn’t that big of a jerk; I at least waited until I got them in the car, to berate them. But, I was a jerk never-the-less.
Wow… I’m now seeing new images from downtown Atlanta this morning…
How myopic was I last night just looking at the reports around the Georgia Dome? Unbelievable damage in surrounding areas…
I’ll say this, and then shut up. So many “adults” go in to coaching for an ego trip, to live vicariously through the exploits of their team. Many actually believe that they are pushing these little boys into being what they themselves “were”, when actually they are trying to push them much beyond the “adults’ meager accomplishments. And just as it frustrated them when it happened in their youth, it frustrates them even more and they take that frustration out on the kids. Again, I wasn’t that bad…but close.
The Great Soccer Santini.
I hadn’t thought of that, SG, but you nailed it!
They live vicariously as fans, too…and as mentioned earlier, I was no poster child (Dad). However…I didn’t like what I’d become and set out to change it, and my sons took the course as well. That was fun, working as a crew.
It’s not the sport…it’s a reflection on society. Very seldom do I get upset at an official’s call…which isn’t to say frustration doesn’t crop up. Still, I know how hard I work on the games, how seriously I adopt my role, and most of all, how much I simply want to let the kids enjoy their game and not influence the outcome. There is no reason (usually) for me to believe any official doesn’t take the same approach in their games.
I know I’m droning…and frankly should simply take this topic up as a future lead, but folks need to realize we officiate/coach for love of the game and to share same with the kids. We work all day, and take time well into the evenings, many nights/week for those kids. Seldom do parents, other coaches, and players recognize it’s a sacrifice to our own time and families for their benefit…and is largely why many walk away. Why go home feeling worse than when you arrived? And lastly, too often, I don’t really see the kids having fun.
Raisins, watching the self-centered CNN report on the tornados last night and focusing so much on their own building and adjacent hotel was just like watching CNN report on any given issue that they are biased toward.
At one point during and interview, an SEC fan had to help the reporter find words for his live report. That’s, uh… and idiot reportage.
Then, ironic as it may seem, after hitting CNN the twisters veered left.
Of all of the sports teams that my 12 year old son has played on, he has been blessed with #1 pretty good people, #2 pretty good coaches. The only coach he has ever had that was a complete jerk was his last baseball coach – 4 years ago. That coached turned my boy away from playing baseball forever. That team went 17-0, including the league championship, but my kid said it was the worst season he ever had in sports.
Amen Salty, amen.
And interview… that works.
When God hits CNN with a twister, you know he is on his game and has his best stuff!
You should see how youth wrestling refs are abused…
Salty, just gather up and tell them something I used to tell my kids (and my employees):
If you’re not having fun, your fired.
Savannah(Donald Trump)Guy.
your fired… I must need more coffee. Dyslexia is kicking in.
Then, ironic as it may seem, after hitting CNN the twisters veered left.
SG….thanks for a good laugh!
In truth, officiating (probably coaching, too) is a lot like golf: just when you want to give it up, along comes that one good shot that pulls you back in! Thankfully, memory has a way of retaining the good, and tossing out the ‘trash’!
Trump? I’ll take his money… not the comb-over.
When God hits CNN with a twister, you know He is on his game and has His best stuff!
That’s a gem, too!
This past year, the local rec center changed policy on coaches for their 11-12 football league. Since it is the last step before the school system teams, the High School’s head coach hand picked the rec teams’ head coaches. No dads were allowed to be head coaches. It was awesome. My son learned more in that one season than in all of his previous seasons combined.
And…not a surprise at all, Tornado Watch issued until 7:00PM for pretty much all of North and Central Georgia. Looks like the first test is within the next hour…my end of town (North) and onwards to you, Raisins. Hey, it’s Mother Nature’s call…we’ll wait and see!
Salty, many golfers are obsessive compulsive, just like fishermen… and bloggers for that matter.
Can’t tell you how many times we would decide to head in after a day of fishing and on the last cast, catch a nice fish. That was just enough to suck us into re-baiting and try for another… and again and again. The justification over and over was, just one more cast. Called ourselves “The Mexicans” (Juan Moores). Juan Moore cast and we go home. Can’t leave with an air ball or rim shot either.
Many returns after dark and into the evening… until the bait or beer ran out.
Type A people shouldn’t be allowed to participate in sports. In golf if I shot a 78, instead of rejoicing, I went home and practiced putting on the carpet, because ‘if I had just made that putt on 16″. When I was playing tennis and won a big match I spent more time lamenting my poor shots than exulting in my good ones. I would say that being a type A is a curse, but then it probably kept me alive during the 20 + years that I flew. But, don’t play chess or checkers with me without eye protection.
Paladin is on a roll. Must be a jelly roll with that pooch.
Good morning all…. Happy birthday Berigan..
Officially middle age?
Glad to hear all our friends in Atlanta are no worse for wear.
No real time to stay and play today but will catch up again later…
Can’t leave with an air ball or rim shot either.
Looks like Lou Dobbs really went on a rampage yesterday. His homer yesterday against Royce G-Ring-O proved that Gringos don’t protect the border and then the old blowhard Dobber blows real hard and blows the CNN center and half of downtown Atlanta over.
This Congress, this administration, really better start listening to the Dobber. Apparently, he ain’t just talking anymore. He means business now
I want to re-write something the filter swallowed last night. It is totally out-of-contex now, but what the hell.
When talking about my “dream team” Babe Ruth came up. No, I didn’t see him play, but I saw him in person just before his death. He was so bloated, he looked as if he would explode. He didn’t look like that through my young eyes, however; he looked like a god. But, looking at the pictures of him when he played, do you think he could get around on the pitching he would see now? I don’t think so. I think a lot of pitches were “served up” in that time. A lot.
I think all of the others would do well, now. Except Ted Kluszewski. I think he would be a Thorman, now.
So, there it is. For what’s worth.
“context”
Oh, yeah… baseball. I kinda forgot about that.
“For what it is worth”. Type A requires it.
Paladin, I think Babe Ruth would have been unbelievable in whatever era he played in. He really wasn’t that fat, especially when he was younger. The man was an incredible athlete. I think alot of the movies have made people remember him as this morbidly obese guy when he really wasn’t. At his fattest in his later years, he didn’t look that much fatter than Prince Fielder or Cecil Fielder or John Kruk or Tony Gwynn or what Nick JOhnson looked like a few years ago or what Brian McCann looked like last year. All of those guys have no problem getting around on fastballs. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe Dimaggio, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial would have been dominant beasts in any era.
The Babe wasn’t any larger than Barry’s head…
Happy Birthday Berrigan and many happy returns. May the cedar waxwing of health and happiness land on your shoulder… without making a mess.
Paladin, is a post do-over with two followup poopoo do-overs called a poo poo on top of a doo doo-over or, since it’s St. Patty’s weekend, maybe a triple Mulligan? I have at least two poops in every post. What the hay.
Uh, oh… CL will surely erase this. Better go find my pooper scooper.
ww; good points, but I probably should have qualified “get around”. I think he could get around on anyone’s fast ball, it is the sliders and other “stuff” I am talking about. And he was a fantastic athlete; pitching and all!
Carolina Lady, can we train WordPress to automatically spellcheck and grammar-correct posts so we can all be, uh… less of and idiot?
No? Didn’t think so. That whut eye thawght.
SG; Is all that poo poo what you don’t want the waxwing to do on Berigan’s shoulder? Talk about mixed metapoos.
In that blog lead, I said Ted Turner should be a Hall of Famer. Do people agree with that? I think he should because, despite all of his mistakes, he drove the game and understood how to sell his own personal name brand, the name brand of his team, and the name brands of his television stations unlike most. The TBS thing was genius. The America’s Team thing was genius, although flawed, as well. I think it really laid the groundwork down for all of those 14 division titles. When he finally got himself a dream team with the Braves of Kasten, Cox, and the Homeboy Upstairs, there was no stopping the Braves because he had helped create a fan base that was dying for the team to win and that financially supported the team. Without Ted doing all that dirty work growing the fan base from 1976 until 1990, that division title run may have run out 10 years before it did. I dunno. Those are some of my thoughts. But it’s hard to credit the other 8 I mentioned without appreciating that all 8 of them woudn’t have had all that success without the foundation and infrastructure for it being laid by Ted.
I’m surprised that Bob has not chimed in yet and taken me to task for not including Milo on the list of Braves that should get in. I set it up there on a tee for him to hack away at. I never had the privilege of listening to Milo so it wouldn’t be fair for me to say either way. But Milo sure did seem to mean alot to the oldtimers and Ernie Johnson revered the man
I have just about screwed the morning away. I have GOT to get to my errands. C you crazies later. And poo poo to you, too.
Mixed metapoos? Is that a new chic breed of dog?
First, I’m so thankful everyone is safely accounted for!
Next, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BERIGAN!!!!
Ted Turner changed many things – the super-station concept, CNN (24 hr news channel – he took a lot of guff on that one – until it became successfull!), making most of the entire country Braves fans. And was willing to bankroll all of those endeavors until they each started making money. Then, when success came to them, he sold out for more money – and lost it all. He’s one who thrives on the challenge of something; once achieved, it loses its appeal. I’ve known people like that – always looking for something new and different. Never happy.
If anybody is interested, I found the UGA/UK basketball game locally on WUPA channel 69.
Tornado warnings just issued in northwest Georgia. Salty, where are you? Duck and cover!
The tornado warnings are for Bartow, Floyd, Paulding and Polk counties. Cedartown is in the path of a “rotation”.
William Wallace, you make good points but I can’t go along with Ted Turner being in the baseball Hall of Fame. He just did what a good owner should do (so few do) and he also did what owners aren’t allowed to do… try to micromanage the team for a while. Maybe that’s an Atlanta sports thing: Ted Turner in the dugout, Arthur Blank on the sidelines and such.
Anyway, he’s already in a hall of fame, winning the America’s Cup with his sailing. That old Savannah boy could sail. Before he became “The Mouth of the South”, he was referred to as “Captain Courageous”, derived from his sailing savvy and his boat’s name. The nickname “Captain Outrageous” was soon adopted (by everyone but him), which was derived from his wild behavior off the boat.
Once, during an award ceremony, he passed out face first into his plate of food. The man was a maniac… like James Dean in “Giant”. Unlike the character in Giant, Turner had the cast-iron constitution to build a media empire.
So… no baseball HOF for Ted. He has a well deserved America’s Cup, a baseball stadium named after him, a broadcasting and media legacy, a crazy starlet ex-wife, restaurants, hotels, commercial property all over the world, hundreds of thousands of acres in Montana, mega-herds of buffalo and billions of dollars. That’s enough. If he hadn’t met AOL it would’ve been more.
Maybe he should be awarded a snow sled named “Rosebud”. Then his legacy would be complete.
Funnel clouds reported seen 3 miles NE of Cedartown…
I have no regrets in life.
Carolina Lady, can we train WordPress to automatically spellcheck and grammar-correct posts so we can all be, uh… less of and idiot?
No…can’t trifle with the ‘blog’s’ personality! We revel in the creative and never-ending styles by which we prove our ‘and idiot’!
Raisins…I’m in Woodstock and the sirens are blaring and the warning was just given. I’ll give play by play!
New tornado warnings for Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow and Paulding counties until 1:15. Salty, you that direction?
WSB-TV channel 2 giving very good weather coverage…
So far, so good…very, very still…the storm is at least 15 minutes or so away…gonna be close!
” I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter” Crash Davis-Bull Durham.
Great post! I believe in most all of those things as well. I hope to be returning to the blog throughout the year and seeing this things become reality in 2008.
Keep up the posts and please stop by:
http://bravesblog.net
Let me know what you think of our site. I want to see us Braves bloggers really light it up this year!
PS We will be featuring guest blogs throughout the year so please contact me if any of you are interested in a one or two time post on your Braves thoughts. Thanks y’all!
Keep Choppin’,
JB in ATL
http://bravesblog.net
A public service announcement!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!
Howdy, JB… Duck and cover!
OK, big lightning strike close by. Gonna power down for a while. Salty, take care and be safe.
C-y’all after the storm…
Looks like it will pass 5 or so miles north of me. There’s another storm back to the west that’s building up, and it is tracking a bit further south…will definitely bear watching. Meanwhile, here go the sirens again!
Raisins…you have to watch the same storms as me…you’re on the identical line, just 45 minutes or so behind. No lightning here…yet, but I hear thunder approaching.
If Ted does get elected to the HOF, it will be yet another HOF baseball in my collection. He was hung over when he signed it, too.
Leave it to MLB to find a ticket outlet worthy of baseball’s brand of theivery-StubHub. I just got tickets in Tornto for two games of the Braves/Blue Jays series in June for Kathy and myself-four tickets cost $487.50. Of course, we do sit right next to the Braves’ dugout, but still……
I go along with SG. I liked Ted better as Capt Outrageous than I did as an owner. And when he married Jane(Traitorous trollop)Fonda he lost me.
Now, for the storms. Do a George Patton and go out and shot at them with your ivory-handle hand gun.(No one but a piano player in a “hoar”house would have a pearl-handle hand gun)
More rocky weather for the ATL. Hope everyone makes it through okay. I think the Holy City is going to see some of these storms later, hopefully with much less intensity.
BAS, from your overnight blog (what are you, a vampire?), yes you really shouldn’t be using anything electrical in a thunderstorm. No phones either. Not safe. About ten years ago our next door neighbor’s home was struck by lightning. I thought it was our house and was afraid that it might be on fire so I ran out to see where it had struck. Turns out that it was next door thankfully. Poor guy lost his stove, range, all his phones, computer and his stereo. Yes, everything was grounded properly but when you take a direct hit like that you run the risk of losing anything plugged in. He was fortunate though that his house didn’t burn down. We found where the lightning exited. It was on the copper tubing that connects the compressor outside to the AC unit in his attic and holds freon under pressure. The spark that occurred ignited some of the material behind the wall. Got hot enough to melt the vinyl siding. Thankfully, the freon, which escaped through the hole blown in the line by the electricity igniting, extinguished the flame. He was very, very lucky.
Willy Wally, I agree that Turner should be in the HOF. The man was a visionary and created in the mid-70’s what some teams are just now doing. He built one hell of a brand. As more and more teams are signing their own tv deals I scratch my head as the grandfather of them all is now gone. I just don’t understand it.
jbinatl, thanks for dropping by. We’ve got a small but very passionate group of regulars here. Please come back. And I’ll be sure to visit your site. The way this one works is pretty cool. All of us (actually only most of us, hint, hint to some of y’all) take turns writing the lead. It’s a nice rotation and if you go back to our main page you’ll see that we have some good writers with some good topics.
The story of the youth coaches reminds me of something that happened in one of my son’s games two years ago. It was a dark and stormy night, cold too, and we had the late game, and of course it went extra innings. School night too. Anyway, there was a somewhat controversial play and the opposing team’s coach comes running out of the dugout and goes all “Lou Pinella” on the umpire. Well, this guy goes about 6′3” and probably 275 lbs — great big dude. The umpire is about 15. He jumps all over this poor kid. Bear in mind that this boy has probably never been in any kind of position of authority before, especially over adults. So this clown is in this boy’s face and raising all kinds of hell and so the boy’s mother, who happened to be watching the game, jumps up and she’s all “Oh no you didn’t! You ain’t gonna be talkin’ to my boy like that!” She runs out onto the field to protect her son (don’t blame her). It didn’t come to anything more than a lot of yelling thankfully, but that clown-coach was suspended for a game and at season’s end was told he would never be allowed to coach for any town-sponsored team again. What and idiot!
Y’all stay safe.
Oh, I forgot to say “Good night Paladin” as I know that after that last post of mine that you are well on your way to Sleepytown!
Lew, I counted the other day and realized that I have baseballs signed by 18 different guys that are either already in or are locks to get in (Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux, Chipper, etc.) the baseball HOF plus John Elway too.
Berigan, before I forget AGAIN: Happy Birthday!
Chris-I have 8 that are in now-Robin Roberts, Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, Fergie Jenkins, Phil Niekro (a Braves Christmas Card), Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry and Peter Gammons. I also have Smoltz, Glavine, Bobby Cox, John Schuerholz, Chipper, and Andruw
I learned not to mess with umpires early in life. I was the 10th player on a fast-pitch softball team. I finally got my chance to start in a big game. The first pitch thrown to me was clearly a ball, but he called it a strike. I turned and said, “What?” He gave me the thumb. My big chance and I see one pitch. As a result I watch carefully as the batters give the umps all sorts of grief, but the don’t turn their head!
“they” Sorry, SG.
Oh, did you make a post, Klobber?
I’ve got a few more that are nice, though no HOFers-Tug McGraw (signed the day before he was diagnosed with cancer). I also have Terry Pendleton, Dale Murphy and Jimmy Rollins-all MVP players. !25 total signed baseballs and about 25 signed drawings or paintings. I twill take at least a week to re-arrange the museum after this Spring’s haul of fame.
I had some baseballs signed by some of the old Crackers. Eddie Mathews, Chuck Tanner, Ebba St. Clair, ??? but, they are long gone. Where? Now, my prize autograph is a book by Pappy Boyington with a note to me on the fly. That will have to dol
Cute, paladin!
Lew, here’s my complete list. These are all baseballs.
HOF’ers: Bob Feller, Phil Niekro, Don Sutton, Tommy Lasorda, Gary Carter, Orlando Cepeda, Rollie Fingers, Mike Schmidt and John Elway.
Future HOF’ers: Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Chipper, A-Rod, Frank Thomas, Andruw, Sheffield, Pudge.
Potential HOF’ers: Nomar, Ortiz, Andre Dawson
Got a ton of other interesting ones like Kirk Gibson, Luis Tiant, Varitek, Carl Crawford, Josh Hamilton, Jose Reyes, and Frenchy too.
Then, I’ve got a box of probably 100 balls of minor leaguers who were considered “top prospects” at one time or another and they blew up somewhere along the way. Suffice to say, my son will NEVER lack for BP balls. Thankfully, most of those balls were not paid for.
I think the only autograph I have is from Muhammad Ali. My father bumped into the GOAT in a magic store in Times Square 25 years ago. Pops gave it to me. I used to have alot when I was young, mostly Yankees players. Got ‘em all when Pops used to take us up to Albany-Colonie to watch the AA Yankees. You can get millions of autographs at minor league games. My favorite one though was Deion Sanders. I don’t know what happened to them when I went away to college. My mom or pops probably tossed them by accident.
Thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes!!!
I was born around 8:30 CST, so really, feel free to keep the wishes coming til about 9:30 EST!!!! 
I almost feel guilty joking with all the bad weather going on….yet another tornado on the ground as I speak!!!
Paladin, “hoar” means “white.” Are you saying the piano player at the White House has a pearl-handled handgun? That must drive the secret service nuts.
Man, so many posts!
Salty, need time one of these pretend Christians gets in your face, using salty words that would make Paladin blush, remind them that God doesn’t miss a game either!
9:30 EST on the 16th I mean!
CNN is reporting that “At least one person killed as a dangerous line of thunderstorms moves north of Atlanta, Georgia, officials say.”
They’re also reporting that the tornado last night was an EF-2 with 130 mph winds! Holy Cornelia!
Keep your heads down Atlantans!
Well, y’all have a lot of really nice autographs, but I now have one on an original Lew Hartman portrait! John Smoltz.
And Miss Kelly, grinning ear-to-ear, has a signed Hartman of Javy Lopez!
Thanks, Lew!
Paladin, about Babe Ruth, and how he’d do today….I was trying to find some info on his bat,(I think it weighed more than 50 ounces) and was going to argue that his bat was so much bigger than everyone else’s, that he had to besides being stronger than everyone else to catch up with fastballs, he also had to have great hand eye coordination….
Well Paladin(And everyone else!) please check this Popular Science story from 1921!!! Holy Toledo!!! 4 pages, only read the first page, but it’s fascinating!!!
http://www.popsci.com/node/9595
Gee, my eyes missed it on the first page….
54 Ounces!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I’d love to watch Ozzie Smith swing it, his bat always looked about a foot too long for him as it was…
Chris…the last storm literally looped around Woodstock, then formed a tornado and headed off in Raisin’s direction. Most of the really bad stuff is closer to him; however, new storms are sliding in from Alabama, a bit further south of where the others came. So…Marietta and even the Georgia Dome part of Atlanta (Turner Field) could come under the gun in an hour or so. Crappy day, but no problems here. A couple of people have died to the west, and the reports haven’t really started in from the field, yet.
Salty, tornadoes are not to be trifled with!
Berigan…very nice of you to point out the Popular Science issue…pretty sure Paladin has his own original copy!
Torna’toes’!
Just got my birthday cake a goin’! Goin’ to Outback tonight, IF the weather will allow it!!!
Another tornado warning, and much of bad weather moving towards the ATL again!
Chris- I’m impressed. You have a bunch I don’t have.
Paladin-Pappy Boyington. Isn’t he the Black Sheep guy who wanted you to knock a battery off of his shoulder? I have a book about the Pacific Typhoon (Typhoon:The Other Enemy) that screwed up Halsey’s fleet pretty badly. My Uncle Lew was on the USS Benham during that storm and he gave the book (autographed by the ship’s Captain) before he died a few years ago. He never could deal with thunder storms after that incident, though he lived to 91 years old.
Jimmy sez tornatoe, Bob sez tornado. Tornatoe, Tornado. Let’s call the whole thing off.
WillyWally=old…if he knows that song!
Berigan=old as well…..
Baa Baa Blacksheep, Lew, that’s him. There was a TV series with Robert Conrad in the title role. My note reads: ” To Major Street Hull, If your Mammy had had you sooner, you’d have been my wingman. Keep ‘em flying. Pappy”
ww and Berigan; Thanks for proving me wrong about the Babe. I’ll keep thinking about him as Superman.
those in the ATL area….Channel 11 WXIA, showed a video shot, I think from the airport, and it looked like dusk!!!!
No Salty, my copy had to be used on a visit to Alabama as out-house “material”.
Saw where a giant crane fell on a building in NY. No deaths. Sure glad it wasn’t a flamingo.
Dawgs win! Dawgs win! They upset Kentucky.
Braves got pummeled in both games. I HATE split-squad games!
6 out of 7! Domination!!!
6 out of 8 you mean!
so many cars on the road they are showing….people are oblivious to the world outside them it seems…
Dominoes, then.
They don’t even see that giant ape climbing up the building with that woman in his hand. How oblivious can you get?
a tremendous hail storm just occurred hear. jimmy smith is worried about jimmy smith’s vehicle that is parked in the driveway. hail stones litter the ground. the sun is shining. wierd weather. wsb-tv reports baseball sized hail downtown. cobb police report a funnel cloud on the ground at six flags. oh, the humanity!
journalist has attended two funerals today.
palm sunday tomorrow. easter next. chop seal is away at spring training. no easter eggs hear.
happY birthday, berrygan! I will senD you somE krystalS.
Look at the bright side, jimmy. the hail stones will kill the blew werms.
Paladin, CNN is reporting that four people died in that crane accident.
Uh, oh. Tornado sirens going off right now in 5 Points in Athens. Here it comes…..
Klobber; The initial report said no deaths. I apologize for my ill-timed “humor”.
Well, that was lame. Came and left within 5 minutes and now it is bright and sunny, thereby ruining a perfectly fine grey, gloomy day.
We are also having bad weather in this area. So, you can imagine my trepidation when I heard a siren and something that sounded like a train. But, turns out it was an fire engine and a train. More later.
DHALL TRADED! Hip, hip, hooray! To the Raiders. Perfect team for that idiot
I agree, ww!!! What, or who, did they get for him? Regardless, we are better off without that cancer in the lockerroom.
What’s the temp in everyone’s neck of the woods??? It has been above 80 all day….
The Atlanta Falcons have reached an agreement in principle with the Oakland Raiders to trade cornerback DeAngelo Hall for the Raiders’ second-round pick in the 2008 draft, pending the Raiders finalizing a contract with Hall, according to a source close to the Falcons. FROM ESPN.COM
If necessary, let’s take up a collection.
Berigan, that temperature is probably part of the problem. It’s been in the mid 70’s in Charleston. We’re now under a tornado watch until 1 am. Yeeha!
Paladin, I wasn’t correcting you on your humor, simply stating that there were, in fact, some death attributed to that story.
This Dimitroff(?)is going to be the new “homeboy upstairts”. Mark my words! And remember the name Joe Borchard.
Klobber; I knew you weren’t busting on me, but I don’t like to “make fun” of anything where there are deaths. There are grieving people tonight, and I feel for them.
Paladin will be away from his desk for a while. He is going to the chianti store and then to dinner. Try him later. This is a recording.
Well, it has been an interesting day here in Jefferson. A tornado passed within a few miles of my house, but all we got was hail. Big hail. 2″ hail. It was nuts…
I took a few pictures that I’ll send to CL later. Anyway, all of the raisins are fine. I feel awful for the folks in NW Ga. They got pounded.
Raisins, glad to hear y’all are in good shape.
No Salty, my copy had to be used on a visit to Alabama as out-house “material”.
Fair enough…but I proved you had the copy!!!
Fair enough…but I proved you had the copy!!!
You don’t remember lending it to me?
Sure am glad everyone is all right – but now it’s up here. It changed from sunny to pitch black in under an hour by a little after 5. Tornado watches until the wee hours. The wind has been blowing a bit, but now it is dead still out there. Weird! Hatches are battened, animals are sheltered, prayers are said.
Oh, and did I say “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BERIGAN”???
Salty, delightful to have you with us!! We’ve missed you!
Where is Hillbilly??? Tomorrow is his day in the spotlight.
Have just a minute while the food is cooking and the wine is breathing.
I want to modify what I said about never making fun of death. WHEN bin Laden catches a 500#der in his lap I am going to laugh, and celebrate, and make jokes, etc. And I hope his family and descendants endure 2001 years of sorrow.
The NY situation is getting worse. My sympathies go out to the families of the dead and to the survivors.
I didn’t know we offered free advertising here.
CL, If that guy comes back, take his house key and give him the key to the doghouse that jimmy “used”.
journalist told everybody to beware the ides of march. next time, listen to this journalist. and what about the aquarium? fish still in the tank? and listening to chip caray today and not liking it very much. “the rays have new uniforms – good looking togs.” talks togs and cubs but never gives the score. and jimmy smith is going to buy some blue tarp stock. jimmy smith is an astute investor.
carolina lady, does this blog have a severe weather center? live, team coverage?
and thanks to the bloggers for remembering that toes are not to be trifled with.
http://www.journalistjimmysmith.com
that’s
http://www.journalistjimmysmith.com.
jjs, I think we ARE the weather center. That was some good tracking and info here last night and today. I’m watching 2 cells now – I think one will go just north of us into Pender Co, the second is on a direct course to me and it has 2 ‘hooks’ which usually indicate forming tornadoes. I stand on the scripture in Isaiah 54 that says “No weapon formed against me shall prosper”, including this one.
is this oKay, carulina lady?
http://www.krystal.com
i likE the krysTal.
Oh, my lord! The raiders are reportedly going to give Hall “just under” what Asante Samuel’s record breaking deal was. 6 years, 57 mil; 20 mil in guarantees. Now I know for a FACT Al Davis has lost his ever-lovin’ mind. And I love him for it. It’s gonna take a couple or three years to plug all the holes and rebuild, but by cutting the final malcontent this sends the message that the Falcons are for real about character this time. Free agents already wanted to come here for the city life and Blank’s money; the ineptitude and lack of direction was holding them back. No more; I smell good drafts and competent signings from here on out. And I didn’t even have to use my AK; I have to say it was a good day.
Chop Seal, that Krystal chick was pretty hot and I was amazed she only cost about .53 cents until I clicked on her and realized I couldn’t make her shut up without closing the page. Sigh. How like real life.
grincH, franksteR’s blog is beeing adverTised on radiO. thinK we can get rr to advertIse for uS?
BraKing newS: dhaLL says hE haS not been traDed. shoulD be releazed.
CS, we could use some serious star power to help our campaign along…I’m thinking like a tall, wide-mouthed super-starlet who likes shrimp sammiches. I’m sure RR would throw in if we could get her on board.
yes, wide-mouThed but not a moUth breatHer liKe on that otheR blogg. i will sea if i can get in toucH with juliA. i thinK shE quiT blogging foreVer buT may come bacK. may neeD to buY her some saMMiches.
I wonder how the Raiders’ new coach (assuming they can find one) will enjoy having four brand-new locker-cancer cast-off’s from other teams that are now making a combined 200 million or so (about 188 mil more that they’re collectively worth)? They’ll be in salary cap hell for years now and for what? So they can go 5-11 this year instead of 4-12? I posit that they might even take a step BACKWARD. This makes Dan Snyder look like Robert Kraft.
Winds between 60 -70 mph, radar says lightning strikes avg 398 per hour, 1″ hail, rain rate – 6″ per hour. sigh…. But it’s moving between 40 -50 mph so it won’t last long.
I have this to say about Me-angelo Hall: Shut-down corner?! Who has he ever shut down? He is a legend in his own mind and should be given away, if necessary.
take cover, carulina ladY!
paladin, i say releaze him.
jimmy; I’m not trying to quarrel but if we can get a draft pick for him, fine. If not, I hope he gets some concrete burns when they throw his a$$ out in the street.
Do y’all realize that the top and bottom of our rotation got roughed up today. No matter how you cut it, that ain’t good.
Don’t quite believing Paladin
Don’t quit believing Paladin
made it without big play ray, can make it without me-angelo.
and now, weather – not to be trifled with, much like toes.
and journalist is suffering from a sore toe at this very moment.
Well all hell is about to break loose here. Tornado watches and warnings all up and down the coast. I keep hearing “Mt. Pleasant — Be ware”. Not good.
It’s bad enough to see the damage but hearing people(mostly twits)that are supposed to be Atlantans, pronouncing it AtlanTA!!! adds insult to injury. It hurts almost as the bastardization of the beautiful Ponce de Leon into “Ponce”. Damn yankees.
even bobby cox does not pronounce atlanta properly. two t’s and both are pronounced. not uh-lanna. wait! uh, lanna . . . could be. could be.
and what will become of joe borchard now? and javy is jitting .174
and paladin, it was a deatly tornado.
How many times have you heard, “We had little advance warning”? Two questions: By definition, isn’t a warning in advance? And would it be a warning if it wasn’t in advance? And as a bonus, what was our world famous weather center doing?
I’ve always wondered about these advance tornado warnings. Do people actually think someone will just pop up and tell them “The tornado will be at 1411 W. 36th street at 7:14 this evening” ? If you hear a siren, you should consider yourself lucky.
Havy is jitting only .174? That isn’t even his slimmed down we-ate.
I start to get in my root cellar and then I hear the senoockees stirring and I say, “It isn’t really THAT bad.”
sirens went off and jimmy smith did duck and cover. next time, jimmy smith is going to the basement. some good provisions there just in case. and, where did all that peter pan peanut butter go? that’s right, public schools. and government cheese, too.
now, more on blue tarps. minor league team. randy grommet, manager. used to be catcher, american league.
“put jimmy smith in coach, jimmy smith is ready to play . . .”
Peanut butter brings to mind: I think Ernie, Skip and Pete went together like peanut butter and jelly on light bread. What with Ernie’s “aw shucks”, Skip’s wisecracks, and the Professor doing his thing. They were the best announcing crew I ever heard. As for Milo, he was…Milo. And don’t forget that Larry Munson was brought to Ga to be a Braves announcer. He was terrible. AAMOF, technically, he is a terrible football announcer. But, he is such an unabashed “homer” that if you are a Dawg, how can you not like him? Now I have committed blasphemy. Note: I, of course, am talking about Larry in his prime.
Hello! Is there anyone else still in here? Shall I turn out the lights?
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray to God my soul to keep. If I die before I wake; I pray to God my soul to take. Who moved my bunny slippers!?
Now THAT was a storm! Whew!
Everybody OK??
Checking in to see if everyone is ok… CL, glad it’s blown past you.
We’re about to lose power I think… it’s flickering. Better shut’er down, tornado warnings just west of us. Storm lanterns, check. Flashlights, check. Where’s that lasso?
We missed it here thankfully. It hit hard north AND south of us. However, in the southern part of the county, where my folks are, is just about ready for some relief. Reports of wide-spread tree damage and fallen trees, hail up to 2″, electricity outages, a few serious injuries.
SG, good luck. I was watching the storm approaching Savannah and area and was wondering if you were around. Keep your head down.
Any volunteers to come help clean up the yard tomorrow??
~ ~ ~ crickets ~ ~ ~
Didn’t think so.
Hey, Chris! You got a Diet Coke over there for me?
Always CL. I’ll bet you could use one about now, huh?
It would be nice! Has it passed over your area yet?
I’m glad as well you missed the brunt of the storm VOR…if you can call 2 inch hail lucky! Dang, might want to make sure the roof’s ok!
Sounds as if jimmy smith’s car may need some help after the hail storm.
One last time: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERRIGAN!!!
Thanks for the Coke, Chris!
‘Bout bedtime for me; long, busy day today. ‘Nother one tomorrow.
(Firefox’s spell check doesn’t like my style.)
CL, it bypassed us on both sides thankfully. Some others in our area were not so lucky. From the sounds of the weather man there may have been a dozen different tornadoes in the greater Charleston area.
My 10:14 post should have been made around 7:30! Oh well, I just saw the whoops, small system error, hit refresh…usually I am told I have already said that…but I guess I didn’t say that already!
CL, Chris, glas you missed the brunt of the storm(word of the day is…brunt!)
Hopefully, SG will be as lucky as well!
We are quite windy right now….something new and different.
Man, that’s bad, Chris! Very glad you and your family are safe! I can’t recall a storm system that spread tornadoes over such a huge area. Glad it’s at sea now!
very glas indeed!!!!
HEY!!!!! like to waste time??? Here’s a new way!!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf
I started out as a sluggish snail, but have since worked my way up to Bobbing Bobcat
Thanks CL. Just talked to my folks. They live probably 12-15 miles away as the crow flies. If the crow walks or rides a bike their house is 23 miles away. Very high gusty winds, hail, minor flooding (bear in mind that they are barely above sea level) and some branches down. No major damage thankfully.
My first try: Bobbing Bobcat! Should quit while I’m ahead!
(It doesn’t take much to entertain us, does it??)
Good news, Chris. Whew! What a storm.
CL, bobbing bobcat first time out? Wow! Yes, quit while ahead! First time I was so slow…I was embarrassed myself! I think I have quick reflexes…I blame the mouse for me not moving up to the next level….
The mouse did it!