Good evening folks,
There are times when a real conversation is required in life. Every day. What is a real conversation? A talk between two or more people that can have the ability to get heated yet stay grounded on a subject matter. Certain people don’t like touchy subjects, rough topics, and stay away from the tough fights. Look for a coward and ask them about something that they don’t want to talk about. Those are the weak ones. If you can’t handle a real conversation, that makes you a girl or boy, no matter what age you are. I love real conversations. I revel in them as they play out and after, when I am red hot and feel like I can take on the entire world in a debate. Arguing is the basis that makes the foundation of this civilization. One person says something, another calls bullshit and the two go at it for a matter of time. That’s how things are decided, through pure unplugged conversation. Real conversation. That’s what I do here. The people that come here to actually read some of the words and not breeze over the majority already know that. The others are only trying to keep up. Here we go, ladies and gentlemen. Random topical conversation with the aide of bullets. When I aim for a topic, I go for the jugular. That’s the truest place to hit. A few things to hit on as we approach another week in the life of the working class. The latest Buffa blast begins now.
Let’s take a look at some popular, random and all together interesting topics. First, a movie review.
Barneys Version On DVD This is a great film. A true acting showcase that proves hardcore acting talent still exists in Hollywood and original storytelling can take place. An indie gem. Paul Giamatti is Barney Pandrofsky, a man who has lived a full life, paid his dues and made a clear attempt to learn from his many mistakes. Barney’s Version takes us on a joy ride through his life, and while he is harmfully blunt and fearlessly unapologetic, Giamatti manages to make him irresistable and a willing soul to observe. If we don’t like or care to follow Giamatti, Barney’s story is worthless. The power of a lead performance. Giamatti’s gift is inserting a sense of invincible charm and goodwill into any character he plays and here it is on full display. A man who is in love with himself and at odds with his mortaility at the same time. The film begins as Barney is in his 60s and reflecting on his life. We see him in full grump mode, avoiding a real conversation with his kids and looking miserable at his work, where he produces crappy television. As he drinks at a bar, Barney starts to take us through his life and its many events. Three wives, one true love, a couple friends, a lost friend and regret painted all over it. Barneys Version celebrates life lived to the fullest if not perfectly performed. Barney’s first two wives are role players, women present to simply occupy space in his life. His best friend, Bernie(a real scene stealing Scott Speedman) is a great writer with no need to publish any of his novels, something that irritates Barney to his core. Barney is a guy who meets the love of his life, Miriam(The beautiful and talented Rosamund Pike) at his own wedding and she isn’t the pride. Giamatti and Pike have a frisky sensibility during their scenes that splits the sex appeal clash in half. Their chemistry leads to the unearthing of the most unlikeliest love stories that feels real and earned. Barney is the guy who rushed out of his own wedding to chase down Pike’s Miriam in a train station to let her know how he felt and that they should run off to Italy before the feeling evaporates. As we time travel through his life, which spans 30 years and carries the sweet and the bitter, Barney is always accompanied by his father, Izzy(Dustin Hoffman in top form), who doubles as his best friend and confidant. If life had playcallers on the sidelines, Izzy is Barney’s coach in life. This film is one of those stories that one can truly get lost inside. During the time it played in my living room, I lost track of time and didn’t look at my phone once. I was swept up in Barney’s life and moral lesson dispensing. By the end of the film, when all Barney has in life are his choices and his current state of health lies in question, we feel like we are getting off a great ride that’s been worth the time. The true quality of movies can be measured by the idea if the time spent watching it was worth it. Barneys Version is worth the 134 minutes, which in a new dad’s timeline, are precious. Giamatti is an actor many take for granted, because he also disappears into roles so well. We expect him to be good, but here he is flawless and in charge. This is Giamatti’s movie and he conquers the screen, holding it in his hands and only handing it to another actor when the scene calls for it. He takes us inside Barney’s troubles and shows us a flawed man who needs fixing. Hoffman does some of his best work in years, and his scenes with Giamatti are truly special. Two acting titans trading punches inside a make believe world. Pike and Speedman offer fine support and director Richard Jones lets the actors control the pace with their handling of the script, which was adapted from a pulitzer prize winning book. Watch this movie if you crave acting and storytelling. In the end, this is worth the time. Barney’s Version is a silent great gem.
Manny Pacquiao’s Future Plans First, understand I still haven’t watched Saturday’s fight yet. However, I will comment on the new notion of Pacquiao as “a villain”. This is something I don’t understand. Pacquiao fought a good fight, pressured Juan Manuel Marquez for 12 rounds, took some shots, and kept on coming. Seeing how Marquez still gives him trouble, this fight may cast him as an underdog in a matchup with Floyd Mayweather Jr.. What did Pacquiao do to deserve the label of “villain”? He took the decision in a close fight. Two guys bashing each other, connecting with punches and leaving everything in the ring ended in a decision. As I said, the oldest rule in boxing is if you want to take a champion’s belt, you better pound him and not allow him to pound you. Marquez was as beat up as Pacquiao because he took the punches in order to deliver the counter shots. Understand that these two fighters have now fought three aggressively close fights. Pacquiao took the decision back in 2004 when he was nothing, so what makes you think he stole the decision last Saturday. These two will fight again. They have to. The reason Pacquiao-Marquez IV will wait is that we know these two guys can put on a show and deliver a great fight no matter the gap in years. Manny needs to fight Floyd in May while the iron is still hot. I don’t put a ton of stock in what Floyd’s camp is saying right now, that they delivered an email to Top Rank and Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, and it was rejected. Leonard Ellerbe said Arum didn’t want the fight and that is wrong. Arum hasn’t said anything publicly yet, and when it comes to Floyd/Pac Man talks, everything is public. Remember, when Arum and Pacquiao wanted to fight last year and 2 years ago, Mayweather found an excuse(blood testing, legal troubles) to not come to the table and get this fight done. Each side needs to pick up a phone and realize that millions of dollars are on the table and the biggest fight in the world is hanging by a thread. Right now, each fighter is so marketable and ready. Take in consideration Manny escaping with a win and still he makes for a great underdog challenger to Floyd’s unbeatable throne. Personally, I like Pacquiao and the way he lets his hands speak for themselves in a ring, unlike Floyd. After the Marquez fight, Manny said “everyone wants the fight” and he means it. Since Floyd wants to do everything on his own terms, he walked away from the fight last time. Now that we have seen Manny’s weakness is counter punching and Floyd is the best counter puncher in the world, this fight gathered more energy. I always thought Floyd was too afraid to fight Manny because he might lose and his unbreakable streak would vanish. Now I wonder why both sides can’t come together, put personal feelings aside and give the fans what they want to see. The clash of the titans. I won’t take away my view of Floyd as a chicken until I see him formally issue an invitation to brawl and I won’t pull my skepticism from Manny until he makes a real effort to meet Floyd in the ring. Enough of the he said/she said bullshit. Get it on.
Tomorrow night, I will watch the fight and then I will let you know who I thought won the fight, if anyone was robbed and what is the big deal about the ruling. One thing I don’t need to tell you is what the next fight needs to be. It’s Pac Man and Mayweather. Get it going while Floyd wants to and Manny is on his hot streak. Strike while the gloves are hot. Marquez is disgusted with losing again, so he will need time and another fight to tune up. Pacquiao and Marquez will add a fourth fight to their legendary battles for sure, but for now the fight with Floyd has to land. The clock is ticking, as each man gets older, slower, more tired and least willing to put their honor, pride and reputation on the line against a top opponent.
Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II This is an interesting fight in my opinion. Two guys, one with bad blood on their hands, getting into the ring for a rematch after a fight that left both fighters bruised and bloodied. A decision left in the air over a cloud of cheating and controversy. This fight has more juice than any fight but Manny and Floyd. Cotto isn’t 2nd tier. His only two losses came against Margs in dispute and against the best in Manny. He is a very good fighter who wants to right a blemish on the record. Margs is a brick faced hard punching villain out to prove to himself that he can fight within the laws. His two fights since have been a pair of lopsided defeats to Mosley and Pac Man. There’s a lot to like here, especially from a guy who watched that entire fight and was surprised Cotto had to take a knee in the 11th round. His wife ringside looking at her husband all torn to shreds. I guess that is what happens when you get a ton of plaster to the face. Pacquiao fight or not, this is a big story today. A rematch between the fighters makes this current because of what happened the first time. It would be pathetic if this got news and there was no fight. However, you have valid proof that is being denied and Margs needs to catch a beating. Put yourself in Cotto’s shoes for a second. In actuality, the Pacquiao fight/chance of a Floyd fight are dominating the web today and this is only an HBO thing. These two guys hate each other and it always makes for a great fight. Bring it on. The sitdown with Max Kellerman is legendary and clearly the best prefight hype vocal battle the HBO scene has ever seen. This is indeed a promotional program for the fight. They do it for all their pay per view fights and not just this one. Ortiz-Mayweather, a fight that carried ZERO juice, was a boring chat with Max because both guys went through the motions. Here, Cotto and Margarito have a legit beef with each other. I do not think it was scripted. The previous Max chats seem scripted. Margs and Cotto are two fighters who need to fight again to prove who is actually better. Their first fight was a candidate for fight of the year in 2008 and this one should be no different. Money has to be made, so there is a gain in financial and emotional stakes here. You can’t script the response of Margs when Cotto starts to attack him with the ipad picture and the backup proof. Margs goes on defense instantly from being a proud fighter into a scared bitch. Cotto never loses his cool and its interesting. Cotto never accused him of his fixed gloves, but he knows deep down that the wrap was illegal and he wants Margs to admit it. That 3 minute exchange of mad spanish can’t be scripted dude. Its simply too good and if it was, my hat is off to each fighter for not faking anything while reading from a teleprompter that had to repeatedly say, “FUCK YOU”. I disagree that it was scripted, but we do see eye to eye on the obvious theory that this is promotional value for HBO. Unlike recent Max talks, this one was entertaining and looked real. Boxing fans will like this fight. It won’t generate anything near the Pac-Floyd potential fan base, but this is a good fight to watch if you are a fight fan. I am a fan of Cotto but I have talked to non Cotto fans and they want to see it as well because its a classic case of good and bad, which always translates well in the ring. Even casual fans will watch this fight in my opinion. On December 3rd, Cotto steps into the ring to right a wrong in his career against a man few think holds any creditibility. Each fighter has something to lose here. Who falls this time?
Tim Tebow Power On Thursday night, with his team down 13-10, Tim Tebow took the ball at the 5 yard line with a couple minutes remaining. The Jets were set to stop him one more time and celebrate and improve their record to 6-4. Let me correct myself. Everyone in the NFL was waiting for the Jets to put an end to Tebow mania and in Denver. Tebow had rushed for only 48 yards and thrown for less but he had the chance to be a hero. All he needed was 3 points to tie. Tebow got 7 and won the game again in breathtaking fashion for the Broncos. Where are all his naysayers now? NO ONE said it would be pretty to watch. Tebow completed 2 passes and won the game a week before. With seconds remaining on Thursday night and standing 20 yards from the end zone, Tebow walked up to the line and noticed the defensive coverage. A blitz was coming. He spotted the linebacker set to chase him down, and took the snap and made a quick dash to his left, outrunning the pass rusher and linebacker and darted into the end zone. 17-13 Broncos and game over! Cue the crowd roar, the twitter ejaculation for Tebow and all his faithful followers standing in attention and screaming “We Told You So”. I have been saying it since his junior year at Florida. The kid is special and will win football games at any level. He is a pure legit winner and doesn’t win games with his arm or head but with his heart and fearless mentality. He never accepts a loss and will only get better. For all the people who constantly rip him and smack him for his religious kneel at the end of games(coming from a non believer, I don’t mind it), this is time to chew on your words. After Kyle Orton led them to a 1-4 record, Tebow has them at 4-1 and sitting at 5-5 with games to play. Tebow’s run took its place as the longest game ending touchdown score in NFL history. One record down and several to go. I still have little idea if Tebow will hang around as a starter in Denver. It depends on John Fox and John Elway’s patience. He will bring in fans and produce thrilling endings. The man doesn’t accept failure. I said it when he beat Sam Bradford and Oklahoma in the BCS Bowl game in his junior year and won the Heisman Trophy. I said it when he threw for 522 yards in his final college game. I said it during the draft he was selected 25th in. I said it when he landed with Denver. Tebow is an elite athlete and will excel in this game at some point or somewhere. Thursday’s win was another nail in the choker coffin for Tim Tebow. This guy made Chuck Norris read the bible.
The Blues New Look The usual tale of the tape for the Blues is their ability to build up your hope and shatter it like a sword hitting a vase. Inconsistency has marked their play since the NHL lockout years ago. The team can’t properly set their feet down. Under coaches Mike Kitchen, Andy Murray and Davis Payne, the team found some success yet a ton of failure. It’s all their in the record. Under Ken Hitchcock, the Blues look legit and play 60 minutes of hockey each night, roughing up the other team and producing an energy that I haven’t seen in years. During his first 5 games as skipper, Hitchcock pulled 4-0-1 record, getting the Blues through regulation either with a tie or win. The Blues haven’t allowed a goal in the 2nd and 3rd periods under Hitch. T.J. Oshie, Jamie Langenbrunner, David Backes and Mike D’Agostini are all improved. Patrik Berglund is finally using his size and speed. The defense, led by Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk and supported by vets Roman Polak and Barrett Jackman, are defending with fury and pushing the other team away from the net. There are no flurries of shots from the opposition. The Blues defeated Chicago, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Florida. Two of their rivals and two other serious contending teams. Brian Elliot shut out Steven Stamkos and the scoring monsters in Tampa. Jaroslav Halak restricted Jonathon Toews and Patrick Sharp of Chicago. Right now, the Blues have two great goalies playing for their team. Two nights after Brian Elliot defeated Detroit, Halak stopped 20 shots and beat Florida last night. For the first time all season, I saw the real Halak stand up and make big saves. The push of Elliot(7-1, 1.43 GAA, .947 save percentage) is getting to Halak and pushing his play up a notch. The players are responding to Hitchcock’s vertical pedal style and the energy is up. I’ve never seen Berglund reverse check a player into the boards like I did last night. There are reactions to a quicker style of play. Chris Stewart got suspended 3 games for boarding a Red Wings player on Tuesday. Hitchcock changed things. The Blues have gone from 13th place under Payne to 6th place and rising with Hitch. This is no longer considered coincidence or players making an impression. This is pure consistent performance. This team is reloaded and the same players, with the exception of newly added defensive speed demon Kris Russell, are taking the ice for the team. Hitch is taking the same ingredients Payne had and mixing them up just right to get a result. The Blues are fun to watch and don’t break after an early deficit. This team finishes better than the past two years. We don’t see late one goal leads evaporate. When the game is in hand, the Blues keep pressing. David Backes put the Blues ahead last night and finished the scoring with an empty netter. Vladamir Sobotka threaded a late pass to Russell for one of the prettiest goals all season. In one game, the Blues convinced me they were back and the Hitchcock stamp is engrained. Tomorrow night in Minnesota and the following week in Pittsburgh(with Sidney Crosby), the Blues take their new act on the road. Can they play this style of hockey in front of a crowd screaming for them to fail? That question is in the air as we speak and as the Blues step down in the north. The Blues have their manhood back. How long can they keep it? Also, I’m taking fliers for a weight loss program for Keith Tkachuk, who looks like he ate a ref or two since he put down the stick.
Joke of the Day-From Boardwalk Empire and other voices A man is drowning in a body of water. A lifeguard official comes out and tries to rescue him only to have the man tell him, “No Thanks, god will save me”. Soon after, a sail boat comes up and offers help, and the man tells them, “God will save me.” Soon enough, a ship comes along and pledges to save the man. He tells them the same thing. God has this one in the bag, right? The man drowns and when he goes to heaven or wherever he lands first, he seeks out GOD. When he finds a man claiming to be the righteous one, the man tells him angrily, “I called for you, and you never came…” God responds by telling the man, “Sure I did. I sent you a lifeguard and two boats. What else could I do?” The moral of the story is I believe in what I see. You tell me a man is coming to save me and he never shows up, what does that leave us? The difference between a reality and a myth. How strong is your belief in GOD? Would you strand yourself out in a dangerous body of water hoping for saviors to come upon you or would you call actual help? You can take the joke either way. As a believer or non believer. I heard it and thought it was clever. There’s reality and then there are fake theories and hopes.
Tyler Dasher’s Unfortunate Death-The 13 month old who died too young Susan Dasher killed her son in Afton on Tuesday because he wouldn’t stop crying. Welcome to the 21st century. There’s nothing more horrifying than a mother killing her child. How do you take something out of this world that you created? Because he was crying too much??? No excuses in child murder. Instead of killing her, put her in solitary confinement for the rest of her life. Mental decay is more powerful than murder. Let her demons eat away at her. Lock her up and throw away the key. She took away everything Tyler had and everything he was ever going to have, as Clint Eastwood said in Unforgiven(the best Western ever by the way). She destroyed him for something so premature. This is why everybody wasn’t meant to be a parent. Part of the mentality of being a parent is the amount of hard moments you have to stomach and deal with. A kid crying or screaming, either in pain or misfortune. At times Vincent appears helpless and unhappy. The last thing I would do is harm the little fella. I pick him up and hold him close to my chest and sway him to a quiet peace. Parenthood 101. Don’t freak out when your kid does. It’s not healthy. Remember, kids are the future. Do whatever you have to in order for them to survive. I’d die for my son. Parents shouldn’t outlive their children.
The Misery of Hospitals and Dealing With Doctors And Surgeons First, let me say nurses are angels. They are the people who deal with your kid most of the time while the doctors make cameo appearances and only arrive for a few minutes. Nurses have to deal with mad babies and kids. It’s a rough living that my mom has made for nearly 30 years. She taught me to appreciate nurses when I watched her work growing up. She takes care of babies for a living at Children’s Hospital. Since I have spent 11 days there with Vincent in his early life, I have grown to appreciate nurses more and more. They care for your kid, check his vitals, change his diapers while he is hooked up to 69 cables and wires, and never stop smiling. It’s not in their job description. They can’t break down while everyone else is. Their foundations of character are resolute and their moods are high. I’ve warned other dads to not piss off the nurses because if they reach the breaking point, all the pain and hardship they have had to harness will be unleashed. Rise of the Apes? Try Attack of the Sweet Nurses. It’s just a theory. I love nurses. Doctors and surgeons??? Not so much. They play the game of telling us only so much for us to stay seated. They carefully use words so we won’t strike. They are like human GPS systems with erratic functionality. Unsure, full of theories but no real direction. They tell you to turn one way and then go the opposite direction. They always make you take the longest route. Lifesavers for sure but they aren’t always right and its painful. As my sister in law said, they call it “practicing medicine” for a reason. Every kid is a trial in skill testing. Doctors and surgeons should have “happily ever after” percentages. If there is a medicine for parents going through their own mental trauma, I’ll take a dose at any minute. You can tell me it gets worse, but I might beg to differ. Tell me if your child has spent a third of his life in Cardiology units under observation and we will talk.
Henry Rollins Comes Back to St. Louis Going to see Henry vent is a real treat if you appreciate open ended conversation. Some like to label Rollins a comic and one that tries to quietly pass off as a comic. I disagree. Rollins has pointed out in the past that he isn’t going for laughs. He is simply telling you things on his mind and shedding light on topics through his experiences and travels. I love what he brings to a stage. Seeing him live is an experience unlike many others, and one every free speaking soul should take part in. I’m in need of a Rollins fix. His latest spoken word tour, “The Long March Tour” arrives in St. Louis next spring. I’ll be waiting to hear what Henry has to say. Rollins paid his dues and has earned his place on the stage. At 51 years old he is still on stage and its because of hard work. Rollins backs up his words with hard work off the stage. A small intimate gathering for a guy who needs to get stuff off his chest. Henry and I have something common.
Gary Pinkel’s Grave Mistake Sure, everyone is entitled to a second chance in life and when Pinkel, MU’s proud and clean football coach, was arrested on suspicion of a DWI on Wednesday, the first idea from heads came out like, “Well, it happens to everybody.” Let me clear things up. Pinkel fucked up bad here. He has been an advocate for safe driving and a renegade against drunk driving throughout his entire career at MU. It’s been his longstanding ideal. This week he broke it and I doubt it can ever be repaired. It’s like a politician slamming gay marriage and going home to his gay lover. Come on. Hold up your end of the deal, Gary. College coaches can’t do this for one simple reason. What can you tell the kids who play for you now when they stumble under your guidance? “Don’t ever ever drink and drive, unless you’re feeling good…” Look, I am not trying to slam Pinkel here. He’s a good guy and a quality leader, but he messed up big time and will pay the price with a suspension and huge credibility hit. A huge hit for MU after its big time move to the SEC.
Boardwalk Empire/Sons of Anarchy-A treat for Sopranos withdrawal I am not saying this show is better than Sopranos. Anyone who thinks that is a fucking moron. I am telling you there are clear trends shared by and mixed with the Sopranos. The head writer of Sopranis, Terrence Winter, is the creator of Empire. Steve Buscemi, a supporting actor on Sopranos, carries the lead in Empire. Character actors like Buscemi and Dominic Chianese are used in Empire in the same manner they were used on Sopranos. To create an unbreakable presence. What I love the most about the shows connection is the basic drive of every character. A fear of mortality. The need to fight it off and run from it at times. That’s the fight in life. What am I doing here, what can I accomplish and when will I die? When I am gone, will anyone remember me? Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson loses his father in this week’s episode and while he hated the old man, there’s an indelible presence of power in the bloodline, a sense of connective tissue that can’t be broken between a father and son. Thompson barring on this show is responsibility, stature, and the ability to appear good when he is all together bad playing with a warm heart. Thompson is the classic anti-hero. A character who needs to be feared for what he can do with his brain and not his hands yet can be redeemed by his rare gestures of goodwill. Winter’s gem here is quietly taking shape. Whether it meets the Sopranos in television series legend is up for question. Give this series a chance if you feel a need for a cold blooded hard boiled gangster tale if you have the need to watch a strive for power amidst a desperate sprint from mortality. Brilliant series that likens itself to Sons of Anarchy on FX. SOA is in a revelatory season because one of its main characters, Clay, played by the one and only Ron Perlman, and his ability to set fire to everything personal in his life. This 4th season has put on firm display the difference between criminal nature and evil deeds. Clay, a criminal leader of a motorcycle gang who runs guns and now dabbles into drug trade activity, is crossing the line from bad to evil and its amazing to watch. The quality of acting on these types of shows comes in one’s ability to make us care for his character still while he commits horrible acts. I could tell you more but you need to watch some of it first.
Smaller Notes of Interest-Cardinals Activity included
*The MLB Labor Talks will conclude with a Tuesday announcement of a new 5 year deal. Bud Selig may have gotten things horribly wrong in 1994, but he has learned from his mistakes and turned this sport into a 7 billion dollar revenue sharing monster. The NBA Lockout isn’t going well and the NFL lockout lasted 3 months. The MLB talks didn’t need 2 weeks. Smart minds work well when greed doesn’t exist.
*The Official St. Louis Cardinals 2011 World Series DVD arrives on Tuesday and the narrator this time is my boy, St. Louis native Jon Hamm. Hell YES! Watching the DVD is like taking a trip back down memory lane and reliving your team’s flight from pretender to contender to champ. Only one team gets the pleasure every November. For the 2nd time in 6 seasons, that honor falls on my Cardinals. That saying doesn’t get old.
*24/7 on HBO is so freaking good. The narration by Liev, choice of music and the depth of their coverage of two boxers facing the fight of a lifetime can’t be matched on cable. HBO is still the all around champ in premium cable entertainment. Doubt it?? Here are a couple examples. Videos for your pleasure.
http://youtu.be/yEXlfRZtEIA
“History will preserve the pictures they leave behind, even if its the invisible that fuels their craft.”
http://youtu.be/wts-kxfdo4I
“Hockey won’t hold still to give you a better look. You wouldn’t want it to anyway. It’s the action that makes the possibilities endless.
http://youtu.be/96n-ESpeP2U
“They strife for lasting legacies, ultimately earned on impulse. They train for months on end, to prepare for battles that can be decided by a single blow. They enter the ring searching for victory, in times secret collection of vicious beats”
*You have to admire Bob Costas for going straight after Jerry Sandusky on 60 minutes this week. Costas firing body shot after body shot at the accused sexual abuser on prime time TV and resisting the idea to give him a bit of space to breathe with. Bob always brings the heat and doesn’t let up. Great reporters don’t give up in an interview no matter what. They fire tough questions, repeatedly like punches, and won’t stop until they hear the truth. While Bob never heard the truth, he reached it. Long live good reporting. That interview had bold hair attached to its testicles.
*Rafael Furcal is meeting with the Brewers and its all smoke and mirrors. There’s no way Doug Melvin is going to lose Prince Fielder and sign an older shortstop like Furcal with Jose Reyes on the market. Melvin isn’t giving Furcal a three year deal. No team in their right mind will hand Rafy 3 years and 15-20 million with his age and health issues. The Brewers already have a fine shortstop in Yunisky Betancourt, who hits better than Rafy and also plays great defense. Furcal would be smart to return to St. Louis to play with a contender for a reasonable price again. His agent is crazy right now.
*Matt Sebek Tweet-The Blues had half of the Cardinals roster drop pucks this season. Except, ironically enough, Matt Holliday….pause for the boom boom pow.
*Breaking news. Cal Eldred and John Mabry headed to Mike Matheny’s bench. A joke my friends. FSN’s broadcast team is already weakened with the departure of Matheny, so they need all the ex soft Cards they can get.
*True news The Cards are talking to Octavio Dotel about returning, and that’s something I like and the team would prefer. Dotel came up huge late in the season in extended relief. He shut down Ryan Braun and many other top hitters. He healed the wound left by Miguel Batista’s failed experiment.
*Terry Francona wanted the Cardinals job, didn’t get it, and immediately dropped out of the Cubs manager running. Excuse-He rethought his priorities. Real reason being he didn’t want to contemplate suicide so late in his career. The miserable Bears continue. Fuck the Cubs.
*My Opinion on Pujols rumors. Believe them or disregard them, but know this. Whenever the Cards deny things, especially brainy Mo, something is in the works. Hint hint, the Rasmus trade in July. The right offer changes everything. Just saying be ready.
*The Matheny coaching staff doesn’t surprise. Mark McGwire had a huge effect on Allen Craig’s power, David Freese’s versatility and Skip Schumacher’s improvement as a hitter. The demotion of Dave McKay and Joe Pettini were required moves because they are hardcore Tony guys who might have problems excepting orders from Matheny. Good to keep Oquendo in the fold and promote Chris Maloney from Memphis. Matheny needs to load up his own staff with guys he can trust with his life.
*Great tweet from a fake Mike Matheny account-“One Thing I will do that Tony never did? Rip that toothpick from Dusty Baker’s mouth and beat his ass with it. He just pisses me off.” Priceless.
Song of the Day-“After The Storm” by Mumford and Sons. This British band headed by Marcus Mumford continues to amaze me. Their debut album, Sigh No More, took the world by storm and for good reason. These guys can play and get your attention with your “complete” album. That’s right. Every song, all 12 tunes, are gems on this release. Find it and tell me wrong. Its like the band tells you a story from 1 to 12. This album always gets at least 2 plays in the car when it gets thrown in. Makes every day of errand running that much better. “I will die alone and be left there, I will just go home, God knows where, because death is just so fair, and mine so small, and Im scared of whats behind and what’s before. There come a time you’ll see, when love wll not break your heart but dismiss your fears.” http://youtu.be/EMsTSdHIJds
Final Words-Something I tell my son every day is to strive to be better than his dad. This is not a complete smack to my life and what I’ve accomplished. I own a house and Im not 30 years old yet. I have a good paying job and many friends and passions. I am in good hands with my parents and in laws. I know my way around and carry intelligience. I’ve done well and am capable of much more, but every father wants their kid to be better. In some way or fashion. My one hope I tell him is to reach higher. Make your own time. Find something that you are passionate about and get paid to do. Make peoples lives a kinder place to visit. Brighten the day. Resist the need to be completely cynical but don’t abandon the practice entirely. I lean into his ear and whisper to him to always be the better man. Good men live long because they are smart and divide their time well. And also, don’t forget about the cardio and no red meat. Essentials of any life is to be breathing in the end while others fall from a failure to LISTEN and OBSERVE.
I am done here. Thanks for reading and please come back to read more in the future. I won’t sit here and beg, but I do have a tendency of not going away. Every writer is only as strong as their latest content.
Goodnight and good luck,
Dan L. Buffa