Month: November 2011

The Rum Diary Review and More

November 4, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

Here is the news. Quick and to the point. I don’t waste any time here telling you what’s good or bad for your eyes. All I can do is write what I think and send it towards your brain. Let you decide what stays. Prepare for a fresh blast of new material. I call this…the Daily Dose of Buffa.

The Rum Diary Review

Walking into The Rum Diary, I didn’t know what to expect. Hunter S. Thompson’s short story adaptation about a writer’s mental manifestation in Puerto Rico with the help of corruption, friendship, rum and bad choices. Sounded like something that came across better on the page. However, the Rum Diary is a wild untamed comedic adventure with its soul based in hardcore old school journalism. The Pursuit of truth and all its friends. Chasing a story and stopping at nothing to wrap your head around it. In a modern age featuring the death of newspapers, this 1960s chaotic tale rings a few bells. Thompson’s genius was set in his ability to take a period of his regular life and turn it into an adventure. Johnny Depp helped Thompson unearth the Rum Diary in 1998 and immediately became his co-pilot in bringing it to life. The tale centers around Depp’s NY writer Paul Kemp and his arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico for a job at a newspaper. The paper is being buried into the ground by EJ Lotterman(the brilliant Richard Jenkins), a burnt out editor looking for a safe inspiring writer and instead gets Kemp, an alcoholic misfit who has no problem finding trouble and aims to write the next true no bullshit cover story. Kemp befriends newspaper photographer Bob(Michael Rispoli, reliable as usual) and they start to investigate a local businessman Sanderson(Aaron Eckhart) after he confronts Kemp about writing positive stories about his land deal. All is fine until Kemp grows a conscience and falls for Sanderson’s fiance’, Channel(Amber Heard, old school sexy). Soon enough, Kemp is way in over his head, playing with fire, chasing a story no one wants to hear and getting himself and anyone in the same zip code into a lot of trouble. This is a perfect foil for Depp’s understated crazy madness. Here is an actor who can let go of his comfortable reputation with one scene yet never have to overplay a gig for extended laughs. Depp makes playing a mad writer in a bad spot look easy and thus the movie is easy on the eyes. At the heart of it all here is the pursuit of renegade journalism. All Kemp wants to do is right real honest economy biting columns and hits brick walls of safety until he gets his hands on a corruption case he simply let go of. The Rum Diary isn’t perfect. It slows way down at the mid point, goes in 6 different directions and the plot is sometimes hairline. However, the intent is right there to see. Thompson wrote these stories by inserting himself into an adventure. Kemp is an alternate personality of Thompson, who wrote for a paper in San Juan in 1960. He does what every creative writer with intention strives to do. Create a fantasy to prove a point. There’s ton’s of great one liners here that sting. Staying with Kemp and Bob is Moburg, played with a go for broke rage by Giovanni Ribisi. Moburg is the writer who says all the things many are afraid to. Moburg on the existence of GOD. “This entire way of life started with slavery and the depression and then they handed out GOD like soap. If the bible is God’s good book, why did he hand a copy to everyone?” Ribisi, Rispoli and Depp make a hell of a dark comedic team and the entire movie is played off as an extended psychedelic acid trip. Depp is amazing in keeping things loose and low key and the plot moves just enough to bring us to an end of days climax for journalism and the papers that carries a timely hit for the fall of newspapers. The Rum Diary sweats hardcore method reporting, dirty notepads, broke down cars, alcohol induced adventures, outlandish behavior disguised as a search for the truth. Outstanding. See The Rum Diary if you want something original with a message attached to it. Write until death finds you.

Bob Forsch Dies

A week after throwing out the first pitch at Game 7, Cards pitching great Bob Forsch has died of mysterious causes at his home at the age of 61. A real sudden shock for a franchise in disarray right after winning the World Series. Reports have Forsch collapsing, which would lead one to believe from an apparent heart attack. Whether or not the cause sticks, the loss of Forsch is brutal. Forsch is the only Cardinal in history to pitch 2 no hitters and finished with 163 wins all time, second on the team’s list. He threw his second no hitter in 1983, a year after I was born and retired in 1989 so I never got to see him pitch live but I have been told stories about his understated brilliance. Forsch shut teams down with his mix of offspeed pitches and decent fastball. A true Hall of Famer who circled the wagon when he threw the first pitch out last Friday before the Cards clinched. A tough break for the Cards and a sad one for Forsch’s family. RIP #40.

Update-Forsch died of an anneurism in his upper chest.

Floyd Starts His Games

A week before Manny Pacquiao fights Juan Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is doing his usual publicity stunt aimed right at Pac Man. When he fought Antonio Margarito, Floyd made a racist video making fun of Manny’s nationality. Now, he comes out and says his team is locking down the MGM Grand on May 5th, 2012 for the biggest fight in history. This comes after 2 years of ducking Manny and his pleas to get into the ring. Floyd is a trash talking troublemaker, but is this the way to do business. This is unprofessional, something that has marred my respect for Mayweather Jr.’s skill and unbeaten record. Floyd has fought old men and unworthy opponents lately, including Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Juan Marquez. The first two guys Manny pounded into submission and ended their careers. Why is Floyd doing this? He is masking his fear of fighting Manny straight up. He must put together this mental game, which won’t have any barring on Pacquiao. I don’t think Floyd got into Manny’s head before the Margarito fight, when he beat the much bigger Margarito so bad he sent him to the hospital for a broken orbital bone. Margarito hasn’t fought since. Manny is destroying his opponents. You see what I am saying here. Instead of doing things right, Floyd is going the bully route and pegging Manny as a guy who doesn’t want to fight. All this time, Manny has wanted to fight Floyd and made it clear. First, Floyd made this big deal about olympic testing before the fight, to which Manny balked towards at first but eventually agreed to. Floyd walked away and stayed away. Why? He is afraid. What other reason is there? Manny is in the best shape of his career and after he pummels Marquez once and for all, Floyd has to be next. There is too much money on the table for these two to resist each other much longer. Watching Manny train on HBO’s 24/7, one gets the feeling he is taking this one personally. Facing the one man who ever gave him a real challenge and finishing him. I look at this picture and I see a scared man using the media and fans as a shield covering his fear. When the fight is over on November 12th, Floyd can do the proper thing and have his people at Golden Boy get in touch with Manny’s promoter, Bob Arum. Will Floyd be willing to put his unbeaten record on the line? We will see.

Cards Managerial Search Heats up

Names flying across the board all over the past couple of days. Former Cardinal Joe McEwing, Memphis coach Chris Maloney, and former Cub Ryne Sandberg all got interviews this week. Today, Terry Francona flies into St. Louis for a meeting with John Mozelaik and Bill DeWitt Jr. to see if he is a fit for this club. I like the wide range in candidates but I know it will come down to Jose Oquendo and Francona. Internal or external hopefuls will be cut down. Sandberg and McEwing are nice thoughts, but hardly real manager material. What happens? I still like Francona, and if he expresses real interest today in the job, the Cards need to hire him and keep Theo Epstein from bringing him to Chicago. You can’t pass up on a veteran winner like Tito unless you are 100 percent sure Oquendo(who I like for it but not my favorite choice after further analysis) is fit for the job. The Cards don’t need to stretch here.

Theo’s Work in Cubs land

The kid is trying to spit shine the misery dwell in Wrigley, but I am still not afraid of this team. Theo can reformat this team and add players and trade bodies and the Cubs will still continue to lose. He turned around one curse but turning the Cubs from 71-91 losers into winners is no easy task. Epstein has been busy lately. He fired manager Mike Quade, told Sandberg he wasn’t getting the job, flew in Francona,told Aramis Rameriz his services weren’t needed and is looking at Pujols and Prince Fielder as first base candidates. Good for him. The Cubs still suck. The turnaround in Wrigley won’t be as fast as Boston. Curse me for saying this but I just don’t see it happening. If he is deeming all these coaches and players unfit for the little bears costume, why is Carlos Zambrano still on the team?

The Blues Face a Big Test

Exactly one year after David Perron went down with a concussion that’s kept him from game play since then, the Blues are still a riddle unsolved. Tons of questions, inconsistent play and trade rumors starting in early November. The preseason anthem is clear. Don’t stop believing indeed. Who knows when this team will be dominant again? Please don’t cry to me about Andy McDonald being hurt. The additions of Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner were supposed to shore up the lack of veteran depth on this team. The Cards were dealt a stiff blow in spring training when Adam Wainwright went down. Jaroslav Halak, luck withstanding, hasn’t played good enough. He is slow and struggles to defend rebounds. Backup Brian Elliot already has a fan page and better results in nearly the same amount of playing time. Trouble exists on every corner and while the Blues are 5-6 overall, there seems to be a shadow of doubt around this team. No one is safe. Head coach Davis Payne is on the hot seat in his second full season. T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund are having disappointing years after signing new contracts. Ben Bishop and Ian Cole are expendable. The next 10 games before the year starts its closing cermonies are huge for the Blues. If the inconsistent play continues and they only win 4-5 games, change is coming. Any logical fan can see this. See something not working and try to fix it. The same process is happening at the Edward Jones Dome with the Rams. The Rebuilding phase isn’t pretty, especially when the team struggles past the point where the phase was complete. The Blues need to win and do it quick. It’s early in hockey town and the Blues have a pulse, but what else do they have in store before the New Year? Either they are gelling or look different come 2012. On January 2nd, 2010, Andy Murray was fired in the middle of a disappointing season. Does the House Payne await the same fate?

Smaller Things-

*The Lokomotiv hockey team crash in Russia comes at the hands of a pilot error. Moments before takeoff, the pilot accidentally pressed on the brakes, keeping the plane from gaining enough and speed for takeoff. The plane derailed and crashed. Horrible news for the hockey world. It wasn’t a twist of fate yet only a mistake on one man’s part. He not only put himself in danger but took 41 other souls with him to the ground. Bad moment or lingering issue? Answers will come soon. The Blues honor the fallen former Blues players Pavol Demitra and Igor Koralev on November 8th.

*At this stage in fatherhood, Vinny is basically a little drunk. He shits in his pants, throws up over his family, pisses at random, always has the munchies and cries a lot afterwards. Little drunk stage here at 7 weeks. He is so adorable that you can’t manage to get mad at him. It’s impossible. He is throwing up due to reflux and it comes in heavy amounts all over us, the couch, floor and moving objects. He is a reckless little man and the hardest deal here is trying to keep him calm after an incident. The kid has stronger lungs than Mariah Carey. Parenthood works over you one day at a time.

*It’s a good sign to let Rafael Furcal wait while the Cards find a manager, deal with Albert and breathe slightly, but GM John Mozelaik needs to wrap the SS spot up. Find out what he wants and see where his agent stands. Furcal isn’t a guy we can’t win without, but he brought something to this team(high caliber defense, occasional pop) and if he is in the right price range, you strike. Shortstop is too important of a position. At this point, the Cards have to be keeping a portion of the payroll put aside for potential Albert money.

*Chris Carpenter practiced with the Blues yesterday. Carp was an all state defenseman in high school, stands tall and mean at 6 foot 5 inches, and has to be a mighty presence on the ice. It’s cool to see the STL teams having some fun together. We all know Carp got to move around on the ice and at any given moment a Blues player could take him off his feet, but can you imagine the big Ace throwing down in a brawl. I’d pay to see it. Can he sign a waiver and play defense for a few games? Come on.

*What’s next at the movies? For now, nothing. Paranormal Activity 3 and Ides of March have to wait as I don’t like to spend too much time away from the kid. Picking movies is a cracked apart science I am still working on, but I hit the theaters once every 2 weeks. That’s where Blockbuster comes into play. Staying home is the number 1 option when it comes to being in control of a human.

*If the Rams lose on Sunday, they may not be worth watching for a while. Losing to a 1-6 team without their starting quarterback and a dismal offensive line to begin with paints a sad picture here. While it won’t mean much in catching San Francisco, this weekend’s game is huge. If Bradford starts, we HAVE to win. No excuses now that the schedule has gone soft.

*Song of the Day-Bon Iver performing “Blood Bank”. Copy and paste it into youtube and enjoy. A somber Friday ride home tune that’s just right for a soul in need of rest.

*Last Thought. Brothers and sisters are important. Parents are the makers and the keepers until a certain age, but siblings are the connective tissue as we get older and more distant. I don’t get to see my brother a lot and it hurts more than one can imagine. No detail needed. All I am saying is if you have a brother or sister, don’t ever stop trying to keep the bond alive. They are your blood and the last line of defense.

It’s time to follow my own rules here. Shut it down. Get away. Go outside and do something useful or at least try. Thanks for reading. Eyes are always appreciated.

Goodnight,

D.L.B.

Let the Games Begin

November 3, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

Is everybody here? Fuck it, I’m going anyway. This may not rip your face off but it will make contact with your brain.

Reasons Why Terry Francona is a solid safe choice for the Cardinals Open Manager Spot

1.)The man won 2 World series titles in Boston from 2004-2010 after Boston went decades without a title. Francona is a proven winner, and a guy who can handle a clubhouse full of superstars and heavy ego battles. Manny Rameriz, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Jonathon Papelbon all served under Tito and he got results. You can’t blame the guy for the September meltdown. The Boston rotation blew up an ERA of 7.51 and the team just stopped playing good baseball. No one is chasing Freddy Gonzalez for his job after the Braves collapsed in Atlanta. A few Boston players hung out in the clubhouse during games and that looks bad on Francona, but I still like him for the job here because he won big time in Boston.

2.)Did I mention he won in Boston, fierce rival of the New York Yankees? Francona managed a top of the market baseball club with a diehard fan base in the toughest division in baseball, the AL East. Terry Francona will move from the Al East to the comedy NL Central, marking a drop in competitive baseball and making this job seem like a piece of cake.

3.)The Cardinals are set up to compete for a World Series in 2012, with or without Pujols. Francona doesn’t have to come in here and realign a strategy and start fresh. He is walking into a clubhouse with hired killers who get the job done. He comes into a team with 5 set starters, cornerstone players and a fan base ready to see playoff baseball. He is joining a team that just won the World Series. There is pressure, but he is built for it.

4.)Francona has the support of Dave Duncan, the best pitching coach in baseball. They could make a great team.

5.)Francona is a good guy, carries a solid baseball mind and is well respected. He is a perfect skipper to work under Mozelaik and DeWitt Jr.. He doesn’t make excuses, gets the best out of his players, works well with players and made the classy gesture in Boston and left before the team could kick him out. When the dark cloud fell on Boston and Theo Epstein scrambled off to Chicago, Francona decided to resign, take the heavy side of the blame and did the right thing. Start clean. St. Louis is a good spot for Terry Francona. The two sides fit each others plans.

Francona gives the Cards stability, a strong resume, a history of World Series activity and a seasoned veteran presence to watch over this team. The Cards can give Francona a second lease on life in Cardinal Nation. Once again, Oquendo deserves an interview for his experience and history with club, but Francona is a big name to go out and grab. You can’t buy the respect the players have for Oquendo, but you can’t write off the fact that Francona won 2 championships in the hot tundra of MLB baseball in Boston. If he wants the job here, I’d be surprised if Mo turned him down.

A random chat with P.J. today brought out these other Cardinals needs-

Agree on the lefty specialist role fill and it should be easy. Rzep is your long guy and all we need is a one out arm.
-Pujols is biggest task for this team.   Mo didn’t get much time to celebrate when days later the manager spot was vacant and Pujols’ clock ran out.   He has to get to work and once again, the Cards need to offer Pujols a new deal.   Start the betting yourself.
-Furcal is the biggest need because Cards have zero organizational depth at shortstop. Do we really want to hinge our season hopes on Tyler Greene playing 162 games this season?  The answer is no. Rafy is most important recall.   Incentive based deal is in effect there.
-I don’t mind Jose Oquendo as the skipper if Francona fell through because there wouldn’t be a big adjustment there either because players know him well and will only see him in different role. I agree with Bernie that they shouldn’t hire Jose because he is Alberts buddy. That would kill Jose’s creditibility and hurt the team.   Some morons are screaming that in this city and I had to shoot it down.
-Finally, there aren’t too many holes on the team.   Figure out Albert, shortstop, the lefty specialist and maybe second basemen and the team is good.   First, Albert gets a deal. That is the deal for which every other deal hinges on.   Albert’s epic saga of his future here. Until we finish that deal, nothing else can be done.   However, the Cards should have an amount in their head annually that Albert is getting so if Furcal or Dotel want to come back, its easy.
-Jose Reyes is too injury prone and I don’t want to blow 15 million on his future. Too injury prone to risk it for.   If Pujols gets greedy and runs away, you do have 20 million plus dollars opening up but I would be very hesitant to hand any over to Reyes. Explosive player that gets a leg injury every 30 games he plays.
-Allen Craig is your right handed compliment to Jon Jay in Center field based off his big bat and improved defense. There is no need to rumage through the free agent wire for a bat when you have Craig at your disposal and cheap.

I expect things to happen in this order-
-Hire Francona in less than a week
-Sign Pujols before Christmas
-Take care of loose ends.

Cardinal Nation lives on for another season. This team is set to contend for the pennant next season with a few recalls.

Other Things-

Sad part about Rams directional path. If this weekend’s game was being played at home, it wouldn’t sell out and the game wouldn’t be on television. After last year’s finish, I can’t believe those words are here but its true. If the backups start in Arizona, wear a mask to the couch.
The Blues play Vancover at home and who gets the start in net? Brian Elliot has been solid and is 4-1. Jaroslav Halak is a starter who gives up too many goals and looks dead in the net but could be victimized by a bad defense. Who gets the call? If I am controlling the ship, Halak gets one more night to put a stranglehold on position. You have to see what he has left.
What is a gonzo journalist? A writer who inserts himself into his own stories. Hunter S. Thompson was a gonzo journalist. He put himself into a situation in real life and built a story around it on paper.
What would we do without caffiene? Right now I am lit up on two cups of strong coffee, but I feel the need for more. What would we do if we didn’t have caffiene fixes, nicotine hits or a buffet food bar? Chaos in the streets.
If there was a show on television that pushes the boundaries of good/evil right now more than FX’s Sons of Anarchy, please tell me where it’s at. Ron Perlman’s Clay made a decision this week that twisted my stomach but its a good twist for the show. Good TV shows keep the viewers guessing what their characters’ motives really are.
Hells On Wheels on AMC is the latest shot at a Western. I am in for the first episode. In the 1960s and 1970s, westerns owned television. Now things have changed. AMC is hot right now, so look for the railroad revenge drama to score first.
Once again, listen to The Black Keys new single, Lonely Boy from their next album, El Camino. Like the car its named after, the song and album bleed modern blues rock.

That’s all I have for you today. Short, brutal and quick.

Goodnight,

DLB

The Buffa Blast

November 2, 2011November 2, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

Quick and brutal, I’m going to run through a midday stream of conscience while on break.

The Safe Bet For Cardinals Manager-Terry Francona, all end of the 2011 season turmoil in Boston aside, is the most logical outside choice for the Cardinals. If they interview Jose Oquendo(qualified and safe inside choice), decide he isn’t the right guy for the job, Francona is the best guy for the job. John Mozelaik doesn’t need to go out and find Wyatt Earp to manage this team. The Cardinals are a sound group of smart veteran and young players who know how to go about their business. This team is built to contend and doesn’t need a fiery presence like Lloyd McClendon(a choice of a friend of mine). The Cardinals need a person to come in, install a sense of order, supervise the activity and stand to the side and let his players work their talent. Terry Francona won 2 World Series in Boston by letting his players run wild and free. It backfired on him in September when the team quit playing and players were found to spend time in the clubhouse eating and watching TV during games. However, Francona fits the Cards mold of safe, strong, experienced leadership. He is a guy who will take orders, won’t object often and let Pujols and company roam. Jim Riggleman walked out on the Nationals midseason in true Whitey style because he didn’t get a contract extension, and that delivered a severe blow to his creditability. Joe Maddon is staying put in his ground up built academy in Tampa. Francona is either going to the Cards or he will land in Chicago with his old friend Theo Epstein after he gets rid of Mike Quade. Francona is a logical choice for the Cards and seems to fit their idea of a manager. He isn’t my first choice but he could be high on the list at Busch.

I don’t think La Russa’s departure will have a negative effect on Pujols’ situation. A lot of players have the freedom to do what they want on teams.   Your example was perfect. The Entire Red Sox team had this freedom.   Eat chicken, watch porn, play video games and do whatever. Pujols is such a great player he gets to run through stop signs, play hurt and run
wild.   I still don’t think he called his own hit and run. I just can’t believe it and if he did, he would have swung and not lost a chance at an RBI in a crucial game. I don’t think Pujols will have an extreme caution to come back because La Russa is gone. He was a father figure to Albert and treated him like a son, but Pujols will adapt and play fine under a new skipper. Bad
players let new managers ruin their careers.   La Russa’s departure is serious but not a bad thing for Albert’s future.   Pujols won’t be the guy to come out and say this manager sucks and I can’t play for him. Nothing will stop Albert from doing his normal routine. It helped that most of the time his daring baserunning paid off, his play at first base warranted the
claim of 2B-1B with his positioning and his decision making helped the ballclub.   If the Cards were smart, they are going to hire a Francona type who is respected yet lets his players run
wild.

There is a 5 day exclusive rights period for the Cards to talk to Albert Pujols and after midnight tonight, he is officially a free agent. Look, real honest here about Albert. While the Cards know they waited as long as possible to get this done, Albert has to know the Cards can’t pay him crazy money. They can’t match Chicago, Texas or The Dodgers with a new owner dollar for dollar. In the end, Albert’s going to have to take a discount to remain a Cardinal. That’s the cost of having Matt Holliday, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Lance Berkman flanking you every night. If you want to have a loaded roster in a mid level market, you have to know where the limits are. Albert deserves the golden deal, but he has to understand who he is talking to. Reality needs to hit both sides of this negotiation. Pujols needs to finish his career here and for that to happen, he will have to take 1 or 2 less years and 5-6 less million dollars a year. That’s the bottom line. If the talks fall apart, everyone’s eyes will be on Pujols and why he let it go. I will look at both sides and wonder. However, Albert Pujols must know where he wants to go because at the end of the day, when all the chips hit the ground, he will have to choose to stay here and not accept the extra 4-6 million or extra couple years. That’s his choice. But….

The problem is, Mo and the suits aren’t contacting Albert yet.   With 5 days to exclusively talk to the best player in baseball, they are letting Albert’s people contact
them. Bad move. I don’t care what Albert wants here. Call Lorano now.   You don’t waste those hours waiting before he hits the market. Why let Albert hit
the market without a new offer and after the recovery MVP second half Albert had, the offer better be bigger than springs offer.   Waiting is stupid, so this completely wipes
out our point. They should contact Albert, get him signed and promise him a part in finding the manager. If this leads to Jose getting the job and
Albert staying, I’m fine with it. If this pushes the two sides apart, let Albert make his brother the manager.   Mo and company would be stupid to not let the sharp mind of Albert have a say in the search.   We agree here. La Russa’s exit doesn’t negatively impact Albert’s situation unless the Cards fail to contact him soon and let him know about the new skipper. Remember what The Lakers did to Kobe when they hired Mike Brown without telling him. It pissed him off.   Let’s not piss off Albert here. He is too important.

For all the fuck tards that think Lance Berkman can do what Albert can at first base, let me remind you. Lance Berkman is declining and while he had an amazing season, he will
never do what Albert can do and will have a hard time repeating his 2011 performance. Everyone is writing in Lance at first, and that is plain stupid. Berkman is a mere insurance policy for Pujols and always has been. Prime or late career, Berkman isn’t Albert in any facet of the game. Leave him in right field to split time with Allen Craig. Putting him at first base doesn’t mean he will repeat his performance from 2010 or dobetter. Betting on Berkman doing what he did again is high stakes poker. I like the guy but stop the nonsense.

For me, giving Jose Oquendo a shot is the safest move of all. He is well respected, been around the game for a long time, doesn’t carry any negative history and is comfortable in the surroundings of this team. There would be little carry over effect if Jose stepped into the manager’s office. Going from third base to the dugout. You wouldn’t have to convince Albert Pujols that Francona/Riggleman have gotten over their rough past and will be good for the team. Hire Oquendo and Pujols signs the next day because players are comfortable with him already. There’s a core of respect and knowledge that exists in Oquendo’s relationship to this team. He isn’t a risk like Francona and Riggleman are. He is a cheap, worthy, old school baseball mind with a need to lead. Hopefully, he is considered.

Yadi Molina win his 4th Gold Glove. This is a no brainer because everybody in baseball knows how good Molina is and his overall effect on the running game. Molina doesn’t get as many chances as other catchers because runners simply don’t test him as often. If it’s handling a changing pitching staff, throwing out runners at second or picking runners off third, Molina is a programmed machine behind the plate. He shuts down running games. He is revered in this league. He is the most deserving catcher in either league and deserves to be honored.

I have no problem with the Cards declining the options of Rafy Furcal and Octavio Dotel. They both helped this team immensely in the second half of 2011, but there is no room on the payroll to hand Rafy 12 million or Dotel 3.5 million. You pull them in and renegotiate. Dotel was a great addition and was key in shutting down big righthanded hitters in the playoffs. He was also a clubhouse rally soul and lifted this team up and put a vet presence in the bullpen. Furcal fixed the infield defense with his sure glove and rifle arm. His bat was streaky and occasionally included power but will never be the Furcal of old. Furcal needs to realize he isn’t a 12 million dollar player anymore. Either he accepts that, takes less(4-5 million with incentives) or gets stupid and goes elsewhere. Dotel pitched better here than he has anywhere in years in the final 3 months. Both are players I want back but not at 15.5 million. With Albert pending, no way. I will say the Cards are loaded at depth in right handed relief and have little major league shortstop talent ready, so Furcal is more important.

Switching Gears to Football-

Tim Tebow is struggling and that is to be expected from a kid with unpolished skills and a raw talent set for quarterback. Tebow played an ugly three quarters against Miami two weeks ago and put together a strong 4th to lead a come from behind win but got hammered last week in Detroit. He went from escape artist to supreme punch line across America. He deserves a couple more shots at taking over the job before the forgotten kid, Brady Quinn, gets his 5th shot at being a successful NFL quarterback. Tebow is the classic underdog. His head coach, John Fox and owner John Elway don’t want him to succeed because they didn’t pick him to make it and want a pocket passer. Former Denver Head Coach and current offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels drafted Tebow with the hopes of installing him in his wild offense. Tebow is going to have to overcome a lot and drastically improve his overall game if he wants to beat the odds. He is a good kid, talented physical specimen and has the ability to lead but he needs to improve. He gets at least another week before Fox pulls him and shuts down the Tebow show. He is a fine example of a fan favorite being given zero favors in an attempt to prove others wrong. As Bill Parcells said, you either win or lose at this level and that’s all that counts.

Sam Bradford returns to action this week and hopefully gets into the game against Arizona. The fact that the Rams won 1 of A.J. Feeley’s starts is tremendous. Feeley overthrew receivers all day and managed to not mess up a good day. Now Bradford makes his way back. After missing 2 weeks with a high ankle sprain, he is back on the field and moving around. Part of his return is to create a winning streak and maybe salvage the season or exit with a little dignity. Facing a lowly Arizona team without its starting quarterback is a bonus opportunity. Kevin Kolb has turf toe(one of this conditions I can’t wrap my head around) and probably won’t play. This is a chance for the Rams to create some momentum and get back into the NFC West picture. With the 49ers outstanding start, the likelihood of a comeback here is small if nonexistent. However, you can’t hurt yourself by winning so I’m excited to see the Rams are standing with their heads up. Bradford is the cornerstone player here and gives an impact to this team few can match. He is a smart calculated player who will be thrilled to notice a new toy and set of arms on the outside wing in receiver Brandon Lloyd. The Rams can’t afford to lose to bad teams and must take care of business this weekend on the road.

If it is left to Feeley and the Rams, Sunday’s game will be ugly. The Rams and Cards rank near the bottom of the league in penalties and overall ugly play. Two backup quarterbacks and two bad offensive lines. The Cards O-Line is horrible, so Chris Long and Robert Quinn should put up great work on the ends. My advice would be to pound Steven Jackson into the Cards defense all day long and hope Feeley doesn’t lose the game for you. The Rams need to win this game badly. Lose and grab a shovel.

Andrew Luck may suck in the NFL. There, I said it. I’m sick and tired of hearing how good this kid may be based on college performances and the way he throws or beats defenses in college play. I have seen the kid play and while he is impressive, there is no guarantee he can put up wins in the NFL. Wait and see. No player is a lock to play well in the NFL. There is no way to calculate Luck making big plays or succeeding in this league. Look at history. Tom Brady was picked in the 6th round. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t taken 1st overall and won a Super Bowl. Peyton Manning is great but was taken behind the worst #1 pick in history, Ryan Leaf. Cam Newton was supposed to be a huge flop, got drafted #1 overall, got a shortened training camp and has put up staggeringly good numbers in his first 7 games. Christian Ponder was on no one’s radar and won a game last Sunday. Alex Smith is just now starting to not completely fuck things up in San Francisco. Sam Bradford was a solid pick for the Rams but I couldn’t tell you he would succeed and didn’t feel the need to dry hump him up to the podium. Luck is a good kid, has a great arm, strong ability, but can he do the things he is doing at Stanford in the NFL. WHO KNOWS? Bypass the Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. hard-on classes and hearing Luck is the best player to come out of college in 30 years. They are brainwashing you. If a year from now Luck is lighting it up down in Miami, I will eat my words properly. I am just tired of hearing about how good he is. There’s no way to tell. He is a college quarterback who plays in the standard college offense. NFL defenses are relentless, hard hitting, killers. College tackles are lame. Get real folks. Wait and see. Don’t place any bets. Andrew Could be Shit Out Of Luck.

A Change of Pace, Different Seasons-Now that the Cards are done playing and the only conversation is free agents and manager vacancies, I have settled into my off period of the year. While I still write about the Rams and Blues, the Cards demand so much attention in season that when they aren’t in session, the blogs are looser and more casual. This isn’t a slap to the other teams or an indicator that I don’t care. The fact is that the Rams play once a week and the Blues play 3 times at most, which leaves more off days to relax, write about random topics and ease into my blogs instead of running to the computer to confess violent acts. It also leaves more time for movies, and with a strong entertaining fleet of films on the way this winter, I will be picking and matching like any new parent can. Here’s a DVD review.

Crazy Stupid Love Review-A polite well written romantic comedy about a guy hitting the ultimate mid-life crisis wall and getting help from an unlikely source. Steve Carell is Cal Weaver, who gets dumped by his wife in the first scene of the movie. Cal’s wife Emily(Julianne Moore) is bored and doesn’t feel Cal is interested any longer. She throws him out and demands a divorce. Cal is sent adrift and while he has the adoration of his kids, he is left lost on the dating scene. It’s not until he runs into Jacob(a cool and cavalier Ryan Gosling) that his life starts to change. Jacob sees a poor tired guy that needs a makeover and so he runs Cal through the gauntlet, throwing him into new clothes, a new haircut and a way of life. Jacob is a true player, a man who can breath in a woman’s direction and get her in the bed. Watching him transform Cal into a replica of himself is both interesting and dull because you know where things are headed. Things get even more interesting when Jacob meets a woman that he actually likes and Cal soon thinks about his newfound life. This is a film about the destructible practice of falling in and out of love. The bonds of marriage. Finding true love and facing up to your past. Cal and Jacob face the biggest tests of their life. There are smaller stories here. Cal’s son falling in love with his babysitter, only to find out an unfortunate secret. Emily starts to get in touch with a work friend(Kevin Bacon). There’s a twist near the end that ties everything together and while it doesn’t fail the story, the end is recycled and predictable. That’s fine and makes for a good fun film, but I guess I wanted more here. With the sharp script, good cast and set up, there was more to be discovered here. Dan Fogelman’s script was ambitious and infused with whip smart humor and dialogue. However, the end is kind of been there and seen that. Cal’s journey is predictable and Jacob’s reality check is perfectly timed so much that the big speech at the end and plot twist land yet don’t leave a dent. Crazy Stupid Love is a common story told with some skill and has good acting, but it doesn’t have that “wow” factor that I was expecting. Gosling is sharp, Carell is the same guy he has been in several films and nobody goes wild here. If you like romantic comedies, this will satisfy you. If you don’t and want something fresh instead, it may disappoint. See for yourself but I’m backing away.

Official Announcement-Mike Quade is out as the Cubs skipper. New President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein made the call, saying he wanted a clean slate in Chicago. In other words, he didn’t want his new team to suck. Quade was 71-91 in 2011, dealt with the obnoxious Carlos Zambrano, sunk fast in the NL Central and won’t be back. I expect Theo to try to reconnect with Francona. In all honesty, The Cubs need someone more ambitious and fiery than Terry. This is where Lloyd McClendon would fit in because he is a guy looking to prove his worth and validate his career. Francona wouldn’t want to dip his solid record into Wrigley hell. Expect Theo to make a couple moves. He didn’t take the job as a vacation. Kid likes a challenge.

Johnny Depp’s Crazy Adventures-The main reason I want to see the Rum Diary is Johnny Depp’s zany ability to go crazy inside a film. He is least effective in films where he has to play it completely straight, like when he played John Dillinger in Public Enemies. In order to be effective, Depp has to be cut loose and given a wide range to play around in. Hunter S. Thompson’s stories are the perfect place for Depp. Thompson was a gonzo journalist, which means he went after the decrepit underworld of human activity. Drugs, bad decisions, and wild activity. Thompson wrote stories about his adventures that started in reality and ended inside his head. The Rum Diary is based on Thompson’s 1960 adventure in San Juan, PR where he went to work for a local newspaper and got mixed up in corruption, alcohol, drugs and the wrong woman. Depp unearthed this short story long after Thompson died and got it published and helped produced this film. Depp and Thompson were friends and one can see the connection between the actor and the writer. A willingness to expose yourself for the love of an art. The Rum Diary looks fresh and original. That’s the appeal.

According to Ken Rosenthal, The Cardinals are asking permission to speak to Ryan Sandberg, the hall of fame Ex-Cub who was a front runner for the Cubs managerial spot before the 2011 season before the Cubs kept Mike Quade. Now, The Cards are making a pitch at Sandberg, currently a coach in the majors. I like this move because of a respect for Sandberg but you’d have to love the irony of a Cubs legend coming to the Cards to manage this team. Sandberg would have to halt his depression meds and the Cards would want an apology for all the game winning hits against them during his playing years. While this is an outside shot at happening, I like Mozelaik going for every possible corner and making the search interesting. The normal players for the job are Francona, Oquendo, Riggleman, Terry Pendleton, Joe Maddon and maybe the Memphis manager. Sandberg is a wild card. Look for more on this.

Little Things-

*Why do medical forms and job application forms have to include answer slots that are so small its impossible to answer correctly and fully? Are we trying to incorporate polish prison rules or something?

*Song of the Day-My Morning Jacket performing “Victory Dance”, the smooth tempo rocker that kicks off their latest album, Circuital.

*Odds that Sandberg lands in Chicago and Francona lands in St. Louis as new managers. Decent chance. I’d say 3-1 on each.

*Was it just me or did half a million adults wish David Freese would have bashed Justin Bieber and Jay Leno in the jaw on Monday Night?

*Tony La Russa-Next Late Night Sports Show Host? Tony TV Lives.

*What’s uglier on Dallas Cowboys facility? Rob Ryan’s haircut or Tony Romo’s overall play?

*Remember to Appreciate the little things in life-One of those things for me are the holiday cups used at Starbucks. That time of year again where the red and white cups come out and boost the mood on a daily basis. My coffee choice of the moment. 16 ounce cup of the bold pick of the day with an extra shot of espresso. We call that a red eye selection.

That’s all. I feel like I have gone on and on here. Like the Lord of the Rings ending. Like a politician. Like a go for broke lawyer on the losing end of a case. Like Herm Edwards after a Chiefs loss. Sometimes you just have to say, “when in rome”. I have no idea what that meant. Anyway, thanks for reading and goodnight.

-Buffa

A Stream of Concious Thought

November 1, 2011 · Leave a comment ·

Let the games begin on another round of quick potent to the point topic firing from the southern end of St. Louis cyber space. As The Black Keys flood the background with hardcore blues rock, I’m going to run down the list here.

Tony La Russa retirement thoughts, Day 2-Does this have any effect on Albert Pujols coming or going in the offseason? Very little. Look, Albert has to know Tony wasn’t going to be here forever and one day he would play for a different manager. It’s common sense and shouldn’t get in the way of Pujols returning. Honest thought. While I was surprised by La Russa’s decision, it wasn’t a shock and I didn’t immediately grow weary of Albert’s status when I heard the news. The Cardinals just won a World Series, Tony retired, Albert cried like a baby, hearts were touched but business is business and logic wins out here. La Russa will tell Albert to stay put and that will be the only effect. Pujols isn’t stupid enough to think he lives in a world where he would have one manager his entire career. Pujols knows where he wants to play and will make a decision. That is all it comes down to. Pujols will miss La Russa but be able to perform to his standards under a new manager, especially if his name begins with Jose. These guys are professionals. They can handle it.

Possible Suitors for Cardinals vacant managerial post-Jose Oquendo gets the the first interview if you ask me. Jose has the complete respect of the team and its core players like Pujols, Molina, Carpenter and Wainwright. Oquendo has put in his time here and is a sharp baseball mind with leadership to offer and many pearls of wisdom to share. He interviewed for many open posts the past few years and came back here every time. Jose put in 12 years as a player here and has coached third base for 12 years. He is a defensive wizard who will expect the best out of any player, superstar or utility bat. He is the most qualified for THIS job. Experience? Who needs experience when you have spent half your life in this city? Here’s a bit for the experience junkies. 4 of the 8 teams in the postseason this year were led by first time managers, including Ron Washington and Ron Roeneke, two managers the Cards defeated. Oquendo is legit and has waited his turn here. He at least gets an interview. Any hiring is a risk. Finding a manager is like drafting in the NFL. You do your homework, calculate the odds, and choose. Its a hail mary toss either way.

After Jose, it’s a three legged horse on the open market between Terry Francona, Jim Riggleman, and John Maddon. Bobby Valentine steps into Busch Stadium as a candidate and I will shoot him on sight. Francona managed the Red Sox for 8 years, won 2 World Series titles but left in turmoil after his team literally quit playing in September and rumors came to the surface that players ate snacks and played video games during games. Francona is a smart respected manager and he’ll get a look. Rigglemen spent time on the Cardinals major league staff and Memphis coaching staff throughout his career, and managed the Washington National until midway through the 2011 season, when he was denied a long term contract and he quit. Rigglemen did a fine job there but was being set up to be fired win or lose. He chose his dignity over slumming the rest of the year. Maddon manages the Tampa Bay Rays but has a year left on his deal and has always liked the Cardinals. Either one of these guys works and has pedigree, but Jose gets my early vote.

It’s amazing how things change in a week. Last Monday, the Cards were down 3-2 in the World Series. Last night, La Russa is discussing retirement with David Letterman and David Freese is bumping shoulders with Justin Bieber on Jay Leno. Wow.

A Better Life DVD Review-A powerful little indie film about one man’s survival pledge for his son in the harsh economy of Los Angeles. Demian Bichir stars at Galando,an illegal immigrant who spends his days as a low pay making landscaper with dreams of opening his own business and making a better life for his son. Any father can appreciate and admire this tale about fathers and sons. Bichir is amazing in the lead role, injecting Galando with a world weary attitude and toughened outlook. While we feel sorry for his situation, Bichir never lets the action turn into pity. This man is strong and only wants to do better. If you have a son, all a father wants is for that son to do better in this world. I think of it as a pitcher leaving a game and handing the ball to a younger version of himself, daring him and wanting him to do better. Galando gets the opportunity to run his own show, but things fall apart fast and he is fighting at the same time to keep his son out of local LA gangs. The end is bittersweet and deeply provocative. A scene between Galando and his son, Luis, in a room at the end is one of the most heart wrenching moments in a film all year. One man looking into the other’s eyes, asking for forgivness and a promise. A Better Life is a fine gem of a film and promises something for the whole family. It carries a message that never dies. There is a scene near the end of the film where Luis asks Galando why parents have kids and why he was born if his mother took off early in his life. Galando tells him he had him because in the end when there is nothing left to live for, a son gives you hope. He wanted something to life for and Luis was that something. Powerful stuff that doesn’t leave the head so fast.

What Gets on My Nerves-Being second guessed by old guys in my warehouse. That’s right. Generally, Old guys think young guys suck. They miss 1975 or want to get back to 1820. It’s the natural law of making it past 60 years of age. The Clint Eastwood condition in full effect. Every time I tell this guy at my plant something, he thinks in his head, “Who does this young dude think he is?” I hate repeating myself for a third time but I hate even more being second guessed. When somebody thinks I am lying to them about something just for kicks. Old guys do this. They can’t get through their head that this is a young man’s world and they are still living in it. I told this guy the location of a product in the warehouse and minutes later I hear him telling another worker, “You know, I asked Dan where it was, he told me it was right here, and I don’t see it, damn it”. It was right in front of him. Fucking old guys. Yes, the greater percentage of guys who do this are a lot older than me. When you get to be fossilized, it’s time to start listening and resist the second guessing. Rule of thumb for any Lee Marvin fans out there.

Here’s another team that won’t ever win a Super Bowl with current roster intact. The San Diego Chargers, who blew a late comeback away and lost to the Chiefs last night 23-20. Every year, the Chargers are mentioned in Super Bowl pick chats and I laugh. First thing, Phillip Rivers isn’t a big game quarterback and constantly suffers from Tony Romo Choke syndrome. Second, Norv Turner teams tend to choke big time. Third, the Chargers can’t put together solid consistent streaks of play. They aren’t hard to beat on a big stage, which makes them Super Bowl non factors.

Matt Sebek Tweets-A St. Louis fellow who loves to dish sharp sarcastic humor that you could slice with a knife on the Twitter boards. I use Twitter mainly to follow local sports writers breaking news and celebs crazy comments, but Sebek is a freak of nature when it comes to shedding an original light on fresh stories.

A Sprinkling of Sebek genius here with a few of his tweets-

-Armed only with an AM radio and a cooler of Molson Ice, Tony & Colby Rasmus share a tender embrace on a frozen Toronto pond.

-(On Tony’s retirement)This, of course, opens the door for Albert Pujols as the first St. Louis player/coach since Darryl Doran.

-One has to wonder how La Russa’s retirement will affect the career path of future tiny, white, substandard middle infielders.

-Speculation aplenty about today’s 9am Cardinals presser. Clearly, it’s to name Jason Motte the closer for 2011.

-Dan Lozano reps Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and now, Carlos Beltran. He’s either aligning his chips or forming another Menudo

-Loved the beard, but I’m happy to see that Lance Berkman has his lesbian look back.

-Cardinals broadcasting car just went by. Dan McLaughlin was not driving.

Sebek is a STL sports blogger who likes to mix it up and throw darts at sports types. Love the guy. A solid tweet can be a mood boost after a long work day.

Conan O’ Brien returns to New York(the scene of his first 10 years on at the Late Night Show on NBC) this week to do a week of shows at the Beacon Theater. A homecoming parade for Conan, who has enjoyed a fine first year on TBS and cleared out the late night spot the cable network all by himself. While Letterman and Leno get high profile stars like Johnny Depp, David Freese(haha), George Clooney and Tony La Russa, Conan gets character actors, indie bands and does his own original thing. Conan is the kind of guy who would book Nick Punto or Daniel Descalso and kill it better than Leno or Dave, who seem tired and bored these days. Conan would let Punto shred his suit or tell Descalso to show him what D-Money means. Part of the reason he’ll always have a job on late night is his willingness to be self deprecating.

George Carlin on God-Look folks, this is pure personal opinion and not meant to be a shot at anyone. George and I think alike on this subject and we do so by presenting plausible arguments, something a lot of religious people can’t seem to do when I am catching God talk to my face. You can’t escape these people. They want you to feel their beliefs inside and out. I don’t want any part of it. So I come here and present my case, along with the late yet great George Carlin. George prefers to believe in the sun and Joe Pesci, and there’s an explanation behind this. I believe in what I see, because as Carlin points out, it really helps the credibility factor. Listen to the whole clip and don’t cut it short because it doesn’t align with your thoughts. It’s not supposed to. Everyone can’t agree with your idea and if you can’t protect your beliefs with a steel shield, what is the use in having them? Scroll and click, and then we will move on.

http://youtu.be/gPOfurmrjxo

For me, that’s the perfect way to end a rant. A little rant on GOD. For all the people who may of been offended, you didn’t HAVE to read it. Simple as that. This is an optional read. I am not jamming this down your throat. Pure opinion. Anyone can do it. I put my words on the board and back them up 100 percent. If people can’t handle that, tell me personally and I will remove you from the list or warn you to stay away from my WordPress blog. Taking these words personally is a bad idea unless you can handle the conversation. Words are the best way to spark a juicy conversation and that is what laid the foundation for this civilization. Two or more people going at it over their beliefs and what is right and wrong. If you are up for a fight, I will bring it. Please don’t shut me out because of what I think because that is weak my friends. Freedom of opinion is all we have left.

Thanks for reading and goodnight. More will come at a later time. For now, I am shutting it down.

Sincerely,

Dan L. Buffa