Ladies and gents,

Strap in for the thrill ride called the Buffa Blog.  A quick stream of consciousness as the morning flips over.   Light the hands on fire and we begin.  12 things to talk about.

Rogues in Red 

The Cards have start fast at 9-4 and are doing so with a heavy early injury toll.  Bombs are hitting the ship and shrapnel is flying around the clubhouse.   Chris Carpenter went down with nerve damage in his shoulder before spring training ended.   Lance Berkman blew out a calf extending a double into a triple and he is finding himself on the disabled list.  David Freese missed a couple games due to a hand injury.  Jon Jay ran into the center field wall looking for a Drew Stubbs home run ball that sailed way over his head.  The 2012 Cardinals are getting hammered yet carry a NL Central leading record heading into April 20.   They have defeated the Reds, Cubs, and Brewers in best of 3 series’.   The strength of this team early is powering ahead with young talent.   Matt Carpenter filling in for Berkman and driving in 11 runs.  Daniel Descalso and Tyler Greene anchoring second base while Skip Schumacher rehabs from an oblique injury.   While missing 5 regular players, the Cards have 9 wins.  The story of the season so far is manager Mike Matheny and his ability to lead this team into the new era of Cardinals baseball after the departure of Mount Rushmore holders Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols and Dave Duncan.   A team that was expected to be disjointed has turned into a divisional powerhouse and the thing about this team is the downfall isn’t looking likely from this set of lens.  How do you figure it?  When the Cards reacquire their shipwrecked veterans, the team only gets stronger.  The Cardinals are jumping on teams with early offense and finishing them late with solid starting pitching.  Adam Wainwright is 0-2 and getting rocked, but recovering from Tommy John surgery carries its own timeline.  Waiting for the Waino of old may be more than a few weeks.   If April is one thing in baseball, it’s the stage where you feel out your roster and find your hidden strengths.  Early and often, the Cards are finding that the corners of their roster carry unexpected resources.  It’s too early to pinpoint Matheny’s managerial structure, but there are hints being dropped.  He is being patient with his starters, pushing them but yanking them out before firm exposure.  He shows emotion in the dugout and doesn’t hide behind the shades.  His differences from TLR mafia land are evident while his wide range manager skills aren’t yet explored.   You can tell that this team likes his style, and wants to win for him.  Their early surge could make for a happy September.

Blues/Playoffs

They ride into Game 4 tonight knowing that 60 minutes are required to firmly secure a playoff win.   The Blues have their first 2 wins in the playoffs since 2004, so the complaints here are few.  A series win is the next step but the San Jose Sharks will not go down without a fight.  They are the lesser team in this series and their mad aggression after the first couple Blues goals puts their desperation display.  We know tonight the Sharks will get rough right away and try to get into the Blues heads.   The Blues must put up a mental and physical barrier tonight and take the throat in this series.  All you have in the playoffs is your tenacity and willingness to expose your strengths and weaknesses.  Ken Hitchcock and his team, best in the NHL since November, are finding out that the 3rd period is the danger zone for a team ahead in the playoffs.  With a 4-1 lead late in Game 3, the Blues nearly lost it all and saw overtime.  Now they know that the razor edge for teams in desperation is play to the final buzzer and the question of the Blues is this.  Do we see the collapse of past playoff adventures or can the Blues put the Sharks away?  The Blues need to understand how the Sharks do business.

Marquez/Pacquaio Round 4

This is the kind of boxing fight a fan loves.  Two guys stepping into a ring to not only punish each other, but put on a show.   Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao know how to fight each other, and that simply means they collide well.   Pac Man is the aggressive puncher and Marquez is the sharp defender and counter puncher.   As Pacquiao sets up his June bout with Timothy Bradley, the fall calls for these two fighters to do battle again.  I approve of the fight, especially if it puts off a Manny showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. until next year.   Floyd will be coming out of jail and need extra time to get right.   Manny needs to close the Marquez chapter with a decisive win because their third fight yielded too many questions.  For the Mayweather clash to be perfectly set, Manny needs to take care of business in his past.  If the big fight doesn’t want to happen, we can only hope for a clash boxing fans know promises a good result.

Small Chat About the Job Situation

After June 29th, I will not have a job at Senoret Chemical.   My company  has been sold and that is that.  A business deal that effects many people’s lives.   My own will go on.  Don’t worry about me my friends.   Opportunities are knocking at the door and the website is only one.   People can feel sorry for me or hopeful that another landmine has been thrown into my path that I must deal with.   You are what you in this world only because you learn to deal with shit storms.  This could be an episode of the Hunger Games.  A chance for me to explore the job market and at 30 years of age, see if I have something else out here to do with my life.

TV Lapse

Without Justified on FX, my television schedule is getting lazy.   To be honest with you, I can’t tell you one show right now I am addicted to.  Game of Thrones is enticing, but I don’t have 12  hours to catch up with.   Walking Dead and Breaking Bad are also interesting, but where’s the time?   Current programming is only highlighted with coded hope.   Some episodes seem better than others to spend time with.  Justified was so good that the aftermath of its seasonal passing is leaving a need in my evening vacations.

Song of the Week

The Silent Comedy-“Bartholomew”

Website Bit

The territory in my next creative juncture is set to launch in 2 weeks and I am pumping material out like a caffeinated recluse.  Let’s just say I am covering a bullet headed Brit at the moment for a story.

The Rams Position

Unless a huge offer comes into the room in the next 2 weeks, the Rams can stay put at #6 in the draft and take Justin Blackmon, the wide receiver from Oklahoma State who will be waiting for them.   He is what the offense needs and I have said that since the kid’s name dropped into the ring.  If Jeff Fisher loves Sam Bradford as much as his printed words state, he will make the move and select Blackmon, a deep threat talent who can change the field or at least stretch it.

Sean Payton Madness

The New Orleans Coach getting banned from any sort of contact with NFL players, coaches or officials is downright ridiculous friends.   Come on.   Are we still holding onto the Roger Goodell bounty hunting prayer session?  Let it go and let the coach back in the room.  The Saints aren’t the bad guy in this fight.  An issue long ignored and now crammed to the front of the line is the problem.  As I have stated before, if this was so important, why did our commissioner wait so long?  I will tell you why.  Money talks because violent play builds the roads it lives on.

Closing Statements-

The NBA Playoffs are here and I don’t care but here are my quick thoughts.   Go Boston and I’m pulling for Kobe Bryant to come back from a shin injury and win his 6th title only to give him the title he deserves.  Best of his generation.   I have a silent hunger for Kevin Durant and the Thunder to come out of nowhere and shock the league with a win.  My money is on Lebron and the Heat wilting in the pressure cooker again.

Weather Gripe of the moment.  Pick a number, please.  My body doesn’t like visiting 80 degrees and going back to 45 degrees inside a 24 hour period.  I can’t control it but that doesn’t mean I can’t complain.   I like cold weather and can deal with hot weather but I don’t like a weather swirl.   That’s all I am saying.

Coffee and I have a nice consistent relationship.  It presents itself and I take it.

Movie to see of the moment for the movie man here is The Hunger Games.  Until April 27th arrives and my dock is full of films, right now it’s the scholar student of the box office.  The latest sensation.  A film about being thrown into Darwin’s game and winning the ultimate game of survival on television is an interesting film and one I need to take a ride on.   What’s all the fuss about?   After the crowd has died down, my time to see the Hunger Games has come.  Check Film Addict on May 4th for the review.

My son Vinny is getting large.  Seven months and 22 pounds of furious ambition.   While a diet plan isn’t in his future, I will point out my kid will put anything, everything and then some into his mouth.  Toys, binks, food, fingers, my beard, his clothes, the shelving unit, the car seat latch, the napkin on the table or my finger into his mouth.   Why?  Who gives a shit?  That’s why.  It’s there, he can reach it, and its happening.   My kid sleeps like me as well.   On his stomach smothering his lammy like I do my pillow, as if a bomb is being secured underneath.   He has his mother’s eyes, breaking point and attitude, but there is plenty of me in this kid’s makeup.   I find out something new every day.  Today was him really admiring my lunch instead of his own.

I am done.  Take this as you will because all I can do now is hit send.

See you in the morning,

DLB