Month: November 2015

The Kick that ended Ronda Rousey’s reign in the UFC

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Ronda Rousey has fallen. After vanquishing her last three opponents inside 64 seconds, Rousey lost her first match in MMA and UFC inside six minutes. She didn’t just lose. She got knocked out. Cold. It was brutal to watch and mesmerizing at the same time. Shock, awe, and sadness all in one beautifully landed Holly Holm kick to Ronda’s neck that ended it. Watching it live, I tried to imagine what people thought when Mike Tyson was knocked out by Buster Douglas. UFC 193 was the home of the greatest upset of all time. Something nobody will forget. Where were you the night Ronda Rousey got knocked out?

I could see it coming. Small hints. I wrote hours before the fight that Rousey seemed rattled at the weigh in and overly tense. She is always an emotional battlefield of open wounds, but this was different. She sounded like somebody who wasn’t holding the crown. She sounded worried. Who was this tall, sweet talking and well natured challenger nicknamed the Preacher’s Daughter? Holm was unlike anything Rousey had faced before. A fighter with an excellent stand up strike game and a tall and muscular build to withstand attacks and make someone think twice about coming after her. Holm was a different specimen than Ronda’s usual opponents. With few threats or words, Holm was inside Ronda’s head before the fight night began.

Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm
Paul Crock/Getty Images

Once the opening bell sounded and 30 seconds passed, Ronda seemed off her game. She wanted to jump in quick and end it but she didn’t know how. Holm wasn’t backing up or giving an open lane inside. After a minute passed, Ronda seemed even more lost. Holm landed flush shot after flush shot straight to the face of the champ. Rousey’s defense was gone. She was desperate in the first round and Holm was taking advantage. Rousey took Holm down and tried to do an armbar hold and Holm broke out of it with ease. It was sloppy and easy to escape from. Holm took down Ronda but immediately got up, knowing the ground wasn’t her best chance to take the title. Ronda got back up and barely escaped the first round. She had no legs. No energy. No clue. Fight fans wondered who they were looking at. Who was this mortal person in the ring?

Rousey sat in her corner, looking as shocked as the rest of us. She didn’t know who was standing in front of her but her face suddenly recognized pain and how adversity felt. For the first time, Rousey was bleeding and her opponent was not.

The second round didn’t even get a minute old before Rousey was finished. She missed with a few shots and Holm landed a few flush shots to the face before Rousey tried to charge and fell in doing so. When she got back up, she missed with another shot, got tagged and stumbled to the ground. Before she could get up and turn around, Holm landed the perfect leg to the neck and face. The strike numbed Rousey’s moment and the rest of her night, all at once. Rousey fell to the ground like a lump of bricks. You know that limp nothing look to a fighter’s body when they get caught with the perfect shot? That was Rousey. She landed, and Holm got on top, landing two more sideway shots to the champ’s face, literally knocking the undefeated record from her body. With one fall, the monument that Rousey built was gone. The “And still” anthem was put on hold and a new sound was heard, “And NEWWWWW!!!”

Holm immediately jump up in and ran to the side of the ring, unleashing the biggest smile this world will see this weekend. She did it. She did the impossible. The unthinkable. After eight weeks of being told no way, Holm screamed back at the world, “WAY!!”. She didn’t just defeat Ronda Rousey. She defeated the hype machine and world conquering name and face of a legion of young women fighters. Now young girls can look up to two female fighters and not just one. The whole world will know the name Holly Holm by Monday morning. It will be in every punch line, water cooler conversation and phone screen. The image of her leg landing on Rousey’s neck will be as memorable as Juan Manuel Marquez sending Manny Pacquiao to the canvas with that thunderous right hook.

Will Ronda return? Sure she will. She is hungrier than ever now. Minutes after she was counted out, she sat on the canvas and realized what it was like to not win. That is all the motivation she will need to come back for a likely rematch against Holm. Every loss is only met by the sweet smell of revenge cooking around the corner. For now, celebrate Holm and her newfound fame. She earned every tweet, mention and headline that will involve her name over the holidays. She was a massive underdog coming into the fight and leaves Australia the champion of the world. As the great late St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andujar said, “You Never Know.”

In the world of sports, you never know what will happen. In the world of fighting, you never know what will happen when that bell dings and it’s time. There’s someone out there for everybody to lose to. It’s a matter of those two people meeting in a ring.

Saturday night, Ronda Rousey entered the ring as the undefeated champion and top name in the world of sports. Sunday morning, she will wake up defeated and without a belt with a chip on her shoulder. The larger than life star has fallen. What will she do when she wakes up? That is the beauty of sports. Every fall is followed by a reaction.

What are you prepared to do, Ronda?

While we are pondering that and the rematch is set up, take a moment and send some praise Holly Holm’s way. She shocked the world this weekend!

Is Ronda Rousey rattled by “sweet” Holly Holm?

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Some pre-fight banter before the lovely ladies battle at midnight.

During the Friday weigh in, I picked something up about Rouda Rousey. After Holly Holm came in at 134 pounds and Rousey stepped up smiling and matched the weight, there was a tense faceoff. This wasn’t the surprising part. This happens at every contest that is centered around ring combat. Fighters weigh in, smile, flex and then bark at the other fighter. Keep in mind the fighter has been starving their body for weeks so they are seriously just hungry. When the two ladies stood face to face, Rousey put a fist next to Holm’s face and she did the same, to the point of pushing Ronda away.

However, Rousey seemed like an isolated teenager when she was interviewed by Joe Rogan about the tense staredown. She sounded truly rattled and unnerved by the way Holm had acted throughout the camp. Holly is a quiet sweet tall muscular killer. She smiles right up to the moment when she snaps you in half. Is this on purpose? Is this Holly trying to get into Ronda’s head by not saying much? Rousey’s last opponent mocked her dad’s suicide and got crushed in 34 seconds. Holm isn’t doing that. She is unlike many of Rousey’s opponents. She is undefeated, tall and muscular. She is a specimen that will give Rousey trouble.

I was just surprised at the reaction from Rousey. She is an emotional woman and lets her words and tears fly. She is also a worldwide phenomenon. She is everywhere. After destroying Correia this summer, Rousey became even bigger around the world. A tough woman who has beaten her last three opponents in just over 64 seconds. She deserves the fame but is it finally getting to her? The commercials, the videos, the movies, the publicity and all of that getting to the most popular female in sports and in the world who just donned the cover of a boxing magazine. It’s a point to ponder as the pay per view event gets underway in Australia.

I’ve seen Rousey get emotional talking about anything but she seemed detached from her zone Friday evening at the weigh in. Holm was calm as a feather, saying she was just taking a drink and praising Rousey’s ability. She’s been sucking at the throne of Rousey this entire tour of publicity for the fight. She could be secretly ninja chopping Rousey on the inside.

The trainers for Holm have battled Rousey before and lost so there is history there. This could just be Ronda letting it all hang out before she goes off to film a pair of films before another fight. I wonder how much she wants to fight and how much she wants to make movies. She probably doesn’t mind not getting punched for real but I think there is a hunger inside her that is leaking out with this Holm fight.

I could be mistaken, but I think Holm pushes Ronda tonight. Holm is 9-0 in MMA and 2-0 in UFC with an overall professional fighting record of 33-2 but it’s the build of this woman and the quiet confidence that pushes me a little. Correia got into the ring and got punched and immediately got scared. I don’t see a bit of recklessness in Holm and that could help her last a round.

I still see Rousey winning this fight. I still her coming out on top. I just saw something Friday night from Rousey that was a little bizarre. I am not a fighter though.

Again, Rousey could have simply been hungry.

“Batkid Begins” will tear you up in a good way

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Batkid Begins is going to make you cry, folks. Men, women, kids and even a few pets. You’ve been warned.

Dressed as Batkid, Make-A-Wish recipient Miles Scott spent the day fighting crime as San Francisco was turned into Gotham City, Friday. Scott, a 5-year old leukemia patient, had his wish fulfilled with the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Francisco police chief Greg suhr and Mayor Ed Lee.
Dressed as Batkid, Make-A-Wish recipient Miles Scott spent the day fighting crime as San Francisco was turned into Gotham City, Friday. Scott, a 5-year old leukemia patient, had his wish fulfilled with the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Francisco police chief Greg suhr and Mayor Ed Lee.

The story of Miles Scott, a five year old boy with leukemia who gets to dream big when the Make A Wish foundation grants his request to be Batman for a day. This wasn’t just a group of people making a costume, clearing a room out and having some cake. This was the entire city of San Francisco being swapped for a mythical Gotham city that captivated the entire world. People from countries around the world, including political leaders, wanted to be a part of Miles’ story. Everybody wanted in on this action because it was genuine goodness. President Obama, Ben Affleck, Adam West, and Michael Keaton all pledging a love for the little kid who wanted to forget about the disease that had wrecked him for so long and just be a kid again. Watching this movie, I kept thinking of David Bowie’s classic song, “Heroes”.

“We can be heroes. Just for one day.” Miles’ story reminded the world that goodness isn’t that far away if the right navigator is at the front of the line.

Director Dana Nachman takes you through the entire process, livening up Miles’ comic book like tale and geeking out with the visuals. This is a story that takes certain aim for your heart no matter what because of how improbable it was from the start and the spectacle that it became. It was impossible to not hear about Batkid back in November, 2013 when it all took place. Without being superficial, Batkid Begins just takes you along for the ride of how a simple family from a small farming town found their way into the center of global attention.

It doesn’t  happen without a marvel like Make a Wish maestro Patricia Wilson coordinating with the police, local theaters, various organizations and event planners from across the city and country. In order to get this moving, Wilson couldn’t take no for an answer. Mike Jutan and Eric Johnson teaming up to play Penguin and Batman. You will tear up watching Johnson connect with Miles at a gymnastics center as they train for their stunts. When Johnson lets Miles fly on a trapeze across the gym, it’s a comfy cool great moment that will fill you with the feels usually reserved for war films with men and sad romantic dramas for women. Batkid Begins will touch you all in a different way.

I wanted to be a superhero when I was a kid. Whether it was Superman or The Punisher, I wanted to roam the streets and save people and wear the costume. At some point in our lives, we all want to be the hero. Seeing Miles live out his dream, against all odds, made a part of me feel complete. That day, he saved a lot of people, not including the actors and staged action adventures that were placed all over the city. People held up signs throughout the day that simply said, “Save us Batkid”. In the hard knock of life, strangers felt their own tragic lives being steered towards a better safer place by watching a true fighter in Miles live out a dream. Sometimes, the world works in crazy ways and it connects people in the most unlikely of ways.

Batkid Begins is the story of a miracle. Something seemingly impossible that happened because of the work of several dedicated people. Miles Scott went into remission right around the event and is healthy now. As he gets older, my guess is he will never forget the day the world was his. Neither will we.

Batkid Begins is available on Redbox and On Demand.

Tommy Hanson: Gone too damn soon

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Tommy Hanson was 29 years old. Six years ago, he was one of the game’s brightest young pitching talents. He made his pitching debut with the Atlanta Braves on June 7th, 2009. He won 13 games that season, compiling a 2.89 and finishing 3rd in NL Rookie of The Year. He won 45 games during his first four seasons before shoulder injuries struck him down. He hadn’t appeared in a Major League game since 2013. He was pitching for the San Francisco Giants in the minors this past season. Late Monday night, NBC Sports confirmed  via an MLB source that Hanson had passed away after catastrophic organ failure.

On Sunday, Hanson went into the hospital after experiencing trouble breathing. Earlier Monday evening, Hanson fell into a coma. A variety of tests were run but to no avail. There were no prior events that could have prepared his family or his friends for this kind of situation. According to all sources available, Hanson didn’t have any previous serious issues other than getting his shoulder 100 percent and getting back to the Majors. This is worse than tragic. This is unfair.

Any time an innocent 29 year old dies, it’s a sad story. Everybody should reach 30. Everyone should get that chance. Hanson didn’t do drugs. He didn’t drive drunk or hurt anyone. He was a baseball player. He was a guy who didn’t give up when the league told him he couldn’t make a comeback. The Braves traded him to LA for current Cardinals pitcher Jordan Walden. Hanson spent an injury plague 2013 season with the Los Angeles Angels before pitching minor league ball for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and the Giants the past two seasons.

In 2014, debuting with the Charlotte Knights, Hanson talked about having two weeks in between jobs after the Rangers released him where he was throwing baseballs against a fence and with his wife rolling the ball back to him. All he could think about was getting back to the big show.

That’s life. It can be so simple minded and goal driven at one moment and then it can be gone. For Tommy Hanson, it all started at Redlands East Valley High School in California. After moving there from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hanson started his career. He was drafted in the 22nd round in 2005. He would be the #2 prospect in the Baseball Prospectus. After it all fell apart, Hanson never stopped pitching.

If we can learn anything from Hanson’s passing, it is make every moment count. There’s a clock on your life and we never know when it’s going out. You can be healthy as ever at one moment and then gone. It’s a privilege and not a right. It’s also not fair. It doesn’t matter if you know him or not. It doesn’t matter what his views were. It doesn’t matter. He’s gone and it’s sad.

Rest in peace, Tommy Hanson. Gone too soon.

Kingdom on Audience: “Happy Hour” reviewcap

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Disclaimer: This isn’t a review or a recap. It’s something in between. A punch with some flow to its descent. My take on Kingdom, Season 2, Episode 5, Happy Hour.

grilloThis week on Kingdom, shit hit the fan in quiet and loud ways. Let’s get to the meat of the episode before we deal with the potatoes and carrots.

THE MEAT

Jay and Laura flame out

We saw this coming. The minute Christina(Joanna Going) told Laura(Jessica Szohr) about her troublesome past, fucked up children and painful life, the new lady in Jay’s life got scared out of her mind. She didn’t just have a normal boyfriend. She had a potential chaotic animal in her midst. The episode followed through on the paranoia Jay(Jonathan Tucker) felt last week, and the two seemed to put an end to Jay’s fears. The fear that Laura is hiding something from him and it involves Paul’s supposedly “too big” cock.

After a day of questioning and thoughtful input from Alicia Mendez(Natalie Martinez), Jay and Laura got it on in that mind blowing fashion she told him about earlier in the hour. Afterwards, he spots her texting and lays into her. Soon after, she wants him to leave and Jay breaks down in desperation. He is jealous, insecure and new to this relationship thing. Most kids have daddy issues. Jay has mommy issues. He thinks Laura is going to run out on him and that fear follows him around rush hour traffic. It has infiltrated his life.

Ryan, his dad and the healing power of whiskey

Behold, the healing power of whiskey. It breaks ice in many ways and has healed marriages, relationships and also father/son quandaries. This particular case, Ryan trying to help a dad(MC Gainey, better than ever) that he put into a wheelchair, has a specific beat to it. In season one, all fans got from this tormented relationship was a quick visit from Ryan that didn’t end well. This season, with his mom gone, Ryan can reenter his dad’s life and try to help.

This part of Season 2 is exceptional. A real powerful sequence of events that isn’t getting overly emotional or melodramatic. On a network show, the pop song would start playing and Ryan or his dad would melt down as The Fray blared on your speakers. Here, in Byron Balasco land, it’s taunt silence and sparse dialogue. This is a chess match between two men, enraged and wild yet trying to bury a monstrous hatchet.

His dad wants a real drink and Ryan gives it to him, thus taking a few long pulls himself. Father and son, drunk and watching National Geographic. It doesn’t get any better than this. While Frank Grillo’s Alvey is the rock and Jonathan Tucker’s Joker Jay is the soul, Matt Lauria’s Ryan is the tightly wrapped heart of Kingdom. His scenes with Gainey here are masterful. They don’t twist the viewer in knots with sappy writing and over the top dialogue. At the end of the hour, the look they share in the recognition of their new world is just enough to make you hit pause and take a moment to digest a great TV moment that was earned.

THE POTATOES

Alvey: The new age Mickey

More like Alvey connects with Alicia in the gym. This scene is where the technical aspects of this show thrive for a few minutes. The story takes a backseat and we get a glimpse into the authentic world of an MMA gym. Fighters wrap their hands before they hit something. This scene is Alvey rewrapping Alicia’s fighting identity. In the ring, throwing jabs and combinations and pivoting out of trouble. Any fighter can stand and throw but what happens when the other fighter is setting you up or starts walking you down in the ring.

The interesting part is Natalie Martinez is a legit badass kickboxer in real life. Grillo knew her from the film End of Watch they were in but also from MMA gyms. So it’s a cool lick to see her step into a ring with Alvey and the parallels of real life collide with the make believe. Between the two actors, you got over 40 years of fighting experience.

Balasco and his writers have treated Alicia like an onion this season. Every episode they peel off a layer. The episode opens with her arriving at the gym and shoving blankets in her trunk. Later on, she is losing her mental approach in the ring with the legendary Alvey, the reason she came to Navy Street. Or is it? It could have been her shitting on the other gyms she tried to train at. Her physical game can be honed. Can her mental one catch up? Is she the female equivalent of Nate(Nick Jonas)?

Watching this scene made me want to have Grillo give me five minutes in the cage.

Nate gets a dirty fight in Fresno

Ah, Mr. Jonas and his troublesome character, Nate Kulina. The kid who has collected a concussion per season without only one win to show for. Here is a hungry kid who only feels like a true man in the ring and can only silence the whispers when he is training or fighting. He takes a desperate fight with Doctor Shady Promoter in Fresno, which is like the Mac Brandt fight the season opened with. Not good for a championship contender like Nate. Or at least Alvey thinks so.

When he finds out, Nate threatens to walk. Remember the trajectory here. In Season 1, Nate parted ways briefly with Alvey due to the old man getting too close. What if he loses again? What if he gets really damaged in Fresno? It may not bring him a lot of money but if he loses, word will travel fast and his career could fall from relevance quick. This would be like an NBA star taking a street game in an abandoned school yard with a bunch of ex-cons. Not good.

THE CARROTS

Christina and unhappiness

Or is she unhappy? She gets confronted by her nasty pimp in the Patty Palace and since she didn’t rat on him to the cops, he let her continue her clean life. While she quit the drugs, that doesn’t mean she isn’t hooking anymore. We see her perform some escort duties on the side, making more money than she probably does in a month at the restaurant. Will she go back to her old life? What will Jay do when he finds out? If she is clean, is it okay? While she doesn’t get a ton of screen time, Joanna Going really brings it here and makes the most of her minutes.

Lisa, pregnant yet ambitious

Kiele Sanchez has been a quiet strength this season. She is promoting and nurturing the talented yet rebellious Alicia and trying to find Ryan sponsors. Since his past is messy, he is a tough target but an energy drink may be a fit for Mendez. All the while, Lisa still looks at Alvey like he is the last man on the planet worthy of making her happy. These two have been through hell(we haven’t dug into Alvey’s drug fueled past too much yet) but they still love each other. The end, where Lisa asks for a little Kulina lovemaking, was so well played by the two actors, it made me laugh and smile a bit in admiration.

Final round

~One of the anticipated parts of Season 2 has to be Alicia’s first fight. The effect of that fight could hit the entire gym hard.

~How much trouble will Sean Chapas get Alvey in next episode? I see police lights. Not good, this man from the past. Human Torch!

~Which Kulina loses this season? Nate has already lost once, but will Ryan and Jay both win their next fights? One of the best parts of the show is the unpredictable nature that creeps on each hour.

Next week, entitled “Pink At Night” promises to be a season adjuster. Are you ready? Keep up on Itunes and Amazon if you missed episodes.

“That one guy” is Frank Grillo: Badass Purger of Kingdom

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“It was never about the Shakespeare of it all or the fear of it all. It was about playing these cool characters. Oddly enough, as I have gotten older, I have gotten to do just that. I don’t know how long it is going to last, but I’m grateful that I got the opportunity to do this.”-Frank Grillo

When I think of Frank Grillo, I think of pure authenticity. Someone that I see on screen and instantly believe in and see as a character worth following down the darkest of roads. After all, the job of an actor is to convince the viewer that the person you see could be real and out there existing among the lot of real souls. It’s imitation via realization and takes skill. When I watch Grillo work, I get that. You may know him as “that one guy” but you will soon know him as Frank Grillo, the most authentic tough guy in the world of entertainment.

Grillo has stared down heavyweights on the big screen and held his own. He locked horns with Liam Neeson in Joe Carnahan’s underrated wolves/wilderness thriller The Grey. He fought British action star Jason Statham in Homefront. He coached Joel Edgerton to fight Tom Hardy in Warrior, an MMA cult classic. He stuck his boot heel into Chris Evans in Captain America: Winter Soldier and will do so again in May in the much anticipated Captain America: Civil War.

Grillo’s biggest performance to date and dream role has come on television in Direct TV’s hit show, Kingdom, playing Alvey Kulina, the ex-MMA star and owner of Navy Street, a place where his sons fight and a legion of fighters wage war within themselves. Playing an old lion still trying to stay in the game and keep the scent of blood within a sniff, Alvey finds a new life in the sport when his old friend Ryan Wheeler(Matt Lauria) gets out of prison and gets back in the fight game. When I asked Creator/Executive Producer Byron Balasco about Grillo, he said Grillo was the key to getting the show rolling. “When Frank is on set, there isn’t a false note. It doesn’t feel like work. It feels natural.”

It helps that for the past 25 years, Grillo has been a fighter. He trains like one 365 days a year with real boxing trainers. This Alvey Kulina diet is something Frank has worn on his shoulders for years and it keeps him going today. When he isn’t on set for a film, Grillo trains. He’s hitting something, talking about hitting something or planning a train. You hang a bag in the middle of an endangered war torn city, and Frank will lace up and destroy some leather. It’s in his DNA. What 95 percent of actors have to learn, Frank has running through his veins. He is always a week out of fighting shape.

“That is what I am attracted to. Damaged guys. I know what I can do and what I can’t do. Agents will ask me about a role and I will say, I don’t want to do that. I am not the actor who gets a role and has to do it different. I don’t need to stretch my muscles.”

Grillo calls on many past roles to properly put Kulina together but he pulled the most thread from Warrior, where he played Frank Campana, the trainer who turned Edgerton’s teacher into a world class fighter. That was the role that got Hollywood’s notice. He hasn’t left their door step since.

The notice went on high alert when he stood toe to toe with Evans in Winter Soldier. In 2016, Grillo returns as Marvel bad news dispenser Brock Rumlow aka Crossbones. He will cause a few storms in the lives of cinema’s precious Avengers, most notably Evans Red, White and Blue hero. When asked about fighting Grillo on set, Evans simply said Grillo punches hard. That’s what Grillo does in every role.

Take End of Watch, a superb David Ayer cop drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Grillo gets maybe five scenes and 10-12 screen minutes. There is a scene halfway through where Grillo tells a group of Marines about a partner taking a bullet for his Sergeant years ago. With a few lines and the conviction of a semi truck plowing down an ice road, Grillo lays into the audience. When I left the theater, I couldn’t get that scene out of my head. A movie full of greatness left me wondering where that sergeant goes from there. Grillo does that a lot.

Grillo stole Warrior from Edgerton and Hardy, making one person call up Grillo anonymously for a possible training session which the actor had to respectfully turn down. He’s that good. His work onscreen inspires real fighters to give it one last shot.

“When I tell you that the only place in life where I don’t have anxiety is in the gym when I box or when I grapple, I’m not lying.  I don’t go out on the streets and start fights but I love combat. I love fighting as an art.”

You want a full order of Grillo? Watch Purge: Anarchy, a movie few critics had high hopes for but one that scored better reviews than the original film due to Grillo giving it an extra dose of testosterone hero medicine. His street Avenger, Leo Barnes, reminded me of an unofficial take on The Punisher Frank Castle. A man out on a mission to avenge his family no matter what happens. The movie was so well received that it has spawned a third film, which just wrapped up filming in Rhode Island. It is set for release in the summer of 2016. After scrapping for years as a hard working actor taking what Hollywood gave him, Grillo is starting to call the shots and will star in two sequels as a top bill in the same year.

At the same time, he headlines Kingdom, a show that was so well received that Direct TV called for two seasons after the pilot aired a year ago. I call that the Grillo effect. It’s also known as hard work paid off.

Grillo will also be showing up in Akiva Goldsman’s latest, Stephanie, as well as taking on martial arts action star and The Raid maestro Iko Uwais, a man who moves so fast cameras have a hard time catching up to him.

Off the screen, Grillo is a prince, living the good life with his wife of 15 years, Wendy Moniz Grillo and three boys. He connects with fans through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. He tweets along with fans during Kingdom. An actor’s job may be done when the finished product hits the screen, but Grillo takes it a step further and shows his appreciation. Back in November of 2013, Grillo granted me an interview via Twitter Direct Message. Later on, we talked on the phone about where life had taken him. Instead of talking about himself nonstop, he appreciated me taking the time to write about him.

With Frank, there is zero vanity. Just toughness and determination. He cares and shows it every day through his preparation, drive and need to quench the thirst of this newfound stardom.

When I asked Frank in July of 2014 about what he would tell an aspiring young actor who may or may not soldier on with the odds against him, he didn’t hesitate.

“There are no rules when it comes to anything. What roles you are able to get. As soon as you put limitations on yourself, you are going to have those limitations. If you just listen to conventional wisdom, you are (finished). You go out there and you believe in yourself and you work hard. I am a testament to that.”

Grillo has been working hard since his first role in the movies back in 1993, a small forgettable flick called Deadly Rivals. He is a fighter in more ways than merely physical. Grillo is a fighter in the walk of life and someone worth rooting for when you see him killing it on screen. He may not win an Oscar or be mentioned beside the likes of Denzel Washington or Daniel Day Lewis, but not everyone comes to Hollywood to win shiny trophies. Some guys just want to work, enthrall and thrill the audience.

At the age of 52 years young, Frank Grillo is a force to reckon with in the world of entertainment. Whether it’s on TV coaching Nick Jonas or on the big screen telling Captain America doom follows him around, Grillo is there with his fists up ready for action. How can you not get a kick out of that? He isn’t a gimmick. Grillo is flesh, bones and grit personified.

Long may you run, Frank. I’ll be watching and so will millions of others.

Starbucks Holiday Cup Ridiculousness and MU Campus Madness

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Sometimes, people say stupid things and do stupid things. Being someone who tries to evade stupidity and fails, I know all about it. This week, two groups of people created a need for a speech. A rant. Something to reestablish the order.

The Starbucks Cups

Someone made a comment how Starbucks holiday cups are offensive or affect them or something weird. As if the world needs a reason to create a discussion about Starbucks holiday cups. Seriously, an article on a Kardashian yoga pant tear or a Justin Bieber haircut  would be more topical. Who gives a shit about the cups? I love the new order of 2010 internet police. The people who can start stupid arguments like they are All the Presidents Men wannabe activists. It must be a good idea when they are sucking down Kale smoothies and yammering on about their society as they reset their playlist to Drake’s greatest hits. It must come over good in their brain. It doesn’t come down to the rest of us right.

10_28_13_starbucks_holiday_2013_1I like Starbucks holiday cups. Maybe it’s because I like the color red and Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It could be a festive thing. I no longer slurp their coffee but I do partake in their espresso packed drinks and my kid thinks their chocolate chip cookies or akin to euphoric dirt crumbs. It doesn’t matter. They are nice and there’s nothing OFFENSIVE about them. If I walked up to you and said “Go Fuck Yourself” without explanation, that would be offensive. A Starbucks holiday cup is not.

If you want to argue about something, try these on size:

  • Cops, firefighters and school teachers being terribly underpaid.
  • The fact that people are shooting each other a lot and this world is going to shit very fast.
  • The unemployment rate is still too high.
  • More people can correctly identify the judges of the Voice instead of four Presidents before they were born.
  • People who complain about being fat yet don’t want to do the work to stay healthy.
  • There should be a “stupid driver” regulator type Uber police force.
  • Several countries still don’t have clean water.
  • There’s someone out there who thinks its okay to walk into a school and harm children.

How much of a wuss nation do we live in that people complain about Starbucks holiday cups? Do me a fucking favor and stay home. Make Folgers and pour it on your head. Go outside and bang your head on a wall. That cut in your forehead will need more attention than Starbucks cups. Get a life.

MU Campus Madness  

As you and a million other folks know by now, the University of Missouri President Tom Wolfe resigned yesterday accusations that he hadn’t done enough to combat several racial incidents on campus. That wasn’t the entire reason. It was the fact that the Missouri football team were boycotting all their activities due to the lack of action and demanded he step down. You know what that means? Money would potentially get lost if the team didn’t play their games or maintain their schedule. Love or hate the result, what followed after the announcement from Wolfe really got the stupid train rolling. When a student photographer freelancing for ESPN was trying to take pictures of a peaceful protest, a Communications professor asked for “muscle” in pushing this kid away. A crowd of people got in this kid’s face telling him to stop taking pictures. Fellow students were doing this. Instead of running away, this kid stood his ground and brilliantly pointed out that the first amendment protects him and the crowd pushing him away. Check it out.

This was embarrassing for the school, which may I remind you is one of the top journalism schools in the country. So, a professor didn’t want the photographer to help get the story out on a group of protesters? Why protest if you don’t want anyone to see it? Doesn’t that hinder the entire operation? If I want my words to be heard and actions to reach people, I pull that photographer closer and have him take 100 pictures. Are these people living in the Stone Age or just plain stupid? I am guessing the latter.

The professor needs to go because she made a horrible mistake in supporting this aggressive blockade of an innocent kid doing his job. I hope the kid sues those people because contact was made. He wasn’t even pushing to get closer. He was trying to take pictures of an event and cover it. This doesn’t come out in any possible way looking good for Mizzou or its students.

There’s a conversation to be had about racial comments and it may never be resolved. There should be no argument about the first amendment.

That was a Monday. Other lessons learned:

  • Alex Reyes did weed. Again. Small crime or big crime, here’s the facts. The players association agreed that marijuana is against the rules. Reyes did it twice. Now the 21 year old misses 50 games. He is a moron. If eating cake is against the rules and you know that and do it twice, that makes you dumb or highly irresponsible.
  • Jose Reyes beat his wife. His career is going down the drain so he starts slugging his wife instead of the baseball. It’s not a good idea having Floyd Mayweather Jr. as your role model.
  • Former Atlanta Braves phenom Tommy Hanson died from catastrophic organ failure. Not fair. Terribly sad. He was 29.
  • The Rams signed former Patriots/Broncos receiver Wes Welker. I like this low risk move. He’s 34 and concussion prone, but the guy is a legit wide receiver who still has some gas left. Anything to help this weak receiving core.
  • Chris Pronger, one of the best Blues D-man ever, went into the Hall of Fame Monday night.

Thanks for reading.

Buffa’s Beer Stop: Farmhouse Tank 7

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Since everybody is in a Kansas City state of mind with the Royals winning the World Series last week, I thought I’d toss out a delicious Kansas City beer. Sometimes, Budweiser and Miller Lite don’t do the trick and you need a truly unique brew to tide you over a rough Thursday. Something to make Friday seem a little closer. That beer this week is Farmhouse Tank 7, a special production from the Boulevard folks in KC. Check it out.

Carrying an alcohol percentage of 8.5 percent, which is enough to knock you down but not out, Tank 7 comes in 16 ounce bottles and a four pack at most neighborhood stores. When Boulevard’s brewers were testing out new formulas for a Belgian Farmhouse Ale, they created this beast. You could it accidental, but Tank 7 is a different kind of beer. When you first take a sip, a combination of fruits surfaces before a dry hoppy finish sends you well on your way to the pull. Think of Rogue Dead Guy ale, but with more attitude in its finish.

While Tank 7 may be a bit pricey at 10 dollars for a four pack, the taste elevates the experience and also allows the consumer to need only one or two bottles to do the trick of getting in that feel good mode. You don’t need to surround yourself with beer cans to get the great effect of a buzz. Tank 7 lives up to its name and is worth checking out. It’s got personality, a cool back story and a taste that is unique among what you may consider drink worthy in the 314. Also, you are giving a small nod to the I-70 rival and World Series champion Royals at the same time. Nothing wrong with respect in a bottle that tastes this good.

“Tiring” Spectre spells a sour end for Daniel Craig’s Bond.

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craig 2When I left the latest James Bond adventure, Spectre, I felt like its star, Daniel Craig. I felt tired and worn out by this particular 007. During recent interviews, Craig seem detached and ready to call it quits playing the famous British intelligence agent. I feel the exact same way after the exhausting overcooked 2 hour and 28 minute film. Enough.

The story is a British spy film press kit. In the wake the death of M(the beloved and missed Judi Dench), a new division is making a move to take over MI-6 and close down the 007 program. They have a new technology that can track anyone anywhere. Why? It’s Bond’s world, where anything is possible. Women fall in love with you within a couple days, beautiful sports cars are wrecked continuously, Bond’s suit never gets wrinkled and a lot of people die. With a clue from the departed M, Bond tracks a group of assassins whose group is called…..SPECTRE.

Car chases come every 20 minutes, like room service to a hotel room full of guests who already had a plate full. Bonds meets a woman who connects back to a face from his past, and that brings him to Christoph Waltz’s bad guy who may know James a bit. If he didn’t, he would just be another slick rogue in a suit with shoes not wearing socks. Who needs that?

Maybe it’s getting tiring to see these spy films every year. Filmmakers are either mocking Bond or duplicating him. Seeing Matthew Vaughn rip off Q’s weaponry and tech geekness in Kingsman last year may have kicked over the glass. Paul Feig’s Spy gave the story a sense of humor. Maybe this fourth go around with Craig’s Bond shows how long in the tooth this tortured incarnation really is.

In Skyfall, director Sam Mendes made it feel fresh after a just good enough Quantum of Solace. Javier Bardem was a clever villain, the story was fresh, Craig was wounded yet cool and the castle shootout at the end left a shiny tint on this aging Aston Martin. In Spectre, Mendes and a team of FIVE screenwriters tie all the Craig Bonds together in a sloppy way. It just feels rushed, overdone, a bit bland and not interesting enough. Like a steak that isn’t dry but looked better in the packaging at the store.

The best part of the film was Dave Bautista, a monstrous presence who gets a single word of dialogue yet owns every scene he is in with his ferocity alone. When he enters the film, the little film fan inside you starts to get excited. He is a special breed of villain that Bond hasn’t seen in a while. A villain that can go toe to toe with Bond and create excitement that lifts an otherwise dull film up. Bautista gets warmed up with a couple chase scenes but the best scene in the film involves a high speed empty train, Craig and Big Dave crashing through cars beating each other up. The choreography is kinetic yet not complicated or too quick. Bautista smashes things and Craig takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

The fight reminds you of the first scene in Casino Royale. That wonderful black and white bathroom brawl that introduced us to a blond haired hero with a pitbull mentality and some push. The train scene is excellent. Bautista is fantastic, ferocious and I wanted more of him. When he departs, the film goes back into “been there, seen that, please reload” mode.

Waltz is wasted in a thanklessly dull bad guy role that never really gets going. He’s the limp noodle to Bautista’s filet. Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and the luscious Lea Seydoux come and go without leaving a great mark. Ben Whishaw has a few good lines as Q but doesn’t register much more than what you expect. Monica Bellucci has a brief role that gets forgotten by the midway mark. The supporting cast has quality actors that are wasted.

Spectre is a disappointment because of the level Mendes brought the Bond franchise to with Skyfall. It isn’t a bad film and it is gorgeously shot and has exotic locales like Tangier, Austria, Rome, and the always striking London setting. Maybe the tip off was five different screenwriters. Always gives me the feeling that they just kept passing the laptop around in a circle until something good came out.

Craig is still my favorite Bond, but he feels old in the role here. You can see the lines in his face and the role all at once. For the first time in years, he is simply going through the motions. For the first time in a long stretch, a Bond film feels like it was one too many. There will never be a bad Craig Bond film, but this one comes awfully close.

For a little while, this movie wasn’t going to happen. Mendes nearly didn’t come back and Craig was hesitant. Watching the film, I can see why. They are scrapping the bottom of the jar.

Spectre isn’t a bad movie, but it’s a disappointing finale for Craig’s Bond.

Spend your hard earned cash and time on better films like Bridge of Spies, The Martian, The Walk or Steve Jobs. Save this Bond flick for home.

*Seriously though, give Bautista his own spy adventure. His own movie. I’d pay for more adventures with his Hinx.

Cardinals Offseason Questions: Round 1

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What needs to happen to the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason? Every winter, the United Cardinal Bloggers get together and ask questions for the group to answer. I will be bringing those questions and answers here.

Question via Kevin Reynolds-How, specifically, would you solve and resolve the Cardinals offensive woes for next season? By “specifically,” I mean identify the problem(s) you want to fix and tell us how you would fix it/them.

Answer-I don’t mean to disappoint the Mabry critics, but I don’t put too much weight into the hitting coach category. I don’t put much stock there. Unlike the pitching coach, the hitting coach effect doesn’t show up on the field as often as fans would like. When they get to the big leagues, their approach is pretty much locked in. There may be a few notable exceptions, but when I look at John Mabry, I don’t think about a savior. Did Big Mac do a better job than Mabry? Sure, but how can we actually quantify the worth of a hitting coach? And is it accurate? Nobody wanted to give Mabry credit for 2013 due to the high RISP average but they pounded him for the next two seasons. I don’t. I actually think Mabry or whoever is down there should just get out of the way. These are big boys. Once they make it through three farm systems, a hitting coach just doesn’t have much to teach. It may be the unpopular take, but it’s mine.

Resolving this offense isn’t like sending your car to the shop for an oil change and tire alignment. The contract status of players and the fact that all the positions are full if Mr. Jason Heyward returns throws a wrench into any plans John Mozeliak would like to make. As I wrote for STLSM this morning, Mo will have to get creative in order to shake this ship. Here are a few truths.

*Matt Holliday will play and it won’t be first base. Sorry folks, the 1B idea is unfortunately fiction. Holliday is here for at least another season and will play. He also deserves the spot. While he isn’t a power threat anymore, Holliday is an OBP machine and can deliver. I’ll take a slice of the 2014 season with an extra order of doubles, something that was missing from 2015.

*Stephen Piscotty will play and isn’t going anywhere. If JH returns, he plays first base. Sorry Matt Adams revival lovers.

*Randal Grichuk is an everyday player when healthy. He is the only Cardinal capable of hitting 30 HR and does a number of things well.

So, unless Mo wants to trade Kolten Wong or re-sign Jaime Garcia and package him into a deal with Adams, I don’t see a major change. Like the coaching staff, the offense may look the same. That doesn’t mean Mo can’t find some middle infield depth or catching help.

I don’t particularly want Brandon Moss back. I’d take Adams at 650-700K instead. Tommy Pham will fight Jon Jay for starts in the 4th OF spot.

Mozeliak needs to find a player who can backup Jhonny Peralta and Wong so the two starters don’t get driven into a brick wall with playing time. Peralta’s 2014-15 durability caught up with him in the second half and Wong’s power and OBP disappeared. They need help. While I won’t sit here and dream about Brian Dozier of Minnesota, I do think someone like Ben Zobrist could help. If KC doesn’t retain him, the Cards could look to him. He can play so many spots and help a team in a number of ways. There will be injuries and there will need to be help. You will a flexible guy to help and Zobrist, will expensive, can help and give you some pop as well.

This could be a year Aledmys Diaz and Mike Ohlman play big roles. Mo could try to sign Mike Wieters to back up Yadier Molina and maybe play some first even though that’s unlikely.

With the flexibility restricted due to contracts like Holliday and Peralta, Mo will have have to be incredibly crafty to make a big impact signing like Yoenis Cespedes.

The payroll may be going up but Cespedes could command similar money as Heyward, so how do you sign both? Now, if Yoenis wants to accept that 2015 salary of 3.73 million, I’ll go pick him up at the airport. You can only have one and I’ll take Heyward even though Cespedes is a KO artist. I’d wait until next offseason to make your big financial push. Holliday’s option may not get picked up, and that gives you options.

The 2016 offseason should see the end of Pete Kozma and Peter Bourjos along with the see ya nod to Mark Reynolds. Moss isn’t an exciting option esp if Adams returns. Piscotty and Grichuk become full time players(each could easily give you 20-25 HR) and there has to be better middle infield depth.

Question via Josey Curtis-Is there anyone that you think could be a Seth Maness or Kevin Siegrist in 2016? By that, I mean someone who could pitch his fair share and hinder Mike Matheny’s urge to bring in Maness or Siegrist a bit. If you do think there is someone that’s capable, who is that guy?

For me, it’s a restructuring of the entire bullpen that could help Matheny’s urge to prove to the world that Seth’s arm is actually rubber and not flesh and bone. First part of this is finally claiming that Tyler Lyons could be a valuable asset out of the bullpen. His splits are better out of the pen and could help the team in a number of ways. Here is a guy who can do it all. Relieve in the first, sixth or eighth inning. When Mike called on Kevin “Seabreeze” Siegrist in Game 4, I screamed at my television, WHERE IS LYONS? If you don’t want to see Siegrist’s arm fall off this year, make Lyons a bullpen guy. There is enough starting depth in this system so it’s time to close up the Tyler Lyons is a starter shop.

A healthy Jordan Walden fills a gap. When he went down, Siegrist’s arm went into overcook mode as setup man, fill in closer and whatever else. Walden can setup, close and provide Mike the 7th inning arm needed to get to Siegrist.

In 2016, I want to see Sam Tuivailala unleashed. Here is a kid who came up in 2014 with a straight heater and was asked to add another pitch. Which he did. Sam added a slider and a curve to his high 90’s fastball and it was a huge lift on his game. I remember his big innings in the pre All Star break series against Pittsburgh. This is a guy with closer stuff(he was finishing games in Memphis all season) and someone who can alleviate some late inning pain for the team.

You can yank Steve Cishek and Jonathan Broxton out and throw in Walden and Tuivailala. The late innings would receive a healthy boost.

Lyons takes over for Carlos Villanueva or you bring back both and tell Matt Belisle no thanks. Either way, another LHP guy who isn’t a Loogy is needed to help Siegrist.

Furthermore,

Marco Gonzales could definitely use a season or half season to figure out where his arm is after a lost 2015 season. Lyons has simply proven to be a guy who can come out of that pen whenever.

Tim Cooney could be your new Lyons and be that I-55 starter in need.

Another swing and miss LHP pitcher is an option, but I think with the load of starters, a guy like Lyons or Gonzo could fill that other LHP spot. Since Siegrist can get the swings and misses when his arm isn’t grated, I think they can be efficient. Walden has swing and miss stuff when he is right and is especially hard on LHP. Since 2012, Walden has struck out 70 LH hitters in 185 at bats with a .188 average. He is as good as anybody lefthanded down there.

Question via Joshua Gilliam, Cards Conclave

Consider these trade proposals: Both involving Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk.

Trade Offer # 1

Chris Sale from the White Sox?

Trade Offer # 2

Sonny Gray from the A’s?

Trade Offer # 3

Chris Archer and Evan Longoria from the Rays?

Answer-Scenario #1-Chris Sale is not happening. No. First, the White Sox aren’t stupid enough to trade their best pitcher by a mile. That would be like Seattle making King Felix available. If Mo made that call, the other end would hang up in laughter. Not happening.

Scenario #2-Sonny Gray. A 25 year old who isn’t a free agent until 2020!? No. Again, Billy Beane is ballsy and likes to rock the boat and go against convention, but there isn’t enough dirty water in the Pacific to make him ponder this deal. Not for Piscotty or Grichuk.

Those two scenarios are dream boats.

Why the need to trade Randal Grichuk? John Mozeliak likes this kid more than his red set of bow ties and why not. The kid had 47 extra base hits in 323 at bats in 2015. He was riding towards a rookie of the year battle before he got hurt. He’s 24 years old and can’t even talk arbitration for three years. My son Vinny will be doing Bautista bat flips in little league when he is a free agent. You don’t trade your legit power threat for a starter when the past year saw your team put up historically efficient pitching. Grichuk strikes too much but so do a few others on this team. The one thing he can do is change a game with one swing. Piscotty, Grichuk and Heyward the young rock of this team.

If the Cards are going to acquire starting pitching, they will sign it. Jordan Zimmerman looks tasty. David Price is a steak. Why trade controllable assets for pitching when your payroll is rising every year? If we are going to extend an olive branch, let Kolten Wong carry it.

Trade #3 is also a no go but not as insanely “Jimi Hendrix may still be alive” as the others. I like Longoria and Chris Archer. Archer had a fantastic FIP and K total in 2015 and signed through 2019 which I doubt TB gives up. Longoria is nice but where does he play? Who goes? Longoria has an affordable long term contract through 2022 but do you trade Wong to them and move Carpenter to second base? Will Mo take on the cash for a guy who put up Jhonny Peralta type numbers this year and is moving to a pitcher’s ballpark in St. Louis? Is Longoria on the down slope power wise? Last two years slugging is .404 and .434. Nah.

Trading for starting pitching is not in the best interesting of this team. They can sign them or stick with their five already in house. Offense is the elusive catch but you have to be sure what you are getting is better than what you got. Such as Chris Davis. He may seem like a turkey leg at Six Flags on first glance, but take him away from the AL East ballpark happy playgrounds and he may be a richer looking Mark Reynolds. After the 2016 season things get interesting. For now, Mo will have to be crafty. If he is going to make a big trade, it should be offense. That is the leaking wheel the past few seasons.

Maybe health could help out. In April, when the band was together, team averaged 4.38 runs per game, good for 10th in the league. Just saying.

Question via Bill Ivie, I-70 Baseball

I’m giving you a blank check as my fantasy General Manager. Who do you sign and what do you think the contract would have to look like in order for it to happen?

Answer-Since the offense is locked up if Jason Heyward is signed, all Mo can really do this offseason is beef up the already stout starting pitching. If you acquire a guy like Chris Davis, where does Stephen Piscotty play? Does Matt Adams even get any at bats because he is LH? Can Davis hit away from the AL East? Complicated. Adding offense takes creativity that Mo probably won’t tap this winter. Maybe next year.

While David Price is nice, I like Jordan Zimmerman. He just completed a two year, 24 million dollar deal. He went 27-15 in that time with a 3.00 ERA(3.75 FIP in 2015, 2.68 in 2014). He has a filthy strikeouts to walks ratio. 4 K’s for every walk in 2015 and 6-1 in 2014. He is a great #2 to settle in behind Adam Wainwright and in front of the young combo of Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha. You’d decline Jaime Garcia’s option, get off the injury watch train and install a guy who can win a lot of games and fit nicely into Busch Stadium. He would complement the Cards staff and not cost you an arm and a leg like Price. I think Price is going to break the Scherzer type bank and I don’t think Mo wants to go there. Zim is a good move and adds some meat to your rotation as it gets a year older.

Question via Nate and Ben @talkaboutbirds

My question is simple. Which rookie player are you most excited about seeing in 2016, and who do you think will make the most impact? 

Answer-The player I am most excited about seeing is Michael Ohlman, a player who could finally remove Tony Cruz from the equation at Busch Stadium, eventually. Ohlman has the youth, size and pop in his bat to be a credible backup and maybe successor down the road to Yadier Molina. He should start the year at Memphis and get a shot in St. Louis eventually.

The player I think will make the biggest impact is Aledmys Diaz. The player who came to the team with a big contract and much promise was DFA’d last season and made it through waivers. He made a huge impact at Memphis in August, hitting for power and average. He could be the middle infield depth the Cards have coveted the past two seasons. An ineffective or hurt Mark Ellis hurt in 2014 and Pete Kozma soaked up too much real estate in 2015. Hopefully, 2016 is where Diaz is unleashed.

Question via Jon Doble-Certain players up for arbitration this winter. What do you do with the following players?

Answer-The first real taste of offseason action!!!

Matt Adams-One year deal. They will settle this early. While I call the big guy trade bait, they will go the one year route to see if Adams finally puts it all together.

Peter Bourjos-Non tender. Yes, they could sign and trade but I don’t think they will go through the hassle. Free both Petes!

Steve Cishek-Non tender. Thanks for the mildly decent efforts, but see you later. Take that side arm thing somewhere else.

Tony Cruz-One year deal. Unless the team signs a true backup or suddenly invests loads of trust in Mike Ohlman, Lil Yadi gets one more year before Ohlman is ready.

Seth Maness-One year deal. By and large, Maness’ 2015 season was worse than his 2014 season. His WHIP went up, but he stranded several runners and was a workhorse again. However, I don’t see them going more than one year with Seth. First time hitting arbitration, so bump that 530K up to an even million to satisfy the workhorse.

Brandon Moss-Non tender. Just call this one a Mo misfire. If Adams returns, non tender Moss. I know we gave up Kaminsky, but if you bring back Adams and most likely have Heyward in right field and Jon Jay and Tommy Pham waiting behind them, how much will Moss really play? Is his power gone? I can see them possibly throwing him a one year deal. Moss made 6 million last year, but saw his stats take a hit in 2015. He will still want 5 million. Not sure I do that for a backup bench bat.

Trevor Rosenthal-Buy out rest of arb years. If Scott Boras acts like a less of a shark, I’d get in talks to lock up Rosenthal, who may have just put together the best season by a Cardinals closer ever. He’s young, mastered the WHIP and was very good in his second full year as a closer. I’d say buy up the rest of his arbitration years(three year deal up until 2019). That is all Boras will allow but it would be a solid investment. 3-5 million per season. Maybe that’s too rich or weak. I am not sure. I don’t own any bow ties.

That’s it for Round 1 of Offseason St. Louis Cardinals questions. Come back next week for more.