Busch Waiving Makes No Sense

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Crew is planning to waive goalkeeper Jon Busch. No reason was given in the article other than it's thought that the development of Andy Gruenebaum as a potential starter for this season has made Busch expendable.

I'm no longer on the inside at all with the Crew, so I don't know much about Gruenebaum nor his skill and leadership on the field (he's one of the few keepers in MLS who DIDN'T see time in goal for the Crew last season as I remember). And Jon Busch's knee situation is a bit scary, as he's had two ACL injuries in two seasons.

But I think waiving Busch is the wrong move. Busch is one of the primary leaders on the field - his on-field communication is great, and with the experience he's gained at multiple levels of professional play, he'd be an asset back there if he was in a wheelchair. He takes heat due to his size, but he plays so well positionally that his size hasn't ever been a factor.

The other two keepers with the team right now, Bill Gaudette and Will Hesmer, aren't the quality backups that we could need if we have another injury-plagued season like last season. Gaudette is a fair keeper. He's better than all the keepers we saw last season (except Busch), but that's not saying a lot. Hesmer is untested.

If Sigi has some big signing in the works that makes Busch's services unnecessary, then yes, this move is good. But until we hear more, I don't see this as a positive change.

Personal Responsibility Takes A Nose Dive In New York

I read an article today about how a senator in New York wants to fine people for using iPods, cell phones, etc. when in a crosswalk. Here's the article.

This senator, who is trying to help save people from themselves, is actually doing people a disservice. It goes back to the whole notion of personal responsibility - people are responsible for themselves and their actions. If a person's actions are so stupid that they get themselves hurt or killed, that's their problem. In no way should the state involve itself in an issue such as this, where the only person being hurt by a person's irresponsibility is themself.

In fact, if it goes so far as the person using the cell phone, iPod, etc. hurting someone ELSE, then that person should be charged with criminal negligence.

Bike Commuting in Columbus

I'm starting a new blog all about bike commuting in Columbus. If you're interested, please check it out and join in the discussion I'm trying to start up.

Bike Commuting in Columbus

Pedal Power Push Proposed

Mighk Wilson (yeah, he spells it Mighk, apparently), bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for Metroplan Orlando, wrote an article in the Orlando Sentinel to discuss the steps that might be taken to reduce our nation's reliance on gasoline and foreign oil, and naturally his first thought was bicycling.

It only makes sense, obviously - but you won't believe some of the ways it actually DOES make sense, like the Norwegian study that says every dollar put into bicycle infrastructure improvement is recouped threefold in lack of health care costs, due to people actually being in shape from riding.

Most of the article is taken up with what might need to be done for bicycles to be more accepted as transportation and not recreation, which only makes sense as the world is set up for gas guzzling and not pedal-pushing.

It also makes a great point that is lost on many people who read about solutions to sprawl, global climate change, energy security, etc.: bicycling is not being pushed as THE answer. There is not going to be ONE answer. Bicycling is only part of the solution to this problem, obviously. Not everyone is going to be able to ride a bike everywhere. I don't ride my bike everywhere. I just ride it as often as I can. Some people can't ride because of a lack of ability. Some just have to go too far. Some need more cargo space than a bike can give. But I'm going to guess that MOST people could use a bike for most of their errands.

Read the article. Wilson just makes good sense.