Okay, Who's Been Giving Clocks to the Trees?

Here's a letter to the editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette from Connie M. Meskimen, of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Apparently she thinks Congress has a little more power than they do...

Seriously, I pray that this is a joke. But somehow I don't think it is...

UPDATE: It is a joke. But it's a darned funny one. See Matt's comments below.

Finally, a Serious Look at Caffeine

US News and World Report is running an article this week on the health risks of caffeine and other uppers, an addiction that is afflicting our nation at an alarming rate.

And thank goodness. It's been apparent to me from the beginning that those things are bad news.

Remember Jolt Cola? When that stuff came out in the 80s, I was amused by the ads for it: "All the sugar, twice the caffeine." Then, I tried it - and my heart started palpitating. I never tried it again. I didn't see the point.

I tried a Red Bull once before I realized what it was... the stuff tasted like crap and made me feel about the same... it was hard to tell because I had it with vodka. I never tried that again, either. Then I actually looked at the label... and I figured why I felt the same. And there's another reason to question MLS's "family-friendly" ideals when they accept money from Red Bull to change a team name to that of their drug drink.

Those so-called "energy drinks" are nothing of the sort. They're uppers, plain and simple. They disrupt sleep, cause heart problems, increase stress, and basically wreck your life.

I have a cup of coffee now and then, and I take Excedrin Migraine for my migraines. And that's about it. I rarely drink caffeinated pop, and I get my "upper" from exercise and deep breathing. That's all you really need. There's no better upper than a vigorous round of good exercise - like my daily bike ride into work.

And as for all those drug drink "energy drinks," they need to have warnings on them like cigarettes and alcohol. Because there's really very little difference.

Urlacher Slapped On Wrist Over Choice of Beverage

Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 for wearing a Vitamin Water hat and drinking the aforementioned beverage publicly at a Bears media day event. Apparently it's against the rules for players to appear at official events wearing logos for non-NFL sponsors.

This makes me laugh until you think about how un-American it is. If we are a country that stands up for the freedom of choice, then what business is it of the NFL or its sponsors which beverage Brian Urlacher or any other player chooses to drink, no matter where he is?

I hope Urlacher takes this just as far as Jim McMahon did back in the day of the whole Rozelle headband thing.

Corporate Named Teams SUCK

I know, I know, any money coming into MLS should be welcomed and all, and to some extent I agree with that. But... renaming a team after your corporate name? Hmmm...to me, that's just....

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling...

Makes me pine for the old country...

Bush Set To Disobey Supreme Court

The Supreme Court's landmark case regarding the Environmental Protection Agency and global warming is near to being totally defied by the Bush Administration - predictably.

From the Los Angeles Times:

President Bush, while acknowledging Tuesday that he took "very seriously" the Supreme Court's ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles as pollution, set up a potential conflict with Congress by attaching two conditions to comply with the decision.

Bush said that any regulatory program should not slow economic growth, nor should its benefits to the atmosphere be offset by mounting emissions from China, India and other growing economies.

So, let's sort this out:

First, Bush says that a regulatory program should not slow economic growth. Obviously, the Bush Administration continues to follow the mindset that environmental policy enforcement means slowing the economy, when most reports today indicate that such enforcement will actually HELP the economy in the long run. Otherwise, why would companies like Wal-Mart be attempting to go green? The big box store giant announced late last year that it was attempting to produce zero waste and use entirely renewable fuels. And companies like DuPont and General Electric have announced similar goals, as a SMALL example.

So it seems the encouragement and enforcement of environmental policies is actually a PRO-economy move... unless you're in an industry that makes its living from being a polluter, specifically energy, oil and coal industries. And guess who put Bush into the White House!

Second, Bush says that our efforts should not be offset by China, India, and other developing countries. So, in other words, Bush is applying the playground mentality of "Joey doesn't have to do it, why do I have to?" Grow up, Mr. President. The economic issue isn't valid, therefore neither is this issue - we don't have to pollute to keep up with developing nations like China and India economically. And the US is the number one polluter in the world - our reduction in emissions can't help but make an impact, no matter WHAT China and India do.

And one final note: the President doesn't have the legal option to defy the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's decisions are final, they are the Constitutional law of the land. He, as the head of the executive branch, is constitutionally bound to enforce the law of the land - no matter what. But, given his flouting of his constitutional responsibilities throughout his administration, should we be surprised?

You May Be The One Out Of Ten...

NASA satellite data estimates that one person in ten would be affected directly by rising sea levels due to global warming.

Want to see if you're one of those folks? Check out Flood Maps, which uses Google Maps to show the influence of the oceans' rising one meter at a time.

Hope you don't live in New York City or Florida...

Lack of News

The boys at JibJab are at it again... take a look at this one. This is particularly ironic because I was just about to post about a conversation I had with some of my co-workers about this very topic.

What We Call the News | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

However, the conversation we had was more disheartening. Everyone was admitting that there was too much celebrity news on TV and that they knew more about Brittney Spears than Iraq, the environment, etc. But no one really seemed to care much about it.

Sigh...

I Suppose It's Only Fair...

Funding Elections

If you're like me, the inequities that exist for people trying to run for public office scare you. The electoral system has caused itself to be set up so that only the richest folks can run.

Well, there is a bill being proposed in Congress that would help to limit that. More information here, and you can sign a petition to support this bill here.

Crew On A Turnaround?

Normally, I don't put any stock into pre-season matches of any kind, as they don't mean anything. They're made up of games where the rules are bent to let many more players get some field time than a normal game would allow, the players themselves are in varying degrees of fitness (and availability), and the coaches are trying out different strategems and tactical ideas in a game environment.

That being said... this pre-season's Crew has got me excited. They are 6-1-1, with their loss and tie coming in the first two games of pre-season. They beat Dallas in Dallas in the inaugural Pioneer Cup in honor of Lamar Hunt. They're SCORING GOALS. Note that last one: SCORING GOALS. Their last four games have been 4-1, 3-1, 3-0, and 4-1 scorelines. I think that's more goals than we scored all last season.

Okay, seriously - we scored 30 goals in 32 games last season. In FOUR preseason games, we've scored 14. At that rate, if we were to do that in league play, we'd have 112 goals for the year. The most ever scored by a team in a year is 85 by the Gals in 1998 - the past few years it's barely gotten above 60.

Now I'm fully aware that a pre-season goal means precisely jack, as do pre-season goal totals. But the fact that it's this high in pre-season, even if it's cut in half, is still in the range of the top totals for the past few years!

Not since a smiling Trini named Stern John graced our field have we had a scoring threat, and the interesting thing is that our supposed new scoring leader, Andy Herron, hasn't even been in camp yet (due to Visa issues, I think). So... I'm cautiously optimistic.

Let's face it - this club has disappointed me so much in the past that I've looked to the native Ohioans around me at games and asked "so, is this what it feels like to be a Browns fan?" (and gotten some nasty looks). But it feels different, finally. I'm looking forward to April 7th.

Stop Changing the Subject

A huge pet peeve of mine is people who think that they can win an argument by changing the subject ever so slightly.

Case in point: on a bike forum I'm on, I pointed out the Bush Administration's poor environmental record and the weakening of environmental protection standards by the Bush EPA.

Some guy replied to me that this was a total misconception, and that Al Gore has three houses without any sort of environmentally friendly sources of energy or other features, while Bush's ranch down in Texas uses solar and geothermal. He responded with "Score one for Bush."

NEVER in our discussion did he actually address my point - he just pointed out that ONE house owned by Bush is sort of green. And I responded with a link that listed all the Bush Administration environmental woes.

The attitude that you can rebut criticisms about "your side" by pointing out the faults of the "other side" is absolutely laughable to me. You should rebut by pointing out the faults in the original argument if you can, otherwise you need to shut up.

All Crew Away Games To Be Televised in 2007

Good news for Crew fans - we won't be shackled to the radio as much this season because ALL the away games are being televised! Thanks ONN, FSC, HDNet, etc. for their efforts.

There are three games that are ONLY on HDNet, but I think that can be handled.

COLUMBUS CREW PRESS RELEASE

ONN-TV TO CARRY 10 CREW GAMES THIS SEASON
All 15 Crew regular-season road games will be televised by either ONN – the Dispatch
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Contact: Dave Stephany, 614-447-4190, or Jason Smith, 614-447-4176

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Crew and ONN-TV today announced the network’s 2007 Crew broadcast schedule, which will ensure that all 15 Crew road games in 2007 will be televised. For the third straight season, ONN will televise the majority of Crew road games, totaling at least 10 this year, beginning April 14 at Real Salt Lake. The complete schedule follows.

Dwight Burgess, the original “Voice of the Crew,” will handle play-by-play duties for all ONN broadcasts and Bill McDermott returns for another season as lead analyst. Katie Witham returns for her third season as sideline reporter.

Fox Soccer Channel will air two more Crew road games nationally and HDNet will televise the other three (in addition to two ONN is carrying, as well), meaning that Crew fans will be able to see all 15 Crew road games live this season.

“ONN has continually increased it sports programming over the past few years and has evolved into a sports programming destination for many fans,” said Crew VP of Corporate Sales & Broadcasting Chad Schroeder. “The Dispatch Printing Company relationship is significant, as it links the Crew with the strongest promotional partner in central Ohio and substantially increases our ability to create awareness for our game broadcasts and our brand.”

The broadcast agreement is the lynchpin of a larger integrated partnership that positions the Dispatch Printing Company and its affiliated properties as a cornerstone partner with the Crew. As such, The Dispatch Printing Company receives a significant presence within Crew Stadium, hospitality, promotional rights, media rights and a community outreach platform with the Crew. The Crew benefits by having an established television broadcast home with a statewide footprint and reciprocal promotional and advertising assets.

“ONN’s commitment to Ohio sports has been a core value since the day we began,” said Tom Griesdorn, President and General Manager of ONN-TV. “Anyone who’s been to a Crew game knows the energy, excitement, and enjoyment the fans experience. This is a great fit with our other local sports franchises and we’re very pleased to be Ohio’s television home for The Crew.”

Burgess returns for his 12th season behind the microphone for the Crew and his 17th calling professional soccer play-by-play. A 26-year broadcast veteran, Burgess was a two-time soccer collegiate All-American at DePauw University and was twice selected to developmental camps for the United States National Program. He also currently serves as the head men’s and women’s soccer coach at Capital University.

ONN is Ohio’s channel for news, weather and sports and is available in 83 of 88 counties. ONN is a member of the Dispatch Broadcast Group, which includes WBNS-TV, WBNS-AM/FM, ONN and Radio Sound Network in Columbus, Ohio; WTHR-TV and SkyTrak Weather Network in Indianapolis, Indiana. For a complete ONN channel listing, please visit the website at OhioNewsNow.com. In Columbus, ONN is available on all Wide Open West and Insight cable systems, while Time Warner customers should upgrade to digital to get ONN.

Single-game tickets for the 2007 home season went go sale to the general public on Saturday (March 10) at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all Central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 614-431-3600 and on-line at TheCrew.com. Fans can still become Crew Soccer Nation members, as well, by purchasing full-season ticket packages or partial plans. Group tickets are also available for all 15 home games. All ticket packages and plans are available by calling 614-447-CREW and at TheCrew.com.

Founded by Lamar Hunt, the Columbus Crew is Ohio's Major League Soccer club, anchoring a diverse sports and entertainment enterprise. One of the league's Charter Members, it will open its 12th season overall and ninth in first-of-its-kind Columbus Crew Stadium on Saturday, April 7, when it plays host to Claudio Reyna and the New York Red Bulls.

Crew Road Television Schedule

DAY	DATE	GAME	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
Sat.	April 14	at Real Salt Lake	6 p.m.	ONN/HDNet
Sat.	May 5	at Kansas City Wizards	1 p.m.	ONN
Sat.	May 19	at New York Red Bulls	7:30 p.m.	ONN
Sun.	June 3	at Chicago ire	7 p.m.	ONN
Sat.	June 16	at N.E. Revolution	6:30 p.m.	FSC
Sat.	June 23	at Los Angeles Galaxy	10:30 p.m.	ONN/HDNet
Wed.	July 4	at Colorado Rapids	9:30 p.m.	ONN
Sat.	July 14	at CD Chivas USA	10:30 p.m.	HDNet
Sat.	Aug. 4	at Chicago Fire	8:30 p.m.	HDNet
Sat.	Aug. 11	at FC Dallas	8:30 p.m.	FSC
Sat.	Aug. 25	at Houston Dynamo	8:30 p.m.	ONN
Sat.	Sept. 15	at Kansas City Wizards	8 p.m.	HDNet
Sat.	Sept. 22	at Toronto FC	3:30 p.m.	ONN
Sat.	Oct. 13	at N.E. Revolution	7:30 p.m.	ONN
Sat.	Oct. 20	at D.C. United	7:30 p.m.	ONN

— Eastern Times listed, Schedule is Subject to Change —

... And Busch Ain't Happy About It

The Dispatch reports today that Jon Busch is very unhappy with the way that his waiving was handled by coach Sigi Schmidt of the Crew.

"We did not have one conversation," he said. "We did not talk about how my knee was doing, how I was training, how I was playing. I assumed either everything was fine or it was a tough-love situation and he had more important things to worry about.

"This wasn’t even on my radar screen that this would happen."

Busch said he had discussions with general manager Mark McCullers about finishing his career in Columbus and eventually becoming the team’s goalkeepers coach. That won’t happen under Schmid.

"I will never work for Sigi again," Busch said. "I will never play for him, never join his coaching staff. He is a very good tactics coach. He knows the game like very few do. But I question his management skills and the way he handles professional players. I think they are poor."

I can't blame Busch one iota for feeling the way he does. And I think Schmidt has made a big mistake in waiving Busch. His reasoning:

"Jon is a tremendous worker and a good pro," Schmid said. "But when Jon plays, it changes how we play as a team. He has a tendency to like to play longer balls out of the back, and that’s different from how we want to play.

That may be true. And if you've paid any attention to my soccer comments on this blog over the years, you know how much I hate long-ball. But goalkeeping comes down to one thing, in all seriousness: keeping the ball out of the net. And Jon Busch does that better than Bill Gaudette or Will Hesmer - especially if they've been injured through the preseason.

I gave Sigi Schmidt the benefit of the doubt last season as his team was basically an expansion team and he had injury problems like I've never seen in any sport. But this preseason is making me seriously question his abilities... getting rid of Busch and Jose Retiz, one of the bright spots of last season, is the primary reason for that.

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.