...let it burn yo, burn yo. Darryl Strawberry also once said that he wouldn't mind Los Angeles burning for awhile. Bad Religion wrote a song about it. Sadly, there are millions of inhabitants that are bothered by it, and not just due to the air quality issues.
I will not make light of the plight of the Angeles Basin, as two brave souls lost their lives when the fire truck they were working in slid down a hill, killing them both. I will never disgrace the memory of people who fight Mother Nature on behalf of those of us who like civilization. Pray for those two men and their families.
I will note, however, that people in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas whine incessantly about having to rebuild their houses after natural disaster, or about having to pay more taxes for firefighters and police. I hate taxes. Hate. Despise. Deplore. And I will give those people all that they want, since they do our dirty work without complaint, and they rarely try to hold the public hostage via strike. Pay the people, even at the expense of something else you may hold dear. These are the people that allow you to hold those things dear at any significant level.
Another example of this is the recent rediscovery of Jaycee Lee Dugard, a young woman who was abducted, at age 11, while waiting for a school bus in central California in 1991. She recently was taken into a parole officer's meeting with her abductor, one Phillip Garrido. Garrido is a convicted rapist and child molester, yet somehow remarried (a lady who assisted in the abduction, btw) and then made some sort of child bride out of Ms. Dugard, making two babies of their own with her, one while she was about 15.
A brief look at the wreckage of this guy's (alleged) actions:
*The stepfather of Dugard was long seen as the main suspect, causing his marriage to end (in all probability).
*The parole officer who did not inspect this guy's compound thoroughly enough to find a tent city in his backyard with three people living in it 'like they were camping', with extension cords running electricity out, plus a makeshift shower, will probably not have a job pretty quickly here.
*The mother, who has no faith in anything anymore, as her baby was swiped and she wrongly (it seems) blamed her new hubby for it.
*The girl.
*The girl's babies, who may never have seen a doctor or have been schooled.
This one dude's alleged fixation, and this does not address whether he molested his children with Dugard, has already wrecked a half-dozen lives, plus affected many more outside of the immediate circle. But I am not too worried about him anymore. Either God or an angry and horny inmate will handle him for the rest of his life. The same for that enabler he married. Karma or another source of justice allows me to not sully my hands with their messy existence. My concern is for Jaycee and her kids.
The mother is not going to know how to reconnect with her now 29-year old daughter. No one has been a part of structure for the two children, one of which is now about 15. As a member of society, plus one that lives not too far away from where this frightening sequence took place, I have a mad case of the creeps about their future.
Apparently Jaycee (or Allissa, as she was going by) was helping Garrido run a printing business, even as the nutbag went further and further down the religious extremism path. People have interacted with her on the phone and ordered letterhead, not knowing the woman helping them was herself a prisoner and sex slave. This will not go over well at the Placerville Chamber of Commerce, I suspect.
The question now is the future of these innocent three. Is there any way they can live healthy lives? Will they be able to be part of a society they are not so familiar with? Will the children go on to reproduce and create children bent on vengeance for lives unfulfilled? This is the long-term affect of that loser's actions on that day in '91. Quite the pyramid scheme of Hades. Bernie Madoff would be proud...
The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is a place steeped in history, known for a high-quality education and a proud sporting tradition. Many of their alum speak fondly of the Big House and the various student-athletes that have roamed their campus. (Disclosure: I married one. I can be sure that they have a healthy sense of pride in their alma mater) This kind of exposure leads me to today's item of interest...football head coach Rich Rodriguez.
When Rodriguez came to Michigan before the 2008 football season, he was already under the gun. He left the University of West Virginia under a cloud of controversy, yet having built them a solid football program to thrive on for years to come. Michigan had just watched a favorite coach (Lloyd Carr) retire from a program of dwindling success and needed a big-name coach to keep winning the recruting battles with Ohio State, their hated rival to the south. Rodriguez' recent success was the perfect fit for the proud university.
News broke over the weekend from a player who transferred away from Ann Arbor and a player still there who may have been passed on the depth chart that Rodriguez ran practices too long, a violation of NCAA protocol. While not necessarily a major infraction, it is something that the NCAA does not take lightly, as they must maintain the illusion that some of the student-athletes are actually students. The potenial penalties would not affect games play as of yet, but would stain the prgram, making it more difficult to keep good players away from the violent college town of Columbus, OH.
Noting that two players are complaining about the length of practices only brings one thought to mind: sour grapes. No teenager likes working hard, and hearing that they found a loophole to get back at their coach should not be a surprise to any adult. It actually brings back to mind a delightful dislike for any authority figure in my life from before the age of 25 or so (sorry bosses at FOX. You guys did suck, though). If anyone expects a transition from playing for a beloved (if flawed and potentially racist) coach like Carr to playing for a hard-nosed coach that runs a different type of team to be smooth, then that person is not getting good advice on how to live life. Change happens, and it will happen all over your face if you are not ready to work hard and take control of your surroundings.
It should be noted that these two players, er...'sources'...are choosing to remain anonymous. Outing themselves would effectively end both of their collegiate careers, as no coach would want a locker room snitch on the squad. Of course, the coaches would just yank the scholarship under false pretenses, but that would only be yet another life lesson these kids are trying to avoid.
Getting cited by the NCAA for something that every football-factory college does is part of the game for Michigan's program. To stay prominent enough to attract top-tier talent and keep the school's name in the newspaper is essential to many schools. A storied program in football or basketball can attract students that will not play sports, if only by improving the reputation of the school. Michigan, while esteemed in many fields outside of sport, is no exception to this tendency.
These two students may actually be wanting to act in the best interests of their fellow student-athletes, but history and their lack of accountability by remaining anonymous suggest that they are only out to serve their own purposes. This makes them nothing of note. I hope they use their free $100k-plus educations provided by these evil masters of football to become better than that...
Last note: The SPCA is an organization that represents many things politically that I have never connected with. My upbringing has taught me that charitable works should be done with as little fanfare as possible, as one does not wish to draw attention away from the work itself. The SPCA and some similar groups (i.e. PETA) have done themselves a disservice in their actions over the course of my life by concentrating too much on being the all-knowing beings of good, and having too much of a footprint in the social politics of our day. The SPCA by me has recently provided our home with a beautiful dog that desperately needed a home. The staff and vets on site were wonderful and diligent in making sure their animals go to good and loving homes, plus provided us with information that will help us to be better pet owners. I hope that other branches of the group treat you this same way when you visit, and encourage you to do so. Then, after that, I hope the group starts to mind their own damned business on a national level and spends their time and resources supporting the local shelters instead of grandstanding for self-promotion based reasons.
Cheers!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
This is not about Ted Kennedy's driving skill...
..because it is important to acknowledge a very high-profile politician's passing, because it is vital that the Massachusetts senatorial seat is filled quickly (by whomever the constituents elect) to contribute to the many issues facing us, and because it will not bring Mary Jo Kopeckne back to life to have the self-proclaimed Lion pass on.
Kennedy's passing brings a potential for paralysis into Congress (yet again), in this instance involving health care debates and bills proposed that now have no champion worthy of all the press that comes with something of this nature. When Kennedy put the Congressional kibosh on a universal health-care initiative that came from Richard M. Nixon (!) some years back, believing that it did not go far enough, the closest call to socialized medicine in America to date was dealt a serious blow. A blow significant enought to be called Kennedy's "biggest regret" by none other than the Chappaquiddick Kid himself. This was a key factor behind him calling universal health care his "life's work".
With his passing at the age of 77 duly noted, a brief look at the remains of Camelot, as of August 26, 2009:
Siblings of JFK remaining alive: 1 (I think a sister is in her 90's, not counting Eunice, and her recent passing...truly sad. She introduced the world to the Special Olympics. That is a worthy legacy.)
Grandchildren of Joseph Kennedy, bootlegger, currently in an elected office: 2 (Ted's son is a state senator in Rhode Island, I think, and by marriage the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, qualifies)
Now, to be fair, the early and violent deaths of all three of his brothers (Joe Junior died as a fighter pilot during WWII) heaped immense pressure on young Edward in the eyes of his family, one that believed greatness was its birthright. His role in the Civil Rights act of 1965 passing was extraordinarily detailed and essential, and countless other pieces of major legislation went through the Senate under his watch. To think what would have happened if he weren't a Kennedy, and the unfortunate auto accident in 1969 had happened anyways...
Take into account the number of politicians that have been run out of office in the last few years due to affairs and graft, then consider what would have happened if the driver of that car that evening (Kennedy) had the last name of a non-deified President. Roger Clinton got jail and probation for a DUI in a party city of drunken a-holes (Hermosa Beach, CA) while his brother was in office, yet nothing ever came of this drunken-driving with a fatality involved. Heck, even Donte' Stallworth was suspended from the NFL for a year. (Stallworth was convicted of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, sentenced to 30 days, then served 24 days and was released earlier this year.)
Put aside for the moment that the vast majority of his politics go against many people's beliefs. There is no conceivable way that this woman, an assistant of his, deserved for her life to be over and reduced to one line in the multiple 8,000 word obituaries of this 'Lion of the Senate'. No legitimate investigation, no notes of the happening in textbooks of children in America (and many lesser things were in those books, and I was born 5 years after this event)...and President Obama and former President Clinton are espousing warm and elongated eulogies of this man.
It is possible that my earlier column about celebrity making people behave differently has roots even further back, but if Mike Vick and Kobe Bryant can be vilified for less egregious acts than the death of an innocent human being and this man gets smoke-filled bubbles blown up the backsides of America on his behalf, we're either looking at pure racism or unadulterated hypocrisy. Or, even more disturbing, it is a symptom of what has destroyed the Fourth Estate: Crony-ism.
It's not about what ya know, it's who ya know. The old adage. My concern over this kind of thing, an issue hashed out long before I was aware of these issues, is the difference between how people could look past this and how people now fixate on minor transgressions of minor celebrities to no end. Kennedy certainly knew the police involved that evening, certainly did something uncouth involving Ms. Kopeckne, and certainly was never convicted for it.
Not even in the court of public opinion. Rest in Peace, Mr. Kennedy.
Kennedy's passing brings a potential for paralysis into Congress (yet again), in this instance involving health care debates and bills proposed that now have no champion worthy of all the press that comes with something of this nature. When Kennedy put the Congressional kibosh on a universal health-care initiative that came from Richard M. Nixon (!) some years back, believing that it did not go far enough, the closest call to socialized medicine in America to date was dealt a serious blow. A blow significant enought to be called Kennedy's "biggest regret" by none other than the Chappaquiddick Kid himself. This was a key factor behind him calling universal health care his "life's work".
With his passing at the age of 77 duly noted, a brief look at the remains of Camelot, as of August 26, 2009:
Siblings of JFK remaining alive: 1 (I think a sister is in her 90's, not counting Eunice, and her recent passing...truly sad. She introduced the world to the Special Olympics. That is a worthy legacy.)
Grandchildren of Joseph Kennedy, bootlegger, currently in an elected office: 2 (Ted's son is a state senator in Rhode Island, I think, and by marriage the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, qualifies)
Now, to be fair, the early and violent deaths of all three of his brothers (Joe Junior died as a fighter pilot during WWII) heaped immense pressure on young Edward in the eyes of his family, one that believed greatness was its birthright. His role in the Civil Rights act of 1965 passing was extraordinarily detailed and essential, and countless other pieces of major legislation went through the Senate under his watch. To think what would have happened if he weren't a Kennedy, and the unfortunate auto accident in 1969 had happened anyways...
Take into account the number of politicians that have been run out of office in the last few years due to affairs and graft, then consider what would have happened if the driver of that car that evening (Kennedy) had the last name of a non-deified President. Roger Clinton got jail and probation for a DUI in a party city of drunken a-holes (Hermosa Beach, CA) while his brother was in office, yet nothing ever came of this drunken-driving with a fatality involved. Heck, even Donte' Stallworth was suspended from the NFL for a year. (Stallworth was convicted of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, sentenced to 30 days, then served 24 days and was released earlier this year.)
Put aside for the moment that the vast majority of his politics go against many people's beliefs. There is no conceivable way that this woman, an assistant of his, deserved for her life to be over and reduced to one line in the multiple 8,000 word obituaries of this 'Lion of the Senate'. No legitimate investigation, no notes of the happening in textbooks of children in America (and many lesser things were in those books, and I was born 5 years after this event)...and President Obama and former President Clinton are espousing warm and elongated eulogies of this man.
It is possible that my earlier column about celebrity making people behave differently has roots even further back, but if Mike Vick and Kobe Bryant can be vilified for less egregious acts than the death of an innocent human being and this man gets smoke-filled bubbles blown up the backsides of America on his behalf, we're either looking at pure racism or unadulterated hypocrisy. Or, even more disturbing, it is a symptom of what has destroyed the Fourth Estate: Crony-ism.
It's not about what ya know, it's who ya know. The old adage. My concern over this kind of thing, an issue hashed out long before I was aware of these issues, is the difference between how people could look past this and how people now fixate on minor transgressions of minor celebrities to no end. Kennedy certainly knew the police involved that evening, certainly did something uncouth involving Ms. Kopeckne, and certainly was never convicted for it.
Not even in the court of public opinion. Rest in Peace, Mr. Kennedy.
Monday, August 24, 2009
The Crabtree Corollary
While I promise not to be too topic-centered in this space, the NFL has triggered an interesting mind puzzle for me over these last few days. In conjunction with Obama fans, today I will visit the sense of entitlement in young America. Obama fans seem to love entitlements, while normal people who may or may not have voted for him can be of different viewpoints on the matter.
Michael Crabtree is a young man with outstanding abilities in relation to catching a thrown football and advancing it to the end zone, scoring points and achieving the goals of any given football team. In two years of collegiate football at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Crabtree scored 41 touchdowns and had several games with gaudy statistics, helping his team to success the likes of which has not been seen by the Red Raiders in school history. The 21-year old saw his production hampered slightly in his second year, as teams focused more of their defensive planning on him, but that focused caused other teammates to be open and score at will. With little argument, Crabtree was the class of this year's college football at his position.
Knowing this, the sophomore entered the NFL Draft. Many of the experts felt he would be one of the first 5 players taken, as many teams have a need for a talent of his caliber. His selection of agent, one Eugene Parker, did not suggest that he had outlandish expectations for his contract or team that he would play for.
Oops.
As it turns out, Crabtree was drafted 10th by San Francisco, and there was another, lower-rated receiver taken in front of him. Not a problem in and of itself, but thngs got complicated when Crabtree and Parker insisted that the 49ers pay him better than the receiver taken 7th by the Oakland Raiders. Darrius Heywood-Bay of the Raiders was given a deal worth about $38 million over six years, while Crabtree was offered a reported $30 million over 5 years. The next receiver taken, Jeremy Maclin, signed a 5-year deal for a touch under $16 million, but he was taken 19th overall. With this in mind, Crabtree's offer seems like it was in line with what the market bears for new talent. Crabtree believes he should get more than Heywood-Bay based on where he was ranked by these experts in the pre-draft magazine articles. In response to not getting the money he believes he deserves, he has threatened to sit out the year and re-enter the draft in 2010.
I will repeat that statement: He believes he should get more money based on where people speculate he should have been drafted. Chew on that for a second. If you went to your bosses and told them that you should be paid more than someone else hired by a different company based on what a third party wrote that you should be worth based on how you performed somewhere else at a different (and lesser) skill level, even though that person was picked from the same talent pool as you, yet they were selected before you, what would they say? Better yet, would you then be able to threaten to not work the entire year, as Crabtree has done, and try to be selected again at a higher pay point, even though you cannot perform your trade that year?
Even taking into account the bizzaro world of professional sports and its absurd relationship with current financial situations, this is outlandish behavior by Crabtree, possibly on woeful advice from Parker, possibly from his own ego. While the real world does not have a 'draft' when leaving college, it must be noted that Crabtree voluntarily entered this draft, did so two years earlier than it was designed to be entered, and did so knowing that the pay scale is tied to the point of selection.
Every employer has specific considerations when coming to work there. Non-profits don't pay as well as for-profit companies, while Google offers their employees a game room. Some match on 401(k)'s, while others offer stock options, etc. These are questions one asks going in, and these are considerations that go into the decision one makes about a profession.
The process to become an NFL player is difficult and selective, and the rewards are significant. In conjunction with that, there are rules of entry that are to be considered. Crabtree was not under a financial hardship to enter the NFL, as his earnings (by NCAA mandate, another column for another time) are already at or near zero, plus he had two years of scholarship eligibility remaining (for a free education valued at $15,795 for the upcoming academic year). There is also a potential lockout of the league and union pending after the 2010 season. With that in mind, Crabtree's decision could play out like this:
-New draft in 2010 lands him at, let's say the 7th pick (four good QB's are coming next year, plus a fresh crop of undergrads leaving early), netting him a $40 million contract. He will not go higher, as now he has 'signability' issues, using the current sports parlance. The team drafting 7th will undoubtedly be worse than the '09 49ers, as this team is improving to the point of being a playoff outsider in their weak division.
-He signs and plays a year, shaking off some rust from not having been in a competitive format since the 2008 Cotton Bowl. He has an average year for a featured WR, catching 60 passes for about 950 yards. He watches the Pro Bowl, where very good players go as a reward for theis season, from his house.
-Teams are locking their players out for the 2011 season, using replacement players (God forbid) at lesser salaries, then play an abbreviated season with union players. He will not go to the Pro Bowl, as the season stats will be skewed and more popular players are selected.
-2012 is the first year without salary restriction that are in place now, causing Crabtree to hold out for more money because "he's better than" some receiver with a bad contract.
-The team cuts him, and Crabtree signs somewhere else for less money, just to play.
Since the NFL is the true "at will" employer in this country, Crabtree will basically lose about 30% of his value if the league locks out in 2010. He also looks like a chump to most casual fans of sport, due to his naked greed. No matter how good he is, he appears to be motivated by nothing that makes people fans of sport. Oh, and I may not have mentioned he has not ever taken the field for an NFL franchise.
There is a trend amongst many coming into high-profile professions in recent years to demand bigger pieces of the pie, and that is usually a good thing. Many established business models have for many years been in the seat of power in determining earnings and exposure for young talent. There is a reason for this limitation on young talent, however, and it is the liability of paying all of those who suck at their profession when performing it at a higher level.
It is estimated that the average record label signs over 1,000 acts to deals for every one that produces even one gold album (Gold is achieved by selling 500,000 copies). Since this is the case, many bands get money for producing music that no one will even wipe their...counters with. That money comes from somewhere...the sky, maybe? The same premise holds true in pro sports. Each year, teams sign dozens of players, then have to cut them or send them to the minor leagues or what-have-you, all in the hopes of finding a few stars to help them sell tickets and merchandise. And all while paying them on their contract, regardless of performance.
If someone is an established talent, the market pays them accordingly (i.e., Alex Rodriguez, Peyton Manning, etc). If they're not yet established, paying them big coin on a 'maybe' in the performance range makes little sense, even if paying on potential superstardom.
Therefore, I introduce the Crabtree Corollary. The corollary states:
When one enters a given profession, one must adhere to the guidelines set forth until one demonstrates either extraordinary need or extraordinary ability in said profession before attempting to change said guidelines.
This allows for a realistic assessment by all involved of an employee's worth before the employee can run roughshod over years of proven methodology. If there is a need for a rule or law change due to disability or illness, or if performance far outpaces expectation, adjustments can and should be made. Seems fair to me. And everyone else who has ever had to go looking for a job, don't you think?
As an aside, will the NFL allow me to order a Crabtree 49er jersey with the number '$' on it?
There will be a non-sports column tomorrow..promise.
Michael Crabtree is a young man with outstanding abilities in relation to catching a thrown football and advancing it to the end zone, scoring points and achieving the goals of any given football team. In two years of collegiate football at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Crabtree scored 41 touchdowns and had several games with gaudy statistics, helping his team to success the likes of which has not been seen by the Red Raiders in school history. The 21-year old saw his production hampered slightly in his second year, as teams focused more of their defensive planning on him, but that focused caused other teammates to be open and score at will. With little argument, Crabtree was the class of this year's college football at his position.
Knowing this, the sophomore entered the NFL Draft. Many of the experts felt he would be one of the first 5 players taken, as many teams have a need for a talent of his caliber. His selection of agent, one Eugene Parker, did not suggest that he had outlandish expectations for his contract or team that he would play for.
Oops.
As it turns out, Crabtree was drafted 10th by San Francisco, and there was another, lower-rated receiver taken in front of him. Not a problem in and of itself, but thngs got complicated when Crabtree and Parker insisted that the 49ers pay him better than the receiver taken 7th by the Oakland Raiders. Darrius Heywood-Bay of the Raiders was given a deal worth about $38 million over six years, while Crabtree was offered a reported $30 million over 5 years. The next receiver taken, Jeremy Maclin, signed a 5-year deal for a touch under $16 million, but he was taken 19th overall. With this in mind, Crabtree's offer seems like it was in line with what the market bears for new talent. Crabtree believes he should get more than Heywood-Bay based on where he was ranked by these experts in the pre-draft magazine articles. In response to not getting the money he believes he deserves, he has threatened to sit out the year and re-enter the draft in 2010.
I will repeat that statement: He believes he should get more money based on where people speculate he should have been drafted. Chew on that for a second. If you went to your bosses and told them that you should be paid more than someone else hired by a different company based on what a third party wrote that you should be worth based on how you performed somewhere else at a different (and lesser) skill level, even though that person was picked from the same talent pool as you, yet they were selected before you, what would they say? Better yet, would you then be able to threaten to not work the entire year, as Crabtree has done, and try to be selected again at a higher pay point, even though you cannot perform your trade that year?
Even taking into account the bizzaro world of professional sports and its absurd relationship with current financial situations, this is outlandish behavior by Crabtree, possibly on woeful advice from Parker, possibly from his own ego. While the real world does not have a 'draft' when leaving college, it must be noted that Crabtree voluntarily entered this draft, did so two years earlier than it was designed to be entered, and did so knowing that the pay scale is tied to the point of selection.
Every employer has specific considerations when coming to work there. Non-profits don't pay as well as for-profit companies, while Google offers their employees a game room. Some match on 401(k)'s, while others offer stock options, etc. These are questions one asks going in, and these are considerations that go into the decision one makes about a profession.
The process to become an NFL player is difficult and selective, and the rewards are significant. In conjunction with that, there are rules of entry that are to be considered. Crabtree was not under a financial hardship to enter the NFL, as his earnings (by NCAA mandate, another column for another time) are already at or near zero, plus he had two years of scholarship eligibility remaining (for a free education valued at $15,795 for the upcoming academic year). There is also a potential lockout of the league and union pending after the 2010 season. With that in mind, Crabtree's decision could play out like this:
-New draft in 2010 lands him at, let's say the 7th pick (four good QB's are coming next year, plus a fresh crop of undergrads leaving early), netting him a $40 million contract. He will not go higher, as now he has 'signability' issues, using the current sports parlance. The team drafting 7th will undoubtedly be worse than the '09 49ers, as this team is improving to the point of being a playoff outsider in their weak division.
-He signs and plays a year, shaking off some rust from not having been in a competitive format since the 2008 Cotton Bowl. He has an average year for a featured WR, catching 60 passes for about 950 yards. He watches the Pro Bowl, where very good players go as a reward for theis season, from his house.
-Teams are locking their players out for the 2011 season, using replacement players (God forbid) at lesser salaries, then play an abbreviated season with union players. He will not go to the Pro Bowl, as the season stats will be skewed and more popular players are selected.
-2012 is the first year without salary restriction that are in place now, causing Crabtree to hold out for more money because "he's better than" some receiver with a bad contract.
-The team cuts him, and Crabtree signs somewhere else for less money, just to play.
Since the NFL is the true "at will" employer in this country, Crabtree will basically lose about 30% of his value if the league locks out in 2010. He also looks like a chump to most casual fans of sport, due to his naked greed. No matter how good he is, he appears to be motivated by nothing that makes people fans of sport. Oh, and I may not have mentioned he has not ever taken the field for an NFL franchise.
There is a trend amongst many coming into high-profile professions in recent years to demand bigger pieces of the pie, and that is usually a good thing. Many established business models have for many years been in the seat of power in determining earnings and exposure for young talent. There is a reason for this limitation on young talent, however, and it is the liability of paying all of those who suck at their profession when performing it at a higher level.
It is estimated that the average record label signs over 1,000 acts to deals for every one that produces even one gold album (Gold is achieved by selling 500,000 copies). Since this is the case, many bands get money for producing music that no one will even wipe their...counters with. That money comes from somewhere...the sky, maybe? The same premise holds true in pro sports. Each year, teams sign dozens of players, then have to cut them or send them to the minor leagues or what-have-you, all in the hopes of finding a few stars to help them sell tickets and merchandise. And all while paying them on their contract, regardless of performance.
If someone is an established talent, the market pays them accordingly (i.e., Alex Rodriguez, Peyton Manning, etc). If they're not yet established, paying them big coin on a 'maybe' in the performance range makes little sense, even if paying on potential superstardom.
Therefore, I introduce the Crabtree Corollary. The corollary states:
When one enters a given profession, one must adhere to the guidelines set forth until one demonstrates either extraordinary need or extraordinary ability in said profession before attempting to change said guidelines.
This allows for a realistic assessment by all involved of an employee's worth before the employee can run roughshod over years of proven methodology. If there is a need for a rule or law change due to disability or illness, or if performance far outpaces expectation, adjustments can and should be made. Seems fair to me. And everyone else who has ever had to go looking for a job, don't you think?
As an aside, will the NFL allow me to order a Crabtree 49er jersey with the number '$' on it?
There will be a non-sports column tomorrow..promise.
Friday, August 21, 2009
And so it begins...
Too many uncollected or non-disseminated thoughts make for a cluttered mind. With that said, I am about to undertake the task of emptying the bin of my rather unfocused and slightly odd-shaped head, and those of you bold enough (or with enough free time) to take part will be its recipients. Thankfully, the price is free, allowing me to dump out these things upon you with little or no guilt. Well, actually...no guilt at all.
It is my goal to post three times a week, give or take, and to be nothing so formal as timely or informative. It is a brain dump, with the added bonus of somewhat colorful language from time-to-time.
I will run the gamut in this forum, from sports to politics to stock market goings-on to technology developments that fascinate my curious mind, probably even noting touchstones of popular culture along the way. This blog has been created for totally selfish reasons, but hopefully will serve a long-term purpose of entertaining the snot out of those who read it.
Enough with the introductions...on with the post:
Brett Favre has signed with the Vikings, Michael Vick is out of jail and on the field in Philadelphia, and Dallas breaks in its $243 trillion stadium (estimated cost) in a preseason game tonight. A ton of news and a ton of thoughts, but the highlights are as follows:
1) The NFL is back!
2) Retirement means different things based on how many decimal points your paycheck moves to the left.
3) Sports fans already have little time or patience for PETA. This dynamic will be tested in the Eastern time zone this year.
4) The recession hit some differently than others, particularly those who live near oil rigs.
5) The NFL is back!
For football fans, the stories will fall by the wayside once the games that count kick off. All of the stories that eminate from it, including one player going to jail for 2 years for shooting himself in the leg while another one does 24 days for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, will be little more than footnotes on whether or not Ochocinco kicks an extra point in the regular season. While this should be a sad commentary on America and sports, it might actually be a good sign that things are returning to normal.
Much energy is expended daily on stabilizing life on a day-to-day basis, from paying bills to picking schools for one's children, and having a release that is a bit of a non-sequitur to where one hangs his hat is vital to the health of people as a whole. We can (and will) all decry the welfare of dogs, of wishy-washy behavior from matinee idols, corporate greed and the like, but it all serves the grander purpose of escapism for the masses. It is important not to lose sight of this, even when people do colossally stupid things. I can (and will) make the argument that the plight of animals is better for Mike Vick's actions being made public than they would have been had they never taken place...good comes from bad. That is the sole responsibility of society, to act in the aftermath of evil or ignorance.
As it stands, there are roughly 2.5 animals euthanized for every one that a shelter is able to adopt out to a family. Animal shelters are one of the grossly underfunded fields of charity out there, and all the pictures of the cutest animals these shelters have only serve to pull the heartstrings of our most ardent animal lovers out there. I have anecdotal evidence of this, as I have a wife who wants more than the three animals we already have, and I know many compassionate animal lovers of her ilk.
Since the trial and conviction of America's Number One dogfighter has taken place, millions of dollars, tens of thousands of volunteer hours and untold scores of other donations have been given to these shelters by people not normally inclined to do so. Add on to this the increased profile of the plight of these shelters and their animals, and only good has come from this terrible sequence of events. For once, justice was served on the guilty, remorse appears to have been gained by the perpetrator, and awareness of a leftover ill of old culture has begun its eradication process. Top that off by low-profile shelters becoming high-profile by nursing the surviving pit bulls back to health and adopting them out, and you have the recipe for recovery.
Now the question is: Will anyone allow Vick to regain his status as a human being?
It is my goal to post three times a week, give or take, and to be nothing so formal as timely or informative. It is a brain dump, with the added bonus of somewhat colorful language from time-to-time.
I will run the gamut in this forum, from sports to politics to stock market goings-on to technology developments that fascinate my curious mind, probably even noting touchstones of popular culture along the way. This blog has been created for totally selfish reasons, but hopefully will serve a long-term purpose of entertaining the snot out of those who read it.
Enough with the introductions...on with the post:
Brett Favre has signed with the Vikings, Michael Vick is out of jail and on the field in Philadelphia, and Dallas breaks in its $243 trillion stadium (estimated cost) in a preseason game tonight. A ton of news and a ton of thoughts, but the highlights are as follows:
1) The NFL is back!
2) Retirement means different things based on how many decimal points your paycheck moves to the left.
3) Sports fans already have little time or patience for PETA. This dynamic will be tested in the Eastern time zone this year.
4) The recession hit some differently than others, particularly those who live near oil rigs.
5) The NFL is back!
For football fans, the stories will fall by the wayside once the games that count kick off. All of the stories that eminate from it, including one player going to jail for 2 years for shooting himself in the leg while another one does 24 days for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, will be little more than footnotes on whether or not Ochocinco kicks an extra point in the regular season. While this should be a sad commentary on America and sports, it might actually be a good sign that things are returning to normal.
Much energy is expended daily on stabilizing life on a day-to-day basis, from paying bills to picking schools for one's children, and having a release that is a bit of a non-sequitur to where one hangs his hat is vital to the health of people as a whole. We can (and will) all decry the welfare of dogs, of wishy-washy behavior from matinee idols, corporate greed and the like, but it all serves the grander purpose of escapism for the masses. It is important not to lose sight of this, even when people do colossally stupid things. I can (and will) make the argument that the plight of animals is better for Mike Vick's actions being made public than they would have been had they never taken place...good comes from bad. That is the sole responsibility of society, to act in the aftermath of evil or ignorance.
As it stands, there are roughly 2.5 animals euthanized for every one that a shelter is able to adopt out to a family. Animal shelters are one of the grossly underfunded fields of charity out there, and all the pictures of the cutest animals these shelters have only serve to pull the heartstrings of our most ardent animal lovers out there. I have anecdotal evidence of this, as I have a wife who wants more than the three animals we already have, and I know many compassionate animal lovers of her ilk.
Since the trial and conviction of America's Number One dogfighter has taken place, millions of dollars, tens of thousands of volunteer hours and untold scores of other donations have been given to these shelters by people not normally inclined to do so. Add on to this the increased profile of the plight of these shelters and their animals, and only good has come from this terrible sequence of events. For once, justice was served on the guilty, remorse appears to have been gained by the perpetrator, and awareness of a leftover ill of old culture has begun its eradication process. Top that off by low-profile shelters becoming high-profile by nursing the surviving pit bulls back to health and adopting them out, and you have the recipe for recovery.
Now the question is: Will anyone allow Vick to regain his status as a human being?
My bet is most will, as America is the great land of second chances, but there will be those who believe that there will never be a good time for anybody to return to prominence after acts as horrific as those that Vick was sentenced for. The average sentence for operating a dogfighting ring is 5 years and a $20k fine according to the ASPCA website. Does two years, $100 million in lost income, pariah status for the rest of life and filing bankruptcy after being nailed to over $2 million in fines constitute a fair sentence for bankrolling one of these? Yes, it does, primarily due to the exposure that this tragic set of events has brought to the situation.
Vick's fame makes some believe that he was let off easy, and can now go back to his fabulous life. How fabuolous does his life look when he will be tormented by every lunatic for the rest of his career (now significantly shortened), must perform thousands of hours of community activity just to be able to perform that career, be paid much less for the remainder of that career, then have very few job prospects afterwards due to his previous choices? Anyone that says he needs more punishment than what is coming is not necessarily realizing that he will fade from even their memory soon enough.
Speaking of fading memories, didn't Brett Favre rememeber that he retired? Twice? Even reiterated that fact three weeks ago? The issue of him going to a rival of the team that he led for 16 years, won a championship with and built his reputation on is just insult added to injury for Packer fans. For his new team's fans? Conflict.
Favre was a Viking killer for 16 years, and now is to be welcomed into a terrible QB situation in Minnesota. He was only 6-9 in the Metrodome over his career, and he has never been too against throwing the ball to the other team (22 INT's - most in the NFL last year), plus he's Brett-freaking-Favre. Woe is to be a Viking fan in this upcoming season.
Dallas has a football team. They are popular. The owner is nuttier than almond butter. Naturally, he will spend ONE BILLION US$ DOLLARS to build a stadium. (Capital letters for those of you who miss getting spammed by Nigerian bankers.)
This monolith of a stadium claims, among other things, to house the two largest flatscreen TV's in existence. (Apparently the JumboTron's just don't cut it nowadays) Tickets in the relatively good seats are not only expensive, but one had to pay $100,000 for the right to buy them. Personal Seat Licenses, introduced to the NFL by the legendary thief Al Davis, have now infiltrated every new stadium in sports, and have done so at ever-increasing prices. With the empty seats down close at Yankee Stadium after their introduction of the new ballpark this last spring, I wonder if Jerry Jones (Cowboy owner) is just a bit nervous. Tune in tonight to see the Cowboy Albatross on display in the preseason...oh, and wasn't there a recession I heard something about on the news? A hundred grand? Really? They do everything bigger in Texas, including being greedy and wasteful, it seems.
It would be awfully sexy of me to continue to ramble on, but the stock market closed up big today, and I have to...um, fold laundry. Until next time, welcome.
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