Retirement

As you may have guessed, I'm moving into retirement. Maybe semi-retirement, who knows. I appreciate any interest you may have had.

Hillary should withdraw unless she does very strongly tomorrow.

go sox

bits and pieces

I'm off to Florida on Monday for spring training.

Richardson endorsed Obama. Obama's speech was pretty good I thought, but this controversy won't go away and could hurt him. None of the candidates are looking too good right now, with this Obama controversy, Hillary struggling, and McCain making some gaffes. At least his bracket's not doing too badly, although he has lost a Final Four team (UConn).

Red Sox start the season on Tuesday in Japan.

Playing to Win the Game?

Recently there's been a fair bit of controversy in the baseball world about the Yankees-Rays feud. If you don't know what happened, one of the Rays players barreled into the catcher, and the catcher, a minor league prospect, broke his wrist. The Yanks' manager, Joe Girardi, got mad at the hard, but clean, play, as it was after all an exhibition. Joe Maddon, the Rays manager defended his player. When they played again, Shelley Duncan slid into second hard with his spikes up. A brawl ensued, and 3 players have been suspended, and Girardi fined.

Both sides have decent arguments, but I have to side with the Rays on this one. Playing to win the game is never a bad thing, even if it's just a spring training game. The play was within the rules, the injury was unfortunate, but those things happen in baseball. If Girardi wanted to get back at them, he should have thrown at one of the players. He gets hit, then it's done. But spiking a fielder is a dirty play.

Was it classless? No, but I don't think the Yanks, or any team, should play that way. That said it does make the AL East more interesting.

Flip-Flopping Fluidity

I was talking to my cousin about Hillary last night, and she brought up the Iraq issue, and about how Hillary voted for it. We then started talking about 'flip-flopping,' with differing ideas.

I think that a President, and someone running for president, ought to be able to change their stances without taking heat. The President needs to be able to respond to the demands of the people. Let's say you're the President, and you're in favor of a particular tax bill. But if 80% of the public are against it, should you still try to get it passed? Are you still serving the nation's best interests if you're going against the people? The President needs to be fluid with his or her ideas. On social issues, such as abortion, he or she can be faithful to whatever side they believe in. But on broader policy, war, the economy, the President should respond to the people. If that means changing your opinion from what you said or voted for in the past, then so be it. A President who does not listen to the will of the people will be neither popular nor successful.

Looking to the primaries on Tuesday, if Hillary doesn't do well she should pull out. McCain is starting to coalesce his support (with some failures) and attack the Democrats, and if Hillary stays in the race and diverts resources from Obama and from the Dems, it will only weaken their chances in November. If, on the other hand, she wins Ohio and Texas, Obama's nomination will be far from certain.

---

On a different subject, I watched the Sox-Twins game last night. It was pretty exciting to see the players in action after a long winter of no baseball. I'm really excited to see what happens in both leagues. The AL is wide open. The Yanks and the Sox will contend for the East, with the Jays only a few games back, if they can stay healthy. The Rays should be pretty good this year too. They have a strong lineup, with Crawford, Pena, Upton, Baldelli, and, eventually, Longoria, and a couple of really good starters in Kazmir and Shields. They might approach 80 wins. The central has two really good teams as well, with the Tigers and Indians. The Tigers have the best lineup in the league, and if their pitching is at least decent they should win the division. The Indians are coming off an ALCS in which they were up 3 games to 1, and should be able to build on that confidence. The Angels have been overlooked in the media so far, but they're still pretty good. It will be interesting to see how the Mariners do, especially after those big trades.

The NL looks to be the Mets' to win. Still, the Phillies and Braves have good teams. Luke's Marlins are rebuilding (again), but who knows, maybe this is one of the years where they surprise people. The Cubs and Brewers will fight for the Central, and out west the Dodgers, Rockies, and Padres are all in contention. My pick for that division, however, is the Diamondbacks. If their rotation can stay healthy, they can dominate. Webb, Haren, and the Big Unit may be the best threesome in all of baseball.

My World Series prediction: Red Sox over Diamondbacks
Players to watch:
Manny Ramirez (.315, 30, 110)
Ian Kennedy (12 Ws, 3.75 ERA)
Miguel Cabrera (.330, 40, 140)
Francisco Liriano (10 Ws, 3.00 ERA, 160 Ks)
Johan Santana (21 Ws, 2.10 ERA, 230 Ks)
Greg Maddux (25 Ws, 1.40 ERA, 275 Ks)
Just kidding about Mad Dog. He'll still have his dependable 12-15 wins, ERA around 4.50, and a nasty two-seamer.

Go Red Sox!

Maybe Not

Nope, it's still winter; we got about a half-foot of snow on Friday.

Spring?

Today it was about 60 degrees, and I went out and threw with with my friend. First of the year, and it was pretty exciting. First fantasy draft of the year was on Saturday, and I've got another one in 10 minutes. Won't be long before the season starts now.

I love Ortiz in the 2nd round.

Obama with Momentum

Looks like Obama has all the momentum right now. He swept over the weekend and it looks like he'll sweep today as well. It also appears that he took over the delegate lead. The media tells me that Hillary is banking on three big states: Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If she doesn't win those, it'll pretty much be over. We'll see what happens.

Fortunately Obama is an excellent candidate, so even though I prefer Hillary, I'd be just fine with Obama as the nominee.

The Worst Month of the Year

Reasons why February is the worst month of the year:

1. No good sports. The Super Bowl is over, baseball hasn't started yet, fantasy baseball hasn't started yet, March Madness hasn't started yet, and that's really the only reason you need to declare Feb the worst month of the year.

At least we can start looking towards baseball season.

Go Red Sox

Romney Out

Mitt Romney dropped out today. I suppose he didn't feel like spending any more of his own money. I probably wouldn't either. He didn't give an endorsement, but it's pretty much certain that McCain ends up with the nomination. Which is too bad, because he'd probably be the strongest GOP candidate in the general election.

The Dems are still as close as ever. And it sounds like they're both raising a lot of money.

Super Tuesday

Dems in a dead heat that's actually almost exactly 50/50. Sounds like Obama has a lot more money though. Republicans look like they're pretty much set; McCain has a big lead.

I'm pretty excited for baseball season.

Super Bowl Recap

Well, that's pretty disappointing. I will say this: that catch by I think David Tyree was probably the greatest catch of all time. And I did predict the Giants' score, and the Pats could have had 20. A tying FG and the winner in OT, or scoring a TD and screwing the extra point. Oh well.

Maybe Moss will be motivated to stay in NE, and maybe they'll trade for Chad Johnson, who's expressed interest in playing here. The No. 7 pick for him? The Pats will still be great next year, and they do still have three Super Bowls this decade.

This wasn't nearly as devastating as the Red Sox loss in 2003. And hey, they're still champs.

It is what it is, and we'll move on.

Unfortunately, no baseball for a while still.

Super Bowl

New England 20
New York 17

MVP: Brady

Prop Bets to look for:
Over/under on how many times Joe Buck says "Spygate:" 5
Winner of the coin toss: NYG
First person to score: Stephen Gostkowski
TD catch for Mike Vrabel: Yes
Undefeated season and 4 in 7 for NE: Yep
Over/under of instant classic commercials: 4

GO PATS

Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter, bastion of conservative thought, recently said that she would prefer Hillary over McCain. Obviously she detests them both, but I did think it was surprising. I doubted that she'd ever praise (even if it's just a little bit) a Clinton. She is really hoping that Romney can pull out the nomination. She's not too happy at the moment, I think.

Oh well.

Democratic Debate

Very civil. They wanted to provide their subtle differences on the issues, and contrast them with the Republicans'. Team-building exercise. Most enthusiastic question was near the end about a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket. Not close to the hostility of some of the previous debates.

Obama came out looking stronger than Clinton on Iraq, but only on the past. Their foreign policy for the future is essentially the same. We'll see if this debate makes a big difference on Tuesday, but I doubt it will.

I wonder if all the attacks and violent banter came from Edwards? Without him, very civil. With him, bark bark.

Edwards....

State of the Union

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think Bush is that bad.

Not that he's good.

SC

Most people were predicting an Obama win, but by that much!? He doubled up Hillary.

Momentum heading into February 5th, but it's looking as if Super Tuesday is as likely to leave things confused as it is to provide a front-runner.

---
Emily Hughes missed the US Championships. Oh well. And Kimmie Meissner disappointed.

Super Bowl in a week.

Republicans Debate

A very interesting debate. I think Romney won; he's leading in the Florida polls and I suppose he'll win there. Just like with the Dems Super Tuesday is huge. They seemed to agree that Hillary will be the Democratic nominee; I don't think they mentioned Obama's name once. They also played nicer than the Democrats; they didn't attack each other nearly as much. Tim Russert blasted the Bush administration, citing rises in unemployment, the deficit, debt, and gas prices. Some of the statistics were quite remarkable; I think he said gas was $1.47 in 2001. That might not be right, but I think it's close. Anyways, my thoughts about each candidate.

Mitt Romney:
Romney looked and sounded sharp. He articulated his positions well and came out looking really strong economically. It appeared that he's the most economically savvy. He defended himself well from questions about his campaign spending and his Mormon faith. He didn't appear as strong as the others on foreign policy though. He wanted people to focus on his record as Massachusetts governor and as him being a Washington outsider.

John McCain:
I remember an SNL skit from the 2004 campaign where John Kerry listed all the people he knew. McCain did that tonight. He knows a lot of people. I didn't know any of them, and I'm guessing a lot of Floridian Republicans don't either. Opposite to Romney, he looked strong on foreign policy and weak on the economy. He forcefully confirmed his views on Iraq, saying that if we "surrendered," as in Hillary's plan, then al-Qaeda would win. A little bit of demagoguery.

Rudy Giuliani:
Giuliani wandered a lot and I don't think he really helped his chances. The thing I felt that set him apart was how he felt on environmental innovation. He wanted to improve technology rather than set emissions caps. And he took a larger world view of the problem of global warming, which I think is essential.

Ron Paul:
He got asked about 3 or 4 questions, but did his best. He continues to get marginalized. He is the only Republican against the war, which drew strong applause from the audience. His big thing is his difference from the others. Also he wore an '80s style tie which looked goofy. At the end he criticized the Republican Party for losing their Republican values.

Mike Huckabee:
He was also marginalized. I think people believe he'll get out of the race soon; he needs a big Super Tuesday. Losing South Carolina hurt him. He wandered on a lot of questions too. He wants to add to the highways to invigorate the economy. Hm. His Fair Tax plan is garbage, and unrealistic, as Russert pointed out. He did, however, have the best jokes.

This looks to be shaping up to be a Romney-McCain race. That would be the best ticket for the Republicans, regardless of which one they pick as President. It combines the economic expert and the foreign policy expert. They spent a lot of time blasting Hillary. I admit myself very surprised at the lack of an Obama mention. I predict Romney wins the nomination.

Down Goes Frazier

Not actually a boxing match, but certainly they went to the debate "looking for a fight." The problem is that slinging mud at each other helps no one but yourself and doesn't foster party unity, which is an essential aspect of political success. I support Clinton, but I like Obama too!!! If I could sit down with the both of them I'd tell them to lay off each other. But of course they wouldn't listen to me.

Edwards struggled to get into the banter last night, complaining that there was a third person in the debate. Hey, what about our friend Congressman Kucinich? I bet he'd love to be there too. Not only was his invitation to the last debate rescinded, but when he sued to be included, the network appealed and had the decision overturned. How long can Edwards maintain he is right up there in the race when he gets 4% in Nevada and is far behind in his home state? He'll probably be gone after Feb. 5.

Speaking of candidates leaving the race, Fred Thompson ended his bid today. My friend Mr Vargas pointed this out in his blog on Sunday.

Conference Championships

Well, the Super Bowl is all set. A rematch of one of the best regular season games of the year, the NFL is certainly very pleased with the matchup. You have the undefeated New England Patriots, the most hated team in recent memory, and the New York Giants, playing in a huge market. Great ratings!

Thoughts from the weekend:

New England-San Diego
As I thought, it turned out to be a close game. The Chargers were pretty banged up, and they should be commended for a fantastic finish to their season after starting out 5-5. Maybe Norv Turner is the right guy to get this talented team to the promised land. LT didn't do much to add to his legacy, not playing the whole game. One thing that made me angry was when one of the Chargers, I think Cromartie, got an interception and then did Moss' weird little celebration. After LT ripped NE for doing Merriman's "Lights Out" dance last year, I guarantee that he won't go after his guy. But whatever. New England didn't play well, but they still were able to beat a very good SD team. They should be just fine against NY.

New York-Green Bay
A great game that GB gave away. Favre reverted to his pre-2007 bad Brett, throwing horrendous interceptions. I don't think they ran the ball as much as they should have, Grant was coming off a 200 yard game last week. Favre'll be back next year. Eli played well again, but since he hasn't turned the ball over at all this postseason, he probably has a lot of pent-up turnovers in him. Maybe 4 picks and a fumble? I still don't trust him. Should be a fun Super Bowl though.

Something irrelevant that I just noticed: All four teams in the conference games have two words in their name: New England, New York, Green Bay, San Diego.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???

Democratic debate on right now. Stimulus plans!

Twirling Towards Freedom

Three different winners today. Romney won Nevada, as expected, and McCain edged out Huckabee in South Carolina. Sure looks like McCain has the most momentum right now. But Romney and Huckabee are still right there. Thompson is far out, but there's still a chance he makes a comeback, and Giuliani has always been banking on Florida. Hillary won for the Democrats, which was huge. Obama will probably win South Carolina, so preventing him from getting back-to-back wins was important. Still either candidates' race. Edwards didn't do too well, I think he'll be done after Super Tuesday.

Conference championship games tomorrow. The Predictions:
New England 20, San Diego 17
Green Bay 20, New York 17

Best Father Ever

(After the death of Bleeding Gums Murphy)
Lisa: He was my idol. Why'd he have to die?
Homer: Remember when your cat Snowball was run over?
Lisa: Yeah.
Homer: Well, we can just go to the pound and get a new jazz man.

My Endorsement

Well, I'm going to endorse a candidate. And I'm then going to vote in the Feb. 5 primary.

As you probably now, I'm very liberal. So to me, the only real options are the Democrats, although I admit I would not be devastated if McCain became our next President. The other Republicans are, unfortunately, unacceptable to me. As much as I do like Mike Huckabee, his positions are just too repulsive.

Anyways, looking at the Demos gives three real options. Kucinich is very interesting and has some very good ideas, but he has no chance at the nomination, and probably wouldn't make an effective President. So, the problem with the other three (Clinton, Obama, and Edwards) is that they are all very, very similar. There is no humongous difference between their positions. So I looked at the other aspects of a candidate.

John Edwards has a fair amount of support, but I don't believe that he can come back. He certainly has the ability, but is still relatively inexperienced, and he's been out of office the last few years.

Barack Obama is certainly a fantastic orator and motivator. He's very bright, but again, is not as experienced as the other candidates. It's a neck and neck race between him and Hillary for the nomination.

Hillary Clinton is my choice for the next President of the United States. She has far and away the most experience, having spent years in the Senate and two terms as First Lady before that. She too is exceptionally smart, and has forged the political connections that are so necessary. Her experience has taught her what it takes to get things done. She can also easily call on the advice of her husband Bill, a luxury not seen before. She may not be the person that "changes" how things are done in Washington, but she is the best choice for the most effective progressive candidate. Last night I bought some stickers from her online store, and on Feb 5 I'm going to punch and/or check the box next to the name Hillary Clinton.

Lou Dobbs Rips Candidates

Interesting editorial from Lou Dobbs on CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/15/Dobbs.January16/index.html

He raises valid points about how candidates run in an election, but I don't agree with his pessimism.

Michigan and Nevada

Mitt Romney won Michigan. I see him winning the nomination, but we'll see. It is a very interesting primary season, on both sides. There are still 4-5 realistic candidates on the right and 3 on the left. One problem, which was mentioned in tonight's debate, is that the three Democrats all have very similar positions. Based solely on their stances on the issues, they're more or less identical. I think Edwards "won" this debate, but we'll see what the Nevada caucus looks like. He still probably won't catch up, but you never know!

My endorsement coming by the end of the weekend.

Leadup to Super Tuesday

There's a very interesting Democratic debate coming up tonight. Not the least interesting parts being to see whether Obama and Clinton make up and kiss or go back on the assault. It seems that they have a "truce," which is probably a good thing. The problem with attacking members of your own party is that it doesn't lead to anything productive, only the possibility of yourself getting elected. Unfortunately they're both so into this race that it can still go either way, and "attacking" the other may be the best way to help get themselves elected.

Again unfortunately, MSNBC has just excluded Dennis Kucinich from tonight's debate. I don't see the reasoning behind this, unless it's a very cynical one. I find it disappointing.

At the same time, the Michigan Republican primary goes on. I guess it'll be McCain, but we'll see. Another strong finish for Mike Huckabee would be very interesting for his chances, but I don't see him competing. There just aren't enough evangelicals to carry him. It also appears that the biggest issue of today is not Iraq, illegal immigration, or abortion, but the economy. It will be interesting to see who Michigan voters have decided can best help the economy.

Wow, what a great weekend of football. Upsets galore! Some quick thoughts from each game:

Pack-Seahawks
The Packers offense is great. Ryan Grant answered any questions about both his ability to be a playmaker and also about his intestinal fortitude. He had a great game after bouncing back from two early fumbles. He didn’t let those mistakes kill his confidence. Green Bay’s gonna be a tough team to beat. The Seahawks, on the other hand, are overrated. They desperately need to upgrade their wide receivers and running backs in the offseason. Alexander isn’t close to the player he once was. Deion Branch is good, but he’s too injury prone, and even when healthy he’s only a number two. Hasselbeck isn’t good enough to win with no help. He’s not Tom Brady.

Giants-Cowboys
This game was a big letdown from the Cowboys. They played horrendously. All they can do is work hard in the offseason and try again next year. Maybe they could get TO a box of tissues. The Giants played well, but I don’t think they’ll beat Green Bay next week. Eli may have confidence, but that doesn’t mean he’s good. I see Green Bay winning handily.

Bolts-Colts
This is just one of those games that you can’t do much about. The Chargers are now 9-3 all time at the RCA Dome, and have a three-game win streak against the Colts. For whatever reason, they have their number. They got beaten up but were still able to pull out a victory. They’ve been on fire, and I think next week’s game will be a lot closer than people think. As Tony Dungy said in his press conference, the Colts got into scoring position four times but failed to come out with any points. The turnovers were key, and they just couldn’t rebound. They failed to execute on 4^th down late, but that happens. If Tony Dungy chooses to retire, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Colts pursue Josh McDaniels. He would be perfect for that offense.

Jags-Pats
Obviously I’m biased, but the Pats’ offense played great. Brady is moving up the list of all-time great QBs. Here’s my list as of now:

1. 1. John Elway
2. Joe Montana
3. Tom Brady
4. Peyton Manning
5. Brett Favre

If the Pats do go on to win the Super Bowl, I think Brady will eclipse Montana, and maybe Elway as well. Their defense, however, did struggle, especially early. The Chargers have a good offense, even though Philip Rivers sucks. I think this game will be close, and I’m eagerly anticipating it.

First Post

Hey, I'm Mike.

I'll be posting whenever, about whatever, mostly politics and sports I assume. We'll see where it goes.