Josh Donaldson Is Smelling Pretty Good These Days

 

Today during the Jays and Yanks game Jays 3rd baseman Josh Donaldson got into a verbal sparring match with his manager John Gibbons.  The Bringer of Rain can do no wrong these days and unlike Shae Hilledrand or Ted Lily in years past, Donaldson decided to take the comedic route to douse any controversy on his relationship with his manager.

Now I’ve never been lucky enough to be in or around a major league baseball dugout or locker room but in my hacker experience in the Southern County league of Norfolk these types of disagreements were common place.

I can recall that one time I came back to the dugout in similar fashion to Donaldson (not the MVP caliber ball player type but more less the type that just struck out) I gave my coach (who happened to be my dad…love you Ricco) a piece of my mind when he offered me advice (in my defence I believe the advice was “HIT THE DAMN BALL WOULD YA?”  My dad didn’t take kindly to my antics or my colourful language and I found myself looking for another ride home from the park that night.

WELL THIS IS AWKWARD….

Long time no type my friends.  It certainly has been a long time since I’ve posted anything here in my collection of mediocre musings. So long in fact that I had no clue what my password was to be able to gain access to this wordpress site. It did occur to me that perhaps the fine folk at wordpress.com actually preferred that I didn’t post, but alas I was finally sent a new password and voila…..a mediocre musing from yours truly.

I liken this comeback to the world of blogging to a way past his prime boxer looking to climb in the ring one more time. However the difference being is that unlike the punch drunk boxer who had some skill at one point in time, I sadly don’t have any.  So I’m dusting off my under developed grammar skills and lack of story telling in hopes to regale all of 9 loyal readers once again.

 

 

It’s Good To Be Back……

Finally the time has come to write something here in the posting waste land of mediocre musings.  Thus far the summer has been fantastic on many levels so I thought today of all days should be the day to end the posting hiatus (collectively I know the internet as a whole is yawning at this news).

Truth be told today is the day that both the Association and the Merger (my 2 young sons) started summer camp, thus leaving me with a few moments to spare.  Having the 2 youngsters by my side each and everyday in the summer is a complete joy but it leaves me with limited time to bore you all with my barely passable grammar and questionable punctuation.

I had a goal for the new year that this little site that shouldn’t would get to 500 000 hits so I better fire up some content. Luckily for me the teams that I support (formerly drink to) are surrounded by as much positive mojo then I can ever recall.  It’s good to be back (for at least this day)

Cheers my friends and family (or random unfortunate wayward internet travellers)

 

NBA FINALS Guest Blog: The STIG Edition

I haven’t posted in quite sometime.  I am known to do more often than not (and yet the world continues to spin).  Thankfully my good pal by way of Mergl Drive in Port Dover, Ontario THE STIG is ready and willing to pick up the slack (or pick up the slacker that I am) and deliver some thoughts on the recent ending of the NBA finals.  Enjoy!!

NBA FINALS by THE STIG

NBA Action is Fantastic!  I know, I know-that was the NBA’s slogan from the 80s but it’s changed so much over the years that it’s hard to keep up with.

Another thing that is hard to do is to watch basketball when you’re wife is a Lebron James fan and you’re not.  That was the case in my house with the NBA Finals this year.  Watching Lebron James dribble the ball for 18 seconds and then start the offence was gruelling enough but to hear a cheer every time Cleveland did something good was worse.

And yet, during the game last night, we had an interesting conversation.  My son crawled into bed with us and asked who was the best player.  My wife answered with Steph Curry as he is the current MVP and I countered with LBJ.  What just happened?  How could this be?  I hate King James and here I was defending him!  Was I taking crazy pills again?

We both made valid arguments and then we laughed.  I feel asleep two minutes into the 4th quarter and was awoken to the TV going off.

“What happened?” I asked my wife.

“Cleveland lost.” was her reply.

In a daze, I asked, “So Golden State won?”

She didn’t answer and then we went to bed.

Retirement Plans – Day 1

As I approach my 38th birthday I’ve come to the realization that I’m not getting any younger (this realization has been expedited by me getting whipped on a daily basis in mini stick hockey action vs. the Association and the Merger as well).  Using my amateur math skills I can easily compute that I’m just as close to retirement than I am to the beginning of my career so perhaps it was just good karma that I came across something today while combing the many corners of the information highway that I would like to do when I retire.

When I retire I want to attend the Toronto Blue Jays Fantasy Camp.  The total cost is $ 4600 so I might as well start saving now, but in all honesty this would be a blast for me.  This year the guest coaches are Roberto Alomar, Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield to name a few.

As for now I guess I’ll just day-dream about my chance to attend in the Fall of 2031.  I can picture it now, Me in the batters box and crowding the plate while facing guest coach and former Cy Young award winner Pat Hentgen.  I bet it will look something like this

Rory McIlroy Paying Homage To Tiger In Nike’s New Commercial

I have never been a Rory McIlroy fan but after watching Nike’s latest commercial I might have to soften my stance a tad.  My gripe with Rory centers around an interview he gave around the time Tiger’s life/career came off the rails.  McIlroy was quite cocky about his game and Tiger’s lack of game at the time and I saw McIlroy as a cocky little tyrant.

This commercial changes my view of him a little.  Nicely done PR firm.

Opening Day 2015

 

 

Oh how someone is looking down on me today. It’s opening day, I’m off  work for Easter Monday and I’m about to get horizontal on the couch with The Association, The Merger and soon to be joining us will be The First Lady of Sports Administration (she would be the motivated one of this lunch bunch as she is currently out swimming).

The fellas are jacked and for the most part are dressed in their Toronto Blue Jays gear (The Merger has used his out clause and is exercising his right to stay in his pyjamas all day).  It’s been a tough year for Toronto sports fans (a familiar refrain I know..) so this household is looking forward to seeing what the Blue Jays can bring forth this season.

The start of the MLB season has long been an exciting time for me.  My birthday falls close to the start of the season each year and growing up I would often receive ducats to Opening Day of the season or the Blue Jays home opener.  I have so many fantastic memories of my Grandmother and Mom breaking me loose from school early to in order to make the trek to Toronto to catch the game.  Dollar hot dogs and bleacher seats at the old (and demolished) Exhibition Stadium were responsible for my baseball education.  I feel fortunate to have sat out on the hard no back bench stadium seating of the Ex with the wind blowing my hat off just in time for a sea-gull to aim and take fire at my under-combed coif.  (I’m almost tearing up thinking about it right now)

Enjoy your Opening Day!!

OK BLUE JAYS!!!

Roy Halladay Is Becoming A Twitter Must Follow – Who Knew?

During his playing career Roy Halladay was known for his pitching prowess and not his personality. Halladay was all business on the mound and his work ethic in the gym in preparation was legendary according to some.

However it would appear that retired Roy Halladay has plenty of personality to offer and today he took a not so gentle jab at Alex Rodriguez via Twitter.

I recorded my first strike out since retirement! Time for a comeback? She has a better swing then Arod! No steroids pic.twitter.com/98ytAyTUy0

— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) March 23, 2015

This is on the heels of his awesome picture he took while at an amusement park earlier this winter.  

Methinks that Halladay’s barb is just the beginning of what is coming Alex Rodriguez’s way this season.

Steve Nash – Life After Basketball

I’m retiring.

I heard someone once say there comes a day when they tell us all that we can’t play anymore. We’re not good enough. Surplus to requirements. Too slow, maybe. When you’re a teenager with outsized dreams and a growing obsession, and someone tells you this ain’t gonna last forever, it’s scary. I never forgot it.

Steve Nash is retiring from basketball.  He penned a letter to announce his decision via The Players Tribune (found here).

Nash is a Canadian Icon on and off the basketball court.  IHis play on the court has inspired many young Canadian basketball players to imagine the possibilities of a Canadian excelling on the largest basketball stage, the NBA. Nash won consecutive NBA MVP awards and was most likely a sham bench call from competing for a NBA title.

Nash is now in charge as general manager of Canada Basketball and his vision and diplomacy will lead a new generation of Canadian basketball stars onto the world stage.  If you haven’t read his letter please find a few minutes to do so. It’s well worth the time.

The Quotable Coach – Ron Hunter of Georgia State

 

 

 

I hope you make better decisions in your presidency than picking against Georgia State.

This is Coach Ron Hunter of the Georgia State Panthers to President Barack Obama (YES the Barack Obama, THE president of the United States) after the Panthers knocked off Baylor in today’s opening round of the NCAA tourney (I refuse to call it the second round as it is still the first game for 62 other teams.  I’m sure I’ll feel some scorn from the First Lady of Sports Administration but I have to have some principles, right?)

Coach Hunter was referring to President Obama’s NCAA Bracket in which the President picked Baylor to defeat Hunter’s Georgia State.

Coach Hunter is quickly becoming a media darling during this NCAA tourney run.  He blew out his achilles tendon while celebrating Georgia State’s entry to the big dance.  Not to be outdone by this unfortunate event Coach Hunter fell off his stool (where he has to sit to coach due to the achilles injury) after his son hit a game winning 3 to knock off the heavily favoured (a bracket busting) Baylor Bears.

In a Chris Farley way Coach Hunter has me hooked to see what he will do next.