All posts by phenom

On the (not so) Evil Empire

By | January 14, 2010 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

By now you’ve heard or read about the devastation in Haiti.  A magnitude 7.0 earthquake ripped through Haiti on Tuesday, which was followed by no fewer than a dozen aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater.  The devastation is indescribable. 

As is becoming the norm, however, people are helping any way they can.  A text-message campaign wherein you can donate $10 to the Red Cross has netted over $2 million.  Wyclef Jean has traveled to Haiti to help in any way he can.  Brangelina donated $1 million.   Lance Armstrong and his Livestrong foundation pledged $250,000 to Haiti earthquake relief.  Which brings us to the Yankees.

Before I go any further, I want you to know that I’m a big Red Wings fan.  While that isn’t exactly like being a huge Yankees fan, I know what it’s like to have people hate on your team.  There was a time when I hated the Yankees for their… accounting practices.  That all changed when I realized how hypocritical it was to hate the Yankees yet love the Red Wings, at least in the pre-salary cap days.  That being said…

I still hate the Yankees. 

Not as much as I hate the Buckeyes or the White Sox, but also not as much as I did 24 hours ago.  The Yankees donated $500,000 to Haiti earthquake relief, and while one could argue that $500K is a drop in the New York bucket, it is significant.  I would imagine that in the coming days more sports organizations will step up, and I would be surprised if any of them donated more than the Yankees, but any little bit helps.

Including what Knoxville retailer HoundDogs is doing. 

HoundDogs doesn’t want Tennessee fans to burn their Lane Kiffin shirts.  Instead, HoundDogs will give a 20% discount to anyone who brings in a Lane Kiffin shirt, which HoundDogs will then donate to earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti.  Owners Dan and Tona Burks deserve huge props for this, and I’m sure they’d love to sell you some Volunteer gear.  Find them at http://www.uthounddogs.com/

Domino’s David Brandon new Michigan AD

By | January 6, 2010 | Uncategorized | Comments Off
medium_WEBdavid brandon

David Brandon

Domino’s Pizza chairman and CEO David Brandon was named as the successor to Bill Martin, who will be retiring as the Athletic Director of the University of Michigan in September of this year.  Brandon agreed to a five-year contract with the University and he will take the position officially in early March.  Martin will remain on as a consultant until he rides off into the Maize and Blue sunset just as the 2010 season gets underway, and as Michigan Stadium’s renovation is being introduced to the Wolverine faithful, complete with luxury boxes and premium seating that Martin was largely responsible for bringing home, and as the athletic department is enjoying nearly 10 years of financial success, which only a handful of schools in the nation can boast about.

However, there are people who can’t overlook Martin’s hiring of current head football coach Rich Rodriguez, whose team is nothing like the Michigan teams that played in 33 consecutive Bowl Games.  Many felt that Bill Martin acted hastily and, at best, ended up with his fourth or fifth option in Rodriguez.  Michigan fans wanted a change in the program from the Schembechler ways of “three yards and a cloud of dust,” but as is often the case, you get what you ask for.

Rodriguez had neither the players nor the modesty to succeed his first year on the job, and Michigan struggled to a 3-9 season.  With noticeable speed improvement in his initial recruiting class, the Wolverines showed promise, although ultimately their youth got the best of them as they finished 5-7 this season.

Rich Rodriguez

Rich Rodriguez

David Brandon graduated from the University of Michigan in 1974.  He played football for Bo Schembechler.  He’s the sort of Michigan Man the alumni and fans and even the late Bo Schembechler himself would be proud to call their own.  What then, does that mean for Rodriguez?

In my opinion, not much.  Rodriguez was going to be under a microscope in 2010 anyway, and I don’t see Brandon making a change before then, unless the NCAA finds major violations in the program with regard to the practice time debacle.  I would bet, however, that if Michigan misses another bowl game, or even squeaks into one despite a poor Big Ten season, that Brandon will send Rodriguez on his way in favor of a staff with a more traditional, albeit contemporary approach to major college football.

The Top 10 MLB Ballparks I can’t wait to visit, part 2

By | November 20, 2009 | Baseball | 5 Comments

Okay, you’ve seen Part 1, which showed us what everyone already knows – that Tropicana Field sucks – and ranked the ballparks in the order I’d like to see them from #29 all the way up to #6.  The list, again, doesn’t include Comerica Park, nor does it include wherever the Twins would play.  An astute observer would’ve noticed that I listed Busch Stadium twice – at #16 and #13.  Maybe it’s just that good, I don’t know.  I think, however, that placing it at #13 was an error, and it’s rightful spot is between PNC Park and Nationals Park. 

Which brings us to the top five.  We’ve got two oldies, two newbies and the ballpark that laid the groundwork for almost all the ballparks that have followed it.

5.  Citizen’s Bank Park – The home of the reigning two-time National League Pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies, this park, to me, is downright beautiful.  It has a two-tierred bullpen, three decks in right field and two decks in left.  The lighted Liberty Bell and rooftop seating in centerfield that leaves no doubt about a Phillie home run.  And finally, cheesesteaks in Ashburn Alley.  Where do I sign up?

4.  Miller Park – When this park first opened in 2001 I didn’t like it very much at all.  It seemed like a big bowl and nothing more.  However, as time went on, Miller Park grew on me.  Bernie the Brewer still has his slide, although I’m pretty sure he doesn’t end up in a giant stein of beer like he did at County Stadium.  There are enormous windows that give the park a massive, imposing presence.  There are $1 seats with an obstructed view thanks to the mechanism of the incredible fanning roof.  This, in my opinion, is how stadiums like this should be built.

3.  Camden Yards – Can you believe this park has been open for 17 years?  Yeah, me neither.  I remember how everybody absolutely fell in love with Camden Yards when it first opened, with its classic style and charming atmosphere.  The outfield with its asymmeetrical walls and high porch in right field combined with the use of the B&O Warehouse brings to life for me the days when ballparks were shoe-horned into city lots in any way possible.  Camden Yards is the park that every new park since has tried to be and for that, I’ve placed Camden Yards at the top of the modern ballparks and third overall.

2.  Wrigley Field – I have no doubt that Wrigley Field is a barn.  Old Yankee Stadium was a barn, and I get the feeling that Wrigley would be the same, if not worse.  That doesn’t take away any of my desire to see it, though.  It’s 100 years of misery and goat stories and Steve Bartman and ivy on the walls and the epic manual scoreboard that calls my name.  It’s Tiger Stadium again but alive and unique.  It’s the place where Babe Ruth allegedly called his shot.  I want to sit on a roof outside the park then go down to Waveland Avenue and fight for home run balls the day after I watch a game from inside the park.  It’s 1060 West Addison – Elwood Blues’ published address with the Illinois DMV.  Wrigley Field may be at the top of the vacation list for the summer of 2010.

And if you haven’t figured it out already, #1 with a bullet…

image courtesy of ballparksofbaseball.com

image courtesy of ballparksofbaseball.com

 After visiting Yankee Stadium in the summer of 2008, there was no doubt that the next ballpark I’d like to cross of my list was Fenway Park.  I knew why, but here, now, I don’t really know how to put my reasoning into words.  While I thought about how I was going to describe what I love about Fenway, I got chills thinking of seeing the Green Monster, which is arguably the most recognizable feature of any stadium in sports.  I imagined myself and 34,000 of my closest friends singing Sweet Caroline.  Ted Williams played here.  Johnny Pesky gave us the foul pole in right that let us all think we could hit a ball out of a major league ballpark.  There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t want to be at Fenway Park.  Even today, although it’s probably cold and rainy in Boston right now.  Still, take me there.

So tell me, what’s your favorite?

The Top 10 MLB Ballparks I can’t wait to visit, part 1.

By | November 19, 2009 | Baseball | 8 Comments

This morning I got involved in a discussion on Twitter with @brandi_b and @TwoBusy about MLB ballparks.  As much as I’ve loved baseball one would think I’ve visited more parks than I have, but I can honestly only cross Comerica Park, Tiger Stadium, and old Yankee Stadium off the list.  I hope to change that in the coming years, especially as my children get older, so I decided to make a list ranking the ballparks I’d like to visit.

My list does not include the Metrodome, since it doesn’t host baseball anymore, or the new Target Field, which isn’t open yet.  I would, however, likely put Target Field near the top, but only in April, so I can yell to Twins’ fans that it’s still winter.  The list also doesn’t include the one current park I’ve been to – Comerica.

Anyway, numbers 11 through 29 go something like this:

11.  Coors Field
12.  Minute Maid Park
13.  Busch Stadium
14.  Progressive Field
15.  PNC Park
16.  Busch Stadium
17.  Nationals Park
18.  Dodger Stadium
19.  Yankee Stadium
20.  Citi Field
21.  Angel Stadium
22.  Chase Field
23.  US Cellular
24.  Turner Field
25.  Kauffman Stadium
26.  Oakland Coliseum
27.  Rogers Centre
28.  Land Shark Stadium
29.  Tropicana Field

And now, the ressssssst of the story:

10.  Safeco Field - With an outdoor ballpark appearance save for the ominous retractable roof hanging over the right field stands, Safeco seems to keep baseball where it should be – outside, while keeping weather where it should be – outside.  I’d imagine this and most of the remaining parks have sightlines similar to Comerica Park, which is good.  The Safeco Field font on the left-field sign looks pretty nice, too.

9.  Rangers Ballpark in Arlington – To sit in the right field upper deck and remember Tiger Stadium.  There’s pillars, people!

8.  AT&T Park – The Giants could do no wrong by moving out of Candlestick Park, in my opinion.  Unless, of course, they went across the bridge and played in Oakland Coliseum, but I digress.  I used to play softball sometimes at a field in northern Michigan with a bay just past the leftfield fence.  The splash of a home run made it the best park in the state.  I’d guess that the right field wall in AT&T Park has the same effect.

7.  Petco Park – I’ve read that this park is kind of a nightmare, especially as new parks go.  That doesn’t make it any less appealing to me, however.  The outfield grass seats are a nice touch, but I think I’d want to check out the Western Metal Supply building down the leftfield line.

6.  Great American Ball Park – I’m not sure what it is about this park that I specifically like, but there’s something.  It’s a little vanilla, in my opinion, and the red seats are kinda crazy, but the riverboat stacks, the big scoreboard, the double deck in left field – these are things that really appeal to me.

That leaves us with five parks.  Old, new, and a blueprint for today’s construction.  Stay tuned to Draft Day Suit for my top five in the days to come.

Oh How I Hate Ohio State

By | November 18, 2009 | Football, NCAA | Comments Off

In the early-mid ’90s I worked football Saturdays for M-Den, an apparel store that sold University of Michigan clothing and memorabilia.  I was coaching baseball at the time and another coach was the manager of the downtown Ann Arbor location and me and a friend of mine helped out with a temporary store set up in the entrance of Yost Arena, Michigan’s hockey arena.

Those Saturdays always started way too early, as there were hardcore tailgaters in the Yost parking lot as early as 6:00 in the morning.  We’d unload tons of merchandise, set it all up nice and pretty, take a cursory glance at what was where and for how much so we didn’t look like total mouth-breathing morons when someone had a question, and we’d be open for business.

Usually by about 10:00 we’d really be smoking busy, and it would stay that way until probably 11:30 or so, with kickoff usually coming at noon.  Sometimes, early in the season, our need for sleep would be blessed with a 3:30 start, but that didn’t happen often enough.  Sometimes, the hated Buckeyes would come to town, and we’d be dying all day long save for the 3 ½ hours from kickoff to the singing of The Victors.

1995 was one such year. 

Ohio State came in 11-0 and ranked second in the nation.  They had an offense that featured three players who would be drafted in the top 14 overall picks in the 1996 NFL draft, including Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George.  For Michigan’s sake, however, OSU had John Cooper at the helm, and they also had an idiot wide receiver named Terry Glenn who earlier in the week said “Michigan’s nothing.”  Oops.

In Yost Arena, we played catch with a Maize and Blue football behind the stands.  We threw “bad call bricks” at each other.  We had snowball fights with the piles the zamboni left off the ice.  But on that day, we watched Tshimanga Biakabutuka shred the Ohio State defense for 313 rushing yards, spoiling the Buckeyes’ chance at a Rose Bowl berth, a Big Ten title, and a chance to play for a National Championship.  Nevermind that we’d watched it on a snowy 13″ TV set up in the bowels of the old arena, or that Michigan was playing for nothing much else than a win over their bitter rivals.  This was Michigan – Ohio State.  The greatest rivalry in all of sports, and we were getting paid to watch what would become my most memorable game in the series.  It couldn’t get any better than that.

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