Football Playoffs Are The Bomb! UPDATED

I know, I know, don’t blog about work. But I’m so excited about this weekend, I’ve got to print our radio stations’ schedule:

Friday night on CD107.9 and cd1079.com:

 7pm - Mt. Zion (6-3) at Dunlap (8-1), 4A. Dave Murphy and either Rob Paullin or Rich Draeger on PBP. Live reports from North Fulton (7-2) at Lexington (7-2), 1A, (w/Mark Bixler).

Friday night on AM 1560 WBYS and wbysradio.com:

7pm - Farmington (5-4) at Fieldcrest (8-1), 2A, Leon Groover and Bob Wagner on PBP. Live reports from North Fulton (7-2) at Lexington (7-2), 1A, (w/Mark Bixler).

Saturday afternoon on AM 1560 WBYS and wbysradio.com:

2pm - Colfax Ridgeview (5-4) at Lewistown (9-0), 1A. Leon Groover and Bob Wagner on the PBP.

Saturday afternoon on CD 107.9 and cd1079.com:

1pm - Hillcrest (6-3) at Richwoods (8-1), 6A. Mark Bixler and either yours truly or Rich Draeger/Rob Paullin on PBP.

3pm - Normal U-High (5-4) vs. Woodruff (7-2) at Peoria Stadium, 5A. Dave Murphy and Rob or Rich on PBP.

Yep, Billy, we’ve got your Warriors on live Saturday afternoon!

Of course, at halftime of all games, we’ve got Tony Z back at the studio updating scores from around the state as playoffs begin this Friday night. And the games are also available at Jason Plank’s website, JMPSports.com, where he also archives all games if you want to download a copy. Hope everyone listens either on air or online!

Updated to show full coverage of Farmington vs. Fieldcrest on Friday night. We decided to ADD to the schedule. We gotta be nuts! We’re goin’ crazy!

No Reason For Four Public High Schools In Peoria Right Now

Over at Knight’s site, there was a discussion about schools last week. They’re also talking about it as it relates to sports over the Journal Star sports message boards.

I wrote a long response over at Knight’s place, I wanted to put it over here as well. If you check the link to the PJS board, you’ll see there ar

Billy, if the reports are true that Manual is down to around 500 students and numbers are falling every year, I’d say it’s time to close a high school and save the taxpayers some money (I thought you were all about that, btw, but maybe I missed something).

Not that I’m suggesting closing Manual. Rather, I’d take a very simple approach: Oldest building goes away. Don’t want to lose the “history” of Peoria Central High School? Than attach that name to one of the other schools and drop either Manual, Richwoods or Woodruff.

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3 comments.

“Funny” blog

Making fun of bad punctuation has always been a pastime of mine, and apparently this blog’s owner as well.

Whatdya Suppose The Chances Are That Cheney Will Support His Cousin?

Sometimes it’s amazing to find out who you’re related to.

It’s Official, Childress Has Cub Blood

Win, lose, or draw (the Vikings got lucky and won today), Brad Childress is the worst head coach currently in the NFL, and maybe the worst ever. And trust me, as a former Minnesota Viking fan, I’ve seen some bad (Jerry Burns), idiotic (Dennis Green) and incompetent (Les Steckel) coaches in my life.

If Bud Grant was coaching this very team today, the Vikings win 38-14, maybe more, and I can GUARANTEE you Devin Hester would not have touched the ball all day. That’s what any SMART coach would do.  

And as far as the Bears go, how sad for them that the offense if finally competent, still mistake prone and conservative, but competent, with Brian Griese is QB, but the defense has become horrendous. I don’t want to hear whining about injuries, either, because the supposed best players (Urlacher, Harris, Tillman, Briggs) are all on the field, but that Bear rushing defense is pathetic. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota’s version) is truly special, but when Chester Taylor can run for 5 yards a carry, you’ve got a defensive problem.

Way To Go, Indiana!

The above headline is dripping with sarcasm. Lovely story yesterday in the Chicago Tribune.

But I’m not worried, because I know our wise and environmentally friendly adminstration in Washington will step in and…um, er, ah…

never mind.

Definition Of A Superb Blog Post

Go to Brad’s Blog and read this.

Driving Tip #286: Cars To Avoid

There are lots of cars that you see on the road and say to yourself, “need to stay away from that one” or “got to get in front of that one real quick”. People ask me why I pass so often, particularly on two-lane roads. A lot of it has to do with more than just driving at a speed which is comfortable for me. It has to do with being safe. I’d much rather be in FRONT of a rambling wreck, or a driver that is obviously not paying attention, than behind them. So I pass them.

When people pull out in front of me on a two lane road and go 54, 55, or even 57 MPH, I might hurry and pass them, even if I’m also only doing 55-57, because I’d rather be in front of them when a wheel flies off, or when they hit the shoulder while applying makeup or lighting up a cigarette, and then overcorrect when they swerve back on the road.

So this afternoon, driving to Chillicothe to watch their Homecoming Parade, I saw one of those cars that I recommend you always be in front of: The Space Saver Spare Car. When car companies downsized vehicles in the 80’s, they came up with the “space saver” spare tire, you know the one, it’s little and allows the trunk to hold more. Right on those tires, in the car’s manual, and in the trunk where it’s stored you see the warnings about space savers: “NOT RECOMMENDED FOR OVER 45 MPH”.  They also recommend it’s use as simply temporary, like use it to get to the service station and fix your regular tire, and then take it off.

Well, today, the dude driving the full-size 90’s era Olds with the space saver on the right front (a drive wheel, to boot) decided that it was okay to cruise to Chilli in this vehicle with this space saver, and it appears it wasn’t the first trip the space saver had made, judging by the rim having the same amount of dirt and grime on it as the other three rims. Oh, and did I mention he decided to do this at 60-65 MPH?

I was doing my usual 61 MPH around Mossville (posted speed of 55, and 61 gets you blown off the road regularly) and Olds Dude pulls up next to me on the left, car not tracking too well, (moving back and forth in it’s lane, likely due to the space saver saying “whoa, dude, that’s too fast for me!!!”) and he’s following the guy in front of him too closely as well. Rather than stay behind him, and with cars right behind me, I increase speed to get in front of him (the safe place to be).

I fortunately stayed in front of him the rest of the trip, but kept an eye on the mirror as he darted back and forth between lanes looking for “the quickest way”. All the while, endangering not only himself but every other car on the road around and BEHIND him.

Just another vehicle to avoid when driving, and in this case, the safest place to be? In front.

New Link

I’ve added a new link on the blogroll, to a good website about the sport of hockey.

Check out the site Pro Hockey News.

And The NRA Thinks We Still Don’t Have Enough Weapons?

Wow. Surfing around in the interest of self-education tonight and I find this heartwarming story. (sarcasm)

So 57% of all guns manufactured world wide every year end up in the U.S. Gun owners are soooo abused here, aren’t they? Um, people, I think we have enough.

Lots of people think we have “enough” things, like teachers, funding for education, health care for children, gun laws, and funding for seniors.

Those same folks, along with still others, think we have enough sports venues, and parks, laws, and greenspace.

Those folks also, for the most part, think we not only have enough, but too MUCH of things, such as liberals, abortions, athletes making big money, hunting regulations, government, and taxes.

Ironically, many (most) of those same people who feel that way, however, don’t have a problem with their freedoms being taken away by the very people they elected to office.

Those people also feel, however incomprehensible that it may seem, that we DON’T have ENOUGH gun rights.  Huh? I think this story I’ve linked to suggests otherwise.

Best TV Lawyer Close Ever

Did anybody else see James Spader’s character deliver his closing arguments Tuesday night on Boston Legal?

Yes, it’s a TV show. Yes, it’s fiction. But the writers of that show have a way of writing to today’s topics and having their characters make tremendous social arguments. And Spader - as Alan Shore - ripping to shreds the idiotic movement that is ”abstinence only education” was pure poetry, and should go down as one of the most legendary TV scenes ever.

Anyone who watched that episode and still thinks that “abstinence only education” has ANY place in our society…or anywhere else on the planet for that matter…should go right ahead and do that - abstain - so you don’t reproduce. Because we don’t need any more people that still think like a 1692 Puritan hunting witches at Salem.

Show creator David E. Kelley and his writers get a big standing O from me on this most recent episode. Way to tell it like it IS!

…And Nearly Again UPDATED

Police find arsenal in kid’s house before he gets to kill.

Oh, here’s the most disgusting part:

The weapons included a 9 mm assault rifle that the teenager’s mother had recently bought for him, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. said. Prosecutors are reviewing her actions.

Then, of course, there’s this part:

Also discovered were seven explosive devices Castor described as homemade grenades: plastic containers filled with BBs to which gunpowder could be added. Authorities said one grenade was operable and the others had been in the process of being assembled.

And this:

“I do not think an attack was imminent and I am not certain that an attack was going to occur at all,” Castor said at a news conference. “It could have simply been big talking by a kid who thought that he was bullied previously and he was going to exact his revenge.”

The teen previously attended middle school in the district but had been taught at home for more than a year after voluntarily leaving school, Castor said.

So…no attack was imminent? How’s the view from your arsehole, Mr. Castor?

The kid was caught after a tip from a high school student and that student’s father. The “no attack was imminent” weapons’ horder was being home schooled after voluntarily pulling out of school.

But let’s get back to the sick part: Mom bought the gun. My questions: How easy do you suppose it was for her to do this? Show a drivers’ license? Smile flirtaciously at the sales clerk? Tell him, “oh, don’t worry about me, it’s a gift for my 14-year old home-schooled son who voluntarily left school last year”?

Tell me again how we already have too many laws and it’s this sick twisted woman’s right to do this.

UPDATED: Mom had purchased two more guns, which were stored at a friend’s house. She is not an early leader in the Mom of the Year race.

…And Again

Students tried to warn staff at the Cleveland alternative High School that was the scene of yet another scary shooting incident.

“Armed with two revolvers”, the story says, as well as “had a history of mental problems” and “he was talking about doing it last week”. Oh, and don’t forget, “He seemed like an angry young man” and “students believe the attack could have been prevented”.

Another sad, sad case. The ONLY saving grace and “good side” of this story is the fact that as of yet, no one (save for the shooter) lost his or her life in this incident. But the attacks in the comments will be aimed at me for being “liberal”, not for the real problem.

D*$& Asian Carp Making Way North To The State Of Hockey

Check out this dude:

 

No, not the guy, the fish! A 29-pound Asian Carp. Caught in Illinois? Nope. Try Minnesota.

Minnesota hasn’t seen (fortunately) many of these beasts, this one was caught in a wide area of the Mississippi called Lake Pepin, near Lake City, about 40 miles from where I grew up. At Lake Pepin, the Mississippi is very similar to the way the Illinois widens north of the Peoria Narrows. Except Pepin gets about six miles wide at it’s widest spot, with all the marshes.

(Trivia: the sport of water skiing was invented on Lake Pepin in 1922.)

Also, as you read the story, notice the photo below the main pic and to the right, with the cutline referencing Peoria, IL.

Best New TV Comedy of The Season (So Far):

And it is….

Carpoolers.

On ABC, Tuesdays. Two weeks into this show, I’m totally into it. The characters are all memorable (even two of the four guys’ wives and one of their sons), and the jokes are funny and quick. Of course, the opening credits of the first show should have told me this show was going to be a riot, as it’s being produced by Bruce McCullough of Kids In The Hall fame. 

I’m not much into network TV these days, outside of “24″ and “Boston Legal”, but I’ve just found another show I can watch and enjoy.

Rivermen, Wild Off To Fast Starts

Peoria’s new-look, blazing fast Rivermen are 2-0 and look like they could live up to their press clippings. I highly recommend you get to the PCC and see this team before some of these guys are inevitably called up to St. Louis or traded. Martin Kariya (Paul’s brother) had 3 goals over the opening weekend, and the rest of the forwards are moving around like they’ve played together for years. 

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild, my homestate’s NHL team and the best-run franchise in pro sports, according to many, are off to a 2-0 start as well, doing it like they always do, with great team defense and the occasional burst of offense. To go deeper into the playoffs this year, I think the team needs to play less conservatively and let some of their weapons loose, like Marian Gaborik. If Gabby can stay healthy for a full season, he should score 55-60 goals with the new style of rules.

Ah, yes, hockey has started (with more to come when the Gophers get rolling in NCAA play) and I understand Team Pathetic got swept out of the playoffs rather quickly, so at least the sports world is a little bit brighter this week.

Here We Go Again

Another white guy, another legally obtained gun (he was a police officer!), another six senseless deaths. When you count the gunman, the total rises to 7.

Wisconsin horror.

When is it going to stop? When are we, as a society, going to open our eyes and grow up? Amazing. Sickening. But “don’t take away my gun”, right? Whatever.

Domenici Retiring…Can Dubya And Cheney Join Him?

News came today that Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) is retiring due to a degenerative brain condition. In his own words, he said he had concluded that it would be wrong to seek re-election if he could not pledge that he could ably complete another six-year term.

Mr. Domenici’s voting record shows he’s pro-business, pro-life, anti-public health, anti-senior citizen, rates “0%” on civil rights, rated 100% by the christian Coalition, rates an “A” with the NRA, and he’s anti-environment, which means I disagree with him on virtually everything, as for the most part he’s a staunch far-right Republican, but I still wish him best of luck in battling this disease, and feel for his family and loved ones.

I just can’t help wishing that some guys who work down the street from him in the White House would join him in retirement, but I’m sure they won’t.

Now, Which Way Does the PJS Lean?

It’s always laughable to read letters to the PJS editor complaining about their “liberal” attitudes and their left-leaning ways. The PJS is far from a left wing paper. Far.

Take, for instance, today. On A1, above the fold, in bold headline, we find that the Death Tolls Are Down In Iraq. The story is a good one for the Bush Administration, overall. Actually, it’s a good one for many Americans and deserves to be front page news. But that’s not the problem. The problem today is what is NOT on the front page, above the fold. The problem is the story on page A6, the last page of the first section.

The story that says: “Report: Blackwater Is Out of Control”. Of course, this story isn’t front page at pjstar.com, either. What does the story say? The story says  that a “critical report” released by a “key congressional committee” says Blackwater mercenaries…oops, sorry, that’s “contractors”…are, among other things, covering up shootings of innocent civilians, has “had to fire dozens of guards over the past three years for problems ranging from misuse of weapons, alcohol and drug violations, inappropriate conduct and violent behavior”, and “In more than 80 percent of the incidents, called ‘escalation of force,’ Blackwater’s guards fired the first shots even though the company’s contract with the State Department calls for it to use defensive force only, it said.”

See the problem here? It’s quite obvious. The story that’s critical of the war is on the back page, the “feel-better” story is on the front. Instead of an important, disgusting report about the actions of a small group of war-hungry mercenaries operating under American colors, we get an oversized picture of pumpkins on the front page.  I’ve got a big problem with that. I wonder how many people who browsed the print edition and skimmed the online edition even saw this story today. Come to think of it, the PJS is not the only so-called liberal outfit to ignore this story. In fact, here is the current headline above the story at CNN.com: Blackwater boss defends contractors’ ‘honorable’ work.

Enjoy Something You’re Not Used To, Cub Fans

I did my impression of the Cubs making the playoffs this week at work: I walked backwards down the hall.

Anyway, while you guys go ga-ga for simply making the postseason, enjoy this list of teams that have made the postseason at least 4 times in this decade already:

Boston Red Sox; New York Yankees; California Angels; Atlanta Braves; St Louis Cardinals; and the Minnesota Twins.

Think about that as your team makes its fifth postseason appearance since 1945. The Yankees are appearing for the 13th straight time in the playoffs, the Cards are missing this year for only the second time in 8 years.

BTW, here are the most successful franchises since WWII ended:

1. New York Yankees - 33 postseasons, 16 WS titles 
2. Brooklyn/LA Dodgers - 21 postseasons, 6 WS titles
3. Atlanta Braves - 19 postseasons, 2 WS titles
4. Oakland A’s - 15 postseasons, 4 WS titles
5. St. Louis Cardinals - 14 postseasons, 5 WS titles
6. Boston Red Sox - 12 postseasons, 1 WS title
7. Baltimore Orioles - 10 postseasons, 3 WS titles 
8. Pittsburgh Pirates - 10 postseasons, 3 WS titles
9. NY/SF Giants - 10 postseasons, 1 WS title
10. Cincinnati Reds - 9 postseasons, 3 WS titles
11. Minnesota Twins - 9 postseasons, 2 WS titles
12. Philadelphia Phillies - 9 postseasons, 1 WS title
13. Cleveland Indians - 9 postseasons, 1 WS title
14. Houston Astros - 9 postseasons, 0 WS titles (since 1962)
15. New York Mets - 7 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1962)
16. Anaheim Angels - 7 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1961)
17. Kansas City Royals - 6 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1969)
18. Detroit  Tigers - 6 postseasons, 3 WS titles
19. San Diego Padres - 6 postseasons, 0 WS titles (since 1969)
20. Toronto Blue Jays - 5 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1977)
21. Chicago White Sox - 5 postseasons, 1 WS title
22. Arizona Diamondbacks - 3 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1998!)
23. Florida Marlins - 2 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1993!)

That’s right. In 62 years since the Cubs last lost the world series, 21 different franchises have won one, and two expansion teams have visited the postseason without winning the World Series with greater regularity than the hate-able losers.

I posted this list because this week, Cub fans all over the area will think the world revolves around them even more than usual, and I wanted you to see how many teams’ fans have had actual titles to cheer. Eight expansion franchises that didn’t even exist when the Cubs last made the Series have made the postseason more, and six of them have titles. Six other cities that had teams move there after 1945 (Minnesota, SF, Oakland, LA, Baltimore, Atlanta) have cheered championships. So it’s not all about you guys this week, okay? Just cheer for your team amongst yourselfs, leave the rest of us alone, and know that for Yankees fans, this week is just the next week of the regular season.

Now, seriously, enjoy the playoffs, its a great time. I won’t be watching, the only good sport anymore is just starting it’s season, so I’ve got something to care about. Go Wild!