Let's Go, Mets

Well, for one day at least, the New York Mets are on top of the heap in the National League East. Johan Santana, the 130 million dollar man, pitched a great game and the offense came through with a big six-run inning, topped off by David Wright's bases-clearing double.

There is probably no other team, not even the crosstown Yankees, that has more pressure on them than the Mets. Two years ago, they probably had the best team in baseball, yet they allowed a clearly inferior Cardinals team to beat them in the NLCS, depriving the Mets from a berth in the World Series. No Mets fan will ever forget the excruciating sight of Carlos Beltran watching a called strike three with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth of game seven.

Last year was supposed to be the year that would make things right, and after leading the division for the first 22 weeks of the season, the Mets succombed to one of the all-time collosal collapses in all of Major Leage history. It was horribly brutal. No, it was worse than that, it was potentially devestating.

So, the Mets opened up their checkbooks one more time and signed Santana to the richest contract of any pitcher in baseball history. And, for all those untold millions, he is expected to do only one thing, lead the Mets to a championship. Sure, no one single ballplayer can bring about a championship. And sure, the Mets have to hope that Pedro Martinez is healthy and at least somewhat like his former self, and Carlos Delgado regains his power-hitting stroke, and Carlos Beltran stays healthy all year, and Jose Reyes does not falter again in the last six weeks of the season, and Moises Alou quickly comes off the DL, and John Maine and Oliver Perez continue to improve, and the bullpen doesn't implode like it did last year. That's an awful lot of ifs, not to mention an awful lot of pressure on Johan Santana.

But that's the way it is with the '08 Mets. Santana was brought over to win a championship, nothing less will suffice. And if it does not happen, you can bet that manager Willie Randolph will be gone. And maybe general manager Omar Minaya. The future is now for the New York Mets. Welcome to the Big Apple, Johan.

Hillary Clinton

When Bill Clinton lied about cheating on his wife, it really didn't bother me all that much. It was something I could understand, if not condone. After all, it's the ingrained behavior of a cheating spouse; when caught in the act, deny it. Of course, Bill took it way too far when he continued to lie about it, even under oath, and it pretty much destroyed the viability of his presidency. Still, I maintain to this day, if he had just apologized for it, it would have been no big deal. No such chance with the Clintons.

Hillary has now set a new standard for lying, in my opinion. In case you haven't heard about it, when she was First Lady, Hillary and her daughter, Chelsea, traveled to Bosnia while that nation was in the middle of its bloody conflict. Hillary, in a recent speech, talked about landing in the middle of vicious fighting, and how she had to run for her life, and was lucky to get out alive. Dramatic stuff, and very compelling. Except for one critical element: it was a complete lie. Not only that, there were other people there, including the "comedian", Sinbad, who quickly came forward and said that Hillary's revisionist account of the incident was total fiction. To make matters worse, CBS News was there to cover her arrival in Bosnia, and had filmed the whole thing. The footage was aired yesterday on the morning news, and it was proof positive that Mrs. Clinton calculatedly made up the whole thing.

Hillary would like to brush all this off by saying she was just "mistaken". But I don't believe it's that easy. Think of the arrogance of the whole thing, Hillary's deliberate and calculated lie to make her look heroic, completely ignoring the fact that there were dozens, if not hundreds, of witnesses present. Think of the insult to the soldiers who faced real combat in Bosnia, only to have their experience trivialized. Think of the condescending attitude she exhibited to the American people as a whole, as if we're just stupid children who would embrace her "heroism", despite the proof to the contrary. If Hillary can so coldly lie about something like this, something that can so easily proven to be a lie, how can the American people believe her about anything? How can she be trusted?

Well, to put it bluntly, she can't. I've been ambivalent in the past about the storied Clinton "waffling," but this latest incident has finally sealed the deal for me. I can fully understand now why many people despise Hillary Clinton. I can understand why people feel she cannot be trusted. You can now put me in that camp. If Hillary wins the nomination, the Democrats will lost my vote in the election. I would rather vote for a third party candidate, or not at all, than vote for this despicable person.

RIP '07-'08 Arizona Wildcats

So maybe I, as well as thousands of incensed ASU fans, were right after all. After yet another uninspiring performance from this year's version of the Arizona Wildcats, and another first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament, this year's forgettable season has come to a merciful end. Once again, the team played without any passion, once again Jawaan McClellan completely disappeared, once again interim (and hopefully never-again-to-be) coach Kevin O'Neil ignored his bench as if those guys weren't even there, and once again the Wildcats faded down the stretch and lost, this time to West Virginia. It's funny, but never once during the entire game, not when the score was tied or those occasions when Arizona actually had the lead, did I ever believe that the Wildcats could win. And, of course, they proved me correct. It's pretty sad how this once imposing program has fallen to the scrapheap. A seventh-place regular season conference finish, another first round exit, a controversial selection to the tournament, and probably the worst coaching job we've seen since Lute Olson came to town, not to mention the disaster of Olson's "leave of absence". Thank God it's over.

The tournament itself has been outstanding, as usual. Of course, my bracket is a mess. My final four selections are all still there, but I had both Duke and Clemson making it to the Round of Eight. D'oh!! I did pick one of the upsets correctly (Western Kentucky) and I even have them winning today. But, I think I'm pretty much done. Oh well, it's always fun even though I never win.

And speaking of never winning, perhaps my friend, Red Mind in a Blue State, and I were a little too quick to write off the Phoenix Suns' acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal? Since the ignominious 3-6 start to the Shaq era, the Suns have now reeled off seven straight wins. Last night, they beat the Houston Rockets (they of the recent 22 game winning streak) and they are now the number three seed in the West. Shaq has been a consistent force in the middle, grabbing 13 rebounds in last night's game, although he will never again be the offensive force he was in his prime. That's all right, since the Suns get plenty of offense from Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and the rest of the team. If the Suns continue to play the way they're playing..... I guess I'll just leave that thought alone for now.

NCAA Tourney and other stuff

NCAA TOURNAMENT

So, the Arizona Wildcats made it to the Big Dance after all. It's interesting that one of the teams tied for 5th place in the Pac-10 regular season standings (Oregon) and the 7th place team in the Pac-10 (Arizona) made it in, but the other team tied for fifth place (Arizona State) did not. Not only that, but as I've said in a previous post, ASU swept Arizona this year. Clearly, Arizona State got screwed.

All day long today I've heard about UA's strength of schedule and strong RPI getting them in, while ASU's weak RPI hurt their chances. Yet, I can't buy it. The Pac-10 was easily the best or second-best conference in the nation this year. The Big East got 8 teams in, while the Pac-10 got 6. The last Big East team to get in (Villanova) was obviously a bad choice. Their RPI and strength of schedule was probably worse than ASU's, and a better decision would have been to exclude them, invite ASU, and have both the Big East and Pac-10 with 7 teams each. Don't get me wrong, I'm a UA Wildcat fan to the core, and our arch rivals are the ASU Sun Devils. I've spent the last 25 years hating them. But make no mistake about it, they got screwed. If UA was good enough to get in, so was ASU.

My Final Four choices are North Carolina, Georgetown, UCLA and Stanford, with UCLA beating North Carolina in the final game. Bring it on!!!


PAUL McCARTNEY'S DIVORCE

I can't help but feel sickened by seeing Heather Mills McCartney ending up with almost 50 million dollars in the divorce settlement with Sir Paul. She just seems to me to be the ultimate gold-digger. They were only married for what, four years or so. She wasn't there for his glory years with The Beatles or Wings, she wasn't part of the raising of most of his children, and while she gave him a baby girl, we're not talking about child support here, we're talking about Heather's portion of the estate. It just doesn't sit right with me, not that that matters to anyone, other than me.


NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (spoilers alert)

Like seemingly every year, I am playing catch-up with the Academy Award winners. I finally got to see this movie, and I thought it was great, although not as great as "Fargo". Javier Bardem was the scariest villain in a movie since Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs", and the Coen Brothers have clearly gotten over their recent slump. However, I have three questions that either I couldn't figure out from the movie, or the movie just didn't tell us:
1. What happened to the money?
2. How did the Mexicans find Lewellyn's motel? If they were following his wife, she hadn't gotten there yet, so how did they do it?
3. Did Anton kill Lewellyn's wife, or not?

All comments/theories are welcome.


THE SEEGER SESSIONS BAND LIVE IN DUBLIN

As an earlier post of mine declared, I am no fan of Bruce Springsteen's Seeger Sessions album, "We Shall Overcome." After four or five unsuccessful attempts, I was finally able to listen to the whole thing recently. And while some of it is all right, there is way too much stuff like "Erie Canal", "Froggy's Gone a-Courtin'", and "John Henry." Sorry, but those songs may have captivated me when I was five years old, but not anymore. And I still say there are just too many instruments in the band.

So I was totally shocked a few weeks ago, when I found myself in an excellent used record/CD store in Phoenix and stumbled across a used copy of the double CD of the Sessions Band playing live in Dublin. The setlist intrigued me, as it included Springsteen standards such as "Blinded by the Light", "Growin' Up", "Atlantic City", "Further on up the Road", and "Long Time Comin'". Since it was only eight bucks, I picked it up.

And holy crap, it's actually pretty good. In fact, it's downright great in spots. There's still some bad songs that bring the whole energy to a screaming halt ("Highway Patrolman", for example), but for the most part, this thing cooks. Mixing elements of bluegrass, New Orleans jazz, gospel, and folk, the songs are hot and the performance is outstanding. The new versions of the old classics are terrific, and Bruce sounds like he's having a blast. Damn, I actually regret now not seeing a show on that tour. Oh well.

Only three more weeks til Bruce and the E Street Band!!!!!

The Arizona Wildcats don't deserve an NCAA Tournament bid

This year's version of the University of Arizona Wildcats basketball team does not deserve an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. Last night's loss to Stanford in the quarterfinals of the Pac 10 Tournament was pathetic, the Wildcats clearly lacked urgency and desire. Chase Budinger is too laid back, he is not a leader. Jerryd Bayless, Nic Wise, and Jordan Hill all played their hearts out, but it seemed like they were rolling rocks uphill. Jawaan McClellan, a high school All-American, has seemingly disappeared. Interim head coach Kevin O'Neil simply refused to use his bench, and the five starters were obviously exhausted by the middle of the second half, when Stanford pulled away. You've got players sitting there on the bench in uniform, Kevin, why not use them? It was frustrating.

The pundits are all talking about the Wildcats' strength of schedule and RPI as justification for them getting into the Big Dance. With apologies to all my fellow Wildcat fans, I completely disagree. It's one thing to play a tough schedule, but you have to suck it up and beat some of those teams. The Wildcats were a bucket away from beating Stanford twice in the regular season, a terrible referee's call from beating UCLA, a basket away from beating Kansas, etc. Who really cares? All of those games were winnable for the UA, and they simply did not get the job done. They just did not have the heart and desire to get there. They were swept by Stanford (three games), UCLA, and ASU, for crying out loud.

This year's version of the Wildcats is simply not a good team. They are a collection of good players, some of them very good (Bayless, Budinger, Hill), but they have not played like a team all season. Last night was no different. The coaching was bad, the desire disappeared in the second half, the starters were obviously exhausted (there was nothing even resembling a fast break), the supporting cast for Stanford were able to dominate (forget about the unstoppable 7 foot tall Lopez twins, it was the other guys who made the difference last night), and the Cats looked like they simply gave up.

So now the Wildcats will await their fate, root for other bubble teams to lose, and hope that the selection committee lets them in based on their schedule (number one in the nation as far as degree of difficulty), the toughness of the conference, an overall winning record, and respect for the program. The Wildcats have been in the Big Dance for the last 23 consecutive years. The only way they make it to number 24 is if they are let in as a charity case. I hope it doesn't happen.

Elliot Spitzer

I don't know whether I have anything new or unique to say about Mr. Spitzer and his fall from grace, but everyone else seems to be blogging about it, so I may as well join the crowd. My initial reaction is that he's a total idiot, as arrogant as they come, and he got what he deserved. I suppose that's kind of harsh, but seriously, what the hell was he thinking? Is he a sex addict, a slave to his addiction just like an alcoholic or drug addict? Could be. But I believe that if you have that sort of inclination, you need to come down from the holier-than-thou pedastel, and not act as if you are better and more righteously moral than anyone else. We are all fallible humans, we all have our faults. Just don't make yourself out to be high and mighty and above everyone else.

There's been a lot said about his wife, and her standing by her man at the excruciatingly difficult press conferences. I want to believe that she loves him, warts and all, and wants to preserve her family for their children's sake. But I wonder. Didn't we see all this before when Hillary Clinton stood beside her cheatin' man, when we all know that what she really wanted to do was scratch his eyes out? Does Mrs. Spitzer have future aspirations that cause her to play the part of the suffering wife, or is it genuine? Who knows? And, when it comes right down to it, who really cares? Do I (or anyone for that matter) have the right to comment on the Spitzer's or the Clinton's marriages? Of course, the ones I really feel sorry for are the kids. They certainly don't deserve the humiliation they must be feeling, not to mention the crap they will probably take from their peers. It's all pretty ugly, all the way around.

Thoughts for a Sunday Afternoon

The Phoenix Suns won a big game today at home against their nemesis, the reigning World Champion San Antonio Spurs. The Suns have been less than overwhelming since the Shaquille O'Neal trade, going 3-6, and descending from the best record in the Western Conference to sixth place. The entire team seems to have been in a funk, the defense has been atrocious, Shawn Marion has obviously been missed, and the team had not been able to smoothly incorporate Shaq into the offense. Going into today's game, the team had lost 4 out of the last 5 and three in a row at home. The Spurs, of course, are the team that eliminated the Suns last year in the playoffs, after a controversial foul where Robert Horry decked Steve Nash into the scorer's table, prompting Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to rush the floor. Both players were suspended for a game, and the Spurs were able to turn the tables and beat the Suns. No one who lives here in the Phoenix area has been able to let that go. Obviously, this was a big time game for the Suns. And, for the first time in about two weeks, they stepped up big. They limited the Spurs to a total of 87 points, but more importantly, only two in the last four minutes. The Suns erased a five point deficit and won by seven by going on a 14-2 run in the last five minutes of the game. Steve Nash played with passion and defensive intensity, Amare Stoudemire was a stud as usual, and Shaq easily played his best game as a Sun, with double figures in points and rebounds, several big-time blocks, and excellent defense on Tim Duncan. No, he is not the great Shaq of the past, but for today, he was clearly enough. If the Suns can build on this win and finish the season strong, and Shaq can continue to play like he did today, the Suns will be tough to beat in the playoffs. This was probably the biggest win of the year for the Suns, all things considered.

The Arizona Wildcats, on the other hand, are in deep trouble. For the first time since Lute Olson's very first season (83-84), the Wildcats finished the regular season with a losing record in the Pac 10 conference, 8-10. That finish was good enough for seventh place in the conference, which before this weekend was completely unfathomable. The Wildcats are clearly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and need to win at least one, and probably two games in the Pac 10 Tournament to make it to the Big Dance. Obviously, it's been a frustrating and difficult season for this once proud program. Lute Olson has been on a leave of absence all year, and he either needs to retire with dignity or come back and lead his team. The uncertainty has been emotionally devestating for the team, and has been a major factor in the team's performance. Injuries have also played their part, but previous Wildcat teams have played through injuries, and it's been disappointing, to say the least, to see this team underachieve all year. We'll see what these players, injury-free for the first time since December, have in them when the Conference tournament begins on Wednesday.

John McCain was at the Suns game today, and I firmly believe that he will be our next President. While he should be an improvement over W (which is not saying a whole lot), I have a great deal of fear about a McCain presidency. He has not done a whole lot of good things for the State of Arizona during his tenure in the Senate, and he is definitely a loose cannon. He has said things like the Iraq War will drag on for a hundred years, and I fear that he will bring back the draft. We are edging deeper and deeper toward a recession, or worse, and I have no faith that McCain has any clue what to do to bring us out of it. As senator, he supported and allowed the unbridled growth that took place in Arizona in the last five years, without any limits or controls. Now, that policy has completely backfired, as the housing industry has collapsed, many newly-built homes remain empty, and future projects which have been given the go-ahead have been stalled. Many people in Arizona stand to be ruined by the complete reversal of the home-building boom.

And, of course, let's not forget the impending oil crisis. Gas prices have risen about 35 cents per gallon in the last two weeks, and our state is pitifully prepared to offer alternatives to driving. For example, I work 37 miles from my home, in a different county, and there is no alternative to driving my vehicle to and from work. Most Arizonans are in the same boat. The bus system in Phoenix and Tucson are mediocre, at best. Phoenix is building a light rail system, but it is still about a year away from completion. I can't help but feel that disaster is looming ahead.

As for the Democrats, there is no doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton is completely unelectable. While she has taken states like Texas and Ohio in the primaries, there is no way she can win those states in the general election. For the most part, Hillary is despised and mistrusted. She would be trounced by McCain. As far as Barack Obama is concerned, he stands a better chance than Hillary, although I won't believe this country is ready to elect a black man as President until it actually happens. Sorry, but I live in an area of the country where racial prejudice (both subtle and not-so-subtle) is very much alive and well. Obama would lose big in the South and the West (including California, in my humble opinion) and I just don't believe he will be able to defeat McCain.

And even if either of the Democratic candidates could actually beat out McCain, would it make that much of a difference? Would either one have the strength or fortitude to bring our troops back home from Iraq, if that is even possible at this point? Would they be able to steer us out of the impending economic disaster? What about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, and the recent upsurge in violence in that region? Can any one of the trilogy of McCain, Clinton or Obama do anything to avoid further bloodshed and disaster in that corner of the world? It's all pretty scary, when you stop and think about it. And I haven't even mentioned the subject of terrorism.

When we get to November, I will vote for whomever the Democrats select, Clinton or Obama. In my opinion, the Republicans have done nothing less than get us into another Vietnam situation and bring us to the brink of economic disaster. When you add to that the fact that they are the party which supports the repeal of legal abortion, mandatory school prayer (which as a non-Christian, I find reprehensible), mandatory term limits (which would pretty much make irrelevant such political stalwarts as Morris Udall), and the agenda of the Religious Right (which again I find reprehensible and anathema to what the Constitution stands for), the choice seems pretty simple to me. I am ready for change, and I will be voting Democratic in November. I want a Democratic President choosing future Supreme Court justices and leading this nation, and hopefully making a real difference in Washington. The Republicans have had their chance, and they have screwed things up royally. It's time for a change.