The Tragedy of Washington Sports Teams

Ninety-two years.  That's a long time to wait.  1924 was the last time that a Washington baseball team won a post season series.  And it just grew by one more.  Despite winning the National League East and having one of the most formidable starting rotations in baseball, the Washington Nationals lost last night in game 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The season is over.

As most you all know, dear readers, I grew up in New York, rooting for the team that plays baseball in the Bronx.  I was never a big fan of the guys that played in that "purple stadium" in Queens.  When I came to DC, I signed on with the Nationals as soon as they arrived.  I went to Opening Day for the first several seasons and made it to at least half a dozen games each season.  At some point I will have season tickets for the team.  I would tell my New York friends that I was fine rooting for the Nats - it was only if they made it to the World Series against the Yankees that I would find myself in a dilemma.  With the way that both teams have been playing the last few seasons, I'm OK for now.

I stayed up to watch the entire game and sat on the edge of my seat as the Nationals put the tying and go ahead runs on base in the bottom of the night.  Then I held the remote in my hand for the final at-bat, with my finger on the power button, and turned it off seconds after the last swing.  Mrs. BA and I had allowed LBA and SoBA to watch the beginning of the game - sending them to bed when the Nationals were up 1-0.  I didn't have the heart to tell either of them this morning - though LBA had learned the outcome from his device.  We didn't discuss it.

I don't really have a solution for the team - I guess if I did, I'd be in the dugout with Dusty.  But I do think there is something to be said for the curse that afflicts the sports teams in the Capital City.  The Nationals will get there at some point, hopefully before they hit the century mark of a postseason win drought.

In related news, the National Hockey League started its season and the Washington Capitals had their first game last night, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  I am not in a position to comment on that team's successes and failures, my friend ADR has lived with them much longer than I.  Again, as noted, I am a New Yorker by birth and grew up with my allegiance pledged to the New York Rangers.  It has made for some tense conversations with ADR, especially at playoff time.  I can root for the Caps, and do so, except when the Rangers face off against them, which happens a fair number of times during the season and often during the Stanley Cup playoffs.  The Rangers know of Cup droughts, going more that 40 years between Cup wins.  The Caps haven't hoisted the Cup yet and continue to perform above expectations each season.  With the dawn of each season, there is hope.  But here in Washington, sadness and anger smack us again at the end of a season, with goals unfulfilled.  Here's to another great season and that maybe, this is the year.

I won't comment on the basketball team - I'm not a big fan of the bouncy ball and the sport doesn't really do it for me.  I do like college basketball and will watch March Madness.  But other than that, I can't get excited about it.  As to the Washington football team, I don't particularly care about that sport either, I was never a big football fan growing up, but as I will say, if you pin me down, I was a fan of the Giants over the Jets.  Now, while the team that currently plays football here has won the Super Bowl, I really believe that they won't (or can't) win again until the weasel owner of the team is gone.  I don't really care about the name controversy, I suppose it should change, but he's not in favor of that, so that sort of puts me on the other side of that issue, if only to be in opposition to him.

Finally, as a parent of two boys engaged in soccer for their fall sport, this is one that I really don't get.  Maybe I just don't understand it well enough - but there is nothing more mind numbing that watching players run up and down a field, with the occasional (and infrequent) goal here and there.  But I'll root for the Cheverly teams any day of the week and twice on Sundays (which is usually the case with both of them playing games on Saturdays and Sundays for the next few weeks.

On Hockey and New York Sports Teams

It's Sunday October 14 and normally hockey season would be underway.  However, for the third time in about 20 years, the NHL owners and players are at odds - the owners have locked out the players - and there is no NHL.  The NHL has already canceled games through the end of this month.

I have at least one friend who, after the last strike (which canceled the entire season), stayed away from hockey for about five years.  She has said she might be done altogether this time.

Today I fully expected to tune in to watch the first game of the NLCS with the Washington Nationals taking on the San Francisco Giants.  Unfortunately, Friday night was a soul-crushing, mind-boggling defeat of the Nationals by the St. Louis Cardinals.  I still can't go into it without getting depressed, angry, upset.  But I still have my Natitude and we'll be back next year.

There is baseball still to watch, I suppose, although the Orioles were also defeated by the New York Yankees, though I was more prepared for that outcome.  The Yankees are now facing the Detroit Tigers and lost game 1 AND their captain, Derek Jeter, who broke his ankle in the 12th inning last night.

This leads me to a commentary on New York sports teams.

As most everyone knows, I was born and raised in New York.  I am a fan of the New York Rangers in hockey and the New York Yankees in baseball.  I have never been a huge football fan and I would usually tell people when asked to pick a team - it would be the Giants.

Since moving to Washington, I have been more involved with the teams that live and play here, obviously.  I fell hard for the Nationals and root for them religiously and will continue to do so.  My New York friends questioned how I could do that as a Yankees fan - I quickly responded that I could have a National League affiliation and an American League affiliation.  I presumed the two teams wouldn't meet in a World Series for a few more years (despite the possibility that existed this year, which vanished on Friday night).

I have been moving in the direction of rooting for the Washington Capitals more than the Rangers in recent years - as I explained to a friend, who is a lifelong Caps fan - I knew more about that team than the current Rangers.  The Rangers I knew and loved were the ones of my youth.  But of course, now with hockey iced for the foreseeable future - I am not sure what to do. 


I have been teased about my allegiance to the Yankees - the devil incarnate to some, well, many.  But I really believe in team loyalty, which is why I may be a half-hearted Yankee fan - I am an ardent fan of Derek Jeter, who has only ever worn pinstripes and will always wear pinstripes.  That other guy, who they paid all that money to and plays third base?  Not a Yankee (and probably won't be next year).  Players that have come to the Yankees for money (and sometimes fame) are not truly loyal to the team, like Jeter, DiMaggio, Maris, Gehrig.

I will continue to follow the Yankees and cheer their successes (which I don't think they will have this season, BTW).  But I will be a bigger fan of the Nationals going forward.  I may start to root for the Orioles a little more passionately - but that may take a change in ownership before that can really happen.

As to hockey - it appears I don't have a decision to make right now.  But if and when the season comes back - I will figure it out.  I will root for the Caps, because they're here and I will cheer their successes as well.  They're due for something great and it will be a fun ride to be a part of.  Those Rangers of my younger days have been at the top - and they may get there again someday.  My mother will haunt me if I turn my back on them altogether - so I'll keep an eye on the sports pages to see how they're doing.

Super Snacks

Next Sunday is the Super Bowl (in case you weren't aware). Last Sunday, on Championship Sunday (when the Giants beat the Niners and the Patriots finished off the Ravens to punch their tickets to the big game) - the Brave Astronaut clan had a Super Bowl Rehearsal Party. We made nachos, little hot dogs and veggies and dip. We ate in front of the TV and watched the game(s) and we will likely do much of the same next Sunday.

Mrs. BA always asks that we try and find something nutritious for LBA and SoBA (hence the vegetables) but I usually just look at her funny when she says that. C'mon, it's the Super Bowl. You're supposed to eat crap. Where are the pizza rolls? The question is, can I get her to make Super Bowl Cake again? Epicurious did a bunch of Super Bowl party recipes. Here's just one.

Bacon Banana Cookies
Epicurious | December 2011
by Libbie Summers
The Whole Hog Cookbook

Ginger, my mother, never liked a bunch of kids in her house. Even as a young girl, I could feel her angst when too many neighborhood kids were around. Her clever solution was to bake a plate of my favorite Bacon Banana Cookies and leave them on the front porch, locking the door behind her. I never minded being sequestered outside with my food loot in the summer because the porch concrete cooled my skin.

The winter—that was a different story. When I bake these cookies now for my son, Anthony, I'm secretly baking them for myself. I wonder if my mom did the same thing? I'll be sure to ask her...as soon as she unlocks the front door.

Yield: Yields 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp, chopped

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until they are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, then stir in the mashed bananas, beating well after each addition. Fold in the bacon.

Stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the remaining cinnamon.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for 5 to 7 days.

Rock-hard bananas? Ripen them quickly for Bacon Banana Cookies by placing the peeled fruit on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cooking them in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes until they are soft.

Next time you make banana bread, try stirring 4 slices cooked and chopped bacon into the batter.

Source Information
From The Whole Hog Cookbook: Chops, Loin, Shoulder, Bacon, and All That Good Stuff by Libbie Summers. © Libbie Summers; photographs © Chia Chong. Published by Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

April is a grand month.

On Monday afternoon, I kept the streak alive by attending the Washington Nationals home opener. So far, I have not missed one. I also attended the first game for the Nationals ever, when they debuted on the road in 2005 (against Philadelphia). For those keeping track (it was a topic of discussion on Monday):

• April 14, 2005 - RFK Stadium - vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks (W, 5-3) - George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• April 11, 2006 - RFK Stadium - vs. the New York Mets (L, 7-1)
  
• April 2, 2007 - RFK Stadium - vs. the Florida Marlins (L, 9-2) - Dick Cheney threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• March 30, 2008 - Nationals Park - vs. the Atlanta Braves (W, 3-2) - George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• April 13, 2009 - Nationals Park - vs. the Philadelphia Phillies (L, 9-8) - DC Mayor Adrian Fenty threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• April 5, 2010 - Nationals Park - vs. the Philadelphia Phillies (L, 11-1) - President Barack Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

There is nothing quite like Opening Day. A sort of hope springs eternal moment, which for the Nationals lasted all of about one inning. But they did manage their first win this evening. My American League team, the World Champion New York Yankees, took two out of three from the Red Sox, so it's been a good week there. Tomorrow night, I will sit down with my fellow "owners" in my fantasy baseball league to fill out our rosters for our teams. I have a list and hope to get some players that might just get me to finish in the money this year.

April is also the month when the first major of the year is played in golf. The Cathedral of Golf, also known as Augusta National, hosts The Masters. This year has particular significance of a particular golfer you know as Tiger, but lets just call "Cheetah." The Masters is the one tournament I try to see as much of as I can - the scenery, the course, the players - it is the very best. Tonight, the clubhouse leader is Fred "Boom-Boom" Couples, followed by 60 year-old Tom Watson and Phil "Lefty" Mickelson, along with a few others. And that "Cheetah" guy? He's tied for 7th and, you heard it here first, he will not win this tournament. I mean I would like it if he never won a major again, but unfortunately that's not likely to happen - but I don't think he should be out there yet.

Finally, April is the month when hockey season comes to a close. As a resident of Washington DC, I am very impressed with the play and performance of the Washington Capitals and I root for them, provided they are not playing against my team of choice, the New York Rangers. Now this presents a difficult situation, for if (and at this point it's not a done deal by any sorts) the Rangers make the playoffs, they will likely face the Capitals in the first round. The Rangers will play a home-and-home series with the Flyers, who are immediately above them in the standings. If the Rangers can win both those games, they likely make it. It must be noted that ADR will likely implement his policy of not speaking to me for the duration of the series, which was a little unnerving last year, but this year I'm ready for it. For the record, I am rooting for the Rangers until the season ends. When and if the playoffs arrive for them, I will see what happens. Last year my position was that I wouldn't root actively for the Rangers. I will probably do the same this year, because the disappointment the Rangers hand out is not worth it.

On Monday, I have a dentist appointment. After it, I will squeeze in my first nine holes of the season. And who knows, it could be a "Cinderella story, outta nowhere, a former greenskeeper, now about to become the Masters champion."

It's Groundhog Day

I know, I know. Usually I will use this day to remind people to eat crepes as it is Candlemas Day (You can click on "crepes" and get the recipe - remember to eat crepes or suffer the sadness of financial insecurity for the rest of the year - oh, wait). However, I spotted this blog entry last year a few days after February 2 and loved it so much, I wrote most of this 2009 post on February 3, 2008. It is the day the Giants won the Super Bowl. George Bush is still President, but when this comes out of draft form, he won't be. And yesterday was also Super Bowl XLIII, so congratulations to the six-time Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh Steelers. Here is an embed to the Super Bowl Ads from yesterday.



So to the topic of Groundhog Day. The blog post that got me going is here. Here's the gist. This person took notes through the course of watching Groundhog Day and believes that Bill Murray's character lived through the same February 2 for 4 years.

These are the days actually seen in the movie:

1. February 1
2. February 2, #1
3. "You're playing yesterday's tape"
4. "Meet me in the diner", "Don't drive on the railroad tracks"
5. Punches Ned
6. "Nancy Taylor, Lincoln High!"
7. Bank robbery -- "I've seen this film over 100 times"
8. Interrogating Rita
9. "Sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist"
10. "I like to say a prayer and drink to world peace"
11. "I studied 19th century French poetry." (He has a good French accent on the quotation, and is a good dancer.)
12. Insincere snowman. Slapped in the face.
13. Slapped in the face.
14. Slapped in the face.
15. Slapped in the face.
16. Slapped in the face.
17. Slapped in the face.
18. Slapped in the face.
19. Slapped in the face. Notices ice sculptures.
20. "Rough night."
21. "It's cold out there every day."
22. "What is... Mexico."
23. "A thousand people waiting to worship a rat."
24. Smashes clock.
25. Smashes clock.
26. Smashes clock on floor, kidnaps groundhog, blows up.
27. "Aw nuts." Drops toaster in bathtub.
28. Steps in front of truck.
29. Jump from bell tower.
30. "I'm a god." "I've been stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, hung, electrocuted, and burned." Throwing cards: "Six months, four to five hours a day."
31. Gives money to bum. First piano lesson.
32. Second piano lesson.
33. Has learned ice sculpture.
34. Not bad at piano.
35. Hits on Ned, takes bum to hospital.
36. Feeds bum, gives CPR.
37. Final Groundhog day! Very good at piano.
38. February 3.

Now, beyond the days we actually see, much time is implied:

• Between days #6 and #7, at least 100 days passed: the time to see the movie 100 times, and also to fully memorize the plan for the bank robbery.
• Between days #11 and #12, he may have just memorized a single quotation (but his accent is good) and he may have already known how to dance (but that seems unlikely). So I think we can assume at least a few months passed.
• Between days #21 and #22, he memorized the entire Jeopardy show, which would take at least a few viewings. It's possible he did that while learning piano, or French.
• Some time before day #30, six months of card throwing. But that could have all been after midnight, and overlapped with any other activities.
• We saw "burned" and "electrocuted". That leaves at least five days (and presumably more) for "stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, and hung."
• How long does it take to learn ice sculpture, if that's all you do? Six months? A year?
• How long does it take to become a good piano player, if you begin in your early 40s when you have your first lesson? Consensus among those present at casa del jwz was "at least two years."

So. Based on evidence presented in the movie, he re-lived February 2 for at least four years.

If Only I Still Had Mine

Some time ago, this story came out. Doing what I do, I was of course immediately riveted. Especially because I also had my fair share of Legos growing up. I always just build houses though, decidedly symmetrical, neat houses. What was the point otherwise?

My son has a set of "Duplo" blocks, but he doesn't seem as interested in them the way I was with my Legos.

The story has also only renewed my desire to visit any one of these destinations. I also remember growing up that a highlight of visiting New York City to see Christmas decorations was to also go to this store and gape in awe at the Lego display.

And now - with the Olympics - here comes the LEGO Olympics!

It's Still the Olympics

While you digest the answers to last week's quiz, here is a map from the New York Times that shows how medals have been awarded in the Summer Olympics. It's kind of cool. And a medal tally to date. Go USA!

And have you all seen what Michael Phelps is eating these days? I think I need to lie down.



Answers to the quiz

1. The emperor. In China, the dragon is a benevolent, wise, auspicious male power.
2. Jesus. Hong had chanced upon translated scripture and, in a dream, had visions of himself as the brother of Jesus.
3. Soong Mei-ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek.
4. Diving (nine medals) and shooting (nine).
5. 171.
6. Only children, lavished with attention because of China’s one-child-per-couple policy.
7. 20. But most new releases are available on bootleg DVDs within days.
   
8. “Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung,” estimated at 900 million copies (aka the Little Red Book).
9. 106.
10. Two-thirds, according to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

Football and Food Surrender

It's just after 11:30 and I survived a night of being the sole parent in the house, with Mrs. BA off to spend her sister's birthday with her. Her husband very nicely threw her a surprise party. She will be back later this afternoon, likely in time for me to head to a pre-season Redskins game. I still don't have a date, so I don't know if I will go.

The other day, I received my "Food Surrender" package from Stinkypaw in Montreal. Here's a photo:
There were lots of good treats in the box, and the chocolate survived the multi-day trip across the border. LBA was very interested in the box and items were shared with him. But the Coffee Crisp (in the front of the photo) was reserved by me for my consumption. It may have been the best thing in the box! My reciprocal box is on its way to her and she should have it before long.

This morning, I was blessed to have both of my children sleep until almost 8:00. Although SoBA was up overnight, a quick bottle and a diaper change and he went right back to sleep. He woke up again at 6:00 but I brought him into bed with me and slept for another hour or so, until LBA came in. We watched a show (or two) before getting up to have some breakfast.

We watched a little of the Olympics. LBA was very interested in Women's Volleyball. SoBA is napping right now and LBA took a rest for a few minutes, allowing me to get this post done. Now it seems we are going to head outside for "a little baseball."

When is Mrs. BA coming home?

It's the Olympics!

Time Magazine has put forth yet another list of the Top 100 athletes to watch in Beijing. Will there be any other option? Aren't the Olympics going to be on like forever?

To honor the opening of the Olympics, happening tonight (08.08.08 @ 8:08:08pm) here's a sampling of a quiz on China that appeared in the New York Times Education Life section on July 27, 2008. Answers next week.

1. In Imperial China, what did the dragon symbolize?
2. In the mid-1800s, Hong Xiuquan sought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty in a revolt that cost more than 20 million lives. Hong believed his mandate to rule stemmed from his relation to which holy figure?
3. Name the Wellesley graduate who married a Chinese leader, became an important player in World War II politics and died in New York City in 2003 at age 105.
4. Which Olympic events won China the most medals in the last Summer Games, in Athens?
   
5. Nine cities in the United States have a population of more than one million. How many Chinese cities have at least one million?
   
6. Chinese people call them "little emperors." To whom are they referring?
   
7. How many foreign films does the government allow in China each year?
   
8. What was the most widely published book in China during the 20th Century?
   
9. The Hurun Report, which tracks the wealthy, counted three billionaires in China in 2004. How many were there in 2007?
10. How much of 2007's increase in global carbon emissions came from China?
    

Baseball Been Berry, Berry Good to Me

Tonight, I went out to Nationals Park for the first time since Opening Night (and again I went with OSG). This was the first outing on tickets I scored at an auction that I attended last week. OSG and I have now attended two games in the new ballpark, seeing the Nationals win both games with walk off home runs in the bottom of the ninth.

With all the brouhaha that swirled about that other team in Washington, which is now playing golf, after finally removing their ice skates after an amazing series (and for the record I am very disappointed - it was very exciting to watch), I am prompted to answer the question (from no one in particular), what is my favorite sport? I will not (for now) pick a particular allegiance to any one team, although that is fairly evident to those who know me.

It's a valid question. Of the sports that are on my radar screen here they are (ranked according to height and popularity - and what's that from? - my favorite TV show) and please note this is but a very short list. There are certainly more sports out there and even some that I will watch. This just happens to be the list today and it conveniently gets me to the link I wanted to share with you (see the bottom of the post):

1. Baseball
2. Golf
3. Hockey
4. College Basketball (hey don't I get lunch because I won the pool?)
   
5. Football

So there you have it. I am not a big pro football fan of either New York team, which don't even play in New York anymore and I am too far removed from C in DCs beloved NY Team. I will usually watch the Super Bowl, but that is more about the food and the commercials than the game. But the Giants beating the Patriots last year was sweet. I will watch the occasional college game (I might tune into the bowl games around New Years and I'll always look at how Brown is doing for my mother).

When I lived in the Hudson Valley, I held season tickets for the Marist College Red Foxes. I liked the smaller intimate settings and you could really get involved in the games. I will watch (and did watch) most of the March Madness tournament and will usually root for the underdogs, because those are the teams I know. But I'm not stupid and usually do well in the pool, which is why my lunch table group is going out to lunch and I get to eat free!

I am a hockey fan by genetics. My mother was an only child and learned her love of the game from behind the chicken wire at Rhode Island Reds games. I won't even get into how my father nearly got killed when he came home one night and told my mother that someone had offered him New York Rangers tickets and he turned them down, not knowing the level of craziness exhibited by hockey fans (if you haven't seen the linked commercial, click it - it's worth it). When my mother died, my brother-in-law arranged for a floral display of carnations made into the New York Rangers logo. It was quite something.

The reason that golf sits atop hockey is that I can actually play golf (shut up, Ed). I can't skate worth a lick and I love watching hockey and will root for my Rangers until my last breath. But I can pick up a golf club and (occasionally) get a good ball down the fairway. Next weekend I will travel to a conference where a foursome of archival golfers will beat up on the little white ball. And of course we have just seen the Masters, which is the one golf tournament that I try to not miss on TV. Now if I can just get adopted by Archivalist's father and go with him on his tickets one year, I'll be all set.

So that leaves baseball. I grew up in New York, where that purple stadium was closer than the hallowed grounds of the House that Ruth Built. I went to my fair share of both Mets and Yankee games, but my heart went to the pinstripes. It's been said that's why the Yankees always win, "the other teams can't stop looking at those pinstripes." (Look a quiz question right here at the end - name that movie!). I played little league as a youngster, but didn't have what it took. Perhaps Little Brave Astronaut can do what his old dad could not - support his father in the lifestyle he would like to be accustomed to.

But I agree with the article posted here. Baseball is the best of all games. And here, from a 1961 conversation recounted in a letter (a letter, not an email, not on the phone, an actual letter) twenty years later, the American Philosopher, John Rawls, explains why he offers the six reasons why baseball is the greatest of all games.

Weekend Wrap and Miscellaneous Musings

I'm back "on the grid" after about 20 hours in the dark. We had some heavy duty wind and rain on Friday night and Saturday that led to this event, which put us in the dark. The aggravating thing was, we have a pole in front of our house, which I was informed was a junction pole, so there was "juice" coming in, but it couldn't come to our house, because of the break up the line. Oh, well. Everything is back now.

We still have not had our car stereo returned to us, but the window in the car was replaced on Friday. You can read about the explosion of crime in my lovely little town here and here. We may be resorting to leaving our cars open.

If you click on the links above, it will take you to ChvBlog, which is run by my neighbor and the man known as Breadman. I had not yet met him face to face until last evening, when I crashed a party he was having. A very public thank you to him for a great party. I was glad to be included. In my defense, I had received an invitation and had not gotten around to RSVPing, when my neighbor exerted the peer pressure on me and took me along. Little Brave Astronaut had a great time (concluding with a viewing of "The Wizard of Oz)."

On Friday night, the Brave Astronaut family played host to fellow blogger, Special K and HAH (J in PA), who are also frequent commentators on Order from Chaos. We had Taco Night here at Chez Cheverly, where the OSG family, C in DC and her husband, and NJM, all partook in a lovely evening. We agreed that we might have to make it a regular happening.

I watched a fair amount of the Washington Capitals game yesterday, which they shouldn't have lost. But I thank them for tiring out the Bruins, which allowed the Rangers to beat them today. I am not sure if they will make the playoffs this year, but I will go on the record (having been the one to push him to make the prediction) as agreeing with ADR on his belief that a Stanley Cup will come to the Verizon Center within the next four years. Oh, then again, they lost again today. For a different point of view, Sports Frog believes that last year's champion (I can't even say the team, it's so silly) is in a very good spot to repeat.

In other sports news, I can feel it. Baseball is coming. When my first son was born, I used to read to him from the newspaper. Shortly after he came home, a baseball player of questionable talent got into a scuffle with a judge in his native Aruba. He wound up in jail. My nickname for this waste of a ball player was (and still is, although I may have to change it) the "Fat Puke." It seems as if the Fat Puke has been working on his form. Again, from Sports Frog, Sidney Ponson has . . .

Finally, next weekend I will travel to New York to look after my father, who is recuperating from open heart surgery. Many thanks to all of you for your good wishes as well. I will be flying the official airline of the Brave Astronaut, Southwest, despite this news. Here is Southwest's response, posted on their website as well as emailed to its many Rapid Rewards customers.

Happy Birthday, NJM!

So it came fifteen minutes after your birthday ended, but let's just say they did it for you on your special day.

And of course there was this . . .

New England Patriots 52 . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington Redskins 7

I'm going to bed now.

And the Four Shall Go to Atlanta

The Final Four have been decided. I sweated out the end of the Georgetown game, until UNC forgot how to score baskets and the Hoyas ran away in overtime. The four teams are:

• The number 1 seed from the Midwest (and overall) - Florida
• The number 2 seed from the West - UCLA
• The number 2 seed from the East (and my pick) - Georgetown
• The number 1 seed from the South - OSU

I did not have UCLA in my Final Four (having chosen Kansas) thinking that UCLA would lose to Pitt, but these things happen. So I have three of the four in my bracket left and I am still going with Georgetown over OSU and Florida over UCLA for the championship game, with the Hoyas prevailing as the new national champion!

In other sports news, I have secured tickets for Opening Day here in Washington, DC, so a week from tomorrow, I will head out to RFK to take in the Nationals as they face the Florida Marlins. I have been to the two previous Opening Day games for the Nats and am looking forward to this year, too! I might even get a season ticket package to secure my chance at seats in the new stadium.

As for hockey, with the season winding down, the New York Rangers beat the New York Islanders in overtime today to leap over Tampa Bay in the standings into sixth place. With five games to go, it will be a race to the wire for a playoff spot, with five teams in the Eastern Conference fighting for two chances to extend their season.

It's March Madness

According to a professor at the Yale School of Management, betting the seeds in the March Madness Pool will yield a 56% success rate. Of course, that makes you no money in odds, but perhaps some money in the office pool. Two other professors, from the math and computer science department of St. Louis University, adopt a different approach, creating a model that picks the teams that others don't pick and found that to be as important as selecting the winners, especially in larger pools.

That being said, here's my picks for the first round. I won't make any more predictions for the moment, but I will go out on a limb right now and say that I'm picking Georgetown to win it all. My Final Four are Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, and Ohio State. Feel free to kibbitz.

Midwest Region:

• Florida over Jackson State - Florida is the defending champ. They will be hard to beat in every round and might not.
• Arizona over Purdue
• Butler over Old Dominion
• Maryland over Davidson - fear the turtle, until they meet Florida.
• Notre Dame over Winthrop - C'mon, it's St. Patty's day, you got to pick the Fightin' Irish.
• Oregon over Miami (OH) - Can't afford to keep the Archives of the Archives listserve, can't play basketball (only archivists and readers of the new archives list will get this inside joke).
• UNLV over Georgia Tech - Best Friend went to University of Georgia, so it's anyone over Tech.
• Wisconsin over Texas A&M

West Region:

• Kansas over Niagara - I would like to see Niagara win, but I don't think it will happen.
• Villanova over Kentucky - possibly the best matchup of the first round, two teams that are both called the Wildcats.
• VA Tech over Illinois
• So. Illinois over Holy Cross - it would set up the matchup of Ill. vs. So. Ill. if Illinois can beat VA Tech.
• Duke over VCU - for now . . .
• Pitt over Wright St. - just for you, Ed!
• Gonzaga over Indiana - love those screamin' Eagles
• UCLA over Weber State - that one's for Cheryl and the fact that they're really, really good at this game.

East Region:

• UNC over E. Kentucky
• Marquette over Michigan State
• USC over Arkansas - the Razorbacks are not the team they used to be.
• Texas over New Mexico State - "Don't Mess With Texas" until they meet the Trojans.
• GW over Vanderbilt - The new DC Cinderella story, replacing last year's George Mason
• Washington State over Oral Roberts - not even He can help ORU in this one
• Boston College over Texas Tech - Maybe Bobby will throw some more chairs if he loses.
• Georgetown over Belmont - Belmont is only good for horse racing

South Region:

• Ohio State over Central Connecticut - the Buckeyes are no match for the not-Huskies
• Xavier over BYU
• Tennessee over Long Beach State - Long Beach, long shot
• Albany over Virginia - My alma mater! Go Great Danes!
• Stanford over Louisville - the wheels come off the bus with this pick
• Penn over Texas A&M - gotta root for the Ivy League
• Nevada over Creighton
• Memphis over N. Texas

A Super Sports Day

Yesterday was, of course, Super Bowl Sunday. Yes I watched, no I am not happy with the outcome, but, yes the Colts played better and deserved the victory. And that is all I will say about that. There was not much point in watching after the opening play anyway . . . I was not all that impressed with the commercials, although my two favorites were the Blockbuster one (with the mouse) and the "rock / paper / scissors" Bud Light commercial. If you missed any, the nice folks at iFilm have them all online here.

The day started with me planning to go to the grocery store to get a few last minute provisions for the big game. Can you really watch the Super Bowl without little hot dogs and Pizza Rolls? Right before leaving though, we received a call from one of my wife's colleagues. Her husband works for the Washington Capitals and she was calling to offer us tickets to that day's game, starting at 1:00pm (this was about 11:30am). My wife was starting to decline, when I piped up that I could pull this off (a quick run to the store, off to the game via Metro, and back in time long before football player introductions). So off I went.

The quickest shopping trip (including a beer run - separate places in MD, still getting used to that) and back to drop off the groceries. Then off to pick up my brother in law and then to the subway station to get on the train. We made it to the Verizon Center and into our seats before the first face off.

The game featured the Capitals taking on the New York Islanders. Astute readers of this blog will note that I have no use for the Islanders, having been raised to follow the only true team from the New York City area, the Rangers. Things would be a lot better off if the NHL would revert to the original six, although I would be amenable to including the 1967 expansion. There is a part of me that refuses to acknowledge the four cups won in the early 1980s.

The game itself was rather humdrum. Each team scored a goal but the bigger excitement was the "glass guys" who came out on five separate occasions, including once to replace a pane of glass fractured from a Caps shot on goal. With the score tied at the end of regulation, the game headed into overtime. After that five minutes, the game moved to the "shootout," something I had yet to see. Basically it is three penalty shots for each team. One team is selected to shoot first (in this case it was the Caps) and the two teams alternate until three shots have been made by both teams. If the two are tied after the six shots (yesterday it wasn't) it goes to sudden death with the team notching a goal in the round over the other winning the game. But as mentioned, the Caps scored once in the shootout and the Isles scored none. So the Caps won the game 2-1.

Home from the game to get the rest of the pre-game, pre-show. Got to see Billy Joel sing the National Anthem (in the rain) and then the start of the game (in the rain) and the first time ever an opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown. As I said, from there it sort of just went downhill.

The Great Kennebec Whatever Race

Astute readers of this blog will note I challenged one of the readers, Archivalist, who toils "somewhere in Maine," to tell me everything he knew about the race that occurs on the Kennebec River each year. This in response to a post on the Bangor Public Library's reference work.

I spent most summers in Maine and my mother had family that lived in Hallowell, overlooking the Kennebec. Watching the race is quite the experience. I would go so far as to say I relived the experience at the conclusion of the SAA Annual Meeting last year in Washington, DC, but I still can't talk about that.

Archivalist accused me of promoting some elitist agenda for the upper crust of Maine society. He could not be further from the truth. Perhaps it was my use of the word "regatta" - for that I apologize. The Great Kennebec Whatever Race takes place every year in June and, I have learned is actually codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. The things you can find out when you have a good search engine . . . but does it float?

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR100.108]

[Page 257]

TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS

CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PART 100--SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS--

Table of Contents Sec. 100.108
Great Kennebec River Whatever Race.

(a) Regulated Area. That portion of the Kennebec River, extending bank to bank, between the Maine Route 126 bridge (at latitude 44-14 North, longitude 69-46-15 West connecting Randolph and Gardiner, Maine) to the U.S. Route 201-202 bridge (at latitude 44-18-43 North, longitude 69-46-26 West in Augusta, Maine).

(b) Special Local Regulations. The following requirements will be placed on vessels operating within the regulated area during the effective period of regulation:

(1) All persons on board any vessel which does not possess a valid state registration or federal documentation shall at all times wear a Coast Guard approved Type I, II, or III personal flotation device (lifejacket).

(2) Spectator and/or transiting vessels shall not exceed five (5) mph or ``NO WAKE'' speed, whichever is slower.

(3) All vessels shall exercise extreme caution when operating near parade participants and shall be alert for disabled craft and persons possibly falling overboard.

(4) All vessel operators shall immediately follow any instruction given by Coast Guard patrol personnel.

(5) Coast Guard Auxiliarists will be patrolling the regatta to advise participants, spectators, and transiting vessels of the content of these regulations. (c) Effective period. This section is in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 30, 1996, and each year thereafter on a date and times specified in a Federal Register notice. If the event is canceled due to weather, this section is effective the following day.

[CGD1 89-026, 54 FR 30036, July 18, 1989, as amended by CGDO1-96-016, 61 FR 26105, May 24, 1996; CGD 96-052, 62 FR 16702, Apr. 8, 1997]

Forty Years and Still Going!

Also from the pages of Down East Magazine (actually the next story from the one just posted).

There is man from Maine, Don Crisman of Kennebunk, who is one of only five fans who has attended every single Super Bowl, beginning in 1967, before it was even called that. Crisman, a retired executive, almost broke the streak in his second year. The week prior to Super Bowl II in Miami, he was aboard a friend's jet when the plane encountered freezing rain over South Carolina. They landed at an abandoned air force base, where Crisman climbed a fence and went for help. Crisman managed to get aboard a train and he made the game and kept the streak alive.

I have always wanted to attend a Super Bowl game, but now, is there any reason, seeing as I have missed the first forty of them?

NHL at Midseason - Standings

In the Eastern Conference, further divided into the Southeast, Atlantic, and Northeast divisions, the best team are the Buffalo Sabres. First place in the Northeast division, they started their season with an astonishing unbeaten streak. Their current record sits at 30 wins, 12 losses, and 8 overtime losses. The second best Eastern team is the New Jersey Devils, with 63 points and first place in the Atlantic Division. They are followed closely by the Atlanta Thrashers with 62 points and first place in the Southeast Division.

The Eastern Conference losers are the Philadelphia Flyers, last place in the Conference with a measly 27 points and a record of 11-31-5. Even Kate Smith can't help them now (and you are a real hockey fan if you know what that means!). There are still seven teams fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. Let's go Rangers!

Out West, the Conference is led by the Central Division Nashville Predators. The Pacific Division first place team is the Anaheim Ducks. Don't get me started on hockey teams where ice is not naturally found. Leading the Northwest Division are the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames, both with 56 points. There are at least ten teams that are within striking distance of the playoffs. Likely to miss them are the Los Angeles Kings, with the worst record of the Western Conference at 16-27-6.

Remember to watch the All-Star Game on Wednesday night and enjoy a really great sport.

Who Needs Fantasy Football?

I have to admit I don't understand fantasy sports leagues. While I can hold my own in a conversation about most sports, the intricacies of the fantasy sports player are lost on me. In today's Washington Post, I found a new option, several actually.

I have signed up to take part in the new 110th Fantasy Congress. Coming soon, I will be able to draft my political team of four senators and twelve representatives) and watch as I accrue points as those players do . . . something.

Other options in the article are:

• Fantasy Fashion League - I could not get this site to load, perhaps I have no fashion sense.
• Fantasy Moguls - This is similar to something I used to be a part of years ago, the Hollywood Stock Exchange, where, I have learned, my account is still valid.
• Fantasy Music League - $70 million in virtual cash and if you are lucky, no one shouting "I'm a Golden God" from somebody's rooftop.
• Fantasy Television - pick twelve characters and amass points based on screen time. Here's to the guy who had Curtis Manning for this season.
• Tabloid Fantasy League - The drawback? You have to check the covers of US Weekly, InTouch, Star, and People to see who makes the cover.

You have fun now and remember, the Internet is only part reality.

Army-Navy Football Game

On this date (November 29) in 1890, the first Army-Navy football game was played at West Point. Navy creamed the cadets, 24-0, in the game played at West Point. This weekend, on December 2, the two squads will take to the field in Philadelphia for the 107th meeting between these two teams. This will be the 80th year the game will be played in the City of Brotherly Love. The careful observer will immediately recognize there are 116 years between 1890 and 2006, so what's up with the other nine games?

The first interruption, and the best story, came in 1894 (from the Nimitz Library website):

A reputed incident between a Rear Admiral and a Brigadier General, which nearly led to a duel after the 1893 Navy victory, caused President Cleveland to call a Cabinet meeting in late February 1894. When the meeting ended, Secretary of the Navy Hillary A. Herbert, and Secretary of War, Daniel S. Lamont, issued general orders to their respective Academies stating that teams would be allowed to visit Annapolis and West Point to conduct football games, but the Army and Navy football teams were "prohibited in engaging in games elsewhere." The result was that the Army/Navy game was suspended for the next five years. The annual series would not resume until 1899, when it was played in a neutral locale, Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

There were two other interruptions, in 1917-1918 during the United States involvement in World War I, and finally in 1928-1929, when there was disagreement on player eligibility.

In the interest of fairness here are links to the two academies for information on the Classic football rivalry.

• The Nimitz Library, Special Collections and Archives, United States Naval Academy
• Army Public Affairs Office, Information about Army-Navy football