KRAC Blog

Randy Moss was no surprise-- but Cousin Artie? My world is shattered.

Welcome back, Bill. Obviously the rest of us are not up to the task of equaling your prodigious output in your absence.

The movie "Saint Ralph" is a charming, amusing and well done story about old time Roman Catholicism, teenage horniness, marathon training and being Canadian. As an added bonus, the Hamilton "Around The Bay" 30K plays a prominent role. Highly recommended.

Although I thought about cheating on my doctor's direction to "back off", it became clear that cheating wasn't really an option on this trip: turning over in bed funny could wake me up with searing ankle pain. (A lobster roll also started my gout gnawing at the big toe of my other foot. I dosed with the meds I now carry in case of shellfish and avoided a full-blown attack, but I was sure walking funny for a couple of days.) Running was just not in the picture for this vacation. Fortunately the Cape is perfect for the bike: cars are respectful, and there are bike paths everywhere. You couldn't call it hilly, exactly, but it is more hilly than Buffalo, and that made me feel like I was getting something worthwhile accomplished too.

Per Lance Mannion's advice, EGA and I sought out the Rail Trail, about a hundred yards from the supermarket we shopped at, and a first rate cycling experience. Fragrant with balsam and bayberry, alternately tree canopied and sun-drenched we rode for a few hours and felt like we'd really acquired a sense of this place. That's really the best part about the bike, actually-- if I'd run for two hours, I'd have covered only half the ground, and I'd have had none of the exhilarating feeling that comes from coasting down a long decline-- only the grinding satisfaction that comes from pounding out the miles. In the end, I prefer running, but it is more like work, and this was vacation.

Matt Wolm, 24, of Worcester, who last saw the band three years ago, said: ''They're tired. They're animatronic creatures brought out to look like the Stones. I was disappointed the last time; even more so this time."

--Comment from a fan who attended the Stones' tour-opener at Fenway Park

At least he didn't call Keith "an arthritic little monkey" like Elton John once did.

The NFL All Criminal Team. (Via Sportsfilter.) I'd have picked Barry Switzer to coach.

Mike Celizic spells out why the Mets have been so frustratingly tantalizing this year: "The cruel — and, unfortunately, accurate — thing to say would be that the fact the Mets are still in the hunt is less a tribute to them and more a condemnation of the National League, which has one very good team, the Cards, one decent team, the Braves, and a whole lot of teams that count one victory as a winning streak.

"The Mets themselves started the season with five straight losses, followed that up with six straight wins, and ever since haven’t won or lost more than four straight. After Tuesday night, they were 6-4 in their last 10 games, which doesn’t sound like a particularly hot streak until you notice that no team in the National League has done better over the same period. Only five others — St. Louis, Philly, L.A., San Diego and Cincinnati — have done as well."

Bill James once wrote that the ultimate Houston Astros season would be one in which they one a game, then lost a game, for 162 games. My Metropolitans seem to be trying for the same effect. When they picked up Pedro I thought it was a chump move, but if they had just three wins in games that he started and they screwed up they'd be right smack dab in the middle of it.

Last night Judy and I ran the Village Glen Moonlight Run. Margot came along as our cheering section.

Wouldn't you know I had to run past that grunty, stinky old m_____f_____ . . . AGAIN!

Judy did 29:00 even, I did 25:35 (8:15). Nevermind that a time like that would have, two or three years ago, caused me great shame and compelled me to don a hair shirt, it felt good to run with a little pace for a change.

Throw in a couple of post-race beers and hotdogs, and it was a great evening.

Next step: Run mo', mo' faster.

Just a thought.... 

I can't tell you how cool it is that Tom and I once worked with a guy that ESPN says had one of the worst quarterback seasons since 1960. I mean, charming guy and all, and he was an NFL QB, but even so. And I totally love his haircut. 

This Sunday KRAC debuts in Australia at the iconic City to Surf.

That reminds me-- I came across this the other day, and thought that we might want to consider it for our next singlet (or perhaps a warm-up jacket....). 

Our Leader quoted in a mag this week, on the difference between him and Mick :

"Mick has to get up in the morning with a plan," Richards tells Newsweek magazine in its latest issue. "Who he's going to call, what he's going to eat, where he's going to go. Me, I wake up, praise the Lord, then make sure all the phones are turned off. If we were a mum-and-pop operation, then he'd be Mum."

Man, what's up with Yankee fans these days? (From The Sports Economist.) 

Last night a fan, apparently on a dare, jumped from the upper deck in Yankee Stadium into the net over home plate. I was watching the game when it happened, and it was unclear at that time how he got into the net. The best part, however, was Michael Kay's play-by play:

(No outs, Womack on first, Jeter at the plate):

"Jeter bunts! It's a beautiful bunt. A fan just fell from the upper deck into the netting over home plate. Fields, fires to first, got him! Womack advances to second."

ESPN's "Daily Quickie"'s poll question today: "How would you feel about changing the name of the MLB pitching award from Cy Young to Roger Clemens?"

This made me think a little more about this post from Brian Goff at The Sports Economist: "Liars may use statistics, but statistics expose liars. Even without the Palmeiro developments, we all have a pretty good idea what is going on.... Aaron, Mays, and Killibrew all found their power stroke very early in their careers. Not only did the recent crop of home run kings find theirs all around 1993-1995, but they found it well into their careers. Moreover, they also found the fountain of youth with the likes of Palmeiro, Sosa, and Bonds hitting a lot more homers after 35 than in their mid and late 20s. The numbers cause me to wonder about a certain pitcher whose exploits have flown under the radar of suspicion but whose numbers only seem to be improving with advanced playing age. Nolan Ryan may have kept going a long time, but his numbers did not match (or exceed) those of his earlier years."

There's no real question that I overdid it a little yesterday, but it's still nice to know that I can tear off a ten miler as undertrained as I am at this point. It helped that it was cool.

Baseball Knowledge Will Not Help You Pick Up Girls. "You're rarer than a five-tool catcher. What? That's not gay slang for anything. I'm talking about my fantasy baseball rotisserie league. No. That's not a gay slang term, either."

The Tambourine Players Hall of Fame. (Via The Morning News.)

Although I think of them all as running shoe companies, the addidas/Reebok merger is really about every sport except running. addias is all about soccer, of course, and Reebok has deals with the NFL and the NBA. What's the real bottom line? I think Skip Sauer at The Sports Economist nails it: "[S]ince the opening of trading on Tuesday, Nike's share price has risen $5.50 to $87 - a healthy, statistically significant return for a two day holding period. The market for Nike stock thus assesses the deal somewhat differently than the spin offered by Adidas.

"Students of antitrust economics will immediately understand what the market is suggesting. Rather than creating a more effective competitor to Nike, the merger eliminates a rival responsible for price competition in the market for sneakers. Less vigorous price competition would increase the value of existing competitors, i.e. Nike."

Athletic wear is a funny commodity: there are certainly people who are prepared to pay a premium for the technical qualities of the products, but I suspect that we constitute a minority, and a fussy one at that. It really is a fashion industry, driven by celebrity endorsements, which makes the survival of places like Fleet Feet seem precarious. Fleet Feet is my default, but they didn't have the shoes I wanted for my late Summer/Fall replacement pair, so I bought 'em at DSW for $20 bucks less. Last season's colors, but color doesn't matter to me-- all I wanted was a pair of addidas Supernova Control.

Upcoming: August 15, Bond Lake A.C. Rut Race-- a challenging event over trails, I think I'll miss this year, in the interests of ankle health.

August 17, Village Glen Moonlight Run. I haven't run this in years. I think it's time again.

On the other hand, Mississippi Mudd's 5K River Race is on August 20, and might be fun.

The Toyfest 10k is August 28th, but I'll be out of town.