SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM

"It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations." - Sir Winston Churchill
(That's why I post this feature, thanks Winnie...hey, wait a minute!@#$)

If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No, calling a tail a leg don't make it a leg." - Abraham Lincoln
(my wife like this one because of the accounting subtext)

"Ability will get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." - Abraham Lincoln

"Trickery and treachery are the practices of fools that have not the wits enough to be honest." - Benjamin Franklin

The vision of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) who rose from penniless immigrant to the wealthiest man on earth was to create "an ideal state in which the surplus wealth of the few will become, in the best sense, the property of the many." Carnegie created schools, a peace endowment, NY's Carnegie Hall, and 2,811 free public libraries with his lifetime "accumulated wealth".

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." - Mark Twain

"There is certainly no absolute standard of beauty. That precisely is what makes its pursuit so interesting." - John Kenneth Galbraith

When faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof." - John Kenneth Galbraith

"Pleasure is the greatest incentive to evil." - Plato

Coming soon to a ballpark near you - High School Baseball National Championship

It seems as if the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) is greasing the wheels for a future high school national championship tournament.

According to an article by Lou Pavlovich in Collegiate Baseball the president of the NFHS is enamored by the idea and the Fed may begin national championships for individual sports such as tennis and golf (beginning in 2010/11 school year) prior to attempting to work out the more difficult logistical details of adding team sports like football, baseball and basketball.

Ennis Proctor, president of the NFHS stated that while "Baseball would probably be more manageable than other sports. Right now, we are in the infant stages for even having individual national championships. Team national championships are a long, long way away if we ever have them."

So for now, the so-called "mythical" national championship concept based on the opinions of experts like Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, et. al. appear to be safe.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/high-school/team-rankings/2010/269563.html


BTW, congrats to:
#13 ranked St. Rita (Chicago)
#18 ranked Alonzo High School (Tampa)
#28 Winnetka HS (Chicago)
for making the Baseball America pre-season list.

Many familiar names on the list. Presumably these schools will be in the running for future consideration in these tournaments given their "baseball powerhouse" status.

The details of the structure of the tournaments remains to be determined but I would expect that the various state tournaments would still remain in place. This is currently the pinnacle achievement for most baseball programs and the goal of virtually every high school baseball players in the country during this time of the year.

One of the details to be worked out appears to be determining who would represent each state from among the myriad of state champions that are crowned each year. Generally, schools are segregated by enrollment size and compete in conferences or divisions based on geography. Each "class" or level crowns its own state champion. Public and private schools are sometimes segregated due to size and differing rules regarding attendance.

NFHS officials acknowledge that the path to implementation may take some time but the model is based on a similar tournament that has been held in Japan for over 20 years with great success.

Included in great success is individual games featuring crowds of 40-50,000 and over 750,000 attendance over the course of a 15 day tournament as well as 50 million eyeballs watching on TV.
Which means "rights fees", which means $$$. Lots of money.

Initially over 3,000 schools in Japan begin the march to glory with the dream field whittled down to a final field of 49. Fifteen teams get an initial bye into the field and the thirty- four others play into the tournament field's second round.

JAPAN HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_High_School_Baseball_Championship

Admittedly, I have mixed feelings on this as a future development. I am always heartened when I hear stories like this one that indicate baseball is rising in stature and importance nationally.

I understand that the level of interest in collegiate baseball has risen so much over the years that it is now considered a "revenue" sport by the NCAA. Which means it makes money for the schools.

Also, I have heard whispers that the major leagues, as part of their effort to "fix" the draft are more open to the idea of using the college programs more as a developmental platform than carrying the expenses of many of the lower classifications of minor league ball.

I am certain that this transfer of "assets" will only come after "control" of said assets is locked down by fixes to the draft similar to what the National Hockey League employs. In the NHL, a team "controls the rights" to a player it drafts out of high school for the next three or four years.

All this increased stature and attention sounds like a good thing initially. But the devil is always in the details and with the growth of stature, attention and money comes unforeseen problems as well. The administrators are going to have to take a long hard look at the impact that all these swirling ideas will have on the future of the "STUDENT"-athletes placed in their TRUST.

The Larger Lessons from Tiger Woods / Michael Vick fall from grace (and possible redemption)

IT SEEMS FAIRLY EASY, RIGHT?!? - TEN SIMPLE RULES TO FOLLOW. - WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?!?

If we review both cases, we can see from the stunning story lines of both athletes rise and fall from grace a similar, oft-repeated path in their lives--a road-map if you will--that can provide some larger life lessons for those who deal in sports at the youth level.

Sometimes, these negative stories can provide valuable examples of what we need to look out for and prepare for to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

We preach how sports participation can help provide a moral framework for parents to pass on to our children and yet we hear the arguments over whether participation in sports DEVELOPS character or whether it in fact REVEALS character. A nature/nurture type of debate.

Some of the research coming out has pointed in the direction that--in the early stages of participation at the youth level--sports can be a valuable tool to teach strong values that kids can use throughout their lives. As athletes travel further and further up the ladder into the professional ranks however, these values are eroded and deteriorate.

We need to find out why this happens so we can figure out how to avoid this erosion and deterioration in the future. We can't of continually bang our heads against the wall in frustration, continually doing the same things over and over and expecting different results (definition of INSANITY alert).

I submit that the examples provided in the Michael Vick and Tiger Woods sagas provide classic, text book examples of how we get into this mess and how we can get out.

CONFORMING TO THE WORLD'S VIEW OF RIGHT AND WRONG SEEMS TO LEAK IN - TIME AND AGAIN. - RIGHT ?!?

In Michael Vick's example, we find that when Tony Dungy began his involvement with Vick he asked him point-blank "Where was the Lord when all this was happening?"

Vick's respose was very telling.

http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=6088

Dungy said Vick told him about going to church almost every week with his mother in Virginia and knowing there was a God. He said Vick talked to God while growing up and continued to pray during college at Virginia Tech.

But when he finally made it to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, his faith and his life took a turn for the worse.

"Michael said he felt God had answered his prayers by getting into the NFL and maybe he didn't really need Him anymore."

Let's review the key points:

- In the early years, he had a strong value system in place.

- As he advanced, he drifted away from that value system.

- He felt he didn't need it anymore once he reached a certain level.

Now we see that Michael Vick is continuing on the proper path and hopefully he will stay on this path the rest of his life.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/at-super-bowl-breakfast-michael-vick-talks-about-faith

Vick spoke standing beside Dungy before 1,100 fans, in his first-ever retelling of the role faith played in his life at the maximum security prison in Leavenworth, Kansas.

"I wanted to redeem myself," Vick said. “Pre-incarceration, it was all about me. When I got to prison, I realized I couldn’t do it anymore. The one thing I could rely on was my faith in God."

--------

From the Tiger Woods apology:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/19/tiger.woods.transcript/index.html

I knew my actions were wrong. But I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have far -- didn't have to go far to find them.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

I've had a lot of time to think about what I have done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It is now up to me to make amends. And that starts by never repeating the mistakes I have made. It is up to me to start living a life of integrity.
I once heard -- and I believe it is true -- it's not what you achieve in life that matters, it is what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count. Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all of those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.

Again, virtually the same story,

- Once he got to a certain level of success, the value system eroded and he became disconnected from them.

"I knew my actions were wrong. But I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply."

"Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught"

- He became self-centered.

"I thought only about myself."

- He was able to justify his behavior to himself because of who he was and what he accomplished.

"I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me."


We hear a lot about how important these guys are as role models to kids and how sports participation itself is important to kids growth and development. Then we get these rich, powerful teaching moments and what are the top issues the MSM puts the focus on?

- Why wasn't the media allowed to ask questions?

Who cares? Irrelevant!! And yet, that was one of the lead issues these whiny babies brought to the fore. Why were we left out?

- A lot of useless speculation on what he said, what he didn't say, what he should have said, what he was wearing, not wearing, blah,blah,blah,blah,blah.

Who cares? Most of it useless, pointless speculation based on the talking-heads own biases and experiences. Sorry Chief, YOU ARE NOT Tiger Woods!!!

- A lot of useless speculation based on what Elin should do or not do.

Again who cares? That's between Elin and Tiger. I wish them the best of luck. It's pointless speculation from dim-witted talking heads who haven not heard her position in the first place and can not even do enough research to properly pronounce her name. But we should accept that they know exactly what she should or should not do, or will or will not do about such a personal matter. We don't care what you would do, YOU ARE NOT Elin Woods!!!

- The lack of acceptance of said apologies offered by the self-appointed heads of Forgiveness Nation (the MSM). In most cases, this is after the MSM hounds the athletes publicly to ISSUE an apology!!!

WOW!! How forgiving is that? The lame-stream media refuses to accept Tiger's apology since they didn't get a chance to run the inquisition...UH press conference. That's a good example to set for kids. Tiger crafts one of the most complete and comprehensive public apologies yet offered, when in fact--he only needs to apologize to his wife and family--and the media spits on it. Yeah buddy, that's where I want to get my values from--the mass media. Let's stop asking any of these guys to apologize publicly if the self-appointed representatives of public opinion are going to reject all of them. What do they want, for someone to come out and slit their own throats? Oh, wait a minute, that would probably help ratings, wouldn't it?

If they were really concerned about the effect that Tiger's actions had on fans or on the nations youth and anyone else foolish enough to IDOLIZE him or any other athlete (Charles Barkley looking smarter every day) then at least be concerned and intelligent enough to present the core issues that seem to be common and recurring every time the story is told.

- Don't forget who you are or where you came from.
- Don't compromise your values--they were good enough to get you there, they should be good enough to keep you there.
- Build your house on solid rock not on sand.
- Don't let the ways of the world change your value system.
- Your value system requires daily care and maintenance, no matter who you are and what you have accomplished. The high and mighty simply have further to fall.

I guess I expect too much out of the Mainstream Media. It seems so simple, really.

Tiger Woods Apology

This is a scene that nobody who was a Tiger Woods fanatic ever DREAMED they would associate with him either personally or professionally.

And therin lies the crux of the problem we see time and time again when dealing with the crestfallen athlete. We assume that the prodigious character traits and abilities that we see and admire in the field of competition correlates with the same athlete possessing the same qualities and abilities off the field. IT JUST ISN'T SO. LESSON LEARNED, ONCE AGAIN.

He's a golfer. A great golfer. Maybe the best golfer of all-time. He wasn't a god of some sort, worthy of false idolatry. What we should learn from this is not to get too caught up in the "building up" process, so that we are not as crestfallen when the athlete goes through the inevitable "tearing down" process.

They build them up. They team them down. They rebuild them if the circumstances allow it.

It's been going on with superstar players since I don't know when.

This cycle should not come as such a great surprise to us because we've seen it so often and Tiger even touched on it within his apology. He got caught up in the situation. He believed the press clippings. The repetitive cycle includes a process of building a person up as the "next" whatever or whoever. We put too much faith and too much emotion in this part of the process. We want to believe in the inherent greatness of those we admire. Inevitably, the person disappoints in some fashion (what, being human and all) and is torn down as an idol worthy of our praises. Then, if they are fortunate, there is a period of redemption, or a comeback. Tiger is simply moving through the various stages a little quicker than we previously thought he would.

I thought the apology itself was very thorough and comprehensive and very heart-felt, if not somewhat mechanical in delivery.

Like McGwire's apology, it could not have been easy for someone who was at one time on top of the sports world, to find himself almost literally lying face down in the dumpster.

Unlike McGwire's apology, there was no evasiveness, no finger pointing. Tiger's apology should be the template for other athlete's to use in the future.

So WHEREVER Tiger finds guidance to deal with this in the future (elbows Britt Hume in the ribs), I wish him luck.

Giants place four on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects List

Baseball America just released its most recent Top 100 Prospects list and four Giants made it.

Buster Posey - 7th
Madison Bumgarner - 14th
Zach Wheeler - 49th
Thomas Neal 96th

They do consider future potential more so than current standing when compiling their list, so Wheeler is not much of a surprise at this spot. Some--like myself--would rather wait to see some performance at the professional level, but it is their list.

The Giants placing players representing 4% of the list is a nice tip of the cap to the scouting and development staff. The future looks brighter, hopefully the future is now.

Giants 2010 Question Marks and Outlook

Are the Giants a legitimate, 90 win contender for first place in the Western Division?

Will the revamped line-up be able to improve on the pedestrian run total put up by the Giants offense in the last two seasons? Maybe something more in the 700-725 runs scored neighborhood?

(640 runs scored in 2008 and 657 runs scored in 2009)

Will a middle of the order consisting of some combination of DeRosa, Huff and Sandoval strike fear into the hearts of opposition pitching staffs?

Is this the breakout year for Nate Schierholtz or a visit to the "Last Chance Saloon"?

Can Hensely Meulens make a bigger difference in the team batting average, and more importantly the much coveted OPS, than Carney Lansford was able to?

Will Freddie Sanchez and Edgar Renteria shake off injury woes and return to elite form or continue to spend more quality time on the D.L. than on the field?

Will a slimmed down Pablo Sandoval produce 25 or more HR's or succumb to a sophomore slump?

Will Tim Lincecum compete for an unprecedented third Cy Young Award in his third season?

Can Matt Cain and Barry Zito build on last years improvement?

Will Johnathan Sanchez be able to hold runners on better and build on his no-hit stuff potential to become an elite, plus-.500 pitcher?

Does Madison Bumgarner enter the rotation from the bottom this year, or gain an additional year of seasoning and enter it more towards the top next season?

The answers to these questions will go a long way towards determining whether the Giants are contenders or, once again, pretenders. The Western Division is one where a key injury or contribution from one player can move a team from first to worst and back again.

Other than praying for Timmy's elbow (please, no sliders!!) I would think that Schierholtz could be the key. If he can come in and produce power numbers similar to those Sandoval threw up there last year, this team could rock and roll.

Play 50/50 with Sanchez and Renteria returning to form--and I would prefer a revitalized Sanchez BTW--and   the Giants could indeed return to the playoff picture in 2010.

Frank Thomas Retirement Press Conference

I heard some interesting tidbits from the Frank Thomas retirement press conference last week here in Chicago. I wish I could find an audio or a transcript of it.

Frank was one of the more outspoken players in his stance against the growing PED issue and was held up, along with Griffey, as one of the top sluggers in the era who did not cheat. He was prodded to comment on the recent McGwire apology and his thoughts on the era in general. While he generally avoided the question he did mention a couple of other issues he said contributed greatly to his ability to develop as a premier power hitter.

First, was his early career development under Sox hitting coach Walt Hriniak. I devoured Hriniak's hitting book and used a lot of his tenets in developing my approach in teaching hitting. I loved the aesthetics of the swing and the results it produced. Hriniak worked with Thomas, Robin Ventura with the Pale Hose in addition to his work with many of the Red Sox hitters of that era. Wherever he went, it seemed as if increased production would follow.

Second, he mentioned baseball's general approach through the umpires of taking away much of the inside part of the plate from the pitchers. The old-school pitchers like Drysdale and Bob Gibson of knocking guys down or sending "message" pitches went the way of the dinosaur early in Thomas' career and hitters were able to crowd the plat and dive into pitches with impunity.

Combined with the improved body-armor technology and the implementation of Questec pitchers literally had no safe haven to pitch to.

Finally, he mentioned how his career really blossomed when he learned how to distinguish between the pitch on the inside corner that he could drive down the line and keep fair as opposed to the one that was maybe a little off the plate and would hook foul.

One part improved pitch recognition plus one part improved hitting mechanics equals one very dangerous hitter.

Sounds like something straight out of the Ted Williams book on hitting.

P.S. - He also did mention that he felt he had an advantage athletically being a two-sport athlete over other players early in his career and this gave him a lot of confidence that he would succeed.

It did seem as if when the multi-sport athletes like Thomas, Bo Jackson, Kenny Lofton and Deoin Sanders among others came into the league it forced other players to up their game in terms of strength and conditioning in baseball.

SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM

The more we focus on all the clever ways youngsters can cheat, the more likely we are to ignore that the biggest single factor in escalating academic dishonesty is the failure of parents and teachers to teach personal integrity. - Michael Josephson, Character Counts

The first sign of corruption in a society that is still alive is that the end justifies the means. - Georges Bernanos, French novelist (1888-1948)

We have no right to ask, "Why did this happen to me?" when sorrow comes unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way. - Author Unknown

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. - James Madison

Do you believe in Miracles?? - 30 years later

THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COVER - NO CAPTION NECESSARY, THE ONLY ONE LIKE IT.


This is still the greatest moment in sports history. The rag-tag American team of college players vs. the Soviet juggernaut that was routinely destroying NHL teams. Still amazing to watch and I can't believe its been that long ago.

The Russian coach pulling Vladislav Tretiak from goal after he gave up a sloppy, last-second goal to end the first period is the deciding factor. If he goes into the locker room and lights Tretaik up but doesn't pull him, maybe the result is different. Tretiak at the time was the top goalie in the world. The Russians clearly did not take the American team seriously enough until it was too late. Several of the Soviet players made note of these two factors over the years.


Ten Minutes of the Canadian Feed:



The ABC-TV feed, seen on tape-delay:



In terms of sports, truly a miracle. This series of games was the genesis for the "USA, USA" chant that is commonplace in international contests today. What it did for the spirit and morale of a country that was still ailing at the end of the Carter administration cannot be measured.

The greatest game in sports history in my lifetime without a doubt. In terms of magnitude, I can't even come close to a comparable upset. Perhaps the Russians would cite their own upset of the USA basketball team, but that's another story for another day.

Giants and Lincecum settle on 2-year, $23 million deal

Lincecum and the Giants settle on 2 year, $23 million dollar deal but even better news is the other minor details that came out of Lincecum's court appearance to deal with his marijuana possession / speeding charges.

From YahooSports article:

Lincecum appeared in Clark County District Court before Judge Darvin Zimmerman, and Giants managing partner Bill Neukom was in court in a sign of support for Lincecum.

“I think a lot of growing up has to do with experiences you go through, whether that be good or bad. There’s different people who go through different experiences that shape them. It’s unfortunate also that you have to go through the bumps, like I am going through, to get to where you think you need to be. It’s just about changing yourself and looking for the right road to take instead of making it hard on yourself.”

Nice to see the Giants brass supporting their guy. And Lincecum's comments indicate that he has gained some maturity from the experience. Hopefully, he continues to make all of his news on the field rather than off it.

Baseball Training Q&A

With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror and the countdown date to pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training dwindling, parents and athletes begin to consider how they can better prepare for the upcoming season.

This blog answers some of the FAQ's I hear from parents struggling to figure out how to get their kids to achieve a higher level of play.

Depending on the child's age, prior experience in sports and skill level, here are some general guidelines to follow:

For Boys age 7-12 and Girls age 6-11:

Initiation stage of development.

These are kids who are still in the prepubescent years of development. Their bodies are still growing and developing. During this stage, there is no training focus on building muscle mass.
Resistance training should be avoided a this stage, especially heavy weight training. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups and sit-ups are examples. Light medicine balls can also be used.

Exercise programs should be focused on a wide variety of athletic skills and exercises involving running, jumping, tumbling, climbing, balancing, catching and throwing. Some believe that up to 90% of a athletes agility is developed prior to age 12, so drills or games focusing on starting and stopping or changing directions and reacting to stimuli should be emphasized.

Children in this age group should participate in a wide variety of sports and games in order to encourage multi-lateral development. Sports that encourage neuro-muscular development such as martial arts or gymnastics are examples.

The intensity level should be kept low and activities should not produce a high level of struggling or frustration at this point. Keep it fun and try to build up interest levels and attention spans.

At this stage, it is a good time to start to develop proper nutritional habits and choices.

The guidelines should be simple and easy to incorporate and maintain.

- Limit snacks and junk foods.
- Avoid sodas and fruit drinks with high levels of sugar.
- Avoid fried or high fat foods.
- Let kids know the difference between protein, carbohydrates and fats and why you need them as part of a healthy diet.
- No dieting at this stage.
- You can "treat" yourself occasionally, generally as a "reward" for good dietary behavior over a period of time.
- A multi-vitamin and perhaps fish oil supplement would be good for overall health.

Kids develop at different rates. If your child is big or small relative to his peers now, that could change. Don't sweat it. You can't control it, so why worry about it.

Don't worry about genetics or things you can't change. Worry more about encouraging, developing and modeling healthy habits.

-----

For Boys age 13-15 and Girls age 11-13:

Secondary stage of development

This is the optimal time period to initiate a resistance or weight training program.

To minimize injuries or down time and not interfere with the athlete's growth progress, the following factors should be considered:

- The chronological age in years and months.
- The biological age or maturation level of the athlete.
- The training age or experience level in sports and with resistance training.
- The growth spurt or onset of peak height velocity.

During growth spurts bones can become weaker and muscle imbalances can occur. Bones are growing and muscle-tendons are tightening. Athletes experience difficulties in balance and coordination due to these changes. The nervous system is, in effect, being re-wired to accommodate these changes. Athletes adapt to these bio-mechanical changes at different rates.

During these periods, stress levels should be lowered, if possible. This can include reducing training time and/or playing time. The body does not know the difference between playing and training stress.

To maximize the benefits of a resistance training program it may help to seek a qualified strength and conditioning coach to help develop a plan according to the individual athletes needs. The coach will evaluate and assess the current level of training and develop a training program to address the child's current strengths and weaknesses.

Factors to be considered for developing a resistance training program

- Begin with bodyweight exercise.
- Use medicine balls or throwing implements, especially if in a sport that involves throwing and catching.
- Medicine balls are effective for transferring strength to power by developing speed of movement.
- Emphasize the development of the abdominal, spinal, scapular and thoracic muscles.
- Incorporate drills and exercises that stimulate the neuromuscular system and reaction to outside stimuli.
- Avoid heavy resistance and low repetitions. Use a weight that you can handle 8-10+ reps per set with comfortably.
- Train with a partner or coach for assistance and/or motivation.
- Avoid "sports-specific" training at this point. Your goal should be to develop your overall athleticism at this stage.

There will be plenty of time to narrow your training and sports focus after age 15. In the early stages, variety is the spice of life.

Giants and Lincecum playing "We can work it out"

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the two sides are still working to head off the arbitration hearing by negotiating the framework of a three-year deal. The three years would cover all the remaining arbitration eligibility that Lincecum has remaining.

The Chronicle story:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/11/SP291BVJ96.DTL

The Giants are taking their negotiations with Tim Lincecum down to the wire. With an arbitration hearing scheduled for Friday, the sides have discussed parameters for a multiyear contract.

A major-league source said the Giants have made a three-year, $37 million offer with annual salaries of $9.5 million, $12.5 million and $15 million, and that the Lincecum camp countered with a proposal north of $40 million.

It seems like they are at a place where this gets done amicably without going to arbitration. The good will earned may come in handy after this deal is over and Lincecum becomes a free-agent.

The arbiter will consider the Giants offer of $8M vs. the Lincecum request of $13M for one year only.

Extended out to three years remaining, if Lincecum averages $13M for those three years, he comes out a big winner here. The Giants maybe save face keeping it under $40M total. So, the owners will still be able to show their faces around the posh country clubs and restaurants of Northern California.

I would set the over/under at $39.25 for a three year deal.

In other news the Giants further solidified the back end of the bullpen and provided an experienced emergency starter in ex- Cardinal Tood Wellemeyer. Another nice pick up.

Meanwhile, the Giants signed another pitcher, Todd Wellemeyer, who received a minor-league contract and an invitation to spring training. Evans said the Giants view Wellemeyer as a long reliever, but the right-hander also could be available to start if there's a need.

If he makes the team, Wellemeyer, 31, would make $1 million with a chance for an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses. He won 13 games with a 3.71 ERA for the Cardinals in 2008 but last season went 7-10 with a 5.89 ERA.

Relative Age Effect spotted in Australia...and why it matters

From the blog Sports are 80 Percent Mental

http://blog.80percentmental.com/2010/02/month-of-birth-determines-success-in.html

Here it is again....

The month of your birth influences your chances of becoming a professional sportsperson, an Australian researcher has found. Senior research fellow Dr. Adrian Barnett from Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation studies the seasonal patterns of population health and found the month you were born in could influence your future health and fitness.

The results of the study are published in the book Analysing Seasonal Health Data, by Barnett, co-authored by researcher Professor Annette Dobson from the University of Queensland.
Barnett analysed the birthdays of professional Australian Football League (AFL) players and found a disproportionate number had their birthdays in the early months of the year, while many fewer were born in the later months, especially December.

The Australian school year begins in January. "Children who are taller have an obvious advantage when playing the football code of AFL," Dr. Barnett said. "If you were born in January, you have almost 12 months' growth ahead of your classmates born late in the year, so whether you were born on December 31st or January 1st could have a huge effect on your life."

...and why it matters.

"Research in the UK shows those born at the start of the school year also do better academically and have more confidence," he said. "And with physical activity being so important, it could also mean smaller children get disheartened and play less sport. If smaller children are missing out on sporting activity then this has potentially serious consequences for their health in adulthood."

Dr. Barnett said this seasonal pattern could also result in wasted talent, with potential sports stars not being identified because they were competing against children who were much more physically advanced than them. He said a possible solution was for one of the sporting codes in Australia to change the team entry date from January 1st to July 1st.

I don't believe that the solution is as easy moving the birth date for the various youth leagues. Maybe part of the answer is to group teams more by size, as I believe youth football does.

Over here in the states, the travel/elite leagues are applying a form of self-selected, early identification system that removes some of the early achievers form the pool of late bloomers. I'm not sure that is the optimal system to have in place, but we are where we are.

(Price) Fixing the Baseball Draft

I still cannot understand that seemingly reasonable people in the baseball media continue to parrot the owners bargaining stance regarding implementation of a "slotting" system to determine bonus payments to players drafted.

There has been am "informal" gentlemen's agreement to hold bonus payment down by agreement, but over the last few years, this agreement among thieves has broken down time after time, allowing the better teams to draft quality players later. This circumvents the basic purpose of the player draft, which is to drive better players to less successful teams and allow them to rebuild and become competitive.

So the fix is to formalize the "unwritten" agreement?

This ignores one of the fundamental weaknesses of any price fixing agreement within a cartel--which is what the major league owners are--which is that they tend to break down due to "cheating" by cartel members looking out for their own best interests individually.

It happened when the agreement was informal, it will happen when the agreement is formalized. It's the nature of the beast. People will always look out for their own selfish interests first, even after they have agreed with their partners to act in the interest of the assemled group.

The slot system is a great idea for the owners, if they could ever adhere to it.

It rallies the pitchfork and fire carrying crowd in the media to rail against "greedy, overpaid" players. This appeals to "Joe Six-Pack", who theoretically has to pay higher ticket prices. I say theoretically, because there is no correlation between rising players salaries and rising ticket prices.

It pits veteran players vs. rookie players, who haven't played in professional baseball and are not represented within the players union. Here is where the union generally steps in as the adult in the room to prevent the veterans from hurting themselves by understanding the concept that diminishing on class of players rights diminishes all players rights. And salaries for that matter. I mean, get serious guys, do you honestly believe that the savings the owners will get by suppressing rookie salaries will flow to you? If you do, I still have that bridge in Brooklyn for sale. You might be interested.

The whole concept is good PR for the owners, but bad policy. It won't work. If by working we mean driving down salaries. Don't even get me started on driving better players to lesser teams. That's not even on the owners radar screen.

The reason it won't work jumped out of the page at me when I was reading an investment newsletter "Reflections" by John Gilbert, CIO for General-Re New England Asset Management.

Mr. Gilbert was describing the futility of price fixing in an investment context when he said:

Price fixing is always and everywhere a bad idea because it distorts the allocation of finite resources by deluding the people who make such decisions. It can work for a while, since in the short to intermediate term, politics trumps economics. But economics wins over time. Unfortunately, the longer the distortion continues, the greater the adjustment to a market level when it happens.

To paraphrase:
- He is saying in absolute terms, it is ALWAYS a BAD IDEA.
- It is a distortion designed to delude people into foolishly parting with their "allocation of finite resources" (ie: MONEY).
- It is a short-term fix at best.
- It is a triumph of politics over economics. Remember, this is supposed to be an economic fix.

Sounds great, where do I sign up for this type of fix?

It seems however, as if ultimately politics may trump economics in this case. We will have to see how it plays out and we won't know for sure until five to ten years have passed. It stinks if you are a player coming out in the next five to ten years though, doesn't it?

Basically, I am fundamentally opposed to the idea of price fixing, on the basis that it is illegal in most economic situations. The concept of 1) forming a cartel, 2) which will agree to do something illegal and then 3) cheat on each other internally, sounds like compounding of a bad error in policy. It seems like a policy doomed to fail.

It's strange that many in the baseball media reflexively support the concept and do not do any more than a modicum of thinking or research to find out if it would actually do what the owners say it will do. Isn't it? Your right, it's not strange at all.

That's part of the problem.

Giants go to arbitration with Lincecum and Spring notes

One way or another, the Giants will be making Tim Lincecum a very rich young man. The arbitration case has Lincecum seeking a $13 million deal for 2010 and the Giants coming in at $8M. Either way, a win-win for Lincecum. You would think the reasonable thing to do would be to split the difference and make "The Franchise" a happy man. Maybe set a cordial tone for his eventual long-term contract. But we'll see how things play out.

According to Yahoo Sports:

Lincecum is seeking the richest contract ever awarded in arbitration, surpassing the $10 million that Alfonso Soriano(notes) (2006) and Francisco Rodriguez(notes) (2008) got after losing cases and Ryan Howard(notes) received after winning in 2008.

Meanwhile, there is chatter about Buster Posey playing other positons this year, specifically first base, if his bat proves out in the early going.

The quest to slim down Pablo Sandoval via "Camp Panda" worries me a bit. It reminds me somewhat of the Mets efforts to trim down "El Sid" Fernandez in the 80's. He slimmed down all right. So did his fastball. And the hitters ended up feasting on El Sid. I hope the Giants are doing this because Sandoval's performance was hindered by the weight rather than just doing something for the sake of appearances. Tony Gwynn was not exactly the most svelte figure hitting .300 or better.....

Other than that, the only thing to look forward to will be the RF battle between Schierholtz and Bowker and what the Giants will do with Bumgarner as the fifth starter in the bigs or the ace at AAA. If he can give 150-175 innings at the major league level, I think it's something they should do.

Giants added RHP's Horacio Ramirez, Guillermo Mota and Byung-Hyu Kim to round out the bullpen depth. If one of the three hits, its a win for Sabean. This is is wheelhouse it seems, building a competent bullpen.

Happy 99th Birthday "Dutch" - Where have you gone Ronald Reagan.....?

Beloved by his friends and admirers and respected by his foes and adversaries. What more could you want in a great leader? Also, humble, genuinely good-natured and funny when the occasion called for it. A great man and the greatest President in my lifetime. Happy 99th RWR...


- Freed the Hostages held in Iran for over a year under Jimmy Carter (they feared Reagan-note the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad look-alike in the highlights)
- Survived an assassination attempt 69 days into his presidency
- Lifted the "malaise" the country was cast under during the Carter years
- Lowered the Misery Index that sky-rocketed under Carter
(the twin towers of double digit inflation and double digit high interest rates)
- Crushed the Evil Empire - the Soviet Union
(I never realized before how great a speech the Evil Empire speech truly was)
- Brought down the Berlin Wall
- Crushed Mohamar Ghadafi - the first "terrorist"
- Comforted the nation after the Challenger disaster (as well as the nations school-children who were watching the flight because the first school teacher to go into space was on it)
- Brought us Peace through Strength
- Brought us limited, smaller government and more liberty and freedom
- Changed the course of government through three small words "We the People"
- Returned "Power to the People" - "Reagan's Regiments"
- Renewed National Pride - Informed Patriotism
- Renewed the concept of America as "The Shining City on the Hill"

all of these are accomplishments and concepts are brought back in some of these highlights and speeches.

This is what a gifted orator sounds like.

He concluded his farewell address with the following words that personified what he brought to America and what he left us with but what, since he left, we have somehow forgotten: his wonderful vision of this country and for this country:

Reagan's vision:

I've thought a bit of the "shining city upon a hill." The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free. I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

And so, goodbye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

----
This was a monumental speech that fundamentally changed the course of recent history, IMO.

The "Evil Empire" speech - March 8, 1983

Address to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida that would come to represent Reagan's view of the Soviet Union. Reagan defends America's Judeo-Christian traditions against the Soviet Union's totalitarian leadership and lack of religious faith, expressing his belief that these differences are at the heart of the fight between the two nations.

Reagan to Gorbachev - "Tear down this wall" - June 12, 1987

The speech - abbreviated



The speech -in it's entirety



The Space Shuttle Challenger explosion - January 28, 1986

Speaking to the country and the nations children who were in utter shock and dismay. This was to be the night of the State of the Union address. Reagan, with the help of his gifted speech writer Peggy Noonan somehow found the proper words to memorialize the astronauts and help comfort and heal the nation in mourning.

Reagan delivered a speech written by Peggy Noonan in which he said:
The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave... We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of Earth' to 'touch the face of God.'

The great Reagan humor:



Responding to a question about playing the "blame game":




Reagan's Farewell Address - "A Shining City on the Hill" and Patriotism

Part I



Part II




Reagan on the values of Patriotism - "National Pride and Informed Patriotism"

Once again speaking to and about the youth of America and American values.

Finally, there is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time. But oddly enough it starts with one of the things I'm proudest of in the past eight years: the resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism. This national feeling is good, but it won't count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.

An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world? Those of us who are over 35 or so years of age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get these things from your family you got them from the neighborhood, from the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school. And if all else failed you could get a sense of patriotism from the popular culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, through the mid-'60s.

But now, we're about to enter the '90s, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs production [protection].

So, we've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but what's important—why the Pilgrims came here, who Jimmy Doolittle was, and what those 30 seconds over Tokyo meant. You know, four years ago on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, I read a letter from a young woman writing to her late father, who'd fought on Omaha Beach. Her name was Lisa Zanatta Henn, and she said, "we will always remember, we will never forget what the boys of Normandy did." Well, let's help her keep her word. If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual.

And let me offer lesson number one about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do.

-------

Final Tribute to Ronald Reagan

SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM...some words that echo in my ears

In a large sense we are engaged right now in a struggle that is far more fiercely contested than any game. It is a struggle for the hearts, for the minds, and for the souls of all of us, and it is a game in which there are no spectators, only players..... The test of this century will be whether man mistakes the growth of wealth and power with the growth of spirit and character. - Vince Lombardi (1913 - 1970)

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy..." - Alexander Fraser Tytler, Scottish lawyer and writer, 1770

----
some old-school wisdom from Charactercounts.org

FEBRUARY 1, 2010
Eighteen Random Rules of Life 656.2
I love maxims, those concise capsules of worldly wisdom. I collect them and write them and, of course, love to share them. Here are 18 random rules of life worth posting on your mirror or, better yet, using as dinner-time discussion starters.

Find the lesson in every failure and you’ll never fail.
The likelihood that you’re right is not increased by the intensity of your conviction.
Real friends help you feel worthy and make you want to be better.
When you’re in a hole, stop digging.
Don’t confuse fun with fulfillment or pleasure with happiness.
Refusing to let go of a grudge is refusing to use the key that will set you free.
Hating hurts you more than the person you hate.
Counting on luck is counting on random chance. Your odds are much better when you plan and work.
Being kind is better than being clever.
Don’t underestimate the power of persistence.
The easy way is rarely the best way.
It’s much easier to burst someone else’s bubble than to blow up your own.
You can’t avoid pain, but you can avoid suffering.
Self-pity is a losing strategy. It repels others and weakens you.
Shortcuts usually produce short success.
Control your attitude or it will control you.
It’s more important to be significant than successful.
The world is waiting for you to heal it.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
– King Solomon, Proverbs 22:6

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THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE - AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERS OF THE DAY WHO JUST DIDN'T LISTEN

Some old-school wisdom from the Founders:

An open letter from Thomas Jefferson to what were then his country's leaders after a series of grievances that resulted primarily from the leadership not responding to or quashing the will of the people.

I especially like the part where it says:

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security"

They say that history doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme.

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. -- Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Then he proceeds to list a series of grievances against the crown that led to this action.

And in conclusion, a course of action.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. -- And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

-- John Hancock

Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott, William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris, Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross, Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean, Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn, Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Dungy defends Tebow...Arenas apologizes...and Obama still clueless (so I'll help)

As usual Tony Dungy is right on the mark in his defense of Tim Tebow.

from paxalles.blogs.com

from interview with Laura Ingraham:

Dungy said that he is sorry that Tim Tebow and his family are getting attacked for their pro-life Super Bowl ad and that is unbelievable. He said that people want to hear tawdry gossip about celebrities, but not a message some don't want to hear. Ingraham noted that Tebow's story gets pushed aside for the lurid headlines. Dungy agreed and said it is easy to say that the few athletes commit misdeeds cover up the fact that many athletes do good works and lead good lives.

-----------

GILBERT ARENAS APOLGIZES

This is an excellent first step. Too many times the incident is front page and fodder for the talking heads, but this type of story does not garner the same coverage.

It appears that Mr. Arenas took the Washington Post up on their challenge and thoughtfully penned a response. That is an excellent start. The cynics will say he has 100 million $ome odd reasons to do this, but WTF, he has to start somewhere. And quite frankly, even if the Wiz cut him loose, he is going to get another, albeit less lucrative, opportunity in the NBA.

This is the key, it is all he needs to do for now.

I am grateful for the opportunity to do something good in the face of the very bad situation I created.

Hopefully, he continues to follow through and be able to do some good work in the community on this issue.

Nice move, Agent Zero.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020102795.html

By Gilbert Arenas

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Post suggested on Dec. 31 that I send a message to young fans "about guns being neither glamorous nor desirable." I am grateful for the opportunity to do something good in the face of the very bad situation I created.

I have done a number of things wrong recently. I violated D.C. gun laws and the NBA's ban on firearms on league property, and I damaged the image of the NBA and its players. I reacted badly to the aftermath and made fun of inaccurate media reports, which looked as though I was making light of a serious situation. And I gave Commissioner David Stern good reason to suspend me from the game, which put my teammates in a tough position and let down our fans and Mrs. Irene Pollin, the widow of longtime Wizards owner Abe Pollin.

I understand the importance of teaching nonviolence to kids in today's world. Guns and violence are serious problems, not joking matters -- a lesson that's been brought home to me over the past few weeks. I thought about this when I pleaded guilty as charged in court and when I accepted my NBA suspension without challenge.

That message of nonviolence will be front and center as I try to rebuild my relationship with young people in the D.C. area. I know that won't happen overnight, and that it will happen only if I show through my actions that I am truly sorry and have learned from my mistakes. If I do that, then hopefully youngsters will learn from the serious mistakes I made with guns and not make any of their own.

I am trying hard to right my wrongs. The one that will be hardest to make right is the effect my actions have had on kids who see NBA players as role models. Professional athletes have a duty to act responsibly and to understand the influence we have on all those kids who look up to us. I failed to live up to that responsibility when I broke the law and set such a bad example. Washington's children, parents and fans all deserve better from me, especially after all the kindness they've shown me over the years.

While I regret a lot about this incident, letting the kids down is my biggest regret. I love the time I spend with the kids here in the District, and it means a lot to me whenever I can help lift their spirits or inspire them, especially kids who have difficult lives.

Last Tuesday, I wrote a letter to students in D.C. schools that was also about owning up to my mistakes. I said that I lost sight of the lesson I learned from Abe Pollin about how the responsibility to be a good role model comes along with the opportunity he gave me. I reiterate now the pledge I made to those students: that this is a responsibility I am not going to walk away from, that I will choose more wisely in the future and do my best to help guide children into brighter futures.

There have been few bright spots for me these past few weeks. But one came the night I played my last game this season at Verizon Center. I saw young fans were still showing up wearing my jersey. That meant more to me than I can say.

The relationship I have with young fans is very important to me. I realize now how easily I can damage it. I have to earn that respect and work to deserve it each and every day. I plan to do that work by partnering with public officials and community groups to teach kids to avoid trouble and learn from their mistakes, to strive for success by working hard and persevering, and to try to make the right choices.

Some people may not forgive me for what I've done. But if I help steer even just one young person away from violence and trouble, then I'll once again feel that I'm living up to Abe Pollin's legacy and to the responsibility I owe the kids of the District.

The writer, a guard for the Washington Wizards, was suspended last month without pay for the rest of the season.

-----------

MY LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA (I hope he reads it)

Dear Mr. President:

WOW. I guess it's clear from listening to you speak recently that you certainly do read your mail. But it also appears equally as certain that you and your ilk do not get messages. The message that "the people" from Massachusetts sent has certainly fallen on deaf ears in D.C.

President Obama unveiled his $3.8T budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. In it, he seeks to borrow $1.3T in 2011. His budget assumes that the U.S. economy will have six years of above-average growth with little or no inflation or interest rates hikes.

Not much chance of those rosy projections coming true, now is there Mr. Prez? Let's be realistic, this is a budget you are submitting, not a fairly tale.

So let me see if I have this straight, Mr. President.

The budget (the amount we spend) is $3.8 Trillion.
The amount we are borrowing (the deficit) is $1.3 Trillion
So, the amount we make (our income) is about $2.5 Trillion

Do I have the basic math right, Mr. President? You still with me?

During the campaign you and Mrs. Clinton waxed poetic about being concerned about "ordinary" folks sitting around their kitchen tables trying to figure out how to pay the bills. You did this to conjure up an image that you cared about "ordinary" people and were in touch with their hopes and dreams.

Well--pardon me for the imagery Mr. President--but if my wife "proposed" spending an amount greater than 150% of our total income in any given year and putting the deficit on a credit card that was already maxed out, I might take a Louisville Slugger to the side of her head, if you follow my imagery.

Not that I would advocate actually doing such a thing to my wife--who I love dearly--but for those of you in government, well I think most reasonable people would rule that such an action was entirely justifiable under the circumstances. Y'all just don't listen.

BTW, "ordinary" folks do not have the luxury of "increasing the debt limit" er....increasing our lines of credit with the credit card companies, even though we bailed their sorry asses out.

Since you love to harken back to the Bush era so much, I'd like to remind you that the ENTIRE BUDGET FOR THE GOVERNMENT for all of 2001 was $1.9 trillion (see figures in Wikipedia article below). And now we have almost that much in deficit (excessive) spending? AYFKM, Mr. President?

UPDATE: The President recently announced his austerity measures to deal with the budget. The "spending freeze" only applies to a small % of the budget and we are not reducing it, we're just not increasing it as much. STRIKE ONE.

To put the savings in perspective let's compare what the government is doing to an "ordinary" American family. Based on a FY2011 Budget of $3.8T and a FY2011 Deficit of $1.3T, the Obama administration trumpeted $20B in cost savings or budgetary "belt-tightening". These numbers are so mind-numbing that if you say them fast enough or smoothly enough it seems like a major accomplishment.

But $20B is 0.5% of the overall budget.

For an "ordinary" household that:
makes a combined $60K per year (revenue)
and spends approx. $4,000 per month (budget)
the same 0.5% "belt-tightening" would = approx. $20 per month

THEY AREN'T EVEN CANCELING THE CABLE, FOLKS!!!!

I realize, Mr. President that this will not be one of those folksy "letters" you refer to, and claim to have actually read, when you go out on one of your perpetual campaign-mode speeches. But trust me when I say, we will be heard.

BTW, isn't it fairly obvious to all that this "I read letters from the common folk" schtick of yours is a blatant rip-off of the Hillary Clinton campaign references to "a woman (it was always a woman) who grabbed my hand in line and expressed concern about blah-blah-blah-blah-blah" whatever suited her agenda? GET YOUR OWN MATERIAL, MAN.

The people will have to KEEP ON speaking until the message is heard loud and clear.

My opinion is that ALL incumbents should be defeated in 2010. ALL OF THEM.

My message in summary to you Mr. President, and to your fellow bed-wetter in D.C. Mr. Timmy Geithner, is this:

GROW UP AND STOP WHINING
TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS (OR LACK THEREOF)
GET TO WORK PUTTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK
STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR MISTAKES


These are all childish actions coming from a President who claimed he had put aside childish things when he entered office. You wanted the job. You knew the situation going in, right? It's the reason you are in office and not John McCain or some other Republican. If Bush had done well, you're still canvassing neighborhoods down here on the South Side of Chicago.

Because, I have to tell you Mr. President, the people don't like pouting petulance and misplaced arrogance in our Presidents. We used to have guys who acted a lot like you back when I went to school and all I can tell you is they got their asses kicked a lot. Did you get your butt whipped a lot when you were a kid, Mr. Prez? I'll bet Geithner did.

Speaking of which, remind me again why there wasn't anybody else more qualified to be Secretary of the Treasury than Timmy. Should we remind Geithner of the futility of the PPIP program? PPIP, you will recall, was one of Timmy's few initiatives to help stem this economic crisis. It was rejected, folded up, put back in the box and returned to sender faster than a Valentines Day gift from the Dollar Store.

Did Little Timmy pull the idea of PPIP out of the same box he pulled his tax return out of?

I mean come on, man!! I don't think the markets or the foreign nations we grovel to in order to finance our debt and profligate spending can possibly feel confident when our nations finances are being managed by someone whose voice still cracks like a virginal, pre-pubescent teen when he is under pressure. No wonder that group of Chinese students laughed at him when he tried to convince them that their investment in America was sound. (they were probably pre-pub girls in the audience, right?)

And you know what that means for our future and that economic future of the children and grand-children that you continually state you are concerned about.

Should we continually bring up the futility of the stimulus to "create" jobs? I notice we've dropped the silly "jobs saved" mantra. Know why? Because anyone with an IQ above room temperature can see, from the hours worked data, that jobs are not being "saved" and in fact there is a shadow or hidden under employment figure demonstrated there.

The average hours worked continues to drop, almost 1 hour recently (from 34 to 33). That's almost 3%. So the 10% unemployment could actually be a "feels like" 12-13% number. Don't even get me started on the fraudulent reporting of "frustrated" workers.

SO, ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS AND GET BACK TO WORK FELLAS!!!

Like most Americans are either doing or trying their best to do--in spite of the comic-tragic efforts of their elected officials.

Maybe you will get the message when we give your old seat, er...."the people's seat" to a Republican or a Tea Party-er. See, we understand that it is the Democrats are the party of the tea-baggers, as well.

Or when we throw your RINO buddies like Crist into Tanpa Bay in favor of Rubio. Maybe, you'll get the message then, right?

Or, maybe like the old lawyer joke (hey, you were a lawyer once weren't you Mr. president?) this will all just be a "good start".

So I guess we will have to tolerate your Comedian in Chief tour for a few more years. You act more like you are auditioning to be some sort of pathetic third wheel in the Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien Tonight Show debacle than a President at times.

I heard you say recently that you will not compromise your ideological stances (but you're not an ideologue?) with the line -- "I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president," he told ABC News." -- when talking about tackling the big issues,as you see them.

My only question is "Who took the 'being a really crappy one-term President' off the table?" Because that certainly seems like where this is going.

WE ARE THE PEOPLE....AND WE SHALL BE HEARD!!!

Sincerely,

TheSlav
A Concerned Citizen

P.S. - And if you are really an agent for "CHANGE", try helping out all Americans, not just the ones who supported you to get elected. That's the same sort of behavior that you and your merry band of fellow henchmen have continually accused the Republicans of doing. You weren't elected to be "more of the same" with a different, hare-brained ideological bent that has never worked in the history of mankind. Your Robin Hood economic and political philosophy is not going to work. You get it? Got it? Good.


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MORE ON THE 2009 BUDGET FROM WIKIPEDIA:

NOT A PRETTY PICTURE!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget

In January 2008, then GAO Director David Walker presented a strategy for addressing what he called the federal budget "burning platform" and "unsustainable fiscal policy." This included improved financial reporting to better capture the obligations of the government; public education; improved budgetary and legislative processes, such as "pay as you go" rules; the restructure of entitlement programs and tax policy; and creation of a bi-partisan fiscal reform commission. He pointed to four types of "deficits" that comprise the problem: budget, trade, savings and leadership.[79]

Harvard historian Niall Ferguson stated in a November 2009 interview: "The United States is on an unsustainable fiscal path. And we know that path ends in one of two ways; you either default on that debt, or you depreciate it away. You inflate it away with your currency effectively." He said the most likely case is that the U.S. would default on its entitlement obligations for Social Security and Medicare first, by reducing the obligations through entitlement reform. He also warned about the risk that foreign investors would demand a higher interest rate to purchase U.S. debt, damaging U.S. growth prospects.[80]
[edit]Total outlays in recent budget submissions

Annual U.S. spending 1934-2006 with adjustment for inflation.
2011 United States federal budget - $3.83 trillion (submitted 2010 by President Obama)
2010 United States federal budget - $3.55 trillion (submitted 2009 by President Obama)
2009 United States federal budget - $3.10 trillion (submitted 2008 by President Bush)
2008 United States federal budget - $2.90 trillion (submitted 2007 by President Bush)
2007 United States federal budget - $2.77 trillion (submitted 2006 by President Bush)
2006 United States federal budget - $2.7 trillion (submitted 2005 by President Bush)
2005 United States federal budget - $2.4 trillion (submitted 2004 by President Bush)
2004 United States federal budget - $2.3 trillion (submitted 2003 by President Bush)
2003 United States federal budget - $2.2 trillion (submitted 2002 by President Bush)
2002 United States federal budget - $2.0 trillion (submitted 2001 by President Bush)
2001 United States federal budget - $1.9 trillion (submitted 2000 by President Clinton)
2000 United States federal budget - $1.8 trillion (submitted 1999 by President Clinton)
1999 United States federal budget - $1.7 trillion (submitted 1998 by President Clinton)
1998 United States federal budget - $1.7 trillion (submitted 1997 by President Clinton)
1997 United States federal budget - $1.63 trillion (submitted 1996 by President Clinton)
1996 United States federal budget - $1.6 trillion (submitted 1995 by President Clinton)

The President's budget also contains revenue and spending projections for the current fiscal year, the coming fiscal years, as well as several future fiscal years. In recent years, the President's budget contained projections five years into the future. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issues a "Budget and Economic Outlook" each January and an analysis of the President's budget each March. CBO also issues an updated budget and economic outlook in August.