Bill James and the 2011 White Sox

I picked up my Bill James 2011 Handbook the other day and went through and looked at the White Sox regulars.  We can all agree that the White Sox sucked last year, but looking at the projections that James made for the 2011 team, too many key players were much, much worse than advertised (All in, indeed).  Instead of just looking at this in the privacy of my own home and silently lamenting the woeful display that was the 2011 White Sox, I will instead use the internet as it was intended and share my angst, observations and snark with all of you.

First on the chopping block is Adam Dunn.  Sweet Jesus did he suck last year!  But don’t just take my word for it and every sportswriter in Chicago, look at these numbers:

Averages Actual: .159 BA .292 OBP .277 SLG .569 OPS

Batting Actual: 66 H 16 2B 0 3B 11 HR

That bat went farther than most of his hits

There are, of course, more numbers to look at but since I’m comparing Bill James’ projections, I’ll stick with these.  Basically Bill did not do very well with his projection on Adam Dunn, Oy!

Averages Projected: .247 BA .373 OBP .511 SLG .884 OPS

Batting Projected: 140 H 31 2B 1 3B 39 HR

Luckily for Dunn, he did not register enough at bats for this to become a historically bad season.  Unluckily for Dunn, so many people will never forget, including me.  Just looking at the difference between the projections and the actual all I can do is wonder how could it go so wrong?  Well, the change in leagues can account for some of it, but clearly not all.  There is no way the American League is that much of a superior league than the National.  His age? I suppose that might account for some of it too, but the drop off seems pretty drastic from 31 to 32.  If Dunn were even 35 to 36 it would make more sense, but even then the drop off was so incredible, so extraordinary that it ultimately defies description.  I hate to say, James 0 for 1.

Going by the level of disappointment produced by each player, Alex Rios is next on the list.  Some even argue he was a bigger disappointment than Dunn, but I just like to think they both really sucked and leave it at that.  Anyway here are all the numbers actual and projected:

Averages Actual:  .227 BA / .265 OBP / .348 SLG / .613 OPS

Averages Projected:  .280 BA /. .333OBP / .453 SLG / .787 OPS

Batting Actual: 122 H / 22 2B / 2 3B / 13 HR

Batting Projected: 159 H / 36 2B / 4 3B / 18 HR

The bat is not to blame.

Just looking at those lines depresses me.  What makes it worse is that he produced more than Dunn, if only by a smidge.  If I get more bored at work, I should look and see how many times they were on base together.  I would wager when combining Rios’ ineptitude with Dunn’s inability to move that was a rare occurrence.  Basically if Dunn got on base when hitting in front of Rios it was rare if he made it past second base and it was rare for Rios to get on in front of Dunn.  If he did, Dunn either struck out or walked.  On the subject of Rios and James’ predictions, however, I have to say while not as bad as the Dunn predictions, Bill still missed, 0 for 2.

Now the curious case of Gordon Beckham.  Bill James gave Gordo a lot of love at the beginning of 2011 as did many Sox fans and media types.  I can’t say that I was that optimistic.  I realize that James uses past performance to make his projections, while factoring in age, injury history and the like.  A big factor, I think, in Gordo getting a decent projection is that he has a pretty small sample size, two MLB seasons one of which was only 103 games.  I’ll be really interested in where Beckham is at in next year’s Handbook:

Averages Projected: .273 BA / .343 OBP / .436 SLG / .779 OPS

Averages Actual: .230 BA / .296 OBP / .337 SLG / .633 OPS

Batting Projected: 151 H / 41 2B / 2 3B / 15 HR

Batting Actual: 115 H / 23 2B / 0 / 10 HR

The hair is still marvelous.

All things considered, this isn’t as bad as it could have been, say if the season would have ended at the All-Star Break.  Beckham did not have nearly the bounce in the second half as he did in 2010.  James was pretty accurate on home runs, but was pretty far off on everything else.  I was considering giving Bill a tie on this one, but looking at the disparity between his average numbers I think it’s more 0 for 3.

I felt that if Brent Morel batted about .250 and played a decent third base that the White Sox could survive with his growing pains.  Of course I did not foresee the Armageddon that was Adam Dunn and the ineptitude of Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham.  Given those circumstances Morel’s lack of…well, everything at the plate did not help the White Sox much at all.  Bill James makes the point in his introduction to the projection section that minor league statistics are useful in making projections for rookie players.  Unfortunately, Morel’s cup of coffee in 2010 was a better indicator of how he would perform in 2011, small sample size be damned.

Averages Projected:  .291 BA / .327 OBP / .448 SLG / .775 OPS

Averages Actual:  .245 BA / .287 OBP / .366 SLG / .653 OPS

2010 Cup of Joe:  .231 BA / .271 OBP / .415 SLG / .687 OPS

Batting Projected: 150 H / 36 2B / 3 3B/ 13 HR

Batting Actual:  101 H / 18 2B / 1 3B / 10 HR

2010 Cup of Joe:  15 H / 3 2B / 0 3B / 3 HR

Maybe next year?

All of which is to say, James was too optimistic for young Brent, but I definitely think he can improve and if he puts up 2012 numbers closer to his 2011 projections that will be quite a boon for the White Sox.  Even so, can’t say this was a good prediction so 0 for 4.

I think we have covered all of the black holes in the line-up, but the second level of suckiness needs to be looked at.  I don’t think these next three guys were horrible last year, but they weren’t particularly good either.  They might have been good pieces to an already strong line-up, but not all three.  Where to go from here as far as level of disappointment? I have to go with Carlos Quentin.  I’m not including defense in this little soiree, but he is a butcher in right field.  He is paid for offense though, not his defense.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t great this year, but he definitely wasn’t the problem either:

Averages Projected: .261 BA / .354 OBP / .499 SLG / .853 OPS

Averages Actual: .254 BA / .340 OBP / .499 SLG / .838 OPS

Batting Projected: 132 H / 32 2B / 2 3B / 28 HR

Batting Actual: 107 H / 31 2B / 0 3B / 24 HR

All things considered Bill did a good job on Quentin, especially when one considers that James projected 137 games for the Q and he only played in 118.  Which leads to his position on the disappointment chart; Quentin has only played in 130 or more games (131 whoo-hoo) twice in his White Sox career.  When he goes out, it leaves the Sox with the likes of Brent Lillibridge and Alejandro De Aza.  Sorry but I just can’t get that excited about a 27 year old rookie, unlike most Sox fans.  Also, I love Lilly, but he isn’t exactly what is needed from Quentin’s replacement.  Either way, I have to say Bill James did pretty good, 1-4.

The other end, Carlos.

Speaking of bad defense, AJ Pierzynski is pretty much what everyone thought he was going to be, including Bill James, so it’s hard to be too disappointed with his performance.  Like the Quentin injury situation, however, the lack of foresight on the part of Sox management about AJ and an eventual replacement is disheartening.  When he was re-signed before 2011 it was as if the Sox were saying, “Well everybody we got in the minors sucks, so this is as good as it gets, suckers.”  So even with AJ performing to expectations, it sucks because it feels like organization wasn’t trying, again relying on Dunn and others to produce and hide the mediocre catcher:

Average Projections: .276 BA / .315 OBP / .403 SLG / .718 OPS

Average Actual:  .287 BA / .323 OBP / .405 SLG / .728 OPS

Batting Projected:  137 H / 27 2B / 0 3B / 12 HR

Batting Actual: 133 H / 29 2B / 1 3B / 8 HR

Like I said, James was pretty much dead on with AJ, but when the above numbers are one of the best individual performances on your team, it is going to be a long year, 2-4.

What was he doing here?

Much like AJ, but in left field is Juan Pierre, the guy, if you believe Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times, was kept on the White Sox because he was one of Ozzie’s favorite players.  When Kenny broached the topic of getting rid of Juan or at least sitting him in the early part of 2011, Ozzie reportedly said, “then you have to explain it to the rest of the team.”  I’m sure Juan works hard and is a great guy, kind to animals and children, but if this is the guy you’re drawing a line in the sand for, then maybe you deserve to get fired:

Averages Projected:  .283 BA / .337 OBP / .338 SLG / .675 OPS

Averages Actual: .279 BA / .329 OBP / .357 SLG / .657 OPS

Batting Projected: 180 H / 22 2B / 5 3B / 1 HR

Batting Actual:  178 H / 17 2B / 4 3B / 4 HR

Looking at these numbers, I’m convinced Ozzie is crazy when he says he would like a team of 25 Juan Pierre’s.  Bill James 3-4.

Lord Helmet

Rounding out the starting line-up are the two most solid players on the White Sox roster, especially over the last few years.  First up is the Cuban Missile (easily the worst nickname to come around in recent years) Alexei Ramirez.  He performed pretty much right to expectations, right on James’ projections and if you thought he was going to do better than that, well technically you were wrong, but not by much.  Even so Alexei had a good year and I hope he’s at shortstop for the foreseeable future:

Averages Projected: .280 BA / .325 OBP / .426 SLG / .750 OPS

Averages Actual: .269 BA / .328 OBP / .399 SLG / .727 OPS

Batting Projected: 162 H / 26 2B / 2 3B / 18 HR

Batting Actual: 165 H / 31 2B / 2 3B / 15 HR

Like I said, James was pretty close and the difference could be attributed to James projected 155 games played and he actually played 158.  Even so James, as I’m sure is no surprise, pulls even, 4-4.

Whoopsie!

The final person to look at in this annus horribilis is the first baseman, Paul Konerko.  Where would the White Sox be without Paul Konerko?  A scary proposition to be sure.  What is even scarier to me is that this ride has to come to an end sometime and with each passing year, I look to the next season with a bit of dread.  Even so Paulie was just solid:

Averages Projected: .273 BA / .361 OBP / .496 SLG / .857 OPS

Averages Actual: .300 BA / 388 OBP / .517 SLG / .906 OPS

Batting Projected: 152 H / 28 2B / 0 3B / 32 HR

Batting Actual: 163 H / 25 2B / 0 3B / 31 HR

James was a little low on Konerko, but not terribly so.  I’m guessing that the 2012 projection will reflect a certain bearishness as well.  Hard to argue with that thinking; Konerko will be 36 at the beginning of the season and he’s coming off of two very solid years.  An adjustment of sorts is due I’m afraid.  What would make it worse is if the underperforming players continue downward instead of bouncing back.  If that’s the case, 2012 will be even harder to bear than 2011.  James hit Konerko pretty much on the nose, so 5-4 James.  What is telling from these numbers, however, is that where the White Sox missed projections, they REALLY missed (Dunn, Beckham, Rios and Morel).  The players who met or exceeded expectations just weren’t enough to carry the White Sox.  I suppose in an effort to approach completeness I could look at players like Brent Lillibridge and Alejandro De Aza.  However, if the season came down to relying on those two (and it did) then it would just be further evidence of what was stated at the very beginning of this post, the 2011 Chicago White Sox sucked.  After Christmas, the pitchers; I don’t want to depress people anymore before the holidays.

The Captain

A Very Simple Review of A Dance Performance

I will be the first to admit that you could fit all I know about dance into a thimble and still have room for your thumb.  Even so I’ve always been a fan, in many ways wishing I had half the grace dancers possess.  I also am a huge fan of Gene Kelly and “Singing in the Rain” is one of my top movies of all time.  However I can’t say that I go out of my way to see live performances of dance like I do of music and theatre.  Which I think is an extension of my first statement.  I just don’t get dance beyond admiring the beauty of movement.  I’d like to think I’m a perceptive fellow, but when I’m watching dance I find myself thinking, “Wow, that is amazing!” I don’t feel like I take it to that next level and appreciate what the overall story or message that is being delivered.  Sometime I feel pretty confident in my interpretation, but it tends to be in realms I already feel pretty comfortable.  I mean I’ve been listening to Phish for close to twenty years now, so if I can’t pick up the overarching theme of tension and release, then I’m a moron.  Along the same lines, I can see how the movements enhance and reflect the action of a story that I already know, like Romeo and Juliet.  This is all to say that I went out with the family Saturday night to see a friend perform with Aerial Dance Chicago in Aerial Works Raw.  I realize as I write this how far out of my depth I truly am. 

 The performance featured two sets of performances with a brief intermission.  When the company advertised that it was an intimate setting, they weren’t kidding.  The audience was only three rows deep and the dancers were often right to the edge of the performance space.  Short of being on the stage one couldn’t be closer.  I could hear the dancers breathing from time to time, which really demonstrated how hard they were working.  It reminded me of being at a soccer game and being able to smell the grass and feel the ground shake as the players rumbled nearby.  In a theatrical setting this closeness normally would foster a closer connection to the performers, but because of the nature of Aerial Dance that isn’t quite the case.  The key aspect of the company is that much of the dancing takes place in the air by virtue of silk ropes, cables and swings.  If had to guess, I would say that the dancers were at the very least five to twenty feet off the ground at any given time.  The simple act of pulling themselves up was amazing.  The definition in the dancers’ back and shoulders was power on display.  All of the other maneuvers were equally jaw-dropping.  I was truly out of my dept when there was more than just the aerial component going on during a piece.  One of the dancers would be in air and the other dancers would be performing other movements, sometimes in tandem with the aerial person, sometimes almost independently.  I wasn’t sure how to view this, literally and figuratively.  I was drawn to the performer on the ropes, but felt like I was limiting my experience.  Perhaps that dichotomy was intentional, but ultimately I found it more distracting than anything else. 

 The three solos, “For You”, “Gravel Road” and “Unbound”, and one of the duets, “On the Rise”, were simply stunning.  My wife made the comment during “For You” that the dancer had an incredible body.  I agreed a little too quickly for my wife’s tastes, but I wasn’t saying it like THAT…really!  Watching these women perform I couldn’t help but think of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. 

Da Vinci's Vitruvian could be in ADC

It was the athletic strength and grace that was the star of show.  Even if dance isn’t your thing, it would be impossible to leave this show and not be impressed, if not inspired.  Much like a great athletic performance, the power of the dancer’s movements leaves me without words.  It’s like trying to describe Tiger Wood’s golf swing.  I just can’t do it justice.  The best thing I can recommend is that you go and check it out yourself when they perform in the Spring.

Running Season in Review

Well with Thanksgiving over my running season for 2011 officially ends. I like to finish off with a Turkey Trot of some kind, but due to changed travel plans, a sick spouse and cooking to do, no Trot for me. Instead I got out for a 4 mile and change jaunt on the path closest to my home. It was really nice to reflect as I was running along the canal and think how far I’d come in this year of running, of the adventures and misadventures I had along this little stretch of asphalt and beyond. It was really nice being out on Thanksgiving as well. I ran by two soccer games, a football game and countless fellow runners and bikers. There is something nice about seeing people getting active pre and post holiday bacchanal. Everyone seemed a little nicer, a little friendlier and just happy to out of the house. Below are some of the highlights and lowlights of my 2011 running year.

Highlights

Running with my wife. Can I just say that running with my better half was awesome? We did not get to do it nearly enough, mostly only during the races we did but it was a real treat for me. I tend to be a bit of a loner when I run, by design truthfully, but getting to share something I love with my wife was a lot of fun for me. Better still, I now have a new time to keep when we race together, PR Couple Time. We haven’t broken forty minutes yet (very close!) but it’s more about the company than the watch.

Post the Race Against Hate

Running the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. Overall, the course isn’t as breathtaking as the Chicago half, but it is still a great run. Unlike the Chicago half, Indy starts and ends right downtown and it has a much bigger feel to it than Chicago. The Mini is the event that kicks of the race activities for the month of May in Indianapolis so there are lots of balloons, tons of local media and even a grandstand at the end. Easily the biggest race I’ve been a part of, perhaps not participant-wise, but as an “event” nothing I did was on the same scale. Oh, and did I mention that I got to run on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Freaking Awesome! Adding to the fun of it all was the fact that it was a family trip as well. I got to run the race then hang with the family the rest of the weekend. Indy is a great town to visit, especially with the family and I look forward to doing the mini again some time.

At the Start of the Mini-Marathon

Joining the RW Challenge for the Chicago Half-Marathon. I must admit, I like the free plans from Runner’s World better than the one I used as part of the challenge, but everything else was just perfect; separate packet pick up, hospitality tent at the event; post-race massage. On top of that I got to meet Mark Remy, a very fun author for Runner’s World and after the race a person from the Challenge staff greeted me at the finish line which was a great touch.

Running the Chicago for the second time. I really like this route and knowing exactly what was going on and what to expect was great. The whole day was just fantastic. I had a chance meeting on the shuttle with a friend and her boyfriend on the way to the race. It was kind of surreal to see someone I knew in that location, especially at that time, but it also got me out of head a little bit, not focusing on the race ahead and all of the pre-race anxiety that I get. During the race, at mile 11 specifically, I had a n emotional moment, something that has never happened when running. At the 11 mile mark I just had this great sense of accomplishment, not only for finishing my second half marathon of the year, but realizing I finished my Ph. D., had my twenty-year sober anniversary and bought a house. It was a big year and it was great to just feel some pride over all of it.

Running the Shamrock Shuffle. It was a fun race, the unofficial start to the year of running for a lot of people and it was crowded, too crowded really. I’m glad I did it and it was fun running through downtown Chicago, but over the course of an 8K there were just too many people. There was no separation in the field and it was too packed for the entire time. It was a good experience, with one of the better t-shirts of the year, but I won’t be going back any time soon. Which is a perfect lead in to…

Lowlights

Another little injury. Granted this one didn’t sideline me for as long as my ITBS did last year, but it’s just another place that tightens up, another set of stretching that I need to do. Nothing like going through a separate routine for my Achilles, ITBS and hips to make me feel just a little bit older.

The Tenth Mile of the Indy Mini. I was cruising, feeling pretty good from the race track and saw the bridge over the White River. I checked my watch and felt breaking 2:15 was within my grasp. By the time I got across the bridge, I was spent with about two miles to go. I was just dead, completely bonked. The rest of the way was such a struggle, I’m glad I finished and stuck it out, but the finish line didn’t come soon enough.

Not getting a 2:15. I really wanted to break 2:15 this year, trained for it and fell short in both attempts at the half marathon. Not much else to say except crap.

A few of bad, bad, BAD training experiences. I won’t get into all of the gory details, but on two occasions I had to make emergency stops and a tree would not suffice. On another occasion I was completely overwhelmed by the heat to the point where I had to stop and walk home. I thought for sure I was going to throw up. Luckily I didn’t, but I felt like crap the rest of the day and into the next. Just a yucky set of experiences.

That about sums up the year and I’m looking forward to next year. I plan on doing some of the same events and the biggie, the Chicago Marathon in October 2012. But now, my break from Thanksgiving to New Year is in full swing and I miss running already.

A Late Review for Sizzle! A Global Warming Comedy

I managed to catch the play Sizzle! on its closing weekend so my thoughts come a little too late to be of any help to those that were thinking of going to see the show.  I did promise the playwright my brutal opinion after the show so my usual dozen or so readers will be joined by at least one more, who unlike myself, actually has written something that a fair amount of people have actually seen.  I don’t say that lightly.  Just thinking of the numbers for a second, more people saw Sizzle! Friday night then will probably ever read my dissertation.  I can’t say read this blog because I’ve had a few blind squirrel days around here, thanks Deadspin and YEMblog , but in all fairness, writing a play, getting it produced, and dealing with actual critics from the likes of Time Out Chicago, The Chicago Tribune and other publications is real big boy stuff, not this little ditty. 
Dear God, I almost quoted Shakespeare, but I will refrain.  About the play; all things considered it was…ok.  There were a few things that were mildly annoying and a few that were very annoying.  And a few things that were pretty good, so let’s start there.  I know New Suit is a bit of a nomadic tribe when it comes to space, but the west theatre at the Raven was quite wonderful.  A number of storefront theaters have distinct seating issues, namely sightlines and sound but the small space at Raven was fantastic; stadium seating and a decent sound system that made the various audio pieces work.  What’s more, I wasn’t quite centered (no matter what the venue, I kind of like being off center) and yet everything came through loud and clear.  A good counter example to this is the theater I went to on Saturday evening, the Oriental.  A huge space, but we were far left of center and we had a difficult time hearing the dialogue from certain locations of the stage.  Anyway the space was superb and hopefully the New Suit can put on more shows there or comparable locales. 

On to the mildly annoying.  I can’t remember which review was pretty harsh about the lead actor, but I was pretty much in agreement with whoever wrote it.  I’m lucky to have the insight of the playwright and a mutual friend to get the answer to some of these issues, but it doesn’t mitigate the fact that the character as either written, directed or performed (or a combination of all three) made me dislike him and not in a comedic sort of way, say like Ricky Gervais was in the Office or Jeffery Tambor in Arrested Development.  It was more like dreading his appearance in general, like Chris Kattan in Corky Romano.  The lead actor basically went from Jerry Lewis to Gene Wilder to Matthew Perry in the matter of minutes during a variety of scenes.  The overall nervous and manic persona he tried to display ventured too far into caricature and stereotype of the neurotic persona that can too easily be overplayed. 

Speaking of stereotypes, the decision to have the Hollywood producer act like a Pricilla Queen of the Desert was a bit much to take.  I understand that the writers were trying to respect the filmmaker of the source material (more on this in a moment) but the character was positively gauche.  However the truly annoying character because it embraced so many stereotypes was the second lead, the African American cameraman.  The characterization of an African-American with baggy clothes, sideways hat, and eubonic affectation of speech was every Republican’s view of African-Americans bar Tiger Woods, Herman Cain and Michael Jordan.  What was further infuriating was how the relationship was established of the white professor being the smart one and the African-American being uneducated.  In the second act when the white characters were explaining to the African-American the nuances of environmental science and policy was almost offensive.  They might as well have been speaking to a child.

Now, I have a bit of insider information about this character and the Hollywood producer.  I’ve been told that the writers wanted to respect the original filmmaker and do an accurate retelling of the documentary.  They went so far as to show the filmmaker working drafts of the script.  I understand and respect the writer’s sensitivity to this issue and I find it admirable that they went to such lengths to insure they were representing his vision and memory of events.  To be an historian for a second; at some point the author must offer their interpretation of an event, not just an accurate retelling, but an avenue to help the audience or reader understand the issue at hand.  This is especially needed in a public performance.  Even if the two characters in real life were directly out of the caricature handbook, being confronted with them on stage makes for a bad experience and presentation.  Characters need depth to be believable and sometimes accuracy isn’t the best way to achieve that.  A person’s perspective and memory are often the worst avenues to get at any truth, especially for an audience.  I feel like the mission of the New Suit was compromised a little by giving the original source such a strong voice.  Perhaps they could only get the rights to make the play by giving him editorial input and if that was the case, in the future they should demur instead of go forward with something that is lacking. 

I should note that the second act, the talking down to the African-American notwithstanding, really embraced the educational and provocative mission of New Suit.  It was quite good how the debate became framed and the importance that one person has in any issue.  The idea that debate is healthy and as the New Suit has done with a number of productions that there are more opinions and sides to an argument than the predominant narrative that is usually latched upon by the mainstream media.  So it is vital that New Suit keeps doing what it is doing.  They just need to exert more control on the message in the future and remember that sometime the medium affects the message.

Post-Script

Looking over this review, I realize I’m being pretty brutal.  Now, the playwright told me to not hold back and I didn’t.  Like I said at the beginning, however, to put one’s work out there, produce it, market it, and suffer the critiques of two-bit academics and theatre critics alike, is truly admirable.  I think it only far, then, to get off my butt and write some of the things that have been on my mind for quite some time.  The playwright of Sizzle! gets the first licks on whatever that turns out to be.

The Blog of Revelation

I know the regulars to this blog are aware that I’m a member of AA and that I also wrote a dissertation on the fellowship as well.  A major part of the program is carrying the message to other alcoholics, to help those that are still in the throes of alcoholism and share what has helped me stay sober.  A key aspect of this is sponsorship.  I have not been much of a sponsor in the twenty years that I’ve been in AA.  I have a couple of theories about why I don’t have much of a “family tree.”  I think the biggest reason is that I’m not an “order giver.”  A lot of people who come into AA expect someone to give them orders on how to not only pursue the twelve steps, but just about every aspect of their lives, “call me everyday,” “pray on your knees,” “go to these five meetings” and on and on.  There are plenty of men in the rooms who take up that role and help a great many people get and stay sober.  I never responded to that type of sponsorship so I can’t really fake it and be the drill sergeant that so many seem to crave.  The other reason I don’t think I’ve done much sponsoring is that I’m afraid that I’m not going to get it right, that I’m not going to relate the program as well as my sponsors have over the years.

 

The reason I’m writing about this is the fact that I’ve recently picked up a new sponsee.  We have started working together and we’ve started going through the Big Book and working the steps.  As we got started, I could feel myself doubting what I was doing, not connecting with the material.  Then it hit me, a true revelation.  I know a lot about Alcoholics Anonymous.  I know, I know, I’ve been sober a long-ass time, I wrote a dissertation about AA, and as I was talking to this new guy I realized something I’ve been doing wrong all these years.  One of the keys to teaching is not only knowing the material, but being able to connect with the material and in a sense make it ones own.  I’ve never been able to teach from someone else’s notes.  Sure, I’ve borrowed from other folks, been inspired by many, many teachers, but I’ve always had my own style.  All this time and I never realized that I wasn’t being true to myself when I was sponsoring someone.  I was trying to go by the notes of other people, to bring their style and their way of doing things to my approach to others, my step work.  Of course it never felt right, because it wasn’t right.  I’m not saying that I failed the people I sponsored in the past, but I wasn’t connected to the material the way I needed to be to be an effective teacher.  Ultimately, that’s what being a sponsor is really all about, teaching someone, guiding someone on the path of sobriety.  I can’t take people down the path that my sponsors took me down, just as I can’t teach a class the same way my mentors taught me.  As my sponsee and I were working together, I realized I needed to just be myself.  I’m not saying that I know better or that I’ve got some inside track now.  Nope it’s just finally embracing who I am, and it’s not my former sponsors or all the great people I’ve been inspired by.  I’m an alcoholic who has been sober for twenty years; who has read a great deal about AA and has lived a life with God and the twelve steps.  It’s hard for me to believe, but I might actually know what I’m doing.

Closing Time, Last Call.

Well, this is it.  The last remnants of my old blog from MySpace.  It was fun looking at these old posts, seeing where life was in 2008, or so.  It also reminds me yet again what blogging is kind of all about.  It’s a forum to write about my stuff and like I said a post or two ago, I don’t have deadlines, assignments or any responsibilities. It’s about fun and life.  When those things intersects, great.  If they don’t oh well.  I’ll do my best.  Hope you enjoy these little blurbs.

good news/bad news

Current mood: crappy

The good news: physically, got some great news from my surgeon! No hernias on either side. Some strange muscle thingy on one side, a fatty tumor on the other. Other than word choice there is no cutting in the foreseeable future.

The bad news: children, especially the boy. For the past week, everything is a meltdown. “Please change your pants.” SCREAMING. “Go play in your room.” SCREAMING. This morning was the end. A fifteen minute meltdown finally pushed me over the edge. I feel like crap because I got so angry, it just doesn’t feel good. I feel hungover. Father of the year is not coming my way…

11:22 AM

May 20, 2008

Requiem for a meeting

Current mood: nostalgic

I’m guessing that most of the folks that read this blog know me and if you don’t well, hello. This must be the most boring blog you check out. As most of you know, I’m a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and have been for seventeen years.(eek! now 20+) In that time I’ve attended literally thousands of meetings, most of them indistinguishable from another. Every once in a while, something special happens. A meeting takes on a personality, it becomes its own thing, a special moment in time. This can last for months or years, but ultimately it comes to an end. Some my greatest memories and friends come from these moments. The Sense of Humor group in East Lansing, Sundays at Church of Our Savior and the Mayflower group just to name a few. Now a meeting that was a great part of my sobriety the last couple of years is calling it quits. The Prince William Group was a group that meant a lot to me. After a while it lost some of its punch and then some internal things disrupted the membership. For the last few months four guys had kept it going, but now they just can’t do it anymore. Moving on is always hard, but it definitely is time. PWG served its members very well and made many of us better people. I’m glad I’ll always have a connection to PW alums and I’m positive another group will emerge for all of us somewhere and some of us will even be together.

11:35 AM

May 12, 2008

Sick Children Redux

Current mood: sick

Yeah, so the kids have been sick basically for the last two weeks, and finally while far away in the southwest suburbs, I got sick. Whoopee! Two exits, no waiting. Productivity was already down, now its nil. I really want to make this summer count, but it’s not off to a good start. Oh, well many months to go, but I hate feeling like I’m not making and progress. I need to get this thing finished. I need to move on and maybe that’s why these last two chapters are proving to be such a bear. I’m ready to move on, but the work isn’t done. Back to work

10:57 PM

Apr 28, 2008

Fun stuff

Current mood: chipper

So, I wrote this essay about becoming a White Sox fan and sent it off to a website. And what do you know? They decided to put it on the site this week. What is hilarious is that reading it online it seems far too long. I need to work on my journalistic prose it seems. Anyway, if you are at all interested (and I find it hard to believe that this page has been viewed a thousand times) feel free to check out my much needed non-academic ramblings at:

(Sorry, the link is dead! 11/2/2011)
12:42 PM

Apr 16, 2008

Sometimes working doesn’t involve books

Current mood: exhausted

First, sorry to everybody who got bulletins from “me.” While I hope everyone who reads this does find “tru” love, I don’t think the match maker website is your best option. Go with an escort service first. If that doesn’t work anonymous sex seems to work really well. So, I’ve been working like a dog the last few days, but it has little to do with the old dissertation. Tending to two sick tots is much more tiring than just about anything I’ve encountered. Nothing beats being greeted by a four year old covered in shit, saying “I had a little accident.” He still has a little trouble with perspective. No buddy, crapping the bed is not little, especially three times in two days. The girl had issues too, but mostly just cranky. What makes matters worse is that they don’t understand that certain foods are not a good idea on an upset stomach. So two children screaming for hot dogs was pretty much how my day went yesterday. Today, I finally am back to the grind, but I REALLY just want to lay on the couch and embrace the silence.

11:22 AM

Apr 3, 2008

I don’t mind working

Current mood: blah

So, I’m working. Back to it as they say. Reading about World War II, and it’s kind of boring, really. I’m itching to get back to writing but I need to read some of this stuff just to see where I fit. I really wish I was finished with this chapter so I can do the last chapter. It is a much more exciting bit. But to quote the “program” first things first. And thank goodness the White Sox actually won!

1:29 PM

• Mar 24, 2008

What the Hell am I doing next?

Current mood: crazy

The best way to explain how I’m feeling is difficulty with re-entry. I was in NYC for research last week and it was INTENSE. I put in four straight days at the archive, basically from open to close. By the last day my brain was mush and I could still be there tracking down more stuff. Anyway, back home, Easter celebration and today, first day “back to normal.” I’m quite simply out of sorts. I have this mountain of information, and yet no where to go right now. So, what else should I do except write a bit on the old blog? The new chapter beckons and I’m itching to do SOMETHING! I just don’t know what…

12:10 PM

Dec 11, 2007

whoops, been awhile

Current mood: anxious

eek! I can’t believe I haven’t posted a blog in so long. Been a bit busy, lots of work, both by me and the spouse, have an operation coming up, whoo-hoo. But as another chapter wraps up, I felt a compulsion to write even more. What can I say, finishing a chapter is very cool, and if I’m not too fucked up from the surgery (hernia, oh make that a double) I should be well into the next one by the new year. To be honest, having hernia surgery makes me feel very old. I just don’t think my body should be breaking down just yet and that is what it feels like. This week is all about finishing the chapter before Friday’s date with the doctor’s table. The pressure to finish, the pressure/guilt I feel about being laid up for a week, plus not being able to pick up the kids for a month really sucks and is wearing me down. Oh, yeah, the holidays are coming, no stress there. Well, by this time next week I’ll have a story to tell. I wonder how Vicodin will effect it?

12:25 AM

Aug 8, 2007

back from NYC

Current mood: anxious

So, back from NYC and a good mix of work and play. Got to two different archives and both produced fruit. The most stressful/exciting things to happen was that one of the big names in my field has shown interest in my dissertation topic. Three people have told me to get into touch with him, and now he would like to talk. The exciting aspect is that I’m on the right track, the stressful aspect is that I’m freaking out. The anxiety is that we’ll have a talk and he will say, “wow, you suck. please stop writing now.” I know logically that probably won’t happen, but it is still there.

It was great to be in NYC with my son, bopping around Central Park, checking out the Museum of Natural History, and introducing him to real pizza. On top of that, went to Yankee Stadium with my dad. A multigenerational experience in the city. As far as Yankee Stadium goes: it is pretty much a dump. An old dump, but still a dump. It is no wonder that they will be getting a new stadium. Now if only the rubes in Chicago would get a clue…

2:44 AM

Jul 30, 2007

A chapter in, what’s next?

Current mood:nostalgic

Wow! kind of a let down. A chapter is in to the advisor, for better or worse. I’m gearing up for the usual commentary, with perhaps a little more thrown in about how, yes, I did go overboard on a certain section. While I know its far from over, it is great to be moving on from this point on to the next chapter. Usually I take a longer break between all of this, but I’ve a research trip set up for this week, so no rest for the wicked. My goal, beside the next chapter being done 9/30, is to do my research this week, get home and write whatever is there, 10 pages, 2 pages, doesn’t matter, just need to limit the time between research and writing. It’s funny every time I take a step closer to the finish line, I get an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, thinking about moving from Chicago, what life will be like when I’m finished. It is a strange place to be in, if only for a day or two. Moving is going to be extremely tough, if it happens at all, who knows?

1:30 PM

Jul 23, 2007

back from Vacation, and doing nothing!

let’s face it, vacation is detrimental to productivity. God, I can even think about work, which isn’t good, seeing how I REALLY need to get some business done. Vacation was pretty good, all things considered. I need to go on vacation without any extended family however, just the immediate unit for a week or so. We were in St. Joe’s MI which is an excellent get away from Chicago or other points in the midwest. Very nice beaches, cute town and not far away to make the trip unbearable. We went to the beach everyday, ate very poorly, and there was a carnival in town for the evening hours. If this dissertation thing doesn’t work out, I think I’d make an excellent carny, just take out all of my dental work and I’d fit right in…

10:52 AM

Jul 11, 2007

Back to work…or not?

Current mood:annoyed

I think the last time I posted, there was a finished chapter. There still is, and it still needs to go to the boss. Vacation is staring me down and no work will be done. I’m not too sure I like that. The stress of this whole process is really getting to the family and it needs to be done. One more chapter by the end of September and I’ll feel on track. so, there it is a commitment to the ether, September 30th, next draft.

10:11 AM

Jun 26, 2007

I’m a dork!

Current mood:  chipper

A slight departure from the normal fodder, but on Sunday for the first time in my life, I scored a goal in a soccer game! No, I don’t believe it either, which is probably why I proceeded to retrieve the ball from the net as if to make sure it really happened. Like I said, I’m a dork. Unfortunately, the game was a draw which we should have won. It is amazing what diet and exercise will do over the course of six months to a year. Last year when I played soccer, I could barely make it a half. Sunday, due in large part that we were short on players, I played the entire game and was barely winded.

Back to the writing, which I am avoiding because to finish what I’m working on means to be finished with a chapter, which means shipping it off to the boss, which means feedback, which is usually quite a letdown. “Needs work”, “flabby”, and “interesting” are pretty much standard fare. I know it’s a draft, but a little something to go on would be a huge help. I’m not asking for high praise, but monosyllable communication doesn’t quite lift the spirits. Not like scoring a goal anyway…

White Sox post season.

A couple of different ideas for White Sox posts, all coming together into one.  I guess the first thing to write about is the disappointment with the final result of the 2011 season.  I think the level of disappointment is directly proportional to the height of expectations going into a season.  I had great expectations for the White Sox this year, at the very least a play off berth, hoping that the pitching would be formidable come the post season and with a little luck, who knows?  The only glaring question mark coming into the season was third base, followed by a few smaller questions at second base, catcher and center and left field.  As it turned out all areas of even marginal concern were realized and then some.  Also, Brent Morel pretty much played to expectation, decent glove, weak bat.  If only the rest of the offense played up to career norms then his .250 batting average and non-existent power wouldn’t have been such a hole in the line up.  Unfortunately, the big free agent signing, Adam Dunn, had one of the worst seasons in baseball ever.  Luckily, for him anyway, it was not considered official because by August he wasn’t getting any playing time and he didn’t get enough at bats to register officially the worst batting average in the modern era.  Even so, what was supposed to be a wonderful season of bashing and blasting turned into a strike out comedy, thanks especially to Mark Gonzalez who kept tabs of Dunn’s strikeouts via twitter.  By the end of the season he was just tweeting the number each time Dunn struck out, no further explanation needed.  Close on the heels of Dunn was the season of Alex Rios, also historically bad.  What’s more there were times that Rios looked as if he wasn’t even trying.  It wasn’t something as ambiguous as “body language.” On multiple occasions he simply just looked bad, both offensively and defensively; poor swings, bad reads on fly balls, terrible misplays and on and on.  By the time Ozzie sat Dunn and Rios, or at the very least severely cut their playing time, it was too late.

 

If there is anything that damns Ozzie Guillen this year it was the treatment of Dunn and Rios.  Quite simply keeping them in the line up was a mistake after June and fatal after the All-Star break.  No matter how one looks at it, Ozzie was wrong. If on the one hand, he was trying to show up Kenny Williams, then he is an immature buffoon and I’m glad he’s gone.  If on the other hand he did it because he felt he had to play the veteran players, or that he truly felt they provided the best chance to win, then at some point he was refusing to see the truth and unwilling to admit his mistake, another reason for him to go.  Of course, there was a lot more going on between Kenny and Ozzie than this issue and it was pretty clear by September that Ozzie was gone.  I must admit I’m rather ambivalent about his departure.  I thought he did a decent job, won a World Series, but he hasn’t taken his team to the playoffs since 2008, made some really bad decisions the last two years and toward the end he was basically begging to be let go.  Ultimately, the relationship between Kenny and Ozzie was the real cause of Ozzie being released.  Unfortunately, they just couldn’t make it work and that’s too bad.  For one brief shining moment they made it work to perfection.

 

I was actually at Ozzie’s last game, but had to leave early.  I’m glad that I went to the final game of the season.  The last game of the season is always special to me.  Usually, at least as far as the teams I’ve followed are concerned, the final game of the season is it until April.  That fact is well known by the time the game comes around.  So, unlike the ceremony and hope of the home opener, the last game isn’t as pregnant with expectation.  It is a time to say good-bye to a friend who is leaving for an extended leave.  It’s almost never crowded on the last day and the weather is usually decent.  The best part is that it is still baseball.  As my friend and I said watching the White Sox turn a double play, “baseball is just fun.”

 

The last bit of news that has arisen since I started this post is that Robin Ventura has been named the new White Sox manager.  Um, What? I hope he is a genius, truly I do.  I hope he brings a fresh approach to the clubhouse that inspires the players and really gets them to play at their collective best.  I really don’t have any reason to doubt him at this point because there is no body of work to judge.  There are a couple of concerns though.  First when Robin was first on camera the day he got hired, he looked like a deer in head lights.  He just looked like he wanted to anywhere but where he was.  It also sounded like he needed to be convinced to take the job, not exactly the most inspiring aspect of a new hire.  Ventura later explained that he did not need to be convinced, that he was ready for the challenge.  I don’t know, but it sounded like a bride trying to convince her friends that she really wanted to get married, no really!  Also, he has no coaching experience at all, save volunteering at a high school and some roaming instruction he did in the minor leagues, or something of that flavor.  Either way it feels like the election of 2008, save the charisma.  There is no record here and all we can do is hope for the best.  Finally, and this was probably the worst of it, when Ventura was asked about what his approach will be and what he would be doing to foster that approach he said he would focus on fundamentals, getting the players prepared and “doing manager stuff.”  I don’t know if the clichés or direct quote makes me sadder.

 

Like I said, I hope Robin Ventura does a fantastic job, what choice do I have really? However, his hiring has reduced my faith in Kenny Williams a great deal.  As far as the actual hire goes, I think it is one of the more bald attempts at self-preservation I have ever seen from an executive.  Simply put, Kenny is counting on the fans, including fan #1 Jerry Reisndorf, love of Ventura to cover his ass.  It is a long shot that the fans, including #1 fan Jerry, would call for Ventura’s head after a year.  By hiring a completely inexperienced, unknown managerial candidate, yet beloved by the fan base, Kenny buys himself at least another two years.  Furthermore, if Kenny would have gone with one of the guys that are on the short list for just about every open manager’s job and the team still didn’t perform, he would look a lot more culpable.  Instead, as Kenny said in a press conference, “we’re not expecting Robin to be Tony LaRussa overnight.”  Basically he is saying, “This team is not going anywhere and we know the manager has no clue what he is doing. But don’t blame me.”  It really is a shame that it ended this way, but it did have the feeling of inevitability.  Ozzie was just too much of a loose cannon and Kenny a bit too big of an ego for their relationship to last for an extended period of time.  Pretty much from the beginning there was an expiration date.  I wonder when Kenny’s ticket gets punched or if he’ll get a statue?

DC and “The New 52.” Why so Mediocre?

Been happy to check out “The New 52” from DC comics this past month.  I can’t say that I’ve been all that impressed, but it’s still fun checking out comics once again.  As far as the positives are concerned, the best thing about “The New 52” is that it allows new fans and old fans like me a chance to either check out some of the most well-known comic book characters for the first time or get reacquainted with them while starting off fresh.  The idea of a re-launch of these characters is a bit misleading, however.  Unlike the Ultimates from Marvel, “The New 52” don’t start from the beginning with these characters, at least in the books I’ve picked up.  This is a good and a bad thing.  The good: DC pretty much assumes that the reader has SOME idea of who these characters are, so they don’t waste time with retelling origin stories.  We know Batman doesn’t have superpowers and protects Gotham, Superman is pretty much invincible, The Flash is super fast and so on.  It’s nice to be given some credit for being an intelligent reader.  However, while sort of starting over is nice, by not going all the way back to the beginning of any given hero, part of the fun of a re-launch is seeing how a new writer and artist tackle the origin story we all thought we knew.

Another aspect of the new books that is a bit unfortunate is that by not going back to square one, it basically feels like a big money grab.  While the titles seems stripped down and a fresh start is there, ultimately a closing down of one numbering sequence just to start another sequence seems kind of pointless.  The more number ones produced, and this goes for both of the big companies, the less special a number one becomes.  Also, one of the things I loved about comic collecting was the massive run that so many of my books had.  I remember thinking when I picked up my first X-men (I guess I should call it Uncanny) that it looked cool.  (If memory serves it was #167.)  After that I went on an unbroken run of nearly one hundred issues.  More importantly, I went into comic shops looking for back issues I could afford and catching up on the history of the books and the characters.  By re-launching, yet not really starting over some of that fun, that discovery is lost.  It’s even worse with Marvel, who seem to be retelling the origin stories all the time, going back to number one, there doesn’t seem to be any attempt to tell a long running story.  Once the sales slip on a title especially if it’s a historically popular character, stop the titles and start it all over again.  I suppose with the internet and so many of the books collected into trade paperbacks getting the back story and the back issues for that matter, has become much easier.  There isn’t a need to search, or at least search very hard, for these stories, because a quick google search will net pretty much all one needs to know about any given title.  Not to sound like a cranky old man, but that saddens me.  I loved bargain hunting, treasure hunting for books to fill out my collection.  I remember what a thrill it was to find Uncanny X-Men #150 and only slightly more than cover price and how I dreamed of having enough money one day to buy X-Men #94.  I even went to the rare books collection at Michigan State University and read comics when I needed a break from research.  Now, there’s no need for that sort of thing.  One doesn’t need to be a collector of comics, just a reader.

I’ll admit, I’m not interested in all of the new titles either, 52 new books is just too much, so just like when I was younger, I’ve picked a few and I’m sure I can be swayed toward others, like Animal Man for instance.  It has been getting rave reviews and it seems to have an edge to it that the other books don’t.  I most definitely will be steering clear of Cat Woman and Red Hood and the Outlaws.  Not only has there never been a good Cat Woman title, the overt sexploitation of the women in these titles just goes beyond the pale.  The argument can be made that pretty much all comics treat women the same way, but that isn’t exactly true.  First, when women aren’t even in the stories, it’s hard to consider them being made into strict sexual objects.  I suppose one could argue that by not being in the book at all then women are marginalized.  But seriously, when Batman is beating the crap out of the bad guys in Dark Knight #1, I don’t necessarily think the role of women needs to be present, let alone desired.  Sometimes I just want to see the hero beat the villain.  For a much better critique of the whole issue, check out this great piece here.  Also, I’ve yet to pick up Brian Azzarrello’s Wonder Woman, but I can’t imagine his characterization will read quite like a fanboy wet dream.  It is worth mentioning as well that Batgirl #1 was really good.  We’ll see if it keeps up, but overall the beginning of the story was very engaging, even mysterious as to how exactly did Barbara Gordon get her ability to walk back?  Overall the books that I’ve read have been fun, I’m a little disappointed in JLA and Superman has never really done it for me.  However, I was very surprised at how much I liked JLA Dark and Flash.  The coming months should be fun in those two books to say the least.

I’ve been kind of happy with the artists on the new books, but the writing has been, at best uninspired.  Wow, that is a luke-warm sentence if I’ve ever seen one.  However, on both sides of the issue, illustration and writing, for all the bells and whistles, nothing is really pushing the genre, stretching the limits and range of the superhero comic.  We aren’t see a reimagining of characters like Todd McFarlane brought to Spider-Man, or the amazing work of Frank Miller first on Daredevil then Batman.  No, more blood and more naughty words aren’t pushing the envelope it’s just lazy at this point. Along the lines of Miller, especially as a writer, no one that I’ve seen is doing something special with any of these books; no one is resurrecting a character or taking a minor character and making it special, awe-inspiring.  There is no Alan Moore taking over Swamp-Thing, no Neil Gaiman pretty much inventing Sandman, and Chris Claremont coming in and radically changing the course of the X-Men.  So far, a month in it feels like DC has pretty much wasted an opportunity to do something truly special.  Of course, what do I know? Sales for the “The New 52” have been through the roof, selling out across the country.  Of course, we’ll see if it keeps up and if it actually garners anything like critical acclaim or legendary status.  So far, nothing feels like Batman Year One.

Speaking of Batman, the other thing about “The New 52” that really has been sticking in my craw is the feeling that this is a huge corporate branding scheme.  It was especially evident in Batman as the characters look and sound a lot like the characters from the movie.  The absolutely worst of it was when the Joker actually said, “why so serious?” Really? Using the catch phrase from the movie in the first new book?  Not good.  It wasn’t quite so bad in the other books I read, but the visuals from Cat Woman seem to reflect the video game and movie versions of her as well.  I’m also not sure what direction Superman is going, but it feels pretty controlled and contrived as well; tweaks to the costume, dialogue that seems to fall into line with where the movies took place.  Overall, the feeling is much more about product and a lot less about story, let alone art.  It really is too bad.  DC had an opportunity to do something groundbreaking, something special.  Instead it feels like a new television season.  Some new shows look good, some look woeful and most is just dreck from the previous year.

A Romance Rekindled

I’ll admit it, the last couple of years my interest in soccer waned a little bit. I still kept up with the big stories, watched a lot of the big matches, but I just wasn’t as into it as I had been. There were a few reasons for my cooling off. The biggest one was the fact that Newcastle United was relegated two years ago. They bounced right back up, but that year of very limited access to the team I support puts a bit of a crimp in the enthusiasm. When the team came back up last season, it was kind of weird. I didn’t know nearly as many of the players as I had known the previous year, the coaching carrousel that seems to be a constant at NUFC, and the impending threat of going back down made it a lot harder to get into last season.

The fall of Newcastle wasn’t the only reason I lost interest in soccer. My favorite podcast about soccer, World Soccer Daily imploded about two years ago or so. Basically on of the hosts, who had a difficult time shooting his mouth off about Liverpool fans, going so far as to blame them for the Hillsborough Disaster. First the sponsors of the show, few as they were, deserted the show, then Steven Cohen, the host in question, was fired by Fox Soccer Channel from their phone call-in show. The show was re-launched, but as a subscription-only broadcast. Sorry, just can’t pay for radio. So, my favorite method of getting my soccer news was pretty much gone.

Also, I hadn’t kicked a ball in anger in about four years. Playing a sport is a great way to make it more interesting at the best level. For myself whenever I try and do something athletic and then see those that do it at an incredible level, I’m just in awe. Soccer has held this fascination for me more than just about any other sport, even baseball. I do get more into baseball when I play softball to be sure, but the rules and equipment are different to make it feel like a shadow of the same game. With soccer, all things considered, the rules are pretty much the same the ball is the same size and if playing on a full sized pitch, with eleven players, the goal is the same; ten by ten. Watching professional soccer players ply their trade after playing on a Saturday myself, it just blows me away; the speed, the power and the grace that the best players in the world exhibit make me realize how special their talent is. Anyway, after being away from playing, that connection and to a certain extent that admiration faded a bit.

Finally and this may seem kind of weird, but my kids didn’t play last year. The other day my friend mentioned that there is just something about watching kids at play. For me, that is especially true with regards to soccer. It is such a simple game and kids get a chance to just go crazy. It’s awesome to watch them develop too, moving from the great swarm following the ball, to playing in some semblance of positions and making real passes, stops and shots. Watching the kids play and improve just makes the professional level more fun to watch, for me anyway.

Take all of those avenues of access into a soccer culture away, and it put quite a damper on my excitement for the game. Like I said, I wasn’t totally gone, but I was less interested than I had been for some time.

What changed? A few things, a lot that are pretty much old methods getting some new life. First, the kids got signed back up for soccer and as luck would have it the local league had an offer for really cheap tickets for a Chicago Fire game. Not only were the tickets cheap, but they were fantastic seats, only slightly off-center. I took the kids and loved it. LOVED IT! I could smell the grass, hear the foot strikes on the ball and when the players charged by us I could practically feel the ground shake. Even though the game was a draw I was hooked.

Unfortunately, the game was in June and other than MLS, there isn’t much soccer going on throughout the world. But I was checking in again on the transfer market, seeing how Newcastle was spending all the money they got for Andy Carroll (not very well I’m afraid) and seeing where all of the big names were going. By the time the season kicked off, I had a pretty good idea what was what and who was where and as luck would have it, Newcastle was featured on Fox Soccer Channel for the opening weekend. As a bonus, the Magpies have been playing really well, unbeaten this year and flying high in the standings. I know it won’t last, they just don’t have the horses for the long haul, but it is a lot of fun right now.

It isn’t just Newcastle making a go of it either. The kids are playing and it is much more competitive than when they were younger. The score is actually kept during the games and like stepping it up in little league wins and losses are part of the league. It has also been fun because the kids are getting into it and playing hard. It’s a lot of fun to see and support. More than that, watching some of the kids, the ones who really know how to play the game, is just amazing. I wonder if we were in a soccer crazed country if some of these kids would be scooped up by an academy and sent off for a soccer existence.

I’ve also discovered a new radio program Talk Sport live out of London. The sportscaster Georgie Bingham (@georgiebingham) referred me to them and it has been a real treat at work. Not only is it informed soccer discussion, but it tends to be a little more sedate than the sport yellers here in Chicago. Not only that, it saves me from the endless Bears talk that dominates these parts from July until January. There are also some good podcasts around so I’ve got quite the media collection to choose from.

I must admit though, as great as Newcastle playing well is and watching the kids play, the fact that I’m playing again is probably the biggest reason I’m getting into it; nothing much, coed, small pitch, small goals, six on six (more if we’re just scrimmaging.) It is still a blast though, slightly dreading that first touch, screwing up here and there, and then after that first push from an opposing player, wanting the ball to come my way. There is something about executing a good pass, taking a shot that is just pure and simple fun and it makes everything about the sport more engaging more connected and quite simply, more fun.

Where Ya Been?

Yeah so I haven’t blogged in about a month, a little less. Part of it was being busy, part of it was being uninspired to write about anything in particular, but overall it was a feeling of… finality. The blog has always functioned as an outlet for ideas I had about current events, mostly sports, while finishing my dissertation. The dissertation completely wrapped in August and other than writing up a few Phish shows I just felt finished, nothing left to say. That isn’t true of course I’ve got plenty to say about all kinds of stuff, but after getting the final stamp of approval regarding the dissertation and the overall degree, I’ve just been sort of coasting along. And why not? Even though it took a lot longer than I had envisioned, I still worked pretty hard to get here and I’ve been enjoying the mountain top quite frankly. For the first time in a really long time, I have been enjoying television from an absolutely guilt-free perspective; no thoughts about what I should be doing, what I could be doing while I was perched on my ass watching yet another crime procedural or sit-com. Nope, I’ve watched plenty of good and bad TV with a completely clear conscience. Since the dissertation wrapped I’ve had a few urges to write here and there, but overall it has been really easy to resist, or better said, really easy just to ignore and go on watching.

The other thing about blogging that I kind of lost sight of really, was that this shouldn’t be a chore. Writing the recaps of the White Sox this season just became painful. Even when they were in contention they just weren’t that fun to watch, let alone write about. On top of that, the other on-going things that I had started were losing steam and felt a little too much like working on the dissertation. The great thing about the blog is that it is fun it is not a job or requirement. There is no penalty for not completing a series that I started, but it was feeling that way. Self-imposed deadlines for a blog that a dozen or so people read take the joy out of the whole process. (Though a couple of days ago, the blog got over 1500 hits! WTF)

Nothing last forever, however and a few things have crossed my mind lately that I want to get down before I forget or get too comfortable on the couch. I don’t feel like I need to comment on the end of the White Sox season and everything else, but I actually want to. My rekindled interest in soccer is also something that I want to get into and the “New 52” from DC Comics. Along the way a few other things seem to be popping up in my head and writing seems like it could just be fun again. We’ll see.