SPORTS TV RANT/ FRIDAY GAME COMMENTS
While watching Friday's Brewer game, I realized just how ridiculous the sports media complex has become. On Hooter's 5 screen TV wall, there was fishing on VS. (which I had them change to Brewers/Giants), Cubs/Astros, the McDonald's girls high school all star game on ESPN2, Outside the Lines on ESPN and a UNLV/Wyoming football game from Oct. 27th on theMtn. Yes, I realize fans of Utah and BYU now have an outlet for seeing their teams play live, but in the big picture, doesn't an entire network for a conference seem like overkill? And who other than these girls parents are watching the basketball game. At first, I thought it was a collegiate all-star game, and found myself getting a little caught up in it (as I will admit to being attracted to female athletes), but when I realized these girls had yet to go to their senior prom, I felt a little confused and guilty, like I had just won home run derby only to find out I was competing against Jim Abbot and David Eckstein. Plus, Hooters chose to have Outside the Lines on the "big screen". I realize Hooter's waitresses have better things to worry about than monitor arrangement, but while I'm straining to see how many outs there are in my game, there is Bob Ley, in all his 16 by 9 glory, enlightening me for the umpteenth time on why Geno Auriema and Pat Summit hate eachother. I get ESPN, you don't have the men's final four, so you have to hype the women's final four-- greaaaaaat. I'll make an appointment to watch women's basketball when you finally convince me that the MLS is just as enjoyable as the NFL. Speaking of the NFL, ESPN seems to think that even though it's April, they will give me 30 minutes of NFL over-analysis every afternoon. Yes, I know the draft is coming up, but shouldn't sports that are actually playing take precedence over 4 guys talking about which QB from the '83 draft would they draft today. Hypotheticals like that should be saved for downtime at work, not put on a major TV network. You know what would be great ESPN, instead of 4 NFL geeks jawing about a season that is 6 months away, you put on a show that updated me on what happened in baseball last night. I think you have a show like that, it's called BASEBALL TONIGHT!

On to the game. Kendall is so far the signing of the off-season. This guy is a gamer and makes the bottom of the lineup awesome. Think about it, we have Bill Hall, JJ Hardy and Jason Kendall in our bottom 4. I know he doesn't have the arm you would want in a catcher, but he knows how to handle the pitchers, gets on base, and moves much better than Johnny Estrada, who only hustled when the Chorizo was heading his way. [Was that racist or a fat joke? Doesn't matter, he sucked and isn't on a active roster as far as I know.] Once again, Weeks showed some skill as a leadoff man. I know it helped that the Giants were putting it on a tee, but I believe it also helps that I've backed off calling him my favorite player, which has been a curse for every player since Yount retired. They either get dealt, get injured or drop off in production. Examples: Jeff Cirillo, Jeromy Burnitz, Ben Sheets, Geoff Jenkins, etc., etc. I think in 2002, I chose Brooks Kieschnick as my favorite just so I could protect the rest of the talent on the team.

Highlight of the game: Hall putting that second homer into the Summerfest grounds. Concern of the game: Villanueava's inability to get through 6. "Hit 'em where they ain't" of the game: Fielder once again making teams pay for putting the shift on him.

You know what that is, that's Bush!

My gut told me that letting Vargas go may have been uneccessary, and judging by how Bush pitched today, I might have preferred him getting a chance in the rotation. I've been pretty neutral on Bush in his career as a Brewer, but today was frightening. 5 walks! You have to do a better job of keeping us in the game Bushy. I believe he went hit batsmen, walk, walk, out, out, and walk. That's not my ideal number 3 starter. I thought Vargas put up good enough numbers in the spring to receive more consideration than he did. Ach! Let's hope Villy gets us back into the W column tomorrow. The Yost-Haters are going to not tolerate Bush in the rotation long if he keeps this up, and honestly, I'm not going to tolerate it either. I hate the bottom three of our rotation being as inexperienced as Gallardo, Villy and Parra, but that most likely will be the case.

Attaboy Rickie

What a game today! I tell myself that 2-0 is nothing to get excited about, but winning on the road, winning at Wrigley, winning against the pre-season pick to win the division, that gets me excited. Listened to the first inning before going to work and felt great about Ricky hitting that first pitch dinger. I'm worrying he's pressing to much as the lead off man, so hopefully he'll relax a little more.

Does anyone remember Uecker ripping LaRussa for doing the "pitcher batting 8th" thing a few years ago? I wonder how he feels about that now... especially when Kendall reached base 5 times today.

The Yost-haters were pissed on the JSO blog today about Kapler getting the start over Gwynn, but you can't argue with righty vs. lefty logic. My question is why trot Riske out for a second inning? I like the guy and all, (and I still think he could be our closer before the season is out), but isn't a 6 run lead a good time to get Turnbow in there for some work and confidence building?

Tomorrow don't have to go into REI until 3:30, so I should be able to listen to the whole game and take my stab at the running game blog on JSO. Some of the bloggers on there really need a reality check, and flame warring complete strangers seems like a great way to spend an afternoon.

I'm the last person to bitch that we need more holidays in this country. I think we have enough holidays in this country. I don't get holidays off with my job, so it pisses me off whenever I have to go the post office/ deposit a check/ buy scotch and the establishments that render these goods and services give their coddled employees the day off. Yeah, I'm sure the break neck pace of being a bank teller earns you the right to spend MLK Day carting your fat ass kids skiing-- I mean celebrating the civil rights struggle.

However, there is one day per year when I always feel a little cheated by work-- Opening Day. Sure, I could take the day off, but I'm usually 1,000 miles from the nearest Brewer game, and burning a vacation day to watch a game on TV seems like a waste. However, when I remember the feeling of driving into the Country Stadium parking lot while my friends were in school, smelling those grills, layering as much clothing under my Brewer jersey as possible, I get very nostalgic and lose any interest in working.

Today I was able to listen/watch the first 7 innings of the Brewers/Cubs game before I had to "focus on the 4" at work. It's probably good I missed the pivotal late innings where all the runs were scored, because watching Gagne choke away a 3 run lead in the 9th would have made me switch a newscast like the Incredible Hulk with jock itch. In the end, the Brewers won, and what I regret missing the most is not Gwynn's game winning sac fly or Riske's shutout 10th, it was how dejected those spoiled, whiny Cubs fans must have looked when Kerry Wood gave up those three runs and Bobby Howry blew it in the 10th. Carlos Marmol may have that closer job sooner than later.