Uniform Update

I just sat down to look at the Rams - Lions game and what to my wondering eyes did appear but the Detroit Lions in black football gear.

Why are they wearing black? Black is not one of their colors. It looks hideous. The Lions are silver and blue - always have been. A couple years back, they added some black trim. Well, OK, doesn't make sense, but it's only trim. Doesn't look all that great, but it's only trim. Well, no more! A black jersey tonight! Looks horrible. Doesn't go with the rest of the uniform at all.

It all started when the Chicago White Sox went to their classic uniform in the early 90's - a black pin striped job. It looks good and there was actually some precedent for that uniform for them. No problem. This, however opened the floodgate and all kinds of teams, with no history of black in their uniform scheme, started adding it. Some of the more horrible treatments were a Cleveland Cavaliers job, the New York Mets, the Phoenix Suns (and the recent switch to gray is NOT an improvement) and the KC Royals.

It's time to stop. All you franchises with no history of team colors with black in them - stop now. Leave it to the Raiders and the White Sox and the Yankees. The 49'ers are also exempt, being the only team I can think of who added black as trim and actually improved the look of their uniform. Unless they pull out an all black job. Don't do that. Leave it to Johnny Cash.

Experiment in Appeasment

Fox News reports that the eviction of Jewish settlers from Gaza is underway.

"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon believes the withdrawal will improve Israeli security by reducing friction with the Palestinians."

ATTENTION all appeasers, European and otherwise! This is what you want, right? All that the Palestinians want is a homeland, right? They won't bomb Israel anymore, right? They won't export terror by way of the ports on the Mediterranean, right?

We shall see.

Or maybe just some of us will see.

Confused

I remember that, all my life anyhow, shampoo has come in bottles. I remember when Johnson's Baby Shampoo was introduced and suddenly everyone was washing their hair every single day because they could! It was keen!

By the way, I can make my kids roll their eyes and look incredulous when I mention the fact that growing up, we didn't wash our hair every. single. day. At least until Johnson's showed up.

Anyway, now body soap comes in a bottle and this is a great advance in that the shower no longer collects that slimy, gooey, snotty, rotting soap buildup. So soap in bottles is excellent. Until I put it on my hair. Or I put the shampoo on my body. The one advantage a BAR of soap has over the BOTTLE of soap is that it can't be confused with the BOTTLE of shampoo.

Is it just me?

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lileks

This seems a little odd - I do not even know the guy.

However while reading "The Bleat" on Wednesday I figured (if my math is correct) that Mr. James Lileks and I are one day apart in age, I being born 8-11-58.

There were several people whom I know in real life who encouraged me in this endeavor and I'm grateful. But when I read "The Bleat" I get inspired and think, "That's what I want to be when I grow up!"

So, I just want to say, "Happy Birthday" and I never miss "The Bleat", and, incidentally, the thing Friday about the Sloe Gin Fizz was an absolute hoot and I'm thinking that Red Barf is a great name for a character.

Do I need to check with you before I use it?

Waiting for Bill

In the New York Post today Deborah Orin writes that the 9/11 commission may have engaged in some selective investigating during the time they were empaneled.

Here are pertinent details: "It's starting to look as if the 9/11 Commission turned a blind eye to key questions that could embarrass one of its own members - Clinton-era Justice Department honcho Jamie Gorelick.

This week brought the stunning revelation that elite military spies pinpointed Mohammed Atta and three other hijackers as a terror cell more than a year before 9/11 - but were barred from alerting lawmen to try to lock them up.

A prime reason why that warning never came is that Gorelick - as top deputy to then-Attorney General Janet Reno - issued a 1995 order creating a "wall" that blocked intelligence on terrorists from being shared with law enforcement.

Commission staffers at first denied knowing about the elite military unit known as Able Danger, but later admitted they were briefed - twice - and Atta was specifically named. Still, it was conveniently left out of the 9/11 report.

It gets worse. Gorelick's defenders might argue that hindsight is 20-20. But that excuse doesn't work in this case, because she was warned way back then - when the see-no-evil wall was created."

Read it all.

I'm thinking this "wall" thing is going to bite some people big time. And, mind you, all of this during the previous administration. We have listened to everything from broad hints to out-and-out accusations that the disaster in New York in '01 was the failure of the current administration. And we heard it from the man on the street all the way up to highly placed officials and even former members of the Clinton administration.

Well. If this story proves true, and certainly we are on the front end right now, but if true, it's gonna get brutal.

And we know who will be the last man standing. I'm thinking that Gorelick and Reno are on the clock even now. It's only a matter of time before Bill throws them under the bus.

If he hasn't already.

Tiger's a Kitten

Tiger Woods barely made the cut at the PGA this weekend.

I may be wrong about this, and correct me if I am, but did Jack EVER miss a cut at a major during his prime? Did he ever come close?

Tiger may pass Jack some day, and that's fine, but let's all just wait until he does for the coronation, OK?

Hall of Steroids

The debate rages on, at least on ESPN Radio.

Driving home from work today, the Sports Bash host Erik Kuselias was discussing why he wouldn't vote for Rafael Palmiero for the baseball Hall of Fame. His argument was that he didn't think Palmiero was a HOF'er to begin with and the 'roids suspension gives him cover for not voting for admission. He misses the point.

Last week, it was Mike Greenberg saying that Palmiero deserves selection anyway. He also misses the point.

Here is the point, follow me.
It's the Hall of Fame. Fame. It's elite. It's not for guys who came close. And it is especially not for guys whose numbers are dubious. Bottom line: You simply cannot vote for anyone whose numbers are suspect. Palmiero's numbers are suspect, so no Hall of Fame. It's really not hard to figure out. McGwire is suspect, so is Bonds. Sorry guys, nice careers, but no Hall of Fame.

Everybody relax, it's not the end of the world if they don't get in.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles

OK - so here we go.

I've thought about it long enough and decided that the only way to begin is to begin. Can't make any promises other than to occasionally write my brains out.

To the guy who urged me on in this, thanks. Here I am.

I'm sick of writing about me already.