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Friday, August 22, 2003
Rock on, Chicago
Unfortunately, we must say goodbye to the strange but compelling musical phenomenon that was Wesley Willis.
posted at 6:22 PM
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Nostalgia gone bad
Yes, I'm hooked on I Love the '70s, even though I was born midway through the decade and only remember bits and pieces of living during the decade. Yet somehow I remember much of the stuff being featured on the show, despite the fact that some of it came out before I was born. I suppose it was fun (and convenient) to bring back guys like Michael Ian Black, Hal Sparks, Mo Rocca and Rich Eisen, but these guys are only a few years older than me, so how could they have that much interesting or relevant to say based on actual experiences at the time. As long as you can crack wise, I guess it doesn't really matter if you could barely remember a Pet Rock or leisure suits. I'm sure I'll have more once I see the episodes on years while I've been alive.
However, the biggest thing to disturb me so far is the dueling hairstyles on Michael Ian Black. I guess he's on so much, that they needed him for at least two sittings and thus the two hairdos. Not even the best of editors can get over that lack of continuity.
posted at 12:59 AM
No-no-notorious
The Michael Vick injury just continues a new curse of the Madden NFL cover boy (Faulk, Culpepper and George have all gotten hurt or slumped the year of their appearance), which is itself an offshoot of the Chunky Soup curse (see Terrell Davis, Warner and McNabb have been hurt during their sponsorship runs). While baseball and basketball seem to be safe for now, hockey is now an issue after Jarome Iginla struggled last season. That's why folks down here in Atlanta are even more paranoid with Dany Heatley on the cover of NHL 2004. (I'm sure Alyson has a mixed reaction to that.)
posted at 12:43 AM
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
The more you walk, the more you toot
I finally got around to reading Moneyball during my travels, and I’m pretty torn as to how I feel about Billy Beane’s system and the whole stats-driven way of evaluating players.
On one hand, it’s cool and somewhat intriguing to see a team actually put stock in positive college/minor league stats. I’d always go nuts during the NFL Draft when top college players who put up big numbers get ignored, sometimes seemingly for having the stats as if the numbers were inflated to make up for deficiencies the scouts saw. (Although I sometimes think scouts also want to show off their relevance by digging up the diamonds in the rough from small colleges or combine freaks.)
During both the NFL and NBA Drafts, there’s always that inclination to draft “athletes” instead of “football players” or “basketball players.” So, in that sense, putting stock in stat-producing “ball players” is refreshing. Besides, there is a fair share of players notable for not looking like athletes (Babe Ruth, John Kruk, Tony Gwynn in later days).
I also enjoyed Lewis’ player stories, which helped to illustrate how the A’s scouting differed from most of the rest of the league. There are plenty of success stories, that’s for sure, and honestly, it’s the best way to illustrate some of the more arcane statistical arguments at work.
It’s definitely needed, because one thing I’ve come away from reading the book is that I don’t think I’m “worthy” enough to watch or write about baseball anymore. Many athletic types have always said you can't really appreciate a sport if you've never played it. But now the stats people say the numbers they've come up with are gospel and if you follow anything else (especially those from the "establishment"), you're a fool.
The old-school baseball guys have their own ways of evaluating players and approaching the game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But for the most part, it comes from a love of the game, how it’s played, etc. Yes, they’re stubborn, and it’s an attitude fostered after years of being the lead dog because of their athletic ability.
On the other hand, the growing population of stat-intensive baseball fans/decision makers seem to have taken the fun out of the game. It’s hard to say these days, “It’s just a game,” but in this case it’s true. There’s too much money at stake, so it only makes sense that some would approach it with the same cold, calculating but thoughtful intensity of mathematicians, economists, financiers, etc. It’s somewhat odd to think that Billy Beane would rather watch games on his pager instead of on the field, but when given all he’s gone through, he’s seen the sausage factory and he’d rather not go back.
People like Bill James and his followers definitely have broken some amazing ground on statistical analysis, and it obviously takes a bright mind and passion for baseball to do what they do. We all have our questions about stats (I’ve always wondered why errors on a linescore, for instance), and they’ve taken it to a new level.
However, there’s also an arrogance among many of the disciples that what they’re doing is right and everybody else – the old-school establishment, the media, the fans – is stupid. It’s like an ivory tower approach to baseball. Unfortunately, you can see that Beane has picked up the same attitude. In an odd way, it’s like the battle between the nerds and the jocks, and Beane has crossed over to the nerd side (maybe we should call him Ogre).
The A’s approach as a whole season as opposed to a game-by-game basis is different, but it makes sense and helps to bring sample size and more statistically significant matters into the equation. Unfortunately, this calculating approach has little value when it comes to short playoff series. That's the one glaring hole in the whole approach -- not everything will even out in a short period of time, and things considered anecdotal like luck can actually wreak havoc with the results. Sometimes I wonder if all of those computer simulations of the World Series that used to be a popular staple of coverage in the ‘80s would suit the stat-types better?
Like anything else, Beane’s approach is just one way to look at and run the team. Unfortunately, Lewis got a bit too indoctrinated into the system and in the last few chapters, you can see him sort of acting like an A’s lapdog. If it weren’t for the success stories of underdogs like Jeremy Brown, Chad Bradford or Scott Hatteberg, Oakland comes across as the low-priced version of the Yankees -- nyeah, nyeah, we win because we’re better than you and there’s nothing you can do about it.
posted at 1:10 AM
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
California adventure
Time to blog about the trip now that I’m flying over Arizona on the way home. The trip to San Diego was fun and somewhat productive. Getting away from Atlanta and the office for a few days but still spending time with friends and family was definitely helpful, even if it will be hell back at work come Tuesday morning.
My apologies if this runs long and even more self-serving than Monday Morning Quarterback …
Wednesday: A sudden morning downpour altered my plans for parking at work and taking MARTA to the airport. I then started a mad scramble for my alternate airport parking plans (going to a station next to the airport), although I did make it on time. It was just strange not having that hour-plus cushion I usually have when flying.
I was surprised that Finding Nemo was playing on my flight. I had no problems watching it again, although isn’t it still playing in a lot of theaters? If many movies have such quick turnarounds from theaters to airplanes, I suppose Gigli or From Justin to Kelly will be in Delta’s rotation next month.
Hotel sider: I’ve mentioned this before, but many times, the more expensive the hotel, the less you actually seem to get. The hotel where I stayed (and where the convention was) was in a great location just a couple of minutes from downtown and right next to the airport (I could see the terminal from my hotel room). Plus it had a nice lobby and bar, which got really busy the first two nights with all of us conventioneers. I guess it’s also a great place for those who own boats on the marinas near the hotel, but seeing all of those ships lined up together had me humming the tune to Gilligan’s Island over and over again.
However, the in-room cable left a lot to be desired, the charge for local calls could pay for ALF’s return to Melmac, and worse off, the hotel health club charged a lofty fee. Thank God for the nice scenic road by my hotel so I could put in a decent walk.
As for the convention itself, it was good to see a lot of friends and other familiar faces. Our local chapter was represented well, not to mention former Atlanta-based people who were popping up all of the place. The opening reception was at SeaWorld, so at least I didn’t have to spend big bucks to see the park or Shamu. I think we accidentally saw a lot of the attractions stumbling around to find the pavilion for our group. Unfortunately, just following the Asian people wasn’t good enough given we were in San Diego.
Thursday: The real opening of the convention started with a breakfast reception with the dean at Medill. I was and wasn’t surprised to see how many Medill alums are in the organization, although it may be slightly telling that the ones at the convention who knew me from school weren’t the ones in my class. I didn’t think I flew that far under the radar, but apparently I did.
We did hear about the blackout after lunch, and just in time for the Q&A session/damage control with Arthur Sulzberger Jr. He was briefly interrupted for blackout stuff, but otherwise went on for a while doing his best to explain the situation and everything else. Honestly, nothing really earth-shattering came from the talk, but it was fun to listen to nonetheless, especially with plenty of his editors hanging around as well.
Friday: Not only do I fly under the radar, I’m also so unique that it makes it hard for many people I meet, either other conventioneers or recruiters, to figure out who I am or what I do. Online is an emerging medium and sports is very popular, yet there are very few people at this convention that do either, and I do both. However, I was happy to see at least one person recognize me from my work, so I supposed I’m doing something right. At the same time, making the switch somewhere else could be somewhat dicey since there are very few positions that come anywhere close to what I do. I probably have a longer way to go than I think if I want to make a major switch in my career.
Still, I’ve got a long way to being successful at the networking game. The uniqueness of my position can actually be a detriment. Not to mention not being sure whether to pull out the sports/pop culture from my conversation arsenal for business use. I did get into a nice little talk about the NL MVP race with one guy, although it does feel strange doing so in what could be considered a job interview. But take a lot of that out of the equation, and I could be toast. Everyone has a certain zone where they feel comfortable and confident to carry out conversations with whomever; mine just seems to be very minuscule.
Saturday: I haven’t been in San Diego for years, so I did do a lot of touristy stuff when I could, and thankfully I had a lot of free time Saturday and Sunday. One of our connections in San Diego got us free passes for a club in the Gaslamp District for Friday night, but I discovered quickly why I usually don’t go clubbing. On the other hand, when I went back for dinner with my cousin Sunday night, I saw that the place was actually very enjoyable.
It should make for a great scene next year when the Litter Box opens. Parking may be a pain and a half, but the convention center across the street might help that, not to mention the trolley. So let’s see, a downtown ballpark in the heart of a popular restaurant/bar district and has some real public transportation to get there – two things Turner Field doesn’t have, and Philips Arena/Georgia Dome is lacking the restaurant scene minus whatever is at CNN Center. Good going, Atlanta!
Speaking of stadiums, I did go to the Q for exciting Chargers-Cardinals preseason action. The park wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was horrifying either. I was thrown off by the separate box offices for the Padres, Chargers and SDSU, causing me to venture further than I would’ve liked to pay way too much ($34 for an upper view seat) for a game that meant so little. But I was in town, and there was a game going on, so how could I pass it up?
The game was what you expected from these teams at this time of year. Lots of rust, lots of unknowns getting tons of PT, lots of fans disguised as empty seats (although that made traffic much more bearable). Neither offense looked good, and the Chargers backup offensive linemen could find work as matadors when they get cut. But I did go nuts when Damien Anderson tore off an 82-yard run on his first carry of the game. Other high/lowlights: a Special Olympics exhibition at halftime and plenty of screen time for the cheerleaders (at least they were performing for the entire game).
A trip to the Chargers team store (a tent next to the box office) was fruitless. When did NFL jerseys get so expensive and why are they charging close to full price for guys that aren’t there anymore (Seau, Conway, Harrison)? On the other hand, I was dangerously close to buying a Ryan Leaf jersey for $20 at a swap meet on Sunday.
Oh yeah, I did hear about the Vick’s vaporization on the ride to the game. If I wasn’t caught in slow moving stadium traffic, I might’ve run off the road (although probably into the shopping center down the street from the park). So much for my teams in the Mastermind Mock and ffWebmasters.
As for other parts of town, I did like Balboa Park a lot. Parts of it felt like a nice green oasis in the middle of town, but at the same time, it was like the San Diego version of the Smithsonian with all of the museums and the zoo. There’s a little bit for everyone. As for Old Town, my friend and I gorged at a great Mexican restaurant there, while the rest of the area seemed quaint but slightly hokey – nothing wrong with that, though. Some areas downtown and near the stadium had some amazing looking condos, apartments and lofts. I should’ve hit the beach and a casino or two, but maybe that’s something for another time. The areas I was in seemed reasonably easy to navigate, although I’m sure the traffic is much worse outside of town.
If you got this far, congratulations. More later as I think of it and get myself back on Eastern time. My clock got really smacked around watching sports on Pacific time.
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