Wednesday Random Thoughts
1. In honor of Thanksgiving and High School football rivalries I thought I’d pay homage to my hometown’s arch Rival, the one and only Marblehead Magicians. A team which my alma matta Swampscott High School has routinely ground into salt since I can remember.
Here are a Couple of good quotes regarding the Headers from fellow Headers;
“Happy endings aren't Marblehead's thing. The football team hasn't won a
conference championship since 1973. And the only two football trophies
in the case outside the athletic director's office are from the
Roosevelt era: 1934 and 1935. "Things are what they are in Marblehead,"
says Andrew "Skip" Whipple, quarterback from 1996 to 1999. "And football being bad, that's just one of those things." "That's typical Marblehead football," says Jim Rudloff, defensive coordinator. "You like your jersey, like your wristbands, like your face paint, but you don't want to hit anyone. Then, later on, you realize, 'Oh, I'm not hurt. It doesn't hurt to hit people.' And it's too late. It's pathetic and it's not everyone, but that's Marblehead football."
2. Sticking with Thanksgiving Day football for a minute our quote of the day comes from Somerville High Defensive End Gavin “Jamaica” Nelson talking about Somerville’s 31 game losing streak.
''I don't even want to wear my jersey because mad people say, 'You guys suck. You're going to lose."
3. Do any Stoolies work for Verizon? I’m ready to call an all out boycott on this company. El Presidente hasn’t had phone service for the past two weeks and all indications are that I’ll never have phone service again. Essentially, I’ve gone through the same exact routine with Verizon for the past two weeks and it goes something like this. I call the repair line to lodge a complaint and they tell me that there is already a help ticket in for my problem and that it will be taken care of tomorrow. I respond by saying I’ve already had this exact conversation with somebody yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and the day before that and the day before that and so on and so on. This prompts the person I’m speaking with to check their computer records and they realize that I’m not exaggerating. The records clearly indicate that a Verizon technician has miraculously missed his appointment to fix my phone for 20 consecutive days or so. At this point they put me on hold for 20 minutes while they call dispatch to find out what is happening. The end result is that dispatch tells the person I’m talking to that they’ve put in an order for my phone to be fixed tomorrow. And so the dance continues. At this point I’m thinking that somebody in far reaches of the jungle could get a dial tone before I can. In a way I guess it’s my fault for living in Abington.
4. This story is from Channel 5 News in Chicago. “During the Katrina crisis, with New Orleans under water and residents fleeing across the nation, two men showed up on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville with student identification from Tulane in New Orleans. The Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity opened its doors and its heart. However, they were far from fraternity brothers. Zacharie Arabie, 22, and Steven Ridge, 31, were two enterprising inmates at a Louisiana prison who had escaped using a popsicle stick to pick a cell-door lock. They wound up in Knoxville, attending fraternity parties, and even dating co-eds. The duo had been serving time for forgery and armed robbery. Outside the prison walls, police say the men resumed their old habits. Ridge was arrested after allegedly trying to pass forged $10 bills at a local gas station. Arabie was picked up outside the college library.
As I was reading this story I kept waiting for it to say that Sinbad was somehow involved. Doesn’t this sound like a Sinbad type of movie? As a side note, I’m sure their not the only ones using the old “Displaced Katrina Victims” to pick up chicks. Do people think this lie breaks the code of lying etiquette?
5. Bucharest - A Romanian mayor has asked his personal assistant to follow him around with a fire extinguisher after irate locals threatened to set him on fire. Adrian Solomon, the mayor of Barlad in eastern Romania, received the threats after he turned down a plan for cheap housing. Mayor Solomon said: "We can't provide enough low cost housing to meet demand, and some people have sent death threats to turn me into a human torch because they did not get a cheap flat. "I have now ordered my assistant to follow me with a fire extinguisher all the time, and I have a photographer with me to take pictures for the police in case I get attacked." - Ananova.com
I’d say that whenever an elected official is forced to have members of his administration follow him with a fire extinguisher in fear of disgruntled residents setting him on fire it’s a safe to say that his re-election is in serious jeopardy.
6. I don’t care how good Gonzaga’s Adam “Stillwater” Morrison is I refuse to take him seriously until he shaves that mustache. That is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He must have lost a bet right? It makes Matt Clement’s goatee look stylish.
7. One last note regarding the Josh Beckett trade. A subtle benefit of this trade is that I don't have to hear all the local idiots on talk radio propose letting all the players go and having Hanley Ramirez play every position and bat 1-9 for the next 10 years, like Bugs Bunny does against the Gashouse Gorilla's. I mean I know the kid is supposed to be a superstar, but I could not stand hearing about it all the time.
8. There will be no random thoughts the rest of the week because of Thanksgiving. Enjoy the turkey and take the points.
9. I think Jamie Chisholm summed up our link of the day perfectly. “If I moved to Kentucky, I think I could be their God. It's a land of morons.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=1302314
Reader Email
Email #1
Prez:
I admire your paper and your bravado with your predictions, but don't you think you are being a little premature in claiming that if the Sox get Beckett and Lowell that "This trade instantly makes the Red Sox the favorites to win the World Series next year". I mean come on. Where do you want me to start? Schilling is still a question mark even with a whole off-season to heal (his ankle and his ridiculous ego) Clement is a head case, everybody seems to hate Arroyo but me, we have NO BULLPEN again, V-Tek by the end of the year could not hit a high fast ball to save his life (or stop from chasing it), who is on first? "Rent a Wreck" at short was hitting near the end of the year, but his fielding.......Is Manny coming or going? Who's playing center? As much as I like Trot, he never seems to play as advertised. Don't get me wrong, I love the Sox like everyone else, but to say we are favorites with an injury prone Beckett coming over and Lowell seems very "Yankee like".
-Beacon Hill-
I don’t think that prediction is over the top at all. In fact I heard about 10 people say the Red Sox were now the favorites to win the AL East so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say they’re now the favorites to win the World Series. Once this trade becomes official I’ll check the Vegas futures and I think you’ll find that my “Yankee Like” statement is actually reality.
Email #2
Can ESPN.com cut the sh** and get rid of that ridiculous INSIDER. It kills me when I see a good article by Peter Gammons and then see that stupid IN icon next to it. I have no idea what it costs to be one of the lucky "Insiders" but out of spite I would never pay to read articles on sports that should be free. I think that Disney can afford to let the masses read about the finer points of the Josh Beckett trade and not just a select few dopes that shell out money to do so.
Chris McManus
I wonder how ESPN decides what qualifies as Insider stuff? It’s weird how they do it. You have to pay for articles written by Gammons and my buddy McShay. Doesn’t seem to make much sense. Regardless I’ll never pay for online content.
Email #3
El P, Happy Thanksgiving to you and all Stoolies. Whilst reading the RT's for Tuesday I was appalled that Matty V used Tiny Archibald in making his point about Seinfeld and Larry David. And not in a flattering way I might add. Tiny Archibald was a superstar, not some has been like Gerald Henderson. Tiny was the only player in NBA history who led the league in scoring and assists in the same season. He had no fear and took the ball to the hoop consistently even though he knew he would be hammered by the likes of Darryl Dawkins and Moses Malone. He was the point guard on the first Larry Bird championship team and even though Larry was the man Tiny was the one who made the team go offensively and was certainly no Gerald Henderson-esqe slouch. I could go on and on but you get my point. I could see if he used Rick Robey in the Seinfeld role. Robey was a stiff, nothing but Larry's drinking buddy and the Celtics traded him for Dennis Johnson for chrissakes!!!! And all because Larry made him look good. Tiny was good no matter where you put him. Thanks for reading all the way to the end here.....
Luther
Ok.
Email #4
The infusion of Dad's emails are pretty funny, any chance of making him do some charity for the Stool? Maybe some off-beat article that resembles grade school English?
Conx, NH
My dad can’t contribute to the paper. He is notoriously unfunny when he writes.
Email #5
I want the Theo Groupies to acknowledge the good trade the Sox made with the Marlins. If Theo was still here they would be calling him a genius. I also don't think the Sox, or Theo for that matter, thought Hanley was ever going to play for them especially after they got Renteria. On a personal note I’m glad your Dad writes in. I assume I am around his age (56). So it isn't just the Lifetime 25 year old New England Sports fan that has an opinion.
Have a Great Thanksgiving
Jim Cunningham
I’m 28. And yes my dad is your age and probably asleep as I write this.
Anybody who doesn’t think this is a good trade is either in denial, an idiot or doesn’t know baseball.