Not David Ortiz too!
I was thinking this to myself when I heard the news that David Ortiz was shot in the back in his native Dominican Republic. Big Papi shot? It couldn't be happening to one of the most famous baseball players in modern baseball history. He was just 43 years old for God's sake with a wife and two kids.
After a couple of days of reflection, it's apparent that Ortiz is just another victim of our times.
Mass shootings and random acts of violence so numerous that I've lost count. The United States was never a lone actor when it came to mass killing. We just had more news outlets reporting it.
Social media profiles that are so ubiquitous that we can follow around our heroes on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 24 hours a day. I'm sure numerous people knew exactly where Ortiz was going to be at 9pm on Sunday night. I'm sure the motive hunters didn't need any sort of tip off that Ortiz was going to be at the Dial Bar and Lounge with his buddies. I mean the video seems to indicate that the shooter knew exactly where he was sitting!
News outlets (from both sides of the aisle look for ratings) fomenting hatred, intolerance and bigotry to such a degree that people with just a touch of the "crazy" are getting more and more likely to find someone to hurt. Kind of like The Running Man (And Arnold Schwarzenegger was the victim of his own assault just a couple of weeks ago...)
But he is just part of the violent news cycle that we look at with fascination. People make money by getting clicks and people get clicks by being bombastic. And that's assuming what we're reading is real and not a deep fake. Things are moving on from the act itself and to the sordid motive that Ortiz was fooling around with a druglord's wife. Soon it will move from that to the stories behind all of those who have been captured and why 7 men agreed to kill for $8000. Soon we'll move on completely to the next story.
All I know is that this could have been a lot worse for Ortiz and us. It just makes me think of his famous line after the Marathon bombing. This is our f*cking Papi.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Volleyball is the Next AAU Sport
It seems that Southern Alliance Volleyball is the next AAU sport for the JMR household. First it was AAU Baseball. For the past 8 years, it seems that every Summer brings a new vacation hotspot. Reading, Pennsylvania check. Upstate New York (3 times) check. Flemington New Jersey? Also check.
Then came basketball AAU. That was a hoot, traveling to places like the Reggie Lewis Center to watch the kids play 15 minutes of basketball every weekend. And the best part was when the two boys both played AAU baseball and basketball, which at the time were both Spring sports.
And just as the boys were wrapping up their AAU experiences (in basketball at least), DLG started playing AAU basketball. And the next year, she started playing AAU volleyball along with basketball. This was driving me crazy. And in the Spring no less - when the Red Sox and the Kentucky Derby are calling my name.
And finally, when DLG finally ended her AAU basketball career after a pretty bad concussion, volleyball was all that was left. And DLG was excelling. It's tough enough to be a 12 year old on a U14 team, but she was also going to be the starting setter for the team. The field general. A lot of responsibility will be heaped upon her shoulders.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. DLG's first tournament was going to be in Hartford CT. Not the worst place to be if you know where you're going, but how about somewhere nicer? Newport, RI? New York City? Boston (Don't worry, that's next weekend)? Nope, Hartford. At least we get to stay in one of the nice suburbs, like the one I grew up in, right? Nope Rocky Hill, which is just as lovely as you can imagine. Let's put it this way. Another hotel was adjacent to our hotel. It was a a Motel Six or a Super 8. I would go for my walks in the morning and see the same guy sleeping in his car in that parking lot with drug paraphernalia next to his car window. I was worried when I saw him slumped over each time. But I realized he had parked in different spots so he was just living in his car.
But all that disappeared when we got to the Convention Center.
After constant negotiations over buying sweatpants, sweatshirts and water bottles, the matches finally started. DLG's serves were dropping in. And her sets and bumps were really good. She was expected to block, save or kill the ball being the setter, bet every time she had an opportunity, she was playing well. This was their first tournament of the year, so the expectations were pretty low. And when we lost every match, there was reason to believe the low expectations. But certain rotations looked pretty strong even though this was their first time playing together. DLG played on this team last year, and I think this year's group looks a lot stronger than last years'.
Maybe it's the new setter?💁
Then came basketball AAU. That was a hoot, traveling to places like the Reggie Lewis Center to watch the kids play 15 minutes of basketball every weekend. And the best part was when the two boys both played AAU baseball and basketball, which at the time were both Spring sports.
And just as the boys were wrapping up their AAU experiences (in basketball at least), DLG started playing AAU basketball. And the next year, she started playing AAU volleyball along with basketball. This was driving me crazy. And in the Spring no less - when the Red Sox and the Kentucky Derby are calling my name.
And finally, when DLG finally ended her AAU basketball career after a pretty bad concussion, volleyball was all that was left. And DLG was excelling. It's tough enough to be a 12 year old on a U14 team, but she was also going to be the starting setter for the team. The field general. A lot of responsibility will be heaped upon her shoulders.
But all that disappeared when we got to the Convention Center.
After constant negotiations over buying sweatpants, sweatshirts and water bottles, the matches finally started. DLG's serves were dropping in. And her sets and bumps were really good. She was expected to block, save or kill the ball being the setter, bet every time she had an opportunity, she was playing well. This was their first tournament of the year, so the expectations were pretty low. And when we lost every match, there was reason to believe the low expectations. But certain rotations looked pretty strong even though this was their first time playing together. DLG played on this team last year, and I think this year's group looks a lot stronger than last years'.
Maybe it's the new setter?💁
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
How Patiot-Hating is a Reflection of our Society
I grew up in Connecticut in the 1970's and 1980's. Back then the Patriots were a sometimes-successful team, but seemed so far away from me. The New York Giants were not very good, but had some fans around town. But really the two most popular football teams were the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. The Steel Curtain vs America's team. I was on the Cowboys side growing up and a lot of my friends liked the Steelers. Why?
Because these two teams played two of the most iconic Super Bowls ever. I remember the dropped touchdown pass by Jackie Smith and Lynn Swann and John Stallworth doing Swann and Stallworth things. They were the two coolest and best teams in the NFL. I mean one of the teams was considered America's team for God's sake! If you didn't love the hometown team, you loved one of these teams. Eventually I outgrew this. It all started with going to some Patriots games when they were REALLY bad. Like Rod Rust bad. That's all I needed to become the new Patriot's fan.
What got me thinking about this was seeing the ESPN graphic that demonstrated that outside of New England, not one state polled was rooting for the Patriots to win Super Bowl LIII. Not one. Even though the L.A. Rams barely have a fan base large enough to draw 25,000 fans to their games, all of a sudden, it seems as though everyone is rooting for the Rams to win over the hated Patriots. I guess my wish that the Patriots became America's team is forever lost.
"Brady is too old and a cheater."
"Belichick is a cheater and is getting to old to understand modern offenses and defenses."
"The Patriots are in the Super Bowl too much, can we have someone else represent the AFC?"
"Josh McDaniels is piece of crap for screwing the Colts!"
"the Patriots are done...11-5 and they are going out in the second round!"
While none of these quotes are verbatim, I've heard most of these breathless themes over the last couple of years. Why don't people like this winner like they liked the Cowboys and the Steelers? Why do teams that have some success become vilified like it is evil incarnate. I mean Spygate and Deflategate have both been proven wrong but are still brought up.
The answer is simple.
Because hate is so much easier than love in today's society. Constant stress of work, traffic and school. Weekends are spent traveling to the country to watch Soccer, Lacrosse and Basketball instead of relaxing. 24 hour news cycles like CNN and Fox fuel hatred to attract or keep viewers. Hatred is a way to get eyeballs on the screen. No one wants to watch the news if it is good news. No one wants to watch grainy footage of a good deed; they want grainy footage of a fight. Bad news? Arguing? Debates run amok? Count these stressed out people and stations in.
And pundits and influencers grab on to this. They can become famous if they go to the extreme. They can become well known if they have hot takes no one else has. Newspaper reporters - a dying breed - will report on almost any sensationalistic news because it is what keeps readers. And this usually usually means hate takes from people reporting on the reporters. Max Kellerman has thought Brady should retire every year for the past 8 years. His mindset is that one of these years he will be right! Watch the NFL Network when they talk about the Patriots. Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shannon Sharpe, they can't stand the Patriots' success, even though they have had success of their own.
Even the loathsome Boston-based Felger and Mazz, radio trolls if there ever was two has admitted that it is easy to get phone calls - simply bash the Patriots.
I'm afraid of what will happen when Brady eventually retires. The hate will really come out then.
Until then, all I can say is that They Hate Us Because They Ain't Us.
Because these two teams played two of the most iconic Super Bowls ever. I remember the dropped touchdown pass by Jackie Smith and Lynn Swann and John Stallworth doing Swann and Stallworth things. They were the two coolest and best teams in the NFL. I mean one of the teams was considered America's team for God's sake! If you didn't love the hometown team, you loved one of these teams. Eventually I outgrew this. It all started with going to some Patriots games when they were REALLY bad. Like Rod Rust bad. That's all I needed to become the new Patriot's fan.
What got me thinking about this was seeing the ESPN graphic that demonstrated that outside of New England, not one state polled was rooting for the Patriots to win Super Bowl LIII. Not one. Even though the L.A. Rams barely have a fan base large enough to draw 25,000 fans to their games, all of a sudden, it seems as though everyone is rooting for the Rams to win over the hated Patriots. I guess my wish that the Patriots became America's team is forever lost.
 |
| Music to haters' ears. |
"Belichick is a cheater and is getting to old to understand modern offenses and defenses."
"The Patriots are in the Super Bowl too much, can we have someone else represent the AFC?"
"Josh McDaniels is piece of crap for screwing the Colts!"
"the Patriots are done...11-5 and they are going out in the second round!"
While none of these quotes are verbatim, I've heard most of these breathless themes over the last couple of years. Why don't people like this winner like they liked the Cowboys and the Steelers? Why do teams that have some success become vilified like it is evil incarnate. I mean Spygate and Deflategate have both been proven wrong but are still brought up.
The answer is simple.
Because hate is so much easier than love in today's society. Constant stress of work, traffic and school. Weekends are spent traveling to the country to watch Soccer, Lacrosse and Basketball instead of relaxing. 24 hour news cycles like CNN and Fox fuel hatred to attract or keep viewers. Hatred is a way to get eyeballs on the screen. No one wants to watch the news if it is good news. No one wants to watch grainy footage of a good deed; they want grainy footage of a fight. Bad news? Arguing? Debates run amok? Count these stressed out people and stations in.
And pundits and influencers grab on to this. They can become famous if they go to the extreme. They can become well known if they have hot takes no one else has. Newspaper reporters - a dying breed - will report on almost any sensationalistic news because it is what keeps readers. And this usually usually means hate takes from people reporting on the reporters. Max Kellerman has thought Brady should retire every year for the past 8 years. His mindset is that one of these years he will be right! Watch the NFL Network when they talk about the Patriots. Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shannon Sharpe, they can't stand the Patriots' success, even though they have had success of their own.
Even the loathsome Boston-based Felger and Mazz, radio trolls if there ever was two has admitted that it is easy to get phone calls - simply bash the Patriots.
I'm afraid of what will happen when Brady eventually retires. The hate will really come out then.
Until then, all I can say is that They Hate Us Because They Ain't Us.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Welcome to Family, Ells
Ellie or Mookie? DLG and G were arguing about the name for the new dog a couple of days before the BIG day. I piped in with my oh so subtle guilt trip.
"What about Maddie? That was the name of my dog growing up..." I might was well have said "before she was tragically taken in a mafioso kidnapping" after that I was laying on it so thick.
Yes, the JMR family was adding another to its brood. A little Golden doodle would be gracing us with its presence in just a few short days. While I was counting the mouths that I had to feed (which is typically what I do, it was the role I was made for), everyone else was counting the days until we picked our new addition. We were receiving videos and pictures of the new puppies every day. Other expectant dog owners were getting all freaked about the puppies. I thought I would contain my excitement.
Dog breeders creep me out so I stayed home with C for his baseball practice even though he was perfectly capable of driving himself (a story for another day).
Even though I was dreading the additional mouth to feed, as the day came, I had to say I was excited for the dog myself. I'm not that much of a miserable SOB for God's sake! The pictures were rolling in as well as updates on where they were after they left the breeders house.
When everyone got home, "Ellie" started bounding around. Did she know that this was going to be her new home? I don't know for sure, but she immediately found a comfortable spot on the rug in the Living Room (what we call the big couch room) and stretched out.
I'm sure we'll have plenty of stories with this little puppy. So I'll leave it at this...Welcome to the Family Ells!
"What about Maddie? That was the name of my dog growing up..." I might was well have said "before she was tragically taken in a mafioso kidnapping" after that I was laying on it so thick.
Dog breeders creep me out so I stayed home with C for his baseball practice even though he was perfectly capable of driving himself (a story for another day).
Even though I was dreading the additional mouth to feed, as the day came, I had to say I was excited for the dog myself. I'm not that much of a miserable SOB for God's sake! The pictures were rolling in as well as updates on where they were after they left the breeders house.
When everyone got home, "Ellie" started bounding around. Did she know that this was going to be her new home? I don't know for sure, but she immediately found a comfortable spot on the rug in the Living Room (what we call the big couch room) and stretched out.
I'm sure we'll have plenty of stories with this little puppy. So I'll leave it at this...Welcome to the Family Ells!
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
2018 - Another Year, Another World Series Parade
Things have changed a lot since 2013, and things haven't changed at all. 2013 was the last year that we celebrated a Red Sox World Series victory with the Duck Boat parade. And while 2013 was different in that all of went to Fenway Park on a Saturday morning and basically missed the whole thing, 2018 saw C, G and I go to the corner of Boylston and Tremont. They didn't mind since they missed a day of school (What excuse will we give C so he doesn't get detention was a big brainstorm session that LC and I had all week?).
For the uninitiated (or for those from New York, Los Angeles, etc.), after a Boston team wins its championship, the team usually celebrates by getting on Boston's fleet of Duckboats and whips through the Back Bay, usually stopping somewhere around City Hall Plaza so everyone can cheer. I've gone to a couple of the Red Sox parades, a couple of the Patriots parades, and an ill conceived Bruins parade. I've been lucky, I guess. I've managed to enjoy myself and managed to avoid all of the Massholes who inevitably show up to these kinds of things.
Wednesday, 10am. Boston. Really, except for the overwhelming aroma of weed wafting through the air, this parade was similar to the Bruins parade we went to back when they won the Cup in 2011...except that I was happy that it happened. We were at the turn from Boylston to Tremont. I thought we got a good vantage point leaning up against a City of Boston Dump truck that was blocking other cars from going down Boylston toward Chinatown. Little did I know that G did not like this spot.
Then the wait began. I was probably the oldest in the group hugging Boylston Street by about 20-25 years as every high school student and college student in the greater Boston area decided to skip school. The idiotic signs, the vaping, the immaturity. It took me back to when I was that age (except for the vaping - what the Hell is that all about - it's like getting a Raspberry coffee at Starbucks). The wait was shortened by watching the construction guys banging their hammers and start "Yankees Suck" chants. It was kind of amusing, even through that chant is as tired as I am. The crowd seemed less than electric, almost jaded, so when the police started tearing around the corner to signal that the Duck Boats were finally coming around the bend, it was heartening to see the crowd pick up its fervor. "Let's go Red Sox" began to be the chant. That's one I can get behind.
The first boats came by. Steve Pierce, World Series MVP was on the first boat, followed by the entire organization that sits in the back room and mocks you when you pay $100 for an uncomfortable, too small of a seat. One of the next duckboats had the hangers-on from previous World Series wins - Pedro, Big Papi and Varitek. At least Jason Varitek was a part of the organization.
After an endless array of staff duck boats, the boats with players started coming by. In what was to be a portend of things to come, the players were throwing beer cans to the construction workers in the building across from us - most of the time missing and hitting the scaffolding below. (Sorry bystanders below!) Note to self not to enter that building on Tremont Street...those guys were drinking beer! David Price continued to be defiant in the face of every single person to have doubted him. Mookie was in the last boat with a bunch of guys I had never heard of. Well, except for Tzu-Wei Lin.
Let the record show that I said Price was going to have a good Postseason - which was before his dumpster fire in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees.
And then just like that, they were gone. As we walked back to Southie for lunch, we had to dodge near fistfights and yelling and screaming. Another year, another reversion back to being Massholes.
For the uninitiated (or for those from New York, Los Angeles, etc.), after a Boston team wins its championship, the team usually celebrates by getting on Boston's fleet of Duckboats and whips through the Back Bay, usually stopping somewhere around City Hall Plaza so everyone can cheer. I've gone to a couple of the Red Sox parades, a couple of the Patriots parades, and an ill conceived Bruins parade. I've been lucky, I guess. I've managed to enjoy myself and managed to avoid all of the Massholes who inevitably show up to these kinds of things.
 |
| It was this and 20 pictures of duck boats flying by. |
Then the wait began. I was probably the oldest in the group hugging Boylston Street by about 20-25 years as every high school student and college student in the greater Boston area decided to skip school. The idiotic signs, the vaping, the immaturity. It took me back to when I was that age (except for the vaping - what the Hell is that all about - it's like getting a Raspberry coffee at Starbucks). The wait was shortened by watching the construction guys banging their hammers and start "Yankees Suck" chants. It was kind of amusing, even through that chant is as tired as I am. The crowd seemed less than electric, almost jaded, so when the police started tearing around the corner to signal that the Duck Boats were finally coming around the bend, it was heartening to see the crowd pick up its fervor. "Let's go Red Sox" began to be the chant. That's one I can get behind.
The first boats came by. Steve Pierce, World Series MVP was on the first boat, followed by the entire organization that sits in the back room and mocks you when you pay $100 for an uncomfortable, too small of a seat. One of the next duckboats had the hangers-on from previous World Series wins - Pedro, Big Papi and Varitek. At least Jason Varitek was a part of the organization.
After an endless array of staff duck boats, the boats with players started coming by. In what was to be a portend of things to come, the players were throwing beer cans to the construction workers in the building across from us - most of the time missing and hitting the scaffolding below. (Sorry bystanders below!) Note to self not to enter that building on Tremont Street...those guys were drinking beer! David Price continued to be defiant in the face of every single person to have doubted him. Mookie was in the last boat with a bunch of guys I had never heard of. Well, except for Tzu-Wei Lin.
Let the record show that I said Price was going to have a good Postseason - which was before his dumpster fire in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees.
And then just like that, they were gone. As we walked back to Southie for lunch, we had to dodge near fistfights and yelling and screaming. Another year, another reversion back to being Massholes.
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