Treats from the snack bowl

New segment that will appear on occasion today as I cleaned the inbox recently and I'll use this on occasions when the inbox is empty,but little things add up to a post.

M&M Peanut is one of the few sweet treats that I have an addiction to,which is why I attempt to limit my exposure to them.
I was unable to find a pic of a bowl filled with the peanut variety,so I used this picture instead until I buy more M&M's and use that as the new pic....

The Pirates lost in Milwaukee 5-2.
I missed the game with the late start,but will be watching the remaining two games in Fonzieville.
James McDonald was rapped around a bit,despite fanning seven in four innings.
Ronny Cedeno hit his first homer of the season....

A pleasant surprise yesterday from Sportstime Ohio.
Usually the sports networks around the country have to black out their classic games or specials to non-local viewers due to a stupid rule by MLB.
I would suspect getting as many people to watch your shows as possible would be a good idea,but this is baseball,after all and you can generally count on them to get things wrong.
However,yesterday someone missed the boat because STO showed the entire game with flashback interviews from Len Barker's 1981 perfect game and it got through.
I just tossed a tape in and set a timer,figuring I would get the usual black screen with the notation that it isn't available in my area-This time it worked out.
A few thoughts.
For all the pining that we do for the past,watching a game that is now 30 years (GASP!) old the broadcast differences are vast.
Grounders often showed the infielder scooping and throwing followed by a quick cut to the first baseman catching the peg.
I also miss the score box,which has been a great addition to broadcasts,although some use it for too much information that clogs the screen and others are just too small for aging eyes.
I will always rate Joe Tait at the top of announcers for basketball,but I thought he was pretty average calling the Tribe.
Nothing to grate on me,such as Greg Brown for example,but not outstanding either....

Watching the game brought something else to mind-Just how much I loved those less than terrific Tribe teams of that era.
Almost every name in the game brought a smile or memory back to me-Toby Harrah,Jorge Orta ,Duane Kuiper etc.
Most of the Indians then weren't very good and others had seen better days,but for a bad team,I have such wonderful memories.

Toronto didn't help themselves any as they swung from their heels and generally looked like they were batting against Henry Rowengartner from Rookie of the Year.
Len Barker was dominant,but I have seen better swings in youth leagues during this one.....

I get asked all the time which team do I root for when the Indians and Pirates play and I don't have an answer for them,but I will say this-If the American League dropped the DH,the Indians become the team we cover.

The question that I get most of late is this-"What do you think about Bryce Harper?
Well,I am working on an opinion piece for NatsProspects.com that will answer just that.
You might be surprised by my thoughts...

Keith Olbermann has had an axe to grind with ESPN for years,but that doesn't mean he is wrong.
His blog on ESPN's baseball coverage could apply to just about everything that they cover.
ESPN has rapidly become the most muted network here at the home headquarters,with the exception of games that are called by Gus Johnson,Greg Brown and the Washington Capital pair of Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin..

Gus Johnson has left CBS for Fox Sports!
Why is this worth an exclamation point?
That decision means that Johnson would be assigned to only 2 Browns games at the most instead of the possible 14 at CBS and it gets him off college hoops as well!
Johnson will be the "lead voice" of Fox college football and basketball,which means not much exposure for me other than the Big 10 title game.
It might also mean Johnson and his uninformed boxing commentary could leave Showtime boxing as well,since Showtime is owned by CBS.
Johnson would still be seen by me here and there,but on the overall-I love it!
Less Gus!!!

My little brother is back from the shadows and blogging again.
Check him out from the links page and read from the best wrestling mind,who's last name is not Cornette!

I am a traditionalist when it comes to the Big Ten.
I still haven't gotten over the addition of Penn State and that is over twenty years ago,so you know that I am not thrilled with another new team in Nebraska,although I do think that the Huskers were the best choice,if this HAD to be done.
Everything else-Botched.
The division names (legends and leaders) haven't clicked and likely will only be used by the talking heads.
The divisional choices to go not by geography but by seemingly random pulls from a hat and to try to get Ohio State-michigan in the championship game every year will prove to be a huge failure.
Ask the ACC on their failures in this matter in which they gerrymandered divisions to force a Florida State-Miami title game every year and has yet to get it,at the cost of rivalries.
There are exceptions,but for the most part,the best rivalries are in state or between bordering states.
You want fans to care about your divisions?
Then you need to do them regionally and let the chips fall where they may.

Plus this-you are the Big Ten-the Man's Man's league.Cold Weather.No excuses for the elements,etc
So where is their title game?Indianapolis-Indoors.
Moronic......

Hope you enjoyed this break from the action and take a look at our new poll for the next Forgotten Superstar feature....