Cleaning out the Inbox

 Time to clean out the inbox with a few stories from around the world that I've found interesting.

Mental Floss looks at what they call the "tragic" story of RC Cola and while the story of a cola company that still churns out product to this day isn't exactly a story that I would describe as tragic, it's still an interesting story of a cola that has been a bigger deal here locally than it has been nationwide.

RC or Royal Crown Cola isn't one that I would say that I favor or that I have even had one in many years, but it is an interesting story of how RC wound up where they are and how they could have been a larger player with a few breaks.

Mental Floss also tackles a not-so-important question that I have always wondered about- What is the difference between Brown Eggs and White Eggs and is it worth the difference in price that one pays for the former?

There is an answer and it's given in the article, but I still wonder if the price difference is worth it.

ESPN's article on John Madden, as the former coach and commentator recently celebrated his 85th birthday, is quite long but it's well worth the read.

While Madden's career in coaching and broadcasting along with his participation in the biggest video game line in history is well-known, many of the items in this article show just how much influence John Madden has had in several innovations that football viewers and fans now take for granted.

The first down line, the start of the Madden video game, and other Madden stories are all there as part of a very interesting article.

We wrap with the Athletic and their look at the chaotic status of the Philadelphia Eagles front office, where only three seasons after winning the franchise's first Super Bowl, things appear to be spinning out of control with owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman at the center of the storm.

Lurie has been criticized since buying the team in 1994 for his constant involvement in personnel issues and particularly with the NFL draft.

I won't hammer Lurie for that, hell if I owned an NFL team I would want to be involved as well- It's why I'd want to own a franchise, but you can wonder about his overall involvement as well as the antics of Howie Roseman and think how did it get this bad in only three years?
The article covers the 2020 draft and how Jalen Hurts moved from a late-round consideration as a developmental quarterback to their second-round pick and then as their starter in one season, along with the Carson Wentz saga, dealings with former coach Doug Pederson, and how paranoia grips the organization.

It covers everything important that you can think of except for the eternal question- How did a team
with such great helmets and uniforms (the kelly green from 1986-94) change to their ugly ones, they use currently and why haven't they gone back to the kelly green? 

Cleaning out the inbox

Time to clean out the inbox with a few notes from the world..

Most of you should know that Jim Bouton's Ball Four ranks with my favorite books of all time.
I've mentioned it (and Bouton) here many times and my fondness for the book goes back to childhood through current day.
I have the book,the audiobook and the first book that I bought for my Kindle on Christmas Day was Ball Four,so I'm a big fan.

The soon to be 78 year old Bouton has suffered a stroke in recent years and isn't as strong as he used to be,so interviews with him of late are somewhat rare,but the family has decided to auction off the original notes and cassettes that Bouton used to compile Ball Four.
The best part of this collection is that there is so much that didn't make it into the book!
Think of it as the Director's Cut!!
Now,these will fetch a large amount,but I'm hoping someone will buy and donate to an organization that will make them available to the baseball public or even somewhere that allows baseball researchers access to them.
The New York Times talks about the sale and items here,while the Los Angeles Daily News takes a swing at things here.

Former Devil David Clarkson was always one of my favorite Devils and I never held it against him that he left the Devils via free agency after his career year (and a half) that saw Clarkson score 45 goals in that span.
A player has the right to cash in,especially when the numbers appear to be an aberration and the team that signs him is the player's hometown team,so I had no problems with Clarkson leaving.
Clarkson never even approached those Devils numbers after leaving and has been inactive with back problems that likely have ended his career.
A sad ending for a hard nosed player that loved the game as the Columbus Dispatch writes....

Here is my favorite Clarky commercial from his Devils days!


Politico writes about South Carolina congressman Mark Sanford and his political future,which surprisingly is still around.
Sanford is most remembered by non-residents of the Palmetto State for being their Governor and disappearing for a bit while he cheated on his wife outside the country.
Sanford was elected after that to congress and looks to be one of the main members of the GOP to be willing to take on Donald Trump,which considering the baggage of Sanford might not be the easiest water-carrier inside the party..

Why do Americans refrigerate their eggs?
The New York Times writes about why the Europeans prohibit washing eggs,while here in the U.S.washing eggs are mandatory.
Turns out the reason is that eggs have a natural cuticle that protect the inside of the egg from bacteria that gets washed away when they are washed.
The Europeans think the cuticle is more important and the Americans think the washing away is better.
In any event,once the egg is washed,it then needs to be refrigerated...

Five Thirty Eight discusses the Marshall basketball program under coach Dan D'Antoni,the older brother of the more famous Mike and a former NBA assistant.
D'Antoni is bringing the fire up the three offense to the mid-major circuit and this article takes a look at the analytical side of the game with values for where each shot is taken and how many should be taken.
I'm not sure how much that I agree with some of this,but it's a very interesting read on basketball...