The Wild Wild West

There isn't a lot from the sports world to write about, so let's move to something else.
Before I start though, I would like to thank those of you that have written thus far on the post asking for your thoughts.
I have read all of them and enjoyed the one common thread that you seem to like my work.
It is quite humbling to read the notes and I am listening to your responses.
The funny thing is so many of them feature different things that you like, so there is soul searching to do, but I plan a post later in the week that will deal with your notes.
If you have not sent me anything, there is still time to do so and I ask you to drop me a line.....

I am a passionate fan of many shows throughout my life, but there are a select few that rank above all.
There is one that ranks very highly from the first time that I watched it and it never deviated from its position.

The Wild Wild West was an unusual mix of science fiction and western action that never saw a drop in the ratings, but became a casualty of the tightened regulations on television violence in the late 1960s.
The show basically was James Bond hits the 1800's with a pair of secret service agents traveling the country (usually the Western half) battling threats to then-President Ulysses Grant and the nation itself.
"James West" used gadgets to get himself out of trouble, usually gadgets that would have been way ahead of the time that the show was based in and "Artemis Gordon" was the jack of all trades that used various disguises as his M.O.

Robert Conrad and Ross Martin were the stars and played off each other very well as a team that needed each of their individual skills to survive.
The show used various nefarious villains each week to combat the duo, but the main bad guy was a dwarf "Dr.Miguelito Loveless" played by the brilliant Michael Dunn.
Loveless appeared in ten episodes as a megalomaniac that wanted to install himself as ruler of the world through plots that often involve things well before their time, only to have them foiled by West and Gordon, although Loveless was never grabbed before getting away.

The show aired its first season in black and white and that might be the best season of the show.
The first season was a bit darker than the color shows that started in the second season.
The episodes that air in color are a bit funnier and campier than season one, but despite the differences, the show is still terrific.

The show is quite violent as the stunt work is among the best that you can see of its time as the timing and choreography are almost perfect.
Conrad did most of his own stunts until a fall from a 12-foot chandelier that ended a season early and that forced some changes in the stunt formats in the show, although you would need to watch the entire run of the series to really see the difference.
Fights are a part of the Western genre' anyway and WWW fought-a lot.
The number of fights was mentioned twice in congressional hearings and CBS canceled the show despite the ratings not having dipped as an olive branch towards the new legislation.

I always watched the show as a child when it was aired in afternoon syndication after school in the days before VCR's and simply loved it.
I could not get enough of it (and Star Trek, but that's another post) and was such a huge fan that I did not want to miss an episode

Thunder Rumble and Old Friends

First, Thanks to those of you who I have heard from thus far on your thoughts on the blog.
I appreciate all your kind words and ideas, and I am listening!
Thanks again...

Today was another day with my shoulder to the wheel at work (In the middle of day 5 of 11 straight) and as I watched the end of the Texans-Bears game in a rainstorm, a name from the past jumped to my mind.

Thunder Rumble was a humble New York-bred that loved the historic Saratoga race course and was a Grade 1 winner with his win in the 1992 Travers.

Gosh, can it be 20 years already? It seems like about five, but Thunder Rumble was one of the horses I was a huge fan of when I was a passionate fan of horse racing, and when I think of them now, I usually smile.

Thunder Rumble was also my biggest ever winner of a simulcasted big race with a bet, as his wins in the aforementioned Travers and its prep race, the Jim Dandy stakes, so that gave him a special place in my memory.

So thinking of big Thunder and the days of my love affair with racing that lasted quite a long time made me want to think about how "my" Thunder turned out since he is currently 23.

To my surprise, Thunder Rumble is still around and lives with Old Friends satellite station in New York.

What is Old Friends?

Well, Old Friends is an organization that takes care of equine stars of the past to give them the pension time that they deserve after a racing and breeding career.
Old Friends was created after the horrible death of 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand to give stars of the past a place to live out their years.
What surprised me most (and it shouldn't) was the number of horses that I recognized from the time that I watched the game.
I knew almost every horse involved with Old Friends, and I spent a few hours looking at all of these stars that I remembered on their website.
It brought back such terrific memories that I smiled all the while, which is a pretty tough thing considering that I was at the road office.

Old Friends does such terrific work, and it is not cheap work either.
When you consider the cost of feeding and bedding a horse and the number of horses in the program, the cost can be prohibitive.
Compassion towards animals that can often give their lives for our entertainment is very well placed and a great charity to be involved with.

Good memories of a time that a younger me enjoyed very much, and it speaks well of people that has given a lot to give animals a good life after an often brutal career.
I wouldn't mind making a trip to see Thunder sometime, but even if I don't- I know his after-racing life was a pretty good one...

Not a bad way to pass a work night, huh?



Photo Credits
Thunder with handler:Connie Bush
Winning the Travers:Joel Silva

Questioning where I stand...

Back after a few days away.
The Cavaliers are on the road and so am I as I spent the last three days and the next eight days at the road office with the everyday grind.

The Cavaliers lost in both Golden State and Phoenix and will be in Oklahoma City for the Thunder Sunday night,so I should have coverage of that one.

I haven't had much to say of late and didn't feel like going through the motions.
I still really don't have much to add.
The Cavaliers are on the West Coast.the Devils are still locked out and the Browns and Buckeyes are off this weekend.

Honestly,I am in the middle of a frustrating time here.
Readership has dropped and I'm just not sure what else to try.
In the past year,we have had months that were the best ever and now things have dropped off.
Am I doing this to record my thoughts for posterity?
Or am I doing this to have people enjoy my work?
Sometimes,this seems like work,but I must admit that having these in place to look back at has been fun and I have enjoyed this for the most part.
But,at the same time,I am frustrated at not being able to move to the next level.
We were close to turning the corner and then dropped off.
Is this frustration warranted?
Or is my own doing from slacking off over the summer?
Do I need more interviews? Do I need to work harder?
What is it going to take and am I willing to get it there?

So what do I do?
What do you think?
What do you like?
I have periodically asked these questions and I really want input this time.
Do you like the sports stuff?
Is it the political posts that you really like or is it the reminiscing that I occasionally do that you prefer?
Do you think I need to get more interviews and work harder on those?
Is it the cleaning of the inbox with all various thing that you like?

I want to know,no-I need to know if I am going to try to turn this ship around.
Feel free to comment here or send me email.
I just have a need to evaluate things and that time has come...

Thanks for reading....

PPM

A very quick one with Ohio State and the Browns off...

College
Texas Tech over Kansas 44-20
Game of the Week
Alabama over Texas A & M 33-23

Pro
Saints over Falcons 34-30
Game of the week
Texans over Bears 20-17

Last Week:4-3
Season:43-22

Feels like starting over...

We start with my personal Facebook post from this morning and I'll go on from there.
All permission for this material given from myself.

"Just destroyed with the results of last night.
Not for Obama v Romney,not for Roscoe Bartlett losing (he needed to go years ago and Delaney will be a one termer anyway) and not for any of the questions.
I cannot believe this town voted in two baseball hating persons to the City Council as well as a new mayor. This means that new stadium negotiations go back to square one and allows another city to potentially step into the created gap to take the Suns away.
In the end,Bob Bruchey was beaten by his inflexibility and his downtown site that was almost universally hated.
I appreciate the work that he did,but that is what beat him-not building a stadium,but where they HAD to have it.

I don't want to say goodbye Suns,but the chances increased incrementally."

Kristin Aleshire and Penny Nigh are the two most outspoken anti-Suns/new stadium candidates to run for city council and they received the most votes.

Many people here dislike Nigh the most,I'll take Aleshire as the guy that struts around at Suns games to throw the first pitch and then writes snarky notes to voters about being against a new stadium.

Either way,those two joined with Don Munson to give the anti-stadium group the majority on the council and with two returning members taking the remaining seats,the hopes for a new stadium have been reduced.

I do have some hope of convincing Don Munson the positives of a new stadium and saving the project.

I have zero hopes of anything moving Kristin Aleshire and Penny Nigh,so that would be a waste of time and breath.

Taking the above paragraph and combining it with the loss of Mayor Bob Bruchey to another anti-Suns candidate and I must say the future of Hagerstown baseball took a hit last night.

I would not say that it is over,but the foundation of a deal has been torn down and will likely have to start from scratch.

This leads into Hagerstown being in a similar situation to Winchester from the beginning of the year-having things in order and then dropping the ball.

I would be shocked to see things progress on the same track as the new mayor and councilpersons all were elected in on disliking the planned stadium and they certainly are not going to go into that with their support,although they might work with other ideas.

Bruce Quinn likely cannot be happy with these developments and it will not take more than a meeting or two with the new electees to realize that he might be back to shopping his team around to interested cities.

Quinn may have handled this a bit late in an effort to maximize profits as if he had moved earlier,this could have been finished before the election,but the city dragged their feet a bit as well.

I know next to nothing about the new mayor of Hagerstown in David Gysberts,but considering he basically ran on an "Anti-Bruchey" platform,I have low expectations for his stadium support.

In the end,the door has been opened for Winchester,Kinston,Lynchburg or anyone else to put their foot in,thanks to the voters of the city.

As John Lennon once sang-it feels like starting over.

Photo Credit:Joe Crocetta Hagerstown Herald Mail

Waiters rockets Cavaliers by Clippers!

Dion Waiters coming out party happened in Hollywood as the Syracuse rookie drilled seven three pointers and finished with a game high 28 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 2-2 on the season with a 108-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kyrie Irving added 23 with the frontline high scorers of Anderson Varejao and Tyler Zeller each finishing with 15.
Cleveland is off tonight before traveling to Oakland Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors.

Swashbucklings

1) Dion Waiters drilled seven three pointers?
Yep,Sure did.
Waiters has played just four games,but nights like last night certainly shows his upside.

2) Kyrie Irving shot only 8 of 23 but still finished with 23 points.
Irving did knock some three pointers down,but the percentage needs to improve a bit,although that's a nit pick.

3) Anderson Varejao spent more time on the floor with Tyler Zeller in this one with the pair combining for 22 boards.
I think Zeller in the post is going open up Varejao for the garbage work that he does so well.

4) Tyler Zeller runs the floor so much better than one expects looking at him.
Visually,Zeller looks like a gangly player with little coordination,but he actually is far better athletically than I thought he was entering the league.

5) Bad night for Tristan Thompson-0 for 6 from the floor and just one point on the night.
That could be the reason that Zeller and Varejao played so much together as Thompson was having an off night and that led to more time for Zeller...

Photo Credit:Getty Images

Browns commit "Shurmurcide" in Ravens loss

The Cleveland Browns fell behind 14-0 early against the Baltimore Ravens and then battled back with strong defense and five Phil Dawson field goals to take a one point lead in the fourth quarter before allowing a touchdown and a field goal after a series of baffling Pat Shurmur decisions in a 22-15 loss at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Trent Richardson rushed for 105 yards in the defeat for the now 2-7 Browns.
Cleveland has their bye week this coming Sunday before traveling to Dallas and the Cowboys for their next game...

Brownie Bits

1) This will be quite a whinefest for the most part.
I saw very few positives,but there were two,the rest? Look out.
Let's start positively with the defense.
Yes,they put the team in a 14-0 hole and they couldn't make one stop in the fourth quarter when they really needed to (The field goal is excused considering the field position),but the remainder of the game,the team really stepped up and kept the Browns in the game with a chance.

2) Trent Richardson did gain over 100 yards and ran very hard against a defense that was set to stop him.
Considering how Pat Shurmur hangs Richardson out to dry with such predictable play calling (Run on first down always),the number is even more impressive.

3) Wasn't Trent Richardson drafted to get the tough yards ?
Then can anyone tell me why on just about every short yardage third down play,Pat Shurmur passes?
Anyone?

4) Now to the Pat Shurmur legacy or the top thing that ticks me off during Browns games-The baffling pass plays that never get to the yard marker that are usually thrown to players that cannot make plays in space.
Yesterday that was Alex Smith,but on other days,it has been other players.
Nothing drives me crazier than needing eight yards and throwing a two yard pass play to a player that usually is incapable of making someone miss in order to gain the first down.
This stuff happens too many times to count every week!

5) The story of the game was Pat Shurmur going for it on fourth and two and with two timeouts remaining with just under four minutes to go.
Considering Shurmur punted in Indianapolis with better field position,one would think he might punt here.Instead he went for it.
OK,this team is headed nowhere,I'll give him the benefit of the doubt,but let's set things up first.
On third down,the playcall is another one of those we need five yards,throw a three yard pass,this one to Greg Little,creating the fourth down.
Now,as we noted in the third bullet,Trent Richardson was drafted for these situations and Baltimore has struggled against both Richardson and the run.
The call-a pass that Brandon Weeden overthrew.
Ball game.

6) Brandon Weeden was bad.
Not as bad as his first game against the Eagles,but worse than any game that he has had since.
Receivers overthrown too often to count and a fear of Ed Reed made Weeden tentative and just not very good.
It's just one game,but Weeden looked to regress during this game...

7) Perhaps the biggest play of the game was the play that did not happen as Weeden threw his best pass of the day on a touchdown pass to Josh Gordon that was called back due to an illegal formation call on Chris Ogbonnaya.
I hate it when running backs are positioned in a wideout area as they are doing something that they are not accustomed to and these penalties often comeas a result....

8) Jabaal Sheard had his best game of the season and it could have come with the return of Phil Taylor to the lineup.
Sheard had eight tackles and a half sack and showed the speed that he flashed last season.

9) Once Ahtyba Rubin returns,the Browns should have a good defensive line with Rubin,Sheard,Taylor and rookie Billy Winn.I would feel pretty safe in saying the line is the best part of the current defense....

10) The unsportsmanlike conduct call on T.J. Ward that allowed the game winning drive for Baltimore to continue was kinda weak,but I can see where the refs thought Ward hit Flacco in the helmet.
Replays showed shoulder contact,but in real time-I can see it..

11) Finally,the worse indictment of Pat Shurmur comes with the constant poor communication throughout the games.
12 men on the field penalities, players out of position and timeouts foolishly being burned makes the staff appear chaotic and disorganized.

12) Pat Shurmur's die has been cast.
He's gone.
Maybe not now,but I would be stunned to see him return.A Shurmur return would mean using up much of the goodwill that Jimmy Haslam currently has with the fan base and considering the likely return on that investment from Pat Shurmur,it just is not viable...

Photo Credit;AP Photo