27th edition of My Random Thoughts: Sports, TV, music, food, life.......
Things that popped into my head this week.
When your team is 0-0 to start the year, you have a choice of how you feel about the season ahead. The season may very well end in a train wreck. But to not choose hope, faith and excitement at the start says a lot about a person.
I wish people could praise FC Cincinnati and the Cyclones without taking a shot at the Reds. FCC and Clones deserve to stand on their own.
Sorry, I just don't get doing seven round NFL Mock Drafts.
The sooner baseball 'purists' and 'traditionalist' realize that baseball 'has them' and that the game needs NEW fans, the better. Otherwise, when 50-60+ year old fans eventually die, who will be watching baseball?
CBS has renewed Blue Bloods for a 14th season. Yes! Tell your friends, forthwith.
Another brewery find: No. 54 within 50 miles of our home. North High Brewing in Hyde Park. Quality selection of beers. Great staff. Killer pizza (Hot Nash).
Buc-ees was legit. The view of cars lined up onto the highway to pull in was like the scene from Field of Dreams with car headlights at night.
Talk about sensory overload when you first walk in. Honestly, it was a little mesmerizing and overwhelming.
I say it every year: The Holy Grail staff is at the epicenter of Opening Day, total chaos, people packed elbow to elbow, yet staff never flinches. They pull it off....every year.
The average number of Opening Day pitches thrown by starters in the 12 best performances yesterday was 86. And yet, some fans gripe that David Bell took Hunter Greene out after 83 pitches that included the stress of 32 in the 3rd inning and more trouble in the 4th inning. First start of the year. 23-years old. Core piece of the future. I just don't get it.
My first car was a brown Volkswagen Rabbit. We bought it after seeing a classified ad in the paper. Not until I drove in the rain the first time did I realize there was a rusted out four inch hole in the floorboard on the driver side that was covered by the floor mat.
I'm fascinated by the national media members that seem hell bent on carrying water for Lamar Jackson to get him his 'value'.
I have to keep reminding myself that I can lead people to facts, but I cannot make them change their chosen narrative. Think horse-water-drink.
We happened into Peace, Love and Little Donuts in Hyde Park. Yowza. Mini cake donuts with toppings of your choice I'm talking Raspberry Truffle, Oreo, S'mores, PB&J, Blueberry Pancake, Salted Pretzel, Strawberry French Toast. Heath Wind & Fire. Incredible. Didn't realize there are also locations in Florence and Edgewood.
When I was in 9th grade I won a contest to be the bat boy for the Indianapolis Indians (Reds Triple-A). My parents decided working late on school nights was not going to work. Denied.
The official scoring at Great American Ballpark continues to be comical.
My good friend David Kaplan has opted not to make our yearly bet on whether his Cubs or my Reds win more games. Despite a consensus difference of 12 wins in projections for the two teams, he's only willing to give me 11 as our spread. No dice.
My 'TV look' for a time in South Bend was the Pat Riley slicked back hair look. Yep.
The one thing I don't get about the pitch clock is the batter having to be ready to 'address the pitcher' with :08 left on the clock. Why can the pitcher freeze the batter for eight more seconds, if he chooses? The batter should be able to do what he wants, as long as he's ready to hit the pitch. That's on the batter.
There is simply nothing that brings out the angriness, smallness and bitterness like mentioning Joey Votto. It is so sad and pathetic.
Harrison Ford and Jason Segal are really good in the new Apple TV comedy: Shrinking. Such a different role for the 80-year old Ford.
Opening Day parking Newport on the Levee $6, Southbank Shuttle to GABP $1.50. Nice walk back across the bridge. Can't beat it.
Don't worry about the things you don't care about.