Welcome again to Monday...Since Spring Training is getting underway, there has been a lot of blogs being posted about Baseball again...People are getting geared up for Baseball season...Me, I'm having trouble...One reason, Hockey season is going strong, the trade deadline is approaching, and teams are making their push towards the Playoffs...
The second reason I'm not fired up about Baseball...I live in Cleveland! We like snow with our Opening Day, and I'm sick of snow, as I look out the window, and see more falling...But even more than that...The Indians sucked last year...And guess what, they're going to suck this year too...This off-season, the big acquisition was signing aging infielder, Orlando Cabrera...Yeah, he's a decent guy to have on the roster, but this team already has 5 middle infielders...You see, GM Mark Shapiro is obsessed with utility players...Well a team full of those guys doesn't cut it...
Then there is the pitching staff...All young...All potential...Fausto Carmona is the "Ace" of the staff...He's got some good stuff, but he's young, and has had a tendency to be wild...After that it is a pack of unproven guys, that we've been told have lots of potential...Year after year this franchise has had loads of potential, and just when a number of those guys are reaching that potential, they are traded away...
Now most people in this town blame ownership, and say he's cheap...The few defenders will point out how he isn't cheap, that the Tribe overpaid Travis Hafner, and Jake Westbrook, and signed a worn out Kerry Wood...So then I guess he's stupid...Actually yes...Larry Dolan is stupid, because he has put all his trust and faith into GM/President Mark Shapiro, and he has done with his money, whatever Shapiro told him to do...So maybe stupid and cheap! Either way, the Indians won't be a good, competitive team, until Mark Shapiro is gone!
And the Indians brass is wondering why they're having trouble selling Season Ticket plans...Well, for the same reason the Cavaliers are having trouble selling tickets, and Season Tickets...The economy sucks, and it really sucks here...So if you put a shitty product out there, people aren't going to pay big money for it...Listen, if I want to go see Triple-A Baseball, I can go do it a lot cheaper then going to an Indians game!
As for the Cavs...Now I haven't gone to a NBA game since high school, and I don't plan on doing now...So you can imagine my joy when I got a cold call from the Cavaliers, trying to sell a special offer on tickets...EAT A DICK! I didn't pay to see them when "The King" was here, why the fuck would I start making myself suffer now?
Didn't I mention Hockey before? Yes I did...Hey did you know Sunday was "Hockey Day in America"? I'll assume most people didn't...Just us Hockey geeks...This was a little thing the NHL cooked up to get people fired up for Hockey...A bunch of feel-good stories about pond hockey, and this American hockey great and that American hockey great...Two televised games in the afternoon, and then finish the day off with "The Heritage Classic" in Calgary...Flames vs. Canadiens...
The NHL is hoping this will give them a boost...That's fine, and it may have today, but I think the NHL needs to start to except what it is...I believe Bill Burr put best when he said, "Hockey is a rogue sport." ...The NHL continues to reach out and try to grab the casual fan...Change rules to try and push scoring, and open the game up for the "stars"...Now sometimes you do land a casual fan...Everything does...But if you fuck with things too much, you start to turnoff your base...Hockey people love hockey, and they'll watch junior, and minor league, and college...I watch College Hockey every week...There's always something to fill the void...
So I'm asking the NHL, to except what you are...You'll never be the NFL, the NBA, or MLB...That's okay...Don't play to the lowest common denominator...Be what you are, and your fans will always support you...Also hope for the NFL and NBA to have serious labor issues, that shut them down next season...They may give Hockey another nice boost...As long as the NHL doesn't have another lockout!
Before I go, lets get a laugh in here...Saturday night Patrice O'Neal had a comedy special on Comedy Central...It was hilarious...Here's a taste of Patrice's brand of Humor...
One last thing...Last week, some people didn't like the tone of Monday Moaning...Not that it was very different from what it is each week...But some didn't like the 'hate' vibe it had...So each week, I'm going to make sure I put something in my post, that I love...
I love good music...I heard this version of this song driving home from work Saturday night...It was the first time it had been played on Cleveland radio in 20 years, and it was great...One of my favorites, Van Morrison, doing a great Bob Dylan song...
Have a week...
Later, The Beeze.
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