The Ubiquitous Ms. Crow

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There's the comely Sheryl Crow performing on the Today show this morning. I'm not even sure she was booked, she just saw the TV cameras and grabbed her guitar. Seriously, this just-above-middling talent has become the Bob Hope of rock'n'roll. There's nowhere she won't play if it'll get her some publicity. Remember how Hope spent his last 30 years or so letting his once-legendary comic talent drift away so he could be at every ribbon-cutting in North America? Now comes the latest, that Crow is going to perform in-air on a jet plane. As reported on mtv.com:

To christen the takeoff of a new partnership between Sony Connect and United Airlines, Sheryl Crow will perform a 40-minute acoustic set in an airplane flying between Chicago and Los Angeles on May 4. Upon landing, Crow will play a party celebrating the arrival of a new Sony digital Walkman. Soon after, fans can purchase the performances on mileageplusmusic.com. Sony Connect is Sony Music's digital online music service, offering songs for 99 cents a pop, and now that they've teamed with United Airlines, travelers can trade in frequent-flyer points for songs at Connect.com.

And people (well, out-of-touch people over 40) are blasting Bob Dylan for that creepily effective Victoria's Secret ad? I find it really humorous that Crow caused a stir last year by wearing a t-shirt with an anti-war message to some event--she's become as corporate as a rock star can get.

Posada Rules

Although I know he'll fade a bit down the stretch, as he does most years, I'm really enjoying Jorge Posada's ass-kicking April. He has seven homers, having bashed one in the Yankees 3-1 victory over Chicago last night, and is really building on the positive publicity his great 2003 season earned him. Last year, Posada's defense was probably the best of his career and he hit the tar out of the ball, and as usual for him, walked a lot. He's a power-hitting, on-base machine behind the plate and he doesn't look to be slowing down soon. I suppose now that Pudge Rodriguez is back in the AL, there's a full-on brawl for who the league's best catcher is (and Pudge is off to a nice start in his new digs in Detroit), but I couldn't be happier with Jorge. The Yankees had a tradition of great catchers, from Dickey to Berra to Howard to Munson, and then the chain was broken for the 80s and early 90s. Since Posada assumed the job, the chain has been restored.

Ya know, I score tickets for the Yankes and BoSox for tomorrow night and now they predict rain? Jeez louise.

Patriots' Day

The Yankees and RedSox are underway at Fenway already, and its not even 11:15 a.m. As much as I rag on the Sox, I love that they play this early (11 a.m.) Patriots' Day game every year. It's such a cool and weird tradition. I mean, what the heck is Patriots' Day anyway? Does anyone else in the US celebrate it? Okay, Michael Kay just told me it celebrates the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride. I guess I like the concept of a regional holiday. I think New York should do something similar, you know, close the banks and schools on LaGuardia's birthday or something. More holidays and weekday day games!
I haven't written much lately because I was having some annoying PC problems, some sort of spyware-related trojan horse/virus type deal. Everything seems fixed now, thanks largely to the good folks over at Computer Cops.
One last thing before I go watch the game...when you're out on the town, boozing down in Chinatown, watch out for those Royal Fucks. Whew!

Hope & Crosby

Mike Mussina finally got over that 199-win hump yesterday, unspectacularly winning his 200th game as the Yanks downed the ChiSox 5-4. Mussina looked a bit shaky at times, but he got the win thanks to Flash Gordon, Mo Rivera and the newest temporary New York sports hero, Bubba Crosby. Crosby came over to the Yankees in the Robin Ventura trade with the Dodgers, with absolutely no fanfare: he'd played in 9 games with LA in 2003 and gone 1 for 12. However, in a couple games over the past week with the Bronx Bombers, he's launched a pair of homeruns (including the decisive 3-run blast yesterday), driven in 5 runs and covered the outfield like a madman. He crashed into the wall making a huge play to save Mussina's day yesterday and made a couple other nifty catches in centerfield, covering a lot of ground. My brother Michael observed that he's a useful guy for these Yankees to have around: a career minor-leaguer getting a shot who has absolutely nothing to lose. Bernie Williams isn't going to go crashing into many walls at this point in his career, and frankly, we Yankee fans don't want him too. However, watching Bubba and his high socks running around centerfield with abandon was refreshing and fun. The fans at the stadium thought so too--they showered him with a standing ovation. I hope Bubba can play well enough to hang around this year and earn his keep as a key bench player. Maybe he's a reminder to the more jaded superstars of just how much fun baseball is, and how lucky they are to be playing it for a living, especially for a winner in New York City.

Opening Day

Sorry for the lack of an update...I was in Manhattan yesterday, had a slightly hectic morning today and now I'm busy watching the Yankees and White Sox, live from the big ballyard in the Bronx. Thus far....Vazquez looks terrific, love the movement he's getting...the Yankees offense keeps missing its chance to get in a knockout punch, but this is clearly a temporary problem--these guys get on base like crazy and will score a ton of runs...A-Rod is a really excellent baseball player, good baseball IQ as well as his obvious ability in the field and at the plate; I'm really happy I'll finally get to watch him play everyday...Jeter, while I love him and think he's criminally underrated by the Anti-Jeter people, is really a cruddy defensive SS; his reactions to the ball off the bat are getting worse...that said, once a play is in motion, there are few players I'd rather have on my team on the field...I know for some of you that will make absolutely no sense, but others may catch my drift.

Things You Didn't Know About...
Yankee Stadium

In stadium opener in 1923, Babe Ruth homered, then later streaked across the field during the 9th inning

Built on top of ancient Indian burial ground. Resulting ghosts allegedly tormented Yankees pitcher Ed Whitson during his tenure with the team.

Following his death in 1948, Babe Ruth's body laid in state at the Stadium. In 1984, the Yankees did the same with Toby Harrah, despite his still being alive and in the Yankee lineup.

Hall of Fame shortstop and beloved announcer Phil Rizzuto lived in a tent Monument Park for several years in the 1960s.

During WWII, hot dogs were replaced by hot Spam sandwiches

Yankee great Mickey Mantle once drove a Cadillac through the centerfield wall

And it's not even Easter...

Not that I had any doubt about it, but the sports media and New York fans are going to really try my patience more than ever this season. The Yankees lost in Tampa Bay last night, with Mike Mussina delivering a second sub-par (well, crappy) performance. Am I concerned? No. They've played THREE games and they haven't even been in New York yet. I think most rational fans would agree with me, and while I'm sure Red Sox fans get a nice chuckle when Tampa spanks the Yankes, I doubt many of them really think it's a sign of anything (any more than Yankees fans should read anything into Baltimore beating Boston the other night). However, it's become apparent that now more than ever, every Yankees loss will be greeted with an unhealthy does of Chicken Little behavior. Read the New York papers (especially the Post and News), listen to callers on WFAN or, worse still, read some posts by fans on the Yankees usenet group, alt.sports.baseball.ny-yankees. To believe those crackpots, Mussina's done and the team is in DEEP TROUBLE! Ha! It's amazing how many people have the whole Jerome from Manhattan mentality. I can't imagine these people were watching the team before 1996.

Opening Day, sort of

Well, NOW it should really feel like baseball season. The Red Sox got blasted by the Orioles last night, and today there's a nice slate of games that actually count. So, a week after the Yankees and Tampa Bay squared off in Japan, we're finally underway.
It's funny--even though it's one game, and I wasn't at all phased by the Yankees loss to Tampa in the first game in Tokyo, I was ecstatic to see Baltimore beat Pedro Martinez and the Sox last night. Is it some sort of omen for Pedro and thus, perhaps for the Red Sox? Most likely not, but it's fun to dream.
NCAA Men's Championship game tonight, which almost always makes for good TV. I don't follow NCAA hoops like I used to, and I've watched very little of this season and this tournament. That said, I like U Conn.

In unrelated news...
It's amazing how many places in and on your body don't feel just exactly right after a weekend of heavy boozing. I went to a close friend's wedding this weekend and we all hit the sauce like it was going out of style (which I don't really see happening any time soon). I had a great time, but OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Yahoo! News - 145-plus arrested in bust of large Ecstasy ring

Yahoo! News - 145-plus arrested in bust of large Ecstasy ring

7 Reasons
Your kid may be on drugs...

1. Writes 15-page report on the history of China in seven minutes

2. Claims Thanksgiving turkey would be easier to carve if it would just stop screaming

3. While watching a KFC commercial he bursts into tears and shouts at the screen, "No, man, you do chicken wrong!"

4. Describes a Golden Girls rerun as "pretty freakin’ trippy"

5. Stays up all night playing Playstation. You don't own a Playstation.

6. Has heated arguments about the environment with an oak tree

7. Has volunteered to work on Ralph Nader's presidential campaign


This list was updated (only a little) from its orginal form from 2000. It was largely written by Scott "Ed Pancreas" Carson. I know he wrote #2 and #3, which are the two funniest jokes in the whole list. I'm pretty sure #6 and #7 were mine, and I like them, but that KFC joke gets me every time. I think Dan Kline wrote the Playstation joke, except that in 2000, it was a Nintendo (which was out of date even then). What's really funny is that the Nader joke works as well (or better) now than it did in 2000.