Monday's Abbreviated Recap

Hey peeps, and anyone else checking in - a special hey to Ms. Hazel Mae (if curiousity has gotten the better of her).

Long day today - team-building retreat up in the mountains. You know, a retreat...a retreat...you know...for team-building? This is where the most passive-aggressive pricks who are usually the cause for the dissension go up to the "love-in" and talk about how "negativity" and "bad vibes" are impacting the team...and how they try to bring a positive attitude and energy to work everyday - but the negativity (ie. the people who actually do the work and "drive the damn bus") keeps them from contibuting. They usually start each comment with a negative comment...before going into a long-winded explanation of how they aren't negative.

These are the people who usually dominate the day with respect to suggestions on how to improve things...and build team spirit - which usually goes out the window before their asses hit the car on the way home. Wow...that was a mouthful and a half huh? Team building...one big freakin' happy family - can someone tell me where it is printed or written that in order to have a great team, everyone has to love each other and be best friends? I can think of a few teams where guys on the team couldn't stand each other and the teams won - The Oakland A's of the 70's, some of the Yankees teams of the 80's, Shaq and Kobe - hahahahaha. Ok enough about that.

I have started to using Monday entries to recap the "Heroes and Not-So Heroic" from the world of sports - given that last week was a bit of a write off with the conference I attended...and this week has started with "team-building" - a few things to bring to the forefront.

Heroes
Scott Podsednik - jeezus how does he hit a home run in the bottom of the 9th? I mean, good for him...but Podsednik? I would have expected a walk/single, a stolen base or two - manufacturing a run...Scott Podsednik? Congratulations to the White Sox, but how does Houston allow this to happen in two of three games? Their bullpen was supposed to be solid. I still think they can (and will) come back to win the series; Oswalt shuts the Sox down in the next game and the scratch out a win in Game 4...Pettitte wins game 5 and they go back to Chicago up 3-2. That is what I am going with.

A lot of very good performances by RBs yesterday - Willie Parker, Thomas Jones, Lamont Jordan, Rueben Droughans, Stephen Jackson...just a few. Mark Brunnell and Peyton Manning both had very good games...Favre did too - but you saw what happened to the Pack. You know who didn't have a good game yesterday? Drew Bledsoe didn't have a good game - calling on Hazel...calling on Hazel.

Can kickers make the list? I would say No...unless they do it on a consistent basis - Vinatieri would make the list - everyone else has to make two game winning kicks before being included here.

Not-So Heroic
Bill Romanowski, for his 60 Minutes interview - while he tries to hock his memoirs. I'd like to know what Publisher saw any sort of value in a book recapping the life and troubled times of Bill Romanowski.

Martin Havlat's big mouth is out of control - again. Havlat apolgized to his teammates for the incident with Hal Gill; saying that he is sorry his action took him out of the lineup - BUT...he is not sorry for kicking Hal Gill, because he was just defending himself. Don't you think he needs an elbow upside his stupid head? A la - Tie Domi on Scott Niedermeyer a few years back? Ok...that might be harsh...but you won't be able to get a hold of him to beat on him.

Pierre McGuire's voice grates on me...and his misuse/butchering of the English language would be laughable...if it wasn't so painful. Some of Pierre's nuggets this morning on sports radio Team 1200 -

"I was watching him tremendously close" - huh?

"When Ray Bourque tells you something...that's gigantic." as in hugely important? (another McGuire-ism)

"The line of Lemieux, Recchi and Leclair is the fossil line" - funny, Recchi and Leclair were very good pick ups for the Penguins a month or so ago...now they are fossils...and the Penguins are "putrid".

and what else would a McGuire segment be without the name dropping - how Scotty Bowman was staying with him...and how they watched hockey together.

That's about it for tonight...long day, and I am writing my thoughts on the Hazel-WEEI controversy. Leafs playing Bruins tonight - the score is 4 - 4 late in the 3rd. Hazel is cheering for the Leafs...isn't she? If she is broadcasting tonight (Monday) and anyone wants to report on whether or not she looked happy with a Leaf win...please feel free.

Song of the Day on Hazelspeeps - for my damn team-building retreat...for Bill Romanowski and his tearful recounting of his agonizing days in the NFL, and for Havlat

Liar - Sex Pistols

The Pistols were led by Mr. John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) - the man who once said of rock stars like Mick Jagger and David Lee Roth and their rock and roll lifestyle...

"Liars, cheats and frauds - they all go to bed early like everyone else."

Peesth out.

p.s. New Englanders (and Canadians) find a way to show Hazel your support...for the misunderstanding.