Double Positives

Greensboro, NC -- With the great selection of morning radio talk down here in Carolina, I usually tune in to 4-5 different stations during my commute to the office. However, on the drive home, the radio waves are dominated by crappy songs and commercials. I usually flip to the ol' ipod for the afternoon commute. By selecting "play songs," the ipod will play the songs downloaded in your ipod in alphabetic order. I've slowly began to notice how different bands have the same name for a song. So, today's blog will feature a short compilation of song names, yet they're by a different band: the "double positive." With your help (and 92.9 Dave FM's), this list can grow even longer:

• "Satellite" by Dave Mathews Band & Guster
• "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley & Seal
• "Gloria" by U2 & Van Morrison (both Irish bands)
• "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty & Pink Floyd
• "Superman" by Five for Fighting & R.E.M.
• "The One I Love" by R.E.M. & David Gray
• "One" by U2 & Metallica
• "Last Night" by The Strokes & The Traveling Wilburys
• "Angel" by Aerosmith & Dave Mathews Band
• "Gone" by Kelly Clarkson & Jack Johnson
• "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin & Dido

Celebrity Run-in's

Greensboro, NC – Diverting away from baseball for a day to cover a different topic. Have you ever met anyone famous that you want to go around telling everyone about? Most of the “famous” people that I’ve met are professional sports players. Last year, after having an "alfresco" lunch in Boston, I met Jim Bowden, the GM of the Nationals. He was a pretty nice guy, who posed for a photo with me. I saw Gary Williams, head coach of Maryland Terrapins basketball, at Clyde’s in Rockville, MD a couple of years ago. Last December, we nearly saw Andruw Jones, center fielder of the Atlanta Braves, at Stoney Creek Steak House in suburban Atlanta. As you can see, my list is basically sports figures.

While back in Maryland earlier this month for an unfortunate event, a funeral, I was involved in a discussion with my aunt and others about, “If you could have dinner with one person in the world, who would it be?” The responses around the table have lapsed from my memory (because we’d been up for 16 hours), but my response was Bono from U2. Being a lifelong U2 fan, coupled with the uncountable number of hours that Bono puts in for aid to Africa through the “One” campaign and the “RED” program, I have no doubt that my mind would be quite stimulated. Well, lo and behold, last Thursday while dining in Phoenix, AZ for a real estate convention, my aunt and her co-worker were serendipitously seated next to the man himself, Bono. I am pretty close to my aunt, so I had the honor of receiving the first text message upon her seating arrangement. After repeated requests from me to talk to him (and obtain an autograph for her favorite nephew), my aunt told the waiter to put Bono’s tab on her check. Upon learning that his tab was paid for, Bono arose from his seat and initiated a conversation with my Aunt Bud that went something like this:

Bono: You really don’t have to do this for me.
AB: It’s really not a big deal; you’ve been an inspiration to me and my family. Your music is played everyday in my house. I first saw your show in 1983 in Philadelphia. So, this is the least I could do for you.
(Ed. Note: This is a "business" lunch, so I wouldn't say it's really on AB's dime anyway.)
Bono: Wow, one of the original shows. I want to hear you sing.
AB: I don’t think that’s a good idea. Would you mind, in fact, I know you’re going to mind, but I’ll request it anyway, would you take a picture with me?
Bono: Sure … (sticks his face to my aunt’s and grins) … do I have any crap in my teeth?
AB: I think you’re good.

The following picture is taken:

My aunt’s co-worker couldn’t pass up the opportunity:


Bono gives my aunt a hug and leaves. My uncle hears the news immediately and instructs my aunt to not hug anyone until she returns home.

Later on in the night, the friend that Bono was having lunch with, ran into my aunt in the hotel (apparently they were both staying in the same resort). Bono told his friend to pay her back. My aunt kept the Bono money and made five bucks on the entire transaction.

500 on hold

Winston-Salem, NC – An interesting point that I found out this morning that has yet to be blown out of proportion by the media was A-Rod’s 500th homerun. A-Rod jacked his 499th career homerun two days ago against the Royals. Tonight, in Baltimore, the Yankees will continue a suspended game against the Orioles. The suspended game is in the 8th inning with the Yankees leading 8-6. A-Rod homered earlier in the game. Until the game is final, the statistics won’t count. Therefore, A-Rod’s 499th homerun will actually be his 500th homerun. I was told that officials in Kansas City have retrieved the homerun ball from Wednesday night.

At the age of 32, A-Rod has a very legitimate shot at breaking the all-time homerun record whatever the number becomes when Bonds retires. Not that I am a fan of A-Rod, but he’s a "fresh breath of air" compared to the clear and the cream, the needles, the pills linked to Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, etc. Let's hope he's not wearing pinstripes when he becomes the HR King. I remember in 1996 when Eddie Murray was chasing his 500th homerun and how big of a deal it was. A decade later, 500 homeruns doesn’t appear to be the historic milestone that it once was. Steroids and other PED’s have infiltrated the 500 Homerun Club. Last month, Frank Thomas hit his 500th homerun with little fanfare. Could we simply just be “milestoned” out?

A Royal Rise

Winston-Salem, NC – We’ll continue the Wednesday trend of covering a specific baseball team. At the beginning the year, the toughest division to predict was the American League Central. “One of those four teams will finish fourth,” said one AL GM. While the White Sox are experiencing their hangover season from a recent World Series, they currently are the easy choice amongst the Tigers, Indians, Twins, and themselves for that fourth spot. Not so fast! The rebuilding Kansas City Royals are 22-18 in their last 40 games. The best move that the Royals made occured last year when owner David Glass hired GM Dayton Moore, a branch off of the John Schuerholz tree. Unlike his predecessor, Allard Baird, Moore understands the meaning of rebuilding; “brick-by-brick” he often mutters. Frivolous free agent spending on over-the-hill veterans (see the 2000-present Orioles) won’t fix your team instantly. Baseball isn’t the NFL in this department. While the Tigers are the ultimate rags-to-riches story, they underwent several horrific seasons from 2001-2003. At best, unwise spending can give you a sliver of hope before it fades away, as the Royals experienced in 2003. The 2003 season (83-79) was not a stepping stone for the Royals, but rather a step back in the development process. At the trading deadline, they amassed too many pricey veterans rather than focusing on the long term goal.

The Royals have some pieces to the puzzle. Alex Gordon, the 2005 1st round pick, wants to be in Kansas City because it’s his hometown team. Gordon started off slowly, but has picked it up since mid-June. Mark Teahan is a Nick Markakis-type outfielder: medium power, high average, some steals, and solid defense. Billy Butler, the Adam Dunn of the Royals, is a legitimate power threat. John Buck, acquired in the Beltran deal in 2004, is finally living up to his potential behind the dish. The Royals bullpen has been stellar recently. Joakim Soria, a future closer, and Zach Greinke have improved tremendously. While their current closer, Octavio Dotel, may be dealt at the deadline, he has provided an example to the rest of the bullpen that has kept KC in tight ballgames. Not to mention, a deal that I thought would be an albatross for the Royals, was the signing of Gil Meche. Meche has earned every penny of his landmark deal. I use "landmark" here to indicate that penny pincher owner David Glass finally spent some of his revenue sharing bucks on a player. Kudos to Moore for spending it on the right player.

I remember talking to a member of the Emory baseball team (from LA) a couple of years ago at the pool when the Cubs acquired Karros and Grudzielanek for Hundley and Hermansen from the Dodgers. I trusted his opinion when he told me that Grudzielanek was the best player in that trade. “Grud” has proven to be an invaluable leader on the Royals’ roster. I look for him to stay with the Royals, rather than be traded to a contender at the deadline, because his style and mentorship is that important to KC.

Attendance is slowing increasing this year with the rosier outlook. A college friend, who has lived in KC for the last three years, reported the attendance boost to me last month. I fully expect that the Royals will be a “player” in the 2009 season. They have hired the right man for the job in Moore. It would be very uplifting if the Royals were able to not finish in last this season. Mark my words – the Royals are finally a team on the rise.

The New Peter Gammons

Greensboro, NC – When the great Peter Gammons steps down as the "King of Baseball Knowledge," I believe that I have found his replacement. Up and comer, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has emerged onto the scene as the best baseball insider these past two seasons. When Gammons went down with a brain aneurism in June 2006, his weekly column, “Diamond Notes” was discontinued. “Diamond Notes” consisted of a smorgasbord of inside baseball knowledge; juicy trades, free agent signings, and players to watch. You felt 10 times smarter after reading it. The column took you inside the office of a general manager and allowed you to snoop through their files. It was a treat every Sunday afternoon to read the latest column. Upon being released from the hospital a couple of weeks after the aneurism, Gammons debuted with his own blog. The blog still has a touch of Diamond Notes; however, the main content is nothing but random thoughts. Gammons’ love of rock n’ roll saturates the blog. With the infrequent postings, I’ve had to look elsewhere for insider information.

Ken Rosenthal, who is from Maryland, is the sideline reporter for Fox’s "Game of the Week" on Saturdays. After reading his column last year before the trading deadline, Rosenthal ended up dead-on with his trade projections. His thrice-a-week column is loaded with baseball knowledge. It’s well worth your click. Rosenthal, who comes across as very articulate and concise, has become the expert at sniffing out trade proposals. In his latest column, he was the first to point out that Jim Bowden is highly interested in Adam Dunn. Rosenthal cites all of the key pros and cons about Dunn coming to DC. Rather than attempt to stand out by being provocative (Stephen A. Smith) or developing a signature line (everyone), Rosenthal is plain vanilla. It’s the simplicity that catches my eye in the age of sportswriters and reporters doing anything for ratings. Watch out Kenny, ESPN will be knocking on your door before too long.

For my baseball knowledge, I’m turning to the accurate, straightforward Rosenthal over Gammons. I think Gammons has lost a step. That’s no disrespect to Peter, he will always be my all-time favorite baseball writer and reporter. It’s just that Rosie has the inside step right now.

Trade Talk

• Dunn to DC? Bowden would have to talk Dunn into staying long-term, much like he did to Kearns prior to this season. The Nats could surely use his bat in the lineup, but this guy is a strikeout machine. He’s the Rob Deer of his era – he’ll either be the hero or rally killer. The Nats will NOT part with top prospect Chris Marrero in any deal.
• Heard a rumor that Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty and Manager Tony LaRussa may walk away at the end of the year and take over the Reds together.
• Peter Gammons has always praised the personality of Torii Hunter over the years. I think Peter has this one wrong – this guy is money hungry. When asked where he would like to sign in the offseason, Hunter said, “pay me, just pay me.”
• The NL Rookie of the Year race just opened back up with the injury to Hunter Pence – not that my fantasy team was struggling enough.

Ranking the Top 5 Sports Towns

Winston-Salem, NC – To follow-up on the last blog of categorizing cities by sport, I thought that it would be appropriate to rank the top 5 best sports towns in America. I have traveled to most of the major cities in America. With my knowledge of baseball ballparks, football stadiums, arenas, and travel experience, I hope that my list below expands on “sports in America.”

5. Denver – On the national level, this city is extremely underrated. Outside of the city, there is a wide range of activities that one can engage in. Skiing, snowboarding, and mountain climbing take precedent in the winter, while biking, kayaking, fly fishing, and hiking rule the summer. But within the city limits, the citizens of Denver are extremely passionate about their Rockies, Broncos, Avalanche, and Nuggets. Out of the four major sports, football and the Broncos are the top team. During my recent trip here, I noticed an overwhelming amount of bumper stickers on cars, neon bar signs, and street signs referencing the back-to-back Super Bowl titles a decade ago. In the early 90’s the city successfully lobbied MLB for the Rockies. Denver was also the recipient of the Quebec Nordiques move in 1994. The Avalanche have since won 2 Stanley Cups. On summer nights, you can find the “LoDo” section of downtown filled with Rockies’ fans, spilled over from the game. Again, this city is a much underrated sports town on the national level.

4. St. Louis – I placed this city in the top 5 because it’s the top baseball town in America. Other than the New York Yankees, no team has won more World Series titles than the Cardinals. It was only fitting that during the inaugural year of their new ballpark, Busch Stadium, that the Cardinals won the World Series. At every home game, each fan sports red for the Redbirds. With few large cities within range, the Cardinals fan base expands to the uncharted territories of Arkansas, Tennessee, central Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and even down into Mississippi. Before the Dodgers and Giants moved west in 1958, the Cardinals owned the western United States. Aside from the Cardinals, the Rams routinely sell out the boring Edward Jones Dome for home games. Currently, the Blues are playing uninspired hockey, but when they return to competitiveness, you’ll never have realized that they were gone.

3. New York – With its massive population, of course, New York would fall on the list. With the exception of basketball, New York has two teams for every sport. While the Yankees, Giants, and Rangers make the headlines, I’m told that the “real New York fans” pull for the Mets, Jets, and Islanders, respectively. If fans throw batteries at players, boo their ace pitcher after a lackluster performance, and claim that making the playoffs (but not the World Series) is a bust; this city definitely belongs on the list. At age 13, while cheering for a Redskins’ touchdown in 18 degree weather at Giants’ Stadium, Giants’ fans proceeded to chuck snowballs at me.

2. Chicago – With only five outs to go until a World Series birth in 2003, Steve Bartman unwittingly stuck out his hand to prevent Moises Alou of the Cubs from catching the ball. We all know what happened from there. However, reaching the playoffs caused Mr. Pearl to shed a tear. While the Cubs dominate the headlines in the Windy City, it’s the White Sox who have recently won a World Series. I’m told by the natives that Da Bears are the team that owns the city. A ticket to Soldier Field is hard to find, even if the Bears are awful. The Bulls have returned to respectability after being in a trough following the Jordan era. The Blackhawks, who were amazing in the 1980’s, will be the city’s 5th team as long as the current ownership is in place. The city has historic landmarks in Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. A sportsman’s paradise…

1. Boston - I was able to experience “Red Sox Nation” last summer with a four day trip to Beantown. Yawkey Way along the 3rd base line was closed off for a massive block party on a Monday night! Before I die, I would love to sit on top of the “Green Monsta.” In Boston, it is a “nation” with fans slapping five’s following wins and patting shoulders during losses. If you’re wearing a Red Sox shirt in a different city, you’ll have an instant bond with a fellow supporter if your paths should cross. I had an unbelievable experience in Boston, and no, I’m not a Sox fan. The Patriots have a dynasty in the NFL with Bill Belichek and Tom Brady. Yet, the Pats take the back seat behind the Sox. The Celtics, while currently in a rebuilding era, are still considered to be a “historic” franchise. The Bruins, along with all of the NHL teams, are the bottom of each city’s priority list. However, in most towns, the Bruins would top most cities’ signature team in terms of attendance, merchandise, and general fan interest.

I have never visited St. Louis; however, I have frequented the other four cities. Each offers its unique method of pulling for the home team. Most notably, the fans of Boston (Red Sox) almost convert you into a fan.

Sportstowns

Originally from Thursday, July 19, 2007

Newark, NJ – For once, I’m actually traveling without my laptop, so I wrote the core ideas of this blog by hand while waiting for my plane that never arrived (a near future blog topic). Being in a different city, I was thinking how popular the Yankees and Mets are to New York, the Red Sox to Boston, the Redskins to Washington, etc. In essence, to kill time, I linked the four professional sports to their respective city. So, based on my quarter century of sports knowledge, reading countless newspaper articles, magazines, and internet pages, I tried to define which sport best captures the city’s heart. For a city to be qualified, it must be home to at least two professional sports teams. I defined a professional sports team as “The Big 4;” baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Therefore, Salt Lake City, Orlando, San Jose, Memphis, Portland, San Antonio, Sacramento, Raleigh, Montreal, and, Jacksonville were disqualified. Here goes my attempt…

Baseball
Boston
New York
Cincinnati
St. Louis
Phoenix
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
San Diego

Football
Washington, DC
Charlotte
Atlanta
Tampa
Miami
Cleveland
Nashville
New Orleans
Pittsburgh
Denver
Chicago
Houston
Dallas
Kansas City
Baltimore

Basketball
Philadelphia
East Rutherford, NJ

Hockey
Detroit
Toronto
Buffalo

America’s pastime may be baseball, but my chart above illustrates that football takes precedent. Yes, it’s tough to call Houston a football town, but the Astros and Rockets don’t possess the charisma it takes to win the fans. Houston is more of college football town, but since this blog focuses on professional sports, I placed the city in the “football” category. If the Texans were to build a consistent winner, they will easily take over the city.
Furthermore, it was difficult identifying a suitable home for Atlanta. Atlanta is also a college football town. Sadly, the Braves, even with their impressive 14 straight division title run, don’t attract the crowds to match their dominance.

I believe that a future blog is in order to rank the top sports towns of America. Until then, let the debate begin on the above categories…

B-more, Kickball, T&T

Winston-Salem, NC – It was one of those weekends where you were looking for an excuse the week before to not go, but you definitely would have kicked yourself the week after if you didn’t go. After marching up to Baltimore for some shenanigans, followed by some kickball, and a long drive home, we amassed 858 miles of driving, 1 nasty hangover, and a weekend to remember.

Baltimore:
The only reason that I travel up to Baltimore is to attend Orioles’ games. I have concluded that any area in Baltimore – be it a block – outside of Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor is nothing, but dilapidated. The dueling piano bar was settled in a nice spot in the Inner Harbor vicinity. However, a brisk 7:30 a.m. walk from the Sheraton Hotel on Lombard Street to the Market Street parking garage led us uneasy encounters with homeless people and civilians asking us for 40 cents. The streets were littered with garbage, graffiti covers many buildings, and the smell of exhaust permeates the air. According to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, Baltimore is the second most crime-ridden city in America behind Detroit with a population over 800,000. For a state that prides itself on the environment, the Chesapeake Bay, and black-eyed susans, Baltimore surely sticks out like a sore thumb.

Kickball:
You may laugh when someone asks you to play kickball, instead referring it to an elementary school game. But with a dozen players in their mid-20’s, it’s actually pretty fun to participate in. Although, some of these players still possess the skills of elementary students. I feared that with the preceding night’s festivities, playing kickball would be last on my to-do list on Sunday. However, “The Hurricane,” Jose was only a category 3 status on Saturday night. Had it been at previous categories of 4 and 5, kickball may have been postponed.

Baseball’s This & That
- The trade involving Jason Kendall to the Cubs will have zero impact. In a previous blog, I noted the diminishing skills of Kendall. This trade may foreshadow a future deal involving an impact bat. Maybe when this season is over, the Cubs make a deal for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a long term solution at catcher. The Cubs supposedly have a sufficient supply of impact arms in the minors that they can fork over to the Braves.

- Speaking of the Cubs, as Mike M. made a great point to me over the weekend, if Mark Cuban wins the bidding to own the Cubs after this season, I wouldn’t be a surprised if his first splash is A-Rod. Cuban may go crazy on the free agent considering that there’s no salary cap in baseball as compared to basketball.

- Mark Texeira will not be traded at the deadline. The team that would trade for him would be guaranteed the remainder of this season and next season. Nothing more since he’s a client of Scott Boras.

Catching up...

Originally from Thursday, July 12, 2007...

Greensboro, NC – With a massive project at work concurring about to arrive at full culmination next week with a trip to New Jersey, the blogs have been scarce. Below are some thoughts on this past week’s All Star game, along with some other random tidbits.

-- Did anyone see A-Rod talking to Bonds at the Home Run Derby? The only person missing from the conversation was Scott Boras to make it the triumphant axis of evil.

-- Speaking of the Home Run Derby, at first I was shocked about the lack of homeruns hit into McCovey Cove. The All Star logo had the splash in it! But, after some pondering, it would make sense that the balls hit to right would be knocked down by the wind. With the right handed hitters, they had the advantage of the centerfield scoreboard to provide a blockade from the wind coming off the bay.

-- With the bland format of the All Star events, some MLB insiders have proposed a world players vs. American players format. I think everyone is sick of that format with the Ryder Cup and the failed NHL All Star game. Why not separate the cities; east and west. All of the western cities could play the eastern cities?

-- Was checking out Buster Olney’s blog this week and I think he made a great point. The point was made about teams hesitating to part with their veteran, free agent-to-be player for a mid-level prospect. Instead, the selling teams would rather take the draft compensation (a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd round) for the soon-to-be free agent. But what about teams overvaluing their prospects? Remember two years ago how Ervin Santana was untouchable? This year, he’s 5-10 with a 5+ ERA. Or, how about Brandon McCarthy of the Rangers? When McCarthy was with the White Sox prior to this season, you’d think he was the next Nolan Ryan according to Sox GM Kenny Williams. Sometimes, I think GM’s need to be more realistic with these “star” prospects. With all of the hype attached to them, we expect everyone to be a Cole Hamels or Felix Hernandez. Sometimes, you have to give up your best prospect to obtain the piece needed by all legitimate contenders; starting pitchers. Prime example: the Red Sox obtaining Beckett from the Marlins over top prospect Hanley Ramirez.

This & That:
§ How do you spend $16 at Town Hall by yourself? A pitcher of Guinness ($10) and a pint of Hefeweizen ($2), and a block (12 songs) of Rush in the jukebox ($4). Courtesy of Brendan Magee.
§ Everyone has seen those oval shaped stickers that abbreviate a place or thing. Perhaps the most famous of the stickers is “OBX” for the Outer Banks, NC. I e-mailed the editor of ovalstickers.net, and upon request, you can ask them to design a sticker for you. Very cool.

Hope everyone enjoyed their free slurpee yesterday at 7-11.

America's Birthday Events

Greensboro, NC – There’s no other food more American than hot dogs. With today marking the 231st birthday of America, is there not a better way to celebrate it then with “Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest?”

World renowned hot dog consumer, Takeru Kobayashi, just went toe-to-toe with the Phil Mickelson of these infamous contests, Joey Chestnut. With the Americans behind Chestnut to usurp the “Major League Eating” crown, he was able to one-up Kobayashi with a score of 62-61. Yes, that’s 62 hot dogs to Kobayashi’s 61 in a span of 12 minutes! The judges added more fuel to Kobayashi’s fire by deducting a half of a hot dog because of the “reverse.” A reverse is defined as a hot dog consumed, but shortly puked back; ergo, no hot dog was eaten.

Aside from 123 hot dogs consumed by two fairly trimmed body fellows, the most ludicrous events were taking place in the telecast booth. The announcer was comparing Chestnut’s lead and eventual victory to the heroics of George Washington defeating the British just a few miles away from the contest’s shores in Coney Island, NY. The announcer followed with, “All Americans should be proud this Independence Day for Chestnut’s heroics.” Yes, I’m thrilled that an American can take down a Japanese man in food consumption. But let’s not make the parallel to the birth of a nation or war for that matter.

Another thought: how many cholesterol points do the contestants gain from the contest? I can just see Kobayashi, after “reversing” his final hot dog, run for the Lipitor off camera when the clock hits zero. I assume the guys must practice somehow. Is the practice similar to training for a marathon? Months away, do they devour just a few dogs, then slowly build-up the consumption until a week before the contest? Kobayashi has been doing these contests for over 10 years. He must have some sort of routine. He's the Lance Armstrong of MLE by traveling into a foreign country and dominating the competition for a decade. However, his dynasty won't continue today. Chalk up another victory for the Americans. C’mon! – it’s our birthday!

The Fall of Info-mercials

Winston-Salem, NC – Do you remember at the beginning of this decade/century when Billy Mays was showcasing some product during every commercial segment? I saw Billy the other day on “Fox Sports – Pittsburgh,” advertising his latest product, “The Samurai Shark.” After a little research, I discovered that Mays is a native of Pittsburgh, PA, but resides in Dunedin, FL -- where palm trees are ubiquitous in all of his commericals. While working for Orange Glo International in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Mays was in peak advertising form. He has a knack for exuding "high-energy" during the demonstration of a product (and practically yelling at you to buy it). Notable products included:

OxiClean – a stain removal product
Orange Clean – fancy windex
Orange Glo – fancy car windex
Kaboom! – “It takes years off an ol’ penny”
Gopher – A reaching tool for grannies
Zorbeez – hotel towels
Lint-B-Gone – self explanatory

Orange Glo International was eventually bought out by a private company a couple of years ago; hence, fewer info-mericals featuring Mays.

Out of the products listed above, I’ve used (or seen people use) two of them. I had much success with the OxiClean product. It was able to eliminate some puke stains comprised of red wine in my college apartment. Kaboom! definitely took some years off the main console of Kevin’s Jeep Cherokee. However, it almost removed several layers of Kevin’s skin in the process. There was definitely some chemical in the product that was not conducive to skin. Did I leave out any notable products? Please share your stories if you have ever used one of any the fine products associated with Mays.