Quibbling about the Braves

Greensboro, NC -- Unlike the past couple of years, the Atlanta Braves have a bevy of starting pitching. With the rotation finally stable, the focus now shifts to the offense, which has bee lackluster at best. I love the acquisitions of Nate McClouth and Adam LaRoche. LaRoche brings some much needed power to the lineup. McClouth has played great defense and solidified the centerfield position, but the offense has been average at best. With very little money to spend this offseason, my primary question is such: who is going to bat cleanup? While Brian McCann is a solid hitter, he's best suited for the 5th or 6th spot. Every playoff team has a solid 3-4-5, and the Braves are lacking in that category.

The answer may just be in AA-Mississippi. Jason Heyward, a top outfield prospect, has been smoking the ball since his promotion to AA. He may be the next Miguel Cabrera, in that, he's the best offensive solution on the market, he's cheap, and he has the potential to put up huge offensive numbers. Like Cabrera earning the late call to the show in 2003 when he was with the Marlins, Heyward could easily slide into the 5th or 6th spot, play some LF, and contribute mightily to this sagging lineup. Look for his call before September 1st rolls around IF the Braves are desperate for offense. Otherwise, we'll see Heyward penciled in the Opening Day lineup in 2010.

San Fran in a nutshell

Greensboro, NC -- My short time is San Francisco was phenomenal, sans the plane ride home to North Carolina via Atlanta. Here's a short summary of what I saw and did out west:

Wednesday, July 8th -- Landed around 2:30 p.m. local time and took the BART up to our hotel, which was located just west of the financial district downtown. After gathering some information from fellow tourists and hotel staff, we walked up and down the steep hills of Chinatown to the east side of town. "Ice" met up with us and per his co-worker's recommendations (Note: Since Ice was on business travel, his company picked up his tab, no wonder the cheapskate wanted to go there!), we ended up at the swank "Gary Danko's" just south of Fisherman's Wharf. After blowing a large sum of money on carefully prepared meals that were about the size of a quarter, we called it a night after a quick walk through Ghiradelli Square and 22 consecutive hours awake.

Thursday, July 9th -- After a good night's sleep, we awoke to take the bus north towards the Golden Gate Bridge. We foolishly thought that the bus would drop us off closer to the bridge, so a 3-4 mile walk along the bay dumped us at the base of the bridge. Thinking that the friendly trolley bus on wheels would take us up the bridge, we jumped on a tour in mid-session, which took us all the way back to Fisherman's Wharf. Nevertheless, we were able to soak in some hidden facts, saw where Joe DiMaggio got married, where Nancy Pelosi, Danielle Steele, and John Madden lived in the posh Pacific Hills neighborhood. A short walk over to a very the steep hill brought us to Coit Tower. We were able to obtain a 360 degree sight of the city and the bay. To fill up our empty stomachs, we ate at the famous "The Stinking Rose" because their food stinks (pun intended). After lunch, we checked out the famous Russian Hill, aka the most crooked street in America and proceeded to walk to the top of the hilly street. A real, rail riding trolley car greeted us at the top, and we rode the vehicle hanging on the sides back to the hotel for some R&R. The ballyhooed ferry ride to Alcatraz capped the day off... the tours didn't primarily focus on the famous residents themselves; more so, on the prison and life on the island.

Friday, July 10th -- Our last full day in San Francisco. We had the best idea yet -- rent bikes! We were able to see many places, get around easy, and it was cheap! On the bikes, we rode across the Golden Gate Bridge and back -- yes we finally made it across -- we had lunch on the infamous Union Street shopping district, we rode down to Alamo Square park where the famous "painted ladies" row houses reside. It's also where the opening theme song of "Full House" was shot. Speaking of "Full House," we rode past the fabled Tanner abode on Broderick Street. After returning the bikes, and riding the bus through downtown Beijing... err San Fran, it was time to head to the ballpark. AT&T Park easily slips into my top 5 parks visited. However, the night was about the game itself, which was odd considering when you're on the road to see a new park, you don't really pay much attention to the game. On my "To See and To Do List Before I Die," there lies one bullet point: "To see a no hitter live." CHECK!

Saturday, July 11th -- We departed San Francisco for the day, picked up a rental car, and drove up to Napa Valley. The main drag was just as I pictured, large wineries and vineyards, grape trees, and eloquence abound. We toured the St. Clement, Beringer, and Sutter Homes wineries. The winery structures were meticulously crafted; however, one disappointment was the servers themselves. Not a lot of personality and not a lot of wine wisdom. We ditch Napa in the late afternoon and connected to the sweeping Pacific Coast Highway, navigating the winding and curvy streets overlooking the ocean. The scenery was surreal. A picture perfect spot enveloped as we reach the hills overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and the city to the south. A contemporary, authentic Chinese food meal closed out the evening in town.

Sunday, July 12th -- We woke up, we left the hotel and the city, had lunch, and then jumped on a plane. Details of the plane ride will be chronicled in another blog.

The best line that I heard to sum up San Francisco is, "you can't take a bad photo anywhere." The statement is true as evidenced by out 660 shots in less than 5 days. I would highly recommend San Francisco to anyone -- it's packed with sights, plenty to do, it's unfortunately expensive, but the food for the most part, is worth it!

Westward Bound

Greensboro, NC -- I'm headed out to California tomorrow morning until late Sunday night, touring around the greater San Francisco area, as well as a day trip to Napa and Sonoma. With Pearl down in Uruguay and Monty in Aussieland (hey, I'll be closer than NC), I had to take some adventurous trip even if it was within 'Merica's borders.

According to my itinerary, the highlights of the trip will be the Alcatraz night tour, the Giants-Padres game at AT&T Park, and a wine tasting bonanza in Napa Valley. Colored in between the lines are riding the famous cable cars, checking out China Town, Ghiradelli Square, the Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, a stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge, and riding bikes down the crooked Russian Hill. Last, but not least, I will be stopping by the infamous Tanner house in Alamo Square and running like a clown that was Uncle Joey in "Full House."

I doubt that I'll have time for a blog due to limited internet access out there, so full coverage of my trip to San Francisco can be found right here next week. Enjoy your week, folks!

We Have Liftoff!

Greensboro, NC -- The U2 360 Tour has officially kicked off in Barcelona, Spain. Unlike the past couple of tours, U2 beginning the tour in Europe, unlike the Vertigo (San Diego), Elevation (Miami), and Popmart (Las Vegas) tours. Thanks to the time zone difference, we're able to obtain the set list at this evening hour since they were probably playing around 3:30 p.m. local time. Here's the list:

Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Angel of Harlem
In A Little While
Unknown Caller
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (In The Name of Love)
MLK
Walk On
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
-------
Ultraviolet
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

Let's breakdown the album selection:
Boy: 0
October: 0
War: 1
Unforgettable Fire: 3
Joshua Tree: 3
Rattle & Hum: 1
Achtung Baby: 2
Zooropa: 0
Pop: 0
All That You Can't Leave Behind: 3
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: 2
No Line on the Horizon: 7

I'm not sure how much weight you can put into the first set list of a tour. However, what can be derived from here is your skeleton list; those core songs that will be played every night. The core songs usually compose 75% of the list, leaving 25%, or 5-6 songs switched in and out depending on the night. I am surprised that 2/3 of the new album was played, but maybe that's about right compared to other bands with new material. The 2000's (last three albums) dominated the set list. Boy, October, Zooropa, and Pop were all shut out tonight, but we can't rule out that we won't hear "I Will Follow" this summer.

As far as surprises go, the one rarity in the list was "Ultraviolet," with the very catchy chorus of "Baby, baby, baby, light my way" from Achtung Baby. All of the usual suspects were present... "Where The Streets Have No Name," "Pride," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and "One." "New Year's Day" was the one usual tour song that was expunged. Anyways, let's see if the list changes slightly or dramatically on Thursday night. There are, of course, other important factors of the show, such as how did the band sound? One cannot take into account the commenters and fans' remarks on the web site because they have amateur ears. I'd like to hear a musical expert's take on the show. It couldn't be any worse than the disaster in Las Vegas for the opening of the Popmart tour. Rock on!

Crazy Week in the News

Greensboro, NC -- Everybody had to know that when the news of Farrah Fawcett's passing this morning was released to the public, the third (and usually the biggest) victim was only a matter time. The frail and puny Michael Jackson passed away this afternoon after a reported cardiac arrest to his heart. Growing up, I wasn't very much into his music and music videos. "Michael" reached the peak of stardom in the 80's, well before I started listening to music in the early 90's. By that time, MJ was entangled in a messy lawsuit that I didn't quite understand at the time. However, looking past his utterly bizarre behavior since that time, it must be recognized that MJ was one of the three pillars, or icons of the history of the music industry worldwide. Elvis, John Lennon, and Michael Jackson are considered to be the three biggest music stars that the world has ever known. For that, we can ask ourselves, "where were you when you learned that Michael Jackson had passed away?"

For the readers: If you were in charge of designing the "Mount Rushmore of Music," who would be etched in stone?

Back in the nativeland, an ode to the victims of the terrible Metro crash on Monday. I used to take that "red line" route home from school growing up. Thank goodness that avid "BB reader" Arny left work "on-time" on Monday.

Now Tweeting

Winston-Salem, NC -- Good news... you can now follow B's Bistro on Twitter on the following site: http://twitter.com/bpattridge. We'll be posting live statuses and news in real time. The information will be streaming to you quicker. However, the blog posts will continue to roll in.

Good News for Winston-Salem Baseball

Winston-Salem, NC -- Last night, the Winston-Salem board approved unanimously (7-0) to continue with the construction of the downtown ballpark in Winston-Salem. Since I drive by the ballpark on my route to work everyday, I can attest that the park hasn't been touched since January.

One key note in the article from the Winston-Salem Journal that needs to be pointed out is that the team will need to sell 350,000 tickets in order to pay back the $12M loan. That averages to about 4,000 tickets per game. I'm not sure how that goal can be attained. I know that the Dash are playing in an old ballpark now and averaging close to 500/game. How do they expect to average 4,000/game over the span of 20 years? Unlike Greensboro, Winston-Salem, to my knowledge, does not have the fan support. The city does not have the regular fan support in attendance. The city consistenly brings teams (minor league hockey), festivals (Hot Ribs, Cool Music), and events into downtown, but the residents do not show up consistently or in large numbers. Winston-Salem is more of a "blue collar" town than Greensboro, so I'm not sure if the Dash and the city can count on their residents showing up in large clusters to games on a consistent basis, even if it's a new park.

Baltimore is still baseball's home park

Greensboro, NC -- After attending absolutely zero ballparks this season, I made up for my park absence in haste last week. Starting with my hometown's beautiful edifice in downtown Greensboro, I stood in left field watching the Grasshoppers take on the Hickory Crawdads in a long, three and half hour marathon. On top of that, I was completely boxed out by Sean in our only attempt to pluck a game ball; a towering home run that splattered into the damp, muddy hill. A trip down I-85 on the following Sunday led me to the home of the Kannapolis Intimidators (nicknamed for hometown hero Dale "The Intimidator" Earnhardt). The park was a bit quirky with the press box and "luxury" suites residing on the first base (right) side of the park. A tasty bbq platter at nearby Porky's capped a fun day (and weekend) in the sun.

After an hour and a half trip westward down I-40 in the middle of the week, we encountered some good luck in Hickory. At about 6:30 p.m., heavy rains dominated the forecast, which forced us into grabbing a meal and beverage at the Ol' Hickory Tap Room. By the conclusion of our meal, the rain had cleared, the stadium was empty, and we soaked up the wet seats lining the visiting team's dugout in earnest. Out of all the minor league towns that I've been to, Hickory may be the smallest.

After heading back to Maryland this past weekend to return Sean to his domicile, I checked the schedule this weekend and noticed that the Braves were playing the Orioles at "The Yard." Going back to Camden Yards was thrilling. It's a comfortable place, whereby it was a place that I visited frequently growing up as a kid in the hot summers. After touring through numerous minor league parks and major league parks, there's no better ballpark in America. It's cozy, it has the best urban backround, the brick meshes with the city, the green painted steel matches the lush grass on the field. There's no other park that can match up to this asymmetrical field. If there is, I'd bet Camden is better.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Greensboro, NC -- I'm out of action today, nursing an extremely sore throat from the weekend. I thought that I would take this short time to inform you about my recent travels to Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville is a quaint, colloquial town located in the center of Virginia. It is rich with history being the birthplace of both U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. After a quick 3 hour trip from Greensboro, we arrived at the UVA campus. The campus and town themselves are very artsy. The rhythms and melodies of Dave Matthews Band's music echo their hometown -- groovy, artistic, and playful.

After rising early at the Cavalier Inn, a former UVA dormitory, my group quickly traveled to the great Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. The 45 minute tour was very inciteful about Jefferson's life, inventions, thoughts about slavery, etc. The house was well thought out when it was constructed. After a lunch break and short drive down the parkway, we reach "Mishe's Tavern." Owned by a Revolutionary War soldier, this famous tavern provided a sanctuary for overnight travelers to relax and have a beer. There wasn't much to the bar and quarters, but the place was chock-full of Revolutionary era antiques. Toured out, we headed over to Jefferson's own vineyard, "Jefferson's Vineyard." The name of the vineyard is a bit ironic because Jefferson himself attempted to make wine, but his efforts were ultimately fruitless (pun intended). Nevertheless, the vineyard had a well decorated tasting room and patio to enjoy some fine wines. To top the day off, we headed downtown to sample the best dishes of Charlottesville. Sticking to the wine theme, we tried "Sipps" and left satisfied. All of the restaurants downtown open up to a brick-paved street, which is cornered off for pedestrians only. So, many of the restaurants, like ours, had tables set-up in the middle of the street.

Jefferson's Monticello (rear)

We had to squeeze in the final piece of the "President's Pass" on Sunday morning, which was "Ash Lawn," the home of James Monroe. Ash Lawn was a little further out from Charlottesville, but our intimate tour group (2 people and our group) made the trip worthwhile. Our knowledgeable tour guide walked us through the original home of Monroe. The home was very similar to Jefferson's -- old, beautiful, well-restored, etc.; it just didn't have all of the inventions. As the tour guide put it; "in Charlottesville, there are three levels; 1. God; 2. Jefferson; 3. Everyone else." Well said. Our trip concluded with a self-guided tour of The Rotunda at the UVA. Jefferson designed the Rotunda as the centerpiece of the campus. Further, it was a symbol to bring faculty, staff, and students together. All three of Jefferson's strongest attributes are on display in this town: 1. Political; 2. Religious (freedom); 3. Intellectual (UVA).

Monroe's Ash Lawn (side)

If you haven't been to Charlottesville before, and you're a bit of a history buff, this place is one for you. It's a perfect weekend getaway.

Do Not "Play Ball!"

Greensboro, NC -- In the words of Bono, "time is irrelevant, it's not linear." That lyric surely rings loudly to the Winston-Salem residents overseeing an eyesore of a ballpark. The word on the street is that many of the subcontractors are having difficulty obtaining payment. Billy Prim, owner of the newly named Winston-Salem Dash is attempting to buy out his partner, which has caused all but a standstill in the park's construction. With many residents curmudgeonly reluctant to approve funding for the new stadium, I'm sure many are feeling betrayed. As for the team itself, the Dash (renamed this season for the new park, but named for the dash between "Winston" and "Salem"), have embarrassingly had to move back to Ernie Shore Field, which is now owned by Wake Forest. To make matters worse, the team is off to a very slow start, and attendance has been putrid. I drove by the new ballpark about a month ago and snapped a few photos. Not much has changed since then, if anything at all.

As you can see, the seats have yet to be installed. The concourses have yet to be developed. This skeleton all but guarantees that there will be no baseball here in 2009.

I snapped this photo in motion because the home plate corner of the park is bounded by Business Interstate 40 and Peters Creek Parkway. The brown brick facade shows much promise!

Washington's Team

Greensboro, NC -- After another 2 pick draft and crazy offseason spending spree by the Redskins, a dozen win season by the Wizards, and a huge stumble out of the gate by the "Natinals," DC does have one team it can focus its attention: The Washington Capitals.

After a come from behind, 7 game series against the frustrated New York Rangers, the Caps were skating high into the NHL match-up of the year: Ovechkin vs. Crosby. If you didn't see tonight's game, you missed a scintillating, duo hat trick performance by the Pens' and Caps' star players. The Caps now take a 2-0 lead heading into Pittsburgh.

Ted Leonsis, the Capitals' first class owner, realized during the 2004 season that trading for star players (Jaromir Jagr) and spending on pricey free agents (Robert Lang) isn't the correct way to build a consistent playoff team for a sport based on team unity and cohesion, very much like football, and to a certain extent, basketball. By building the core of the team through the draft -- Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Green -- then supplementing the team through low priced free agents -- Federov, Kozlov -- the Caps used the standard blueprint for building a perennial playoff team. Fans from DC are delighted that one team finally did it right.

You would think the Caps could share their blueprint with their city friends, but Snyder and Lerner choose to hum their own tune. Coincidence or not, Leonsis is the most approachable owner in DC (and in sports for that matter); he wants you to contact him, and he listens. Snyder and Lerner both shun the spotlight and their fans' reception... and their teams are awful... karma?

The Nationals have a choice next month to go the "Capital Route" and draft uber prospect RHP Stephen Strasburg with the first pick in the MLB draft. For a team needing a facelift, or a face for that matter, Strasburg would solve many of the teams' problems: pitching depth, a franchise player, an ace, etc. Of course, all they have to do is negotiate with Scott Boras. Let's go Caps!

2009 MLB Predictions

Greensboro, NC -- One of the best days of the year is upon us... Opening Day! Always remember, "Time begins on Opening Day."

Here goes my picks for the season:

AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Chicago White Sox
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card: New York Mets

ALDS:
Red Sox over White Sox
Yankees over Angels

ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees

NLDS:
Mets over Cubs
Phillies over Dodgers

NLCS: Phillies over Mets

WS: Red Sox over Phillies

AL MVP: Mark Teixeira, NYY
NL MVP: Ryan Howard, PHL

AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett, BOS
NL Cy Young: Carlos Zambrano, CHC

AL ROY: Matt Wieters, BAL
NL ROY: Cameron Maybin, FLA

Front Office Mayhem

Greensboro, NC -- Until the Chicago Bears came in and thankfully scooped up QB Jay Cutler from the Broncos for two 1st round picks and a 3rd round pick, I was utterly stunned that the Redskins were in pursuit. If Cutler (17-20) came to DC for Campbell (16-20), we could be sure that Mike Shanahan was next. Coveting star players is what the Redskins do best, not drafting, teaching, and developing players, like the Pats, Colts, and Steelers do. As soon as a "star" is brought to DC, the glitter falls off.

If Jason Campbell had Jay Cutler's personality, then he would be demanding a trade right now. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, I can't see the Skins bringing him back unless he has a Pro Bowl season. Same goes for Zorn and the playoffs. We can all praise Snyder for putting the steep prices back into the team. But we cannot laud him for his fantasy football style, GM abilities. The best person that Snyder could buy right now is an intelligent GM. These lavish spending sprees had led to sub .500 teams for a decade now. You woulld almost want to root against the Redskins, so that they learn a lesson. However, they never will with Snyder in charge. So, when the next best player becomes available via trade or free agency, look for the Redskins to play their best game; the money game.

Update 4/3 from The Washington Examiner via SI.com: In the end, Denver did not want Jason Campbell. And that's why Jay Cutler is headed to Chicago. According to a source involved in the discussions, the Redskins were closing in on a three-way deal Thursday afternoon that involved Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn going to Denver. The source said he was told that the deal was likely to happen soon. The Examiner reported that a deal was close. Indeed, a CBS affiliate in Denver also reported that Jay Cutler had told them he was told by his agent that he was going to Washington. ESPN also reported that the Redskins were at the top of the list and a deal could happen at any time. However, the deal involving the Browns unraveled, prompting Chicago to jump back in and offer a less-complicated deal, knowing the Broncos liked Bears quarterback Kyle Orton. The source said Denver's preference of quarterbacks was Quinn and then Orton. They were not high on Campbell. So, rather than do a three-way deal with Washington and another team, the Bears, according to an NFL source, called to offer Orton, two first-round draft picks, and a third-round pick in exchange for Cutler and a fifth-round pick.

Parting March Shots

Greensboro, NC -- There's no definitive topic in tonight's blog, just some random musings, as we gear up for the start of the baseball season. One of my favorite Mondays of the year -- and there are only a few of them -- is Opening Day. It's where time ends, and then begins anew. The 2009 MLB predictions by B's Bistro will be posted in this space on Thursday. For now, here are the hot topics...

• The Braves extended Chipper Jones's contract by 3 years/$42M. For an injury prone, about to turn 37 years old player, $14M/year is a ton of cash to invest. Sure, Chipper has restructured his contract a couple of times for the team, and he'll always be an Atlanta Brave, but having your pay cut to $10M/year isn't going to make you or your family go hungry. I think the Braves will be regretting this one.
• The Orioles are assigning uber prospect Matt Wieters to the minors (until mid-May) to delay his arbitration by 1 year. Smart move considering that the Orioles are still 2 years away from contending.
• Mike Rizzo has returned some normalcy to the Nationals front office. The agent for Joe Beimel received a call from Bowden at the end of February, indicating that the Nats had interest in signing him. However, the agent described the interaction between him and Bowden as hot air, or bottom of the barrel shopping by Bowden. Rizzo called Beimel's agent during the first week of March and cordially described the Nats' plans, indicating that if he has a better offer than $2M to take it. Sure enough, Beimel signed with the Nats one week later thanks to Rizzo's honesty and organization.
• Speaking of $14M annual salaries, the Tigers cut Gary Sheffield and his bloated $14M contract. While currently stuck on 499 HR's, Sheffield is going to have a tough time finding work. I'm sure some team will find $400K in their budget in an attempt to make a buck or two off of his 500 HR's campaign. BTW, what's the difference between Sheffield and Bonds? Did Sheff not take steroids, deny using them, became injury prone after he stopped taking them?
• Did you notice that the three out of the four NCAA Final Four teams this year were beaten by George Mason in the 2006 Big Dance?
• What is the lure of going to a historic sports program and trying to revive it... Notre Dame football (Weiss), Alabama football (Saban), and now Calipari to Kentucky? Is it all about the cash?
• U2 has announced their 360 Degrees Tour with a 4-pronged "claw" hovering over a circular stage, planted in the middle of football stadiums. As a longtime U2.com member, I was able to secure my tickets to the show in Charlottesville, VA today (random spot on the tour). The past two U2 tours have been in arenas, and with the instant sellouts, the band was forced to tack on extra shows in that city, sometimes up to 4 shows in a city like Chicago or New York. With the move back to football stadiums, these facilities limit the shows to 1 (sometimes 2) in a particular city. Also, the number of tour stops is much smaller than the last two tours. No North Carolina stops. I'm wondering if the economy has anything to do with it.

Happy Birthday, Schnookies!

No Line on the Horizon

Greensboro, NC -- It's been over three weeks since U2 released their 12th album, No Line on the Horizon. After listening to the album at least two dozen times through now, I can safely say with an unbigoted view that No Line on the Horizon is a top three U2 album. "The new sound," as Bono has proclaimed this month, is much more wide ranging than the narrow minded "new sound" of Pop, a dozen years ago. No Line on the Horizon incorporates some upbeat melodies, fused with some modern machinery, without going overboard with the power theme. Here's my track-by-track insight of the variably sounding album:

1. No Line on the Horizon -- The album leads off with a classic U2 style to it; The Edge's guitar takes over, supported by a solid bass line, and acute drumming. "No, no line on the horizon, no, no line." How can a simple chorus line sounds so good? Bono and The Edge have mastered their harmonizing over their careers to perfect it. In some songs, you don't know if Bono is singing or The Edge; that's perfection.

2. Magnificent -- I predicted that this song would be the biggest hit off of the album, and it's now officially a single. The keyboards and sharp drumming in the opening line, "I was born, I was born to be with you..." is just beautiful music. It's the shortest 5 minute song you'll ever hear. With a nifty drum beat, synthesizers, and angry guitar chords to open the song, one might believe that the remaining sheet of music is one of anger, but it's quite the contrary. It's one of the many anomalies on the album.

3. Moment of Surrender -- This 7 minute masterpiece has taken me awhile to enjoy. The drum and bass lines skew this tune under the "blues" classification. However, Bono's vocals takes a gospel tone. This compression leads to a long, drawn out story that I've yet to fully understand.

4. Unknown Caller -- Following the 7 minute ensemble, U2 comes back with another marathon in this quirky, but cool song. The opening guitar rift sounds like "Peace on Earth" from All That You Can't Leave Behind. Then, enter the drums, and the listener is taken down a different path, back to The Unforgettable Fire's "A Sort of Homecoming." It's a classic Edge guitar piece, but the lyrics have nothing to do with a U2 homecoming. "Restart and reboot yourself" might be the most technical word in the history of U2 lyric.

5. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight -- This track is slowly becoming my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are simple, the drum beat is catchy, the guitar work is superb, and the shifting bass lines may be the best, subtle part. The song is very neat and compact with short choruses. Bono's improvising of the choruses, "It's not a hill, it's a moouuuuunnnnteeeen" makes it seem longer than it appears.

6. Get On Your Boots -- The first single, IMO, is a "fusion of 'Vertigo' and 'Fast Cars' in one song." I can see listeners getting this pop song confused with "Vertigo" because the DNA of the song is the same. It may be about women taking over the world, but the real intention of the song is for U2 to grab the world's imagination in their upcoming stadium tour.

7. Stand Up Comedy -- I haven't read anything in depth on the meaning of the song, but one line stands out in the bouncy, uptempo track, "I"m little man with big ideas." Was that the purpose of this song -- for that one line? I'm not sure, but for now, I enjoy the melody.

8. Fez - Being Born -- I'm glad that U2 was able to incorporate some of the environment and surroundings where they recorded a majority of the album -- Fez, Morocco. A Middle Eastern twang, coupled with some duplicated lines from "Get On Your Boots" makes this track a must-listen. But, this song is one that must be listened to several times before maximum enjoyment can be obtained.

9. White As Snow -- Sung to the tune of "Come, Come, Emanuel," it's Bono's best vocal performance on the album. Coincidentally, it's also the slowest song, in terms of rhythm, on the album. The story involves a soldier dying in Afghanistan; his last moments on earth. The context can be taken out of proportion and made into a happy story if you don't listen to it carefully.

10. Breathe -- Ever want to hear Bono rap? I feel like Edge's guitar riffs are in a sword fight with Bono's vocals. This track may be the best one on the album in terms of creativity. The melodies intertwine with each other, causing a fireworks style of riffs and beats.

11. Cedars of Lebanon -- I'm not of the Middle Eastern theme, but U2 has a knack to make the last track on an album an interrogative piece -- "Wake Up Dead Man," "Grace," "Yahweh" have all left us hanging and thinking. Same goes for Cedars of Lebanon. In "Wake Up Dead Man," was Bono calling Jesus out before the turn of the millenium? Friends vs. enemies becomes the underlying theme in Cedars. But what's the big idea, and will the question ever be answered?

5 Stars from B's Bistro on this album. If you haven't heard the album yet, be sure to pick up a copy today. It'll be worth your hard-earned cash.

Bracketology

Greensboro, NC -- After a whirlwind week at the office being infiltrated with cyber bugs plaguing our official web site, the Bistro is back on the blogging circuit. It's not as if we ran out of topics; that would be equivalent to McDonald's running out of french fries. I was hoping to have the big review of U2's new album by this time, but I'm here to inform you that it'll have to wait a little while longer.

Anyways, today is "Selection Sunday" and after reviewing the official bracket, I'm here to report that I couldn't be more excited. With Greensboro hosting a set of first round games, the Bistro has a couple of tickets to this Thursday's and Saturday's games. Hoping to coax a North Carolina team to the local area, the Greensboro officials hauled in a slam dunk (2 points) when it was announced that both Duke and UNC would be playing here this weekend. Not that the Greensboro officials had anything to do with the selection, but this coming weekend should be very exciting for the Triad area. #1 seeded (South) UNC will match-up against Radford, a small school nestled under Virginia Tech's blanket in the Blacksburg, VA area. #2 seeded (East) Duke will play Binghamton in their opening game. Both ACC schools should route their respective foes. Also in the East, #7 Texas and #10 Minnesota becomes an enticing game as well. Rick Barnes versus Tubby Smith! In the South #8 LSU faces #9 Butler, a NCAA tournament staple. I don't know much about either of these two teams, but the 8-9 match-up's are usually very even.

Outside of the Greensboro games, it was very clear that Pitt and UConn should be top seeds. I must not have been following college basketball very closely recently because where did Louisville come from? Sure, they won the Big East, but does that qualify them to be a top seed over Memphis? I like Memphis this year, but I also like Pittsburgh as well because of their premiere big man DeJuan Blair. When you have a big man who is an excellent rebounder and who can score, you have a good chance at winning in the collegiate level. My early pick: Pittsburgh.

*Happy B-Day, JB 3.14

A Letter to a Giants' Fan

Greensboro, NC -- I received a letter from a typical Giants' fan -- basking in their glory when times are good (we wouldn't know if they were alive when the team is awful) -- this week about the state of the Redskins, following their most-recent spending spree. Rather than take out my frustration on the Giants' fan and their ridiculous PSL's, I pointed my anger at Daniel M. Snyder, the very reason why I'm distraught.

"YA Tittle:"

I guess it's good to be a Giants' fan right now given that you have a team that recently won a Super Bowl, a realistic shot at a deep postseason run next season, and a competent group of upper management. I'm sure that I wouldn't find this type of e-mail in my inbox if we were all big NBA fans talking about the state of the Knickerbockers.

When the free agent season launched on Friday, I was pretty sure that the Redskins would add Chris Canty, and then stockpile linemen (O & D) in the draft. I'm not sure if New Yorkers would ever imagine that there would be a second coming of Steinbrenner, but he does exist in the form of Daniel M. Snyder. It's too bad that Snyder doesn't own the Nationals; they could use some wreckless, kamikaze free agent spending to bolster the moribund, "we're not paying rent for our new ballpark" team. Over the last several years, I've come to realize that superb football teams are built on the lines. Sure, Snyder can outspend any owner to lure the next superstar to DC, but he's too caught up in playing "fantasy football." To paraphrase an article in today's Washington Post, Snyder is looking for the next big name to have his picture taken with. If he owned the Nats, he could've traded for A-Rod... and invite Madonna in his luxury suite. Did the Giants need to sign Canty given that they have three star DE's in Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Osyneurma? No; however, it's an intelligent move to build depth at this key position. When the Skins' FO starts crying over the number of injuries, we can all point to the three free agents that consume all of the payroll needed to construct that invisible bevy of competent linemen.

Such is life under the Snyder regime. Who's calling the final shots in the "war room" on draft day? Snyder! A fan, somebody who's never played competitive football, is running our team! It's no wonder that we use free agency to re-paint the entire roster following every disappointing season, rather than mirror the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, and Ravens, who use it to shade in a hole here and maybe there. Speaking of cash, Snyder's profligate move of cutting 20+ (IT, marketing, and sales) employees for economic reasons, and then signing Haynesworth to a $100M contract three weeks later is a pyschological slap in the face to those fans struggling big-time in this recession. Whoever said there was fiscal responsibility in Washington? I'm done with my Snyder rant; Hail to the Redskins.

Southern Snowstorm

Winston-Salem, NC -- Other than a few super markets, pharmacies, and maybe McDonald's, I believe that my company is the only one open for business this morning in the state of North Carolina. Yes, we do have a call center that needs to be open to answer borrower and school telephone calls from around the nation. However, jeopardizing the safety of employees is a risk that no company should take. Our bogus HR "Director" is always fretting about being sued, because she apparently was at another job. Somebody should harangue her for forcing us to dodge swirling cars and drive in unplowed snow and ice on the interstate. My wheels were spinning like crazy on uphill stoplights. Not good. Anyways, on a lighter note, here are some pictures of my neighborhood from this morning:

Backyard:

Backyard:

Front:

Street:

Street:

In like a lion...

Greensboro, NC -- The Bistro is currently engulfed in "southern snowstorm," easily surpassing all previous accumulation totals since I moved here over two years ago. Personally, I haven't had much fun or success in the month of March; however, there are numerous events going on that could change all of that. First and foremost, there's only one card that could trump a "snow day," and that's a new album by U2! It's been over four years since their last album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. I'm extremely excited about the new album, No Line on the Horizon, to be released on Tuesday, March 3rd. Following Bistro tradition, I'll be purchasing the new album on Tuesday morning, and follow that up with incessant listening all week. While I have heard several cuts off the new album ("Magnificent" is my favorite), I hope to have a full review blogged right here sometime on Wednesday. As icing on the cake, U2 will be on David Letterman ALL WEEK LONG to promote the album, so be sure to tune-in!

Spring training has started, the WBC kicks off this week, and Jim Bowden has resigned. It's time for Mike R-to-the-IZZO, to step up and clean the dirt off of the Nationals organization... faster than he moved the Dominican Republican facility last week!

One bracket of the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament will be played here in Greensboro! I'll be attending some games whoever ends up playing here. I won't be attending the Women's ACC Tournament, which will be played here in Greensboro as well.

While St. Patrick's Day is on a Tuesday this year, Finnigan's Wake will be celebrating the day early at their annual St. Patrick's Day Festival on Pi Day (3.14). If it's anything like last year's event, it'll be a wonderful time, and yes JB, I'll be sure to give you a toast on that day as well.

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, the W-S Dodgeball tournament starts on the 17th with the first and second rounds. The championship game will be on the following Tuesday, the 24th. Also in the neighborhood of elementary school sports, kickball launches at the end of the month... details to follow.

Hope everyone has a great March!

... out like a lamb!

Abusing Free Agency Again

Winston-Salem, NC -- The two headed, de-facto GM monster of Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato are at it again with fantasy football style splash, signing the manchild Albert Haynesworth to a whopping 7 year/$100M deal. While the free agent busts continue to pile high in Washington, history won't stop the two headed monster running the front office for the Redskins. I'm guessing that the rational behind the signing was pinned on the fact that they haven't tried signing a massive defensive tackle yet in free agency.

At 6'6" and 320 lbs., Haynesworth is a brick wall on the defensive line. He also has the ability to penetrate the blockers and get to the QB. While his gaudy sack total of 8.5 will likely decrease, Haynesworth will likely drawl offensive linemen to double team him, which should provide more rushing opportunities for the disappointing Jason Taylor. Haynesworth will be 28 by the fall, so he has a few good seasons left in the tank. At 34, we saw how ineffective Taylor has become on the defensive line.

While married to their hidebound methods of player personnel, Cerrato and Snyder continue the froward ways of salary cap management and player acquisition. True, the team has needed an effective pass rusher for years, but this ballyhooed signing will only further complicate the salary cap situation (which could be non-existent if the CBA expires after the 2010 season). $100M contracts should only be given to "special" players, who ooze with talent, plays a skill position (QB), and has the personality that fans of the team will love, a la the Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys. 3 years ago, Haynesworth stomped on a player's face after a minor altercation occurred. Snyder probably turned the other cheek when reviewing his background since the victim of the cleat stomp was a Cowboy. Again, with very few picks in April's draft, the Skins again are avoiding the obvious; building the core of the team through the draft, and instead, constructing it by "fantasy football" style -- signing star players with megabuck offers that will have to be restructured (or cause other players' contracts to be restructured) again. Bistro's take: absurd.

The 2009 Baltimore Orioles

Winston-Salem, NC -- With the glossy ice covering the Greensboro streets this morning, it's difficult to comprehend playing baseball in the warm sunshine right now. It's time to review our third team in the B's Bistro season preview; the Baltimore Orioles. By hiring Andy MacPhail in June 2007 as the President of Baseball Operations, Peter Angelose could finally stop pressing the "Re-start" button on this rebuilding project that launched in 1998. Does Mike Flanagan even work for the Orioles anymore? After building two World Series winners with the Twins, and then having mediocre success with the Cubs in the mid-90's, MacPhail knows that being impatient and wasting your cash on mid-level free agents isn't the best route to build a winner. MacPhail has done what the Orioles should have implemented a decade ago; blow-up the old, non-effective core, and trade whatever chips for buckets of prospects. The deals that sent Federal liar Miguel Tejada and the cranky Erik Bedard to Houston and Seattle, respectively, were both winners. For once, the Orioles have some legitimate pitching prospects down on the farm, and I'm not talking about Matt Riley and Jimmy Haynes. Chris Tillman (Bedard trade), Brian Matusz ('08 1st round pick), and Troy Patton (Tejada trade) are promising prospects, but not major league ready. These trades, along with the "low-risk, high reward" deals for Rich Hill and Felix Pie, are exactly the type of trades that the Orioles need to be making. The procrastination to make the "take a step backwards in order to go forwards" trades has only prolonged the rebuilding project. One other point that needs to be made is that the Orioles have finally "tapped" into the Asian market with the signing on Kenji Uehara. He may not be the best pitcher in Japan, but the signing is more of a symbol of progress. For now, the Orioles will struggle with the stable of arms currently on the roster, but that will likely change in the upcoming years. Here's my stab at this year's unproven rotation:

• Jeremy Guthrie (R), 10-12, 3.63 ERA, 120 K's, 58 BB's, 190.2 IP (2008-BAL) -- The nicest guy in baseball.
• Koji Uehara (R), (2008-JPN) -- I heard this guy was just mediocre in Japan, and he's now passed his prime.
• Rich Hill (L), 1-0, 4.12 ERA, 15 K's, 18 BB's, 19.2 IP (2008-CHC)
• Mark Hendrickson (L), 7-8, 5.45 ERA, 81 K's, 48 BB's, 133.2 IP (2008-FLA)
• Brad Hennessey (R), 1-2, 7.81 ERA, 21 K's, 15 BB's, 40.1 IP (2008-SF)

The only part of the team that has plagued the Orioles more than the starting pitching has been the bullpen. However, with the emergence of George Sherrill as an All-Star closer, and with Chris Ray returning after a year-long stint on the DL, the back-end of the bullpen is suddenly a strength. Jamie Walker, who has been a colossal waste of money, provides very little relief from the left side. Speaking of the southpaws, I like the re-signing of John Parrish, who was very underrated IMO when he last pitched in Baltimore. Let's see if Jim Johnson can step-up and burnish the "set-up man" position this year, or he could be out of the league by season's end.

If you're going to hand-out "long term" contracts, be sure you sign the right player (see Belle, Albert). Another clear sign of progress under the MacPhail administration came this winter when the O's locked-up 4th year player Nick Markakis to a 6 year/$66M deal. This signing demonstrates that the Orioles are interested in winning and they'll lock-up the players that want to be here. For his many years of service and hopefully a few more All-Star seasons left in him, Brian Roberts signed a 4 year/$40M extension. In this market for a 31-year-old second basemen, I think the O's overpaid on this one. It looks silly when Orlando Hudson just signed a deal for $3.4M/year. Carrying on the homegrown talent trend, super prospect Matt Wieters looks primed to be a star in the making. He tore up minor league pitching last year and has a rocket of an arm behind the plate. Look for him to get called up in May (to delay his arbitration eligibility by 1 year) to take over for Gregg Zaun behind the plate full-time. Here's my projected lineup, and it finally has some homegrown talent sprinkled in there:

• Brian Roberts - 2B (S), 0.296, 9 HR, 57 RBI (2008-BAL)
• Adam Jones - CF (R), 0.270, 9 HR, 57 RBI (2008-BAL)
• Nick Markakis - RF (L), 0.306, 20 HR, 87 RBI (2008-BAL)
• Aubrey Huff - 1B (L), 0.304, 32 HR, 108 RBI (2008-BAL)
• Melvin Mora - 3B (R), 0.285, 23 HR, 104 RBI (2008-BAL)
• Luke Scott - DH (L), 0.257, 23 HR, 65 RBI (2008-BAL)
• Cesar Izturis - SS (S), 0.263, 1 HR, 24 RBI (2008-STL)
• Gregg Zaun - C (S), 0.237, 6 HR, 30 RBI (2008-TOR)
• Felix Pie - LF (L), 0.241, 1 HR, 10 RBI (2008-CHC)

The three new acquisitions are placed at the bottom of the order with their main purpose being to play defense. While sitting in the Arizona sun last Spring Training, watching the Cubs take on the Mariners, my good buddy turned to me and mentioned that Felix Pie will be a star someday. I told him that he's the next coming of Corey Patterson, and that he'll probably be traded to the Orioles in the next two or three years or so. I like the young outfield, but I'm not that high on Pie because of his lack of plate discipline. Zaun is merely keeping the catcher's seat warm for Wieters. It was a good move to end all catching rumors by trading away Ramon Hernandez to the Reds for utility man Ryan Freel. Ty Wigginton will supply further depth on the bench as well. As you can see above, I attempted to construct the lineup with the L-R-L alternating combination. However, the power drops considerably in the bottom third.

The Orioles are nowhere close to contending with the big boys in the AL East, but that could change with a Tampa Bay-like run in the next couple of seasons (2011 and beyond). The pitching needs to develop and mature under Rick Kranitz, and an impact bat needs to be added to supplement the excess of speedy batters. For the first time, the progress is measurable -- from the trades for prospects, wise drafting, locking up young stars, and tapping into the foreign markets, the Orioles appear to be on the right, albeit slow track, back to respectability. They are even listening to the fans, by changing the road uniforms to have "Baltimore" across them, and they even incorporated a little Maryland flair in the sleeve patch. Suffice it to say, the Orioles are ahead of the Nationals in their rebuilding project; who would have thought that a year or two ago?

Happy Birthday to avid B's Bistro reader and Baltimore resident Kevin Attridge!

Weekend Reading

Winston-Salem, NC -- I'll be returning to my "home away from home" this weekend, "The Big A," "The ATL," Atlanta. Before I depart, here's some reading materials that I read this week that you can enjoy.

Story I -- This New York Times piece was written by Moneyball and The Blind Side author, Michael Lewis, so you know it's a good read. Lewis takes a stab on NBA "Moneyball" pioneer, Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets. I wrote a blog on Morey last year, but I had no information on the metrics and statistics that Morey uses for his NBA roster construction approach. This article parallels Shane Battier to the likes of former Oakland A's first baseman Scott Hatterberg; a lesser talented player bringing out the best of his team.

Story II -- Here's another interesting article that I found on CNN yesterday on how the Arizona Diamondbacks are combating the economic downfall. The ownership group and management team appear to be real winners.

Finally, this clip right here might be the funniest video of a fan caught dancing at a sporting event ever. While the length of the video may indicate that it's staged, it's nevertheless downright hilarious. The Celtics' fans really are having fun these days.

The 2009 Washington Nationals

Winston-Salem, NC -- For the third consecutive year under the Lerner family ownership, the Nationals cannot place, in ink, the members of their starting rotation. Rather than use Spring Training to figure out who will be the fifth starter of the rotation, the Nats will use this time to determine the entire rotation. It's sort of like throwing a dozen balls of goo against a wall and see which ones stick. If I had to take stab at the rotation, I'd pencil in John Lannan as the Opening Day starter against the Marlins on April 6th. Against his former team and making an unusual 1-2 southpaw punch, Scott Olsen will be the number two starter on the following day against the Phish. Predicting the back-end of the rotation may be tougher than determining who the other 103 players who tested positive for taking steroids in 2003. For now, I believe that Daniel Cabrera, Collin Balester, and Shawn Hill will fill in those slots. If Jason Bergmann returns to his 2007 form, don't count him out just yet. If Odalis Perez continues to hold out for more cash in this belt-tightening market, I don't see the pitcher who tossed the first pitch ever at Nationals Park returning to DC. I'd also like to see under-the-radar acquisition Tyler Clippard be given a shot in the rotation. Clippard filled in nicely for the Yankees in 2007 when their rotation was in shambles. For now, here's the Bistro's projected rotation:

• John Lannan (L), 9-15, 3.91 ERA, 117 K's, 72 BB's, 182 IP (2008-WSH)
• Scott Olsen (L), 8-11, 4.20 ERA, 113 K's, 69 BB's, 201.2 IP (2008-FLA)
• Daniel Cabrera (R), 8-10, 5.25 ERA, 95 K's, 90 BB's, 180 IP (2008-BAL)
• Collin Balester (R), 3-7, 5.51 ERA, 50 K's, 28 BB's, 80 IP (2008-WSH)
• Shaun Hill (R), 1-5, 5.83 ERA, 39 K's, 23 BB's, 63.1 IP (2008-WSH)

The backbone of the small success that the Nationals have endured since they returned to DC in 2005 has been the bullpen. Up until this season, the Nats could always count on "The Chief," Chad Cordero, to close out games, with big Jon Rauch setting him up. Neither of these players are on the roster this year (Cordero, non-tendered; Rauch, traded to ARZ), which paves the road for Joel Hanrahan (9/13 saves) to be the closer in 2009. Hanrahan will have a bevy of right handed relievers in front of him from the reliable Saul Rivera to Steven Shell to Garrett Mock to Jason Bergmann. I suppose that starting pitching rejects Matt Chico, Mike O'Connor, and Mike Hinckley will supplement the bullpen corps from the left side. The bullpen, like the starting rotation, is about as proven as Barack Obama's political resume; we don't know what to expect.

Aside from the new road jerseys, the front office decided to open the team's checkbook on the most prolific free agent in Nationals' history, Adam Dunn (2 years/$20M). However, the front office must take into consideration that the 2007 season was the aberration, not the injury-riddled 2008 season. In 2007, the team was projected to contend with the 1962 Mets and 2003 Tigers as the worst team in MLB history. Instead, the team outperformed the critics and far exceeded expectations, but sunk like a rock in water in 2008, courtesy of unrealistic expectations and an abundance of injuries. Taking into consideration the glut of outfielders and first basemen, I'll project the Nats' 2009 lineup. However, I'm a huge proponent of the lefty-righty alternation in a lineup, which may not tailor to Manny Acta's mindset.

• Cristian Guzman - SS, (S), 0.316, 9 HR, 55 RBI (2008-WSH)
• Nick Johnson - 1B, (L), 0.220, 5 HR, 20 RBI (2008-WSH)
• Ryan Zimmerman - 3B, (R), 0.283, 14 HR, 51 RBI (2008-WSH)
• Adam Dunn - LF, (L), 0.236, 40 HR, 100 RBI (2008-CIN/ARZ)
• Josh Willingham - RF, (R), 0.251, 15 HR, 51 RBI (2008-FLA)
• Lastings Milledge - CF, (R), 14 HR, 61 RBI (2008-WSH)
• Anderson Hernandez - 2B, (S), 0.333, 0 HR, 17 RBI (2008-WSH)
• Jesus Flores - C, (R), 0.256, 8 HR, 59 RBI (2008-WSH)

I believe that the plan is to play Elijah Dukes in right field, shift Willingham to left, Dunn to first base, and have Nick Johnson on the bench. My proposed lineup incorporates the L-R-L alignment, and it produces the highest propensity to generate more runs. Put the on-base machine Johnson in the "2 spot" (where he batted when he was with the Yankees) and contact hitter Zimmerman in the three spot for the big bopper, Adam Dunn cleaning it up. With the acquisitions of Dunn and Willingham, it will allow Milledge and Flores to shift down in the order where they belong (not in the 2-3-4 spots where they were in 2008).

All of the steroids news has taken the glitter off of the Adam Dunn signing for me. I still think the Nats are looking at their lineup more positively than they should. And they continue to do such a bad job of promoting the team. Other than Zimmerman, they could get rid of every other player and no one would have an emotional reason to care. I'm still convinced that they have so many lousy characters that they can't promote them. I can't think of any other reason. Let's use 2009 as a building block for the future. 2008 was a lost year, not only because of the 59-102 record, but more importantly, the top-ranked prospects in the farm system regressed. The front office was $500K apart from signing top pick Aaron Crow (pitcher), yet it continued to dole out worhtless contracts, like the one to Guzman for 2 years/$16M. Blunders, such as extending contracts to Guzman, Dmitri Young (2 years/$5M), and Ronnie Belliard (2 years/$3M), are moves that will continue to take the franchise backwards. In order to move forward, sometimes you have to take a small step backwards -- play the young guys and pay the bonuses for pitchers that you draft. The Lerners must cough up whatever amount Scott Boras dictates they should pay (within legitimate reason) for Steven Strasburg in June's amateur draft. 2008 was not a stepping stone, rather it set the franchise back by two years with player regression and a fruitless draft. Hopefully, 2009 will prove otherwise both in the draft and a few extra wins as a result of some "longballs" along the Anacostia.

Remarks on the UNC-Duke Rivalry

Winston-Salem, NC -- This post has nothing to do with last night's 107-81 (second half) throttling of Duke by UNC. Rather, it's to shed some light on the great college baseketball rivalry between UNC and Duke, off-the-court. Before I moved to North Carolina, over two years ago, I associated the UNC-Duke rivalry along the lines of the Red Sox-Yankees, Redskins-Cowboys, Lakers-Celtics, Ohio State-Michigan, and Canadiens-Leafs. Yes, UNC-Duke is a big-time rivalry, but it's not the same type of rivalry as the aforementioned teams and schools.

• First, Duke has NO FANS. Everyone from North Carolina pulls for the Tar Heels. Why? Because it's the "public school" and everyone knows somebody or has a relative that went to UNC. Conversely, Duke is a small, private school. Most of the students attending Duke aren't from North Carolina. The fan base is equivalent to a match-up, such as Johns Hopkins-UMD, Vanderbilt-UTenn, or Emory-UGA.
• Second, the rivalry focuses on two schools located in one state. Everybody who I ran into yesterday asked if I was watching the game; it had a "state holiday" feel to it. When I lived elsewhere, say in Atlanta or Maryland, my reaction to the upcoming game was, "Oh, Dickie V. is calling the game tonight."
• Third, people not from NC, will usually pull for anybody playing UNC. The intimidating security guard at my office told me that she wished both teams could lose. She's from Tennessee.
• Fourth, girls who are ambivalent about sports will always choose UNC over Duke because of the school's COLORS. Yes, this bullet may be the most ludicrous item that I've ever blogged, but it's true. This fact only tips the rivalry scale more in UNC's overabundant favor.
• Fifth, upon UNC victory, everyone is measurably nicer and kinder on the following day. People who wouldn't normally wait to hold the door for you, will now wait the extra second.
• Finally, don't plan on going to a Carolina bar when the rivalry is played unless you're pulling for UNC, you love it when people yell on every possession, and girls scream at every UNC bucket.

I had no idea how many UNC fans there are compared to Duke fans. 15:1 ratio would be my guess.

A Fitting, New Cocktail

Winston-Salem, NC -- After much deserved praise and laudation for safely guiding his crippled plane into the Hudson River last month, there's a new toast out on the market for Capt. C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, pilot of the U.S. Airways jet. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you the latest drink for you to purchase that beautiful girl/handsome guy across the bar:

"The Sully"

• 2 Shots of Grey Goose
• 1 Splash of Water

The Braves' Rough Offseason

Greensboro, NC -- This baseball offseason has been one of the most bizarre winters in recent memory. The depressed free agent market, the abundance of solid hitters still left on the market, the admission of guilt by AR*d for using steroids, and the absurd Manny Ramirez negotiations have all led to a winter that mirrors our nation's current economical situation. Some teams have not been affected by the economic recession -- the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, and Dodgers -- appear to be operating as "business as usual (BAU)." Other teams have not been allowed to spend, such as the Tigers, Astros, Padres, and Rockies. The Braves, in particular, have had a rough offseason -- not being able to agree on prospects in a deal for ace Jake Peavy and being jilted by Rafael Furcal, after reportedly agreeing to a 3 year-$30M deal -- these two sequence of events have ramrodded the front office's makeover plans.

Aside from a pressing need for another outfielder, the roster of position players is all but set. Behind the plate, there is All-Star catcher Brian McCann. At first base, the slick fielding Casey Kotchman, acquired in the Mark Teixeira deal, is adequate. Across the diamond at third base, there's the legendary Chipper Jones. The middle infielders were supposed to be important cogs in proposed trades. Yunel Escobar, when he is swinging the bat, is an above-average shortstop. He's still here after the failed Peavy talks. Kelly Johnson, the mediocre second baseman, was supposed to shift to left field to make room for Furcal at 2B. In the outfield, Frenchy returns to right field. After such a poor year, he has really fallen out of favor with the front office. If Frenchy struggles early, he will be demoted. After initially flirting with the idea of bringing back Andruw Jones to play center (a bad idea in my book), the Braves will have to hand the keys over to top prospect Jordan Schaefer sometime this year. For now though, look for fellow rookie Josh Anderson to patrol center. The left field situation is all but unsettled; do you go with Matt Diaz? I think the Braves could steal Bobby Abreu off the free agent market and plug him in here. Give him a 3 year-$30M deal, and if he wants more annual salary than $10M, lower the number of years to 2, and the make the total compensation package $24M ($12M AAV).

On paper, the rotation appears to be much improved. The cold separation between John Smoltz and the Braves will be hard to handle if Smoltz performs at a peak level for the Red Sox. The signing of Derek Lowe appeared to be out of desperation, after being spurned by Furcal. I think the Braves could have signed Lowe to a lower price (no pun intended) because their only competition appeared to be the Mets, who were set to re-sign Oliver Perez (overrated). Acquiring Javy Vazquez from the White Sox was an even trade. Vazquez is both durable and effective. Similar to Lowe, he keeps the ball down; a key to pitching at Turner Field. The Braves also dipped in the Asian market to pluck Kenshin Kawakami. These moves enable Jair Jurrjens, the one returning starter, to slot in the middle of the rotation. Further, the Braves can pencil in Jorge Campillo at the end. I like the rotation; however, aside from Campillo, and maybe Tom Glavine re-signing, it's dominated by right handers.

Manny Acosta and Mike Gonzalez comprise a very formidable righty-lefty punch in the bullpen. With the loss of Rafael Soriano, the Braves will need to build more depth in the 'pen.

I'm not sure what to expect from the Braves this season. They have underperformed during the last three seasons. With the Phillies returning the same team this year, and with the Mets finally constructing a bullpen, I'm not sure if the division is within grasp.

Redskins Offseason

Winston-Salem, NC -- Now that the dust has settled from that whirlwind fourth quarter of the Super Bowl on Sunday, it's time to analyze the Steelers' secret formula to success and see what the Redskins can learn from them. I believe that the Steelers' year-by-year plan isn't a secret, nor do they execute it surreptitiously. Their teams are built through the draft. The Redskins approach free agency with several large paint brushes, eager to give the team a makeover or compose a new masterpiece each offseason. Conversely, the Steelers use pencils for it, merely to shade in small holes. The Steelers have two outstanding pass rushers on the defensive line, while the Skins have lavishly spent large amounts of dollars on free agent Andre Carter and traded two picks for the washed-up Jason Taylor. Simply put, if there is no pressure on the QB, the star CB's on your team are going to look foolish. The player personnel evaluation on the Redskins is atrocious. Ryan Clark is one of the many hard-hitting cogs on the Steelers #1 ranked defense. He was released by the Redskins after two superb season at strong safety to make room for free agent bust Adam Archuleta. When Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerratto, two people who have no business being in a war room on draft day, are the only ones calling the shots at your draft, here's what you get (Redskins 2008 draft): 3 WR busts, 1 punter, Colt Brennan, and a lucky 7th round pick (Horton). The appropriate front office step would be to hire a capable GM and let him pick the coach. The only front office moves that occur in DC are puzzling promotions for Vinny (Matt Millen Part II).

The Washington Post did an excellent appraisal of the team's offense in this article, specifically focusing on the offensive line. Buges' has coached this verteran line to its maximum potential. However, because the "front office" is composed of fantasy football managers, and not experienced, capable professionals, the line is overlooked with the paltry number of draft picks every year. In the article, the writers fixated on three moribund franchises in 2007 -- the Falcons, Dolphins, and Ravens (combined 8 wins) -- who made the playoffs in 2008 with very effective drafts. Rather than having a laconic front office full of maladroits, these teams took a step backwards in order to move forwards (except that they all achieved success earlier than expected).

Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots have built a "plug n' play" system which, by building depth at every position (including the coaching staff), allows them to plug in a capable player when a starter goes down to injury or ineffectiveness. Their team has never been built "fantasy football style" by loading up on star players at the skill positions. Instead, through shrewd scouting methods, brilliant trades, and solid annual drafts, the Patriots don't need to rely on free agency as a stopgap approach. In this "copycat" league, you would think the Redskins could look on someone else's paper.

XXVII

Greensboro, NC -- Twenty-seven is just a number. Some people consider it old; some people consider it young. It's on the wrong side of 20, but it's on the "right" side of 30. Is it considered to be "mid-20's" or "upper 20's?" In elementary school, when we were rounding by 10's, we'd round 27 up to 30... yikes! But if we're round by 5's, we'd round 27 back down to 25 (the definition of "mid-twenties").

Growing up, I attended a baseball game in DC -- DC was trying to woo MLB in 1990, but eventually lost out to the Florida and Colorado markets in 1993. The Orioles were playing the A's; starting for the Orioles was #27 Dave Johnson, who now does color analyzing for MASN (or did when I lived in Maryland). The year before the Cowboys beat the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, the Redskins took down that same Bills team, 37-24. Joe Girardi is wearing #27 because that would be the Yankees' total number of World Series championships should they win again, hopefully not when I'm 27. 27 is also the "peak" age of a professional baseball player, as determined through some complicated formula by Bill James (So why do I have so many injuries from frivolous games, such as dodgeball and kickball? You'd think I was 47 or something.) As far as sports go, 27 is not a very popular uniform number.

27 may not be a special number, but we can all conclude that it's still part of one's "mid-twenties."

Super Bowl Prediction

Greensboro, NC -- It's time to set aside all of the analyses, talk, and insight, and break out the crystal balls. While I am pulling for the Arizona Cardinals, I believe that the Pittsburgh Steelers will win tonight's contest, 24-17. While I was excited to view some of the Super Bowl set-up when I was in Tampa three weeks ago, I was hoping that an NFC East team would not make it. As the Giants fell to the Igles, and the Igles to the Cardinals, it wasn't surprising to see the Steelers survive the attrition war in the AFC. The Steelers, an immensely popular team, will have a huge "homefield" advantage in tonight's game. Is it just me, or are the Steelers becoming a "cult" just like the Boston Red Sox? All of sudden, everybody is a Steelers' fan! Dating back to 2004, when the Sox killed the Curse of the Bambino, everyone is now a Sox fan. I've asked several "Steelers' fans" their relation to Pittsburgh, and legitimate ties to the Pittsburgh area have come back in response. If everyone in this massive Steelers' following had legitimate ties to Pittsburgh, answer this question:

Why aren't there any Pittsburgh Pirates fans?

The Red Sox and Yankees' fans would be outnumbered if all of those Steelers fans' were Pirates' fans. Just a thought.

Pittsburgh 24, Arizona 17

Post Inauguration E-Mail

Greensboro, NC -- Now that life has returned to normal, id est -- waking up early, going to work, trying to work out, eat dinner, and sleep -- the blogging schedule should slot in there nicely. The large news magnet this week is obviously the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of these United States. While I didn't vote for Obama, I do hope that he succeeds in turning around this downtrodden economy, providing a clear vision and outlook in Afghanistan and Iraq, and following through in his promise to provide health care for all. Further, I hope his terms provides two important things: 1. He provides hope and inspires anyone (minorities) that it is possible to succeed in life regardless of your race. 2. Most important, I hope that he can unite this country -- enough of the partisan politics, red and blue, black and white, etc. If 2 million people can join together to view his inauguration in person without an arrest, we may be on to something. Good luck, Obama.

Not everyone in America was cheery over Tuesday's election. I received some viewer e-mail and decided to post this one from one of my favorite readers... call him Hillbilly Tom from Tennessee. He offers a different point of view of Tuesday's inauguration; enjoy:

"Having realized that his acceptance speech would be anticlimatic to any of
his fainting-spell, pre-election rallies, Obama bookended his appearance at the
Capital yesterday with presentations more boring and wacky than his own
misguided thoughts-- a wombat from the astro plane reading her etheral,
Hait-Asbury poetry that, of a million attendees, only a selected few
brain-frozen tumbleweeds took deep meaning from, and Dr. Lowery's prejudicial,
nursery-school benedition at the end, which effectively stirred half a dozen
racial pots that Barak's election was designed to simmer and cool.

If Obama's team of experts figures to entertain a million strong, outdoors, in 20 degree
weather, with a traditionally indoor Chamber Music ensemble consisting of a
frozen cellist and violinist, both of whom cringed at the damage they were
inflicting on their sensitive instruments even as they were attempting to play--
is this same team capable and ready to rule the world-- to decide how much of
our money we get to keep and where to best spend it? 'We Want
Change!' You can settle for change. I Want My Money Back!"