Ahhh...the golden years. I don't remember much about 1983, but the few things I do recall are Greg Luzinski hitting a few of his 32 home runs that year onto the roof at Comiskey Park and Julio Cruz scoring the winning run to clinch the AL West pennant. Of course Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken and the Baltimore Orioles kicked our butts 3 games to one and went on to win the World Series.
But for those who would like to relive those glory days, take a look over here at the stats for the 1983 White Sox at baseball-reference.com.
While you're at it, take a look at the 1906 World Series Champ White Sox.
"Why" you ask?
Take a look at this post from the ChicagoSports.com Web Blog.
The writer compares the '06 and '83 Sox to the current team. All of these teams have been put by many under the "Winning Ugly" banner, generally defined as winning with defense, pitching and timely hitting while lacking in the power department. In fact, the '83 Sox were 3rd in the AL in home runs and led the league in runs and strikeouts. Add that to these pitching stats...
3.67 ERA, 3rd in the AL
12 shutouts, 2nd in the AL
48 saves, 2nd in the AL
...and this club looked pretty formidable. So will someone explain why they where dubbed "Winning Ugly"?
Is it that they were an unattractive bunch?
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Early First Round Exit?
It looks like Eddy Curry will miss the rest of the season, joining Luol Deng. The Bulls have role players who can fill their roles adequately, but then who will fill the roles of the role-fillers?
Even if they could, it'd be difficult for the Bulls to bring in a player late into the season. Unlike football where you can hide amongst the other 21 players or baseball where there is no system to learn, you are on the hot seat once you step out onto an NBA court. You have to be familiar with your own team system as well as that of the opposing team.
The Bulls had a good chance of making it out of the first round of the playoffs if their youthful enthusiasm hid their inexperience. Now things look grim. But, hey, they have proven all of us wrong before, and I hope they do it again.
Even if they could, it'd be difficult for the Bulls to bring in a player late into the season. Unlike football where you can hide amongst the other 21 players or baseball where there is no system to learn, you are on the hot seat once you step out onto an NBA court. You have to be familiar with your own team system as well as that of the opposing team.
The Bulls had a good chance of making it out of the first round of the playoffs if their youthful enthusiasm hid their inexperience. Now things look grim. But, hey, they have proven all of us wrong before, and I hope they do it again.
Asking For It
On the potential of an age limit to enter the NBA:
"In the last two or three years, the rookie of the year has been a high school player. There were seven high school players in the All-Star Game, so why we even talking an age limit? As a black guy, you kind of think [race is] the reason why it's coming up.
You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18 why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?"
- Jermaine O'Neal, forward, Indiana Pacers
"But we live in America. Home of the free, land of opportunity. A country where they want to shift the age limit for someone to be able to make millions, but not the age limit to be able to die for it.
And just because the overwhelming majority of the people the new rule would affect are of one color ... well, in America, what's racist about that?"
- Scoop Jackson, ESPN Page 2
I agree with Jermaine and Scoop.
All of a sudden asking questions has made everyone nervous. People roll their eyes whenever issues of race are brought up like:
Didn't we solve that problem? Like, didn't we have get rid of slavery and have civil rights marches and all that?
Didn't OJ get off?
Just because you see a Black rapper on Tv doesn't mean Blacks are all of a sudden wealthy. (as Chris Rock said the men who write the checks are wealthy) In fact, it shows that, for many young Black men, the only legal way out of poverty is through music or sports.
Those of us who live relatively comfortable lives might tell these kids to go to college without actually picturing ourselves in their shoes, without contemplating what's considered being successful in America.
Images of bling-bling on TV aren't put there by Blacks.
Teenagers aren't being drafted into the NBA by Blacks.
The same people who complain that things need to be changed are the ones who started it and still benefit from it.
Does that make sense?
Don't ask me.
-CT
Full articles: "Why Can't O'Neal ask questions?" http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/050414
"Stern wants NBA age limit raised to 20"http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2035132
"In the last two or three years, the rookie of the year has been a high school player. There were seven high school players in the All-Star Game, so why we even talking an age limit? As a black guy, you kind of think [race is] the reason why it's coming up.
You don't hear about it in baseball or hockey. To say you have to be 20, 21 to get in the league, it's unconstitutional. If I can go to the U.S. Army and fight the war at 18 why can't you play basketball for 48 minutes?"
- Jermaine O'Neal, forward, Indiana Pacers
"But we live in America. Home of the free, land of opportunity. A country where they want to shift the age limit for someone to be able to make millions, but not the age limit to be able to die for it.
And just because the overwhelming majority of the people the new rule would affect are of one color ... well, in America, what's racist about that?"
- Scoop Jackson, ESPN Page 2
I agree with Jermaine and Scoop.
All of a sudden asking questions has made everyone nervous. People roll their eyes whenever issues of race are brought up like:
Didn't we solve that problem? Like, didn't we have get rid of slavery and have civil rights marches and all that?
Didn't OJ get off?
Just because you see a Black rapper on Tv doesn't mean Blacks are all of a sudden wealthy. (as Chris Rock said the men who write the checks are wealthy) In fact, it shows that, for many young Black men, the only legal way out of poverty is through music or sports.
Those of us who live relatively comfortable lives might tell these kids to go to college without actually picturing ourselves in their shoes, without contemplating what's considered being successful in America.
Images of bling-bling on TV aren't put there by Blacks.
Teenagers aren't being drafted into the NBA by Blacks.
The same people who complain that things need to be changed are the ones who started it and still benefit from it.
Does that make sense?
Don't ask me.
-CT
Full articles: "Why Can't O'Neal ask questions?" http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/050414
"Stern wants NBA age limit raised to 20"http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2035132
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Liberal Depression & The Gay Media
I haven't been in the mood to write in my blog in a while. Frankly, I've been too depressed at how being a Republican or right-winger has been an excuse for inexcusable and immoral behaviour lately. Actually, it seems all manner of stupidity is being excused or, at worst, awarded.
How else can we explain Condoleeza Rice getting a promotion?
Or how "The Tsunami Song" was allowed to play on Hot 97 before being removed from the air?
Or how the "Sugartime" episode of Postcards from Buster gets pulled from the air by PBS?
Or that the We Are Family Foundation's video is thought to be "...manipulating and brainwashing kids."
All of this has got me all fired up enough to speak out.
Not that it would make a difference.
Yet for some strange reason I still have faith in humanity. There are still examples of hope and love throughout the world. It is incredibly hard to find these examples since it seems we are all so determined to hear bad news that that is all that is reported.
I'm not a psychologist, but I assume tragedy gives us that wonderful thing called "perspective" and reminds us that there are people worse off than us, so the more bad news the better. Happiness is an unwelcome stranger. The happier we are, the more paranoid we get, just waiting for the next tragedy to tear out joy from us.
Rarely do we fully enjoy this gift of life. We don't have to be alive and aware. But since we are, I figure we should take full advantage of it and not live in self-inflicted misery.
QUOTES - "Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in the episode...Congress' and the Department's purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children, particularly through the powerful and intimate medium of television,"
- Margaret Spellings, new Secretary of Education, in a letter to PBS president and CEO Pat Mitchell regarding the "Sugartime" episode of Postcards from Buster which features the children of two lesbian couples. Spellings also demanded that PBS return the $77,000 in taxpayer dollars used to produce the episode.
RESPONSE - If parents don't want their children exposed to the gay/lesbian lifestyle they can turn the channel. From what you're saying, you can make the argument that since there are parents who don't like the "black lifestyle", that all shows with Blacks should be banned. If this is a matter of "majority rules", then (assuming that the majority of parents find this inappropiate, which they don't) that would mean the majority is always right. History has proven that even in a democracy the voice of truth and reason is often a whisper.
QUOTES - "...sensitive in today's political climate." - PBS spokeswoman Lea Sloan said after PBS pulled the episode prior to Spellings letter.
RESPONSE - Is this a way of copping out? It sounds like what was said should go like this: "We can't broadcast any shows that have any hint of independent thinking because of a few radical evangelists and a Republican-run government."
QUOTES - "... You're taking a kid and what he loves to do most -- which is watch cartoons -- and you're introducing an adult topic which is inappropriate...It's extremely offensive that they would even consider doing this issue...They're teaching the acceptance of homosexuality to toddlers...People are sick of homosexuality being everywhere -- when they turn on the TV, when they open the newspaper...Everywhere you turn in the culture homosexuality is being promoted and celebrated and treated as if it's no big deal. The average American -- not just the average Christian -- but the average American is sick of it...They're trying to get kids used to the idea that having two moms or having two dads is normal, when actually it's very abnormal and it's very harmful to children...This is the liberals' way of indoctrinating our children -- all the while they lecture us about being intolerant and respecting diversity."
- Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, as told to Baptist Press.
RESPONSE - Wow. This guy is so determined to be evil and illogical that it almost doesn't make sense to comment on him.
But I will anyway.
I've seen homosexuality get labeled as an adult topic before. The problem is people like this see homosexuality as sex rather than a class of human relationship. What could even be more dangerous is that LaBarbera might be using the "adult" argument, knowing it has nothing to do with sex, as another PR weapon in a hate war against, in this case, homosexuals. Hate mongers have been known to try to use any angle necessary to get people on their side--if not the majority, then a powerful minority.
LeBarbera is also an empath, much like Deanna Troi of Star Trek. He seems to intuitively know that Americans really hate gays and lesbians. I'm not trying to pretend I know it all, but my general philosophy is any philosophy that's based on exclusion can be very dangerous.
QUOTES - "Our kids are targeted particularly in schools and in the media to adopt a worldview consistent with a group that we would vehemently disagree with...There are big stakes with cartoon characters because they have the power to define for a child what's real or what's acceptable or what's true." - Marc Fey, director of Christian worldview and education analyst at Focus on the Family, who called the Postcards episode an "insidious attempt" to teach children what many traditional parents would find unacceptable.
RESPONSE - Hmm...traditional parents, eh? Are these the same parents who are more likely, according to studies, to abuse their children mentally and physically? There are a ton of issues I could get into regarding "traditional" (white, Christian) parents, but I don't have the web space or the time.
The only way that cartoon characters have the power to warp reality and values for a child is if the cartoon characters are the parents. Even the children of TV Babysitter Parents (they sit their child in front of the TV rather than interact with them) have an idea of what's real. Depsite their parents, and despite what they might see on TV, children still might decide for themselves what is right or wrong when they grow up. Tricky business this child rearing is, huh?
SPONGEBOB GAY? http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=11140&cid=1&cname=Media
REALLY BAD TSUNAMI SONG http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050126/ap_en_ot/ny_tsunami_radio_suspensions_2
POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050128/ap_en_tv/parents_pbs_show_2
How else can we explain Condoleeza Rice getting a promotion?
Or how "The Tsunami Song" was allowed to play on Hot 97 before being removed from the air?
Or how the "Sugartime" episode of Postcards from Buster gets pulled from the air by PBS?
Or that the We Are Family Foundation's video is thought to be "...manipulating and brainwashing kids."
All of this has got me all fired up enough to speak out.
Not that it would make a difference.
Yet for some strange reason I still have faith in humanity. There are still examples of hope and love throughout the world. It is incredibly hard to find these examples since it seems we are all so determined to hear bad news that that is all that is reported.
I'm not a psychologist, but I assume tragedy gives us that wonderful thing called "perspective" and reminds us that there are people worse off than us, so the more bad news the better. Happiness is an unwelcome stranger. The happier we are, the more paranoid we get, just waiting for the next tragedy to tear out joy from us.
Rarely do we fully enjoy this gift of life. We don't have to be alive and aware. But since we are, I figure we should take full advantage of it and not live in self-inflicted misery.
QUOTES - "Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in the episode...Congress' and the Department's purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children, particularly through the powerful and intimate medium of television,"
- Margaret Spellings, new Secretary of Education, in a letter to PBS president and CEO Pat Mitchell regarding the "Sugartime" episode of Postcards from Buster which features the children of two lesbian couples. Spellings also demanded that PBS return the $77,000 in taxpayer dollars used to produce the episode.
RESPONSE - If parents don't want their children exposed to the gay/lesbian lifestyle they can turn the channel. From what you're saying, you can make the argument that since there are parents who don't like the "black lifestyle", that all shows with Blacks should be banned. If this is a matter of "majority rules", then (assuming that the majority of parents find this inappropiate, which they don't) that would mean the majority is always right. History has proven that even in a democracy the voice of truth and reason is often a whisper.
QUOTES - "...sensitive in today's political climate." - PBS spokeswoman Lea Sloan said after PBS pulled the episode prior to Spellings letter.
RESPONSE - Is this a way of copping out? It sounds like what was said should go like this: "We can't broadcast any shows that have any hint of independent thinking because of a few radical evangelists and a Republican-run government."
QUOTES - "... You're taking a kid and what he loves to do most -- which is watch cartoons -- and you're introducing an adult topic which is inappropriate...It's extremely offensive that they would even consider doing this issue...They're teaching the acceptance of homosexuality to toddlers...People are sick of homosexuality being everywhere -- when they turn on the TV, when they open the newspaper...Everywhere you turn in the culture homosexuality is being promoted and celebrated and treated as if it's no big deal. The average American -- not just the average Christian -- but the average American is sick of it...They're trying to get kids used to the idea that having two moms or having two dads is normal, when actually it's very abnormal and it's very harmful to children...This is the liberals' way of indoctrinating our children -- all the while they lecture us about being intolerant and respecting diversity."
- Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, as told to Baptist Press.
RESPONSE - Wow. This guy is so determined to be evil and illogical that it almost doesn't make sense to comment on him.
But I will anyway.
I've seen homosexuality get labeled as an adult topic before. The problem is people like this see homosexuality as sex rather than a class of human relationship. What could even be more dangerous is that LaBarbera might be using the "adult" argument, knowing it has nothing to do with sex, as another PR weapon in a hate war against, in this case, homosexuals. Hate mongers have been known to try to use any angle necessary to get people on their side--if not the majority, then a powerful minority.
LeBarbera is also an empath, much like Deanna Troi of Star Trek. He seems to intuitively know that Americans really hate gays and lesbians. I'm not trying to pretend I know it all, but my general philosophy is any philosophy that's based on exclusion can be very dangerous.
QUOTES - "Our kids are targeted particularly in schools and in the media to adopt a worldview consistent with a group that we would vehemently disagree with...There are big stakes with cartoon characters because they have the power to define for a child what's real or what's acceptable or what's true." - Marc Fey, director of Christian worldview and education analyst at Focus on the Family, who called the Postcards episode an "insidious attempt" to teach children what many traditional parents would find unacceptable.
RESPONSE - Hmm...traditional parents, eh? Are these the same parents who are more likely, according to studies, to abuse their children mentally and physically? There are a ton of issues I could get into regarding "traditional" (white, Christian) parents, but I don't have the web space or the time.
The only way that cartoon characters have the power to warp reality and values for a child is if the cartoon characters are the parents. Even the children of TV Babysitter Parents (they sit their child in front of the TV rather than interact with them) have an idea of what's real. Depsite their parents, and despite what they might see on TV, children still might decide for themselves what is right or wrong when they grow up. Tricky business this child rearing is, huh?
SPONGEBOB GAY? http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=11140&cid=1&cname=Media
REALLY BAD TSUNAMI SONG http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050126/ap_en_ot/ny_tsunami_radio_suspensions_2
POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050128/ap_en_tv/parents_pbs_show_2
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