When Technology Spoils Things like Football

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Doriano

I’ve always thought it was idiotic that college football didn’t have a playoff system to help decide their champion. Instead, they rely on polls and computer systems to crown their champs! As much as I love computers and technology, I think this is stupid. Let the players determine who the best team is on the field! Leave judging in events (not sports) that deserve it such as figure skating and gymnastics, not football!

This comic strip is part of an on-going series called I.T. Happens. Here’s the entire series.

The Best Season Ever (1978)

Posted on September 23, 2008 by Doriano

I could not believe that I was routing for the Boston RedSox to win tonight even though I’m a lifelong Yankee fan. Why would a true pinstriper fan ever do such an unimaginable thing? Well, trust me, I had my reasons and I’ll explain it in a minute. What made this extra painful was the fact that a win by Boston would eliminate my beloved Yankees and end their 13 year streak of making the postseason, one year short of the Atlanta Braves mark of 14 years in a row (1991 to 2006).

OK, what could possibly make me do such a dastardly thing? Well, it involves the amazing 1978 season when the Yankees made the greatest comeback in baseball history by over-coming a 14 1/2 game deficit to the same Boston RedSox in late July no less. The comeback involved the infamous Boston Massacre in which the Yanks swept a four game series at Fenway to wipe out the four game lead the RedSox owned at the time.

On a personal note, my little brother and I actually saw Ron Guidry pitch against the RedSox on September 15, 1978 for our first Yankee game ever. Guidry pitched a two-hit shutout as the Yanks won. He had nine shutouts that year.

The most important part of that incredible season was the ace of the staff, Ron Guidry. He was known as Louisiana Lightning and the Ragin’ Cajun. His best game came when he struck out 18 Angels batters. He eventually won the Cy Young Award and almost the MVP. He kept the team in the thick of things by winning even when they were struggling.

Ron Guidry’s .893 winning percentage for his 25-3 season in 1978 is the current record for the best winning percentage by a 20 game winner. It has remained the standard for 30 years now. Many pitchers have come close to breaking his record but no one has been able to do it yet.

Well, tonight, Cliff Lee’s attempt to break the record was thwarted by the Boston RedSox, ironically enough! Here were are thirty years later and Boston helps a Yankee legend keep his record for at least another season. It was such a nail-biter too. Boston lead 2-0, then fell behind 4-2 and then jump ahead 5-4 and the Indians loaded the bases in the 8th inning. All they needed was a hit and Cliff Lee would be off the hook and on pace to break the record. All he would have to do is not lose his last start next week and he would be king. However, Boston summoned their ace closer Papillon because they knew the win would clinch a playoff spot for them and eliminate their rival Yankees.
Papillon got out of the jam and closed the deal in the 9th and saved the record for Ron Guidry. I was never so happy to see the RedSox win and will never pull for them again! I promise!

Note:
Roger Clemens was in line to break the record in 2001 when he was 20-1 and a .952 winning percentage, but he lost his last two games to finish at 20-3 .869! Close, but no cigar. Ironically enough, he started his career with the Boston RedSox but was pitching for the Yankees in 2001. He ultimately won a couple of World Series with NY in 1999 & 2000.

Ron Guidry’s stats for that magical 1978 season:

TEAM	W-L	PCT	ERA	G	CG	SHO	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO
Yankees	25-3	.893	1.74	35	16	9	273.2	187	53	13	72	248

Here is a list of the Best Seasons for 20 game winners along with the Louisiana Lightning’s miracle season at the very top of the heap.

Rank	Pitcher	WINNING PERCENTAGE	W-L	Year
1	Ron Guidry	.893	25-3	1978
2	Lefty Grove	.886	31-4	1931
T-3	Preacher Roe	.880	22-3	1951
T-3	Cliff Lee	.880	22-3	*2008
4	Fred Goldsmith	.875	21-3	1880
5	Joe Wood	.872	34-5	1912
T-6	David Cone	.870	20-3	1988
T-6	Roger Clemens	.870	20-3	2001
T-7	Whitey Ford	.862	25-4	1961
T-7	Wild Bill Donovan	.862	25-4	1907
T-8	Roger Clemens	.857	24-4	1986
T-8	Dwight Gooden	.857	24-4	1985

Dreamer

Posted on August 24, 2008 by Doriano

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are officially over now and what a spectacle it was. I think all Olympic games have their own special unique voice so no one can ever declare one better than any others, especially the ridiculous statement that some IOC presidents used to make about a particular event being the best one ever. China did a wonderful job as host and even performed amazingly by winning the most gold medals (51 to the USA’s 36). The USA did win the most total medals with 110 to China’s 100.

Still, what will be remembered most will be stories like Michael Phelps and his eight gold medals and Bolt’s three gold medals and world records. All of the other stories too that touched the heart like the weight lifter from Germany who won it all for his late wife. Another incredible story was the Aussie diver Matthew Mitcham whose final perfect dive stole the gold from China who would’ve won all eight diving events. Also memorable were all of the dreams that were shattered such as for the US women’s softball team and their relay teams that dropped the baton. So many highs and so many lows. It was a gut-wrenching, heart-warming and soul-enriching 16 days of glorious humanity on the world’s largest stage.

Here’s the official song for the Olympics by Chris Brown called “DREAMER”. What a beautiful song with a fantastic message and powerful images. This is the version that NBC showed with amazing images from the Beijing games which worked perfectly with the song. This song and its message is edifying and inspirational. It makes me want to attack my dreams with an entirely new spirit and a whole new attitude. Sure, most of us will never get a chance to perform at an Olympics but we each have a race to run and medal to win in this thing called life. Also important to remember is that we need to enjoy the journey and not focus solely on the destination!

This is for you, my fellow dreamer.

Lyrics

Dreamer
by Chris Brown

What Do i Do.. Stop Go Fail Succed? Live or Die? I Just Got To Believe
Believe its worth saving
And to get lost, lost in a day dream
So why hesitate
Take me to another place
So far far away
So i can get out of the dark
High speed, like I’m racing
It’s like lighting, sky is blazing
But you’ve lost your way, You’ve been lead astray
Are there better days for my fallen dreamer
Calling a Dreamer(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 2x) Calling a Dreamer
(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 2x)
(You don’t sleep no more) You don’t even sleep no more
(Dream no more) You don’t even dream no more
Dreamer (Dreamer)
Why don’t you just dream again
Believe In You
You Got Something To Prove
You’re A Star
Watch You Shine Bright On Your Way To The Limelight
Finish Line
The Sweat And Tears
You Can Channel All Of Your Fears
Open Your Eyes
Your Eyes And It Will Be Alright
Calling a Dreamer(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 2x) Calling a Dreamer
(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 2x)
(You don’t sleep no more) You don’t even sleep no more
(Dream no more) You don’t even dream no more
Dreamer (Dreamer)
Why don’t you just dream again
(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 8x)
Calling a Dreamer(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 2x) Calling a Dreamer
(A Dreamer A A A Dreamer 2x)
(You don’t sleep no more) You don’t even sleep no more
(Dream no more) You don’t even dream no more
Dreamer (Dreamer)
Why don’t you just dream again

Cold War Medal Count

Posted on August 21, 2008 by Doriano

Image via Wikipedia

While looking at the latest medal count for the 2008 Olympics I wondered what the totals would look like if Russia were re-united with all of its little brethren. Would the USA still be winning the total medal count? The answer is a resounding Nyet!

Thanks to my good friend Adam Daniel Mezei who helped with these numbers. I consider him an expert on this subject matter. He reports daily from Prague on Utterz.

Here’s the official medal count.

Here’s the new Gold table

USSR 44 — USA 29
Former Soviet satellites or Soviet republic golds:
(44 golds)
RUS — 16
UKR — 5
ROU — 4
POL — 3
CZE — 3
SVK — 3
GEO — 3
BLR — 2
KAZ — 1
AZE — 1
UZB — 1
BUL — 1
EST — 1
HUN –
LTU –
KGZ –
TJK –
ARM –
LAT –

Technically, these nations were allied for the most part with the former USSR during the Cold War:
(52 golds + USSR 44 = 96 Communist Gold medals!)
CHN — 46
CUB — 2
PRK — 2
MGL — 1
VIE –
The former Yugoslavia, in fact was decidedly not in the Soviet camp, unlike the rest of Eastern and Central Europe:
(1 gold)
SLO — 1
CRO –
SRB –

The Miracle on the Mat

Posted on August 20, 2008 by Doriano

Rulon Gardner always comes to mind whenever the summer games roll around. He pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history, not just Olympic history. He was the American wrestler that shocked the world when he defeated the Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin who was undefeated in 13 years of international competition. The Russian General was going for an unprecedented 4th straight Olympic gold medal when the farm boy beat him 1-0 and made history.

It became known as the miracle of the mat and the announcers compared it to the shocking miracle on ice from the 1980 Olympic games when the US hockey team also shocked the world by upsetting the powerful Russian team. So many similarities, exactly 20 years apart. I’ll never forget this story. Nor will anyone else ever. Here’s video footage of the match.

Michael Johnson

Posted on August 18, 2008 by Doriano

The amazing accomplishment achieved by Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympic games reminds me of another incredible Olympian named Michael who was the story of the 1996 summer games in Atlanta. I’m talking about Michael Johnson and his golden shoes. While he didn’t win 8 gold medals he did have the same pressure that Phelps had as he was attempting to be the first man to ever win both the 200m and 400m races in the same Olympics.

I guess I have extra special fondness about Michael Johnson and what he achieved in the Atlanta games because I was fortunate enough to attend his 200m race. I watched in awe as he shattered the world record in 19.32! My seat was right near the finish line so I had a fantastic view of the event and even videotaped it. Here’s what happened that night. I will never forget it, nor will anyone else that witnessed it.

The Great Eight of 2008

Posted on August 17, 2008 by Doriano

I watched Michael Phelps win his 8th gold medal of the 2008 Olympics tonight, thus breaking the record of seven Gold medals in a single Olympics set by Mark Spitz in 1972! It was another close race but Phelps put the USA in the lead on the third leg of the race and Lezac brought it home again.

It’s been an exhausting week as a fan pulling for Phelps so I can only imagine how he must feel at this point. He raced 17 times and still managed to go eight for eight in golds! He now has 14 gold medals in two olympics plus a silver and bronze for a total of 16 medals. He’s won 13 in a row, by the way.

Here were the eight events he won:

400 m individual medley -World Record
4 x 100 m freestyle relay – World Record
200 m freestyle – World Record
200 m butterfly – World Record
4 x 200 m freestyle relay – World Record
200 m individual medley – World Record
100 m butterfly
4 x 100 m medley relay – World Record

It took 36 years for someone to break the record and I don’t believe anyone will ever break this one. The level of competition is extremely too difficult these days and the schedule is incredibly grueling should anyone be crazy enough to even attempt it again. I feel fortunate that I was able to witness this in my lifetime.

This Bio on the Olympic website sums it up best

Here’s the incredible ending for the race Phelps won by just 1/100th of a second!
Make avatar

Historic Comeback

Posted on August 12, 2008 by Doriano

I still can’t believe the amazing comeback the US men’s swim team pulled off against the heavily favored and loud-mouthed French team in the men’s 4 x 100 Freestyle! The last swimmer was the oldest in the pool (32) and swimming against the world recorder holder and trailing most of the race until he pulled off the miracle comeback! It gave Phelps his second gold medal and kept his dream of 8 gold medals alive!

Amazing Finish in the Mens 4x100m Relay As the US Wins Gold – video powered by Metacafe

Here’s the original broadcast with the American NBC announcers.
I LOVE how excited they got at the end!

Fields of Gold

Posted on March 3, 2008 by Doriano

Eva Cassidy is probably the best singer you’ve never heard of before. She tragically died in 1996 at the age of 33 before ever really achieving major success, so her name is not a common household name. However, those who have heard her voice will never forget her. I have to admit that I did not know that she had passed away until tonight! I’ve been a fan of her music for years and yet somehow never knew that she was no longer with us.

I first fell in love with her music in 2002 during the winter olympics in salt Lake City when Michelle Kwan skated to Eva Cassidy’s version of Sting’s “Fields of Gold”. I remember how beautiful her voice was and how haunting the arrangement was. The entire performance was amazing because Kwan had just lost another shot at the gold medal and obviously still emotional over it but she honored her obligation to skate in the special ceremony. It was so moving to watch what unfolded. Here was one of the best champions the sport has ever known skating with a broken heart to a song called “Fields of Gold” while wearing a gold dress. It was obviously supposed to be a celebratory performance of attaining her lifelong dream of a gold medal but it was not to be. If you watch closely at the end of the performance you will see how emotional she was by the experience as tears are streaming down her face as she waved goodbye to the crowd. It was as if she knew that she might never actually make her dream of gold come true which has actually been the case as she’s never won the Olympic gold.

To me, knowing the facts about Eva Cassidy’s passing at such a young age has made her music and most of all that song and Kwan’s performance all the more special and memorable to me. I just watched it again and I am not ashamed to admit that it moved me to my heart’s core. I felt the bittersweetness for Kwan but now so much more for the late Eva Cassidy. What a sweet angelic voice that was silenced far too soon. I just wish she knew how much people love her and her music today all over the world. Go to Wikipedia to read how popular she has become after she died.

Note: Eva’s arrangement of John Lennon’s Imagine was used recently by American Idol contestant David Archiletto. Her “Over the Rainbow” arrangement was used two seasons ago by runner-up Katherine McPhee.

Here is the hauntingly memorable performance by Michelle Kwan with Eva Cassidy’s “Fields of Gold”

Sting, the songwriter and original singer of Fields of Gold, said the following about Eva’s cover of the song:
“A lot of people have covered my songs. And it’s a strange emotion, you know, because your own songs are like your own babies. I mean you might hear someone reinterpreting them and maybe you don’t agree with what they’ve done. But this version was just so pure, so excellent, that I was deeply moved by it, and so happy that she covered it. Eva’s is one of the best versions of my song I’ve ever heard…There is something about her voice – a quality – that you can’t really put into words. It’s a magical quality. People respond to its purity. It suggests something ethereal– something unattainable.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wazOhkRuySI]

Here are the lyrics
Sung by Eva CassidyLyrics by Sting
You’ll remember me, when the west wind moves
Among the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in it’s jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
So she took her love for to gaze a while
Among the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
And you can tell the sun in it’s jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
There’ve been some that I’ve broken
But I swear in the days still left
We will walk in fields of gold
We’ll walk in fields of gold
Many years have past, since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
As you lie in fields of gold
You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
Among the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in it’s jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold

Here’s her version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow”

Here’s her amazing “What a Wonderful World” also live

Derek Redmond: Olympic Champion of the Heart

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Doriano

I will never forget Derek Redmond and what he did in the 1992 Olympics. No, he did not win the Gold medal, nor any medal for that matter. He shouldn’t even have finished the race because of a blown hamstring, but his heart and determination prevented him from giving up and thus a legend was born. He limped across the finish line with his father by his side. It’s still an emotional experience whenever I watch the footage of that race. How can you not be moved by those images? It’s been over 15 years and I still think of his courage and heart from time to time. He might not have the hardware like so many other champions, but he’s won a spot in the history of sports and humanity. He will never be forgotten. What a true inspiration!

Here is an excellent ESPN article on the story:

Video Recap of the Race

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zi0_LjHHN4]

Here’s a two part reflection by Derek…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpcxrhZd3Vk]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMjWVEO9Jtc&feature=related]

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