calkins's Blog

Shaking and stirring while always recommending Churrascos for your greater Mother's Day dining pleasure.

Go ahead.  Spurge.  Moms are the most underrated.  She deserves it.

Time for Ten For Tuesday, the once a week (Tuesday) 10 spot (perfect or otherwise) of views and reviews that will change your life as you know it.  Not guaranteed.

ONE.  One year ago today, soon-to-be 45-year-old Roger Clemens is once again a Yankee.  For a prorated $28 million.  Pumping his first from the Steinbrenner box. 

The quote to remember:  "Make no mistake about it.  I've come back to do what they only know how to do here with the Yankees, and that's to win a championship.  Anything else is a failure."

Hmm.  Bank balance aside, stamp that less-than-triumphant Rocket return with a capital "F."  And failure has since encased Clemens' personal life in a way that applies to no other athlete, any time, any sport, short of O.J.-like antics or Michael Vick incarceration.

Sad in so many ways.  And so avoidable.

TWO.  Ten years ago today, Roger had to make room for another Long Star flame-thrower, at the expense of your Houston hardball heroes.  Wrigley Field, 6 May 1998, 20-year-old Cubbie Kerry Wood whiffed and whiplashed the Astros for 20 strikeouts in just his fifth major league start to tie Clemens' single-game record.

The next "Kid K" rings as many strikeouts in one big league afternoon as years he had spent on the planet. 

The quote to remember, from then-Cubs manager and 24-year-old baseball man Jim Riggleman:  "That game was one for the memory banks. The best I've ever seen pitched by anyone."

And since, nothing for Woods but injuries, comebacks and setbacks.  And, yet, for some inexplicable reason, Kerry still carries an awe about him inversely proportional to his career results.  All thanks to May 1998.

THREE.  The Bloggorrhea believes the major league monster marathon doesn't quite merit full frontal attention until roughly June 1.  Before then, it's more monitor than micro analysis.  So far, to steal a phrase from deposed Dennis Green, the Astros "are who we thought they were."  Except for Roy Oswalt, who owns but one Oswalt-esque start in seven,  is allowing more hits than innings pitched and more than five runs per nine innings.  Yet still has three wins and but two losses.  Otherwise, even with Lee and Pence rather pedestrian, this appears to be the break-even bunch bashing the ball all over the ball yard that The Bloggorrhea expected at the break of spring training. 

FOUR.  The Rockets, RIP.  But The Bloggorrhea is here to praise rather than bury, after they are buried after the first round of postseason for the sixth straight time since last winning a playoff series.  That would be 1997.  The obvious - in Rick Adelman's first coaching season in Houston, in Daryl Morey's first call-the-shots season anywhere, with zero impact from Francis, with Yao out the final two months, with the weakest on-paper personel in the playoff party, the Rockets match the third-best regular season in franchise history and take Utah to six games in a series NO ONE expected or predicted they would win.  Oh, and along the way, they bomb and blitz and scortch through a 22-game win streak that is simply the second-best in the history of the Association.  That's a pretty good season.

FIVE.  But neither Leslie Alexander nor any other serious member of Rocketball is remotely content.  Nor should they be.  The critical off-season evauluation centers on the durability of the tag-team partners.  Together Yao Ming and Mr. McGrady have yet to finish a full regular-seaon injury-free.  In four tries.  Four seasons together have proven what they are and what they are not as foundation pieces, and most importantly they are not physically reliable.  Next season the two will dunk roughly $36 million of the salary cap.  McGrady's contract has two years remaining for roughly $44 million.  Yao goes for three and $49 million, give or take a yen.  Given that financial commitment, the key question, how does the organization continue to effectively build around two elite but somewhat fragile talents knowing that 81+ games for each is unlikely.  That's a pretty good question.  Daryl?

SIX.  Other supreme court developments - the Mavericks are done in current form as an eilte team.  Just two years ago they were planning a world championshipparade in Dallas two wins too early.  One year ago they were a 67-win regular season juganaunt.  Now not exactly a have-not but one with declining dividends.  Rick Carilse is a rather uninspired choice in relief of Avery Johnson who needed to go despite the glossy win-loss record.  The Little General turned Napoleon fueled his final days in Dallas.  And his current interview tour is nothing more than window dressing.  He's not the primo head honcho you're lead to believe.  Meantime, the resident champs will rally to win the semifinal showdown with NOLA.  Not every series deficit is crated equally.  The Spurs have looked sluggish at the start in this set, but The Bloggorrhea sees a recovery on San Antonio home court, and then a Game Seven win down on the bayou from down 0-2. 

 

SEVEN.  LlSU finally rids the program of problem child Ryan Perrilloux.  What took so long.  Oh, signature and creative athletic talent.  At the quarterback position.  Works everytime.  But this time, even game-breaking create in the pocket potential not enough to prevent Perrilloux from breaking Les Miles' back with a long series of not-so-creative off-the-field nonsense.  Good riddance.  To no surprise whatsoever, Ryan doesn't have to wait long for a reprieve.  Jacksonville State, with former Arkansas head honcho Jack Crowe, has indicated there's an immediate opening.  And without sitting out a transfer season.  Perrilloux should fit in with Jacksonville State.  The 2007 starter was kicked off the team after the season for violating team rules.  Mack Brown more than gratefull to have had Colt McCoy winging the last two seasons in lieu of Perrilloux who pulled-out of his verbal for UT and bolted instead to the Bengals.

EIGHT.  Posted earlier, but in the event you missed, and shame if you did, the next lineup for Austin City Limits.  The Bloggorrhea all in on - Beck, Robert Plant/Alison Krause (sort of a George Bush/Greenpeace nonsensical combo that actually works quite well), Foo Fighters, Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, Nicole Adkins and the Sea, Vampire Weekend, Massacoustics on name only, American Bang, and of course, Asleep At The Wheel.

NINE.  If you aren't riveted by the Stanley Cup skate, particuarly Kid Crosby with the Penquins and the four overtimes with Dallas and San Jose to determine next for Detroit Rock City, you are missing more than you know.  Make amends.

TEN.  And You Can Quote Me:  "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."  Unsure of the origin, but always a Bloggorrhea fave.