Big Leather Couch

Head on over to DrillerAA's site and wish him a HAPPY ONE YEAR BLOGGIVERSARY...

Just to clarify from last week. The Green Jacket is a symbol of membership to Augusta National. All members of the club have a Green Jacket. The only member allowed to take the Green Jacket off premises is the PGA player who is current champion of the tournament. Once their reign is over, their jacket can only be worn while on the premises.

On that note, does not look like Tiger win win the Grand Slam this year. The leaders are still on the course, but Tiger is only three back and this is Augusta. Congrats to Trevor Immelman who held the 3-stroke lead and just slipped on the coveted Green Jacket.

Did you see that some Red Sox fan working construction on the new Yankee Stadium buried a David Ortiz jersey in some cement? The Yankees found out about it through an article in the NY Post and when other construction workers heard the story they gave information so the jersey could be located. It was unearthed this weekend.

The Yankees say they will offer the torn jersey to The Jimmy Fund, a Boston area fund associated with finding cures for cancer in children and adults at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, in the hopes it raises some money to help the cause.

YUM...that is the aroma of a big pot of gravy simmering on the stove. darlin' Nancy was a fantastic Sous Chef earlier today, browning the sausage and putting the tomatoes through the food mill and giving the chef some kisses...yup that is the way to make a kitchen hummm

OH GOODY...our weather-bug just told us there is a freeze warning from Monday night through Tuesday...the weather here in the mid-south is as kookie as it gets. 76 one day, 48 the next and now a freeze warning.

Do you have a weather-bug on your computer? It is a cool little feature. Just go to weatherbug.com, download the tool bar software and install. It sits quietly on your tool bar, giving you the temperature. If there is a weather warning it will "cricket" at you and flash on your screen. Just remember to turn your speakers off at night or you might just hear "cricket cricket cricket" at 3:00 am like we have!

Ummm...did this post even make sense...? ? ? ? Mediocre at best me thinks....

In 1974, Richard Betts released his first solo album. The album leaned more toward country than what he was playing in the Allman Brother's Band, where he was known as Dickey Betts. The usage of the "Richard" for this album was his subtle way of showing the difference in the musical tastes contained on the piece of vinyl you were about to put onto your turntable.

On this track, credited to Mr. Betts, the players all take their turn going round and round. It is called "Hand Picked" and features; Vassar Clements on the Fiddle, John Hughey on Steel Guitar, Chuck Leavell on piano, David Walshaw on drums, Stray Straton on Bass, Jeff Hanna on Acoustic Guitar and Richard Betts on Lead Guitar.

We just digitized this weekend and really like the sound quality we achieved. There is still the richness of the vinyl in the sound, especially on the fiddle.

ENJOY....

This is probably the best time of year in sports. March Madness has just ended and this year it ended with a bang. A fantastic final game that came down to the last shot in regulation and then went into overtime. Unfortunately, Memphis did not win, but all the same...a fantastic three weeks of basketball.

Baseball has just begun it's regular season and all 30 teams have hopes and dreams of playing into October. Little leagues and pony leagues and Cal Ripken leagues have begun across the country. Young boys and girls all out in the fresh air, playing a great game and learning sportsmanship and teamwork.

The NBA regular season is wrapping up and the playoffs begin in a week. We are not a huge fan of the NBA any longer; the game has become to much about me, me, me...but the playoffs hold an allure to see the best players in the game battling each and every evening.

The NHL playoffs began on Wednesday. We have totally lost interest in the NHL over the last few years. Still, our Rangers are playing well this year and we would not be unhappy if they could make a run at Lord Stanley.

We were looking at the four major sports and how their playoffs are set up. Both in the NHL and the NBA a full 53% of the teams get into the playoffs (16 out of 30 teams qualify). Is this necessary? Why have a regular season? Just let everyone in the playoffs and be done with it.

The NFL lets 37% of their teams into the playoffs (12 of 32 teams). A number of years ago MLB added wild-cards to their playoffs and many of the tried and true fans rebelled. In the end it has worked out pretty well and has kept many teams in the races until the last minute. But, in the end, only 26% of the teams make the playoffs (8 of 30). This is where we think the number should be.

The playoffs are for those teams that worked hard during the regular season...the teams that did their jobs the best. To allow 50%+ of the teams into the playoffs just seems, to us, to be overkill.

In Georgia, the azaleas are blooming and 42 invited men are walking the lush green fairways of Augusta National Golf Club. One of the hardest tickets in sports to obtain, these ducats are willed down to family members and cherished. This year marks the 51st appearance for Mr. Gary Player. It also marks the 30th Anniversary of his last win and he is 73 years young. Think about that...he has been playing in this tournament longer than most of our readers have been alive. remarkable!

He has won three Green Jackets over those years. Unfortunately, this track can be brutal and he shot a +11 in his first round.

Trivia fact...did you know that the Green Jackets are not allowed to leave the grounds of Augusta? YUP!

The Olympics begin in Beijing, China on August 8th, but the repercussions of the IOC selecting this location is causing world-wide upheavals. Protests have been held everywhere the Olympic Torch has appeared. Leaders or representatives of some countries are debating on whether they will boycott the opening ceremonies.

We understand the protests due to China's abysmal human rights records, but to physically attack normal citizens who are carrying the Torch, the symbol of these games, makes no sense.

Let's be honest folks, the Olympics have changed. Professionals are now allowed to take part in the games. they are covered in politics more so now than every before; discounting the 1936 games in Berlin, the US boycott in 1980 and the retaliatory boycott by the Soviet Union in 1984. There actually was a time when politics were not part of the Olympics. When amateurs competed against amateurs and the goal was to excel against the greatest from other countries.

Now, this week, the IOC executive board disqualified and stripped the medals from the athletes who won gold with Marion Jones in the 1,600-meter relay and bronze in the 400-meter relay.
Her teammates on the 1,600 squad were Jearl-Miles Clark, Monique Hennagan, LaTasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson (pictured above).

The 400-relay squad also had Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson.

We understand why Jones was asked to turn in her medals, but to chastise and stigmatize these other women is going overboard. There is no proof any of them cheated. They did their best and their team won. Some will say that they won because Jones cheated. Is the IOC now going to go back to the 60's and the 70's when the East Germans and the Soviets were using performance enhancing drugs and strip away all of those medals?

All of us who regretted the end of Brett Favre's career might have shed tears prematurely. "It would be hard to pass up, I guess," he told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. "But three months from now, say that presents itself, I may say, you know what, I'm so glad I made that decision. I'm feel very comfortable in what I'm doing and my decision."
"Yeah, I can probably be up there doing that and playing, but again, I don't know. It's only speculating. I think the world of that team. I had a lot of fun, not only this year, but over my career."

But if Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury?

"Aaron has fallen into a great situation," Favre said. "And if that opportunity presented itself and they did call, it would be tempting. And I very well could be enticed do it."

Favre did say he would be hard-pressed to accept in October and it would all depend upon if he was in shape.

C'mon folks...do you think he would NOT be in shape and would NOT say yes? Me thinks he would be on the first play to Green Bay.

Well...maybe three of you have gotten to this point without hitting the 'close window' button and moved on to another blog...

For you three...here is some Tuneage for your weekend. Have a great one...be safe...be happy.

Live at Keystone is the re-issue an an album originally released in 1973. It was the result of a jam session at the Keystone in Berkeley with guitarist Jerry Garcia, Merl Saunders on keyboard, John Kahn on bass, and Bill Vitt on drums. When it was originally released in the 70's, this was record one of a two record set. With the remastered 2004 release, it was split into two separate discs; however, an additional track, "Merl's Tune" was added so that you have 55 minutes of music on volume one.

Merl Saunders was a long-time collaborator with Garcia, with the Dead, and the leader of many different bands in the Bay Area. He's also worked as a keyboardist on the Hammond organ with a long list of musicians, including Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, B.B. King, and Bonnie Raitt.

Two to take you into the weekend "It's No Use" and the aforementioned "Merl's Tune"

ENJOY...

Born on the west side of Chicago, Darryl played running back at John Marshall High School. He was offered a scholarship to play football at Purdue University where he was converted to a wide receiver.

He played at Purdue from 1970 until 1972. He received his bachelor degree in 1992 in a commencement ceremony which was described as “stirring.”

In 2004 Stingley returned to Purdue to be inducted into the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

"The Purdue family has lost one of its treasured heroes in Darryl Stingley," athletics director Morgan J. Burke said. "His strength and courage will never be forgotten. On behalf of the entire university, our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

In 1973, Stingley was the first round draft choice of the New England Patriots of the NFL. He played for the team from 1973 until 1977.

During a 1978 pre-season game against the Oakland Raiders, Stingley was running a crossing pattern. As he went into the air to catch a pass he took a violent hit from the elbow of Jack “The Assassin” Tatum. Stingley fell to the ground immediately.

He had to be taken off the field on a stretcher and in the coming days it was learned that he had broken his fourth and fifth vertebra and was a quadriplegic.

Over the years he gained some use of his right arm which allowed him to use an electric wheelchair.

Tatum never apologized for the hit, continuing to claim it was a “clean hit.” In 1980 he wrote a book titled “They Call Me Assassin” and tried to contact Stingley. Stingley refused to speak to him.

In 1983 on the 25th Anniversary of the hit, HBO tried to get both men into the studio to discuss the play. Again, Stingley refused calling the event a “publicity stunt.”

Stingley became the Director of Player Development for the Patriots. In 1983 Stingley co-authored his memoir entitled “Happy To be Alive” with Mark Mulvoy.

In 1993 he started a non-profit organization to assist troubled youths in the Chicago area.

He was pronounced dead yesterday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after being found in his home unresponsive. The cause of death has been attributed to heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia.

Stingley is survived by his wife Martine and three sons; Hank, John and Derek, who plays defensive back for the Albany Firebirds in the Arena Football League.

THE COUCH NOTE: Jack Tatum would eventually face his own disability as his left leg was amputated below the knee in 2003 due to a staph infection caused by diabetes. Tatum also suffered from an arterial blockage that almost cost him his right leg. He currently uses a prosthetic leg to walk around or a wheelchair. Tatum currently works in increasing awareness of diabetes. To facilitate this goal, he created the Ohio-based Jack Tatum Fund for Youthful Diabetes, which finances diabetes research. Prior to Super Bowl XL, ESPN Andrea Kremer did an interview with Tatum confirming that he still has few regrets about paralyzing Stingley.




All of New England is patting themselves on the back today. The Red Sox bid $51,111,111.00 just to get negotiating rights to “Dice-K” and then signed him to a $52,000,000.00 contract.

The Red Sox $103,000,000.00 pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka stuck out 10 hitters in 7 innings and helped the Red Sox win 4-1 yesterday.

Pretty impressive outing …EXCEPT IT WAS AGAINST THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS!!!!!

The Royals went 61-100 in 2006; 56-106 in 2005 and 58-104 in 2004.