Showing posts with label Rick Reilly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick Reilly. Show all posts

A Birthday - A Sky - and more....

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, August 21, 2009 20 Of Your Sparks


Hey Kiddies...Head on over and wish
MICKEY-T

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!


The man with the hands to build anything
celebrates tomorrow!

If you have never seen the bar and den area he
built for a customer head on over and
check it out HERE
The guy has skillzzzzzz
And we get to meet him in 14 days!







Check out "Looking At The Sky Friday" participants by clicking on the banner above and heading over to Crazy Working Mom's site.

Looked out my window at work and this was the scene yesterday afternoon...the windows are tinted to keep out the heat, so it is darker than the sky actually was...



What a day for sports yesterday...

The University Of Memphis has been forced to forfeit ALL of their record setting 38 wins from the 2007-2008 season due to the NCAA ruling that someone other than Derrick Rose took his SAT. Seems Mr. Rose crapped the bed on three attempts in his hometown of Chicago, then a week before registration, he came up with a score good enough to get into school in Detroit...

In addition, the committee also said the player's brother received free transportation on the team's charter plane and hotel lodging that season. Investigators said the total cost would have come to $1,713.85. Such an arrangement is considered an impermissible extra benefit.

Coach John (the program assassin) Calipari was not included in the sanctions, which made those who root for the University Of Kentucky - Coach Cal's new home - happy.

This is the second time Calipari has had a season vacated. In 1996, a player on the coache's University Of Massachusetts team, Marcus Camby, was found to be on the payroll of would-be agents, Calipari was not personally implicated by the NCAA in that incident either.

The University Of Memphis will also has to return all money it earned by it's NCAA Final Four appearance. The school must also return the Final 4 trophy, and all of the banners.

The school has said it would appeal the ruling, and if they lose the appeal they will sue Calipari for the $300,000.00 bonus he received from the school for making the Final Four.

Sue him anyway guys!


Former NY Giant wide received Plaxico Burress pled guilty to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a reduced charge. He agreed to a two-year prison sentence--of which he is likely to serve approximately 20 months, his attorney said--and two years of supervised release under a plea deal.

He is scheduled to be back in court Sept. 22 to be sentenced.

A Manhattan grand jury had indicted Burress on two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and one misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment in the second degree. He faced 3-1/2 to 15 years in prison if convicted of the weapon possession charges, and up to one year in jail if convicted of the reckless endangerment charge, according to prosecutors.

If you did not know, the brainiac went to a night club in Manhattan wearing a pair of sweat pants with the gun in his pocket. Seems he was fiddling down there and the gun went off, shooting himself in the leg.

I do have to say...it seems if you shoot yourself in NY you get more time than if you run down an innocent man in Miami...


And finally...a good news, bad news look at Little League as we are in the middle of the greatest sporting event around - the Little League World Series. This story is brought to us by Mr. Rick Reilly of ESPN.com...

The good news...This year, Dieter Miller of Fullerton, CA was playing in the first scrimmage of the year. Miller, a catcher, went to tag a runner out at home and, unfortunately broke his arm.

His parents, Pamela and Rolf, went to the coach and wondered if there was anything Dieter could do to stay close to his teammates. The manager, a nice guy by the name of Tony Mannara said "Absolutely!"

They made Dieter the scorekeeper for the team. Dieter sat in the dugout every game and kept the score and pitch count for the tea,.

His reward? He won The Little League Good Sport Award.

He and his family will soon take an all-expenses-paid trip to Williamsport, Pa. for next week's Little League World Series, where he'll be honored as the kid who found a way to keep helping the team even though he couldn't step on the field.

"Big D is a stand-up young man," Coach Mannara says. "He's a fan favorite, a kid you'd never hear a bad word about. He embodies the true spirit of Little League."

Dieter and Mr. & Mrs Miller...YOU MAKE US PROUD!
Dieter Miller:

We are hopeful the Millers make a call to Staten Island and the home of Jean Gonzalez. You see, five years ago, her then 12-year-old son, Martin, got a hit and the first-base coach waved him on to second. The problem was, Martin did not generally get many doubles. In fact, he'd never slid in a game before. So when he got to second, he slid clumsily, wrenching his knee, ripping his ACL and tearing his meniscus.

Tough break for the kid...everyone felt horrible.

His mom? Nope, she saw dollar signs...She sued the manager. She sued the first-base coach. She sued the local Little League. She sued Little League Baseball, Incorporated.

She said the manager -- Leigh Bernstein (a volunteer, just like all that participate in Little League at the local level) -- hadn't taught Martin the proper way to slide. (The coach said he had.) She said the local Little League had the wrong kind of bases -- Soft Touch detachable bases. (But the bases were on Little League's approved list of bases. They detach when you hit them with too much force.) She said it was everybody's fault but Martin's.

And just over two weeks ago, she settled for $125,000.

When Mr. Reilly tried to call the mom, she never called back. He then called her attorney, Alan Glassman, of Brooklyn (this guy is totally working on joining A.G. Rava in the ASSHAT OF THE YEAR club. He kept putting Mr. Reilly on hold and then told him, "Parents keep calling wanting me to represent their kid," he said. Who are these injit parents anyway????

Thank you Miller family, for understanding that no matter what a coach does...no matter how much a child is taught there is always a possibility of an injury.

To Ms. Gonzalez, I surely hope that you go out to dinner on your winnings and choke on your food and the only people close enough to you are the coaches you sued.

That may seem harsh to some, but after putting in almost 12 years volunteering in Little League and Babe Ruth, I can tell you that this could do tremendous harm to those the leagues around the country.

Why volunteer your time if you feel like you might lose everything you own because little Bobby or Janie slip on the field and injure themselves and their parents follow the route of Ms. Gonzalez.

Ms. Gonzalez, you make us sick.....

I am outta here for the weekend....

Y'ALL ENJOY YOURSELVES NOW.....

The Ugly and the Good...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, April 10, 2009 22 Of Your Sparks

OH, the iTunes Shuffle yesterday? ZIGGY Marley, Grateful Dead, David Gilmour and Paula Cole....just sayin'


The main subject of this post was going to be the story below. Then I heard about the tragic death of a young man who played for the Anaheim Angels of Los Angels.

The story of Nick Adenhart appears to be another death that could have been avoided if people would just not get into their cars after drinking, and, if all of the early reports are accurate, the need for our justice system to get some b**ls when it comes to those who endanger others with their selfish, moronic actions...

From the espn.com site:
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others were killed by a suspected drunk driver Thursday, a shocking end to the life of a rookie who had overcome major elbow surgery to realize his big league dreams.

The accident in neighboring Fullerton occurred hours after the 22-year-old pitcher made his season debut with his father in the stands, throwing six scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics. The Angels ultimately lost the game, 6-4.(READ THE REST HERE)

According to other news sources, (the person)* responsible "will be booked on “felony hit and run, felony DUI, vehicular manslaughter and possibly murder,” according to authorities.

(the person)* was reportedly drinking and driving with a suspended license due to a prior DUI, when he fled the scene. He was quickly arrested after the tragic incident.

Our sympathies go out to Nick's family, friends, teammates and fans...


The next story is one you need to bookmark. Why you ask? I heard you whisper over there SONGBIRD of "Desert Ice" fame...Well, since she asked, I will tell y'all...

Because more professional teams need to follow the lead of Songbird's 'home' team (see how I wrapped that all up in a nice little ribbon!), the ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS who understand that times are tough for most of their fans, but for others, it is the darkest of dark days. Even in those dark days, they remain loyal to their team...well, this is from Mr. Rick Reilly on espn.com

Here's a scoop for you. The Diamondbacks are flagrantly violating MLB rules. They're a pro team, and yet they're giving out full-ride scholarships. Been doing it for two years now!

Not to their players. To their fans.

It's an idea D-backs CEO Derrick Hall came up with at one game when a season ticket-holder who'd lost everything, even her car, introduced herself. She told him a fan in her section had bought her two season tickets for the rest of the year, even picked her up every game and took her home. And Hall thought, Why don't we do this for our fans? So he asked fans to send in "applications" for scholarships. Soon, his e-mail in-box was swamped.
(READ THE REST HERE)

A perfect example of PAYING IT FORWARD...


Have a most wonderful weekend and remember, if you see the opportunity...

PAY IT FORWARD...and make the world a better place!

*MY EDIT - WHY GIVE THE PERSON ANY PUBLICITY


From last night…

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, June 22, 2007 23 Of Your Sparks


TRY A LITTLE....
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After stopping at Kroger to pick up some grape juice, we have grabbed our mail and inside…upstairs…hummm...should clean some…

HEY DON’T LOOK LIKE THAT AND SNICKER…
THIS IS WHEN WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT ANYWAY…
NO ONE IS SNICKERING...NOW BE GOOD TODAY
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turn on TV and look at scroll for Yankee score…afternoon game...

We really, really, really, really hate Colorado…

Into the bathroom to clean…
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OK… vacuumed the upstairs and downstairs...
taking a break…turn on the college world series

looking around the living room…WHAT THE HELL...
thought we dusted ummmm...now when was that?

when was it…let’s see…mom and dad were here two weekends ago….
we cleaned the week before they came…
OH yeah…guess that is why there is dust!

WHAT A FREAKIN’ GENIUS
I SAID HUSH NOW!
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Did anyone see the play the first baseman of Carolina made on the first pitch of the game?!
Dustin Ackley ran under a foul fly ball and made an back to the play catch over his shoulder.

Then Josh Horton, the shortstop dives and throws the next batter out…
nice start to the game...
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Need a beer…brb
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HEY BEE…there is pie in the refrigerator…It is Chocolate Meringue…help yourself…
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OK, be back…going to dust…
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What do we feel like for dinner…?
HEY KNUCKLEHEAD...YA DEFROSTED PORK CHOPS THIS MORNING...
Oh yeah...we forgot about the pork chops...

So, we should go make dinner…will ya miss us?…enjoy the music while we are away

BTW…10 minutes later and we are still sitting here watching the college baseball…lol…
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OK…pork chops in the oven with some onions and Italian Salad dressing…
water is on for a side of Linguini Aglio e olio (garlic, oil and parsley).
This is how we make ours...nothing special...pretty basic
side dish or pasta course or main course...

  • 1 lb. linguine pasta
  • 2/3 cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (how much garlic do YOU like?)
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • anchovy filets (optional)
  • ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • salt
  • Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender; reserve ½ cup (125ml) of the cooking water. Drain pasta, return to pan. By returning it to the hot pan, you dry out the pasta and your gravy or other sauce will stick better to your pasta.
  • Meanwhile, combine oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a medium frying pan; heat gently, stirring, until garlic is soft and fragrant.
  • If using them, put the anchovy filets in for the last minute or so.
  • Toss pasta with oil mixture, parsley and salt to taste.
  • Depending upon your taste mix in some or all of the reserved cooking liquid…
  • Add some grated parmesan cheese, a piece of warm Italian bread and you are set…

Since it is only me, the leftovers go into FoodSaver bag,
succcccccccck the air out…into freezer…

Loves me my FoodSaver…really like the new one with the settings for liquids
(they are tricky with the old one) and for soft foods…that would be cool!
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Garlic is filling the room as it slowlllllly cooks…
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Ummm hate boil overs? Add a teaspoon of olive oil before you put
your pasta into the boiling water…it will coat the inside of your pot
preventing the foam from forming and boiling over the side…
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Hey, we didn’t get around to only a couple of your homes yesterday…
we will be catching up next week…
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Do you like "The Office"?
We have a problem with it...
we can watch like half an episode
then our attention drifts and
we lose touch with it...
Can't even get halfway through "Scrubs"...


SO KIDDIES...
do you like
The Office???
Scrubs???
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Almost forgot! We wanted to share this story with you...oooo...oooo two stories really, well no, they are one story but two parts to the one story...

So anyway...Rick Reilly, he of "Sports Illustrated", writes a column that appears on the last page of the magazine...anyway, he was on the radio while we were at lunch today and they discussed that all profits from his new book are going to the charity he helped get going "NETS FOR MALARIA"...you know you can find it on our left sidebar...They have raised over $6,000,000.00 for nets so far..that is like a kabillion nets
WHAT THE HELL IS A KABILLION
I WAS GOING FOR COMIC RELIEF
IT DIDN'T WORK
WILL YOU PLEASE HUSH!

Sorry for the interruption... anyway really that is 600,000 nets as every penny goes to the purchase and distribution of the nets to children in Africa to help wipe out Malaria...Clck the link on the sidebar to find out more...

Ok the second part of this is, as we are sitting there, we are reading Sports illustrated and got to the last page (we always read front to back)...
WEIRDO
WILL YOU PLEASE!


Where were we??? Anyway, this is the issue with Omar Manaya, the G.M. of the NY Mets baseball team and some of his players...The story Mr. Reilly shared with us is of Ahman Green (on the left),
and Jason Simmons, (on the right) two football players...

no no no, wait...this story does not involved guns or strippers or limos...keep reading


Back to the story... Mr. Green signed as a free agent for the Houston Texans football team. Now Mr. Simmons wore Mr. Green's lucky number 30.

Athletes have their lucky numbers (Matt has always worn number 8, except for a few All-Star teams) and when they join a new team they will sometimes offer to "buy" it from the player wearing it. Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins paid $38,000 for his number 26.

Roger Clemens
gave a gold Rolex to Carlos Delgado when he joined the Blue Jays and wanted 21. Eli Manning gave kicker Jeff Feagles a family vacation for number 10 when he joined the NY Giants.

There are plenty of other examples... so back to Mr. Green and Mr. Simmons...

When asked by Mr. Green what he wanted for the number, Mr. Simmons says "How about making a down payment on a house for a single-parent family?"
Green is quoted in the article as saying, "I was like, 'Oh Man! That's awesome! Sign me up!' "

Then Mr. Green decides he will also pay the mortgage for the first year!

Pretty cool huh? Instead of another Rolex or even a car or vacation, a single mother with three kids, (the preference of Mr. Green and Mr. Simmons) will have the opportunity to upgrade her family's life. Applications are pouring in from mother's and from others who know someone in need in the Houston area.

Simmons is from L.A. an only child of a school teacher mother and a father on disability and is quoted as saying "Asking for a watch or a car, that was going to make me feel uncomfortable...Money can ruin you."

Green's family did not live in their first house until he was a teen, so he knew about the joy of finally getting your own yard.

SO guess what happens next?

YUP!


The owner of the Texans, Robert McNair pledges to match whatever Mr. Green contributes...

A local developer offers to take 20% off one of his houses...

A grocery store offered food for a year....

theres more kiddies...

A furniture company promised to contribute...

Then a mattress store...an electronics store...and even the electric company said they would pay for a year of service!

What a cool idea...what cool guys....just spreading a "little tenderness" we guess...

Maybe the rest of the athletes out there are listening...
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Not sure there will be a post Monday,
but we will have stories...
ummmmmm maybe...
on Tuesday...

HAVE A TERRIFIC WEEKEND...
BE SAFE...


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CREDITS:

"TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS"
Three Dog Night
Composers: Jimmy Campbell/Reginald Connelly/Harry Woods

"Three Dog Night" - 1969
Danny Hutton - Vocals
Chuck Negron - Vocals
Cory Wells - Vocals
Michael Allsup - Guitar
Floyd Sneed - Drums
Joe Schermie - Bass
Jimmy Greenspoon - Keyboards

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Music On The Couch