Let me start by saying I'm not a huge fan of country music. I can count on one hand the number of country artists I would pay to see and I've seen three of them, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Johnny Cash is dead and so is Waylon Jennings so I doubt that I'll see many more.
Haggard's my favorite country artist for three reasons. He's a fairly slick guitar player, his remarkable voice, and he's a fabulous song writer. I can listen to Merle sing Big City and That's the Way Love Goes again and again. But my favorite country tune is Haggard duet with Willie Nelson that was penned by Townes Van Zandt.
I can't put a finger on why I love the song Pancho and Lefty. It just strikes a chord (excuse the pun) deep within me. I've even learned to play it on guitar. I came across this version that is the best of all things, Pancho and Lefty with a little help from Bob Dylan.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Promise Fulfilled
I write in praise of Dathan Ritzenheim. The American distance runner first caught the attention of track and field fans during his impressive high school career. The 26-year-old native was a two time national high school cross country champion. He ran impressive times for two miles and 5000 meters in high school and continued on at Colorado where he was an NCAA cross country champion.He gave up college running after his junior year in Boulder and turned professional. Injuries had plagued him at Colorado and continued to bother him off and on as he progressed toward a fine career, but one that never captured the promise that he had shown in high school. Ritz as he is known, was good, but not great.
He finished a respectable ninth in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics. But after a disappointing marathon in London this year he decided it was time to move on to his third coach in five years. This time he joined Alberto Salazar in Oregon. Salazar had built Galen Rupp into a 10000 meter terror and coached Kara Goucher to a World Championship bronze medal and world class marathoner.
The new coach quickly made his mark. Ritzenheim surprised everyone in the 10000 meter World Championships two weeks ago in Berlin beating Rupp and finishing an impressive 6th place in a major personal best of 27:22.26.
The icing to the comeback cake came tonight in Zurich where Ritz trailed field and the mighty Kenenisa Bekele by as much as 50 meters in a lightning fast 5000 meter race. Ritz made an incredible charge over the last 1000 meters to run a staggering 12:56.27 to finish third and in the process take down Bob Kennedy's long standing American record.
Way to go Ritz!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Senator Edward Kennedy
I'm a little sad today. The passing of Senator Edward Kennedy also marks the passing of an era of American politics in which civility and common sense still mattered. It marks a time before the bombast of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glen Beck or the shrill protests of Keith Olbermann or Alan Colmes. Politics was the art of compromise and Kennedy represented the best of that.I actually voted for him in the 1980 Presidential primary in Arkansas. I had registered as a Democrat for the first time in my life. This was before the Republican Party had re-emerged in the post Civil War South. I couldn't vote for Jimmy Carter because he was an ineffectual fool and voted for Ted Kennedy.
In 1984 I was a field producer at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco for WDAF TV. This convention actually had some drama as Colorado Senator Gary Hart was taking former Vice President Walter Mondale to the mats for the nomination. Mondale won in a contencious fight.
We had a skybox inside the hall for the convention and I was lucky enough to be in there to watch Ted Kennedy deliver a stem winder of a speech to pull the party back together. It was like watching a rock star hold sway over an audience His ability to deliver a speech was captivating. I count my lucky stars that I actually witnessed history.
As we all know Senator Kennedy was a deeply flawed man. So were his brothers. But all were great men nevertheless. The torch is passed.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The 9/11 Fallout
Two thoughts flashed into my mind as I stood in a hotel room outside Springfield, Illinois watching the events of 9/11 unfold on the television. I had just gotten up after a restful night's sleep in the midst of a long drive from North Dakota to Tennessee when I switched on "The Today Show" that awful morning. The first thought was for the safety of my brother-in-law. At the time he was a helicopter pilot in the Army Special Forces. I knew something like this could put his life in peril. My second thought was the fallout this event would have on the civil liberties in the United States. I knew the events in New York City, Washington, D.C. and in rural Pennsylvania were a game changer.
As I raced back to North Dakota in my car I had a lot of time to reflect on the attacks and the changes that were to come into our lives. My guts said we've got to get the bastards who did this and it would require this great nation to do things that were better left unspoken. I had no problem with pushing the envelop in terms of human rights when it came to fighting terror.
But the events which followed, the unnecessary war in Iraq and the blatant power grab by Vice President Dick Cheney have left me wondering how close we were to living under a kind of tyranny that we have not witnessed since the incarceration of Japanese-Americans in World War II. I don't like the idea of prying the lid off of the activities of the CIA. I guess I ascribe to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" theory when it comes to this sort of activity. Yet the United States under the Bush Administration sought to spread its vision of democracy throughout the world through whatever means necessary. It's the greatest political oxymoron of my life.
Now Darth Vader (Cheney) keeps injecting himself into the public discussion about these activities. It's disgusting. The United States tortured people. It's wrong, it destroys our standing with people we want to sway and it alienates our allies. Cheney used the Justice Department to rig the game to cover the Bush Administration's tracks. Now he has the gall to call out the Obama Administration for "rigging" the investigation into these clearly illegal operations.
Honestly, I could give a rip about what happened at Abu Ghraib and I think the vast majority of Americans would agree. And I think most Americans could care less about the bulk of the activities conducted against Al Quaeda terrorists. But I do care when Americans on our own soil like Jose Padilla, even if they are terrorists, are systemically deprived of their rights as citizens of this country. I do care when politicians subvert our system of justice to their own means. The rule of law is what makes this nation great.
The right is working hard to equate President Obama with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. By that line of thinking I guess that leaves it to the left to put the Bush White House alongside Joseph Stalin and the Communists. Am I missing something in all of this? Can Dick Cheney just stay in his bunker? I would like to be with the President on this one and simply look forward, but God almighty we need to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past.
As I raced back to North Dakota in my car I had a lot of time to reflect on the attacks and the changes that were to come into our lives. My guts said we've got to get the bastards who did this and it would require this great nation to do things that were better left unspoken. I had no problem with pushing the envelop in terms of human rights when it came to fighting terror.
But the events which followed, the unnecessary war in Iraq and the blatant power grab by Vice President Dick Cheney have left me wondering how close we were to living under a kind of tyranny that we have not witnessed since the incarceration of Japanese-Americans in World War II. I don't like the idea of prying the lid off of the activities of the CIA. I guess I ascribe to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" theory when it comes to this sort of activity. Yet the United States under the Bush Administration sought to spread its vision of democracy throughout the world through whatever means necessary. It's the greatest political oxymoron of my life.
Now Darth Vader (Cheney) keeps injecting himself into the public discussion about these activities. It's disgusting. The United States tortured people. It's wrong, it destroys our standing with people we want to sway and it alienates our allies. Cheney used the Justice Department to rig the game to cover the Bush Administration's tracks. Now he has the gall to call out the Obama Administration for "rigging" the investigation into these clearly illegal operations.
Honestly, I could give a rip about what happened at Abu Ghraib and I think the vast majority of Americans would agree. And I think most Americans could care less about the bulk of the activities conducted against Al Quaeda terrorists. But I do care when Americans on our own soil like Jose Padilla, even if they are terrorists, are systemically deprived of their rights as citizens of this country. I do care when politicians subvert our system of justice to their own means. The rule of law is what makes this nation great.
The right is working hard to equate President Obama with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. By that line of thinking I guess that leaves it to the left to put the Bush White House alongside Joseph Stalin and the Communists. Am I missing something in all of this? Can Dick Cheney just stay in his bunker? I would like to be with the President on this one and simply look forward, but God almighty we need to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wake Up NBC
The withdrawal has started. Ten days of track and field are at an end. The World Championships in Berlin were incredible. The only reason I know this is because I watched almost all of it on the internet thanks to Universal Sports, a division of NBC.
The trio of announcers used by Universal were fabulous. There knowledge and insight put to shame the efforts on NBC Sports. The three, Steve Ovett, Stuart Storey, and Peter (didn't catch his last night) gave wonderful commentary and added jabs of humor throughout their long days of work.
Steve Ovett, a Brit now living in Australia, was one of the best milers in the world in the late 1970's and early 1980's. He won Olympic gold in the 800 meters in Moscow and I had to watch his gritty performance in Los Angeles where respiratory problems brought him to his knees.
NBC's announcers just plain suck. Tom Hammond and Lewis Johnson are clueless. Thank God there was no Carol Lewis. Ato Boldin does a very good job with the sprints as does Dwight Stones with the field events.
NBC completely missed the drama in the two big races on the last day of the meet competed on the track. The United States had three men in the 5000 meters and three women in the 1500. Lewis Johnson sounded like he had pounded down about three Red Bulls as he jabbered on nonsenically through the 5000. Meanwhile on Universal the trio of announcers noted the subtle tactics and surges that were taking place in the race.
The worst came in the 1500 meters. With about 200 meters to go the Spanish runner Rodriguez basically ran through an Ethopian runner Burka, sending her sprawling to the track. Rodriguez ended up sprinting away to victory. The NBC announce crew barely noted the collision and went to break after the race. It was clear a foul had been committed but you wouldn't know it watching NBC.
Watching the Universal feed the outrage was instantaneous. The announcers immediately noted the foul and as soon as the race finished started questioning whether Rodriguez would be disqualified. They showed multiple replays and gave definitive opinions about the incident.
NBC would later come back from a break and note that Rodriguez had indeed been disqualified and an American, Shannon Rowbury moved up to the bronze medal. But it completely lacked the drama and insight offered by the Universal Sports crew. NBC needs to swallow its pride and jetison the Tom Hammond gang and bring the crew over from Universal Sports.
The trio of announcers used by Universal were fabulous. There knowledge and insight put to shame the efforts on NBC Sports. The three, Steve Ovett, Stuart Storey, and Peter (didn't catch his last night) gave wonderful commentary and added jabs of humor throughout their long days of work.
Steve Ovett, a Brit now living in Australia, was one of the best milers in the world in the late 1970's and early 1980's. He won Olympic gold in the 800 meters in Moscow and I had to watch his gritty performance in Los Angeles where respiratory problems brought him to his knees.
NBC's announcers just plain suck. Tom Hammond and Lewis Johnson are clueless. Thank God there was no Carol Lewis. Ato Boldin does a very good job with the sprints as does Dwight Stones with the field events.
NBC completely missed the drama in the two big races on the last day of the meet competed on the track. The United States had three men in the 5000 meters and three women in the 1500. Lewis Johnson sounded like he had pounded down about three Red Bulls as he jabbered on nonsenically through the 5000. Meanwhile on Universal the trio of announcers noted the subtle tactics and surges that were taking place in the race.
The worst came in the 1500 meters. With about 200 meters to go the Spanish runner Rodriguez basically ran through an Ethopian runner Burka, sending her sprawling to the track. Rodriguez ended up sprinting away to victory. The NBC announce crew barely noted the collision and went to break after the race. It was clear a foul had been committed but you wouldn't know it watching NBC.
Watching the Universal feed the outrage was instantaneous. The announcers immediately noted the foul and as soon as the race finished started questioning whether Rodriguez would be disqualified. They showed multiple replays and gave definitive opinions about the incident.
NBC would later come back from a break and note that Rodriguez had indeed been disqualified and an American, Shannon Rowbury moved up to the bronze medal. But it completely lacked the drama and insight offered by the Universal Sports crew. NBC needs to swallow its pride and jetison the Tom Hammond gang and bring the crew over from Universal Sports.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
World Leader - Pretend
Any claim ESPN makes as the world wide leader in sports fell to pieces today during the 6 p.m. airing of Sports Center. The lead story, Plaxico Burress pleading guilty to a gun charge and agreeing to a two year prison stint. Really, this was the most important story in the world of sports.
Never mind the fact that Memphis had its entire 2008 season flushed down the toilet by the NCAA. Never mind the fact that this is the second time in John Calipari's career that this has happened. Never mind the fact that Calipari fled Memphis and is the head coach at one of the nation's legendary basketball power Kentucky.
But that story pales when you consider what Usain Bolt did today on the track in Berlin. He destroyed the world record for 200 meters by 11-tenths of a second. Consider this. In five consecutive championship finals, last year's Olympics and this year's world championships, Bolt has set or been part of setting five consecutive world records. Think about it. Five consecutive world records.
Bolt is now in the pantheon of some of the world's greatest athletes, but deemed unworthy to be the lead story by ESPN. An aging wide receiver going to prison for being just plain stupid is a bigger deal. ESPN, world leader pretend.
Never mind the fact that Memphis had its entire 2008 season flushed down the toilet by the NCAA. Never mind the fact that this is the second time in John Calipari's career that this has happened. Never mind the fact that Calipari fled Memphis and is the head coach at one of the nation's legendary basketball power Kentucky.
But that story pales when you consider what Usain Bolt did today on the track in Berlin. He destroyed the world record for 200 meters by 11-tenths of a second. Consider this. In five consecutive championship finals, last year's Olympics and this year's world championships, Bolt has set or been part of setting five consecutive world records. Think about it. Five consecutive world records.
Bolt is now in the pantheon of some of the world's greatest athletes, but deemed unworthy to be the lead story by ESPN. An aging wide receiver going to prison for being just plain stupid is a bigger deal. ESPN, world leader pretend.
19.20
I give up. Usain Bolt is insane. He demolished a very good field (it would have been great if Gay had run) at the World Championships today. I've got to believe that with a little work he could take down Michael Johnson's 400 meter record.
But forgive me because the bumper crop of medals by the Jamaican sprinter leaves me very suspicious. The women have scored three crushing victories in the 100, 100 hurdles and the 400 hurdles. Of course there's Bolt, but I really want to believe he's just a freak of nature. Two of the women gold medalists are both sporting braces on their teeth. That's a sure tip off to the use of HGH.
It's not sour grapes. The American women have run just okay so far in the sprints save for Sonya Richards in the 400 who struck a much deserved gold. Here's hop
ing that Allyson Felix can redeem the U.S. in the 200 meter final tomorrow night.
The meet has been nothing short of smashing so far. The competition has simply rocked. I even like the big goofy bear mascot that has managed to get itself involved in all manner of celebration with the winners.
Again, I highly recommend Universals streaming of the meet. It beats the television coverage by a mile. And the best is yet to come with this weekends marathons!
But forgive me because the bumper crop of medals by the Jamaican sprinter leaves me very suspicious. The women have scored three crushing victories in the 100, 100 hurdles and the 400 hurdles. Of course there's Bolt, but I really want to believe he's just a freak of nature. Two of the women gold medalists are both sporting braces on their teeth. That's a sure tip off to the use of HGH.
It's not sour grapes. The American women have run just okay so far in the sprints save for Sonya Richards in the 400 who struck a much deserved gold. Here's hop
ing that Allyson Felix can redeem the U.S. in the 200 meter final tomorrow night.The meet has been nothing short of smashing so far. The competition has simply rocked. I even like the big goofy bear mascot that has managed to get itself involved in all manner of celebration with the winners.
Again, I highly recommend Universals streaming of the meet. It beats the television coverage by a mile. And the best is yet to come with this weekends marathons!
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