NFL Draft. Sanctions. Depth. A Very Long Term Loan.

Live TV and the NFL Draft.  North Korea.  Bend it Like Kratz.  We Can All Buy a Bugatti.  

I remain a big fan of the NFL, even with the kneeling down protests (though I still feel that Saturday is for football).  It still amazes me that two networks dedicated Thursday night to a live broadcast the ‘drama’ of the 1st round of the NFL draft.  While I was slightly interested in who the Cleveland Browns would pick at #1,  and who the Atlanta Falcons selected, it is remarkable that ESPN and Fox can justify the block of prime time advertising dollars dedicated to this draft.  While in some minds the NFL is no longer one of our passions, it is obvious the broadcast and cable networks feel differently.  There are some marketeers and former TV execs who read this blog so please enlighten us with Thursday night’s ratings and the continued power of the NFL.

The timing of Korean peninsula “peace talks” obviously correlates to the North Korean economy and its people.  After many years of economic sanctions imposed by the United States, Japan, Germany, and to a lesser degree China, is Kim Jong Un finally succumbing to the people of his country?  Time will tell.

Remember that Atlanta United went through hell in their inaugural season due to the delays of the opening Mercedes Benz stadium.  The delays led to Atlanta United playing on the road and a ridiculous, compressed schedule in late August and September.  Dovetail that with injuries and a lack of depth and United simply ran out of steam late in the season and in the 1st round of playoffs.  This year is different as their schedule is normalized with their home and away schedule, and more importantly United has added depth to their player pool.  Yesterday was a perfect example.  After Montreal scored to take a 1-0 lead, the Impact decided to ‘bunker down’ and get all their players behind the ball.  Tata Martino, United’s manager, countered with a substitution at halftime, taking off a midfielder and adding on an attacker.  Another substitute, midfielder Kevin Kratz, was also added into the mix to add to the attack.  #KevinKratz would start on most Major League Soccer teams and if you don’t know how he impacted yesterday’s 4-1 win, watch the game highlights.  Magical.

Automobiles are usually a depreciating asset at best unless you purchase a classic car that increases in value over time.  Yesterday I read an advertisement touting a 10-year auto loan which at a minimum allows some people to get in way over their heads by purchasing expensive cars.  This craziness is not the same as the home-loan debacle of yesteryear but it sure smells like we could be heading that way.  120-month auto loan – meh.

Carmel-by-the-Sea:  In one word – stunning.

Adios and Have a Funday Sunday!

 

 

Spring Season.

Short Takes for a Sunday Morning.

With all the talk and action by women for women, all women should look to Tammie Jo Shults as inspiration and motivation.  She served eights years as a Navy pilot in their Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron.  Now, as a commercial airline pilot, she follows in the footsteps of Captain Sullenberger (Sully) as she calmly and professionally landed a Southwest airliner with 144 passengers aboard –  after one of two engines blew apart at 30,000 feet.  Tammie Jo Shults = hero.

I won’t go politics here but it would it not be fun to be in the same room as Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump when they meet to discuss Trump’s demand that North Korea denuclearize?

A truck takes down a power line and the entire nation of Puerto Rico goes dark for 36 hours.  Hello, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and the year is 2018.

If you go to a Starbucks and you act badly you should be asked to leave.  If you go to a Starbucks and behave appropriately, and then you are asked to leave due to race, creed, or religion, you should find the best attorney available, who will take the case on contingency, and sue Starbucks and their CEO for every dime available.  This behavior in America must stop.

Last night, Atlanta United comes away with a 2-0 win against the Galaxy in Los Angeles.  Very well done, especially on the road.  Saturday’s match at home versus Montreal will surely sellout.

If you stuff 95 kilos of cocaine into your suitcases and bring it aboard a cruise ship, you are just stupid.  If you then brag about what you are doing on Instagram, you are just really stupid.

Cuba without a Castro at the helm.  Very strange.

To the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transport Authority (MARTA):  how about way-finding signage in your stations that clearly explain when trains run and where, especially late at night and on weekends?  Seriously, the lack of information, signage and non-functional LED signs is embarrassing for the City.  Do something about it MARTA.

A tough season for the Atlanta Hawks….but they have put themselves in a very good situation for next year with the draft.  Maybe add in a couple of free agent moves and the Hawks should be way better next season.

Adios and Have a Funday Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, April 8th – Top of Mind

Short Takes That You Will Not Necessarily Agree With…..

Syria is still a disaster in many ways – get it fixed or get the hell out. No grey area.

Celebrating MLK’s anniversary of his assassination (50 years ago) – let’s move a lot of that energy spent on the celebrating to generating greater paths to civil rights.

To Leandro Gonzalez Pirez – I was a bit harsh on you in last week’s post after your debacle in Minnesota.  Live and learn Leandro….and time to get yourself ready to get to the next level.

Alec Baldwin – nothing to do with your Saturday Night Live skits…but seeing you on the show last night reminded me of what a low life you really are.  Anyone want to question my POV?  Just ask me and I will give you some insight – and a discussion I had with him right after he publicly shamed his young daughter.

Bob Bradley – you were never known as a tactician and you proved it again last night.

The dichotomy of sports:  today’s final round duel at the Master’s between America’s Patrick Reed and Ireland’s superstar Rory McIlroy…….and then seeing Johnny Manziel at yet another NFL tryout.  Go away Johnny.

Snow in Chicago early this week and 100-degree temperatures in Palm Springs.  Damn, this is a big country.

The company name is Orion Span and they have developed concepts for the first space ‘hotel’.  I am very interested but I am not going first.  The #Jetson’s are becoming more and more a reality every day.

It was not a small fishing vessel or a 120′ yacht.  Went went missing, back on November 15, was the ARA San Juan, a German-built TR-1700 class submarine.  A six-month search off the coast of Argentina has turned up nothing. This submarine gone missing brings back memories of the Malaysian airliner, carrying 239 people, that vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing over four years ago.  I don’t get it.

Sports bars packed last last night to watch — UFC.  Who would have thought?

Doctors, health consultants, trainers, physio’s, nutritionists and just about everyone telling us to cut sugars out of our diet.  In one word:  Not.

Adios and have a Funday Sunday!!!!

 

 

 

 

Wrong Ted. Zlatan. Grow Up LGP.

Silver Bullet Bullshit.  20 Minutes to Remember.  Tactical Awareness.  

He has produced 34 albums and sold over 30 million records.  He has rocked audiences worldwide over 6,000 times and before leading his Silver Bullet Band he cut his teeth with the Amboy Dukes.  I won’t position him a hypocrite as Ted Nugent (think “Cat Scratch Fever”) has always been an activist on issues including the 2nd Amendment and is a NRA Board member.  So while the Right to Free Speech is a cornerstone of country why would Nugent dip so low to use the media, the same media that he calls out for ‘false news’, to attack the young kids who participated in last weekend’s “March For Our Lives”?  As previously mentioned I won’t comment on the politics of gun control but I will comment on a washed up rock star using the media to blatantly disrespect the high school kids who took the time and effort to make their feelings known to the world.  Here is what Nugent told the media:  “To attack the good law-abiding families of America when well known predictable murderers commit these horrors is deep in the category of soulless. These poor children, I’m afraid to say this and it hurts me to say this, but the evidence is irrefutable, they have no soul… These children can’t be critical of any of the propaganda that they’re fed and that’s just sad….they are mushy-brained children.” Really Ted, are you now beating your chest for telling children, who experienced terror that we can never imagine,  that they ‘have no soul’?   You should be ashamed.

He is 36 years-old and many call him way over-the-hill.  Journalists deemed his transfer to the L.A. Galaxy of Major League Soccer as a way to continue his career in a league sub par to the big leagues of Europe.  Maybe some of that is true as the man’s ego is a perfect fit with Tinsel Town.  Then you watch Zlatan Ibrahimovic come into yesterday’s match between the two L.A. teams and remarkably turn a game on a dime.  After Thursday night’s ten-hour flight to L.A. and a mere 48 hours after arriving, the L.A. Galaxy manager, losing 3-0 in the 70th minute, decided to put Ibrahimovic into the game.  Go to YouTube, watch what happens, and only hope the man called “Zlatan” has something better to do when the Galaxy host Atlanta United on April 21st.

Let’s be very clear:  I am a big supporter of Atlanta United defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (LGP).  I have told many that with some refinement he could be an excellent defender, maybe with a future with a club in Europe.  Last year, in Atlanta United’s inaugural year, LGP, while a big part of Atlanta United’s success, behaved at times like a rookie with unnecessary fouling, playing bad balls out of the defending third, and getting cautioned for silly reasons.  You would expect that after a year with the Club, his maturity would increase as well as his tactical awareness – the ability to understand the circumstances of the match at any one time.  Nope, as LGP once again has shown us (and more importantly Tata Martino), that while he may be a strong and a physical presence that is needed on the field, he ability to manage the game is nominal.  Last night, in an ugly but remarkable win at Minnesota United, LGP showed all of us why he has a long way to go with being a perennial defender in Major League Soccer.  Last night United is playing away in bitterly cold Minnesota with three of their key players unavailable to injury or illness.  Atlanta takes the lead early on but LGP had already been issued a caution in the 1st minute of the game.  So, with a 1-0 lead, three key players unavailable, and temperatures hovering around 20 degrees you would think LGP would defend with caution?  No, not exactly as in the 38th minute, for no apparent reason, he elects to go in on a hard tackle on a Minnesota player who is on the touch line (the sideline).  A ridiculous and stupid decision that we thought he had matured from – instead Atlanta is forced to play a man down for the balance of the match.  This stupidity cannot go on any longer.  Has Tata not convinced LGP to change his ways, play smart, and manage the game?  L.A. FC comes to Atlanta next Saturday and now LGP is suspended for the match. Let’s hope our sick and wounded recover quickly.   To LGP:  it is time to grow up young man.

It is Easter Sunday – enjoy the day and have a great week!