The black hole

I-L-L!

The start of a cheer filled with hope and joy, and an inspiring call to any athletic team fielded by the greatest university known to man (NOTE: heavy alum bias). However, tonight is yet another reminder of how futile the once-renowned basketball program has become.

Sometime during my undergraduate, A Selfish man decided we weren't good enough, and left for the Land of Least Resistance (especially true in March). My beloved alma mater decided to hire a less than heralded coach from So IL, Bruce Weber. While we weren't sure he'd produce, his first 2 years were probably the greatest start for any coach in Illini history, with back to back outright Big 10 titles and a National Runner-Up that would've been a title if the refs could've called a damn foul on this punk as easily as I could've from the 3rd row of the upper deck at the Edward Jones Dome that night. That's him being a crybaby in that last link.

Anyway, side rants aside, Bruuuuuuuuuuce (the only proper way to say his name in praise) had won over the tough hearts of the Illini with these feats. But how the hearts of the I-Fund are fickle. His current edition is only avoiding the Big 10 cellar because Northwestern is its usual unimpressive self. And watching this team makes me want to scream the following:

• "It's the motion offense, not the standstill!" - a reference to the offensive system Coach Weber prefers, but his players can't seem to run. Unfortunately, this penchant for lead shoes leads to....
• "Let them run, Bruce!" - a remark usually made because the Illini, after a well paced first half where they lead by 10, will slow it up so darn much that the other team can come back and beat the Illini bloody. This is directly a product of the coaching.
  
• "Pass the ball Shawn!" - our senior center is nicknamed "The Black Hole" for a reason. The basketball goes into him, and it never seems to be passed away by him. He is not a fit for the offense.
• "Man, we suck!"

So who's to blame for this debacle? It's hard to say. Many will point straight at Coach, and while he has proven he isn't the best with X's and O's, I still think some benefit of the doubt belongs in his court after the CF Delilah at Loosierville (ask me what that means sometime if you don't mind offensive language) cheated and stole our top recruit for this year while violating another 50 NCAA rules. The Black Hole? He was recruited by the Selfish man, and that style is more suited to Mr. Pruitt's game than the current system. Still, he could learn to pass the ball more than once a game. Something else? I can't point to any one thing. Simply put, it's a mess.

Enough said. Back to watching another ugly loss to MSU.

A nephew and his uncle Screwtape

One of the current books in my reading queue is The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. And while I'm only 12 chapters in, the dominant theme has to be the slight misdirections perpetuated by Wormwood, his "affectionate" uncle Screwtape, and their other demon friends. Needless to say, it is a humbling reminder of how weak the human will can truly be. We can have a plan to do things and never get them done because we decide that '5 more minutes' is more important than throwing a pair of socks in the laundry or calling a friend. And yet avoiding these types of situations and misdirections can be extremely difficult at times, even when you have a drill sergeant standing over you.

Guess that's why "Carpe Diem" is such a valuable motto for many who live by it much closer than I.

Sick day thoughts

A few backlogged thoughts as I battle cold and fever.....

• Monday night's debut of "Better Know a Governor" on the Colbert Report (t's pronounced) was another wonderful addition to his "Better Know a.... " series, as his conversation with the governor of South Carolina was humorous as only Stephen Colbert can do. However, one of his jokes sort of poked at a media ire of mine: how the Catholic Church, in particular the Pope, is treated by the media. Now, Colbert's little poke about the biggest difference between Catholicism and Protestantism (crucifix vs. cross and no Pope) does center on the heart of what most people think. However, it continues to treat the Church as political entity, and thus the media message focus on political hints, not the main message. Watch this April when Pope Benedict XVI comes to the US, and tell me if the media focus is on what he might insinuate about Iraq and other global affairs in his homilies/sermons, or on the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of New York. Hint: the latter is the main and official reason for the visit.
• I went to my first rodeo on Saturday, seeing as I now live in cowboy country (1 hr from Cheyenne, and 2.5 hrs from Denver will do that to you). In my crazy mind, it was like a minor league baseball game. Yes, that's right, I compared it to baseball. Now, don't get me wrong, the competitors are world class, and in that respect it is more like a major league game at Coors Field. But all the side show stuff, particularly the head rodeo clown, made me think of the things minor league clubs do to draw attendance.
• My old home congressional district, the Illinois 14th, is something of a pride spot after J. Dennis Hastert was Speaker of the House. However, since he's retiring, the Republican primary to replace him is brutal. On one side, you have Chris Lauzen, career politician as an Illinois State Senator trying to jump to Washington as another former Illinois State Senator did a couple years ago. On the other, you have a moneybags trying to get any major political office, Jim Oberweis. Now, both come from the same town I was born in, and even graduated from the beautiful academy of which I am glad to be an alum. However, if I were voting Republican back home, this would be another lesser of 2 evils election. Oberweis has some out there views that clash with my world view, but Lauzen is a slick dirt bag as far as I'm concerned. I won't reference any stories I have been told about him, but needless to say I'll let the writer's observed actions of his oldest son (who graduated shortly after me) towards some of his classmates speak in support of those tales. In all honesty, I'd probably vote for Jim Oberweis, if mainly on the grounds that he's a political outsider (relatively speaking). If you want a rundown on how vicious this campaign is, just look here (sign in may be required)
  

Who are you?..... redux

So, based on traffic, not many of you may have read my introductory post (nor may you read this one right away) . Alas, I figured it'd be good to fill in some of the things I deliberately left out initially in the interest of security but may not be able to hide. So, I conveniently updated my personal information, which resides in the sidebar. Maybe you'll find something in common.

Can't we all just get along?

It may already feel like an eternity ago, but just last week Richard "Goose" Gossage was elected to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. As has become the rite of baseball muses every, they build up to the day of the announcement with arguments of who should be in, who shouldn't, and, if they are fortunate enough to be a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, who they voted for and why.

This exchange of words in the written public forums has ascended to a different level in recent years, correlating with the rise in many fan's appreciation of statistical methods used to analyze players in the post Moneyball world. I'll direct you to Rich Lederer's Baseball Analysts blog entries to see what I mean, as well my initial inspiration for this entries' topic. I'll pause here so you can read both entries, and then come back with the rest of the topic.


*musical interlude featuring Nancy Faust playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on the organ at Comiskey (no sound link, so use your imagination!)*



Ok, so now that you've read that (you did read, right), you may have noticed someone taking his Louisville Slugger of logic and sabermetric evidence to shred a well known writer at the Eastern Sports Programming Network (ESPN for short). This conflict is not a novel one, nor is it isolated. There are tons of words on various respected sites and in respected publications which detail this battle royale. Trust me, I spared you reading a sentence where every word was linked there it's that massive. But the conflict still seems to manifest itself in pieces like Mr. Lederer's and Mr. Olney's. And I, among others who have written well before me, can't understand why.

A little insight on my background: My day job is as a marketing statistician for a specialty retailer of outdoor gear. Besides the fact that I have no shame in plugging my company's website which you will hopefully buy from someday, my job isn't one where I get to look at numbers all day and tell people what my conclusions are and why they are right. It's a conversation between myself and whoever is the beneficiary of the analysis, be it a marketing analyst, product manager, or other person in the company. This provides valuable information that I cannot gather through the methods I use to analyze the numerical data as I am charged to do. Likewise, whoever receives my conclusions will be wise to incorporate them in with what he/she already knows from their job, and then use it to better their strategies.

At this point in time, many Major League organizations have accepted this idea (including some who seem poised to keep my Sox in a Cubs-like drought unless my team changes tactics), incorporating statistical analysis into their evaluation of ballplayers. And likewise, I believe many sabermetricians, including my amateur self, would love to incorporate a major league scout's report on a player into what we do. Heck, Tangotiger even set up a Fan's Scouting Report to try and provide this very type of insight, assuming that the population will average itself out into a viable scouting report on a player.

That leaves us one group that hasn't fully given in, but probably in part out of self preservation: the amateurish scouts known as professional baseball writers, who go to games and write about the teams. Now, you could say it is in their interest to keep taking a hard line on the scouting side since their profession not only favors that type of analysis, but also it makes for good copy in the modern environment. I, on the other hand, think that it is simpler than that conspiracy theory: some people just haven't thought it through, and a sizable number of them have a voice with this nation's newspapers, radio stations, and television networks. Rather, they see things in the following order:
- Find interesting topic for debate
- Pick a side
- Argue like hell for that side, occasionally disregarding logic in favor of meeting deadlines
- Repeat for next column/post/segment
Can anyone in the class tell me what's wrong with that?

Right-o kids, they make up their minds then find reasons to support their claim rather than inverting the process. Maybe that's why we have so many lawyers in this country. Or maybe that's why our narrow mindedness has lead us to where we stand at today. Statheads vs. Scouts may seem like a trifle debate, but it could very easily be a microcosm for our society, where we all need to show a little more thought and do a little more research before doing things and drawing conclusions.

Care to see the stats?

Cheese!

Today is a national holiday in one "nation", the same as it has been for generations. It's the NFL playoffs, and Packerland is back involved once again. As a "citizen" currently clad in the replica uniform of a gentleman from Kiln, MS and a bona fide triangular shape of foam, I too share the excitement of many Cheeseheads from coast to coast, rooting for the real America's Team (apologies to Irving, TX for any bruised egos.... only if your does not beat ours again this year).

I settle into my throne, beverage nearby, awaiting this kickoff. Today's roadblock call themselves the Seahawks, which are only menacing in the hundreds anyway. They only brought 70-80, so we're safe with our frozen meat packers. Snow falls lightly, a true sign that playoff football and Lambeau are made for each other like a Billy Goat and barren foul poles awaiting of pennants in the World's Largest Beer Garden.

The ball is kicked off, and the game begins. A bobble on the return seems harmless, but is a harbinger of things to come. A bobble on the first play from scrimmage, a screen pass, has this "fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice, shame on you" feel to it. So much so that I blink and my beloved Pack are already down seven. The next sequence requires a journey into my dangerous mind to fully appreciate the stream of thought that governed my reactions:
- "It's OK. Just a lucky early break. Shake it off."
- "Well, at least he caught the ball off the kick this time."
- "Way to go kid! That's the way to say you're not living in your past mistakes."
- "Beautiful run up the mid....dle....."
- "WHAT THE $%^&$@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
- "2 fumbles, 2 TDs. And the field is getting whiter like my shocked face."
At this point, I'm saying "thank goodness" for the fact that all this happened in about 1/20 of the game time while praying that the inexperience in this situation for 99% percent of the team doesn't spiral into panic.

Thankfully, the aforementioned gentleman from Kiln (or is it an actual kiln, considering how tough and hardened 38 years can make a man) takes over. 6 passes later, a 2-man audible to a pass results in the shock deficit being halved and the youthful team remembering it's just a football game out there, nothing more. Then the defense remembers it has to uphold its end of the bargain too and to not be a doormat to touchdowns all day. So they force a punt, and the little running back who served up the fumbles in the first place remembers how to play like an alum of the University of the Golden Dome should. So he scores to atone for one mistake.

201 yards and 2 more TDs later, Mr. Grant has more than atoned for his early errors, helping my beloved Pack score touchdowns on six consecutive offensive possessions. I will Bang on the Drum All Day while enjoying this rout.

New directions

When TIME magazine finally does its end of the year review, they'll likely be calling 2008 a significant "year of change". "Change" itself will be the buzzword of the year by summer, courtesy of an election year where every candidate will have one fundamental goal to promote the occurrence of change that for some reason only seems to be talked about every 4 years.

Well, forget all the talk for change by the candidates of the Chan... I mean, Democratic Party, for a moment. Here's what changing here at MitchMusings:

• You may have noticed the new subtitle already. I resolve to make this blog look like it's not done by a total novice, just an amateur.
• You may also have noticed the frequency (or lack) of posts. Expect that to change (which gives you one more thing to read online if you so choose), at least to 1 every few days.
  
• Last, but certainly not least, I hope to live up to what I promised this blog would be at the outset. If I lack the content you expect, let your presence be felt.

So with that, I sign off for now. Expect another post soon.

While you wait, here's a brilliant observation on the election by one of my favorite columnists.