AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 24
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Taking matters into our own hands
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, since I’m tired of waiting for an explanation as to why the Braves blog shut down and none of the others did, I’ll just file another blog and see if that fixes the problem.
Anyway, it’s a shame it happened today, the Great Blog Crash or ‘07. A few of those www.deadjournalist.com readers are probably coming over and going, what’s the big deal with this lame blog _ nobody’s posted since about noon.
Hey, wish they could see the backlog of 50 or so comments you people continued to file even after they stopped showing up on the screen. Pretty impressive. Thanks for the dedication. I’ll post a few of them below if I can.
Now, what topic today for a clean slate? How ‘bout this, for one thing. Check out the first paragraphs of this story from the Philly Inquirer on Wednesday:
Jimmy Rollins typically is one of the coolest customers in the Phillies’ clubhouse, but even he sounded excited about their April 2 season opener against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.
He likes their chances.
“I think we are the team to beat in the NL East,” the shortstop pronounced yesterday at a media luncheon at the ballpark. “Finally.”
“But that’s all on paper,” he continued. “You look at the Mets’ staff. When I look at them, I’m like, ‘They’re getting older.’ We have the young guns. Everybody is in their prime. Brett [Myers] is going to be looking to show that he’s still No. 1, which is going to push him and Freddy [Garcia] in a friendly competition. You’ve got Cole [Hamels], who’s just a superstar Hollywood stud. Adam Eaton throws darts. And you’ve got the veteran in [Jamie] Moyer, who’s going to snake his way through the NL East this year.”
The New York Mets won the National League East by 12 games last season, so the Phillies have considerable ground to make up. But in their two media luncheons in the last two weeks - Rollins, Ryan Howard, Hamels and Aaron Rowand attended yesterday - the theme has remained constant: They think they have the starting pitching to be a legitimate contender in the National League….
OK, ME TALKING AGAIN NOW: That mention of the opener vs. Atlanta was the one and only reference to the Braves in the entire story, which went on for another 10 inches or so and talked more about the Phillies, their bullpen and addition of Alfonseca, and about the Mets. But nothing else about the Braves.
So it’s official: The former NL East bullies are viewed by everyone as underdogs now, or at least non-favorites. Not surprising, but still a bit jarring to see in this context. Totally overlooked, at least by Rollins. And I’m just betting the Braves will make a lot out of their underdog status, as something to rally around.
They’ve actually been underdogs the past couple or three years, but always there was some kind of qualifier from opponents when discussing the division race before the season: “Yes, but you can never overlook the Braves,” or “They’re the favorite until someone beats them.”
Not now. Folks, this is going to be an interesting season, from spring training until the end.
OK, one other thing: We all know that there is a vocal minority here _ actually, two or three guys _ who believe Bobby Cox has been wrongly pegged by players (his and those who’ve never played for him), coaches, managers, and media as one of the best managers in history and a certain future Hall of Famer.
We know those folks here who love to act like we’re all idiots, all you bloggers, all us writers, all the other managers and GMs who’ve consistently voted Cox as one of, if not the, top manager in the game.
Those loud few fellas would have you believe they are the only ones who have the real insight on Cox, rather than those who actually made or make a living playing, coaching, managing, scouting, broadcasting or writing about the game (god knows not anybody who writes about the game). Makes sense to me.
Fine, they’ve made their case _ again and again and again…. And they’re free to make it again … and again … and again. We don’t block or delete anything here, long as it’s decent, not racist or extremely offensive to other groups, and not an unprovoked personal attack on other bloggers.
But instead of complaining about same bloggers who continue to bash Cox, just let them do it. Instead of continuing to debate this topic and clog up the blog with the same tired stuff, just let it slide. I only say this because obviously there’s no end to the debate, yet no one’s mind is being changed, and in fact both sides only dig in deeper, and in the process it turns away others who want to discuss broader topics.
So it’s my suggestion _ again, just a suggestion _ to ignore a topic you’re tired of, instead of continuing to encourage more of the same discussion by complaining about it and asking the person to stop with the same repetitive, tired points. Let’s talk about something else instead. Or eat pie. Anything.
FT. WORTH BLUES by Steve Earle
In Ft. Worth all the neon’s burnin’ bright/Pretty lights red and blue
But they’d shut down all the honky tonks tonight/And say a prayer or two/If they only knew
You used to say the highway was your home/But we both know that ain’t true
It’s just the only place a man can go/When he don’t know where he’s travelin’ to
But Colorado’s always clean and healin’/And Tennessee in Spring is green and cool
It never really was your kind of town/But you went around with the Ft. Worth Blues
Somewhere up beyond the great divide/Where the sky is wide and the clouds are few
A man can see his way clear to the light/Just hold on tight/That’s all you gotta do
And they say Texas weather’s always changin’/And one thing change’ll bring is somethin’ new
And Houston really ain’t that bad a town/So you hang around with the Ft. Worth Blues
There’s a full moon over Galway Bay tonight/Silver light over green and blue
And every place I travel through, I find/Some kinda sign that you’ve been through
But Amsterdam was always good for grieving/And London never fails to leave me blue
Paris never was my kinda town/So I walked around … with the Ft. Worth Blues
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