Mark McGwire and Steroids

January 12, 2010

Mark McGwire’s admission of using steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) is no surprise.  Baseball knew about it and looked the other way.  I look back to how Jose Canseco was universally ridiculed years ago for saying that much of baseball was using steroids.  It turns out he was right.  People don’t like it when you speak the truth.

What’s surprising is that there’s no outcry about steroids in football. Obviously many players are using steroids or HGH, which is not detected by tests.  It’s true that baseball’s records are considered sacred, and people would probably be more accepting of football players using steroids, but steroids and HGH still give players a huge unfair advantage.

The average weight of an offensive lineman in the NFL is about 310 pounds.  Thirty years ago it was about 260.  Not all of that can be accounted for with improved weight training and nutrition.  When you see wide receivers with huge arms that look like they’re flexed when they’re not, and they recover from broken legs in less than two months to play again, it’s pretty suspicious. Thirty years ago you didn’t see any wide receivers like that.

In 2006 former Redskins tackle Jon Jansen said a large number of NFL players were using performance enhancers.  “When there is something out there that people believe is going to help them, we’d be very naive and foolish to think that if you can’t test for it, guys are going to try it,” Jansen said. “Right now there is not a test for HGH, and when they develop that, I hope the NFL will institute that in our drug policy.”  Jansen backed off his statements when he was told to be quiet.

So the NFL now is just as bad as baseball was in the 1990s.  They turn the other way even though a very large number of ex-players die decades earlier than they should.  For years the NFL ignored the problems of concussions, while former players came down with early dementia.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Steve Courson wrote in his book “False Glory” that coach Chuck Noll “conveniently and most definitely turned his head to it.”  The word is that the Steelers, who won four Super Bowls in the 1970s, were one of the first teams to use steroids.

Former NFL player and coach Jim Haslett said “It started, really, in Pittsburgh. They got an advantage on a lot of football teams. They were so much stronger (in the) ’70s, late ’70s, early ’80s,” Haslett said in 2005. “They’re the ones who kind of started it.”

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Bug Juice

January 12, 2010

If you scroll down a little bit, you’ll see a post I wrote about healthy juice drinks.  Today I grabbed a Sobe Life Water Pomegranate Cherry. It tasted pretty good.  The main problem was that it had too much sugar — 24 grams in the bottle.  A lot less than in a Coke but still a lot more than necessary.  It has some vitamins in it which is good.  I was a little disappointed not to see pomegranate or cherry juice listed under the ingredients but it looks like they’re covered under “natural flavors.”

Then I noticed another ingredient:  “cochineal extract (color).”  Turns out, cochineal is a bug.  More accurately, according to Wikipedia, “The Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the crimson-coloured dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite…”  So Sobe Lifewater has dead bugs in it.  I guess that’s better than live bugs.

A female cochineal beetle.

But it gets better.  Wikipedia goes on:  “The insect produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. Carminic acid, which occurs as 17-24% of the weight of the dry insects, can be extracted from the insect’s body and eggs and mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye (also known as cochineal).[1] Carmine is today primarily used as a food colouring and for cosmetics.”

I had to admit, the drink did have a nice, reddish/maroon color. More: “Cochineal is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of hyperactive children.”

So I went to a drug store and looked at some of the red drinks.  Sure enough, some of them had “cochineal” in them.  Actually, it’s in a lot of foods:  “Together with ammonium carmine they can be found in meat, sausages, processed poultry products (meat products cannot be coloured in the United States unless they are labeled as such), surimi, marinades, alcoholic drinks, bakery products and toppings, cookies, desserts, icings, pie fillings, jams, preserves, gelatin desserts, juice beverages, varieties of cheddar cheese and other dairy products, sauces, and sweets.”

The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration will require all foods and cosmetics containing cochineal in them to be labeled as such, starting NEXT YEAR (January 5, 2011).

How about using beet juice or purple carrot juice for coloring?  Not a sermon, just a thought.

Or maybe just switch to water.

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Revised Cover Letter: Lowered Expectations

January 12, 2010

To Whom It May Concern:

I am looking for a job.  My experience is listed on the attached my resume. I am available for an interview at your convenience store.

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Cardinals 51-45 win over Packers brings back memories of Packers 48-47 win over Redskins in 1983

January 11, 2010

Yesterday’s 51-45 win by the Arizona Cardinals over the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs brought back memories of another high scoring game the Packers were involved in a quarter-century ago.

On October 17, 1983, the Packers beat the Washington Redskins, 48-47 in the highest scoring game in Monday Night Football history.  It was a game that featured the most prolific scoring offense in the NFL at the time.  The Redskins finished that season scoring 541 points, then an NFL record.

The two games had a lot of similarities and some differences.  Yesterday’s game had 96 points; 26 years ago the Packers and the Skins scored 95.  That game resulted in 1025 total yards while yesterday’s battle had 1024 yards of offense.

While yesterday’s game featured a big comeback as the Packers tied it at 38 and 45 after being down by 21, the 1983 contest featured five lead changes in the final period.

Aaron Rodgers set a Green Bay playoff record with 422 yards passing, connecting on 28 of 42 attempts for four touchdowns.  So Rodgers, not Brett Favre, owns the Packers record for most passing yards in playoff game.  Even more impressive was that Kurt Warner, playing against the NFL’s second-ranked defense and without starter Anquan Boldin, was 29 of 33 for 379 yards with five TDs and no interceptions.

In 1983, Washington’s Joe Theismann completed 27 of 39 passes for 398 yards, two TDs, and no interceptions.  Green Bay’s Lynn Dickey completed 22 of 30 passes for 387 yards and three TDs.

Each game had one team with a great rushing attack.  The Cardinals had 156 yards on the ground.  The Redskins rushed for 184.

Interestingly, Russ Grimm was a part of both games.  The former Redskins guard is an assistant coach with the Cardinals.  Grimm is a future Hall of Famer and a future NFL head coach.

After the game, Theismann said, “It never stopped. Grimm said ‘Let’s go.’ I said ‘Why? We just scored.’ And he said ‘So did they.'”

After yesterday’s game, Warner said, “Whew.  Anybody else tired?”

Neil Rackers missed a 34-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have won the game for Arizona.

Mark Moseley missed a 39-yarder with three seconds to go that would have won the game for Washington.

Washington won its next 9 games to finish 14-2, two points away from a perfect 16-0 record.  However, the Skins peaked in the first round of the playoffs during a 51-7 win over the Rams, and Washington got crushed in the Super Bowl by the Raiders, 38-9.  Giving up 48 points in a single game should have been a sign of things to come.

Likewise, it’s hard to imagine the Cardinals winning the Super Bowl after giving up 45 points in a playoff game.

The offensive performance may have been more impressive in 1983, because offensive statistics are up dramatically from where they were then.

The Skins-Packers game featured four future Hall of Famers:  John Riggins (98 yards, two TDs), Art Monk (five catches for 105 yards), Darrell Green, and Grimm (well, Grimm should be in and will probably make it this year).  Yesterday’s contest featured a lock for the HOF in Warner, a probable Hall of Famer in Larry Fitzgerald (six catches for 82 yards and two TDs, and other great players like Darnell Dockett of Arizona and Rodgers and Charles Woodson of Green Bay.  The 1983 game featured a player who would be named MVP that season (Theismann). Yesterday’s game featured a past NFL MVP (Warner).

(Theismann was NFL MVP in 1983.  He has the same number of MVP awards as Dan Marino, John Elway, and Tom Brady (1).  Theismann was better than Joe Montana that year and that’s a fact.  You don’t have to like it, but you do have to admit it is a fact.)

One of the things I remember most about the 1983 game was the missed field goal by Moseley at the end, because it was so uncharacteristic of him and because if he had made it the ending would have been so great.  I also remember thinking that a great team shouldn’t give up 47 points.  Because the Skins’ weakness was pass defense, they nicknamed themselves the Pearl Harbor Crew, because they were always being bombed.  Green was a rookie, Vernon Dean was a solid corner but not overly fast, and Curtis Jordan was a slow safety.  Charles Mann would become a great pass rusher but he was only a rookie too.

The thing I remember most about yesterdays game was Warner’s surgical prescision.  He just wouldn’t miss.  And I thought that it was a shame that the Packers didn’t go farther than the Vikings this year, though I think most Green Bay fans would be very happy with Rodgers’ year and performance yesterday.

2010:  Arizona 51,

Green Bay 45

 1983:  Green Bay 48, Washington 47
Points 96 95
Yards 1024 1025
Final Field Goal Attempt Neil Rackers, 34-yard miss as time expired Mark Moseley, 39-yard miss with :03 left
Winning QB Stats Warner:  29-33, 379 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT Dickey:  22-30, 387 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Losing QB Stats Rodgers:  28-42, 422 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT Theismann: 27-39, 398 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
Interesting Stat Two comebacks by Packers from 21 down 5 lead changes in 4th quarter
Quote Warner:  “Whew. Anybody else tired?” Theismann:  “It never stopped. Grimm said ‘Let’s go.’ I said ‘Why? We just scored.’ And he said ‘So did they.'”
Hall of Famers Warner (lock), Fitzgerald (probable), Rodgers (maybe), Charles Woodson (maybe) John Riggins, Art Monk, Darrell Green, Grimm (probable)
Russ Grimm’s role Cardinals Assistant Coach Redskins Pro Bowl Guard
Did the game feature an NFL MVP? Yes:  Warner (1999, 2001) Yes: Theismann (1983)

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Honest Tea: Nectar from Heaven?

January 10, 2010

I’m still amazed at how great Honest Tea and Honest Ade drinks are. Honest Ade Cranberry Lemonade is the best – it goes down so smoothly and has just the right mix of cranberry juice and lemonade – followed by Peach White Tea and Orange Mango with Mangosteen. The Honest Kids drinks are really good too – they’re light.  The pomegranate drinks are a little heavy but maybe that’s just me. Honest Tea/Ade is organic – the most important part of that is that it’s free of pesticides – and it also has less sugar than other drinks. Some of their teas have no sugar at all.

A couple of Izze drinks are giving Honest Ade a run for its money, though. The Sparkling Blackberry is great, and the Sparkling Clementine and Sparkling Grapefruit are very good too.  Izze drinks have real juice and “no refined sugars, no caffeine, no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors.” There are also a lot of Izze drinks I haven’t tried yet.

Ok, now Honest Tea has added Honest KOMBUCHA with probiotics. Sounds great.  This is just a little too much to keep up with, though. So anyway, here are my rankings:

1.  Honest Ade Cranberry Lemonade

2.  Honest Peach White Tea

3.  Izze Sparkling Blackberry

4.  Honest Ade Orange Mango with Mangosteen

5.  (Tie) Honest Kids, Izze Sparkling Clementine

(Yes, I know – I’m doing a blog about Honest Tea and Izze drinks while I have tons of unbelievably important stuff to do).

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Playoffs? PLAYOFFS?? Don’t talk about PLAYOFFS!!

January 10, 2010

As a Redskins fan, you end up adopting other teams during the playoffs. I’m rooting for the Colts in the AFC and the Saints and Packers in the NFC. I was also rooting for the Bengals.  I was rooting against the Jets because of their arrogance, and against the Cowboys because they’re the Cowboys. So I’m 0-2 so far.  I’m also rooting against the Chargers because of Never Nervous Norvus. One other thing – it’d be nice to see Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay eventually beat Brett Favre and Minnesota.

As much as I hate Dallas – and it would be terrible if they were to win the Super Bowl – the silver lining in their win over Philly is that Wade Phillips got his first playoff win.  I think Phillips has been unfairly criticized. Phillips has been much maligned, and there’s only one reason:  he doesn’t fit the mold of a typical coach.  He’s not a strict disciplinarian.  He’s not pompous during his press conferences.  He tells it like it is.  He wears sweatshirts.

People want someone to act like a Brian Billick or a Marty Schottenheimer — someone who speaks in platitudes (I just had to look that one up).  We love the way Herman Edwards said, “YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME” even though he was 6-26 in his final two seasons as coach of the Chiefs.  These days, NFL head coaches are mostly public relations people who deal with the media.  The people who really affect teams are the assistant coaches.

I believe that most people are awed by someone with an authoritarian voice.  It matters less the content of what is said than how it is said.

Likewise, people want athletes to fit a certain mold.  Doug Flutie could have been a great NFL quarterback but was rarely given a chance because of his height.  People would rather have a taller quarterback even if he can’t play. Too much emphasis is placed on style rather than effectiveness.

Anyway, back to the NFL playoffs. (I know, I’m really getting off topic). Before the season I predicted that the Saints, Eagles, Colts or Patriots would win the Super Bowl.  I’m going to stick with the Saints and Colts, but I think just about anyone left can win it all except for the Jets and the Ravens.  The Jets are just too one dimensional to win even one more game, and I can’t see the Ravens beating the Colts or Chargers.

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Washington Capitals

January 10, 2010

I went to the Caps-Ottawa Senators game the other night.  Nicklas Backstrom had a great wraparound goal and Alex Ovechkin had another great one as he used his speed to charge straight on at the goal.

I was struck by the fact that almost the whole crowd was wearing red, many of them wearing Alex Ovechkin uniforms.  It was a great decision to change the Caps uniforms back to red, white, and blue, with mostly red. The old uniforms – the blue and bronze that the Wizards currently have – were awful.  The Wizards should change back to red white and blue as well as they’re in the nation’s capital.  It’s be great if the Wizards changed their name back to Bullets but that probably won’t happen in light of the Gilbert Arenas incident.

I noticed for the first time the 1978 Washington Bullets NBA Champions team photo on the side of the Verizon Center.  It’s nice to see that.  They may have just put it up after the death of the owner, Abe Pollin, because there’s also an enlarged photo of Pollin there. That 1978 championship team is one of the most underappreciated championship teams of all-time. The talking heads most closely associated with Washington sports, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, never mention this team.  They arrived in Washington around 1980 and they act as if the championship never happened since it didn’t happen while they were here.

One other measure of how Caps fans are louder than Wizards fans now — and in fact I’m pretty sure it has always been that way — is that I decided to go to a Caps game instead of a Wizards game since I was on a first date. I hate when I’m at a place that is so quiet so the people right next to you can hear your entire conversation.  It’s why going for coffee is a great idea in theory but can be awkward if someone is sitting at the table right next to yours on a laptop.  She and I talked the whole time and at a Wizards game, the people in front, behind, to the left, and to the right of us would have heard every word.  I knew we wouldn’t have that problem at the Caps game and we didn’t.

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Do You Play Basketball?

January 10, 2010

I’m always puzzled at how to answer this question.  I don’t really play much though I like basketball, but I’m close to 40, and quite frankly, most people my age don’t play team sports anymore.  I mean, I played soccer and ultimate Frisbee a few years ago, and before that I played coed flag football, softball, and tennis.  The basketball question made more sense when I looked like I could still be in high school or college.  In fact I did play a few games of intramurals in college and in one game I had 16 points and about 8 rebounds.  But people always ask the question.  I am 6-5.

However, it’s startling to realize how many people think that height is the only attribute that matters in basketball.  That’s actually very insulting to basketball players — implying that the only reason for their success is their height.  Of course, all things being equal, the taller players will succeed more.  It’s just that there are so many other attributes that make a good basketball player.  Athleticism.  Agility. Coordination.  Endurance.  Jumping ability.  Basketball IQ.  I don’t have a lot of natural athletic skills, though I made myself into a Division III college tennis player and had a .750 record in a 4.5 rated tennis league at 31 a decade after I had stopped playing tennis in college.  But back to basketball – I tried out for the basketball team in high school and college, so I don’t have any regrets.

There were 1000 guys in my high school, so I would have had to be one of the top 15 out of 1000, (top 1.5%) and I wasn’t.  Then in college when I tried out, the coach said, “This is a very simple drill.  If you can’t run this (layup) drill right it either means you can’t do it or you don’t want to.  And either way it’s not too good.”

I didn’t run the drill right.

If someone says they would be great if they had my height, I usually say, ok, let’s play.  I have a hook shot that can’t be blocked.  (It may not go in, but it can’t be blocked).  But there are still people who occasionally say, “WHAT?? You didn’t play on your high school basketball team???”

Well, I did play on teams from the ages of 8-13 when I was average height.  After that, I was 5-6 in 9th grade, 5-10 in 10th, and 6-2 in 11th.  So it wasn’t until I was in 12th grade that I was particularly tall at 6-4 and 6-5, and by then it was a little late if you hadn’t been playing.  I spent all my time playing tennis because I thought it was my best chance to become a pro, and while I didn’t come close at that, I reached a much higher level than I ever would have in basketball.

What’s the point of all this?  I guess the point is that a lot of people don’t seem to realize that there is a lot more to basketball than height, though obviously all other things being equal, more height is better.  If it upsets you and surprises you that I don’t play basketball now or didn’t when I was younger, remember that I did try out in high school and college.  As for now, I don’t have the time.  However, if you still think that I should be playing, let me know, we’ll pick a time and place to play, and we’ll see how I’ll do against you or someone else.  I’ll play anybody, any place, any time (within reason).

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Pics from Florida

January 10, 2010

Pelicans in Sarasota, Florida

Here are a couple of photos from Sarasota, Florida where I spent Christmas.  Groups of pelicans hang out at the beach there.  I also briefly saw a few dolphins.  Siesta Key Beach is a nice family beach. The sand is soft and white and the water is pretty clear. In the summer the water temperature can reach 90 degrees.  In the winter it goes down to about 70. It’s a nice family beach. It’s always great to walk, run, lie out, or swim at the beach. There are always Amish people down there, though nobody ever believes me when I say that. There’s a thriving Amish community in Sarasota.

Dolphins at Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota

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The Return of the King

January 2, 2010

Someday…

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