Mo's Marketplace | March 2007

Timeline on Iraq: Precursor to Disaster?

Our elected Congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. have remarkably come up with a resolution that they think will “end the war in Iraq” by removing our troops by the end of 2008. Does that mean that with the United States personnel leaving that peace will then prevail all over the Mideast, or will it be like our exit from Vietnam where millions of innocents, including women and children, were subsequently slaughtered by the Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese military and Pol Pot's...

I'm Just a Simple Guy Trying to Figure Some Things Out

I’m no rocket scientist, to be sure. I’m not the most successful member of my family – not by a long shot. I’m not the smartest guy in the room – ever. I don’t have a fancy car. I only buy neckties at Marshalls or TJ Maxx and never pay more that $12. My shoes have more miles on them than my car and that’s saying something. I get a haircut once every 3-4 months whether or not I need it. There’s a lot that gets by me in life. I’m not a simple...

Football vs. Baseball

We're a little less than a week away from the start of the baseball season. Thank goodness. I decided to take some inventory and compare my two favorite sporting events: football and baseball. Funny how different these two games are, really. One is hyper intense, the other not so much. One has a clock that means everything. One has no clock, time is relative. Football vs. Baseball NFL Best viewed: 60" HDTV, preferably with DVR to granularly breakdown each play. Best in a...

This I Believe

On Mondays National Public Radio runs a listener segment entitled “This I believe” where listeners write and record a 500 word essay on their beliefs. This morning I decided I would give a 500 word essay a shot. The radio program is based on personal philosophies and core values. Since baseball is close to a personal philosophy to me and is most definitely a core value, I took my essay in a slightly different direction than most of the contributors to the program. Hence, I submit...

Mish Mash: Natural Energy and "Performance" Enhancers

Just a few odds and ends today. Check it out - The San Francisco Giants are installing 590 solar panels on the port walk outside of AT&T Park. The power generated will be enough to power a few homes, and will be fed back into the grid and won't be used in the stadium. Apparently, the Giants aren't interested in "natural power"...which is likely the reason why they resigned Barry Bonds to another contract. And speaking of Barry, MLB is so concerned with performance enhancers,...

It's Pokey's Birthday

In May 2004, Pokey Reese came into my family's life. This guy was always happy, and man could this little guy jump like you read about. He added a lot to our lives. Tomorrow is his birthday. He'll be turning the big 3 - coincidentally Pokey's uniform number with the Red Sox. No, Pokey is not the former Red Sox infielder, although he is named for him - well before Pokey threw out the last Yankees runner in the 2004 ALCS, he was a cult hero in our home. Since...

I Want my Red Sox Back

Some time back, I said to Theo Epstein, General Manager of the Red Sox, in a blog entry that I was angry. It’s very simple: I want my Red Sox back. Not in the way Tony Mazzarotti suggests – taking the team back from the “Pink Hats” (you know, those, presumably female, fans who have jumped on the bandwagon), but in a more existential sort of way. One of the things we Boston baseball fans like to do is moan about how the Yankees are buying baseball. Trying to buy...

Drugs, Money, Dummies, More Money

Why would anyone actually do this? I guess you really can find anything on the internet. It seems the “proscribed” substances conversation is getting quite a ride on Sports Illustrated.com. There’s a posting today on by Tom Verducci on the new afterward in Game of Shadows book on Barry B*nds’ “freakish growth”, and word today that there are pro wrestlers implicated in the online HGH scandal. More to come for sure. SI is implicating Jerry Hairston, Jr,...

Mish Mash: Falling from Favor, Cool Jobs, Sports Baddies

I’m in Walmart the other day…um, looking for…um…I don’t know, something clearly very high end that they don’t sell. Anyway, I pass by the toy department and what do I see? A clearance rack with a Wally Szczerbiak doll/action figure/bobblehead/whatever on it. $3.00! I actually stood and stared at it and asked myself, 1) Why were these produced at all? 2) Who would buy one at $3.00, never mind their original $10? My first topic of discussion today: What would...

A Guy Looking For a Deal, A Guy Who Doesn't Like The Deal He's Got

According to the Seattle Post Inteligencer, Seahawks Tight End Jerramy Stevens was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana in Scottsdale, Arizona. He reportedly stated he had “four or five margaritas.” According to the report, he weighs 265 pounds. Now, according to intox.com (a DUI lawyers website), if he had 4 margaritas in an hour, his blood alcohol content would be 0.061. By this measure, in most states a person can be convicted of driving under the influence at this...

NHLPA Poop Hits The Fan

There is some heavy duty doody steamrolling down hill with the NHLPA. According to ESPN last October, Chris Chelios and other members of the NHL Players' Association asked brought suit against executive director Ted Saskin and the NHLPA to oust Saskin and award them millions of dollars in damages. It seems the fall out from the lockout and the ensuing acceptance of a salary cap is hitting the fan, and more particularly, the political machinations behind the negotiations are at issue. In...

8 Track Days

On a winter evening in 1976 I was leaving my second home, the hockey rink in Melrose after another 3 hour practice full of shooting drills and laps around the boards. I remember this night because it was the first time I had my own money, the cash I earned from shoveling out driveways. My friend Kenny and I still wearing our practice uniforms, sporting our Converse All-Stars, went to his mom’s car, walking with that really cool feeling of stepping on a sponge from being laced...

The NBA Salary Cap

Ever wonder why NBA teams get buried under the salary cap? The NBA salary cap is a unique animal as far as salary caps go. The NBA uses a soft cap which means teams can go beyond the cap number (unlike both the NFL and NHL who both use a hard cap, leaving teams penalized for going over the cap number). The soft cap is based on being fan friendly; it’s a control mechanism that allows NBA teams to retain their players. This is in place to allow fans to stay familiar with the players...

Big Winners and Big Losers

Big Winners The winning Mega Millions tickets were not sold at Mo’s despite media reports to the contrary. Okay, so there were no media reports indicating that Mo’s had sold the tickets, but a little shameless huckstering never hurt anyone, right? The winners were sold in New Jersey and Georgia. If you’re asking me, and if you’re asking any of the Bears fans I’ve read here, the Jets certainly won the lottery by picking up Thomas Jones. According to...

Now THIS is Sharks Territory

There’s a little something about minor league sports. I had the opportunity to take the family – one of the “Mo-bots” and a couple of her friends, my Yankee-in-law and his four yanklets. So, 9 of us all together and we had comp tickets to sit in the prime section – the $17 seats. Parking cost $6 but only because we parked in the garage closest to the arena. We could have gotten away with less, but we would have had to walk 1/10 mile longer. The Worcester Sharks...

Mish Mash of "P's": Pats, Plummer, Plagiarists, Pierce, "Paps", and Pinero

Welcome to today's Mish Mash. We've got some "P's" to go with your mash today. The Patriots have been very busy over the last 24 hours or so. Adalius Thomas passed his physical without problems today to finalize what is sure to be a quite significant contract. Also, since Daniel Graham seems to be on his way to Denver, the Pats have come to terms with Kyle Brady - formerly of the Jets and Jaguars. They're also interested in Dolphins' receiver Wes Welker. The Bucs have made...