Where great wings happen
I’m going to the Pacers-Cavaliers game tonight in Indianapolis. Is it bad that the main selling point for me is that there’s a Quaker Steak & Lube location at the arena?
- Remember the “player to be named later” in the Adrian Gonzalez trade? Looks like it’s Eric Patterson. He’s Corey Patterson’s brother. He can play some outfield and second base.
- The Artists Formerly Known as the Portland Beavers look like they’re going to Escondido. The Padres got an initial approval to start building a Triple-A stadium in the outskirts of San Diego, but it’s still not a completely done deal. If it goes to plan, they’ll start building a year from now and the park should open in 2013, meaning the team will play in Tuscon, Ariz. for two seasons.
- Step right up and greet the Mets’ Top 10 prospects. I might like the ’86 Mets theme song better than the original.
- The Tigers are ready to spend money on the draft. This isn’t what we call “hard news.” They’ve been spending a good amount for years.
- Pretty good recap of free-agent stuff here.
- Somebody thinks Bobby Jenks should eventually replace Jonathan Papelbon as the Red Sox closer. The entire article is built on “if Jenks returns to form.” At first, I thought it was wishful thinking because Daniel Bard is good, Jenks’ ERA has risen the last two years and I’d heard that he’s been losing fastball velocity, but now I’m not so sure.
- Edgar Renteria says a $1 million contract offer is a total disrespect. Here’s the thing: a lot of teams have a set salary that they’re willing to pay for a certain position. Is that disrespectful? Not really, and it’s how most businesses in the universe operate. We’ve already heard of Henry Blanco turning down the Padres’ offer to be their backup catcher, but they know what they’re willing to pay and they’re not going over that number.
- What do they do with those broken bats? At our games, we get them signed by the players and sell them. In Japan, they turn them into chopsticks. Apparently they like the flavor of pine tar.
- Mark Cuban may have found a better way to improve the sports world than buying a baseball team: Buying a college football playoff. There’s a recently-released book called Death to the BCS (and a lame response from the director of the BCS) that just reinforces what seemingly everyone without a financial interest in college football thinks.
- This one was sent to me yesterday: With Christmas about a week away, you see a lot of family/business Christmas cards floating around. But what about quasi-celebrities-who-shouldn’t-be-celebrities’ Christmas cards? I really don’t know why the Kardashians are famous other than Bruce Jenner being an Olympian a million years ago, but how did they go from life-sized Ninja Turtles, Santa Claus with sunglasses on, motorcycle gang and inexplicably climbing ladders to The Addams Family on a spiral staircase and a giant chess board mixed with a total lack of fun? Let this be a lesson: Christmas cards are inherently lame. Embrace the lameness. Explore the space. Wear awful sweaters. Maybe include a giant cartoon character if you’re feeling risky. You don’t have to impress people all the time.
- Speaking of not taking yourself too seriously, Dave Hutte status update: “We’re popular. Going to a party of some sort every night this weekend.” Mothers, hide your daughters.
Go Cavs… I guess.