Thoughts for the Day, April 5, 2022: A loss of a great congressman for Michigan. The cat is coming back.

I am not surprised longtime Republican congressman Fred Upton has decided not to run in November.  With the redistricting he was being forced to take on another incumbent Republican congressman, Bill Huizenga.  Upton will be missed as he has always been a voice of reason who was willing to compromise and reach across the aisle.  As one of the longest serving congressman in Michigan history, he helped the state in many ways.  He was loyal to his conservative principles, and he was not afraid to vote independent of his party leaders.  He will be missed.

With the less than a week before opening day, the Detroit Tigers found themselves short two outfielders.  The injuries to Riley Greene and Derek Hill threw a monkey wrench into not only their opening day plans but also the short-term plans for the next month or two.  To solve the problem the Tigers did something that we have not seen around here for the last five years. They traded for a bona fide star in the form of Tampa Bay Ray outfielder, Austin Meadows.  Meadows was an all-star in 2019, when he hit 33 homeruns.  In 2021, he hit 27 homeruns and drove in 106 runs for the American League champions.  This is one of those bold moves that will most likely pay immediate dividends for the Tigers.  It is something that could only have happened because the Tigers have now stocked their farm system with legitimate major league prospects that other teams desire.

The big cat is coming back.  Tiger Woods announced today he is planning on playing in this week’s Masters.  Considering the horrific car accident he was in less than 18 months ago, where there was concern he would lose one or both of his legs and he may not walk again, it is an amazing comeback.  Augusta National is one of the most grueling courses on the PGA tour to walk, so this is going to be a major test of not only his golf abilities but also his physical abilities and his stamina.  It will be great for golf if he can come all the way back to the point he can compete on the tour again.  Just when we think he is done, he finds his way back, through will and determination.  Author Harry Miller’s song “The Cat Came Back” is a perfect theme song for this latest Tiger Woods comeback.  

I know I wasn’t the only one who turned off the NCAA championship game last night at halftime after North Carolina took a 15-point lead over Kansas into intermission.  I was shocked to wake up this morning to find out the Jayhawks came all the way back and held off the Tar Heels for the biggest comeback in championship game history.  All the shots Kansas was missing in the first half were going in during the second half.  Kansas’s win continued the streak of a number one seed winning the tournament for the fifth year in a row.

If you didn’t see North Carolina’s coach Hubert Davis’ in game interview with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, I am replaying the video as my Video of the Day.  It is not coincidental that the Tar Heels went on a 16 point run following his speech.

Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence?  Get vaccinated and get your booster.

Orchid of the Day: The Kansas Jayhawks for winning the national championship with a record breaking comeback from being down 16 points in the first half.

Onion of the Day:  Me, for skipping the second half after of the NCAA championship game after North Carolina took a 15-point lead into intermission.

Quote of the Day: “He has always put the people he served first. It is his civility that I and Congress will miss the most. Fred really believed that he was an American first, that reaching across the aisle was important, that working together is how we get things done for the American people. His retiring is a loss for this country and especially the people of Michigan,” Democratic congresswoman Debbie Dingell about fellow congressman, Fred Upton.

Video of the Day:  North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis, mid-game interview with Tracy Wolfson.