It has been an exhausting 36 hours, so I am going freestyle tonight. Everything is off the top of my head.
After staying up past midnight to watch the Michigan/Iowa game, I was up at 5:30 Sunday morning in preparation for our trip to Brighton on Sunday to watch my granddaughter Alaina participate in her first ever trampoline and tumbling competition. Her first event was at 11:30 so we were on the road by 7:30AM. Her last event was at 3:30. She did extremely well so it was worth the trip. On the way home today, we attended a visitation in Lansing for my good friend Tom Peterson’s brother Mike’s who passed away last week. We arrived home at 5:30 pm.
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On Saturday morning I read an article in the NY Times about how we don’t dance enough. The article wasn’t talking about dancing at weddings or other such events. It said we don’t dance enough in our daily lives. It talked about the joy one gets when just dancing or moving to the beat of music. It talked about incorporating dancing into our regular routines, such as housework or as we exercise. It was quite uplifting and thought provoking.
In the article it referenced Snowball, the dancing Cockatoo, from a You Tube video. I watched the video and started laughing and moving with joy.
See my Video of the Day. We all should be like Snowball.
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In early September 2014, Leah and I finished our New England vacation with a trip to Cooperstown to see the Baseball Hall of Fame. After checking into our motel in the evening, I went back down to the front desk to inquire about attending the Hall of Fame in the morning. The clerk noticed my Detroit Tiger sweatshirt and started telling me about former Tiger manager Jim Leyland, who had just retired as the Tiger manager the year before. Leyland had stayed at the motel during the July 2014 Hall of Fame induction ceremony for his good friend and mentor Tony La Russa
The clerk was gushing with compliments about Leyland. He said Leyland was down to earth, friendly, accommodating, and engaging with everyone at the motel. The clerk showed me some pictures he took of Leyland, including a selfie. The clerk told me that he hoped one day Leyland gets inducted into the Hall of Fame because he would like to be there when it happens.
The clerk may get his chance, because the Hall of Fame announced yesterday that Jim Leyland will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July 2024. Leyland received 15 of 16 votes from the committee that selects managers, umpires, and administrators for the Hall of Fame. It takes 12 votes to be selected.
Leyland is the only manager in baseball history to win a World Series (Marlins) and World Baseball Classic title (USA 2017). Leyland is one of two managers in baseball history to win three straight division titles with two franchises. He three-peated in the National League East with the Pirates from 1990-92 and in the American League Central with the Tigers from 2011-13.
The only question will be the team hat that he wears for his plaque. Leyland managed the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-96), Florida Marlins (1997-98), Colorado Rockies (1999) and Tigers (2006-13) throughout his Hall of Fame-caliber career, along with managing Team USA to the 2017 World Baseball Classic championship. I bet it will be the Pirates.
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The College Football Playoffs are set and the fact that Florida State has been excluded after going 13-0 has created a firestorm. FSU is the first team from a power five conference to undefeated, win their conference championship, and be excluded from the playoffs. In addition to Michigan and Washington, both of whom were undefeated power five conference champions, the CFP decided to select 12-1 Texas and 12-1 Alabama over Florida State.
The charge of the selection committee is to pick the four best college teams to participate in the playoffs. The definition of best is left to the committee to decide. Florida State’s starting quarterback suffered a season ending injury in week 10. Florida State is not nearly as good as they were prior to the injury to their QB, even though they won the remaining games including the conference championship.
Is this fair? Hell no!!! Is Florida State one the top four teams in college football at this moment in time? No, they are not. If you do not believe me, answer this question. As a Michigan fan, if you had to pick an opponent for the semifinal game that gives Michigan the best chance to win, which of the following teams would you choose, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, or Ohio State? The answer is Florida State because they are not as good as Alabama, Georgia, or OSU at the time of yesterday’s selection.
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As I was driving through Lansing today, I-496 was under lots of construction. If a section wasn’t under construction, the section had new pavement, bridges, and overpasses.
No wonder the legislature and the governor haven’t come up with a plan to fix our state’s roads. With the condition of the freeways in Lansing, they probably don’t think our roads are a problem anymore.
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In between my granddaughters tumbling and trampoline competition, I was going into the lobby to watch the Lions/Saints game. After the Lions jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 7 minutes of the game, it was hold your breath and hang on for dear life. The fun part was watching all the dads coming out and checking on the game. At half time, everyone was feeling good as the Lions had a 24-7 lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Saints had rallied, and their faces and comments were of gloom and doom and the Same old Lions.
After 65 years of futility, I cannot blame them. But this is not the Same Old Lions. This team does what it needs to do at crunch time when the game is on the line. For the last 22 games this team is 17-5. They haven’t won a division title or a playoff game yet, but it is only a matter of time.
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Quote of the Day: “It’s the final stop, really, as far as your baseball career goes. To end up there, to land there in Cooperstown, it doesn’t get any better than that. That’s the ultimate. I certainly never thought it was going to happen, but it did.” Jim Leyland after being told he was being selected to the Hall of Fame.
Orchid of the Day: Jim Leyland.
Onion of the Day: The Ohio State starting quarterback announced today that he is entering the transfer portal, thus leaving his teammates high and dry as they prepare for their bowl game. Unfortunately, he is not the only player who is entering the transfer portal prior to his team’s bowl game. So much for the team.
Question of the Day: If not Alabama, who?
Image/Video of the Day: Snowball, the dancing Cockatoo.