Letters to the Editor
-
You're so right
In a way this is about the mushy fantasy that is "The American Dream". From a millionaire on a yacht who says "all you have to do is work hard and you can be like me," to an actor in the Hollywood Hills who goes on about how many auditions he went to and how many tables he bussed while fighting for his Big Break, the dream is sold to all the working stiffs who know deep inside that no matter how hard they work, they will never be like that mogul or that actor.
Usually, it's about being in the right place at the right time, or knowing the right people. Of course, there have been plenty of true success stories about the Korean immigrant who works in a grocery store and ends up owning the block. Or the Mexican who starts out pulling weeds and ends up owning the landscape company. (Sorry if those are stereotypes, but does anyone deny that there are lots of Mexicans working in landscaping? Didn't think so).
Here's the sad truth. You can work your ass off in this country and die broke. Lots of people have done it. And you can "know how to win", but if you're 37 and batting, facing a 21-year-old who throws 101 mph and has a wicked changeup, knowing how to win is not going to help you hit that ball.
-
The Stones
Having the stones to dis The Stones... well, for my [currency redacted], you guys probably are better than The Stones.
Are there any MP3s out there of your stuff? I have a really, really low opinion of the Rolling Bones, so you guys might just get some independent validation for your opinion.
I think an investigative examination on the nature of failure could be interesting, if monumentally depressing.
-
Ah, but here you are...
...making a living as a writer. All that confidence must have been good for something!
-
Sorry to do this...
but the Reds swept the Dodgers 3-0 in the 1995 NLDS and then got swept by the Braves in the NLCS.
-
Griffey Jr. Revisited
Sorry to bring this up again when today's subject is about the polar opposite, i.e. winning, but I have to respond to the horse-asses from 24 hours ago.
Yesterday some incorrigible twit said Griffey was having a great year. I spanked him for saying something so absurd, and then a gang of ignorant snot nose punks attacked me. They were shooting spitballs at the SS NIMITZ.
Look jerks. Griffey's current .285 batting average, .384 on base, and .566 slugging is not great. It's not even close to great. Well, granted, it's great next to Griffey's average for his first 7 full seasons with the Reds----23 homers, 65 RBIs, and a .271 batting average.........Pujols is off to his worst year of his 7 and he's .306, .399, .547. His career numbers are .330, .417, .623.
By the way, it looks like the Reds have another Adam Dunn/Ken Griffey blossoming at the moment in Josh Hamilton----10 homers and 22 RBIs.
The Reds lead the majors in homers, and were out of the wild card race by the end of May. That's not great. That's Dunn and Griffey. Making millions.
P.S. .....Since the start of the 2002 season the Reds have struck out 6,873 times. And have not finished above .500. There's nothing great about the 21st century Reds, Griffey included.
And if anyone questions or insults me again, ever, I'll quit posting in protest
-
Wesley Powell...
How do the goats you blow taste?
-
Wesley,...
You're a butt. I agree with you about Griffey, but you're still a butt. Will you stop posting now?
-
We're happy Griffey didn't break something.
But it's coming, you know it's coming. The exploding hamstring, the mysterious groin pull, the broken wrist. He would have already hit 800 HR's if he hadn't spent the last 7 years injured. But like swallows to Capistrano, some part of Ken Griffey is going to break down or break off.
-
Those 1970's Cincinnati Reds.
Sparky Anderson always thought it was his managerial brilliance...
-
Confidence
I would think confidence matters more in a game like golf than it does in baseball. In golf, it's just you making a shot. If you don't have confidence in the shot, you'll likely fail. Confidence can lead to single-mindedness and focus, and that can't hurt when it comes to making a shot on the golf course.
But in baseball, it's not just you. One would think both the pitcher and the batter could have all the confidence in the world. They are, after all, major-leaguers. But if both are confident, who's going to win the battle? Looking at the statistics, the pitcher wins most of the time. Does that mean pitchers have more confidence than batters? Maybe we should trot out a lineup of only pitchers. That would surely inspire confidence!
If I'm going to have confidence in anything, it's that we can always depend on some sportscaster or another making some sort of stupid comment about how important some kind of "intangible" is to playing the game. Um, there's a *reason* it's called "intangible", folks. I'm quite confident of that.
-
We're getting the band back together!
Go Smokejumpers!
-
I disagree
I think you're missing several factors in performance. Stress and fear can change how you play a game. Choking is a very real phenomena(See Schottenheimer). There have been studies done that show that choking occurs when a person thinks through an athletic action instead of letting their body and reflexes take over.
Experience reduces stress levels. If you've been in the finals before you experience less stress than the first time you go to the finals.
I'm not saying talent, ability and luck are less important than experience, but I do believe that experience reduces stress and can be the governing factor.
-
more ability than luck
anonymous said: "Usually, it's about being in the right place at the right time, or knowing the right people."
No, I think it is most of all about ability. Some people just have a lot more of it than others, whatever the reasons (hard work, genetics, etc) might be. Certainly luck plays a big role. However, on average, the guys who make it in the major leagues have a hell of a lot more ability than those who did not. The same goes for any field of endeavor.