cwsox

Mitch Albom A victory, an apology and an vital lesson at the Big House By MITCH ALBOM Detroit Free Press DETROIT - The mark of a gentleman is that he behaves like one even when he doesn't feel like it, and Lloyd Carr didn't feel like it as he ran off at halftime of the Michigan-Ohio State game. For a moment, in ungentlemanly fashion, he let mood dictate behavior. An ABC reporter fired a question about why Michigan had just run out the clock when it had three timeouts left. Carr glared at him. "Why would you ask a dumb question like that?" he said. When the reporter tried again, Carr ignored him and walked away, shaking his head as if the guy were an idiot. Now, that was wrong. It was rude. But it happens. You are not always at your best when the camera flicks on. The mark of who you are is how you own up to it. So let it be noted here that Carr, the day after, did just that. "I sincerely regret my behavior yesterday to Todd Harris," he said over the phone from his Ann Arbor home Sunday. "I was rude, and that was inexcusable." He wasn't reading from a statement. He was talking. He was genuinely sorry. And, more to the point, he had already told his team the same thing. Listen, men, I shouldn't have done that, he told them. You don't act like that. "I expect a lot out of my players," he said, "and it's only fair that I live by the same standards. "Was it a fair question? Yeah. It was a fair question. I could explain why it bothered me, but that wouldn't excuse it. What's important is that I shouldn't have behaved that way. It was wrong." Now, this might not be the kind of thing you would expect to hear from a coach the day after he beat the archest of his arch-rivals, the day after a glorious, bloody victory in a 100-game war. On a day like that, you might expect a coach to howl and holler and wave the carcass of his vanquished foe and dare anyone to question anything he does. Carr isn't like that. It is something Michigan can be proudest of. John Navarre, similarly, showed the depth of his character this weekend. For several years, the Wolverines quarterback had been the whipping boy for frustrated Michigan fans, who not only anguished over their school's failure to contend for the national championship, but bemoaned its back-to-back losses to Ohio State. Navarre, during this time, was more like a Lions quarterback, blamed for everything, a human frustration receptacle. So when he helped deliver the convincing victory Saturday - his last regular-season game for the Wolverines - Navarre could have pounded his chest. He could have told the media to kiss his butt, that he had nothing to say. Instead, he spoke thoughtfully and, at times, tearfully, of what it meant to win Saturday's game, and to leave college with a Big Ten title. "The reality was I was going to be defined by the game," he said Saturday, "so I worked harder and prepared harder, and so did this team. I wouldn't be at any other place than this, and I wouldn't want to share it with any other group of guys." You know what they call that? Maturity. Let's be honest: The pressure of college football is like a vat of boiling tar bubbling inches beneath your feet. The things Carr and Navarre deal with these days are different than they were even 15 years ago. Sports talk radio is pervasive; it creates a Greek chorus that can echo endlessly with criticism. And the Internet is a whole new source of venom, with cowards able to hide behind anonymous yet worldwide insults. After Saturday's victory, Carr called those types of attacks on Navarre "despicable." On Sunday, he elaborated: "When you're a coach, you expect to deal with those things. But I really feel it's wrong to hold college athletes to the same standards and scrutiny as we do professionals." He sighed. I see this stuff taking a toll on Carr. Over the years, he looks more tired, he sighs more often, and I get the sense he has to focus harder on being the gentleman who once came so easily to him. This is life under the magnifying glass: the flaws seem bigger, the heat gets hotter. So Michigan fans should really savor Saturday. For one thing, U-M seemed like the only school in America delirious to win its conference and go to a bowl. Players weren't arguing for BCS points. They wanted Pasadena. Besides, who knows how much longer Carr will want to put up with this stuff? He said Sunday, "I loved every minute of the last seven days" but football is a lot more than that one week, and incidents like Saturday's halftime eruption may be more telling than they look. This game just wears you out. Michigan 35, Ohio State 21. It was a good run for the roses. And who thought a game so steeped in blood and guts also could teach a few things about men and manners? story link

ah, here comes Mr. Sarcastic. I would argue it was an approprate response to a really dumb question offered in the style of Bo and Woody. Coach Carr however felt his response was wrong and opened Sunday's broadcast of Michigan Replay with an extended and profound apology to the reporter and to ABC, and also gave direct apologies to the reporter and to ABC. Want the links to the apologies or will you just keep bashing?

official white sox email (beware, it allows for a secret internet presale) JON GARLAND SIGNS ONE-YEAR CONTRACT CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox and pitcher Jon Garland have agreed to terms on a $2.3 million, one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. Garland, 24, went 12-13 with a 4.51 ERA (96 ER/191.2 IP) in 32 starts for the White Sox in 2003. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound right-hander lowered his ERA nearly three runs after May 8, going 10-10 with a 3.97 ERA (69 ER/156.1 IP) over his final 25 starts. He made 18 quality starts and matched his career high in wins (12 in 2002). Garland is averaging 11 wins, 190.1 IP, 108 strikeouts and 31 starts over his three-year career.

How is that a notice that I can buy online? That says I go in person early to Gate 5.

I would love to see the text of that email. Please?

this is good news! thanks...

since the seasons ticket holders got screwed too, it wasn't just you. I'd be pissed as hell if I were you - and imagine how I feel having asked others to go for me. I thought it would be an easy thing. Instead people lost their whole morning for nothng.

This is the text of the email - no presale or I never would have others go for me. U.S. Cellular Field Seat Sale Early access for season ticket holders only! Saturday, November 22 fans have an opportunity to purchase seats being removed as part of the latest phase of ballpark renovations. The seat sale will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2003 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at U.S. Cellular Field (333 West 35th Street). As a season ticket holder, we would like to offer you early access to this sale from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Seats will be sold from the Gate 5 ticket windows, so buyers should park in Lot B on the north side of 35th Street. Seats will be available in as-is condition for $30 (single seat) and $50 (double seats). The seats are not mounted and may be missing an outside arm. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Proceeds benefit Chicago White Sox Charities. To get all the details: www.whitesox.com

I got the emails too and I saw nothing about a presale.

Yes, it was. Did you see a Big 10 vs Pac 10 last year in the Rose Bowl? The Orange Bowl took Iowa. I doubt the Rose Bowl will buck tradition (great pun, huh?) and put two Big 10 teams that have already played in the Rose Bowl, but Washington State losing cost a Pac 10 team being there unless USC somehow still ends up in the Rose.

1. How about over 200 yeards to total offense from Perry? 1a. Oh? They hadn't faced anyone like Michigan. 2. Lot of good that did them. 3. Not the last two seasons, that is not true at all. 4. That was never at issue. Carr is there as long as he wants to be. Repeat, that was never at issue. It was a dominating performance. If that one touchdown had not been called back, UM may have totally rolled them. As it was, OSU has lived off things like that all year and they got a boost from the called back touchdown, and that kept the roll over from happening. I understand that the ref's call was good, that indeed Michigan was holding on that play. The kid and I ended up on the field. It was a great day, But then: It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine.

someone asked for this somewhere so here it is wsi thread on soxtalk

for those who missed this at WSI - and I wanted to post it here only but this site wasn't up and it was good to not post: As my grandson and I sat in stop and go traffic on 23 last Saturday, on the way to The Game, maybe 10:15 AM, a guy in the car in front of us (with Ohio plates and an OSU sticker) jumps out of the car in his scarlet shirt and runs barely into the woods and urinates. By the time we got off 23 and onto Washtenaw and almost to Stadium, we saw a bunch of other scarlet clad males do the same. My grandson says, "I thought only cub fans did that." About an hour after the game he looks ar me and says, "I want to go the game next year and pee all over their place." Making plans to go to colUMbus right now. Raising that child right, Go You White Sox and Go Blue!

I don't want Griffey in a White Sox uniform. Not now, not ever.

The Church liturgical answer: Absent all the technical data about placement to St. Andrews Day, the 4 Sundays prior to Christmas are the Advent Season. That is a full 4 Sundays so if December 25 is a Sunday, 27 November is the 1st Sunday in Advent. The latest that the 1st Sunday in Advent can be is December 3rd. So this upcoming Sunday is the 1st Sunday in Advent. December 6th is the Commemoration of St. Nicholaus. Christmas begins at midnight December 24/25. The Nativity of our Savior may be liturgically celebrated on the evening of December 24th. There are 12 days of Christmas - they are really 12 days of Christmas, December 25-January 5. The time to properly put up your Christmas tree is December 24th and it goes down January 5th. Christmas music does not get played until the Nativity of our Savior worship service and not until then. Christmas music gets played from the Nativity of our Savior worship service through January 5th. January 6th, the 13th day after Christmas, is the Day of Epiphany and that ends the Christmas music. If everyone followed the liturgical calendar, Christmas would not be tiresome and the music annoying before we even get there. A side note: in Greek there is no letter "ch" it is an "X." In many litugical symbols the X represents Christ, sometimes an XR (the Chi Rho). You will see the X representing Christ on clerical and church vestments, stained glass windows, Chrismons, etc. It has ancient liturgical usage. Thus if I write Xmas, I am not taking Christ out of Christmas (a claim made by uninformed people), I am using the traditional Church symbol for Christ.

Jas, the picture on the top, of the board ("change is good") is great - great pic as it is and very timely

I am not sure that they were presold to seasons tickets holders on the internet. Granted I was not there but I had friends go for me for the sale to seasons tickets holders and they too got nothing. I hear there were only a small handful available and everyone, seasons tickets holders and not, were left with nothing other than wasted time. If tyhere had been a way to buy them over the internet, I would have saved my friends the waste of time of going to get seats.

we are here, really here? my avatar seems to be lost - it keeps telling my the file is too big (same size it always has been) and the menu has been disabled. Help !!

HB KWF!

yes he was killed the body will be found next week if they try and claim he survived - the copter fell right on time of him - I will quit the show - they were just lifting the helipcopter at the end of the show and I didn't see the body under it but they did the scene fast so I suppose we watch next week

I am usually in the mid 11 to low 13,000 range, with the occasional game falling either side of that. I have had scores as low as in the 8,000s. My highest is 14,624. I wish I could do that more often! That game you mention, they do that periodically in the week. It can be tough. You got to try on Tuesday nights. They have all these special games (must be the lure to get you out on Tuesday) that are a lot of fun, 60s trivia and things like that, and different ways of scoring. Take the wife and play - those are some really fun games as opposed to the usual trivia.

I was really sad to hear Ken Brett died. He was a really good guy, as a player and as a person. And he got jobbed out of a no hitter in the worst way - although since the game went extra innings might not have gotten credit for it anyway.

If you are reaching the bonus level, I have it figured it should be 1,000 points each half hour. And that sounds like what I am sure of, that you reach the bonus point level every time.

Unfortunately I am addicted to NTN, play it 5-7 days a week. (Of course a part of that is lunch every day; it is the evenings that I go in that are killer.) Good for the bar, not good for my wallet. But I have a goal I am working on and that will be done by the end of the year. Right now I am 3rd on our all time bar list and that is only because I played 6 years before I bothered to sign up, which I only did last February. I intend to claim my rightful position of 1st before the year is out. I am only about 80,000 away from that and I can make that easily. Have you played Tuesday night? Between 7 and 10 pm EST it is possibkle to earn 10,000 P+ points. For those wondering what NTN is, it is the bar trivia game. Is it played near you? press the link for site finder

I was amazed how fast they got it at WSI