So, late Tuesday night the Patriots decided to trade Randy Moss back to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for just one third round draft pick. While it doesn't seem like a lot for a guy who is a arguably a top-5 all-time receiver, it's still a better return than the fourth rounder they sent to Oakland to get him. Now, Moss was in the last year of his contract and had made no secret that he wanted a new deal, he didn't expect the Patriots to give it to him and thus expected this to be his last year with the team. He didn't come across as complaining (at least not to me), but instead like a professional athlete who has seen it all during his rather lengthy career and knows that it would simply be a business decision. Turns out he was right, although he probably expected to finish the season here. Now, for as professionally he was handling his situation in public, Moss had a reputation of being a bit of a complainer if he didn't get his way, so he may have been a pain behind the scenes about his lack of a new deal. The Patriots could have simply decided that this was the best they were going to get and it was better to trade him now than watch him walk this offseason and receive nothing in return (like they did with Richard Seymour just last year). However, I don't think a lack of progress on a new deal is the only reason Randy is heading back to Minnesota.
There are a couple things that I feel have become clear in the aftermath of the trade, the first of which is that there was not a lot of back-and-forth negotiating between the two front offices. Rumors that they were talking about a swap didn't leak until Tuesday night and the trade was official by Wednesday afternoon. For a sport that doesn't feature a lot of blockbuster trades during the season, that is lightning fast. Also, the Patriots only got one pick back (no addition late selections, which they love) and that makes me think that they wanted to get this done quickly and never really haggled. That quick trigger leads me to believe that something of consequence happened during that Monday Night Football game in which Moss didn't have a single catch. There are reports that Moss and quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien got into a heat discussion about the lack of passes directed at Moss during halftime, but what I meant by 'something of consequence' is that it must have been more than just a discussion about the game plan. I hardly doubt that Monday was the first time Randy complained about the offense, so either this had been festering for a while or it was one hell of a major blow-out argument to be the straw that broke the camel's back. And while football coaches may not like to be questioned about how they run the team, a guy with Moss's talent has earned the right to complain about how he is being used without being unceremoniously dumped immediately after.
Now, while I do think that the Patriots took a major step back in talent at the wide receiver position, I do not think that this signals any kind of waving of the white flag on the 2010 Patriot season. You have to think that Coach Belichick feels secure with the personnel he has remaining on offense or he wouldn't have traded Moss and risked pissing off the best quarterback the franchise has ever known. Besides, the offense was never going to be the issue hanging over this team anyway. Whether they had kept Randy or not, it is going to be the defense that dictates how far they go this year, which makes the fact that Monday was probably their best defensive effort kind of ironic. Also, you have to keep this in mind: the Patriots won all their Super Bowls without a big-name receiver. The great thing about quarterbacks like Brady and Manning is that they manage to bring out the absolute best their guys have to offer. (There is a reason no one ever manages to get their money's worth when they sign these guys away.) The Patriots will be still be able to put up points with Welker, Price, Hernandez and Edelman. Therefore, the plan going forward today is the same as it was before Moss was traded. What they need to do is hope that they can hang on, scratch their way into the playoffs, and that the young secondary they have will be able to round into form when the time comes. If that happens it won't matter that Moss is no longer a Patriot.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Letter To My New Nephew
Dear D-Mac,
First off, welcome to the family. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we all are that you are here. It's going to be a little odd dealing with a little boy after the onslaught of girls that came before you, but we're going to do our best. Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, I'm sure your dad is going to do a great job of teaching you all the 'guy stuff' that you need to get through life: spitting, how to change a tire, how to throw a baseball and, because of who your father is, how to build a lightsaber and play Frisbee golf. But, the thing is that your dad never had sisters and you've already got a couple older sisters waiting for you at home. This is where I come in. You see, I also grew up with a couple older sisters, which is why you and I are going to share a special bond. I've lived through it and I figured I should give you a heads up on some of the things you want to know going in, to save you the time of having to learn it on your own.
-One of the first thing you need to know about having older sisters is that you're going to learn a lot of unwanted information. This comes with the territory of bringing up the rear in any family because until you get old enough to be left home alone, you get dragged to a lot of functions you normally wouldn't choose to attend. Unfortunately, since you're following two girls, that means you are going to learn some things that won't be very helpful in the long run. You're going to know a lot about things like Barbie Dolls, Disney Princesses, ballet, gymnastics, making a French braid, lyrics to songs by boy-bands and picking out a prom dress. And, for some reason, these will be the things that stick in your head.
-Another thing I want to clue you in on, because I know you and you sisters are sharing a wall: when your sisters knock on your bedroom wall and ask you to come in for a second, don't go - it's a trick. They're going to tell you that they need to talk to you about something really important, but that's a lie. They just want you to either turn off their lights or bring them some water without having to get out of bed. I know that in your mind you'll think this could be the one time that it actually turns out to be important, but it won't be. It's never important. I fell for this every time. Don't repeat my mistake.
-So, there is one last thing about sisters and this is very important. No matter how frustrated you get with them, you can't hit your sisters. Oh, and this is strictly a one-way street. Welcome to being a brother. I know your mom and Mamo are going to tell you that the girls shouldn't be hitting you anyway, but when you get a little older I'll tell you about the time Auntie Amy gave me a black eye after she hit me in the face with Barbie's Corvette. The good news is that they stop hitting as soon as you get bigger than them which, because you are a male Rakauskas/Brenizer hybrid, should be by the time you're seven.
Now, I don't want you to think that having older sisters is all bad. Actually, it's a pretty sweet deal. Plus, you lucked out because not only are your sisters already pretty great, they're being trained by my older sister, who was awesome. Older sisters means you always have someone to play with, there is always someone there to help with things like tying your shoes until you get the hang of it and older sisters are some of the best bodyguards you could ever find once school starts. Not to mention, siblings share all sorts of fun secrets. (You should know, however, that while your parents will pretend they are completely unaware of these secrets, they know everything because you and your sisters aren't nearly as slick as you think.)
So, David, there's a couple things to get you started. There is a lot more you'll find out about as you go along, but I'm going to let you find that out for yourself. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprises. Just know that if you have any questions, I'm always here to help.
Love you,
-Uncle Tommy
First off, welcome to the family. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we all are that you are here. It's going to be a little odd dealing with a little boy after the onslaught of girls that came before you, but we're going to do our best. Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, I'm sure your dad is going to do a great job of teaching you all the 'guy stuff' that you need to get through life: spitting, how to change a tire, how to throw a baseball and, because of who your father is, how to build a lightsaber and play Frisbee golf. But, the thing is that your dad never had sisters and you've already got a couple older sisters waiting for you at home. This is where I come in. You see, I also grew up with a couple older sisters, which is why you and I are going to share a special bond. I've lived through it and I figured I should give you a heads up on some of the things you want to know going in, to save you the time of having to learn it on your own.
-One of the first thing you need to know about having older sisters is that you're going to learn a lot of unwanted information. This comes with the territory of bringing up the rear in any family because until you get old enough to be left home alone, you get dragged to a lot of functions you normally wouldn't choose to attend. Unfortunately, since you're following two girls, that means you are going to learn some things that won't be very helpful in the long run. You're going to know a lot about things like Barbie Dolls, Disney Princesses, ballet, gymnastics, making a French braid, lyrics to songs by boy-bands and picking out a prom dress. And, for some reason, these will be the things that stick in your head.
-Another thing I want to clue you in on, because I know you and you sisters are sharing a wall: when your sisters knock on your bedroom wall and ask you to come in for a second, don't go - it's a trick. They're going to tell you that they need to talk to you about something really important, but that's a lie. They just want you to either turn off their lights or bring them some water without having to get out of bed. I know that in your mind you'll think this could be the one time that it actually turns out to be important, but it won't be. It's never important. I fell for this every time. Don't repeat my mistake.
-So, there is one last thing about sisters and this is very important. No matter how frustrated you get with them, you can't hit your sisters. Oh, and this is strictly a one-way street. Welcome to being a brother. I know your mom and Mamo are going to tell you that the girls shouldn't be hitting you anyway, but when you get a little older I'll tell you about the time Auntie Amy gave me a black eye after she hit me in the face with Barbie's Corvette. The good news is that they stop hitting as soon as you get bigger than them which, because you are a male Rakauskas/Brenizer hybrid, should be by the time you're seven.
Now, I don't want you to think that having older sisters is all bad. Actually, it's a pretty sweet deal. Plus, you lucked out because not only are your sisters already pretty great, they're being trained by my older sister, who was awesome. Older sisters means you always have someone to play with, there is always someone there to help with things like tying your shoes until you get the hang of it and older sisters are some of the best bodyguards you could ever find once school starts. Not to mention, siblings share all sorts of fun secrets. (You should know, however, that while your parents will pretend they are completely unaware of these secrets, they know everything because you and your sisters aren't nearly as slick as you think.)
So, David, there's a couple things to get you started. There is a lot more you'll find out about as you go along, but I'm going to let you find that out for yourself. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprises. Just know that if you have any questions, I'm always here to help.
Love you,
-Uncle Tommy
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Meet David!
Just before 9 AM this morning, my family welcomed
another wonderful addition to the next generation.
David MacLean Brenizer weighing in at 8 pounds, 15 ounces.
Because we never call any of the kids in this family
by their actual names, we're going to be calling him D-Mac.
While almost nine pounds is big for any other family,
for this crew he's a little under-sized.
I definitely would have taken the "over" on his weight.
And as you can see, he's already got his 'pout-pout' face ready.
Welcome to the family, David!
Welcome to the family, David!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Aging Gracefully
Because I consider myself an extremely loyal person, one of my least favorite things in sports occurs when a player who has been with only one team for a lengthy career switches teams. Even if it isn't a team I normally root for, I hate seeing guys change teams at the tail end of their careers because they can't accept that they might not be the great player they once were and continue to chase that competitive high. Jerry Rice never looked quite right in that Raiders jersey and it was downright bizarre to see Michael Jordan as a shell of his former greatness wearing Washington Wizard blue. However, the saddest examples are when a player is so desperate to keep starting that they are willing to take the pay cut or reduced role, demand a release from their contract and wind up signing a contract in a rival city, usually for a contract that is only slightly better than the one they just turned down. Now they have undone years of goodwill for a monetary difference that in the end probably won't cover the agent's cut and movers fees. It just makes you wish that the next collective bargaining agreement would add a provision where the longer a player has been with one organization, the less their contract counts against the cap, but we all know there is no way that can happen.
As an adult I know that I shouldn't be effected by this, because at this point in my life I've seen it enough to know the reality. My closet is littered with jerseys of guys who started in New England and returned wearing some other team's colors. Professional sports are strictly a business and in any business tough decisions need to be made. There is only so much punishment the human body can take before a player will age passed their usefulness or stop playing up to the standards which they are expected to reach and suddenly they are no longer worth the money and find themselves unemployed. It happens a dozen times a year and in almost every sport. In fact, most general managers are lauded as geniuses if they release a player who only has one good year left in them rather than sign them to an extension and have to pay them for an extra year or two. However, just because it's common doesn't make it suck any less. The reason that this keeps happening is that athletes are among the least self-aware people on the planet. Because they have been pumped up by various coaches and family members since they were in junior high, they are always the last to know when their career is over.
Anyway, I couldn't help but think about this when Red Sox manager Terry Francona removed catcher Jason Varitek in the ninth inning of yesterday's season finale against the Yankees to make sure he got a proper ovation from the Fenway crowd in what was likely his last game with the team. I'm admittedly not a big baseball fan, but Varitek was my favorite Red Sox. 'Tek was invaluable for the 2004 Red Sox and his ability to handle a pitching staff is widely regarded as among the best in Major League Baseball. But, Varitek's contract is expiring and he is going to turn 39 just before the start of next season, which is ancient for a catcher. His power numbers have dropped the last couple of seasons and his batting average isn't what it used to be. Because of that it is unlikely the Sox are going to want to re-sign him, even in a back-up role. To be honest, it was surprising he was even brought back this season after the Sox got Victor Martinez at the trading deadline last year. And while 'Tek had slightly better numbers with his catching duties reduced this year, it doesn't mean the Sox are planning to bring him back for one more go round. Both sides are leaving the door open for a return, but it doesn't seem too likely. It's not an issue of money, but the Sox believe there are better catching options out there and they probably aren't wrong. Basically, consider this post a preemptive strike about how much I'm going to hate it when 'Tek rolls into Fenway next season and gets a token at-bat as a member of the Rays.
As an adult I know that I shouldn't be effected by this, because at this point in my life I've seen it enough to know the reality. My closet is littered with jerseys of guys who started in New England and returned wearing some other team's colors. Professional sports are strictly a business and in any business tough decisions need to be made. There is only so much punishment the human body can take before a player will age passed their usefulness or stop playing up to the standards which they are expected to reach and suddenly they are no longer worth the money and find themselves unemployed. It happens a dozen times a year and in almost every sport. In fact, most general managers are lauded as geniuses if they release a player who only has one good year left in them rather than sign them to an extension and have to pay them for an extra year or two. However, just because it's common doesn't make it suck any less. The reason that this keeps happening is that athletes are among the least self-aware people on the planet. Because they have been pumped up by various coaches and family members since they were in junior high, they are always the last to know when their career is over.
Anyway, I couldn't help but think about this when Red Sox manager Terry Francona removed catcher Jason Varitek in the ninth inning of yesterday's season finale against the Yankees to make sure he got a proper ovation from the Fenway crowd in what was likely his last game with the team. I'm admittedly not a big baseball fan, but Varitek was my favorite Red Sox. 'Tek was invaluable for the 2004 Red Sox and his ability to handle a pitching staff is widely regarded as among the best in Major League Baseball. But, Varitek's contract is expiring and he is going to turn 39 just before the start of next season, which is ancient for a catcher. His power numbers have dropped the last couple of seasons and his batting average isn't what it used to be. Because of that it is unlikely the Sox are going to want to re-sign him, even in a back-up role. To be honest, it was surprising he was even brought back this season after the Sox got Victor Martinez at the trading deadline last year. And while 'Tek had slightly better numbers with his catching duties reduced this year, it doesn't mean the Sox are planning to bring him back for one more go round. Both sides are leaving the door open for a return, but it doesn't seem too likely. It's not an issue of money, but the Sox believe there are better catching options out there and they probably aren't wrong. Basically, consider this post a preemptive strike about how much I'm going to hate it when 'Tek rolls into Fenway next season and gets a token at-bat as a member of the Rays.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Your Weekly Musical Interlude
Normally this blog is about all the little things that catch my eye during my adventures out in the world. However, between the Ryder Cup and football all weekend, I haven't been out in the world much for the last couple of days. I wouldn't want to write about nothing but football and golf all weekend anyway. Plus, because Sundays are always a tough day to come up with something to write about, I'm making an executive decision: every Sunday is going to be musical interlude day. Instead of my normal ramblings, I'm going to give you either a playlist or music video of a song I enjoy that. Could be a new song or an older song that is back in my head.
This week's selection is from a band that has been following me around for a couple weeks. Seems every time I turn on the radio lately I am greeted by Third Eye Blind, which reminds me of being a freshman in college. I must have played this song about 100 times during my freshman year radio show.
This week's selection is from a band that has been following me around for a couple weeks. Seems every time I turn on the radio lately I am greeted by Third Eye Blind, which reminds me of being a freshman in college. I must have played this song about 100 times during my freshman year radio show.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Thou Doth Protest Too Much
The other day I was watching an interview on ESPN with Washington Redskins' defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, where he was discussing his situation with the team. For those of you who aren't big NFL fans I'll give you the quick synopsis: two years ago when Albert was a free agent the Redskins jumped at the chance to give him the richest contract in NFL history for a defensive player (a contract which I said at the time was a bad idea because it was clearly a case of a guy only playing well in a contract year and not really being worth nearly that much money). Haynesworth had an alright season but the team as a whole didn't play well, so following the season the Redskins fired their coach Jim Zorn and brought in a new head coach, Mike Shanahan. Shanahan's first declaration was that the team from be switching to a 3-4 defense (three defensive lineman and four linebackers) instead of playing the 4-3 (four defensive lineman and only three linebackers) that they had played under Zorn. While this doesn't sound like a big deal, playing a 3-4 versus a 4-3 puts a lot more pressure and responsibility on the defensive tackle, who is asked to absorb more hits. Haynesworth was not interested in that kind of responsibility or taking that much punishment, no matter how large of a contract he had signed.
Because he was unhappy with this change Haynesworth avoided any team activities during the offseason in an effort to force a trade, which annoyed a lot of his teammates and his coaches. Haynesworth got a large signing bonus check during the offseason and the feeling was that if he was going to take the team's money then he should be around to do the work during the offseason. Now, in Haynesworth's defense, when he was a free agent he had specifically avoided even visiting teams that played the 3-4; he wasn't interested in playing in that system and didn't even want to hear their contract offers. On the other hand, if you're being paid a hundred million dollars then you should be willing to accept some changes. When Haynesworth finally did show up for training camp Shanahan made him run through a conditioning drill alone, saying that no one else had to run because the rest of the team had all been there for all the team workouts. It was a 300-yard spring drill, which is funny because defensive tackles don't run 300 yards in a game and this was seen as Shanahan trying to show Haynesworth who was boss. But Haynesworth failed the test and then begged out of taking it again, claiming he had a sore knee. Shanahan then countered by playing Haynesworth sparingly during the preseason, keeping him out there with the fourth stringers and has been inconsistent with his playing time during the first three weeks of the regular season.
All signs point to this ending badly, but not quickly. Which is why Albert went on a PR campaign this week and told his side of the story in an extended interview with ESPN where he told the interviewer that this wasn't his fault and that, "I'm a good person." Here's the problem with that: whenever anyone goes out of their way to tell people that they are a good person, I automatically assume that they are just the opposite. You know who never has to try to convince people that they are a nice person? Nice people. They show it through their actions and let everyone reach that conclusion on their own. Taking a large check that was given to you in good faith, knowing full well the implications, but then staging a mini-holdout and demanding a trade are not the actions of a good person. The seem more like the actions of someone who thinks that they should always get their way and are going to pout if they don't. Ironically, this interview probably had the opposite effect from what Haynesworth was hoping for because people had begun to see him as a sympathetic figure and feel as though the Redskins were picking on him. This might undo all the sympathy he has built up and instead he's coming across as a guy who is trying to convince everyone that this situation is not his fault. Someone needs to pull him aside and remind him that sometimes shutting up and letting people come to their own conclusions is the most compelling argument you can make.
Because he was unhappy with this change Haynesworth avoided any team activities during the offseason in an effort to force a trade, which annoyed a lot of his teammates and his coaches. Haynesworth got a large signing bonus check during the offseason and the feeling was that if he was going to take the team's money then he should be around to do the work during the offseason. Now, in Haynesworth's defense, when he was a free agent he had specifically avoided even visiting teams that played the 3-4; he wasn't interested in playing in that system and didn't even want to hear their contract offers. On the other hand, if you're being paid a hundred million dollars then you should be willing to accept some changes. When Haynesworth finally did show up for training camp Shanahan made him run through a conditioning drill alone, saying that no one else had to run because the rest of the team had all been there for all the team workouts. It was a 300-yard spring drill, which is funny because defensive tackles don't run 300 yards in a game and this was seen as Shanahan trying to show Haynesworth who was boss. But Haynesworth failed the test and then begged out of taking it again, claiming he had a sore knee. Shanahan then countered by playing Haynesworth sparingly during the preseason, keeping him out there with the fourth stringers and has been inconsistent with his playing time during the first three weeks of the regular season.
All signs point to this ending badly, but not quickly. Which is why Albert went on a PR campaign this week and told his side of the story in an extended interview with ESPN where he told the interviewer that this wasn't his fault and that, "I'm a good person." Here's the problem with that: whenever anyone goes out of their way to tell people that they are a good person, I automatically assume that they are just the opposite. You know who never has to try to convince people that they are a nice person? Nice people. They show it through their actions and let everyone reach that conclusion on their own. Taking a large check that was given to you in good faith, knowing full well the implications, but then staging a mini-holdout and demanding a trade are not the actions of a good person. The seem more like the actions of someone who thinks that they should always get their way and are going to pout if they don't. Ironically, this interview probably had the opposite effect from what Haynesworth was hoping for because people had begun to see him as a sympathetic figure and feel as though the Redskins were picking on him. This might undo all the sympathy he has built up and instead he's coming across as a guy who is trying to convince everyone that this situation is not his fault. Someone needs to pull him aside and remind him that sometimes shutting up and letting people come to their own conclusions is the most compelling argument you can make.
Friday, October 1, 2010
A Rambling Movie Review
Yesterday I went and took in a mid-afternoon showing of the (kinda) new movie, The Town. Now, I admit since it was filmed in Boston I went in wanting to enjoy the movie, because I want to see anything linked to Boston to come out a success. Fortunately, The Town didn't need my pro-Boston slant, because it was really good on its own. The movie was well-written with nice pace and solid action throughout. There were only one or two scenes that I felt dragged on and despite those I never looked at my watch the entire time. Also I saw a bunch of locations that I have actually been to, so I know that it was filmed in Boston, which makes a huge difference. There is just something about a chase scene through streets that are 15 feet long before becoming one-way streets going in the opposite direction that make you know you are watching a movie that was actually made here, not on a Hollywood back lot with producers trying to cover it up by throwing in a shot of the Prudential Center. And because I like my Boston movies authentic, I want to especially take a second to compliment the actors on their use of the Boston accents. Unlike a couple a couple of actor's attempts in The Departed (Martin Sheen) it did not sound like the entire cast was attempting to do their best Ted Kennedy-meets-Mayor-Quimby impression for two hours.
Actually, the entire movie was very well-acted, which I was not expecting. While Jeremy Renner has emerged as a solid performer the last couple of years I didn't expect much beyond him. I mean, let's not kid ourselves - there is a reason Ben Affleck's Oscar was awarded for writing and not acting. (Which reminds me, Affleck apparently did some script work to make the dialog more authentic to Boston and if that is the case he deserves a tremendous amount of credit, because no one sounded like they were trying too hard.) But Affleck was pretty solid in a slightly restrained part and Jon Hamm was especially good, putting on just enough sleaze that you weren't sure if you liked him or not, which was the whole point of his character. Even Blake Lively, who I was told was horrendous, did a fine job. True, her role could have been played by a number of young actresses and it wouldn't have changed anything, but in a role that small you don't need a big-time actress - you just need someone who isn't going to murder the movie whenever she is on screen, which Lively did. It seems like most movies I have seen lately aren't worth the trip to the theatres and you could very easily wait for them to show up On-Demand, but I would definitely recommend you head out and see The Town on the big screen. It's worth the money.
-I woke up before dawn this morning to watch the Ryder Cup and stumbled over to the TV still half-asleep, only to be greeted with a rain delay. Apparently it is the rainy season over in Wales and they'll be lucky to finish this thing by Tuesday. Now, while I had no problem rolling over and going back to bed, Team USA had a bigger issue with the rain, because it turns out that their new Sun Mountain rain gear was not good at blocking actual rain. In fact, it appeared to be soaking in more water than it blocked. Seems like something that could have been tested at any point during last two years, especially since you knew that the team will be playing in a country known for its rain, but I guess they never got around to it. A team official had to run to the fan merchandise tent during the delay and buy new rain gain from a European company at a cost of about $550 per player. When I worked at Reebok, the marketing people always said that customers want to wear clothing as close to what the athletes are wearing as possible. Well, you can't get much closer than standing in line behind the guy ordering new uniforms.
Actually, the entire movie was very well-acted, which I was not expecting. While Jeremy Renner has emerged as a solid performer the last couple of years I didn't expect much beyond him. I mean, let's not kid ourselves - there is a reason Ben Affleck's Oscar was awarded for writing and not acting. (Which reminds me, Affleck apparently did some script work to make the dialog more authentic to Boston and if that is the case he deserves a tremendous amount of credit, because no one sounded like they were trying too hard.) But Affleck was pretty solid in a slightly restrained part and Jon Hamm was especially good, putting on just enough sleaze that you weren't sure if you liked him or not, which was the whole point of his character. Even Blake Lively, who I was told was horrendous, did a fine job. True, her role could have been played by a number of young actresses and it wouldn't have changed anything, but in a role that small you don't need a big-time actress - you just need someone who isn't going to murder the movie whenever she is on screen, which Lively did. It seems like most movies I have seen lately aren't worth the trip to the theatres and you could very easily wait for them to show up On-Demand, but I would definitely recommend you head out and see The Town on the big screen. It's worth the money.
-I woke up before dawn this morning to watch the Ryder Cup and stumbled over to the TV still half-asleep, only to be greeted with a rain delay. Apparently it is the rainy season over in Wales and they'll be lucky to finish this thing by Tuesday. Now, while I had no problem rolling over and going back to bed, Team USA had a bigger issue with the rain, because it turns out that their new Sun Mountain rain gear was not good at blocking actual rain. In fact, it appeared to be soaking in more water than it blocked. Seems like something that could have been tested at any point during last two years, especially since you knew that the team will be playing in a country known for its rain, but I guess they never got around to it. A team official had to run to the fan merchandise tent during the delay and buy new rain gain from a European company at a cost of about $550 per player. When I worked at Reebok, the marketing people always said that customers want to wear clothing as close to what the athletes are wearing as possible. Well, you can't get much closer than standing in line behind the guy ordering new uniforms.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)