Mike Martz

Here's a post that has been brewing for the last two years.
The Rams need to rethink where they place Mike Martz. It's not a matter of whether he's a talented man or an asset to the franchise - it's a matter of him not being a good head coach. Often, the cameras show Martz between plays seemingly bewildered and confused. Plays don't get called in to the huddle until the last possible second. Timeouts are burned without hesitation or forethought.

In my mind, Mike Martz is not comfortable with the job of head coach and he hesitates to make decisions. I think his place is up in the box where he came from. Let the man call the offensive plays. Let him focus on that one aspect of the game. It appears to be too much for him to handle all of the duties of head coach, so why not let him focus on what he excels at?

The past few years, the Rams have shown up to preseason games totally unprepared. While other teams seem to have actually figured out how to play together, the Rams look like they just got off the bus at summer camp and don't know who anyone else is. It's not bad football - it's pathetic. It has always been my understanding that the Rams hold these camps to prepare for the season. You know - to get into shape, to watch tape, run plays, perform drills and bond with each other. But the sloppy play on both sides of the ball during the preseason demonstrates that none of this work has paid off. We go out and get spanked, or else we just look totally disorganized. After this past week's nightmare in KC, Martz took some of the blame by saying

"I did a very poor job getting this football team ready to play. This is my fault as a head coach. We came out here and flopped around and acted like we didn't know where we were. And that's a coaching issue. Always is. Always will be. You can blame the players, but that's my responsibility. That won't happen again. We'll make sure these guys are ready to play."

That's a great soundbite and I appreciate what he said. However, I have some problems with his last statement. When will he get the team ready to play? Next game? Next week? Next season? Martz has consistently fielded teams during the preseason that look like the local Boys and Girls club midget team. It would appear that Mike doesn't consider the preseason to be all that important. In fact, over the past few years the Rams have taken several weeks of the regular season to finally find their stride. Is he dealing with injuries and selfish hold-outs? Sure, he is. But those things don't have any impact on a teams organization on the field and off, nor do they affect the physical conditioning of the players. That's from a lack of hard work and leadership through the preseason camps.

From a pure coaching perspective, Martz is incredibly frustrating to behold. His nickname is Mad Mike, which was given to him with respect to the plays he has concocted. I like the nickname because I believe that is a great way to describe his coaching strategy - maddening. He leaves his quarterback with no time left to execute a play with any sense of rythm. He consistently runs plays that don't work, or haven't worked up to that given point in a game. He randomly wastes time-outs. He changes his complete complete strategy at will, often leaving even seasoned announcers jabbering on about how shocking a decision or play call was for the current situation.

Now today Bernie Miklasz writes a little kiss-up piece about how Martz gets no love from the coaching community, NFL or the local fans. He throws out this nugget:

"So why the lack of respect for Martz? Rams fans still haven't forgiven Martz for the Super Bowl loss to New England. And fans still hold Martz responsible for last season's home playoff loss to Carolina. Martz went conservative at the end of the fourth quarter, choosing to kick a tying field goal instead of going for the winning touchdown. (Oakland coach John Madden used the exact strategy in a 1977 AFC playoff game at Baltimore; the difference is, the Raiders won in overtime.)"

Should we have beaten New England? Yes! Fans tend to remember poor coaching and even worse execution from an incredibly talented group of players. Should we have beaten North carolina? Probably. I think what irked the fans the most is that Martz, the Mad Genius of the Greatest Show on Turf, went belly up and tried to play the safe card. Why? All year long we lived and died as he called huge plays, crazy plays and incredibly risky-go-fo-the-goal plays. Why would we accept this pathetic turn in strategy and attitude? Even the players looked shocked on the field after that call. Let the offense win it or lose it next time Mike.

Bernie goes on to speak lovingly of the incredible numbers the Rams have posted under Martz. He talks of outrageous offensive scoring and a very good win percentage over the last five years. That's all very true, but this is the world of athletics. You are only as good as the last game you played, the last season you either dominated or fizzled in. Let's face it. All of the numbers look great on paper, but most of those were generated on the front end of this five year timespan. What the fans have seen in the last two years is an inability to finish. We want to win. We want to win it all. Is that demanding too much? I don't think so. After all, isn't the goal of the sport to win?

The Rams offense has racked up an amazing 17 points over two losses so far this season. What should we shout and scream about? Should we act like we are pleased with the way things are going with our team this year? Should we focus on the last five years, and the statistics generated in that time frame? Should we pound our chests and say "But we won the Super Bowl in '99..."? Should we accept terrible play, horrible clock management, a lack of passion to play and poor coaching?

While Bernie makes linguistical love to Mike, I will refrain from joining the insanity. We should be playing better than we are, and that's all that matters at the moment.

Orlando Pace Predicament

Greed + Selfishness + Stubborness + Idiocy = Orlando Pace. Play or pack it up.
I say the Rams announce that for every day he misses camp (work), he gets docked pay. I know that is not necessarily possible under his current contract, but subtract it from a possible future offer. Nobody else in the world gets a raise by not coming to work, so why should this numbskull? He may think he is irreplaceable, which could be argued either way. However, there is currently someone else playing their heart out in your position Orlando, which is way more than you can say for yourself at the moment.

I heard on the radio that his trainer ahs confirmed that he is maintaining his training sessions (2 a week) and is in the best shape of his career. Two workouts a week? Try not to sweat too much Orlando. Your teammates have been sweating it out almost every day for weeks now while you remain in hiding.

According to Coach Martz, he has not heard from Orlando since the final game of last season, which was on January 10. That's seven months and 15 days from the last contact of one of the highest paid employees of the Rams. It's time to declare Orlando Pace AWOL and consider him as unavailable for the 2004 season. It will take him weeks to cath up to the condition of other NFL players at this point, not too mention the fact that he hasn't taken a single hit in over a half a year.

Orlando, you are a large man. You receive a large paycheck.
It's time to see you grow up and be a big boy.
Or perhaps it's time you took a very large retirement bonus.
Either way, you deserve a huge fine.

More importantly, I think you owe the Rams, your teammates and the people of St. Louis an apology. Your behavior is pathetic and your attitude is an obvious detriment to the team. So either retire, or quit your whining. At this point, you are just a huge waste of money and space on a roster that could utilize both.

Olympics

Watched some of the Olympics last night.
Saw the Men's 1500m final, the women's 100m hurdle final and then watched the semifinal indoor volleyball match between the US and Brasil. The US came back from a 2-0 hole to force a final set which was an impressive feat. Then they got killed in the final set. These women were interesting. Tall and thin, average and thick, black and white. It's nice to see a sport where all types can play. Okay, maybe there weren't any 5'2" players on the court last night, but you know what I mean. Oh, and I found Logan Tom to be captivating to watch.

Motorcycle Madness

Perhaps you all have heard about the accident on Highway 364 (Page) in St. Charles County this past weekend that was caused by idiots on motorcycles. Apparently, these morons were travelling in a group performing stunts while flying down the road at speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour. There was a vehicle trailing them and filming their actions - possibly to be sold later. Well, the car cut off an Expedition, which swerved to miss it and in turn slammed into a Suburban. The Suburban was propelled off the highway where it rolled several times and went down an embankment. There were 8 people in the Suburban and six of them were ejected from the vehicle.

Four of those people in the Suburban are my friends. I've worked with the father and volunteered with the mother. Their children are wonderful examples of how you would hope all kids turn out to be. I know for sure that the father was ejected from the vehicle and is one of the people that had to be airlifted from the scene with severe head injury.

I do not like motorcycles and I never have. I have never enjoyed being on one of them, but I can see how people would enjoy it. I am not condemning motorcycles. I am condemning these idiots who go out on the public roads and place the lives of so many other people in danger by acting foolishly and driving without regard for the safety of those around you. If you ride a bike and enjoy it responsibly, then good for you. If you act like these pansies while riding down the road, then please do us all a favor and run full speed into a tree or brick wall. There's enough danger on the roadways without these crotch-rocket retards adding more to the mix.

So if you ride a bike, please do it carefully.
Prayers for these families are greatly appreciated.

Our Team

Just in case you all have missed some of the latest chatter regarding our Redbirds, let me point you to an article stating that our Cardinals are the current World Series favorites. Oh yeah, and we may have one of the Best Lineups in the History of Major League Baseball.

Yes, our hometown boys are killing the ball and stifling our opponents. We've known for a while that our team this year was really impressive. Now it seems as if the secret is out and the rest of sports nation is catching on.

And yes, the Cubs suck that bad.

Go Cards!

For the Love of Humanity

This story makes me sad.
Someone was obviously there to feed this woman, yet they didn't think enough of her to try and get help earlier... What kind of person can be so unloving? It mentions her family being questioned, but it doesn't state that they lived with her. I'm assuming they did, because I'm hoping anyone else would have told someone about the conditions prior to this.

It also reminded me of the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which is a great film. Oh yeah, it's also the only film I think Leonardo DiCaprio actually did a great job acting in.

What Do You Say Mr. Kerry?

I think that this video is quite interesting.
I realize that it is paid for by the RNC, but everything in it is straight from John Kerry's mouth.
Give it watch when you can (it's 12 minutes long).
Comment if you would like, but let's keep the comments about the content of the video.

They Are Among Us!

Barbara Wiowala is out of her mind.
Remember kids, crack kills.
Just say "No!". Ummm, or don't.

[Found on The Presurfer]

The Power of Music

The power of music is undeniable. It has the ability to motivate, aggravate, instigate, resonate and placate. Music can lift your spirits or it can make the happiest moment turn somber. We remember things through music. We express ourselves through music. We sing it. We hum it. We whistle it. We play it. We dance to it. Music transcends sex, race, nationality and religious beliefs. It is truly a common denominator for all people around the world. Sure, the styles are different and what one person loves another one might hate. Regardless of preferences, music is evident all around the world in every day life.

Rarely does an hour go by when I have not spent at least a little time listening to music. In fact, there is rarely a moment of my day when I am not listening to it, or singing it, or thinking about it. For me, music is like a drug that I cannot get enough of. Depending on my mood, the type of music will change, but music is almost always present.

So today I am proud to be an active participant in the world of music. I sing it. I've played it. I dance to it. I lose myself in it without shame.

If you are looking for some local people to get lost in, check these out:
Kristen Foht (AKA Kritter) - Her CD release party is Friday, September 17 @ Off Broadway
Eric Wilson - Met Eric along the way, back in the days of Epic3 and Tumbleweed
Cherri Octopi - Met Shane with Eric
Tom Wehrle - Met Tom a while back and enjoy his stuff

Catholic Chaos

Recent news articles and stories have led me to believe that the new Archbishop of St. Louis, Raymond Burke, is kind of being stubborn about several things. It would seem that he is thumbing his nose at the parishoners of St. Stanislaus Kostka as well as at the teachers of the Catholic school system. The outcry caused by Burke's actions has been heard far and wide, and will undoubtedly continue to have a place on the 10 o'clock news.

It is my understanding that with regards to the teachers, Burke simply refuses to recognize them as a union and will not agree to meet with them to discuss or bargain their contract options. Apparently, there is a board set up of elected Catholic officials and members to decide such issues and Burke doesn't see the need to speak with the teachers. Now I am not a union man at all, but this seems to be a little hard-headed. Sit down with them and listen to them at least. Tell them what you have to offer and then if nothing is agreed upon, simply walk away and deal with the aftermath. Instead, Burke seems to be trying to ignore the teachers and is essentially telling them that he doesn't want to talk to them. I think this is a bad move.

Now, regarding the closing of the Polish church, Burke comes off as some kind of control freak. I don't know if it is the assets that the church wants to take control over or not, but it would appear that the church has little concern about its followers spiritual "needs". By removing the two priests from the church, Burke has basically told the parishoners at St. Stanislaus to either change parishes or perish. You see, you cannot serve communion without the priests, so a proper mass cannot be held while all of this posturing is going on. St. Stanislaus has been around a lot longer than Burke and has survived just fine on its own, doing things the way it has done them. It seems as though Burke simply wants to "own" the church building and is not really concerned with the effect this is having on its members.

Does Burke simply love the publicity?
Does he love making the news as often as possible?
Is it that he wants to be the center of attention?

I don't know. And personally, I don't care because I am not Catholic.
However, if I were Catholic, these issues, along with many more, would have me scratching my head and doing a lot of thinking about what the motivation is behind all of this mess...

Things I Think About

"Funny how the days go by invisibly
And faster than I realize the things I think about
Scared to find the calendar my enemy
And when I die so will the thousand things
I think about" - Toad The Wet Sprocket

I have found myself to be in a very contemplative and introspective mood lately.
I ponder things that I have done and try to figure out how they have molded me into who I am today. Sometimes I find success in this pursuit. Other times, I find myself shaking my head and still wondering. It's not that I will ever know why some things have occurred the way they have in my life, and it's not that I need to know. It's just that I find myself trying to place these seemingly random moments into the picture that is the puzzle of my life.

Some moments shine brighter in my memory, while others seem to have faded in clarity.
Perhaps some of my memories are being phased out subconsciously(a sort of mental asphyxiation?), while others are being promoted to the forefront (focus on the good while avoiding the bad?).

Whatever the case or cause may be, I find myself in thought with greater frequency these days. It's not necessarily a deep thought, but it is focussing on a thought regardless. I am not sure of the cause, or it's duration, but it is somewhat of a refreshing time.

Missing In Action

Evidently, even Blogger has been missing me. I logged in today and it tells me "No Posts Found". Yep, that's how it's been lately. A lot going on, but nothing that has prompted me to post.

In This Moment

The weather over the past two days has been amazing, with today making a good case for being the most glorious day of this strange summer so far. With a light breeze and scattered, puffy clouds, this day is calling out to me, begging me to come bask in it's beauty. Oh, how I would love to do just that.

I would love nothing more than to go to the park and throw down my picnic blanket. While reclining in the shade of the huge oak, I would loose myself in the ever-shifting, whispy patterns of the clouded, blue sky. Armed with a book to read and some ice tea to drink, I would allow myself the priviledge of having no schedule to adhere to. I would read as long as I desired, sleep as long as I dreamed to and simply absorb the day however I deemed enjoyable. Such a day is easy to lose yourself in. However, it is also an amazing time to spend cuddled up next to the one you love. To wrap your arms around your best friend and share the moment in silence, is truly a pleasure that I am blessed to be able to enjoy.

The day calls to me, and I yearn to fulfill this desire which has suddenly welled up in me. I want to be out there, in the magnificent splendor of this day. I want to spend the afternoon being productively ineffective, while completely losing the stresses and strains of this adult life that has me captured behind a desk.

I will be free.
I will breathe the air and watch the clouds.
I will relax under a tree with my love.
I will.

Some things are too important to be snuffed out by the routine.
Oh yes, today I will.

This Is My Blog

I created this blog to post thoughts about current events and every day happenings in my life. I honestly never expected anyone to read it, let alone read it with any consistency. I have always tried to be respectful of anyone who might comment about something I've written, because I appreciate the time you have taken to read it and respond. Although there are instances when I obviously disagree with someone regarding what they have written, I always attempt to keep the rebuttals on topic and not personal in nature.

It seems that recent posts have ruffled some people's feathers, and I honestly don't care about that. After all, if they don't like what I write, then they don't have to read it. I do enjoy hearing from other perspectives though, so I would love to have people continue reading and commenting from their viewpoint. My goal is not to purposefully piss people off when I post something, it's more of a way for me to express how I feel about something. If you don't like that, well, then that's too bad for you! This isn't a democracy, it's my personal blog.

That means that I retain the right to post whenever I feel like it, about whatever I feel like, as often as I feel like it. I also reserve the right to remove comments that I find to be of a personal attack nature (whether they be geared towards me or anyone else who may comment on here). I won't tolerate people bashing other people, simply because they can. It's not the purpose of this blog, and I don't make it my purpose to do it on other people's blogs either.

So, if you choose to, I welcome you to continue reading my blog. Please feel free to comment on any topic that is up for discussion, but let's keep the comments on topic. It's been great to kind of get to know some of you from reading your blogs, and I thank you for allowing me to sneak a peak into your life and thoughts.

Disagreeing on something is fine.
If you choose to disagree, please do it in a productive, educated fashion.
Otherwise, don't bother commenting, because I will just delete your off-topic rant.

Welcome to my world!

Thanks to Christy, Kristen and John (amongst others) who seem to understand how to respectfully disagree.

Election

Quick recap:
Amendment 1 - Failed (No new riverboat in Rockaway Beach.)
Amendment 2 - Passed (A marriage shall exist only between a man and a woman.)
Voter turnout - Incredibly high (most likely a state record for a primary election.)

Resulting attitudes:
There are a lot of pissed off people wandering around Missouri today. Whether they wanted a new casino boat or to not define marriage in the constitution determines where the attitude stems from, but the thought process would appear to be the same.

An overwhelming majority of votes were cast in favor of Amendment 2. Despite the fact that nearly two-thirds of the voting populace embraced this issue, as opposed to the slimmer margin of defeat of the casino, there are many people agitated by what they perceive as being a slap in the face to modern society acceptance standards.

Some of these people are also quick to point out that although a large majority of voters chose to favor this amendment, it was still less than half of all eligible voters in the state and therefore isn't a true representation of the opinion of the residents of this state. Their argument is valid, but it still changes nothing.

If people were not motivated enough to go out and vote yesterday, I'm pretty sure they might never be motivated to do so. With such lightning rod issues on the ballot and incredibly close (and hostile) races being held across the state, there has been no more enticing time to step out and vote. And yet, these people did not choose to do so. So call it an unfair representation of the state or whatever, the point is that the people who chose to vote have spoken. And they have done so quite loudly.

Perhaps in the future more people will see the importance of voting and decide to participate. Perhaps in the future people will accept that although the system isn't a perfect reflection of the communities we live in, it does provide people with the ability to impact their government in a big way. Perhaps in the future this issue will be overturned. Perhaps in the future the opposing side will be able to motivate enough people to vote their way. Perhaps.

But in the meantime, the mass of voters have spoken. Like it or not, more people turned out to vote for the amendment than against it. It wasn't even close. So until the masses show up to vote to reject such an issue, it must be accepted as the majority opinion of the state. Why? Because the majority of the people who cared enough to vote, stated overwhelmingly that they wanted the constitution to be changed.

If you aren't pleased with what has happened, there are several things you can do in the future:
1)Make sure you continue to vote or start voting if you haven't been.
2)Make sure you do everything you can to support the candidates/issues you believe in.
3)Motivate others who believe what you do to come out and vote.

Until then, you have several options:
1)Accept that fact that the amendment passed.
2)Begin to work on ways to change the amendment.
3)Move to another state.

I don't think people will do option #1. They might try to accomplish option #2, but that might prove to be difficult. Unfortunately, I think I am going to have to listen to a lot of griping, moaning and groaning, because I don't think many people will do option #3.

Guess what? November elections are right around the corner!
And for those of you stating that you will expatriate if Bush wins, please note the similarity to option #3. If you talk it, let's see you walk it.

Poll Trolls

We've all had various encounters with them. Sometimes they let you slip by unhindered, while other times they pounce on you like a kitten with a newly discovered, catnip-laced ball of yarn. Today is one of the days during the year when these Poll Trolls come out to prey upon the populace.

As if it isn't hard enough to get people to "go out of their way" to cast a vote in an election, we have the added nuisance of these lurkers. Let's not wax poetic about the significance of these Poll Trolls. They exist for a singular purpose - to make voters uncomfortable. They crawl out from under their respective rocks to confront people who have already been bombarded by political signs and enough radio/television commercials to make anyone want to slice their ears off and gauge out their own eyes. Yet, these creatures are merciless and continue to pester the already overstimulated public. Each Poll Troll has a different approach, but their goal is still the same.

Some trolls like to directly confront an individual and attempt to begin a discussion regarding certain political agendas or players. This method is usually not very effective, as many people will either walk around the troll or simply refuse to open a conversation with the troll. Other trolls have realized the fault of this method and have devised other more subtle means. These slightly wiser trolls simply stand around the polling place entrance and hand out flyers filled with their political message. They have discovered that asking a person if they want the information is a waste of time, so they prefer to shove the paper directly into the body of the voter. This method proves successful most of the time, as the voter feels obligated to grasp on to the item and not let it fall to the ground (which would be littering). Poll Trolls aren't worried about littering. In fact, if their flyers are blowing all around the entrance and parking lot, they consider it a success.

Poll trolls are inevitable.
If you are a determined voter, and I hope that you are, please be advised that there will more than likely be several Poll Trolls awaiting you at your polling place. But do not be dismayed, there are effective methods of getting into and out of the polling place without having to accept any of the filth that these trolls throw at you.

The first method is the I-am-on-a-mission-don't-mess-with-me walk. As soon as you get out of your vehicle, begin to approach the entrance with a determined approach. Head straight for the door, and act as if you will plow through anything that might attempt to get in your way. A large part of the success of this method hinges on facial expression and in your posture. Act like you have exactly three minutes to get in, cast your vote and get out or your car will blow up. If a Poll Troll tries to talk to you, feel free to offer any excuse that goes along the "I don't have time for you" line.

Another method which some prefer over the first is the I-am-going-to-try-and-slip-around-you approach. This method demands that you walk as far around the group of lurking Poll Trolls as possible and attempt to make entrance into the polling place without having any direct contact with the slimy beasts. This method is very difficult to successfully implement, as the Poll Trolls have already considered this approach and have devised a plan to intercept every voter, regardless of their approach.

There is rumored to be a third way to get into the polling place without being pestered by the Poll Trolls. Now the details of this method are sketchy at best, and it is not recommended for the faint of heart or those with limited acting skills. Upon exiting your vehicle, you must immediately slouch over quite a bit and begin to drag one of your legs slightly behind you as you walk. While moving in this manner, allow your tongue to slip out through your lips and begin to drool ever so slightly. An excellent addition to this would be to coninually scrath your head with one of your hands, as if you have an entire lice colony roaming free in your hair. As you near the Poll Trolls, you can adopt one of two strategies. You can either begin mumbling audibly to yourself about random things or you can pretend to be incredibly hard of hearing (almost to the point of deaf). The combination of all of these apparent physical disabilities confuses the trolls, causing them to wonder if they should approach you and, if they do, how they should go about it. If a Poll Troll actually approaches you, simply play your part up even more, all the while dragging yourself towards the entrance. As stated previously, this method is not the preferred method and is not for the faint of heart.

Personally, I prefer a combination of the first two methods. I attempt to walk around the Pol Trolls with a hurried pace and determined look. I do not accept any propoganda they might throw at me, and I never engage in a conversation with any troll.

Please go vote today. Don't let the Poll Trolls intimidate you or influence you. Hopefully, you have already decided how you are going to vote on issues and which candidates you are going to vote for. Don't let these filthy creatures tell you who or what to vote for. We can overcome the Poll Trolls with perseverence and planning. Make sure you have a strategy before attempting to make your way through the Poll Trolls and you should be alright. And if you should somehow become trapped by a Poll Troll or become engaged in a conversation with them, immediately drop everything they have given you and make a break for the entrance while screaming at the top of your lungs. Such displays are greatly disturbing to the Poll Trolls and cause them to regroup without giving chase.

Go vote!
Good luck!