Click here for the opinion page with a link to the Redstrom case page.
Click here for the 2009 opinion page.
Happy new year to all. Hopefully 2010 will be a better year for us all. I don't make new year's resolutions, but I do have a list of hopes for
the year. Of course, the first thing on this year's list is a job. Nine months of unemployment is no fun, as I'm sure many others know first hand,
and a quick end this year would be an answered prayer. The new year brings the first back-to-back winning seasons in Atlanta Falcons' history.
The win over Tampa Bay on Sunday leaves the Falcons at 9-7 to follow last year's 11-5 record and finally ends over 40 years of frustration. While
a return to the playoffs didn't happen, the team overcame tons of injuries and won the last three to secure the winning season. I think the franchise
is on the right path to more constant success, and a good offseason including getting help at cornerback will go a long way to getting back to the
playoffs next season. Hopefully Matt Ryan will learn from some of this year's mistakes and he and Michael Turner can remain healthy next year
along with the defensive backfield. We can also use another pass rusher, and the return of Peria Jerry will further elevate the run defense which
really played well at the end of the season. I doubt the Falcons will be a big player in free agency, but a few key signings and a good draft to
shore up a few weaknesses can get the Falcons back to being Super Bowl contenders next season. A stable front office and coaching staff
will lead to continued success on the field; a feeling that we Falcons' fans aren't used to. My review of the entire NFL season and my playoff
predictions are coming later this week.
Lane Kiffin's short tenure in Knoxville left a big wake behind. Kiffin's brashness and big mouth struck many Vol fans the wrong way from
the start. He came in and shook up a program that had done things in a certain way for a long time. Many of us fans cringed slightly when he
tweaked Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier early on, but we were willing to go along as long as he brought the program back to its winning ways.
Kiffin's one season produced a winning record (barely), and I was excited about what Monty Kiffin brought to the defense. But defense wasn't
the problem in Phil Fulmer's final seasons; the offense was. I had hoped that Kiffin would bring a more wide-open style of offense, but I was
disappointed by the results. I realize that Kiffin thought that he didn't have the players to play a more daring offense, but the conservative play
calling against teams like Florida still didn't sit well with me. I would rather lose by a big margin than play ultra conservatively to stay close. His
off field brashness never showed up on the field. The program will probably struggle some in the near term, but I think that Kiffin's short stay may
make the program better in the long run. Tennessee fans who were tired of the old ways of doing things may now realize that those ways weren't
so bad after all. I don't know much about Derek Dooley, but he could well be the middle ground that's needed to bring in new ideas without
sacrificing the traditions that worked for so long. I know Dooley's record at Louisiana Tech wasn't too good, but that doesn't mean he won't be
successful in Knoxville. The differences in the two programs as far as talent and other factors can make comparison hard. I, for one, am willing
to give him some time to get things on the right track.
The election of a Republican in Massachusetts has pretty well doomed the Obama Administration's health care overhaul. The same forces
that brought victory for Obama were at work in this election, and caused the loss of what was certainly considered a "safe" Democrat seat. The
mess that is Washington has left most Americans ready to sweep those in power out of office to try and let someone new give it a try. This
election certainly bodes poorly for the Democrats in November, and that is probably a very good thing. It seems we need a balance between the
two parties for Washington to work at all. The worst thing that happened during the Bush Administration was Republican control of the White
House and the Congress. The result was a lack of constraint that a balance of power brings... It certainly would be ironic if the New York Jets were
to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game since the Colts pulling their starters againt the Jets in week 16 allowed the Jets
to get into the playoffs. While I appreciate the honesty of the Jets and their coach, they should scale back the public rhetoric and just play the game...
The NFC Championship game puts me in a really tough situation. I can't stand the Saints, but I'm so tired of the Brett Favre hype I surely can't root
for the Vikings to win. The Football Gods will surely punish the Vikings for running up the score on the Cowboys last week. If the Jets were to beat
the Colts, I would have to pull for them since the Falcons beat them in the regular season... Air America, the liberal talk radio network, has filed for
bankruptcy and will cease to exist next week. I'm really not surprised since the economy has really affected the radio business, and since their
programming didn't offer much star power. Their biggest names when they launched had already left the network long ago, and they had to file for
bankruptcy even before they left. The decision by Bahakal Broadcasting to put it on WDOD-am may have been the most ridiculous decision in
Chattanooga radio ever, and that's really saying something. The thought that liberal radio could do well in this area was delusional... NBC has
become the biggest laughing stock in network broadcasting with its crappy lineup and the attention to the bottom line over quality TV. The only
shows on the network that are interesting at all are the Law & Order franchise, and they have become so political I can hardly stand to watch them.
The Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien debacle is just the latest mistep for the network that dominated in the 80's with its "must-see-tv" lineup. The selling
of NBC to Comcast will probably mean that things won't get better anytime soon. I must disclose that I hate Comcast with a passion. Network TV
as we know it may disappear anyway, and with Comcast involved it will probably happen sooner rather than later... The decision by the
Supreme Court on advertising will lead to even more annoying ads at election time. Now that "outside groups" can advertise freely, the number
of attack ads that have very little to do with what really matters will be all over TV and radio. These ads are rarely weighed down by truth and
reality on both sides of the aisle. Groups like Moveon.org and unions have plenty of money to spend to distort issues that they care about and
sway some of the less aware of the masses... Vince Young will play in his second Pro Bowl in his first four years. If Chris Johnson stays around
Nashville long enough to set career rushing records, Young could end up in the Hall of Fame. I realize that the Titans went 8-2 with Young as the
starter, but you have to look at who they beat. They beat only two teams with winning records and teams with a combined record of 53-75.
Young's stats were a very pedestrian 10 TDs, 7 INTs, and a rating of 82.8. Kyle Orton and David Garrard had better numbers and played
the entire season. Young getting into the Pro Bowl, even due to a couple of guys pulling out, shows what a dearth of talent at the QB position in
the AFC. Don't tell me that Rush Limbaugh had it wrong when he said that the NFL is so desperate for black QBs to succeed that they will go
out of their way to oversell them.
It is looking more and more likely that Ilya Kovalchuk will not be a member of the Atlanta Thrashers after the March 3rd trade deadline.
I was very hopeful early in the season that they would get a new deal done, but that optimism seems to have been misplaced. I know there is
plenty of blame to go around in this situation. Reports are that the Thrashers have offered Kovy a 10 year contract at over 8 million a year, and
that he has rejected it. Maybe Kovalchuk can get more in the open market, but if he really wants to stay in Atlanta then he should be willing to take
a little less than he would get elsewhere. Reports also say that it isn't the per year amount but the number of years that are the sticking point.
Supposedly he wants 12 years instead, and I can't see letting your franchise player walk over two additional years so far in the future. The real
question is whether the ownership is committed to fielding a team capable of becoming a consistent winner, and whether the franchise will
remain in Atlanta or move to somewhere in Canada. Not signing Kovy is not going to send the right message to Thrasher's fans about the
stability of the franchise, and fan support that is already waning will hit new lows. I remember the excitement of the only playoff season. The arena
was full and rocking, and things were looking good for the future of hockey in Atlanta, but the sweep by the Rangers and the two poor seasons that
followed have led to a declining fan base and little optimism. The signing of Antropov, Afinogenov, and the trade for Kubina raised the hopes going
into the season, and the good start that followed raised my hopes further. But the inability to resign Kovalchuk and the struggles of December have
diminished that optimism. The Thrashers are only one point out of 6th place in the East as of today, and any sort of winning streak would vault them
up in the standings. Look at what the Ottawa Senators have been able to do lately. A seven game winning streak has vaulted the Senators into
5th place with a seven point lead over the teams sharing 6th. The Thrashers have eight games remaining before the Olympic break, and getting
12 or more points out of those games would probably put them solidly in playoff position when the season resumes. But all that would probably
be lost if Kovalchuk is gone after the only post-Olympic game before the trade deadline. Until the Atlanta Spirit resolves their ownership problems
and shows the level of commitment needed, hockey in Atlanta is on life support, and letting the franchise's career leader in all offensive categories
walk away will just add to the perception that hockey is doomed in Georgia. I have become much less of a Braves fan since their ownership has
declined to spend the money to make them legitimate contenders every year, and the Thrashers are in position to get the same way. I love hockey
and over the last few years I have devoted a lot of time watching Thrashers games on TV, going to games when I could afford to, and keeping up
with the team even in the off season. I am certainly no fair weather fan, but the team needs to reward my devotion by putting a competitive team
on the ice. One reason I have remained a long-suffering Falcons fan is that I have always thought that they were at least trying their best to compete,
and there has been the occasional good season where they at least make the playoffs and win playoff games. Sadly, my patience with the Thrashers
could be worn thin if I lose that feeling, and there are always the Nashville Predators nearby that could win my affection if I lose hope.
On Sunday January 31, 2010, my oldest cousin Brian Alan Hill passed away after a long, difficult battle with cancer. Cancer once again
strikes our family and another one is taken from us way too soon. Brian was born on March 13, 1963 in Birmingham Alabama, and he lived in
the Birmingham area all his life. He worked as a crane operator in a steel mill for a long time and then joined is father in running Hilltop Properties.
Soccer was his life-long passion, and he played and coached until he became too sick to continue. He also was an avid Fantasy Football
enthusiast; starting and acting as commissioner for several leagues for a number of years. Although he had to play from afar, he won our league
several years. He also loved horses and raised both full size and miniature horses and donkeys. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and a wry
smile on his face most of the time. We will miss him greatly, and he will always live on in our hearts. Brian is survived by his parents K V and
Peggy, his wife Tina, daughter Mychal, son Chad, sisters Kim and Neena, and numerous cousins, aunts, in-laws, and friends.
The Atlanta Thrashers have traded two of their most high profile players in their history in the last two weeks. The season-longt Ilya Kovalcuk
drama finally ended when he turned down so very large contracts and forced the Thrashers hand. The trade to New Jersey brings back defenseman
Johnny Oduya and winger Nicklas Bergfors, a first round draft pick, and a prospect who is currently suspended for the season. Oduya and Bergfors
have both played well so far. One of the worst aspects to me is that defenseman Anssi Salmela, who was playing pretty well lately, was sent to the
Devils with Kovalchuk. The trade was a necessity since it became obvious that Kovalchuk was going to walk in free agency at the end of the season
and the Thrashers would have gotten nothing back. Soon after trading away the franchise's career leader in all offensive categories, the Thrashers
also traded their career leader in all goalie categories. I've always believed Kari Lehtonen could be an elite goalie in the NHL, if he could ever stay
healthy. Moose Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec have played pretty well in goal this season, and Pavelec is still very young, but I really believe that Lehtonen
would have been our best option in trying to get to the playoffs this season. The Thrashers really need to make the playoffs this season to keep hockey
relevant in Atlanta, and hopefully GM Don Waddell isn't just blowing smoke about being buyers at the trade deadline. The Thrashers are still just a
few points out of 6th place in the East, but they have to win games like the one on Wednesday when they had a two goal lead in the third period and
lost in overtime. The defensive breakdown at the start of overtime is indicative of the major problem with this year's Thrashers. Those kinds of mistakes
are keeping the team from putting together a needed winning streak that could put them in solid playoff position with a favorable schedule after the
Olympic break.
Well, I finally found a job and I'm headed back to work. I will be working maintenance at the Sheraton Read House hotel downtown. It's the same job
I had 20 years ago when it was a Radisson. It isn't exactly my dream job, but I'm extremely grateful to finally get back to work and I'm looking forward to
working again. It has been a long time, and I'm really tired of being around the house all day and not having much human contact. The benefit of cheap
hotel rooms is something that can really come in handy. The hotel has changed a lot since I was there before both physically and especially in how it is
run.
The Olympics are over including the hockey. The USA had a terrific tournament, but come up just short in the Gold Medal Game. Ryan Miller was
great in goal and deserves the MVP Award. The Canadians were a huge favorite coming into the tourney, and the US was given little hope of winning
it all. The US team beat the Canadians once and took them to overtime Sunday to prove they belong in the discussion for hockey talent. The Canadians
have a big superiority complex that looks down on American hockey and American hockey fans. The endless stories out of the Canadian press about
teams moving to Canada always suggest that the Canadian fans are more deserving of a team than non-traditional markets in the US. Maybe this will
result in more respect out of the Canadians, but I won't count on it. Now we can return to the NHL season and hopefully the Thrashers can take advantage
of a March schedule with a lot of home games.
K V Hill passed away on Saturday March 13, 2010 at the age of 72. My Uncle was an entreprenuer and visionary who was never afraid to fail.
He never really cared about the money, but rather the challenge of starting new business ventures. Every thing he did was for his family and his last business venture, Hilltop Properties, fulfilled his dream of working with his son. He always had a smile on his face and a wonderful sense of humor. K V fought a long battle against liver disease and I really believe that he hung on through Brian's illness and after Brian's death he finally decided it was time to go. We will miss him.
Health care reform passed Congress on Sunday, finally. The idea of providing health insurance to every American that wants it is a noble goal, but this bill is not the right way to go about it. The bill is too complicated, expensive, and full of special deals. It will almost certainly raise the national debt, and could possibly lead to new taxes. The biggest problem with this bill is not what is in it, but how it was done. Candidate Obama said this legislation would be debated openly on CSPAN and his would be the most open administration ever. Instead it was done behind closed doors and in back rooms with parliamentary tricks... The Tennessee men's and women's basketball teams both came up short over the weekend, but both should be proud of what they accomplished. The women rebounded from a sub-par year and the men went farther than I ever thought they would after the in-season problems... The officiating in the NCAA Tournament has been wildly inconsistent and pretty much horrible. If this is the best officiating available then I would hate to see the worst. The coverage by CBS has been about as bad. The announcers so often get fixated on one or two players and talk about them incessantly. They also almost never question even the most horrendous official's calls... The MLB season starts soon, and sadly, I really just don't care. There was a time when I stayed up late to see Braves' replays and west coast games, but now I catch a game every once in a while. Since the lock out/strike that caused the cancellation of the World Series I have just lost most of my enthusiasm for the game... Spring may finally have arrived, and not a moment too soon. Not only do I look forward to getting outside and doing things, my power bill needs the rest... Since she is one of the few famous actresses I have met, I have followed Sandra Bullock's career and life somewhat. I was terribly surprised when she married Jesse James, and I'm not terribly surprised that he cheated on her. I thought the marriage would end before now, and I am somewhat suprised that she seems to staying with him.
The Atlanta Thrashers are not in the playoffs again. A year that started with such promise ends in more disappointment. The Thrashers started the season playing very well, especially on the road, but by season's end the best player in team history was gone and they were still five points short. They had a favorable schedule in March but couldn't take advantage of it, and April's schedule proved too tough to overcome. Now the Thrashers have fired coach John Anderson and moved Rick Dudley into the general manager position with Don Waddell moving upstairs. Hopefully these changes and a solid commitment from ownership to spend some money in free agency will lead to a more consistent winner. I really can't put my finger on the reason for the inconsistent way they played this year. In the last month of the season they beat some good teams but ultimately failed by not beating teams they were battling for playoff spots with and teams below them in the standings. Losses to Toronto, Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Blue Jackets along with losses to the Rangers, Flyers, and Bruins kept the Thrashers out of the postseason. I believe they need to hire a big name coach like Craig McTavish to help rally the fan base, and then resign key free agents and maybe another goal scorer. Bringing back Max Afinogenov, Colby Armstrong, Pavel Kubina, Jim Slater, and Johan Hedberg would go a long way to proving to the fan base that they are serious about building a contender. The first round pick recieved in the Kovalchuk trade along with the team's own number eight pick could bring new young players into the fold, or be used as fodder to trade for some more immediate help. I'm not sure I agree with Slava Koslov that poor coaching doomed the team this year, but I think not using a guy with his experience down the stretch mokes little sense. As for the good and bad of the 2009-2010 season. The bad included the loss of Kovalchuk and Lehtenon, the poor showing of the power play after the Kovy trade, and the general inconsistency particularly on defense. The good included the resurgence of Afinogenov, the aquistion of Niclas Bergfors, the surge of Jim Slater, the emergence of Patrick Kane, and the improvement of the penalty kill. Some questions needing answers in the off season include whether Ondrej Pavelec is the goalie of the future, can Boris Valabik return from his knee injury and finally become a force on the blueline, is Evgeny Artyukhin as good as he looked late in the season, and can they find a coach that can take advantage of the assets they have. The future of hockey in Atlanta hinges on becoming a perennial playoff team, because it has been shown that winning is the key to fan support in Atlanta.
The first round of the NHL Playoffs are over and the Western Conference went pretty much to script, as the Red Wings were the only lower seed to win and they were favored. The East however went almost totally askew. The top three seeds were all knocked out, and the Capitals losing to the Canadiens was truly shocking. I really thought the series was over when Montreal lost game two after leading late, but it just shows that having a hot goalie can do for a team. Jaroslav Halak was amazing the last two games with over 100 saves and allowing only two goals. Round two should be fun to watch... The Arizona illegal immigrant law has caused a huge uproar, and the fault lies with the Federal Government. Had Congress and the White House tackled the problem and passed a workable federal law, Arizona and other States wouldn't feel they had to do something themselves... I watched the NFL draft off and on throughout and I'm not a big fan of expanding it to three days. The pick of Tim Tebow in the first round by Denver convinces me that Josh McDaniels is a total idiot. Not only was it a huge stretch, but they traded up to get him. Who in the world did they think was the other GM stupid enough to take him? The pick really makes no sense since the Broncos traded for Brady Quinn. I really don't think Tebow can ever be a successful starting QB in the NFL, and even if he does it will be several years down the road. Tebow does have great intangibles, but that isn't enough to overcome his poor mechanics. If he is willing to be a slash-type player or change positions he could be successful, but the money he will get is ridiculous for someone like that. The Falcons made some good picks to help fill needed positions, and even though they didn't draft a DE to help the pass rush the return of some injured players and maturity of others can fill that hole...
The Tonya Craft case has brought national attention to Ringgold. Cases involving small children as the major witnesses are very difficult to make a judgement on, and I see this case very likely leading to a hung jury. If Craft is convicted it would seem she will have a lot of chances to win an appeal. Judge Brian House had made several rulings that seem to me may not stand up to scrutiny... My annual Riverbend preview comes next week.
I know it has been a long time since I posted anything, but I have been busy. (A poor excuse, I know). I tuned into one of the first games of the World Cup and discovered that there is something worse about soccer than it being boring. As soon as it came on I heard the one of the most annoying sounds imaginable. There was a constant buzzing that assaulted my ears and seemed to wash out every sound including the announcers. I came to learn that the sound comes from a long plastic horn called a vuvuzela. I thought maybe it was being used since South Africa was playing, but they are being used in every game. It was bad enough that during the 15 minutes I watched there was only one scoring chance in the boring game, but the vuvuzela has made something barely watchable into something unwatchable... I am really missing Riverbend this year... It looks like it will be a long hot summer. The temps are already hovering in the mid-90s and it is just the middle of June. July and August could be really miserable... The gulf oil mess has become the most discussed, least acted upon crisis I can remember. It is pitiful that BP was so unprepared for this emergency, and it is horrible that the US government has done so little to help. The Obama administration's reaction to the crisis was slow and stilted, and the President talking tough more than two months after the fact has done little to make things better... I am already tired of this election year. I have already voted in a special election and a runoff, and the primary is right around the corner. That of course will be followed by the overly long and annoying general election campaign. The Senate Primary in South Carolina has at least provided some laughs along the way. It is a sad commentary on how much attention the general public really pays to its civic duty. I realize that many of the candidate's votes came from Republicans crossing over to vote for the least attractive candidate, but he didn't just win, he won in a landslide. I wondered why it could happen and then I found out that the other candidate didn't do much campaigning either. He just assumed he would win the primary and could wait till afterwards to really start working. Hopefully this might make the next guy realize it takes at least some effort to win... A disturbing and sad local story hit this week. A pet store at Hamilton Place Mall had their animals seized due to inhumane treatment. Store like that give the entire industry a bad name. Not only do they usually get their dogs from puppy mills, but they don't even treat them right. The store should lose its business license and be closed down... The comments about legendary coach John Wooden on his death are what we should all strive for. Even though he was the greatest coach in college basketball history, the comments were about what a fine man he was. We should all be so lucky that people say such things about us when we pass. He touched lives well beyond the sport he coached and even the sporting world. His pyramid of success is something we can all learn from to make us better human beings.
The United States of America celebrates its 234th birthday on Sunday, and even with the many problems plaguing us we still live in the greatest country in the history of our planet. We still enjoy unequalled freedom and liberty, and there are still far more who want in than want out... Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans will certainly see his tenure end soon after his DUI arrest. Not only did he get the DUI, but he was also in the car with a woman who wasn't his wife and had her panties in his lap when stopped. Some are making a big deal of his try at negotiation, hint of his position, and breaking down and crying, but that is probably pretty common in DUI stops. Keeping Evans would send the wrong message to Georgia fans and especially to Georgia's student athletes...The World Cup goes on and on and ESPN continues its neverending coverage. Yikes!... Speaking of ESPN, the free agency signing period began in both the NBA and the NHL on Thursday but you wouldn't know it from ESPN coverage. While the "World Wide Leader" had long segments on what wasn't happening with the NBA, where no big moves have yet to occur, there was not even a mention on ESPNews even on the "bottom line". There were more big signings in the NHL's first 20 minutes of free agency than have yet to occur in the NBA, but since ESPN doesn't have rights to the NHL they seem to ignore it. While watching the bottom line and a large part of an hour on ESPNews there were no mentions of sports that ESPN does not broadcast. I guess there isn't any time for more than the World Cup, NBA, WNBA, MLB, with a little NFL news thrown in. I have sent an email to ESPN Ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer to express my dissatisfaction... Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele once again showed he has no clue and should be fired or quit. He has continually made stupid statements and made poor decisions since getting the job. It seems pretty evident that he got the position largely to his race to help the GOP gain minority support it sorely needs, and that is a pretty poor reason to hire anyone. The two major political parties keep putting inept, vindictive, and arrogant individuals at the top of their organizations, and that is just one more reason the populace grows more disallusioned with them... On a lighter note, I sure am glad that Paris Hilton was cleared of any charges in South Africa for smoking weed during a World Cup match.
I can rest easy now. I could certainly see how you would need something to be able to sit through an entire game..
In case you've been in a coma the last week, LeBron James has decided to sign with the Miami Heat to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. I really don't care where LeBron plays the next few seasons, but the hype associated with his decision has been excruciating. Not only did his pending decision dominate the sports news for weeks, but he made it even worse with his one hour ESPN special to announce his decision. In a show of lack of class, James did not inform his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, of his decision beforehand. He surely wasn't concerned of a leak since there were reports all day that it would be the Heat. If the trio doesn't win multiple NBA Championships it will be considered a failure, and that is not a lock. It takes more in team sports to be successful than superstar players, and there is only one ball to go around. Even NBA Commissioner David Stern was upset with the way this affair was handled; disproving the old adage of no bad publicity. ESPN's role in the debacle is not surprising since they will seemingly go to any length to promote the sports that they have contracts to broadcast. Even many of ESPN's on-air and online personalities were critical of the network for carrying the show. ESPN didn't come up with the idea for the show but was a willing participant and milked the signing for all it was worth. ESPN's whole day of programming seemed to be a promo for the show and ESPN also didn't fulfill promises that LeBron would give his choice within the first ten minutes of the show. Obviously ESPN and the producers of the show knew that if that happened almost everybody would be switching the channel a few minutes later. ESPN continues to make itself the story instead of just covering the stories, and it adds fuel to the argument that ESPN cares more about the sport's leagues it carries than about sports in general. July 1st was the start of free agency not in the NHL as well as the NBA, but there was no mention of NHL signings on Sportscenter; even on the "bottom line" scroll. This in spite of numerous big signings in the NHL but none in the NBA. For a full week, ESPN devoted large parts of Sportscenter and other programming to rumors and speculation about NBA free agents. Along with the World Cup it dominated ESPN's attention. At least the World Cup played some games during the week.
Click here for the opinion page with a link to the Redstrom case page.
Click here for the 2009 opinion page.