The Fall of the Dodgers…

One of the saddest stories in sports today is the fall of the Los Angeles Dodgers as a franchise.  The Dodgers have long been one of the top organizations in Baseball, just below the New York Yankees, and on par with the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox.  Yet this season, the Dodgers have been a running joke, starting from the top of the franchise, the McCourts, whose divorce proceedings have exposed the fact that Frank McCourt is a bankrupt clown and that his best chance of holding onto the Dodgers is suing MLB if they attempt to do the right thing and rip the franchise away from the deadbeat.  An opposing fan has been hospitalized since opening day when he was beaten unconscious by a thug dressed in Dodger gear while his children watched in horror.

You want to find out how bad it’s gotten?  Check out the recent column by Bill Plaschke of the LA Times:  http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0622-plaschke-20110622,0,1723241.column.  It’s not just bad, it’s 1980’s Fulton-County Stadium attendance bad.  You remember Braves games at Fulton-County Stadium back in the mid-to-late 1980s.  On a regular summer night, my dad and I would sit in the upper deck behind home plate and, for the most part had maybe 400 to 500 people in the upper deck with us for Braves games.  Even with the lower deck, attendance on many nights was about 6000 to 9000 until the Braves got good in 1991.  The Dodger attendance on some games have not been much better.

And the team is struggling very badly too.  Now stuck in 4th place in the National League West, the team appears to have no future and may not meet even payroll this week.  It may have to be seized by MLB.  And instead of trying to negotiate an out clause with Bud Selig and leave Baseball, Frank McCourt is trying to lawyer up and squeeze as much money out of the Dodgers’ franchise for himself as he can.  It seems that he learned some tricks from fellow Los Angeles owner Donald Sterling.

As a Braves’ fan, I should be happy that the one-time Atlanta nemesis is hurting.  But then I remember that then-Los Angeles manager Tommy Lasorda sort of encouraged Braves fans to come out when the Braves were good.  Tommy represented the best of Baseball, and the Dodgers franchise he has always supported deserves ownership that will at least be better than the current owner.  But short of Frank McCourt’s heart growing 3 sizes or him departing the scene in a physical sense, the Dodgers will be held hostage.

My experience at the U.S. Open Championship…

Yesterday, I crossed another item off my life goal’s list as I had the chance to attend the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Congressional Country Club near D.C.  What made this day even more special is that my father joined me on this Father’s Day Weekend excursion.

Because we wanted to get to the course when it opened for play, we left for Congressional early (well before 5 am) and arrived a half-hour before the first tee time.  We were able to walk up to the 10th green just in time for the first group to send their tee shots towards the hole.  After watching a couple of groups play through 10, we joined the third group, which featured Bo Van Pelt, Kyung-Tae Kim, and viral video sensation Ben Crane (if you haven’t seen the video, check out pgatour.com, then go to the players’ link, click on Ben Crane, then find videos, and click the Golf Boys “Oh oh oh” video… or you could go to my Facebook page, where I have a link).  It turned out be a terrific decision as only a handful of people followed the group around.

Some thoughts on the group my dad and I followed for 18 holes… Bo Van Pelt was clearly the best player of the group yesterday.  Not only did he shoot 67, he hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation, stayed mostly on the fairway, had 4 birdies & no bogeys, and was the longest hitter of the three.  His only hiccups occurred on the par 5’s, particularly #6 and #9, where he reached both greens in 2, only to 3-putt both times.  Still, he stands at +1 and played his way into the weekend.

Kyung-Tae Kim was among the round 1 leaders when he teed off.  He showed spectacular play on the more difficult holes.  He was the first player to birdie 10 on the round, then birdied 2, 3, and 4, which were 3 of the most brutal holes on the course.  But Kim was erratic all day, being forced to make incredible saves on 11 and 14 on his first 9.  He double-bogeyed two of the shorter par-4s (17 and 8), then failed to get out of the trees at the par-5 6th.  He finished with a 72, but only 26 putts on the day.  Currently at –1, Kim could end with a top-10 finish.

Ben Crane had an unspectacular day when he needed to make a move. He did have an early birdie at 11, but scrambled on a couple of holes to save par.  His chances of making the weekend disappeared when he put his 2nd shot at #6 into the pond.  A 71 combined with a first-round 77, left Crane at +6, 2 shots short of the cut line.

Aside from following the trio around, I had a couple of additional thoughts.  First, we saw the MetLife blimp for the first time at 17, which was quite interesting.  The pin placement at 18 was brutal, and you can ask Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy how bad the pin placement was (I watched Phil’s ball roll into the lake and heard the groans as Rory’s ball suffered the same fate).  I thought I might have been on TV when Kim teed off at 8, but it was not to be.  Also, on that same 8th hole, as we were waiting for our group to putt out, three tee shots zipped next to us, with two of the balls nearly hitting us and the ESPN HD cameraman.

After lunch, we sat at the 10th green and watched several of the afternoon groups start their rounds at 10.  Among the golfers we saw were Davis Love III and Jim Furyk.  The last man to win the U.S. Open at Congressional, Ernie Els, was a part of that group, but after a great tee shot, he 4-putted, and went on to miss the cut.  Also, we saw defending U.S. Open champion Grahame McDowell and reigning Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen tee off.  My dad and I left at 2:30, just before the rains came to suspend play.  On the way out, we saw Bob Costas’s golf cart, which is about the closest we came to seeing a media star on the course.

All in all, it was a special day with my dad.  I realized later just how precious that time was with my father.  My dad is 74, and I don’t know how much time I have left with him.  He now has a cane he occasionally uses for his back when he stands for long periods of time.  To see him now and remember how he once was has shown me that I should treasure my times with my dad.  The day will come in the near future when my dad be there only in spirit, so having the ability to enjoy the time he spends with Joshua is something I will remember as long as I live.  And yesterday was icing on the cake for me.

AIDS: 30 years later

Last Sunday marked a somber anniversary.  It was 30 years ago that a report in a weekly publication described cases of a rare form of pneumonia five young Los Angeles men, "all active homosexuals." The cases were noteworthy because the men had previously been healthy, and the pneumonia was only seen in older people with depressed immune systems.  A month later, another report listed 54 gay males with a rare form of cancer seen only in older people.  One summer later, the condition had a name:  AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).  In 1983, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) was identified as the virus which caused AIDS.

In those early years, understanding the disease was impossible.  Though it was clear the disease was spread by sexual contact, other methods caused a scare in people.  Blood transfusions, drug needles, and saliva were also initially ways to transmit the disease.  Remember when we thought licking stamps could increase the risk of AIDS?  Or how about the woman who caught the HIV virus in the dentist chair?  Remember when Hollywood stars and musicians started dying from the disease (Rock Hudson, Liberace, Freddy Mercury, etc.)?  Remember the AIDS quilt on the National Mall?  Remember when ACT UP and other AIDS activists groups blamed President Reagan for the disease (like he was out on DC streets at night selling dirty needles or condoms with holes in them)?

We thought awareness of the disease would provide a cure.  Yet, here we are 30 years after the awareness with 30 million worldwide dead from the disease (615,000 in the US over that period) and still no complete cure.  Oh sure, we have an assortment of drug cocktails that can keep the disease in check, but the drugs are expensive.  Africa, where the disease is widespread and is just as prevalent in women as in men, cannot afford the medications.  And here’s the worst part:  the rates of infection are not going down.  The younger people are not heeding the wisdom of their elders and are repeating the mistakes their elders made in the early days of the disease before they learned what steps could hinder the disease.

Like it or not, AIDS is our generation’s disease.  And until a cure is found, re-teaching the lessons learned the hard way will be one of the few chances to prevent the spread of the disease.  Yes, the disease in the US is more of a disease restricted to the same sex relationship community, particularly men.  But heterosexuals are also affected and the rates of infection aren’t going down there, either.  And in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, heterosexual couples dominate the infected group.  So, this is an everybody problem. 

Even after a cure is found, we will being with the effects of the disease long into the future.  Keep in mind, we haven’t found a cure yet for all the MD diseases, and the fight will go on post-Jerry Lewis there.  We haven’t cured cancer, either.  So an AIDS cure in our lifetime is not a sure thing.

In short, the AIDS epidemic is still there, though no longer on the front pages.  Please keep that in mind especially over the next 30 years or so.

Joplin’s aftermath…

This has been a spring of significant tornado activity. As it stands right now, this year has seen a rash of tornadoes hit small cities and large. Raleigh, NC. St. Louis, MO. Tuscaloosa, AL. Birmingham, AL. Minneapolis, MN. Dallas, TX. Oklahoma City, OK. We suffered a new Super Outbreak of Tornadoes that appears to surpass the 1974 Super Outbreak in terms of tornadoes and fatalities. The death toll for this year has surpassed any year since official death toll stats started being kept in 1950. And yet, as bad as Tuscaloosa got hammered last month, the tornado in Joplin may have been even more of a dagger to the heart.

The Weather Channel was following Tornadoes as part of their “Great Tornado Hunt” programs. Their goal was to study tornadoes in the hopes of unlocking new clues to predicting tornadoes and saving lives. To be fair, the newer HD Doppler radars have helped and new forecasting techniques have saved lives. Having looked at Tuscaloosa, although 1000 people were injured, it was a minor miracle only 42 died there.

As it turned out, when the tornado hit Joplin, Mike Bettes and his Weather Channel crew were in the vicinity. Initially, the tornado damage saw was bad. Then they began to realize that the further into the town they went, the damage was worse. By the time they reached the hospital, they realized how destructive the tornado was. It didn’t take much close-ups of the damage for a casual weather fan to realize Joplin was in deep trouble. One term instantly popped into my head: EF-5. Mike Bettes’ breakdown on TV confirmed this tornado had produced horrific damage. One of the worst parts was that the High School had just completed Graduation exercises. At least 3 or 4 students died just moments after celebrating their greatest accomplishment of their young lives.

You would think that a single tornado would not produce over a 100 fatalities anymore. Then again, I used to think we would never see another hurricane that would cause 1000+ US fatalities until Katrina hit. It’s hard to believe that after how far we have come to try and save lives and that we now live in an age where you can informed 15 different ways, that so many people could die in a weather event.

So, how do we prevent more people from dying in the future? We tell people all the right things of what to do, and yet, people still die. To be honest, it is eating away at weather people what has happened this spring in terms of fatalities, even with all of the advanced warning. Short of trying to make tornadoes not form in the first place (if people can), weather people have done all they can to prevent a significant loss of life. The solutions now aren’t easy or cheap. How much are you willing to pay to ensure you can survive nature’s wrath?

One thing I am glad I haven’t yet heard: the attempt by many “smart people” at attempting to connect the tornado damage and deaths to the cc words. I know it’s coming, though. But, to their credit, neither the weather channel or the New York Times or Washington Post or any other media outlet is doing it—yet. They aren’t willing to stick their neck out that far.

I hope the weather we have seen will provide clues to help prevent the next major disaster. Until then, when the weather turns bad, keep an eye and ear alert for warnings.

Band of Stars present vs. Band of Stars past…

OK, I thought I had addressed the South Gwinnett Band of Stars issue in the last blog, but two recent things have popped up to make me want to address the topic again.  First, a recent Facebook question from a former neighbor and fellow Band of Stars member, Melanie Brown, about the South Gwinnett Wikipedia page came to light.  Second, a recent video post by another former Band of Stars member, Kristi (Moon) Ash, showing the Band of Stars marching at the Snellville Days Parade.

First, addressing the Wikipedia page…  This is directly from South Gwinnett’s Wikipedia page concerning the Marching Band (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Gwinnett_High_School):  “The long-time marching band of over twenty years is known as the South Gwinnett ‘Band of Stars’. Band director Dr. Arvold handed the band down to Erik Mason who led it to win several competitions. Mason, after four years moved to Mill Creek High School and the head passed on to William Owens. Only a short time had passed when Owens was offered a position in the new opening school of Mountain View High. Currently, Jimmie McKinley now heads the band program with his new slogan ‘Sound. Style. Sophistication.’” 

Interesting that history of the Band of Stars began with David Arvold, don’t some of you think?  Here’s a little history lesson about Dr. Arvold’s BOS… In the first year he was Band Director (1993), the South Gwinnett Comets made the State Championship Football Game.  I was at that game and saw the Band of Stars perform at Halftime.  I remembered a couple of things about that performance:  First, there was no Drill Team separate from the Flag Corps at that performance.  What happened?  Second, the Band was more static than its predecessors.  In short, let’s just say the Band of Stars from 1988 would have wiped the floor (marching and playing wise) with their 1993 successors.  And yet, history ignores the directors who proceeded Dr. Arvold, most notably Lavender and Nettleton.

Which leads me to the video Kristi shot at the Snellville Days Parade.  It’s clear the fight song has changed (it’s no longer “Are you from Dixie”, which makes sense).  But also what is clear is that this group is smaller and has a lot more of the Florida A&M style to it.  First impression of marching and playing is not good of this group.  I hope Mr. McKinley is just having a down year and that the Band will be back next year.  In my day, the Snellville Middle School Band would have out-marched and out-played this group.  The Band needs to step their game up in the future.

Maybe it’s time to write the complete Band of Stars story.  I guarantee you, none of today’s members know just how many awards the Band has run over the years.  Many of us can help fill in the blanks…

Twenty years later, a revelation…

A few months ago, I described a chink in the armor.  Events have conspired (or put it another way, an opportunity has opened up) for me to reveal the chink...

What do you do when you run up against a road block?  Can you realize that the road closed is impossible to go through, go over, or around?  What if God is trying to tell you to move in another direction and is using that detour to tell you?  At some points in our life, God intervenes in a manner to tell us to either move in a new direction or not to worry about trying so hard in one area of life because he needs you in another area of life.  Sometimes we don't want to and we try to prove God's path is not the right one.  But like Jonah, God has a way of putting us on the path he wants us to go on.

I had one of those experiences growing up.  I realized years later that there was a plan in place, but at the time I was running up against a road block, I wondered why things weren't going right.  I haven't spoken much on parts of that past to Liz, because it mostly has no bearing on my current life.

That past concerns my 6 years of experience in Middle School and High School band.

Liz knows very little about it.  She sort of knows that I played clarinet, but that’s about it.  Up until now, she didn't know that in 3 of the 6 years I was in band, I was first chair (7th & 8th Grades in Middle School, and Junior year in the Overall High School Band).  She knows very little about the John Phillip Sousa Band Award that has sat on my desk.  There is very little of those days that she can look at. 

In elementary school, I had shown a great amount of musical capabilities.  I played piano and sang in choirs.  Of course, it wasn't easy (the "Camptown Races" moment in 5th Grade is a perfect example), but I did pretty well.  In middle school, I realized that I couldn't march with a piano, so I selected the clarinet as my instrument of choice for band over singing in Chorus.

Those band days were mixed.  I always worked hard to try and be the best clarinet player possible.  I always figured if I put in the effort, I would get a chance to perform some solos in concert band.  But unlike my predecessors or successors, I never had a chance to show my capabilities.  And in most of those six years, those efforts were largely under the radar as a musician.  The lone bright spot was as a freshman in High School Band and for that, I owe a great deal of thanks to the former long time SGHS director, Bill Nettleton, for believing in me.

During a rough Junior year, I began to see signs that staying in the band was proving to be a problem.  Little things here and there began to take a toll both in and out of the band, making the ability to perform at my best difficult.  Even being 1st chair wasn’t as worth it as I thought.  I realized that my Senior Year was going to be an even tougher year, and even though I still could have stuck around to defend the top clarinet spot, the cons of staying outweighed the pros.  So the decision was made during my Junior year to not return for my Senior year.  It was hard to not march or play in 12th Grade.  There was more than one time during that final High School Year that I wanted to play or march, but I kept my word to not march or play in concert band.  I felt all that musical effort I had put in for six years had been for naught. 

In reality (though it took years after the fact to understand), for six years I had ignored God's plan with regards to my musical talents and God had humbled me for it.  I had made a mistake of choosing band over choir.  In college, I had the chance to atone for that misjudgment by joining the Valparaiso University Choir Kantorei and the music fraternity, Phi Mu Sinfonia, as a Junior.  Both turned out to be great decisions.  The Kantorei Tour in Spring was a wonderful tour featuring Bach’s “Jesu, meine Freude” and “The Cry of the Whole Congregation”, a John Stevens Paul work based on Luke’s narrative of Holy Week.  As for the Brotherhood of Music, redemption came four years after leaving band at the Spring Weekend.  Some of you know the story:  The Sinfonians performing the Blues Brothers as an exhibition, Minnie the Moocher, and yours truly slowly descending from the top of the altar steps at the Chapel of the Resurrection doing a modified Cab Calloway.  It was perhaps my finest moment musically.

Since college, I have continued to sing in choirs.  I haven't touched the clarinet in nearly 15 years.  It's now clear that God wanted me to continue musically as a singer.  And I haven't looked back since.  I still have my friends from the band years.  Those friendships will never change.  But my instrumental days are long over.  My musical talents survive, in part because I made a hard decision to let go and embrace God's plan albeit like Jonah--a plan that needed a humbling detour to put me back on course.

A new Super (Tornado) Outbreak

Over the last 48 hours, the Deep South has experienced an outbreak of tornadoes that have not been seen since the 1974 Super Outbreak.  As of this post, over 150 tornadoes have been reported since Wednesday, on top of another 100 tornadoes that occurred Monday and Tuesday.  The death toll from Wednesday’s tornadoes stand at 280+ with over 1100 injuries and destruction that is unprecedented across 5 states.  Towns and neighborhoods were just erased from the map.  The state of Alabama clearly took the worst of the storm.

Technology was supposed to prevent a replay of the 1974 Super Outbreak.  Back in 1974, there was no Doppler radar, no way of predicting tornadoes, and most weather forecasters had to depend on spotters on the ground to determine if tornadoes.  The 1974 Super Outbreak and its aftermath led to the creation of a Tornado rating system called the Fujita scale, which measured the destructive nature of tornadoes.  It also was the likely motivation for the creation of the Weather Channel.  One of Dr. Fujita’s grad students was Dr. Greg Forbes.  Over the years, warning times for tornadoes have dramatically improved.  Research that storm chasers have performed over the years have helped improve our knowledge of tornadoes.  With each smaller outbreak (North Carolina in 1984, Kansas in 1991, Oklahoma City in 1999, and others), our understanding has gotten better.

And yet, hundreds of people are dead from this outbreak.  Why?  Is it that people didn’t get the warnings?  Unlikely.  If you were paying attention to the Weather Channel, you knew the TOR:CON index indicated almost a guarantee of destructive weather in Alabama.  Were the tornadoes so destructive?  Possibly.  It’s clear the tornado that ripped through much of northern Alabama was an EF5.  What about the fact that the destruction occurred in densely populated areas?  Probably.  The areas where death occurred were heavily populated suburbs.  Would underground storm shelters have helped?  Perhaps, but the terrain was hilly and risk of radon is real.  Plus some areas are prone to flooding.

Whatever the reason, consider this:  imagine if we had 1974 weather technology in today’s world.  How many lives were saved because of modern technology, not just because of Doppler, TOR:CON, or BTI, but also multiple ways to get the weather message out to people (radio, TV, internet, mobile phones)?

We will learn from these tornadoes, just like we learned valuable lessons from past tornado outbreaks.  Perhaps more new houses will build with interior tornado-proof rooms.  Maybe evacuating areas where tornadoes are expected to hit will reduce fatalities.  Maybe another new way to protect people will be established.  Until then, when the skies threaten, we should always be aware and keep watch…