Dave's Thoughts of the Day: December 18th

I think I owe money for a bill someplace.  I gotta get on that.

The Jets:  Need I say more?   They talk a big game, and play a very little one.     In all honesty, they just aren't that good and have regressed on a very gross level.  They really need to rebuild from the ground up and get some "non-flashy" players: tackles, O-linemen (which is the same thing as tackles), a better RB, WR talent, and on and on and on.  The Jets need a whole team, and that's on the uppers.

Oh those Jets uppers, going for the attention instead of better football.    Jets fans rightfully have said "enough is enough!"

I'm still thinking about that chicken from Dino's Burgers.  Still cannot believe how good that was.  Now: the quest is to find a similar meal on the Westside, but Dino's is so unique I think that quest will be impossible.

Meanwhile, I had been jonesing for a porterhouse steak all year, and you know what?   Given that I'll be in my hometown of Oxnard all of next week, I may as well just go for it on Saturday night.   Folks, I may be headed to Wolfgang's Steakhouse very soon.  I wish the sides were better but even if I just order the meat and some of the sauce with a coffee I'll be very satisfied.

Pau Gasol:  he's due to return any game now, and many say it's tonight.   Honestly he should take his time and give it another week.   It's not like when you get tendonitis you can walk it off... what's another 3-5 games?  The worst thing would be for him to get back on the court and encumber the same pain all over again.

Oh my goodness... a colleague of mine laid on a MAJOR salvo of a story about Lakers TV Broadcaster and former, and I can't stress this enough, *assistant* head coach.  Long story short, the lady worked at some clinic and the guy lambasted her and, get ready for this, he pulled the "do you know who I am?" card.   Yes, HIM!   A..... former, **assistant** head coach bumming it on Lakers telecasts pulled the do-you-know-who-I-am card!

Now the key is, we only got one side of the story so all opinions are subject to further evaluation.

Hopefully those last two paragraphs don't get me in trouble.  If Deadspin picks up on it, I'm finished.  Oh baby!

Sports Illustrated on the whole has outlived its usefulness.  The contributors to the magazine have as well, and that includes Peter King, Rick Reilly (no longer on SI), and Jon Heyman.  I mean come on...   I think people just subscribe to it now for the fancy pictures.  When I was very young I used to go through my Dad's old Sports Illustrateds and look at the great photos.  They were very great.

Sports Illustrated, at its best, was the ultimate time capsule of sports and life.  Today, it's really very little of that, and it reminds me lately of those fancy Microsoft Publisher generated articles.   Visually stimulating but not nearly as good photography as what we used to have, although it's still fairly good.

The other half of it is that SI used to be so profound, simple, and to the point.  You would get an SI from like 1976 and you get a giant photo, the words "Sports Illustrated" with the smaller font saying "December [xy] 1976" and then ONE headline in block letters.  Thats it!  Now the cover of SI is more complicated than the USA Today's front page.  So many little side stories, mini headlines, other photos, etc.   There was really nothing Sports Illustrated could do to preserve its old style.  Time and its audience passed it by.   I can't even say it was a shame because it was an inevitable evolution.  Nonetheless, something can be said for keeping it simple.

Hard rain this morning in Los Angeles, which presented the ultimate opportunity.  Normally, I take the bus to work and leave my car in the carport, but this morning, I remembered how much bird crap was on the windows so I jumped in and drove it to Peet's Coffee shop.   Surely enough, the drive in the rain erased most of the gunk from the windows.  I was up so early that I drove it back home and still had time to take the bus to work, which is where I am now.  Do the dance!

Do we really have to see Nets/Knicks a third time?   Great matchup but TNT and ESPN are running out of ideas.

That's all from here.  Enjoy your day and Happy Holidays!