9 p.m.
• So I was at a wake/body viewing/whatever-it's-called-before-you-bury-someone just now. The better half's one uncle who I have never seen before just died. I showed up, sat there and kept my mouth shut. Whenever I'm at one of these events I just keep my head down, shut my mouth and close me eyes. However, as the Serbian priest was doing his thing someone suddenly ripped one while the priest was in a pause (I don't know who it was because my eyes were closed). Why oh why does the Lord push me to such extremes?
• How in the hell do these lottery winners go broke? If I ever took home $100+ million, the last place I'd go to is a casino. Should this ever happen to me, the story would probably go, "kkk was bouncing checks at the local Best Buy trying to purchase DVDs."
• Speaking of winners, here's a local story I've been following since it recently broke.
2:30 p.m.
• I'm shocked ... SHOCKED that Nancy Pelosi would exclude from the upcoming federal minimum wage hike a tuna company in her district.
Guess ol' Nancy doesn't care about the children of Samoa. Regarding the federal minimum wage. I don't care. This is because the faggot Democrats (and Republicans) in my state already jacked up our state rate. At least over in Ohio the dumbasses there voted in a minimum wage hike. I'm just having it done for me. I have had two minimum wage jobs in my life. Know what I did? I got another job. Tough stuff there. I remember the Morgan Spurlock hippie did one of his "30 Days" shows about living on $5.15/hour. I watched about 5 minutes of it before having to take a poop.
7 a.m.
• I've said for a while now how the out-of-control niece-in-law has pissed away 2+ years of money that was to be used for her college education. Well, she also had an inheritance from years ago that was stashed away from her. With that money she bought a good used car about 2-3 months ago. It was a nice car. Too bad I knew what was going to be in store for the poor thing. Within a week there was already a dent in it. There have been a few scratches and the like over the last month or so, including one time the niece drove it over a hill (don't ask). But yesterday, as she was bending over to grab a cigarette, the niece swerved into an oncoming lane and hit another car. The other driver wasn't hurt, and the niece's care got the brunt of the damage, including a smashed driver's side window. Thank Christ I was able to convince my mother-in-law to take her name off that title no more than two weeks ago. If my crack-whore sister-in-law is the equivalent of a real-life sitcom like "Friends," then the niece-in-law is "Joey."
Before living on my own I never realized how fast bread goes, even if it tightly wrapped back up and put in a bread box........goddamn moldy bread, nothing like getting the craving for a simple sandwich and having the buzz killed because of a few green spots on the load of bread........Yup, that's it.....
Before I begin, another word on Joe Gordon. Despite a short career, Gordon is one of only four second baseman to hit 25+ home runs in five seasons. The others are Rogers Hornsby, Ryne Sandberg and Jeff Kent.
Mickey Lolich: Lolich's inclusion on the ballot is frankly puzzling. Lolich compiled a 217-191 record, not a great percentage for a candidate with that few wins. His sole qualification seems that for a two year stretch he compiled a 47-28 record with a 2.73 ERA. Using Lee Sinins' Runs Saved Above Average, his 52 RSAA over that stretch placed him eighth among pitchers. Only one of his ten comps are in the Hall, and that pitcher (Jim Bunning) had far superior ERAs.
Sparky Lyle: With four closers in the Hall and more coming, perhaps we missed one or two? Looking over relievers with 200+ games finished in the 1970s, Lyle ranks 5th in WHIP, 2nd in ERA, 2nd in saves, 2nd in RSAA, and 7th in strikeout/walk ratio. He won a Cy Young award in 1977. I can't endorse Lyle however. He was not the best reliever of the 1970s, instead competing for second among John Hiller, Mike Marshall, and others not considered candidates at all. None of his ten comparable pitchers are even candidates. The numbers just don't support this one.
Marty Marion: It is difficult to gauge Marion because his value rests on his defensive abilities. Contemporaries felt highly of Marion. He won an MVP award and finished in the top ten three times. He gained selection to eight consecutive All-Star games. Two caveats apply however. One, Marion only played thirteen seasons. Second, his best years occured during World War II when much of his competition was overseas. When there was no war, his OPS+ fell below 80. He simply was not a great player.
Roger Maris: Maris carries most of the loudest arguments towards his induction, and they may become louder yet with the steroid controversy looming over the new record holder(s). My position is that if that 61 did not appear on Maris's record, he would not be within a mile of the Hall of Fame. He won two MVP awards. He only appeared on four All-Star teams and only received any MVP support at all in one other season. None of his ten comparable players are in the Hall. Maris was a great player for two seasons. If two seasons of greatness are the standard of the Hall, then there are MANY other players who would deserve the honor.
Carl Mays: Carl Mays threw the pitch that killed Ray Chapman. He also compiled a 207-126 record, not many wins but an impressive winning percentage. Mays is another player in the "lost it early" group. Mays never dominated the league however, only finishing first in a handful of categories. He pitched for the Red Sox dynasty of the teens and the Yankees' dynasty of the early '20s. I suspect his win/loss record is due in part to pitching for great teams, and his other stats give him little extra support.
Minnie Minoso: Bill James' favorite candidate. The Minnie Minoso argument states that he didn't stick in the Majors until he was 26, and had a Hall of Fame career afterwards. If we take that statement for face value, how does Minoso rate with other left fielders, age 26 and older? I'm unimpressed. Minoso rates among the leaders, but those above him include illuminaries such as Bob Johnson and Luis Gonzalez, who are not serious candidates. Some like to support Minoso's candidacy by isolating his statistics in his 30s. Unless he collected 200 hits a year from ages 21-25, he would not have gotten 3,000 hits. Minoso finished in the top ten of MVP voting five times and made seven All-Star teams. Looking for a similar player, I spotted Ken Singleton. Minoso received more acclaim due to his speed, but they were roughly equal in value. Singleton is not a viable candidate. I can not support Minoso either.
Thurman Munson: Do you make an allowance for Munson passing away early? I don't believe you should, that Munson's case should be treated like any other injured player. But let's set that aside for the second. Using the same trick we used for Minoso, how does Munson compare with catchers up to the age of his death? Munson fails to impress in this regard. He rates 19th in OBP, 7th in hits, 11th in RBIs, 16th in RCAA, and 11th in Runs scored. Many non-Hall of Famers rank above him. Munson's slugging percentage fell off the table in 1978, so it's doubtful he had much left to contribute in his career. He wasn't good enough in his peak to merit induction.
Don Newcombe: Another pitcher with a brilliant peak, Newcombe compiled a 149-90 record. He debuted at the age of 23, so I doubt you can give him much of an adjustment for the color line. Newcombe had a few good years, even winning the MVP in 1956. He doesn't rate among the top five pitchers of his era however, and his record received a huge boost from the offense that played for him (four Hall of Famers, plus Gil Hodges). 149 wins is way too few for a serious candidate unless he dominates like Sandy Koufax or Dizzy Dean.
Lefty O'Doul: O'Doul hit .373 over a four year period from 1929 until 1932. That is superficially impressive, but the average hitter in the Baker Bowl in that era hit nearly .320. Phillies hitters in the 1930s received a greater boost from their environment than hitters enjoy at Coors Field today. O'Doul only reached 10 seasons thanks to four fruitless years as a pitcher early in his career. As a player, he is undeserving. HOWEVER, many argue that O'Doul deserves a boost because of his role as an ambassador to baseball in Japan. If you believe Buck O'Neil deserves the Hall, than O'Doul could merit induction under the same criteria.
The Rundown. None this round. Jim Kaat and Joe Gordon last round.
85.
Wii.
I want one of these things. I have for over 2 months. And they're still nowhere.
The worst part is that stores are still holding them for "sales" on Sundays. Fuck that. You're feeding into people with no lives. I'm not getting up at 4am just to get a console. I have respect for myself. I have responsibilities.
Fuck people.
84.
The NFL.
Good crap, does it blow. I'm studying up on my gambling picks this week, and it's depressing.
Seattle @ Chicago? Like, WTF. They're awful. AWFUL. How can I seriously take a team starting Rex Grossman that giving up 9.5 points?
I want dominating teams back again. Where wins meant something. Now it's like one team wins and there's no shock at all. Whoever gets the luckiest. Usually whatever team has the least injuries. Lame.
All sports suck. Especially, tennis.
7:15 p.m.
Barry Bonds, lol.
Barry Bonds, lol.
Barry Bonds, lol.
I know he's one of the greatest players of all time. I know he'll probably be the new home-run champ. I know he has a bunch of money. But ... Barry Bonds, lol. Too bad your kid is in school -- who are you going use now to shield yourself from the media?
5:45 p.m.
• So David Beckham is going to play soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Wha- wha- what? Let me read that again.
You got to be kidding me. And all you people bitch about A-FRAUD (LOL2207) and his contract. I didn't know professional soccer in the States had $250 million to spend. I have nothing against Beckham. I kinda felt bad for him and the way he exited the last World Cup. Then again, I know nothing about soccer so who knows -- maybe he's some Satan-worshipping heathen who pimps Posh Spice out. If that's the case then I like him even more.
A quarter of a billion dollars? For five years?!
12:15 p.m.
• The commies are coming to the Mile-High City in '08.
I wonder if the person who recently shot and killed Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams will have a full clip by next year? I guess it's a good call for the Dems. Colorado has been a slightly Republican state that has slowly been turning commie. Hooray for them, I guess.
83.
Randall Orton.
Why does he have to be such an asshole and keep fucking up? He doesn't need to add fuel to the many hater's fire.
Be hot. Do your job.
Or, better yet. Get out of wrestling and do porn. He'd be perfect there. Plus, I could watch him more regularly.
82.
Mole.
No, not because he's the new leader of TSM that will be banning me shortly.
Because he's the perfect example of that asshole you have to deal with in life, no matter what. I know this all too well since I went to Catholic school with a bunch of rich yuppies and I was one of the poor city kids. There's always the braindead moron who starts shit with everyone and gets away with whatever because he's got a rich daddy.
How does this stupid asshole have the extra money to buy TSM. To buy whatever HD garbage he wants. The ability to con an attractive, yet stupid girl to be with him. Yet, after blowing all his dough on drugs on Lord knows what else.
Rich daddy.
This is why I feel it's always right to steal. Because we should steal from people like that.
With the Baseball Writers making their decision, the Baseball Hall of Fame discussion turns to the Veterans' Committee ballot. The Veterans ballot occurs every other year, and is voted on by all living Hall of Famers, as well as writers and broadcasters. Currently, I believe the system is ill-constructed. There are too many vaguely qualified candidates on the ballot and no way to reach a consensus. The system would be much improved by taking the top ten vote getters and running a second, run-off ballot. As it stands, I doubt this system will result in any new inductees.
Dick Allen: One of the most controversial players in the history of baseball. Allen seemingly created trouble wherever he landed. Often, teams were eager to get rid of him despite his tremendous production. His talent is unquestioned. In 1966, Allen slugged .632 when the league as a whole slugged .399. Allen led the league in OPS four times, slugging three times, and On Base Percentage twice. His adjusted OPS ranks 21st all time. Unfortunately, he had a relatively short career. Bill James argues that Allen was more trouble than he was worth. I'm not sure what to make of it. Right no, I'd have to say no.
Bobby Bonds: Until Andre Dawson and Barry Bonds, Bobby was the greatest combination of power and speed in the history of baseball. Bobby, like Dick Allen, had a relatively short career. Unlike Dick Allen, he was not a dominant player. He did not win an MVP and he played in just three All-Star games. He wasn't great, and he wasn't very good for long enough.
Ken Boyer: Boyer is a tremendously underrated player, one who receives little acclaim because he played in an era of low offense and contributed across the board. For seven years, Boyer hit 23-32 home runs a season and collected 90+ RBIs. At the same time, he won five Gold Gloves at third base. Boyer finished in the top ten of MVP voting three times, winning the award in 1964. I can't endorse Boyer, but it is closer than people realize.
Rocky Colavito: A feared power hitter in his prime, Colavito hit 40+ home runs in three seasons. He finished in the top ten of MVP voting four times. Again, Colavito had a short career, retiring at the age of 34. Rocky led the league in home runs once, RBIs once, slugging percentage once. None of his ten comparable players are in the Hall of Fame. Colavito just wasn't good enough at his peak to merit induction.
Wes Ferrell: 193 wins and a 4.04 ERA is not generally remarkable. Ferrell did win 91 games over four seasons. He pitched in a genuinely difficult era for pitchers. The most remarkable statistic about Ferrell is his hitting. Ferrell hit .280/.351/.446 over the course of his career, league average numbers out of the pitching spot. His .601 winning percentage is impressive, but he just didn't last long enough. Ferrell pitched just 8 games after turning 30.
Curt Flood: Flood essentially retired rather than accept a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. He challenged baseball's reserve clause and lost. Again we have a player who enjoyed a short career. During his career, Flood was a league average hitter with a sensational glove. Flood was possibly one of the top five defensive outfielders of all time. However, I can't see how half a season of that makes a Hall of Famer.
Joe Gordon: Yet another short career guy. Gordon gets a pass for two seasons however because he served during World War II. Gordon was absolutely a Hall of Fame talent at his peak. He won an MVP and finished in the top ten four other times. He made the All-Star team nine times, every season except his first and last years. Gordon played on five championship clubs. Given credit for the war years, I think Gordon deserves induction.
Gil Hodges: A popular player, but only the 5th or 6th best player on his club. Hodges only finished in the top ten of MVP balloting twice, and never really got close to winning. Hodges never led the league in a significant offensive category. Hodges accumulated a lot of RBIs because he played on great teams, but he was not a great player. The only way he merits induction is if you give him credit for managing the Miracle Mets. I can't see it.
Jim Kaat: Kaat is an interesting case. He wasn't a great pitcher, just a very good one who lasted a LONG time. That might not sound impressive, but I've always maintained that if it were easy to stick around and accumulate numbers, more pitchers would do it. Kaat's numbers are similar to Robin Roberts and Ferguson Jenkins. He's borderline, but I would vote for him. 283 wins is enough.
Rundown: Jim Kaat and Joe Gordon in this batch. Mickey Lolich through Lefty O'Doul in the next batch, and we'll finish with Tony Oliva through Maury Wills.
7:30 p.m.
• Time to bring yet another NFL prediction game to closure. Back in September I guessed which games on the NFL’s new flex schedule would make it to the prime-time slot. Let’s see how I fared. Below was my prediction for each week followed by that game’s score. If another game was called by Al Michaels and John Madden that week, I put it in parentheses below.
Week 10. Chicago at New York: 38-20. Correct.
Week 11. Indianapolis at Dallas: 21-14. Incorrect.
(San Diego at Denver: 35-27)
Week 12. Carolina at Washington: 13-17. Incorrect.
(Philadelphia at Indianapolis: 21-45)
Week 13. Seattle at Denver: 23-20. Correct.
Week 14. Indianapolis at Jacksonville: 44-17. Incorrect.
(New Orleans at Dallas: 42-17)
Week 15. Kansas City at San Diego: 9-20. Correct.
Week 16. Cincinnati at Denver: 23-24. Incorrect.
(San Diego at Seattle: 20-17)
Week 17. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: 23-17. Incorrect.
(Green Bay at Chicago: 26-7)
Well, I went 3-8. Uh, yay and stuff.
While I’m on the subject of football, I might as well give my opinion of how each pre-game show did. ESPN – yeah, right. Fox? Simply dreadful. I never knew how much I liked James Brown until after he went to CBS. Historically I had always tuned in to the Fox pregame show more than anywhere else, and when I heard their Week 1 telecast, I couldn’t believe my ears. I gave the benefit of the doubt to that new token black guy; after all, it would take a while for that crew to develop chemistry. However, whenever I tuned in to Fox as the season progressed, I still didn’t care for them. CBS, on the other hand, got even better with Brown acting as the non-jock moderator. I must though that my favorite group was NBC’s “Football Night in America.” It started out “eh” for me, but as the season went on I felt that quartet meshed better with each passing week. Besides, I’m a Bob Costas fanboy, so I know I’m being a bit biased here. And I’ll even step up and defend that Pink opening song. It’s not great or anything, but it was certainly passable, especially if you had it playing in a nearby room and didn’t have to see the campy video that accompanied this jingle.
6:45 p.m.
• Well this day started out innocently enough. Then I found out that I know a person who knows the person that was the subject of the following story.
Minutes after learning of this, I get a call from the better half telling me her one uncle died. We didn’t know the person that well – I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before, but it was odd to have those two things hit me at once. Not that either one affect me in the slightest, but oh well.
81.
The Williams' SISTAHZ.
Serena Williams' comments after losing to Sybille Bammer in Hobart last night (whatever time it is in Tasmania).
""I think she played the match of her life," Williams said. "I've never heard of her quite frankly. (Oh. And we know Bammer played the match of her life because...) I didn't play that well and I made a lot of unforced errors. (Of course, you didn't have your A-Game.) I think I'm a little rusty. You wish these players would play like this all the time instead of just against me. (Or, it's because you suck now because you're a fat pig that would rather be in the Bahamas 40 weeks of the year.) She played unbelievable. (Just say that next time. Ass.)"
http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/72961961.j...B7040F59BAB34AD
Meanwhile, Venus withdrew from the Australian Open due to a "left wrist injury".
Of course, if you speak one bad word about either of these lazy bitches, you're RAYCIST.
9:30 p.m.
• I forgot all about Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame voting results being today. Oops. I was going to do a candidate-by-candidate review of their respective careers, awards, win-shares and all that other stuff, but who really reads all that shit anyway? Instead, here is Al kkkeiper's voting ballot for this year's Hall of Fame wanna-bes.
1) Harold Baines -- No.
2) Albert Belle -- No.
3) Dante Bichette -- No.
4) Bert Blyleven -- No.
5) Bobby Bonilla -- Fuck No.
5) Scott Brosius -- No.
6) Jay Buhner -- No.
7) Ken Caminiti -- No. This guy was one of my favorite players when he was still in the game. I remember him breaking down on Jim Rome's show. It's a shame he died, but he brought it on himself, so fuck him.
8) Jose Canseco -- No. For some reason I've been liking this guy more and more. When he wrote that book a bunch of people dissed him for being a rat, but as it turns out, it looks like he was more spot on than first thought. Why shouldn't he make a quick buck naming names? The roided up players did much worse for their paychecks.
9) Dave Concepcion -- Hmm, no. This is an interesting candidate because being from Shittsburgh this guy gets compared a lot to Bill Mazerowski, who recently got in the Hall. Both were great fielders, but weren't anything special at the plate, unless it was Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.
10) Eric Davis -- No.
11) Andre Dawson -- Had to think about this one for a second. Err, no.
12) Tony Fernandez -- No.
13) Steve Garvey -- I'm leaning toward yes, but I think that's just because of the name recognition. I'm sure his stats will say otherwise.
14) Rich Gossage -- No.
15) Tony Gwynn -- Yes. One of my favorite all-time players. I like him even more now that I heard a clip on ESPN this evening in which he said that he's "sweating like a slave" while talking about his recent induction. Uh oh.
I never saw Tony Gwynn sweating as a slave, ever ... ever.
Is it OK for me to go out in the hot sun and perspirate while waiting for a baseball to get hit to me in the outfield?
Why yes it is -- that's why we were brought over to this country. We could pick cotton and hit baseballs out in the sun better than all those crackas.
16) Orel Hershiser -- No.
17) Tommy John -- No.
18) Wally Joyner -- No. I remember when he came into the big leagues he was some can't-miss Hall of Famer. I guess he'll just have to settle for being a millionaire.
19) Don Mattingly -- Like Garvey, I'm leaning toward yes, because I remember those years he had in the '80s. I'm sure other people who pay attention to stats and all that shit will outvote me on this one.
20) Mark McGwire -- Fuck all the haters, I'll vote him in. Does he deserve to go? I don't know. But Major League Baseball turned a blind eye toward players roiding up in the 1990s, so deal with it. I heard on Mike and Mike this morning that some sportswriter from Illinois turned in a blank ballot because he can't vote on any players from the "steroid age" or something like that. Get off your high horse. If you don't want to make a statement, give your ballot to someone else. Asshole.
21) Jack Morris -- Hmm, another one that gave me pause. He's probably not deserving, but I'll put him ahead of Garvey and Mattingly.
22) Dale Murphy -- I remember him from the Braves back in the 1980s. If he didn't get in by now he never will.
23) Paul O'Neill -- No, although I liked him as a player.
24) Dave Parker -- No.
25) Jim Rice -- No.
26) Cal Ripken Jr. -- What am I going to say here? Of course. I remember during his final years he wasn't all that productive, but whatever.
27) Bret Saberhagen -- No.
28) Lee Smith -- I dunno. I have no idea. Might as well ask that pseudo-baseball expert who stole my when-I'm-talking-about-baseball name via AIM.
Nice answer Al kerry. I'll say yes out of spite.
29) Alan Trammell -- No, although I remember him and Lou Whitaker being a long-time tandem in Detroit..
30) Devon White -- No.
31) Bobby Witt -- I thought he was still playing.
Regarding my Concepcion comment above, here is what I said about Bill Mazeroski's induction back in March of 2001.
11:30 a.m.
• Wow, what an incredible BcS game last night. Congratulations are in order to Boise State for being the only undefeated team in Division 1 College football. Wait a second, Boise State is not the top team in college football? But I thought all the non-playoff talking heads on television said the NCAA regular season is like one big playoff! Boise State is the only undefeated team in college’s top division. So then it’s only natural that they should be ranked first overall. And people wonder why I don’t give a shit about college football.
• I was driving home from work yesterday when a van in front of me had the following bumper sticker: “This vehicle was paid for by Union wages!” Uh, ok. So my scab money won’t be accepted by the local car dealership the next time I need to purchase a vehicle? Alrighty then. I wonder if the bumper sticker was also paid for by Union wages? Now that I think about it, was the bumper sticker itself created by Union labor?
• Remember my out-of-control niece’s suicide note I talked about Sunday that got in the way of my “Roadhouse” viewing? All lies. And the other times she has said that she tried to off herself? Lies. Like there was any doubt.
Listening to sports talk radio, the only baseball discussion occurring right now regards the Hall of Fame. Invariably, someone will mention that Joe Dimaggio was not elected on the first ballot This is true, Dimaggio received only 44% of the vote. However, two key facts are missed.
1. That ballot was the 1953 ballot. Dimaggio retired following the 1951 season. The 1953 ballot, submitted in December '52, was the FIRST election since Dimaggio retired. I've searched some sources and I can not find whether the five year rule was in place. Bobby Doerr garnered a handful of votes and he retired the same year. It is worth noting however that Dimaggio under today's system would not gain eligibility to the Hall until 1957, two years after he was elected.
2. The Hall of Fame at that time contained a huge backlog of eligible players. It is easy for a worthy player to gain induction today. This year in a good crop, there are 27 players total, three whose numbers merit clear induction, and another 8-10 who could claim HoF worthiness on a good day. It is relatively easy for voters, allowed up to ten choices, to choose the best players and induct them. In 1953, 83 players received at least one vote. Do you know how difficult it is to reach a consensus with the vote spread so widely? What's more, over 40 of those not elected would eventually become Hall of Famers. Dimaggio didn't get snubbed because he was somehow undeserving. Two players who retired in 1951 made the Hall. Dimaggio got 44%, Bobby Doerr got 1%. The process was to blame.
(Sidenote: Information about the wrestlers and promotions I name in this blog can be found hereWrestlers and Promotions)
In the beginning of 2006, after the WCWA had pretty much closed down, I was invited to be the sound guy for BRAWL, I accepted and I think in Feb. I did my first BRAWL show. I will admit, I was nervous, it was my first time working with another promotion and it was my first time working with a lot of new faces. I had met quite a few wrestlers through the WCWA but a lot of workers didn't work with the WCWA because of various reason, and I was going to meet quite a few of them at BRAWL. When I got there, I walked into the venue and walked straight to someone I recoinzed. I think it was either Rik Luxury or one of the Surburban Commados, but it was one of those guys who I went up to. I said my hello and asked them about the sound set up and what excatly was going on. We went through everything and afterwards I decided it would be best if I went around and introduced myself to everyone, so thats what I started to do.
A lot of the faces I knew from the WCWA was there, Helfyre, Jason Vega, Alexis Smirnoff Jr, Sir Samauri and a few others but like I said there were quite a few wrestlers who I hadn't met before. I had heard about them but I really didn't know them by face. I did recoinize one of them after a few seconds and that was Pogo the Clown. I must admit, it took me a few seconds for me to go up to Pogo and introduce myself. Pogo and Vic Grimes were the two biggest names (in my view at the time) working the show that night. Of course I knew about Vic from watching him in ECW as one of the baldies and I heard about Pogo from him being in XPW. Even though I never saw one of his matches, I knew that XPW really put Pogo over as one of their top talents, so I was a little nervous about introducing myself to the both of them and to be honset, I shouldn't have been nervous.
Pogo, even though he was busy, was very welcoming and thanked me for coming to the show to help out. He told me he was a bit busy and had to take care of a few things so I let him be. Later before the show started, Vic Grimes showed up and he as well was very nice to me as well. Both are very cool men. So as the show started getting closer and closer to starting, I had gotten all my cues and found out what was going on and pre-pared for the show.
As I was pre-paring, I found out that BRAWL was running a WCWA invasion gimmick as Helfyre, Jason Vega, and Alexis Smirnoff Jr was being the WCWA heel group. I actually got a bit jumpy and wanted to be apart of it somehow. I asked Jason if I could have and he told me no, I should just do the sound thing for now so I don't start stepping on anyone's toes and such and he had a point. So I finished pre-paring for the show.
Showtime came and if I remember correctly, I didn't screw up anything that night. Everything went great. By the end of the night, after I took down the sound equipment, I started saying my good-byes. I said my good byes to the guys I knew and to the guys who I had just met that night. When I said my good bye to Vic, he actually offered me to work with another promotion called "Oaktown Wrestling" thats pretty much based out of Oakland CA but they were running in a city thats a pretty good distance from where I live, so I declined but thanked him anyways. He understood and gave me a way to reach him if I had changed my mind. I said my good bye to Pogo, I think pretty much last as he just had a match and didn't want to bug him right afterwards. Pogo thanked me for coming out and asked me to come back to the next show to help out again and I agreed and I have been since Feb.. Doing a show once a month, doing various things, but doing sound and I've been enjoying it since I started.
Working with BRAWL has also connected me to a few other promotions as well. Working with BRAWL kept me in touch with Helfyre. Helfyre had his own ring locked in the building that Paul Brown had moved into after loosing the building that the WCWA was held in and when Helfyre had a chance to get his ring out of there, he let me know about it and I volunteered to help him move it out of the building. Helfyre was going to move his ring into a gym where he's a powerlifter. Helfyre was planning on training people to become a pro wrestler and open his own promotion called Devil Mountain Wrestling. I'll get into Devil Mountain in another blog down the road as this one might get quite long if I go into it now.
Working at BRAWL also gave me one more connection and that was the connection to their ring annoucer, J.J. See I didn't know it at the time but J.J. (who I didn't know before working with BRAWL) was going to open his own promotion called CCW. Which will be a whole nother story that will be told in my next blog.
So stay tuned because the CCW story WILL BE a intresting one, I promise you that.
-Well, it's been a while, but I'm back. I've been busy with classes (Literary studies, Short Story Writing II, Poetry, II, and Wight Lifting-No, I've met nobody like wildpegasus). They've been fine, I guess. Met a cool guy who's a fellow horror fan, and writes on occasion, so that's pretty cool.
-Anyways, Hotbutter was banned again, this time using the allias "Dirty Killingsocks." He's like wildpegasus, only amusing and not pathetic.
-I recently saw the "Cast Your Dream Porno" thread, and all I can say is...wow. I don't mind seing a girl get fucked in the ass, but Double Anal is not for me. Neither is watersports, bestiality scat, rape play, or anything that's well...sick, though I've read my fare share of horror stories with that kind of shit. Also, I like porn as much as the next guy, and I can see someone buying or renting one, but why would anyone become a connoiseur of it? Besides, there porn everywhere on the net, so what's the point of owing one. Ok, I casn see someone owning something like "Debbie Does Dallas" for historical purposes, but still, what's the deal. It's not the 80's anymore, we don't need to rent porn, because it's right there, and sometimes it's free. But that's just my opinion.
In a nutshell, I like porn as much as the next guy, but I'm not exactly an enthusiast.
-I might watch Raw tonight, since I'm (mostly) done with homework, and I've got nothing else to do. There's really nothing else on.
8:30 p.m.
KKK’s Top 103 Posters
Number 43: Anglesaut
I don’t frequent the wrestling folders of this place; the same goes with many of those “The One And Only” threads talking about a baseball playoff series, or something of that nature. So when people complained about Anglesaut’s obsession with the New York Yankees, I turned a blind eye. (Or is it a deaf ear?) I will remember this banned poster for something he said, but it wasn’t posted in a wrestling or sports thread. It was in one of the many cookie-cutter current events threads that talked about some youth cretin tried to kill his family/teacher/friend/etc. You know the thread. This is when all the hate-mongers (like me) wanted this person dead while all the pussies wanted to give him counseling and hugs. In response to some “a 14-year old doesn’t know what he’s doing,” response, Mr. Sault replied, “I'm fairly certain that these kids knew that the fire boom-boom stick would cause boo-boos.” One of my favorite lines.
And now a word or two from the expert panel I’ve assembled to comment on the people I’ve listed.
From EricMM:
From SFA Jack:
4:30 p.m.
• Some free advice. When your better half asks you what you have planned for the day (Sunday, January 14) before her birthday, don't say, "watching football."
3 p.m.
• Let’s see how well I did with my Wild Card pickkks.
Kansas City at Indianapolis (7.5)
Well, I got Indy right. I predicted them to win and they did. I do feel bad for the Chiefs defensive unit though. My God was Kansas City’s offense anemic. I thought they might start the game throwing or doing some playaction since the talk I heard all week was that Larry Johnson was going to get 50 carries. I remember last year the Steelers started the game out unexpectedly by throwing a few passes to their tight end Heath Miller, and I thought the Chiefs might do the same. I was wrong. And the Colts really need to sign that Ty Law so he won’t intercept Peyton Manning in the playoffs.
Dallas at Seattle (3.5)
I was wrong. Seattle won, but not by more than a field goal. After watching that botched field-goal snap, I have to thank my stars that Romo didn't run in for a touchdown and instead got tackled before reaching the first-down marker. Good God, that play would be playing on ESPN in a continous loop.
New York Jets at New England (8.5)
Wrong, but it was an entertaining game. Even though I thought the Pats would win with a close final score, the Jets played them tough until that fatal backwards pass which changed the entire complexion of the game.
New York Giants at Philadelphia (7.5)
Poor Emily. I got this game right –– a narrow Philly win -- but what scared me during this contest is that I realized what the media coverage would be like should Emily and Peyton ever meet in the Super Bowl. Good thing that’s not going to happen this year. I still get the shivers whenever I think back to MANNING BOWL I all the way back in Week 1 of this season.
11:15 a.m.
• So there's a stink in New York City.
And how exactly is this news -- was there more cab drivers than usual on the road?
Wrapping up the 2007 Hall of Fame Ballot with the two slam dunks on the ballot and barring a major upset the only two who will be elected on Tuesday. Since there is no real suspense in whether or not these two will be elected I figured I'd just group them together. Sure one could argue than one or the other was overrated in their own right and there will of course be those who will leave them off their ballot just to make sure no one ever gets 100% of the vote. But no one can make a legitimate argument that either is not deserving of being a member of the Hall of Fame. Obviously they are easy "yes" votes from me.
Tony Gwynn - Rightfielder
San Diego Padres 1982-2001
Awards
1984 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1986 NL Gold Glove - OF
1986 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1987 NL Gold Glove - OF
1987 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1989 NL Gold Glove - OF
1989 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1990 NL Gold Glove - OF
1991 NL Gold Glove - OF
1994 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1995 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1997 NL Silver Slugger - OF
All-Star Selections: 15 (1984-1987, 1989-1999)
League Leader
1984: Batting Average, Hits
1986: Hits, Runs
1987: Batting Average, Hits
1988: Batting Average
1989: Batting Average, Hits
1994: Batting Average, Hits, OBP
1995: Batting Average, Hits
1996: Batting Average
1997: Batting Average, Hits
Career Ranks
AVG: 20th
Games: 61st
Hits: 18th
Runs: 84th
2B: 22nd
TB: 50th
RC: 41st
Hall of Fame Stats
Black Ink: Batting - 57 (18) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting - 155 (78) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting - 53.9 (57) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting - 277.5 (13) (Likely HOFer > 100)
Similar Batters in HOF: 9 (Zack Wheat, Rod Carew, Paul Waner, Wade Boggs, Sam Rice, Roberto Clemente, Heinie Manush, George Silser, Sam Crawford)
Other Similar Batters: Vada Pinson
Year-by-Year Win Shares & Wins Above Replacement Level (WARP3)
1982: 7/1.8
1983: 10/3.0
1984: 35/10.2
1985: 20/7.3
1986: 29/10.8
1987: 29/12.1
1988: 23/6.6
1989: 30/9.3
1990: 17/6.4
1991: 22/6.7
1992: 18/5.3
1993: 18/6.1
1994: 17/10.0
1995: 23/8.1
1996: 17/4.6
1997: 39/7.9
1998: 19/3.8
1999: 18/3.0
2000: 3/0.6
2001: 4/0.8
Career Win Shares: 398
Career WARP3: 124.3
Cal Ripken - Shortstop
Baltimore Orioles 1981-2001
Awards
1982 AL Rookie of the Year
1983 AL MVP
1983 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1984 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1985 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1986 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1989 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1991 AL MVP
1991 ML Sporting News Player of the Year
1991 AL Gold Glove - SS
1991 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1992 AL Gold Glove - SS
1993 AL Silver Slugger - SS
1994 AL Silver Slugger - SS
All-Star Selections: 19 (1983-2001)
League Leader
1983: Hits, Runs, Doubles, Runs Created
1991: Total Bases
Career Ranks
Games: 8th
Hits: 14th
Runs: 31st
2B: 13th
HR: 37th
RBI: 20th
BB: 61st
TB: 13th
RC: 30th
Hall of Fame Stats
Black Ink: Batting - 19 (112) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting - 116 (171) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting - 58.3 (33) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting - 236.0 (25) (Likely HOFer > 100)
Similar Batters in HOF: 7 (Dave Winfield, Robin Yount, Al Kaline, Eddie Murray, Carl Yastrzemski, George Brett, Tony Perez)
Other Similar Batters: Craig Biggio, Harold Baines, Andre Dawson
Year-by-Year Win Shares & Wins Above Replacement Level (WARP3)
1981: 0/-0.6
1982: 23/8.2
1983: 35/13.9
1984: 37/15.0
1985: 25/10.9
1986: 28/12.5
1987: 20/7.2
1988: 25/9.7
1989: 26/10.1
1990: 20/9.4
1991: 34/17.0
1992: 21/6.8
1993: 17/5.9
1994: 18/7.7
1995: 16/7.5
1996: 22/7.0
1997: 18/5.0
1998: 13/4.6
1999: 12/4.2
2000: 8/3.8
2001: 9/3.4
Career Win Shares: 427
Career WARP3: 169.1
6 p.m.
• Those wacky Democrats are already breaking their promises. Sound the alarms. From Drudge.
Actually, I really don't care how many days a week Congress works. The fewer the better, in my opinion. What I would like to see are all federal and state politicians not be eligible for pensions and shit after they leave their elected jobs. Politics wasn't meant to be a lifetime career, unless you started out as a lowly state representative and advanced every few terms all the way to senator or governor. I don't believe in term limits, but I can sympathize with anyone who favors them.
2:30 p.m.
• I was wondering when we'd get back around to the "OMG people are too scared to elect a powerful woman to office" talk. From some Jew at a Chicago paper.
So I guess if I don't vote for Hitlerly in '08 I'm afraid of powerful women. And the fact that she's the Anti-Christ would have nothing to do with my choice. Oh, and if we get our own Margaret Thatcher, rest assured I'd vote for her. Unless of course her tits were small.
11 a.m.
• So it was midnight and I was scanning On Demand and decided to partake in the awesomeness of Roadhouse, the bouncer flick to end all bouncer flicks. Just when Jack Dalton was about to accept an employment offer from the Double Deuce, I get a call from the mother-in-law, asking for Mrs. kkk. I told her that she hadn't returned home from work yet. Minutes later the better half called. Thinking something was up, I asked what was going on. My out-of-control niece-in-law had left my mother-in-law a suicide note. Whatever. Too bad she's too fucking lazy to actually kill herself. Turns out it was nothing more than an attention ploy. A whole bunch of shouting and fighting ensued between the 19-year old and the better half once she found her at one of her usual hangouts. I asked the Mrs. when someone writes a note like that don't they have to be committed or something? I was told yes. Too bad that didn't happen, but I'm not getting involved. I learned a long time ago to stay away from psycho bitches, even if my intent is not to stick my dick in one of their orifices. Hopefully, last night's action will cause the better half to disown her niece, much like Mrs. kkk has done with her crack-whore sister, who in an odd twist of fate, is the mother of the out-of-control niece-in-law.
But everything all worked out in the end. I did manage to watch Roadhouse before going to bed last night. And the sheer awfulness of watching this in all of its unedited glory has me yearning to view it in widescreen. "A polar bear fell on me." Jesus Christ.
• I can only hope this is the start of more lawsuits relating to the Duke case. When it comes to rape accusations, unless the accused is saying the rape took place 20 years ago, I give the accuser the benefit of the doubt. However, as this story started falling into place, it became clear that these students were being set up. Let the litigation begin.
Mark McGwire - First Baseman
Oakland Athletics 1986-1997
St. Louis Cardinals 1997-2001
Awards
1987 AL Rookie of the Year
1990 AL Gold Glove - 1B
1992 AL Silver Slugger - 1B
1996 AL Silver Slugger - 1B
1998 NL Silver Slugger - 1B
All-Star Selections: 12 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
League Leader
1987: Homeruns, Slugging %, HR/AB
1989: HR/AB
1990: Walks
1992: Slugging %, HR/AB, OPS+
1995: HR/AB
1996: Homeruns, OBP, Slugging %, HR/AB, OPS, OPS+
1998: Homeruns, Walks, OBP, Slugging %, HR/AB, Runs Created, OPS, OPS+
1999: Homeruns, RBI, HR/AB, OPS+
Career Ranks
HR: 7th
RBI: 60th
BB: 34th
OBP: 78th
SLG: 10th
HR/AB: 1st
RC: 82nd
OPS: 13th
OPS+: 11th
Hall of Fame Stats
Black Ink: Batting - 36 (41) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting - 110 (189) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting - 42.0 (126) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting - 169.5 (60) (Likely HOFer > 100)
Similar Batters in HOF: 2 (Harmon Killewbrew, Willie McCovey)
Other Similar Batters: Jim Thome, Jose Canseco, Carlos Delgado, Manny Ramirez, Juan Gonzalez, Norm Cash, Jason Giambi, Dave Kingman
Year-by-Year Win Shares & Wins Above Replacement Level (WARP3)
1986: 1/-0.1
1987: 30/8.9
1988: 28/7.6
1989: 21/7.0
1990: 27/10.0
1991: 18/6.1
1992: 29/10.1
1993: 6/2.5
1994: 6/2.5
1995: 23/7.8
1996: 29/9.8
1997: 25/9.4
1998: 41/11.6
1999: 30/8.6
2000: 20/6.0
2001: 8/1.5
Career Win Shares: 342
Career WARP3: 109.5
Would he get my vote?
Yes. I thought about doing a very long rant about the entire issue regarding if McGwire should go into the HOF or not but we all know that when the results are announced Tuesday he will not have been elected so this issue is going to last for at least one more year so I'm not going to waste my time for now. What I will say when it comes to considering a player for the HOF who has either been proven to have used steroids or have likely used steroids I feel that if a player is a true borderline candidate that use of steroids can tip the scales against a player as being a deserving HOF. Mark McGwire is not a borderline candidate. 7th all-time in homeruns, 10th all-time in Slugging, 11th all-time OPS+, a .394 career OBP, and he averaged 50 homeruns for every 162 games played. Whether or not he will ever get in, it is too early to tell. The projection seems to be he'll get only 25-30% of the vote on this first ballot and this percentage should increase substantially next year as several voters are using an arbitrary one-year boycott for likely steroid users. What is revealed or not revealed in the following years about his use of steroids and the use of others during his playing days will determine if he ever gets in. No one should feel sorry for McGwire if he never gets in but I think it'd be a real shame if he didn't.
11 p.m.
• Not only are these non-Americans taking our jobs, but they are also taking our contests. If the mother is not a legal resident, and if the rules state citizenship is a requirement, then she doesn't get the prize money. I guess since she can't run for President, that must smack of second-class citizenship, too.
4:30 p.m.
• I love Wild Card weekend. Four games throughout the weekend – you can’t beat that. Time to make some pickkks:
Kansas City at Indianapolis (7.5)
Because everybody is expecting a 52-49 shootout, I’m sure this will probably end up being a 6-3 affair. Kansas City needs to run the ball and this matchup favors them. Indy needs to score a bunch of points because of a poor defense and this matchup favors them. What will happen? I have no idea. But this game is at Indy, and it’s not a divisional playoff, so I’m hoping Manning doesn’t choke until another round or two into the postseason. Since I’m making people pick final scores in my kkk Bowl contest, I’ll say Indy 40, KC 27.
Dallas at Seattle (3.5)
These two teams haven’t been playing well as of late, so I’m just hoping the home field really does play an advantage in this contest. Dallas has won on the road this year, and Seattle plays in the NFC West, so I have no idea how this one will turn out. Seattle 24, Dallas 17.
New York Jets at New England (8.5)
This one intrigues me. These teams split the season series. The Pats pretty much dominated the first game, with a few freak plays keeping the Jets close. The Jets then beat New England on their home field in the next game. Now will the more experienced Patriots kick it into high gear in the playoffs, or will the Jets hang tough against a divisional foe? The only reason I’m going with the Jets is because this doesn’t look like the same Patriots from year’s past. New England 20, New York 13.
New York Giants at Philadelphia (7.5)
Philly has been playing good late in the season, and the Giants have been inconsistent. However, because this is a divisional match-up I’ll go with the Giants, even though I think Philadelphia will win. New York 17, Philly 21.
3:30 p.m.
• Might as well finish up my NFL pickkk results for the rest of the regular season.
First are my Week 15 results, which I forgot all about.
San Francisco at Seattle: Correct
Dallas at Atlanta: Correct
Cleveland at Baltimore: Incorrect
Detroit at Green Bay: Correct
Houston at New England: Incorrect
Jacksonville at Tennessee: Correct
Miami at Buffalo: Incorrect
N.Y. Jets at Minnesota: Correct
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants: Correct
Pittsburgh at Carolina: Incorrect
Tampa Bay at Chicago: Correct
Washington at New Orleans: Correct
Denver at Arizona: Correct
Kansas City at San Diego: Incorrect
St. Louis at Oakland: Correct
Cincinnati at Indianapolis: Correct
This week's record: 11-5
Week 17 results:
N.Y. Giants at Washington: Incorrect
Atlanta at Philadelphia: Correct
Buffalo at Baltimore: Incorrect
Carolina at New Orleans: Incorrect
Cleveland at Houston: Correct
Detroit at Dallas: Correct
Green Bay at Chicago: Incorrect
Jacksonville at Kansas City: Correct
Miami at Indianapolis: Correct
New England at Tennessee: Correct
Oakland at N.Y. Jets: Incorrect
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: Incorrect
Seattle at Tampa Bay: Correct
St. Louis at Minnesota: Correct
Arizona at San Diego: Incorrect
San Francisco at Denver: Incorrect
This Week's record: 8-8
Year-end total: 126-130
Well, that's almost .500
• A while back I talked about this MTV show called "My Sweet 16," and how I wanted to take a shovel to the head of each of these spoiled brats. It was during this time I vowed never to watch this show again. I lied. I just had an episode on where some chick had a party that cost more than my college education, and the event was almost ruined when some boy put his face into her $800 birthday cake, toppling it onto the floor. While that was funny enough, there was then video of this kid being taken away in a police car.
Just for reference.
I like to think that I'm generally smart with my money. I don't make too many impulse purchases aside from the occasional pack of gum, but for some reason, I can't contain myself when it comes to DVDs. If there's something that I think I might like or have heard is good and I see it for under $10, I usually buy it. Just off the top of my head, looking through my collection, there are about 20 movies that I own that I haven't watched yet. Most of these were bought at a discount price that I probably wouldn't have thought of buying at their full cost, but still, it starts to add up after a while. Even being modest, at $10 a pop, that's $200 gone from my wallet that probably could be better spent on something else.
I like to blame my short attention span or the fact that I can be easily distracted on why I don't get around to watching these sooner or later (hell, I've got at least 3 or 4 more movies taking up space on my DVR that are probably just as likely to get deleted as they are to be watched by me anytime soon), God knows I have enough time to watch a movie or 2 a week, but it's still perplexing to me as to why I keep buying them. I'm running out of room to store them all.
I know renting is an option, that seems like just as much of a waste of money, as it's likely that I'll never get around to watching them before I return them. I like the idea of owning them, though, in case I want to go back and watch them again. Which I guess is dumb since I hardly ever get around to watching them in the first place.
Andre Dawson - Outfielder
Montreal Expos 1976-1986
Chicago Cubs 1987-1992
Boston Red Sox 1993-1994
Florida Marlins 1995-1996
6th year on the ballot
Past HOF Voting Results
2002: 45.34%
2003: 50.00%
2004: 50.00%
2005: 52.32%
2006: 60.96%
Awards
1977 NL Rookie of the Year
1980 NL Gold Glove - OF
1980 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1981 NL Gold Glove - OF
1981 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1982 NL Gold Glove - OF
1983 NL Gold Glove - OF
1983 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1984 NL Gold Glove - OF
1985 NL Gold Glove - OF
1987 NL MVP
1987 NL Gold Glove - OF
1987 NL Silver Slugger - OF
1988 NL Gold Glove - OF
All-Star Selections: 8 (1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)
League Leader
1983: Hits, Total Bases
1987: Homeruns, RBI, Total Bases
Career Ranks
Games: 32nd
Hits: 45th
Runs: 85th
HR: 35th
RBI: 29th
2B: 42nd
TB: 24th
RC: 64th
Hall of Fame Stats
Black Ink: Batting - 11 (204) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting - 164 (68) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting - 43.7 (115) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting - 118.0 (118) (Likely HOFer > 100)
Similar Batters in HOF: 5 (Billy Williams, Tony Perez, Al Kaline, Ernie Banks, Dave Winfield)
Other Similar Batters: Dave Parker, Harold Baines, Dwight Evans, Vada Pinson, Fred McGriff
Year-by-Year Win Shares & Wins Above Replacement Level (WARP3)
1976: 1/0.4
1977: 18/5.8
1978: 21/6.0
1979: 24/5.6
1980: 29/9.1
1981: 25/10.7
1982: 26/9.1
1983: 28/8.0
1984: 12/4.9
1985: 16/4.0
1986: 16/4.8
1987: 20/7.2
1988: 19/7.9
1989: 13/4.8
1990: 22/6.4
1991: 20/5.4
1992: 16/6.4
1993: 7/2.1
1994: 1/0.7
1995: 4/0.2
1996: 2/0.0
Career Win Shares: 340
Career WARP3: 109.5
Would he get my vote?
No. Maybe I'm just too tough on outfielders as I've gone through about five of them on this ballot that I was just underwhelmed enough by them that I can't give them a vote. Dawson is the one I did the most waffling on due to defensive brilliance early in his career although his last three or four Gold Gloves were purely reputation awards. Part of the argument for him seems to be that if he hadn't his knees destroyed by the awful Olympic Stadium turf he would have reached several major career milestones which I wouldn't necessarily disagree with. But injuries and the enviroment you play in are part of the game so I can't really justify giving Dawson a bonus for what he might have done had he played on grass his whole career. I'm just not completely blown away by his peak and unimpressed by his career after age 28. Has received solid support though and if he ever does get in hopefully the HOF does the right thing and has him wear an Expos cap.
