Top 10 Tracy Jordan lines from 30 Rock

Thanks to Unlikely Words for coming up with this idea and for cataloging all of Tracy's lines from Season 3 of 30 Rock. If you are one of the few who hasn't seen 30 Rock, stop what you are doing -- after you finish reading this post -- and go buy the DVD's. I know, that's so 1900's of me...

Thanks also go out to Jason & Alex at one of my new favourite websites, Huffington Post.

Tracy's lines are often non-sequiturs, which makes them strangely "had-to-be-there" moments, but most of them are just funny.

In episode chronological order:

1. “You’re going to sue me? Who do you think you are, the San Diego zoo?”

“You can’t sue me, I’m already being sued. Double indemnity!”

The first one is actually a two-fer. The first because what could have happened at the zoo so that he is being sued? Second, his trademark idiocy is just too funny. Double indemnity! Ha!

2.“Do you know who I am? Seriously, please, tell me who I am.”

This takes me back to the days (you know, like a year ago) when Tracy Morgan was in the public eye for doing some pretty wacky, messed up stuff, to the point that I wasn't sure if it was real, and Tracy was vying for Andy Dick's spot in the dead pool, or if it was a clever marketing ploy to boost 30 Rock. I am still not sure...

3. “I watched Boston Legal 9 times before I realized it wasn’t a new Star Trek.”

This is the funniest reference to Shatner in recent memory. Bill really chews up the screen and only has one acting gear: overdrive.

4. "It’s like an owl without a graduation cap. Heartbreaking!”

This one makes you think for a second to get the reference, like most of Tracy Jordan's one-liners, then you think of how ridiculous it is as a reference. Awesome!

5. “I went out with the interns. Those white boys are not kidding around. Have you ever tasted scotch? It’s terrible! And this thing they call ‘box seats at the Ranger’s game,’ it’s so cold. And what is Rohyphnal?” He is then told what Rohypnal is, “So I shouldn’t have taken 2 of them for my headache?"

Replace "interns" with "frat boys" and a lot of memories come flooding back... except for the roofies. I love the follow up line about taking 2 for his headache.

6. “Yes, I found it on my favorite website. Stopshowingoff.com.”

If this isn't a real site, it should be.

7. "I’m not an expert, but I do have a strong opinion."

Is that Tracy Jordan talking, or is it me?

8. “Um, my work has taken me there. I was supposed to be in that movie Rush Hour, but two weeks into shooting, I was replaced by Jackie Chan.”

Text doesn't give us the timing that Tracy Jordan has nailed on this line. We all think he is going to say Chris Tucker, the black comedian, but no, he goes the other way. Well played, sir!

9. “Devil’s avocado here, Larry. I think people should freak the geek out. Withdraw all your money and hide it.”

Playing the "Devil's avocado"! I love it! That is definitely going into my everyday speech.

10. In response to Jack Donaghy telling him, "That's easy for you to say," Tracy responds with, "“No it wasn’t. I struggled through that sentence."

An old joke, but Tracy Morgan nails it!

There are many more 30 Rock jokes to choose from, since Tina Fey (Liz Lemon), Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy) and Jack McBrayer (Kenneth Parcell) all have great lines and they all do a fantastic job with their roles, but these are my favourites from Tracy Morgan/Jordan in Season 3.

Is Halifax ready for the D-League?

Some highlights from the Ridiculous Upside interview with Dan Reed, the president of the D-League:

D-League President Dan Reed: Well, if you go overseas you basically eliminate your chances of playing in the NBA that season, so if your goal is to make the NBA your odds are much better playing with us. I asked our folks to run these numbers for me, a - of the 107 players who have been called up to the NBA in a given season, 61% of them (65 players) received a guaranteed contract that season. I actually think these numbers are pretty compelling reasons to play in the NBA D-League, when you consider that: a) even one NBA 10-day contract is worth as much or more than a player can make in a month overseas, b) if you get one 10-day it’s highly likely you will double your money with at least one additional 10-day, and c) if you do get a 10-day there’s a 60% chance you’ll be with that team for the rest of the season, and d) you have a zero percent chance of being “called up” to the NBA if you play overseas.

…

DR: That’s why I think the best number to look at is the sheer number of NBA D-League alumni playing in the NBA, and by that metric, we clearly establish ourselves as the absolute best way to get to the NBA — we’ve produced five times more NBA players than any other professional basketball league in the world. We’re the most heavily scouted league in the world, and that is extremely valuable for our players. If you really want to look at odds, check out this stat: if you played in the NBA D-League last season you had a 1 in 4 chance of participating in an NBA team’s training camp the following season. I’d say those odds are pretty good. And even if after all that the NBA simply doesn’t work out for player, showing well in the NBA D-League allows you maximize your earning potential no matter where you decide to play.

…

RS: It seems to me that if each NBA team had their own D-League affiliate, and was able to call up, send down, and rehab players on their D-League teams, much like the farm system of Major League Baseball, that the NBA and the NBADL would both benefit tremendously. Are the leagues making any attempt toward moving in that direction?

DR: We took a major step towards that sort of system when we created the affiliation and assignment system back in 2005. Since then we’ve doubled the number of teams in the league, have seen 104 NBA players “sent down” and recalled to/from their NBA team, and have had 59 additional players called-up to the NBA. As a result we now have close to 80 former NBA D-League players on NBA rosters right now, which is getting close to 20% of the entire league!

…

D-League president Dan Reed’s checklist for prospective affiliates, from the RU interview:

- a great arena
- strong ownership
- a good market

- market size
- competition
- income levels
- size of corporate base
- basketball fan avidity


Can a PBL team move to the D-League? Looking at Dan Reed's checklist, I think Halifax qualifies.

- We play in a 10,000 seat arena, average about 2,800 fans this past season (1,800 in the first season in the ABA),
- population of 400,000 in the immediate area and draw from another 100,000+ within an hour of Halifax,
- we have 2 university teams in the city and another within 2 hours of Halifax that are usually nationally ranked so we are basketball fans,
- Halifax is a government town so income levels are good and steady,
- the only live pro sport competition is a major junior league hockey team that shares the arena with us.

As for the other current PBL teams, most of their markets are too small to support a D-League team, because of the $1,000,000 franchise fee, versus $10,000 or $20,000 for ABA, depending on your source. I don't know the cost of a franchise in the PBL, but I bet it is closer to $20,000 than a million.

Halifax is unique in that we are a good-size small city with a suitable arena to support a D-League team, rather than many PBL teams who play in much smaller venues. With Maine and Springfield in the NBADL, along with Erie, we could fit into a Northeast division quite easily, flying through Boston or Toronto.

"Doubt, A Parable" Movie Review

The most recent in an increasingly sporadic series of movie reviews by me.

What a great movie! It makes me wish I had seen the play when it was recently presented at Neptune Theatre. There are some spoiler alerts throughout this post, so be warned if you want to see this movie, you should save reading this until after you have watched the film.

Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, two actors with great skills, play the lead characters. Amy Adams takes on a much more serious role than her typical female sidekick in a Will Ferrell movie, and Viola Davis had a brief but very moving appearance as the mother of the student who is in the centre of the story's central conflict.

The scene between Davis and Streep was more compelling to me than the climactic scene between Hoffman and Streep. There is so much going on during the few minutes between the two women, the dialogue is full of meaning and I personally found it to be the best scene of the movie.

Davis' character is one of four in the original play. She made the most of it in this scene. Oscars should be given for quality, not quantity. I agree with the nomination. Check out lists of other awards, all four actors were nominated for just about everything, as was the screenplay. In my opinion, they all did a great job.

The story has many examples of symbolism:

Bloody noses for one of the boys and one of the nuns. A bloody nose is a sign of upcoming danger or disaster. It happened to both the children and the church.

Names! Aloysius is the patron saint of students. Sister Aloysius was acting out of her concern for the welfare of the students.

Sister James, named for the first of the 12 Apostles to be martyred. Sister James represents innocence, which is the first trait to go when one leaves childhood. The central conflict of the movie would definitely make one grow up prematurely.

Veronica, the name can be broken down to vera (true) and icon (image), representing the old church that was being left behind with the wind of change of the 1960's, the winds being present throughout the movie. Veronica is the "old" church, with her blindness and age, being hindered by her habit (more than one sense of the word is applicable here).

**SPOILER ALERT** The dinner scene contrasting the priests having rare meat and wine, joking and carrying on while the nuns quietly ate their meal, showed that Father Flynn was in the old boys club, so we shouldn't have been totally surprised when he gets promoted by these same men. The scene when Flynn tells Aloysius that she was supposed to talk with the pastor, not a nun, from Flynn's former parish reinforces this message of old boys club. The point of the meat was that it was completely rare, showing once again that Flynn was all about fulfilling his physical desires.

Their titles of father and sister should tell us everything about the pecking order. All priests were called father, even new priests like Flynn (5 years) were superior to all nuns, even senior nuns like Aloysius, who was a Mother Superior. Priests were autonomous, nuns were subservient. That is what this scene shows us.

Father Flynn had long, well-kept fingernails. Long fingernails are a sign of femininity. Maybe how he showed them off to the boys in gym class was an advertisement, to see which of the boys would find them attractive? Flynn's repeating of the importance of keeping one's nails clean reminds me of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25-28, when Jesus called the Pharisees and the scribes a bunch of hypocrites:

"25 What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy - full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[a] and then the outside will become clean, too. 27 What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs-beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Flynn kept his nails "his cup" clean, when he was filthy inside. I think these verses speak volumes to the message of this movie, the hypocrisy of the church leaders who promoted Flynn and the injustice or lawlessness of that promotion.

Flynn's long and clean fingernails were one of his "vanities". Vanity is a version of pride, which is the greatest sin of all. The nuns chastised the female student (named "Horan"!) about a barrette in her hair - a simple adornment that they saw as a gateway to sexual immorality, which is later symbolically fulfilled with her proclaiming love for a boy.

Also, Flynn's smoking was another flaunting of the rules - he let his physical temptations get the better of him in a number of ways, knowing he was breaking the rules of the church and of God. His pride led to all sorts of sin, including his sins with boys at each of his parishes.

The scene where he smokes in front of Sister James, thereby bringing her in as an accomplice to his infraction of smoking as well as her belief in his innocence, was very well done by the actors and the writer.

**SPOILER ALERT** Sister Aloysius' doubts were in how the church leaders could let someone like Father Flynn be in charge of children when he was tempted by them. Her doubt may also have been to the point of questioning why God would allow such a thing to happen to other children even though she, as the bride of the church, had found him out. I figure it is a literary example of Sister Aloysius being a flawed hero: her lie to trap Father Flynn made her crusade impure, so it backfired.

Bottom line: Excellent acting performances of a very well-written (largely autobiographical) script, expertly directed by the playwright, worthy of the Pulitzer and Tony awards and many other nominations and awards it received.

Francois Violette - Part 1

I am a member of the Violette Family Association, my family on my mother's side. I recently received an article that describes where the first generation of our family settled in Canada. Francois Violette was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, making me the 10th generation to live here. Incidentally, I am also the 10th generation in Canada on my father's side too.

David Violette wrote this article and I am posting it here, in case the internet link ever goes dead.

Description: When Francois Violet left Nova Scotia he was given a land grant by the English in the southern New Brunswick area

This aerial view shows the location of Francois Violet's 1787 Lot 14 land grant in lower New Brunswick, in the Quispamsis area and along the Hammond River.
Francois Violet was born in Saintes, France on October 16, 1744. He arrived in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia in 1749 with his father Charles and mother Marie David. Though his father Charles returned to France around 1759, we do not think Francois returned with him. Francois was French, but much of the population in that area was Acadian. We next find Francois working in St John NB in 1769. He married Marie Luce Thibodeau, from an Acadian family, in 1770 and they lived in a settlement along the Hammond River. However around 1783 British Loyalists were moving out of the United States after Independence, and they forced many Acadians off their lands in New Brunswick.

On April 12, 1787, grants of land were made to 15 Acadians and 27 Loyalists. The lots were awarded such that the Acadians were dispersed among the Loyalists. Francois was awarded lot # 14 containing 210 acres.

This aerial view from further out shows the region of southern New Brunswick where Francois Violet settled around 1769.
In 1754/55, the Privy Council in England decided on a final solution to the problem of the French population in Canada. If they expelled them from their lands they might have taken refuge in Louisbourg and Quebec, reinforcing the French colonies there. Instead, the Privy Council decided to capture and deport all 18,000 Acadians living in Nova Scotia at the time. Some such as Francois' father, Charles, left Canada, but we know that Francois and some other Acadians escaped capture and made their way to the St John River area. He seems to have found some work in that area. They may have been later chased off the St John River by the raids of Monckton, Hazen and Studholme between 1758 and 1763, and settled along the Hammond River because it was off the beaten track. Not once did the raiders of the St John River mention a settlement on the Hammond River. These raids were not just minor harassments; they were meant to destroy all property - both houses and animals - and in some cases resulted in the loss of life for the settlers.

The 1763 Treaty of Paris did not resolve the problems for the Acadians because they did not have title to their lands. They were still squatters on English soil.

So we have a period from around 1759 to 1769 during which we have no record of Francois' whereabouts. His name is on 1769 payroll records in St John NB of Simonds and White, the founders of the first permanent English settlement at St John. He is now 25 years old. And we then find him in 1770 married to Marie Luce Thibodeau.

We know that Francois must have been in the St John area in 1782 because he had an account with Hazen & White, merchants of St. John.

In 1785, 35,000 British Empire Loyalists left New Engand, where they were no longer welcome. They started displacing the Acadian "squatters" along the St John River. Some displaced Acadians migrated north along the St John River and were given grants of land in the Madawaska region. As mentioned above, Loyalists Winslow and Chipman convinced the British government to make grants to some of the Acadian/French settlers along with the Loyalists in the Hammond River area, and these grants were registered in Fredericton NB on April 12, 1787.

The land grants comprised some 42 lots, and our ancestor Francois Violet was granted Lot 14, a lot of 210 acres in size.

The grantees had to clear three acres of land each year for every 50 acres granted, had to erect a dwelling at least 20x16 feet in size, and had to meet other requirements. Plus, they had to pay two shillings per year per hundred acres for a period of ten years.

Apparently, those Acadians and Francois among them were not happy with their situation in the Kennebeccasis area, for they petitioned in 1789 - two years later - for land grants further north in the Madawaska region. This may have been partly because their lands were intermingled with lands owned and settled by Loyalists, so the culture was mixed and difficult. That story, however, will be told in Part 2.

The two aerial maps with this story were taken from Google Maps, and show the area as it looks today.

Some of this story's content was drawn from an article in Rita's book ("The Descendents of Francois Violet", Rita Violette Lippe, 1984) and other from Rod Violette's monograph "Francois Violet Life and Times."

Will Halifax Rainmen's AJ Milien Win MVP?

AJ Milien, a mid-season signing for the Rainmen, formerly of the August Groove, where he pretty much was the offence, must be in the running for Premier Basketball League MVP for the 2009 season. However, there is talk that he may not win it since he has not been the dominant power since joining the Rainmen. I say that being the MVP on a losing team does not mean you are better than a role player on a great team.

Here are the 10 most recent NBA MVP’s and their team records:
2007-08 Kobe Bryant L.A. Lakers - lost NBA finals
2006-07 Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavs - won division, top conf. record
2005-06 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns - West Conference runner-up
2004-05 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns - West Conference runner-up
2003-04 Kevin Garnett Minnesota T’Wolves - West Conference RU
2002-03 Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs - NBA Champs
2001-02 Tim Duncan Spurs - won div.,2nd-best record in NBA
2000-01 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76′ers - lost NBA Finals
1999-00 Shaquille O’Neal L.A. Lakers - NBA Champs
1998-99 Karl Malone Utah Jazz - tied for div., best league record

As you can see, players who win the MVP do it on strong teams that either win their division with the best conference or league win-loss record, or they go deep in the playoffs. Augusta would not have accomplished either of those feats. Even with AJ, they were 5-4. As of today, they are 9-9.

For the MVP, I think AJ is still in the running, depending on how much time he gets and how well he performs during the last 3 games in Halifax.

AJ leads the league in points per game - even with Halifax games included, he sinks over 60% of his 2-pointers (which is good for a scorer in this league), over 80% from the FT line, averages 10 rebounds a game, and is 4th in the league in blocks (and the only player with more than 20 ppg with over 1 block per game - BTW, Eric and Bailey are #5 & 6 on the blocks list.)

Cedric McGinnis of the Sea Dawgs has to be in the consideration for MVP and so does White Chocolate, although he is kind of the guard version of AJ - outstanding player who gets crazy minutes on a so-so team.

Rochester and Battle Creek might each have a guy, but they seem to have a bunch of Steady Eddies on those teams, with no super-dominant player, just a good bunch of starters who get the job done.

NBADL announce new playoff format

The NBADL just announced their new playoff format. It is pretty wild, with the three division winners choosing their first opponent in the playoffs from the top 5 non-division-winning teams. The fourth seeded team plays the remaining unchosen team in the first round. Is this worth talking about on here?

If the Rainmen want to get into the D-League, maybe we should keep track of what that league is doing.

Here is the March 9 news release from the NBADL regarding their new playoff format:

“NEW YORK, March 9, 2009 - The NBA Development League announced today it has implemented an innovative new format for this year’s playoffs, which are set to begin as early as April 13.

For the first time, eight teams will qualify for the 2009 NBA D-League postseason, including the winners of the three divisions along with the five teams with the best regular season records, regardless of division.

New for the 2009 postseason, the three division winners will have the unique opportunity to select their first round opponent from the teams ranked five through eight. The top-seeded division winner will select its opponent first, with the second and third ranked division winners following in that order. The fourth seeded team will play the remaining team.

“One of our fundamental goals at the NBA D-League is to utilize our unique position to explore new and different ways to grow the game,” said Dan Reed, President of the NBA D-League. “We believe that these innovations will provide our fans with compelling matchups and action packed games.”

The first and second rounds of the 2009 NBA D-League playoffs will be one game each, while the Finals will be a best-of-three series. The first two rounds will be played on the higher seeds home floor, while the Finals will begin at the lower seed’s arena and finish at the higher seeds home court.

The 2008-09 NBA D-League regular seasons concludes on April 11.”

Thanks to http://www.ridiculousupside.com for the news.

My thoughts are:

- that it will most likely still fall into the top team picking #8, second team picking #7 and so on. However, if a high-ranked team knows that a lower-ranked team can beat them (like Quebec seems to be able to do at times - and us, for that matter) maybe they would choose a higher rank than the lowest remaining team to have a better chance of success.

- what about the factor of travel costs? Would you choose the lowest remaining team if it was the geographically farthest from your city (say Halifax or Wilmington), or would you pick a closer team that you may even have a rivalry with (like Vermont and Manchester)?

- speaking of rivalries, they may be even more important than rankings, since it is all about getting bums in the seats. Fans love to see the hometown team defeat their rivals. That may factor into the choice of team too: do we go for an easy win and fewer people show up, or do we take the chance and play a better team with more ticket sales?

Review of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's First Show

I watched Jimmy Fallon's first show as the new host of Late Night. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, although Jimmy was visibly nervous and his rushed speaking caused him to slur some words, especially the name of the show as he went to commercial.

The monologue was passable, although Jimmy was super nervous and had obviously been studying old Johnny Carson tapes on how to carry himself. It was not nearly as good as his work on SNL's Weekend Update, although I enjoyed the "news slow jam" about the stimulus bill. The jokes nearly wrote themselves on that routine and singer of The Roots --What? An actual recording band is the show band? I sure hope they are the permanent band because they were awesome! -- did a great job with it.

Jimmy's guests were Robert De Niro, Justin Timberlake, and musical guest Van Morrison. I think Bob and Justin were doing Jimmy personal favours by appearing on his first show. Van Morrison is an enigma, I guess he was simply plugging his new album, which Jimmy showed us was an actual vinyl LP record!

Jimmy did well with his interviews, although it helped greatly to have pals on the sofa, rather than say, Joaquin Phoenix.

I think most people thought De Niro was rude to Jimmy, since he barely looked Jimmy in the eye, but I think it was Bob acting that way. He is a great actor, after all! Either that, or he was so embarrassed by the short clip of Space Train, which was just an SNL skit gone wrong. I think the premise sounded a lot funnier to the writers than how it turned out. Plus, how far can you go with it: a movie about space travellers who are scared to fly so they take a train to space? Anyway, I enjoyed Bob's appearance.

The highlight was definitely Justin Timberlake. He very briefly reprised his role as Robin Gibb when the show band The Roots played the theme to the SNL skit Barry Gibb Talk Show. That skit is one of the best ever in SNL history and Justin's appearances on SNL have been memorable. Justin also did an OK impression of John Mayer and a good one of Michael MacDonald singing a jingle for Bud Light Lime.

Van Morrison played a song that no one had heard before, one that featured all 30 or so members of his band (at least it seemed like that many). The DVR didn't record the last couple of minutes - why don't they start shows on time? - but I don't think I missed anything.

Overall, it was a pretty good first effort. Jimmy has some pretty heavy hitters on as guests this week. It will be hard to keep up with that pace for the second and following weeks. Jimmy said as much in a funny but really understated skit with Conan at the start of the show. It was a scene with Conan packing up his stuff from his dressing room while Jimmy prepares for the show, in the same dressing room. Conan played it really well and the uncomfortable pauses were very The Office.

It was a good opener but I will miss Conan's timing, his quick wit as well as his wacky humour. I hope he isn't stifled too much by the Tonight Show people, who may be scared to unleash the full Conan (wasn't that a British movie? The Full Conan) on audiences in an earlier time slot. Best of luck to both of them in their new roles as late night talk show hosts on my favourite channel, NBC.

Proposed Pay-Before-You-Pump Law is unnecessary

I am against instituting a pay-before-you-pump law. While I typically pay at the pump with a credit card because it is convenient, I think making it mandatory to pay for gas before you pump will bring Halifax one more step to becoming a "big" city, where gas station attendants sit in locked booths behind bullet-proof glass, and we lose a bit more of our humanity in Halifax.

There were apparently 720 gasoline thefts that were reported to HRM police in 2008. While I am sure there were more than 720 instances where people drove away without paying for their gas since probably not all thefts were reported to police, this seems like a minuscule number, versus the number of transactions at gas stations in HRM last year.

According to the Chronicle Herald online, there are 420 gas stations in Nova Scotia. Let's say half of those are in HRM. That means for 210 or so gas stations in HRM, there are an average of 3 drive-offs every year (720 drive-offs divided by 210 or so gas stations). In a Newfoundland government report, the annual average sales volume for Canadian gas stations is 2,200,000 litres. This is a figure from the 1990's but let's just say it's about the same, since low-volume stations have been closing over the past decade. Let's say the average drive-off is a 50 litre fill-up. For a gas station to lose 150 litres of gas per year on an average annual sales volume of 2,200,000 litres is inconsequential.

Even if we use the numbers that were quoted in a recent allnovascotia.com article about Wayne Pace losing $100/week from his two gas stations, that is $50/week per station. Or, about the 50 litre average drive-off figure that I used earlier. Based on the average 2,200,000 litres a year figure, this $50 loss results in about 50 litres out of over 42,000 litres sold every week. That is 0.0012% of sales volume. Granted, the 50 litres that were stolen represent about twenty times that amount in terms of sales the station has to make to pay for the stolen gas, at a 5% profit margin. That still makes this a 2.4% profit problem, which has been solved with provincial gas price regulation, which has been proven to increase gas prices about 2 cents per litre, or about 2.4% of today's $0.85/litre price.

All businesses have losses due to theft from retail customers, whether it is shoplifting, non-payment after receiving the good or service, or stopping payment on a cheque that was written in advance of receiving the good. If someone wants to steal from you, they will find a way. Punishing the literal 99.9% of gas customers who pay for their gas seems heavy-handed to reduce a problem that is common to all businesses, regardless of their industry.

If rural gas stations have less of a problem with gas theft, then the pressure for them to upgrade their pumps to take credit card payment is less than it would be for urban stations, who reportedly have a bigger gas theft problem. This reduces the argument for the legislation, since the station owners who cannot afford the pump upgrade are apparently not as significant victims of this crime.

In my opinion, there is already plenty of legislation for gas stations. Adding another law to control consumer behaviour is unnecessary. If gas stations provide the pay-at-the-pump option as a convenience to their customer and it also reduces their loss due to theft, then it is a win-win. If the station owner chooses to not provide that service, then they reap the results of that business decision.

This is not even mentioning the legislation that gasoline is sold by volume, based on 15 degrees Celsius. Check out my post on that issue from last February.

Ben & Jerry's new flavor

Apparently Ben & Jerry's has invented a new ice cream flavour in honour of the new American president, it's called "Yes Pecan", a play on words of Obama's slogan "Yes We Can".

According to Keith Olbermann on MSNBC's Countdown -- one of my favourite shows on TV -- they are not considering a new flavour named after George W. Bush's tenure in the White House. I would say W.'s presidency, but let's be real: he wasn't in charge, Cheney, Rove and Rumsfeld ran the show.

Here are Countdown's fictitious and hilarious Dubya-inspired ice cream flavours:

Abu Grape
Nut 'N' Accomplished
Iraqi Road
Wire Tap-ioca
Im-Peach Cobbler
Im-Peach Mint
Housing Crunch
Credit Crunch
Chunky Monkey-In-Chief (now a bit uncomfortable, given the recent New York Post cartoon and Countdown's response to the ensuing scandal)
W.M.D.-Licious
Heckuva Job Brownie
Grape Depression
I Broke the Law and Am Responsible For the Deaths of Thousands, WITH NUTS!

Thanks for a great show, Keith!

Rainmen lost a Heartbreaker to Vermont, 100-98

Strick was doing a passable impression of Rob Sanders, getting under the net and drawing fouls. Unfortunately, he was only 25% from the line.

Crook and Jeanty both had double-doubles, but Eric did not have a good night for free throws.

That is the story of the game: decent performances but not enough, especially from the line. Since Vermont was giving us lots of chances for charity points, maybe we should have sent AJ, Tony and Brian (who shot 14-18, including AJ's 5-5 from the line vs. Strick and Crook who were 3-18) to the hoop more to draw fouls. Just an amateur's opinion.

I am not sure why AJ only got 14 minutes, other than we are full of 4's and kinda 5's, so coach has to make a decision about who gets the minutes. Certainly, AJ was the best player on the Groove (which goes back to my thoughts about the best player on a poor team), but he should have a place here in Halifax. AJ was scoring 31 points a game while playing and average 37 minutes in Augusta, 10 more points average than Randy Gill, with the same playing time. AJ has talent, we need to fit him into the system.

Hammack must feel like the third person on a date, since Jimmy, Tony and Zach have been filling up the backcourt since Coach Berry's arrival. Once again, lots of talent at the 1 and 2, too many guys to fill the spots.

I wish our team was more balanced (so much for Lewis as a GM). I think the old way of recruiting for the Rainmen was, "He's good, let's sign him," with not a lot of thought about the existing make-up of the team. Look at the official website (which needs updating BTW. No mention of Berry and Sanders is still on the team): We are stacked with power forwards and what we really need are a centre who will mix it up and push his way around and a second shooter behind Silverhorn.

Either we need to work with the guys who are already on the roster at those positions (Tyronne and Glen) or we need to get replacements. At this point in the season, it is probably too late, but we need to address team balance next season.

Rainmen Ticket Prices

Interesting article in the March 2 issue of Canadian Business: “All Seats Must Go”. The subtitle is “Slashing ticket prices in the short term may attract more fans, but not in the long run.” The article by Andy Holloway is about the NHL, but I think it is relevant for all pro sports teams, especially in today’s economic climate. A lengthy excerpt:

“The NHL, unlike North America’s other three big sports leagues, doesn’t have a lucrative television deal. It’s still a ticket-driven business, with roughly 55% of revenue coming from getting paying bums in seats, so the temptation will be to cut prices if people stop going to the games. But while lowering prices midway through the season — or offering special deals, such as free concessions, parking or merchandise — might attract some, it could also adversely affect the team’s existing relationship with season ticket-holders or fans who bought tickets in advance. ‘You have to keep the integrity of season tickets’, says Doug MacLean, a former NHL general manager and currently an analyst on Sportsnet’s ‘Hockeycentral Tonight’.”

“Someone who has plunked down $25,000 for a pair of season tickets isn’t going to be happy when he starts to realize his seat neighbour is paying far less. The security of having tickets to the big games in advance only goes so far. Not only that, the number of annual paying customers is a key metric for improving other revenue streams. ‘The value of the ticket is very important in selling your franchise to corporate sponsors and radio and television,’ says MacLean.”

“Then again, if the number of empty seats continues to grow, concession sales suffer and corporate sponsors may start wondering why they’re spending any money at the arena at all.”

These are all points that have been brought up over the past season. Ticket price integrity is important to season ticket-holders. While the Rainmen front office has been responsive to some ideas, such as including season ticket-holders in BOGO, this article may give them some food for thought.

Goodbye Rob, Hello AJ!

The Rainmen defeated the Detroit Panthers last night, 100-89. If not for us losing one of the best players in the PBL and Detroit snagging one of the other best players in the league, this would have been a 20-30 point win, not an 11-point win. As for Randy Gill (ex of the Montreal Sasquatch), this was one time where the fans actually got into his head and he started blowing it, as did his teammates. I use that term loosely, because they were yelling at each other in almost every huddle at the bench. Gill does not seem to be a happy person, maybe his sunshine-y spirit is catching and the team will spiral even further down from here. I suspect Gill will regret signing with that team. If he becomes available, please please please DO NOT SIGN GILL!

Another player who was the whole team, ex-Augusta Groove forward AJ Milien is another Patriots-inspired signing. He took us to school in the pre-season, so when he became available, we signed him. Well done, Andre!

I just hope we don’t end up with an embarrassment of riches. We are almost at that point anyway. What I mean is we have so many talented players that not all of them get the minutes they deserve and they would get the minutes if they were on a weaker team. The result can be player frustration as well as losing their edge. Coach Berry has more to teach these guys than just X’s-and-O’s.

The best Rainmen players are probably used to being the best guy on the floor with any previous team they were on, now they are part of an ensemble cast, and egos may take a bit of a beating. Unless the players take on the New England Patriot mindset that it’s all about winning a championship but not necessarily being the guy with the most minutes, then we may see some defections to other teams where they can be the star, with the hope of being discovered.

IMO, a player has a better chance of being discovered by playing on a good team than being the standout on a poor team. It’s easy to be the best player on a crap team. Who do you have more respect for: Randy Moss or Chad Ocho Cinco? Randy is on a great team (Patriots) and plays well for them. Chad is on a perennial stinker of a team (Bengals) and doesn’t play well, despite his talent, because his teammates aren’t up to the task of matching his play. Sorry for the football references, but I follow the NFL more than I do the NBA.

Thoughts on the Rainmen's Schedule and Venue

Some other fans have brought up a couple ideas for the Rainmen, namely more games (3 a week) and a change of venue (Halifax Forum or Dartmouth Sportsplex). While I like the idea of more games in the same time frame, 3 games a week is too many for me as a fan. I have a life to live and a family to raise (not to mention the activities my kids are in), so there is no way I could commit to going 3 times a week, every week. Besides the time commitment, the cost of my 4 season ticket seats 3 times a week would get very expensive and I can’t see anyone buying season tickets for that intense a schedule, for this level of basketball. Not meaning the level of play is not worth the ticket price, but for our family, $300+ per week would add up pretty quick. I think you would have a lot more fan turnover, which increases the chances of fans not returning. That is why most sports franchises give discounts plus a lot of perks to their season ticket holders, because they are guaranteed sales.

Last season’s schedule was great: 18 home games over a few months gives fans a chance to schedule the Rainmen into their lives. 10 games, with breaks of a few weeks in between home stands, is too short. Just think how successful the Rainmen business could have been if we would have another 8 home games this year, with average attendance up like 50% from last season?

As for Metro Centre vs. another venue, we have already talked about this in Section 22/23. The Metro Centre has got to be the place. We are doing well attendance-wise and this will only increase, with a solid coach and more player talent than last season. If the Rainmen could handle the venue costs through the hardest part of establishing the team’s identity, it would be a mistake to now go to a smaller venue.

The Forum and Sportsplex are a big step down, as venues go, not just in size but in appearance, amenities, and overall feel. If we want the Rainmen to fail, send them to either of these places. A lot of people in Halifax will not go to Dartmouth — don’t get me started on that issue — and the Forum is so decrepit that a lot of people wouldn’t go there either, especially at current ticket prices. I know the team would save money, but at what cost? If we had started in the Forum and moved up to the Metro Centre this year, that would be one thing, but I honestly cannot see the long-term benefits of moving to a smaller location, especially if the D-League is a real goal for the Rainmen. For a city of 400,000, we should be able to put 4,000+ people in the stands every game. That is the difference between us and most other PBL teams: we have the population base to be very successful, once the public learns about the Rainmen. With Coach Berry and this year’s crop of players, we have the capability to really grow.

Rainmen Ticket Prices

Last Sunday's game features $5 tickets for children, resulting in an attendance of 4,012 -- the largest since our team's inaugural game. I think it is smart to have cheap seats for kids, say age 12 and under, because it gets them in the building. Once they are inside, they spend way more than the difference in the seat price in concessions and maybe even Rainmen gear. Plus, as cigarette advertisers know, get consumers’ loyalty while they are young and you have a better chance of keeping their loyalty for years.

One other thing, season ticket holders should not be paying 24% more than someone walking in off the street. I hope the front office looks into that for the coming season. I don’t mind paying as much as a single ticket buyer if there are benefits, but this is one area that the organization is a bit behind the curve. The meet & greet with the players before the season was a good start, but there needs to be more attention paid to this.

The Rainmen should offer cheaper season tickets and more meaningful benefits to faithful fans. The benefits don’t have to cost a lot.

A few ideas:
- Include season ticket holders in the 2-for-1 nights, or give them a free ticket near their season seats for one game to invite a friend and maybe get that new person to buy season tickets next year. I brought 2 friends last year who ended up buying 3 seats this year. It works.

- 1 free piece of Rainmen gear, either T-shirt or hat, or half-price hoodie, for every season ticket seat as well as discounts on additional purchases of Rainmen gear. This is probably the best way to increase the Rainmen’s visibility, especially among kids who would wear them to school, not to mention making the stands look Rainmen blue. Watch US college or major league sports and the stands that are full of fans wearing their team’s colours make a difference. It’s all about the fan’s sense of belonging to the team and building their loyalty, not to mention the psychological power it would have on the visiting teams.

- More season-ticket-holder-only events. These don’t have to be expensive, and if there was a cost to attend, keep it under $10/person and provide value for that money. Better options would be the “Season Ticket Holder Experience” events that don’t cost anything, like an afternoon with the Rainmen where kids would have some court time with the players. How cool would that be?

- A free program! I bought programs every game last year, despite having virtually no new information in each issue. This year, I can’t even find someone who sells them. I think a free program for season ticket holders is a cheap way to keep them informed during the games.

- Your seats guaranteed, available to buy for playoffs. This goes without saying.

- Ticket exchange privileges: if you can’t make a game, you can switch tickets for extras to a game you can attend.

- A ticket donation program to get unused tickets into the hands of deserving children and charities and give the season ticket holder a tax deduction. I have not used all of my tickets and it is a shame that the seats go unused.

- Discounts on purchases from team sponsors. This is a win-win situation, increasing visibility for companies as sponsors of the Rainmen and helping their corporate citizen image.

- How about free face painting for season ticket holders before the games? Let’s get creative here!

- A sit-in session with new Coach Les Berry, in a Chalk Talk event? I know a lot of people who post on here would love to get an “insider” appreciation for Coach Berry’s strategies.

- Honorary Ball Kid. Have a lottery to choose season ticket holding children to be able to rebound balls for the Rainmen during pre-game warmups.

Most of these are essentially free or very low cost to the team and would add significantly to the “Season Ticket Holder Experience.”

It's The New Rainmen, Baby!

Last night's game was the most rewarding I have seen as a Rainmen fan. Halifax finally beat their nemesis, the Vermont Frost Heaves, 108-97. After a slow start under new coach Les Berry, the Rainmen pulled ahead in the first quarter and never relinquished the lead. There were are few mis-steps in the very early minutes, evidence of minimal practice time under Berry, who came in mid-week to replace outgoing coach Rick Lewis. The increased load of plays and different coaching style took a bit for the Rainmen to get used to, but once they did, Berry's leadership -- and the players' talent -- showed through.

As I said last night, this is The New Rainmen! Maybe PR should latch onto that, to wipe away the stain of the past little while.

If Berry takes a technical every game, I wouldn't mind, just don't get tossed.

Berry seemed to bring an assistant coach with him. I hope the Rainmen keep a place for Shannon Hansen, he is a super nice guy and he was very diplomatic when we were chatting after the game. He has said in an interview that he wants to be in Hali for a while, I hope he has a place at the New Rainmen table.

There is a new lineup that seems to be taking place, with almost no time for Lewis favourite Glenn Dandridge, Kevin Hammack or fan favourite John Strickland. Berry has favourites, and they appear to be David Bailey, Rob Sanders, Tony Bennett, and Brian Silverhorn. In my opinion, these guys deserve the increased time they got last night. Veterans like Eric Crookshank and Jimmy Twyman also played well, but their roles are being changed to fit into the new coach's system. I hope they recognize that team comes first, I am sure they will, since they have stuck with the Rainmen since last season.

Berry was losing his mind at the showoff plays that seem to be minor league ball's trademark: length-of-court Hail Mary passes for a break, no-look cross-court passes, and other flashy stuff that is great when it works and deflating when it doesn't. Unfortunately, the Rainmen's adrenaline seemed to be running a bit high and a few of their showy plays did not go well. I think Berry probably had a stern talk with them post-game. There is no need to give up possessions on stray no-look passes, especially against Vermont, who are no slouches.

Remember, gents, we are not the Globetrotters; more importantly, our opponents are not the Washington Generals who are paid to lose every time. While I enjoy huge dunks and no-looks as much as the next fan (which is obvious, since apparently, I am sitting close to the webcast microphone!), I would much rather see a W with good play and some showy stuff than an L with too much flash.

A note to congratulate the Heaves on having the most dedicated fans ever. It was good to see them, and impressive that they drove 19 hours straight from Buffalo, New York to watch their team. They logged a total of 41 hours of driving time to watch 96 minutes of basketball. That is commitment.

The BBC (Bailey's Brew Crew) will be meeting at the Elephant & Castle before Friday's game and after Sunday's game for some team spirit time. The E & C will have food and drink specials on for both those times, so it will be an affordable chance to get together with other fans and maybe even some players after Sunday's game. Wear your Rainmen gear!

Plus, the incomparable Dunc13 will be in Hali for these games, so fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the show from Section 23!

The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!

Some pretty incredible news in the past couple days. Andre Levingston has fired coach Rick Lewis and is on the hunt for a coach who will prepare the team "to contend for a championship". Shannon Hanson, the Rainmen Assistant Coach since Day 1, is the interim head coach. After one and a half seasons as the Assistant Coach, I think Shannon deserves a chance. His patience at being Lewis’ subordinate for that long should be repaid. Best of luck Shannon, I look forward to seeing what you can do!

Andre made it plain that he wants a coach who will lead the Rainmen to a championship. Way to go, Andre!

Metro newspaper asks whether Eric Crookshank will be brought back into the active roster, now that Rick Lewis is gone. Eric should be brought back immediately. If, as Chad Lucas says, we need to finish 7-2 for a realistic chance at the playoffs, then why wouldn’t we plug EC in right away?

In other news, Rodney Mayes was let go from the team. I think the writing was on the wall for Mayes when he was given the #20 jersey. I feel bad for him that the notice about his release was tacked on the end of the story about Lewis being fired.

So will Andre take over as GM? Coach and GM are two different jobs and Lewis had both of them. If Andre can find a talented individual, could that guy wear both hats? Given the shortness of the season, he probably could.

One last thing: Part of me feels like this is an Obama Taking Office moment. Just as the TV pundits (Jon Stewart, Keith Olbermann, etc.) are scrambling for content after Bush left, with a new coach, what will this blog be like with no one to complain about?

A Letter to Andre Levingston, Rainmen team owner

Dear Andre,

It pains me to have to write this letter to you. After reading about Cordell Jeanty's benching in the newspaper today, I have to wonder: How can the Rainmen front office continue to stick their heads in the sand? Andre, you are a successful businessman, aren't you? How can you not see that Lewis is messing up so much that this team, as a business, may not last long enough to make it to next season?

With only a handful of home games left, what the Rainmen need is a total transformation from a team with talent that can't win the tough games into a talented team that has a chance to win it all. The real answer is THE COACH HAS TO GO.

Andre, other professional sports teams fire their coaches all the time. When the talent on the field exceeds the talent on the sideline but the team still falters, it is obvious what part of the equation has to change.

Andre, do what is best for the business. Emotions are not part of it, look how negative emotions hurt the business with Lewis punishing talented players for daring to question his authority. The players are punished but it is the team, the fans, and ultimately your bottom line that will suffer.

As a player and coach myself, I used to give Lewis the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes players have to be reminded who is the coach and who is the player. However, in his parting comments to the newspaper, SirVal merely expressed what all of us fans have been saying for a long time now, in conversations with each other and on Section 23, Chris Parson's blog (which is the main source of news and opinion about the Rainmen). Lewis is the obstacle to the Rainmen's success. With all of the recent negative press about the Rainmen, people who are just learning about the Rainmen are getting a lot of reasons to decide against buying tickets, let alone buying any merchandise.

I personally had two friends buy season tickets this year, based on my bringing them to a couple games last year with my season tickets (which I renewed). One of these friends, a regular commenter on the Section 23 blog, has seriously wondered aloud to me about getting a refund. If he is thinking like that -- and he is a basketball fan, an athlete, and a coach -- imagine what a casual observer must think about the Rainmen and whether to even attend a single game or not. This all adds up to losses for the Rainmen and I am not just talking about the score at the end of each game.

How about next year? With Crookshank and Jeanty -- two talented and experienced players -- being benched over coaching disputes with Lewis, if the coach is still with the team next year, how many new recruits will you get?

Halifax has the potential to be the most successful team in the league. We have the population, the venue, and the talent on the court. What we don't have is the coach to bring success to the team. It would deeply sadden me as well as a lot of other fans in Halifax to see the Rainmen fail because of Rick Lewis.

Andre, if it has to be about the dollars and cents, then so be it. Lewis must go.

Thank you for bringing the Rainmen to Halifax. I sincerely hope you make the necessary decision to further the team's success and its future in Halifax.

Best regards,

Phil Kempton

Rainmen Fall in Manchester and to Third in Division

Metro newspaper has a story about the game in which, once again, Lewis blames the recent losses to Vermont and Manchester on the players having “lapses”.

Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition of lapse, with my comments thrown in for free:
1 a: a slight error typically due to forgetfulness or inattention (Lewis' inattention during games is what is making them lose)
b: a temporary deviation or fall especially from a higher to a lower state (like from first in our division to third in two games?)
2: a becoming less : decline (we have certainly seen a decline since EC was benched)
3 a (1): the termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it within some limit of time (Lewis has neglected to properly use the talent he has been given, time to terminate his rights and privileges as coach)
(2): termination of coverage for nonpayment of premiums b: interruption , discontinuance (benching two of your best players and giving the team to a mid-season replacement is a good was to INSURE that your players resent and mistrust you as a coach)
4: an abandonment of religious faith (there are definitely some fans who have lost their faith in the Rainmen, and some players too, so I hear)
5: a passage of time ; also : interval (everyone outside the Rainmen front office agree that Lewis' time has passed. Time for some new blood in coach and GM!)

Benching 2 of your strongest players and not really coaching during the games are the real reasons the Rainmen lose these types of matches.

At this point, I am waiting for players to start leaving of their own free will. We will see how attendance is for the rest of the home games. My guess is that semi-interested fans will give up on the Rainmen, if they read these news stories at all.

Hey Lewis, when you have a problem with everyone around you, it is probably not the others who are the problem.

Rainmen drop a winnable game to Vermont, 122-110

Given Vermont inconsistency this year and despite our inconsistency (!), we could have beaten Vermont. From what I gather the officiating was so bad that the webcast announcers were commenting on it, the fact remains that Coach Rick Lewis cannot get the job done. Vermont's coach Will Voigt proved again that he is the superior coach, which isn't too hard. Rick Lewis has decided that the saviour of the team is a guy who flew in on Thursday. He is already Lewis' go-to guy in the crunch, despite having virtually no practice time with the Rainmen. With decent PGs like Hammack and Ramey already on the team, why do we have a new guy who is like Patrice O’Neal from our first season: hogging the ball and taking too many shots himself when all we need is a few more seconds to develop the play? Of course, that strategy only works when we have more than one play.

I gave Lewis the benefit of the doubt last year as a rookie coach with a first-year team, but with the talent on this year’s squad, his shortcomings as a coach are even more embarrassing, not to mention his miscues as a GM, tripling up on a certain position (PG) and leaving others (a true centre) woefully inadequate.

It’s almost like he is not yet finished reading the Basketball Coaching For Dummies book. I think he stopped at the page on PT where it says to make the players run up and down the court and to practice their verts. He needs to skip to the end of the book where it says how to win against teams that are as good as yours or better in order to actually make the playoffs. And eat humble pie and re-instate Eric Crookshank.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome John Strickland!

With the addition of the 36-year-old former Harlem Globetrotter, the Rainmen now have a new play: the Strick and Roll.

John Strickland is definitely an asset to the Rainmen.
1) His showmanship: his no-look passes (including making binoculars out of his hands on the way back down the court), his speech to the fans after the game, and how he reacted to our cheering for him by cheering himself on with a pat on his behind;
2 His outspokenness: during one shift, he didn’t stop talking on his way past the timekeeper table, to the referee, to the opposing coach, and finally to himself in mid-court — he talked to more people during the game than Lewis did;
3) His apparent spirituality (he crosses himself twice every time he is defending);
4) His obvious high basketball IQ and leadership on the floor, directing players to where they should be to score — and they did last night, thanks to his coaching during the game.

Welcome to Halifax, Strick!

In other news:
I saw a couple of possible reasons why SirVal has moved around so much during his career: (at least one) airball 3-point attempt that was an unnecessary shot and an instance where he lost his cool, complete with shouting expletives, at being called for a foul in the paint. Greed and Anger are two sins that no athlete can show on the playing field and survive. SirVal, please use your head and just show us your talent, not your temper.

EC Suspension Watch:
I stuck around for a bit after the game to see the start of the high school game. By the way, the Rainmen should really have promoted that there was a local high school game immediately after theirs last night. More people might have stuck around. Anyway, I observed Eric greet Lewis with a big brohug and there were smiles all around. They chatted for a couple of minutes, then Eric moved on to greet some Rainmen. It struck me as a bit odd to see them so chummy, considering Lewis ended Eric’s season and must have hurt Eric’s reputation around basketball circles. Anyway, just thought I would post it.

Free Big Mac? Yeah right!:
McDonald’s will never have to make good on their 15 three-pointer Big Mac offer. Never. We were 4 for 26 last night. At that rate, the Rainmen will have to attempt 98three-pointers to score 15 of them! McDonald’s is getting great free advertising from this one. As Chris902 said last night, maybe if the Rainmen score 15 three-pointers, each of the fans should get a car.

The truth finally comes out

From Chris Parsons' Section 23 blog:

"Apparently there was no physical confrontation between Eric and anyone else. It was 100% verbal. Eric was benched because he told Lewis during a timeout that he feels that they should be running the high pick and roll with Sanders, not him. Lewis blew up on him and told him to sit on the bench.

After the game in the locker room Crookshank said he thinks that they need to get their best guys on the floor and Lewis snapped on him. This goes along with what a lot of people have told me - no one feels like they can actually talk openly about the team in the locker room, on the bench, or in practice. Lewis has a feeling that he has to control everything and any discussion undermines his authority."

That certainly sounds more believable than the most recent story of Eric taking a swing at teammate Brian Silverhorn. Honestly, I had trouble thinking Eric would throw punches, especially at a second-year teammate.

If this is the case, I think the honourable thing for Lewis to do would be resign and let Shannon take over coaching the team. If Lewis doesn't resign, then Levingston must make the executive decision that is best for the organization and fire Lewis. If it eases front office feelings, make it a soft sell (leaving for personal commitments, whatever you want to say) to preserve Lewis' reputation (?!?) and try to salvage the remainder of the season.

IMO, Lewis doesn't deserve to stay with the Rainmen, after privately over-reacting and then publicly throwing Eric under the bus, but Andre has always come across as a gentleman and he would probably have a hard time openly humiliating the coach/GM.

If they act now, we can still do well this season, maybe even make the playoffs. And as anyone who has been watching this year's NFL playoffs will attest, any team can win in the playoffs. That is what is best for the players, best for the fans and best for the Rainmen organization.

Halifax Rainmen lose in Vermont 106-99

A few highlights: The Rainmen were within a few points for much of the game, especially at the end, but still lost; Eric Crookshank's #20 was worn by Rodney Mayes (uh oh); Dandridge continued his poor performance, with 40 minutes playing time, despite only shooting 33% and giving up 11 turnovers!

It looked to me like just about every game the Rainmen played last year - on the verge of winning, just keeping up, and then losing in the last minute despite being within a bucket or two. Sure sign of a coach who doesn’t know how to use the talent on the court.

Is Dandridge this season’s Booyer (except he is active) - a coach favourite but not living up to the hype?

I think re-assigning Eric’s number is a) in poor taste, since the suspension just happened, b) short-sighted, since the Rainmen want #20 to go to schools and talk to kids, c) a pretty good sign that Eric is toast with the Rainmen, d) stupid PR move since fans may still want to wear the jerseys they bought to show loyalty to Eric but still be Rainmen fans - those are not mutually exclusive, e) all of the above.

The correct answer is: e) all of the above.

Thanks for the great play-by-play Chris. Good for those of us who didn’t listen to the game.

"Like sands through the hourglass...

So go the players of our team." Apologies to Days of Our Lives. We are back on the roller coaster roster of last season.

So now that Eric Crookshank is suspended with no one from the Rainmen saying why, there has been furious speculation on Section 23 as to the real reasons behind the furor.

It seems like the real reason leaked out, through the many, many fan posts on Section 23. Eric had words (probably very strong words) with the coach and Boom Goes The Dynamite, he's suspended for the remaining 80% OF THE SEASON!

Wow, not bad! Less than a day and a half from Chris’ post to a fan solving the crime! By the way, I thought it was Rick Lewis in the Conservatory with the Lead Pipe.

Veteran fans will remember that The Lewis has favourites and there was a mole in the house last year. I don’t know what The Lewis has on Andre to stay on here at the expense of the team, but it had better be good.

On Section 23, Chris posted some true comedy:

"How on earth is he going to talk to kids about decision making and consequences if he can’t say what he did?

Eric: *after 20 minutes of talking* And that children is why no matter how well things are going for you, you always have to be accountable for your actions. Does anyone have any questions?
Child: ummm… but what did you do that you had to be accountable for?
Eric: That is an internal matter and will be dealt with inside the organization."

Satire -- I love it.

IMO, a baseball coach and PT expert does not a basketball coach make, no matter how close he is to the owner. So I guess that is my thought on what has to change to fix the Rainmen.

In terms of sacrifices of pay and time lost, Eric is still getting paid. The season is only 3 months long anyway, and Eric loves Hali. I believe he has called it his second home. Eric could very likely want to stay here for personal reasons, read girlfriend.

Either the real reason for the suspension is huge and the Rainmen are sheltering Eric as well as his reputation and career and Eric is standing up and being repentant for his mistake, in which case, hooray for everyone; OR Eric is taking one for the team, after standing up to an outclassed tyrant and he is toeing the party line for a longer-term deal with the team to stay in Hali, ’cause we’re so lovable. I don’t know who to cheer for in that scenario.

The hero in all of this is Rainmen PR head Nancy Sheppard, who has obviously coached the three men involved (Eric, The Lewis and Andre) in how to circle the wagons.

Unfortunately for the Rainmen, this blog (’cause it is truly so awesome) has perpetuated significant fan speculation. That cannot be good for the Rainmen. Somehow I think they are trying to save face (whose face, I am not sure as of yet) and in doing so, they remain inscrutable to the point of hurting the organization. At least, that is how I see it right now. I am sure that when the facts come to light — if they haven’t already on Section 23, thanks to Lila — everyone will wish it had been handled differently.

To replace Eric at centre, the Rainmen have signed 37 year old John Strickland, a journeyman if ever there was one. At 6'8" and 275 pounds, Strick will be a lot of man to move under the net. Let's just hope he has the fitness to keep up. That means that young Tyronne McNeal is gone. McNeal only played a handful of minutes and was never given much of a chance to get used to playing for the Rainmen.

So much for Lewis being able to develop young players. Remember that was the selling point for choosing him as coach before last season? Ask Derico Wigginton how well his player development went last year. Better yet, don't ask him, he probably wants to forget the whole thing ever happened.

Despite the touting of Lewis as a PT specialist who can develop young players, history has shown that if a player cannot fall into the Lewis program immediately, he rides the pines and/or is booted. To me, this is code for Lewis is bossy and doesn't take any argument from his players. It's his way or the highway. Older, more experienced players would do well to shut up, keep their heads down and hope for some scout to see them and whisk them away to a better-coached team. Eric finally had enough and look what it got him.

Latest developments with the Rainmen

The Rainmen have started their season at 3-1, with the one loss happening last Sunday. All of the games have been close, with single digit differences in the final scores each time. The Rainmen's loss to Montreal was a direct result of Eric Crookshank, one of the Rainmen's leading players, being benched for about half the game.

On Monday, the Metro newspaper reported what seemed to be a disagreement between Coach Rick Lewis and Crookshank. It is hard to believe the team would want to air out its dirty laundry in public. Anyway, it seemed like a blip until today, when the same paper reported that Eric Crookshank is now suspended for the season, with pay! What?!?

Oh man. What a PR nightmare the Crookshank suspension will be. He is the face of the team, he is announced at the games as “Halifax’s own”, and he is a personable guy to boot.

If #20 isn’t on the court, expect new fans of this season to stay home in droves, especially kids.

Without Crookshank, I can see the Rainmen repeating last year’s record of 0.375, especially since Brian Silverhorn, the Rainmen's outside shooter, is out with a bad knee. Ugh.

Why do I feel like a Chicago Cubs fan all of a sudden?

Patriots 2008 Season Post-Mortem

Going 11-5 and not making the playoffs because of Brett Favre makes me ill. Long story short, the Pats did very well this year and could have won the division, if Favre and the Jets had beaten the Dolphins in the final week of the season, but Favre's 38-year-old arm was not up to the task. Matt Cassell ensured his multi-millionaire status with a near Brady-esque performance all season. The Pats are likely to put the franchise tag on him to make sure either a) they can keep him if Brady's off-season rehab doesn't go as well as expected, or b) they can actually get something for him if another team wants Cassell bad enough.

Injuries made it an uphill battle this year for the Pats, even after the devastating first-quarter-of-first-game end of the season for QB Tom Brady. Other notable injuries during the season included Rodney Harrison and Adalius Thomas on defence and Laurence Maroney on offence, although the backfield was plenty full with Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, and LaMont Jordan sharing the ground attack duties. Even Junior Seau came out of retirement, along with late-season replacement (and former Patriot) Roosevelt Colvin, to fill out the defence. Speaking of defence, rookie Jerod Mayo won the Defensive Rookie of the Year honours. Mayo was a bright spot on an ageing defence, that needs new life next year if they are going to keep up with opponents' offensive lines.

My man Wes Welker -- one of two Patriots who were selected for the 2009 Pro Bowl, along with kicker Stephen Gostkowski -- almost broke his receptions record from last year, falling short (no pun intended) by only one catch. If not for the 2008 Snow Bowl against Arizona and the Wind Bowl against the Bills, he certainly would have broken the Patriots receptions record that he set last season.

Speaking of weather, Bill Belichick weathered the critics who believed his success was due to Brady's greatness. True, Belichick has enjoyed coaching in the Brady era, including being named the NFL Coach of the Year for last season's 16-0 record, but I think this year showed that Bill has improved since his time with the Cleveland Browns, when his team went 36-44 over 5 seasons, with only one winning season in that period. In his 9 years at New England, Belichick has a record of 102-42, or 0.708 winning record, with a post-season record of 14-3, or 0.824, including 3 Super Bowl championships. His 11-5 record this season is 0.688, or just below his average with the Pats. Although there is talk of some of his coaching staff leaving for other opportunities, Belichick will withstand these changes and will continue to prove that he is one of the best coaches in NFL history.

It will be difficult to watch the playoffs without the Patriots, but it is still football and every game is a must-win, so it should make for some exciting games.

Rainmen beat Kebs in Home Opener, 124-112

It’s good to see the Rainmen dominate Quebec, who had our number last season. The fact that we beat the Kebs in almost every area of the game augers well for the coming year.

The PBL box score is fantastic! I liked the play-by-play and the stats on turnover, second chance and bench points. So that’s what a real league is like…

Good chemistry between most of the Rainmen, it seems like some of them are actually friends. Having a double-digit lead for much of the game also helps boost team spirit.

Eric: the most obvious game changer and team leader. When Coach put Eric back on to re-capture the energy on the floor, the game changed back to the Rainmen’s favour. After the game, Eric announced that they want to bring a championship to Halifax. I think they might do just that!

Rob Sanders/”Shoulders”: just about knocked a guy out driving to the net; once he lowers that shoulder, count on him scoring.

Jimmy: the most consistent point guard we have, who also happened to score 15 points.

Dandridge: not his best game, hopefully he gets back to his former three-point draining self for Sunday.

Silverhorn: was not in his usual shooter position, but mixed it up under the net and scored from the FT line. With Dandridge as an alternate shooter, I thought this role went alright for Brian.

SirVal: OK, maybe he isn’t the second-highest scoring athlete in NCAA anymore, but I was impressed with his athleticism, in particular the grab he made of a pass that was behind him as he crossed the floor. Let’s give him some space and see how he performs before we write him off.

Hammack: up and down game for him, impressive at times but 2 flubbed passes took the air out of our sails for a bit.

Cordell “Ce n’est pas” Jeanty: like Dandridge, seemed a bit off for this game.

David Bailey: probably going to be the player to be voted Most Like KD. He makes things happen, but isn’t the superstar. Also, he is a nice guy in person.

McNeal: who knew our 7-footer could sink the long shot? However, would like to see him mix it up more around the net and use his size to back other guys off.

Ramey and Mayes: didn’t see enough of them to make an impression, sorry.

Coaching: Certainly improved from last year. Subbed in the bench when we had the game in hand but were not afraid to replace them with starters to ensure the win.

Quebec Coach: Apparently selling Benz’s didn’t work out, he was sporting a Honda shirt. The Fit is Go! hahahaha

P.S. the Quebec assistant coach looked like an extra from the Godfather movies; nice tie, buddy!

Officials: Will the officials ever give a technical for coaches being on the court will play is on? Sure doesn’t seem like they will.

Production: At half-time, the electrical cord that rose to the rafters in front of my seat was moved, thank you to whoever made that happen in my absence.

Seemed like everyone was still feeling their way, production-wise and the Weather Girls (only one veteran from last year) were pretty disappointing. They need to either be a presence or be disbanded. Why are they not shaking their pompoms under the net when the opponents are shooting? I still think they should be leading some cheers and otherwise engaging with the audience, rather than simply walking in a group everywhere like the popular girls in high school.

There were 19 people sitting at the courtside tables (PR, game officials, media types), versus about half that number last year. It looked like they were having an economic summit to try and solve the credit crisis, or something. Just seemed like a lot of people.

Paul Palmeter is no Mavs Gillis.