MEMORIES OF IRELAND

I've revealed all my stories of Ireland and being Irish. From my English prof who didn't like me-- to falling asleep on a doubledecker --to eating Irish stew at Dukes (twice) in Dublin.

I've called previous St. Patrick's Day blogs "Erin go Braugh."

But I haven't written about the St. Louis St' Patty's Day Parade. My friend, the Sign Man, from Springfield, MO, (yes, I've blogged about Marty, too) called me one day back in the day--probably around the turn of the century--this one, not last one. Being the organizer he is, he wanted to enter a float in the parade. It was more like a high school Homecoming Parade float--a decorated flat bed truck.

Our theme: Mark McGwire and the song "Hit the Road, Jack," which was revised to "Hit the Ball, Mac...it ain't coming back no more, no more.." Kinda hokey? Oh, yeah. But we wore our hard hats, green and labeled with Big Mac, and sang and handed out balloons. We had a beautiful day for it and a great time. I was really surprised at the huge crowd.

Those days with McGwire were fun. So were all the times with Marty Prather. So were my times in Ireland. Life is good on March 17th and being Irish (even for a day) is definitely worth celebrating.

"LITTLE ANTHONY AND THE IDES"

It must have been a combination of the old song by Little Anthony and the Imperials,"I Think I'm Going Out of my Head," and the anniversary of Julius Caesar's assassination. Somehow things were curious and curiouser yesterday.

I mean how else do you explain the first round NCAA loss by Duke. No, it wasn't a first round upset by UVC wherever or whatever that school is/was. It was a total collapse by Duke. And what's the NCAA without Koach K and Duke in it?

Then Bowie Kuhn, former commish of MLB passes away. I'm not into talking bad about the recently demised, but that cat was spooky. First, the name. How is Bowie, not, you know pronounced Bowie. But he was Booey. He alone cost the Cardinals a playoff for the NL flag in 1981 when the team with the best record didn't represent the NL East. It was thought that Booey didn't like Busch whom he thought was trying to get him fired, so he concocted a plan to keep the Cards out. Oh well, they won it all the next year anyway(s). But Booey once again made his mark. He refused to wear a coat during the playoffs which he lengthened which forced late October games in some cases. In Game 6 in St. Lou, with the Cardinals leading 13-0 and a deluge of rain pounding the field, he refused to call the game. Instead, he surveyed the scene, literally as he walked out onto the outfield grass. Sinking, sloshing, kicking up rain, Booey announced the game would continue after a delay. Final score 13-1.

Then a pro basketball player tells kids to use drugs. Yep. It was all a joke he said, but Cleveland center, somebody by the name of Scot Pollard, relayed that message to a tv camera during a time out. "It was just a bad joke," was his apology. Meanwhile Cleveland announced it would take care of the problem in house.

Just another day on Planet Earth. Or "et tu, Earte?"

THE KALEIDOSCOPE

Looking more like a large pepper shaker and made with seemingly broken plastic chips, my kaleidoscope was viewed early and often by eight year old hands. All(s) I had to do was turn the dial or twist the dial and various shapes and colors would appear. Optimal viewing demanded it be held up to sunlight for clarity.

I loved that toy. The creative process it allowed me kept me interested for a few minutes, yet it seemed like I viewed it for hours. But that's the way with time to a kid. It's so slow. And wonderful.

And I had the power to destroy or linger over my creation. With one twist I could demonstrate total domination over what I wanted. I could gently turn or twist with authority and a new screen would appear. It was for the adept and the irrational. The patient and the antsy.

It didn't take much to give ignition to the youthful mind in those days. After all, the imagination is a terrible thing to waste.

PSST!!! A BIG GAME TONIGHT

The Suns go national in their match up with the Dallas Mavs on ESPN. It's showcase time for the most exciting team in the NBA against the best team in the NBA.

Dallas is just so strong. It'll be tough. And playing at home. And coming off a loss--their 10th of the year. Heck, Phoenix started out at 1-5.

But it will be fun. I expect a Suns loss and then explanations about it being early, playoffs is all that matters, and other things that are true. But, showtime is showtime, and this is the big arena before the NCAA Tourney starts on Thursday. The timing couldn't be better.

Tune in for the best the NBA has to offer. And hope the officials (who can be good or awful, but there's not much in between) call a good game.

GOSUNS!!!!

I'M NOT DIVING INTO THE NCAA POOL THIS YEAR

Nope, not me. Not with Selection Committee. Not after what they did Sunday. Black Sunday.

They didn't pick Syracuse for their tourney. C'mon. The Orange guys were the 7th best team in the Big East! Jim Boeheim is still the coach! What the heck were they thinking?

I think the Big East was the 7th toughest conference according to the RPI or is it RIP? Everybody knows the East is superior in intellect as well.

You'll just have to count me out. They even left out Drexel of the East as a Mid-Major. Next you'll be telling Rob and Amber got eliminated on the Amazing Race or something.

There's just no justice anymore. Maybe it's all a result of starting Daylight Savings Time too soon.

MOUNTAIN OF LOVE
They keep going up in Arizona. Up that mountain. Houses are cutting into pristine country and obscuring views, all in the name of progress and re-sale.
Of course, this picture wasn't snapped around the Phoenix area, but it could have been taken in Northern AZ. Our mountains offer spectacular views, but they're mainly rocky with scrub brush. We can also offer javalinas, bobcats, coyotes, and snakes.
Camelback, our most famous mountain, used to house Phil Nike, Jacklyn Smith, Johnny Carson and others, but I think builders have gone higher in the mountains than the once topped out homes. And people are buying houses there on the mountainside, knocking them down (oh, there's some law about retaining one wall of the original dwelling for tax purposes) and building even bigger ones.
We drove up to some houses on the east side one afternoon after golf at Camelback Golf Course and saw that at 3:00 PM, the houses were obscured because of the mountain. In the morning hours, they were in bright sunshine, but by mid- or maybe even early afternoon, they're shaded big time. Of course, the same for the west siders in the morning hours.
As much as I love the views, I don't think I'd care for that. I remember too many cloud-filled days in the Midwest.
While mountain views are beautiful, I guess I'll stay in the valley. Sunglasses and sunscreen are a small price to pay for that beautiful sunshine.

IT'S AMONGST THEM

Certainly one of the saddest days is St. Louis Cardinal baseball history was the day #57 died in a hotel room in Chicago just a few short years ago. Darryl Kile was at the height of his career when death struck him down.

When Jack Buck died later that same year was another black day in Cardinals' history. The celebration of his life on the video board marked the only time I ever wept in Busch Stadium.

When the Cardinals had the 1985 World Series stolen from them with two (undoubtedly) outs to go in the 9th inning of Game Six on a terrible call by Don Dekinger adds to Cardinal misery.

But everytime I run across a picture of the Steve Carlton 1972 Traded card, I'm reminded of another very sad time. How Gussie Busch could have let that happen, I'll never know. Oh, I know. It's history. Lefty wanted a $100,000 contract and Mr. Busch refused.

Once when I talked with Steve Carlton I asked him how many times people pondered to him how many championships that cost Mr. Busch and the Cardinals. "I can't say for sure, but a bunch of them I'd guess," was his response. He, too, seemed saddened by the thought. And that surprised me. That he still had a soft spot in his heart for the Cardinal organization. I was equally surprised that he just didn't blow me off.

But when the Boys of Summer tee it up on April 1, there'll be no sadness this year. Not in Sweet St. Lou, home of the 2006 World Champions! Man, it's been a long time for the Cubs and Red Sox. 1908 and 2004 were soooo looong ago.