Archive for August 2010
It’s Never too Early to go to Doucet
This morning while driving around, I heard Mike and Mike on ESPN radio dissecting the AZ Cardinals upcoming season. It was a mostly fair assessment, with both guys agreeing on a 8-8 record for the 2010-2011 season. I think that’s a reasonable conclusion, considering the amount of questions the Cardinals have going into this season. In fact, I could see as bad as 4-12. But I digress…
One thing that did stick in my craw was Golic’s assessment of WR Early Doucet. Doucet is expected fill in for Anquan Boldin as a tough receiver that goes across the middle. Golic doesn’t buy that — at least not yet. He said that Doucet’s 31 receptions his first two years in the league were not a good sign, considering that Boldin had 157 catches his first two years in the league. However, that is not a fair comparison.
Doucet, after his amazing reception for a touch down in the nutty playoff game against the Packers
When Boldin was drafted by Arizona in 2003, Arizona had the following WRs on its roster:
- Larry Foster
- Bryan Gilmore
- Bryant Johnson
- Kevin Kasper
- Jason McAddley
- Nate Poole
Recognize any of those names? Me neither. And I’ve been following the Cardinals since 1993.
In Boldin’s first game against Detroit, he had 187 yards receiving. That shocked the Cardinals and their fan base. It became pretty clear over the next few weeks that this guy was something special. So he became the focus of the passing attack, which is why he had 157 receptions in his first two years.
Now, when Doucet came aboard in 2008, Arizona had the following WRs on its roster:
- Larry Fitzgerald
- Anquan Boldin
- Steve Breaston
- Jerheme Urban
- Ed Gant
- Michael Ray Garvin
- Onrea Jones
- Lance Long
- Sean Morey
- Steve Sanders
You see the difference? Arizona had two of the best WRs in the league (and Fitzgerald might be one of the best ever), and Steve Breaston was no slouch either. This was the year that Arizona had three 1000+ yard WRs on its roster. In that kind of situation, a rookie WR won’t be anywhere near the ball (if memory serves, Doucet was 5th on the depth chart, just after Jerheme Urban). The year after, Doucet moved up, but Arizona still had Fitz, Boldin and Breaston catching the ball. It would be hard for anyone new to compete with those three.
It’s not a fair to Doucet to draw a conclusion about his abilities by comparing Boldin’s first two years to Doucet’s. The situation on the team was wildly different when Boldin came aboard to when Doucet did. Golic may still be right in his ultimate analysis (that Doucet will not be a suitable replacement for Boldin), but how he got there, I think, is wrong.
Wha–? I have a Blog???
Hello there…
Okay, yeah, I know. I’ve been neglecting this space for a couple of weeks now. Truth is, I’ve been busy. Busy doing my real gig and playing Star Craft 2. Lame, I know, but hey, Star Craft 1 was one of my all-time favorite games.
This week I’ll have some new and bizarre content. I swear.
Anno Domino’s Pizza
So I see from the commercials, Domino’s Pizza, the Pizza of last resort, wants to change the way people see their pizza in commercials. Domino’s wants its customers to send in photos of their pizzas so Domino’s can use the photos in future commercials.
Is it just me, or is this idea really, really, stupid? I’m glad this is what Domino’s decided to change about their pizza. I guess they figure everything else is just ducky with their pie, so it’s time to move on to the way it’s photographed. How lame.
And while we’re on the subject, does it creep out anyone else that this company apparently keeps tabs on people that have the audacity to say mean stuff about Domino’s pizza in focus groups? Who the hell are these cats anyway, Big Brother? And then, to top it all off, now that Domino’s has changed its pizza to make taste slightly less crappy, they harass these poor souls to try their dreck again. Oi vey!
Domino’s take my advice: leave people alone and worry less about the way your pie is photographed and more about how it tastes.
Those brownie bite things are still pretty bad-ass though…
Hits and Myths
Inspired by this story, I started thinking about myths and the myths we’re told as children about the founding of our country. As Americans, we love myths. I think it has a lot to do with a cultural affection for bigger than life personalities. Being an American that accomplishes great things just isn’t enough. You have to do it in the most obnoxious manner possible, like that whole John Wayne, High School Football coach thing you see in war movies. “Hold em by the nose while we kick em in the ass!” and all that other stultifying crap.
How creepy is this image...
One of the more idiotic myths is the one about George Washington and the Cherry Tree. Every kid in America has heard this one, but I’ll recap it anyway. When George Washington was a boy, apparently in a fit of anti-arboreal rage, he cuts down a cherry tree. When the little miscreant is confronted about it by his father, he replies, “I cannot tell a lie. I cut down the cherry tree.” His overjoyed father tells George his honesty makes up for the act of man-on-tree violence. George’s father then, presumably, inducts his son into the Freemasons, who end up calling all the shots in the new country.
Schoolchildren are supposed to be inspired by Georgie’s honesty. They also learn a life’s lesson, which is to be honest at all times. A lesson that I’m sure is reinforced whenever a child is punished for being honest about a naughty act, but I digress…
Here’s what struck me the other day: Yes, in the myth, George is an honest guy, but honesty is only one part of the equation. What about remorse? Doesn’t he feel bad about cutting down the tree? A tree that did nothing to him?
Sure, I’m glad he didn’t lie, but, in some cases, lying implies remorse. I know I’ve lied in the past because I felt bad about something I’ve done (or because I’m talking to a woman in a bar). Here, George says, “Yeah, I cut down the tree. Whatcho gonna do about it?” George cut it down, essentially bragged about it, and then went on his merry way. You know who else commits acts of violence and destruction and feels no remorse about it? Sociopaths, that’s who. Maybe George Sr. should be a little more concerned about Georgie’s problem with empathy and less about his honesty.
Ruminations, etc.. 