The Johnny Bacardi Show

Just some random stuff before I retire, mostly sports related: You've been warned.

I haven't commented on the University of Kentucky's disappointing exit in the NCAA tournament, mostly because I don't know what to say, really. Hearts were broken all over the Commonwealth, and brackets destroyed nationwide. It was a combination of horrible shooting in the first half and the inability to shut down Wade and Jackson that did 'em in. It was inevitable that they run out of gas, I suppose, but it had gotten to the point where I thought they were charmed or something. And they can use Keith Bogans' sprained ankle as an excuse all they want, but there were games in the regular season when Bogans wasn't on and they won anyway; the sad truth is that no one else stepped up (sorry, I know that's a horrible cliche) to pick up his slack. Estill, Hayes and Fitch in particular should be hanging their heads. Still, it was a great season, a hell of a run, and hopefully this will spur them on to get the job done next year.

Emmitt Smith is now an Arizona Cardinal. Geez. It's like he's doing penance or something. It's gonna be weird as hell seeing him on what is arguably the worst franchise in professional sports. I was never a Cowboy fan, but I always had respect for Emmitt, especially after the playoff game against the Giants in which he played with a seperated shoulder and still ran for 100 yards and a couple of scores, including a dive (!) into the end zone! You'd think he deserves better, but he made the decision...can't help but think of Willie Mays on the Mets, Earl Campbell on the Saints, or OJ with the 49ers. We'll see what he has left, I think he has more than those fellows did...but good God, the Cardinals have a mediocre quarterback and no receivers– Emmitt's gonna get sick of seeing eight men in the box all the time, of that I have no doubt.

Baseball season has, as I'm sure most of you know, started. My White Sox started the season on the wrong foot yesterday, as they tend to do, getting shut out by a rookie pitcher on the Kansas City Royals, another woebegone franchise. Oh well, that's OK. They can go 161-1 and it will be all right. Both my fantasy teams are off to so-so starts, but as I'm so fond of saying, baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, and it's silly to be concerned right now.

Blogger's been a pain in the ass all day...I wasn't able to post all morning, and as of right now my page isn't loading right on my browser. I'm tellin ya, sometimes I get Blog envy– I see lots of nice sites, with interesting templates and all kinds of bells and whistles and I think "Boy, I'd like to redesign..." but the more I think about it the more trouble it sounds like. Sigh. Then there's that frigging Blogshares thing...since they changed sites, my button down there (the blue blob-shaped one) doesn't work anymore so I only have one incoming link and no outgoing links and my values have plummeted as a result...apparently the only way that I can get one of those snazzy new rectangular buttons with the correct code is to reclaim my blog, which I have done and now I'll bet I have two different profile pages, which really fucks with my anal nature. And no, that is NOT a Freudian slip.

I got a new fitted White Sox hat today. Highlight of my week so far. My old one had had it, and this one fit better. I have a big melon head, and it's difficult for me to find caps which fit me well...so I thought I'd better buy.

Am I getting trivial enough yet?

I'm absolutely loving the Futurama reruns I'm watching on Cartoon Network. We got an extra bonus this past Sunday when they showed that rarest of rare things- a new episode on Fox! Tonight's episode was the second of the first season, where they introduce most of the supporting cast like Amy Wong and Doc Zoidberg, and Leela, Fry, Bender and Amy deliver a crate to the Moon, and Leela & Fry get lost on the surface when they bust out of the big amusement park on the lunar surface. Bender was especially funny in this one, singing over the end credits "I'll be shooting 'em with a ray gun when she comes..." It's funny. Trust me. Have I ever lied to you before?

And now the grande fee-nahl-ay: MUSIC THIS WEEK (so far)!
the Monkees-Listen to the Band discs 1,2, and 3 (I don't care what anyone says- this was great pop music); Ron Sexsmith-Other Songs (this is fast becoming one of my favorite albums- "So Young", "While You're Waiting" and "Strawberry Blonde" are works of genius); Coldplay-Parachutes (track that's stuck in my head-"Sparks"); Beach Boys-Today!/Summer Days and Summer Nights (can't get enough of "You're So Good To Me", among others); Joe Henry-Trampoline (killer cover of Sly's "Let Me Have It All", along with several songs that are startling in their beauty and sadness. He got kinda carried away with the low-key jazziness after this, not in a good way); Linda Thompson-Fashionably Late (yeah, I know I said I was gonna write about this one...still might. I love, so far, Dear Mary, Paint and Powder Beauty and especially Evona Darling); and the Drive-By Truckers-Decoration Day. I didn't get finished with that one– Mike Cary took his copy back. I'll get it back, 'cause it wasn't too bad.