PSoTD

This all began with a question at Shakespeare's Sister's website:

If you were an actor, whose career would you most want to have?

My answer was John Cusack - the man has a varied and quirky resume that I particularly appreciate.

And one of the movies I most appreciate his work in is Eight Men Out, in my humble opinion one of the best movies ever made about baseball. It truly is, although comparing it with other supposed great baseball movies is damning with faint praise. (See this list for the possibilities)

And I started wondering - with all the history that has involved baseball, and with all the money that, in theory, could be available to make movies about that baseball history, and with all the fans and SABRmatricians with cash to spend on such a product, why doesn't Major League Baseball finance a baseball movie at least once a decade? Wouldn't it benefit the sport, both short- and long-term? There are so many interesting stories out there to be told, and I am NOT suggesting individual biographies, which can and are done on television. The story of baseball during World War II, the evolution of the inclusion of Central American players, the battle between baseball and church over Sunday games, the free-agency movement, etc... there are SO MANY options. So why isn't it part of the MLB program by now?

I recognize that there's a risk that such movies can turn into propaganda, because baseball owners aren't the smartest people in the world, and yet can be some of the most stubborn, and particularly in stories such as the reserve-clause, there could be a severe risk of having a once-in-ten-years effort completely backfire on them. The goal would be to generate a greater appreciation for the sport, and to that end, benefit organized baseball.

And here's how you start such an effort - send out a letter to every baseball beat writer, major league general manager and field manager in the country, and ask them this simple question:

What is the most interesting baseball story that's never been told in movies?

Think you'll find at least one great movie in that process? I think you'll find dozens.

Don't the Chargers like going to the playoffs?

For many in the Northeast, it could be a perfect weekend to go sledding. Our kids have been out of school the past three days, and spent quite a bit of time in the back yard sledding down our rather mild slope.

You rarely hear how potentially dangerous sledding can be, particularly with kids who don’t know their limits, or the speeds they can attain. People die from sledding accidents, and get badly hurt, and not just in car versus sled incidents. It’s a good thing for anyone sledding to keep in mind.

Yeah, maybe Ron Artest shouldn't have dogs.

I don't know what the NCAA will really do about it if they're ignored, but they've warned Omaha that there's too much sudsy stuff flowing near the College World Series.

I promise, this is my last Rex Grossman posting of the month. I'm off it, I'm really off it...

Sportswriters ought to remember:

Grossman's effort wasn't even the worst performance statistically by a Super Bowl quarterback in 365 days, let alone the event's 41-year history.

Take a look. There have been some real clunkers by some of the game's greatest names in the Super Bowl. Beyond Grossmanesque.

I've been concerned that maybe the national press abuse of Grossman might mess him up - and it might. But it appears he's not too down about it...

Norm Clarke, Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Rex Grossman, getting over Sunday's Super Bowl loss, (was spotted) in the company of Bunnies Cerra, April and Michelle on Wednesday night at the Playboy Club in the Palms."

Looks like Ron Rivera is staying with the Chicago Bears...

Thanks Jerry Jones!

It is amazing, simply amazing, how many dumbass NFL "fans" there are... Many of these comments are absolutist, based on the writer's experience of viewing football, and give you the impression that the last Super Bowl was the VERY FIRST GAME THEY'VE EVER WATCHED.

Brother.

What team has the most retired numbers in professional sports?

wasn't enough to stop the Colts. Sloppy game, but it looked like the best team won. Congrats.

This morning I went to Karns, the regular Saturday morning grocery run, a little earlier than usual as we have basketball games later today. I wore my Bears sweatshirt in solidarity of the team. We live in Philadelpha Eagles / Pittsburgh Steelers fan territory - I'd say the mix is about even for the predominance of fans for those two teams - and I rarely see much in the way of Chicago Bears stuff around here.

So, while in Karns, I walked past a man with a Bears hat, and later on, a man with a new-looking Bears jacket. As I took our groceries to the car, there was ANOTHER man with a Bears coat, this one looking like he'd had it since the last time the Bears went to the Super Bowl. We are out there, and ready to growl in victory, even in the Harrisburg area.

Thank you, Lovie!

This is not a sports story. Perhaps Dan Wetzel should be moved to the "Society" beat.

If Adam Vinatieri is on the field at the end of Super Bowl with the opportunity to win the game with a field goal, the popular wisdom is that he is unflappable. Unless the Bears block it, or the snap/hold goes haywire, Vinatieri will win the game. Supposedly, there's no way to get inside his head.

Lovie Smith, I have an idea. Put Robbie Gould in on defense for that field goal try. I'm sure the lineman will start whispering that something strange is going on. The holder will probably notice. Maybe Vinatieri will hear the talk, and wonder what the hell? Who knows? Maybe the Bears could mentally block the field goal by breaking Vinatieri's concentration...