So I am writing this quick post on my iPad, using the wireless on a plane, which means two things.
1. I am balancing on the very cusp of modern technology. A flying car just might be waiting for me in San Francisco to take me to my hotel room.
2. The usual assortment of misspellings, grammatical catastrophes and double double words should be double doubled. It's like a family-size pack of blunders!*
*And let me just mention this: I really don't mind when people put grammatical corrections in the comments ... Helps me correct things. But I could use a little less snide. You know there is a copy-edited version of this blog at joeposnanski.si.com. If you want a cleaner version (cleaner ... Not necessarily clean) go there. This is backstage.
Here is what's coming, though veterans of this blog will know that means "Here is a list of blog posts I will definitely do unless I am sidetracked by work or family or a sandwich or I get bored or whatever."
- 32 greatest NFL defensive players.
- 32 most complete players in baseball history
- 32 best movie endings
- Texpensives
- The now laughably late iPad review
- Ron Washington
- Personal heroes
- Darkness on the edge of my life
- The Chrysler Town and Country commercial
- The Golden 32
- The person I miss most at World Series time
- An in depth look at NPR and the political scene in America (no, I'm just joking)
- 32 best stadiums/arenas, all sports
- The overdue 32 sports books
- Lyrics to a song I once wrote and an explanation
- Matt Cain
As always, suggestions are encouraged.
Thank God you added "just joking" to the NPR idea!
ReplyDeleteSo awesome that this entire post is double posted.
ReplyDeleteCircle me Steve Jobs.
ReplyDeleteSt. Louis Cardinals appreciation post.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear about the 32 most complete players in baseball history
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read your list of sports books. I love me a good sports book and I am always looking for the next great one. I'm wondering if that new book on Mantle, "The Last Boy," is going to be any good.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I vote for Ron Washington and/or Matt Cain. I've always liked your stories that focus on a particular person the best. But I'd still love to read any of the stories you listed.
ReplyDeleteCortez Kennedy.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read something by you on Rube Waddell
ReplyDeleteFree Bird!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, any of those is gonna be great.
Frowny-face for there no longer being a mention of the "best fast food or sit-down chain places to eat" list, but I am still happy because there's a lot of good coming up. Also, looking forward to whatever "texpensives" are (and if it's a typo, could you make up a "texpensives" post anyway?)
ReplyDeleteJoe, I think you should go the other way with the iPad review now, and just keep delaying it indefinitely. I forget when you first mentioned you were going to do it, but since then it has taken on a life of its own. It has become this mythical, all-encompassing thing, not unlike that Harlequin Romance Number 3 that you once wrote about.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, excited about any and all upcoming posts, as always.
joe, i'm always impressed how well you type on the ipad. i can't get through a sentence without hitting the "m" or "n" key instead of the space bar. and ive nearly given up on capitalization and any punctuation that isnt automatic. can't wait for the ipad review.
ReplyDeleteplease re-post your Christmas song favorites.
ReplyDeleteFantasy Football; 32 scary hairy pitchers,
ReplyDeleteJoe, I would read your blog if you wrote about grass growing. I'm to the point now where if you have posted something new, I'll read it, whatever it is. Including Hawaii Chair (noun or verb). And I will love it.
ReplyDeleteBut if you really are looking for guidance, any personal piece you write (Ron Washington, Matt Cain, whoever) would be great. Anything baseball (32 most complete players sounds great).
One last thing - anyone who snidely corrects your grammatical or typographical errors, or anally corrects your facts, can bite me (and at least a thousand of your loyal readers - I'm basing that estimate on poll voting).
Is it going to be top 32 sports stadia/arenas or just sports stadia/arenas in the US?
ReplyDeleteVoting for the song lyrics, and also wondering what you think of the Chiefs.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Pozcars for the 2000s?
ReplyDelete32 unwritten baseball rules, 32 changes you would make to sports, 32 "30 for 30" stories you wish had been told, What can be done to make non-glammor cities appealing to NBA free agents (I live in Denver)
ReplyDeleteGreat snack foods.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping the person you miss at World Series time is Buck...everyone still misses him.
ReplyDeleteOh, the Chrysler Town and Country commercial prettyprettyplease! It's like a foreign ad with overdubbing: the gestures don't match voiceovers, why are the kids running and to whose home, how does the backpack kid beat bigger unladen rivals, etc. I'd love to see what the Mind of Poz (tm) can decipher!
ReplyDeleteMost complete baseball players like Cecil Fielder/Pablo Sandoval/David Wells most complete?
ReplyDelete32 announcers better than Joe Buck and Tim McCarver would be a great list. Fox needs some guidance.
ReplyDeletecant wait for the 32 most complete baseball players...
ReplyDeleteWould love to read any of these, Joe. Although baseball is closest to my heart and I'm extra happy when I see you've written something baseball-related, there have been so many occasions when you're written about something I know nothing about, and it turns out to be an amazing column. So have at it, man!
ReplyDeleteAnd bring on the top sports books, for sure.
@PhilM: Is this commercial you describe available on Youtube?
ReplyDeleteit's too late for me to remember if you've already done this, but as a tag to "the Machine," your definitive thoughts on Rose?
ReplyDeleteBrian:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L-wrd7EoRM
It's odd, to be sure.
The Matt Cain one will be my favorite
ReplyDeleteAs long as your post about Ron Washington is focused on his sunflower seed chewing...
ReplyDeleteI still want to know who yelled at you on an airplane and why.
ReplyDeleteI'm still really hoping you'll do a Scott Rolen post.
ReplyDeleteMr Anonymous above. Unlike the "iPad review" we did get the "yelled at on a plane". Was a few paragraphs in another post.
ReplyDeleteThe agony of ending a season striking out looking (with men on base, at home) -- Robbie Alomar, Carlos Beltran, and now Ryan Howard.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see a Matt Cain post. People want to say he's average a lot, he's not. He's got four straight seasons of low BABiP and I don't see an end in site. Call it SF bias, maybe it is, but he's got "it," whatever it is. And I made the crazy comparison to him and Tom Seaver. Take a look, Joe, tell me what you think. I'll think you'll be shocked that they are somewhat similar.
ReplyDelete32 greatest sports moments to have seen in person
ReplyDeleteI have seen the future. It's like the past, only double posted.
ReplyDelete(Sorry about the snideness, but I couldn't resist the Quisenberry quote.)
ReplyDelete32 most tragic sacrifice plays in mlb history ...
ReplyDeleteI'm curious who you will weigh certain qualities in the upcoming "32 most complete ballplayers" blog.
ReplyDeleteBy complete, do you mean they can do "everything pretty good?" Was Babe Ruth an all-time "complete" player? He's was a mediocre baserunner, and an average fielder...but he had that "hitting with power" tool in spades.
Doesn't that overwhelm is merely average abilities in other aspects of his game?
I'm gonna need a definition of Texpensives before I can, in good conscience, cast a vote for that. In the meantime I'm advocating a Brian Wilson post.
ReplyDeleteAmong those listed above I vote for:
ReplyDeleteBrian Wilson - have you seen his interview on the Jim Rome show? CLASSIC! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf0j1rmZVbM
32 Unwritten Rules in Baseball
32 NOT Complete Players (Fielder/Luzinski/Kruk)
I pulling for the post on the Chrysler Town & Country commercial. If it's the one I'm thinking of, I find it confusing and more than a little disturbing.
ReplyDeleteNice list of topics, all together. However, I find it curious that you no longer feel the need to defend the grape.
@Ed - I'm about 3/4 of the way through the new Mantle book. It's definitely worth your time (although I'd wait for paperback...hardcover cost me nearly $30).
ReplyDeleteMy five would be:
ReplyDelete- 32 best movie endings
- Ron Washington
- Darkness on the edge of my life
- The person I miss most at World Series time
- Lyrics to a song I once wrote and an explanation
That last one is intriguing and I'm sure some BR would be thrilled to put it to music and send you a copy and then you can post it and we can all hear it!
I also agree with the BR suggestion that the IPad review should be mentioned as a possible future post for as long as you're doing such things, but never actually published. Legendary!
@Tony:
ReplyDeleteThis Brian Wilson prank is even better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrkSElfm7Lk
32 Most interesting player affectations
ReplyDeleteJust to add a little insight to the Town & Country commericial. They have changed the dialogue since it was originally filmed. Originally, the other kids were mildly bullying the little kid and he was escaping them, not racing. Due to serious bullying episodes nationally, they've changed the commericial.
ReplyDeleteStill, doesn't explain why his mother is waiting in some other driveway with the hatch open for him to sneak into before she drives him home.
How about some live blogging tonight for Lee and Lincecum?
ReplyDeleteAlso, when are you going to do that Sony Walkman review you've been promising? I'm thinking about getting one.
Who yelled at you on the plane? Was it the flight attendant that told everyone to f-off, and then slid down the emergency chute?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see you write about the totally incompetent MLB umpires, and why none of them are ever fired, suspended, or sent to the minor leagues.
I can see this one on Margo's blog any time now:
ReplyDeleteThe 32 times Joe was going to do something but didn't because he was busy writing something awesome for his ever growing and appreciative audience.
I'm sure it would be a good list. Plus she'd have to tell us the things like:
1) Mow the grass which is 12" because you've put off cutting it more times than you've put off your fast food review column
2) Don't bother bringing in the groceries from the car because I've already done it while you were pondering your opening lead for a column on Ted Williams or Lefty Grove or whomever
etc.
Love your writing Joe. Thanks for letting us backstage still.
Hey Joe,
ReplyDeleteI would like to see:
1. airplane story, I think we're all fascinated by the idea of what you could do to drive someone to yelling.
2. Ron Washington
3. Darkness...
4. Lyrics
5. The person I miss most
If Paper Lion makes the top 32 books, you should make it a top 31 list. Utterly overrated.
ReplyDeleteFor those looking for the "yelled at by a guy on an airplane" story, it's here: http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2010/10/bring-back-sports-arguments.html
ReplyDeleteDoes the Chrysler have "soft Coreentheean lay-thur?"
ReplyDeleteDid I miss the chocolate beer post? I'm pretty sure BRs voted for it. Of course, there's a significant number of BRs who will read anything you post; me included.
ReplyDeleteHey Joe, could you maybe do a quick post-tutorial on how to leave comments on this blog? There are so many "Anonymous" posts, and it doesn't have to be that way. It'd be nice to place comments with names from the previous blog incarnation. I'll write the directions below, but a full-on post would get much more attention.
ReplyDeleteTo post a comment like on the old blog: Just click the drop-down "Comment as" menu, and select "Name/url". Voila! Same format as the old blog. Write in your name; you can leave "url" blank.
"32 announcers better than Joe Buck and Tim McCarver would be a great list. Fox needs some guidance." -- Anonymous at 7:15PM
ReplyDeleteHow in the world would Joe limit that to 32? I am pretty sure that the number of announcers in that category approaches infinity.
Brian Wilson's beard Vs Brian Wilson's weird.
ReplyDeleteI love your writing but I hope that you get distracted by a sandwich sometime soon. A sandwich that grabs your attention is a wonderful thing and you deserve that, Joe.
ReplyDeleteHow about "32 best songs to play in a sports venue"? For a while you couldn't go to a game without hearing "Rock 'n' Roll part 2." Now it's "Don't Stop Believin'" ... and I'd have to include my personal favorite: at a White Sox game where the Blue Jays were visiting, when Glenallen Hill came up to bat, having recently returned from an injury sustained trying to kill a spider in his home (no, really), the organist played "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
ReplyDeleteThen of course you would need the "32 worst songs to play in a sports venue" ...
Thanks Stephen @ 8:51am.
ReplyDelete32 Potential "32" Lists
ReplyDeleteI like the ones where you compose lists of posts you might write but then never do.
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Joe! Would love to see a list of "32 Tennis Commentators More Annoying Than John McEnroe." Impossible to compile, I know . . .
ReplyDeleteAnything you write would be great, but I'd love to see how the Great and Powerful Poz views Ron Washington.
ReplyDeleteAs a new(ish) Dallas resident and recent fan of the Rangers, my opinion on Wash has done a complete 180. At first, I hated the guy. His tactics are painful, he overuses the bunt, his teams constantly run themselves out of innings, and his bullpen managment can be best described as "interesting." From a sheer tactical maneuvering standpoint, I can't stand Wash.
But I adore him. His quirks are now the stuff of legend ("That's the way baseball go"). He trusts his players, so they, in turn, trust him. Sure, they run themselves out of innings, but he had to break the plodding station-to-station style, and the hyper aggressive style is at least fun to watch. This team is great at taking the extra base, and no one ever gets in trouble for a mistake of aggression. Hell, even Benji Molina got to steal a base.
He's a great manager in the non-baseball sense of the word. He mnagers the personalities well and he's fostered an attitude of hard work, no whining, and playing hard. Pitchers are supposed to pitch long into games. guys are supposed to run like hell. Even last year, when the Rangers fell short, it was hard not love this team. Wash deserves a lot of the credit for that, which I hope I remember when he pulls O'Day, the Rangers one-out RIGHTY specialist, after one batter again.
Antlers up!
i've asked for it before... 32 best ben folds (five) songs.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall, a little while back, you mentioning you used to work for Sly Stallone -- I'd love to read that story.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting for that iPad review. Texpensive intrigues me. What I really wanted to say though, is that last week, encouraged by your Halladay v. Lincecum piece, I went to a bar and watched the game. Later I thought about how weird it was that I went to a bar, had a couple of beers and chatted with a few strangers instead of reading at home, because you had written something to no one and everyone in the privacy of your own home. And tonight, I'm doing it again.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for that iPad review before I make the purchase.
ReplyDeleteHere's a post idea coming from one father of two young girls (preschool age or under) to one with two older girls: The 32 most important things you learned as a guy about handling daughters.
Well, seeing as you're in San Francisco and have unfettered access to the anti-slugger, how about a full blog piece on "Duane Kuiper's Home Run"?
ReplyDelete> love your writing but I hope that you get distracted by a sandwich sometime soon. A sandwich that grabs your attention is a wonderful thing and you deserve that, Joe.
ReplyDeleteHow about the 32 most distracting sandwiches?
Yours,
Tom
Completely agree with @Micah...great moments to have seen in person would be phenominal
ReplyDelete32 most-distracting sandwich ingredients?
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with Joe Buck?
ReplyDeleteHere's my suggestion, Joe: A post on what motivates you to be such a prolific writer. I mean, I write about 10 stories a week, but I have an editor assign about half of them and then "motivate" me.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm asking is, how do you avoid hitting the wall?
I like the Ron Washington idea - maybe it's because of his positive drug test, but he seems hardly mentioned this postseason (except for the shots of him chewing sunflower seeds, yes). Guy's had a long history in the game.
ReplyDeleteMatt Cain is going to the HOF. In the long haul, the best pitcher on the Giants. Check back in 10 years.
I'd love to read a blog post about Babe Herman.
ReplyDeleteChrysler Town and Country: one of the worst patchwork attempts at salvaging an awful commercial. And it continues to get worse. I see that the kid in the van doesn't stick his tongue out anymore. Next is probably an overdub for mom: "Right on time!" It will never work!
ReplyDelete32 most complete baseball players? I can't WAIT to see that. Baeb Ruth was a great hitter and pitcher, and, in his younger days, much more athletic than you'd probably think. Mickey Mantle was a great fielder, hitter and a switch-hitter to boot. Johnny Bench was the greatest catcher of all time and a good hitter. Omar vizquel was a brilliant shortstop and put up solid offensive numbers (remember, batting 9th for the 1995 Indians was not even close to being an insult). Please, please, please, do this article! Other nominees: Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Schmidt, Ted Williams, and Yuni Betancourt.
ReplyDelete32 brilliant-est readers.
ReplyDeleteHow about the situation at notre dame where the kid got killed when the scissors lift blew over. You always have a way of putting things in perspective
ReplyDelete@ Kathy - Buck thinks his name makes him great. Which is unfortunate cause his Dad really was great. Then again, McCarver would even bring down the true greats Vin Scully, Earnie Harwell, Jack Buck or (insert your favorite announcer here), which doesn't help at all.
ReplyDeleteGreg B
Regarding the best football players at D-line, linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties, etc. I think you forgot two great safties; Larry Wilson and the great safety and punter for the Lions Yale Lary. #28 was a Hall of Famer at both positions and the original "Hang Time" Punter. The Great Jim Brown said of Lary, "he was the best open field tackler he ran up against".
ReplyDeleteThank for your article, it really helped me, because now I was in need of such information. keep and touch
ReplyDelete