Mar 122022
 

Richard Pierpoint

Black History Month

Raging Bull

Canada’s National Observer – Fawcett – We’re in a disinformation war with Russia – so far they’re winning

Mental Floss – Jacobs – Edgar Allan Poe’s Cipher Challenge

Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.

Ray Bradbury

Forbes – Price – Woodford Reserve Debuts Its 2022 Kentucky Derby Bottles

The Ringer – Sherman – 26 Questions About Calvin Ridley’s Suspension for Betting on the NFL

I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can’t stop eating peanuts.

Orson Welles

Sports Business Journal – NFL system did its job catching Ridley’s bets, but penalty is questioned

Texas Monthly – Justice – How Baylor Great Brittney Griner Became a Political Prisoner in Russia

The Intelligencer – Leitch – Why Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story in the Country?

Black Magic Woman

TSN – Westhead – Some Russian NHLers considering options as U.S., Canada expand sanctions

Phil has a question:

How about a one time fee for immigration status of say $500k per person.

How about the NHL not honouring Russian teams KHL contracts and bringing the free agents to North America.

How about getting rid of Gary Bettman and hiring a Commissioner who’s ready to move into the 20th Century.

While we’re on the topic Phil thinks that the Russian teams should be allowed to compete in this summer’s world Juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton and Red Deer. Have the Ukrainian national anthem blared before each game. Put the Russian teams in a hotel close to the Legislature and allow peaceful anti-war demonstrations (Phil’s not one of those emoji guys, but if he was he’d insert the tongue in cheek here). Make sure the towels in the hotel rooms are blue and yellow. Have the staff in the hotel dress up in blue and yellow. The truckers could also honk a few times as they pass the Hotels on their way to the Legislature, preferably at about 2:30 AM.

Light up all the buildings in Edmonton in blue and yellow. Have the fans show up in blue and yellow. Mind you the Swedish teams may think they landed in hockey Nirvana.

When the Russian teams are leaving be sure their luggage is searched with a fine toothed PED sniffing Ukrainian wolfhound and detain a couple of their stars the same way the Russians made Griner a political prisoner.

Come as You Are

Ukrainian Internment in Canada

Horse Race Insider – Pricci – On The State of The Game

The Ringer – Shoemaker – Scott Hall Understood the Soul of Wrestling Fans

2022 Triple Crown

Bloodhorse – 2022 Triple Crown Nominations

Past The Wire – Stettin – Is the Kentucky Derby a Grade 1 race this year or next?

So many times I remember getting teary-eyed singing along with “My Old Kentucky Home” on Derby Day. The historian Ira Berlin wrote that “Memories … do not evoke skepticism … they demand loyalty.” But we must question them. I love so much about the Derby: the excitement of the parties, placing bets, and those tremendous, gleaming horses. When I learned that “My Old Kentucky Home” was about slavery, I was embarrassed and confused. This book came from digging into the life story of my state anthem, asking how and why we celebrate a song about the selling of human beings. Traditions are about more than inertia. They often involve profit and a kind of emotional power. I have come to believe that this sonic monument provides, for some of us, an almost tribal sense of wellbeing before the horses take off in the longest continuously held sporting event in the nation. I wish Churchill Downs would choose another sound to accompany the horses’ parade to the post; I think I know why they cling so hard.

Paulick Report – ‘An Antidote To A Contorted Picture Of The Past’: Examining The Legacy Of ‘My Old Kentucky Home’

Paulick Report – View From The Eighth Pole: Another Kentucky Derby Asterisk?

2022 Kentucky Derby

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Bloodhorse – Champion Echo Zulu Tops 103 Kentucky Oaks Nominations

2022 Kentucky Oaks

Friday, May 6, 2022

TDN – Bill Finley – TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for March 3

TDN – Thornton – Derby Top 12 For March 8

Bloodhorse – King – Derby Dozen: Classic Causeway Makes Noise in Quiet Week

DRF – Derby Watch

Horse Racing Nation -Kentucky Derby 2022 Contenders

Racing Dudes – 2022 Kentucky Derby

Paulick Report – Champagne – The Derby Bubble Presented By Kentucky-Breds: Florida, Fillies Highlight Latest Shifts

Preakness 147

Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

Paulick Report – Letter To The Editor: Rillito Racetrack Setting Stage For Accountability Standards

Bloodhorse – King – Protections for Bettors Discussed at CHRB Meeting

Horse Race Insider – Pricci – JOCKEYS AND RACING OFFICIALS MAKING HEADLINES IN 2022: MAXIMUM OBSCURITY

Bloodhorse – Secret Oath Sizzles in Five-Furlong Breeze

Paulick Report – Rebel Winner Un Ojo Will Return In Arkansas Derby

Bloodhorse – Ehalt – Cox Pins Kentucky Derby Hopes on Cyberknife, Zozos

Paulick Report – ‘A Challenging Horse Mentally,’ Cyberknife Preparing For Arkansas Derby

Paulick Report – Louisiana Derby: Rattle N Roll Should Appreciate Extra Distance Despite Three-Week Turnaround

Brisnet – Johnson – Smile Happy, Echo Zulu favored in Kentucky Derby, Oaks future wagers

TDN – Thornton – The Week in Review: Classic Causeway Visually Impressive, but Still Light on Key Metrics

Horse Racing Nation – Macatangay – What we learned: Classic Causeway earns low speed figure

When I first started racing, my father said, “Win the race as slow as you can.”

Richard Petty

Paulick Report – Classic Causeway Bound For Blue Grass

Paulick Report – Yates – Secret Oath Points To Arkansas Derby, ‘Ethereal’ To Blue Grass

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Lees – Japan sends biggest-ever team to Dubai with 23 runners on World Cup card

TDN – Festival Day Sets Handle Record at Tampa

Horse Race Insider – Pricci – ALL THE WAY IN TAMPA BAY

TDN – Classic Causeway Never Looks Back in Tampa Bay Derby

Bloodhorse – King – Classic Causeway Leads Throughout in Tampa Bay Derby

Brisnet – Classic Causeway cruises in Tampa Bay Derby

Paulick Report – Classic Causeway All The Way In Tampa Bay Derby

TDN – Carasso – How ‘Sweet’ It Is For Dolce Zel in Florida Oaks

Paulick Report – Dolce Zel Upstages Stablemate To Win Florida Oaks In U.S. Bow

TDN – Rotknee A New Stakes Winner for Runhappy in Damon Runyon

National Post – Knight – Film review: Jockey is a horse movie with moving human performances

Modern Guy

The winter’s a little bit daunting in Montana. 

Phil Jackson

Bloodhorse – Yates and Crosby – Secret Oath to Take on Boys in Arkansas Derby

Horse Racing Nation – Ross – Derby Pedigrees: Simplification’s lineage is not so simple

TDN – Richard Mandella Talks Forbidden Kingdom, Beholder On Writers’ Room

She had fouled off the curves that life had thrown at her.

W.P. Kinsella

Bloodhorse – Rattle N Roll to Make Second Start at 3 in LA Derby

Bloodhorse – Crosby – FOY Third O Captain a Late Nomination to Triple Crown

Horse Race Insider – Pricci – PACO GETS DAYS, BETTORS AND HORSEMEN GET THE SHAFT

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – What’s been happening: Kentucky Derby latest, Lemaire’s Covid, Mishriff misses Dubai and more …

TDN – Into Mischief’s Gina Romantica Sparkles on Debut

Bloodhorse – King – We the People Cruises in Stakes Preamble

TDN – Arlington Million Among 53 Stakes at Churchill Spring/Summer Meet

Garden and Gun – Venutolo-Mantovani – Coach K Stirs the Passions of the Southern Basketball Faithful

FiveThirtyEight – Nerkar and Paine – The Top-Seeded Men’s Teams That Could Bust Your Bracket

The Ringer – Sherman – The 2022 March Madness Cinderella Guide

ESPN – Borzello – The eight biggest questions facing the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament selection committee

The Ringer – Sherman – 2022 NCAA Men’s Tournament Breakdown: The Best Picks and Biggest Questions for Each Region

NCAA – 2022 March Madness: Men’s NCAA tournament complete schedule, dates, TV times

ESPN – Lunardi – 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracketology

Raging Bull

If they think we’ve got an edge, we’ve got an edge.

Red Auerbach

Me and Julio

Quartz – Diaz – How companies are hiding inflation without charging you more

Sports Illustrated – 2022 Men’s NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: A Region-by-Region Guide

Sports Illustrated – Sweeney – Ranking the 2022 Cinderella Candidates That Could Bust Your Bracket

Sports Business Journal – ACC Tournament returns to Brooklyn, but buzz in N.Y. still muted

Sportsnet – A-P – Jean-Baptiste’s miracle buzzer-beater sends Chattanooga to March Madness

ESPN – Givony and Schmitz – Why is Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren so polarizing with NBA scouts?

Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.

John Wooden

Darling Be Home Soon

The Sporting News – 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracket Advice, Best Strategy Tips for Winning March Madness Pools

ESPN – Men’s Tournament Challenge

Phil received a reminder from one of the March Madness contest sites for Phil’s 2022 entry. They also sent the 2021 rankings. Phil had entered 2 brackets and ended up in 8,715,924th place and in 7,971,586th place.

The Ballad of Irving

Almost every year there’s at least one 12th ranked team that beats a 5th ranked team. In 2021 the 5s that Phil took got beat by 12s and the 12s Phil took got beat by 5s.

FiveThirtyEight – 2022 March Madness Predictions

USA Today – Gleeson – Overrated men’s college basketball teams: Don’t count on them in NCAA tournament

ESPN – March Madness 2022: What to know about every team in the men’s NCAA tournament bracket

Sports Illustrated – March Madness Brackets: Expert Predictions for 2022 Men’s NCAA Tournament

FiveThirtyEight – Planos – How Far Can Luck Take A Team? Watch Providence To Find Out.

Sports Illustrated – Taddeo – Everything You Need To Prep For The Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournaments

CBS Sports – 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracket Picks & Analysis

USA Today – Armour – Don’t let logo and swag fool you. NCAA still must do more for women’s tournament | Opinion

Phil has a question:

What hurt women’s March Madness more – the NCAA’s lack of promotion or the decade of dominance of UConn.

ESPN – Youngmisuk – Gregg Popovich, an NBA legend: Stories you’ve never heard about the San Antonio Spurs, Team USA coach

Still Crazy After all these years

The Ringer – Make the Case: Denzel Washington Deserves Best Actor for ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.

Second Witch, MacBeth

The Ringer – Surrey – Make the Case: ‘Dune’ Is Worthy of Winning Best Picture

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.

Frank Herbert

Phil has a question:

What does the Odds Professor say.

The Ringer – Baumann – Baseball Is Back! But What Did It Take to Get Here?

If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.

Yogi Berra

ESPN – Gonzalez – MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, union chief Tony Clark hail new CBA as lockout ends

If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.

Yogi Berra

Dancing In The Dark

USAToday – AP – ‘A dark past’: MLB stars say time to pull Kenesaw Mountain Landis name off plaques

Getting thrown out of baseball was like having part of me amputated. I’ve heard that old men wake up and scratch itchy legs that been dust for over fifty years. That was me. I’d wake up at night with the smell of the ball park in my nose, the cool of the grass on my feet… The thrill of the grass.

Shoeless Joe Jackson

Sports Business Journal – Islanders ticket demand plummets as season goes awry on the ice

Paulick Report – Paulick: What The 2022 Jockey Club Fact Book Tells Us, And What It Doesn’t

Seven Nation Army

Your problems never cease. They just change.

Phil Jackson

Paulick Report – Letters To The Editor: Two Views On Arizona Racing About Where To Start The Clean-Up Process

I’m not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I’m going to say I’m opposed to war. But I’m also opposed to protests that deny other people their rights. 

John Wooden

Aeon – Levin – Proof of life: how would we recognize an alien if we saw one?

Mr. Spaceman

I happen to like vampires more than zombies.

Martin Scorcese

Phil’s Drink ‘n a Flick

Alien Secretion

Earth Girls are Easy

Plain Popcorn

Tomorrow’s Girls

The Ringer – Raftery – The Rise and Fall of the Erotic Thriller

National Post – Film review: The Batman stakes his claim to darkness in a crowded bat-iverse

The Wrap – The Untold Story of Disney’s $307 Million Bomb ‘John Carter’: ‘It’s a Disaster’

RadioActive

Esquire – Lawrenson – A Can of Beer, a Pizza-Pie, and Thou

Burgess Meredith taught me a lot about wine.

Adam West

TSN – Kaepernick still wants to play in NFL, seeks receivers

Las Vegas Review – Dewey – SuperBook VP wonders if bettors had inside information on Tom Brady

ESPN – Laine – Tom Brady says he’s returning as Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB next season

SportsNet – Tom Brady cuts retirement short, returns to Buccaneers for 23rd NFL season

Phil has a question:

Did you check your calendar to see if it was April 1st.

The Ringer – Clark, Princiotti, Kelly and Solak – Instant Reactions to Tom Brady’s Decision to Return to the Bucs

SB Nation – Dator – Tom Brady’s ‘final touchdown ball’ sold for $518K hours before he unretired

Ironic

Phil has a question:

Will Goodell investigate Brady for deflating the football’s value.

Whatever happened to the ball from the “Shot heard Around the World”

The Giants Win the Pennant

The Ringer – Princiotti – Tom Brady Was Never Cut Out for Retired Life

Sports Business Journal – Russell Wilson trade should reinvigorate Broncos franchise, fan base

The Ringer – Heifitz – Russell Wilson and the Star-Quarterback-Savior Complex

The Ringer – Solak – Russell Wilson Can Make the Broncos Super Bowl Contenders—If He Evolves

ESPN – Barnwell – Russell Wilson to the Broncos: Making sense of the Seahawks’ trade, Denver’s Super Bowl hopes with its new QB and what’s next

Trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late.

Branch Rickey

Five Thirty Eight – Paine – The Denver Broncos Traded For Russell Wilson To End Their QB Merry-Go-Round

Hawkmoon

I get called ‘Mayor West’ a lot in airports. I’ve been very fortunate to have a fan base that keeps growing, and the work gets such a warm response and humor from people.

Adam West

Invincible

Texas Monthly – McCullar – California Has a Feral Hog Problem. We Have Some Suggestions.

Rock On

Paulick Report – Hackbarth – Seeing The World Through One Good Eye

Goodbye Horses


Phil M Stockmen

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