Weekly Mail May 6, 2018

Hey There:

Was out in Bethpage Sunday morning watching Timmy play lacrosse, our latest sports adventure.  And not that I'm complaining, because let's face it, from the day he was born, these were the days I was looking forward to, seeing him play in a team sport, but it seemed to be like watching a Yankee-Red Sox game, which is to say it seemed to go on forever. It was actually about an hour and a half, two hours all told with warm ups and stuff, but it seemed longer.

Part of the problem was the weather wasn't that nice, (though the rain held off thank God), but also because much like when he played soccer, I had nary a clue as to what's going on. I mean I have a basic idea; it's kind of like hockey, without ice and a net on your stick instead of a blade, but I'm clueless as to the rules. Also, you can't see the clock, the ref keeps the time on the field.

But Timmy did have a secondary assist on one of the goals so that much I know. And when the passing is done right, that to me is as exciting as the goal scoring, so its a fun game to watch. I really do hope this is his jam. But either way, were going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.




SPORTS: End of the Dark Knight Era

Joe Namath's guarantee. Reggie Jackson's three home runs. Mark Messier's guarantee followed by a natural hat trick. David Tyree's catch.

They are all magical NY sports moments. Moments that turned the participants immortal. Never again would any of the above have to buy a drink in this town if they didn't want to. Namath and Messier backed up promises to win. Tyree made an impossible catch to put the Patriots dream of an undefeated season to bed. Reggie carried the 77 Yankees over the finish line.

Which is what Matt Harvey tried to do during Game 5 of the 2015 World Series. He had pitched his heart out for 8 shutout innings. About to be taken out, he talked Terry Collins into letting him go out there and finish what he started. Mind you, this wasn't to win the World Series, merely to get it to Game 6, to get one more win at home, to at least give the fans at Citi Field that night something they would remember the rest of their lives.

When Harvey emerged from the dugout that night, I felt like I could hear that stadium roar all the way from my house in Oceanside. I thought it was the right move. If he had been able to shut them down, Harvey would have been right up there with the above referenced heroes, especially if they came back and won the whole thing.

But alas they didn't. And from there on in, Harvey star plummeted till this past Friday where he was designated for assignment after he refused to go to the minors.

I would have loved to see a healthy, focused starting 5 of Syndergaard, deGrom, Harvey, Matz and Wheeler for an entire season, each pitching at their peak. I've seen each of these guys pitch at their peak and it's scary how good they could be.

Which is why I'm sad to see Harvey go, but I do believe it was the right call. He seemed more interested in partying that trying to win. Look, I say it all the time, one of my favorite quotes was made from one of my least favorite people. Ted Turner said "There's a fine line between being colorful and being an a$$hole." If you are an athlete, especially in this town, that line is winning. Odell Beckham Jr. goes partying on a boat in Miami the week before a Giant playoff game. Max McGee of the Packers gets cockeyed the night before Super Bowl I back in 1967. McGee is called a hero and OBJ a bum. Why? McGee caught two TD passes (admitting he saw two balls coming at him) in a Packers win and Beckham did bupkis in a Giants loss.

You can party like a rockstar in this town if you win. If you lose, you better keep your ear to the ground, your nose to the grindstone and your mouth shut. Harvey did none of the above and now he's gone. Sad.

But necessary.


POVERTY: Congressman slumming it in the office.

So I found this story quite interesting. The Post reported last week that Congreeman Dan Donovan a Republican from Staten Island sleeps on a cot in his office because he can't afford an apartment in Washington DC.

“If we go to the point where you have to rent or have to buy [in DC], then only millionaires would be members of Congress,’’ he said. “I don’t think that was the intent of our Founding Fathers.”

And he's not the only one. Doing a quick Google search of Congressman Living in Office, stories going back to as early as 2011 show many of our elected officials using their offices as apartments.

The problem I have is that these guys are making $174,000 a year. Most of us aren't making nearly that much scratch for a full year of work with a couple weeks off, never mind 9 months or so of work. According to the Senate's 2018 calendar, 13 weeks a year are for "state work" in other words, Congress isn't in session those weeks.

Maybe I could look the other way on these dopes if Congress wasn't such a mess. You may hate Trump, you may have hated Obama, but one thing I think all of us can agree on is how dysfunctional Congress is. And I'm sorry, if you're not smart enough to get your bills paid on 174K, you shouldn't be in charge of the country's money either.


POLITICS: Sticks and stones....

So I still haven't bothered to watch a replay of the White House Correspondents Dinner. I should, because I keep hearing all this stuff about it. Apparently the featured entertainer, Michelle Wolf (who I must confess I have never heard of) said some nasty stuff about White House Press Secretary Sara Sanders. This has the right up in a roar and the left calling them wimps. Basically the same thing that happens when the shoe is on the other foot. (See Don Imus vs. the Clintons 1996).

I really thought the whole point of the dinner was to break the chops of the administration in office at the time. I realize they went easy on Barrack Obama, but George W. Bush and the aforementioned Bill Clinton got roasted pretty good. The difference was that both Bush and Clinton were there to offer retorts. Trump had another one of his Saturday Night rallies somewhere in Michigan.

So here's my $0.02. Again not really having watched any of it...

Sara Sanders is an adult and a public official and therefore shouldn't be exempt from getting teased at this thing. I can also say that Michelle Wolf is going to pick on someone for their looks, she shouldn't mind if someone does it to her. Because she's not exactly a supermodel herself.

And also, if this dinner is going to cause so many hurt feelings, maybe it's time we did away with it once and for all. Also, maybe we call can try being a bit nicer to each other. Since I'm not optimistic that either of those things are going to happen anytime soon, I suggest we all do what Denis Leary suggested and grab a f-cking helmet. And give as good as you get.


That's all folks

Have a Great Week