A long trip and a great day remembered

Guess this being late thing isn’t just about time zones, or I’m just not used to being home.

And since yesterday went from a 5 a.m. wake up call in Portland to blog before a long journey through Vancouver got me at Casa Doug about 9:45 p.m., there wasn’t a lot new stuff to think about.

So …

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Man, am I glad that one’s over.

Longest trip of the year, in games, time and soul-sucking losses that turned every story into pretty much the same one.

But some personal observations and tips, if you want:

Best find?

Lumpy’s in Salt Lake and Epic Brewing’s Brainless golden ale.

A fine end

If you can shut down the trip after the last game at Kell’s in Portland with Gumby and catching up for an hour or so with Jay over a Kell’s lager it kind of takes some of the sting out of the journey.

Jay’s doing extremely well, loves being back on an NBA bench, truly enjoys simply coaching and working with players rather than dealing with some of the extraneous crap NBA coaches have to put up with. Loves the city, the organization and looks more relaxed than he ever did in the final year on the bench here.

Oh, and the Irish natchos at Kell’s (potato chips rather than tortilla chips) are outstanding.

Worst day?

You sit out an eight-hour delay at the Sacramento airport and I defy you not to want to stick pins in your eyes.

Speaking of The Kells …

A story.

It’s got to be about four, maybe five year ago and I find myself at a table there (it’s an excellent Irish pub with good music) with Stumpy and Jack Armstrong and was introduced to one of the worst concoctions I can imagine.

Ever hear of an Irish car bomb?

Half a pint of Guinness, drop a shot of Bailey’s in it and, boom, slug it back.

Now, I can’t handle the texture of Guinness nor its taste (had one on a tour of the factory with Super Granddad more than a decade or two and couldn’t have a second) and Bailey’s is a nice with coffee and that’s about it.

Anyway, they knock down a few of them and Stumpy is just starting his Slice Of Life rants in the Little Paper That Used To Grow so he writes about our night out and what we had consumed.

The Super Wives here in and Lewiston were not impressed; and Stumpy giggled every time we ragged on him about it.

And now that I’m home until a Christmas Day flight to San Antonio (I’ve got about Dec. 18 when Super Wife and Super Son are ready for another departure) it’s time to relax a little bit.

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12-12-12.

Nice ring to it, no?

Not sure what today is going to be like but I can sure tell you what 12-12-92 was like.

It snowed like nobody’s business in Toronto but that couldn’t stop the Wedding Of The Century from unfolding.

Super Wife in calf-high snow boots walking into the church before changing for a glorious stroll down the aisle, me looking ravishing and a tad nervous and the tuxedo-clad groomsmen and best man stopping for a post-ceremony pre-reception cocktail at some dive around Broadview and Gerrard and being asked if they were the band.

Yeah, was a helluva day for Super Wife and I and 60 of our then-closest friends.

Best thing I ever did.

And when you’re watching the HOTH tonight, I won’t be; I’ll be remembering all the good of the last two decades.

(And probably fielding a lot of calls from ticked off friends who took the under)

Dance, anyone?

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One game?

Yes, I believe David Stern might be getting a wee bit soft as he prepares to ride off into the sunset as NBA commissioner after the late-night suspension handed down to Amir Johnson.

The dude rifled his mouthpiece at a referee and hit him, for goodness sake.

But I guess the mitigation might have been the complicity of referee David Jones in the whole matter and Amir’s clean disciplinary sheet in the past.

Still, the one-game dead did surprise me.

Gonna make for some interesting lineups tonight when the Nets come to down, especially if Bargnani’s elbow is still an issue. That leave only Valanciunas, Davis and Aaron Gray as available bigs and that sound you hear is guys like Reggie Evans and Hump licking their lips.

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So I understand this is the last week of publication of a printed edition of The Sporting News and we of a certain vintage should have a moment of silence.

Now, I will fully admit I was far more a Sports Illustrated guy back in the day but The Sporting News was a decent second to Sport Magazine on the list.

(Yes, kids, this was even before there was an ESPN!)

Anyone remember racing to get that week’s Sporting News so you could read the notes on each team and check out the boxscores of the week?

That was kind of cool and gave rise in some small way to the notes pages that started to appear in newspapers which gave rise to notes packages that started to appear on the internet (hello, Nothin’ But Net) and I guess you can thank the Sporting News for this.

Or something like that.

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Hey, one more 12-12-12 note?

Not only did we set up The Wedding Of The Century to have a 20th anniversary on the last day ever we’ll have a date like this but it was also a birthday celebration of The Chairman Of The Board.

And, oh yeah, we danced to this one, too.

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Sure, if you’ve got mail, we’ll take a look at it.

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So the name-calling is over and I’m not taking much crap any more.

The whole comments part of this is to stir discussion, present alternative viewpoints and I think we’ve done it quite well over years.

But now? Now the name-calling and personal crap is over the top so it’s zero tolerance now. I’m not sitting here and letting anonymous people hurl personal insults, it’s a priviledge to have stuff show up here, not a right. It’s far to easy to block IP addresses and e-mail addresses; keep in civil or else. No warning, no nothing; you’ll be able to read but not write and my already high blood pressure might go down.

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Comments

[Ciaran]

Congrats on the 20 year anniversary Doug - hope you're not too upset about missing tonights game ;-)

Blogger's note: Not in the least

[Steven]

It's like the day every irregular came out of the woodwork. I have been reading your blog every day since the "nothing but net" days and enjoy it tremendously. Whether I agree with your opinion or not, I appreciate that you make the time and effort to prepare something for us twelve months a year without a pause. I hope you see that the barrage of good wishes for your anniversary with Super Wife shows you our appreciation and gives you that Sally Fields moment. "We like you, we really like you". Have a great night and I imagine you'll read exactly how the game went in the comments section tomorrow.

Blogger's note: Thank you

[Lorie]

Good Afternoon, Doug!
A bit late to the party...this is a very busy time of year where I spend my days and just now read the blog. And what a great blog it is! First off - and most important by 20 years - a Very, Very Happy Anniversary to you and Super Wife! (And is part of your special family celebration a performance by Super Son channelling his inner Brubeck?) And a return to civility in this little place of yours? Well - that is also wonderful news. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And @LeeZ...I have lots of ideas and opinions. And you're all entitled to hear them. And as a wise person said, if you want me to treat *your* ideas with more respect, get some better ideas. :) So have a lovely night tonight, Doug and Super Wife. Sincere congratulations.

Blogger's note: We will, thanks. Very much

[sb]

Have only just now had a chance to read the blog so, as a result, I am late to the game in sending along my best wishes, but I'll send them along nonetheless.

Here's to many, many more years to our Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

All the best.

Blogger's note: Appreciate it very much

[doug]

congrats and they say behind every successful man is a woman (or partner guess in this day and age a upgrade to that saying is needed)...I totally agree with that saying as it's so true so she must be a keeper....as for Sporting News I loved that rag, it was the bible of Expos news I remember buying it and checking out not only every boxscore of the big club but also the Denver Bears and then the N.L. east news....lot of memories there....you think the Lakers don't miss or need Nash, in last nights loss they had 11 assists total on 94 points that's terrible to say the least, D'Antonio's offense is a PG driven one, right now they have no PG...ok cheers and is your wife's name Stella? by any chance, that would be a match made in heaven....ok cheers...

Blogger's note: Thanks. Wanted to name Super Dog Stella but was shot down

[Jeff]

Doug, I found your comments today about the name calling to be right on. I had intended to follow up with a nice comment and a congratulations on the 20th anniversary.

Apparently, since you control what gets published, then this will not see the light of day, but your decision to call "all the fans are idiots" on a radio show today showed less than class on your part.

While I agree that some of your readership use the forum improperly, you also need to be mindful of the readers who actually know and understand the sport. Having played, coached and worked as a referee, I am not an idiot and take exception when you call me one.

Blogger's note: Meant in jest; think you would know better how I feel about loyal readers and how I appreciate them. Sorry if you were offended, certainly not the intention

[JHP]

Doug

Only 20 ? All the best and many more!!!

Blogger's note: 20 and counting. Thanks

[Laughing Bandit]

Hi Doug,

Long time reader of your blog. But my comment today is regarding your conversation with a certain Bobcat on a live show today. I was rather surprised that you came out and actually called Raptors fans (your loyal readership), idiots. I'm certainly HOPING that you meant it in jest, but from the tone of the conversation, I for one didn't get the sense that your tongue was planted in your cheek.

I'm not a diehard fan of the team (I don't watch every game), but I do still consider myself a fan. And while some of the comments are at times comical and idiotic, and at other times entirely optimistic, I wouldn't come out and call the fans out as idiots.

Following the direction of the conversation, if the fans weren't "idiots", I'd reckon that the ACC would be idiots and you'd no longer have a readership. So isn't rather harsh to call them out like that?

I do appreciate your candor in your posts / articles / conversations, and part of your charm is your bluntness, but it might be a good idea to leave the name calling off record.

Just my two cents....for whatever it's worth =)~

~LaughingBandit

Blogger's note: Of course it was meant in jest; I think people know how much I appreciate the loyalty

[TLI]

Long day for me today, but not too late to add my "Happy 20th" for Super Wife and Super Grunt! All the best to you & yours, Doug.

I gotta say, browsing all the comments today has been a very pleasant respite - the new policy must be working!

Blogger's note: Thanks for the good wishes

[doug]

Doug you play a dangerous game...you kiss up to Bobcat as he pads your bank account...but don't ever ever call fans idiots...there is a saying that comedians always speak the truth even if they say they are joking....look we all know this is a means to an end for you as you make these catch phrases and a small community of "irregulars" in which you have no desire to reach out to in real life is a sort of a sham....thats all a given but come on to call all fans idiots.....you lost a lot of respect in my eyes, all to kiss Bobcats ass...sort of shows the truth....cheers...

Blogger's note: Used the word, was a bit of a joke; sorry if anyone offended; and don't you ever insinuate I get rich off 15 minute of radio every couple of weeks. You're wrong.