Halloween and Thoughts on the Next WWRD

I was thinking more about idea for dressing up as ALF tonight, but then I realized perhaps I would be better off dressing up as ALF's taller greener cousin, The Phillie Phanatic.

I just have to work on his moves a little. Hey you might even catch me on TV, I'll be at one of the milion plus fans expected to attend the Phillies parade today. (See I convinced Michel Martin afterall.) She also let me do a post on the Tell Me More blog yesterday concerning the Phils.

But on to more dilemmas, driving home yesterday I found myself staring at one of these bumper protecter things hanging off the back of the car in front of me. At first I thought, man that looks stupid, but then I thought perhaps this isn't such a bad idea; my bumper is pretty banged up. I was wondering though is this really the best way to protect my car? Or maybe I should just be parking more strategically? What about door dings? Anyway to protect against those? And do those suction gadgets that promise to remove dents really work? OK I'm going to research this a little more for next week.

7:36 AM ET | 10-31-2008 | permalink

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Halloween is Coming

This is the kind of costume that only works when they lack the verbal skills to protest.

Babystyle.com

With all the hoopla over baseball and weather this week (and believe me I'm watching every minute of it), Halloween snuck up on me and now I'm wondering how to properly celebrate. My wife and I have been invited to a number of events surrounding Halloween (well, my infant daughter was invited and we're just tagging along). This has led me to the question of what to wear. Today on Tell Me More we did a segment that discussed appropriate kids costumes. Apparently, there are some really sleazy costumes for girls out there. I can only pray that when my daughter grows up, she never feels inclined to dress as a French Maid. At least at this age (a mere 9 months old) my little princess has the cutest costume imaginable (see pic above).

Among my news-conscious colleagues, dressing up as people of the moment seems to be a popular idea. Already sales of Sarah Palin costumes are through the roof. While it's always a winning choice to take from current events, I prefer to follow the Sachs family tradition of one liner costumes. Let me explain what I mean. My mother once dressed up as a witch and sewed little bags of sand on her costume. She called herself a "Sand-witch." Along those lines, I once duct-taped a small plate to my chest, attached fake bird wings to it, and called myself a flying saucer. These are meant to illicit that Alf kind of "Ha!" reaction.

Unfortunately, I think my flying saucer got more blank stares than guffaws. Extreme skimpers could always follow Adam Sandler's Crazy Sneaker Hand costume, but where's the challenge in that? In addition to trying to be clever, I refuse to take the easy way out. Personally I take a MacGyver-inspired approach to Halloween costumes. Here are the rules:

1) All costumes should be bought at the local drugstore.
2) You can spend no more than 15 minutes making your costume.
3) Your total budget cannot exceed five bucks.

So what exactly can you make with hair gel, the tube from a roll of paper towels, and a little cat stuffed animal? I know! Alf!

2:17 PM ET | 10-28-2008 | permalink

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What to Cheer With?

"Let's see them ring this bell"

D.C. Lowe, Getty Images

I've been reading up on the Tampa Bay Rays and their fans, who have a penchant for ringing a cowbell at their games. The tradition started in 2007 after a giveaway during the game. Apparently, the Rays owner Stu Sternberg is a big fan of Will Ferrell and the More Cowbell SNL skits.

In any case, this type of cheering (usually reserved for downhill ski racing) is completely annoying, but I guess could possibly be motivating for the Phillies. In 1993, they had to face that annoying, and borderline racist, Tomahawk Chop when they played the Braves in the NLCS. In more recent times the Phillies have adopted towel waving, which looks cool on TV but can hardly be called "a Philly Thing." Dodger fans this season were also big towel wavers.

The closest thing Philly fans can call their own is the Eagles fight song "Fly Eagles Fly" which was created by the team itself but has been adopted more or less wholeheartedly by the fans. A few entrepreneurial fans also tried to market a cheesesteak head in response to Green Bay's cheeseheads, but that never really caught on.

But one really cool tradition that Citizens Bank Park kept from the old Veterans Stadium is the practice of lighting up the giant Liberty Bell every time the Phillies hit a home run. That gives me an idea. Maybe Phillies fans could bang on replica liberty bells as a rally cry. One problem though, it might sound weird, you know, with the crack and all.

11:00 AM ET | 10-23-2008 | permalink

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WWRD Foul Ball

Click "play" above to listen to my latest podcast on how to catch a foul ball. I get a lot of great advice in this episode from Zack Hample who is, hands down, the foul ball master with 124 foul/homerun balls in his collection. You'll also hear helpful tips from usher Rick Neave and ballgirl Stephanie Kelley, who both work at Nationals Park here in Washington, D.C.

The subject of foul balls segues nicely into that other topic that's been on my mind all week -- the World Series, or more specifically the fact that the Phillies have made it there for the first time since 1993. For all those unfortunate Philadelphians who won't be attending a live game, there is still hope. My wife found this amazing website that lists all the Philly bars around the country. As a 215 ex-pat I can honestly say having a few South Philly dudes nearby to high-five is a must when watching a game. "Yo! Did yous see that homerun?!?"

I have to give a shout out to the great home away from home that I found while living in LA, The Shack in Santa Monica. I'm still looking for a good DC spot though.

I'm confident that this is the year, and I hope I'm right. And just for the record, should there be any parading down Broad Street this year, I definitely won't be watching from my living room. I've already informed the staff here, I'm not going to make it to work that day.

2:00 PM ET | 10-20-2008 | permalink

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Sharing the Love

This picture nicely sums up my feelings for the day.

Stay tuned for my podcast tomorrow on "How to Catch a Foul Ball." I recorded it today with Mike Pesca, turns out he has snagged both a foul ball and a foul puck...dang.

3:37 PM ET | 10-16-2008 | permalink

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Party Like It's 1993

In "preparation" for my next podcast, I've been diligently watching the Phillies as they make all those experts who didn't think it was possible eat their words -- Philadelphia is now poised to win the NLCS and return to the World Series for the first time since 1993. And if (ahem, when) they do achieve that magical feat, the lore of Matt Stairs will grow even deeper. Stairs, a late season addition to the Phillies roster, is double the age of the Dodgers' hot-shot reliever Clayton Kershaw. And yet despite his age (or perhaps because of his experience), he cranked a monstrous game-winning home run last night, which elicited a silent scream from me -- silent only because I'm a dad who had a sleeping baby in the house. My friends and I ferociously text messaged back and forth during the entire game, but it was my oldest friend (also named Matt) who had the best message of the night.

"Take the elevator? No thanks, I'm taking the Stairs!!!"

The man's name was made for headlines. "Stairway to Heaven" anyone?

After the game, I tossed and turned in bed, finding it hard to calm down after all the hoopla. It was then that I made the connection between Stairs and another legendary post-season slugger, Pete Incaviglia, or Inky as he was called by Phillies fans. Like Stairs, that guy was built for one thing -- hitting homers. Also like Stairs, he too blasted a timely homerun during the NLCS. The two even look vaguely related with that scruffy, mountain man style. Though if I have to judge them on burly looks, Inky wins out with his Conan The Barbarian locks.

There are a lot of people comparing this year's team to the 1993 Phils, and for good reason. They were both not only great teams, but a great bunch of guys. Both teams have a sincere comradery in the clubhouse and a real devotion to winning. Not to mention, fun nicknames: '93 had The Dude, Dutch, and Wild Thing. This year's team has J-Roll, The Flyin' Hawaiian, and Lights Out. Stairs, not to be left out, is nicknamed La Bomba.

It's this positive spirit that reminds me of why I love watching sports. It's because at their best, great teams transcend the fact that they're merely a group of well-paid athletes who happen to play for an adopted city. Win or lose, this year's Phillies have achieved greatness not only because they play hard, but because they truly care about the game, each other, and yes, the fans who have been starving for a championship for way too long.

So I just want to say thanks to Matt Stairs, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and the whole crew. Keep the homers coming and I'll keep mouthing the words "Go Phils!" from my living room. Maybe with the next win I'll wake up my little one so she too can share in the magic.

2:00 PM ET | 10-14-2008 | permalink

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Foul Ball

As you might imagine, I'm more than just a little enthused about the MLB post-season exploits of the Fightin' Phils and not just because this would mean redemption after 25 years of waiting for a parade down Broad Street (sorry Philadelphia Soul you're great but you don't count). Their playoff run also happens to be a great segue to my next podcast: What Would Rob Do to catch a foul ball. I'm still working on the podcast (been slowed down by the High Holidays), but it got me thinking about the idea of sports souvenirs in general -- and I'm not talking about a foam hand or a bobblehead doll. A foul ball -- or better yet a homerun ball -- might be the most coveted of all sporting event souvenirs and it can also be the most valuable. But it ain't easy; clearly the odds are against you, which makes this guy particularly loathesome.

But what about other souvenirs? Do shards from a broken bat trump a foul ball? What about getting a hockey puck? In football, it's very rare for a fan to catch a pigskin. Those big nets behind the goal post make it near impossible, but should one fall in your lap you do in fact get to keep it. Surely that has to be the best souvenir.

What's sad though is that in most sports you don't get to keep the objects that fly into your lap. In 6th grade I had a brief stint as a ball boy for the Temple University Men's Soccer Team A good portion of my job was running into the stands and asking for the ball back, which people were surprisingly nice about returning. I guess that's the culture. Major League Soccer requires its fans to give the ball back as well. In basketball you don't get to keep a stray ball. And just ask Kevin Garnett how costly it can be to toss a ball into the stands. I couldn't pin down the official rule for tennis balls hit into the stands during a match, but the good news is that tennis players often hit them to the crowd afterward. You can also keep the sweaty wrist bands they fling out. Yuck.

Golf is probably the worst sport for souvenir-seeking fans. It's both illegal (according to golf rules) and dangerous to stand in the way of a dimpled projectile. I have seen players toss mementos from their bags after the 18th hole. Maybe tournament leaders pack extra swag in their bags for fans.

It seems as though each sport has its own etiquette for bringing home a tangible memory of the game. Apparently there some odd sumo souvniers out there, which leaves me wondering just how far fans will go to get a relic. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.

10:24 AM ET | 10-10-2008 | permalink

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WWRD: High Holidays?

Kevin Winter, Getty Images Entertainment

I don't watch much television these days (at least not as much as I used to), but I do try to make time to catch the The Daily Show. The miracle of the DVR allows me to tape the show and watch it the next day when I get home from work. The only flaw in this is that because The Daily Show tapes during the day, they sometimes wind up being a day behind the news, which makes me two days behind the news or more when I am watching it.

That being said, I only just caught Jon Stewart's Rosh Hashanah Show. Let me just say, after watching the show I ended up feeling somewhat disappointed; not only did he choose to work on a High Holy Day, he also offered a satirical tirade criticizing Congress for taking a day off during the financial crisis. I guess this was meant to be funny but to me it sounded like he was just flaunting his own absence from synagogue.

Now I'm not going to get into a Good Jew vs. Bad Jew debate and make moral judgments on how individuals decide which of the 613 laws of Judaism to follow and which to ignore. I'll leave it up to the rabbis to figure out if a guy who doesn't eat pork but plays golf every Saturday morning has better morals than a guy who attends Shabbat services every week, but puts pepperoni on his pizza. What I will say however, is that certain people have a responsibility if they, either by choice or by default, are representing more than themselves. Condeleezza Rice discovered this when she chose to go shopping while New Orleans suffered the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Whether it's fair or not, Jon Stewart -- a guy who likes to talk about being Jewish nearly every other show -- is a spokesperson for Jews in general.

It would have been nice if Stewart had chosen not to work on Rosh Hashanah and instead aired a rerun on Tuesday (which he did just last week). It's even possible that the decision of whether to work or not wasn't entirely up to him. And some might even argue that it's a good thing that Jews are so ubiquitous now in American culture that they don't have to worry about their personal choices being as big of a deal as say Sandy Koufax's decision not to play on Yom Kippur during the 1965 World Series. I guess I'm just saying that the statement Stewart did choose to make on Tuesday put a little dagger in the heart of this Jew who's been rooting for him for a long time.

In related news, I'm not posting a podcast today as I've been out of the office for part of the week.

4:00 PM ET | 10- 3-2008 | permalink

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Hotel Madness

Frank van Groen, Getty Images

Airplane shmairplane! It turns out our baby daughter was great on her first flight -- and while I'm on the topic, she was also great on her first train trip and her first airport shuttle as well. No one in our vicinity was disturbed by her presence. She's a natural traveler.

What I didn't expect to have happen on this trip was to be disturbed by the noise coming from other people. The hotel we stayed in on Saturday night had booked not one, but TWO weddings. So around midnight we were wide awake listening to sounds of doors opening and closing, girls laughing very loudly about I don't know what, and guys running up and down the hallway shouting "Dude! Dude!" I imagine something like this was happening next door.

I wanted to step into the hall and yell, "Dude! You're being totally loud and obnoxious and inconsiderate." I guess this all was payback for when I was a jerk cavorting around during all hours of the night when I was on spring break in college. But then again that hotel had been entirely rented out to spring breakers.

In any case, I was left with a dilemma -- do I pound on the doors, do I shout an anonymous "SHUT UP!" or do I call hotel management and let them be the enforcers? A perfect dilemma for me to ponder. So, what did I do, you might ask? I am somewhat ashamed to say, none of the above. I covered my ears and waited it for to end (I could have used a famly pack of these). Mercifully the cavorting ending about 20 minutes later.

This reminds me of an incident that happened to me when I lived in a house with a bunch of guys in Los Angeles. The local bar let out around 2:00 a.m. and my roommates spontaneously decided to invite half the bar back to our place for a late-night party. The problem was that our house was in a densely packed residential neighborhood. We cavorted around for about 45 minutes before the police came and broke things up. Later that week, I ran into one of my neighbors who admitted that her husband had called the cops. She was an elderly woman, and she was in fact apologizing because she had tried to get him not to call because she felt that "young kids should be allowed to have fun." But that didn't make me feel any better about keeping her up.

That's the dilemma. Do you risk being the party pooper by breaking up the fun for a little peace and quiet? Or are you a coward if you do nothing? And if you do say something, should it be by knocking on their door, anonymously shouting into the hall, or calling the front desk? I'm not sure what the right thing to do is, but since I was only mildly put out, I am okay with my decision to let it pass. The next day, I saw a case of empty Budweiser bottles sitting outside their door. It's likely that they had bigger headaches that morning than I did.

12:12 PM ET | 10- 3-2008 | permalink

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