HELLO BASEBALL, GOODBYE BASKETBALL

May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

It’s transition time, i.e., time to leave basketball and move on to baseball. Both are important to many of us since sportsbooks have now become front and center for the betting public. For me, it’s DraftKings. For others, it’s FanDuel. In any event, here’s how basketball came down for me and what’s coming up with baseball.

BASKETBALL: Another good year. You might remember that I had the University of Connecticut (UCONN) last year at 40-1. My key bet this year was Illinois, basically because I felt their guard Shannon was the best player in college basketball. However, they got knocked off the elite 8 by UCONN. However, my second bet was on UCONN. In my recent book Winning at Casinos: The Definitive Edge (Amazon, 9$) book, I warned against betting on repeaters. Sorry, but this UCONN group was a different team; I loved the way the team played and performed. I also had a host of other bets including Yale at 1,000-1 to make the final four, North Carolina State at 50-1 to win it all, etc., etc.

BASEBALL: I got hurt last year. My key bet at the start of the season was with the BALTIMORE ORIOLES, and believe it or not, I wound up losing money on them. Don’t ask me how, but I just screwed up with all the betting options now available (See end of article).

But that was then and now is now…and it’s now that counts. I spread this year, with five key bets.

  1. METS (World Series). Ugh!!!
  2. PIRATES (WS and National League)
  3. TORONTO (WS and American League)
  4. CLEVELAND (AL and over)
  5. BOSTON(AL)

I also went partners with the dearest of old friends in Clearwater Beach, FL on the Yankees (WS) and (AL). I’m not happy about his bet, but it looks good so far.

You will note that I stayed away from the DODGERS, BRAVES and the repeater TEXAS. I’m giving some thoughts to four other bets.

  1. KANSAS CITY
  2. SAN DIEGO
  3. ANGELS
  4. PHILADELPHIA

I’ll probably wind-up betting two of them – probably the first two – between now and the All-Star break. You will also note that all of the bets are long shots.

Keep in mind that there are primarily two types of bets made  in sports betting. One is the point spread, the other the money line. Each has its place not only in baseball but also football, basketball soccer, and hockey. And, sports bets can be made on either a Smartphone or Internet. I’m sure you have seen all the advertisements on television regarding offers such as those provided by DraftKings, FanDuel, etc. It really has become wild.

I’d recommend future bets (I refer to them as seasonal bets). These are bets on a team winning a championship or a league or a division, etc. I find this a particularly attractive bet since it involves only one bet that will (hopefully) apply over the entire season. The odds here are a very, strong function of time since the performance of your team almost always varies during the season.

Good luck this season.

P.S. This is the month for voting on school taxes and school board members for many of the readers who reside in Nassau County. I suggest getting involved and vote AGAINST the proposed school taxes.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and / or

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

JUNE 1:                      On Boxes

JULY 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXVII

AUGUST 1:                On Sleep Apnea II

SEPTEMBER 1:         On Vertigo

OCTOBER:                 On the Ultimate Questionnaire

NOVEMBER 1:         On Hello Basketball, Goodbye Baseball

The family celebrated my 90th birthday this past April 19th. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been around nearly a century. The remnants of the Killeen’s Tavern legendary basketball team of the 1950s and 60s in Astoria, Queens, are pictured below. The gala event was hosted by Mary and our daughters, Georgeen and Molleen, along with our son, Patrick, and was attended by 83 friends, former students, neighbors and relatives. The menu featured a charcuterie board, colossal shrimp, lollipop rib lamb chops, Caesar salad, along with a traditional Greek menu of spanakopita, lemon potatoes, grilled veggies, moussaka, and pastitsio. Dessert was homemade by our daughters and included baklava, rivani, and brownies.  Birthday wishes were sung, and candles were blow out over a Carvel ice cream cake.

Left to right: Dan (The Dan) Corenza, Jim (JR) Raffetery- 1964 Haggerty Award for the Most Outstanding College Basketball Player in the Metropolitan area, Frankie Quarto – 4-year starting guard at Manhattan College, and Danny (Big Dan) Doyle – Detroit Pistons, 1961-3. Included in the picture are your favorite basketball coach alongside Bonnie Parente, East Williston mayor and Jennifer DeSena, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor.

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ON TECHNICAL WRITING

April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024

I once humorously offered this comment to my students: “either you’re from Harvard and can’t count or from MIT and can’t write”.  The comment was made to introduce the difference between non-technical writing and technical writing.

Well, what about the difference? The non-technical and technical material are written in contrasting styles. Technical pieces are written in a factual, ‘dry’ style, emphasizing quantitative analysis, whereas the non-technical passages contain numerous adjectives and modifiers. Similarly, engineering texts I’ve written, (149) have one thing in common: they contain a minimum of pictures and graphs, usually in black and white. Non-technical texts, by contrast, contain numerous color pictures and graphics. The contrast in style between the two is reminiscent of the contrast between a black and white “how to” video, and a high-budget movie. Naturally, the engineering texts use a pragmatic and mechanistic approach, while the non-technical books have a philosophical bent, or what I define as the liberal arts approach. Further, one generally transmits information while the other entertains. In any event, this article is concerned with technical writing, a topic that should be of interest to many of the readers.

Technical writing really isn’t that difficult; it is NOT a talent that only a handful of people are born with. With that in mind, here are a few basic rules (a baker’s dozen) that can transform one’s writing from a confusing, garbled mess into something that will impress readers.

  1. If applicable, know thy reader(s).
  2. It helps if the subject has not been written about before. If it has, improve what is available by editing, rewriting, expanding, and updating. There should also be an element of interest to the reader(s).
  3. Prepare an outline. This should include an appropriate title, objective(s), introduction, background, results, conclusion(s), and recommendations(s).
  4. Improve the foundation of the outline by filling it in with notes and sentences.
  5. Keep related ideas together and establish a logical flow from paragraph to paragraph and section to section.
  6. The abstract or executive summary (for technical reports) is the most important part of the writing. Spend a significant amount of time here. It is the only material that is read by the majority of the readers. The reader (perhaps your immediate supervisor) can then decide whether to go deeper into the writing. This is very important: the abstract should contain a brief summary of the report without referring to the main body of the report.
  7. Sentences should contain little to no unnecessary words; paragraphs should contain little to no unnecessary sentences. One certainly would have no unnecessary lines in a diagram or unnecessary parts in a machine.
  8. The swan song of the successful writer is: revision, revision, revision. Start early, e.g., weeks before it is due and / or submitted. Get colleagues, friends, your wife (my usual option), to review and critique your material.
  9. If your “report” is a resume, make sure it is current. Be prepared to tailor your resume to the individual reviewing it. And, don’t be bashful. I often refer to myself as “the foremost environmental authority in the world.”
  10. If there is a Table of Contents, list every section title and heading starting with page 1, not page I, and give the number of the page on which it appears.
  11. If there is a Statistical Error Analysis, it must be written with opening and closing paragraphs. It should include theoretical equations along with written explanations, and conclude with a discussion of the numerical values determined from the error analysis.
  12. Conclusions and recommendations (if required) are just that. It is generally written as an extended paragraph even though it is often a series of loosely related topic sentences.
  13. References may be required. Footnotes are not commonly used in technical literature. All of the references cited in the report must be listed at the end of the report and (my preference) in the order of their appearance.

I hope this helps. In the final analysis, the more one reads and writes, the easier it becomes. It is like tying shoes or riding a bike; it’s a little hard at first, but once mastered it will never leave you.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

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Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

MAY 1;                      On Hello Baseball and Goodbye Basketball

JUNE 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXVII

JULY 1:                      On Boxes

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A HAPHAZARD BIDEN CHRONICLE

March 1, 2024

March 1, 2024

It’s been nearly two years!  ?*#?  Well, not quite.

It’s time for a political article. Afterall, I haven’t addressed anything of a political nature for over a year. I’ve really been a good boy, trying my best not to offend my family, readers, and editors.

What could I write about that is timely and not offensive? After some deliberation, I decided to talk about President Joe Biden. This one might be OK since Biden, understandably, continues to lose favor with the American public. So, what did I do? I raided my Biden files and here are some haphazard one-liners from my disjointed notes.

  • Shut down the Keystone pipeline leaving us without energy security.
  • Opened borders and welcomed all immigrants; as now reversed policy and blamed problems on others.
  • Lifted sanctions on Russia’s pipeline.
  • China continues to threaten Taiwan.
  • Refused to support police.
  • Later claimed he supported police.
  • Inflation now out of control.
  • Three massive giveaway programs, resulting in skyrocketing debt.
  • Continues to blame others… like me, for the country’s woes.
  • Widespread violence on streets.
  • Supported sanctuary cities and states.
  • Unrelentless attacks on Trump.
  • Ignores (lying) Hunter’s activities.
  • Fostered eliminating parental control.
  • Free speech is no longer free.
  • Encouraged DOJ biased conduct.
  • Encouraged FBI biased conduct.
  • Did nothing to stop the conduct of a biased media.
  • Did nothing to stop the obstructionist activities of Pelosi.
  • Did nothing to stop the reckless expansion of the Federal government.
  • A massive cognitive decline.
  • Was the dumbest elected official prior to his cognitive decline.
  • Spent massive time vacationing and not on presidential duties.
  • The disgrace of Hunter Biden.
  • His criminal activities.
  • His non-stop lying regarding  his criminal activities.
  • Jill Biden has said nothing of Biden’s cognitive decline.
  • The joke of Bidenomics.
  • Widespread media corruption.
  • The uselessness of the Inflation Reduction Act.
  • Unconstitutional act of paying off student loans.
  • The failure of his green energy policy.
  • Ignored Chinese spy balloon.
  • Ignored China’s purchasing land near our defense facilities.
  • Failed to immediately help Ukraine.
  • Failed to immediately help Israel.
  • Failed to act on cyberattacks by Russia.
  • Probability of WWIII is greater than it’s ever been.
  • Probability of a nuclear war is greater than it’s ever been.
  • Allowing China to continue raiding our intellectual properties.
  • The reporting of Musk’s takeover of Twitter!!
  • All our allies appear fearful of our evil enemies.
  • We also appear to be fearful of our evil enemies.
  • We simply are no longer safe.
  • Supports future abortion legislation to terminate life until birth.
  • The CIA and FBI simply no longer work.
  • The totality of the criminality of the entire Biden family has been dismissed by both government and media.
  • Misused classified information.
  • Migrant crime is out of control.
  • Migrant costs are out of control.
  • Media refuses to report Biden crimes.
  • Trump haters refuse to discuss Biden crimes.
  • Supporting immigrants rather than veterans.

I apologize if I have exaggerated or lied, but it would still be a sad tale if only ½, or even ¼, of the tales are true. Kind of sad, wouldn’t you say? And yet, nearly 50% of the electorate would vote for Biden. Sorry, but what does this say about the intellectual mentality of the electorates?

Bottomline:  I think the reader should understand that a democracy cannot exist with a biased media… no ifs, ands, or buts. Also, our form of government cannot go forth with the obstructionist policies that presently exist; Pelosi introduced it and the Republicans have finally adjusted and are doing likewise. Thus, both parties are now voting as a block, and little to nothing is being accomplished. To compound problems, the electorate (for the most part) has little to no knowledge of political, economic, social, health, and scientific matters. Finally, it is important to remember the documented deaths of millions in the Middle East (ISIS and Asia and Taliban) during Obama’s presidency — the end of the senseless deaths and suffering, thanks due to decisive action by Trump — and, the return to the earlier horrors and deaths (along with the Ukraine) currently occurring with Biden. And yet, despite Trump’s humanitarian actions, the Trump Haters still hate him, willing to disregard the deaths, pain, and suffering brought on by Obama’s and Biden’s actions (or is it inactions).

In the meantime, death, unfortunately, continues to visit my former players, friends, and relatives.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and / or

Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

APRIL 1:                    On Technical Writing

MAY 1;                      On Hello Baseball and Goodbye Basketball

JUNE 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXVII

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ON VALENTINE’S DAY

February 1, 2024

February 1, 2024

Valentine’s Day. February 14. It is a day that has come to mean different things to different people.

How about history? The holiday probably derives from an ancient Roman feast where men and maidens drew partners for the coming year by lottery. The festival later became associated with the feast’s day of two Roman martyrs both named St. Valentine; over the years, St. Valentine has, been regarded as the patron saint of lovers. How about history? There are a host of other tales that have appeared in the literature and media. The most plausible tale? Enter Chaucer. At one time in his career, Chaucer claimed it was the first day of Spring with the mating of birds. Other writings followed that began to tie Valentine’s Day with love and affection. Enter Shakespeare. In Hamlet, Ophelia sang a tune that included the lyrics “…and I a maid at your window, to be your Valentine.”

For most, it is a day to exchange notes and / or cards, hopefully written by you… and not Hallmark. For me, it is simply a day to express one’s feeling of care and love for special people.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the day has become commercialized. It is more than just Hallmark cards. It’s gifts that can vary from candy, to jewelry, to flowers etc. (While courting the Queen during the mid-1960s, I remember sending flowers with the note: “just a reminder that the little guy cares. It scored a touchdown.”). In recent years, sweets – particularly chocolates – have come to replace flowers, with the accompanying rip-offs. Sad, but what the hell, it’s only one day a year.

Many, including your favorite author, have extended the premise of this special day to include love of our country. I often give thanks for having been born, raised, and educated in the US of A. Unfortunately, it seems as if more and more people don’t quite have the same feeling I do — but we can only hope I’m wrong.

I need to end on a positive note. I hope everyone in the reading audience has experienced the thrill of falling in love. It is hard to describe. It really is an indescribable feeling, and I will never forget that special period of my life.

Happy Valentine’s Day to All

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

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NEXT POSTINGS

MARCH 1:                 On the Biden Chronicles

APRIL 1:                    On Zzzabuu VI

MAY 1;                      On Technical Writing

JUNE 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXVII

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ON “BEGIN THE BEGUINE”

January 1, 2024

January 1, 2024        

This one is about a song. Yes, a song. It’s “Begin the Beguine.”

Let’s start with the word beguine. Webster claims it is a Roman Catholic religious order of sisterhoods founded in the 12th centurywho devoted themselves to charity and good work that included providing refuge for women left widowed or unmarried by the loss of men during the Crusades. But it is also defined as a native dance of the island of Martinique, later popularized by the black community in the United States

Here’s something I dug out of the literature on the song itself. It was reportedly written by Cole Porter on a Pacific cruise ship during the summer of 1935. Later that year, it became part of a Broadway musical “Jubilee,” and closed soon after its opening. However, it didn’t die, although a reviewer claimed the song would be more appropriately titled “End the Beguine.” Two years later, the song resurfaced thanks to Arthur Jacob Arshowsky, aka Artie Shaw. It became a best-selling record that year, peaking at No. 3, while skyrocketing Shaw and his band from obscurity to fame and popularity. This recording became one of the most famous and popular of the entire “Swing Era.” There were subsequent releases by all the major big bands, including Harry James, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller, often as an instrumental. As a vocal song, it was Frank Sinatra, Ann-Margaret, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley, and the one and only Julio Iglesias. Iglesias recorded a captivating Spanish version of “Begin the Beguine,” titled “Volver a Empezar.” Go to YouTube to hear many of these versions of the song, but particularly Julio’s.

Over the years, I had three favorite songs.

  1. “Someday Soon” (Judy Collins). I’ve had the song occasionally sung to me by Mary O’Dowd, the beautiful legendary Irish folk singer.
  2. “Heat Wave” (The Sherels).
  3. “So Tired” (Russ Morgan). Morgan was another Swing Era band leader; it was his only hit around the mid-1940s.

Two years ago, I heard BtB again after a lapse of several decades and… well… it is now also one of my favorites. Here are Porter’s lyrics to my new found gem.

When they begin the beguine
It brings back the sound of music so tender,
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
It brings back a memory ever green.

I’m with you once more under the stars,
And down by the shore an orchestra’s playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
When they begin the beguine.

To live it again is past all endeavor,
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
And promising never, never to part.

What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
I know but too well what they mean;

So don’t let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine.

Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
Till you whisper to me once more,
“Darling, I love you!”
And we suddenly know, what heaven we’re in,
When they begin the beguine.

Perhaps, the lyrics sound corny to some. But not when you hear it with the accompanying music. It really is something special, particularly with Artie Shaw and his clarinet. Do yourself a favor and listen to any or all of the various versions. You won’t be disappointed. It will place you in a romantic tropical setting, much like the classic “Bali Ha’i” from the play/movie South Pacific (and my favorite novel of all times – Michener’s first writing endeavor that recounted his experiences during WWII’s war scenes in the South Pacific).

While cabaret-ing with the Queen, my last two requests of a band/group for BtB resulted in something to the effect that “we never heard of it.” That may have been the driving force behind my writing this article.

Note:  The December 5 book signing event (“Winning at Casinos”) at the Village of East Williston Library was a success. Mary picked up the tab at the reception that followed at Sputino’s Restaurant in Williston Park. It’s fair to say that a good time was had by all. Thanks to those of you who attended and/or purchased a book ($9.00 on Amazon).

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and / or

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

FEBRUARY 1:          On Valentine’s Day

MARCH 1:                 On the Biden Chronicles

APRIL 1:                    On Zzzabuu VI

MAY 1;                      On Technical Writing

JUNE 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXXVII

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ON GOODBYE BASEBALL, HELLO BASKETBALL

December 1, 2023

December 1, 2023

In case the reader doesn’t already know, I love to gamble. As to the title of this month’s piece, I offer the following: it is that time of year when baseball takes a 5-month sabbatical and  basketball takes center stage for the next (coming) 5 months. Here’s my take on both topics:

BASEBALL:   Baseball concluded its season with some really interesting stuff. As I predicted at the start of the season, Scherzer, Verlander, and DeGrom would turn out to be failures (I also predicted the same for Rodgers of the Jets). There were also some insane payrolls: the Mets, the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Padres, and the Angels. All were loaded but wound up duds. The Rangers and Diamondbacks made it to the series.

How did I fare? Prior to April 1, my key bet was on the Orioles and almost nearly got real lucky. I also had saver bets on the Reds, Tigers, Blue Jays, and Phillies. The grandkids had the Phillies (at 26-1) but Mary cashed with the Diamondbacks winning the National League (at 9-1).

My Mets? Ah, the Mets. I’ve always been a Met fan but I have consistently lost money betting on them. But this coming year may be different. Here’s what needs to be done, having thankfully fired the previous GM.

  1. Keep Cohen out of any decision-making processes.
  2. Bring in a power-hitting outfielder. I don’t think Marte will do the job.
  3. Bring in a 2-inning reliever. Diaz remains the closer even through the won’t be as good as in the past.
  4. Bring in a quality starter.
  5. Bring in a quality hitting coach. Swinging at pitches displaced from the strike zone (in the dirt and 2 feet outside) is simply not acceptable.
  6. Bring in a quality pitching coach. Leading the league in walks is also simply not acceptable…especially in later innings when leading by more than one run.

I’ll probably be betting on them…if the odds are right. Irrespective of Philadelphia and Atlanta (and even Miami) they should be competitive and possibly even more than that.

BASKETBALL:  But that was then and now is now. I got lucky last year with UCONN (45-1), although I also had Miami (90-1). What do I have going this year? Here’s my take.

So many players have transferred that it is  more difficult to make predictions at this time. My sources are telling me that players are being paid upwards of a ½ million to transfer. Good for them. More power to them. But how this is ultimately going to shake out is now hard to assess. Nonetheless, I offer the following:

  1. St. Johns (with Pitino) will flop… at least I hope so.
  2. I put some money on Miami (FL).
  3. I put some money on North Carolina State.
  4. I’ve bet Sacramento Kings 3 years in a row (ugh!). I’ll try one more time.
  5. I couldn’t get a bet in on Yale.
  6. I love the Rangers but they are too short.
  7. I put some money on the Edmonton Oilers.

Wish me luck folks.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and will have an even happier Christmas and New Year.

NOTE: Looking for a unique, inexpensive Christmas gift? There will be a book signing event on my new book ($9 from Amazon) “Winning at Casinos: The Definitive Guide” at the East Williston Library on Tuesday evening, December 5th from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Beverages and cookies will be served. This could be the book for you if interested in winning at casinos.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

JANUARY 1:             On Begin the Beguine

FEBRUARY 1:          The Biden Chronicles

MARCH 1:                 On Zzzabuu VI

APRIL 1;                    On Technical Writing

MAY 1:                      On Purely Random, Pristine Thoughts XXVIII

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ON THE ULTIMATE QUIZ V

November 1, 2023

November 1, 2023

As indicated in IV, this has become one of my favorites. You are asked to provide the correct answer to the following 20 questions. You already know the routine: 5 points for a correct answer. A grade of a 90 indicates that you are brilliant… anything below 25 is, well…

  1. Who authored “Fourscore and seven years ago…”
  2. Who were the stars of the movie Sampson and Delilah?
  3. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?
  4. What famous singer said: “So when you see your neighbor carrying something, help him with his load.”
  5. What famous New York baseball owner’s motto was: “if you do something good for someone, and more than 2 people know about it, you did it for the wrong reason.”
  6. Unlike healthcare workers, what professional group refused to work during the pandemic because of health concerns and demanded that they be paid.
  7. Prior to 2014, what basketball Hall of Famer had the second highest season scoring average in the NBA?
  8. True or false? The radius of the sun is approximately 900,000 miles.
  9. What baseball Hall of Famer broke the color barrier?
  10. Who was elected President in 1952?
  11. What baseball Hall of Famer started and ended his career with the Boston Red Sox?
  12. What famous Astorian won a gold medal in wrestling and later became boxing’s light heavyweight champion?
  13. What was Connie Mack’s real name?
  14. True or false? Queens joined NYC in 1898.
  15. What has often been referred to as the most Irish town in the US?
  16. What is the currency of Turkey?
  17. What animal is located on California’s state flag?
  18. What city’s cable cars are the only national historical monument that can move?
  19. What city, located on the West Coast, was destroyed by fire and earthquake in 1906?
  20. Where is the Liberty Bell located?

Extra credit (10 points): Explain the difference between pandemic and epidemic.

ANSWERS:

  1. President Abraham Lincoln.
  2. Victor Mature & Hedy Lamar.
  3. Full credit. For me, it is Kevin Durant.
  4. Bob Dylan.
  5. George Steinbrenner.
  6. School teachers.
  7. A tough one here: Rick Barry.
  8. False; according to my files, the answer is approximately half that value.
  9. Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947.
  10. Dwight Eisenhower.
  11. Babe Ruth.
  12. A toughie: Paul Berlanback, 1924.
  13. Another tough one. Cornileous McGillicutty of Brookfield, MA – home of George M. Cohan.
  14. True; and, it was first established nearly 200 years ago.
  15. Full credit here. Butte, Montana, a place our family visited three times (ugh!) on my consulting assignments. Mary still refers to it as Butt.
  16. Lira.
  17. A tough one. A grizzly bear named Monarch.
  18. San Francisco, California.
  19. Once again, San Francisco, California.
  20. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

EXTRA CREDIT ANSWER:

Pandemic refers to “over a whole area, country, and universe,” while epidemic is defined as “prevalent and widespread among many individuals in a community at the same time.” Thus, the difference essentially relates to the size of the affected area.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

DECEMBER 1:          On Goodbye Baseball, Hello Basketball

JANUARY 1:             On Begin the Beguine

FEBRUARY 1:          One the Biden Chronicles

MARCH 1:                 On Zzzabuu VI

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ON A DYING SPORT

October 1, 2023

October 1, 2023

I could not have said it better than Joe Drape, feature New York Times thoroughbred racing editor, on September 3, 2023, page 25 when he wrote: “It was the 12th horse fatality – the eighth while racing – at the 2023 Saratoga summer meet. Combined with the deaths of a dozen horses last spring at Churchill Down, including two on Kentucky Derby day, the fatalities have brought renewed scrutiny of horse racing and gamblers, trainers, and racetrack executives struggling to reassure the public that racing is safe for its human and equine athletes.  In 2019, 30 horses died at Santa Anita Park in California in a span of six months, creating national headlines and drawing the scrutiny of state lawmakers and animal rights activists.” Perhaps my including the word dying in the title is appropriate after all. But, there’s more. Read on.

No matter how you cut the cake, I can say with near certainty that the thoroughbred racing industry will have difficulty surviving for another decade. Why? Five reasons.

  1. With a takeout of 20%, intelligent bettors simply will not get involved with betting horses. As for me, it is in my blood. It has been a part of my life for nearly ¾ of a century. Not so much with those who came after me. They know better than to get involved with any gambling endeavor that carries with it the aforementioned 20% takeout. It is just as simple as that. It was once the only game in town and a large takeout was tolerated. Unfortunately, the industry has not moved swiftly or intelligently to correct this exploitation and address competition since earlier times.
  2. One of the major concerns of capitalism is GREED. And boy, this industry oozes GREED. It is based on the premise that they should maximize profits for the breeders, owners, administrative officials, etc., at the expense of their patrons. The end result is that the horseplayer has been mercilessly exploited since the industry’s founding. Here’s a simple point – why the $50,000 to $100,000 races and yet charge the patron a $5 entrance fee, a $10 parking fee, $12 for a grandstand seat, etc., etc.? Gouging the patron has become a way of life.
  3. Dog racing has been barred. They are now completely out of business. Why? What basis? Look it up. The same reasons for closing down shops for dogs also apply to horses. Only it’s worse here, as evidenced by the vicious whipping that occurs during every race. (Why not bar jockeys from carrying whips?)  In case you haven’t noticed, the thoroughbred industry is now spending a fortune informing an uninformed public how much they really care about these animals. It’s laughable. Forget about the beatings they endure during a race; you know what happens to these horses later in life. I believe every breeder should be assessed a “tax” for every foal to insure humane treatment later in a race horse’s career.
  4. The thoroughbred industry is subsidized by the taxpayer, particularly here in New York State. They are selling horses at some of these auctions for amounts approaching $1,000,000! Why do they need subsidizing?? One of these days, we will get an honest politician elected who will put a stop to this gouging of the taxpayers.
  5. Last but not least is INCOMPETENCE. You want an example? Look no further than our own New York Racing Association (NYRA) that is anything but the non-profit organization they profess it to be. They are in the process of destroying the most beautiful racetrack (Belmont Park) in the world. The incompetents that man NYRA have yet to figure out how to attract new customers to the industry. (I predicted this in several articles a half a century ago. And, I also provided invited testimony on parimutuel wagering to a Presidential Crime Commission hearing in 1977).

The signs are all there.

You want more? Think about this. This and the harness racing industry have been struggling for nearly 50 years. OTB first bailed them out. They started struggling again and casino gambling at the tracks bailed them out. Recently, ownership via partnerships bailed them out; in fact, on a given day at Belmont or Aqueduct, attendance is primarily these part owners. My guess is that they have run out of bailouts. More recently, attendance at the recent Saratoga meet nosedived, apparently following Aqueduct and Belmont’s example. And even more recently, the unthinkable happened; the premier thoroughbred meeting in the country – Saratoga – wasn’t able to secure the televising of their entire program on many days. What a disaster!

Here’s more on NYRA, Saratoga has become its premiere race meet. It features the senseless 30+ minutes between races, shocking calls (and non-calls) by stewards that deserve investigation, disseminated cards, cancelled races, small fields, and horses breaking down (and dying). It’s the in-place to be according to NYRA. However, it’s also the in-place to get gouged. I attended the races late in August and got treated to a $10 entrance fee, a $25 grandstand seat, a $20 parking fee, a $9 program, and some truly outrageous prices on food, drinks, souvenirs, etc. Naturally, the local businesses have adopted NYRA policies; $300 a night room accommodation with no maid service, dinner prices that are something to behold, drinks, etc. There was a good crowd that day but many of the grandstand seats were not occupied. Thank you, NYRA!  Obviously, the locals chose to stand in tight quarters, packed together, rather than being bilked. Meanwhile, the state officials, who support NYRA and the thoroughbred industry, look the other way. I must add that breakfast at the Triangle Diner just outside of town, is one of the few remaining highlights. Mercifully, the horses returned home for the Aqueduct race meet . . . but not before the NYRA brain trust brilliantly decided to close the track for 11 beautiful prime Fall days.  I kid you not.

Can industry survive? Of course, but the probability is low. How? Here’s my 4-point program:

  1. The takeout must be reduced to something at or below 2%. That’s right! At or below 2%. And, yes it can be done … but it will require some innovative thinking on the part of responsible people in the industry.
  2. Dissolve NYRA and replace it with a group of competent individuals who are sympathetic to the patrons.
  3. Come up with a program that will attract new patrons.
  4. Stop the phony concern for the horses. Call for industry donations and put in place

 horse retirement costs as an integral part of the industry’s business plan.

Maybe intelligent, responsible individuals will come along and save the day. But I wouldn’t bet on it. Let me know what you think. 

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 @ Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

NOVEMBER 1:         On Begin the Beguine

DECEMBER 1:          On Goodbye Baseball, Hello Basketball

JANUARY 1:             On the Biden Chronicles

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ON THE SOLUTION TO THE NY METS PROBLEM

September 1, 2023

September 1, 2023

I’ve been a baseball fan all my life…or at least as long as I can remember. I’ve been a New York Mets fan since Day 1. And, it’s a team that has had its ups and downs. But what happened these past two years was not only ridiculous but also embarrassing. And, we have both owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler to thank for the present disastrous state of affairs. Why? Here’s why.

  1. They traded away two really good quality players for Lindor and signed him to a $360MM (!!!) contract. Insane? You bet!
  2. They signed Scherzer to a 3-year $130MM (!!!) contract. Two things were a given when he signed: he is not going to get better and he is more likely to get hurt. Insane? You bet!
  3. They signed Verlander to a 2-year $86MM (!!!) contract. Two things were a given when he signed: he is not going to get better and he is more likely to get hurt. Another mediocre pitcher at this point in time. Insane? You bet!
  4. They traded away two fairly good starters and signed two grandad starters. Insane? You bet!

My above analysis was made before the facts … not after the facts. I called all of these disasters before they occurred. In the meantime, check the Met’s performance this past month!

Who made the above decisions? Does it matter? Of course it does. Since it was Billy Eppler and Steve Cohen, the Mets better make sure that these two are not going to be involved in any decision-making processes in the future. 

That was then and today is today. The Mets now have two problems going into the future.

  1. They need to field a competitive team next year (2024).
  2. They need to put a program in place that will bring a World Series for this franchise and its fans.  Can it be done? Of course, and here’s how.

The problem can be solved by applying the Delphi Panel Approach I introduced to you three months ago in my newsletter. In case you have forgotten, here is how the DPA works.

The DPA works for a complex problem that needs a solution. At the simplest level, a group of experts are brought together to discuss the problem in order to reach a consensus as to its most appropriate solution. The procedure is iterative with feedback between iterations and involves five steps once the experts have been chosen. The five steps are as follows:

  1. Select, in isolation, independent solutions and reasons for justification for the solution from the experts.
  2. Provide the initial solutions and reasons of each expert to the other experts.
  3. Allow each expert to revise his or her initial solution and provide the reasoning for any change to their solution.
  4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 until a “consensus” solution is approached.
  5. Use the “average” of the final solution as the best estimate of the solution to the problem of concern.

The panelists? I suggest retired intelligent baseball professionals in the following six areas:

  1. A manager
  2. A player
  3. An umpire
  4. A corporate executive
  5. A sports writer
  6. An announcer

These six should be able to do the job. The key is to definitely remove Eppler and Cohen from this process. All that remains is for Cohen to foot the bill for the solution that will turn the franchise’s future around.

Forgive me, but I need to close by stating in no uncertain terms that acting alone, I could do the job. Forgive my ego.

Comments?

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www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

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NEXT POSTINGS

OCTOBER 1:             On a Dying Sport

NOVEMBER 1:         On Begin the Beguine

DECEMBER 1:          On – Goodbye Baseball, Hello Basketball

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ON A BROADWAY MUSICAL PLAY REVISITED

August 1, 2023

August 1, 2023

I was always in love with the music of the 1950s and 1960s. And suddenly, it came to me 5 years ago while watching an advertisement on the great love songs of the past. I thought: How about a musical play on the great music of the 1950s and 1960s era? After some thought, I decided to put together an outline for a Broadway play concerned with the musical hits of that period, focusing on (but not limited to) country plus rock and roll music. And, that was what an article at that time was all about…a Broadway musical play titled: The Music of the 1950s and 1960s.

That was 5 years ago. Five years have elapsed and I’ve decided to revisit that article. And, here is my edited and revised version of my earlier work.

On to the musical itself. Keep in mind that I am not a producer or director, and have attended only 15 (my best guess) Broadway plays and 5 (my best guess again) off-Broadway plays. Most have been of a musical variety. My first play was Grease and remember becoming mesmerized on entering the theatre and hearing the piped-in music prior to the play. I also remember Dream Girls and Jersey Boys. Interestingly for me, the plot never came into “play;” it was strictly the music. Based on all of this, here is what I’ve come up with for a Broadway play on the music of the 1950s and 1960s.

Three things come into mind regarding the proposed play: the music/score, the singers/musicians, and the presentation/production. Each are detailed below.

The Music/Score: As noted earlier, the music would be primarily based on the hit songs of the 1950s and 1960s. Here are some of my favorites:

Be My Baby

Beyond the Sea

Blueberry Hill

California Girls

Georgia on My Mind

Crazy

I Want to Hold Your Hand

Johnny B. Good

ShBoom

Someday Soon

Sweet Caroline

Whole Lotta Lovin’ Going On

All My Lovin’

You Belong to Me

Begin the Beguine

Some, but not all, of the above would be part of the play for a given night, details of which are provided in the Presentation/Production section.

The Singers/Musicians: This should consist of a 5–10-person band with excellent singers and music playing abilities. A no-name group – that are true fans of the songs of the 1950s and 1960s – would be preferred. At a minimum, the band would consist of a drummer, guitarist, keyboard player, violinist, and horn. The band members would be male but a female singer/musician would be a plus. Other musicians could also be included in the band.

The Presentation/Production: Here is what I envision for a typical performance. The band opens up with a medley of 5 or more country music songs from the past. This would be followed by ACT I which would consist of 15 songs selected randomly by the Director from a list of 75 hits of the 1950s and 60s, almost all from a different artist. The 75 songs would initially be selected by the Director. Each song would be preceded by a short one-minute commentary on the songwriter(s) and/or original singer(s). ACT II would follow after a 15-minute break. This last act would consist of 10 songs that would be randomly selected by the audience. The play would conclude with another medley of songs of a rock-and-roll variety. The band would have to rehearse all songs early during the production stage of the play.

The aforementioned 15 songs in ACT I would be randomly selected from the “bank” of the aforementioned 75 songs for each performance. Songs would also be randomly selected from the 60 songs that were not selected that previous evening for the following (next) performance. The next performance would then be selected from the remaining 45 songs. Etc. Etc. The cycle would therefore be repeated after every five performances, being careful that the songs are randomly selected each night and each cycle.

The ACT II songs would be selected by the audience each night on entering the theatre from the 60 songs remaining in the pool of songs not included in ACT I for that evening. The selections from the audience would be computerized, with the results of the top 10 choices determined during ACT I and the break. These songs would then constitute the aforementioned 10 songs for ACT II that night.

The opening (prologue) and closing (epilogue) melodies would be the same each night.

A typical performance could consist of the following:

ACT I

INTRODUCTION: Lead member of band

OPENING MELODY (COUNTRY MUSIC; my selections)

            Country Road

            Someday Soon (my favorite)

            Don’t it Make My Brown Eyes Blue

            Lying Eyes

            Rocky Mountain High

15 SONGS

            These would be selected from the pool of 75 songs. For example, the 15 selected earlier could be chosen.

INTERLUDE/BREAK (15 minutes)

ACT II

10 SONGS

You (the audience) pick them.

CLOSING MELODY (ROCK-AND-ROLL; my selections)

            Earth Angel

            ShBoom

            Maybelline

            I Wanna Hold Your Hand

            Sweet Caroline (audience participation)

CLOSING REMARKS: Lead member of band

Finally, three points need to be made. First, I must inform the reader that I have never written a song, sung a song professionally, played a musical instrument, written a play, or understand the various ramifications associated with a play, let alone a musical play. Second, each performance would be different and thus could be attended numerous times by a theatergoer. (This is similar to Louie Prima’s shows of yesteryear in Las Vegas where – due to Prima’s insanity – the audience was treated to a different show every night.) Third, the above outline and details of the proposed musical play are dynamic in nature and could be “tweaked,” e.g., more or less selections, elimination of random selections, different musical categories, and any potential and/or special accommodations to the performers, audience, societal interests and problems, etc.

©Theodore Tutorials, 2018.

Any thoughts? Your comments would be appreciated.

Visit the author at:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

and

Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

NEXT POSTINGS

SEPTEMBER 1:         On Technical Writing

OCTOBER 1:             On Begin the Beguine

NOVEMBER 1:         On the Beginning, the Middle, and the End

DECEMBER 1:          On Purely Chaste, Pristine and Random Thoughts XXXII

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