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When you duck away from the charity of writing analysis you believe is insightful, you gain a new appreciation for the water in which you once bathed. With my head in the tub for long enough, I've began to notice something odd: The Philadelphia Phillies are on a whole new level.
These aren't your father's Phils. Heck, they're not even your great-grandfather's Phils. I don't think Chuck Klein ever envisioned this type of popularity.
In a short glance of time, the Phillies swept through the Mets and cleaned up the dregs of the National League Central division, coasting into the All Star break with fat tummies. And Charlie Manuel only expanded those belts, giving Jayson Werth a pat on the back with an all star label and placing fan-rewarded Shane Victorino into his starting lineup. Watching last night's All Star Game, I found myself applauding so much that I couldn't feel my hands anymore.
It felt odd rooting for so many individuals on an all star team. It felt like the great swindle of 1993, the greater swindle of 1994 and the greatest swindle of 1995, when even Heathcliff Slocumb and Tyler Green hitched a ride on the all star wagon. This time, however, the spots were deserved. (You could make cases for Victorino, Werth and Ryan Howard, since you should factor in some of the 2008 ledger — or else we should have two all star games again, shouldn't we?) These boys suddenly became the face of the National League, seen in the boyish crew melon of Howard, the pranking eccentricity of Victorino, the steady nerves of Werth, the wise adulation of Raul Ibanez and the stoic manliness of Chase Utley. Oh, and let's not forget Manuel, the wrinkle-faced, white-haired teddy bear with a mouth the size of Lake Dinty Moore.
Take Stan Musial kissing fingers in a convertible, or Carl Crawford robbing a home run, or any one of the 7,100 camera cuts of Albert Pujols. To me, the lasting picture of the All Star Game festivities was Manuel, clad in a clean, black two-piece suit and tie at the media day conference, handing reporters the same business he'd hand reporters before a Phillies playoff game. To Manuel, this wasn't simply a break from real baseball, nor was it a chance to let loose in a casual black button-down. This whole all star business was Charlie Manuel's big moment — his opportunity to tell the world, "Look. I got here by winnin'! I earned this here!"
Far beyond 2008, the Phillies have extinguished the ghosts and turned to the business of winning in 2009. But being an all star manager isn't simply a perk, it's a testament to your efforts at work. It means you were good, real good. Manuel sure earned that managerial spot, just as the Phillies earned all the attention they gained during all star weekend. Your world champions — and not just that, but your still first place Phillies. Not only did they win last year, but they're looking purty good this year.
Pedro Mania
The dust mites that flew far enough from Saint Louis found a veritable amusement park Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. There, newly signed Phillies pitcher Pedro Martinez greeted the media with honesty and guffaws. Reporters bounced every question imaginable at the three-time Cy Young winner, and he swatted his answers back to them without an ounce of transparency. Martinez is the real deal, and no matter how much you could loathe him in blue and orange, you love him now. You have to — he gave us everything we wanted.
More than that, though, Martinez gave the Phillies that amusement park. It's the type of scene reserved for the pantheon players (in baseball immortality and immorality): Clemens, Bonds, McGwire. Those guys. Sure, Martinez may not have that one thing in common, but he's definitely in that competitive level. He's beyond the game. And like a big-market, big-name, big-city, big-bullswat team, the Phillies grinned wide as they lapped up the pantheon pitcher. Even if he doesn't throw a pitch at Citizens Bank Park, he hammered my point home.
Two very different men sat at skirted tables and spoke to reporters within 48 hours. One a huckling West Virginian, a former ball-blaster in Japan. The other a smooth-talking Dominican, a Hall of Fame pitcher if he ended it now. They couldn't be farther apart in what they were given, and in what they took. And yet both men spoke with dead seriousness about their intentions: To win baseball games. Manuel for his National League all stars. Martinez for his Philadelphia Phillies.
And both men each wore a clean, black two-piece suit and tie.
These scenes both represented bookends to a break filled with appreciation for the past. The great team of the National League had their time, parading out their stars, lauding Stan the Man and giving their new Hall of Fame player a chance to catch the president's pitch. It seemed oddly fitting, then, that the new great team of the National League was stealing the headlines on either side of the show.
I can't help but feel amazed that the Phillies are suddenly bubbling with popularity. This is the same team that stirred in the bowels of the National League for not just years, but decades. Heck, over a century. And while we can't tell if this will all last too long, living in that moment feels all the more special.
So if you'll excuse me, time to go back underwater.
Tim Malcolm is the former everyday writer of Phillies Nation. He'll post again when his head comes above water. Until then, e-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
0 Comments
Good to see you again, Tim!
What a great, refreshing piece… It's great to read this and appreciate the bigger picture… something's big going on with the Phillies and you couldn't have said it any better.
Timmmmayyyy great great article.
we want more Tim on here! good article. it's a great time to be a Phillies phan!
When Pedro is in the mood, he gives it up for the media as good as anybody. Funny, self-effacing, honest. After watching Pedro for about ten years up here, it will be interesting to see how the Boston media follows his exploits in Philly. I'll keep you posted. Pretty trippy to see him in Phillies red.
One thing's for sure. This might be the first time anyone's strained a shoulder signing a contract.
Great freakin column, Timbo. I'll be it feels good to step away from the droning, white noise that is the PhilliesNation and come back all freshened up!
The Dipsy
Oh, and by the way, who's this Roy Halladay fella???????
Tim, please stay! You made this site and it's not even close to the same without you. No one puts into words the passion and energy every one of us fans feels about the Phillies like you do.
Awesome article Tim. What you just said was exactly how many Philly Phans feel, but can't put into words. Your ending, about how long they will win for, is why I am nervous about Halladay. Giving up years of winning for one that we are set to win now. (Yes we need starting pitching, I know that as well as anyone, but we've been doing pretty decently so far.)
Tim. Is the. Man.
Great article Tim! I'm new to toe site and Twitter but I'm really enjoying getting familiar with you guys.
Great piece! That is so true but you put it in words so accurately that it made me understand a bit of the humble-ness and respect that most of those on the phils have
Yeah what a bizarre couple of days to be a Phils fan. It was weird to see us in the news so much. Great to see a post from you Tim.
I've stressed this whole concept multiple times on this site to people who are frustrated by the Phillies when they go into their brutal slumps. At least we are frustrated with playing poorly because we don't want to lose our NL East lead. That's a heck of a lot different than being frustrated because we have no hope for the team. The core of this team will surely go down as one of the finest, if not the finest, in Phils history.
Btw, Andrew Carpenter looked straight NASTY in the AAA All-Star game (which is still going on on ESPN2 if you want to tune in). Three batters, 3 Ks. I believe he had 5 swings and misses out of 10 total pitches. Not bad, folks.
So… No sooner did I comment on my distaste for recent articles on this site do I come across this gem of a piece. Tim, I don't know you and I don't know how you do it, but for some reason you always strike a new chord. Will you just come back full time?? I'll throw down some bills, hell I'll start a fund if that's what it takes.
In all seriousness though, great article. Glad to see you still have a little time for philliesnation. You always seem to personify exactly how I'm feeling. Sure, it was Pujols' show and St. Louis is the hub of baseball, but the Phils stole the show, a testament to the fans. Surreal.
While the article was generally well written, I do think you go a little overboard with your biases. How are the Phillies the new great team of the national league? Because they won a single world championship in the last 28 years, or is it because they have won a total of two ever. Or is it because they have the most losses in baseball history? Give me a break. And I hate to tell you, but the Phillies are not popular outside of Philadelphia. I have lived all over the east coast, and I have only ever met one person outside of PA who gave a crap about them, and he was from Philly originally. And no, you shouldnt take someones 2008 second half into consideration when chosing an allstar player, otherwise Manny should have been chosen. Its not the 2008-09 all star game, just 2009. You could make the best argument that Werth should have gone, but Vic and Howard should not. Unfortunately Charlie is a homer, and Vic needed to go door to freakin door to make the team. And then he started. The whole thing is a joke. The fact that seemingly ALL phillies fans are incapable of being even a little bit objective about their team is damaging to your credibility when it comes to baseball intelligence as a whole. You've got alot of spirit Philly fans, but you need to wake up to reality sometimes.
@rob5000, How did the Phils steal the show? By having the most people there, courtesy of Charlie? Phils players were a combined 1-7 with a run scored. Utley made a very good defensive play, but that was about it. The only thing the phils stole were the roster spots of more deserving players [Im not including Utley and Ibanez, they deserved to be there]
First of all David, the whole "nationwide popularity" thing doesn't happen all at once. Boston's popularity has grown leaps and bounds since they took down the Yanks and won the Series in '04. If this same Phils nucleus continues with their success, they will no doubt lead fans across the county to become fans. All great teams do that.
As for us not being objective, you obviously don't read our posts from day to day. Trust me we love our team, but we certainly do not put our guys on a pedestal. In fact, many of us have called for Werth to be benched in the first half, yet he ended up being an All-Star.
As for Vic not deserving it, I just don't see the argument. Unless you believe that you have to slug your way to an all-star game, he certainly deserved the nod, more so than Werth in my estimation. When you look at outfielders, specifically centerfielders, he was very worthy after Beltran had to bow out. A gold glove outfielder hitting around .310 doesn't deserve to be on the team?
Also, David, you act as if no All-Star manager has ever selected his own players. It happens every year so get over it. And the Phils 1-7 appearance was no better or worse than the rest of the NL's poor attempt to do anything. They had 18 straight batters retired. You make it seem like everyone else hit the cover off the ball.
Nice to see you back posting already Tim. As always I enjoy your writing. Its nice to see a lot more Phils caps and shirts in my neck of the woods. It was getting lonely for a while there!
oy, tim malcolm is a crummy writer.
In all honesty, 3 lines in I knew it was Tim.
This site needs him back.
Tim, your passion comes apparent when you write and it is a gift.
Regarding Pedro – I cannot agree at all. To me he personifies what a mutt is through and through – talented and full of himself. Does NOT fit into the team environment that the Phils have worked hard to put together – even in one of his first meetings with reporters after the deal became official – what did he talk about? HIS legacy (among other things).
I just think he is a cancer and regardless of how well he pitches (if/when he returns off the DL), he will be let go after this season – take that to the bank guys.
Brooks, even the idea of keeping him around next year makes me nautious. I hope that is how Ruben feels as well. If Pedro happens to pitch well down the stretch, go let him sign a nice 10 million dollar deal somewhere else. Not here.
I do not know about you Tim, but the Phils have the talent to be competitive for a number of years–to give up blue chip prospects at this point for anybody gives me an uneasy feeling. The recent Yankee and Red Sox runs have been done with a key group of home grown players—Phils are in this boat presently—they need to be careful not to rock this boat
Tim the phillies a great team…thats like saying Obama is a great president ….come on the NL East sucks this year…and sucked last year…they'll need more then luck to ever become great….but at least now they have a translator for Charlie….Pedro…we'll all know what Charlie is saying….finally.
PoconoPete….excuse us for playing in the best division in the NL for the greater part of the decade. The NL East has a bad three months and all of a sudden it is a joke to everyone….
How about when the Cards won the series after winning 82 stinking games, which was 4 less than the Phils won that year if I'm not mistaken. Saying that WS winning teams are not great is the very definition of sour grapes, even if you don't agree with how they got there.
And how are the other National League divisions any better? The central is full of mediocre teams. Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Chicago are decent but I think most baseball experts would take the Phils head to head against any of them. The west has a dominant force in LA and a good young team in San Fran. The Rockies are ok, but are about as streaky as the Phils. The DBacks and Padres are brutal.
enjoyable read
Great article. Two great articles in two days. I'm mostly responding to David & Miles and the article here….With all due respect to Phillies fans, management and the team… to say they are like the Red Sox of the NL is a little overboard no? More people are paying to see the Cubs, Dodgers, Padres, Mets, Nats, and Braves on the road than they are the Phillies. Now I'm not saying those #s prove 100% that for instance the Nats are more liked (obviously it's probably a cheaper ticket) but you gotta consider the Cubs, Dodgers and Mets and maybe even the Braves as having a large following on the road right now just based on the numbers. I mean… the white Sox won it a few years ago and they were celebrated at the AS Game also… you don't see them as being the new great team of the AL do you?
I totally agree that there is no way you should take a 2nd half into consideration for the All-Star Game. I didn't see Melvin Mora get recognition for his 2nd half, did you? What about Adam LaRoche?
If you honestly believe Howard deserved it over Sandoval you're being too much of a homer. BUT I do believe Manuel earned the opportunity to pick Howard…. I just think Sandoval should have been on that team more than both Vic and Howard.
I mean in the OF alone… Braun, Dunn, and Kemp are having better years than Victorino.
Boston's popularity grew when the new owners took over… not just in 2004. It wasn't one series that did it… it was a snowball effect of fan relations, and improving the experience at Fenway and showing a willingness to go get the players they need. The 04 LCS was just the moment it all came together.
And as for Pedro I've said it once and I'll say it again. He is exactly what Phils fans hated about the Mets. Hell he CREATED the atmosphere that you all hated so much… and now he'll be wearing your uniform. Funny how things work out sometimes huh?
Tim, your writing sucks…. but not as bad as these other clowns you got on here… welcome back.
btw.. anyone see that the Phillies have the most ESPN "Webgems" in all of baseball this year! I think this speaks to what tim was saying
Pedro might bring the Phillies the swagger they need. I was thinking back when TO first joined the Eagles and how much fun that season was. The Eagles and their fans went into every single game thinking they would win. The Phillies are the World Series Champions and have 5 All-Stars, they need to start acting like it. No more getting swept at home by teams like the Orioles. And maybe the Phillies can start putting teams away early in the game, which they have done the past week. But there were a few game against the Red and the Pirates where they let them get out early, and had to come back. Those teams stink, the Phillies should put up runs early and often against them.
And the NL East is pretty bad. The Marlins are a strong team who can hit, but have horrible fielding and mediocre pitching. The Mets and Braves can't get anything going for more than a series. And the Nats are the worst team in baseball. The Phillies should have this division wrapped up by now.
Cards won 83 the year they won it all.
Josh Johnson is better than any starter on Philly right now… yet Florida has mediocre pitching eh?
Tim, you remind me of my brother who was blessed with a book and a pen in each hand out of the womb. Enjoyed your rebirth article.
Josh Johsnon is one pitcher… a very good one..
but the rest of there staff is nothing special.. I think the Braves have better pitching than the Marlins do
Nolasco had to be sent down earlier.. maybe he'll respond like Brett Myers last year, who knows? Andrew Miller and Chris Volstad might be really good one day.. but haven't really shown that yet . Volstad can look nearly unhittable one game, and then have to be removed in the 3rd inning his next time out.
He's only 22 or 23 years old though, so he'll be good.. but they'll probably trade him by then
Anibal Sanchez has been on the DL, after getting rocked to start the year..
Marlins could be dangerous.. but I wouldn't bet my money on them making the playoffs this year
Braves are the team to watch
Tommy Hanson = 2.85 ERA
Jair Jurrgens = 2.91 ERA
Javier Vazquez = 2.95 ERA
Derek Lowe = 4.39 ERA
K Kawakami = 4.45 ERA
IF they can get any kind of steady offense (maybe Church replacing Franceour will help that?) they will really be a team to watch down the stretch
To take Morris' point a bit further…..if Pedro never pitched a game but helped bring some "swagger" the Phillies need…..then the $1 million was very well spent. He would be sort of a glorified over-paid cheerleader. For the stretch run that could be very valuable.
Jair Jurrjens is probably better than anyone on the Marlins staff besides Johnson.
The Braves are going to trade one of theier starters for a power bat I think. Dont forget, Tim Hudson is returning soon.
Josh Johnson is diesel. Nolasco is good but has struggled this year. Chris Voltron is ok. Miller is ok. Their bullpen sucks.
The Mets are all injured and I dont think theyll be back healthy long enough to really put something together.
yea but Tim Hudson coming off Tommy John.. you have no idea what he can give you this year..
They need to trade for a bat..
Chipper Jones leads them in HRs with 9
Yunel Escobar leads them in RBI with 44
They need some offense to contend
Don, Ricky Nolasco is already responding ala Brett Myers 2008… With the exception of his last outing, in which he gave up 7 runs despite striking out 8, Nolasco has a 1.54 ERA since coming back from AAA.
I see your point about the Braves' solid rotation –especially after adding Hanson–, but I'm still more scared of the Marlins. Hanley Ramirez (who started the season slowly) is finally getting into a groove and I expect him to carry this team, just like Pujols has been doing it with the Cardinals. The Braves don't have a dangerous lineup at all, and I doubt that adding Church and McLouth will do the trick.
I could definitely see the Marlins getting on a hot streak (with good pitching and hitting), but not the Braves (very good pitching but poor hitting).. Marlins seem more balanced.
The biggest acquisitions at the trade deadline in the NL East could very well be.
Mets: Reyes, Beltran healthy.
Braves: Hudson.
This is the weekend that big trades start to trickle in. This weekend last year Sabathia was traded. Harden was traded a year ago next week. Then the Phillies nabbed Blanton a few days after that.
The first big trade I think will be Freddy Sanchez and possible Zach Duke going to the Gigantes for a deal built around Jonathan Sanchez, a good pitching prospect (oen of their big three stud starting pitchign prospects, but BUT baumgartner) and a good infield prospect.
I heard the BRavos have been trying to trade Yunel Escobar because the manager doesnt like him…
I see jessup is back on the pipe again today. Try the Muts blog. That's where all the losers are. You will fit right in there.
You set such a high standard of excellence among phillies fans amazin
Yeah Geoff I heard Cox has pulled Escobar llike 4 or 5 different times this year for different idiotic things he has done on the field like not hustling or not trying in general.
To continue the above discussion about the Phils growing popularity or lack thereof, it's ridiculous to even suggest the Padres and Nats travel better than the Phils. There has been a noticeable Phan presence at every away series we've gone to this year. I would argue that we almost match Nats fans at their home games. Teams like the Mets and Yanks are always going to travel better because of the NY market, and Boston and the Cubs have longer, more storied franchises.
And as I mentioned earlier, a whole generation of kids is growing up and seeing a team full of marketable players that they will attach themselves to. I think in 15 years there will be a much more legitimate "Phillies Nation" that was born with the nucleus of Utley, Howard, Rollins, Hamels, and Victorino.
And what did I say that was so "back on the pipe," worthy? I know you hate to be riddled with facts about baseball. So… if the Mets get Reyes & Beltran back on August 1st healthy you don't think that's a bigger move in the NL East than if say the Phillies get Erik Bedard?
I kinda think of it the other way… the Marlins are a swing for the fences kinda team, with no bullpen
the Braves have pretty steady starting pitching.. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann both got off to slow starts.. and they have a solid bullpen..
we'll see.. I think the Marlins are going to fall away as the year goes on.
When the Mets get healthy they'll be solid again, but how much longer can they hang around .500 with their best players missing?
I wonder if the Nationals will win 60 games this year? .. what is the least amount of wins any team ever had?
The Muts coughed up two big leads the past two seasons WITH your litlle hot dog shortstop and your regular CF, so what's to worry about? The Phils can stand pat and the Muts can have all their "starters" back. Who cares? Doesn't matter. History says they lose again, only difference they won't choke out a lead, because they will never smell first place this year. Face facts, don't dream!
TIIIIMMMMMM!!!!! Man oh man we miss you around here. When I saw your name at the top of the post, I thought it was just another tease, but, as someone else said, a few sentences in I knew it was you. Welcome back, if only for just a day or two at a time.
damn.. the Phillies are on here a bunch of times in the 1930s and 1940s (Athletics too.. of the 23 teams on the list, Philadelphia teams are listed 9 times)
Recent teams include:
1962 Mets = 40 wins
2003 Tigers = 43 wins
Don: 62 Mets won 40 out of 160 games… I think the Tigers in 03 won 43 out of 162, which I believe it ehw rost ever in 162 game season…
Amazin… you're too uneducated for me to respond to you anymore.
yeah, those '62 Mets really sucked!!
I knew the Phillies just HAD to be part of that club as well.
What do the Nats have….26 wins??……would be awesome (just for the history of it) if they ended up with 39…..probably won't happen though with 75 games or so to play.
Braves/Marlins….Braves scare me more….because of the pitching. Next year could be a big season for them….alll the more reason the Phillies need to stay competitive…..either through trades for big pitchers or seeing the next crop of young players starting to show what they can do at the big-league level (ex:Drabek).
jessep: EXHALE!
dude I herd the phillies lost 10,000 games last year and still won the world seriies thats like impossible n stuff
Here's a question I know I'll regret but a few of you seem baseball savvy enough while others think the Mets could have an all-world team and they'd still suck…
Do you overlook the Mets in the 2nd half because
A) The last 2 years
B) You don't think they will get healthy in time.
C) You think 6.5 games is too far back
D) You think the Phillies will be THAT good in the 2nd half
I'll let you pick… 2 answers 🙂
10,000 over their HISTORY…not the whole season.
B) Because it's more or less fact. Too many key guys out at the same time.
D) I hope I'm right. But I think so. This is NOT the same team as the last two years at THIS point in the season. I think the big slump is over. Rauuuuul is back. Hamels hopefully gets it together. J-Roll is showing signs of life. We need pitching, but I think we'll get it somehow.
Can't say A) because it's not based in any sort of fact.
Can't say C) because 6.5 GB is really nothing. Teams come back from
that all the time.
I should add, however, that you really can't "overlook" anybody…..except maybe the Nats.
I think its a combination of the first three.. and not to overlook that the Phillies are 10 games over .500 at the All-Star break, despite problems of our own (Hamels, Myers, Lidge, Rollins, Ibanez missing 22 games). .
The Mets don't have anyone that seems willing to carry the team.. Beltran showed that briefly in 2005?.. and was rewarded with a MONSTER contract because of it.. Reyes and Wright are both great talents.. but I sometimes think the pressure of playing in NY can be too much for a lot of players.. Delgado older and coming off injury once again.. Putz injured.. Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey is a nice 1-2 punch to have.. but I think you combine all those factors, and I would be surprised if the Mets can somehow make the playoffs this year
If the Phillies just play .500 ball the rest of the way.. they finish at 86-76 … I can't imagine we don't play above .500 ball, so that means that 90+ wins should be well within reach. If we add anything to our starting rotation, it gives us that much better a chance.
Mets would need to play above .666 for the 2nd half to get a win total pushing 90.. I don't see the Mets winning 2 of every 3 games in the 2nd half..
Great piece, Tim… simply great.
I agree with it whole heartedly… the Phillies fan base travels better than any other team in the NL right now. I guess that a one/two year sample is probably not indicative of anything but winning championships doesn't always equate to anything (the Rays are 25th in attendance this year) and this year, our attendance record speaks for itself. Actually, since we opened Citizen's Bank Park, the attendance has been great and in my opinion, that was when this all started. It's amazing what a new ballpark can do when it's constructed with the fan in mind (not like some of the new ballparks that are being built where the driving force is the almighty buck)… the fact that Pedro is going to be wearing red pinstripes gives me the chills; the guy is an iconic figure. 5 all-stars plus Charlie… remarkable. I'm proud to be a Phillies fan.
Just because the Phillies overcame the Mets the last 2 years and went on to win the diivision doesn't mean that that could happen again this year if the situation was the same. That's why I say that you really can't include A because there is nothing to really base it on. The Mets aren't the same team this year, either. Chances are thery're not even in the race in mid-Sept. But who knows.
It is called Phillies Nation for a reason! If you don't like them go blog someplace else. Tim does a great job and it is good to see him back. Of course he loves the Phil's – he is a Philly boy. Keep up the good work Tim – those of us who know and love you will always be here for you.
Chuck P: Can I ask where you came up with the Phillies traveling better than any fan base in the NL? Do you have any statistical proof of that? To me, Cubs and Dodger fans travel better than any fan base in the NL. That's based on their road games attendance… again right now the Phillies Road Attendance average is 9th in mlb so I don't see how you can make that statement?
04 Attendance 4th.
05 10th
06 11th
07 9th
08 4th
09 2nd
I don't think it was the stadium. I think it's last year's title. 2010 and 2011's attendance will be a better indicator since in the 1st 6 years of the ballpark
Duh Chuck… i'm not an RTard… just trying to lighten it up a bit in here…. can get frosty at times when mets fans decide to post.
Pat G: By the way. 2001 the Red Sox won 82 games and were 2nd in attendance % in MLB. That was 3 years prior to their title/fans having real hope. So you cannot compare the Phils now to the Red Sox fanbase/attendance loyalty because it's just purely fictional.
I want to say that I think they Mets can stay in it since they are only 6.5 back with 76 left to play….. but unless something catastrophic happens to the phils i dont think they can do it…
at 6.5 back they are on the verge of writing off this season….and they start the 2nd half with a 4 game road trip to Hotlanta..
I looked at the pitching matchups and Atlanta has the edge…if they can manufacture any type of run support it could be the end of the Mets….if they go 1-3 and fall 9 games out of first.. i think they are toast.
maverick…..just to set the record straight….I'm not a Met's fan.
Dodgers don't even sell out their own Home Games
there aren't a whole ton of Philadelphia-transplants around the country.. most people either stay around the Delaware Valley, or go to Florida
Boston is FREEZING COLD and lots of people move away from Boston… part of that is caused by old money, and the cost of property up there, etc..
so there are people from New England all over the country..
The last three times I went on Phillies road trips.. Camden Yards was at least half Phillies fans, and this was about 10 years ago or so.
2006 in Boston, where in Cask-n-Flagon bar behind the Green Monster.. countless people mentioned that no opposing fans ever go into Boston and take over the city the way Phillies fans did that weekend, "not even Yankee fans"
and last year in Chicago for the Cubs series… where the Cubs fans actually liked everyone, because they too hated the METS, and said that they didn't want to play us in the playoffs because we had such a dangerous team..
all of these series were pretty close to half-full of Phillies fans.. maybe the fact that we play lots of games against the Nationals, Marlins, and Braves (who don't get great attendance to begin with) drives down our overall numbers … but I'd be willing to bet that Nats and Marlins games are probably 50-50 between home team fans, and Phillies fans
Totally agree. This is a huge stretch for the NL East right off the bat.
Mets @ Atlanta, @ Wash
Atlanta vs. Mets, vs. Giants
Florida v. Philly, @ SD
Philly @ Florida, vs. Cubs
Tonight until July 23rd could paint a HUGE picture of what we can expect from the NL East. Because you have your inter division matchups and then a series the Mets and Marlins SHOULD win (and if they don't they are in trouble) and then series' that COULD give Philly/Atlanta trouble.
Dodgers don't even sell out their own Home Games — that's a silly argument to make. If you go by #s they are 3rd in overall average attendance at home… their stadium holds over 50k. If they played in Philly's stadium they'd be at 99% attendance.
The Dodgers have the 3rd best road average attendance in baseball behind the Yanks & Cubs with Boston right behind them. Hence they are the 4 best travel teams in Baseball.
10 years ago phillies fans took over Camden because your stadium was garbage and it was worth the trip to see a baseball game in a nice stadium.
I won't even comment on your interleague theory in Boston. Yankees play the Red Sox in Boston how many times a year? You played them what 3 times in 4 years? Combine all the yankee fans that go into Boston in 4 years for every game, and then tell me they don't travel as well as the Phillies fans did for 3 games. Ridiculous.
There is a whole lot of baseball being played outside Philadelphia. Get to know the other teams and their markets better and then bring me a better argument. Last year you guys were THIRTEENTH in Average attendance on the road. Thirteenth.
I'm not saying you don't have loyal fans that do some travelling…. but you're not a National Team (maybe one day) let alone the Top travelling team in the NL.
Michael Taylor, the prized prospect who's name has been tossed around in Halladay rumors, has been promoted to AAA today. He will probably suit up tonight.
Who knows what this means to his value.
Oh no, I'm going to the Reading Phils game tonight and I was REALLY looking forward to seeing him, CRAP!
I mean, good for him, but couldn't they have waited just one more day?
Anyone know who's pitching at Reading tonight? Drabek, by any chance?
Phillies at Dodgers in a rematch of the NLCS …
for Thursday's opening game of that series they had a whopping 33,839..
Friday, they had 52,538 fans …
Saturday afternoon.. June 6th FOX game of the week… 41,412 fans
and Sunday night ESPN game they had 42,288
is an average of 42,500 for that series.
The Dodgers hosting the Mets in May:
Game 1 = 37,136
Game 2 = 37,857
Game 3 = 50,761 (must have been giving out Mannywood wigs or something?)
Dodgers fans suck at life..
watch Quinten Berry at Reading.. he's got lots of tools.. and he's flying under the radar
Pitching for Reading tonight is.. Yohan Flande, who was in the FUTURES game with Drabek last weekend
I don't think anyone's saying that the Phillies are a NATIONAL team, like the Red Sox, Yankees, etc. What's being said is that compared to the Phillies of generations ago the city and the team have come a long way. It's just a natural evolution that has been helped along by better marketing
I don't think anyone's saying that the Phillies are a NATIONAL team, like the Red Sox, Yankees, etc. What's being said is that compared to the Phillies of generations ago the city and the team have come a long way. It's just a natural evolution that has been helped along by better marketing among other things.
^ sorry….too distracted at work….
Thanks Don, I've been hearing alot about Flande, so that's good. I'll be sure to check out Berry as well. I'm really feeling sorry for myself because I missed M.T. by ONE day though.
I think Tim's point was that this team has arrived on a National Scene… people know who does what for the Phillies with a few MVPs and a World Series I think that this will last longer than the White Sox brief stint..
My point was that the Phillies travel well… to every road game I have ever been to, Baltimore, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago … and my point was that Red SOx fans were saying they couldn't believe how many Phillies fans were there.
Is it our fault that we don't get to play in Fenway a lot? Does it mean less because the Yankees get to play there more? … i understand the point you're trying to make, but I dont think you get mine..
Phillies rank 4th in overall attendance.. (Home + Road avg.) … behind the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs … but ahead of the Mets, Red Sox, and Cardinals
Phillies HOME attendance sales are at 101.1 % …Dodgers are at 77.4%… Only Boston is higher than Phillies at 101.6%
If you're really into ROAD attendance.. please tell me how and why so many people are turning up for PADRES and NATIONALS games?? as they rank 5th and 7th, respectively, in ROAD attendance
I would hope that teams with long histories, teams from big markets, and team playing well would be the teams that draw big crowds both at home, and on the road.. that isn't always the case..
Furthermore, I hope you are as confused by all of this as I am
ha he's probably flying under the radar because he has a .700 OPS in AA baseball. .336 SLG %? Wow that's bad.
Okay for starters… Home + Road. The Red Sox are at 101% Home attendance and have roughly 6,000 LESS seats to fill than teams like Philly… so I'm trying to take them as they are.
And again Dodgers are at 77.4% at home, which would be 98.5% inside Citizens Bank. So you can't use that % completely… and I said way earlier that the Road #s aren't 100% because of teams like the Nats being up there which if I had to guess… why not buy a ticket when your team is playing them? You know you'll see a W!
When you talk about fans that travel well and are spread across the U.S… your discussion has to start with the Yanks, Red Sox, Cubs and Dodgers and it ends with everyone else. They've got the road fans coming out even if they didn't win it all last year.
Right now they have YEARS AND YEARS of statistical evidence that proves more people go to see them on the Road than the Phillies. Their #s aren't attributed to a few good years, it's an actual loyalty no matter the record. It can't be touched by any other teams right now.
"With the trade deadline fast approaching, financial concerns may have an effect on whether the New York Mets can add a prominent name to their roster for the stretch run, writes the New York Post. Team owner Frank Wilpon reportedly lost $700 million in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
Wilpon insists, however, that it "will not affect the day-to-day operations and long-term plans of the Mets organization."
—- my god… 700 million dollars. That's sickening
Well he's not as good as all those stud Mets prospects..
but for a small guy 6'1″ 165 lbs..
2007 – 55 Steals, .312 avg
2008 – 51 Steals, .272 avg
2009 – 32 Steals, .282 avg at the All-Star break
lots of speed, can hit for average at every level so far, including .311 last year in the Arizona Fall League.. and plays good defense, probably CF
I don't mind having Mets fans posting on the board to discuss some serious baseball issues but please don't bring your Mets news here. I honestly don't mind reading about it and I agree that number is in fact INSANE! But I know how some people will react and I don't feel like reading them bitch about that when we could be actually discussing baseball and in particular the Phillies. Especially since the Mets bashers here tend to stray from the facts and use stupid arguments like hey the Mets suck and they choke, it gets old and annoying real fast.
The Big Dipper
I think its the number of fans.. but you have to take % into consideration definitely.. if we could fit 55,000 fans into CBP .. those games would be sellouts too
Don't the teams from all the bigger markets have that many more fans to begin.. based on population?.. which is why they are the BIGGER MARKETS
NY, Chicago, LA, and New England.. are all bigger markets than Philadelphia..
whatever the point you are trying to make, just make it..
Tim was either saying that the Phillies are more popular WITH PHILLIES FANS then they were before.. or he's saying that the Phillies are more popular on a National scale
I think both statements are true..
I would hope that the Mets had more fans nationwide than the Phillies do, based on the Population of New York and North Jersey.. and the fact that lots of people from New York (and Boston) move to other parts of the country would indicate how NATIONS spread.. why the NY teams, Chicago teams, LA teams, and Boston are big draws wherever they play..
Yah was more pustting this with the discussion earlier about the Mets not being a factor in the NLeast but I get ya. That was from espn.com not any mets site.
Back to Berry… .700 OPS doesn't cut it in AA, certainly doesn't cut it in the big leagues either. Hitting .282 in AA and slugging under .350 means he'd be something like a .230 hitter in MLB.
In summation. .700 OPS in AA.
Great to hear from you Tim.
I agree that the situation in Philly is totally different now as opposed to most years past with regard to attendance ,fan support.competitiveness of the team etc.The new stadium had a lot to do with it.
But can we become a Real Force by getting that Big Pitcher?
The waiting is killing me!Pedro was just a tease.
What do SLG and BATTING AVG have to do with one another??
SLG is the total number of bases, divided by the at-bats … so a HR hitter, who gets 4 Total Bases for each HR.. counting as one at-bat, would have a high SLG%
It means he's a singles hitter.. it has nothing to do with batting average
Jose Reyes has a SLG% of like .750 this season, and .775 for his career.. but he's dangerous when he gets on and steals bases …
learn some baseball.
you don't think that a guy with 50+ Stolen Bases in two straight seasons is impressive?… Shane Victorino doesn't hit a ton of HRs ..but he plays good defense and steals some bases .. and nobody saw him coming either
Um… the reason I posed his slugging is because it's embarrsingly low. What do SLG and Batting avg have to do with one another? Well… let's see.
In Major League Baseball right now… you know how many qualified hitters have a SLG less than .336? 5. 5 out of 168 hitters. And that's against big league hitting not AA pitchers!
Berry's AA stats will translate to a guy like Willy Tavares on Cincy. If that's a good player then I guess I really do need to learn baseball.
BTW Victorino's slugging is .464.
To sum up your comparison of Victorino v. Berry:
At age 24, Victorino hit 16HR, drove in 43 runs and slugged .534 in AAA with an OPS of .911. So who didn't see him coming?
At age 24, Berry has hit 2HR, drove in 17RBI and sluggs .336 for an OPS of .703 in 9 more games than Victorino played
Again… fun to make up stuff but it sucks when people have facts to prove things huh? Berry is 54th in OPS in AA… and it's not like he's having a tough year, the guy hasn't had an OPS over .800 yet in his pro career………..
By the way. Things you shouldn't be allowed to say ever.
"Jose Reyes has a SLG% of like .750 this season, and .775 for his career.. but he's dangerous when he gets on and steals bases …" Followed by "learn some baseball."
If Reyes slugged 750% I'm pretty sure you'd be on some metsblog right now talking about how he's the greatest hitter you've ever seen.
My bad.. I meant OPS not just SLG%
I usually don't go by "AGE" of prospects, instead how long they have been "PROFESSIONAL" baseball players.. since college baseball is much different from being in a farm system and having that as your job..
So I was looking more into Victorino's first full seasons in the minors..
2001 (age 20) he hit .282 and stole 47 bases.. SLG% .744
2002 (age 21) he hit .258 and stole 45 bases.. SLG% .646
Victorino wasn't protected in the RULE V DRAFT, which is how the Phillies got him.. he then signed a minor league deal and had a great season at AAA …become the MVP of the International League
looking at his numbers from 2001 and 2001 .. you wouldn't have seen that coming.
you're doing a pretty good job of being a dcik though, as I tried to give a fellow Phillies fan something to watch at Reading tonight with Taylor being promoted to AAA.. I wanted to point out an explosive type player to keep an eye on
I'd imagine that a 24-year-old guy will develop more power as he reaches his prime.. so expect more power from Berry and better speed.
His stats kinda resemble BJ UPTON's season so far.. .701 OPS, 31 steals .. except that Upton is only hitting .239 right now
Give me the minor league player with the higher average, who will gain power as he gets older.. instead of the SLUGGER who can't hit for average because its a hell of a lot easier to develop power than it is to develop being a contact hitter.. or speed
And now I personally hope that Berry is a Sept call-up.. and steals 5 bases in the series against the Mets from Sept. 11th-13th
You know what the difference is between his stats and BJ Upton's?
Upton's playing in the major leagues!!!! Not Double A! You can't sit here and tell me you think Berry is as good as BJ Upton can you?
@Dipper, point taken, and well said. The most tellin of baseball intelligence is the use of the word "Muts" as a name for a baseball team. Why not use the word "Fags", its just as immature and to some, just as derogatory
@Jessep, Three cheers sir. Thank you for bringing some logic to your arguments. Regardless of what team anyone likes, if you make a fact based argument, you will always have credibility. Its nice to see someone try to do that
@the Phils fans, As much as I hate to say it, enjoy your division, because, barring an injury or three, you should take this thing. On pure talent, as of today, you have the best lineup in the league, and a good pen when Lidge is "right". Your pitching has been crap this year, but does anyone really believe Hamels will be bad all year? probably not. Plus, you will probably bite the bullet and trade 4 of your best 7 prospects to get Halladay, or 3 of your best 9 prospects to get someone like Bedard, which will only make your pitching all the better. Math doesn't lie, and the math is on the Phils side. They will get to 92 unless they get hit with the injury bug from their good friends in NY. So enjoy it ladies and gents, because times like these, as you know, are few and far between. God, is it football season yet?
Did I say that I think Quintin Berry is as good as BJ Upton ??
But I know that good players step there game up to the next level as their talents develops.. so a young guy that hits for a decent average and has good speed at one level.. shouldn't have that much trouble still using that speed and hitting for average as he develops his own game and moves on to the next level…
If you want to talk baseball, by all means.. but if you want to sit there a pick at what people post.. ask us why we think the Mets won't make the playoffs, and then disagree with us, etc.. you're going to get a tough time getting responses soon
When you say a guys minor league stats resemble a player who is having a bad year in MLB this year… that's called comparing, and also falsley comparing. At 24 if Berry was gonna be a legit major leaguer, he'd be playing like one in AA right now. He's not. He may one day be a bench player or call up here and there but none of his professional stats say he's a major leaguer now or in the future. Just because he wears a Phillies uniform doesn't cancel out the fact he's at best a singles hitter against AA pitching which makes him likely a ground out hitter in the major leagues.
i would call you a nerd, but i'm not a big fan of people starting cyber-fights and name calling..
I said his name yesterday as someone to watch to a fellow Phillies fan that was going to a game that he happened to be playing in..
in the past few seasons, we've had guys like Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, Greg Golson etc.. as guys that came up from the minors (even with their low OPS and SLG%) .. they got plugged into games as defensive replacements, pinch runners, etc.. and helped the Phillies win games.
Quintin Berry has stolen over 50 bases in each of his first two full season in the minors.. and I said that he had over 30 already this year.. but was actually hitting for a decent average, and can play good defense too
then went on to say that nobody would have thought Shane Victorino was going to be a stud either… in my opinion Berry has the same kinda tools that Shane does (I didn't say Berry would be an All-Star, and MVP, Gold Glove winner or anything like that) …
you then started some rant about Berry sucks because his OPS isn't high (I then pointed out that OPS counts SLG% ..and this guy isn't a power hitter, so of course it won't be high … but as he gets older, he would probably develop more power.)
you said that for some reason his OPS at AA would translate into him not being able to hit the ball (even for singles, using his speed?) in the Major Leagues one day .. ??
I really don't know where you are trying to go with your argument .. Berry is a name that isn't talked about much.. but hits leadoff for the Reading Phillies, who have put together a pretty good season so far (51-39 record) .. Obviously this guy is helping them win games.. he will probably help a AAA team win games when he develops enough to move to that level .. and he POSSIBLY would help a Major League team win games..
…thought some Phillies fans might want to know who is helping our farm teams.. not sure why a Mets fan cares so much though
Reading this little mini battle between you too over Berry, Jessep think your being quite harsh on the kid. I don't think Don M has said Berry's going to be a legit major leaguer and all-star calibre player but his stats suggest he could contribute and if he's got solid defence could be an everyday player because his numbers are solid.
OPS isn't the most important stat for a guy like Berry who's not going to come up and hit in the heart of the line-up, he isn't going to light it up with his bat but his stats show he can pick up hits, he walks and he's a very good base-runner. Of the top 10 base-stealers in the majors only two have an OPS above .806. OPS just devalues a guy who could come up and contribute in other ways, not everyone needs to star as a minor leaguer, just show progression and a skillset. There's nothing in his minor league numbers to suggest Berry wont make it up to the majors..
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subset: commoncrawl


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Sorry to hear the news. Good luck in the future man.
Sorry to hear the news. Good luck in the future man.
Good Traders:JoeyJoe367, Blazestorm213, RetardedRiceBowl, rsadich,PaInTbALL zAcH, jwyke. John Dresser, Xas, Darrikws,whydoineedausername
Splat Attack Revenge V2 LE FS
Conquest FS
I called PTP this last summer to see if there was any Micro Emags left. They said, " to check back in '05 for a revised version". I guess they really have something going. Sorry to here the hAir isn't coming out anytime soon. Alot of people really wanted to have it.
You said its a financial issue...couldnt you have all the people who want them, pay for them...then make them, and ship them off...and hopfully you are making profit (lets hope you make profit off this invention). Start producing and advertising. Sound good ?
Well...im sad now...so
Never wanted it both ways, but the cool thing about America is I can gripe about it AND still play. In this land, you CAN have it both ways!Originally Posted by teufelhunden
My point is that good small companies that put good stuff together almost always loose to larger less talented companies. Look at the pre-bust computer/dot.com companies. The big crappy ones buy, intimidate or "borrow" from the smaller more talented companies. It is the way of the world.
I just think it sucks that it all worked out this way, but it does free them up to put money into something else cool!
yeah that would be nice to know how much money do we have to raise to make it posible if it si posible for the hair to come out
Hang tough nicad. It takes a bit of time to get patent okayed. Maybe yours is different enough to get its own stand alone patent.
Some people like Micromags, I myself own one. Seems they cant even get that right since they stoped selling them...Originally Posted by -=Squid=-
AIM: DiSoRdeR155
GT: DiSoRdeR155
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Ya, the guns they had were cool in like.... 99?Originally Posted by DiSoRdeR
- Goro
Originally Posted by nicad
considering that I am sure the trigger could be retro fitted to other sear tippers. You think you will have more time to play? We are going to Katy paintball on saturday. PM me if you want to come.
stupid swear filter. Was really looking forward to this. Guess I'm putting the mag on the back burner now.
"[T]he evidence also strongly suggests that neither Billy nor Adam could have invented what is claimed."
-United States District Court judge G.M. King,
on Smart Parts' patent claim, August 23rd, 2004, page 16.
AO feedback
ebay feedback
Man!!!!,.........!@&k !!!!!!
A shame you had to call it quits on the project. Actually, I'm sad to hear it - the news just ruined my week. I was so looking forward to something like this becoming a revolutionary product and bringing mechanical markers back into style.
In related news, anyone want to buy a dallara 'mag? She's reached her limit now as far as upgrading goes - since I can't spend money on her I think I'mma have to buy a 'cocker to endlessly swap parts on.
To Boski: The Hair-type trigger will be as much to blame for the corperate upsizing of paintball as the electronic gun. These devices enable new players to appear to play well beyond thier capabilities. You can stop some of this by not participating. Do what I do. Go buy a nice high-end pump, CCM, CCI, Carter, PPS, whatever, and keep YOUR GAME tight.
I see you are in SAC. Look for a Pump-day, and pure pump series starting at Combat-Zone.
I don't practice anymore: I'm just good in a natural, vicious sort of way.
Will you please tell your boobs to quit staring at my eyeballs?
...or you could say that the upsizing of the industry - through acquisition, licensing and purchasing allows the small guys to do things they otherwise could not afford.
well its a shame that this happened. but at least now one of the two triggers will be released. and ptp does make good stuff, but how many people are actually going to now give it a chance?
Agreed!Originally Posted by hitech
CPPA Member #1875
I think that's up to PTP. As long as the product they release is good quality. and they stand behind it, I'd imagine there would be plenty of people willing to give it a chance. Myself included.Originally Posted by Wc Keep
There are some companies who have done things that a lot of the paintball community finds distasteful & dishonest and yet their sales have been unaffected by their actions.
While many people here on AO are dissapointed with what's happened between DW and PTP, I don't think anyone can logically accuse PTP of doing anything wrong here, so I can't imagine this having any negative repercussions for them... as long as it's a quality product.
Eric Cartman
Respect my authoritah!
I don't think that they even said it was coming out for the 'Mag. I heard it was for a 'Cocker. We'll just have to wait and see......Originally Posted by Eric Cartman
Yeah they said they were concentrating on the cocker version first with a mag version to follow (who knows when though). I'll try to find the quote later.Originally Posted by LoveMyMagMoreThanYou
About three quarters of the way down the page:
"Pretty soon video of the mag version and the blowback semi-auto version will be made available (and man, that thing rocks like you literally wouldn't believe!!!)
Last edited by Eric Cartman; 12-30-2004 at 11:25 AM.
Duh, you can get the PTP one when released!Originally Posted by barrel break
[Something Cool is Here]
I have spoke with PTP specifically about the trigger for the mag & it is coming out in fact you will be able to buy it separate or get a micro with it on. The cocker will be first due to the fact that it was the first marker that they had tried it on. I started a thread a while back about it .
does anyone know if the PTP hAir is going to used in an intell(or look alike frame) like DW's was?
I am not as anti growth as the post states, I was just trying to bring up an obvious point about the direction of our game. To me it is just a game-and I love it that way!Originally Posted by M-a-s-sDriver
You are so right about the pumps! That is exactly were I am going with my game. In fact that is why I sold off my electro cocker, Angel and Matrix-to get away from the spray and pray way of playing and bought a mech Mag. I am looking at getting a pump as we speak and once I get it, I'll be at the next Pump day!
that sucks, could i like buy it from ptp then send it to you dw guys so you can make it better cause ptp puts out crap stuff
This really is kinda sad, but now thats its official, we might as well hound PTP so we get SOMETHING out of this. If they lock down Colin and then take forever to get their frame released for the mag, then we, the customers, are getting screwed.
so nicad, can you say - is PTP wanting some kind of fee? If so, how much?
Originally Posted by Thordic
I dont understand the hate? How are the consumers getting screwed? My emag seems to work just fine given recent "changes" in the industry. Heck if you really want to rip faces order a Devil. What better way to support our AO dealership than buy a gun built, tested, and tuned by AO kulties.
well...why would you want a electro gun when you can have a mech gun that shoots as light as a elec? Plus...i would rather pay `250 than `500
sad very sad... I guess we can mark this up to another case of suppressed advancement of technology due to more corprate micromanagement of the legal system.
farewell for now hAir frame, while your in the closet of supressed technology say hi to the 100 MPG car, h2o powered engine and cold fusion. When did paintball become more about the lawyers and start looking more like the oil industy?
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SFL Emag
RTP abomination
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New In Box. Part Number:5594
Buds Item Number: 95594
Remington 22 LR BDL Deluxe Speedmaster Semi-Automatic/Blue Barrel/Wood Stoc
The Remington 552 Speedmaster has a combined richly blue carbon steel
barrel with a stock of generously checkered, high gloss American walnut.
Other features include adjustable big game sights, tubular magazine feed,
positive cross bolt safety and grooved receiver for scope mounts. Will
chamber 22 short, 22 long and 22 long rifle cartridges.
Mfg Item Num: 5594
Category: FIREARMS - RIFLES
Action :Semi-Automatic
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MoreSplashHits cracks the Top 50
The results are in, and we proudly announce that ….
MORESPLASHHITS has arrived.
(Or should it be 'have arrived'?)
According to February Leaders on MLB blogs, MoreSplashHits made the Top 50 for traffic in February. And we ranked at No. 50!!! (How disappointing it would have been if we had come in at No. 51).
Well, it only took 17 months of blogging.
All of us here at MoreSplashHits would like to thank everyone who came to our page in February to put us in the Top 50. And we're working on bigger and better posts in March in an effort to move up the Top 50. That is, if we can find time for more exciting posts that spring training updates. Our idea box is full. Our time to make them happen is kind of light. But we'll get there, so stay tuned.
And MoreSplashHits analytic department came up with this interesting statistics.
MoreSplashHits began blogging about the Giants in October 2009, right after the 2009 season completed. So every season in which MoreSplashHits blogs about the Giants, the Giants win the World Series!
It's true. You can look it up.
Fear not! MoreSplashHits doesn't plan on stopping the blog posts in 2011.
Go Giants!
3 Comments
This is my Good luck that I found your post which is according to my search and topic, I think you are a great blogger, thanks for helping me outta my problem..
Congrats on the Top 50 placement.
You see, hard work, posting these blogs and hoping for the best goes come with great results. Looking forward to you again getting your share and possibly heading up the list as the season approaches.
Again, congrats, and look forward to seeing if February treated you just as well as January (I think it will).
Rays Renegade
The blog is quite amazing and wonderful and will help the students to understand the real and correct meaning of the structure, beautiful work.


text:
Watch: Northern Choral Concert This Weekend
The Nortthern Choral Society's annual Christmas concert is set for this weekend in Watertown.
Linya Bell and Sara Gleason from the group stopped by 7 News This Morning Wednesday with details.
The concerts are:
7 pm, December 8 and 3 pm, December 9, both at Asbury United Methodist Church, 327 Franklin Street.
Tickets are $13 adults, $11 seniors, $8 students and are available at Kinney Drugs. Shuttle bus service will be available.
Click on the picture to watch Sara and Linya on the morning news.
Saturday, December 10, 2016, Watertown, NY
On Wall Street


text:
Survey of Ontario Community Bands
A Preliminary Study of Community Band Musicians in Ontario
Roger Mantie, Principal Investigator
Members (n=275) of nine randomly-chosen community bands completed a questionnaire (spring 2008) designed to solicit information on health and well-being, social functioning, musical interests, and socio-demographics. The study's goal is to better understand the characteristics and motivations of community band participants, with the aim of better informing those interested in community bands, and those in the field of music education.
Dissemination: Canadian Winds (2009); Symposium: Music Around Us, May 2009
Principal Investigator Roger Mantie
Roger Mantie is a Ph.D. Candidate in Music Education at the University of Toronto, where he has conducted the Hart House Symphonic Band and directed the Royal Conservatory of Music Jazz Ensemble. His research interests lie in theorizing avocational and lifelong music making, music teacher training, and school curriculum and instruction. His dissertation, Stylizing Lives: Selected Discourses in Instrumental Music Education, uses the work of Michel Foucault to examine disciplinary discourses.


text:
Final testimony in Plymouth pit projectNovember 20,2012Final testimony in pit project
PLYMOUTH The deadline for final documents and arguments in the Act 250 permit case of the proposed Frog City Gravel pit is approaching.
All parties in the case, including Hawk Mountain Resort area homeowners, are asked to submit filings to the commission, in response to anything thats been previously submitted, including a requirement that the application conform with local and regional plans for development.
The deadline is 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30.
By Dec. 19 at 4:30 p.m., all parties are asked to submit proposed findings and conclusions of law.
This is the last step before the regional Act 250 commission, based in Springfield, makes a decision to issue a permit or not, according to Linda Matteson, district coordinator.
The project, proposed by town Select Board chairman Ralph Michael, is to reopen a gravel pit used during Tropical Storm Irene recovery for commercial operation.
The plan has drawn controversy from some neighbors concerned about noise and traffic from the pit.
For more information, call Matteson at 885-8843.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER Vermont hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for 2017 will be available Dec. Full StoryWHITE RIVER JUNCTION A Vermont National Guard member has denied a charge of sexually... Full StoryRutland City is getting $20,000 to tweak its zoning laws. Full Story
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Will WiFi and WiMAX become beneficiaries of the smart grid?Some WiFi and Wimax companies are targeting the utility industry and positioning their technology to enable the smart grid--an IP-based system that will enable utilities to monitor energy use and consumers to understand their consumption habits. Some $4.5 billion is earmarked for smart grid projects, with potentially billions more coming from other funding provisions that have to do with energy.From FierceWireless, June 06, 2009
FCC Pressed On Improving Broadband AccessThe Telecommunications Industry Association and other groups are asking for the government to act fast and rule fairly in extending faster Internet service. From Information week, June 05, 2009
Battle Brews Over Broadband Mapping Before the federal government spends more than $7 billion to expand broadband Internet service in underserved areas, it wants maps that show where the money should go.
But the biggest U.S. provider of broadband coverage maps, Connected Nation Inc., is backed by big telecommunications companies like Comcast Corp., Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. that potentially stand to benefit from how the Obama administration doles out the money.
As it seeks to provide maps for the federal stimulus program, Connected Nation is coming under fire from officials in its home state of ...From Wall Street Journal, June 03, 2009
The 2009 Federal Stimulus Bill: A Windfall for 3G and Wi-Fi for Vendors with a PlanThe 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also known as the "2009 Stimulus Bill" offers enormous opportunity for both wireless communications equipment vendors and WLAN equipment vendors. Funding for rural broadband alone exceeds $7.2 billion.From ABI Research, June 01, 2009
WiMAX Around the Globe: APACThe Asia-Pacific region (APAC) may be the laboratory and proving ground for WiMAX, but so far the results are a tad disappointing.
Despite strong government mandates in markets, such as India and Taiwan, aggressive build-outs in Korea and Japan, and a relatively large number of commercial operators, WiMAX has still not had the kind of impact players in the region had hoped. From WiFi Planet, June 01, 2009
Minneapolis Wi-Fi: Still a few bugs left to be squashedAlmost three years after the Minneapolis Wi-Fi network was given the go-ahead by the City Council, the public half of its promise is being fulfilled.
Nearly 14,000 consumers have signed up for broadband service at $18 to $30 a month, even though small patches of the city still lack adequate service, says network provider US Internet of Minnetonka.From Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 01, 2009
NTIA delays stimulus award moneyThe National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is responsible for doling out some $4.7-billion of the $7.2 billion in total broadband stimulus money, has delayed its submission and grant schedule by about three months.From FierceWireless, May 25, 2009
Broadband Around the WorldThe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development today released its latest data on broadband access.
For broadband penetration, the United States is in the middle of the pack, slightly above average for O.E.C.D. member countries:From New York Times, May 21, 2009
Alvarion® Launches New High Capacity Point-to-Point Product for License-Exempt and Public Safety Frequency BandsNew BreezeNET® B300 delivers 250 Mbps, reaching more than 60 Kilometers with premium networking features for end-to-end broadband wireless solutionsFrom Alvarion, May 19, 2009
Clearwire Deal Brings Cisco into WiMAX SpaceClearwire announced that Cisco Systems will provide the core infrastructure for Clearwire's 4G WiMAX network.From Wireless Week, May 13, 2009


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Senate panel backs Obama on Syria strikeBy DAVID ESPO and DONNA CASSATA
The Associated Press | September 05,2013WASHINGTON President Barack Obamas request for speedy congressional backing of a military strike in Syria advanced Wednesday toward a showdown Senate vote, hours after the commander in chief left open the possibility he would order retaliation for a deadly chemical weapons attack even if Congress withheld its approval.
A resolution backing the use of force against President Bashar Assads government cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a 10-7 vote after it was stiffened at the last minute to include a pledge of support for decisive changes to the present military balance of power in Syrias civil war. It also would rule out U.S. combat operations on the ground.
The measure is expected to reach the Senate floor next week, although the timing for a vote is uncertain. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky conservative with strong tea party ties, has threatened a filibuster.
The House also is reviewing Obamas request, but its timetable is even less certain.
The administration blames Assad for a chemical weapons attack that took place Aug. 21 and says more than 1,400 civilians died, including at least 400 children. Other casualty estimates are lower, and the Syrian government denies responsibility, contending rebels fighting to topple the government were to blame.
The Senate panels vote marked the first formal response in Congress, four days after Obama unexpectedly put off an anticipated cruise missile strike against Syria last weekend and instead asked lawmakers to unite behind such a plan.
The president was in Sweden after a day of diplomacy when the vote occurred. At a news conference earlier, he said, I always preserve the right and responsibility to act on behalf of Americas national security. In a challenge to lawmakers back home, he said Congress credibility was on the line, not his own, despite saying a year ago that the use of chemical weapons would cross a red line.
Secretary of State John Kerry said he believes Obama will address the nation on Syria in the next few days. The president returns home from overseas Friday night.
Obamas request also received its first hearing in the House during the day, and Kerry responded heatedly when Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., said that Kerry, Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden all had advocated for caution in past conflicts. Is the power of the executive branch so intoxicating that you have abandoned past caution in favor of pulling the trigger on a military response so quickly? Duncan asked.
Kerry, who fought in Vietnam in the 1960s and voted to authorize the war against Iraq a decade ago, shot back angrily: I volunteered to fight for my country, and that wasnt a cautious thing to do when I did it. When Duncan interrupted, the secretary of state said, Im going to finish, congressman, and cited his support as senator for past U.S. military action in Panama and elsewhere.
Asked during the hearing about international support for Obamas threatened military strike, Kerry said the Arab League has offered to pay the cost of any U.S. military action. He was not specific but said the offers have been quite significant, very significant.
The Senate committees vote capped a hectic few days in which lawmakers first narrowed the scope of Obamas request limiting it to 90 days and banning combat operations on the ground and then widened it.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a proponent of aggressive U.S. military action in Syria, joined forces with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, of Delaware, to add a provision calling for decisive changes to the present military balance of power on the ground in Syria.
At their urging, the measure also was changed to state that the policy of the United States is to change the momentum on the battlefield in Syria so as to create favorable conditions for a negotiated settlement that ends the conflict and leads to a democratic government in Syria. McCain, who has long accused Obama of timidity in Syria, argued that Assad will be willing to participate in diplomatic negotiations only if he believes he is going to lose the civil war he has been fighting for more than two years.
The changes were enough to attract bipartisan support, but political fault lines were evident inside each party on a military action that polls show a war-weary public opposes.
Seven Democrats and three Republicans supported the measure, while two Democrats and five Republicans opposed it. Among Republicans, opposition came from lawmakers with the closest ties to tea party activists, including Paul and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, both presidential aspirants.
Among Democrats, Kerrys replacement in the Senate, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., voted present after expressing misgivings.
In his comments in Sweden, the president sought to shift the onus for responding to Assad to Congress and the world at large. I didnt set a red line. The world set a red line with a treaty banning the use of chemical weapons. He added that Congress set a red line when it passed legislation a decade ago demanding Syria stop production of weapons of mass destruction.
His comments drew a disbelieving response from one Republican back home.
He needs to go back and read his quote, said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, of Georgia, referring to a comment the president made slightly more than a year ago. On Aug. 20, 2012, Obama said, We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized.
That would change my calculus about military action, he added at the time.
Few if any members of Congress dispute the administrations claim that Assad was responsible for the chemical attack, and lawmakers in both parties appear far more focused on determining how they should respond.MORE IN Wire NewsCHARLESTON, S.C. Full Story
WASHINGTON — John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. Full StorySALISBURY, N.C. Full Story
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The whole Jeremy Lin story seems to be bringing out a new kind of racism that we're not used to -- a kinder, gentler racism made up of bad puns and well-meaning patronizing compliments.
Stay classy, Madison Square Garden Network.
Racism and hate often get paired together in people's minds like Siam- like conjoined twins. We always picture racists as angry and hostile, sneering racial slurs at minorities and making fear-based appeals about how some race is out to rape their women or take their jobs or dominate Hollywood.
One of the most common defenses against accusations of racism is "I don't have anything against X race," implying that it isn't racism if you don't have an actual grudge of some kind against a certain race.
Some people are insistent that racism should be defined that way, which is fine. If that's you, every time you see the word "racism" in this article, substitute the phrase "racial perception problems" and we should be on the same page.
Anyway, here's some types of ... racial perception problems that don't necessarily involve hate or bad intentions, but are still annoying as fuck. (Note: I'm going to be mostly giving examples of anti-Asian racism because I don't want to speak for people of other races and put words in their mouths about how they feel, but these concepts are probably annoying to anybody they're used on.)
4Even "A Little Bit" of Fear Isn't Harmless
Public domain via Wikipedia
A lot of racism is fueled by fear, and this is by far the worst for the people being targeted by it. People who are afraid of the "natural violent tendencies" they imagine black people to have, or the insidious plan Hispanics supposedly have to secretly take over our country by outbreeding whites, can be driven to do terrible, drastic things to people of the feared race, far worse than just some tired MSG jokes.
Fear of Asians has had its day, some examples being the Yellow Peril era, where America's beloved author Jack London suggested the only way to be safe from the Chinese was to exterminate every last one, or World War II, when they locked Japanese-Americans away in case their genetic loyalty to Japan kicked in, creating a bizarre world where American icons George Takei and Pat Morita spent their childhoods behind barbed wire.
Seriously, we put Sulu and Mr. Miyagi in an internment camp.
Even back in the '80s, along with Michael Jackson and leg warmers, one big trend was the "blame Japan" thing, where Japan's antlike hive-mind efficiency was allegedly stealing away jobs from red-blooded American autoworkers. Harmless political pandering, blaming abstract foreigners that were conveniently across an ocean and safe from any backlash.
In 1982, two laid-off autoworkers took the message to heart and decided to make Japan pay for its crimes by beating to death a Chinese-American guy named Vincent Chin (because we all look alike). Sure, maybe it was an isolated incident, and you can't blame society as a whole for what two violent, stupid individuals do, but then you have the sympathetic state judge that gave them no jail time, and everyone who helped them get cleared of all federal charges, so maybe that attitude was a little more widespread than just two guys.
Thankfully we're all more enlightened these days, and nobody is stirring up any dangerous kind of fear regarding Asians. OK, maybe a few politicians here and there are taking advantage of people's fear of China stealing away their jobs and money, and maybe some of them are using Asian-American actors to personify the China threat.
She says, "Your economy get very weak" in the same tone of voice Jennifer Aniston would say it or something. It's really really weird.
Any place that has hosted this video has gotten a ton of protests that there's nothing wrong with it and that anyone upset about it is an oversensitive nitpicker hung up on political correctness and trying to distract from the main issue. There's no hate, they're just stating some facts about China in a colorful way, and they put in an Asian-American actress to give the ad a little story line and grab viewers. So what if she's Asian-American and they're making her act like she's a greedy representative of communist China and putting broken English sentences in her mouth? It's theater! Elijah Wood wasn't really a hobbit! Duh!
Some typical comments.
Sure, taken by itself, maybe an ad like that is just laughably insensitive and harmless. But for anyone who remembers Vincent Chin (which is apparently just Asians), it's the first step on a road we've been down before. Getting votes by stirring up some minor anti-Asian sentiment isn't a big deal for someone who can't remember things that happened 30 years ago, but for anyone else, it's not really cool.
3No Fear, But No Respect
Fortunately for now, most of America just sees Asian-Americans as cute little socially awkward entertainers or one possible exotic choice in sex partners. (The wise, inscrutable stereotype usually only goes to foreign-born Asians. It's hard to sound wise with a California accent.)
I say "fortunately" because I guess I'd rather be patronized than worry about getting beaten, in the same sense that I'd rather have my wallet stolen than get my kidneys stolen. But the existence of kidney thieves doesn't make pickpocketing OK, and it doesn't mean people being pickpocketed should shut up and stop whining and be grateful they still have all their organs.
As Jay Kang of Grantland points out, a lot of Asian teens, including Jeremy Lin at 15, try to adopt aspects of black culture, because even with as many negative stereotypes as black people are saddled with, at least one stereotype is that black culture is cool, hip-hop in particular -- and cool is one label Asian-Americans can never get to stick.
Looking 10 years younger than your given age doesn't really help with that.
White people can be cool in the form of partying frat boys, suave businessmen, badass soldiers or wisecracking slackers, among other things. Black people can be pigeonholed into a lot of roles that are often stereotypical and negative, but still come across as cool -- rapper, basketball player, gangster. The only time Asians can look cool is if they're doing martial arts or are very wise in some kind of Eastern philosophy, which pretty much requires them to be from Asia or very immersed in Asian culture.
If you start talking like you're from California or Wisconsin, then forget it. There is no cool about you. You're not the life of the party. You're not the class clown. You'll never be a rock star. If you rap, it's expected to be ironic. Whenever you try to be cool, it's cute, and you get a pat on the head for making people smile.
"Jin thinks he's a rapper! How adorable!"
Nobody ever flung hateful slurs at me in high school, but a (white) classmate tried to convince me to say "original gangster" after he said "O.G.," because it's funny when a studious Asian girl tries to say something cool and urban like that! She doesn't even know what rap is! Ha ha! She thinks she's Ice-T, motherfuckers! More like Ice-Oolong-T!
That's why we are crazy about having a flashy basketball star in Jeremy Lin. When your guy dunks on people, nobody can say he's not cool. Nobody can pat him on the head. That's a move that gets chest bumps and manly shouts and nods of respect.
Like Kang says, we feel like we're not allowed to make a big deal of how annoying it is to be patronized because other races are suffering discrimination in even more damaging ways. For sure, more resources and attention should go to the more serious race problems, but if making life a little less aggravating for Asian-Americans is as simple as not saying a couple of stupid things, why not do that, too?


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"I listen to Catholic Answers Live via the internet all the time. Your show is truly edifying! You always present our great Catholic Faith in a clear and concise manner. Indeed, you speak the truth in love. Thank you for all that you do. Keep fighting the good fight!"
~ Matt, Toronto, Canada
"Let us go, my friends, for the sake of God."
~ Father Captier, Dominican superior of the College of Arcueil, to his 12 companions (Dominican priests and laymen), imprisoned by the Paris Commune for being prominent members of the Church, as they were being ordered into the street one by one. There they were murdered and defiled by the mob on May 25, 1871, just hours before the commune stronghold fell to the regular army that was advancing from Versailles.


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For an actor, getting typecast is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can be fairly sure you'll always get work. On the other hand, if your breakthrough role was "guy with frantic diarrhea," you can look forward to a long career of feigned intestinal distress and people on the street yelling "Hey, diarrhea guy!" No one will care that you played Shylock in the Royal Shakespeare Co. or trained at Yale, only that you were hilarious in the straight-to-DVD movie Diarrhea Guy Saves Christmas. Below are nine actors who, for better or worse, are probably going to play the same part until they either die rich or get relegated to The Surreal Life, where they'll get sloppy drunk and bitch to their housemates about being typecast.[subtitle]9. Reginald VelJohnson[/subtitle]
Role: Family-man cop with a bit of a weight problem, who often has to deal with idiots and is therefore exasperated
The Movies/The Shows: Ghostbusters, Kojak: The Belarus File, Plain Clothes, Die Hard, Perfect Strangers, Turner & Hooch, Family Matters, Die Hard 2
The History: There' no good reason why this openly gay, erstwhile short story writer, who dances and sings in his free time, should portray the same straight-laced, blue collar gumshoe every time he passes in front of a camera. Sure, he appeared as Sgt. Al Powell (Die Hard) early in his career, but before he was shooting German terrorists who had inexplicably come back from the dead outside the Nakatomi Tower, VelJohnson was donning a badge for bit parts in Ghostbusters, Kojak and something called Plain Clothes.
The Verdict: Some men are born with talents that just don't make much sense. We, for example, have the totally worthless ability to remember that Reginald VelJohnson is the guard who opens the jail cell in Ghostbusters. VelJohnson, on the other hand, just naturally looks like he should be wearing a police uniform and getting exasperated about something. So uncanny is his gift, that after only one season playing the bit part of Officer Carl Winslow on Perfect Strangers, ABC handed him a series that managed to fill nine seasons worth of the premise: "Officer Winslow expresses exasperation with his son Eddie and neighbor Steve." Sure he'd probably rather be playing the chubby girl in Hairspray-but trust us, there are worse gifts to have.[subtitle]8. Julia Roberts[/subtitle]
Role: Woman who is strong-willed but eventually shows vulnerability by breaking down into silent, gross-looking tears
The Movies Mystic Pizza, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend' Wedding, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, Erin Brockovich, Ocean' Eleven, Mona Lisa Smile, Ocean' Twelve
The History: The goddess of plucky, scrappy, can-do women, Julia Roberts has made it in a man' world and not taken any crap enough times to form her own chapter of NOW. We get it: she' as good as any man and she' being blunt in a wry, humorous fashion designed to make Richard Gere/George Clooney/Albert Finney seem taken aback. But that' not all there is to Julia. Beneath that tough exterior, there' the softer side, where all her fragility and hurt is let out in a series of silent, puffy-lipped sobs that make her look revolting. By repeatedly packaging both of these extremes into a single role, Julia has achieved what idiots call "depth of character."
The Verdict: Judging by the critical acclaim and Oscar noms she' racked up, Julia' brand of empowered-but-not-too-empowered woman has served her quite well over the years. Not a lot of folks can be typecast and still be respected as a great actor, so all in all she should be thanking her lucky stars America' women need palatable, generally attractive role models.
7Kelsey Grammer
Role: Dr. Frasier Crane
The Movies/Shows: Wings, Cheers, The John Larroquette Show, Frasier, The Simpsons, X3
The History: Of everyone on this list, Kelsey Grammer is the only actor that, in four of the six shows listed, literally played the same person. It wouldn't be so bad if Frasier were a deep character. The fact that he' just a stock sitcom character means Grammer has spent a lifetime realizing little more than the ability to arch his eyebrows in befuddled wonder when someone tries to match a leather sofa with a white marble coffee table. And, whether he' animated or in a suit made of blue carpet, let' face it: All his other roles have been Frasier, too.
The Verdict: Grammer holds the distinction of being the only actor ever to win three Golden Globes for the same role. Sounds great, until you realize he has three statues at home reminding him every day that, as they lower him into the ground, there' a good chance the priest will accidentally refer to him as "the departed Dr. Crane." All in all, it' kind of a toss-up.
6Alec Baldwin
Role: Gravel-voiced, intimidating asshole
The Movies: The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Shadow, The Edge, The Aviator, The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie
The History: Not since Hellen Keller has a celebrity' voice so defined their career. Sounding as if he' perpetually afflicted with the most awesome bronchial infection you could hope to contract, Alec Baldwin is the aural equivalent of pouring three fingers of whiskey over crushed ice. Throughout his career, he' used that swarthy voice to intimidate everyone from submarine commanders to realtors, Howard Hughes to his disrespectful pig of a daughter. Even in The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie, the greatest of all Baldwins was cast as a giant, menacing, motorcycling fish. When all is said and done, Baldwin owes his entire career to the fact that his voice sounds like he just chewed and swallowed a set of guitar strings.
The Verdict: If being feared by those around you is any measure of success, then Baldwin' doing just fine. Plus, since landing his gig on 30 Rock, he' started to use his powers for comedy. While he still plays the same character as he always did, it' nice to see him surrounded by underlings who are intimidated by him in a funny way instead of a genuinely terrified way.


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Headlines (News Releases)
University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University host Canadian launch of UN water report at World Water Day
Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing
Mar 22/12| For Immediate Release
Richard Petrone, Director, Cold Regions Research Centre
Pamela Smyth, Media Relations Officer
WATERLOO The worlds unprecedented and growing urbanization, climate change and increased demand for food puts additional pressure on the worlds water reserves. These are the key messages in the United Nations (UN) World Water Development Report, which had its Canadian launch at an event co-hosted by the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University today.
The document is the flagship publication of UN-Water, which includes all UN bodies with water-related responsibilities. Among them is the UN University's Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), whose director, Zafar Adeel, chaired UN-Water during the report's development. The report gives an overall picture of the state of the world's freshwater resources, and aims to provide decision-makers with the tools to implement sustainable use of our water. Representatives of UNU-INWEH and the Canadian Commission to UNESCO released the document, entitled Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk during World Water Day activities held at the University of Waterloo campus.
We are particularly honoured to host the official Canadian release of this important document, said Professor Robert Gillham, executive director of the Water Institute at Waterloo. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the worlds water resources and reminds us that effective water management requires a mix of technical, social, economic and political inputs, which are all areas where Waterloo and Laurier student researchers are making a positive contribution locally, nationally and internationally.
The University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University have well-developed reputations for water-related education and research, in particular through Waterloos Water Institute and Lauriers Water Science and Cold Regions Research Centre. Scholars stress the importance of Canadian institutions taking a global leadership role on water issues.
Canadians are surrounded by some of the biggest freshwater lakes in the world, and that can foster the illusion that water issues arent so pressing, said Professor Richard Petrone, director of the Cold Regions Research Centre at Laurier. But these are critical issues for humanity that we all need to think about, and reminding everyone about them through World Water Day is a very good thing.
World Water Day highlights university water research and raises awareness about local and global water issues. A graduate fair featuring graduate research and scholarship awards was also part of the event.
A full copy of the report can be found at www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr4-2012/
Media resources can be found at www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/for-the-media/
About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
About Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading Canadian university known for academic excellence and a culture that inspires lives of leadership and purpose. Laurier has a distinct commitment to teaching, research and scholarship, combined with a strong student focus, high levels of student satisfaction and a deep sense of community. Lauriers innovative educational model purposefully integrates the academic learning experience with an experiential learning component. The university has more than 17,000 students throughout its campuses in Waterloo and Brantford and locations in Kitchener and Toronto. The university celebrated its centennial in 2011.
About UNU-INWEH
With core funding from the Government of Canada through CIDA, the United Nations University's Institute on Water, Environment and Health was established in Hamilton in 1996 to strengthen water management capacity, particularly of developing countries, and to provide on-the-ground project support. www.inweh.unu.edu


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Well done ISU this year, in order to improve standard of main competition, there are direct entries based on last years results which I feel is a good idea and then the rest have to qualify.
So now what happens with qualification? are they split into two groups or will there be one group with so many skaters going through to short program. Does anyone know how many go through to short program?
also like last year will they be reduced after short program to 20 for free skate? I did not like this idea
Also the first group of free skaters go way before the last 3 groups another stupid idea , hope that is scrapped too?