Q13 in Review
Hey all,
Well, what a roller-coaster ride that trade deadline day was for the Mariners! As it turns out, Jason’s show-opening prediction (“I don’t see them doing much of anything”) bore itself out.
To boost my post-per-TV-appearance ratio, which is close to 1:1 these days, I figured I’d bust out a behind-the-scenes recap of what I thought went well at Q13 and what I thought could’ve gone better.
PRO
Didn’t use any profanity, ducking FCC violations
CON
Didn’t work in a reference to Nietzsche’s notion of eternal recurrence, losing a $10 bet for a friend
PRO
Called for Hargrove to be fired, called (indirectly) for Carl Everett to be euthanized
CON
Everett could catch on with Bellingham Bells. May then have to change appearance, check windows before leaving house, could end up with Barbaro’s head in bed
PRO
Got to see Derek dressed in his smooth suit
CON
No cosmetic artists on hand to make up Derek; digital camera/blackmail opportunity lost
PRO
Talked with Adrian Hanauer, the very nice G.M. of the Seattle Sounders, backstage in the green room
CON
After I mentioned how much I got into the World Cup this year, Vinnie pontificated on how boring soccer is (“I’m used to it,” said Hanauer)
PRO
Saw Q13’s spacious men’s bathroom, which actually has a sizable shower facility attached to it
CON
Now Derek wants to spend all the site contributions on a shower-centric interview facility for USS Mariner labs (Kidding; he already squandered the proceeds on that new tie)
PRO
Had great food and drinks at the Tap House (thanks, Dan)
CON
Had to drive back to Bellingham, so couldn’t safely quench prodigious thirst. Another time.
In all seriousness, we had a great time, and everyone at Q13 was super-nice. Hopefully we’ll get to do it again sometime. Also, I’m being real about ramping up my posting schedule, both here and at my new personal blog, which I’ll fire up tomorrow. It’s going to be an Aug. 1, 2006-Aug. 1, 2007 chronicle of my time in Okinawa. Check it out if you’re so inclined.
I thought you guys were great. I’m hoping the message to can Hargrove goes through, but I really don’t think it will unless we go into a huge slump and fall out of contention and as much as I hate Hargrove, I don’t want to see that.
Umm, why are you going to Okinawa?
I was really disappointed by the lame questions the Q13 guys asked you, but you did manage to work in “peripheral stats”, which I think confused Vinnie.
Jeff,
I think you have a future for this tv stuff. You gave quick “sound bite” material back with a sense of humor. Not bad for a stat guy…..what was up with Dan and his too frequent “stat guys” reference? It was lame that he could not come up with any other thing to say.
Evan, I’m writing a book and a series of articles about nature, culture and history in the Ryukyu Islands. It’s my Fulbright project.
That, and some Japanese baseball teams do spring training there. OK, that’s not a reason, just a bonus.
I think you need to link to the video of the interview on your shiny new blog, even if it isn’t Okinawanian-related….
Ironically, the only other time I’ve really been on TV is in Okinawa.
Well, I was also on Ramblin’ Rod’s kids show in Portland, but that doesn’t really count.
I see now that QAB took the video link down. But if you read Japanese, there’s a transcript there, if not a pic of me.
People who dismisses soccer as boring only betray their ignorance. The simple truth is that soccer is just like every other team sport – those who love it see it for what it can be – what it is at its best. It can be either incredibly exciting and intense, especially when played at the highest level, or excruciatingly dull when played without intensity or skill, or those involoved are just going through the motions (you know, like much of the previous two Mariner seasons)… just like every other sport.
That’s pretty much the argument I made to Vinnie. He was … unconvinced.
You guys did a great job. Thanks for the entertainment. BTW, that’s not how I pictured Vinnie.
The coolest part is you guys are probably around my age, and that’s kind of cool. I work in a profession where you have to work to overcome the automatic assumption that you don’t know anything unless you’ve been around for 20+ years in the establishment. Lucky for you (and for me) there are ways to get around that. Usually it involves knowing what the hell you are talking about, having the back-up information to prove it, and being right more often than not (well I have to be right every time, but the point is the same).
Glad to see you guys get the love you deserve. Jeff, have a great time in Japan. I studied Japanese for three years, and put a trip there at the top of my list of things to do before I am 35. . . well maybe 40.
I meant to add that what you guys do (in your spare time) is like that too. Hard to get love from the establishment. Sorry that wasn’t clear.
The soccer is boring argument is especially lame coming from a baseball fan. Both are low scoring, suspense based sports. There are actually a lot of similarities between soccer and baseball in those regards.
I should mention that USSM has, for the last week, pretty much been my full-time job. I just don’t draw a salary.
I don’t buy the soccer is boring argument. I don’t like soccer, but that’s not why. I think it’s ok not to like a sport, but some people seem to be on crusades against those who do like soccer. It’s really kind of weird.
If someone wants to demonstrate to me why soccer is a great sport, I will hear them out. I’ve changed my mind on a sport before. I didn’t used to like Hockey but having lived in both Michigan and Colorado (and having gone to school with a number of Canadians) I was eventually sold on it, and there’s really no more exciting sport to see live.
He does it for the love, ladies and gentlemen! And, of course, to keep Corco off the streets.
Derek,
Fair enough, and we don’t realize how addicted we are to the narcotic that is USSM until we lose it. Thanks for keeping the ship afloat.
At any rate, if any of the brain trust that is USSM want to hang out at Coors field, take in some mountain sites, etc. I’ll totally hook you up (I realize that, to you, I could be some sort of axe murder, but I promise that I’m not).
Do you guys do any kind of Spring Training get togethers? It’d be great to have a USSM event in Arizona.
Wait, Jeff, I thought you weren’t going to Okinawa until November?
I’m not. I leave Nov. 1. But I decided to start the blog Aug. 1 so I would get a full year’s worth of posting. Plus, it’s a way of keeping myself organized and on task.
I work for the Bellingham Bells, and even though they couldn’t hit a Pineiro meatball, I don’t think Everett’s bat has enough left in it to raise the team’s batting average over the .198 mark that it’s at now. That is, if he made it through a week in Bellingham without attacking a group of hippies on the street.
I should mention that USSM has, for the last week, pretty much been my full-time job. I just don’t draw a salary.
Hey your only a step away from an exciting life in the world of radio. 😀
Glad to hear you’ll be posting more, Jeff. After seeing how well you three did on TV I was suddenly disappointed there isn’t more of you and Jason on this site.
did the thought: one more wafer, sir? occur to you while sitting next to vinnie?
If Vinnie were to post on this site, it would read something like this:
24. NY Vinnie said:
July 30th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
[off topic]
Jeff, if you’re ever interested in attending a Sounders game, send me an email (I’m assuming you can get it). For guys not making much $$$, it’s a surprisingly high level of play.
As for Vinnie, of all the Seattle sports media, print, radio, and TV, I’ve always found him to be the nicest guy in person, he doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about with any sport, but he’s a nice guy.
Geez, Jeff, all that talk to Hanauer and you couldn’t wheedle Real-United tickets out of him?
Because, well, I’d use them.
PRO
Didn’t publicly ridicule host for his transparent ESPN Baseball Tonight aspirations.
CON
Didn’t publicly ridicule host for his transparent ESPN Baseball Tonight aspirations. Also, no mention of Occam’s Razor, which is No. 1 on any pretentious baseball pundit’s list of obscure hipster cultural references.
I’ll agree with drrew — Vinnie was, indeed, a very nice guy.
#24– what? with Preston in California? not so much 🙂
Hey, STATHEADS. Caught the clip of your appearance somewhere on the internet and it was good stuff, though Dan Devone needs to quit calling you guys STATHEADS because it makes him look boorish and ignorant. Whether or not he is is another issue, but maybe he should’ve taken five minutes to read the site and found a more encompassing stereotype label, like bloggers… which is a more accurate description.
Also, Derek, why so quiet? You reminded me of Cindy Brady in the quiz show episode of the Brady Bunch, where the camera came on and she froze.