On American Flags, Skippy Reed, Mickey Mantle, Adrian Beltre, and Claude Rains (and other thoughts)

Some random thoughts while watching Pitt doing not-so-well against the UConn gridders....

• Spent a part of my Veterans Day morning today with a couple of neighbors placing American flags in front of all the homes in Stonebrook Village today. The flags will be in place throughout the weekend.
• Interestingly enough, we have developed a greater sense of community in three months at Stonebrook Village than we did in 25 years at Field Club Drive. Funny how that has worked out.
• Speaking of a sense of community, my old work department invited me down to the Highmark cafeteria yesterday for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner that the cafeteria serves up. It was the first time I had actually been inside the building since I retired. I saw and b.s.'ed with a lot of old friends, which was great. The visit made me realize that I miss many of my old buddies a lot, and that I miss the actual work not a bit!
• Well, I did predict the Steelers win over the Bengals on Monday night, but just barely. Since the game is now three days ion the past, I won't spend much space on it here. I will say that the performance of the Steelers vaunted defense - and even the vaunted offense - over the last three weeks is causing a bit of concern in my mind.
• And hasn't Jeff Reed's performance seemed to have slipped a bit. Maybe he needs to kick a few men's room towel dispensers to get his mojo back.
• Say what you will about Terrell Owens, but he sure can play football, can't he? He really undressed the Steelers on Monday night, and, while I hate to admit it, his mime act after he scored that first TD made me laugh.
• I am about 40% of the way through the new Mickey Mantle book by Jane Leavy. You might not think that there is anything new that could be written about Mantle, but Leavy's book is so thoroughly researched and so well written, that it should be must reading for any baseball fan. I'll do a full review when I finish reading the book.
• Speaking of baseball, I am very excited to have been invited to attend the taping of the MLB Network showing of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series at the Byham Theater on Saturday night. One of the people that will be on the show will be Bobby Richardson. Not sure that we will hear anything new from Maz during the taping, so it will be interesting to hear someone from the Yankees talking about that Series.
• I just read today that part of the Mantle book that talked about the '60 Series. Mantle positively destroyed the Bucs in that Series, and it was a loss, apparently, that he never got over.
• Pitt has just gone up 21-13 as the third quarter comes to a close.
• No sooner do I write that than UConn takes the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a TD to cut it to 21-20. Yikes!!
• I will once again recommend a good blog for your sports reading pleasure: John Feinstein's Feinstein On The Brink. You can find it at www.feinsteinonthebrink.com
• So, a report says the Pirates are inquiring about free agent Adrian Beltre. An interesting ballplayer, and not the kind of guy the Pirates have pursued in the past, but I wonder why they'd go for a third baseman. IS the long hinted move of Pedro Alvarez to first base going to happen as soon as 2011. Of course, they would have to sign Beltre in the first place, and a team like the Pirates would have to overpay to get a player like that, so this is all no doubt a moot point.
• My comment on the whole Cam Newton Affair? To paraphrase Claude Rains in "Casablanca", I am shocked - SHOCKED - to learn that an elite college football player might be receiving illicit payments from boosters at a major football power university.
• And ever since ESPN has co-opted the Heisman Trophy as it's own over-hyped property, I find that I don't much care about the award that much anymore.
• Forbes Field Chapter SABR meeting on Saturday at the Heinz History Center. We start at 9:00. All are welcome. All we ask is a $5 charge to cover the cost of the refreshments.
• Signing off. Pitt still up 21-20 with 12 minutes to play.