Random Comments

• Funny that the news of the Penguins/Burkle/Lemieux group's bid to buy the Pirates hits the papers during the team's annual FanFest Celebration.
• IF the Penguins' offer was serious, and IF they REALLY want to buy the Pirates, everyone please recall how Mario put the squeeze on the powers that be until the Pens got the new arena they wanted (needed?)
• Please don't take the above as a knock on Mario (which is tantamount to a mortal sin in some quarters). I am merely giving him his due. He may even be a better businessman than he was a hockey player!
• Bob Smizik had a great description of Bob Nutting earlier in the week: He's a man who does not embarrass easily.
• Robert Morris' easy win over St. Francis (NY) last night, combined with Quinnipiac's loss to Mount St. Mary's, puts the Colonials in first place all alone in the Northeast Conference with a 9-1 mark.
• Quinnipiac visits the Sewall Center on February 20. Circle the date and be there!
• I read a total of six books in the month of January. Way ahead of the pace I would have set had I still had that pesky little day job.
• One of those books was "The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the 21st Century" by Post-Gazette columnist Brian O'Neill. Very interesting and thought provoking. Worth a read.
• Three of those six books read were read via the Kindle. I do like the Kindle - it's a convenient and less expensive way to purchase books - but I do still like to hold a book in my hands.
• One of those six books was borrowed from the library, which is way less expensive that any other form of obtaining a book!
• I will admit to a guilty pleasure - I still read and enjoy the comics in the newspaper. If you do as well, then I recommend the following site: www.comicscurmudgeon.com This site will give you several laughs in the course of any given week (even more so than the actual comics), and it will point out to you that true comic gold can be found in the "serious" strips like Rex Morgan, Mark Trail, and Mary Worth.
• Oh, damn! I just realized that by typing this right now, I am missing the Pro Bowl!
• Speaking of football, are you of the opinion, or do you know anyone who is, that the Saints might win next week? I haven't encountered anyone like that as yet.
• One thing you miss not being in an office anymore: You can't get into a Super Bowl Block Pool. Fortunately, I called a former co-worker who put me in for two squares in a Highmark block pool!
• I wonder if Bob Nutting reads the newspapers and the blogs? If he does, how does he feel knowing that he is universally disliked - if not actually hated - by the populace?
• Remember the old story about Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hammill having the discussion about the three most evil people in history? The story goes that they came up with Hitler, Stalin, and Walter O'Malley, but couldn't agree on the order in which to rank them. That's where Bob Nutting now seems to be.
• In an effort to provide some balance, Bob Smizik points out that it needs be kept in mind that Bob Nutting has only been in charge for the last three of these seventeen long, long seasons.
• Signing off for January. Thanks for welcoming The Grandstander during its first month of existence!

PirateFest Comment

Marilyn and I took a quick spin to opening night of the Pirates Annual FanFest tonight. We got an early entry - at 4:15 or so - and we continue to be amazed at how long people will stand in line to get an autograph of a Pirate or ex-Pirate. The featured signor at this particular time was none other than Bill Mazeroski. Marilyn's comment was "don't you think by now that anyone who wants one would have had Maz's autograph by now?" I thought it was pretty funny line.

The big news, of course, is that the Pirates will be installing a statue of Maz outside of PNC Park this summer, certainly a well deserved honor for #9. The statue will depict Maz rounding the bases after his Game Seven HR in 1960. You all know the pose. Personally, I think a better depiction would have been Maz fielding a grounder or turning a double play, but why quibble? And why stir up the populace by having the statue depict anything BUT that famous home run?

Welcome Big Poppy

Some of you may have noticed a new contributor to The Grandstander, signing himself in as "Big Poppy." I'll preserve his anonymity, but we welcome this Philadelphian who started out on Landview Street!

End of the Month Thoughts

Today is the final work day of the month of January. I also received notice in the mail that my initial pension payments (January and February) will be deposited in the bank and be available to us come Monday morning, February 1. The System Works!!!

I have begun two volunteer undertakings in this first month of retirement.

The first is with the John Heinz Western Pennsylvania History Museum. Eventually, I will be conducting tours of the Museum for school groups. I think that it will be something fun to do, but all I am doing right now is taking a series of online training modules so I will know of what I speak while conducting such tours for the school age urchins. It will probably me mid-March until I am unleashed on the Heinz Museum patrons.

Marilyn and I are also in the middle of a somewhat intense training program to become volunteers at The Highmark Caring Place. As an employee, I was always aware of the work of The Caring Place, and was quite proud to be associated with a company that offered such a wonderful service to the community, so this was something with which I wanted to become involved. If you are unaware of The Caring Place, it is a facility that offers support to grieving children after they have experienced a loss of a family member. (See www.highmarkcaringplace.com for more information.) It does wonderful things for the kids and families who use it, and I know that it will be very rewarding. However, the training for this has been intense, and emotionally draining. We both hope that we have what it takes to do the work involved, and to have a positive effect on the lives of those who come to The Caring Place.

Our 27+ hours of training will conclude on Monday evening, and new groups of families are scheduled to rotate into The Caring Place beginning next month.

I'll keep you all posted on how things evolve.

Duquesne Athletics

Duquesne University is in the news this week - and not positively - over its decision to eliminate four men's sports, baseball, golf, swimming, and wrestling. More to the point, how the University is handling the announcement of this decision is coming under fire by student-athletes, parents, and the media.

For a better take on this, check out Bob Smizik's blog a www.post-gazette.com

Pirates 2009 Play of the Year

If you go to the Pirates website (www.pirates.com) you will see a feature inviting you to vote on the 2009 Play of the Year, and they give you video of each of these plays. It's kind of neat and it will get you in the mood for some Pirates baseball. For the cynics out there, yes, the Bucs did make a sufficient amount of great plays to compile such a list. In fact, I believe that they left out what I would consider the Play of the Year, Andrew McCutcheon's walk off HR against the Phillies in August.

Also not included was John Russell removing Zach Duke in the ninth inning with two outs and an 11-1 lead in the last home game of the season. Now I'm being cynical.

Anyway, check it out and vote. I selected a game in which I was present - McCutcheon's three HR game against the Nats. It is interesting to hear a "Greg Brown-ism" after one of those dingers: "McCutch is clutch!"

After viewing these highlights, I can say one thing for certain: I can't wait to watch Andrew McCutcheon for an entire season in 2010.

Iconic Pittsburghers

The recent death of famous traffic cop Vic Cianca prompted an interesting article in this morning's Post-Gazette about "iconic Pittsburgers." Not sure I agree that all of the names mentioned fall into the category of "iconic" (Bill Hilgrove??), but it was interesting nonetheless, and I thought I'd pass it on. The "aht-a-tahners" reading this might be especially interested.

http://http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10027/1031292-53.stm