tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25162596207303037862024-03-13T05:27:29.241-07:00The Three Bees of Life: Books, Blues and BettingD.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-6556127800537264982010-06-25T15:46:00.000-07:002010-06-25T15:52:13.050-07:00Huge Sports Weekend - Starting with a Pick 3 at Hollywood Park on Friday NightA huge sports betting weekend starts tonight when CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees take on the L.A. Dodgers and Hollywood Park runs their usual Friday night card.<br /><br />Check out the articles for both at the link below.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/author/19/">Read more sports stuff</a><br /><br />D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">and they're off Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-52457428547784877252010-06-18T18:23:00.000-07:002010-06-18T18:26:11.985-07:00Give Danzing Tribal Another Shot in Race 7 at Hollywood Park TonightNight racing at Hollywood Park. You've got to love it. The last time Danzing Tribal ran, he pulled up and walked off of the turf. This after being bet down to 2 to 1 favoritism.<br /><br />Well, he's back and with a weight advantage as he gets jockey Alex Gonzalez to jump onto him. I like his chances tonight. So much so, that he's my Pick of the Day.<br /><br />I'm also using him in a Pick 3 that comes out to $36.<br /><br />Read the entire article here!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/author/19/">Read more sports stuff</a><br /><br />D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">and they're off Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-73632641198840751352010-06-17T14:56:00.000-07:002010-06-17T15:00:04.081-07:00What??? Yes! I'm Picking the Celtics!I'm a die-hard L.A. Lakers' fan. No, seriously. Ask my wife. I do love the Lakers. I love Kobe. I love Phil. I love everythign about this wonderful city of Los Angeles, but I can't pick the Lakers to beat the Celtics tonight in Game 7.<br /><br />Why? Because there's just no value in it. L.A. is awesome, but they're huge, massive, incredible favorites in tonight's game. <br /><br />The betting odds on Boston are +270 on the moneyline. I have to take that bet.<br /><br />I just have to.<br /><br />other D.S. Williamson articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/author/19/">Read more sports stuff</a><br /><br />D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">and they're off Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-9206507380506693422010-06-16T12:28:00.000-07:002010-06-17T14:56:33.627-07:00Hollywood Race 7 Pick For 6/17/2010Bob Baffert's Rapport will try to win first time against winners in Hollywood's 7th race today. Rapport could be any sort and even if horse racing fans aren't looking to bet this race, they should tune in to see how he does.<br /><br />Of course, I'll be betting against Rapport today, or, at least, using another horse to counter Baffert's charge.<br /><br />Click on Read More Sports Stuff to get the scoop!<br /><br />other D.S. Williamson articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/author/19/">Read more sports stuff</a><br /><br />D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">and they're off Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-29921573958732585942010-06-10T16:23:00.001-07:002010-06-10T17:10:01.087-07:00Gulf Oil Spill is a Watershed MomentThe Gulf Oil Spill, I'm capitalizing the words for a reason, is a watershed moment in U.S. History. Oh, I know. That phrase has been bandied about before, but this time, this time, it's true.<br /><br />You see, the problem isn't whether or not deep sea drilling should be allowed or whether or not BP should pay for the clean-up and put money into the pockets of the working families affected. The problem is that we as a nation are already debating these things when the most important goal hasn't been realized.<br /><br />Oil is still spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. By the thousands upon thousands. By the thousands upon thousands of gallons each and every second.<br /><br />The ramifications of this are extreme. Extreme enough, I believe, to signal the end of the American Economic Empire. Every empire in the history of the world has fallen. Our's has been due to fall for a while. Now, I'm convinced that it is on its way to falling. Oh, we'll still have a say, but our ability to truly change the world will be greatly diminished.<br /><br />I'm not saying it's gong to happen overnight. I'm just saying that the Gulf Oil Spill is the sign. It's the one great sign because we have no idea what to do and we have never, ever, as a nation, been in that position.<br /><br />At least we had a response to the Great Depression. At least we had a response to 9/11. But this? We have no response for this because...there isn't one. There is no enemy here except for our own outdated and ridiculous notion that everything in the nation will always stay the same, that the standard of living, which, hate to break it to you, has always been a mirage, will stay the same. That we can continually pump billions of gallons of oil out of the Earth and somehow, someway, it's always going to be hunky-dory and a-okay. We're like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons, except our mighty god has always been the "dollar, dollar bill y'all!" Our mighty god has led us to cut corners and forget about the basic tenet of life, that all things are connected, somehow, someway... <br /><br />Well, it looks like that's all about to change. The Age of A-Okay is over. There's just no way a nation like the United States, given our current economic condition, can recover from this insane mess because our very ideology, who we are, will prevent us from doing so. We won't allow ourselves to admit that, "You know what? Maybe, we should change who we are!" <br /><br />So, as Governor Jindal screams at the Obama Administration and the Obama Administration screams at BP and BP screams at...well, life, I suppose...the oil will keep flowing and out of work families will keep struggling and the American way of life will eventually become...oh, damn...just life.<br /><br /> <br />For a lot of us switching from eating fresh salmon to farm raised catfish might do the trick. But for a lot of us, this change is going to be a real kick in the ass.<br /><br />A real, big, kick in the ass. Hey, that's life, right? All empires fall.<br /><br />We just received, and are receiving, the sign that ours is about to.D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-73580139225994598232010-06-04T20:11:00.000-07:002010-06-04T20:20:58.244-07:00Fly Down the One to Beat in the 2010 Belmont StakesNick Zito will win the Belmont Stakes again. The two time winner hoist the coveted Test of Champions trophy once again on Saturday but it won't be because of morning line favorite, Ice Box.<br /><br />It will be because of Fly Down. The son of Mineshaft has the requisite turn of foot in order to blow away the Belmont Stakes field. Ice Box? The horse always finds trouble and I believe he finds trouble again on Saturday. He'll come on but it will be too late. First Dude? He has to be tired after that Preakness run.<br /><br />I'm predicting that Game On Dude and First Dude go out for the lead, Interactif lies about 2 to 3 lengths behind. Behind Interactif will be Fly Down. As they turn for home, Interactif will take the lead while Game On Dude and First Dude will fall back to the pack.<br /><br />At that point, Fly Down will kick it into gear to run past Interactif. Ice Box will run on for 2nd while Interactif will hang on for third.<br /><br />Make sure to play the Pick 4 as the pool is $1 million bucks! Good luck on Belmont Stakes Day!<br /><br />Other D.S. Williamson articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/author/19/">Read more sports stuff</a><br /><br />D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">and they're off Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-73689066791908022512010-05-23T14:57:00.000-07:002010-05-24T12:27:21.786-07:00Best Three Year Old Will Probably Come Out of the Belmont StakesThe Belmont Stakes is about two weeks away, but already it's obvious to me. The best three-year old this year, I have no doubt, will come out of the Belmont Stakes.<br /><br />This year reminds me of 2000 when Tiznow, a late-blooming three-year old, went on to capture the Breeders' Cup Classic after finishing second in the Pacific Classic that summer. Tizzy didn't run in a single 3-year old Classic race, but that's okay because sometimes it makes more sense to let time do it's thing. That appears to be the case with this group of 3-year olds although as opposed to Tizzy, the Belmont Stakes will prove to be the race from where the 2010 champion 3-year old emerged. <br /><br />Just a few weeks ago it looked like Super Saver had taken a huge step forward ala Charismatic in 1999 when he won the Lexington Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. For Super Saver, the step forward appeared to be in the Kentucky Derby. Another step forward in the Preakness looked possible, but instead of moving forward in the Preakness, Super Saver moved backward, losing by 11 1/2 lengths.<br /><br />The horse that appeared to take a step forward in the Preakness was Lookin' At Lucky, the failed Kentucky Derby favorite. Lucky, however, only produced a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Although wrought with inexplicable failings, the Beyer Speed Figure is still a nice barometer of how fast Lookin' At Lucky is capable of running because his Beyer numbers, surprisingly, have never really "jumped". Lucky has been a rather "blah" performer as a 3-year old. He almost let First Dude beat him at Pimlico after First Dude ran the first quarter in 22 and change.<br /><br />In 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby. There was an expectation that he would improve in the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby, but he didn't. He regressed. The winner of that year's Preakness, Red Bullet,never did much after the Classic victory, the Foggy Road Stakes being the highlight of his post-Preakness career. The winner of the Belmont Stakes was Commendable, who took the lead shortly after the gates opened and never looked back. Commendable won the Belmont by default.<br /><br />Tiznow was the horse that took that all important step-forward but it wasn't in a Classic race. It was in the Affirmed Handicap. This year, "Tiznow", in my opinion, will run in the Beelmont Stakes. Who is this year's "Tiznow"? There are two possible candidates.<br /><br />The first is FlyDown, Nick Zito's other entrant in this year's Belmont. Fly Down's stablemate, Ice Box, is going to be the morning line favorite for the Belmont Stakes if all goes well but Fly Down is in line to be the best 3-year old in the country. Flydown has a huge upside and should get the distance of the Belmont without any trouble at all. His Dwyer victory was awe-inspiring.<br /><br />The second candidate for best 3-year old in the nation is the aforementioned First Dude. The Bob Baffert trained Game On Dude will pressure First Dude in the Belmont Stakes, but the other "dude" can't put too much pressure on First Dude or else he's going to get cooked. First Dude ran 6 furlongs in the Preakness in 1:11 and 1. He actually came back on after Lookin' At Lucky passed him in the stretch showing the type of gameness missing in Super Saver. Any more improvement and First Dude could wire the Belmont Stakes field. First Dude can also rate if his other "dude" rival decides to take the lead.<br /><br />Both First Dude and Fly Down present to very possible, I would venture to say likely, 3-year old of the year candidates. With Super Saver proving to be a super dud, and Lookin' At Lucky appearing to be nothing more than a good but not great horse, the 3-year old title is up for grabs. My money will be on that horse either being First Dude or Flydown.<br /><br />Other D.S. Williamson articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/author/19/">Read more sports stuff</a><br /><br />D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">and they're off Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-53027634112656395132010-01-14T10:45:00.000-08:002010-01-14T10:47:05.682-08:00USC Finds Their Fall Guy in Lane KiffinThe USC Trojans, arguably the top NCAA football program in the United States, ended their quest for a new head coach by signing Lane Kiffin away from the Tennessee Volunteers.<br /><br />The USC job will be Kiffin’s second in the past the two years after he left the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and was signed by Tennessee to turn around a storied SEC program that had fallen on hard times. Oh, wait, did I write that Kiffin had “left” Oakland? My apologies.<br /><br />Kiffin didn’t leave Oakland. Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders’ walking zombie of an owner who sometimes appears to make decisions by consulting a magic eight ball, fired Kiffin. According to Davis, Kiffin is a “liar”. That statement isn’t alarming until one realizes that Al Davis is probably the most forgiving man on the planet.<br /><br />For instance, Davis’s current coach, the man who could be “King of the Truck Drivers” if he didn’t coach the Oakland Raiders, Tom Cable, punched out one of Davis’s assistants in the locker room. Did Cable get fired? Nope. In fact, Davis is still “evaluating” Cable’s performance this past regular season.<br /><br />But Kiffin? Kiffin is a horrible human being according to Davis. And, yet, there he was, with Daddy Monte, his venerable father who helped create the famed Cover 2 defense that almost every NFL team uses to keep opposing quarterbacks from going wild, espousing the awesomeness of USC on television.<br /><br />How thoughtful. And, ‘Bama Nation wants to thank you, Lane, for sticking it to the Volunteers. Oh, LSU, Florida and Ole Miss give their regards as well.<br /><br />What the hell, Kiffin? Seriously? After one season in Tennessee, you’re bolting?<br /><br />Of course, that’s not the biggest question. The biggest question is why in the world would USC athletic director Mike Garrett hire Kiffin in the first place. The only thing I can think of is that coaches like North Carolina’s Butch Davis and Pittsburgh’s Dave Wannstedt turned down Garrett.<br /><br />Both guys, in my opinion, would have been a better fit for a program that almost assuredly is going to suffer through some NCAA sanctions starting next season. Which brings up another point…what exactly is Kiffin expected to do in L.A.?<br /><br />Kiffin can’t possibly be expected to win, can he? After all, Pete Carroll, who made the right decision by bailing on the program for money and potential glory with the Seattle Seahawks, failed to motivate a team loaded with talent, will Kiffin?<br /><br />USC’s glory days appeared to be behind them as it was and Pete Carroll was coaching them. Now, they have Lane Kiffin who failed with the Oakland Raiders and didn’t have enough guts or integrity to at least give it a go in Tennessee.<br /><br />Now Kiffin takes over a program that could be in dire straits because of NCAA violations. Not only that, but California, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford all have football programs that can compete with USC now. UCLA and Arizona appear to programs that are rising.<br /><br />Notre Dame gets Brian Kelly and USC gets…Lane Kiffin?<br /><br />A small argument can be made that Kiffin will surround himself with top assistants and that those assistants, like his father Monte and their buddy Ed Orgeron, will help him lead USC back to the BCS Championship Game, but that’s a tough argument to make because Orgeron’s success occurred a while ago and Monte Kiffin’s success has been in the NFL.<br /><br />It’s more likely that Lane Kiffin will end up like Charlie Weiss, the former Notre Dame coach, who just couldn’t build a college program that could compete year in and year out.<br /><br />Wait, I just thought of the real reason Kiffin is USC’s new coach. Athletic Director Mike Garrett needed a scapegoat now that Carroll bolted for the NFL. Can anybody think of a better one than Lane Kiffin?<br /><br />I certainly can’t. Good job, Lane. Take the money for a while. Garrett won’t care. You just decided to sign on to a program going down the tubes that needed a scapegoat.<br /><br />Well, you’re it. Hey, Lane, you just put the nail in your own coffin because after USC becomes the fifth best team in the Pac 10, you won’t be able to get another head coaching job in the college ranks or NFL probably ever again.<br /><br />But at least you’re getting paid and you do get to work with Daddy Monte for another year. Hey, that’s something.D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-68309977056110403602009-12-31T08:31:00.001-08:002009-12-31T08:31:30.648-08:00Check Out AFC Playoff Game Stuff For Sunday!Check out my article regarding the AFC games in the NFL this Sunday with playoff implications.<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/nfl-football/articles/afc-playoff-picture-jets-and-ravens-control-their-destiny/">http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/nfl-football/articles/afc-playoff-picture-jets-and-ravens-control-their-destiny/</a></div> <div><br></div><div>And don't forget to pick up your copy of and they're off! with that awesome cover by Jaitip Srisomburananont.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262277032&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262277032&sr=8-1</a></div> <div><br></div><div><br></div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-46976017011862179122009-12-29T09:00:00.001-08:002009-12-29T09:00:40.293-08:00Top Ten Horses Of the Decade? Quick Link For the ArticleWho are the Top Ten Horses of the past decade? Click the link below for the article!<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/horse-racing/articles/top-10-horses-of-the-decade-its-tiznow/">http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/horse-racing/articles/top-10-horses-of-the-decade-its-tiznow/</a></div> <div><br></div><div>Also, don't forget to pick up your copy of my short story book collection at:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262105992&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262105992&sr=8-1</a></div> <div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-86953441940577386292009-11-18T08:06:00.001-08:002009-11-18T08:06:37.109-08:00Hooked on Clash of the Gods<div>I've been watching this show on the History Channel, Clash of the Gods, and it's awesome.</div> <div> </div> <div>Hercules pisses off Hera by being Hercules. She sends madness to him. He kills his children. He does the twelve labors. Then, he commits suicide becuase the twelve labors didn't help him rid himself of his guilt.</div> <div> </div> <div>King Minos decides to keep his prized bull to himself. Posiedon gets pissed and gets Minos' wife to fall in love with the bull. The bull bears the Minotaur. Athens and Crete go back and forth and the Cretian's kill Athenian virgins by sticking them in the labyrinth with the Minotaur until Theseus comes by and kills the Minotaur. But, as luck would have it, Theseus doesn't raise the white sail, like his dad told him to do, on his way back to Athens and so his dad, King Aegis, throws himself into the water and dies.</div> <div> </div> <div>What's in store today? How about an episode on the Lord of the Rings. I'm wondering what the profs are going to say about that.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-28092520463971086252009-11-05T09:10:00.000-08:002009-11-05T09:17:54.241-08:00Breeders' Cup This Weekend!The best two days in horse racing this year occur on Friday and Saturday. I've already got numerous articles posted in the BetUS Locker Room on almost every single one of the 2009 Breeders' Cup races. Check those out starting with my Classic picks.<br /><a href="http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/horse-racing/free-picks/breeders-cup-summer-bird-and-quality-road-look-to-hook-up-in-the-classic/"><br />Classic Picks</a><br /><br />Also, here are some thoughts:<br /><br />Rose Catherine in the Juvenile Fillies Turf is the best overlay bet on Friday.<br /><br />Court Vision in the Mile is the best overlay bet on Saturday.<br /><br />Summer Bird should win the Classic.<br /><br />Zenyatta won't finish in the Top 5 in the Classic.<br /><br />It's worth betting the Pick 6 if you can keep it under control, less than $150 total.<br /><br />Don't forget to pick up your copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257441336&sr=1-1">Stories From the Racetrack</a>.<br /><br />See ya!D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-14217544541431950422009-10-08T15:53:00.000-07:002009-10-08T16:02:33.568-07:00and they're off! Stories From the Racetrack Now on Sale Through Amazon.comand they're off!, my short story collection about a fictional racetrack, is now on sale through Amazon.com.<br /><br />Pick up a copy, why don't ya'?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xe7bdt_H6wM/Ss5uXw-oD8I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/JpVFZ7RAFc4/s1600-h/1BOOKCOVER_revised7flattened.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 164px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xe7bdt_H6wM/Ss5uXw-oD8I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/JpVFZ7RAFc4/s320/1BOOKCOVER_revised7flattened.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390367158572683202" /></a></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/theyre-off-Stories-Racetrack/dp/1448618312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255042820&sr=1-2">Purchase and they're off! Stories From the Racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-39579326964473534082009-10-08T15:43:00.001-07:002009-10-08T15:50:16.117-07:00Check Out Bleacher Report Article on Florida vs. LSUCheck out the article my freind Greg Riot posted on the Bleacher Report about the upcoming game between LSU and Florida.<br /><br />I sort of feel like LSU turned the corner with that victory over Georgia last week, and Greg agrees but he likes Florida to win. I'm not so sure. I've seen this LSU team play a couple of times this year and that defense is pretty tough.<br /><br />We shall see!<br /><br /><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/267975-what-does-it-mean-to-florida-with-or-without-tim-tebow">Florida vs. LSU With or Without Tim Tebow</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-9206916068805022532009-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:002009-10-05T09:02:15.767-07:00and they're off! stories from the racetrack - Part 1and they're off! stories from the racetrack is finally available for purchase. Below is an excerpt from A Day At The Races Ain't Always Funny. I've added a link to where the short story collection can be purchased for those who might be interested. <br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br />Sammy and I ran into the building. Sammy’s dad followed. We got in line behind a wall of people. I turned and watched Sammy’s dad walk towards us, his head hung low, his feet shuffled. I think I might have felt sorry for him, but Sammy was so excited that I couldn’t stop listening to anything he was saying.<br />“Come on, dad!” Sammy yelled and some of the older folks turned and looked at us as if we were dogs that had been let off of their leashes. “Let’s get our money! How much did we win?”<br />Sammy’s dad suddenly smiled as he stared at the two of us. Then, he told us, “You two hang back here and I’ll cash our ticket.”<br />We waited as Sammy’s dad took his time finding the line he wanted to get into. I started wondering why he had decided to get into the longest line. Then, I put it together, he wanted to waste time, to think about what he was going to do next, but I wasn’t going to say anything because Sammy was my friend and I didn’t want to make him feel bad.<br />Sammy kept looking around, staring at everybody, and making jokes. “You know who that is?” he’d ask me and then he’d hit me in the shoulder and slyly point to an old woman or an old man. <br />“Who?” I’d ask.<br />“Yo Mama!” he’d say and then he’d laugh. I’d laugh along with him even though I didn’t think it was funny. It didn’t make any sense either since some of the old people were men and there was no way my mamma could be confused with a man. Still, I sort of got why Sammy kept doing it. He was nervous about something and even though he wasn’t sure what it was, I had a good idea of what it was and I felt sorry for him.<br />A hurricane is nothing compared to what Sammy was going through at the racetrack. I know, I know, how can I say that? Well, I can say it because it’s true. There’s disappointment of the kind that you can’t control. The kind that comes down from heaven or comes up from hell. It rips you to shreds like a mad dog on a steak whether it comes from above or below, but then there’s the kind of disappointment that just comes at you in small rips, like paper cuts. A hurricane is from heaven or hell, washing away most living things, but washing away all of the trash too. But Sammy’s dad? He was like those small rips, those paper-cuts, the kind that keeps bleeding no matter what you try to do to stop it from bleeding. That was Sammy’s dad, a never-ending paper cut.<br />He finally came back to us. “Keeping the money safe in my back pocket!” he said and he smacked his own ass.<br /><br />Like this? Then purchase the entire collection at:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.createspace.com/3388568">and they're off! stories from the racetrack</a>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-22188560411533121622009-08-31T12:19:00.001-07:002009-09-09T07:51:13.024-07:00Could Cheney Be Right About CIA Probe?<div>Could Dick Cheney be right about the CIA Probe? I can't even believe that I'm asking the question as I've always had an issue with Darth Vader and his side-kicks, but Cheney, who recently said that President Obama's and Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to look into CIA interrogation techniques during the Bush Administration years was "politically motivated", might have a point.</div> <div> </div> <div>I haven't been able to figure out exactly why the Obama Administration is looking into supposedly past CIA transgressions. After all, we are talking about "The Company", "The Spooks" (not my friend Chenjerai's former rap group but the name given to CIA operatives), the very people who's job success requires deception.</div> <div> </div> <div>The micromanagement of CIA Operatives in the field has never been, and should never, in my opinion, be an important goal for the Attorney General to shoot for. The CIA shouldn't work under it's own rules, that's not what I'm saying, but it should work under guidelines that keep it separate from other organizations. Why? Because by it's very nature the CIA is another organization. It's sole purpose is to gather intelligence that keeps the United States number one in the world. How it does it may need to change and the Obama Administration can do that, but spending time, money and effort on figuring out the rightness or wrongness of what happened in the past makes no sense to me.</div> <div> </div> <div>Would it be possible to glean information from prisoners with different interrogation methods? Maybe, but by opening a can of worms that could quickly become the size of the Capitol Building, the Obama Administration can only be hoping for one thing, deflection. That has to be the word, right? Deflection from the fact that unemployment is rampant in our cities and we haven't made any headway in Afghanistan?</div> <div> </div> <div>The Obama Administration cannot be faulted for either one, but by playing a Bush Administration "card", blaming the past administration for not being able to solve present day issues, the Obama Administration has already proven themselves to be no different than the Bush Administration when it comes to explaining why, after more than 200 days in office, nothing has really changed. Nothing at all.</div> <div> </div> <div>But, I digress. The truth is that the CIA is the CIA for a reason and I have to agree with Cheney on one respect - - there hasn't been a terrorist atttack on American soil since 9/11.</div> <div> </div> <div>That's a fact. Maybe, we should leave the CIA alone and let it do its job. Nobody likes to be micromanaged, after all. </div> <div> </div> <div>There are bigger issues to solve than punishing the CIA for what they did under Cheney's and Bush's watch, much bigger. Let bygones be bygones is what I say.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div>D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-91392005217294402512009-08-24T15:51:00.001-07:002009-08-24T15:51:12.462-07:0033 Advertisers Pull Away From Fox's Glenn Beck<div>After Glenn Beck called President Barrack Obama a racist on national television, he promptly went on vacation.</div> <div> </div> <div>Well, he's back today, but, thank goodness, thirty-three advertisers have decided not to go back to the Obama bashing with him. Beck's program, which can only be described as vitrolically stupid, is as fanciful to the right as espousing upon Quentin Tarantino's supposed genius is to those film goers who see more on the screen then blood and pulp. Hey, I like most of Quentin's stuff too, but let's be honest...after the cringing gore and comedy, what's left? Not much.</div> <div> </div> <div>But, I'm not hapring on Quentin because at least he doesn't pretend that he's more than an entertainer. Beck, and his buffoonish buddy, Rush Limbaugh, do.</div> <div> </div> <div>Well, Beck's entertainment, or supra-entertainment Fox would lead us to believe, has gotten him in trouble with no less than thirty-three advertisers. Geez! And the Philadelphia Eagles thought they'd lose some advertising dollars when they signed Michael Vick!</div> <div> </div> <div>I suppose I'll have to start describing Beck's program as vilotrilically limp as opposed to vitrolically stupid. Actually, I doubt Beck will leave the stupidity behind. After all, he's made a killing off of it.</div> <div> </div> <div>What's really surprising, almost inspiring actually, is that one of the advertisers who has pulled out of supporting Beck's program is Wal-Mart. That's right. The right winger's favorite bastion of Republican economics.</div> <div> </div> <div>If Wal-Mart hates you, Glenn Beck, then you can be assured that <em>everybody</em> hates you.</div> <div> </div> <div>Better shore up that resume, buddy. You're going to need it.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-79182540159732948082009-08-18T11:06:00.001-07:002009-08-18T11:06:15.119-07:00Journalist Robert Novak Changed Washington Politics ForeverIt used to be that journalism, even tinged with yellow from Hearst like rags from the early part of the last century, meant something in this nation.<br> <br>That changed in 2003 when Robert Novak released the name of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame, and all hell broke loose in Washington. For those who don't remember, Valerie Plame is the wife of Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson, of course, is the whistle blower who came out and said that Iraq had never tried to purchase yellow cake uranium from the African nation of Niger. The overlord himself, Dick Cheney, decided to fight back by using Scooter Libby, who became the fall guy for this entire ordeal, and Robert Novak to get back at Wilson by outing Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame.<br> <br>It was all very 90201'ish back then and is even more so now considering that no further evidence has come out regarding the Saddam Hussein regime and nuclear weapons. But Scooter Libby going to jail actually wasn't the biggest watershed moment to come out of the yellow uranium case, or scandal, depending on who you speak to.<br> <br>The most important moment was the fact that those in the media who bat on the right had suddenly become more than just pinch-hitters. They had become clean-up men. Novak went from being a guy espousing the Bush Administration's vitrolic ridiculousness to a guy actually putting that ridiculousness into motion. Take a look at Rush Limbaugh who has so frightened the Republican Party this year that the head of their committe, Michael Steele, actually apologized to Limbaugh for saying that Limbaugh's show was "ugly" and "incendiary", or take a look at Glen Beck who can outright call the President of the United States a racist and not only get to keep his job but remain the focal point of the Fox News Network's belligerent hate talk that they consider journalism.<br> <br>Beck and Limbaugh run the Republican Party. Not the politicans. The media of the right have officially taken over the right. <br> <br>Who should the nation thank for this? Robert Novak who passed away today at the age of 78 after battling cancer. I liked Novak. I wasn't a big fan of his politics, but I appreciated his wit, his ability to strike hard at his opponents in debates no matter what the issue. Novak was a commentator and debater that harkened to the days of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley. Novak was someone that the left could respect.<br> <br>Now, instead of Robert Novak, we have Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck, but that's Robert Novak's fault. 2003 and Valerie Plame. That was all Robert Novak and Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby. Novak opened the door for Beck and Limbaugh.<br> <br>We should still respect Novak. We should still offer our condolences to his family and offer a "may you rest in peace" to his spirit, but we shouldn't forget that Robert Novak changed the relationship between the media, politicians, and political decisions forever.<br> <br>There would be no Glen Beck today without Robert Novak and 2003. Is that a good or bad thing? I'll hold my tongue in regards to that question.<br> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-8510157281671413842009-08-10T10:53:00.001-07:002009-08-10T10:53:31.946-07:00Zenyatta Wins Clement L. Hirsch but Rachel is Still the Queen<div>Zenyatta won the Clement L. Hirsch on Sunday at Del Mar, but Rachel Alexandra is still the queen. Simply put, Zenyatta was all out to beat a field that Rachel no doubt on a dirt surface, would probably have beaten by between 10 to 20 lengths.</div> <div> </div> <div>I was a bit embarrassed, actually, for both the connections of Zenyatta and Zenyatta's fans as I watched them gush over the brilliant filly. Yes, Zenyatta is still brilliant, 12 victories in a row means something, but she has yet to run against Rachel Alexandra on a traditional dirt surface and I doubt that her connections will do so claiming, as they have before, that if Team Rachel wants to go out west and take on Zenyatta on an artificial surface than they would be more than willing to tackle her.</div> <div> </div> <div>It's a ridiculous notion in my mind since I do believe that the artificial surfaces give closers like Zenyatta a huge edge over front-runners like Rachel Alexandra who are prone to tiring much more easily on concoctions like Polytrack or cushion track or Pro-Ride. Rachel Alexandra has taken on the boys while Zenyatta has run against females. Rachel Alexandra has won a Triple Crown race while Zenyatta's connections, while she was a three year old, kept her away from any horse that could challenge her.</div> <div> </div> <div>Rachel's connections have been bold and even though I have said in the past that their boldness was unfounded, I have to give them credit now. I was wrong. They were right.</div> <div> </div> <div>Zenyatta is brilliant. Rachel Alexandra is special. Zenyatta is Bobby Charles, the brilliant songwriter/musician from central Louisiana who almost never leaves the swamps of Cajun Country and plays a particular brand of music. Rachel Alexandra is Bob Dylan who travels the world and changes direction musically every time he steps into a studio.</div> <div> </div> <div>Who would you rather be?</div> <div> </div> <div>I'd rather be Rachel Alexandra and I doubt anyone would argue against that. Zenyatta is brilliant, but she isn't special. If her connections wish her to go down as a very special horse, then she has to travel out east to take on Rachel Alexandra.</div> <div> </div> <div>Otherwise, she will end up being spoken about in the same breath as Azeri not Ruffian.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-55777573949239828832009-08-02T17:09:00.001-07:002009-08-02T17:09:17.939-07:00Rachel Alexandra Leaves No DoubtUnder a dreary New Jersey sky, and on a rain soaked dirt track, Rachel Alexandra, seemingly under the steady hand of the great huntress Artemis, shot past her two biggest rivals like an arrow from the racing gods to win the $1.25 million Haskell Stakes.<br> <br>It was the second time in three races that the brilliant filly, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by the cagey Cajun, Calvin Borel, beat the boys. Rachel put her male rivals in place earlier this year in the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, but that race wasn't nearly as impressive as this one as Rachel cruised past two other Grade I winners, the Belmont Stakes winning Summer Bird and he King's Bishop winning Munnings, to stake her claim as the best racehorse in the world.<br> <br>The huge filly was on the hunt early as she sat outside of Munnings and along with that rival ripped off a quarter in 22 and change and 6 furlongs in 109 and change. The pace was incredibly swift and it looked as if Munnings and Summer Bird, the Belmont winner was on the pace today, would pose a challenge to Rachel, but then the big time filly kicked it into gear and curised to a 6 length victory.<br> <br>She left no dout that she is the best three year old in the world and perhaps the best female horse of all time, but that's debatable as thoroughbred racing has been embroiled in it's own version of girl power excess in 2009. Horse racing fans will be hard pressed to remember a time when arguably the two best horses in the United States, and perhaps the world, were both female, but that's exactly what's going on now as both Rachel Alexandra and the undefeated mare sensation, Zenyatta, have dominated racing this year.<br> <br>Zenyatta's connections have always maintained that they would not run against the boys and that if Rachel wanted to challenge them that she would have a shot to do so in this year's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. That's all well and good, but after Rachel's performance today, the ball is squarely in the Court of Zenyatta. She's going to have to do much more than beat up on second tier fillies and mares on artificial surfaces on the west coast if she's to stake any claim as the best female horse, much less the best horse, in the world.<br> <br>Should Rachel Alexandra show up at this year's Breeders' Cup, then expect her to run against the boys again in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Jess Jackson, her owner whose wines are almost just as smooth as his Grade I winning filly, has already stated as such.<br> <br>That means that Zenyatta, who is undefeated and quite possibly the second greatest female horse to ever live, is in danger of getting lost once the history of books are updated. Without beating Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta will always be a second class citizen in the annals of horse racing.<br> <br>Fair? Perhaps not, but that's racing. Zenyatta's owner and trainer, the brilliant John Shirreffs, should take that into consideration when mapping out the rest of Zenyatta's career. Rachel Alexandra, on the other hand, has solidified her status in racing history. She's awesome. Just ask Summer Bird and Munnings who were probably singing her praises, albeit in their own horse language, as she ran past them, the mud from their hooves flying squarely onto their drawn out faces.<br> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br> <br> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-7581965624312242352009-07-26T11:17:00.001-07:002009-07-26T11:17:19.540-07:00Ernest Hemingway's Snows of Kilimanjaro Still Resonates<div>The Snows of Kilimanjaro, which Ernest Hemingway wrote in 1936, some 25 years before his death, still stands as perhaps one of his most autobiographical, and important works.</div> <div> </div> <div>I recently re-read Snows of Kilimanjaro after stumbling upon a short story collection book that my sister-in-law, Jai-Tip, bought. I haven't had a chance to sit down with Tip, who happens to be the artist who created the cover of my soon to be released short story collection book, "And They're Off! Stories From the Racetrack", but I felt the need to blog about the story anyhow.</div> <div> </div> <div>It's just too important of a story for any artist, much less any writer, to not think about and contemplate. Hemingway, lest we forget, committed suicide in 1961 by putting a double-barrel shot gun to his forehead and pulling both triggers. Gruesome and destructive, but almost poignant considering his works. I don't want to get into why I believe it was poignant, that's a discussion, that could lead to some believing me a dark individual on the Jerzy Kosinski level.</div> <div> </div> <div>Instead, I want to remind readers of the brilliance of Hemingway and Snows of Kiliminjaro which jarred me quite literally off of the toilet, yes, I was reading while doing number 2, in a way that I cannot explain.</div> <div> </div> <div>Snows of K is about an author, Harry, who lies dying on a cot because of an infection he received, while the woman he is currently seeing, tries desperately to tend to him. </div> <div>In a bit of brilliant semi-stream of conciousness, removed from the Joycian style yet utterly effective, Harry decries the life he has led, the utterly insatiable need for things that "don't matter", the Bohemian life style that he has embraced, "living" so to speak, instead of writing what matters to him.</div> <div> </div> <div>It's an example of the writer's dilemma - - one must live in order to find what to write, yet one must write in order live.</div> <div> </div> <div>I believe that all writers, all artists really, understand this dilemma. Tip and I certainly do as we travel on the fruity and nutty streets of Los Angeles. My freind Chenjerai, formerly of the the rap group The Spooks does, as he works towards a phd at Penn State while trying to satisfy his musical hunger. My friend Lin and my friend Andrew certainly do as one puts together moving pictures of daily struggles and the other creates brilliant momentos through an art form, poetry, that nobody seems to think about anymore. My friend Damon does as he uses his extreme talents to makes sense of the world through a medium, Hollywood filmmaking, that has become overblown with sugarless candy. My brilliant sister, Jennifer does, as she raises a family while creating an entirely different world for her young adult characters, their minds and hearts reacting to the hardness of life that they are just discovering. </div> <div> </div> <div>But...all of us are young and alive. Hemingway is dead and so is Harry. </div> <div> </div> <div>As I read Snows of K, on that fantastic toilet that my wife Jomjai installed that would literally suck the hairs out of my ass if I didn't raise my buttocks just a bit before flushing, the damn thing is so powerful, I suddenly realized why it struck me so. </div> <div> </div> <div>Time. We all need more of it. We never get enough of it. And, we all cry about it. That is the artist's life. It is all about time.</div> <div> </div> <div>At the end of the day, all artist's believe, all artist's feel, that they are running out of time.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-78717574972589813472009-07-17T17:03:00.001-07:002009-07-17T17:03:54.064-07:00Tiger's Meltdown Shouldn't Overshadow Watson<div>Tiger melted down. Yes, he did. There's no other way to say it. More than one person has told me today that he just...well, melted down. He wasn't in the game mentally. We know this becasue every time he took a shot into the high grass, he seemed to lower his head, bang his club...meltdown.</div> <div> </div> <div>Hey, it happens. It happens in every sport and it especially happens in a sport like golf where the environment changes week to week, hour to hour and sometimes, at a place like Turnberry, minute to minute. Lest we forget, Tiger is still coming off of a devastating knee injury. Has the knee fully healed? Yes. But the harsh conditions at Turnberry today couldn't have helped matters. The knee has healed for say the AT&T National under perfect conditions or the Arnold Palmer under decent conditions, but Turnberry? Where the wind is crazy intense and the cold can seep into the knee and practically freeze it?</div> <div> </div> <div>Let's give the greatest golfer a Mulligan for once. We've given plenty to Ali, Jordan and Brett Favre. No worries, El Tigre. We know you'll be back!</div> <div> </div> <div>What golfing fans should do is turn their attention to Tom Watson. Watson started the day at -5, then bogeyed four of the first seven holes to go to -1 but climbed his way back and into a tie for the lead by shooting par for the round and finishing at -5 again. That's amazing considering that he's 59 years old.</div> <div> </div> <div>Watson's lead at Turnberry is especially cool considering that everybod's been talking about The Duel with Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 British Open on this course. </div> <div> </div> <div>The fact that Watson had to regain his composure and get hmself back into the lead after shooting a +4 during the first seven holes today tells me that the legend has an actual shot at winning this thing. </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-82830980067229604152009-07-17T09:11:00.001-07:002009-07-17T09:11:57.718-07:00Kobe Bryant Steps Up For Jimmy V.<div>Every morning, I listen to Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. Colin's easily one of the best radio personalities I have ever heard in my life. Not only does he talk about a subject dear to my heart, sports, but he does so with an absolute understanding of the subject.</div> <div> </div> <div>The man is never afraid to tell it like it is. He also isn't afraid to steer away from controversy, but that's for a different post.</div> <div> </div> <div>Well, this morning he told his listeners about a call, a private call, that he received from Kobe Bryant the other day. ESPN was giving away sports packages, trips to major sporting events, airfare, tickets, hotel lodgings, etc., for donations to the V Foundation, the cancer reserach non-profit organization founded and named after the late Jim Valvano.</div> <div> </div> <div>One of the indivdiuals who called Colin to buy one of the packages was Kobe Bryant. Kobe didn't want his name to come up. He didn't want it publicized, although Colin did anyhow. Kobe just wanted to give.</div> <div> </div> <div>What did he give? $10,000 for one of the packages and he told Colin to give it away. So, what Bryant did was not only give $10,000 to the V Foundation, but he gave away the package he bought to some lucky listener.</div> <div> </div> <div>And he didn't care if anybody knew about it. </div> <div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-91673829184760389082009-07-16T07:39:00.001-07:002009-07-16T07:39:49.376-07:00Tiger Struggles in British Open But Stricker Looks GoodTiger Woods shot a 1 over par in the first round of the British Open today at Turneberry. Playing with Lee Westwood and Ryo Ishikawa, the Japanese teenage sensation, El Tigre just couldn't keep pace, getting outshot by 3 strokes today.<div> <br></div><div>The bad news is that Tiger is in 71st place. The good news is that Tiger is only off by 6 strokes. That shouldn't be a problem at all for the best golfer in the world. A bigger story might be last week's John Deere Classic winner, Steve Stricker, who is ho once again. Stricker shot a 4 under par to finish five strokes ahead of Woods and one stroke off the lead. If Stricker continues his hot play, then he's probably the winner on Sunday.</div> <div><br></div><div>Who is in the lead at Turnberry? How about one of the participants of the famous "Duel" in 1977. Tom Watson, who beat Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 British Open, is atop the leaderboard with a day best -5. Who knows if it will last as some of the best golfers in the world, including two time winner Padraig Harrington, are still out there on the course.</div> <div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516259620730303786.post-86212970841810159552009-07-13T08:21:00.001-07:002009-07-13T08:21:09.886-07:00Halfway Point in MLB Season Points to a Freeway Series<div>We're at the halfway point in the MLB Season and all signs point to a Freeway Series between the still red hot Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels. Even though the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers have done well in the American League, the Angels have suddenly come to life to lead the Texas Rangers atop the A.L. West Division.</div> <div> </div> <div>It's all about timing and the Angels are starting to really roll while the Yankees, Tigers and Red Sox, to some degree, still haven't found their way just yet. If the Angels keep it up, the best record in baseball could be theirs after the second half of the season.</div> <div> </div> <div>In the N.L. its all about the Los Angeles Dodgers at this point. The Philadelphia Phillies might be the best team in the N.L. right now, but they aren't consistent enough yet and the Dodgers can't help but be better in the second half of the season now that star Manny Ramirez is back. The other challenger to the N.L. Pennant should be the St. Louis Cardinals now that two 2008 contenders, the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, have proven to be less than competitive in 2009.</div> <div> </div> <div>Who's the surprise team in the N.L.? How about the San Francisco Giants who lead the league in ERA and are second in WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) which are the key stats in regards to pitching. The Giants have one of the best rotations in baseball. That means that they could be tough in the second half of the season.</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> D.S. Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14225880634400314301noreply@blogger.com3