Check This Out:

I am sticking with the Grand Prix theme. Go check out my buddy's current blog posting here. It is a video of over 20 years of highlights from the Monaco Grand Prix set to Curtis Mayfield's Move on Up. A great way to get your groove on for the day and watch a cool vid.

Grand Prix

I am adding a new movie to my list of favorites: Grand Prix from 1966. I am sheepishly admitting to the fact that I had never even heard of this movie until I stumbled across it on Speedvision a few weeks ago (actually, my lady stumbled across it and told me I should watch it because she knew I would like it, that's 1 of the many reasons why my lady rules). I have watched it multiple times since then, all 3 hours plus commercials. If you have never seen this go watch it, do it now. The basic story follows 4 drivers through an entire Grand Prix season. The racing cinematography, filmed over 40 years ago is still great to watch. So look for it on Speedvision or put it on your Netflix list. Do it, you won't regret it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season.

PET MORTAL COMBAT ROUND 2: GO VOTE FOR ME OR I WILL UNLEASH SOME BUCKEYE JUSTICE ON YOU!!!

Go vote here.

I said, GO VOTE FOR ME!!!

SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COME DO OUR CROSS RACE IN KITSAP COUNTY:

You get the silver medal at Nationals, that's what happens. Congratulations to Morgan Schmidt of the Haggens-Berman LLP team who got 2nd in the U23 race this past weekend.

"Jesse Anthony (Clif Bar) took his seventh-career national title by winning the men U23 crown ahead of Morgan Schmidt (Haggesn-Berman LLP) and Bjorn Selander (Alan). Anthony escaped with USGP U-23 series winner Jamey Driscoll on the second lap, then shed the Fiordifrutta rider. Driscoll suffered a massive explosion, and faded to fourth place. The win was sweet redemption for Anthony, who saw his efforts in 2005 derailed by a series of mechanical catastrophes. " -Velonews

Nice pic here.

NOT WEARING A HELMET IS SAFER, PART 2

"Both of you are retards, hope you feel good about contributing to rising healthcare costs because you "choose" not to wear 8 oz of prevention or light up a disgusting cancer stick. Do the rest of us a favor and put a DNR on file." -anonymous

Thanks to anonymous for calling me a retard on my blog and feeling so strongly about their opinion that he/ she decided to remain nameless. More importantly, thanks for opening a door that I am gladly going to walk through and that is the door to discussion of me"contributing to rising healthcare costs" because I choose not to wear a helmet.

First I will point out anonymous' inability to grasp an analogy drawn by a "Rocket" in the helmet discussion when they stated "Amen. I know how smokers feel, now". Now "anonymous", I don't think Rocket actually stated that they smoked, rather he was making a comparison to how smokers might feel ostracized the way that helmeted riders try to make helmetless riders feel. (Rocket, please correct me if I am wrong). This point digresses however from the one I really wanted to make and that is in regard to my contribution to the rising cost of health care.

This argument has been made in the past to me, in fact it was made in an editorial that was printed in the Kitsap Sun a few years ago when they came out in support of a helmet law that was being considered at the time for the town of Port Orchard (for the record, I live in Kitsap County, not King County so it is not a health code violation for me to not wear a helmet when I ride, and as far as I know, it is a health code violation to not wear a helmet when cycling in King County not an act that breaks any law, regardless, since I am at heart a Johnny Scoff Law, I still would not wear a helmet in King County) But I digress.

I would argue, "anonymous" that since I am riding my bicycle, I am actually doing my part to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I am combating heart disease and obesity so therefore, I am actually doing my part to keep the costs of health care down.

Furthermore, using your logic (in an admittedly convoluted way) and to take a shot at the "helmet laws" that seem to be in vogue lately, why are there no laws out there making smoking or being obese illegal (or at least a health code violation)? For I would argue that all the fat asses and smokers out there are doing much more to contribute to the rising costs of health care than I am as I ride along, minding my own business without my brain bucket on.

HA! I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG, HELMETS ARE MORE DANGEROUS!

To all of you out there that give me grief for not wearing a helmet when I ride, the proof is in and I am right...although it appears I might also be safer wearing a wig. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/5334208.stm

Here is even more proof that I have been right all along:

http://neptune.spacebears.com/opine/helmets.html

To paraphrase some of the above link:
"On a per-mile basis, the odds of being killed or sustaining a serious head injury while riding a bicycle are about the same as the odds of being killed or injured while out for a walk."
On a per-capita basis, the odds of being killed while riding a bicycle are nearly the same as the odds of being killed by a bolt of lightning. The odds of sustaining a serious head injury while riding a bicycle are about half the odds of sustaining a serious injury while out for a walk."

Bottom line, I won't tell you that studies have shown you could be safer not wearing a helmet, don't waste my time and yours telling me I should be wearing one.

Signed, Still Helmetless and Proud of It.

THE SYSTEM IS FLAWED

Take the time to read this link and related links from the LA Times about the flaws in the current anti-doping system employed by WADA:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-sp-doping10dec10,0,3464145.story?page=1&coll=la-headlines-california

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-doping11dec11,0,2817972.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Here is a sterling excerpt from one of my favorite open-minded witch-hunters, Dick Pound:

"WADA Chairman Richard W. Pound, 64, a Montreal lawyer, argues that the program must be so stringent and uncompromising to be effective against doping, which he calls "the biggest threat to sports.""The less discretion there is in the finding of a doping offense, the better it is," he told The Times in an interview.Pound, a former competitive swimmer who finished just out of medal contention at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, dismissed the notion that a significant number of doping cases are accidental or inadvertent; WADA policy states that every athlete is responsible for everything he or she ingests or applies to the body. In the case of adulterated supplements, he said, "If you didn't know what was in there, it's your own damn fault." In the rare cases that an athlete can be proved truly faultless, he added, the system is flexible enough to temper its penalties."If you're captured by a squad of Nazi frogmen and injected with a steroid, you're going to be found positive," he told The Times. "But it wouldn't be a two-year suspension."

"Captured by a squad of Nazi frogmen and injected with a steroid, you're going to be found positive. But it wouldn't be a two-year suspension."

Nice. So what, only 1 year but only because they were Nazi frogmen? This from the guy running the whole show. The biggest problem that I see with this comment is that, according to statements he makes in this article and in others, is that he is not interested in listening to an athlete trying to prove that they are faultless, in his mind they are all guilty no matter what the circumstance. Plus, the system makes it cost prohibitive if not impossible to prove their innocence.

I have said this before about race officials and I am going to say it now about WADA and their team of "officials": wise application and enforcement of rules intended to protect the athletes and their sports is not a black and white issue. There is grey, and the good officials are the ones with the knowledge, experience and wisdom who are able to rule in that grey area.

McCarthyism, The Hollywood Ten and The Puerto Affair

It is time. I have bit my tongue too long. I am opening the can of worms and going on the record. After reading in Velo News that the IPCT group on Friday voted to exclude The Discovery Cycling Team from its membership after Discovery signed Ivan Basso I can only say "WTF?!!!!!!!"

Now before I go any further I want it to be known that I am no "Discovery Team-ophile", I have no posters of Ivan Basso hanging over my bed, I have never signed a "I Believe Tyler" petition and I have no naive notions that professional (hell amateur for that matter) cyclists don't partake in banned, performing enhancing practices. Quite the contrary. I know of the stuff being taken and even personally know former suppliers and delivery men of EPO to members of the domestic peloton. (and before you even ask, "NO", I am not naming any names).

Is it possible that Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich and every single rider implicated in the Puerto Affair took part in a very intricate and advanced program of blood doping, EPO, HGH and steroid use. Yes it is possible. But until there is any hard evidence out there, I say they are innocent until proven guilty and not the other way around and Dick Pound and WADA, Pat McQuaid and the UCI and now Patrick Lefevere and the IPCT can be lumped into the same category as Joseph McCarthy , HUAC and the Red Scare of the 1950's.

Now for the quick history lesson. Joseph McCarthy was a weasel Republican Senator from Wisconsin who probably would have slid into anonymity were it not for the fact that he discovered the power of communism, public fear and the tactic of "naming names".
To quote the Wikipedia definition of McCarthyism: "During this time people in a variety of situations were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts that would later be overturned..." (emphasis added by me). So in short, it was the 1950's version of a witch hunt.

Another parallel can be drawn to the HUAC investigations of Hollywood back in the 1940's when the House Un-American Activities Committee called several people from the movie industry to testify about their own suspected involvement in the communist party and to name names. If they refused to answer questions and name names they were blacklisted in the industry and unable to find work. Over 300 names were put on that list (including Arthur Miller, Charlie Chaplin and Burl Ives....That's right, Burl Ives, the snowman narrator from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, was apparently a commie who took part in Un-American Activities. Right. I guess that is where the RED nose came from).

That brings us to our own modern day witch/ pinko hunt: the fight against doping in cycling and more specifically the Puerto Affair, Ivan Basso and the Disco Cycling Team. The IPCT voted to exclude Discovery from its membership over its signing of Italian Ivan Basso, who is implicated in the Puerto inquiry. However, in October the Italian was acquitted by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and his national cycling federation, both of which concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a suspension or to pursue further investigation. So even though, at this time, Basso has been acquitted, just because he was implicated (you know, because they found a name on Fuentes' list that could be translated as the same as Basso's dog) the IPCT, chaired by Quick Step's Belgian team manager Patrick Lefevere (you know Quick Step, a team whose previous forms had riders of such teflon clean images as Johann Museeuw, Frank Vandenbroucke and Richard Virenque) has decided that Discovery can't sit at their lunch table anymore. I say again, WTF?!

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? And don't give me the "it's Europe where you are guilty until proven innocent" argument. It's BS as far as I am concerned. He was acquitted, let him get on and do his job. Same for Ullrich and everyone else who has been implicated but not actually found guilty of doing anything. DNA? What other job do you know of where you have to supply DNA to do? We are not talking drug tests here, we are talking about taking, and storing your DNA. They are athletes, not serial killers. A witch hunt, a commie hunt, a "doper" hunt, all the same if you ask me.

Give me your thoughts.

IT'S OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE!

And it's a Buckeye Christmas at that.

Our biggest helper

TROY SMITH WINS THE HEISMAN IN A LANDSLIDE!!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/sports/ncaafootball/10heisman.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

T-minus 29 days and counting for a perfect season: Heisman Trophy winner, undefeated and the National Championship.

Buckeyes Baby, Buckeyes!

COUNTDOWN TO THE HEISMAN

The names of the Heisman finalists were announced today and to no one's surprise they were Troy Smith of The Ohio State Buckeyes, Brady Quinn of Norte Dame and Darren McFadden of Arkansas. Look for Smith to be the sixth Buckeye to bring the award for college football's best player back to Ohio State (it would be the seventh total Heisman for OSU with Archie Griffin bringing home 2, still the only player to ever accomplish this feat).

I don't know anything about McFadden and I think Brady Quinn (and Norte Dame for that matter) to be completely over rated. Quinn was terrible against Michigan this year and only average against both Ohio State last year and against USC this year (he has never won against USC). Quite frankly, I don't see him as a big game player. Smith on the other hand is. He comes up big in the big game and is the undisputed leader on the field.

Smith and the Buckeyes: both #1.

Dan Osman Extrem Climbing 2

Take the time to check out this video. It plays at almost 11 minutes but I think you will enjoy it. Most of you who probably check out this blog know me from cycling but I have actually been making a living for the past 5 or so years through the climbing industry. This video is on Dan Osman, who burst onto the rock climbing scene back in the early nineties. Osman died in 1998 performing a controlled free-fall. Check it out.

WHO IS #2?

We know who is #1...THE Ohio State Buckeyes of course. But who gets the privilage of losing to them in the BCS Championship Game? http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AvKK5CDZtSD7G4OyBjMtX8kcvrYF?slug=dw-secchampionship120206&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Give me your thoughts.

DRUG RUNNING, BINGO PLAYING GRANNY

Check it: http://my.earthlink.net/article/nat?guid=20061201/456fb6d0_3ca6_1552620061201-1935302976

CUSTOM CROSS SHOES:

Check out my fly Shimano Carbon off road shoe:

I took a pair of old Shimano Carbon road shoes to the local cobbler and he put some Vibram soles on the bottom. He did such a great job on the detail work that I might wear these out on the town. Think Doc Martens with cleats. Cost: $40/ Coolness Factor: Priceless

GOLD FRAMES

I am in the market for some new glasses. I think I might go with these.....

ALL THE CROSS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/25/sports/othersports/25outdoors.html?em&ex=1164862800&en=cdd75349d6179dd1&ei=5087%0A

UNSCHOOLING???

I am putting this one out there to encourage discussion. Check out this article in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/26/education/26unschool.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th

It talks about a growing trend in the homeschool crowd called "Unschooling" which the article defines as: "a philosophy that is broadly defined by its rejection of the basic foundations of conventional education, including not only the schoolhouse but also classes, curriculums and textbooks."

Now I realize that this country's public education system is pretty messed up and is turning out kids that can't read, can't write and can't do basic math and I am a strong believer that people will probably put forth more effort to learn about something that they are interested in but my knee jerk reaction is that this trend towards "unschooling" may be going too far. (if you were paying attention, you probably have figured out I never learned about run on sentences in public school, or maybe I just chose to not pay attention during that lesson plan).

Give me your thoughts.

BIKE FRIDAY

Me and my lady spent 4 full days in Florida with some friends at Disney World (more on that later). Due to my unplanned 2 month hiatus from road riding in August and September, I wanted to try to do some riding while in the sunshine state but did not want to deal with flying with a bike. My buddy Kurt and his Bike Friday came to the rescue.

A first glance at a Bike Friday does imply a very high dork factor. After traveling with it on a plane and shuttle bus and riding it for 4 days though, my impression was changed to a very positive one. As any of you who have flown with a bike know, it is a pain in the ass what with lugging around a giant bike box as well as paying the discriminatory "oversized bike box fee". The Bike Friday folds into an included hard shell case that is smaller than a lot of standard suitcases. Add the convenience of wheels and a handle and getting around with the case is a breeze. The bike itself goes together as fast if not faster than a regular sized bike. My buddy outfitted his with Campagnolo Record Components making the bike weigh in at around 20lbs. Normally they come with an adjustable stem that you dial in, send back to Bike Friday and they construct a curved stem for you. Kurt decided to just hold onto the adjustable one which was good for me as I ride with a longer reach than he does. After some measuring I was able to get the bike dialed in and I was quickly out the door on a ride.

For the purpose of logging a few miles while on a vacation in the sun, the Bike Friday was perfect. It seemed more than stiff enough riding down the road and starting up from stops. It did not inspire a ton of confidence pushing it through the corners as I tried a couple of times. I can only imagine this is from a combination of the 20 inch wheels, the higher than normal bottom bracket thus raising the center of gravity, and some lack of torsional rigidity along the axis. Really though, that was my only complaint and since I wasn't doing any crits we can throw it out.

All in all though, as stated before, a perfect machine for the mission at hand. And if Phil Ligget has one can you really go wrong?

BEER'O'COLADA

So I was in Florida this past week and ordered a beer. This is how it arrived. WTF?!

Don't fruit the beer.

BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, no gloating posts simply because I have been in Florida for the past 6 days with no real internet access (more on that later). Unfortunately due to forces beyond my control, I was on a plane bound for Orlando during THE GAME. I was on a mission of complete media blackout for 4 days until at which time I would receive a burnt dvd of the game TiVo'd by a buddy of mine and sent next day air to the resort where I was staying. This plan lasted all of 2.5 hours since the captain of the plane I was on kept giving the score over the PA system. Then upon waking the next morning, the replay was on ESPN classic. And what a classic it was ending in yet another OSU victory. Final score 42-39 in favor of the Buckeyes. 42-39. And this just in from the Twilight Zone News Update, the numbers drawn in Ohio's Pick 4 Lottery on Saturday? 4-2-3-9.

More on the pending possible rematch later. I am off for some Turkey. Happy Thanksgiving to you all and

BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, the picture? My Brutus Buckeye Giant refrigerator magnet that my lady bought me.

IT'S FINALLY HERE

The big game, the game of all games in the greatest rivalry in sports, The Ohio State Buckeyes v. the Michigan Wolverines. #1 versus #2.

GO BUCKS, Michigan sucks.

WOODY HAYES, A LEGEND AMONG BUCKEYES

T-minus 3 days and counting to the biggest rivalry in sports and I have to devote some time to one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, a man whose name still invokes the type of reverence reserved for saints in the state of Ohio, Woody Hayes.

Woody Hayes was the Head Coach at OSU from 1951-1978. While at Ohio State, Woody Hayes coached the Buckeyes to a record of 205-68-10. Different people have different opinions of Woody, but all would agree on one thing -- he absolutely despised and refused to lose. People can label Woody Hayes as many things, but the one thing he was without question was a winner. He won four national championships, won 13 Big Ten titles, played in 8 Rose Bowls (including four straight from 72-75), produced 56 All-Americans, and had three Heisman Trophy winners.

The phrase "three yards and a cloud of dust" came from his conservative style of predominantly running the ball down opponent's throats. Woody believed that the pass should be used as an element of surprise; "There are three things that can happen when you pass, and two of them ain't good," he would say.

There are two stories that circulate about Woody Hayes that I love and they both involve his special hatred for that team from up north. Hayes was famous for his hatred for Michigan and anything that had to do with the state (he referred to it, of course, as "that state up north" or "that team up north"):

One night on a recruiting trip in the state of Michigan, an assistant noticed that the car he was driving was going to run out of gas. He told Woody, who was dozing in the passenger seat, that he had to pull over for gas. Woody refused, and the assistant drove on. The assistant, who saw the weather was starting to get bad, began to get worried about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, and once again stressed his desire to pull over and get gas. Woody erupted: "No, goddammit! We do NOT pull in and fill up. And I'll tell you exactly why we don't. It's because I don't buy one goddam drop of gas in the state of Michigan! We'll coast and PUSH this goddam car to the Ohio line before I give this state a nickel of my money!" The assistant knew he wasn't kidding, and they barely made it across the border and sputtered into the first gas station they found in Ohio.

The second story comes from Ohio State's 50-14 drubbing of Michigan in 1968. The day after the landslide victory, then assistant coach Lou Holtz approached Woody and asked him why he opted to round off the win with a rub-their-noses-in-it, two point conversion after the Buckeye's final touchdown.

"Coach, why did you go for two?", asked Holtz.

"Because." replied Hayes, "they wouldn't let me go for three."

Hayes' competitive drive and legendary temper would prove to be his ultimate undoing. He was fired in 1978 after striking a Clemson linebacker named Charlie Bauman who intercepted a pass to clinch the game for the Tigers. Ohio State was embarrassed, and they had no choice but to immediately fire Woody Hayes.

That final incident left a sour impression on Hayes' brilliant career, and it is the picture that many college football fans envision when they think of Hayes. But that shouldn't take anything away from the fact that he is one of the greatest college coaches ever. Buckeye fans by and large still love The Old Man as he was known and remember very fondly the days when he was coach. For most Buckeye fans, Woody always has and always will be the very essence of Buckeye football.

I LIKE IT COLD AT MY HOUSE
Just ask my cat who I don’t think could get any closer to the space heater in my upstairs office without actually getting on top of it.

SEATTLE AREA CROSS RACERS ARE LAME AND WEAK

That's right, I am calling all of you out except for the 28 riders that came across the water to race our race on Saturday. To you 28 who know who you are: you rock. The rest of you: LAME & WEAK!

28 riders total, not in one race, but total showed up for the race at the Fairgrounds on Saturday. Now I realize that it was a first year event, but it is not as if we at Ridge Racing are new to putting on races. The Blackberry and Silverdale Crits are quality events with good courses, good prize money and are well run. So you should have done the IF-THEN Statement which was IF Ridge Racing is putting on this race THEN we should do it because we know it will be a good one.

Other possible excuses uttered by the no-shows:

• "Too far to go." - Yeah, that 1 hour relaxing ferry ride is rough. It will be interesting to see how many of you show up to Mason Lake next year which is farther to get to and pays out less money. Survey says, "Lame".

• "Saving it for the Seattle Cross Series Race on Sunday". - How many are planning on doing both USGP races this weekend? Might want to think about doing a double weekend of racing the weekend before to tune the body up for it. Soft in the head equals soft in the body. Besides that, and this is said with all due respect to the series, we offered up a good prize list with money to most of the categories. So maybe you should rethink that next time if you are too soft to race 2 races in a weekend. Survey says, "Weak".

• "It poured down rain all day on Friday, looked like rain on Saturday". - The sun was out all day and the rain the day before made conditions perfect. How was the mud and rain in Evergreen? Survey says "Weak".

• "I am getting burnt out, it has been a long season" - Maybe you ought to fire your coach, or go out and get one. Besides, I thought racing cross was all about having fun in the mud, how can having fun burn you out? - Survey says, "Lame".

• "I am lame and weak." - No argument from me there.
  Everyone that did show up all had the same thing to say, that it was a really fun course and they had a great time. In fact, this morning we received these emails from a couple of the racers:
  "Thanks for the fun race. I loved the course. Maybe it can be part of the cross series next year. " - Kate

"I wanted to say thanks for putting on a great race on Saturday. I thought the course was awesome and the event was run really smooth. Hopefully you can do it again next year and more people will show" - Chris

Thanks Kate and Chris. So, in addition to the rest of you being lame and weak, you also missed out on a great event. Too bad for you.

A RAY OF SUNSHINE REACHES PNW STEELER NATION:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-FBN-Saints-Steelers.html

WHAT THE HELL IS A BUCKEYE?

This is Part 2 in my I don't know how many part series countdown to the big matchup between the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the #2 team from up north. Much of the following is excerpted from one of my favorite coffee table books entitled "Greatest Moments in Ohio State Football History".

"BUCKEYE": from Webster's New World Dictionary, 3rd College Edition: (n) 1. any of various trees of the horse-chestnut family with large, spiny capsules enclosing shiny brown seeds; 2. the seed; 3. a native or inhabitant of Ohio.

What it doesn't tell you is that the Buckeye is poisonous if injested. They do tell you this at freshman orientation at The Ohio State University however. And yes, it is THE Ohio State University, not Ohio University (a cheap MAC imitation) or an Ohio State University or just plain old Ohio State University but "THE" Ohio State University as in, The One, The Only, Biggest, Baddest and Best Ohio State University.

The last thing that happens before all the new freshmen-to-be leave the auditorium from their orientation at OSU is that a guy appears on stage and pulls something out of his pocket and holds it up between his thumb and forefinger and in a tone as serious as any states, "This is a buckeye. A buckeye is a nut. A poisonous nut. If you eat this nut...you will die. So you see, you are about to attend the only school in the country named after a killer nut."

You see, there are legions of Lions and Tigers and Bears out there, but no other Buckeyes in the land. No copy, no imitation, no substitute. Only one, in fact "THE" Only One.

To be a Buckeye is to be a little stubborn, a little arrogant and a little nuts. A little killer nuts. That's a Buckeye.

Now you know.

THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!

Come do our cross race, tomorrow at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Call it your birthday present to me, because in addition to November 11 being the date of the best cross race in Kitsap County and Veteran's Day, it also just happens to be my 39th birthday. So come race cross. Check out the aerial of the course, and yes...it does go through a barn. Oh yeah, and we are going to have beer.

DO IT!!!

Brillo Discovered:

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/11168.0.html

IT'S ALREADY BEGUN:

http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20061107/455012d0_3ca6_1552620061107-2027883833

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/washington/07cnd-day.html?hp&ex=1162962000&en=a044f37f8465f175&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Now I am no Luddite, but what was wrong with the old way of voting? You know, the big polling machines with the curtains and the big red lever? Or (and I can't believe I am going to say this) the way they do it here in Kitsap County via an absentee ballot type of system that you mail in?

I am also no conspiracy theorist but......

GET OUT AND VOTE!!

DO IT!

AT LEAST I HAVE THE BUCKEYES TO CHEER ABOUT

What can I say? After yet another loss caused by penalties and turnovers in a game where they outgained their opponents in total offense, the Steelers have fallen to 2-6. 2-6, WTF?! 2-6 and no real legitimate chance to even make the playoffs let alone defend the title in January.

There is little joy here in PNW Steeler Nation. But at least I still have the Buckeyes.

THE BIGGEST RIVALRY IN SPORTS:

13 days and counting to the game that defines sports rivalry. The Apple Cup? Hell no, that is so small time they can fit it in a cup, not a bowl. Yankees-Red Sox? Red Wings-Avalanche? Chargers-Raiders? Cal-Stanford? No, no, no and please. No my friends I am talking about The Ohio State-Michigan game. The biggest rivalry in sports as ranked by an ESPN poll and as stated by a true blooded Buckeye...me. Hell even John Stewart has witnessed it as the Daily Show broadcast from OSU all last week when he stated on his Thursday night show: "Honestly, Ohio State-Michigan, it's like Sunni-Shiite, I've never seen anything like it. It is insane."

This one is so big you can make the argument that it had its beginnings in a war. A bloodless war, more of a conflict, but a war never the less. The Toledo War of 1835 in which both the states of Ohio and Michigan claimed the territory now known as Toledo. Ohio won that one (or lost it, depending on how you want to look at it).

The inaugural meeting between the 2 schools was in 1897. Michigan won that one in a blowout and continued to dominate the rivalry for the next 14 years. Through the 2005 season, Michigan leads the overall series 57-39-6, and the conference series 45-39-4.

All of those previous meetings however pale in comparison to the ramifications that the game in 13 days could have. As of today, Ohio State and Michigan are both undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 respectively in the Bowl Championship Series rankings. Barring an upset loss by either team in the coming two weeks, the winner of the 2006 game will have a chance to play for a national championship.

13 days and counting to the biggest rivalry in sports. #1 versus #2. The Ohio State-Michigan game. 13 days and counting...go Buckeyes.

Thanks for reading.

Going Old School:

I came across this photo the other day. It's from the Erie Street Pro 1-2 race in Windsor, Ontario in 1989. That's me, 21 years old, rocking the hairnet, shoulder length hair late '80's style and Adidas System 3 clipless pedal system. And, as always, white handle bar tape. Pimp.

Erie Street on Labor Day weekend. You either love it or hate it. I love it. Flat, 4 corners, wide open and usually between 50 miles and 100k in length. It is held in an old Belgian/Italian area of town and the old guys with their Euro-cigars are out in force. They even had a brass band playing from a patio a few years in a row. I did my first Erie Street race in 1984 as a cadet (Canadian for intermediate). My goal from that first Erie Street race: upgrade and do the main event. I have lost count of how many times I have done it since. Eric Heiden and the 7-Eleven boys showed up for this race, as did Steve Bauer. In fact, Bauer showed up last year for Windsor. It is that classic.

The next best part of Erie St. on Labor Day weekend, races in Detroit the day before and the day after. The Labor Day race in Detroit was always held at this old Belgian Sports Club called the Cadieux Cafe and was always 100k in length. A bit of Euro action in the Motor City.

My only regret on putting on the Blackberry Crit (along with the possibility of a crit on B. Isle the next day), I may never get to go back and race Erie Street again. If you are ever in the Windsor-Detroit area on Labor Day weekend, make sure you have your bike, your passport and your racing license and go do the best racing weekend ever. You have my personal guarantee.

World's Largest Skateboard Ramp

Check out the video story from the NY Times on Bob Burnquist's 8 story skateboard ramp:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/sports/othersports/01ramp.html?th&emc=th It loads kind of slow so you might have to refresh it.

If that link doesn't work just go to http://nytimes.com/ scroll down to the video stories and enjoy.

I LOVE RIDING MY BIKE!

Sorry Pleasure, I had to steal your already uttered line, because it's true. Especially on a day like today when the sun was shining high over the Kitsap Peninsula. Me, the Sinner Spinner and yet another So Cal transplant went big logging the miles over the hills and dales of most of the TST route. You know, the TST route is a spectacular one (unless it's 40 and raining, that is) especially when done at non-race speeds on a midwestern style fall day like today. A bit over 3.5 hours, 70 miles and a few thousand feet of climbing later we arrived back home grinning silly from ear to ear. Why do such a ride on Oct 31 you might ask? Because we can that's why. Bike riding, it's cool. Stop reading this blog and go out and do it. DO IT NOW! That is all.

My second fashion posting in less than a week:http://www.nyvelocity.com/content.php?id=102

NOTHING LIKE A BRAND NEW BIKE!!

That's right, I added a new steed to my stable and this one's a beauty! A CSK cyclocross machine from my buddies at Seigler Sports, complete with Ultegra kit and some compact crank action. This baby is light, it is a Deddacciai 7003 aluminum rig with a full Dedacciai carbon fork. The final touch being some old school Spinergy Rev X tubulars because I don't plan on racing any UCI races soon. Hell, I don't even plan on doing any cross races soon except for the one I am promoting on November 11. A big shout out goes out to one of Kitsap County's finest mechanics, Darren, who spent his Saturday evening in my basement helping me get this super machine up and running. Check it out all, and remember to clean the drool off of your keyboard when you are finished.

THE ALMOST SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN

One of my favorite television shows as a kid was the Six Million Dollar Man. I loved everything Steve Austin. I had the Six Million Dollar Man action figure, Oscar Goldman, Bigfoot, Mask-a-tron, the rocket ship, the Bionic Mission Vehicle, the astronaut suit, hell, I even wore a leisure suit just like OSI's most top-secret agent.

Well apparently I am on my way to becoming a bionic man myself, just the $35,000 (or there abouts) man. You see, I have a titanium rod in my left leg (Steve Austin had 2 bionic legs which allowed him to run up to 60mph, mine allows me to hop a short distance), Kirschner wire repairing my recently broken elbow (Steve Austin: right bionic arm allowing him to lift heavy objects such as a car engine, I can twist the lid off of most jars) and now my latest and third repair to my right eye (Stevo had a bionic left eye allowing him to see the tiniest speck at great distances, I am just happy to be able to see).

Just this past Thursday I went in for cataract surgery. That's right, cataract surgery, a procedure typically reserved for those almost twice my age. You see, I have been near sighted since I was in grade school, then when riding out to a club race in high school someone in a car thought it would be a good idea to throw a beer bottle at my buddy and me. It broke over my face at my right eye which required 20 stitches to my face at the time and retinal surgery a year and a half later. Then in 2003, my retina detached again requiring another surgery. So...I immediately became that much more prone to get an ailment that everyone at one time or another will succumb to, just most in their more twilight years.

I have to say that I wish I had this surgery ages ago. The procedure took all of 10 minutes. It was like an assembly line in there. I was able to ride my bike the next day and my vision is already better with no corrective lenses post surgery than what it was with a contact in pre-surgery. Apparently it will keep improving over the next 3 weeks to such a point that I will probably only need a corrective lense in the right eye for reading. Needless to say, I am psyched!

CROSS RACING KITSAP COUNTY STYLE:

Yes, I am reposting a previous post. I am the race promoter and this is my blog, so live with it. And....come do my bike race. Do it. DO IT!!

This is my first attempt at putting on a cross race. I hope it passes close scrutiny. Those of you who have done my races in the past know I try not to disappoint. And, since I posted my Promoter's Manifesto I have to put up or shut up...I like to talk.

DO IT!

So it's cool that this guy is riding his bike and all but hasn't anyone told him that you should never, under any circumstances, go out in public with your salmon colored polo shirt buttoned all the way to the top and tucked into your Mercatone Uno bib shorts?

WSBA SCHEDULING MEETING:

This past Saturday was the WSBA scheduling meeting where all the promoters in the greater Seattle area get together and try not to step on each other's toes as the next year's racing season is put onto the calendar. All the usual suspects were in attendance as well as Jan Luke-Hamasaki our USA Cycling Regional Representative.

Now I started racing back in Ohio in the early eighties and then spent 5 years in the Los Angeles area before coming here. 4 of the 5 years that I was in LA I was on the Board of Directors for the Encino Velodrome. Based on my experience in these other areas I have to give the WSBA a big thumbs up. Everyone actually seems to want to work together for the greater good (of cycling of course).

Now I have some pretty strong opinions about how bike races should be put on and how promoters, officials and riders should interact. This is based on over 25 years in the sport as a rider, a promoter, a venue director and "professional" cycling team manager. Since I am still kind of the new guy in the area I kept my opinions mostly to myself (I say mostly because I did interject a few of them at the meeting). I will however spout off about a few of them here:

• The riders are our constituency. Without them, there would be no need for officials or promoters. Why is it then that the riders have the least voice in just about anything related to racing? Are they too stupid or disorganized to constructively get their opinions across or do something about improving their situation (as it relates to entry fees, prize lists, competent and fair interpretation of the rules, etc.) Now racers, that does not mean you just go and spout off at promoters and officials. You need to do it in a constructive manner and NEVER EVER under any circumstance yell at: promoters, officials, volunteers. You are just shooting yourself in the foot if you do. The thing is, if you have a beef, organize and do something about it, even if it means not racing!

• Prize Lists: one of the local promoters in the area said to me once that the racers around here don't race for the money (as it relates to prize lists). Now that may very well be true, but I would argue that is because the racers around here (and anywhere on the west coast for that matter) have never had the opportunity to actually race for any money. Poor people usually don't know that they are poor if they have never been outside their own community. Prize lists out here suck. In the Midwest and East coast, cat. 3's can race for more than Pro1-2's out here. I would argue that promoters need to step up, stop trying to make their prize lists based on entry fees (which is a bad business plan), create a good proposal and go out and hit the bricks and get some money. Money is not that hard to come by if you put in the effort and go after it. If I had $10 for every person that asked me how we got so much money for our races I could make a prize list out of that (at least a west coast prize list).

• More on Prize Lists: This is one I actually brought up at the meeting. Promoters should make the last paying place at least equal what the entry fee was. As a rider, how much does it suck to bust your ass, get a place, and still lose money on the entry fee? It should not have to happen. Well, you would have thought I was proposing that we require all promoters to offer up their first born as a prize. Standard answer was: we don't have enough money for the prize list to do that. Well I have 2 answers for you: 1)see the above point or 2)(and this is the tricky one) pull a little bit off the top of your prize list and put towards your last paying places. Whew. The little effort it would take to throw that extra $5 or $10 down the prize list is far less than the perceived value that the promoter will get back from the customer (the racers) for doing this.

• Do the little things: That's right promoters, do the little things. Do a podium presentation, get a trophy made up, go to Costco and pay the extra $4 for some cheap champagne. Make a show out of your race and the riders will remember it. I had a former Olympian tell me, of all the bike races he won over the years (and it was a lot), the only ones he really remembers are the ones in which he stood on the podium and popped the cork. Again, perceived value, it goes a long way.

• Don't gouge the riders on entry fees. Charge a reasonable entry fee for what you are providing (good course, good atmosphere, good prize list)
  That's my 4 cents on it. I welcome comments. Thanks for reading.

Kudos to Jason Bethel for organizing a good old fashioned booze up at the Garage last Friday night. It was my first time there and I have to give it 2 thumbs up, even if I did get stuck with the big tab. There was a pretty good turn out by all. I did not pay close attention to the beer time trials so you will have to find results posted somewhere else.

Oh yeah, and the phrase of the evening: fishnet stockings.

YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?

I SAID, DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?!

KEXP Pledge Drive

OK, it's pledge drive time again, and I hate pledge drive time. But, I love KEXP and if you love music you should too. So man (or woman) up and pledge, even if it is a little, because every little bit helps and KEXP is worth it. I will admit to have growing a bit stale in my music listening choices prior to moving up here. But I got clued into KEXP and I give a big kudos to them for broadening my music horizons. They just played my new favorite song by Plastic Bertrand called Ca Plane Pour Moi (This Life's For Me). That's right, my new favorite song is a 1977 pop song sung in French by a Belgian. Live with it, and give it a listen before passing judgment...but go pledge first.

Going with the coffee theme today. In response to me getting a bit too big for my "look at the perfect crema I made" britches, my buddy Billy responded with this cup of coffee pic:

BAM!

Dreary day in Seattle. In need of an afternoon pick me up....

A good old home brewed spro with perfect crema.

In an effort to once and for all answer the "what's up with the P-Stache/Stache" handle linking your blog to Prudog's and El Gato's blog?". Let me just say, never, ever go to Cascade Classic with this guy:

Or you will end up searching for Trans-Ams with T-tops looking like this guy:

And let that, boys and girls, be a lesson to you all.

A Sad Day For New York City and the True Alternative Music Scene

Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers, otherwise known as CBGB's, the place where east coast punk rock in America found a home has hosted its last show in New York's Bowery neighborhood. The club that first opened its doors to and helped make stars out of groups like The Ramones, Talking Heads and Blondie has closed its doors for good. A sad, sad day indeed. Read the story in the NY Times.

A Great Weekend of Football:

It was a perfect weekend of football with both the Buckeyes and the Steelers emerging victorious in commanding style. Ohio State demolished Michigan State 38-7 and to nobody's surprise were ranked #1 in the first BCS poll of the season.

Then on Sunday, the Steelers crushed Kansas City 45-7.

BUCKEYES & STEELERS BABY, BOO YAH!

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Me and my lady went to a bon-a-fide rock & roll show in the big city this past Wednesday. We went to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Showbox. The extra bonus was that all the proceeds from the door went to KEXP. I got clued into CYHSY from KEXP so it was only fitting. The lead singer of CYHSY sounds a lot like Dave Byrne and since I am a big Talking Heads fan I took an immediate liking to them.

CYHSY opened with the first song I ever heard from them: Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away so I knew the stars were aligned for a good show. And really, if your band is called Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and you have a song called Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away, can you really go wrong? Another high point of their set was The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth (again, how can you go wrong?)

The big surprise of the night came from the second opening band: Architecture In Helsinki(photo). I will admit to being in the dark about this band but once they took the stage the floodlights went on high beam. This band is awesome! They do a great show and I would highly recommend them to everyone. Their set consisted of one song continually flowing into the next, high energy on stage, every member switching around and playing almost every instrument (including a trombone, as far as I am concerned any band with a horn section, even if it is only one has got to be good). I actually found them more entertaining than CYHSY. So check them out if you have not already.

Even though we had to leave a tad early to catch the damn ferry (one of the pitfalls of Btown living), my lady and I had a great time.

It's On! Oh yeah, it's on big time. Cross Racing Kitsap County Style! Check it, and then....DO IT!!:

Why Does This Guy Look So Psyched?
a) He is psyched about his new Axley eyewear provided by PruDog
b) He’s psyched about the Buckeye’s #1 ranking
c) He’s psyched to be back on the road after 10 weeks straight of trainer rides following breaking his elbow
d) All of the above
e) He is just happy

The answer? “E” if you are my surgeon or physical therapist and at which point you should stop reading, “D” if you are anybody else. After way too much time on the trainer during the best weather months of the year I am finally back on the road. The added bonus is the awesome weather this week. I still need to take it easy so that means driving to ride. I am driving over to Port Orchard and doing some laps between there and Manchester on Bay Shore Drive. It is great to be back in the fresh air, soaking up some rays and taking in the views of the water, the Olympics, Rainier and Seattle across the pond they call the Sound.

My second and possibly last posting (because really, who gives a shit about what I have to say except me?) is an excerpt from one of my favorite books Kiss or Kill, Confessions of a Serial Climber by Mark Twight. Mark Twight is an extreme alpinist with high standards for himself and everyone around him. His battle against camping out at the top of the bell curve is laid out in no uncertain terms. A review from The Vancouver Sun states: “If you’ve delved into the growing body of mountaineering literature by reading books like Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air...be forewarned: They’re like Billy Joel; Kiss or Kill is like the Dead Kennedys.” Nice. The following excerpt is admittedly over the top, but is a mantra that all self-proclaimed hard men should embrace whenever they feel weakness and a lack of discipline and motivation creeping into their souls. I hope you enjoy:

What’s your problem? I think I know. You see it in the mirror every morning. Temptation and doubt hip to hip inside your head. You know it’s not supposed to be like this but you drank the Kool-Aid and dressed yourself up in someone else’s life.

You’re haunted because you remember having something more. With each drag of the razor you ask yourself why you piss your blood into another man’s cup. Working at the job he offered, your future is between his thumb and forefinger. And the necessary accessories, the proclamations of success you thought gave you stability provide your boss security. Your debt encourages acquiescence; the heavy mortgage makes you polite.

Aren’t you sick of being tempted by an alternative lifestyle, but bound by chains of your own choosing?
Do you have the courage to live with the integrity that stabs deep?

Use the mirror to cut to the heart of things and uncover your true self. Use the razor to cut away what you don’t need. The life you want to live has no recipe. Following the recipe got you here in the first place:

But there is a way out. Live the lifestyle instead of paying lip service to the lifestyle. Live with commitment. With emotional content. Live whatever life you choose honestly. Give up this renaissance man, dilettante bullshit of doing a lot of different things (and none of them very well by real standards). Get to the guts of one thing; accept, without casuistry, the responsibility of making a choice. When you live honestly, you can not separate your mind from your body, or your thoughts from your actions.

Tell the truth. First, to yourself. Say it until it hurts. Learn the reality of your own selfishness. Quit living for other people at the expense of your own self, you’re not really alive. You live in the land of denial-and they say the view is pretty as long as you remain asleep.

Well it’s time to WAKE THE FUCK UP!

So do it. Wake up. When you drink the coffee tomorrow, take it black and notice it. Feel the caffeine surge through you. Don’t take it for granted. Use it for something. Burn the Grisham books. Sell the bad CD’s. Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews, and ‘N Sync aren’t part of the soundtrack where you’re going.

Cut your hair. Don’t worry about the gray. If you’re good at what you do, no one cares what you look like. Go to the weight room. Learn the difference between working out and what you’ve been doing. Live for the Iron and the fresh air. Punish your body to perfect your soul.

Quit posturing at the weekly parties. Your high pulse rate, your 5.12’s and quick time on the Slickrock Trail don’t mean shit to anybody else. These numbers are the measuring sticks of your own progress; show, don’t tell. Don’t react to the itch with a scratch. Instead, learn it. Honor the necessity of both the itch and the scratch.

But a haircut and a new soundtrack do not a modern man make. As long as you have a safety net you act without commitment. You’ll go back to your own habits once you meet a little resistance. You need the samurai’s desperateness and his insanity.
You ask about security? What you need is uncertainty. What you need is confusion. Something which forces you to reinvent yourself, a whip to drive you harder.

In Dune, Frank Herbert called it “the attitude of the knife”, cut off what’s incomplete and say “now it has finished, for it has ended there.”

-Mark Twight
Twitching With Twight

Blogs, why do people who have a blog think that anyone else really cares what they have to say? Now I have one. WTF? So here is my first post. I have decided to open my blog by going old school...as in Factory Pilots baby. The original. Enjoy.