Greetings from Princeton Heights, ladies and gentlemen. Let's open up the whatever section of my brain and just dig into a random stream of consciousness. In other words, allow me present volume 3 of Buffa's Buffet.
Get your plate and let's start discussing.
~If Michael Wacha is seriously hurt, the St. Louis Cardinals rotation is in trouble. Talk about losing one of your best and most surprising arms. A muscle strain in Wacha's torso forced him from the game before four innings were complete in Philadelphia, and the bullpen would eventually give up the game for a Phillies series win. The initial good news is Wacha's shoulder checks out. The bad news is he could miss some starts with any kind of "strain". If he is out, calling on Austin Gomber or Dakota Hudson should be the call. I'll have more on this later this week when the severity of the injury is revealed.
~The Creed 2 trailer debuted today and I am smitten with the tease of the latest edition of Rocky Balboa and his fierce disciples. Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed is struggling with the newfound spectacle of boxing fame, and he bites off more than he can chew when Viktor Drago, son of Ivan, comes calling for a match. Sylvester Stallone's Rocky is back in the mix as a supporting actor and vessel in Adonis' life, while the actor also takes back writing credits from departed director Ryan Coogler. I like the way these films are circling back on parts of Balboa's life. The weight he felt from letting Apollo step into the ring at an older age with a deadly Russian sparked this reunion, and the latest saga looks great.
The second trailer must feature a good staredown between Balboa and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren did return). "I can still break you."
~Barry Trotz may have turned down a softball offer from the Washington Capitals to return as coach, but the St. Louis Blues shouldn't go calling his number-unless Trotz can center a second line. The Blues need firepower up front and not another coach. Invest in John Tavares or trade for some premium talent. Get a plan, Doug Armstrong.
~I'll defend Imos Pizza until the day I die, but it isn't the best pizza that St. Louis has to offer. That title belongs to Dewey's Pizza. There are a few locations in the greater St. Louis area as well as the county, and this Brooklyn style pizza joint is consistent. The crust is never undercooked and the ingredients are delightfully versatile. The Bronx bomber features all the supreme meats, but my favorite is the Socrates' Revenge, which is a Greek inspired pie. The salads and calzones complement the menu well, and the beer selection is crafty instead of tired. Consistency is key with pizza and Dewey's hits it out of the park. Did I mention the kid's can come and watch them make the pies? Yep.
~I understand the need to work on roads and improve them when the weather warms, but does Modot have to break open every highway at once? Interstate 44 has delays on each side during the morning and afternoon, and the locations are the same as last fall. How many times do we have to go back to the same spot on a highway? Are construction crews underwhelming? Also, do we have shut down miles worth of road even though it isn't being worked on? There's nothing worse than having to go 45 mph two miles before the actual construction location. I like smooth pavement, but don't like the multiple highways causing delays. For an Uber driver, it can be quite maddening.
~I like the guy, but Dexter Fowler shouldn't start for awhile. The Cardinals gave him a start during today's 4-3 loss, and he came up with nothing in the box score. It's like trying different batteries in a car only to find out the car still won't start. At this time last year, Fowler had 11 home runs and a .498 slugging percentage. Right now, his slugging percentage and on-base percentage hunker down below .300. With a guy like Harrison Bader deserving full-time status, there's no room for a Fowler intervention. He's aging quickly in year #2 of the contract.
~Public Service Announcement: it's okay to have fun at the movies. There are people out there who will refuse to relax, turn off their brain, and just take in a guilty pleasure summer adventure film. Yes, the story is thin and the actors aren't doing much more than winking at the screen, but that is the point. I grew up on Arnold, Sly, and Van Damme dishing out a brand of justice that included few words and lots of knuckles, so I still look for that delight. It's not always about seeking artistic fulfillment; sometimes, actors and audiences just want to have fun. The Downtown Abbey crowd will have to deal with it.
~I don't like the idea of the Blues trading a prospect for the chance to acquire another prospect. If you are going to trade for something, get a proven talent. As Jack Nicholson would say in As Good As It Gets, "sell potential somewhere else, we are all stocked up here."
~When you are out there driving fast and cutting people off in their lanes, just remember something. If you get into an accident and it's your fault, the insurance goes up and you delay thousands of people in traffic, because you weren't a good driver. Think twice before you drive like an idiot. You're what's wrong with the world.
~Can we talk about Lebron James? Everybody wants to know where he will sign after a fair stint in Cleveland. I can tell you this with my minimal amount of care for the NBA: he will go where the most control exists. While I'd like to see him play for Greg Popovich in San Antonio, he won't get the slack that he had in Cleveland and Miami. Bet on that.
~Speaking of the NBA, I may not be a huge fan of the sport, but I will be watching the Bill Simmons produced documentary about the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. Few cable providers can get to the sweet science of the sports soul like HBO, so when they produce anything related to the field of athletics, I have my eyes on it. 'Courtside at the NBA Finals' premiered this week.
Closing statement: The heat outside always reminds me of one thing: don't be a hero when it comes to your own body or your kid. Keep them inside and play it safe, because the heat kills more people than the cold. There's nothing as relentless as humidity and heat tag teaming on people in the middle of the day, and it's not even July yet. The summers in St. Louis are revered around the country and for good reason. It gets bad here, so be smart and stay inside. It's not worth it. One more thing: beer is about as bad of an idea as milk.
That's all. Good day, everyone.
-DLB
