Here’s what I think:
1. Remember when sensational Stan Kroenke said things like St. Louis lags and will continue to lag and the NFL would be on their way to financial ruin if they stay in St. Louis. Apparently, the MLS feels a little differently. When you have two power families, a quarter of a billion-dollar stadium in a city with an incredible soccer heritage, well, that is too good deal to pass up. What a stretch of sports in down St. Louis: a new soccer team, a Stanley Cup Champ and the storied St. Louis Cardinals.
2. Mike Shanahan, the late great owner of the Blues once told me you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. That statement really applies to Barry Odom and the Mizzou Tigers. I think he’s on the cusp of something special at Mizzou. His recruiting, his facility and his persona is all on the way up. However, he can’t lay an egg out of the gates. Mizzou has been brutal in these beginnings. They need to fly. I think they will.
3. I don’t spend my life bashing the NCAA like some in the media do. However, there is enough there to fill quite a few columns and talk shows. They haven’t done much right. I wonder how they can allow coaches to leave at any time and now allow players to do the same without having them sit out.
The scholarships are not four-year deals. They are one-year deals. So if a player wants to leave and this is America, why couldn’t the player leave freely. The coach can take his scholarship at any time. The coach can leave at any time. Why not the athlete?
4. If you want to know why the Bommarito 500 is so successful, all you have to do is look at the companies or the individuals involved. You have John Bommarito sponsoring the event. He’s kind of figured out business hasn’t he? You have Dave Steward buying the naming rights of the track. Do you think Dave, the founder of World Wide Technology, has an idea of what will work. Then you have Curtis Francois, who owns the facility, and who has brilliantly guided to track to an incredibly successful stretch.
5. I have no idea as I write this if the Cardinals are going to be playing baseball in October. There are some encouraging items about the season. Jack Flaherty looks like he could be elite. Paul Goldschmidt comes as advertised. I wonder though if there are enough stars in the organization. Let’s say they lose Marcel Ozuna, which is likely, what outfielder do they have coming back you know will hit 25 homers and knock in 85 runs. Last month, they honored the 2004 team. That was a team that had star power. How many stars are in the organization now and in the near future?
6. With the exception of sports, I didn’t watch many shows for about 15 years when the kids were growing up. I worked and then watched them play their games. Now, I have become a fan of series. The Handmaid’s Tale may be the most riveting I have seen lately. The Loudest Voice is pretty good too. I can’t get enough of Mindhunter either. The most enjoyable 45 minutes of my day is getting home at 11:00 pm and watching one of these shows with the lovely Monique. When she watches one without me, I feel like she is cheating on me.
7. Things I like: Beast Craft BBQ in Belleville and now the Grove. I love books on tape. I love fantasy football even though I am not wild about the league itself. I love producers who get guests on radio like Brian Hoffman. I love producers who put together great documentaries like the one Andy Mohler did on Mike Shannon.
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