Driving Pet Peeves

My buddy sent me this article from USAToday. It inspired me to come up with my own driving pet peeves list. Enjoy...

1. Not using your turn signal.

Of course, with my last post, this had to be number one. Read more about it here.

2. People that are trying to turn onto the street I'm on, and sticking up to half of their car into the road.

Seriously, people, learn the parameters of the car you're driving. If you think you're in the way of oncoming traffic, you probably are. And if you started to turn, but then realized you couldn't make it, back the fuck up! I'm not looking to get t-boned by you. And I sure as hell ain't looking to swerve out of the way to avoid your stupid ass.

3. Leaving at least three car lengths in front of you when you're stuck in traffic.

Not sure if you think the car you're driving is way too precious to have anyone as much as breathe on it, but when you're leaving that much space in front of you, you're still holding up traffic. Imagine if everyone on the road did what you were doing. No one would get anywhere. Oh, you're on your phone and not paying attention? Great excuse. Inch up, buddy. No one will hit your car. I promise.

4. Passing me on the highway just in the nick of time.

You know you want to pass me, so how about not coming within inches of my car before doing so? I saw you coming from 500 feet away in my rear view and you've had plenty of time to get over. How about not scaring the bejeezus out of me?

5. Motorcycles.

We often hear "Share the road with motorcycles." Ten bucks says you can't find one person who feels this way. It's more like the other way around. Nine out of ten bikers on the road are weaving in and out of cars, switching lanes like crazy, narrowly avoiding the cars they should be sharing the road with. Act like a car and I'll treat you like one. And, by the way, the speed limit isn't meant to be doubled by motorcycles. Die in a fiery crash.

6. Slow out of the gate.

Presumably, you've been driving for more than a week, so you realize the general traffic light patterns. The left lanes have that special green light. Guess who's next to go? If you don't realize you're first in line in a heap of traffic, you're just a dickhead. If I'm counting to three before you step on the gas, expect to hear my horn, even if I'm five cars back.

7. Three-lane changers.

All too often do I see cars go from the left lane to the far right lane just to make an exit. This is pretty...um...what's that word?....DANGEROUS. See also: INSANE.

8. The highway heroes.

Keeping with the multi-lane switching theme, there's always that guy that thinks he owns the road. That he's the only one on the road. Or just thinks he's Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He'll tail you, then pass you on the right, then make a three lane switch and be gone. You can see him coming from a mile away (literally). Please don't be that guy.

9. Left lane is for lazy.

Actually, the left lane is for passing. There's a reason these signs exist. And don't give me the Maryland excuse, where it's supposedly not for passing anymore than any other lane is. Get out of the left lane. Seriously. And the left lane is certainly not for trucks. Especially during rush hour. There's a concept called "keep it movin'." And when you're not part of the cycle of passing and then moving back over to let the next guy pass and move back over to let the next guy pass and move back over, then you're fucking up traffic. Yeah, you have that much power. You can always point out the reason traffic has slowed down when you know it shouldn't be slowed down. It's the slow/oblivious/lazy/texting/stupid/stubborn person in the left lane.

10. Right turn on red.

This was mentioned in the USAToday article by one of the guest commenters. It's also one of mine. Even worse than the driver that doesn't turn right on red is the driver that doesn't heed the quick honk....then the double honk....then the prolonged hooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkk, realizing that it's a pretty good idea to get his head out of his ass that there are other people on the road and those honks are kinda sorta meant for you.

Honorable Mention

-Driving over the center line into my lane. If there was another you coming the other way, then there would be no yous at all. Simple math.

-Tinted windows on cars that limit the driver from making essential eye contact when at a three-/four-way stop sign.

-Driving with your high beams on when you shouldn't be - i.e., when you're coming right at me, especially after being given plenty of time and warning to turn your damn high beams off.

-Driving with your headlights off at night or in the rain and then not heeding the headlight flash warning I give you umpteen times. I hope you get pulled over.

The Case for Turn Signals

Recently (and by "Recently", I mean "Every day") I was driving and found myself behind a car that was headed into the left-hand turning lane. I knew this only from my combined depth and width perception. It was obviously going a different direction than "straight". As I approached the car, I was greeted with a blinking light on its left rear side. What is that, you say? Oh, that's a turn signal? It's as if the driver was letting the world know, "Hey, I'm turning left!" - except it wasn't. It was more the driver proclaiming "Hey, I'm making this light flash because I probably should let you know, if you didn't already, that I'm about to veer off this road and head elsewhere." In this case (and by "this case" I suppose I mean "this case", although it applies about half the time, if not way less), I was far enough behind the car that I didn't need to brake or swerve suddenly. But other times - too many to count - it doesn't seem to be that way. It isn't that way. And it's annoying. And it's really, really dangerous. Here's why: Turn signals are exactly what they say: signals. They are not connected to the other functions of a vehicle and can be triggered with very little effort. Their effect on those driving behind (and to the side and in front, which I'll get to later) are pretty minimal in physical response, but extremely maximal in mental response and preparation. The turn signal tells drivers to prepare for something more. Prepare to brake. Prepare to give me time, as I may not be able to get out of your way to make my way off this road. Prepare to give me space, which could trigger a domino effect with other cars to follow. The turn signal is something so small and insignificant to the driver using it, but is something very substantial to those outside of your car's zone. Outside of your zone. Your safe place. Your head, even. It's telling the other drivers in the public system that we call "roads" that you are only a small part of but carry a big responsibility towards that there is something that is going to happen that we all need to be aware of. Now let's go back to this example, and by "example" I mean "every time someone misuses or completely ignores their turn signal". Unless you're Michael Knight or one of the Dukes of Hazard, it's a fact that drivers need to slow down to make a turn. What does this entail? Braking. Lowering your speed from what it once was. Well, guess what? Again, unless you're an 80s TV character, chances are you're driving at a pretty steady pace. If someone brakes in front of you without letting you know, i.e., signalling, well, that can be pretty difficult to discern if you're not able to predict where everyone else on the road is going. Sure, we pass intersections. Sure, we approach turning lanes. But I got news for you. The rules of thumb on the road that include "right of way" also presume that everyone is driving straight on the road they're on. This is where the turn signal comes in. Let's go through some simple scenarios and you tell me which one is ideal for everyone involved, shall we? 1. Hit the brake, then turn, then put on your signal. 2. Hit the brake, put on your signal, then turn 3. Signal, brake, turn. I'd say most people do number 2 on a regular basis. They equate the "turn signal" with "turning". I get it. It's in the name. Why do I need to let anyone know I'm about to turn until I do? Well, that's dumb. Let's go back to scenario 1 to further ridulous-ize this theory. Brake, turn, then signal? Really? You might as well punch me in the face while your apologizing. Hey, as long as you got it out there, we're good. Except, NO. The point of the signal is to prepare, y'all! Prepare us all to make way for you to leave our status quo driving situation. And in today's society, where everyone seems to want attention, shouldn't we be chomping at the bit to alert everyone of our intentions? Except we're not, because preparation is not in our DNA. It's something we have to work on. It's something that we always seem to realize is a great thing to do only in hindsight. Let alone preparing to prepare others to make preparations to prepare? Again, this goes back to society - especially today's society. There's so much going on in the world that we tend to bring it into our cars with us. We're texting, we're listening to music, we're listening to podcasts with our earbuds in despite having the privacy of our own cars to cancel out that need, we're looking at our GPS, reading something on our phones, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseam, et cetera, e pluribus unum, etc. We barely have enough time for ourselves, let alone anyone else. But here's the thing - it's not our private road. Public, public, public. Sure, we have the freedom to go wherever we want, but so does everyone else. And I got news for you - there's always everyone else on the road. It's a turn signal, and that's what we learned it was called in driver's ed. Well, guess what? It's really a brake signal. It's something to tell those behind you that it's time to interrupt the constant speed you've attained and slow down for others. It's really a courtesy signal. It's something to tell those coming the opposite way that you're about to make a turn and they need to adjust their route accordingly, be it by slowing down themselves or even going onto the road you're coming from. It's a traffic signal. It allows for others to modify and adjust so that they can fill in the empty spaces and adapt to a new traffic flow. Sure, we may not consider others on the road. We may even be afraid to tell them "Hey, I'm committing to this maneuver". But these foibles have no place on the road if we all expect to rid our world of accidents and road rage (which cause more accidents). It's time to resurrect the turn signal to its fullest extent. Be proud to use it. Use it in excess, as it doesn't use up battery life and gas (to my knowledge). When you're in the public driving domain, you need to be aware of and courteous towards your fellow drivers. Allow them to prepare and make way and give space. Because you got things to do - whether in your car or most likely outside of it. Let's not make going to the auto repair man or the hospital one of those things.

Super Bowl Predictions

OK, so I didn't do too well on my playoff predictions. I challenge you to find someone who did!

Here are some Super Bowl predictions. Just throwing these out there...

Coinflip winner:
Pittsburgh

Halftime Score:
Pittsburgh 14, Green Bay 13

Stats:
Ben Roethlisberger
14-29, 147 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

Aaron Rodgers
21-31, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

MVP:
Aaron Rodgers

Final Score:
Green Bay 27, Pittsburgh 21

NFL Playoff Predictions

Here are some predictions for the 2011 NFL Playoffs. Probably not a good idea to take these to the bank, but you never know...

NFC

Wild Card
Green Bay 31, Philadelphia 16
New Orleans 27, Seattle 17

Divisional
Atlanta 28, Green Bay 24
Chicago 17, New Orleans 16

Conference
Atlanta 23, Chicago 13

AFC

Wild Card
New York Jets 24, Indianapolis 20
Baltimore 20, Kansas City 16

Divisional
New England 27, New York Jets 14
Baltimore 19, Pittsburgh 13

Conference
New England 33, Baltimore 10

Super Bowl
New England 31, Atlanta 23

Happy Holidays!

F.W. Pudding Pie would like to wish you all the best this holiday season. And a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year as well.

Here's to a great 2011!

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 9

Last week's record: 5-8-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 8-5-0)

Season: 54-58-5 (Bill Simmons' record: 62-50-5)

Buccaneers (+8.5) over FALCONS
BILLS (+3) over Bears
Patriots (-4.5) over BROWNS
Jets (-4) over LIONS
VIKINGS (-8) over Cardinals
Saints (-6.5) over PANTHERS
Dolphins (+5) over RAVENS
Chargers (-3) over TEXANS
SEAHAWKS (+7) over Giants
Chiefs (+2.5) over RAIDERS
Colts (+3) over EAGLES
Cowboys (+7.5) over PACKERS
BENGALS (+4.5) over Steelers

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 8

Last week's record: 5-9-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 8-6-0)

Season: 49-50-5 (Bill Simmons' record: 54-45-5)

Broncos (+2) over Niners
BENGALS (-1.5) over Dolphins
CHIEFS (-7.5) over Bills
RAMS (-3) over Panthers
JETS (-6) over Packers
Redskins (+2.5) over LIONS
COWBOYS (-6.5) over Jaguars
CHARGERS (-3.5) over Titans
PATRIOTS (-4) over Vikings
Seahawks (+2.5) over RAIDERS
CARDINALS (-3) over Bucs
SAINTS (PK) over Steelers
COLTS (-5.5) over Texans

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 7

Last week's record: 5-7-2 (Bill Simmons' record: 6-6-2)

Season: 44-41-5 (Bill Simmons' record: 46-39-5)

FALCONS -3.5 over Bengals
BEARS (-3) over Redskins
TITANS (-3) over Eagles
Steelers (-3) over DOLPHINS
SAINTS (-13) over Browns
BUCS (-2.5) over Rams
RAVENS (-13) over Bills
Jaguars (+9) over CHIEFS
PANTHERS (+3) over Niners
Cardinals (+6.5) over SEAHAWKS
CHARGERS (-3) over Patriots
Raiders (+8.5) over BRONCOS
PACKERS (-2.5) over Vikings
COWBOYS (-2.5) over Giants

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 6

Last week's record: 9-5-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 9-5-0)

Season: 39-34-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 40-33-3)

STEELERS (-13.5) over Browns
BUCS (+4.5) over Saints
Chargers (-8.5) over RAMS
Dolphins (+3) over PACKERS
Falcons (+3) over EAGLES
Ravens (+3) over PATRIOTS
Chiefs (+4.5) over TEXANS
GIANTS (-10) over Lions
Seahawks (+6.5) over BEARS
Raiders (+7) over NINERS
BRONCOS (+3) over Jets
Cowboys (+1.5) over VIKINGS
Colts (-3) over REDSKINS
Titans (-3) over JAGS

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 5

Last week's record: 8-6-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 6-8-0)

Season: 30-29-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 31-28-3)

BENGALS (-6.5) over Bucs
Falcons (-3) over BROWNS
Jags (-1) over BILLS
COLTS (-7) over Chiefs
LIONS (-3) over Rams
Packers (-2.5) over REDSKINS
PANTHERS (-1) over Bears
RAVENS (-7) over Broncos
TEXANS (-3) over Giants
CARDS (+7) over Saints
Titans (+7) over COWBOYS
RAIDERS (+6) over Chargers
49ERS (-3.5) over Eagles
JETS (-4) over Vikings

2010 MLB Playoff Predictions

The MLB Playoffs are upon us! There's something about the sights and sounds of baseball in the Fall that get me geeked up. And as a Phillies fan, I couldn't be more excited right now.

Objectively speaking (as much as I can be objective), the Phillies are the favorites to come out of the National League. Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels are three powerful forces to be reckoned with. Not to mention the rest of the lineup. What team can handle the likes of Utley, Howard, Werth and Ibanez?

And in the American League? Well, it's a tough call, but I'd say the Rays are the favorites, but you always have to beware of the big, bad Yankees.

Here's my stab at how it'll all shake out. Enjoy the playoffs, everyone!

National League

Phillies over Reds in 4

Giants over Braves in 3

- - -

Phillies over Giants in 6


American League

Rays over Rangers in 3

Yankees over Twins in 4


- - -

Rays over Yankees in 6


World Series

Phillies over Rays in 5

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 4

Last week's record: 8-8-0 (Bill Simmons' record: 10-6-0)

Season: 22-23-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 25-20-3)

Ravens (+1.5) over STEELERS
TITANS (-6.5) over Broncos
Bengals (-3) over BROWNS
Lions (+14.5) over PACKERS
Panthers (+13.5) over SAINTS
49ers (+7) over FALCONS
Seahawks (-1) over RAMS
Jets (-5.5) over BILLS
Colts (-7) over JAGUARS
Texans (-3) over RAIDERS
Cardinals (+8) over CHARGERS
Redskins (+5.5) over EAGLES
GIANTS (-4) over Bears
DOLPHINS (+1) over Patriots

Will We Boo McNabb?

This weekend, Donovan McNabb makes his return to Philadelphia. He'll be wearing the gawd awful burgundy and gold with his new team, the already-hated Washington Redskins.

The question many have been pondering is "Will the fans boo McNabb?" Here's my take.

Before heading down I-95 to play for the enemy, #5 led the Eagles to multiple 10 win seasons, NFC Championship games, and one Super Bowl appearance. Whether he accomplished a lot is no argument - the Eagles had never seen that sustained level of success they saw with McNabb.

However, there are a few important points to mention. First, he never got over the hump. Given 5 opportunities to advance to a Super Bowl, McNabb only led us to one. And given the opportunity to win that one, he came up short. It's always tough to appreciate what you have when you have it, but it's even tougher to appreciate what you have when you think you should have had even more.

Second, it appeared that McNabb didn't quite feel our pain when he failed to clear these hurdles. Philly fans appreciate hard work, but also appreciate accountability, and it seemed McNabb was content with these shortcomings. Often, he'd shrug off serious questions or apply lip service to them, saying what he thought the fans wanted to hear and often missing the boat.

There's another factor that plays into what I think will happen on Sunday: how well the Eagles are playing right now. Currently, we have a quarterback at the helm who is playing better than McNabb and who many think is playing the way McNabb should have been playing throughout his career, by displaying mobility when the pocket breaks down. Michael Vick is doing everything right thus far, and Eagles fans are feeling quite good about themselves. Does that translate into boos or cheers?

One could take this to mean two different things. Either fans will cheer for McNabb and show respect for what he brought to this team over the last decade because they are generally in a good mood about the team; or, fans will already be in a booing mood for the Skins and keep that momentum going as #5 trots onto the field - sort of a "who needs him anyway?" mentality because things are looking good for our guys right now.

Honestly, I don't think the reaction will lean one way or another. I think we'll have a combination of boos and cheers. Some fans will be riled up already and want to boo the enemy through and through. Some fans won't be in that mode quite yet, as the kickoff wouldn't be happening a few minutes down the line anyways from when he first steps onto the field.

If I could quantify it, I'd say the ratio would be 60-40, boo-to-cheer. I think fans will do what it takes to fire up this team and the rest of the crowd this Sunday afternoon just to get a victory against our hated rival.

Some fans will be wearing their old McNabb Eagles' jerseys on Sunday. Some fans will be attending burning parties for those same jerseys. All fans will have McNabb on their mind one way or another.

One thing is clear - nearly 100% of this stadium will want to see the Iggles come out victorious and stay atop the NFC East. There will be some love. There will be some hate. Booing and cheering will both be part of the equation.

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 3

Last week's record: 6-9-1 (Bill Simmons' record: 8-7-1)

Season: 14-15-3 (Bill Simmons' record: 15-14-3)

GIANTS (-3) over Titans
Steelers (-2.5) over BUCS
Browns (+10.5) over RAVENS
PATRIOTS (-14.5) over Bills
Falcons (+4) over SAINTS
CHIEFS (+2.5) over Niners
Bengals (-3) over PANTHERS
SEAHAWKS (+5.5) over Chargers
Redskins (-3.5) over RAMS
Lions (+11) over VIKINGS
TEXANS (-3) over Cowboys
Colts (-5.5) over BRONCOS
Eagles (-3) over JAGS
CARDINALS (-4.5) over Raiders
DOLPHINS (-2) over Jets
Packers (-3) over BEARS

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 2

Last week's record: 8-6-2 (Bill Simmons' record: 7-7-2)

PACKERS (-13) over Bills
VIKINGS (-5.5) over Dolphins
FALCONS (-6.5) over Cards
BENGALS (+2.5) over Ravens
BROWNS (-2) over Chiefs
COWBOYS (-7.5) over Bears
TITANS (-5) over Steelers
PANTHERS (-3.5) over Bucs
Eagles (-6.5) over LIONS
Seahawks (+3.5) over BRONCOS
RAIDERS (-3.5) over Rams
CHARGERS (-7) over Jaguars
REDSKINS (+3) over Texans
COLTS (-5) over Giants
Pats (-3) over JETS
NINERS (+5) over Saints

A New Season. A New Identity.

A new season begins tonight in the AJBL. And, with it, comes a new identity for me. Currently, I am one of two players on my team wearing the number “6”. I am being switched to number “7” as a result. (Interestingly enough, the other number “6” on my team was my first ever coach in organized basketball some 23+ years ago. He led us to a championship that season and is a great man, so I would defer to him every time.)

What’s the big deal, you might ask? In sports, a player’s number becomes part of his identity. Name and number go hand in hand. Historically, numbers are synonymous with the greats – most of us can name the most famous number “3” in baseball, number “23” in basketball and number “99” in hockey, for instance. When a player starts his career, he chooses a number for whatever reason. It may be his favorite number. His favorite player may have worn it. He thinks it’s a cool looking digit or two. Or it’s a lucky number or superstitious type of thing. He hopes one day this number will be retired and forever be a reminder of how great a player he was.

As for me, I’ve worn a few numbers over the years. I recall choosing to wear number “8” way before Kobe chose it. I simply liked the number. I later went on to wear number “11”, as I was a huge Isaiah Thomas fan when I was a kid. I’ve also worn numbers “1” and “10”, most likely as smaller numbers were given to the smaller kids, and I was certainly always among the smallest on my team. And I was OK with these and grew to like them as well. Penny Hardaway and Maurice Cheeks anyone?

I’ve played 4 seasons in the AJBL all as the number “6”. As you may know, the great Julius Erving wore this number on the Sixers. So when I was given that number, I was just fine with that. Would I become a legend in this league like Dr. J was in the pros? When a foul was called, sometimes I’d aid the referee in identifying myself so he didn’t have to turn me around to see what number I was. Well, now I have to reprogram. Re-identify. Is it really a big deal?

To me, it might take a game to get used to it. Certainly the feel of the ironed on character on my back won’t be that different, will it? I should hope not. My new jersey might have that new car smell. Shouldn’t take long to sweat it up!

For starters, it should be enough that the number ”7” is considered lucky to many people. I’ll gladly accept that. But there’s more than luck to this game. If I’m not playing like Julius Erving – dare I imply that I ever did! – who will I be emulating this season? Off-hand, I couldn’t even think of any famous “7”s in basketball. I Googled it right away, and the first few players that I found were quite impressive. Kenny Anderson anyone? A stud at Georgia Tech, who I quickly took a liking to in the early 90s. Tiny Archibald? A hall-of-famer! Perhaps the greatest player on this list might be another hall-of-famer, “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Truly a magician on the basketball court. Transitioning to this number shouldn’t be so difficult after all.

So here’s to a fantastic season. I hope I can achieve even the slightest morsel of what the greats before me have achieved. A no-look pass here, a reverse lay-up there. Who knows what will be in store? I do know one thing – I’ll already have luck on my side….or rather, on my back.

Forbesy's Favorites - NFL Week 1

This year I'm going on record with my NFL picks against the spread (ATS). No analysis here - just a run down of who I like to cover in each game. I'll use the point spreads that Bill Simmons (ESPN's "Sports Guy") uses. Let's see how well I do!

SAINTS (-5) over Vikings
GIANTS (-7) over Panthers
Packers (-3) over EAGLES
Dolphins (-3) over BILLS
STEELERS (+2) over Falcons
BEARS (-6) over Lions
Bengals (+4.5) over PATRIOTS
Colts (-2) over TEXANS
TITANS (-6) over Raiders
Broncos (+2.5) over JAGS
BUCS (-2.5) over Browns
Niners (-3) over SEAHAWKS
Cardinals (-4) over RAMS
Ravens (+2.5) over JETS
Chargers (-5) over CHIEFS
REDSKINS (+3.5) over Cowboys

My NFL Predictions

This year should be a good one, with New Orleans looking to repeat and most of the attention and pressure on the NY Jets. Will teams like Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit jump out of their perennial cellar-dweller spots? Will the NFC South flip its standings once again? Will Pittsburgh bounce back from a sub-par season? Many questions to be answered this season. I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

This summer I created a fun little Excel spreadsheet to ease the process of picking games and alleviate the headache of ensuring total wins and losses are the same. Fun times, I tell ya.

Without further ado....

NFC East
NYG 12-4
DAL 10-6
WAS 8-8
PHI 6-10

NFC North
GB 13-3
MIN 9-7
CHI 7-9
DET 2-14

NFC South
NO 11-5
ATL 9-7
CAR 7-9
TB 4-12

NFC West
SF 10-6
SEA 7-9
ARI 6-10
STL 3-13

AFC East
NE 12-4
NYJ 11-5
MIA 9-7
BUF 3-13

AFC North
BAL 13-3
CIN 10-6
PIT 9-7
CLE 3-13

AFC South
IND 12-4
HOU 9-7
TEN 9-7
JAX 4-12

AFC West
SD 12-4
DEN 7-9
OAK 5-11
KC 4-12

Playoffs

Wildcard
NFC
NO over ATL
DAL over SF

AFC
NE over CIN
NYJ over SD

Divisional Round
NFC
NYG over NO
GB over DAL

AFC
NE over IND
BAL over NYJ

Conference Champs
NFC
GB over NYG

AFC
BAL over NE

Super Bowl
GB over BAL

Phillies Phun Phacts

The Phillies recorded their 16th shutout of the year this afternoon against the Padres, winning 5-0. So, of the 73 wins they have, better than 1-in-5 are via the goose egg.

Overall, the Phils have surrendered 526 runs in their 130 games this year - good for 4.05 runs allowed per game. However, they've really allowed this same amount of runs over 114 games, which is good for 4.61 runs per game. And in those games, they're a .500 ball club, at 57-57.

Kind of shaky statistics when they do allow runs in a ballgame, especially since their bats have gone cold lately. But 16 shutouts is very impressive, especially since 5 have come in August, so I'll take this as a great sign that the pitching is rounding into terrific form as we head down the stretch.

Let's just hope those bats wake up come September. Go Phillies!!!

Uni Thoughts

In no particular order:

- I was watching the Phillies-Giants game last night and thought to myself, "Why don't the Phillies wear their secondary patch on their uniforms like the Giants (and Orioles, as another example) do?" I think it would look pretty fly. As of now, they just wear their numbers on one sleeve, and I believe a patch for Robin Roberts on the other. Normally, that other sleeve would just be blank. Why not add this?



And on top of that, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing a new road uniform for the Phils. If "SAN FRANCISCO" can fit on a uniform, well, so can "PHILADELPHIA". Why not? Lack of Photoshop or Illustrator skills are keeping me from showing what I mean. Just think the Giants road unis in the Phillies colors with a Phillies patch and "Philadelphia" where all the Giants stuff is.

- I'm very happy that a few teams have changed their unis in the NBA. Happiest with the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers. Other teams should take note - just because you have more jersey and short to work with, doesn't mean you need to fill it with crap. Talkin' to you, Clippers and Hawks, to name only a couple.

- With the NFL season fast approaching, I'm excited for a few things. The Eagles are busting out some beautiful throwbacks in week 1 against the Packers (and hopefully some other weeks as well). I was excited to see the Colts where those nice dark blue helmets against the 49ers in the preseason, but more baffled that we didn't see a home blue jersey to go along with it. I hope that changes. And those Packers are also wearing navy jerseys for a game or two this season. Should be fun to look at!

And I'd be remiss *again* not to mention my disgust and disdain for the current Cardinals, Vikings, Jaguars, Bills and Bengals unis. Seriously, guys. Seriously. It doesn't have to be this way! (Not even wasting my time putting up links for these monstrosities.)