Thursday, October 09, 2008

Anniversary of "Keep Chopping Wood" accident

Today marks the fifth anniversary of one of the strangest sports failures in history. On this day in 2003, Jacksonville Jaguars punter Chris Hanson gashes his right leg with an ax while chopping wood in the team's locker room. The wood and the ax had been placed in the room at the behest of head coach Jack Del Rio, who was using the mantra "keep chopping wood" to inspire his players after a 0-3 start. Hanson's injury requires emergency surgery and ends his season. In June of 2002, Hanson, his wife, and former Jaguars placekicker Jaret Holmes were severely burned at Hanson's house when a fondue pot overturned.

More failures from today in history.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

McCain, Palin, AAA New York and the Bridge to Nowhere

The October 2008 issue of Car & Travel Magazine (the monthly publication of AAA New York) features interviews with both Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama on "the future of America's energy policy, as well as its highways, bridges and transit systems."

Owing to the long lead time of print magazines, the telephone interviews must have been conducted months ago, before McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Which makes it all the more amusing how McCain, in his interview, obsesses about the Bridge to Nowhere, which as we now know, was originally supported by Palin.

"How can you ask Americans for more money, in the form of taxes, if you're spending $223 million for a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it?" asks McCain. And, in an earlier segment, he says, "I want to assure you that under my presidency there will be no more 'Bridges to Nowhere.' " Bet he wouldn't have focused on the Bridge to Nowhere (and pork-barrel spending in general), if he knew Palin would ultimately become his running mate.

Funny too how the interview(s) are prefaced by the following disclaimer: "The candidates' positions on energy and transportation issues may have been modified since this interview."