Bottom of the Bird Cage 3/29

While Traveling America’s Highways & Byways

It’s the 88th day of the year and we honk our horn for all the men who have work No. 88 for the Chiefs, including of course, the current resident of that number, Tony Gonzalez. Or, at least he’s wearing it as of today. Other 88s include Chris Burford, Walter White, J.J. Birden and Carlos Carson.

On this day in 1896, in the backyard of his home in Atlanta, Dr. John Pemberton brewed up the first batch of what would eventually become known as Coca-Cola. Born on March 29, 1917 was Man o’ War, one of the greatest race horses in American history. Next time you happen to be in Lexington, Kentucky, take a drive on Man o’ War Boulevard.

And on March 29, 1806, Congress authorized construction on the Great National Pike, known as the Cumberland Road. It became the first federal highway.

Let me tell you after spending the past week putting in a lot of miles on federal highways, the Cumberland Road 203 years ago was in better shape that most of the interstates in Michigan.

From the St. Petersburg Times:
The small boat rocked wildly in 6-foot waves. More than 30 miles from shore, the four men knew it was time to go back, time to pull up anchor. But it wouldn’t budge. By turns, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith and former University of South Florida football players Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler all heaved mightily to no avail. They decided to retie the anchor line from the bow of the 21-foot boat to the stern, then gun the engine to jerk the anchor out of the gulf’s bottom.

It only made matters worse. The thrust pushed the anchor deeper, tightening the anchor line and pulling down the stern of the boat, exposing it to sloshing seas. In one swift moment, the boat became swamped, overturned and dumped the four men into 62-degree seas.

Thus began the series of events that forever changed one life and ended three others. In a report Friday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission concluded the men improperly anchored the boat during their Feb. 28 fishing trip. The 12-page report detailed the boaters’ attempt to free the anchor, which ultimately submerged and capsized the vessel.

It also revealed information about the harrowing moments that followed, based on an interview with the sole survivor. All four men were on top of the hull until, one by one, three of the men died or purposefully slipped away. “They made a mistake that turned out to be a tragic event,” said investigator James Manson.

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This is a sad end to a sad story.  Three men died because of an anchor, and their unwillingness to cut the anchor’s line and leave it at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.  For the cost of less than $200, three men left this world in a most gruesome manner.  This story includes a link to the official report, but the newspaper story is chilling itself. Just another example of how one bad decision can change people’s worlds.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Each time the defense gathers before practice, Dick LeBeau greets his players by saying something like this: “Men, it’s a great day to be alive.” It’s his way of telling them to seize the moment, and like everything else about the Steelers defensive coordinator, it comes from his heart. “I believe that. Each day is a gift. Let’s not waste too much time complaining about things,” LeBeau says. “Every new day is a great day to get something done. Tomorrow is promised to no man.”

First as a player and then as a coach, LeBeau, 71, has been getting things done on a football field for five decades in the NFL. He has influenced the game to the extent that just about every team’s defensive game plan incorporates some of his ideas. Not only have LeBeau’s defenses regularly ranked among the NFL’s elite, he has been on the sidelines of five Super Bowl entrants — twice with the Bengals and all three times the Steelers have made the big game since the Chuck Noll era.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, LeBeau has the utmost respect of his peers. Consider the words of Brian Billick, who operated his own highly acclaimed defense when he coached the Ravens. “Virtually every team in the NFL runs some form or another of concepts LeBeau initiated,” Billick said. “You can’t help but be impressed with LeBeau and how the Steelers operate … Dick LeBeau is what every player, coach, scout, owner and fan should aspire to be. His love and commitment to the game [are] pure and unselfish.”

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Dick LeBeau is one amazing man.  It’s simply impossible to find anybody with a bad word to say about the guy.  And, the best thing is he’s the last guy that wants to talk about him.   The world needs more men like Dick LeBeau in positions of far more power than defensive coordinator.

From the New York Times:
The Giants said Thursday that they had sold more than 70,000 personal seat licenses at the 82,500-seat stadium they are building with the Jets. The remaining unsold P.S.L.’s are in the high-priced club areas, where they cost $7,500 to $20,000 each. “There’s no question the economy has had an effect, but I’m confident we’ll be sold out long before we’ve opened up,” John Mara, the president and co-owner of the team, said from the N.F.L. meetings in California. “We have a year and a half to go.”
The slower pace of selling the expensive seats is similar to the experience of the Yankees, who are trying to sell season tickets in prime locations at $350 to $2,500 per game at their new stadium. The Giants’ most expensive club area is the Coach’s Club — 2,113 seats behind their bench — where licenses cost $20,000 and tickets in 2010 will cost $700 each. In all, the three club areas that are not fully sold comprise 9,198 seats.

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So far, I’d say the Giants have done an amazing job of selling their PSLs.  The high dollar tickets haven’t gone, and that’s no  surprise given the economy.  But when they’ve got fans willing to sign up for PSLs and they are at 85 percent sold a full year and five  months before the stadium opens, is pretty remarkable.