Deep Thoughts On Traffic, Sports
Not only do the television stations continue to show car chases, their frequency seems to be increasing. I look forward to the following lead-in and disclaimer:
“This (car, truck, SUV) chase is brought to you by (Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, BMW) and the (Exxon, British Petroleum, Chevron) oil company under the auspices of the (Orange County or L.A. County sheriff’s department). The sponsors assume no liability for crashes, property damage, injuries or lost stolen goods.”
As Mimi and I were headed south on the San Diego (I-405) Freeway in North County, we were passed by a young woman doing about 80 mph in a gray Toyota in the diamond lane alongside of us. Slowed by the car in front of her, she decided to pass it by quickly veering back and forth across two sets of double yellow lines, and without signaling.
I figure her nifty maneuvers involved eight different moving violations. No cop in sight, but fortunately, traffic was light and there was no accident.
The woman did not seem to be drunk or angry, but she was certainly impatient.
A fan’s lament: Time is running out for the disappointing 2006 version of the baseball team formerly known as Anaheim.
The Angels’ payroll is big, but the bats are little. The stadium is packed, but the defense is porous. The decision-making, from the dugout on up, has been horrendous all season long.
If there were awards for worst manager and general manager, I’d be stuffing the ballot box for Mike Scioscia and Bill Stoneman.
Scioscia has been slow to pick up on problems the average guy on the street could diagnose. Example: It took him a half season to figure out that endless errors at third base cost the team games before he finally moved Chone Figgins to centerfield.
While other contending general managers made pre-deadline trades for stars and other impact players, Stoneman didn’t complete a single deal. So the Angels have lost precious close games down the stretch for want of a key hit.
Plan too much for tomorrow and today never comes. Stoneman will have an extra difficult job dealing this winter as his once highly valued “prospects” are now, for the most part, worth about a nickel.
Since departing the Angels, “expendable” Troy Glaus has hit more than 70 homers. The “future stars” who have replaced him are about 45 behind.
While the Angels pray for a rare big night from their tag-team catchers, “expendable” Bengie Molina rolls along at 15 homers and a .285 batting average,for Toronto.
And when one of the rookies really does produce, gets on a record-setting victory pace, in fact, the Angels send Jered Weaver back to the minors for two weeks. That may rank as the biggest front-office blunder in the team’s history,followed by the decision to keep Casey Kotchman in the lineup after a diagnosis of mononucleosis. Take it from a doctor, it’s hard enough to play the radio with mono, much less first base.
Los Angeles Angels? Right now, L.A., you can have ’em.
And speaking of Los Angeles sports teams (or former L.A. teams): The Raiders show that if you take a head coach and offensive coordinator from last century you get a team that can’t compete in this century.
OC’s Matt Leinart and his Stanford lady athlete acquaintance are expecting. May Matt be as productive with his passes and receptions on the NFL field as he is off the field.
Michael Arnold “Doc” Glueck
Newport Beach
Airport Anyone?
Great. The housing market is slowing. Companies such as Lennar and Standard Pacific expect lower earnings.
Considering the thousands of homes that have been built and the many that are planned in South County, we only can wonder what will happen to all of these?
Of course, Lennar and the city of Irvine have a fall-back position. If the economic picture in Orange County gets bad enough, they can revive the El Toro Airport.
Airports are real long-term moneymakers, while the Great Park continues to be mainly a public relations mirage.
Shirley A. Conger
Corona del Mar
