Highest Paid Pitchers

A recent list of the twenty highest paid pitchers in history. Eleven of the top 15 played in New York. Nine of the top ten (and 16 of 20) played in the northeast. Greg Maddux earned the most money of any player who had never played for a New York team. He retired longer ago than all but two pitchers on the list. As the winningest pitcher since Warren Spahn, Maddux has the most wins on this list.

Johan Santana earned the most per win: an astounding $1,161,151.08. Only four starting pitchers on the list earned less than $528,000.00 per win, and three of them were longtime Braves Hall of Famers Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz – all under $435,000.00. The only other HOFers on the list are the two highest paid (Randy Johnson and Marino Rivera) and #8 Pedro Martinez.

earn.wins.LST YR.$/win

175.5 303 2009 579 Randy Johnson L NYY

169.4 652 2013 260 Mariano Rivera R NYY

169.3 208 2014 814 CC Sabathia L NYY CLE

161.4 139 2012 1161 Johan Santana L NYM MIN

153.8 355 2008 433 Greg Maddux R CHC ATL SD LAD

150.6 354 2007 425 Roger Clemens R NYY BOS TOR

148.9 203 2013 733 Roy Halladay R PHI TOR

146.2 219 2009 668 Pedro Martinez R NYM Bos Mon

144.5 270 2008 535 Mike Mussina R NYY BAL

139.8 256 2013 546 Andy Pettitte L NYY HOU

137.2 165 2013 832 Barry Zito L SF OAK

135.7 155 2014 875 AJ Burnett R FL Tor NYY Pitt Phi

135.6 213 2009 369 John Smoltz R ATL 154 saves

130.8 211 2005 620 Kevin Brown R TX LAD NYY SD FL

129.6 305 2008 424 Tom Glavine L ATL NYM

124.5 148 2010 841 Mike Hampton L ATL COL HOU

118.9 199 2014 597 Mark Buehrle L CWS TOR

116.4 138 2014 843 Josh Beckett R FLA BOS LAD

114.1 216 2007 528 Curt Schilling R BAL BOS PHI ARIZ

113.9 132 2012 863 Carlos Zambrano R CHC MIA

A is for Anna

Anna has only made one B in her four years of high school, and that grade was an 88. I knew she spend a lot of time on her studies, but really hadn't considered that she was performing that well – even better grades than Will had in high school. Anna has 60 in her graduating class, though I'm not sure where she ranks. Nice that colleges consider private school educations as more rigorous than the public schools. Will had told Anna she ought to apply for the UGA honors program, though I doubt she will.    

When two people meet who both wear Chuck Taylors they can immediately tell they had something in common. It's almost like there are two kinds of people: those who wear Chucks and those who don't. Like you, I don't. I always thought Chucks were cool but never really had any as a kid – maybe once before I really got into shoes. I have a white pair of low tops, but shoes without thick soles just make me look even shorter and fatter, so I never wear them. A few years ago I had a pair of black high tops. One day I saw Joel Norman wearing a similar pair and mentioned I had a pair just like them. He kind of stammered and said that Will had given Joel my shoes, and we both had a good laugh. Since then I've given Joel 3 or 4 more pairs. The other night I even thought about asking Joel if he needed any shoes.

Anna just bought a pair of black Chuck Taylor high tops. She also has a white pair of Vans she wears. M has a pair of white Chucks that he only occasionally wears. He wears the high tops flipped down, which I'm not crazy about. M usually wears brown leather shoes but also likes Vans. It's report card time so we'll see about M. Supposedly he's doing better in 2015 than he did in the fall. If he's still failing I'll really have to be the bad guy. Ceil hates making waves. He's been studying math with his friend McKinnon. He has a hard time going to sleep at night, so we need to get that checked out. When eating he only nibbles, then nibbles more throughout the evening. Hard getting him to change his habits.

Will's former teammate David Bartlett (coach Henry's son) wears a hard to find size 16. For a while whenever I would come across a pair of nice 16s I would buy them for him, including a pair of red Pumas. He loved it. David just graduated from KSU and moved to Korea to teach English. I bet he really stands out with his huge feet and light brown buzz cut on his skinny 6'4" frame. Henry teaches at Wheeler and really battles the system. He is always taking in homeless students. He and his wife are great tennis players. They also care for his elderly father (with Alzheimer's) and toddler grandson.

Wednesday I picked up M on the way home. C and A had art. Will played basketball in the morning at Johnson Ferry, got a haircut, and played 18 holes of golf in the afternoon (through the rain). Then he watched The Office and took a practice MCAT test from 9 pm – 1 am. I watched a Jay Leno hosted show about classic cars. As a kid he liked cars and was able to turn it into a lifetime hobby.

Went to a follow-up appointment about my shoulder. Doctor said I am progressing on schedule – my pain and limited range of motion is normal. Perhaps I can start physical therapy in late April. Thursday morning Will and Joel drove 4-1/2 hours to Jefferson SC, played nine holes of golf, and drove back to Atlanta. I have made that one day round trip at least twice in the past, once starting in Marietta in the van to pick up furniture, and once starting in SC in Mr. Miller's pickup for the same reason. Thursday night Matthew made up some buttermilk pancakes, and they turned out good.

C and I ate at Reid's birthday dinner at the Taqueria del Sol catering facility near Emory University. Edie made a nice speech. I learned a bunch. She didn't mention that Reid also has a list of all the places he has taken her. Ceil feels the same way about all my "stuff" but she forgets that she has just as much accumulated. From what I can see both kids have grown up into great adults, spouses, and parents. They both married wonderful people. With all the family chaos nothing seems to ever throw Claire for a loop.   

We couldn't have had a better time. So good to see the crowd. The girls behaved beautifully, especially when they went around hugging everyone. Ceil knows Andrew's mother, so it was good to sit with them. Andrew's dad was funny. Bill Reed and I had a lot to talk about. Dock looks good without the beard. We got to chat a little. Also had a nice chat with Ron Watts and Andrew and Claire. Good to see Bill Dukes. I hadn't seen his wife in a long time so it was good to see her. The food was great. Ceil and I both liked the brisket taco. I need to get that grits recipe.

At least we weren't the last ones to arrive. Traffic was extra bad. Left work 1-1/2 hours early and drove home to get Ceil. Didn't stay at the house ten minutes and we were back on the road. Southbound GA 400 was jammed starting at the North Springs MARTA station all the way down to 85, creeping along at 5-20 MPH, but it was the quickest way to go. Then some of the surface streets were jammed as well.

I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have served in the armed forces (or to work for the government). My eyedoctor looks like Matthew Broderick. I tell Ceil she was the inspiration for the wife in the "Jake from State Farm" commercials.

Joel recently played a gig in Auburn and said Kevin and Haley came to hear him.

On my list of sporting events and other memorable events the only notations for March 12 are from the past two years. In 2013 Will traveled to High Point NC on Spring Break. Last year he was touring Freedom Hall in Philadelphia. The oldest scrapbook calendar at work is from 2011. Will played a doubleheader in chilly McDonough, collecting 6 hits and 7 RBI. He pitched 2 innings and struck out three. Afterwards we ate at Zaxbys with my dad. C and A went to ballet and Virginia Highlands. Looking at just one calendar spreadsheet on my computer, on 3.12.2003 we had small group, Will had baseball practice, and I wore a checked shirt, loafers, and grey Dockers. Ate at Chickfila.

NFL's Top Ten "Greatest Hands"

Another one of my endless lists: from the NFL Network’s Top Ten Greatest Hands. These shows are meant more to spark debate than actually be accurate.

Best of the rest: Randy Moss, Isaac Bruce, Tim Brown, Tony Gonzalez, Lance “Bambi” Alworth – and running backs Larry Simmons, Marshall Faulk, and Roger Craig.

10. Marvin Harrison, Colts

9. Lynn Swann, Steelers

8. Sterling Sharpe, Packers

7. Jerry Rice, 49ers/Raiders

6. Kellen Winslow, Chargers

5. Fred Belitnikoff, Raiders

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

3. Steve Largent, Seahawks

2. Raymond Berry, Colts

1. Chris Carter, Vikings/Eagles

No mention of Chris Collinsworth, Don Maynard, or Don Hutson – or one of the greatest pass catching running backs in NFL history: Herschel Walker.

My ten: (10) Gonzalez (9) Faulk (8) Swann (7) Moss (6) Fitzgerald (5) Carter (4) Largent (3) Rice (2) Berry (1) Belitnikoff. Below the Raider hall of famer moves upfield at muddy Atlanta Stadium against the Falcons, in a game I attended as a kid.

Trixie the Triceratops

Recently I told the story of a memorable statistics class my junior year at Tech, taught by a popular young professor. The senior homecoming queen sat just in front of me, to the left. I had never spoken to her. One day the prof’s example was abpout whips, and how long they lasted. He asked a question about the whips and called on the homecoming queen. I leaned over and whispered a funny reply she could answer: “Say ‘Beats ME!’” She laughed and gave my answer – but she put the emphasis on the wrong word “BEATS me”. By completely missing on the joke, I knew she wasn’t the girl for me.    

Good issue of Sports Illustrated with articles about the Hawks, Wilt Chamberlain’s son, assault in colleges, etc. And that Roger McDowell gets $13.00 every time that Seinfeld second spitter episode aires. I doubt I would ever read all those articles on line.

I was reading about that new show Last Man on Earth, which looks mildly interesting. Then I started reading about the actress in the show. She had voiced Trixie in TS3, the blue triceratops from the same toy line as Rex. Then I started reading about Toy Story characters and saw that Sid now drives a garbage truck. It’s been a while since I’d seen the movie, though I’ve watched it 2 or 3 times. Couldn’t remember if I had noticed Sid or not. MC is also a big TS fan. 

My favorite line is when Barbie says "Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force!” I thought about TS3 the day Chuck & Chernoff were talking about guys crying more about movies or sports. Chernoff doesn’t get mushy at movies but Chuck gets all choked up watching Forrest Gump, hence my tweet about Forrest returning the kickoff for the Alabama touchdown.

Hurt’s oldest daughter Haley won the Miss Columbus GA pageant last week. She transferred to Auburn for her sophomore year and now she’s a senior. She joined a sorority and this was her second pageant that I knew about. Since she’s beautiful, smart, and well spoken, I’m sure she does well in pageants. Growing up she Irish danced, which now is her talent. In November she will compete in the Miss Georgia USA pageant. Last summer she worked down at Seaside FL. Wonder if she’ll have to stay home this summer and “train” for the pageant. Knowing Haley she entered the pageant as a resume builder. She is also crazy about all things Disney.  

Eric Young Jr hit one home run and Will’s old teammate Tanner loves him. Never mind that EYJr has never hit more than four in any one season. He may be the right man for the job defensively but its hard to get exciting about him offensively. He would be an upgrade over BJ. Tanner is the one who loved the Gomes signing. Sunday I drove past the Ted and they had the Gomes “I want to win THIS year” quote on the marquee. Seems like every spring the marginal players work hard, play great defense, and hit .350 to win a spot, then revert to form in the regular season. Why is management always fooled?

ROB: Yes, I was thinking the same thing about SI.  They have done a good job of staying with what they are - stories about the people are in sports, as opposed to trying to deliver sports news.

I was thinking the other day how goofy spring training in MLB is.  Spring training stats are both small sample sizes and against unequal opposition.  For example, EY Jr may get 2 AB's in a spring training game against Washington.  He may face Strasburg in 1 AB and Tanner Roark in the next.  Eury Perez may come in and face 1 pitcher who will spend the season in AAA and another who will end up in high A.  After the game we will compare their stats and declare that Perez should be the team's CF because he is having a better spring.

I also don't understand the scheduling of games in Fla.  In AZ, all of the complexes are pretty much near each other.  They say the Braves need to move to have closer commutes to play the other teams.  Instead of taking a different bus ride every day, why can't they go play a 3 game series against the Yankees in Tampa?

ME: Drove to Macon and back Sunday to check my dad into the hospital for phenmonia. He got out today. Will shadowed at hospitals Monday and Tuesday. Joel Norman came over for dinner last night and really livened things up. Looks like after the January wedding Will is moving to OK for 5 months while MC finishes school. Then he’ll start medical school in Augusta in May 2016.    

On the second Tuesday of the month, which is when we have our monthly management review meetings. The two sales managers were out of town but we had the meetings anyway. Monday I got a decent amount of work done but still plenty to do.

Will got home from camping Sunday afternoon. Went to Whole Foods with Ceil. Monday he shadowed with Dr. Gilbert in Cartersville. After supper (two Mexican dishes: burritos and enchiladas) he went over to the Normans to visit, then back to Athens to work in the hospital. He took my Civic to save on gas, so I drove his Jeep.

After work Tuesday I left work at six and picked up M at the Avalon. He had hung out at NP Mall with McKinnon. They ate at Five Guys. On the way home I picked up two more bobbleheads: a cowboy and a hockey player. Since it was Tuesday I got the senior discount.

Joel Norman came over for dinner, and as usual we all had a swell time. Spaghetti and meatballs and salad. He played us a recording of his latest unreleased song, and Matthew did the same. M and Joel played guitars for a while, then the kids all played a game where they guessed the location of Google photos. Closest to the location wins.

Facebook has a thing where they’ll tell you what you posted exactly 4 or 5 years ago, but I haven’t checked it out. All I have to do is pull out one of my calendars, which can be fun. On this day in 2005 Will had baseball practice, Anna had a dress rehearsal for ballet, Matthew had a violin lesson, and we had small group. I had a burger for lunch and spaghetti for dinner.

Warren Moon: Hall of Famer

Warren Moon retired with the third-most NFL passing yards, behind Dan Marino and John Elway. All three are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I was never a big Moon fan for one reason: he wore the ever-so cocky number one. In real life he appeared to be a level-headed individual, undoubtedly the greatest black quarterback in history. Despite playing for the volatile Jerry Glanville, you never heard of run-ins between QB and coach. Moon spent the last two seasons as a backup, content to tutor the QB’s playing ahead of him.

When Moon came out of college the NFL wanted to change his position, so he signed with the Canadian Football League and became one of its biggest stars. He retired from the NFL with the most passing yards in pro football history – almost ten thousand more yards than second place Dan Marino and twenty thousand ahead of third place John Elway. To set the record before the even more pass-happy 2000’s began is quite an achievement.

While Peyton Manning is poised to break Brett Farve’s all-time NFL yardage record next season, the actual top two passing yardage leaders in pro football history played in the CFL: Anthony Calvitto and Damon Allen. Will they ever be considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Not a chance.  

79816 1994-2013 Anthony Calvitto (20) CFL

72381 1985-2007 Damon Allen (23) CFL

71838 1991-2010 Brett Farve (20)

69691 1998-2014 Peyton Manning (active)

61361 1983-1999 Dan Marino (17)

56033 2001-2014 Drew Brees (active)

53258 2000-2014 Tom Brady (active)

51475 1983-1998 John Elway (16)

49325 1984-2000 Warren Moon (17)

21228 1978-1983 Warren Moon CFL (6)

70553 1978-2000 Warren Moon total (23)

61361 less Marino’s total

09492 Difference between Moon and Marino

Moon’s story is remarkably similar to Herschel Walker’s. Herschel also played his first few seasons in a rival league. Neither played in the Super Bowl. Both played for several underachieving teams. Both finished third all-time in career yards: Moon in passing yards, Walker in combined yards. Both retired with the most all-time yards in their respective categories (Herschel is still number one all-time, ahead of the great Jerry Rice).

Herschel repeatedly graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. He never made trouble or complained and showed versatility by dancing in the Dallas Ballet and competing for the US Bobsled team in the Winter Olympics. Three of Walker’s fellow USFL stars were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young, Jim Kelly, and Reggie White. All three played in the Super Bowl. But the real reason Walker is being denied HOF induction is that he alone challenged the NFL’s rule that players must complete their college eligibility before entering the NFL. Herschel was the first college player to go pro early. It was a door the NFL had tried to keep closed for years. Once Walker turned pro early the floodgates opened for good. The NFL holds it against Walker. When will these hard feelings end?

Herschel Walker is pro football’s Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Eating Out: Three Strikes

FRIDAY: C had to drive M down to PCC for 530 arrival for a 6 pm departure on his retreat. At 445 M called me looking for a costume to wear. I could tell that C was stressed when I spoke to her at 6 pm – probably because of traffic. I left work at 515 and took 85 south to meet her at the Shake Shack. The Lenox Road exit was jam, as was the Buford Hwy south exit so I wound up taking 400 north to the Buckhead Loop to Peachtree Road at Lenox Square. In the half mile to Piedmont there were numerous bad drivers. Took Piedmont to Pharr. Spoke to C and decided to leave a car at SPdL, so I cut through Garden Hills.

STRIKE ONE: SHAKE SHACK. My burger was ok – not as good as The Big Ketch, Fuddruckers, H&F, or Cheeseburger Bobbys. C hadn’t liked the crinkle fries but I thought they were ok. She got a shake but I didn’t taste it. 

Drove up to Lenox where I looked at more shoes than usual: Niketown, the adidas store, Ecco, Crocs, Champs, Foot Locker, and Clarkes. Ceil would text me where she was but by the time I’d locate that store she had moved on. When she called me I spotted her and walked up behind her while we were on the phone. Later we stopped by Barnes & Noble where a real nag for a girlfriend kept going on and on about religion, talking too loudly. Her boyfriend kept trying to change the subject “Hey, look at this!” but she went on and on. Got home in time to see the second half of the big Hawks win.

SATURDAY: cleaned upstairs until almost 1 pm. C brought me oatmeal and a scrambled egg for breakfast. Downstairs I folded laundry while watching the PGA. Saw the back to back holes in one by Dustin Johnson and JB Holmes. Also a hundred yard wedge for another eagle and three more chip-ins. My friend heard Lang on 680 talking about the Hawks. Anna went to babysit. Ceil and I went to PetsMart then over to Perimeter Mall. I said we could eat down at Jaliscos or Chuys, which was closer. Ceil picked Chuys.

STRIKE TWO: CHUYS (sounds Chinese, not Mexican) Crowded, but the place is so big that we didn’t have to wait. They pride themselves on all their varied sauces. When I read their descriptions they all sounded pretty much the same. When the waitress brought out chips and salsa she also left a bowl of white/green hot sauce – before she had brought our drinks. I ordered a plate for us to share: chalupa for Ceil and enchilada for me. I should’ve specified my sauce .The enchilada was covered in a green hot sauce, and I figured out why. When I scraped off the sauce the enchilada looked white and plain. At most respectable Mexican restaurants enichiladas are wrapped in a yellow corn meal tortilla. Chuys’ enchilada was white bland tasteless. Inside was just cheese and plain chicken without any seasonings. Very disappointing. I’d be fine with not going back to Chuys.

At Perimeter Mall I checked out more shoes: Foot Locker, Champs, American Eagle, and Von Maur. Ceil had been cold and found a great deal on a $17.00 long sweater. These days walking around malls can be a chore – especially places like Lenox and Perimeter. People don’t think about other people, only themselves. No courtesy. They walk too slow, take up the entire walkway, and stand out in the middle where others are trying to walk past. They walk  to the left against the flow, instead of to the right with the flow. Obama’s fault.

Again Ceil called me to meet up. I could see her way ahead and again I was able to sneak up on her. On the way home we stopped by Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee on the way home. They actually had an out of town singer performing: Kylie Odetta from Greenville. A young girl who tours across the Southeast, performing a colleges and coffee shops. Back home we watched a cheesy movie for the third straight Saturday night: Pitch Perfect. For the third straight week I do not recommend it.

SUNDAY morning I hadn’t reset my clock and I slept too late. Drove down to Macon to see my parents. My dad hadn’t felt good for several days and would be going to the doctor on Monday. He had wished he gone on Friday but thought he could make it to Monday. After Sunday dinner he decided to go to the hospital. Had nothing to do with anything I said. We got to the crowded ER at 245 but it wasn’t long before he was sent back for a chest X-ray. Then more waiting before taken back to a room in the ER. More waiting with an occasional visit for a test or question. I was texted updates to my mom. She would immediately notify my sister, so I saw no need to duplicate the communication. It was confirmed he had a mild case of phnemonia and would be admitted. At 645 he was wheeled to his fifth floor room which had a nice view of downtown Macon. Drove up Riverside Drive to get my mom. Not sure why she’d want to spend the night to the hospital. Brought her back, and at 9 pm I left for home. Made good time, arriving at 1045. But for the most part I did good. Ate cereal and Poweraid instead of soda and more fast food.

STRIKE THREE: WENDYS. Down in Macon on Sunday I noticed a brand new Wendys. Looked a little different on the outside. The drive through line was long with cars pulled ahead waiting for food, so I went inside. Way different, including a fake fireplace dividing up the dining area. You order and move left to get your food. Looked like a high tech cafeteria with all these electronic boards showing you what to order. I couldn’t find the dollar menu. Lots of employees but nobody taking or filling orders. Customers waiting on food and others lined up waiting to order. Nothing happening, so after looking around for a while I went back outside and got in my car. No line at the drive thru, so I ordered and got my food. Like many fast food places they place most of their manpower making sure the drive through flows, disregarding the customers who took the time to park and come inside. My frosty cup was only half full, because they were out of the small cups for the size I had ordered. Sandwich had just a tiny bit of ketchup and mustard.

MONDAY: this morning my clock tricked my again, and I didn’t get to work until 745.

MORE FOOD: I had never had a root beer float until recently. Was ok but I thought it might be better than it was. McDonalds could learn a thing or two from Chickfila. McDonalds develops all this great food but must is frozen and not fresh like Chickfila. Did you knows Moes restaurants don’t have freezers? All food is fresh. See the story where the guy who invented the single serve Keurig coffe maker wished he hadn’t?

ROB: EY Jr is fast and a good baserunner (not always the same thing), but you are correct that he is a weak hitter and is not strong defensively due to his questionable routes to balls.  I remember seeing him misplay a few balls while playing for the Mets against us.  I would rather Perez or Cunningham get the position - with this weak of an offensive club, we cannot afford to give away runs in the field.

What I Do

Thought my job can sometimes be frustrating (like all jobs) it seems to fit my unique personal makeup.

Hours per day performing various duties at work:

2.00 reviewing fabricator inventory & taking subsequent actions

1.00 expediting late parts/calling & emailing customer & vendors

0.50 daily conference call

1.00 help solve team problems

0.50 lining up shipments

0.50 helping VMI with their problems

0.50 customer quotes and one time orders

0.25 other customer pricing

0.25 reviewing my old work orders

0.25 keeping up with remote inventory orders

0.25 rejections

1.00 helping resolve problem orders for other offices

0.25 helping resolve plant problems

0.25 misc work email & voicemail

0.50 special projects

0.25 raw material review and ordering, expediting mill orders

0.25 reviewing old inventory

0.25 entering orders for other customers

Picture Day

Instead of another lame-o list, 

here are a few photos I swiped.

On Valentines' weekend Will and MC recreated one of her favorite OU photographs. That's "The Spoon" where Will had proposed the night before.

One of Anna's latest drawings.

Last night Haley Hurt was crowned Miss Fountain City (Columbus GA). In November she will compete for the Miss Georgia crown. With her at a previous pageant is her proud father.

 Cool photo of David Norman and his groomsmen.

Barney woke up Anna.

Rare photo of 1976 Georgia Tech quarterback Mike Jolly.

Tech QB Eddie McAshan confers with head coach Bud Carson on the Grant Field sidelines.

Top Ten Tight Ends

I was very pleased with one online list of the ten greatest tight ends in NFL history. It is particularly to compare tight ends of different eras due to changing offensive trends. But to be a productive standout tight end in any era is significant. Smart head coaches and offensive coordinators know a talented tight end is a weapon to exploit in any offensive system.  Now I can’t find the link so I’m not sure of the order (except for 10 and 1).

(10) Charlie Sanders, Lions, Shannon Sharpe (Broncos), Mark Bavaro (Giants), Kellen Winslow (Chargers, Jackie Smith (Cardinals & Cowboys), Ozzie Newsome (Browns), Mike Ditka (Bears & Cowboys), Dave Casper (Raiders), Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs & Falcons), (1) John Mackey (Colts, above left).

Cheatsheet.com’s list isn’t quite as old school: (10) Ben Coates (9) Antonio Gates (8) Ozzie Newsome (7) Todd Christiansen (6) Dave Casper (5) Kellen Winslow (4) Shannon Sharpe (3) Tony Gonzalez (2) Mike Ditka (1) John Mackey.  

FootballNation.com might have the best list: (10) Pete Retzlaff (9) Ozzie Newsome (8) Jason Witten (7) Jackie Smith (6) Kellen Winslow (5) Antonio Gates (4) Mike Ditka (3) Shannon Sharpe (2) John Mackey (1) Tony Gonzalez. Having watched Tony G play for the Falcons in his later years as well as watching Mackey in person back in the day, I have to rank TG slightly ahead of Mackey, who was a beast in his own right.

Honorable Mentions: Heath Miller (Steelers). Ron Gronkowski (Patriots) could be on the lists except for his injury-riddled career. Take Shannon Sharpe off the list – he was not a prototypical tight end, and only flourished alongside John Elway. At his hall of fame induction Sharpe admitted that Elway taught him what to do and made him into the player he was.

My ten: (10) Gronkowski (9) Jim "Meat" Mitchell (above right) (8) Jackie Smith (7) Witten (6) Charlie Sanders (5) Winslow (4) Casper (3) Ditka (2) Mackey (1) Gonzalez

For a kid from a small black college in the 1960’s, Mitchell’s Wiki page is impressive: James Robert "Jim" Mitchell (October 19, 1947 – October 20, 2007) was a professional American football player. A 6'2", 234 lbs. tight end from Prairie View A&M University, Mitchell played 11 seasons from 1969-1979 for the Atlanta Falcons and was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1969 and 1972 seasons. After leaving the NFL, Jim Mitchell coached football at Morehouse College and Morris Brown College. Mitchell has three sons and a daughter: Damian Mitchell, Brandon Hodges, a football player at Bethune-Cookman University who has a major in Pre-med Chemistry, Davin Mitchell, a Duke University trained anesthesiologist and Chanee Lee, a N.C Central graduate with a masters in Business. And two grandchildren, including Justin Mitchell who is a scholar at Lakeside High School in Atlanta.

Know who would’ve made a great tight end? Two of the greatest high school football players the state of Georgia ever produced. Jeff Francoeur and Herschel Walker.

Double Loaded Omelet Biscuit

I love that Hardees double loaded omelet biscuit, but its size and quality vary greatly from Hardees to Hardees. The real life version does look better than the above picture. Some the cheese isn’t melted in and some are bigger or smaller. Its listed as one of the least healthy fast food breakfasts around. With the wedding nine months off I have to swear off biscuits. Very few Hardees around. Yet the few Hardees there are surround where I usually drive: Holcomb Bridge, downtown Alpharetta, the South 120 Loop at I-75, and Delk Road at I-75.

Glad to get last week behind me. Then Friday was month end so it was another long full day. Friday night I picked up hot dogs and French fries from Kroger on the way home. Also stopped by two thrift stores. By the time I had supper cooked and Anna and I had finished eating C and M arrived back from the grocery store. By then my back was hurting.

Saturday I cleaned upstairs then went to the post office, gas station, Dollar Tree, and barber shop. C had a birthday lunch to attend. Afterwards she stopped by Trader Joes for the milk she had forgotten. Back home I watched GT come close against Clemson while folding laundry. C cooked chicken and broccoli and rice for dinner, then M and A went to a concert. C went to Target and AT&T to get a new phone. When she returned we watched The Middle and the Reece Witherspoon movie “Just Like Heaven.” I don’t recommend it. Then we watched a good Golf Channel interview of Jack Nicklaus.

Didn’t do much on Sunday. Took M to church and a thrift store. Later I caught up on the computer. A went to Grace Midtown and C went to hear Nancy’s daughter give her testimony. After church C and M ate at Shake Shack. They were out of buns so C got a gift card for two free burgers. I did the dishes and watched the Jesus special on CNN. They didn’t mention the reliability (or lack thereof) of carbon dating methods. People take these “scientific methods” as fact when actually those are mere estimates with wide swings of either side.

Monday night M helped cook dinner – enchiladas like in a restaurant. Ceil fixes plain chicken to combine with beans and rice and cheese, but Matthew’s recipe had the peppers and tomatos. Looking forward to the leftovers.

Tuesday my sidekick was out sick so it was even busier for me. Left work at 545 and bought a Jimmy Carter bobblehead and got Will some neat-o Tiger Woods golf shoes. Really high tech. Then I picked up M at the Avalon. Ceil cooked some sort of steak that was really tough and chewy. I had that and lettuce and tomato. Ceil was entertaining us all at the table. She watched HGTV so I got on the computer. I had seen GT losing by 20 with 9 minutes to go. Young Jere had small group Tuesday night and also couldn’t attend the game. I saw where Drew and Nancy Kelly went to the game. Might’ve had the Goldsmith seats. Heard traffic was bad as usual. Both GT and the Hawks were at home and Wicked at the Fox. Probably other stuff as well.

Wednesday morning M woke up with the pink eye. C had commitments at school. I knew my co-worker was still sick but I took M to the pediatrician. It had been a long time since I had been there – probably 9 years. Same doctors we’ve been going to for 21 years, including Susan Harrell, who went to GT with me. The little kids were cute. Then Chickfila and Kroger for the prescription. Got to work at 1045 and took all do just to catch up. I felt poorly  – scratchy throat, achy joints, slight cough, like I was coming down with something. Since I didn’t get to work I stayed until 620. C and A had art and I was hungry so when I was cutting through a parking lot I stopped at Wendys drive through. At home I tried to rest and went to bed at 10 pm. C had cooked chili so there will be leftovers. Took some drugs this morning.

Co-worker returned Thursday morning but is coughing. Tonight we have a parent’s meeting at M’s school.

Thursday morning on Facebook Buck Belue posted a TBT photo of him in an Expos uniform with his old UGA teammate Peyton Mosher in a Dodgers uni. Peyton was youth director at Second-Ponce de Leon back in the early 90’s and is now an administrator at Kings Ridge Christian School. On a semi-related note Lang’s sister no longer attends Johnson Ferry Baptist, where he and her two sets of twins had been featured in promotional videos. Now they’re attending Fellowship Bible Church on Crossville Road in Roswell, much closer to their house. I’ve heard good things about their school as well.    

Had the Braves won their first game I was going to tweet that all the naysayers were wrong. Should’ve tweeted that I guess they were right. Eric Young Jr is getting a lot of press. Sounds like he can play a bunch of positions and is fast but really isn’t really a potent hitter. Had a long chat with The Chief yesterday at Kroger. He had watched UGA/KY and the Hawks & Houston. He can talk and talk then get sidetracked on something, and the conversation is pretty much over. I’ve learned to let him be.

Credit shared the same floor as my department. After the head of our Norcross credit department recently retired the Little Rock credit manager was put in charge of both departments. Now they’re consolidating both departments in LR so at least eight people could be out of jobs if they can’t move to Arkansas.

C wants to see Wicked but we’re kinda tapped out after her back to back weekend trips and her new iPhone6 and M’s retreat this weekend. Anna will have prom, graduation, and UGA. Not to mention Will’s rent and M’s tuition. All these things can really add up. Will is on spring break next week, then MC the week after that. All the women might go wedding dress shopping soon. Ceil’s mom might come down for a visit.

Best Uni: National League

Weekend Uni Watch reporter Phil Hecken wrote a featured list for The Sporting News showing each National League team’s all time best uniform. The teams were listed in alphabetical order so no overall ranking was implied. Phil did a good job – it’s hard to argue with his choices. Could be because he is no spring chicken.

Braves 72-75 feathers

Brewers 74-77 what Hank wore

Cardinals 65-70 simple buttondowns

Cubs 48-56 smaller logo (I like the 69 unis)

Diamondbacks 98-00 (I like the current uni)

Dodgers 70-98 team name on home and road

Giants 58-72 carryover from New York

Marlins 93-94 teal trim (I like the current uni)

Mets 66-73 traditional

Nationals 11-14 script W

Padres 69-71 best of the brown

Phillies 50-69 vintage Philly

Pirates 70-75 mustard trimmed pullovers

Reds 56 vest with Mr. Red

Rockies 98-00 team on home and road

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2015-03-02/best-baseball-uniforms-all-time-great-mlb-jerseys-national-league-/slide/1

Busy week with little time to write, hence these cheesy lists. Hope to have something more substantive tomorrow.

Atlanta Churches

Last week I made a short list of big churches that a young couple new in town might want to visit. I have added several other churches that I’m familiar with that people in Atlanta may want to visit. In alphabetical order.

Buckhead Church (near Tower Place - Peachtree & Piedmont). Younger crowd, contemporary music, no hymns, good preaching. Southern annex of North Point. Services broadcast on  www.NPonline.com Services Sunday morning and later in the afternoon.

Clairmont Hills Baptist (N Druid Hills & Clairmont). Probably not as traditional or old as FBC Decatur. Pastor Fred was/is my friend from Tech. I went to high school with his wife Cindy. Not huge like these others...  

Dunwoody Baptist (north of Perimeter Mall on Ashford Dunwoody) probably better than FBC Atlanta but further away.

East Cobb Presbyterian (Hwy 120 across from The Avenue East Cobb): small but loaded with great families.

Fellowship Bible Church (Crossville Road west of Hwy 9 in northwest Roswell): not huge. Lots of families. More contemporary than traditional but far from rock)

First Baptist Atlanta (285 to Chamblee Dunwoody Road). Much bigger and more traditional than Clairmont, but people of all ages.

Grace Midtown (Northside Drive west of Georgia Tech): smaller, younger version of Passion City Church.

Johnson Ferry Baptist (East Cobb): huge church with programs for all ages and interests. Both traditional and contemporary services. Families of all ages. Good preaching.

Mt. Bethel Methodist (Lower Roswell west of Johnson Ferry Road): large Methodist version of Johnson Ferry Baptist.

Mt. Vernon Baptist (inside 285 off Riverside Drive exit in Sandy Springs) maybe better than Dunwoody Baptist.

Mt. Zion Methodist (Bishop Lake Road & Johnson Ferry in East Cobb): small but good people. The church that sells pumpkins.

North Point Community Church (North Point Pkwy between Old Milton & Jones Bridge in Alpharetta). Big but well organized. Great preaching, music, and programs.

Passion City Church (Garson Road south of Piedmont & Lindburgh). Not traditional at all. Buckhead Church on steroids. Services last two hours, but they’re great. Good preaching. Where Kyle Koerver attends. 10:00, 12:30, 5:00. Photo above.

Peachtree Presbyterian (on Roswell Road just north of Peachtree/Roswell split). Traditional but maybe more younger crowd than FBC Decatur.

Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist (Peachtree & Wesley in Buckhead). Older congregation. Very traditional. Engaging preacher.

Greatness With Class

Watching the always gracious and classy Jack Nicklaus interview by David Feherty made me think about which transcendent athletes best handled their fame. Nicklaus certainly comes to mind. Unlike most golfers he remained a force on the PGA Tour well into his forties, winning the Masters at age 46. Now in his seventies Jack still works hard at his many businesses and pulls in an estimated $30 million annually - while taking time to attend all his grandchildren's activities. Other gentlemen golf greats who have also aged gracefully include Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, and Phil Michelson. Contrast Phil with Tiger Woods, whose snarl only grows larger the more his body breaks down.

A close second to Jack would be The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. He walks limp free and with a smile, dabbling in coaching and management. Lately he's mentored his new son in law Dustin Johnson through his struggles and toward greatness on the golf course.

Joe Montana also lives a quiet retirement, having raised a brood of young quarterbacks. He occasionally resurfaces on TV and isn't afraid to poke fun at himself. Joe's frequent target Jerry Rice, himself one of the very greatest football players of all time, also stays classy, making a good showing on Dancing With the Stars. Peyton Manning seems to be following in Montana's footsteps, though hopefully his retirement is handled more gracefully than hanger-oners Joe Namath, Brett Farve, and Deion Sanders. Many elite running backs gracefully retired, namely Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and Herschel Walker.

In retirement Hank Aaron has remained the classy individual he was as a player - much more so than Willie Mays, who like Mickey Mantle was suspended from baseball for working as a casino greeter. Injuries kept poor Mickey from true greatness (yet he still hit 500 homers). This haunted Mantle throughout a retirement marred by alcoholism and sickness. Though Joe DiMaggio exuded class those close to him saw his selfish streak. Ted Williams was even more crass, and Babe Ruth repeatedly cashed in as the face of baseball with his hands full of smokes, alcohol, and hotdogs (and pockets lined with cash). 

Good guy Greg Maddux could cuss a mean streak but now enjoys teaching minor league pitchers the tools of the trade, unlike his competition for greatest pitcher of his generation: Roger Clemens. Roger, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds have disappeared from public view lest more stories of their steroid use come to light. Similarly Pete Rose continues to make shady deals in retirement, perhaps growing all the more similar to the former crusty hit king Ty Cobb. Even if Rose and Shoeless Joe deserve Hall of Fame induction, Rose remains worthy of the moniker Charlie Hustle for more than one reason. Perhaps Ichiro can bring dignity to the all-time hits leader list. While good guy Derek Jeter has retired the MLB is well stocked with fine young men like Clayton Kershaw, Madison Baumgardner, and Mike Trout. Highly touted hotshots Bryce Harper and Yasiel Puig have suffered injuries as well as backlash for their hot-doggery.

Michael Jordan stands tall as one of the greatest ever to play basketball, but his unmatched competitiveness has not served him well in retirement. The media love to report any misstep he might take. Dr. J remains classy but bad investments have caused him to struggle to remain solvent. Wilt Chamberlain remained a controversial figure until death, though adversary Bill Russell remains highly respected. Kareem passed both but failed to garner attention or respect in retirement. After a so-so pro career, all-time colligate scoring champion Pete Maravich may have become more famous in retirement (and death).

Even AIDS could not diminish the popularity of Magic Johnson. He remains a beloved figure in both basketball and business. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and Phil Jackson became successful general managers and coaches, much more graceful in retirement than their competitive natures showed on the court. Contrastingly, the controversies surrounding Isiah Thomas throughout in his playing days followed him through the coaching and managerial positions he took.

Though the volatile John McEnroe changed the way tennis was played, over the years Mac has become an important voice in the advancement of the sport. While he may have mellowed, he is respected as a tennis giant. After many decades Pele remains the face of soccer, though unlike the titans of other sports he has repeatedly failed to be able to cash in to have a comfortable retirement. Mia Hamm remained the face of the women's soccer movement for a generation, and has gracefully retired to concentrate on motherhood.

In the entertainment industry the greats often seem bent on self-destruction: Elvis, Michael Jackson, Kurt Kobain, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Robin Williams - the list could go on and on. In his old age Elton John has become a parody of himself. Paul McCartney is one of the few legends to hold up well. Many like Justin Beiber sizzle early only to flame out quickly. Will Madonna be able to age gracefully, or will an overwhelming desire for attention cause her to become an aging nuisance? Like many, Will Smith used talent to become one of the giants in Hollywood but personal issues could get the best of him. The same can be said for Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Nicolas Cage. Unlike Charlie Sheen, fellow Brat-Packer Rob Lowe has aged gracefully (if you can call his mid-50's "aging"). Will talented artists like Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift be able to stand the test of time?

This makes me wonder: am I aging gracefully like Nicklaus or begrudgedly like Tiger? It's not too late to change.

How Will the World End?

14 Things Most Likely to Destroy the World, as listed on Vox.com

http://www.vox.com/2015/2/19/8069533/end-of-the-world

1. Catastrophic climate change

2. Nuclear war

3. Global pandemic

4. Ecological catastrophe

5. Global system collapse

6. Major asteroid impact

7. Supervolcano

8. Synthetic biology

9. Nanotechnology

10. Artificial intelligence (photo of Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings)

11. Future bad governance (photo of Obama)

12. Unknown unknowns

13. Mass coronal ejection from the sun that disupts electrical systems on Earth.

14. Sharknado

Not mentioned: the second return of Jesus Christ.

Flight List

I’m not exactly a world traveler, but here’s a list of most of the places I have flown. With the exception of my honeymoon to Bermuda, I haven’t paid for a single airline ticket.

Atlanta to or from:

Bermuda (honeymoon)

Boston (vacation)

Charlotte (vacation)

Chicago

Columbia (honeymoon)

Dallas

Dayton

Greensboro

Houston Bush

Houston Hobby

Indianapolis

Jacksonville

Little Rock

Los Angeles (vacation)

Louisville

Memphis

Miami

Nashville

New York City (vacation)
Orlando

Phoenix (vacation)

Richmond

San Francisco (vacation)

Shreveport

Tampa

Tulsa

Charlotte to Little Rock

Charlotte to NYC (vacation)

Dallas to Chicago

Indianapolis to San Francisco (vacation)

Little Rock to Houston

Memphis to Ft Smith