Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End
*Saturday in Canton, Ohio is Larry Allen's crowning achievement: Induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of the greatest offensive linemen in the history of not only the Cowboys but also the NFL, Allen was a man of big accomplishment and little words. The over/under on his acceptance speech is two minutes (Michael Irvin's went 26.) But once upon a time - almost 12 years ago to the day - he invited me into his personal golf cart to chat extensively about how the hell he bench-pressed 700 pounds.
Read for yourself. And, yes, I said
seven hundred pounds.
See for yourself.
*Yu Darvish was crazy good Thursday night for the Rangers. Struck out the first six Diamondbacks - all swinging - and finished with 14 K's in a dominating performance. He's had three outings this season with 14 strikeouts and no walks. I said
this season. In their careers Randy Johnson only had eight and Roger Clemens seven.
*What started as my mistake led to an eye-opening observation last night at Denver International Airport. Headed back to Dallas after
my Rocky Mountain High in Colorado, I left a big can of shaving cream in my carry-on. Big no-no. Confiscated at security. No biggie. But then as I'm walking into a restaurant my buddy warns me "Hey, be careful. Those things could poke somebody in the eye." He was referencing the sharp tips of my hiking poles, tucked onto the side of my backpack. Then, as we sit down to dinner, the waitress brought me a proper metal fork. A sharp plastic toothpick carrying limes. And a glass of water. So, really TSA, you'll take away shaving cream but allow me to board a plane with two 6-foot spears, metal and plastic stabbing devices and what could easily be fashioned into a sharp shard of glass? Also spotted in the airport: Guys carrying a skateboard and plastic swimming fins. You don't have to be
MacGruber to envision the damage those "weapons" could levy on a plane. Seriously, are we this stupid?
*Honestly, I don't really miss radio. (Well, other than the six-figure salary.) My life is better without
my former boss and ex-partner. But Sunday afternoon I will be bumming when - for the first time since 2009 - I'm not part of the official Cowboys' Pre-Game Show on 105.3 The Fan. The official radio home of the Cowboys will keep
New School on its pre-game show and replace Mark Elfenbein with
Ben and Skin on the post-game. They've also made a player swap on game days. Out: Rocket Ismail; In: Marc Colombo.
*Don't you if you've noticed but I'm the skeptical type. I need the facts to back things up. So when
I read about tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic drastically improving his health via a test that included holding a piece of bread to his stomach, I initially guffawed with raised eybrows. But I'll be dang if it doesn't work. It's called a Kinesiological test, and it helps you determine which foods you are allergic to. The theory: Outside influences dictate your inner body. Try this: Stand up, hold out your right arm and place your left hand on your stomach. Have a friend try to push down your extended arm. Then put a cell phone in your left hand and have the friend try again. The difference is amazing. Bottom line: Find out what's healthy for you, and stop carrying your cell phone in your front pocket. If you know what I mean.
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Hot.
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Not.
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*It's cool to be photographed with Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson. Unless, that is, you trade in the star on your helmet for a Dodgers' cap. Right, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten?
*Like father, like son? Read
this story about Johnny Manziel and you'll no longer be guessing where his horrible decision-making stems from.
*Speaking of Allen, he often lends professional expertise and personal friendship to current Cowboys' offensive lineman Tyron Smith. They text each other constantly. And, by the way, did we all know that Tyron is a cousin of another popular Cowboy named Emmitt Smith? I'm attempting to trace that branch of the Smith family tree. Stay tuned.
*Why is baseball in negotiations to "cut a deal" with Alex Rodriguez? He took steroids. He denied taking steroids. He admitted taking steroids. He apologized for taking steroids. Then he secretly again began taking steroids. As a multiple offender, A-Rod should be banned for life. No questions. No deals.
*Rumor I refuse to believe but that I've heard from multiple, unrelated sources: Kidd Kraddick often dabbled in cocaine, sometimes partying past closing time at old Uptown joints like Aura. Even if true, it wouldn't tarnish his radio legacy or diminish his immense charitable work for kids.
*The Rangers' resurgence can be traced to one at-bat. Texas limped home Monday after three shutouts in Cleveland and were managing little against the Angels, entering the 9th trailing 3-2. Against closer Ernesto Frieri, A.J. Pierzynski got behind 1-2 before launching a poorly placed fastball into the right-field seats for a game-tying homer. Since that pitch the Rangers have hit three walk-off homers, won four in a row and sliced Oakland's lead in the AL West from 6 games to 3.5. Was it a temporary fix or long-term solution? We're about to find out as the Rangers visit the A's for three games this weekend.
*Best show on TV these days is - without a lick of nudity or violence - HBO's
Newsroom. Good writing can still make a great show.
*Buddy of mine has a genius idea: Every girl under 17 years, 364 days old should be legally forced to wear only red swimsuits. As in "stop" looking. Know what I mean?
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*Been to lots of concerts and made lots of good memories at Starplex, but it's got nothing on Red Rocks in Denver. It's totally outdoors, no reserved seating, marijuana friendly and offers a spectacular view of the valley leading to downtown in the distance. Best of all, the venue is a city park and, therefore, open to the public every day. Went Thursday and there were tons of folks jogging the stairs, doing yoga or simply having lunch and enjoying the views. By the way, there are 381 steps to the top of Red Rocks at an elevation of 7,000 feet, another reason Denver is one of America's healthiest cities.
*Riley Cooper's "I will fight every n*gger here!" proclamation at a Kenny Chesney concert has him in hot water. He should be fined and forced to take sensitivity training. The incident brings up two points: 1. Unfortunately in this (red)neck of the woods that sentiment isn't that shocking; 2. Wouldn't it be like one against two, three at the most?
*Wait, UpdateFrisco.com, in your
July 22 "breaking news" story about the Cowboys moving headquarters you write "You heard it here first!" Um, don't you mean
you heard it here first back on July 16? Yes, I think you do.
*If you're one of those that grouses "sports stadiums are just about rich people getting richer", think again. The City of Arlington paid $325 million for Cowboys Stadium. Owner Jerry Jones kicked in three times that much, around $900 million. Four years later? Arlington's tax revenue is at an all-time high, the city is relevant from a national perspective and will pay off its stadium debt 10 years early thanks in part to revenue from the building's new naming-rights deal with AT&T. Arlington has won more outside the stadium than the Cowboys have won inside it.
*Devin Harris, Maverick. I'm still looking for a reason to be excited about Dallas' off-season. Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden will choose his new team today and is expected to join either the Spurs, Heat or, yep, Mavs.
*When you watch Bill Parcells get enshrined in the Hall of Fame Saturday, remember that good things sometimes happen to shitty people.
*Flashing sign in the Roxborough Park suburb of Denver you'll never read anywhere in Dallas: "Bear activity alert HIGH. Take precaution. Secure all food. Remove all bird feeders."
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*Like you, I'll watch every second of Sunday night's Cowboys-Dolphins exhibition despite Tony Romo not playing. But, seriously, is there anything less meaningful than an NFL pre-season opener? Oh yeah, pre-season openers in every other sport. Despite that,
people will bet on the game. That's sick. Trust me, I used to be one of those people.
*I know stealing is wrong, but there's something romantic and kinda cool about
a jewelry heist in Cannes, France in which one burglar hurt no one and walked away in less than a minute with $136 million.
*If you can supposedly jinx a no-hitter by talking about it, why can't you also snap a slump by chatting it up? When the Rangers were mired in their 26-inning scoreless streak, fans should have been saturating Twitter with "the Rangers haven't scored a run in 26 innings." Then, presto, runs! Right?
*Despite plans to the contrary, I won't be making it out to Cowboys' training camp in Oxnard next week. Reason: Just too dang busy getting Pizza Buzz open by the end of the month and in time for the start of football season. Had no idea how difficult and tedious it was to launch a small business. In the end it will be rewarding. But at the start it's unfathomably time-consuming.
*Cowboys' safety Barry Church broke his tooth and subsequently missed a day of camp undergoing a root canal. The culprit: Jolly Rancher hard candy. Who among us hasn't chomped on one of those or even ice. We treat our bodies like crap don't we?
*Yeah, President Obama sure is ruining our economy. Unemployment at a five-year low and the stock market at an all-time high.
*During our 45-minute flight delay last night at the airport we played a little game: We assessed 61 women that walked by and counted how many were "doable", as in, you'd admit doing her to your friends. I predicted only one in five would make the cut and, sure enough, we had 11 yes's and 50 no's. That's only 18%. Moral to the story: If you have a hot woman, hold onto her.
*This weekend? Tennis Saturday, then a trek to JoCoMoFo for mom's birthday. Sunday smells like a good day to lounge in the pool before watching some NFL. Don't be a stranger.
Ritchie-great stuff as always. Just a minor clarification for you. Yu didn't strike out the first 6. There were 2 singles mixed in there. Great performance nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteLove the blog...keep it up.
-Shawn
HOT link is not working
ReplyDeleteThe hot chick quotient was low because you were in Colorado. In Texas it's closer to 50%. Just sayin'...
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with that.
DeleteLike people say, we just need you to replace radio with online podcasting. Let's do lunch sometime...
ReplyDeleteUnemployment is at a five year low is like saying 4 out of 5 people get murdered in our city, but it used to be 5 out of 5, so that's good right?
ReplyDelete@David Parks No offence man but of all the things to pick apart in this Whitt's End (and there's alot of them) this is the one you choose?
Delete- Storm_71
@David Parks Close to a great analogy, except with the 4 out 5, the fifth one is already dead, and they take credit for not getting murdered again. Bill2455
DeleteDavid, I'm just curious, are you happy when unemployment goes up? If not, then you should be happy when it goes down.
DeleteRW - It's a case of everything is Obama's fault, unless it's good news.
DeleteHonestly, radio really doesn't miss you
ReplyDeleteYou heard it here first huh???
ReplyDeletehttp://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/on-the-move-cowboys-explore-options-with-frisco-arlington-and-irving-for-a-new-practice-facility.html/
Big diff between a story saying "exploring options" and "done deal."
DeleteI see "done deal" anywhere in your story. All I see is "leading candidate" and "likely".
Delete- Storm_71
RW...I'm usually a defender, but the Kidd Cradick info was repugnant. If his toxicology reports come back with info that corroborates your "sources", okay. Otherwise, must we always try to find something shitty about everyone? This seems like another attempt (which have become almost nauseating) by you to say.."I reported it first!". I like to think you're better than this, maybe I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteIf it was anyone other than Radio's golden boy, nobody would have a problem with it.
DeleteIf he came on here and said the same thing about Greg Williams, nobody would bat an eye...
gerald, I too am very disappointed in Richie on this regard. If you refuse to believe something, claim that even it it is true it doesn't have any bearing on the subject, and yet still feel the need to report it. . . . well, there's a lot that can be said of someone who engages in such antics. None of it good. This is absolutely inexcusable. To be honest, the mentioning of the six-figure salary was in somewhat poor taste, but I can let that slide. Ditto the need to pile on to an already five part essay on why he was fired and the, in his opinion, responsible parties. One more thing: I'm sorry, Richie, but your understanding of how the unemployment numbers work/are interpreted, the stock markets, and their relation to the president appear to be woefully ignorant. Pitiably so. If I were you, I would avoid these subjects unless/until you learn what they mean and how they all relate--if they relate.
DeleteI really dislike posting such a negative comment; my comments are not usually as such; indeed, I'm a fan of your work. Alas, you earned it today, Richie.
You are wrong. This dick has proven time and again he's not better than that.
DeleteOkay Dave, so educate me as to how exactly unemployment numbers going down and stock market prices going up is somehow a negative thing to the White House.
DeleteAs for the Kidd thing, I clearly wrote them as "rumors." I don't believe they are fact. But to totally ignore them isn't my style. Never has been. I believe I couched it the right way. If you think otherwise, I understand your stance.
DeleteHave se respect for the guy and not post bullshit like this to get stupid hits to your blog. God you're a scumbag to the highest degree.
DeleteRichie, we'll have to agree to disagree where Kidd is concerned. Fair enough. As to the unemployment numbers, the White House, Wall Street, etc., I would ask you to please scroll down to Bill Ratcliff's comment. He partly explains my point. There is a lot more to it; a lot more nuance than even his fine explanation lends. If you really want a primer on how to read these sorts of figures and correlate them to other aspects of the economy and politics, I'd be happy to point you in that direction (a non-partisan direction). I'll post up a comment here with some links for you either later today or tomorrow.
DeleteRichie, here is one link to an AP story that might shed some more light on the reported numbers. This is an excellent illustration of how numbers can be "creatively" interpreted. This latest release of the unemployment numbers means that the interpretation of the data began and ended at the superficial level. I'm trying to be charitable to the administration, hence I say the interpretation "began and ended at the superficial level" and not "was deliberately deceptive." I have some other links, but I figure you have other things to do with your time. Leave a comment saying otherwise and I'll gladly post them. Else, I hope between this link and Bill Ratcliff's comment, you have a better picture of the reality of the latest (and all) unemployment figures. (As an aside: This sort of "creative" interpretation isn't unique to the Obama administration. Not by a long shot.)
DeleteThe link (duh!):
Deletehttp://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ECONOMY_LOW_WAGE_JOBS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-08-03-16-20-22
Rooster, I have to disagree with you. The two situations are disanalogous. Gregg is a self-admitted user; Kidd was not. Gregg's behavior and history of lies and substance abuse are well-documented; Kidd, if indeed he has a history, has a history that is not public. I hope you can see the difference. Now, if photos, other sorts of evidence, testimony, etc. begins to come forth and it looks like it is the case that Kidd had an unsavory side, then so be it. However, Richie never claimed (even in his Hard Lie article, pre RAGE) that he didn't believe the rumors about Gregg, and that even if true, it matters not. Quite the opposite. But with Kidd, he has done just that, and yet still felt the need to publish the rumor. In short, he's as guilty as any rumor monger. And that disappoints me.
ReplyDeleteFine. I'll play.
DeleteIf he said the same thing about RJ Choppy, nobody would bat an eye.
Everyone has their panties in a wad because radio's golden boy couldn't possibly sin.
I'll bet the dude even had pre-marital sex...
+1
DeleteEverybody has feet of clay. Even Golden Boys.
I thought the Kidd insertion was unwarranted and unneeded. Putting rumors that are unsubstantiated in a blog would be like me creating a blog and saying "it's a rumor that Richie's gay, don't know that I believe it but it's out there," see what I mean?
DeleteIn regards to people still sticking up for Greggo, guess who's blog hasn't been updated since 7/18 by Greggo?(don't count the 7/19 updates, they were done by Jenn) Point is, bash on RW all you want, he was right on Greggo. Richie blogs while on vacation, Greggo can't even do a bullshit "lyric of the day" update while he's "moving".
As if we need more evidence you are a Chris Chris douche bag, you have to continue to find ways to remind everyone you once had a six figure salary as a host of a failed radio show.....shows how careless CBS Radio is with their money that they would pay a spare like you six figures. Might as well have flushed the money down the toilet.
ReplyDeleteYeah, CBS probably should've flushed money down the toilet. Well thought-out point.
DeleteLove your blog,
ReplyDeleteCan't resist, out of the 953K jobs created in 2013, 731K are part time (fries with that)
Lower unemployment rate is a result of more folks not even looking for a job (simple math lower the denominator and increase % of employed)
21 million young adults living with parents (wait until the parents get dropped or reduced to part time, those under 26 year olds will be able to piggy back on their parents zero insurance) Hooray, everyone gets to pay the fine)
Black teen unemployment rate 41%
Stock market is not the economy, it produces zero goods, It's rise is due to US Treasury buying it's own debt, did you see what happened when Bernake hinted at no more, dropped 200 points overnight,
And one other really sneaky detail, the government, this week, changes the way it calculates GDP and wallah, GDP grew.
Good luck with the restaurant, I will try and visit when I get to Dallas
Bill
I'm starting an over/under called the "Richie loves him some Richie". This week the count is 3 (with 2 under review).
ReplyDelete1. I rode in a golf cart with Will Allen
2. I made 6 figures
3. I had the scoop on the Cowboys moving to Frisco
Under Review
4. I was planning on going to Oxnard
5. I checked out 61 women at the airport to see if they were "doable". (Even though 61 women walked by thinking why is that bald midget staring at me).
The over/under for the August 9th sportatorium in the "Richie loves him some Richie" is 3 and 1/2 (we can't have pushes). As final say and commish I will listen to arguments on boasts I miss. But final results will publish on Wednesdays. Good luck to you men.
5. I checked out 61 women at the airport to see if they were "doable". (Even though 61 women walked by thinking why is that bald midget staring at me).
DeleteNo kidding. Forget telling friends. I'd want to slit my wrists if I ever woke up with that. Instead of hair plugs Richie should have tried to get free Lasik.
He is a hack. Has to tell himself he isn't but his constant attempt to tell us why his life is so fantastic shows some serious cracks in the foundation.
DeleteWjy do you guys comment if you feel this way about Richie? seems pretty miserable to me..
DeleteBrian
Before the Supreme Court of Blogdom comes Brian, asking said court to impose "Brian's Law" where no one will read a blog until they agree to believe and support all information within the blog before even reading said information. Should one disagree with the information they had blindly agreed to agree with, they shalt not post a negative comment but rather get up kick the dog and then post a positive response. Heretofore "Brian's Law" is approved and we will all sit in a field of flowers with our solar powered laptops and agree with everything we dare open on this magnificent gift called the internet. This judgement is based on the precedent of the below mentioned blog entries, which under Brian's Law we will all agree with, should we dare read them.
DeleteThe Mavericks have assembled their best roster ever
The Cowboys should be the favorite to win the Super Bowl this year
Terrorism will cease to exist after Labor Day
After retirement Ron Washington will become an English professor at Yale
The Fan was kick ass when Rage was on
you left an important one out of the equation....no one should be allowed to comment on a blog using the moniker anonymous". It's easy to be a douchey prick when you can hide on the grassy knoll.
DeleteGood point "gerald". There's a huge difference between hiding behind "anonymous" and putting yourself out there as "gerald". Lord knows there's only one gerald in this world, way to let everyone know who you are. I'm bringing my douchey self off the grassy knoll, I'm bob. Does that help gerald?
DeleteAt least I've limited the number of persons out there who might fit my moniker. You, on the other hand, have shown yourself to be nothing more than a grade A asshole. Have a nice day.
DeleteThanks for the grade A rating on my assholeness. A few weeks ago someone said I was a grade C asshole and I've been trying to get it straightened out withe credit agencies ever since. Your name carries a lot of weight in the asshole community so a grade A rating from you will definitely help me out. You are a righteous dude, thanks.
DeleteI'm feeling so comfortable leaving my "anonymous" moniker behind that I have also released my last name. I am Bob Johnson, look me up.
All I'm saying is, why would you come here daily and read these blogs that obviously don't like and then take the time to comment? again seems pretty miserable...
ReplyDeleteBrian, I like a lot of Richie's writing but he's got a distorted self-image of epic proportion. He's begging to be called out on it when he tells us how ugly or not "doable" someone else is.
DeleteIf he can't handle being called out on his BS then the internet was the wrong place to set up shop.
I don't listen to sports talk radio and only learned of this blog from a fellow Wise Countian who shared a mutual interest in the Greg Williams saga. That said, I've kept coming back (darn near daily) due to the outstanding prose. The writing is absolutely excellent. I guess I've turned into something of a follower. Jack Twist might say, I just can't quit you, Whitt.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, anyone who gives long explanations as to why a lower unemployment rate is false and unreliable only reveals one thing: their man ain't in office. And a bullish stock market surely indicates a stronger than not economy. To express otherwise indicates one may have run with the bulls and taken a horn to the head.
So, keep on keepin' on, RW.
Your knowledge of macro economics in an international market is spectacularly dense. Limit your comments to important items like the Greg and Richie saga, you will stay with in capacity of thinking, and look less the fool.
DeleteBill2455
You would like that typical aaron sorkin liberal agenda driven crap. Why am I not surprised?
ReplyDeleteYou don't like something and that makes it liberal agenda driven crap? People like you need to be hit by a train.
DeleteThe first season had an agenda to it, it's undeniable. I'm a huge Sorkin fan, but he does tend to broadcast his view on things. Season 2 has been a lot more story focused and less moral focused, so as of yet I have yet to see any liberal agenda.
DeleteLarry Allen was probably the strongest man ever to play football, but it doesn't count if you have six hands on the bar that aren't your own.
ReplyDeletewatch the video again! they weren't helping him lift! my god the people that troll on here...
Delete