NYC OTBs Shutting Down On Friday Is The End Of An Era

This could be the final stretch for a way of life for the dreamers, schemers and unemployed in New York City--it looks like any rescue of the Off-Track Betting Corporation is a long shot.  After a year of Chapter 9 bankruptcy, it appears the New York State Senate has failed to vote on a bailout package and will shut the doors on Friday.  A last minute vote is the OTB's only chance of survival. Over a thousand employees of the legal bookmaking joints are bracing for the impact of the closings. 

OTB has run this sloppy track before.  Since 2008--when the state took control-- and as recently as last April, talks have swirled of shutting down the forty year-old old state-run betting parlors.  Analysts have called for privatization of the system as a way to rid the city of it's debt.  It is currently short-changing the New York Racing Association  $2 million a month and owes them over $25 million.  OTB filed for bankruptcy exactly one year ago tomorrow and has been--like trans fat and salt-- a sore spot with Mayor Bloomberg for years.

NYC OTB CEO, Greg Rayburn, said OTB is "prepared for the shutdown, if it's necessary...and [he] would continue to talk to people in the Senate and explain to them what the provisions are in the bill."  Rayburn--who pulls in $125,000 a month--said he would "urge them to come and act before Friday, because, realistically, once you close, you close." 

The pending plan is to design a new business model with concessions by unions and management in an effort to modernize and lower expenses.  Maybe Rayburn should start with his salary.

The New York City institution once had parlors in every neighborhood and catered to die-hard railbirds, senior citizens and a wide array of characters who couldn't make it out to Belmont or Aquaduct.  Just plunk down an agent and it could pass as Central Casting.  Where will where these New York City extras play the ponies, loiter and socialize after the windows are permanently closed?

Even the adventurous, who didn't know a furlong from a filly, learned how to parlay and pick a trifecta under the fluorescent glow of a ticket-strewn linoleum floor . There were the frat boys and yuppies, with fat bankrolls and loud talk, who strolled in before their Triple Crown parties and were about as welcome to the old ticket-rippers as Julian Assange is to a White House dinner.

Now, the once ubiquitous hangouts only remain at a few dozen locations.  Old timers--who think Facebook is the 5-2 favorite at the Meadowlands-- blame the decline in interest on everything from computer games and Internet wagering to a new generation raised on televised football and basketball.  Native New Yorkers just blame it on more lousy government involvement and believe it should have been sold to a private corporation years ago. Others cried slot machines were the OTB's only salvation and now it is too late.

Its only fitting that this race between the frisky Senate and the old has-been OTB should be running neck-and-neck down the stretch.  One thousand jobs and a way of life in New York City are on the line.  I have a feeling the old nag will be put down.

skink lizard pictures

This article is about the reptile. For other uses, see Skink (disambiguation)
Skinks are the most diverse group of lizards. They make up the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae (the "true" or wall lizards). Scincidae is the second largest of the lizard families (after the geckos) with about 1200 species.
Description

Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck and sport relatively small legs. Several genera (e.g., Typhlosaurus) have no limbs at all; others, such as Neoseps, have only reduced limbs. Often, their way of moving resembles that of snakes more than that of other lizards. The longer the digits, the more arboreal the species is. A biological ratio exists that can determine the ecological niche of a given skink species. The SENI (Scincidae Ecological Niche Index) is a ratio based on anterior foot length at the junction of the ulna/radius-carpal bones to the longest digit divided by the snout-to-vent length (SVL).[1]
Skinks usually have long, tapering tails that can be shed and regenerated.
Most skink are medium sized with a length from the snout to the vent of up to 12 cm (4.7 in), although there are a few that grow to larger sizes, such as the Corucia, which can reach 35 cm (13.8") from snout-to-vent.Diet

Skinks are generally carnivorous and largely eat insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. They also eat earthworms, millipedes, snails, slugs, isopods, other lizards, and small rodents. Some species, particularly those favored as home pets, have a more varied diet and can be maintained on a regimen of roughly 60% vegetables/leaves/fruit and 40% meat (insects and rodents)
skink lizard pictures
skink lizard
skink lizrad
skink lizard
skink lizard
skink lizard
skink lizard
skink lizard

Trump Stumps For Leach

Donald Trump is getting in the agent business. Kind of. He has been politicking for former Texas Tech head man Mike Leach to be hired for the vacant Miami job. Trump wanted school president Donna Shalala to hire Leach when they canned Larry Coker. Trump also sent this to Shalala.

When did Trump get involved in the coach hiring process. If all it takes to get some backing is to post his mug on the wall and quote him in a halftime speech or a speech of any kind maybe I ought to do the same. Maybe the Donald can get me hired at Eastern Michigan or a Division III school. 

Trump thinks Leach was wrongly fired at Texas Tech and says that Leach might not be the easiest guy to get along with but is a brilliant guy and a brilliant coach. Leach thinks it would be a great job and a great fit for him. He's already promising ACC championships and full stadiums.

My question is why Minnesota hasn't jumped on this guy yet. That is a team that can really use him. Maybe he doesn't cheat enough for them since it seems that's the only time they're good at anything.

Spartans Need A Good Showing vs.Duke

I know Tom Izzo doesn't really put a premium on early season games, such as the one against Duke tonight. Well Mr. Izzo, this team has to acquit itself well or win tonight. There's one reason and one reason only I feel this way. They gte blown out in these early season showdowns. Think about the North Carolina games the last two years.

There are people that will say "Izzo always wins in March so it doesn't matter". To me it does matter. I understand wanting to measure yourself against the best in the nation. There just has to be a point that you actually start winning some of these early season games. There are some that want to be there in March. I want to be there and win all year. I want to set a tone of dominance. I want my team to feel they can't be beat. Michigan State doesn't have that confidence to be a dominant team. They're good, but they're not as good as they can be. I don't want State to win just because I hate Duke. I want them to tell the rest of America that they are a force to be reckoned with. 

Shannon Was The Fall Guy For The Losses

My personal opinion. Randy Shannon was fired unjustly by Miami. I know there are lots of folks who will disagree, especially fans and supporters of The U. 

Shannon simply didn't win enough to satisfy the appetite of school president Donna Shalala and I would guess numerous boosters. This was after he got the dreaded vote of confidence that seems to doom every coach that gets it. Here's the problem with college athletics, especially football. The president wants to win big. He or she will have boosters and regents in their ear telling them how much the school needs to win. All the while they don't want too much off field controversy and want a decent graduation rate. Shannon fulfilled the last two ( 1 arrest and 3rd best graduation rate), but couldn't win when it mattered most. I'm no great game planner or x's and o's master, but the players were just as responsible for the losses as he was. I know the coach is ultimately the fall guy for what happens on the field. Think about it, the players have admitted they were at fault for Shannon being fired. It wasn't Shannon who threw the game away at Ohio State. I know there was an embarassing loss to Virginia, but if Jacory Harris doesn't get hurt they win that game. The only game I question is the Florida State game where it looked like they didn't show up.

Shannon will get another oppurtunity he will definitely get a look as a defensive coordinator. I think he deserved one more year at Miami. 

Comparing Jeter to Tulowitzki; Like Apples to Rocks

Troy Tulowitzki just signed a seven-year contract extension which will take him through the year 2020 when he will be paid a base salary $14 million with escalations of $6 million in his final year---at the age of 35.  If the tight-fisted Colorado Rockies can expect to spend $20 million on a 35 year-old Tulowitzki who currently has zero World Series Championship rings on his fingers, why can't the New York Yankees fatten their offer for Derek Jeter?

Jeter's agent, Casey Close, met with Yankees brass yesterday and Hank Steinbrenner said he is "confident that Derek will remain with the Yankees."  In an unconfirmed meeting in Tampa, Close met with Hank and Hal Steinbrenner in which could be the start of positive negotiations.  Does the Tulowitzki contract have anything to do with the two sides finally playing nice?

The 26 year-old Tulowitzki's career is on the rise and the Rockies feel they are investing in their future.  He will get $20 million a season from 2015 through 2019. If Tulowitzki is earning $20 million at age 34, what is Jeter's value?

Jeter, understandably,  is coming off his worst season as a Yankee and the 36 year-old is asking to hang around for another four or five years at $23 million per.  Could Tulowitzki's contract set up the framework for a breakthrough in the Yankees/Jeter impasse?

The Yankees shouldn't gauge their offers on Tulowitzki's numbers and Close has to push his client's intangibles and the public relations disaster that would follow if Jeter is released.  Unceremoniously dumping the face of the Yankees would rock George Steinbrenner's over-sized face from his Monument Park plaque.

Let's look at the comparisons.  The Rockies shortstop plays in Coors Field--a hitter's paradise.  Tulowitzki's OPS of .949 dwarfed Jeter's .710 but Tulowitzki--considered the best overall shortstop in baseball--drops to .863 outside the confines of his friendly home field. Fair enough.

Jeter has bling on five fingers and you can't dismiss the fact, even in decline, no one brings as much of a winning pedigree and professionalism to the ballpark like the boy from Kalamazoo does.  His effect on teammates and even opponents is difficult to put into dollars.  It's hard to remember a time you saw Jeter just languishing in the dugout.  He's always at the top of the stairs watching the game--looking for an edge or pushing a slumping player.  Priceless.

Let's review the facts.  Derek Jeter has to face a few realities.  First--cue Bob Sheppard--Now, batting No. 2,  as the third most important piece of the New York Yankees championship puzzle, Derek Jee-tah.  That's right, the life-long Yankee shortstop is the third priority of the team's off-season's acquisitions behind  signing Cliff Lee and re-signing closer Mariano Rivera.

Rivera is still near the peak of his game and Lee is going to come as close to breaking the deep Yankee bank account as anyone can. Did somebody say $3500 seats premium seats?

Jeter was told by the Yankees to test the free-agent waters and he found the pickings were slim.  Even rivals like the Boston Red Sox expressed no interest--even if it was only to rock the Yankee boat.  A slumping 36 year-old shortstop is not desirable even one with Jeter's credentials. 

Second, in 2014,  a 40 year-old Jeter will not be playing shortstop.  He might not be at Robinson Cano's right side in three years.  Strategically, he could move over to third while Alex Rodriguez fills the DH spot.  Could Jeter ever fill the DH with 15-18 HRs a year--I doubt it. 

The Winter Meetings open next week in Orlando and the Yankees want to concentrate on Lee.  The Rangers hurler is the big present the Yankees want under their Christmas tree and Jeter has become a bothersome lump of coal.  Its a shame.

Look at the money the Yankees threw at Nick Johnson last year.  They paid a fortune for A.J. Burnett and have gotten piles of losses in return. Think of what that $16.5M could have done.  The Yankees only in-house shortstop is inexperienced Eduardo Nunez, so the Yanks are in a precarious position.

Compromise.  Hal and Hank, remember what Jeter has meant to the team and the backlash if he doesn't return.  Derek, think of finishing in pinstripes and what you can accomplish next year with Lee.

Simply. Jeter's 11 All-Star appearances, 5 rings (so far) and 5 Gold Gloves should mean something.  He  has a proven track record and should be worth at least 3 years at $18 million per season.  

Tell me what Tulowitzki has accomplished by 2020.

Wolverines Notch Good Road Win

After two tough early season losses, the Michigan Wolverines went on the road and beat a pretty good Clemson team 69-61. The game was reminiscent of the NCAA tournament game they played two years ago. Michigan jumped on them early and withstood a second half Clemson surge to get an eight point win in their first true road game of the season.

Freshman Evan Smotrycz and Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Wolverines with 18 and 15 points respectively. Smotrycz also chipped in with six rebounds. Jordan Morgan had eight points and six rebounds, but six of those points came when Clemson mounted a serious charge.

This was the first win for the Wolverines after four straight losses in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. This was a game I had expected them to lose and a game that last year they probably would've lost. Hopefully they can build some momentum off this win and put together a solid season. No one expects them to challenge the upper echelon of the Big Ten, but they also shouldn't be a bottom feeder.