After spending four weeks at the Wharton Sports Academy at UPenn, Jack is done with the program on Saturday. Sharon and I are going to pick him up and then the three of us are spending a week touring colleges on the east coast.
Sharon and I caught a 7:15 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Phoenix. We didn't have to change planes; the flight continued on to Philadelphia. After an uneventful trip, we were on the ground at 5:30 pm. We caught a cab into the downtown. The traffic was horrible… I have spent a lot of time lately musing the traffic. We are spending one night at the Residence Inn City Center.
After getting settled in the room, we had a glass of wine and an appetizer at the Vintage Wine Bar. We had a very good dinner at Lolita sharing some plates of grilled octopus tostadas, chicken tacos and squash blossoms.
We walked around Penn Square and city hall before crashing for the night.
Friday, July 31, 2015
ESPN 30 for 30 Vol II Trailer: Angry Sky
The thirtieth film--Angry Sky--in ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume II premiered Thursday, July 30 at 8 pm ET.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life
I finished reading Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life by Richard Ben Cramer. I bought the book after buying What It Takes: The Way to the White House by the same author; this highly regarded political novel about the 1988 presidential campaign is still sitting on my nightstand… When I bought that book I noticed this book about Joe DiMaggio on Amazon.
I had four general observations about the book. First, I was surprised that DiMaggio was a high school drop-out. Due to his brother, he got a chance to play with the Seals in the Pacific Coast League and his career took off. In his first season at age 19, DiMaggio had a 61 game hitting streak. This streak transformed DiMaggio’s future.
Second, DiMaggio had an amazing MLB career. He was a three-time MVP winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons. During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships. At the major league level, he hit safety in 56 games in 1941. This is a record that stands today.
Third, while I knew that he was married to Marilyn Monroe, I never appreciated the breadth of the relationship. Although he was only married to Marilyn for a less than a year, she played an important part of his life for almost ten years.
Fourth and finally, the book paints DiMaggio as extremely motivated by the dollar. Particularly after he retired, DiMaggio worked every angle.
I enjoyed the book. I just have no idea whether or not it is an accurate portrayal of Joe DiMaggio. The book tells a number of very detailed antecodes and includes a number of very specific quotes from DiMaggio. The book has been criticized for lacking any footnotes or references. A number of people have claimed that without any sources for the stories and quotes the book is more fiction than fact. As result, I am not sure that I can recommend it. I am going to have to eventually read another book about DiMiaggio.
I had four general observations about the book. First, I was surprised that DiMaggio was a high school drop-out. Due to his brother, he got a chance to play with the Seals in the Pacific Coast League and his career took off. In his first season at age 19, DiMaggio had a 61 game hitting streak. This streak transformed DiMaggio’s future.
Second, DiMaggio had an amazing MLB career. He was a three-time MVP winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons. During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships. At the major league level, he hit safety in 56 games in 1941. This is a record that stands today.
Third, while I knew that he was married to Marilyn Monroe, I never appreciated the breadth of the relationship. Although he was only married to Marilyn for a less than a year, she played an important part of his life for almost ten years.
Fourth and finally, the book paints DiMaggio as extremely motivated by the dollar. Particularly after he retired, DiMaggio worked every angle.
I enjoyed the book. I just have no idea whether or not it is an accurate portrayal of Joe DiMaggio. The book tells a number of very detailed antecodes and includes a number of very specific quotes from DiMaggio. The book has been criticized for lacking any footnotes or references. A number of people have claimed that without any sources for the stories and quotes the book is more fiction than fact. As result, I am not sure that I can recommend it. I am going to have to eventually read another book about DiMiaggio.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
ESPN 30 for 30 Shorts: Brave in the Attempt
Grantland and ESPN Films have released the thirty-sixth film in their 30 for 30 documentary short series.
You can find Brave in the Attempt on the ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=13312264.
More about the film at: http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=braveintheattempt.
30 for 30 Shorts: Brave in the Attempt
The latest latest film, directed by Fritz Mitchell, tells the story of how one woman harnessed the privilege of a wealthy political dynasty to provide opportunities for those who had none.
You can find Brave in the Attempt on the ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=13312264.
More about the film at: http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=braveintheattempt.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Oakland Raiders Training Camp
Working out of St. Helena, Clearlake and Vallejo over the last six months, I have been staying a couple of nights a week at the Napa Valley Marriott. When I checked in Monday night, something was definitely up. Part of the parking lot was blocked off and guarded. Walking to my room, one of the halls was blocked and guarded. The Oakland Raiders are here for the next four weeks!?!
The Oakland Raiders report to the team’s Napa Valley Training Complex at the Napa Valley Marriott for the start of Training Camp 2015. The rookies report July 26 and the full squad reports July 30. The team will hit the field for their first practice July 31.
The rookies will have a few extra days to get into their playbooks, work on conditioning and immerse themselves in football learning before the vets arrive. The Raiders break camp Aug. 25 and return to their Alameda, Calif., facility.
Monday, July 27, 2015
California Historical Landmark #814
Working out of St. Helena from January through November of 2015, I have started exploring California Historical Landmarks in Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties, including: Site of Stone and Kelsey Home [#426], The Battle of Bloody Island [#427], Sulphur Bank Mine [#428], Lower Lake Stone Jail [#429], Stone House [#450], Old Bull Trail Road and St Helena Toll Road [#467], Chiles Grist Mill [#547], Schramsberg [#561], Charles Krug Winery [#563], Site of York's Cabin [#682], Site of Hudson Cabin [#683], Sam Brannan Store [#684], Sam Brannan Cottage [#685], Site of Kelsey House [#686], Beringer Brothers Winery [#814], Old Lake County Courthouse [#897], Petrified Forest [#915] and Litto's Hubcap Ranch [#939]. I visited all seven of the California Historical Landmarks in Lake County and finished visiting all of the Napa landmarks.
Beringer Brothers Winery
California State Historical Landmark #814
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located at 2000 Main Street, St. Helena, California. There are 16 other California State Historical Landmarks in Napa County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 30.630 W 122° 28.856.
You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com
Built by Frederick and Jacob Beringer, natives of Mainz, Germany, this winery has the unique distinction of never having ceased operations since its founding in 1876. Here, in the European tradition, were dug underground wine tunnels hundreds of feet in length. These maintain a constant temperature of 58 degrees, a factor considered necessary in the maturing and aging of fine wines.
California State Historical Landmark #814
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located at 2000 Main Street, St. Helena, California. There are 16 other California State Historical Landmarks in Napa County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 30.630 W 122° 28.856.
You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com
Built by Frederick and Jacob Beringer, natives of Mainz, Germany, this winery has the unique distinction of never having ceased operations since its founding in 1876. Here, in the European tradition, were dug underground wine tunnels hundreds of feet in length. These maintain a constant temperature of 58 degrees, a factor considered necessary in the maturing and aging of fine wines.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Dinner with the Gainsleys at Ten22
With the Gainsleys (at @Ten22Oldsac in Sacramento, CA) https://t.co/cr8I49Ciha— Mark Heringer (@heringermr) July 26, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup
Hunter, Yuli, Tomasin, Snipes, Mikey and I went to World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup games at Booney Field. Fiji and American Samoa tied 30 to 30 in the first game, while the Eagles beat Japan by the score of 23 to 18 in the second game. Both games were very entertaining. I spent a lot of the USA game watching the loose head prop.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Bill Simmons will join HBO
Bill Simmons will join HBO and host a weekly talk show starting in 2016 http://t.co/grRgTjo9Js pic.twitter.com/0TWdwyPVPn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 22, 2015HBO AND BILL SIMMONS ANNOUNCE MAJOR NEW MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT
For Immediate Release
HBO AND BILL SIMMONS ANNOUNCE MAJOR NEW MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT, ANCHORED BY AN ALL-NEW HBO SERIES TO LAUNCH IN 2016
LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2015 – Bill Simmons, one of the most influential figures in contemporary sports media and the founding editor of Grantland.com, and HBO have entered into a major exclusive multi-year, multi-platform agreement highlighted by a new weekly series coming next year, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
“We have been fans of Bill Simmons and his work for a very long time,” said Lombardo. “His intelligence, talent and insights are without precedent in the areas he covers. We could not be more thrilled for him to bring those talents to HBO and to become a signature voice at the network, spanning the sports and pop culture landscapes.”
“It’s no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape,” Simmons said. “From the moment I started talking to Michael and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO], it was hard to imagine being anywhere else.”
HBO will be Simmons’ exclusive television home. The overall agreement, which begins in October, provides for a comprehensive partnership on a variety of platforms between the network and Simmons. Among the elements of the new deal will be a talk show set to premiere in 2016 that will air on the main HBO service, as well as the HBO digital platforms HBO GO® and HBO NOWSM. Topical and spontaneous, the show will feature stories and guests from across the sports and cultural landscapes.
Simmons will also have a production deal to produce content and assets for the network and its digital platforms, delivering video podcasts and features. In addition, Simmons will be consulting with HBO Sports, working closely with HBO Sports president Ken Hershman on non-boxing-related programming, including the development of shows and documentary films for the network.
Bill Simmons has served as a sports columnist, TV host and analyst, two-time New York Times bestselling author (“Now I Can Die in Peace: How the Sports Guy Found Salvation Thanks to the World Champion (Twice!) Boston Red Sox” and “The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy,” which was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list), Emmy® Award-winning documentary film executive and podcaster. He was the founding editor of the landmark Grantland.com website, which launched four years ago and was recently nominated for three National Magazine Awards, and wrote the groundbreaking “Sports Guy” column for the past 14 years for ESPN and then Grantland.
A native New Englander, Simmons generated the concept for the network’s acclaimed “30 for 30” documentary series, becoming one of its Emmy®-winning executive producers, in addition to ushering in the network’s presence in podcasting with his highly successful podcast “The B.S. Report,” which debuted in 2007 and featured such guests as President Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, Chris Rock and Lena Dunham, to name a few. It was the #1 sports podcast on iTunes last year with more than four million downloads per month.
Simmons began writing for ESPN.com in 2001, and starting in 2002, was the lead columnist for ESPN The Magazine for seven years. He also served as a writer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC from 2002 to 2004.
Simmons earned his Bachelor’s Degree at the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Master’s of Arts in Print Journalism from Boston University. Simmons lives inLos Angeles.
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time
Warner Inc. and the world’s most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 122 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. In April 2015, HBO NOWSM, the network’s highly anticipated standalone premium streaming service, began providing audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. HBO NOW is available directly through Apple or Optimum Online for a monthly subscription. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.
###
HBO AND BILL SIMMONS ANNOUNCE MAJOR NEW MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT, ANCHORED BY AN ALL-NEW HBO SERIES TO LAUNCH IN 2016
LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2015 – Bill Simmons, one of the most influential figures in contemporary sports media and the founding editor of Grantland.com, and HBO have entered into a major exclusive multi-year, multi-platform agreement highlighted by a new weekly series coming next year, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
“We have been fans of Bill Simmons and his work for a very long time,” said Lombardo. “His intelligence, talent and insights are without precedent in the areas he covers. We could not be more thrilled for him to bring those talents to HBO and to become a signature voice at the network, spanning the sports and pop culture landscapes.”
“It’s no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape,” Simmons said. “From the moment I started talking to Michael and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO], it was hard to imagine being anywhere else.”
HBO will be Simmons’ exclusive television home. The overall agreement, which begins in October, provides for a comprehensive partnership on a variety of platforms between the network and Simmons. Among the elements of the new deal will be a talk show set to premiere in 2016 that will air on the main HBO service, as well as the HBO digital platforms HBO GO® and HBO NOWSM. Topical and spontaneous, the show will feature stories and guests from across the sports and cultural landscapes.
Simmons will also have a production deal to produce content and assets for the network and its digital platforms, delivering video podcasts and features. In addition, Simmons will be consulting with HBO Sports, working closely with HBO Sports president Ken Hershman on non-boxing-related programming, including the development of shows and documentary films for the network.
Bill Simmons has served as a sports columnist, TV host and analyst, two-time New York Times bestselling author (“Now I Can Die in Peace: How the Sports Guy Found Salvation Thanks to the World Champion (Twice!) Boston Red Sox” and “The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy,” which was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list), Emmy® Award-winning documentary film executive and podcaster. He was the founding editor of the landmark Grantland.com website, which launched four years ago and was recently nominated for three National Magazine Awards, and wrote the groundbreaking “Sports Guy” column for the past 14 years for ESPN and then Grantland.
A native New Englander, Simmons generated the concept for the network’s acclaimed “30 for 30” documentary series, becoming one of its Emmy®-winning executive producers, in addition to ushering in the network’s presence in podcasting with his highly successful podcast “The B.S. Report,” which debuted in 2007 and featured such guests as President Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, Chris Rock and Lena Dunham, to name a few. It was the #1 sports podcast on iTunes last year with more than four million downloads per month.
Simmons began writing for ESPN.com in 2001, and starting in 2002, was the lead columnist for ESPN The Magazine for seven years. He also served as a writer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC from 2002 to 2004.
Simmons earned his Bachelor’s Degree at the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Master’s of Arts in Print Journalism from Boston University. Simmons lives inLos Angeles.
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time
Warner Inc. and the world’s most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 122 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. In April 2015, HBO NOWSM, the network’s highly anticipated standalone premium streaming service, began providing audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. HBO NOW is available directly through Apple or Optimum Online for a monthly subscription. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.
###
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Sacramento Area Players in the June 2015 MLB draft
Round | Player | School | Team |
7 | Nathan Lukes-of | Sac State (Center) | Indians |
17 | Chandler Eden-rhp | Yavapai College, Ariz. (Yuba City) | Blue Jays |
17 | Nick Madrigal-ss | Elk Grove | Indians |
17 | Cameron Avila-Leeper-lhp | San Joaquin Delta (Grant) | Giants |
22 | Sutter McLoughlin-rhp | Sac State (Rio Americano) | Phillies |
25 | Scotty Burcham-ss | Sac State | Rockies |
26 | Brennan Leitao-rhp | Sac State | Cardinals |
27 | Bryan Case-c | Okla. State (Winters, Cosumnes River) | Giants |
30 | Nick Lynch-1b | UC Davis | Angels |
31 | Tanner Dodson-rhp | Jesuit | Mets |
31 | Logan James-lhp | Stanford (Jesuit) | Mariners |
31 | Izaak Silva-c | UC Davis | Angels |
34 | Kory Groves-rhp | CSU Monterey Bay (Oakmont, SCC) | Orioles |
39 | Caden Goldby-3b | Yuba City | Marlins |
40 | Max Cordy-rhp | UC Davis (McClatchy) | Twins |
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Joseph J. Dubay
Sharon and I worked with Joe Dubay at the Western Credit Bank.
DUBAY, Joseph J. Joe was born in Hegyko, Hungary on June 4, 1939, the second of two children. After the Russian invasion of Hungary in 1956 he escaped and made his way to the United States at the age of 16. Although he knew nobody and did not speak the language, he taught himself English and put himself through school, first at Hartnell Junior College in Salinas, CA, then graduating with a degree in Animal Husbandry from Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo. He met and married Susan, his wife of 52 years, while in Salinas. In 1964, after graduating from Cal Poly he began his family and his career with the Farm Credit Services as a Field Officer in Indio, CA. Multiple promotions throughout his distinguished career took he and his new family from Indio, CA to Berkeley, CA; Spokane, WA and Sacramento, CA. He proudly pointed out he had started his new life in the United States as a poor immigrant driving a tractor in the fields and finished as an Executive Vice President with the bank ... "Only in America!" he would tell everyone. After taking early retirement from the bank in 1994 he traveled and consulted for Moorman Seed/ADM in Quincy, IL for two years before settling comfortably into retirement in Spokane, WA with Susan surrounded by their children, grandchildren and numerous beloved friends. His family and friends meant everything to Joe, he loved to travel, fish and to spend time with family and friends. He is survived by his wife Susan; three children and their spouses - John and Denise, Bonnie and Jesse, Patrick and Angela; five grandchildren - Crystal, Caitlyn, Maggie, Chase and Noah. In Hungary he is survived by his brother Istvan; sister-in-law Judit; nephews Gyuri and Csaba; their wives Kata and Tunde; their children - Andras, Eszter, Zsófia, Johanna, Mate, Christoph and Orsolya; and a large extended family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hospice House of Spokane in Joe's name. A vigil will be held Friday evening, July 17th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 3520 E. 18th Ave., Spokane. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, July 18th at St. Peter's Catholic Church followed by an inurnment at Queen of Peace Catholic Cemetery. At his request, he will forever be at rest in Hungary with his mother Rozalia; father Janos; and uncle Dr. Szalay Janos.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Turkey Creek
Sharon and I played golf at Turkey Creek Golf Club with the Sanborns. I haven't played golf since last August at Lake Almanor. As you expect, I was very erratic. Sharon ended up beating me by a stroke.
We ended the evening at the Sanborns. After a dip in the pool, they served a great dinner of steak kabobs.
Friday, July 17, 2015
40th High School Reunion
Sharon and I went to the Gridley Union High School Class of 1975 40th reunion at Jake's on the Butte County Fairgrounds in Gridley. In some ways, it is hard for me to believe that Sharon went with me to my 20th high school reunion. There was a 25th that we missed; it was about the same time we were moving into the Marina Point house.
There almost 50 people from a class size of about 105. I was surprised that Gary and Linda weren't there. I also would have loved to see and catch up with Mike Tokuno.
There almost 50 people from a class size of about 105. I was surprised that Gary and Linda weren't there. I also would have loved to see and catch up with Mike Tokuno.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
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