I am a big Seinfeld fan. I think it is one of those timeless shows that no matter how many times I watch an episode it continues to make me laugh. One of my favorite episodes was during the ninth season when George Costanza starts having back problems from carrying such a fat wallet. He kept everything in his wallet from receipts to credit cards to his money although George was never one to carry a lot of dough. The episode concludes with his wallet exploding in the New York City air as he tries to close it after adding one last receipt.
I doubt George was faced with the growing list of stores that are offering Club Card memberships. You know the cards I mean. The ones that you don't want but without them, it seems like you pay double the cost for just about every item. They started at the grocery stores which were somewhat understandable. They want you to feel at home so that when you had their particular store's membership card (and the handy key chain card), you were part of their club. You wouldn't dare go to another grocery store to buy your toilet paper and ice cream once you had the card, right? The problem is that we all have multiple stores near our work and home so we are stuck getting cards for multiple stores.
Now that we all had at least three credit sized cards added to our wallets and/or the key chain version, we felt like we were part of something. We were members of multiple clubs and there was a certain high school feeling about that. We were jocks, band geeks, and part of the debate team all at once. We were like Ferris Bueller, loved by everyone.
The problem is that other stores caught on to this madness. Sporting goods stores, the big box stores and yes, now my favorite one, the liquor stores. I went shopping for some wine over the weekend and noticed two things. First, it was a newer fancier store than the average liquor store. They had wine tasting stations set-up that were free along with some freshly cut provolone cheese. Yummy, I thought, and what a great idea to put the wines that they were recommending out to be tasted. The problem was that without the Club Card, you couldn't partake in the tasting. Fooey, I said, I am not adding any more cards to my wallet fearing my impending George-like explosion. The second thing though, was that I noticed almost every item in the store was discounted about 20% to the Club Card member.
So I was faced yet again with the decision to pay the added non-member price or join another club and receive normal pricing for the goods I was buying. Needless to say, I am a proud new member of the glee club, I mean Wineworks in Marlton. I am also proud that my wallet is still in tact both physically and fiscally.
When push comes to shove, I really feel like the whole thing is a rip off. Not only in a monetary way but of our intelligence. Here are these companies that are overcharging us to come into their stores unless we sign up and join them. Joining them, however, doesn't only involve carrying around the extra cards which I am half joking. But it involves handing over phone numbers and e-mail addresses so that we can be hounded by our new club but also sold to other club members for well coordinated attacks. Involved in this information swapping is the occasional breach of security as well. How many of you have gotten the news that your information may have been compromised by one of the clubs to which you belong? What becomes more frustrating is when you go ahead and try to find out who received your information and what info did they get. You will not win this battle, you do not have the security clearance for that. This is when you will not feel so much a part of the club.
I know it is a losing battle trying to fight the powers at be from avoiding the surcharges that are the non-member prices. I am sure that next time I buy fish food at Petsmart, I will be pulling out my Club Card to save $.38. But here's to hoping that the next card I get doesn't push my wallet to the limit like my friend George and I do not lose everything the least of which will be my sanity.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Christmas in July
I always wondered what the purpose of this pseudo holiday was. Is it just another Hallmark creation to spark up greeting card sales? Or is it another watering down of the true meaning of Christmas? Well during the latter stages of July 2011 (and a few days into the start of August) I finally figured it out. It was created for us Philadelphia sports fans and the wonderful week or two that we have just experienced.
It started with the NFL and their 136 day lockout coming to an end. The Eagles brass spoke all during the lockout about how they poised themselves to be ready for an aggressive approach to reshaping their roster when it finally ended. But after the first two days came and went without any deals, including quarterback Kevin Kolb not being traded, the fan blogs were incensed. Joe "Nickels" Banner, as he has been nicknamed by the current regime haters, were having their field days about the "Gold Standard" being all talk and no action. How could every other team be making moves but the Eagles be too cheap and all talk to get into the fray?
However, over the next few days, the Eagles shook off the rust, traded Kolb, and signed highly ranked defensive end Jason Babin. It culminated last Friday with the coup signing of top free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha that no one expected after already landing another pro bowl cornerback in the Kolb trade.
Friday July 29th may go down as one of the most memorable days in Philly sports history and it was not even for what happened on any field. In a matter of hours the Eagles landed Asomugha, that turned into one of those moments where you will always remember what you were doing when you found out, and the Phillies finally got the big right handed bat that they have been coveting. In a surreal moment, as the Phillies were playing the Pirates, a TV report from Milwaukee broke in and showed former Phillie Jason Michaels replacing Hunter Pence in right field - in the middle of an inning no less. It was obvious that the long rumored trade between the Astros and Phillies had been consummated. It turned out to be one of those great days that sports fans remember forever and Pence has quickly become a fan favorite. Not only that but as of this writing (August 5th) the Phillies haven't lost a game since this great July day.
Not to be outdone, the Eagles decided to continue to make headlines and acquisitions in their new "all-in" approach to free agency. On Saturday, they signed highly touted pass rush specialist Cullin Jenkins from the Green Bay Packers. They also added more offensive and defensive line help, a strong safety safety, a new back-up quarterback and claim they might not be done yet. National writers have now descended onto camp Lehigh like ants on a cookie crumb and odds makers have cut the line for the Birds to win the super bowl in half.
I know that championships for baseball and football are not won in July. I know that you can be the best team all year and still lose in the end. I also know that both teams have put themselves in great positions to win in 2011. And if either or both of them do, I will definitely remember this Christmas in July as being a big reason why.
It started with the NFL and their 136 day lockout coming to an end. The Eagles brass spoke all during the lockout about how they poised themselves to be ready for an aggressive approach to reshaping their roster when it finally ended. But after the first two days came and went without any deals, including quarterback Kevin Kolb not being traded, the fan blogs were incensed. Joe "Nickels" Banner, as he has been nicknamed by the current regime haters, were having their field days about the "Gold Standard" being all talk and no action. How could every other team be making moves but the Eagles be too cheap and all talk to get into the fray?
However, over the next few days, the Eagles shook off the rust, traded Kolb, and signed highly ranked defensive end Jason Babin. It culminated last Friday with the coup signing of top free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha that no one expected after already landing another pro bowl cornerback in the Kolb trade.
Friday July 29th may go down as one of the most memorable days in Philly sports history and it was not even for what happened on any field. In a matter of hours the Eagles landed Asomugha, that turned into one of those moments where you will always remember what you were doing when you found out, and the Phillies finally got the big right handed bat that they have been coveting. In a surreal moment, as the Phillies were playing the Pirates, a TV report from Milwaukee broke in and showed former Phillie Jason Michaels replacing Hunter Pence in right field - in the middle of an inning no less. It was obvious that the long rumored trade between the Astros and Phillies had been consummated. It turned out to be one of those great days that sports fans remember forever and Pence has quickly become a fan favorite. Not only that but as of this writing (August 5th) the Phillies haven't lost a game since this great July day.
Not to be outdone, the Eagles decided to continue to make headlines and acquisitions in their new "all-in" approach to free agency. On Saturday, they signed highly touted pass rush specialist Cullin Jenkins from the Green Bay Packers. They also added more offensive and defensive line help, a strong safety safety, a new back-up quarterback and claim they might not be done yet. National writers have now descended onto camp Lehigh like ants on a cookie crumb and odds makers have cut the line for the Birds to win the super bowl in half.
I know that championships for baseball and football are not won in July. I know that you can be the best team all year and still lose in the end. I also know that both teams have put themselves in great positions to win in 2011. And if either or both of them do, I will definitely remember this Christmas in July as being a big reason why.
Friday, July 29, 2011
My Very First Blog
I have often wondered what I would write about if I were to write a blog. A few friends of mine write blogs. They are very good at it, all of them much better writers then I. Words seem to come more natural to them but I often have opinions that I feel an urge to share. Sometimes though, they are the kind of opinions that your mother teaches you at a young age to keep to yourself. For topics, I thought of politics, education, parenting, and work issues. For today though, I thought of something I probably know more about than anything else - sports. Sports with some social commentary mixed in. I am not sure how often I will blog or what all of the topics will be about but I can probably bet that sports will come up more than once.
Today's sports topic is specifically about one of my favorites - Philadelphia Sports. I am pretty much as die-hard of a Philadelphia sports fan as there is. However, there is an undertone of the fan base that when I sit back and think about it, really bothers me. I am sure some of you are picturing fans throwing snowballs at Santa Clause, right? I am not. (if you want to read the real story about this fairy tale, click here http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/santa/philadelphia.asp) I am also not thinking about the general hard nose nature of the craziest fan base in America. These are aspects about Philly fans that make me proud. However, it is the undercurrent of racism and the even sometimes right out in the open blatant version that makes me cringe. I am sure this topic, in general, makes many people uncomfortable. By reading posts and comments on blogs and facebook, many people are tired of talking about racism. It seems that in many circles, it just doesn't exist. Or is it that it exists stronger in these circles and they just want to pretend it doesn't?
In the Philly sports scene, there are many examples. One of my father's favorite players was Dick Allen. He was a dynamic third baseman for the Phillies before Mike Schmidt, who later became my favorite player. There are many documented cases of the struggles he had with racism back in his day. I am proud to say that we have come a long way since then. I don't think we have come as far as we would like to think though.
I have been a season ticket holder for the Eagles for 17 years. Without goring you with details, I have witnessed many examples of outright nastiness from fans shouting at other fans but even more so at the players that we are there to cheer. One of the main victims is none other than Donovan McNabb. Five, as he is so eloquently called when he was scrambling for touchdowns, was very often the target of fans who just didn't think he was ever good enough. Sure he didn't win the elusive super bowl that the championship starved natives craved but was he not probably the best quarterback to ever play for the birds? If not first, he has to be in the top two or three, right? Time and time again, he was booed, heckled and cursed at. Too often the words "We will never win with a black quarterback" were heard around the stadium. When Jeff Garcia took over for a hurt McNabb in 2006, and won a single playoff game, you'd have thought Johnny Unitas came out of retirement the way the fans wanted him to take over the starting job from McNabb in 2007. I often wondered why the fans took such a liking to Garcia (and later A.J. Feeley) when they didn't perform any better than McNabb but in the back of my mind I think I always knew that race played a part in it.
The Phillies have enjoyed a lot of success in the last four to five years. A lot of the reason is because of the core group of young players that were brought up through their farm system and matured into star players. Two, in particular, are Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Utley is a hard nose, grind it out hustler that reminds you of Pete Rose. The fans adore him. Howard is a big man, is more relaxed and happens to strike out a lot. Howard has won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 and the MVP in 2006. Maybe because of his tendency to strike out, Howard is often the victim of the fans ire. He is often booed when he strikes out or doesn't bring a runner home, something he has done more than any other player since 2006. He is criticized on talk radio and in blogs by fans for his play and as recently as this preseason, many fans wanted him traded. Utley, on the other hand, seems to enjoy carte blanche with the home crowd. Just last night, in his first three at bats, he failed to bring runners home who were in scoring position, twice striking out. Not a peep from the crowd. Howard, who followed him in the first inning after Utley failed to bring home the runner from third with one out struck out and took a pretty good beating. Sure, this is just one example but I think after reading this, if you pay close attention to this dynamic and keep score, you will be surprised at the results.
Domonic Brown is my final example. He is a prospect for the Phillies that is in his first full season in the big leagues. In the pre-season, he was ranked #4 prospect in baseball by Baseball America. He has been very highly rated for a few seasons. He is supposed to be the next guy developed by the Phillies in their system to be groomed for stardom. Like Howard, he is also African American. So far this year, he has played in about 50 games. He hasn't dazzled to say the least. His batting average is .250 and his OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) is .749. To compare, let's use another guy that most agree is a great Phillie. Hmmm, how about that Chase Utley guy again that we all love. Utley played 43 games his rookie year which is right around the same as Brown this year. His batting average was .239 and OPS was .696. In fact, the following year, when Utley played 94 games, his average only improved to .266 and OPS to .776. It wasn't until the following year that Utley became the player that he is today. The point is that it takes time for young players to develop. It is normal for young players to experience growing pains as they make the jump to the majors. The larger point though, is the backlash that Brown has felt in the last month or so. The MLB trade deadline is this Sunday. The Phillies are built to win now and Brown isn't cutting it. Despite the fact that the Phillies need to start turning their aging roster over with younger, and yes cheaper players, the fans are calling for Brown to get traded for a more experienced player. Most even want to hold onto, at all costs, a young surprising 5th best pitcher, Vance Worley over Brown. That's right, keep the 5th best pitcher, who didn't even have a Baseball America rating and likely won't pitch in the postseason, over the top prospect because he hasn't looked good in his first 50 games of his first full season.
Or is that not the reason at all.
Today's sports topic is specifically about one of my favorites - Philadelphia Sports. I am pretty much as die-hard of a Philadelphia sports fan as there is. However, there is an undertone of the fan base that when I sit back and think about it, really bothers me. I am sure some of you are picturing fans throwing snowballs at Santa Clause, right? I am not. (if you want to read the real story about this fairy tale, click here http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/santa/philadelphia.asp) I am also not thinking about the general hard nose nature of the craziest fan base in America. These are aspects about Philly fans that make me proud. However, it is the undercurrent of racism and the even sometimes right out in the open blatant version that makes me cringe. I am sure this topic, in general, makes many people uncomfortable. By reading posts and comments on blogs and facebook, many people are tired of talking about racism. It seems that in many circles, it just doesn't exist. Or is it that it exists stronger in these circles and they just want to pretend it doesn't?
In the Philly sports scene, there are many examples. One of my father's favorite players was Dick Allen. He was a dynamic third baseman for the Phillies before Mike Schmidt, who later became my favorite player. There are many documented cases of the struggles he had with racism back in his day. I am proud to say that we have come a long way since then. I don't think we have come as far as we would like to think though.
I have been a season ticket holder for the Eagles for 17 years. Without goring you with details, I have witnessed many examples of outright nastiness from fans shouting at other fans but even more so at the players that we are there to cheer. One of the main victims is none other than Donovan McNabb. Five, as he is so eloquently called when he was scrambling for touchdowns, was very often the target of fans who just didn't think he was ever good enough. Sure he didn't win the elusive super bowl that the championship starved natives craved but was he not probably the best quarterback to ever play for the birds? If not first, he has to be in the top two or three, right? Time and time again, he was booed, heckled and cursed at. Too often the words "We will never win with a black quarterback" were heard around the stadium. When Jeff Garcia took over for a hurt McNabb in 2006, and won a single playoff game, you'd have thought Johnny Unitas came out of retirement the way the fans wanted him to take over the starting job from McNabb in 2007. I often wondered why the fans took such a liking to Garcia (and later A.J. Feeley) when they didn't perform any better than McNabb but in the back of my mind I think I always knew that race played a part in it.
The Phillies have enjoyed a lot of success in the last four to five years. A lot of the reason is because of the core group of young players that were brought up through their farm system and matured into star players. Two, in particular, are Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Utley is a hard nose, grind it out hustler that reminds you of Pete Rose. The fans adore him. Howard is a big man, is more relaxed and happens to strike out a lot. Howard has won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 and the MVP in 2006. Maybe because of his tendency to strike out, Howard is often the victim of the fans ire. He is often booed when he strikes out or doesn't bring a runner home, something he has done more than any other player since 2006. He is criticized on talk radio and in blogs by fans for his play and as recently as this preseason, many fans wanted him traded. Utley, on the other hand, seems to enjoy carte blanche with the home crowd. Just last night, in his first three at bats, he failed to bring runners home who were in scoring position, twice striking out. Not a peep from the crowd. Howard, who followed him in the first inning after Utley failed to bring home the runner from third with one out struck out and took a pretty good beating. Sure, this is just one example but I think after reading this, if you pay close attention to this dynamic and keep score, you will be surprised at the results.
Domonic Brown is my final example. He is a prospect for the Phillies that is in his first full season in the big leagues. In the pre-season, he was ranked #4 prospect in baseball by Baseball America. He has been very highly rated for a few seasons. He is supposed to be the next guy developed by the Phillies in their system to be groomed for stardom. Like Howard, he is also African American. So far this year, he has played in about 50 games. He hasn't dazzled to say the least. His batting average is .250 and his OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) is .749. To compare, let's use another guy that most agree is a great Phillie. Hmmm, how about that Chase Utley guy again that we all love. Utley played 43 games his rookie year which is right around the same as Brown this year. His batting average was .239 and OPS was .696. In fact, the following year, when Utley played 94 games, his average only improved to .266 and OPS to .776. It wasn't until the following year that Utley became the player that he is today. The point is that it takes time for young players to develop. It is normal for young players to experience growing pains as they make the jump to the majors. The larger point though, is the backlash that Brown has felt in the last month or so. The MLB trade deadline is this Sunday. The Phillies are built to win now and Brown isn't cutting it. Despite the fact that the Phillies need to start turning their aging roster over with younger, and yes cheaper players, the fans are calling for Brown to get traded for a more experienced player. Most even want to hold onto, at all costs, a young surprising 5th best pitcher, Vance Worley over Brown. That's right, keep the 5th best pitcher, who didn't even have a Baseball America rating and likely won't pitch in the postseason, over the top prospect because he hasn't looked good in his first 50 games of his first full season.
Or is that not the reason at all.
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