McCain and Romney went at it the other night about did Romney or didn't Romney support timetables for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Now this cut is being played on the internet and it's audio played on talk radio. But what you really need to listen to is the original interview. You can't watch the video of Romney being indignant and say "Clearly he is telling the truth!". You can't watch the video and say "Clearly John McCain is lying!" That's ridiculous. Being outraged doesn't make you innocent.
You need facts. You need to go here. This is the actual interview. There is video.
You need to watch Robin Roberts ask the question "Do you believe that there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?"
You need to watch Romney answer "Well, there's no question - but that the President and - Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're gonna be gone. You wanna have a series of things you wanna see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police and the leadership of the, of the Iraqi government."
Anderson Cooper said Romney's answer was "open to interpretation"
McCain is saying the answer should have been "No". Certainly it would have been more clear, huh?
Mitt clearly says he favors "private" timetables. McCain says "Mitt favored timetables" Where is the lie?
When I watched Mitt in the cut from the debate the other night, I didn't see righteous indignation at having McCain lie about him. I saw Romney seething at being caught. I see a smiling relaxed McCain who knows he's right. Romney was waffling back in April because he wasn't sure which way the Surge would go. Romney tried to play both sides of the coin and he's being called on it. Mitt said that timetables should be secret. He didn't say *no* timetables. What McCain has said is you fight until you win. McCain called Romney out on talking out of both sides of his mouth. That's not a lie.
You really can't discuss this issue if you don't watch the video. It's like when people would say something about the 9/11 Commission Report......I would say "Have you read it?" If they said no, I would say "Then you can't discuss it with me."
Friday, February 01, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Effing Phone Works!!!
You know since MG Rick Lynch signed off...my day has gone downhill.
I had a verbal altercation with someone I care deeply about.....which is causing me to be snippy and find fault with everyone in the office.
The new phone arrived and my boss took it down to be activated. He brought the old phone to see if the phonebook could be saved.
He called. "Maggie? It works."
?????????
"So I spent $30 online for nothing?"
Argghhh!! My life is a Fellini film. Or an O. Henry novel. Or de Maupassant.
I had a verbal altercation with someone I care deeply about.....which is causing me to be snippy and find fault with everyone in the office.
The new phone arrived and my boss took it down to be activated. He brought the old phone to see if the phonebook could be saved.
He called. "Maggie? It works."
?????????
"So I spent $30 online for nothing?"
Argghhh!! My life is a Fellini film. Or an O. Henry novel. Or de Maupassant.
Excited Screaming!!!!
No, it's not the Beatles..................
It's better!
MG Rick Lynch is going to be on Michael Graham (WTKK) this morning!
9:45 am he will be on live!
Thank you, Michael!
**********UPDATE******
Guess who popped up in IM and this blog a good two to three hours early?
So are you going to call in and talk to Lynch?
SB
31 January, 2008 09:36
*****
LOL, I was completely discombobulated! What a riot! Just a little reminder from SB, that after all......I am a Navy girl.
It's better!
MG Rick Lynch is going to be on Michael Graham (WTKK) this morning!
9:45 am he will be on live!
Thank you, Michael!
**********UPDATE******
Guess who popped up in IM and this blog a good two to three hours early?
So are you going to call in and talk to Lynch?
SB
31 January, 2008 09:36
*****
LOL, I was completely discombobulated! What a riot! Just a little reminder from SB, that after all......I am a Navy girl.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I Like It!
Today's Word "esurient"
esurient \ih-SUR-ee-uhnt; -ZUR-\ (adjective) - Hungry; voracious; greedy.
esurient \ih-SUR-ee-uhnt; -ZUR-\ (adjective) - Hungry; voracious; greedy.
No Suh!
Edwards bid shows poverty not big campaign theme
From Rueters & Matthew Bigg:
The inability of John Edwards to gain traction in his bid for the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination indicates that fighting poverty in America has limited appeal for voters.
No suh, it show that people were smart enough to know that for John Edwards, poverty was nothing more than a gimmick. "Two Americas" was his schtick.
They saw through his disgusting stunt last summer where he campaigned on the memory of Bobby Kennedy. Needless to say, I abhor John Edwards. I am just relieved that he did not fool more Americans than he did.
You don't invest in companies that foreclose on Katrina victims and then say you want to go to Washington to fight for them.
Edwards is an asshat with a wayyyyyy overinflated ego. Trust me, I know a away overinflated ego when I see one.......mine is huge.
Imagine me running for office and telling you my leading concern was downsizing the military and pulling out of Iraq.
Please.
From Rueters & Matthew Bigg:
The inability of John Edwards to gain traction in his bid for the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination indicates that fighting poverty in America has limited appeal for voters.
No suh, it show that people were smart enough to know that for John Edwards, poverty was nothing more than a gimmick. "Two Americas" was his schtick.
They saw through his disgusting stunt last summer where he campaigned on the memory of Bobby Kennedy. Needless to say, I abhor John Edwards. I am just relieved that he did not fool more Americans than he did.
You don't invest in companies that foreclose on Katrina victims and then say you want to go to Washington to fight for them.
Edwards is an asshat with a wayyyyyy overinflated ego. Trust me, I know a away overinflated ego when I see one.......mine is huge.
Imagine me running for office and telling you my leading concern was downsizing the military and pulling out of Iraq.
Please.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Why I Love My Bad Boyfriend
Jen is always yelling at me about immigration when McCain's name comes up. It's not that I don't care....I do. I care deeply. I want the borders secured. I want people deported. But it's not my #1 issue. Jen says if I had been in Southern California with her, confronted with the damage illegal immigration was causing I wouldn't feel this way. I disagree.
Also, for all that people want to call McCain "Juan McCain" or "Amnesty John" they are missing the point or trying obfuscate it. McCain had an immigration plan that the American people roundly rejected. I also rejected it. McCain looked at that and said "Ok, lesson learned." Now he says that he understands that for the American people, securing the border comes first. It was always part of his plan, just not the centerpiece. Next priority is deporting the two million that Homeland Security says are dangerous and must go immediately. Good. Then we go after employers who break the law and hire illegal aliens. The problem will resolve itself.
So that's why the immigration thing doesn't bug me so much. I do believe he will handle it. He won't immediately deport 12 or 20 million people, but that wasn't practical anyway.
Now, let's get to my number one issue. If you have read my nonsense here, you know that sprinkled in with my fried cell phone, my yoga/gym time, my preening for SouthieBoy's attention and my love of Hersheyettes, Coca Cola, Dubai, and all things Navy...........is my absolute conviction that we are involved in an epic struggle against fanatical, hardline, Sharia-loving Islamic terrorists. you can look everywhere, not just the Presidential contenders and you would be hard pressed to find a better choice for Commander-In-Chief than John McCain. Of course John McCain has done things, said things, backed things that disappointed me. Who hasn't been disappointed at one point or another in their candidate? I am not saying he will be the perfect President....I am saying he is the best person to be CINC.
Why do I feel this way? Well first off, it's hard to explain to people who don't study things like history or keep up with foreign policy.......people who don't see the "big picture". I know that Jen does, it just must be a slightly different angle. Her trip to Southern California must have blurred her vision slightly.
Today over at CDR Salamander, the Phibian explains it better with stuff to back up his viewpoint.
Bush, McCain and the Surge
Though only mentioned in one paragraph, I put McCain in the title of this post because you have to give credit where credit is due. In the area of victory in Iraq, few if any have been more right than Sen. McCain (R-AZ). Full stop. End the discussion. Fact. Everything else is mindless politics.
*******
I am not a McCain guy, that is for sure ... but ..... this steadfastness alone would ensure that if in the end it is him against Obama or Clinton - he will get my money and vote in '08.
That second paragraph is sort of my flip side......If Romney is the nominee he will certainly have my support. I like him well enough, I just don't know what he'll do under pressure. When it comes to CINC, I want the steadfastness the Phibian speaks of. He also describes McCain as a lion.
So.........through it all...........I'm a McCain girl.
Also, for all that people want to call McCain "Juan McCain" or "Amnesty John" they are missing the point or trying obfuscate it. McCain had an immigration plan that the American people roundly rejected. I also rejected it. McCain looked at that and said "Ok, lesson learned." Now he says that he understands that for the American people, securing the border comes first. It was always part of his plan, just not the centerpiece. Next priority is deporting the two million that Homeland Security says are dangerous and must go immediately. Good. Then we go after employers who break the law and hire illegal aliens. The problem will resolve itself.
So that's why the immigration thing doesn't bug me so much. I do believe he will handle it. He won't immediately deport 12 or 20 million people, but that wasn't practical anyway.
Now, let's get to my number one issue. If you have read my nonsense here, you know that sprinkled in with my fried cell phone, my yoga/gym time, my preening for SouthieBoy's attention and my love of Hersheyettes, Coca Cola, Dubai, and all things Navy...........is my absolute conviction that we are involved in an epic struggle against fanatical, hardline, Sharia-loving Islamic terrorists. you can look everywhere, not just the Presidential contenders and you would be hard pressed to find a better choice for Commander-In-Chief than John McCain. Of course John McCain has done things, said things, backed things that disappointed me. Who hasn't been disappointed at one point or another in their candidate? I am not saying he will be the perfect President....I am saying he is the best person to be CINC.
Why do I feel this way? Well first off, it's hard to explain to people who don't study things like history or keep up with foreign policy.......people who don't see the "big picture". I know that Jen does, it just must be a slightly different angle. Her trip to Southern California must have blurred her vision slightly.
Today over at CDR Salamander, the Phibian explains it better with stuff to back up his viewpoint.
Bush, McCain and the Surge
Though only mentioned in one paragraph, I put McCain in the title of this post because you have to give credit where credit is due. In the area of victory in Iraq, few if any have been more right than Sen. McCain (R-AZ). Full stop. End the discussion. Fact. Everything else is mindless politics.
*******
I am not a McCain guy, that is for sure ... but ..... this steadfastness alone would ensure that if in the end it is him against Obama or Clinton - he will get my money and vote in '08.
That second paragraph is sort of my flip side......If Romney is the nominee he will certainly have my support. I like him well enough, I just don't know what he'll do under pressure. When it comes to CINC, I want the steadfastness the Phibian speaks of. He also describes McCain as a lion.
So.........through it all...........I'm a McCain girl.
Shhhh! My Bad Boyfriend Took Florida
Be very quiet. Jen is ready to beat me with a stick. She was mad enough when everyone thought McCain's campaign was dead. Now.........yikes!
Roberta McCain
CSpan has this marvelous interview with Sen. McCain's mother. I loved it.
At the beginning she talks about how the United States Navy represents the best America has to offer. Ok, fine, she's preaching to the choir.
Then twenty minutes in the interviewer asks how he takes after her and she exclaims that he doesn't. Mrs. McCain said that *Johnny* is like his father, Jack. The interviewer points out that Sen. McCain says he's more like his mother than his father. She just says "Well, he isn't. He's like his father and I don't think any traits that I have at all he has. I really don't." Interviewer "None at all?" Mrs. McCain "Un-huh. No. He will not hold a grudge. I kind of like some of mine."
I laughed out loud. You know I have a similar lament about Frankie. He can't hold a grudge and I get so frustrated! SB calls it Irish amnesia when you forget everything but the grudge. That's me.
At the beginning she talks about how the United States Navy represents the best America has to offer. Ok, fine, she's preaching to the choir.
Then twenty minutes in the interviewer asks how he takes after her and she exclaims that he doesn't. Mrs. McCain said that *Johnny* is like his father, Jack. The interviewer points out that Sen. McCain says he's more like his mother than his father. She just says "Well, he isn't. He's like his father and I don't think any traits that I have at all he has. I really don't." Interviewer "None at all?" Mrs. McCain "Un-huh. No. He will not hold a grudge. I kind of like some of mine."
I laughed out loud. You know I have a similar lament about Frankie. He can't hold a grudge and I get so frustrated! SB calls it Irish amnesia when you forget everything but the grudge. That's me.
Wiseass
SB's BFF (aka my sister Jen) shoots me an email - it's 2015. I am at work (loser), she is at work (loser).
How was the doc? What did she say about your foot? Did she think it was beautiful???
You see, Jennifer thinks my ego is a little too big and so she never misses the opportunity to poke.
Is there anywhere I can go and not be abused?
This morning's email from SB was no better. The first person I jumped online to tell about my cellphone was SB. You know I sleep with this thing under my pillow so as not to miss a call. With my luck, he would have been sitting at his desk in my morning, thinking "Let's wake Maggie up!" So I wanted him to know why there would be no answer and no explanation. I usually leave explanations "I'm in the movies." or "I'm in Mass." so he knows (and Frankie too) why I am not answering the cell phone. Anyway, I send him an email.
My email:
To: SB, Pirate King, USN
Subject: My Cell Phone is Fried
It fell in water. I don't know if it will recover when dried out.
His reply:
To: Maggie, The Ultimate Bed Warmer
Usually not but you’re an exceptional case. May I be so bold as to ask what water? Where? How?
Inquiring minds want to know!
My indignant response:
To: SB, Pirate King, USN
I'm an exceptional case? Do you mean that in a good way? You bold???????? There's a shocka! You can ask, but the answer might be "NUNYA"."
How was the doc? What did she say about your foot? Did she think it was beautiful???
You see, Jennifer thinks my ego is a little too big and so she never misses the opportunity to poke.
Is there anywhere I can go and not be abused?
This morning's email from SB was no better. The first person I jumped online to tell about my cellphone was SB. You know I sleep with this thing under my pillow so as not to miss a call. With my luck, he would have been sitting at his desk in my morning, thinking "Let's wake Maggie up!" So I wanted him to know why there would be no answer and no explanation. I usually leave explanations "I'm in the movies." or "I'm in Mass." so he knows (and Frankie too) why I am not answering the cell phone. Anyway, I send him an email.
My email:
To: SB, Pirate King, USN
Subject: My Cell Phone is Fried
It fell in water. I don't know if it will recover when dried out.
His reply:
To: Maggie, The Ultimate Bed Warmer
Usually not but you’re an exceptional case. May I be so bold as to ask what water? Where? How?
Inquiring minds want to know!
My indignant response:
To: SB, Pirate King, USN
I'm an exceptional case? Do you mean that in a good way? You bold???????? There's a shocka! You can ask, but the answer might be "NUNYA"."
WTF?
LOL, Yahoo has this headline "Middle-age is truly depressing, study finds". Thanks, I was feeling pretty good until this. I didn't know it was this bad. Cause after all.....at 46 I am past middle-age. I have no attention of living to 92 or anywhere near it.
My Podiatry Adventures
So, about five weeks ago my right foot hurt when I would do lunge pose in yoga. When the right foot was in the back and the shin would be moving toward the right toes, it felt like something was being ripped off the bottom of my foot. It hurt up the back of my heel to the bottom of the calf. I asked around and tried some things, heat.....ice.....motrin...stretching. Nothing really worked. I got gel heel cups and they were okay, but actually irritated the other foot.
So this morning I go to the podiatrist. I have an extra bone in my foot! LOL I have the craziest shit, between the arthritis in my ear (otosclerosis) and now an extra bone in my foot.
Anyway, that's not the problem, the problem is tendonitis of the achilles. Or, as she put it "a dysfunctional tendon". No bone spurs and no arthritis. And by the way, the heel cups are useless, ditch them. LOL, but of course! 27 bucks I'll never get back. Anyway, the answer is physical therapy and arch supports and lose the treadmill. I love the treadmill, damnit! I read and watch TV. She wants me to substitute the eliptical. Hello? I am not that coordinated!
Now that I am sitting at my desk, I just noticed that I sit with one foot up on the cross brace of the chair and my right foot flexed..........probably not good.
There will be physical therapy, but don't worry, Princess Crabby keeps up with the pedicures, the foot scrubs, the foot cream, pumicing.......the feet look good.
So this morning I go to the podiatrist. I have an extra bone in my foot! LOL I have the craziest shit, between the arthritis in my ear (otosclerosis) and now an extra bone in my foot.
Anyway, that's not the problem, the problem is tendonitis of the achilles. Or, as she put it "a dysfunctional tendon". No bone spurs and no arthritis. And by the way, the heel cups are useless, ditch them. LOL, but of course! 27 bucks I'll never get back. Anyway, the answer is physical therapy and arch supports and lose the treadmill. I love the treadmill, damnit! I read and watch TV. She wants me to substitute the eliptical. Hello? I am not that coordinated!
Now that I am sitting at my desk, I just noticed that I sit with one foot up on the cross brace of the chair and my right foot flexed..........probably not good.
There will be physical therapy, but don't worry, Princess Crabby keeps up with the pedicures, the foot scrubs, the foot cream, pumicing.......the feet look good.
Cell Phone Update
****UPDATE******Bought a phone on EBay and the nice people at Verizon say they will waive the transfer fee. Thanks, Olga! $28 with shipping.......much better than $200! I know the other phone was nicer, but I didn't use a lot of the features.******* 
Still fried. They don't know if they can save the phonebook info until they see it and replacing it will cost $200!!!! WTF? I was thinking it was because the my boss picked such a fancy-shmancy phone last time, but it turns out they all have cameras, etc. Anyway, no cell for a bit while I figure out if I want to pay $200, go on EBay (Verizon's suggestion) or have Frankie scrounge me something (don't ask),
My Cell Phone and the SOTU
Last night I went to get a pedicure....I wasn't really in the mood, it was a maintenance kinda thing. I had a ton of work and I was just going to go back to work afterwards. It wasn't relaxation and since Jen couldn't go it wasn't all that fun.
But wait! It gets worse. I was sending a text and the damn thing jumped out of my hands and dove into the water!
WTF!
If they can't retrieve my phonebook, I am screwed. I use it for everything, business, family, pleasure.............I have over 150 entries.
Plus I will again lose my texts from SB.
I was so upset that I wasn't paying attention at my next stop. I was dropping off some clothes at the Planet Aid box and guess what? It's cold when you are walking in the snow on a 35 degrees New England night in just spa slippers!
The only part of the night that went as planned was that I did make it to the treadmill in time to watch the SOTU speech. Of course I spent the last 5 minutes or so lounging against the side support of the treadmill. Hey between the entrance and exit it was way over an hour! It's ok, at that time of night, there are like 3 or 4 other people in the gym. Because the cell is fried, I couldn't text people during the speech and because I was at the gym, I couldn't yell at the TV or give FatBoy the finger (that's right "FatBoy", my blog, my rules). This blog has some amusing observations on the entrance and exit. My favorite was Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee. As "W" passed her, she grabbed his hand and Brit Hume (you know I was watching Fox, right? LOL) was making fun of her hypocrisy. How she always gets a handshake even though she is his political, polar opposite. Anyway, Fox went to the floor for audio and as she grabs his hand she says something. I didn't catch it all, but she clearly addressed the POTUS as "...my brother..." YGTBFKM! I swear I heard her say that. My right hand to God!
Princess Crabby gives "W" a "B". It was good, it wasn't great. He waited so long to talk about Veteran's benefits, I thought he wasn't going to get there.
But wait! It gets worse. I was sending a text and the damn thing jumped out of my hands and dove into the water!
WTF!
If they can't retrieve my phonebook, I am screwed. I use it for everything, business, family, pleasure.............I have over 150 entries.
Plus I will again lose my texts from SB.
I was so upset that I wasn't paying attention at my next stop. I was dropping off some clothes at the Planet Aid box and guess what? It's cold when you are walking in the snow on a 35 degrees New England night in just spa slippers!
The only part of the night that went as planned was that I did make it to the treadmill in time to watch the SOTU speech. Of course I spent the last 5 minutes or so lounging against the side support of the treadmill. Hey between the entrance and exit it was way over an hour! It's ok, at that time of night, there are like 3 or 4 other people in the gym. Because the cell is fried, I couldn't text people during the speech and because I was at the gym, I couldn't yell at the TV or give FatBoy the finger (that's right "FatBoy", my blog, my rules). This blog has some amusing observations on the entrance and exit. My favorite was Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee. As "W" passed her, she grabbed his hand and Brit Hume (you know I was watching Fox, right? LOL) was making fun of her hypocrisy. How she always gets a handshake even though she is his political, polar opposite. Anyway, Fox went to the floor for audio and as she grabs his hand she says something. I didn't catch it all, but she clearly addressed the POTUS as "...my brother..." YGTBFKM! I swear I heard her say that. My right hand to God!
Princess Crabby gives "W" a "B". It was good, it wasn't great. He waited so long to talk about Veteran's benefits, I thought he wasn't going to get there.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Mike Holovak, PT Boat Skipper
SouthieBoy says
"Rest easy LCDR Holovak, we have the watch!"
**********************************
COMMENTARY
We were blessed to know him
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
He was a coal miner's son, the youngest of five born to Czechoslovakian immigrants. From those humble beginnings, Mike Holovak went on to live out a uniquely American story.
He skippered a PT boat, survived malaria and lost a brother in World War II. He once counted President Kennedy among his many friends.
He played for Frank Leahy and George Halas, drafted Hall of Famers Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews and was the architect of Oilers teams that made seven consecutive playoff appearances.
He once played in a high school game in which Vince Lombardi was the opposing coach.
Mike Holovak died at 88 on Sunday, leaving behind hundreds of friends that admired him for his decency and loyalty and humor. His was a wonderful life in every sense of the word.
He was a few months from his 70th birthday and preparing for retirement in 1989 when Bud Adams asked him to become general manager of the Oilers. Adams didn't make many better decisions.
Holovak was a scout at heart and was never happier than those days he would spend in a darkened room attempting to evaluate who could play and who couldn't. He once joked that he hoped to die while watching film.
"He worked most of his NFL career in obscurity, and that's the way he liked it," said Titans CEO Steve Underwood, who worked in the organization 19 years with Holovak. "He had no desire to have his ego massaged."
Now a word about those catnaps. He took them frequently. When he was general manager of the Oilers, some assumed it meant the old man was starting to slip.
He wasn't. He'd become so accustomed to sleeping two or three hours at a time while on that PT boat that his sleep patterns were ruined forever.
That's why he might have watched more hours of tape between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. than anyone in NFL history.
Respect around the NFLTo understand how he was viewed by his peers, one had only to see the reception he got at NFL meetings. Al Davis admired him in a way he didn't admire many people in football.
Lamar Hunt and Ralph Wilson loved him, too. Holovak was on the ground floor of building the AFL, and those guys never forgot his contributions as coach and general manager of the Patriots.
According to the College Football Hall of Fame, Leahy found Holovak almost by accident. He had gone to watch Lombardi coach a high school team and came upon a player that would be one of the best in Boston College history.
It was during his Boston years that he met the young senator. They forged a friendship that lasted until the end of JFK's life.
Adams never had a more loyal employee. Holovak once confided that he never had asked for a raise, and he took every bullet for the organization's mistakes, deserved or not.
He had a toughness about him that endured until late in life. He was a devoted runner and would be seen at the practice facility pounding out the miles in the heat of the day.
Not one to criticizeOn his KTRH talk show, he would defer to his host on questions that might mean criticizing someone. That simply was a game he was unwilling to play.
He retired to Florida in 1999, to play poker and take his daily power walks. Teams never stopped sending him video and asking him to evaluate a player.
He had tough times along the way. A high school-aged daughter died in a car accident. Holovak suffered for years after that, once telling a reporter that he owed the Raiders and 49ers apologies for being so smothered by grief he was unable to work.
His real legacy won't be that he was the greatest executive or the most successful coach or any of that stuff. He was inducted into so many halls of fame over the years that the names and places begin to blur.
That's small stuff compared to what Mike Holovak was to the people who knew him best. They remembered him as a good friend, relentless worker and for having a heart bigger than almost anyone.
Those people are mourning his passing, but celebrating the fact they were lucky enough to know him. They know they were blessed.
Michael J. Holovak, legendary football coach for BC, Pats; was also ace PT skipper in WWII
Michael J. “Mike” Holovak of Wimauma, Fla., legendary football coach for Boston College and the Boston Patriots [team stats], died yesterday from complications of pneumonia at Life Path Hospice in Ruskin, Fla. He was 88.
Mr. Holovak was born and raised in Lansford, Pa.
During high school he won an athletic scholarship to Seton Hall Prep School in New Jersey. He went on to play football for Boston College, where he became starting fullback on the Eagles’ undefeated 1941 Sugar Bowl champion team.
As a senior in 1942, Mr. Holovak was an All-America selection. In that season’s Orange Bowl game against Alabama, Mr. Holovak scored three touchdowns and averaged 15.8 yards every time he touched the ball - a rushing record that has stood for more than six decades.
Following graduation from Boston College in 1943, Mr. Holovak enlisted in the Navy and served as skipper of a PT boat operating in the South Pacific war zone.
“He rarely spoke of it, but he was so proud of that service to his country,” said his widow, Pauline Scudder Holovak. His boat was credited with sinking nine Japanese ships and Mr. Holovak retired from the Navy as a lieutenant commander.
After the war, he played professional football for the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams before beginning his coaching career as freshman football coach at Boston College in 1949. In the two years that he held that post, his teams didn’t lose a single game.
He was named head coach at Boston College in 1951 where he remained for nine seasons. In 1960, he was appointed the first director of player personnel for the newly founded Boston Patriots and was named the team’s second head coach during the 1961 season. In 1964, under his coaching, the Patriots reached the American Football League championship game where they lost to the San Diego Chargers.
“Mike was a mentor, a coach, and above all, a consummate gentleman,” said Gino Cappelletti, one of the Patriots’ all-time leading pass receivers and scorers. “ . . . His contributions as coach and general manager in the critical early years of the Patriots’ franchise were monumental.”
Mr. Holovak also coached and held administrative positions with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and New York Jets [team stats]. Later in his career, he served as vice president for player personnel and general manager of the NFL’s Houston Oilers and worked for the Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans [team stats], in various front office positions until his retirement from football in 1998. He remained a consultant and scout for the Titans until shortly before his death.
“Mike was the quintessential ‘football guy,’ ” said K.S. “Bud” Adams Jr., founder, owner and president of the Tennessee Titans franchise and a long-time friend of Mr. Holovak. “He had such a passion and knowledge of the game. It is rare when you see a person excel in all three areas of the sport: a great player in college, a successful coach and great talent evaluator, but Mike was one of the special people.”
Mr. Holovak was a member of the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame, the Tennesse Titans Hall of Fame and the Seton Hall Prep Hall of Fame.
Mr. Holovak is survived by his wife, Pauline Scudder; two daughters, Michele Harrison of Gloucester and Cindy Oatess of South Tampa, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Feb. 9 at St. Ignatius Church, Boston College.
"Rest easy LCDR Holovak, we have the watch!"
**********************************
COMMENTARY
We were blessed to know him
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
He was a coal miner's son, the youngest of five born to Czechoslovakian immigrants. From those humble beginnings, Mike Holovak went on to live out a uniquely American story.
He skippered a PT boat, survived malaria and lost a brother in World War II. He once counted President Kennedy among his many friends.
He played for Frank Leahy and George Halas, drafted Hall of Famers Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews and was the architect of Oilers teams that made seven consecutive playoff appearances.
He once played in a high school game in which Vince Lombardi was the opposing coach.
Mike Holovak died at 88 on Sunday, leaving behind hundreds of friends that admired him for his decency and loyalty and humor. His was a wonderful life in every sense of the word.
He was a few months from his 70th birthday and preparing for retirement in 1989 when Bud Adams asked him to become general manager of the Oilers. Adams didn't make many better decisions.
Holovak was a scout at heart and was never happier than those days he would spend in a darkened room attempting to evaluate who could play and who couldn't. He once joked that he hoped to die while watching film.
"He worked most of his NFL career in obscurity, and that's the way he liked it," said Titans CEO Steve Underwood, who worked in the organization 19 years with Holovak. "He had no desire to have his ego massaged."
Now a word about those catnaps. He took them frequently. When he was general manager of the Oilers, some assumed it meant the old man was starting to slip.
He wasn't. He'd become so accustomed to sleeping two or three hours at a time while on that PT boat that his sleep patterns were ruined forever.
That's why he might have watched more hours of tape between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. than anyone in NFL history.
Respect around the NFLTo understand how he was viewed by his peers, one had only to see the reception he got at NFL meetings. Al Davis admired him in a way he didn't admire many people in football.
Lamar Hunt and Ralph Wilson loved him, too. Holovak was on the ground floor of building the AFL, and those guys never forgot his contributions as coach and general manager of the Patriots.
According to the College Football Hall of Fame, Leahy found Holovak almost by accident. He had gone to watch Lombardi coach a high school team and came upon a player that would be one of the best in Boston College history.
It was during his Boston years that he met the young senator. They forged a friendship that lasted until the end of JFK's life.
Adams never had a more loyal employee. Holovak once confided that he never had asked for a raise, and he took every bullet for the organization's mistakes, deserved or not.
He had a toughness about him that endured until late in life. He was a devoted runner and would be seen at the practice facility pounding out the miles in the heat of the day.
Not one to criticizeOn his KTRH talk show, he would defer to his host on questions that might mean criticizing someone. That simply was a game he was unwilling to play.
He retired to Florida in 1999, to play poker and take his daily power walks. Teams never stopped sending him video and asking him to evaluate a player.
He had tough times along the way. A high school-aged daughter died in a car accident. Holovak suffered for years after that, once telling a reporter that he owed the Raiders and 49ers apologies for being so smothered by grief he was unable to work.
His real legacy won't be that he was the greatest executive or the most successful coach or any of that stuff. He was inducted into so many halls of fame over the years that the names and places begin to blur.
That's small stuff compared to what Mike Holovak was to the people who knew him best. They remembered him as a good friend, relentless worker and for having a heart bigger than almost anyone.
Those people are mourning his passing, but celebrating the fact they were lucky enough to know him. They know they were blessed.
Michael J. Holovak, legendary football coach for BC, Pats; was also ace PT skipper in WWII
Michael J. “Mike” Holovak of Wimauma, Fla., legendary football coach for Boston College and the Boston Patriots [team stats], died yesterday from complications of pneumonia at Life Path Hospice in Ruskin, Fla. He was 88.
Mr. Holovak was born and raised in Lansford, Pa.
During high school he won an athletic scholarship to Seton Hall Prep School in New Jersey. He went on to play football for Boston College, where he became starting fullback on the Eagles’ undefeated 1941 Sugar Bowl champion team.
As a senior in 1942, Mr. Holovak was an All-America selection. In that season’s Orange Bowl game against Alabama, Mr. Holovak scored three touchdowns and averaged 15.8 yards every time he touched the ball - a rushing record that has stood for more than six decades.
Following graduation from Boston College in 1943, Mr. Holovak enlisted in the Navy and served as skipper of a PT boat operating in the South Pacific war zone.
“He rarely spoke of it, but he was so proud of that service to his country,” said his widow, Pauline Scudder Holovak. His boat was credited with sinking nine Japanese ships and Mr. Holovak retired from the Navy as a lieutenant commander.
After the war, he played professional football for the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams before beginning his coaching career as freshman football coach at Boston College in 1949. In the two years that he held that post, his teams didn’t lose a single game.
He was named head coach at Boston College in 1951 where he remained for nine seasons. In 1960, he was appointed the first director of player personnel for the newly founded Boston Patriots and was named the team’s second head coach during the 1961 season. In 1964, under his coaching, the Patriots reached the American Football League championship game where they lost to the San Diego Chargers.
“Mike was a mentor, a coach, and above all, a consummate gentleman,” said Gino Cappelletti, one of the Patriots’ all-time leading pass receivers and scorers. “ . . . His contributions as coach and general manager in the critical early years of the Patriots’ franchise were monumental.”
Mr. Holovak also coached and held administrative positions with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and New York Jets [team stats]. Later in his career, he served as vice president for player personnel and general manager of the NFL’s Houston Oilers and worked for the Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans [team stats], in various front office positions until his retirement from football in 1998. He remained a consultant and scout for the Titans until shortly before his death.
“Mike was the quintessential ‘football guy,’ ” said K.S. “Bud” Adams Jr., founder, owner and president of the Tennessee Titans franchise and a long-time friend of Mr. Holovak. “He had such a passion and knowledge of the game. It is rare when you see a person excel in all three areas of the sport: a great player in college, a successful coach and great talent evaluator, but Mike was one of the special people.”
Mr. Holovak was a member of the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame, the Tennesse Titans Hall of Fame and the Seton Hall Prep Hall of Fame.
Mr. Holovak is survived by his wife, Pauline Scudder; two daughters, Michele Harrison of Gloucester and Cindy Oatess of South Tampa, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Feb. 9 at St. Ignatius Church, Boston College.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Bob Cerasoli Takes NOLA
This was interesting. This is the back story from July.
When Bob gets it all straightened out, I'll pop back down and congratulate him. The Ogre's waiting to take me out for a drink anyway.
**********UPDATE - I LOVE BLOGGING!***************
Look what turned up in my comments!
1 Comments:
rcerasoli said...
I look forward to being congratulated, but this will not be an easy task for me to complete. Thank you for taking time to notice.Robert A. Cerasoli
******************************************
Mr. Cerasoli - You are welcome! Boston loves you, NOLA will too! You have a problem, this Townie's gotcha back!
Maggie
When Bob gets it all straightened out, I'll pop back down and congratulate him. The Ogre's waiting to take me out for a drink anyway.
**********UPDATE - I LOVE BLOGGING!***************
Look what turned up in my comments!
1 Comments:
rcerasoli said...
I look forward to being congratulated, but this will not be an easy task for me to complete. Thank you for taking time to notice.Robert A. Cerasoli
******************************************
Mr. Cerasoli - You are welcome! Boston loves you, NOLA will too! You have a problem, this Townie's gotcha back!
Maggie
I'm Sorry, Caroline
But I am terribly disappointed with your Op-Ed in The NYT . I can not agree with your premise that you back Obama because of your father. I am the first to agree that your father inspired many. I will also concur with the same wistful longing that your father lights our path today, 45 years after his assassination. But Obama is an empty vessel. He has no substance.
I was speaking with a young man the other day who commented on Obama's speeches. I agreed that he was moving speaker. But what about a record to stand on? I asked the young man, "What is he telling you in that eloquent voice that you agree with?" Yes, we can! Yes we can what?"
Follow this link to Obama's voting record. Do his votes reflect your values? How about scrolling through the catagories to "Budget, Spending and Taxes". How do you feel about all the NV (not voting) entries?
"Yes we can!" is a catchy slogan. So was "I Like Ike", so was "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!" So what? What does this tell us? It tells us that Obama can whip up and inspire a crowd with his passion and his words. Great! Pull together a congregation and put him at the pulpit. But don't put him in the White House.
I'm sorry Caroline, but I think your father and your Uncle Bobby would be laughing. Your father was a more than slogans, more than speeches. Your father was substance. Your father was a leader of men in WWII (a small boat Sailor - my favorite!). Your father had principles to go with his ideals and a record to stand on. Your father walked through Charlestown to begin his political career and served as a Congressman and Senator from 1946 to 1960. In the Congress he voted his own way and didn't always follow the party line. Your father was about more than feeling good.
I know there's a certain amount of luck involved in these things. You have to be in the right place at the right time. But for pity's sake! If Jack Ryan hadn't wanted his wife to try a little something different on night in Paris, you wouldn't even know Obama's name!
Gotta go with Senator Bentsen on this one........
I was speaking with a young man the other day who commented on Obama's speeches. I agreed that he was moving speaker. But what about a record to stand on? I asked the young man, "What is he telling you in that eloquent voice that you agree with?" Yes, we can! Yes we can what?"
Follow this link to Obama's voting record. Do his votes reflect your values? How about scrolling through the catagories to "Budget, Spending and Taxes". How do you feel about all the NV (not voting) entries?
"Yes we can!" is a catchy slogan. So was "I Like Ike", so was "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!" So what? What does this tell us? It tells us that Obama can whip up and inspire a crowd with his passion and his words. Great! Pull together a congregation and put him at the pulpit. But don't put him in the White House.
I'm sorry Caroline, but I think your father and your Uncle Bobby would be laughing. Your father was a more than slogans, more than speeches. Your father was substance. Your father was a leader of men in WWII (a small boat Sailor - my favorite!). Your father had principles to go with his ideals and a record to stand on. Your father walked through Charlestown to begin his political career and served as a Congressman and Senator from 1946 to 1960. In the Congress he voted his own way and didn't always follow the party line. Your father was about more than feeling good.
I know there's a certain amount of luck involved in these things. You have to be in the right place at the right time. But for pity's sake! If Jack Ryan hadn't wanted his wife to try a little something different on night in Paris, you wouldn't even know Obama's name!
Gotta go with Senator Bentsen on this one........
Grace Has Some Advice For SouthieBoy
Grace, my sister who is prepared for everything. She of the carefully filled out calendar and polite and helpful children. Grace who can not fly by the seat of her pants unless dragged. Grace with bird flu supplies in the attic. Grace who has an answer for everything and she will tell you whether you want to hear it or not..............
I saw something briefly about a satellite which will fall to earth at some point. So on my way home from work, I called Grace.................."Are you building a shield?" She knew immediately what I was taking about and replied in an awestruck tone, "Did you see that? It weighs 20,000 lbs. (How the hell does she know that?). But I'm not worried, it's going to land in the Persian Gulf." I hadn't heard that and I said "Hey, that's where Tom is!"
Grace said
"Tell him, he better duck."
I saw something briefly about a satellite which will fall to earth at some point. So on my way home from work, I called Grace.................."Are you building a shield?" She knew immediately what I was taking about and replied in an awestruck tone, "Did you see that? It weighs 20,000 lbs. (How the hell does she know that?). But I'm not worried, it's going to land in the Persian Gulf." I hadn't heard that and I said "Hey, that's where Tom is!"
Grace said
"Tell him, he better duck."
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
My Mother is Right!
Isn't she always? She often describes Jen & I as "my twins born nine and a half years apart".
Last night Jen got her package from her BFF. Which, of course, means that I can now talk about mine. They were flags that flew on Navy boats in the Gulf, complete with certificates from the commanding officer.
Jen found it at her front door when she got home from dinner with friends last night. She said she was exhausted, but when she saw the return address she knew it had to be opened immediately. I was home and Jen couldn't be sure I was awake, so she sent me a text message saying " I got my package. I am honored and never loved my BFF more." I called her and we discussed how we felt opening these packages. Over and above the fact that he thinks of us and sends them.......these two flags and their accompanying certificates......made us both feel a rush of emotion. We are patriots and these things matter to us.
So even though I am not a country music fan (to say the very least) we will put up one of SB's favorite songs.
Last night Jen got her package from her BFF. Which, of course, means that I can now talk about mine. They were flags that flew on Navy boats in the Gulf, complete with certificates from the commanding officer.
Jen found it at her front door when she got home from dinner with friends last night. She said she was exhausted, but when she saw the return address she knew it had to be opened immediately. I was home and Jen couldn't be sure I was awake, so she sent me a text message saying " I got my package. I am honored and never loved my BFF more." I called her and we discussed how we felt opening these packages. Over and above the fact that he thinks of us and sends them.......these two flags and their accompanying certificates......made us both feel a rush of emotion. We are patriots and these things matter to us.
So even though I am not a country music fan (to say the very least) we will put up one of SB's favorite songs.
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