A Load of BS

I must admit that I was a little torn on this one in the beginning. The rumor mill started churning months ago about the possible closure of the Maelstrom ride at Epcot's Norway Pavilion. It's replacement would be a ride based on the film Frozen . No one could argue that Walt Disney World needed a Frozen -themed exhibit somewhere. I hoped for an alternative. Perhaps they could build a "Frozen World" of sorts at Disney's Hollywood Studios, being that it is, after all, a movie. Perhaps they could incorporate Frozen at Magic Kingdom and add Anna and Elsa to its ever-growing list of princesses for the kids to meet and greet. This past week, it was made official. Maelstrom is closing in favor of Frozen . There was sadness on my part. Another piece of the old EPCOT Center is gone. I wasn't outraged. I have my memories. I'll wait and see how the new ride turns out, sometime in 2016. If you're looking for outrage, look no further than Twitter. ...

This is a friendly warning to all of you who enjoy reading what I write. What you are about to read is a little depressing because that’s precisely what it's about.   Depression is a subject that is unpopular, especially on social media. You would never know from reading Robin Williams’ Twitter feed that he was on the verge of committing suicide. Unfortunately, people are not always what they appear to be. You don’t know what really happens behind closed doors. Not everything gets posted on Twitter or Facebook.   Depression has become a topic of debate once again since Mr. Williams’ tragic passing. The questions re-emerge. Is suicide a sickness or a weakness? Does depression truly cause suicide or is it just an excuse to perform a cruel, selfish act?   I’ve always believed that I’ve suffered from depression since age 16. I have attempted to deal with it for the most part without medication, with varying degrees of success. I tried meds for...

Well, look at what the cat coughed up! Keith Hernandez calling the Mets games in San Diego this weekend has made me recall his lowest, and most bigoted, moment as a broadcaster. Once upon a time, there was a massage therapist named Kelly Calabrese, who was essentially a de facto assistant trainer for the Padres. Trainers are, of course, allowed to be in the dugout. The problem was somebody forgot to tell Keith... "Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."... "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout..." This created quite a stir, which led to a swift yet awkward on-air apology by the former Met. In a bizarre and ironic twist, it was then-Padres CEO Sandy Alderson who fired the loudest shot .... "The San Diego Padres are disappointed in the remarks of Keith Hernandez on a Mets telecast ...

“Now that I’ve won my championships with a GOOD team, I’ll come back to lead your sorry asses again!” Whatever he says, that’s probably what he means. LeBron James may be thought of as a conquering hero who is returning home from The Crusades, but that is far from the truth. LeBron may argue that, deep down, he never wanted to leave Cleveland. If so, why leave in the first place? Being the best of the best and a future Hall of Famer wasn’t good enough for him. LeBron James couldn’t stand to be the Dan Marino or Ernie Banks of his sport- the greatest player never to win the big one. He couldn’t stand to be, perhaps, the 5th-highest paid player in the NBA, despite being independently wealthy. All of that is what he would’ve been had he not taken his talents to South Beach. That’s fine and dandy, but what King James has done now is even worse. LeBron James will tell you that he loves Cleveland and always did love Cleveland. If you break it down to its lowest common denominator, w...

I make it a point to see each and every Steve Carell movie that comes out. You may recall The Incredible Burt Wonderstone from last year, which is currently making the rounds on cable TV. The plot is very basic and predictable. Even Carell phone’s it in, essentially playing a version of Michael Scott. In the film, the title character is a once-successful Vegas magician who morphs into a stubborn, arrogant, delusional caricature over time. He ends up playing to half-empty theaters doing the same schtick verbatim in the present that he did some two decades prior. Naturally, he gets overtaken by a newer, younger star, gets fired from his gig and is forced to re-evaluate his life. Trust me, you’re not missing much, especially if you’re a WWE fan and watch John Cena every week. The John Cena from even five years ago can be deemed a talented performer and a tremendous role model. The John Cena of 2014 is a live version of Burt Wonderstone. He is a stubborn, arrogant, delusional caricatur...

For those of you who have seen the film A Million Ways To Die In the West , you may recognize this supporting character. No spoilers here, but the actor's name is Evan Jones... or is it?? Maybe THIS is what Lucas Duda did during the off-season...

I would like to direct all of you good people to a fine gentleman's debut article on The Sporting News. For those of you who know pro wrestling, you probably know Scott Keith. He is a longtime scribe with several books to his credit. He's also famous for his rants and his other literary creations via Scott's Blog of Doom . I give the man some free publicity because I had the honor and privilege of being featured in his premiere article, in the form of an anonymous question in bold italics. :) Presenting The Sporting News Column #1 . Enjoy!

So, it occurs to me that I never really referenced my letter to Mr. Fitzgerald. Brief backstory- Retro Disney World posted an open letter to Tom Fitzgerald upon being named new Creative Director at Epcot. I posted a comment with an idea, which was well-received. I later decided that an actual letter would be even better. Thus, the transcript, which garnered me "Treasured Guest" status :) ... Dear Mr. Fitzgerald: First and foremost, I want to congratulate you on being named the new Creative Director for Epcot. Your passion and vision is much needed and appreciated. There are three things in life that I am passionate about: my spouse, baseball and Walt Disney World. As a child, I developed a special place in my heart for EPCOT Center. I’ve always been fascinated with computers and the possibilities for the future. At the same time, I’ve always been one who believes in paying tribute to the past. Of course, EPCOT Center was a place to showcase new ideas and conce...

This came from the good people at the Walt Disney Company today, in response to my proposal letter to Tom Fitzgerald re: Epcot...

I’m requesting feedback from any and all Disneyphiles because I'm torn on something. Today is the Official Grand Opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which happens to coincide with the 24-Hour “Rock Your Disney Side” Event (aka #Disney24) It seems like in today’s Walt Disney World, there’s always some kind of themed event taking place. From Disney24 to Star Wars Weekend to Dapper Day, from Flower and Garden to Food and Wine, there’s always some kind of special promotion.   My question to you – Is this really necessary? I mean, we’re not talking about a struggling baseball team that needs to fill the park by giving away bobbleheads. (*cough*METS*cough*) This is WALT DISNEY WORLD!!! They make money hand over fist without all those bells and whistles. When I was a kid, the only excuse I needed to go to the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT Center (Epcot) was ‘Because it’s the Magic Kingdom and/or EPCOT Center.’   For me, the special event was the actual venue itself, with all the...

Very simple. You take Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Eric Young Jr., Juan Lagares, Jose Valverde and David Wright to a science lab. Create a mutant freak with all five tools - Murphy's hitting, Duda's power, Young's speed, Lagares' glove and Valverde's arm - with Wright's heart and leadership. Then, clone it five times. The Mets now have a playoff team.

I felt like creating a one-stop shop for all things Horizons. Therefore, I’m taking this opportunity to thank the following people & places for keeping this glorious EPCOT Center attraction alive in our hearts and minds:   HORIZONS at EPCOT - A tribute to the Horizons pavilion at EPCOT Center containing photos, facts, timeline, script and audio.    Mesa Verde Times – Tremendous Horizons-themed blog with special surprises inside! Horizons: Resurrected - The ultimate ride simulation experience   LOST EPCOT - Horizons - History – A link to the Horizons page from LOST EPCOT, the ultimate tribute to EPCOT Center’s past   Disney and more: A Grand Tribute to Epcot's HORIZONS – A great pictorial view of the Horizons experience from start to finish   Horizons Introduction - Intercot – An amazing reference guide, including script, fact sheet, concept and construction info   Horizons - Walt Dated World – Ano...

Last night, WWE had to pull the trigger on the ultimate surprise ending. Last night, they had to end The Streak. It was no accident. Yes, there have been a handful of screwjobs and accidental pins over the years. There have been a few changes on the fly. With a match of that magnitude though, you can bet the house that on Live TV, nothing short of a heart attack will affect the outcome. WWE, along with The Undertaker, intended to have Brock Lesnar defeat him at WrestleMania XXX. Nobody called an audible. That was how the match was supposed to end. People will argue that Brock Lesnar was not the right man to end The Undertaker’s streak. People will say that John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, or even CM Punk would have been better options in recent years. Legend has it that Taker once offered it to both Cena and Kane, but they refused. I've long believed that Undertaker had to let someone "new" end it, someone like Daniel Bryan or Roman Reigns. I always felt that en...

Tonight, Major League Baseball went back in time and brought 46,121 fans to Montreal, Quebec. They came to see an exhibition game that felt more like a playoff game between Canada's team, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Montreal Expos' most celebrated brothers, the New York Mets. Tonight was Opening Day 10 years too late in a city that deserved a championship in 1994, and deserved anything but what it got ten years later. Now, 20 years removed from their glorious dream season that wasn't, Major League Baseball came back to pay tribute. They returned to the scene of the crime, two years tardy for the late Gary Carter. For years, Expos fans came to Olympic Stadium disguised as empty seats. Tonight, it was an international holiday. A capacity crowd returned to The Big O ready to forgive and primed to celebrate the game, because they were just happy to be there again. They shamed every other team's fanbase with their fervor and were rewarded with an absolute classic that...

I am blessed in one regard. Every time I write something worthwhile in my blog and give my wife or my friends a sneak preview, they tell me what an amazing writer I am. Believe me, the compliments are much appreciated. They often wonder why I don’t write for a living. This is where I run into problems. For starters, how does one find a suitable outlet for a rant disguised as an “article”, written by a “professional writer”? How does one get paid for writing? A while back, I wrote the occasional sports “ranticle” (if you will) for Bleacher Report. Of course, I wasn’t paid for my contributions, but I received plenty of exposure. Some of it was positive, like Kendrys Morales’ offensive prowess. Another issue was the quantity of my submissions. The main reason why I’ve never pursued a career in writing is because I can’t just write for the sake of writing. If nothing motivates me to the point of putting fingers to keyboard, what do I do? I didn’t want the quality of my work to suffer b...

Life is a constant power struggle between the head and the heart. More often than not, the heart sides with the past while the head aligns itself with the future.   As you may know, I have recently rediscovered my love for Walt Disney World ("WDW"), specifically Epcot (or EPCOT Center, as it was once called). Yesterday, I found an impassioned article by Disney blogger and uber-fan Suzannah Mitchell. It sang the praises of the old EPCOT Center and lamented its demise, while offering love and hope for the future and the current incarnation of Epcot. Ms. Mitchell is definitely not alone on an island (Pleasure Island?). There are many others, including myself, who have grown up with the old EPCOT and echo her sentiments.   The battle between the head and the heart rages on. The kid in me loves EPCOT Center and misses it terribly, while the adult in me appreciates what Epcot has to offer.   For most children born & raised on the east coast, the main selling p...

This morning, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of the once-famed “Mike and the Mad Dog” radio show did New York a solid. He made their sports fans sound even more arrogant and thick-headed than their reputation would indicate. This time, he unleashed his fury on the city of Seattle, and he couldn’t be more wrong. The Seattle Seahawks are off to their second Super Bowl in team history. They have become a model NFL franchise in a span of four years. In Pete Carroll’s first year as coach, the ‘Hawks made an improbable playoff run, during which they knocked off the defending champion New Orleans Saints. In the process, they resurrected the career of Marshawn Lynch, who gave birth to “Beast Mode”. We all knew they weren’t ready for prime time, but it was a foreshadowing of things to come. Soon after, key defensive personnel like Earl Thomas and the ever-outspoken Richard Sherman grew into their own. Two seasons ago, they caught lightning in a bottle in the form of quarterback Russell Wilson. ...