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3 User Reviews of Wind Spirit Cruise Ship
My wife and I spent a week on the Windstar Sprit cruising from Athens (7/14/2012) to Istanbul (7/21/2012). We had a very good time (A-), but the heat was terrible with the temperature over 100 degrees most days. There are not many online reviews of the Windstar line or this itinerary, so I hope this review helps. We are not "cruise people" and the only other ship we have been on is the Disney Dream with our children.
The Sprit is a motorized sailboat which carries about 140 passengers and 96 crew. It is much smaller than a large ship such as the Disney Dream. On average, the sails provide 20-30% of the propulsion.
The atmosphere is very casual with no formal dinners or theme nights. For dinner, they request men wear slacks and a collared shirt. You can visit the bridge anytime the boat is sailing. The crew members are almost always willing to talk to you and answer questions. The average passenger is about 50 years old and most are married couples ranging in age from 25 to 70. There were a few teenagers and a few friends traveling together.I did not meet any passengers who were traveling alone. During our trip it was 100+ degrees most days and you needed to be somewhat physically fit to tolerate the heat and climb the ruins. The few passengers over 72 y/o struggled at times on some of the tours.
It is easy to meet other passengers. At dinner you are asked if you want to sit with another couple. Tours typically have 5-20 people and you quickly get to know your tour mates. Almost all the passengers were very friendly and would stop and to say hello if they saw you while exploring a museum or local street. We had prolonged conversations with about half the other passengers by the time we left the boat.
This is an American boat serving English speaking passengers. All transactions are in US dollars, no language other than English is spoken, and the food served is typical for an American restaurant. More than half of the passengers came from the USA with a few Australians, English, and Canadians. Maybe 10-15% of passengers did not speak English as their first language. Despite sailing from Greece to Turkey, there was not a single passenger from either country.
A typical day begins with an early breakfast in port. Tours provided by the boat leave between 8:15 to 8:30 am. On any given day, about half the passengers go on the tours provided by the boat and the others explore the ports or set up outside tours on their own. Most tours return in time for lunch which is served from 12 to 2 pm. About half the passengers returned to the boat to eat lunch and the others ate at local restaurants. A few tours extend into the afternoon and included lunch. Most passengers explore the ports or visit local beaches during the afternoon. The boat leaves port between 4 and 11 pm so it can arrive at the next port around 7 am. Dinner is served between 7 and 9 pm. Many dinners extend past 10 pm and most passengers seemed to go to bed shortly after dinner. This is not a party boat. Although there is some entertainment, few passengers spend the evening dancing or stayed up late.
Room - (B+) almost every cabin is identical. The cabins on deck 1 (one up from the engine deck) are a bit less expensive than those on deck 2. I saw no reason to pay the extra money to be on deck 2. The rooms are about 10 by 20 feet with a queen size bed (or 2 small singles), a built in dresser, 2 closets, other storage and a small but very functional bathroom. A small refrigerator containing water and soft drinks (included) and beer and alcoholic beverages (not included) is provided. Although not luxurious, the rooms are very nice and we found ours to be very comfortable. The only thing missing was a couch (only a small chair was provided.
Food - (A-) breakfast is served in the veranda (on deck 4) and includes many cold items, fresh squeezed juices, fresh baked croissants and other items, and a hot food station. Eggs, pancakes, etc can be ordered from the staff. The breakfasts were very good with a few exceptions such as the dry bacon. Lunch was served buffet style in the veranda and the quality of the food was variable. Dinner was served in the dining room (on deck 3) and was usually very good to excellent. The dinner cuisine was modern American with 4 courses. One night there was an excellent buffet (with some local foods) and barbeque around the tiny pool (deck 4). Breads were good to excellent, deserts were at times a bit weak and the appetizers served before dinners were only fair. The meat was almost all frozen and imported from the USA except for some fresh fish the chef obtained at the ports. The beef was top choice (Angus) and excellent. Most of the produce was obtained in Athens and Istanbul. Overall, we enjoyed to food.
Service - (A) was almost always excellent and the crew tried so hard to please you. Our cabin steward always had our room clean when we returned from a meal or excursion. He was always concerned that we had what we needed in our refrigerator and room. The on-board tour guides were always helpful and informative. The only significant flaw in the service was the difficulty I encountered obtaining soft drinks (and refills) at dinner. The service staff were all men from Indonesia and the Philippines. The officers were mostly British except the captain who was American. The engine crew were all men from eastern Europe. There were only a few female crew members: a first officer, the spa staff, a few reception desk and boutique ladies, and Elsa the spunky Greek tour guide.
Tours - (A) 1 to 4 tours were offered at each port. We found Windstar phone support in the USA was not good and they did not know much about the tour packages. There is no need to book the tours in advance. They almost never sell out and on-board destination manager is very helpful in explaining what each tour involves. Most tours are $49 to $99 and cost about twice as much as what it would cost for you to set up the same tour on your own. For example, the Delos (a ferry ride from Mykonos) tour was $89 each. A couple we meet took the ferry to Delos ($20), paid the Delos park admission ($6) and found a good guide who spoke English ($12) for $38 each. The tour guides provided by the boat are usually excellent and you have to decide if it's worth the hassle and risk (knowing where to go, finding a good guide) of setting up a tour on your own.
Here is a list of the attractions we explored (A=highlight not to miss, B=very nice, C=average):
Athens (before cruise) - City A. Stayed at the AVA Hotel and Suites (15 rooms, Plaka, A-) which was 3 blocks from the Acropolis. This was the top rated Athens hotel on TripAdvisor with a great location, big room (not really a suite), and a very good breakfast (included). We enjoyed our stay, but the bathroom was too small for me to call this a 5 star hotel - 4.5 stars would be more accurate. 1.5 days gave us just the right amount of time to see the major sites in the Plaka area (B+): Acropolis and the Parthenon (A) - get there early to beat the crowds and heat, New Acropolis Museum (A), Ancient Agora (B), Hadrian's Library (C+), Roman Agora (C-), Temple of Zeus (C-). It was hot.
Mykonos - town (B). Ferry to the small island of Delos (A) which was a port city of 30,000 people 2000 years ago. Nice ruins and a small museum. It was hot.
Santorini - is a spectacular sight with steep cliffs rising from the sea. The boat ancores at the capital of Fira (B+). Skip the donkey ride at Fira and use the cable car. Island overview and Oia village tour ($99, B+) was nice and drops you off at Fira. A cab trip to Oia village (picturesque whitewashed houses) would have been cheaper and almost as good. It was hot.
Rhodes - Although the Colossus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, there is not enough is left to justify a visit to the site. The walled medieval city of Rhodes (A-) is easily accessible from the dock including the 14th-century Palace of the Grand Masters (B). The Scenic Drive to Lindos Tour ($69) takes you to the summit of the Acropolis (A-). This is the perfect place to take a donkey ride up to the Acropolis, especially when it's hot (5 euro, ignore Elsa's bath mouthing of the Donkey rides). It was hot. Bodrum - a Turkish port town (C). We skipped the Windstar tours here since the sites are easily accessible and the tours do not take you around the city. For half the cost of a tour, we took a cab ride (30 euro) to the ancient theater (C), Myndos Gate (C-), and what's left of The Mausoleum of Mausolus (B) - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Bodrum Castle closes for lunch, so we returned to the ship to eat. In the afternoon, we toured Bodrum Castle, which is primarily a Museum of Underwater Archeology (A-). We rented an audio guide that was reasonably good. It was hot.
Kusadasi - the town is nice if you like buying carpets, but otherwise not a very exciting a place to visit (C). The highlight of the trip was our tour of Ephesus and it's Ancient Houses ($79). Ancient Ephesus (A) was a town of 250,000 about 2,000 year ago which declined due to Malaria and was eventually buried under mud from earthquakes. About 1/7th of the town has been excavated and you feel like you are walking through history. The Terrace Houses (A+) were owned by the wealthy and are remarkably preserved with their fine decorative mosaics and frescoes give a fascinating insight into ancient lifestyles. Don't waste your time on the tour that goes to Ephesus and the "Virgin Mary's home" since it does not include the Terrace Houses. If you must see a home selected through the vision of a 19th century nun, get the all day Concierge Tour that includes everything. It is hard to believe, but only half of the passengers went to Ephesus. After the tour, the guide brings you to a carpet-making demonstration (nice) which then turns into a hard sell to buy carpets (the boat gets a kickback). It would take hours to bargain them down to a good price, you can't return the carpet, and you feel trapped since you ordered free a free drink and food. If you escape without buying a carpet, they try to sell you jewelry as you try to find your way out the maze of similar looking doors. Our guide saw us and helped us find the disguised exit.
Istanbul (after cruise) - City (A). Stayed at the Millennium Suites (7 rooms, Sultanahmet, B) which was 3 blocks from the Acropolis. This was the top rated Istanbul hotel on TripAdvisor with a great location, big room (not really a suite), and an OK breakfast (included). Although they try very hard, our bathroom was not very nice and was undergoing some repairs. TripAdvisor called this a 5 star hotel - 3.5 stars would be more accurate and I might look elsewhere. 2.5 days gave us just the right amount of time to see the major sites in the area, most of which are covered by the Museum Pass: Topkapi Palace (15th century palace, A) and Harem Tour (not on pass, A+), 15 minute tram ride to the Dolmabahce Palace (not on pass, 19th century palace, A-) - get there early for the limited number of entries with only guided tours provided, Hagia Sophia Museum/Church (B+), 25 minute tram ride to the Chora Church and its beautiful mosaics (B+), Blue Mosque (free, C), Mosaic Museum (C), Grand Bazaar (lots of junk, D). A little less hot.
My husband and I just completed this cruise (May 18 - 25th) and had a wonderful time. We arrived in Athens a day early and were able to wander around the Plaka and have dinner at a scenic taverna that evening, spend the night, go on a city tour of Athens (including the Acropolis/Parthenon) that morning and then board the Windspirit after lunch. We had been told that was all we needed to do in order to see the best of Athens and I believe it. Some people on our cruise had spent more time there but they had used it as a base to travel to neighboring sites.
Some advice about the ports (and the tours offered by the ship):
Mykonos: The tour to nearby Delos is worth it. Delos was revered by both the Greeks and the Romans as the birthplace of Apollo and served as a major trading port to several ancient civilizations. Wear sunscreen and a hat ---NO SHADE. The tour goes until lunchtime and you can either return to the ship for lunch or eat out. We had already decided to eat "local" whenever possible toget as much of the experience as possible (BTW the food on the ship is excellent). Afterwards, there is time to visit the shops or the beach; the ship doesn't sail until late.
Santorini: Because this route arrives here on Monday, the ruins at Akrotiri are closed. The only tour available takes you to the picturesque town of Ia (or Oia in some books). Visit the town on your own --- don't bother with the tour. This is one of the two big regrets of our cruise (the other was not staying longer in Istanbul). This tour took us to the highest point of the island, the Profitis Illas mountain, where you can see both sides of the island, which was not uninteresting but it was a big time-waster considering that the ship has to set sail at 4:30 pm in order to make Rhodes by the next morning (shortest port time on the cruise) by the time we arrived in Ia, we only had an hour and a half to see it. Another couple invited us to rent a taxi with them to go directly to Ia instead of the tour and we declined. Big mistake on our part; they had time to see the whole town and do some shopping as well.
Rhodes: We took the tour to the Acropolis at Lindos and enjoyed it. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and from what I heard later had good advice about places to eat and shop in the town after the tour. Once on our own, we paid the admission so we could walk on the top of the walls around the old fortress (again, no shade, need good sunscreen and a hat) and visited the "Palace of the Grand Master" at the fortress -- probably the worst of the sites we visited because the pamplet and the signs explained little about the displays and the docents (if you could call them that) just said "I don't know" about everything we asked. Perhaps they didn't speak English but if so, they were among the few people we met who didn't.
BTW: We shared Rhodes and Bodrum with the passengers on the sister ship Windstar (the Istanbul-to-Athens route). We didn't have many opportunities to interact with them, but it was neat to see the two ships side-by-side in the ports.
Bodrum: The most relaxing and longest tour of the cruise. We hesitated taking this tour because it takes up the whole time the ship is in port and is the most expensive but it was worth it. We were broken up into groups of only 10 and taken to the port-side Museum of Underwater Archeology. Very few of the artifacts there are reproductions and span several centuries and civilizations. Then, we were escorted on board a small sailboat (called a "gullet") and taken to a quiet cove where we were invited to change into bathing suits and swim (water was a little too cold for me though) and sunbathe while the crew fixed us a wonderful lunch of local dishes. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and sunning on the gullet. We needed that after 3 days of sight-seeing. When we got back to the ship, we were entertained by a troup of local dancers along with a belly dancer in the ship's lounge and then it was time for the pooldeck BBQ. Tons of fun and great food and dancing under the stars. We also got the see the Windstar put up her sails and head to Santorini; good picture taking opportunity since you can't really get a good picture of the Windspirit with sails up. Many of us agreed that this was the best day of our trip.
Kusadasi & Ephesus: Before starting the cruise we booked a tour from a local company called byzance. We can't say enough great things about them and the tours they provided. Guide was waiting for us at the port, ready to begin our day. I requested that we try to avoid the ship's buses, and they did everything possible to make sure this occurred! It was a pleasure to enjoy the same places that the ship offered at our own pace, staying as long or as short as We wanted for a fraction of the cost! The fact that we were "alone" made it much more personalized. On most of our tours, we had around 30 people and each and every one of them RAVED about the great time they had. It always seems there is usually someone who may have a concern or complaint, however this was not the case with byzance. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We will most definitely use them on future cruises and from comments made from our group, I can assure you they will also! Their web site is http://more.at/byzance
The Sea Day: We needed this time off at this point. We were just about "ruin-ed out" and needed a break. We took the tour of the galley that the Chef offered and had massages in the beauty salon. The dinner that night included beef tenderloin and lamb chops --- both were excellent and we celebrated over a bottle of champagne our last evening on board with two other couples we had become fast friends with.
Istanbul: You will regret it as we did if you do not spend a couple of days here. We used byzance here too. I could not be happier with the service we received from guide, I have never had a more positive experience with any company of any kind -- EVER! I don't know what more I could say. We had to leave very early the next morning after our arrival so we only had time to see the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia and walk through a small part of the Grand Bazaar. That means we missed Topkapi Palace entirely (it takes 4-5 hours to tour properly) and several other places we wanted to see. This is definitely on our list of places we wish to re-visit one day.
We later debated "what if we had taken the Istanbul-to-Athens cruise instead?". The other route no doubt saw more port time at Santorini (& would have been there when Akrotiri was open) but on the other hand, their Sea Day came early in the trip instead of at the end when we felt we really needed it to recover and appreciate Istanbul. The choice is yours.
I hope this helps anyone considering this cruise. It was the trip of a lifetime for us and we have wonderful memories of the people we met and places we visited.
We enjoyed our second Wind Star trip in five yrs. The second was just as good as the first...maybe better...same islands as before with LOTS of time on the islands. St. John, St Barts, St. Martin., Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda and Tortola....lots of beach time and the islands were not busy..
The ship is still romantic and clean...food was very good to great...our waiter was a young man who really "babied" us...even saved us a table at the bar-b-que on deck one night when it was a bit crowded...We love the Wind Star experience..maybe the bigger Wind Surf next Time????


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COMMERCE, CA – During the second of three days at the SCIAC Swimming and Diving Championships, a handful of event records were set while the team results stayed similar from the previous days.
The CMS men's team is swimming away from the field in a rapid pace. Their 819 team points is well in front of second place Pomona-Pitzer (478.5). Rounding out the top four are Redlands, with 430 points, and La Verne (346).
CMS also holds the lead in the race for the women's title. The Athenas have recorded 758 points while Pomona-Pitzer sits in second with 632.5 points. Redlands (391) and Whittier (335) round out the top four.
200 Medley Relay
Men's – In a relay that had four disqualified teams, the CMS team of Matthew Williams, Zach Alleva, Patrick Shultz and Joe Hinton tied the SCIAC record as they touched the wall in 1:30.71 in claiming the title. The squad from Pomona-Pitzer placed second in a time of 1:32.46 while La Verne rounded out the podium teams by touching the wall in 1:35.06. Whittier, Occidental, Cal Lutheran and the University of Redlands were all DQ'd in the race.
Women's – Erin MacLean, Kelly Ngo, Annika Jessen and Helen Liu from CMS claimed the championship by recording a time of 1:45.60. Their time was good enough to earn an invitation to the NCAA Championships last season. Pomona-Pitzer came in second with a time of 1:46.82 while La Verne was just 0.14 behind the Sagehens as they took third.
Men's – CMS's Conrad Shabb set a meet record time of 3:56.88 to claim the title. His time earned an NCAA Championship invitation last year. Finishing second was Redland's junior Jeff Depew (4:01.77) while his teammate's time of David Ortyn was good enough for third as he touched the wall in 4:02.26.
Women's – A meet record fell as Ellena Basada (Pomona-Pitzer) recorded a time of 4:31.08 to claim the title. Redland's Haley Thiltgen earned an NCAA "B" cut by touching the wall in 4:33.81 while Maddie Larkin from Pomona-Pitzer took third in 4:35.41 – also an NCAA "B" cut.
100 Butterfly
Men's – Patrick Schultz (CMS) set the meet record with a time of 49.10 to claim the title. His time was also an NCAA invited time in 2013. Occidental's Alex Najarian got second as he touched the wall in 49.60. Marc Blumberg made it a CMS first and third place finish as he recorded a time of 49.74 to claim a podium finish. Both Najarian's and Blumberg's times were NCAA "B" cuts.
Women's – CMS made it a clean sweep as they took the podium. Leading the way was Annika Jessen's NCAA "B" cut time of 56.24. Fellow seniors Michele Kee (56.36) and Helen Liu (56.76) also earned the "B" cut as they finished second and third respectively.
200 Freestyle
Men's – Defending champion Cameron Whiting (CMS) took home the crown again by recording an NCAA "B" cut time of 1:40.20. Zach Lora from Cal Lutheran claimed second place with a time of 1:42.39. La Verne's David Carpenter rounded out the podium finishers with a third-place time of 1:42.62.
Women's – After finishing second last season, LillyBelle Deer (CMS) took home the top prize as she touched the wall in 1:53.72. Her time was .01 seconds faster than Pomona-Pitzer's Alex Lincoln who finished second. Kay Sterner (Pomona-Pitzer) rounded out the top three with a time of 1:53.86.
100 Breaststroke
Men's – Occidental's Steven Van Deventer defended his title as he clocked a 55.61 to win by over a second. Nathan Yale (Pomona-Pitzer) claimed second place with a time of 56.85. Kevin Kuwata from Occidental was 0.03 behind Yale's time as he placed third.
Women's – Caroline Chang also brought the title to Occidental in the event by swimming an NCAA "B" cut time of 1:04.59. Kelly Ngo (CMS) was less than a tenth of a second away from the top spot as she completed the race in 1:04.65. Haley Van Schottenstein from Whittier also swam an NCAA "B" cut, with a time of 1:05.44 to finish third.
100 Backstroke
Men's – Less than a few hours after setting the conference record, CMS's Matthew Williams re-set it with a time of 47.94 in claiming the title. During the preliminary round in the morning he swam a 48.27. He earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. Daniel To (Pomona-Pitzer) was second as he touched the wall in 51.34. Graham Spurzem from CMS rounded out the top three (51.56).
Women's – La Verne's Maddie Lovrensky claimed her second straight title in the event as she swam a 56-second race. Her time was good enough to earn an invitation the NCAA Championships last season. Mia Hahn, from Pomona-Pitzer, claimed the runner-up spot (57.58) while Chandra Lukes of Redlands placed third with a time of 57.77. Both times were NCAA "B" cuts.
800 Freestyle Relay
Men's – CMS continued to dominate the relay portion of the championships as Marc Blumberg, Alex Poltash, Conrad Shabb, and Cameron Whiting cruised to victory in a time of 6:45.56. A mark that earned an invite to the NCAA Championships in 2013. Coming in second was the Redland's team of David Ortyn, Jeff Depew, Nelson Glendinning, and Eric Loprete. The foursome touched the wall in 6:52.13. Occidental rounded out the podium finishers (7:00.75).
Women's – In the final swim of the evening the Pomona-Pitzer team of Alex Lincoln, Vicky Gyorffy, Johanna Rayl and Kay Sterner posted a meet record time of 7:41.10 to claim the title. Their time was also good enough for an NCAA "B" cut. CMS was less than a body length behind as they finished second in 7:42.99. Redlands completed the podium as they touched the wall in 7:47.42.
Men's Team Scores
2. Pomona-Pitzer – 478.5
3. Redlands – 430
4. La Verne – 346
5. Cal Lutheran – 261.5
6. Whittier – 259
7. Occidental – 229
8. Caltech – 154
9. Chapman – 146
Women's Team Scores
2. Pomona-Pitzer – 632.5
3. Redlands – 391
4. Whittier – 335
5. Occidental – 311.5
6. La Verne – 252.5
7. Chapman – 216
8. Cal Lutheran – 211.5
9. Caltech – 98
Release courtesy of Caltech Sports Information, host of the 2014 SCIAC Championships.
Athenas and Stags both extend leads on second day of SCIAC Championships
COMMERCE, CA – During the second of three days at the SCIAC Swimming and Diving Championships, a handful of event records were set while the team results stayed similar from the previous days.

subset: commoncrawl


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Press Release
Zenescope Entertainment to Unleash epic Grimm Fairy Tales Event
Jan, 2013 — Zenescope Entertainment has announced plans for a major Spring/Summer event entitled UNLEASHED. The massive release will include six separate mini-series and a total of 24 issues (some being oversized issues) that tie directly into the Grimm Fairy Tales Universe. The epic comic book event will delve directly into the world of horror monsters while following those with the skills to hunt them. Grimm Fairy Tales UNLEASHED is the main seven issue mini-series that begins when hundreds of formerly trapped vampires, werewolves, demons and zombies are all released on Earth by a very powerful entity known as "The Being." Now, four separate monster hunters (who fans will get to know in separate "Unleashed" mini-series), must join forces along with Grimm's kick-ass heroine Sela Mathers in order to stop them.
The five other mini-series will lead directly into UNLEASHED and follow the terrifying stories of the monsters that exist within the Grimm Universe. These series are The Eternal (Vampires), The Unseen (Demons), The Hunger (Werewolves) and The Cursed (Zombies). The fifth series entitled "The Hunters: Shadowlands" will follow those who are chosen to hunt these wretched creatures, including Zenescope's reimagined Van Helsing.
"UNLEASHED crosses several genres with a blend of horror, fantasy and action," states Zenescope's EIC, Ralph Tedesco. "We've wanted to bring classic but updated horror monsters into the Grimm Universe for a while and we came up with an all-encompassing event that would allow us to introduce a lot of great new characters in a captivating way. A couple of examples include a reinvented female version of the classic Van Helsing character and Elijah, a freed slave from the 19th century who kicks zombie ass. Fans are in for something they never would have expected to see in Grimm and they're going to absolutely love it!"
The entire Unleashed event will run from April 2013 through September 2013 with the first issues available for order in the February edition of Diamond Previews coming out this week.
For more information, visit Zenescope's website at www.zenescope.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Zenescope.
Zenescope Entertainment was founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005, and has quickly grown into one of the top comic book and graphic novel publishing companies in the world. Zenescope's Grimm Fairy Tales and subsequent spinoff series such as Escape From Wonderland, Neverland and The Piper, which put a dark twist on classic fables, are some of the best-selling and longest-running original independent comic books on shelves today. Zenescope's licensed titles include the on-going, critically acclaimed Charmed series, based on the long-running popular television series, as well as Se7en and Final Destination, based on New Line Cinema's successful film franchises.


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Niall Horan and Liam Payne Become Twitter Fan Girls [PHOTOS]by Mandi Salerno | PopCrush
It's all fun and games when One Direction go on tour! The lads have been known to mess about while on the road, and fans were faced with the proof today when Niall Horan and Liam Payne went a little crazy on Twitter.
Niall is apparently a pretty big fan of Miley Cyrus, if his new Miley-themed leggings are anything to go by. He tweeted a pic to the pop star of himself wearing the wild tights. (Tongue out, of course!)
@MileyCyrus you left these in New Jersey! They are comfortable , not gona lie #twerk #tongueout pic.twitter.com/rsfEUBE5Xx
— Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial) August 4, 2014
Lucky him, he actually got a response from the 'Bangerz' star! Miley got a little excited with her language, so you can check out her follow-up tweet here.
Liam, meanwhile, was busy fangirling over… his own bandmate? (To be fair, we think Niall is pretty amazing, too.) He ran with the trending hashtag "#BeAFanDay" and posted a ton of Niall-centric tweets and images. He took it a step further when he changed his Twitter name to "MRS HORAN." And no, he still didn't stop there. His bio now reads: "4/5 follow and yeah i met niall he did a pose with me its not a big deal."
Oooo I'm such a Niall girl OHH MYFFF GOWDDD IM CRUIYING #BeAFanDay pic.twitter.com/TafKItxniw
— MRS HORAN (@Real_Liam_Payne) August 4, 2014
Imagine niall looking at you with those eyes like your the only woman in the world I CAHNT BREAUTHEE #BeAFanDay pic.twitter.com/PSx0cPdI4L
— MRS HORAN (@Real_Liam_Payne) August 4, 2014
Hi @NiallOfficial I made this for you I love you so much it hurts I even love your toes I'm coming to see you tonight pic.twitter.com/5ul6daFmLM
— MRS HORAN (@Real_Liam_Payne) August 4, 2014
@NiallOfficial SMASH IT IN MY FACEEEE pic.twitter.com/H30eT5Ie8V
— MRS HORAN (@Real_Liam_Payne) August 4, 2014
Liam, like Niall, proved that he has an unfair advantage when it comes to being a fan, because he wound up posting a selfie with his idol! If only it were that easy for the rest of us!
OHHHH MY GODDDD I GOT A SELFIEEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/JvuvDs2Zfw
— MRS HORAN (@Real_Liam_Payne) August 4, 2014
We know Liam was joking around and making fun of how emotional his fans can get, but we think there's a kernel of truth deep down. After all, isn't everyone a huge fan of Niall?!


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Game #159: Jays at O's pregame
Toronto (81-77) at Baltimore (67-91)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Camden Yards
Today's lineups:
Russ Adams, 3B
Matt Stairs, 1B
Alex Rios, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Adam Lind, LF
John-Ford Griffin, RF
Curtis Thigpen, C
John McDonald, SS
PITCHING: RHP Josh Banks (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
Brian Roberts, 2B
Tike Redman, CF
Nick Markakis, RF
Miguel Tejada, DH
Aubrey Huff, 1B
Melvin Mora, 3B
Jay Payton, LF
Paul Bako, C
Luis Hernandez, SS
PITCHING: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-5, 3.65 ERA)
NOTES: CoachGate continues here at Camden Yards. Third-base coach Brian Butterfield acknowledged that he has been asked to be the new bench coach, replacing Ernie Whitt, in 2008. Whitt declined comment about the coaching situation until it's officially announced by the club, but he did want it made known that he is not responsible for the two lineup card gaffes that occurred this season. It's not sure what role Whitt may hold with the Jays next season — possibly that of first-base coach. Current first-base coach Marty Peavy is rumored to be replacing Butterfield at third base, but Peavy also declined comment. GM J.P. Ricciardi is expected to make an announcement on Saturday in Toronto.
BREAKING EVEN…Toronto needs just one win over its final four games to finish the season above .500.
Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland
entering Thursday
1. Boston 94-64 (–)
2. New York 91-67 (3)
entering Thursday
1. Boston 94-64 (–)
2. Cleveland 93-65 (1)
3. Los Angeles 92-67 (2.5)
4. New York 91-67 (3)
122 Comments
Good for Whitt, he certainly gets more respect from me for his comments. I get the feeling Ernie is distancing himself from Abner.
This is a soap opera though, I can't believe all this information becoming known before Riccardi releases it.
What a way to run a railroad!!!
You're wise to like Lugo, I expect next year to see him a lot closer to his normal annual BA than where he is now.
Am I sensing a change in attitude on Nancy?
I still don't like the signing of Drew. He has produced lately, I will give him his due. I don't pick and choose. Lugo had a terrible month back in June. Of course Lugo doesn't have any patience and that hurts his average. He doesn't walk much. Lugo has been hitting over .300 since the break. Only thing about the Lugo signing that I don't like is 4 years.
Well Lugo gets 8.5 mill per year doesn't he. Seems rich for what he delivered this year
I just don't like the length of the deal. Other than that, I am a Lugo fan.
I like him, jst not sure if I like him 8.5 mill. I think at the time the only other team after him was us, and I think our offer was in the 4.5 per year range so I think your guys paid too much.
Hey nancy got an RBI
The Cubs were another team that was involved. Sox went after Lugo as a s.s. Cubs wanted use him like the Dodgers did. Lugo hated his time with the Dodgers.
I don't think Josh Banks will last long tonight. I watched him pitch an inning to the Yanks, which he escaped through, but I don't think he's ready for prime time
Can you believe the "as the world turns" moves in our coaching ranks? lol
What do you think of my idea for the Jays new hitting coach?
I say Ron "Papa Jack " Jackson?
Oritz says "Papa Jack" turned his career around. Mueller won a batting title and so many other players hit well under his direction!!!
Your right about Whitt keeping his distance from Gibbons. No doubt about it. Whitt doesn't want to be associated with that mickey mouse move.
Did he used to be Boston's hitting coach?
Have you ever seem a major league manager fill out the lineup card wrong, twice in one season? lol
Well Baltimore should be able to handle us tonight. 6 of the starting 9 are AAA players
Jackson was Boston's hitting coach from 2003 to 2006. I couldn't believe it when they got rid of him. A mystery to this day. I have no idea why no other team scooped him up. I believe he is in the minors somewhere.
I think the Jays will have some good candidates lined up for that job. That lineup has alot of talent there and whoever ends up there can look smart right away.
well one of our best hitting coaches was Cito Gaston, who then became our manager who won back to back world series for us. Then two or three years later, he disappeared and hasn't had a job since.
Another mystery.
Jackson was well liked by the players. A fan favorite as well. Who didn't like him. I guess Theo didn't.
Gaston could be a name that might surface.
Gaston was having major back problems. I always liked him. They had some great teams and he seemed to be the perfect guy for that team. He had the right personality.
That is how I look at Francona. The perfect guy for the Red Sox. He is not the best manager but he fits in perfect with there big $$$$ veteran players. He knows how to handle those guys. That is very important when your a manager of a baseball team. keeping these guys happy, not easy to do.
It's hard to tell isn't it. Same with Cito. One of two managers who won back to back Ws in the last 20 years-and no one hires him. Why-who knows?
I like Francona-I'm not sure anyone else could do that job in Boston.
Remember Cito Gaston was having some serious back problems. I think that had alot to do with it.
Garciaparra made a great comment about playing in Boston. There are 3 games that are played.
Dealing with the press before the game and then the game itself and then the press after. In Boston they're all trying to get some negative side to everything. That sells in that city!!!
If Lou Pinella managed in Boston or N.Y. He would end up hanging himself after 3 seasons.
That guy is so high strung.
He should be a football coach.
The press in the us are brutal, no question. The only ones worse are the UK press. I don't like Pinella, but he is doing a good job for Jordan's team.
I never realized Gaston had a back problem, I wonder if that problem still exists.
By the way, it's nice to see your gus start gathering momentum for the playoffs.
Since it was your idea to have Josh Banks start, are you going to take repsonsibility for his start.
Dont bank on this guy a minor league pitcher is all he is.
LUGO I wish we had him.
The commentator on TSN looks like the guy on the mad magazine LOL.
In Boston the press is out of control at times. Sports radio in Boston makes everything a big deal. You have to watch what you say in that city.
Sox are playing better for sure. Ramirez back is huge.
Beckett doesn't look sharp at all tonight!!
who is the commentator?
Manny is worth 1.5 runs per game.
The problem we have here is Bob Mcgowan's knowldege ( from 590) of baseball would fit on to the back of a bubblegum wrapper. lol
Well Banks isn't even a good minor league pitcher. I don't know why they called him up. He throws this 85-87 mph fastball which is supposed to sink, but if he overthrows at all it flattens out and becomes batting practise.
Some of the guys in Boston on 850 WEEI sound like the guy in Toronto 590 The Fan.
There job is to stir it up and gets fans calling into the show. When the show is over they must laugh to themselves. We fooled them again!!!
Back in a while
Sorry gsumner can't remember his name.
Butterfeild is going to be the Jays new manager that is why he is going to the bench,
I say Abner will last maybe 30 games next year.
WHY give up a free out in a big inning????.
bosox what kind of work do you do,My guess sales.
Jordan if your not to busy can you update us on VW.PLEASE
What kind of work do you do?
I say you sell hot dogs on the street corner….
Where is my girl indigo?
Selling hot dogs…
Sox should clinch tonight…
A.L. East ( Far East ) Champs…
Beckett is pitching poor tonight!!!
He'll end the year with 20 wins…Not getting #21 tonight…
I'm going to take a guess and say the surgery for Wells was called sucessfull.
Has there ever been a surgey that was called unsucessfull?
I don't work anymore.
Tallet is a puke.
Well you're off the hook. After settling down Banks pitched reasonably well. Looks like all his buds from AAA are trying hard to get him the win.
The surgery on Wells didnt sound like it was 100%. They fixed the tear but couldn't operate on the cyst because it was too close to a nerve.
I don't know why, but I don't like the sound of that.
Indigo is a smart girl bosox she knows your a wolf in a sheepskin lol.
I only work on my tan here in Florida.
You don't work anymore. WOW!!!
You old man you….
What was it like playing in the first hockey game ever?
Tallet has ben good for us all year when he comes in at thestart of an inning. Conversely hes been a disaster coming in with guys on base.
Which of course, is how Abner brought him in tonight. Good decision by our Abner as normal, blows Bank's chance to win.
Bosox, Garry didn't play hockey he was a baseball pitcher. Pitched against the Babe so have some respect. lol
Wow, Beckett got pounded by the Twins.
Did he drill Babe in his fat a–??????
Tallet is a goof for sure….
When you went to games back in the early 1920's.
Did you wear a suit to the game and smoke a cigar?
Beckett was not sharp tonight…
He'll win the Cy Young though…
bosox what did all those letters mean rolling on the floor playing with your what, lol.
Reading the release on the Jays site, written by Jordan which covered the upcoming changes to the coaching ranks, gave me the distinct feeling that Whitt is being used as a sacrificial lamb for Abner's screw ups.
As I said in a previous post-no way to run a railroad.
There was an update on Wells two days ago. He had surgery to repair the torn labrum, bu did not have the cyst removed because it was located near a nerve, so Dr. Andrews didn't want to mess with it. But, according to a team official, Andrews said he determined that the cyst was not related to the torn labrum, which was the main culprit behind Wells' issues. He will need three months before he can swing a bat with some forced again, but he should be ready to go by spring.
As far as Banks, he had a decent effort tonight. Too bad Tallet gave up that jack, because Banks was in line for the win. And, hey, I didn't lobby for the kid to start, I merely pointed out that he was from Baltimore. There were a good number of fans here tonight to see him and they were drowning out the otherwise weak crowd here at Camden.
GSUMNER: Just for clarification's sake, what I post on the site isn't a "release." A release is something issued by the club.
How about my suggestion for hitting coach?
Ron Jackson….
Any thoughts?
I love Michigan State…
Go Spartans…
Tony Mandarich is AWESOME!!!
From what I remember reading, Cito Gaston hasn't had a job in baseball simply because Cito Gaston hasn't wanted a job in baseball.
I can't back that up with anything, but I do remember hearing something along those lines….
I dunno, I just don't like the idea, Wells still has a cyst. I just hope it doesn't affect him or grow into something else in the future.
Banks did have a decent outing; he was fine after he settled down. I know you didnt lobby, I was getting at ya. lol
Jordy who is the guy in the both with pat tabler.
The guy with Pat Tabler is a TSN hockey announcer. He had to fill in because Rod Black's away covering something else.
Jordan, I realize it wasn't a release, my mistake for calling it that.
My memory with Gaston was his aching back. That he needed rest for sure. He had a hard time with it near the end.
Ya, Blackie is covering the Presidents cup. I bet the hockey announcer is still better than Jamie Campbell. lol
hemgold I think your right about cito but he said he will come back to manage only.
Well, I had heard that Cito was on the short list for the Sox, but lost out in the end. But he was a great batting instructor.
I just looked up some stuff regarding Cito Gaston.
He was a finalist for the White Sox job but got beat out by Ozzie Guillen.
He was a guy that enjoyed being the under the radar kind of guy. Not a media *****!!!
I like guys like him!!!
but what is the guys name.
Jamie Campbell could put anyone to sleep…
Dan Shulman was great when he did the Jays…
Tony Kubek back in the day was awesome!!!
The late John Cerutti as well…
The guy in the booth with Tabby is Gord Miller. BOSOX: Jackson is definitely a good hitting guy — not sure what the Jays' interest would be. Maybe they should summon legend Walt Hriniak — the hitting coach Frank Thomas talks about all the time. He's a Boston guy, too. 🙂
Ya Cito managed the jays in a quiet way, but did a great job.
Kubek was the best, I liked Bucky Martinez as well
The announcer's name is Gord Miller. Here's a quick story about his temporary switch to baseball on the Globe:
Please don't mention Walt Hriniak….
Charlie Lau…UGH!!!
Hriniak, preaches his style to the players…
Every player has different strenghts. You work with it…
Hriniak is a guy that players either loved or hated.
Wade Boggs was a big Hriniak guy…
I think he still lives in the Boston area…
Lau died years ago.
Alot of great hitters came from there hitting philosphy…
Hriniak had Thomas when he was just a kid. Years ago!!!
It'll be interesting to officially hear "the news" on Saturday. I'm wondering what happens to Ernie.
Whoever we bring in for hitting coach had better be able to teach these guys how to bunt and move guys over. We can't just sit back and play for the 3 run homer.
Whitt came out of the Boston minor league system a long time ago!!!!
J.P. is out of that money ball nonsense.
They don't like to bunt!!!
Sox as well…
There are times when you need to bunt and that money ball doesn't like to.
Really, and here I thought he came up in the Yank organization. didn't know that.
I liked him as a player, he played well for us.
I'm not sure you can teach just anyone to bunt. To lay down a good bunt is a really tough thing to do and I'm not sure every player in a lineup would have the ability to do it….
He went thru the Sox system a long time ago.
I believe he went to Toronto during the expansion draft. Not too sure on how he got to Toronto.
Drafted by Boston back in the early 1970's
Well bunting certainly doesn't hurt LA. I think more teams have to adapt that style, at least I hope we do.
Hey Hill is having an off night, only 2 for 4. Man has he been hot in September, ba .400, slg-.570 and OBP .436 for the month.
Hottest hitter in the AL.
Everyone can bunt…..
Oritz of Boston can…
It all depends on the organazation!!!
The Jays don't bunt, so in the minor leagues is not taught…
Change there philosphy a little…
I dunno….I really don't buy that everyone can bunt. It's a real skill that players really have to work on as they develop as a player.
Oritz said he learned to bunt because in the minors with the Twins, they preached it to there players!!!
Not that I want him to bunt.
Ortiz has bunted a few times in the past. He has always reached when he does bunt.
Here we go for Whitt, pulled this from a web site
June 6, 1972: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 15th round of the 1972 amateur draft.
November 5, 1976: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Boston Red Sox as the 34th pick in the 1976 expansion draft.
The way teams play Ortiz, if he laid down bunts on the 3rd base line, he'd likely get a base hit every time
Glaus, Thomas perhaps not…
Not many times have they bunted in there career.
One thing you never see know is the drag bunt…
Coco Crisp of Boston who can run very fast should try to drag bunt more but doesn't.
Reyes, Ichiro, if they would dragbunt they would never get out.
Teams play for the big inning now.
The game has changed and not for the better.
Definitely! If a player learns to bunt in the minors, there's a good chance he'll be more successful in the Majors. I'm just saying you can't expect someone like Lyle Overbay or Frank Thomas to suddenly start bunting, after years of never having to learn to do it properly.
hem, I think it's like everything else and just needs practise. But I like it as a weapon. The times we've used it this year has brought results almost every time.
I think it also rattles some pitchers
The guys you want to bunt for the Jays are McDonald, Johnson, Hill on occassion.
Zaun if the situation calls for it. Other than that Zaun will not beat one out.
Johnson does the drag bunt well.
hem, I agree with Thomas, if he did bunt, the infielders could have a nap before playing the ball and still throw him out. lol
You don't want Thomas to bunt anyway.
It is a organazation's philosphy when it comes to bunting.
Look at how many Angels can bunt. The list is endless.
The Jays are that moneyball nonsense. They see bunts as outs and not productive outs.
Money ball has won nothing so I don't know why people follow it.
J.P., Billy Beane are big money ball guys.
Well, i think it's a stuational thing. If we have guys on 1st and 2nd, no one out, in the bottom of the 9th, and we're down by 1, I don't care who's batting, I'd have him bunt to stay out of the double play, and move the runners to 2nd and 3rd so a fly ball ties and a hit wins.
Jays don't steal bases as well.
More money ball non sense.
A's and Jays, no bunts, no stolen bases.
You gotta love that philosphy!!!
The idea of Frank Thomas laying down a bunt is ridiculous.
My only point is that as much as I'd like to see the Jays bunt more, you've also got to respect how difficult it is to do. I think people often give it short thrift as far as how difficult it is to do it well.
Not is right. I like how Scirossa runs his team. 1 hit, steal, bunt and flyball delivers a run.
And sometimes when you're facing a good pitcher-like Becktt and Halliday, the 1 run is huge.
hem, agreed, which is why they need to seriously work on it every day-to put it into the arsenal
Thomas should NEVER BUNT!!!
It is a organazation philosphy!!! That is why you see the Angels play the way they do.
Hey, if Boston got to the 7th game of the series, scored tied in the bottom of the 9th, runners at 1st and 3rd, 1 out and Ortiz batting, with the opposition playing the Ortiz shift-I'd have him bunt
hey no one said Thomas should bunt
No way — Ortiz has got to swing away. That's his game….
So here's the situation. no one out, boston down 1, bottom of the 9th and runners on 1st and 2nd. Lowell batting.
Bunt-or hit? I'd have him bunt the runners over to 2nd and 3rd, particalry with Nancy coming up. Then a fly ties, a hit wins.
As it happens he hits a soft grounder, moves the runners anyway-but thats not the best odds to do.
Oritz is there to hack away!!!
Have him bunt, what????
hem-but Otiz can bunt really well, if he lays one down the 3rd base line the run scores and the Sox win the series-its almost guaranteed by how they play him
Bosox, you only need 1 run to win the series, the runners on 3rd and the closest defender is playing ss.
The point is, the bunt is most effective when others do not expect it. Who in their right mind would ever play Ortiz to bunt in that situation, which is exactly why you do it.
Watch Scirossa he does it all the time
I can't believe Varitek striking out-that in that circmstance is almost unforgiveable. A fly ball gets a run and ties.
Bases loaded, both Varitek and Youk strike out, Sox lose.
That was not pretty Bosox
Lowell with a weak grounder.
Varitek with the bases loaded and that is usually not a good sign.
I can't say I am surprised that they didn't get the runs in.
I have seen that many times. Guys on base all night but they get stranded!!!
You want Oritz to swing away.
You don't want him bunting!!!
That is what he is supposed to do, swing away and drive in the runs!!!
If it was to win the series the team's closest player would not be the s.s. anyway, moot point there.
but he bunts well, and a bunt wins the series, a sharp gounder could be a double play and you go into the 10th
with Ortiz, they would be, that's how most teams shift on him
With the world series, game 7 as you say. Tying run 90 feet away. This just in, they will not play him that way.
Maybe Varitek should have bunted in 1 run and tied the game. lol
but if they did, would yo have him bunt to win?
That's why Scirossa is such a genius and wins so many games. He calls plays like that in those situations, catches everyone off guard and wins.
So whats with Varitek, is he just getting old and losing it or what. When you guys won the series, he was one of the main contributors.
Cito Gaston "left" when he and Ash didn't quite see eye to eye . He was Jays hitting coach later but was again terminated . He applied to be manager of both Tigers and White Sox but lost out to Leyland and Guillen respectively but was a final candidate for both jobs. Last position he held was as a consultant to Godfrey . It would be nice to have him back ….he was certainly loved in TO .
Have a nice nite bosox ROTFLMAO.
I'd like to see Cito back
Next year could belong to the jays. With 3 games left we have 81 wins, assme we take two from Tampa we'll sit at 83.
Our current rotation will have 125 starts by year end and 59 wins for a winning % of 47%. The main reason for the starts being low was Marcum, McGowan and Litsch didn't start at the beginning of the year, plus some lost starts from injury of Burnett and Halliday.
Assuming 145 starts next year from this same group of starters, without any better hitting and that should give us another 9 wins putting us at 92 wins.
Maybe, I'm a little optimistic on the start number, but I think we'll get more normal years from Wells, Johnson,Glaus and Overbay.
Also, we'll get BJ Ryan and League back to solidify the bullpen.
So get ready to fight for 2nd place with the Yanks.
But we'll all cheer for you to win this year.
I will not cheer for Boston.
Angels only.
B.J. Ryan is coming back from major surgery. Who knows what he'll give the Jays in 2008. He might pitch real well or be hurt all year and pitch ineffective. Ryan is a total unknown for the Jays right now. I expect League to bounce back, the kid has a great arm.
Jays bats should be back. Glaus well you know the story there, 135 games tops.
Burnett will he make more than 30 starts? Unlikely!!!
Well, in my analysis, anything that BJ does is a bonus-remember I simply increased starts for Marcum, McGowan and Litsch based upon the current hitting and the current bull pen. We also get Romero back which is a huge upgrade over Tallet, so even without Ryan, the pen improves.
I have assumed some injuries in suggesting 145 starts not 162, which I think is quite realistic.
One way or the other Glaus will perform at least as good and in as many games as he did this year-anything else is a bonus.
Burnett will get 25 starts this year, and he's finally learnt how to pitch instead of throw. I'd expect that improves next year to 30.
Your expectations for Burnett are low, only 30 starts. The guy needs to give you more than that. If Glaus was a horse, he would have been shot a while back.
The Jays bats will be there next year. Too much talent for them to struggle. The Wells injury will be interesting. Not much swinging for him until Spring training. They gave him 120 million to be a run producer.
Overbay will bounce back to form and Hill will be better. Johnson should be healthy and Rios should is just scratching the surface.
How will McGowan perform? How many starts will Burnett give the Jays? Marcum as well? Some questions but if they are answered, they will be right there to the end. Alot of pressure on the Jays next year. Getting off to a good start is a must for them. They can't come out of the gates slow. If they do, it could be a long season!!!


text:
MLB= Maple Legalized Bats
This is the last part of a 3 part series on the current maple bat controversy. I have decided that tomorrow, 1/23/2009, I am going to profile two of the current inventors who have decided that have viable alternatives to today's bats. Both have promoted safety and reliability of the bats, even at an affordable price for MLB teams and players. Hopefully in late 2009, we will no longer have to address this kind of matter and we can all feel safe and secure, even in the front rows at our favorite ball parks around America.
There is nothing quite like the breaking of a bat during a baseball game. the sound of the wood splintering after the perfect pitch blended with the sight of the hitter holding the remnants of his destroyed weapon make for a thrilling sight for baseball fans. Lately however, broken bats have been anything but amusing and colorful. Bats are no longer just breaking; they are exploding and sending fragments everywhere and not concerned about damages or injuries to others.
Today's bats are not breaking cleanly, or even staying together at the barrel, but hurdling shattered remains in all directions without regard for safety. And the one thing that has been constant in all of these matter of shattering shards being propelled at spectators, players and even MLB officials, is that they have not yet become lethal.The culprit is plain and simple to baseball officials. The maple bat has brought upon the major league baseball diamonds a new fear and a constant reminder of safety issues that need to be addressed before a critical injury takes a life on the field, or in the grandstands.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is aware and concerned about the matter. In this 3rd installment on the maple bat controversy, I will be addressing the MLB leadership moves so far to curtail further damage. I will also inform you of two inventors who believe they have a solution to the epidemic that is plaguing the bat world. Hopefully this series has enlightened a few people to the real dangers and the consequences of turning away from this issue. At stake is maybe a life, or a permanent injury to a fan or player that could have been avoided if action was taken swift and forceful beginning in the Spring of 2009.
Some people have asked me how the MLB could let such an issue proliferate? Well, for starters, the collective bargaining agreement between the players union and the baseball owners makes it difficult for baseball, like a large tractor-trailer, to make swift and sharp turns. In 2006 labor negotiations, the owners did ask the players union for permission to change the official bat specifications over the concern for the maple bats, but the players opposed those specifications.
Currently baseballs approved bats can have a barrel no larger than 2 3/4 inches, with handles no thinner than 16/19th of an inch diameter, and a total length of no more than 42 inches.In comparisons, the bat that Babe Ruth used in 1927 was a 35-inch bat with a weight of 40-ounces. The funny part is that Ruth, the father of power hitting, did not need such as weight or mass in his bat. Because the bat already has so much more mass than the ball, bat speed ( velocity ) is much more significant than the mass.
Selig decided that he needed to get the collection of varied opinions together from both the owners and the players union and commissioned the MLB Health and Safety committee to address this situation on June 24, 2008. The 16-member panel convened in New York to discuss what steps could be taken to either eliminate or curb the problem. The committee consists of 8 members of the players association, and 8 members of the MLB management. They discussed the issue of the maple bats during their meeting. They went over the facts that maple bats show a surface hardness of 20 percent over the typical ash bat, and spent the bulk of the meeting going over the specifications currently on the MLB books concerning the bat's handles, weights, thickness and overall durability.
Before this meeting ever began, MLB had been investigating the maple bat situation by gathering from all 30 teams the remnants of all broken bats over the course of at least 6 weeks to try and give more evidence to the committee about the bat controversy. The maple bat balancing act that the committee was trying to foster would have to satisfy not just the owners, but also the players. What ended up coming out of the June meeting was that MLB needed to do more experiments on the bats, and also consult with bat manufacturers and seethe formulation of the individual bat from billet to completed model.
The committee knew that in light of the situation that an agreement of overall opinions during this first meeting would be unheard of considering they needed to satisfy all parties with their recommendations. They also knew that the players would veto any action that would of boycotted the use of the maple bats. An idea of extending the protective netting might help the fans, but still players would be at risk having to stand within 150 feet of the batters box, with no protection. And the idea of having one bat inspector who would monitor and approve bats before delivery would be costly and not very effective because of bats already out in the MLB system could be used without officials noticing before their breakage.
One bright light did come out of the meeting, the members agreed upon an idea to increase the bat's dimensions. Be it a larger bat handle larger than 16/19th of an inch, or a smaller weight-to-length ratio ( 34 inch bat would weigh 30.5 ounces ). Another option brought up was a smaller barrel ( 2 3/4 inches ) would actually chafe a few players because of a change in the bats hitting surface. That would give hitters less bat space to hit and would require them to re-define their swings accordingly.
For now, MLB is sending its samples to Jim Sherwood, who runs the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and conducted a test in 2005 that showed maple provides no greater performance off the bat than ash but does break differently, snapping instead of cracking. MLB did institute new bat rules in December 2008, and the news was not met well by current bat manufacturers who feel their bottom line will be affected by the new regulations.
This regulation is viewed by the bat manufacturers as a costly addition to current bat production because of the change in the location of the bat manufacturer's stamp on the bat. It will take a retooling of the lathes and machinery used to burn the logo into the bats and the desired location for the MLB's new stamp would hinder sales and recognition of the product. Starting in 2009, all bats are mandated to have the bat company's stamp on the edge grain and no longer on the face grain of the bat. Stamps were to be located on the face grain ever since they were invented, and it has been a common practice to teach players to use the bat with the label facing towards them in order to hit the ball 90 degrees from the label.
Extensive testing from MLB during a six-month-long study of maple bats showed hitting on the wood's face grain would bring about fewer breaks than the edge grain. Baseball hired the Forest Products Laboratory, a government entity, along with Harvard statistician Carl Morris, and wood-certification company TECO to analyze more than 2,200 bats broken in MLB games between July 2 and Sept. 7 2008. Their primary task was to figure out why the bats are breaking and make suggestions to limit future breaks before a serious or mortal injury. Their scientific conclusion was that the former conventional wisdom that discouraged face-grain contact was actually wrong.
The teams' research and testing found that the large percentage of shard inducing breaks, or ones in which barrels with splintered ends go airborne like medieval weaponry were actually due to a poor "slope of grain" on the wood itself. The best quality of wood to use for baseball bats have an even grain, and some manufacturers were using low-quality wood with large barrels and thin handles, leading to increased breakage and bat damages. The other suggestion, about hitting on the face grain, came from Roland Hernandez, a TECO employee.And Hernandez should know a thing or two about the bat manufacturing process having been the owner of a previous bat company, Rockbats, which made maple bats for the MLB. He then began to work at Forest Products Laboratory before finally going to work for TECO. Rockbats was the only company to suggest hitting on the face grain. No MLB player currently uses Rockbats in games.
But another bat manufacturer even went beyond a simple word with the press about this new regulation and sent a memo to every bat company owners and operators, and to the MLB key man in this investigation, Roy Krasik . Romeo Filip wrote a email containing 696 very terse and subjective words to show his distaste for the MLB's new mandate. He states that the tensile strength of wood runs down its edge grain. Hitting against the grain would produce bats that will snap more violently and towards the center of the field and not down the foul lines.
Filip's company, Diablo Bats isn't doing much business right now. He is in a group of about 30 companies that produce some form of a maple bat for the MLB players. He says that the MLB study, that cost around $ 500,000 dollars has doubled the licensing fees required to sell bats to MLB players. Plus the addition of a insurance policy with at least $ 10 million dollars in coverage is now mandated by MLB.
So the MLB studied the regression analysis of bats that had broken on the field in 2008, tested the actual wood, and also compared models and brands to see who's might be considered a safer alternative to the current bats out on the market. They studied both ash and maple bats to give ample scientific proof for both models without bias or prejudice on the types of bats. This testing did finalize the thinking that with ash bats, players should still hit with the edge grain to prevent shelling or flaking of the bats during the hitting process.
MLB also visited three current bat manufacturers plants to view first-hand the bat making process. They included in this tour the plants of Hillerich & Bradsby, the parent company of Louisville Slugger, and also The Original Maple Bat Corporation, the home of Sam's Bats. What is unique about Sam's bat is that their original maple bat was actually a bet made in a bar in 1996 by an old MLB scout, Bill McKenzie to Sam Holman, who dabbled a bit in carpentry and created the bat producing company out of a bar bet.
MLB then released their 50 page study which is not available to the public, and bat manufacturers' were not content with the scientific merit of the findings. One company posed a question to the MLB Health and Safety committee during a conference call asking if they had conducted testing on bats that weren't breaking to see why they preformed better than other models. MLB's answer to this was "No". They decided not to submit the study to a peer review , figuring that the checks and balances from the large assortment of scientists would be enough variety in opinions and findings. One bat manufacturer has stated that the MLB's new regulation can be beaten. the current MLB test to find out if a bat has a even grain is to place on ink dot on the bat handle, and if it bleeds more than a quarter of an inch diagonally, the bat will not be certified. He states that by rubbing 250-grit sandpaper over the handle before the test, it closes the pores on the wood and masks its true grain.
The confusion is spiraling all the way down to the players, who know that the new models will arrive before spring training. Bat makers are trying to call the players in advance to let them know about the regulation changes, and why the bats will have a different look to them in 2009. Even if the bat companies now suggest that the players hit with the face grain, the players have adapted their own ways of hitting and might not take to the change at first. But after a period of time they will also have to adjust and find ample ways to combat the new bats and their face grains.
MLB will again meet with the bat manufacturers some time during spring training and discuss the drying process that the bats go through in their bats production. Also under consideration during that meeting will be the shape of the bat and the way it might break under pressure. This is considered the first steps in trying to gain a foothold on the problem. The committee might be more of an evolving group right now considering that more scientific tests and findings are revealed all the time.
Also not revealed to the public would be any penalties or even fines that could be imposed if someone uses an non-certified bat or even hides the fact they are using such bats in their games. This will be an on-going and basically be a feel-in-the-dark period for baseball during Spring Training. Hopefully by the time the player take the field in April, MLB and the players will have adjusted, and the batting controversy will begin to fade into the background with the game again being the lone giant on the field.
The MLB management will continue evolving the batting controversy until it is finally considered totally safe and injuries and bat shards are again a thing of the past. hopefully in 2009, this will be the beginning of a great revolution in the bats used by professional baseball players. And with the changes already starting to take the game to another level, hopefully a death or serious in jury will not propel us into a last second ban or elimination of any type of bat.
5 Comments
Thank you for taking the time for find out the answer for me as to who pays for the bats! I appreciate that! I don't know what the answer is, but I hope that they put everyones safety before everything else. Thanks for a great series of articles!
Not a problem. He was a little vague on a few thing because he doesn't want to give up any inside information he might be smacked around for, but that is something I could find out by calling the Rays Clubhouse Manager anyways.
I enjoy writing these kinds of articles since I used to do a lot of in-depth newspaper articles for my old job back in the stone age. I never should have left, but the paper was going to be absorbed into the St Pete Times, and I did not think a guy who wrote more human interest sports stories would have a place…………….stupid me.
Rays Renegade
Thanks, I did not even know they were out yet…………..I slipped one, but that is okay. I still got people like you reading me so I will be fine.
Rays Renegade
Have been a fan of this for over 15yrs


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Precision Maintenance Skills - Principles of Proactive Maintenance
WE241SKF has designed the Precision Maintenance Skills, part 1 course to address the very real industry needs in a practical format utilizing hands-on exercises to teach and demonstrate the relationships between precision techniques and machine performance.
Course objectivesProvide information and training that enables plant personnel to increase productivity by improving the performance and reliability of rotating machinery.
Recommended for
- Maintenance personnel responsible for machinery repairs; however, all plant personnel can benefit from the information presented in this course
- Managers and supervisors who oversee maintenance activities will gain an understanding of the support and tools required to become truly proactive
- WI100 Vibration basics
- WE140 Shaft alignment basics
- RB02008 Shaft couplings
- MS100 Proactive reliability maintenance
- GS04007 Best alignment
- RB02023 Roller chain drives
* On-line learning material at http://www.skf.com/us/knowledge-centre/elearning/index.html
Discover our classroom courses
- Asset reliability improvement
- Bearing in rotating machinery applications
- Bearing maintenance and service
- Bearing reliability in paper machines
- Fundamentals of machine condition
- Lubrication of rolling bearings
- Maintenance planning and scheduling
- Maintenance strategy review awareness
- Precision maintenance skills, part 1
- Precision maintenance skills, part 2
- Precision shaft alignment, laser system
- Reliability centred maintenance
- Root cause analysis
- Root cause bearing damage analysis
- SKF Reliability Centred Maintenance
- Spare parts management and inventory control
- Vibration analysis 1
- Vibration analysis 2
- Vibration analysis category 1 ISO18436
- Vibration analysis category 2 ISO18436
- Vibration analysis, entry level


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Performance West Concepts "What Ifs" On The Pt Cruiser Package
Without a doubt, the last decade has been one of the best in history for Chrysler fans. New models of both cars and trucks have debuted, spectacular offerings like the crate-motor Hemi have been introduced by Mopar Performance Parts, and the Pentastar name has again become synonymous with racing excellence on a variety of fronts. Now with DaimlerChrysler leading the charge as the new century opens, excitement continues as Dodges will be back in NASCAR, a new version of the Hemi is rocking in Pro Stock, and concept car possibilities push the limits of design and excellence.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a great example of what has been happening. Based around a four-door design, it has handsome styling, an open interior, and import-car pep. However, from a performance standpoint, the 2.4-liter (that's 148 inches for you older guys) four-cylinder leaves a little bit to be desired. With 9.5:1 compression pistons and a 16-valve overhead-cam cylinder head, the little beastie is good for 150 horses in stock form, which is more than one net horsepower per cubic inch. That might be great if it is just you in the car, but add a couple of buddies or any kind of load in the cargo area, and you quickly realize that it has only four holes under the bonnet.
It was in this environment that Larry Weiner and his Performance West Group began to do the development work on building the car you see here, aptly called the PT Bruizer. Larry, who builds concept vehicles along these lines for several auto manufacturers, decided that the Cruiser offered a great deal of potential to take on the burgeoning import performance market. In other words, this might prove to the guys accustomed to Honda Acuras that there is something domestic to play with.
Weiner took an early production example of the PT Cruiser and got a group of well-known aftermarket companies to create enhancements to the base platform. Part of what Performance West Group does is give these manufacturers a chance to begin developing aftermarket parts before the rest of the industry. As a result, these companies come forward with never-tried technical products that will often end up becoming available off the shelf. More then a "theme car," or idea mule, the PT Bruizer could serve as a base template for your own modifications. This one-off example was built by RaceTruck Trends of San Dimas, California.
The first act was to get that quad-rod motor up to speed. Literally leading off the charge was a new-design Kenne-Belle "SuperScrew" twin-screw supercharger (referred to as a "positive displacement" and lacking the power-robbing drag found in Roots-style designs). This is coupled with a K-B Optimizer computer, air-to-air intercooler and ram air setup. According to the tests, the low-profile unit takes about as much horsepower to run as the air-conditioning compressor, and an added 40-horsepower boost comes from a ZEX nitrous oxide system. Using the bone-stock bottom end, this combination pegged the dyno needle at 325 horses, which was a 115-percent enhancement over stock. Behind the crank is a Centerforce clutch outfit to keep the power moving through the five-speed transaxle, and a Dynomax exhaust system gives the Bruiser a boulevard rumble.
Of course, part of the import tuning market involves handling in addition to horsepower. Eibach provided specially-calibrated springs to give the Bruiser the proper ride height, and the stock wheels were replaced with BBS RW II modular alloy wheels shod in Continental General low profile 255/35ZR18 radials. The end result is a mini-missile that will both turn heads and turn corners.
The body itself got a few accouterments courtesy of Xenon, including redesigned front and rear fascias and a roof-height rear wing. From a head-on view, the custom mesh grille by RPM Motorsports with a centered Chrysler emblem is augmented by a fresh-air intake, IPF driving lights, and elliptical headlight openings. By using ChromaFlair ColorShift-enhanced paint by Flex Products (who brewed a special pigment they call Bruizer Wildfire Prizm), the car reflects light through a variety of bronze and purple hues, depending on the angle viewed. L&G Enterprises applied the paint and did the airbrush work, which includes painted-on faux air ducts for the brakes and PT Bruiser logos.
Now, obviously, if you like to cruise in the "Bruize," the interior needs to be on par with the rest of the combination. Sparco came up with four carbon-fiber race buckets and furnished four Sabelt racing harnesses and a Sparco steering wheel. Performance West used an applique from Nu-Dash for a carbon-fiber appearance on the dashboard, while Summit Racing came forward with Autometer gauges (four of which are cleanly mounted in the passenger-side dash sill), an SSI halon fire extinguisher, and padding for the custom DeeZee roll cage. In the back is a relocated Optima battery (which opens up the underhood space for the air-to-air intercooler) and the ZEX 5-pound nitrous bottle. A MECIS sound system rounds out the package.
DC has worked hand in hand with Performance West Group to bring the product to fruition, and through Larry's efforts, we were given a chance to shoot these pix on the DiamlerChrysler test track in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The stock PT Cruiser has already proven to be one of the most popular vehicles in the current Chrysler lineup. In fact, if you want one special-ordered, there may be a bit of a wait. With the help of Performance West Group's development partners, the guesswork will be out of the way when you decide to step it up to Bruizer status. The Honda guys may never know what hit them.
|Performance West Group
|2.4 liter Chrysler
|"SuperScrew" twin screw positive
|displacement supercharger
|Keene Belle air-to-air
|Kenne-Belle Optimizer
|Nitrous system:
|General Continental 255/35ZR18
|Fuel Cell:
|Summit Racing
|Body Package:
|Driving Lights:
|Flex Products ChromaFlair
|applied by L&G Custom Paint
|Bruizer Wildfire Prism
|Window Tint:
|Johnson Window Film
|Sparco carbon
|Roll Cage:
|Dee Zee
|Steering Wheel:
|Fire Extinguisher:
|Parts Supplier:
|Summit Racing


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Military sources tell NBC News the man in charge of sexual assault prevention in Fort Hood, Texas, may have allegedly coerced a female soldier into prostitution. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.
A New York senator introduced a bill Thursday that aims to remove sex crimes from the military's chain of command — a bid to transform an insulated culture that tends to dampen sex-assault reporting, leaving many victims feeling helpless or hopeless.
Under the Pentagon's current justice system, less than 1 percent of accused sexual perpetrators in the military were convicted last year while during 2012 just 9.8 percent of sex-assault victims reported the incidents, according to a Department of Defense report. Many victims feel powerless because their superiors can control everything from whether a case proceeds to whether a guilty verdict is eventually overturned.
The new proposal by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., rides a rising tide of public anger over separate allegations that two service members tasked with curbing sexual misconduct within the armed forces had themselves committed sexual misconduct:
- A Fort Hood Army sergeant accused Tuesday of allegedly forcing at least one subordinate soldier into prostitution. There is suspicion that other senior non-commissioned officers were aware of these activities, but the extent of that remains unclear, a government official told NBC News;
- An Air Force officer arrested May 6 for alleged sexual battery.
"When the officer in charge of preventing sexual assault in their ranks is himself arrested for sexual assault — clearly, the strategy we have in place is not working. Twice in just the last two weeks this has happened," Gillibrand said.
Some service members have confided to Gillibrand, she said, that following sexual offenses committed against them, the military's current system forced them to seek permission from their perpetrators in order to take their cases to trial.
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York plans to introduce legislation to change the way the military handles allegations of sexual assault. In an exclusive interview on The Last Word, she explained why it should be "more parallel to the civilian system."
"This is unacceptable — and is long overdue for change," Gillibrand said.
Her push to revamp the military's machinery for the investigation and discipline of reported sexual assaults has bipartisan backing. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Mich., said he will file a companion bill in the House.
"Right now, too many sexual assaults in our military go unreported," Benishek said. "Many soldiers are uncomfortable reporting the details of these traumatic events. My daughter is a military veteran so I know exactly the kind of hard-working women we have in our armed forces. This situation is a travesty and we need to fix it now.
"We need to reform how the military handles sexual assault cases and make sure victims aren't afraid to report a crime," he added.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was informed Tuesday about the allegations against the Fort Hood sergeant, leaving the Pentagon chief "frustrated, angered, and disappointed over these troubling allegations as well as the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply," said Cynthia Smith, a DoD spokeswoman.
Hagel immediately directed every branch to "re-train, re-credential, and re-screen" all sexual assault prevention and response personnel and military recruiters — and he has "made it clear he has not ruled out any options for improving the military's response to sexual assault," Smith said.
Under Gilliland's proposed legislation, any reported offense committed by a service member that's punishable by confinement of one year or more would be handled not by branch and unit commanders — like now — but instead be funneled to independent military prosecutors. Her proposal also seeks to ensure that military commanders may not set aside a guilty finding.
She began writing her bill — working with Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. — just two days after her impassioned critique of the military's desire to retain "convening authority" in sex crimes went viral last March. She since has emerged as one of the Senate's loudest proponents for wholesale Pentagon reform on the issue, calling for a format that's more parallel to the civilian legal system.
- Gillibrand leads Senate charge for protocol changes in military sexual assault cases
- US military faces historic tipping point on rape epidemic
- Army sergeant assigned to sex-abuse prevention being investigated for pimping, sexual assault
- Air Force's sex-abuse prevention honcho charged with sexual battery
- 'Every American should be outraged:' Military sees sharp increase in sex assault cases


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Candidate Gateway is the self-service front-end to Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise Recruiting Solutions platform. It provide a gateway that enables you to brand your business or division to attract best-fit candidates and provides external and internal applicants with the tools they need to find the right job.
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PeopleSoft Candidate Gateway lowers costs and enhances efficiency by enabling applicants and employees to use intuitive, role-based home pages to search and apply for open positions and collaborate with recruiters in real time.


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Below are listings located in Elizabeth Park, a neighborhood in Wood Dale, IL. These listings are updated multiple times a day from the MLS and include property details, large photos, street view and nearby places maps, and school information.
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It looks like we are getting up to 3 coupon inserts in this Sunday's newspaper:
- 2 Red Plum
- 1 SmartSource
Looking for a sweet deal on the Sunday Oregonian? Join me in April for a free 30-minute web class where you'll learn the basics of couponing plus be eligible to get a smoking deal on multiple Sunday Oregonians! Go here to learn more and to register!
Head to the Sunday Coupon Preview for a list of possible manufacturer's coupons coming in this Sunday's paper. Be sure to search for coupons using the Frugal Living NW Coupon Database.
The number of inserts, coupons and coupon values vary by region and by individual paper. We won't know for sure until the early editions are released on Saturday morning.
This post may contain affiliate links. See the disclosure policy for more information.


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If you are looking for lubricants for your machines, engines or tools, our articles should look more closely. Due to our many years of experience and many contacts with companies from industry and crafts, we know what is important. For many years we have been cooperating with the quality manufacturers Agip-Eni, Motul and Divinol. This makes it possible for us to offer products from the highest quality class. We see you as your trustworthy sales partner, who will help you solve your problems with advice and action. Since our company is still family run, we are able to act not only quickly, but also flexibly.
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Fisk has all the right moves to capture the casino and hospitality market
Driving down the Las Vegas Strip is some kind of experience for first-timers. Words like 'surreal' and 'breathtaking' just don't seem descriptive enough. The casinos that loom along the street and in the distance are majestic marvels of architectural ingenuity and represent an oasis for both mind and body.
Hotels and casinos make Las Vegas what it is today. The mere mention of "The Strip" makes one automatically think "Vegas, baby!" But the Las Vegas of today is far beyond what it once was. Long gone are single-story hotels and motels with a few slot machines lining the perimeters. Now, they have been replaced or updated with state-of-the-art everything, including low-voltage, data, and communications systems—and more.
Because of what Las Vegas has become, the landscape, the scenery, the offerings and the casinos themselves are in a constant state of flux and improvement. To remain competitive, each venue needs to outdo the others or at least keep up. This translates into a bundle of opportunity for just about everyone—but especially those in contracting and systems work.
Thousands of guests enter the various facilities on a daily basis, and the fact that Las Vegas never closes also makes it an intriguing arena. The city plays host to 35.5 million visitors annually and reports total revenues for the area at around $32 billion each year, a number that continues to grow.
Fisk knows the market
Discussions about low-voltage and electrical-systems work in the Las Vegas area often includes mention of the Fisk Corp. (www.fiskcorp.com), which caters to area hotels and casinos and handles new construction and retrofits low-voltage work at many of the hotels including the world-famous Venetian, The Bellagio and Aladdin. John R. Fisk started the company in 1913 and laid the foundation for a company that has become an industry leader in turnkey building and business solutions.
Throughout its 91-year history, the company has evolved with the times. Fisk has grown into a recognizable leader in key areas such as structured cabling, electronic security, network integration and other areas of electrical contracting.
The company became a mainstay in Las Vegas in the 1990s. It has been involved with the continual growth and improvement of various casinos and intends to continue to earn that status for the conceivable future, said Lee Vowell, division manager, Fisk Technologies. It takes a lot of dedication, knowledge of the market and persistence to please the customer.
Beyond expectations and imagination
Being that Las Vegas is about all things larger than life, it is no surprise that the casinos and hotels reflect that. In total, there are 130,482 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone.
"The new mega-resorts are vast in scale covering millions of square feet," Vowell said. "The guest room towers have anywhere from 2,000 to over 3,000 rooms/suites."
Those properties, in addition to the hotel portions, include gaming areas, restaurants, bars/lounges, showrooms, spas, shops and retail, thrill rides, convention centers and office areas—all in one immense location, which adds to the multiplicity of the job.
In addition to the typical casino and hotel/resort attractions, thousands of conventions come to Las Vegas during the year. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, there were 24,463 conventions within city limits in 2003. Conventions require ample meeting space, with high-speed Internet access, teleconferencing and communications systems and other state-of-the-art hardwired and wireless technologies. Fisk has been involved in a variety of meeting and convention facility projects in the Las Vegas area.
"A great number of the hotel/casino systems now operate on the structured-cabling infrastructure," Vowell said. "These systems may include voice and data communications, VoIP, Wi-Fi, cellular, slot machines, table games, point of sale, MATV, CCTV, audiovisual, environmental controls and signage. Larger resorts can include upward of 27,000 Category 6 cables, over 30,000 pairs of copper distribution, in excess of 12,000 fiber terminations (both single- and multimode), 5,000 television locations and 4,000 security/surveillance locations." In order to support such operations Fisk routinely installs thousands upon thousands of feet of wire and cable and more, according to Vowell.
Target marketing
Fisk has successfully shown that target marketing works. The company has earned a reputation that allows it to continue working at some of the most well-known hospitality names on the strip. Learning how to work together is essential and critical in developing a good working relationship with any client, but especially the casino owner.
"The contractor and owner must work very closely together to ensure that the cabling system will support the different topologies and be robust enough to handle the typically large number of changes/additions as well as future uses for the infrastructure," said Vowell.
The casino industry has its own special sets of circumstances that make it unique, and a little intimidating to those who may not understand them. By learning about this specific customer, Fisk has been able to position the company as a contractor that any casino would be glad to have on board. Fisk understands how business is done, which means that it can do the jobs in a seamless manner and with little or no interruption to the business.
"All our teams work very well together. The high amount of traffic that exists on the strip can be a challenge, but the teamwork-oriented approach makes it easy to work around," Vowell added.
Managing such complex projects carefully helps ensure that things run smoothly. Vowell described special circumstances with most casino projects by saying: "All of the casino projects are 'fast track' construction. We may only have 120 days to install 9,000 outlets and a large copper and fiber backbone system in a multimillion-square-foot structure. And, because of the nature of the construction, major changes may be made to the cabling system on a daily basis." Sentiments like that may scare off a contractor or two, but Fisk not only feels comfortable working under such conditions, the company has found a way to excel at it.
When one talks about working at such high-profile, high-traffic properties, certain hurdles can't be avoided. Troy Lee, Fisk project manager, said, "One of the worst problems is finding a lay down [storage] yard for material." Working with the owners and others, creative solutions are found to keep projects on schedule, he added.
Teamwork makes a difference, in every market. Fisk is a model of a company that succeeds, even when circumstances may not always be ideal.
STONG-MICHAS, a freelance writer, lives in central Pennsylvania. She can be reached at email@example.com.


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CHSAA state Class AA boys lacrosse championship: Kellenberg vs. St. Joseph's Collegiate
Kellenberg beat St. Joseph's Collegiate of Buffalo, 12-5, in the CHSAA state Class AA championship on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
We're revamping our Comments section. Learn more and share your input.
Newsday's All-Long Island boys lacrosse team Newsday's All-Long Island girls lacrosse team State Class B final: ESM vs. Fayetteville-Manlius State Class C final: CSH vs. John Jay State Class A final: Massapequa vs. Fairport State Class C championship: SWR vs. Jamesville-DeWitt State Class A final: Northport vs. Baldwinsville State Class D final: Mattituck/Southold vs. Bronxville State Class B semi: ESM vs. Canandaigua State Class A semi: Northport vs. Pittsford State Class C semi: CSH vs. Honeoye Falls-Lima State Class D semi: Mattituck vs. Macedon State Class B semifinal: Manhasset vs. John Jay State Class D semifinal: Mattituck/Southold vs. Briarcliff State Class A semifinal: Massapequa vs. Mamaroneck State Class C semifinal: SWR vs. Rye Long Island Class C championship: CSH vs. Bayport Long Island Class D championship: Mattituck/Southold vs. Oyster Bay


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Talk about must-see TV – or must-see Web streaming: Images of the Chilean miners, rising one-by-one from the ground, like smiling phoenixes in sunglasses.
The live drama, complete with tears, hugs and hurrahs resounding far beyond the rescue site, drew viewers from around the world, riveted by the joyful spectacle and celebration of the ever-resilient human spirit.
Now that's Reality TV worth cheering.
The ongoing rescue of the 33 men trapped nearly two months marks a rare collective mass media experience not built around a natural disaster, warfare or terror. Much like during Chesley Sullenberger's landing of a US Airways jet on the Hudson River last year, we're sharing emotional moments of triumph.
Unlike much of manufactured junk we're subjected to on so-called Reality TV, the rescue images pack an irresistible, spontaneous purity: a little boy hugging his newly freed dad; a miner wrapped in a Chilean flag leading cheers as if he were in the stands at a soccer game; tearful reunions in a chilly sunlight some surely thought they would never experience again.
The scenes – and the worldwide conversation they've spurred – played out on TV and online, around the clock. We're getting to do more than just watch: The rescue proved a top trending topic on Twitter, with the tweets flying at dozens per second at some points.
"Watching moving images from the rescued miners really does show what love hope teamwork and perceverance (sic) can do," one tweeter noted.
We won't pretend all will be smooth going from here on for many of the miners. Some could face, as the medical experts told us in endless TV commentary, lingering physical and psychological issues.
For all the bonding that kept the miners going during their ordeal 2,000 feet below ground, divisions could arise as each tells his story. We'll certainly be hearing individual accounts, with inevitable book, movie and TV interview deals apparently already in the works.
Bloomberg News reports that before the rescue the miners struck a pact on what they will and won't discuss. Some family members, according to Bloomberg, are negotiating paid TV interviews. The miners, while still below ground, got lessons on how to deal with the press.
"They are a unified group," Arnoldo Plaza Vega, a cousin of one of the miners, told Bloomberg. "They were together for two months below and they'll be together afterward. They will stick together."
It's too early to tell, though, whether the cohesion forged underground will hold.
It's also too soon to know whether – and perhaps too much to hope – there will be happily-ever-after endings for all.
But we'll remember the rescue as one of the most uplifting displays of unity and realized hopes to hit TV in some time. As the miners' lives resume above ground, in and out of the spotlight, we'll keep rooting for these real-life survivors.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NY City News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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Subscribe To Weekend Box Office: Ralph Wrecks His Way To Number One Updates
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Video games took center stage in theaters this weekend as a movie chock full of classic characters dominated the number one spot. Wreck-It Ralph was the easy champion with almost $50 million. While that was a nice boost for the box office after a sluggish October, it might not have been the debut the movie's producers had hoped for. With $62 million world wide for Ralph the movie is still well shy of its hefty $165 million price tag and substantial marketing budget.
Denzel Washington's Flight came in for a landing at second place with just $25 million, an on-par total for a Washington headliner. The folks at Paramount are probably celebrating first class style. The movie's modest $31 budget leaves the entry in a solid financial spot.
Kung Fu-ish newcomer The Man With The Iron Fists hammered its way only so far as fourth place with a sleepy $8 million bow in. It wasn't quite enough to displace Argo which added $10 million to its $75 million domestic total during its fourth weekend out.
After a dismal debut last weekend Cloud Atlas didn't fare any better this week. Despite hopes from some fans that the movie's poor opening performance might be overcome after a week of word-of-mouth, it slipped from second to sixth place with just $5 million and is poised to fade quietly into the night, a major box office bust.
For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below: