Month: June 2019

Such are the advantages for a sitting POTUS seeking re-election. Photo ops which picture the president being presidential.

While the country’s only vice president to serve with the country’s only black president for a sum of eight years was portrayed as a racist by Kamala Harris earlier this week—Donald Trump was showing the world he’s come a long way since his bus tour days with Billy Bush.

Trump and Kim Jong Un met for the third time in the Trump Era and I think most of us now realize Dennis Rodman is no longer needed to run the U.S. nuclear negotiations with the world’s prominent gulag of violence.

When you’re the Prez whether you’re really like Teddy Roosevelt or not you and your people have the power to create the narrative….not Kamala Harris, not Nancy Pelosi, not the far left.

Granted, not much will come of this bromance between Trump and Rocket Man, but in places like West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi it will play big and give further credence as to why Donald Trump should get four more years.

If you think North Korea is giving up their nuclear program then I hope you’re a patient person. But for Trump it doesn’t matter. It gives him a narrative which goes beyond pussy grabbing talks on a bus with a member of the Bush family. The Christian Coalition will be content.

It makes Donald Trump in a word appear….presidential while Joe Biden looks like he has no idea what his own party stands for in the age of Kamala Harris.

It gives Trump something to talk about beyond the economy, job growth, and a GDP around 4%. It gives Trump the opportunity to give Mitch McConnell more years in the White House along with Lindsey Graham.

The Sunday talk shows will now have to decide if Trump in the DMZ or Kamala Harris was the week’s biggest story.

Two words…news cycle. Donald Trump understands the news cycle.

Quite frankly, I didn’t in either debate see a candidate who is going to win the White House, but a winnowing out of candidates will start taking place as contributors start backing the stronger performers in these debates.

I thought Joe Biden was awful…just awful. I like Joe Biden, but maybe those close to him will tell him the truth.

Bernie Sanders will not beat Donald Trump either for the simple reason America isn’t ready to give up on capitalism just yet. The Democratic party going all that far left will not get them in this White House. Even Bill Clinton and Barack Obama weren’t this far left. They both became centrists of sorts in their re-election campaigns. The left just giving free stuff away doesn’t solve climate change, doesn’t solve the $23 trillion dollar debt or bring our allies back into a bilateral comfort zone.

Just giving stuff away is exactly that…. just giving stuff away.

Quit asking for free things and pursue the quaint notion of the American Dream and maybe give something back as well.

So here’s my eight or so who will continue and in essence hopefully morph a message of sorts which goes beyond just giving things away. At some point—it would be refreshing to hear a Dem candidate talk about not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

How about suggesting that all these recipients of free government shit commit to four years of either military or some other form of national service?

Is that possible in this America?

This is not a seeding list of any sort because we haven’t seen the top eight together on one stage yet.

I’ll go:

Joe Biden

Elizabeth Warren

Kamala Harris

Julian Castro

Pete B

NYC mayor Bill B

Amy Klobachar

Corey Booker

Michael Bennett

Bill Clinton didn’t win re-election in 1996 going to the extreme left. Barack Obama didn’t defeat John McCain or Mitt Romney going this far left. Going this far left will get the Dems where it took George McGovern, Al Gore and Michael Dukakis.

Forty-five per cent of registered voters in America don’t align themselves with either party. I surely don’t. They’re both awful.

My take is the Dems have some serious reflection to sift through if they want to remove reality presidential performer Donald Trump from his White House.

Everyone is talking about the Harris-Biden moment, but for me the two most qualified candidates in this group taking age into account are Michael Bennett and Pete B.

Bennett’s resume includes being a former mayor, a former school superintendent, a former congressman, and a current two term United States senator who understands the entire Mitch McConnell situation.

The Dems need to realize just beating Trump won’t be enough because Mitch McConnell and the Koch Brothers are the ones running the country.

The second debate was much better than the first debate and it makes no sense whatsoever we didn’t get to see Elizabeth Warren debate with this second group.

I heard this tonight and it made me sad. Antonio Daniels—the lone non-delusional member of the Oklahoma City Thunder broadcast group is leaving to join the New Orleans Pelicans broadcast team.

I don’t mean this to be insensitive, but with Jim Traber’s very serious medical condition for which he’s been told to stay calm and not froth at the mouth talking about Russell Westbrook…I fear the Thunder coverage will become even weaker in Oklahoma City and even lean more (if possible) to the delusional homer slant the way the Thunder portray themselves to this college market pretending to be major league.

Daniels made my top ten list of the locals either in print or on the radio who talked the Thunder. He was knowledgeable, tough, fair, and even handed.

Behind his exit the market I fear will become even more childish in the manner in which the Thunder are discussed or written about.

My little underground rogue blog may turn out to be minus Mark Rodgers and Dusty D one of the few outlets of non quid pro quo honest Thunder coverage. Who at this point even knows who long Gates Media which own the Daily Oklahoman will continue to stay in the market? Tramel should come over here and blog with me at so.

Can the faces of a pro franchise look more foolish or more childish in the post game pressers?

Can any of us really expect Michael Cage or Little Nick Gallo or Low Energy Royce Young to fill the void created by the exit of Daniels or Traber being told by his doctors to cool it on the air?

I have no idea who the Thunder will hire to replace Daniels, but I’ll be fair in my comments to that person.

Anyway…thank you, Antonio Daniels for being the only reason I’ve watched the Fox Thunder telecasts these past two seasons. Best of luck in the Big Easy.

I just watched the Donald Trump interview with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press and I have to be honest I found myself laughing throughout much of it. As much and as often as I’ve been critical of Donald Trump there is the realization that as a rogue grifter real estate closer he is compelling to listen to even when you know the facts are being compromised.

I would completely ignore all polls in relation to this election for the simple reason there has never been a character like this in the White House minus Frank Underwood.

If the economy hangs together and the country avoids recession I would guess Trump will get another term.

To me the Dems need to remember two things …. 1 people vote THEIR pocketbook issues and the Electoral College is what allowed Trump in the White House and could possibly keep him there beyond 2020.

To me…Sleepy Joe Biden is not the guy who could derail Trump. I’m all for the Dems winning Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and maybe even Ohio….but a new face is needed.

I like Michael Bennett, but certainly realize he has no chance in hell. I think Elizabeth Warren is a sharp person, but would she resonate with the Trump voters in these states?

The Dems have to win the Rust Bucket…period. This is precisely where Hillary Clinton lost the election in 2016. Hint to the Dems…you’re going to win New York and California regardless of who your nominee turns out to be.

It’s all about winning the Big Ten…. not the coastal elites. They don’t read Breitbart.

The Dem debates begin this week and Ohio congressman Tim Ryan or as his friends call him Youngstown Tim is a candidate I’m interested in watching as to how he performs on the big stage with the nation watching.

If this guy isn’t your Rust Bucket wheelhouse candidate then I don’t know who would be.

Trump is the incumbent. Like it or not the incumbent candidate has numerous advantages to keep the White House.

It will be fascinating to see who steps up for the Dems. I have Elizabeth Warren and Tim Ryan on my short list this week as two I will be watching closely beyond Michael Bennett.

Interesting pick by Sam Presti. He traded down to the 23rd pick with Memphis and earned a future 2nd round pick to go along with high school standout Darius Bazley who didn’t play for either Ohio St. or Syracuse this past season, but instead chose to train for the NBA.

So…in reality—he’s a one and done who didn’t participate in March Madness this past spring.

I have no idea how long it will take for his game to adjust to the NBA level as far as physicality, but it’s an interesting pick.

The Thunder need offense. They need shooting. They need a Sixth Man who can come on the floor and not be a total defensive liability as in Dennis Schroder. Too bad Sam Presti couldn’t have retained Domas Sabonis for that role.

But in looking at Bazley on film he is interesting on film.

Why not?

Hope everyone had a great Father’s Day. Mine was excellent even with more monsoonal rains falling in Deer Creek. Another 2.5 inches fell yesterday putting the Deer Creek weather station total at 30 inches of precip since April 1st with half of June still to go.

I burned some brush piles… which I always find refreshing since we moved out here into this dysfunctional HOA which I now somehow find myself the president of. God must feel I need to be punished for something. The burning of brush has become my outlet living here amongst these American Freedom Caucus crazies. Out of the twenty owners only myself and the two black families I would guess didn’t vote for Trump. Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 would be considered liberals amongst these people. They were too soft with the tax code and Supreme Court nominations I’ve been told…sigh.

I drank a few of the Lone Stars and watched some of the U.S. Open. Then I went to eat at one of my favorite restaurants…Stables in downtown Guthrie with my Mom and two of my nephews. The drive was beautiful as we drove on Highway 33 East taking in the lush Oklahoma countryside. I ordered the Mexi Combo which is stellar and I would highly recommend.

I came home and watched the end of the LA Dodgers 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Then an ESPN E60 segment came on which featured the story of Ja Morant who is projected to be the second player taken in the NBA draft on Thursday. If you haven’t seen it be sure and watch it when you have the time.

Just a great story and one which features a wonderful narrative of Morant’s relationship with his father and how a bag of potato chips changed their lives.

My son, the oil and gas executive in Denver, called me last night after he sent me a case of Lone Star beer for Father’s Day. He knows his father. Only thing which could have made it better would have been the two of us watching the final round of the U.S. Open on the clubhouse veranda at Pebble Beach with Dan Jenkins today.

We had a nice father-son talk and I told him how much I love him and how blessed I am to have a son like him. Which is the absolute truth.

When you get older and know you’re on the verge on becoming a grandfather you view the world thru a different prism.

Anyway…all you fathers and sons have a special day today and don’t ever take any of it for granted.

I’ve waited several days to write on Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Not because I’m in despair over my Bruins losing 4-1, but more to the point to reflect on what the St. Louis Blues just did in this age of collective bargaining agreements, super agents, and super stars.

What the St. Louis Blues just did is one for the ages in my lifetime in one of the four major sports. The Blues were in dead last place of all NHL teams on January 3rd. They fired their head coach and made Craig Berube their interim head coach. The first thing he did was put a rookie goalie named Jordan Binnington as his starter in net. We saw how that worked out.

His general manager also made a shrewd trade in which he brought Ryan O’Reilly to the team. As we saw Ryan O’Reilly was the best player on the ice in this series and edged out Binnington for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

But most importantly what Craig Berube brought to the last place Blues was coaching honesty and accountability from every player on the roster top to bottom. You skate hard, you play smart, you play every inch of the ice in both zones, and you win the one on one battles.

As I’ve written on here the Boston Bruins are easily my favorite hockey team. This will not change. But as I’ve reflected on Wednesday night’s final result it was good these Blues won this championship in these times in which we live. It was refreshing to see a head coach in this age look his players in the eyes and speak honestly to his players.

Here’s the pregame presser before Game 7….do you think there was any doubt in that St. Louis locker room? By the way…these Blues were 10-3 on the road in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They say some teams take on the persona of their coach. These St. Louis Blues are a direct reflection of Craig Berube. They’re old school in an age of millennial softness. This was a Cup won not by an Ovechkin or a Sid or Boston’s star line, but won by a group who pulled themselves out of dead last place and became the best team in the world at their sport.

This was Craig Berube’s hockey team…make no mistake of that. I have no idea what the future holds for Berube. I would assume he’ll be the Blues head coach for awhile if that’s what he wants to do.

But I do know this…Craig Berube along with Tiger Woods is my leading candidate for Sportsman of the Year so far in 2019.

Here’s a brief clip of Berube as the tough no nonsense defenseman he was as a player. See what I mean. Do we understand how these Blues became Craig Berube circa 2019?

I often refer to the Three Rules of Coaching on my blog:

1 Players makes the coach

2 Coach thru your own unique personality

3 You’re always hired to be fired at some point.

But Craig Berube just defied the Three Rules of Coaching in these Stanley Cup Finals. In this instance, Craig Berube in his own way made the players.

What a great Stanley Cup Finals we just witnessed.

Why not?

Why not only make the Clippers the team to beat next season in the West, but permanently split the Splash Brothers and do to the Warriors what he did to the Thunder on July 4th, 2016?

What Jerry West did back then was effectively eliminate the Thunder as a viable contender in the West. Since that coup in the Hamptons the Thunder are 4-12 in post season play and a Northwest Division afterthought.

Jerry West would then have two of the premier wing defenders on the same team with their offensive talents as well to build the Clippers around.

No one more than Jerry West knows what Steph Curry becomes without Klay Thompson. He becomes a player who was not in any way a factor in the last fourteen minutes of Game 6 with multiple players draped over him.

The NBA is a mercenary business. Dog eat dog. Do unto others as they would do unto you.

Picture a smiling Jerry West between Kawhi and Klay with his new additions….The K Brothers.

Why not? This is when Bob Myers tears will be for real.