Futurelawyer

Wanna Get Away?

The next time I get the urge to get back out on the golf course, I think I will follow this guy's lead, buy a set of golf clubs, and throw them in the lake. Cut out the middle man, and get to the fun part, the 19th hole.

 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Need To Depend On My Offensive Line.

One of the most underrated wits of football history coached the first couple of years of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I began watching the Bucs when Tampa Bay got the franchise in 1976, and have been to most of the home games since. My favorite memories, however, don't come from the 0 and 26 losing streak that started the team's history. It was the wit and wisdom of John McKay, who came from a stellar college history to the worst pro franchise in NFL history. The Bucs were terrible. They couldn't run, couldn't pass, couldn't block and couldn't tackle. They were an object lesson in organizational failure. Whether your organization, be it 1 or 20 persons, is executing in tandem, or flailing away in every direction, will usually determine whether you succeed or fail. It is much easier to say that everyone in the organization (be they clients, colleagues, or associates) needs to be on the same page, metaphorically speaking, than actually to deliver the result. In fact, in my one man organization, I don't need to worry about anyone else.  As a solo, I don't have to worry about everyone in my organization working together. As McKay opined, when questioned about the lack of execution of blocks on his offensive line, after a really bad performance: "Coach, what do you have to say about the execution of your offensive line today?" Deadpanned, without a pause, McKay shot back: "I'm in favor of it".

"People Will Come, Ray". Why We Love Baseball.

I get a lot of resistance from friends who can't understand why I attend baseball games. How can you sit for hours watching grass grow, they say. Too little action, they say. Football and hockey are more exciting, they say. The world has passed the game by, they say. Baseball executives hear it too. They have instituted pitch count timers, and cut back on novel player placement, and other things to speed up the games. But, at its core, the magic of baseball is its continuity. It is the magic of remembering our youth. It is the magic I feel when I remember the time I threw a player out at home plate from right field. Or, the time I had an unassisted double play at first base when I made an impossible catch of a line drive. Or, the time I walked 8 batters in a row in an All Star game. Every time I sit in the stands, and score a game on the computer, I remember hot summer evenings as the official scorekeeper for the municipal baseball league. But, Terence Mann, the fictional sportswriter in Field of Dreams, said it best. 

Any Baseball Fan Will Tell You That Exit Velocity Is One Of The Most Important Stats.

Life Is Short. Get A Big Screen TV For The RV.

The prices for TVs have come way down. I didn't care for the experience of watching baseball on a small screen while traveling. So, here is the new RV TV. I have had an enjoyable several hours programming it for Rays games on the road. Go Rays. I might be the RV lawyer, but all work and no play makes Rick a dull boy.

Law And Technology Take A Back Seat To Life's Special Moments.

Everyone has unforgettable moments in life. Our lives are short; but they have some special moments that last a lifetime. Your first kiss. Your first love. Your first foul ball. What, you say? Yes, Virginia, I remember the first foul ball I caught at a pro baseball game. I was a teenager, and it was a AAA game in Jacksonville where I grew up. Baseball has always been a big part of my life; perhaps more so now that I can't play it anymore. Last night, Diane caught her first foul ball in the ninth inning of the Rays' major league record 14th straight home game victory, and we have been present for them all. So, today, kudos to my lovely wife, who had one of life's special moments last night. 

A Scorecard For The Ages.

Those who know me well, know that I enjoy scoring the Rays games. My favorite part time job as a kid when I wasn't playing Little League baseball was as an Official Scorer for the Jacksonville REcreation Department, and sometimes an umpire. I don't ever publish the cards; but, today, when the Rays set another Major League record for most consecutive wins to begin a season, and winning each game by more than four runs, I make an exception. If they can avoid injury, this Rays team can be very special. If you get a chance, watch some of the Rays games this season. It is a young man's game, and an old man's dream, and truly the American pastime.

 

First Home Baseball Weekend - You Score All The Games Also, Don't You?

IScoreSports My first summer job in the Sixties, was as an official scorer for Jacksonville area baseball. My stepdad, who was a very good professional ballplayer in his youth (career cut short by an injury), taught be the game, and he became a well regarded umpire. Through his connections, I got scoring jobs, and I learned the game by scoring on paper in big notebooks. Other than playing, the best way to learn baseball is to score it. I got into the habit of scoring when I went to AAA games in Jax, and later, I revisited it when the Rays came to town in 1998. Naturally, the FutureLawyer was interested when scoring came to computers, and I started using IScore years ago. The software is ridiculously inexpensive, and you can get up to the minute rosters for all of Major League Baseball for $19.99 a year. I have never figured out how to add it to more than one device, though, so I usually spend the $20 on more than one device. The company kindly attempted to refund the extra purchases; but, I stopped them after one. This software is worth a lot more than twenty bucks a year. With the press of a button, the lineup cards are brought in at gametime, and current stats are available for every player at all times. The software can be used for any other league or game as well, so, if you have kids in little league, or follow other games, you can use it to create stat sheets and score cards for all of them. Yesterday's blowout win over Detroit produced the attached scorecard for the Rays. Don't you love those 12 little blue squares, each of which represents a run driven in? I am using my old Samsung Tablet, the S5e, which is very thin and light, and not a problem to hold for the whole game. Thanks, iScore. Thanks, God, for another season watching baseball, and joined by my beautiful, loving wife, Diane. I can't wait until this afternoon's game, when I get to do it all over again. Play ball.

 

Opening Day - When Every Team Dreams Of The World Series.

When you get to be older, many things become possible. For instance, you are more inclined to splurge on things when you realize that you will be dead sooner rather than later. Life is short. So, I upgraded our seats for this season, and the small market Rays still have a chance to make the Series one more time before the inevitable. St. Petersburg, Florida, is the place where America welcomes Springtime, and the boys of summer will be beginning another season this afternoon. It is one of life's ironies that we will be in an air conditioned building to avoid the 90 degree Florida sun. But, it is the game that counts, and watching young athletes makes old men dream again. The new rules promise to shorten the game; but, for old purists like myself, it might just create more chaos, as there are more rules to violate. In any event, let's put aside petty differences and listen to the crack of the bat this afternoon with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. Play ball!

So, You Want To Attend The Super Bowl In Person?

Get out the checkbook, grasshopper. Except, that most of us couldn't write a good check for $5,000. And, that is for the cheap seats. I have had season tickets for the Bucs since 1976, and, since Super Bowl XVIII was played in Tampa, we season ticket holders (season tix were $12 a game), got the opportunity to enter a lottery to buy Super Bowl tix. I remember how excited I was to win the lottery, and got nosebleed seats for $60 each (around $450 in today's money). As a bonus, my Redskins were in the game; but, got blown out by the Raiders 38 to 9. We had a great time, though, and I got plenty of great photos. Attending the game in person has become a rich man's sport, however, and I won't be going to any more in my lifetime. This is a big reason why the NFL is out of touch with the ordinary fan.