Articles for October 27th, 2010
Blame This Man for the Rangers’ Loss
Through an odd set of circumstances, I wound up watching the game at July Alley, in Deep Ellum, where I encountered this gentleman. His name is Oliver Peck. As you can see, he’s a Giants fan. He was very collegial about the whole affair. Nice guy. Which is exactly how you’d expect Satan to behave.
Best Picture in the History of Ever
One more thing to get you fired up for the game now less than two hours away. Passed on to me by Twitter pal Chris Ebbesen. CLAW! ANTLERS! JUMP!
Dear Lefty O’Doul’s: Why So Little Faith?
Oh, you pranksters at Lefty O’Doul’s. Stationing a trumpeter outside the hotel the Rangers are staying at while in your fine city to keep them awake is cute, I suppose.
And yes, Rangers fans from all over have exacted some sweet revenge by calling your bar at a near constant pace. But your antics raise a question for me.
Why so little faith in your team? It’s almost as if you think they can only win if you deprive the Rangers (and, presumably everyone else staying at the St. Francis) of some sleep.
Tsk. Tsk. Fear the beard, indeed. I submit that if your beard was that fearsome, you’d not be afraid of some well-rested Rangers.
San Francisco Magazine, The Game is Afoot
I’ve never really heard of San Francisco magazine, and we get pretty much every city/regional magazine extant, which we then ridicule, out of either professional jealousy or actual necessity. ANYWAY, I found it because, as Dallas’ city magazine, we need an opposite number to make a World Series bet against and, based on a cursory Google search, it will have to be them.
Here is what we are willing to put on the line:
•Twelve (12) complimentary copies of our 35th anniversary issue
•One (1) free round at The Old Monk (limit: four staff members)
•Solemn promise that we will never allow Tim Rogers to so much as apply for a job at your shop
•Five (5) minutes to say anything you want — political statement, promotion, etc. — at our regular Monday morning staff meeting, in person or via conference call
•One (1) blog post, no longer than 300 words, that we promise to read at least half of
•One (1) guided tour of the Sixth Floor Museum, or whatever other stereotypical “Dallas” thing you want to do
So what say you, San Francisco magazine?
Okay. Who the Heck Pranked Us and Changed Our Logo at the Top of This Page?
Seriously. That’s some solid work.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Oct. 27
Good day unto you, Dallas. This morning I discovered, much to my delight (or horror—can’t decide which) that with only a tiny bit of gel and a white pantsuit, I could whip up a convincing Laurie Anderson costume. So that’s exciting. Or dismaying.
The Texas Rangers begin their march to glory this evening, and I know most of you will be settled on a couch or barstool for the occasion (for suggestions, check out this handbook for where to watch the World Series in Dallas, written by nightlife expert and all-around terrific person Christine Sracic). However, if for some reason you do not wish to watch the game, jump to the next page for the best alternatives.
UP Mayor Dick Davis: Lubbock Looks A Lot Like Memphis
… or vice versa. Merritt Patterson, at the blog for our sister publication Park Cities People, had an interesting conversation with University Park Mayor Dick Davis, who insists the photos in a recent mailer about alcohol sales turning the city into Lubbock (ouch, Lubbock – are y’all gonna take that?) are indeed Lubbock and not, say, Memphis.
The original photo is here. I’ve been to both Lubbock and Memphis. I’m pretty sure I can tell the difference.
Collin County Muckraker Comes Out Swinging at DA
A few weeks ago, FrontBurner’s Collin County correspondent, Bill Baumbach, suffered a stroke. It seriously impaired his verbal communication, but with help he’s continued to maintain his Collin County Observer site.
Today was the first time he’s submitted an item for publication on FrontBurner. While his recovery still has a ways to go, he’s certainly not taking it easy on the powers that be in McKinney and Plano. Here’s his report:
The District Clerk, Harrah Kunkle, and six indicted clerks are using a duplicate set of books for employee time — commonly known as “the Blue Books.” This is the source of the charge against them for “falsifying official documents.”
The District Attorney, John Roach, is using exactly the same type of duplicate books as Kunkle’s, instead calling it “High-Five.” The same allegation – falsifying official documents – could potentially be applied to this program as well.
Now the DA is having to tell the court that the District Attorney’s office used a similar scenario as the District Clerk.
The District Attorney’s Office has recused itself, and will ask for a special prosecutor. The call for a special prosecutor will cause the case many months delay.
It’s now likely that Crigger will take office as any trial will take at least six months.
The DA screwed up their six cases. Idiots!
Reasons to “Fear the Beard”–and the Underdog Giants
From a 48-year Giants fan who watches most of their games on cable’s MLB package, jump for a couple of things about the Texas Rangers’ World Series opponents you may not know …
The Most Awesome Rangers T-Shirt Going
For my money, the best Rangers fan shirt going comes from these guys. From left, that’s Seth Hayhurst, Ricky Thiot, and Seth’s brother Daniel. Awhile back, Ricky got in his head that he wanted to print up a Rangers shirt for himself. Ricky sells high-priced fake teeth and didn’t have much design experience, so he called his brother, who is in an ad program at BYU. Said brother (not of the old-school variety) came up with the design you see here, a brilliant portrait of Ron Washington on the front and the classic “That’s the way baseball go” on the back.
Ricky had 24 of them printed up, the minimum order. He sold the extras to friends and so forth. One of those friends sent a pic of his new shirt to Seth, who’s a chef at Central Market in Southlake. Seth was all like, “Dude, I gotta have that shirt,” or words to that effect. So he contacted Ricky. Bang, that’s how business go. Next thing you know, Daniel, a director in L.A., is in on the gig, too.
At first, they had a store on eBay. That’s where I bought mine ($22, including the personal delivery this morning). But eBay was taking $3 of every shirt transaction. So the boys launched their own site, WashYourRangerShirt. They’ve come up with two more designs that are pretty funny, too. And how are they doing with their little business venture? On Saturday they took delivery of 450 shirts and have already sold out. They’re right now about to place another order for maybe 800 more.
If you want one, the boys say they can get it to you pronto. Last night, for instance, they set up shop at a Starbucks in Denton. So show your love for the Rangers. Claw!
Where to Watch the World Series in Dallas
Do you want a guy like this at your side while you’re enjoying Game 1 of the World Series tonight? Either way, we’ve compiled a list of the best spots for enjoying the Texas Rangers’ first trip to the Fall Classic.
Take a look, whether you’re the sort of fan who can explain the infield fly rule or the type who thinks the Rangers scored six “points” in their last game.
Leppert’s Baseball Past Dug Up by New York Times
An electric FrontBurnervian points us to this story in the sports section of the New York Times comparing San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom with Mayor Tom Leppert. You see, Leppert’s a Republican, and when he played, he was a right-handed pitcher. But wait. You won’t believe this. When Newsom played, he was a lefty! And he’s a Democrat. Get it? The Times says:
Their states fit the red and blue pattern. Their cities stand in even greater contrast. There is probably no American municipality more closely tied to liberal causes than San Francisco, home of the Giants. And the Rangers, who play in Arlington, Texas, but are the newly minted pride of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, were once run by the man championed as a compassionate conservative, former President George W. Bush, who has remained visible as a fan during the team’s first run to the Series.
Good grief. That’s a stretch worthy of the seventh inning. Did you catch that? The writer sets out to compare the two cities, San Fran and Dallas, but then compares San Fran to — George W. Bush. Gimme a break. And let’s not forget that Dallas County is actually blue, not red.
I’m sure if I gave it some thought, I could come up with some reasons why San Francisco and Dallas were a lot alike. I think I’d start with the new buildings in the Arts District and point out that the architects responsible have also recently made their mark in San Fran.
So to the Times I say: that is not the way journalism go.
(Bonus: our FBvian notes that sometime D Magazine contributor Allison V. Smith took the portrait of Leppert. Snap!)
Rangers Inspire Extra Effort From Media
Last night at CVS, the counter was filled with copies of a glossy Rangers magazine/yearbook that included the results of the ALCS. All the photos were credited to the AP, none of the stories carried a byline, and the fine print said the whole thing was produced in New Jersey. (”New Jersey?!? Get a rope.”) I would have picked up a copy to show Tim and Wick, but the $7.99 cover price was a bit steep.
And this morning at Arapaho Center Station, a guy standing near the ticket machines was hawking a special World Series edition of the Morning News. I’ve never seen a human selling newspapers at a DART station. The price point was much more aggreable this time: 50 cents.
Yipit.com Launches Today in Dallas
Overwhelmed by all those deal-a-day sites? Yipit.com is here to help. The deal aggregator launches today in Dallas. TechCrunch Had this to say about it. So that you know, the outfit was launched by St. Mark’s alum Jim Moran. But you shouldn’t hold that against Yipit.
The Top Reality Star in Dallas: Nikki McKibbin versus Melissa Rycroft
It’s down to the final two, but I’m not going to make this a nice-girl-versus-bad-girl thing. I mean, obviously Melissa is the chipper girl next door. (That is, if you happen to live next to former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who look for love on television.) The lady has fared incredibly well after her time on The Bachelor. She’s got a showbusiness-y career, she’s married, and she has a baby on the way. On the other hand, our girl Nikki had some troubles after her stint on American Idol, some of which were televised on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab. But she just seems like such a nice lady. So, what’s the answer? I don’t know. You’re going to have to look in your heart and decide. Once you do, vote hard, and vote often. (You can vote once every hour.)
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