Month: March 2014

3 reasons why MLB Opening Day should NOT be a national holiday


I have seen numerous pleas by Major League Baseball on social media asking fans to sign a petition that would make Opening Day a national holiday. As much as I love baseball, there are three good reasons why I feel opening day should not be a national holiday.

1.  Ballpark attendance will not increase

Ask any fan of their city’s Major League Baseball team what the biggest challenge is with Opening Day and they will tell you it is getting tickets. Most MLB teams require fans to sign up on a waiting list about six months before the regular season begins in hopes that their name will be drawn from the lottery to buy tickets for opening day.

In other words, every team that has a solid fan base is currently selling out their stadium on Opening Day. Sold out is sold out, and declaring a national holiday won’t change that.

2.  Viewership will not increase

In most MLB markets the local media creates more hype and it generates greater anticipation around Opening Day than any other game during the year. Of course, there is at least one local station in each market that is likely to broadcast the game. So many of the people who were unable to buy tickets will be watching on TV. Even if they are working, in this day of cable sports TV and digital recorder’s most real fans can watch the game at their convenience after work.

3.  More people will suffer than benefit
In America, a national holiday usually means that federal offices, banks and in many cases schools will be closed. While it seems that this may be a benefit to Major League Baseball since more people are free from other distractions to focus on the nation’s pastime, my hunch is that more people will be affected negatively than will benefit. Think of the people that you know that work at any of the institutions that normally close on national holidays and how their income is affected when they cannot work. And think of how many business transactions cannot take place when banks are closed. Now you see what I mean.

Don’t get me wrong. I love baseball and I wish I could be off every year on Opening Day to take part in the festivities. However, we should keep in mind as a people that Major League Baseball is a business and they will continue to do just fine without Opening Day being declared a national holiday. Our government should not declare a holiday for the benefit of one industry at the expense of the general population.

Play ball!

AZ bucket list: Carefree


Carefree wasn’t on my Arizona Bucket List before I visited the town, but it should have been. I took my parents and my teen daughters to Carefree in mid-March 2014 as our impromptu Plan B. You see, my parents were visiting us in Phoenix from deep in the heart (more like lower extremities) of Texas. Before their arrival, Mom mentioned that seeing the desert in bloom was on her bucket list.

We had planned to visit the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix on the free day they offer the second Tuesday of every month. Just us and about half the people in Phoenix! The morning of our planned visit, the entry line (of cars) was backed up about a mile from the place. It’s at that point we were greeted with a sign that read “Free Day lots full.”

That’s when we resorted to Plan B. I remembered that in my search for desert demo gardens online, I stumbled onto an article about a garden in the Town of Carefree – about 25 miles north of Phoenix. So, guided by the GPS, off we went. The drive into town was unexpectedly rural and beautiful, with distinctive rock outcroppings and native plants lining the highway. Starting about five miles before the town of Carefree, you see interpretive signs identifying various plants growing in their natural state.

In the center of town is a meandering 4+ acre demonstration garden with water and shade features, along plenty of places to sit down. Adjacent to the park is a row of unique business that cater visitors. (See photos below – click for larger view.)

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I had visited the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix a couple weeks before we drove to Carefree, so I had a good frame of reference. The gardens in Carefree were every bit as beautiful, just on a smaller scale. The best part of our visit: It was FREE and we parked right next to the garden walk with absolutely no lines or hassles.

A remarkable display of patriotism


My wife and I have been looking after an elderly 30-year U.S. Air Force veteran whose service spanned the entire Vietnam era, and then some.

Recently, he needed some concrete and tile work done in the main bathroom and he expressed to my wife that he was worried about the cost.

A contractor named Efrain came over to see what kind of work needed to be done and returned the following day. While waiting for the concrete to set, he took time to ask the Vet about some pictures from the retiree’s flying years that my wife arranged neatly on the wall just a few days earlier.

As Efrain finished the job and headed for the door, the elder asked how much he owed.

“Thank you for your service,” was Efrain’s reply.

Remarkable!

I would love to hear your stories of how you honor veterans or remarkable displays of patriotism you have witnessed.