Buffa’s Buffet: 5 things on my mind
Bonus Friday edition.
As Friday’s workday slowly drifts by, let’s talk about a few things in a special bonus Buffet edition. Getting one of these beasts published per week is the goal, but sometimes there’s more. Think of if it like the extra scenes and alternate ending on a DVD, but actually worth checking out instead of being mere filler.
I have nothing good to say about my fellow drivers. They’re awful. The evidence gathered comes from driving on the road five days a week high up over regular pedestrian vehicles. They’re on the phone, messing with things, and generally not paying attention. Suddenly at the last minute, they swerve over into your lane and nearly cut you off. That’s a daily thing.
It’s either too fast or too slow; people can’t find a middle ground on their speed. While 5-10 mph over the limit used to carry sex appeal, it’s now seen as old person driving. It’s not good enough, especially on the highway.
Is it my fault that Brad didn’t leave early enough, and now is moving like a NASCAR driver through traffic? I think not.
Is it my fault Geena couldn’t complete the text at the last stop light and now is finishing it as her car moves into my lane? Nope.
Is it my fault that the person in front of me was something before electricity but now would be better off operating a bingo raffle than being on the road with others? Not really.
It’s not that hard, just like the English language isn’t that hard to understand if you speak it out properly. Driving is made hard by bad drivers.
They don’t need more coffee, but I always do-especially between the hours of 6am and 12pm. It’s either that or I suck down Coke Zeros all day. I can’t do water all the time. It’s good for you and important, but boring like a family newsletter about people you can barely fucking remember.
By the way, Coke Zero is Coke without the guilt. It tastes the same and doesn’t have 46 grams of sugar per can. Granted, artificial sweeteners don’t help with CZ, but the passage through stomach customs is much easier. But it’s not as good as coffee, which is essentially cups of water if you don’t put much in them.
Coffee tip that Starbucks customers should remember: DO NOT get a 20 ounce Americano. A drink that combines espresso shots and water gets too watery at a certain size. That is it. Stick with the two smaller sizes. Good drivers get good coffee. That should be the rules. If you’re driving stinks, you get 7-11 coffee at 7pm that was made at 7am.
Please understand Cardinals baseball is a gigantic tease. They’ll win 85-90 games, get a couple playoff wins, and most likely retire into the fall weather. That’s not a shot, but a certainty for 85% of teams. Assembling a big roster of expensive toys doesn’t equal postseason success. Bill DeWitt Jr. and John Mozeliak need to figure out if they’re going to bark all day like a little doggie, or are they ready to bite? Looking at this team’s pitching, I’d say they’re sitting in nippy mode.
I like to put my faith more in movies, because they’re one and done pleasures. While there could be sequels, you get one product to start out with. After watching Ben Affleck’s Air a few days ago, I can revel in the 112 minutes spent with that movie. While some would think it’s about Michael Jordan and his legendary shoes, it’s more about the people who took risks and countered desperation by sinking their hopes into one player and a legacy many saw happening.
Fun facts about the Nike-Jordan deal:
The 250k offered to Jordan was the largest Nike ever presented to a single player. It was meant to be used on 3-4 players.
In a bizarre twist of fate, Converse-who initially had a better chance of landing MJ-was eventually bought by Nike.
Sonny Vaccaro, Matt Damon’s character, proved vital in the 2014 lawsuit that helped NCAA college players get compensation for colleges and brands making money off them. Jordan’s Nike deal started that.
Like the screenwriter of Air said, it was more of a heist film than a sports movie. I may hate awards buzz guessing taking place in the spring, but I can believe the hype here. Remember this one in November.
Blues fans will experience Vladimir Tarasenko-less hockey for the first time to start a season this fall. He returned to Enterprise Center Thursday night with the Rangers, scoring a power play goal amid a 3-2 Blues win. Wearing #93 in a different blue jersey color scheme, he buried a rebound for his 18th goal of the season. That’s eight goals scored with New York, a total that most likely falls short of what they wanted upon trading for him.
At the same time, St. Louis has gotten big points from Jakub Vrana, Kasperi Kapanen, and Sammy Blais since his departure. The Blues don’t have a scoring problem; their issue is defense. If that is fixed this offseason, expect them right back in it.
Since Blues hockey is done after next Thursday’s game in Dallas, keep the sports fever going with the Cam and Strick Podcast. What separates this listen from other shows that combine a former player and NHL reporter, Cam Janssen and Andy Strickland roast each other and offer honest perspective on the league. Each episode runs about three hours and includes a guest, but it’s the burn-filled conversation that makes it memorable. That and some hardcore real talk from former players and coaches who come on the show.
Retired asskicker Jared Boll joined the duo, and talked about transitioning from playing to coaching. He also dished on fighting for years, including 6-8 bouts with Janssen. Boll would hit players with a sneaky uppercut that could knock them cold, just ask Pat Maroon.
Boll also spoke honestly about retired numbers and teams giving away statues like candy to former players. It’s a view that I share, where a statue outside a stadium should represent a legend and NOT just a great player who didn’t screw up away from the field. It’s those easygoing conversations that elicit genuinely interesting takes like that. Give the boys a listen if you haven’t already.
I’m currently staring at 3:30pm, our exit time here at Crescent, like it owes me money. I don’t know about other 41-year-olds, but this body is sore and generally spent. Maybe it was the 18,000 steps and 1,200+ calories burned yesterday, or I could just be a little bitch about it all.
What I’m figuring out is that fitting everything in with a full time job and passions to go with family requirements turns into a Houdini act on occasion. Work, laundry, pet stuff, kid stuff, sleep, gym, writing, wife stuff, and the rest just takes it out of me.
Thanks for letting me come here and complain. That’s all for now.