Thursday night local time.
So what has your editor been up to? Sometimes life sucks, as we all know. My life was turned upside down by a bad investment a few years ago (hidden from many of you) and, alas, I don’t have the talent of Henrik Stenson to quickly make it up. [The more I think of Stenson and how he rebounded from being part of the Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme the more I admire the guy. I mean Stenson lost $8 million and earned, the hard way, $17 million playing golf last year. No guaranteed contracts, like the baseball ones you’ve seen. Stenson, against world-class fields, competed and won, or finished 2nd or 3rd. Man, that is great stuff. There is nothing better in the world than success that is earned.]
Anyway, as I will describe in detail in my next “Week in Review,” not that I have anything to do with that, I came to Hong Kong for closure on a sad chapter in my life and…didn’t get it. Which really, really blows…sports fans.
Again, read my next WIR for the sorry details. For now, I flew out of Newark Monday afternoon for Hong Kong, 15 ½ hours. I’ve done it a few times before and it sucks. No such thing as a good flight of that length, especially when you are a light sleeper. Because of the time change, and crossing the date line, I arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday evening, 8:45 pm.
Now the good thing is last time I came here I discovered the Regal Airport Hotel, which is literally attached to the main terminal. As in you step out of customs and have a two-minute walk to the place. The rooms aren’t spectacular but everything else about the place is primo, including the restaurants and bars, and for any learned traveler it’s the place. As in if you have a layover, say two hours before flying on to Australia, you go to the Regal and relax in their nice lobby.
In my case I love it because I had a flight the next day, Wednesday, so that part is super convenient, plus I’m a two-minute walk from the high-speed train that takes you into the center of Hong Kong.
And then there is Terminal 2. In five minutes you walk from your room to this other terminal that has fewer flights, mostly to places like Phuket and Indonesia, and which is a combination shopping mall and restaurant row. And an IMAX theater which I’ve never partaken of but I was just looking at the schedule and I might be able to catch “Gravity” there on Saturday.
So, for example, tonight I went to Terminal 2 and ate at a combo Hungarian-Italian joint. I was greeted by Miss Heineken, or she certainly would have qualified for it, all dressed in her cute uniform (green mini-skirt, white boots) and while I had a choice of beers, well, guys, when Miss Heineken is recommending Heineken you do as she says. “Yes, Miss Heineken. I’ll have a pint of that.” [Guys, just try not to drool when presented with Miss Heineken while placing your order. She’ll talk about you later with her co-workers and it won’t be in a complimentary fasion.] Oh, and I had the Hungarian sausage sampler…quite tasty. And then another Heineken.
Now where the heck was I and why am I here? [Channeling Admiral Stockdale.] Oh, so on Wednesday morning (after having beers at the hotel bar as soon as I checked in, Tuesday, because I wasn’t in the least tired), I hopped on my flight to Fuzhou, China, for an all-day adventure there that you’ll have to read WIR for. It didn’t go as planned, though I had told my friends and family I didn’t have high hopes it would.
But I learned a ton about China, again for WIR, and I survived a scary moment involving my driver. In a nutshell I had been to Fuzhou two other times but both with drivers from the company I had invested in. This time I was on my own and, despite never having a problem before in all my travels with this, at least not a major one, I couldn’t find one person who spoke a word of English to drive me around. I was naïve (not really) in thinking I could find one…freakin’ one…in this teeming humanity (it’s Lunar holiday season here and, boy, the region is teeming).
Alas, my return flight Wednesday evening to Hong Kong was delayed over an hour because of, as the captain later told us, “military action.” Understand Fuzhou is in Fujian province and Fujian is the closest to Taiwan and all the missiles targeting Taiwan are basically on Fujian and who the heck knows what kind of exercise, not “action,” was taking place.
I didn’t get back to my hotel Wednesday until well after 11:00 PM, hit the hotel bar, ordered fish and chips (hadn’t eaten since breakfast), and promptly mishandled the vinegar bottle. It was like one of those salt and pepper shaker pranks you pull on someone. I started to pour and it all came gushing out. But no one was hurt and the fish was still edible. It was, however, apropos of my day overall.
Thursday morning it was the big catch up on news. I had been largely out of touch for over two whole days and the WIR work takes precedence you understand. By 11:00 a.m. I felt like I knew what was going on in the world and headed to The Peak Tram where I go every time I’m here for lunch at The Lookout at the top of the mountain on Hong Kong Island.
But, geezuz, it was cold as ice! I punched up the weather when I got back and it said the temp in Hong Kong was in the 60s…no freakin’ way. I’d say 50s with a heavy wind that made it feel like the upper 40s. I mean I was dressed for cool weather (and I’m not seeking sympathy from those suffering back home in the States in the latest chapter of Global Warming Gone Bad) but the waiter seats me outside (great spot when it’s warmer) and I said, “Gee, it’s cold and this sucks!” “But we have a function inside and we can’t seat you there” “I can’t sit here, I’ll freeze to death!” He got the manager who found me a spot in the sun with a heater that functioned better and all was good. After a few Stellas it didn’t matter that the food was once again mediocre. [You don’t go to The Lookout for the food…you go for the view, the atmosphere and the beer.]
I then stepped on the Terrace (which you now have to pay a few extra for…absurd) and it was so cold I only stayed about three minutes to snap off some photos. The good thing was the strong winds had blown out a lot of the pollution that Hong Kong is known for.
So I’m very proud of myself that I can maneuver around Hong Kong without a map and I quickly descended and got the train back to the hotel, whereupon I finally collapsed. Like for hours.
And so it’s getting late on Thursday, tomorrow I have to start WIR, and for now I’m just going to clear the table of a few issues since I left New Jersey. As in….
College Basketball / AP Poll (released Monday afternoon)
1. Arizona 18-0 (61 first-place votes)
2. Syracuse 18-0 (4)
3. Michigan State 17-1
4. Villanova 16-1
5. Wichita State 19-0
6. Florida 15-2
7. San Diego State…Ding ding ding!!!
8. Kansas 13-4
9. Wisconsin 16-2
10. Iowa 15-3
20. Pitt 16-2…Yay, Pitt! Sock it to ‘em!
But…on Monday night, after I had dissed them in my last chat, Creighton destroyed ‘Nova in Philly, 96-68, as the Bluejays went off for 21 threes, including 9 by Ethan Wragge for all 27 of his points, while Doug McDermott showed his All-American form (that once again I missed) in scoring 23, including 5 threes of his own. So ‘Nova will fall in the rankings.
Then on Wednesday…Wisconsin lost to Minnesota and Iowa lost to No. 21 Michigan so before we even have the weekend’s sure share of further Big Ten upsets, you’re guaranteed a major poll shakeup come next Monday.
And what’s this? Wake Forest won a road game?! It’s true, it’s really true! Granted, Wake (13-6, 3-3) defeated a pathetic Virginia Tech squad 83-77 to go 2-27 on the road in the Coach Jeff Bzdelik era, but a win is a win and after dissing both Travis McKie and Codi Miller-McIntyre the two came through, scoring 24 and 20 points, respectively.
Actually, this was a big win for us. As I’ve been saying I will be satisfied with 8-10 in conference play which would get us into the NIT and show progress in the program.
Back to the AP poll, Ken. P. reminded me that with Duke at No. 18, it’s the only Top 25 from the “Old ACC,” truly pathetic. Like the worst performance for the conference in seemingly forever.
–Is there a bigger jerk in the game than South Carolina coach Frank Martin? He was forced to apologize after directing a tirade at guard Brenton Williams last weekend in a loss to Mississippi. Martin said he was too caught up in the moment.
I mean who would want to play for the guy? Martin has a history of temper tantrums that just aren’t appropriate for today’s game…let alone today’s society.
Super Bowl Chit-Chat
It’s funny. This time the two-week run-up to The Game may not be as interminable because everyone is so focused on the weather forecast. Yup, that little Northeaster on Tuesday certainly caught forecasters off-guard. Just two days before they were calling for ‘maybe a few inches’ in some parts of the New York City area. But as I left on Monday, things were changing and by the time I landed in Hong Kong, I was hearing from family members how godawful it was. Your basic foot of snow on The Meadowlands, for example. It’s all about the timing of these things. And now bitter cold has descended on the region and looking at the forecast for early next week, at least, we’re talking cold, baby! Maybe warming up Super Bowl weekend, however, into the 30s, but will there be precip?
Here’s what we do know. Peyton Manning doesn’t perform well in cold like that. It would seem the temperature will be 32 or colder come the 6:30 p.m. kickoff and in those conditions Manning is 4-7. In all other games he is 174-77. His passing yardage is close to 50 yards per game below average in those 11 contests.
Now Peyton dismisses the weather talk. After all on Dec. 8 he threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns against the Titans in a 51-28 Denver win with the temperature at 18 degrees. Manning even lashed out afterwards: “Whoever wrote that narrative can shove that one where the sun don’t shine.”
But then one game later, temp at 37 at kickoff, Manning sucked in Denver’s 27-20 loss to the Chargers.
Manning could nonetheless become the second-oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl. John Elway was 38 when he won Super Bowl XXXIII. Peyton will be 37 years 10 months come Feb. 2.
But all that aside, yes, Manning assured his legacy, most would say, with his awesome performance against New England, but he does still need that second ring to be counted among the 2 or 3 best all time. Those saying he already is in that elite are full of malarkey. [Keeping the material PG-13…it’s “Web Sweeps Week” after all and I’m playing for the 55-74 demographic.]
–Meanwhile, we learned that Seattle’s Richard Sherman and San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree got into it at a charity event in the offseason hosted by Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and that was the real genesis of their tussle last Sunday. Sherman, it seems, had extended his hand at the event and Crabtree instead wanted to fight. Cue Jeff Spicoli.
–After last Sunday’s loss to the Broncos, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was all torqued off over Wes Welker’s hit on star cornerback Aqib Talib, which forced Talib out of the game, after which Peyton Manning picked on his replacement. The league, however, later ruled the hit on Talib was legal.
–As for Tom Brady, he is now 4-6 in his last 10 playoff games and has 10 interceptions to go with 19 touchdown passes. He last won a ring in 2004.
–Thanks, it would seem, to the help of former Yankee Hideki Matsui, the Yankees signed Masahiro Tanaka to a seven-year, $155 million contract, which means New York this offseason has shelled out $427 million to Tanaka, Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran. So much for the team’s attempt to stay under the $189 million luxury tax limit, but give the team credit. They are telling the fans ‘We are giving this our best shot. You have a reason to come out next season.’
–Gotta love this…several major leaguers want Alex Rodriguez kicked out of the union after he sued it, but expulsion is not allowed.
–Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant now has nine straight games of 30+ points after the Thunder defeated the Spurs on Wednesday. Yes, he’s your MVP this season. Won’t be close.
–The Brooklyn Nets (18-22), my “Pick to Click,” are on a roll…8 of 9 in 2014 including Monday against the Knicks, 103-80 (and Tues. against Orlando). Deron Williams returned (again) and one guy who is giving them 18-20 good minutes a game is Kevin Garnett. It seems he and Coach Jason Kidd have worked it out. The Nets are going to make the playoffs and if they are then to do any damage, Garnett is one player who needs to be reasonably fresh.
–Meanwhile, the Knicks, after appearing to get it together, have instead lost five straight to go to 15-27 after losing to Philadelphia on Wednesday.
–So…who wants to go to Sochi? I have two seats for the hockey finals…sell ‘em for $5.
–Speaking of hockey, another true jerk, Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella was suspended by the NHL for 15 days for conduct it labeled “an embarrassment,” this after Tortorella engaged Calgary coach Bob Hartley at the end of the first period of a home game.
Tortorella was upset Hartley started his fourth line for the opening face-off, so Torts put out his goon squad and before you knew it there was a fight right at the open, it spread to eight skaters, and the brawl lasted several minutes. 150 minutes in penalties in the first 4 ½ minutes to be exact.
–It was a few days ago but in the Australian Open (which I’ve lost touch of, frankly), Novak Djokovic lost to Stanislas Wawrinka, which is causing a bit of a stir because Novak is coached by Boris Becker and many are now questioning this arrangement.
Wawrinka then defeated Tomas Berdych and will face the winner of the 33rd chapter between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for what will be Wawrinka’s first Grand Slam final.
Canadian Eugenie Bouchard upset Ana Ivanovic, after the latter defeated No. 1 Serena Williams.
–The Washington Post’s Norman Chad on the upcoming Olympic coverage.
“Bob Costas is back for his record-breaking 10th time as Olympic prime-time host. Actually, through the magic of satellite feeds, Costas will be anchoring nightly from his St. Louis home while reorganizing his 1962-85 rookie baseball-card collection.”
–I mean this in all seriousness but you just know that one or two of the broadcasters doing the Sochi Games are silently hoping for an incident to help cement them as a Jim McKay type iconic figure in the history of broadcasting. It may be distasteful, but it’s true.
—Jay Leno exits Feb. 6. Billy Crystal, Jay’s first guest on The Tonight Show back in 1992 will be his last, with Garth Brooks as the musical guest. Man, yet another instance of how time flies. Jay’s first joke was about Dan Quayle’s criticism of single mother Murphy Brown.
Jimmy Fallon then takes over on Feb. 17. He is appearing with Jay on Feb. 3 to smooth the transition. I think I’ll be staying up all three nights, with Fallon having U2 on Feb. 17.
Folks, not sure when I’ll be back with the next Bar Chat. I fly home all day on Sunday and then Monday will be the great catchup, again. I’ll probably have something for Wednesday morning. And then back to normal for a few months.
