Ahira's Hangar

I admit it bothers me a lot more with the NHL - all of those money losing franchises in places where they should not even be in the first place - being heavily subsidized by the teams like my Red Wings that actually do their best to put a quality product on the ice and make money in the process.

Good thing I am not in charge of any pro sports league because I would fold any franchise that cannot stand on its own feet financially over periods of more than five years.

Ugh. Why does Manny Ramirez have to play on a team in my team's division? I cannot stand that guy.

Pat Tomasuto (sp?) funny sportcaster on WGN's morning show announced that at Manny's first press conference after joining the Sox he demanded an intrepreter, something he had never had a need for in his previous 17 years. Pat just shook his head and said "And so...the Manny experience begins..." Most are expecting him to implode and take the rest of the team with him.

Another horrible and sad day for Tigers fans. Earlier this year we lost our beloved Ernie Harwell - today it was announced that our beloved Sparky Anderson (who besides being a great manager in both leagues, also did endless charity work here in Detroit for children) is in hospice.

I used to hate Sparky, because his teams killed my Atlanta Braves, but when he went to Detroit and won there, I gained respect for him. He was a great manager.

And I always liked the commericial where Chuck Daley and him ribbed each other gently, with Chuck showing off his first championship ring and Sparky saying, oh you only have one? <grin>.

Behind the scenes he did endless work - right up into the past year to benefit sick kids in the hospital. Do not know if many people know that?

They kept showing a clip of him crying his eyes out over the passing of Ernie Harwell, and his praising Ernie as the kindest human being in the world on the local news today. Made me cry, too, now that we will lose two people who really made such a positive difference in the world for so many - with baseball being the least of it.

And he is gone.

Yesterday his family announced Sparky Anderson was in hospice, and today he is passed.