TOP OF THE WEEK:

The broadcasting industry in general and the Atlanta Braves nation in particular suffered a huge loss last week with the passing of Pete Van Wieren, the mild mannered “professor” of the great Ernie Johnson, Skip Caray and Van Wieren broadcast team that formed in the seventies. All three are in the Braves Hall of Fame. All three should be in Cooperstown as we alluded to a few weeks back on this blog. Your HB (Humble Blogger) and his family were privileged to meet Pete at a social function in Atlanta about ten years ago. He treated us like old friends – commenting on the then new ball park in Clearwater and expressing bewilderment that his Braves were still the team of choice of our family despite the emergence of the Rays. Pete and his colleagues were the overriding factor in our family remaining Braves fans to this day. Baseball heaven now has one of its finest broadcast teams back intact.

Around the Bay –

1. If you really like to play longshots, put some money on one of the three Democrats who will contest the District 67 house seat now held by Ed Hooper who is termed out. The winner of this month’s primary will most likely go against Republican Chris Latvala, son of well-connected state senator Jack Latvala.

2. As was suggested by this blog a few months ago, the best replacement for departed County Administrator Bob LaSala is the guy sitting in the office right now – Mark Woodard. Still, it’s a shame that Florida’s Sunshine Law prevents a lot of good candidates from applying for this and other jobs. The Sunshine Law is good – to a point. Two areas that ought to be exempt (and are in many other states) are top level job applicants and real estate transactions where government’s negotiating power is severely hampered by the Sunshine Law.

3. So what’s the big deal about cabbies here in Florida wearing shorts? Some hotel maven thinks it’s unprofessional. What’s he want - tux and tails? It’s ninety some degrees every day in Florida this time of year. Maybe the cabbies could take a lesson from the Jolly Trolley operators who look appropriately tropical in their garb which includes shorts.

4. Further to the item above. In just what large city are these pristine cabs said hotel guy speaks of? None we’ve ever visited.

5. With the general election for our Circuit Court judges and school board just a few weeks away, take a moment to chat with attorneys and educators you respect to find out about those races where you might not be familiar with the candidates.

The Diamond, the Media and Other Stuff –

6. Remember when ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball was “must see” TV? Not so much since the network unwisely jettisoned Jon Miller – one of the best broadcast guys in the game. Now we get desperation moves like last week’s planting of the broadcasters on Fenway’s green monster. Just give us solid broadcasters like Jon Miller – not gimmicks.

7. Speaking of ESPN, their bad seed, Stephen A. Smith, has put his foot in his mouth again and has been suspended. When is the network just going to dump that guy who brings nothing to the table but a loud mouth?

8. Just a guess but it appears the major tennis federations are quietly tightening the screws on juicers in that sport – both male and female.

9. Do corporations not learn from history? Coca Cola, those fine folks who gave you “new Coke” some thirty years ago, recently changed the formulation of its Vitaminwater with a sweetener that leaves a metallic aftertaste. What could possibly go wrong? It took about two months of outrage from customers to return to the old formula.

10. Just think, perhaps we could have “new Twinkies”, “new Hershey Bar” or, God forbid, “new Girl Scout Thin Mints”. Some things, while not all that good for us, are best left alone.

IN CLOSING:

My, that’s quite a hornet’s nest Pasco education chief Curt Browning stirred up over dropping the valedictorian and salutatorian honors at county high schools. The Latin descriptions colleges use seem to work pretty well. The one on your HB’s (humble blogger’s) diploma was a rather lengthy Latin phrase which roughly translated into “We need the space, so we’re giving him this piece of paper.”