The IRS Direct Pay system was down Tuesday afternoon, hours before the midnight deadline for people to file their 2017 taxes. https://t.co/3iLUSYqSRS
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 17, 2018
Hope this schadenfreude doesn’t get us audited.
Big Z
Airlines Behaving Badly
Dozens of Sun Country passengers are stuck in Mexico after the airline canceled several flights to MSP and told them to “make arrangements on another airline for your return flight”https://t.co/B8LJwA70Xn
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) April 15, 2018
Over the weekend, Eagan-based Sun Country Airlines stranded hundreds of travelers in Mexico because of the bad weather, leaving them to rebook on their own and deal with insufficient refunds. Sounds like a cruel joke, but it actually happened. https://t.co/vUMeN0NlQH
— Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) April 16, 2018
I’ve asked this question before and Sun Country Airlines is making me ask it again. Does any industry think less of its customers than the airline industry?
I guess this nonsense is to be expected from an airline that last summer hired the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Allegiant Air to be its new president and chief executive officer. You might remember Allegiant Air from such television programs as 60 Minutes, which on Sunday night called Allegiant Air “one of the country’s… most dangerous [airlines].”
When I hear the term “ultra-low cost carrier,” I think of Spirit Airlines, being asked to pay $3.50 for half a can of Diet Coke, being told it’ll be $25 to bring a suitcase with me, and generally being told to go eff myself. Add “figuring out how to get home from Mexico during a blizzard on my own” to that list.
For all of its troubles, I don’t remember the Fung Wah Bus ever telling people to find their own way home from New York City. No man left behind!
Airlines like Spirit, Allegiant and Sun Country are slowly turning into the Fung Wah Buses of the sky. Southwest Airlines already is a bus company that just happens to own and operate planes. There’s no assigned seating and no other way to explain why a flight from Boston to Atlanta would stop in St. Louis.
My personal policy used to be to drive to any destination less than 8 hours away. These stories have me considering updating that policy to drive to to any destination less than 12 hours away. I know that air travel is a privilege and not a right, but if I have the “privilege” of paying for my ticket, luggage, soft drink and small pack of pretzels, I think I have the “right” to expect a flight home.
Science Now Confirms Hand Dryers Are Disgusting
FOX 2 now – Washing your grubby mitts is one of the best ways to cut your chances of getting sick and spreading harmful germs to others, but a new study may make you think twice before you use air hand dryers in public restrooms.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine found the dryers may suck in bacteria from flushing toilets and spread it onto your hands.
This news doesn’t affect me – I’ve always been a paper towel guy. It’s just nice to know that science has finally come around to confirm my hunch that bathroom air blowers are disgusting, useless, time wasters. Maybe now we can discuss whether or not it is absolutely necessary to wash our hands after every. trip. to. the. bathroom.
I’m not asking to amend hand-washing guidelines for doctors or food service employees. I’m not saying that the rest of us should never wash our hands. I’m just asking that regular guys who work in office buildings not be shamed if they skip washing their hands every once in a while.
If a guy is in a regular office 9 – 5 every day, sucking down TB12 amounts of water at his desk, should he have to wash my hands after every trip to the men’s room? The correct answer is no. The less time in the men’s room the better. Especially now that we know all of the germs we wash off our hands are being replaced by other people’s piss. Literally. I’ll skip the sink and keep my own germs instead of trading germs, thanks.
George Carlin, right again.
The MLB Ballpark Quest Final Five
The quest to see all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks is a pilgrimage for many baseball fans. On Tuesday, Papa Giorgi wrote about his quest to see all 30 Major League ballparks and and shared some thoughts from the first dozen he’s been to. He also mentioned the next three ballparks on his itinerary.
That got me thinking about my itinerary. I’ve already been to eight current (and three former) Major League ballparks, but what would my itinerary look like if I were to start the quest from scratch today? Fenway Park, Camden Yards, Wrigley Field and Petco Park would definitely be at the top of my list. After the first dozen or so ballparks, though, my list would lose focus. Ranking parks like Safeco Field, Chase Field and Busch Stadium on the list would be a total crapshoot.
Rather than arbitrarily rank the ballparks in the middle of my list, why not eliminate some ballparks off the bat? So after some thought, if I were to start my ballpark quest today, here are the ballparks that would be the last five stops of my odyssey:
26. PROGRESSIVE FIELD Twenty years ago, there wasn’t a seat to be had at Jacobs Field. The Indians sold out a then-record 455 consecutive games from June 12, 1995 to April 2, 2001, but that was a different time. Jacobs Field was brand new, the economy was strong, the Browns were out of football for three seasons and LeBron was still in Akron.
This is not a comment on the park, which by all accounts is beautiful. After some lean years post-Manny, the team is once again a perennial contender under Terry Francona. I’d love to see Tito again, but I’m just not sure when I’ll be driving through Ohio on I-90 again.
27. COMERICA PARK Sorry, Detroit. While it is really cool that all four of Detroit’s pro sports teams play within a mile of each other, I just don’t see myself heading to Detroit anytime soon. Cleveland has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Minneapolis (Bloomington, actually) has the Mall of America. I’m not sure what would ever bring me to Detroit.
28. GUARANTEED RATE FIELD The last park built before Camden Yards and the retro ballpark movement, it’s hard to believe that new Comiskey Park Guaranteed Rate Field is just 27 years old. Maybe that’s because, despite its (relatively) young age, this ballpark has already undergone several rounds of extensive renovations.
I was in Chicago for a bachelor party a few years ago when the White Sox were at home and the Cubs were on the road. I drove 90 minutes north to the see the Brewers at Miller Park rather than head to the South Side. A boring team at a bland ballpark means it might be a while before I venture to the South Side.
29. ROGERS CENTRE If I were a 19-year-old sophomore at Syracuse University I would make the trek to Rogers Centre in a heartbeat to enjoy some poutine and Labatt Blue. As a grown ass man, I don’t have the same desire to visit the original retractable roof.
While SkyDome was the first stadium to feature a retractable roof, it was the last stadium built to accommodate both baseball and football. This stadium looks like a concrete tomb on the outside, and feels more like a relic of the days of multi-purpose stadiums than the retractable roof trailblazer it was. Factor in how expensive international flights are, even to Canada, and it’s unlikely I ever visit this ballpark unless I’m invited to a wedding at Niagara Falls some summer.
30. OAKLAND-ALAMEDA COUNTY COLISEUM Literally the biggest shit hole in the league. The A’s have been trying to get out of this place for more than a decade, so why would I visit willingly? The only thing the Coliseum has going for it is its proximity to AT&T Park. AT&T Park is a top ten park. The only way I see myself ever going to the Coliseum is if the A’s are at home the same weekend I go to see a Giants game.
Please realize that this is not a straight up ranking of the ballparks. If so, Tropicana Field would be in my bottom five. The five ballparks above are just the last five ballparks I plan to visit. If Tropicana Field were in Pittsburgh it would be on my list, but because Tampa in late March or April sounds delightful it is not.
If it seems like there is an East Coast or West Coast bias, it’s because of how many ballparks can be knocked out on one trip down I-95 or the Pacific Coast Highway. Money would no doubt be a factor on my quest and checking off more than one park per trip would be a borderline requirement. That’s what makes the AL Central such a challenge. If Minnesota still had the Metrodome, four of my last five trips would be to the AL Central.
If you’re reading this list in St. Louis obviously your feelings will be different. Seattle might be the moon to you. I did the best I could to put my coastal biases aside and just figure out which stops would be the hardest to make, and thus last. If you feel differently, let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @The300sBigZ
New and Improved Golf Channel to Feature NHL Playoffs!
Multiple NHL playoff games will air on the Golf Channel https://t.co/Q50S5LJeZi
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 9, 2018
In one of the most absurd sports media moves since the Outdoor Life Network acquired the cable broadcast rights to the National (Indoor) Hockey League in 2005, two NHL playoff games will be broadcast on Golf Channel on April 18. A pair of Game 4’s – Lightning @ Devils and Ducks @ Sharks – will be broadcast on Golf Channel on the evening of Wednesday, April 18.
As ridiculous as it sounds, though, it’s probably not that bad of a move. Golf Channel is available in about 79 million households, compared to about 81 million households for NBCSN. Not a massive difference. Both networks trail well behind in household availability to the two other cable networks that will air some NHL playoff games, CNBC and US Network. CNBC is available in almost 94 million households and USA Network is available in 94.3 million households.
It sounds strange to say this but if you are an LA Kings fan living in Boston, you might be better off if the Kings game airs on USA Network instead of NBC’s main cable sports outlet, NBCSN. My grandmother has been getting USA Network since the first Bush administration in the early ’90s. It is doubtful that she gets NBCSN.
A lot of people like to poke fun at the NHL’s television situation, but that’s not the point of this blog. The move to put two games on Golf Channel is mildly amusing, but is likely more about attracting eyeballs to Golf Channel after the Masters rather than a comment on the NHL’s television ratings. It might appease more hockey fans if these games aired on the NHL Network instead of Golf Channel, but that would be far worse for the product. According to the most recent estimate I could find, the NHL Network was only available in about 37 million homes. Ask yourself how many MLB playoff games you’ve ever watched on MLB Network. I know my answer. ZERO.
As a Bruins fan, I like seeing the B’s and Leafs on NBC in primetime Saturday night. I just worry about that game going to double overtime. If that game has to be finished on NBCSN to make way for a new episode of Saturday Night Live, then the NHL might have a real beef with its television partner.
Baseball’s Unwritten Rules Are Back!
StarTribune – Brian Dozier thought about approaching Chance Sisco at second base during a ninth-inning timeout Sunday but decided against it…
What needs addressing? In the Twins’ opinion, it’s Sisco’s decision to bunt to the vacant left side of the infield with one out in the ninth, trailing 7-0. Jose Berrios was trying to complete his first career one-hitter and shutout, and there were some players in the visitors’ dugout who felt it inappropriate for the Baltimore catcher to lay down a bunt to end Berrios’ streak of 17 straight outs, rather than swing away.
“Obviously, we’re not a fan of it,” Dozier said.
Ah yes. Baseball is back, with all of its storied unwritten rules.
Last year we learned that it’s in poor taste to bunt against a fat guy. Yesterday we learned that it’s in poor taste to bunt to beat the shift in the ninth inning of a one-hitter, according to Brian Dozier.
Don’t get me wrong, bunting to break up a no-hitter would be a dick move. No argument there. But bunting to beat the shift in the ninth inning of a one-hitter? Give me a break, Brian. Someone needs to remind Dozier that you play to win the game.
The Orioles were down by seven runs, with one out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth. They were probably going to lose. Does that mean Sisco should just give up, Brian? It’s like a basketball team fouling when they’re down by six points with 30 seconds left to play. It probably won’t matter in the end but at least extend the game and try to make a comeback. Unless it violates some unwritten rule and hurts someone’s feelings, I guess.
Berrios, who followed up by walking Davis on a fastball that umpire Marty Foster ruled was low, and loading the bases on a broken-bat fly by Manny Machado that fell in, said he wasn’t bothered by the bunt. Sort of.
“I don’t care if he’s bunting,” Berrios said. “I just know it’s not good for baseball in that situation. That’s it.”
You know what’s not good for baseball, Jose? Defensive shifts. People want to see some action, not Joe Maddon pore over spray charts in an effort to whittle the game down to the three true outcomes (strikeout, walk, home run).
I can understand David Ortiz not wanting to bunt to beat the shift. David Ortiz racking up infield hits was not going to win the Red Sox more championships. But if you’re going to start shifting against guys like Eduardo Nunez and Chance Sisco all the time, don’t be surprised when they start giving you the unwritten (and unspoken) middle finger.
Is Johnny Manziel Headed to the Patriots?
Theres been a lot of smoke around the Manziel Patriots connection lately so I am on the Johnny Football Hype Train full steam ahead!
Thursday Morning Randomness
Let’s hope today goes better than the last time the Red Sox opened their season at the Trop in 2003.
Dunkin’ Does It Again!
ICYMI: The Dunkin Donuts x Saucony Kinvara 9 dropped via Pre Order
BUY HERE: https://t.co/UEfd2Hbb63 pic.twitter.com/uYFTqVdPwa
— Sneaker Shouts™ (@SneakerShouts) March 27, 2018
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
boston.com – Lifestyle running brand Saucony… has teamed up with Dunkin’ Donuts to create an orange and magenta-infused version of its Kinvara 9 in anticipation of the Boston Marathon. The collaboration honors the “symbiotic relationship between running, coffee and donuts,” according to a press release…
The Saucony X Dunkin’ Kinvara 9 is available to pre-order for both men and women starting Tuesday for $120. The orders will ship April 3, when the shoe will also be available at Marathon Sports locations and on marathonsports.com.
$120! That’s it? When I saw these bad boys on Twitter I thought the price would easily be higher than $300. I might have to stock up on these kicks because they are fresh.
I’ve always admired the “America Runs on Dunkin” campaign and this latest move fits that campaign, and their brand, to a T. Orange and magenta running shoes with donuts on them? That’s kind of funny! It’s good to see Dunkin’ not taking itself too seriously. I can’t imagine putting on a pair of running shoes with this lady staring at me:
That logo would feel more at home on the iPad case of the self-important guy at Starbucks who sits there for three hours a day to complain about Brookline zoning laws on Twitter.
With a price of $120, these shoes might actually end up on the feet of some normal, everyday Dunkin’ drinkers. A win for the common man! Compare that to the Pizza Hut Pie Tops. One pair of Pie Tops on eBay is currently going for $2750. Any one who can afford a pair of Pie Tops probably hasn’t eaten Pizza Hut in decades.
Dunkin’ piggy backing on the Boston Marathon is another a great move. America runs on Dunkin’, but Boston is Dunkin’s home base. As a Bostonian, I love seeing Dunkin’ embrace its roots. I’d also love to see how many Dunkin’s are on the marathon route.
PS – This commercial is more than a decade old but I still can’t get this song out of my head. You’re welcome.
Does Any Industry Think Less of Its Customers Than the Airline Industry?
United Airlines apologized after a dog died on a flight during which it was stored in a passenger’s overhead compartment. A witness said that a flight attendant had ordered the pet owner to put the dog in the compartment before the plane took off. https://t.co/UInI2grNfg
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 14, 2018
There’s nothing funny about this story and I don’t have too much to add, other than to say that this stuff needs to stop.
I generally agree with what Mike Rowe had to say about air travel last year, after another United Airlines fiasco, because I also don’t want to fly with people who get to pick and choose which rules they follow. But that assumes the people enforcing the rules, namely flight attendants, are competent employees. Far too often, though, many flight attendants have demonstrated staggering incompetence.
There are far too many jobs in America that require a master’s degree that shouldn’t, or even a bachelor’s degree that shouldn’t. I don’t know what the preferred qualifications are to be a flight attendant, but I wouldn’t want to make an admittedly thankless job even tougher to get. But is it too much to ask that flight attendants understand that living animals on planes require air to breathe and not die? If you’re too God damn stupid to understand that, maybe you should be working at the Burger King in the terminal and not on the plane as a flight attendant.
Again, I don’t want to fly with people who get to choose which rules to follow, but the lack of critical thinking here is mind blowing. This attendant is like George Costanza playing Trivial Pursuit [“the card says moops”]. They did not care about the animal’s safety or well being, they only cared that a carry-on bag larger than 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches be placed in the overhead bin because that’s what the rules say. To ask any questions would require critical thinking and decision making, which is clearly not in the job description of a flight attendant.
PETA has released a statement calling for this flight attendant to be fired and prosecuted, and I completely agree. I’m tired of flying with idiots.
Airlines should keep stories like this in mind the next time they try to limit the number of service animals that fly with passengers. Maybe Americans wouldn’t need to fly with so many service animals if the airlines would just stop murdering their pets.
The 300s 