Democrats Soar, Republicans Crash, The Mad King Lies (As Usual), and the Rats (Led by Vance) Start to Abandon Ship

On Nov. 3, my wife had an even better birthday than she had hoped for. In addition to enjoying a nice ramen lunch with me, getting hugs from Owen and Piper, and receiving gifts from all of us (including a framed, colorful map of Seattle from me), Robbie got to thoroughly enjoy the seismic shift in America’s political landscape as she watched votes get counted from across our great constitutional republic. 

A nation fed up with all things related to the Mad King gave Democrats victory after victory after victory in the midterm elections … and in some of the unlikeliest of places. Republicans suffered resounding defeats in Texas, South Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Montana, and other red states. Democrats took the House (which was expected) by a landslide (which was not). They also took the Senate (which was considered a toss-up) by a landslide (again, not expected).

It was a stinging rebuke of The Worst President Ever, who after becoming the lamest of lame ducks actually tried to claim that the rout had nothing to do with his record-setting unpopularity and his horrid policies. Of course, it had everything to do with him, but since when does a pathologically lying narcissist ever accept responsibility for anything?

Within hours of the Democrats clinching majorities in both houses of Congress, the rats started jumping off the Bad Ship Trump. And the lead rat was the ultimate opportunist - vice president JD Vance. He went right to social media to proclaim his innocence and to blame his boss’ unnecessary Iran war for the election slaughter:

"The reason we lost is the war. … If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest. Everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”

Sure, JV, start with the unnecessary and costly Iran war, but don't stop there. It's the constant lies ... the daily, in-your-face corruption that's so blatant that the Mad King has stopped even trying to hide it ... the racism ... the cruelty for the sake of cruelty, especially when it comes to Der Fuhrer’s masked Gestapo ICE agents ... the high gas and diesel prices ... the inflation ... the exploding deficit ... the kowtowing to Putin and other dictators ... the bending over backwards for billionaires while telling poor folks to go pound sand ... the comically inept Cabinet and other unqualified administration officials ... and so on and so on and so on. Including the me-first social clod of a vice president.

Vance's use of the word “honest” made me laugh out loud, as he, like his boss, lies willingly and frequently. JV (as I call him, because he's not good enough for the varsity) set himself up to do some fancy dancing in the months and years ahead as he focuses on trying to win the presidency in 2028. He needs to keep the MAGA cult on his side while also having to appeal to Republicans who are done bowing to the Mad King and Independents who have come to loathe his boss.

Hey, if Vance calculates that it would serve him best to totally break from his boss, I doubt he’d have a problem with calling the Mad King "unfit for office" ... "idiot" ... "total fraud" ... "cultural heroin" ... "moral disaster" ... and my favorite, "America's Hitler." Those were among the many things JV said about his eventual boss before he determined that it would serve himself best by bending the knee and kissing the … um … ring. JV's just another narcissistic douchenozzle whose main priorities are enhancing his own power, wealth and ego.

Another rat jumping off the ship: Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who had waged a brief and failed run at the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before succumbing to the Mad King. DeSantis, widely expected to go for the top job again in 2028, had been walking a fine line, not wanting to piss off the cult while trying to differentiate himself from The Worst President Ever. After the election rout, he pulled no punches, saying: “This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans in many parts of the country.” He quickly bragged that Florida was not one of those parts, as most of his state’s Republican candidates held off their challengers despite some of the races being surprisingly close.

Here's hoping he's right about the extinction-level event, anyway.

Today's Brewers Thrill Their Fans ... And Rekindle This Guy's Memories From 44 Years Ago

On Oct. 15, 1982 - five months after graduating from Marquette and two days after I turned 22 years old - I was sitting in the auxiliary press box at Milwaukee County Stadium as part of the Associated Press' World Series coverage team. 

It was heady stuff for an AP intern who dreamed of being a sportswriter. Getting to cover Games 3, 4 and 5 of the series between the Brewers and Cardinals will be a fond memory I'll carry with me as long as my brain is capable of remembering anything.

Forty-four years later, the Brewers have punched their ticket back to the World Series. In the process, they've fired up my Way-Back Machine.

Obviously, much has changed. The Brewers were in the American League back in 1982, but they now represent the NL. County Stadium is long gone, having been replaced by the retractable-domed American Family Field. Though they have a knack for hitting timely home runs, they play a far different brand of baseball than "Harvey's Wallbangers" did back in '82. And, of course, it's been eons since I've stepped foot in a press box.

But I'll bet the scene for Game 1 next week will be familiar to those who were there 44 years ago: pure excitement.

The Brewers got back to the World Series by not just defeating the The Unbeatable Super-Team (aka the Los Angeles Dodgers), but by sweeping the two-time defending champs right out of the NL Championship Series. Milwaukee trailed in each of the four games, and then rallied to win them all. It was inspiring, thrilling, brilliant baseball.

Whereas the 1982 Brew Crew was known for the powerful bats of Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Gorman Thomas, Cecil Cooper and Ben Oglivie, these Brewers tend to make opponents bleed to death with 1,000 paper cuts - singles, doubles, stolen bases, bunts ... anything to constantly put pressure on opposing pitchers and fielders.

One of their best stories is their first baseman, Jake Bauers, who was ready to quit baseball after several failed attempts to make it. He decided to give it one last shot a couple of years ago when his wife got pregnant, because his family needed the health insurance. Bauers had two epic plate appearances against the Dodgers - first ending a 12-pitch at-bat by drawing a walk off of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, leading to the Brewers' go-ahead rally in Game 2; then ending an 11-pitch at-bat with a two-run homer off of Blake Snell to give Milwaukee the lead for good in Game 3.

The Brewers also received numerous other stellar performances, most notably from their intense catcher, William Contreras, and their unflappable bullpen corps, led by lefty Aaron Ashby. 

Their most famous player - 105-mph fastballer Jacob "The Miz" Misiorowski - didn't pitch particularly well in the opener. Not a problem. They still beat Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal to set the tone for the entire series.

Milwaukee wrapped up the series in Game 4 despite falling behind 4-0 early. They got a 2-run double from - who else? - Bauers in the 4th, and they tied it up the next inning when Bauers drew a bases-loaded walk. Fittingly, two players who had combined for 15 home runs during the season - Garrett Mitchell and David Hamilton - each went deep for the go-ahead and insurance runs. And then Ashby and his fellow relievers did their thing to end L.A.'s season.

Although the sports punditry heavily favored the Dodgers, the result was not a fluke. The Brewers won 103 games during the season - their second straight year as the majors' winningest team - and they simply looked like the better ballclub all throughout the series.

In the Fall Classic, the Brewers will face either the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays. That's notable because, like the Brewers, those are relatively low-spending organizations that rely upon smart management and player development.

That those three small-market teams were still standing while the free-spending Dodgers were sent packing has no doubt made many MLB owners unhappy. They were hoping to continue selling the false narrative that there can be no competitive balance in the game without a salary cap to constrain teams like the Dodgers. Oops.

Now there's a greater chance than ever that the multibillionaire owners will lock out the multimillionaire players - who refuse to protect the owners from themselves - and put next season in jeopardy. 

But that's another concern for another time. For now, I'm too wrapped up in enjoying the Brewers' return to prominence, and in reflecting on where I was 44 years ago.

AP had only three sportswriters at the 1982 ALCS between the Brewers and the then-California Angels. My assignment was to cover the Angels' clubhouse. Given that the team included some of the biggest names of the day - Reggie Jackson, Fred Lynn, Rod Carew, Bobby Grich, Don Baylor, Bob Boone, manager Gene Mauch - it was a pretty amazing place for a young sportswriter-wannabe to find himself.

The Brewers lost the first two games in Anaheim but then rallied to win three straight at County Stadium. Mauch had a reputation of being a great manager, but one who "couldn't win the big one," and I was standing a few feet away from him as he fought back tears after yet another devastating disappointment.

Not sure why, but one of my enduring memories was of the food that was served to the media before the ALCS games in the "Rathskeller" beneath County Stadium. The Brewers had chefs whipping up beef tenderloin and other delicacies, and I was loving it. After the Brewers beat the Angels, I thought, "Wow, if they gave us that food in the ALCS, what kind of incredible grub are they gonna serve us in the World Series?!?!"

Well, I found out soon enough: Boxed Lunches. 

Turns out there was far too much of a media crush for the big event, and cold-cut sandwiches were what we got. Kinda silly that I remember that so clearly. A man's heart really does run through his stomach.

Our AP crew was bigger for the World Series, and I was the low man in the pecking order. For each of Games 3, 4 and 5, I was assigned to do an article on a player. There was no spare laptop computer for me to use, so I had to dictate my articles via telephone to a copy editor in New York. 

The Brewers lost Game 3 but won the next two to take a 3-2 series lead before flying back to St. Louis. Unfortunately for the Brew Crew and their fans, the Cardinals won the final two games. Despite the outcome, the city still threw a huge parade for the Brewers - that's how beloved that team was. 

A week or so later, one of AP's reporters in the Madison bureau accepted a transfer to Chicago. That created an opening for me to go from Milwaukee intern to full-time Madison reporter. I like to think my work during the ALCS and World Series, which was praised by AP's sports editor at the time, helped pave the way for that key event in my journalism career.

I loved watching the Brewers when I was at Marquette. Tailgating at County Stadium was a blast. My first date with Robbie was at a Brewers game, and that turned out pretty well, too. 

There's no cheering in the press box, but I'm not in the press box anymore. So damn right I'll be rooting for the Brewers to win their first championship. And I'll be pretty surprised if they don't get it done.

I was ready for some Wednesday Night Football ... and, eventually, so were my Seahawks

Wednesday Night Football turned out to be a lot of fun.

My Seahawks opened defense of their championship against the same Patriots team they vanquished in the Super Bowl seven months earlier. I decided I wanted to watch the game with like-minded knuckleheads, so I picked a popular Seattle sports bar. Robbie, bless her heart, joined me for the festivities (perhaps out of obligation). 

The banner was raised at Lumen Field and the crowd was going wild … until the fifth play from scrimmage, when quarterback Sam Darnold got sacked and then limped off the field. Uh-oh. His backup, Drew Lock, played pretty well in the first three quarters given the situation, but the Seahawks kept shooting themselves in the foot with dopey penalties - including two for unnecessary roughness that kept Patriots drives alive.

Our heroes fell behind 10-0 entering the fourth. That's when the defense turned the game around, intercepting star New England QB Drake Maye not once, not twice, but three times. 

The first pick, an acrobatic juggling grab by Nehemiah Pritchett (who was playing only because of injuries to other defensive backs), prevented the Patriots from adding to their lead. The second, a superb anticipatory play across the middle by safety Julian Love, set up the Seahawks’ only TD - a nice 4th-down pass by Lock that the amazing Jaxon Smith-Njigba turned into a 45-yard score. And the third, a leaping grab in the end zone by cornerback Josh Jobe with 21 seconds left, sealed Seattle’s 13-10 victory.

That final pass by Maye was reckless, as the Patriots had the tying field goal in the bag, but I actually had turned to Rob right before the play and said: “I hope Maye gets greedy and throws it up for grabs in the end zone.” Thanks for listening, Drake!

The atmosphere in the bar was good throughout and was absolutely bonkers in the fourth quarter, as the Seahawks made one great play after another. I don’t think Robbie enjoyed it quite as much as I did, though, as the ultra-loud TV commercials blared throughout the joint and forced her to stick her fingers in her ears. There also was one wackadoodle who was bouncing around as if he had snorted too much coke, and Rob was concerned he might fall into us. But I thought it was a blast.

I admit that I might not have had those great vibes if my heroes had lost, though!

"My" Knicks Are NBA Comeback Kings - And Champions

Around the time I turned 12, a boy named Dave Kirschner joined my Sunday/Hebrew school class. He, like me, was a wise-cracking kid, and we became fast friends. He had moved to Milford from New York, and I got a kick out of his heavy Noo Yawk accent. He also was a big fan of the Knicks, and he turned me into one, too.

That 1972-73 season, the Knicks won their second NBA title in four years. They were fun to watch, with two selfless superstars in Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Willis Reed; three very good supporting players in Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe; and solid role players such as Jerry Lucas, Dean Meminger and Phil Jackson (yes, that Phil Jackson).

I fell so in love with the team that I started keeping scrapbooks on the Knicks. Looking back, it was my first foray into writing, and it wouldn't be a leap to say that my devotion to the scrapbooks I kept on all of my favorite teams would play a role in pushing me toward my eventual, decades-long career.

I remained a big Knicks fan into my college years, even though they became a shadow of their former selves. They had some good seasons, but they never seriously threatened for anything remotely close to another championship. 

After I started writing for the AP, I gave up most of my fan allegiances, including the Knicks. I had sportswriter friends who actually did a decent job of staying reasonably objective despite rooting for certain teams, but I decided early on that wasn't for me. 

So when the Knicks got back to the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, it really didn't matter to me that they lost both times. Nor did it matter to me that they mostly stunk after the calendar turned to the new millennium.

By the time I left the sportswriting world and moved from Chicago to Charlotte in 2010, I was ready to be a fan again. I naturally chose to root for the local teams: The Panthers fairly quickly became contenders behind Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly before becoming laughingstocks again; the Hornets were lousy for most of my 14 years in North Carolina.

Moving to Seattle in 2024, I traded in the Panthers for the Seahawks ... and I  was rewarded with a Super Bowl championship in my second year here. Lucky me! I also cheer for the Kraken, Storm, and especially the Mariners; it's great to have Major League Baseball in my town again. Unfortunately, we don't have an NBA team, though it looks like the SuperSonics might be reborn as an expansion franchise in the next few years.

As I watched this year's NBA playoffs, I was impressed with the Thunder's talent, depth and defensive toughness, and I was enthralled with the Spurs' young core, especially 7-4 freak Victor Wembanyama.

I seriously considered betting on the Spurs to win the title before the season, as their odds were +6600 (meaning a $100 wager would net bettors $6,600 if the Spurs won it all), but I chickened out. So I was conflicted as I watched San Antonio beat Oklahoma City to advance to the Finals - I liked the team, but I would have felt serious regret if the Spurs went all the way. (Then again, I would have been a screaming-at-the-TV wreck had I made the bet!)

The team I really grew to respect most, though, was New York. 

I followed the Knicks a little bit during the season because one of my favorite Marquette players, Tyler Kolek, was their backup point guard. He had a really nice run for a month or two - even eliciting chants of "Tyler! Kolek!" from the Madison Square Garden faithful. After one of his best games, Knicks star PG Jalen Brunson said: "Thank God for Tyler Kolek!" But Kolek is small, and he's a defensive liability, so the Knicks traded for Jose Alvarado to back up Brunson, and Tyler's playing time went way down. In the playoffs, he got on the court only at the end of blowouts (aka "garbage time"), and he didn't play a single minute in the NBA Finals.

Despite Kolek's severely reduced role, I still really liked watching the Knicks during the postseason, as they reminded me a bit of the team of my youth. Brunson is their stud, their Walt Frazier; he's not the defensive standout Clyde was, but he's tough, he's amazing at finding shots for himself, and he's incredible in the clutch. Their other starters (Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby) are very good, and they have some nice bench pieces, too. They played well together, shared the basketball, seemed to get along great, played tough defense and were well-coached.

Even though I didn't dislike the Spurs, I couldn't help but root for the Knicks in the Finals, and they provided thrilling sports theater - showing why live sports is the only true and only great "reality TV." The Knicks fell behind by double-digits in every game ... and then they rallied every time, winning four of the five. 

In Game 4, they trailed by 29 points (!!!) before storming back, winning on Anunoby's almost miraculous tip-in.

They were behind big again in Game 5 in San Antonio, but again they came back. Brunson was especially awe-inspiring, finishing with 45 points.

Back home in New York, the celebration was wild, as Knicks fans saw it as 53 years of demons being exorcised.

In 1973 ...

The Watergate hearings dominated the news ... gas averaged 39 cents per gallon ... All in the Family was TV's No. 1 show ... the Miami Dolphins completed the NFL's only perfect season ... The Godfather won the Oscar ... Secretariat captured the Triple Crown ... Jim Croce died in a plane crash ... Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes ... NASA launched Skylab ... the Supreme Court, in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, gave women the right to control their own bodies ... O.J. Simpson ran for 2,000 yards ... and minimum wage was $1.60 per hour.

On May 10, 1973, the Dow stood at 939.34, down 11% from its all-time high (en route to a 45% plunge over a two-year span).

Later that night, Frazier and Reed led the Knicks to the championship.

How long ago was that? Well, I was studying for my Bar Mitzvah. Now I'm on freakin' Medicare!

+++

I was sad to read recently about the passing of former Milwaukee Sentinel sportswriter Cathy Breitenbucher, who died at age 69 after a fight with ovarian cancer.

Roberta, who worked part-time at the Sentinel for a short spell, remembers Cathy as a very kind person, which also is my memory of her. In addition, she was a major player in a scene that has stuck with me for decades ...

In the early-1990s, Milwaukee was being considered for an NHL expansion franchise, and Cathy and I were among the many sportswriters in Chicago to cover an NHL Board of Directors meeting at the tony Drake Hotel downtown. After the meeting, a large group of us had dinner in the Drake's expensive restaurant.

At that time, the Sentinel was Milwaukee's "second" newspaper, competing with the bigger and more profitable Journal. Cathy's tiny travel budget didn't include an outrageously priced dinner, so she drank water and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu. The rest of us, meanwhile, ate and drank like kings and queens on our companies' dimes. When the check came, Gary Olson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press proposed that we just split it evenly, but Cathy objected. Gary said: "Come on, Cathy, you aren't really paying for the food; you're paying for the company." Cathy looked right at Gary and, in a perfect deadpan voice, said: "Well, the company's not that great." The rest of us cracked up, and we agreed that Cathy should only have to pay for the food she ordered.

Milwaukee never did get an NHL team, the Sentinel and Journal eventually merged, and I lost track of Cathy. I came to learn that she co-authored an impactful book on Alzheimer's caregiving.

Cancer has stolen another valuable life. RIP, Cathy.