Back when my fandom for the Boston Red Sox was much more intense than it is now, I would travel to Minneapolis and Chicago every chance I had to see the Sox. I would frequent the Wausau Mine Company on a regular basis...they were one of the first watering holes in town to have a satallite dish and picked up NESN which carried the Sox. I saw Roger Clemens pitch many times both in person and on TV. Clemens was awesome...dispatching hitters with a combination of power and control. When he left the Sox he was a shadow of his former self and yet magically became even a better pitcher winning a bunch of Cy Young Awards after it appeared he was done. Well we now know it wasnt magic...unless you believe that advanced chemistry is somehow magical. Clemens was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for making dalse staements to Congress about using performance enhancing drugs. He could go to prison. I suppose since Bud Selig and the rest of baseball including the working press ignored the steroid issue at the time he felt immune to any punishment. And of course, there were dozens of players just like him including some of the biggest names in the game. We seem to have gotten past the issue but expect it to be back in the news in the coming months as some of the trials, including Barry Bonds return to the headlines. Just be aware that in your fandom, your heroes will probably not be who you think they are. If you realize that going in it makes any sordid revelation that much easier to swallow.

The Woodchucks season came to an end last night in Eau Claire. The Chucks lost 6-2 and finish the season 43-30. We were fortunate to have a winning team to cover in our first year of bringing you Woodchucks baseball on the radio. It was fun to watch the development of players  like Kevin Pillar, Rob Lind and Travis Whitmore. They didnt win the championship but ceratinly it was a successful season and we look forward to covering the Chucks again next year.

Don't look now but the high school football season is upon us. A number of teams will have scrimmages this weekend as they prepare for their season openers next week. I'll begin coverage of the Wausau East Lumberjacks next Thursday night as they host Kingsford Michigan in a non-conference game. Pat will once again have DC Everest football and they open with Homestead next Friday. You can hear all of the action on Foxsports 1390 WRIG with doubleheaders on most Friday nights.

The high school boys soccer and girls tennis seasons are already underway. Is there something wrong about playing so much of those seasons before school even starts?

Songs of The Day  (from my I-pod)

Ghosts-Dan Fogelberg (1981) Another great song from his magnum opus "The Innocent Age". He used the cream of LA musicians on this Lp and it shows. Polished to a high sheen.

Ghosts of a Saturday Night-Tom Waits (1974) The early Waits stuff is fabulous. He captures the underbelly of a big city as well as anyone. You can almost smell the spilled whiskey, cigarette smoke and despair in every groove.