My Fix For The NFL Pro Bowl.

Dear NFL,

I have the perfect, multi pronged, long term solution to your Pro Bowl challenges. I offer you these solutions to adopt with one caveat. If you choose to go down this yellow brick path that I have created for you, I have one request - I'd like to work on the event. Not a free pass, I'm not asking for full time with benefits, but a meaningful job setting all this up for you. The rest of my contribution is on me.

These are the challenges.

1. The Media Thinks The Pro Bowl Is Pinata. This is their big opportunity to show their readers that that they are not in the tank for the NFL. So, whatever you do, they get to write their annual condescending column. It's like restaurant reviewers who always beat up on the national chains. Even if they like the Pro Bowl, none of them will admit it. My solution takes care of that.
2. The Players Are Not Playing. They are coming up with reasons not to play. It is the worst case Swine Flu scenario come to life.
3. The Players Think It Is Cool Not To Play. The game has lost its MoJo.
4. The Players Families/Friends/Posse/Entourage Are Not Psyched To Go. They are not excited, motivated or interested in going to the game. It is one more chore at the end of a long grind. "I thought YOU were going to take the kids to school next week." "What do you mean you are canceling the job of being the starting gun for the Monster Truck Rally".
5. The Players That Are In The Super Bowl Are Out. This happens right now because the week before does not work and the week after is to soon. This automatically eliminates the best players, who are the most widely recognized brands from one of your marquee games.
6. The Destination Is Not A Motivator. Hawaii is something any player can do any off week of the year. The Super Bowl city rotation - B-O-R-I-N-G. The players know the towns, been there done that.
7. The Sponsors Could Use An Upgrade. The NFL does a great job with sponsors, but my proposal makes the sponsors part of the family and makes the experience WAY better.
8. The NFL Brand Gets Beat Up Locally And Generates ZERO Buzz Globally. The NFL has only have one overseas game a year.

So, here are the solutions.

• Super Size The Destination - Make the Pro Bowl an incredible once in a lifetime experience (every year) for the players, family, entourage coaches, sponsors, media and league. The reason the Pro Bowl went to Hawaii in the first place was that at one time it was a DESTINATION. Once upon a time, Pro Bowlers might not be able to afford, be willing to pay for or think it is a great reward to have a full, free, fun filled week in Hawaii. Times change. Today, NFL players that make the Pro Bowl can quit tomorrow and never work another day in their life. Let's make the Pro Bowl a dream vacation. Eye candy for the TV audiences and truly unique, once in a lifetime, inside the ropes reward for those who earn the trip.
• Invite & Pay For The Media. - Newspapers, magazines, local TV and Sports Radio are hurting. Select media representatives in NFL cities and pay for their on the ground trip plus 6 more passes for them. Even the most tight fisted Managing Editor can come up with the charter air fair. Give them access to everything on this dream trip. All of the outings, tours, dinners, practices, etc. They will have down time, encourage them to write glowing tributes to the host city and country in order to help the NFL justify the model and make sure more cities and countries bid to try and get the NFL Pro Bowl.
• Move it to Thursday Night 10 days after the Super Bowl. You want your stars to play. In order for that to happen, you have to let them heal their bodies, minds and psychs. Let them go to the parade of champions. All players go on Wed before the game, Super Bowl players and guests on Saturday before the game.
• 100 All Expenses Packages For The Players - For who ever they want to bring. This along with their extra pay day will make sure that it is really a bonus for the players. Their peers, agents, business managers and family will make sure they play. Every person who is close to them will pressure them to play because you have Super Sized The Destination.
• Copy The Olympic, US Open & Survivor Site Awarding Process - Make the Pro Bowl destination a competitive process. If the Pro Bowl can bring 25,000 - 50,000 people to a destination for a week, with all the attendant press coverage, local PR, visuals, etc. you can get countries to organize their bids and possibly augment the extra expenses that are incurred through the expanded award system for the players, sponsors and media. The focus should be on areas that the NFL want exposure in and places that the family and friends of the NFL players would absolutely not let their players say no to. Things that would offset the additional expenses for the NFL would include comp tours, hotel, meals, stadium rental, security, etc. There are a lot of concessions that the NFL can get from local governments who won't be protesting against PSLs, subsidizing stadiums, zoning laws and carbon footprints of a tailgate party. They will compete with each other and roll out the red carpet. Think taking the Super Bowl award process in turning it International.
• The Fraternity of The NFL - Whenever a group of people travel together they will for the most part bond. Most of the young NFL Pro Bowlers because of practice schedules and socio-economic circumstances did not tour Europe after their Senior year of college. For the vast majority of the players an overseas trip will be an eye opening experience. I can say the same for just about every constituent group with the exception of owners. A Super Sized Destination will really be a bonding experience for the elite of the league. Sponsors, media, other teams will get to know the young players on the trip and maybe get them thinking about what a big world this is and that there is a life to plan for after football.
• The Fans will love to watch one more game with the real stars of the NFL. Especially if the best players play, there are great stories, educational segments about foreign countries and cultures. For example, I need an excuse to turn on football during the week because of my no TV on weekdays for the kids rule.
• Start a Travel Company, Make Money off the tours. Nuff said.
• Some Locations:
• Pro Bowl Cruise - Everybody docks in a port during the day, practice, sail at night to their new destination. Game in Puerto Rico, Rome, Cairo, Honolulu, Sydney, Cape Town, Morocco, etc.
• The Base of the Pyramids in Egypt
• London, Paris, Munich everybody loves pop music.
• Rio
• The Birdsnest in Beijing
• Easter Island
• Yeah, Hawaii.
• Morocco
• Bali
• Inside the Diamond Head Crater
• Tokyo
• Korea
• Moscow
• Keep An Opt In Option For a Katrina/Haiti Type of Situation. - The best cure for a disaster is tourism. Not grants, not tax credits but old fashioned go there with a bunch of people spending.

After the Storm in Pacific Beach CA 1-22-09

This was a Friday afternoon after a week for high winds, really high surf and lots of rain. Then, the foam explosion. The dog is our pug Mochee. Kate likes the way the foam looks like the clouds in pictures 2 & 3.

Scott Brown, The New York Times & The Vast Chasm Between Right and Left.

I've been watching the Scott Brown election and noticing some very interesting explanations of his victory.

If you are on the Left - Scott Brown won because the Obama administration has not been Liberal enough. If you are on the Right - Scott Brown won because the Obama administration has been way to Liberal.

OK.

For me, the best short example of this vast discord has come from the New York Times. In an Op-Ed today they spoke of Scott Brown.

"He strives for 'total discipline' but can be prone to curious public statements ... he has fashioned a 'nice guy' image while sometimes offending ( saying, for instance, in 2001 that lesbians having children was 'not normal')".

For the record, I am in favor of gay couples being able to have the same rights as "married" couples.

But to the NY Times, Scott Brown saying Lesbians having children is not normal is akin to saying he is a reactionary, homophobic, Nazi, Fascist, war mongering, in favor of violence against women moron - (Keith Olbermann video) .

On the big planet we live on, without vast technology, money, time, laws and desire - lesbians having children is not something that happens in Haiti and most places on the planet. So, it is not "normal".

This is why the NY Times and Liberals have such a vast disconnect with people outside their demographic. For Scott Brown to say lesbians having children is not "normal" is a "normal" statement for a vast majority of people who live on this planet.

That is a simple fact.

For the NY Times to assume that a statement like that makes Scott Brown something other than a "nice guy" is out of the mainstream.

So for a person who wants responsible Republicans to once again be in charge I say to the Democrats- please, please, please follow the advice of Keith Olbermann, Racheal Madow, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, push for Health Care Reform, Cap & Trade, Climate Change legislation, Card Check, higher taxes, smaller military, Miranda rights for those who attack America, no profiling and of course much more Socialism.

GO FOR IT!!! PUSH, PUSH, PUSH THE ULTRA LIBERAL AGENDA. YOU'LL WIN.

IF YOU DON'T PUSH THE ULTRA LEFT AGENDA YOU ARE NOT NORMAL AND YOU ARE AND NOT NICE PEOPLE. GO LEFT, LEFT AND MORE LEFT FOR 2010!!!

January Weekend in San Diego

The "wall" arms linked, Allison Dowd left, teammate center, Kate Dowd on the right. 1-16-10.

I had to get up a bit early today to drive my twin girls to their soccer game this morning. Bit chilly for us 55 at 8 AM. But now I'm comfortable, windows open and we might even get some (gasp!) rain this week.

My adopted home town is playing the East Rutherford/swamp/landfill/hwy exit/Hoffa's grave Jets.

So do I go the beach, play golf, go for a hike, sun bathe, bike ride, surf or watch the game?

I remember watching these games (usually at 4 PM EST) when I was a kid in Staten Island, NY. I was an AFL fan, Jet fan. I could not get over the fact that while we were getting ice and snow cuts on our hands while playing football outside, the people on TV were in short sleeves, the sun was shining and the girls were hot (enough to wear short sleeves). I'll throw the USC and UCLA games in to the mix as well. Broadcast AFL games were probably part of the reason I am here in So Cal, chomping on fish tacos.

Happy January Sunday everyone.