Two Boston Beauties: Rare Vintage Raleighs

Today I visited the bicycle collector Neal Lerner and photographed some of his beautiful bikes. I am posting pictures of these two in particular - not only because they are rare and stunning, but because the owner is offering them for sale [note: both bicycles are now sold]. Here is more about the bicycles, for your viewing pleasure and for longevity:The loop-frame bicycle...

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How to Handle Parents of Players

As a coach, if you have spent any time on the job at all, you know that dealing with parents comes with the territory. It’s unavoidable. But, handling overzealous parents really isn’t covered by most coaches pay scales. In fact, the number one cause of coaching resignations in this country is conflicts with parents.  These are the parents who show up at practice demanding...

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The Honest Broker

Among a few climate scientists there is a renewed interest in discussing my book The Honest Broker. To be honest I don't really understand their specific critiques but I think they can be summarized as follows:1. Scientists should not be in the business of giving policy makers choices (that is, the role of the honest broker of policy options is not desirable), because it...

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Random Thoughts on Various Subjects

1. HIATUSI have been on a bit of a hiatus from blogging. I've been very busy reading and interacting with various folks on Facebook. I do this gig when I am not working. But the goal is one post per day which I have not been meeting. I must also admit that coming up with new material has been a chore. I feel that I am in creative stagnation. I don't have anything new to say. I just have new ways of saying the old things. This combined with the fact that I am approaching 40 makes me wonder if I am spent in the creativity department. But I think...

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Okay, Fine, My Father Was Right

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.-Mark TwainFor most of my life I refused to admit that I was wrong, especially when it came to advice given to me by my father. I now see, with naked clarity, how right and caring...

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Excess in the Bicycle Industry: Explanations and Implications

[Aurumania crystal and gold track bike, image via forbes.com]A couple of weeks ago, Forbes published an article on "The World's Most Expensive Bikes".  Readers have been sending me links to this article asking what I think, until finally I gave in and read it. [Golden Brompton, image via forbes.com]Glancing over the pictures, I noticed a strong...

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Bedeviled by conflict among your team?

I think it's safe to say that organizational conflicts can distract athletic institutions from being their most effective. That was clearly the case at the University of Southern California, with Pete Carroll locking heads with compliance officers and other USC administrators, and it probably happens in less dramatic ways in other athletic departments and in sports agencies...

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Man City's New Signing

Enjoy the above and have a nice weekend to a...

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Computer Games

I have never liked computer games, but with the influence of the Co-Habitant I am finally starting to get into them.Here he is, taking a break after a particularly heated round.What you need to play: an open road and a fast bicycle. Challenging hills can be introduced after you pass Level 1. Oh yes, and of course you'll need a computer.After I mocked the Co-Habitant for putting...

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Can you say heckler's veto?

I need to find a better explanation behind this: A fan wore a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey to a Cleveland Indians game at Progressive (ne Jacobs) Field last night and, when fans in the area began chanting shouting profanities and throwing debris at him, he was escorted from the stadium. Fortunately, in the days of pervasive video, we can watch it happen (although I did not see any debris being thrown). If there is a concern for violence, the police are supposed to halt the people who are threatening violence, not the guy who is doing nothing...

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When Your Players Are not With You

I dropped off two of my wrestlers at Jeff Jordan’s State Champ Camp Sunday evening up in Urbana, Ohio.  It’s a tough camp!  The kids go hard against great competition for four full days.  It requires total courage, total patience, total focus, total perseverance….and as much help as you can get!Earlier in the summer I stayed with my wrestlers when we attended,...

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Michael Oppenheimer Responds

[Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University has graciously offered this post in response to several comments made earlier this week on his recent PNAS paper on climate change and Mexico-US immigration. His contribution is much appreciated. -RP]Our article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “Linkages among climate change, crop yields and Mexico–US cross-border...

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Remembering Reggie Lewis and the Sports Law Issues that Followed his Death

Yesterday marked the 17th anniversary of the death of Reggie Lewis, an all-star Celtics guard/forward who died from a heart attack on July 27, 1993, at the age of 27.Growing up right outside of Boston, I was a big Reggie Lewis fan. He's still one of my all-time favorite Celtics, maybe my favorite. In addition to terrific defense and all-out hustle, he averaged 21 points...

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The Nuclear Option

[UPDATE 7/29: Just one day later E&E News pours cold water on the nuclear option.]E&E Daily Reports that the White House has floated the idea of adding cap & trade provisions to energy legislation in conference.Cap-and-trade provisions that likely cannot pass the Senate directly this year could be added to a narrower energy package during a House and Senate conference,...

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Not Just Tim Tebow

You can only imagine how proud I was to read this. Mike is an assistant wrestling coach at Moeller High School in Cincinnati studying to be a doctor. He was captain of the Harvard University wrestling team. What a great example for your young men."...had a doc tell me today to be careful because when I get married my wife will take half of my money when she divorces me.  I...

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Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Pannier from Bicycle Muse

I received this Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Bicycle Pannier from Bicycle Muse (a sponsor in July-August 2010) as part of an equal value exchange. Prior to trying this bag, I was not a big fan of single panniers and have never found one that I liked. But when I received the Fastrider, I changed my mind.Here is a front view of the pannier. You can see that it does...

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