Things We've Learned As Summer Seems To Be Flying By
Posted
Roger Grossman, Lake City Radio-
Is it just me getting older, or is summer getting shorter? With Independence Weekend in the rear view mirror, we have officially made the turn to the 'back nine' of summer. Wow, THAT was fast! Here are seven things we have learned this summer: 1. The Cubs are now officially TRYING to stink (which they never had to do before). Friday's trade of starters Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland when the team had actually just completed a three-game sweep in Boston was a new low. They now have three of the top young shortstops in baseball ... and only one shortstop position available. 2. Times-Union Sports Editor Dale Hubler is a better fisherman than me. We have the nightly pictures on Facebook as proof. Still, there is not much better than sitting in a fishing boat in the middle of one of our many lakes. 3. The NBA's new commissioner is an even better dude than we thought. Adam Silver's move to honor Isaiah Austin on draft night was about as close to a perfect move as you could make. Right before the draft, Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which is caused by a genetic mutation that leaves connective tissue in the body weak. He'll never play competitive basketball again. Silver introduced him like he would any other pick in the draft as a "selection of the NBA" in between the 15th and 16th picks to give the kid his draft moment. Classy ... very classy. 4. Vacations are fun, but the week leading up to it and the first days back to work after it are just a nightmare. I think I'll take another one in a couple of weeks. 5. The Pacers are hinging their title hopes on woo-ing Lance Stephenson to come back to the team with a new contract. Talented ... yes. But it seems to me that money could be better spent upgrading at the point guard position. 6. White Sox first basemen Jose Abreu really IS that good. He missed two weeks on the DL and is still among the league leaders in HRs and RBIs. And on top of that, he plays a pretty good first base. All that cash the Sox threw at him seems to be well worth it. 7. Summers are about family. I'm sure stuff happens in the winter that you remember years later, but summer is when memories are made. Family gatherings, touring the lake in the pontoon, swimming with your cousins, walking with your four-year old in a parade, fireworks displays – that all happen during the summer. I hope we never lose summers as a place we can count on to reboot our own systems. High school girls golf practices start in less than four weeks, and football teams are getting ready for two-a-days in a month. Enjoy everyday of summer!
