A Few New Pet Peeves

I know, I should shut up about this, but I just can’t.  This is my site, so I guess I can get away with it this time.

What is it about people, of all ages, apparently, with the tattoo thing?  When I was a kid, the only people I ever saw with tattoos were old Navy veterans, and they had something on their arms that might have been a portrait of their mom, or maybe a portrait of Waylon Jennings when he was smoking a lot of dope.  We couldn’t really tell, to tell you the truth.

Now, it seems like everyone under the age of 35 has got to have a tat of some kind or other, and a lot of people my age, or even older have jumped onto this bandwagon.  I guess I’m just a little bit too old school for this entire deal.  I wouldn’t get a tattoo, any more than I’d get my ear pierced.  I’m watching a show on TV about tattoos.  Most of the people here are getting them to show friendship for their friends.  What ever happened to just being friendly to your friends?  Bake them a cake, or some brownies.  Watch their pets, collect their newspapers and mail when they go on vacation.  I’ve had a lot of friends in my life, but I never had the desire to have their names permanently attached to my epidermis.  I guess I just don’t get it.  Call me an old whatever, but I really don’t get that.  Had I gotten my wife’s name tattooed to my butt back in ‘94, I’d really feel like an idiot now.  There is a song that Duane Allman did back in the late 1960’s, and the first words of the song are “I ain’t seen my wife for two or three years, I’m a happily married man.”  In my case, try for 5 or 10 years.  I’m very happy I haven’t seen her during that time.  I hope I never see her again, to be honest about it.

I’m guessing that the tattoo removal business must be just about as lucrative as the tattoo installing business.  How many guys have had a few too many and had the name of some girl tattooed on their arm, chest, or whatever?  How many girls  have probably done the same thing?  6 months later, the Yellow Pages are out, and tattoo removal is probably the topic.  Like I said, I’m old, apparently, at 47.  I just don’t get the tattoo thing at all.

Another thing that irritates me is sports media, in general.  Yesterday, the entire world, it would seem, waited breathlessly while Brett Favre walked up to the podium, and said yes, indeed, he would play for the Minnesota Vikings in 2010.  Duh.  I knew he would.  So did the rest of the world.  Big deal.  Great for the Vikes, bad news for the Packers, probably.  Whatever.

Tiger Woods has been a major irritant to me this year as well.  Not so much that Tiger cheated on his wife, etc.  That’s his business.  I’m not in a position to judge him.  I do get irritated by the fact that most people who are supposedly in the know are writing off Tiger as a future winner in the PGA or any other golfing event, ever.  Tiger is the best golf player I’ve ever watched, except maybe for Jack Nicholas, but Tiger has had a pretty rough year.  I think he’ll be back, but I don’t see why there has to be 24 hour a day coverage on how bad Tiger’s season has sucked this year.  Tiger knows he sucked this year.  Anyone who watches golf knows that.  I don’t watch all the events, but even I know that.  I think Tiger will be back though.

I also get irritated by all the know it alls that have deemed Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career as being “done, like a Christmas turkey.”  I actually heard that on the radio today.  I suppose it’s a tribute to Dale Jr.’s fame that the only thing that the usual stick and ball sports guy can say about stock car racing is that Dale Jr.’s done.  Dale Jr. isn’t even very close to being in the Chase right now.  Nobody on any of the radio stations I’ve listened to have talked about Kasey Kahne’s move, or Mark Martin’s dilemma, or the fact that Kevin Harvick has been the leader in the points race just about all season.  The only thing that the stick and ball guys can talk about is how Dale Jr. sucks.  It makes me want to ask myself why A-Rod didn’t suck when it took him about a month to hit his 600th home run.   What’s the matter, A-Rod?  Need a shot of steroids?

Speaking of Kevin Harvick, he’s one of the major unsung heroes of NASCAR this season.  Quietly, he’s been building up a substantial lead in the Cup series by scoring a lot of top 5’s and top 10’s.  That’s how it’s done.  A couple of wins doesn’t hurt either.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won 18 Cup races in his career, and more Nationwide races than that.  Dale Jr., in my humble opinion, doesn’t need to explain a darned thing to anyone.  He’s proven he can do it.  If you know Babe Ruth’s stats, year by year, by heart, but have never been to a NASCAR race, and yet you have a job on TV or radio talking about sports, please, quit talking about NASCAR, when you don’t have a clue about what you’re talking about.  Stick and ball dudes, most of really don’t have a clue:  Shut up.  Live it, learn it, earn it, and love it, and then I’ll listen to your idiocy.

I love NASCAR, and won’t apologize for it.  I had a client a couple of years ago that ridiculed me for being a fan.  She was a fan of Indy League Racing.  Her sport raced “real cars.”  I said “What the heck are you driving home?”  She didn’t answer, after she’d given me a pretty dirty look.

Let’s give NASCAR another chance.  It’s worth it.