All we are saying is… Give Shrimp a Chance…
Last night, I was asked to “model” for the team which will be replacing the Jacksonville Suns. “What?” I thought, “Not the Jacksonville Suns. Is Ken really going to change the name?” I got over it and agreed even before hearing what the new name was. The assistant GM gave me a little pep talk ahead of breaking the news, “okay, are you ready?” I was already sitting. He also swore me to secrecy. “It’s the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.” I am never speechless and probably was a little speechless, waiting for the punchline. “Wait until you see it,” Noel added. This isn’t my first rodeo, so I took my oath to secrecy seriously and only told my wife and maybe three other people- all equally sworn to secrecy.
When the news broke later last night, it was tremendous. People who normally would not even be talking about Game 7 of the World Series were talking about Jacksonville’s minor league team. Not the upcoming huge college football game, Jaguars coaching changes or Presidential election. They were talking about the AA affiliate of the Marlins.
Sure, there was outrage and some amazing puns. Carson Tinker should get a dime every time someone says, “Baseball’s never been tartar.” But it was passion- something which has been absent from Sun’s baseball in a long time. I fell in love with the concept and the genius behind a brilliantly timed marketing splash. I love the Bragans and certainly respect what they brought to the table as “old school” owners, but “old school” doesn’t get it anymore. Look at what the Jaguars have done across the street to see what you have to do to be competitive for dollars these days.
And then I wondered… what’s in a name?
In 1917, we were home to the Jacksonville Roses. In 1926, the Jacksonville Tars played here. We’ve hosted the Red Caps of the Negro Leagues, the Jets and the Jays. The Jacksonville Shooters, JAM and SLAM played basketball here. On the ice, we have been the Lizard Kings and the Bullets. We even had the Tea Men for a bit in the 80’s. We have the Jaguars right now and even an Armada, but neither are very ferocious. In fact, they are playing way beneath their stature.
None -not one- of these mascots were meant to be literal and you don’t have to be a symbol of traditional power or strength to be awesome. Most players know that. And it is what is really cool about minor league sports- it can be both fun and a little campy. I was a Baker Hornet. I have also been a Red Sox and a Crimson Tide fan- all pretty lame in their own over-analyzed right.But look no further to the Savannah Bananas, the Montgomery Biscuits, the Hops, or the partially owned by Bill Murray Charleston River Dogs for how baseball can be fun, too.
And I have stared at the SUNS logo for years, with it’s same upside up and as upside down writing and evil wink and wondered, can we do something better? Can we have a modern mascot? Okay, maybe I wouldn’t have picked the Jumbo Shrimp, but I also wouldn’t have had the guts to be different and stand out like Ken has. He will sell more hats and swag outside of Jacksonville than the Suns ever have. I’d buy $250 worth right now. Southpaw lives in, too, so we won’t be chased by a huge… I mean jumbo… shrimp just yet.
Some of the coolest parts of our ecosystem are diminutive, if not microscopic. A shrimp’s heart is in its head. I like that about a shrimp. And I love Ken Babby for bringing passion to Jacksonville. I am proud to be a Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp darnit. My heart is in my head waiting for next season (whatever that means). We will be renewing our sponsorship because we earthlings need to stick together, haha.
Go Shrimp!
Courts and Sports (and the Jacksonville Suns): Weird Laws Episode 5 – Bird is the Word
Weird Laws Presented by the Law Offices of John M. Phillips: Bird is the Word
The Law John M. Phillips is serious about the cases we take. We handle personal injury (including auto accidents, falls, road rage and more), wrongful death, civil rights, as well as criminal defense (including DUI and traffic violations) and family law (including divorce and adoptions). However, we also like to have fun. John hosted a radio show for years called Courts & Sports and we have teamed with the Jacksonville Suns to bring a little of that back this year. You can give us a call at 904-444-4444 or check out our lawyers at http://floridajustice.com. ENJOY!
Courts and Sports (and the Jacksonville Suns): Weird Laws Episode 6 – Voting Under the Influence
Weird Laws Presented by the Law Offices of John M. Phillips: Voting Under the Influence
The Law John M. Phillips is serious about the cases we take. We handle personal injury (including auto accidents, falls, road rage and more), wrongful death, civil rights, as well as criminal defense (including DUI and traffic violations) and family law (including divorce and adoptions). However, we also like to have fun. John hosted a radio show for years called Courts & Sports and we have teamed with the Jacksonville Suns to bring a little of that back this year. You can give us a call at 904-444-4444 or check out our lawyers at http://floridajustice.com. ENJOY!
Courts and Sports (and the Jacksonville Suns): Weird Laws Episode 8 – Spit Fire
Weird Laws Presented by the Law Offices of John M. Phillips: Spit Fire
The Law John M. Phillips is serious about the cases we take. We handle personal injury (including auto accidents, falls, road rage and more), wrongful death, civil rights, as well as criminal defense (including DUI and traffic violations) and family law (including divorce and adoptions). However, we also like to have fun. John hosted a radio show for years called Courts & Sports and we have teamed with the Jacksonville Suns to bring a little of that back this year. You can give us a call at 904-444-4444 or check out our lawyers at http://floridajustice.com. ENJOY!
Courts and Sports (and the Jacksonville Suns): Weird Laws Episode 7 – Cat Shirt
Weird Laws Presented by the Law Offices of John M. Phillips: Cat Shirt
The Law John M. Phillips is serious about the cases we take. We handle personal injury (including auto accidents, falls, road rage and more), wrongful death, civil rights, as well as criminal defense (including DUI and traffic violations) and family law (including divorce and adoptions). However, we also like to have fun. John hosted a radio show for years called Courts & Sports and we have teamed with the Jacksonville Suns to bring a little of that back this year. You can give us a call at 904-444-4444 or check out our lawyers at http://floridajustice.com. ENJOY!
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blake Bortles Crushes Tee Shot with Inverted Driver
At his first charity golf tournament, benefiting the Blake Bortles foundation, Blake Bortles, Chad Henne and our team had a little competition. Blake had already put his clubs away, so he used mine. One problem, Blake golfs lefty. My Callaways are righty. He proceeded to turn my driver upside down and drove it far and straight, about 220-230 yards, down the fairway. The reaction was priceless. Way to go Blake.
You can also listen to his CaddyShack interview with the Chive here- https://t.co/Jbd54YT2Ux.
Photos:
Boston Bombing Survivor Testifies in Court, Writes a Letter to the Boston Bomber on her Facebook Page.
Rebekah Gregory is a survivor of the Boston Marathon Bombing. Gregory, who lost most of her left leg that day, was standing just a few feet from the bomb when it detonated. This week, several Boston Marathon bombing victims will testify at the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The first of the victims to testify was Gregory. A few hours after testifying she published an inspirational letter, directed at Tsarnaev, to her Facebook page:
Dear Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,
My name is Rebekah Gregory. We don’t really know each other and never will. But over the last two years, I have seen your face not only in pictures, but in almost every one of my nightmares. Moments before the first blast, your stupid backpack even brushed up against my arm, but I doubt you remember because I am no one to you. A complete stranger. And although I was merely just a blip on your radar, (someone that happened to be standing 3 feet from your designated “good spot” for a bomb), you have been so much more to me. Because you have undoubtedly been my source of fear since April 15th, 2013. (After all, you are one of the men responsible for nearly taking my child, and for the permanent image embedded in my brain of watching someone die.) Up until now, I have been truly scared of you and because of this, fearful of everything else people might be capable of.
But today, all that changed. Because this afternoon, I got to walk into a courtroom and take my place at the witness stand, just a few feet away from where you were sitting. (I was WALKING. Did you get that?) And today I explained all the horrific details, of how you changed my life, to the people that literally hold YOURS in their hands. That’s a little scary right? And this afternoon before going in, I’m not going to lie..my palms were sweaty. And sitting up there talking to the prosecution did make me cry. But today, do you know what else happened? TODAY…I looked at you right in the face….and realized I wasn’t afraid anymore. And today I realized that sitting across from you was somehow the crazy kind of step forward that I needed all along.
And I think that’s the ironic thing that happens when someone intends something for evil. Because somehow, some way, it always ends up good. But you are a coward. A little boy who wouldn’t even look me in the eyes to see that. Because you can’t handle the fact that what you tried to destroy, you only made stronger. And if your eyes would’ve met mine for just one second, you would’ve also seen that what you “blew up” really did BLOW UP. Because now you have given me (and the other survivors) a tremendous platform to help others, and essentially do our parts in changing the world for the better.
So yes…you did take a part of me. Congratulations you now have a leg up…literally. But in so many ways, you saved my life. Because now, I am so much more appreciative of every new day I am given. And now, I get to hug my son even tighter than before, blessed that he is THRIVING, despite everything that has happened.
So now…while you are sitting in solitary confinement, (awaiting the verdict on your life), I will be actually ENJOYING everything this beautiful world has to offer. And guess what else? I will do so without fear….of YOU. Because now to me you’re a nobody, and it is official that you have lost. So man that really sucks for you bro. I truly hope it was worth it.
Sincerely,
Someone you shouldn’t have messed with
#bostonstrong
Amount of guns owned in each U.S. state compared to the gun ownership of entire countries is alarming
If these numbers don’t make you question (at least for a second) your state’s gun control policies, than I don’t know what will. According to the Small Arms Survey, out of the 18.8 million Florida residents, 16.7 million guns are owned. To put that number in perspective, the entire population of all of Mexico owns only 15.5 millions guns. To further clarify, if all of the guns owned by Florida residents were evenly distributed, almost 90% of ALL Florida residents would have a gun. In the United States there are 89 guns owned for every 100 U.S. citizens. No matter what your stance is on gun control, you have to admit, these numbers are pretty incredible.
To hell in a hand basket? Multi-millionaire has PUN PAC #BabyGotPAC
Republican multimillionaire John Jordan was given a lucrative winery by his parents. He is Donald Trump without the wild hair. He’s the latest in people who are tired of collecting things- he is collecting people.
In 2013, he created his own super PAC (Americans for Progressive Action), hired his own campaign team, and poured more than $1.4 million of his own money to try and change a Senate race 3000 miles away. His candidate? Republican Gabriel Gomez, who was in a special election 3,000 miles away to fill John Kerry’s Senate seat in Massachusetts. Reports were that Jordan had never met or spoken to him. Gomez lost the election. He didn’t cry over his spilled Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grand Cru. No, not at all.
He’s working on uncorking a new bottle. This time, he’s trying to collect a presidential candidate. Who? Marco Rubio. He’s also so thirsty…
…for a big break. And what better to quench his thirst than millions of dollars raised from wine. Jordan had previously raised money for Scott Walker’s presidential campaign, hosting the Wisconsin governor at his northern California winery. However, Scott was clearly corked and it is apparently time to try and collect another vintage.
Law and the Super PAC
According to PublicIntegrity.org, Super PACs were made possible due to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, which hold that the PAC can accept unlimited donations from corporations, unions and individuals. They may use the funds to support or oppose candidates, but are prohibited from coordinating their spending with campaigns. However, the rules are confusing and both sides use super PACs to allow donors to contribute vast sums of money.
According to the Washington Post:
A set of FEC rules approved in 2010 prohibits a campaign from coordinating with an independent group on a paid communication. The agency laid out specific tests to determine whether a campaign has illegally shared internal strategy used to guide an independent group’s advertising.
About three dozen such super PACs collectively raised more than $266 million from January through June while the campaigns of 2016 presidential hopefuls collectively raised just half that much — about $130 million — according to a Center for Public Integrity review.
The Pun
Baby Got PAC is the latest PAC and is running ads for candidate Marco Rubio in tonight’s debate. Oh, my, God, Hilary, look at that PAC…
Yes, we went there. So did they.
Conclusion
Let’s summarize- you can now make butt jokes while pouring millions into a fund to win friends and influence politicians- sometimes when you never have even met them. Welcome to America.
Paint, Conceal, Shoot: Individuals painting their guns to make them look like toys is terrifying
The thought of children getting a parent’s gun is terrifying. Taking the right steps to keep guns safe and away from children should be a top priority for gun owners- but that is not always the case. Parents are not using locks or other safeguards to keep their guns away from children.
To make matters worse, individuals are now cloaking their assault rifles, pistols, you name it, with paint and plastics to look like a child’s toy or even a full on, out of the box, squirt gun. It is a recipe for horrific disasters. Not to mention it leaves police in a predicament- to shoot or not to shoot?
Guns are being confiscated all over the country that, at first look, appear to be straight off the aisle from the toy section at Wal-Mart. But that, sadly, is not the case. The picture gallery below is a collection of a few of the many weapons out there that have been modified to no longer look “deadly” or like a usual black or silver firearm, but rather a child’s toy.
Tamir Rice Case
In a 911 call, a caller phoned the police to report that someone, possibly a juvenile, was pointing a pistol at random people in the Cudell Recreation Center, yet the caller twice clarified that the gun was “probably fake.” Officers were dispatched without the information that the caller thought the gun might have been fake. The officers arrived at the park and approached the child we now know as Tamir Rice, ordering him to hold up his hands. Rice reached down instead of up, prompting one of the officers to immediately fire two shots, fatally hitting Rice once in the torso. The entire incident happened within mere seconds. Read more 
Ford Car Blimp Crashes Into Stands at NBA game, Amazingly no one is Injured
No this is not photoshopped. No that is not a real car. But it is a really big blimp of a Ford. The Blimp was circling the arena when it when plummeting into the stands. Luckily for everyone is landed in an area where nobody was sitting. As we all know from watching the Macy’s Day Parade, those things (inflatables) can be dangerous and are heavy. Had this thing gone plunging into an onlooker the results would be less funny and a lot more dire. As of right now no one has been injured, but this is a bad, bad look for Ford. Especially for a marketing gimmick that I am sure they paid a hefty price -to fly a life size car-blimp around an arena full of onlookers.
In all seriousness, if you are ever injured I would recommend consulting an attorney as many injuries can result in long lasting negative effects on your life. Injuries can even flare up days, weeks, months or even years after the initial accident. Injuries are nothing to mess around with and I am very happy that this incident turned out to be humorous rather than horrific.
Worst of the Worst: Black Friday Edition
Black Friday is a spectacle, to put it lightly. Unbathed humans camping out for six days to get a $14 discount on Keurig at Walmart. Risking being trampled for a 15% discount on a 32″ TV. It is amazing. Black Friday is the closest thing we will probably ever have to our very own Hunger Games. If only stores would set up obstacles and traps and then televise the shoppers on national Ttelevision. Read more
Michael Jordan Says That President Obama is a “Shi–y Golfer”
In a recent interview with a Wisconsin radio station WJMR, Michael Jordan described Barack Obama’s golf game as “shitty.” President Obama laughed off the statement, “Mike and I, we know each other but I’ve never played golf with him,”
He noted that Jordan made the comment in an interview with Ahmad Rashad, whom the president said he had partnered with before on the golf course. Obama said he and Rashad twice beat former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning, The Hill reports. Read more
In the Line of Fire: How Dangerous is the Legal Profession, Update
Today, in an Oklahoma courthouse, a murderer attempted to kill his attorney with a razor blade he had smuggled into the courthouse. The razor reportedly came from a “safety razor” that inmates are allowed to have in prison to shave with.
While waiting for his sentencing in a courthouse conference room, Kevin Sweat, 28, had his handcuffs removed and positioned himself behind his attorney. Sweat then pulled out the smuggled razor blade and slashed his attorney’s throat. Fortunately, the unnamed attorney did survive, although he did lose a considerable amount of blood, as reported by Emory Bryan in a News On 6 video.
Sadly, attacks on attorneys and judges are not uncommon. While I have failed to keep up with all major attacks on attorneys and judges over the past few years, you can find a list of some of the major ones here: In the Line of Fire: How Dangerous is the Legal Profession
3-D Printing: Incredible Technology That Comes With a Price
3-D Printing is incredible. You can print almost anything you want, right at home. For example, you could print a new battery cover for the back of your remote control, a new cell phone case, holiday decor, or a life-size statue of yourself – pretty much anything you can think of (even a car). Unfortunately, there are going to be people who use such an innovative and convenient piece of technology for other purposes, such as manufacturing guns and other dangerous instrumentalities from their couch. Recently, a man was arrested in Japan for creating 2 guns for himself and then releasing his blue prints on the internet along with an instriuctional video on how to print guns on a 3-D printer. Read more….
