Goodbye Roger Goodell

The NFL commissioner has taken considerable flak lately due to his handling (or mishandling) of the infamous Ray Rice domestic violence incident. Goodell faces heavy criticism for the initial two game suspension and for accusations of lying when he announced he had not seen the full video at the time he handed down the first suspension, a statement at odds with what appears to be the truth.

Goodell and the NFL continue to insist they did nothing wrong, yet the calls for him to resign are coming loud and fast from many directions. The questions continue to be debated: when did Goodell know of the full extent of the video, and was his response appropriate? Many Goodell critics are saying, goodbye Roger.

A Giant Among His Peers

His first name is Jose - not 'little', 'diminutive', or 'tiny'. Baseball people love to add those size designations when they talk about him, because he is the shortest man in Major League Baseball. Critics insisted it was a joke when he was called up to the Astros in mid-2011 and became the starting 2nd baseman. No man standing 5'6" tall could possibly play big league baseball, they chortled.

Buckhead Mountain Grill & Graeter's Ice Cream – Bellevue/Ft. Mitchell, KY (Cincinnati)

Two things I learned while traveling through the Cincinnati, OH/Bellevue-Newport, KY area: a Kentucky Hot Brown for dinner at Buckhead Mountain Grill, and Cincinnati's famous Graeter's Ice Cream for desert is a great way to spend an evening.

Tim Hortons – Hallstead, PA

Have you ever avoided a restaurant chain because you didn't think it would be worth your time? Without any solid reason, other than a feeling? On a recent vacation in the Northeastern US, we noticed Tim Hortons restaurants, many of which were paired with convenience stores and gas stations right off the highway.

Sandy's Lighthouse - Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, RI

Okay, so sand is everywhere. You're on the beach, what would you expect?

Prices are a little high. You're on the beach, you're going to pay for it.

Service is a little slow. You're on the beach, laid back is the rule here.

Waffle House – Arkansas & Kentucky

Pick any two Waffle House restaurants at random – say, Waffle House #668 (Forrest City, AR), or Waffle House #1894 (Mt. Sterling, KY) - and you will find a cook behind the grill who knows exactly how to cook perfect breakfast food. Regular Waffle House patrons know you will get a great meal at any Waffle House, and these two locations are no exception.

George's Family Restaurant and Pizza Castle – Mountville (Lancaster), PA

We learned a long time ago that when traveling, stepping away from tourist areas and seeking out restaurants where locals eat, usually leads to an excellent, home cooked style meal. It's not always easy to spot these places, as they tend to be in areas off the usual tourist routes. We have been fortunate to find several of these outstanding eateries in places like Silver City, New Mexico, Mystic, Connecticut, and most recently, a comfortable place called George's Family Restaurant and Pizza Castle, in the Lancaster, Mountville, PA area.

Conversation with Astros President Reid Ryan

Most fans of the Houston Astros have been blacked out for more than a year from watching their team on any television platform. This is my Twitter conversation with Astros President Reid Ryan on the subject.

#1 With A Bullet

Thanks to interested readers, 'A Sports Junkie' reached #1 in several categories in several countries for sports books during the free promotion on March 15-16. 

Readers in the US, UK, Italy, and Germany downloaded their free copy, sending the book to #1 in those countries in the sports history and sports essay categories.

The book is now back to regular price.

Free Promo

My latest book, 'A Sports Junkie', is free Saturday & Sunday, March 15-16. Click the link to download and enjoy the book free. Free readers are available for virtually every computer, smart phone, and tablet. 

Download and enjoy this book!

Republic – A Texas Grill – Houston, Texas

The Marriott elevator

Hotel restaurants tend to be hit and miss. They have a captive audience, so to speak, and depending on the place, you may be pleasantly surprised, or downright furious at what you get. 

When you stay in a hotel, and either can't or don't want to travel outside the building to eat, you're stuck with what the hotel has to offer. Fortunately, for guests at the Houston Marriott Westchase on the west side of Houston, the Republic Restaurant is a great place to eat.

Friedhelm's Bavarian Restaurant – Fredericksburg, Texas

I am no expert on authentic German food, but Friedhelm’s in Fredericksburg must be close to the mark. This large, pink hotel/restaurant located on the west end of Fredericksburg, is a popular dining destination for many tourists that come through this pleasant little South Texas town. Whether their food is spot on German or not, it is excellent, although expensive.

Denny’s Restaurant – Boerne, Texas

Denny’s Restaurants can be very good, very bad, or somewhere in between, depending on the location of the store. I suppose that is true with just about every chain store, but we have noticed this especially at Denny’s, as we travel frequently and have visited Denny’s in many locations.

International House of Pancakes – Waco, Texas

Any restaurant that can provide outstanding food regardless of how busy they are, deserve accolades. IHOP on I-35 South (4109 South Jack Kultgen Expy) in Waco, Texas is such a place. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon in July, when the restaurant was packed. Most of us probably assume in such a situation that service will be slow, from seating, to ordering, to receiving food. Happily for us, this IHOP proved that a big crowd isn’t a problem for them.

Jason's Deli - Killeen, Texas

I normally don’t like standing in line and ordering my food cafeteria style. When I go to a restaurant, I want to sit down and have someone take my order. However, if the food is good enough, then I’ll do it. Jason’s Deli is on a very short list of restaurants in which I will stand in line to order, simply because the food is consistently excellent.