Reggie and Kim - splitsville

Let's see if we can make any sense of this latest development in the world of NFL stars and their very visible actress lady friends. In case you had not caught the news, the New Orleans Saints' Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian of Keeping Up with the Kardashians have split.

First, Tony and Jessica split. And now we have Reggie and Kim calling it quits. Perhaps it was the opening of training camps and the desire of these two football stars to focus...but I doubt it.

No, it appears that Bush and Kardashian went their separate ways because (a) no ring had yet been proffered from Reggie and (b) "Kim's brand is much bigger than it was last season." Now, I don't make this stuff up--that quote came directly from a Fox News "source" on the relationship problems between the two stars.

I guess we can now accuse Bush of not "keeping up..."

Best coaches ever

The Sporting News released its list of all-time best coaches, across all major sports--professional and college--in its online edition today. The list of 50 was selected by a blue-chip panel of coaches, athletic administrators and even a team owner or two.

The top two are not surprising--John Wooden, former UCLA basketball head coach, and Vince Lombardi, coach of the NFL Green Bay Packers. Wooden, as we all know, had 10 national championships and a career winning percentage of .806. Lombardi won five NFL titles and did it only coaching a total of nine years.

After these two, the top five are Bear Bryant (Alabama football), Phil Jackson (NBA Bulls and Lakers) and Don Shula (Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins.) Of these, Jackson will probably be the one which elicits the most argument but the guy has won an NBA record 10 championships. Yes, he had Michael, Scottie, Shaq and Kobe during his tenure at the two franchises, but he also had guys like Cartwright, Kerr, Paxson, Fisher and others who aren't exactly household hoops names.

Of local interest are:

#8 - Dean Smith, North Carolina basketball (played at Kansas)

#16 - Bob Knight, Indiana and Texas Tech basketball

#19 - Mike Krzyzewski, Duke basketball

#21 - Adolph Rupp, Kentucky basketball (played at Kansas)

#29 - Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma football

#34 - Tom Osborne, Nebraska football

#47 - Henry Iba, Oklahoma State basketball

The magazine did not list the criteria used for selecting the coaches but a high premium was obviously placed on number of national titles or professional championships.

There are, as with any list of this type, notables who did not make the cut. Near and dear to my heart is Phog Allen of Kansas--the acknowledged "father of basketball coaching" did not make the list even though he won national titles in 1922, 1923 and 1952, and was instrumental in getting basketball to be accepted as an Olympic sport.

The late Herb Brooks made the list at #50. At first glance, this seems like a sentimental pick as Brooks will always be remembered as the guy who masterminded the United States' monumental upset of Russia in Olympic hockey in 1980. Yet, Brooks did have success in the sport--his three national titles at the University of Minnesota prior to coaching the '80 Olympic team. Brooks was one of five hockey coaches who made the list--Scotty Bowman was the highest at #7.

One woman made her way onto the list--Pat Summitt of Tennessee was voted #11. Summitt was very deserving of the honor given her eight national championships and the fact that in the 28-year history of the NCAA Womens Tournament, Summitt's Vols have been to the Final Four 18 times!

In all, the Top 50 break down as follows:

- College football = 11

- NFL = 10

- MLB = 10

- College basketball = 9

- NBA = 5

- NHL = 5

Quick Hits

- Sign of the apocalypse: An ex-con from New York has started a business teaching Wall Street executives and other white-collar criminals how to survive jail. Steven Oberfest, 41, charges $200 per hour and teaches the convicted how to act in jail--the etiquette, the lingo, how to stay sane and how to defend oneself behind bars.

- Quote of the week: Jillian, from The Bachelorette, "Ed better not (bleep)ing disappoint me."

- The Model Lounge opened in New York. And, no, it's not open to the general public--only to female professional models. It's a place the models say they can relax without being hit upon by creepy guys and glared at by jealous women.

- Congratulations to Robert Redford. The Sundance Kid, at the age of 71, married his long-time girlfriend, Sibylle Szaggars. Redford's first marriage ended in 1985.

- Last week we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 space mission to the moon. Neil Armstrong, part of the crew of Apollo 11 and the first man to walk on the moon, lays claim to the most valuable autograph in the U.S. Armstrong's signature, on a check he wrote before the Apollo 11 moon mission, fetched $27,350 recently, according to The Boston Globe.

The Bachelorette chooses...

...and the winner, er chosen one, is (alert--turn your eyes away now if you DVRed last night's final episode and do not yet know the winner.)

Let's see, our Bachelorette ends up with the guy who left the show earlier in the season to tend to his job but then came back begging forgiveness, who was "too tired" on the big night when he could get amorous with his lass...and was a bit of a fashion disaster to boot. Gee, sounds like most males in most marriages, huh ladies? Maybe that bodes well for our bachelorette, Jillian Harris, and Ed Swiderski, the one who won Jillian's heart over 19 other contestants/guys.

In the end, we think Jillian chose wisely...

Tone it down, Tiger

I used to throw my golf clubs on the course. Not often...but enough. Then, I began playing regularly with my son, knowing that I was helping him learn not only the game but how to conduct himself on a golf course. My club throwing, for the most part, stopped. I must admit, that I--on a now rare occasion--will throw a club. And, as soon as I do it I feel embarrassed.

That's why I'm glad Rick Reilly wrote the attached column on espn.com:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=4347419

Dive of the week

We're starting a new feature here at Musings, Notes & Quotes--our "dive of the week." While we may not have enough material to actually fill up a weekly post about our favorite "dives," defined as joints which serve great food that may be a tad on the, shall we say, unhealthy side, we'll do our best. And, we want your feedback on great dives you've encountered so that we can spotlight these venues long on flavor and perhaps short on the accoutrements.

(In case you're wondering, yes, my inspiration for this is the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," hosted by Guy Fieri.)

Our first spotlighted dive this week is The Peanut at 5000 Main, Kansas City, MO. This local establishment bills itself as the "oldest bar in Kansas City." And, while there are other locations within the metropolitan area, this one stands out--the food is terrific, the service apathetic and the place looks like it hasn't been dusted since 1957.

The spirit of late owner Rich Kenney still lingers in the joint which appeals to its regular, neighborhood clientele as well as the business types from the Plaza area who grab BLTs or wings over lunch.

The star here is the city's best bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich, topped with sliced onions and sliced cheese. The single provides a lot of bacon but if you are into a salt overdose, order the triple. The bar's wings are also top-notch.

So, our dive of the week--The Peanut at 50th and Main, just south of the Country Club Plaza.

Marketing to women

The blogging conference BlogHer is the largest gathering of its type for female bloggers in North America. And, a recent survey of those registered at BlogHer had some interesting findings for marketers who are trying to better market to the female segment.

The survey, conducted by Ketchum Communications, found that four in 10 female bloggers have provided information or feedback collected on their blogs to marketers to help them better market to women or mothers. An even larger percentage (53%) indicated that they would do so if asked, meaning this is a fruitful place for marketers to focus as they consider how best to reach women.

Not surprisingly, the research also pointed out some warnings to marketers as they try to tap into this profitable segment:

- Take the time to read the blogs and understand the areas of focus.

- Don’t assume that all female bloggers are “mommy bloggers.”

- Know that female bloggers are “more than their blog”—they have other roles in their lives other than being a mom or a blogger, including jobs outside the home.

Respondents also pointed out their dislike of how consumer technology products are marketed to women. The most common mistake cited is “patronizing language”—33% said that this turns them off to the brand being marketed. “Stereotypes” was also cited, by 28%, as a turn-off. Other feedback included “not being clear on product benefits” (15%), “using too much jargon” (11%) and “making products that appeal to men” (7%.)

Ketchum and BlogHer collaborated on the research, which was administered online by BlogHer in late June 2009.

Closing out the week

- Have those in Kansas City noticed the new Kansas City Chiefs ticket commercials featuring country singer Trace Adkins? The words "discipline" and "integrity" are used as attributes of the Chiefs' 50-year history. How about "winning?" Can we work on that one?

- Mick Jagger turns 66 today. All jokes aside, he and his band colleagues can still rock it out.

- The parking lots around local restaurants still appear full, even with the down economy. But, there are sure more "dinner deals" to be had at upscale eateries. The Bristol has a $29 prix fixe, four-course meal and Sullivan's is advertising dinner for two for $69.

- Speaking of Adkins, he and fellow country stud, Toby Keith, invade Sprint Center in Kansas City on Friday night this week.

- The Sprint Center is getting a return date from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on October 26. Maybe The Boss will start the concert on time this visit--his Kansas City concert late last year started over an hour after the announced start time.

40 years

1969. Google it and see what you find. Forty years ago we experienced a 12-month period which would be hard to top for the number of impactful events which occurred--some of which could be labeled once-in-a-lifetime.

Just a quick list would be: man walking on the Moon, the gathering of hundred of thousands of people at the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival; Charles Manson; the New York Jets beating the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl, thus becoming the first AFL team to win this football championship; Rod Laver winning the calendar-year tennis Grand Slam; the birth of Sesame Street; the release of notable albums like Led Zeppelin I and The Beatles' Abbey Road and the incorporation of Wal-Mart.

In the world of sports, we not only had Laver and the Jets, we had the Amazin' Mets winning the World Series, the aging Boston Celtics winning their 11th NBA title in 13 years, Mario Andretti winning the Indianapolis 500, a guy named Orville Moody winning the U.S. Open--his only major title ever, and Michigan upsetting #1 Ohio State. In college hoops, John Wooden's UCLA Bruins won their third straight national title led by a guy named Lew Alcindor (later becoming Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and in college football, #1 Texas beat #2 Arkansas 15-14 in the "college football game of the century," according to the Southwest Conference. Yes, that's the same Southwest Conference which no longer exists and the same Texas, who's now in the Big 12 and Arkansas, who's now in the Southeastern Conference.

Forty years from now we'll celebrate the year 2049. On what will we look back and reminisce? The death of Michael Jackson? Jon & Kate? President Obama's health-care initiative? Tom Watson's "almost" British Open victory? The release of the new Wilco album? The beginning of a long run by Conan O'Brien as host of The Tonight Show? The start of a long, national political career by Sarah Palin?

Color me skeptical--it's going to be hard to top '69...

Apple complaint causes Microsoft to alter ad

The "laptop hunters" campaign from Microsoft has done a very good job of spotlighting the cost of Apple laptops compared to those utilizing Microsoft operating systems. But now, Apple's drop in laptop pricing has caused Microsoft to alter at least one of the television spots.

The ad in question features a college student shopping for a new laptop with the help of her mother. The commercial formerly had the student saying, "This Mac is $2,000 and that's before I add anything." "Why would you pay twice the price?" asks the Mom in reply.

In the latest version of the ad, that scene has been edited out. The re-edited version has the student saying, "It seems like you're paying a lot for the brand."

The campaign was created by Crispin, Porter & Bogusky.