Crash Question

There's a tendency for everyone to second guess or Monday morning quarterback a tragic event. Most times, it's an effort to understand why something happened or figure out who's to blame. We suppose it's natural, but can be construed as inappropriate so close to the event. We deleted a few of those comments in the original post yesterday because we stated that it was for prayers and remembrances only.

But reviewing the comments, one stood out. And an e-mail last night reinforced our disquiet. The comment stated the following:

• [from a cop on traffic control at the scene] Would you believe that I was waved down by a City snowplow driver on the inner drive and he stated that they were under orders...NOT to salt Lakeshore Drive!
  
  The City Snowplow Driver seemed sincere and pissed off that a needless accident had to happen because of his direct orders.

The e-mail was a bit more damning:

• A friend who monitored the radio transmission this morning stated that someone from streets n san broadcasted the following...No More Salt On Lake Shore Drive"! That was before the Sgt Crashed. Can someone pull the tapes for that Sgt's family! I figured your the best source of info relay

We can only assume the radio transmission was over the Streets and San radio net and we have no idea if their stuff is recorded and saved like ours and what sort of legal compunctions they might be under to preserve the tapes.

We would really really hate to think that some bureaucrat pinching pennies on salt distribution during what was supposed to be a pretty heavy winter storm may have contributed in some fashion to the death of one of our own.

Testify! Testify!

Get these bastards under oath:

• A federal judge on Monday left the door open to compelling Chicago aldermen to testify for the defense in the upcoming trial of a developer accused of passing bribes for a zoning change.

  Ten current and former aldermen have been trying to block subpoenas brought by attorneys for developer Calvin Boender, who faces a March 8 trial on charges that he bribed then-Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers (29th).

  Carothers has pleaded guilty and submitted his resignation.

  U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. said Monday he was likely to deny the aldermen’s bid to quash the subpoenas outright but he still questioned whether their testimony would be relevant at trial.

Oh, it'll be relevant all right. It'll be relevant like a spotlight:

• Five of the subpoenaed aldermen sat on a committee that advanced a zoning change allowing Boender to redevelop the 50-acre Galewood Yards from industrial to residential use.

  Authorities charge that Carothers approved the zoning change after Boender bankrolled $40,000 in improvements to the Carothers’ residence. Defense lawyers want to ask other aldermen the reasoning behind their votes.

We sense a whole a bunch of verbal gymnastics and squirming.

More Camera Angst

Red light cameras in the spotlight again, this time for Right Turn on Red violations:

• Red Light cams -- or red-light scams?
  
  One state senator calls them cash stations on a stick. One village made a million bucks before being shamed into taking a camera down.
  
  You don't even think about running red lights when you see them. But now they've found a new way to take your money.
  
  Thirty-eight thousand cars a day speed through an intersection near Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago. Signs eastbound warn of "Red Light Photo Enforcement," but there is no sign prohibiting right turn on red, which the camera caught a CBS 2 producer doing.

Proper signage has always been at the heart of most of these challenges. There's a reason that every Chicago intersection with a camera has signs on all four corners, even the camera is only watching a single direction of travel. In any event, the media is noticing the beginnings of a anti-camera movement that might one day amount to something. So are some of the politicians.

CTRUS, pelota futurista.

Se la presenta como “la primera pelota de fútbol que permite ver a través de ella”, pero CTRUS no es sólo el primer balón de fútbol transparente diseñado por AGENT – STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE EMBASSY.

Tiene luz interior, cambia en situaciones críticas del juego (offside, gol, fuera del campo), graba la fuerza del golpe y la velocidad de su movimiento, la localización de la pelota (GPS) y posee un sistema inalámbrico para enviar los datos a la-torre-de-control.

El CTRUS no se infla, su forma no se genera con presión de aire, no es neumático. Piezas plásticas en su interior conforman la esfera que emula el rebote de la pelota convencional.

La estatua de Ronaldo

El domingo Ronaldo fue figura en la goleada (6-2) de Real Madrid sobre Villarreal pero había sido duramente criticado por su rendimiento en la caída ante Lyon (0-1) por la Champions League. Hoy lunes, apareció un Ronaldo de diez metros en la Plaza de Ramales (Madrid).

¿Como explicarle a Mostaza Merlo que la escultura es obra de Nike para la filmación de un comercial?

OFF TOPIC: EL VASCO AGUIRRE SE DISCULPA CON MEXICO

¿Quién es el Fergusson de Rácing?

Después de pasar por los bancos de Lanús, Estudiantes, Universidad de Chile, Rosario Central, Salamanca (España), Morelia (México), Colón, Los Andes, Vélez, San Lorenzo y de sus deseos: “Me gustaría ser el Fergusson de Boca”, Miguel Ángel Russo firmó para sentarse en el banco de Rácing y debutó ganando (Rácing 1 San Lorenzo 0).

Para calmar algún deseo de permanencia o acortar algún proyecto a plazo demasiado largo, recopilamos los entrenadores que pasaron por donde hoy se sienta Russo (desde el equipo de José hasta hoy) a fin de determinar QUIEN ES EL FERGUSSON DE RÁCING.

Pasaron por Rácing 87 entrenadores en 45 años: 2 entrenadores por año.

El que logró el proceso más largo fue Juan José Pizzuti (1965-1969) en la época del título mundial, seguido por Alfio Basile (1987-88), ganador de la Supercopa 88 y de buena performance local. Fueron los únicos entrenadores que pudieron permanecer más de un año en el banco de Rácing.

Se bancaron una temporada completa: Víctor Rodríguez (1972), Juan José Pizzuti (1974), José Omar Pastoriza (1981), Humberto Grondona (1992), Alfio Basile (1996), Carlos Babington (1997), Gustavo Costas (1999) y Guillermo Rivarola (2004).

El récord de desconcierto se logró en 1995, cuando pasaron por el banco cinco entrenadores: Diego Maradona, Héctor Martínez, Pedro Marchetta, Rodolfo Domínguez y Miguel Ángel Brindisi.

Varios DTs reincidieron: José Santiago (1970 y 1975), Juan Urriolabeitía (1970 y 1978), Víctor Rodríguez (1972 y 1980), Juan Carlos Giménez (1977 y 1985), Pedro Marchetta (1989 y 1995), Angel Cappa (1998 y 2003), Carlos Babington (1993 y 1997), Gustavo Costas (1999 y 2007) y Reinaldo Merlo (2001 y 2006).

Otros – del riñón racinguista - tropezaron una y otra vez con la misma piedra: Agustín Mario Cejas (1978 – 1980 – 1984), el mismo Juan José Pizzuti (1965/69 – 1974 – 1983 - 1993) y el Coco Basile (1977 – 1985 – 1987/88 – 1996).

Claudio Vivas, predecesor de Russo, duró 11 partidos.

Officer Injured

Bad accident this morning. Wishing the officer a speedy recovery.

Positive thoughts and prayers only for this post. All others will be deleted.

UPDATE: It was a 023 District sergeant and he has died. Prayers and condolences for family only. All others will be deleted.