progressive involvement

"Dem blessed Kansas Jayhawkers"

The civil war came six years early in Kansas.  From the mid-1850's until the start of the war, Kansas was roiled by brutality from both pro-slavery guerrillas, sometimes known as "border ruffians" from Missouri, and anti-slavery guerrillas as well, such as John Brown.  The state became known as "bleeding Kansas."

No one is quite sure of the first use of the word "jayhawk."  Whatever its provenance, in the 1850's, the term "jayhawk" became associated with the struggle against slavery.  

After the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, one of the anti-slavery guerrillas, Charles "Doc" Jennison, received a command in the newly-formed Kansas militia.  He later became colonel of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry which soon became known as the “Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawkers.”  (An 18 year old William Cody, later known as "Buffalo Bill," was one of its first recruits.) 

These "jayhawkers" were involved in several skirmishes and raids in western Missouri in the early days of the war.  Jennison had the policy that anyone not supporting the union cause would have their property confiscated--and that's if they were lucky.  

Jennison's troops were not always careful to distinguish between those who were pro-slavery and and those who were against it.  Put another way, their looting was sometimes indiscriminate.  This looting came to be called "jayhawking."

Under pressure from the highest ranks of the Army, Major General David Hunter issued General Orders No. 17 in the Department of Kansas on February 5, 1862, declaring marital law in Missouri.

“... the crime of jayhawking shall be put down with a strong hand and by summary process, and for this purpose the trial of all prisoners charged with armed depredations against property or assaults upon life will be conducted before the military commissions ...”

Not everyone, however, considered "jayhawking" in negative terms.  In the fall of 1861, for example, Kansas newspaperman, John Speer, encountered wagons of African-Americans on their way from Missouri to free-state stronghold, Lawrence, Kansas.  Speer asked if they were runaway slaves and an elderly woman replied they had been taken by “De blessed Kansas Jayhawkers. Dey Jayhawked us!”

Jennison resigned his commission in May, 1862.  The following year, pro-slavery guerrilla, William Quantrill, and his raiders sacked the town of Lawrence.  Kansas Governor Thomas Carney called on Jennison to raise a regiment of cavalry to protect the border.  This regiment became known as the Kansas 15th.

After the war, Jennison was elected to two terms in the Kansas House of Representatives.  In 1871, he was elected to the State Senate.

Image:  Charles "Doc" Jennison, leader of the Mounted Kansas Jayhawkers 

Governor Hickenlooper issues proclamation

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced a proclamation that temporarily renames Colorado’s tallest majestic mountain peaks -- also known as 14ers -- after individual active players on the Denver Broncos football team. The mountains will go by their new names for one day only -- on Super Bowl Sunday.

The full text of the proclamation:

WHEREAS, the State of Colorado is confident that the Denver Broncos will beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII; and

WHEREAS, the Denver Broncos gave Coloradans a lot to be proud of this season, including becoming the first team in NFL history to score more than 600 points in a single season and winning the AFC Championship; and

WHEREAS, Seattle makes some, well, OK beer; and

WHEREAS, the Seahawks have a 12th man, whatever, while the Denver Broncos have the greatest fans -- men, women and children -- in pro sports; and

WHEREAS, we are proud of the majestic mountains in Colorado, which is home to 53 14ers – the same number of players on the Denver Broncos’ active roster; and

WHEREAS, Peyton Manning bears a symbolic resemblance to Mount Elbert, the tallest 14er in Colorado, because he stands tall as an extraordinary leader of the Broncos; and

WHEREAS, Matt Prater kicks the football long – an NFL record 64 yards long – and could be compared to Longs Peak; and

WHEREAS, the Broncos offensive line stands together, like our Collegiate Peaks, rooted into the earth and preventing anyone from getting to Peyton Manning; and

WHEREAS, there are many other connections between other 14ers and players as referenced below;

Therefore, I, John W. Hickenlooper, Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby hurry up and proclaim Sunday, February 2, 2014,

Jayhawks make Sweet Sixteen

Some times, you just have somebody's number.  Roy Williams is now 0-3 against Bill Self.  In their first meeting as head coaches of the two perennial basketball powers, the 2008 quarterfinals, the Jayhawks thumped the Tarheels badly.  This is the game commentator Billy Packer proclaimed "game over" when KU led 40-12 in the first half.  

Last year, the Jayhawks put on a late surge to beat North Carolina in the regional finals, 80-67.  I remember thinking at the time that the closing five minutes of that game may have been the best Kansas played all year.

This year, North Carolina failed to put Kansas away in the first half when the Jayhawks were flailing around and throwing the ball to just about everybody except each other.  Senior Forward Travis Releford stepped up with some big baskets, which, coupled with Jeff Withey's dominance down low on both ends of the court, quickly erased their 9 point half-time deficit, and keyed KU's second-half dominance. 

Image:  Travis Releford, Ed Zurga — Getty Images

Communitarian effort, moral balance, and good pitching stir San Francisco Giants to victory

The 2010 team was great too, but this one takes the cake for being able to make lemonade out of lemons.

First, they lost their black-bearded ace closer, Brian Wilson, for the whole year.  Second, they lost their best hitter, Melky Cabrera, two-thirds of the way through the season.  Third, Tim Lincecum, two-time Cy Young Award winner, was having an off-year.

Somehow, Bruce Bochy put together a relief corps that did the job and allowed Sergio Romo, sporting a Wilson-esque beard, to emerge as the new ace.  

While the Dodgers were bulking up on big names who took them nowhere, the Giants quietly picked up Marco Scutaro from the Rockies.  He got 21 hits during the postseason, including the winning RBI of the final game, and played a stellar second base.

As for Lincecum, he proved to be Bruce Bochy's literal ace-in-the-hole.  Lincecum didn't start a game in post-season, but he was deadly coming out of the bullpen in middle relief.  He allowed only one run in 13 innings.

Good pitching stops good hitting.  That's the oldest and most basic baseball truth.  The combination of Vogelsong, Cain, Bumgarner, Zito plus a dazzling bullpen, won six straight elimination games, and seven straight games, against some very good teams, to close the season.  In fact, it was Barry Zito, of all people, who stepped up and turned the tide in game 5 against St. Louis.

Vogelsong finished the postseason with the lowest ERA since Orel Hershiser in 1988.  Bumgarner has a 15 scoreless inning streak going.  The 2012 Giants joined the 2010 team as one of four to ever throw four shutouts in a single postseason.

 

Image:  All American boy, Buster Posey, embraces Sergio Romo after Romo strikes out the side on the bottom of the 10th.  Ezra Shaw/Bleacher Report

 

Giants rally to win three straight in Cincinnati

Will play for National League title.

The jury is being selected for the Roger Clemens perjury trial

The pitcher they all called The Rocket
Swore an oath in the Federal docket.
He said, "I never took 'roids
But I carry Altoids, 
Which explains that white dust in my pocket."

Joe Norris, the muse of Wichita

The President of Baylor University is Ken Starr

The NCAA is alleging that Baylor University has committed 1266 recruiting violations--and that's just the phone calls and text messages!

The University says it won't comment because they are "protecting the integrity of the totality of the case in accordance with its obligations under NCAA legislation," whatever that means.

Cathedral for the 1%

The Masters' Golf Tournament is coming up, which means we'll be subjected to commentators burbling over the place, calling it "the cathedral of golf" and other such over-the-top bloviations.  It's a nice golf course people, not a cathedral.

What it really is:  The last redoubt of the 1%.  They'll soon have their knickers in a knot over an existential question:  Should we admit a woman even though she's the CEO of IBM?  The CEO of IBM is typically offered a membership, but, heretofore, IBM CEO's have always been men.

If they don't issue the invitation, they're obviously doing it for purposes of gender discrimination.  Any guy gets that job, they're in.  The smart way to handle it would be to issue the invitation, but without fanfare--in effect saying, "What's the big deal?"

But, this being the 1%, they're likely to insist on doing it their way.  Since Augusta is a private club for the elite, they can pursue antebellum policies pretty much for as long as they want.

Playing with house money

They've already exceeded most peoples' expectations.  At the beginning of the year, I thought making the Sweet Sixteen would be a reasonable goal.  They made that (barely)--and (now) then some.

They say the key to the tournament is "survive and advance."  The Purdue and North Carolina State games were clunkers, and the Jayhawks were lucky to win both.  That bit of b-ball bile out of their system, they played great today--the closing run was the best three minutes they've played since the first three minutes they played against UNC back in '08.

Tyshawn was back on track and led the team with 22 points.  Withey was great inside, and the whole team played excellent second-half defense.  UNC was reduced to shooting threes, which is the one basketball talent they're not that good at.

Elijah Johnson, again, played a key role.  It was his three-pointer that ignited the final rally.  Johnson has tended to show up in a big way when the game is on the line, especially of late.

Sometimes, you just have a team's number.  For a long time, KU couldn't beat UCLA to save its life.  We could have the better team and somehow psych ourselves out.  I'm wondering if KU doesn't have North Carolina's number.  Maybe it's too early to say, but Bill Self is 2-0 against Roy Williams.

Photo:  Tyshawn hoists the Midwest Regional trophy.  KU sports.

Quote of the Day

“This guy says, ‘Rock Chalk Jayhawk.’ And you know what I said: ‘Go KU.'"

Roy Williams, coach of the North Carolina Tarheels