IT'S A MARATHON, NOT A TESORO

I'm going back to Alaska next month! A lot has changed. Not Alaska itself, which I'm sure is pretty much the same old collection of folks who think salmon at every meal is viable. The refinery has changed quite a bit, though. Now it's run by Marathon, who bought the whole company a few months ago. The new guy I'll be working with up there seems like a gruff veteran of many a vendor skirmish. I'm sure he'll be glad to see my backside when I leave after two weeks of him being less than satisfied no matter what I do. I miss the old days of Steve and Ten to Two Ted and having dinner at Louie's and not really caring what happens at the refinery.

I'm looking forward to many things, though. That Ravn flight to and from Anchorage is always thrilling, if not death-defying. I have a sweet newly renovated AirBnB awaiting in the heart of Soldotna, steps from the high school where I can walk around the track that encircles the football field while freezing my ass off. Jersey Subs is a 2 minute drive away, as is Fred Meyer, the Target of Walmarts. I might drop in on Moose Is Loose Bakery for an apple fritter, Saint Elias for a pizza, and one of the many hot-babe-run drive-through espresso places or Kaladi Brothers for some coffee. Since I'll have a weekend to kill, a trip to Homer might be in order, depending on the weather.

I guess what I'll enjoy most is the waves of nostalgia. Alaska has always been a fun place for me. It's where I spent some of the best times of my life. Even Hawaii always seemed too good for me. I hate to say too foreign, because it wasn't, but there was something off there. I didn't feel welcome, nor should I have considering its history. Alaska is completely different. The people, the cold, the isolation, the scenery and everything about it felt comforting and like home. I only hope it's not really the last time this time.

SIXTH SENSE

Well, they did it. The embroidered patch for my banner is on the way.

There is a lot of Patriots hatred about. I completely understand it. It's the same feeling I have for the Yankees and Cardinals, for Duke, and for Notre Dame.

In the Patriots case, it's two main factors. One is the cheating or perception of cheating. That's probably 75% of it. Bill Belichick will always say about WalkThroughGate and SpyGate that "it wasn't against the rules" or "every team does it." He flatly denies Deflategate, and it seems implausible on its face, but Brady destroyed his cell phone and ultimately accepted a suspension, so the consensus is that something happened.

These are good reasons to hate a team, and I empathize. If the Yankees were caught doing this sort of thing, I would never stop tweeting about it.

The other and more mundane reason for Patriots hate is that Belichick takes no joy in winning. This is as equally true as the cheating/perception of cheating argument. This seems to me to bother fewer people but much more intensely. Cheating is a time-honored tradition in American sports, and probably in every sport (ask Diego Maradona). Not showing joy and gratitude at winning, though, is a cardinal sin that can never be forgiven. There is a protocol when you win something as difficult and arduous as the Super Bowl. Everyone involved must celebrate and take part in the festivities and show real, unbridled emotion. Belichick is simply incapable of that.

From his perspective, he did what he was hired to do, expected to do, and no more. He understands better than any human alive what is required to win NFL football games, and he simply applied his knowledge, earned at his father's knee and in the countless hours studying film for other head coaches, to the Patriots when he was finally given full rein to run a team as he saw fit.

You could almost see, after he handed the Lombardi Trophy to Brady, the machinations in his brain. "Ok, this is over. How am I going to replace Flores and Gronk and the McCourty twins? What about the draft?  Are we ready for OTAs? Who should we get in Free Agency? Can we get Brady to take less money again? On to Week 1 of 2019."

The idea of anyone playing football for entertainment is anathema to Belichick. You play to win, and you only have to win by one point. It could be 3-2 if that's the game plan. Grace, acrobatics, outlandish speed without strength, panache, style...none of these things help you win games. And after you win every game there is to win in this season, there is next season to prepare for.

Thus, Belichick keeps winning, and keeps looking forward to winning, like a relentless Terminator, and everybody loathes him and his team.

I really don't care. I prefer winning to losing. Go Pats!