Mean Gene
Mean Gene
Pittsburgh's most decorated poker blogger, which I admit is like being the best shortstop in Greenland



Subscribe with Bloglines

My Articles

Presto, the Arlo, & the Hammer
An Online Code of Conduct
The Ethics of Ratholing
"Moneymaker"
"The Professor, the Banker..."
"Ace on the River"

My Columns

Lose the Shades
If You Can't Say Something Nice
Whither the Kicker
The Lady is a Champ?
Covering the WSOP (or not)
Statistics, Luck, and Poker
Poker and New Orleans
Managing a Bankroll
How To Tell A Bad Beat Story
Telling Lies
The Power of Poker Tracker
Advanced Card-Handling

My Greatest Hits

5 Things To Do Before I Die
Cafeteria Nostalgia
Mean Gene's Dubious Dating Tips
Poker and Business?
There's No Such Thing As Luck?
Isabelle, Je t'adore
No Shirt No Shoes No Service
Well, The Food Was Good
Good Morning, Mr. Matusow!
The Weekend of our Discontent, I
The Weekend of our Discontent, II
Books That Left Their Mark
Ode to a Fish Sandwich
Bill Simmons Ain't the Poker Guy
The Sports Guy Still Ain't the Poker Guy
Again, The Media Tackles Poker
Five Years After 9/11
Hitting Pretty Girls in the Face
Sixth-Graders Suck

Fellow Poker Bloggers

Guinness and Poker
Cards Speak
Tao of Poker
Up for Poker
Boy Genius
Chris Halverson
LasVegasVegas
Anisotropy
Felicia
AlCan'tHang
EvaCanHang
Poker Grub
Maudie
StudioGlyphic
PokErrata
The Fat Guy
Todd Commish
Drizztdj
SirFWALGMan
Poker Works
Bill Rini
Bad Blood
Love and Casino War
Double As
Lion Tales
Paul Phillips
Daniel Negreanu
Ftrain
Poker Nerd
Poker Nation
Ammbo
Poker in Arrears
DonkeyPuncher
Human Head
Sound of a Suckout
Chicks With Chips
TP's Table Talk
Royal Poker
This is Not A Poker Blog
Dragonystic
Daddy
Chick and a Chair
Mourn
Go Be Rude
JoeSpeaker
Poker Cheapskate
Meek
Mr.Parx
Change100
PokerWolf
Haley
Falstaff
Gydyon
Franklstein
Poker & Other Stuff
Seven Two
Musical Poker
Kipper
WPBT Online
Isabelle Mercier
Cardschat Blog
Amy Calistri
BJ Nemeth
Annie's Blog

Poker Sites

Cardschat Poker Forum
PokerMagazine
Barstool Sports
Card Player
PokerTV
TwoPlusTwo
Internet Texas Hold-Em
Poker Pages
Poker-News

Archives

  • 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004
  • 01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004
  • 02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004
  • 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004
  • 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004
  • 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004
  • 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004
  • 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004
  • 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004
  • 09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004
  • 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004
  • 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004
  • 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005
  • 01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005
  • 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005
  • 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005
  • 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005
  • 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005
  • 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005
  • 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005
  • 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005
  • 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005
  • 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005
  • 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005
  • 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006
  • 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006
  • 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006
  • 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006
  • 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006
  • 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006
  • 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006
  • 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006
  • 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
  • 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006
  • 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006
  • 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006
  • 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007
  • 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007
  • 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007
  • 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007
  • 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007
  • 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007
  • 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007
  • 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007






  • Powered by Blogger



    Tuesday, January 24, 2006

    Mean Gene Sees the Future...But Not the Good Stuff

    Mario Lemieux retired today, this time for good. The greatest talent in hockey history gave us an treasure trove of great memories, 2 Stanley Cups, and, hell, he saved the team from extinction. He's the greatest athlete in Pittsburgh sports history, bar none. And this is a guy who had serious back and hip problems, then Hodgkins disease, retired for four years...and came back as the best player in the league. This time it was heart problems that finally ended his time on the ice.

    On ESPN Darren Pang and Barry Melrose said Gretzky was the better player, and I agree with that only by including the qualifier Melrose used, that you have to include longevity into the equasion. Lemieux played 500 games fewer than Gretzky--that's six full seasons. All because of injury and life-threatening illness. He also had to play in a far different NHL than the Great One. If you ever see old NHL games on ESPN Classic it's like watching an afternoon all-skate compared to the WWF on Ice that Mario had to deal with for the bulk of his career. Mario also didn't have the same supporting cast as Gretzky, who played on perhaps the greatest team in NHL history. Still, Super Mario is one of the titans. I just hope the Penguins aren't playing in Las Vegas or Kansas City this time next year.

    But that isn't what I used my Nostradamus-like forcasting skills to predict. No, yesterday I emailed some of my more insane friends to ask them what I thought was a pressing question--as the home team in Super Bowl XL, would the Steelers wear their traditional black jerseys or stay with their Road Warrior whites? Everyone I spoke to thought I was crazy--of COURSE they'd wear their home blacks. They are the Black and Gold, are they not? I tended to agree, though I didn't like the idea of breaking any kind of karmic continuum by switching colors. Plus, by wearing our black jersey's we'd force the Seahawks to wear their ludicrous away outfits, which make them look like the Pacific Northwest's version of the Montreal Alouettes.

    But I had a feeling. I knew Cowher had his press conference today and I knew that someone would ask him the question, and I had a feeling that the Steelers would go against tradition and wear their white jerseys. And, sure enough, after enough refreshes of the Post-Gazette website I saw that my intuition had been spot on.

    I kid you not when I say that tomorrow this will be the hot topic of conversation. Passions will be aroused. People are gonna be pissed and pleased. Personally, I'm totally down with this. As you know from my previous posts I've got some issues regarding superstitions. If it ain't broke, don't change it. By "it", I mean "anything". Maybe Big Ben sees his receivers better when they're in white. I don't think the Steelers are going to abandon their dark home jerseys a la the Cowboys and Redskins, but for this game, I approve.

    Though, if they lose, I will blame it all on this one decision.

    But they won't lose.

    Not in their white jerseys.



    Pokernews.com get this widget Please visit Pokernews site for more poker news, poker strategy articles or poker rules.

    Play Poker Online
    Play Poker Online at Full Tilt Poker
    Learn, Chat, and Play with the Pros at the fastest growing Online Poker Room.

    ppa1.gif

    Play Poker Online at Blind Bet Poker. Bonuses and promotions by online poker rooms like Doyles Room, Titan Poker, Full Tilt Poker and Noble Poker. Poker strategy for beginners, advanced, and professional poker players. A poker terminology section, news & online poker tournaments.


    Poker Forums
Online
    Definitive online poker portal, featuring a poker odds calculator, poker forums, an excellent poker bonus code section with deposit bonuses.


    Full Tilt Poker Freerolls
    Party Poker Strategy Guide

    The 2006 WSOP
    Total Coverage
    From the Urinals to the Hooker Bar

    OtisWSOP.JPG


    peytonbanner.jpg


    Poker Savvy