DC Everest girls basketball coach John Minihan was fired as coach this week after being picked up for drunk driving. Minihan will keep his teaching job but Everest will be scrambling for a new coach with a month to go before the season begins. Obviously drunk driving has been a big problem in this state and some form of punishment by the school is warranted but instead of using it as a teachable moment for their students, it was much easier to just pull the trigger and fire him. This one strike and you're out philosophy is certainly easier for school officials. But would it not have been better to try and save the career of a good coach by allowing him to serve a suspension (like a student caught drinking would), enter re-hab if that is what's called for, and return to the coaching lines at some point in the future. I  have interviewed Coach Minihan on numerous occaisions but I don't know him outside of the gym. If there is some underlying problem that the school knows about but isnt making public that's one thing...but to flush a man's career down the drain after one stumble seems harsh and more judgemental than is needed.

In a non-related story (we're told) new Everest athletic director Pam Huston resigned this week for "personal reasons". She had just taken the job in August after leaving Wausau West over "differences" in management styles. When she took the job at DCE she had mentioned that she would be working to change some of the entrenched ways of doing things in the athletic department and seemed to have the support of the school adminstration to do that. It would be sad to think that the entrenched forces won out this quickly.

The Chicago Cubs were impressed by the play of the team down the stretch under interim manager Mike Quade and that earned him the job. Quade signed a two-year contat yesterday with a club option for a third year. Quade has been a major league coach for a number of years after toiling for many years in the minors. The Cubs go with a baseball lifer instead of following up Lou Pineiella with another high profile candidate. It will be interesting to see if the Brewers make the same choice as they continue their managerial search.

Happy Birthday to Juan Marichal...he's 73. I could never figure out how he could kick his leg so high during his delivery and still throw strikes...but he was one of the best pitchers in the pitching rich 60's.

Songs of the Day  (from My I-pod)

Two versions of a jazz classic "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" written by Charles Mingus as a tribute to sax great Lester Young.

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat-Jeff Beck (1976) from his excellent fusion Lp "Wired" a colloraboration with Jan Hammer and Narada Michael Walden.

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat-Joni Mitchell (1980) this originally appeared on the studio Lp "Mingus" in which Charlie worked with Joni to put Lyrics to some of his compositions. This is from the doublelive Lp (Shadows & Light)