I remember the last two Vikings NFC Championship games, both losses. Regardless, they’re good memories. The first of them, my son Ashley and I were at the All American Sports Bar at the Mall of America – gone now.
That was January 17, 1999, at the end of that amazing 1998 season – an end that came too soon. Denny Green had Randall Cunningham take a knee. Gary Anderson missed the winning field goal from 38 yards – a foot wide left – with 2:07 to play, his first miss of the season, after a perfect 44 straight. At the end it was a 30-27 loss in overtime.
It was a great time, few hours in which sports, entertainment, friends, and family, all come together, sharing the ecstasy of winning and the agony of defeat one play at a time, suspending time and thoughts of everything outside of the game before your eyes.
Two years later, January 14, 2001, Kelly Wechsler, Jim Schwartz and I were at the latter’s for another NFC Championship game, the Vikings at the Giants. Ashley was away at Drake University.
This one was over early, and the sports only lasted for a while before we turned to other topics, taking refuge in friendship – including our Packer-fan host – in the early absence of entertainment that could hold our attention.
Giants 41, Vikings 0, launching a dark era in Vikings history that’s only recently ended – ironically with the arrival of the old man from Kiln, Mississippi – the Packers quarterback we loved to hate – but recognized for his skills – all those years.
Jeannie and I watched the Vikings and her Broncos; we were at the Metrodome for a Broncos' win. She laughed that I pouted for hours after. We enjoyed the Rodents for two seasons in the dome and traveled to Nashville to watch them beat Alabama in a bowl game. Shared experiences.
We’re scattered now; Jeannie is gone. Ashley and I talked last night, and I talked to Kelly. We’ll likely text during today’s game. Hopefully, the messages will be ones of satisfaction rather than of frustration.
Yes, I remember the “Hail Mary” of 1975, and the Superbowls lost before that. But those spirits are long since exorcized. It’s those two recently past NFC Championship game that are the emotional background for this game. It will either be 1 for 3 or 0 for 3 at the end of the day.
It's not so much football or the Vikings, or any other team. It's the shared experience, win or lose. A bit of the glue in the friendships and relationships in our lives.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tyrants
Tyrants usually come to power in times of great stress in society, usually economic. Tyrants usually are democratically (or constitutionally) empowered. In classical Greece, in Rome, in Germany in the middle of the last century, in Haiti and Cuba in the Caribbean, and more recently in Venezuela, that has been their pattern.
Once in power they are not necessarily socialists, or fascists, or communists, or royalists - they could be and have been any of those - but they are nearly always populists, seizing on the fears of the masses.
What is universal to tyrants, however, is the message: (1) always attack the predicessor government as the reason for inherited problems, (2) find a "bogey man," real or imagined, some evil that against which the population can be rallyed - bankers will do, all the better if they're Jews; in more recent times, insurance companies, and (3) establish yourself as the good knight fighting that evil.
Elsewhere the United States itself is the bogey man. In Iran, the "great satan," in Venezuela (as in Cuba), the oppressor, readying an invasion that might come at any moment. They should not be our greatest concern, however.
The United States is not immune from tyrants.
Once in power they are not necessarily socialists, or fascists, or communists, or royalists - they could be and have been any of those - but they are nearly always populists, seizing on the fears of the masses.
What is universal to tyrants, however, is the message: (1) always attack the predicessor government as the reason for inherited problems, (2) find a "bogey man," real or imagined, some evil that against which the population can be rallyed - bankers will do, all the better if they're Jews; in more recent times, insurance companies, and (3) establish yourself as the good knight fighting that evil.
Elsewhere the United States itself is the bogey man. In Iran, the "great satan," in Venezuela (as in Cuba), the oppressor, readying an invasion that might come at any moment. They should not be our greatest concern, however.
The United States is not immune from tyrants.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Momentum
So much for being hot. Momentum (an invention, near as I can tell, of Don Meredith, who would be better known for his rendition of Willie Nelson’s Turn out the Lights, the Party’s Over) took it in the boxer shorts in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
The Saints were suspect, having lost their last three in a row, and having been challenged even before that. The Arizona Cardinals, who had the momentum, having beaten Green Bay (which had the momentum, going 7-1 over the second half) the week before. Saints 45, Cardinals 14. Rest 1, Momentum 0.
Dallas was the self (and sports pundit) proclaimed hottest team, some said “the best” entering the playoffs. They’d won their last four, including one over the undefeated (at the time) Saints. The Vikings had no chance it seemed. They were as “cold,” having dropped three of their last four, as the Cowboys were hot. All that was nonsense, of course. Vikings 34, Cowboys 3. Rest 2, Momentum 0.
Indianapolis pulled starters – including the only one that counts, quarterback Payton Manning – giving up its shot at a perfect season, then went on to lose to the hapless Bills. Baltimore was another hot team, having won five of its last six games. That was before visiting the Colts, of course. Colts 20, Ravens 3. Rest 3, Momentum 0.
Some might say that Ol’ Mo finally got a win when the upstart Jets, riding a three-game winning streak and six of their last seven, slipped by the Chargers. But San Diego was anointed the “hottest of the hot” for its eleven game win streak. The Jets didn’t rest, of course, playing through the wild card round. We’ll have to call this a tie. Momentum won for the Jets and lost for the Chargers. Offsetting; no play.
What I take from this is that sports talk hosts and columnists take refuge in “momentum” when they have no idea what else they might talk or write about. Hopefully, going into the two Conference Championship games that’s one discussion we can leave behind.
That might require some thoughtful analysis, though.
The Saints were suspect, having lost their last three in a row, and having been challenged even before that. The Arizona Cardinals, who had the momentum, having beaten Green Bay (which had the momentum, going 7-1 over the second half) the week before. Saints 45, Cardinals 14. Rest 1, Momentum 0.
Dallas was the self (and sports pundit) proclaimed hottest team, some said “the best” entering the playoffs. They’d won their last four, including one over the undefeated (at the time) Saints. The Vikings had no chance it seemed. They were as “cold,” having dropped three of their last four, as the Cowboys were hot. All that was nonsense, of course. Vikings 34, Cowboys 3. Rest 2, Momentum 0.
Indianapolis pulled starters – including the only one that counts, quarterback Payton Manning – giving up its shot at a perfect season, then went on to lose to the hapless Bills. Baltimore was another hot team, having won five of its last six games. That was before visiting the Colts, of course. Colts 20, Ravens 3. Rest 3, Momentum 0.
Some might say that Ol’ Mo finally got a win when the upstart Jets, riding a three-game winning streak and six of their last seven, slipped by the Chargers. But San Diego was anointed the “hottest of the hot” for its eleven game win streak. The Jets didn’t rest, of course, playing through the wild card round. We’ll have to call this a tie. Momentum won for the Jets and lost for the Chargers. Offsetting; no play.
What I take from this is that sports talk hosts and columnists take refuge in “momentum” when they have no idea what else they might talk or write about. Hopefully, going into the two Conference Championship games that’s one discussion we can leave behind.
That might require some thoughtful analysis, though.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Language that makes me just a little crazy.
I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I decided to write a blog entry. Seriously – catharsis – that’s the purpose of this blogosphere, isn’t it? And, no the blogosphere is not the world around a former Illinois governor.
This is going to be about words. Dumb words. I-wasn’t-paying-attention-in-the-fifth-grade words.What is so infuriating is not the language itself. I also make some of these mistakes (ok, one of them). It’s who makes them. Not Norwegians on the North Dakota prairie. Not Cajuns in Louisiana. No, pros – professional “talkers” like sports announcers, news anchors, and…well, you’ll see what I mean.
Mr. “what.” Joe Buck puts “what” in every sentence. “He’s better than what he’s showing.” The Vikings defensive line is bigger than what the Cowboy’s line is.” I don’t have to explain that, do I? He gets paid millions to butcher the language. Great work if you can get it, isn’t it?
Sometimes dumb words are institutionalized. That is, by repetition made more or less the official language of an organization or an entire industry. When you next fly, pay attention to departure and arrival information given by your flight attendant. “We will be departing out of…” and “We will be arriving into…” Into. A preposition indicating that somebody or something moves inside something, either physically or figuratively. No definition even remotely means 'arriving.' The right word in this case is either ‘at,’ as in 'arriving at the gate,' or ‘in,’ as in 'arriving in St. Louis.' Arriving into the gate brings to mind the scene in the movie Airport in which the plane crashes into the gate, through the glass wall of the terminal.
Since we’re on ‘at,’ it is one of the most used and abused prepositions, or I should say overused. It is simply unnecessary in many of its uses. Consider this sentence, often heard: “I wondered where he was at.” Sound familiar? Of course it is. But it’s wrong. The ‘at’ is of no use, no more that other ‘space fillers’ like ‘ah,’ and ‘you know.’ “I wondered were he was.” Period.
The phrase, in a comment on a Wall Street Journal story was this: “What is any of this based off of?” Good grief. Saying that is bad enough; what kind of a dolt do you have to be to type it. Similar (but more egregious) than the ungrammatical “out of,” the departure companion to "arrivals into."
Here’s a sports version of one I hear routinely: “He was waiting on his receivers to get open.” On? You know where you ‘wait on?’ In a restaurant, and then only if you’re an employee. Otherwise, one waits for.Well, I think that’s out of my system – for tonight, anyway. In our next installment, we’ll look at grammatical redundancies. I know you’re looking forward to that.
This is going to be about words. Dumb words. I-wasn’t-paying-attention-in-the-fifth-grade words.What is so infuriating is not the language itself. I also make some of these mistakes (ok, one of them). It’s who makes them. Not Norwegians on the North Dakota prairie. Not Cajuns in Louisiana. No, pros – professional “talkers” like sports announcers, news anchors, and…well, you’ll see what I mean.
Mr. “what.” Joe Buck puts “what” in every sentence. “He’s better than what he’s showing.” The Vikings defensive line is bigger than what the Cowboy’s line is.” I don’t have to explain that, do I? He gets paid millions to butcher the language. Great work if you can get it, isn’t it?
Sometimes dumb words are institutionalized. That is, by repetition made more or less the official language of an organization or an entire industry. When you next fly, pay attention to departure and arrival information given by your flight attendant. “We will be departing out of…” and “We will be arriving into…” Into. A preposition indicating that somebody or something moves inside something, either physically or figuratively. No definition even remotely means 'arriving.' The right word in this case is either ‘at,’ as in 'arriving at the gate,' or ‘in,’ as in 'arriving in St. Louis.' Arriving into the gate brings to mind the scene in the movie Airport in which the plane crashes into the gate, through the glass wall of the terminal.
Since we’re on ‘at,’ it is one of the most used and abused prepositions, or I should say overused. It is simply unnecessary in many of its uses. Consider this sentence, often heard: “I wondered where he was at.” Sound familiar? Of course it is. But it’s wrong. The ‘at’ is of no use, no more that other ‘space fillers’ like ‘ah,’ and ‘you know.’ “I wondered were he was.” Period.
The phrase, in a comment on a Wall Street Journal story was this: “What is any of this based off of?” Good grief. Saying that is bad enough; what kind of a dolt do you have to be to type it. Similar (but more egregious) than the ungrammatical “out of,” the departure companion to "arrivals into."
Here’s a sports version of one I hear routinely: “He was waiting on his receivers to get open.” On? You know where you ‘wait on?’ In a restaurant, and then only if you’re an employee. Otherwise, one waits for.Well, I think that’s out of my system – for tonight, anyway. In our next installment, we’ll look at grammatical redundancies. I know you’re looking forward to that.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Awful Game on Wild Card Weekend
Unfortunately the principal features of this weekend were three really bad, blowout NFL wild card games. The losers – Philadelphia, Cincinnati, New England – can’t claim to have “gone down valiantly.” They played sloppy, disinterested games, looking like they didn’t belong in the playoffs, and knew it. In a word, they sucked.
The only entertaining game (I didn’t say “good,” did I?) was Arizona and the Cheesers – oh, sorry, - Packers. Kurt Warner had more touchdown passes (5) than incompletions (4). Chris (Beanie) Wells rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries, 6 and a half a pop. Neither team played any defense worthy of the name, but the Cheesers were truly gawd-awful.
In a game record setting for the futility of its defenses, the Cardinals sent the Pack Packing. That ended my hopes the Vikings would get that privilege, but this will have to do. As for the Cards, I can well imagine how many points that defense might give up on the road to New Orleans, having surrendered 45 to the visiting Pack – a team without anything near the Saints’ firepower.
I’ll be cheering on the Cards next week against the Saints. Cardinals at Vikings seems infinitely better than Vikings at Saints. First, there are those ‘Boys, though…
The only entertaining game (I didn’t say “good,” did I?) was Arizona and the Cheesers – oh, sorry, - Packers. Kurt Warner had more touchdown passes (5) than incompletions (4). Chris (Beanie) Wells rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries, 6 and a half a pop. Neither team played any defense worthy of the name, but the Cheesers were truly gawd-awful.
In a game record setting for the futility of its defenses, the Cardinals sent the Pack Packing. That ended my hopes the Vikings would get that privilege, but this will have to do. As for the Cards, I can well imagine how many points that defense might give up on the road to New Orleans, having surrendered 45 to the visiting Pack – a team without anything near the Saints’ firepower.
I’ll be cheering on the Cards next week against the Saints. Cardinals at Vikings seems infinitely better than Vikings at Saints. First, there are those ‘Boys, though…
Friday, January 8, 2010
My Wild Card 'Picks' (Sort of)
It’s the NFL playoffs. Football fans (and fans of football pools) are making their picks in work places all over the country.After much study, I’ve concluded that my picks would be (on the record, usually are) a ‘crap-shoot.’
While I follow the NFL (meaning the Vikings, Jeannie’s Broncos, and because I’m now in Arizona, and can’t avoid it, the Cardinals) I’ve realized that most of my ‘analysis’ is little more than a rationalization of what I want to happen, rather than a realistic appraisal of what will happen.What follows, then, are the wild-card winners I want to see – mostly because they’ll give me the games I want to see later.
Jets at Bengals (Bengals by 2 ½) – If I were picking this game to (perish the thought) “lay a quid on the line” I’d have to take the favored Bengals, even after Week 17’s Jets’ beat-down. Jets’ quarterback Sanchez doesn’t appear ready to win a playoff game, and the Bengals will be that much-heard-of “different team” with the return of three starters who sat out last week. The Jets are the leagues No. 1 defense, so is it “Win on defense?” Not this year; Cincinnati is the likely winner. But I’m not making that pick. The game I want to see in the Divisional Round is Jets-Chargers, teams with some history, and a story line that won’t include class clown Chad Ochocinco. I’ll be pulling for the Jets.
Eagles at Cowboys (Cowboys by 4) – Before this game was played the Dallas Cowboys were a mediocre team that started December by dropping games against the ordinary Giants and the pretty good Chargers. There was some redemption in a win over a New Orleans team in a season-ending swoon; shutting out the really awful Redskins was a ‘gimme.’ Suddenly the pundits (most notably CBS Sportsline house idiot Pete Prisco) make the ‘Boys the team to beat. On the body of work, though, it’s hard to ignore the Eagles. I’ve no doubt they’re better coached, and would expect them to beat the spread, if not the Cowboys outright. I’m not going there, though, since the next game I want to see is the Cowboys at the Vikings. I’m one who remembers the pass that put “Hail Mary,” into our football lexicon, Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson against the Vikings in the playoffs December 28, 1975. It’s been a bit “on hold” in recent years, but there was a day when the Vikings-Cowboys was a bitter rivalry between the best in the NFL. For this one day (ok, two weeks in a row, since the ‘Boy’s win last week put the Vikings in the 2-seed) I’m a Cowboy’s fan.
Ravens at Patriots (Patriots by 3 ½) – The Patriots are 8-0 at home, but the Patriots without Wes Welker aren’t the Patriots. The Ravens will be able to shut down the mid-field passing game (Welker’s territory) while doubling Randy Moss to take away the deep threat, leaving the Patriots reliant on mid-pack (league 12th) running attack. That won’t likely be enough, because the Raven’s Ray Rice will thrive in the running game and on screens in the New England cold. I’m not going there, though, because I want a Patriot’s win. Why? For Boston-native and Pats fan Dave, my son-in-law at West Point, for certain, but it also likely puts the Patriots on the road at the Chargers in a Divisional game. Consecutive (likely) match-ups of Patriots and Colts for the resurgent Chargers is an appealing prospect.
Packers at Cardinals (Cardinals by 1) – You’d think I might be pulling for the “new home-town” Cardinals? If the Cardinals win, we don’t get that Packer’s – Vikings matchup for the NFC Championship (after the Vikings beat the Cowboys). Those two games are truly a pair for the ages. Could I make a case for a Cardinal win? It’s harder than any of those above, for certain. Coach Whisenhunt played key starters and got two hurt while having his team otherwise ‘lay down’ to the Packers in a meaningless week 17 game. The locals seem proud of a “better” running game that’s 32nd in attempts, 28th in yardage, and tied for 3rd in fumbles. Among those hurting (and perhaps out) is Antwan Bolden, the ‘second’ receiver after all-world Larry Fitzgerald (who dropped to 7th in catches, but 17th in yard this season). Here’s one I’d have to call for the Packers even if I had something at risk. (I don’t.)
The teams I’ll be pulling for (whatever good that will do) this weekend, are:New York Jets; Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots; Green Bay Packers
While I follow the NFL (meaning the Vikings, Jeannie’s Broncos, and because I’m now in Arizona, and can’t avoid it, the Cardinals) I’ve realized that most of my ‘analysis’ is little more than a rationalization of what I want to happen, rather than a realistic appraisal of what will happen.What follows, then, are the wild-card winners I want to see – mostly because they’ll give me the games I want to see later.
Jets at Bengals (Bengals by 2 ½) – If I were picking this game to (perish the thought) “lay a quid on the line” I’d have to take the favored Bengals, even after Week 17’s Jets’ beat-down. Jets’ quarterback Sanchez doesn’t appear ready to win a playoff game, and the Bengals will be that much-heard-of “different team” with the return of three starters who sat out last week. The Jets are the leagues No. 1 defense, so is it “Win on defense?” Not this year; Cincinnati is the likely winner. But I’m not making that pick. The game I want to see in the Divisional Round is Jets-Chargers, teams with some history, and a story line that won’t include class clown Chad Ochocinco. I’ll be pulling for the Jets.
Eagles at Cowboys (Cowboys by 4) – Before this game was played the Dallas Cowboys were a mediocre team that started December by dropping games against the ordinary Giants and the pretty good Chargers. There was some redemption in a win over a New Orleans team in a season-ending swoon; shutting out the really awful Redskins was a ‘gimme.’ Suddenly the pundits (most notably CBS Sportsline house idiot Pete Prisco) make the ‘Boys the team to beat. On the body of work, though, it’s hard to ignore the Eagles. I’ve no doubt they’re better coached, and would expect them to beat the spread, if not the Cowboys outright. I’m not going there, though, since the next game I want to see is the Cowboys at the Vikings. I’m one who remembers the pass that put “Hail Mary,” into our football lexicon, Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson against the Vikings in the playoffs December 28, 1975. It’s been a bit “on hold” in recent years, but there was a day when the Vikings-Cowboys was a bitter rivalry between the best in the NFL. For this one day (ok, two weeks in a row, since the ‘Boy’s win last week put the Vikings in the 2-seed) I’m a Cowboy’s fan.
Ravens at Patriots (Patriots by 3 ½) – The Patriots are 8-0 at home, but the Patriots without Wes Welker aren’t the Patriots. The Ravens will be able to shut down the mid-field passing game (Welker’s territory) while doubling Randy Moss to take away the deep threat, leaving the Patriots reliant on mid-pack (league 12th) running attack. That won’t likely be enough, because the Raven’s Ray Rice will thrive in the running game and on screens in the New England cold. I’m not going there, though, because I want a Patriot’s win. Why? For Boston-native and Pats fan Dave, my son-in-law at West Point, for certain, but it also likely puts the Patriots on the road at the Chargers in a Divisional game. Consecutive (likely) match-ups of Patriots and Colts for the resurgent Chargers is an appealing prospect.
Packers at Cardinals (Cardinals by 1) – You’d think I might be pulling for the “new home-town” Cardinals? If the Cardinals win, we don’t get that Packer’s – Vikings matchup for the NFC Championship (after the Vikings beat the Cowboys). Those two games are truly a pair for the ages. Could I make a case for a Cardinal win? It’s harder than any of those above, for certain. Coach Whisenhunt played key starters and got two hurt while having his team otherwise ‘lay down’ to the Packers in a meaningless week 17 game. The locals seem proud of a “better” running game that’s 32nd in attempts, 28th in yardage, and tied for 3rd in fumbles. Among those hurting (and perhaps out) is Antwan Bolden, the ‘second’ receiver after all-world Larry Fitzgerald (who dropped to 7th in catches, but 17th in yard this season). Here’s one I’d have to call for the Packers even if I had something at risk. (I don’t.)
The teams I’ll be pulling for (whatever good that will do) this weekend, are:New York Jets; Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots; Green Bay Packers
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Reading
There's a thread in a racing forum I regularly monitor about favorite books. That's subject-specific, racing, including classics like Mark Donohue's "Unfair Advantage," and the very recent "The Art of Racing in the Rain," which my friend Murphy reviewed last fall.
I've always been a reader. I stacked up my last ten books and listed them here, in no particular order.
1. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
2. Army of Amateurs, General Benjamin F. Butler and the Army of the James, 1863-1865 - Edward G. Longacre
3. Sony Alpha DSLR, Guide to Digital SLR Photography - David Busch
4. The Glory and the Dream, A Narrative History of America, 1932-1972 - William Manchester
5. The World is Flat, a Brief History of the 21st Century - Thomas L. Friedman
6. Sea of Glory, America's Voyage of Discovery - Nathaniel Philbrick
7. The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
8. Boys of '67, From Vietnam to Iraq - Charles Jones
9. Andrew Carnegie - David Nasaw
10. Sea of Thunder, Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Champaign, 1941-1945 - Evan Thomas
In the backlog to be read:
1. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
2. The Judas Field - Howard Bahr
3. False Economy, A Surprising Economic History of the World - Alan Beattie
4. Toly's Ghost - BS Levy
5. 2666 - Roberto Bolano
6. Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
For tonight, however, Alabama vs. Texas in Pasadena for the BCS Championship.
I've always been a reader. I stacked up my last ten books and listed them here, in no particular order.
1. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
2. Army of Amateurs, General Benjamin F. Butler and the Army of the James, 1863-1865 - Edward G. Longacre
3. Sony Alpha DSLR, Guide to Digital SLR Photography - David Busch
4. The Glory and the Dream, A Narrative History of America, 1932-1972 - William Manchester
5. The World is Flat, a Brief History of the 21st Century - Thomas L. Friedman
6. Sea of Glory, America's Voyage of Discovery - Nathaniel Philbrick
7. The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
8. Boys of '67, From Vietnam to Iraq - Charles Jones
9. Andrew Carnegie - David Nasaw
10. Sea of Thunder, Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Champaign, 1941-1945 - Evan Thomas
In the backlog to be read:
1. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
2. The Judas Field - Howard Bahr
3. False Economy, A Surprising Economic History of the World - Alan Beattie
4. Toly's Ghost - BS Levy
5. 2666 - Roberto Bolano
6. Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
For tonight, however, Alabama vs. Texas in Pasadena for the BCS Championship.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A Disquieting Trend
I haven't been a very good blogger of late. I think it's because I've gotten into the mindset that every post has to be some literary work of art, or some tightly reasoned editorial. When we started this, it was a nearly daily afair, short pieces on subjects that struck our fancy. I'm going to try to get back to that.
In December, I saw a local (to Phoenix) news item that as of the new year, the Mayo Clinic in Arizona would stop treating (not just stop accepting new) Medicare patients. That put 3,000 senior citizens "on the street" for their medical care. The reason? Institutional reimbursement rates (not the doctor rate, but the hospital and clinic facility rate) were too low to be economically viable for the clinic.
You might say, "So what, Mayo is just probably too high cost, not representative," but you'd be wrong. The Mayo Clinic operates on the same model as the Cleveland Clinic - that's the one the President of the United States visited a while back to "prove" that costs can be kept under control while delivering the best of care.
This week we ran across another news item. Medicare rates for some elements of cardiac care (echocardiograms, for instance) were being cut back by 40%. That, the government said, was because a survey had indicated that the cost of such things had fallen by that much over the past decade. Cardiologists cried foul, and some are suing. That probably won't do any good, to what's going to happen? "We'll just have to stop accepting Medicare patients, or accept less," said one cardiologist. Another possibility raised was to close independent clinics and take such treatment into hospitals.
Come December I'll be on Medicare. With a heart valve prosthesis, I need periodic "echos." Will they be available? That appears less and less certain. Will I be able to find a clinic, a doctor? I'm no longer sure.
All that's without any of the similar cuts and changes included in the "reforms" pending in Congress. Tell me I don't have reason to be concerned.
In December, I saw a local (to Phoenix) news item that as of the new year, the Mayo Clinic in Arizona would stop treating (not just stop accepting new) Medicare patients. That put 3,000 senior citizens "on the street" for their medical care. The reason? Institutional reimbursement rates (not the doctor rate, but the hospital and clinic facility rate) were too low to be economically viable for the clinic.
You might say, "So what, Mayo is just probably too high cost, not representative," but you'd be wrong. The Mayo Clinic operates on the same model as the Cleveland Clinic - that's the one the President of the United States visited a while back to "prove" that costs can be kept under control while delivering the best of care.
This week we ran across another news item. Medicare rates for some elements of cardiac care (echocardiograms, for instance) were being cut back by 40%. That, the government said, was because a survey had indicated that the cost of such things had fallen by that much over the past decade. Cardiologists cried foul, and some are suing. That probably won't do any good, to what's going to happen? "We'll just have to stop accepting Medicare patients, or accept less," said one cardiologist. Another possibility raised was to close independent clinics and take such treatment into hospitals.
Come December I'll be on Medicare. With a heart valve prosthesis, I need periodic "echos." Will they be available? That appears less and less certain. Will I be able to find a clinic, a doctor? I'm no longer sure.
All that's without any of the similar cuts and changes included in the "reforms" pending in Congress. Tell me I don't have reason to be concerned.
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