Endeavour: Launch hours away
So if you spend more than a month on the Space Coast, and the space shuttle is going to be launched while you're here, and the stadium you work at on a daily basis is called "Space Coast Stadium," and the address of your hotel is technically "Cape Canaveral," well you might as well join all the people with the thick glasses and the pocket protectors in the hotel lobby and pay attention.
This is the Web site for NASA. This is a story about the impending launch.
This whole thing is scheduled for 2:28 a.m. The Nationals, conveniently, have a night game on Tuesday -- in Lake Buena Vista (Disney) against the Braves. The club had a sign-up sheet in the clubhouse earlier in the week for VIP passes to go to the launch -- presumably from a nice viewing stand at the Kennedy Space Center.
I'll try to go out on my little balcony and watch it, and report to you on Tuesday.
Oh, and as of nearly 11 p.m., with 484 votes cast, it appears that 38 percent of Nationals Journal readers prefer that Nick Johnson shave lightning bolts into the side of his head. When I told Austin Kearns that the readership seemed to be leaning that way, and that I was disappointed because I didn't think Nick would do it, he dismissed me. "I think he's serious," Kearns said.
Johnson was gone by the time I got to the clubhouse, so we'll have to see about that.
Actual baseball posting to come tomorrow -- though perhaps not till I get over to Disney. Have a good day.
By Barry Svrluga |
March 10, 2008; 10:48 PM ET
Previous: Nats reassign Balester, Mock, 16 others |
Next: Video: Endeavour Launch
Posted by: The Borg | March 10, 2008 11:35 PM
barry, we totally need a picture of nick with lightning bolts in his hair holding a sign that says, "thanks for the hairstyle, nats journal."
Posted by: 231 | March 11, 2008 12:27 AM
Nats Spring Training 2008:
Cranes, (Forearm) Strains and Automatronic Space Robots
Posted by: love | March 11, 2008 12:33 AM
A space shuttle launch is one of the coolest things you'll ever see. Too bad you couldn't go to the VIP section (which is awesome) but even watching from a few miles away is pretty cool. Enjoy!
Posted by: Been There | March 11, 2008 12:34 AM
i'm old. i remember watching apollo launches from my front porch in winter park in the early 70s. especially cool as a kid.
Posted by: 231 | March 11, 2008 12:51 AM
Heading to Mebourn beach right now. Wait to get back to bed.
Posted by: Tom 1:11 am | March 11, 2008 1:11 AM
Awesome article on players getting cut, Barry. It's exactly the perspective I've been wondering about.
Posted by: NatsNut | March 11, 2008 6:15 AM
One guy gets a lightning bolts haircut, it's a blog entry. The whole team gets them, it's a conspiracy.
Posted by: Arlo | March 11, 2008 6:32 AM
Man, you're gonna miss baseball and the Nats. No way covering the Skins is as much fun day in and day out.
Posted by: Trapper John | March 11, 2008 7:34 AM
You know, for a minute I thought that maybe Jack McGeary actually did post on the last subject. If I were a prospect in the system, I would be be pretty tempted to read a blog like this, too.
In any case, I look forward to him coming to pitch so we can see him in action.
Posted by: Positively Half St | March 11, 2008 8:01 AM
So, would the lightning bolts debut on OD? With the Nationals on TV nationwide, one could strike a real blow for PR. Just saying.
Posted by: natsfan1a | March 11, 2008 8:11 AM
I'll second that. Also, I'm now a Mock believer. I loved his haircut exit line.
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Awesome article on players getting cut, Barry.
Posted by: natsfan1a | March 11, 2008 8:13 AM
I was lucky enough to catch a shuttle launch once when I was in the Navy and my ship pulled into Cocoa Beach for liberty call. It was interesting the way it took the sound a while to catch up. The shuttle was silently halfway across the sky before the noise of the liftoff reached where we were.
Posted by: Kevin | March 11, 2008 8:34 AM
The Nats, the Space Shuttle, and Disney World?!? I am so jealous!
Posted by: FloppyHat | March 11, 2008 8:45 AM
Nick, Hair, Lighting Bolts, Baseball player who makes millions is coax by geeks on a blog. I love this frigging country.
Posted by: NiceNat | March 11, 2008 9:03 AM
joining natsnut and natsfan1a in praising the <$.51 story on getting cut. anybody can do the atmospherics, and almost anybody can get quotes: but to get the ones from mock and build the story around them is craftsmanship of the first order. the story puts the humanity into a workplace situation, and the black humor underlines the sensitivity and bravado of these young amazing young men with their muscles and skills, hopes and fears. bravo.
Posted by: natty bumppo | March 11, 2008 11:46 AM
for "young amazing" read "amazing"
Posted by: natty bumppo | March 11, 2008 11:48 AM
Barry,
Tell Nick Johnson that if he shaves lightning bolts into his head (and especially if he dyes them red) he will have upped the ante set by Jason Bergmann in the eyes of the Nationals Journal readership, without having to type a word.
And then you can ask Lastings Milledge if he thinks they would have gone for *that* kind of fan interaction (support) up in the brutal apple. ;)
Posted by: i hate walks | March 11, 2008 1:32 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Mostly cloudy at Kennedy Space Center, but still only a 10% chance the launch will be scrubbed due to weather.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/smg/
-Sez the weather men