For the past few weeks, laws have been crafted, voted on, failed, reworked, and now approved to give tax breaks to corporations, otherwise they’ll hold their collective breaths and find another state willing to suck their nether regions.
The media mostly mentions that this law will impact two corporations: Sears and the CME, also know as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. While tax breaks for corporations generally make my skin crawl, Sears, of course, is a retailer that has had problems off and on since the 1980s. They employ tons of people in the area in various ways, and I don’t really mind them getting a break.
My issue is with the CME; where the f@#$ do they think they’re going to go? Established as an exchange to allow farmers to hedge the future price risk on their meat and vegetables, the exchange was placed in Chicago as the center point of the supply chain to the rest of the country. The CME has a multi-billion building near where I work, and I must ask, is it cheaper to pay the taxes or try to duplicate a multi-billion dollar building to replace the building they have here? And where do they expect to move to? Des Moines? Madison, Wisconsin?
And do they expect traders to move to Outer Mongolia? Honestly, most of the traders I’ve had the dishonor to meet, I would be glad to see them leave town. Pushy, unpleasant, and in today’s marketplace, they don’t really add value by allowing people to hedge; they are bookies on the largest legal gambling parlor in the world.
Is it too late to cut the CME out of any tax deal? Let them go.

I have long protested that Michael Bay of the Transformers’ films, “The Rock,” “Bad Boys” 1 and 2, and “Armageddon” is the worst director working today. I don’t care how many billions of dollars he bilks from the young and the stupid that watch his unintelligible films that mostly feature things blowing up. But there is another director operating today who is every bit as bad.
Garry Marshall, 77, the man who came up with “Happy Days” “Laverne and Shirley” and produced “Mork and Mindy” and “the Odd Couple” for television, has 28 listings on imdb as a director. Nine of them were television series that he directed episodes for but the other 19 are feature films and none of them were good, few memorable, except for being television shows on the big screen.
Here’s some of his films – “Young Doctors in Love,” the “Princess Dairies” movies, “The Other Sister,” “The Runaway Bride.” At best insipid, all of them. Why does he keep directing these films? Because, like Bay, he gives dumb people something to look at. His biggest hit, of course, was “Pretty Woman,” a movie so divorced from reality that it makes “Star Wars” look like a Ken Burns documentary.
First, it has the attractive Julia Roberts playing a prostitute. No prostitute ever looks like Julia Roberts, much less not having any vices like drugs or alcohol, or a pimp. And it takes the pipe dream of a woman being rescued by a handsome prince (in this case, Richard Gere) who sees the woman underneath the hooker, and takes her away from this life. So clichéd, that this story line was old in 1937 when Walt Disney had Snow White singing “Someday, My Prince Will Come.”
Last year, Marshall was able to get Roberts and a list of attractive celebrities to show up in a episodic, multi-character “comedy” called “Valentine’s Day.” What was it about? Stories about love around the February holiday. It was silly and trite like all of Marshall’s other movies, but it made lots of money. So, what do we have at the multiplex today? “New Year’s Day,” a film with lots of celebrities sleepwalking through an uninspired “comedy” of characters trying to get dates/find love on the title day. Snore!
Garry Marshall has made a lot of money over the years (syndication for the television shows alone should reap millions into the next millennium), and I appreciate an older man who needs to work past the traditional retirement age. But, like Bay, he has to be deluded to think that, despite the money his films have generated, that they are art; or even good movies. What makes a person get up in the morning and know, somewhere deep down in their subconscious, that they are making a crappy movie?

• Let me get this straight – a 10-year, $254 million deal for a 31-year-old baseball player? Albert Pujols is now the highest paid athlete in professional sports, leaving St. Louis for the Los Angeles Angels. I have no issue with Pujols getting big money; he is arguably, the best hitter of his generation; and in California, he will be a big hit with the Hispanic populace, who will probably come out in droves. The only question is: 10 years? He is 31, in his late prime. Pujols probably has 3-4 years of top performance in him, then the numbers are going to decline. At that point, he will become old and too expensive to get rid out.
• Is that noise the sound of the Chicago Cub nation cheering that they won’t have to face Pujols 15 times a year again?
• And what is it with the Angels, anyway? First they overpay for Pujols (wouldn’t $200 million have been enough?), then they added free agent pitcher C.J. Wilson to a $50+ contract. When did they become the Yankees of the West Coast?
• Speaking of big spending, the Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins have a new stadium, a new shortstop in former Met Jose Reyes, and the Chicago White Sox South in manager Ozzie Guillen and now, former White Sox ace Mark Buehrle. Buehrle proved last season that he wasn’t finished, having a fine season, but 4-years at $58 million? For a 32-year-old pitcher who has regularly pitched more than 200 innings per season for 11 straight years? Like the Angels, they hope to tap into a large Hispanic population to fill up a lot of seats. They certainly are spending money like rainwater.
• Switching gears, the Indignant Wife and I saw “Hugo” a couple of weeks ago, and once again, director Martin Scorsese shows that he is one of the great directors of all time. A story from a kid’s perspective (but not a kid’s movie, a film about a little boy became a short history of silent films, while being entertaining and sad and funny and touching.
• I hate to say this, but looking at “Hugo” and comparing it to previews for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “Adventures of Tintin,” another film with a young protagonist, I must once again state that Scorsese is an artist, which Spielberg looks like he has created an animated “Indiana Jones” film. Successful; yes Spielberg is. The Walt Disney for the late 20th and early 21st Centuries? Absolutely. A great artiste? Not compared with Scorsese.

Being December again, it’s time for year end “best of” and “worst of” lists. My old “friends” at WXRT have started their annual listeners’ poll, and since the listeners are sheep that go along with whatever the “suits” at the station want them to hear, the list is usually the same old favorites.
As a result, when I started this site, I decided to do my own list (even though I do vote on WXRT’s list. This year, I am cheating by having two lists – a list for new music, and a second list of reissues (I’ll explain later). But first, the “standard” list – there are a few ‘XRT favorites on my list, but hopefully, not the obvious ones.
10. The Original 7ven – Condensate: most rock music fans are remiss if they don’t get into funk music, that is, the music started by James Brown, refined by George Clinton and Prince. There hasn’t been a lot of new funk music other than from Prince and occasional releases from Bootsy Collins and others. But there was one band that was as funky as anyone out there, and as funny as Clinton’s bunch – The Time. Most people only know them from the film “Purple Rain” but by that time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, master producers of Janet Jackson’s biggest hits and many other records, had been fired by Prince, who tried to keep The Time firmly under his control. As a result, not able to use the name they made famous, all of the original members got together for a record under the name The Original 7ven. Morris Day, Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson, Jam and Lewis and all the other guys are on this record.
While it isn’t up to the big grooves and monster hits that Prince wrote for the band, it was a welcome return. The humor is there, and it is obviously a labor of love for these guys, and my number 10 CD of the year. (Some people will say that I forget the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose “I’m With You” invariably will be on WXRT’s list, but won’t be found here. The RHCPs are like cotton candy to me – fun to listen to at first, but they quickly melt – ultimately unsatisfying.)
9. R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now: this CD was going to be on the list before the band broke up. Like their penultimate CD, 2008’s “Accelerate,” R.E.M. remembered how to rock out, having fewer mid tempo ballads which had made previous CDs boring affairs, and Collapse Into Now, while not up to the first 8-9 records which were each masterpieces in their own right, I really liked this record and I had faith for the band’s future. Of course, the guys disagreed.
8. Matthew Sweet – Modern Art: flying WAY under the radar, Sweet continues to produce excellent pop songcraft. Niot quite as good as 2008’s “Sunshine Lies,” which was one of my favorite records of that year, Modern Art is still a tasty group of pop songs and pretty arrangements. Well worth checking out if you get the chance.
7. Thomas Dolby – A Map of the Floating City: on his first CD of new songs in decades, Dolby returns with a “concept” record tied to a website and video game. One would think that the electronic sounds would be foremost in the mix, but the first 5-6 songs on this set were more melodic that one would expect, and reminded me of Dolby’s second album “The Flat Earth,” one of my favorite records by anyone – an overlooked gem. The CD loses momentum in the second half, which kept it from finishing higher on the list.
6. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light: I have blasted Dave Grohl’s band as being “Bad Company for the 21st Century,” that is, a decent band, but overshadowed by a much better band (Nirvana for FFs; Led Zeppelin for BC). But this record has a complexity that I like (but not as difficult a listen as Grohl’s other project, Them Crooked Vultures), but with hooks that are irresistible. I have always been lukewarm on the Foos before, but I like this one.
5. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See: I’ve always been a fan of this band, and I really like this CD, a throwback to post-punk, “alternative” music, which I’ve always liked, but with their own hooks.
4. The Book of Mormon – Soundtrack: ordinarily, a soundtrack wouldn’t make a list like this, but even though I haven’t seen the musical on Broadway, the songs made me laugh, which is to be expected with the minds behind TV’s “South Park” Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The story, about some Mormon missionaries sent to Africa is as scathing as one would expect, but with some heart and care for the Mormons, which you wouldn’t expect.
3. Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What: this will track highly on the WXRT list, but it is worth it, a late career rebirth from Simon, who has been drifting musically since “The Rhythm of the Saints.” “So Beautiful” has plenty of the polyrhythms of “Saints” and “Graceland” but with characters in the here and now of the troubled 21st Century America.
2. Radiohead – The King of Limbs: while technically a late 2010 release, I am going to include it in 2011 since that is when the CD was released to the public. Not as melodic as “In Rainbows,” I still liked King of Limbs. It is nice to hear a band stretch on each record, never resting on its laurels. If they tour in 2012, I will try hard to be there.
1. Wilco – The Whole Love: there is little chance that this record won’t be the number 1 CD on WRXT’s list, and while I am a bit chagrined to have chosen XRT’s number 1 CD for the second year in a row (Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” was last year’s), I picked what I listened to the most, and Wilco is a staple. “Whole Love” has some of the sonic weirdness of my favorite Wilco CD, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” but still with the songcraft of the later CDs, Whole Love was quite an improvement over “Sky Blue Sky” and “Wilco (The Album)” – records I liked, but not as much as this one.

Now to the reissues; ordinarily, I wouldn’t do this, but one of the ways in which the archaic record companies have plotted to separate people from their money has been in remastered box sets of favorite albums from the past. Pink Floyd has led the bunch, releasing “Dark Side of the Moon” and “Wish You Were Here” in box sets with live sets, demos, and songs in DVD-Audio and Blu-Ray-Audio versions. Listed at $150 each, they are definitely for the completists and those like me who adore these records, and want all of the extra “stuff.” Rather than clutter up the main list where many of these releases would rank at the top just because of how much I love the original albums/CDs, I decided to do a separate list. (You will notice however that the Floyd sets don’t make the list – the DVD and Blu-ray music material really doesn’t appeal to me much.)

5. Richard Thompson – Live at the BBC (3 CDs/1 DVD): Thompson has had box sets before, but often, those sets have skirted the period with Thompson’s ex-wife Linda, one of the guitarists most fertile periods. That is not the case on this set, where songs with Linda and solo exist in equal measure. This is an important set for Thompson fans, and a good place to start if you’re new to his music.
4. Peter Gabriel – New Blood Deluxe Edition (2 CDs/1 DVD/1 Blu-ray): by now, everyone knows that Gabriel is engaged with a project that replaces the standard rock instrumentation with a 38-piece orchestra. The CD of covers was interesting if not particularly arresting, but the concert, CDs and DVDs of Gabriel and orchestra re-imagining Gabriel’s songs is much more interesting. I was unable to attend the concert when he came through Chicago, but with the Deluxe Edition, I don’t feel as though I missed anything.
3. Elvis Costello – The Return of the Incredible Spinning Songbook (1 CD/1 DVD/1 Vinyl EP): I know that EC has denounced this set as a result of the price (listed at $260) telling fans to buy a box set of Louis Armstrong which is cheaper and has “better quality” music; I bought one because I do understand the price in that, unlike the other sets I’m mentioning, they are not limited to 1500, like this set is. (EC’s complaint did apparently hit home a little bit since I was billed $200 for the thing.)
Anyway, as you will see on the next post, the Spinning Songbook show in Chicago was one of my favorites of 2011, which is not surprising considering my love for EC and his music. But the set and the accompanying DVD of the show found EC in better voice than in Chicago, and records a great show. The accompanying book and autographed card made it irresistible for me.
2. U2 – Achtung Baby (Super Deluxe Edition) (6 CDs/4 DVDs): when U2 played Soldier Field last July, they played a lot of Achtung Baby, more than “No Line on the Horizon,” the most recent CD. They knew the big box set was going to be released. A remaster of the original CD is very good, but they also included the follow-up “Zooropa” the most European of their CDs in my opinion. The set adds 4 CDs of demos and unused songs, along with a version of the CD with “embryonic” early versions of the songs.
If that wasn’t enough, there are 4 DVDs with the videos, and a copy of the “Live from Sydney” concert, which I already had. But the set also includes the 20th anniversary documentary on the recording of the record “From the Sky Down” which opened this year’s Toronto Film Festival. The film was very good, especially at capturing the existential place U2 was in at the time: “Rattle and Hum” had been blasted; the band was wondering what to do next; how to regain its relevance by “chopping down the f#$kin’ Joshua Tree.” A great set.
1. The Who – Quadrophenia – The Director’s Cut (5 CDs/1 DVD/1 Vinyl EP): Achtung Baby (and Zooropa) IS one of my favorite records of all time and would have definitely would have topped this list if it weren’t for Pete Townshend digging in his archives, tapes and memories to release this set, which may be my first or second favorite original albums in my life. The Who are my favorite band, and Quadrophenia is my favorite Who album. First, the remastered CDs actually allows us to hear for the first time, Roger Daltry’s incredible vocals, many of which were buried in the mix.
Townshend includes plenty of demos and songs that didn’t make the set. For me however, the book included which explained how the music came about; what drove Townshend to do the record; the story behind it; was beyond fascinating. I read it cover to cover on the day I got it in the mail (which I hardly ever get to do these days).
That’s the list for 2011. We will have a Graham Parker and the Rumour CD next year, along with his appearance in a Judd Apatow movie near the end of next year. Radiohead is touring, Springsteen has a new CD and tour, so 2012 is going to be quite a special year.
I’d be interested in hearing what you liked this year.
Next, the best concerts of 2011.

I try to attend concerts when I can, but I admit that I generally go to shows by my favorite artists, usually in places where I can get to easily, and where there are seats (I can’t stand up for hours anymore). Over the past few years, I have only been able to go to a few shows, which made a list like this unnecessary, but I and occasionally, The Indignant Wife, who doesn’t like to go to shows too much, attended a number of shows this year. Here are my favorites:
10. BoDeans at Ravinia – July 29: I hadn’t seen the BoDeans since the 1980s, but free tickets, free parking and free food courtesy of The Indignant Wife’s employer got us out, and the show was very good. Sammy Lianis and partner remain in very good voice and the harmonies remain beautiful. The newer songs definitely hearken back to the strong early albums, which made all of the songs “of a kind.” That could of course, made the show boring, but the fans were energetic and excited to be there, and it helped keep the band interesting.
9. The Go-Gos and B-52s at Ravinia – June 17: again, the Wife and I got a night out for an 80s dance party with two of the party bands, Both were in good form, but my only complaint was that I am a bigger B-52s fan than a Go-Gos fan, and the B-52s opened and played a short set; I would have preferred to see a shorter Go-Gos set and a long set from the Athens, Ga. Band. Oh well,…
8. Tony Bennett at Ravinia – August 26: The Wife and I said for years that we wanted to see Mr. Bennett before he was too old to perform or died. We took advantage this year, and Mr. Bennett, with a new record to sell, was in fine voice, especially for a man who was celebrating his 85th birthday. The only draw backs were the audience, who wanted concert hall type quiet, which took some fun out of the concert for the rest of us, and Antonio Bennett, Tony’s daughter who opens for her father, but is nowhere near the entertainer he is. Nepotism is often not a good thing.
7. Bryan Ferry at the Civic Opera House – October: this was the suave Brit’s first appearance in Chicago in nine years, and he was in his glory – full band, dancing girls, movie playing behind the band with more girls and European locales, usually at night. The first set was fairly perfunctory, but the second half was very good – like Ferry and the band “woke up” during the intermission. I’ve seen Mr. Ferry much better, which keeps this show from being higher up on the list, but I am a big fan, so his inclusion was inevitable.
6. U2 and Interpol at Soldier Field – July 5: speaking of inevitable, as I wrote earlier, U2’s “Achtung Baby” is one of my favorite records all time, so it’s no surprise that this show would also be on the best of 2011 list. The show, which had been postponed for a year due to Bono’s back problems, and the band delivered a hefty amount of Baby, while covered by the enormous stage, which was quite impressive and allowed us sitting far away from the stage, to feel a part of a real concert (instead of the ants that the real people looked like from my vantage point) This was probably my last stadium show: too far away from the show; and too hard to get there and get home.
It didn’t hurt that U2 had another of my favorite bands – Interpol – opening for them. Despite being in a difficult spot – in the heat, and before a crowd mostly indifferent, they were very good. I’d like to see them in a smaller venue for a full set.
5. Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater at SPACE in Evanston – January 14: The Chief lives on my block and so The Indignant Wife and I went to his 75th birthday party (Actuall7 his 76th birthday) and had a great time. Eddy was supposed to play for around 60-70 minutes, but he played much longer and he was awesome. The band was tight, and since SPACE is only about 5 minutes from our house, it was a great party. (The Wife and I can’t wait for this year’s show on January 28th, 2012.)
4. Elvis Costello and the Return of the Spinning Songbook at the Chicago Theater – May 15: I had been able to attend the original spinning songbook show 25 years ago, and got tickets for its return. The band was great as always, and Elvis overcame some hoarseness to still put on a great show as well as being a funny host/carnival barker. This would have been the best how of the year if the other three ahead of it hadn’t been so exceptional.
3. Soundgarden at the UIC Pavillion – July 16: this was a band I had always wanted to see before they broke up, and I thought I’d never get the chance to see them. They played Lallapalooza in 2010, but as I wrote earlier, I will be avoiding gatherings of myself and 60,000 or more of my closest friends.
Anyway, Soundgarden returned to the Pavillion and it was the heaviest concert I’d been to in years. Heavy guitars, heavy bass, heavy drums and great songs; the crowd was into it, but was one of the nicer “heavy metal” audiences I had seen. They played a greatest hits set that included all of my favorite songs by the band. Chris Cornell once again showed that he has one of the most distinctive voices in rock music.
2. The Decemberists at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival – May 2: this was my sixth festival and it is always a great time – great food, great music, great drinking, warm weather, which is important coming from Chicago. The Indignant Family had marked out territory to listen to Tom Jones on one of the big stages at the Festival, but we ended up being close to one of the smaller stages where The Decemberists were playing. I sort of liked what I had heard of them on the radio, but as a WXRT favorite, I had resisted taking a deeper listen – any band ‘XRT were pushing had to be either pablum, or a corporate sellout.
I was wrong. They were awesome, which was something sine I only knew one song of theirs. They played an energetic set and before we’d left the festival grounds, I had gone onto Amazon and bought all of their CDs.
1. Glenn Tilbrook at SPACE – April 4: I just couldn’t resist seeing the voice of Squeeze at such a small venue. Mr. Tilbrook had lost his clothes and his guitars in the flight, so, with new clothes and borrowed guitars, he put on one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. There is one thing that having taken guitar lessons has taught me, which is that I now have a much better appreciation for guitar players, and Mr. Tilbrook blew me away. His fingering and voicings were so incredible, and he played several of his solo songs, a large helping of Squeeze songs, and some covers. It was truly an incendiary night!
Already 2012 looks like a busy year for live music. We already have tickets for Eddy Clearwater, and Graham Parker will be at Old Town School in April 13. Bruce Springsteen is bringing the E Street Band around again, and it will be interesting to see how that plays without Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons. There are rumors that the Rolling Stones are planning something for the 50th anniversary of the band, so that may be something I want to attend.
What were your favorites?

Despite the quick start, there was little doubt in my mind that the Washington Capitals would fire Coach Bruce Boudreau. Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee said that he fired Boudreau because “players were no longer responding” to the coach. McPhee said that the change to former captain Dale Hunter was needed because Boudreau “pushed every button he could” but the team has lost six of its last eight games.
Never mind that Boudreau won 200 games faster than any coach in modern NHL history, the team jumped out of the gate this season starting 7-0; it’s a long season and losing streaks are inevitable; and as of now, the Capitals are second in the Southeast Division 3 points behind the surprising Florida Panthers.
The true reason that Boudreau got fired is that he pissed off Alex Ovechkin. This season he tried a new approach, emphasizing accountability and the willingness to bench his star players – team captain Ovechkin included – as punishment for subpar performances.
It is always easier to fire a coach than a multimillion dollar earning superstar who puts fannies in seats, but it’s funny that the defense first approach and hard line approach had convinced The Hockey News to predict that the Capitals would win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup next Spring.
There’s something about hockey teams – they will obviously quit on a coach if they think it will get him fired. As good as Ovechkin is, he does take shifts off and is less than diligent on the defensive end, and Boudreau called him on it, including not playing him on the power play a couple of weeks ago, in which Ovechkin called his coach something that rhymed with “Pat Puck.”
Alex Ovechkin is a very talented hockey player; he is also a prima donna of the highest caliber. How many selfish superstars put their personal performance before their team and ended up without a championship ring at the end of the day? If I were a betting man, I would bet that a team coached by Boudreau will win a Stanley Cup before a team with Ovechkin does.

There’s been something in the water this week (and it’s only Tuesday). Besides Bruce Boudreau being fired by the Washington Capitals (see above), the Carolina Hurricanes fired Paul Maurice, replacing him with former All-Star forward Kirk Muller. In the NFL, Jacksonville fire its head coach Jack Del Rio.
But the heads were really rolling in college football. Illinois finally pulled the plug on Head Coach Mike Zook (and it could be truly called a mercy killing – Zook is not and never has been a good coach). Two coaches of bowl eligible teams got the ax – UCLA fired Rick Neuheisel after 4 seasons and an overall 21-28 record despite a berth in the Pac-12 title game (6-6) and a potential bowl appearance. Dennis Erickson was fired by Arizona State after five seasons – the Sun Devils started this season 6-2, becoming bowl eligible for the first time in Erickson’s tenure, but the team lost 4 games in a row, so he was canned.
One of the biggest college football coaching positions was filled after a weekend full of stories. Finally, Ohio State announced that it had hired Urban Meyer as its next head coach. The former Florida coach originally from Ashtabula, Ohio native is returning to Ohio State, where Meyer started as an assistant under Earle Bruce.
In 10 seasons as a head coach: two years each at Bowling Green and Utah and six at Florida; Meyer’s teams amassed a 104-23 record, winning three national coach of the year awards. His teams are 7-1 in bowl games and are also 4-0 in BCS bowl games. He also coached Tim Tebow to a Heisman Trophy.
Meyer won two national championships in six years as the coach at Florida. He left the Gators a year ago, but retired after being taken to a hospital, dehydrated and complaining of chest pains, and of course, the clichéd and usually incorrect “desire to spend more time with my family.”
The Ohio State program had been decimated by suspensions and the forced resignation/retirement of Coach Jim Tressel. Ohio State still faces NCAA sanctions as a result of many players getting caught getting free or reduced priced tattoos for signed memorabilia. Tressel was forced to resign on May 30 for having been found covering up the violations. Luke Fickell was named the interim Head Coach, but the Buckeyes completed a 6-6 season marking the most losses at Ohio State since John Cooper’s 1999 team also went 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten.
After speculation for weeks about Meyer and Ohio State, ESPN reported that the two sides had reached an agreement that could pay him almost $6 million a year. Meyer has been a game analyst for ESPN for the past year.
I hate to be cynical, but Ohio State is going to be a better football team with Meyer in charge, but I wonder if behind the scenes, it will just be more of the same? Florida is not exactly competing with Harvard in academic excellence in general, and Ohio State has been a football factory for decades, with tons of players playing in the NFL. The most recent number I could find was that OSU graduates athletes at a 63% rate, below the BCS average of 69%.
And even with the NCAA allowing schools to give scholarships up to $2,000 above the cost of room and board, will “stars” require and get more money than that? The school still faces sanctions as noted above for lack of institutional oversight of its football program. With a $6 million/year coach allow any oversight at all?