Superstitions helped win the 2012 World Series for the SF Giants

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You read it here first on April 6, 2012 at https://www.mwattorneys.com/blog/?p=319; the San Francisco Giants were going to, and did in fact win the 2012 World Series. Thank you to those who did their part to defeat the Dodgers, Reds, Cardinals, and the Tigers. While superstition, as you will read below, will win you a sacred World Series Championship, it will not get you the tax relief you deserve.

Included in those who deserved a World Series Championship and who did their part are of course two time Cy-Young winner Tim Lincecum, the horse Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval (no longer “strand’em all), ZITTO, all of Giants nation, and of course, the tax attorneys at Montgomery and Wetenkamp.

“How?” you ask, could the IRS tax attorneys at Montgomery & Wetenkamp possibly have played a role in this historic sporting achievement? I will tell you: Like many baseball fans and Giants fans, we are superstitious when it comes to baseball. Some of the pundits, who also picked the Tigers to win, disregard baseball superstition…. Well, don’t disregard the baseball gods. One of my favorite talking heads, Damon Bruce, of the Damon Bruce Show on KTCT 1050 during the playoff run, compared Giants’ fans superstitions to that of a nine year old’s wishes, or something of the like. Well, Damon, even though I am a fan of yours, I will disagree. Additionally, if you paid homage to the baseball gods, maybe your Chicago Cubs would win a title, or two…. like the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.

So, what superstitions did the tax attorneys at Montgomery & Wetenkamp do to win the ultimate baseball prize? Here is list, beginning well before the playoffs. However, our agreement with the Baseball Gods mandates that we don’t specify beginning dates, or ending dates of any of the listed superstition actions as some overlap and may still be ongoing through the off season:

  • Do not blog excessively about the San Francisco Giants’ dominance of the NL West;
  • Do not rub in Giants’ dominance of the Los Angeles Dodgers to those poor souls who are Dodger fans;
  • Do not wear black SF Giants jersey;
  • Only wear standard SF Giants cap with 2010 World Series patch;
  • Let game watching visitors only enter through the garage;
  • Do not wear game jerseys;
  • Do not change the baby’s clothes (diapers were okay);
  • Wear the same shirt during games;
  • Do not watch games live (use the DVR);
  • Watch the game live with baby on the lap;
  • Sit on the right side of the couch while watching games using the DVR (not live);
  • Don’t watch the game with the baby;
  • Use the San Francisco Giants 2010 World Series Championship beer mug to drink beer during the game;
  • Alternate San Francisco Giants 2010 World Series Championship beer mug with generic San Francisco Giants beer mug to drink beer during the game;
  • Alternate San Francisco Giants 2010 World Series Championship beer mug with generic San Francisco Giants beer mug to drink beer game to game;
  • Drink a beer with corresponding beer mug when the game actually starts, but do not finish. Stop drinking the beer by the time you watch the game on DVR, but keep some beer in the mug until the Giants’ next win…. then drink;
  • Do not let visitors in the house to watch the game in through the garage door;
  • Do not hate on the Dodgers;
  • Superstitions reset series to series;
  • No Visitors;
  • KNBR Radio coverage only – Do not watch the games on television (this was more or less out of necessity given the poor and biased broadcasting by Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. The worst commentators in the history of the game);
  • Wear 2010 National League Championship hat;
  • Wash a car during the game;
  • Wash a car during the game;
  • Do not wash cars;
  • Listen to entire game on KNBR outside (this included a severe rain storm);
  • Only go inside during commercial breaks;
  • Do not go inside ever!!!!;
  • Going inside is okay, only if changing diapers;
  • Do not wear socks or shoes, only sandals;
  • Socks are okay only for half the game… choose the half wisely;
  • There’s no such thing as superstition;
  • Eat standing up;
  • Wear 2010 World Series Championship hat;
  • There’s no such thing as superstition;
  • Do not gloat;
  • Do not eat;
  • Tape the KNBR audio feed in 90 minute increments, then sync up with the game on television using the DVR, then watch with the volume at “3” not muted;
  • There’s no such thing as superstition;
  • Do not gloat;
  • Visitors are Okay;
  • Watch games on the left side of the couch;
  • There’s no such thing as superstition;
  • Make sure that everyone you know, knows that your team won the World Series of Baseball.

Anyone who counted the Giants out was not paying attention to the team throughout the season let alone the post season. Anyways, these were the things the tax relief attorneys at Montgomery & Wetenkamp did to bring a World Series title home…. What did you do to bring the title home? Please comment to let us know…. it takes a village (to win a World Series).

It’s All Star Election Season – Vote Early and Often…. With Your Validation Code

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It’s almost July…. This means that it’s time to get the BBQ ready, buy some fireworks, and get your votes in for the MLB All Star Game. Although I’m an experienced tax attorney, I’m not THAT old… but old enough to remember using the punch cards at the ballpark to cast my All Star vote. Now, eligible voters (fans) can cast their votes for starters up to 25 times at MLB.com or via your mobile device until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. So get your votes in for the National Leaguers who will play the Yankees, Red Sox, and Josh Hamilton.

Online voting is nothing new. It’s been around since… well the answer is actually not as easy to find as I thought it would be…. but it’s been around for some time. While stuffing the online ballot box today with various San Francisco Giants, under my various email addresses, completing a validation code for each vote; I began to ponder, is this another MLB annoyance similar to the Designated Hitter or Astro Turf, or do some people only cast one vote. Or, do people really change their votes. Really? More specifically, if MLB is going to give me 25 votes per email address to stuff the ballot, why make me spend 15 minutes to do it 25 times. Just give me the option to submit 25 votes one time per address. Alternatively, just give me the punch card at the ballpark.

As a side note, I know most San Francisco Giants fans want Matt Cain to start the All Star game. I’m never a fan of the Giant’s All Star game pitcher, ala Vida Blue, Atlee Hammaker, Rick Reuschel, Jeff Brantley, and Shawn Estes. On the other hand, in more recent years, with the exception of Tim Lincecum, there have been some decent All Star pitching performances. But why risk a pitcher from your own team? As a leaving note on Giants All Star Pitchers, the National League would have won the 2008 All Star game if Clint Hurdle would not have replaced Brian Wilson for New York’s lame arm extraordinaire Billy Wagner. Four years later, and it still bugs me.

 

 

Bullet Point Friday

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I definitely don’t want to be responsible for pulling anyone away from their taxes this weekend with a riveting and lengthy blog post.  So this one will be short and non-riveting.  The long-winded tax attorney is just gonna use bullet points today:

  • Obama released his 2011 tax return.  He paid $162,074 on income of $789,674 (20.5 percent rate).  When Romney was asked to disclose his return too, he responded by saying he’s filing for an extension.  See full story here.
  • If you’re interested in free Tax Day noshing at Panda Express, Chevy’s, P.F. Chang’s, etc., you may benefit from a perusal of this story.
  • The Giants shut out the Pirates 5-0 today in their first home game of the season.  Matt Cain threw a one-hit complete game.
  • Axl Rose declined Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction like a little baby.  Part of his letter reads like his lawyer wrote it for him:
I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of “Guns N’ Roses.”

It’s Baseball’s Opening Day!!!! – Sort Of

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Baseball season is finally here! So if you follow this blog, you know that the Tax Attorneys at Montgomery & Wetenkamp, are San Francisco Giants fans first, then baseball fans second. Just like tax day is no longer April 15th; Baseball’s opening day has gone the way of the dinosaur. Worse however, is it is now confusing … just like taxes can be at times.

For those baseball fanatics reading this and thinking the season has already started, technically you’re right. It started in Japan last week with the A’s and the Mariners. After which they sensibly returned to spring training to play more exhibition games. Therefore, that was not opening day.

For those of you that aren’t on Japan time and missed those games, you may have thought the opening day was earlier this week on Wednesday when the Marlins opened their new ballpark against the Cardinals. Wrong again. The Marlins immediately jumped on an airplane and played the Reds on Thursday in Cincinnati. That’s not a home-stand and therefore not opening day. Same could be said about the Tigers and Red Sox who played Thursday just to have an off day Friday. This is the case with all of the teams that played Thursday, with the exception of the Dodgers and the Padres, who played the first game of their home-stand yesterday, and are shockingly playing today as well. You may be thinking, well that must count as a home-stand and must have been the real opening day. Wrong Again! If it involves the Dodgers, by rule, does not count.

That leaves us only to conclude that today, Friday, April 6, 2012, is Baseball’s official opening day for 2012 because the 2010 and 2012 World Champion San Francisco Giants are finally in the fight for the pennant. It’s sad that gone are the (opening) days where every team in the league has a 50/50 shot to be in first place after the 27th out.  However, at least the boys of summer are back.