They may be cool, but electric cars aren't ready for prime time

All right, let's just pop one of these big fat all-over-the-news balloons: Electric cars suck. And will until they are priced in the mainstream of gas-based vehicles.

Oh, nice, spoken like some old guy who drives a 10-year-old, tank-like SUV. That’s me.

The idea of having a car you can plug in at night then unplug and drive off to work the next morning is a kind of cool idea. But really, are you going to pay $40,000 for a kind of cool idea? Especially when that charge will last for maybe 100 miles, requires a 220-volt plug somewhere other than to your dryer, and will require you to change the batteries after maybe 7 years (at a cost of $7,500 to $10,000 or, in the Nissan Leaf $18,000)? Ouch.

Anyone ever have a problem with a battery-powered device? Can you imagine if EV batteries have as many problems as laptop or cell phone batteries? Suddenly “warming up the car” takes on a whole new meaning. (And I haven’t even touched on the cost absurdity of Tesla’s $140,000 two-seat EV sports car. Buy a damn Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid, get about 24 miles to the gallon, bank the $70,000 difference, load up the family and still blow the doors off most vehicles on the road.)

All right, let’s say you have a pile of money, have no friends or family farther away than 100 miles, and want to make a major environmental statement. You buy the EV, get $7,500 off thanks to the government, spend the $500 to $2,000 to get the 220-volt plug, maybe pay another $1,000 or so if your EV needs a special charger. So you’re in for maybe $35,000 or so. Don’t forget there will be maintenance costs as you go along, and then that big battery hit a few years down the road.

On the good side, the car doesn’t produce any bad exhaust stuff (though power plants that make electricity do . . . and I still smoke so I’m screwed one way or another), costs little to charge (depending on rates 50 cents to a couple of bucks per charge), and doesn’t use costly and politically unpopular gas. (We go to wars over that stuff.) So that’s good.

Doesn’t make a bit of economic sense for most people, but apparently studies show EVs are viable for tons of people who commute within that 100-mile out and back window. Of course, a hybrid has a longer range because it has a gas as well as electric motor. In time, states will mandate (as California has) a certain minimum number of EV sales, prices will come down, we’ll get a better handle on reliability and “plug and play” will become a whole new reality.

But until then, I can go out and buy some reasonably comfortable small car for $20,000, pay the fuel costs, etc. and save at least $20,000 over 7 years or so? The old-time “commuter car” suddenly looks like a pile of found money.

Now I’m no math wiz (as my parents will attest), but until they make economic sense for the masses (who don't need it to haul the family to a vacation spot), electric cars will remain an expensive luxury for urban dwellers with too much money lying around. The EV flock about to descend upon us may be kind of a cool start, but it’ll be a while until they’re ready for prime time with most of us.

Sunday Stuff . . . brain injuries, ties and the Jets suck

We’re not sure yet what the key tipping points will be next spring and summer when the NFL owners square off against their players, but one should rise above the number of games, revenue sharing and roster size . . . health care.

Football is a brutal game played by extraordinarily large, strong and fast men. And from what we’re learning about brain injuries (much of it just in the past couple of years), many these modern-day gladiators, who play before us for fame and fortune, could be facing a middle age filled with dementia, chronic pain, physical and mental disabilities and even early death. Recent studies are showing that frequent and continued head injuries, not just hard “concussion inducing” single blows, can have a devastating effect on even young players. Apparently, according to scientists, the repetitive blows during practice and games can lead to brain damage in players in their teens. Yikes.

The NFL’s record of taking care of their older players is, at best, dismal. Players make millions . . . owners make millions . . . TV makes millions. It’s time some of that revenue stream goes back into taking care of the gladiators who make all that possible. Better monitoring of injuries, especially head injuries, continued revision of rules designed to limit head injuries, lifetime medical care for former NFL players, including regular brain testing.

I love football, but I’d also love knowing the NFL and the players take care of their own instead of treating them like so much cannon fodder. Yep, let’s figure out the potential for an 18-game season, cut the revenue pie however and add players to the roster or practice squads if needed, but first and foremost, think longer term and improve the care of the player who all too often sacrifice themselves in a short career for a life of misery and despair at a time when they should be enjoying the rewards of their labors.

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Ok . . . I get wearing a coat and tie to business meetings. I really do . . . but why the hell are football announcers dressed like they’re going to a board meeting. Come on. It’s a football game. You’re the only guys in the building (ok, maybe an owner and his pals in the luxury booth . . . but I don’t get that either) dressed for junior exec success. Give ‘em a nice golf shirt with the network’s logo on it, for the love of all that is comfortable. Do I really care that Pats owner Robert Kraft is wearing a tie? Is Troy Aikman a better TV guy in a tie? Sheesh. Ditch ‘em.

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The season’s early and it looks like the Jets will suck for most of it. Boo hoo. Loving Tim Tebow. A superstar quarterback? I have no idea and don’t really care right now . . . Compare him to mopey Matt Leinart and who would you want on your team. Amen. Jerry Jones is going to be really pissed when there are 100,000-plus fans in his stadium watching two teams that don’t hail from Dallas. Boo hoo. There are a lot of people in football I’d love to meet, but not in pads on a field. Put Ray Lewis at the top of that list. Fifteen years in a brutal position and this guy is still fast, hitting people like a Hellfire missile and blowing them up.

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Sorry about Texas Tech this weekend. Thought they had it . . . and since by way of Elder Child’s marriage I am now a Texas Tech fan, they remain on my hot list. Exciting team. I have no idea how those guys down there play 60 minutes in temps resembling a cast iron skillet.

Muslims have a public relations issue (to say the least)

It seems fairly obvious that Muslims, as a group, have a rather large public relations problem that goes well beyond building the so-call Ground Zero mosque.

A mosque. . . a mosque . . . build it or not. Or rather, renovate the building or not. Certainly a divisive issue right now if we’re talking in the area of Ground Zero. And a very slippery slope. Personally and emotionally I don’t think there should be a mosque there, but not allowing it to be there I’m afraid isn’t right. We’re lucky in the country to have the religious freedoms we have, and that, for better or worse, means we have to sometimes accept that we don’t like. It really isn’t a political issue, though politicians are having a field day batting this one around.

It’s a rights issue. And, if legally permitted, people have a right to build a mosque (or temple, or church, or synagogue) wherever they wish. I’m also guessing that no matter where a group of Muslims wanted to build a mosque right now there would be all kinds of emotionally charged protests and diatribes.

Now unfortunately we’re talking here about a religious group (widely defined) that seems to contain a fair share of people who want to blow up other people. Of course not all Muslims are the same, and I’ll assume that not all Muslims enjoy blowing up themselves and other people. Just like some Christians see themselves as rather elitist by calling themselves Christians and classifying others as “not a Christian” because while they may hold many of the same values, they aren’t really members of the same caste, if you like. History is filled with religious conflicts and wars. We tend to forget that at convenient times.

So the pr issue becomes clearer . . . not all Muslims are the same, either in their beliefs or actions . . . but they manage to be lumped in the same pot. Not fair, perhaps, but where are the moderates condemning the radicals?

Mistake one was calling the proposed building a mosque. Hey, it’s all perception, folks. Call it a community center. Open to all. A pool . . . continued ed . . . day care center etc. Ok . . . with a mosque and prayer rooms inside. The fact that nobody would have any issues if the Catholics wanted to build a religious center there (despite the church’s ongoing pedophilia issues) . . . or if there were to be a Jewish center there . . . or a Buddhist education center. We’re prejudiced . . . in part because we don’t see the violence in many other religions here.

Mistake two was not saying “You know, you’re right, we really hadn’t fully understood the proximity to Ground Zero issues and we’d be happy to build our center somewhere else nearby.” That made it seem like confrontation with the issue was more important than building the center itself. So now people look at it and say not only “why there,” but “why still there?”

As someone who was in the World Trade Center during the bombing of 1993, I can honestly say I’m just not a big fan of blowing up buildings or people. But as has been pointed out, the area of the proposed mosque isn’t actually at Ground Zero . . . it’s a few blocks away. Farther than the Pussycat Lounge where, I will confess, I enjoyed two rather strong and especially delicious gin and tonics after climbing down 72 flights of smoke-filled stairways in 1993. I guess the place has changed a bit since then, but there were a ton of people hitting the bar before making the trip to mid-town for the train. And not one raised any fuss about the place on religious grounds. Amen.

Muslims, of course, have a right to pray where they wish, but the center near Ground Zero will probably never be built. In part because it was handled badly from the beginning. In part because it’s become a political football. And in part because most of us just don’t understand the need for people to blow other people up.

Until we see an obvious break of some type within the large pot of Islamic beliefs, with moderates casting out and condemning the jihadists, there will be open conflict. And that doesn’t help anyone.

Sports shorts . . .some things are clear (I think)

Clearly . . .

. . . there’s more diva in Brett Favre than all Bravo’s housewives combined (minus the silicon, of course), but ya gotta love the way this guy plays. One gets the feeling, though, it isn’t going to end well for him this year. Vikings miss the playoffs . . . Green Bay takes the division.

. . . football’s worst sideline reporter is Fox’s Tony Siragusa. This guy may have filled the defensive interior line for the Colts and Ravens in years past, but he’s nothing but nails on a chalkboard now. Thank goodness Pam Oliver is on the field for Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnson are saddled with Siragusa for Fox’s other football games. Throw the flag, he adds nothing to the broadcast. Can we clone Pam so she can do both Fox games?

. . . it’s time for baseball to decide whether it’s more important to get the call right or not care about it. So far, they don’t care, clinging instead to some old fable about the integrity of the game yadda yadda. What integrity? You get the call wrong how is that dripping with wholesome honest integrity? Get the calls right. Expand replay . . . Getting the call right doesn’t hurt the game, it helps it. Is football worse for replay? Nope. Even Little League Baseball has it and handles it. When a guy doesn’t get a perfect game because of a bad call, that’s not good for anyone.

. . . I don’t get it . . . a guy is suspended for six football games for whatever reason and he can still play in the preseason? What? If he’s suspended, suspend him. Seems to me even the NFL thinks the preseason is a joke.

. . . I’m not a Jets fan, but you have to love the way Rex Ryan has changed the New York attitude about the Jets. But he’s put a huge target on the backs of the Jets. Now it’s time to put up . . . they won’t be as good as last year.

. . . God bless the guy who came up with the recall button on the remote . . . baseball (click). . .football . . . football game one (click) . . . football game two . . . genius. Sometimes it’s the little things in life.

. . . it’s easy being negative, but what the hell . . . I’ve switched my basketball from “anyone but the Lakers” to “anyone but the Heat.” Talk about setting the bar. Dream team? If they don’t win it all, big failure . . . here’s hoping.