You Are What You Tweet So This Is Me
1
What This 2011 NBA Championship, By The Dallas Mavericks, Means To Me.
I loved (Yes, LOVED) the Dallas Mavericks. Growing up, I watched as year after year we got close but failed to win an NBA Championship. Early on, I was a Derek Harper fan. The guy was awesome. He was a leader. He made 1 huge mistake and dribbled the ball out against the Lakers in the 1984 Western Conference Finals. I’ve had bad days at work but it’s never been televised. Heartbreaking.
The tragedy starts at about 3:50.
The Mavericks would lose again to the Lakers in the 1988 Western Conference Finals. I would skip school with Kyle Hall and try to score tickets. We ended up meeting David Gear and his father who were trying to go to the game as well. We waited all day and nothing. It still sticks with me a one of my all time favorite Maverick memories. The waiting, not the lose.
I love how OJ is cheering the Lakers at the :24 mark.
Then Derek left for the Knicks in 1993. His hopes were dashed by the Houston Rockets. More than the Rockets, I blame John Starks for their loss. He never met a shot he didn’t like.
As far as the Mavericks were concerned, the 1990s were the worst time in the entire franchise. I was in college and met some new Maverick fans. One of them was Eddie Gibbons. We were convinced we could get floor seats for next to nothing. Which is good because next to nothing is what I was making as a college student. We hit up some ticket brokers to find out most didn’t even carry tickets for them. We eventually found one. This was a pre Internet situation so there was a lot of calling from our HOME TELEPHONES!! This is how we got shit done back in the day.
Dallas v Denver 5th row from the floor. Tickets were $50 bucks each. We sat close enough to hear Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf’s Tourette acting up. We were actually sitting so low that Dikembe Mutombo was taller than where we were sitting. The Mavericks won that game. I went to 3 total games that season and they won each one. Why does this matter. They went 11-71 that year. Another great Maverick memory. The games not the year.
In 1992, the Dallas Mavericks took Jim Jackson with the 4th pick in the draft. Dude had skills and combined with the fact this team had no talent, he had major stats. Yes, he held out. I saw an interview where he explained why. I had never seen an athlete explain in such a manner why he felt he was worthy of a large contract. Jim was well spoken. He was a guy I could follow and Jim had crazy insane talent. The Mavs added Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn to form the “Three J’s”. This lasted about as long as New Coke. Mashburn has surgery. Kidd and Jackson fought over Toni Braxton. All the J’s ended up traded by the start of the 1997 season.
Part of the Kidd trade was Steve Nash and Michael Finley. Loved to watch Finley play! LOVED! Here enjoy!
Explosive. Could take it inside or shoot outside. I became a fan of Wisconsin because that’s where he played college ball. Dude stepped up when needed and settled back as Dirk came into his own. Then he was waived by Dallas to avoid the luxury tax. This was devastating to me. We got nothing. Finley went to the Spurs and won a championship. Nash was gone the year before. Dirk was left with not much support all because of business decisions. I had named 1 of my dogs Maverick and another Finley. If I love you enough, I will name a dog after you.
I gave up. Dirk was and is a great player but he’s boring to me. He didn’t play a lot of defense. He had no style. He had a fade away jump and that’s about it. I couldn’t get attached to another player that was just going to play until it was time to leave for a contender. I quit watching. I quit investing.
The NBA was still looking for another Jordan and wasn’t impressive at all. I would watch the Spurs occasionally but Dallas wasn’t a team that excited me. The talk was LeBron James was the next Jordan. While I still watched SportsCenter, I had become married with kids and had less time for sports. LeBron was a name I heard because he was going high in the draft. It looked like he’d end up in Cleveland but I didn’t care.
Meanwhile, Dirk was working away in Dallas, I quit naming my dogs after anything associated with the Dallas Mavericks and LeBron was starting his highlight reel.
In 2006, the Dallas Mavericks would make it to the NBA Championship playing against an aging Shaq and the Miami Heat. Shaq was a guy that should have been in Dallas. During the 1990′s when Dallas won at failing, Shaq was in the draft during one of these awful seasons. Luck of the Mavs put them at 4th and Orlando at 1st. While they got Shaq, we got Jim Jackson. I wasn’t bothered by this because Shaq was a whore who left Orlando via free agency for the Lakers. After the Lakers were through with him, he ended up in Miami. Fuck him. Anyhow, I was interested. I didn’t watch any series until this one. Call me a fair weather fan, so be it. They broke my heart again! Up 2 games, they choked hard and lost 4 in a row to the Heat.
201o – Dirk is a free agent. LeBron is a free agent. While the world watched LeBron make a specticle of himself on TV, Dirk signed with Dallas.
Team officials released no terms of the deal. However, sources close to the talks told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that it is a four-year deal worth $80 million, with a no-trade clause.
The nine-time All-Star agreed to the deal July 4 after a bit of a circuitous route delayed negotiations and left Mavs fans anxious as to whether Nowitzki was looking at other options on the free-agent market. Nowitzki, 32, opted out of the final year of his contract that would have paid him $21.5 million next year, but ultimately his loyalty to the only team he’s played for won out.
Nowitzki’s deal will pay him $17.3 million next season with pay increases due in each of the next three seasons, topping out at 22.7 million in 2013-14, sources told Stein. The contract contains a no-trade clause that prevents the Mavs from dealing the 7-foot power forward without his consent. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is the only other player in the NBA with a no-trade clause.
The former MVP could have re-signed for as much as $96.2 million, but he gave the Mavs a hometown discount to help ease the luxury-tax burden on owner Mark Cuban and with the hope that it will enable Cuban to continue to make trades and chase high-profile players to improve the team.
via ESPN.com
And this is how Cav fans reacted. Well, the nice clean AP version.
It is disappointing. I quit following a team I had loved because it lost a player. My favorite player. I can’t imagine how these guys dealt. I do know they burned jerseys and got a little rowdy. I hope they recover and I wish Cav fans the best because this was a shitty thing to do.
This year, I get to go to some games and I’ve been looking at the players the Mavericks have been picking up. I’m really digging Tyson Chandler’s strong inside game and he’s fun to watch. Then the Mavs make it to the playoffs and David Hopkins invites me to the first round. It was pretty damn awesome. He got to see them sweep the Lakers in 4 with his Dad. I got to go again with D-Hop to an OKC Thunder game. The playoff atmosphere is fantastic but I’d been disappointed before so I wasn’t going to get excited.
Then they won the OKC series and we had the rematch with the Miami Heat. Decades of failing had me worried that I was going to get caught up in the hype again. The Mavs were winning but would they choke again? I was staying up later for games and losing sleep. I had been checking scores on my phone while I was at my cousin’s wedding and during the comic book club, I run. I still wasn’t convinced they could make this happen until the clock was at 0:00.
via Yahoo Sport.com
All I can say is “Thanks, Dirk”. Thanks for staying and rebuilding. Thanks for not going to a “contender” or announcing your new team on TV. Thanks for just showing up to work and making concessions so we could have a winner in Dallas again.
How to Fail at Business Without Really Trying Part 2
So I wrote my last post cause I was dealing with a billing problem with First Choice Power. I’m also dealing with a problem with Sears but I won’t get into that right now. The reason I mention that is because “Family Emergency” is the new “Check’s in the Mail”. Both companies have said this while trying to deal with me on financial issues. Do you think they care if you call and say “I had a family emergency and can’t pay.” No. They will bill you and bill you a late fee. Sears owes me money and FCP just wants to take and take from it’s customers.
So here’s what I did. I took screen shots like the one below and posted them in my blog. I labeled them so Google would find them when searching First Choice Power. I tagged these posts so Google would find them. I hope potential customers discover these posts and those images. Then I went to Facebook and found other customers that complained and I commented. I’d ask if they got resolution. I’d ask if they found another electric company. The great thing about FCP is as much as they are taking from their customers, they don’t pay an administrator for monitoring their web presence. Or if they do, they hire really bad marketing people that don’t look at Facebook or Twitter. Oh, wait, they do hire marketing people. Remember Brittany? After talking with FCP, I discovered she’s in the Marketing department. As of this posting, the only thing FCP removed was the comment from Brittany.
I got a response from one unhappy customer. I’ve posted the thread below.
I looked at Bounce Energy. Great rates. Anything was better than FCP. Now, I know nothing about the company and they may screw me over at some point but right now, I’m trying them. They offer $50 refer a friend deal. I contacted J and let her know this. She sent me her refer a friend code and I signed up. I did ask her to confirm she gets her $50.00 credit. I’ll update this post when I find out.
To finally test the poor marketing (or social media gurus) at FCP, I’m going to post that pic of Brittany Adams replying “WTF” to my customer complaint. I will tag them in it which I know they allow on Facebook. So then it will pop up on their page. I will do this after hours and see how long it takes to have the tag removed.
I will say that FCP did rebill me at the old average. I was told they will be changing their billing again. My rep said she will review my account with me before this takes place. She even offered me the “employee rate”. Sad part is that the rate employees get, is what a subscribe at Bounce can get if they sign up now.
So a series of bad communications from my electric company got me to switch. It also got me mad enough to post all that happened so that others are deterred from using them. As of this posting, my post and images about FCP is on the first page of returned searches from Google when looking for “First Choice Power”. It also got me to break down the awful job FCP Marketing Department is doing. I hate meetings but I’d love to see my response create a meeting at First Choice Power’s Marketing Department.
How to Fail at Business Without Really Trying
When you pay for electricity, you are paying for 2 things, a great rate and customer service. Someone (Oncor in my case.) actually provides the power and the company you pay is just a billing company. Don’t call them if you lose power. They don’t do that. Call them if you have billing issues. If that monthly piece of paper is so confusing to you, they can help. Maybe.
See this is my problem. I’ve been with First Choice Power since 2006. They had a great rate at the time. I rarely dealt with them. I started average billing after being with them for awhile. I paid $250.00 a month. This helped with the killer Texas summers. Last year, my rate went up to $275.00. No big. I had installed a new roof the previous year and was continuing to make my home more energy efficient. I’d already swapped out all the bulbs for energy efficient bulbs. I’d tweak things to reduce my energy costs. At the time, I was installing windows to continue these improvements and hoped to see my bill go down. Just this month I’ve had vinyl siding installed to help. These are the big things they say will help you with your electric bill. Right?
WRONG! I got my bill for March-April from First Choice Power and my billing had gone from $275.00 a month to $341.59. So because you pay for great rates and customer service I called them. I spoke with a rep named Leon. He explained how a “Good Will” audit occurred and an adjustment was made. I asked for an explanation to what drove up my bill.
If anyone of you has ever had to deal with a call center you know that the first rep is given material to spew when asked about things. They are the first line of defense and just want to answer quickly and get people off the phone. Call centers deal with “talk times” and “call volumes”. It’s a modern day production line. They don’t deal with the actual issue of “Did I solve your problem?” People are unhappy when they call. People are mad when they call. I know this. I try not to take it out on the guy that’s trying to help me but Leon had no answers. OK wait, Leon had no GOOD answers.
Leon explained that my account was “under review and an adjustment had to be made to keep my variance stable”. So basically, I pay monthly. My usage was getting higher than my monthly billing was covering. Leon couldn’t say this. He had this cool term “Good Will” for an audit. I’m sure some meetings were had and all agreed the term “Good Will Audit” sounded great for the reps to use. Materials were printed and handed out at the call center. Smiley Face. Job well done.
I hated to pressure Leon but I wanted proof of this. I asked for a copy of my usage back to when I started paying on an average basis. He asked for my fax number.
Really!
I checked to see if I had traveled back in time. A time before email. A slow time. A time when bulky fax machines existed to get pages of bills on rollers with crappy paper. Nope, it was 2011 and First Choice Power wants to fax it’s customers.
I asked for an email and was quickly denied. Leon said he didn’t have this capability. Well, wait a sec. Leon can confirm my account with my social security number but doesn’t have email? I understand email is a huge responsibility. You can create information and send it to others. You can spread ideas. You can inform a team of company changes instantly!
Leon doesn’t get email but knows my name, address, SSN and what a “Good Will Audit” is. Fair trade?
I get nowhere with Leon and look up First Choice Power on Facebook and Twitter. I assume once someone posts their problem, some marketing-SEO-social marketing type will run it up the flag pole and I’ll get some help.
I posted:
Way to RAISE MY BILL and call it good will. Changing service. And you want to update your ability to send information. I don’t know anyone that receives faxes any more. You can’t email anything to a customer? Horrible.
Within 7 minutes I got a response from Brittany Adams at First Choice Power.
Wow! Just wow.
I replied to Brittany and then reposted the screen shot I grabbed.
My bill went from 275 a month to 341 a month and when I called it was referred to as a “Good Will” audit. Seemed like it was good for you. Then when I asked for an email with my payment history and usage, I was offer a fax. I checked the calendar and it’s not 1997 so I asked why I couldn’t get an email. He said that wasn’t possible. Nice statement there Brittany, is that how all the people there talk when working with customers?
So I send that to their Twitter account.
No sooner than I posted that I got an update to the Facebook post.
Mr. Harrison, We value you and your experience with us. We hope to get this issue taken care of ASAP. Please e-mail your account number and contact information to catherine@firstchoicepower.com (not her real email) , and someone will contact you shortly.
Brittany’s post was removed.
I emailed Catherine.
Classy stuff coming from Brittany Adams.
As far as valuing me and my experience, you’ve only raised my rates.
You limit your customer service reps to faxes and not email which does nothing for either party.
They can’t help immediately and we have to wait for a letter?Then Brittany posts a classy comment like
First Choice Power Wtf is this guy talking about…
Brittany Adams
469.644.356
Catherine’s reply.
Thank you for your e-mail.
Arthelia on my team will be contacting you soon to discuss your account.
I’m curious where you saw that post from Brittany so I can follow up on that as well.
Best,
Catherine
So my interaction with 3 employees has been this,
Leon: knows my SSN. Can’t have email.
Brittany: has no problem saying “WTF” in company email and on public forums.
Catherine: Someone will contact you. I realize I’m contacting you but someone helpful will contact you. Which means I can’t help you or it’s not my job to help you. Maybe I just direct people to do stuff.
Of these 3 people, I’d give Leon email and take it from Brittany. Also, if First Choice Power can’t figure out how her message got posted to their account, why should I help them? If I do, maybe I’ll call it a “Good Will” assist. It also comes with a “Good Will” charge.
So I do get someone helpful. She just can’t explain how with all the improvements to my home that my usage has increased. She claims it’s steady doesn’t seem to have an error. She makes one statement I find interesting. She says that only 3 times that the readings were “estimated”. So no one reads my meter. They guess.
Then recommends more training for Leon. He doesn’t have the tools needed to do his job so training should help? Maybe more meetings and some new hand outs? That should make it all better?
I asked about Brittany. Oh Brittany…
This might have been Brittany in high school, I have no idea. I just thought it’d be fun to create that association.
Anyhow, I forwarded a copy of the Facebook notice I received when Brittany responded to Arthelia.
Fun Fact: Brittany works in Marketing.
While talking with Arthelia, I asked who was this silver tongued devil. Arthelia says she works in out Marketing department.
Fantastic.
People like Brittany come up with terms like “friendly fire” and “good will audit”. Starts off nice but ends with a dud. Sad face.
Arthelia is really trying hard to keep my business. She even offers me a double secret rate if I commit to 12/24 months. This is a rate that employees get. Again, I still don’t know why my usage/billing has increased.
Finally, I ask if they can test the meter. She says that for a meter test, Oncor (the company that actually does all the work.) would charge me. Not really me but them who would then charge me. Total charge.$70.95. If I haven’t had it tested in the past 4 years it’s free. Problem with that, Oncor tests your meter randomly to make sure it’s working. So does anyone get it for free? People that don’t get their meter randomly tested.
To quote Brittany, “WTF?”
What about just rereading the meter to see if there was a problem? That’s $5.00 for them so it’s my $5.00. Nope. She doesn’t even offer to do this. Appease the customer a little.
In the end, she offers to put my monthly rate back to $275.00. This doesn’t do anything. My variance goes up for the difference. I have no idea when they are estimating. I don’t know when they are testing my meter. What I do know, I’m shopping around. Like I said in the beginning, when you pay for electricity, you are paying for 2 things, a great rate and customer service, right now I’m not getting neither.
Prove You’re A Dallas Local
I love lists. D Magazine did a great one for “What You Must Do In Dallas“. There is some great stuff in there. I’ll be a picky mother fucker and point out that there is a few that are not even in Dallas. Chicken friend steak in Roanoke? Drinks in Ft. Worth? Balloons in Plano? I’m pretty sure you can get drunk, eat something fried and get high at the State Fair that’s in Dallas. No need to go to all these places. So I broke down a couple of thought about this on Twitter but thought I’d compile them in a post for you. Enjoy my list of things that prove you are a Dallas local.
- Been Dale Hansen’s Designated Driver.
- Be black in Highland Park. (This will allow you to also get pulled over in Highland Park.)
- Embarrassed of your Mayor honoring a felon.
- Bought weed from Quincy Carter.
- Avoid the “Pee Seat” on DART. This can be combined with “Watch Homeless Peeing on the DART Train”.
- Drive 45 minutes out of town to see your local baseball and football team play.
- You are NEVER scared when Jerry Jones’s face is in HD.
- Didn’t get to go to this years’ Super Bowl.
- You fail to cheer the local college you actually went to and choose between UT and A&M.
- Don’t give a fuck about the show Dallas.
- Have a Norm Hitzges impression.
- Cock-punched someone for saying “I really like having that Subway in Deep Ellum.”
- Seen parents in a bare fisted brawl at a high school football game. Also will accept Pee Wee and Middle School games.
- Get RT from @nbc5janemcgarry on Twitter with a #FUCKYES hashtag.