ETCETERA
LOCKER ROOM
KIDDUSH CLUB
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What's in a Name?
Jewish sports fans clamor for the next
Koufax, Greenberg ... or Schwartz?
By Brad Cohen
Tt's been two years since
ti the Lions announced
the hiring of head
coach Jim Schwartz. Do
you remember those
heady first days, two
years ago this month,
when the Lions an-
nounced his hire? Do
you remember what
crossed your mind?
Perhaps questions
such as: Who was this
new guy? Was he the
real deal? Where did this
Schwartz fella go to shul
on Shabbat?
Was this finally it — a Jew in the
head coach's position? What were his
Jewish roots, anyway? Did he even
consider himself Jewish? Would he
be found at a Chinese restaurant on
Christmas Eve?
Arguably, the particulars weren't
important; any link we could have
hung our kippot on would do.
With hope, many of us scoured the
Internet, Googling phrases like "Jim
Schwartz Jewish?"
Those search results included a
gem of a site called jewornotjew.
corn, where the fantasy of Moshiach
(the Messiah) coming to Motown
under the guise of a "chosen" head
coach came to its crushing end —
Schwartz has a son named Christian!
An online column at the time even
poked fun at the searches with a
photo caption of Schwartz that read,
"Why are so many people Googling
my name to find out if I'm Jewish?"
We'll tell you why: because Jewish
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From left: Sandy Koufax, Hank Greenberg, Jim Schwartz
football fans are
starved for someone
to root for. Sure, it's
nice that the team
doctors may have
names ending in
"-stein" or"-berg," but
we want more than
just professionals to
root for — we want
athletes.
That's why we
Jews lay claim to ath-
letes the way China
asserts sovereignty
over any nearby
island off its shores:
If you seem like a good addition, if
your ancestors belonged to the tribe
in the recent or distant past, if you
have Jewish in-laws (not so much a
Chinese"must") — welcome to the
tribe! While athletes are our No. 1
pick, coaches will do.
This is how excitement spread over
NBA All-Star Amare Stoudemire's self-
proclaimed Jewish roots, and how
"hall-of-famer Rod Carew" wound up
in Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song"
as a Jew, despite the fact he never
actually converted. He apparently
married a Jew, raised his kids Jew-
ish and wore a Chai — it was good
enough for us.
Despite the curiosity about
Schwartz, there were not nearly as
many Google searches to find out
if starting linebacker DeAndre Levy
and recently released Lionslinemen
Joe Cohen and Landon Cohen are
Jews — probably because you rarely
see 300-pound black men lighting
menorahs — and you're more likely
to find a Jew named Christian Smith
than DeAndre anything.
It's unfortunate that Schwartz isn't
Jewish, because finishing another
disappointing season — one entered
with real ruach (spirit) — we felt
compelled to shout secular curses at
the TV when Schwartz mismanaged
the clock.
It could have been fun to yell
things like"... you mamzer shmen-
drick fershtinkuhner!" after Shwartz
failed to call a vital timeout.
It's been six decades since a Jewish
sports star has taken Detroit to the
Promised Land, when Hammerin'
Hank Greenberg led us to victory in
two of the four World Series he played
in the 1930s and '40s.
Nearly three decades have passed
since Detroit won its last Series. Now,
the young and promising Tigers have
given fans hope. Max Scherzer was
one of the best pitchers in baseball
for the second half of the 2010
season.
And, when Scherzer started
heating up, so did buzz about his ru-
mored Judaism. Once again, Internet
posts appeared asking whether this
Tiger was, in fact, a member of the
tribe.
While this writer could not verify
it, with a shnozz like Scherzer's, the
prospect that his grandmother may
or may not call him "Maxela" and a
nasty pitching arsenal, he may join
Stoudemire and Carew as an honor-
ary Jew. After all, as Stoudemire said
recently in an interview,"Through
history, we all are [Jewish]:'
RED THREAD
Caption Writing Contest
What is Henry Kissinger saying to his boss?
Considering some of the Nixon recordings recently
made public, we can only imagine. Take a crack and
send us your best line.
The winning entry will be selected by the Red Thread
editorial team and its author will feast like a king!
(By way of a $25 gift certificate to the Honey Tree
restaurant in West Bloomfield.)
Send your entries by January 20, 2011, to:
editorial@redthreadmagazine.com .
FOLLOW UP FROM PAGE 14
BIG FUEL FROM PAGE 14
thing in the morning or at the
end of the day and keep the
calls brief and polite."
Don't become a pest. Calling
every day is a no-no as is being
demanding or belligerent, she
added.
Consistent follow-up is a way
to keep your name in front of
the interviewer. When it comes
time to make a decision, your
name is top of mind. "Following
up consistently shows your in-
terest and your persistence —
qualities that many employers
are looking for," Ellis said.
The process can take a while
so don't get discouraged, ad-
vises O'Connor. "Don't expect
a quick turnaround in this
market,"she said. "Employers
are inundated with resumes,
and they're reluctant to make
a bad hire. It may take a few
months before they make a
decision!' RT.
publisher of digital content that connects people —
emotionally — to its automobiles.
"If you're a guy who likes horsepower, we're going to create content around
the notion of competition, power or victory to strategically deliver it to the right
community in a way that allows [consumers] to interact with the brands,"Savar
explains.
His marketing toolbox includes social networking avenues like Facebook, Linke-
dln and Twitter, but also videos, blogs and interactive games. "Anything that falls
within the social space;' he said.
Savar, who has an extensive media background, knows that where content
flows in cyberspace, ad dollars are not far behind. Last year, in neighboring Dear-
born, Ford Motor Co. allocated 25 percent of its 2010 ad budget on digital media
channels, twice the industry average, according to the marketing trade website
Warc.com .
Big Fuel, which guarantees levels of brand engagement with its clients, has
launched products for Colgate, Microsoft, Fisher-Price and other companies.
Savar, who lives in New York City with his wife and daughter but often spends
the workweek in Detroit, says selling the new GM on social media was easy."This is
the future, the next wave," he declares, adding, "It's the way to launch new vehicles!'
Fortunately for Big Fuel, "GM has taken to it in such a big way!'
It has taken some finesse, however, to convince employees to relocate to
Detroit, even as the office also swells with new hires. But Savar, a former television
producer who knows how to dramatize a story, has his narrative down.
"You sell the dream. It's about working with an iconic company that is reinvent-
ing itself, in social media, which is a hot industry.
"You don't sell the present story of Detroit," he says. "You sell the future!' ET
-
16 January 2011 I
RED THREAD
When It's This Cold Out,
The Hooch Better Be Hot
Normally, we Kiddush Clubbers fancy ourselves as
ardent traditionalists — no rocks, water or soda, please
— and three fingers, thank you.
However, when Mother Nature can be more effec-
tive at preventing a D.U.I. than a persuasive friend
— frozen door locks come to mind — you know the
booze should be near-blistering.
So, for January, we decided to call out some classic
hot cocktails that may have been best known when
Ike and Dick were calling the shots.
HOT TODDY
No, we're not talking about Mr. Bridges of Diff'rent
Strokes fame, but the mac daddy of hot drinks, which
was so lauded for its ability to stave off cold and flu
that the American Lung Association felt compelled to
issue a statement reminding people it's just a legend
... or is it?
Made with brandy, whisky or rum, you can pick your
poison. Here's the recipe:
2 oz. of whiskey, rum or brandy in a coffee mug; add
a teaspoon of sugar or honey, balance to complete
with boiling water, and stir. Garnish with a few cloves,
a cinnamon stick and lemon wedge.
SWEDISH GLOGG
The name might sound creepy, but this Northern
Hemisphere staple isn't a national treasure to the
Swedes because they're dumb blondes. A spiced wine,
served hot, Glogg is like trail mix for the fermented set.
In a pot, boil 2 cups of water, and add 3 cinnamon
sticks, 12 cardamom seeds and 12 whole cloves. Throw
in the zest from one orange and 1 cup of sugar. Stir
until the sugar is dissolved and then remove from
heat. Let the brew steep overnight (if you have the
patience).
Just before serving, strain the mixture into a large
pot. Add 2 cups of brandy, 4 cups of muscatel and 4
cups of port. (Kedem offers kosher selections of both
wines.) Heat it up — but, for goodness sake, don't boil
it (don't even simmer) — you'll burn off the alcohol!
Add 1 cup of chopped, blanched almonds and 1 cup
of raisins, or don't. Serve hot in mugs.
IRISH COFFEE
Leave it to our friends on the Emerald Isle to make
the go-to beverage for sobriety seekers into an alco-
holic drink. They're so clever! Add 2 oz. of Irish whiskey
in a mug, filling the remainder with hot coffee. Add
your necessary condiments (sugar, cream, etc.) and, if
the mood so strikes you, top with a dollop of whipped
cream. If you're a shooter, drizzle some creme de
menthe on top — because we're sure you have it lying
around. (Leroux makes a kosher variety, if you're so
inclined.)
HOT BUTTERED RUM
We've been told this drink is a favorite
of carolers as a reward for hours of sing-
ing in the cold. Frankly, it would take at
least several of these puppies to get us
singing on random doorsteps in the first place. This
drink may seem just too old-fashioned for you, but it's
kinda decadent — we wouldn't waste your time if we
didn't think you'd like it.
Grab your favorite mug and add 2 oz. of dark rum,
either 1 oz. of simple syrup or 1 teaspoon of brown
sugar. Add a pinch of nutmeg and fill the rest of the
mug with hot water. The piece de resistance: a cinna-
mon stick and a floating pat of butter, yep, butter. We
won't tell your cardiologist.
THE SNUGGLER
We'll get heat for this one, but don't let the name
turn you off — we know it sounds cheesy, but wait
until you taste one. It's like a Peppermint Pattie with a
buzz; how bad could that be? Take your mug, which
may supplant your martini or pint glass after this
month, and add 2 oz. of peppermint schnapps; fill
the remaining volume with hot cocoa. Garnish with
whipped cream and, what the hell, add some choco-
late sprinkles, too. ET,-
— By Red Thread staff
www.redthreadmagazine.com