Valentine's Day poll interesting stats for us guys

Ever heard of something called Bizrate Insights?
Not me.
What caught my eye, though, when it arrived in my email inbox was its Valentine's Day poll.
Bizrate Insights said it surveyed 5,994 people.
I wasn't one of them, but that's OK.
I wanted to see how I stacked up compared to their respondents.
Overall, it said women believe the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Wow! That's some revelation.
Haven't we heard that ad nauseam since time immemorial?
It also stated men believe flowers work best.
Count me among them.
I buy my wife flowers every week, not just Valentine's Day.
The poll said 48.82 percent of its participants planned on buying gifts for their spouse/significant other.
Include me in.
It also said 20.42 percent would buy gifts for children or grandchildren.
Me? No kids. No gifts.
 It said 40.97 percent don't plan to buy any Valentine's gifts, period.
Heh, heh, heh.
Good luck with that.
Of the poll participants, 22.66 percent said they'd spend more than $100.
Whatever it takes.
It also said 61.48 percent would get their gifts online.
Not me.
I'd screw it up.
I'll buy gifts for my wife the old-fashioned way.
The poll also said 34.52 percent of men were most likely to buy flowers, followed by bling-bling (23.44 percent) and chocolates or candy (23.07 percent).
I'm 1-for-3 in that department.
The Bizrate Insights survey also said 25.70 percent of men will wait until three days or less before Valentine's Day to buy gifts for the loved ones.
Uhhh ... guilty, your honor.

Three fascinating anthem hopefuls for McKechnie

Tim Eggert whistles national anthem at Pirate City auditions.

Tim Eggert. Paul Villaluz. Coz Serrapere.
They were three of the 47 people, young and old, who auditioned last Saturday morning at the Pirate City cafeteria for the honor of singing our national anthem this spring at McKechnie Field.
Eggert is a world-ranked whistler, who distinguished himself two years ago winning his category at the 2011 International Whistlers Convention in Louisburg, N.C.
Here's the link to his version of the national anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKp7X_F-8jE
Paul Villaluz has probably performed the national anthem in an athletic setting more than the other 46 folks combined last Saturday.
He sang it 229 times over a decade for hockey's Las Vegas Wranglers, who flew him back last month to do the honors again at the club's 10th anniversary.
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIOOuyCDMVk
Coz Serrapere has never performed the national anthem before a ballgame in his long career as an entertainer, born and raised in Pittsburgh.
Like Villaluz, he was in Las Vegas, but as an entertainer doing Dean Martin and Rat Pack favorites.
He's good at it, too.
Here's his tribute to Steeler Super Bowl champions of yore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIOOuyCDMVk
Whether all of them makes the cut to sing at McKechnie, we'll find out soon enough.
The Pirates' Grapefruit League home opener is Feb. 24 against the Atlanta Braves.

A little gratitude might go a long way for Palmetto

Palmetto Little League ballfields due for fall 2014 completion.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Did anyone on the Palmetto City Commission ever hear that old adage?
Apparently not.
Last Monday when that august body finally agreed to the inter-local agreement permitting Manatee County to finally begin building the city its way overdue Little League ballfields, one would think they’d have shown some gratitude.
After all, the county is going to spend $3.3 million of our tax dollars to do what Palmetto has been unable to do on its own.
Instead, the city commission grudgingly signed off on the deal, kvetching about the arrangement and making it sound like they were being most unfairly.
“Our feet are being held to the fire to get these ballparks done,” Commissioner Brian Williams said.
Good.
It’s about time.

Read more Sunday in Mannix About Manatee on Bradenton.com.

Braden River High's Black Pearls double-winner

Big ups to Braden River High School Black Pearls varsity captain Emily Harris, co-captain Caitlyn Mumma, Tori Denison, Avery Ellis, Jazminn Lucas, Erin Malcom, Ashley Miller, Kerri Ranck and Haleigh Roberts.
Director Traci Cristello's dance team won hip hop and jazz at the National Dance Alliance Sunshine Classic in Lakeland.

Want some good barbecue and the chance to help our youngsters?
Check out Southeast High School’s fifth annual Beast Feast, which benefits Seminole baseball, softball and boosters club.
It’s happening 2:30-8 p.m. today in the cafeteria at Southeast, 1200 37th Ave. E., Bradenton.
For $15, you get pulled pork or ribs with all the fixin’s.
Call head baseball coach Dan Durrance at 741-3366, ext. 2217.

Don’t forget national anthem tryouts 8 a.m.-noon Saturday for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 18 home spring training games.
Auditions aren’t at McKechnie Field, as in years past, but Pirate City, 1701 27th St. E., Bradenton.
Call 941-747-3031 for more details.
Or visit www.bradentonmarauders.com.

Gulf Shore Animal League hosts a “Black & White Cat Adoption Event,” 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Petsupermarket, 4315 26th St. W., Bradenton.
Call 941-747-2284. Or visit www.gsalinc.org.

Read more Friday in Vin's People on Bradenton.com.

Wine, dine Valentine with CrimeStoppers

Get a head start on Valentines Day and help support a vital cause.

Manatee CrimeStoppers is hosting its 2nd annual “Tasting Wine to Help Fight Crime,” 6 p.m. Saturday at the Bradenton Country Club.

The event combines a great venue to wine and dine your Valentine while enjoying imported wines from 10 different wine-producing nations, courtesy of PRP Wine International, in addition to the U.S.

Guests will receive a “passport” to visit each national station where they will receive a sample of wine and a dish of ethnic food. 

Afterward guests can stop by the BrightHouse Networks International Dessert & Coffee Station, as well as bid on silent auction items.

Each lady guest will also receive a rose and sampling of Richie’s Chocolate.

For tickets, ask any member of Manatee CrimeStoppers.

Or email Frank Brunner at FBrunner@ManateeCrimeStoppers.com.

Or call 792-2732.

T-shirt collection ritual marks change of seasons

A couple of hours before the Super Bowl, I did something I always do to mark the imminent change of (sports) seasons.
I packed away my football T-shirts.
I pulled out my baseball T-shirts.
Goodbye, football.
Helllllo, baseball.
It's my ritual. 
First go the high school football shirts.
Manatee Hurricanes. Palmetto Tigers. Southeast Seminoles.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles are next.
I put them all in a couple of big plastic tubs stored in my study closet.
Then out come the Phillies' T-shirts.
Ditto for the Bradenton Marauders T-shirts.
And Rays.
Macon Braves, Atlanta's single-A team since moved to Rome, Ga., too.
The Maine Guides, a Triple-A ballclub in the 1980s, as well.
That one's got some mileage on it, but I'm still fond of it.
Same goes for the well worn Ryan Howard Phillies T-shirt my brother bought me years ago.
It's washed out, but it just got new life.
It's almost baseball season.

Big game marks week of husband's new horizons

Anybody having a Super Bowl party?
Haven’t heard of anything going on yet, but that’s cool.
If it’s just Sherri and I watching the Niners-Ravens at home tonight, we’ll make do.
Maybe have the in-laws over.
Especially if I fire up the grill.
That always works.
A good sign, I think.
Either that or my in-laws don’t have the heart to tell me my barbecuing is bad news.
I like everything well done, thank you.
They do, too.
So they keep telling me.

Read more Sunday in Mannix On Manatee on Bradenton.com.