BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock: You guys had a great season…yea, their undefeated, but right now what are there..six of them are undefeated, so not everybody can play…..and…..uh…
With that thought in mind, and in the truest spirit of competition and fair play that can only come from an upstanding organization like the Bowl Championship Series, the unilateral decision has been made to adapt the BCS philosophy to pro football. Sooooo, bend over and accept that a bunch of guys sitting around an NCAA sanctioned dorm somewhere in North America has decided who will play in the 2010 Super Bowl. Bend over and accept it, just as you have this bogus college football 'championship'. Without further ado or adont, the teams who will compete for the Vince Lombardi trophy this season are................
Baltimore Ravens vs New Orleans Saints
Why? Because the BCS is all-knowing and all-powerful and says so. Don't like those choices? Swallow hard, hang your head and accept it, just like Boise State, TCU, Cincinnati, and all the other teams worthy of playing in a playoff system had to. Money talks, big money talks loudest, and BCS officials have an ear for the sound of briefcases being stuffed full of small unmarked bills.
What a joke.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Wonderings and Curiosities 12/9/09
Just some more thoughts floating around my mind.
For eight long years....The previous administration.....George Bush did/didn't....George Bush is/isn't....Bush/Cheney....Its now impossible not to hear these words (and what usually follows) without a rolling of the eyes. None of what happened during the Bush years is sound justification for the crap being inflicted on the country and its future.
Why is it that voters who didn't fall in kneejerk fashion for the weak 2008 Republican offering are held to a greater amount of blame than those who voted for the weak 2008 Democrat candidate? What the national leaderships of both major parties and their media lapdogs don't seem to understand is the simplest of principles: Run a strong candidate of character and the voters will come.
In the same vein. why is it a reflex reaction to assume that those of us who live outside of the Beltway or far away from either coast are automatically assumed to be too daft to understand 'politics'? Knowing right from wrong doesn't take any Ivy League education, only common sense.
When did this country switch to looking at everything through a legal prism vs. the traditional right/wrong method? Over the last few months we've seen in full high-def clarity they aren't even close to the same thing-as if it weren't completely obvious before that if we'd have been paying attention in the first place. Turn off the reality TV and start participating in the reality beyond the remote control.
The quickest way to turn the country around? Start with 'number one'. Instead of going into personal attack mode at the first hint of criticism look in the mirror. There is a difference between constructive and destructive criticism. Americans have simply lost the ability to know the difference.
Can anyone identify the exact date when reporters stopped reporting?
If there's really anything to take from Max Baucus showing the world he's just another run-of-the-mill D.C. hack for nominating his girlfriend for a government position, no pun intended, its just how completely incestuous the US Politburo has become.
A new opinion of 'Global warming' in Hurricane Algore's own words: He lied to us. He played on our fears. (Make sure you're screaming them)
Republican pundits and talking heads yap loudly about having a tent big enough for 'diverse opinions'. However, nothing is more of a turnoff than being an independent with views closer to libertarian than republican. Hearing highbrow scorn from folks who don't tend to land anywhere in between when traveling from one coast to the other tells me my vote really isn't valued at all.
Would it now be an easier accounting for women who haven't slept with Tiger Woods to come forward? I've lost count.
Thanks for reading.
For eight long years....The previous administration.....George Bush did/didn't....George Bush is/isn't....Bush/Cheney....Its now impossible not to hear these words (and what usually follows) without a rolling of the eyes. None of what happened during the Bush years is sound justification for the crap being inflicted on the country and its future.
Why is it that voters who didn't fall in kneejerk fashion for the weak 2008 Republican offering are held to a greater amount of blame than those who voted for the weak 2008 Democrat candidate? What the national leaderships of both major parties and their media lapdogs don't seem to understand is the simplest of principles: Run a strong candidate of character and the voters will come.
In the same vein. why is it a reflex reaction to assume that those of us who live outside of the Beltway or far away from either coast are automatically assumed to be too daft to understand 'politics'? Knowing right from wrong doesn't take any Ivy League education, only common sense.
When did this country switch to looking at everything through a legal prism vs. the traditional right/wrong method? Over the last few months we've seen in full high-def clarity they aren't even close to the same thing-as if it weren't completely obvious before that if we'd have been paying attention in the first place. Turn off the reality TV and start participating in the reality beyond the remote control.
The quickest way to turn the country around? Start with 'number one'. Instead of going into personal attack mode at the first hint of criticism look in the mirror. There is a difference between constructive and destructive criticism. Americans have simply lost the ability to know the difference.
Can anyone identify the exact date when reporters stopped reporting?
If there's really anything to take from Max Baucus showing the world he's just another run-of-the-mill D.C. hack for nominating his girlfriend for a government position, no pun intended, its just how completely incestuous the US Politburo has become.
A new opinion of 'Global warming' in Hurricane Algore's own words: He lied to us. He played on our fears. (Make sure you're screaming them)
Republican pundits and talking heads yap loudly about having a tent big enough for 'diverse opinions'. However, nothing is more of a turnoff than being an independent with views closer to libertarian than republican. Hearing highbrow scorn from folks who don't tend to land anywhere in between when traveling from one coast to the other tells me my vote really isn't valued at all.
Would it now be an easier accounting for women who haven't slept with Tiger Woods to come forward? I've lost count.
Thanks for reading.
Untitled 11/23/09
Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Sounds like just another lame excuse for not getting out of bed in the morning.
As long as we're creating new excuses like Pre-TSD, consider Political Prisoner Inadequacy Syndrome. Trauma will be widespread when average Americans are jailed for failure to purchase health insurance. Will we truly be jailed just for that? Will Amnesty International and the ACLU plead our cases if/when this silliness becomes law? Will Nelson Mandela or the family of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn point at us and laugh?
Not that I distrust the Illinois Connection but who in that state is going to be profiting from the prison for terrorists that's likely going to operate there?
On the same line, its time for the country-clubbing president to have his frequent flyer miles revoked and get his butt back behind that big desk.
Senator Mary Landrieu. A few hundred million dollars. In DC and Louisiana what she did might be called 'politics'. In the real world there's a different 'P' word for it.
As long as we're seemingly in the mood to soak the 'rich', and in the spirit of fairness, how about a tax schedule that more accurately reflects the attitude of the country toward our elected 'leadership' in DC? The 'rich' who make exactly 174,000 dollars a year are taxed at an 85% rate, the 'rich' who make 193,4000 at 90%, and anyone making 223,500 feels the pinch of a 95% rate. Maybe then our esteemed Politburo, uh, sorry, Congress, would start feeling the frustrations that average Americans feel.
As long as we're creating new excuses like Pre-TSD, consider Political Prisoner Inadequacy Syndrome. Trauma will be widespread when average Americans are jailed for failure to purchase health insurance. Will we truly be jailed just for that? Will Amnesty International and the ACLU plead our cases if/when this silliness becomes law? Will Nelson Mandela or the family of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn point at us and laugh?
Not that I distrust the Illinois Connection but who in that state is going to be profiting from the prison for terrorists that's likely going to operate there?
On the same line, its time for the country-clubbing president to have his frequent flyer miles revoked and get his butt back behind that big desk.
Senator Mary Landrieu. A few hundred million dollars. In DC and Louisiana what she did might be called 'politics'. In the real world there's a different 'P' word for it.
As long as we're seemingly in the mood to soak the 'rich', and in the spirit of fairness, how about a tax schedule that more accurately reflects the attitude of the country toward our elected 'leadership' in DC? The 'rich' who make exactly 174,000 dollars a year are taxed at an 85% rate, the 'rich' who make 193,4000 at 90%, and anyone making 223,500 feels the pinch of a 95% rate. Maybe then our esteemed Politburo, uh, sorry, Congress, would start feeling the frustrations that average Americans feel.
Many Blood Sucking Parasites 11/10/09
Decent speech by the President at the memorial service for the Fort Hood victims, but why does doing or saying the right thing always seem to take him longer than it should?
When I hear a Democrat say 'bipartisanship' I hear 'we need a Republican on board to blame when our idea doesn't work'. And yet the Republicans fall for it over and over. Time to replace the elephant with a picture of Charlie Brown holding a football.
Robin Williams once joked about English law enforcement procedure concerning unarmed police faced with a fleeing criminal: Stop, or I'll say stop again. Who knew years later this would be adopted as Obama administration policy toward Iran, and North Korea, and Afghanistan, and terrorism, and you get the idea? The only thing that so far has warranted a stronger Obama stand is the destruction of criticism and dissent.
Anyone see the photo-op cheshire cat grin of Imelda Pelosi being serenaded by fellow Democrats applause Saturday night, after the passing of that unconstitutional health care bill? I can't see that picture without adding the caption 'Look how much money I just spent'.
Can someone please tell Bill Clinton that the real conspiracy is how Al Gore is still somehow living on the government dime.
Where'd all the war protesters go?
Before the moon was bombed shouldn't we have given UN sanctions a chance, or at the least sent Hillary Clinton there to open a dialogue? Maybe even add the moon to the presidential apology tour list for landing there in the first place.
I guess its safe to assume that the wind beneath Bette Midlers' wings isn't Glenn Beck.
The NFL and its esteemed commissioner Roger Goodell carry the scent of hypocrisy concerning the possibility of Rush Limbaugh becoming a part-owner of the St. Louis Rams. Goodell couldn't even hold Larry Johnsons' actual homophobic comments to the same standard as he did the imagined comments attributed to Limbaugh.
What is diversity? Hearing a caller to a national sports radio show saying Limbaugh is blatantly racist because he's from Missouri, and that the midwest is naturally racist because there's 'no diversity' has me concerned. Is diversity a region predominately white but with varying opinions stemming from differing ethnic and religious influences, or is diversity represented by a political party whose members all parrot the exact same words?
I guess diversity means Democrat.
Why is it whenever a member of the US Politburo, sorry, Congress, cites a statistic or percentage it sounds like they've made it up that very second?
If anything written here led you to believe I'm Republican, not hardly. I left back in 1990. Watching The Dede and Newt Funtime Road Show further cemented my feeling that Republicans are low-cal Democrats. Flipping the bird to the voters they're supposed to be courting by running candidates like John McCain, and then trying to justify it with a bend-over-and-accept-it attitude is a great way to ru(i)n a political party. Do I support third parties? No, but I understand the anger and frustration that comes from being ignored by the party leaders who've been holed up in DC for so long that they've lost the ability to relate to, and for that matter even talk to, ordinary people.
If either party spent even half as much time protecting the greater interests of the country as they do playing politics they'd never lose another election.
When I hear a Democrat say 'bipartisanship' I hear 'we need a Republican on board to blame when our idea doesn't work'. And yet the Republicans fall for it over and over. Time to replace the elephant with a picture of Charlie Brown holding a football.
Robin Williams once joked about English law enforcement procedure concerning unarmed police faced with a fleeing criminal: Stop, or I'll say stop again. Who knew years later this would be adopted as Obama administration policy toward Iran, and North Korea, and Afghanistan, and terrorism, and you get the idea? The only thing that so far has warranted a stronger Obama stand is the destruction of criticism and dissent.
Anyone see the photo-op cheshire cat grin of Imelda Pelosi being serenaded by fellow Democrats applause Saturday night, after the passing of that unconstitutional health care bill? I can't see that picture without adding the caption 'Look how much money I just spent'.
Can someone please tell Bill Clinton that the real conspiracy is how Al Gore is still somehow living on the government dime.
Where'd all the war protesters go?
Before the moon was bombed shouldn't we have given UN sanctions a chance, or at the least sent Hillary Clinton there to open a dialogue? Maybe even add the moon to the presidential apology tour list for landing there in the first place.
I guess its safe to assume that the wind beneath Bette Midlers' wings isn't Glenn Beck.
The NFL and its esteemed commissioner Roger Goodell carry the scent of hypocrisy concerning the possibility of Rush Limbaugh becoming a part-owner of the St. Louis Rams. Goodell couldn't even hold Larry Johnsons' actual homophobic comments to the same standard as he did the imagined comments attributed to Limbaugh.
What is diversity? Hearing a caller to a national sports radio show saying Limbaugh is blatantly racist because he's from Missouri, and that the midwest is naturally racist because there's 'no diversity' has me concerned. Is diversity a region predominately white but with varying opinions stemming from differing ethnic and religious influences, or is diversity represented by a political party whose members all parrot the exact same words?
I guess diversity means Democrat.
Why is it whenever a member of the US Politburo, sorry, Congress, cites a statistic or percentage it sounds like they've made it up that very second?
If anything written here led you to believe I'm Republican, not hardly. I left back in 1990. Watching The Dede and Newt Funtime Road Show further cemented my feeling that Republicans are low-cal Democrats. Flipping the bird to the voters they're supposed to be courting by running candidates like John McCain, and then trying to justify it with a bend-over-and-accept-it attitude is a great way to ru(i)n a political party. Do I support third parties? No, but I understand the anger and frustration that comes from being ignored by the party leaders who've been holed up in DC for so long that they've lost the ability to relate to, and for that matter even talk to, ordinary people.
If either party spent even half as much time protecting the greater interests of the country as they do playing politics they'd never lose another election.
Sliding Scale Part II:Twilight Time 9/13/09
What is with the uproar about the sex of South African trackster Castor Semenya? I don't want to go all Captain Obvious on everyone but its so simple: Semen ya=male, Semen nah=female. She's a man Baby, yeah. There hasn't been an easier case of gender identification to solve since the 1976 Olympics and the strange story of East German pole vaulter Inga Titzenbusch.
David Robinson definitely, John Stockton a logical choice, but Michael Jordan a Hall of Fame? Seriously? Why don't we just open it up to every modest talent who barely made his high school team. Only dyed-in-the-wool Kool-Aid drinkers believe Jordan was the reason Chicago won a few NBA championships. True students of the game know the real reason the Bulls were so dominant was the stellar efforts of Scott Williams and Bill Wennington. Congrats to all of the honorees.
The toothless sharks running major league baseball ruled that Alex Rodriguez won't be punished for lying about his juicing up. Is anyone really surprised? Its much easier for Commissioner Bud and his stooges to do the right thing when doing the right thing involves a 20-inning-a-year middle reliever for the Orioles.
This week James Madison tops the true, settle-it-on-the-field college football top 25 poll. Last years' runner-up Montana comes in at #5 and defending national champion Richmond is 6th. Why oh why isn't anyone in higher education concerned about the classroom time lost by the fine young men playing for these schools while they're away from campus for postseason games?
Oh yah, last years paper champion Florida can be considered a distant 26th.
Larry Gelbart passed away Friday. The name is likely not familiar, but think early MASH when the show was truly funny-before the preachy crap started with the cast changes. His style and humor were and are still an inspiration. RIP Mr. Gelbart. Condolences to family and friends.
A lot has been on my mind the last few days. Good, bad, right, wrong, thoughts all over the place. Its funny and yet sad when you see something that is very important to you personally while everyone else treats the same thing as trivial. Something from conversations a long while back returned to my mind-"No one cares unless its theirs". It doesn't quite fit the situation, and yet it does.
As I sit here watching the keyboard stare back at me I realize its time to step back and give up my seat at the table. Times change, people change, and life takes on a different look. Down the road when something in the sports world trips my cord I'll fire up the laptop again but until that time the world outside calls.
Thank you Harry and Beezer for allowing me the chance to (try to) fill your shoes now and again, to Kevin and Kyle for the opportunity to contribute, to the new friends like Fan I'd not known at the old stomping grounds, and to the old friends who've always found my ramblings worthy of their time. It is all greatly appreciated.
Thank you for stopping. Hit the lights on the way out.
David Robinson definitely, John Stockton a logical choice, but Michael Jordan a Hall of Fame? Seriously? Why don't we just open it up to every modest talent who barely made his high school team. Only dyed-in-the-wool Kool-Aid drinkers believe Jordan was the reason Chicago won a few NBA championships. True students of the game know the real reason the Bulls were so dominant was the stellar efforts of Scott Williams and Bill Wennington. Congrats to all of the honorees.
The toothless sharks running major league baseball ruled that Alex Rodriguez won't be punished for lying about his juicing up. Is anyone really surprised? Its much easier for Commissioner Bud and his stooges to do the right thing when doing the right thing involves a 20-inning-a-year middle reliever for the Orioles.
This week James Madison tops the true, settle-it-on-the-field college football top 25 poll. Last years' runner-up Montana comes in at #5 and defending national champion Richmond is 6th. Why oh why isn't anyone in higher education concerned about the classroom time lost by the fine young men playing for these schools while they're away from campus for postseason games?
Oh yah, last years paper champion Florida can be considered a distant 26th.
Larry Gelbart passed away Friday. The name is likely not familiar, but think early MASH when the show was truly funny-before the preachy crap started with the cast changes. His style and humor were and are still an inspiration. RIP Mr. Gelbart. Condolences to family and friends.
A lot has been on my mind the last few days. Good, bad, right, wrong, thoughts all over the place. Its funny and yet sad when you see something that is very important to you personally while everyone else treats the same thing as trivial. Something from conversations a long while back returned to my mind-"No one cares unless its theirs". It doesn't quite fit the situation, and yet it does.
As I sit here watching the keyboard stare back at me I realize its time to step back and give up my seat at the table. Times change, people change, and life takes on a different look. Down the road when something in the sports world trips my cord I'll fire up the laptop again but until that time the world outside calls.
Thank you Harry and Beezer for allowing me the chance to (try to) fill your shoes now and again, to Kevin and Kyle for the opportunity to contribute, to the new friends like Fan I'd not known at the old stomping grounds, and to the old friends who've always found my ramblings worthy of their time. It is all greatly appreciated.
Thank you for stopping. Hit the lights on the way out.
The Sliding Scale of Right and Wrong 9/12/09
Oh, I don't know. My guess is I can ignore it a very long time.---Bob Ford, Philadelphia Daily News
As I sit here staring out the window watching the clouds breaking up after a day of rain, my thoughts wander. What is news and who decides what is and isn't important enough information for the public to be made aware? Does the electronic and print media use a sliding scale of right and wrong to make that call? Or in the case of the Philadelphia Daily News is it a dipstick?
What is important to us? Should what happens in California or Maine or Georgia make any difference to me out here in the sticks? Yes, it should. Folks around the country should be looking cross-eyed at those of us in this state for inflicting Tom Daschle on the world and keeping him living on the public dime for nearly thirty years. Even a heartfelt apology doesn't seem adequate to convey the shame. I am sorry though. I voted for him, I fell for it, once. I learned early. I'm still sorry.
The fact is a crook is a crook is a crook regardless of geography. As the line between the sports world and the 'real' world blurs it becomes even more evident. How many of us grow irate at the thought of Congress lecturing sports figures about such things as morality and ethics when the Gang of 535 is at least as corrupt as those players and coaches who're being browbeaten? And yet as the voices of dissent grow louder we're still fed a daily dose of slop from the media. Honestly, I don't care whether the First Lady looks good in a pair of shorts. I really really don't. Expose dirty dealings and illegal activity-sports world and real world!
If a prominent athlete is spending quite a bit of quality time with a character carrying a shady past and even shadier future for God's sake tell us. By the same standard if a good guy is in fact a good guy tell us that too. Hey Reporter Guy, how about trusting us to be smart enough to make decisions for ourselves? The current landscape is littered with bankrupt media outlets that thought it better to decide for us what we were supposed to think. Look how well that worked out.
I want to know that our games at least have the illusion of squeaky clean (yes, I'm an idealist). I want the sports figures I hold in higher regard to be worthy of being held in higher regard. I'm not going to lie and say I never patterned how I played after certain players, or conducted myself off the field by how I saw my favorites carry themselves. There, I admitted it: I considered some of them 'role models'.
When I was a kid the people reporting on sports were at least moderately successful at unbiased reportage. Those who call themselves 'reporters' nowadays are just faking it. "All the news that's fit to print" has deteriorated to "Only the stuff we feel like printing". How sad.
My generation is by now jaded and lost. This generation deserves the same chance we had to have 'heroes'. I'm not naive enough to believe the world was, is, or ever will be perfect. Without honest, unbiased, unfiltered information sources all this generation can look forward to is 'Oh, I don't know. My guess is I can ignore it for a very long time'. This generation deserves better.
Thanks for reading.
As I sit here staring out the window watching the clouds breaking up after a day of rain, my thoughts wander. What is news and who decides what is and isn't important enough information for the public to be made aware? Does the electronic and print media use a sliding scale of right and wrong to make that call? Or in the case of the Philadelphia Daily News is it a dipstick?
What is important to us? Should what happens in California or Maine or Georgia make any difference to me out here in the sticks? Yes, it should. Folks around the country should be looking cross-eyed at those of us in this state for inflicting Tom Daschle on the world and keeping him living on the public dime for nearly thirty years. Even a heartfelt apology doesn't seem adequate to convey the shame. I am sorry though. I voted for him, I fell for it, once. I learned early. I'm still sorry.
The fact is a crook is a crook is a crook regardless of geography. As the line between the sports world and the 'real' world blurs it becomes even more evident. How many of us grow irate at the thought of Congress lecturing sports figures about such things as morality and ethics when the Gang of 535 is at least as corrupt as those players and coaches who're being browbeaten? And yet as the voices of dissent grow louder we're still fed a daily dose of slop from the media. Honestly, I don't care whether the First Lady looks good in a pair of shorts. I really really don't. Expose dirty dealings and illegal activity-sports world and real world!
If a prominent athlete is spending quite a bit of quality time with a character carrying a shady past and even shadier future for God's sake tell us. By the same standard if a good guy is in fact a good guy tell us that too. Hey Reporter Guy, how about trusting us to be smart enough to make decisions for ourselves? The current landscape is littered with bankrupt media outlets that thought it better to decide for us what we were supposed to think. Look how well that worked out.
I want to know that our games at least have the illusion of squeaky clean (yes, I'm an idealist). I want the sports figures I hold in higher regard to be worthy of being held in higher regard. I'm not going to lie and say I never patterned how I played after certain players, or conducted myself off the field by how I saw my favorites carry themselves. There, I admitted it: I considered some of them 'role models'.
When I was a kid the people reporting on sports were at least moderately successful at unbiased reportage. Those who call themselves 'reporters' nowadays are just faking it. "All the news that's fit to print" has deteriorated to "Only the stuff we feel like printing". How sad.
My generation is by now jaded and lost. This generation deserves the same chance we had to have 'heroes'. I'm not naive enough to believe the world was, is, or ever will be perfect. Without honest, unbiased, unfiltered information sources all this generation can look forward to is 'Oh, I don't know. My guess is I can ignore it for a very long time'. This generation deserves better.
Thanks for reading.
Clearing The Cobwebs 9/7/09
Simply some shallow observations and questions too deep for such a simple mind (Thank you Supertramp). Maybe the answers are out there. If you can provide any guidance feel free to show the way. Obviously I just don't get it.
Prepared statements loudly proclaim one of two things: either 'I did something really dumb' or 'I'm very guilty'. In some cases both.
If your kid came to you and admitted that he'd tested positive for a performance enhancing drug, but added that the PED he's taking isn't on a banned list, would you accept this excuse?
If you find your kids' reasoning unacceptable, then why do we use that excuse for the star athlete on our favorite team?
If you deem the reasoning acceptable, then why crucify the same star athlete if he plays for our favorite teams' biggest rival?
In the same vein, why do we find excuses for Terrell Owens and Chad EightFive doing crap that would earn our kids a scolding if they did it in a game?
Hank Aaron: 6-0 180. Today's players: Artificially inflated to linebacker sized. Old time stadiums: Bigger than some national parks. Today's stadiums: Smaller than the Mall of America food court. Long live King Henry.
Does the identity of the messenger make it easier for us to dismiss the message and/or personally attack and disparage said messenger? Ask Curt Schilling.
I'd really like to ask an old-time NFLer like Bart Starr or Gale Sayers or Lynn Swann how come they didn't have any fun playing football. None of those old NFL Films highlight reels show them dancing or acting out anyway. I can only assume they must have hated playing.
How come the soap opera we know as Manuela Ramirez was 'Manny being Manny' when he was playing great for Boston but once he left town he was suddenly a jerk? 30+ home runs and a .300 batting average must earn a deaf ear and a blind eye. It reminds me of the difference between crazy and eccentric-about ten decimal places on the bank statement.
One week into the college football season and the Oklahoma Sooners are already eliminated from the paper national championship picture. Amazing.
How much of a mess is the financial picture of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise? The US government hadn't seen a takeover it didn't like until Gretzky called.
Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila. What the hell is a Tila Tequila and is this the best a professional athlete can do? Merriman should have had his hand wrapped around his own throat out of general principle. The Chargers picking Larry English in the first round makes even more sense now.
Enjoy your holiday and thanks for reading.
Prepared statements loudly proclaim one of two things: either 'I did something really dumb' or 'I'm very guilty'. In some cases both.
If your kid came to you and admitted that he'd tested positive for a performance enhancing drug, but added that the PED he's taking isn't on a banned list, would you accept this excuse?
If you find your kids' reasoning unacceptable, then why do we use that excuse for the star athlete on our favorite team?
If you deem the reasoning acceptable, then why crucify the same star athlete if he plays for our favorite teams' biggest rival?
In the same vein, why do we find excuses for Terrell Owens and Chad EightFive doing crap that would earn our kids a scolding if they did it in a game?
Hank Aaron: 6-0 180. Today's players: Artificially inflated to linebacker sized. Old time stadiums: Bigger than some national parks. Today's stadiums: Smaller than the Mall of America food court. Long live King Henry.
Does the identity of the messenger make it easier for us to dismiss the message and/or personally attack and disparage said messenger? Ask Curt Schilling.
I'd really like to ask an old-time NFLer like Bart Starr or Gale Sayers or Lynn Swann how come they didn't have any fun playing football. None of those old NFL Films highlight reels show them dancing or acting out anyway. I can only assume they must have hated playing.
How come the soap opera we know as Manuela Ramirez was 'Manny being Manny' when he was playing great for Boston but once he left town he was suddenly a jerk? 30+ home runs and a .300 batting average must earn a deaf ear and a blind eye. It reminds me of the difference between crazy and eccentric-about ten decimal places on the bank statement.
One week into the college football season and the Oklahoma Sooners are already eliminated from the paper national championship picture. Amazing.
How much of a mess is the financial picture of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise? The US government hadn't seen a takeover it didn't like until Gretzky called.
Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila. What the hell is a Tila Tequila and is this the best a professional athlete can do? Merriman should have had his hand wrapped around his own throat out of general principle. The Chargers picking Larry English in the first round makes even more sense now.
Enjoy your holiday and thanks for reading.
PRFD 8/18/09
A little discussed disease is slowly affecting the sports world and it needs to be brought into the light. Lately many have suffered its effects but few athletes have talked much about it and it remains not only frequently undiagnosed but without exception untreated. Growing public concerns have been met with an apathetic ear by the owners, media, and respective (but not respected) commissioners.
The scientific and medical research communities must soon address these concerns before this illness spreads into the general population. By no means am I crying Chicken Little. Continually ignoring the signs and symptoms won't make this disease go away. It must be treated. I'm talking of course about
Post Retirement Favre Disorder
The list of afflicted athletes seems to grow daily. Some we hear about, but many wander through their everyday lives without even realizing they've been exposed to the virus. Just recently WR Derrick Mason of the Baltimore Ravens was stricken. We recognize many of the names, but how many more must fall before the powers-that-be take notice? Here is a partial list (feel free to add the names of other victims I missed or was unaware):
Derrick Mason-Baltimore Ravens
Roger Clemens-Pick a team
Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls/Birmingham Barons
Alonzo Mourning-Miami Heat
George Foreman-Boxing
Lance Armstrong-Cycling
Mario Lemieux-Pittsburgh Penguins
Wilt Chamberlain-Los Angeles Lakers
Sugar Ray Leonard-Boxing
Ricky Williams-Saints/Dolphins/CFL
Muhammad Ali-Boxing
Magic Johnson-Los Angeles Lakers
How many more must fall victim before this growing epidemic is addressed? It only takes a moment to open your hearts and your wallets. Won't you please give....today? (Yes, I'm channeling Sally Struthers)
One last thought (now channeling Homer Simpson): Brett, you liar!
Thanks for reading.
The scientific and medical research communities must soon address these concerns before this illness spreads into the general population. By no means am I crying Chicken Little. Continually ignoring the signs and symptoms won't make this disease go away. It must be treated. I'm talking of course about
Post Retirement Favre Disorder
The list of afflicted athletes seems to grow daily. Some we hear about, but many wander through their everyday lives without even realizing they've been exposed to the virus. Just recently WR Derrick Mason of the Baltimore Ravens was stricken. We recognize many of the names, but how many more must fall before the powers-that-be take notice? Here is a partial list (feel free to add the names of other victims I missed or was unaware):
Derrick Mason-Baltimore Ravens
Roger Clemens-Pick a team
Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls/Birmingham Barons
Alonzo Mourning-Miami Heat
George Foreman-Boxing
Lance Armstrong-Cycling
Mario Lemieux-Pittsburgh Penguins
Wilt Chamberlain-Los Angeles Lakers
Sugar Ray Leonard-Boxing
Ricky Williams-Saints/Dolphins/CFL
Muhammad Ali-Boxing
Magic Johnson-Los Angeles Lakers
How many more must fall victim before this growing epidemic is addressed? It only takes a moment to open your hearts and your wallets. Won't you please give....today? (Yes, I'm channeling Sally Struthers)
One last thought (now channeling Homer Simpson): Brett, you liar!
Thanks for reading.
Altered States 8/15/09
As I sat Tuesday night going through notes, starting a rough draft for Sunday, checking a name here and verifying a fact there, the words had begun to flow and things were coming together in a way that could really inspire some heavy debate.
And then came the news........
The cabbie who took the beating from Patrick Kane over a few coins may not have had a valid license. First reaction was ambivalence ('what difference does that make?') but then a puzzled feeling came over me. Maybe I overreacted in condemning Kane for assaulting the cabbie. After all, this fight was about an amount of money well over fifteen cents, and really a cabbie is barely half a step above a homeless guy or welfare mom anyway. Maybe Kane was right in opening a can of hurt on this cab driver. If I was wrong about this, could some of my opinions about other folks generating lots of headines lately be misguided and/or ill-informed? My head began to spin more than usual. Sleepless nights were definitely going to be part of my immediate future.
Work was a welcome distraction come Wednesday morning, but even then the Kane Mutiny weighed on my mind. I couldn't escape the feeling that my deepest core beliefs had been shaken. I found myself blaming Kane one moment, the cabbie the next, and even innocent bystanders were found to be at fault for not using enough foresight to have doughnuts ready when the police arrived. How could they NOT have known somebody would call 911? Someone, anyone, had to be held responsible. My thoughts continued to be all over the place. Nothing made sense.
Wednesday night brought much sole searching, but even after I found my shoes I still carried a heavy conscience. The questions swirled in my mind. Was Kane wrong? Was the cabbie wrong? Could they both be wrong? Did the coat hanging in the corner just move? Is that MY hand?
Finally, early Thursday morning, the revelation hit me. What I'd thought was a completely irrelevant detail was actually the one that made all the difference: The cabbie was at fault, and brought that beating on himself by not having a valid driving license. Kane couldn't be held responsible. My initial reaction was wrong-I was wrong, and I'd likely treated some others too harshly as well lately. I had plenty of research to do, and something told me I had a few apologies to issue. Another sleepless night was to come. Exhaustive study of even the most seemingly irrelevant detail had to be completed. My conscience needed cleansing.
This is what I found:
Condemning the players involved in instigating the Sox-Tigers bench clearing brawl was misguided on my part. Earlier the day of the incident players from both teams were seen eating salads in their respective clubhouses. Pro athletes aren't meant to eat that kind of crap. What were the people who supplied the buffet thinking?
In fact, I even found a former Pistons player who implied that the very same caterers supplied the food eaten before the Detroit-Indiana game interrupted by Pacers players brawling with fans. He spoke on condition of anonymity: 'If Coach tells you I ate lettuce, then that's that. I may have eaten one salad this year, but if somebody says I ate one salad then that's enough to get a whole lot started. I can't eat romaine man. We're talking about lettuce. We're talking about lettuce man. We're not talking about a meal, something that actually matters, we're talking about lettuce. We're talking about lettuce.''
These players weren't responsible for their actions in either case. The clubhouse caterers incited the dispute by providing substandard drivel. I was wrong in condemning you guys, and I'm sorry.
Gary Bettman isn't destroying hockey with his shoddy leadership and blackballing of qualified prospective owners. Bettman is a man who has been tortured his entire adult life living under the cloud of crushed dreams from back to his adolescence. As a kid Bettman dreamed of becoming a Rockette, even going so far as training himself to become a world class skater, but still somehow was continually passed over for selection to the storied dance troupe. Bettman carries that angst to this day. If only someone had told him he'd confused the dancers with Ice Capades the future of the NHL might not appear so bleak. I'm sorry I judged you so harshly Gary. Its not you, its us.
I've been especially harsh towards Nancy Pelosi lately concerning her careless free-spending ways. I even went so far as to say she's racking up receipts like the drunken wife of a former southeast Asian dictator. Little did I know that 'Nancy Pelosi' is in fact the Anglicized translation of the name she was originally christened with-Imelda Marcos. That explains quite a bit. If only I'd known Nancy/Imelda. Many apologies.
Josh Hamilton isn't responsible for the carousing and debauchery captured recently on video and in print. Oh, Redi-Whip you evil seductress. How you taunt us with your sweet aerosol goodness. Even the strongest among us would be tested by this whipped cream temptation, let alone a recovering alcoholic and crack addict. The man is only human, and we're talking about Redi-Whip for Pete's sake. Of course, the hot babe applicators don't make resistance any easier. I'm sorry Josh, I now understand better your night of weakness. Damn you Redi-Whip! Damn you!
So you see, finding fault can in many cases involves the most obscure or even ridiculously made up details. Howard Jones was right all those years ago-No one ever is to blame. At least not as we're lead to believe anyway.
Maybe we should all quit fooling ourselves and accept that in Amerika today right and wrong is decided by comparing financial statements.
Thanks for reading.
And then came the news........
The cabbie who took the beating from Patrick Kane over a few coins may not have had a valid license. First reaction was ambivalence ('what difference does that make?') but then a puzzled feeling came over me. Maybe I overreacted in condemning Kane for assaulting the cabbie. After all, this fight was about an amount of money well over fifteen cents, and really a cabbie is barely half a step above a homeless guy or welfare mom anyway. Maybe Kane was right in opening a can of hurt on this cab driver. If I was wrong about this, could some of my opinions about other folks generating lots of headines lately be misguided and/or ill-informed? My head began to spin more than usual. Sleepless nights were definitely going to be part of my immediate future.
Work was a welcome distraction come Wednesday morning, but even then the Kane Mutiny weighed on my mind. I couldn't escape the feeling that my deepest core beliefs had been shaken. I found myself blaming Kane one moment, the cabbie the next, and even innocent bystanders were found to be at fault for not using enough foresight to have doughnuts ready when the police arrived. How could they NOT have known somebody would call 911? Someone, anyone, had to be held responsible. My thoughts continued to be all over the place. Nothing made sense.
Wednesday night brought much sole searching, but even after I found my shoes I still carried a heavy conscience. The questions swirled in my mind. Was Kane wrong? Was the cabbie wrong? Could they both be wrong? Did the coat hanging in the corner just move? Is that MY hand?
Finally, early Thursday morning, the revelation hit me. What I'd thought was a completely irrelevant detail was actually the one that made all the difference: The cabbie was at fault, and brought that beating on himself by not having a valid driving license. Kane couldn't be held responsible. My initial reaction was wrong-I was wrong, and I'd likely treated some others too harshly as well lately. I had plenty of research to do, and something told me I had a few apologies to issue. Another sleepless night was to come. Exhaustive study of even the most seemingly irrelevant detail had to be completed. My conscience needed cleansing.
This is what I found:
Condemning the players involved in instigating the Sox-Tigers bench clearing brawl was misguided on my part. Earlier the day of the incident players from both teams were seen eating salads in their respective clubhouses. Pro athletes aren't meant to eat that kind of crap. What were the people who supplied the buffet thinking?
In fact, I even found a former Pistons player who implied that the very same caterers supplied the food eaten before the Detroit-Indiana game interrupted by Pacers players brawling with fans. He spoke on condition of anonymity: 'If Coach tells you I ate lettuce, then that's that. I may have eaten one salad this year, but if somebody says I ate one salad then that's enough to get a whole lot started. I can't eat romaine man. We're talking about lettuce. We're talking about lettuce man. We're not talking about a meal, something that actually matters, we're talking about lettuce. We're talking about lettuce.''
These players weren't responsible for their actions in either case. The clubhouse caterers incited the dispute by providing substandard drivel. I was wrong in condemning you guys, and I'm sorry.
Gary Bettman isn't destroying hockey with his shoddy leadership and blackballing of qualified prospective owners. Bettman is a man who has been tortured his entire adult life living under the cloud of crushed dreams from back to his adolescence. As a kid Bettman dreamed of becoming a Rockette, even going so far as training himself to become a world class skater, but still somehow was continually passed over for selection to the storied dance troupe. Bettman carries that angst to this day. If only someone had told him he'd confused the dancers with Ice Capades the future of the NHL might not appear so bleak. I'm sorry I judged you so harshly Gary. Its not you, its us.
I've been especially harsh towards Nancy Pelosi lately concerning her careless free-spending ways. I even went so far as to say she's racking up receipts like the drunken wife of a former southeast Asian dictator. Little did I know that 'Nancy Pelosi' is in fact the Anglicized translation of the name she was originally christened with-Imelda Marcos. That explains quite a bit. If only I'd known Nancy/Imelda. Many apologies.
Josh Hamilton isn't responsible for the carousing and debauchery captured recently on video and in print. Oh, Redi-Whip you evil seductress. How you taunt us with your sweet aerosol goodness. Even the strongest among us would be tested by this whipped cream temptation, let alone a recovering alcoholic and crack addict. The man is only human, and we're talking about Redi-Whip for Pete's sake. Of course, the hot babe applicators don't make resistance any easier. I'm sorry Josh, I now understand better your night of weakness. Damn you Redi-Whip! Damn you!
So you see, finding fault can in many cases involves the most obscure or even ridiculously made up details. Howard Jones was right all those years ago-No one ever is to blame. At least not as we're lead to believe anyway.
Maybe we should all quit fooling ourselves and accept that in Amerika today right and wrong is decided by comparing financial statements.
Thanks for reading.
B(C)S Remedy 8/9/09
BCS Chief: 'Playoffs would threaten bowl games'
Of course, a playoff system would also eliminate much of the whining, foot-stamping, name-calling, and general hissy fits that go with being a college football fan. Heck, ESPiN might even have to cut back to a twelve hour programming cycle.
A playoff system would be relatively simple to implement and the bowl game protectionists would make as much money, if not more, if they weren't so shortsighted. Including the sham BCS 'championship' game 34 bowls were certified for 2008 (Not sure if the International Bowl in Toronto would be interested in carrying a playoff game, but accommodations could be made). With a 32 team playoff there would be a total of 31 games played to determine a true national champion. The Congressional Bowl would cease to exist because considering the current state of things in Washington no elected official would be allowed anywhere near oversight or participation. Our 'leaders' have screwed up enough of our country already without being involved in this. A longer rant for a different forum.....
The only bone thrown to the bigger, more politically powerful conferences would be a moderately larger share of the thirty-two team playoff field. The SEC, Big 12, and ACC would be represented by the first- and second-place finishers in each division; the Pac-10, Big 10, and Big East would have their top three; two each from the Sun Belt, WAC, Mountain West, and Conference USA; the division winners from Mid America East and West, and one independent. All teams will play a ten game schedule, with eight being conference games. No more politicking to play in the more prestigious bowl games. The elitist pomposity in the concept of subjectively 'qualifying' to play in the Rose or Orange would be gone, replaced by the pressure of winning enough conference and playoff games to earn the right to play for something more than a paper championship.
Soooooo, without further adieu or adon't, here are your first round matchups based on 2008 conference records (lets play pick the winners and crown our own paper champion):
Game 1: Eagle Bank Bowl-Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss
Game 2: Meineke-Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
Game 3: Champs Sports-Missouri vs. Pitt
Game 4: Papa Johns-Florida vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Game 5: Armed Forces-Cincinnati vs. Oregon St.
Game 6: Insight-Navy vs. Tulsa
Game 7: Chick-Fil-A-Boston College vs. TCU
Game 8: Outback-Alabama vs. West Virginia
Game 9: Capitol One-Boise St. vs. Michigan St.
Game 10: Hawaii-Ball St. v. Nebraska
Game 11: New Orleans-Utah vs. Florida St.
Game 12: Alamo-Penn St. vs. Georgia Tech
Game 13: Motor City-USC vs. Louisiana Tech
Game 14: Texas-East Carolina vs. Oregon
Game 15: Emerald-Troy vs. Ohio St.
Game 16: St. Petersburg-Buffalo vs. Texas
Game 17: Humanitarian-TBD
Game 18: New Mexico-TBD
Game 19: Las Vegas-TBD
Game 20: Holiday-TBD
Game 21: Poinsettia-TBD
Game 22: Independence-TBD
Game 23: Sun-TBD
Game 24: Gator-TBD
Game 25: Liberty-TBD
Game 26: Fiesta-TBD
Game 27: Sugar-TBD
Game 28: Cotton-TBD
Game 29: Rose-TBD
Game 30: Orange-TBD
Game 31: Playoff Championship-TBD
Sound workable and/or reasonable? I'd like to think so. The Bowls still make money and early round games can always be accommodated with regional teams. The older more prestigious games will still rotate hosting the finals. One thing that would be nice would be to see the corporate named bowl games revert back to any original name or changed altogether. Accommodations could also be made for the corporation-sponsors to still receive the bang for their bucks, such as end zone and midfield logos or messages. These minor details could easily be hammered out. Everyone wins right? Unfortunately the star chamber controlling college football only sees all those trees in the way. Who are they you ask?
The Six Side-Saddled Horsemen of the Wimpocalypse: Mike Slive-SEC, Tom Hansen-Pac-10, Jim Delany-Big 10, Dan Beebe-Big 12, John Swofford-ACC coordinator, Michael Tranghese-Big East. These are the 'men' who head the 'elite' conferences afraid of playing the smaller schools, pullers of the strings that move the NCAA anti-competition competition committee. Trangehese is to be replaced by someone named John Marinatto, who says he doesn't expect to make too many changes to how the conference is being run. By extension, it'd appear that Marinatto is just another status quo guy. Great, just great.
BCS Presidents oversight committee members:
David Frohnmeyer-Oregon (Pac 10) Give me a G
Rev. John Jenkins-Notre Dame (Big East affiliate) Give me a U
Robert Khayat-Mississippi (SEC) Give me a T
Mark A. Nordenberg-Pittsburgh (Big East) Give me an L
Harvey Perlman-Nebraska (Big 12) Give me an E
Graham Spanier-Penn State (Big 10) Give me an S
Charles W. Steger-Virginia Tech (ACC) Give me another S
John G. Peters-Northern Illinois (Mid-American) Give this guy a Tums
Isn't this great? Every playoff vote appears to have the outcome of 7-1 against. ACORN couldn't stack an election any better than this.
The first college football poll is out and Florida is the pick to repeat as paper champion. Richmond won on the field. Until they lose the Spiders are the team to beat. Period.
Myth: We fans can't affect change. The owners and their bootlicking commissioners hold all the power. I don't buy it. Every flood starts with a single raindrop, every avalanche with a single snowflake. The owners' apathy isn't what makes the sporting landscape look as it does, its our own indifference.
Thanks for reading.
Of course, a playoff system would also eliminate much of the whining, foot-stamping, name-calling, and general hissy fits that go with being a college football fan. Heck, ESPiN might even have to cut back to a twelve hour programming cycle.
A playoff system would be relatively simple to implement and the bowl game protectionists would make as much money, if not more, if they weren't so shortsighted. Including the sham BCS 'championship' game 34 bowls were certified for 2008 (Not sure if the International Bowl in Toronto would be interested in carrying a playoff game, but accommodations could be made). With a 32 team playoff there would be a total of 31 games played to determine a true national champion. The Congressional Bowl would cease to exist because considering the current state of things in Washington no elected official would be allowed anywhere near oversight or participation. Our 'leaders' have screwed up enough of our country already without being involved in this. A longer rant for a different forum.....
The only bone thrown to the bigger, more politically powerful conferences would be a moderately larger share of the thirty-two team playoff field. The SEC, Big 12, and ACC would be represented by the first- and second-place finishers in each division; the Pac-10, Big 10, and Big East would have their top three; two each from the Sun Belt, WAC, Mountain West, and Conference USA; the division winners from Mid America East and West, and one independent. All teams will play a ten game schedule, with eight being conference games. No more politicking to play in the more prestigious bowl games. The elitist pomposity in the concept of subjectively 'qualifying' to play in the Rose or Orange would be gone, replaced by the pressure of winning enough conference and playoff games to earn the right to play for something more than a paper championship.
Soooooo, without further adieu or adon't, here are your first round matchups based on 2008 conference records (lets play pick the winners and crown our own paper champion):
Game 1: Eagle Bank Bowl-Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss
Game 2: Meineke-Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
Game 3: Champs Sports-Missouri vs. Pitt
Game 4: Papa Johns-Florida vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Game 5: Armed Forces-Cincinnati vs. Oregon St.
Game 6: Insight-Navy vs. Tulsa
Game 7: Chick-Fil-A-Boston College vs. TCU
Game 8: Outback-Alabama vs. West Virginia
Game 9: Capitol One-Boise St. vs. Michigan St.
Game 10: Hawaii-Ball St. v. Nebraska
Game 11: New Orleans-Utah vs. Florida St.
Game 12: Alamo-Penn St. vs. Georgia Tech
Game 13: Motor City-USC vs. Louisiana Tech
Game 14: Texas-East Carolina vs. Oregon
Game 15: Emerald-Troy vs. Ohio St.
Game 16: St. Petersburg-Buffalo vs. Texas
Game 17: Humanitarian-TBD
Game 18: New Mexico-TBD
Game 19: Las Vegas-TBD
Game 20: Holiday-TBD
Game 21: Poinsettia-TBD
Game 22: Independence-TBD
Game 23: Sun-TBD
Game 24: Gator-TBD
Game 25: Liberty-TBD
Game 26: Fiesta-TBD
Game 27: Sugar-TBD
Game 28: Cotton-TBD
Game 29: Rose-TBD
Game 30: Orange-TBD
Game 31: Playoff Championship-TBD
Sound workable and/or reasonable? I'd like to think so. The Bowls still make money and early round games can always be accommodated with regional teams. The older more prestigious games will still rotate hosting the finals. One thing that would be nice would be to see the corporate named bowl games revert back to any original name or changed altogether. Accommodations could also be made for the corporation-sponsors to still receive the bang for their bucks, such as end zone and midfield logos or messages. These minor details could easily be hammered out. Everyone wins right? Unfortunately the star chamber controlling college football only sees all those trees in the way. Who are they you ask?
The Six Side-Saddled Horsemen of the Wimpocalypse: Mike Slive-SEC, Tom Hansen-Pac-10, Jim Delany-Big 10, Dan Beebe-Big 12, John Swofford-ACC coordinator, Michael Tranghese-Big East. These are the 'men' who head the 'elite' conferences afraid of playing the smaller schools, pullers of the strings that move the NCAA anti-competition competition committee. Trangehese is to be replaced by someone named John Marinatto, who says he doesn't expect to make too many changes to how the conference is being run. By extension, it'd appear that Marinatto is just another status quo guy. Great, just great.
BCS Presidents oversight committee members:
David Frohnmeyer-Oregon (Pac 10) Give me a G
Rev. John Jenkins-Notre Dame (Big East affiliate) Give me a U
Robert Khayat-Mississippi (SEC) Give me a T
Mark A. Nordenberg-Pittsburgh (Big East) Give me an L
Harvey Perlman-Nebraska (Big 12) Give me an E
Graham Spanier-Penn State (Big 10) Give me an S
Charles W. Steger-Virginia Tech (ACC) Give me another S
John G. Peters-Northern Illinois (Mid-American) Give this guy a Tums
Isn't this great? Every playoff vote appears to have the outcome of 7-1 against. ACORN couldn't stack an election any better than this.
The first college football poll is out and Florida is the pick to repeat as paper champion. Richmond won on the field. Until they lose the Spiders are the team to beat. Period.
Myth: We fans can't affect change. The owners and their bootlicking commissioners hold all the power. I don't buy it. Every flood starts with a single raindrop, every avalanche with a single snowflake. The owners' apathy isn't what makes the sporting landscape look as it does, its our own indifference.
Thanks for reading.
Only Blackeard Can Save Pittsburgh Now 8/1/09
Honey? Honey? Honeyyyyy?
Yeah, what?
Are you awake?
What do you think?
I'm nervous about all this, but excited.
Yeah?
I met a lot of the people here already. They seem very nice, but they're all sooo young and tanned and perfect. Do you think I'm pretty?
I married you didn't I?
Yes, but am I pretty enough to fit in?
Of course you are.
The owner called today. The job is mine if I want it. It should be fun working there but they all seem so smart. Everyone there went to college and a lot of them got degrees. Do you think I'm smart?
Of course you are.
Smart enough to fit in with my co-workers?
They're hiring you aren't they?
True. I feel so bloated lately. Everyone here looks so healthy and fit. Do you think I look fat?
For God's sake Brett, go to sleep.
Anyone else get the idea Deanna is encouraging Favre to play just so she can finally get some sleep?
Early favorite to win the 2010 NCAA softball championship is UCLA, bolstered by a strong recruiting class and the powerful hitting stroke of 'transfer student' Manuela Ramirez. You read it here first.
Give me a bad umpire/referee before an apathetic one anytime. Bad officials have the potential to improve. Apathetic officials tend to just give a-pathetic effort and expect it to be accepted.
Details are still sketchy about what exactly happened between Ben Roethlisberger and the hotel employee, but we'll know for sure whether he's guilty or not if Big Ben is seen jewelry shopping with Vanessa Bryant. Not a good omen.
During the flurry of earlier-in-the-day big-name trades everyone missed the very last of the last minute WMLB deadline deals: Cleveland traded itself to Pittsburgh for the last of the remaining Pirates. As things stand, tomorrow any one of us could be a pirate. Arrrrrrr!
Easiest way to figure out who's losing a debate/argument is checking who first resorted to 'you're just a hater' or 'stop hating on...'.
Today brought the surprise announcement that Brett Favre has officially been banned from all Outback Steakhouse franchises worldwide. A scene was created after Favre and his party were asked to leave at closing time. Witnesses say that the group had tied up a table from the time they'd been seated at 4:15 in the afternoon until well past 1 A.M. while Favre vacillated, hesitated, obsessed, and otherwise drove three different shifts of servers batty while attempting to make up his mind whether to order an appetizer or not.
The Cardinals trade for Julio Lugo is another good reminder to always recycle. Khalil Greene and now Lugo makes St. Louis the leading contender to have their stadium naming rights sold to Alcoa.
Throwback athletes who believe that diet supplementing means regular beer will once again appear on the sports landscape very soon. Screw steroids.
Mr. Spock and his people may have given us our current puck technology but Vulcan hockey will remain a middle of the road contender as long as they continue to play a technically proficient but predictably logical style. Offensive creativity and a little gooning it up will have them off their game and playing for seventh place every time. Same deal with the Russians.
Rumor has it Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is a surprise leading contender to take over as GM of the Cleveland Indians. Stop making sense indeed Beezer. Hopefully Tribe fans everywhere will once again experience the Wild Wild Life very soon.
And all of you thought I wasn't paying attention.
Thanks for reading.
Yeah, what?
Are you awake?
What do you think?
I'm nervous about all this, but excited.
Yeah?
I met a lot of the people here already. They seem very nice, but they're all sooo young and tanned and perfect. Do you think I'm pretty?
I married you didn't I?
Yes, but am I pretty enough to fit in?
Of course you are.
The owner called today. The job is mine if I want it. It should be fun working there but they all seem so smart. Everyone there went to college and a lot of them got degrees. Do you think I'm smart?
Of course you are.
Smart enough to fit in with my co-workers?
They're hiring you aren't they?
True. I feel so bloated lately. Everyone here looks so healthy and fit. Do you think I look fat?
For God's sake Brett, go to sleep.
Anyone else get the idea Deanna is encouraging Favre to play just so she can finally get some sleep?
Early favorite to win the 2010 NCAA softball championship is UCLA, bolstered by a strong recruiting class and the powerful hitting stroke of 'transfer student' Manuela Ramirez. You read it here first.
Give me a bad umpire/referee before an apathetic one anytime. Bad officials have the potential to improve. Apathetic officials tend to just give a-pathetic effort and expect it to be accepted.
Details are still sketchy about what exactly happened between Ben Roethlisberger and the hotel employee, but we'll know for sure whether he's guilty or not if Big Ben is seen jewelry shopping with Vanessa Bryant. Not a good omen.
During the flurry of earlier-in-the-day big-name trades everyone missed the very last of the last minute WMLB deadline deals: Cleveland traded itself to Pittsburgh for the last of the remaining Pirates. As things stand, tomorrow any one of us could be a pirate. Arrrrrrr!
Easiest way to figure out who's losing a debate/argument is checking who first resorted to 'you're just a hater' or 'stop hating on...'.
Today brought the surprise announcement that Brett Favre has officially been banned from all Outback Steakhouse franchises worldwide. A scene was created after Favre and his party were asked to leave at closing time. Witnesses say that the group had tied up a table from the time they'd been seated at 4:15 in the afternoon until well past 1 A.M. while Favre vacillated, hesitated, obsessed, and otherwise drove three different shifts of servers batty while attempting to make up his mind whether to order an appetizer or not.
The Cardinals trade for Julio Lugo is another good reminder to always recycle. Khalil Greene and now Lugo makes St. Louis the leading contender to have their stadium naming rights sold to Alcoa.
Throwback athletes who believe that diet supplementing means regular beer will once again appear on the sports landscape very soon. Screw steroids.
Mr. Spock and his people may have given us our current puck technology but Vulcan hockey will remain a middle of the road contender as long as they continue to play a technically proficient but predictably logical style. Offensive creativity and a little gooning it up will have them off their game and playing for seventh place every time. Same deal with the Russians.
Rumor has it Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is a surprise leading contender to take over as GM of the Cleveland Indians. Stop making sense indeed Beezer. Hopefully Tribe fans everywhere will once again experience the Wild Wild Life very soon.
And all of you thought I wasn't paying attention.
Thanks for reading.
Seven Sporting Signs of The Apocalypse 7/28/09
1. Sports commissioners who act in the best interests of the game.
2. An all-sports network emerges which shows scores and highlights in between live game broadcasts. No, seriously, a real one.
3. Rasheed and Artest are only suspended for valid reasons.
4. Danica Earnhardt Jr. wins the Nascar points championship, proving that he or she or they aren't just a pretty face.
5. Terrell Owens is described as being 'a great locker room influence' by a teammate able to keep a straight face on the same day that Brett Favre announces he's really really really really going to retire this time. Really.
6. WMLB umpires start using the same rule book in both leagues for strike zone guidelines and dimensions.
7. Sporting News 2.0 is ready and operational.
2. An all-sports network emerges which shows scores and highlights in between live game broadcasts. No, seriously, a real one.
3. Rasheed and Artest are only suspended for valid reasons.
4. Danica Earnhardt Jr. wins the Nascar points championship, proving that he or she or they aren't just a pretty face.
5. Terrell Owens is described as being 'a great locker room influence' by a teammate able to keep a straight face on the same day that Brett Favre announces he's really really really really going to retire this time. Really.
6. WMLB umpires start using the same rule book in both leagues for strike zone guidelines and dimensions.
7. Sporting News 2.0 is ready and operational.
Good Will Bunting 7/19/09
I'm a Cardinals fan and always will be. This week was tough though. Never before have I been ashamed to call myself a Cardinals fan. Stan Musial should have thrown out the first pitch at the All-Star game. Period. He didn't. The silence coming out of the Cardinals organization gives the impression they were okay with this. Its not okay. There is a president every year, and an all-star game every year, but it won't be back in St. Louis for awhile. Stan the Man is 88 years old. It sucks being realistic about it but he might not be around the next time the Cardinals host the game. Stan Musial should have been on the mound passing the figurative mantle of Redbird excellence to Albert Pujols. It'd have been a nice homage to all that is good about the history of baseball and not coincidentally one of its all time best players, but instead Bud Selig or whoever makes these decisions overthought and muffed it completely. 'Hey, lets have him driven out in a golf cart and hand the ball over to some two-bit hack politician.' Nice. Real nice. This is the kind of thinking that made Sheriff Andy restrict Barney to carrying the bullet in his shirt pocket.
If its not overseeing the debacle of the steroid era that seals Bud Selig's place in baseball history, it'll be that style finally dealt the death blow to substance. Shame on you Commish. A special shame on you to the St. Louis Cardinals organization in general, and Albert Pujols in particular, for allowing Mr. Musial to be treated so shabbily. He deserves the best, or at least a damned sight better than this. What does it say about the sense of history and tradition in the makeup of professional baseball players of 2009 that only Joe Torre had a clue who Stan Musial is and found a moment to go shake his hand? Every single player on that field should be carrying a heavy sense of embarrassment. If this were Boston somehow I think Beckett and Ortiz would have some clue who Carl Yastrzemski is, in San Francisco Rowand would recognize Willie Mays. Don't pawn this off as someone else's problem like you did earlier this year when asked about Manny Ramirez Albert. You were there Tuesday. You're better than this Albert. You're a St. Louis Cardinal. That in itself carries a higher standard. Live up to it outside the chalk lines too.
Which leads us to the latest chapter in the Ballad of Bud. Bud Selig has emasculated baseball. The game is finally equipped, no pun intended, to be called the WMLB. Since he's seen clear to sacrifice bunt the integrity of the game and good will of the fans to move the almighty dollar over to third, fair seems fair. This isn't about Manny being Manuela anymore, or about the metamorphosis of Alex Rodriguez to A-Rod to A-Fraud to finally showing the long term consequences of steroid use/abuse A-ShriveledRod. I don't even want to think about Prince Fielder in garters and stockings. This is an attempt to put the numbers produced the last fifteen years into a clearer context. Hopefully anyway.
There is no pure mathematical basis in what follows, just turning the same type (or lack) of principles that Bud Selig follows right back on the era he's overseen. In a sense it could be considered applying flawed to fraud.
Shooting Steroids Sosa, sorry, Swingin Sammy Sosa, came into the league at 6-0 165 and by his last year was listed at 220. Since no major leaguers will fess up, and Sosa increased his weight by 33% during his career, the stonewalling players are hit with an equally hard line. All major stats accumulated from '94-present day have 1/3 removed right off the top. No exceptions. Is it fair? Nope. But neither is Selig and his Shooting-Up Stars screwing over the fans. Sooooo, the Top 20 home run list takes on a very different look:
Selig's Shooters List: Cheats Adjusted:
1. Barry Bonds 762 from 86-07 1. Hank Aaron 755 54-76
2. Hank Aaron 755 2. Babe Ruth 714 14-35
3. Babe Ruth 714 3. Wille Mays 660 51-73
4. Willie Mays 660 4. Frank Robinson 586 56-76
5. Ken Griffey Jr. 621 89- 5. Barry Bonds 582 Adjusted-180
6. Sammy Sosa 609 89-08 6. Harmon Killebrew 573 54-75
7. Frank Robinson 586 7. Reggie Jackson 563 67-87
8. Mark McGwire 583 86-01 8. Mike Schmidt 548 72-89
9. Harmon Killebrew 573 9. Mickey Mantle 536 51-68
10. Rafael Palmeiro 569 86-05 10. Jimmie Foxx 534 25-45
11. A-ShrivelingRod 568 94- 11. Willie McCovey 521 59-80
12. Reggie Jackson 563 Tie Ted Williams 521 39-60
13. Jim Thome 554 91- 13. Ernie Banks 512 53-71
14. Mike Schmidt 548 Tie Eddie Matthews 512 52-68
15. Mickey Mantle 536 15. Mel Ott 511 26-47
16. Manuela Ramirez 536 93- 16. Lou Gehrig 493 23-39
17. Jimmie Foxx 534 17. Eddie Murray 483 77-97 Adj.-21
18. Willie McCovey 521 18. Stan Musial 475 41-63
Tie Ted Williams 521 Tie Willie Stargell 475 62-82
Tie Frank Thomas 521 90-08 20. Mark McGwire 465 Adjusted-118
Quite a difference eh? I'll be the first to admit the formula is technically flawed. However, since Sosa had the most dramatic weight increase (33%) among the cheats it seems about right to place a blanket 1/3 penalty against each and every player who's racked up numbers since 1994. Benefit of the doubt is gone. Since the players haven't felt the need to protect the integrity of the game and its hallowed records the integrity of their own personal statistics loses that same protection. If they want their records restored they need to come clean. Pun intended.
Final thoughts: I understand the outrage over the 30 day sentence of Donte Stallworth. Though Marcia Clark was able to prosecute thirty days more than her last case that fact doesn't make it any easier to accept. That said, comparisons to Michael Vick need to stop. Stallworth killed a guy while driving drunk. We know that and I'd hope we can all agree that what he did was wrong. However, Vick didn't just 'kill a dog or two'. Michael Vick knowingly bankrolled and participated in the day-to-day operation of an illegal dog-fighting ring across jurisdictions and state lines. A nineteen page federal indictment doesn't boil down to 'a dog or two'. Read the entire thing and then tell me it was all about 'a dog or two'.
I'm not against anyone getting a second chance in life. Stallworth had second chances in Philadelphia, New England, and Cleveland. Call him a poor mans' Koren Robinson or Steve Howe.
Even the stockbroker with the sharpest eye for picking winners doesn't get a second chance if he's caught insider trading, a banker cooking the books doesn't work in finance anymore, but they're still both free and clear to find a job elsewhere. Michael Vick does deserve a second chance in life, but maybe its best that he use that sheepskin from Virginia Tech to pursue a career in a field not involving helmets and cleats.
Consider this a challenge to all of those who've been enabling him his whole life to stop screaming his praises. For example, ESPiN. Step up and help him in a way that's truly substantial. Hire him at your workplace. Otherwise, shut it.
Rest in peace Alexis Arguello. Its pretty pathetic that the press couldn't find time during all the silliness the last couple weeks to show any respect to this outstanding boxer.
Thanks for reading.
If its not overseeing the debacle of the steroid era that seals Bud Selig's place in baseball history, it'll be that style finally dealt the death blow to substance. Shame on you Commish. A special shame on you to the St. Louis Cardinals organization in general, and Albert Pujols in particular, for allowing Mr. Musial to be treated so shabbily. He deserves the best, or at least a damned sight better than this. What does it say about the sense of history and tradition in the makeup of professional baseball players of 2009 that only Joe Torre had a clue who Stan Musial is and found a moment to go shake his hand? Every single player on that field should be carrying a heavy sense of embarrassment. If this were Boston somehow I think Beckett and Ortiz would have some clue who Carl Yastrzemski is, in San Francisco Rowand would recognize Willie Mays. Don't pawn this off as someone else's problem like you did earlier this year when asked about Manny Ramirez Albert. You were there Tuesday. You're better than this Albert. You're a St. Louis Cardinal. That in itself carries a higher standard. Live up to it outside the chalk lines too.
Which leads us to the latest chapter in the Ballad of Bud. Bud Selig has emasculated baseball. The game is finally equipped, no pun intended, to be called the WMLB. Since he's seen clear to sacrifice bunt the integrity of the game and good will of the fans to move the almighty dollar over to third, fair seems fair. This isn't about Manny being Manuela anymore, or about the metamorphosis of Alex Rodriguez to A-Rod to A-Fraud to finally showing the long term consequences of steroid use/abuse A-ShriveledRod. I don't even want to think about Prince Fielder in garters and stockings. This is an attempt to put the numbers produced the last fifteen years into a clearer context. Hopefully anyway.
There is no pure mathematical basis in what follows, just turning the same type (or lack) of principles that Bud Selig follows right back on the era he's overseen. In a sense it could be considered applying flawed to fraud.
Shooting Steroids Sosa, sorry, Swingin Sammy Sosa, came into the league at 6-0 165 and by his last year was listed at 220. Since no major leaguers will fess up, and Sosa increased his weight by 33% during his career, the stonewalling players are hit with an equally hard line. All major stats accumulated from '94-present day have 1/3 removed right off the top. No exceptions. Is it fair? Nope. But neither is Selig and his Shooting-Up Stars screwing over the fans. Sooooo, the Top 20 home run list takes on a very different look:
Selig's Shooters List: Cheats Adjusted:
1. Barry Bonds 762 from 86-07 1. Hank Aaron 755 54-76
2. Hank Aaron 755 2. Babe Ruth 714 14-35
3. Babe Ruth 714 3. Wille Mays 660 51-73
4. Willie Mays 660 4. Frank Robinson 586 56-76
5. Ken Griffey Jr. 621 89- 5. Barry Bonds 582 Adjusted-180
6. Sammy Sosa 609 89-08 6. Harmon Killebrew 573 54-75
7. Frank Robinson 586 7. Reggie Jackson 563 67-87
8. Mark McGwire 583 86-01 8. Mike Schmidt 548 72-89
9. Harmon Killebrew 573 9. Mickey Mantle 536 51-68
10. Rafael Palmeiro 569 86-05 10. Jimmie Foxx 534 25-45
11. A-ShrivelingRod 568 94- 11. Willie McCovey 521 59-80
12. Reggie Jackson 563 Tie Ted Williams 521 39-60
13. Jim Thome 554 91- 13. Ernie Banks 512 53-71
14. Mike Schmidt 548 Tie Eddie Matthews 512 52-68
15. Mickey Mantle 536 15. Mel Ott 511 26-47
16. Manuela Ramirez 536 93- 16. Lou Gehrig 493 23-39
17. Jimmie Foxx 534 17. Eddie Murray 483 77-97 Adj.-21
18. Willie McCovey 521 18. Stan Musial 475 41-63
Tie Ted Williams 521 Tie Willie Stargell 475 62-82
Tie Frank Thomas 521 90-08 20. Mark McGwire 465 Adjusted-118
Quite a difference eh? I'll be the first to admit the formula is technically flawed. However, since Sosa had the most dramatic weight increase (33%) among the cheats it seems about right to place a blanket 1/3 penalty against each and every player who's racked up numbers since 1994. Benefit of the doubt is gone. Since the players haven't felt the need to protect the integrity of the game and its hallowed records the integrity of their own personal statistics loses that same protection. If they want their records restored they need to come clean. Pun intended.
Final thoughts: I understand the outrage over the 30 day sentence of Donte Stallworth. Though Marcia Clark was able to prosecute thirty days more than her last case that fact doesn't make it any easier to accept. That said, comparisons to Michael Vick need to stop. Stallworth killed a guy while driving drunk. We know that and I'd hope we can all agree that what he did was wrong. However, Vick didn't just 'kill a dog or two'. Michael Vick knowingly bankrolled and participated in the day-to-day operation of an illegal dog-fighting ring across jurisdictions and state lines. A nineteen page federal indictment doesn't boil down to 'a dog or two'. Read the entire thing and then tell me it was all about 'a dog or two'.
I'm not against anyone getting a second chance in life. Stallworth had second chances in Philadelphia, New England, and Cleveland. Call him a poor mans' Koren Robinson or Steve Howe.
Even the stockbroker with the sharpest eye for picking winners doesn't get a second chance if he's caught insider trading, a banker cooking the books doesn't work in finance anymore, but they're still both free and clear to find a job elsewhere. Michael Vick does deserve a second chance in life, but maybe its best that he use that sheepskin from Virginia Tech to pursue a career in a field not involving helmets and cleats.
Consider this a challenge to all of those who've been enabling him his whole life to stop screaming his praises. For example, ESPiN. Step up and help him in a way that's truly substantial. Hire him at your workplace. Otherwise, shut it.
Rest in peace Alexis Arguello. Its pretty pathetic that the press couldn't find time during all the silliness the last couple weeks to show any respect to this outstanding boxer.
Thanks for reading.
Shagging Flies 7/6/09
Marian Gaborik is a great signing by the Rangers, Martin Havlat a puzzler to replace him in Minnesota. Lets see, we've lost our best player. Maybe we'll get lucky and find someone older, less talented and more fragile to fill the void. How about Martin Havlat? Then again, what do I know. The Oilers dump 60 year old Dwayne Roloson for 58 year old Nikolai Khabibulin. Guess Damian Rhodes or Red Light Racicot were unavailable.
Sore armed Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Pavano will be playing somewhere on the west coast this time next season. You read it here first.
Conspiracy theorists must be having a field day over the puzzling choice by the Timberwolves of Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick in the recent NBA draft. Shortly after the pick ESPiN hypester Stuart Scott was spotted delivering flowers to the T-Wolves corporate offices. It does seem a dream scenario for the four-letter network since now they only need dispatch one reporter to Minnesota to breathlessly cover both breaking stories. Anyone else suffering from Rubio-Favre overload syndrome yet?
Congratulations to Donte Stallworth for breaking the seemingly unbreakable record held by former major leaguer Steve Howe for throwing away second chances.
Diana Taurasi was cited recently for DUI following an apparent post-game celebration of a win over Seattle. Who says the girls can't compete? A Phoenix police spokesman said Taurasi would be charged under Title IX of the state traffic safety code.
Pirates trade rumors update: Look for Zach Duke to the Yankees for Fred Stanley and Cliff Johnson or straight up to the Angels for a bag of Doritos.
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is taking flak for praising Adolf Hitler as a leader 'who got things done'. Ecclestone must be holding personal admiration for some of Hitlers' other 'policies' because if my history serves me Hitler had nothing to do with construction of the Autobahn.
Line of the year to date: Deb Carson of Fox Sports Radio on Manny Ramirez hitting a home run in his second game back 'The first home run in major league history hit by a pregnant woman'. It doesn't get much better than that. She's very easy to look at too.
Tragic events abound this weekend. The warrior Steve McNair was found shot to death in a downtown Nashville condominium. Meanwhile in news out of Kabul a rocket and mortar attack by Taliban scumbags on a US base resulted in the deaths of two tough former professional football players. Is anyone yet still not seeing anything wrong with using the word 'warrior' to describe well-compensated athletes? This horse has been beaten enough, point made. Condolences to the families of those two soldiers and to the McNairs.
Congratulations to Roger Federer for winning the Wimbledon final vs. Andy Roddick. Gotta give credit to Roddick too for playing his heart out. Going in I thought Andy Rooney would make a better matchup.
Major surprise signing of Rasheed Wallace by the Celtics. Upon signing no surprise that Commissioner Dave announced Wallace had been suspended indefinitely for signing with the Celtics.
Thanks for reading.
Sore armed Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Pavano will be playing somewhere on the west coast this time next season. You read it here first.
Conspiracy theorists must be having a field day over the puzzling choice by the Timberwolves of Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick in the recent NBA draft. Shortly after the pick ESPiN hypester Stuart Scott was spotted delivering flowers to the T-Wolves corporate offices. It does seem a dream scenario for the four-letter network since now they only need dispatch one reporter to Minnesota to breathlessly cover both breaking stories. Anyone else suffering from Rubio-Favre overload syndrome yet?
Congratulations to Donte Stallworth for breaking the seemingly unbreakable record held by former major leaguer Steve Howe for throwing away second chances.
Diana Taurasi was cited recently for DUI following an apparent post-game celebration of a win over Seattle. Who says the girls can't compete? A Phoenix police spokesman said Taurasi would be charged under Title IX of the state traffic safety code.
Pirates trade rumors update: Look for Zach Duke to the Yankees for Fred Stanley and Cliff Johnson or straight up to the Angels for a bag of Doritos.
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is taking flak for praising Adolf Hitler as a leader 'who got things done'. Ecclestone must be holding personal admiration for some of Hitlers' other 'policies' because if my history serves me Hitler had nothing to do with construction of the Autobahn.
Line of the year to date: Deb Carson of Fox Sports Radio on Manny Ramirez hitting a home run in his second game back 'The first home run in major league history hit by a pregnant woman'. It doesn't get much better than that. She's very easy to look at too.
Tragic events abound this weekend. The warrior Steve McNair was found shot to death in a downtown Nashville condominium. Meanwhile in news out of Kabul a rocket and mortar attack by Taliban scumbags on a US base resulted in the deaths of two tough former professional football players. Is anyone yet still not seeing anything wrong with using the word 'warrior' to describe well-compensated athletes? This horse has been beaten enough, point made. Condolences to the families of those two soldiers and to the McNairs.
Congratulations to Roger Federer for winning the Wimbledon final vs. Andy Roddick. Gotta give credit to Roddick too for playing his heart out. Going in I thought Andy Rooney would make a better matchup.
Major surprise signing of Rasheed Wallace by the Celtics. Upon signing no surprise that Commissioner Dave announced Wallace had been suspended indefinitely for signing with the Celtics.
Thanks for reading.
Off The Beaten Path 7/4/09
Now that Independence Day is done we can forget what the day truly means and continue moving toward In Dependence. Every passing moment its becoming more apparent that Americans are becoming selfish, lazy junkies addicted to the modern day principles of 'gimme gimme gimme' and 'whats in it for me?'.
I heard an old song yesterday and it really felt like being punched in the throat. Considering it was recorded 40 years ago under different circumstances it holds parallels to modern day events in the US. Its a shame that the very folks who spent so much time protesting in the 1960s in the name of 'freedom' haven't recognized that they're the same folks who're eliminating freedom today. Or maybe they just never cared about anything other than their own selfish pursuit of power under the guise of 'freedom'.
With freedom comes responsibility. If we choose not to accept responsibility for our freedom our freedom will disappear without exceptions. Americans only have each other to rely on to pull our country back up by its bootstraps. We can't expect any help from the print or electronic media. The American reporter is a thing of the past. Instead of getting unbiased and unfiltered facts we're fed what the press wants us to hear, or what they think we want to hear. Isn't it an interesting paradox that the foundations of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press are lost on the very people those freedoms were written to protect? The print and electronic media are censoring the news we receive, period.
Doesn't it seem odd to anyone that since the November election no American servicemen or women have died in Iraq or Afghanistan? You'd almost think so anyway, now that it isn't fashionable to keep a running tally anymore. A small but significant example that points to an extremely slanted agenda in the media. Hopefully the tingles up their collective legs will subside soon and reporters will get back to doing the job they're supposed to be doing: Presenting unbiased information to the American public so as to keep us informed of the goings-on not only among our ruling class but in the world at large. I won't be holding my breath. You shouldn't either.
To their credit the media doesn't hesitate to let us know all of the unethical goings-on in the Republican party, but where is the equal and opposite? John Murtha-PA (35 years living off the people) has been a crook all the way back to the Reagan Administration and Abscam. At best Barney Frank-MA (28 years) and Chris Dodd-CT (34 years) are bordering on the edge of conflict of interest violations, at worst are completely corrupt individuals as well. The name Nancy Pelosi-CA (22 years) pretty much speaks for itself. Slim to no press coverage and analysis of these folks. There is something very scary in that. A crook is a crook is a crook no matter if there's a 'D' or an 'R' behind their name.
Either of the two major parties is more to blame than the other. They're both responsible together for the messes that have been made in the name of consolidating their collective power. 'Collective', an interesting word, used most often in reference to standard operating procedures in communistic style countries. The Politburo we refer to as Congress seems to be borrowing on an idea that has failed everywhere else. Hmmm?
Of course, to their credit the Gang of 535 does attempt to stay busy. Its serious business discussing whether or not to adopt August 28th as National Parsnip Day between collecting 'favors' over business breakfasts with lobbyists and deciding which five-star Beltway restaurant to wine and dine their favorite intern. Or interns I suppose. Caligula got nothing on D.C. Power Merchants.
The rest of the average Congresspersons' day can be spent piling more and more inane laws higher and higher until the average citizen is paralyzed from simple confusion of what is legal and what isn't. In our hearts we know what is right and what is wrong but applying our core beliefs and basic common sense to new Congress/Politburo edicts/rules/laws written in the gobbledygook we call legalese makes anything we do a violation. Why? Because somewhere in a bylaw of an addendum of a subtext of a corollary will be found a qualification of a rule that can be theoretically applied. What does that mean? That means there's little difference between a street cop and a professional referee/umpire. An armed robbery in downtown Houston might only be a Hard Foul 2 in Charlotte.
My point? Basically it comes down to this: We owe it to each other to bring our government back from its current existence as a high maintenance/low return free-spending welfare state to an elected body of citizens who have the best interests of the United States first and foremost in their hearts and decisions and actions. We either enjoy the freedom of living in the greatest country in the world or continue down the current path we're on and accept status as third class sheeple serving Washington, DC.
People in South Dakota owe it to people in Louisiana, who owe it to people in Maine, who owe it to people in Oregon, who owe it to people in Kentucky to choose our leaders wisely....and if the choice proves to be a deviant, an incompetent, or otherwise dishonest weasel in the vein of the current crop then the bums must be voted out just as quickly. There is no media anymore to keep watch and present unbiased reportage of Washington shenanigans. The two major parties are only interested in the power of the two major parties. We must do our homework.
By now we should know the difficulties we face going forward. 'Protecting the future of our children' has crossed from what'd seem a basic human priority to nothing more than a clever catch phrase for the talking heads. Americans either care about the kids and their futures or we don't. We can keep giving a damn who's winning some mindless reality show like American Idol or take back control of our own individual realities as United States citizens. The decision should be an easy one. I'm turning off the TV. How about you?
Back to Mr. Happy next time around. Thanks for reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSD89c-147c&feature=related
Buffalo Springfield 'For What Its Worth'
There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
I heard an old song yesterday and it really felt like being punched in the throat. Considering it was recorded 40 years ago under different circumstances it holds parallels to modern day events in the US. Its a shame that the very folks who spent so much time protesting in the 1960s in the name of 'freedom' haven't recognized that they're the same folks who're eliminating freedom today. Or maybe they just never cared about anything other than their own selfish pursuit of power under the guise of 'freedom'.
With freedom comes responsibility. If we choose not to accept responsibility for our freedom our freedom will disappear without exceptions. Americans only have each other to rely on to pull our country back up by its bootstraps. We can't expect any help from the print or electronic media. The American reporter is a thing of the past. Instead of getting unbiased and unfiltered facts we're fed what the press wants us to hear, or what they think we want to hear. Isn't it an interesting paradox that the foundations of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press are lost on the very people those freedoms were written to protect? The print and electronic media are censoring the news we receive, period.
Doesn't it seem odd to anyone that since the November election no American servicemen or women have died in Iraq or Afghanistan? You'd almost think so anyway, now that it isn't fashionable to keep a running tally anymore. A small but significant example that points to an extremely slanted agenda in the media. Hopefully the tingles up their collective legs will subside soon and reporters will get back to doing the job they're supposed to be doing: Presenting unbiased information to the American public so as to keep us informed of the goings-on not only among our ruling class but in the world at large. I won't be holding my breath. You shouldn't either.
To their credit the media doesn't hesitate to let us know all of the unethical goings-on in the Republican party, but where is the equal and opposite? John Murtha-PA (35 years living off the people) has been a crook all the way back to the Reagan Administration and Abscam. At best Barney Frank-MA (28 years) and Chris Dodd-CT (34 years) are bordering on the edge of conflict of interest violations, at worst are completely corrupt individuals as well. The name Nancy Pelosi-CA (22 years) pretty much speaks for itself. Slim to no press coverage and analysis of these folks. There is something very scary in that. A crook is a crook is a crook no matter if there's a 'D' or an 'R' behind their name.
Either of the two major parties is more to blame than the other. They're both responsible together for the messes that have been made in the name of consolidating their collective power. 'Collective', an interesting word, used most often in reference to standard operating procedures in communistic style countries. The Politburo we refer to as Congress seems to be borrowing on an idea that has failed everywhere else. Hmmm?
Of course, to their credit the Gang of 535 does attempt to stay busy. Its serious business discussing whether or not to adopt August 28th as National Parsnip Day between collecting 'favors' over business breakfasts with lobbyists and deciding which five-star Beltway restaurant to wine and dine their favorite intern. Or interns I suppose. Caligula got nothing on D.C. Power Merchants.
The rest of the average Congresspersons' day can be spent piling more and more inane laws higher and higher until the average citizen is paralyzed from simple confusion of what is legal and what isn't. In our hearts we know what is right and what is wrong but applying our core beliefs and basic common sense to new Congress/Politburo edicts/rules/laws written in the gobbledygook we call legalese makes anything we do a violation. Why? Because somewhere in a bylaw of an addendum of a subtext of a corollary will be found a qualification of a rule that can be theoretically applied. What does that mean? That means there's little difference between a street cop and a professional referee/umpire. An armed robbery in downtown Houston might only be a Hard Foul 2 in Charlotte.
My point? Basically it comes down to this: We owe it to each other to bring our government back from its current existence as a high maintenance/low return free-spending welfare state to an elected body of citizens who have the best interests of the United States first and foremost in their hearts and decisions and actions. We either enjoy the freedom of living in the greatest country in the world or continue down the current path we're on and accept status as third class sheeple serving Washington, DC.
People in South Dakota owe it to people in Louisiana, who owe it to people in Maine, who owe it to people in Oregon, who owe it to people in Kentucky to choose our leaders wisely....and if the choice proves to be a deviant, an incompetent, or otherwise dishonest weasel in the vein of the current crop then the bums must be voted out just as quickly. There is no media anymore to keep watch and present unbiased reportage of Washington shenanigans. The two major parties are only interested in the power of the two major parties. We must do our homework.
By now we should know the difficulties we face going forward. 'Protecting the future of our children' has crossed from what'd seem a basic human priority to nothing more than a clever catch phrase for the talking heads. Americans either care about the kids and their futures or we don't. We can keep giving a damn who's winning some mindless reality show like American Idol or take back control of our own individual realities as United States citizens. The decision should be an easy one. I'm turning off the TV. How about you?
Back to Mr. Happy next time around. Thanks for reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSD89c-147c&feature=related
Buffalo Springfield 'For What Its Worth'
There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Feeling The Slow Burn 6/25/09
During a recent Dan Patrick radio show interview Bud Selig let slip the formation of an MLB 'Dept. of Investigation'. Though it sounds ominous and threatening, knowing Bud as we do its not a stretch to imagine it being staffed with names like Barney Fife and Buford T. Justice. Bud also stated that drug testing in baseball today is an unrivaled success. Lets see, players get tested, positive results come back, the public gets outraged, and Bud says 'well, what do you want me to do about it?'. Yep, sounds successful.
How about if, when the topic of steroids and PEDs comes up, the reflex argument isn't to change the subject by bringing up past eras? I'm not a pharmacologist so I can't say for sure, but can someone tell me if they've ever heard of anyone who has put on forty pounds of muscle through the judicious use of amphetamines or cocaine? How about lets focus on now, and the fact that the players of today have not only inflated themselves but their numbers?
Blanket indictment: Let's turn the list of 104 back on itself. All players, every single one, who have played professional baseball during the Bud Selig era used PEDs. If players want to be considered clean and have any scarlet letters attached to their names removed then they should defy both the union and commissioner and open their personal test results to the public. I've never known any other industry besides professional sports where public perception of integrity and honesty was looked down on. Is it bad 'street cred' to be considered a clean and sober professional athlete?
Congratulations to Jarret Stoll on creating a new defining pinnacle for an underachieving career by calling off his Aug. 14 wedding to Rachel Hunter by email. Hey Jarret? I think Madonna is available. May as well make it a summer to really remember and bottom out completely in your personal life. Bonehead, thy name is Jarret Stoll. Meanwhile, Stacy's Mom has still got it going on.
Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson is now taking Twitter suggestions for a new endzone dance. I won't rant or beg the commissioner for a preemptive suspension. Instead I'm going to embrace his request for input and recommend the Bill Gramatica dance. Poetic justice anyone?
Tom Glavine recently announced he won't play in 2009 but isn't retiring. Wonder if the Jets or Vikings are interested.
Shortly after the announcement that Brett Favre (or B-Rent as he's known in the hood, you know, like rent-a-QB) had in fact signed with Minnesota Favre stated that he wouldn't decide until after the 2010 draft whether he'll be coming back for another season in Dallas, or Carolina, or St. Louis, or Miami.
Later on in yet another Brett Favre-inspired press conference came word that Favre will now officially be referred to by the hypesters at ESPiN as 'the only man to ever play quarterback in the NFL, of all time'.
Alex Rodriguez sat a couple games recently because he was suffering from 'fatigue'. If the drug awareness classes from years back were in any way accurate 'fatigue' is the final stage of the roid high. I sincerely hope the rumors of him with Kate Hudson are only rumors. What a total waste that'd be.
Listening to Lincoln Kennedy decrying the suspensions being meted out by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made for quality radio comedy. Goodell should at least be credited for attempting to address the issues. Paul Tagliabue ran things while Kennedy was in the league, which translated means that there was no player conduct policy being enforced. The fact is Paul Tagliabue did nothing to address any issues that didn't involve getting Paul Tagliabue to the country club as early in the day as possible and onto the golf course even quicker. Of course Goodell looks heavyhanded for punishing anyone, since Paul Tagliabue took it upon himself to punish ABSOLUTELY NO ONE. The dirty little secret of the NFL is that Paul Tagliabue made the league nearly as scumbag-friendly as the NBA. Look at what the pursuit of the almighty buck at all costs has done for the reputation of professional basketball and tell me I'm wrong.
This being said, Lincoln Kennedy does help make Fox Sports Radio light years better than the crap being spewed over on ESPiN.
Thanks for reading.
How about if, when the topic of steroids and PEDs comes up, the reflex argument isn't to change the subject by bringing up past eras? I'm not a pharmacologist so I can't say for sure, but can someone tell me if they've ever heard of anyone who has put on forty pounds of muscle through the judicious use of amphetamines or cocaine? How about lets focus on now, and the fact that the players of today have not only inflated themselves but their numbers?
Blanket indictment: Let's turn the list of 104 back on itself. All players, every single one, who have played professional baseball during the Bud Selig era used PEDs. If players want to be considered clean and have any scarlet letters attached to their names removed then they should defy both the union and commissioner and open their personal test results to the public. I've never known any other industry besides professional sports where public perception of integrity and honesty was looked down on. Is it bad 'street cred' to be considered a clean and sober professional athlete?
Congratulations to Jarret Stoll on creating a new defining pinnacle for an underachieving career by calling off his Aug. 14 wedding to Rachel Hunter by email. Hey Jarret? I think Madonna is available. May as well make it a summer to really remember and bottom out completely in your personal life. Bonehead, thy name is Jarret Stoll. Meanwhile, Stacy's Mom has still got it going on.
Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson is now taking Twitter suggestions for a new endzone dance. I won't rant or beg the commissioner for a preemptive suspension. Instead I'm going to embrace his request for input and recommend the Bill Gramatica dance. Poetic justice anyone?
Tom Glavine recently announced he won't play in 2009 but isn't retiring. Wonder if the Jets or Vikings are interested.
Shortly after the announcement that Brett Favre (or B-Rent as he's known in the hood, you know, like rent-a-QB) had in fact signed with Minnesota Favre stated that he wouldn't decide until after the 2010 draft whether he'll be coming back for another season in Dallas, or Carolina, or St. Louis, or Miami.
Later on in yet another Brett Favre-inspired press conference came word that Favre will now officially be referred to by the hypesters at ESPiN as 'the only man to ever play quarterback in the NFL, of all time'.
Alex Rodriguez sat a couple games recently because he was suffering from 'fatigue'. If the drug awareness classes from years back were in any way accurate 'fatigue' is the final stage of the roid high. I sincerely hope the rumors of him with Kate Hudson are only rumors. What a total waste that'd be.
Listening to Lincoln Kennedy decrying the suspensions being meted out by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made for quality radio comedy. Goodell should at least be credited for attempting to address the issues. Paul Tagliabue ran things while Kennedy was in the league, which translated means that there was no player conduct policy being enforced. The fact is Paul Tagliabue did nothing to address any issues that didn't involve getting Paul Tagliabue to the country club as early in the day as possible and onto the golf course even quicker. Of course Goodell looks heavyhanded for punishing anyone, since Paul Tagliabue took it upon himself to punish ABSOLUTELY NO ONE. The dirty little secret of the NFL is that Paul Tagliabue made the league nearly as scumbag-friendly as the NBA. Look at what the pursuit of the almighty buck at all costs has done for the reputation of professional basketball and tell me I'm wrong.
This being said, Lincoln Kennedy does help make Fox Sports Radio light years better than the crap being spewed over on ESPiN.
Thanks for reading.
Ouirks 6/17/09
A spokesman for Tim Donaghy says the former NBA referee was attacked in prison by another inmate claiming to have ties to the New York mob. Bureau of prisons officials reviewed the incident and subsequently announced the attack has been downgraded to a Hard Foul 2 with no further punishment being considered against the mobster.
Sidney Crosby-Lebron James comparisons are inaccurate at best. In this case if there is behavior to take the compare and contrast test it should be James with Kris Draper and Nicklas Lidstrom. Could it instead be that Draper and Lidstrom should be explaining why they couldn't wait patiently for another minute or two and then take the initiative to go shake hands....just like Lebron James didn't? As always, its easier to point fingers outward than to examine our own character. Or, in the case of Kris Draper, lack of.
Can someone explain to me where its etched in stone that a professional sports team is entitled to a city-financed parade for winning a league championship? Yes its tradition, but its not an entitlement. There's already way too many folks expecting/demanding entitlements these days without adding professional sports teams to the mix.
The New York Times reports that Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. In the same story they report that Sosa had never tested positive, and during Congressional testimony in 2005 had denied any wrongdoing saying 'To be clear, I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs'. To be even more clear Sosa also forgot how to speak English, which makes plausible deniability even more implausible.
Congrats to the Hershey Bears and Pittsburgh Penguins on winning their league championships, and to whoever won the NBA if its finally over.
Thanks for reading.
Sidney Crosby-Lebron James comparisons are inaccurate at best. In this case if there is behavior to take the compare and contrast test it should be James with Kris Draper and Nicklas Lidstrom. Could it instead be that Draper and Lidstrom should be explaining why they couldn't wait patiently for another minute or two and then take the initiative to go shake hands....just like Lebron James didn't? As always, its easier to point fingers outward than to examine our own character. Or, in the case of Kris Draper, lack of.
Can someone explain to me where its etched in stone that a professional sports team is entitled to a city-financed parade for winning a league championship? Yes its tradition, but its not an entitlement. There's already way too many folks expecting/demanding entitlements these days without adding professional sports teams to the mix.
The New York Times reports that Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. In the same story they report that Sosa had never tested positive, and during Congressional testimony in 2005 had denied any wrongdoing saying 'To be clear, I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs'. To be even more clear Sosa also forgot how to speak English, which makes plausible deniability even more implausible.
Congrats to the Hershey Bears and Pittsburgh Penguins on winning their league championships, and to whoever won the NBA if its finally over.
Thanks for reading.
Life In The Slow Lane 6/9/09
The Rams have expressed interest in signing Michael Vick. Team sources say Vick would add a locker room and on-field presence that hasn't been felt in St. Louis since the Lawrence Phillips years.
Kurt Busch chimed in recently about Dale Earnhardt Jr. changing crew chiefs-firing his own cousin. Can we still call him Little D if Danica Patrick jumps racing leagues? Or will Danica steal Juniors' title as the Paris Hilton of Nascar?
Carlos Zambrano recorded his 100th career win recently. He celebrated by beating the snot out of Michael Barrett, destroying the clubhouse buffet table, and then going home to watch the remake of his semi-autobiographical movie Psycho.
Moments after LeBron James skipped the mandatory after-game press conference James was seen outside an Orlando area Circle K being dragged to the team bus by Coach Mike Brown, who was overheard saying 'You just wait until we get home. If you're going to act this way after your heavily favored team gets bounced in the conference finals am I ever going to be able to take you grocery shopping in peace?'.
Congrats to Roger Federer on winning the French Open. Matching Pete Sampras' record fourteen Grand Slam titles is an impressive feat in itself, and Federer will likely add a couple more Slams to his credit, but by no means does it make him the default 'greatest tennis player of all time'. Modern day athletes like Federer should consider it a slap in the face when media hypesters fall back on small-minded cliches instead of creating an historical context for a true perspective of their standing among the all-time greats.
Its time for the word 'warrior' to take its exit from sports terminology. Nowhere in any dictionary is warrior defined as a spoiled, overpaid, self-absorbed professional athlete. Until such time as we see Chipper Jones or Jameer Nelson or Gus Frerotte manning a listening post in 130 degree heat, or every single American fighting man and woman is re-upped at 3 years/$10 million, we do our military personnel a disservice by using the word 'warrior' to describe someone dribbling a ball or throwing a pass or fielding a grounder. Food for thought:
NHL league minimum-$475,000 (2008-09 season)
NBA league minimum-$457,588 (2009-10 season, 0 years in league)
MLB league minimum-$400,000 (2009 season)
NFL league minimum-$295,000 (2008-09 season)
Salary of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi-$223,500
Average member of Congress-$174,000
Salary of US Armed Forces enlisted E-1 (4+ months service)-$16,800
Anyone else see a disproportionate bang-for-our-buck?
What exactly is a 'hater'?
The Vikings have imposed an end-of-the-week deadline for Brett al-Favre to decide whether he'll establish a Scumbaggian homeland in Minnesota from which to continue his jihad against the Land of the Cheeseheads. Our only remaining hope for a Favre-free NFL is if the Israelis fire a couple of warning shots over Edina or Brooklyn Park.
The NBA, MLB, and NHL. Three professional sports leagues with borderline shaky, if not completely inept, leadership. Consider.....David Stern+ hairpiece=Bud Selig. Stern+hairpiece-glasses=Gary Bettman. Ever see these guys together in the same room? I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
My late Uncle Bud used to say 'if the barn is burning its not the time to paint the fence. Every time the NCAA resurrects its half-baked plan to force member schools to change 'offensive' nicknames Buds' words come back to mind. Four of the five poorest counties in the United States (Buffalo #1, Shannon-2, Ziebach-4, and Todd-5) are in South Dakota. Another county, Corson, is 7th, and yet another, Dewey, comes in at number 11. Quite the claim to fame eh? The common thread among these six counties is that they completely or nearly completely lie on Indian reservations. What's my point? I wonder if changing those nicknames at far-off colleges will remedy the living conditions in these areas?
There is plenty of anecdotal and statistical data to go on for hours about this but suffice it to say the NCAA has stumbled into the cultural trap that permeates America: Its not whether we actually care, as long as we give the appearance of caring.
Thanks for reading.
Kurt Busch chimed in recently about Dale Earnhardt Jr. changing crew chiefs-firing his own cousin. Can we still call him Little D if Danica Patrick jumps racing leagues? Or will Danica steal Juniors' title as the Paris Hilton of Nascar?
Carlos Zambrano recorded his 100th career win recently. He celebrated by beating the snot out of Michael Barrett, destroying the clubhouse buffet table, and then going home to watch the remake of his semi-autobiographical movie Psycho.
Moments after LeBron James skipped the mandatory after-game press conference James was seen outside an Orlando area Circle K being dragged to the team bus by Coach Mike Brown, who was overheard saying 'You just wait until we get home. If you're going to act this way after your heavily favored team gets bounced in the conference finals am I ever going to be able to take you grocery shopping in peace?'.
Congrats to Roger Federer on winning the French Open. Matching Pete Sampras' record fourteen Grand Slam titles is an impressive feat in itself, and Federer will likely add a couple more Slams to his credit, but by no means does it make him the default 'greatest tennis player of all time'. Modern day athletes like Federer should consider it a slap in the face when media hypesters fall back on small-minded cliches instead of creating an historical context for a true perspective of their standing among the all-time greats.
Its time for the word 'warrior' to take its exit from sports terminology. Nowhere in any dictionary is warrior defined as a spoiled, overpaid, self-absorbed professional athlete. Until such time as we see Chipper Jones or Jameer Nelson or Gus Frerotte manning a listening post in 130 degree heat, or every single American fighting man and woman is re-upped at 3 years/$10 million, we do our military personnel a disservice by using the word 'warrior' to describe someone dribbling a ball or throwing a pass or fielding a grounder. Food for thought:
NHL league minimum-$475,000 (2008-09 season)
NBA league minimum-$457,588 (2009-10 season, 0 years in league)
MLB league minimum-$400,000 (2009 season)
NFL league minimum-$295,000 (2008-09 season)
Salary of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi-$223,500
Average member of Congress-$174,000
Salary of US Armed Forces enlisted E-1 (4+ months service)-$16,800
Anyone else see a disproportionate bang-for-our-buck?
What exactly is a 'hater'?
The Vikings have imposed an end-of-the-week deadline for Brett al-Favre to decide whether he'll establish a Scumbaggian homeland in Minnesota from which to continue his jihad against the Land of the Cheeseheads. Our only remaining hope for a Favre-free NFL is if the Israelis fire a couple of warning shots over Edina or Brooklyn Park.
The NBA, MLB, and NHL. Three professional sports leagues with borderline shaky, if not completely inept, leadership. Consider.....David Stern+ hairpiece=Bud Selig. Stern+hairpiece-glasses=Gary Bettman. Ever see these guys together in the same room? I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
My late Uncle Bud used to say 'if the barn is burning its not the time to paint the fence. Every time the NCAA resurrects its half-baked plan to force member schools to change 'offensive' nicknames Buds' words come back to mind. Four of the five poorest counties in the United States (Buffalo #1, Shannon-2, Ziebach-4, and Todd-5) are in South Dakota. Another county, Corson, is 7th, and yet another, Dewey, comes in at number 11. Quite the claim to fame eh? The common thread among these six counties is that they completely or nearly completely lie on Indian reservations. What's my point? I wonder if changing those nicknames at far-off colleges will remedy the living conditions in these areas?
There is plenty of anecdotal and statistical data to go on for hours about this but suffice it to say the NCAA has stumbled into the cultural trap that permeates America: Its not whether we actually care, as long as we give the appearance of caring.
Thanks for reading.
Dos 5/27/09
Detroit running back Kevin Smith promised the Lions will make the playoffs in 2009: 'I won't make a prediction about how many games we're going to win, but I will say this-we will definitely make the playoffs this season.'
Smith might be on to something because there really is a very fine line between playoff contention and 0-16. Detroit can't be more than 3-4 dozen players away from being a viable Super Bowl caliber team.
Its gotten nearly inevitable to feel sympathy for NBA officials (no, really). When a ref makes a call and the league comes in later and changes his on-court ruling from a Hard Foul 2 to a Flagrant Foul 1 or a Rocky lll or a Leonard Part 6 wouldn't it seem logical for the officials to begin second-guessing themselves at the worst possible moment-during real time game action? Simplifying things would seem simple enough. The old-time refs didn't have to perform an immediate psychological evaluation of the player to decide whether the punch thrown was caused by too much or too little parental attention as a child. Back when dirty was dirty there was an ejection-period. Even the rocket scientists playing and coaching pro basketball would figure that out eventually and discipline the play accordingly. The NBA product, as always, is crap-tastic.
As much as I hate to say the Kronwall hit on Havlat looked borderline enough to question the ejection, with Kronwalls' rep for leaving his feet to make a hit the call tossing him had to be expected. It being a Euro on Euro shot the penalty should have been a double minor for littering at worst though.
Sidenote: Its painful watching Steve Yzerman closing his eyes and looking concerned for the injured player laying prone while Mike Babcock is playing confused and innocent. Betcha can't guess which one has been laid out glassy-eyes on the ice before. You're a disgrace Babcock.
Fact is, if Bettman and the owners had any integrity they'd go about allowing some integrity to work its way back into the on-ice product. Dropping the instigator rule would be a great start. If dirty players like Kronwall knew they'd have to answer the bell for their cheapshots they'd either clean it up or find themselves playing back in Europe-where that style of play is not only tolerated but expected.
Brett Favre is scheduled for an upcoming surgery. Hopefully the lobotomy will take this time.
Thanks for reading.
My apologies to some of you who commented Tuesday. There were computer issues preventing me from responding to your replies. Basically the rodent running the wheel in the back is on his last breath.
The comments were great and very worthy of keeping the dialogue going. I'd be surprised if the steroids/HGH issue doesn't arise again so we'll return to the subject at that time. Thanks again.
Smith might be on to something because there really is a very fine line between playoff contention and 0-16. Detroit can't be more than 3-4 dozen players away from being a viable Super Bowl caliber team.
Its gotten nearly inevitable to feel sympathy for NBA officials (no, really). When a ref makes a call and the league comes in later and changes his on-court ruling from a Hard Foul 2 to a Flagrant Foul 1 or a Rocky lll or a Leonard Part 6 wouldn't it seem logical for the officials to begin second-guessing themselves at the worst possible moment-during real time game action? Simplifying things would seem simple enough. The old-time refs didn't have to perform an immediate psychological evaluation of the player to decide whether the punch thrown was caused by too much or too little parental attention as a child. Back when dirty was dirty there was an ejection-period. Even the rocket scientists playing and coaching pro basketball would figure that out eventually and discipline the play accordingly. The NBA product, as always, is crap-tastic.
As much as I hate to say the Kronwall hit on Havlat looked borderline enough to question the ejection, with Kronwalls' rep for leaving his feet to make a hit the call tossing him had to be expected. It being a Euro on Euro shot the penalty should have been a double minor for littering at worst though.
Sidenote: Its painful watching Steve Yzerman closing his eyes and looking concerned for the injured player laying prone while Mike Babcock is playing confused and innocent. Betcha can't guess which one has been laid out glassy-eyes on the ice before. You're a disgrace Babcock.
Fact is, if Bettman and the owners had any integrity they'd go about allowing some integrity to work its way back into the on-ice product. Dropping the instigator rule would be a great start. If dirty players like Kronwall knew they'd have to answer the bell for their cheapshots they'd either clean it up or find themselves playing back in Europe-where that style of play is not only tolerated but expected.
Brett Favre is scheduled for an upcoming surgery. Hopefully the lobotomy will take this time.
Thanks for reading.
My apologies to some of you who commented Tuesday. There were computer issues preventing me from responding to your replies. Basically the rodent running the wheel in the back is on his last breath.
The comments were great and very worthy of keeping the dialogue going. I'd be surprised if the steroids/HGH issue doesn't arise again so we'll return to the subject at that time. Thanks again.
MLB Tough Love Summer Vacation Travel Guide
Manny and Ster-Rod save major league baseball? Wouldn't that make for quite a headline? Is it really possible the two biggest names among the cheats could be the same guys who restore the faith and trust that fans once felt toward major league baseball? Their getting caught provides the inspiration to make it possible....if the fans have any guts.
The comments of Beezer and Harry from a couple of weeks ago wondering about the identities of the List of 104 got me thinking. Do we really need to know those names? Truth is we don't. The fans have the ammunition to force the hands of Commissioner Bud and his merry band of Owner Stooges....but only if we are truly serious about wanting baseball cleaned up.
When the Dodgers and Yankees come to your town, be somewhere else. Take the kids to Yellowstone, your wife or girlfriend to Paris for dinner, paint your basement Edmonton Oilers colors, do ANYTHING but go to a major league baseball game. Those teams will leave soon, and you can return to your normal afternoon bleacher routine. If stadiums stand empty when Dodger Blue and Yankee Pinstripes are present don't you think that even the geniuses who've been ruining baseball and screwing the fans all these years will figure out the common thread: Those teams have the highest profile cheats in major league baseball. Even one of Americas' dumbest and most unethical groups of millionaires can do that math.
The owners don't and won't want that happening to their personal bottom lines. They have shown us often enough that they're pretty good at publicly circling the wagons, but privately there'd be plenty of phone chatter back and forth. If its perfectly crystal clear to them that the only way to bring the fans and their wallets back is to clean up the product they'll do it, even it has to be done in a kicking and screaming fashion. In this case Gordon Gecko is right-greed is good. Fans can use the ample greed of the owners to our advantage. The owners only understand green and the lack of.
Tainted players might be dropped slowly and discreetly, but they'll disappear. We might never know who did or didn't cheat but the roster turnover will give us a general idea of how slimed our favorite team really is/was. If the idea that your favorite team might have cheats on it scares you go ahead and bury your head in the sand. Do nothing further to help fix the issue. Otherwise....
The challenge is yours folks: If you truly want baseball to be clean put your outrage where your wallet is. If the Yankees or Dodgers come to town simply don't go. If you still decide to feed the monster don't whine about anymore.
The choice is yours people. You have the power. Put up or shut up.
Thanks for reading.
The comments of Beezer and Harry from a couple of weeks ago wondering about the identities of the List of 104 got me thinking. Do we really need to know those names? Truth is we don't. The fans have the ammunition to force the hands of Commissioner Bud and his merry band of Owner Stooges....but only if we are truly serious about wanting baseball cleaned up.
When the Dodgers and Yankees come to your town, be somewhere else. Take the kids to Yellowstone, your wife or girlfriend to Paris for dinner, paint your basement Edmonton Oilers colors, do ANYTHING but go to a major league baseball game. Those teams will leave soon, and you can return to your normal afternoon bleacher routine. If stadiums stand empty when Dodger Blue and Yankee Pinstripes are present don't you think that even the geniuses who've been ruining baseball and screwing the fans all these years will figure out the common thread: Those teams have the highest profile cheats in major league baseball. Even one of Americas' dumbest and most unethical groups of millionaires can do that math.
The owners don't and won't want that happening to their personal bottom lines. They have shown us often enough that they're pretty good at publicly circling the wagons, but privately there'd be plenty of phone chatter back and forth. If its perfectly crystal clear to them that the only way to bring the fans and their wallets back is to clean up the product they'll do it, even it has to be done in a kicking and screaming fashion. In this case Gordon Gecko is right-greed is good. Fans can use the ample greed of the owners to our advantage. The owners only understand green and the lack of.
Tainted players might be dropped slowly and discreetly, but they'll disappear. We might never know who did or didn't cheat but the roster turnover will give us a general idea of how slimed our favorite team really is/was. If the idea that your favorite team might have cheats on it scares you go ahead and bury your head in the sand. Do nothing further to help fix the issue. Otherwise....
The challenge is yours folks: If you truly want baseball to be clean put your outrage where your wallet is. If the Yankees or Dodgers come to town simply don't go. If you still decide to feed the monster don't whine about anymore.
The choice is yours people. You have the power. Put up or shut up.
Thanks for reading.
Misplaced Anger and Selective Outrage P.2 5/13/09
You have to know your life is in the dumper when you're arrested for stalking AJ Feeley. An underachieving stalker would seem uncommon, but the very idea still should strike fear into the hearts of backup punters and light-hitting utility infielders everywhere.
Brett Favre has now officially replaced Terrell Owens as the skid mark on the shorts of professional football.
Everything there is to dislike about the tinkering with rules in the NHL is on display in the NBA. There used to be a foul and a technical foul. Now there's the foul, the hard foul 1, hard foul 2, flagrant foul, technical foul, holiday fowl, and above all a foul odor, The NHL enforcement office should consider hiring a couple NASA physicists to explain how an unpenalized hit can warrant a suspension while a penalized action that even a blind man recognizes as dirty goes without additional punishment. The NBA enforcement? Its crap-tastic.
Ovechkin summarizes the European style with the knee-on-knee on his 'friend' Sergei Gonchar. Coupling this with the Brashear hit it appears the Capitols play just dirty enough to be the next team to take a dive in the Finals against the Hockeytown Europe Red Wings.
Mark Cuban was so upset with Kenyon Martins' play that he confronted Kenyon Martins'......MOTHER! Its unclear what sort of neighborhood Cuban grew up in, or for that matter what gender boarding school he attended, but if he were truly that angry he'd have kept his focus squarely on Kenyon Martin. Attacking a mans' family is gutless in itself, but there are still places left in the world where a special sort of 'chat' would be attended on someone who treats a woman so disrespectfully-let alone a guys' Mom.
As long as Congress has seen fit to stick their collective noses into the sporting world all too often the last few years, I'll take this moment to stick my sporting middle finger up Washingtons' collective nose with a simple enough question (hopefully someone out there can provide an answer). In the spirit of 'sacrifice' that is being rammed down the throat of the general public, I'm wondering if anyone can tell me whether any member of Congress, any at all, would consider it a show of solidarity with the masses to refuse the $35,000 raise each and every one of them receives this year?
End of Game 6 scrum Ducks have four players rack up a total of 36 penalty minutes, the Chicken Wings two players for ten. Anyone else still holding on to the belief that there isn't a definite benefit of the doubt reserved for Hockeytown Europe?
Thanks for reading.
Brett Favre has now officially replaced Terrell Owens as the skid mark on the shorts of professional football.
Everything there is to dislike about the tinkering with rules in the NHL is on display in the NBA. There used to be a foul and a technical foul. Now there's the foul, the hard foul 1, hard foul 2, flagrant foul, technical foul, holiday fowl, and above all a foul odor, The NHL enforcement office should consider hiring a couple NASA physicists to explain how an unpenalized hit can warrant a suspension while a penalized action that even a blind man recognizes as dirty goes without additional punishment. The NBA enforcement? Its crap-tastic.
Ovechkin summarizes the European style with the knee-on-knee on his 'friend' Sergei Gonchar. Coupling this with the Brashear hit it appears the Capitols play just dirty enough to be the next team to take a dive in the Finals against the Hockeytown Europe Red Wings.
Mark Cuban was so upset with Kenyon Martins' play that he confronted Kenyon Martins'......MOTHER! Its unclear what sort of neighborhood Cuban grew up in, or for that matter what gender boarding school he attended, but if he were truly that angry he'd have kept his focus squarely on Kenyon Martin. Attacking a mans' family is gutless in itself, but there are still places left in the world where a special sort of 'chat' would be attended on someone who treats a woman so disrespectfully-let alone a guys' Mom.
As long as Congress has seen fit to stick their collective noses into the sporting world all too often the last few years, I'll take this moment to stick my sporting middle finger up Washingtons' collective nose with a simple enough question (hopefully someone out there can provide an answer). In the spirit of 'sacrifice' that is being rammed down the throat of the general public, I'm wondering if anyone can tell me whether any member of Congress, any at all, would consider it a show of solidarity with the masses to refuse the $35,000 raise each and every one of them receives this year?
End of Game 6 scrum Ducks have four players rack up a total of 36 penalty minutes, the Chicken Wings two players for ten. Anyone else still holding on to the belief that there isn't a definite benefit of the doubt reserved for Hockeytown Europe?
Thanks for reading.
Misplaced Anger and Selective Outrage Part 1 5/12/09
An open letter to Albert Pujols
Dear Mr. Pujols (being a Cards fan may I call you Albert?):
Your request of the media to be asked questions pertaining only to the St. Louis Cardinals is understandable, but you're dead friggin wrong about Manny Ramirez being a 'Dodger problem'. Manny is a baseball problem-players, owners, and, most importantly, the fans. Albert, you make a very nice living playing professional baseball. Have you ever wondered about the source of your income? The name in the corner of your paycheck might not be mine, or that of the hot dog guy in the bleachers, or the guy who directs traffic outside the stadium, but we're the folks who buy the tickets, the programs, the beers and sodas, and the Pujols jerseys that make it possible for the owner to pay you. We live in places like Russell, Kansas and Rapid City, SD and believe it or not Los Angeles. You know Albert, that town where Manny plays. That makes it your problem too.
I do realize that under normal circumstances the commissioner would be expected to manage the league image, but that position has been vacant for nearly seventeen years now. The owners can't be trusted to fix the situation either, since they haven't as yet figured out that they don't even have a coherent mouthpiece or wooden figurehead filling the commissioners' chair. This has to be the dumbest group of millionaires ever assembled. Even the ones in the NBA and NHL look like Mensa members in comparison. That leaves the players to police themselves Albert.
I also understand that being a professional baseball player is a small and select community and that its reflex to close ranks when your collective integrity is in question, but its also in your best interests to keep your individual reputations and good names clean-no pun intended. Weeding out the dirty among you would be a very big start toward restoring the public faith that has slowly eroded among the fan base.
Then again, maybe you're right Albert. You, and for that matter anyone else making a living in major league baseball, shouldn't be responsible for upholding the integrity of the game. You are simply a baseball player. The responsibility should fall on the fans. We are the ones who really control things.
Manny played for the Red Sox and Indians before he got caught with the Dodgers. McGwire played for the A's and Cardinals. Ster-Rod Seattle, Texas, and New York. Was there a team that between them Canseco or Palmeiro DIDN'T play for? Clemens followed the money to Texas to Boston to Canada to New York. The fact is its easy to point and laugh because the cheaters play or played for another fans' team. Its one hell of a lot tougher to look in the mirror and start considering the big picture. One fan walking away isn't going to affect the river of green feeding the baseball monster, but imagine what would happen if the Yankees or Dodgers came to town and Tigers Stadium or Coors Field was half full or (in my perfect fantasy world) completely empty? Think that'd draw some attention?
Truth is, we as fans are as spineless as many of us feel Commissioner Bud is. We bitch and whine about cheaters. We tease the fans of teams with cheaters on their rosters. But we still fall all over ourselves scrambling to get those good seats along the third base line. If the fans were as true to themselves (and each other) as they claim to be, and really gave a damn about abstract concepts like 'the integrity of the game', stadiums and arenas would be sitting half- or completely empty across the landscape of the big four sports. As long as we continue to blindly throw our money into their troughs all leagues will continue to carry that stench of dirty rotten cheaters. Think about that the next time your buddy calls about front row seats to the Lakers game. You can always go play catch with your kid in the backyard.
Sorry Albert, you're right. It isn't your problem. It's mine. It's ours. Thanks for your time.
Food for thought: The list of 104 got much publicity awhile back. Considering some of the latest revelations lets call the number of cheaters in major league baseball roughly 10%. My question to all of you is this-If the manager of your favorite grocery store told you that 10% of the product in his store was tainted would you continue to shop there? Think about it.
Dear Mr. Pujols (being a Cards fan may I call you Albert?):
Your request of the media to be asked questions pertaining only to the St. Louis Cardinals is understandable, but you're dead friggin wrong about Manny Ramirez being a 'Dodger problem'. Manny is a baseball problem-players, owners, and, most importantly, the fans. Albert, you make a very nice living playing professional baseball. Have you ever wondered about the source of your income? The name in the corner of your paycheck might not be mine, or that of the hot dog guy in the bleachers, or the guy who directs traffic outside the stadium, but we're the folks who buy the tickets, the programs, the beers and sodas, and the Pujols jerseys that make it possible for the owner to pay you. We live in places like Russell, Kansas and Rapid City, SD and believe it or not Los Angeles. You know Albert, that town where Manny plays. That makes it your problem too.
I do realize that under normal circumstances the commissioner would be expected to manage the league image, but that position has been vacant for nearly seventeen years now. The owners can't be trusted to fix the situation either, since they haven't as yet figured out that they don't even have a coherent mouthpiece or wooden figurehead filling the commissioners' chair. This has to be the dumbest group of millionaires ever assembled. Even the ones in the NBA and NHL look like Mensa members in comparison. That leaves the players to police themselves Albert.
I also understand that being a professional baseball player is a small and select community and that its reflex to close ranks when your collective integrity is in question, but its also in your best interests to keep your individual reputations and good names clean-no pun intended. Weeding out the dirty among you would be a very big start toward restoring the public faith that has slowly eroded among the fan base.
Then again, maybe you're right Albert. You, and for that matter anyone else making a living in major league baseball, shouldn't be responsible for upholding the integrity of the game. You are simply a baseball player. The responsibility should fall on the fans. We are the ones who really control things.
Manny played for the Red Sox and Indians before he got caught with the Dodgers. McGwire played for the A's and Cardinals. Ster-Rod Seattle, Texas, and New York. Was there a team that between them Canseco or Palmeiro DIDN'T play for? Clemens followed the money to Texas to Boston to Canada to New York. The fact is its easy to point and laugh because the cheaters play or played for another fans' team. Its one hell of a lot tougher to look in the mirror and start considering the big picture. One fan walking away isn't going to affect the river of green feeding the baseball monster, but imagine what would happen if the Yankees or Dodgers came to town and Tigers Stadium or Coors Field was half full or (in my perfect fantasy world) completely empty? Think that'd draw some attention?
Truth is, we as fans are as spineless as many of us feel Commissioner Bud is. We bitch and whine about cheaters. We tease the fans of teams with cheaters on their rosters. But we still fall all over ourselves scrambling to get those good seats along the third base line. If the fans were as true to themselves (and each other) as they claim to be, and really gave a damn about abstract concepts like 'the integrity of the game', stadiums and arenas would be sitting half- or completely empty across the landscape of the big four sports. As long as we continue to blindly throw our money into their troughs all leagues will continue to carry that stench of dirty rotten cheaters. Think about that the next time your buddy calls about front row seats to the Lakers game. You can always go play catch with your kid in the backyard.
Sorry Albert, you're right. It isn't your problem. It's mine. It's ours. Thanks for your time.
Food for thought: The list of 104 got much publicity awhile back. Considering some of the latest revelations lets call the number of cheaters in major league baseball roughly 10%. My question to all of you is this-If the manager of your favorite grocery store told you that 10% of the product in his store was tainted would you continue to shop there? Think about it.
That Old Rundown Feeling 5/1/09
As many times as I've looked the last few days since the Rangers season ended, I have yet to see the name Blair Betts anywhere on any list of tough guys, which should make Donald Brashear that much more of an embarrassment to anyone who ever played the game before. That Brashear might play again this season while Betts recovers from a broken orbitol bone confirms that the NHL needs an immediate Colin-oscopy to determine whether Campbell should join Commissioner Gary in the unemployment line. A common sense punishment would have been an indefinite suspension ending only when Betts is able to play again. Sadly, since the instigator rule remains (the league prefers the more refined and civilized European use of sticks as weapons) we can only hope that someone-ANYONE-will take it upon themselves to put a stick across a Brashear ankle.
Kudos to Paul Mara for confronting Brashear before the coward could hide under the bench.
Thank you Tony Gonzalez for the quality years in the Chiefs uniform. You remained a class act on and off the field even when the team fortunes soured. Best of luck to with the Falcons.
Who the hell is Tyson Jackson?
This week a House subcommittee began hearings on the B(C)S Championship. Fortunately there haven't been any more pressing matters like a national health scare, government planes buzzing ground zero, or troops fighting terrorists in the Middle East to deal with. Are the two major political parties really the best we can come up with in the way of leadership? Right now the only difference between this bunch and the Politburo of some third world country is the looting of the central banks.
The proposed name for the Cowboys brand spanking new stadium is being kept very hush-hush. How about Tarrant County Correctional Facility? Just a thought.
Actual headline: Estranged wife of equipment manager tries to extort money from Rick Pitino. I don't speak Spanish, but this story really is estrange and will likely need further esplaining.
Matthew Stafford 2009 playbook: Drop back five steps and assume the fetal position. Run play three times, head to the sideline to suggest the Lions consider investing in some less offensive offensive linemen.
R.I.P Frank Gansz. Condolences to your family and friends.
Kudos to Paul Mara for confronting Brashear before the coward could hide under the bench.
Thank you Tony Gonzalez for the quality years in the Chiefs uniform. You remained a class act on and off the field even when the team fortunes soured. Best of luck to with the Falcons.
Who the hell is Tyson Jackson?
This week a House subcommittee began hearings on the B(C)S Championship. Fortunately there haven't been any more pressing matters like a national health scare, government planes buzzing ground zero, or troops fighting terrorists in the Middle East to deal with. Are the two major political parties really the best we can come up with in the way of leadership? Right now the only difference between this bunch and the Politburo of some third world country is the looting of the central banks.
The proposed name for the Cowboys brand spanking new stadium is being kept very hush-hush. How about Tarrant County Correctional Facility? Just a thought.
Actual headline: Estranged wife of equipment manager tries to extort money from Rick Pitino. I don't speak Spanish, but this story really is estrange and will likely need further esplaining.
Matthew Stafford 2009 playbook: Drop back five steps and assume the fetal position. Run play three times, head to the sideline to suggest the Lions consider investing in some less offensive offensive linemen.
R.I.P Frank Gansz. Condolences to your family and friends.
Duck Duck 4/21/09
As I sit watching the hockey capitol of Europe taking a 3-0 lead against Columbus, all sorts of sarcastic thoughts come to mind. Things like congratulating Detroit for tanking the Presidents Trophy and pulling a Duck duck on Anaheim. The inexperienced Blue Jackets make for a much more attractive first round matchup.
Things like should we expect any less from the Red Wings than to take a collective leak on the spirit of competition and fair play? Their talent level is easily equalled by their gutlessness, which is sad. They'd be competitive having to spend half of each game on a power play.
Things like poetic justice would have Columbus pulling the upset, causing Maalox stock prices to rise as our beloved Commissioner Gary tries to find some solace over the loss of
his cherished ace in the hole.
However.........
As the game of hockey flourishes elsewhere, maybe its just the NHL that's the problem. How is an atmosphere created where continued whining and diving is not only condoned, but promoted? Not in juniors. Not in college. Only in the Bettman backyard. Hmmm,
Call me a heretic if you must but maybe, just maybe, two of the greatest point producers in the history of the NHL have also contributed mightily to the destruction of the league. Believe it or not, Wayne Gretzky and Maria Lemieux are responsible for the sham we call the top professional league in the world.
Consider that Bill McCreary (no, not the ref) never saw the light of another day in the NHL after a legal open ice hit on Gretzky back in 1981. Whether an edict from the league office or a group decision by the owners, McCreary was sent to the minors the following day. Whether Gretzky is the all-time best player or not, no one player can ever be bigger than the game. That McCreary got the career equivalent of the Jimmy Hoffa treatment is a disgrace. But, it helped to create the climate of double standard that we see in the game today
Anyone remember former Pens owner Howard Baldwin whining about how his star players were soooo abused? It almost seems embarrassing looking back. Considering their dimensions its hard to figure why Maria Lemieux and Andrea Jaeger, oops, sorry, Jaromir Jagr, couldn't defend themselves. (My sincerest apologies to Ms. Jaeger. I get the former womens tennis star mixed up with Jagr all the time, if only because during his career Jagr showed all the physical toughness of a former womens tennis star.) Rule changes were put into place to protect the leagues' Next Big Thing and voila, suddenly Lemieux is Super Mario. A pair of sham Cup wins followed.
As the NHL product continued to degenerate, more and more rule 'adjustments', expansions, and gimmicks followed. Meanwhile, old-time hockey people earned nicknames like dinosaur for decrying the changes and longing for the days not so long ago when the game played in the NHL could still be called hockey.
Once the doors of lowered- and double-standards are opened they can't be closed. When individual players or teams operate under a different set of rules its a tough turn to bring back disenchanted and distrusting fans. That stuff in the NHL just doesn't look much like hockey anymore. No matter how you cut it Pavel, Datsucks.
Remember, in case of fire Red Wings and children first.
P.S. Can someone notify the Yankees that their new stadium is done? Whose idea was it anyway for them to play their first home stand in Williamsport?
Thanks for reading.
Things like should we expect any less from the Red Wings than to take a collective leak on the spirit of competition and fair play? Their talent level is easily equalled by their gutlessness, which is sad. They'd be competitive having to spend half of each game on a power play.
Things like poetic justice would have Columbus pulling the upset, causing Maalox stock prices to rise as our beloved Commissioner Gary tries to find some solace over the loss of
his cherished ace in the hole.
However.........
As the game of hockey flourishes elsewhere, maybe its just the NHL that's the problem. How is an atmosphere created where continued whining and diving is not only condoned, but promoted? Not in juniors. Not in college. Only in the Bettman backyard. Hmmm,
Call me a heretic if you must but maybe, just maybe, two of the greatest point producers in the history of the NHL have also contributed mightily to the destruction of the league. Believe it or not, Wayne Gretzky and Maria Lemieux are responsible for the sham we call the top professional league in the world.
Consider that Bill McCreary (no, not the ref) never saw the light of another day in the NHL after a legal open ice hit on Gretzky back in 1981. Whether an edict from the league office or a group decision by the owners, McCreary was sent to the minors the following day. Whether Gretzky is the all-time best player or not, no one player can ever be bigger than the game. That McCreary got the career equivalent of the Jimmy Hoffa treatment is a disgrace. But, it helped to create the climate of double standard that we see in the game today
Anyone remember former Pens owner Howard Baldwin whining about how his star players were soooo abused? It almost seems embarrassing looking back. Considering their dimensions its hard to figure why Maria Lemieux and Andrea Jaeger, oops, sorry, Jaromir Jagr, couldn't defend themselves. (My sincerest apologies to Ms. Jaeger. I get the former womens tennis star mixed up with Jagr all the time, if only because during his career Jagr showed all the physical toughness of a former womens tennis star.) Rule changes were put into place to protect the leagues' Next Big Thing and voila, suddenly Lemieux is Super Mario. A pair of sham Cup wins followed.
As the NHL product continued to degenerate, more and more rule 'adjustments', expansions, and gimmicks followed. Meanwhile, old-time hockey people earned nicknames like dinosaur for decrying the changes and longing for the days not so long ago when the game played in the NHL could still be called hockey.
Once the doors of lowered- and double-standards are opened they can't be closed. When individual players or teams operate under a different set of rules its a tough turn to bring back disenchanted and distrusting fans. That stuff in the NHL just doesn't look much like hockey anymore. No matter how you cut it Pavel, Datsucks.
Remember, in case of fire Red Wings and children first.
P.S. Can someone notify the Yankees that their new stadium is done? Whose idea was it anyway for them to play their first home stand in Williamsport?
Thanks for reading.
Ode To Prima Donnas:Jay Cutler 4/3/09
Jay Cutler was recently compared favorably to Jeff George. I never thought I'd ever say this seriously about any QB, but Jay? You're no Jeff George. As it goes you're no Phyllis George.
Jay Cutler was traded to the Bears for two first-round picks, a third-round, and Kyle Orton. Thats about two firsts and a Kyle Orton more than he's worth. At least.
The reputation of Jay Cutler has taken such a hit recently that the Titans now look like geniuses for drafting Vince Young.
Jay? Ya gotta know you've screwed the pooch when even Brett Favre is pointing and laughing.
Once his career is finished Jay Cutlers' lasting contribution to modern football technology will be the prototype pacifier-shaped mouthpiece.
Jay Cutler will singlehandedly make the Bears what they once were. 4-12.
Jay? Jared Allen called. He's missed you, and can't wait to get reacquainted. Maybe Denver wasn't so bad eh?
Feel free to add your own.
Jay Cutler was traded to the Bears for two first-round picks, a third-round, and Kyle Orton. Thats about two firsts and a Kyle Orton more than he's worth. At least.
The reputation of Jay Cutler has taken such a hit recently that the Titans now look like geniuses for drafting Vince Young.
Jay? Ya gotta know you've screwed the pooch when even Brett Favre is pointing and laughing.
Once his career is finished Jay Cutlers' lasting contribution to modern football technology will be the prototype pacifier-shaped mouthpiece.
Jay Cutler will singlehandedly make the Bears what they once were. 4-12.
Jay? Jared Allen called. He's missed you, and can't wait to get reacquainted. Maybe Denver wasn't so bad eh?
Feel free to add your own.
Clearing the Post-Its Again 3/24/09
The slippery slope of 'its overblown, its not that bad, its what the game needs' seems to have been crossed now that Alexander Ovechkin has found his dancing skates. Truth is his little show isn't good for hockey and it should be nipped in the bud before it gets legs-no pun intended. No excuses about penalizing one of the games bigger stars apply. No player is, or should be, bigger than the game. The game of hockey can and would sell itself with even half-decent leadership and marketing. That's just how it is. Instead of adding more and more modifications to the rulebook or mind numbing sideshow distractions how about scaling back? Hockey survived for a long time by allowing the players some leeway to police themselves. Dignity, honor, and humility shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of the almighty TV contract. Hockey appears to be at a crossroads. Will the NHL take the high road and prove to the world what some of us already know-that the game of hockey holds to a higher standard? Or, will it pander to the high-maintenance short-term memory fan who needs a continuous diet of newer bigger shinier objects to hold their attention?
Then again, I could be wrong. Look how well selling out to the lowest common denominator has worked for the NFL and NBA.......
I don't watch much basketball anymore, but the college playoffs did grab some of my attention over the weekend. Can anyone explain to me why Tyler Hansbrough flops around so much, or if he's in pain from some sort of severe gas attack? It sure seems that way on every close-up of him whining to the officials. If the NBA doesn't pan out he'd fit in well playing for the Red Wings.
The World Baseball deal is over. About all I caught of it was Adam Dunn striking out. More will have to be done to attract the casual fan to this tournament, since we can see the same thing 200 or so times during the regular baseball season.
Minnesota Wild fans need to begin taking stock of themselves. The same folks who took a 'much bigger' Sheldon Souray to task for picking on poor Craig Weller awhile back displayed a disturbing glee recently in watching Avs forward Cody McCormick being ragdolled by 6-foot-8 John Scott (note to readers: few arguments are more effective than 'but, thats different'). Having it both ways doesn't work any better in a hockey arena than it does in the real world folks. Its almost embarrassing to watch a good hockey state being represented by a fan base steeped in ignorance and hypocrisy. Upgrading their broadcast team couldn't do anything but help. Two mimes would be a marked improvement over Greenlay and Gorg.
Why Duke won't go much further in the NCAA tournament in two words or less: Greg and Paulus.
There isn't much more to say about Donte Stallworth than has already been said. Its time for the NFL to officially give him the permanent boot so he can finally be adopted by the Kennedys.
Is Barack Obama running the country or working for ESPN? Or maybe the question is whether ESPN is still a (pseudo) sports network or have they tanked as much as the regular news media? The President does seem a bit more coherent than Dickie V or Woody Paige though. Somewhere in there is a compliment, albeit a backhanded one.
The Jets search for a starting QB for the 2009 season is finally over with the news that Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has announced his retirement from baseball. If he doesn't pan out tennis great Kim Clijsters is said to be considering a return. As long as that guy from down south stays away. Anything but that again.
Then again, I could be wrong. Look how well selling out to the lowest common denominator has worked for the NFL and NBA.......
I don't watch much basketball anymore, but the college playoffs did grab some of my attention over the weekend. Can anyone explain to me why Tyler Hansbrough flops around so much, or if he's in pain from some sort of severe gas attack? It sure seems that way on every close-up of him whining to the officials. If the NBA doesn't pan out he'd fit in well playing for the Red Wings.
The World Baseball deal is over. About all I caught of it was Adam Dunn striking out. More will have to be done to attract the casual fan to this tournament, since we can see the same thing 200 or so times during the regular baseball season.
Minnesota Wild fans need to begin taking stock of themselves. The same folks who took a 'much bigger' Sheldon Souray to task for picking on poor Craig Weller awhile back displayed a disturbing glee recently in watching Avs forward Cody McCormick being ragdolled by 6-foot-8 John Scott (note to readers: few arguments are more effective than 'but, thats different'). Having it both ways doesn't work any better in a hockey arena than it does in the real world folks. Its almost embarrassing to watch a good hockey state being represented by a fan base steeped in ignorance and hypocrisy. Upgrading their broadcast team couldn't do anything but help. Two mimes would be a marked improvement over Greenlay and Gorg.
Why Duke won't go much further in the NCAA tournament in two words or less: Greg and Paulus.
There isn't much more to say about Donte Stallworth than has already been said. Its time for the NFL to officially give him the permanent boot so he can finally be adopted by the Kennedys.
Is Barack Obama running the country or working for ESPN? Or maybe the question is whether ESPN is still a (pseudo) sports network or have they tanked as much as the regular news media? The President does seem a bit more coherent than Dickie V or Woody Paige though. Somewhere in there is a compliment, albeit a backhanded one.
The Jets search for a starting QB for the 2009 season is finally over with the news that Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has announced his retirement from baseball. If he doesn't pan out tennis great Kim Clijsters is said to be considering a return. As long as that guy from down south stays away. Anything but that again.
Big 4: State of the Onion 3/5/09
How our games have changed over the years, debatably whether for the better. Dancing football players, non-fighting hockey players, basketball players who're so athetically gifted they're better at bodybuilding than the actual playing of basketball, and baseball players who're twice as big as the last generation hitting home runs in parks that're half as big as those of the previous generation. Can the upside-down turning of our games be corrected? Hard to say, but here are some ideas to consider....
MLB-Bud Selig (in the future only to be referred to here as Commissioner BS) and the owners sold their souls and the integrity of the game fifteen years ago. Plenty of blame is out there to be shared by both players and owners, and they should feel the sting equally. Until the 2019 season the highest ticket seats will sell for $19.94, with all cheaper seats to be adjusted accordingly downward. Since it seems the only way to get the attention of the owners and the 'man' they chose to ru(i)n baseball is through their pocketbooks, maybe this would be enough of a kick in the wallet.
The players? Ah yes, the players. They get a reverse Jackie Robinson-type distinction. All players will be issued uniform #94 with specially designed patches. Players who have served suspensions for steroid/HGH usage will wear a scarlet lettered 'DF' patch, with the remaining players proudly sporting a 'BS' logo to loudly call attention to their silence and thus tacit approval of the cheating that was going on under their noses. That those initials might have meanings other than 'Donald Fehr' and 'Bud Selig' are simply products of your overactive imaginations.
Congratulations Commissioner BS, you've cemented your legacy as the 'man' who put the BS in baseball. Shame on all of you.
SIDENOTE: Lets stop any more talk of a suspension for SteRod. Being saddled with Madonna is more than punishment enough.
NHL-A much easier and quicker fix to be had:
1. Fire Gary Bettman and hire ANYONE else.
2. Drop the instigator rule. This point can't be stressed enough.
3. If the West Stockholm Red Wings continue to be allowed to play half of each game on the power play, then they play the entire playoffs shorthanded.
SIDENOTE: Also, after every Wings goal scored the PA guy will be required to play a cut from Diver Down.
NFL-No Fun League? The fun is in the playing of the game, not the look-at-me crap. This is football, not daycare. Roger Goodell is doing a decent job overall, but if the league is serious about limiting the choreographed 'spontaneous celebrating' they should put some real teeth into the punishments. The fines are a joke. How about a tiered system: first offense-ejection and four game suspension without pay, second offense-ejection and eight game suspension w/o pay, third offense-ejection and one calender year suspension w/o pay. After the third strike its a lifetime ban. The game survived without onfield dancing for decades before, it'd survive again too.
SIDENOTE: Another city-wide hostage crisis was averted when Brett Favre retired quickly (for him) after the season. He'll work for ESPN, but the 49ers, Lions, and Bills will stay interested anyway. The guy is like a bad rash that just won't go away completely.
NBA-This might be the closest to a lost cause. Commissioner Sterno dawdled while the league burned-its not just the smoke coming from Rasheed's locker this time either Dave. More realistic fundamental basketball is being played in the WNBA.
SIDENOTE: I've never liked the feeling out there in segments of the public that the purchase of a ticket to a sporting event empowers the fan with a right to do and say anything without sanction. You've bought a pass to watch a sporting event, not a license to act like a jackass. However, with all of the chest-thumping butt-bumping head-stomping classlessness exhibited by the players should we really expect any better conduct from the folks watching?
MLB-Bud Selig (in the future only to be referred to here as Commissioner BS) and the owners sold their souls and the integrity of the game fifteen years ago. Plenty of blame is out there to be shared by both players and owners, and they should feel the sting equally. Until the 2019 season the highest ticket seats will sell for $19.94, with all cheaper seats to be adjusted accordingly downward. Since it seems the only way to get the attention of the owners and the 'man' they chose to ru(i)n baseball is through their pocketbooks, maybe this would be enough of a kick in the wallet.
The players? Ah yes, the players. They get a reverse Jackie Robinson-type distinction. All players will be issued uniform #94 with specially designed patches. Players who have served suspensions for steroid/HGH usage will wear a scarlet lettered 'DF' patch, with the remaining players proudly sporting a 'BS' logo to loudly call attention to their silence and thus tacit approval of the cheating that was going on under their noses. That those initials might have meanings other than 'Donald Fehr' and 'Bud Selig' are simply products of your overactive imaginations.
Congratulations Commissioner BS, you've cemented your legacy as the 'man' who put the BS in baseball. Shame on all of you.
SIDENOTE: Lets stop any more talk of a suspension for SteRod. Being saddled with Madonna is more than punishment enough.
NHL-A much easier and quicker fix to be had:
1. Fire Gary Bettman and hire ANYONE else.
2. Drop the instigator rule. This point can't be stressed enough.
3. If the West Stockholm Red Wings continue to be allowed to play half of each game on the power play, then they play the entire playoffs shorthanded.
SIDENOTE: Also, after every Wings goal scored the PA guy will be required to play a cut from Diver Down.
NFL-No Fun League? The fun is in the playing of the game, not the look-at-me crap. This is football, not daycare. Roger Goodell is doing a decent job overall, but if the league is serious about limiting the choreographed 'spontaneous celebrating' they should put some real teeth into the punishments. The fines are a joke. How about a tiered system: first offense-ejection and four game suspension without pay, second offense-ejection and eight game suspension w/o pay, third offense-ejection and one calender year suspension w/o pay. After the third strike its a lifetime ban. The game survived without onfield dancing for decades before, it'd survive again too.
SIDENOTE: Another city-wide hostage crisis was averted when Brett Favre retired quickly (for him) after the season. He'll work for ESPN, but the 49ers, Lions, and Bills will stay interested anyway. The guy is like a bad rash that just won't go away completely.
NBA-This might be the closest to a lost cause. Commissioner Sterno dawdled while the league burned-its not just the smoke coming from Rasheed's locker this time either Dave. More realistic fundamental basketball is being played in the WNBA.
SIDENOTE: I've never liked the feeling out there in segments of the public that the purchase of a ticket to a sporting event empowers the fan with a right to do and say anything without sanction. You've bought a pass to watch a sporting event, not a license to act like a jackass. However, with all of the chest-thumping butt-bumping head-stomping classlessness exhibited by the players should we really expect any better conduct from the folks watching?
Plain Brown Wrapper 11/6/08
Day 2783 of the Al Davis Senility Watch: The Raiders recently release DB DeAngelo Hall, eight games into a seven year $70 million contract. At the press conference announcing the decision the Man In Black was quoted 'He's not the Asante Samuel I hired. Now where the heck is Lane with my latte and slippers?'
The father of an Ohio State receiver says the university is 'intentionally trying to ruin his son's career' by suspending the athlete for missing class. I'm not sure what 'career' the guy is talking about but if his kid can't even make it to a course on basketweaving the pros aren't exactly going to be beating down his door expecting he'll show more interest in learning football on a more advanced level.
Barry Bonds lawyers appealed to the judge overseeing his perjury trial to throw out the bulk of the case, saying that some of the questions that were asked in the grand jury portion were 'ambiguous', which apparently is now a synonym for 'exposing guilt'.
Tennessee rookie running back Chris Johnson has been such a pleasant surprise this season that its rumored his teammates have nicknamed him Dos Ocho.
The Cubs are one of the teams on the short list interested in acquiring Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, who'd be a perfect fit since he's regularly on the DL at least once a season. The Cubs have lacked that roster presence since the Mark Prior years. Ahh the memories.
Is a realignment in the works for the NFL? Considering the shifting balance of power week-to-week and the overall softness in a couple of the divisions maybe its not such a bad idea . Two quick moves to stengthen the leagues would be to move Oklahoma and USC into the AFC and NFC West, respectively.
Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak complains that the Jared Allen hit on the knee of Matt Schaub was dirty. Let's play the six degrees of Gary Kubiak-Texans Coach, Denver assistant coach, Broncos QB, Broncos offensive line, teaching the art of the cut block, you'd know dirty from firsthand experience. Might be time to zip it Coach
The father of an Ohio State receiver says the university is 'intentionally trying to ruin his son's career' by suspending the athlete for missing class. I'm not sure what 'career' the guy is talking about but if his kid can't even make it to a course on basketweaving the pros aren't exactly going to be beating down his door expecting he'll show more interest in learning football on a more advanced level.
Barry Bonds lawyers appealed to the judge overseeing his perjury trial to throw out the bulk of the case, saying that some of the questions that were asked in the grand jury portion were 'ambiguous', which apparently is now a synonym for 'exposing guilt'.
Tennessee rookie running back Chris Johnson has been such a pleasant surprise this season that its rumored his teammates have nicknamed him Dos Ocho.
The Cubs are one of the teams on the short list interested in acquiring Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, who'd be a perfect fit since he's regularly on the DL at least once a season. The Cubs have lacked that roster presence since the Mark Prior years. Ahh the memories.
Is a realignment in the works for the NFL? Considering the shifting balance of power week-to-week and the overall softness in a couple of the divisions maybe its not such a bad idea . Two quick moves to stengthen the leagues would be to move Oklahoma and USC into the AFC and NFC West, respectively.
Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak complains that the Jared Allen hit on the knee of Matt Schaub was dirty. Let's play the six degrees of Gary Kubiak-Texans Coach, Denver assistant coach, Broncos QB, Broncos offensive line, teaching the art of the cut block, you'd know dirty from firsthand experience. Might be time to zip it Coach
On Your Dime 11/2/08
Congrats to the Phillies for winning the Series, and a personal thank you for finishing it before Commissioner Bud moved the rest of the Series games to Wrigley Field North in Milwaukee. You know, only because of the rain. There's no conflicts of interest at all. The reign of Bud Selig is all about the integrity of the game. Or at the very least the lack of from the top down.
Shouldn't a touchdown be overturned if the sideline plane is broken before the goal line plane?
The new Cowboys stadium ia said to having seating for 100,000. Just over 60,000 if Jerry Jones and his ego are in attendance.
With the new accusations and suspicions of banned substance usage maybe its time once again to realign and rename the conferences, making them the Artificial Football Conference and Natural Football Conference.
Hey Gary Bettman, how about no more of those silly games in Europe? The West Stockholm Red Wings already have 41 home games.
Kudos to Al Davis for his recent tribute to Gene Upshaw. As much flak as the Man in Black gets here he'll get equal amounts of credit when its due. The Man in Blue wannabe in Dallas still has much to learn.
Until there's a playoff system in place the defending national champion is Appalachian State. Arbitrarily choosing two teams to play for a mythical national championship is just that-a myth.
Loved the Clinton Portis line after the Rams debacle about Jim Zorn being too easy on the players. Correct me if I'm wrong but Jim Zorn hasn't suited up in around 25 years. Maybe the players were a bit overconfident and blew it themselves? Tinactin won't cure his foot-in-mouth disease.
Marion Jones says she'd have won the golds without taking steroids. Isn't that special? If the public were to forgive you would you please consider just going away?
Plaxico Burress claims not to be a 'distraction' to the Giants. Hey Plax, guess what? At some point a teammate should point out that the team is winning DESPITE you. Anyone else see Burress getting the Shockey treatment after the season?
Special thanks to the Lions for signing Daunte Culpepper to a two-year deal and making those Culpepper/Chiefs rumors disappear. Culpepper in a Kansas City uniform would only take a miserable season down to cartoonish vaudeville status. Watching the Chiefs this season there have been many times I've expected Benny Hill to appear chasing a half-dressed nurse around the field.
There is a newly certified bowl game beginning this season called the 'Congressional Bowl'.
The basic premise is two teams bickering and nitpicking each other apart, while accomplishing nothing, for four fifteen-minute quarters, climaxing with another victory for our elected 'leadership' over the American people. And yet we continue to fall for it. Yes Senator Reid, we'll all pull your finger.
Shouldn't a touchdown be overturned if the sideline plane is broken before the goal line plane?
The new Cowboys stadium ia said to having seating for 100,000. Just over 60,000 if Jerry Jones and his ego are in attendance.
With the new accusations and suspicions of banned substance usage maybe its time once again to realign and rename the conferences, making them the Artificial Football Conference and Natural Football Conference.
Hey Gary Bettman, how about no more of those silly games in Europe? The West Stockholm Red Wings already have 41 home games.
Kudos to Al Davis for his recent tribute to Gene Upshaw. As much flak as the Man in Black gets here he'll get equal amounts of credit when its due. The Man in Blue wannabe in Dallas still has much to learn.
Until there's a playoff system in place the defending national champion is Appalachian State. Arbitrarily choosing two teams to play for a mythical national championship is just that-a myth.
Loved the Clinton Portis line after the Rams debacle about Jim Zorn being too easy on the players. Correct me if I'm wrong but Jim Zorn hasn't suited up in around 25 years. Maybe the players were a bit overconfident and blew it themselves? Tinactin won't cure his foot-in-mouth disease.
Marion Jones says she'd have won the golds without taking steroids. Isn't that special? If the public were to forgive you would you please consider just going away?
Plaxico Burress claims not to be a 'distraction' to the Giants. Hey Plax, guess what? At some point a teammate should point out that the team is winning DESPITE you. Anyone else see Burress getting the Shockey treatment after the season?
Special thanks to the Lions for signing Daunte Culpepper to a two-year deal and making those Culpepper/Chiefs rumors disappear. Culpepper in a Kansas City uniform would only take a miserable season down to cartoonish vaudeville status. Watching the Chiefs this season there have been many times I've expected Benny Hill to appear chasing a half-dressed nurse around the field.
There is a newly certified bowl game beginning this season called the 'Congressional Bowl'.
The basic premise is two teams bickering and nitpicking each other apart, while accomplishing nothing, for four fifteen-minute quarters, climaxing with another victory for our elected 'leadership' over the American people. And yet we continue to fall for it. Yes Senator Reid, we'll all pull your finger.
Cynicism 10/22/08
First: Benefit of the doubt. Possibly a misunderstanding. Make recommendations.
Second: Something isn't quite right. Suggest counseling. Consider suspension.
Third: Address the issue directly and forcefully. Mandatory suspension.
Fourth: Termination.
Congrats to Chiefs Coach Herm Edwards for doing the right thing and 'deactivating' Larry Johnson for the game against the Jets. Equal congrats go out to Johnson for identifying that he may have issues in his life that need addressing. However.....
The Numerous Felonies League fell into a bad habit during the Paul Tagliabue years. Getting Commissioner Paul to do the right thing akin to pulling teeth. So far Roger Goodell is showing some backbone dealing with the problem of players with multiple criminal offenses. I get the impression that Goodell would prefer the teams deal with these issues internally and inserts his authority as a last resort. His is a tough position. The previous 'leadership' allowed the anything goes mentality to take hold and run unchecked for too long. Expecting Kansas City GM Carl Peterson to do the right thing, or anything, of his own accord.....maybe its best to save my feelings about the job performance of Peterson for a later writing.
Doesn't it stretch the imagination just a little bit that it has taken four incidents in five years for Johnson/Chiefs management to figure out that there might be a problem? Granted Johnson's actions haven't quite risen to Pacmanesque proportions (yet), or are anything similar to the Manny Ramirez altercation-something that could be swept under the rug and dealt with as an internal team issue. I recall news of the first Johnson incident years back, but I honestly don't remember hearing anything about the second or third. Of course, two and three could be chalked up as irrelevant since they happened when Johnson was in the midst of his best years.
Star status equals PR currency. 'Let's not deal with this right now. Larry Johnson is at the top of his marketability.' Now that #4 has happened and the luster on his star has ebbed a bit Johnson can be dealt with. Pathetic. Maybe the league or Chiefs management expected KC fans to revolt if the star running back was suspended while at the top of his game. Equally pathetic and downright insulting. Larry Johnson needed a wake-up call back then and his phone should have rang. As has been said before doing the right thing shouldn't have to be forced. How does the old saying go? True character is shown by our conduct when no one is watching?
If this is the best Chiefs fans can expect from team management go ahead and sell to Jerry Jones. At least then we'll know to be prepared for the lowest common denominator.
Thanks for reading.
Second: Something isn't quite right. Suggest counseling. Consider suspension.
Third: Address the issue directly and forcefully. Mandatory suspension.
Fourth: Termination.
Congrats to Chiefs Coach Herm Edwards for doing the right thing and 'deactivating' Larry Johnson for the game against the Jets. Equal congrats go out to Johnson for identifying that he may have issues in his life that need addressing. However.....
The Numerous Felonies League fell into a bad habit during the Paul Tagliabue years. Getting Commissioner Paul to do the right thing akin to pulling teeth. So far Roger Goodell is showing some backbone dealing with the problem of players with multiple criminal offenses. I get the impression that Goodell would prefer the teams deal with these issues internally and inserts his authority as a last resort. His is a tough position. The previous 'leadership' allowed the anything goes mentality to take hold and run unchecked for too long. Expecting Kansas City GM Carl Peterson to do the right thing, or anything, of his own accord.....maybe its best to save my feelings about the job performance of Peterson for a later writing.
Doesn't it stretch the imagination just a little bit that it has taken four incidents in five years for Johnson/Chiefs management to figure out that there might be a problem? Granted Johnson's actions haven't quite risen to Pacmanesque proportions (yet), or are anything similar to the Manny Ramirez altercation-something that could be swept under the rug and dealt with as an internal team issue. I recall news of the first Johnson incident years back, but I honestly don't remember hearing anything about the second or third. Of course, two and three could be chalked up as irrelevant since they happened when Johnson was in the midst of his best years.
Star status equals PR currency. 'Let's not deal with this right now. Larry Johnson is at the top of his marketability.' Now that #4 has happened and the luster on his star has ebbed a bit Johnson can be dealt with. Pathetic. Maybe the league or Chiefs management expected KC fans to revolt if the star running back was suspended while at the top of his game. Equally pathetic and downright insulting. Larry Johnson needed a wake-up call back then and his phone should have rang. As has been said before doing the right thing shouldn't have to be forced. How does the old saying go? True character is shown by our conduct when no one is watching?
If this is the best Chiefs fans can expect from team management go ahead and sell to Jerry Jones. At least then we'll know to be prepared for the lowest common denominator.
Thanks for reading.
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