11.06.09
Kay & Sterling – Impervious To The Charms Of Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
Granted, this couldn’t have been the part of Friday’s assignment Michael Kay relished most. But either way, he’s absolutely flunked his audition for Hot 97.
ESPN.com : Scouring The ‘Net’s Most Obscure SItes For The Finest In Reporting
A few days ago, ESPN’s Rob Neyer linked to a CSTB item, and if you don’t think I was thrilled at such acknowledgment, you’ve no idea how easily impressed I am. But that was just a tiny hyperlink. Imagine, if you will, the reactions of Pro Football Talk’s Michael Florio and Michael David Smith, upon seeing an item from the former provide such inspiration for the internet’s most widely read sports outlet. It’s got to be a dream come true!
Our Great Cultural Exchange WIth Canada : They Gave Us Chuck Biscuits, We Gave Them Charles Oakley
As part of their 15th Anniversary celebrations, the Toronto Raptors honored former PF Charles Oakley Wednesday night, an occasion that has me checking the schedule to see when Doug Christie’s number is being retired. The Globe & Mail’s Michael Grange used the opportunity to recall a time when the legendary clotheshorse/gourmand/Michael Jordan wingman wasn’t welcomed with open arms north of the border.
Seems Oak wasn’t very happy about coming to Canada. The Raptors were the NBA’s version of Siberia and coming off that epic 16-66 season, he was probably right. As the exiled toast of New York, Oak was sincerely grumpy when he pulled up to the border crossing on his way to training camp, driving up from his home in Cleveland. He’s rolling in a black BMW with tinted windows, stuffed to the gills with whatever belongings he might need to make the Royal York Hotel feel like home away from home.
The border guards are curious maybe even suspicious and Oak gets questioned. He tells them he’s on his way to play for the Raptors, but that doesn’t quite cut it. They want to see his work papers and documentation etc., but Oak doesn’t have it. They search the BMW. Tens of thousands of dollars of suits only Oak and the Ohio Players could wear are being rifled through, and who knows what else.
He’s mad. He calls his agent. “This is bull***, call (then Raptors GM) Glen Grunwald, F*** this! I’m not coming up there, I’m turning around right now.”
Diamond calls Grunwald, who in turn gets pumping on trying to find out how to get a very angry, very big, power forward admitted to Canada. On a Sunday.
The story doesn’t quite end there, but in the interests of protecting Canada’s newspaper industry, I suggest you check out the rest of it yourself.
New Mexico’s Liz Lambert – The New Face Of Women’s College Athletics
If you’re wondering what could possibly cause women’s collegiate soccer highlights to receive more airtime on the overnight “SportsCenter” than the MLS playofs, consider the unique approach of New Mexico defender Elizabeth Lambert, who might well become the female equivalent of LeGarrette Blount by noon Friday. You can add my voice to the chorus calling for a suspension —- preferably of the blind person employed by the Mountain West Conference to referee this match.
11.05.09
Ratto : LIncecum Must Be Freakishly Bored
Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum has a few more days remaining in his NL Cy Young reign, time he’s likely to spend lying low after today’s revelation he was charged with speeding and marijuana possession last week in Clark County, WA. Finally, a Bay Area icon is busted for PED’s (and if you don’t think enjoyment of Lincecum’s performances is positively enhanced by weed, would you at least believe AT&T Park’s garlic fries are just a bit tastier?) and the SF Chronicle’s Ray Ratto — no stranger to daring behavior (you’ve seen his haircut, right?) cannot hide his disgust. “High and speeding at 8 in the morning? Is life that grippingly dull in the offseason? Or are you just nuts?”
That’s the hard part to reconcile. Eight a.m. is just too early in the day to spark up, and speeding on the freeway at 8 a.m. even if you’re straight as a javelin is just asking to get caught. I mean, who else is on the road that early other than truckers? Doing both, therefore, is pretty well inexcusable.
The lessons Lincecum will earn from this, his first official brush with the law as someone whose every move is monitored, are clear. He’ll have to do all the P.R. mea culpas, but the first ought to be about vehicular safety. You can draw your personal line of outrage anywhere you want here, but it’s the driving part that is clearly the most disturbing judgmental lapse of all. That’s where the apology-fest should start, and he can take it wherever he wants (or is told to by the Giants) after that.
Whether or not 8am is too early to be high is entirely a matter of opinion. I mean, perhaps Lincecum had been up since 5. But on the topic of his driving whilst baked, the SF hurler has undoubtedly been defamed by the veteran columnist. The Chronicle’s own source for the story quotes a Washington State trooper describing Linceum as “not appearing impaired.”
Celebrating The Yankees’ 27th World Title With Typical Grace
Finally, a ring for Brian Bruney! Sincere congratulations to the New York Yankees and their humble fans on last night’s World Series-clinching 7-3 defeat of the Phillies, a victory that set off wild celebrations…in the executive offices of Modell’s Sporting Goods. While some will hail Hideki Matsui’s astonishing offensive display in Game 6 as history-making, the real postseason mark that matters was set by WCBS’ John Sterling, whose extended, orgiastic moan & groan at the game’s conclusion topped previous efforts by at least a half second. To the ears of Walkoff Walk’s Rob Iracane, Sterling is one half of the game’s finest broadcast team. No, really!
I’ve listened to radio announcers across this great land for years on the satellite and, with the exception of Scully and maybe Joe Castiglione, none of them can hold a candle to Sterling and Waldman. Despite Waldman’s one emotionally-challenged Roger Clemens moment and Sterling’s affinity for quoting lyrics from 1940’s Broadway musicals, there is no greater pair on the radio today.
WAC : Why Not Let Don Draper Pick The National Champion?
(above : the sharpest media manipulator money can buy…in the state of Idaho)
OK, that’s not actually what the Western Athletic Conference is advocating. I think. But ESPN’s Graham Watson reports the WAC has enlisted the services of Boise-based PR firm Scott Peyron & Associates to assist their efforts in promoting no. 7 Boise State as a legit national title contender.
The role of Scott Peyron & Associates is to keep Boise State in the forefront of the minds of the media. It does not lobby voters or coaches. It does email a weekly list of talking points regarding Boise State’s accomplishments to members of the national media. It also sets up interviews for WAC commissioner Karl Benson and prepares statistical information for him to use to make a case for the Broncos.
“We’ve found that people just want to go back to the Fiesta Bowl win in 2007 and talk about that being a fluke and haven’t really done their research in terms of [Boise State's] home game winning percentage or other interesting facts over the years,” said Doug Cole, a group practice leader with the firm.
“They’ll forget about the Hawaii records and all that. So, we just constantly remind people of the storied recent history of the WAC and Boise State and get them to consider that when they write their stories.”
“We made sure to let the national press know that (TCU’s win) against the 16th ranked BYU, which is now unranked, is not as strong as Boise State’s signature win against No. 16 (AP) Oregon, which is now ranked eighth,” Cole said. “Those are the types of things that dictate what our positioning is in terms of reminding media and getting stats in front of [the media] just so they can be honest and not ignore Boise State.”
Peyron and Associates other clients include the Idaho Technology Council, the Tamarack Ski Resort, Albertson’s Supermarkets and that annual moment where thousands of Americans wonder if their TV sets need replacing, the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl.
11.04.09
Your 2009-2010 New York Knicks : A Fine Choice For Cheap Dates (Who Hate Baseball)
Well done, James Dolan. Who says the NBA doesn’t care about the working man?
Grasping At (Curly) Straws, Shaughnessy Says Pedro’s Repping For RSN
Proving to be almost as thoughtful a columnist as David Wells — who today urged the Yankees to dust off Chase Utley, lest he hit any more home runs to break Reggie’s W.S. mark — the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy insists Philly’s Game 6 starter Pedro Martinez “is still pitching for the honor of Red Sox Nation.”
In his role as Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher, Pedro knows he is carrying the colors for Sox fans around the world – just as he did in 2003 when Grady Little left him on the mound too long in the ancient ballpark across the street.
Yesterday Pedro was reminded that every thinking Sox fan is rooting against the Yankees.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all,’’ said a smiling Martinez. “I know they don’t like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games. And knowing that I am part of Boston, I consider myself a Bostonian . . . I’m pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I’m going to try to beat the Yankees, and I’m going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They’re special fans, and they will always have my respect.’’
Pedro won the third game of the 2004 World Series (seven innings, no runs, three hits) in St. Louis and is looking to close the book on his October résumé with another Series win tonight. Don’t bet against him. The Yankee lineup scares most righty pitchers, especially in the Bronx, but Pedro can neutralize the Bombers with his smarts and location.
The Yankees were Pedro’s daddy when Grady left him on the mound too long in 2003. Tonight Pedro has a chance to make everything right. All these years later, he’s still pitching for the Red Sox.
11.03.09
The WaPo’s Ombudsman Is Not Thomas Boswell’s Bud (Man)
Tighter than tight deadlines were in place for Thomas Boswell’s account of World Series Game 4, leaving little time to correct, uh, the sort of typos that appear in almost every one of my CSTB entries, regardless of the time of day. The Washington Post’s resident ombudsman, Alexander Andrews, while acknowledging the tough circumstances, lowers the boom on Boswell (above) just the same.
Those who read Boswell in Monday morning’s newspaper encountered a mess. By my count, the column contained at least 20 typos, grammatical errors or misspellings.
“I’d like my 75 cents back, please,” wrote reader Mitch Zeller of Olney, who had purchased a copy of Monday’s Post at the Bethesda Metro station. “There is no excuse for such a shoddy product. It’s completely unprofessional; more errors than one would see in a high school or college newspaper.”
Sunday’s thrilling Game 4 in Philadelphia ended shortly before midnight, and Boswell filed his story at 12:07 a.m. Crafted literally as the game was unfolding in the exciting late innings, the story came in rough. And it was longer than the allotted space, leaving editors to try to edit and significantly trim it within about 20 minutes while they also edited and packaged other World Series stories and stats. Editors hit the button on Boswell’s column at 12:25 a.m., just shy of the 12:30 a.m. final copy deadline. They knew it had received only cursory editing, but the alternative was to hold it out of the paper. That would have angered readers who have come to rely on Boswell’s keen insights.
The result were passages like these:
- Extra rest for a pitcher “may be on crucial value” instead of “may be of crucial value.”
- “…the Yankees had reverse the tide” instead of “reversed the tide.”
- “…tactics that may bare on the rest of the sears” instead of “bear on the rest of the series.”
On Friday, The Mohawk Is A Local Shop For Local People
They’re calling the event “Local Music Is Sexy”, though I personally prefer to use the word “sensual”. So consider the following option (before? during? afterwards?) the Shannon & The Clams / Bad Sports / Woven Bones / Harlem bill at Trailer Space; there’s a zillion and one band bill happening at the Mohawk and Club De Ville the same evening. Black Before Red and Beautiful Supermachines are at CDV between 9:15 and 10:30 ; Manikin and The Distant Seconds are playing the Mohawk outside at 8:30 and 9:30pm respectively. Air Traffic Controllers (me & JJ) are inside at 10:15pm. The event is free, and that’s nice, because we don’t want to haul our shit down there to put even $1 in TV Torso’s pocket,
Someone Is Killing The Great Sue Bird Benefactors Of Eastern Europe
“You expect flamboyant wastefulness and outrageously shitty taste from Russian oligarchs,” wrote David Roth in this very space in March of 2008, “but Shabtai von Kalmanovic isn’t about show horses or dipping random things around his house in platinum or competitive jet-sailing or whatever it is that tacky ultra-billionaires do. He is more of a Diana Taurasi guy.” As of yesterday, however, the owner of the Spartak Moscow women’s hoops team was spectacularly whacked. From The Age’s Sergei Lokio :
Kalmanovic was killed near Moscow’s Novodevichy monastery on Monday when assailants in a Lada sedan pulled beside his black Mercedes-Benz and opened fire, the Vesti television news program reported. Mr Kalmanovic died instantly. His driver was injured.
”Submachine-guns and shotguns were used in the attack,” Moscow prosecutor’s office investigator Anatoly Bagmet said.
”The car was in motion when shots were fired.”
The attackers fired at least 20 rounds at the businessman’s car, a police source said.
Mr Kalmanovic, 61, had invested millions of dollars into the Spartak, a women’s professional basketball team that won the EuroLeague Women title the past three seasons. He hired stars of the Women’s National Basketball Association to play during the American league’s off-season, paying them as much as 10 times their US salary.
Since there’s nothing quite as guffaw-worthy as a mob hit, I’ll leave the last word to NY Post funnyman Peter Vescey who observed, “the shooting evidently was a contract (guaranteed or a 10-day?) killing. Think how bad a day it would’ve turned out for Kalmanovich had someone randomly emptied a clip in him.”
Infamous Felon / Lydon Replacement : Anyone Got An Extra Arsenal Ticket?
This isn’t quite as sensational a story as Alex Ferguson demanding Manchester United fans stop calling Arsene Wenger a pedophile, but that one’s a day old, so this update on the condition of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, as culled from the TImes’ “Crime Central”, will have to do.
Ronnie’s son, Michael, took his dear old Dad out of his Barnet nursing home to watch the North London derby on the television last Saturday lunchtime.
Ronnie enjoyed the match so much that he would love to go and see an Arsenal game, something he hasn’t had the pleasure of doing since the early 1960s. Apparently he’s angling for a ticket for the next Arsenal v Chelsea clash.
Such good news to learn that one of Britain’s most famous old lags is making a good recovery from the pneumonia and MRSA which led Jack Straw to release him from prison on compassionate grounds in August.
Gibson On Workload Chatter : Give It A Rest
The Yankees have already sent CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to the mound on 3 days rest in the 2009 World Series to varying degrees of succes. Tiring of such considerations of wear and tear, however, is Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, who asks the St. Louis Dispatch’s Rich Hummel, “A pitcher can’t pitch with three days’ rest? Some of those guys make $8 million a week.”
“What’s the big deal?” Gibson said Monday night. “I don’t get it. I don’t think it’s going to kill somebody.”
I don’t imagine you’d want to do that all year,” Gibson said. “But for playoffs and World Series … if you can’t do it then, when the hell can you do it? I don’t quite get it.
“I just think they make a little too much about it. I don’t know who it is — if it’s the media or what.”
While Charlie Manuel discussed the rest matter with Cliff Lee, Gibson said he never had any such conversations with managers Johnny Keane and Red Schoendienst.
“Nobody ever sat down with me and said, ‘Would it be OK if I pitch with three days’ rest?’ I told them, ‘I’m going to pitch every fourth day.’
“I would have been disappointed if I hadn’t.”
Brett Myers Continues To Pick On The Frail
Shortly after the Phillies kept their World Series hopes alive with an 8-5 win over the Yankees at CBP, reliever Brett Myers (above) helpfully answered the question, “what sort of absolute cretin would take genuine offense at Cole Hamels bemoaning postseason pressure?“ From Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown
As Myers walked past Hamels near Hamels’ locker he said, mocking, “What are you doing here? I thought you quit.”
Hamels, the witness said, responded with an expletive.
Before the situation escalated, Myers was guided away by a team official.
11.02.09
Winnipeg’s Kelly Flunks Audition For Future Coors Commercial
A few more postgame chats like this, and I might start following the 12 man game on a regular basis. The CFL has fined Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly $2000 after a profane discussion was heard on the team’s flagship station after a 48-13 rout at the hands of Montreal yesterday. From the Winnipeg Sun’s Jim Bender :
Kelly abruptly ended the interview after callously cursing on air, taking umbrage with the go-betweens the club and the ticket-buying public.
Although Kelly apparently claimed he would not apologize for the classless act, word is that club president/CEO Lyle Bauer gave him no choice.
Here is the statement:
“To all Bomber fans and anyone who may have taken offence to my reaction and comments to interviewers during the post-game show following our game against the Alouettes, I extend my sincere apologies.
“I could not concur nor accept the assertions made by the interviewers that our players were ‘unfocused’ and looking towards our next contest. As the coach of these men, I know the professionalism and dedication which they commit in their preparation for each and every game. This group leaves it all on the field week in and week out, regardless of the outcome.
PETA Assails Manu’s “Reactionary Brawn”
“When you can’t dunk anymore you’ve got to find some way to make it to the news,” said Spurs G Manu Ginobili after nearly killing an AT&T Center bat with his bare hands this past Saturday night. As you might’ve guessed, PETA’s Amanda Schinke found the incident a tad less hilarious than most of the sporting blogosphere.
To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one—with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.
Bats always try to avoid contact with humans, and there are plenty of easy ways to keep bats out of a basketball arena (or your home). We hope that the next time someone’s life is on the line, Manu Ginobili will take just a few seconds to think before he acts.
Walton’s Loqauciousness Henceforth Restricted To Private Spaces
Just a few weeks ago, ESPN hoops analyst Bill Walton discussed his health woes with a Portland audience, and it doesn’t seem he’s feeling any better since. Earlier today, the network announced Walton, turning 57 this week, has retired from broadcasting.
“As I return after a grueling multiyear, life-threatening, life-changing ordeal with back problems, it is time to dedicate the rest of my life to service,” Walton said in a statement Monday. “It is great to be back in the game. Thanks everybody — for everything.”
I cannot be alone in hoping, nay, praying, that while resting comfortably, Walton takes up podcasting.
Damon’s Double Steal – Greatest Play in W.S. History Or The Most Incredible Athletic Feat In All of Humankind?
Willie Mays robbing Vic Wertz? Ho hum. Mazeroski’s walk-off before they called such things a walk-off? Whatevah. Carton Fisk’s game-winning shot down the leftfield line in 1975? Fuck off. All of the above pale in comparison to the not-so-idiotic Johnny Damon’s most astonishing of accomplishments ; running another 90 feet to claim an uncovered 3rd base. The dust had barely cleared from the Yankees’ 7-4 defeat of the Phillies in last night’s Game 4 of the World Series before pundits reputed (and otherwise) fell over themselves hailing the former caveman’s presence of mind ;
“While you could argue that he would have scored just as easily from second on an A-Rod double (predetermined-destiny alert!), it doesn’t change the fact that Damon made one of the all-time great heads-up base-running decisions, on the biggest stage imaginable, on the heels of a terrific nine-pitch at-bat.” – Joe DeLessio, New York Magazine
“We’ve seen a lot of baseball games. We’ve seen a lot of postseason games. We’ve seen a lot of World Series games. But we’ve never seen anything quite like Johnny Damon, racing the baseball to second base in the ninth inning of a tied World Series game — and then picking himself up and stampeding all the way to third, as 46,000 occupants of a stunned ballpark turned and asked each other: What just happened?” – Jayson Stark, ESPN.com
“Last night, there was no Ken Huckaby, no Carlos Ruiz, no Brad Lidge awaiting Johnny Damon at third base. The Yanks’ left fielder caught everyone off guard, and as the Yankee bench, millions of fans, and Carlos Ruiz watched the play unfold, Damon beat Feliz in a dash to third. It was a race for ages.” – Benjamin Krabak, River Ave. Blues
“Damon joins Enos Slaughter in the annals of great World Series baserunning plays tonight, stealing second and then third base on one play. One of the first baseball proverbs I recall was ‘in every game you see one thing you’ve never seen before,’ and after thirty years of idling away hours watching baseball games, tonight was the first time I’ve seen anything like it…A similar play I’ve always imagined happening one day is a runner on third stealing home during an intentional walk to a righthanded batter — with a usually-immobile catcher stepping the customary several yards to his right, seems like it would be very hard to get a tag on the runner.]” -Shayana Kadidal, Huffington Post
Mushnick Vs. The (MIA) WFAN Archive Dept.
WFAN’s Mike Francesa (above) claims he was wildly misquoted last week by the New York Post’s Phil Mushnick concerning the physical fitness of Philly’s Chase Utley. With a $25K bet riding on the dispute, the Mike’d Up host has challenged Mushnick to produce audio evidence of such comments, a wager the columnist finds curious given the radio station’s past inability to prove or disprove Francesa made specific remarks. To wit, Mushnick will accept Francesa’s challenge, but he’d like to go double or nothing.
Days after the 9/11 attacks, Francesa, global affairs expert (it’s a gift), launched two bigoted, backwoods and facts-depraving commentaries blaming both Israel and American Jews for America’s peril at the hands of terrorists.
Francesa also said the Jews he knows are disloyal Americans in that they would go to war to defend Israel but not the United States.
In the wake of an attack on the U.S. by Islamic lunatics, Francesa even called upon American Jews to prove their virtue as Americans, to choose between Israel, which he called “a failed experiment,” and the U.S.
As a third-generation American Jew, whose great-uncle was a WWI doughboy, and whose father was a WWII Naval Lt., then commander of the Staten Island chapter of the Jewish War Veterans, I was, shall we say, displeased by Francesa’s determination that the time had come for me to swear allegiance to the United States.
On Sept. 23, 2001, the above appeared in this column. In WFAN’s response, on behalf of Francesa, station boss Mark Chernoff denied that Francesa said any of that — despite thousands, including WFAN staff, having heard what I’d heard. My challenge to produce those tapes was ignored.
If I wrote such malicious lies, why wasn’t I sued?
Deal With It Obama: Lesbian Owner Makes Cubs Most Progressive Team in Chi
[After a century of white male hetero fail, even homophobic Cub fans will welcome lesbian ownership.]
If the Cubs aren’t anywhere near the post-season this year, they can at least claim the title of the most progressive ballclub in MLB. The Windy City Times reports that new Cub owner Laura Ricketts is the first out lesbian to own a major league baseball team. Forget how far to the cultural left this puts the Cubs compared to their former Tribune owners, it now pushes the Cubs to the left of expedient Sox fan President Barack Obama. Obama’s been dragging his feet on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy in the military for two years and has been against same sex marriage for (almost) forever. Laura Ricketts works with Lamba Legal, a group that fights for gay rights nationwide. The weird thing is, while Obama would have issues with the Trib and the new pro-gay rights Cub agenda — rightwing neo-con and pro-gay marriage father of a lesbian, Dick Cheney, was as comfortable throwing out a first pitch for the conservative Trib Co. as he would for the big money pro-gay Ricketts. As The Windy City Times reports:
Among the purchasers is Laura Ricketts, a lesbian who now becomes the first out individual to own a professional sports team, according to MarketToMarketLLC.com. According to ABC7Chicago.com, Laura, who lives in Chicago, is a member of the board of Lambda Legal, a national organization fighting for gay rights—including same sex marriage.In an interview with MarketToMarketLLC.com, Laura Ricketts, who has a partner, said, “I came out to my family I would say early to mid 30’s. I think for a long time I wasn’t really out to myself growing up in Omaha, Neb., to a Catholic conservative family. It took me a while to come out to myself and not long after that I came out to them. I think that it really couldn’t of been a better experience. They were all immediately supportive. … I have been really really fortunate in that regard.”
Pete, Todd, Tom and Laura make up the board of directors, with Tom as chairman, NBC.com added.
The Ricketts have been outspoken about their quest to have the Cubs win the World Series, a feat the team has not achieved since 1908.
11.01.09
Post Shocker : Mushnick Claims To Have “A Bunch Of Readers”
A bunch of readers have asked how singer Ronan Tynan can be booted from Yankee Stadium for making an anti-Semitic remark in private, one for which he apologized, yet days later singer Jay-Z, who in public calls black men “n – - – - – s” and degrades women as “bitches,” performs before a World Series game in Yankee Stadium. Good question. Ask Bud Selig – Phil Mushnick, NY Post , November 1, 2009
No need to trouble the Used Car Salesman, Phil. I’d love to tackle this one, and it’s a great double standard to raise given your almost pathological insistence that all modern claims of racism against African-Americans are wild exaggerations. Tynan was booted because anti-semitism is usually considered less socially acceptable than Jay-Z operating within the time honored artistic practice of writing in character. Despite an overwhelmingly negative portrait of Italian-Americans as thugs, cast members from “The Sopranos” are welcome guests in sporting venues across America. Not once have we read a word of protest from Mushnick, whose cultural wading pool is so dangerously shallow, he’s likely to still be bitching about hip-hop in 2025, if he lives that long.
Oakland’s Cable Accused Of Assaulting Someone Besides An Assistant Coach
While the Napa County D.A. decided last week not to charge Tom Cable over his alleged jawbreaking and murderous threats towards assistant Randy Hanson, the Raiders’ head coach has a whole new headache to contend with this morning, courtesy of ESPN’s “Outside The Lines”.
Cable is accused of violent and abusive behavior towards a former wife and girlfriend, with incidents detailed in the above clip. That the Raiders failed in their due diligence in elevating Cable upon Lane Kiffin’s firing is no shocker ; in the overall scheme of things, this might not even be the 10th worst personnel decision they’ve made in the past half decade. But it does call into question just what sort of investigation NFL security conducted after Hanson left training camp requiring medical attention. Roger Goodell implemented a draconian personal conduct policy with the cooperation of a toothless-at-the-time players union, and we’ve already seen instances where member of the uniformed workforce have been denied their right to work in the NFL monopoly long before they’ve been convicted of a felony.
Is Commissioner Goodell prepared to tell that same workforce that Cable’s alleged habit of solving problems with his fists makes him a lesser risk to public safety than Plaxico Fantastico? I don’t know what the odds are on Donte Stallworth running over another pedestrian, but the recidivist rate for spousal abusers might just a tad higher. I guess this is just my long-winded way of saying Tom Cable’s at least as big a menace to society as Larry Johnson.
10.31.09
So Agassi Was On Meth…What’s McEnroe’s Excuse?
This is about as scary as things get at MSG without hiding a camera in Steve Mills’ office. The always down with the cultural zeitgeist John McEnroe helps a far from capacity crowd at the Knicks home opener recall “The Young Ones”. Trailing the Sixers, 40-25, at the end of the first quarter, the hosts have apparently decided to pay Halloween homage to the Washington Generals.
Owner With A Boner : Artest Would Be At Home In The Palace
The Lakers were humbled at home by the Mavericks Friday, a contest that saw new LA addition Ron Artest, in foul trouble early, rendered a non-factor offensively. Earlier in the month, the shy, retiring Mark Cuban predicted Artest would prove a divisive force for the Lakers, a charge the Dallas owner repeated yesterday after being asked to respond to Artest’s question, “what team do I fit on? should i not be in the NBA?” From the OC Register’s Janis O’Carr :
Cuban said Friday that he indeed was glad to see Artest on the Western Conference rival because there always is the possibility that Artest’s volatile nature will get the better of him and he will cause problems for the team.
“History repeats itself,” Cuban said. “I’m not saying something you guys haven’t considered, right? That’s just the risk. Every team has to deal with chemistry and the impact of the chemistry on the team. Normally, you try to minimize that.
“Ron is an amazing talent, he’s a great guy. I don’t really know him, but the way he’s handled this is phenomenal. I give him a ton of credit. But it is what it is.”
So what team does Cuban think Artest would fit best?
“I don’t know the culture of every team, so I don’t know where he would fit in best …. Maybe Detroit?”
Cole Hamels’ Most Lifelike Performance To Date
Big League ‘Stew consider this viral campaign for Call Of Duty to be in questionable taste, and I can’t really argue with that. But on the bright side, after showing all the personality and range of a cardboard box in commercials for ESPN The Magazine and New Era, Hamels has clearly been working with some sort of acting guru. With a little practice, he might manage something as impressive as this someday.
Sultan Of Sloth To Phantics : No, Not I’m Telling Ripken He’s Gay, Thank You Very Much
There are sooo many enticing storylines to consider before tonight’s Game 3 of the World Series. Cole Hamels’ recent struggles. Charlie Manuel’s alleged diss of Andy Pettitte. A-Rod’s interior decorating. But leave it to the New York Post to come up with the most intriguing talking point of the weekend — former Yankee David Wells’ low opinion of Philly fans. “The people in that town would give The Finger to their own mom,” argues Boomer (above), “It’s not Brotherly Love in that town — it’s Brotherly Hate.”
When I was in Philadelphia earlier this postseason with Cal Ripken Jr., Dennis Eckersley and Ernie Johnson for TBS, we got booed. We were just doing our show out in center field and people were walking by saying “You fat piece of [bleep]. . . . Tell Cal he’s gay. . . . Ernie Johnson sucks.”
I’m like, “Who the hell are these people?” We’ve got no part of baseball.
We’re doing the game and TBS stuff and these Phillies fans are just f-bombing us to death.
They are angry people. It’s going to be tough, because they are very vocal, foul and can maybe cause havoc on some of the younger guys, but I don’t think they will give the Yankees any problem. The only problem will be for these Phillies fans, when they lose. The Yankees will shut them up.
I put Philadelphia, Cleveland and Oakland atop my list for the worst fans in baseball, with Philadelphia No. 1.
Curiously, rather than cite any examples of CBP being a hostile environment for visiting teams, Wells makes it very clear it’s a very tough place to broadcast. Would it be out of place to suggest Philadelphians are not necessarily terrible baseball fans, but rather, have a very low tolerance level for poor analysis?
Milton Bradley And Vernon Wells – Not Untradeable If They’re Swapped For Each Other
(Cubs GM Jim Hendry and Milton Bradley, back before they got to know each other)
When Buster Olney floats the possibility of an (admittedly unlikely) Oliver Perez-for-Milton Bradley swap. the circumstances are rather obvious ; the only way the Cubs will be able to jettison an obvious scapegoat escape their contractual obligations to their tempermental outfielder is if they take on an equally brutal salary in exchange. The Toronto Sun’s Bob Elliot quotes one unnamed Cubs insider as saying there’s some truth to rumors of a Bradley-for-Vernon Wells discussion (”"It’s early on, but we think this one has some legs”)
Wells has six years left on his contract extension, $107 million remaining, including the $8.5-million final instalment of his signing bonus, which is due in March. Team president Paul Godfrey and former general manager J.P. Ricciardi signed Wells to the contract extension.
The Cubs’ idea is to split the difference on monies owed — Wells’ $107 million and Bradley’s $21 million for a difference of $86 million. Each team absorbs $43 million.
The Cubs have to deal Bradley. Other possible landing spots: The San Francisco Giants for lefty Barry Zito, who has four years remaining at $83 million; the Indians for Travis Hafner, three years for $40.25 million, Giants’ Aaron Rowand, three years at $36 million, the Dodgers for Juan Pierre, two years at $18.5 million, and Tampa Bay’s Pat Burrell, one year at $7 million.
If You Ever Envisioned A-Rod As A Unicorn, Think Again
“What kind of aesthetically challenged dolt doesn’t have a portrait of themselves as a mythical creature from Greek mythology?’ asked WNBC’s Josh Alper, formerly of the late, lamented The Feed, responding to claims by Us Weekly that Yankee 3B Alex Rodriguez had not one, but two such framed illustrations in his boudoir, featuring his own visage re-imagined as a centaur.
Thanks to Faith & Fear In Flushing’s Jason Fry, here’s an example of exactly what Kate Hudson saw the first time she visited A-Rod’s bachelor pad.
10.30.09
Erin Andrews, Fuck Off : Recalling The Journalistic Chops Of Penny Crone
For New Yorkers of a certain vintage, shots of a manical Penny Crone cackling away in front of celebrating Yankee fans were a big a part of the local TV news tapestry, right up there with regular Freddy “Sez” sightings. The exploits of the former WNYW reporter — now selling real estate for a tony NYC agency — are remembered fondly by the New York Times’ James Barron.
Early in Derek Jeter’s career, she took a look at him in street clothes, and wondered about the fit of his slacks.
“I walked right up to Derek Jeter and I said, ‘Derek, why don’t you wear tighter pants?’ ” she recalled. “And what did Derek say? Not too much. He looked at me like I was nuts.”
“Gatorade man”? She yelled that at someone who walked into the stadium with a large barrel of — well, you know. He was blocking her shot, which ruins everything in television news. The man turned out to be Willie Randolph, a Yankees coach at the time and later the manager of the Mets.
There was the day she went to a bagel factory and the anchor introduced her as “an industrial accident waiting to happen.”
And there was the time she interviewed Yogi Berra and called him “Yogi Bear.”
“My husband told me that Yogi Berra was named after Yogi Bear,” she said, “so I thought his name was Yogi Bear. So we’re sitting in his living room, me on one side, Yogi Berra on the other, the fireplace, and I said, ‘Good evening, Mr. Bear.’
Avery Accused Of Sizism
(the phrase, “have another doughnut, you fat pig”, is of course, trademarked by Jim Schoenfeld)
Did NHLPA interim executive director Ian Penny jump or was he pushed? Who gives a fuck when we’ve got another sensational item involving hockey pariah Sean Avery? The fashionista / loose cannon’s former AHL coach, current Capitals boss Bruce Boudreau, has a new book coming out, “Gabby, Confessions Of A Hockey Lifer”, in which he describes Avery’s rude rhetoric during last spring’s New York/Washington first-round playoff clash. From the Washington Times’ Corey Masisak :
Boudreau said he wanted a “rated-PG book,” but there are some juicy stories – especially about his departure from Manchester and his dealings with Sean Avery. He was let go by the Monarchs despite leading the franchise to the playoffs in its first four years of existence, but Boudreau paints a picture of backstabbing and betrayal by a couple of people in the organization who he felt wanted him gone.
Not only did Boudreau lead the Bears to back-to-back appearances in the Calder Cup Finals, he also went 7-0-1 against the Monarchs, including a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference finals in 2007.
Boudreau coached Avery for the Monarchs, and the experience ended up being a negative one. But that was tame compared with what Boudreau recalled Avery saying during Game 7 in the first round of the last year’s playoffs against the New York Rangers.
“He told me I was the biggest, fattest bleeping pig he had ever seen,” Boudreau said in the book. “He told me I was fatter than bleeping Ken Hitchcock. He told me I was going to die because I was such a fat bleep.”
An Around The Horn Halloween : Jay’s Scarier Than Usual
Mariotti’s Kate Hudson is most certainly not the slump-buster A-Rod is looking for. And good thing Kevin Blackistone is wearing a name tag, otherwise we’d have no way of knowing who he’s supposed to be . However, the latter deserves massive credit for prefacing every spiel with “i’m gonna let you finish, Kate Mariotti…” Somebody remind me, did Mariotti dress up as Ozzie G. last year?
WSC : Hull’s Brown Undone By Bandwagoneers
Hull City A.F.C.’s embattled manager Phil Brown is said to face immediate dismissal if his side can’t defeat Burnley tomorrow, a circumstance that has When Saturday Comes Daily’s Chris Donkin recalling the scene outside KC Stadium shortly after the Tigers secured promotion in 2008. “In the big league everyone knows your team,” sighs Donkin, “and unfortunately that also means everyone knows when they lose 5-0, too.”
A ridiculous queue formed quickly outside the ground. Some of the new army of fans were seen wearing Liverpool and Manchester United shirts. One of the overnight queuers summed up the attitude of the glory supporters perfectly when asked by BBC Radio Humberside: “So, what are you looking forward to seeing next season?” He replied, with little thought: “I can’t wait to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in action.”
Seeing your club’s popularity grow should be a good thing. The problem is that the new fans have hopelessly unrealistic expectations. For most, City only entered their consciousness when Dean Windass powered home the winner in the play-off final against Bristol City, after a season where the team won far more games than they lost. As a result they expect the side to win every week and if they don’t the manager gets the blame and has to go.
Longer-term fans have better memories and you will hear few true supporters calling for Phil Brown’s head. Were it not for Brown the club would have certainly been relegated from the Championship in 2007. Then by the end of his first full season he’d rebuilt the team and achieved promotion to the top tier for the first time in the club’s history. Of course, when the inevitable happens and City’s tenure among the elite expires, these new fans are the ones most likely to not renew their tickets and go back to their armchairs to watch Man Utd rather than trek to watch a rainy Tuesday evening match against Blackpool.
Hot Tip For All Tampa Media Hoping To Stay Employed : Dont’ Diss The Glazers
(Glazer patriarch Malcom, contemplating whether being mistaken for Charley Steiner is a compliment or not)
The Tampa Tribune’s Roy Cummings reports a local radio host has been suspended by Clear Channel after claiming Thursday morning the Glazer family — owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United — had lost nearly a half billion in Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme, and might soon be forced to sell the NFL franchise.
Dan Sileo, who hosts the early morning show on WDAE, quoted a “friend” who works with the Securities and Exchange Commission as saying the Glazers lost $440 million in the Ponzi scheme.
Mike Killebrew, program director for WDAE, said that WDAE and Clear Channel Tampa will not be issuing any comment about Sileo’s remarks until they “get a handle on the situation.”
Killebrew said station officials have asked Sileo not to make any comments about the situation, as well.
Sileo said the Glazers’ involvement has led them to consider bankruptcy. Sileo also gave his opinion that the team could be for sale as a result of the owners’ financial distress.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not, nor have they ever been for sale,” Glazer’s statement said. “In addition, our family or any of our related companies have never invested one penny with Bernie Madoff.
Sileo’s report also said the Glazers allotted only $2 million for free agent signings each season the past five years. The Bucs are $23 million below the NFL’s imposed team salary cap of $127 million.
10.29.09
Philly Scribe Condemns The Nu Stadium’s Deplorable Working Conditions
(image swiped from The Mets Police)
As late as Monday night, the crappiest upper tier seats at Yankee Stadium for Game One of the World Series were going for nearly $400. Despite being allowed inside the Steinbrenner family’s glittering palace for free as a member of the working media last night, the Inquirer’s Frank Fitzpatrick is far from grateful, complaining, “Several Yankees employees walk around the concourse holding signs that say “How may I help you?” It’s all for show. They were unable to get me a seat in the main press box.”
Four hours before Game 1, the main press box resembled the Tokyo subway. Bodies and computers made things impassable. The adjoining work rooms were overflowing too, the precious spots apparently having been claimed at dawn by savvy veteran journalists.
The poor Yankees. How were they know people would be interested in covering a World Series? Having hosted 39 others, there was no way they could possibly have anticipated a crowd.
Beat a hasty retreat for the auxiliary press box, a lofty, outfield perch where Philadelphia sportswriters were assigned seats and sherpas to get them there.
After rappelling up there, it was quickly apparent that more clothing, binoculars and oxygen would be required. The freezing wind howled like a New York cabbie. The puddles of water that two days of rain had left on our chairs and tables were icing over.
We all would have huddled near the TV monitors for warmth had there been any TV monitors. Apparently it was OK for the cream of the nation’s sportswriters to get wet but not for TVs.
Far below, set up atop the right-centerfield wall, we could see a pair of NYPD snipers. Had New Yorkers finally tired of the Yankees uber-obnoxious broadcast team of John Sterling and Susan Waldman?
Have (My) Reports Of Chuck Biscuits’ Death Been HIghly Exaggerated?
Hopefully, yes. My sincere apologies to Chuck and anyone else saddened by a post from earlier this afternoon. D’oh!
Stan Van Gundy – No Longer The Master Of Panic
Sorry to grab a clip you’ve undoubtedly seen on all the highlights shows already, but on the slim chance you’ve not seen Orlando’s intro for head coach Stan Van Gundy prior to Wednesday’s 120-106 defeat of Philly, well, get used to it. I predict Stan V.G. becoming bigger than Keyboard Cat and Kayne parodies combined. And on this rare occasion, genuine props to Tony Kornheiser for coming up with the most creative answer so far to the question “what was Van Gundy thinking?” (”…of ways not to get J.J. Reddick into the game”)
Heyman : Mets Re-Introducing Candidate To Breathe Down Omar’s Neck
NY Baseball Digest’s Mike Silva has it on good (albeit anonymous) authority Mets GM Omar Minaya is a lousy listener. This winter, Minaya might want to feign fascination with what others in the organization have to say, if not learn to work by committee, as SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports former Amazins executive Sandy Johnson is returning to the club as a VP of scouting. Quoting a “mid-level” mole, Heyman warns the addition of Johnson, “sets the stage” for MInaya’s firing, 3 years and 3.5 million remaining on his contract or not.
Mets COO Jeff Wilpon is said to have thought it imperative that Johnson, who had a big hand in building winning teams in Texas and Arizona, return to boost the front office. Johnson had previously expressed to the Mets that he was likely to retire. Johnson was said by one club official to have been given basically “a blank check” to return, signaling the Mets’ desperation to keep him. The vast majority of Mets scouts had their contracts renewed within the past few days with no raise, said to be the result of a bad economy and the team’s poor performance.
The Mets also are looking for another senior baseball executive to join Johnson and assistant GM John Ricco and form a strong triumvirate under Minaya, who is said to by people in the organization to be on thin ice after the Mets’ disappointing season. Some Mets people believe that Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel won’t survive a poor start in 2010, and that the presence of Johnson and Ricco gives the Mets an alternative should Minaya be fired
Chuck Biscuits, RIP Among The Undead
(photo by Ed Arnaud, used sans permission)
JGTWO reported the passing of drumming virtuoso Chuck Biscuits last week, following a long battle with throat cancer. Though Biscuits punched the clock with latter period stints in Social Distortion, Danzig and the Circle Jerks, his tenure with DOA and cup of coffee with Black Flag are what earned him his iconic status. Chuck was 44.
Chuck was easily one of my favorite drummers of all time and anyone who saw him play —- even with lesser lights — felt pretty much the same way. Ever heard the claim made that you’d go to see a band purely to watch the drummer? I did that a couple of time, simply because of Chuck. He was one of the rare drummers who elevated a merely good band to great, and on some occasions, took someone pretty mediocre and at least made them interesting. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.
(ED. NOTE : There’s a fair bit of contention surrounding the James Greene post and several persons are insisting Chuck Biscuits is very much alive. If that’s the case…in the words of Emily Litella, NEVER MIND).
10.28.09
Empire State Of Lying : Calcaterra Calls B.S. On MLB’s Jay-Z Coverup
If you’re like me, upon hearing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ scheduled performance of “Empire State of Mind” prior to Game One of the World Series was being delayed to Game Two due to poor weather, your first thought was “big deal, Mushnick won’t be calling Hova a drug dealer until Friday”. The eagle-eyed Craig Calcaterra of Circling The Bases is a tad more observant than you or me, however. pointing out what several thousand Ohioans already knew —- Jay-Z was booked to perform at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center tonight.
My guess: someone here in Columbus told Jay-Z’s people that they’d sue him for breach of contract if he didn’t show up for tonight’s show and he begged Major League Baseball to let him move his Alicia Keys thing to Game 2. Whether it was Jay-Z or baseball who, in the first instance, thought that the good people of Columbus would stand idly by while he dissed us for New York is unclear, but as always, the wholesome Midwest triumphs over the forces of east coast decadance and evil.
Kenny Smith On The Knicks’ 2010 Free Agency Hopes : Keep Dreaming
“We’re not even close to being a throwaway,” Coach Mike D’Antoni tells the New York Times’ Howard Beck, refuting widespread speculation the entire 2009-2010 season (tipping off tonight in Miami) has already been flushed down the toilet while Donnie Walsh clears cap room to pursue LeBron, D-Wade or Chris Bosh next summer. “We’re ready to try to make the playoffs and have a great season. And hopefully, the fans will enjoy what we’re doing.” And if you believe that, Mike’s got a Newsday online subscription one of his colleagues would like to sell you. From Beck’s Wednesday article :
Because of the N.B.A.’s salary-cap rules, the Knicks cannot outspend any other team to land a superstar. In fact, James and Wade can make millions more by staying put. D’Antoni is tremendously popular among N.B.A. stars, but his charm and his wide-open offense will get the Knicks only so far on the recruiting trail. Ditto for the mystique of Madison Square Garden and the lure of Madison Avenue.
At some point, the Knicks presumably have to show some progress and some promise, and the ability to help a superstar realize his championship ambitions.
“That’s the logic,” said the TNT commentator Kenny Smith, assessing the free-agent decisions of James and Wade. “Because the criticism of your move is: Did you go to win? And if you’re going and you can’t win, then why did you move?”
He concluded, “You 100 percent have to go somewhere and win, and have a chance to win.”
Can the Knicks make a compelling enough case? Will they be more attractive to Wade or James or Chris Bosh than the other half-dozen teams that are projected to have substantial cap room?
Smith, who was part of two championship teams in Houston, is not convinced. He considered the Knicks’ roster and their coach, their arena and their city, and concluded simply, “That list isn’t enough.”
The McCourt Divorce : No Need To Take Up A Collection For Frank Or Jamie
Shortly after we’ve learned Fred and Jeff WIlpon actually profited from the Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme, details from Jamie McCourt’s divorce proceedings againsts Dodgers co-owner Frank reveal an alleged net worth of some $1.2 billion. No more jokes, presumably from T.J. Simers, wondering if his standard of living would drop were he to switch jobs with Frank for a week. Amidst claims from Jamie’s lawyers that Frank, “will continue to enjoy the marital life of luxury, reside in the fabulous homes, enjoy the lush gardens, the pools, the spas, and all the other amenities of the family properties. He will continue to travel in luxury on private jets and stay in the grandest hotels,” Dodger Thoughts’ Jon Wiseman insists “the McCourt’s have torched themselves in the Los Angeles community.”
From player payroll to Dodger Stadium ticket and amenities pricing, the explicit acknowledgment of where so much of their money goes, their unrepentant selfishness and greed, is going to bring exponentially more skepticism to any future Dodgers-related decision they make.
I’m not trying to say it’s shocking that the Dodgers owners are greedy – or that they are unique in their greed. I’m just saying that they’re no longer going to be able to cover their greed with a pretty picture, and that does make a difference.
Some fear the divorce proceeding will hamper the Dodgers’ offseason plans, and for good reason. On the other hand, isn’t this the time when you buy the kids a nice pony to take their mind off the ugliness?
The Fightins To Phair Weather / Phaux Phillies Phans : Phuck You
(three unidentified gentlemen who who don’t need or want your patronage, Mets fans)
As mentioned previously, at least one prominent Mets blogger is on record as advocating his comrades in arms take up the cause of the Philadelphia Phillies in the ‘09 World Series rather than root for the Yankees. Chamomiles Davis of The Fightins has taken such sentiments into consideration and replies, “take that support and cram it far, far up into your ass. We don’t want you rooting for our team. Fuck off. Really.”
In 2000, the Mets and Yankess met in the latest incarnation of what pundits call “The Subway Series.” The Yankees won that series, and I was happy. Do you know why, Mets fans? Because I rooted for them. And do you know why I did that?
BECAUSE I HATE THE FUCKING METS. ALWAYS AND FOREVER. I WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER ROOT FOR THE METS TO WIN ANYTHING AS LONG AS I LIVE. I don’t care if they’re playing Satan for control of the Earth. Goooooo SATAN! In short, screw the New York Mets with a rusting rocket ship. So why the hell would you root for our team?
Y’know, when he puts it that way, I can’t remember why. A pox on both houses, then, the Nu Stadium and CBP. May both venues and all who inhabit them (CSTB contributors aside) be reduced to vapor when an MLB-sanctioned stunt to promote the upcoming “2012″ goes horribly wrong.
10.27.09
Agassi : Meth Turned Me Into Felix Unger
I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to watch “Advantage Agassi” the same way ever again. The Times published excerpts earlier today from Andre Agassi’s soon-to-be-published autobiography, Open, including detailed revelations about the 1992 Wimbledon champion’s experiences with crystal meth.
In his book, Agassi recounts sitting at home with his assistant, referred to only as Slim, and being introduced to the drug. “Slim is stressed too … He says, You want to get high with me? On what? Gack. What the hell’s gack? Crystal meth. Why do they call it gack? Because that’s the sound you make when you’re high … Make you feel like Superman, dude.
“As if they’re coming out of someone else’s mouth, I hear these words: You know what? F*** it. Yeah. Let’s get high.
“Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed.
“There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive, so hopeful — and I’ve never felt such energy.
“I’m seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds.”
Fed Ex Field- When You Absolutely, Positively Have To Check Your Civil Liberties At The Door
While there’s no truth to the rumor merely playing The Fall’s “Bingo-Master’s Breakout” in the Fed Ex parking lot would result in a beatdown, Cheap Seats Daily does report Redskins fans attending last night’s unsuccessful debut of Sherman Lewis as Washington’s offensive play-caller were under what our Prince Far I might call “heavy manners”.
Dan Snyder’s jack-booted thugs were out AGAIN? It’s harder to get into a Skins game than an El Al jet?
Dan Snyder’s attempt to kill the message was in full force. I didn’t go to the game, so everything’s anecdotal, but there’s so much.
Tales of scuffles with security over signs and t-shirts blasting the owner abound. The only first-person account I got was from a friend who called me from FedExField just after being searched at the gate like he was boarding an El Al flight.
He asked the frisker, “Are you looking for anti-Snyder paraphernalia?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” the guard told him.
TBL’s Duffy : Thinking Outside Of The Bun Brain
(a delicious taco for Bob Griese, courtesy of Torchy’s)
ESPN suspended college football analyst Bob Griese today for the former Dolphins QB’s ill-advised remarks about Colombian NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya during Saturday’s Minnesota/Ohio State game. The Big Lead’s Ty Duffy considers ESPN’s actions kowtowing to “PC fascists”, surmising, “political correctness has a place, but that place should be weeding out legitimate racism, rather than hounding an innocuous old man for a minor incident.”
Bob Griese mistook Juan Pablo Montoya for a Mexican. Montoya is Columbian. Griese could be old whitey mistaking all Latin Americans for Mexicans, but it’s far more likely he was just unaware. He had no time to google.
Assuming Griese was genuine, the taco comment wasn’t offensive. Mexicans eat tacos. They are an indigenous part of their cuisine. They predate the Spanish. There’s nothing demeaning about eating a taco.
Saying a Mexican is eating a taco is like saying an Englishman drinks tea, an Irishman went out for a pint, or an American was eating a hambuger. It’s a stereotype. There certainly are Mexican people who don’t like tacos, but it’s not a gross disparagement of Mexican culture.
Griese’s gag was lame but not scandalous. It would have appeared in a Dan Shaughnessy column.
Though I have no desire to see Bob Griese lose his job over one isolated incident, it’s pretty hard to understand why said incident should be excused as inoffensive merely because some people weren’t offended. On the Colombian/Mexican question, ignorance is a poor excuse. The phrase, “they all look alike” comes to mind, and unless Disney believes they really all do look alike, they’re smart to kick Griese to the curb, even if temporarily.
“There’s nothing demeaning about eating a taco.” Hey, you might think there’s nothing demeaning about eating watermelon, either, and Rick Barry’s still dealing with the fallout from that one. Anytime you choose to describe someone in terms that specifically target their ethnicity (or what you presume to be their ethnicity) rather than their individual characteristics, they’re reduced to a caricature.
Griese could’ve skewered Montoya for his reputation for arrogance (”he’s probably kissing a mirror somewhere”) or for aggressive driving. Instead, he went after the first thing that popped into his tiny head ; Latino = taco chomping. If that’s the kind of free expression Duffy wishes to defend, perhaps TBL can take up a petition drive to have Steve Lyons replace Steve Phillips on Baseball Tonight next spring.
Bucks Co., PA Police Continue Harrassment Of Creative Types
Some women will do anything to get a better glimpse of Charlie Manuel in person. There’s a Chooch Train joke in here somewhere, but I’m not telling it until I’ve had a few drinks later tonight. (h/t Stadium Insider)
NewsCorp : Unfair To Hawaiians (And Crossdressers)
Would it have been so difficult for someone at the Post to properly research what a traditional Hawaiian skirt really looks like? And surely the persons responsible for this front cover of today’s paper are aware once you go down this particular road, there’s no turning back?
10.26.09
Ricky Rubio : Adjusting Nicely To F.C. Barcelona Bàsquet
So where do you think Ricky Rubio would be on the T-Wolves depth chart right about? In the middle of Ramon Sessions and Jonny Flynn, or behind both of them? Also, note the main beneficiary of Rubio’s passing is Fran Vaszuez, the Magic’s one-that-got-away.
If LJ’s Dad Played For Denzel Washington, He’s Way More Qualified Than Todd Haley
(above : Stonewall rioters, 1969. Not shown : Larry Johnson)
It’s been said on more than one occasion that if you’re a prominent public figure, Tweeting is kind of like holding a press conference, except you don’t have to answer questions (or put on pants). That much is very clear to Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, who chose Twitter as a venue to bury K.C. head coach Todd Haley hours after a 37-7 loss to the Chargers, a somewhat foolhardy move considering it came after the trade deadline. From the Star’s Kent Babb :
A message posted on Johnson’s profile, whose username Sunday about 7 p.m. stated: “My father played for the coach from ‘rememeber the titans’. Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn.”
Johnson continued the rant, and, in later responses directed toward Johnson’s Twitter followers, contained inflammatory remarks about gays. In a reference to someones profile picture, Johnson called it a “fag pic” and called the person a “Christopher street boy,” a reference to a predominantly gay section in New Yorks Greenwich Village. Johnson’s Twitter profile was taken private and some posts were deleted.
On Monday in the Chiefs locker room, Johnson used another gay slur after saying he wouldn’t speak to reporters.
Johnson, sitting next to second-year running back Jamaal Charles, told reporters that “I’m not talking till Thursday,” his usual day of speaking with reporters.
Then Johnson turned away and whispered.
“Get your faggot ass out of here,” he said.
Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer, said Johnson’s tweets were his own but said the running back intended to compliment his father — Larry Johnson Sr. is the defensive line coach at Penn State — and not disparage Haley.
The Mets Blogosphere Cannot Agree On A Lesser Of Two Evils
(what true Mets fan doesn’t want to see this man rewarded for his years of hard work?
“ICH BIN EIN PHILLIE” declared a sanguine Jason Fry of Faith & Fear In Flushing last week, declaring of the (uncrowned at the time) AL Champion Yankees, “this greater enemy is attended by a howling mob that knows neither reason nor decency nor humility…Twenty-six times has this foe bred a vile plague, one that reduced our nation to lifelessness and blighted all that we hold dear. Though we are not allowed to fight, neither are we required to adjourn in silence. We must lift our voices against tyranny, though we would have chosen most any other champion. We must shout down injustice, though our voices cannot conjure fairness. We must oppose a great evil even if it means supporting a paltry good.” In other words, though it’s distasteful, Fry would advocate Mets fans cheering for Brett Myers to receive a 2nd ring rather than see Hank Steinbrenner and A-Rod doused in champagne. Tedquarters’ Ted Berg, however, couldn’t disagree more, citing the following Phactors for rooting against The Phillies. Or more to the point, toning down the hateful rhetoric towards the Highlanders.
1) The Yankees buy their championships
First of all, Mets fans: Just because your glass house is falling apart doesn’t give you the right to throw stones. The Mets had the second-biggest payroll in baseball this year, and even if they didn’t spend like the Yanks did, they still tried pretty hard to buy a championship. They just did a poor job of it.
Second, there’s still nothing illegal about trying to buy a championship. The Yanks bring in a lot of cash, so they spend it on players. Would you prefer the Steinbrenners pocketed the loot? Would that be, in some way, more honorable?
2) My friends are Yankee fans, and they’ll rub it in my face
Will they? Then I have a solid suggestion for you: Get some new friends.
I recognize that there’s an obnoxious sense of entitlement among some Yankee fans, but I’ve actually found it remarkably easy to filter those people out of my life. It turns out, people who are obnoxious and entitled about anything are just not too pleasant to be around. Nowadays, the Yankee fans I do interact with are mostly kind and reasonable people who recognize how lucky they are to root for a team with a $200 million payroll.
Violated : Cultural Appropriation In Honor Of Carlos Ruiz
Given my own rooting interests in the upcoming World Series (ie., I’d like to see it canceled), I have to say I greatly prefer the original version of Kurt Vile’s video for “Freak Train”. That said, if the above clip can bring peace to the waring factions behind Chooch’s Chicos and the Chooch -Chooch Train club, who am I to complain?
Introducing The New Publisher & Editor Of Deadspin…
….Sean Salisbury. Improbable? I thought so , too. I still do, actually. But the burden isn’t on the former ESPN analyst / Dallas radio host to prove he’s never been in the habit of harassing female colleagues with phone-cam snapshots of his schlong, ; it’ll be down to Gawker Media to prove that Salisbury’s self-portraits weren’t as crudely menacing as his treatment of John Clayton. From the McKinney Courier-Gazzette’s Danny Gallagher :
Sean Salisbury, a Frisco, TX resident and former National Football League quarterback, filed a petition for a civil defamation lawsuit in a Denton County court against Gawker Media for publishing several false stories on their sports blog Deadspin.com that cost him several jobs, ruined his reputation and made it difficult to find gainful employment.
Salisbury’s attorney, Jeffrey Tillotson of the Dallas law firm Lynn, Tillotson, Pinker & Cox, said in the petition that Deadspin has waged a “long-running smear campaign” against his client since January of 2007.
Harlow, a member of Salisbury’s counsel, said the suit singled out Gawker as a defendant because of their “concerted” efforts to single out their client, despite the reporting of others.
“What we hope to prove is that blog sites like Deadspin are accountable,” he said. “They can’t simply attack someone and make a concerted effort to destroy the lives and careers of people without any ramifications. The difference between other news outlets and Deadspin is at least the other news outlets try to get it right. We hope to make a statement that if sites are going to behave like this, there are consequences and they are long overdue for that.”
10.25.09
ESPN : Dealing With Internal Zipper Issues (In 140 Characters Or Less)
So that’s that. Phillips’ credibility wasn’t considered an issue when he suggested Josh Hamilton was undeserving of a Cincinnati roster spot, nor did anyone at the network raise an eyebrow when Phillips suggested Barry Bonds’ record breaking HR had to occur at home “for the good of baseball”. In the wake of a consensual extramarital affair, however, one that caused additional scrutiny to be placed on the Bristol U. campus, the former Mets GM apparently cannot do his job properly. For instance, the next time he and Joe Morgan had a disagreement on “Sunday Night Baseball”, Morgan could reply, “yeah, but you had sex with someone who wasn’t your wife. And bloggers didn’t think she was very attractive.” ARGUMENT OVER.
Surely Phillips isn’t being sacked simply because ESPN and Disney are trying to protect the sanctity of marriage? If that’s the case, Phillips supporters (all zero of them) might well wonder at what point the network established an official policy banning infidelity. If the cringe factor came from what sounds like the exploitation of a subordinate half his age, ESPN ought to specify as much. As a Connecticut native, I’d hate to think one of the Nutmeg State’s most widely recognized entities has gone all puritanical on us.
