America Can Do Better, Help Is On the Way

Was that the Pirates of old yesterday? I went in to a 3:00 meeting with them up 2-1 over the Braves, only to find out in the parking lot of a soccer tailgate that they blew it. Jose Mesa blows the save to boot. It was great to see that 26,000 were at the businessman’s special, including 6,500 walk-up sales. This kind of reminds me of that game against Milwaukee a few summers ago that was a Thursday afternoon and standing room only. I’m STILL trying to figure that one out!

Speaking of soccer, I don’t quite understand why a team (Chelsea) that is referred to informally as the “Blues” was wearing Oakland Raiders silver and black last night. Why I do understand is how interesting it was for a mini brawl to break out in the second half. Anyway, all I can say with confidence is this: Chelsea is going to be GOOOOOOOOD this EPL season. Good showing from the Pittsburgh soccer fans, over 25,000 showed up (I wonder how many walked over to Heinz Field after the Pirates game). The atmosphere was fun in the parking lot before the game, people tailgating, kicking around soccer balls and such. I’d like to see this event come back to the burgh.

KDKA’s coverage of the game was a joke. They showed the first two Chelsea goals and two saves, one made by each keeper. Nothing of the fisticuffs, not even mentioned.

Look, he’s no Bill Clinton as an orator, but John Kerry brought his A-game to the Democratic National Convention speech last night. The best speech I’ve ever seen him give. I have to laugh, I watched the CBS coverage and thought, oh Dan Rather’s a liberal (that’s one if you’re counting Ann Coulter) so I’ll tune to Fox News Channel for the “Fair and Balanced” look at Kerry’s speech and within seconds I hear “it really wasn’t a good speech”. That’s all I needed to hear.

Speaking of Annie, her latest crap is out on Yahoo. Instead of liberal she overuses Democrat(s). She uses it 32 times, mulitple times in the SAME SENTENCE! My highlighter damn near ran out of ink working the print out! I saw on her website her soon to be published "book" is entitled: "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)". That's a clever title; I'm sure the cleverness will end there!

SHOVE IT TRIB!!!

The Pirates will try to get the split this afternoon against the Braves in the four-game series.  Yet another outstanding performance by Oliver Perez, although this one went for naught.  That Brian Giles trade looks better and better each day. 

Traffic around the North Shore should be interesting today, as the Pirates traffic lets out, Pittsburgh soccer hooligans will start arriving for the Champions World Series match between Chelsea and Roma tonight.  Although I’m not attending the game, I will be at a tailgate with some family members that are a bit more soccer inclined than myself!

Training camps are rolling around and the number of first round draft picks getting signed is getting higher and higher.  Every report I’ve heard expects Big Ben to be at St. Vincent on time.  I heard this morning where Kevin Greene will be coming in for two weeks to work with the linebackers.  That’s fine, I just hope they bring someone else in to go over stopping the run!

I just love how the right have found a new whipping girl in Teresa Heinz Kerry.  I guess she’s the modern day Hillary Clinton.  Look, with the exception of some strong sportswriting and Mike Seate, I’d like to tell the Tribune-Review to shove it too!

I just cannot watch these conventions, too boring.  I like getting highlights (or lowlights if you will) from various cable news outlets. 

NFL ‘round the corner!

The Pirates won last night against the Braves in comeback fashion which has been a trend of late.  Why won’t God have mercy on me and just have the Bucs trade Kris Benson already?!

Speaking of trades, what’s the deal with Randy Johnson?  Why is he so hell bent on getting to a winner at this stage of his career?  He has a ring with Arizona (I know everyone forgets that season since it was post 9/11 and the whole country actually wanted the Yanks to win that one!), he’s 40, what else has he got to prove?  I can just hear the Evil Empire stuff if the Yanks get the Big Unit.

With NFL training camps firing up and ready to go, it’s good to have some NFL talk up in here.  However, this one is from the “Are You Kidding Me?” file.  The Vikings have signed WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar.  Look, I know he has huge shoulders but come on.  I’ll be surprised if this guy passes the drug test!

To celebrate the beginning of the NFL preseason I will be doing a special on the blog.  I will stack rank the different cheerleading squads of the NFL.  I’ll break them down by AFC and NFC.  If you don’t see your favorite team, don’t fret, remember not every team has cheerleaders.  Blasphemy if you ask me!

I had to laugh last night as I was watching “Lost Treasures of NFL Films” on ESPN Classic.  G. Gordon Liddy was on a program titled “Autumn Ritual”.  They show him in 1986 making the football/war analogy.  He even went so far as to break down each part of a football team to a certain branch of military.  The QBs and WRs are the Air Force, linemen are the infantry in the trenches, etc.  They cut ahead to 2003, right after the fall of Saddam’s Iraq and he’s scoffing at the analogy, saying it’s horrible.  Gee, and they say that John Kerry is a flip-flopper!

If you get a chance to see “Autumn Ritual” make sure you watch it.  It is a very unique look at the world of football. 

Google, Shmoogle

So the Steelers extended Bill Cowher’s contract again and I just don’t think it’s a good idea.  I’ve been notably anti-Bill in the past and that isn’t changing.  I know it’s great that since 1969 only two guys have coached the Steelers but I do think that one can wear out their welcome.  Bill’s always talking about winning championships but somehow I just don’t see it happening with him.  He’s a Marty Schottenheimer prodigy and I think he’ll end up like him, good coaching career but no ring.

Boy, I love the irony that the banner ad for Yahoo's Fantasy Football is a picture of Kordell Stewart in a super-imposed Ravens uniform!

 The Pirates lost in a rain delayed game last night against the Braves.  More importantly my twin brother and stunt double Jaret Wright was on the mound for Atlanta.  My parents have thought Wright was my twin since he took the mound for the Indians in the 1997 World Series against Florida.  What do you think?  Here’s Wright:  http://us.f1f.yahoofs.com/bc/40e33118_1546/bc/Mail+Attachments/J+Wright.jpg?bfO4cBBBxqGvHSZN  and here I am:  http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/3c5152f/bc/Yahoo!+Photo+Album/hardcore.jpg?pfBpsBBBwJi_6c_S

Altoona native and Shaler grad Danny Fortson is becoming quite the NBA journeyman.  The Sonics will be his fifth team in eight seasons.  His pro and college careers have both been disappointments somewhat.  Those Cincy teams never could win the big one, suffering from SI cover jinx syndrome.  I guess I’m just still bitter for that cheap shot he gave Nick Teeter back in ’92!  Ah, the good old days of the Mid-Alleghenies Conference.  It was one of the better basketball leagues in the western part of the state:  JHS, Altoona, State College and Hollidaysburg just to name a few.

Do yourself a favor, if you haven’t seen Old School yet go out and rent it.  You will laugh yourself silly for an hour and a half.  I just don’t know how Anchorman has gotten some bad reviews.  I just look at Will Ferrell and start laughing!  I’m still chuckling at the scene of him singing “Dust in the Wind” at the funeral!

Does anyone else think this IPO price for Google, which is ranging over $100, is outrageous?  GOOG will be the ticker symbol.  Look, I’m partial to Google, it’s my search engine of choice at home and work.  HOWEVA, I just don’t think this is the move.  That’s a high priced stock with nowhere to go but down.

Good to see Big Bill back up at the podium at the DNC last night.  Vote Kerry!

The New Fam-a-lee

So Ohio beat Pennsylvania in the Big 33 game over the weekend.  Although I have the game recorded on my DVR I haven’t yet watched it (and much to my chagrin I missed the last half hour as the game ran past the time on the menu!).  However, I saw the highlights on the news and it looks like a typical, high-flying aerial attack type game that most high-school all-star games are.  I wish coaches in the western half of the state would take heed at this style of play.  I’m not saying you have to put the ball up like a Sto-Rox or Seton-LaSalle or run a shotgun, spread attack but a little balance doesn’t hurt anyone.  Remember a few years back when Woodland Hills was in the PIAA final against Neshamminy?  Steve Breaston went down with an injury and their backup QB came in the passing game looked like they hadn’t gone over it since August practice.  The run and pass should be mixed up enough so that they set each other up.

The Pirates brought out the brooms yesterday afternoon after sweeping the Reds during turn-back-the-clock weekend.  I’ll be the first to say the uniforms were great looking and they should wear them more often.  With all things cyclical in sports fashion it’s only a matter of time before the mix-and-match comes back in an update style, perhaps button downs and belts. 

I can’t wait until this Kris Benson trade goes through because I’m so tired of the speculation about it.  Either sh*t or get off the pot!

Last night on KDKA’s #1 Cochran Sports Showdown, or what I like to call “The Weekly A$$clown Sports Half Hour”, the question was posed as to whether or not the Pirates should retire the #24 that Barry Bonds wore during his time in Pittsburgh.  This should be a no brainer; on the field Bonds may be the greatest of all time.  I doubt that this will happen though, because too many fans and media have made it the city’s unofficial pastime of “Barry-hatin’”  I know he spent the bulk of his career in SF and compiled most of his stats there, but he did have a start to his career here.  Regardless of the playoff choking, he did win two MVP in a Pirates uniform, the only player to do so.  Not Roberto, not Pops, not Parker, etc, etc.  For the record, the panel was split 50-50 on the issue. 

Wow, did Ricky Williams pull off the “Barry Sanders” or what?  Good riddance, this guy’s heart was NEVER in it.  He in essence ended Mike Ditka’s coaching career after he went bust in New Orleans after Ditka traded the entire draft the Saints had that year to get him.  I wonder what the morons in Philly that booed when the Eagles passed on him to pick some guy named McNabb are thinking this morning!

Lance wins!  Lance wins!  Lance wins!  What else can I say, it’s bicycle racing?  Hey, I gave it a shot, trying to watch it and all and just couldn’t do it.

Racing recap:  Here’s some around the horn type stuff on that great day of auto racing that was yesterday.  Schumi again in F1, even Speed’s coverage team is getting bored with him, spending most of the second half of the race discussing the battles for second back to the last point, which was fine by me because there was some good racing going on back there.  Juan Pablo Montoya really disappointed me with that terrible start, especially after the hype of him and Michael on the first row, darn near four cars overtook him BEFORE turn one.  How about Ferrari’s pit team, changing Ruben’s front wing in 10.3 seconds after his lap one instance.  10.3 seconds!!!  Also, what was up with Kimi’s rear wing just disintegrating on him?  McLaren should be embarrassed at a technical mishap like that happening. 

Paul Tracy won yet another Champ Car race yesterday in Vancouver.  He’s clearly the cream of the crop in that depleted series.  The Champ Cars are off to Road America.

Look, I’m as big a fan of looking at Ashley Judd as the next guy but is she really the first person you go to for comment after Dario wins the IRL race in Milwaukee yesterday?!  In her defense, she does really sound knowledgeable about the sport but come on, how about a team owner, crew chief, someone else!  It’s still not as bad as Jim Gray going to Jack Nicholson after the Lakers beat Indiana in the finals though.

Kurt Busch got his first Nextel Cup victory of the season yesterday in Loudon, the flattest and one of the more boring tracks in the circuit.  They need to get rid of that track for the NYC race. 

The Democratic National Convention begins tonight, unfortunately, I’m not one of the lucky bloggers that got to go to Boston to cover it!  I’ll have to watch at home and comment from afar!

A Big 33 Blog

The Big 33 game is tonight, if you're in the Pittsburgh market you can catch it live on Fox Sports Pittsburgh.  The Pittsburgh sports media finally started writing about it and I'm not sure why it took so long what with the WPIAL being so well represented.  Rod Frisco and the staff at the Harrisburg Patriot-News did an outstanding job this week in covering the game, really some great writing from what I consider the premier newspaper in the state as far as high school football coverage is concerned.

The Molly Rottman suspension is going through per the PIAA.  Let this be a lesson to certain Catholic high schools in Ebensburg that will remain nameless.  You might want to cut back on getting players from Maryland as rumor has it.

The Pirates beat the Reds last night in quite a game.  They were playing in front of a standing room only crowd (yes, fireworks night!).  They also were wearing the 1979 throwback combination of yellow stirrups, black pants, yellow jersey and black pillbox hat.  Personally, that was my favorite of the mix-and-match era.  They'll wear this same combo Sunday afternoon.  Tonight, they'll have on the thick pinstripes.  Maybe they'll sweep the Reds and these unis will be considered good luck and they'll go back to wearing them!  Probably not, the team has been playing well lately regardless of the uniform.

One thing that irks me about the unis though is that with players wearing the baseball uniform more baggy these days, the old double-knit pullovers just don't look right.  That uniform needs a bit more of a snugger fit.

Look, I'm the first guy to tell you how impressed I am with the performance that Ken Jennings has displayed on Jeopardy.  However, I don't think it's worthy of front page status on ESPN.com!  Yes, 38 wins and counting and over $1.3 million (including the all-time one show high set yesterday) are all impressive, but since when is trivia a sport.  Well, this is the same network that is hellbent on showing poker and spelling bees so should I really be surprised?!  Maybe they could bring cameras into my house each Wednesday night when my wife, brother and I sit down to play Mille Bornes and Hearts!  We also occasionally play Boggle, Yahtzee and UpWords.  You should see the athletic prowess!

Dallas beat Philly and Oakland to win the rent Eddie George for a season or two sweepstakes.  Personally, I think George has enough left in the tank for a few more good seasons.  I also think the Titans made an error in forcing him to take the pay cut or get cut.  They didn't have as much leverage as say the Steelers did with Jerome Bettis.  The Steelers brought a proven free agent RB (Duce Staley) in.  Chris Brown is a nice back, but I want more of an insurance policy for balancing my pass and run, especially with often injured Steve McNair not having super backup Neil O'Donnell to come in relief anymore.

What a fantasic Sunday of auto racing.  First, you get the Formula One at Hockenheim (7:30 AM prerace, 8AM race live on Speed).  Then you have the Nextel Cup in Loudon, NH on TNT from 1:30 to 5:30 followed by some open-wheeled action on ABC (IRL from Milwaukee at 3:30) and SpikeTV (Champ Car from Vancouver at 4:00).  Good day to have a few TVs on Picture-in-Picture.  Especially with the Bayern Munich game from Chicago on Fox Sports World at 4:00.  I know, I'm SO Euro!

The F1 race, or at least turn one, should be exciting.  Michael has pole with Juan Pablo in P2.  I feel an international incident waiting to happen!

BASEketball may just be the worst film ever made.  Yes, worse than Mystery Men!  Look, I love South Park, but you have to keep those concepts animated.  (That does seem contradictory from me, since one of my project ideas is to have a film called "Family Guy Comes Alive" where I cast real actors to play the Griffins and other characters!)  I cannot believe that Leonard Maltin didn't give it a "bomb" rating (he gives it an unbelievable 2 stars!)

The answer to yesterday's trivia question:  Airshafters.

The Tele-commuted Blog!

Happy Friday ya'll.

There was an interesting article in yesterday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  South Vo-Tech closed its doors forever after the class of 2004 walked out.  The district isn't sure what to do with the sports uniforms.  You can read the entire piece here:  http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/highschool/s_204513.html
I just can't see why they don't just give the kids the jerseys.  Look, I pay taxes and I wouldn't be upset about it, quite frankly the money they're saving by closing South is more than enough to worry about giving the kids their unis.  The only problem I have is why, when the South closure was announced well in advance, did the athletic department order THREE color jerseys for the football team.  They shouldn't have spent that much money in the first place.  Especially since orange clashes with every other Pittsburgh City School's teams' colors, they really only needed one. 

A little trivia, the Trib piece mentions the now defunct South Hills High that closed in 1985.  What was that school's sports teams' nickname?  (I'll give you the answer tomorrow)

Pirates lost the businessman's special in hot-lanta yesterday in the bottom of the tenth.  Not much you can do when the other team has bases loaded with NO out.

It appears from reports that the Expos are all but moved to Washington D.C.  Apparently they've been telling the players to be prepared to be playing in the D.C. area next year.  Anything is better than the current setup with San Juan and Montreal.  Conventional wisdom says they'll probably be dubbed the "Senators" but I have a good idea, too bad the Reagan lovefest is over because D.C. Dutch rolls right off the tounge.

From the "say it ain't so" file:  the Post-Gazette reported that Homestead mainstay Chiodo's could be closed to make way for a Walgreens?!?!  I can't even begin to tell you how wrong that is.

WDVE's morning show had a comedian on yesterday that brought something to light that I was unaware of.  The Seattle Supersonics took a 7' center out of high school with the 12th pick of the NBA draft this year.  The only thing different is...  ...it's a WHITE DUDE!  Hey, that's a first isn't it.  He's gonna be my new favorite big man!  White guy or not, I can't say fave overall player, that still goes to the Answer!

I'm really digging watching the harness racing from the Big M (live and replay) on my computer.  A few nuggets from last night:  the winner of race 6 is named for the announcer... Ken Warkentin and the winner in the final race of the evening was a major overlay, paying $67.60 to win.

I finally got around to reading the much publicized article in Men's Journal about the virtual orgy that the Olympic village has become over that last 30 years.  My favorite part is from former gymnast Cathy Rigby who once told reporters that gymnasts should perfrom nude because their bodies are so aesthetically pleasing.  Hey look, I'm all for that but for one thing, it's "women's" gymnastics yet most of the particpants are "girls".  I'm all for an 18-and-over thong gymnastics circuit but that's just me!

Have a great weekend.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Time to start another winning streak!

I didn’t see any of it, but the Pirates won again last night, this time at Turner Field against the Braves.  Ironically enough, I was supporting the Turner empire by watching two episodes of Family Guy followed by two episodes of Seinfeld on TBS.  I can see why TBS wouldn’t put the Pirates/Braves on, people in Atlanta didn’t care about this matchup back in the early 90s in the NLCS, why would they care now.  Atlanta sports fans are the most lethargic fans in all the land.

I probably won’t watch the Pirates tonight either.  It’s my wedding anniversary so I’ll probably do whatever the wife wants, somehow I doubt that watching the Pirates doesn’t factor in but I could be wrong.  Hey, she can get her way once in four years right!!!  (Just kidding honey!)  Actually, check that, there will be nothing to watch tonight since it’s get-a-way day in MLB.  The game starts at 1:05.

Molson and Coors are going to join forces and become the 5th largest brewer.  Fine by me, but don’t be messin’ with the taste of two of my favorite beer products:  Coors Original and Molson Canadian.  Although, I’ve always been partial to Miller products (first MGD, then High Life and these days Lite) the two beers I mentioned are two of the best products out there.

Annie’s back at it with 12 liberals including one in the title of the article.  Gotta love it.

 

Just Another Manic Hump-Day

You know, I have a pretty good opinion of the high school sports writing in Pittsburgh HOWEVA, the Big 33 is Saturday and the only place I can get news and stories from the practice leading up to the game is the Harrisburg Patriot-News.  I know they’re closer to Hershey but honestly, what else are Mike White and Kevin Gorman doing during these dog days of summer?  I’m not being critical of them but of their respective publications.  Surely they could find some discount lodging in the area.  There haven’t been a plethora of high school sports stories in the past few days in either the PG or Trib, just the Blackhawk RB committing to WVU.  Oh well, it’s only Tuesday, maybe we’ll see something later in the week.
 
Bucs win!  Bucs win!  Bucs win!  Hey, hey, we split the two-game series with the soon to be Washington Senators last night.  On to Atlanta for another 2 game mini-series.  Who made this schedule anyway?  The Pirates are then back in town for a weekend series with Cincinnati! 
 
Wow, talk about all the potential in the world and blowing it, Art Schlichter was sentenced to 8 years in prison for his part in a ticket scam.  ESPN did their biggest flops show last night and I was surprised not to see him up there with Ryan Leaf and Heath Shuler for disappointing quarterbacks.  You know, Pete Rose has a valid point.  I’m not going to get into whether or not he should be in the Hall of Fame, that’s for another day (I think he should, by the way) but America has all these fancy Dan rehab clinics for alcoholism and drug abuse but we scoff at gambling as an addiction.  It’s almost to the point where it’s trendy to have to do a stint in rehab for painkillers.  But hey, you can’t control your gambling, you’re a dirtball.  Maybe all the conservatives that are anti-slots in Pa should put their energy into proper programs for those that need help with gambling.
 
Although he denies it, MSN reported yesterday that Michael Jackson is a father-to-be with quadruplets to a surrogate mother in Florida.  That’s all this guy needs, more children!  Aren’t kids the whole reason he’s in trouble right now? 
 
DMX could spend 7 years in jail after his recent escape at Kennedy Airport which saw him impersonating an FBI agent, possession of a weapon and controlled substances (oxycodone, diazapem and crack), DUI, endangering the welfare of a child and DUI.  According to Rolling Stone:  “The rapper’s lawyer claims the incident was a misunderstanding.”  Are you kidding me?!  The courtroom sketch showed X put on his Sunday best for his day in court:  a Nuggets Carmelo Anthony jersey!
 
My Lazy Award goes to Fox.  How are they gonna just rip off an idea from a skit on Chappelle’s Show?  Trading Spouses?  Come on!  Goddamn, I love parsnips.  
 
Take a peek at my pics from the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.  There will be more to come when the roll of film in my camera currently is done.  (I know, I know, I’m shopping for a digital camera so shut up!)  http://f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/kekdawg24/lst?.dir=/Mail+Attachments/Pittsburgh+Vintage+Grand+Prix&.order=&.view=l&.src=bc&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/ 
  
  

I'm Fair and Balanced...

...unlike Fox News Channel!
 
Pirates continue to not be able to beat the Expos as they lost at PNC last night.  Is there something about games with Montreal being on TV?  Last night and tonight's weren't on Fox Sports Net. 
 
Bob Smizak wrote the front page story that talked about the 2006 All-Star Game coming to town.  That took attention away from his asinine Sunday column about many in the local sports media in the "give Mario whatever he wants" category.
 
Lance now has the yellow jersey, what I'd tell you!
 
I'm watching a repeat of Fox Sports Net's "The Sports List".  It's good to see Summer Sanders still has it going on!
 
Seacrest Out!

It's an All-Star Monday!

I noticed on Pennsylvania Football News' website over the weekend that Ernie Fetzer has taken the coaching job at Somerset.  Just looking at it with the football glasses on, it's a good hire.  He's a guy with a proven track record (District 6-AAAA title at Vo-Tech and many good squads at Westmont) but so was Frank Krevetski.  Honestly, I wouldn't touch that job with a ten-foot pole until the teachers get a contract otherwise, you're working every year with the possibility of a strike.
 
Still think I'm crazy with what I said about the Marlins last week?  Think again, the Pirates swept them in Pittsburgh over the weekend.  Oliver Perez had another outstanding outing.  It's a shame he didn't get the win, but the rain delay really ended that.  Not a bad line though for a no-decision:  6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K.  Mesa gets another save.  Other good news in Pirateland, it has been reported that there will be a news conference tomorrow announcing the return of the All-Star Game to the 'burgh in 2006.  It will be the first time the all-star game is in Pittsburgh since 1994.  As a fan that attended that game I would encourage any baseball fan to try to get tickets to this game.  I know I will do whatever I can to get there!
 
From the "say it ain't so" category:  yesterday the Post-Gazette ran a story in which they reported local celebrities and people of note and how much they have contributed to either the Bush or Kerry campaigns.  Steelers' future hall-of-fame running back Jerome Bettis dropped a $2,000 check to BUSH!  UGH!!!  Jerome, I'm with you on the slots and racetrack in the 'burgh but I'm not with you on this one brother!
 
I've given up on watching the TV coverage of the Tour De Lance.  I'll get what I need from the radio/internet updates.  All I know is, Lance is only 22 seconds behind and the real hill climbing is ready to begin.  Game over.
 
Best wishes to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in his recovery from burns in what looked like a terrible incident in the American Le Mans Series.  It actually was one of the lead news stories on "Today" this morning.
 
Holborn Hanover was the biggest long shot ever to win the Meadowlands Pace Saturday night.  The horse, driven by Jim Morrill, Jr., went off at 58-1 and paid $119, $31, $11.80.  I backed the #10 horse Metropolitan that was driven by, in my opinion, the best harness driver in the history of the sport, John Campbell.  I thought I had a winner, Campbell had won other Meadowlands Pace races from the 10 spot.  The horse looked strong, but got overtaken in the stretch and held on for show.  I won $5.60 but really was in the hole 40 cents since I bet $6 on the race!  I really wish I would have seen something in the program that would have convinced me to drop $20 and bet $2 on every horse in the field to win.  I would have profited nearly $100!!!  Oh well, all was not lost as I bet a horse in the first race at the Meadows $2 across the board and it won and paid $50.20 combined.  Not a bad astart for a guy who hasn't bet the ponies in a fdew years!  I wouldn't call it beginner's luck because I went through my normal betting routines as far as eliminating horses and choosing my winner.  Maybe it was just back-at-it-again luck!
 
Look, I'm as Anti-Bush liberal as they come but these lyrics in Jadakiss' latest single "Why?" are ridiculous.  "Why did Bush knock down the towers?"  Give me a break.  The 9/11 attacks were acts of war on our nation by extremist terrorists and there was very little Bush, or any president, could have done to prevent them..  On other hip hop news; I saw video proof that Ma$e is back in the rap game.  His song "Welcome Back" contains samples and elements of the theme song to "Welcome Back Kotter" so you know I'm partial to that creativity!  Glad to see him back, he was one of my favorites of the late 90s. 
 
Did Jorja Fox and George Eads get the same advice the baseball umpires did a fedw years ago?!  CSI will surely go on without them.  William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger are clearly the stars; everyone else is 1A.  Same with CSI Miami and Caruso, he's the star, everyone else 1A (although Emily Procter is hot and that is an element the original show is lacking.)  Sorry if $100K an episode isn't good enough for you Jorja and George, don't let the door hit you on the way out!  Career suicide if you ask me, being part of a great franchise and getting greedy. 
 
Yo, I peeped the season premier of Season 2 of "Da Ali G Show" on HBO last night and it was off the hook funny.  I especially liked the part where he asked an ATF agent why they used dogs in bomb sniffing activity instead of a smarter animal like dolphins!
 
I saw an interesting piece on the CBS Marketwatch Weekend program yesterday.  It profiled tow companies:  iSoldIt and ActuionDrop.  They are basically consignment companies that take your stuff and sell it on eBay.  The average commission paid to iSoldIt was 33%!  What a ripoff!!!  It just goes to show the general lack of PC skills of many Americans.  Scanners and digital camera sare about as basic as it comes yet people are dropping their stuff off at these places and having someone else to the work.
 
From the "Did You Know" category:  Bill Clinton drove a 1970 Gremlin during his first campaign in Arkansas.  As if I already didn't have enough reason to like him!  He supported the old American Motors Company.  What I'd give to get a good Hornet or Matador these Days!
 

 

HOORAY!

I'm back up and running at home with a PC now, so you'll see blog posting six days a week now.  I'll have to take Sunday off though, God created the heavens and earth in six days ya know!
 
I read where Barry Pepper will be play Dale Earnhardt in ESPN's upcoming movie about the late Nascar superstar.  I just hope they do a better job with this one than they have with Bob Knight and Bear Bryant!
 
Speaking of racing, for the first time in nearly 15 years I attended the Vintage Grand Prix in Pittsburgh today.  It was only qualifying, but what was nice was that the rainy weather keep it comfortable, both from a temperature and crowd point of view.
 
I had my own double feature last night with movies that have been loading up my hard drive on my DVR.  25th Hour with Edward Norton was good; not great or bad.  Not Spike Lee's best "joint" but there is a really good scene in which Norton's character, who is spending his final day before going to jail for 7 years on drug charges, has a monologue in the bathroom and basically f-bombs every ethnic group in the Big Apple.
 
Then, I finally got around to watching 8 Mile.  It seems to me that rappers do well when they are acting in their own element.  In other words, when they aren't really acting.  Ice Cube was great in Friday, Em was great in 8 Mile, etc because that is their natural environment.  Ice-T on Law and Order SVU, that just doesn't work for me.
 
I popped in my nearly acquired digital remaster of the Van Halen classic "1984" this morning.  That group just isn't the same without Diamond Dave.  And honestly, Diamond Dave really isn't the same without them.  Sure he had mild success in his solo career but no one is comparing "Yankee Rose" with "Jump", "Panama" or "Hot for Teacher".  They tried to do that tour with him and Sammy and it just didn't work. 
 
I'll see you on Monday, it's great to be online at home again, not that I dislike going to the public library but this is just more convenient!

No Kobe Clippers Jersey After All!

The Pirates were lucky enough to have an extra day off during the all-star break this year.  They had a workout at PNC Park last night to prepare for a weekend series with the defending world champion Florida Marlins.  I know the Fish are only one game back but does anyone really think they’ll repeat; I sure don’t.  Actually, the NL East looks like a great race.  The Braves and Phillies are tied for first; the Marlins and Mets are both one game back.  Only the Puerto Rico Expos are out of it, in last 15 games back.  They’re even worse than our Buccos!
 
The Lakers saved some face yesterday with Kobe’s announcement that he’s staying put.  What a disaster had the Lakers traded Shaq and made all the other numerous concessions to Kobe and then he would have decided to jump ship.  Now, my question is this:  will the Lakers be playing some home games in Anaheim.  Probably not, I can’t see Jack Nicholson courtside at the Pond in Arrowhead!
 
I watched the season finale of the WB’s “Pepsi Smash” last night.  Snoop Dogg was good but unfortunately they ended with Avril Lavigne.  Not only did she do a song from her first album which I thought was odd with the new one out but she sounded TERRIBLE.  This isn’t the first time I’ve heard her live and thought this; she had a sub par performance on SNL some time ago.  I’m beginning to think there are some digital enhancements going on in the studio with her. 
 
If you get a chance and have HBO, watch “Hitler’s Pawn” when it re-airs.  It’s a great documentary about how the US and the world was duped into thinking Hitler would put Jews on the Olympic team to avoid boycotting.
 
Well, things are starting to finally get going in My Life; on page 181 Bill finally meets Hillary.  He’s almost done with law school so hopefully we’ll get in to the political stuff real soon. 
 
Martha Stewart will find out today if she’ll get jail time.  Lea Fastow hit the maximum-security facility in Houston last week.  I wonder if she’ll take my advice and tone up while behind bars!  And how does prison life work with females?  Is there a bit*h system?  I would guess not since they all are bit*hes!!!
 
Ann Coulter must be reading my blog; the conservative queen’s latest doesn’t contain any references to the word liberal.  Amazing!
 
Have a great weekend.

Is a Kobe Clippers’ jersey next?

So the Shaq part of the Shaq/Kobe saga has come to an end as he’s now a member of the Miami Heat. One thing’s for sure; we’ll see more Heat on TV than we have since those Knicks playoff series. Shaq and Dwayne Wade should become a great one-two combo and they should roll in the division they’ll be playing in.

So Kobe is going to announce today what he’s going to do. Is it just me or has everyone forgotten about his upcoming trial that could put him in jail. I know, I know, I’ve heard that there isn’t that much of a case against him but the possibility is there.

I’m sure I’m in the minority on this one but I don’t think that if Kobe left the Lakers all would be lost. Sure, the Lakers would go from contenders to pretenders right now, but it might be good five to ten years down the road. The Celtics and Bulls are two franchises that prove that one more championship in a dynasty run can be disastrous when trying to rebuild when the glory is gone. Both those teams are still trying to get back to contention. Maybe the Lakers cut their losses early and rebuild quicker. Quite frankly, I don’t want to watch Shaq and Kobe get old and decrepit like Bird, McHale and Parrish did.

The pride of Aliquippa isn’t running for United States Senate! Mike Ditka claims he has too many other prior commitments. Boy, all I can say about that is THANK GOD. This guy would have made Jesse the Body look like a career politician! At least he would have been associated with Illinois and not Pennsylvania! For the record, had he run he would have won in a landslide. The fact that he’s a Republican would make no difference whatsoever; he’d have won a member of the Nazi party he’s so loved! That man has legendary status in Chi-town. It’s funny because although he did win a Super Bowl ring (with arguably the best one season team in NFL history and the greatest defense EVER) no one outside of Chicago thinks of him as a legendary head coach. All American at Pitt and HOFer as a Cowboy I’ll give you. Yes, he was a great sound bite, but not a great coach.

Congrads to Phil Garner for getting the manager’s job in Houston. I loved “Scrap Iron” as a player and thought that he had a sinking ship type jobs previously in Milwaukee and Detroit. Isn’t it ironic that former Pirates replaced both managers that were fired this year? (Al Pedrique stepped in for the fired Bob Brenly in Arizona earlier this year.)

As a follow up to my discussion of the decrease in stolen bases in MLB yesterday I did some research and discovered that there hasn’t been a thief with more than 80 since Rickey Henderson got 93 in 1988 with the Yankees. In fact, if you average out the decades it breaks down as such: 1970s, the average stolen base champ had 74.8 swipes, 1980s was 98 and 1990s was 70.4. Thus far in the 2000s the average is down to 57.75. Clearly the 80s was the height of small ball, in particular Vince Coleman on the hard artificial turf at Busch. The 80s gave baseball fans 6 different occasions of a base stealer swiping 100 or more. The only way we’ll see that is if there is hardcore drug testing put in place AND it has a direct affect on the long ball.

I saw a story on ESPN.com yesterday about Nascar bringing a race to the New York area, possibly Staten Island. I think that’s great but at what cost? To me, it’s a lose-lose because you have to do one of two unpopular moves; you lengthen the season or take a race away from another track.

I was glad to see a Jeffersons marathon on TV Land last night, that really was a great show. In my mind, best spin-off ever. I know people will say Frasier and that’s valid, however I just think that show morphed into something completely different. By the end of its run it was totally unrecognizable from Cheers.

Love, piece and hair grease!

Hey Now, I’m an All-Star!

If you watched the Home Run Derby and didn’t get a little choked up at the whole living 500 Home Run Club thing, well, you just don’t appreciate baseball enough. That was a great ceremony, only surpassed by the Mastercard All-Century team promotion from a few years back. That being said I have a few thoughts on the event itself. First of all, it’s entirely too long. Not only is fatigue a factor for the participants, but as a viewer I was losing interest in it as well. Maybe giving the participants less outs in one of the rounds or have fewer participants could be a solution. For the most part, it’s a great event but there is no way to estimate how long it will take. ESPN had it listed for one hour; that’s laughable.

Secondly, I don’t recall Sam Ryan being that bad while she did hockey coverage for ABC/ESPN during the playoffs this past spring. She was absolutely TERRIBLE, stumbling over her words. The interview with Lance Berkman was especially bad; she used his first name twice in the same sentence. On the flip side, I thought Barry Bonds did a fantastic job when after his first round he sat down with Chris Berman and Joe Morgan. He probably won’t do it (most of the all-time greats don’t) but he could be a really good color analyst if he put his mind to it.

And lastly, right-handed batters should be ashamed of themselves for that short porch at Minute Maid Field. Righties should have a handicap or something at that park for a HR Derby! I guess it all evens out as the All-Star Game moves to Detroit’s Comerica Park next year. Even after some of the fences have moved in it’s still cavernous.

As for the game, I really feel bad for Roger Clemons getting his chesticles ripped off in the first inning! All the hype surrounding him, being in his hometown, pitching for the hometown team which is hosting the game, being the oldest starting pitcher in all-star history, I guess he just deserved better.

It’s too bad that Jack Wilson’s line drive didn’t carry a bit farther. It would have been nice for the Pirates lone all-star rep to homer.

I have a too long complaint for the game as well. I know Houston is in the Central Time Zone, but Fox would have had the game on in primetime regardless. The pre-game should have started at 7 with first pitch somewhere around 7:35, give or take a few minutes.

Boy, is small ball dead or what? Fox ran a screen that showed some unlikely lead leaders in certain statistical categories. Carl Crawford of Tampa Bay leads the MLB in stolen bases with the grand total of 13 at the break! 13! So he’s on pace to lead MLB in October with 26! Gone are the days of a speedster getting 80 to 100 (or more) SBs. Heck, even Willie “Mays” Hays bought 100 batting gloves, one for each base he would steal, in the movie Major League and that was in the late 80s! Seriously, it goes to show just how much the game has changed. That Nike ad from a few years ago really rings true, “Chicks Dig the Long Ball”! I guess that’s why you don’t see a skills competition around all-star break where they time the fastest guy around the bases!

Omar Moreno had 96 stolen bases in 1980. Tony Womack had 60 and 58 in ’97 and ’98 respectively, not to mention 72 with Arizona in ’99. Last year Kenny Lofton and Reggie Sanders, ringers for all intents and purposes, had 18 and 15 SBs respectively. For the record, Florida’s Juan Pierre led all of MLB with 65.

I thought American Idol winner Fantasia’s rendition of the National Anthem was among the worst I’ve heard of recent. Actually, I am so sick of pop stars taking liberty with the Star Spangled Banner. There is no room for showmanship in performing your country’s National Anthem. That stuff might win you brownie points with those no talent judges but there is no place for it when singing the National Anthem. I think of Simon Cowell and I think of Denis Lemieux’s line in the classic film Slap Shot: “just some stupid English pig with no brains”.

Conversely, Ruben got it right with his God Bless America. I hear his voice and I think of Luther Vandross. Truthfully, I think this past American Idol was the worst of the three thus far. You had Kelly and Justin in the first one; Ruben and Clay in the second. No one really stood out in the third version. Well, that is unless you count William Hung although his 15 minutes appear to be up.

Keeping with music, I have some CD reviews. “The Diary of Alicia Keys” and Anthony Hamilton’s “Comin’ From Where I’m From” are both very solid R&B albums and worth a listen. The Strokes’ “Is This It” is a better than average rock album, but I like Jet and Dashboard Confessional’s a little bit better.

I really can’t stop listening to “To the 5 Boroughs”, it has reached legendary status in my CD collection as one of those view albums that I can listen to all the tracks straight through with no skipping around. It really is good stuff; if you haven’t bought it yet, get with the program! I even got the vinyl LP as I plan on getting a turntable to hook up to my stereo. That way, I can keep the CD in my car’s 6-disc changer permanently!

I had an interesting double feature at my brother-in-law’s house over the weekend. It was hockey themed as we watched Miracle and Slap Shot. As far as Miracle goes, it is a very good film; I would encourage you to watch it even if you’re not a hockey fan. Kurt Russell really captured Herb Brooks’ personality in the movie. I still don’t think people really appreciate how huge that upset of the Soviet Union really was. CCCP had dominated Olympic hockey for 15 years prior to Lake Placid (not mention 12 more years after ’80), they had the greatest goaltender in the history of the game in his prime (sorry Grant Fuhr fans, he’s a close second on my list!) and probably the most skilled forwards until the Edmonton Oilers started their dominance in the early to mid 80s.

As for Slap Shot, we did it a bit different as my bro-in-law has the 25th anniversary edition with the commentary by the Hanson Brothers. It was really interesting to listen to them talk about certain things in the movie, places in Johnstown, etc.

So this cat on Jeopardy is now a 30-day champ and his winnings are over $1 million. I know they’re re-thinking that no limit champion rule!
I don’t know what was more shocking to me, the fact that Isabel Sanford died, or that she was 86. I just didn’t think she was that old. It starts making you feel old when actors on sitcoms you watched while growing up are starting to pass on. Rest in peace to a woman who so brilliantly portrayed one of the great characters in TV history. The Jeffersons was a groundbreaking series, the first to portray a wealthy black family (long before the modest but well off Huxtables on the Cosby Show), the first to prominently show an interracial married couple, etc. Sanford was also the first black woman to win an Emmy. I can only hope that TV Land or Nick at Nite will do a marathon like they did for Three’s Company following Jon Ritter’s passing.

Here’s hoping Weezie has moved on up the greatest of all deluxe apartments in the sky!

Hold On, It’s Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride!

The Tribune-Democrat ran a news story last week about the proposed renovations for Point Stadium. One of the amenities that will not be compromised according to certain council members is artificial turf. I think this is a good thing, only if it is of the field turf variety and not the hard, burn inducing rug you still see at Mansion Park in Altoona. Getting an artificial surface could be instrumental in Johnstown getting some revenue from PIAA football playoff games. Johnstown very well could be a good neutral site for teams deep in the bracket towards the end of November, beginning of December.

Speaking of Mansion Park, isn’t it high time that they go the route of field turf? I’m not sure how feasible of a project that would be because I do not know if the city of Altoona or school district owns the stadium. If anyone remembers how beautiful Mansion Park looked with natural grass (yes, I realize that’s a LONG time ago!) you’d understand my point better.

The Pirates split a four-game series with the Expos in Puerto Rico going into the All-Star Break. Home Run Derby is tonight and the game is tomorrow from Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Not much to say about the Expos series because I was out of town for most of it and only caught scores and newspaper accounts of the games.

Mark Recchi is a Penguin again although it’s probably much ado about nothing with the pending work stoppage, lockout, strike what have you.

Tony Stewart got caught up in controversy yet again yesterday in Chicagoland. He spun out the race leader Kasey Kahne during a restart. Tempers flared in the pits as the crews from the #20 and #9 cars tangled following the incident. The procedural fines from Nascar I’m sure will be coming. I never saw a car get to the winner’s circle so fast! I did hear some boos but I guarantee if it would have been the #24 car causing the spin out there would have been another bottle barrage!

I didn’t get a chance to watch the British Grand Prix but after hearing and reading the account of yet another Ferrari one-two, well, I’m sure I didn’t miss much!

I mentioned last week about Sean Miller and the coaching job at Xavier and it turns out he did get the job. With his father being a highly successful coach at Blackhawk he’ll have a great advisor to turn to. Good luck to a guy with a very high “Basketball IQ”, I’m sure he’ll do a fine job.

Tim Montgomery failed to qualify for the 100 meters in the Olympics. Hmm, his girlfriend Marion Jones failed to qualify for the women’s 100. Hmm, both are involved in the BALCO controversy. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm! Call me un-American but I could give a hoot, our track sprinters are the most cocky, arrogant selfish athletes in the world and it serves them right.

I’ve done some follow-up on this competitive eating craze. Here’s some food for thought (yes, pun intended!) the world record for eating soft tacos is 43 in 11 minutes! And… it’s held by a woman who barely weighs 100 pounds.
The Rigas’ were found guilty in the Adelphia case. I’m glad some of these corporate crooks are getting theirs. I just hope this doesn’t change my cable service. Say what you will about Adelphia and this scandal, but they are by far the best cable provider I’ve ever done business with.

If you’re a fan of roller coasters do yourself a favor and schedule a trip to King’s Dominion in Virginia. This is the second year in a row I’ve gone with some family members and it’s great. The park is a fantastic combination of wooden and steel roller coasters. My personal favorite is the Volcano. If you’re familiar with Cedar Point, it’s like the Iron Dragon, a coaster where your legs are dangling and the track is above you. I think you really get a more intense ride this way.

Bye now.

No doubt about it!

Dateline Miami: Pirates 4, Marlins 3. Another win for Oliver Perez, another save for Jose Mesa (although he made it interesting a la Mike Williams!) and another winning streak started. It’s a shame when you’ve won 11 of your last 12 and are still 6 games under .500, 13 games behind the division leader and in last place!

It looks like Lance is back in the lead at the Tour de France. If he keeps this lead throughout the rest of the month and wins again, maybe I’ll put him in the discussion I had yesterday regarding dominant athletes when I was talking about Kobayashi and the hot dogs.

We have quite a weekend in auto racing coming up. Nascar is at Chicagoland, Champ Car is at Toronto and Formula 1 is in England.

I heard on ESPN Radio 1250 this morning that former Pitt point guard Sean Miller is a candidate for the head coaching job at Xavier. Thad Motta’s move to Ohio State opened the job at XU. Good luck to Sean, I hope he gets the job.

So Ken Lay was indicted yesterday for his part in the Enron debacle. I don’t think this surprises anyone; it was only a matter of time. Lay looks very sickly these days, I guess I would too if in the same predicament.

Much to my surprise last night there were two episodes of Family Guy on TBS. This is in addition to the nightly (Monday through Thursday) episode on Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim” block of programming. Viewer note: the Cartoon Network episode is back on at 11:00. It had been 11:30 for a couple months but switched back this week. I’m not sure why they keep flip-flopping Family Guy and Futurama, they must be a bunch of bleeding heart liberals running Cartoon Network! I liked FG at 11:30 because then I could watch “The Daily Show” at 11:00.

I’m not sure if the TBS thing is a one-shot deal or weekly. According to my TV Week from the Post-Gazette, there are no other weeknights that it is listed for. I guess it goes along with TBS’ switch to a comedy network with the endless barrage of Seinfeld episodes and the heavily edited, remade-for-syndication Sex and the City.

Back to Family Guy, if you haven’t watched this show yet you’re doing yourself a major disservice. Look, I’m a Simpsons guy and I will be ‘till the end. They were the original. I also enjoy South Park very much. But Family Guy is just too funny. I can’t wait to see what the new episodes are like.

More TV: two new talk shows debuted last night. Alf was corny but hey, who cares it’s a puppet. What’s more scary is that I watched a few of the original Alf episodes that aired after the talk show and maybe I was just a kid and it was “cute” but I don’t remember that show being that bad! No wonder it really hasn’t popped up in syndication much. Shows like Three’s Company, Cheers, Sanford and Son are timeless to an extent because they’re still funny. Even Who’s the Boss has its moments (and if anything, it’s fun watching puberty attack Alyssa Milano right before our eyes!). But Alf, it just doesn’t work today. And that cast is a virtual “where are they now?” Seriously, has anyone seen Benji Gregory in ANYTHING!

McEnroe just plain sucked. It was choppy and looked well, inexperienced. McEnroe appeared more like an uncomfortable guest on Letterman than an actual host. I can’t see this show lasting the summer.

In closing, if you have a copy of “My Life” open it to page 95. There’s a funny piece on GW’s stance on the confederate flag! As far as the book, well, so far it is the most true of a book being exactly what the title is. He really spares no detail and I’m not necessarily saying that’s a good thing. Oh well, where I am he’s almost done with college so it should start to get more interesting.

PS-I’m VERY disappointed in Ann Coulter’s latest “column”, she only uses “liberal” once. Don’t worry, the “writing” hasn’t gotten any better! I guess it’s breaking news that John Edwards is a trial lawyer that made a lot of money!

I'm back!

So Coach K is staying put at Duke, passing up millions of dollars and equally as many headaches with the Lakers job! I cannot tell you how glad I am that he is staying put. At this point in his career, especially when you consider he has a lifetime contract, he really should not be attempting the pro game. He’s a lifer at Duke barring any major scandal. As per usual, Ron Cook continues to just not get it. He wrote in yesterday’s Post-Gazette that Coach K should have taken the job. Please, PLEASE don’t make me have to get out that laundry list of NCAA coaches that have struck out in the pro game! How and why a two-bit columnist from a town that hasn’t had a major league basketball franchise since the 70s feels the need to opine on this story is beyond me. What, Pitt basketball has a couple of good seasons and now all of a sudden everyone is David Aldrige? I think The Rock put it best many moons ago when he said, “know your role and shut your mouth!” Hey, Steelers training camp opens up later this month, concentrate on a topic you’re somewhat familiar with.

The Pirates winning streak was snapped at 10 last night in Miami. It was still a valiant effort to come back by the boys in black and gold. I’m glad to see that Jack Wilson will be representing the Bucs in the All Star game in Houston. Also, what a nice schedule the guys get, three game series in Miami followed by a four game series in San Juan against the Expos. That will provide for a nice base tan leading into the all star break! Jason Kendall is one of the final internet vote in guys on MLB.com. I’d say vote for him, but, well, if you don’t know how I feel about JK then I’ll just go on what my mother told me. If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone… you know the rest!

Is there a reason why Tampa Bay’s recent winning streak has garnered major national attention, yet the Pirates’ similar streak has not? I guess Dick Vitale isn’t on Mike and Mike every Monday pumping up the Pirates now is he?!

Did anyone really think that with the #48 of Jimmie Johnson pushing him, that Jeff Gordon would be denied Saturday night at Daytona in the Pepsi 400? Hoorah! Pepsi Edge for EVERYONE! Actually, it’s a good thing because I like it better than Coke’s C2! It appears that the Hendrick Motorsports team has things back on track and they could be closing the gap in DEI’s dominance of the restrictor plate races.

Not that I’m ready to say that competitive eating is a sport BUT, is there anyone more dominant in their sport than Kobayashi is at eating hot dogs? Perhaps Michael Schumacher and Ferrari in Formula 1 (don’t get me started on whether racing is or isn’t a sport; that’s a topic for another day!) I have a problem with the contest rules though. I don’t like how they can eat the dogs, then dip the buns in water (which is disgusting by the way) and eat them separately. The contest should be done in the same manner you would sit down and eat a hot dog.

No big surprise yesterday as John Kerry picked John Edwards to be his running mate on the Democratic ticket that hopefully will beat Bush/Cheney. I would have actually liked Edwards better as the presidential candidate but he never had a shot against Kerry, or Gephardt for that matter with his strong labor backing. I love the over-analysis on TV about the pick, like the VP makes any difference in anything. It’s the most overrated, unimportant position in major politics. It was neat that Kerry was in the great city of Pittsburgh when the announcement was made though.

Dennis Roddy had a story in the Post-Gazette over the weekend about ousted Tribune Democrat editor David Levine. I’m glad this story was run in the burgh so the rest of Western Pennsylvania can see what a putz this guy is. Good riddance to this joker who recently wrote that AAABA baseball games should be held at Trojan Stadium! The new publisher said he was looking to go in a more positive direction. All I can say is they got what they asked for when they hired a guy as their editor that spent time with the New York Post. Yes, that same New York Post that ran the cover story yesterday that Kerry had picked Dick Gephardt as his VP! The same New York Post where Peter Vecsey writes columns ripping Jim Gray as often as Ann Coulter rips liberals! I could go on and on and on about the Big Apple’s bastion of journalism.

Although I despise most reality based TV programs, I stumbled upon one which I really enjoy. “Airline” on A&E is a really neat program that takes place in airports around the country and follows customer service reps and flyers through the trials and tribulations of flying. Sometimes, exchanges between airline employees and disgruntled customers get heated and it makes for good viewing. Does this change of heart make me a flip-flopping, tax-and-spend liberal?! I just couldn’t resist!

Bye now.

This time, a real inside-the-park home run

So Jack Wilson did it for real this time, hitting an inside the park home run in the first game of a doubleheader last night against Milwaukee. The Brewers are just God awful. I think a AAABA team could give them a run for their money! Or possibly the barnstorming baseball team I'm creating: The Hornerstormers! I'm looking for willing applicants, you need not be from Hornerstown to apply.

Penn Hills' Drew Schifino will be playing basketball at Middle Tennessee State so his family can be close and watch him and his brother Jake who plays for the Tennessee Titans. It's pretty bad when the coach of a terrible program (WVU) can't get along with his star player and top scorer.

Greece won the Euro Cup, can you say conspiracy theory! Aren't the Olympics in Athens this summer?!

The Pennsylvania House is him-hawing about the slots bill. Some of them want to go home but they got voted down. I know they're probably not too excited about working through a holiday weekend but this legislation NEEDS to pass for the sake of the commonwealth.

I'll be curious to see what John Mcenroe's show on CNBC is like. The commercial they're airing that shows among others Maria Bartiromo and Kudlow and Cramer saying John's famous "you cannot be serious" line is pretty funny.

Yes, it's a rare Saturday opportunity for me to blog so enjoy.

Be careful with those M-80s!

Yes, I’m leading with auto racing. Paul Tracy has the provisional pole for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland. Qualifying will resume today at 1:45. Ironically, he got it because another driver was penalized for blocking. Normally it’s Tracy, the original bad boy long before the #20 Home Depot car, that’s mired in controversy but not this time.

Say this ain’t so: Coach K to the Lakers?!?! Please don’t make me have to do the laundry list of college coaching greats (and really goods for that matter) that failed miserably in the NBA. The association is the hardest league to coach in. Players are constantly getting coaches fired. I don’t know why Coach K would ever want to leave Duke. I’m saying this as unbiased as it comes since I can’t stand Duke. I pity the fool that follows him if he does leave, just like I pity the fool that will follow JoePa when he leaves PSU. It will be Bear Bryant and John Wooden all over again.

I am going to make a conscience effort to watch the Tour De France this year. I guess most of the coverage is on the Outdoor Life Network. It’s not that I’m a big Lance Armstrong fan, but it will be neat to see things progress throughout the month. There was a nice color map in USA Today yesterday that charted out the course. I think I just want to appreciate it when I hear the reports on the TV and/or radio.

In today’s USA it is reported that Apple has delayed the shipping of the new version of its once red-hot iMac desktop. While I once was really caught up in the hype of the iMac (although I never bought one) I really am a PC guy now. Apple will always have the school market locked down as well as its loyal following, which has almost achieved cult status, but for my money Dell is the way to go.

Three quick Pittsburgh stories, first I mentioned the other day about Howard Stern’s comeback to the airwaves here. Well, not only that be he unseated the entire station. B93.7 is now known as K-Rock (not to be confused with K-Billy from Reservoir Dogs!). Gone is the format of Top 40, replaced with classic rock to compete directly with Pittsburgh powerhouse 102.5 WDVE. I don’t think that’s a good move, but I am glad Stern is back on the air. Not that I’m a fan, but I don’t like how Clear Channel basically censored him.

Secondly, the Post-Gazette reported yesterday on its front page that Superintendent of Schools John Thompson is most likely gone when his contract expires next July. The board opted not to extend him, essentially making him a lame duck. No big loss as far as I’m concerned. Here is a guy who refused to see anything anyone else’s way, refused to cooperate with the school board, etc., etc. Look, I think the school board is antiquated but while it’s still around the superintendent has to at least make the effort to get along with the board. Tony Norman, a columnist who I respect very much, today wrote that Pittsburgh didn’t give him a chance because he wasn’t from around here, wore fancy clothes and wouldn’t embrace change. Look, I’m for change as much as the next guy, when it makes sense. You can’t just go around blazing trails when they aren’t there to be blazed. Good luck to Thompson, who will probably go on to the revolving door that is the Washington DC public school system!

And lastly, not a Burgh story as much as a story for the entire commonwealth. State senators, by a tally of 30 to 20, voted yes on slots yesterday. The ball in now in the House’s court. Slots will be the savoir of the horse business in Pa, as well as a boom economically for business lost to WV, NJ and Delaware. It appears that the bill will pass so long that the sides can agree on what exactly to do with the profits. This is light years away from previous state administrations and their complete lack of even giving slots a chance. Maybe in 10 years you can go on the Gateway Clipper and play slots, then on your way home, stop at Giant Eagle and pick up a six-pack of Miller!

I’m disappointed in Ann Coulter’s latest “column” as it only featured the word liberal three times. She seems to be losing her touch! Now she’s a week late with her “surprising” criticism of Fahrenheit 9/11.

How’s this for a segue? I saw the film last night and I actually was surprised that it wasn’t more slanted than I thought it would be. Sure there were potshots at Bush throughout (the way the movie ends is particularly funny!) but there was also some very emotional parts too. I like how Moore brought to light that the poorest of Americans (many from his own poor hometown of Flint, Michigan) are fighting a war in Iraq that has the richest’s interests at heart. The movie was thick on conspiracy theory, which is probably to be expected. I like the beginning to with the shots of the news coverage of Election 2000. It was a neat reminder, in this post 9/11 world I had forgotten what a complete and udder mess that whole Gore/Florida thing was. I’ll never forget going to bed thinking Gore had won. As Lee Corso would say, “NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!”

Have a great 4th of July! God bless America and keep our troops safe.

Happy Canada Day!

I read today where Pittsburgh North Catholic’s girls’ basketball coach is going to be suspended for the entire 2004-05 season for recruiting. It’s high time some of these Catholic schools get their due. The beautiful part about it is the recruiting was discovered when the recruited player made a seemingly harmless statement about the coach coming to watch her play a junior high game. Hopefully this will be the first of many punishments handed out for what is a completely un-level playing field. How else is a single A enrollment school beating larger classifications. Yes, Bishop Carroll I’m referring to you!

Kudos to the Pirates for sweeping the Cardinals at PNC Park after a bottom of the ninth victory in a businessman’s special yesterday afternoon. A rare Wednesday day game in the ‘Burgh as most of them are on the traditional getaway day: Thursday. I know I’m not the first to pose this question but, if Jack Wilson is the National League all star shortstop, please tell me who is.

I’m hopeful of what I wish for: just a few days ago I mentioned the Meyersdale native who won an Arena Bowl championship with San Jose. I talked a bit about how much I missed the arena team in Johnstown. Well, Mike Mastovich writes in the Tribune Democrat today about the possibility of indoor football making its return to the Flood City. I guess air conditioning was one of the major hang-ups with both players and fans and with the recent remodeling, that problem has been solved. Hopefully they’ll try to get some local talent like last time too. I loved watching JHS grad Quenteen Robinson jump in the crowd and high-five fans after each one of his touchdowns.

I still can’t see why no one wants to get involved with an AFL franchise in Pittsburgh. Mr. Rooney has been asked and he basically is sticking the league’s agreement to support NFL Europe in the spring and I can respect that. But why isn’t there someone else willing to bring the game to Mellon Arena. Mellon Arena might just be the hang up. From what I understand, the rent is sky high, it kept a franchise from joining the league Johnstown played in a few years ago. What a missed opportunity that was. Pittsburgh and Johnstown are just an hour and a half apart from each other, separated by US 22, that could have been an interesting rivalry.

Nascar bad boy Tony Stewart was fined $50,000 for his stupidity following Sunday’s race in Sonoma. The big deal was that he lost his points in the championship race because of the fight. I hope if it happens again they just suspend him for the remainder of the season.

Here’s hoping that Ralf Schumacher has a speedy recovery from the severe concussion and two broken back bones he suffered when his BMW Williams crashed at the US Grand Prix. Newspaper accounts say he could miss up to 12 weeks.

There will be a new $50 bill soon, with many of the color characteristics that the new $20 has. The counterfeiters always seem to be one step ahead of the Mint and Secret Service, I’m sure there are fake bills already made!

Sheetz has a great plan to open a store in Altoona that will be licensed to sell beer and malt liquor beverages. As usual, the sticks in the mud are protesting wanting to stop it. Apparently they believe Pennsylvania should remain a state in the dark ages. How nice it would be to pick up a six-pack at Giant Eagle or Shop N Save! Is that asking too much? The state could still have their liquor store monopoly to sell spirits. Just let the grocers sell beer, malt liquor and wine.

Troubled Mount Pleasant glassmaker L.E. Smith may have to go out of business. A planned buyout seems to have fallen through. At least glass collectors like my mother will still have Fenton to fall back on, but Smith is a local company and it’s sad to see this happen if it does. Just like the airline industry, they’re blaming 9/11 in an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Unbelievable! A glassmaker blaming terrorist attacks on hard times. Hey, what about the owner 10 years ago that got caught up in a check-kiting scheme.

As you all know I’m currently reading one of the great presidents of our time, Bill Clinton’s memoir. You’d be amazed to know this; I read in U.S. News and World Report yesterday that he wrote the entire thing by hand. Dude, get a PC.

I’ll be seeing Fahrenheit 9/11 tonight. You’ll see my review manaña!