I have to assume that most of you that have followed any or all of the recent media attention surrounding Mark McGwire aren’t buying into it as some type of soul cleansing. What this interview was with Bob Costas was not something McGwire himself felt he needed to do to clear the air it was something the Cardinals organization felt they needed him to do. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting in just under a month and the trucks for all the MLB teams will be meeting them in Florida and Arizona to get the pre-season underway. But before the Cards could get into any sort of normalcy with their new hitting coach the spin machine went into motion, he made his statements and in his own words – “I was being as honest as I (could), from the heart. I got it off my chest and it's something we can all move on from." This is where I’m insulted, and this is what gets the cheater Tool of the Week honors.
McGwire also had said he wished he had done this five years ago. What about in front of Congress and the whole nation? What about when all the speculation of his steroid use coincided with his home run record? Oh no, not then, there were endorsements, contracts, appearances and of course what all athletes enjoy most – being worshiped by all.
In St. Louis there was a large vat of Kool-Aid consumed by his followers who gave him a standing ovation today like he had just accomplished some great feat. That great feat was years ago and now we know it’s tainted, but that’s all forgiven? I don’t understand how any city can forgive someone who lied to a nation, deceived everyone in the game of baseball (except Jose Canseco) and now thinks that some blanket statement that he used PED’s believes we should be grateful he was truthful finally. Wrong!
Maybe it’s over for today McGwire, but the heat hasn’t gotten even warm yet. There will be the cities you return to for the first time since your false glory days that won’t be forgiving like Wrigley (I can’t wait for that game), microphones will still get shoved in your face and you may fall back on your past statement that you’re not going to discuss it anymore but you aren’t fooling me, and I doubt anyone else who isn’t living in the land of OZ is buying this either. As much as the Cards want this to be a smooth transition they’re fooling themselves and how dare they even think for a minute that we’d believe you suddenly grew a pair and came clean. You had no choice or you’d be dogged daily, the team would have a constant distraction by your silence to the repeated inquiries, but I realize the public relations department is more concerned that this be handled now, but they’re fooling themselves if you won’t be heckled all season long. If you don’t believe me ask A-Roid what it’s like to go to Fenway, he won’t ever get mercy there, nor should you ever get mercy anywhere either for being a liar and a cheat.
Here’s the TOTW award by Binford, and as much as like to whack you in the balls with it I can’t hit something that’s shrunk to the size of an atom, so I’ll insert it in that other hole, the one that’s as full of shit as you are!
"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friends - so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression,will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today."
In case people forgot why they have today off...That's why...To honor a the man who had the courage to say those words, and many more, back in 1963 when thoughts and ideas like these weren't popular, and weren't spoken publicly...
That said, I'll be at work, cooking for all you lucky folks who have the day off...
First I want to talk about the NFL's Defensive player of the year...Charles Woodson won the award...And he had a great season...Although if I was going to go with a corner back, I would have gone with Derrelle Revis...Dude knuckled up again today, as the Jets...The JETS, beat the Chargers 17-14...Boy, I'd hate to be Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding right now...Missed 3 field goals in a playoff game...Some one put him on suicide watch...
But in my opinion The Defensive Player of the Year should have been, Jared Allen of the Vikings...50 tackles...42 solo...14.5 sacks...4 passes defended...5 forced fumbles...1 interception...
Not bad considering most of the time he's getting double teamed...Oh, and there's this...
The Jets will face the Colts, as they beat the Ravens 20-3...In the NFC, the Vikings, lead by their defense, beat the Cowboys 34-3...They'll face the Saints, who beat the Cardinals 45-14...How about that Arizona defense!
I'll make my picks now...I'll go with the Saints and the Jets...Why not the Jets...I never thought they'd get this far, so what the hell!
So before I sat down to watch the second half of the Jets, Chargers game...I served up dinner...We had stuffed peppers...I was inspired by a dolt I work with...He made Stuffed Pepper soup last week...Except it didn't taste like stuffed peppers...Maybe because he didn't use any peppers...It tasted like sausage and tomatoes...It was good if you like that Chef Boyardee taste...So I had to make some old school Stuffed Peppers...I'll be punching him in the face with one tomorrow!
After dinner I flipped on the Rangers and Canadiens game...My boys in blue have been struggling to score goals lately...And it didn't look good when they went to the first intermission down 2-0...But they showed some serious fight tonight...They played with an energy they've been lacking...An they played a full team game, in both ends...Final score, Rangers 6, Habs 2...It was nice to see Lunqvist get some help for change...I hope they can keep it up...
Sticking with Hockey...NBC has to be happy with their first two games this season...First the Winter Classic...Then today, Red Wings and Blackhawks...
It was a hard-nosed, back and forth game that couldn't be settled in regulation...The action in OT was non-stop...Both team with great chance...Both goalies with great saves...That still wasn't enough...time for a shootout...This game is turning into the NHL's wet dream...3 shooters aside wasn't enough either...After Daniel Cleary, Detroit's 4th shooter was stopped...Chicago's Patrick Sharp put in the game winner...
At the start of the year, I half-heartedly mentioned a Rangers vs Blackhawks Stanley Cup final...Well, maybe if the Rangers can keep their heads out of their asses, they could have a fighting chance...The 'Hawks...They've got a real good shot...Tons of talent...Lots of firepower...Strong on the blue line...Solid goaltending...they can play in both ends, and they aren't afraid to mix it up...We'll see if and how the Olympic break screws things up...
Yeah, I'm one of those guys that don't like the pro's in the Olympics...we'll get to that in the next week or so...
I've got nothing new with the kids this week...The girl has been well behaved, as usual...The boy...Well, he's just been a royal pain in the ass...To hell with the terrible two's...He's a bigger pain at 5...Everything is a battle...He's trying to find some independence...But he just can't be trusted...Considering the brand new, $47 tube of cream for his eczema is empty, and there's a huge creamy stain on the carpet in is room..."I didn't do it!"
Yeah, and I'm not about to make my own big stain on the carpet, next to the computer!
Talk about rooting for teams only to have them fall apart…what the fuck? First, I won’t be giving any love to Favre (shocking), although I’m sure he’s still looking in the mirror telling himself how wonderful he is while Sportscenter is playing in the background. The network that pours the man-love over this guy just makes me sick. While patting himself on the back he sure won’t give the Cowboys “absent” offensive line credit for allowing the Vikes defense to toss Romo around like a ragdoll and never gave him more than a quarter of a second to throw the ball. But let’s give credit where credit is due, Minnesota has dominated when they play the more inconsistent teams in the league. I may have been wrong about them being one and done, but I’m confident they’re still done, they just haven’t found it out yet. Oh, and they go on the road where we know how stellar they are.
NOTE: Qadry Ismail has just said it will be a Peyton-Brett Super Bowl…what a surprise. Well we all know who butters his bread don’t we? It isn’t like this was on a cue card or teleprompter for him to read being we all know this is what the NFL wants.Yeah right.
Now how about the AFC Championship game matchup? The Jets will be arriving in Indy personally to thank the Colts for allowing them into the playoffs! What better thank you card is there to give than to send the Colts home in the post-season to “watch” the Super Bowl? Now I hate the Jets, and I obviously am no Manning fan, but I’ll be rooting for the J-E-T-S on Sunday, and they might not need my support, it’s pretty obvious after their tuning up of the “super” Chargers that the Colts might become the next victim, but at their own hands, but I’ll offer a little noise to the room on their behalf anyway. That’s what will make this game and potential loss so enticing. The Colts wanted to “rest” their players in week 16 with a 15-10 lead only to watch it quickly slip away along with an undefeated season and ruining the chances for the Texans or Steeler’s among a few to get into the playoffs but it rolled out the redcarpet for the Jets. Is it possible that bad karma is on the way to Indy? Will Colts fans next Monday be heating up the airwaves asking for Caldwell’s head? Is it possible there’s a post-game press conference in our future where we’ll see more tap-dancing than on DWTS?
We’ll soon find out the answers to these and all the rest of the playoff questions next Sunday afternoon!
Here I am back on my regularly scheduled Sunday, busting out a lot of thoughts, some sports, some not.But I would be remiss if I didn’t start with my very small attempt to honor the man and his dream - Dr. Martin Luther King.
No one can ever be as eloquent as Dr. King, but what I ask here is that we all take a moment during this weekend to remember and honor Dr. King and his work.It’s not for me to decide where we are in relation to Dr. Kings vision, hopes, and dreams, but it seems to me that if we all could just shut up, listen, and have an honest discussion about race, rather than having closed minds, preconceived notions, and trying to shout over one another – well couldn’t the world (or at least America) be so much the better?I know it sounds simplistic, but at some point, let’s stop being so “complicated” and go back to the basics of treating everybody with decency and respect.
Don't believe me, ask "Archie Bunker"...
To all those bigots out there, grow up and get with the program! Off soapbox now!Let’s talk sports, or goofy shit loosely related to sports…
So here we go with the NFL playoffs.Did Arizona get the license plate of the truck that just ran the hell over them?Damn New Orleans, of all the things to happen today, you go and do this? Either Dallas or Minny had better be paying some serious attention to the goings on down in Nawlins...
Despite Dan Dierdorf’s sickening knob-gobbling over the greatness of the Colts, this game came down to the piss-poor performance of the Ravens offense (along with a seriously flawed offensive game plan), stupid penalties, turnovers, and a lot of credit to the Colt Defense.Can we now get serious about the Ravens getting an offense, any offense?Hey Ozzie Newsome, Ray Rice ain’t enough, get some damn receivers so Flacco can start stretching the field!!! Oh yeah, that defense is getting a little long in the tooth as well, B-more...
Speaking of Colts, can you believe the story coming out about Marvin Harrison?Holy crap, if even a small part of this is true, it just doesn’t seem to be the Marvin Harrison that I’ve watched and respected for his athletic ability.Now the feds are involved?Is this gonna be another one of those “Did we really ever even know this guy?”?
Can you believe that we’re only one month away from “Pitchers and Catchers Report”? Is it ever too early to say YANKEES SUCK!?
I don’t know about you all, but I just can’t get into College Basketball until March Madness starts.It just doesn’t appeal to me at all, unless Duke or UNC is getting punked out.
So John Lucas is out there (seven years later) telling everybody who will listen that the Cleveland Cavaliers tanked the 2002-2003 season in order to have a better shot at drafting LeBron James.Gee, ya think?Can we all agree that this is some crap that the NBA does.Houston did it in the 80’s, San Antonio did it in the 90’s, Memphis did when they GAVE Gasol to the Lakers and practically handed them a championship, the Knicks have been tanking for two years now waiting for this summer, and now New Jersey is doing it.So my guess is not only will the NYC area pro teams will have two or three high priced free agents, but John Wall as well!Sounds like a set up to me.
Gilbert Arenas copping to a felony? What a douche.As for the Wizards (who I'm probably more concerned about), will they hold a fire sale and try to start from scratch in June?I’m thinking they should.
Tiger in therapy for sex addiction?Can I ask a question – aren’t we all addicted to sex?Damn, I don’t see any gabbers admitting going to therapy for it!!!
Lastly, let me say goodbye to a true R&B legend who had an influence in my musical tastes – Teddy Pendergrass, who just passed on this week at age 59.Dude could belt out some jams and always got the house rockin.Now that was when music was music, and not screaming!I especially was impressed with how he could get the ladies going for the rest of us, if ya know what I mean.Let me leave you all with a clip – RIP Teddy!
Time for me to run, so may I say to you all – PEACE!
