Sue the Judicial System, Dodgers broke, Sheen on Roids. This and more in this weeks edition of Rants and Raves. 

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe 4^th of July. I spent over $100 on fireworks. My granddaughter was very happy.

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If am Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress I’m thinking about take the Legal System to court. Your telling me its okay to kill a 2 year old and get away with it, but if I accidently shoot myself or are cruel and violent to my dogs I get to years in prison. Some things not right!!!

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you think MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig, should have denied the Dodgers from their deal with Fox Sports. The TV contract, according to the Dodgers, was in excess of $3 billion dollars for a 17-year deal. MLB say that it was for $1.7 billion dollars for the duration of the contract. The reason the deal was killed by Selig, not all the money would be going to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The McCourts would receive approximately $175 million.

              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is this taking your work to heart?? Charlie Sheen admitting to steroid use for 6-8 weeks while filming “Major League.” Remember Sheen played pitcher Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn in the 1989 movie. Charlie says it was the only time he took steroids and they made him a bit more irritable than normal.

             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I lived in New York City, Brooklyn to be exact, for 21 years and I never went to Nathans for the Fourth of July Hot Dog eating contest. Now I have been to that Nathan’s many a time, and they have outstanding food. I don’t know if the still have it, but when I was growing up they had a lo-main in a egg noodle shell that is out of this world. Oh, and their Hot Dogs aren’t bad either. I have been to plenty of Nathan stores outside New York, and their hot dogs can’t compare to the one at Coney Island. I think it’s the water.

         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can someone tell the Pittsburgh Pirates that it is after July 4^th. They shouldn’t have a record above .500. Actually, I am happy for them. It is good one a different team can have a break-out year. Next year it is Kansas City Royals turn.

         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I still can’t use to NASCAR drivers pushing each other around the track. But, what makes it even stranger is that the person pushing you can be the enemy. What is wrong with that??

       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a safe week
 

  Yeah, I said it...I won't always stick up for the Bad Guys, but today I am...Just look at Boba Fett...Dude was a Bad guy, and became a cult icon...So much so, that they made a point of creating his Bad-ass father for the newer editions of "Star Wars"...But this post isn't about my "Star Wars" geekdom...Hollywood has always propped up Bad Guys for us to root for...

First let's talk about Whitey Bulger...The Boston Mob Icon who was arrested last week, after years on the run...Whitey is the reason the movie "The Departed" was made...Now I'm not defending Whitey for the 19 murders he did...Or countless beating he gave...Or the countless other crimes he committed...

But why did it take the FBI so long to bust Bulger? He was living in plain sight...Living near an FBI field office...Often spending time in areas filled with surveillance cameras...It's because for years in Boston, the FBI had dirty agents that were protecting Bulger...Tipping him off when the heat was on...Letting him do his dirt freely...In return he ratted on his Italian competition...

It's said that not only did he have FBI agents under his thumb, but also city and state police...So while Whitey Bulger is a glorified, murderous fuck...Plenty of that blood he spilled is on the hands of the FBI...If whitey goes down, I hope he takes all those "To Protect and Serve" cock suckers down with him! They're all guilty of murder!

Another bad guy I am defending, is Dodgers owner Frank McCourt...Okay, maybe he hasn't been killing, and stealing and shit like Whitey Bulger...But MLB Commish, Bud Selig, and the Media have made McCourt a bad guy since his bitter divorce has put the Dodgers in a financial mess...Selig, the egotistical, power hungry, asshole that he is, is doing everything he can to take the team away from McCourt...

When McCourt bought the Dodgers they were a joke...They had been run into the ground repeatedly...In his seven years as owner, they have been contenders/in the playoffs four of those...That's pretty good in this day and age of Baseball...The way Selig has handled this, has show he has a clearly personal issue with McCourt...

If he was going to take this type of stand for the "Integrity" of the game, he should have ripped the Mets away...The financial situation that has gone on there is disgusting! Why not get in the Pirates shit? They are playing well this year, but all they have done for years is, not spend, and trade away any and all good talent...Taking a once proud franchise, and turning it into an after thought for a city that loves it's teams...

Tampa Bay has contended just like the Dodgers, but financially been a joke...Florida, another poorly run team, has won two World Series, yet no one shows up and no one cares...

People say the much of the problems the Dodgers are having are because of the McCourts living a lavish lifestyle, and taking money from their team to help live that life...It's their team, they can do what they want...

The Yankees, and Red Sox, often have to pay a luxury tax for the insane amount they spend on payroll...That money is shared throughout the league...The lesser teams like Pittsburgh and KC getting more than LA...A few years ago, the Pirates owner took his cut and bought a plane, instead of reinvesting that into his team...I don't agree with that, but until the rules are changed, owners have every right to do what they want with their money.

McCourt had a deal in place that would save his team, and bring steady revenue in for many years, and Selig blocked it...How does that help your league's integrity? It is giving a commissioner too much power, and letting him undercut owners...I was glad to see the court sided with McCourt, and I can't wait for him to sue Selig...He'll win, or MLB will settle...If Bud didn't want him as an owner, they had the power to stop the sale, way back when...This is about who's friends with Bud and who isn't....That's why they keep cock blocking Mark Cuban from owning a team...

Selig has repeatedly done things that harm the integrity of the game...This is just another in a long line...

Now a plug for a good guy...Vote for Asdrubal Carbrera for the AL "All-Star" team...Fuck Jeter...Cabrera has been killing it all year, with the bat and the glove...Jeter, not so much!

Later, The Beeze.
 

Venus Williams, Two MLB teams do a good deed, is Bud Selig stupid. All this, and more, inside this edition of Rants and Raves.

The first rave is for the Texas Ranger’s selecting Georgia outfielder Johnathan Taylor with their 33^rd pick in MLB 2011 draft. The problem is Taylor is partially paralyzed after an on-field collision with Zach Cone while playing with the Bulldogs three months ago. The Rangers also select Cone with the 37^th pick. Taylor said "Right now my goal is to get better during the rehab and focus on trying to get my legs back under me again and start walking and running and get back on that field again, like I always wanted." Johnathan was paralyzed from the chest down after he broke his neck in a collision with Cone. Zach was knocked unconscious but he did make the catch before colliding with Taylor in a game against Florida State. Cone was playing left and Taylor center. An ambulance drove onto the field to take Taylor to the hospital, while Cone managed to walk off the field. Johnathan Taylor is undergoing outpatient treatment at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Rangers senior director of player personnel A.J. Preller said the team has made a donation to the fund established for Taylor's rehabilitation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In another gesture, the Houston Astros selected Buddy Lamothe in the 40^th round. Buddy was paralyzed in an rafting/water incident last month. He severely injured his spine when he dove in the water to retrieve his sunglasses. Lamothe was a relief pitcher for San Jacinto Junior College. He had pitched 21 innings, striking out 27 with a 0.86 era.

Buddy has been guaranteed a job with the Astro’s even if he never pitches again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well Bud Selig can sure mess up a wet dream. Just when it looked like the McCourts were settling their divorce, Bud throws a wrench into it by vetoing the Dodgers new television deal which was reported to be worth $3 billion dollars. Frank McCourt was to receive $385 million upfront. This money was the backbone of the financial well-being of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as part of the divorce settlement between Jamie and Frank McCourt. Bud Selig stated, "This decision was reached after a full and careful consideration of the terms of the proposed transaction and the club's current circumstances. It is my conclusion that this proposed transaction with FOX would not be in the best interests of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, the game of Baseball and the millions of loyal fans of this historic club."

Terms of the settlement spelled out how the $385 million from Fox would be spent. Each party would receive $5 million for lawyers' fees. Each party would receive $5 million to use as they see fit. Approximately $235 million would be used for the Dodgers (including repayment to Frank McCourt money that was advanced to the team in 2011 but not exceeding $23.5 million). Another $80 million would be used to pay off indebtedness. And the remaining $50 million would be put in an account subject to the court's orders.

Frank McCourt had said all other issues in the divorce were settled, and a hearing set for last Wednesday where Jamie McCourt was expected to ask Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon to order the sale of the team was canceled.

The former couple's lavish lifestyle was exposed in court documents, where it was revealed that they took out more than $100 million in loans from Dodgers-related businesses. Their spending habits were likened to using the money from the team as though it were their personal ATM or credit card.

Wow, I got to buy me a sports team!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is it me, or what?? Does Venus Williams seem to be not focused?? She looks like something is up?? Is she thinking about ScottJax??? I should only be so lucky!! 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glad to see the Pittsburgh Pirates playing well this deep into the season.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is everyone really interested in realignment?? 

I think it is safe to say that I have never been a big supporter of Commissioner Bud Selig. Over the course of my years of blogging and writing, I’ve taken my fair share of shots of the beleaguered boss of Major League Baseball. Some of those shots were fired because of some action or another that was deemed stupid at the time and maybe some of them were fired simply from the hip, as a knee-jerk reaction to something that made more sense down the road.

I sit here tonight, before my keyboard, a humbled man. Rather than further kicking a dead horse and chastising Bud for his actions during the steroid years or for his complete idiocy in trying to further expand the play-offs, I feel I need to something that doesn’t come naturally to me.

I want to praise Bud Selig. It is Good Friday after all.

The state of the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of baseball’s most storied and beloved franchises, is reprehensible. Embattled in a bitter struggle brought on by a divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt, the Dodgers are in a financial state much more dire than that of the New York Mets and possibly even more so than the Montreal Expos a few years back. Forced to borrow money from Fox Sports against future ticket sales just to make payroll is no way to run a sports franchise

When Commissioner Selig opted yesterday to take over control of the Dodgers, he made a bold and gutsy move, and it was absolutely the right call. There is no reason that one of baseball’s most high-profile teams should be held captive by two scorned children who cannot live within their means enough to keep their team afloat and competitive. Selig acted with consideration for the game and its fans, especially those in Dodger country, and I applaud him for having the gumption to do so.

Still, I need to ask the most obvious of questions here. Why was Frank McCourt awarded a franchise in the first place? He was efforts to buy the Red Sox had been unsuccessful, and thankfully so, due in part to his inability to show financial fortitude enough to first buy the team and then afford to operate it. However, the owners and the Commissioner saw it fit to award him a franchise with the stature of the Dodgers on 100% borrowed funds? That makes about as much sense as handing a monkey a stick of dynamite painted like a banana and expecting him to do something smart with it.

Allowing McCourt to assume ownership in the first place was a folly of astronomical measure. The divorce further clouds the picture on if the current ownership group will ever functionally recover. By stepping in, Selig sent a clear message to McCourt with only two options; either find a way to make this work and make the team financially sound again under the guidance of MLB or find a buyer who is willing to do so. Given that the Dodgers play in a major media market and the history of the franchise, there would be no shortage of potential suitors willing to step in and try to take the team off McCourt’s sleazy hands.

Operating under the current status quo was not an option in which made any sense for the Dodgers or Major League Baseball. Selig took the correct measures in ensuring that the team could sink no further. He’s not a hero or a savior, but in a time of need, he stepped up, as an authority figure should.

And for once he deserves some praise for that.

Other Fragments

-         Selig may be earning some praise for his actions with the Dodgers, but his announcement that the playoff system will likely be increased to 10 teams from 8 is misguided. With the longest season in American sports and arguably an already watered-down playoff system, adding another team to the mix in both leagues further pollutes the gene pool. All it does is tire out the wild card teams so that they pose less of a threat to division winners. It doesn’t make the system more exciting. It simply drags it out.

-         Learning a lesson from the NFL’s problems, Major League Baseball has announced it would increase pension payments to players 1947-1980 who didn’t normally meet service time limitations. Seeing how the NFL treated its retired players, MLB showed that its future is also in its heritage.

-         The San Diego Padres and Taylor Made have partnered to attach an 80ft replica of their R11 Driver to the right field foul pole. The shaft of the club extends past the top of the foul pole and balls that hit it above the pole will be deemed a home run. I can’t wait to see the instant replay arguments when the first one rings off of it.

Sports and passion are strange bedfellows. Like two ends of a magnet, they are joined at the hip, but ultimately clash over a difference of opinion. The combination of both is simply polarizing.

As a sports fan, I can understand how easy it is to become fanatical about the games you love. I invest countless hours researching and discussing the teams I love to the point where I feel like I am almost a surrogate member of that team. I know the exhilaration of winning and the anticipation of great things to come. I also know the crushing feeling of losing and the disappointment when things don’t go the way they were meant to.

I can even admit to the anger brought on by repeated losing and mounting disappointment. The wall across from my bed can attest to that, having been victimized by countless Red Sox hats as they are rocketed from my head in frustration, especially thus far in dawn of this new season. Still, at the end of the day, I can kick back and separate myself from those destructive urges and violent tendencies, knowing that I am just a fan and part of the responsibility of being one is to roll with the punches and take the good with the bad.

Don’t get me wrong; passion for sports is a good thing. It is what drives the games and allows the spectators to escape into them. However, passion can also be a dangerous thing, especially when it leads to fanaticism. As religions have shown throughout the course of human history, when passion turns to fanaticism it changes from something beautiful and uplifting to something destructive and dangerous. Soccer is a great example of this. Labeled “The Beautiful Game,” the history of the sport is riddled with fans showing their overwhelming passion for the game through destructive and violent means.

That all said, what happened to San Francisco Giants fan Brian Stow was not a showing of passion or even fanaticism. In fact, this senseless act had absolutely nothing to do with the game, the Giants, or the Dodgers in any way shape or form. This beating was purely an act of thuggery, plain and simple, and if the perpetrators of this act are blind enough to hide behind their team loyalty, then they are lying to themselves.

But I’m not here to further discuss this heinous act. Instead, I want to discuss the article written by John Steigerwald, a columnist working for the Observer-Reporter in Pennsylvania. Mr. Steigerwald opted to write an article, essentially saying that Mr. Stow brought this act upon himself. Here is the most talked about quotes from that piece:

“Maybe someone can ask Stow, if he ever comes out of his coma, why he thought it was a good idea to wear Giants' gear to a Dodgers' home opener when there was a history of out-of-control drunkenness and arrests at that event going back several years.”

“Are the 42-year-olds who find it necessary to wear their replica jerseys to a road game, those kids who are now fathers who haven't grown up?

Are there really 40-something men who think that wearing the jersey makes them part of the team? It was cute when a 10-year-old kid got that feeling by showing up at Three Rivers Stadium in a Pirates jersey, but when did little boys stop growing out of that?

Here's tip for you if you actually think that wearing your team's jersey makes you a part of the team:

It doesn't.”

I’m a fan that has no qualms about wearing their team colors to the park. I’ve proudly worn my Red Sox jersey and hat into Yankee Stadium and never incurred any violence. In fact, I sat next to Yankee fans that opted to engage be on discussions of baseball rather than berate me for the direction in which I cast my loyalty. Wearing a team jersey to a game may not make you a part of the team, but as a fan that grew up with the dream of playing baseball, I’ll take whatever I can get to feel as close to the team as possible.

I refuse to reduce my enjoyment of the game I love in order to worry about the stupidity of others. Regardless of the colors we fly, we are all there for the same reason, united by our love of the game, and I’m not going to allow some two-bit columnist latching onto a story or a punk looking for an excuse for violence to dispel that passion.

I’m going to wear my colors, and I’m going to wear them proudly. And I’ll shake the hands of any opposing team’s fan who is willing to do the same.

I’m going to have faith in my fellow fans that are there to enjoy the game for what it is; a game and then I’ll go home happy that we all did what we could do to represent what a fan truly is.

I have a feeling that Brian Stow wouldn’t want it any other way.