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How many freeking times will the worldwide leader 'interrupt' the run
on 'SportsCenter' to give us BREAKING NEWS that Michael Vick has left
the house for the first time since coming home.....YESTERDAY!!! Holy
cow, batman... He's only been home 24 hours. I have gone longer than
that without leaving home. WHERE ARE MY CAMERAS?!?!?!
Which one of the 4 reason Vick can leave home is he going to use to play with the puppies?
1. Medical
2. Religious
3. Employment
4. Legal
Hmmm... Let's see.
Medical. If my dog don't win, I will be sending you to the clinic with a couple of broken legs!
Religious. Pleeeeese, oh pleeeese, great one. Make my doggy kick some (expletive) tonight!
Employment. Services offered. Good dog trainer needed, send references and criminal record.
Legal. My P.O. wants me to put a 'fiddy' on the gray one, 'twenny'
on the black one, a 'fin' on the white one to cover the others.
Oh, look... the same flipping 'BreakingNews' on the world wide
leader... How can it be 'breaking' if you have seen it 3 times and it's
the same dude standing outside the house reading the same 4 sentence
comment, showing the same video from 3 hours ago.
Time to turn the channel.
Be safe this Memorial Day weekend and remember those that gave us this day!
S.
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Steve and Sully discuss Manny’s suspension, PED testing and the MLB drug policy.
Steve…Manny was suspended for 50 games including pay for testing positive for P.E.D.'s. His excuse… "Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now."
My first reaction to this… Have the league mandate physicians to keep track of the prescriptions that the players are given. Each doctor will have an updated medical guide as to what will and will not test positive under league rules. What this will do is take the "I didn't know it was banned" excuse away from the players and put it on the doctors that write the prescriptions.
Sully… It would be all fine and good for something like that to be implemented if the MLB would go for it, but they won't. With the new HIPAA laws ( Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) it would make it extremely difficult for the doctors themselves to be able to have a working relationship with the players knowing they are subject to keep everything confidential but still be under the microscope of the league. There no doubt is conflict of interest here. This is why I think that a grown man who knows at anytime a urine cup might be placed in front of him should have a list of the banned substances sent from the league to their personal physicians to place in their medical charts so it can be referred too when it becomes necessary to write a prescription. Doctor's have the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) which lists every drug and what they contain, look like, what is etched in it for ID, they should easily be able to ensure that a player under their care doesn’t get handed something that might cause a problem in testing.
Steve... I don't see why the MLBPA would not go for this. HIPAA laws aside, wouldn't the league like to point the finger at someone else other than their precious players? If the players and the Union could take themselves out of the equation as to who to blame when the litmus strip changes color, they would be in agreement. As for the privacy act. Have the players submit a list of their doctors to the league. If a player goes to their personal physician, the doc must report what they prescribed to the player, but not why they were there.
The issue and excuse of "not knowing what you take" is complete and utter BS! One must take personal issue with what they ingest in regards to prescriptions or supplements and what effect it will have on their personal and professional careers. To put the blinders on or stick your head in the sand and say 'I didn't know' is ludicrous!
Sully....Submitting lists of medications to the team can cause an issue too. There's more than enough drugs out there that once prescribed would coincide with a particular diagnosis. For instance a player is prescribed an inhaler for asthma, well you don't need a medical chart to see what he was there for, he obviously has a case of asthma or other breathing problem. Was it something he was hiding from the team, or is it a bronchitis he got with a flu or cold? Then who reads these? Another doctor obviously, the league would need someone to tell them what these medicines are.
Then there are road trips, if a player goes to a doctor in another city for an illness, and chooses not to disclose it to the team, shouldn't he be carrying a list with him of banned substances? Doctor forms ask you what you're taking and why, they also ask what you're allergic too. If you're filling that out I'd like to believe a player would be smart enough to think, I'm not allergic but I know I can't have this or that. A list would be prudent, or even more intelligent would be to ask a doctor before he/she writes a script if there's a steroid in it or anything else that would show up as a banned substance on a test? I know we've discussed this before with Bonds I believe and I had said that no one injects a needle into their (expletive) without knowing what it will do, I find it hard to believe that Manny had no idea what was being ingested into his body.
Steve... What the doctors submit and to whom is another can of worms. Maybe Bud Selig needs to create a "Surgeon General" for the league. Similar to what the government runs. Have the players' doctors submit all prescriptions to the one main Doc 'SG'. He then keeps everything, in private according to the HIPAA laws, from both the league and the public. Only when a player turns up positive on a drug test or goes to a team directly and says that he has an issue, does the 'SG' release only the pertinent information regarding the case.
As for road trips and out of town doctors, players should be restricted to using only team registered doctors and physicians. Each city has a group of MLB registered physician that a player can go to in private. This will in turn allow them to go without the team knowing and the league 'SG' also gets the pertinent information required in each case. It brings us back to the main point of my argument on the topic. Have league registered/mandated doctors that both travel with teams and are available to teams that are in from out of town.
Here is my question... Why would you, as a player, need to go see a doctor on the down-low while in another city? The only answer I can come up with is that you’re looking for something that isn't agreed upon by the league.
Sully...I'll go to your last part first. I can think of a lot of things a "ball player" might want to go to an outside doctor for, besides getting his HGH refilled. Individual preferences vary, but I still think you'd have a hard time mandating to players that they have to use one specific doctor, but I see what you're saying. But with the HIPPA laws in place we still have issues on what's private and what's not. Who sees a written document and who informs who about its contents. Myself, I'm not too keen on anyone other than my doctor and her office knowing the contents of my charts unless I'm asked first and for what they need it for and who else is going to see it, then sign a release for those particular documents and that’s it nothing more.
Placing a SG as you said in charge isn't a bad idea, but in the end the accountability is on the player, if they're grown up enough to make millions they should be grown up enough to ask a physician what a particular drug is for and what's in it. But, what do these player's do in the offseason when they return to other countries or travel and need a doctor then? David Ortiz lives in the Dominican Republic in the offseason, what does he do, call the Red Sox front office and ask where he can go, or does he have to wait to get approval like an HMO to go get treated? I did just hear between our phone calls that there actually IS a list of approved physicians issued to the teams from MLB. If Manny went outside that list and willingly did so to get HGH, then 50 games it is, don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!
Mike Lowell of the Red Sox said something before the game last night that was eye opening; he said that the players have a lot of doors open to them when it comes to their medications, they can send them off to the league to be tested and wait a couple of days for the results. His point was, isn’t it better to use these options which are at their disposal and have a drug or supplement checked by the league before ingesting it rather than risk having a urine test come back positive and be suspended for 50 games because you thought it was okay or that a doctor knows what he’s doing? He said- “we’re talking about a lot of money we’d be losing”. Talk about hitting the nail on the head!
Steve... I suppose the players are going to have come down from their high-horse and start to allow the league a few concessions into their daily medical routine. Accountability on the player’s part, in regards to being held responsible for medical situations, needs to be more focused. Make it an either or issue. Either the players are responsible, or the doctors that gave them the meds are responsible. The entire he said they said BS is bogus and needs to end. The information gathered by the doctors will remain private with the 'SG', just like with your personal doctor. The prescriptions distributed get emailed to a private secure account held by the league 'SG'. Only when something goes wrong, does the info become league knowledge.
Make player testing a year-round policy. Players during the off-season need to mind their P's and Q's and not stick themselves in the ass with dirty needles full of stuff when they have no clue what it is or what it will do. If a player knows that he is going to have to pee in a cup sometime between Halloween and Easter, they might think twice about seeing Dr.Feelgood. For those who travel out of the country during the off-season, they need to make themselves available within 48 hours notice of being drawn on the list to test. While in the area, the med techs that do the random tests should go to the players private doctors and update the book as to what is good and what isn't in the new league testing policy.
Sully…Well Steve, I can think of methods the league could use, such as mandatory testing for all rostered players at the start of the season with random testing at their discretion, but we know the MLBPA would fight against it. As employers teams should have the right to demand from their player's that they abide by their rules and the rules of the league year round, I think we agree here. Maybe the method of education and the threat of suspension without pay isn't enough, but the chance to lose a paycheck for the entire season if they test positive for any substance deemed illicit would get their attention. It's obvious the current systems isn’t working and just because Manny says he’s passed 15 previous tests we’ll never know the truth, they don't reveal that unless they get suspended, even then it’s listed as a banned substance not what it actually was, the talking heads yesterday merely put pieces together. His 50 days and losing 8 million ducats is a drop in the bucket, he made 160 million with the Sox and he's got endorsements too. Those will diminish rapidly and he'll when he's a free agent, but we know he will have offers regardless. Someone is always willing to look the other way if it means the purse at the gate will go up!
Steve...Agreed. Policy in some way shape or form needs to change. Maybe all the money the Dodgers, as an organization, lost with the Manny promotion, will get the leagues attention. The MLBPA should take Manny to task for this. The team centered an entire promotion on one player. Billboards, t-shirts, ticket packages... All wasted because 'he' decided to take something a personal doctor gave him something he 'thought' was OK. Not only should Manny lose his paycheck of $7.7 Meeeeelion dollars, but should be forced to payback monies the team lost on the promotion centered on him. As for ticket prices going up at the gate for the team he plays for next season... I have one word... CoughCrankeesCough...
Sully...I can't argue with you there!
Okay, that's how we feel about the subject, what's your take? Please feel free to give us your opinion on this never-ending, highly debated topic. Thanks!
Sully & Steve
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To be 6 again
A man was sitting on
the edge of the bed, observing his wife, looking at herself in the mirror. Since
her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her
Birthday.
'I'd like to be six again', she replied, still
looking in the mirror.
On the morning of her Birthday, he arose
early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and
then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day!
He put her on every ride in the
park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster
Roller
Coaster, everything there
was.
Five
hours later they staggered out of the theme park.
Her
head was reeling and her stomach felt upside
down.
He then took her to a McDonald's
where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra
fries and a chocolate
shake. Then it
was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop,
and her favorite candy,
M&M's.
What a fabulous adventure!
Finally she wobbled home with her husband
and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, 'Well
Dear, what was it like
being six again?'
Her eyes slowly opened and her expression
suddenly changed. 'I meant my dress size,
you retard!!!
The moral of the story: Even when a man is
listening, he is gonna get it
wrong!
This came to me from a friend who sits at her desk and sends me tips to be a better husband...
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A woman, married three times, walked into a bridal shop one day
and
told the sales clerk that she was looking for a wedding gown for her
fourth
wedding.
"Of course, madam," replied the sales clerk,
"exactly what type and
color are you looking for?"
The bride to be
said: "A long frilly white dress with a veil."
The sales clerk hesitated
a bit, then said, "Please don't take this
the wrong way, but gowns of that
nature are considered more appropriate for
brides who are being married the
first time - for those who are a bit more
innocent, if you know what I mean?
Perhaps ivory or sky blue would
be nice?"
"Well," replied the
customer, a little peeved at the clerk's
directness, "I can assure you that
a white gown would be quite
appropriate.. Believe it or not, despite all my
marriages, I remain as
innocent as a first time bride. You see, my first
husband was so excited
about our wedding, he died as we were checking into
our hotel. My second
husband
and I got into such a terrible fight in the
limo on our way to our
honeymoon that we had that wedding annulled
immediately and never spoke to
each other again."
"What about your
third husband?" asked the sales clerk.
"That one was a Democrat," said
the woman, "and every night for four
years, he just sat on the edge of the
bed and told me how good it was going
to be, but nothing ever happened..."
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Hey everybody! Over the weekend I was asked to be part of Yankees3Fan7's 'Who is' blog series. He asks the questions...members supply the answers. I was an interesting list of questions that made me think of my history at SportingNews. This is a great series by a great poster at SN and is doing a service by bringing the community a little closer together.
The following is what was posted at SN... Thanks Y3F7!!!
**********
Here is a man who probably has a sore throat with all the yelling he does. Here is sfelber9.
EPISODE 11 - sfelber9
(Y3F7 - blue, sf9 - orange)
1. Why did you choose sfelber9 as your member name?
The name goes back a few
years to when I set up my first email address. You know how those work.
Put in a name, see if it's taken, choose from the 'suggestions.' S is
for my first name Steve. Felber is my last. As for the number 9... Just
one of the suggestions from the random name generator.
2. What is something the community does not know about you?
I do have a secret that I
CANNOT tell here on the site, but a handful of people already know. You
want some dirt...OK. I was a band geek in high-school and took business
classes to get out of having to sit through foreign language classes. I
grew up in a small town that had more farm animals than I had in my
high school. I run YouGabSports.com. A new community I built with the
help of two other SN members because we were tired of the playground
mentality that was starting to creep in.
3. Why do you like the teams that you list on your profile? Who's on my profile?
I haven't looked in a
while... Just kidding. MLB - Chicago Cubs. I chose the Cubs due being
sick of having the Yankees crammed down my throat growing up in Upstate
New York. NFL - I flopped teams halfway through the season. Some people
don't like the idea of that. I was a McNabb fan for a while and
followed the Eagles when I was a kid, but lost interest in them and
their lack of success. Call me a poor fan if you want, but that's what
happened. My new team is the Baltimore Ravens. My dad's side of the
family is from and are still in Baltimore. NBA - Denver Nuggets is my
team from following Carmelo Anthony while he helped the Orange get
their first National Championship in 2003. NCAABB - Syracuse Orange.
Love the local hoops. NCAAFB - PennState. Grew up watching JoPa roam
the sidelines on Saturdays. We got the broadcast of almost EVERY PSU
game, our town was 2 miles from the PA border. Nascar - Kevin Harvick.
I am more of a RCR team fan. Burton, Bowyer, Harvick. My original
driver was Dale Earnhart Sr. I actually wept when I saw he was killed.
4. Where did the idea of Yelling At The TV come from?
That title came from trial
and error when starting to post here at SN. After putting in title
after title trying to make it interesting and attract readers it
finally came to me. With some help from the wife. I posted a blog
titled 'Screaming At The TV' for a members blog contest here on the
site. Later that week, while watching NHL playoffs, a bad call and an
amazing goal had me on my feet yelling. The wife chimes in from the
other room... 'What are you doing in there?'... My reply... Yelling At
The TV. Along with that, the basis of the posts were my reactions to
what the talking heads and endless stream of internet idiots spilled
out. Alot of my early posts were a paragraph or two on one subject
followed by a spewing rant of just about every topic of the day.
5. I've asked many people if
they watched this game all the way through and so far, I'm the only one
who has. Did you stay up to watch the entire Syracuse-Connecticut 6OT
thriller?
HELL YEAH!!!! I had to work
and got home for the tip of the 2nd half. Turned on the TV in the
computer room and was locked on it. The cliche of sitting on the edge
of your seat was 100% true! The wife finished watching the news and put
the game on out in the living room on the big screen. I motivated my
self out there and back to chat online with a fellow S.U. fan who kept
calling for more O.T.s!!! After they played 3, then 4, the wife says
"OK, that's enough for me, I am going to bed." 10 seconds into the 5th
OT she sits back down and says she will not be able to sleep with me
down here yelling and jumping around. What a game!!!
How did it feel as a fan watching your team win?
Relief... plain and simple.
To beat Uconn ANYTIME is a great achievement. But to do it in the Big
East Tourney to advance is an even bigger win. They have had Syracuse's
number for a while.
6. Florida State is in the
midst of a controversy surrounding the cheating scandal from a few
years ago. Bobby Bowden, who is one game behind JoePa on the all-time
wins list, says the punishments were "too harsh." Do you agree?
The NCAA have rules for a
reason. Do we turn a blind eye because he is of the 'Old Boy Network'
and is on the way out in a few years? As for agreeing or disagreeing.
No, I don't agree that the punishment was too harsh. Same with
recruiting and monetary gifts for players, you break the rule, you get
the stick.
7. The Ravens came close to
getting to the Super Bowl, but lost to my Steelers in the AFC
Championship Game. Now, getting there with a rook at QB (Joe Flacco)
and a rook coach (Jim Harbaugh) is amazing. How can they improve at the
Draft?
Defense. Their secondary is getting up there in age and Ray Lewis won't be able to play forever.
8. Who is/are your role model(s)?
I would have to say that my
mother was the one that I looked up to most. She is the reason I don't
call in sick, take days off for the heck of it, and just keep going no
matter what.
Who are your sports role models?
Does John Daly count as for how NOT to do things?
9. What is one sporting event you attended that is special to you?
PennState vs Illinois at
Beaver Stadium 1991. 41-0 Nittany Lion blowout!!! First time at a PSU
game. Did the whole 'college' student weekend even though I was only a
Junior in highschool. Frat parties, the whole nine-yards.
10. Did you like The Dark Knight? Why/why not?
Never saw it. I haven't been
to the movies since my wife and I were dating and saw 'Jackie Brown' in
1998. Yes, it has been 11 years since I have been inside a movie
theater. I don't see a reason to drop 20bux to sit for 2 hours eating
$5 stale popcorn and $8 flat soda. I can get that at home. We don't
even have HBO, Showtime, Starz, Encore or any other 'premium' channels
on the digital cable. Yeah, I got HD, Roadrunner, and digital phone,
but once again. I am not spending $30 a month to watch a movie.
11. Who do you have in the title game of the NCAA Tournament? Who wins?
Which bracket??? I have 14
of them... Let's see... Oklahoma-3, Louisville-2, Syracuse-2,
Washington(out), Uconn-2, UNC-3, Kansas. After watching the Cuse' get
the win for their Sweet-16 bid over Arizona St, I am now leaning toward
another crown for the Orange! My best bracket right now has 13 of 16
and 7 of the Elite 8 teams left on it. Ultimately, WHO will be in the
game? I have to go with UNC vs. UCONN with the BigEast prevailing and
the Huskies cut down the nets again!!!
Many thanks to sfelber9 for participating. Until the next interview...
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