No Matter How Stupid, Guillen Has Right to Speak His mind

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen allegedly said some comments about dictator and murderer Fidel Castro where he expressed his "love" for Castro and other praise. Unfortunately for Guillen, he did it in the one place where hatred for Castro is deeply imbedded.

Miami has the largest Cuban population outside of Havana and many of them have suffered personally or had loved one oppressed, jailed or killed by the vile thug. Today, the Marlins suspended Guillen for 5-games and it's up in the air whether he can survive as manager in his new city.

Now what Ozzie said was idiotic but the Marlins were wrong in suspending him. he man has his rights and opining is one of them. He claims he was misinterpreted and with todays media I cannot discount that but he still has the right to say what he wants. I get that it was purely a business decision and the Marlins need to do damage control but I'm a firm believer in the right to free speech and Guillen was denied that.

UK Idiots "Celebrate" Victory

Nice going, Lexington. You're now in the pantheon of immortal cities that burn everything in sight when you win such as Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco. For the record, hit the link and you'll notice that Philly was not one of the cities that rioted when the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies all won titles.

One thing idiots, you only won the semi-final, not the championship yet:

Thousands of raucous fans swarmed streets near the University of Kentucky campus Saturday night, setting couches ablaze and overturning cars after the Wildcats beat rival Louisville in a Final Four matchup that had riveted the state.

Many streets had been blocked off around Kentucky’s campus to make way for the crowds, but sirens blared and police began shutting down more streets as the blazes broke out...

Twitter feeds reported police in riot gear moved in to disperse crowds as some people on the streets were overturning, vandalizing vehicles, and smashing glass bottles.

Disappointed Louisville fans at a pizzeria near the edge of campus were quiet after the loss, but swiftly moved outside and began chanting “C-A-R-D-S” while waving school banners and flags with about 100 others.

So U of L fans were calm while UK fans acted like complete a-holes. That fits the profile of what I've seen in my numerous recent travels down to the bluegrass state.

One last note: The link for this story is to a Tennessee newspaper, I'm sure your neighbors to the east are having a nice laugh at your expense along with the rest of us.

So, How's Your Bracket Looking?

Probably amazingly like mine with red marks all over the place. I'm guessing the only people who picked Lehigh to stun Duke were women whose sons play at Lehigh and most of them most-likely wavered.

Day one was a calm, day two was insane with two 15 seeds winning. You gotta love college basketball in March:

AP breaks out the hump bot and gloats as only he can.

My Fearless Super Bowl XLVI Prediction

Here we are on Super Sunday and I have to watch the f-ing Giants play in it once again. I guess I should be used to it since the damn Eagles only make to the big once ever quarter century or so. Add to that we're stuck with fat-ass Andy Reid still and I''m gaining a respect for how the Cubs and Maple Leaf fans feel.

I'm not even a little bitter though.

So, after that digression, here's what I see for today.

Brady is healthy even if Gronkowski isn't. But a 75% Gronk is better than most other TE's on the receiving end. The question is will he be able to block because the Giant front four will be bringing it. If Pierre-Paul, Umenyiora and Tuck can get to Brady, game over.

Belichick is a great coach, as is Coughlin, but the Pat's leader is more imaginative than his opponent. Give hoodie man two weeks with input from Brady and you will come up with something the Giants didn't think of. Coughlin doesn't have to be imaginative, he just needs his team to execute what he calls. Believe me, as an Eagles fan and a fan of a team that beats the Giants routinely, I can tell you exactly what the keys are to the game and they all involve proper reads, timing and maintenance of areas of responsibility.

With that said, I will go with the Patriots. I do not see the Giants getting to Brady like they did in their last SB meeting. Brady will be able to maneuver better and pick the DB's apart.

Patriot 27

Giants 24

MVP Brady

The Greatest Sound In the World Is a Whining Yankees Fan

So I wake up this morning and jump into the Jeep for the trek to work. I flip on ESPN radio and what do I hear but the stunning news that Cliff Lee is coming back to Philly.

Until yesterday, all the news was leaning to him signing with the hated Yankees or staying with the Rangers. But Ruben Amaro, Jr. righted a wrong and outsmarted the overrated Brian Cashman by landing the best pitcher on the free agent market for the second straight year (Roy Halladay was the prize last year). Showing that he learned well from his mentor the hall of famer-elect Pat Gillick, Amaro played on Lee's feelings to play in the city that once was a hated destination but now is baseball paradise. Lee likes the city, loves the coach and enjoys the team--a perfect situation.

He smacked the Yankees upside the head by taking less money than they were offering and gave the fans of New York the finger. There were reports that Yankee fans spit on Lee's wife during the playoffs last year and that may have been the final decision maker.

Good job New York, you've just been dissed for being a bunch of classless losers and Philly's gain is your brutal loss. I so enjoyed listening to your bullshit today trying to rationalize the situation by uttering drivel such as "he's not that good" or "he isn't worth the money" or my personal favorite "A.J. Burnett will pick it up this year". Sure he will.

Yesterday he was the greatest thing ever and today he's just so-so. You sound like that dude who thought he was going to score the hot chick at a bar and your rival is now at her place getting busy while you're home playing with yourself watching the last skit on Saturday Night Live all by your lonesome.

Blow me scrubs, the Phillies have the best pitching staff in baseball by far and possibly the best pitching staff ever. Enjoying losing the division to the Red Sox who scored a stud in the outfield and a stud at first while you waited for Lee to sign with you. But hey, Greinke or even Carl Pavano are out there to be you #2.

Top Banned Super Bowl Commercials of All Time

Over at HuffPo they have them.

This will still rank among the favorites:



The best ad ever shown during the SB had to be this:



26 years ago when the internet we know today wasn't even a dream.

Pro-Abortionist's Pissed About Super Bowl (TM) Ad

Tim Tebow recently ended a stellar career at the University of Florida. He won the Heisman and led his team to a national championship under unbelievable pressure. He will be a first round pick in the NFL draft and he's been one hell of a good role model--something we can't say about everyone in pro sports.

Tebow is starring in an ad to be aired on CBS during the big game where he is pretty thankful that his mom didn't abort him:

Tebow and his mother, Pam Tebow, appear in the advertisement, which was financed by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family. In the expected ad, Pam recounts how doctors recommended she have an abortion after developing complications while pregnant with Tim. The ad also shows how Tim went on to become one of the most successful college quarterbacks in the country.

"I know some people won't agree with it, but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe," Tim Tebow said.

Women whose husbands have wronged them and they're still pissed about it because they can't get another date from groups like NARAL, NOW and something called Women's Media Center are a bit upset that Tim would celebrate such a thing like, well, being born. For the same reason they hate Sarah Palin for carrying Trig to term knowing he had Down Syndrome, these group despise Pam Tebow because she sold out their agenda and actually went ahead and gave birth to a future Heisman winner. I mean, how dare she? Plus she was a missionary and home-scholled her kids...what a rube.

I'm no major anti-abortion supporter and hardly a church-going Christian but the pro-abortion types irritate me by defending the indefensible.

I leave you with the semi-literate words of the leader of NOW:

Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women disagrees, saying the commercial is "not being respectful of other people's lives."

"It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's," she said.

And abortion is totally "being respectful of other people's lives" right That is except those that aren't actually born to live them because their mothers listened to you. I find you "offensive" Ms. O'Neill. Being alive is infinitely superior to the alternative.

The noted eugenicist and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger is probably looking up with a proud look on her face although she only advocated aborting minorities.

A Baseball Fan's Take On McGwire

I know, shocker! Big Mac was on 'roids.

While being 100% against the use of steroids, I can't completely condemn him and here's why.

Baseball was in a bad place in the late '90's and the fans were still pissed about labor strife. Canceling the World Series in 1994 was just too damn much for those of us who live and die with our teams.

People deserted America's game in droves and I felt like we were seeing the end of it's popularity. We heard that soccer, lacrosse and spring football were going to replace it.

Enter the Maris homerun chase with McGwire and Sosa and all of a sudden baseball got a shot in the arm (pun definitely intended). They were both roided up but no one cared because our love of baseball returned.

Neither deserve the Hall of Fame either...at least as long as they keep Pete Rose out but I digress. Not when McGwire's arms made Popeye look like a pussy and Bonds' head grew a few sizes making him look like the Elephant Man while smashing records that should be re-instated tomorrow.

So, for the record, I abhor that Big Mac cheated but I appreciate what he did to bring baseball back. That's the extent of my sympathy and admiration.

As an aside to McGwire: Dude, the crying thing is bullshit and you know it. Have you opted to stop testosterone and inject estrogen? Man up, dude, it's friggin' embarrassing.

Saturday Morning News & Notes

The college bowl season continues with a nice win by Penn State over LSU yesterday. The Flyers lost at Fenway yesterday so it was a wash.

Anyway, here's what's news:

-Evan Thomas always gets it wrong from inside his liberal bubble. America is not in the center but center-right and always has been.

-Tim Blair on teaching our young to serve the old.

-Expect Obama's poll numbers to suffer once he starts the immigration debate. The GOP will play it as amnesty and pound the fact that we have the worst unemployment in decades.

-Obama's "bin-Ladin determined to strike in US" moment.

-Reason #1,254,809 to not watch the NBA and it's collection of pampered thugs.

-Britain facing worst winter in 100-years. CRU better hide the decline.

-The One loses the CIA.

-The Navy of the future will be a far cry from the Navy I knew. Much, much cooler, though.

-Here's time lapse video of the rink being constructed at Fenway (via Ace):

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NFL Week 13

A big one for a few teams.

Here's my picks for select games:

Dallas at the NY Giants-The Giants can't afford to lose this game and have any reasonable chance of making the playoffs. Romo has been decent of late but always seems to tighten up in big games. The G-men are without some studs and Eli is injured but I think they nut it up and pull out the win.

Giants 23 Cowgirls 20

Philly at Atlanta-The Eagles need to keep winning and the Falcons are without Matt Ryan while their backfield is beat up. The Eagles are without deep threat Desean Jackson but Jason Avant stepped up his game nicely. Brent Celek is crucial to Philly as he suffered from some greasy fingers last week.

Eagles 30 Falcons 20

Other games:

Vikings 24 Cardinals 21
Titans 35 Colts 32

Sunday Evening News & Notes

The Eagles won in a nice come-from-behind victory. Lost Avant and D. Jackson for who knows how long.

Here's what's new:

-Obama can't blame the screw-up of the party crashers on Bush even though he'd love to. No, he'll let the USSS take the blame.

-The Swiss are a bunch of jingoistic, racist Islamophobes for trying to retain what is left of Swiss culture. Good for them taking a stand to protect what remains of a great nation.

-4 police officers are targeted and killed in an incident in Washington state. My prayers to their families.

-Tiger Woods has always been a man I admired. He never listened to the Sharpton's of the world who dearly wanted him to speak out on race issues. He has been one of the three best athletes I've had the pleasure of watching. I have always felt that athletes should be left alone off the field unless they choose to be in the spotlight--something Woods' has not done.
Update: Woods responds on his blog.

That said; he has to get out in front of this and quick. I think he's protecting his wife but talk to the police, dude.

-Sarah Palin is still packing them in and the majority are women.

-Vote early and vote often!

Update: Why are Jews Liberals? It's a question I've asked myself numerous times over the last two decades.

Bud Selig is an A-Hole

But you knew that, right?

The Phillies schedule has been two day games starting at 2:37 PM east coast time and a game that was scheduled for last night at 9:37 that was snowed out.

Tonight they play Colorado at 10:00 PM in temps that will be mid-thirties at best instead of playing during the day when temps were someone near the fifties. Why? So as not to compete with the NFL. What a friggin' joke.

Oh, that makeup game will be most-likely tomorrow at 3-ish depending on the results of the Yankees game going on as we speak.

Perhaps Selig needs a crack to the dome to remember the the Phillies are THE REIGNING WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS you fucking idiot. They smacked your Brewers on the way to winning it. They deserve a bit more respect than the bullshit schedule they've been assigned just to maximize ratings and appease the Yankees.

Fuck you Selig, you are the worst commissioner in sports and don't deserve to be the leader of the best sport in America.

Oh, Colorado, build a fucking dome you losers.

The Phillies are Rolling

Lidge got an easy save, Rollins and Utley turned a nice double play and Ryan Howard launched an estimated 475-foot, third deck grand slam.

Video of the bomb is here.

The Phils hold onto a half-game lead over the hated Mets.

Slumping David Wright and Mets Limp Into Town

I'd say the Met-Phillies rivalry is becoming nearly as big as the Yanks-Red Sox. Besides, at least the Mets/Phils is competitive while the Sawx just smack the Yankees around anymore.

So Citizens Bank Park will be inundated by the pathetic band of New Yorkers and there'll be a fair share of fights and beers thrown but that's what it's all about. Dudes named Tony with friends named Tony with girlfriends named Lisa will wear their David Wright jersey and it will make them a target for the ravenous horde in the second and third decks.

As for the series, we don't have to face Santana and the rest of their starting staff is pathetic (as is ours but we at least hit well). They have K-Rod in the closer roll but their set-up man--Putz --got shelled over the weekend. Add to that the struggles in the field of left fielder Daniel Murphy and we could be looking at a complete Mets meltdown before the paint dries on their spanking-new stadium in the wastelands of Queens. 2-0 Pelfry goes for the chokers while Chan Ho Park goes for the Fightin's.

The Phillies are rolling at this point and we should feast on the weak Mets staff. I'm hoping for a sweep like we got against the Marlins but winning the series will suffice. As long as the Mets crawl home in worse shape then they are now and have to deal the continuing slams in the paper everyday, I'll be a happy man.

Update: The tale of the tape.

Wednesday Morning News and Notes

The Phillies are rolling. After getting fat on the Marlins, they dominated the Nats last night to take the first two in the series. With a Mets series this weekend, it's a good time to be playing well.

Here's what's news:

-Fashion faux pas making a comeback. Welcome back Carter indeed! Well, I am seeing The Dead on Saturday so it does have a 70's feel to events.

-Please spare me. Whatever it's called, it is a potential epidemic. I'm sure those who've died really couldn't care less.

-The NY Post always has the best headlines.

-The lying San Fran Nan hits bottom, keeps digging. I'm sure that there are docs that show Pelosi was apprised of every detail.

-20 great moments from Obama's first 100 days. the next 1,200 are going to be a friggin nightmare. My previous thoughts here.

-The great Michael Caine is a hardcore Conservative. He'll be labeled racist within a day.

Pic at right of new Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez making Philly fans forget Pat Burrell.

Wednesday Evening News & Notes

Busy so I'll just throw headlines at ya.

-Earth Day Philly Style.

-The NY Times: All the news that fits to print online (where fewer people will see it).

-I shudder to think what could make a successful 41-year old exec at Freddie Mac, with a five-year old daughter commit suicide. That little girl will be scarred for life by the selfish actions of the man.

-The Yankees are having some serious attendance problems. The highest priced seat in San Diego is $69. The Yankees is well over $2,000.

-The dreadful result of higher taxes. Obama should pay heed but won't because, well, he's The One.

-Mealy-mouthed on torture.

-Those damn misogynistic and racist high school exit exams. Have they no shame?

-Terri's take on Earth Day is worth a read. Hey Terri, it's getting to be bathing suit weather. I expect more pix this year.

RIP Harry Kalas

Baseball has always been a mainstay in my life. All summer it was the Phillies and it was Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas calling the games. Both were inducted into the Hall of Fame--Ashburn as a player and Kalas as an announcer. Richie died ten years ago in a hotel room in New York where the Phils were in a series with the Mets. Harry died today in the booth in DC preparing for todays Nats-Phils game.

He was the voice I always associate with warm days, cold beers and baseball. His patented "swing and a long drive, watch this baby, this ball is outta here!" still makes me get goosebumps.

Another part of my youth has died:

Saturday Morning News & Notes

Happy spring.

Here's what's new:

-Another Obama insider is implicated in some shady business practices. Say it with me: The. Most. Ethical. Administration. Ever.

-Obama and Pelosi have essentially given the finger to Colombian President Uribe who was seeking a trade agreement with us and that Bush was trying to forge. Now they are turning their eyes elsewhere to our detriment.

-The NY Times is outraged, outraged I tell you, that conservative governors would turn down money that will destroy their long-term economies. I can't wait for the Times to fail.

-I was golden after day one of the tourney but got absolutely pummeled yesterday where upsets reigned. Currently 25 of 32 but have my final four still intact with Pitt, UNC, Louisville and Memphis. I have Memphis to win it all.

-Update: Only ten gaffes by Biden and Obama? I can think of about twenty more.

Coach K Tells Obama to Focus on Priorities

It's pretty bad when the best active coach in NCAA hoops has to tell the president to focus on the important issues of the day and they would not include basketball:

"Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets," Krzyzewski told a reporter from the Associated Press on Wednesday.

The president filled out his NCAA bracket for ESPN on Tuesday, and the Blue Devils weren't among his Final 4 picks. Instead, he has Coack K's squad falling to Pittsburgh in the Elite 8.

Priceless.

Perhaps if Obama spent as much time focused on actually reading the stimulus and TARP bills as he did on his bracket, we wouldn't have the problems we're having.

Monday Night News and Notes

Awaiting the next episode in a good year of 24.

Here's what's up in the world:

-The markets tanked, oil is up, the dollar fell and I got a damn flat tire on the most-heavily traveled road in North Jersey. All in all a pretty shitty day all-around. The Obama Effect kicked in as the markets started teetering after he met and discussed small business, gained some traction and then dove.

-What's the bet that Obama agrees?. I'm saying he will in the interest of saving us from something that has never been scientifically proven:

The world's wealthiest nations should be responsible for China's pollution coming from exports, Chinese officials said Monday amid talks with the United States on how to combat global warming.

-Instead of appearing on Leno to divert the public's attention from his failed policies, perhaps The One can refocus on al-Qaeda and the as yet un-won War on Terror.

-Name that party! Fumo showed that Chicago Dems are a bunch of pussies when it comes to graft.

-Iraqi's are more confident in the future than we are. I blame Bush.

NCAA predictions tomorrow or Wednesday. I like Villanova but that may be just the hometown bias coming out.