Even as we seem to be many years beyond the Cold War and detente and mutual assured destruction and all of that, I still find myself saying "gotta love them Russkies."
While doing my twice-daily combing through fark.com, I came across a link to this article in Pravda, a Russian newspaper.
The article discusses how a meteorite that crashed in Peru was actually a downed US military satellite, which had been targetted on Iran, and which was downed by a faction of the US military.
I thought we were beyond this sort of strangeness in US-Soviet relations. Apparently, I was mistaken.
September 20, 2007
September 19, 2007
OJ's Bail Set, But Could He Ever Pay It?
The Faded Youth Blog (which is of marginal value and I won't vouch for its accuracy) reports that OJ Simpson's bail has been set at $125k. Not all that exciting.
FYB goes on to say that "The best part of this? Should Simpson actually have the cash to fork for bail, it would immediately to forwarded to the Goldman and Brown families as part of the civil suit restitution that ordered the double murderer to pay a total of $33.5 million in damages."
I don't buy the implied notion that Simpson couldn't make bail. His attorney (in the Yahoo.com article linked by FYB) noted that arrangements had already been made to get the bail paid. Of course, anyone can pay your bail, so the mere fact that OJ probably can't afford it doesn't mean he'll stay in.
Of course, anyone paying OJ's bail has to trust that he'll actually not violate it, or else they're out $125k. Would I trust OJ? No. He has to know that not all DA's are Marcia Clark, not all judges are Lance Ito, and not all juries are willing to believe that you didn't do it (hell, only one-half of the juries that considered whether he murdered Nicole and Ron bought OJ's lies). OJ's going down, I predict. And I'm pretty damn happy about it.
I figure that the defense in this case will be "I went into the room armed, on a sting operation, to confront Nicole's real killer." I wonder how many people would buy it.
FYB goes on to say that "The best part of this? Should Simpson actually have the cash to fork for bail, it would immediately to forwarded to the Goldman and Brown families as part of the civil suit restitution that ordered the double murderer to pay a total of $33.5 million in damages."
I don't buy the implied notion that Simpson couldn't make bail. His attorney (in the Yahoo.com article linked by FYB) noted that arrangements had already been made to get the bail paid. Of course, anyone can pay your bail, so the mere fact that OJ probably can't afford it doesn't mean he'll stay in.
Of course, anyone paying OJ's bail has to trust that he'll actually not violate it, or else they're out $125k. Would I trust OJ? No. He has to know that not all DA's are Marcia Clark, not all judges are Lance Ito, and not all juries are willing to believe that you didn't do it (hell, only one-half of the juries that considered whether he murdered Nicole and Ron bought OJ's lies). OJ's going down, I predict. And I'm pretty damn happy about it.
I figure that the defense in this case will be "I went into the room armed, on a sting operation, to confront Nicole's real killer." I wonder how many people would buy it.
Ridiculous Watch: Chris Crocker
The douchebag who did the infamous defense-of-Britney video is poised to become rich and famous, apparently.
I'd read something somewhere recently (perhaps in Entertainment Weekly) about how Chris Crocker, the retch-inducing trainwreck who warned the world that anyone who wanted to mess with Britney had to go through him, had confessed that the video took a couple of takes and that it was a heart-felt piece of performance art, or whatever. He said that he was hoping to parlay it into something.
Apparently he has. And it goes down as further proof that as long as you're willing to look like a big enough a-hole, America will love you, embrace you, and pay you big money.
I'm sick of this place. As the old bumper sticker said, "Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life here."
I'd read something somewhere recently (perhaps in Entertainment Weekly) about how Chris Crocker, the retch-inducing trainwreck who warned the world that anyone who wanted to mess with Britney had to go through him, had confessed that the video took a couple of takes and that it was a heart-felt piece of performance art, or whatever. He said that he was hoping to parlay it into something.
Apparently he has. And it goes down as further proof that as long as you're willing to look like a big enough a-hole, America will love you, embrace you, and pay you big money.
I'm sick of this place. As the old bumper sticker said, "Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life here."
Recent and Random TV Thoughts
INCLUDED: Survivorman, Rock of Love, The Office (on TBS), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and this year's Must-See-TV in the Rusty household.
Survivorman
I've broadcast my general disdain for Survivorman's Les Stroud, and my general preference towards Man vs. Wild when choosing survival TV. I've also been aware of, and discussed, the recent discovery of Man vs. Wild's more, shall we say, produced nature in putting together a broadcast. And, in the interest of on-going integrity (and filling bored late-night hours with whatever's free On Demand), I've taken the opportunity to re-review Survivorman, particularly with an emphasis towards his new season and how things are going with his show now.
I have to say, the show is much, much better this season. I credit that to a couple of things. First, Survivorman is branching out to new places (most of his shows in the past were in the colder areas of North America), including African deserts and his very own "Lost at Sea/Deserted Island" episode (which, it seemed to me, was an attempt to out-do Bear Grylls' similar show which was on a deserted Hawaiian beach and later took to sea upon a pre-made and re-constructed raft).
Stroud still talks too much about lugging his cameras around, the pain of dealing with filming his own work, and issues with camera performance (such as discussing how humidity is affecting them, and so on). If I have to hear again how he has to lug around 60 pounds of camera gear, I'm going to scream. They should just do a little intro bit at the beginning of every show with some deep-voiced guy talking about Stroud, how he goes out alone, how he's his own cameraman, and how sad his life is having to carry around 60 pounds of camera gear. Then the rest of the show could be about survival, as opposed to the crappiness of his chosen profession.
One good thing about the more varied climate are more varied food options. I'd complained in the past that Survivorman was focussing a lot of effort on not much eating, failing to ever catch any prey and instead eating grasses and berries. In newer episodes, he does manage to eat the occasional animal, although he still doesn't do much raw bug eating, which is always enjoyable on MvW.
He still plays that stupid harmonica. I hate that.
All in all, in terms of entertainment value I still prefer MvW, but I'm starting to see Stroud as an improving option and, if I needed to choose someone to get me through a week in the wild, I'd probably end up taking Stroud (as long as I got to throw his harmonica and his 60 pounds of cameras down a cliff).
Rock of Love
I have general disdain for reality TV. Which is not to say I don't watch it. I admit to passing dalliances with the Danny Boner-douchey show, with Joe Millionaire, with that Boot Camp thing that was on Fox a few years back, and with The Real Gilligan's Island. I also tend to enjoy watching some celeb-reality shows, like Scott Baio, The Surreal Life, and the Adrianne Curry/Peter Brady show.
Strangely, I'm one of very few people I know who can't seem to get into Survivor, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, or many shows of that ilk. In rather typical hypocritical fashion, I end up looking down on those people as mouth-breathers of the lowest order, even as I turn to my new reality obsession, Rock of Love.
The show is simple. It's the Bachelor on meth, basically. Instead of taking some relative unknown and trying to hook him up with a nice girl, you take a has-been rock star and hook him up with a bevy of slutty party girls. It's Flava of Love for whitey.
The rules at that point are simple. Every week someone gets voted off the island, and there are various Machiavellian schemes in play, alliances formed and broken, and lots of getting drunk and naked, all designed to help Bret Michaels (formerly of the band Poison) find a girl to "rock his world." Presumably, in the end the "winner" gets to be Bret's girlfriend, at least until he hits the next town to visit whatever girlfriend he has there.
The show is impossible to ignore. The girls are all ridiculous in their own way. They all have issues. They are almost all smoking hot. And they know that to win, you have to give it up to Bret, so they are all basking in eachother's sloppy seconds, thirds, fourths, ad infinitum.
Only one of the girls is likeable. Her name is Jesse. She's a hairdresser from Chicago. She's made it to the final two, and she continues to impress me by being just a little bit too classy to be involved in all of this. And, yet, here she is, vying to be Bret's honey, and I find myself alternately rooting her on and praying for her downfall.
Why would I want her to lose? Well, note I put the word "winner" in quotes above. I genuinely like this Jesse girl. I want her to be happy in life. I think she's better than all of this. So, as my wife and I were discussing her prospects with Bret the other day, I realized that winning, in this context, isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Who wants a washed-up, has-been rock star who wears a bandana and eye make-up wherever he goes, drinks constantly, thinks himself wise, waxes philosophical in stupid ways, and certainly believes that he's required, as a rock star, to bone any girl who'll throw her panties in the ring? Why would I wish him up on a person I like? Why shouldn't I root for Jesse to lose?
And it's made all the easier by the competition. The sole remaining hope for Jesse's downfall is a stripper from Vegas named Heather. To quote my friend D, Heather has been "ridden hard and put away wet." She's got a smoking-hot body, but she's a mess. She's crass, mean, vile, and unlikeable. And she's pathetic. She actually loves Bret, she actually sees this show as her way to get him to marry her, and she actually showed her devotion by getting his name tattooed on the back of her neck.
Pathetic.
But impossible to turn away from. Going into the final week, this show is the ultimate train wreck. I cannot advise you strongly enough to avoid investing your precious minutes of life in watching it, but if you do so, you'll be happy you did. Just like eating a Twinkie, there's nothing remotely valuable about the experience, but you never walk away wishing you hadn't done it.
The Office (on TBS)
Finally, NBC's The Office has hit syndication. All well and good. The Office is among my favorite shows of the century.
My only complaint? It doesn't appear that TBS cares about presenting the show in any sort of chronological order. Of course, I've only actually been up late enough to watch it once, but we're still (I believe) in the first week, and I don't think we're still in the very first few episodes. If I'm wrong, that's fine. If I'm right, for shame.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
I'd never seen this show until I went to Italy. My friend, JoeD, brought his video I-Pod, and during plane flights and train rides ended up forcing me to watch seasons 1 & 2. And the show is freaking hilarious.
It follows four friends who are running a struggling bar in Philadelphia. They get in all sorts of ridiculous situations and engage in all sorts of half-baked shenanigans, very few of which really relate at all to running a bar. The bar appears to be a way to explain how they can afford anything, and is a device to give them a job and a common string while still leaving them lots of free time during the day to discover Nazi paraphernalia, speak at unknown dead guys' funerals, pick up on coffee chicks, discover and abuse firearms, get kids drunk, and so on.
The new season just started. I've missed the parts of the earlier season where Danny DeVito joined the cast (he was already one of the producers), and was afraid the show would suck. I like Danny, but his name is not, to me, always a sign of excellence.
However, the first two episodes of the current season premiered last week, and it was comedy gold. This show is very smart, is well-written, is intriguingly dim-witted and easy to get into (you don't have to watch earlier seasons to get into the story line), and is just all-around fun. I'm sad I'm leaving cable next month (unless I can con Comcast into a shiny new discount), because this is one of those shows that makes cable nigh-necessary. (Others are Battlestar Galactica, Entourage, The Sopranos, Mythbusters, Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and most anything of a funny nature on Adult Swim)
This Year's "Must-See TV"
What does the Rusty family have to watch? Well, there are very few shows that require my viewing. Unfortunately, 98% of them are on Thursdays.
Here's my list: The Office, Smallville, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, 30 Rock, CSI, Family Guy, and (maybe) Heroes (I think I need to rent Season 1 to get myself primed for Season 2). Without a TiVo, On Demand, or about 80 DVR's, there are some tough choices to be made.
The cable must-see will become hard to deal with. Particularly, the two survivor shows, Battlestar Galactica, and Always Sunny. I've never had HBO or Showtime, so I've avoided an Entourage addiction. But if JoeD comes up, I'll expect him to bring his iPod and his DVD's so that I can catch up into the wee hours.
TV really shouldn't take up so much of my life, or of my thoughts. That said, it is what it is. And, this season, it's a whole week of waiting for Thursday, and then a whole night of scrambling to get my shows in.
Survivorman
I've broadcast my general disdain for Survivorman's Les Stroud, and my general preference towards Man vs. Wild when choosing survival TV. I've also been aware of, and discussed, the recent discovery of Man vs. Wild's more, shall we say, produced nature in putting together a broadcast. And, in the interest of on-going integrity (and filling bored late-night hours with whatever's free On Demand), I've taken the opportunity to re-review Survivorman, particularly with an emphasis towards his new season and how things are going with his show now.
I have to say, the show is much, much better this season. I credit that to a couple of things. First, Survivorman is branching out to new places (most of his shows in the past were in the colder areas of North America), including African deserts and his very own "Lost at Sea/Deserted Island" episode (which, it seemed to me, was an attempt to out-do Bear Grylls' similar show which was on a deserted Hawaiian beach and later took to sea upon a pre-made and re-constructed raft).
Stroud still talks too much about lugging his cameras around, the pain of dealing with filming his own work, and issues with camera performance (such as discussing how humidity is affecting them, and so on). If I have to hear again how he has to lug around 60 pounds of camera gear, I'm going to scream. They should just do a little intro bit at the beginning of every show with some deep-voiced guy talking about Stroud, how he goes out alone, how he's his own cameraman, and how sad his life is having to carry around 60 pounds of camera gear. Then the rest of the show could be about survival, as opposed to the crappiness of his chosen profession.
One good thing about the more varied climate are more varied food options. I'd complained in the past that Survivorman was focussing a lot of effort on not much eating, failing to ever catch any prey and instead eating grasses and berries. In newer episodes, he does manage to eat the occasional animal, although he still doesn't do much raw bug eating, which is always enjoyable on MvW.
He still plays that stupid harmonica. I hate that.
All in all, in terms of entertainment value I still prefer MvW, but I'm starting to see Stroud as an improving option and, if I needed to choose someone to get me through a week in the wild, I'd probably end up taking Stroud (as long as I got to throw his harmonica and his 60 pounds of cameras down a cliff).
Rock of Love
I have general disdain for reality TV. Which is not to say I don't watch it. I admit to passing dalliances with the Danny Boner-douchey show, with Joe Millionaire, with that Boot Camp thing that was on Fox a few years back, and with The Real Gilligan's Island. I also tend to enjoy watching some celeb-reality shows, like Scott Baio, The Surreal Life, and the Adrianne Curry/Peter Brady show.
Strangely, I'm one of very few people I know who can't seem to get into Survivor, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, or many shows of that ilk. In rather typical hypocritical fashion, I end up looking down on those people as mouth-breathers of the lowest order, even as I turn to my new reality obsession, Rock of Love.
The show is simple. It's the Bachelor on meth, basically. Instead of taking some relative unknown and trying to hook him up with a nice girl, you take a has-been rock star and hook him up with a bevy of slutty party girls. It's Flava of Love for whitey.
The rules at that point are simple. Every week someone gets voted off the island, and there are various Machiavellian schemes in play, alliances formed and broken, and lots of getting drunk and naked, all designed to help Bret Michaels (formerly of the band Poison) find a girl to "rock his world." Presumably, in the end the "winner" gets to be Bret's girlfriend, at least until he hits the next town to visit whatever girlfriend he has there.
The show is impossible to ignore. The girls are all ridiculous in their own way. They all have issues. They are almost all smoking hot. And they know that to win, you have to give it up to Bret, so they are all basking in eachother's sloppy seconds, thirds, fourths, ad infinitum.
Only one of the girls is likeable. Her name is Jesse. She's a hairdresser from Chicago. She's made it to the final two, and she continues to impress me by being just a little bit too classy to be involved in all of this. And, yet, here she is, vying to be Bret's honey, and I find myself alternately rooting her on and praying for her downfall.
Why would I want her to lose? Well, note I put the word "winner" in quotes above. I genuinely like this Jesse girl. I want her to be happy in life. I think she's better than all of this. So, as my wife and I were discussing her prospects with Bret the other day, I realized that winning, in this context, isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Who wants a washed-up, has-been rock star who wears a bandana and eye make-up wherever he goes, drinks constantly, thinks himself wise, waxes philosophical in stupid ways, and certainly believes that he's required, as a rock star, to bone any girl who'll throw her panties in the ring? Why would I wish him up on a person I like? Why shouldn't I root for Jesse to lose?
And it's made all the easier by the competition. The sole remaining hope for Jesse's downfall is a stripper from Vegas named Heather. To quote my friend D, Heather has been "ridden hard and put away wet." She's got a smoking-hot body, but she's a mess. She's crass, mean, vile, and unlikeable. And she's pathetic. She actually loves Bret, she actually sees this show as her way to get him to marry her, and she actually showed her devotion by getting his name tattooed on the back of her neck.
Pathetic.
But impossible to turn away from. Going into the final week, this show is the ultimate train wreck. I cannot advise you strongly enough to avoid investing your precious minutes of life in watching it, but if you do so, you'll be happy you did. Just like eating a Twinkie, there's nothing remotely valuable about the experience, but you never walk away wishing you hadn't done it.
The Office (on TBS)
Finally, NBC's The Office has hit syndication. All well and good. The Office is among my favorite shows of the century.
My only complaint? It doesn't appear that TBS cares about presenting the show in any sort of chronological order. Of course, I've only actually been up late enough to watch it once, but we're still (I believe) in the first week, and I don't think we're still in the very first few episodes. If I'm wrong, that's fine. If I'm right, for shame.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
I'd never seen this show until I went to Italy. My friend, JoeD, brought his video I-Pod, and during plane flights and train rides ended up forcing me to watch seasons 1 & 2. And the show is freaking hilarious.
It follows four friends who are running a struggling bar in Philadelphia. They get in all sorts of ridiculous situations and engage in all sorts of half-baked shenanigans, very few of which really relate at all to running a bar. The bar appears to be a way to explain how they can afford anything, and is a device to give them a job and a common string while still leaving them lots of free time during the day to discover Nazi paraphernalia, speak at unknown dead guys' funerals, pick up on coffee chicks, discover and abuse firearms, get kids drunk, and so on.
The new season just started. I've missed the parts of the earlier season where Danny DeVito joined the cast (he was already one of the producers), and was afraid the show would suck. I like Danny, but his name is not, to me, always a sign of excellence.
However, the first two episodes of the current season premiered last week, and it was comedy gold. This show is very smart, is well-written, is intriguingly dim-witted and easy to get into (you don't have to watch earlier seasons to get into the story line), and is just all-around fun. I'm sad I'm leaving cable next month (unless I can con Comcast into a shiny new discount), because this is one of those shows that makes cable nigh-necessary. (Others are Battlestar Galactica, Entourage, The Sopranos, Mythbusters, Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and most anything of a funny nature on Adult Swim)
This Year's "Must-See TV"
What does the Rusty family have to watch? Well, there are very few shows that require my viewing. Unfortunately, 98% of them are on Thursdays.
Here's my list: The Office, Smallville, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, 30 Rock, CSI, Family Guy, and (maybe) Heroes (I think I need to rent Season 1 to get myself primed for Season 2). Without a TiVo, On Demand, or about 80 DVR's, there are some tough choices to be made.
The cable must-see will become hard to deal with. Particularly, the two survivor shows, Battlestar Galactica, and Always Sunny. I've never had HBO or Showtime, so I've avoided an Entourage addiction. But if JoeD comes up, I'll expect him to bring his iPod and his DVD's so that I can catch up into the wee hours.
TV really shouldn't take up so much of my life, or of my thoughts. That said, it is what it is. And, this season, it's a whole week of waiting for Thursday, and then a whole night of scrambling to get my shows in.
September 17, 2007
Kevin Pritchard to Anonymous Tipsters: "Shut the Eff Up."
In the on-going wake of KneeGate, Kevin Pritchard's taken a beating in numerous places on the web (you can Google it for yourself) regarding the decision to draft Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. The current story is that Pritchard and his staff opted for Oden despite having reason to worry about his knees.
Pritchard responds by saying "That's just stupid," and noting that the knees were checked out in particular, and MRI's came back "absolutely pristine."
I'm still waiting to grade KP. I may have to wait an extra season now. But so far I've been impressed with his work, and I think he has integrity, and I'm going to guess that given all the pre-draft press about Oden's potential problems, Pritchard most likely did everything he could to confirm the knee wasn't an issue prior to drafting the future of our franchise.
Oh, and Greg, get well soon. The Oden's Hammer Fan Club still loves you.
UPDATE: Thanks to Casey at OLive for the mention, based on my post title. You never know what's going to catch someone's eye, but it took me a couple of minutes to figure out why I'd gotten so many hits today (400+ and counting...). If you're here, feel free to look around and let me know what you think.
Pritchard responds by saying "That's just stupid," and noting that the knees were checked out in particular, and MRI's came back "absolutely pristine."
I'm still waiting to grade KP. I may have to wait an extra season now. But so far I've been impressed with his work, and I think he has integrity, and I'm going to guess that given all the pre-draft press about Oden's potential problems, Pritchard most likely did everything he could to confirm the knee wasn't an issue prior to drafting the future of our franchise.
Oh, and Greg, get well soon. The Oden's Hammer Fan Club still loves you.
UPDATE: Thanks to Casey at OLive for the mention, based on my post title. You never know what's going to catch someone's eye, but it took me a couple of minutes to figure out why I'd gotten so many hits today (400+ and counting...). If you're here, feel free to look around and let me know what you think.
Okay, you win, I'll leave her alone
In the past I've been known to take digs at Britney Spears' miscues. However, I've been notably silent on last week's, um, spectacular performance at MTV's Video Music Awards.
Why?
Because, this person told me to.
If I want to mess with Britney, I have to go through him...er...her...uh...whatever first, apparently. And I'd rather just avoid the whole mess.
I will say, though, that the tune was catchy. Since I'm not messing with Britney, just close your eyes as you run this video...
Why?
Because, this person told me to.
If I want to mess with Britney, I have to go through him...er...her...uh...whatever first, apparently. And I'd rather just avoid the whole mess.
I will say, though, that the tune was catchy. Since I'm not messing with Britney, just close your eyes as you run this video...
OJ Arrested! Praise Jesus!
I hate OJ. We all know that.
So, it's with great joy that I follow-up my previous post about OJ being suspected of armed robbery with the news that LVPD, whom I ultimately suspected would puss out, has arrested him, and he's being held with no bail. And the DA is saying he's likely going to face several felony counts, as well as a misdemeanor, for this sting operation.
OJ, my friend, kharma's a beeotch.
UPDATE: The Smoking Gun has the mugshot.
UPDATED UPDATE: Now they have the police report as well.
So, it's with great joy that I follow-up my previous post about OJ being suspected of armed robbery with the news that LVPD, whom I ultimately suspected would puss out, has arrested him, and he's being held with no bail. And the DA is saying he's likely going to face several felony counts, as well as a misdemeanor, for this sting operation.
OJ, my friend, kharma's a beeotch.
UPDATE: The Smoking Gun has the mugshot.
UPDATED UPDATE: Now they have the police report as well.
September 14, 2007
OJ Simpson: Class Personified
I know, I know, "innocent until proven guilty."
But as a much-avowed OJ-despiser, I feel the need to pile on when able.
OJ Simpson, allegedly, is now not only a wife-and-waiter-murderer, but is now an armed casino robber as well (allegedly).
Of course, he denies any involvement and the whole thing's still in the "we have to qualify everything in this post by saying 'allegedly'" stage, but apparently Las Vegas PD is investigating and armed breaking-into of a casino hotel room, where (per the alleged victim) Simpson was "retrieving" sports memorabilia that he later told police had been stolen from him. Simpson went on to tell the Associated Press that he was conducting a "sting operation." I wonder if he meant "stab."
The auction house owner who Simpson claims was working with him isn't returning press calls. It's interesting that Simpson would claim that the alleged victim called the police to report the break-in if the stuff being stolen was actually Simpson's in the first place. Because, you know, if I'm a thief I'm naturally going to call attention to my thieving by telling the police when the property's real owner has come to claim it.
And, of course, there's the whole part where Simpson auctioned off his sports memorabilia to pay off part of the $33.5 million dollar judgment levied against him by a jury which found him responsible for the nigh-decapitation of Nicole Brown Simpson and the uber-shivving of waiter Ron Goldman.
It will be interesting to see what happens here next. This, however, only supports my general gut feeling that OJ Simpson is the world's biggest a-hole.
Stupid Fine for Stupid Rule levied against Stupid Pats
So, the NFL has fined the New England Patriots $250k and at least one draft pick next year (could be two if they don't make the playoffs), and additionally fined Bill Belichick $500k. All this for filming the signals called in for plays on the sidelines.
Now, I understand the concept that "rules are rules." Over the off-season a rule was introduced to address the allegations that the Pats were filming the plays called in, which allegedly gave them an unfair advantage. And they broke the rule. Fine.
But it's a stupid rule.
First, the entire field (and the coaches who can be seen from the field) is in public view. There's no reasonable expectation of privacy in any signals sent visually from the sidelines. Since a guy could just sit at the side of the field (or in the stands, with binoculars) and keep a hand-written chart of play signals and the plays run afterward, this is simply using technology to simplify a job.
Second, it's not like cameras on the field are unexpected. All NFL games are televised and all have all sorts of photographers (including team photographers and videographers) taking all sorts of shots all throughout. Is there any reason any team should believe that the coaches aren't being filmed, even if it's indirectly (i.e. caught in the periphery of a shot of the field of play)?
Third, how many other coaches were already doing this? The Jets coach used to be a Belichick employee; certainly he benefitted from (and probably endorsed) the same practice he's complaining about back when he was winning games and building his resume with the Patriots. I'm sure other teams have done the same.
If anything, it's an innovative approach. As long as radio isn't being intercepted (that would be an invasion of privacy), I'm for it. It's about adapting, overcoming, and improving as an organization.
Which is what I thought the NFL was about, as well. It's been seen as the big daddy of all American sport, in part because it's always working to improve the product. Why the sudden step back from innovation?
So, sure, fine the Patriots. Punish them for breaking a rule. But realize that it's a stupid fine for a stupid rule, and embrace change instead of fearing it.
Now, I understand the concept that "rules are rules." Over the off-season a rule was introduced to address the allegations that the Pats were filming the plays called in, which allegedly gave them an unfair advantage. And they broke the rule. Fine.
But it's a stupid rule.
First, the entire field (and the coaches who can be seen from the field) is in public view. There's no reasonable expectation of privacy in any signals sent visually from the sidelines. Since a guy could just sit at the side of the field (or in the stands, with binoculars) and keep a hand-written chart of play signals and the plays run afterward, this is simply using technology to simplify a job.
Second, it's not like cameras on the field are unexpected. All NFL games are televised and all have all sorts of photographers (including team photographers and videographers) taking all sorts of shots all throughout. Is there any reason any team should believe that the coaches aren't being filmed, even if it's indirectly (i.e. caught in the periphery of a shot of the field of play)?
Third, how many other coaches were already doing this? The Jets coach used to be a Belichick employee; certainly he benefitted from (and probably endorsed) the same practice he's complaining about back when he was winning games and building his resume with the Patriots. I'm sure other teams have done the same.
If anything, it's an innovative approach. As long as radio isn't being intercepted (that would be an invasion of privacy), I'm for it. It's about adapting, overcoming, and improving as an organization.
Which is what I thought the NFL was about, as well. It's been seen as the big daddy of all American sport, in part because it's always working to improve the product. Why the sudden step back from innovation?
So, sure, fine the Patriots. Punish them for breaking a rule. But realize that it's a stupid fine for a stupid rule, and embrace change instead of fearing it.
September 13, 2007
Breaking News! Oden Out!
Just heard on The Fan that Yahoo Sports is reporting that Trail Blazers center Greg Oden is out for the season. The story is here.
Of course, the surgery was just this morning, so this seems like an awfully quick announcement to me. In the current environment of press folk trying to scoop eachother, I'd rather wait to hear something official before I buy this one. Once there's some confirmation, I'll discuss it more.
UPDATE: Okay, it's official. Oden's arthroscopic surgery turned into microfracture surgery to repair some cartilage damage to his knee.
What does this mean? Well, first of all, the rest of his knee looks good, which is a good thing, I guess.
Second, Oden doesn't seem to be a Darius. I'd suspect that his work ethic exceeds that of Mr. Miles, so I don't think we'll see a guy packing on 30 pounds and (allegedly) pounding multiple beers in short periods of time out of sheer boredom.
Third, this was a rebuilding season, anyway. Fans who expected the playoffs (me included) were probably setting our sights a bit too high.
What's next? Well, we have Przybilla, McRoberts and LaFrentz who can all put time in at center. This will clear up some of the jam at PF, and Aldridge and Frye will be able to share more minutes there. I don't think we're screwed or anything, but this is a disappointment.
Your thoughts?
Of course, the surgery was just this morning, so this seems like an awfully quick announcement to me. In the current environment of press folk trying to scoop eachother, I'd rather wait to hear something official before I buy this one. Once there's some confirmation, I'll discuss it more.
UPDATE: Okay, it's official. Oden's arthroscopic surgery turned into microfracture surgery to repair some cartilage damage to his knee.
What does this mean? Well, first of all, the rest of his knee looks good, which is a good thing, I guess.
Second, Oden doesn't seem to be a Darius. I'd suspect that his work ethic exceeds that of Mr. Miles, so I don't think we'll see a guy packing on 30 pounds and (allegedly) pounding multiple beers in short periods of time out of sheer boredom.
Third, this was a rebuilding season, anyway. Fans who expected the playoffs (me included) were probably setting our sights a bit too high.
What's next? Well, we have Przybilla, McRoberts and LaFrentz who can all put time in at center. This will clear up some of the jam at PF, and Aldridge and Frye will be able to share more minutes there. I don't think we're screwed or anything, but this is a disappointment.
Your thoughts?
September 10, 2007
September 09, 2007
A Couple of Thoughts on the Ducks (and Michigan)
Oregon absolutely rolled Michigan yesterday, after previously doing what, frankly, was expected and rolling their 1-AA foe in their season opener.
Of course, doing what's expected isn't always easy. I mean, just ask Michigan. They managed to keep it close against Appalachian State last week, but lost to their 1-AA warm-up. Yesterday they were expected by everyone (including me) to stomp on the Ducks, and got their asses handed to them instead.
I've seen at least a couple of titles in my Bloglines (from ESPN, etc.) that alluded to yesterday's loss being an embarassment. I can see how it is, in the sense that losing 39-7 on your own field to an unranked opponent is embarassing. But, really, should we be so shocked that Oregon took care of business?
Don't get me wrong. I'm aware that Oregon has had its troubles the last few years. But they have very good seasons (often surprisingly good) mixed in with their disappointments, and we shouldn't forget that. Sure, they lost in their not-so-bowl game last year. But the year before we were #5 at the end of the season, and since 2000 we've also been ranked #7 and #2 at season's end.
I suspect we won't be a top-10 team by the end of the season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see is in the top 25 in the next week or two, and further wouldn't be surprised to see us in the rankings for most of the season.
Of course, it'll be interesting to see what happens to the Beavers after they got curb-stomped in Cincy last week...
By the way, not sure anyone noticed, but Dennis Dixon was named this week's College Negro Quarterback of the Week by some blog. Not sure how necessary such awards are, but at least our team's getting recognized somewhere.
For some more interesting scoop from the game, check out today's article by my man JC. Sometimes being a sports reporter pays off. Sure, he had to watch OSU get stomped, but he got to see yesterday's drubbing and take in the sights afterwards. Someday I've gotta by Johnny a beer.
Of course, doing what's expected isn't always easy. I mean, just ask Michigan. They managed to keep it close against Appalachian State last week, but lost to their 1-AA warm-up. Yesterday they were expected by everyone (including me) to stomp on the Ducks, and got their asses handed to them instead.
I've seen at least a couple of titles in my Bloglines (from ESPN, etc.) that alluded to yesterday's loss being an embarassment. I can see how it is, in the sense that losing 39-7 on your own field to an unranked opponent is embarassing. But, really, should we be so shocked that Oregon took care of business?
Don't get me wrong. I'm aware that Oregon has had its troubles the last few years. But they have very good seasons (often surprisingly good) mixed in with their disappointments, and we shouldn't forget that. Sure, they lost in their not-so-bowl game last year. But the year before we were #5 at the end of the season, and since 2000 we've also been ranked #7 and #2 at season's end.
I suspect we won't be a top-10 team by the end of the season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see is in the top 25 in the next week or two, and further wouldn't be surprised to see us in the rankings for most of the season.
Of course, it'll be interesting to see what happens to the Beavers after they got curb-stomped in Cincy last week...
By the way, not sure anyone noticed, but Dennis Dixon was named this week's College Negro Quarterback of the Week by some blog. Not sure how necessary such awards are, but at least our team's getting recognized somewhere.
For some more interesting scoop from the game, check out today's article by my man JC. Sometimes being a sports reporter pays off. Sure, he had to watch OSU get stomped, but he got to see yesterday's drubbing and take in the sights afterwards. Someday I've gotta by Johnny a beer.
September 08, 2007
Go Ducks!
A little somethin'-somethin' in honor of Oregon's surprise 39-7 trouncing of Michigan.
Hat tip to With Leather.
Hat tip to With Leather.
September 07, 2007
September 04, 2007
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