Saturday, June 30, 2007

For a "HUG?"

Rita Ragone, a former hair and make-up artist at the World Wide Leader in Sports (also known as ESPN), has filed a sexual harassment suit against ESPN, Woody Paige, and Jay Crawford.
Paige was a regular panelist on the now defunct "Cold Pizza," and now is seen on "1st & 10." Crawford, the former host of "Cold Pizza," is now the co-host of ESPN’s "First Take". Paige has returned to the Denver Post and continues to be a regular guest on "Around The Horn."

Ragone said that Paige pinched her, fondled her, and made vulgar remarks about her appearance. She alleges that Paige once grabbed her backside so forcefully that "she was propelled forward, and into the air." Paige sent an e-mail to the Associated Press stating this was untrue and had no further comment. Crawford’s actions were noted as crude sexual comments, which he denies. ESPN’s people say the claim is untrue. Hey, everyone is saying this, even her former employer Atlantic Video, who she says asked her to drop the suit before letting her go.

This is not the first time Paige was sued for sexual harassment. In 1992, he allegedly used an anatomy slur towards a woman after an argument in his office. The Denver Post settled the suit, and Paige is back there again.

My only question is: Why are they still employed?

When a Production Assistant from ESPN said she felt weird after a hug from Harold Reynolds outside an Outback Steak House, he was thrown out on the street. There has been no suit against HR. Reynolds is actually suing ESPN for breach of contract and seeking damages. He currently is working for MLB.com, so check him out. The PA who felt weird has not spoken out to the best of my knowledge. Reynolds, who also reportedly had a heated disagreement with the production staff of Baseball Tonight over the coverage of Alex Rodriguez last season during a Texas v. New York series, was dismissed without a reason. Or at least a reason this hound can't find.

For a "HUG", he was dropped from Baseball Tonight and his color analyst role for the College World Series and the Little League World Series. With no lawsuit, Reynolds has been banished from ESPN. Paige, with a suit, is still playing the ‘holier than thou’ part as a panelist on "Around The Horn." ESPN has had no official statement on Reynolds’ firing; and his grievance won’t be heard until late 2008.

It breaks this baseball fan’s heart to lose HR, but if Woody gets the door you won’t hear a tear drop. Stay tuned for more of this. Please visit Free Harold Reynolds.Com and leave a note of support for the guy who does not have a sexual harassment suit against him.



Hurry!

While conducting my research for future Presidential Previews it has come to my attention that the end of the quarter is tonight. YOU HAVE TO DONATE NOW claim no less than two dozen of the sites I have seen. Bill Richardson appears to have raised 500K in about three hours. Nice.

So get on it kids, the future president needs your cash much more than you do. And remember what Bill says:
The only real reason to get involved in a campaign for President is that you believe a candidate will be the best president. Based on her experience, her commitment, her passion, her persistence, and her record,I know Hillary will be the best president.I hope you'll support her campaign" Bill Clinton
Yeah, I wouldn't vote for my own wife either if she wasn't qualified. "Hey honey, you know, I kinda like that Obama guy more than you..."

The Professor Strikes Back!


Another blatant attempt to besmirch the good name of Professors. It is a well known fact that Professor Plum "did it" 42% more often than anyone else in the game!

It appears the walls are closing in on my kind.

John Collins, a University of New Hampshire Professor (and department chair!), was coerced into surrendering to campus police this past week. Collins "was charged with disorderly conduct and stalking for comments he allegedly made against - but not directly to - a colleague." [SOURCE]

Outrageous! Stacie Sower (a lowly Associate Dean) asked for, and got, a restraining order against the good Professor Collins. Peeved about a parking ticket he received - obviously someone else's fault - Collins accurately focused his rage on Sower although she claimed, "I was not responsible for his ticket."

Likely story. Sowers' yarn claims Collins "ranted and "raved" against her, making expert use of "profane language" while he kicked a garbage can. She was not present for this, however two colleagues claimed he:
"...continued speaking badly of her in the elevator." She says the two colleagues told her that Collins said, "I am going to kill her" and repeated it "several times."
This is an obvious fabrication; everyone knows Professors take the stairs. She went on:
"John Collins is an extremely angry man [That's PROFESSOR John Collins]. I do not feel safe in my office or labs [on campus]. I do not feel safe for my students in their office or labs. I feel very threatened, and I am scared of what he could do to me or my students."
The article points out that Sowers also referenced "other incidents," but did not elaborate, then quotes her saying this:

"John has previously displayed extreme bouts of anger resulting in a broken Xerox and people feeling threatened - thrown chairs, books, etc."
That seems fairly elaborate to me. And slanderous. Books and chairs are just begging to be projectiles, and Xerox machines? Don't get me started. Toward the end of the article UNH Deputy Police Chief Paul Dean gives us some insight into the Professor's actions:

"One of the most difficult things we face down there is a sufficient amount of parking for everyone who wants to park," he said.
Well, that explains everything. Some of you may wonder why the Professor got a bit upset over a $50 parking ticket, choosing instead to pay $2500 in bail. I'm here to answer that query.

Like Dick Cheney mistaking his hunting buddy for a bird, these things happen. To hold Professors accountable for all their actions is patently preposterous. Our motives are simply beyond the comprehension of the plebeian masses. Sometime soon I assure you that my brethren and I will band together in order to combat this blatant prejudice against our kind. I will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as warranted. The warning shot has been fired! Professors everywhere unite!

In the Red in Cincinnati

My first Cincinnati Reds post could not come at a better time. The Kansas City Royals finished up June with a winning record, their first in 22 months according Tim Kurkjian on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. That leaves my Reds and the Nationals as the teams with the longest streaks of ineptitude at six months.

Has it been that long? It seems like I was learning to ride a bike the last time the Reds were any good. They are currently 30-50 which nets them a .375 winning percentage, good for 30 points lower than any other team in the Major Leagues. It will be interesting to see if anyone on the team will finish with a higher batting average than the team's winning percentage. Not that anyone is threatening--NO ONE on the team is batting over .300.

It figures. The Bengals have made the playoffs recently and look to be decent for the foreseeable future. Passing them on the escalator are the Reds, who grabbed the Bengals' Worst Team Crown on their way down.

The Reds' record for losses in a season is 101 (1982). This team is on pace to smash that, and I believe they should do it with gusto. The Major League record is actually 134 set by the Cleveland Spiders in 1899. They can keep that. The commonly accepted "worst team" in memory would either be the 1962 Mets (120 losses) or the 2003 Tigers (119). For the Reds to pass the Mets they need to go 12-70 the rest of the way. Tough I know, but don't sell this team short. Or wait...

Friday, June 29, 2007

The Bald Eagle: Back from the Brink

The Department of the Interior, who is in charge of these things, removed the Bald Eagle from the list of threatened and endangered species yesterday. That's fantastic news, and for once I'm not being being sarcastic. I have always felt it was a bit ridiculous that one of our national symbols was close to being exterminated. If nothing else it shows that at least one of our conservation efforts in this country has actually worked.

That said, I hope the removal of the most prominent member on that list will not spell doom for other species. Bob Irvin, senior vice president for conservation programs with the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, is worried about a recent Supreme Court ruling which allows the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
transfer permitting authority to state agencies without first considering the welfare of endangered species. The ruling specifically affects permits issued under the Clean Water Act. "The full effect of this decision remains to be seen, but we are very concerned," said Irvin of Defenders of Wildlife, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case. The Clean Water Act does not require such consultations before the EPA can transfer authority. Irvin is concerned the Bush Administration will try to use the ruling to argue that other federal laws also trump the Endangered Species Act.
His concern is probably not completely unwarranted. While this ruling really has nothing to do with the bald eagle's status, I think the ability to lobby for endangered species takes a big hit when the poster child for the campaign has graduated off the list. We'll see, hopefully we're both wrong.

My incessant curiosity led me to look up what other animals are on the list. A few of the notables:
  • Grizzly Bears
  • Both the American Crocodile and Alligator
  • 9 species of Bats
  • California Condors, the largest land bird found in North America and the world's rarest bird of prey.
  • Hawaii Creepers. Small birds. Cool Name.
  • Jaguars
  • 4 species of Foxes
  • Kangaroo Rats (not Kangaroos)
  • 10 species of Mice
  • Florida Panthers
  • Prairie Dogs
  • Pumas, or Cougars and Mountain Lions
  • 12 species of Salamanders
  • 17 species of Salmon
  • Sea Turtles
  • Sea Lions
  • Bighorn Sheep
  • Manatees
  • The Blue Whale, Humpback Whale, and Killer Whale
I could go on but you get the point. While the success with Bald Eagles is commendable, I hope we don't lose sight of the rest of the animal kingdom. I didn't even mention the Invertabrates and Plants. I'm not a huge conservationist or environmentalist, but wiping out animals and plants is something I think we should avoid when we can. Sure the earth will survive, but I'd rather we not accelerate our efforts to make it resemble the moon.


Thursday, June 28, 2007

Like Nails on a Chalkboard?

I remember the catch phrase "Soccer Moms" from the 90's. This is where things went wrong. No, I’m not talking about politics, religion, economics, or society as a whole. I’m talking about Soccer. Soon there will be a new resident of this great land of ours. His name; Beckham...David Beckham. He is the Pelé of today. I figure from the saying "Bend it like Beckman," he is somewhat of a star. He is married to a former pop star, Posh Spice. The Spice Girls were awful, but I digress.

They will live together in a nice neighborhood, and that is fine with me. What he brings to this country is the sport that has flares flying at players and riots that spill into the street; where cops use tear gas and rubber bullets without effect. I said rubber bullets without effect. They have to cage the bench for the players safety, and usually there is a fence keeping the fans out! I know it sounds like hockey, but soccer fans caused a riot in Argentina that killed a innocent spectator.

Killed an innocent spectator. This is what you "soccer moms" want for your kids: To play a game that is as important to the fabric of American sports as paddle boat racing? Yes, there will be a little buzz from Mr. Beckman coming to play for the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS, but that’s a small group. Where I watched the last World Cup there was a lot of buzz. I was in a bar. That was really the only good thing about the last World Cup. They opened the bars early, or stayed open late, just to have 3 guys sit at the bar, get wasted, and watch. I was with the Professor so the open bar was a treat, not the soccer.

So let me get this straight. You want your kids to play a game that is inconsequential, violent to the point of death. A game which the majority of people who watch it are tanked out of their minds. How about this: Why not sign the kid up to play baseball, one of the safest sports in the country. Only 6.1 injuries per 1000 players. Oh, and by the way.....The National Past Time! Baseball was invented by us. It broke the "Color Barrier" when Jackie Robinson was playing along side guys like Pee-Wee Reese. If you don’t know who that is, it’s okay. He played a long time ago. The next time you're at a baseball game, look for a guy wearing 42. Won’t happen. It’s been retired from baseball.

Do you remember Pelé’s number, or if he had one? Do you know what number Beckham wears? Nope, didn’t think so. With all that you're still signing four year old kids up to run around a rectangle chasing a ball while no one wins because they don’t keep score. They don’t keep score because the chances the ball goes into the goal are as good as the chance I hit a 7 iron 160 yards six feet behind the flag and pull a string that backs it into the cup. Blindfolded!!!!!

Now there are the few nut job dads that go crazy and scream at everybody in earshot. He’s either mad at the coach because his son is not getting to play as much as he thinks he should (coaches like to win), or yelling at the umpire because he thinks it was a strike. That said, it is still a game. There is no excuse for the pot belled papa trying to live vicariously through his six year old son to ruin what could be a wonderful experience for family and friends.

Do your child a favor and sign him up for baseball. Not only will they have a good time, but they will learn success and failure the same way. The right way. There is no time clock, only outs. Three in an inning, and they start by playing 5 innings. Take some time, enjoy the green grass, blue skies, and Our National Past Time.


Cincinnati Cornhole Craziness

I've been waiting for this. The Wall Street Journal has an article today all about Cornhole, the game for those who think Horseshoes is too dangerous. If you don't know all the rules or, more likely, have never even heard of Cornhole, go check out the article in the WSJ. I'll wait.

They claim in the article that Cornhole is "particularly popular in Cincinnati, where folks say it originated more than 50 years ago..." Since I live in Cincinnati I can confirm that yes, the game is insanely popular here. It's the 50 years ago part that really puzzles me. That and why it's so damn popular.

I was born in Cincinnati over 30 years ago. In 1995 I moved to Virginia, where I lived before returning to the Queen City in 2004. As of 1995, I had never even heard of Cornhole. Popular lore claims the game originated on the West Side of town (I was an East-Sider), so it is possible the game existed here and I just didn't know about it. (For the best description of the East-West divide in Cincinnati, I give you Jim Borgman.)

Sometime between 1995 and 2004 Cornhole acquired an infectious popularity previously achieved only by Skyline Chili and cholera. In Virginia I had taken up Horseshoes, and upon being introduced to Cornhole I found it an emasculated version of the same activity, like playing darts with Post-it notes. It's as if one game was meant for adults and the other for those who can't be trusted with the scissors.

I like driving the stake in the ground and tossing objects originally intended to be nailed to the feet of four-legged animals. I enjoy the loud clank of a "Ringer!" I particularly like that if you just pound the stakes in your buddy's lawn, you can till the yard for him too. Some may say it's problematic to drive a stake through the asphalt while tailgating at a Bengals game, that Horseshoes tend to behave erratically when skipping across pavement. To them I say: Keep your beanbags, I like a challenge.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Another Gator Tri-fecta?

Once again the Florida Gators stand on the doorstep of history. Tomorrow the NBA Draft will take place. There has never been a draft that saw three teammates taken in the first ten picks. The 1976 Indiana Hoosiers had three in the first 11 picks. They won the NCAA Championship. North Carolina had four in the top 14 picks in 2005. Both of these schools are basketball powerhouses, coached by legends.

Greg Oden and Kevin Durant are locks for the first two picks. Unless the Portland Trailblazers pull another Sam Bowie out of the air. Boy was that a gaff, or what? For those of you who live under a rock, they passed on Mr. Michael Jeffery Jordan.

This year Al Horford could go as high as #3 to the Atlanta Hawks, and Corey Brewer could go to the Boston Celtics at #5. Both of these guys could be as big an impact as Oden or Durant. Joakim Noah will go not too far down after his teammates. That could make three of the first ten picks Gators. This would be more historical than their repeat in the NCAA Tournament.

Since 1957, when the modern draft began, Florida has only produced six first rounders: 1969's Neal Walk, 1990's Dwayne Schintzius, 1998's Jason Williams, 2000's Mike Miller, and Donnell Harvey, and David Lee in 2005. Your now saying who? There have been only 24 Gators drafted in the past 50 years.

Taurean Green’s workouts have possibly moved him into the first round. Chris Richards, and Lee Humphreys look to be in taken in the second round. They represent the starting 5th and the 6th man.

If you said this of Kentucky, or Indiana the fans would be jumping out of their skin. In Florida, its just another great day to be a FLORIDA GATOR!


Tuesday, June 26, 2007

The Future of the "Billy Goat"


The future I see for one of my friends--a die hard Cubs fan:

With the New York Yankees playing like they reside in Kansas City, it’s only a matter of time before they miss the playoffs. A-Rod opts out of his contract and signs on the dotted line with Sweet Lou in Chi-town. Give them a year or so and you’ll see that little spark plug Darwin Barney from OSU filling out the left side of the Chicago Cubs infield. This kid gunned down a runner at home the other night from well beyond the infield grass. He is fundamentally sound in the field. He exhibited a little power with a homerun in the final game of the College World Series. He’s just infectious in the dugout, and on the field. Some see a little Jeter, but I'll wait to see if that comes to fruition. The Cubs can only hope he is half as good. Just think: that skill, smile, and likability in the Windy City; there's a marketing firm salivating at this very moment. Maybe the ‘Curse of the Billy Goat’ will be put down by a former Beaver. Ironically, the Tar Heel mascot is a....................Billy Goat.

Dethrowned by Jaw

Well this is a first for me, but here goes. It seems that we could have a new champ come this 4th of July. No, it won’t be in NASCAR. Baseball has a long way until the World Series. Football isn’t starting for months, and the NBA is just getting to the trade deadline. No sports fans, it’s going to be at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Last year, Mr. Kobayashi put down 53 & 3/4 hot dogs in 12 minutes. Upstart American, Joey Chestnut with 59 and a half took the record earlier this year. This year however, Kobayashi has "a jaw". That’s what I said, "a jaw"! It seems that the guy who weighs a buck twenty soaking wet has sprained his jaw while practicing. I can think of no better place than this to quote A.I. : "Practice...we’re talking about practice."

Now I know that there are some people that think this is somewhat funny, but this guy is the face of speed eating. He held the record for hot dogs and holds the record for Krystal burgers. His mug is on the window of most of the local Krystals. For those of you up north, Krystal is the southern version of White Castle .

Each 4th of July, hundreds of people gather at Nathan’s on Coney Island to watch these people shove hot dogs down their gullet. Kobayashi has won this contest for years, but this year the champ maybe hobbled by a jaw. I can’t figure out the fascination of this event, however if I find it you’ll be the first to know. So, do you think it's the jaw...or just being scared to take on the new guy? Whitey picks Chestnut by two bun lengths.

Monday, June 25, 2007

How'd they do that?

OSU lost 6 of 8 starters, including their closer of a year ago. They are the first team to win it all in Omaha with a losing conference record. They played their first game of the year in Hawaii on March 25, a week before the rest of the country started. They didn't get to play in Corvallis until mid May. Their coach was courted by some big schools, such as Notre Dame, but signed a new contract this year. They were one of the last teams selected to the Final 64 teams, basically on their Power Ranking due to early season road trips and that whole thing of being defending Champions. They did the small things, the fundamentals. They hit a few homers, but their small ball ability showed all through the regionals, Super Regionals, and the CWS. They were caught stealing on only 2 occasions in Omaha. They went 60 consecutive innings without trailing. And now, having gone 5-0 in Omaha, they hoist their second straight National Championship trophy.

Big Shiny Plates!

With Wimbledon upon us, it is time again to trot out our favorite "What's the Best Trophy?" poll. Last time the Lombardi Trophy narrowly beat out the Stanley Cup. As with all our polls, feel free to drop us a comment in case we forgot your favorite, especially with this one as we will be sure to add it next time. Whitey can't wait for college football season and our first annual Ridiculous Rivalry Trophy poll. Tea anyone?



While we're at it:

Ride, or Bus Ride?

There is a new tempest in the teapot of college baseball. One of the changes to scholarship disbursement has a few coaches bent. Both Coach Polk of the University of Mississippi and Coach Tanner of the University of South Carolina expressed their displeasure with the new NCAA rule being applied.
Baseball receives 11.7 scholarships, which in the past were given out to players as the coach saw fit. A player could receive as little as book money, or 4 percent of a scholarship, but not more than 74 percent. No baseball player can receive a "full ride". Only one player can receive the 74 percent, the second highest at 54 percent, with the remainder trickling down in smaller amounts. As of this coming season, the new rules will set that minimum at 33 percent meaning if you receive a dime, you get 33 percent. Coach Tanner describes the changes like this, "They're giving us chump change, and now they're telling us how to spend the chump change."
Coach Polk is at odds with this rule because it will not reach its intended measure--baseball player graduation rates. I'm all for the players getting their degrees, but juniors will now be encouraged to go pro when picked by a Major League team. It not only frees up a spot on the squad, but the money to boot. Seniors graduate, not juniors , so who is it helping?

I can't for the life of me see how the NCAA can justify this. If a player is picked out of high school by the Major Leagues and the coach of a university said, "Come play for my school, I'll give you a third of a ride," I'll bet he takes the 60K signing bonus and rides the bus to his rookie league game with a smile and a paycheck.

Professor's Note: This is the first of a series of articles in which Whitey will examine the new rule changes in college baseball for 2008. Check back often or subscribe below!

Whitey & The Professor



Home Run Hall of Famers?


With Sammy Sosa hitting his 600th HR this week and Frank Thomas closing in on 500, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the current crop of Hall of Fame candidates with some of their stats. This will be a multi-part series--we'll start with the home runs guys since that's in the news now. Some of these players have retired, some haven't. Some have a chance, some...well, as Whitey would say, not so much. Like the baseball writers, you can vote for more than one (they can vote for ten). The (a) means still active. Feel free to post comments on anyone I missed or to discuss more stats than the limited one's displayed below.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

9th Inning Shower

Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox got sent to the showers earlier than the rest of his team last night, tying him for the Major League record (131) for ejections with John McGraw. One more and he'll be the best. No, he's not the 'kick the dirt' on the ump or the plate kind of guy. He's the sit in the dugout and 'bark at BLUE' type of manager. How do you think they came up with the phrase "Braves' Strike Zone" with Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine?

Arguing balls and strikes is a no win proposition, and I've never seen an ump change his strike zone to appease the coach. If your pitcher continually hits his spots, the ump may give him something a tad off the paint, but not for the chirping from the dugout. With 15 division titles under his belt, you would have to think that chirping is better that lobbing the rosin bag. Maybe some of the other managers in baseball could take something from this. You have to protect your guys. If you don't stand up for them, they won't for you.