The Media Strikes Again

Days after my Manny induced hiatus from blogging (more on that another time), I find myself marveling at the way the media is portraying Steve McNair and disrespecting his family in the wake of his murder.

For the record, I heart McNair. He had the best teeth/smile ever, and he was the one QB in the NFL that came from an HBCU and did well. I remember watching him play on Saturdays when BET used to show black college football games (back when they had somewhat decent programming) and was all about seeing him win the Heisman in 93. He came in 3rd, but was drafted and went on to have a great career, punctuated by the Music City Miracle, and SB XXXIV.

Off the field, he was known as a great humanitarian who gave back to the community and was a family man. Thing about this-he's an ex football player, so his definition of family man may be a little different than what you or I may perceive to be ok. That aside-he's gone, and the disrespect is in the media and even from those (Brian Billick) who knew him is reaching a fever pitch.

According to the police, they are thisclose to ruling his death a murder-suicide. The perpetrator? A 20 year old Dave & Busters worker who told her family that after 5 months, McNair planned to leave his wife and move in with her-in a condo that he and a friend owned in Nashville. We are also expected to believe that the two were a "couple" and that she was his "girlfriend".

There is a serious problem with this. Somewhere in Mississippi, he has a WIFE and four children who are learning about his extramartial affair it seems, just as we are. How does a married man have a legitimate girlfriend? How does the word of a 20 year old who is clearly star struck usurp common sense?

It's disgusting. She has been given every ounce of benefit of the doubt by the media. Been portrayed as a jilted or wronged girlfriend as if her place in his life was bigger than the place his wife and family held. Why? Because she was allowed to drive an Escalade he owned? Or because she had access to the jump off pad he held with a friend? Somehow this becomes more important than a twelve year marriage? Interesting.

I'm not even a wife, but I can imagine that Mrs. McNair is in a world of hurt right now, and seeing her place in her husbands life diminished in the media can't be helping the situation. I'm starting to not believe anything I read about this situation. Why is it only the whore's side of the story is coming out in the press? Why is she being portrayed as the victim when she is likely the shooter? Why is she being shown so much respect, when her actions show just how little respect she had for life and the institution of marriage.

I know I'm just venting here, but I can't be the only person who notices the differences between the wife and the whore, and wonders if this isn't the reason she's being portrayed as something other than what she is-a homewrecker of the highest order.

So Drunk Driving Is The New Black?

Over the past couple of weeks we have had four deaths tied to the sporting world by drunk driving. Most recently, a 22 year old Angel's pitcher and two friends were killed on their way from a club in Fullerton, CA, by another drunken 22 year old who was driving on a license that was suspended for-wait for it- drunk driving.

This story brought me to tears. Not because I know anyone involved personally, but because I don't understand what makes people so stupid as to take the lives of others into their drunken, wobbly hands. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I actually caused or got into an accident because I was too cheap to take a cab home after having a few too many. Especially since we all know how these types of accidents play out-the good person, who never harmed a soul is killed tragically, while the drunk who had nothing better to do walks away with little more than a busted lip. Shameful.

It's sad. This kid by all accounts was popular in the clubhouse, and was finally able to live out his dream of pitching in the big leagues. His father flew out from their hometown to watch his son pitch six scoreless innings at home, only to be called out of his hotel room to identify his body.

The driver didn't even have the decency to stick around and be accountable for his actions. He ran like the bitch he truly is, only to be picked up half an hour later. Was he running out to get one last drink before turning himself in? Or did he plan to go home and sleep it off and go on with his life? At least Donte Stallworth stuck around the scene of his accident.

The scary part about it, is that even if you value your life and those of others around you enough not to drive drunk, everyone doesn't feel the same way or act accordingly. Those kids were just out having a good time and enjoying life-only to have this happen. It has put a serious damper on the start of the season. This is supposed to be the most glorious time of year! We should be busy blogging about CC Sabathia getting rocked by Baltimore (word?), and the Yankees starting out much as the Phillies did last year . Instead, we have postponed games, tributes and moments of silence around the league. More time wasted by the actions of some fool who didn't know better than to stay from behind the wheel, and that is a crying shame.

Dude, STFU, you sound FOOLISH!!

So it happened again. In last week's blog I was lamenting on how I don't watch basketball anymore, so I felt like the best thing to do was to go watch some games.

I made my way to a sports bar that will remain nameless and had a seat. Since it's Lent, I'm not drinking beer, so my wings and ginger ale and I settled in to "enjoy" the games. It wasn't happening. I was lost within minutes and before I knew it, some random male fan was sitting next to me.

Now normally I wouldn't have noticed this, but lack of interest in the game is not always your friend, and I'm sure many of you ladies know what's coming next.

After random small talk, this lovely person *insert epithet of your choice here* decides to ask me who I'm rooting for. I told him I wasn't rooting for anyone and I was pretty sure my my body language that would be the end of the conversation. No. Such. Luck.

"So why are you watching if you're not rooting for anyone?"

"To see if I still like basketball"

"What? You don't like basketball? Typical. Must be here to meet a man."

So the better part of me was thinking that this conversation would end. I had no answer for "typical" that would have kept me out of jail or the knife next to me out of his right hand, so I said nothing.

Luckily he shut up until the "sports break" came on. There was a mention of Manny, so we all know I perked up. Here comes Mistra Know It All again.

"You probably only know who he is because he's rich and all over the tv."

"No, baseball is actually my favorite sport."

After telling me he's a Mets fan (really son? you want a biscuit?) he decides it's time to find out just how much I know about my favorite sport. I'm guessing that since I've decided to leave my house I somehow brought this on myself, but I certainly didn't deserve his gaggle of drunken friends that suddenly appeared.

So they start trying to quiz me. There had to be about three to five questions (and wrong answers! LMAO) lobbed my way before they realized they were being ignored.

"What's the matter?" one asked, trying to be smug, "you don't know the answer?"

This set me off. So I answered every question. CORRECTLY. These nincompoops start scrambling for iToy, WM and Google trying to prove me wrong. Of course, just in time for my next ginger ale, I've made some "new friends."

The thing about this whole situation is that it happens way too often and is more offensive than the perpetrators realize. Every female is not like your wife who becomes a football widow for 7 months a year, leaves the room when you're watching "the game" and could care less about it. There are some of us who know what we're watching, may even know what we're talking about, and may even *gasp* know more than you. This is the reason that I couldn't bring myself to be in any way polite or kind to my new pals. I refused to move from my spot until I left in the middle of the second half, but it made me wonder what part of their egos is so insistent on being smarter than or more right than a person they don't know, that there needs to be an exam? I finished college dude. Twice. School is pretty much over for me unless I decide to get gully and get a law degree.

I don't walk around quizzing men on fashion or music. Namely because it's not interesting enough to me to try to make someone else feel bad or stupid for what I assume by looking that they won't know. Makes me wonder where these poor socialization habits stem from. Did they grow up without a father? Were they never taught manners? One should never judge a book by it's cover. You never know what's inside, and sometimes they may not have the self control to keep themselves from slapping the shit out of a rude person.

Just my PSA for the week. The next time you see a female in a sports bar, she probably isn't there to pour you drinks or listen to your lame pick up lines during commercials and half time. I should have just gone to Speakeasy.

Basketball Jones-ed?

When I was little, my father wasn’t the greatest Samurai in the empire, but he was a huge basketball fan. Me being the only child and a daddy’s girl, fell right in line. It started with the Knicks, and moved on to College ball. The St. John’s Redmen (I’m old-sue me), the UNC Tarheels (A guy from the neighborhood went there), the UNLV Rebels-who didn’t love Anderson Hunt? I was all in. Loved it. Even made fun of the one guy who would cry inevitably when it was obvious his team wouldn’t be advancing in the tournament.

This went on for years. I watched a young Jason Kidd play in the McDonald’s All American game, and stayed up watching him, Lamond Murray and Travis Duck play all extra late at Cal. I was a huge fan of the Fab Five and was crushed when Chris Webber called time out and lost my Jordan money. I loved Dick Vitale, and the analysts on Sportscenter. I even went to the games at my non-basketball school, and when I could afford it, hopped on the G2 bus to go watch a young AI electrify the crowds at Georgetown.

I was still there as late as 1999, when I watched a very sweaty and jubilant Mario Elie celebrate beating my Knicks at the same club I was in that night. I was still there in 2000, when I saw Latrell Spreewell out in the street and begged him to stay with the Knicks. Then one day, I just stopped caring. I can’t place my finger on it. I’m not even sure why it happened. I can blame the decline of the Knicks, but that would be like denying how bad they were in the 80s-and I was all over it then. I still say they should have kept Rod Strickland.

I just don’t watch the games anymore. I used to be a certified junkie-much like Tyrone Shoelaces except I couldn’t play worth a damn, but I could watch. Every. Single. Game. I had basketball on 24/7, I would even pass up baseball games to see what the Knicks were doing, but then I just stopped.

Interesting phenomena. Who ever would have thought me, of all basketball junkies would give up on my favorite sport? I didn’t care when the Knicks fell apart. I went to a Heat game, IN Miami, and rooted for them to beat Dallas in the finals. I went to the All Star Game last year and was more interested in taking pictures with my friends and marveling at how old Jason Kidd must be by now. The real highlight of that trip?-the food.

I haven’t been to one Knick game this season. Not one. I’ve seen one game in it’s entirety and they lost. I was kind of interested in the Marbury situation, but more for jokes value than any actual games it might affect. I was a bit miffed but not blown about Kobe Bryant and Lebron James dropping 50+ at the Garden, but you know what, I didn’t cry.

And now the NCAA’s are upon us. My school’s women’s team made the tournament. My good friend asked me where I was going to watch the selections. My response? “I’m not”. I’m just going to embrace it now. I’m a two-sport girl now; Football and Baseball, with a side of tennis. I’ve been stuck on the WBC like glue, and skipped what were supposed to be some great games on Sunday to watch Cuba and Japan get busy on the diamond.

I don’t know man. A part of me feels better admitting it, but another part wishes this weren’t the case, and will probably try to watch a game just to prove something to myself. Oh well. I still have great memories, and I still love Rod Strickland.

NE DER LANDS!!! NE DER LANDS!!!

So today, while 23 of the players on the national team for the Domincan Republic make their not so triumphant return to their respective camps, the little engine that could-the Netherlands, is moving on to round two. WOW. Everyone loves an underdog, but this ish right here ninja? This ish right here? UNBELIEVABLE!

Through three exciting games, they are 2-1, and one bad pitch and a walk away from being 3-0 to this point. They are going to round two, and will be playing for seeding this week. Fabulous. And, in the meantime, two teams are left scratching their heads and wondering how they got so good, so quickly, without Andruw Jones.

Full of a roster of players from the Dutch professional league, Sidney Ponson, one American born Dutch league player, and some folks from Curacau, the Netherlands team came to play. Obviously they were overlooked by the Dominican team, who started the game looking as if they just expected to have a quick 9 inning tune up before playing a real game against Puerto Rico or Mexico.

Wrong and wrong again. When I saw the final score of the first game they played, I promise I thought it was a typo. The Netherlands beat DR? Yeah right. Thing is, it kept flashing, and kept flashing and after a while they showed the highlights. Wow. I was ready for the game against Puerto Rico to be a blowout. Surely this was a fluke, but no, they stuck right along with them for eight innings, with two mistakes at the end being the only reason they lost the game. I'm impressed.

The thrashing the Dominican team doled out to Panama pretty much made people think that again it would be them who came out ahead in the rematch. Wrong again. In what was easily the most exciting game so far, the two teams held each other scoreless into the 9th inning, and tied at 1 a piece going into the 11th. That was baseball. I got so into it I ruined my perfect french manicure biting the nail on my middle finger.

Great games, and a really great way to show all the nay sayers that the World Baseball Classic is a fantastic idea. It's competitive, and players are into it. The games for the most part are highly entertaining. Who would have thought Australia would thrash Mexico? Or that Canada would hang so tough with the US team? Or even that Italy would win a game? All of this happened and its only round one.

The games will get better this weekend when round two starts. There will be some bittersweet stories of guys who are out of their primes playing for country and scouts, hoping for another chance in the big leagues. The little engines that could, having Cinderella moments and games that may come to an end.

One thing is for sure, I'll be watching. Thankful that this time it's on more than one channel that I don't get, and if you know like I know, and care one iota about baseball, you'll be watching too.

Jay Cutler needs his binky

So, before the Matt Cassell to KC deal went down, evidently the Broncos were interested in acquiring the latest "it" QB and put up their current QB as trade bait.

Clearly the deal didn't happen, and what we have now is what one might call an "uncomfortable" situation. On the one hand, I see his point. Do you truly believe a seventh rounder with one good season under his belt is better than the guy the team drafted? While this post-Shanahan regime may have no real loyalty to Cutler, there is the whole "cutting off your nose to spite your face" thing.

Now that he knows about it, no one should be surprised at the whole crybaby bit or him not wanting to talk to the coach or anyone in the front office for that matter. Which-in a way is good for Denver. I mean really, what can they say to him? "Yeah we wanted him but since we didn't get him we're going to try and work it out with you?" "We sure hope you can learn this complicated playbook"? I mean really. Some things are better left alone, and no amount of telling the press you really want him there is going to make him feel any better. He's already talking about playing for Denver in past tense. I'm sure at some point he will either ask to be traded or cut.

On the one hand, he did ask for a trade earlier, so maybe they were just trying to oblige him. I mean that could be believable right? Right? Who doesn't want to trade their number one QB for a QB who had one good season in a proven system? Hell, its not like either guy made the playoffs. The real difference is in the actual game experience. Clearly Cutler has more, starting for the past two seasons and parts of his first. He may tell himself that to feel better. Of course, this doesn't matter. His ego has been bruised and this will lead to a very sticky situation for everyone involved.

It's funny as hell to me though. I love how these football players get all upset about the business of football. I know, its fun, you play a game every week and you don't have to sit in a cube 9-5 everyday like the rest of the commoners. It's still a job though, and this is still a business. Maybe he got confused along the way. Who knows. At the end of the day, he's stuck with Denver until something happens.

This so sounds like a misadventure in dating. A guy sees someone he thinks he may like better than the one he's with now, and goes after her. Except she's not interested, and the current finds out all about it. Those don't end well most of the time either. I swear I love football, hell sports in general. The only other area of life I've ever seen where the men are treated like women. Those front office folks and coaches in Denver should be careful...we all know the old saying. Hell hath no fury like a QB who lost his place and needs his binky.

Sayonara "Star"bury

So the entire time that Stephon Marbury was a member of the New York Knicks, they didn’t make or win a single playoff game. This is the guy who was supposed to be a franchise player, bring some glory back to the Garden, and be successful on his home team.

Instead he leaves disgraced, disgruntled, and possibly with an even worse reputation than the one he had when he showed up in NY. Good riddance. For five years he was a royal and major flop, more likely to be up at Sue’s than in a playoff game. Oddly enough the Knicks-who were no good with him, and are showing signs of improvement without him. No more of his whining to the press, no more divisive bull in the locker room, and most importantly, no more of those horrific tattoos.

The Knicks organization really don’t have much to say about the situation, the official statement only said that all disagreements and grievances had been solved, and didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Kind of like-yeah we paid him, and waived him, moving right along. For once I agree with what they did. The not quite .500 Knicks will probably continue playing a lot better (as they have been since the break), and will probably after today not have to answer any more questions about this freak. That has got to be a better look.

The comical part? There was a time when I and many like me, actually liked Marbury. He was the hometown kid that went on to play well in the league, a Kenny Anderson for my generation. Except Kenny’s problems were mainly off the field, and he wasn’t able to parlay his mediocre talent into quite as much money.

Is there a lesson to be learned in all this? Maybe. On the one hand, the Dolan’s proved that if you whine loud enough and long enough, they will eventually fire you. On the other, mediocre talent in the hands of the right agent can get you whatever you want.

I really wonder what his reputation is among other players in the league. We all know guys gossip more and worse than any female walking, so I can just imagine the conversations people are having about Marbury and his “situation.” There was a particularly humorous exchange in the paper where a former teammate accused him of quitting on the team, and he fired back saying he was “left out to die”. Nobody knows all three sides of the story except for those involved, but it makes one wonder if his next contract will have a behavior clause. It also makes me wonder what kind of money he’s going to be offered. Unless he goes to another bottom feeder, his talent level no longer says starter, although his current salary does. Who is really going to pay a backup point guard what he was making, knowing he might self destruct at any time?

All very interesting. I won’t front, I love seeing players get “Keyshawn-ed” and where they land after the fact. Either way, he’s free to go, and Knick fans are free of his malarkey. Quite the win-win situation.