Jerry Sandusky's currently in jail. When he gets sentenced in a few months, he'll likely eventually die in prison. But then there's the matter of his pension.
For whatever reasons, it seems Sandusky's employment while at Penn State in various -- ahem -- capacities, qualifies him to receive $59,000 annually as a pension. Many are outraged.
"It's tax payers' money" they cry.
They miss the obvious. It wouldn't matter if it was 59 cents, 59 thousand, or 59 million. If that's what his tenure of employment entitled him to, and there was no "out" clause for being convicted of child molesting -- then guess what? The pension has to be paid. Unsavory as it may seem -- a deal's a deal, and it must be honored.
Now the Pennsylvania legislature wants to pass a new law to make sure something like this never happens again. That's typical of most politicians. They're normally at least a few years, and sometimes decades, behind the real world. Even if they pass such a law, there's no way they can make it retroactive to affect Sandusky's pension. At that, depending on how it's written, a court might eventually strike it down as being unconstitutional. While many think depriving Sandusky of his pension would be justified, they might want to consider what other implications such a law could have. Would there be a certain set of rules, whereby if an employee broke one of them, their employer could nullify their pension? Who gets to make the rules? Regardless, the potential for abuse by employers can hardly be overlooked. This could become a very slippery slope.
So where will the 59K go? I doubt it will deposited in Sandusky's commissary account in prison. He'll likely be kept in some sort of isolated confinement, because given his crimes, if exposed to the "general population", his life span might become very short. For some reason, serial child molesters seem to have fatal "accidents" while in prison. Go figure.
His wife Dorothy will probably collect it, and well she should. If a woman stayed married to, and stood by a man like Sandusky for as long as she did, her nickname Dottie starts to make a little more sense, when you think about it.
Besides, $59K is chump change in the world of major college athletics. Let her have it, because she did it the old fashioned way --- she earned it.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Major League All-Star voting is a fraud
Just a little while ago, yours truly was watching the game between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers. While I normally try my best to ignore the ads and promos between innings or during other stoppages in play during the course of a normal game -- one thing jumped out at me.
The homers of all homers announcers, Mario Impemba and Rod Allen, were urging people to vote for Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder to make the All-Star team. That in itself is fine. There's nothing wrong with asking the fans to support their home town baseball stars.
Then it happened.
Viewers were told they could vote up to 25 times a day by merely logging on to tigers.com. Consider the possible implications ----
If a fan votes via computer 25 times a day, and does it for a month, that's potentially 750 votes. It gets worse. Alternate screen names are certainly simple enough to create. Let's assume that same hard core fan had 3 additional computer identities. If they wanted to sit at their Mac or PC for a while, switching user IDs and voting, that 750 could turn into 3000 votes during the course of the same month. All from one fan.
And no matter how you slice it or dice it -- that's not only wrong, but getting dangerously close to being outright fraudulent. Let's not forget there's a whole lot of people out there who don't even HAVE a computer, but they might very well be just as ardent about baseball -- perhaps more than those who do. There's alternatives.
Some have suggested returning the All-Star voting to the players. They could vote for who they think is the best at each position, but not on anybody from their own team. Nobody knows the players better than the players themselves. Or -- many in the media could spew reams of stats from hell claiming to be better qualified to make the selections. Or -- it could be left in the hands of the fans. After all, in the end, they're the people that are paying for all of it.
It's a tough call. The players themselves might have biases and buddies here and there around the leagues, so that wouldn't be perfect. Letting the sports writers do it is a joke. Not only are they more likely to have biases, which many of them have shown over the years, they get the best seats in the house for free, up in the air-conditioned press box, while the real fans plunk down their hard earned money to sweat it out wherever they can afford to get a seat. If it starts raining, people either get wet, or head for cover under the stands. This is not a problem in the press box. Those people make a living talking a lot, but they're never right down in the nitty-gritty. If for that reason only -- All-Star voting should NOT be put in the hands of the media.
Again, the fans foot the bill for everything, so they should have a say-so. Yes, TV contracts add millions to the pot, but let's get real. They sell air time (commercials) to various people advertising their products but, in the end, the only way they recoup their investments is for the fans to buy the stuff they're advertising. It must work, because some of the contracts the TV people sign on for are mind-boggling. Billions.
No matter what, voting on line needs to be abolished. The potential for abuse is just too great. One guy sitting at home with a computer, that knows little about the players, could vote thousands of times, while another lady who saved up all month to go to one game -- gets one vote. Maybe. In some stadiums they'll pass out as many ballots as a fan wants. Ballot box stuffing in political elections is illegal, and so it should be in baseball. One fan, one vote. The current system is rife with corruption.
Personally, I think the players should decide. It would no longer be a popularity contest, nor would bigger market cities with more fans rule the day. How many times have we seen guys selected to the All-Star team that USED to be good, and are household names, get the nod over lesser known players that are clearly superior at their position? I dare say -- a lot.
Being an All-Star shouldn't be about what a player accomplished over the course of his career. It's supposed to be about who is performing the best at that position THIS year. Can anyone possibly objectively argue that? The players would know, and cast their ballots accordingly.
This would have another benefit. You've likely noticed that over the years, many players have been selected to the All-Star game, but decided not to participate. Various reasons have been offered. They need the rest. They want to spend time with their families. As a rule, these are the older players with long careers behind them (and the most ridiculous salaries still in effect), that got selected in the popularity contest I mentioned above. Been there, done that, and even if they show up, they won't play hard. Consequently, the All-Star game has become somewhat of a joke. All that might change for the better if it was truly the best of the best, especially if it involved some young guys that had never been there before, but were tearing it up in the first half of the season. Compensating them? Please. Those guys would probably pay for their own air fare and motel rooms just for the privilege of being there. Then they'd go out and play like Pete Rose used to.
And maybe, just maybe, it might be worth watching again like it was in the old days. You know, like when it actually mattered.....
The homers of all homers announcers, Mario Impemba and Rod Allen, were urging people to vote for Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder to make the All-Star team. That in itself is fine. There's nothing wrong with asking the fans to support their home town baseball stars.
Then it happened.
Viewers were told they could vote up to 25 times a day by merely logging on to tigers.com. Consider the possible implications ----
If a fan votes via computer 25 times a day, and does it for a month, that's potentially 750 votes. It gets worse. Alternate screen names are certainly simple enough to create. Let's assume that same hard core fan had 3 additional computer identities. If they wanted to sit at their Mac or PC for a while, switching user IDs and voting, that 750 could turn into 3000 votes during the course of the same month. All from one fan.
And no matter how you slice it or dice it -- that's not only wrong, but getting dangerously close to being outright fraudulent. Let's not forget there's a whole lot of people out there who don't even HAVE a computer, but they might very well be just as ardent about baseball -- perhaps more than those who do. There's alternatives.
Some have suggested returning the All-Star voting to the players. They could vote for who they think is the best at each position, but not on anybody from their own team. Nobody knows the players better than the players themselves. Or -- many in the media could spew reams of stats from hell claiming to be better qualified to make the selections. Or -- it could be left in the hands of the fans. After all, in the end, they're the people that are paying for all of it.
It's a tough call. The players themselves might have biases and buddies here and there around the leagues, so that wouldn't be perfect. Letting the sports writers do it is a joke. Not only are they more likely to have biases, which many of them have shown over the years, they get the best seats in the house for free, up in the air-conditioned press box, while the real fans plunk down their hard earned money to sweat it out wherever they can afford to get a seat. If it starts raining, people either get wet, or head for cover under the stands. This is not a problem in the press box. Those people make a living talking a lot, but they're never right down in the nitty-gritty. If for that reason only -- All-Star voting should NOT be put in the hands of the media.
Again, the fans foot the bill for everything, so they should have a say-so. Yes, TV contracts add millions to the pot, but let's get real. They sell air time (commercials) to various people advertising their products but, in the end, the only way they recoup their investments is for the fans to buy the stuff they're advertising. It must work, because some of the contracts the TV people sign on for are mind-boggling. Billions.
No matter what, voting on line needs to be abolished. The potential for abuse is just too great. One guy sitting at home with a computer, that knows little about the players, could vote thousands of times, while another lady who saved up all month to go to one game -- gets one vote. Maybe. In some stadiums they'll pass out as many ballots as a fan wants. Ballot box stuffing in political elections is illegal, and so it should be in baseball. One fan, one vote. The current system is rife with corruption.
Personally, I think the players should decide. It would no longer be a popularity contest, nor would bigger market cities with more fans rule the day. How many times have we seen guys selected to the All-Star team that USED to be good, and are household names, get the nod over lesser known players that are clearly superior at their position? I dare say -- a lot.
Being an All-Star shouldn't be about what a player accomplished over the course of his career. It's supposed to be about who is performing the best at that position THIS year. Can anyone possibly objectively argue that? The players would know, and cast their ballots accordingly.
This would have another benefit. You've likely noticed that over the years, many players have been selected to the All-Star game, but decided not to participate. Various reasons have been offered. They need the rest. They want to spend time with their families. As a rule, these are the older players with long careers behind them (and the most ridiculous salaries still in effect), that got selected in the popularity contest I mentioned above. Been there, done that, and even if they show up, they won't play hard. Consequently, the All-Star game has become somewhat of a joke. All that might change for the better if it was truly the best of the best, especially if it involved some young guys that had never been there before, but were tearing it up in the first half of the season. Compensating them? Please. Those guys would probably pay for their own air fare and motel rooms just for the privilege of being there. Then they'd go out and play like Pete Rose used to.
And maybe, just maybe, it might be worth watching again like it was in the old days. You know, like when it actually mattered.....
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Derek Jeter and Larry Bird
A one day late happy 38th birthday to Derek Jeter, of the New York Yankees. It seems most people either love or hate the Bronx Bombers, but Jeter's definitely been a class act for a long time, both on and off the field. He's a first ballot shoo-in to the Hall of Fame as soon as he becomes eligible, and deservedly so.
Yours truly heard a TV talking head throw out an interesting stat today. Jeter actually has more hits at 38 than Ty Cobb did at the same age. Can that be right? Jeter might be a .300 hitter for his career, but damn, for a few years Cobb hit over .400, and his lifetime average was around .370. Beats me. I'm too lazy to look it all up right now.
Larry Bird's says he's stepping down as President of the Indiana Pacers. Many are speculating just what exactly he'll do next. Surely, it must have something to do with basketball, right? Not so fast.
Bird's an Indiana home boy from the small town of French Lick. He was recruited by legendary Indiana University head coach Bobby Knight, but Bird wasn't comfortable with that situation and went to Indiana State instead. He probably could have went anywhere -- but he stayed close to home.
As everybody knows, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics, where he went on to have a long, glorious professional career as a player. When his playing days were over, he promptly returned to Indiana and hooked up with the Pacers. Roots.
What he has accomplished in basketball is incredible. Over the years he was an NBA champion, the MVP, won an Olympic gold medal, is a Hall of Famer, was coach of the year, and is currently the reigning NBA executive of the year for how he has transformed the Pacers from doormats to contenders, while still being a young team. To my knowledge, no one can even come close to matching his entire resume.
Nobody seems to know why Bird would step down as the Pacers' President. He's a man of few words and doesn't crave the limelight like so many others. When he talks -- it matters. That's just one more reason he's so highly respected.
It's been noted that Bird's entire adult life has been devoted to basketball in either Boston or Indiana. He likely wouldn't go anywhere else for work. Yet the pundits are dumbfounded because they see no place or position for him to go in either of those two cities. He was already as high as one can get in the Pacers' organization, short of being the owner. Doc Rivers, and Danny Ainge, the head coach and Pres/GM of the Celtics, respectively, are secure, so it can't be that. What will he do next, people ask?
The answer might be very simple. Retire. And why not? Bird's done everything there is to do in the game of professional basketball, and been the best at every stop along the way. The man's 55 years old, no doubt has many millions in the bank, and loves to play golf. Sounds like a decent retirement plan to me, if he so chooses.
Besides, after a 3 decade run of being successful at everything he endeavors to do, perhaps he shouldn't push his luck. After all, Bird was born on Dec. 7, aka Pearl Harbor day.
While the chances of Tora, Tora, Tora repeating itself are about the same as Isiah Thomas ever being named executive of the year in anything, there's something far scarier Bird should worry about.
Having the occasion to play 18 holes with Charles Barkley, and being forced to watch his swing over and over and over all day long, while listening to the non-stop BS that came along with it.
Bird's not easy to rattle, but that would be enough to make a statue come out of retirement.
Anything but that.
Yours truly heard a TV talking head throw out an interesting stat today. Jeter actually has more hits at 38 than Ty Cobb did at the same age. Can that be right? Jeter might be a .300 hitter for his career, but damn, for a few years Cobb hit over .400, and his lifetime average was around .370. Beats me. I'm too lazy to look it all up right now.
Larry Bird's says he's stepping down as President of the Indiana Pacers. Many are speculating just what exactly he'll do next. Surely, it must have something to do with basketball, right? Not so fast.
Bird's an Indiana home boy from the small town of French Lick. He was recruited by legendary Indiana University head coach Bobby Knight, but Bird wasn't comfortable with that situation and went to Indiana State instead. He probably could have went anywhere -- but he stayed close to home.
As everybody knows, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics, where he went on to have a long, glorious professional career as a player. When his playing days were over, he promptly returned to Indiana and hooked up with the Pacers. Roots.
What he has accomplished in basketball is incredible. Over the years he was an NBA champion, the MVP, won an Olympic gold medal, is a Hall of Famer, was coach of the year, and is currently the reigning NBA executive of the year for how he has transformed the Pacers from doormats to contenders, while still being a young team. To my knowledge, no one can even come close to matching his entire resume.
Nobody seems to know why Bird would step down as the Pacers' President. He's a man of few words and doesn't crave the limelight like so many others. When he talks -- it matters. That's just one more reason he's so highly respected.
It's been noted that Bird's entire adult life has been devoted to basketball in either Boston or Indiana. He likely wouldn't go anywhere else for work. Yet the pundits are dumbfounded because they see no place or position for him to go in either of those two cities. He was already as high as one can get in the Pacers' organization, short of being the owner. Doc Rivers, and Danny Ainge, the head coach and Pres/GM of the Celtics, respectively, are secure, so it can't be that. What will he do next, people ask?
The answer might be very simple. Retire. And why not? Bird's done everything there is to do in the game of professional basketball, and been the best at every stop along the way. The man's 55 years old, no doubt has many millions in the bank, and loves to play golf. Sounds like a decent retirement plan to me, if he so chooses.
Besides, after a 3 decade run of being successful at everything he endeavors to do, perhaps he shouldn't push his luck. After all, Bird was born on Dec. 7, aka Pearl Harbor day.
While the chances of Tora, Tora, Tora repeating itself are about the same as Isiah Thomas ever being named executive of the year in anything, there's something far scarier Bird should worry about.
Having the occasion to play 18 holes with Charles Barkley, and being forced to watch his swing over and over and over all day long, while listening to the non-stop BS that came along with it.
Bird's not easy to rattle, but that would be enough to make a statue come out of retirement.
Anything but that.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Notre Dame and the B(C)S
It appears the people in charge of deciding the format for determining a national championship in Division 1 college football are slowly emerging from the dark ages. Well, it's about time. Though progress will no doubt happen at a glacial pace, at least there's a little movement.
As college football has evolved, the rationale and reasons for changing the current system have become obvious, most importantly -- the overwhelming majority of fans want it.
The movers and shakers that control all this have met to discuss future options, and hopefully will continue to meet. Perhaps eventually, by popular demand, they'll be dragged, kicking and screaming, into modern times.
Near as I can tell, when they gather at the round table, all the major players get one equal vote. One vote each from the representative of the Big 10, Pac 10, SEC, Notre Dame, ACC, Big 12, ........
Wait a minute. Something's very wrong with this picture. Notre Dame is just one school. How in the hell do they rate an equal say-so with other entire conferences?
Yes, they have a lot of tradition. Everything from Knute Rockne and the Gipper, to Joe Montana and leprechauns. They also have their own lucrative TV deal worth millions.
But they're an independent. As in one. They've had offers to join conferences over the years, notably the Big 10, but steadfastly turned them down. They want to call their own shots. That's fine, but as just one school, it's outrageous they get a seat at the same table to decide the future of the BCS.
The thought here is -- this Touchdown Jesus thing has gotten out of control. TJ needs to be sacked in his own end zone for the "safety" of all other college football fans that aren't addicted to the Lucky Charms they're shooting up in South Bend.
Or -- in the words of the immortal Glenn "Bo" Schembechler ----
The hell with Notre Dame.
As college football has evolved, the rationale and reasons for changing the current system have become obvious, most importantly -- the overwhelming majority of fans want it.
The movers and shakers that control all this have met to discuss future options, and hopefully will continue to meet. Perhaps eventually, by popular demand, they'll be dragged, kicking and screaming, into modern times.
Near as I can tell, when they gather at the round table, all the major players get one equal vote. One vote each from the representative of the Big 10, Pac 10, SEC, Notre Dame, ACC, Big 12, ........
Wait a minute. Something's very wrong with this picture. Notre Dame is just one school. How in the hell do they rate an equal say-so with other entire conferences?
Yes, they have a lot of tradition. Everything from Knute Rockne and the Gipper, to Joe Montana and leprechauns. They also have their own lucrative TV deal worth millions.
But they're an independent. As in one. They've had offers to join conferences over the years, notably the Big 10, but steadfastly turned them down. They want to call their own shots. That's fine, but as just one school, it's outrageous they get a seat at the same table to decide the future of the BCS.
The thought here is -- this Touchdown Jesus thing has gotten out of control. TJ needs to be sacked in his own end zone for the "safety" of all other college football fans that aren't addicted to the Lucky Charms they're shooting up in South Bend.
Or -- in the words of the immortal Glenn "Bo" Schembechler ----
The hell with Notre Dame.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
How the Detroit Pistons stack up
If you watched the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the eventual champion Miami Heat, I dare say you saw a lot of ridiculously talented athletes playing the game at it's highest level. That was great stuff.
Given potential free agency, salary caps, and the like, one never knows how long the "cores" of those teams might remain intact, but if they do for a few years, it would not bode well for the rest of the teams in the NBA. Lebron and Co. in Miami no doubt want to win multiple championships, and they very well might. On the other hand, Kevin Durant and the other young guns from OKC got their first sniff of being a champion, and they will likely be back with a vengeance.
After all, who's going to stop them? In the East, the Celtics are definitely getting old, and the Bulls depend on the fragile health of Derrick Rose, but even with him still seem to be a tad shy of championship caliber. The Pacers are the wild card. They're young, very good, will likely get better, and have been flying under the radar. Yet does any neutral observer think they'll pose a serious threat to the Heat in the near future? I doubt it.
In the West, the Spurs exhibit the ultimate in team play, but they're getting old too. The youthful legs of the Thunder exposed that and eventually ran them out of the gym. The previous defending champion Dallas Mavericks have taken a giant step backwards as well. In LA, despite all the celebrities and media hoopla, Kobe Bryant and the artists formerly known as "show time", are quickly becoming second class citizens. Former coach Phil Jackson, the Zen Master himself, is gone and won't be coming back. The Lakers will have a hard enough time staving off the once doormat, but now up and coming Clippers, that they share the same building with -- let alone seriously challenge the Thunder in the next few years.
Yep, if the Heat and Thunder stay healthy and intact, the Finals might very well feature those same two teams for the next few years.
So where do the Detroit Pistons stack up in all this?
The short answer would be -- they don't -- not even close, nor will they be any time soon.
Again, though it was only 5 games, remember the intensity of the Finals between the Thunder and the Heat. Just for grins, pick either of those two teams and imagine the Pistons playing against them under the same circumstances. Come up with whatever words you wish, but sweep, blowouts, and embarrassment occur to yours truly. That would have been seriously ugly.
Yes, the Pistons are getting better, but they're light years away from competing at an NBA championship level. How far away is that? Take the top 2 or 3 Pistons players, and they might, repeat MIGHT, make the roster of teams such as OKC or Miami as being available to come off the bench, but they certainly wouldn't be starters, and might be lucky to see any game action at all.
The guy responsible for the Pistons' personnel is Joe Dumars, once a great Piston player and champion himself. Joe D has made some very shrewd moves over the years, but also a couple bone-headed blunders. Joe's a good man, doing much for the community as well. But in the end, the team he has currently built has ZERO chance of competing for a title in the next several years.
Watching a Pistons' game at the Palace in Auburn Hills is a good time. Those guys put on a great show and are the best hoopsters in town. But see it for what it really is, because there's a few other towns where the teams are vastly superior.
And it's not even a close call.
Given potential free agency, salary caps, and the like, one never knows how long the "cores" of those teams might remain intact, but if they do for a few years, it would not bode well for the rest of the teams in the NBA. Lebron and Co. in Miami no doubt want to win multiple championships, and they very well might. On the other hand, Kevin Durant and the other young guns from OKC got their first sniff of being a champion, and they will likely be back with a vengeance.
After all, who's going to stop them? In the East, the Celtics are definitely getting old, and the Bulls depend on the fragile health of Derrick Rose, but even with him still seem to be a tad shy of championship caliber. The Pacers are the wild card. They're young, very good, will likely get better, and have been flying under the radar. Yet does any neutral observer think they'll pose a serious threat to the Heat in the near future? I doubt it.
In the West, the Spurs exhibit the ultimate in team play, but they're getting old too. The youthful legs of the Thunder exposed that and eventually ran them out of the gym. The previous defending champion Dallas Mavericks have taken a giant step backwards as well. In LA, despite all the celebrities and media hoopla, Kobe Bryant and the artists formerly known as "show time", are quickly becoming second class citizens. Former coach Phil Jackson, the Zen Master himself, is gone and won't be coming back. The Lakers will have a hard enough time staving off the once doormat, but now up and coming Clippers, that they share the same building with -- let alone seriously challenge the Thunder in the next few years.
Yep, if the Heat and Thunder stay healthy and intact, the Finals might very well feature those same two teams for the next few years.
So where do the Detroit Pistons stack up in all this?
The short answer would be -- they don't -- not even close, nor will they be any time soon.
Again, though it was only 5 games, remember the intensity of the Finals between the Thunder and the Heat. Just for grins, pick either of those two teams and imagine the Pistons playing against them under the same circumstances. Come up with whatever words you wish, but sweep, blowouts, and embarrassment occur to yours truly. That would have been seriously ugly.
Yes, the Pistons are getting better, but they're light years away from competing at an NBA championship level. How far away is that? Take the top 2 or 3 Pistons players, and they might, repeat MIGHT, make the roster of teams such as OKC or Miami as being available to come off the bench, but they certainly wouldn't be starters, and might be lucky to see any game action at all.
The guy responsible for the Pistons' personnel is Joe Dumars, once a great Piston player and champion himself. Joe D has made some very shrewd moves over the years, but also a couple bone-headed blunders. Joe's a good man, doing much for the community as well. But in the end, the team he has currently built has ZERO chance of competing for a title in the next several years.
Watching a Pistons' game at the Palace in Auburn Hills is a good time. Those guys put on a great show and are the best hoopsters in town. But see it for what it really is, because there's a few other towns where the teams are vastly superior.
And it's not even a close call.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Jerry Sandusky. Guilty!!!
The jury has spoken. Sandusky was found guilty on 45 out of 48 counts relating to various sexual abuses of young boys in years past.
While countless others will write and talk about this tragedy in serious tones, somebody has to have the audacity and/or unmitigated gall to spoof it. Given the gravity of the situation, some might say only an insensitive jackass with the brains of a dandelion would do such a thing. I would agree, and welcome to my world. Onward.
Sandusky, currently 68, could potentially face 442 years in prison. That's a long time. Back in 1670, 442 years ago, George Washington hadn't even been born yet, though there are rumors that Regis Philbin began talking at approximately that time.
Things look mighty bleak for Sandusky right about now, but perhaps there's a bright side. If he gets sentenced to 442 years in prison, he'll likely be eligible for parole after a couple hundred, and surely Larry King will get the first exclusive interview upon his release.
Then again, maybe it won't come to that. Nobody knows what sentence the judge will hand down. Just a thought, but if Judge Cleland dispenses with jail time, and merely mandates Sandusky to perform a few hundred hours of community service benefiting neighborhood youths -- there's a possibility many would be outraged. No sense of humor -- those people.
Poor Piers Morgan. He's the Brit with a nightly hour-long show on CNN. When the verdicts came in, but had yet to be made public, Morgan's hour was getting towards the end. He had to twist in the wind, eventually going off the air and giving way to Anderson Cooper, who would get the major "scoop" by announcing the verdicts. Was it planned that way or tape-delayed for a few minutes? We'll never know, but while the chap from "across the pond" is quite likeable, let's not forget Cooper comes from the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbilts have historically seemed to have a way with getting whatever they want.
It was also interesting to hear an attorney representing one of the "victims", before the verdicts were announced. Asked if a Sandusky "not guilty" verdict would be a "hammer blow", he responded, not necessarily. Then he went on to reference the OJ murder trial, where Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges, but the ensuing civil suits of "wrongful death" were successful.
And there it was.
The money. Eventually, it's always about the money. The guilty verdicts made it easier for them, but make no mistake. These people were lying in wait like a school of hungry piranhas in the Amazon. By the time they're done, the Sandusky bones will likely be picked clean.
Seriously, that begs another question. Chances are, Jerry will never get out of prison. He'll get his "3 hots and a cot" until he dies. His house, furniture, bank accounts, cars, investments, and whatever other belongings he accumulated over his lifetime are irrelevant -- at least to him.
But what of his wife Dottie, and even his kids/grandkids? No one has remotely suggested any of them were in any way responsible for his crimes. Yet, when the piranhas get done, they might find themselves homeless, broke, and with nothing left to inherit.
Is that fair?
Food for thought.
While countless others will write and talk about this tragedy in serious tones, somebody has to have the audacity and/or unmitigated gall to spoof it. Given the gravity of the situation, some might say only an insensitive jackass with the brains of a dandelion would do such a thing. I would agree, and welcome to my world. Onward.
Sandusky, currently 68, could potentially face 442 years in prison. That's a long time. Back in 1670, 442 years ago, George Washington hadn't even been born yet, though there are rumors that Regis Philbin began talking at approximately that time.
Things look mighty bleak for Sandusky right about now, but perhaps there's a bright side. If he gets sentenced to 442 years in prison, he'll likely be eligible for parole after a couple hundred, and surely Larry King will get the first exclusive interview upon his release.
Then again, maybe it won't come to that. Nobody knows what sentence the judge will hand down. Just a thought, but if Judge Cleland dispenses with jail time, and merely mandates Sandusky to perform a few hundred hours of community service benefiting neighborhood youths -- there's a possibility many would be outraged. No sense of humor -- those people.
Poor Piers Morgan. He's the Brit with a nightly hour-long show on CNN. When the verdicts came in, but had yet to be made public, Morgan's hour was getting towards the end. He had to twist in the wind, eventually going off the air and giving way to Anderson Cooper, who would get the major "scoop" by announcing the verdicts. Was it planned that way or tape-delayed for a few minutes? We'll never know, but while the chap from "across the pond" is quite likeable, let's not forget Cooper comes from the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbilts have historically seemed to have a way with getting whatever they want.
It was also interesting to hear an attorney representing one of the "victims", before the verdicts were announced. Asked if a Sandusky "not guilty" verdict would be a "hammer blow", he responded, not necessarily. Then he went on to reference the OJ murder trial, where Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges, but the ensuing civil suits of "wrongful death" were successful.
And there it was.
The money. Eventually, it's always about the money. The guilty verdicts made it easier for them, but make no mistake. These people were lying in wait like a school of hungry piranhas in the Amazon. By the time they're done, the Sandusky bones will likely be picked clean.
Seriously, that begs another question. Chances are, Jerry will never get out of prison. He'll get his "3 hots and a cot" until he dies. His house, furniture, bank accounts, cars, investments, and whatever other belongings he accumulated over his lifetime are irrelevant -- at least to him.
But what of his wife Dottie, and even his kids/grandkids? No one has remotely suggested any of them were in any way responsible for his crimes. Yet, when the piranhas get done, they might find themselves homeless, broke, and with nothing left to inherit.
Is that fair?
Food for thought.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
NBA Finals, ETs, and a chump
First, congrats to the Miami Heat, the 2012 NBA Champions. Though they will proclaim themselves as such, and all the caps, shirts, and other paraphernalia that will shortly fly off the shelves will say the same -- you'll notice I didn't say World Champions. That's because outside of the NBA, no other teams the world over were allowed to participate. Could the Heat have dispatched any other team from any other country? Probably, but we really don't know, do we? So in reality, they're NBA champs, not world champs.
It was good to see Lebron finally get his ring for a couple reasons. First, at least some of the enormous expectations he has had to endure since jumping from high school to the NBA have been lifted from his shoulders. Far more importantly, we average fans will be spared the on-going tera-quinta-bazillion sound bytes and written words about James never reaching his potential. It's been a long haul, but we made it. Whew.
We even got to see what Micky Arison, the owner of the Heat, looks like. Arison made his fortune through Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise ship operator. Though he officially goes by the title "managing general partner", don't be fooled. He owns that team, lock, stock, and ports of call. Arison lives on a 200 foot yacht. To put that in perspective, the strongest armed NFL quarterbacks could wind up and heave a football as far as they could and they might, just might, be able to throw it from stem to stern. That's a serious boat.
Nevertheless, just seeing Arison's face was a revelation. For many years, yours truly wondered if he actually existed as a real human being. Could the name just be fictitious? Could he have been from another world like ET, Mr. Spock, and maybe the Kardashians? Nobody could be sure. I understand billionaires have a habit of being reclusive, but when one is in charge of the Carnival, ahem, the Heat, you'd think he'd have shown up once in a while, if only to reassure the masses. Another dilemma solved. Whew II.
Of course, after the Heat won the NBA championship, the talking heads went on and on dissecting every stat and trivial detail to the point it would make a microbiologist proud. Hey guys. The Heat won. The Thunder lost. Does any of the rest really matter?
Then I saw Stuart Scott, another talking head under the Disney owned ESPN and ABC umbrella, doing a post-game interview with Mike Miller, a Miami player who had come off the bench and pumped in seven 3-point shots during the game. Simply put, the Heat might not have won that game without Miller's contributions -- 23 points in all.
At the conclusion of the interview, Miller, a white guy, stuck out his hand for Scott, a black guy, to shake it. Men have shaken hands for countless centuries upon greeting each other, departing, or merely a gesture of respect.
Sure, many other forms have arisen. There's high fives, low fives, chest, side, and butt bumps, dancing, and a lot of other things.
But when a man extends his hand to another to be shaken -- it's supposed to be grasped and shaken. This goes to the very roots of respecting your fellow man.
Scott looked down at Miller's outstretched hand and smirked, instead merely offering a token fist bump. Arguments could likely be made by some that had the colors been reversed, the dreaded "racism" accusation might have reared it's ugly head. The hard cores are out there just waiting to pounce on such a thing.
I won't say that, but not shaking Miller's hand when offered made Scott look like something else in my book.
A chump.
It was good to see Lebron finally get his ring for a couple reasons. First, at least some of the enormous expectations he has had to endure since jumping from high school to the NBA have been lifted from his shoulders. Far more importantly, we average fans will be spared the on-going tera-quinta-bazillion sound bytes and written words about James never reaching his potential. It's been a long haul, but we made it. Whew.
We even got to see what Micky Arison, the owner of the Heat, looks like. Arison made his fortune through Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise ship operator. Though he officially goes by the title "managing general partner", don't be fooled. He owns that team, lock, stock, and ports of call. Arison lives on a 200 foot yacht. To put that in perspective, the strongest armed NFL quarterbacks could wind up and heave a football as far as they could and they might, just might, be able to throw it from stem to stern. That's a serious boat.
Nevertheless, just seeing Arison's face was a revelation. For many years, yours truly wondered if he actually existed as a real human being. Could the name just be fictitious? Could he have been from another world like ET, Mr. Spock, and maybe the Kardashians? Nobody could be sure. I understand billionaires have a habit of being reclusive, but when one is in charge of the Carnival, ahem, the Heat, you'd think he'd have shown up once in a while, if only to reassure the masses. Another dilemma solved. Whew II.
Of course, after the Heat won the NBA championship, the talking heads went on and on dissecting every stat and trivial detail to the point it would make a microbiologist proud. Hey guys. The Heat won. The Thunder lost. Does any of the rest really matter?
Then I saw Stuart Scott, another talking head under the Disney owned ESPN and ABC umbrella, doing a post-game interview with Mike Miller, a Miami player who had come off the bench and pumped in seven 3-point shots during the game. Simply put, the Heat might not have won that game without Miller's contributions -- 23 points in all.
At the conclusion of the interview, Miller, a white guy, stuck out his hand for Scott, a black guy, to shake it. Men have shaken hands for countless centuries upon greeting each other, departing, or merely a gesture of respect.
Sure, many other forms have arisen. There's high fives, low fives, chest, side, and butt bumps, dancing, and a lot of other things.
But when a man extends his hand to another to be shaken -- it's supposed to be grasped and shaken. This goes to the very roots of respecting your fellow man.
Scott looked down at Miller's outstretched hand and smirked, instead merely offering a token fist bump. Arguments could likely be made by some that had the colors been reversed, the dreaded "racism" accusation might have reared it's ugly head. The hard cores are out there just waiting to pounce on such a thing.
I won't say that, but not shaking Miller's hand when offered made Scott look like something else in my book.
A chump.
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