It's been a long time coming, but they did it. The Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions. I think it's great for any city, especially in these tough economic times, to have something to cheer about...
I think a few teams could use this guy in the NFL. I never saw that before.
Shame in the Philadelphia Flyers and Ed Snider.
Sports and politics should not mix, not here and not now, less than four weeks before such a critical presidential election. But that's exactly what rabid GOP supporter Ed Snider will be doing this weekend, inviting "hockey mom" Sarah Palin to drop the ceremonial first puck at the Flyers' season opener, and more. Here's from the Flyers' own release:
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the nation’s most popular hockey mom, will join the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers regional search for the “Ultimate Hockey Mom” contest and drop the puck at the ceremonial opening face-off as the home team Flyers host the New York Rangers at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m. “Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider who founded the Flyers in 1967. “We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey.”
Will Bunch adds:
Pretty clever, huh, how the news release happens to omit the fact that Palin is the Republican vice presidential candidate. Maybe Ed Snider is a little ashamed at what he's trying to pull here. He should be. Do you think he's going to extend the same courtesy to the Democratic vice presidential hopeful, Joe Biden, who actually comes from a state where the Flyers have thousands of fans?
Since I'm a Ranger fan, I hope they trounce them and then go to Geno's and order a cheese steak in Spanish.
Taking a break from politics for a minute. C&L readers know I'm a huge Yankee fan. I have been one since the 60's when the Yanks were in last place and Mickey Mantle was my hero. Torre winning his division was a big 'Suck on This" to the new generation of Steinbrenner's. They had a huge tribute when the last game was played at Yankee stadium and there wasn't even a mention of what Joe Torre did for this franchise. As long as he was the manager the Yanks won 4 world series titles and played in six World Series while making the playoffs every year of his management. To omit him was a very <corrected> petty gesture and their claims that it was an oversight is ridiculous.
Yankees media relations director Jason Zillo, on behalf of the organization, attempted to squash those thoughts: "A lot of great Yankees weren't mentioned [Sunday]," Zillo said. "There was absolutely no slight intended, and perhaps, looking back, they should have been mentioned."
It just shows the make up of Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. They embarrassed Yankee fans all across the country. I'll always be a Yankee fan. I caught two foul balls and still have Reggie Jackson's ball from 1973, but this new group running the team are losers. Joe Torre is a winner. Good luck.
The Red Sox are still the team to beat, but I'll be rooting for the Angels in that series.
The Brewers rode on the back of CC Sabathia into the playoffs while the Mets were left for dead in the final game of the season for the second straight year. They have so much talent it's shocking to me that they choked again. Santana was brilliant, but was not enough. Injuries are a nightmare in Sports and they couldn't overcome the loss of Billy Wagner. And if George had been running the team, Johan would have been a Yankee this year. The Cubs are the team to beat in the NL, but still have to deal with "the goat."
Update: And this op-ed by Bill Plaschke in the LA Times reads like a plant from the Dodgers front office about Manny:
Why couldn't he wait until after the playoffs to attack the player that helped get them there. If you're a Dodger fan send him my regards. bill.plaschke@latimes.com.
Matthew Engel at the UK's Financial Times thinks so:
The protest by the US team that cost Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles his silver medal in the 200 metres was seen by some, perhaps unfairly, as bullying of a small nation. There was also the bizarre election scandalette in the poll among competitors for athlete-representatives to the International Olympic Committee. The US tried to ensure victory for its candidate, Julie Foudy, by offering team members a $50 (€34, £27) shopping voucher if they voted.
The consolation for Americans is that they believe they are triumphant. The medals table is unofficial and, indeed, frowned on by the Olympic Charter, which insists the games are “between athletes . . . and not between countries”. Nonetheless, its format is well established: the number of golds decides the placings, with minor medals used to settle ties. At least, it is well established outside the US.
The American media add up the golds, silvers and bronzes, giving them equal weighting, which is ludicrous. By an amazing coincidence, this puts the Americans on top, well ahead of China. The normal method has the US far behind. But guess which way plays better in Peoria?
Engels thinks that the problem, other than the effect of George W. Bush’s presidency on America’s global standing, is because America doesn't play team sports the same way as the rest of the world - for the joy of taking part rather than the joy of winning.
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, might agree with him. At least, so suggests Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post as she satirizes him for condemning Usain Bolt for his celebrations while ignoring alleged underage competitors and helping supress political protests at the Games.
Sour grapes from losers, or a sign that just maybe Ugly Americanism should try to keep its head down in public so as not to furnish convenient distractions?
She wins on the balance beam, but I just love those "peace" earrings. You go Shawn.
Nastia Liukin was really Golden too...Yes, I love woman's gymnastics...
Looks like China are a bunch of crooks and liars on top of everything else.
I must admit that I don't follow the sport of swimming very closely. Like everyone else in the world I've heard of Michael Phelps and his pursuit of a perfect 8 gold medals, but that's about the extent of it. Last night's 4x100m mens race, however, may have changed all that. This was the one race where Phelps' perfect run was thought to be in jeopardy. The French team, whose trash-talking only fueled the Americans' fire, was heavily favored and appeared to have the race in the bag until the final leg. You just gotta see how this race ended.
NBC Olympics Video (final lap starts at around 4:30)
What a finish. Let's hope Phelps can stay focused and win the remaining 6 golds.
Download | play 
Download | play
American speed skater Joey Cheek has done a great deal to bring global attention to the immense suffering of the people of Darfur, forming Team Darfur and even going so far as donating his $40k Olympic bonus to the cause in 2006. Unfortunately, the gold and silver medalist was punished for his activism by the Chinese government -- who has contributed to the genocide in Darfur by fueling and supporting Sudan's murderous military government -- when they revoked his visa this week, preventing him from attending this year's Olympics in Beijing.
During the opening ceremony NBC's Bob Costas discussed the controversy surrounding Cheek and the Chinese government, noting that he made it clear he would not protest the Chinese government during the Olympics:
Costas: "Joey Cheek had planned to invoke the Olympic truce, the time-honored concept of an Olympic truce, to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. He did not intend to directly protest the Chinese government. The fact that they pulled his visa is so contrary to the Olympic ideal it is simply outrageous."
I wondered if NBC was going to cave on this or take a stand and defend Cheek against the reprehensible actions of the Chinese government. I applaud Costas for choosing the latter.
Well, something like that. They should just call it EBFN---The Brett Favre Network and get it over with already. He's like Anna Nicole Smith to them. They can't get enough. OK, back to politics,..
Mary Tillman has a message for the National Football League: Help me find out what happened to my son.
Tillman's death was mourned coast to coast, and the public and his family were told by the Pentagon that he died a "warrior's death" charging up a hill, urging on his fellow Rangers. His funeral was nationally televised, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was among those delivering eulogies. Yet the circumstances of his death turned out to be an obscene hoax. Tillman was, in fact, killed by friendly fire.
The NFL has seized on Pat Tillman as another way to connect with the red, white and blue sports fan. Earlier this year, former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue brought together the NFL and the United Service Organizations to build the Pat Tillman USO Center at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. And the league just opened an exhibit dedicated to Tillman at its Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear the NFL wants to play ball with the Tillman family.
Meanwhile, 20 veterans who saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan took the extraordinary step last August of writing a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, asking his help in securing the release of the requested documents. Unfortunately, the league has not responded to Mary Tillman or the veterans. Read on...
Mark Madden, who made his reputation with bold, outlandish attacks on famous people, has been permanently removed from the air by ESPN.
His dismissal, which came down from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., came five days after he made a scurrilous remark about U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on his 1250 ESPN talk show, which ran from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays.
"I'm very disappointed to hear that Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated.
"I wonder if he got a card from the Kopechnes." Read on...
It took five days to make this call? That's pretty sick, but at least they took this buffoon off the air.
Taking a break from politics for a minute, (It helps me unwind as you know) I wanted to talk a little sports if I may. I'm not a big NBA fan anymore---the regular season is almost impossible to follow these days with weird game times, days off, three networks covering them and terrible overall play. It doesn't help when your team is awful and coached by Isiah Thomas, (He's finally gone) but watching some of the playoffs this time around I've been amazed by some of the youngest talent in the NBA.
LeBron James hasn't been very good against Boston in a horrible series, but still is a force. CP3 is as smooth as silk and is playing with a chip on his shoulder against the defending World champions. Deron isn't as flashy as the other two, but has been equally impressive against Kobe's Lakers.
There are plenty of other young stars playing today that I left off this poll so put them in the comment section if you're a basketball fan. Take the poll for fun or go on to the next post.
Chris Paul: born May 6, 1985
LeBron James: born December 30, 1984
Deron Williams: born June 26, 1984
OK football junkies, it's the NFL draft today at 3PM EST in New York and I know you guys and gals really, really want to throw out some picks for your team in the comment section so be my guest. I’m a fan of the Super Bowl Champion NY Giants (they need a linebacker and some secondary help) so it'll be a while before I take a look at it because they pick last. As usual I'll get the "why is this being posted here" comment, but just ignore them and discuss your team if you like. It's Saturday after all. Have fun.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled day of blogging.
Yes, I love hockey too. I'm a long time NY Ranger fan. Devil goalie Martin Brodeur is one of the best ever and Henrik Lundqvist is on that path so it should be a very close and low scoring series. I've always said that hockey playoffs are incredible.
Is anyone a hockey fan?
UCLA vs Memphis
North Carolina vs Kansas
It's the first time in tournament history that all #1 seeds made the final four. I'm a big UCLA fan, but Memphis is very good and it should be a great game. Josh Shipp has been in a slump and needs to hit a few 3's if they are going to win it all because they will have problems if Collison is the only Bruin hitting outside shots. Kevin Love is awesome. NC looks like the team to beat, but they should all be good games and any one of them can win the title.
Update: Logan and Mike F. are big KU fans so they'll be rooting hard for the Jayhawks.
For college hoop fans, what say you?
