Social Suicide

Breaking news out of Oneonta, NY!!

It has come to my attention that some how my mother sent an unbelievable hysterical email concerning my sister to the whole student body, faculty, staff and random facility workers! More on this in just a few paragraphs...

Early Sunday morning my sister (who we will call "Lauren") arose from a deep slumber to take a tinkle, she crept out of her dorm room and quietly tip-toed down the hallway towards the bathroom. To her astonishment she felt like she wasn't walking the straightest of lines, instead she felt quite dizzy. After what must have felt like hours, my sister now arose from the hallway floor with the feeling of "where am I and what just happened?"

She now aggressively stomped back down the hallway and flung the dorm room door open simultaneously scaring her roommate out of her High School Musical 3 feet pajamas, (for social suicide purposes we'll call her roommate "Paige"). "Paige" immediately asks, "Lauren", "uhhh wtf mate, are you f'n crazy waking me up like this! (In a British accent because "Paige" is from Liverpool, where coincidentally so are/were The Beatles). "Lauren proceeds to say, uhhh "Paige" I don't feel to well, I think I may have bumped my head!"

"Paige" quickly replies, "I have bumped me head, shit Lauren you did a little more than that, your f'n bleeding all over the place!" Thankfully "Paige" in just here second year is studying nursing at this prestigious school on top of the hill. "Paige" then yells out "Medic, I think this girl is fucked". Then without haste bandages "Lauren" up like a midget mummy and explains try and sleep and if its worse in the morning we'll go to the hospital. I guess concussions is next week's topic.

In the morning "Lauren's" cut was just as bad so the lot of them proceeded to the local hillbilly hospital where the secretary gave my sister her stitches, (because why wouldn't she wait for a plastic surgeon, she's only an aspiring day time soap actress, yeah all those girls have the Joker's scars!!!)...Sorry protective brother.

So blah blah, "Lauren" gets stitches...

Now its Tuesday, and the weekly email that gets sent out to the master distribution list about health updates is sent. At this particular school this type of email also gets sent to the parents of all the students.

Now my mother, who is the most tech savvy person out there reads this and figures shes got something to add.

I don't know how, or why this feature exists on this type of email but my very loving and concerned mother hits "Reply All"

This email which I can mostly likely bet my Wayne Gretzky farewell to the game figurine (that stares at me every day and says, You can be great to one day Matt) that she probably wrote this email in all caps, with maybe a few dozen run on sentences and abbreviations.

Well this email now gets returned to at least all the faculty, staff and administrators who now have been emailing my sister, calling her dorm and cellphones, writing get well soon cards and leaving them in her mailbox, announcing it in their classes to everyone so they can keep an eye on the girl who randomly passes out, and coming up to her asking them if she is OK!

Can this be any more hilarious, but shitty for her any more. Talk about a girl who is probably the shyest girl around too. I won't be surprised if she returns to her dorm and the football team is nailing mattresses to the floors and walls, or bubble wrapping the bathroom with a few inner tubes and bumpers!

Hey at least she has the sense of humor to call me up laughing about it!

Love you Mom!

True to the term "Evolution"

As of all you know I (since I have posted on them previously) Pearl Jam is my favorite band and performers. The same can be said for the rest of the members of 501, as I'm sure many Huguenuts as well.

I've decided to write another blog about them since they just released their latest single off of their 10th original album. That's not including their Greatest Hits, their guest appearances on albums, Sound Tracks or Eddie's solo albums. This album is labeled "Backspacer", and their latest single is "The Fixer". If you haven't heard the The Fixer I expect you to click the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj-sFIHQWLY

How can you not be impressed with this band? Haven't they stayed true to one of their biggest singles, Do the Evolution. For the love of Seattle they just keep going while creating great music! They even stared in the 1990's hit movie, Singles, not to mention was personally asked to do the entire sound track for the 2007 film Into the Wild and major contributions to the Sean Penn hit, I am Sam. I believe its safe to say that this Grammy winning band is nothing less than multi-talented and pisses into Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth!

Granted the PJ of ole was a bit more rough around the edges trying to make a name for them selves but like Eddies pre-performance ritual of downing a bottle of red wine, they get better with age! From Gonna See My Friend to The End, Back Spacer is filled with a touch of the ole Jam!

Put some of Eddies onstage political antics aside, wouldn't you want to be him for just one performance? Shit, the man made a whole in the stage with the mic stand then crawled into it and continued his performance from inside the whole! Are you serious!

Just go out and buy this album!

Raise Your Glasses 501 Fans!

Today we honor the one and only Arthur Guinness. Uncle Arthur as he is fondly known is the man we have to thank for the rich, full-bodied, burnt-barley flavored stout we all know and love to consume...ahhh a frosty pint of Guinness!

On this, the 24th day of September in the year 2009, Ireland and certainly all the world toast this heavenly libation as we celebrate it's 250th birthday. Two and half centuries ago Mr. Guinness, the son of a land steward, made a decision fit for a drunken Irishman...sign a 9,000-year lease on a run-down brewery in Dublin's St. James' Gate.

An instant success...the dark ale, known for its thick creamy head which is the result of the beer being mixed with nitrogen when being poured, quickly spread throughout the globe and it is said that some 10 million pints are now downed everyday in 150 countries.

So let us raise a toast to Uncle Arthur ladies and gentlemen, and repeat after me...

You know you're drinking a beer when you're drinking a Guinness!

Cheers!

Is Parity in Sports Really A Good Thing?

Parity, parity, parity...that seems to be all we hear about in sports today. Commissioners strive for it saying it helps the little guy and that it'll keep more fans interested if more teams are in the hunt. Some baseball GM's like the idea of revenue sharing, some (like The Steinbrenner's despise it). But what has all this love and good will for all teams ultimately led too?

SHIT TEAMS!!!

Look at baseball right now. Sure you can say it's an oddity that happens once in a while, but other than the AL Central Race, virtually every other divisional or wild card race has been finished and finished for a while.

Toronto, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cleveland, Oakland, New York (Mets), Washington, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Houston, San Diego and Arizona flat out suck. That's almost half the league!!!! Many of these teams are virtually unwatchable. You then have a host of other teams...Tampa Bay, Chicago (White Sox), Seattle, Chicago (Cubs), Milwaukee that are borderline awful, leaving only 12 teams that were really ever in the hunt for the playoffs this year.

Think it only extends to baseball? I know we are only in Week 2, but already it's clear in the NFL who sucks.

Washington, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Carolina, St. Louis, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Kansas City and then you have that second level of teams who may not be much better...Cincinnati, Buffalo, Houston, Tennessee, Seattle and Chicago.

Now I'm not saying the Jets or 49ers couldn't make a spectacular run to the Big Game in Miami but in truth, you'd probably have confidence in only eight teams as Super Bowl caliber: New York (Giants), Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, New Orleans, Minnesota, New England and maybe Indy.

A fourth of the league? Is this the parity we are looking for?

How about the days when there were 5 or 6 great teams, another 15 or so good teams and then the rest awful.

Dynasties are ok folks. Teams love building and other teams love tearing them down.

Let's stop always worrying about the quantity of the league and focus more on the quality!

Victims??? These Guys!?!?

By now, I'm sure everyone has heard about the alleged gang rape that took place this past weekend at Hofstra University. According to an initial report, an 18-year old female was lured out of an on-campus hot spot by a young man who stole her cell phone. The gentleman who stole the cell phone, along with 3 other friends (only one was a Hofstra student), brought the coed back to a dormitory where she was tied up in a bathroom stall and brutally raped. Days after accusing these men, the student's story changed completely claiming the acts were consensual.

The once accused men, all in their late teens/early 20's, are now being praised in many circles as victims worthy of our sympathy. Now, had they been convicted and sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit it would have an absolute atrocity. Just as if the three Duke lacrosse players suffered the same fate. The law is the law and in both situations, no person committed a crime worthy of sentencing. And far be it for me to blame the men and their families for being happy about their exoneration, I can't even imagine the apprehension, stress and now relief they must be feeling. What is very troubling to me, however, is the photos of smiles, laughter and "thumbs up" by the gentlemen when they were released from jail.

Has our society fallen so far that morals no longer play any role whatsoever? Have we forgotten that these men, though innocent of the crime they were alleged to have commit, did in fact engage in what amounts to an outright orgy? Do we just ignore that one of the gentlemen used his phone to record the incident? Do we overlook that from a purely humane standpoint, what occurred at Hofstra University is grotesque regardless of how it stands up in the face of the law?

Hofstra University should certainly not go without blame here either. The campus, one I've been on many times, offers little security and numerous options for access from the outside community. The bars its students frequent are dangerously close to nearby Hempstead. In truth, this incident should be stunning to no one.

At the end of the day, both at Hofstra and at Duke, no one should be smiling. Lives, names and reputations, both the individuals involved and the institutions, are damaged. In both cases, a group of men took advantage of a female, consensual or not.

Hofstra and Duke should be embarrassed, the females should be scorned for their lack of true testimony, the men should be admonished for their disgusting behavior and WE should think for second about what is right and what is wrong from a HUMAN and not just a LAW prospective.

WAKE Me Up

I attended a wake last week for a co-worker whose father died. It wasn't a particularly sad wake, the gentleman had been sick for sometime so it wasn't a complete shock and by all accounts, he lived a full and enjoyable life to the age of 96! Standing in the funeral home, surrounded by people I don't know as a dead man lay in rest in the front of the room got me thinking...when analyzed on a very simple level, is there anything stranger on the planet than attending a wake!?!?

Consider...you park your car in the funeral home lot and you are already beyond nervous...am I dressed appropriately?, how long will I stay?, will I find the room easily?, what's their nationality (Italian, probably going to be a bit more somber; Irish, damnit I forgot my 5-piece drum set!), will I know anybody there?, will him or her be there?, is my cell phone off?, do I even know the deceased's name or anything about he or she?, I'm starving and goddamnit, that's right, there's no food served here!

Now step into the funeral home...you immediately look for the bathroom, even if you don't actually need to use it! Once out of the bathroom, let me make sure I find the right room (believe me, there is nothing more embarrassing or unnerving then getting on the wrong line to see the family...I've been there!!!!)...oh shit! I forgot my friend's maiden name...Oh, Christ, what's her name! Oh fuck, I just said fuck and Christ in a funeral home! I'm going to Hell!!!

Ok, I found the right room...jeez, that smell! That funeral home smell, you can't describe it, you just know it's there. Into the room you walk...Oh God, I'm definitely in the wrong room, I don't recognize a soul! Damnit, used the Lord's name in vain again! Ok, ok, there he/she is. Now, do I jump on the line and hope he/she is there when I get up to the front or do I go ahead, kneel in front of the dead person and say a prayer for someone I don't know! (And you know damn well, half the people who go up there, just kneel and don't say a word!). And who among us hasn't thought for a second what if the dead person's eye flickers or hand moves! Oh shit, I think it just happened!!!!

Boom, you smack right into your friend! Hi (insert name), I'm so sorry about your loss. Your loss? Does that even make sense?? Nobody is missing and your friend didn't hit the rim on a game winning jump shot...so why do we say loss? How about, I felt terrible when I heard so and so died. Terrible? Did you really feel terrible? Or did you say, shit! Now, I have to go to the wake because he/she came to the wake when my (insert friend or family name) died! And how about when someone says of the deceased, he/she looks great! Looks great!!!! The man is going to be buried six feet under in 2 days!!!!

After your heartfelt words are expressed and you've starred aimlessly at photos of people you don't know or recognize you begin to walk....Hey (insert your name), there you are!? Oh motherfucker you say in your head, what's this guy's name and why does he always remember mine!!! Hey (think about blurting out a name, but decide not to), how are you doing? Then you think, how good can he be doing, he's at a wake, there's a good chance it's a relative or friend and fuck, I still can't remember his name. Hey (says the man you don't know), come meet my wife. Hey Susie, this is (insert your name). Oh hi, I've heard so much about you she says. Please use your husband's name, please use it! You two go back a long way! (Damnit, she didn't say his name!!!). After minutes of trying to figure out your friend's name and how you know him, you excuse yourself...it's been great talking to you man!

Oh well, I messed that up, but let me get some food! Oh fuck!!!!!! There is no food here! This is the only time in your life when friends and family are gathered together and no one has as much as a baby wiener dog!

Out to the car you return, only one thought in mind...couldn't have messed up that anymore than I did!

I apologize if anyone was offended by the preceding scenario, obviously ceremonies to honor the people in our lives that have died are important and to be taken serious, but you can't for a second deny their weirdness!!!

9-11 Remembered

" We shall never forget" These words have been etched in all of our minds for the past 8 years. I believe everyone in this great nation and especially New Yorkers can close their eyes and envision that horrific day, we can remember where we were and what we were doing. We can see the visions of the the towers on every news station, we can see the smoke, we can see the hysteria.

It's on this day we are supposed to remember, maybe not so much the tragedy it self but the the memories of our loved ones. Because on this day we lost a lot more than just steel and concrete, we lost fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, grandmothers, cousins, neighbors and heroes.

Images have altered, the New York city skyline while crossing the Whitestone now looks like something is missing, the NYC subway map seems incomplete, firefighters morphing from civil service positions to modern day warriors.

Feelings have altered too, we have a new sense of security. Some still feel a little uneasy about traveling through the air, entering the city, seeing suspicious characters and packages. We look twice constantly and unsuspecting changes. There's no more "ehh never mind," or "something about this doesn't feel right", instead of shaking it off people just don't do it.

We have seen new rules and laws enacted, we have decided to go to "war", all while none of us really decided to any of this. We were forced to change all our lives, that is one of the hardest aspects to swallow. On this day we will always remembered that not just those buildings were hit, we were hit with the horrific feeling of helplessness, and that not one person that past way did anything to provoke their untimely death. Most of our loved ones went to work that day, like every other day they woke up and went to work.

I don't think there is one person that doesn't know someone that lost their lives on that Tuesday morning. On this day its not about anyone's view on this matter or the politics that surround it, its all about our loved ones who are unfortunately not with us. All I can say now is to please prey for our loved ones and please please "Never Forget"

Rest In Peace

Lt. Kevin Dowdell

John Anthony Spataro

John T. Vigiano II

Joesph Vigiano

Lt. Raymond Downey

Farrell Lynch

Simply Put...THE MAN

There will never be another like Him...I don't care about the hype "X" player gets in high school, don't tell about how he floats in the air like Him, don't compare his passion and drive to His Airness... Michael Jeffrey Jordan is one of a kind...sure, Kobe will surpass him in total points, Bill Russell obviously owns more jewelry and LeBron may exceed his endorsement numbers, but no one in any sport then, now or in the future, will make time stop like Him.

You remember those days...those Sunday afternoon games on NBC, waking up early to get your chores done so you could watch Him take on Larry, Magic, Isiah, Patrick, Charles, Hakeem, Clyde, Karl and John. Everything stopped for Bulls vs. Knicks, Pacers, Celtics, Lakers, Trailblazers, Pistons, Rockets, Suns and Jazz. There you sat on your couch, not alone though...there was your Dad, Mom, sister, brother, friends...many of these people probably never picked up a basketball in their lives, but they were there with you to watch Him.

He transcended the game and life like no one else...good-looking, well-spoken, candid... people from here to China wore his jerseys, gobbled up his sneakers and filled their bowls with Wheaties. It wasn't that long ago guys, seems like a century ago I realize, when we heard..."A shot on Ehlo, good! The Bulls win it, they win it!" or Marvelous Marv praise his soaring, down the lane layup against The Lake Show..."Ohhh, a spectacular move by Michael Jordan!"

The Basketball Hame of Fame seems a bit small for MJ doesn't it? Seems like we should dedicate a building to Him or something? You almost feel bad for John Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer for having to share a stage with Him later today.

His list of accomplishments and accolades (6 championships, two gold medals, his 69 point performance) are too lengthy to mention, his highlights (the Flu Game, the trifectas against Portland, the Duel with Dominick) too numerous to be retold, but one stat has always expressed to me how unbelievable Michael Jordan was.

Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Dominick Wilkins Reggie Miller, Gary Payton...NBA legends, some of the greatest to ever step on the hardwood...but all of whom never won an NBA Title because of one man...Number 23, Michael Jordan! (And remember, Hakeem the Dream, The Admiral and The Diesel only won titles when Jordan wasn't in the league!...I don't count the years in Washington).

Name for me another professional athlete who prevented a similar collection of talent from reaching their sport's ultimate prize...you can rake your brains all you want folks, but you can't and you won't.

There will never be another like Mike.

Close the door to your office, pull down the shades, turn up your speakers and recall His Greatness...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK0au1lJe-k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owY34aRiBNU&NR=1

Quick Hits

Even though this is quickly turning into the day from Hell, there's a few things I have to get off my chest...

Eric Mangini...Mangenius?? We know that nickname is long gone after the bitter end to his three-year tenure in The Big Apple, but this whole fiasco about not telling anyone who the Browns starting QB will be this season, even though we all know it's Brady Quinn...Jesus Christ Eric, are you f*cking Houdini or something?? As much as you want to be like your mentor and Chi Psi fraternity buddy Bill Belichick, you're not...look in the mirror and admit this...I'm a bad coach who looks like a cross between Rudy Ruettiger, The Penguin and former North Avenue Burger King regular Fred "Boom Boom" Mariani!

Brett Favre...Christ Brett, let it go!...it didn't work out with the Jets, why bring up this horsesh*t about them convincing you to continue playing when they knew you had a torn bicep. For starters, your ego is the size of Boom Boom's lunch order so we all know damn well you don't want your starting streak to end and secondly, even if they did make you play when you were hurt, they paid you a fortune and you with a wounded wing is infinitely better than Kellen Clemens.

And if that's not enough, we heard from Mr. Viking himself that he may not make it through a 16-game season and would have no reservations about sitting a few games out. Is this whole situation turning into an episode of Days of Our Lives or what?!?! Brett, quarterbacks in the NFL hope to play at 16 games a season, if you're body doesn't permit that, you never should have came back. Prediction That I'll Bet My Left Nut On: Brett would sooner take to Lambeau Field in a wheelchair than sit out a game against his former Packer mates!

Shawn Merriman...I guess your gal pal Tila didn't realize your off the field Lightning Bolt Dance involved grasping her around the neck. Now, I admire your desire to prevent a drunken Tequila from hoping in a car, but come on man, she's gotta be no taller than five feet and maybe the century mark on the scale! I suspect your days are numbered out on the Left Coast!

Predicition for Tonight's Matchup: Football is back baby!!! Great, physical matchup to tune into tonight that will whet our appetite for the season to come. Steelers 23 Titans 19

Tackling The Globe

Through the "Watch Instantly" feature on Netflix I have had the opportunity to watch a series that aired a few months back called "Dhani Jones Tackles The Globe," which originally aired on the the Travel Channel. Let me be the first to tell you that this show was awesome!

The premise of the show is that Dhani who is a NFL linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals travels to different nations to participate in one of their home grown sports! The best part of it all is that he actually does well in most of the sports. Besides just training and playing, he explores the cultures of the cities he's in along with the people, dining and entertainment.

I have to say my favorite episodes were when Dhani attempts to tackle Rugby in London, England, Hurling in Dublin, Ireland, Jai Lai in the Bask region of Spain and Sailing in New Zealand. Even though he's in top NFL shape you can see how these different sports require different training and conditioning.

As a rugger my self I loved it when he tried using the whole I'm an explosive athlete, football is tougher, routine on the English ruggers. Then he played. On later episodes he uses that same point as a negative for him self, saying all he has to do is get amped for a few seconds then rest, whereas these other sports truly don't stop! In all, he's an animal, we all know that, you have to be to play linebacker for America's most winningest and prestigious collegiate football programs in the U.S.; Michigan and of course in the NFL!

You can either watch the whole season on Netflix or you can purchase the first season on DVD, I definitely recommend it!

Is THIS The Answer?

When athletes tweet, we listen...Shaq, Ochocinco, Lance Armstrong, and so today, yet another Twitter message made front page headline.

"God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career."

This from arguably pound for pound, the greatest scorer in NBA history...notice I didn't say player though because Allen Iverson, for all his talent, has never quite been that leader a team is looking for. Yes, he took an undermanned Sixers team to the NBA Finals, but recall how bad the East in those days...little scoring and no dominant big men.

So the man who once owned Philly like no one since Rocky is on his way to a third team in less than a year. Let's break down this decision shall we?

Now if the deal is solely to sell tickets than it's a fantastic, can't-lose move. AI certainly isn't the draw he used to be, but he'll surely put some extra asses in the FedEx Forum. Memphis isn't going anywhere anytime soon so in a bad economy, why not?

If, however, the Grizzlies brass looks at this as an opportunity to have its young players...O.J. Majo, Mike Conley, Hasheem Thabeet, Sam Young and Rudy Gay, learn from a grizzly veteran who's been through it all, it ain't gonna happen. Iverson is tough, fearless and exciting, but he's never been a team guy...he'll pour in 20, but he'll do it missing 15 shots and dishing out 3 assists. Take a look at those names I just listed...Proven NBA talents? Absolutely not, but talented and raw? Hell Yes! Why create a situation where your product could be damaged?

I don't own Twitter and it'd probably take a 20-page handbook to get me to understand why and how to use it, but if I did, I'd have tweeted today..."God gave Memphis the wrong Answer."

Get Ya Tickets Here!

Yesterday, Roger Goodell and the NFL brain trust announced that a number of cities, 12 to be exact, were in danger of blackouts due to low ticket sales. The Jaguars, Chargers, Lions, Browns and Chiefs are the teams I've heard, please feel free to send in ones I have not mentioned. By rule, the league blacks out games that are not sellouts...translation: 95% of the seats have not been sold by the Thursday leading up to the game (they will sometimes push that to Friday). No matter what way you slice this issue, the result is lose/lose. The NFL loses because their product is pulled from the air and the fans lose because they don't get to watch their favorite team on TV. The NFL needs to wake up here...no matter how under or overstated you believe this economic depression is, the reality is many, many people have lost their jobs and there will surely be more to come.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out a solution here Mr. Goodell. Now as a man with a background in business, I understand and appreciate that revenue and profit are the undeniable kings of any company...I don't want to hear about goodwill in the community, helping a non-profit organization or donating money to charity...the bottom line is money and at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

Last I checked, the NFL, who has multi-million, if not billion, dollar contracts with CBS, NBC, FOX and ESPN, and oh by the way, owns it's own network, isn't on line waiting for food stamps.

With that in mind, how about these suggestions:

- After announcing to the world it's understanding of the current economic landscape, the NFL purchases the remaining tickets needed to make the game(s) a sellout and donates them to a local charity in that city

- Workout a deal with the aforementioned teams to announce NOW, that season tickets for this year will remain the same, but next year they will be reduced, even if only slightly (likely would encourage alot of former season ticket holders who may have lost their jobs to consider purchasing their tickets back)

- Purchase a select number of seats and have the teams run a "Free Ticket(s) for the Best Fan" Contest...have the fans prove how loyal they are and reward them with a free ticket

- Hire interested fans to volunteer to help cleanup the stadium in preparation of or following the game, each fan that does gets a free ticket (you could do the same with a local park in that city that needs repair)

- Workout an "NFL Economic Loan Plan," like any bank, have the season ticket holders pay a certain designated amount up front, and then give them a certain amount of time to pay the rest (of course, charge them some interest)...unlike our friends at Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns and AIG, make sure these people actually have the money or at least, some substantial plan, to repay the loan!

- Host an NFL job fair...I'm sure various teams could use some cheap labor or interns...throw a few tickets to these guys as compensation

Are any of these solutions going to push the NFL further into the black...well, maybe, maybe not...perhaps, their willingness to go above and beyond for their loyal fans results in an increase of viewership, attendance, etc. On the other hand, maybe the only result is that a handful of fans get to watch their favorite team in person and is that really a bad thing...the NFL's product isn't blacked out and fans are happy.

Come on Roger...wake up and look around your neighborhood! Do the right thing!

More Ticket Issues
As reported today in Newsday (Newsday Everyday!), a little over 700 tickets will be sold to the general public for Yankee playoff games at the New Stadium. Why so low? According to the report, 37,000 tickets are reserved for their season ticket holders, 9,500 for MLB officials and the remaining are split amongst the media and player's families and friends.

Yankee fans...you can't have it both ways. Many of you bitched and moaned when tickets were too expensive months ago (I don't disagree with you), but you all were given the opportunity to buy them...now come playoff time, those that did take advantage will be rewarded first. Now, the nearly 10,000 tics to MLB officials? I'm with you on that, seems pretty ridiculous. But let's remember, despite what our esteemed President is trying to do, this great country is built on capitalism...if you want something, go ahead and get it, no one is stopping you! Should you choose to wait, however, there's a good chance that something will be gone.

Women of Asphalt

I have to believe that people don't always see things my way or even in my perspective, and I have to admit I'm not always right. Therefore I can understand why people don't always agree with my predictions, statements or conclusions....fine.

I know that many things cant get under my skin or piss me off to the max of my pisstivity...fine.

I know being such a rock ribbed conservative cold heart doesn't make me the most sensitive to certain situations, but hey that's just me!

But you what really reall pisses me off is...women construction workers! Sorry ladies you just really make me mad when I see 12 guys working under ground or 1000 feet below it, covered in ash, soot, dirt, mud, or god knows what chemical, and your in the fucking street with capris and and sandals wearing your clean vest and even cleaner helmet holding the fucking slow/stop sign while cars pass like a goddamn crossing guard (who I have more respect for).

I know jobs are scarce right now and the economy is in a rebuilding period but that doesn't mean you should be paid the same wages as the people doing all the work. I'm sure there is probably a few female construction workers that actually do some work, so to you few I apologize for my rant.

By no means am I some kind of sexist, I believe you should go out and work, and assist in the bill paying. Hey, you did go to college, you shouldn't just have babies and then quit, then my ass is stuck paying all the bills.

I just can't see how you can call your selves construction workers or even employees at all. You don't work for the company, your just paid by the company! Big difference. Voting really came at a high price fellas.

It's Time To Go

I know you haven't been in Ann Arbor long Rich, but it's clearly time to go. Your spread offense, your 3-9 2008 campaign, your messy divorce from West Virginia, your alleged violation of NCAA rules and of course, your none Michigan roots...they don't belong on the campus of the winningest and arguably most famous college football team in all the land.

Your bullshit tears yesterday at your press conference will do nothing to sway the tide. Your own team threw you under the bus Rich! That stuff happens in the NFL, not in college! If your players liked you, they wouldn't have told a soul, sucked it up and moved on, knowing the loyalty and love they have for their guy.

And how could they love you, when your Michigan resume includes the following...

- Most losses EVER by a Michigan football team

- First losing season since 1967

- First missed bowl game in 33 years, breaking the nation's longest streak

- Previously worst 7-loss season done 2 worse by Rodriguez

- First loss to a MAC team. (previously 24-0)

- Becomes only the second head coach in 90 years to lose his career opener vs Ohio State

- First time since 1962 that Michigan did not win 2 games in a row.

Many college football powerhouses have gone through down years...USC, Notre Dame, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, even our friends at Ohio State, but your ruining the culture and mystic of the Maize and Blue...I urge all 501 fans to go to this website!

http://firerrod.com/

I pray to the ghost of the late, great Bo Schembechler that AD Bill Martin wakes up and remembers that the head football coaching position at the University of Michigan is reserved for a Michigan man and a Michigan man only!