Never Forget

20-years Ago Today

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- In wake of Impeachment, Biden White House sends memos to corporate media to go after Republicans. All it takes is for Biden to address the press live but I think that'll never happen.

-  Interesting look a Alabama visiting non-Power 5 USF on Saturday. Always found it amusing that the University of Southern Florida is in Tampa. If you know your geography - this is amusing.

- Iconic Seattle fish market to close after 77-years amid rising crime and homelessness. Hard not to laugh at the self-inflicted wounds of Seattle and Portland.

- Profile pf Alex Rodriguez on ESPN that paints him as a steroids using, rat informant. One can't help but wonder if ESPN is trying to get A-Rod out of the broadcast booth.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

President Trump contacted Alex Rodriguez about the Wuhan virus because he wanted to check with A-Rod how the centaur community was handling the crisis. Next the President with check with Beto O'Rourke to check on how the furry community is coping...  Always thought a Lord of the Rings spoof about the "Mood Rings of Power" would be amusing. One mood ring to control them all! It would have the power to make people happy, sad, etc. If you wanted to make it an R rating you could also make the One Ring also have the power to make people horny... I see this and I automatically think "well that's proof they should re-open the golf courses!"... "It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent." - Charlie Munger... Heh Heh - are we sure this is photoshop?... Remember when ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote, "Robert Kraft is 'not the biggest name' involved in [last year's Orchids of Asia] prostitution bust"? Well Adam we're still waiting. Why was Kraft singled out? And people wonder why Patriots fans dislike ESPN... Memento Mori would be a great name for a life insurance company...

Valentine's Day Linky Links

- Happy Valentine's Day from A-Rod

- Valentine's Day was not a happy anniversary for Teddy Roosevelt

- Chain-smoking Santa says...

- The US as a Valentine's Day card

- Not sure if picturing Prince Charles as your Valentine is more creepy or scary (or just plain hilarious)

- And a reminder that today's not just Valentine's Day - it is also the anniversary of Oregon joining the Union as the 33rd State back in 1859

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Another example of why Alex Rodriguez is going out more of a jester than a villain in people's eyes

- Mysterious Greenland sharks may live to past 400-years old

- Oh CNN you scamps

- See what I mean about more jester than villain?

- Nice story of how Nick Bonino used the Stanley Cup to raise money for Children's Medical Center

A-Rod vs Big Papi

On Sunday David Ortiz went to the Dodgers' broadcast  booth to visit legend Vin Scully. The result was the above picture. With the news of Alex Rodriguez's "retirement" - I couldn't help but wonder if A-Rod had likewise visited Scully - would Vin have had the same look of joy on his face?

The Dodgers honored Ortiz with an on-the-field pre-game ceremony Friday. The Red Sox plan no similar sendoff for A-Rod in his last visit to Fenway starting tonight.

A-Rod and Big Papi are both first-ballot Hall of Fame players. It just struck me the difference of how the two are regarded personally around baseball.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So the NFL had to cancel the Hall of Fame game. No word on what Tom Brady's punishment for that will be... Good luck if you are traveling with Delta today... I think if you asked most baseball fans about Alex Rodriguez I'm guessing the words "phony" or "goofy" would pop up more often than not... Heh heh - 90-year old man gives perfect 90-year old man answer to prostitution charges... The Mosquito Authority would be a good name for a band... And by "phony" and "goofy" - I'm talking about things like this... No Donald Trump has absolutely no ties to Vladimir Putin - absolutely none...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Most of the attention has been on Gawker and their abomidible actions but this story from the UK has much more potential privacy related impact. Can you imagine if the NSA started to be used for political purposes the way the IRS has been corrupted?... Heh heh - so true!... Catholic nuns have to take vows of poverty while priests do not. Tell me again why we should be listening to the Pope on issues of income inequality?... Yes and I want to know that story... If I owned a pharmaceutical company I'd hire Alex Rodriguez to do genital herpes commercials just so I could hear A-Rod say, "I'm Alex rodriguez and I have genital herpes"... 10-years ago the Yankees rotation was Small, Wang, Brown, Johnson (insert your own gay Asian porno joke here)...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- NY Post's front page. Only one of those guys is guaranteed to have a job this summer. Oh just as a reminder - to date Alex Rodriguez has made over $356 million. I'm guessing that money will help him deal with the slings and arrows that will be sent his way.

- You go Gronk! (Yeah I have a thing for Amy Schumer.)

- Bill Murray on the last time he saw Gilda Radner

- Batman sarcasm

- Phil Hartman's SNL audition

Contagious Abortions

Sometimes bad players can be called "clubhouse cancers" but I feel that is really unfair to cancer. Look at Leah Still in Cincinnati. Or the effect Chuck Pagano's cancer had in Indianapolis. All Red Sox fans are aware of Jon Lester's battle over cancer and that has been nothing but positive in Boston. So let's ditch the phrase "clubhouse cancer".

But what do you use instead to describe players like A-Rod and Ray Rice?

I suggest the phrase "contagious abortions". What do you think? A-Rod is sure to be nothing short of a contagious abortion this spring for the Yankees. Ray Rice returning to the Ravens is going to be nothing but a series of contagious abortions. I think it works.

It would also work as a fantasy football name.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

As a Red Sox fan I'm really not comfortable knowing that the guy responsible for hiring Bobby Valentine will also be the guy heavily involved in trying to re-sign Jon Lester... The Simpsons accurately predict the future... Pelosi's Sex Tape would be a good name for a band or fantasy football team... I'm kinda hoping Donald Sterling retains control of the Clippers just to see if Doc Rivers and Chris Paul would really sit out the season... Has it really been 10-years since Varitek smooshed his glove in A-Rod's face?... Frisky Bisuits would also be a good name for a band or fantasy football team... Obscure Snapple Fact - during the course of a year you will swallow two live frogs in your sleep...

Cool Photography

Some breath-taking or amusing photos worth sharing.

- Simply beautiful

- More complexly beautiful

- This is great. I wonder why more escalators don't have messages?

- The USA loves you

- Trying to decide if we were crueler back in the day or just more honest

- Heh heh - A very A-Rod Valentine's

- Al Capone's cell at the Eastern State Penitentiary

EDIT: Bonus - Borepatch has post on famous photos redone as Legos. Cool!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If I were a minor league baseball team in the bible-belt - I would make my mascot a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. I imagine the hats would sell pretty well on the Internet. I also imagine the death threats would come in at a regular clip... Rich Eisen linked to this exclusive clip of A-Rod on the phone discussing his legal strategy... I wonder if Peyton Manning is ever tempted to use Papa John's time-machine car to go back and prevent Eli from ever being conceived...  Interesting interview with the author of Positive Poker... If the Patriots make the Super Bowl they really should vote a full playoff share to Greg Schiano for trading Legarrette Blount to New England...  Very cool photo of Jimmi Hendrix... I don't think I've ever eaten at McDonald's and thought "I'm lovin' it!" It's always been more along the lines of "I'm gonna regret this!"...

Alex Rodriguez

Was in the NY/NJ area the past couple of days and the news of A-Rod's churlish behavior has understandably been the major topic on sports radio. I have a couple of thoughts on the subject that I'd like to revisit or share.

First off let me say how happy super agent Scott Boras must feel to be free of this circus. Boras got paid for the big contracts and is now free from this Bozo act. Second let me say that in the back of my mind I still feel like A-Rod's actions seem like those of a man who is for whatever reason building the foundation for an insanity plea. Exhibit A would be A-Rod's fetish for "walk-off helmets". Now I'm just waiting on the news that A-Rod also wanted to also name Santa Claus to his lawsuit because he felt he was promised a 2014 season for Christmas - only to have his lawyers talk him out of it.

With the news that A-Rod actually turned down a 50-game plea bargain I again say that I had the perfect strategy for A-Roid. All he had to do was take the 50-game suspension but then throw himself on the mercy of the court of public opinion. He could have said that he started taking steroids but only after he was bullied by Jason Varitek or even better he could have said yes he bought the steroids and HGH but it was never for him. It was always for his muscular girlfriends. He could have said "please forgive me I will take the suspension without complaint but please understand that I will not stop seeing ripped women." Some women like roses - A-Rod favors women who like free weights and HGH. Different strokes.

If he took my advice the Yankees would be opening the 2014 season with him at 3rd and over the $189 million luxury tax level. Now he's a pariah.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Am I the only one bothered by ESPN and others always using the term "sexual assault" when discussing Jameis Winston? He is accused of "rape". Rape! Use the frigging word... Does drinking beer make you more creative? Not sure. Does the existence of beer prove there is a God who loves us? Absolutely... Not sure if this is just a Massachusetts expression but "book it" means run away. As in "the cops came and we all booked it"... You can get away with wearing a hat like this when you are Tom Brady... This blows my mind - Michael J. Fox's middle name is Andrew... Welcome to Zombo.com. You can do anything at Zombo.com. Always puts a smile on my face... I wish the AP issued a Stylebook ruling that said any time Alex Rodriguez's name is mentioned in print - the word "churlish" must precede his name... If Justin Beiber made a Christmas CD - I would give it as a gift to people I hate... It is amusing to see how the White House has stopped using the term "Obamacare" and now is calling it the Affordable Care Act once again.

A-Rod's Strange Fetish

Alex Rodriguez is in the news today because of a report he may have "ratted out" Ryan Braun and teammate Francisco Cervelli. But I think there's bigger news about A-Rod today.

He has a fetish for walk-off home run helmets.

You read that right. Could this guy be any more weird and unlikable?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder if Aaron Rodgers is rethinking the A-Rod nickname?... Is it "duck" tape or "duct" tape?... "Matt Leinart" is French for "Will QB for food"... Can someone remind me what the point of the Occupy Movement was and what it accomplished?... What if A-Rod was only taking steroids in an effort to transform himself into a centaur?... Regarding that lab grown beef that was in the news recently. If they had lab grown chicken - could it really be any worse than Chicken McNuggets?... Steve Spurrier really is an American original.... President Harding in 1920 started the tradition of answering questions directly from reporters. Is that tradition coming to an end? If I were a Republican President I'd probably stop it... When John Henry takes over the Boston Globe - it will be interesting to see if he keeps Dan Shaughnessy for long. He could hire five up and coming writers for the salary he pays Shaughnessy. It would be the Sabermetric thing to do...

Player Comparison

This player comparison has been in my thoughts the past few days:

Player A - 1061 G/ 150 HR/ 681 RBI/ .281 BA/ .382 OBP/ .861 OPS
Player B - 1092 G/ 137 HR/ 555 RBI/ .274 BA/ .364 OBP/ .828 OPS

Very similar players. Player A is Kevin Youkilis who Yankee fans should remember was supposed to be the third baseman for the Yankees this season - not Alex Rodriguez. Many people are wondering if Alex Rodriguez' career is basically over but the same could be said for Kevin Youkilis. He was signed for 1-year at $12 million. No way he gets that sort of money next year. Maybe he doesn't get any offers. Maybe at age 34 he calls it quits.

It was all over for Player B after his age 34 season and Baseball-reference.com lists him as the most similar to Kevin Youkilis. Player B is former Youkilis teammate Trot Nixon who was a Red Sox mainstay but then ended his career in the uniform of two other teams - playing a combined total of 110 games for first the Indians and then the Mets.

Youkilis was also a Red Sox mainstay but has now worn the uniforms of the White Sox and Yankees for a combined 108 games. Scarily similar.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Alex Rodriguez's actions this season seem like the actions of a man laying the foundation for an insanity plea... Heh heh - the Royal baby introduced to the public... Andy Pettitte just passed Sandy Koufax on the all-time strikeout list but it took Pettitte 912 more innings to do it. Meanwhile Pettitte now has 719 fewer K's than Curt Schilling in basically the same number of innings... George HW Bush shaves his head in support of the son of secret service agent. It should be recalled that George and Barbara lost their first daughter Robin to childhood leukemia. History will be kind to this good man... With NASCAR going to NBC from ESPN - will Brad Daugherty now start doing more college basketball games for the Mothership?... From now on I am going to intriduce myself as a "minor celebrity" - Chris Lynch Minor Celebrity. Who is to argue the point? I may even have cards made up... Peter King did a Reddit AMA (ask me anything). I really hope someone asked him how many NFL coaches have a foot fetish. He'd have to answer at least one...