Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

According to Darren Rovell - a Las Vegas bettor last night risked $400 on a 40-1 bet that a no-hitter would be thrown last night. Thanks to Homer Bailey - that betting slip is now worth $16,000... A map of the US based upon the beer that best represents the state... I wonder what gets better ratings - WNBA games on ESPN or anything on MSNBC. Either way - I'm guessing re-runs of Sponge Bob beats them both... Ernest Hemingway explains his love of alcohol... I feel lost not knowing what Jose Canseco thinks about the protests in Egypt... Alan Sepinwall called this the best fight scene ever on TV. I've been thinking and I can't come up with a better one... If Brett Favre develops testicular cancer - will he sue his cell phone company because of the radiation from his selfies?... Fantastic long read about Jason Everman who was kicked out of Nirvana and Soundgarden before finding his calling in the Special Forces... It's amazing but if Mark Sanchez were to retire today - the thing he'd most be remembered for is the "butt fumble". Not exactly what you want from your "franchise quarterback"... Serious question - can the Obama Administration point to a single foreign policy success?...

Jose Canseco and the Mysteries of Life

Fascinating look at how dinosaurs like Brontosaurus or Diplodocus pumped blood up their massive necks to their brains.

Interestingly enough - the discussion was sparked by known Mensa member Jose Canseco.

Lots of interesting little biology tidbits in the article. And as an aside - you really should be reading Phenomena - the National Geographics' blog section.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So it seems that Nancy Pelosi's idea of making laws equates to you have to pass it to find out what's in it and you have to send it to the Supreme Court to see if what's in it is Constitutional... Interesting look at life as a pro poker player. I agree 100% with the sentiments. Impossible to completely eliminate your "life leaks" but the best idea is to minimize them... For Game of Thrones fans - in the book Eddard Stark was 35 but Sean Bean is less than a month from being 53... I can't stand either person but I admit that I might watch a reality show where Jose Canseco and Rosie O'Donnell were forced to live together... Irish drinking toast - It is better to spend money like there is no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money!... Did I laugh at this because I'm disturbed or because I'm not a good person?... I hope the Dodgers put a big statue of Magic Johnson outside of Dodger Stadium just to further piss off Kareem Abdul Jabbar...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

When's the last time you heard anyone describe Iraq as a quagmire? At one point everyone in the MSM was describing it as a quagmire. Now not so much. Don't hold your breathe waiting for anyone to admit they were wrong though... Heh Heh Rachael Maddow teabagged by naked Republican... I agree with Ian O'Connor that the person I most would want to see Hershel Walker pummel next is Jose Canseco... Five years ago the New York Times actually had the headline "Can Angelina Jolie Really Save the World?" And it was in the effing Business section... If they called it the iSegway instead of just Segway - would everyone have felt really cool buying one and being seen in public riding one?... Abe Vigoda is still alive - long live Abe Vigoda...

Rumor Expert

OK - I have to mention this. I'm on Twitter (@ALargeRegular) and I think it's great. I'm following lots of people (88 and growing every day). A person has to bring something to the table for me to be interested but even a person who brings something to the table can wear out their welcome.

Take Will Carroll for example. He Tweets as @InjuryExpert. For the most part he is interesting and informative. I've long enjoyed Carroll's writing. However, I'm starting to see a side of him that I don't like. He's an unapologetic rumor monger.

Jose Canseco says there's already a juicer in the Hall of Fame. Carroll tweets that it must be Rickey Henderson. Canseco says it's not Rickey. Carroll tweets that it must be Dennis Eckersley. Victor Martinez gets traded to the Red Sox. Carroll tweets that Clay Buchholz is part of the deal. A rumor is spread about Sarah Palin. Carroll repeats the rumor and tweets that she's getting a divorce.

In none of these instances did Carroll follow up to apologize for being so wrong.

To make a technology analogy - studies have shown that no matter how good the TV programming if the viewer experiences constant pixelization or freezing - they will turn the channel or turn off the TV. I'm sure Will Carroll doesn't know me from Adam but rumor-mongering is like pizelization. If I keep seeing it - I'll definitely turn off the source.

Sosa and Pudge

Often when I'm on the road, I'll turn ESPN or ESPN 2 on the TV in the hotel room and just leave it on during the night while I sleep (or try to sleep). Doing that has made it hard to escape the news that Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight all leading with Sammy testing dirty with anchors taking about the news accompanied by a video montage in the background. What's been amusing to me is once they are done talking about Sammy eventually the program gets to Ivan Rodriguez and how he just tied the record for most games caught by a catcher. A video montage paying homage to Pudge Rodriguez playing in the background while the praises and hosannas are sung.

What amuses me is the question whether the same video montage played last night for Pudge will be used when the news breaks that Pudge used performance enhancers too. I can't help but remember that Ivan Rodriguez was one of the players that Jose Canseco singled out by name in his book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big Time and again players who Jose Canseco specifically named has proven to have been dirty. Why should anyone think that Pudge Rodriguez will be any different?

The A-Rod Interview

ALR: A Large Regular is very pleased that we have been granted an exclusive interview with baseball star Alex Rodriguez. This interview comes as quite a surprise since I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan and A-Rod isn’t exactly my favorite player. First off – thank you Alex for making the time for this interview but I must ask – why me?

A-Rod: Well Chris the answer is actually fairly simple. I’m a fan of your work and I know you won’t hesitate to ask me the hard questions. I thought I could get a good grilling during my 60 Minutes interview but Katie Couric just wanted to smile at me.

ALR: I must admit that I missed that interview. Couric is so sugary sweet I fear just by watching her that I’ll get diabetes. I did see some highlights where she asked you if you used steroids and you said “No”. Let me start by asking you the same question – have you ever purchased or used steroids or HGH?

A-Rod: See Chris – that’s what I mean about tough questions. Couric asked me if I ever used steroids but she never asked me if I’ve ever bought them. Well to be clear – let me say that I have never used steroids but I’ve bought them for years. The steroids were never for me though. They were for my stripper “friends”.

ALR: What?

A-Rod: Come on Chris. It’s no secret that I like muscular strippers. The steroids I buy them make them even more muscular. They say that sex is the best exercise there is and let’s just say that in that regard I’m a workout freak. The more muscular they are the better the workout. My wife is cool with it as long as it’s only on the road and only with strippers. A man’s got to stay in shape? Right?

ALR: To be clear – you say that you have never used steroids or HGH yourself though. If that’s true how to you counter Jose Canseco’s assertion that you should have been named in the Mitchell Report?

A-Rod: Jose is a moron and he’s broke. He wants to write another book and he’s trying to use me and my good name as a hook for an advance. That’s my best guess to why he’s doing what he’s doing. As far as the people who think he’s a reliable source because the players he named in his first book all proved out are forgetting that in his book he made a big deal out of saying that no way could Roger Clemens be a steroids user. That Roger was too much of a work out freak. How wrong was Jose on Clemens? As wrong on Clemens being clean as his slander that I’m dirty. That’s how wrong.

ALR: Speaking of the Mitchell Report – what was your reaction?

A-Rod: I think George Mitchell is a great person but is it any surprise that the brunt of the blame from the report is placed squarely on the shoulders of players and players alone? Owners and baseball have made hundreds of millions of dollars during the steroids era. They knew exactly what was going on. Yet there is no blame placed on or even the slightest examination of any culpability of any of the owners or of Bud Selig for that matter. But then again - baseball paid for the study so that shouldn’t be a surprise. Would you be surprised if big tobacco sponsored a study and the results pointed the finger at everyone but big tobacco?

ALR: Do you have any suggestions on how to clear up the steroid problems in baseball?

A-Rod: I would do four things and these four things would clear up the problems almost overnight. First I would more than double the number of times a player would be tested and there would be no restriction when the tests could take place. Second – I would void any contract for a player found using steroids and suspend the player for the remaining portion of his contract. Third – I would take away the roster spot from the team for the duration that a player is on a steroids related suspension. So if a player had a 3-year contract but was found using after the first year – he’d be suspended 2-years and the team would lose his roster spot for 2-years. That would put a stop to teams signing questionable guys. Finally – I would go back to the equipment men for each team and find out over the past 30-years which players had their hat size increase more than 2 sizes over the years. I would put an asterisk next to each of those players stating how many hat sizes the player’s head grew by. This last thing would be not only be factual but also a wink-wink way for saying something unnatural was going one. People’s melons just don’t get bigger once you are an adult.

ALR: Finally – I have to ask about your relationship with Scott Boras.

A-Rod: I’m very image conscious. That’s no secret. I feel like I’m the best player in the game and I want to be paid as the best. There’s nothing wrong with that. What I’m not happy with is the fact that now people think of me as greedy. I’m not greedy. Scott Boras is. Tiger Woods is the best player in his sport and he’s very image conscious too. Yet nobody thinks of him as greedy. Let me ask you – do you know who Tiger’s agent is? [ALR shakes head in the negative] See! I’m associated with Scott Boras and Scott Boras is one crazy, greedy, mother. I’ve got to get away from him. And that’s what I plan to do.

ALR: Thanks for the interview.

A-Rod: You’re welcome.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think Michael Strahan may not really be thinking of retiring but instead just wants to skip 2-a-days without getting fined. If he says he's thinking about retiring then its tough for the Giants to fine him. Any other excuse gets you fined the minute you miss the first practice... Much has been made about Jose Canseco's comments to WEEI about "having something" on Alex Rodriguez. Most people have assumed that it is regarding steroids but I was listening to the interview as it happened and I took Canseco's comments that A-Rod is "not the person you think he is" (quote taken from memory) to be some insinuation about A-Rod's sex life. There are already rumors that A-Rod is a "swinger" and maybe that's what Canseco was referring to.... It was 27-years ago today that JR Richard had a stoke. The stoke ended Richard's baseball career and put him on a downward spiral that saw him become destitute and homeless. Now 57-years old it seems like Richard has gotten his life back together and is now a Christian Minister... The Mariners are in the midst of a playoff hunt but yet you hear rumors that Richie Sexson is on the trading block. Strange...

Tom Hicks Steroids Comment

I have to laugh at the reaction to Rangers owner Tom Hicks saying, "Juan Gonzalez, for $24 million, after he came off steroids probably... we just gave that money away." I learned about the comment from watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN last night. Both John Kruk and Fernando Vina ripped Hicks for talking about Juan Gonzalez without having absolute proof of what he was saying.

Is there anyone out there who doesn't think Juan Gonzalez was a steroids user?

Kruk and Vina are examples of the law of omerta the grips players and former players when it comes to steroids. If they can't even bring themselves to admit that maybe Hicks has a legit grievance when it comes to Juan-gone then why shouldn't the public just make the assumption that all the baseball players of that period were steroids taking cheaters? Kruk and Vina included. If anyone even owners can't talk about obvious cases of steroids use then what's the point?

It is so bad that Jose Canseco keeps looking more and more like a paragon of honesty and integrity when compared to former players and baseball scribes who covered the steroids era. Think about that.

EDIT: You can find Hick's comments here. Thanks to Kent Chapline for the link