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Saturday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 10:50:52 AM EST
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The NFL Draft is today. The Detroit Lions, who have the first overall pick, have already reached a agreement with Matthew Stafford, the Georgia quarterback. Good luck with that Lions. I have my doubts about Stafford. The selection process begins at 4 pm this year.

This is an Open Thread.

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    Saturday Morning Open Thread | 91 comments (91 topical)

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    Just our luck (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Steve M on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 10:53:53 AM EST
    that the one year the perennially sucky Lions get the #1 pick, there's no surefire star available.  Detroit has not had a top-level quarterback since Bobby Layne was traded... 50 years ago!

    But Steve! (5.00 / 0) (#77)
    by jbindc on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 06:13:37 PM EST
    This is our year - Bobby Layne cursed Detroit when they traded him and said the Lions wouldn't win for 50 years.  50 years ended with the 2008 season - look out for the (revamped) Honolulu Blue and Silver!

    Parent
    I hope you're right! (none / 0) (#83)
    by Steve M on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 08:34:35 PM EST
    1 playoff win in 50 years, gawd.

    Parent
    Restore the (none / 0) (#24)
    by eric on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:18:28 PM EST
    Roar!!!

    Parent
    Yeah baby (none / 0) (#52)
    by Steve M on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:30:59 PM EST
    Forward down the field
    A Lions team that will not yield
    And when the blue and silver wave
    Stand and cheer the brave!

    (You will find very, very few people who know this song.  The Lions coach probably doesn't know it.)

    Parent

    There is a test for age (none / 0) (#34)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 01:44:39 PM EST
    If you remember when the Lions were great it means you're very old.

    Parent
    Better than the year we had the (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:03:41 AM EST
    whiny #1 pick who didn't want to go play for the worst team in the cold  ;)

    Or the year the Charger's drafted (none / 0) (#5)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:11:50 AM EST
    Eli Manning, whose daddy and he arranged for him to end up in, was it, New York?  And then there was that toadie Japanese pitcher who was supposed to play for the Padres and ending up irritating Steinbrenner.

    Parent
    Never liked Manning (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:16:43 AM EST
    or the Giants for that matter!

    I really can't stand whiny athletes. It pretty much gets them on my sh!t list for life {grin}

    Parent

    I remember a stunt Elway pulled. (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:26:36 AM EST
    I think it was Cleveland that had picked him first round. Elway subsequently said he wouldn't play football anywhere but on the west coast and announced his intention to play baseball. Elway later decided he could go as far east as Denver and a deal was eventually struck between those two clubs. I was always impressed with Elway as a quarterback. Undoubtedly one of the best at the position. Yet, I always viewed that earlier stunt as indicative of one of those whiny people of who you speak.    

    Parent
    No - it was Baltimore, (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:39:38 AM EST
    when we still had the Colts here; you won't find many Elway fans in the Baltimore area, even though he was an outstanding QB.

    Parent
    Thanks for the correction. (none / 0) (#17)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:53:46 AM EST
    I should have reviewed the history beforehand.

    Parent
    In contrast, when Khalil Greene, (none / 0) (#10)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:20:27 AM EST
    formerly the Padres SS, arrived post-trade in St. Louis, he apologized to the Padres and Padres fans for his failure to hit to expectations.  Sd. he was also very disappointed in himself.  Refreshing but unique.

    Parent
    And in financial news, (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:02:03 PM EST
    the FDIC closed 4 more banks yesterday.

    And they are (none / 0) (#76)
    by CoralGables on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 05:54:50 PM EST
    First Bank of Idaho, Ketchum, ID
    First Bank of Beverly Hills, Calabasas, CA
    Heritage Bank, Farmington Hills,MI
    American Southern Bank, Kennesaw, GA

    And one Credit Union:
    Eastern Financial Florida, Miramar, FL

    Parent

    RIP Bea Arthur (5.00 / 2) (#57)
    by caseyOR on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:57:38 PM EST
    Bea Arthur, the multi-talented actress who starred in TV classics Maude and The Golden Girls, is dead at age 86.

    Arthur was also a Broadway star. Her character, Maude Finley, was an amazing portrayal of a woman in the 1970s who embraced all that feminism promised.

    And to this day reruns of The Golden Girls make me laugh, especially now that I am the age that Dorothy, Rose and Blanche were.

    Oh no. RIP. (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by lilburro on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:42:11 PM EST
    I still watch GG pretty frequently.  Always loved Bea especially.

    Parent
    My daughter is in mourning (5.00 / 1) (#78)
    by Cream City on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 06:22:29 PM EST
    as GG is quite popular with the 20-somethings, too.  My daughter loved to watch it with her grandmother.  (Those were hectic years for me, not much time for tv.)  The theme song is, of course, the ring on my daughter's cell phone.

    When Betty White goes, perish the thought, my daughter will be inconsolable for days.

    Parent

    HUGE gay audience (none / 0) (#80)
    by andgarden on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 06:48:49 PM EST


    Parent
    was never aware of that until (none / 0) (#81)
    by of1000Kings on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 06:53:13 PM EST
    Rufus Wainwright made a reference to her on his debut album...

    still don't know why there is the gay following, must be something I'm missing...

    Parent

    Doesn't seem very sporting for the Lions (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:00:11 AM EST
    and Stafford to reach an agreement before the NFL draft!

    There's a draft today? (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:13:26 AM EST
    Hurry, someone close the windows.

    Parent
    I need a draft (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by Jen M on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:12:52 PM EST
    It's hot in here.

    Parent
    There you go again! (none / 0) (#7)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:14:12 AM EST
    Cut us some slack.

    Parent
    It isn't good to cut someone's slacks (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:04:30 PM EST
    when we are expecting a big draft :)

    Parent
    White flag... (none / 0) (#19)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:07:59 PM EST
    alright, I surrender. Ya got me. I got no game today!

    Parent
    it's pretty common now for the first pick (none / 0) (#32)
    by of1000Kings on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 01:23:48 PM EST
    to reach an agreement before the draft begins...

    Also, NFL commish is discussing the idea of putting some restrictions on the contracts of NFL rookies (something similar to what the NBA does)...

    the argument is that giving 40M to an unproven player takes money out of the system and away from deserving veterans if and when the $40M man fails to be the superstar he's paid to be and doesn't even stay in the league...

    I can definitely see the argument year...it just seem absurd that a guy who's never thrown a ball in the NFL is getting 40M guaranteed (70M contract)

    Parent

    Interviews (none / 0) (#35)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 01:51:57 PM EST
    with players, private workouts, even money talk are not unusual before the draft.

    Not saying money talk is right just that it happens.

    I think they're offering far too much money but it's probably the price to get him to accept their draft.

    Again, I don't think the gargantuan salaries are right.  Just that it is what it is.

    Parent

    This will go over reaaaaaaaal well........ (none / 0) (#4)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:11:34 AM EST
    I hope this prompts a snicker for your Saturday morning; it did for me. The Fort Worth Star Telegram has a weekly "Cheers and Jeers" section in its Saturday edition, where readers can compliment or complain over something they've seen, read, had happen to them, etc. Well, today's edition had a picture of our former prez throwing out the first pitch of the Rangers home opener this season -- and a whopping "jeer:"

    Jeers: To Tom Hicks and the Texas Rangers for inviting former President George W. Bush to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on opening day. I'm a young fan who had high hopes for the success of the team and intended on attending many games this season, win or lose, but the franchise has lost my support.
       

    Oh I cannot wait to hear the feedback on this one. Perhaps I should send the paper a "Cheers" for having the b*l*s to fan the fires.  

    Defenders are crediting his time (none / 0) (#9)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:20:00 AM EST
    as president of the Rangers . . . didn't he suck at that also?

    Parent
    I think his time with the Rangers was (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:41:28 AM EST
    just one of many stops on the George Bush Mediocrity Tour...

    Parent
    He was one of the managing business partners (none / 0) (#16)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:52:03 AM EST
    at one time. But like all his other dealings, he sort of fell into it. He borrowed his initial investment of 500K from a bank where he used to be a director:
    With this arrangement in place, Bush and his partners bought the team from Chiles on April 21, 1989, for $86 million. To scrape together his $500,000 stake in the Rangers, Bush borrowed the money from a bank in Midland where he once was a director. He owned 1.8 percent of the Rangers. (He later invested an additional $106,302).

    He made a fortune when the team was sold some years later. As usual with most Bush business dealings, some shady transactions occurred, and, likewise as usual, he merely said he knew nothing about it.    

    Parent
    When Bush was Governor (none / 0) (#36)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:01:28 PM EST
    he put a group headed by Tom Hicks in charge of the University of Texas endowment fund and closed up public scrutiny of the fund.

    It's my understanding that Hicks & co. put a lot of the fund into their own ventures.

    Hicks then bought the Rangers for something like $280 million.

    I don't know if that was overpayment, the Rangers used a new publicly owned stadium that increased the value of the franchise.

    The public agreed to build the stadium after the Rangers (partly owned by Bush) threatened to leave.

    My opinion is that the whole thing wasn't very pretty.

    Parent

    The stadium and surrounding land was at the (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:36:37 PM EST
    heart of the shadiness (from the aforementioned link):
    Between the sales-tax revenue, state tax exemptions and other financial incentives, Texas taxpayers handed the privately owned Rangers more than $200 million in public subsidies. Taxpayers didn't get a return from the stadium's surging new revenues, either. The profits went almost exclusively to the team's already wealthy owners.

    The stadium's lease is a case in point. Unlike an apartment tenant, the rent that the team's owners pay is applied toward purchasing the stadium. The maximum yearly rent and maintenance fees for the Rangers are $5 million; the total purchase price for the Ballpark at Arlington is $60 million. Thus, after 12 years the owners will have bought the stadium for less than half of what taxpayers spent on it.
    *
    In 1998, Hicks helped provide Bush with an even greater windfall. He bought the Texas Rangers for $250 million, three times what Bush and his partners had paid 10 years earlier. The new stadium and the real estate around it greatly boosted the final sale price. And, since his partners had upped Bush's stake in the team from 1.8 to 11.8 percent, his cut from the proceeds of the sale was $14.9 million, a 25-fold return on his investment of $606,302. Rainwater, who had put far more money into the team than Bush, made $25 million.



    Parent
    Wasn't very pretty (none / 0) (#73)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 05:07:58 PM EST
    to major filthy stench.

    Parent
    didn't he trade (none / 0) (#23)
    by Jen M on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:13:52 PM EST
    Sammy Sosa?

    Parent
    Sosa started with the Rangers (none / 0) (#26)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:21:14 PM EST
    but I'm unsure about the "decider" behind his trade several years later.

    Parent
    How was W's pitch? (none / 0) (#27)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:24:31 PM EST


    Parent
    I wasn't there and haven't heard any reports. (none / 0) (#28)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:32:39 PM EST
    From the looks of that photo, he's not even on the rubber, and the ball sure appears to come out of his hand rather high. Probably fell about 20 feet short of the plate. -- Catcher probably scraped up his face while diving forward to try and catch it. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the guy. It might have been a fairly decent pitch.  

    Parent
    During a press conference (none / 0) (#37)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:05:45 PM EST
    when Bush was asked if he'd ever made any mistakes he replied that his only mistake was trading Sammy Sosa.  The press conference was a year or so after the Iraq invasion.

    Parent
    And in other news, Met broadcast (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:37:12 AM EST
    today is Die Goetterdaemmerung [Twilight of the Gods], the final opera in Wagner's four opera Ring cycle.  James Levine is conducting the fabulous Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

    Hard to believe (5.00 / 5) (#20)
    by Steve M on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:12:39 PM EST
    they would schedule it on the same day as the NFL draft.  Think of all the overlap in the audiences!

    Parent
    LOL (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:08:40 PM EST
    Priceless.

    Parent
    Almost as long, but opera broadcast (none / 0) (#25)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:19:00 PM EST
    will end at 3 p.m. EDT.  

    Parent
    Stafford may not prove to be all that (none / 0) (#15)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 11:47:25 AM EST
    and a bag of chips, but I'm sure the $78 million dollar deal he made will comfort him somewhat...

    What I had been hearing was that if he didn't agree to a deal with Detroit ahead of the draft, there was no guarantee they would pick him, and if he weren't picked by the Lions, chances were good he was going to fall way down the board - or far enough that he wouldn't be making the kind of money that signing with Detroit is getting him.

    Makes one wonder whether the deal was for the player, or his agent, who earned himself a nice, fat commission on the deal.

    Greenwald interviews (none / 0) (#22)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:13:15 PM EST
    UN official upon whom Greenwald relies for his opinion the U.S. is required to investigate torture.  Official clearly states why this is the case.

    Query:  why does my link to FM close whenever I open Salon.com?  

    not necessarily so: (none / 0) (#29)
    by cpinva on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:34:56 PM EST
    Makes one wonder whether the deal was for the player, or his agent, who earned himself a nice, fat commission on the deal.

    football is the only pro sport where the money isn't guaranteed, only the signing bonus, and any minimum required are. everything else is based on incentives, i.e.: so many receptions, x # of yards, starting so many games, etc.

    that's why teams have no problem with these seeming huge contracts, they know the odds of actually paying them is nil. and only the guaranteed money gets counted against the current season's salary cap.

    gee, how come it's ok for anyone else to decide where they'll be willing to work, but somehow, for a pro athlete to do so is considered bad form? considering their relatively short shelf life (on average), why wouldn't they want to play in a town they like?

    the reason eli manning wanted to go to new york was business related: ny is a much, much bigger media market than san diego, offering far better prospects for commercial work, etc. it was a very smart move on his part.

    let's see: baltimore, md vs los angeles? boy, tough call there! yes, i know elway ended up in denver, but at the time, denver was still wayyyyyyyyyyy nicer than baltimore. the fact that the colts fled town in the middle of the night (as the senators had done before them, in washington), makes his decision that much more intelligent, in retrospect.

    oh yeah, had he gone to baltimore, he'd have ended up in that well known vacation mecca, indianoppolis!

    Re Eli: poor PR. (none / 0) (#30)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:38:00 PM EST


    Parent
    Me too. Between LA and Bal... (none / 0) (#31)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 12:44:08 PM EST
    I'm choosing LA. But the NFL rules provide otherwise and the guys you mention just found a way to circumvent the system -- a system I must that has proved rather successful over the years. Now once the NFL changes its rules, hey, that's another matter.  

    Parent
    With Elway, I don't think it had anything to (none / 0) (#40)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:21:55 PM EST
    do with geography, it had to do with the fact that he wanted to play on a winning team - and at that point, Baltimore sucked.  I get that, but I wonder why it was that Elway didn't give any thought to being the guy who could make Baltimore a winning team, and instead, just wanted to slot into an already-winning program?  To me, and to a lot of others in this town, Elway's tantrum was the antithesis of sportsmanship, and it was probably more for that reason that whatever respect he got in later years was for his ability and not, particularly, his character.

    The draft isn't set up to cater to the rookies, but to build the best team possible, which is why teams pick in the reverse order to how they finished - yeah, there's a lot of horse-trading within that structure, and that's part of the fun - but when the Elways and the Mannings pout and whine - and get their way - it takes an element of sportsmanship out of it.

    If you're in Virginia, you know well what a sore spot the Colts' leaving Baltimore was; in some ways, people were glad to see Irsay leave - he was a horrible owner, who was probably the one primarily responsibile for the team going so bad.  What saved the Colts after they got to Indianapolis was Jimmy Irsay - I'm glad for Indy they got a better owner.

    And we're pretty happy here with the Ravens and Steve Bisciotti, and looking forward to a great 2009 season.

    Parent

    Harvin to the Ravens? (none / 0) (#46)
    by caseyOR on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:06:03 PM EST
    One of the sports guys in this morning's Oregonian listed his predictions for the NFL draft. He has Baltimore picking Florida's very own Percy Harvin.

    Anne, if this happens maybe BTD will start dropping by your neck of the woods. Or does BTD limit his player loyalty to current members of the Florida roster?

    USC's QB Mark Sanchez is in the draft. Although Matt Hasselbeck is on record stating that the Seahawks do not need another quarterback ( I doubt poor Matt has more than one season left in him, if that), pretty much everyone else is hoping Seattle drafts Sanchez.

    Parent

    I would be very surprised if (none / 0) (#53)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:32:17 PM EST
    Baltimore picks Harvin, I really would; I think there is some thought that Harvin may drop to Round 2.

    The latest that I heard earlier today is that the Ravens would take Brandon Pettigrew if he's still on the board at 26 (of course "sources" also have us giving Arizona our #2 pick and Todd Heap for Anquan Boldin - I'd love to see Boldin on the Ravens, but who knows what will happen).

    One thing no one can argue with: Ozzie Newsome is masterful at the draft (for the most part!), and I have no qualms about who we end up with.

    Parent

    Jets get Sanchez... (none / 0) (#56)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:50:45 PM EST
    ...but fear not Seahawk fans, you got the best LB in the draft and it fills a big hole.  The 12th Man true believers had just better hope Hasselbeck's back holds out for awhile.

    Parent
    The shock is Heyward-Bey (none / 0) (#60)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:06:28 PM EST
    going to Oakland over Michael Crabtree...DHB's got great speed, but he's a project.

    Parent
    When Al Davis is involved... (none / 0) (#62)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:16:02 PM EST
    ...nothing is a shock.  Al does love him some speed and the vertical passing game.  

    Crazy as the old goat is, I too miss the long ball of yesterday.  The dink and dunk offenses of today aren't nearly as exciting as the bomb.

    Parent

    Fred Biletnikoff all gummied up! (none / 0) (#65)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:30:28 PM EST
    back in the day when they could catch long passes with their elbows {grin}

    I also liked the mud games of old . . .

    Parent

    Sounds like a pure Raiders pick ;) (none / 0) (#63)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:21:17 PM EST
    I used to be SUCH a die hard Raiders fan. Then moved to SF about the time the 49ers rose to the top in 80's. I was in heaven for a couple years as they traded superbowls, lol!~  That LA move really burned me. Glad they are back where they belong.

    Since I'm moving back to CA, I'll be doing 49er/Raider/Jets cheering next season, along with going for a 3-peat in one of my fantasy leagues. :)

    And yes, I've totally ditched the Yankee game, the draft is pretty fun {grin}

    Parent

    Crabtree's a 9er!!!! (none / 0) (#64)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:21:56 PM EST


    Parent
    The Bronco's picking a RB... (none / 0) (#68)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:50:40 PM EST
    ...is shock considering they are so bad on defense and there were a couple of good LB's on the board.  

    Hello 4 and 12!

    Parent

    Denver was just as bad... (none / 0) (#50)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:16:53 PM EST
    ...as the Colts back then.  Certainly not what you'd call a "winning team".  

    I know a Colts fan will never understand this, but it was more an issue of wanting to be close to his family (in CA).  Denver is much closer than Baltimore to Cali.  It's not like he didn't warn the East coast clubs of his intentions not to play out there.

    Parent

    The Lions Have Not Made a Good Pick Since 1988 (none / 0) (#33)
    by aeguy on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 01:34:39 PM EST
    When they selected the greatest running back ever, Barry Sanders. I'm a Gator, I love Emmitt, but he doesn't compare. I love a running back debate. I argue with my grandfather all the time about Jim Brown vs. Walter Payton vs. Barry Sanders.

    Jim Brown (none / 0) (#39)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:11:40 PM EST


    Parent
    2x (none / 0) (#49)
    by Natal on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:12:39 PM EST
    He demolished tacklers.

    Parent
    Sure did (none / 0) (#72)
    by cal1942 on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 05:04:28 PM EST


    Parent
    Let's not overlook one of the other great (none / 0) (#42)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:46:15 PM EST
    backs of the Lions -- Billy Sims. What truly amazed me most about Sanders was his excellent ability for having such a small size. As a footnote, I went to the same high school as Barry,some years earlier, of course.

    Parent
    can't go wrong with any of the three... (none / 0) (#70)
    by of1000Kings on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:57:05 PM EST
    Payton may have been the best combo of smooth/smashing...

    Sanders was even more amazing because he did it all while being pretty small...

    they are the top 3 though...in no particular order...

    Parent

    Lack of charactor or not... (none / 0) (#43)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:58:25 PM EST
    ...we'll still keep our two back-to-back Super Bowl championships.  Elway would have always been compared to the greatest QB of all time, John Unitas, had he played for the Colts.  No such pressure in Denver.

    Now any Denver QB must live with the constant pressure of being compared to Elway. Following in a legend's footsteps is never easy.

    What's really funny/sad is that the GOP's bench of contenders for Governor (and Senator) is so depleted that Elway is constantly being rumored as being put up for a state-wide run.  

    /born and bred Baltimore Colts fan

    You're so right about playing in his shadow, (none / 0) (#45)
    by easilydistracted on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:02:10 PM EST
    MH. BTW, does he still live in that Cherry Hills area. And, does he still own all those car dealerships?

    Parent
    Yeah, he still lives... (none / 0) (#48)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:10:35 PM EST
    ...in Cherry Hills.  Dating an ex-Raiders (traitor!) cheerleader probably half his age.  Sold off his car dealerships and now has a couple of restuarants.  

    Speaking of playing in shadows, his also-QB son quit the ASU football squad.  Decided football wasn't his thing.

    Parent

    Mets win and . . . (none / 0) (#47)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:07:04 PM EST
    finish just in time for first pitch at Fenway :)  Burnett and Becket, should be fun . . .

    Another interesting court ruling... (none / 0) (#51)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:26:24 PM EST
    ...coming out of Iowa.

    A Polk County judge has ruled that the Iowa Board of Pharmacy must examine whether marijuana has an accepted medical use - a decision some said could thaw the debate on its use for medical purposes in Iowa.

    The ruling Thursday by District Judge Joel Novak does not legalize medical marijuana in Iowa. Instead, it requires the pharmacy board to consider whether marijuana is properly classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under state law.

    A novel way to go about it.

    that's interesting news MH... (none / 0) (#71)
    by of1000Kings on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 05:03:04 PM EST
    I love it...what an interesting way to go about the issue of MM...

    it's so true, though, that it's classification NEEDS to be addressed; there are so many people out there who could be helped by MM as opposed to taking some pill that probably gives them stomach bleeding or a heart attack (although marijuana isn't great for hearts, either, if the person already has a heart problem...I believe that marijuana may have contributed to Darryl Kile's unfortunate death)

    I'm going to have to keep track of how things go there in my neighbor state...

    Parent

    Hmmm, I wonder what the FDA warning on commercials (none / 0) (#74)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 05:37:23 PM EST
    for MM would sound like? Aside from dry mouth, munchies and "chill" mode, lol!~

    I think my fav all time FDA side effects warning was for a drug that would help you feel more comfortable in public. The possible side effects were enough to make a shy person run and hide in a heartbeat!  ;)

    Parent

    I like it too... (none / 0) (#75)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 05:48:21 PM EST
    ...takes some of the politics out of it and puts the issue in the hands of a (hopefully) more objective group of decision makers.  

    Parent
    Wow - looks like Sanchez is (none / 0) (#54)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:41:16 PM EST
    going to the Jets - Cleveland traded their #4 spot to the Jets, who need a QB.

    They just announced it on (none / 0) (#55)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 03:45:17 PM EST
    the Yankee broadcast. Short on experience, long on talent is how he was described.

    Who the heck did we give to Cleveland?!

    Parent

    According to the AP (none / 0) (#58)
    by Anne on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:04:31 PM EST
    which meshes with what I heard on ESPN:

    The Jets acquired the pick from Cleveland and former coach Eric Mangini for their first-round pick, No. 17 overall, their second-round pick this year, and defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam and quarterback Brett Ratliff.

    Was it a good deal?

    Parent

    Just saw an interview with Sanchez (none / 0) (#61)
    by nycstray on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:15:16 PM EST
    He seems very happy :)

    The coach is a defensive minded coach, so I'm guessing it is a good deal (only Coleman is a starter). Sanchez sounds like he's going to be competitive for the starting slot. Said he was really pleased to get the call. Seems like a good guy on first impression. Kinda cute too ;) Our biggest need is QB, so if he's competitive and rises to the occasion, very cool.

    Parent

    Can't believe the Raiders (none / 0) (#59)
    by Makarov on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:05:54 PM EST
    passed on Crabtree. It makes no sense.

    Need some Grass Roots help boys and girls (none / 0) (#67)
    by of1000Kings on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:46:29 PM EST
    sort of...

    I'm trying to pimp a design I made for a Designbyhumans.com t-shirt competition.

    If you're not familiar with DBH.com it is a pretty cool site where artists/designers can post t-shirt designs in hopes of having the t-shirt printed by DBH.  DBH sells the shirts on-line and in stores across the country (including places like Nordstrom's).

    If you're into t-shirts it's a cool place to check out anyway, as you'll get some designs that you won't find from any other brand.

    With all that being said, though, I'm not trying to pimp DBH, I'm trying to pimp a design I made for a DBH contest to design a shirt for Lil Wayne.

    So if you have a couple minutes check out the site; you have to register to vote but it literally takes like two minutes at most.  

    Here is my design

    feel free to comment and criticize if you do check it out, and feel just as free to vote for a different shirt or browse the site.

    Much appreciated...

    p.s. I didn't give you guys a lot of notice, the voting ends tomorrow.

    How's ya'lls breeze errrm whirl wind (none / 0) (#69)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 04:55:40 PM EST
    I mean draft coming along?  Anything exciting?

    Just concentrate on Percy: (none / 0) (#82)
    by oculus on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 06:54:36 PM EST
    link

    He tested positive for marijuana recently but NFL doesn't care.

    Parent

    It took a bit to figure out what making (none / 0) (#84)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 08:10:04 AM EST
    contact with an official meant :)  I did finally figure out that it wasn't a phone call he made in High School :)  So, he has all this athletic talent and maybe some temper and he doesn't care if we know he probably smokes a little weed.  I thought that drug testing athletes was about the steriod thing, something that could excessively affect their natural athletic abilities. I know why my husband gets tested for drugs that might hamper his coordination.  It has to do with flying and being responsible for weapons and preforming well in volitile situations.  Why is it an issue for professional athletes?

    Parent
    Well, Percy wasn't a "professional" (none / 0) (#85)
    by oculus on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 10:06:09 AM EST
    athlete yet.  He left college early to be in the NFL draft.  I didn't read the details of when the dirty test was taken.  

    Parent
    He tested positive... (none / 0) (#86)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 10:21:42 AM EST
    ...at the NFL Combine.  Therefore, he's automatically already in the league's substance abuse program.  Another positive test for MJ/other drugs or alcohol related offense and he's looking at a suspension.  

    Everyone knows they're going to get tested at the Combine, so it was pretty stupid to think you can get away with something.  

    Parent

    Although, as I recall, (none / 0) (#87)
    by oculus on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 10:46:24 AM EST
    no way to determine how long the THC was in his system.

    Parent
    Irrelevant. (none / 0) (#88)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 12:23:11 PM EST
    Except for hair testing, MJ is not detected after 6 to 8 weeks of non-use (depending on amount used).  In the real world, if you know you're going to be tested (and have a date certain), you quit using at least a month before.  

    To test positive at the Combine shows:

    a) a serious abuse problem;
    b) ignorance; or
    c) an attitude that says "I'm a star and don't care if I test positive, I'm going to get drafted high in the first round anyway".

    Anyway you slice it, they're all red flags.

    Parent

    What is the source for (none / 0) (#89)
    by oculus on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 12:28:50 PM EST
    first paragraph of your comment?  Thanks.

    Parent
    It's pretty much common... (none / 0) (#90)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 12:38:03 PM EST
    ...knowledge within the sub-culture.  Here are some links addressing the issue.

    Link

    Link

    Parent

    I was curious as to whether (none / 0) (#91)
    by oculus on Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 12:43:34 PM EST
    lab tests can not definitely establish when the user "used."  Apparently not.  No change.

    Parent
    Sensitivo (none / 0) (#79)
    by lentinel on Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 06:34:20 PM EST
    I will probably be accused of being too politically correct, but I cannot believe that in this day and age we actually have a team called the "Redskins".

    Is there any difference between this appellation and similar ethnic designations? Why is this tolerated?

    Can we look forward to the Redskins meeting the JewishNoses in the Superbowl? Go 'Skins. Go 'Noses.

    Saturday Morning Open Thread | 91 comments (91 topical)

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