Edwards Decision Unacceptable

Recently, two John Edwards’ bloggers mocked religion. Amanda Marcotte labeled Catholicism “ancient mythology.” Melissa McEwan disparaged President Bush’s supporters as the "wingnut Christofascist base." Each utilized profanity. Neither has been fired.

These bloggers retaining employment is laughable. They attacked people of faith. They condemned the institution of religion. They should be fired. Their non-dismissal is emblematic of Edwards’ integrity and the character of his campaign.

Teresa & Dale Jr.: They’re Done

"The main factor is the ownership part," said Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Junior). "It has nothing to do with money and nothing else really. ... My father has been gone for five, six years now. I want majority ownership. That's basically it."

Teresa Earnhardt is a businesswoman. Dale Earnhardt was not a seven-time champion in her eyes, he was a cash register. She simply rang the bell and took the money. Junior is petulant child. Despite lackluster statistics, he has invoked entitlement. This clash does not concern fortune, fame, or money. Simply stated, this battle is ego. This mêlée affects whose name will reside over the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated door.

Questions layer this conflict. Junior has stated no interest in ownership. Why should he inherit control? Teresa’s concern is shaping Dale Earnhardt’s legacy. For her, does racing matter? Neither believes they can coexist. Has their past condemned contract negotiations? Both are identified with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Can either survive separately?

Previously, Junior and DEI survived on a handshake. Two seasons ago, he forced a contract. Last season, Richard Childress resigned Kevin Harvick. What are Junior’s options upon departure? Harvick’s teammate appears the lone answer. Junior is Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Teresa is an afterthought. Can she maintain the franchise upon his exit? What is Budweiser’s future?

Teresa and Junior’s images stand irreparably shattered. Teresa is now the widow who would not share. Junior is now the spoiled second generation with demands. There will be no resolution. Their season is irrelevant. The campaign has been eclipsed by their nuclear winter.

Survivor Spectacular!

Their twists are subtle. They never obliterate their premise. They never eviscerate their objective. They merely regenerate interest with an ingenious tweak. On Thursday, Survivor debuted with a delicate augmentation. The premiere showcased why the CBS franchise is reality’s finest and amongst television’s best.

The episode commenced with shelter building. The nineteen contestants constructed an elaborate shelter, which included a shower, couch, and sleeping quarters. Following a tribal draft, the factions competed in an immunity\reward challenge. The winners would inhabit the shelter. The losers would inhabit a barren beach.

Akin to Survivor twelve, this season features Exile Island. However, this year’s version is infested with snakes. Overall, Survivor thirteen began complex and shocking. The episode was brilliant. This season should produce countless memorable moments.

Phillips: A Non-Winning Bum

Wade Phillips is an NFL legend’s son. He has starred as a defensive coordinator. However, he is twice fired head coach. He is winless in the playoffs. His average record is 9-7. Despite the aforementioned, Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones hired Phillips. "We needed to get it right," Jones said amidst tears. "In my mind, we got it right."

Simply stated, Jones is wrong. Phillips was the worst considered candidate. He is a chronic underachiever. He is notoriously lenient. He will not end the Cowboys winless playoff decade. Cockily, Phillips disagreed. "It's great to have these cowboy boots back in Texas," said Phillips. "[Jones] feels like and I feel like I was the best fit for this job. ... I think I can make an immediate impact."

The Cowboys face a myriad of problems. Their quarterback is young and inconsistent. Their offensive line is aging. Their defense is erratic. Then, there is Terrell Owens. Last season, Owens tortured and tormented Bill Parcells. Owens worst visibly wore the stoic legend. Next season, Owens’ antics may destroy the marshmallow Phillips.

Phillips is a career assistant. He can aid winning. However, he cannot win. Three seasons subsequent, when Phillips is fired, Jones will realize his mistake. However, that moment will stand fourteen years from a Super Bowl victory.

Sport’s Perfect Blend

Simply stated, they are sport’s grandest rivalry. Eight miles divide them. However, their compositions and aspirations are cavernous. Conversely, their basketball is comparable. Their legacies are monumental. Their fans, traditions, and alumni are collegiate standards. For eighty minutes a season, they are sport’s world.

Duke is academia personified. Their students are pre-med, pre-law, pre-pillars of society. Basketball savvy, character adverse teenagers are unwelcome. Duke’s starters may lack talent. However, their term is student-athlete.

North Carolina is leisure learning. Their students are not incorrigible. With that stated, their southern belles and weekend wreckers know alcohol. North Carolina basketball flaunts a professional pedigree. From Michael to Rasheed, their simultaneous goals are championships and lottery position.

On Wednesday, Duke and North Carolina clashed. The score is irrelevant. For two hours, breathing halted and pulses exploded. Fans were privileged witnesses of sport’s paramount contention. Ultimately, a winner and loser were realized and fans began craving another edition.

Sexual Invitation?

Christina Aguilera: "We claim ourselves to be the coziest couple ever. We have something called 'naked Sundays.’ You have to keep marriage alive, spice it up. We do everything naked.”

Given Christina’s appearance, how would one stay out of bed?

Televising Their Growth

College recruiting is important.

Seven hours of coverage, positional rankings, two screen crawls, interviews, continuous analysis…

Was I watching the NFL Draft? (Sadly, I was not)

Good-Bye Vickie Lynn

Anna Nicole Smith
(1967-2007)

Acting Champions

They could have trumpeted their success. However, boasting is not them. They could have excoriated their detractors. Yet, they are not vindictive. They could have screamed, taunted, and celebrated publicly. These have never been their actions. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy are the definition of champions. Champions never have to proclaim their greatness.

On Sunday, Manning and Dungy won their ring. Their victory accentuated their greatness. Their accomplishment blighted their critics. Unfortunately for those chattering, Manning and Dungy never listened. For them, validation and maligning their critics was irrelevant. They were never consumed with doubt. They stood confident in their skill.

Manning is a superior quarterback. Sans a ring, he would have been an NFL legend. Those who chided him as a loser were uninformed. Yet, Manning never heard their analysis. He never answered their platitudes. He merely competed every snap. He could have become bitter and arrogant. Instead, his critical ignorance, allowed him to represent the NFL.

Dungy’s victory was historical. He could have chastised poor minority hiring. He could have asserted leadership in the African-American community. Humbly, he praised his predecessors and ignored his merits. Additionally, he could have condemned Tampa Bay. He knew he could win. However, why should one say this, when they know?

Manning and Dungy are American examples. They are also better than I. The vast majority of us would have stormed the stage. We would have decreed our brilliance. Fortunately, Manning and Dungy acted exemplary. Their speech and manner was a model for both the NFL and our self absorbed nation.

Favre Happens Amidst Packers’ Plans

Aaron Rodgers was sliding. The Green Bay Packers draft choice was imminent. Given, Rodgers’ immense prowess, the Packers selected the California quarterback. Their decision was merely preemptive. Brett Favre was aging. His retirement would not occur tomorrow. Yet, retirement was a daunting possibility. This scenario transpired three years ago.

On Friday, Favre announced his return next season. Following an 8-8 season, he declared rejuvenation. "I am so excited about coming back," Favre said. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that's encouraging. My offensive line looks good, the defense played good down the stretch. I'm excited about playing for a talented young football team."

Rodgers is talented. He was a projected top ten selection. He possesses both physical skills and game knowledge. With that stated, he is not Favre. Favre resurrected Green Bay’s franchise. Favre won a Super Bowl. Favre has won multiple most valuable player awards. Despite these accomplishments, most franchises would discard him. They would shed him as fossilized garbage. This will not be Favre’s fate.

Favre is legend. He is the existing equivalent of a Vince Lombardi Packer. He has survived injuries, drug addition, and family adversity. He has never missed a Sunday. He has ignored pain. He has prospered in anguish. Favre has earned the decision to exit.

The trend is younger. Society values youth. NFL franchises seek and covet youth. Eventually, Rodgers will start. However, he will never replace Favre. Favre is grit and toughness. Favre is Green Bay’s franchise. Ultimately, he will exit. Not before choosing to leave.

Payback?

NFL players are not legends. They are not champions. They are circus acts. They do not retire to stud. They are not afforded the lush confines of a zoo. The athletes are ground. Once unusable, they are silently paraded into a pasture and shot.

Ted Johnson suffers from an amphetamine addiction, depression, headaches, and post concussion syndrome. Willie Wood has endured back, neck, spine, and hip surgeries. Mike Webster died broke and homeless. Former coach and tight end Mike Ditka encapsulates the disgust of witnessing these atrocities.

"It's a disgrace," Ditka said. "The owners ought to be ashamed of themselves. The owners are financiers, and they are all about making money. They don't care about the history of the game. [NFLPA executive director] Gene Upshaw? Come on. You can get somebody off the street to do what he is doing, and you will pay him a whole lot less. You've got [players] today making millions of dollars. All we are saying is we got a lot of guys that started this game that have a lot of problems health wise and mental wise. I say help them out. Help them out. Let them die with a little dignity and a little respect."

The NFL is a cash industry. The organization is America’s most profitable sport. With that stated, they do not guarantee contracts. They cut players without warning. The average career is thirty-six months. Hall of Famers laid the billion dollar foundation. Yet, they are crippled, crumbled, and dying. They are not visible. They are not even afterthoughts. They deserve more.

Football is celebrated. The violence is glorified. The violence producing warriors are celebrated. Then, the celebrating ceases. However, the effects of the violence do not. As Ditka stated, the NFL is money. The question is why have they not compensated those who made the wealth possible?

Ad Rates

Commercials, aired between kickoff and post game, listed by break. Rating scale between one lowest and ten highest.

Bud Light (Rock\Paper\Scissors) 8
Doritos (Amateur) 6
Blockbuster (Mouse) 10

Sierra Mist (Shorts) 4
Sales Genie (Salesman) 4
Sierra Mist (Karate) 3

Toyota (Ramp) 5
Fed Ex (Space) 7
Bud Light (Auctioneer) 7

Snickers (Manly) 1
Schick (Heezee) 4

Chevrolet (Singing) 10
Bud Light (Speak English) 7

Go Daddy.com (Marketing) 4
Coke (Grand Theft Auto Parody) 8

Budweiser (Dalmation) 5
Garmin (Robot) 1

Career Builder.com (#1) 5

Bud Light (Slap) 8
Your Risk.com (Heart Disease) 2

Chevrolet (Robot Suicide) 2
Coke (Dick Tracy) 7

Sprint (CD) 7
Coke (Black History Month) 6

E-Trade (Robbery) 6
Coke (January) 5
Bud Light (Hitchhiker) 5
Revlon (Sherryl Crow) 7

Career Builder (#2) 1
Taco Bell (Talking Lions) 5
Izod (Rewind) 6

Emerald Nuts (Robert Goulet Away) 7

Fed Ex (Board Room) 6
Nationwide (Kevin Federline) 8

Cargill (Delivery) 6

Budweiser (Crab) 5
Prudential (Rock) 7

HP (American Chopper) 9
Izod (Winter) 7
Budweiser (Don Shula\Jay-Z) 8

E-Trade (One Finger) 8
Career Builder (#3) 2

Honda (Gap) 7
NFL.com (Super Bowl Contest) 9

Michelin (Toughness) 7
California (Cheese) 7

Volvo (Country) 7

Prince, Joel, Cirque – Stars All Shine

Cirque Du Soleil’s performers are amazing. Unfortunately, Miami’s drenching weather subdued their act. The aerials were smaller. The neon ensembles were displaced by the darkened skies and pelting drops. Despite dull music and the aforementioned weather, Cirque’s performance was proficient. However, the performance was less than expected.

Despite the rain worsening, Billy Joel’s national anthem was excellent. While rain drops covered his piano, Joel’s singing was understated and classic. The mood created brightened the impending doom.

Prince’s halftime was incredible. His music was energizing. His backdrop struck the perfect visual tone. Simply stated, Prince exceeded expectations. He also transcended generations. His halftime possessed a song for everyone. Prince’s show was amongst the greatest in Super Bowl history.

Schieffer, Nantz Kiss Goodell

On Sunday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appeared on CBS’ Face the Nation. The serious venue, traditionally reserved for politicians, was an opportunity to address difficult topics. Instead, host Bob Schieffer and guest host Jim Nantz spent ten minutes coddling Goodell.

Both Schieffer and Nantz should be embarrassed. They had a chance to broach complex subjects. They had a responsibility to discuss those subjects. This forum was not meant for patronization. The environment should have been adversarial. Both Schieffer and Nantz blighted journalism. They should be ashamed. CBS should be ashamed of them.

The NFL is facing a turbulent period. Their pension agenda, treatment of players, and player’s actions should be scrutinized. Goodell rarely submits to questioning. Thus, Sunday morning was unique. Schieffer and Nantz had Goodell and they threw softballs. Their gaffe was not merely a missed opportunity. Their error was a pathetic disservice.

Reid’s Family American, Not NFL

Last week, Andy Reid’s sons found trouble. Twenty-three year old Garrett was involved in an automobile accident. Subsequently, the police discovered two handguns, ammunition, white powder, and additional items in his car. Twenty-one year old Britt threatened someone with a gun. Police also seized his vehicle, eight clear baggies with white residue" and a pharmacy bottle with a "green leafy" substance inside.

When acts are committed by one earning ten thousand dollars per year, no one cares. When acts are committed by one earning ten million dollars per year, everyone cares. The predicament facing Reid and his sons is not unique. This mess has been encountered by families across our nation. One should consider this before judgment.

Reid’s sons have violated the law. However, they are not a reflection of their father. He is not irresponsible. We should not condemn Reid, his family, or his parenting. We should hope they receive help. We should also remember this episode when we hear of similar circumstances.

CBS Rewrites Rules

Situation comedy is passé. The formulaic assist and punch line configuration dooms the vast majority of pilots. For every winner, there are a dozen humorless losers. On Monday, CBS scored with “Rules of Engagement.”

Featuring a married, engaged, single male triad, the program profiles and stabs accepted stereotypes. Showcased were situations all can relate with. While this subject has been previously broached, Rules was not stale. The writing was smart and witty. The acting did not mar the hilarious words.

The show is not perfect. David Spade’s character must remain flip and sarcastic. The married, Al Bundy-esque character could easily be overdone. With that stated, the freshman episode was fantastic. Amidst a darkened lot of sitcom coal, Rules of Engagement may be a diamond.

A Request For Aaron Sorkin

Please couple Matt Albie and Harriet Hayes. They are adorable. Their differences are stark. However, they are also uniting. Matt’s glib, liberal viewpoint perfectly contrasts and compliments Harriet’s bright, evangelical disposition.

Their divergence is beautiful. They represent thousands of American couples. Yes, they quarrel. However, their passion is their relationship’s substance. Their passion molds them. They may never be perfect together. They would never be themselves apart. Again I ask, please couple Matt and Harriet. They are the word relationship.

The Hot Five

A quintet of sizzling conversation starters.

The Big Five

For reasons good and bad… they were the news.

Feeling & Unfeeling Sorry

Last week, Heidi celebrated her birthday. She said Audrina was not invited. Being a friend, Audrina decided to show and wish Heidi happy birthday. Following their exchange, Audrina broached the subject of Spencer. Heidi ignored. Audrina pressed the issue. Drama quickly ensued.

Poor Audrina. After Jen screamed at her, she departed the club crying. The next day, Lauren, Whitney, and Audrina met for lunch. Their conversation appeared awkward and forced. Lauren was not comforting or sympathetic. Audrina may have precipitated this situation. However, she did not deserve dustbin treatment.

As for Lauren, she concluded the episode in Brody’s condominium. Allegedly, she has no interest in dating. However, she met Brody for lunch. They also shared multiple kisses as the credits rolled. Brody may be a nice. However, three thoughts accompany him… Kristin, Kristin, Kristin.

This week, Spencer and Heidi began with lunch. During their meal, Heidi mentioned her dress being dissed. The aforesaid perturbed Spencer. Moments later, he accosted, menaced, and threatened Elodi’s boyfriend, who said this. Spencer is a jackass. Previously, he has acted as a jackass. With that stated, this lunch elevated his ignorance level.

His idiocy continued. With Heidi absent, Spencer accompanied three playmates to Area. Spencer flirted and arranged a naked playmate picnic. Amidst his reveling, Heidi, Lauren, and Jen arrived at Area. Brody charmed Lauren. However, Heidi quickly discovered Spencer’s charade. This facilitated the trio’s departure.

Monday’s episode ended with Heidi crying. You assume she would learn. However, previews indicate Spencer and her will speak. I feel no sorrow for her. Spencer is a jerk. He is a worst male specimen. Heidi should cease their contact. Unfortunately, Heidi appears enamored with him. Thus, why should one feel sympathize with her? One cannot coddle someone attracted to pain.

Two-A-Days Trips

Max as narrator? Rush Propst mellowed? Cheerleaders as main characters? Two-A-Days second season premiere generated more questions than answers. Whereas season one featured electric personalities and turbulent storylines, this opening episode was colorless. Sans Probt’s screaming and a sizzling lead, Two-A-Days flavor was bland.

Last season, MTV chronicled Hoover’s icebreaker. This season began with game four. The episode was also poorly constructed. Players were scarcely introduced. Quarterback Ross Wilson, this season’s Alex Bender, was never shown off the field. He was never his helmet. I believe he said ten words. Wilson as a lead is an extreme miscalculation. He has the personality of sand.

This episode also paraded Alabama stereotypes. The wide receiver spends post homecoming obsessed with his poor play. The cheerleader states she will attend Ross’ college choice. From moment one to thirty, the draconian aspect was showcased. This must reverse. Otherwise, Hoover may score more victories than viewers.

Line of the Morning

Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

“Oh no, it’s fine to vote for the resolution, but the—complaining at this historic moment in American history is not enough.”

Super Bowl Reaction

Indianapolis Star
Indy celebrates Super Bowl victory

Chicago Tribune
Bears fall in sloppy Super Bowl
Gunslinger Grossman shoots his team in foot

Evansville Courier-Press
Wild and wonderful

Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette
Colts win Super Bowl XLI

South Bend Tribune
Colts win Super Bowl

Arlington Heights Daily Herald
Manning, Colts soak in Super Bowl victory

Peoria Journal Star
SUPER BOWL XLI: Colts 29, Bears 17