All this fuss about dogs???

Alright, this is the last vent I'm going to have about Mr. Vick until he's sentenced. He finally plead guilty today so now we can start the getting over it process. He gave a press conference afterwards filled with the usual remorse, redemption and God talk that comes along with impending jail time. He looked dejected to be honest, but I didn't expect anything less. I'm so ready for this to be over! I'm tired of hearing about Mike Vick, dogs, PETA, suspensions and all of it! I'm going to take a very unpopular stance on this issue because no one else seems to have the balls too! (I don't have balls either, but I'm just sayin) I also find it hard to believe everyone in the media is as outraged by this series of events as they claim. Given the way the likes of Marbury and others like him who support Vick have been treated, I can see why most people would just fall in line. (they're punks) Anyway, they're just dogs! Yeah, I said it. They're just dogs! Dog fighting is illegal and something I'd never watch, but dammit, they're just dogs! Maybe I have this view of dogs being inferior because um I don't know, they are. I've had some bad experiences with dogs growing up as far as being chased and attacked and etc. so excuse me if I don't hold a dog's life on the same pedestal as a human's. You'll never see me sleeping on the floor with a dog, or carrying a dog around in my purse or any of this other ridiculous stuff that people do. That's just not the type of person I am. If you are a dog person, have at it! Dogs are cute and cuddly and are very prevalent in American households, but in other countries dogs get deep fried just like chickens do because they're animals. I think Its hypocritical of anyone who eats meat to act like they are against animals being killed for our enjoyment. Is eating out not one of the most popular ways we entertain ourselves on a daily basis? Whether its a night out with friends, entertaining clients, celebrating a promotion or any number of things. We relish every opportunity to go have a steak, chicken breast, rib, pork chop or fresh piece of salmon. Now all of a sudden killing animals is the most reprehensible act imaginable? Stop it! Don't come at me with the argument that the animals we eat are killed humanely. Oh really? Ask the cow who just took one to the head how he feels? I'd have to assume he'd disagree. We aren't a country that sits around and snacks on leaves and berries 3 times a day so we need to stop acting like we are! If you want to come off as one of these radical animal activist, then you have to treat all animals with the same regard. Let's not just single out the ones who are cute and cuddly and will roll over and sit at our command. Dog fighting is illegal so Mike Vick should be punished, but his whole life shouldn't be ruined behind this. That's just ridiculous. Let's forget about the everyday Joe's who commit crimes that are far worse than killing dogs and just focus on some athletes who were involved in criminal activity that in my humble opinion was way worse than this. Let's start with Patrick Kerney who had a rape take place in his home, but he supposedly knew nothing about it because he was asleep. He may not have raped her, but you can't tell me that there's absolutely no accountability on his part. Now, there is no way in hell a woman could have been raped in Vick's crib and everyone not put some form of blame on him. There were simple questions that no one has bothered to ask and that is what's reprehensible. The rape of a woman is far worse than killing a dog. I don't give a damn what anyone says! Just to name another, Danny Heatley killed his homeboy while driving drunk. He got off with barely a slap on the wrist. Aside from killing his teammate, he put everyone else on the road that night in danger. All I remember hearing from everyone was remorse for this young man who had just killed one of his closest friends. Apparently that guilt was punishment enough in the eyes of the media. Whatever. Remember Ray Lewis and Leonard Little? I won't go into detail, but let's just say murder and drunk driving were involved. I'm not here to make excuses for Mike, he broke the law so he should be punished. All I'm saying is worse laws have been broken without a smidgen of the outrage that has been shown here. We need to reevaluate our priorities if killing dogs is worse than rape and murder. I'm just sayin....

Random Stuff

So, I'm tired of this whole Michael Vick fiasco, but when something new happens I must make mention of it. He is apparently not going to plead guilty to killing any dogs or gambling on any dog fights. The only thing he's going to plead guilty to is the charge of interstate commerce for the purpose of dog fighting. ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson says that there's no way the judge will let Vick not plead to these other charges when his 3 co-defendants already plead guilty to them. He may be right about the judge not letting Vick skate on those issues, but his reasoning makes no sense to me. What in the hell does your pleading guilty to something have to do with me? Just because those other 3 said they killed dogs that doesn't mean Vick had to have killed any. If he didn't (he probably did) then why the hell should he have to say he did just because the other 3 said they did. That makes absolutely no sense to me. I guess we'll see what happens Monday.
The USA beat the hell out of the US Virgin Islands. Kobe turned 29 today. He's getting a little long in the tooth Mitch. Help a brotha out!
Tim Donaghy is apparently still going to get his pension from the NBA which would be around $78,000 for the next 10 years. Wow.
The WNBA playoffs have started and I actually watched most of the Indiana/Connecticut game. it went into triple OT with Connecticut ultimately winning. The game was so intense as well it should be considering its a best of 3 series. The NBA should adopt that format. I hate the fact that teams are unfazed by a loss early in a series. You could tell by the looks on the women's faces that whoever lost that game was going to be stressed as hell! It was a great game and the first triple ot game in WNBA playoff history.

Yanks, Donald Young

Yanks won Sux lost. They needed to win considering they got the hell beat out of them 18-9 last night and they were 2 games into that 3 game losing streak I told ya'll might happen. Damn you Mike Mussina. Andy Pettite Pitched tonight and all is well.
The FIBA Americas games have started and we (USA) have to at least make it to the Finals to qualify for the Olympics. I'm not really all that worried about the team to be honest. Kobe Bryant will be the difference.
Remember that teenage colored tennis player Donald Young I told ya'll about a long time ago? He played a hell of a game against Davedynko. (or however the hell you spell his name) Anyway, the kid had him on the ropes, but he couldn't put him away. He looks like he has a bright future ahead of him. His emergence would do wonders for American tennis and it might get more young colored boys interested in playing. He could revolutionize the game like Serena and Venus did. Serena made everyone step their costume game up for damn sure. It used to be shorts and tanks, but she broke out that black catsuit a few years ago and changed the game completely. He came out there with his hat cocked to the side and he had diamond studs in his ears! He also has dimples and he's absolutely adorable. There's definitely marketing potential there. Nike better make it happen!
I hate Bill Walton, just thought I'd throw that out there.

Okay, Free Mike Vick for Real

7 decided to take the deal and he'll plead guilty on Monday. Sigh. Bless his little guilty heart! I guess now all we have to look forward to is the sentencing. This is of course one of the biggest days in Atlanta sports history and I'm not even in town to listen to the fans. Darnitt! I don't know how long 7 will survive in jail! He isn't the biggest fella and he just looks like he'd be somebody's girlfriend. I'm just sayin............

Free Mike Vick!

Yanks won, Sux lost. Yanks are now only 4 games behind the Sux. Enter 3 game losing streak. It's bound to happen because it has happened several times this season. They close the gap just enough to get our hopes up, then they falter. I totally hope it doesn't happen, but I'm prepared for it if it does.
Johan Santana was a monster today. The Twins need to go ahead and trade him to the Yankees and quit playing. He struck out 17 through 8 innings. Damn.
Troy Smith didn't look terrible for the Ravens tonight, I hope he at least makes the team. He's a cutie!
Roger Federer beat the hell out of James Blake to win his 50th tournament title. There isn't a more dominant athlete in sports right now.
The Grand Jury is supposed to reconvene in the Vick case tomorrow. You know at first I was all for Vick taking a plea, but now I'm like f*ck that! Go to trial! It's your word against theirs and they are some unscrupulous mutha *******! I know he doesn't have a squeaky clean past, but his legal woes are nowhere near what theirs are. All he needs is one Michael Vick fan, just one and he'll walk his ass out of that courtroom. Since everyone is convinced race determines your allegiance in this case I suppose he just needs one brutha or sista on the jury to walk. Go for it Mike! Tell your lawyer to stand up in a court of law and proclaim your innocence! Tell that judge and jury that you spend at least 7 months of the year in Atlanta and there's no way you had time to do all the things your cousins said you did! Speaking of your cousins, they are trifling as hell!!!!! Damn, if you can't count on family who can you count on?? They ought to be ashamed ganging up on Mike like this. I'ma get me a free Mike Vick t-shirt if he goes to trial. Dog fighting is illegal and all that good stuff, but there's no way this man should be facing as much jail time as he's facing because of this. You have rapists, and pedophiles and murderers of humans who don't get the scrutiny that he's getting and who don't face as much time as he's facing. Our legal system is a joke like that sometime. Save your nasty comments. I'm against dog fighting and I'd never watch it, but I'm just saying we need to put things into perspective in this country. I love the way everyone is talking about the value of animals and then going home and sitting down to steak and chicken dinners every night. Its a little hypocritical dontcha think? Mike, I think you are dumb as hell, but I don't think your life should be over because of this. Free Mike Vick!!!!

Random Stuff

Alright, so I have a rather stressful family situation that I have to attend to so this blog might suffer a bit. I'll do what I can though. Anyway.
Yanks lost, Sux did too. Rivera coughed up another game. I guess we see why Cashman wanted to take the wait and see approach with that contract extension.
Jamarcus Russell still hasn't signed. Seriously, the NFL needs to just put a cap on Rookie salaries and keep it moving. He better set the league on fire when he finally suits up!
Vick's team of lawyers have differing opinions about how to approach this case. I guess some want him to plea while others want to move forward with a trial. I'd lean more toward the lawyer who wants to plea. It ain't looking good for 7, that's for damn sure.
Tim Donaghy plead guilty today and now everyone is ready to move on. One of the more interesting things to come from this is Donaghy supposedly just supplied his conspirators with inside info about who was calling the games and etc. The fact that people are compelled to bet big money on games on account of who's officiating should have David Stern extremely concerned about the image of his league. We've all know that referees show an enormous amount of bias toward the Superstars and now it's been confirmed. This is a problem the league has needed to address for a long time and I'm glad David Stern will have to acknowledge that games aren't officiated fairly. The players and real fans have been saying this for years. Hopefully now the favoritism shown for the household names will cease. It's only fair!

Random Stuff

Tiger won his 13th Major. (yawn) I knew he wouldn't go the whole year without winning one.
Yanks won, Sux lost! Eric Gagne has been a DISASTER! I hope he keeps it up.
Pacman made his much anticipated debut on TNA wrestling. The Titans had previously sought a restraining order, but they were able to reach an agreement that allowed Pacman to perform. I must say they were very reasonable. Jones, the team and TNA reached an agreement Friday allowing him to perform -- under extensive stipulation. He could not touch or be touched, grapple, shove, throw or have anything thrown at him by anyone working for or watching the show. I'm surprised they didn't have him carried through the tunnel for fear he might trip and sprain his ankle.
Word on the street is Goodell will announce a suspension for 7 for the 2007 season this week or next. We've all known this was coming for a while, he might as well make it official.
Donovan will not play in the Eagles first preseason game. Donovan, I'm begging you pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaase take more time to recover!!!

Haters, Coin Toss

The Titans are hatin' on Pacman! They are tryna stop this man from getting money! They've filed for a restraining order to prevent him from wrestling! They're playing the old language in his contract card. "All NFL players have language in their contracts that prohibit them from engaging in activities 'which may involve a significant risk of personal injury. We certainly believe wrestling to be hazardous, and it is obvious from the player's conduct that he is ignoring this aspect of his agreements with the club." The Titan's need to quit acting like they are trying to make sure he doesn't injure himself because they want him to be able to return. It will probably be a cold day in Atlanta in July before they pay him to wear their uniform again. They just want to make sure he doesn't get hurt so that they'll be able to trade him if/when he's reinstated. I'm sure Pacman wasn't going to be jumping from the ropes putting dudes in sleeper holds and ish like that. He's probably just going to be an over glorified hype man. I think it's a travesty that this dude is suspended with no pay but once a week he has to report to a meeting here, there and everywhere. When they stop paying you for the entire year, you shouldn't have to report anydamnwhere! So what if he wants to get another job so that he can have some income? Dude was makin it rain like 3 times a week so there's a good chance he wasn't budgeting his money. He might be broke as hell and need the money the TNA was going to give him. The NFLPA sucks!!!! Someone needs to set up a meeting between Donald Fehr and Gene Upshaw. Fehr can give him tips on how to render the Commissioner useless! I'm going to try to make this happen!
Yanks won, Sux lost. The young pitchers were great! That vaunted bullpen of the Sux coughed up a 4 run lead. I hope they do that at least 3 times per week. A girl can dream!
Romeo Crennel said he's going to flip a coin to see which quarterback gets the start during their first pre-season game. Of course the ESPN NFL Live guys are acting like this is the most devastating thing known to man. They're talking about the team trusting in his ability to decide this and that and blah, blah, blah. All Romeo is saying is that none of the quarterbacks on his roster suck any more or less than any of the others. Since neither one of them is going to give the team a real chance to win games, he might as well let a coin decide which dude he can blame when he's fired in week 8. Trust me, that's all he's saying! Plus, when you have to choose between two things and no matter which way you go it isn't going to be that big of a deal there's no better way to decide than a good ole fashioned coin toss. Let's not make a big deal of this. Put yourself in Romeo's shoes, you'd do the same. It's like death by lethal injection or death by electrocution. Yeah, one may be a little (lot) more painful than the other but the end result is always the same.

Lil Penny, Unwritten Rules

The Miami Heat signed Penny Hardaway today. I'm not kidding, they really did. Seriously, Penny used to be THAT dude, but this is not the mid 90's and on top of that he's 36 years old. I mean damn, Penny Hardaway is not the type of player that just crosses your mind. You have to look for him. It's not like when free agency started the Miami Heat had Penny on their radar as the player they just had to have. Or did they? All I know is they are old as hell and they didn't need to get any older! I wish him the best though because he was one of my favorite players as a teenager. Ya'll know ya'll loved those Lil' Penny commercials! In a related story, Magic is going to step down and rejoin the Lakers on the court and Barkley is moments away from signing with Dallas.
Roger Clemens got suspended 5 games for hitting Alex Rios (who's an absolute cutie) Its not fair though. He was only defending A-Rod who they threw behind in the first game and then actually hit in another game. I mean where is baseball headed when you can't even stick up for your teammates by drilling an unsuspecting batter in his ribs with a 90 mph fast ball?? Joe Torre also got suspended for one game.
Pacman said that he's only been arrested twice, not the six times that have been reported and confirmed. And, he said when he went to the strip club before he met with the Commish, he just went to get something to eat. I've never had strip club food, but I'm sure you can't find a better meal anywhere.

Random Stuff

Yanks got the hell beat out of them by the Jays 15-4.
The Celtics want Reggie Miller to unretire. I'm all for anything that will get him the hell away from broadcasting. He was HORRIBLE!!!!!
Forgot to mention yesterday, Brady Quinn finally signed a contract. Its about time. Jamarcus needs to hurry it up.
Barry hit #757 tonight. Does anyone really care??
The Padres are about to cut David Wells. He's been AWFUL!!! They probably should have considered doing this weeks ago.
Priest Holmes says he'll gladly be the #1 running back if LJ wants to sit out. Word on the street is if LJ holds out til week 10, he'll lose so much money that by the time he comes back he'll be playing the remainder of the season for free. I don't know how much he's supposed to make this year, but I say he better get his ass in camp and get that money. I know he had a GREAT year last year, but teams are so going to pay attention to him this year! He might look like the LJ in the playoffs against the Colts. That LJ was awful. Plus he's damn near 30, (27) no team in their right mind is going to give him the kind of money he wants. (28 million guaranteed! Who does he think he is, the #1 overall pick?) He really wants to be paid like LT, only problem is, he ain't LT. Stop the madness LJ. Running backs are not irreplaceable. They just aren't. I'll admit he's probably worth more than whatever he's due to make, but hey those are the breaks sometime. I guess we'll just have to watch the Fantasia video to see him until week 10.

756

BARRY BONDS=756

Age of Love (Age mattered in the end)

Well the show is finally over and the final two were Amanda (25, psychotic with stalker potential) and Jen (48, asst to Jerry Buss) He picked Amanda. In the end age really did matter!! Throughout the whole show he gave Jen the best dates. She had 2 one on one's with him and he didn't give Amanda any one on one dates until the last show. He took Jen for a ride on a motorcycle and on a carriage ride around the city, they gave each other "massages" off camera (we all know what that means) Up until the very last date the only way Amanda got any real alone time was when she crept in his tent and waited for him to come back from a one on one date with Jayanna. (another opportunity to spend time with Amanda but he chose someone else) Now all of a sudden she's someone that he'd always felt a connection with. Well, he sure does have a funny way of showing a girl he really likes her. No wonder he had to come on a television show to find a girlfriend! I imagine his normal routine when he meets a girl he likes is to take her on a group date every time they go out and ignore the hell out of her after that. He's a smooth one that Mark. All I know is when she flips out on him and boils that little dog of his, he totally deserves it! She's crazy and in a roundabout way she tried to show him that, but I guess he just couldn't see it. Bless his heart. He kept saying that the age didn't matter, but clearly it did. He really liked Jen and had she not been 18 years his senior he would have chosen her, there's no way you can make me believe otherwise. He and Amanda could very well have a long lasting relationship. She's ready to worship him! She managed to get 2 women eliminated from conversations that she had with Mark. She's a go getter for damn sure! I can't wait to see who they pick to do this show next time. Might I suggest Derek Jeter?

755, 500, Playmaker

Hank has company! Barry finally hit #755. He actually did it in San Diego which kinda surprises me. It also surprises me that the San Diego fans weren't really all that vicious. There were plenty of boos, but it sounded like there were way more cheers. Clay Hensley (the pitcher who gave up 755) will become the answer to a trivia question one day. Good for him. I'm sure Barry won't play tomorrow, he needs to break the record in San Fran. The fans deserve it.
A-Rod finally hit #500. He's the youngest player ever get to 500. I'm glad it's over and so is he. He had been in a tremendous slump prior to today.
It's only fitting that Barry and A-Rod reached milestones on the same day. If Alex stays healthy, he'll be taking the home run record from Barry soon enough.
Michael Irvin was all tears at his Hall of Fame induction. I didn't expect anything less from the Playmaker, he's an emotional dude!

Bridge Collapse

So last night when I got home at 12:43 (technically this morning) I was returning from my birthday dinner with my homegirls and a guy friend. Anyway, I was a bit disturbed because I had to pay for my own dinner on my birthday, with my homegirls. I was actually quite pissed because I always put lots of money into their birthday celebrations and they've never had to pay for their own food. Not to mention, they ate most of the appetizer I ordered and they didn't even offer to put in a damn dime. Anyway, I walked in my bedroom and turned on the tv (which I always put on ESPN news before I leave the house) and I noticed in the bottom right corner; Royals/Twins game postponed Thursday or something like that. I thought to myself they must be expecting a storm or the Dome has to be used for a circus and it's gonna run late so screw the Twins game. Anyway, I checked out the news and I saw that a bridge had collapsed during rush hour traffic. I didn't really understand the magnitude of it until I saw the footage. I immediately got over myself. So what if my friends didn't pay for my dinner. These people were just making their daily commute to and from work and they were sitting on a bridge that they've probably sat on hundreds of times and this time it let them down. I can't imagine sitting in my car and then all of a sudden the road beneath me starts to crumble. No one expected their day to take that kind of turn. It's just crazy. And now there are reports that the bridge has been described as "structurally deficient" twice in 6 years. The thought that this possibly could have been prevented saddens me. I can't imagine the devastation people are feeling while they wait to hear from their loved ones who have to travel that route daily. It put my night into perspective in a hurry.

For the Score readers.

Driving under the influence, assault and battery charges, drug possession, promiscuity, gun possession, child support payment delinquency, disorderly conduct, rape allegations, domestic disturbances, unruly entourages, cornrows, tattoos; All of the above, we can forgive. Most fans are able to look past their favorite NBA player’s off-court indiscretions and continue to support the Association because no ONE is bigger than the game. But, an NBA official allegedly fixing games is an absolute no, no! Personally, I was just as shocked when I heard a referee bet on games as I was when I heard Beyonce’ was going solo. Yeah, I really wasn’t all that surprised. It wasn’t a matter of if so much as it was a matter of when. If I were a gambling person I would have put my money on Steve Javie being the culprit before we learned it was Tim Donaghy, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, the referees have way too much power in the NBA and I’d be shocked if it turns out to be only one “rogue isolated criminal” as the commissioner so eloquently put it. David Stern has fined players, coaches and owners millions of dollars throughout the years for even hinting at a referee being intentionally incompetent. When an official has a particularly bad night and a player says something about it, David Stern never even acknowledges that the player might have valid reasons for complaining before he fines him thousands of dollars. Why in the hell can’t the players say a ref screwed them in several ways on a given night anyway? What happened to the first amendment? I mean, I know when you’re employed by someone there’s only so much you can say about the company and keep your job, but if you voice your displeasure every time you have a problem with a co-worker or someone of higher rank than you who isn’t your boss and your boss took a week’s pay from you, well wait that doesn’t happen in other jobs cuz its bullsh*t. Sometimes the officials suck and someone needs to tell them that. Stern has long acted as if NBA officials are beyond reproach, and now it’s finally coming back to haunt him. This scandal is one of the worst things that could happen to a league that has so many fans both casual and devout who think the league has a vested interest in the success of certain teams. While David Stern was spending his nights worried about what outfit Allen Iverson was going to wear to the arena and how he’d choose to accessorize it, he should have been paying more attention to the only people other than the players who can truly decide the outcome of a game. I’m not talking about the coaches by the way. I don’t see why he was so concerned about what the players were wearing anyway. Basketball has never been more popular worldwide and Stern is the reason for it. Obviously the baggy jeans and long chains weren’t ruffling as many feathers as he wanted us to believe. Anyway, the best thing that could come from this situation is that the officials will make a conscious effort to call a fairer game. There’s no reason that one team should shoot 20 or 30 more free throws than the other team. In today’s NBA where they don’t even allow you to graze a player’s hand, there’s no justifiable reason for some of the free throw discrepancies we see in games. It needs to stop. Another thing that could go a long way towards better officiating is if they forget about the name on the back of the jersey. That’s right; treat the “superstars” and “role players” equally. Quit giving these phantom, bail out, and reputation foul calls to the household names in the league. Just because everyone knows who they are doesn’t mean they should be untouchable. The other guys are playing just as hard if not harder and they deserve some damn respect too! Anyway, if it turns out to be just one ref, then the league will be able to recover. What happens if there are more refs named later?? This could ruin people’s careers and I’m not talking about the players. I’m talking about beat writers and magazine editors and columnists and everyone who makes a living off the NBA. If people start looking at the NBA like it’s the WWE then these people are screwed! This is bigger than the NBA and its players, and sponsors and the Commish. We all need this to be an isolated incident that just somehow slipped through the cracks.