Blog @ MoreWhat.com

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of October in America beyond the fact it is World Series time comes from the opportunity to disconnect for a moment. Remove yourself from all that otherwise dominates your life to absorb the pleasure of an annual ritual. The opening game of the 2009 World Series did not disappoint. Even a Yankees fan should be able to appreciate the performance this evening demonstrated by the picture below. Other characteristics of the event and its broadcast will be reserved for another post. Right now the idea is to relish uniquely American traditions and embrace the ideals they represent and foster.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
(written just after game one)

The video above from local TV in Green Bay provides a reasonably balanced albeit timid account of fan reaction to Brett Favre facing his former team of 16 years wearing the uniform of a division rival. The Packer/Favre saga has been adequately documented in print and broadcast accounts but often fails to present the fact this one player is responsible for delivering more quality football in Green Bay, Wisconsin than had occurred in several decades before his arrival.

Mowed Down in the Showdown: Packers 23, Vikings 30
Aaron Rodgers was sacked eight times by the Vikings defense, while Brett Favre makes history as the only player to win against all 32 NFL teams.

Protecting the pocket is sure to be a major project for the Packers during the bye week, and so may be pressuring the quarterback. There were many times Favre wasn’t pressured at all. He was calm, cool, and exceedingly efficient.

In the first half of his last game before turning 40, Favre had a quarterback rating of 143.8 — 14-for-17, 154 yards, and two touchdowns. In the third quarter he was absolutely perfect, a QB rating of 158.3.

Sacking the current GB QB eight times sums up conditions in Titletown this season. In retrospect Favre’s departure from GB may be a blessing in disguise for the future Hall of Famer given his tenure and perhaps diminishing ability to absorb punishment from opposing defenses. But let’s not forget that Favre’s former protege did reasonably well given the lack of assistance he received from the team he was leading. Something Favre’s nemesis, Ted Thompson, may be hearing more about in the week(s) ahead.

Aaron Rodgers, who replaced Favre as Green Bay’s starting quarterback in 2008, threw for a career-best 384 yards. He went 26-of-37 with a pair of touchdowns and was picked off once.

Clay Matthews returned a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown and Jermichael Finley had six catches for 128 yards and a score for the Packers (2-2), who faltered thanks to Minnesota’s defense.

Jared Allen led the relentless attack with a career-high 4 1/2 sacks, one forced fumble and one safety. Minnesota had eight sacks of Rodgers, bringing the total times he’s been sacked to 20 this season.

Jared Allen, the one man wrecking crew, was absolutely on fire trashing the Packers’ hope to avoid embarrassment at the hands of their former field general who may have extracted extreme satisfaction to say the least with last night’s victory. Although it appeared the Vikings’ took the rest of the night off late in the game the Packers were unable get closer than 7 points by the end of regulation.

Minneapolis - After 16 years with the Packers and one with the New York Jets, Brett Favre got his wish and started the game tonight in Minneapolis for the Vikings against the Green Bay Packers, getting the 30-23 win.

After the Packers started with the football, and Aaron Rodgers completed five of his first six passes, the Packers current quarterback fumbled when sacked by the Vikings Jared Allen, bringing Brett Favre and the Vikings offense on the field. In a drive that included a fourth down conversion, Favre hit Visanthe Shiancoe from one yard out for the first score, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

Above is the last excerpt presented from GB media sources and below is a regional account mirroring what seems the defacto conclusion in Packerland. Right now Brett Favre is doing better than those leading the Packers. There’s trouble in river city. And last night’s game makes a Viking/Packer rematch later this season more of a headache for some than others. At worst, Brett Favre insured the outcome will be no worse than a horse apiece. While his former team contemplates the consequence of a repeat result on their home turf.

Brett Favre extracted a smile this evening as the Vikings beat the Packers 30-23 but more importantly, Favre was brilliant. Revenge against Ted Thompson, according to Favre, it’s not about revenge but I’m sure Brett’s giggling inside at the thought of Ted and Mike McCarthy’s misery and the ire of the fans that they’re about to face.

There is no shortage of opinions either pro or con on matters involving Brett Favre especially those related to his departure from Green Bay. The view from here suggests the Packer organization is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct for their handling of regime change with Favre and Rodgers. Favre certainly could have selected a better course of action in response. But again, the view from here credits most of the blame on Thompson and McCarthy. With all Brett Favre contributed in more than a decade and a half for this franchise for which he was more than adequately compensated financially better business decisions were available.

This Wisconsin resident, for one, took great pleasure from the game last night. This is not an isolated reaction. Some of us recall the legacy in Titletown is littered with less than stellar performance from the brain trust behind the organization known as The Green Bay Packers. Maybe the occasional load of dirty laundry is what caused the last 29-year drought in Superbowl appearances. And then there was the follow up loss shortly thereafter. Brett Favre was present for those games.. And after all these years, he’s still got it.

The frosting on the cake last night was the fact that Adrian Peterson was not the story as would have been expected. It was number four. You could almost hear a voice calling out Ted Thompson…..’how do you like me now’?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Are you ready for some football? If yes, then you have to be ready for the whining, complaining, hype and tabloid treatment of teams and players usually reserved for the ‘celeb’ gossip columnists for Hollywood who make their living airing dirty laundry.

Two stories this week are on point. The continuing saga that is Brett Favre and a familiar episode from the college ranks illustrating ‘pro’ and ‘amateur’ are not that far apart.

This blogger’s viewpoint focuses on other topics in college and professional sports dealing with marketing and squeezing every last dollar out of the viewing public, otherwise known as fans, who seem to accept without even so much as a small debate, restricted viewing and the future of everything ‘pay=tv’ for their favorite venues. Sports programming, not unlike the ‘team’ organizations they present, have an obsession with the business model which largely ignores the primary purpose and loftier goals of athletic competition. For the purist as well as the ordinary spectator sport has lost some of its luster.

All the talk surrounding the first sports topic mentioned above, the Brett Favre saga, is full of fan opinions and sports writer analysis which comes in two forms as one might guess. Those who support and those who oppose the future hall of fame QB and his choices over the last couple of years. A piece from the online presence of radio station WTMJ 620 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin does a respectable job putting the story or stories in perspective.

He may not lead the Minnesota Vikings to the promised land. At his age, there’s always the chance he may not even finish the season.

But judging from his first real work of the preseason, the old guy with the aching ribs might have been well worth the wait for both the Vikings and their long suffering fans.

As long as he doesn’t try to block anyone, that is. Turns out there are some things you can’t teach old quarterbacks.

That’s a representative snippet from the report that covers most salient points regarding the former Green Bay Packer star QB. Everyone has an opinion. And this blogger will not bore you with another one. But assuming all remains as it is right now watching the next meeting between Green Bay and Minnesota should be quite entertaining. That impression may be shared by many as ticket sales have been a popular subject as well.

The other story this week from the college ranks raises similar talking points as does the Favre story. The short version is one player punches another player and the one landing the punch faces an uncertain future regarding a career in college or professional sports. Seems pretty much small potatoes when one considers other examples like the recent Michael Vick or Plexico Burris ’sagas’. And rather than hop on the holier than thou bandwagon of those suggesting extreme consequences for such outbursts of unnecessary action, it is worthwhile to suggest that public displays like this one by LeGarrette Blount is a reflection of current society at large. Road rage would be the societal example rather than the hyped political examples from this year’s August recess of the US Congress.

So LeGarrette Blount landed a ‘devastating punch’ to the jaw of Byron Hout at a Ducks/Broncos game. Right at this moment Byron Hout may be regretting the episode more than LeGarrette Blount. Nonetheless, college or pro, the macho stuff flares up from time to time. But it certainly would be appreciated by fans everywhere if we could get back to the ‘business’ of sports for competing participants and spectators alike in a fashion that elevates athletics to a place in which it once resided. A little more respect for what is really at stake in sports would improve the experience.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

What the hell took so long?

Following another dreadful start, the Brewers Saturday optioned left-hander Manny Parra to Class AAA Nashville.

Parra’s demotion was announced just hours after his worst outing of the season. He allowed six runs on six hits in just 1.2 innings of work in a 7-1 loss to the White Sox. It was just the latest in a poor stretch for Parra, who’s allowed 32 earned runs on 40 hits with 15 walks in 21.1 innings over his last five outings.

This Brewer fan just doesn’t get it. Wish the bosses I had were that patient.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

an aside: 1.2 innings? How about 1 2/3 or 1.67 innings or is that some kind of sports writer shorthand?

In the interest of full disclosure this blog supports the Wisconsin Badgers as well as other teams within the state. But as noted in an earlier post, when the team(s) in your state depart from an event like the March Madness it is not uncommon to root for any team(s) remaining from your team’s conference.

Such has been the case for Michigan State. The Big Ten is still in it. By most reports no one expected Izzo’s team to get this far. And certainly now that the Final Four has been reduced to the North Carolina Tar Heels versus the Michigan State Spartans on Monday night.

Conventional wisdom as well as the sports pundits and perhaps the stats and everything else indicate the Tar Heels should win this game. One betting line has them favored by 6.5 points. And a glimpse from the Tar Heels own website may point to the most relevant point with of course the requisite lack of respect. (below)

from Tar Heel Blue…..
The Spartans, located 90 miles up the road in East Lansing, will certainly have the crowd on their side. The talent gap, though? Eek. They’ll have to be at least 35 points better than they were in December when the teams met in this same building - a 98-63 UNC romp.

But then there is the ‘karma’, the underdog sentiment and a number of other details that suggest you shouldn’t count out the team from the Midwest, the coach or the players just yet. Besides victories over Robert Morris and USC the Spartans defeated notables Kansas, Louisville and Uconn to get to the championship game.

from the Spartan’s site…..
It’s Michigan State’s first appearance in the title game since 2000, when the Spartans won their second title.

How’s this for some karma? Johnson, Spartan-in-chief since leading Michigan State to its first title in 1979, will present the game ball before Monday’s title game along with Larry Bird.

“Detroit’s been unbelievable to us,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “We’ve had some great games here, and the best is yet to come.”

Flashbulbs were popping as the final seconds ticked down. The crowd of 72,456 was the largest-ever for a Final Four, and about two-thirds of it was wearing green.

“It was a memorable game that I won’t forget,” Izzo said. “Except we’ve got another one.”

from Fox Sports….
Just about four months ago to the day, Michigan State was blasted on this same court. The players walked off in disbelief after North Carolina ran them into the floor for a 35-point drubbing.

This time, it was UConn that left Ford Field in shock after Michigan State — in front of a Final Four-record 72,456 fans (most of them clad in Spartan green) — pulled away for an 82-73 victory to advance to Monday night’s championship game.

And so it goes. Michigan fans have little to cheer about these days. That fact was noted in some reports. They could use a lift from the outcome of this week’s NCAA final game. While that may not be reason enough for the ‘gods’ to smile on them it makes for a good story. But let’s not forget that the Tar Heels have put together an impressive season and are not likely to roll over on this one.

In any case it should certainly make for a memorable close to the Madness that is March.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

An earlier post here indicated this blog’s hopes for Wisconsin success at the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship after the first round. Well now, here it is late Friday night or early Saturday morning about a week later and another March Madness result curbs the expectation of a fan. With Marquette and Wisconsin out in the second this fan’s support moved to any other Big Ten Teams that remain. The last review when unable to watch the tourney indicated Purdue was out and Michigan State was what remained of the Big Ten heading to the elite eight.

Spartans and Jayhawks clash in Sweet 16

Detroit Free Press -
By SHAWN WINDSOR • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • March 27, 2009 Michigan State leads Kansas 63-60 in the game’s final minute.

The scoring during this game is what one might expect with a two and three seed team doing battle.

Michigan State beats defending champion Kansas 67-62 Chicago Tribune

That’s my kind of game. Only a five point spread at the final. Basically this was a close match throughout. Now State gets to face number one Louisville.

Ouch!! Along with everything else in March Madness there is the occasional ‘thumping’ that one team must endure while the other basks in the satisfaction.

Louisville dominates Arizona in 103-64 victory

The Associated Press -
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Rick Pitino enjoyed watching Friday night’s game almost as much as his Louisville players enjoyed celebrating.

And there is the maybe not so cute plays on words or team names that seem popular in the press.

Orange peeled: Oklahoma rolls past Syracuse with 84-71 romp

USA Today - ?2 hours ago?
By John Bazemore, AP By Tom Weir, USA TODAY MEMPHIS - Tony Crocker picked an excellent time to break out of his long-range shooting slump, as he pushed Oklahoma into the Elite Eight with a barrage of three-pointers Friday.

Here is one common denominator within professional and amateur sports emerging again during March Madness. In an industry in which many participants ‘earn’ massive incomes, receive an inordinate quantity of press coverage and end up in the tabloids no less than any other ‘celebrity’ group the method by which public statements follow regime changes is as hollow as victories tainted by bad officiating.

It would be impressive if those who are supposed to be in possession of quality educations from institutions of higher learning throughout this country could manage an eloquent or at least original statement when attempting to produce an illusion to explain the firing of a coach. Funny how it is a ‘team’ thing when the highest performance results in a championship season but when that is not the case you fire the coach and lay all the blame at his feet deserving or not.

It is my responsibility to ensure that the University of Kentucky continues to be a special place in the hearts and minds of our fans across the nation, and that the right pieces are in place to return the basketball program to a championship level and continue those proud traditions of success.

This is not a place I thought we would be at this point, or one that I would want to be. However, after long and deliberate discussions, President (Lee T.) Todd and I have decided we must charter a new direction for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program.

If you’re interested you can follow the link for the complete press conference opening statement. There is much sputtering about ideals and lofty sentiment accented with ‘the coach did it’ and even a few not so subtle ’slams’ toward the outgoing leader. Must be taking their cues from politics.

So how did that 93 year old do against Shaq in their bracket challenge??

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

And up and down year for the Wisconsin Badgers continues after a victory in the first round of March Madness against Florida State. First round ‘upsets’ are not uncommon in the annual pilgrimage for 65+ college basketball teams. The chance to overcome regular season disappointments and conference tournament play sometimes sparks a team to achieve great things. But that might be a premature thought as Bucky now faces Xavier. And even with another win the probability of then facing the region’s number one seed, Pittsburgh, makes for a tough road to the final four. But stranger things have happened.

Pardon this biased reporting from a life-long resident of the dairy state, sport’s home of Badgers and cheeseheads. And check the last news item below. The bonus is Marquette also advanced. Good luck to all the teams whether your season continues or has ended, life goes on.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Wisconsin guards come through

SI.com -
BOISE, IDAHO — After a long night of watching Florida State’s Toney Douglas slash and shoot his way to 26 points, it was the methodical and mindful guards for Wisconsin that provided the winning moments in the Badgers 61-59 overtime upset of the …

Wisconsin Badgers stun Florida State

Boston Herald -
By Herald Wire Services / East Regional After spending all night doing the dirty work on defense, Trevon Hughes got a more glamorous role at the end: shooter of the crazy, spinning, bank shot to win the game for Wisconsin. Hughes’ twisting shot over …

Florida State falls to Wisconsin in OT

MiamiHerald.com -
By JEFF SHAIN BOISE, Idaho — After waiting 11 years to make their return to the NCAA Tournament, an extra five minutes certainly didn’t seem like too much of a burden. However, that’s the only extended stay Florida State will get. …

Wisconsin, Marquette both advance in Boise

The Associated Press -
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Wisconsin and Marquette fans will have to tolerate each other in hotel lobbies and elevators for another couple days. Both schools in the state rivalry have another game to play. Although both the Golden Eagles and the Badgers are …

Most years March Madness is a refreshing departure from staying on top of current affairs. But this year it seems POTUS is expanding his distraction strategy to include college sports. If you have not heard, the story was started when Obama made his bracket picks for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. He picked North Carolina in which the press picked up the reply from Duke’s Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). A couple of interesting side notes are Coach K raising money for the GOP and one of Obama’s staffers is a former player for Coach K.

The ooh or aah part: the press says the ‘right’ is agreeing with Coach K’s assessment in the reports that Obama does not have time for March Madness unless that is the new definition of a down economy. In other words keep your eye on the ball but figuratively, not the one on the court.

To repeat, the worry over backlash has the liberals including Barack Obama looking for diversions over things like AIG which may sour everyone on bailouts and stimulus packages not to mention Democrats at the next election.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Duke Basketball Coach Has a Message For President Obama

Thursday, March 19, 2009
By Bret Baier

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has a message for President Obama: Keep your day job. Following news Mr. Obama picked North Carolina to win the NCAA Championship, rival coach Krzyzewski responded, “Somebody said that we’re not in President Obama’s Final Four, and as much as I respect what he’s doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets.”

Mr. Obama shared his tournament picks and completed bracket with ESPN Tuesday. The First Fan threw a challenge to the North Carolina team saying: “For all the Tar Heels who are watching, I picked you last year — you let me down. This year don’t embarrass me in front of the nation, all right?”

Obama Brushes Off Coach K Criticism

A follow-up on the earlier post on Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and President Obama: during a call-in interview with talk radio host Ed Schultz today, Obama said it’s “not surprising” Coack K doesn’t like his bracket. When asked by Schultz about Krzyzewski’s comment, Obama said, “Coach K, I think, is a great coach, and you know Reggie Love, my assistant, played for Coack K, and so, you know, it’s not surprising–I didn’t take them to go to the finals. Look, you know, he’s a competitive guy. I just don’t think they’ve got the inside game to go all the way, but I look forward to him proving me wrong.”

Is Duke’s Coach K really upset with President Obama?

By Jimmy Orr | 03.19.09
So is Coach K really criticizing President Obama?

Well, depending on what website you go to this morning, you could sure read it that way.

The right side of the web is pointing to comments Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski made yesterday as kind of a slap-down on the president.

They’re saying that the coach was being critical of the president’s interest in the tournament when there are more pressing matters at hand.

Two things right out of the gate with the story that A-Rod, A-fraud, Anabolic-Rod is the latest casualty of greed and selfish ambitions in the sports world. As the first reference below suggests it’s Christmas for Yankee haters understand that is error one. Concluding that those who dislike the Yankees stand to gain pleasure from this story misses the point. That most let such offenses slide is again the sad statement. Error two is that he should think of Yankees before himself due to a public relations nightmare. When will this nonsense be judged for what it is?

Athletes who use drugs in general is bad enough. But when performance enhancing drugs are used to alter the outcome of competitive sporting events the definition seldom used and focused on is fraud. It is the same with Barry Bonds and the home run record. If you cheat there is no record breaking event. The lame debate on whether the Barry Bonds’ record should stand or have an asterisk placed next to it in the record books is deranged.

Anyone who uses performance enhancing drugs in sports should be banned forever and have all evidence of their history in sport designated as the fraud it is.

As for what to do about these matters no one seems to care enough to see the obvious. Damage control or public relations or fixing the taint to rescue the bottom line is not the answer. Continuing to allow revelations of bad behavior to be corrected with a new coat of paint just makes matters worse. The new rule should be as it once was, one and done. If you violate laws or codes of conduct or rules of the game let the punishment fit the crime. Performance enhancing drug use should be one and done and records purged, end of story.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

ANALYSIS: It’s Christmas Morning For Yankee Haters

If A-Rod Did Indeed Cheat, He Must Think Of Yankees Before Himself Or 2009 Will Be Public Relations Nightmare
Feb 7, 2009 3:30 pm US/Eastern
By JEFF CAPELLINI, WCBSTV.com Senior Sports Producer

NEW YORK (CBS) — The legend of “A-Fraud” grows

Joe Torre took a lot of heat last week over excerpts from his new book. Among the myriad of skeletons he exorcised from the Yankees closet, he said the idea that Alex Rodriguez may not be the most genuine soul in the world had always been a running joke inside the Yankees locker room.

Well, it looks now like A-Rod’s words and actions are going to have to be good for more than just his teammates. With Saturday’s bombshell CNN/SI report that Rodriguez tested positive for steroids back in 2003, he now finds himself in the unenviable position of having to choose his words carefully because if indeed failed that test what he says next will go a long way toward determining if the rest of baseball – and the sports world for that matter – will be as forgiving with him as they were with players like Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte.

A-Rod, baseball’s great hope, now tainted himself

by Mark Kriegel
Updated: February 7, 2009, 4:41 PM EST

Even by the standards of this tawdry, tabloid culture, a man who seeks solace in kaballah, Madonna and methenolone has hit some sort of imaginary trifecta.

I have taken pride and pleasure in my armchair analysis of Alex Rodriguez. He is all I could want in a subject: insecure, impressionable, narcissistic, and give the guy his due, above all, talented. That talent is now tainted, of course. And you can all but hear a certain tattooed celebrity boxer saying, I told you so…

Only A-Rod — lightning rod, it now occurs, would be a better nickname — could again elevate Jose Canseco to sage status.

Still, the news that Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003 — one of his several MVP seasons — is not to be greeted with a sense of hilarity. Rather, he has tampered with history.

Whatever else A-Rod was, or is, he represented a chance to rescue American sports’ most sacred individual record. No more, though.

A-Rod Tarnishes Yankee Legacy with Steroid Controversy

by Tomer Talmy

Another dark day in the history of the Yankees, the greatest franchise in the history of team sports.

Since October of 2003, the Yankee ship has been sinking into the dark waters of the Hudson River. After losing the World Series in 2003 to the Marlins, it seemed like a great run in the Bronx was finally over. On February 15, 2004, the Rangers traded Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and it seemed like the Yankees were bound to make another run at the title in 2004.

Them, a new face showed up in town. The greatest talent to ever take the baseball field, and he went by the name of Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod was the best all around player in the game and he made the move from shortstop to third base just to fit the Yankee need in hope for a championship ring.

Oh joy, it’s Superbowl weekend. Could you hear cynicism in my typing? There are but a few reasons that can pass for legitimate cause to be excited about it. You are coach, player or in some way directly involved or a fan of one of the teams. Not just a fan for this game but a real fan. There are many excited for other reasons such as non-athletic remuneration or similar financial gains that do not count. Why? Because the event is or at least was promoted on the grounds that it was a venue to demonstrate who is the best team in pro-football. Blah, blah, blah he says. Maybe once upon a time but not now. Which leads to the next part of this post.

Television like so many other technologies promised a plethora of positive advantages for one and all at its infancy. While wandering around some quotes were found that should date to the early days of TV to demonstrate the disappointment here is not new or the result of any new disease or impediment on the part of the author.

“Television: A medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well done.” — Ernie Kovacs

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx

“I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There’s one called brightness, but it doesn’t work.” — Eugene P. Gallagher?

Thanks to the person responsible for the link found to provide these adorable tidbits. So how many of you know who those people are? Look it up.

Getting back to the point some other links expressed views similar to the ones which reside here. That was reassuring but solves nothing. If you check the offerings available on whatever arrangement you have for television viewing how much is really of interest to you? That old song that laments the idea of 57 channels and nothing on not only dates the song but makes the point. Over the years the number of venues for programming has only made the problem worse. More and more places to host less and less valuable programming and content. So what do we do now to make it all better? Go digital. Why? Because we can? What’s the point?

Do nothing noticeable or widespread to improve overall programming but let’s make the picture look better, maybe. Ya, that’ll solve the problem. That will make programming better. NOT. They have taken a page from other telecom industries most notably wireless communication and information technology. In each case a similar phenomenon occurred. With wireless voice services otherwise known as cell phones do not be concerned about whether or not competition resulted in a better value or bang for the buck for the customer. Oh no, add on bells and whistles like internet browsing, mp3 playing and on board cameras to justify the ridiculous price for service. Yes, for service that has ignored the primary purpose of personal communication devices. That is to speak to another human being. And text messaging is one of the biggest jokes. You can speak faster than you can text. It is more personal and presents a human to human connection. Offering it was for benefit of the vendor not the customer. You now can communicate without personal connection, take longer to do it and word for word pay more for it. Thank God you saving the vendor a boatload of money on the cost of doing business for their overpriced and substandard service.

With IT it is the same thing. Essentially the PC, Mac, whatever has not changed in its entire brief history. Sure, you get more bytes, faster connections, more space, more gadgets, etc. They have been portable for some time and also wireless. But do they really have more power? The power to deliver the promise often touted by people like the Darth Vader of IT, none other than Bill Gates. No, just more bells and whistles and improvement to what has been around for decades. There has been no technological leap to the next generation of architecture or performance in terms of what can be accomplished. And don’t answer that there are supercomputers, etc. That is simply the same technology on a much larger scale. That is, more scale, nothing new.

So back to the Superbowl. Like most sports it was once a game. Now it is mostly a matter of how much money can we make with it and an endless list of excuses for gangsta athletes, sidestepping education for a big contract, taxpayers buying sports venues for teams and no longer any relationship to the positive attributes of sports that once built character and other qualities with real benefit to society.

You can expand this discussion to many other details in ‘modern’ life. In politics it is all about the money. Who gets the pork? Who gets the appointment? Who gets what from whom and for how much? You vote for mine and I’ll vote for yours. In science and related business it is much the same. This is what I have to do to get the grant to support my career. Who will pay me and how much of a whore do I have to be to get there? In education the story differs little. And on and on it goes.

So you tell me how we’re going to fix it? Or at least where do we start?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

There’s nothing like a Loser Bowl to put the NFL in perspective. Preface this topic with a reminder that NFL players, coaches and others ‘employed’ by this ‘industry’ are paid incredible salaries and the notion that you don’t always get what you pay for becomes clear. When the resounding elation in ‘Packerland’ is that you were not defeated by the only winless team in the NFL there is a momentary distraction from the fact that a 6 and 10 record is pathetic. It is just not as pathetic as being the first team to go winless since the regular season grew to sixteen games. The Detroit Lions receive the bonus distinction of being the first team to also go 0 and 15 based on the results from the previous week’s game.

Not to be ignored during this week of NFL footnotes the Dallas Cowboys, a recurring nemesis for the Green Bay Packers, managed to get pounded 6-44 by the Philadelphia Eagles in their effort to look as bad as the Pack. Two pieces of trivia which add to the list of Dallas and Green Bay coincidences is that the Dallas QB is from Wisconsin and it is reported today he was so banged up after the game he collapsed a couple of times after the game. A collapse that mirrors that of both teams this season.

The larger point for publishing this post concerns the fans (consuming public) and how the heavily paid members of professional sports constantly pursue how to squeeze more an more money from the public. From the troubling stories of years past focused on college-age athletes abandoning the traditional idea of obtaining a college education in concert with the opportunities provided by excelling in sports the current trends were set. Fast forward through the years of greed and continuous inflation connected with professional sports sprinkled with ‘gangsta’ attributes and various regular scandals and exploits of overpaid talent to management’s and owner’s strategy of taking nearly everything pay per view as soon as they can to begin seeing pro sports for what they are.

Although some of the initial ‘virtues’ of professional sport remain the dominant theme of ’show me the money’ has largely replaced the noble pursuits. There was a time when pro sports were a positive influence on community spirit as well as the strongest real life example of what is possible through hard work, discipline and commitment. The recent display of the chink in the armor of professional sport may have been provided by NASCAR. The loss of sponsorship dollars required to fuel the sport is falling on hard times in the face of financial setbacks worldwide. Maybe the NFL and other sports leagues should heed the warning of what could happen to their golden goose if current trends continue.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

On November 17, 2008 a story broke in Houston, Texas. Marvin Driver Jr. was arrested at his home for outstanding traffic warrants. He was taken to jail. Upon arriving at the jail he was at some point judged to be ‘unresponsive’ and taken to the hospital. His family had gone to the jail to assist him. Sometime thereafter they arrived at the hospital when he was not located at the jail. The family later informed the press either directly or through a chosen spokesperson that Marvin Driver Jr had been beaten by the police who had arrested him.

A couple of items surfaced through other reports and sources which have received little or no coverage since. There was some mention that the officers allegedly forced Mr Driver to swallow something which was blamed for his inability to talk later. Nothing more was said about this in subsequent reports. There was a third policeman added to the original pair. It was stated he sides with Driver’s family in their account of what happened. There was also mention that one of the officers may have a history of violence against citizens more precisely fitting Mr Driver’s demographic. Most of this is up in the air in terms of being confirmed.

That it took the HPD three or four days to remove the officers from regular duties to desk duty is disturbing for one reason. Marvin Driver Jr’s son is Donald Driver, a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. That fact combined with the possibility of at least one officer having a history of abuse toward citizens, the third officer who may side with Marvin Driver’s family and the odd initial description of the event report suggest the handling of this matter so far is suspect.

The developments so far increase the tendency to wonder if the typical allegation of cover up will follow allegations of police brutality. Obviously the story may conclude with any number of possibilities but the response by local law enforcement may have complicated arriving at an honest and plausible outcome. Truth whereever it takes this would be the desired course.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Updated Statement on Internal Affairs Investigation

November 21, 2008 - Following a preliminary briefing late Thursday (Nov. 20) of an internal affairs investigation into allegations Houston police officers assaulted a male citizen, Police Chief Harold Hurtt has temporarily reassigned Officers B. Guzman, G. Cruz and M. Marin to administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation.

Mr. Marvin Driver Jr. was arrested during a traffic stop and placed into custody on outstanding traffic warrants about 1:30 am on Monday (Nov 17). Mr. Driver was transported to the Southeast Jail at 8300 Mykawa Road where a jail doctor found him to be unresponsive. The doctor advised officers to contact HFD paramedics who then transported Mr. Driver to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

The Houston Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates allegations of police misconduct. The allegations being raised by Mr. Driver’s family are that injuries he sustained were following his arrest.

Investigators are awaiting medical reports on Mr. Driver to determine what injuries he sustained.

“We take allegations such as these very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and be transparent in our findings, whatever the conclusion,” Chief Hurtt said.

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.

Below is a link from Texas Cable News for video news report on Driver, his dad, and inquiry. Donald Driver is a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Local stations in Green Bay covering the story are WBAY, WFRV, WLUK and WGBA. There is video available at these sites as well. Just google the call letters.

Donald Driver: Dad is ‘a tough cookie’
NFL player’s dad says Houston police beat him
06:35 PM CST on Friday, November 21, 2008
By Wendell Edwards / 11 News

Officers involved put on desk duty

HOUSTON— The Houston Police Department confirms two officers accused of beating an NFL player’s father have been taken off the streets.

Gilbert Cruz and Bacillo Guzman have been reassigned to desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation into the alleged beating of Marvin Driver.

Excerpt from one source in Wisconsin covering the story…..

FRI., NOV 21, 2008 - 2:12 PM
Packers notes: Driver returns to team
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com

GREEN BAY — Donald Driver was back where he’s the happiest Friday: On the football field.

The Green Bay Packers’ veteran wide receiver returned to work after missing the previous two days of practice while traveling to Houston to be with his ailing father, Marvin Driver Jr., who was hospitalized after what his family claims was a police beating early Monday morning.

“I’m doing fine,” said Driver, who visited with his father on Thursday before flying back to Green Bay. “I sat down with my dad and talked to my dad the last couple days, and I was just trying to get an understanding of exactly what happened, and we seemed to get that understanding.

Most reports quote Donald Driver saying his father told him to get back to work and is probably why the story above starts with ‘Driver returns to team.’

It is not a big surprise that this story was picked up by larger MSM outlets like CNN….

(CNN) — Three police officers in Houston, Texas, have been temporarily transferred from patrol duty to desk jobs after claims of assault against the father of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, authorities said Friday.

The fates of police officers Bacilio Guzman, Gilberto Cruz and Matthew Marin will be decided based on the findings of the department’s internal affairs division, Police Chief Harold Hurtt said in a statement.

Interesting….. 2 reports at The Houston Chronicle, one frem AP, one from THC…..

Cops in case of Driver’s father taken off duty
By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press Writer © 2008 The Associated Press
Nov. 21, 2008, 3:44PM

HPD cops in Driver case taken off street duty
Investigation will be thorough and transparent, Chief Hurtt says
By DALE LEZON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Nov. 21, 2008, 3:12PM

How about a little non-political, non-financial good news for a while before this blog’s campaign fest resumes for the down the stretch or roundin’ third and headin’ for home finale for the 2008 Presidential election? We could use an extension on good news so a 1-1 tie in the World Series raises the possibility of a full seven game series. Okay, so if it goes seven the conspiracy theorists come out yellin’ the fix is in but what else is new? Stick around here and later we’ll give ya some more consipiracy theories you can sink your teeth into. Batter up!!

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Brewer report - Download (MP3)
Brewer report - Listen (MP3)

Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven game World Series is tied at one win each after the host Tampa Bay Rays beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, Thursday night. VOA Sports Editor Parke Brewer was at Game 2 in St. Petersburg, Florida and has a report.

For the second straight night, two runs came across the plate in the first inning, only this time it was host Tampa Bay, and not Philadelphia, that scored first. The Rays got their runs on a walk, a hit, an error and two ground ball outs.

They added a run in the second on three singles to make it 3-0, and their final run came in the fourth inning on two singles and a bunt up the first base line.

Philadelphia got one run in the eighth inning on a home run into the left field stands by pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett, and the other run in the ninth inning on a double and a Tampa Bay error.

The Phillies outhit the Rays in Game two, nine to seven, but they continued to struggle to get their hits with runners in scoring position, with only one in 15 tries. They left 11 runners on base to only four for the Rays.

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manual says it’s a problem.

“I’m concerned about us hitting with guys on base, because I think at times it looks like we might be trying a little bit too hard, but we can fix that,” he said. “We got behind early and we had a hard time catching up and we didn’t execute.”

On the other hand, Tampa Bay made the most of its opportunities, getting three of its four runs driven across the plate on ground ball outs.

Rays starting pitcher James Shields did not allow a run in five and two-thirds innings of work and was credited with the win. He said playing in his first World Series game was a thrill.

“There’s no doubt. This is the World Series. This is what we dreamed of doing as kids. And you know our crowd tonight was electric, and I mean it’s exciting,” he said. “It’s an exciting time in our lives and we’re trying to enjoy the moment.”

The Tampa Bay Rays have some extra time to enjoy the victory, as the series does not resume until Saturday night in Philadelphia, where games three, four and five will be played.

Trackposted to Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Cao’s Blog, NN&V, McCain Blogs, and Democrat=Socialist, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe

from MoreWhat.com:
The only item that seemed to be missed by the report below regarding the Jets/Miami game is that granted, Brett Favre, former Green Bay Packers quarterback will be playing for the Jets, but Chad Pennington will be playing for the Dolphins. He was the Jets quarterback last year. Oh the odd situations that present themselves in the world of ‘professional’ sports.

Stanford Matthews

from VOA News….

By Teresa Sullivan
Washington The 2008 National Football League (NFL) season opens Thursday with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants hosting the Washington Redskins. VOA’s Teresa Sullivan has a preview of the National Football Conference contest and more.

The New York Giants surprisingly won last season’s NFL championship by knocking off the heavily favored New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl 42. New York scored in the final 35 seconds to edge previously unbeaten New England in one of the biggest upset victories in NFL history.

But this season, New York will be without two key defensive ends, Osi Umenyiora, who could miss the whole year due to an injury, and veteran star Michael Strahan, who retired.

Washington Redskins new head coach Jim Zorn says the Giants’ defense will still be as tough and relentless as ever, especially linebacker Antonio Pierce, and defensive end Justin Tuck. “They are very motivated, I think. Antonio Pierce is a guy who motivates his teammates. Tuck is doing a wonderful job at defensive end, just lunging and creating problems for me, trying to prepare for him.”

The Redskins, under the leadership of first-time head coach Zorn, have beefed up an already stingy defense, adding two new versatile defensive ends, Jason Taylor and Andre Carter, to their line-up.

Giants quarterback and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, Eli Manning, says New York is going to have to play good fundamental football to beat the Redskins. “They are a good team, and they do a lot of different looks, and they can give you a good pass rush, they can blitz … they [play with an] aggressive style, so we just got to be consistent, we got to play quality football. It is not about out-scheming a lot of things, it is about out performing out there,” he said.

Elsewhere in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys are looking like the team to beat in the NFC, coming off last season’s record of 13 wins and only three losses.

Dallas is expecting more consistency from quarterback Tony Romo, and hopes new defensive addition, cornerback Adam Jones, will be every opposing wide receiver’s worst nightmare.

One of the most highly anticipated games will be the New York Jets season opener against the Miami Dolphins. Former long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will be making his debut with the Jets following a brief retirement that barely lasted the off-season. The revamped Dolphins will be seeking redemption after losing all but one of their (16) games last season.

The AFC powerhouse New England Patriots start anew with star quarterback Tom Brady at the helm of the team’s imposing offense.

Another strong AFC team to watch is the San Diego Chargers, who are predicted to dominate their division.

Each of the 32 NFL teams plays 16 games in the regular season. The NFC and AFC champions play for the league title in the Super Bowl.

By Stephanie Ho
Beijing
Ho report - Download (MP3)
Ho report - Listen (MP3)

Pro-Tibetan activists unfurled a banner proclaiming “Free Tibet” over an Olympics poster at the headquarters of China’s nationwide TV broadcaster. This is the latest in a string of unsanctioned protests during the first full week of the Olympics. Stephanie Ho reports from Beijing.

Chinese police Friday detained five foreign protesters from the group, Students for a Free Tibet.

The group says two of the demonstrators had climbed up on the still under-construction headquarters of state-owned
China Central Television to hang the banner. The other three watched from below.

“While China has its coming out party to the world, people forget that in Tibet right now, there’s a vicious military crackdown that’s been in place since March,” said a protester.

There is no immediate word as to what happened to Friday’s protesters. But other foreign demonstrators detained recently have been quickly deported.

This protest is the latest in a series of small-scale demonstrations by pro-Tibet and other foreign activists, who have criticized China for alleged repression in Tibet, human rights abuses and religious restrictions.

One American activist, Olympic speed skater Joey Cheek, had his visa revoked last week, right before he was due to travel to China as a private citizen. He founded a group called “Team Darfur,” that aims to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur. His group is one that points to China’s close relations with the Sudanese government, and calls on Beijing to do more to help resolve the Darfur crisis.

One protest in Beijing earlier this week, that wasn’t aimed at China, involved a small group of Georgian citizens, who held demonstrations in front of the Russian Embassy in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters the crowd was persuaded to disperse and leave, and that what he called “no extreme actions” took place.

Qin also repeated the standard answer he gives to questions about all protests in China - stressing that the staging of processions and demonstrations in China must abide by Chinese laws and regulations.

Meanwhile, Chinese public security authorities have not responded to faxed questions as to how many protest applications they have approved during the Olympics. All Chinese or foreign groups have to apply for permission to hold demonstrations in one of Beijing’s officially-designated protest parks.

from MoreWhat.com:

It is understandable for people to use big events and crowded venues to voice protest over issues. It should also be understood that the Olympic games have a history of such interruptions and worse. The original idea was to put all that aside and interact in a spirit of sports competition without the other stuff. It would be nice if those who feel the need to protest could understand a little of that. Perhaps they wouldn’t need to protest so much. Hire a lobbyist.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com