Perfection

Having a day job in the city of Chicago is far from convenient for baseball fans. The Cubs play about 50 of their 80 home games without turning the lights on and the White Sox play their fair share of games before the promotional 7:11 pm. Yesterday at U.S. Cellular Field, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle out did himself. Already having a no-hitter under his belt, against the Rangers in 2007, Buehrle became the 18th pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfect game. That is 27 hitters up, 27 hitters down; no hits, no walks, no errors, perfection. And I almost missed it!

The game started at 1, it was the fourth and final game of the series between the Rays and Sox, so it was 'getaway day'. Traditionally the home team will schedule an early game on 'getaway day' to make travel and the next day easier on the other team. But it was also a Thursday, meaning I was scheduled to work, from 7 to 3. However I am lucky enough, or unlucky if you check my pay stub, to have a joke of a job. Meaning I took a lunch break, not supposed to, and went to the neighborhood Chili's.

The game was on and in the top of the 3rd inning when I walked in with the Sox winning 4-0. Obviously at that point in a game a no-hitter or even perfect game is not uncommon, so there was not much attention being paid to what was happening. But once Hawk said, "15 up, 15 down for Buehrle" to conclude the top of the 5th, it was serious. I was immediately texting those who cared and creating a buzz. In typical Buehrle fashion every top half of the inning was crisp, but being on the clock (my shift was nearing its end) I absolutely could not wait for the Sox to finish their turn at bat. I was hoping they would each just bunt the first pitch back to the pitcher to get Buehrle back out there faster.

With each passing inning, out after out, those the Chili's were also edging towards the end of their seats. Text messages began to fly in and of the four people I was texting, three could not watch the game! And you got it, all were work casualties and were extremely jealous of me. Now fully understanding how unpredictable predicting a great game is, especially a perfect one, frustration with work or baseball's schedule is pointless. But I do feel exceptions ought to be made for exceptional occurrences. So the next time Buehrle is en route towards perfection; whether you are at work, making whoopee or even in labor, don't hesitate to take a time out and watch history. Because you all can't be as lucky as I, the $9 per hour employee. Congratulations Mark Buehrle!

Bitty (continued)

A Quick Question and A Quick Comment


During class last week, one of my professors posed an interesting question to me. In a discussion about the role of gender in sports, he asked why it is that the most celebrated of our female athletes are always the HOT ones? Danica Patrick, Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova, and Amanda Beard head up the list of beautiful female athletes who have had OK careers in their respective sports, but have excelled in the world of celebrity endorsement by showing a little T&A. Sure, certain superstar female athletes have excelled to the top of the game through sport, such as Serena Williams and Candace Parker. But even those have taken steps toward flaunting their face and bodies in pursuit of increased popularity. Serena has abandoned the tradition of modest tennis apparel on the court with outfits in tennis arenas that Nelly and the St. Lunatics would be proud of. And in a recent interview with ESPN magazine, Parker said she is focused on her career and new child for now, but in the future, will have no qualms using her god given beauty to become a bigger crossover star than both Patrick and Sharapova. And we love them for it. but Why?

Why is it that being an female athlete and beautiful at the same time is a story in it of itself? Is it a double standard? Is it sexism? Why is it that an athlete like Annika Sorenstam,...(who was essentially the Tiger Woods of women's golf for a decade) is not as celebrated or as highly sought after as these othern bitties. Why is it that companies like Addidas pay 10s of millions of dollars to sign Kournikova to an apparel deal, but the only clothing line interested in Sorenstam is relavtive unknown named Cutter & Buck? (see, i knew you never heard of that)






So that's the question I'm posing to BUSE nation. Are us sports fans sexist? There's an old saying that sports mirror society. And society may be to blame for this phenomenon? I must admit even while Annika Sorenstam was racking up win after win on the LPGA tour, I never once had a conversation with my friends about her dominance of women's golf. However, when Michelle Wie turned of legal age, I did have a conversation amongst pals pertaining to whether or not she was hot...I didn't really care that she was getting her ass handed to her on a weekly basis on the tour. Are people like me to blame? Or is it the athletes themselves. Amanda Beard stirred tremendous controversy for posing nude in playboy after returning from a successful Olympics. At the time she was probably the most popular, and successful female swimmer in the US, and was hung on posters in many little girls' room as a role model for female athletic excellence. So does it demean her as a person and diminish her athletic prowess if the father of the little girl with poster is in the other room jerking off to her playboy spread? It's a good question, and I straight up don't know the answer.

Bitty

Erin Andrews is an extremely popular sideline reporter for ESPN, who contributes to the network year round with College football and basketball along with appearances throughout the summer at major league stadiums. With no intention of demeaning the work done by Ms. Andrews, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that she gets the big time gigs and is so popular because her target audience thinks she is a dime. And to many men there is not anything hotter than a hot girl on your television talking sports to you.

But her popularity does not come without a price. Last year while covering a Cubs game she was accused by other journalists of using her sex appeal to garner the attention of other players and steal interviews. This caused Andrews embarrassment and forced her to defend her integrity and professionalism. Well she is back in the news only this time the reason is not due to anything she may or may not have done. In a hotel room she was staying at, a hotel staffer snuck and hid a camera in there and captured footage of her changing. Before you ex out of this site to try and find the tape, I will let you know it has been practically erased from the web. Then I am going to ask you what is the big deal?

After already acknowledging that Erin Andrews is indeed a very attractive woman, I still do not understand why a guy would go to such lengths to simply see her naked. There are literally millions of hot women on earth and you can legally see them in strip clubs, smut movies, men's magazines or even a Victoria's Secret catalog. Pictures, tapes and what not are cool, I know it is sexist locker room talk amongst males- but I get it. Having these does enhance the story being told to your friends, but only to your FRIENDS! Sharing pictures and movies over the web is unimpressive, especially if you obtain the images without at least luring the girl into your own room. Basically, if you have not done the work or at least put in the effort then you have done nothing to earn what you stole. To Erin Andrews and other women who have been duped, I apologize for those loser guys. To those men who think you have earned a badge or notch on your belt, think again douche bag. 

Oldie but Goodie?

This past weekend the PGA held one of their major events, the British Open. The tournament began Thursday and concluded Sunday with Stewart Cink winning the open. While bearing down on victory Cink did not have the likes of Phil Mickelson, out attending to his wife who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, or Tiger Woods, who did not make the cut, on his heels as he putted on 18. Instead Cink was trying to hold off 59 year old Tom Watson to ensure victory. From Thursday through Sunday the head line of the open had been Watson due to his age because had he won he would have been the oldest to win a PGA major by 11 years.

So with Tiger out on Friday, the PGA got their story to boost ratings as many were captivated by Watson. A man so old out dueling all the younger and stronger men in the field on one of golf's largest stages. Today every sports fan is waking up to news of what could have been had Watson won. From 'Mike and Mike' to 'Waddle and Silvy' sports commentators were ready to don a Watson win as the best sports story of the year. To all that hoopla I say, whoa.

While golf is an incredibly challenging game (I will give all the golf nuts their day in the sun by also saying it is a sport) the athletic ability needed to compete is just about none. I do not want to hear about how much golfers walk because it is walking and on top of that they pay someone else to carry their clubs. This athletic feat is as impressive as a student who walks to class all day, only that the student has a 10 pound bag to tote on their shoulders.

Tom Watson winning the British Open just would not have been that impressive, even given his age. Old guys like Jamie Moyer impress me, because although Moyer is about 16 years younger than Watson, he plays a sport that is actually physically demanding. I applaud Watson's effort, but in the end all he did was show ,e senior citizens should not be put under the same umbrella. So let them all individually take their drivers tests at the DMV or something and thank Watson for that.

MidSummer Morning's Recap

A Look at My PreSeason Picks

At the midpoint of this years baseball season, I figured I'd take time out and look at how my picks from the beginning of the season are looking.

For the American League, I took:
Yankees, White Sox, and Angels for the divisions and the Rays as my Wildcard

I don't look too balla right now, but I am still actually confident about my picks panning out. The Angels are currently in first in the West, and though they don't look like a lock, in a shaky division, if they continue to play well at home they'll finish at the top. The White Sox are 3.5 games back of the Tigers in 2nd, but the AL Central is perhaps the most mediorce division in baseball this year. The Sox have the deepest pitching staff in the Central, so if the bats come around, I put them ahead of Tigers. And both the Yankees and Rays are getting hot, the problem is, neither team has been able to beat the Red Sox head to head this year. The Red Sox have all the pitching in the world, so it appears the only chink in their armour may be their closer Papelbon, who had a poor July going into the break. If he continues to struggle, the Sox might blow enough games to let both teams back in it. Let's hope they do so I can look right.

The National League was a much bigger crap shoot than I thought. I picked the:
Mets, Cubs and Dodgers for divisions and the Cards as my wildcard.

While I was right about the Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball, I couldn't have been more wrong about the Cubs and Mets. Currently, these are just two bad teams. The Phillies are taking the East for sure, their only forseeable competition is probably the Marlins. As for the Central, the second half could go either way for the Cubs and Cards. It's no question that one will be the wildcard winner and one will take the division....determining which one does which will come down to whether or not Pujols gets hotter or the Cubs bats get colder. I don't see the Brewers pitching holding up in the second half.

Other Stories

Roy Halladay being the C.C. Sabathia of last year--not going to happen. If anything, I think he's headed to Phillies, who already have that division wrapped up. If they do get him, it's simply to bolster that playoff rotation and make them almost unbeatable in 7 games. Sure if he went to another team that figures to be in a close race...the White Sox, Yanks, Cards...he would be the piece that puts em over the edge, but of those teams, the Cards are the only ones who have a chance, and LaRussa is never too fond of selling the future for the now, especially when the now is in first place.

Pedro rejuvinating the Phillies rotation--eventually. Pedro is one of the coolest players to ever take the mound. I doubt he's going to provide them with a bunch of wins and strikeouts as a back end starter, but his being there will make everyone else pitch better, and in the playoffs, there are alot of situations in which you can use a tested guy like him. Just like El Duque with White Sox in 05, Pedro can suck all year in the regular season, but still be raw enough to come out of thepen, get a big strike out in game 7 of a playoff series, and then smoke a cigar afterwards.

Pujols and the triple crown--I hope so. He currently has homeruns and RBI wrapped up, but in batting average, he'd have to catch Sandoval, Beltran, and Ramirez in front of him. Baseball certainly needs a clean power hitting hero, but I want Pujols to reach the level of Bonds 02-07. While I love that Pujols is dominating, I just want baseball to have a player who has simply taken over. Pujols is approaching that level, and a triple crown will cement his already sick ass legacy.

I Got a Big ah ah em...EGO

Whoop That Trick Wednesday
Much of the reason why the NBA is the most global of the four American major sports is because of it's marketability. It is a superstar driven league, and more and more these days the superstars truly are in the driver's seat when it comes to the direction of the NBA. You can't win it all without a bonafide superstar, and because of that, team structure their payrolls the best they can to allocate resources for 1 or 2 phenom players, and sufficient sidekicks in order to make a run at a title. But because an entire franchise is built around one player in some instances, egos grow big and strong and it gets to the point that our beloved superstars become sixth graders that complain about who's on their squad when explaining their team's failure to win.

EGOS....

have for the most part taken over off season NBA news because our favorite stars in the game simply become the biggest babies once their team's season ends without a new ring being placed on their finger. Star players immediately blame management and the general manager for not surrounding them with enough talent to win, whether than placing the blame on themselves for not getting the job done.

I love Kobe, but this horrible trend became hot on the streets after he feigned to seek a trade to leave the Lakers in 2007. Kobe pissed and moaned about not having the talent around him to win, and threatened to leave unless new talent was brought in immediately. A year later, Lakers drop Kwame...add Gasol, and the Lakers go the the finals twice and win it all last year. Kobe never intended to leave LA, nor did he truly dislike the teammates he was currently with, he simply wanted to "put pressure" on management to step their game up. Other star players saw this and immediately followed suit....and now we have:

Lebron--being wishy washy about staying in Cleveland because he doesn't know if he can win a ship there.
DWade--demanding that the Heat sign high quality players or he will not re-sign with the team
Allen Iverson--fighting with Mike Curry in Detroit demanding to start, and playing far less intense, and far less competitively due to coming off the bench.

Whether it's Kobe, Lebron, Wade, or any other superstar, this practice sickens me. As talented as these guys are, are you telling me no one is willing to hoop with what their GM gives them. I don't want to hear anymore Jordan comparisons for any of these guys because Jordan didn't demand another superstar when the Pistons and Knicks were beating his ass in the playoffs....he turned Scottie into a superstar and started winning rings the hard way. He didn't complain that his big men were Bill Cartwright and Luc Longley...instead, he WON with Bill Cartwright and Luc Longley. Demanding that your GM signs better players implies that he isn't trying to do that already. Signing better players is his job, and he works for the same team as YOU. Wouldn't it suck if your co-worker, not your boss, was always yelling at you telling you to do your job better.

Until one of these superstars wants to go the Tim Duncan route and restructure their own contracts to make less money in order for their teams to keep, or sign better players, the clamoring for more talent should stop. I realize these are the times we live in, but if so, let's just stop comparing any of them to Jordan. If you think the guys on your team aren't good enough to win, don't make demands...make them better.

All-Star Blog

This past week was the end to Major League Baseball's first-half and is being capped off this week with the ceremonial All-Star Week. The festivities are taking place in St. Louis at the new Busch Stadium. They began Sunday with the futures game, continued Monday with the Legends & Celebrities Softball Game followed by the Home Run Derby and wrapped up by the game on Tuesday. MLBs All-Star Week is not unique, as every other sport also showcases their talent with an exhibition game, but there are several things that distinguish this game from the rest. The festivities preceding the game, the venue and the actual game make this All-Star Week the best in sports.

Sure the festivities surrounding the NBA receive much more publicity and may even be more widely watched but they fall short of what the Bigs provide. In Detroit a few years back Bobby Abreu participated in the Home Run Derby and hit a record 23 home runs in his opening round. That set the record, it may not have been a record like Joltin' Joe's 56 game hit streak, but still a record. A record that is until Josh Hamilton came along of course. Hamilton hit 28 home runs in round 1 showing the world why the home run derby reigns supreme. Sure Dwight Howard jumped high and far but Hamilton did the hardest thing in sports, hit a baseball, 28 times, really really far.

'Nothing beats a day at the old ballpark.' That's how the cliche goes and it without a doubt rings true, especially when the day you go it happens to be for the All-Star Game. The week showcases a stadium unlike any of the other major sports. The NFL provides a great Hawaiian vacation for its players but does very little else as far as the game's venue is concerned. The NBA and NHL simply do not have the facilities to compare to the cathedrals that are Major League stadiums. These cathedrals often come with great views of their home city, for example this year just past right center St. Louis's Arch is seen. There are also the tons of different unique attributes each stadium has, like the Ferris wheel in Detroit. Then there is the history, which was summed and displayed last year in New York at Yankee Stadium.

On top of all the rest, the actual game play in this All-Star games is far superior to that played in any other sport. In those other games you get nothing but offense, which is exciting but at the same time extremely sloppy. In this game you actually do get defense and all out effort from those playing in the game. Just think back to Milwaukee when Barry Bonds hit a towering fly ball to center thinking it was a home run, only to have it brought back by then Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter. Or watch Tuesday when AL and NL starters Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum are hurling fastballs in the mid to high 90s.

Whether it counts or not this All-Star game is the only one not only worth watching but that actually lives up to the hype. And unlike any other sport fans from every city have at least one player to cheer for, even those fans in Washington.

Upon Death

This is the only life I have and I plan to cherish it and make it the absolute best life I could have. but what I do not care about is what happens to 'me' once my body no longer functions. Not to be morbid, but amid the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal; where employees have been accused of digging up graves and reselling the plots for a profit, I could not help but think about my body's final resting place.

Understanding there are religious and moral implications to how my body is treated in death, I still can not bring myself to care about what was to happens. The only thing that makes me think twice is the respect I have for my loves ones. If a funeral where they see my casket go into the ground helps with their grief, okay. If having a grave to go to helps, okay. But contrary to the opinion of Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Mary Mitchell, it is not a nightmare nor would it be if I found out my great grandparents grave (or anyone older than that) had been removed and the plot resold.

Once a grave is left or abandoned by family, what is its purpose? Hasn't enough respect been paid or must a reminder of you truly be left for an eternity? Once my grave site is not being visited and/or used as a source of strength for those who remember me and were influenced by me, you can get rid of it. I promise I will not be writing a letter to anyone as a form protest. There is entirely too much reverence paid to the dead, I understand it's about showing respect and honoring their memory, but how many of those folks already 6 feet under received as much respect while alive? I'm betting not many.

At a press conference the Rev. Jesse Jackson proclaimed, "There should be a special place in hell these graveyard thieves," but why? Sure the execution of their plan was horrendous, as they allowed human remains to scatter about, but who are the victims? The dead? Get this, they're already dead! And seeing as the graves that had been dug up were seemingly forgotten and all the respects and grieving that was to be done for this person has passed, making these victimless 'crimes'.

With better execution a plan like this would merely be a savvy business move, seeing as it netted the culprits nearly $300,000. Assuming my audience respects the dead much more than I, let me hear it. Spirited debate has been pretty absent as of late and I know I'm in the minority here.

Fly Fishing

GRAY

Whoop that Trick Wednesday:
Media Should Chill Out

Look, I get it. Race is a sexy topic. In sports, politics, pop culture....whatever the topic, if someones race is the story, it is automatically more interesting because race is a hot button issue that everyone generally has an opinion on. But the American media pushes the envelope in order to create a buzz and the latest victim of this is Larry Bird.

In a USA Today article, written by a guy who noticed an anomaly and decided to turn it into a race issue, Bob Kravitz asserted that Larry Bird "might" be attempting to build an NBA team dominated by white players. Kravitz suggested that since the Artest incident in 2005, Bird has taken it upon himself to load his roster with more humble, coachable players (white) and avoid thuggish, volatile players (black). The idea and the accusation against Bird is sparked by the fact that while only 10% of players in the NBA are white, while 50% of the Pacers roster is Caucasian. Believers in this white conspiracy theory against Bird point to a 2004 interview with Jim Gray as evidence. During the interview, Bird responded to a question about the lack of white players in the NBA by saying that white America would benefit greatly from having more white players in the NBA for fans to follow.

This assertion is ridiculous. As a GM, Larry Bird may be attracted to players that he feels played like him, but certainly not ones that look like him. Bird is a former player, and all GMs that have that distinction, cannot help but look for a bit of themselves in every player they seek out. For instance, Joe Dumars built an entire team of guys who played like him, scrappy, tough, and great defenders. It resulted in a championship...was he ignoring white players? No. Bird is simply attracted to players that exhibit the skills he used to have. It doesn't surprise me that he's attracted to a sharp shooter like Travis Deiner, nor does it blow my mind that he likes versatile big men who rebound and make free throws like Ty Hansborough and Troy Murphy.


The fact that it is news that Bird's roster is 50% white implies that there is something wrong with having a 1/2 white team. It suggests the idea that clearly white players aren't as good as black ones, so Bird must be up to something if half his team is white. Bob Kravitz, (who's actually one of the rawest columnists ever) needs to be whooped up for making news out of race when its completely irrelevant. This is the NBA, white men CAN jump, and they don't necessarily hoop like the guy pictured above. Though the numbers say the sport is dominated by blacks, we should not get excited, surprised, or even intrigued by whites who excel in the sport, or a team with a large number of white players. These guys aren't Josh or Dave from the office next to you, they're finely tuned athletic machines who can hoop their asses off. Bird doesn't like his 5 white players because they're white.....he loves them because they can play D, they can rebound, and they don't cost much. He's coaching in Indianapolis.....not Harlem.

Stop

Having been born and raised in Chicago, you can definitely tell there is a huge bias in favor of the city whenever I speak of it. Chicago is the best city in the world, from the food to the diverse neighborhoods to the night life to our lake front and downtown area and then there is the sports! While in Chicago you would have to try very hard to avoid finding something that tickles your fancy. However, every beautiful woman has a dark side and Chicago is no different. Some may argue it's Chicago's corrupt politics or hiring process/scandals, thank you Blago or they may argue it's the city's ridiculously high taxes on everything. Both sides could make compelling arguments but neither compare with the trick of the week, gangs.

In an FBI study, published by the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago had four neighborhoods in the top 25 of worst areas in the country, with the highest ranking coming in at second. Really?!? Four out of 25 in the country is flat out embarrassing. And given the rampant violence that ensued on Chicago's south side, where 11 were killed and many others injured, it appears our gang members are beefing up their efforts to not only keep their 'hoods on the list but raise their position.

The gang violence needs to stop! And gang bangers need to be dealt with more harshly by our police officers and community members. These individuals are not only leaving our magnificent city with a black eye but they are also killing off our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and friends. They quarrel over turf and can not coexist due to a fear of dissed. Gang members truly are the scum of the earth and the life style led by these thugs is nothing to glorify. They feed addictions with their unmonitored distribution of drugs and kill those in their way. What about this life style is appealing? Because the money is fleeting and the power is limited to the bullet. A much better effort must be made by everyone to ensure our brothers or sister do not join their ranks. It's the only way we can save a generation and take our streets back.

What Not to Wear

If you have ever gone out and people watched then you have without a doubt asked yourself, "What is that person wearing?" Most of the time it is due to the fact that the person is dressed in something they thought looked good, but obviously didn't. For example you get the obese woman wearing booty shorts and a halter top. But there are also times when you are at a particular event or place and someone sets themselves apart due to their choice to wear clothes that are completely inappropriate. Now by no stretch of the imagination am I a debonair man with his finger on the pulse of fashion, but I can speak to place and occasion appropriate attire.

While playing BASKETBALL please be sure to leave your jeans at home. Anything with denim in it; shorts, pants, jackets, for that matter do not belong anywhere near a basketball court. The wearing of denim on the court effects those who you are playing with, it brings the entire energy level down of everyone else on the court. Is it really that hard to just be sure you have shorts if you think there is a remote chance that you will be hooping? And if you did not have the foresight to bring a pair of shorts with you then stay off the court and watch from the side lines. Also a gross error in judgement, but more excusable, is the wearing of running shoes while hooping. Please wear appropriate shoes, you wouldn't wear bowling shoes while playing baseball, so don't go hoop in Asics.

When you go to the BEACH make sure you are ready to get sandy, wet or both. Translation, do not wear what you plan on going out in later. Once again leave the denim in your closet. Khakis may breath more but also should not be worn at the beach, especially if the khakis are accompanied by a button up shirt. You're not being featured on the cover of a Danielle Steele novel so look like you're trying to have fun in the sun. Also be sure to leave your jewelry in the box at home. Unless you shop at the Flea Market for your jewelry then I assume you would be disappointed if you lost it in the sand or water. So simply take it off, you're not making any fashion statements by keeping it on.

Finally, but certainly not the real end to this list, is to those attending their PROM. This is a black tie event, not a dressed up dance. Ladies, for the most part, are wearing flowing, elegant, beautiful dresses yet guys do not follow suit with a proper tuxedo and outfit. Wearing solid colored Air Force Ones would never even be endorsed by Nelly, so what's going through your mind when you wear them? Also please do not run to your nearest Lids store to find a cap that will match your cumber bun or dates dress. A fitted hat should never be worn to a PROM! There is no need to remind people of how 'hood' you are when attending your prom, just let that street crap take a break.

The list was kept to three places or occasions here but I know BUSE-Nation can mull up a few other ridiculous outfits given the scenario.

Throwback Thursday

GRAY

Quick Question...

What ever happened to rollerblading?

I was never a huge participant in the activity, (actually, I don't even know how to skate.) But still, I feel as if strapping up the wheels has become extinct.
How could it be that an entire mode of transportation that was so popular is actually just a fad of the late 90s to early 2000s.

Time was, hot girls used to Rollerblade in jean shorts and bikini tops...right in the middle of traffic, so as to turn the heads of unsuspecting guys driving cars beside them. It was great, as shown here above, the very mechanics of rollerblading require the girl to bend over just a tad, providing a perfect combination of cleavage and butt tipping.

Time was, lame families completely adopted rollerblading buried their bikes deep in the garage. Which of course brought about the full on safety movement initiative for the 7 and 8 yr olds rollerblading around the block at a blazing 4 MPH. A helmet was enough for a bike, but for Rollerblades, safety conscious parents went all out acquiring knee,elbow,wrist, and shoulder pads for the whole family.

With the passing of rollerblades, we even had to say goodbye to that one jag-off who literally brought them everywhere. He always had a book bag, and when everyone else decided to walk to the destination, he'd strap up and rollerblade alongside the group, all the while doing extremely annoying tricks and rollerblading backwards like a tool.

The loss of this 8-wheeled pastime of human transportation is unfortunate. And all its done is make way for FAR more annoying devices with wheels at the bottom of human feet. Mo-peds....(lame)...anything you're driving around and paying to fill up with gas, should be a car, plus u look like an idiot. Scooters.....(lame)...to me it's just a skateboard with handle bars, suggesting that you don't have the balance for a skateboard, and that you aren't EXTREME enough to ride one anyway with your lame ass.

And lastly....roller shoes...most annoying innovation ever.

As if these little hell raising 6 year olds weren't hard enough to control in the first place,...some genius thought to put tiny wheels underneath the soles of these rap-scallions. Even worse, some genius parents thought it'd be an execellent idea to buy these monstrocities. One moment their walking, then rolling uncontrollably toward my upper legs and mid-section. I'm hopeful that these are also a fad,...but on the real, I would mind if Rollerblades made a comeback.

So Not Cool

When in the entertainment industry there is nothing bigger than self promotion, especially when you are about to go public with a new product. Whether it be a movie, a new album or personal endeavor, those in and around the industry seek as many opportunities as possible to plug their products. And there may not be a better place to do so than at an awards ceremony, where you walk the red carpet and speak to a myriad of members in the media. This past Sunday Joe Jackson did exactly that when while in front of the cameras and microphones he plugged his new record label, Ranch Records. Jackson boasted about having blue ray capabilities and introduced his business partner to everyone he could. There was only one problem with Jackson's approach, it was extremely distasteful.

The BET Awards, the ceremony he was attending, had made impromptu changes to their program to honor his late son, Michael. So had it not been for his ridiculously talented son's death, Joe would not have had an outlet to promote his new venture. His actions on the red carpet were very frowned upon by the rest of the family. But there was nothing they could do, Dad is nearly 80 and is going to do whatever he please.

Not having been alive during the Jackson 5s rise to fame, I am not the most educated man to speak on who he was and is. I only know what I have read, strong on discipline, big on practice and even bigger on trying to make it big. And I certainly can not speak to how close the man was with his meal ticket of a son. But putting all that aside, I can say his actions were deplorable. Recognize the purpose and meaning to the night and act accordingly, your son's memory deserves more from you.

Endorsement

About two years ago Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo squared off in a huge console war, when they each released their newest machines; Playstation 3, XBOX 360 and the Wii. Sony was offering a console with improved everything making it comparable more so to a computer versus a video game system. Oh and it doubles as a blue ray disc player. The XBOX 360 improved its game play and internet usage, it also linked up with Netflix to provide its owners with instant movie downloads. Then there was Nintendo's Wii, which was nearly $200 cheaper than its rivals. However, it being cheaper meant weaker graphics and less add-ons, such as a CD player or movie player. But Nintendo did have one ace up their sleeve, motion sensitive controllers.

Thought of as a gimmick by serious 'gamers', the gimmick won the console war for Nintendo (price did not hurt either). But the Wii was much than a fad, its layout was easy to navigate, easy on the eye and fun to use. The channels, such as the news and weather channels, were on point and easy to access. However the best thing the Wii offered was its virtual console. The library is ever expanding but does include games from your NES, Super Nintendo, and SEGA.

However the system is still struggling to find/create new hit games that relate to the 'gamers'. Making this quote from Shia LeBeouf somewhat credible, "I don't mess with the Wii, to be honest with you. It's kind of an amatuer console." But I will argue the Wii's only amateur due to it's appeal to amateur gamers; to those who have either never played video games or haven't played since Pong. To contrast Shia, the Wii is a heavyweight because there are a some excellent games that make game play easier and more fun, without you needing to to buy a $20.00 strategy guide.