random off-topic thread

[Newman]

Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann were talking about Barry Bonds shoe size today, on their radio show. I saw this again tonite on Countdown, Keith's news show on MSNBC.

Seems that Barry's shoe size has changed. Gasp. At the age of 29 he was a size 10 1/2. Today he is a size 13!

I'm not a scientist or anything, just a humble civil servant, but do you think this could have something to do with human growth hormone?

I wonder if Hank Aaron's shoe or hat size changed during his career.

I've worn the same size 9 for as long as I can remember.

More discouraging news. Apparently the Commissioner and Hank Aaron are going to have nothing to do with Barry when he breaks the hallowed 755. Unfortunately, my former hero, Willie Mays appears to be ready to lend moral support to his "godson".

Ugh.

[GerryInCS]

makes you wonder. I've been a 10 1/2 or 11 (depending on manufacturer) since junior high. Once you're fully grown, you're grown. This should be an indicator that his is juicing on something or he has thryoid disorder that seemt to effect only his feet.

[Newman]

Earlier the corporate media, like espn, reported that his hat size had grown, from his Pittsburgh days to his SF days. So, now they are saying that his head is growing (but I don't think he's any smarter) and his feet are growing since the age of 29. I wonder if any other body part is growing?

This American is not afraid of Mexicans.

This American fears George Bush. He ignored the Iraq Study Group. He ignored the will of the people, the November elections. Overwhelmingly Americans want us OUT of Iraq and his response is an escalation. Less than 30% of Americans think this war is a good idea. Our allies are leaving Iraq and we are surging. I fear George Bush. So does Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker Magazine. That's what he said on Hardball last night to Chris Matthews.

[Roxpert]

Originally Posted by Newman

This American is not afraid of Mexicans.

This American fears George Bush. He ignored the Iraq Study Group. He ignored the will of the people, the November elections. Overwhelmingly Americans want us OUT of Iraq and his response is an escalation. Less than 30% of Americans think this war is a good idea. Our allies are leaving Iraq and we are surging. I fear George Bush. So does Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker Magazine. That's what he said on Hardball last night to Chris Matthews.

Newman, so much of America fears radical Islam, not W. It's sort of amazing.

While radical Islam is a long-term threat to the West, we are going about solving the problem the wrong way, and inflaming their ire. Iraq has been an unmitigated disaster, and has weakened our national security in so many ways (in addition to killing/wounding tens of thousands and costing hundreds of billions). Even WALTER CRONKITE, once the most trusted man in America, says so. Unfortunately, the 20-somethings in this country who back W don't remember THAT particular "W". Read Cronkite's views here...

Walter Cronkite: Iraq War a "Disaster"

[Heltonfan]

Just a quick note here: I don't want the off-topic thread to turn into a long political discussion. It's fine for us to have one off-topic thread here for all sorts of miscellaneous stuff, but prolonged political discussion belongs on the Current Events and Politics board.

I only mention this because political stuff has a tendency to overwhelm a thread if left unchecked... nothing wrong with what's been written in this thread so far, but there are limits.

[indianadrew]

i just want to say that it has been a long time since W declared mission accomplished. i say bring our folks home. let them fight a civil war like we did. they really dont like us anyway.

did anyone watch the game today?



by the way newman, how is air-america doing?

[Newman]

Air America is alive and well out here in Colorado. Thom Hartman replaced Al Franken, who is running for Senate in Minnesota.

Thom is a little dry. He's a teacher. He's good. Gonna take a little getting used to. I like him.

Today I listened to Peter Gammons. He seems like such a shill for the corporations. He was telling me what a great guy Gary Sheffield is. To me Sheff is just another steroid user, friend of Bonds, good pick for a fantasy team except now he plays in Detroit which is not exactly a hitter's paradise.

What makes Sheff a nice guy, Peter Gammons? I don't get it. Dale Murphy is a nice guy. He's starting some new group, for high schools I think, called "I don't cheat." Maybe Pete and I have different definitons of the word "nice".

Sheff is nice because he lets Peter interview him. Is that it? That makes him nice? Not in my book.

[BigRapidsJackass]

I used to like Gammons. I used to watch Baseball Tonight just because he was on, and because I appreciated espn giving a "real baseball guy" an opportunity.

But I got tired of his act a couple years ago (before the stroke or aneurysm or whatever it was).

Sheffield is a jackass and an admitted juicer. (Of the old favorite, "I used it, but I didn't know what it was. It made me feel worse and I never used it again" variety.) I do not care what Sheffield says. He has zero credibility.

Gammons is also one of the Bonds suckup guys. Plus he has spread some of the stupidest trade rumors in baseball over the last decade.

It's time to retire, Pete.

[Newman]

I agree with you BRJ. I wanna like Gammons. I mean he almost died and he loves baseball and he's in the HOF as a writer. He likes rock and roll and can talk about it.

Somehow though, that isn't enough. When someone in his position chooses to be a suck up, to be a shill for the ESPN corporation, or the Red Sox corporation, and just sell the game, look the other way at the steroid abuse, bury your head in the sand, never ask a hard question, well, it's hard to respect that and it IS time to retire.

I listen to some of these younger espn hosts, like John Seibel, and just shake my head. He calls ballplayers "entertainers", and admits that he doesn't care if they take steroids or not. He just wants to see the long home runs.

I know a lot of people on this site feel the same way.

Hell, it's just steroids. Hgh. It's their bodies. What's the big deal?

Athletes always look for an edge. In NASCAR someone tried to put jet fuel in the gas tank but somehow got caught.

I assume all football players in the NFL are on steroids. But I didn't grow up as a huge football fan. Not like I am with baseball.

That's why when people like Joe Morgan and Peter Gammons defend Barry Bonds, or ignore the steroids question, that almost hurts the most. Most of us here, except for The Incredible, had no shot at being MLB players. Some of us can write. I'd like to think some of us would have the courage to ask the hard questions like why do you take steroids, who else is taking them, when did you stop beating your wife.

The whole thing is depressing. Bonds is 22 homers away. What will Bud Selig do? What will Hank Aaron say? What will Joe Morgan, Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann, Peter Gammons say? What will Kruk say?

[BigRapidsJackass]

ESPN made a conscious management decision to root for Barry and to downplay the whole steroids thing. I don't really understand the decision, but it permeates the entire TV and radio espn world. Thank God #1 Bonds cheerleader Harold Reynolds groped his way off the air.

Dan Patrick (mostly because he has Olberman on for an hour now) manages to retain a bit of objectivity, but even Gammons (who has no professional reason to suck up at this point) is lost to us.

[indianadrew]

Monkey Scare - Yahoo! Video

alot of you may have already seen it.

[indianadrew]

wow i am so pumped. SNL is going to rock this week. hope all of you enjoy SNL with peyton manning this weekend!!!!

peyton manning woooohoooo

go butler beat florida

[Dante Bichette]

Originally Posted by Newman

Air America is alive and well out here in Colorado. Thom Hartman replaced Al Franken, who is running for Senate in Minnesota.

Thom is a little dry. He's a teacher. He's good. Gonna take a little getting used to. I like him.

I listen some to Air America. They have some good comentators and interesting shows, although would someone please explain to me why Randy Rhodes is on the air at all, let alone in the "prime time" slot for local drive time? She has no business being on the air.

[indianadrew]

i thought he dies in the early 80s. ozzy's old guitarist right?

[Dante Bichette]

Originally Posted by indianadrew

i thought he dies in the early 80s. ozzy's old guitarist right?

Nope, different person. This Randy Rhodes is a woman, but if Ozzy's old guitarist was still alive and had a political talk show I don't imagine it could be much worse.