Monday, October 22, 2007

What is it with guys? And gals?

The following is a link to Jason Caffey, an ex-basketball player who has fathered 8 children by 7 different women. He was only married to one.

Jason Caffey

Of course there's many factors at work here. He had to pay child support based on his earnings as an NBA player, and that money wasn't reduced once he retired and his income plummetted. (A lot of guys are taken to the cleaner like this, which is unfair. A guy shouldn't have to live in his car so that he can give all his money to his ex-wife and kids, when his ex-wife has a job and is making good money herself.)

But he's not the only "baby daddy" going around populating this planet with children whom he can't support. Travis Henry is another one with eight kids or so...Jeremy Kemp has about 12... and all of these are to women to whom he was not married.

Now, what I want to know is, after these guys have fathered about four kids, and if they're not going to wear a dollar condom, why oh why do they not just get "fixed?" They've already proven their virile, surely no one will hold it against them if they get themselves "fixed" after they've proven that fact?

But then there's the women. As a feminist, I believe that if a woman wants to have a child out of wedlock --- and can afford it so she will not be a burden on the welfare state -- then fine, have a child. But I have to admit I wonder if these women deliberately get pregnant so they can have a meal ticket for the rest of their lives.

I wonder if its possible to do a bit of research into these mothers, find out what their financial status was before they had sex with a certain athlete - without protection of any kind, apparantly (hello STDs as well as pregnancy) - and what their financial status is now. How many are professional women who use that child support money to support their kid, and how many sit at home living off the child support payment while the kid goes hungry?

Would be intersting to know.

But really, the father is the one really to blame. If he's too stupid to see what these women are doing to him...well, then he's pretty stupid.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Paul Byrd did nothing wrong, and the media should be ashamed

Guess what!

From 2002-2005, Paul Byrd took HGH, or Human Growth Hormone.

Guess what!

It wasn't a banned substance!

The news today has been full of reports that Byrd took HGH, and that his reputation has taken a hit. Well, gee, the only reason why his reputation has taken a hit is because the media is turning a non-story into a story. They keep detailing all these deliveries of HGH he got, and how much he paid for it... and don't emphasize that he was buying htis stuff openly - having it sent to the god-damned clubhouse! - because IT WAS NOT A BANNED SUBSTANCE when he was taking it. Indeed, it was prescribed to him.

The coverage on this has just been ridiculous.

I have to admit I haven't been following the steroid controversy, and I suppose I was very naive when I assumed that all the comments about these athletes taking steroids occurred AFTER steroids were banned.

But if they were taking HGH, and steroids, and other items, that were NOT BANNED at the time, then there is no damn story!

I apology for the R-ratedness of this post, but I am just furious right now.

Rafael Palmeiro is a different story - he swore he never took steroids, and then within a week tested positive - and he tested positive when steroids were banned.

Barry Bonds, he's been swearing all along he never took steroids - at least never knowingly... so if he's proved to be a liar - well, he's a liar, but that doesn't make him a cheater if he stopped doing it AFTER the substances were banned.

I really don't like the way baseball players have taken the defensive stance on this - if you used HGH or some other substance before it was banned, (especially if it was a doctor's prescription) say so and tell the media to go to hell. That's pretty much what Byrd did, and that's what every player - in the right - should have done.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

An apology to Barry Bonds

Let me preface my comments by admitting that I don't follow every baseball team each season - just specific ones, the Minnesota Twins, the Seattle Mariners, and the Baltimore Orioles.

So although I've heard of the big stars of other teams, I'd never really seen them in action, except during an occasional glimpse during Baseball Tonight, etc.

So for years and years I've disliked Barry Bonds, because of his pathetic little schtick of standing at the plate and watching while his home run balls fly out of the park. What a jerk, I'd thought. (and continue to think.)

But he's not the biggest jerk in baseball, the biggest poseur in the game - that goes to Manny Ramirez.

Bonds at least just stands there, not really showing up anyone...Manny Ramirez stands there, and holds up both arms and poses. Then he looks at the pitcher like he wants to make eye contact...then he starts his baggy-uniformed trot around the bases.

So today, of course, in an elimination game, he hits what he thinks is a home run ball. David Ortiz, bad leg and all, is running as hard as he can round the bases and scores from firstl. What does Manny do? He stands and does his pose, then the ball hits on top of the yellow line of the fence (replays showed it hit on the line, not beyond the line), so good ol' Manny ends up with a single instead of a double or triple.

They ended up winning the game anyway, thanks to the hustle of other players, but it just irked me to see that.

And then there's his other sctick he does, which I've seen three times now in the last few days... he has this habit of running the bases and when he's on second trying to get home, he'll reach up and knock his helmet off, as if to make sure that the fans see him and know he's running so fast that he loses his helmet. Does he really think that they don't know that he knocks it off deliberately?

And finally, for a wonder, Jacoby Ellsbury gets into the game, if only for the last 2 innings. Based on Coco Crisp's output in these champeenship series, it's time to replace Crisp with Ellsbury. He'll be as good defensively, and his offense couldn't be any worse and might be better.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

New WNBA team in Atlanta

The WNBA is expanding - a new team will open in Atlanta next year.

Atlanta announcement

A few fans are puzzled, as they do not consider Atlanta to be that "hot" of a sports town for mens' teams, let alone women's teams. And the WNBA team in Charlotte folded just last year.

Nevertheless, things do seem to be progressing for the WNBA, so lets all think positive thoughts, and hope Atlanta fans will flock to see their new professional sports team.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Red Sox: Please Give Up on Gagne!

I don't blame Eric Gagne for being a total bust since he was traded at the deadline to the Boston Red Sox. But since he has proven to be that bust - don't ever use him again! Putting him in games now is just setting him up to fail... unless it's a game in which the BoSox have a 10 run lead and only an inning to go.

Is Gagne's failure really his fault, though?

Gagne was a closer - he worked one inning - the ninth, for much of his career. It takes a different mindset to be a closer than it does to be a middle relief or set up man. And Gagne was brought in and told to be a set up man rather than a closer, and for whatever reason, he has been unable to make the adjustment, mentally, that he had to make, in the last month or so.

And asking him to do it in the playoffs what he failed to do in the last month or so is just not an option.

To be sure, Gagne was Francona's last choice in that last game, after having used up Okajima and Papelbon, and if Gagne let two men get on, it was the other relief pitcher, Lopez, who threw a wild pitch to let the first run score, and the flood gates opened from there.

Gagne is a man without confidence now. The whole team is behind him, vocally, to the media, but you and I both know that Gagne knows that they're just saying that, and that inwardly each and everyone of them is seething - although as baseball players they too know that it's hard to ask a player to play a different position that he's not used to. Even if pitching seems like one position, it really isn't - not these days - and Gagne has been ruined for the post season, I think.

So if he's ever brought in again, and louses up again, I won't blame him - I'll blame the management that put him out there.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Eric "Gag me" Gagne

Can someone tell me why Eric Gagne is still being employed by the Boston Red Sox? Ever since he was aquired a few months ago, he has stunk the joint up. I don't think he's gone through a singe 1-2-3 inning this year.

So in the 11th he's brought into the 6-6 tie game between the BoSox and Indians, and proceeds to get one out (yay) then give up a single and a walk.

So he's gone, having opened the door, and then we get 3 worthless poitchers who throw wild pitches, ya da ya da, and now the Sox are down 13 - 6 with the bottom of the order coming up.

NO MORE GAGNE!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Boston Red Sox

Six-and-a-half hours from now and the Boston Red Sox will go up against the Cleveland Indians in the first game of the American league series.

Colorado Rockies go up against the Arizona Diamondbacks after that... once again I hope the Rockies win...

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Women's soccer

Latest news on the Women's Soccer team

Solo, Scurry both chosen for U.S. team's series with Mexico

Hasn't their ridiculous coach been fired yet?

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Two more days until Red Sox/Indians

Anxiously awaiting...

Meantime, Diamondbacks vs Rockies on Thurs...I wouldn't mind seeing the Rockies win.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Baseball all day

I haven't had time to watch the two early games, but I'm looking forward with great anticipation to Red Sox vs Angels.

Of course rookie Jacoby Ellsbury probably won't see any playing time until the later innings, if at all, but I also like rookie Dustin Pedroia - who has played all season long and has had an excellent year.... so the game should be fun.

Monday, October 1, 2007

How time flies

I see it's been over three months since I last posted here. Well, things happened!

I'm back now and will be posting regularly.

New at The Mudville Megaphone, a biography and "newstracker" of Jacoby Ellsbury, rookie outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Half Navajo, his story is an inspiring one.

Ellsburybio

Also, I'm working on a project called Quantum Quarterback. Intended for the American football newbie, it will give info on team's quarterbacks through the ages.

Quantum Quarterback