Desperate Times ...

So, I think the fact that Barack Obama's name sounds very much like Iraq Osama is a dead horse that's been beaten mercilessly. As is the case with his middle name, Hussein, which completes his entire name as a sort trifecta of taboo Middle East/Muslim/terrorist sounding words. It amazes me that this is still an issue being discussed. Even Jon Stewart got in on the act while hosting the Academy Awards, joking about the Presidential candidate's name. He referenced back to a fictional candidate in the 1944 election, Gaydolph Titler, who "had good ideas", but suffered because of his name. That was pretty hilarious.

Still, as I said, the joke is getting old. No doubt, though, the Clinton camp if not perpetuating this name calling, is certainly loving it. And whether this sort of smear campaign is working or not, sadly enough, there may be people out there that will not vote for Barack simply because of the sound of his name, among other things.

Clearly, the Democratic White House race has detoured into name-calling and accusations of "fear-mongering". As if the Obama name thing wasn't enough, Monday, Hillary Clinton scrambled to save her teetering campaign from annihilation by allegedly leaking a photo of Barack dressed in traditional Somali dress during a trip to Africa in 2006. The average person, when viewing this photo, makes an immediate connection to the Muslim faith, and some might draw a direct line to people like Osama bin Laden, who dresses in a similar fashion. Obama has already been dogged by false rumors that he is Muslim. If it really matters, he is actually of the Christian faith.

Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, Monday accused Camp Clinton of stooping to a new low in an increasingly desperate attempt to keep her campaign upright by circulating the photo.

Naturally, Hillary's people denied doing such a thing. What's next? Maybe Hillary and company will claim Obama is a member of Al-Qaeda and his campaign for president is the group's attempt to insert a terrorist into the White House. If that's the case, who will his first political appointee be, Osama bin Laden as Secretary of Defense? Somehow, I don't think the Senate will approve.

Hank Steinbrenner: Steroid Problem Worse in the NFL

Hank Steinbrenner is fed up with all the scrutiny that the MLB is under these days regarding steroids and HGH. The NFL, Hank claims, has a much higher frequency of players taking banned substances. For the New York Yankee exec, it's fairly obvious. "Look at the speed and size of those players," he told the AP.

Steinbrenner may have a point that steroid and HGH use in pro baseball is talked about and investigated far more than steroid and HGH use in pro football. People forget that one of the NFL's premier linebackers, Shawne Merriman, was suspended four games for failing a test. Rodney Harrison, the notorious New England safety sat out the first four games of this past season, and yet few, if any, remember or mentioned this minor detail during the Patriots' run at a near perfect season.

What Hank failed to mention, however, is that the NFL has had random, year-round testing since 1990, complete with numerous suspensions since that year. Steroid testing in the MLB, on the other hand, was not a major issue until 2005. Prior to that year, testing was ineffective and punishments were light, at best. In the 1990s and early 2000s, while the NFL was cleaning up its image and at least attempting to rid its sport of steroids, the MLB, its commissioner, and its owners turned away as baseball players took performance enhancing drugs. The league began to prosper, as home runs became plentiful, and MLB continued to avoid the subject. That is, until the matter began to spiral out of control.

Hank also has to come to grips with the fact that football players contain a sort of anonymity that baseball players simply do not have. Furthermore, because of their natural size, violent nature, and covered faces, NFL players are not as easily relatable to fans as baseball players, who enjoy plenty of face time during games and appear to be normal people like you and me. Naturally, when these players start to exhibit bulging biceps and growing heads, people are going to notice and begin to wonder what is going on.

So, Hank Steinbrenner has two things to realize. First, the massive problem that is steroids in MLB is partially the fault of people like his father, who turned a blind eye in the late 90s and on as revenues increased along with players hat sizes. Secondly, the immense scrutiny experienced by baseball simply comes with the territory. Seems like someone is just jealous that the NFL has become far and away the nation's most popular sport.

Congress ... Investigate Zeke and Dolan

There's a serious scandal going on in professional sports today. No, it's not Roger Clemens and the rampant steroid and HGH use occcurring in the MLB. No, it's not Spygate and the NFL's handling of the situation. The scandal is the New York Knicks and maybe Isiah Thomas and James Dolan should be summoned to Capitol Hill to testify why they are ruining a franchise with so much history in a city that was once considered the basketball town.

For one, Dolan hasn't been to a Knick's home game in weeks, a sign that maybe he really doesn't care what happens to the team. New York fans are so loyal and devoted, they still pay the ridiclous ticket prices and fill seats in MSG. So what does Dolan have to worry about?

Thomas, a horrendous GM, may very well be an even worse coach. We'll give him the recent talent he's drafted in the past several years: Lee, Robinson, Balkman, but you cannot overlook the mistakes: Jerome James (who's contract is 5yrs $30 mil by the way), Steve Francis, Jared Jeffries, and so on. You can even begin to question Eddy Curry, who lacks any type of energy or defensive presence. As a 6'11" center, the guy is averaging 4.8 RPG this season. Just to put that in perspective, Jason Kidd, a 6'4" point guard, is averaging 8.1 RPG. Let's not even talk about Curry's blocks per game.

You can question Zach Randolph all you want, but the fact is, he gives a great effort every night, though he may lack defense at times. He is a double-double machine and has a knack for scoring around the basket.

Curry, take notes.

At 15-37, I think it's safe to say the season is over for the Knicks, despite being in the Leastern Conference (only five teams have a winning record). With nothing to lose, then, Isiah should test out some of his younger players. For all we know, they may be able to make a late season run and steal the 8 seed. If not, they will gain valuable experience. So let's see a line-up that resembles this: Mardy Collins, Crawford, Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Zach Randolph. It's small, but it has to be better than what is on the floor now. With Nate, Balkman, and Fred Jones coming off the bench and seeing decent minutes.

Or maybe Isiah and Dolan should be called into Capitol Hill to speak before some obscure congressional committee filled with politicians that don't know what they're talking about and just want to showcase their power. That'll work.

One Last Tribute

It's been nearly two weeks since the Giants won, but this stuff never gets old.

Needles, Nannies, and Bloody Pants

So, who was telling the truth and who was lying? It sure was hard to tell, altough the Rocket's body language sure did not look like he was very comfortable at any part during the proceeding. One thing is for sure, however, the highly antipicated congressional showdown between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee resembled a soap opera more than an inquiry into the use of steroids and HGH.

First, the fact that Clemens' "good friend" Andy Pettitte was not present at the hearing shows what kind of guy Pettitte really is and essentially doomed Roger from the beginning. Is Andy going to be mentally ready for the upcoming baseball season? One thing is for sure, the Yankees desperately need the lefty to produce at the two spot in the rotation with huge question marks in Hughes, Kennedy, and Mussina.


We learned way too much about a certain "palpable mass" that appeared on the Rocket's bum. This lovely visual apparently led to a bloody pants display in question. According to Clemens, this occurred due to a bad B-12 shot. Yeah, sure.

Wait, there's more. Forget Spygate, that's old news. We are now witnesses to a brand new controversy, what journalists and other media types are calling Nannygate. When will the "gates" end? This aspect of the investigation, however, is certainly important and worth following. Along with Andy Backstabber, this can have serious implications on the investigation and potential negative ramifications for Clemens.

Finally, we learned that a number of the members on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are complete morons and were way out of their element. I believe it was Rep. Darrell Issa of California that referred to the popular sports gear brand Under Armour as "Under Armour-All." Sounds like a great idea: stay warm while playing football and shine your tires afterwards.

When everything is all said and done, Rep. Dan Burton was correct in his stuttering tirade that ripped poor Brian McNamee to pieces and labeled Clemens a "baseball uh t-uh-t-titan." This whole thing was a circus. It really bothered me too.

I Spy

Leave it to congress to find another way to put their two cents into yet another controversy enthralling a professional sports league. Just when everyone thought Spygate was over, several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee declared their discontent with the handling of the situation and its potential ramifications.

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is working to finalize a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss the Spygate controversy. Specter, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been critical of the league's handling of the controversy and wants to question Goodell about the destruction of tapes turned over by the New England Patriots as part of a spying probe last September. He has also expressed frustration over the NFL's slow response to his Nov. 15 letter inquiring about the league's investigation.

Adding insult to an already injured Tom Brady, Specter also has said he might be interested in speaking with the Patriots quarterback to determine if Brady benefited from any illegally gathered material. Does anyone honestly think Tom Terrific is going to say that he benefited from the tapes? The way the circus is playing out with Roger Clemens and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, a question to ask is whether or not Mr. Specter is going to ask the NFL MVP for an autograph.

So, this week, if all goes as planned, congress will be investigating problems facing the MLB and the NFL. While they're at it, they should check out the NBA and bring in Isaiah Thomas and James Dolan.

Houston, We Have A Problem

The Rocket, Roger Clemens, and his former trainer Brian McNamee are scheduled to testify publicly Wednesday at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. In what will no doubt be a cotinuation of the same old story, the seven time Cy Young winner will vehemently deny ever using performace enhancing drugs. This is certainly something we've seen before.

Wednesday's session will be held in the same wood-paneled hearing room baseball fans have become so familiar with. In March of 2005, we painfully watched several big name players essentially ruin their careers and reputations. This list includes Sammy Sosa, who forgot how to speak English, Mark McGwire, who forgot how to speak period, and who can forget the finger-waving Rafael Palmeiro.

In a weird twist, McNamee recently turned over used needles and gauze as evidence. Why would he even keep those things lying around for that long? What's more, the former trainer is now claiming he even injected Clemens' wife with HGH. Wow. The plot has certainly thickened in the past several days.

With all this said, the future does not look bright for Roger Clemens. Appearing before congress did not exactly bode well for players like Palmeiro and McGwire. The once hallowed slugger Palmeiro tested positive for steroids five months after testifying in front of the committee and quickly slipped into oblivion. The former home run king McGwire also fell off the face of the earth following his testimony. These two have a questionable chance of gaining entry into the Hall of Fame, and saying questionable is being generous.

Wednesday, then, will be yet another chapter in the Steroid Era Saga. Will The Rocket follow suit and crash and burn like his predecesors, or will one of the greatest pitchers of all time keep fighting and clear his name for takeoff into the Hall?

Super Super Tuesday

I have been privileged to begin this brand new blog in a time when sports and politics are clashing with great vigor. Yesterday, I made my way to New York's Financial District to partake in the Giant's Super Bowl parade. There are few words to describe the scene occurring in Manhattan on that day. Some come to mind though: mayhem, chaos, bedlam, pandemonium. Above all else, however, the parade was breathtaking, a truly amazing experience. Hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of people lined Broadway and surrounding streets and avenues to cheer for the new NFL champions.

Unfortunately for the likes of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the parade happened to fall on Super Tuesday. I first realized how this would affect the day's media coverage and the overall reception of the nationwide primaries as I entered the train station early in the morning and saw several Clinton supporters equipped with campaign pins, signs, and flyers attempting to engage potential voters as they walked by. These poor people fell to the wayside as droves of fans dressed from head to toe in Giants gear roared passed them, paying them no mind, and occasionally shouting at them, "G-Men!!!" and "Go Giants!!!"

My friends and I decided to establish our position at City Hall, normally a venue for politics and an area filled with business types and politicians. On this day, however, the entire area was mobbed with Giants fans. Scattered in between the masses of parade goers were several of these working men and women, pushing and shoving their way forward, screaming they had to get to work.

After surviving the parade, I returned home and put on the television and was not at all shocked to see the event in Manhattan was the leading story and gained a considerable amount of news coverage. It goes without saying that the actual parade was telecast on all the major networks.

On a day typically dedicated to politics, my TV screen displayed Michael Strahan's rousing speech in front of City Hall, followed by his hilarious words at Giants Stadium later in the day mocking Howard Dean from a few years ago. At least Strahan tried to bring some essence of Super Tuesday back into the conversation.

For this one time, politics, at least in the Tri-State area, took a back seat to Eli Manning and the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants.