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As I write this week's installment of the mailbag, I have the good fortune of staring at Kevin McClatchy's mug directly behind home plate as I watch yet another Pirate game. Eventually, McClatchy will probably get a seat installed on the field of play so he can get even closer to the action. But I digress. There's a man sitting a few seats down from old Kev with the fashion faux pas of "shirt and tie with baseball cap". Is there any scenario, outside of being drafted in a major pro sports league, when the shirt/tie and cap combination is acceptable in public? I'm thinking you either commit to casual or you commit to formal, but you can't fall in the middle. Especially on TV.
Acceptable shirt/tie/hat combination
I'm not fully diving into the mail portion yet, but on the topic of non-baseball Pirate issues, this email from "Hicks and Zema" of Slippery Rock is highly appropriate:
Mondesi:
We're two frustrated Bucco fans in Slippery Rock who have been inspired to create a new drinking game while watching Pirate games announced by Greg Brown. Every time Brown lamely uses a nickname to describe the Pirates' opponent (i.e., "Red Stockings" for the Reds) we take a sip of our favorite brew.
In the first half-inning alone of tonight's Bucco-Marlins game, Brown referred to the Marlins as "the Fish" 7 TIMES!!
We'll try to keep count for the entire game, but if he averages 7 per half inning, we'll be in the bag long before Brown hits us with a "Raise the Jolly Rogerrrrr," "La-La-La-La-La-Roche," or (please kill us) "Bay Day, Bay Day!
See, these are the things Pirate fans talk about after 14 years of losing. We amuse ourselves with the attire of fans or drinking games based on our announcer's lame catchphrases. We need to aspire to have sophisticated baseball talk like in Boston or New York. You know, along the lines of whether a sock had paint on it in a game three years ago or what a player/blogger thinks of Barry Bonds. Hey, both topics were good for the first 10 minutes of SportsCenter in the last month!
Matt from Hopewell has a great comparison:
During Friday night's disappointment against the team that gave us Adam "Lemon" LaRoche, I could not keep watching us strand men on base, so I flipped over to NBC's "To Catch a Predator". After seeing host Chris Hanson, with a serious face talking to the camera, it made me think of your Pirates Movie. If Hanson can throw a huge dip in his lower lip and wear a Buccos cap, I would cast him as your Jim Tracy. Just a thought. Keep up the good work.
Great call on this one. But think about how interesting it would be to send Tracy over to catch all of those child predator guys! Now THAT would be must-see TV.
Also, I get the Adam "Lemon" LaRoche nickname, but may I suggest "Redbeard the Pirate"? Am I missing something, or was this the most obvious Pirate nickname to come down the pipe in years?
Well, on to a serious topic. I'm talking about Alan Faneca, the ManChild. You know, he's built like a man, but acts like a child (actually, that name would fit most athletes). When I first heard the news that he skipped a practice over the weekend, I just about reached my Faneca saturation point for 2007. The sad part is that it's only May.
Look, we have dissected this thing 20 different ways. The bottom line is this: he's not going anywhere. He wants to play somewhere else, and I'm sure that was met with a collective yawn by management. He's not getting traded to Arizona, so he and Russ Grimm can quit implying that it will happen. And he's not getting cut, either.
The Steelers don't renegotiate contracts, and they're not going to change for a guy who tries to publicly tinker with the chemistry of a team, especially a team trying to transition to a new coach. If he thinks he's getting on their good side with his behavior, he obviously has a limited knowledge of Steeler history. He's quick to forget that the Steelers made him the highest O-lineman in the league when he signed his deal. It's not the team's fault that organizations like Buffalo and Cleveland lost their collective minds by signing guys like Derrick Dockery and Eric Steinbach to $49 million deals. Sorry, Big Al, but the Steelers are holding all of the cards in this one. Shut up and play, or hold out and lose a lot of money in the process. But don't keep doing what you're doing. It's not helping your situation and it's not helping the team.
Pat from Freeport voices his opinion on Faneca:
The Steelers used to be praised for the way the handled their contracts, normally letting go players before they became overpaid and washed up, (Earl Holmes) with only a few notable mistakes (Rod Woodson). This offseason has not been so good. They release Joey Porter, getting nothing for him, and then the Fins sign him to a huge deal? Why couldn't we trade this guy? Then they totally F-up the Faneca deal. The Steelers look really bad on this one, he is way underpaid and he asked to be traded or given a new contract and the team had done neither, p****** him off so much that he doesn't even want to be a captain.
I see the Steelers side of this, they don't have cap room, and they have other big free agents like Big Ben and Troy waiting to get paid next offseason, and Faneca signed this contract if he doesn't like it he should talk to his agent. The thing is, if you know a guy is getting grossly underpaid and that he is going to make a big deal over it, you need to move him or risk looking bad.
They should have traded Faneca during the draft.
You have to think of how the Steelers do things, not how we want the Steelers to do things. When was the last time the Steelers traded a player of Faneca's cache right before he hit free agency? All of their big free agents (that they don't seriously pursue) walk, as opposed to a trade. In recent years, we've seen Plaxico, Kendrell, and Randle-El play out their contracts and then walk away. This is not anything new.
"The Steeler Way" is a bit cliched, but it's a fact of life. They will not make one player bigger than the team---even in the case of Jerome Bettis, who took a pay cut to remain with them. Don't plan on that changing anytime soon.
I had the pleasure of watching the TPC tournament on Sunday with my dad, who has a bit of history with that course, as I pointed out last week. Watching Sean O'Hair lose three-quarters of a million in the span of a few minutes was like the golf equivalent of Brady Quinn losing all those millions a few Saturdays ago. But at least Sean O'Hair doesn't have a picture circulating around the internet with his hand on another guy's crotch. He's still ahead in my book.
Lots of readers sent in the Peter King piece on Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. It was a rare enjoyable read by King, probably because it wasn't seven pages of Peter gushing about Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, or Bill Belichick.
Pete took a few shots at the mortal enemy of many a Penguin fan, Ed Rendell, in the same column:
Quote of the Week III
"It boggles the entire mind. It was stunning to all of us.''
-- Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, an Eagles season-ticket holder, to Bloomberg Television, on the team using its first draft choice in April to select University of Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb. Rendell was outspoken eight years ago against the Eagles' picking McNabb, saying they should have chosen Ricky Williams. Now he's upset the team has chosen a player to compete for McNabb's job.
Quote of the Week IV
"I think we are going to rue the day we didn't pick him.''
-- Rendell, to Bloomberg, on the Eagles' bypassing USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett to pick Kolb.
Here's my question about Rendell: Why doesn't he just buy the damn team from Jeff Lurie and go make the picks himself?
Looks like one football scribe was mad that Swann didn't win the election.
Another popular topic: the reaction of Masontown, PA, to the marriage of 22-year-old hometown girl Kristin Georgi to 84-year-old Joe Hardy, the mastermind behind 84 Lumber. Some are for, some are against. But the best was a P-G poll, in which 50% say they are "horrified by the couple".
Comcast's "Blog Show" in D.C. comes through with not one, but two Mondesi's House mentions on their latest show: the Big Ben/Brady Quinn photo, and the Ben truck auction. Isn't it about time that Pittsburgh got a Blog Show?
Regardless of his locale, Beej from California is a gold mine of Burgh-related news. Today he gives us this nugget from the LA Times:
Fox wasted no time in hiring TV mega stars Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") and Patricia Heaton ("Everybody Loves Raymond") to star in a new multi-camera sitcom, "Back to You." (Formerly titled "Action News.") Fox President of Primetime Peter Liguori was so excited by the script -- and the lead acting team -- that he committed to 13 episodes before one second of the pilot episode was ever filmed. Grammer plays a womanizing news anchor (Chuck Darling) and Heaton his uptight co-anchor, Kelly Carr. After an embarrassing Internet tirade topples Chuck from his lofty perch, he's forced back to the PITTSBURGH station where he first crossed paths with Kelly.
So why did they drop the title "Action News"? Fear of a Sally Wiggin-related lawsuit?
In a related news item, and by related I mean "Pittsburgh-based TV show", said proprietor of Action News (WTAE), interviews John Leguizamo, star of Spike TV's "The Kill Point". Did anyone else notice that the title of this show was changed from "The Kill Pit"?
This one comes from Jodie in Tyrone, PA:
Señor Mondesi,
Since you've mentioned several times that you are a "Spiderdork" – as is my husband, so I use that term affectionately, I assure you – I thought you might be interested in this story. It has disturbed me down to my very soul. I haven't slept since I learned of it… watch the video and the kid will show you the spiders.
Please don't sue me for the therapy you'll need after this.
I had the therapy bill all sealed up and ready to mail to you, but since you asked me not to, I'll hold off. And yes, "Spiderdork" is a very appropriate nickname for me.
Back to the topic of Pirate announcing, Anthony F. asks,
How annoying and blatantly un-true do you find Lanny Frattare's tag-line "And there was nooooooo doubt about it?"
Because we're talking about the Pirates, there is ALWAYS a doubt about it. Maybe Lanny needs to sit down with Mike Lange to come up with something more original to say after a Pirate win. The lines Lange throws down after a Pens goal always bring a smile to my face. Sure Lange's lines can get a little old after a while, but at least he tries. I don't think Lanny even tried with this one.
Agreed. "Noooo doubt about it" has to go, for the reason you cited. There's always doubt with a Pirate lead, especially this season, with a shaky closer. Any legitimacy that Lanny had goes right out the window when he utters that line.
Justin from Pitt sends over ESPN Page 2's list of "Uniform Cameos". You know, players that you don't really identify with a certain team...
It's an interesting read, with several different categories:
-In the category of "early career", we have Jerome Bettis as a Ram and Tim Wakefield as a Pirate. Nice move by the Rams in '96, trading Bettis and drafting the one and only Lawrence Phillips as his replacement.
-The "Mid-Career Cameo" gives us Kirk Gibson and Maury Wills as Pirates. I totally forgot about Gibby's 56 ABs with the Buccos in '92.
-The "Late-Career Cameo" mentions the vomit-inducing Franco Harris Seahawks era and the Bryan Trottier Penguins years, which gave us one of the best internet video clips of all time.
AJ from the X adds to the '92 NLCS discussion from Monday:
I read the post on Bugs & Cranks that you had linked today. That mention of that game will forever bring me down. Paired with the Pens loss the following spring in the playoffs, that may have been the darkest year to be a Pgh. sports fan. A few years ago, I happened across a strange website. There is an Atlanta area artist that does these bizarre oil paintings. I found this in his gallery:
The painting is in tribute to one of the greatest moments in Braves history, but can easily be depicted as one of the darkest for the Pirates. That's the beauty of art... it's all in the perspective. Personally, I think by this rendition, you can clearly see that Bream was out.
In the event of a 15th straight losing season, we need to start getting our ducks in order. So what direction are we going with as Pirate fans, based on this watershed moment that shaped an entire generation? My suggestion of "The Curse of Barry" or Dave Dameshek's "The Curse of Sid Bream"?
Pat from Freeport makes a second appearance in this mailbag, sending over Yahoo's article on Tyler Palko adapting to life in the NFL.
On the topic of Pitt, we heard a lot of gloom and doom about all of the players they were losing from this year's team. Outside of Darrelle Revis (a legitimate stud), they lost a 4th-round linebacker (Clint Sessions), a 6th-round linebacker (HB Blades), and the undrafted Palko, Adam Graessle, and John Simonitis. That's not exactly the Miami Hurricanes having five guys taken in the first round of the 2002 draft, and Clinton Portis drafted in round two.
With all of the incoming blue-chippers, I fully expect that Pitt will overcome the loss of these players and have a winning season. And I also expect that 2008 will be the year when the Wannstedt plan will come to full fruition.
Bronco fan "The Drink" in Tennessee gives me a question to ponder:
What do you think about the Broncos having better odds to win the Super Bowl this year than the Steelers? Who has a better year: rookie QB with a veteran Coach or rookie Head Coach with a veteran team?
Interesting question. I think the perception is that Denver is a better team right now, mostly because of the influx of talent (Dre Bly, Travis Henry, Daniel Graham, Jarvis Moss) and the veteran coach you speak of. But I wouldn't call them a lock in the least. This is a team that had a tumultuous offseason, watching not one, but two active players suddenly pass away in the span of a few months.
The Steelers, on the other hand, are headed in the right direction, but less-than-inspiring as a Super Bowl choice. I'm not saying they couldn't make it, because they absolutely could. But on paper, they have a few things to sort out. Yes, all teams do, even the favorites, but the Steelers are also coming off of a very disappointing 8-8 season.
Among the issues on the table:
1. How will the players respond to Tomlin?
2. How will the Faneca nonsense play out?
3. Can Roethlisberger regain his pre-2006 form?
4. Who will step up to replace Joey Porter, on the field and in the locker room?
5. Can the defensive styles of Tomlin and Lebeau mesh to form a cohesive unit?
6. How many times will punter Daniel Sepulveda be featured on "Jacked Up"?
OK, that last one was a joke (sort of). But those are five legitimate question marks that need to be answered in order to feel better about the team's chances in 2007.
Congratulations to the fine website "Awful Announcing", which turns one year old on Tuesday. AA has mentioned a number of Mondesi's House stories and always has something interesting to say about the sports media genre.
That got me thinking about the Mondesi's House one-year mark, which is coming up in late June. I have some ideas about how to commemorate it, but I'm opening it up to suggestions. Is there anything you'd like to see? Anything special I should do? I certainly have a lot of people to thank, starting with all of you, so we're going to do this right!
John in the North Side checks in on the Richard Seigler story from last week:
What's the deal with someone making $500,000 a year on the practice squad and running a cathouse?
Nice shirt, by the way, Mr Flintstone.
I guess all you can say is that it's hard out here for a pimp, regardless of his ugly shirt. But how interesting would this story be if it were any player other than Richard Seigler? Would the city melt down with outrage? Would talk show wires burn up? Would Roger Goodell do the unthinkable and bring in a Pittsburgh Steeler for one of his now-famous "discipline chats"?
Honestly, could this happen to a more obscure guy? I've watched every game for the last 20 years and I scarcely recall him. I thought the Steelers cutting him was interesting, though. It's an easy call from their angle because he's Richard Seigler. But how far up the ladder would you have to go before a Steeler wouldn't get released on the spot for such an incident?
Kevin in Missouri wonders about the Steeler free agents of the future:
I don't understand some of the debate over the upcoming Steeler free agents. If it came down to it, which player would you list as Priority 1?
I can't believe there is any debate…Troy Polamalu has got to be the guy. The difference between the Steeler D with a healthy Polamalu (05) and a banged-up Polamalu (06) is night and day. Not to sound like Sean Salisbury, but he is one of the NFL's true difference making players. Alan Faneca is getting up there in age and just hasn't proved himself as an NFL GM.
Polamalu is definitely priority one for 2008. Aaron Smith has already been extended, but Clark Haggans, Kendall Simmons, Faneca, and Dan Kreider still remain. Polamalu will be here, if nothing else other than the reason that the Steelers can always franchise him. Simmons and Kreider will probably stick around unless they're blown away by some team on a drunken spending spree. Faneca is gone, and I am guessing that Haggans will be as well. And you'll have to be pretty obnoxious to come anywhere near Sean Salisbury territory.
Tom from Dallas (formerly of Latrobe) has a great Pirate question:
I was reading your post from 5/09/07 where you discuss the lineup posted against Jason Marquis. I subscribe to MLB Extra Innings, so I get to see most of the Bucco games. The one thing that irks me more than the lack of offense, base running, etc. is the bench. Other teams pinch hit with players like Cliff Floyd from the Cubs and Craig Counsell from the Brew crew...who do we send up? Don Kelly. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that he is a nice guy and he's from Pittsburgh, but Don Kelly? That is the best person for the situation? I mean he's batting .167. Does that means that every other player within the remaining ranks of our minor league system are worse than him? I just wonder if you had any thoughts on the subject.
I hear your point, but this is where the Pirates are different than the teams you mentioned: Cliff Floyd makes $3 million and Craig Counsell makes $2.8 million. I think they give Don Kelly $100 a week plus all the hot dogs he can eat. No, actually he makes $380,000. But you see my point. The Pirates aren't going to spend that kind of money on a pinch hitter. Look at the Pirates' 2007 salaries, and you'll see that Jose Castillo is the only backup position player to make more than $1 million. The Buccos are usually short on resources in most facets of the game, and pinch hitting is no different.
Jay from Pittsburgh lets loose on the Worldwide Leader:
What a crock the whole ESPN ombudsman/woman position is. Do they believe it absolves them of any bias because they let some person with no actual power at ESPN simply discuss the conflict of interest on their website? Are these few paragraphs supposed to pacify my already large and quickly growing distaste for the network as it continues to value profit over quality? Other than being on the mothership website, how does this woman's impact on the network differ from yours or mine? Tonight, regardless of anything she writes, ESPN will march out the exact same bullsh*t. No question. Look ombudswoman - if you want to satisfy the viewers, convince us your job is not a total sham and do something about it. Then i'll be convinced ESPN gives a s***. talk is cheap. Whew. I feel better.
Jay's obviously pretty ticked. But I see his point. The last ombudsman, George Solomon, didn't do much for me. But here's a question: with all of the available choices, why did they hire a guy whose son produces Around the Horn? Isn't that a ginormous conflict of interest?
I think the newest Ombudsperson. Le Anne Schreiber, has actually received some praise from the blogging community for her work so far - a community that can be hard to win over. Will she make much of a difference, though? I doubt it. Jay, it comes down to the almighty buck, my friend. As long as we continue to watch, read, and listen to everything ESPN puts out, they'll continue to do as they please.
Why do I get emails bashing ESPN all the time? Because sports fans have few options. They want good sports coverage, and let's face it, Fox just doesn't have the same television presence as ESPN. We have a generation of guys weaned on daily Sportscenter loops since they were kids. They grew up with ESPN. They read ESPN The Magazine. They listen to ESPN Radio. They visit ESPN.com. The only thing they didn't do was buy ESPN Mobile.
David F. sent me not one, not two, but 18 points to cover! While I can't get to all 18, I'll do my best to cover as many as possible:
-Could Michael Vick be any bigger of a scumbag? My family recently lost our dog of nearly 20 years, and the thought of someone hurting dogs for entertainment makes me want to puke. But of course, nothing will happen to him because he makes too much money for the NFL. If you or I (i.e. poor people) pulled the same stunts he has, we'd be rotting in the slammer. The double standard is sickening. Why is Michael Vick even popular, anyway? He's a great athlete and makes some nice Sportscenter highlight plays, but he's a career underachiever. He has a horrible attitude, he acts like a spoiled baby, and he even flipped off his own fans!
No, he could not be a bigger scumbag. Don't forget, Vick gave us the famous quote, "The secret to dating multiple women at the same time – more than one cell phone!"
But don't think he's going to get off unscathed from this. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is concerned that Ron Mexico may get suspended as a result of his recent past. He's not someone I would want to trade places with these days.
-Does Kevan Barlow fulfill the Steelers' "Pittsburgh guy" quota? Do you think the "Pittsburgh guy" factor had anything to do with the signing? Since he's a career underachiever, I actually think playing for his hometown team might give him the motivation he needs.
I sure hope he fills the quota. If he can behave, stay healthy, and work within the system, it's a great signing. If he calls the coach "Hitler", then it was a bad signing.
-Speaking of the "Pittsburgh guy" factor, do you think the inclusion of Don Kelly on the Bucco roster is more of a publicity stunt than a reflection of his ability?
Probably not. I don't think the Pirates have that much savvy. He obviously made it because he's Neil Walker's brother-in-law.
--Why does Fedko keep saying he's "Henry Cannon" from "108.7 FM"?
Wait, he's not Henry Cannon? No, that's a running Fedko joke. He says he's Jim Colony, he says he's Doug Hoerth, he even drops a Mondesishouse.com reference here and there. That's what makes Fedko "Fedko".
-Why is everyone so convinced that the Brewers are going to fall back to the pack? I know they won't continue to play .700 ball, but they look to clearly be the best team in the NL Central. I remember everyone saying the same thing about the Baltimore Ravens last year, about how McNair was going to get hurt and that 9-7 would be enough to win the division. Uh, try 13-3.
I have no logical answer. The team is on fire, they're loaded with young talent, they have hitting, they have pitching...if they were in Boston or New York, they would be a full-blown phenomenon.
-http://www.braylonedwards.com/ - you have to watch the intro animation.
If his play somehow catches up to his ego, he could be dangerous.
-The Bucs... it's never a good thing when you have more errors than runs in a game. All I want is an average baseball team, is that too much to ask for? As long as knuckleheads like Ronnie Florian and "Mike Schwab from Munhall" keep shoveling them money, this is probably as good as it's evergoing to get under the McNuttings.
I cannot stand by as Ronnie Florian is bashed. He's been the high point of the season for me by far. In fact, I'm considering a reward for the first reader who can direct me to a YouTube of one of his commercials.
David from Mississippi checks in on Brett Favre:
A vantage point from the Mississippi Gulf Coast:
So Bret waited 'til he touched down in Mississippi before asking for a trade. You knew it was comin'. Now we're locally seeing the Favre contingency circle the wagons . It's sorta like that movie "Dawn of the Dead". Every non-PGA still operating hillbilly named "Favre" is literally walking out of the marshes screamin' about the Packers and "those people up there". (It's probably closer to the Patrick Swayze movie when he was from Kentucky and all the 'necks went to the big city to extract revenge on the city slickers for killing his kin.)
My God! I digress ...
The local news broadcasts have just become plugs for Favre. I'm convinced his family has taken over the local chamber of commerce as well as our media.
Is it possible for any local Mississippi Gulf Coast government to have less than 20% staffing filled by a member of the Favre family????
Did WLOX really provide a smooth transition by following the story on a giant Muslim protest in Dubai with an update on Brett's beachfront home?
Ummm... I wonder what was going thru Robin Williams mind when the only thing they interviewed him about was his new neighbors' legal action to change his address to "4 Beach Boulevard".
How about asking Emeril Lagasse if he was excited Favre was rebuilding in the neighborhood?
Four new casinos are being built along with multiple condo towers. Great economic announcement, right? The local news might take a different perspective into the announcements. Hmmm .. Let's look at how that new traffic might impact someone ... say ... like Brett Favre ... who's home is now separated from his boat marina due to new traffic and business. What???
Hector "Macho" Camacho was arrested again in Gulfport. Did they talk about his boxing titles? Drugs in the city? Riches to Rags? Nope. Let's evaluate what separates different athletes like Camacho and ... oh say ... Bret Favre. Awww geez.
Did I mention he's also the unofficial ambassador for Mississippi? I now know that because a mayor named Eddie Favre explained it to me ...
Ahhhh ... the weather report provides some relief. Wait a minute ... why are we interested in Green Bay's weather during May?
I'll just go to the gym ... take a minute to stop for gas and pick-up the new Beach Magazine at the counter. Yep, Bret's mom is on the cover ...
I continue down the street and notice Brett likes milk; tells you to "just say no"; wants you to buy a car; likes golfing and wants you to play a round; and inexplicably he's just smiling on another.
Thank goodness I'm almost at the gym ... you guessed it, I'm passing crews preparing the signs for the new "Favre Freeway".
Oh my head hurts ....
See, we're not the only town that obesses over football players. Feel better about yourself, Pittsburgh. You're not alone.
Jon from Boston gives us an interesting story about the Georgia women's golf coach resigning. It seems that among other things, he talked about their underwear and showed them the Paris Hilton video. Good to see that Georgia is hiring good coaches again after the Jim Harrick debacle. You know, the basketball coach who gave his players a test with questions like "How many points is a 3-pointer worth?"
Enjoy the mailbag? Well, these 5,000 words didn't write themselves. They came from readers just like you, and I can't thank you enough for your assistance.
I encourage you to send your thoughts on anything to mondesishouse@gmail.com for the next installment.
And please include your city and state if you can.
Labels: Adam LaRoche, Alan Faneca, Joe Hardy, Kristin Georgi
As someone who sees a drinking game in any activity that is watched (some friends see this as a blessing, some a cry for help), a Buccos drinking game involving a Greg Brown telecast has a lot of potential.
I'm gonna have to disagree with you on the future of Pitt football Mr. Mondesi. Pitt doesn't have a shot at competing for the Big East, which I can only assume is part of the "Wannstedt plan," unless Paul Rhoads gets the boot.
He's probably the biggest whipping boy for the team amongst its fans, but trying to win the Big East with Rhoads as your defensive coordinator, especially a Big East that is no longer the worst conference in the BCS (How do you do, ACC?)and is continuing to improve, is like trying to swim across the Mon with cement shoes. It ain't happening.
I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
gatorB8 said...
Wow. The Brett Favre email had me in tears I was laughing so hard. Kudos to David from Mississippi.
are you serious? The ACC?
Florida, Va Tech, Miami,and BC all yearly powers?
Sure, they all had down years, but, cmon. Louisville, WVU, and especially Rutgers are experiencing upward spikes, but those are flukes.
Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...
Ahhhh... Pitt... Penn State...
ADAM BAIT ADAM BAIT ADAM BAIT!!!
tecmo_bowl_bo_jackson said...
cool blog show mentions! way to go
Oh my God....where to begin with the Braylon Edwards web site?
I'll just say this.
If every player who made one good play in his career (in a game his team lost, no less) felt the need to immortalize his "accomplishment" in such a fashion, you'd have something like the present day NFL.


text:
Річард Кларк (* , 28 листопада 1985, Белфаст, Північна Ірландія) — північноірландський футболіст. Грає за клуб «Ґленторан» на позиції півзахисника.

Посилання
Профіль футболіста на сайті transfermarkt
Профіль футболіста на сайті worldfootball
Профіль футболіста на сайті soccerway

Північноірландські футболісти
Уродженці Белфаста
Футболісти «Ґленторана»

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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Academic Workshop: Debating Multiculturalism 1
Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:00	in Discussion Forums
Asif Afridi
Dr Karim Murji
Dr Marie Macey
Dr Michael Connolly
Elise Rietveld
Hakan Gok
Hengameh Ashraf Emami
Mohammed Abdul Aziz
Prof Emeritus Max Farrar
Yasmin Valli
Where: Konya, Turkey
Date: 16-22 April 2012
Organisers: Dialogue Society Leeds Branch, Leeds Metropolitan University (UK) and Mevlana University (Turkey)
Numbers and Programme
Schedule for Submissions
Workshop Co-ordinator
&nbspDownload
The Dialogue Society is organising two academic workshops on the theme of 'Debating Multiculturalism' to take place in April and May 2012. This publication comprises the papers accepted for 'Debating Multiculturalism 1', to take place in Konya, Turkey, in April.
The Dialogue Society is organising this first workshop through its Leeds Branch in partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University and Mevlana University. It is very grateful for the support of its two partners and to Mevlana University for hosting the event. The second workshop, to be held in Istanbul, is being organised by the Dialogue Society's Birmingham Branch in partnership with Keele University and Fatih University, Istanbul, which will be hosting the event. While the second workshop looks at multiculturalism across Europe as well as in the UK, the first workshop focuses primarily on the UK context. Each workshop balances the perspectives of academics with those of practitioners concerned with intercultural relations.
The acute contemporary relevance of the topic of these workshops hardly requires introduction. Since the Second World War, European societies have increasingly experienced 'multiculturalism' in the sense of people of diverse cultural backgrounds living side by side. The 'state multiculturalism' publicly criticised last year in David Cameron's Munich Speech was a UK example of European government policies embodying a concern to ensure acceptance and respect for the cultural and religious identities of minorities. Cameron is one of a number of prominent voices in the European political mainstream, including also German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who claim that multiculturalism has failed to counteract fragmentation and extremism. Meanwhile, proponents of multiculturalism continue to stress its achievements in terms of reduced discrimination and progress towards inclusive, sustainable national identities. They urge that to abandon multiculturalism would be to abandon an achievable future of genuine equality, mutual respect and creative intercultural symbiosis. Whether multiculturalism should be jettisoned as a failure or defended as the path to a flourishing diversity is a crucial and pressing question for our time.
While the geographical focus of the first workshop's papers is the UK, Konya provides a fitting backdrop for debates concerning multiculturalism. It was the home of the Sufi poet Rumi, who lived at a time when the Konya region was significantly more diverse in terms of community and confession than it is today. Rumi's profound spiritual insights and his conception and practice of the religious life encouraged peaceful coexistence on the basis of respect for different traditions and engagement in shared social and cultural activities.
Naturally the views expressed in the papers are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position and views of the Dialogue Society. The papers presented here are unedited papers submitted and printed in advance of the workshop. A further volume of selected papers taken from the two workshops will be published in due course.
The Dialogue Society extends heartfelt thanks to the organising committee and especially our editors for the first workshop, Professor Max Farrar, Professor Simon Robinson and Mr Omer Sener.
To retain the intimate character of discussions at the Workshop, the maximum number of authors travelling from Britain will be limited to 10, complemented by Turkey based authors.
A detailed schedule will follow in due course.
The Dialogue Society will pay all the costs of accommodation and board, and transfers, and there is no registration fee for authors in the Workshop. However, participants are expected to pay the costs of their flight to and from Turkey (currently about £200 from the UK).
Within six months of the event, a book will be produced and published by the Dialogue Society, comprising some or all of the papers presented at the Workshop. The papers will be arranged and introduced, and to the extent appropriate, edited, by scholar(s) to be appointed by the Dialogue Society.
Copyright of the papers accepted to the Workshop and published will be vested in the Dialogue Society.
Authors are invited to send abstracts (maximum 300 words) of their proposed papers on topics that address questions such as the following:
What are the strengths and what are the weaknesses of the British idea and practice of multiculturalism?
Does the concept of interculturalism provide an alternative direction for the UK?
Why was 'community cohesion' developed as a policy by the British government, after 2001? Is it a coherent policy? How effective has it been in practice?
In what ways have British Muslims' lives been affected by the government's policy for 'preventing violent extremism'?
What are the implications of the attack on 'state multiculturalism', and the promotion of 'muscular liberalism' for the meaning of citizenship and the status of 'citizen' in Britain?
What can we learn from the experience of migrants and settlers in other European countries for the future of multicultural theory and practice?
What practical work has taken place in recent years to promote intercultural dialogue? What techniques have been employed? How effective have they been?
In what ways might academics contribute to dialogic processes which promote intercultural solidarity?
Is multiculturalism another way to strengthen the discourse of otherness and to create parallel societies?
What is the role of scholars in formulating and communicating the concept of interculturalism?
What are the issues of multiculturalism in Turkey and what solutions are possible?
Does the concept of multiculturalism provide fruitful solutions to recent ethnic conflicts across the Middle East?
The Editorial Board (see below) welcome abstracts alike from academics in the many relevant disciplines, practitioners working with statutory or voluntary bodies, and independent researchers or writers working on topics relevant to the Workshop.
Since the Workshop expects to address a broad range of topics while the number of authors has to be limited, writers submitting abstracts are requested to bear in mind the need to ensure that their language is technical only where absolutely necessary and intelligible to non-specialists and specialists in disciplines other than their own; and present clear, coherent arguments in a rational way and in accordance with the usual standards and format for publishable work.
For the same reason of a limited number of places in the Workshop, the Editorial Board are required to ensure that the authors and papers chosen reflect a gender balance among those delivering papers; the range of communities in Britain, whether distinguished by race or religion; and the range of activities and projects undertaken in Britain to improve community and cultural relations in the society as a whole.
Abstracts (200–300 words maximum) and CVs (maximum of 2 pages, including any personal statement and/or listing of publications or work experience) to be received by 31st October 2011.
Abstracts to be short-listed by the Editorial Board and papers invited by 30th November 2012.
Papers (3,000 words minimum – 5,000 words maximum, excluding bibliography) to be received by 30th January 2012.
Papers reviewed by the Editorial Board and classed as: Accepted – No Recommendations; Accepted – See Recommendations; Conditional Acceptance – See Recommendations; Not Accepted.
The outcome of the review (including any recommendations for revisions or improvements) communicated to authors by 29th February 2012.
Final papers to be received by 15th March 2012.
Abstracts and CVs should be submitted, in English only, as MS Word documents attached to an email addressed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 12:00 pm UK time on 31st October 2011. Authors must indicate at this stage if audio-visual equipment may be required in the presentation of their paper and relevant technical specifications.
The abstracts submitted will be reviewed and selection made by the Editorial Board in light of the criteria set out above. The decision of the Board is final.
Authors invited to submit full papers must do so by no later than 17:00 UK time on 30th November 2012. The papers must be submitted, in English only, as a single MS Word document attached to an email addressed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Full papers should be of the following description:
No less than 3,000 words and no more than 5,000 words (excluding bibliographies).
Containing a bibliography at the end of the paper in Harvard format within the same Word document.
Including references where necessary and page numbers.
Edited, proofread, of academic standard and publishable quality.
Upon submission, each paper will be assigned to one editor on the board who will class the paper as one of the following:
Accepted – No Recommendations. This means the paper is accepted without any recommendations.
Accepted – See Recommendations. This means the paper is accepted. However, the author may want to consider the recommendations made.
Conditional Acceptance – See Recommendations. This means the paper is acceptable provided the stated recommendations are taken into account and the paper is revised accordingly. Papers classed as such will be provided with a second deadline, upon which the assigned editor will review the paper for the second time and decide either to accept or decline the paper.
Not Accepted: If the paper is classed as 'Not Accepted' then the paper will not be included at the conference and no further action need be taken by the author.
Authors of accepted papers to submit their final papers by no later 15th March 2012.
Prof Max Farrar, Leeds Metropolitan University
Prof Simon Robinson, Leeds Metropolitan University
Dr Erkan Toguslu, University Leuven
Omer Sener, Leeds Metropolitan University
Hakan Gok, Durham University
Please click here for the Academic Worksop: Debating Mulculticulturalism - 2
Academic Workshop Proceedings: Debating Multiculturalism 1
Academic Retreat - Gülen Movement: Dynamics, Objectives & Opportunities
Prof Emeritus Max Farrar, 'History of Dialogue and Community Cohesion in Leeds

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From visits to remote islands such as Cheung Chau and Lantau to Victoria's Peak and dim sum feasts to Hong Kong massage, there's plenty to do and enjoy in Hong Kong which makes it a dream city for all travelers.
It's divided into two principal regions: the Kowloon Peninsula at the north and Hong Kong Island towards the south — with Victoria Harbour passing by their middle. On each side, a stunning range of high-rises attracts architecture and photography lovers from throughout the world.
Here's what makes it unique.
At an elevation of 552m, Victoria Peak is the tallest point on Hong Kong Island. It's likewise amongst the most visited spots by travelers. You'll be welcomed here with all-encompassing 360-degree perspectives on Hong Kong's timberland of high rises and the harbor.
Flourishing woods, clearing perspectives on the city, dramatic yet straightforward strolls – all reachable in only a few minutes by Hong Kong's 125-year-old gravity-opposing Peak Tram.
The Central-Mid-Levels is a 2624 a commendable ride that connects the Western and Central areas of its Island, with numerous eating stops and shops en-route it is a bucket list destination for every traveler to Hong Kong.
The 10,000 Buddhas Monastery is situated in Po Fook Hill Mountains of the new territories region, is a remarkable spectacle to see.
You should climb up a quite steep slope to reach. However, your endeavors will be remunerated with a place that has a nine-story pagoda and a central temple lobby, along with numerous shrines, halls, and pavilions.
You will have to climb many stairs to reach further up once you've reached the starting of the complex, yet you'll be extremely enchanted by the Buddha statues all over you worth to take the effort.
The beautiful walkway beside the southern point of Kowloon. This promenade keeps running along the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui and is a magnificent spot for picturesque scenes on Victoria Harbor. You will also pass the brilliant Museum of Art and the Cultural Center, before coming to the Avenue of Stars that celebrate Hong Kong's famous movie industry celebs from the past. Pay particular consideration to the bronze statue of Bruce Lee there.
Further, in the nights around 8 pm, the promenade turns into a stage for the Symphony of Lights - the world's biggest laser show, which is projected from various high rises and leaves the tourists stunned.
Around the southern portion of Hong Kong, the town of Aberdeen is an inquisitive blend of skyscraper buildings, old sanctuaries and a small harbor loaded up with yachts and floating sampans which are conventional fishing boats of Hong Kong.
Here you get to watch and appreciate the floating families cleaning their angling equipment, playing mahjong, and managing the rooftop gardens on their watercraft.
You can also enjoy the visit to Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant - everybody from Queen Elizabeth II to Tom Cruise has dined at this place. Remember while the fish is fantastic, it's likewise exceptionally expensive. Additionally, you can set out upstairs to relish tasty dim sums.


The City of Merritt is facing an estimated four to six per cent drop in overall tax revenue in 2018 due to the closure of the Tolko sawmill.
Those numbers are based on two scenarios, with the city facing up to a six per cent drop if Tolko decides to demolish the offices they have on the property, and about a four per cent drop if the site remain shuttered as it is now, City of Merritt director of finance Sheila Thiessen told the Herald.
The city's overall revenue from taxes was $7.3 million in 2015 with Tolko contributing about $500,000.
For this year's budget, the City of Merritt will receive the same amount of tax revenue from Tolko that it took in last year, but knowing what kind of revenue hit the city may be facing in 2018 will allow the city to prepare for that during this year's budget process, Thiessen said.
"We can make a conscious plan to save some of our revenue this year to help transition," she said.
Troy Connelly, Tolko's senior general manager of lumber told the Herald last month that the company intends to maintain woodlands staff at the mill site.
Thiessen said there will still be some sort of drop in revenue even if Tolko maintains a presence at the property because it will be reclassified.
She said she intends to conduct a service level review after completing the 2017 budget in anticipation of the drop in revenue coming in 2018.
"Doing a service level review is a good way to interact with the public and council for everybody to get a sense of what we have here and what is a priority. Maybe we're spending money on stuff that isn't a priority to taxpayers," Thiessen said.
She said the service level review will involve examining city run programs and what it costs to run them.
Thiessen said the city isn't faced with major increases in expenses this year.
The city held its first budget meeting Tuesday to go over the impact of the Tolko closure, and there are five more meetings that will take place at city hall between January and March.
Next Thursday there will be a budget meeting examining grant-in-aid requests. Another budget meeting is scheduled for Feb. 7 and an open house is set to take place Feb. 21 to gather public input.
The last two regular budget meetings will be on Feb. 25 and March 7.