Monday, September 25, 2006

Fordham Spire - Does Chicago Really Need A 2,000-Foot Tall Building?



I was born in Chicago. At the age of six, my now late father drove me around the City and explained concepts like zoning and planning to me. He took me to the tallest buildings in Chicago and made me appreciate not just big buildings but the idea that Chicago was home to them. So, my college major was City Planning, and that was my focus in grad school. I love that Chicago embraces the big building.

But this one?

Fordham Spire was introduced over a year ago and has created a buzz around the country. It's a proposed twisting concrete building that will consist of 300 condo right by Lake Michigan and all priced at Pluto-level rates.

And Pluto doesn't even exist anymore, right?

At 2,000 feet, I ask this question: does Chicago need a structure of this size? In a city already laden with condos, and Donald Trump looking to plant another phalic flag of a set of dwelling units 1,360 feet into the sky, what does my city really need with this concrete monstrosity?

Hey, it's certainly innovative and the planning commission gave it the OK.

But. Geez. I just don't know. I'll have to give this one more thought. It's -- my objections -- have nothing to do with 9/11 at all. I just think there are limits to some things. This is just too tall to me.

But if it's built, I'll have to go up to the top. My Dad wouldn't have it any other way.

Here's a video on the tower. Ignore the music that comes with it.

Report - War In Iraq Cause of Higher Terrorism Threat

Well, many have said it, but now comes this report discussed in the San Francisco Chronicle which proves that the War in Iraq has only made the threat of terrorism worse and spread Islamic radicalism.

Jeremy Shockey Claims NY Giants Were Outcoached By Seahawks

I disagree with Jeremy on the role of the coach. I don't think the coach has to call the play. There was a time when NFL quarterbacks were expected to call plays and know the system. I think a middle ground should be established in any organization's system. This was also not the first time such a comment was made about Tom Coughlin's system. It seems to me that -- to be blunt -- the Giants staff doesn't have a good set of contengency plans in case the opponent comes into a game with an approach they did't use before.


Shockey criticizes Coughlin after Giants' loss
NFL.com wire reports

SEATTLE (Sept. 24, 2006) -- Jeremy Shockey is at it again.

New York's volatile tight end criticized coach Tom Coughlin after the Giants fell behind by 35 points early before losing to Seattle 42-30.

"We got outplayed, and outcoached. Write that down," Shockey said.

Asked what he meant by outcoached, Shockey said, "You saw the game."

It was reminiscent of comments made by running back Tiki Barber after the Giants' wild-card game loss to Carolina last season. Barber said after the game that the Giants were outcoached by Carolina's John Fox, a former Giants defensive coordinator.

Coughlin was practically shouting from a podium after the game. Sweat was running down his face at the thought of Eli Manning 's two first-quarter interceptions, a lost fumble and a 35-0 first-half hole that was the largest in New York's 82-year history.

"We just gave the game away," Coughlin said. "A team that does nothing but preach and talk about turnovers, we turn it over like nothing matters, nothing counts. It cost us the game."

"We started the game and lost our composure again up front and had a couple of foolish penalties ... We had what we thought was a good game plan together. And obviously we didn't execute."

Shockey, who had four catches for 58 yards, stewed in the locker room by himself before being told of Coughlin's comments.

"They were in different defenses than we thought they were going to be in. They did different things that we haven't seen," he said. "You can make adjustments all you want, but when they do new things and they switch things up, you really can't do anything."

Shockey pointed out how well Manning played on New York's final scoring drive. Manning exclusively used the no-huddle offense to move 94 yards, a drive that ended with his 9-yard touchdown to David Tyree.

Manning thrived in the no-huddle to rally past the Eagles last weekend. Against Seattle, Manning was 2 of 7 for minus-1 yards and the two interceptions in a conventional offense during an awful first quarter, when Seattle led 21-0. He was 20 for 26 for 238 yards after that.

Someone asked tackle Luke Petitgout if it mattered that his team rallied for 27 points late.

"No," Petitgout said flatly.

Shockey, seated next to Petitgout, said "I think it does."

"I think when Eli gets to call his plays, get his formations, I think we play better football, when he gets to decide a little bit more than just the set play and then you get to go for it," Shockey said. "But you can't play always in a no-huddle situation."

Why not?

"You've got to go by their plays," Shockey said. "They're the coaches. They get paid money. They call the plays. Every coach out there is trying to help everybody to move the ball and help his team win. You can't just go out of no-huddle all the time."

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Colts, Bears, Bengals - Top Three NFL Teams Coached By African Americans

As I noted previously, the current top three NFL teams are coached by African Americans: Tony Dungy with the Indy Colts, Lovie Smith with the Chicago Bears, and Marvin Lewis with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ok. You can point out that two of the winless set of NFL teams are coached by blacks, too. But the point is, the NFL's never seen a season where all of the very top elite undefeated teams were ran by African Americans.

Some may wish this to pass without note, but that would be a crime. I personally like the fact that the fastest tall wide receiver is white -- Jacksonville's Matt Jones -- and the top coached are black. Hopefully this pattern of breaking stereotypes continues for several decades until society itself is molded into behaving in a fashion that expects and encourages diversity.

Bengals and Colts and Bears Are At The Top - Tampa Bay Bucs in Trouble

The Bengals beat the Pittsbugh Steelers 28 to 21 and The Indianapolis Colts ourlasted the Jacksonville Jags 21 to 14. I'm not surprised at the outcome of either game. Why? Because I figured the Steelers would be battle weary from that brusing Monday Night Football contest with the Jaguars -- and so I believed both teams would lose.

The Chicago Bears / Minnesota Vikings game -- different story. I thought it was a toss up. But I think this marks the first time in NFL history that the three best teams in the league were coached by African Americans -- Tony Dungy at Indy, Lovie Smith in Chicago and Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati.

Now the terrible news is that the Tampa Bay Bucs are Zero and Three losses, and their starting QB Chris Simms is out with a ruptured spleen.

I think Coach Jon Gruden may be placing his quarterback's in jepardy with his play calling and design.

I even wrote a letter to Jon that I've not yet sent. My next post contains the letter.

Free Hug Campaign - Video

I saw this video for the "Free Hugs Campaign" on YouTube and although I was a bit skeptical at first, really liked it once Isaw it.

Here's the video:

Friday, September 22, 2006

Reggie Bush' Lawyer Claims Yahoo Reporter Dan Wetzel Got Info Unethically - Sports Business Daily

I don't know if it makes any difference how the information was obtained -- someone gave it up. In other words, I don't know what law was broken in Dan Wetzel's actions if this is true.


ATTORNEY FOR REGGIE BUSH ALLEGES MISCONDUCT BY YAHOO SPORTS REPORTER

By Liz Mullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal


Attorney Takes Umbrage To Yahoo
Sports Story On Reggie Bush

An attorney for Saints RB Reggie Bush today issued a statement alleging that a Yahoo Sports reporter falsely identified himself to gain confidential financial information for a report that Bush and his family received more than $100,000 in gifts from agents while he was at USC. David Cornwell, Bush’s attorney, said in a statement that a phone message left at a Northern California hotel seeking credit card information for an employee of Bush’s marketing agent was linked to Yahoo Sports reporter Dan Wetzel. “On Sept. 13, 2006, a person posing as an employee of Mr. Bush’s marketing agency, The SportsLink, makes repeated calls to a Northern California hotel seeking credit card information relating to such employee. In one call, the impersonator left a contact number that connects a caller directly to Yahoo,” the statement said. SportsLink is the company owned by Mike Ornstein, Bush’s marketing agent.

Wetzel did not immediately return a phone call. His byline was not on the story that alleged Ornstein and Michael Michaels, who owned a separate marketing company, gave more than $100,000 in cash and gifts to Bush and his parents.

“Contrary to Yahoo’s report,” Cornwell’s statement said, Bush’s parents “either paid or prepaid, in cash, for airline tickets, travel expenses, lodging and service charges relating to the trip from San Diego to Oakland.” Cornwell also said that, contrary to published reports, Bush’s parents owed no rent on a San Diego area home owned by Michaels as of early April ‘06.

Michaels’ attorney, Brian Watkins, could not be immediately reached for comment. Yahoo did not comment by presstime. Cornwell declined to comment beyond his statement.