Seven & Out – Week #6

Seven & Out – Week #6
By Michael – Louis Ingram, Associate Editor, Director of Scouting
FRO/BASN
 
PHILADELPHIA (FRO/BASN): Each week, the League confesses seven deadly whims; and we’re here to decipher the sins – from the wins…
But first, a tip of the hat to 7& reader Rob Daniels - who offered a significant aside to the question in last week’s column, “How many of Kurt Warner’s 50 300 yard games did he win?” Daniels said, “31 out of 50.”
You know, Rob – I can roll with that. Thirty – one up and nineteen down means Warner’s passing stats were integral to his team’s overall success, and not filler for some fantasy freak.
The holidays are coming, and I have your address, Rob. Rest assured Rasta Claus will send you something to put under the tree…
 
Today’s Menu:
 
New England quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 380 yards and ties a franchise record with six touchdown passes in the Patriots’ 59-0 win against Tennessee.  Brady threw five touchdowns in the second quarter and became the first quarterback in NFL history with five touchdown passes in a quarter.
 
(In all likelihood, Brady will also be the first QB to get bitch-slapped in the regular season the moment the opportunity presents itself. This ain’t the fuckin’ BCS! New England is up 45 – 0, yet they’re still throwing the ball, and Brady’s still in the game.
 
I’m all for whippin’ dat azz, but if Brady had wanted to show what a real leader looked like, he could’ve just audibled and ran the ball the whole second half. When you add the new pom-pom rule {don’t hurt my Tommy!} it further taints whatever accomplishments Brady had earned thanks to his cheatin’ ass head coach.
 
You’d think Belicheat’d know better by now, after having the Giants beat the shit out of his 18 – 1 ass! Showing up an opponent should have been a lesson learned, but noooooo!
 
Stay tuned, y’all; because what comes around…)   
 
 
Arizona quarterback KURT WARNER threw for 276 yards in the Cardinals’ 27-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.  Warner (30,032) surpassed 30,000 career passing yards in his 114th career game, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO for the fewest number of games to accomplish the feat in NFL history.
 
 
(Kudos to Warner for this milestone, but does this make him a Hall of Famer? I’m slightly leaning to yes – but there are at least three who’d better be in Canton before Warner even entertains a thought: try Ken Andersen, Randall Cunningham and Ken Stabler.)
 
 
New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES passed for 369 yards in the Saints’ 48-27 win over the New York Giants.  Brees has passed for 15,310 yards in 53 games since joining the Saints in 2007, becoming the fastest quarterback to reach 15,000 passing yards with a team.  The previous mark was 56 games set by Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (Miami) and MARC BULGER (St. Louis).
 
 
(It seems each week we find at least one bullshit stat – and when it comes to Brees, all of these fantasy foreplay numbers still hide the fact Brees is only 55-51 career as a starting quarterback; oh, and the last time Brees was 5-0 out the gate, the team ended up 8-8 – and out of the playoffs. As Eugene “Mercury” Morris would say, “Call me if you’re in my neighborhood” – come December.)  
 
 
New Orleans had seven different players score a touchdown against the New York Giants to improve to 5-0.  The Saints became the fourth team since 1970 to have seven different players score a rushing or receiving touchdown in a game.  The Seattle Seahawks (10/30/1977 vs. Buffalo Bills), Cincinnati Bengals (12/17/1989 vs. Houston Oilers) and Jacksonville Jaguars (12/23/2007 vs. Oakland) also accomplished the feat.
 
(I’ve a feeling the Saints are gonna need some of those points a couple months from now; especially away from the Dome Depot.)
 
 
Jacksonville wide receiver TORRY HOLT had five receptions for 101 yards in the Jaguars’ 23-20 overtime win against St. Louis.  Holt, who had 12,670 receiving yards in 10 seasons with the Rams, became the first player in NFL history to post 100 yards in his first game against a team for which he had at least 10,000 receiving yards. 
              
 
(Playing well – and winning – is the best revenge…)
 
 
Holt also reached 13,000 receiving yards (13,066) in his 164th career game, becoming the third-fastest to accomplish the feat.  Only JERRY RICE (154) and MARVIN HARRISON (162) reached 13,000 yards in fewer games. 
 
 
(Told you the brother was smooth- next stop, Canton.)
 
 
Minnesota quarterback BRETT FAVRE threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns in the Vikings’ 33-31 victory over Baltimore.  Favre has now passed for at least two touchdowns in 11 consecutive games at the Metrodome (eight with Green Bay, three with Minnesota), tied for the third-longest streak (JIM EVERETT, Anaheim Stadium, 1989-90) with the most consecutive games with multiple TD passes at one stadium. Favre (Lambeau Field, 1994-96) and KURT WARNER (Trans World Dome/Edward Jones Dome, 1999-2000) each had a streak of 12 games, the longest in NFL history.
 
 
(They say it’s better to be lucky than good; well if Minny is 8-0 at midseason, luck won’t have anything to do with it.)
 
 
Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER led the Steelers to a 27-14 victory over Cleveland.  Roethlisberger has now won all 10 of his starts against the Browns and is only the second player since 1970 to win each of his first 10 regular-season starts against one team.  The last player to start 10-0 against one opponent was Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN ELWAY (against New England).   
 
 
(Well, it’s a lot easier to lead your team to victory when the referees are as blind as fucking BATS! Even Stevie Wonder could see that was not a first down, but, then again, the Seattle Seahawks know about getting screwed by referees when playing against Roethlisberger and the Steelers. I’m still waiting for his ass to score that touchdown from the “Get Jerome ‘Bus’ Bettis a Ring” Super Bowl, let alone get the “first down” against Cleveland.
 
If I’m a Browns fan, especially after watching the first down farce magnified on the big screen, I’m even more insulted. {Sir, let me confirm your order:  That’s One Royal Screwing, Hold the KY – with a side of Disrespect; you wanna be fried with that?)
 
 
Always remember, gang – once the point is made, roll a seven – you crap out!
 
 
mike@footballreportersonline.com
  

Giants Zone Out In The Big Breesey

Giants Zone Out In The Big Breesey

By Jon Wagner-Sr. Writer at Large Football Reporters Online

New Orleans is known as “The Big Easy,” but the football game played at The Superdome on Sunday was anything but trouble-free for the New York Giants, who were unable to stop one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and the league’s most prolific offense, which scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and never looked back.

After three straight effortless weeks shutting down some of the league’s worst offenses (winning consecutive games against 0-6 Tampa Bay, 1-5 Kansas City, and 2-4 Oakland), the Giants’ two-deep zone defense was picked apart by New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees in a demoralizing 48-27 loss, ending the New York’s five game winning streak to begin the 2009 season.

The Saints, who are 5-0 for the first time since 1993, set the tone early with a game-opening 15-play, 70-yard drive, which consumed 7:41 off the clock. The drive ended with a 4th-and-1, over-the-top dive for a touchdown by running back Mike Bell, giving New Orleans a 7-0 lead before Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, who was making his homecoming, could touch the ball for the first time. The 28-year-old Manning, who was born and raised for the first 18 years of his life in New Orleans, played for the first time in the building where is father Archie Manning quarterbacked the Saints from 1971-1982.

On that first drive, Brees was just getting started, completing 5 of 7 passes for 43 yards against the Giants’ very soft zone with its injury-depleted secondary, while also running for six yards and a first down on 3rd-and-3 from the Saints’ 37 on the game’s first series.

The Bell touchdown marked the fifth time in as many games that New Orleans scored on its first possession this season. The score also gave the Saints 31 points (most in the NFL) on opening drives this year, which surpassed the Giants’ 27 points on such drives. On the game’s next possession, New York’s streak of scoring on its first possession in its first five games came to an end when it managed just one first down before punting.

The next time Brees touched the ball, he threw six straight passes, completing all of them, leading the Saints 80 yards in just 2:48, finding ex-Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey on a one-yard touchdown pass, putting New Orleans up, 14-0, with 2:11 left in the first quarter.

In less than 12 minutes, the Giants had already just about given up their average of 14.2 points per game (second only to Denver) coming into the contest.

At that point, Brees, who finished the game going 23-30 for 369 yards (his 32nd career 300-yard game), with four touchdowns and no turnovers, had already completed 11 of his first 13 passes for 123 yards against a Giants’ defense which entered the game ranked first in the league both overall (allowing 210.6 total yards per game) and against the pass (giving up just 104.8 passing yards per game).

The Saints led by double digits the rest of the way, in what was supposed to be a Bayou showdown between arguably the top two teams in the NFL entering Week 6, although the Giants briefly showed signs in the first half of getting back in the game.

After the Saints’ second touchdown, Domenic Hixon returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to midfield, but New York could only move 19 yards to the New Orleans 31 yard-line, for a Lawrence Tynes 49-yard field goal, to pull to within 14-3 with three seconds left in the first quarter.

The second quarter featured a scoring explosion. The Giants scored a pair of touchdowns, but allowed another three, and trailed 34-17 by halftime.

After Tynes’ field goal, it took the Saints just four plays and 2:20 to go 57 yards and take a 20-3 lead (the PAT was missed) on a 36-yard toss from Brees to wide receiver Robert Meacham.

The Giants responded though, taking the next possession 9 plays and 73 yards in 4:59, closing to within 20-10 on running back Ahmad Bradshaw’s 10-yard touchdown run with 7:41 left in the first half. The game nearly got away earlier on that drive when Saints’ safety Darren Sharper returned the ball for an apparent touchdown, but it was called back for a personal foul call on New Orleans linebackers Jonathan Vilma’s late hit on Manning.

The Saints struck right back on the next possession, however, going 5 plays and 61 yards in only 2:37, taking a 27-10 lead on a Brees 12-yard touchdown throw to Lance Moore. That scoring drive was aided by a very questionable 35-yard pass interference penalty on Giants’ cornerback Corey Webster who got his feet tangled with Saints’ receiver, former Hofstra star Marques Colston (games highs of 8 receptions and 166 yards), setting New Orleans up with a first down at the New York 12 yard-line.

Hixon again responded, returning the kickoff that followed, 68 yards to the Saints’ 37 yard-line. The Giants used the short field to score in just four plays, as Manning, who was held to just 14 of 31 for 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT on the day, threw his only touchdown pass of the game, a 15-yard strike to wide receiver Mario Manningham, who ripped the ball away from Sharper. The Giants were in the game, down 27-17, with 3:19 remaining in the half.

On the next possession, Brees and Colston again had their way with the Giants’ pass defense, connecting on consecutive hookups of 40 yards and then another 20 yards, to the New York 8 yard-line.

The Giants defense finally had what looked to be a momentum-changing moment though, stopping the Saints on a goal-line stand, as New Orleans running back Pierre Thomas (game-high 72 yards on 15 carries) was stopped on 4th-and-1, on a surge led by Giants’ defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

After Manning completed an 18-yard pass to Manningham, he was sacked and fumbled. The Saints recovered at the Giants 8-yard line. Two plays later, running back Reggie Bush scored on an easy 7-yard touchdown run with just 9 seconds left in the half, to lead 34-17.

The Giants entered the locker room at halftime stunned, having allowed three more points in a single half than they had in any of their previous five games this season (they gave up 31 in a win at Dallas) and eight more points than they gave up in their previous three games, combined.

Brees completed the first half with a 157.7 passer rating, going a near-perfect 17 of 20 for 247 yards, 3 TD, and 0 INT. A huge part of the Giants’ inability to cover receivers downfield was their severe lack of pressure up front on the Saints’ quarterback. Brees wasn’t sacked and was hit just twice in the opening half, while New Orleans rolled up 315 yards of offense and scored touchdowns on five of 6 first-half possessions.

“I don’t know that we ever hit him,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said of Brees. “At this level, if you’re going to stop the pass, you’ve got to get pressure. You’ve got to force the quarterback not to throw it on his tempo.”

Which is exactly what Brees thought was the key to his success, saying “We wanted to really dictate the tempo of the game the whole way through. “Seven different guys scored touchdowns. That’s big. That’s the type of rhythm that, when you get in, you feel like you can call anything and it’s going to work.” It was the first time that seven different Saints scored in a game since November 2, 1969, at St. Louis.

After each team traded punts to start the third quarter, Manning was intercepted at the New Orleans 40 yard-line, prompting a frustrated Manning to slap Bradshaw on the shoulder pad and berate him for Bradshaw’s breakdown in pass blocking.

Brees and the Saints took advantage of the turnover, going 9 plays and 71 yards in 5:11, for Brees’ final touchdown of the day, a 12-yard touchdown pass to Colston with 4:10 left in the third quarter, giving New Orleans a 41-17 lead, effectively ending the Giants’ hopes.

The Giants had an early fourth-quarter touchdown pass after a great scrambling job by Manning nullified by a mysterious holding call. New York then settled for a 38-yard Tynes field goal, to trail 41-20.

New Orleans running back Heath Evans added a 2-yard touchdown run with 7:04 left and backup quarterback David Carr, in for Manning with the game out of reach, closed the scoring with a 37-yard throw to rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (5 catches for 114 yards), who caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game.

New York will need to return to form defensively when it returns home next week to face another good quarterback, Arizona’s Kurt Warner, when the Giants host the Cardinals (3-2) at 8:20pm EST, on Sunday night, at Giants Stadium.

JETS AT THE CROSSROADS AFTER OT LOSS TO THE STRUGGLING BILLS

JETS AT THE CROSSROADS AFTER OT LOSS TO THE STRUGGLING BILLS
by TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online (photo-Mark Sanchez by Rich O'Neil)

By losing to the struggling 1-4 Bills in OT  at home on Sunday, the Jets season came crashing down in a myriad of ways. They dropped their third straight and for the first time in 2009, fell out of first place. Mark Sanchez threw FIVE picks, leaving the Jets on eggshells as to how to handle him from here on In, and wondering If and when a benching to save the offense is worth considering. The Jets lost the heart and soul of the defense for the season when NG Kris Jenkins tore his ACL. A defense that only weeks ago was being heralded as the league's top ranked unit will now have to do it the rest of the way without one of the NFL's best run stoppers. A loss like this, after rushing for over 300 yards on the ground leaves you wondering as to whether the Jets can go out to Oakland and take care of the Raiders who were the leagues worst team before somehow beating the Eagles at home on Sunday. Who would've thought as the 3-0 Jets prepared for New Orleans, only a week away from acquiring the "missing piece" in Braylon Edwards, It could collapse so quickly. Only Jet fans would've thought that. We've seen it all before. Over and over and over. It's a movie that won't stop rewinding and playing itself all over again. Some call it the same old Jets. I just call It the Jets.

The real story of Sunday's swoon can be picked up with the Jets on top 13-3 and seemingly on cruise control. Thomas Jones had already broken off two giant runs of over 70 yards, one a TD. The Jets defense had sent Bills QB Trent Edwards off In an ambulance after suffering the 2nd concussion of his career. The cold and windy Meadowlands conditions made it hard to throw quick deep strikes. Midway Into the 3rd the Jets simply needed to move some chains, play some defense, and wait for a Bills mistake in order to gain a short field and put the game away: like good teams do. Instead, the Jets started creating a blooper reel worthy of a best short film nomination at the Cannes film festival next year. This allowed Buffalo back into a game they were out of.

After tying It 13-13 on a Lee Evans TD, The game remained tied until the final minutes. The Bills drove down,  wound the clock down and had a 47 yarder to win It into the wind on the last play. Yet K Rob Lindell missed it, forcing OT and a reprieve. In OT, both teams had chances on the other side of the 50, and threw them away. Both QBs trading interceptions before the Bills settled down and drove for the game winning FG. The game winner  by Lindell coming after Sanchez's mind boggling 5th pick, at the Bills 42 with 6:25 left. The Jets had a 49 yard FG attempt into the wind minutes before with Jay Feely (who nailed a fg Sunday to for a new Jet record) but punter Steve Weatherford bobbled the snap. A Dwight Lowry Int of backup Ryan Fitzpatrick thwarted the ensuing Bills drive before the fatal Sanchez pick gaveIit back to the Bills for the final time.

This loss was a sickening one for the Jets and a typical one for all those who follow Gang Green . How can a team lose when Jones rushed for 210 yards including a 71 yard TD run? Leon Washington even added 99 yards on the ground In the loss.  That's over 300 yards on the ground. Prized acquisition Edwards managed only 3 catches for 40 yards. Buffalo, a team that managed only a FG the week before in a loss at home to putrid Cleveland somehow found a way with a backup QB, In the winter conditions, to get It done.

 To keep pace in a division with Tom Brady, these games must become wins for the Jets. They don't need to be 59-0 wins like the Pats gave their faithful on Sunday against hopeless Tennessee, but they must be games won by taking control and keeping the pedal to the metal. Maybe the Jets don't have the talent that the fans thought they had. Maybe Mark Sanchez Is not ready to start in the NFL. Maybe Rex Ryan does not come gift wrapped and ready, and still has some learning to do. These unanswered questions are not a form of panic. They are the result of going out against a Buffalo team that can't score , whose coach Dick Jauron Is on the hot seat, whose defense is missing key starters, and blowing a 10 point second half lead at home..

"By no means is it over," Bart Scott said after the loss. "There are a lot of teams having this conversation and they're 0-6 and they know realistically they can't win. We are who we are. We're a 3-3 team.. at the crossroads. We have to go to the West Coast and lay a tough game. We haven't earned the right to say games are easy. All games are going to be tough. We have to go out there and get it fixed."
 Scott Is on the mark when he says it's not over. Yet the truth Is this season can go one of two ways from here. Jet fans know the path to the way things usually go from here, downhill with the speed of an an avalanche. Whichever way It goes, It will do so without Jenkins. Let's see If Rex Ryan can instead carve a brighter direction for a franchise that can never, ever, even for a split second, enjoy prosperity. A team that consistently blows the must win games.  An organization that regardless of the talent that is brought in, invents ways to lose during the few seasons that actually offer hope. Hope that more often than not , turns to a glimmer of promise, before crashing and imploding on the landing pad. 

LOOKING BACK ON THE THREE KEYS:

Jet defense needs to rebound: Miami was a disaster:

 The wildcat and Chad Henne had their way. Sunday the Jets couldn't shut down Ryan Fitzpatrick. This after knocking out starting QB Trent Edwards. Fitzpatrick made key throws and moved the chains with his feet as well

Dustin Keller vs Bills LB:

In windy Giants stadium (the Jets are the only franchise on Earth that plays home games in another teams stadium) Keller was the key. The safety valve. The one guy that could provide Sanchez with a rhythm that would extend into confidence. Instead the double digit targets to Keller amounted to two catches. Awful day between the two. Poor communication. These two need to play catch outside In a windy parking lot and forget about cozy Florham Park. This ain't sunny Los Angeles Mark.
The conditions only worsen as the calendar moves to the winter months. 

Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish vs Jets secondary:

 The Bills have two speedy WR to go along with Terrell Owens. Shut them down and the Bills are, well, the 2009 Bills. Driving towards FGs. Sunday Evans got loose for the first time all season to tie the score. His first productive game all year. Unable to keep them under warps, the Jets ended up in a 13-13 tie late third quarter after controlling the game all day.

Joe Biden rallies Health Care Reform troups; where's "public option"?

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Ok, enough (for now) of this Marni Phillips, Brooke Hundley, Steve Phillips Internet candy stuff. It's time to get serious and that means politics and Heath Care Reform'!

And just in time was this email I received from Vice President Joe Biden. It's a 'rally the troups to support Heath Care Reform' email to donors, but I cleaned it up for public blogging. Biden's message remains here. What's news is that the insurance companies are spending "7 million bucks a week on lobbyists" to defeat health care reform.

I wonder where he got that number? Seems more like $17 million with all the commercials and stuff.

But even more important, and I agree with DailyKos blogger 3WaveRider, is the term "Public Option" does not appear in my email from Biden! President Obama and Vice President Biden should know that the American public - minus the birthers and couch potato conservatives - backs a public option in yesterday's Washington Post / ABC NEWS poll. A clear majority of 57 percent back a public option.

Why not mention it in the email to me?

Well, it's because Obama's aides are now saying not having a public option is not a deal breaker, according to the Boston Globe. But that's also a signal that some conservative Democrats are still standing in the way of a public option, even with the good poll numbers.

Frankly, I really want the Public Option in there, so let's see how many Conservative Dems we can turn in the next few days.

Well, here's the email:

from Joe Biden
reply-to info@barackobama.com
to Zenophon Abraham
date Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 11:49 AM
subject The fight

Zenophon --

We've got a fight on our hands. Powerful insurance companies are pulling out all the stops to defeat the President's plan for health reform. They're spending seven million bucks a week on lobbyists, blanketing the country with deceptive TV ads, and just funded two high-profile "reports" to distort what reform would mean for you.

I know their game. I was in the Senate the last time health reform came around, and I saw the special interests savage our efforts. Frankly, under the old rules of Washington they were nearly impossible to beat. But now, thanks to you, the rules are changing. All the lies, scare tactics and lobbyist shake-downs in the world are no match for the incredible work of Organizing for America supporters like you. That's exactly what frightens them so much -- and it's what Barack and I are counting on.

After decades of false starts, we're now just a short time from finally passing real reform. Every member of Congress will soon have to cast their vote. As real change draws near, you can bet the insurance companies will hold nothing back. That means OFA will need the extra resources to beat back whatever attack they can dream up next. Here's the bottom line: it's not time to let up -- it's time to double down.

When I talk about you changing the rules in Washington, here's what I mean: This week, crucial negotiations on Capitol Hill are shaping a comprehensive reform proposal. At the same time, the insurance companies' phony reports are grabbing headlines and their lobbyists are twisting arms. But your work is keeping them from setting us back.

On Tuesday, OFA supporters around the country organized more than 1,000 local outreach events and generated an astounding 330,000 calls to Congress from constituents telling their representatives that "it's time to deliver." From my years in Congress and my conversations with Senate colleagues this week, I can tell you with confidence that your message broke through and you helped keep us on track.

If this fight were only about guaranteeing the choice of secure, quality, affordable care for every American, it would be worth everything we could throw at it. But as Barack reminded us this week, this fight for change is now about something even bigger: a test of whether or not "we as a nation are capable of tackling our toughest challenges, if we can serve the national interest despite the unrelenting efforts of the special interests; if we can still do big things in America."

I believe we can. And Barack believes we can. But what really matters is whether you believe we can. If you do, now is the moment to make it happen.

Yes we can! Especially with a public option!

Marni Phillips photo on Facebook is Internet's hotest search hunt

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What's interesting about the Internet is that it's a window to what's really on the mind of the public, and how little that can be influenced by news websites. Take the hunt for the Marni Phillips photo, which is a hot Google Trend as of this writing.

Marni Phillips is the wife of Steve Phillips, who had a three-week-long affair with 22-year old ESPN Assistant Producer Brooke Hundley which turned into something like "Fatal Attraction".

But for some reason Marni Phillips is a hot attraction, at least as of this writing. I think it's being fueled by the sports radio talk shows, which can't get enough of this ESPN story, since, because its from ESPN basically has made it a sports story.

I know Dan Patrick's having a field day with the Steve Phillips story since it comes from what he calls "The Mothership" or ESPN.

I know it has to be sports talk radio because it's not on television much at all. So what they must be talking about is what Marni Phillips looks like and she must be a hotty because the Internet's going gaga over the lady. Of course, it makes Steve Phillips look like even more of a cad, but, oh well.

The main issue is no one's found a credible photo of the Marni Phillips in question. There's this photo that's come up on a number of blog and news sites from a Facebook account. But she doesn't look like theMarni Phillips so I'm not going to post it.

Plus, there are a number of Marni Phillips; far more common than Zennie Abraham. It just goes to show you that sometimes it's better not to follow my "Top 10 Social Networking Things To Do" (in the video below) because you will be found!

Yobie Benjamin on Windows 7 may make me buy a PC for the first time

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Hats off to Yobie Benjamin for his great blog post on Windows 7 and the Apple Snow Leopard. As a devoted Apple Computer user, 2007 MacBook running version 10.4.11, I'm in need of an upgrade but was thinking more about just adding a new computer. I have two MacBooks as of this writing.

But my friends in the event planning business have PCs, so I'm called on to help them and while I have been impressed with Microsoft's improvements to the Windows operating system, it wasn't enough to cause me to think of buying a PC.

But the needs of my suddenly growing sim business and vlogging business are such that having a PC's a smart move just to have another test platform. The only bad point is the expense of Windows 7. I may just stick to the emulator systems I've used to date to test website content.

As for the Snow Leopard news, I'll have to try that myself as I've seen a number of Mac users with my computer upgrade to Snow Leopard without incident. But Yobie's upgrade horror story is a cautionary tale.

Steve Phillips girlfriend? Rich Liberman says SF Bay Area has "ESPN sex scandal"

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Forgetting the "City of Oakland's Claudia Herrera fix-the-parking-system issue" for the moment, we turn to the important Internet business matter of "Steve Phillips' girlfriend". That's the ESPN sex scandal I blogged about Wednesday.

Anyway, I just got an email from Rich "Big Vinny" Lieberman of "The Rich Lieberman Report" that made me howl. It's regarding his blog post on the ESPN sex scandal and idea that's sure to send shivers down the spines of Bay Area Media types. This is what he wrote at his blog:

IT FINALLY DAWNED ON ME.


The Bay Area media needs a good 'sexscapade story sort of like the ESPN/Steve Phillips story. Think of the possibilities. Hell, just take a look at the NY Post! Can you imagine the PR gold?!


Oh sure, there'd be a temporary hit, but long term, we're talking PR bonanza. And judging from the stories I've heard and frankly know about, there's a bevy of stories out there in our vast 415-408-510 TV/radio media wasteland involving high line station execs, cute, girly, preppy interns and "staff assistants"--so I'm betting all we need is one good, albeit verified story and account.


Like I said, everyone benefits. "Friend with benefits?" Yeah, sure. But even more, lots of PUB and potential appearances on the Ronn Owens program.


Here's what I propose. If you know of a friend, say, an intern that's been banging the company boss at any given outlet, (media only please) send me the info. I'll be discreet, as should you. Be specific. If its you that's doing the banging, then do provide all the juicy details and I'll try to investigate. That's why I'm ME and that's why you be you. We're all in this together, right? The juicier the better.


Fringe benefits? Take a look at that headline above the mast?!! You can't even get that pub if you win a Nobel peace prize!

All I can say is it's better to be real careful with that stuff, Rich.  Anyone can name a name doing a thing, but that doesn't mean it's true at all.  And in this case, Richard, someone could send you an email that points in the wrong blogging direction and could wind up in a nasty lawsuit.

See, the media people do have agents and lawyers to protect them.  It's one thing for an affair to go public because a disgruntled ex-boyfriend is caught by the Feds while extorting a famous talk show host, or because a police report against an ex-girlfriend was filed, or because a blogger recorded her personal experience with a current or a former lover complete with emails exchanged, but slinging mud without concrete evidence is dangerous and hurtful to those involved. 

Now if you had a video camera...
  

Brooke Hundley, Marni Phillips, Steve Phillips form ESPN's sex scandal

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Brooke Hundley, Marni Phillips, and Steve Phillips do form ESPN's sex scandal, but there's more to it than that. It's the story of an abandoned, emotionally needy young woman.

Steve Phillips and Brooke Hundley

Two weeks ago we had the waning story of David Letterman's affair with his assistant Stephanie Birkitt, and I made the point that this kind of office affair is so common that some of the people complaining about David Letterman may have been involved in one themselves. In fact by one estimate almost one of every two office workers has been involved in some kind of affair or flirtation over the course of their work history.

But unlike David Letterman and Stephanie Birkitt, or even Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearey (where the LA Times weighs in with new news involving another employee) this ESPN scandal is a rather ugly one and not just because Steve Phillips is married as of this writing.

Steve Phillips is a former Major League Baseball general manager with the New York Mets who is now a well known, and is in my opinion very effective ESPN baseball analyst (now suspended) and who's married to Marni Phillips, and has four kids, but had an affair last summer with 22-year old ESPN Production Assistant Brooke Hundley.

According to a number of blogs like Zimbio.com, Phillips tried to end the affair, but Hundley wasn't ready for that and what follows is something out of Fatal Attraction." (As far as I'm concerned, as a aside, Steve Phillips should be massively kicked in the ass for treating his wife like that.  At least David Letterman wasn't married at the time of the start of his affair.)  

Basically, Brooke, a 2008 graduate of Ithaca College according to her Facebook page, went off and so much so that Phillips eventually told the police "I have extreme concerns about the health and safety of my kids and myself," and said that that Brooke was "obsessive and delusional" after he tried to end the affair.

Brooke wrote a letter that I first saw on Zimbio, which means that thanks to the NY Post, which as it turned out posted the letter first, it's made it's way around the Internet. But folks, this letter's a doozy. Brace for impact:

What's most galling about Brooke's letter is that she would tell Marni Phillips that she wants to connect with her, after writing that Marni's basically no good for Steve and she's got "passion and drive to really do something with my life."

The NY Post reports that Marni Phillips got a voicemail from Brooke stating "I care about Steve and make him happy and we both can't have him."  

That's nerve to an almost criminal level.  It could only be topped by instant messages from "Riotgirl4life" to Steve Phillips' son, who believed it to be  Brooke Hundley because according to LaLate.com, the person was asking a lot of personal questions about the family.  

The bottom line is Brooke fell in love and frankly the poor thing didn't know what to do when the more experienced Phillips broke off the affair.  I write this because somewhere Brooke's mother is crying that her daughter's at the center of this, and wondering what she did wrong in raising her. 

My answer is this: nothing.  Brooke made a mistake.  The whole episode where Marni Phillips complained that Brooke hit a trash can while backing out of the house was simply Brooke being afraid that she was going to get caught while leaving the letter.  I don't think from reading all that I have that Brooke Hundley has a yen to hurt anyone. She's reacting to feeling abandoned by Phillips, period.

But I do wish her parents would take her aside and let her know that they love her.  Somewhere in all this I have the feeling that's what's missing in Brooke's life. 

City of Oakland's Claudia Herrera is the real parking czar who must fix the system

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This week for me in the City of Oakland has been one in hell. First, some housekeeping: for anyone who came to see my experimental Oakland talk show at the Lake Chalet, I'm sorry for not being there Wednesday as I was dealing with this City of Oakland issue far longer than I expected to. I'm going to do it again on Friday at 4 PM.

It's one thing to deal with tickets, but quite another to learn that if you pay the California DMV , the City of Oakland will not honor that payment for Oakland tickets if your car was towed. I also learned that its common for Oaklanders to "double pay" - that is pay the DMV first, but then be arm-twisted into paying the City of Oakland for the same set of tickets already paid for at the DMV!

Got that? And while the City of Oakland says it will pay you back, it takes almost a year to do, when it's done! In other words, you're paying for the City of Oakland's money collection issues with the DMV.

And a lot of Oaklanders have had their cars towed because the city "needs the money" from all the people I talked to at City Hall Wednesday.

The person who caused me to understand this apparent policy (I have my doubts) ia Claudia Herrera, the City of Oakland's parking supervisor, who's over the mess that is the sixth floor Oakland Parking Office at the Oakland City Administration Building at 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza, next to Oakland's City Hall.

Why do I know this? Because yesterday, in explaining why she could not clear the documents that read I paid Oakland tickets at DMV, she gave me a verbal run-around that bent logic and time and space in such a way that by the time I was done talking to her, I was in a near catatonic state.

She assumed I paid all of it to the DMV by cashier's check (some of it) and said "we don't accept cashier's checks. But I paid the DMV not the City of Oakland, and Oakland tickets were part of that payment.

She told me that a cashier's check is like a personal check! I'm serious. That was when I figured that nothing was going to get done. See, they're supposed to help you, not hurt you.

Plus, both Herrera and her assistant at the front counter didn't even look closely at my document to see what was paid until I insisted that they look at it.

I wound up being the last person to leave the office, and even then I didn't get the help I needed and as I sat in a state of shock over what I was going through, Herrera just walked off.

So I asked for her to come back - everyone of the parking patrons was gone by then and there was just staff - but she didn't and some person came out and said suddenly if I didn't leave she was going to call security. At that point, I whipped out my Flip Video Camera.

Oh, I've got that on video to come, so they can't twist the story!

I understand Claudia Herrera didn't create the system, but she can fix it. She's in the best position to do it. This isn't personal - she seems like a very decent person - but it's important because her decisions impact a lot of people in Oakland. And with Oakland's focus on gaining revenue from parking, people like Claudia Herrera should be known to the public.

So my next move is to call the DMV but perhaps take some measure that makes this whole deal go away for me. But I'm on the offensive because the City of Oakland needs to put a stop to this "misery industry" they've created.

Here's how it works:

The City of Oakland makes it hard for you to park your car. Then you get ticket after ticket. Once you get over five tickets, you become a tow target. If they tow your car and you pay DMV the City of Oakland will still hold you up from getting your car back from the tow yard.

Why have you not heard about this before? Because people don't want to talk about their misery from something that leads to the comment "Well you should not have parked there." Everyone knows that, but in Oakland a whole industry has been created from it, with the parking office, the police department, and the tow companies and this "double charging" of tickets already paid for at the DMV.

Parking rates are raised to levels that should be illegal, tickets are written, cars are towed at an alarming rate, and people are harmed by the misery industry.

It must stop. More later.

Tom Hayes: Does TV try too hard to present balance?

Dara O'Briain sets the record straight about the public understanding of facts. He talks about crime statistics, science, herbal medicine, and the tendency of TV to try to present a "fair and balanced" coverage - which results in him using some strong language, so you might want to consider where you are as you watch this.

I think Dara is Ireland's slightly more refined, restrained version of Lewis Black. Slightly.

Carrie Prejean Breast Job: K2 Productions wants money back - but which K2 Productions?

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Seems Carrie Prejean can't catch a break. Remember her? The former Miss California who's not-so-smart foray into anti-Gay Marriage activism and overall alleged unprofessionalism cost her the title is now apparently owes $5,200 to K2 Productions for a boob job they paid for.

Carrie Prejean

But who's K2 Productions?

They're a North Carolina film and video production company according to their website, which leads me to wonder if they did this for publicity. If so, I certainly got suckered into this one, huh?

Not really.

I mean there's the Atlanta-based K2 Production company as well. They too are involved in the film business, but they provide "equipment."

Uh, just not boobs.

Turns out the North Carolina company and the Atlanta firm are enjoying some free pub because Miss California USA organizers also use the same company name but with a California adress! I'm laughing as I write this, it's so funny.

It's a classic case of a firm not doing its Internet homework in establishing a unique company name and making sure that its not like any other firm name when a search for K2 Productions is done online.

So North Carolina and Atlanta's K2 Production company can have part of the boob job money, huh?

I think the LA version of the K2 Production firms needs to get its messaging straight. If I were representing Carrie Prejean I'd have a field day with this. I'm sorry but this is too funny not to make fun of.

Keith Lewis, the person who's over K2 Productions in LA and who reportedly paid for the boob job for Carrie Prejean should be smart and recover the money by contracting for Carrie to work for the other K2 Production companies and get whatever percentage of revenue he can secure.

Otherwise the whole deal's just really silly in my view.

Kane West not dead; Kanye West not in an accident

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Kanye West is not dead, contrary to some news rumors. This prank has happened before involving other celebrities and here we go again. Twitter's the origin for the latest round of this trick, this time focusing on Kanye West.

According to LaLate.com, this happened to Miley Cyrus and Lil Wayne this year, and now Kanye West.

Some tweets report that he was in a car accident, but the truth is that happened in 2002. He's fine.

Why is West the target? I think the whole Taylor Swift controversy has something to do with it; an incident that even caused President Obama to refer to him as a "jackass":