Wil.I.Am, Black Eyed Peas, Photo With Jerry Jones: Super Bowl XLV, Cowboys Stadium

The NFL's finally got a contemporary group, The Black Eyed Peas, and there's one person who could not be happier: Wil.I.Am of The Black Eyed Peas.

In fact, Wil.I.Am is so happy, he's Twitter Tweeting photos of his on-the-field pregame experience at an amazing rate.

Aside from the picture here, there are about 11 posted within the last hour as of this writing, or about one photo every 5.5 minutes.  

The last one was of he and Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones in the middle of the field.

@iamwill
will.i.am
wow...I just met jerry jones the owner of the cowboys and this beautiful stadium http://yfrog.com/h4zgmrj

If Wil.I.Am's this excited before the game and The Black Eyed Peas performance, he's going to be sky high by the time he takes the field!  

Paladinette's Super Bowl Salutation to the 99er Nation

The video below is Paladinette's Super Bowl Salutation to the 99er Nation. After posting Zennie's link about Ali Velshi's Twitter tyrant and my own story today about Ali asking me not to post 99er story links on his Facebook page, I have been taking a few crap comments in addition to those supporting my position.

It started today when I received the following message on my Facebook Paladinette UnemployedZealot page:

Message today from
Ali Velshi February 6 at 7:15am please stop posting links on my wall
you are welcome to comment on matters I post, but use your wall to post your links. ---

My reply: Noted and reported to the 99er Nation!

I then proceeded to UNLIKE the Ali Velshi Page as I only follow on Facebook to connect with those where the 99er Nation's message is freely debated and conversed.

Then I commented: Sorry I know we need to use the Media for OUR GAIN but anyone who REALLY CARED about the 99ers not just the RATINGS they could provide would NOT mind 99er news posted where 99ers could see it.....

Next came my Tweets: #99er Nation PLZ RETWEET @alivelshi sent me this on FB: please stop posting links on my wall you are welcome to (cont) http://tl.gd/8l7e2b

Then I posted Zennie's link about Ali which to me proved he (Velshi) was just another pompous rude journalist and not the God send many in the 99er Nation feel he may be.

Next I was slammed, ridiculed, bashed and told I had to apologize. Nothing new as opposing opinions do not phase me in any way. But I will not apologize for simply exposing the truth. If the truth hurts Oh fricken well! Deal with it!

Fact is, 99ers need to stop GROVELING - stop cow towing and begging! If you want media coverage then MAKE NEWS! Media doesn't only cover people they LIKE - THEY COVER NEWS! MAKE NEWS instead of waiting on the kindness of Washington or the Media as you will NEVER FIND IT there!

I did rescind my remark about Ali being an A** Wipe though the troll community continued their inane remarks which fall on deaf ears from my end...YAWN. Then I recorded the video message below: Gooooo Packers!!!!! As not even idiot trolls can ruin a Super Bowl Sunday!!!!!

CNN Ali Velshi's Mean Twitter Tweets Continue; Ali Starts A Feud

Yesterday, CNN's Ali Velshi had a guest on who just went on and on more than he should have.  Ali had on a big-name guest: Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.  Because the other guest was so long winded, Mayor Nutter didn't get to say much at all.

 So using Twitter, I suggested to Ali that the person did just that: went on and on and on.

Now I never said anything against Ali himself, but on Twitter he decided to be nasty. Here's the exchange if you didn't see it:

@zennie62 Zennie Abraham
@AliVelshi Hey that Michael guy on the City Fiscal Segment went on 35 seconds longer than necessary. #longwinded

And to repeat myself, but rather than send a tweet that was in agreement or providing some insight, Ali shot back with this tweet:

@AliVelshi Ali Velshi
@zennie62 did anyone ask you to be the timekeeper?

Now, that was below the belt, so I called him on it in this video, and to explain that bad online behavior will see the light of day, and in the form of new content. That is, i social media, Ali Velshi is going to be judged and communicated to as much as he judges and communicates to us.

But it's apparent Ali wants some kind of negative exchange for some said reason. Moreover, it's obvious he doesn't get that he's helping me to create new content. This is his latest tweet:

@zennie62 excellent to see your self-righteousness continue. You've always been smarter - & a bigger attention-seeker - than the rest of us.

Now that's totally hilarious coming from a guy we see on television! LOL! I had to tweet that one back, so I did, but in a friendly way, not attacking him in the way he's attacked me.

 Well, not exactly:

@AliVelshi "You've always been smarter - & a bigger attention-seeker - than the rest of us."... This YOU say? LMAO!

Yeah. Think about it. A national TV guy, who was just in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and bragged about it on the air, says that I'm a bigger attention-seeker? And he's in the media business, right?

I will be the first to tell you that, yes, I do seek attention as it's part of the media business, and, heck, it's me. Everything in terms of measuring success in media comes from that.

What is the measure of TV ratings, website unique visitors, and other factors but the taking of the temperature of one thing: how much attention one is drawing. Logically, that applies to Ali, who's job depends on ratings, er, people paying attention to him.

If he thinks I'm smarter than he is, perhaps that's why he's starting a feud with me.

(Well, I should note that CNN's ratings have improved dramatically since the ouster of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC. That, combined with CNN's excellent coverage of the Egypt Protests, have improved its ratings performance.  But Fox News is still kicking tail.)

But then it's all about attention, isn't it? That, and jobs - media jobs in this case.

I have to note this Ali - Zennie (in no way like Ali - Foreman or Ali - Frazier) Feud in the context of Ali Velshi's recent comments on black unemployment. Two days ago on CNN Live, Ali speculated that perhaps there should be some kind of special program aimed at blacks because of the higher unemployment rate.

Think about that, in the context of this feud. I'm a person, black, who believes that anyone, but especially young African Americans and women, should be confident and assertive, and start their own businesses. Go out, work hard, believe in yourself, and hustle. To do that, to gain sponsors and clients and make computer programs, can't happen without that person believing they're the best S-O-B out there, and willing to say so.

Now think again. That kind of black person wouldn't need a lot of "help" or "special programs," right? Why? Because they would be the same kind of threat that Ali is apparently afraid of: the smart black guy or gal.

I'm not "pulling the race card" here - I hate the term - but calling attention to an issue Ali wandered into with good intentions, but not thinking the whole deal through to its conclusion.

Then, in his attack on me, Velshi is revealing something worth bringing to your "attention" and that's some of the seeds of black underemployment and unemployment.

Yes, racism is a massive problem, but so is an overall national attitude that's waning but still exists, helped along by folks like Ali, which says that a black person should not be ambitious or seek the same levels of success that a white or light-skined person seeks. It's always said that "no one likes a smart black guy," and while that's not true for younger people, there are Americans who hold this idea in their heads, and some of them are black, too.

But what if we as a country didn't have that hang-up at all? I think it would move the needle of black unemployment down a good two or three percent.

But here's the deal: it would also cause unemployment rates for whites and other people of color to increase, and perhaps by the same amount.

So now, I can see why Ali attacked me, and that does go back to the debate I had with him where I cleaned his clock: a smart black guy is an issue for him - a threat. I certainly hope this doesn't speak for CNN, but let's go with that for a bit.

I often wonder why CNN has black guest on its talk panels, but doesn't let them say anything?  When I was a guest on CNN's Roland Martin Debates in 2007, I noticed that as the show on the YouTubers was progressing.

So, not wanting to be a part of CNN's bad habits, I chimed in with a comment on one occasion, when it was apparent that Martin, who's black, was skipping over me. (And not by his doing but, I think, because his producers said "focus on that girl and that person, not him.") After the show, I vowed that if I was ever on CNN again, that would never happen.

I got my wish.

On the second occasion, a conversation on the first Presidential Debate, where I was flown in to New York City, I basically saw a "time-opening" and took it, and to make a point about what I call the "internationalization of American Defense spending."  Here's the video:



Yep. I planned that.

And I did so to counter CNN's habit of letting black's just come on as window dressing. That's something my mother observed in the case of Mayor Nutter and Ali. "He's probably doing that because that Mayor's black," she said. I tried to talk her out of it, but with this feud we're having I'm wondering if there's something to that.

I think so.

See, Ali's cool with having a talk where blacks speak on BLACK ISSUES, but if it's an interracial panel, he's lean toward the white person.

I'll bet they don't do that at Fox News!

Maybe that's one more reason, aside from their employment of lovely, smart, leggy blonde women, that Fox News is still besting CNN in television ratings. Fox has no problem having a smart black man, Juan Williams, as one of its key, outspoken pundits. That says more for Fox than for Juan's previous employer, NPR.

Where's CNN's Juan Williams?  It could come from anyone in CNN's current stable, from Don Lemon, who's well-spoken and would make an excellent pundit, to Frederica Whitfield, who works on Saturdays, and to CNN's Sara Sidner in India, who I know has a lot of interesting views to share.

My Mom, who I'm visiting, said I should "leave this alone."  She comes from a time when black men were lynched and beaten for anything from looking at a white girl to being outspoken.   Her thinking is expressed, in one way or another, by many African Americans, and I get that.

But if we held that belief and let it stop all of us, there would have never been a President Barack Obama.

That brings me, to close this, to 2006.

I officially got on the Barack Train on December 6, 2006 when I joined the website BarackObama.com, made a contribution, and set up my own profile page.  Then I became an advocate for the Senator From Illinois.  And during that effort most blacks were behind the idea of Hillary Clinton For President, and to a  degree because many African Americans said that whites would not vote for a black man.

I asserted that many did not understand how much America had changed.  How much the emergence of Hip Hop music formed a new, interracial culture that was hungry for change and willing to make it happen.   Then, as Barack won primary after primary,  you could see the change in African Americans and over a short period of time.  The "crab barrel" was pushed over - that habit of one person, in this case black, bringing down another person, in this case black, because they didn't want that person to succeed.   That was pushed aside for Obama.

Now, we have a smart black guy as President.

I don't think CNN or America as a whole has issues with smart black guys and gals - some people do, but not all people. And maybe who does is Ali, but I hope I'm wrong.

Maybe he just wants attention.

Stay tuned.

FRO's TJ Rosenthal on Why it's The Steelers Playing today and not the NY JETS

CAN’T WAIT: THE HEIGHT OF THE 201O NY JETS By TJ Rosenthal-Jets Reporter-Football Reporters Online

As they wake up today on Super Bowl Sunday, many Gang Green loyalists will still fight the reality that Bart Scott’s post game “Can’t Wait” rant in Foxboro was as high as the Jets could fly in 2010.

Losing to the league’s number one defense, a franchise that owns six titles was one thing. Coming out as flat as they did in Pittsburgh, for a Jets team that fed off of it’s own swagger, was another. A Jet team that enjoyed proving their many new found enemies wrong all year long, while overcoming scandal after scandal.

Once they packed up their gear in Foxboro, the Jets essentially packed up their championship attitude along with it. Only to roll it back out onto the field, while down 24-3 in the third quarter at Heinz Field. When it was too late.

The unguarded thoughts that Scott shared after the upset of the Pats with ESPN reporter Sal Palantonio showed us what the playing speed on the field had to be, in order to dismantle hall of famers like Tom Brady. Or the great Peyton Manning for that matter, as the Jets had done the week before.

Paradoxically, the club’s first ten minutes at Heinz Field became the failed science experiment of what a nice and cooperative Rex Ryan team could look like. A meandering group that for much of the first half, couldn’t move the chains on offense as they missed tackles and mounted penalties on defense.

After the hated Patriots were gone, Rex Ryan addressed the AFC Championship game with an uncustomary approach: Kid gloves. He spoke publicly about the Steelers with respect. Kindness. All of the warm hearted personality traits that THIS Jets team decided to disregard a long time ago.

This 2010 Jets playoff run was not about making friends. It was about being disrespected. From analysts and opponents alike. If in fact, there weren’t as many naysayers as the Jets believed there were, they made them up in their collective mind. For inspiration. For an edge, that translated into a pair of playoff upsets.

Maybe Ryan WAS being honest the whole way this January, and NOT playing psychological tricks with his players through the media. When Ryan made the first two rounds “personal,” perhaps he truly meant it.

If so, then it is possible that in Ryan’s heart, he felt that the Steelers, unlike the Colts and Pats who had hurt the Jets over the past year when it counted, deserved admiration before condemnation. That a third straight road playoff game, this time against the league’s most physical defense, truly WAS the toughest part of what he termed “mission impossible:” A brutal road run to Dallas that included three of the league’s top teams for the past decade.

If Ryan’s honesty was blindly directing the course of events during the week leading up to each playoff tilt, well then a little acting on the part of Ryan and the Jets before the AFC Championship might have helped. A bit more of that familiar Ryan era Jets chatter. If nothing more than for the purpose of maintaining the same wave length the organization had been on since July. When all of the talk initiated by the Jets in Florham Park was about reaching the Super Bowl.

If a shift in the Jets personality leading up to the AFC Championship game was NOT the primary reason for the season ending slow start that day, then HOW DID Ryan’s loud and proud Jets, in the biggest game of their two year run, become so congenial right out of the gates? So pedestrian?

Some will argue that the primary cause for the early three score deficit was nothing more than a faulty Jets gameplan. One that failed to put eight in the box against Rashard Mendenhall in zero degree temperature, forcing the Steelers to throw from the onset. One that in addition, tried to establish the run on offense, too often in the early going, against the NFL’s top run stoppers.

As the Steelers prepare to kick things off in Dallas today, many who bleed Green and White will ponder “what happened” that day, to themselves. Torturing their Gang Green infected souls. Many wondering where the Jets would be today, had they been able to ride the “Can’t Wait” emotions that Bart Scott exemplified in Foxboro, all the way to Pittsburgh.

The Jet Report

twitter@thejetreport

tumblr: thejetreport.tumblr.com

Some things and Other things-SB Sunday Edition

By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online-Special Contributor

Our Congrats to the Hall of Fame Class of 2011: Richard Dent, Chris Hanburger--who was an Outstanding linebacker in his day ...Shannon Sharpe, Deion Sanders, Ed Sabol, Marshall Faulk, and Les Richter(also a Golden age Great)…as for Charles Haley & Curtis Martin-we can only hope for next year…..Speaking of Jets Players not in the Hall,..how about Joe Klecko getting come consideration??? Or Wr's Cris Carter and Tim Brown??? NY Giants Fans should be please to hear that Bill Parcells, Mike Strahan & Tiki Barber are all potentials next year, and at least one will get in…If Any of them get in we will make the trek to Canton…..
Eli Manning thinks Hakeem Nicks will make "yet another jump" and become one of the best Wr's in the NFL…he says even though several of his 25 int's bounced off WR's hands it still his job"to cut down" on them…Osi also wants Plaxico Burress back….Joining Eli, Brandon Jacobs, and others who have spoken out in Burress' favor…

We have reports of one of our all time favorite players, Giants QB Phil Simms, having a "heated" disagreement with Desmond Howard because of some remarks that Howard made on ESPN’s College Gameday during the season about his son Matt, the Tennessee QB. He made reference to Matt Simms being one of the worst QBs in the SEC during coverage of the Tennessee/LSU game. From Howard’s Twitter account. “At NFL-Xperience and Phil Simms just threatened 2 hit me b/c I said his son was 1 of the worse QBs in the SEC. I told him ‘LET’S GO!’” “I am DEAD serious about the Phil Simms thing. We all thought he was joking, but he kept going and said he wanted 2 take a swing at... Simms Responded through a CBS press release:
"Desmond and I were having a private conversation that became heated," Simms said in a statement released by CBS. "But at no time was there ever a chance of any physical confrontation, or that I felt the police officer assigned to me by the event planners for my appearance needed to separate the two of us."
I have a great deal of respect for both men, but this is simply a case of a Dad speaking up for his son…Any of us in this business are responsible for our comments, and no one is above reproach…At least Phil wasn't acting like Dez's fellow ESPN commentator Craig James when involved in his son Adam's issues with former College Coach MIKE LEACH…
Congrads go out to now former Hartford Colonials OL coach Todd Washington on his Hiring by the Ravens as OL coach…He also had a standout career at Va. Tech. in the 1990's
Lane Kiffin still can't get the "bad taste" of his year at Tennessee out of his head and mouth…The NCAA is investigating him for violations of all sorts...
The TEXAS vs. the Nation Game-Now renamed the "NFLPA college all star game" was played Yesterday with The TEXAS team winning 13-7...Clinton Portis' brother Josh was one of the Qb's featured in the game....

Mike Vick was named the AP's comeback player of the year, Seahawks WR MIke Williams was second in voting….Vick could be franchised, but claims he doesn't mind(probe because he'd still get a better contract then he has now and won't see most of the Money anyway because he's still paying damages from his past court dealings…The Eagles could also earn a greed deal in trading Kevin Kolb, Possibly 2 high draft picks and a player in return...
Pats owner Bob Kraft on The CBA talks:
"People don't want to hear about our squabbling," he said, "and it's criminal if we don't get a deal done.
"I've never seen the health of a business be as bright as this one."
Goodell says-If we don't get a settlement soon "the Cost goes up"
"1 Billion Dollars of revenue could be lost…"
The NFLPA is also trying to get some High profile agents to boycott the Combine and other Draft related activities…..Good Luck with That....

Drew Brees might have been SI's Sportsman of the year for 2010, but his comments regarding retired players before last years SB won't soon be forgotten….

Reports indicate Ravens players were upset with Harbaugh over length of practices leading up to Steeler playoff game...

The Eagles have Promoted Juan Castillo from OL coach to D-coordinator, which might seem strange, but at least one current NFL Head Coach, John Spagnulo of the Rams(the former Eagles LB's coach and Giants D-Coordinator) feels Castillo can make the move...


DeMAcrus Ware and Jay Ratliff glad to have Rob Ryan as the new Cowboys D-coordinator, hopefully the head coach and owner are too….

the U.S. ATF Div. of Homeland Security has the Bomb sniffing dogs from nearly 30 cities working at the SB and related events this week…

Everyone is talking about the Match ups between the two QB's on Sunday evening,..or the Possible Mismatch with Packers DL B.J. Raji vs. the Steelers OL's…but the real match up here is the two teams D-Coordinators,the Packers' Dom Capers(the former Panthers Head Coach) & The Steelers' Hall Of Famer Dick LeBeau…

Finally-Several polls have the Steelers winning the game by a 2-1 margin….

Don't forget FRO is Broadcasting it's Live SB preview show from3-6pm ET @ Public House NYC (140 E 41st. st off Lexington av.)
if you can't make it down in person listen @ www.blogtalkradio.com/Football-Reporters

Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and Shannon Sharpe In NFL Hall Of Fame, Congrats!

The NFL Hall Of Fame class was announced today: Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Richard Dent, Shannon Sharpe, NFL Films founder Ed Sabol, and linebackers Chris Hanburger and Les Richter are in.

But a very big congrats to Deion Sanders and Ed Sabol, who of which I can say there's no more deserving set of NFL Legends.

Deion Sanders. You can't write the history of the NFL without him or Ed Sabol.

More later.

Super Bowl XLV: Dallas Thaws, Leigh Steinberg, Serena Williams Party Hot

Super Snow Bowl 02-05-11, originally uploaded by PaulAValentine.

That photo of Cowboys Stadium was taken by PaulAValentine on Flickr 12 hours ago and by the looks of it, the giant site of Super Bowl XVL is slowing thawing out after the worst snow and ice conditions seen in 15 years.

It was a weather problem that caused Cowboys Stadium to look like it did below, and become the site of an accident caused by falling ice and snow from its roof, where six people were injured.

Super Bowl XLV Cowboys Stadium AP Photo, originally uploaded by zennie62.

But it's thawing out, and all in time for the parties and Super Bowl XLV tomorrow. This is what sports agent Leigh Steinberg tweeted on Twitter:

SteinbergSports Leigh Steinberg
I have few talents,but controlling weather on my SB Party day is one of them,skies are gorgeous blue in Dallas,roads clear,time to partyM

And just in time for his 25th annual Super Bowl Party. This one different in that it's going from 1 PM to 1 AM - and it's just 9:18 PM CST as this is written.

Leigh's annual event, while not officially sanctioned by the NFL, is one of the premier soirees held during Super Bowl week. I've attended eight of them, or each time I've went to a Super Bowl. Had I not elected to come to Georgia - a plan I made last fall - this would have been my ninth time.

But this tweet by Leigh reminded me of why I'm not feeling bad:

SteinbergSports Leigh Steinberg
Just hit Dallas,on time,but it is freeezing for a Californian,brrrr,ice on ground

But, from this tweet from the NFL Commissioner's Party, Leigh's in his element: celebs and power players...

SteinbergSports Leigh Steinberg
Listened to Martina McBride@Commish Party,saw Mary Matalin+James Carville-my date was conserv+I am L...congratulated Amb Rooney

Ah, well, hell, that's my element, too! I guess that's why we get along so well.

Here's the description of Leigh's  party (that's him in the middle from a photo taken tonight) at Eddie Deen's Ranch in Downtown Dallas, which, from one tweet, he's sharing with CBS:

The preeminent sports agent of our lifetime Leigh Steinberg is in the 25 year of hosting his annual Super Bowl party. Many people know Steinberg as the inspiration behind Tom Cruise's character in Jerry Maguire. His party consistently draws the top professional athletes, politicians, business leaders, NFL team owners, musicians and actors in town for the biggest pro football weekend of the year. Expect to see big names on the "Green Carpet" such as Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Jerry Jones and President George W. Bush. New RSVPs include Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Serena Williams, Emmitt Smith and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Also look for a Jerry Maguire reunion as Jay Mohr, Cuba Gooding Jr and Regina King will be at the party. There is also an invite out to Tom Cruise.

"The Super Bowl is a convention of Americana," Steinberg says. "It is the largest meeting ground available. Our party gives us the ability to mix the world of business and entertainment with the world of sports. It's the Super Bowl of people-watching."

The party will be split up into an afternoon session from 1:00pm to 5:00pm and the evening session running from 7:30pm to 1:00am. A big highlight of this night is the Pro vs. GI Joe video game competition taking place during the party.

A major part of the evening will revolve around Steinberg honoring his friend Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head suffered in the Tucson shooting on January 8. In addition, Mike Sullivan will be doing a Gabby Giffords portrait that will be signed by all of the guests.

And of course, Leigh's got a lot of star power in the room. Here's another tweet:

@SteinbergSports Leigh Steinberg
SB Party RSVP's-Steve Carrell,Jennifer Aniston,Lil Wayne,Mike "Situation",Cuba Gooding,T.Boone Pickens,Colin Cowherd,Adam Sandler,Troy A

On top of that, former President George W. Bush is in the house as of 30 minutes ago and rumor has it that Tom Cruise is supposed to stop by. That's a good thing because my impression for a bit was that Cruise didn't really seem to be tight with Leigh.

I think Tom was a bit put off that the sports agent movie Jerry McGuire seemed to be all about Leigh, rather than about a person who was a mix of agents, including Drew Rosenhaus. But from Leigh's perspective, he can always say that of all the agents that were consulted, he was actually in the film.

But I digress...

The party description text should have included "U.S. Congresswoman," but details aside, I'm sure it is a fun party. The photos from it are coming in on Twitter and all over the social network platforms.

For example, Serena Williams was photographed at Leigh's party just a moment ago.  And with it going on to 1 AM, anyone can arrive.

And by the looks of things, Serena's got a kind of designer cast on her right ankle.  She's obviously still nursing the ankle she injured last August, and for which she's out of the Australian Open.   (Ya think Jay Cutler could have worn something like that after the NFC Championship?)

Plus, the snow's thawing, it's easier to get around, the crowds are swelling, and all just in time to make Super Bowl XVL really super.

Stay tuned.

CNN Ali Velshi's Mean Twitter Tweet Lesson In Social Media

OK. All I did was send a friendly Twitter Tweet to CNN's Ali Velshi today and he fired back in a nothing less than a mean way.

What happened was Ali was running a segment on city fiscal problems in today's economy on CNN Live Saturday and featuring, among others, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Ali had Nutter say a few words about his city's need for more Federal dollars, but then Velshi let this other guest who's not an elected official drone on and on without stopping him.

 It was totally disrespectful to the mayor of a major city (not to mention out of protocol) for Ali to waste Mayor Nutter's valuable time.

I sent a friendly Twitter tweet to Velshi on the matter, this one...

@zennie62 Zennie Abraham
@AliVelshi Hey that Michael guy on the City Fiscal Segment went on 35 seconds longer than necessary. #longwinded

But rather than send a tweet that was in agreement or providing some insight, Ali shot back with this tweet:

@AliVelshi Ali Velshi
@zennie62 did anyone ask you to be the timekeeper?

Man. I know Ali wasn't too happy that others at CNN felt I bested him when we were debating on the economic stimulus program in 2009, but apparently he's hasn't gotten over it.

So, I thought "Ok. It's on, dude!"

Ali didn't stop to think before he sent a tweet; this will teach him a lesson because it's news now. (Of a sort.)

The lesson in social media is that we are the timekeepers, not Ali Velshi. Even my dear Mom said "Why is he letting that guy go on and on?!"

In social media, we all matter, not just celebrity anchors like Ron Jeremy or Ali Velshi.

Sending a mean Twitter Tweet has consequences.

Jon Wagner’s 45 Questions for Super Bowl XLV

Jon Wagner’s 45 Questions for Super Bowl XLV

Football Reporters Online's Sr. Writer gives us his "Watch" list for tomorrow's game

STRATEGY & PERSONNEL:

1. Will Maurkice Pouncey play?

2. If Pouncey plays, but is limited, how effective will he be at helping to protect Ben Roethlisberger and opening holes for the Steelers’ running game?

3. If Pouncey can’t go, will the Steelers’ offense operate well enough behind backup Doug Legursky?

4. Will key rookies on either side (Pittsburgh’s Pouncey – if he plays, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders or Green Bay’s James Starks, or Sam Shields) play significant roles?

5. Will Starks (who leads all postseason rushers with 263 rushing yards) or Packers’ regular season-leading running back Brandon Jackson run the ball effectively enough to give Green Bay’s dangerous passing attack some balance against the NFL’s best rushing defense?

6. Can Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ passing game exploit the legendary Dick LeBeau’s blitzing attack against the Steelers’ biggest overall weakness – their 12th-ranked pass defense?

7. Or, can either the Pittsburgh pass rush or the secondary combination of Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu mask the Steelers’ pass defense deficiencies?

8. With two weeks of preparation, can the great Dick LeBeau come up with enough varied defensive looks to confuse Aaron Rodgers the way the Jets did the same to Tom Brady in their divisional upset round win in New England?

9. How much more dangerous could the ideal conditions on the fast track, indoors, in Cowboys Stadium make the Packers’ passing game? (recall what happened at the Georgia Dome in Green Bay’s 48-21 divisional round win over the Falcons).

10. If the Packers focus too much on stopping James Harrrison, will LaMarr Woodley or James Farrior disrupt the Green Bay offense?

11. Will James Harrison make a big game-turning play the way he did with his interception against Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII, which stands as the longest play in Super Bowl history?

12. Can Rashard Mendenhall pick up where he left off against the Jets, when he had a career post-season high 121 yards (95 in the first half) in the AFC title game?

13. Will Tramon Williams get another key postseason pick or two?

14. Will the Packers’ pass rush – one of the best in the NFL this season – get to Ben Roethlisberger?

15. Or, will Roethlisberger use his patented elusiveness and pump fake to make more of his trademark big plays after the plays break down?

16. Will linebackers Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk be able to patrol the middle of the field when Roethlisberger is on the run or after he dumps shorts passes off, particularly to his safety valve Heath Miller?

17. Can the Steelers’ receiving playmakers Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown keep pace with their more dangerous counterparts Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver?

18. If called upon late in the game, can Shaun Suisham make a field goal over 50 yards or more? (although he’s 14 of 15 this season, he hasn’t attempted a field goal of 50 yards or more this year, and he’s only 3 of 9 from that distance for his career, with his last make from that far away coming two seasons ago, during the second of his three different stints with Washington). Conversely, Green Bay’s Mason Crosby has made 2 of 4 kicks from 50 or more yards this year, and he’s made 10 of 21 career kicks from that distance.


ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

19 . Will karma catch up with the Steelers and will they lose a Super Bowl because of poor refereeing, the way they benefited from several bad calls to beat the Seattle in Super Bowl XL?

20. Will viewers be confused which team is at the bottom of a pile with both teams wearing pretty much the same shade of yellow pants? (at least the Steelers’ black stripes and the Packers’ green stripes down the sides might help ).

21. How ironic is it that the first-ever Super Bowl without cheerleaders is played in the stadium of the NFL team which made NFL cheerleaders famous?

22. Speaking of which, should the Dallas Cowboys lend their cheerleaders to the Pittsburgh and Green Bay sidelines?

23. Will a part of a Super Bowl venue (namely the oversized video boards overhanging the field from one 20 yard-line to the other) interfere with the play during a Super Bowl for the first time, on a high punt?

24. Will people finally stop complaining about the weather in Dallas and in general, about Super Bowls being held at sites where warm weather isn’t guaranteed? (It’s football! Suck it up, deal with the elements, and cover the Super Bowl without the ridiculous whining!).

TRENDS & STORYLINES:

25. Will the Steelers extend their record for Super Bowl wins to 7?

26. Will the Packers extend their record for NFL titles to 13?

27. Will the Packers become the NFC’s first 6 seed, and the NFL’s only other 6 seed besides Pittsburgh to win a Super Bowl?

28. Can the Packers improve upon their all-time NFL-best 28-16 postseason record?

29. Will the Packers stop the Steelers’ 7-game postseason winning streak?

30. Will Ben Roethlisberger join Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montanta, Tom Brady, and Troy Aikman, as the only quarterbacks with at least at least three Super Bowl wins?

31. Will Aaron Rodgers finally be able to step out of Brett Favre’s shadow and into the spotlight of a Super Bowl winning MVP?

32. Will Mike Tomlin become the youngest coach (at age 38) to win multiple Super Bowl titles?

33. Which will win out, the Steelers’ experience of playing in their third Super Bowl in six years, or the inexperienced yet loose Packers, who are playing in the Super Bowl for the first time with their current group (having not been to the Super Bowl as a franchise in 13 years)?

34. Will long-time veteran Charles Woodson after 13 brilliant seasons (eight in Oakland, five with Green Bay) and Packer draftees Donald Driver (12 years with Green Bay) and Chad Clifton (11 years with Green Bay) finally get their-long-awaited Super Bowl rings?

35. Will a game on the fast track, indoors, at Cowboys Stadium, with good two good quarterbacks and several receiving weapons on each side make it more of a shootout than it should be?

36. Or, will the top two teams in the NFL in points allowed (Pittsburgh – 14.5 points per game, Green Bay – 15.0 points per game) during the regular season keep it a low-scoring, defensive struggle?

37. Will Green Bay (15 postseason plays this year of 20 yards or more) keep making big plays in the passing game?

38. Will the Steelers be hurt by having not been truly tested away from Heinz Field in more than two months? (Since a December 5th win at Baltimore, Pittsburgh has won five home games, had two byes, and a lone road victory against the lowly Browns, in Cleveland).

39. Conversely, will Green Bay be helped by having been thoroughly tested in five straight elimination games, including two regular season contests to make the playoffs, followed by three straight road playoff wins over the NFC’s top three seeds, to reach Super Bowl XLV?

40. After the Packers’ winning the first two Super Bowls, the AFL/AFC dominating with 11 of the next 13 Super Bowl wins, the NFC then responding with 15 of the 16 (including 13 straight), and the AFC then taking 8 of the following 10 Super Bowls, will an alternating pattern continue for a fourth straight year? (If it does, Pittsburgh will on Sunday).

41. With arguably the two most well-traveled fan bases in the NFL coming to the stadium with the largest capacity the NFL has ever seen, could Super Bowl XLV provide the most electric atmosphere the a Super Bowl has ever had?

42. Will Super Bowl XLV set an all-time NFL attendance record (as expected)?

43. Will Super Bowl XLV set the record for the most-watched television program in American history (breaking the record set last year, during Super Bowl XLIV)?

44. And yet, with a potential lockout looming, will this be the last NFL game played for a while?

45. Whether it is or not, will Super Bowl XLV provide as exciting a game and as great a fourth quarter as in the last meeting between the Steelers and Packers? (Pittsburgh blew a 24-14 lead after three quarters and fell behind 36-30, before Roethlisberger led a two-minute drill to pull out a last-minute, 37-36 victory at Heinz Field on December 20, 2009).

Comic Con Popularity Becomes Issue For TicketLeap.com

Comic Con 2011 is coming again to San Diego July 21st through July 24th, and registration for single-and-up-to 4-day ticket "badges" went on sale this morning.

If you don't know what "Comic Con" is, and wonder what the fuss is about, it's a 42-year old comic book convention that got huge over the last 12-years with the merging of comic and movie efforts, then went into orbit over the last 5-years with the growth of digital media and it's social media component. Last year, the event drew over 120,000 people, and it looks to break that number in 2011.

Comic Con reps announced the action on Twitter, then watched in horror as the online ticket sales service provider named TicketLeap.com, fell into a ditch. Overwhelmed with visitors trying to snap up badges. Eventually, #sdcc - or "San Diego Comic Con" - became a Twitter Topic Trend.

This is the @ComicCon tweet that got things started:

Comic-Con 2011 Attendee Registration will open on Saturday, February 5 at 9 a.m. PT. More info to follow at: http://bit.ly/fh4QW. #comic_con

But after a few hours - just two really - patrons experienced problems because the TicketLeap.com page, which I visited to test the vendor system out, produced a message stating 'We are currently overcapacity. Try again momentarily. Reach us on Twitter @TicketLeap."

And people did just that; here are some examples.

bcddesign Brad Dressler
by DarkStitch
@ticketleap What to do if get 4-day option after 2.5hr, then click pay and get Over Capacity msg-Refresh, Back, SCREAM? #sdcc @Comic_Con

Jellebean Shannon Jelle
Right now there's nothing in the world I hate more than that stupid green little frog that mocks me #sdcc #ticketleap #epicfail

All of this was to the dismay of Comic Con's PR reps, which smartly used Twitter to send tweets of concern.

Comic_Con Comic_Con
We’re obviously not happy with this morning’s events. We are trying to find answers and get to the bottom of this.
1 hour ago

Comic_Con Comic_Con
While we know the process is slow and frustrating, badges are being processed and sold, so we will keep the site live for now.
39 minutes ago

And this problem happened as people were trying to get tickets; hotel room blocks haven't even gone on sale yet, as @rkbentley asked:

rkbentley RK Bentley
#sdcc peeps this registration is just for tickets right? So, the #nerdpromcarnage for hotel rooms isn't even upon us yet, right?

Right. Not yet.

Now, as of 11:12, some are getting their tickets:

jennyfahhh Jennifer Mendoza
YAY I finally got my ticket! Thanks to @ticketleap for stealing 2 hours of my life! #sdcc here I come!! #ComicCon #sdcc #woohoo

Some. When I refreshed the screen, the overcapacity message propped up again at 11:14 AM PST. But then I'm going as a member of the press already; I had to testing the system for this blog post.

Stay tuned.

The Dilemma Reviewed

The theater had less than a dozen people waiting to watch The Dilemma at the 8:55 showing. Although this movie was already a few weeks old it would be assumed that there would be more people in attendance.

The theater, which shall not be named, had a period of time where the screen was messed up and the top half of the movie was below the bottom half of the movie which became very distracting.

IMDB

The cast seemed brilliant; it was about time that Vince Vaughn and Kevin James got together. It was great to see Winona Ryder, because since Girl, Interrupted the most she has been known for is her alleged thefts. Jennifer Connelly did a great job as Vince Vaughn's girlfriend. Vaughn and James play best friends and business partners for a car company. Vaughn catches James' wife cheating on him with Channing Tatum's character. Vaughn does not know what to do, but in the scene where he confronts Ryder it is also exposed that before James married Ryder there was a sexual experience between Ryder and Vaughn.

The lack of communication and trust between all four of the characters is a bit unsettling, and Tatum's character seems too unrealistic.

The scene in the commercials where a little boy asks his mother, "Why is that man hugging himself?" and the mother says, "Just keep walking." - Well that scene does not happen, because all that is shown is Vaughn hugging himself and the mother saying, "Just keep walking."

The movie ends with an intervention and some big fights and make ups.
The movie deserves a 2 out of 5 stars.

Hearst Corporation Buys 100 Magazines, Needs Innovative Digital Focus

I just read that Hearst Corporation, owner of The San Francisco Chronicle, purchased over 100 magazines, including 102 titles covering 15 countries.

Excellent. It's a good idea to own the high-end magazines as they draw top-dollar revenues from advertisers. But the problem is that ad revenues are falling.

A purchase as large as the near $700 million on made by Hearst Corporation must have an eye toward an all-digital future.

And please, not one only focused on the frigging iPad when there are 75 tablets out there.

The digital strategy must be multi-platform. Moreover, it must consider a planning scenario where print is out of the picture, and have a plan in place.

An all digital approach that has Hearst Corporation owning news websites, blogs, and forums that match the print-originated brands.

That is a future that brings revenues from different brands poised for a solid digital existence.

A good web example to follow is NFL.com, which is a giant collection of sites of each of the 32 teams of the NFL.

 Why not one portal for the websites of the magazine brands of Hearst Corporation, and that links back to the portal from each site?

Stay tuned.