This NFL Draft news. The word is traveling fast that the Oakland Raiders are interested in Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow. Jerry McDonald of what I still call The Oakland Tribune passed along that NFL legend and NFL Analyst Gil Brandt (formerly the personnel director of the Dallas Cowboys), said that the Oakland Raiders were interested in Tebow in the 2010 NFL Draft, and were impressed with his knoweldge of football.
Nothing against Tim Tebow, but this corner's not sold on Tebow's new shot-put-style passing delivery. Yes, Tebow gets rid of the ball faster, but he has to literally heave his body to do it. It's just painful to watch because it takes him a long time to wind up and throw. It's as if he transfered the long-wind-up problem from his left arm to his entire body.
Check out the video Tim Tebow Throws at Pro Day:
Meanwhile, Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen is available and while some have pointed again and again to an allegation that Clausen's hard to get along with in the locker room, no one can doubt that Jimmy Clausen was well-trained (by now-former Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis), is a masterful competitor who arguably almost single-handedly beat USC in 2010, and is well-coached int the modern NFL passing game.
Jimmy Clausen's a better quarterback to join a team like the Oakland Raiders, but only just so much. There's no discounting Tim Tebow's leadership, role-model demeanor, and desire to win. I just believe Clausen's a bit better to build a passing game around.
Does that mean I've given up on Jamarcus Russell? No. In fact, I really don't think the Raiders need a quarterback. The Raiders need to focus on how they coach their current signal callers.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Traci Lynn Johnson pictures surface on Tiki Barber's 35th birthday
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| Traci Lynn Johnson |
As of the news that former New York Giants Running Back and NBC Sports anchor and Today Show Correspondent Tiki Barber was cheating on his wife of 11 years, Ginny Barber while she was three months pregnant wasn't enough, all of this comes today, on his 35th birthday.
Happy Birthday, Tiki Barber.
That's right. Tiki Barber turns 35 years old today, the very same day The New York Post went public with allegations that Barber was cheating on his wife Ginny with a former intern, 23-year-old Traci Lynn Johnson.
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| Tracy Johnson |
In other words, this process has become all too common.
And Ginny Barber, formally Ginny Cha who dated Tiki when they met in college at The University of Virginia, has not issued a statement as of this writing.
Traci Lynn Johnson: Tiki Barber leaves hot wife for Johnson
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| Traci Lynn Johnson |
At that point, this blogger was thinking "What a lucky man. He's got a Manhattan dwelling, a new start in broadcasting, a totally hot wife, and lovely kids." It was easy to be jealous of Tiki Barber.
Now, this space is wondering if Ginny's available for a date. According to The New York Post, Tiki Barber "dumps pregnant wife for hot blonde", but The New York Post got it wrong. The title should have read "Tiki Barber dumps hot pregnant wife for normal looking blonde."
Tiki Barber issued this statement in The New York Post today:
After 11 years of marriage, Ginny and I have decided to separate. This decision was a painful one, but we are moving forward amicably and will continue to work together to raise our children with the love and dedication they have always known
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| Ginny Barber |
Not every blonde is hot, but I digress.
Ok. Maybe Traci is hot, after all we're talking about Tiki Barber, but Ginny's hotter.
Whatever happened to cause the separation of Tiki and Ginny Barber, it's unfortunate to see a couple that was at one point the toast of New York City split.
Moreover, it's sad to see Tiki Barber allegedly skip out on Ginny while she's three months pregnant with twins, again, according to The New York Post, who broke the story!
Sad.
Stay tuned.
The Masters will be the second most popular TV event in history
Related searches: Tiger Woods, Woods sex scandal, Masters golf, tv ratings history
With Tiger Woods return to The Masters Golf Tournament after his sex scandal involving as many as 14 different women, and the subsequent daily media attention between the Friday after Thanksgiving and all the way to today, the stage is set. The prediction in this space is the Masters will be the second most watched television event in TV ratings history, second only to Super Bowl XLIV this year, which drew 106.5 million viewers.
People will watch this event everywhere. From places like The Beach Chalet in San Francisco and bars like The Balboa Cafe and The Alley in Oakland and Max Laeger's in Atlanta, to homes and house parties, it will seem as if everyone's tuned in to The Masters.
As sports agent Leigh Steinberg noted last year in December, now that Tiger Woods has suffered from the constant media blogs that have damaged his career, America's hungry to see Tiger Woods come back.
The bet in this space is that Tiger Woods will win The Masters.
Stay tuned.
With Tiger Woods return to The Masters Golf Tournament after his sex scandal involving as many as 14 different women, and the subsequent daily media attention between the Friday after Thanksgiving and all the way to today, the stage is set. The prediction in this space is the Masters will be the second most watched television event in TV ratings history, second only to Super Bowl XLIV this year, which drew 106.5 million viewers.
People will watch this event everywhere. From places like The Beach Chalet in San Francisco and bars like The Balboa Cafe and The Alley in Oakland and Max Laeger's in Atlanta, to homes and house parties, it will seem as if everyone's tuned in to The Masters.
As sports agent Leigh Steinberg noted last year in December, now that Tiger Woods has suffered from the constant media blogs that have damaged his career, America's hungry to see Tiger Woods come back.
The bet in this space is that Tiger Woods will win The Masters.
Stay tuned.
AC Transit Bus Rapid Transit - Oakland and San Leandro should approve it
Related searches: Bus Rapid Transit, City of Oakland, City of San Leandro, AC Transit, BRT, Oakland transit, City of Berkeley transit
AC Transit needs our help. Yes, this blogger has been critical of the AC Transit Bus Fight, but maintaining service for those who can't afford private transit is critical. For those of you who have followed the issue, AC Transit has been working with San Leandro, Oakland and Berkeley in developing a rapid bus system that will significantly improve transit operations from Berkeley to San Leandro.
The new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is particularly important to the Oakland area as it is one of the densest urban population centers in the country and most definitely the densest along the proposed dedicated lane for rapid bus service.
That is why the upcoming planning and approval meeting on April 19 is so important to the future of transportation in San Leandro, Oakland and Berkeley. BRT is an idea who's time has come.
Already in use and popular in major cities around the world like Jakarta, Bus Rapid Transit can speed up travel times at a low cost according to Mass Transit. BRT is much cheaper than heavy or light rail, BRT would simply dedicate a lane for high-efficiency buses along the Berkeley – Oakland – San Leandro corridor. Riders would be taken along at speeds much faster than normal buses and would be unimpeded by traffic due to the use of dedicated lanes. It’s also much quicker to implement and really is a cool, futuristic approach.
At its City Council meeting on Monday, April 19, the City of San Leandro will decide if it wants to be included in this progress that could be in operation by 2015. If the San Leandro City Council follows the advice of the city’s planning commission, it will pass up this project and lose the opportunity to improve transportation for its residents and bring new customers to local businesses.
Hopefully, for the benefit of smart planning, the San Leandro City Council will re-think the recommendation and employ BRT in its City to improve commuter access and reduce vehicle trips.
Regardless of how San Leandro plans for its future, BRT is a must for Berkeley and Oakland and—in many ways—is just as effective and viable without them. In fact, San Leandro’s loss may mean Oakland’s win. Without having to build the San Leandro stop, the cost of the overall project would decrease, and thus save taxpayer money.
In this blogger's view, BRT is the fastest, cheapest way to get much needed improvements to our transit infrastructure in the heart of an urban corridor that so urgently needs it. With or without San Leandro, Oakland must approve if we're to secure a transit system that serves our residents for the future.
Stay tuned.
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| Bus Rapid Transit in St. Louis |
The new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is particularly important to the Oakland area as it is one of the densest urban population centers in the country and most definitely the densest along the proposed dedicated lane for rapid bus service.
That is why the upcoming planning and approval meeting on April 19 is so important to the future of transportation in San Leandro, Oakland and Berkeley. BRT is an idea who's time has come.
Already in use and popular in major cities around the world like Jakarta, Bus Rapid Transit can speed up travel times at a low cost according to Mass Transit. BRT is much cheaper than heavy or light rail, BRT would simply dedicate a lane for high-efficiency buses along the Berkeley – Oakland – San Leandro corridor. Riders would be taken along at speeds much faster than normal buses and would be unimpeded by traffic due to the use of dedicated lanes. It’s also much quicker to implement and really is a cool, futuristic approach.
At its City Council meeting on Monday, April 19, the City of San Leandro will decide if it wants to be included in this progress that could be in operation by 2015. If the San Leandro City Council follows the advice of the city’s planning commission, it will pass up this project and lose the opportunity to improve transportation for its residents and bring new customers to local businesses.
Hopefully, for the benefit of smart planning, the San Leandro City Council will re-think the recommendation and employ BRT in its City to improve commuter access and reduce vehicle trips.
Regardless of how San Leandro plans for its future, BRT is a must for Berkeley and Oakland and—in many ways—is just as effective and viable without them. In fact, San Leandro’s loss may mean Oakland’s win. Without having to build the San Leandro stop, the cost of the overall project would decrease, and thus save taxpayer money.
In this blogger's view, BRT is the fastest, cheapest way to get much needed improvements to our transit infrastructure in the heart of an urban corridor that so urgently needs it. With or without San Leandro, Oakland must approve if we're to secure a transit system that serves our residents for the future.
Stay tuned.
Dan Patrick is wrong about President Obama and The White Sox
Dibble asked the President - who threw out a not-great first pitch to open The Washington Nationals 2010 Season but did so while wearing a Chicago White Sox hat - who his favorite White Sox player was growing up.
Now anyone who knows Obama's background is aware that he grew up in Hawaii, and not Chicago, and did not move to my hometown until after college. But Dibble didn't seem to think about that, and Dan Patrick apparently didn't know it.
President Obama remarked that he was growing up in Hawaii and was more of an Oakland A's fan at the time, not the White Sox. OK, honest answer.
But that wasn't enough for Dan Patrick, who uncharacteristically went into a low-IQ moment and laughed and howled at the replay of the video tape of Obama's conversation with Dibble, then got after the President for not naming a White Sox player!
Dan Patrick and the Danettes really looked not smart here. They're not obviously not Chicagoans. Chicagoans chose a team without having a favorite player. It's all about place: Southside or Northside. If you're living on Chicago's Southside, you pick The White Sox, period. The South Side of Chicago has a brand that reads tough, blue collar, working class, and minority. If you live on the Northside of Chicago, you go with the Cubs.
The Northside of Chicago is white collar, better-off, and mostly white. It's only a weird, nerdy Chicago guy like me who goes with both the Cubs and The White Sox, and I have favorite Cubs players even though I grew up on The Southside, but I don't know the whole damn team or its history.
(And really, my favorite Cub wasn't a player, he was a broadcaster: the late, great Jack Brickhouse.)
And I don't have to know. That's not the point. Dan. Get it?
Dan Patrick doesn't "get" Chicago. If he did, Patrick would have left the President alone. Instead, Patrick's rant about Obama's reasons for backing The Chicago White Sox were a low intellectual point in Patrick's career.
Stay tuned. Next, we turn to The Erin Andrews situation.
Star Trek's Denise Crosby at WonderCon SF
Denise Crosby was at WonderCon SF 2010 last weekend, and talking with this blogger about how she lands so many of her strong, smart female roles. From Lt. Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation, to her current role as Capt. Susan Salinger on the TV show Southland, Denise Crosby has a long string - a tradition, really - of playing such television roles. Was it by design? In other words, did she insist on that kind of role?
But Crosby, in San Francisco to sign autographs as part of WonderCon SF, said she does play the vulnerable female roles, too. She just finished Orpheus Descending on the LA Stage where she played "Lady Torrance", ever the vulnerable woman if there was one.
Denise Crosby is part of what's commonly referred to as "The Crosby Family Dynasty" as she's the granddaughter of Bing Crosby, the daughter of actor and singer Dennis Crosby, and the nice of Mary Crosby.
Even with all that Hollywood royalty, Denise is nice, centered, and approachable. A very good conversationalist, she met her fans at WonderCon SF with a sincere kindness that wasn't always the norm during the event. That speaks volumes for her as a person.
What is a Didgeridoo?
A Didgeridoo is an instrument with a unique kind of sound like something rubbing along a thin wire. It's said to evoke" reverence and oneness with nature. The deep drone of the didjeridoo allows us to relax and to reconnect with mother earth," according to the The Didgeridoo Specialists shop, where one can buy Didgeridoos.
There are a number of places where you can learn to play the Digeridoo. Here's one online directory - Digeridoos in SF - with an extensive store listing.
Didgeridoo featured on American Idol as Crystal Bowersox shines again
Related searches: Crystal Bowersox, American Idol, Ellen Degeneres, Katy Perry, Randy Johnson, Simon Cowell
What's a Didgeridoo? It's a kind of wind instrument created by "Indigenous Australians of northern Australia" according to Wikipedia. In this video, famed Didgeridoo player Larry 'Winiwini' Gurruwiwi shows us how it's done"...
And in this video, the Digerridoo on Tuesday's telecast of American Idol (appears after Crystal Bowersox is interviewed by Ryan Seacrest):
The American Idol judges were, as Ellen Degeneres put it trying to find "a new way to tell you how great you are." Randy Johnson said "you're in the zone." Simon Cowell said "That's a song I could hear on the radio." and Katy Perry said the song was "Slinky. It was sexy. You were playful."
Then Ernie Fields Jr, the player of the Didgeridoo, was introduced and said "I'm the contractor. I got a call and I said 'I'll do it.'"
She wowed'em, with Ernie and the Didgeridoo's help.
What's a Didgeridoo? It's a kind of wind instrument created by "Indigenous Australians of northern Australia" according to Wikipedia. In this video, famed Didgeridoo player Larry 'Winiwini' Gurruwiwi shows us how it's done"...
And in this video, the Digerridoo on Tuesday's telecast of American Idol (appears after Crystal Bowersox is interviewed by Ryan Seacrest):
The American Idol judges were, as Ellen Degeneres put it trying to find "a new way to tell you how great you are." Randy Johnson said "you're in the zone." Simon Cowell said "That's a song I could hear on the radio." and Katy Perry said the song was "Slinky. It was sexy. You were playful."
Then Ernie Fields Jr, the player of the Didgeridoo, was introduced and said "I'm the contractor. I got a call and I said 'I'll do it.'"
She wowed'em, with Ernie and the Didgeridoo's help.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Comics News: Captain America on "Captain America" at WonderCon SF
Related searches: Captain America, First Avenger, Captain America, WonderCon SF, The Fantastic Four, Chris Evans, Jon Hamm, Marvel Comics
WonderCon SF was held last weekend and from all accounts it was not only a blast, it may have set an attendance record. With the wave of movies based on popular comic book characters, there were more costumes of those characters in movies slated for release, like The First Avenger: Captain America.
As reported in this space, The First Avenger: Captain America is a movie based on the Marvel Comics hero of the same name. The First Avenger: Captain America, to be produced by Marvel Entertainment and directed by Joe Johnston (The Wolfman) has a release date is July 22, 2011, as of this writing. Chris Evans, "The Human Torch" from The Fantastic Four movie series is signed to play the government-serum-enhanced WWII soldier Steve Rogers.
But what do fans think of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers? I asked that of a number of fans at WonderCon SF, including one who had no problem being on video. That Captain America said he liked the choice of Chris Evans, who "was the only good part about The Fantastic Four."
But what about Jon Hamm, the star of the TV series Mad Men, which has developed a cult following? "I think Chris Evans adds a certain amount of youth to it. Because if you think about it, a soldier on the battle field is going to be pretty young" (Evans is 30 and Jon Hamm is 40). I didn't find anyone who disagreed with "Captain America" on Chris Evans, so it seems like fans are now ready to give Evans the thumbs up.
Stay tuned.
WonderCon SF was held last weekend and from all accounts it was not only a blast, it may have set an attendance record. With the wave of movies based on popular comic book characters, there were more costumes of those characters in movies slated for release, like The First Avenger: Captain America.
As reported in this space, The First Avenger: Captain America is a movie based on the Marvel Comics hero of the same name. The First Avenger: Captain America, to be produced by Marvel Entertainment and directed by Joe Johnston (The Wolfman) has a release date is July 22, 2011, as of this writing. Chris Evans, "The Human Torch" from The Fantastic Four movie series is signed to play the government-serum-enhanced WWII soldier Steve Rogers.
But what do fans think of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers? I asked that of a number of fans at WonderCon SF, including one who had no problem being on video. That Captain America said he liked the choice of Chris Evans, who "was the only good part about The Fantastic Four."
But what about Jon Hamm, the star of the TV series Mad Men, which has developed a cult following? "I think Chris Evans adds a certain amount of youth to it. Because if you think about it, a soldier on the battle field is going to be pretty young" (Evans is 30 and Jon Hamm is 40). I didn't find anyone who disagreed with "Captain America" on Chris Evans, so it seems like fans are now ready to give Evans the thumbs up.
Stay tuned.
More big earthquakes projected for 2010 than 2009, 2008, and 2007
As reported in the blog post on the 7.7 Indonesian earthquake of today, an analysis of online information published by the US Geological Survey revealed this information:
The skeptic would offer that this current trend of "significant earthquakes" could be slowed by a lull, but even excluding 2010, the number of "significant earthquakes" has increased from 56 in 2007 to 72 in 2009 in looking at the USGS information.
One reason for this increase in number may be improved earthquake sensing technology. Indeed, the USGS reports that this is the case. But there's a problem in the basic logic presented by the USGS, a large earthquake has damaging impacts such that more sensitive technology would make no difference, a large quake is just that: big. People know when an earthquake larger than 6 on the Richter Scale strikes. Moreover the USGS points to improved technology between 1931 and today, not within the last decade.
So we come back to the apparent fact that we have more earthquakes of significant (read: large) size projected for 2010 than in over the last four years.
Stay tuned.
In all there have been 23 "significant earthquakes" of above 4 on the Richter Scale in 2010 thus far, according to the US Geological Survey. And of those, 17 have been over 6 on the scale. There were 72 "significant earthquakes" in all of 2009 and 58 in 2008, and 56 in 2007.
If this rate continues according to this blogger's calculations, there will be 92 "significant earthquakes" for 2010, 20 more than in 2009 and 44 more than for all of 2008, and 46 more than in all of 2007.
The skeptic would offer that this current trend of "significant earthquakes" could be slowed by a lull, but even excluding 2010, the number of "significant earthquakes" has increased from 56 in 2007 to 72 in 2009 in looking at the USGS information.
One reason for this increase in number may be improved earthquake sensing technology. Indeed, the USGS reports that this is the case. But there's a problem in the basic logic presented by the USGS, a large earthquake has damaging impacts such that more sensitive technology would make no difference, a large quake is just that: big. People know when an earthquake larger than 6 on the Richter Scale strikes. Moreover the USGS points to improved technology between 1931 and today, not within the last decade.
So we come back to the apparent fact that we have more earthquakes of significant (read: large) size projected for 2010 than in over the last four years.
Stay tuned.
Sumatra Indonesia Earthquake 7.7 on Richter Scale
This is the second time in 2010 Indonesia has suffered from a "significant earthquake."
In all there have been 23 "significant earthquakes" of above 4 on the Richter Scale in 2010 thus far, according to the US Geological Survey. And of those, 17 have been over 6 on the scale. There were 72 "significant earthquakes" in all of 2009 and 58 in 2008, and 56 in 2007.
If this rate continues according to this blogger's calculations, there will be 92 "significant earthquakes" for 2010, 20 more than in 2009 and 44 more than for all of 2008, and 46 more than in all of 2007.
According to The Times Online UK, the Sumatra Indonesia Earthquake struck at 5:15 AM or 22:15 GMT, 125 miles away from the coast of the city of Sibolga and 29 miles below the surface of The Earth. As of this writing there were no reports of major damage or casualties, and tsunami warnings were stopped.
Stay tuned.
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