LA Lakers Should Be "Blown Up" - Magic Johnson On ESPN

Ervin "Magic" Johnson, the LA Lakers legend and former part-owner of the NBA Franchise (he sold his interest in the organization, October 2010), said, just 10 minutes ago on ESPN's KIA NBA Show, that "it's time to blow up the Los Angeles Lakers" and "start all over" with "the resignation of Phil Jackson.

The statements were the harshest given by a former Laker and come in the wake of their 92 to 98 Friday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals, putting the storied organization and two-time defending champion just one Sunday game from total elimination.

Magic Johnson wasn't coy about his feelings, stating that the Lakers lack leadership, and because of that, the finger-pointing has continued through the Dallas series without a person to step in and take charge.

Johnson also says that one of the first people to go is, ironically, the man who played well Friday night, Andrew Bynum. Johnson also agreed with fellow panelist and ESPN Personality Michael Wilbon, who said the key addition to the Lakers should be Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard.

Let's see how the current Lakers respond to Magic's blast.

Stay tuned.

Kentucky Derby 2011: Drug Use Questions?

Today's the day for the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby, and for this year, 2011. And while this blogger's still sticking with his picks, which will be reiterated below, the Christian Science Monitor has a provocative online article about "drug use questions."

According to Mark Gaurino of the Christian Science Monitor, a diuretic drug called Lasix is injected into horses just hours before the start of a race, and is used 95 percent of the time. That means it's a good chance Lasix is used before the Kentucky Derby 2011.

Gaurino writes that the drug...

..is meant to mitigate a condition that causes a horse to bleed internally while under extreme physical pressure. But the drug also causes a horse to urinate profusely, lightening its weight by up to 27 pounds and making the animal more nimble in a race. Hence, critics say, Lasix is being used to enhance performance - and to get around rules against using performance - enhancing drugs.

He reports that the drug is banned "everywhere" except the United States and Canada. The lengthy post is worth a read, if you're not at a Kentucky Derby 2011 party or headed to one, that is.

For those of you headed to one, here's my pick, again. I'd play an exacta of Dialed-In, Archarcharch, and Comma To The Top. Here's my video explaining why:



Good luck! Oh, more at the Christian Science Monitor!

No Virgins: Osama bin Laden's Song from The Grave (Osama bin Laden Dead ...

A YouTuber with the channel name of SpencerKindaFunny created this hilarious song about Osama Bin Laden created to the tune of Madonna's "Like A Virgin." He creates the scene of an Osama Bin Laden totally surprised to learn that the break-in to his giant compound isn't really a surprise party that consists of virgins.

That's a reference to reports that Bin Laden was caught in bed with a wife described on several news accounts as "much younger" than he. Indeed, Amal Sadah, the woman who has been questioned in the wake of the raid that occurred last weekend was 29, but married Osama Bin Laden one year before 9-11, when he was 43 and she was just 18.

CNN reported that during the five years they stayed at the compound, she never left once.

Bin Laden has had five wives.

Unemployment Slogans WANTED! “Tell It Like It Is”

Unemployment Slogans WANTED by U-Cubed in their latest ‘Tell It Like It Is’ campaign!

Got something to say about being jobless? How about our leaders’ apparent lack of interest in the plight of the jobless and creating JOBS now? Say it (in seven syllables or less).

“New unemployment numbers show our nation’s leaders still don’t get it,” said UCubed Executive Director Rick Sloan. “There are more than 28 million people without work. It is up to the jobless to tell it like it is.”

The grassroots organization for the unemployed and underemployed (U-Cubed) is designing a bumper sticker to remind folks that America needs JOBS Now. The website, via an ongoing Facebook ad campaign, is asking the jobless masses to help.

So unleash your creativity and submit your idea for a new UCubed bumper sticker in the comments section using this link. The winning slogan will be produced and distributed to all U-Cubed members for free.

Remember, your slogan has to fit on a bumper sticker. So, keep it short!

Show your support by clicking “Like” on UCubed’s page on Facebook!

UCubed is a community service project of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) designed to assist the millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans, and to provide them with a structure that allows them to take advantage of their growing numbers. For more information, visit Ur Union of Unemployed.

Paladinette has submitted several of my own and you can see those and all other submissions at this link.

[If you like what I write please donate so I can keep on fighting for the 99ers! Thank You!]

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead, As Obama Visits 9-11 Victims, Al Qaeda Wants Revenge

While the search for content with the words "Osama Bin Laden Is Dead" continues online, President Barack Obama, who brilliantly called for the deployment of U.S. Navy Seal Teams, including the infamous Team 6, to go and get Bin Laden, visited New York City for a dramatic yet subdued meeting with many of the family members of the victims of 9-11, and included former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a true hero on that day almost 10 years ago, in the process.

And while the debate rages in the comment section of this blogger's YouTube video..



The terrorist organization that had Bin Laden as it's head, Al Qaeda, vows revenge.

The website Dawn.com reports:

In a statement online, it said the blood of bin Laden, shot to death by a US commando team in a raid on Monday on his hide-out in a Pakistani town, “is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain.”

“It will remain, with permission from Allah the Almighty, a curse that hunts the Americans and their collaborators and chases them inside and outside their country.”

Al Qaeda urged Pakistanis to rise up against their government to "cleanse" the country of what it called the shame brought on it by bin Laden's shooting and of the "filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it."

But it looks like the U.S. is not done with Al Qaeda, as an American drone hit two "al-Qaeda operatives" in Yemen Friday, according to The Washington Post.

And only the President, his national security team, and the CIA know what was in the computers seized from Bin Laden's home in Pakistan during the weekend.

America must now have more valuable information, people, contacts, and plans, than even before.

Stay tuned.

Green Bay Packers Legend Jim Taylor and Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones At 2011 NFL Draft

While the 2011 NFL Draft was an event to feature the National Football League's newest stars, one legend stood out from the rest: Green Bay Packers Running Back Jim Taylor. This blogger had the pleasure of meeting Taylor after talking with Marcell Dareus and Julio Jones, who were drafted by The Buffalo Bills and the Atlanta Falcons, respectively.

And on that note, before we turn to Mr. Taylor, Marcell Dareus shared that he had a great time in New York, going to the parties and events, and sporting a watch that must have cost $10,000, and he said was made "by a friend." Dareus then offered that he called his family and friends in Alabama to check on them in the wake of the most horrible set of tornados and storms in recent memory, killing over 300 people throughout the South.

Dareus teammate Julio Jones also checked with his family, and regarding the question of how the University of Alabama prepared him for the NFL, Jones remarked "Coach (Nick) Saban - all the preparation and training. Fans as well."

And then came Mr. Taylor. Jim Taylor's the stuff of which NFL legend has been built. Taylor, from a time when money was far less than it is in today's NFL, said that the issue of the NFL Lockout, was "too complex" to easily sort out.

Taylor's concern goes to the many retired NFL players, some suffering the results of their hard playing days, dealing (in some cases) with brain damage and deteriorated bones and ligaments. But folks like Taylor, Dick Butkus, and Phil Villapiano of the Oakland Raiders are the ones that show up on the highlight films shown on the NFL Network and ESPN today, not to mention online football games. Yet, the argument is they don't get their fair share of the NFL pie - and they don't.

Jim Taylor's 1958 to 1966 Green Bay Packers career saw five NFL Championships, and legendary victories like the first two Super Bowl games I and II against the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders. What does he remember most about Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi? "His great leadership. He could be overbearing, but it wasn't about me, it was about the team."

If you've got 30 minutes, here's the first half of Super Bowl 1:



Jim Taylor also gave my favorite head coach next to Bill Walsh, the Dallas Cowboys Tom Landry, fits during the Packers glory years. In fact, the Packers Sweep basically gave birth to Landry's concept of a "zone defense" against the run, and a family of defensive schemes called The Flex Defense. A system that gave rise to the great Bob Lilly:



Jim Taylor, a legend and a gentleman.

Pro Football NYC Merges With Football Reporters Online

Pro Football NYC Merges With Football Reporters Online

For General Release

Brooklyn, NY May 5, 2011

Pro Football NYC, the website created to preface the groundswell of excitement leading up to the 2014 Super Bowl in New York, has been annexed by Football Reporters Online, the long-standing, hard-hitting behind-the scene entity run by Dr Bill Chachkes.

John Fennelly, the founder of PFNYC, said in a statement today that the site would immediately fall under the FRO badge and diligently continue to cover the New York Football Scene.

In addition, Mr. Fennelly said he will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of the site, which was founded in March of 2010 and quickly became the fastest-growing NY-based sports site on the net.

Dr. Chachkes will assume the role as CEO and Managing Editor. The FRO staff and their affiliates will begin to migrate the site in next few weeks.

"I have full confidence in Bill and his team, that they will see this site to its fruition," said Fennelly. "He has been covering football for nearly four decades and no one knows the terrain better than he does."

“The Focus of PFNYC will not change, but will be enhanced by the combining of the two staffs into one,” said Dr. Chachkes “ “Even though John will no longer be a day to day contributor, he will continue to be a trusted advisor, and our staff will continue to support and submit written content to John’s “Giants Football Blog” at SNY.tv, and John will continue to broadcast with us on Tuesday evenings when he is able. We will continue to bring Football fans in NYC and across North America the story, and go deeper behind the story.”

Kentucky Derby 2011 In 2 Days - Bet On Dialed In

The 137th running of The Kentucky Derby, or Kentucky Derby 2011 , is in less than two days, and excitement builds for the best two-minutes in sports. The video was done when it was three days out, but the idea of visiting the cool Kentucky Derby 2011 website is still a great one.

What I enjoy about the online destination is that it's got everything right before your eyes: the field, odds, news, and even the ability to download a mobile app for your smartphone.

But the real interest is in, let's face it, picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby. And why not do it if you're not really into winning.

Go all out.

For me, playing an exacta is the best route. That's picking horses win-place-and-show, in the order you think they're going to come in. If it happens, and the odds were against one or more of those horses performing well, you would win big.

In this case, I'm more interested in picking an exacta combination that I think will come in, so I'm going with Dialed-In, Archarcharch, and Comma To The Top.

Let's see how I do on Saturday!

Ecuador On Eve Of Control Of Media, Muzzling Of Journalists, Bloggers

As a five-year observer of the ongoing legal battle between Chevron and Ecuador, this blogger's come away with a view of Ecuador that it is more like an authoritarian dictatorship than the democratic socialist government it paints itself to be.

In that, it must be asserted that a fair trial for any American business firm would be impossible to achieve in Ecuador, when the public opinion is essentially influenced by the government through the media. An opinion that differs from the state can result in the capture of the media outlet by Ecuadorian President Raphael Correa's Adminstration.

On Saturday, May 7th, the petroleum and agrobusiness nation will take a giant step in that direction as it considers a 10-point law that will control media content - legislation that, while years in the making, rubber-stamps the media-muzzling practices of President Correa (in photo with members of the media who are nice to him).

And while reports are that the referendum has the popular support of the voting people, a recent survey revealed that only 16 percent actually knew the contents of it. The most controversial item in the proposed set of laws, is a "council to regulate content deemed violent, sexual, or discriminatory." And by content, it refers to media content.

Roque Planas of Americas explains that:

Correa regularly butts heads with the media; he vilifies them regularly in speeches, accusing them of bias and inaccuracy. "Our greatest rival in this plebiscite is not the opposition. Our biggest rivals are the media, who come up with a fresh scandal on a daily basis," Correa said last week.

But Correa really didn't need the upcoming Saturday vote to collect media outlets that produce messages he doesn't like. Just ask Ecuadorian business leader Joyce DeGinatta, who, in 2009, had her television program, which had been under government scrutiny, cancelled, and the network it was on taken by the Ecuadorian government. Here's the video, with English text, from CyberDenizen On YouTube:



And according to the Committee To Protect Journalists, this week, a Ecuadoran provincial radio reporter named Walter Vite Benítez was sentenced to one year in jail, and for critical comments he made about the mayor of the City of Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

To put it another way, Benitez was jailed for the same critical comments this blogger, and many columnists and journalists, have made about Oakland's Mayors, from Jerry Brown to Jean Quan.

And what did Benítez do? He referred to the Mayor by his title, without using his name, and had been critical of that town's overall government.

And in March, the Committee To Protect Journalists also reports that President Correa himself filed a defamation complaint against the newspaper El Universo and its three executives and opinion editor. And the result of this complaint could be to land them in jail and have to pay "hefty fines" - specifically three years in jail and $80 million.

Looks like Chevron's not the only organization Correa's trying to shake down. He's doing it to some of his own people.

And for...what?

Referring to Correa as what he's acting like: a dictator.

In a searing column dated February 6, 2011, and entitled "NO to the lies," Emilio Palacio, Eluniverso's opinion editor, calls Correa "the dicator" rather than using his name, and writes (using Google Translate)...

I understand that the Dictator (devout Christian man of peace) does not lose an opportunity to pardon criminals. Pardoned drug mules, sympathized with the murderers prisoners in the Littoral, asked citizens to stop stealing for no victims, he cultivated a friendship with squatters and became legislators, to who betrayed him. But Ecuador is a secular state where not allowed to use faith as a legal basis to exempt the criminals pay their debts. If I committed a crime, I demand that you prove me otherwise, do not expect any judicial pardon but due apologies...

What happens is that the dictator finally understood (or their attorneys did understand) that it has no way to prove the alleged crime of September 30 and everything was the result of an improvised script, in the midst of this rushing to hide the irresponsibility of the dictator to go to get into a barracks revolt, to open his shirt and yelling kill him, like a true fighter cachacascán that strives to show in a circus tent of a forgotten town.

Emilio Palacio is referring to Correa's actions of last year and during the police uprising of last September 30th that challenged the President, who was hit by a gas canister, and eventually resulted in the death of three people. Correa, who came out, supposedly to restore order, ended up trying to take his shirt off, and allegedly yelling for the directors of the uprising to kill him where he stood. Hence the reference to "to open his shirt and yelling kill him, like a true fighter cachacascán that strives to show in a circus tent of a forgotten town," in Palacio's column.

Here's the BBC video report, showing Correa grabbing to rip off his shirt and tie, and saying, basically, "here I am, kill me":



It's that person, President Rafael Correa, which Ecuador's about to give sweeping powers of media control to.

God bless the United States Of America.

Stay tuned.

NFL Network Steve Mariucci On 2011 NFL Draft Quarterbacks

This blogger had the pleasure of interviewing former Cal and San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions Head Coach, and now NFL Network Analyst Steve Mariucci at the NFL Play 60 event at the 2011 NFL Draft. This marks our third consecutive interview, and like the first two, very informative.

The focus of our conversation, held during the NFL Play 60 event in Chelsea Park in New York City, was the quarterback controversy that marked this year's NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting.

What does he think of the 2011 NFL Draft quarterback class? Best he's seen? "Well, we'll never know how good this class will be until they start playing." Coach Mariucci says that the advantage this group has, is there's no free agency. Meaning a team can't go out, as the Oakland Raiders did last year during the 2010 NFL Draft, and trade for a quarterback, like they did for Jason Campbell, who played for the Redskins at the time. In 2011, if they need a QB, they have to pick from the litter of the NFL Draft.

Steve was correct. Of the quarterbacks, Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Andy Dalton, and Colin Kaepernick all went in rounds one and two of the draft last week. And were it not for an arguably overblown concern for his character, Ryan Mallett would have been the seventh quarterback taken within that time frame, and not the third round, where the New England Patriots got him. Score it for Steve Mariucci.

Steve Mariucci vs. Chris Brown And Me

Chris Brown, the football coach and editor of the blog SmartFootball has a small feud with this blogger. He says it's easier and better to avoid moving around an offensive skill position player from, say, running back to wide receiver. I argue that such a view makes an offense inherently inflexible. Where side does Mariucci come down in this?

In the middle.

"I agree with you, to make the receiver play the tight end spot," he says. But where Steve goes away from my idea is when the receiver happens to be in, say, the halfback's position, and the defense brings a full blitz. Now, you have the person who plays receiver, trying to block a linebacker.

My response would be to have the receiver not block, but run a "hot route" - we lacked the time to get into more detail, but you see what I mean. I simply hold that it's better to think of a skill position player in as flexible rather than fixed, which allows for more ways to attack a defense.

Steve On Cam Newton

"Every year, the top quarterback in the draft, and he's one of them, he and Blaine Gabbert, arguably. The Tim Tebow intrigue. The Vince Young intrigue. The Matt Leinart (intrigue)...Hard to predict their future. The quarterback is harder to predict than the weather. If either one of those quarterbacks (Newton or Gabbert, and it was Newton) goes to Carolina, it's going to be tough sledding." And because of Carolina's rebuilding program.

Steve As Coach?

Will we ever see Mariucci as a coach on the sidelines? "Hopefully, the UnderArmour High School Football League."

Too funny.

Stay tuned.

Blaine Gabbert Jacksonville Jaguars 2011 NFL Draft Pick Interview

Blaine Gabbert's the number one pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he could not be happier. When I finally met the former Missouri Quarterback, it was easy to tell he'd got the message that Cam Newton, and not he, would be the 1st pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. But he together with Aldon Smith, the defensive end drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, mark the first time in that school's history, two Missouri players were picked in the first round of The NFL Draft.

And, Gabbert, who's friend Christian Ponder calls "Sunshine," and who was drafted ahead of him and to the Minnesota Vikings, handled the whole deal very well. The best way to get Gabbert away from thinking about what bothers him? Talk about fishing. It puts a smile on his face: "I spend a lot of time out there. You just gotta do it."

He also enjoyed New York City during the NFL Draft, and said it was his first time. According to a photo from his own Twitter account, Gabbert had a great view in a corner room high over Manhattan in the New York W Hotel.

Gabbert also met EPIN College Football Reporter Erin Andrews, and took in a lot of meetings, from breakfast with Gatorade reps, to easting with "high level" New York City public officials (reads like the Mayor). In all, Gabbert had a great intro to the NFL.

Now, with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gabbert goes into a system not unlike the one he played in at Missouri. The Jaguars used the spread about 40 percent of the time in 2010, even with the presence of star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. He's also paired with Mike Shula as his quarterbacks coach, who worked with current starter David Gerrard.

And now comes the controversy, all over again.

Gabbert now finds himself in the middle of another quarterback controversy, and not with Cam Newton, but one that strangely involves yet another black quarterback, Dave Gerrard. (You know Blaine's got to wonder what the deal is with this situation.)

This week, Maurice Jones-Drew was on Sirius Satellite Radio to talk about Blaine Gabbert, and said "David [Garrard] is still our quarterback, he's a great guy but we know Blaine is going to come in and fight hard for it and he's going to push David."

Then, former Oakland Raiders Quarterback Rick Gannon asked if Jones-Drew was surprised that the Jaguars would draft another quarterback. Maurice said "Well, I think once they saw him fall, he was, obviously, early on he was the number one player to come off the board and for him to fall to ten, I guess they wanted to get the best player available. Still, like I said before, David's our guy and he's always going to be our guy. I mean, since I've been there that's all I know and that's who I played with from the beginning. When I was a backup and he was the backup we played together, we have a bond. So I know David will fight through it. It's going to be tough at first. It's always tough when they draft at your position but David's a strong guy, strong minded. He'll be able to go out there, fight through it and we'll win games."

For for Jones-Drew, having a guy like Gabbert in their pushing Garrard is a good situation for them. But what Blaine has to do, is sit and learn, and fit in. That's the best way to handle his situation. Let's see how he does with it, but I think he will be fine.

Prince Amukamara Meets Tiki Barber - NY Giants At 2011 NFL Draft

Of all of the NFL Draftees at the 2011 NFL Draft, former Nebraska Cornerback Prince Amukamara has the least walking distance: he gets to remain in New York City because he was the first pick of The New York Football Giants. And Tiki Barber, Giants Running Back Legend, was there to welcome the Prince to NY Giants land.

Tiki, planning a comeback to the NFL, was there working for Yahoo! Sports, and, with this blogger, was able to speak with the new Giant. But I decided to turn the tables on Tiki and Prince, and ask the young player what it was like to talk to the legend before him. Prince was at his best "As you can see, I was startled and speechless with him holding the microphone to my lips. But, I mean, it's an honor. He's one of the best, and I hope I don't let him down."

Tiki praised Prince for his answers and poise, as evident when Prince said he "might live on the Jersey Shore" in response to Barbers question if Prince was going to live in New York City or outside New York City. (Tiki was advocating for living in New York City.)

In Prince, Giants fans are getting a guy who's "ready to work" and happy to be in the Big Apple. Indeed, by the time I officially met him, Mr. Amukamara had already attended several parties, and even forgot the name of ESPN College Football Reporter Erin Andrews.

And how's Tiki Barber's comeback going? Barbers says that his training is coming along and "is good. I'm back working hard. I'm back in the gym with my strength trainer. My power-lifting coach. He's killing me. But it's what you need." Tiki's listening to classic rock as he works out, "squatting a thousand pounds a day" he says.

As for his timetable, Barber expects to be on the field in two weeks. He says the lockout gives him a chance to get back in shape and not worry about the OTA's. He always enjoyed training camp, and is looking forward to being with the NFL team that gives him a chance.

Regardless of what you think about Tiki Barber, and this blogger's rooting for him to succeed, watching him "reinvent" himself is fun.

Now, let's see if he can take a hit from Prince Amukamara.