NFL Restricted and Unrestricted Free Agent Signings - June 14th

This is from NFLMedia.com

2007 NFL UNRESTRICTED & RESTRICTED FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
AS OF 6/14/07

(Based on official notification to NFL office)

1) 126 UNRESTRICTED free agents have signed with a NEW team:

TEAM PLAYER FORMER TEAM DATE REPORTED

ARIZONA DE Rodney Bailey Pittsburgh 4/13
CB Ralph Brown Cleveland 4/13
T Mike Gandy Buffalo 4/3
S Terrence Holt Detroit 3/8
CB Roderick Hood Philadelphia 3/13
C Al Johnson Dallas 3/6
NT Ross Kolodziej Minnesota 4/11
WR Sean Morey Pittsburgh 3/15
DE Joe Tafoya Seattle 4/13

ATLANTA K Billy Cundiff New Orleans 5/7
G Toniu Fonoti Miami 3/15
T Leander Jordan San Diego 5/9
FB Ovie Mughelli Baltimore 3/2
CB Lewis Sanders Houston 3/7
LB Marcus Wilkins Cincinnati 3/3

BUFFALO G Derrick Dockery Washington 3/3
RB Josh Scobey Seattle 5/3
T Langston Walker Oakland 3/3
C Jason Whittle Minnesota 3/3

CAROLINA S Deke Cooper San Francisco 3/26

CHICAGO DT Anthony Adams San Francisco 3/30

CINCINNATI DT Kenderick Allen Green Bay 5/14
DT Michael Myers Denver 4/20

CLEVELAND DE Antwan Peek Houston 3/5
DT Robaire Smith Tennessee 3/16
G Eric Steinbach Cincinnati 3/3
CB Kenny Wright Washington 3/6

DALLAS T Leonard Davis Arizona 3/5
S Ken Hamlin Seattle 3/26

DENVER TE Daniel Graham New England 3/9
LB Warrick Holdman Washington 4/26
G Montrae Holland New Orleans 3/5
LB D.D. Lewis Seattle 4/26
DT Alvin McKinley Cleveland 3/21
P Todd Sauerbrun New England 4/20
RB Paul Smith St. Louis 3/6

DETROIT RB T.J. Duckett Washington 3/16
CB Travis Fisher St. Louis 3/13
WR Shaun McDonald St. Louis 3/19
WR Troy Walters Arizona 6/1
DE DeWayne White Tampa Bay 3/5

JACKSONVILLE WR Dennis Northcutt Cleveland 3/5
T Tony Pashos Baltimore 3/3

GREEN BAY CB Frank Walker NY Giants 3/15

HOUSTON LB Shawn Barber Philadelphia 3/21
T Jordan Black Kansas City 3/9
WR Andre Davis Buffalo 4/12
RB Ahman Green Green Bay 3/5
LB Danny Clark New Orleans 3/7
CB Jamar Fletcher Detroit 4/5


INDIANAPOLIS
DT Jeff Zgonina
G Rick DeMulling
Miami
Detroit
3/15
3/30
KANSAS CITY
TE Mike Seidman
DT Alfonso Boone
Carolina
Chicago
5/8
3/20
LS J.P. Darche
LB Donnie Edwards
Seattle
San Diego
3/8
3/19
LB Napoleon Harris
S Jon McGraw
Minnesota
Detroit
3/6
3/28
MIAMI
G Damion McIntosh
K Jay Feely
Miami
NY Giants
3/3
3/8
WR Az-Zahir Hakim
G Chris Liwienski
San Diego
Arizona
3/22
3/22
TE David Martin
FB Cory Schlesinger
Green Bay
Detroit
3/5
3/15
MINNESOTA
S Cameron Worrell
LB Vinny Ciurciu
Chicago
Carolina
3/8
3/3
S Mike Doss
WR Cortez Hankton
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
4/4
4/16
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
WR Bobby Wade
N.Y. Giants
Tennessee
3/5
3/7
NEW ENGLAND TE Kyle Brady
CB Tory James
Jacksonville
Cincinnati
3/3
4/24
RB Sammy Morris
WR Donte’ Stallworth
Miami
Philadelphia
3/3
3/13
LB Adalius Thomas
WR Kelley Washington
Baltimore
Cincinnati
3/3
3/13
NEW ORLEANS LB Troy Evans
TE Eric Johnson
Houston
San Francisco
4/10
3/8
NEW YORK GIANTS
S Kevin Kaesviharn
LB Kawika Mitchell
Cincinnati
Kansas City
3/15
3/27
CB Michael Stone
QB Anthony Wright
Houston
Cincinnati
4/16
4/18
NEW YORK JETS FB Darian Barnes
DE David Bowens
Miami
Miami
3/8
4/2
DE Kenyon Coleman
QB Marques Tuiasosopo
Dallas
Oakland
3/6
3/23
OAKLAND G Cooper Carlisle
T Cornell Green
FB Justin Griffith
Denver
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
4/13
3/30
3/12
C Jeremy Newberry
RB Dominic Rhodes
San Francisco
Indianapolis
3/7
3/9
TE Tony Stewart
WR Travis Taylor
Cincinnati
Minnesota
3/12
5/22
PHILADELPHIA
TE Fred Wakefield
WR Kevin Curtis
Arizona
St. Louis
3/9
3/19
WR Bethel Johnson
DT Ian Scott
Minnesota
Chicago
3/15
5/3
PITTSBURGH DE Nick Eason
C Sean Mahan
Cleveland
Tampa Bay
4/16
3/12
ST. LOUIS WR Drew Bennett
LB Chris Draft
Tennessee
Carolina
3/3
4/2
S Todd Johnson
RB Travis Minor
Chicago
Miami
3/12
3/9
SAN FRANCISCO
CB Lenny Walls
LB Tully Banta-Cain
Kansas City
New England
4/4
3/7
DB Nate Clements
NT Aubrayo Franklin
Buffalo
Baltimore
3/3
3/3
WR Ashley Lelie Atlanta 3/6


S Michael Lewis Philadelphia
SEATTLE S Deon Grant Jacksonville
DE Brandon Green St. Louis
DE Patrick Kerney Atlanta
S Brian Russell Cleveland
TAMPA BAY RB B.J. Askew N.Y. Jets
LB Patrick Chukwura Denver
QB Jeff Garcia Philadelphia
LB Cato June Indianapolis
DE Lance Legree San Francisco
TE Jerramy Stevens Seattle
TENNESSEE WR Justin Gage Chicago
CB Nicholas Harper Indianapolis
QB Tim Rattay Tampa Bay
CB Bryan Scott New Orleans
WASHINGTON LB London Fletcher Buffalo
CB David Macklin Arizona
S Omar Stoutmire New Orleans

2) 88 UNRESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLD team:

TEAM PLAYER

ARIZONA LB Monty Beisel
DT Chris Cooper
S Hanik Milligan
RB Marcel Shipp

BALTIMORE DE Jarret Johnson
S Gerome Sapp
RB Musa Smith

BUFFALO RB Anthony Thomas
CB Kiwaukee Thomas
CAROLINA LB Na’il Diggs

DT Kindal Moorehead
CHICAGO G Ruben Brown
CINCINNATI TE Reggie Kelly

RB Kenny Watson
CLEVELAND C Hank Fraley
C Lennie Friedman
DALLAS T Marc Colombo
K Martin Grammatica
DENVER WR Quincy Morgan
DE Kenny Peterson
DETROIT RB Aveion Cason
DE Corey Smith
GREEN BAY C Tyson Walter
LB Tracy White

HOUSTON TE Mark Bruener
RB Ron Dayne
DE Ndukwe Kalu
CB Dexter McCleon
T Ephraim Salaam
P Chad Stanley

INDIANAPOLIS LB Rocky Boiman
DT Dan Klecko
WR Aaron Moorehead
LB Rob Morris

JACKSONVILLE LB Tony Gilbert

3/3
3/13
4/25
3/7
3/12
3/5
3/3
3/3
3/19
3/8
4/30
3/23
3/16
5/11
3/26
3/3
4/6
3/22
DATE REPORTED
3/15
3/26
3/3
3/6
3/6
4/11
3/6
3/12
3/13
3/2
4/23
3/30
3/8
3/5
3/3
3/20
3/12
3/7
3/12
3/13
3/7
3/5
3/5
3/7
3/12
3/23
3/5
4/2
3/5
3/7
4/17
3/23
4/27
3/5
3/26


RB LaBrandon Toefield 3/29
KANSAS CITY DT Ron Edwards 3/15
QB Damon Huard 3/2
DT James Reed 4/16
DE Jimmy Wilkerson 3/21
MIAMI CB Michael Lehan 3/19
LB Donnie Spragan 4/25
S Travares Tillman 4/13
NT Keith Traylor 3/8
MINNESOTA LB Jason Glenn 4/4
NEW ENGLAND FB Heath Evans 3/2
LB Larry Izzo 3/6
LB Junior Seau 5/21
N.Y. GIANTS C Shaun O’Hara 3/3
C Grey Ruegamer 3/27
N.Y. JETS T Anthony Clement 3/19
C Wade Smith 3/12
NEW ORLEANS S Jay Bellamy 4/2
CB Dejuan Groce 3/9
NT Antwan Lake 3/5
T Jon Stinchcomb 3/5
OAKLAND T Chad Slaughter 3/12
CB Duane Starks 3/26
WR Alvis Whitted 3/9
PHILADELPHIA RB Correll Buckhalter 3/21
CB William James 3/15
DE Juqua Thomas 3/2
PITTSBURGH S Tyrone Carter 4/2
RB Najeh Davenport 3/6
CB Chidi Iwuoma 3/15
ST. LOUIS LB Raonall Smith 5/3
T Todd Steussie 3/7
SAN DIEGO G Kris Dielman 3/5
LB Carlos Polk 3/22
C Cory Withrow 3/9
SAN FRANCISCO WR Bryan Gilmore 3/3
LB Hannibal Navies 3/16
RB Moran Norris 3/5
SEATTLE WR Bobby Engram 3/23
G Chris Gray 4/9
TE Will Heller 3/5
G Floyd Womack 3/12
TAMPA BAY CB Philip Buchanon 3/2
CB Torrie Cox 3/3
TENNESSEE QB Kerry Collins 3/12
DT Rien Long 3/2
S Donnie Nickey 4/2
T Seth Wand 3/8
LB LeVar Woods 3/12
WASHINGTON S Vernon Fox 3/2
CB Ade Jimoh 3/6
T Todd Wade 3/20
TE Todd Yoder 3/15

3) 4 RESTRICTED free agents have signed with NEW teams:
TEAM PLAYER FORMER TEAM DATE REPORTED
CLEVELAND DT Shaun Smith Cincinnati 3/16


NEW ORLEANS CB Jason David Indianapolis 4/27
ST. LOUIS P Donnie Jones Miami 4/18
TENNESSEE LB Ryan Fowler Dallas 3/16

4) 88 RESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLD team:

TEAM PLAYER DATE REPORTED
ARIZONA C Nick Leckey 4/13
ATLANTA TE Dwayne Blakely 4/4
QB Matt Schaub 3/22 (Traded to Houston)
LB Demorrio Williams 4/23
BALTIMORE WR Devard Darling 5/15
WR Clarence Moore 4/24
PR B.J. Sams 5/10
BUFFALO DT Tim Anderson 4/17
DE Tony Hargrove 4/5
CAROLINA DT Jordan Carstens 3/20
WR Drew Carter 4/18
TE Michael Gaines 5/4
CINCINNATI G Stacey Andrews 4/23
CB Greg Brooks 4/2
LB Landon Johnson 4/20
P Kyle Larson 3/20
LB Caleb Miller 4/24
CLEVELAND T Nat Dorsey 4/27
NT Ethan Kelley 4/20
LB Mason Unck 4/25
DALLAS WR Patrick Crayton 4/5
CB Nathan Jones 4/13
CB Jacques Reeves 4/20
DENVER RB Kyle Johnson 4/2
RB Cecil Sapp 4/11
DETROIT LS Don Muhlbach 3/2
S Keith Smith 4/24
HOUSTON LB Charlie Anderson 4/24
S Glenn Earl 4/28
CB Von Hutchins 4/3
RB Vonta Leach 3/26
LB Shantee Orr 4/23
INDIANAPOLIS LB Gilbert Gardner 3/16
G Ryan Lilja 3/20
G Jake Scott 4/19
QB Jim Sorgi 4/11
DE Josh Thomas 4/24
JACKSONVILLE CB Ahmad Carroll 4/4
LB Jorge Cordova 4/19
QB Quinn Gray 4/20
DE Bobby McCray 6/13
K Josh Scobee 3/2
WR Ernest Wilford 4/20
KANSAS CITY DE Jared Allen 5/22
LB Keyaron Fox 4/24
WR Samie Parker 4/26
T Kevin Sampson 4/26
S Benny Sapp 4/3
LB Rich Scanlon 4/24
K Lawrence Tynes 4/4
MIAMI S Yeremiah Bell 5/21


QB Cleo Lemon 5/29
WR Wes Welker 3/5 (Traded to New England)
MINNESOTA G Anthony Herrera 4/23
DT Spencer Johnson 4/24
TE Richard Owens 4/19
RB Artose Pinner 4/23
DE Darrion Scott 6/1
NEW ENGLAND CB Randall Gay 5/29
G Gene Mruckzowski 3/22
NEW ORLEANS WR Terrance Copper 3/27
NT Rodney Leisle 4/3
NEW YORK GIANTS LB Reggie Torbor 4/23
RB Derrick Ward 5/29
S Gibril Wilson 5/2
NEW YORK JETS TE Sean Ryan 3/26
LB Cody Spencer 3/28
OAKLAND RB Reshard Lee 5/7
PITTSBURGH QB Brian St. Pierre 4/23
T Max Starks 4/25
ST. LOUIS LB Brandon Chillar 4/23
G Adam Goldberg 4/19
TE Aaron Walker 4/17
SAN DIEGO RB Michael Turner 4/26
SAN FRANCISCO RB Maurice Hicks 5/3
P Andy Lee 3/8
SEATTLE CB Jordan Babineaux 5/4
WR D.J. Hackett 4/23
LB Niko Koutouvides 4/20
T Sean Locklear 4/24
DT Craig Terrill 4/3
LB Robert Reynolds 4/4
TAMPA BAY G Jeb Terry 5/7
TENNESSEE C Eugene Amano 4/17
T Jacob Bell 6/14
TE Ben Hartsock 4/24
DT Randy Starks 4/17
WASHINGTON P Derrick Frost 4/2

5) 0 FRANCHISE players have signed with NEW teams:
TEAM PLAYER FORMER TEAM DATE REPORTED

6) 3 FRANCHISE players have re-signed with their OLD team:
TEAM PLAYER DATE REPORTED
CINCINNATI DE Justin Smith 5/8
NEW ORLEANS DE Charles Grant 4/27
SEATTLE K Josh Brown 5/2

Browns TE Kellen Winslow Dumps Poston's As Agents - Hires Drew Rosenhaus - Profootballtalk.com

This indicates that Winslow's interested in preparing for a larger contract in the not-to-distant future.

WINSLOW MAKES AGENT CHANGE - PROFOOTBALLTALK.COM

Multiple league sources have informed us that Browns tight end Kellen Winslow has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus. Winslow previously was represented by Carl and Kevin Poston.

Carl Poston was summarily suspended by the NFLPA in 2006 due to alleged delays in the resolution of Poston's appeal of a two-year suspension resulting from his admitted failure to read the final draft of a new contract for then-Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington. The contract allegedly was supposed to pay two separate $6.5 million roster bonuses in 2006, and Poston claimed that the team pulled one of the roster bonuses from the last version of the deal. He said that he didn't notice the omission because he didn't read the contract. A league source tells us that the hearing on the original suspension will be conducted in September.

It's unclear whether Winslow made the change because of Carl Poston's status, or whether there were other factors. We've previously pointed out that Winslow's rookie deal contained a multi-million-dollar bonus tied to minimum playing time, but that it applied to his rookie season only. Most contracts of this nature allow for the payment to be triggered by reaching the 35-percent threshold in any year of the deal. Because Winslow broke a leg while playing special teams in 2004 and did not qualify for the payment, it was forever lost.

The hiring of Rosenhaus could be a sign that Winslow wants a new contract. However, it was only a year ago that the Browns and Winslow resolved the unfortunate "vroom-vroom, smash" incident by taking back some bonus money, adding a year to the deal, and giving him the opportunity to earn back the lost bonus money via incentives.

He currently is signed through 2010, and is due to earn a salary of $2 million in 2007. Rosenhaus will be eligible for no fee unless and until a new contract is negotiated.

But Winslow has bigger issues than his contract. He is recovering from microfracture surgery, and there are indications that he will be limited at the start of training camp. Still, he played well in 2006 and, if his knee allows him to play, he likely will continue to perform at a high level.

Letter To SF Chron's Phil Bronstein - In Ellen Lee's YouTube / CNN Story, "The Man" Is Zennie Abraham

In Ellen Lee's YouTube / CNN Story, "the man" she referred to is me...

Zennie Abraham.

Phil, Ellen knows who I am. We met several times, first through mutual friends at a tech function, then again at Vloggercon where she knows my friend Dina Kaplan of Blip.tv (who reintroduced us) and, where she said she'd call to ask me about Sports Business Simulations and video-blogging.

She never did.

Now, I was one of six blacks out of 300 people in attendance, and live in Oakland.

Then I saw her again -- but said nothing -- at the Vloggies. Then I've been at Web 2.0 and other events. And I continue video-blogging and running my online simulation company.

After following Ellen's request to call her, and hearing nothing back, yet seeing person after white person being presented by her in the SF Chron, I felt there was a problem and did in express this concern to her, but no feedback. Hey, it's a hard subject to adress, but it's something that must be done.

Now, YouTube commissioned me to make a sample video to show the nation how a debate question is to be asked. It's at
http://www.youtube.com/debates

I'm featured promimently in the video -- I'm first and credited. She could have tried to contact me; she did not.

So Ellen writes this, and starts with "a man stands in front of a check cashing center..."

That man is me.

What's the deal Phil? Is Ellen's prejudice against me for whatever reason so great she can't even bring herself to get the real story, let alone explain it even if it involves a Bay Area resident, and particularly someone of color making a mark in Video-Blogging?

This is troubling to me. I hope you agree and investigate this.

Best,

Zennie

YouTube - YouTube Features My Video Question For Debate

Hey Everyone,

That's not a doctored photo; it's me and CNN's Anderson Cooper on the YouTube page!

If you click on this link:

http://youtube.com/debates

You will see a video that features me as the first person asking a debate question for the upcoming CNN / YouTube Presidential Debates on July 23rd.

It's also here:



I thank YouTube and "Citizen Steve" for seeking me out and appreciating my diverse set of work.

Thanks!

Zennie Abraham
Chairman and CEO
Sports Business Simulations
"Learn to Run"
www.sbs-world.com
510-387-9809
zennie@sportsbusinesssims.com

CNN's Anti-Barack Obama Stance - Fear Of A Black President

CNN's so afraid of a Black president they've given to actually either hiding the truth or just plain giving their negative impressions.

Let's take CNN's Jacki Schechner's take on the YouTube Barack Obama page, where she issues critical comments which really are not her telling the news but giviing an opinion. It's the first time I've seen her do this, rather than just be a journalist and keep her ideas to herself.

But CNN's people are so afraid of Barack Obama's success, they'll do anything. I mean whatever it takes to misrepresent his position and popularity. I watched the Situation Room yesterday and CNN's Wolf Blizer took time to not tell us that Senator Obama was tied with Senator Clinton, but that an averaging of past polls shows Clinton ahead.

What!

Anything to avoid reporting Barack's success.

This is a total crime. We've got to take steps to make CNN behave fairly. It's obvious they're not going to play fair, so we've got to make them do it!

Let's roll!

Titans' Pacman Jones Accepts 1 Year NFL Suspension

Titans' Jones Accepts NFL Suspension
By DAVE GOLDBERG
AP Football Writer

NEW YORK -- Adam "Pacman" Jones dropped his appeal of a yearlong suspension Tuesday, pledging to repair an image that made the Tennessee Titans cornerback the poster child for NFL misconduct.

His decision came after a third meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell.

"I understand my responsibilities to my teammates, the Titans and my fans and I am committed to turning my life around and being a positive member of the NFL," Jones said in a statement issued by newly hired agent Michael Huyghue.

Jones was suspended after 10 encounters with police and five arrests since he was drafted in 2005.

"Last week, I asked for an opportunity to meet privately with commissioner Goodell," Jones said. "I met with him earlier today to tell him about the steps I have taken to change my life since being suspended by the NFL. I accept the discipline that's been imposed on me and I am withdrawing my appeal."

Neither the NFL nor the Titans commented.

Still pending is a case in Las Vegas involving a fight and shooting at a strip club during the NBA All-Star weekend that left one person paralyzed.

The outcome of that case could determine whether the suspension is reduced from 16 games to 10 games. That could happen if Jones adheres to the conditions set by Goodell and is not arrested again. If he misses the entire season, the suspension will cost him his salary of nearly $1.3 million.

Lt. George Castro in Las Vegas said police still have not connected what happened inside the strip club and the shooting that took place outside. No new suspects have been identified and police are not seeking new charges based on new information developed during the three months since District Attorney David Roger first declined to prosecute, Castro said.

Until now, Jones had been represented primarily in his dealings with the league by his lawyer, Manny Arora. After he was suspended by Goodell on April 10, Arora filed an appeal on Jones' behalf.

But this time, Jones was accompanied by Huyghue, who was his agent when he was drafted sixth overall in 2005 and is a former league office employee and former senior vice president of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Earlier this year, the players' union listed Jones as being without an agent, although Arora said Huyghue had been involved in case from the start.

Arora said he would have been at Tuesday's meeting, but was tied up with criminal cases. He emphasized that he remains Jones' lawyer, but that Huyghue's knowledge of the NFL was important in dealing with Goodell and other league officials.

Huyghue said Jones intended to keep working out and would go back to school, taking courses online from West Virginia University, where he played.

Jones' suspension was the most severe of three handed down this spring by Goodell as part of the commissioner's crackdown on player misbehavior during a year featuring the arrest of nine Cincinnati Bengals.

Tank Johnson of Chicago and Chris Henry of Cincinnati each got eight games. Johnson served two months in jail for violating probation on a gun charge. Henry, Jones' teammate at West Virginia, was arrested four times in 14 months. Henry served a two-game suspension last season.

Last week, the Titans took steps to fill Jones' vacancy by signing Kelly Herndon, a former starter at cornerback for Denver and Seattle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So Adam must think that if he "cleans up his act" he'll get back after game 10, and if the titans are in the Playoff race he'll get a shot to contribute. Ofcourse all that goes doen the drain if he gets convicted in the "Vegas incident."
Meanwhile they are still trying to figure out weather they will file charges in that case. stay tuned for the saga of Adam Jones in a new movie entitled " the whole world doesn't like me and they just wanna keep a man down."

Senator Hillary Clinton's Poll Lead Due To Women - Washington Post

According to the Washington Post , Senator Hillary Clinton's poll leads -- until recently -- came due to her support from "less educated women" where Senator Obama fared better with women with higher education.

It will be interesting to see if this remains as we get more into the debate season.

Gallup Poll - Senator Obama Ties Hillary Clinton In USA Today / Gallup Poll

In a USA Today / Gallup Poll conducted June 5th, Senator Barack Obama has tied Senator Hillary Clinton. According to Gallup, "The poll was conducted June 1-3, 2007, and almost all of the interviews were completed prior to the Democratic candidate debate held in New Hampshire on Sunday, June 3. Republican candidates will debate one another in New Hampshire on Tuesday night, June 5...

The poll asked Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party who they are most likely to support for the Democratic nomination for president next year. Obama and Clinton are now tied, with 30% supporting Obama and 29% supporting Clinton. Seventeen percent of Democrats support former Vice President Al Gore for the nomination, and 11% support former North Carolina Senator John Edwards. No other candidate registers better than 3% support.

Genarlow Wilson Granted Release From Jail; But Georgia's AG Baker Challenges It

Genarlow Wilson -- at the time a teenager -- was sent to jail for having sex with another teen. For some weird reason beyond logic this boy was sentenced to nine -- nine years in jail.

Today, Genarlow Wilson was granted a release after serving 24-months in jail only to have the judge's decision blocked by off all people Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker. Now before you start thinking that Attorney General Thurbert Baker is white, he's not. But it also goes to show America that Blacks can be harder and more racist against other Blacks than whites in the 21st Century.

I personally can't understand the reasoning of Attorney General Thurbert Baker. More soon.

Sopranos Fans Expect Hollywood Ending; Don't Get One

At the risk of being lazy, I'm going to copy what was presented on the Premium Hollywood Blog here. It is a perfect example of how we want everything neat and packaged. But the people who want this forget that there's nothing "neat and packaged" about the Sopranos at all.

Here it is:

I don’t even know what to fucking say right now. I really don’t. Maybe I missed something. Maybe I just didn’t appreciate what David Chase was trying to accomplish. Or maybe my expectations were simply too high. I don’t know.

People have been saying for years that “The Sopranos” peaked too early. I’m not sure if I agree with that or not, but I will say that this final season peaked too early. Last week’s episode was brilliant, maybe one of the finest hours of television you’ll ever see. Seemed the stage was set for a fantastic finale for a series so many of us have been following for so many years.

Instead, we got this. Look, I wasn’t expecting a 65-minute bloodbath tonight. That’s not even what I was hoping for. But I sure as shit wanted some resolution, and I wanted some conflict. Instead, we get AJ telling his parents he wants to go into the Army so he can fulfill his dream of being a private helicopter pilot for Donald Trump, Meadow trying to parallel park her car for 20 freaking minutes, Carm starting the plans for her next spec house, Janice trying to swindle Junior by telling him he was her daughter, Paulie bitching about a stray cat, and Tony shuffling through a tabletop jukebox.

What, the, fuck?


Anyone who’s read this blog knows that I’ve been a patient fan of the show. People griped about the slow episodes and I said that Chase was building to something big. People called for more bloodshed and I said it was coming. Well, I guess those things did happen, but they happened last week, when Tony made a move on Phil and the NY family capped Bobby and Sil. What do we get this week? Onion rings and horrible Billy Baldwin screenplays. Well, Phil was whacked too, but I hope you’ll forgive me for mentioning that key bit of information in passing since that’s just about how Chase treated it tonight: one second Phil’s saying goodbye to his grandkids, the next he’s shot in the head, and the next he has a car roll over his head (which reminded me of a “Six Feet Under” episode, by the way). And just like that, the primary conflict of this entire season is gone. Done. It was like Christopher’s death all over again: I felt robbed.

The thing is, I understand – or I think I understand, anyway – Chase’s intention with the final scene. The suspense builds as Tony walks into a crowded restaurant and starts skimming the jukebox, scanning past such cryptically placed tunes as “This Magic Moment” and “I’ve Gotta Be Me” before settling for Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” Every time the bell over the door rings, Tony glances up to see who’s walking in. Who is he waiting for? Finally, Carm enters and takes a seat. They scan their menus. The bell jingles again and AJ walks in behind an ominous looking dude who sits at the counter and glances over at Tony’s table a few times. Surely, this guy has bad intentions. Meanwhile Meadow proves that she may be the only person on the entire planet who actually needs that new Lexus that parallel parks for you by failing in her first three attempts to guide her car into the biggest parking space you’ll ever find in front of a crowded restaurant. AJ bitches about his new job before reminding Tony that he once told him, “Try and remember the times that were good.” The suspicious man at the counter glances over at Tony again and then stands up. Tony looks up…and watches the guy head toward the bathroom. The waiter brings a plate of onion rings and all three Sopranos at the table pop one into their mouths as Steve Perry belts out, “Hold on to that feel-ay-eee-aying!” Meadow finally gets her head out of her ass and parks her car before dashing across the street – is she going to get hit by a bus? The bell over the door rings and Tony looks up expectantly.

And that’s it.

…Wait, that’s it? Okay, fine, this is how we’re to assume Tony will live out the rest of his days – constantly wondering if someone is out to get him, looking up every time a bell over a door jingles, worried that someone like Carlo (who apparently flipped this week after his son was picked up for selling ecstasy) is going to rat him out to the Feds, all while balancing his rather mundane family life. I get that. I appreciate it. But couldn’t we have been given more to sink our teeth into? Couldn’t something of significance – I mean, besides AJ’s car blowing up because of his freaking catalytic converter, of course – happen tonight?

Instead, one of the few memories I’ll take from tonight’s episode is the way agent Harris put his neck on the line to help Tony out by giving him info on Phil’s whereabouts. The best part, of course, is when he finds out about Phil’s killing and excitedly says, “Damn, we’re going to win this thing!” Sweet.

But sadly, that’s one of the very few highlights. We didn’t even get any real resolution with Paulie’s storyline, which I suppose could mean that he never betrayed Tony. Then again, maybe that means he did betray him and, like Tony, we’re never going to know about it. Or maybe it doesn’t mean shit. What do I know? Oh, and Sil is still alive, but does he survive? Again, who the hell knows?

I wasn’t looking for Chase to put a pretty little bow on the series tonight. I wasn’t looking for The Shocker of the Century. I wasn’t even really looking for closure, as the women like to say. But I wanted something more than this. I wanted an ending befitting of one of the most entertaining shows in TV history. Instead, we got stray cats, The Donald and Steve Fucking Perry. Oh well; remember the times that were good, right?

Speed Racer and Mach 5 Come Alive In Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci's Live Action Movie

Ok. When I was a kid, I lived for the cartoon "Speed Racer" and wanted to have a car just like the Mach 5 . If you remember the show from the 60s, Speed was constantly in a battle for racing supremacy with Racer X. But more important to car freaks like me was the Mach 5 itself and what it could do. It had twin retractable cutting blades that allow it to slice trees in a forest.

ALERT: New blog "Senator Barack Obama for President!

With the push of a button the car could seal passengers and travel underwater, while a periscope allowed a view of the elements above water. The Mach 5 had a before-its-time robot homing pidigeon that could fly around and come back to the car. It had "super jacks" on all four wheels which permitted it not only to be lifted off the ground, but cause the car to jump over creeks and rivers. The tires were fitted with extendable special treads for ice-covered pavement driving. And finally, the thing was just plain cool to look at: sleek, long hood, arrow fenders that cut through the wind. The Mach 5 was the real star of Speed Racer.

For those of you who remember the show which aired starting in 1966, here's a video of the opening:



Now, we have the live-action version of the cartoon, brought to you by Matrix directors the Wachowski brothers, produced by Joel Silver, and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Mach 5 will be an actual vehicle in the film. Instead of being driven on pavement, it will be hung from a crane and have its effects computer-generated. The real Mach 5 was unvealed last week and from what you see here, I think they got it right. Here's the car in this video:



I managed to find a snopsysis of the movie from MovieWeb.com:

Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized -- the legendary Rex Racer -- whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill.

Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret -- some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line.

The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival -- the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) -- to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.

Watch for Speed Racer coming May, 2008

Paris Hilton - Paris Hilton WIll Not Appeal Judge Sauer's Decision - TMZ.com

Paris Hilton issued this statement, according to TMZ.com: Also, she' not eating in jail at all.

"Today I told my attorneys not to appeal the judge's decision. While I greatly appreciate the Sheriff's concern for my health and welfare, after meeting with doctors I intend to serve my time as ordered by the judge.

This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. During the past several days, I have had a lot of time to reflect and have already learned a bitter, but important lesson from this experience.

As I have said before, I hope others will learn from my mistake. I have also had time to read the mail from my fans. I very much appreciate all of their good wishes and hope they will keep their letters coming.

I must also say that I was shocked to see all of the attention devoted to the amount of time I would spend in jail for what I had done by the media, public and city officials. I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things, like the men and women serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world."

As much as I disagree with Judge Sauer's decision, perhaps this will go a long way toward ending the stupid ways people treat Paris Hilton. Several news accounts quote people calling her "a stupid dumb blonde" which itself is totally racist.

"Lauren's Sexy Bikinis!" Video - What's Ford Models Up To?

The top ranked video today is from -- drumroll -- Ford Models. It's called "Lauren's Sexy Bikinis!" and drew over 300,000 views. It's part of a new online initiative launched by the modeling agency and has videos on not just YouTube but 14 other video distribution services.

I applaud the 60-year-old fashion firm's forray into online marketing and see it as a revolutionary step -- and a logical one. Ford's in the image business; what better way to present their image and brand than digital media? Racy videos? Yes. But that's the nature of the apparel business -- presenting bodies that capture your attention wearing something you want to buy.

Ford "gets it."

Paris Hilton - LA County Sherriff Lee Baca Says Paris Hilton Has "Severe Problems"

According to TMZ.com , LA County Sherriff Lee Baca says that Paris Hilton has "severe problems." TMZ reports:

In a statement to the press, Baca said, "There's 20,000 inmates the largest jail system in the united states ... It's very overcrowded."

According to Baca, 90% serious felons -- many in his jail on murder charges or attempted murder charges.

Baca also said that he reassigned Hilton based on "her severe medical problems." Baca said that her "increasingly deteriorating problems" were evaluated and add, "This lady has some severe problems."

Paris Hilton - LA Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer Orders Paris Hilton Back To Jail Today - CNN

In a bizarre turn of events, Paris Hilton was ordered back to jail by Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer, according to CNN and other news sources. It seems the Judge didn't sign the documents that allowed her release from prison as the LA County Sheriff's Office had sent her home under house arrest, and the LA City Attorney signed a petition demanding to know why Hilton was released.

I think Judge Sauer's right in that he didn't sign the release and so procedure had to be followed. But I don't think Paris needs to be in jail. Hey, when Judge Sauer originally sentenced Paris to 45 days, he got a standing ovation in his church, so he feels emboldened to do this.

The basic reason I favor Paris Hilton going home is that it would be a direct negative reaction to the rise of this police state. It seems that we -- some of us -- want to see those who have more money than we do "get it" but aren't even considering the laws and the way they're enforced.

Look. Drinking and driving is dangerous and wrong. But we've taken things a little too far in how we allow constitutional rights to be smashed on. Paris had no business flouting the law, but the punishment doens't seem to fit the crime. Plus, and what I rail against, is that there's a weird lynch mob mentality out there, one that hungers to see Paris punished, at any cost.

Let's take some of the blogger's commentary, particularly angry ones like this one at "Boo-Hoo Paris" where the writer asks Paris to "Shut her mouth." Okay.. "No seriously" wants to know what's up with Paris head, although the writer seeems unmoved by her return to jail.



Or how about this angry post , which reads "Paris Hilton: Is she for real. Let's all of us common folk defy a judges order and see where that leaves us. I did and it landed me in PRISON for 30 months ( same Offense ). Jail--a drop in the hat, She could sleep for 45 days and leave. She's isolated--what could be better. Read a book or two if you know how to. Oh I forgot --there isn't a menu. Showers are refreshing but don't bend over. Give me a break. This spoiled rich Bitch thinks she can do anything she wants and buy her way out because she's rich. Hoo-ray for a judge who sticks to his gun's. Don't tell me that money doesn't buy freedom--just ask the idiot sherrif who released her because she didn't feel good or was he afraid of HOLLYWOOD. That's a whole different topic."

See? All these posts -- or most of them -- exhibit anger over the very mention of Paris Hilton. Do we have that many slackers in the USA, now? People who are so lazy and unambitous they'd rather see others dragged down to where they are, rather than be on a socially upward path? Well, not everyone thinks that way. Frank Paul supports Paris Hilton, stating "even though the Paris home is like super luxury...it would still be a punishment *For Paris* to be home-bound for 42 days.
I think that to a certain degree, celebrities should receive special treatment when it comes to matters like this becuase they are treated as special people of our society."

I agree. But only in the case of non-violent offenses. For example, who's going to protect Paris from the photo seekers in jail? I understand the LA Sherriff's office stands to gain $500,000 from any pict taken while she's in custody. That's not something which happens to "normal people" so the idea that Paris should be treated "normally" is silly because if she were "normall" no one would even have to make that statement. She's not common, so we should respect that; we can't change it and the very act of trying is proof that we can't.

Paris Hilton Gets House Arrest - Transfered From Jail Today

On Thursday May 17th I wrote a post called "Give Paris Hilton A Break - Why Not House Arrest?" Well, it seems the LA County Superior Court was reading my blog, because today she was released and placed under house arrest. The reasons given in the report were for "unspecified medical conditions" which could very well be claustraphobia. Hey, some people don't take to being in confinement.

Whatever the case, this in my view rights a real wrong of massive injustice -- the court seemed to give in to a kind of mob rule directed by jealous, poor, unhappy, resentful people who wish they had Paris' money and celebrity. They're going to holla back that she should be treated like everyone else. My retort is that she wasn't really treated like everyone else -- even in this case, she was treated like Paris Hilton.

That means she was subjected to jokes, an unsusually harsh sentence, people who wanted to make money off her jail photos, and that includes the LAPD.

In fact, I'll bet the real reason for her release had something to do with that. The LAPD is legally barred from profitting in such a matter, thus Paris mere existence in jail placed them in a bind.

See, the point is that because she's Paris Hilton, she's got the problem -- the blessing and the curse -- of being treated like Paris Hiton.

But for me this keeps the meritocracy intact. If you want to be Paris Hilton, you've got to work at it. Period.

Johnson's competition in match race could be tougher than he looks

From Pro Football Weekly

Johnson's competition in match race could be tougher than he looks

By Mike Wilkening
June 7, 2007

Bengals WR Chad Johnson is racing against a horse on Saturday. We know all about Johnson, and we are not surprised.

But what do we know about the horse?

His name is Restore the Roar, and he was named after a Bengals cheer bearing the same moniker. He has yet to win a race, but he has one second-place finish and one third-place finish in five career starts. The 4-year-old gelding has raced from distances from three-quarters of a mile to a mile and 70 yards, and always on dirt. Saturday’s race, at Cincinnati’s River Downs racetrack, will be his first try on grass.

Johnson, a turf sprinter if there ever was one, will have a head start. He'll break from the outside rail of the turf course at the sixteenth pole and run to the finish line, 110 yards in all. Restore the Roar, with retired jockey Patricia Cooksey in the saddle, will be breaking from a starting gate set up an eighth of a mile, or 220 yards, from the wire.

Restore the Roar is used to having to make up a lot of ground. He has never officially held the lead at any point in any of his five starts, and he has been at least 4½ lengths behind the leader entering the stretch in all of his races.

However, should Johnson make any Calvin Borel-like peeks over his shoulder, he could be alarmed at what he sees. The horse will be quickly covering ground, likely more than 20 feet per stride.

“That adds up pretty fast,” said River Downs publicity director John Englehardt.

The idea is to produce a photo finish, which is exactly what happened the last time a Bengals receiver raced a horse. The year was 1993, the Bengal was Cris Collinsworth and the horse was a first-time starter who defeated the talkative wideout by a nose. Cooksey had the mount that day. Now the deputy executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, Cooksey joked that she was coming back to ride Restore the Roar because she was “undefeated against the Bengals and I plan on keeping it that way.”

This latest match race was the idea of Cincinnati radio host Andy Furman. Johnson, wanting to raise money for the charity Feed the Children, was game. Now they just needed four-legged competition.

That’s where Restore the Roar, son of Musical Dreamer and out-of-the-stakes-winning mare Princess Hawkins, comes in. The name made him a natural, as did his temperament. “You could probably blow a firecracker under his belly and he probably wouldn’t turn his head,” Englehardt said.

Englehardt approached the horse’s owner, Patricia Genn, who agreed to the race. She and her husband, Wilhelm, keep 15-20 show-jumping horses at Rheinland Farm in Lebanon, Ohio. They have only three of the racing variety, and Patricia Genn doesn’t rule out the possibility that Restore the Roar could change careers if he doesn’t take to racing. However, she believes the horse is simply going through a long, slow maturation process.

“He’s just figuring his job out,” she said.

Restore the Roar is coming off what may have been his worst race of his career, a six-furlong sprint vs. fellow Ohio-bred horses at River Downs on May 29. Restore the Roar was not quick enough to keep pace with the leaders, and he could not muster a closing kick in the stretch. He finished sixth in the field of 12, beaten by 14½ lengths.

Sprints, Genn admits, are not Restore the Roar’s game. “He can run all day,” she said. “Short distances, I don’t know.”

Advantage, Johnson.

Or is it?

If Restore the Roar takes to the grass, what a race Johnson could be in for, and what a race this could be. “His father’s biggest win was on the turf at River Downs,” Englehardt pointed out, referring to Musical Dreamer’s triumph in the Green Carpet Stakes 10 years ago.

The humans involved in this match race are primarily concerned with its charitable goals. River Downs is holding a silent auction of items autographed by Johnson, and the track will book “wagers” on the race, drawing winners for cash and prizes and donating some of the proceeds to Feed the Children. Also, Genn has pledged to donate a share of Restore the Roar’s future earnings to the charity.

To date, he’s made $4,354 for his owner. On dirt, he’s a one-paced plodder. On turf? No one knows, except maybe his daddy, and he isn’t talking. And that’s why Chad Johnson, who can cover 110 yards perhaps as fast as any human in the Cincinnati area, better not underestimate his competition, no matter what the racing form says.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ok So Chad's gonna race a horse. thats great, he just better not wind up looking like the horses rear!

London 2012 Olympics Logo Looks Like Swastika

There's a petition going around that calls for the organizers of the London 2012 Olympics to scrap the logo they came up with because they just plain don't like it, and that it will cause epileptic seizures.

Well, when I got my first glance at the logo, I could not get out of my mind how much it looked like the German Swastika. I'm not kidding. The logo has that same four-square-corners rotating around a center look as the Swastika.



Moreover, it looks like someone knew this, and decided to turn the logo so that it was more square than diamond. But what if you turned it so it was more diamond that square?

You think maybe the logo designer was a Neo-Nazi? Look at the picts in this blog and make your own conclusions.

Senator Barack Obama Ties Senator Clinton In Polls - Chicago Sun Times Not Happy

Senator Barack Obama's now tied with Senator Hillary Clinton in the latest USA Today / Gallup Poll. But that's not something the Chicago Sun Times wants you to know. They immediately came out with an article that tries to douse water on this news, by saying that all other polls show him behind her.

The trouble is those polls are old. The Sun Times reporter who wrote this, Scott Fornek, was either trying to help in some small way to cause Barack to lose the race, or he was just plain being sloppy. Whatver the case, I wrote this letter:

Hi Scott,

I read your article on Senator Obama's tie in the polls with Senator
Clinton. I'm writing because I'm plain sick and tired of how the
media -- including you -- distorts any positive news about Senator
Obama because it seems you don't want someone black and male in the
White House.

Look, the USA Today poll was just released; why compare it with older
polls which show him behind, but you report it as if these polls were
out on the same date. They were not. The point you should make is to
show how Senator Obama's campaign is picking up steam, because that's
what your own information shows.

Please stop trying to manipulate a message and just report the news.

Thanks,

--
Zennie Abraham, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
Sports Business Simulations
510-387-9809
http://www.sbs-world.com
http://www.sbstickets.com

Institutional Racism: Fox News Can't Tell One Black Person From Another

This is stupid, and is a great example of why diversity in society is so important. Fox News showed a clip of Representative John Conyers but reporting that he's indicted Representative Bill Jefferson. Here's a video on the error by TPMtv..:

Mike Nolan Wants To Wear Suits Full TIme All Season

According to a small news bit in the SF Chronicle, SF 49ers Head Coach Mike Nolan wants to have a suit on for every game. I personally support this, and I really don't understand how this casual kick was allowed to become institutiionalized. Apparently Reebok likes the idea, too, but for just two games. Yikes. Make it for all games.

You'd think that in an NFL that wants to give kids the right images, they'd back Nolan's call in a hurry, eh? Next, they should make Hybrid Cars the official vehicles of the league.

49ers Add Defensive Tackle Sam Rayburn - SF Chronicle

This is a huge addition -- excuse the pun -- for the 49ers. Depending on how they scheme, the Niners may be building the best defense in the NFC West. They've certainly got the right mix of youth and experience.


49ers sign Rayburn, bolster line
Kevin Lynch, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 6, 2007

The 49ers bolstered their defensive line by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with former Philadelphia Eagles tackle Sam Rayburn. The contract includes a small signing bonus and some playing-time and sack incentives, according to Rayburn's agent, Jason Brown.

Coach Mike Nolan, when asked about the prospect of signing Rayburn on Monday, said he admired the lineman's toughness. Rayburn fits Nolan's model of a rugged, run-plugging player, who's not averse to occupying blockers while linebackers make the tackles.

Rayburn made the Eagles as a rookie free agent in 2003, had his best season in '04 with 46 tackles, six sacks and eight quarterback hurries. Before the '04 season, former 49ers general manager Terry Donahue tried to trade Terrell Owens for Rayburn, but instead the Eagles sent Brandon Whiting, who lasted only a few games in San Francisco before injuring his knee.
Rayburn dipped in production while struggling with an elbow injury (35 tackles, one sack) in 2005 and last year, he hardly played.

"They wanted to play the first-round guys" Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson, Brown said, "which they should."
Brown also said Rayburn lost weight, dropping from 310 to less than 300 pounds.

"He's in great shape now," Brown said. "He's about 310."

Rayburn is to sign his agreement Sunday and will take part in next week's team practices. Brown said that Rayburn would compete as Bryant Young's backup or possibly play nose guard.

Heitmann ready: Center Eric Heitmann's first assignment Monday after returning from his broken leg was to drive-block 320-pound nose guard Aubrayo Franklin.

"I was like, 'Oh, this will be a good test,' " Heitmann said. He passed that test and took part in most of the team's practice Monday and Tuesday.

Heitmann's tibia was shattered Dec. 14 when Seattle's Darryl Tapp fell on him.

Heitmann was greeted by cheers when he entered the huddle this week. So far, he has taken 12 of 18 snaps with the first team during scrimmage. He'll probably be up to the full complement soon.

"All the drill work, pushing sleds, it feels great." Heitmann said.

Whew, Mangini wasn't whacked

(From Newsday's Neil Best-His Coverage of Sports on the Air

Whew, Mangini wasn't whacked
June 5, 2007

Someone had to do it, so I broke the news early last night to Eric Mangini:

The Emmy Award presentations are Sept. 16 in Los Angeles, the same day his Jets play in Baltimore.

"That's OK," he said. "I don't think they give awards for non-speaking parts."

Mangini was being modest. He nailed his cameo on the penultimate episode of "The Sopranos" on Sunday night, his most compelling acting since a stint last year on another of his favorite shows, "Sesame Street."

In a scene taped Feb. 8 at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Mangini and his wife, Julie, dined at Artie Bucco's fictional restaurant, where Artie informed Tony Soprano that "Mangenius" was in the house.

Tony said he should go over to say hello, which he did, in a series of shots seen only from a distance. Mangini was seen clearly in profile, but Julie only from behind.

"The back of her hair looked really good," the coach said sheepishly.

Mangini called himself "a huge fan of the show" but is not entirely sure why he was invited. "They're very secretive about how scripts evolve," he said.

He initially thought it was a joke when he learned he was wanted. It was not, and two days later, he was on the set. Julie, an avid Bruce Springsteen fan, was most excited about meeting Steven Van Zandt, who plays Soprano's consigliere, Silvio.

Left unexplained in the script was why Mangini was dining in New Jersey.

"It could have been after a game," he said. "We didn't explore the motivation very deeply."

And why did Soprano act as if he knew him? Did it have something to do with the bet Tony made on the Jets earlier this season before a fictional 42-10 rout of the Chargers?

"I was pleased with that," Mangini said, meaning the final score, not the betting part.

The coach and his wife kept the cameo a secret from all but a few close friends. Now he can fully bask in the honor of taking part in one of the most honored shows in history, after only one season as a head coach in New York.

"It was fantastic," he said. "I love the show and just have always respected the story lines and think it's incredibly well done ... I'm disappointed it's coming to an end."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Too Bad They didn't get him in last year! he could have come back this year as a Football coach in over his head with Tony. Yeah Right.............At least it wasn't something to do with gambling.

Mark Cuban's Wrong - Potential UFL Team Owner Says No Based On Zennie's Blog Post

I just received a call from a friend of mine back east, who -- I can't use real names, corporate or otherwise, to protect the persons involved -- told me that a family member who works for a major comunications and media organization with significant monies in sports, happened to be talking about my blog post called "Why Bill Hambrecht and Mark Cuban's UFL - United Football League - Will Fail" while her bosses were overlooking the article on her computer.

"Wow," one of them was reported to have said, "Maybe this guy ( referring to me) -- knows what he's talking about. After all he's made this XFL Simworld and had the Oakland (Alameda County) Sports Commission. He must know something."

Fully on the basis of my post, this organization that owns a large and famous arena decided to avoid making overtures to establish a UFL team.

It proves that, unlike Mark Cuban in the case of the UFL (I don't know the man), there are people out there who listen to the voices of reasons and analysis. "Competing With The NFL", as Cuban puts it, is purely silly.

Akon Tosses Small Teenager - Acts Stupidly; Crowd Eggs Him On

Well, it seems this kid decided to throw a ball at Akon. But rather than have him removed from the concert, Akon uses this as a "stage" to show how stupid he is.

Now this confirms just how stupid both Akon and his audience are. I mean let's face it. If this kid he threw off the stage were not small, Akon would have been the one tossed off stage. As it is, I hope the boy's parent sue Akon. First, Akon had his handlers go after the kid for some reason, then bring him to stage against his will, where Akon assaults him.

Period.

There's no one way anyone can justify Akon's actions. Whatever's gotten into this brother, he should have it removed immediately. And on that note, here's the video:

"With Leather" Gets On "ProFootballtalk.com" - Mike Florio Whines Over A Taste Of His Own Medicine

I had to laugh when I saw this on today's Profootballtalk.com website:

There's a blog thing out there called WithLeather.com, which has said mean things about us in the past.

Hey, we can take it. We've been called a lot of things, many of which are accurate. But we never, ever, ever, ever (did we say "ever"?) make stuff up.

Another thing we never, ever, ever, ever (did we say "ever"?) do is go with a tip that a guy has been arrested or committed any other type of misconduct that could damage his reputation, unless we have solid sources who have verified the information.

Over the years, it has caused us to miss out on "breaking" many a story that eventually became public, such as the rumors that Joe Horn fathered a baby with Willie Roaf's wife. But, on the bright side, we've never been taken to People's Court (or any other court of law).

It's one of the benefits of that law degree thing that the Poobah picked up 16 or so years ago. We know where the line of liability is, and we stay the hell away from it.

On Monday, WithLeather.com is doing the lambada on that line by going with unverified tips that Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman beat the crap out of some dude over the weekend, returned with a gun-wielding posse, and later tried to buy the victim's silence.

Maybe the information is completely accurate and, if so, kudos to the site for getting the truth out there. But it's one thing to be wrong about a trade rumor; it's quite another to be wrong about something that inflicts even more damage to a guy's image than he already has inflicted himself.

In this case, if the tip turns out to be embellished at best or fraudulent at worst, the folks at Fat Penguin Media will need to be ready to post a retraction before the process server shows up at the headquarters in Mesa, Arizona.

And if the tip is on the money, it might be time for Odell Thurman to throw out his cleats, because he'll never, ever, ever, ever (did we say "ever"?) need them again.

There's some truth to what Florio writes here. I've not know for Profootballtalk.com to make things up, but I have seen them use racially insensitive photos on too many occasions. I've called them on it, and pointed out the harm that that action causes.

So it's for that reason I'm not unhappy that Profootballtalk.com is getting negative press.

Mark Cuban Says Advertisers Have Leverage In Pricing Ads For Video - Really?

In his latest blog post, Mark Cuban takes a look at the impact that Nielsen's release of commercial data has had on the discussion of how ads in videos should be priced.

He says "So riddle me this. If the Internet is the ultimate DVR for video, will advertisers put comparable pricing parameters on internet video that they are trying to put on TV DVR commercial viewing ? If they do, and only pay for videos viewed within 3 days of the video being posted, won't that put a huge crimp in the internet video business ?"

My basic reponse is that there's an apples and oranges comparison here. Videos are ran over and over again each day. Plus, because they're within an optimized webpage, they're looked up in a search engine. Thus, if the video concerns a Paris Hilton issue that is discussed on the TV news, the search for that will go up, and thus cause a new round of views for the applicable video.

For the video meter to stop running in this case would be unfair and not negotiable from the standpoint of the video producer. A commercial withing a video, or a sponsored video is part of the video. Thus, it "moves" with the video -- if the video is found on Mamma.com, the ad will be there, and so on.

This is an entirely new approach to commercial message distribution. I don't think one can compare it to current TV commercial economics. I also don't think advertisers really have a good clue what's going on in new media. Many of them can't even define Web 2.0

Mark Cuban Responds To My "UFL Will Be A Failure" Post

Mark Cuban , a key player in the proposed United Football League, responded to my blog post which states in detail why the UFL will fail. He writes

"then again, there are people who read press reports and think they are an expert on someone else's businessplans...

i like our preparation better.

m"

What's interesting is this comment falls right into my take that much of the push behind football league proposals like the UFL is ego. Think about it. Cuban referes to "our preparation" as if he's not willing to listen to outside voices of reason. That's a sure receipe for disaster.

A good analysis must also take into account dissenting voices. Not true for Cuban and the UFL team, it seems. One has to admire -- to a degree -- the PT Barnum level of hubris, but it's also what blinds Mr. Cuban to the spectre of failure.

Moreover, Mark doesn't have a UFL simulation, so he's flying blind!!

But that aside, and while I hold and with a simulation that is the basis for my charge that the UFL will fail...Thanks for the response, Mark!

Mark Cuban's Right - CD's Are On The Decline

Mark Cuban's certainly totally wrong about the football business , but he's right on regarding compact disks and their future as a music distribution system. Just check out his blog and its references.

As I think about it, I can remember the last time I listened to music on the CD and that was in a car. But I've not done that anywhere else: not at home, for example. I watch movies on DVD, but music on CD's? Only in the car. It's a matter of time before one's able to just plug in their iPod and use it as a full car stereo for all cars, not just a few.

But Mark's totally wrong about football; the UFL will fail.

Does Ever Rising Salary Cap Put NFL Parity in Danger?

In 2005, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue closed out a stellar tenure by negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association. With that new agreement, the NFL salary cap jumped from just over $85 million to a whopping $102 million dollars providing cap releif to several NFL teams. This season, the salary cap has swollen to $109 million. Is the salary cap reaching a point where small-market teams cannot afford to reach the limit leaving big-market teams the ability to start stockpiling talent?

June 1, previously a red-letter day in NFL free agency came and went with a relative whimper this year. Usually a day where NFL teams discard high-priced veterans to find salary cap relief, many teams found themselves comfortably under the $109 million cap without releasing some of their bigger names.

Since the new CBA was signed in 2005, the cap has grown an astounding 27.5%. In 2005 alone, the cap grew nearly 20% from $85.5 million to $102 million. Even big-spenders like the Dallas Cowboys suddenly found themselves in the tens of millions under the cap. At the time the CBA was signed, small-market owners such as Cleveland's Paul Brown and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson expressed concerns that under the new CBA, even with provisions that spread some of the wealth to them, that the runaway cap would eventually spell doom for their ability to compete.

With the rising cap comes rising contract demands. But with more and more teams and agents opting to place roster bonuses on March 1 instead of June 1, free-agents find themselves released at the beginning of free-agency while teams are still flush with cash. So contracts will continue to rise because the market has adjusted to bear it.

The gap between the role-players and the superstars is also growing. In a case of entertainment mirroring life, the NFL middle class is slowly disappearing. While the CBA stipulates minimum salaries based on number of years, the real dollars are spent on signing bonuses and roster bonuses. A mid-level player may see a roster bonus in the tens of thousands if at all. But players like Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys received a $3 million bonus on June 1st just for being on the roster.

The NFL today is a league constantly in transition. As contracts of star players expire, more and more choose to enter the free agent bonanza rather than sign an offer sheet with their current team unless the offer already puts them among the top paid players at their position.

As the cap continues to swell, more and more of these free agents in smaller markets will move on where the pastures are as green as the money. Even with room under the cap, the Cleveland Browns of the world will eventually be at the limits of their budget before they are at the cap limit. Will Lee Evans make it to a second contract in Buffalo? It depends on whether or not the cap continues to soar.

On the other hand, General Managers across the league have learned to work the salary cap very well. A little creative financing can go a long way. But unless the profit shares to the smaller market teams grow in proportion to the cap, it is very feasible to say that buying consecutive championships will return to the NFL.

Why Bill Hambrecht and Mark Cuban's UFL - United Football League - Will Fail

Well, all I can say is "here we go again." A group of rich guys with egos -- no women involved here -- think that because they have enough money to start a football league, it will automatically work.

In the newest example, we have the to-be-called United Football League , or UFL. This is an idea started by San Francisco Bay Area investment banking maverick Bill Hambrick, who's firm WR Hambrick and Company I remember as Hambrick and Quist, and who employed a friend of mine from Skyline High School school, Marla Goldstein.

Ok, enough of that.

Hambrick managed to come up with this idea of the UFL and get Internet entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner (funny, how the word mavericks comes up here more than once) to sign on as the first owner of a team. As I understand the UFL concept, they're going to establish cities in areas where the NFL does not have a team, and "compete" with the NFL for players that come out of college "lower than the second round."



OK. Here's the foundation upon which their failure will be based -- if they ever get enough owners to start an eight team league. The lessons of football league failure are captured in that business school case study called The XFL.

In fact, I created a system dynamics online simulation now called the XFL Simworld , and with Forio Business Simulations created a company around it called Sports Business Simulations .

The idea of the XFL Simworld is to make the right business decision to cause the XFL to last longer than the one year it did in reality.

What I've learned after countless hours and years of analysis, and design, and play and test and watching others run the sim is this: people watch people. What I mean in detail is that the XFL's biggest mistake was that it didn't have players people cared to watch. Mark Cuban's right about the "pent-up demand for football" but that doesn't mean anyone will come out and watch you and me play pro football.

What I learned from the XFL Simworld is that the XFL, and now the UFL, stand a better chance of survival if they hire recently retired or close to retiring NFL players and mix them with college players. Why? Because each of the NFL players close to ending their careers either by choice or for other reasons has their own brand name. For example, you know who Keyshawn Johnson is if you're even a causal fan of the game. But do you know who Jacoby Jones is?

Who?

See that's my point. Jacoby Jones is a wide receiver from tiny Lane College, drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. That's one of the rounds Hambrecht and Cuban say they're going to "compete" with the NFL for players. That's great for the player and for the NFL, because the NFL doesn't have to worry about paying that player who may have dropped to the lower rounds for weird reasons more than a third round pick, and the player at least has another place to go, but don't think there's going to be a bidding war -- in fact, I predict the opposite.

The Jacoby Jones of the world may try to use the UFL as a negotiating ploy, and wind up not being signed by the NFL team. It's basic math -- there are more "third round level" players, than first round level players, so someone else who fell past the eyes of NFL scouts may look better in free agency than the third round pick using an upstart league to cause a bidding war. So Jacoby Jones goes to the UFL and gets the same money he would have earned as a third round pick by the Houston Texans. Fine, so he's happy. Meanwhile, the UFL gets a player no one ever heard of, and no one save for his family, friends, and the curious, will come out to see or turn on the TV to watch.

What Hambrecht and Cuban miss is that football is entertainment. The bottom line is to put people in seats at the stadium and have them watch on television. People follow names. They'd sooner watch a team with Keyshawn Johnson than one with Jacoby Jones. That's one big reason why the XFL failed; it lacked name NFL players to maintain TV ratings. Without them, XFL ratings dropped like a rock, and the league folded after NBC pulled from its commitment.

The UFL faces the same fate for that reason, and one more that's in a way related to the first problem I discuss. It's team location. In the XFL Simworld, the player has the option of having XFL teams in NFL cities, cities of the actual XFL, and warm weather cities. Which combination brings the best attendance? The Warm Weather Option, of course. This scenario was created based on the problems the real XFL faced in having constantly high attendance in all cities.

The best city for this in the XFL system was San Francisco, where the February through May climate was constantly mild, and never burdened with snow. Snow's a big deterent to the fortunes of a new football league hiring players no one has ever heard of. People don't buy tickets to teams that hire unknown players to play in cold weather.

Better to have a Southern Strategy.

With all of this, you'd think Bill Hambrecht and Mark Cuban would have thought more carefully before launching the UFL as a business. But they didn't, and I'm not surprised. There's one common element in all of these "new football league" cases -- ego. Someone always thinks they can clobber, outdo, take advantage of, or just plain be the next NFL. And in all cases, that never comes to pass. The UFL has all of the color of failure for that reason and the ones I gave above. What Hambrecht and Cuban should really do is work to start an NFL team to LA.

In other words, they're not going to beat the NFL, so they might as well join them.

Economist Thomas Sowell On A Military Coup In America - Video

I don't necessarily agree with the vast majority of ideas Dr. Thomas Sowell has, moreover, he's from Stanford. But I do like to here his take on American Society, and this video is no exception.

Dr. Sowell is questioned by Hannity and Colmes on Fox about -- amoung other things -- his call for a Military Coup. He's allow to clarify his statement, where he says that he doesn't like the idea, but can see a future beyond his life where it could happen. He says this because he believes our society is becoming unravelled slowly.

Here's the video:

NFL FORMS ALLIANCE TO COORDINATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RETIRED PLAYERS - NFL Media.com

This is not getting press, but it's more important than the Commissioner's stance on conduct. It's a signal that the NFL will finally take care of people like Baltimore Colts' Tight End John Mackey, who suffers from Alzheimer's, and other stars who didn't see the millions of dollars the athletes of today get. This is a good story.

FOR USE AS DESIRED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
5/22/07 GREG AIELLO, NFL (212) 450-2000
CARL FRANCIS, NFLPA (202) 463-2200

NFL FORMS ALLIANCE TO COORDINATE
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RETIRED PLAYERS

The NFL and its related organizations have agreed to work together to support former players in
need of medical care, NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced today.

Commissioner Goodell informed NFL clubs at a league meeting in Nashville today that the NFL,
NFL Players Association, NFL Retired Players Association, NFL Alumni Association, NFL
Charities and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will form the first-ever alliance to coordinate medical
support services for former players in need of medical care.

“All of us in the NFL want to help former players that now find themselves in need of medical
care through no fault of their own,” said Commissioner Goodell. “Several NFL-related groups
have been working independently over the years to provide medical assistance, but now we will
work together to identify and help players more effectively in a common effort.”

HAROLD HENDERSON, the NFL’s executive vice president of labor relations, will serve as the
lead executive in this new initiative.

“Everyone wants to do the right thing to help former players with medical needs,” said
Henderson. “We want to do it in a coordinated, structured fashion. There have been ongoing
discussions with GENE UPSHAW (executive director of the NFLPA), and I know he sees this as
a high priority.”

The NFL is exploring a wide range of new ideas to address the medical needs of its former
players.

“We are seeking to determine how we can creatively approach the medical issues of former
players and guarantee their access to high-quality medical care at reasonable cost,” said
Commissioner Goodell. “This is principally directed toward those who are in dire need or can’t
afford the proper kind of care.”

Among the ideas being discussed:

• Better identification of players who need assistance and making the system more
efficient so that help can be delivered to these players.

• Arrangements with facilities in different areas of the country where former players can
obtain high-quality care at a reasonable cost.

• Collaborating with outside service groups to provide players with education and
guidance on obtaining medical care at reasonable costs that would expand access to
care for retired players.

• Ensuring availability of affordable assisted living facilities for former players.

Former NFL players who want to support these efforts will have the opportunity to contribute to
their former teammates by participating in fund-raising efforts, including golf tournaments and
online auctions.

The distribution of funds for medical needs will be managed by representatives of the
participating groups.

The 88 Plan, named after Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN MACKEY, is an example of one
such fund that was created as part of the extended Collective Bargaining Agreement between
the NFL and its players in 2006. Former players in various stages of dementia, including
Alzheimer’s disease, may receive as much as $88,000 annually to assist in their medical care.

In recent weeks, the NFL office has spoken to SAM HUFF and JACK KEMP and several other
former players and the New York Jets’ CURTIS MARTIN for their views on how to address
these medical issues in the most effective way.

More than 900 former players and/or their families have received financial help in recent years
from either the NFLPA’s Players Assistance Trust or the NFL Alumni Association’s Dire Need
Fund.

In addition, 284 former players are receiving disability payments which total $19 million this
year, including some that receive as much as $224,000 annually.

# # #

According to "Alive In Baghdad", Biggest Problems Are Security, Water, and Electricity

For Senator John McCain to even claim that Iraq's safe is more than stretching the truth; it's distorting it. According to the blog for the video show Alive In Baghdad, conditions there are worse than unliveable. The blog reports:

"Now in Baghdad there are more problems then getting killed or kidnapped and one of those most important problems is the water and the electricity. The Iraqi people are tired of getting those promises from their government about fixing the electricity every month and official man comes on Al-Iraqiyah satellite channel and give a statement about fixing the power problem forever and everything is still the same, nothing has changed. ,"

On top of that, people who have nothing to do with politics are getting killed every day. For nothing. I can't understand why we're over there. It's not getting any better at all.

Cindy Sheehan Should Read "The Irony of Democracy"

I just got an email from a friend and about Cindy Sheehan -- the anti-war activist who's campaign was launched by the death of her son Casey in the Iraq War -- wrote a diary in the Daily Kos called "Good Riddance Attention Whore" and which outlines her displeasure with not just Republicans who are for the war, but Democrats who've also voted in such a way as to keep the effort going, and states that she's giving up her protest.

Cindy writes...

"I have come to some heartbreaking conclusions this Memorial Day Morning. These are not spur of the moment reflections, but things I have been meditating on for about a year now. The conclusions that I have slowly and very reluctantly come to are very heartbreaking to me.

The first conclusion is that I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party. Of course, I was slandered and libeled by the right as a "tool" of the Democratic Party. This label was to marginalize me and my message. How could a woman have an original thought, or be working outside of our "two-party" system?

However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong."

Apparently Cindy never read "The Irony Of Democracy." This class book by Thomas Dye and L. Harmon Ziglar was introduced to me while I was a freshman at The University of Texas at Arlington. The basic premise of the Dye / Ziglar book is that America's ran by elitists and elite networks. These associations are formed in various ways mostly college-based, and solidify more for those who step into the poltical arena. These groupings are more powerful than parties, which explains how some Democrats could side with Republicans in voting for funding for The Iraq War.

"Elites are the few who have power, the masses are the many who do not" says Dye and Ziglar. And if you think about it, they're totally correct. We put a small set of people in office to make laws for us, so it should come as no surprise that that small gathering of people as its own outcome which at times runs counter to pure democracy.

What bothers me is that many people just don't get how our society is becoming even more divided in this way with the growth of the Internet. The Digital Divide is still a large problem, and it becomes more wide-spread with every new Web 2.0 application. There are many, including supposedly smart marketing people, who can't even define the term Web 2.0 I'm serious.

A recent survey (also reported in Marketing News) by Market Tools, reported that nearly 80% of marketers have no clue what Web 2.0 is.

I increasingly find that many supposedly well-educated Americans have no idea of the power of the Internet let alone how it can positively and negatively impact their lives and business objectives. Thus, they're rendered as much a part of the masses as anyone, and leave a growing set of aspects of society foreign to them, even as they don't know what they're missing. It's tragic. Plus, it's creating a whole class of Internet Elites -- the more things change, the more they remain the same.

So Cindy, and anyone in the American Marketing Association, read The Irony Of Democracy, before it's too late!

Women Still Face Stupid Ideas In The 21st Century

I visited Amanda Congdon's site and saw this photo where someone wrote "She A Woman" in response to a test question for a math quiz that asks why "Tracy" is wrong in the answer she gave.

This is a sure sign that America has a long way to go in that women are still viewed as second class citizens. I'll add that were it not for Barack Obama, I'd be a stanch Hillary Clinton supporter. I just think Barack's better, but I do think Hillary would be a great President as well.

Sony's OLED TV Technology -- Flat Screen TV Is Here!

In one of my favorite movies, "2001 A Space Odessey," a common device was something called a flat-screen television. Just as thick as a sheet of paper, it had a clear image where one could watch television from any angle, even with it sitting flat on a table.

Now, Sony's introducing the real, world's first flat-screen television. Called OLED, it's only 10 millimeters thick, basically wafer-thin. The clarity is without peer and the technology itself will revolutionize pop-culture. It's so thin and flexible that I can see jackets and coats with flat-screens as per of them.

See the video!

Video - Barack Obama Slams Romney And McCain For Lying About His Support Of The War On Terrorism

In this video, Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama -- addressing the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists at their annual convention in Chicago -- wasted no time in firing back against Republican Presidential Candidates Mit Romney and John McCain for their claim that Senator Obama's against the troops and the War on Terror because he voted against the Iraq spending bill, which passed earlier this week.

Here's the video:

Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis Is Right About Racial Profiling - Garry Edmondson Should Appologize To NFL And Chris Henry

Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis made this comment a few days ago:

"I think there's profiling, no question," Lewis said when Patrick asked him if he thought players were profiled. "We're (Cincinnati) a small place - our guys stand out, and they know that, and you've got to do things the right way. But when you are arrested for, or you are pulled over for, not putting on your turn signal, there's something wrong there. Many people make right turns without putting on their turn signals and it's unfortunate that we've had a guy that's pulled over for not putting on his turn signal."

The NFL stepped in and as a results, Coach Lewis was forced to take back his statements. But he's right. Cinncinati's police department does racially profile, and indeed was the target of a lawsuit and a fact-finding effort in 2001. In addition, if one does a search on Cinncinati and racial profiling, they find a littany of informatn connecting that city to the issue of racial profiling.

And now, we have this:

Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson on Thursday called Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry a "lowlife" and said he doesn't think he owes anybody an apology.

Edmondson on Monday had told reporters that Henry had failed a drug test, then later said results were "inconclusive."

His office has yet to issue any statement about the test results.

Henry's lawyer said Wednesday that test results show Henry is clean, and that he is owed an apology.

On Thursday, Edmondson said he's "shocked" anybody would be sympathetic toward Henry.

Comment on this story and Chris Henry

"This is a lowlife not worth the attention," said Edmondson, who made the comments in an interview with David Wells, The Enquirer's editorial page editor.

This is terrible. Garry Edmondson should be made to appologize to the NFL and to Henry for this statement. He's trying to convict Henry via the news media, which in itself should be illegal.