Sydney Pollack Passes Of Cancer at 73; Actor / Director One Of My Favorites

I just saw the fourth Indiana Jones movie and in it is a line I will not forget. "We've reached that point where life takes things away from us, where life gave to us." I think Jim Brodbent said it, but it was unforgettably true. One of those "things" is the person Sydney Pollack, who was one of my favorite actor / directors,

But I remember Pollack most as an actor, and my first introduction to him was in the Woody Allen movie "Husbands and Wives" where he played a producer who was having marriage problems such that he separated and took up an unhappy, brief, and turbulent relationship with his personal trainer.

What got me about Sydney's performance was the power of his personality shining through. A kind of approach that I associated with New York City's style and that shown through all of his movies from Husbands to "Eyes Wide Shut."

I did not know this was the same person who directed "Out Of Africa" nor did I know that I would have the pleasure of watching movies in the same Berkeley offices of the Sal Zantz Film Center that Pollack certainly walked through during the making of that film.

I never knew Mr. Pollack, but I thought I did. He was a person I looked up to and hoped -- and still hope -- that I can have even part of the impact on life that he has had. I think what bothers me the most is that he was 73 and my Mom's the same age. It makes me wonder how much time I have with her, and all the more determined to spend as much time with her -- and pay attention to what she tells me to do -- as I can.

He passed of cancer. What also bothers me is that he had been diagnosed with it -- I don't know what kind -- nine months ago. For my Mom's it's been three years. I think my Mom's success is due to early capture of the problem. She's very focused on taking her medication daily.

Now I understand that it was stomach cancer. According to the article in Best Syndication, Nine months ago he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. On September 8th the National Enquirer reported that Pollack’s cancer had metastasized. Stomach cancer represents roughly 2% of all cancers in the US. There are 25,500 new cases each year in the US alone, but it is more common in Korea, Japan, Great Britain, South America, and Iceland. The risk for the cancer is associated with a high salt intake, smoking and low consumption of fruits and vegetables. About 12,000 people die in the US each year from stomach cancer.

That's rare in America. The bottom line is don't smoke, use salt, and eat fruits and veggies consistently. My Mom has followed that path for all her life. Well, Ok, there was that time in the 70s that she flirted with smoking but I talked her out of it!

Keep making good works in Heaven, Sydney. I will miss you.

This interview with Charlie Rose best captures Sydney, in this case talking about his documentary on Frank Gehry.



This video was made in the 80s after the release of Tootsie, which Pollack both acted in and directed:



The Times Online presents this video interview created last year, June 29, 2007, and to talk about Pollack's then new documentary on Frank Gehry:



Here below, Sydney explains why he swiched from a widescreen filming approach to "pan and scan" where a much smaller "square" frame is used by directors and the camera pans using it, then back to widescreen eventually. Pollack tells why widescreen is a more desirable format to tell a story.

Hillary Clinton Drinks Beer and Dances In Puerto Rico

Just a few days after her shocking comments regarding RFK, Assassination, and Barack Obama, we find Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton chugging beer and dancing to a "Latin-infused Christian rock beat" while campaigning in Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Senator Barack Obama picked up three Superdelegates and is now just 49 away from clinching the Democratic Presidential Nomination.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Q & A At NFL Spring Meeting

COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL AT SPRING MEETING
Atlanta, GA – May 20, 2008

News / Release - Source: NFLMedia.com

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Q & A At NFL Spring Meeting

ROGER GOODELL: We had a four-hour meeting this morning and covered a lot of subjects, including labor. We talked a lot about other related issues with respect to our stadiums, what we’re doing to improve the experience for our fans in the stadium. We spent a great deal of time on financial matters and the labor matter. I know you want to speak about the labor matter so I’d be happy to take your questions. I will be back later this afternoon and I can take questions on other matters. But we’ve got sort of a short timetable before we start this afternoon. The Super Bowl voting is this afternoon at 1:00 PM.

What signal does opting out send in terms of league’s position?
RG: It’s a very clear signal that the ownership does not believe that this deal is working. And it’s important for us all to sit down at the table and to try to address the matters that aren’t working for the ownership. There’s a very strong opinion in the ownership and the vote reflects that.

What has changed in the past two years to make this deal not work when it was agreed upon in 2006?
RG: Anytime you make a deal you don’t know how it’s going to work until you experience it. We’ve had two years now of operating under the new deal. Clearly, the economics are not working for the owners. Clearly, we have been investing more in stadiums and the costs of generating that revenue is become more significant. And it’s no secret what we’re going through from an economic standpoint that creates more risk in the marketplace.

Does making this decision now as opposed to the November deadline buy more time to negotiate with the players?
RG: It’s a fair point. There’s no question. We don’t need further time to analyze whether this is working or not working. It’s not working. It was the ownership’s view. It’s not a failure of negotiations. It’s a failure of the deal. So let’s get to the negotiations. It is a fair comment to say that this does give us an opportunity to sit with the players and understand the issues and get them to understand the issues and try to come up with some greater solutions.

Do you think the issues between high revenue franchises and low revenue franchises still exist and that’s the reason they are opting out?
RG: I don’t. As you know we share more revenue than any other sports league. This is about the issue of labor costs not about revenue sharing.

It’s been suggested that if the league proves that it is in dire financial straights, the union will listen and will look differently at the situation. Is that a realistic solution?
RG: We are not in dire financial straights. We’ve never indicated that. We’ve never stated that. What we’re looking for is a fair deal for both sides -- the players and the management. We had a meeting with the union roughly a week ago. We offered to show them more financial data and they attached a number of conditions to that that we found were unreasonable. So we didn’t get to that point. We are willing to make our case of why the deal isn’t working for us but it has to be done properly.

The union says that it was the league that attached conditions to the disclosure of the financial situation. What were they?
RG: I don’t remember right now. We’ll get it for you.

Can you attach a metric of financial distress in terms of higher cost? We know how much the salary cap is, but can you state the average player salary, player payroll, or how much the teams’ profit margins are down?
RG: Clearly more money is going to the players, both in salary and in benefits. That adds additional stress with respect to the economics of running a league and it leaves you less margins to operate within. When you have bumps in the road, which none of us can forecast, that has a significant impact on what we hope will be the economics of running an NFL team.

What is the message to fans who don’t pay attention to all the financial details and who just want to know about their football?
RG: We have guaranteed three more years of NFL football. It is our responsibility to work out these matters and that is our job and that’s what we’re going to get focused on immediately. We recognize how important it is to have NFL football. We’ve had labor peace for several years and we hope to continue that.

When are the next scheduled meetings with the union?
RG: We don’t have anything scheduled at this point in time. I’m sure I will speak with Gene in the near future and we’ll decide how to proceed on that level.

Will this come down to the deadline? What are the hopes it will get done prior to the deadline?
RG: It’s like most issues. Deadlines always are helpful. I think anytime you have a deadline it forces people to understand the consequences of not reaching an agreement. That’s what we all have to understand and hopefully cooler heads will prevail here.

Has there been any talk that having a 17th regular-season game in place of the fourth preseason game will create a bigger revenue pot?
RG: We actually are looking at that as one alternative. We are going to report to ownership today on our preseason and what we can do to improve the quality of our preseason. We think that may impact on some of the things that we want to talk to players about.

What would a 17th game do in terms of creating more room to get a settlement with the players?
RG: It will create new revenue. The thought process was that we might reduce the preseason by a game in return for that. The players will still play the same number of games, but it may give us an opportunity to put higher quality football out there. We are not satisfied with the quality of the preseason right now. We’d like to improve on that and that’s what we’re looking at.

In the league’s statement you mention the issue of recouping signing bonuses. How has that escalated as an issue?
RG: It’s probably highlighted in a large part by the Michael Vick issue. There are other cases such as Ashley Lelie and others. In the Michael Vick case, he’s not able to play football and as such he got a significant signing bonus and we are not able to recover that. That’s money that could be going to players who are playing the game right now. So we think that there are some adjustments there that need to be made that are beneficial to the veteran players, frankly.

If there is a lockout in 2011, have you talked to the three owners bidding on the 2012 Super Bowl and how it might impact that Super Bowl?
RG: There’s been some initial discussion on that. But we’re not that far down the road. Our thought process is: how do we get an agreement that works? We recognize how it could impact people, groups or communities who want to host Super Bowls. But, I don’t think we’re at a point now to really be focused on that.

What happens to the rookie class coming in at the 2010 Draft?
RG: The Draft is negotiated through, I think, 2011. We would have the Draft through 2011.

But the 2010 rookie class would be uncapped as well?
RG: Yes.

What is it about the preseason that is lacking?
RG: That’s one of the things we’re analyzing. It used to be that we had six preseason games. In today’s NFL, it’s become more of a year-round business. Athletes come in and they probably are better prepared for the season, both physically and mentally. Is it necessary to have four preseason games to get the players prepared to play in the regular season? There’s an evaluation of talent. Who should make the team? Who shouldn’t make the team? Of course, the big significant issue for us is the quality of it and what our fans are seeing. Is it the best way to promote the upcoming season?

If there is an odd number of regular-season games, is there a way to balance out home games?
RG: You play it by conference and you flip-flop it each year. So, the AFC would play nine home games in your scenario and next year the NFC would play nine.

During the fourth preseason game, often starters don’t even play. Would you expand rosters to compensate for more competitive games?
RG: We would look at that. That’s a reasonable point to look at. It’s a long season for the players. We want to make sure that the quality of the product is unmatched. So we would look at that.

Is there any indication that coaches wouldn’t just do the same thing in the third preseason game that they now do in the fourth and not play their starters?
RG: Maybe we’ll look at two [games].

The union argues that a lot of money comes out of the players’ share to help fund stadiums. How valid is that as an argument?
RG: It’s valid that they’ve given us a cap credit. But all of the risk falls on the NFL owners. They have to take the risk that if the project comes in they can finance it and sell against it. The players are just agreeing that they will give a credit on the basis of a certain amount of revenue going forward. It’s helpful. I don’t think it addresses sufficiently enough the concerns that we have as you’re building $2 billion stadiums.

What’s your biggest concern as you get to 2010?
RG: Getting an agreement. From our standpoint, we are just looking for an agreement. We will reach an agreement at some point. We would like to reach an agreement with the least amount of pain and turmoil. We hope we can do it at the negotiating table and in an appropriate fashion within the right timetable. We are not concerned about an uncapped year. With the kind of dollars we’re paying right now that doesn’t necessarily concern us. What we would like to do is keep a system that works for us and both parties.

If you get to an uncapped year, how difficult will it be to reestablish a system with a cap?
RG: In 1993 we did not have a cap system and we got one. I’m sure there will be a lot of rhetoric about no cap system if there isn’t one at that point in time. But we were able to make that transition before and I’m sure we can do it again if necessary.

Is it fair to say the agreement that started in 2006 was not a wise agreement?
RG: I don’t really look back at it that way. We all were making an effort to try to keep labor peace. We reached an agreement that we knew was going to be pushing the envelope. After two years of living within that system, we recognized it does not work long-term for us. That’s the way it goes.

With today’s vote to opt out, how will that affect any LA initiative with this degree of uncertainty?
RG: Uncertainty is never a great thing. So you have that and it could affect the potential for us to get a team in Los Angeles. It could affect the potential for additional revenue streams through television. It can have that impact. I hope it won’t. I hope that we’ll be able to reach that agreement. But there is that potential.

With the credits given by the union, what are some of the ways they would bear risk?
RG: They don’t bear the risk.

What would be some of the ways?
RG: I’m not going to negotiate with them publicly. The cost of generating revenue is becoming more and more expensive. They share in revenue. They don’t share in cost.

Will the discussion of having a 17th regular-season game be included in the labor discussions or is it possible that it can be moved faster through separate discussions?
RG: I guess it’s possible but I don’t know. We haven’t had extensive discussions with the union. Most of our analysis has been internal. Does it work? Is it something we want to pursue? Before we propose something we would want to think through all the issues that some of the people have raised here. How would you work 17 weeks by conference? We need to do more analysis. We would talk to the union at the appropriate time and see what their reaction is.

What is the status on the Marvin Harrison situation?
RG: We are just keeping very close to all of the investigators and making sure we understand the facts as soon as they become available to us. That’s all we can do until we have more facts.

Are you concerned?
RG: I’m always concerned when our players are involved with things. It’s premature for us to say anything because we really do not know enough of the facts.

Did you consider making a proposal to the union before opting out?
RG: We had a meeting with them. We felt that this deal was not working. That was the most clear message to send them. It’s really to get to the table and to start negotiating. Whether we make a proposal or they make a proposal first, the reality is we just have to get to an agreement. We didn’t feel the deal was working. We needed to make that clear so that we could start the negotiation.

How much has the increased costs of stadium financing exacerbated the issue of rising player costs?
RG: When you’re building $2 billion facilities, you can understand the stress that brings on a system. Generating the kind of revenue to pay down that $2 billion is significant. And you have the obligations to pay the players as part of that. So, that’s been a big issue. That’s one of the things that none of us could have foreseen. But, when you see what’s happened in the marketplace with respect to financing particularly the auction rate securities. That’s a big impact that the owners have to bear, not the players. That’s what I mean by about risk in the marketplace.


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News / Release

Commissioner Goodell -- Spring Meeting In Atlanta (Part 2 of 2)
05/21/2008
COMMISSIONER GOODELL PRESS CONFERENCE
NFL SPRING MEETING
Atlanta, GA – May 20, 2008, 5:00 PM

Commissioner Goodell: Regarding the Competition Committee agenda, we picked up many of the matters that we had tabled from the March meetings.

One of them was the coach-to-defense implementation of the communication system.

The second was the integrity of the game. The rules and the policy that we adopted in March, we went through the details of how that will work – specifically the certification, the duty to report, the spot checks and some of the technology we’ll be using.

Third point, the Competition Committee discussed what has been called ‘the hair rule.’ We have tabled that on the basis – it was my view – that there was further work to be done. As you know, in March I tabled it because I felt it was out of respect to the players – Alex (Marvez) is over here shaking his head, the Alex rule (laughter) – I thought it was important for us to hear directly from the players. We had a Player Advisory Committee meeting in April. There are some additional items that need to be followed up on, so I felt out of respect for the players that we should continue to work with them and address this to see if there is a reasonable compromise, which of course doesn’t include cutting their hair. That has been tabled.

One other issue is that we have expanded our international practice squad to 16 teams for the season.

Preseason. We had a pretty lengthy presentation at the end of today on how we would approach the preseason. It was innovative. It was discussing more of how we look at our offseason and the start of our offseason from Senior Bowl to Combine to The Draft to training camps and minicamps. How a player goes through the process of making a team is a very compelling story, and we call it “the journey”. It is something we’re going to do more work on as it relates to how we can create greater content for the NFL and present our players and the game at a time when there is more desire for NFL content.

We spent a quite a bit of time today on fan conduct. We look at the issue of our in-stadium experience as something that is critically important. We think that the experience can be improved. We are going to be working with our clubs to improve that. We want everyone to be able to come to our stadiums and behave properly. So we’ll be focusing on that, including the implementation of an NFL fan conduct policy which we will have out prior to the season. It was generally agreed among all of our clubs that we should be able to do better here and make sure all fans can come in and enjoy the experience.

Personal conduct was raised and discussed again at length. This is an ongoing issue as I told you one year ago. We are adding some additional aspects to our policy. The most specific one and the one of greatest interest will be implementing club fines. Clubs that have incidents, players, coaches, anybody involved with an incident, there will be a league fine attached to that, and it will escalate with the more incidents that you might have.

We spent a little bit of time also talking about our public service promotional platform. The discussion there was what the NFL should stand for and where we can make the greatest difference. I think our focus is on youth health and fitness and it’s something that we are going to be more focused on as we go into this season and clearly beyond that.

Then we spent a little bit of time on two significant anniversaries. This year, as you know, is the 50th anniversary of the ’58 Championship Game. We will be doing something special around that. Details are yet to be announced, but we went through some ideas with our clubs today. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the AFL, and we started to advise our clubs of some plans we’re going to have to celebrate that significant time.

You know about the labor issue, of course.

Q: Personal conduct policy and if there is a set schedule for fining teams?
No, it’s part of our personal conduct policy. There will be a fine against the club if a player is suspended under the personal conduct policy. That will be paid to the league to help cover the costs of some of the resources and some of the things we’re doing to help support our players. It will escalate with the number of incidents that you have at any particular club, so if you have more incidents the percentage will go up, and it will be based off of the player’s salary.

Q: Is that for suspensions or arrests?
Suspensions. Any discipline under the personal conduct policy. In this case, specifically, the example I was giving you of personal conduct was suspensions.

Q: This is not until you’ve adjudicated it?
Yes, that’s correct.

Q: Whether the policy will include other penalties besides money, such as draft picks?
It could. I think, to start with, we didn’t outline that but there’s potential that it could grow into that at some point.

Q: The amount of the fine is not tied into the severity of the infraction but rather the player’s salary?
The way we’ve outlined it to date, and we’ve just outlined a draft, but that is something we’re considering. That’s a reasonable issue – depending on the severity of the issue – we might consider that.

Q: Any discussion of expanding rosters or playoff re-seeding?
We did not discuss that.

Q: Proposal by Competition Committee regarding anti-tampering rule?
We did discuss that. The Competition Committee has met on that a couple of times. We’ll continue to discuss that. As you know, that’s really not an issue in the next several months. We’ll raise it again by October. We need to do some additional work on that.

Q: Fan conduct?
First of all, it’s very possible, and likely, that people can come to a game and enjoy alcoholic beverages or beer and do it very responsibly. What we don’t want is there to be abusive behavior. That includes foul language; that includes disrupting other people who are there to enjoy the game. We’re just saying, come and enjoy yourself, but don’t ruin it for others.

Q: Can you police that without having security everywhere?
We think we can, and we think some clubs are doing some very creative things here to get help to specific areas and to let our fans know that we expect when you come here you act civilized and allow everyone to enjoy the game. Have fun, scream as much as you want, but do it in a way that’s appropriate. I think I’ve told you in the past that I went to a game last year as a fan. I went through the gates and went through the whole experience, and it was a terrific experience. But that varies from stadium to stadium and probably game to game, and probably time to time. There’s no question that we probably have a more difficult time in the evening games. In some cases that’s because the normal season ticket-holder isn’t at that game and they give it to somebody else. That’s not a license to be unruly. In our opinion, you have a responsibility to whoever you give those tickets to, and you’re responsible for their behavior. It’ll be discipline, enforcement, and making sure that we communicate our message effectively.

Q: Any indication that there’s been an increase in bad behavior?
What’s precipitated it is hearing from fans. I hear a lot from fans and our teams hear from their fans, people who have had a bad experience. I think it’s something that we believe should be addressed effectively by the NFL, and so we’re going to take the positive step to do it and do it in a responsible fashion. I think it’ll be good for all of us to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make sure this experience is a good one.

Q: Which teams are doing a good job?
I’m not going to go there. I think we can all improve. I think all of us are going to learn from one another about what’s working in some stadiums. The situation is going to vary, and there are some new factors coming in. The secondary ticket market is a new factor and we have to figure out how to handle that. There’s not a one size fits all solution.

Q: Teams will get fined for personal conduct rather than drug policy violations?
That’s correct.

Q: Termination of contracts and the new rules that go into place today?
We’ll be happy to get them all for you. There is an acceleration of some of the rules and we’ll get them for you.

Q: Having the NFL Draft in Los Angeles – criteria?
I also got a letter from the mayor that indicated interest, saying that they think this would be a great spot for the draft. We are looking at that – that’s one of the cities that’s indicated an interest in doing that. We have an interest also. I think it goes in with all of the changes that we’re thinking about with the draft – whether we move it to prime time, which rounds go on which day, and including rotating the site. That’s one of the things that we’ll continue to look at.

Q: Time frame?
It could be as early as 2009.

Q: When will the decision be made?
I would guess sometime in the fall just because of the plans necessary.

Q: If a player gets fined but not suspended for a personal conduct policy violation, will the team get fined?
That’s something we’re still working out. We haven’t made a final determination on that. We have not implemented the policy; we discussed how we were going to proceed on this. We gave them some broad outlines, but that’s one of the issues we’re still addressing.

Q: Fan behavior issue and not having enough security manpower?
Certainly if that’s required, and they need more manpower to address their issues, then yes, we would seek to make sure that they have those resources available to them. Somebody made a comment earlier when we were discussing this issue about statistics. One of the things we want to do is get standardized information so we understand exactly what we are dealing with and, more importantly, understand what’s effective. So as we implement changes and we have various programs to address this issue, we know what’s working and what’s not working so we can focus on what’s working.

Q: Are there legal issues surrounding that?
I have yet to find something where there wasn’t a legal aspect.

Q: The game he attended as a fan and his opinion on the perfect model of an ideal game for fans?
I went with my 13-year-old niece and I sat in two locations. I sat all the way at the top on about the 40 and I sat in the end zone, and they were two different experiences, to be honest with you. I was actually quite surprised at how different they were. I think the model is, from the time somebody goes to a stadium, and that includes getting into the stadium, going through the parking experience, going through the gates, sitting there, concessions, restrooms, the whole experience – making sure that they feel safe, that they’re comfortable and that they can enjoy the game without being interfered with. I think people have a right to do that, so I think that’s the experience. We want them to go home safely, and when they arrive home, feel good about what they just did that day.

Q: 26 players being arrested or cited since the Super Bowl this year vs. 27 players at the same time last year, and how much he feels the personal conduct policy is working when the numbers show that it’s not?
I don’t agree with that. If you look at any particular window, it might not look like there’s been significant progress, but I think there’s a greater recognition of the issue. We’ve showed that there was a significant reduction in numbers. I recognize there have been incidents in the recent few weeks which concern me, and that’s one of the reasons we’ve raised it again. We will continue to address this issue; it is still a priority for us. As I said last year, this is not going to get resolved simply by issuing a new personal conduct policy. It’s going to be continuing reinforcement of the message: you’re expected to act a particular way if you’re going to be involved with the NFL, period.

Q: Pacman Jones and a possible partial reinstatement so he can work out with the team?
I really wanted to get through today’s meeting, but I will meet with Adam. I will see what his progress is. Depending on his progress, I will make a determination on whether it’s appropriate to have him work out at the team facility or work out with the team. As you know, I gave him that right at the end of last season to use the facilities, and then he lost it. So, I’ll have to make a judgment about whether I think he understands his responsibilities as an NFL player and we’ll go from there.

Q: Has Adam made any attempt to meet with you to get this issue resolved while you are here in Atlanta?
I have not heard from him here.

Q: It sounds like that meeting could take place very soon?
Yes, it could.

Q: With regard to the CBA, could you say something to the fans about whether or not they should be worried at this point? What is your level of confidence about reaching a new agreement with the players before the deadline?
I think our fans should focus on enjoying NFL football. They have got that for the next three seasons at a minimum. It is our job to be able to address these issues off-the-field with the players, not through the media, but directly with the players and do it responsibly so that we reach an agreement that is good for the players, good for the NFL, and, most importantly, good for our fans.

Q: Any level of confidence?
I don’t go around making projections. It’s our job to reach something that is fair and appropriate. I’m sure I will be held accountable to that.

Q: Can you talk about the plan to have rookies tour the Hall of Fame and talk about the importance of this connection between rookies and players in the Hall?
It’s actually an idea that Michael Irvin gave me at the Hall of Fame last year and as you know he made what I thought was one of the most emotional and powerful speeches when he was inducted. We talked about the power of the Hall of the Fame. We talked about the power of the players who played the game and the coaches that coached the game. The players coming into the league should have an understanding of that history, that tradition, and the people that came before them. We actually looked at the possibility of moving the entire Rookie Symposium to Canton. That could not be done, at least in the short term, because of facilities. So, this was an alternative that we thought was appropriate, bringing the rookies to the Hall of Fame and letting them go through. Many of the clubs will be sending their own Hall of Fame players with them to give them an experience. I hope they’ll understand that they’re walking in some pretty big shoes and that they have a responsibility to the NFL and that they will someday hope to be in that Hall themselves as inductees.

Q: What evidence did you look at as far as the preseason?
We didn’t get specific. This was really more of a broader concept. We really talked about the journey that starts with the college players by going through the process of being selected in the NFL, making the NFL, and how compelling that story really is. We should really look at the preseason not as the beginning of the season, but actually as the end of the process where they learn how to become an NFL player. They either make it or they don’t, and that’s really very compelling content to us. We compared that to some of the other entertainment that is going on and how we thought that there is a place for this.

Q: Is this content for the NFL Network?
I think it would go beyond the NFL Network, but clearly it is why we believe a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year channel talking about the NFL is a very compelling proposition because there are great stories. Other networks have other programming and they have other interests. We think talking football 365 days a year is good because there a lot people who want to talk about it and that’s good for us and it’s good for our fans.

Q: With the hair rule being tabled again, will players be able to wear their hair the way they have been for at least this season?
Yes, I think that is safe to say. We’re going to be meeting with the players again. We’re going to be discussing alternatives. We will be at least looking at some of those alternatives and maybe even trying some of those alternatives out if players are willing to do so in hopes we would have some sort of solution for this in the future. I would assume that it wouldn’t come in on a broad level for the 2008 season.

Q: Are there any updates on the Patriots scalping Super Bowl tickets or them allowing a player to practice while on injured reserve?
No.

Q: Was anything decided on the helmet communications system for the defense?
We passed it in March. Now it is just a question of implementing the actual communications system and making sure that it is in place and effective. We have done it within the policy we have passed in March.

Q: Have any teams experimented with it yet?
Not that I am aware of.

Q: Could there be fines levied against teams if there are too many rowdy fan incidents in their stadiums?
I never mentioned fines in that context. At some point that may be something that we entertain, but at this stage right now all the clubs believe that this is something we can do better at and we are going to be focused on how we can improve the experience. It is not a defining matter at this stage.

Q: Have you had any contact with Senator Specter since he called for an independent investigation last week?
No, I have not.

Q: Do you have any plans for that?
Nope.

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Mariah Carey And Nick Cannon TMZ Guesses Who's Moving In

TMZ's playing a guessing game of who's moving in with whom regarding which star is moving is with the other. The pair got married earlier this month in the Bahamas.

According to Reuters, they held a secret ceremony and invited only close family and friends. Cannon gave Carey a ring worth $2.5 million.

NFL EXPANDS INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE SQUAD PROGRAM

NFL EXPANDS INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE SQUAD PROGRAM

From NFLMedia.com

To enhance the development of elite football talent from around the world, NFL clubs have agreed to expand the league’s International Practice Squad Program. The action was taken at the NFL Spring Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on May 20.

The initiative, which enters its fifth year in 2008, will for the first time feature 16 players joining the practice squads of NFL teams.

The players will be selected and assigned to teams in the AFC North, AFC West, NFC South and NFC West in time for training camp. Participating players will be announced in mid-July.

Since the program’s inception in 2004, 22 players have participated, including 11 last year and nine that have participated twice.

One player, guard Rolando Cantu of Mexico, graduated from the International Practice Squad Program to see action in the NFL the following season. Cantu spent 2004 on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad before being elevated to the active roster by the club in 2005.

Cantu played in one game that year, the club’s season finale against the Indianapolis Colts, and was on the field when kicker Neil Rackers connected on his record-setting 40th field goal of the season, the most in a season in NFL history.

Cantu is now retired from football and serves as the Cardinals’ manager of international business ventures.

# # #

Why This Talk Of Obama Assassination? A Sick Pattern That Must End

The latest was Fox News Analyst Liz Trotta (pictured), and Senator Hillary Clinton was just before her by three days. Then we had Arkansas Governor Mike Hucabee and also White Supremacist and friend to Fox News' Sean Hannity Hal Turner.

What do all of these people have in common? Well, all are over 50 years old, either in the mainstream media or have access to the mainstream media, are White, and all have suggested that Senator Barack Obama be harmed or threatened in some way.

It doesn't matter if it's said in a suggestive way, as Senator Clinton did, or directly as Turner did. The main question is why are they doing this, and also why is it that a frightening portion of people in the mainstream media -- again to date all White -- are giving these comments a pass.

(As a momentary aside, it's wrong regardless of color, but the pattern to date is an alarming one.)

Let's start with Senator Clinton's now famous statement, which you can read here. Regardless of your interpretation, she said what she said and one has to ask why in hell Clinton would even have the possibility of a June assassination in her mind.

Think about it.

Clinton said that it was not a good idea to want her to quit the race and gave several historical reasons why, including mentioning that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. Well, how the hell is one to think anything other than that she had Senator Obama -- the only other person remaining in the Presidential Race -- in mind?

In my view Senator Clinton has a major problem with a moral compass that she turns off when the issue isn't apparently a directly moral one. Thus, she can say "it takes a President" in a very sloppy response to Fox News' Marshall Holman's question regarding Martin Luther King's legacy. This really terrible person filling in for Ronn Owens on his KGO Morning Show was not able or willing to wrap is mind around the fact that Clinton's "policy first" perspective was wrongheaded and so hung up on me on the call-in show this morning.

A very small action of an obviously very small person. I was happy to learn this so quickly.

And thus it -- since that person's part of the mainstream media and White and apparently at, near, or over 50 years old -- brings me back to my main concern: that these terrible comments aimed against Senator Obama are seemingly OK with the John Rothman's of the World.

What I was saying to him got on the air -- Senator Clinton has a moral compass problem. In other words, Clinton's so busy thinking about what she thinks (and Rothman thinks) is the right answer, but in reality is one possible answer and one without a moral adjustment where you consider how those who revere Dr. King (who was killed) would feel -- not the right one.

I didn't waste time calling Rothman back because to do so would have been, well, a waste of time. I've learned to ignore people like that and did so a long time ago.

But what's bothersome is that people like him and Trotta have jobs at KGO and Fox News. I'd love to see them fired and replaced with voices of color and young White voices who represent diverse communities.

I think a big part of the news media's problem goes back to the lack of newsroom diversity; it's all one kind of voice most of the time. This is certainly true for KGO, which is why I seldom tune in, if ever. I used to do so, but over the years I've observed Ronn Owens reflecting a dated viewpoint and the last straw was Owens guest, a totally stupid and psychotically racist man named Burt Prelutsky, who send email after sicko email expressing the desire to debate me online -- rather than in person.

(Owens and Burt are in the photo -- the one with the guys with the shirts I wouldn't wear!)



People like Burt are so sick, debating them in person is easy. I know his weakness and it stems from his own hatred of people of color and the fact that he sees himself as smarter than someone like me because I'm Black (Have doubts? You should hear that cracker!) -- his first error which comes from a personal God complex. He;s not the judge but because he thinks he's the judge makes him so fun to toy with -- in person. His emails I don't want at all. I'll leave it at that. He's a nut and Ronn was not only nuts for giving him a platform, but for sending him to me online and not setting it up so I could embarass Burt on Ronn's show. Ronn thought it was funny; I wasn't laughing but considered calling the cops at one point.

I'm serious.

It's people like those that are apologists for Senator's Clinton's RFK comments. Geez.

And if not the KGO myopics, then we have people like Liz Trotta, who are so mentally stuck in the "us" versus "them" mentality that talking about bring harm to Senator Obama is within the realm of possibility. Heck, Trotta did it.



But the real person who's just beyond the pale is Hal Turner (pictured with the cartoon-like comment(, the White Supremacist who's rants calling for Obama's assassination were so threatening the FBI and Secret Service were contacted. Sean Hannity's a friend of Turner and even had him on his show as recently as 2005.

To me the only remedy is the wholesale sacking of people like these and by others within their peer group who have enough internal strength to say "Look, that's enough. You're finished." Only then will this crap stop and we can move on toward achieving a more healthy American Society.

Right now, it's pretty fucked up.

LIZ TROTTA SHOULD BE FIRED FOR SAYING OBAMA SHOULD BE KILLED

See this video because Fox News had the never to allow this person Liz Trotta to say that Barack Obama should be killed. What the fuck is going on here? Why are we allowing this steady diet of people -- frankly older White folks in news -- making comments that Obama should be killed or shot at?

Moreover, why is Liz Trotta allowed to keep her job? Why isn't the FBI or Secret Service paying attention to this overall string of scary commentary blasted before us?

This is a parade of sick individuals before the public eye.

See this:



UPDATE: This post has led to a lively conversation, but someone asked that I write a follow-up of more detail. I did. It breaks down the details behind who has been making these comments and offers a view of the possible reasons, one of which is the lack of diversity in newsroom's like that of Fox News.

See: http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-this-talk-of-obama-assassination.html

Hillary Clinton Off Deep End: Blames Obama For Her RFK Assassination Gaffe

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton simply must either get out of the presidential race or be forced out. Just three days after her gaffe heard 'round the World, Clinton expressed the total nerve to blame Senator Barack Obama and his staff -- himself who was the unfortunate "target" of her not-too-hidden idea that the possibility of his assassination in June was a good reason to stay in the race -- is now blaming Obama for her sick comments.

This after Obama accepted her apology without fanfare.

No kidding. Clinton's charge is that Obama and staff -- rather than the NY Post or Keith Olbermann at NBC -- ran with this story and fanned its flames. Wow.

Instead of letting her appology stand, Clinton and her staff have decided to act like a wounded animal backed into a corner, and are now lashing out recklessly. The one best way to end this really is for uncommitted Superdelegates to come out and give Obama the 49 delegates he needs as of this writing to close this campaign.

Enough is enough.

Kirk Wright Suicide: Former NFL Financial Advisor Commits Suicide In Jail

In a very sad end to a story about a person that had so much initial promise, Kirk Wright, the man convicted of up to 710 years in jail for mail and securities fraud and who had formed frauduent reports to clients to cause them to think they were making money from his investment portfolio, when he was losing money, killed himself in jail in Union City, North Carolina. Some of his clients were NFL players.

The result was that he fled from capture and when found was sentenced to prison for a term longer -- much longer than his life. He was -- to my knoweldge -- given no chance to clean up his act with the people he harmed or society in general.

And now, this young man is dead at 37.

It's sad. Sad to know that a professional Black young man with vast connections could wind up in the position he found himself in. And he probably saw himself as having failed after trying to reach above where society seems to say where he should be, only to find himself in a mostly-Black prison system, and with no way out.

So Kirk created one. God bless his soul.

A Democratic Landslide In November?

As the contentious and historic battle between Democratic heavyweights Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton arrives at an abrupt finish, the limelight and attention can now be focused on both sides ability to emerge victorious in states usually reserved for the opposing party.

Can Obama court elderly Jewish voters in Florida and blue collar workers in the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania? Can McCain convince the residents of Michigan that he is correct on the economy and will the established status quo citizens of the sunshine state play it safe and cast their vote for what many perceive as a Bush third term? Moreover, these are the hotly debated questions in these pivotal swing states that's going to differentiate which candidate is going to win in November.

While it would seem evident that in one of the most horrific and appalling years in United States history, with a misguided and debilitating war, an economy in peril, 47 million uninsured Americans, zero respect from allies and adversaries, an administration allergic to effective leadership and immune to responsibility, an absent minded energy and foreign policy, an environment on the brink of disaster and an educational system that's stealing the future of millions of hard working children and teenagers, that Democrats would cruise to victory this fall and recapture the White House.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. Barack Obama is not going to easily slither his way to the mountain top without a highly competitive and combative contest from John McCain. Republicans might not know how to run the country, but they know very well how to run a campaign.

SF Supervisor Chris Daly Called For Riot in San Francisco During Olympic Torch Protest

Just as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom was worrying about the very possible future of violent protests along the route of the Olympic Torch Relay on the evening before the day of the event, April 9th, here in my video below, is Supervisor Chris Daly calling for protesters to "shut down" San Francisco, stating that it's part of the city's history to have such things happen.

Appearing before a crowd of about 8,000 people and as part of a well-done Olympic Torch Protest event at United Nations Plaza and featuring actor Richard Gere, Supervisor Daly took the stage with Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and after saying "Free Tibet" and waiting for the crowd to respond, he said "to do any less than take the streets of San Francisco would be un-san franciscan.

Daly continued by stating that in "1934, labor shut San Francisco down. In 2003, 300 people were on the streets of San Francisco saying 'no' to an illegal war and occupation of a country where the people were not inviting us in.." and continued as Supervisor Mirkarimi clapped in celebration of his speech, and the crowd got more excited.

Then Supervisor Mirkarimi took the mic and said that Supervisor Daly was called the "Daly-Lama" around City Hall.

Ok.

Still, one wonders what may have happened if Mayor Newsom had not secretly altered the Olympic torch path the next day. Not only would there have been violent protests and perhaps deaths, but Chris Daly would have hit his objective of protests being held, which would have cost the City itself a lot of money in police hours and the almost certain flood of lawsuits that would have been filed.

Here's the video:



Video also on Dailymotion and AOL , and MySpace.

Bush - McCain Fundraiser Reduced In Size: Poor Ticket Sales

According to Talking Points Memo, a planned fundraiser featuring President Bush II and presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain was scaled back due to poor ticket sales.

That should send a message of the election future of the Republicans. Three special election losses, and now this. November looks like a Democratic Landslide, if we can keep Senator Clinton in check.

Obama To Pick Up 40 Clinton Delegates

According to blogger Al Giordano (any relation to Matt from the Indy Colts and Cal Bears?), Senator Barack Obama will pick up 40 new delegates who had backed Senator Clinton. This move was not a reaction to the Clinton RFK issue, but came just before it. Let's see who else moves after it.

Hillary Is 44 Website Blind To Clinton RFK Assassination GaffeGate Scandal

Yes, I'm calling it GaffeGate because you've got to wonder who walked into Senator Clinton's head and stole her brain! That's the only way she could have even let the now famous words escape her mouth:

"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it."

But while the whole world is scratching its collective head over Senator Clinton's open connection of Bobby Kennedy's assassination to present day, and by reference Senator Obama and when she would get out of the presidential race, the pro-Clinton website "Hillary Is 44" acts like the matter never happened.

Wild.

Keith Olbermann's Daily Kos Blog On Clinton RFK Comments

Well, the media hits just keep coming regarding Senator Hillary Clinton's Clinton RFK Assassination comments. Here's what Keith Olbermann of NBC's "Countdown" and the former ESPN anchor wrote over at the DailyKos just a few moments ago:

As alluded to elsewhere Senator Clinton's comments require a Special Comment tonight.

I need to be brief, but there's a preview below. We can sometimes have our most innocent remarks misinterpreted into the most violent of inferences - I know this firsthand. And we are still responsible for the words, no matter the intent.

The use of the word "assassination" is not open to misinterpretation. It has no place, not with our country's history.

Those words, Senator?
You actually invoked the nightmare of political assassination.
You actually invoked the spectre of an inspirational leader, at the seeming moment of triumph, for himself and a battered nation yearning to breathe free, silenced forever.
You actually used the word "assassination" in the middle of a campaign with a loud undertone of racial hatred -- and gender hatred -- and political hatred.
You actually used the word "assassination" in a time when there is a fear, unspoken but vivid and terrible, that our again-troubled land and fractured political landscape might target a black man running for president.
Or a white man.
Or a white woman!
You actually used those words, in this America, Senator while running against an African-American against whom the death threats started the moment he declared his campaign?
You actually used those words, in this America, Senator, while running to break your "greatest glass ceiling" and claiming there are people who would do anything to stop you?
You!
Senator -- never mind the implications of using the word "assassination" in any connection to Senator Obama...
What about you?
You cannot say this!

Here's Keith's television presentation on his show "Countdown: With Keith Olbermann."

Clinton RFK Comments: Samantha Power Must Be Smiling

Clinton RFK Assassination: Samantha Power Must Be Smiling

In the wake of Senator Clinton's amazingly shocking and hurtful statements regarding her reasons why she should remain in the campaign we have to go back and reconsider the supposed-to-be off-the-record comment by now former Obama for America Foreign Policy advisor Samantha Power, who famously said that Senator Clinton "Was a Monster."

Even though she apologized for that statement, you've got to believe Professor Power's smiling whereever she is in the World.

Hillary Clinton "RFK June Assasination" Comment Raises Obama Safety Concerns

Hillary Clinton "RFK June Assasination" Comment Raises Obama Safety Concerns

UPDATEL: Clinton Blames Obama for her gaffe

It was as shocking as it was sudden. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, then top campaigner against and now only the challenger to Senator Barack Obama's run for the Democratic Nominee for President of The United States, has made what in my estimation is the largest mistake of her candidacy, and yes, even larger than her comments on Martin Luther King where she said "It takes a President.."

Today, Senator Clinton really stuck her foot in it, calling up the image of Bobby Kennedy's Assasination in 1968 as a historic reason for her to stay in the current Presidential Election race. This Talking Points Memo video captures Hillary Clinton at the Argus Leader editorial board interview, May 23, 2008 which is today and where she made the comments:



This has caused an outrage all over. I first listened to this, and turned around and looked at my Mom, who's visiting, and she said "She's gone crazy." Over at the Huffington Post, the comments below Sam Stein's article are not supportive. I took it as this: she's waiting for someone to kill Barack Obama.

Senator Obama has been compared not just with JFK, but with RFK, as my video here shows.

Now, I'm hearing Clinton supporter, former aide, and CNN Contributor Paul Begala trying like heck to put lipstick on this pig, and it's not working at all.

This has spread like wildfire. Clinton's comments are on five videos on YouTube in just the last hour. AmericaBlog.com is calling for Superdelegates to make their decision now, based on the Clinton error, and the fact that Obama's only 56 delegates from the magic mark.

It's caused a firestorm over at DailyKos, and the -- as of this writing -- 1,400 + comments are overwhelmingly negative. Ann Kornblut over at Saddlebrook Democrats linked her statement with Governor Mike Huckabee's words that someone was aiming a gun at Barack Obama, saying "shame on you" to both.

She's right.

I wonder what's in her head to come up with that comment? I wonder if she's daring to think that someone will try to kill Senator Obama by June? There's something dark back there in the deep recesses of her mind and it's not good in my view.

It was a terrible statement for which she apologized:



But for me, it's not enough. Michelle Benard on MSNBC's right: Clinton's comments have cemented her terrible relationship with the African American community, perhaps for good.

Stay tuned.

Senator John McCain's Double (Tripple?) Pastor Problems

While the mainstream media was hammering Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama over his relationship with his now-former Pastor Jeremiah Wright, many bloggers were pointing to presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain's problem with not one, but two men of the cloth.

Now, thanks to YouTube, the controversial remarks of Pastor John Hagee, a prominent Christian minister who's endorsement McCain doggedly pursued and got, said these very ugly words according to The Huff Post's Sam Stein:

Hagee preached: "'And they the hunters should hunt them,' that will be the Jews. 'From every mountain and from every hill and from out of the holes of the rocks.' If that doesn't describe what Hitler did in the holocaust you can't see that.

"Theodore Hertzel is the father of Zionism. He was a Jew who at the turn of the 19th century said, this land is our land, God wants us to live there. So he went to the Jews of Europe and said 'I want you to come and join me in the land of Israel.' So few went that Hertzel went into depression. Those who came founded Israel; those who did not went through the hell of the holocaust.

"Then god sent a hunter. A hunter is someone with a gun and he forces you. Hitler was a hunter. And the Bible says -- Jeremiah writing -- 'They shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and from the holes of the rocks,' meaning there's no place to hide. And that might be offensive to some people but don't let your heart be offended. I didn't write it, Jeremiah wrote it. It was the truth and it is the truth. How did it happen? Because God allowed it to happen. Why did it happen? Because God said my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel." (Listen to the audio below.)

In other words, blame God for sending Hitler to "cause" the Holocaust.

Fortunately today, McCain rejected Hagee's endorsement. Not to be embarassed, Hagee rejected McCain.

But it all didn't stop there. McCain had to kick to the curb the backing of another pastor by the name of Rod Parsley, who openly said that Islam was a religion that was inherently violent.

I wonder what other people of God McCain will have to reject before this campaign is over.

Stay tuned.

NFL Owners opt out of CBA-Upshaw Not Fazed

NFL Owners opt out of CBA-Upshaw Not Fazed
By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Football Reporters Online-Special to SBS

Early this week the NFL owners group opted out of the collective bargaining agreement extension which was signed two years ago. Simply put, we are talking about three more years of labor peace (through 2010) even though both sides claim they "want to get the talks rolling now." NFLPA Head Gene Upshaw wasn't even upset. "We knew this was coming" He said. "We just didn't think it would be so soon". I guess he thought the owners would wait until the November 8th deadline.

Something tells me the owners aren't that interested in talking right this second. They will wait until next year at the earliest to call meetings and discuss getting the players to give back some more money, stating hard financial times. While it's true that the country is headed for a recession, there is no concrete evidence of this in professional sports when contracts are getting higher all the time.Could their possible be a strike after the 2010 season, something that has not taken place since 1987(you remember the 87 strike right? Games were played with replacement players) Sadly i remember the 1987 strike. It stunk of sports politics gone bad. We should pray it just doesn't happen again.

A New Design For Zennie's Zeitgeist

"To Everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a season.." A time to ..change blog designs. This is a new and evolving design that comes two years after Bloggers change to XML, and after our own -- and my own -- journey into rich media content. The increased use of video and special links gave such a weight to the original design that it was too slow to load. Finally push came to shove and here we have this new design.

Although it doesn't look like it, we are able to accomplish much of the same objectives with this cleaner look, from seeing our writer's names, to viewing the YouTube channel Zennie62, to buying tickets, to presenting our simulations. Plus, it's more in keeping with the fact that our blog network has taken on a life of its own and thus needed its own identity.

I also like the cool blue, but I'm now interested in XML, so future changes will reflect my increased knoweldge of how to code in it.

This design will evolve more, but the basic look is what you're going to see for awhile. Kudoes to Gekko and Fly for developing the look! Let me know what you think!

Asking Sen. Clinton to reject ALL "isms" not just sexism

Let's flip Clinton's argument around:

What if one candidate whined to the press that racism was keeping them down in the vote totals, but hinted that his opponent was unelectable because in the fall people were NOT going to vote for her because of her gender? Imagine if the surrogates blamed all Obama's problems on racism. Would there be a backlash? But somehow it's OK for Senator Clinton to point out that in her opinion it's racism that's going to keep Obama from being electable? Talk about a double-standard!

What should Senator Clinton do?

David Gergen hit the nail on the head on CNN. He suggested in light of Hillary Clinton's discussions of sexism in the election she should say, “You know, if you want to vote against him because he’s black, then I don’t want your vote.” Constitutionally it's obvious. For a candidate in the USA in 2008 it just makes sense. In fact, for a Democratic candidate, it's rather surprising that she's playing the "that's just how it is" card when it comes to racism, as though we cannot make progress in the pursuit of equal rights by expressing our dissatisfaction on election day.

I'm not sure what Senator Clinton's angle is, or what she's setting up. She's more savvy than I am about politics and campaigns, and she's got some of the best advisors that money can buy - but I'd sure like to see her denounce and reject racism rather than shrug her shoulders and tell the press and the superdelegates that too many people won't vote for something different.

We've had two centuries when the White House was controlled by men of pallor. Either Democratic candidate will change that. If Obama told us the country wasn't ready for a woman...?

read more | digg story

Barack Obama Hits Milestone - 1,965 Pledged Delegates A Majority

Senator Barack Obama took a major step closer to achieving the Democratic Presidential Nomination when he reacted 1,965 pledged delegates and now needing just 60 more delegates and / or Superdelegates to reach the magic mark of 2,025 total delegates and the nomination.

Here's Obama's speech:

Prayers For Senator Kennedy

I've learned as you may have, that Senator Ted Kennedy has a brain tumor. My prayers go out to Senator Kennedy and his family.

The Most Important Endorsement of Obama

All the others pale in comparison to the one that Senator Hillary Clinton has been giving, day in and day out, to Obama, starting more than a year ago. Indirect, unofficial, and obviously unstated, this constructive and active endorsement benefits Obama in ways any other endorsement doesn't. Her staying in promotes Obama's name. At last, Eteraz answers the question: why would savvy politicos like the Clintons keep campaigning when some said they were damaging the party? It's been said several ways, in several times, few matched this eloquent explanation. Once Senator Clinton's most loyal supporters understand this the "Democrats deep rift" that the GOP has been praying for will be seen as a short-lived myth.

read more | digg story

President Bush Wants To Attack Iran - Jerusalem Post

I am counting the days before the end of President Bush's term. According to the Jerusalem Post, he wants to attack Iran and soon, because his days in office are winding down.

Bush has been a miserable failure, period. Our economy is a wrekc, wars don't help it and he breaks off negotiations with a small third World country and has another war in mind.

Please leave office!

Darren McFadden - Marketing Team and Mom At NFL Draft- Video

We meet the marketing people behind promoting the Oakland Raiders' new running back Darren McFadden. We also talk to Darren's Mom -- all at the NFL Draft.

Unifying after a fractious fight, or: Being Appolonian Is Not Appeasement

The voter unity the Democrats will seek to support either candidate foreshadows (and mirrors) the unity the entire USA needs to support the next president. It may be trickier if Clinton prevails given Obama's broad support OUTSIDE his own party, but... Here's an audacious non-political formula to get there regardless. We can allow ourselves to grow apart, isolated and increasingly vulnerable, or we can decide to grow together. We must respect each other, and exhibit that respect even when we disagree, because despite disagreements what was true in 1776 is still true today: we are still seeking to form a more perfect union, and we flourish by unifying the myriad diverse strengths of individuals into a synergistic, unified democracy. It's a work in progress. Of course, it's easier in theory than it will be in practice, and we may have to oust the ratings-hungry sound-biters to succeed. (Oh darn.)

read more | digg story

Barack Obama Draws A Record 75,000 In Portland, Oregon Today

I've seen 18,000 gather in Oakland's City Hall plaza to hear Senator Obama and I thought that was massive. Every part of the area was filled with people and I could not imagine a larger gathering.

Well, think of a crowd almost four times larger than that and you will have this photo and the massively attended Obama speech in Portland, Oregon today.

What this says is Barack should not only do well in Oregon, he should clinch the number of delegates he needs to claim a majority of pledged delegates. But this also sends a message to Superdelegates that he's got a massive base of donors giving below $200, which means the Obama campaign does not have to share the names on their mailing lists.

If you want to be a part of Obama's action, you've got to back him.

Ecuador's Oil Power Grab: Suing Chevron; Taking Over US Oil Company Production

The Chevron / Ecuador scandal is more complex after all.

The Government of Ecuador's on a mission to take over and run energy production previously owned by American Companies. And where it can't do that, it files a lawsuit of it's own against Chevron for an oil spill that's the fault of PetroEcuador, the state-owned oil company.

The latest news came this weekend, when President Rafael Correa made an offer to buy out companies that did not want to do business with the country in it's original deal to slash winfall profits to just one percent. Now, Correa says he's willing to give up to a 30 percent profit if those companies drop their lawsuits.

But that's not the real news for companies like Occidental Petroleum, based in America. Because of a long-running dispute, Ecuador took over Occidental's production and gave it to Petroecuador, the same company that is the real organization to blame for Ecuador's oil-spill problems of the past.

Ecuador's overall strategy is clear. Give winfall profits to non-American oil companies, but sue and punish American oil firms, from Occidental to Chevron, and make PetroEcuador richer in the process. The Government is playing two sides of the coin: trying to increase oil production, but keep the tribes, who are anti-American, appeased in the process.

Mike Huckabee Should Apologize To Barack Obama For Dumb Joke

There's no way to excuse what Governor Mike Huckabee said as he was joking about Senator Barack Obama having a gun pointed at him. What was more chilling was that the NRA people laughed at the joke.

I think Atomic Lemur's right: the NRA's mostly gun-toting jerks who laugh about shooting people. The irony is that Senator Obama actually supports many of the NRA's positions regarding the individual right to bear arms.

I wish the NRA people were smart enough to see past his skin color to know that. GRRRR!!!!

See the video:

Clinton Campaign: "It Is Over" - Andrea Mitchell Reports On NBC News

In this Brietbart video, NBC News' Andrea Mitchell said that Hillary Clinton's campaign representatives have agreed that it's over and there's no way she can win the Democratic Presidential Nomination over Senator Barack Obama.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy Hospitalized

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times

Senator Edward M. Kennedy was rushed to a hospital on Saturday morning in Cape Cod, where he was treated for aserious - but unknown - illness. A senior Democratic official, speaking on condition of anonymity out of respect for the Kennedy family, said the senator was taken by ambulance to the hospital after he became ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport, Mass.

HBO's Hard Knocks to Feature the Dallas Cowboys

I Guess HBO is trying to keep the show fresh and innovative. That's nice, but could you pick a better team to showcase then the Cowgirls-i-mean-boys? How about some team who is on their way back up, Like the Redskins, or the Vikings, or even the Saints. Any team but the Cowboys and their attention seeking receiver Terrell Owens, who reminds us not to Pick on Tony Romo because he's is "His QB." Let me know when Tony gets a National Commercial spot. Even Brady Quinn of the Browns(and he's still a Back-up!) has an EAS-Myoplex commercial!! Is Wade Phillips even "Telegenic" enough to do a month of Training camp TV spots? Will we see another Terrell Owens "Meltdown"?

Fact-Checking Obama book quotes from "Dreams" and "Audacity"

There have been a series of quotes circulating in email recently, allegedly taken from Obama's books "Dreams of My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope." The author downloaded an unabridged copy (from ebooks) to facilitate locating each one. What he found will disappoint Obama's detractors, and inform everybody else.

read more | digg story

George Bush Following in Bill Clinton's Footsteps?

George W. Bush injected himself into the 2008 presidential race today when he took a swipe at Barack Obama in a speech to the Israeli Knesset. Without naming the Illinois Senator, the President criticized Obama's call for diplomatic engagement with Iran. Former Republican Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, commenting on MSNBC, described the President’s attack on a domestic political opponent in a formal speech in a foreign capital as “astonishing.” White House spokesmen said the speech was not a slam on Obama. However, CNN’s headline declared “Bush suggests Obama wants 'appeasement' of terrorists.”



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Speaking to a group of Americans Abroad in Tel Aviv after his speech, the President echoed Bill Clinton’s appeal on behalf of Hillary in January in New Hampshire, asking voters to give John McCain a "fighting chance" to continue the policies of the past eight years. “We can’t be a new story, I’m sorry,” he said apologetically, “there’s nothing we can do. I can’t make him younger, hairier, or African American. There’s lotsa things I can’t do. But if you want a President and you need one, he would be by far the best.”


These comments of course have led some political and psycho-analysts to see other strong similarities with former President Clinton's sometimes controversial role in his wife’s campaign. They speculate Bush is trying to make up for the public humiliation he subjected McCain to during his failed contest for the Republican nomination in 2000. Others note a McCain victory may be the last opportunity for Bush to restore the legacy of his own Presidency, stained by the scandals of a failed war, an economy on the brink of depression and the Administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina. However, most analysts do not expect Bush to follow the example of former Presidents Clinton and Bush’s own father, George H.W. Bush, in promoting philanthropy after he leaves the White House. With all the catching up he has to do on the golf course, unfortunately they just don’t think there will be enough time left for fighting AIDS or helping disaster victims.


In other news, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino confirmed that the President has asked the Justice Department to provide him with a list of all Administration officials who may have committed crimes while in office. “The President wishes to ensure that before he leaves office his Article II powers to grant pardons are exercised to the fullest extent, whether just for directing lucrative contracts to cronies or the commission of war crimes. This is one section of the Constitution that the President considers sacrosanct.” Perino would not indicate, however, if the President was prepared to make public the names of all donors to the George W. Bush Presidential Library that will be constructed starting next year at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and is expected to cost as much as $500 million. "It is too early to make that call," said Perino, "and we were frankly hoping Bill Clinton would break ground on that precedent. We'll just have to wait and see what he does if Hillary becomes Vice President."







wizinit is the nom de guerre of a veteran diplomat whose career highlight was lunching with the late Art Buchwald in an Eighth Floor dining room at the US State Department in the mid-eighties. He is now a registered Fan of Andy Borowitz at the Huffington Post