Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Wade Phillips Fired? Cowboys' Jerry Jones Should Step Down

This blogger has nothing but complete admiration for Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones. Mr. Jones took a once-proud franchise and brought it back to Super Bowl glory, building the dynasty of the 90s, winning Super Bowls three times in 1993, 1994, and then 1996.  

But the Cowboys have fallen on hard times in the 21st Century, and in the matter of Wade Phillips, who was fired by Jones today, the real problem remains at the top: Jones himself.

Jones achieved success with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as head coaches, and the use of an offensive line that was the first majority-African American line, with each player over 300 pounds. The Cowboys used that advantage to build a power running game, and a stretch-the-field Ernie Zampese / Norv Turner passing game. All of this allowed Jerry Jones to look like a genius and be the face of the Dallas Cowboys - a behavior in direct violation of former Cowboys Owner, the late Clint Murchison.

Clint Murchison, or Mr. Murchison, did something that arguably established the organizational stability around which the Dallas Cowboys were originally built. In 1964 Mr. Murchison signed then young Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, their first, to a 10 year contract. And he did this as the Cowboys first four years were totally awful, starting 0-11-1, and the next three years with no more than five wins a season.

Clint Murchison, who believed in hiring experts and stepping out of the way, left management of the Dallas Cowboys to the NFL's first well-known tripplets: Coach Landry, General Manager Tex Schramm, and Vice President of Player Personnel Gil Brandt.  That group produced the NFL's longest winning streak, the best winning percentage in the NFL, and a mark of success that stands largely unchallenged today.

Jerry Jones Fires Wade Phillips

Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips because he didn't see a positive future for the organization on the field after the Cowboys were pasted 45 to 7 by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.  Jones took the action after saying he would not make any decisions until after the season.  That Jones went against his own statement and bowed to media pressure is but one example of why he should remove himself from the title of "General Manager" of the Dallas Cowboys.

Jerry Jones' constant meddling with the organization has produced a climate of "win-now-or-else" which flies in the face of the actions one takes to create organizational stability.  Moreover, Mr. Jones is not a "system guy," and seems to have almost an aversion to developing system-based organizations.

None of his head coaches are known for creating innovative schemes or coherent organizational structures.  Indeed, the very placement of Jerry Jones at the general manager helm eliminates the development of such organizational systems and the selection of "system coaches."  In other words, coaches that are known for innovations on offense and defense.

One could go a step further and assert that such a coach would have a name that would overshadow that of "Jerry Jones" and Jones may not like that.  In fact, there's ample evidence to back such a claim in how Jones got along with Jimmy Johnson in the years before Jimmy left the Cowboys.

The best episode was told by Sports Illustrated's Peter King in 1994.  Jones simply had to be part of the action, even if he didn't know what he was doing in terms of running the organization. Consider this damning paragraph:

The day before the 1992 NFL draft, the Dallas brain-trust—Johnson, Jones and Ackles—formulated a trade to offer the Cleveland Browns. Late that day, after Jones had left the office, Cleveland coach Bill Belichick called back to say he would do the deal, and the Cowboys announced it. On draft day Jones came to the office upset that he hadn't been called when the deal was confirmed, and he asked to see Johnson. Their meeting droned on until, with only five minutes left before the start of the draft, Jones told Johnson, "You know the ESPN camera is in the draft room today. So whenever we're about to make a pick, you look at me, like we're talking about it." In other words, Make me look as if I'm a big player here, even though we all know I'm not making the picks.
Jerry Jones inability to recognize when feeding his ego becomes a problem, is the problem. It's why Jerry Jones must, with all deliberate speed, fire himself as General Manager of The Dallas Cowboys. Otherwise, Dallas will never achieve Super Bowl level success, perhaps for decades.

Monday, November 08, 2010

Brian David Mitchell Pleads Insanity




The Salt Lake Tribune online reports that Brian David Mitchell is pleading insanity.

A back story about Mitchell is that he thinks that he is an angel sent from heaven to correct the Morman  Church by restoring its fundamental values. He and his wife allegedly kidnapped Elizabeth Smarth (14-years-old at the time) and held her captive for nine months.

The thought that this man could be insane does not seem too shocking, but he is just now pleading insanity. To back up this plea The Salt Lake Tribute posts information about Mitchell's early years.

The 57-year-old showed psychosis as a teenager according to Parker Douglas, Mitchell's attorney. Douglas tells The Salt Lake Tribune that Mitchell's grandfather was diagnosed and hospitalized for paranoid schizophrenia.

Insanity doesn't seem too far fetched.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Final Ballot Count Delay Due To Provisional Ballots



The much-anticipated final Oakland Mayor's Race ballot count that was to take place at 4 PM today (and had television media rushing to the Alameda County Registrar's Office at 4 PM just as this video blogger was leaving) has been delayed around 24 hours.

According to David Mac Donald, who was the hero of the Alameda County effort to handle the massive turnout for the 2008 Presidential Election that saw Barack Obama elected the first African-American President of The United States, the reason is a "crowded election."

"We've had more ballots to process in this election, than in any election in history," Mac Donald said. "And the reason is because with Ranked Choice Voting, every voter in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Leandro got three ballot cards. And so it's triple the amount of paper that we have to handle. So it's been a big effort, but we're making a lot of progress. We're getting there."

Mac Donald said that he's received calls and visits from "some of the candidates" who have been watching the count closely.

And for good reason.

When the first round Oakland Mayor's Race ballots were counted, Former Senator Don Perata was ahead of Councilmember Jean Quan 33.96 percent to 24.54 percent, with At-Large Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan close by at 21.48 percent.   Only a massive transfer of votes in the second round of counting to determine voters second choice could place Jean Quan ahead.  That happened.

When the second round and successive rounds were calculated to get to a 50 percent majority for one candidate first, (now former as of January 2011) Oakland Councilmember Jean Quan took the lead:

10th round (final)

43,825 - 51.09% - Jean Quan
41,949 - 48.91% - Don Perata

9th round
36,816 - 40.21% - Don Perata
28,399 - 31.02% - Jean Quan
26,333 - 28.76% - Rebecca Kaplan

(Transferred 15,426 to Jean Quan / 5,133 for Don Perata, which is the "impossible scenario" some observers offered.)

When that was reported, the Perata camp's collective head sunk, and the Quan supporters broke out the bubby:



And for good reason: Quan will be Oakland's first Asian and female mayor if the lead holds up.

Meanwhile, this blogger fielded calls, emails, and messages of concern that Quan, considered at times aloof and insensitive, was going to be Oakland's new leader.

The difference as of this writing is just 1,876 votes between Perata and Quan. And, according to the Registrar of Voters there were over 10,000 absentee ballots that were counted, but an unknown number of provisional ballots that are being counted.

It's the provisional ballots that are taking more time.

What are they? I can use myself to give an example. The information containing my polling location was incorrect, so in going to what was printed as the correct place, that was closed. In a rush, I went over to vote at another location, where I filled out a "provisional ballot."

The problem for David Mac Donald and his crew at the Registrar of Voters, is that a ballot that was filled out from someone who lives in Livermore, but dropped off in Oakland, creates more sorting work for that person. David Mac Donald's people have to separate those provisional ballots and then count the Oakland-based ballots that deal with Oakland, and those are "Ranked Choice Voting" designed.

Got it?

With all this, it's too early for anyone to celebrate. Still, we have to allow Jean Quan's supporters a moment of partying and drinking, considering their hard work. "Gaming" the Ranked Choice Voting system - telling supporters who to vote for - worked. Moreover, Kaplan and Quan teamed up to battle against Perata, who didn't try to "game" the system. In doing so they set model for future Oakland elections.

Good or bad for Oakland? That's for discussion.

Wade Phillips Fired: Cowboys' Jerry Jones Pulls "Tom Landry Card"

According to just one media source, Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips has been fired of today, according to CBS News Dallas and the AP.

There was no official press release as of this writing, and a number of media people are stumped and confused, even though this is the move many of them wanted.   They should not be surprised; Jones treated Tom Landry the same way, and he was The Dallas Cowboys.

 Fox Sports super-analyst Jay Glazer reflected the confusion when he tweeted five hours ago this:
Jay_Glazer Jay Glazer
Those close to wade who have spoken w him today says he doesn't think anything is going down w him today.

And for the next four hours, Jay's tweets reflected the total state of media confusion around the Sports world:



Jay_Glazer Jay Glazer
They have not yet fired wade but they are strongly leaning toward doing it but again, coaches have been told nothing


Finally, Jay, and everyone else, got the word that Wade Phillips was fired.

And still no official press release from the Dallas Cowboys. But the Dallas Cowboys website is up, reports were that it was down, and reflecting the news that Wade Phillips was fired from the team as head coach.

And the media's surprised over the approach. Why? Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones is pulling his Tom Landry card.

Yep. The legendary Tom Landry. Remember bim? In 1989, the season of the Cowboys worst year before this point in 2010, Coach Landry, this blogger's hero, discovered Jones fired him via a radio program, not by Jones himself.

What's even worse, Jones actually flew Wade Phillips on his private plane from Green Bay, back to the DFW Metroplex Sunday night.

In other words, Jones didn't have the guts or respect for Phillips to fire him personally.

Instead, Jones, who's business acumen I admire, but not his football management skills, asked, of all people, Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason "No-Merit" Garrett to be the interim head coach.

Why.  Word in the Cowboys blogsphere is the players don't like Garrett.

It's clear the one change Jerry Jones should have made, the one he needed to make, was to fire himself.  To take himself out of the decision making picture.

Unemployment News: The United States of Inequality


When it comes to the unemployment news in America, our country would more aptly be named: The United States of Inequality. The larger the disparity between the “Haves” and the “Have Nots” - the worse things will continue to get in America.

*From the year 1915 thru 1980, the yearly medium income in the USA rose over $13,000.00 per year. However, between 1980 and 2008, the average income only rose about $300.00 per year.

In 1980 the richest 1 percent accounted for 18% of the nation's income. Today, the richest 1 percent accounts for 24% of the nation's income. The distribution of wealth in America is as out of balance as it has ever been.

In his 2007 book The Conscience of a Liberal, the Nobel laureate, Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman labeled the post-1979 period the "Great Divergence."

"It's generally understood that we live in a time of growing income inequality, but the ordinary person is not really aware of how big it is," according to Krugman. During the late 1980s and the late 1990s, the United States experienced two unprecedentedly long periods of sustained economic growth—the "seven fat years" and the " long boom." Yet from 1980 to 2005, more than 80 percent of total increase in Americans' income went to the top 1 percent. Economic growth was more sluggish in the eighties, but the decade saw productivity increase by about 20 percent. Yet virtually none of the increase translated into wage growth at middle and lower incomes, an outcome that left many economists scratching their heads.

Today, incomes in the U.S. are more unequal than in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, not less so. It has barely entered the national political debate. Why? Because politicians are among the “Haves” and really do not give a damn about the “Have Nots” - period. Even the President has neglected to acknowledge the plight of the 99ers.

In the his interview, which aired on 60 minutes yesterday (see video below) - President Obama discussed the unemployment problem in the US, the political ramifications of last Tuesday’s election and the tax cuts he was responsible for giving to all Americans. But tax cuts mean NOTHING to those without any income.
Is there a reporter with access to the President with the “stones” to ask our President, point blank about the terrible suffering of 5 million 99ers in this country with no income now for 8 months and what he intends to do about that?

I am a 99er, so I feel that pain and panic everyday that I cannot find a job. Many, like me are at the point where we barely have gas money left to continue our futile job search efforts, let alone money to pay for rent, food and other survival necessities.

In my article: Tax Cuts for Rich or 12 Million New Jobs
I reported that, (per Demos - a nonpartisan public policy group) You can get 12 million people back to work in this country for the $700 billion a year that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans would cost.

Isn’t it a much better use of that money to put Americans back to work, so we can begin to pay the income taxes required to eventually PAY DOWN THE DEBT? It is a concept even an idiot could understand, but apparently the Republicans cannot get it at all.

But, President Obama is a Democrat, right? So Mr. President, what will you do to save the millions of American 99ers? Please, whatever you do - DO NOT compromise with the Republicannots on this outrageous tax cut extension for the top wealthiest Americans!

* Source was The Dylan Ratigan Show, MSNBC 11-8-2010








Keith Olbermann back from suspension on Tuesday


Suspended liberal TV host/anchor Keith Olbermann will return to the MSNBC lineup on Tuesday, four days after MSNBC suspended him for giving money to three Democratic politicians’ campaigns.

MSNBC said in a statement on Sunday that Olbermann had been punished enough off for violating parent company NBC News' policy against making such donations without prior approval.

"After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night," MSNBC president Phil Griffin said.

Olbermann is clearly a liberal on his show "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," in which he often takes issue with comments made by conservative media figures such as radio host Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly of Fox News - usually attempting to imitate their voices while reading back their own words. (Too funny)

Keith, you have been missed!






TBS Welcomes Conan O' Brien With Open Arms

Who can forget such whimsical, family-friendly characters such as Vomiting Kermit, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and of course, the Masturbating Bear?

Apparently, NBC can. The network has dropped the Cone Zone comedy host known as Conan O’Brien from their nighttime slot, leaving millions of avid fans in dismay for months on end. Jay Leno may be a veteran, but he never came close to Conan O’Brien and the belly laughs his show has always produced. Jay Leno predicted he has a sense of entitlement large enough to swipe away the coveted nighttime slot from the Conemeister, seemingly only seconds after announcing his retirement. (By the way, whatever happened to that?)

But never fear, Conan is back, and on TBS tonight. Take that, NBC!

While on the Tonight Show, although Conan O’Brien had us rolling in our seats with his effortlessly choreographed jolly opening show jig led by the Max Weinberg Seven, along with his impromptu audience quips, it seems as though Conando was a bit stifled in his prime time spot. Major networks mean more money, but less creative power.

Now that he’s got a new show that is owned by him on TBS, Conan O’Brien bound to bite back like an unleashed beast. Expect to see more loveable puppets (perhaps a Gigglin’ Jay Leno puppet could feature?), side-splitting jokes, and unexpected laughs at every turn. Conan’s even sporting a new beard, which may or may not make an appearance on the show tonight.

Jay Leno, you can keep your Tonight Show. Conan O’Brien was, is, and always will be, the way to go.

The ratings won’t lie, and those opposed would be then forced to “eat their shorts”… so to speak.

Wade Phillips Fired By Media, Not Jerry Jones Or Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips posted one of the most pathetic post-game speeches this blogger has ever heard by an NFL coach after the Cowboys were slammed 45 to 7 against the Green Bay Packers. Now, with a 1 and 7 season so far, the media's calling for Coach Phillips head to be rolled.

Indeed, Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, who must feel like he's being cursed for making fun of the idea of drafting Tim Tebow, said that people would feel a change.

The Cowboys lost to a good team in the Packers and an excellent quarterback in Aaron Rogers, but the collapse of Dallas was shocking. It started with a 28-point second quarter, and that's when it was apparent the Cowboys were going to be blown out of the building. They were.

The Cowboys suffered their most embarrassing loss of the season, and then on NFL Network Sunday night, Coach Phillips took the podium.



Afterward, NFL Network analysts Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, and Steve Mariucci got into a lively and emotional conversation on what they saw. Irvin said "I want him to tell me how we're going to be better. I didn't hear that." Sanders said he didn't need to be motivated by the coach, and that the Cowboys problem was the players, not the coach. Mariucci said he's "been there" and understands what Phillips is going through.

The thinking here is Wade Phillips should not be fired, but there should be changes in scheme. The Dallas problems are fixable. They lack a good short passing system; Jason Garrett must install one. Defensively, they have to use more exotic coverages, because teams spread them out and force them into a base man-for-man approach. The answer: to blitz.

But the fact is Jerry Jones isn't going to be swayed by the media, and Cowboys players don't think it's going to help either.

Jerry Brown, Arnie Fields, Oscar Grant, Mehserle Verdict and The Raiders



Last Tuesday night, the night of the 2010 Midterm Elections, as now Governor-Elect Jerry Brown was making his way through the audience of media and well-wishers, and this video blogger was filming the action, Brown turned right, and into my camcorder's lens. The first thing out of Jerry's mouth - well the second thing after "there's that blogger" - was referring to the comments that Arnie Fields made about him during our interview.

Arnie Fields ran for Mayor and lost, again, big time. Arnie knows in his heart of hearts that he's not going to be the Mayor of Oakland unless he makes a concerted effort. But that's another blog post. Arnie's ran twice because he's got Jerry Brown on the brain, and doesn't like the "10K" - Jerry Brown's project that brought thousands of units of apartment and condo housing to downtown Oakland, and helped transform Oakland's population. Ok, we've been through that discussion.

But instead of focusing on the Governor's race when he saw me at his election party at the Oakland Fox, the now Governor-elect Brown could only think of my interview with Arnie. And just because Arnie was critical of Jerry. Geez. Here, I endorse the guy - Jerry - for Governor of California the previous day, and all he and his press people can think of is that. Well, so be it. I wasn't going to argue about it on camcorder with Jerry because I don't do TMZ, so I shut the thing off.

That action really upset one of my YouTube fans, who wrote that I should have kept the camera going. You know, after a lot of thinking about that, he's right. No more Mr. nice guy - well, I can't -- I just can't do full on TMZ.com with the challenging questions and the camera in the face. I don't like that. I just can't. Maybe half TMZ. Ok. Half.

On Oscar Grant And The Mehserle Verdict

Just one thing here: I think protests do very little here. Wonder how many of the protesters voted on Tuesday? Love to take a pole. If we want change, how about filing a lawsuit? Why not blame now former-Alameda County DA Tom Orloff for posting a "first-degree murder" charge he knew would not stick? That's what started this whole deal. No wonder Orloff retired.

The only good Oscar Grant and Mehserle Verdict protesters have done is boost ratings for the local Bay Area Media. You can't tell about society's problems if you're not willing to work to change society.

The Oakland Raiders

There's a video from the game coming today, but how about those Oakland Raiders! Amazing win, and on the day of the Raiderette Reunion! The first game the Raiderette's performed in was Chiefs vs. Raiders in 1960, if my source, a Raiderette who performed then, is correct.

What happened Sunday? Raiders top the Chiefs 23 to 20 in overtime. As my friend Charlie Santana, Jr. said, "I'm so happy now, I can't talk." You said it, man.

The Oakland Mayor's Race

Final results are supposed to be released today, which should include the absentee ballots.  Stay tuned.

Eyewitness Accounts Differ from Police Accounts of Friday Nights Oscar Grant Protests




This is an important article on a number of fronts. First it details accurately much of what took place on Friday night after the sentencing was announced. Writer Joseph Anderson alone w/ photographer Jay Finneburgh not only monitored and documented the march, but kept a phone line open to our studios so folks not inside the police lines could actually hear what was being said. What was being described by Anderson, documented by Finneburgh and experienced by legal observers was a far, far, far cry from what was reported on the evening news when police held a press conference boasting about arrest numbers.

When we were down on the corners of 6th and East 17th.. We a long with folks from the Lawyers Guild were told the entire block had been designated as a crime scene because someone throw rocks at officers and everyone was being arrested as agitators. That was never ever stated to Anderson and other marchers who were all hauled away unless they were accredited press.

During the press conference that evening police didn't talk about rock throwing, but instead talked about a gun being snatched from holster and how that ONE individual was quickly arrested. So why were 150 people arrested? What was the danger when the cops outnumbered marchers? Read Anderson's account.

-Davey D-

"Same-Old-Same-Old from the Corporate Media: the Oakland Justice for Oscar Grant Protests"

by Joseph Anderson


I was swept up and arrested Friday night, in Oakland at the "end" of the Justice for Oscar Grant march. As usual, most of the Bay Area TV stations gave a totally bad -- of course, very pro-police -- spin to what happened. It amazes me how edited and re-chronologized video can make viewers think they are seeing something that they aren't. Events are portrayed out of order, and most TV reporters falsely describe the context of the video clips they show.

For example, many local stations showed video of protesters pushing down a chain link fence, calling it an example of vandalism. In reality, what the video showed was frightened overwhelmingly peaceful protesters trying to escape fully-geared and itching-to-go riot cops who had tried to enclose the marchers and cops who were about to begin assaulting not just innocent marchers but also bystanders and, later, neighborhood people.

I saw very young black females, plus-or-minus 20-something, no more than 4'8" height, no more than 95 lbs, just peacefully sitting on a less than a knee-high sidewalk wall in their own neighborhood, trapped and being led off in handcuffs by aggressive, 200lbs+, riot cops. I saw an equally small, very young woman, a person of color, being aggressively picked up and slammed to the ground (face down like Oscar Grant), while being arrested and handcuffed. This, in spite of a black mayor and a black police chief and a black cop (L. Johnson of OPD) on the scene talking about "his men", over the police murder of a young black Oscar Grant. Like Oscar Grant, none of us were armed, none of us were resisting, and none of us (at least not where we marchers were entrapped) were violent.

If you pay more attention, the pro-police spin of local media coverage doesn't hold up. At least two mainstream news reporters at the scene at 6th Avenue & East 17th Street in East Oakland admitted that there was NO "widespread violence," if hardly any, and NO bottles or rocks thrown at the police -- except for "one or two storefront windows broken" and "one AC Transit bus window broken." This was how a Jennifer (last name unknown) of KGO, whom I talked with, and another reporter, a Josh Richman of the Oakland Tribune, his reporting live on KQED-TV's This Week in Northern California, basically reported on the night of the march.

Such minor incidents would have been easy for the police to contain, given the presence of a thousand cops in uniform, all the police cameras, but also with all the (we must assume) undercover cops along these marches. Instead, the cops played the propaganda numbers game (bragging about 152 arrests), enclosing and mass arresting obviously nonviolent protesters: the easy ones to catch. And who are among the small property "vandalizers" and "looters": undercover police provocateurs? I also have seen, defying any otherwise common sense, riot cops purposely try to antagonize and provoke nonviolent marchers. This would upset me if I were a nearby small business owner.

At least one of those reporters, and other TV reporters, reported only "rumors" (gee, I wonnnder by whom?) of a gun being pulled from the holster of a riot cop and pointed at the cop. Cops have video of everything else in these events; why don't they have any video of that? It would seem to defy common sense. Let's see YOU get close enough, and for long enough, especially if you're black or brown, to a phalanx of 'itchy,' fully-geared, riot cops to successfully reach for the gun and then wrest the latch off, and then wrest the gun from his holster, let alone long enough to then point the gun at said riot cop. And then live to tell the story!

Instead, you would be gunned down (along with any nearby protesters) in a hail of other cops' bullets or wind up in a hospital emergency ward, critically beaten, unconscious or comatose and near death. These are the same cops who beat the hell out of Black people, if they are caught, for merely trying to run away! These are the same kind of cops who participated in the legalized murder of Oscar Grant for his merely trying to catch his breath!

It's also laughable for the media to portray the police as actually being concerned in the slightest with protecting Oakland's small businesses. When a previous Oscar Grant rally supposedly "turned violent," the same cops, in full riot gear and numbering in the hundreds (if not also up to a thousand), stood down and watched as they let the downtown Oakland Foot Locker be sacrificed -- practically WAVING and FUNNELING looters into the store.

OPD did this for sheer self-serving manipulation. At a time when the OPD was facing budgetary lay-offs, the OPD could literally televise to the viewers, "See what happens when you threaten to cut back on us cops or even just our pay?" And, "You see, this rally isn't really about Oscar Grant: it's just about some negroes wanting to get stolen athletic shoes." You can bet that the cops wouldn't have stood down and let nearby Wells Fargo Bank be broken into, because that would have been a political message by the protesters to the TV viewers that the TV viewers could appreciate about the people who financially loot all of US!

Unfortunately, some middle-class TV watchers -- especially those who are white (the most susceptible), but also of any color (and the older the viewer, the more generally susceptible they are) -- fall for this manipulation. The mainstream news can always find one of these types to put a microphone and camera in front of, who will say how scared they were for themselves or their businesses. These people, probably none of whom have never participated in any kind of dissident protest, where they then would know how police behave, watch suburban-looking reporters dressed up in nice suits, haircuts, and overcoats, and believe that since they are watching the (unbeknownst to them, highly edited and time re-arranged) video, they must be seeing "what actually happened." They then monolithically condemn THE marchers, especially EVERYONE who got arrested, and become even more pro-police.

But, even though the cops don't want to be judged by the so-called "few bad apples" cops, that's exactly how the cops and the media monolithically judge THE protesters -- by even just "the few bad apples" and sensationalize them! When will I see mass, wholesale arrests due to mostly white people who tear up a city or college town after a major sports victory? Where are the mass arrests when white people show up -- toting guns(!!) -- at town hall meetings hosted by Congress members!? When will I see cops mass arresting 150 affluent suburban drivers because a few might be recklessly speeding or even driving drunk on Highway 24 or 680 in suburban Contra Costa county? Why weren't even just all the participating cops on the scene arrested for allowing conspiracy (at least accomplices) to commit "manslaughter" when one of them outright killed Oscar Grant?

This is the same old pro-police and corporate TV news establishment propaganda. It's all part of the daily establishment narrative that mainstream media strings out every day to keep work-a-day and couch-potato Americans fearful, docile, and accepting whatever the U.S. government and police want to do. It's the same-old-same-old that would keep us all afraid of each other's racial and social groups and, of course, the foreign U.S.-appointed "boogeymen." It's the same old media that harps about protesters not from Oakland, like Oakland is supposed to be some stepcity whose concerns, even tragedies, no one else is supposed to care about. Yet the cops, who rarely come from the community, and the media come from all over -- cops from even the outer reaches of suburban Contra Costa county and even from Sunnyvale! Well, police brutality and atrocities should be everyone's concerns.

You can see this ruling class strategy in action everywhere, on local, national, and international issues. The true facts are distorted to look like their opposite! The right-wing media in Venezuela made it look like Chavez supporters were firing rifles on Chavez opponents, instead of what actually happened: just the reverse. The Israeli military made it look like Gaza flotilla passengers were attacking the Israeli soldiers, instead of what actually happened: just the reverse. When the cops, truncheons swinging, wade into a crowd and indiscriminately beat up people who are physically trying to protect themselves, the TV news makes it look like it's the protesters violently "resisting arrest" (that pro forma police charge) and beating on the cops ("assaulting an officer," that other pro forma police charge)!

It's the old divide-and-conquer ruling-class strategy, executed by the corporate media, aimed at blocking people seeking positive, real, transformative change, and social and global justice. If we can't have, and be permitted, an overwhelmingly nonviolent protest, about even violent atrocities -- the legalized murder of Oscar Grant -- by the cops, then what else is left to resort to? In this media propaganda environment, it's critical to give support to the protesters and those very very few reporters who do a good job reporting the truth instead of repeating police and government propaganda. One example journalist is the highly respected Davey D, of Oakland, who has written excellent recent articles at daveyd.com about the Oakland protest on November 5.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Joseph Anderson is a Berkeley resident; a longtime grassroots progressive political activist; an occasional sociopolitical contributing writer to various publications; and the author of "Karmic Justice" (available online), about Lovelle Mixon and the cops vs. the victims of legalized police murders.

You can see more of Jay Finneburgh' s photos over at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/11/07/18663397.php

Return to Davey D's Hip Hop Corner

Keith Olbermann Is Back On MSNBC After Suspension



MSNBC Anchor Keith Olbermann is back on the network after a weird Friday. After it was discovered that Keith donated to three Democratic candidates, MSNBC President Phil Griffin told Oldermann he was being suspended without pay and for a policy it claims is intended to preserve journalistic objectivity.

Seriously.

With Fox News' success, the door is open for more networks of that kind. This blogger thinks everyone in media should reveals their biases.

Apparently, Phil Griffin had a change of heart in this direction and brought Keith back. According to the MSNBC site, Phil said:


"I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night."


In other words, I was wrong, but I'll yank your chain because I can.

It will be interesting to learn what Olbermann says upon his return to television Tuesday.

More later.

Illinois 65 - Michigan 67: Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier Star for Michigan

The Saturday Illinois Michigan three-overtime game was one of the greatest in Big 10 history. It certainly was the highest scoring one, as both teams posted a basketball-like score of 67 to 65 because of the three overtimes.

Illinois Michigan was one of those games that just creeps up on you. It looks like Illinois is all set to run away with it, only to have Michigan come back with one gutsy play after another.

Hats off to both Michigan quarterbacks Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier (in photo). Denard Robinson is the phenom this space said was like Michael Vick without the dogs. That statement points to Denard Robinson's throwing ability at the college level. Vick wasn't nearly as good a passer in college as Robinson is at Michigan. Against Illinois, he was 10 of 20 for over 300 yards.

Then, he was knocked out of the game. Enter Tate Forcier. Forcier was 12 of 19 for 114 yards, and while he wasn't quite the offensive weapon that Denard is, he made timely throws and led the team to a dramatic win. A game that saw an Illinois player do something not done since Red Grange in 1924.

The DailyIllini.com reports that Illinois Running Back Mikel Leshoure scored five touchdowns against Michigan. That hasn't been done since the afforementioned Grange.

Meanwhile, Michigan produced 561 total yards for the game, 171 more than the average the Fighting Illini allowed this year.

Now, Michigan's in for another test against Purdue, this week.

Stay tuned.