Miss 'Merica

So our newly crowned Miss America thinks that Tom Brady is a cheater? Actually-she said that she thought that My Tommy was a cheater if there was a question, but the media blew that way out of context. What she did say when asked if Brady should be held accountable for deflating footballs was,

"Did he cheat? That’s a really good question, I’m not sure," Miss Georgia, 21, replied. "I think I’d have to be there to see the ball and to feel it to make sure if it was deflated or not deflated, but if there was any question there then yes, I think he cheated. If there was any question to be had I think that he definitely cheated and he should have been suspended for that. That’s not fair."

The social media backlash was not kind. Dumb? Maybe, but Miss America 2015 Betty Cantrell's answer is not the dumbest thing a beauty pageant contestant has ever said. 

Here are some of the greatest highlights over the years:

Jeanie Anderson, Miss Philippines 2001

Question: "If you could be beautiful and not so smart, or brilliant and not so beautiful, what would you be and why?"
Answer: "Well, I'd rather choose to be beautiful, um because, to be beautiful it's natural. But being smart you can learn...you can learn, um a lot of things...a lot of things from the experience...you can learn from a lot of things being smart."

Smart..not her strong suit. 

Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007

Question: "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?"
Answer: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some . . . people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over HERE in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children".

Poor thing. She will never-and I mean never-live that down. 

 Miss Venezuela Irene Sofia Esser Quintero at Miss Universe 2012
Question: "If you could make a new law, what would it be? And explain why."
Answer: "I think that any leys (read laws) there are in Constitution or in life, are already made. I think that we should have, uh, a straight way to go in our similar, or, eh, in our lives as is this. For example, I'm a surfer, and I think that the best wave that I can take is the wave that I wait for it. So please do our only, eh, law that we can do. Thank you, Vegas!"

Talk about hanging loose...

We don't know when or where this Junior Miss pageant occurred, but when asked, "What is the most important event in our nation's history?" she responded, "In my opinion, Pearl Harbor, which occurred on December 7, 1941, is the most significant event in our nation's history because…because it ended the Great Depression and it forced them into the World War II…and…our country experienced patriotism and unity." At least she got the date right.

And I'm sure she was very proud of her AT LEAST coherent answer, though not accurate. 

Melissa Powell, Miss Utah 2013

She was asked about how women are continuing to earn less than men in America, and what she thinks that means for our society.

"How to create jobs right now, that is the biggest problem right now, and I think especially the men are seen as leaders of this and so we need to figure out how to create education better so we can solve this problem," Powell answered.

I have to cut these ladies at least a little slack. These are some serious high pressure situations and let's face it, they are not on that stage to "change the world" with their minds. But they know they are going to be asked a question involving current events, so it might help to pick up a newspaper once in  while. 

Or squeeze a football....  

Fair Game?

I just got finished reading ESPN's bombshell attack on The New England Patriots. Released three hours before the time of this posting, 12:00 EST, I literally just finished the lengthy article.

I'm dumbfounded.

The article, mainly about Spygate, a scandal in 2007 involving the video taping of opposing teams hand signals, talks in detail about the accusations leveled at the Patriots organization and mainly at it's head coach Bill Belichik back then. It's like I was reading a step-by-step guide on how to "cheat and cover it up". The authors claim to have interviewed dozens of people involved in the scandal at the time, and according to this report, Goodell, Belichick and Kraft all conspired to cover it up. But do really know that's what happened?

Oh boy, is all I'm going to say about how I felt reading what I just read. It is a scathing, explosive, expose on what, according to this article, was a game changing cheating scandal that rocked the Patriots and the NFL. A large amount of the information in this article has never before been made public, which makes reading it for the first time eye opening, to say the least.

The timing of this article is interesting considering some of the same people involved in Spygate are involved in Delfategate-and I'm not sure why ESPN has decided to report this now-and not then-when the facts were more relevant.

It doesn't look good-for anybody involved and ESPN has not been without their fair share of biased, inaccurate reporting on the Patriots- HERE. We have wasted 8 months talking about this whole Deflategate debacle and to be quite honest, at this point I don't know who to believe.

I'm not sure what to think here except that my theory that cheaters never really get away with cheating. And really, why cheat? It robs everyone involved and in this case it's the NFL, the New England Patriots, the fans and the game. This game is about a lot of things and money is the first and foremost reason to lie and cheat, but what about the fans? We are the ones who help pay the hefty salary's of those involved.

Doesn't make it OK by any stretch, and so we are all left to wonder why? Cheaters never prosper, is the old adage from my childhood that comes to mind, but it would seem the NFL continues to prosper despite it all.

Playing The Trump Card

Does anyone really think that The Donald has a chance in the presidential race? I gotta give the guy kudos though. He's got balls...He's for sure blunt, rough and no nonsense. The crap that comes out of his mouth is unbelievable but he says it like he thinks he sees it. And that's really the problem here-it's Donald's world and we just live in it according to him. Don't get me wrong-I like Trump. I think he's a likable character-and that's exactly what he is-a character.

But this time the stakes are high. Probably the highest he's ever had to endure and I'm not sure the world is ready for Donald to be in charge of us all. His recent comments about Mexico have illustrated that running the country is all together different than running a company. Like he can't just fire Greece-as much as he'd like to-and you certainly can't run a campaign that's based on bashing Mexico and a building a wall. You just can't fire Russia and the Middle East, that's not the way it works but I'm not sure Mr. Trump understands that.

What he will understand is the fallout of his thoughtless outbursts. NBC, Univision and now Macy's are all cutting ties with Trump. Do you think he's kicking himself for putting his foot in his mouth? I think not. I imagine Donald Trump loves being in the press regardless of whether it's for good or bad. A consummate showman, he probably believes he coined the phrase, "There is no such thing as bad publicity". But this isn't his boardroom anymore. This is a global boardroom and Trump doesn't get to make the rules. I doubt he would survive in an environment that he can't control completely.

I get why he's running though.

Trump thinks the world is based on "The Art of The Deal", and since he wrote the book, quite literally, his ego must lead him to conclude that he could be the Commander in Chief of the US simply because he never met a deal he couldn't manipulate to his advantage. At 69, Trump probably believes it's now or never and why not him? He's got the money, resources and time to make a run at it but that's about all it's going to be. A run-and at the rate he's going at today it's going to be over before it even started.

Yes Mr. Trump, this is the country of opportunity and if you want to run for President you have the freedom to do so! What you can't do is shoot your mouth off and make derogatory public statements about others without pissing off a nation. This time you aren't dealing with the likes of a Rosie O'Donnell that you can publicly shame and bully. It's not like you can tweet at Putin that he's a fat loser without becoming the biggest loser yourself.

This ain't no reality show, it's reality.

Judgement Day

The report has been released...some 14 weeks after the alleged infraction..and what have we learned?

According to the just released Wells report, we now know it's, "more probable than not" that New England Patriots personnel have been implicated in the intentional defalating of the Patriots game day footballs in the 2014/2015 AFC Championship game. And the kicker? According to Wells, 

"It's more probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities."

Wow. 

Really? 

Text messages between two Patriots employees; a locker room attendant and an equipment assistant, that were illegally obtained in a cooperative investigation with the Patriots and the NFL, are the proverbial smoking gun? But make no mistake, nothing is smoking here; the guys gave the NFL their text messages. They cooperated. Period. 

Does it sound like they deflated balls? According to the text messages released by the Wells report, we are led to believe that they deflated balls, but it's all hearsay according to the law. Who knows whom or what they are specifically referring to in those messages. It's implied otherwise but nothing conclusive. 

Conclusively. 

Probable.

Generally aware. 

Implications.

The NFL and Wells have had this information since BEFORE the Super Bowl which was played on Feb 1 of this year and it took them 13 weeks to decipher a whole lot of nothing else? It's bulls*it and a great big waste of time.

And I don't care. 

I'm over it. It does nothing but add fuel to the haters fire and as the old saying goes, "haters gonna hate." Do I personally think the balls were deflated to Brady's liking. It's highly probable. But I also think that lots of quarterbacks do it across the league and I don't think it was ever an issue before Tom Brady uttered the famous words in a post game press conference referring to Baltimore Ravens Head Coach, John Harbaugh, "maybe those guys need to study the rule book and figure it out." I think that's where this all began and I think a few guys conspired to get Tommy in trouble for something that is a common, well known in the NFL.

In fact, I don't think the NFL actually had a protocol for this specific issue because I don't think it was ever an issue until Tommy allegedly made Harbaugh look like a boob in front of the world. That's just my theory. Either way- it doesn't change my view of the greatest quarterback of all time nor the greatest team. In fact, I'd like to think of it as what I heard was this morning from GMA's Legal Analyst Dan Abrams. He said this report is all hearsay and circumstantial and that the evidence would never stand up in court. It's not a criminal case, but if it was he said, "Fixing a game would equate to a Murder in the 1st charge. Spy Gate could be seen as manslaughter, but this?" Abrams said, "This is assault and battery at best."

I Was Just Thinking...

• About the whole Bruce Jenner thing....I think he's finally being true to himself and possibly trying to use his celebrity to do some good. Great for him, but right now I can't help feeling bad for Kris Jenner. I know what you're thinking...she's a money monger who will do anything-including treating her husband like a dog on a TV camera for ratings-but I gotta think this whole "I'm really a woman" thing sorta rocked her calculated world. Sources say she knew from the beginning of their relationship, but he certainly put on a good show for many years. They had two children of their own and raised six kids together. 23 years is a heck of a long time to put on a show. I get it when she says "I have these memories of this life, and I feel sometimes like it doesn't exist." All I can say is I get it. When someone you think you know turns out to be someone you don't know at all, it literally shakes your entire foundation. I think the media has been unfair to her. What's she supposed to say, besides voicing her support?

• About A Rod hitting his 660 th career home run tying Willie Mays at Fenway Park a few days ago. It came amid boos-and virtually no fanfare. Not even a mention of the milestone on the outfield board-a screen notorious for broadcasting even the slightest minutia during a game. The Yankees have stated that they will NOT pay the contractual $6 million dollar bonus they agreed to when he reached this milestone before he was suspended for drugs. Is it fair? Is it right? Facts are what they are...Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs a year ago and was suspended for the entirety of last season, leaving an asterisk on his name in the record books forever. This one may get ugly, as the players union says it will step in on behalf of ARod, but I think the Yankees have the upper hand here. ARod did the crime, now he's gotta do the time. ARod*

• About how I have been sick almost the entire month of April. I got one horrid cold right on top of another horrid cold. I'm thinking WTF? Then it dawns on me. Allergies? Yes, it very well could be allergies. I've never been bothered by allergies before but I'm thinking this is quite possibly the culprit. Allergies + stress = horrible combination.

• About how my favorite TV series, "Nurse Jackie" is back! Edie Falco is such a great actor, and the entire cast is phenomenal. This is Season 7 and I have yet to miss one episode!! Jackie has let her drug use ruin most of her life,  but the things that she does to stay relevant are horrible and dangerous, yet I can't stop watching this whole ride! With the beauty of On Demand, you can catch up with ever crazy, depraved thing that Jackie has done. I highly recommend it. 

• About how Spring has finally arrived! When I see that groundhog...I'm gonna ring his neck!

Different Strokes For Different Folks

It's a simple fact of life; we are all unique. 

We, as people, like different things and we have different tastes. It's when those differences go outside the realm of what is socially acceptable, that certain problems begin. And when those differences happen to someone with celebrity the problems become headline news. Bruce Jenner is headline news. It is now confirmed that since Jenner and his wife Kris separated last year, Jenner has been slowly transitioning into a woman. Jenner, the patriarch of the all-reality, all-the-time, "branded" family, The Kardashians, has been in the public spotlight for years. He has long been the butt of their jokes, ridicule and total disrespect on camera, so it was no surprise when Jenner and his wife divorced recently. 

What was surprising was Jenner's changing appearance. Despite the divorce, Jenner continued his supporting role on the family's reality show and during that time his hair grew longer and longer. Then he was photographed wearing nail polish and sporting lip gloss. Then a few months ago, Jenner had a laryngeal shave to minimize the appearance of his Adam's apple and the cat was out of the bag..

Bruce Jenner, a gold medal winning Olympic decathlete, buff and masculine father to 10 kids and 3 times married man suddenly reveals he wants to be a woman. It's a stunning admission for a guy whose life is so very public. The transgendered community today are enjoying a much bigger and brighter presence in the public, due to shows like "Orange is the New Black" and "Transparent", and now Bruce Jenner will reportedly get his own TV reality show to document his transition. If Jenner has been unhappy for all these years as reported, at 65 he no longer has to live a closeted life. 

It's not going to be easy, but whoose to say living all those years uncomfortable in your own skin was any easier? I know society will have issues with his transformation. Bruce was America's hero in the 70's. Our gold medal winning athlete that stood for everything sport and now we need to see him as a woman? But it's not up to society. It's up to Bruce Jenner and his family. 

What ever he decides to show the rest of the world is up to him too. And whomever decides to watch his journey. 

GO PATS!

It's GO TIME!

I'm all business. It's time to squash all those naysayers, haters and trash talkers and go out there and play the game. Win or loose-we have waited 7 years for this and our time has come. I stand behind My Team. No matter what the NFL finds-and I believe they won't find anything because there is nothing to find-I stand behind this team. My team and My Tommy. We are ready! We are New England. Win or loose, I still wear the flying Elvis proudly.

In honor of my hometown team I re-post this-because no matter where I am, I will always be a Boston girl:

GO PATS!!!!

I Can't Believe I'm Saying This

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm going to say it anyway...

I'm siding with Gisele today. I know..if you read this blog regularly then you know that Gisele Bundchen is not my favorite person for many reasons. The number one reason: she is married to my boyfriend, My Tommy. Beside the fact that she seemingly has "it"all; good looks, big career, tons of money, and the man of my dreams, Gisele has made some missteps when it has come to press lately. She is more often than not lambasted in the press for comments made about everything.

Maybe it's jealousy. I know I don't like her. 90% of the way I feel is honest to goodness jealousy. Hell, shes got it all-or so it seems. I have other reasons too..like My Tommy hasn't won a Super Bowl since he's been with her. In fact, he's lost 2 Super Bowls since he's been with her. But that's a blog for another day. A day when I'm back to not agreeing with her. Today is different.

Her recent hub bub? Gisele has drawn controversy recently over comments made in The Sunday Times Style Magazine. Her crime this time? Comparing motherhood to the instructions given on a plane regarding oxygen masks in the event of an emergency. The haters couldn't wait to pounce on her. I could hardly wait to see what she had said now..

She said, ""It's very important to nourish yourself, take care of yourself," Bundchen told The Sunday Times Style magazine. "You know how they say on the plane that you have to put the oxygen mask on first and then put it on your child? So, I think it is the same, as a mum, to take care of myself."

Ok, I thought. Is that it? 

She then said, ". 'You can feel a bit guilty - you feel guilty if you do and if you don't. But if I put my oxygen mask on first, if I'm feeling fulfilled and present and good about myself, then I'm going to be a much more patient, loving, understanding mother and wife. You have to fill your glass so that everyone can drink from it. That's how I feel.'

And here's where it gets sticky...I agree with her. I can relate to what she's saying because what she's saying is important. Take care of yourself so that you can take care of your family. I get it Gi, I really do and I agree. Go figure. 

There's an old saying that says, "If mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy". And it is true. 

I can't believe I'm saying this but let's lay off Gisele. She's right. It's important to take care of yourself so that you can be the best mother and wife for your family. That may mean many things to many people, but to her it means being a mother is a most important job. 

And I have to agree with her, as much as it pains me to say it. 

Sweet Nothings

It's a fickle time that we live in. The man pictured above may not be known to you, unless you live in Massachusetts. Charlie Baker is a local politician who is running for Governor. His opponent is Martha Coakley, the Attorney General. It's a tight race, but according to WBUR , Martha holds a 10 point lead over Baker. With a month to go before the vote, every moment must be analyzed and calculated. Polls, people and photo-ops are the stuff that wins elections and the candidates know it.

That's why Charlie may have just committed political suicide by uttering one sentence-on camera. Charlie Baker made a huge error when he did something I do quite frequently. Something the President himself has done and something that may well be innocent, but not in these times. Not today.

Charlie Baker was asked a question the other day by local Fox 25 reporter Sharman Sacchetti on camera, His response was, "OK, this is the last one sweetheart." Immediately, Sacchetti responded with "Sweetheart?" The local news had a field day with it and the sound bite ran on loop on all the major news stations. A female journalist dubbed it a "sexist slip-up" and others criticized the comment as "degrading towards women".  Charlie immediately put out a statement then called Sharman Sacchetti and apologized for the error.

“I apologize to Sharman, as she is an accomplished professional and someone who I have come to both respect and consider a friend,” Baker said in a statement.

He then commented;

“I did call Sharman last night, apologized and she was gracious enough to accept my apology. My comment was a mistake and certainly doesn't represent my work, my attitude or what I am all about,” he said, according to Baker’s campaign manager Tim Buckley.

 Oh Charlie, these are not good times.

What he did was foolish, yes it was. But do I believe that Charlie was being sexist, or worse demeaning to a woman? I'm not quite sure. I have to admit that I use the term "honey" or "sweetie" more often than not when having pleasant conversation with people who I may or may not know. In fact I do it a lot, and I've decided that it may be received the opposite of the way it was intended. I need to be aware of NOT using the term. Case in point Charlie Baker. While my mother, grandmother and Charlie's relatives may use the term freely when conversing, they aren't running for public office or working with the masses.

I guess what I'm trying to say is WE need to learn to whisper no sweet nothing.

Monday Minutia

• First things first Bloggers! I am going to NYC with Frick today-to return tomorrow night-so I will be away from the Bloggersphere tomorrow, Tuesday July 22, 2014. I thought you'd like to know rather than me say nothing....Considering I was with Frack last Monday and Tuesday in High Point, NC, I'd like to think I am one lucky mama to be able to spend some one-on-one time, alone with each of my kids! Frick's NYC visit is strictly business too! My kids are killing me-becoming adults so fast...

• Interesting things going on here in Beantown-Market Basket, one of the most successfully run, independently owned supermarket chains in the country, is seeing an unprecedented stand of unity for it's former CEO. The company, run by the Demoulas family, operates 71 stores in two states. Long time CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted last fall by the Board of Directors in favor of his cousin and chief rival, Arthur S Demoulas. The two have clashed over how to operate the business started by their grandfather.  The employees are not happy about this. They have staged a strike and  walked out on the job until Arthur T Demoulas is restored to CEO. Get this: On Friday over 2000 employees gathered at the company headquarters in Tewksbury, MA to demand the return of Arthur T Demoulas as CEO. As of today, 8 long time employees have been fired from the company. Talk about loyalty. This is fascinating to me. Market Basket must be one hell of an employer.

• Rory McIlroy wins the British Open at the age of 25! A great story. This his third Major victory on his quest for a Grand Slam title. The elusive Masters in April is the only victory he needs to secure the title and join Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in the Grand Slam club. The victory was especially poignant for his father, who reportedly placed a bet on McIlroy while he was still a teen on winning the prestigious tournament. 

"His father, Gerry, and some of his father’s friends, who reportedly made a wager when McIlroy was still a teenager that he would win the Open within 10 years. Ladbrokes, a British-based gambling company, confirmed in a Twitter post that it would be paying out 180,000 pounds (about $310,000) to them." 

Nice work Rory! It's nice to see a talented, young golfer do well!

• Why does it already feel like the summer is slipping away? July 21, and its seems like we are rounding third on the summer thing. Am I right?  I dunno bloggers. BBQ's aren't tasting so great anymore and the weather lately has been undecided on summer. It's like it's not quite sure of what it wants. Maybe it's just me. What do you think?

Insert Foot In Mouth...

Seriously? When are the cavemen of sports going to realize that women sports reporters are here to stay? And when will they realize that they have a responsibility to not spew hate and death threats directed towards ANYONE, much less Erin Andrews when they are on-air?

The latest controversy surrounding Erin Andrews of Fox Sports News happened just the other day in my very own city. WEEI's morning program "Dennis and Callahan" co -host Kirk Minihane inserted his foot right into his mouth alright. Long story short, when in studio, on-air discussing Erin Andrew's interview with pitcher Adam Wainwright about his "about face" admission to throwing an easy pitch to hit to Derek Jeter at bat during the All Star game, Minihane unleashed a most inappropriate tirade concerning Andrews line of questioning. Andrews apparently said when ending the interview, "Don't you just love social media?"

Does it bear repeating here? YES it does so it serves as a lesson to all radio/TV host/journalists that you just can't take your hate that far without consequence. His remarks are as follows:

"I hate her! What a gutless bitch! Go away. Drop dead. I mean, seriously what the hell is wrong with her? First of all, follow-up. Second of all, the guy admitted he did it. He admitted he told reporters he threw a couple of pipe bombs. How is that social media’s fault? I hate her. Don’t you love social media? Yeah…social media is — shut up. shut up. i’m sure she’s a nice person, but she’s…she’s probably a bitch. I hate her."

He immediately remarked ,"I'm gonna get in trouble for this." And he was right!

Minihane, last night, issued an apology on WEEI's  website:

"This morning on the radio I used a series of words to describe Erin Andrews' work at the All-Star Game. My choice of words was wrong; I was wrong to have used them. To all whom I offended -- particularly Ms. Andrews -- I apologize. There is no place for what was said. It was immature and completely uncalled for. I am often critical of media members and their work and recognize here that I've made the kind of mistake I would call out if it was done by another sportscaster or writer. Again, to all involved, I'm very sorry."

Ya think?

I am so tired of this "men are superior" mentality in sports broadcasting and I'm sure I'm not alone in this thinking. As for Erin Andrews? No matter what she looks like, she has worked hard to get where she is and to stay where she is, regardless of what a small minded sports personality in Boston thinks. There are a million pretty faces that are all trying to do the same thing that Erin Andrews is doing, has done, and continues to keep doing. She has earned her stay. When does she get the respect that is allotted to any other sports reporter of her stature?

Blonde, brunette, white, black, yellow or green...I don't care who SHE is. She's got a job to do and if she wasn't good at what she does she wouldn't be there. Period. Fox Sports thinks so too. They issued the following statement about the  controversy:

 “Comments such as these are inappropriate and inexcusable. It is unfortunate that one of the best sports talk radio stations in the country would allow and condone such low-class behavior from one of their on-air personalities.”

I stand behind Erin Andrews regardless of what I may think of her personally. Good, bad or indifferent it's time to end the superiority complex that some men have about women sports reporters. Period.

I'm curious how Minihane's shoes are tasting right about now. Pretty sour is my bet.

Hot For Teacher

So get this...

Apparently Kaitlyn Pearson, a 23 yr old Fitchburg, MA special needs teacher's aide was placed on administrative leave on Jan 17 after an anonymous packet containing Pearson's modeling photos were mailed to both the local paper, Sentinal & Enterprise and Fitchburg school officials. This created a whole bru-haha that set the city buzzing.

Facts are: Kaitlyn did pose for "racy" pictures. They certainly do not constitute "pornography", but she was photographed scantily clad, embracing other semi clothed women. The question here is what does this have to do with her teaching duties? Her reputation as a teacher's aide is excellent. She is well respected by her colleagues and is reportedly a devoted teacher.

A local principal of another middle school, not the school Pearson works in, wrote a letter in her defense:

In the letter, Principal Fran Thomas Jr. of Memorial Middle School said that while he doesn’t know Pearson, he objected to the “cowardice” of the anonymous packet sender. “As a parent and an 
educator, I am far, far, far, more concerned about a student being in a classroom with petty, vindictive, sneaky, gutless bullies than with a former model.” Sneaks, he said, are the ones who shouldn’t be working in schools.

As The Boston Herald's Margery Eagan pointed out today: If Scott Brown can pose nude for Cosmopolitian and be voted into the US Senate, with rumors swirling around his possible Presidential candidacy in 2016, why is it such a crime for Kaitlyn Pearson to model in her spare time?

Evidently the powers that be agree. In a recent press release, Fitchburg Superintendent Andre Ravenelle said that "after reviewing all relevant information" the school reinstated Kaitlyn Pearson on Tuesday.

Amen. It's nice to see that for once, doing the right thing ended up being the right thing to do.

Of Course, There Are Two Sides To Every Story

Bullies aren't just kids.

That's the first thing I want you to know and the second is that there are two sides to every story.

But this story is a bizarre, sad story becasue not only does it take place in the adult world, but it takes place in the realm of professional sports. Most logical adults would think that stuff like this doesn't happen once we leave college. Or does it? If you ask, now suspended indefinitely Miami Dolphin Richie Incognito, once voted the "dirtiest player" in the NFL, about the hazing/bullying of his fellow teammate Jonathan Martin who reportedly left his team because of such abuse, he will admit to using vulgar language and intimidation, but blamed it on the culture of the NFL locker room.

When the story first came out, ESPN reported that Incognito, a Miami veteran, left a vile voice message for Martin. He uses the N-Word (Incognito is white and Martin is black) and threatens to defecate in Martin's mouth. Shocking? Yes, and in the way those damning words were first reported it was an all out witch hunt for the bad guy. Incognito had long been a problem; according to sources he was kicked out of Nebraska, punched security guards and was released by the LA Rams to name a few of his numerous infractions, so it was easy to think the Dolphins had thrown the proverbial bucket of water over the proverbial Wickid Witch. 

But that was only one side of the story.

The other side is somewhat bizarre and a bit unbelievable.

Incognito was then interviewed by Jay Glazer of Fox. What we learned it that after the vulgar voice mail that was reported by ESPN, there was a bit that was left out. Edited for effect, you might say because Incognito says to Martin before he hangs up, "Call me back, OK?". Truth be told, Martin then called Incognito back.
Huh? 

Reports say that Martin also texted Incognito on Thursday night after Miami's overtime win over Cincinatti. The now famous text reads;
"Wassap man the whole worlds gone crazy. Lol...it's insane bro but just know I don't blame you guys at all. It's just the culture around football and the locker room got to me a little."

That text is the last of 1142 texts that have been exchanged between Incognito and Martin. 

Then the money shot: Incognito revealed that Maritn had sent him a message that read;
 "I will murder your whole (*****) family." to which Martin's lawyer tried to explain away by claiming it was part of an Internet meme, a joke not to be misconstrued. So what's good for the goose may never be good for the goose, eh? 

So who's side of the story is the truth? 
What is the truth? 
Who is the victim? 
Who is the bully? 

Maybe the NFL needs to look in the mirror here and take it's head out of the sand. I'm thinking it's not going to like what it sees. 

Friday's Forum

Happy Friday Bloggers!

So I can keep the focus on my beloved Red Sox this weekend, I thought I would have a forum of sorts to get your opinion on a subject that is way past it's expiry date, but features a hot chick and my Red Sox so it serves my purposes exactly. Around here this subject has been beat to death by sports radio and sports bloggers alike, so lets see what you think. 

This is Erin Andrews of ESPN interviewing Mike Napoli after Game 3 of the ALCS when he hit a game winning home run off Justin Verlander. Watch this :14 second clip and decide if she's got Bieber Fever or not. You may have to play it back a few times. 

Andrews tweeted after a fan asked:

Erin Andrews        ✔ @ErinAndrews

My lord..people are unreal RT @NDisch: “@pvdj: @ErinAndrews did you almost say Justin Bieber instead of Verlander in post game interview?”

8:04 PM - 15 Oct 2013

and one minute later tweeted:

Erin Andrews        ✔ @ErinAndrews

If u really think I have Bieber on my mind, then u are soooooo right #sarcasm

8:05 PM - 15 Oct 2013

Andrews denies the error and sports media types are saying she did it and is making it worse by denying it. She's being lambasted for the controversy.

I say, WHO CARES? I bet if Joe Buck did it the world would laugh it off and make a huge parody of it that would go viral on YouTube. But Erin will suffer quietly because in their eyes she doesn't belong there and "see?? She just proved it."

Tell me what you think in the comments section!
Have a great weekend and be careful what you say in mixed company, Bloggers.

Gaga Worth The Weight

I gotta say bravo to this Lady.

Lady Gaga has admitted to gaining 25 lbs this summer by indulging in her dad's home cooking at his newly opened NYC eatery. Good for her. Leave it to Gaga to put a positive spin on the pressures of weight gain. I'm not really a Gaga fan, but one can hardly miss her. Her larger than life persona took over the music industry and she was everywhere, but I've got to hand it to her on this one. She knows she's gained weight and she doesn't care what you or I think.

Admitting to problems with bulimia and anorexia since the age of 15, Gaga released this statement after coming under fire from the media and her record label.





She has a eloquent way of humanizing the issue and putting it into perspective, doesn't she?

And they say that looking good is the best revenge?
Check out Gaga yesterday in Milan.

25 lbs heavier and still sexy. I say, you go girl! Ain't nothing wrong with being Born that Way.

Ignorance Is A Hail Mary

Truth be told, I've been a bit busy with a project that I'm working on, but imagine my surprise when I leaned LAST NIGHT, on the evening news about what will probably go down in history as the worst blown call in professional football.

It was everywhere. On the internet, one the news, on the radio, on almost every football fan's topic of conversation, yet I. a football fan myself and complete media junkie, managed to miss it. Embarrassed but determined, I immediately educated myself on the facts. I couldn't believe it.

In a last ditch effort to win the Monday Night Football game, Settle launched one of the most exciting, when successful, plays in football, "The Hail Mary". What happened next is now history. Blatant offensive interference was committed by Seahawk's receiver Golden Tate and it looked to me like Green Bay safety M. D. Dennings had possession of the ball which is an interception, not a TD in my book. The facts are the facts and the ruling on the field, a touch down, was made by the inexperienced, replacement officials. The NFL has backed the scabs and the sporting world and sports fans alike are in a tizzy.

Twitter immediately blew up, and freedom of Tweet was thoroughly exercised. Even Mr. President weighed in on the call by tweeting, "@BarackObama NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs' lockout is settled soon"

Ya think?

PGA Professional took the opportunity to pounce on the competition and tweeted. "@bubbawatson All @nfl fans watch the Ryder Cup this week, we got no refs. #USA"

Good point Bubba.

Imagine being one of those two refs? Here's hoping they both have a job today and a trench coat and dark glasses.

NFL QB Drew Brees said it best when he tweeted, "@I love this league and love the game of football, but tonight's debacle hurts me greatly. This is NOT the league we're supposed to represent."

I'm sure Seattle fans will always disagree that this was a bad call and the debates between those few who agree with it and those who don't will be legendary. If it were my beloved Pats' I might have six thousand arguments as to why it was the right call, but somehow, in the midst of all the craziness after I watched the replay over and over, I was left thinking one thing that was completely unrelated. I was left thinking that this is a prime example of how good old Pete Carroll managed to dodge another bullet.

He Said/She Said

Interesting stuff going on here in MA.

Convicted killer Michelle Kosilek, who at one time was Robert Kosliek, an MCI Norfolk inmate serving life for the 1992 strangling of his wife and disposing of her body in a North Attleboro mall, has spent many years waging a legal battle with the state to pay for a sex change operation. Kosilek's doctors have diagnosed the inmate with gender-identity disorder and say that his "mental illness" has caused him to attempt suicide and self castration. Those same doctors have prescribed gender reassignment surgery.

Yesterday, Kosilek scored a victory when US District Judge Mark Wolf ruled  that denying the surgery violates his Eight Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment and his/her right to adequate medical care.

"She really appreciates the careful consideration of the court and the respectful decision," said Kosilek attorney Frances S. Cohen.

But there are those who don't share in that appreciation.

State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said following the controversial ruling that it sets a bad precedent for future cases and is, "well beyond the scope of reason, and an unjustifiable expansion of the requirements of the Eight Amendment." Senator Scott Brown was more to the point calling it "an outrageous waste of taxpayers dollars." 

So the question lies in what constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment". Is it cruel to expect an inmate to serve his/her time trapped in the body of someone they are not? Or unusual for a "woman" to serve her time in the "male" inmate population when a 2009 University of California, Irvine study found that a transgendered inmate is 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.? Yet is it cruel and unusual to deny proper medical treatment to any inmate; transgendered or not?

Yesterday Kosilek scored a legal victory but I'm thinking this war is not over. Wether he gets his surgery or not,  20 years ago his wife Cheryl had no legal recourse when he chose to end her life. There was no appeal to Kosilek's ruling that he was going to kill her. No "careful consideration" to strangling her and dumping her body in a mall.

And all because he chose to utilize cruel and unusual punishment and murder her.

Olympic Haute Coture

So everybody knows by now that the US Olympic team's brand new Olympic uniforms were unveiled recently to a whole lot of criticism. Seems the Ralph Lauren designs were not very popular for a few reasons. Some people felt that the French beret was decidedly "un-American", but the real flap came over the fact that the 1000 plus team uniforms were made in China. US Soccer player Heather Mitts and US Fencing Champion Tim Morehouse modeled the uniforms on the Today show, and judging by the public's reaction, you'd have thought that these two were committing some kind of evil crime.

Here's my take:

• since the uniforms were unveiled, every would-bee politician has a public opinion on this matter and of course, it's a great way to gain political credence to be on the right side of an unpopular issue. 
•  Ralph Lauren donated the uniforms, so isn't there some Olympic Uniform Committee that has final say over his designs? And for that matter, didn't they ask about manufacturing? Seems the checks and balancing system is neither checking or balancing anything.
• What I have learned is this: Practically nothing is made in this country when it comes to garments. Many industry insiders side with Lauren when it comes to this issue, but agree that he should have understood the sensitivity people feel about "Made In The USA".
• Since only about 1000 uniforms were created, it's surprising that the job was outsourced to begin with. "The globalization of manufacturing" in this country is nothing new, and certainly not new when it comes to Olympic Uniforms. Until 2008,  the Canadian apparel company Roots designed their unis and I'm not remembering a controversy of this magnitude. Ralph Lauren has already publicly announced that he's committed to making the 2014 Team uniforms in America. 
• The Olympic team is privately funded. A statement  from the Olympic Committee released recently has said, "Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors," the committee said. "We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company."

OK, so Ralph Lauren made a huge blunder when he had the Olympic duds made in China. I think he's well aware of the "sensitivity" at this point and the bad PR it has caused his brand. Many fashion insiders confirm that garments just aren't created in this country a fact that is sad, but true. 

I say let this be the first step in changing the industry and the world.

And tell all those media grabbing politicians to "lighten up, Francis".

Just Shut Your Pie Hole

As my bestest friend always says, "shut your pie hole." or just "pie hole" when she wants to get her point across quickly.

It would seem that those Boston based sports/celebrity types be at it again with their big mouths wagging. After the bru ha ha that Giselle caused on Sunday, you'd think that everyone from Boston would kinda lay low for a while. Right? Wrong.

Or maybe it's not so wrong.

Here's the back story: Tim Thomas, beloved MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, was like a hockey God around here. Stoic, strong and consistent, Thomas created a PR bru ha ha of his own when on Jan 25 he refused to attend the White House ceremony honoring the championship team. Thomas stated that he does not support the current administration and that he feel like the government is "out of control". What was out of control was the media fire that ensued. Thomas had to face a PR nightmare and defend his choice not to attend in the media.

Thomas was quoted:

"[The controversy] is all media-driven and it has been from the start. Everything that I said and did was as an individual. It was not as a representative of the Boston Bruins," Thomas said Friday at All-Star Weekend in Ottawa. "All it has to do is with me. But it's separate from hockey. That's my personal life and those are my personal views. Those are my personal beliefs. It has nothing to do with hockey. It has nothing to do with this All-Star Game. It has nothing to do with the Boston Bruins."

OK, seems fair. You would think one would move right along and keep to the business at hand, but when you are a high profile sports figure in a city that worships their sports figures, every move is scrutinized.

Then yesterday Thomas posted on his Facebook his support of the Catholic Church's battle against the Obama administration over contraceptives. Now, if he was looking for a shit storm, he sure as hell found one. Thomas was furious that the media questioned him on his posting.

Really? Have you met the Boston media, Tim?

“I don’t think that when you become an athlete that you sign away your right to be an individual, and have your own views and post them on Facebook if you’d like.” Thomas said.

Yes, I agree with him on that, and the man has every right to speak, post and scream his opinions in a public forum if he so chooses. That's why we live in this great country and it's how we live or die, but if you are going to spew political ideologies, and you are a "public figure", you'd better be prepared to answer questions about it to the media. I would say it's a hazard of the job and after the beating he took last week over the White House ceremony, you'd think he wouldn't rub salt in the proverbial wound, unless he was looking for trouble. Either way it's his call.

Maybe he would be best served to just "pie hole".

Oblivious In The Bloggersphere

So it's turning out to be a Porn kinda week over here at The Daily Dandy, and if you read on you'll get what I mean.

One of us screwed up real bad. I'm talking about Boston based Barstool Sports blogger who got himself into quite a bru-ha-ha over something he posted on Barstoolsports.com. El Presidente, aka David Portnoy, last week posted and commented on pictures of My Tommy's 2 year old son, Benjamin, frolicking naked on the beach while on vacation in Costa Rica with his mom Giselle. The photos were of a naked Baby Ben's "privates" and his comments, considered both controversial and inappropriate, set off a firestorm that went from bad to worse for El Presidente and Barstool Sports.

Portnoy, who at first refused to remove the pictures because of complaints, argued that the pictures were all over the Internet and that he was just posting what was already out there. And that's exactly when his carefully constructed house of cards began to fall. "Babygate" as it has been dubbed, caused the fall out to start almost immediately. Portnoy, a regular contributor to WEEI's Dennis and Callahan radio sports show, was immediately banned from the radio station. WEEI's Vice President of programming, Jason Woolfe tweeted in response to caller's complaints:

“No we will not have portnoy on again. What he did was completely irresponsible. It’s not about whether he was allowed to do it or not. It’s about common decency. And he showed none.”

Then the Massachusetts State Police, under the direction of AG Martha Coakley's office, showed up at the door of his home and requested that he remove the pics from his site. According to Portnoy, he was told that it would be in his best interest to remove the pictures so that the complaints would stop deterring them from getting back to their real police work.

But the biggest blow of all came from none other than The King of All Media, Shock Jock Howard Stern who invited Portnoy to his radio show yesterday morning to discuss "Babygate". In Portnoy's own words,"an ironic twist of fate", Stern told Portnoy he had crossed the line.

"I have three daughters and I gotta tell you, Dave, I would never post a picture of a child and comment on their genitals, and I’m known for outrageous commentary,” Stern said on his syndicated Sirius XM radio show.

Stern also added:

“People said, ‘You must take this down, it’s kiddie porn,’ and I saw the picture and quite frankly, I do think it’s kiddie porn,” he said. “I don’t think you can put up a picture of a 2-year-old nude.”

Portnoy told the Boston Herald that he thought Stern would be in his corner and ridicule the mainstream media for their reaction, but was subjected to the exact opposite. Although he told Stern he was torn over removing the pics and felt like a "sell out", Pornoy still maintains he was within his rights to post the pictures, but admittedly was unprepared to wage this battle.

For me, I think that Portnoy made a common error that of us some bloggers make and that within the confines of our little domain, we rule all. Or so we think.

Do I think that Portnoy is a "kiddie pornographer"? Hell no.
Do I think that a bad joke turned super bad. Hell Yes.
Did Portnoy think something was funny when it really wasn't? Oh yes.

While The Daily Dandy has not the following nor the revenues that Barstool Sports has, the commitment is nonetheless similar. Heck, over here at Candy's Daily Dandy I am the Queen, and what I say goes.

I think that Portnoy's problem's stem from an over-inflated feeling of self importance within the Barstool Sports world. He forgot the golden rule. It's the first rule I learned in graduate school. "Journalists", if that's what we choose to call ourselves, must report responsibly or face the consequences. Period.

What do you think?