Guard Dog

To be honest, I don't get his explanation and find it weird its taken him three years to come up with it rather than make this argument in 2012 when he came under fire. The Agassi-Sampras ad that was "Guerilla Tennis" featured Agasi and Sampras blocking off a NY city road with a net and playing tennis in the middle of the street. What Adler says is that Venus Williams "...put the gorilla effect in. Charging." I don't immediately see how that ties to the ad, or can tie to the concept portrayed in the ad. That said, without further word on what "guerilla tennis" came to mean in the tennis community past the ads, I guess it is possible that there's something to it. That doesn't necessarily mean that Adler meant it to be racist though although that could also be true. When he apologized at the time he said he used the wrong word. I suspect he was wanting to use an animal that is aggressive in defending territory and charges forward and intentionally/unintentionally/unwittingly/unawaredly used an animal that had long been used to portray those of African descent as sub-human. This just happened last month at the Australian open. And "guerilla effect" was most likely a reference to her rushing the net, which is like an ambush. He apologized for "poor word choice", but only because it was misunderstood. It's too much to expect a live commentator to think through the full implication of what he's saying, and the racist aspect not occurring to him only suggests he's not a racist. Nor did anyone mention any prior allegations of racism against him; like I said, we now always assume the worst and never give anyone the benefit of the doubt. This reminds me of something. Back in the 90's one of the aides to then Mayor of DC Anthony Williams used the word "niggardly" (it means stingy or cheapskate) while discussing a budget proposal. The aide was white and the use of the word offended a black city councilman who 1. Didn't know the definition of the word and 2. Couldn't be bothered to find a dictionary and look it up. He took it as a racial slur and made a big deal over it. The aide was fired (resigned under duress IIRC) and had to apologize for everyone's ignorance of the English Language. EDIT: GRRRRR Giftd beat me to it by just minutes. I was typing this when he posted! EDIT EDIT: I got a few of the details wrong. I went off memory. I also didn't know about the other incidents.

And just like that Alex Reyes is out for the season: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/215977432/alex-reyes-to-have-tommy-john-surgery/ The Cardinals are not staring out too well. They were penalized for the Astros mess Failed to sign the three biggest free agents they pursued, and now lost their 5th starter and best prospect for the season.

I think you're reading too much into it There are always crazies, I mean, the author of that article writes romance novels and young adult fantasy Perhaps I am. But when someone looks down their nose and tells people "don't read this book" especially over such a specious and anti-intellectual concept as political correctness it puts my back up. I dunno, that's not what I read. It sounded to me like an op-ed piece. I mean, she's not saying "remove these perfectly fine books to fill a quota of diversity", she's saying "I hate these **** books, I like these books better and they get bonus points in my book for diversity". She's a bit preachy about it, but it's pretty much just opinion. I mean, I guess having an opinion and expressing it is political? But calling something this simple "the leftist cancer that destroys culture" is a bit harsh? Plus, you know, of the ones I read the ones she mentioned are pretty **** I think. Hey hyperbole and internet forums go together like peanut butter and jelly! Yeah, it was a tad melodramatic on my part. I remember a few years ago a big row here in my home state over a push to remove books from school libraries. One of those was Uncle Tom's Cabin (which she mentioned). The reason was IIRC the way the story stereotyped the slave characters. See? It's not enough just to criticize the writing, they have to take steps to keep people from even reading it. As for the generalizations being unfair to the black characters, that book did as much to win the Civil War as half the Union Generals did. It was published 10 years or so before Lincoln was elected and it made the abolitionists cause mainstream in the north. There are few instances where a work of fiction changes the opinions of society but this was on of them. The idea of removing it from a library, banning it even in a soft way, because it was a product of the time it was written in just shocks me. The words banned and books should never be used in the same sentence. No source of learning, information, or even entertainment should ever be withheld from anyone. Now I know that isn't exactly what she was doing here. But she came close enough to flirt with the concept by saying "don't read this, read that instead". Like I said, that puts my back up every time.

I wish they would do that with the education department. The Department of Education & the EPA both gone? NOW we're getting somewhere!

When you're good you make it look easy: http://www.nba.com/video/2017/02/14/0021600832-cle-min-lebron-james-no-look-assist-derrick-williams

I think you're reading too much into it There are always crazies, I mean, the author of that article writes romance novels and young adult fantasy Perhaps I am. But when someone looks down their nose and tells people "don't read this book" especially over such a specious and anti-intellectual concept as political correctness it puts my back up.

I am beginning to see the politics, particularly leftist politics is a cancer that invades and kills healthy cultures. Case in point: https://www.bustle.com/p/9-overrated-classic-novels-which-books-to-read-instead-37472 Notice she didn't say read these titles in addition to the classics she compared them to, but instead of. And why? Because according to modern leftest political mores the old works are written by white people and reflect the eras in which they were written. I'm getting images in my head of angry college liberals goose stepping in formation past piles of burning books. They say history repeats itself. I suppose that is a near certainty when you decide to not read it or works from it because it does not the suit the politics of the day.

Presidents get too much credit and blame. our President doesn't have the kinda power most folks thinks he does. Presidents who is blamed for economic woes or economic improvements is often being targeted for blame/credit which is more appropriate directed at Congress or a past administration. 'course we has rare seen a President take so much credit for stuff he didn't do. it is hard to sympathize. f-35 cost reduction negotiated long before trump were elected? takes credit for keeping a ford plant in the US, a plant which ford were never planning to move? has made similar claims regarding intel, sprint and general motors. HA! Good Fun! You dedicated entirely too much thought to a news story I was mocking!

Apparently Trump has stormtroopers now: http://nypost.com/2017/02/13/now-the-left-is-going-nuts-again-over-trumps-nonexistent-storm-troopers/

That is where talent pool dilution becomes a concern. Are there enough NBA caliber players to fill out two more rosters. For this sport, I think the answer is yes since the game is a global one now. Of the "Big 4" sports in North America basketball is the only one I can say that about. But only because the roster sized are considerably smaller than the other leagues.

In other news the NBA D League has sold it's naming rights to Gatorade: http://dleague.nba.com/news/nba-development-league-to-become-nba-gatorade-league/. The upshot there is Gatorade is going to collaborate with the league on player development. If that means improving training and coaching then it's a plus. I didn't know that 40% of NBA players have had time in the D league. I didn't think it was near that high. And is the NBA considering expansion to 32 teams? This article doesn't confirm it but then cities are putting together bid packages in a time when no teams are relocation candidates it makes you wonder. Where there is smoke there is usually fire. http://www.sbnation.com/2017/2/13/14596586/nba-expansion-louisville-seattle-adam-silver Whenever expansion comes up you have to ask if the talent pool of the league can support two new teams. I think the skill level of the average NBA player has never been higher but must clubs still have bench depth problems. At the same time the game has never been more popular overseas and several nations in Europe and elsewhere have leagues that play at a high level. The talent pool may be there. What do you guys think?

That would be sweet. I wonder, if the Raiders do move will that make it easier for the A's to get a new stadium?

"The one constant through all the years has been Baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, then erased again. But Baseball has marked the time. This game, this field, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good. And could be again" The camps are open. Pitchers and Catchers report by Friday. The first full club games begin next week. The World Baseball Classic starts in three weeks. It might be cold in Memphis but in Florida & Arizona spring has arrived. It's time to talk hardball. Tired of politics? Tired of international conflicts? Tired of bad news? You'll find none of that here. Baseball asks for nothing other than your time and attention. And rewards as much of that as you'll freely give with drama, excitement, and a diversion that, for the next 256 days (give or take), will be on and new every single day. Sitting in the stands, watching on TV, listening on the radio or internet, or even checking the previous nights box scores you are participating in a truly American tradition going back to the 1870's. As Casey Stengel once said "every game is an entire season". It's all new every day. And on April 2, everyone is a contender. When that first pitch i thrown there is no past, only future. To start things off Congrats to the Brisbane Bandits who won the Australian Baseball Leagues Championship (and 2nd coolest trophy in sports after the Stanley Cup; The Claxton Shield) for the 2nd year in a row. They have three Tampa Bay Rays prospects on the team so I was pulling for them.

Jeez Ben, is there anything else to you? You are becoming a real on-trick pony here.

It hardly started with Obama. Bill Clinton for a good part of his first term enjoyed a media love affair that overlooked things they should not have. Until they just not longer could. The "media" treatment of Bush could often be called unfair also. Dan Rather and his AWOL story come to mind. It's impossible to dismiss the notion that "they" are not observant bystanders but instead are active participants in the political arena, advancing their favored ideology. Once again they are not a single entity and even for the ones this is true it isn't true all the time.

I've got tickets to see the Grizz play the Pelicans on Wednesday. It will be the first game I've made it to this season.

I think the "media" wanted Trump to be the candidate because who in their right mind expected Trump to actually defeat Clinton? If one of the other GOP candidates (aside from Cruz probably) had won the nomination then Clinton's flaws may have been her undoing even against a vanilla candidate like Kasich. With Trump it was flaws vs flaws and one might have figured actual experience would have won out. Of course that experience turned out to be a detriment. Who knew?

I have no issue with the coverage the Trump administration has received from the "media" (as though it were a monolithic entity) so far. I agree completely with Grominir in that I wish they had been so diligent with the previous administration. They fact that they didn't and treated the Obama admin to nothing but fawning praise even when they were doing truly terrible things has ruined what credibility "they" had. People believe the news media is biased because it is. The bad thing is that does not mean what they are reporting is not true. It's usually more of an issue of tone or what isn't reported. The problem is once upon a time we could agree on what was true and what wasn't. Now truth is viewed through a political prism and the political leanings of the presenting media determine if the news consumer believes them or not. It's a hell of a thing really. But the blame for this lies squarely with the "media" (once again it's not a monolithic entity) but their decades of groupthink has created this situation. It was the greatest disservice "they" ever could have done to us. I worry what the ultimate consequences of this sin of hubris will be.

Is it that new? Recall people judging others by their political stances a lot in the past. Mostly people picking on liberals for being hippies but that is just the crowd I dealt with. People can be defined by what groups they back. Sports clubs is a bad comparison as that seems like an example of loyalty gone insane as for the most part people's minds follow "my club right or wrong". Also nothing wrong with hating Chelsea FC fans. Maybe it is due to excessive flaming online warping people's minds. It's not new but it certainly seems to be getting worse. And the sports comparison was not intended to be a comparison of fanaticism rather just a demonstration of a trivial difference to dislike someone over.

He did and then wen't about it in the most ham-fisted and careless way possible. You're right about one thing. The lesson he has to learn is that being President does not mean you get to do whatever you want.

Actually what we really need is for people to rediscover the truth that, while interesting conversation, politics is not a matter of life or death. We are not defined as human beings by who we vote for. This outright hostility for strangers and even friends who voted for someone a person doesn't like is new and extremely unhealthy. The truth is after 8 years Barack Obama did more the course of the country to the left. But only by a matter of a few degrees. If Trump lasts 8 years any change in direction me manages will be one of degree. We are not a country built to achieve radical changes in a short time. So with that in mind is it really so important who is in the White House that we begin to hate each other over it? I've said before, and I stick by it, hating someone over their political preference is like hating them because the cheer for a different sports team than you. It makes no sense. One voter did not decide this election. So it's stupid to get down on someone over their vote. And anyway besides calling you Congressman there is nothing to be done about any of it until 2018. Basically, Americans who are hung up on this b------t need to get a f-----g grip and go back to enjoying their lives. I know I have.

I think the biggest story of this season has got to be the resugence of the Miami Heat. That is a team with little talent and little hope and was looking like they were heading for a lottery pick. Now they are riding a 13 game win streak are just six games under .500. That's impressive.

Well, I didn't vote for him but I did prefer him to Clinton. Like I posted elsewhere, choosing between two awful choices is no choice at all. That said this immigration battle he has launched himself into, and in a ham fisted way at that, is squandering whatever good will and political capital he might have had. It's stupid. Why fight over a hill that you probably can't take and isn't worth fighting over? WoD was right in that if it was drafted in such a way as to not raise due process conflicts for green card and legal US visa holders this might not have been an issue. Although there were flaws beyond those. Now so much has been said, so much ill-will generated that there is no way out. Just continue on up the worthless hill. This is the exact danger of putting a political neophyte in high office. They don't understand the age old lessons of picking your battles.

Hey Leferd, did you see GSW vs the Grizz last night? Draymond Green does the near impossible. A triple double, boards, steals, and assists and does it without scoring. Well, the Grizz have has their way with GS so far. Last night the worm turned.

Some fun alternative facts: