Quote of the Day

“[Phil Sheridan’s] column on fan frustration reminded me of something I’ve been thinking about for awhile: How Philly fans are preventing their own liberation from championship purgatory with their toxic negativity. I’v been as frustrated as anyone by the Birds’ failure to win a Super Bowl, but Eagles fans need to reevaluate their relationship to the team. The loss to Carolina in the NFC title game is a perfect example. As soon as things started going wrong, dread seemed to settle over the stadium. Booing is fine when it’s deserved, but fans who turn on their team or curl up in the fetal position at the first hint of trouble negate the home-field advantage. Bill Simmons is right when he says that booing serves no rational purpose. Philly fans and Eagles fans in particular need to realize that being the best fans is more than being “tough.” It’s also about exhorting and willing the team to victory.”

– A writer to Phil Sheridan’s awesome Q&A forum, one of the few places in Philly sports media which avoids relentless negativity.

So Long, Whizzinator

News Item: Vikings Release Onterrio Smith.
And after this week’s Ricky Williams news, Smith isn’t even the league’s best suspended running back.

All About Gas

Want to understand what’s going on with high gas prices, and why you shouldn’t believe the bullshit flying from the mouths of any politicians from either party? Check out this piece on Slate from Jacob Weisberg. It won’t keep you from being angry about $3 gas, but at least you’ll understand why it’s there.

In The House!

The new Twins stadium in downtown Minneapolis is one step closer to reality, having passed the state House of Representatives tonight by a vote of 76-55. All that stands between that and reality is passage in the Senate and the supportive governor’s signature. I can’t wait to fly to the Cities and watch games from my dad’s office next door.

Work With Me!

A spot is available on the editorial staff of my fine newspaper, the Trend Leader, following the firing earlier this week of the world’s most incompetent co-worker. If you live in the Philadelphia area and you’re interested in being able to write about whatever you want, and have it distributed to a few thousand homes, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll pass you on to HR.

TMQ’s Back

Gregg Easterbrook’s “Tuesday Morning Quarterback” column has returned to ESPN.com, after more than two years in exile on NFL.com. The column was killed back in 2003 after Easterbrook posted an item to his then-blog on the New Republic’s website in which he appeared to be connecting the money-grubbing of Disney executives with their Jewishness.
I can forgive Gregg for his slipup- he clearly didn’t mean any harm and apologized appropriately- but what I can’t forgive is just how stale his TMQ act has gotten. I think I chuckled two or three times while reading the 15-page column yesterday. It’s just a waste of time considering that Peter King does the same thing much, much better over at SI.com.
And speaking of the King of Coffeenerdness, I happened to be in a Starbucks in King’s hometown of Montclair, NJ, a couple of weeks ago. But for some reason it didn’t even occur to me to look for him until like the next day. Turned out he was out of town anyway.

UPenn 6-5000

What were the odds of the University of Pennsylvania hiring a basketball coach named Glen Miller, who shares a name with the bandleader who wrote “Pennsylvania 6-5000”? Glen Macnow, before catching himself, reported on WIP last night that Penn had hired Benny Goodman as coach.

Snow, Informer

It’s official: Tony Snow has replaced Scott McClellan as White House press secretary. After working as a speechwriter in the first Bush White House, Snow has been a longtime employee of Fox News Channel, hosting a talk radio show and frequently sitting in for Bill O’Reilly. So really, he’s pretty much already been White House press secretary for almost six years. Call it a lateral move.

Office Sports, Cont’d

Remember a while back when I reminisced about “SectorBall,” an office sport often practiced by my co-workers and I back in New York circa 2000? Someone has set up a Wikipedia entry on the sport, stating that the game was “developed in a New York City publishing company’s office in 1999.” Sounds about right- the page must’ve been made by one of my ex-coworkers.
One of my current coworkers, meanwhile, suggests another new office sport, to be called, “Kill Everyone in the Office Who Sucks.”

Say It Ain’t So, Maury

So Maury Povich has been hit with a $100 million sexual harassment suit by a former producer. But at least it wasn’t a paternity suit. Because Maury himself having to take a paternity test might shatter the all-time unintentional comedy record.