THE SPORT OF DECEPTION

As everyone is aware, Ryan Braun made history this week.  He's the first ballplayer in MLB that was able to get a suspension due to violation of the drug policy overturned.  The person who took his specimen brought it home with them that night, and did not send it to the lab right away per the policy.  Therefore, the speculation is that this guy could have altered the specimen, something else could have happened, blah, blah, blah.  So good job Mr. Braun who just got a massive contract and with his return just saved the Milwaukee Brewers much anxiety.

I am going out on a limb here.  I found the positive test result for Braun hard to believe.  In fact, when he proclaimed his innocence, I still believed in him.  Why?  I have no fricking idea.  Look at the guy.  He's a runt for the most part.  He's rarely injured.  I don't see too many symptoms there for a drug abuser.

However I cannot know for sure.

Perhaps Ryan Braun could be very well telling the truth and he sets out to not only get his Brew Crew to the top, but wants to clear his name.  However history tells us that sports, especially baseball, is a dirty dirty sport.  You know, mostly sports is a sack of shit with the personalities, the treachery, the egos involved.  It's always been this way.  Don't try to deny it.  Thanks to the MSM, social networking, and the speed of a story, its in our faces now.

We have seen five of the greatest baseball players of all time come out about some kind of drug abuse.  Admitted or not.  A whole list of players and drug networks linked to trainers and towel boys have rocked the world.  Many say we are past the steroid era of baseball.  However, with the Braun situation, along with Manny Ramirez failing again, is it really as serene as Bud Selig wants you to believe?  Truth be told, baseball might have the slimiest, but every sport has some kind of cover up in some dirty area.

Hockey and football say they want to limit the head injuries, but do you see them really doing something about it?  You have seen some of the hits delivered.  You have seen end results.  Hell, when David Duerson killed himself, he wanted his brain researched due to the devastating effects of the sport of football.  Basketball is run by a crazy person who shit on a deal that would help a struggling franchise that the league owns.  Ego and lies run the sports world.  And you would think ESPN would be the watch dog, but they really aren't.  They give blow jobs to the bad people.  Brett Favre gets head from them all the time, especially before the beginning of a new season.  The last two years he made it clear he was not coming back, but ESPN tried to blow it up anyway.  The whole fiasco behind The Decision.  Now, grant it Lebron James is my guy, but I still thought that whole special reeked of shit.  The hockey Gods aren't happy unless Sydney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are the guys making it happen.

I am a fan of sports.  I really enjoy football and baseball.  Hockey is fun, and I have been getting into basketball more so the last couple of years.  However, the press conference, the dishonesty, the sneakiness; not too impressed.

Which brings me to my point.  You see how covered up the steroid scandal in baseball was.  Can we really know for sure that Ryan Braun was clean?  Does he get the benefit of the doubt?

I would say this to the sports world.  I think you should make all substances legal and say fuck it.  Let the hits go.  Just put your cards on the table.  People will enjoy the spirit of competition and accept things for how they are.  Yet, one thing people can't accept is being lied to and made an idiot of, and MLB along with a couple of people, has enjoyed clowning and trolling its fans for years.  Bud Selig thinks he the man.  You know, he saved baseball after the strike with the two players hitting home runs who were so juiced, you would need a blender to clean them up.  Calling home field advantage for the winner of the all star game.  Genius.  Doing realignment this year to make the playoffs more interesting.  Hey Bud, how about you just walk away and let someone who really wants to make MLB fun and interesting take charge?

Until then, we really know nothing.  They do.

Keeping it real,
MRJ

HUSTLE, LOYALTY, DISRESPECT?

I have found a wrestling site called Cageside Seats and if you like wrestling you should give it a try.  Great site and the guy who runs it is hilarious.  Anyway, here is the post for today regarding an angel from Raw this week:

As you are aware, Raw opened up with one of the most brutal segments in the history of the show.  I call it brutal because Eve is seen talking to the Bella twins and talks about how she used Zack to get to John Cena, which quite frankly made zero sense.  She's riding in ambulances with him, she is crying at his side, she is hanging out with him, blah blah blah.  Once again the WWE showed us how they develop their characters, push them off the cliff like Thelma and Louise and pray they land on their feet.  The segment made zero sense and seemed forced.

And then just before Eve is going to hatch her plan of treachery by going in Cena's locker room to apologize with the Bellas filming what would happen, Superman is standing there shaking his head.  Then he goes down to the ring, with Eve begging for forgiveness while John Cena berates her with such zingers as " ", "wants to be disease free" and the ever popular #1 trend of twitter how do you say "hoeski."

Now, Geno, Sergio and many others took issue with this because of the message it sends to women.  I call BS.  Why?

The WWE since the mid nineties has become a cesspool for the way women are portrayed and treated.  Since the days of Sable, the WWE's view of women and the wrestling has gone down the toliet.  At this time women were looked at as objects and pawns to move one story to the next.  Sable was forced to be Marc Mero's "lackey" and wear a potato sack when one day she revealed herself wearing very little at all.  What kind of message does that send to little girls?  You have to be completely sexy to be powerful?  Trish Stratus, although I believe she can be one of the most improved women's wrestlers in the company going back to when she started managing a team called T&A to the 7 time women's champ who is respected, has been involved in multiple story lines where she is embarrased, humiliated, and downgraded by Vince McMahon and his family.  And as Sergio mentioned in his story which I thought was well done, the endless berating of Stephanie McMahon by Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and a few others that led to the wonderful slut chants.  Hell, WWE must of had a deal with Playboy because of the number of "playboy themed matches" and I'm sorry I don't think of Playboy as a vehicle to empower women.  

Oh but that was the attitude era.  And everyone was kids, that was different.  WWE is now rated PG.

Other than the fact that segment started the show and was poorly timed, and most likely should have been on later, what is the issue here?  Is it a burial of Eve?  No, its a face change, but WWE staying true to form is disrespecting the woman.  Even in the PG era.  Remember a couple months back with the "walkout," Beth Phoenix who is betrayed as a "strong female" became completely unbelievable with her one liner "Hunter, we're girls."  

Which goes to make my point.  What happened to Eve having a crowd chant "hoeski" was part of the storyline?  The same storylines that WWE creative has been dreaming up for years.  Should you be embarrased to be a wrestling fan because of it?  Absolutely not.  Honestly all the crap towards the end of the attitude era with the "so called women wrestlers" the degradation of women in story lines, the needless amounts of sex, and a few other things sent me away from wrestling for a few years.  I came back because I believe the product improved a bit.  They weren't chanting "slut" to her like they did to Lita, who actually did something wrong out of character.  They were chanting "hoeski."  Silly word, that means nothing.  They are advancing the story line.  They wanted to break her down because of how conniving she was backstage.  It was the point.  Now Eve gets to react in a strong manner later this week on WWE.com. That is how this story will be advancing.

But the message that the "Be a Star" and top guy in the company is sending to the audience is a poor one?  Right?

Remember, the WWE does not take itself too seriously.  It is a show.  It's "sports entertainment."  Are kids watching?  Yes.  But how many PG movies do you take your kids to that have questionable material and bad decision making by the writers and/or characters.  What the WWE has done to Eve is quite frankly what they have been doing for years.  I don't think you can call foul on them now just because of the so-called PG rating.  You can't call foul because you have grown up.  They've been bullshiting the audience forever so why are they going to change now?  

This shouldn't be a surprise.  I have two girls and would I let them watch wrestling right now, no.  However, if they were to watch wrestling when they get older and this happened, I would have to educate them that women are viewed in a higher regard than this product views them.  The WWE is doing their job.  They're generating heat on a character who just underwent a face change.  Don't hate on John Cena because he helped the cause.  Don't be embarrassed of the show you love because they did something that you found offensive.  Understand that at the end of the day, this is a show and it's telling a story, much like a movie, or TV series.  

Life imitates art, and if someone pulled this crap in high school and got found out, the same thing would have happened to them.  My issue with this segment in closing is how poorly executed it was.  Eve sitting in the ring crying, trying to kiss Cena, how forced the whole thing was and how Eve's character went from making a poor decision to full blown face turn made zero sense to me.  It's the WWE.  Attitude era or not.  They haven't changed, and if you think they ever will, you are kidding yourself.

Like Vince McMahon said at the end of this commercial, get it?

I would say that if you find this offensive, as well as the fact the top guy in the company is constantly bullying people around, which the WWE is against, you should take a hiatus like I did.  I will never tell anyone how to be a fan of wrestling, and what not.  However, I think going on a campaign that the WWE is sending a bad message to women, when quite honestly they have been doing for years, is all for naught.  Use caution if you let your kids watch.  Teach them to be strong and to "rise above hate."  Educate them to not to be a bully, but be a star.  Every corporation in sports and/or entertainment has this hypocrisy attached to them.  With sports it's steroids, with Hollywood its drugs, and with WWE its a little bit of both.  

I have been watching the WWE and other wrestling since I was 9 years old.  On and off of course.  I've seen some great times and great matches.  I have enjoyed it for the most part.  I tend to look at the positives that come from it, but realize the issues that go with it.  If it gets to be too much, I tune out.  That is the only thing you can do, because if you think they're going to change, you are asking too much.  The WWE will always be moving, silly, fascinating, offensive at times, but will always do what they do.  Try to entertain the customer and hope they come back for more.  No matter at what norms or rules of society get bent or broken.  What happened the other night to Eve wasn't a message sent to the crowd that its OK to treat women that way.  It was developing a character who could be a great heel, or just plain vanilla.  It's up to anyone who views it to take it however they want.  As long as the players are in on it, how is this different from what the WWE has done in the last 20 years?

ITS ALL LEBRON JAMES FAULT

Last year was epic.  The combination of two NBA superpowers merging in the Sunshine State with a talented forward who was used to being the star not having to worry about carrying the load anymore.  Yes, there was a Decision.  Yes there was a celebration before the season started.  Yes they had they're issues.  Yes they came up short in the finals.  Yes, yes yes.

However, this year's Miami Heat team is not worried about the bravado.  They're not worried about being the New World Order of basketball.  They are just three guys who want to do what every team wants to do; win the NBA Championship.

So why the fans of other teams hate?


Is it that stinging feeling from last year?  With the Bulls fans, I see an chippy inferiority complex as the Heat beat them in 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals.  With Knicks fans, they believe their big two are better and the future, and now have a whole lot on #linsanity to go with it.  Why pick on Chris Bosh when no one talked about him for years in Toronto?  Can you really say anything bad about Dwyane Wade when all he does is take it all in stride?

Nope, it's because Lebron James is a member of the Miami Heat, and everyone and anyone want to take shots at him.  Because of the nick name.  Because of the comparisons to "his airness."  And because of his last two appearances in the fourth quarter.  So every time Lebron opens his mouth, someone has to open theirs and think their voice is better.  If people aren't opening their mouths, then people want to point their fucking fingers and say that's the bad guy.

Take a few games this season when Lebron James missed his fourth quarter free throws.  Voices came out from the darkness about his shrinkage in the fourth.  Then there was the #withoutwade nonsense.  Lebron can play better without Wade was what analysts and wanna be hall of famers were saying all over ESPN and TNT.  Lebron gives praise to Blaine Gilbert's dunk over Kendrick Perkins, and Perkins blasts Lebron.  Then Lebron has to answer questions about it.

Now rewind to yesterday when asked how would he feel about playing in Cleveland:

"I think it would be great, it would be fun to play in front of these fans again.  I had a lot of fun times here. You can't predict the future. Hopefully you continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami player and I'm happy where I am now but I don't rule that out in any sense. If I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."

If you are retarded, you will run with this and think he automatically wants to leave the Heat and go back to the closed arms of Dan Gilbert.  Looking at you Wojnarowski.  Someone who I respect dearly called this all a precursor to go back to Cleveland, stating a report back in July about how James wasn't happy in Miami now has grown a pair of sexy legs so he can piggyback this gem off of it.  And give Woj credit, he will stand behind what he wrote no matter how JFK sounding it is.

Bottom line is this.  Lebron James is one of the greatest active players in the NBA right now.  Lebron's actions and quotes will be put under the microscope until he wins one.  And then he has to win another, and another, and another.  Lebron needs to be given the chance to tell all the haters "I told you so, now piss off."   Oh and guess what kids.  He is well on his well to winning MVP trophy number 3.

We Miami Heat fans hope he gets that opportunity this year after winning the NBA Championship he really craves, along with having the peace of mind that he has no enemies.  Including his former city.  

Also appears on Peninsula is Mightier-A Miami Heat fan blog maintained by David Dwork who does a wonderful job.  Check it out.

I'M ROLLING ALL MY EYES FOR YOU

So for anyone who believes talking about someone who's body hasn't made autopsy is offensive, go away now!

However, if you want some honesty and true feelings, you have come to the right place.  Last night, I like many others found out that Whitney Houston, who at one time was considered one of the greatest singers ever died suddenly last night at the young age of 48.  It was one of those, oh wow <insert name here> died moments.

I am not going to sit here and lie to you that I was a fan of Houston's.  In fact, quite the opposite, couldn't stand her music, and the more I got to know her, didn't think much of her as a human being as well.  Her pronouncing that "crack is cheap and she makes too much money to smoke crack" just made me shake my head at her.  The fact that she allowed herself to be made the fool on that Bobby Brown reality show was unreal.  And yes, how skinny she was at the Michael Jackson tribute raised my eyebrows.  I remember seeing "How Will I Know" on good old Friday Night Videos when I was a kid, and couldn't believe how many votes that piece of crap got.

Am I insensitive?  Maybe.  However, we stopped regularly scheduled programming to make this announcement?  Let's be real here.  I don't think there is a person alive who thought she was serious about cleaning herself up.  This guy in just this past May chronicled her many adventures in druggie kingdom.  And let's just add Whitney Houston to the other list of musicians who were taken too early by drug abuse and that are put up on a pedestal.  Whitney Houston was relevant for ten maybe fifteen years.  Ten fricking years.  She didn't produce hit after hit after hit like Michael Jackson did.  She had a few good years, and one unbelievable rendition of the Star Spangled Banner which can be labeled the best ever and won a few Grammys.  However, she ruined her legacy with the drugs, drama, and crap.

I don't think my cynicism is directed towards Houston.  May her soul rest in peace with the Lord like I wish for good and decent people, and she wasn't a bad person.  She made mistakes like most.  However, for the national media to make a fuss over this like they do when any celeb dies makes me sick.  Steve Jobs deserved all the attention he got.  He was truly a visionary.  Many of us use devices that he invented.  He has contributed to many different causes.  He was an icon.  Whitney was not, but because she died, she becomes one?

It's like that with many people.  Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse; all individuals who died too soon due to choices they made with their lives.  You look at people like Aliyah, Cliff Burton, Randy Rhoads, John Lennon, Lisa Left Eye, Dime bag Darrell...all those people died not because of bad choices, but events that took place that sped them to the grave.  And some of them have made legendary contributions.  Lennon especially.

Look, I have respect for anyone who can make music.  Especially if it reaches a vast majority of people and everyone enjoys it.  What I'm not fond of is this making of icons when they drove a car off a cliff.  There is no need to stop the news CNN, there is no need to redo the Grammys; life is going on for many.  Whitney Houston was a talented singer who had her whole life in front of her.  She lived as much of it as she could with the help of controlled substances.  However, the only person who can help you enjoy life is yourself.  I can relate to her panic attacks as I suffer from them quite a bit.  However, I will not go to drugs for help every time I have one.  I will not take Xanax before going on the air or typing one of these things.  Is that why she slid into the bathtub as TMZ is reporting?   Did the Xanax hit her while in the tub?  Can we even believe what TMZ says?  It's run by a lawyer and you know how far they can be trusted.  The Grammys have apparently gotten under way, and everyone is singing her praises.  Many cite her as an influence.  I bet none of the people cited her when they first started.  Cee Lo Green said he wouldn't be standing there if it weren't for her.  Please.

My condolences go to her daughter who is having her own issues, her family, and anyone who was a fan.  I am sorry you lost a wonderful musician, but let's be real here.  Does anyone think she would think twice if any of us die?  In fact, all you people who defend the celebs as passionately as you do, do you think they care if you go bankrupt, if your kids get sick, if you are homeless, or any of your issues?  It's a cold, cold world and let's remember Whitney as the musician, and nothing more.

Keeping it real,
MRJ

JAE JOURNAL: EVEN PERFECTION HAS ITS FAULTS

Written January 13, 2008





You can try to convince me as much as you would like the 2007 Patriots are one of the best teams in sports history. They have arguably the best quarterback in football history, one of the best receiving cores ever, and the sickest mad scientist for a coach ever.
I will disagree with the first one.

You watch the Pats on TV and you are awed by their supremacy. The way Tom Brady slices and dices defenses weekly is truly magnificent. The one two Brady Moss Punch can’t be denied. Some other players have shined brightly thanks to Brady; Stalworth and Welker to name a couple. You can say that the Patriots are going undefeated this year. However, when you break a rule in the first game of the year, whether the rule makes no sense or not, you have just lost credibility in my book friend.

This team plays so well, they didn’t need to use the video camera. I actually admire their talent. This team’s offense and defense reeks of awesomeness, so why cheat? Why does America forget about that? Their team has been tainted since day one.

So unfortunately for us who still would like to see integrity be part of the game instead of the whack jobs who feel that the other 16 games they won are more important that the one they broke NFL rules for, America has become a nation where a little bit of cheating doesn’t matter. You disagree? Allow me to give you the list of blemishes…

OJ Simpson-Here’s a man who looked guilty as sin. Yet star power and a highly shrewd lawyer got him off the hook. One of the best running backs in the game? Sure. Add the man who got away with it to that list.

Movie stars-Many of these people have talents that can set them high above the rest of the world, but they succumb to “cheating” by botox, plastic surgery, and other shit like that. America loves them.

Kobe Bryant-Did he do it in Colorado or didn’t he? This man cheats on his wife, cries like a little bitch constantly, and we consider him the greatest ball player today? Come on people. So what if he scores many points every game? The question is the man’s character and he obviously kept secrets from his wife, so how do you know he didn’t rape the girl in Colorado?

R. Kelly-Only in America can someone be seen having sex with an under aged girl on video tape and get a trial delayed for five years. Can we hang this man and get on with it? Oh yes, he made great albums. It would be nice he could make one in jail, and we’ll call it the KY connection.

Ashlee Simpson-This girl gets caught red handed lip syncing on television and makes a new album? What? Who sang on that one? And it sells a lot! Once again America buys into mistakes.

Baseball-Everyone knows the low down on baseball with the McGuire denials on Capitol Hill, the perjury of Rafael Palmiero, the Bonds fiasco, and now the Mitchell report with Clemens being the staring character, attendance and interest have blown through the roof. Guilty as charged here as I love baseball.

Which brings me to my point, you can put the 2007 Patriots with the people above as people who did something seriously wrong, but are still coming out smelling like a rose. I don’t care if Brady throws for 4,000 yards this season or they go 19-0, the Patriots will always be in my book a tainted team. Sure, the video taping rule is lame, but we live and die by the rules. Then once they are broken, this thing of ours breaks. That was said in the movie Gotti. It is true in real life. The message being said to kids about the New England Patriots is simple. You can break the law once in your life, but if you do real well everyone will forget about it. This team didn’t have to cheat, but they did.

I am a huge fan of karma, and karma does exist. However, I am starting to question that as the Pats with two games left may reach their goal. To off the 1972 Dolphins as the only team left standing undefeated start to finish. They will most likely play Indy in a rematch of the AFC championship last year and revenge is a dish served best cold, and the Pats will invite Indy into their restaurant to wait tables. This is the one chance karma has to do something special because lets face it, the NFC teams can’t take down the AFC teams on the biggest stage set in Arizona.

America has had its Patriots represent them over the years. Now the word Patriot refers to a silly foot ball team who might go undefeated and make many young football fans cream in the pants. How sad is that?

THOUGHTS: Karma is a bitch ain't it?  Two times they couldn't beat the Giants.  LOL!!!!

THE MIDDLE FINGER ON OBSCENE BEHAVIOR

As everyone knows, Madonna made a huge return on the biggest stage of all last Sunday at Superbowl XLVI,. and although she put on quite the show no one really was talking about it.  Instead, the attention was pointed towards some rapper named M.I.A. who one would think her brain was missing in action when she randomly flipped off the camera.  Honestly, I didn't even notice.  I guess when you do a double take you do.  (Video to the right)

She also said shit too.  Look out world.  We have a controversy.

Honestly I would think we have evolved a little bit from being a tight ass generation who lets little things like this bother us.  But who am I kidding.  There will always be right wing nut jobs who will proclaim we are going to hell for watching this girl trying to make a name for herself.  However, the whole situation got me to thinking.  What is the origin for obscene gestures?  Who started it?  Where did this craziness come from?



Well I guess starts in Greece.  According to Wikipedia, the "finger" is used to insult someone in comedy to insult someone for being a katapugon, which loosely translated means "someone who submits to anal penetration."  Leave it to the Greeks to come up with something so strange.  These are the same people who wrote plays about incest an d tragedy and celebrating it all with wine.  They coined the term Oedipus Complex, which is a man's desire to sleep with their mom.  Hmmmm.

So that has translated to us giving the finger.  Wanna see something funny?  I entered "flipping off" in Google, and here is what I got.  As you can see the finger itself has become so universally known, why would it offend anyone anymore?  It's like paint on the wall next door.  It's just there.  So instead of celebrating a great football game and enjoying the performance of someone who is an icon is the music industry, we're all going to sit around and talk about the middle finger.  Please let's grow up people.  There are more serious issues going on in the world.  People are starving, homeless, sick, ignored, etc, etc.  I don't think some girl who wants to flick off the camera at the Superbowl is something that demands our attention.

Keeping it real,
MRJ