Bernie Goldberg Is A Right Wing Hack

Bernard Goldberg, a hardcore right winger mostly likely to be seen palling around with extremists from the right (like Bill O’Reilly of Fox News) is coming out with a book (a right-wing hit piece that we can’t confirm if it is being characterized as fiction or as non-fiction) whining about President Barack Obama winning the election to become the first black president of the United States of America. This is a typical response from the most outspoken of the right wingers who still can’t get over the fact that it put up two inferior candidates against one of the most brilliant campaigners in the history of presidential elections. The Bernie Goldbergs of the world are crying because Obama wasted John McCain and almost broke a sweat sending Sarah Palin back to Alaska. Goldberg is, of course, in the pocket of the right wing (as proven by his regular appearances on Bill O’Reilly’s show), and is publishing a book of manure designed to appeal to the lowest form of human beings in the Republican Party.

Media Matters:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200901250008?f=h_top

As A Side Note To The Michigan State Hockey Attack

Bruce Kampfer, the angry father of injured player Steve Kampfer, apparently reached the locker room area of the Michigan State University team with a mind to confront some of the players or maybe some of the coaches. While I certainly can understand Mr. Kampfer’s anger (after watching his son attacked on the ice by two Michigan State players Corey Tropp and Andrew Conboy acting like a pair of thugs), I can’t condone any form of vigilantism because it only served to get him in trouble and didn’thelp his son’s situation. Mr. Kampfer (who according to the Ann Arbor News confronted Tropp, the guy who slashed at his son with a stick as Steve was face down and motionless on the ice) has to be better than the two young men who attacked his son. Hopefully he has learned from this unfortunate incident.

Ann Arbor News:
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/01/2_michigan_state_hockey_player.html

Part 2: No Place For This In Sports

I (like many other rational people) was absolutely disgusted by what I witnessed during a Central Collegiate Hockey Association game between long-time rivals Michigan and Michigan State during a contest that was played in U-M’s Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor. Michigan State hockey players Andrew Conboy and Corey Tropp assaulted Michigan player Steve Kampfer in an attack that probably would have gotten the two men charged if it had occurred on the streets (even the streets ofEast Lansing). Behaving like a gang of thugs, Conboy attacked Kampfer from behind as he clotheslined and then sucker punched him … knocking him down to the ice. If that wasn’t reprehensible enough, Tropp unbelievably comes in and, while Kampfer is face down and motionless on the ice, slashes him near the neckarea with his stick. Thankfully, MSU coach Rick Comley acted swiftly and decisively by suspending both players for the remainder of the season (hopefully he teaches these two young men what a privilege it is to play college hockey for a great school like Michigan State University). Comley is to be commended for his quick action that took place even before the CCHA could act. This is no good for the reputation of hockey (college or professional). College hockey is a sport that is growing and trying to become more mainstream in the United States. This may help get the sport attention, but it is not the kind of attention the sport should want. This is the kind of goonish behavior that has to be eradicated from college hockey. If you want revenge, lay a good clean hit on a guy. Don’t sucker-punch him from behind and then slash him while he is face down and motionless on the ice.

Ann Arbor News:
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/01/2_michigan_state_hockey_player.html

Part 1: No Place For This In Sports

It never ceases to amaze me the stupid things that people do these days in sports … in competition and outside of competition. The latest incident took place during a college basketball game between Arizona and Houston. A Houston player, Aubrey Coleman, was called for an offensive foul. He then walked over toward Arizona standout player Chase Budinger(who was on the ground) and literally stepped on his face. Budinger was understandably upset and had to be restrained by teammates and officials. Naturally, Coleman insisted it was an “accident” but I find that awfully difficult to believe. I’m not saying people should throw the book at this guy, but he should perhaps be further disciplined by his team. I don’t want to hear any excuses from coaches or administrators from Houston … what’s wrong is wrong and this young guy should be further punished. He doesn’t need to have a scholarship revoked (assuming he has one) or be kicked off the team, but he does not to truly understand what he did was wrong.

Step No. 1 When You Get Busted Saying/Doing Something Stupid: Blame The Media

Whenever you’re busted saying or doing something stupid, the first thing people tend to do is obvious: blame the media. Republicans always blame the “liberal” media for everything. They blame the “liberal” media for Barack Obama being elected, for John McCain losing, for Sarah Palin’s mistakes, for exaggerating the economic crisis and so on and so forth. So, most of us by now are familiar with this idiotic move by Republican National Committee chairman candidate Chip Saltsman sending out that ridiculous CD with the song “Barack the Magic Negro” on it. How do people behave so ignorantly and still find themselves in position of power and influence? It is nothing short of amazing. Saltsman, of course, did not apologize for (1) being stupid and sending it and (2) being racially insensitive and sending something that is so obviously offensive to black people and, indeed, many people of all races around the country.

So, when Saltsman was busted and called out for his stupidity, he is left with one defensive technique: blame the media.

“We’re definitely not playing on a level playing ground with the media on that issue,” said Saltsman, who was whining that the song was a parody first referred to in a 2007 Los Angeles Times column, according to a Politico article. “I mean, there was no outrage when the L.A. Times article coined that phrase.”

Saltsman may indeed be ready to run the RNC. It appears he is in line with the old-school Republican mindset that all problems are the fault of someone else. But, if the Republicans want to move in a new and positive direction, it will send human dinosaurs like Saltsman, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others (those individuals who clearly are out of touch with diversity and issues related to a diverse and inclusive society) to the back of the room.

Politico:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18028.html

Juan Williams, Of Fox News, Continues To Badmouth Michelle Obama

Juan Williams, who supposedly is a liberal on Fox News (yeah, right) has taken more than a few shots at first lady Michelle Obama during the last year. But, Williams really sounded like an ass during one of his time on Bill O’Reilly’s Monday evening show, The O’Reilly Factor. Now, Bill rarely misses an opportunity to throw a Democrat under a fleet of buses, but he should have been pimp slapped for letting this comment from Williams go unchallenged:

“… She’s got this Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress thing going. If she starts talking . . . her instinct is to start with this blame America, you know, I’m the victim. If that stuff starts to coming out, people will go bananas and she’ll go from being the new Jackie O. to being something of an albatross.”

Williams has been working hard to paint Michelle Obama as this radical … this angry black woman who has no control over herself. Throughout the campaign, he worked hard to take one comment she said to twist her into this unpatriotic angry black woman. And then, throughout the campaign, he hammered her with that comment … over and over again. Prior to that, during that and since that, he has been a steady critic of President Barack Obama about anything and everything he can think of. Williams, as was pointed about by media watchdog organizations, did nothing to back this statement up and simply used his platform on Fox News to smear Michelle Obama for no apparent reason. Invoking the Stokely Carmichael reference is little more than another attempt to try and paint her as an angry black radical (with nothing to back it up other than hot air/bad breath).

Here is the transcript from Media Matters:

WILLIAMS: — she’s got this Stokely Carmichael-in-a-designer-dress thing going. If she starts talking, as Mary Katharine suggested, her instinct is to start with this “blame America,” you know, “I’m the victim.” If that stuff starts to come out –

O’REILLY: Yeah, it’ll be death.

WILLIAMS: — people will go bananas –

O’REILLY: Right.

WILLIAMS: — and she’ll go from being the new Jackie O to being something of an albatross.

O’REILLY: She’s not going to do that. She’s not going to do that.

WILLIAMS: I hope not.

O’REILLY: Finally, I’m going to give you both 20 seconds –

MARY KATHARINE HAM: She’s been smarter about it lately.

Naturally, O’Reilly agrees with the assessment and gives it his stamp of approval by adding “Yeah, it’ll be death” to the mix. Although, later, O’Reilly does seem to indicate that he does not think she will do anything so radical (yes, Bill and Juan, black people … even black women … can control themselves). It was a small consolation after he and Williams already had ripped her (as both men had throughout the campaign and continue to do today even while Bill whines that people are being so hard on poor former President George W. Bush). 

Richard Prince:
http://www.mije.org/richardprince/ifill-overwhelmed-response-book

Media Matters:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200901270002?f=s_search

Coach Of Team That Won 100-0 Should Have Been Smarter

I have coached, covered (as a newspaper reporter), called (as a radio analyst), watched (as a fan) and more, but I can honestly say I have never been involved in a game where a team was beaten 100-0 in a basketball contest. I have been intrigued by this story from down in Texas of the team that was beaten 100-0. Sadly, there are no winners in a game like this and I certainly commend the girls who were beaten for playing hard and holding their heads high (in spite of the beating they absorbed on the hardwood). We can go into all of the issues: why was this game scheduled, how did it get so far out of hand, did the coach try to run up the score, were other coaches celebrating too much and so on and so forth. The coach (Micah Grimes), this week, was fired when he not only did not apologize for it (that is his choice), but when he spoke out against the apology of his school (huge mistake). Grimes apparently sent an e-mail to the Dallas Morning News disagreeing with the administrators of his school apologizing for the win and feeling bad about the win. Grimes is not going to look good in this situation (even if he did not have bad intentions). He should have recognized his situation and kept his mouth shut and his e-mail opinions to himself. But, he did not.

Here is Grimes’ response:

“In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Web site, I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed,” Grimes wrote in the e-mail, according to the newspaper. “We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

There may be some truth to what he said in the e-mail. But, like the Gambler, you gotta know when to hold them … know when to fold them … know when to walk away … know when to run. Grimes did not and that is why he found himself fired. I’m not sure he should have been fired for the game itself, but he did not do himself any favors with his e-mail response. He should have kept his mouth shut and realized how bad he looked (fairly or unfairly). He didn’t recognize the situation and he made himself look even worse.

Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482825,00.html

I’m Still Tripping Over Demond Wilson Throwing President Barack Obama Under The Bus … On Bill O’Reilly’s Show

“Sanford and Son” was one of my all-time favorite shows. I have some of the box sets and watch the reruns like it’s my job. But, I have to admit Demond Wilson, co-star of the show, had me shaking my head when he went on (of all places) Bill O’Reilly’s show on Fox News to criticize President Barack Obama for the cost of the inauguration.

Here is a transcript of O’Reilly introducing the segment (followed by the comments from Wilson):

“Recently, I spoke with Demond Wilson (the man who played Lamont Sanford, Fred G. Sanford’s son in the fantastic comedy from the 1970s) for an “Icon” segment about “Sanford & Son.” Mr. Wilson now does a lot of work with the poor and had some questions about all the money being spent on the inauguration.

DEMOND WILSON, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: “I want to know why $150 million is necessary of taxpayers’ money to have an inauguration. A hundred and fifty million dollars could have gone into the private sector and, with the condition that America is in right now, and done a lot more good than a celebration.”

I suppose that is true of you’re a Republican (or a hater … some might say those terms are synonymous, but that is another story) and the new president is a Democrat. Who knows where Wilson was when George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter were being inaugurated? But, to quote the immortal Fred G. Sanford, as he so often said to his son, “you big dummy!” I hear ya, Fred!

Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481060,00.html