Where’s the Outrage?

Virginia is a so-called swing state for the 2008 election. Polls show that the race in that state is very close.

Will Senator Barack Obama be able to carry Virgina in 2008? Doing so would make him the first Democrat to carry the state in a Presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Yes— Obama will win Virginia in 2008.

As the spirit of Richmond, Virginia, native Arthur Ashe will lead Obama to victory in Virginia.

Ashe lived from 1943 to 1993 when he died of AIDS that was likely acquired from a blood transfusion.

He was strong both on and off the tennis court. On the court, Ashe was elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Off the court, Ashe worked hard against South African apartheid, protested poor American treatment of Haitian boat people, addressed the United Nations General Assembly regarding AIDS, and served as Chairman of the American Heart Association.

When he died, Ashe’s body lay in state at the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond. He was first person to receive that honor since Confederate General Stonewall Jackson.

Ashe always hit the right note of keeping his own identity, while at the same time being a forceful advocate of welcoming and accepting all people. It was clear that when all was said and done, it was the whole human race he was most concerned with.

The spirit of Ashe will guide and inform Obama as he campaigns in Virginia, and will move the people of Virginia to follow the right course in voting for Obama on Election Day.

Tags: Election 2008, Sports by Texas Liberal
No Comments »

With Venus Williams’ victory at Wimbledon, she now has to be talked about as one of the greatest Wimbledon players of all-time. Venus and Serena have dominated American tennis for over a decade now. It is time for them to get their due.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
No Comments »

I’ve watched a ton of tennis in my day. I have seen all of the greats over the last 30 years. Today’s match will go down as one of the greatest of all time. It doesn’t matter who wins. It is already a classic. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both playing great tennis. I think that Nadal is playing a little better right now but Federer is holding serve. One break and this match is over.

It is starting to rain.

Update: 9 - 7 in the final set, Nadal takes Federer. Great final. Great tennis.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
No Comments »

Brett Farve is arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time. No matter who you would rank higher (Aikman, Young?), almost everyone has Farve in the top 10. He just announced his retirement in March. Now, there are rumors that he is thinking about coming back this season.

Farve has been thinking and talking about retirement for the last three years. He has had a great career and last year he had a fantastic season. He was soo close to a Super Bowl. But, it’s time for him to hang up the cleats. To be honest, he should have retired three years ago. Last year was his best year in five or six years. In the two games that he was really challenged– Dallas and New York– he laid an egg. I think that Darrin Woodson is correct in saying that The Packers should close the door and move on.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
1 Comment »

I’m not sure that I buy Don Imus’ explanation. Do you?

Tags: Media, Race, Sports by ecthompson
No Comments »

• First, an update to a story that I posted yesterday. It was about the Texas GOP and a vendor at the state convention that had a “special” Obama button. Well, the Texas GOP has decided that they didn’t want them. They have been booted.
• Coca production in Columbia is up. When we talk about wasteful spending when are we going to add the War on Drugs which has been a huge failure.
• Washington paid tribute to Tim Russert.
• More flooding in the midwest. When is our president going to actually go to Iowa and Illinois?
• Tiger Woods is out for the rest of the season to have knee surgery that he should have had 10 months ago.
• The Boston Celtics win the most anti-climatic NBA finals, ever. Every knew who was supposed to win since the start of the season.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

There are days when you just struggle. Whether it is football, the stock market, making burgers or making birdies. Tiger had one of those days. He couldn’t find the fairway at times. On 13 his second shot was so far off line that he took a drop. Yet, when it was all said and done, he needed a birdie to force a playoff.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

Tiger Woods started today’s round with a double bogey. He was just struggling. Not making up any ground. As a matter of fact, he was losing ground. He was 5 strokes begin the leader when he was on 13. Then out of nowhere, magic.

From ESPN:

Tiger Woods is looking to win the U.S. Open for a third time, giving him the career grand slam three times over (and matching Jack Nicklaus).

Englishman Lee Westwood is seeking to become the first man from Europe to win the U.S. Open in nearly 40 years.

And they’ll be head-to-head in the final group Sunday at Torrey Pines.

Woods, with two back-nine eagles, leads the U.S. Open by a shot over Westwood heading into the final round. (more…)

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

First, I must admit that I can’t sit down and watch 5 or 6 hours of golf. I just can’t do it. So, I do stuff then come back to the TV. So, after Phil Mickelson’s disaster on 13, NBC showed it. 13 is a par 5. Mickelson wasn’t really in the hunt but with a couple of strong holes he could be. Tiger Woods wasn’t smoking up the course. Unfortunately, a 9 on 13 completely ended Mickelson’s US Open. This is hard to watch.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

My brother called me around 7 yesterday evening. Are you watching the US Open? Nope. Then we started talking about this and that. Suddenly, he switches subjects back to golf and says, “I’m not sure why you aren’t watching the Open, Tiger has birdied 2 in a row.”

Tiger was the story yesterday as he is only one stroke back as the 3rd round starts today.

——-

From AP:

Tiger Woods looked like any other player trying to survive a U.S. Open, head bowed in frustration with each shot that found trouble and kept him farther from the lead.

One hole changed everything.

With his metal spikes on a cement path and a tree over his head, he fired an 8-iron around the branches and over the bunker to 18 feet for a birdie that sent him charging into contention at Torrey Pines on Friday. (more…)

This is a long summary of yesterday’s events -

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
1 Comment »

The Houston Astros baseball team has introduced “All You Can Eat” Thursdays. On Thursday home games you can pay $35 and, in addition to a seat, get unlimited hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, soda and water. Maybe this is being done in response to concern by the team that the rise in gas prices will hurt attendance this year. Another option my hometown Astros could consider is allowing fans to bring their own food in the stadium. This would lower the cost of going to a game. Other teams allow outside food. In any case, this new offer is disgusting.

Meanwhile, much of the world is being impacted by increases in the price of food. I’m not suggesting we poison the world with stadium food. Or that a person eating a meal of four hot dogs and three trays of nachos is denying a hungry person in Cameroon a meal of hot dogs and nachos. But what if the Astros donated $1 from each ticket on All You Can Eat Day to world food relief efforts? This would at least acknowledge that some people don’t have access to things like “All You Can Eat” Thursdays.

Above you see a picture of the world’s longest hot dog. Maybe instead of many hot dogs, “All You Can Eat” customers could be served a four or five foot long hot dog?

Below is a picture of Zam Zam Cola. This brand is produced in Canada and is popular in Iran and in parts of the Arab world. I would have a Zam Zam with my five foot hot dog.

Tags: Sports by Texas Liberal
Comments Off

Two years ago, Avery Johnson led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA finals. The Mavs were up 2-0 versus Dwayne Wade. Wade single-handedly beat the Mavericks. Shaq was on the floor but really wasn’t a major factor in their championship win. Since then, the Mavericks have come up short. They lost to Golden State in the first round last year. I’ll re-type that. The Dallas Mavericks lost to Golden State in the first round of the playoffs. This year they showed the heart of deer as they got spanked by the New Orleans Hornets.

The Mavericks need to make some major moves in order to get back to where they were two years ago. I think that firing Avery Johnson was a good move. Next, give Jason Kidd his walking papers. Then, find a guard who is young and who will take the ball to the hole. We need a guard that will dish to Nowitzki or shoot the teardrop that Tony Parker has made famous. We need a guard who can breakdown a defense like Steve Nash. Oh yeah, we traded him. We need a guard who can play some defense and stop Chris Paul and other quick shooting guards like Devin Harris. Oh yeah, we traded him too. I’m not saying that we have made some stupid trades but WE have made some stupid trades!!!

Why is Jason Terry still sitting pretty for the Mavs? In the crutch, he has folded time and time again. He seems to have all of the skills to expect the ability to play great defense and to be a dominant player in this league, but he has to be able to crank it up a notch. Two years ago, he carried the team in a couple of playoff games. Dirk wasn’t shooting well. Terry stepped up. Where was he this past week? What about against Golden State? You have to refuse to lose.

Mark Cuban is in a tough spot but he is the owner. He needs to figure out where to go. He needs better talent on the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki is 30 years old and has proven that he can play, but he really cannot carry a team in the final three minutes of a game. Jerry Stackhouse can do great things, but sometimes his head isn’t in the game. Getting ejected during an elimination playoff game should be grounds for being fired from the team.Devean George - bye. Juwan Howard - see ya. Eddie Jones - bye. The Mavericks need to clean house. What are we going to do with Dampier? He is one of these invisible 7 foot centers. Why? Find a 7 footer who can move inside and score.

The Mavericks have been too content. They need to make major moves to prevent two to five more years of almost being great.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

• The Dallas Mavericks are on their way to losing in the first round, again. They have clearly fallen since their finals appearance two or three years ago. Chris Paul is single-handedly torching them. I’m still not sure why any one would actively go and get Jason Kidd. We sent Devin Harris, a young, super quick defender and up-and-coming star to the Nets. Paul is clearly making Kidd look old and slow. There was no defense which Coach Avery was supposed to be known for. It reminded me of when we traded Dale Ellis to Seattle. He came back and destroyed the Mavericks in the playoffs.
• Rumors are flying that the Dallas Cowboys are planning on trading up so that they can get Darren McFadden. In my opinion, that would be a mistake. We need a quick fast running back to compliment Marion Barber. We need another wide receiver to go with T. O.. There are some rumors that we could work a trade with Detroit that would bring Roy Williams to the Boyz. The Cowboys need another cover corner. The Pacman deal has been on the back burner for over three weeks.
  
• Congratulations to John Smoltz for getting his 3,000 strike-out. He is only the third player in Major League history to get all of his 3,000 strike-outs with the same team.
  
• Finally, back to basketball, what happened to the great Phoenix Suns? They added Shaq to prove… what exactly? They are down 2-0. Like the Mavericks, they are looking like yesterday’s news.
  

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

I can’t imagine working hard enough to put yourself into position of wining the NCAA basketball championship only to give the trophy away by missing free throws. Missing free throws!! There is no excuse. Memphis missed five in a row, if my count was correct. They missed them down the stretch in the last three to four minutes of the game. All they needed was to make one out of five and the championship was theirs. Memphis handed the trophy to Kansas.

In high school, we shot 20 at the end of every practice. If you didn’t make 50 percent then you had to shoot another 20. You are tired and you want to go home. You drained your 20.

Free throws are simple, fundamental mechanics. Once you figure out how to shoot a free throw then you do the same thing every time. It is easy– but you have to be disciplined. You aren’t going to get on the cover of Sports Illustrated for shooting free throws, but you just might win your team a championship.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

Okay, I take it back.  I have no idea what kind of team offense Memphis is running.  It is crap.  It is a bunch of talented guys playing one-on-one.  There are no plays.  Kansas is standing around waiting for someone to take a shot.  Crazy.  Kansas has an edge inside.  They need to be running plays to bound the ball inside.

No matter who wins, I’m firing both coaches for not really coaching.  Run an offense!!!

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

I was just going to say that I’m watching an excellent basketball game.  Both teams are pushing the ball.  They are playing team offense and defense.  Just as I was typing this Kansas had a 3-on-1 fast break and some knucklehead pulled up and shot a wild 3-point attempt.  What?  Discipline.  Of course, the ball clanked off the …nothing.  It was an air ball.  Memphis grabs the airball and pushes the ball the other way.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

I love basketball.  I love when 5 guys play together to be better they could alone.  I love the fundamentals.  Crashing the boards.  Boxing out.  Hustling for loose balls.  Thinking.  Not saving the ball under your opponents basket.  Never let you opponent take you on the baseline.  I love that kind of basketball.  The NBA serves up very little of this kind of basketball until the playoffs.  The NCAA on the other hand, does from time to time serve up some great fundamental basketball.

Davidson was a truly great story this year.  If Curry could have made one more 3 pointer I think that he would have gone down as an NCAA legend.  UNC, on the other hand,  has been playing some great basketball on both ends of the court.  They are playing good team basketball.  Next weekend, I’ll have more time and I should be able to watch some more games in front of my TV.

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

It appears that Chad Johnson wants out of Cincinnati. It is clear that two years ago, the Bengals looked like they were an elite NFL team. Last year, not so much. As turnovers and a terribly porous defense made Cincinnati an easy win for most teams. Johnson wants a ring. There are rumors flying that he wants to be traded traded to Dallas. With Terry Glenn almost certainly retiring after three knee surgeries in less than 12 months, Johnson is definitely what the Cowboys need. The big question is would T.O. and Johnson get along? Are their enough balls (footballs) for everyone to be happy?

The other rumor which is floating around is Pacman Jones. Help me understand this one? Pacman Jones is a guy who loves being arrested. If he didn’t he would change his ways. He has talked about reforming his lifestyle on a number of occasions only to revert back to strip clubs, fights and getting arrested. The Cowboys didn’t flinch a muscle when Asante Samuels came on the market. He is a great press cover guy who is not afraid to tackle. We need our secondary to step up especially since the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles, all should have a better passing game next year. With more teams playing 3 and 4 wides, we need another cover corner. Nathan Jones and Jacques Reeves were both taken by Miami so we are left with Pacman Jones? Doesn’t sound right, does it?

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

Five in a row. I can’t even win five games of H-O-R-S-E against my brother in basketball. Again, Tiger Woods had a relatively bad opening round  with - 70. He was five strokes off the lead. Then he did what he does better than another athlete: He adjusts his game and improves. Sixty-eight for the second round. A pair of 66’s to close-out the tournament. A 25 foot shot won it for him.

———

From ESPN:

Tiger Woods studied his 25-foot birdie putt from every angle, convincing himself he could make it to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational because he had a similar putt in the same situation seven years ago at Bay Hill.

He wasn’t alone in his thinking.

Palmer stood behind the 18th green in his pink shirt and blue blazer, waiting to hand him the trophy. The King was joined by an army of fans who squinted into the late afternoon sun, all expecting Woods to continue a winning streak that began in September. (more…)

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off

I love watching a basketball game. Duke University — University of North Carolina. Forget all the stats. Forget the record of who has beaten whom. This was NCAA basketball at its best. Outstanding team defense. Outstanding team offense. University of North Carolina outplayed Duke in the first half. For the first 17 minutes of the second half Duke outplayed UNC. Do can actually crawled back into the game and was leading with less than five minutes to go. Unfortunately, for Duke, they never scored another point. University of North Carolina seem to step up their game. They played outstanding defense. They took smart intelligent shots. More importantly, they rebounded like Charles Barkley. They were tenacious on the boards.

 

 Duke loses to UNC [3:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
Comments Off