SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM.....

Congrats to Barack Obama for his historic victory. It would have been historic either way it turned out on the Dems side, since Hillary was seeking to pave the way for women.

If you read the following it illustrates somewhat the feelings I have about the upcoming elections, which is as follows:

1) Even though Barack positions himself as the agent of "change" and McCain fancies himself the leader of "straight talk", I get the feeling that no matter who prevails we will get neither true change nor much in the way of straight talk.

2) Either way the wind blows, we are going to get some measure of change, Bush is not up for re-election and he can't pull a Putin and position himself as the puppeteer. We can at least thank God for that fact. The problem is that there is less turnover in our Senate and House of Representatives than in the Soviet Politburo. At least they no when to throw the bums out.

"The contrasts could not be more stark: an African-American Democrat versus a white Republican," reports The Christian Science Monitor. "The latter old enough to be the father of the former. One with no military experience, the other with a long Navy career punctuated by a harrowing period of captivity in a Hanoi prison camp. One with a soaring rhetorical style that can light up a sports arena, the other more comfortable in the back-and-forth banter of a town-hall meeting."

Both candidates have to get out and make political hay by creating a perceived crisis in the minds of the electorate. Once that is done they will make the argument that in fact, they are better equipped to solve than the other candidate. That's all. And it's amazing how much better things will get in the country once they are in office.

So my forecast is, five more months of cloudy skies, no sign of better weather on the political landscape until mid-November at the earliest.

In "Our Collectivist Candidates," David Boaz, Cato executive vice president and author of The Politics of Freedom, writes: "Barack Obama urged graduates of Connecticut's Wesleyan University to devote themselves to 'collective service.' This is not an unusual theme for a commencement address. But it was interesting how long he went on discussing various kinds of nonprofit activism without ever mentioning the virtues of commerce or of individual achievement. ... John McCain also denounces 'self-indulgence' and insists that Americans serve 'a national purpose that is greater than our individual interests.

"Messrs. Obama and McCain are telling us Americans that our normal lives are not good enough, that pursuing our own happiness is 'self-indulgence,' that building a business is 'chasing after our money culture,' that working to provide a better life for our families is a 'narrow concern.' They're wrong. Every human life counts. Your life counts. You have a right to live it as you choose, to follow your bliss. You have a right to seek satisfaction in accomplishment. And if you chase after the almighty dollar, you just might find that you are led, as if by an invisible hand, to do things that improve the lives of others."

COCOA CRISP IS A LITTLE PUNK ASSED BITCH

THIS IS A CARRY-OVER FROM WHEN CRISP GOES IN HARD AGAINST IWAMURA

He goes in hard against Rays 2B Akinori Iwamura, when he's actually pissed off at Rays SS Jason Bartlett for blocking the base earlier in the game.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon felt Crisp "intentionally" tried to hurt Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura with a hard slide when he was caught stealing.

Crisp said he was upset with shortstop Jason Bartlett, not Iwamura, after Bartlett put his knee down in front of the bag on Crisp's successful steal in the sixth Wednesday, saying he sprained his left thumb on a headfirst slide.

Ouch!!! He hurt his little thumb did he? Awwww poor little Cocoa Puff. He hurt his itty, bitty little thumb and his mommy is not around to kiss it and make it better. Go find your sister Cream of Wheat and see if maybe she can put a little sugar on it, baby.

So anyway, instead of being patient and picking his spot to get even with Barrett, or having one of his pitchers send Mr. Bartlett a "message" concealed inside a pitch, he takes liberties with the most passive Ray on the team.

And then acts surprised when James Shields does the right thing by protecting his guy. It's not like Acki can go in hard against the Sawks CF now can they?

My man Jonny Gomes apparently lands a couple on Crisp's sorry ass noggin after he and Shields exchange shadow punches. My new Rays hero.



This just goes to show that the Rays are for real. The Yanks and the Sawks best beware and are on notice. The fact that they are expending their energy on the Rays shows that they've arrived on the scene.

Hopefully, this will provide a boost for the Rays down the road.

This is just another reason for me to hate the Sawks. And most everything else Boston lately.

This is really going to make the NBA Finals tough on us here.

Let's see, Celtics or Kobe?
Celtics or Kobe?

I don't know, I'm going to have to get back to you on that one.

GIANTS COME OUT OF THE DRAFT WITH QUITE A HAUL

The Giants seem to have adopted the draft strategy I was looking for the last couple of years and applied it this year in spades. Six college players, two of them pitchers that could help this sad sack of a team within the next two years.

That should buy them some time for the younger HS players drafted over the last couple of years to develop properly without the pressure of being rushed.

Although, after further review, maybe the Giants weren't as much trend-setter as trend-followers. The Draft favored the colleges through the first six rounds. Of the 202 players selected Thursday, 134 were collegiate selections, according to MLB.com.

But wait a minute, the Giants selected 100% collegians, so maybe they are relatively smarter than the league overall....Nah, look at their record this year.

CAPSULES FROM MLB.COM

5 Posey, Gerald Florida St U C R/R 6'01" 205 1987-03-27 JR Comments: College catchers who can stay at the position and can hit are always a hot commodity and Posey will be no exception. He's got a great approach with the bat and has a little power. As a converted shortstop, he's still a little raw behind the plate, but all the tools are there for him to be just fine and help ensure he gets drafted fairly early.

37 Gillaspie, Conor Wichita St U 3B L/R 6'01" 19
Comments: After a strong Cape season, Gillaspie has followed up with an excellent junior campaign. He's a terrific hitter and has been over .400 for most of the year. His lack of power makes it hard to profile him anywhere other than as a Bill Mueller-type third baseman. There are worse things to be, of course, and a team that values what Gillaspie can do will surely take him.

82 Kieschnick, Roger Texas Tech U RF L/R 6'03" 215
Comments: Kieschnick is a potential five-tool corner outfielder who could hit for power and steal a few bases. He plays a fearless outfield, getting to plenty of balls and showing off a good arm at times. The one knock is an issue with his mechanics at the plate that concerns some about his hitting ability at the next level. Still, an aggressive college outfielder -- in a weak class of outfielders -- who has those tools should get plenty of interest.

117 Crawford, Brandon UC Los Angeles SS L/R 6'02" 200
Comments: After his first two seasons at UCLA, Crawford seemed poised to be one of the top collegiate middle infielders in the class. But a rough Cape season appears to have carried over and he's lost some confidence in his game, both at the plate and in the field. Some added thickness to his lower half has taken away a little of his quickness, though he's still a solid shortstop. If he can right himself, he's the kind of player who usually sees himself go off the board within the first couple of rounds.

147 Quirarte, Edwin Cal St Northridge RHP R/R 6'02" 200
180 Surkamp, Eric North Carolina St U LHP L/L 6'05" 220

MLB DRAFT - LIVE

1. RAYS - The Rays as expected pick Tim Beckham, Griffin HS with the first pick. MLB.com has him at 6 foot even but I've seen him listed at 6-2 as well. A five-tool prospect to add to the Rays collection of premium prospects. Buster Posey's bonus demands may have priced him away from the Rays, but drafting a catcher this high might have been a bit of a risk.

2. PIRATES - The Pirates, also as expected, select Pedro Alvarez SB from Vanderbilt. A 6-2,210 power hitter from the left side, has the best chance to make an immediate impact with the bat. A broken hamate bone in his wrist is a slight concern as will be his expected bonus demands, but the Pirates could use his bat soon.

The Royals are on the clock....Posey might be the move here.

3. ROYALS - Royals build for the future with Florida prep 1B Eric Hosmer 6-4, 215, he might have been the best HS bat available.

Orioles are on the clock now...they have been looking at the college pitchers Brian Matusz and Aaron Crow. If it's a coin flip between the two, I would take the lefty.

4. ORIOLES - The Orioles take LHP Brian Matusz from University of San Diego. He's 6-4,200 has good velocity and four solid pitches. Sound like you can't go wrong there. Too bad he didn't last one more pick.

The Giants are now on the clock....One of the college pitchers Crow or Tanner Scheppers from Fresno State would look good here. Justin Smoak a power hitting 1b from South Carolina might help soon as well.

5. GIANTS - The Giants surprise a bit by taking Buster Posey from Florida State. 6-1,205 good defense behind the plate and a solid bat. A little raw, but athletic behind the plate, his bat should have him ready for the bigs in short order.

The Marlins are on the clock....the buzz is they like prep catcher Kyle Skipworth from California and possibly local product 18 Yonder Alonzao from the Univ of Miami.

6. FLORIDA - Marlins pick Kyle Skipworth 6-3,195 C from Patriot HS, (CA) Good arm, good bat. Good pick for the future.

The Reds are on the clock...tough read on the Reds could be Smoak, could be Crow, could be one of the IF's Gordon Beckham from UGA or Brett Lawrie IF from Canada.

7. REDS - Yonder Alonzo from Univ of Miami. 6-2,215 power hitting lefty bat.

The White Sox are on the clock...will be interesting to see if the go for the bat (Smoak) or the pitcher (Crow or Scheppers).

8. WHITE SOX - Sox surprise a bit with Univ. of Georgia SS Gordon Beckham. 6-0,185 decent bat, not a toolsy guy, just a player. Could move to 2B down the road.

The Nationals are on the clock....Tough read on them as well, pitching is an obvious need.

9. NATIONALS - Aaron Crow RHP from Missouri. 6-2,205. Played well in the Cape Cod League, might be the top college pitcher in the draft. Three plus pitches and a power arm, he should rise fast.

Houston is on the clock....can use some power bats, Smoak 1B or Brett Wallace 3B are possibilities.

10. ASTROS - A bit os a surprise, Jason Castro C Stanford 6-3, 215. A good enough lefty bat fills a need for the Astros.

Rangers are on the clock.....looking for pitching possibly a closer maybe Scheppers or Shooter Hunt from Tulane (best name in the draft).

11. RANGERS - surprise, Justin Smoak switch-hitting 1B from Univ. of South Carolina 6-4, 215 with good power.

Oakland A's are on the clock.....Brett Wallace or Conor Gillespie, the college 3B or Aaron Hicks, the prep CF from CA are on the radar.

12. A'S - Jemile Weeks 2B from the Univ. of Miami. A 5-10,175 solid pick, Brother of Brewers Rickie Weeks, not the same type of bat speed or power. Switch-hitter good bat, might move to the OF down the road.

Cardinals are on the clock....LHP Christian Friedrich from Eastern Kentucky is on their board as well as RHP Ryan Perry from Arizona.

13. CARDINALS - 3B/1B Brett Wallace from Arizona State. 6-3, 235 power bat. Might not have the glove for 1B. He'll have to hit to move Pujols off the position. Good plate discipline, seemd like a fit for the high-OBP A's.

Twins are on the clock....they could take one of the HS athletes still on the board like Hicks, Lawrie or HS pitchers Ethan Martin and Tim Melville.

14. TWINS - Aaron Hicks RHP/OF from Wilson HS in Long Beach (CA). Great tools as on OF, can pitch as well reaching 95 and cruising in the low 90's. Was picked as an everyday player, so he should project well to the OF for the twins.

The Dodgers are on the clock now...were rumored to be high on Hicks, just selected, may settle for Casey Kelly the SS_RHP out of Sarasota, FL.

15. DODGERS - Etan Martin 3B/RHP from Stephens HS (GA). Could be a college QB prospect. Mid 90's fastball. Interesting pick.

Milwaukee is on the clock....normnally go for the high ceiling guys (Kelly) could also look at the college closers as a need pick.

16. BREWERS - Brett Lawrie C/3B from B.C Canada at 5-11,200, showed power late in a high profile tournament to elevate up the boards late.

Blue Jays are on the clock...Brett Wallace was rumored to be on their wish list, maybe a Connor Gillespie 3B Wichita State as next best available??

17. BLUE JAYS - David Cooper 1B Cal Berkley 6-1,210 LH hitting with legit power. Not much with the glove.

18. METS - Isaac Davis 1B 6-4,215 from Arizna State. Another 6-4,215 LH hitting power guy. Son of ex-major leauger Ron Davis.

Cubs are on the clock....still a lot of pitching on the board.

19. CUBS - Andrew Cashner RHP from TCU a real power arm, projects as a closer. 6-5,190 mid 90's FB with a power slider.

Mariners are on the clock.....were rumored to be high on Cashner, maybe Shooter Hunt here?

20. MARINERS - Joshua Fields RHP Univ. of Georgia legit closer prospect.6-0, 180 but brings heat. 2nd rounder by the Braves last year.

Tigers are on the clock....rumored to like the power arm 100+ of Gerri Cole HS pitcher from CA.

21. TIGERS - RHP Ryan Perry from Univ. of Arizona 98MPH FB and a good slider. 6-4, 200 closer prospect.

Mets are back on the clock...pitching in this spot?

22. METS - Wow!!! Reese Havens SS from Univ. South Carolia. Will move off SS with the Mets due to the presence of Jose Reyes, maybe 2B??

Padres are on the clock...rumored to like Havens who just came off the board and possibly Shooter Hunt as a closer?? Lefty Christain Friedrich would be a good value pick here as well.

23. PADRES - Allan Dykstra 1B from Wake Forest. A 6-5,240 power hitting 1B. Seems like ther have been quite a few of those in this draft.

Phillies are on the clock...they tend to like toolsy prep players, maybe Casey Kelly here or Zach Collier from CA.

24. PHILLIES - Anthony Hewitt SS 6-1,195 from Salisbury School (CT), might be the highest rated pure athlete in the draft, good arm, athleticism could move him to the OF. The bat is a major question mark that will determine if this big-risk turns into a big-reward.

Rockies are on the clock....

25. ROCKIES - Christian Friedrich LHP Eastern Kentucky good K-BB ratio, dominated his level. 6-3,210 lbs. he may have been the 2nd best LHP in the college ranks.

Diamondbacks are on the clock....closers are off the board which is what they were rumored to be interested in.

26. ARIZONA - LHP Daniel Shlereth from Univ. of Arizona, son of ESPN and former NFL'er Mark Shlereth. A mid-90's FB and a power slider should put him on the fast-track to the bigs. Maybe a bit of a reach.

Twins are back on the clock....athletes r' us for the Twinkees.

27. TWINS - OUCH!! RHP Carlos Gutierrez 6-3,205 RHP from Univ. of Miami, the biggest reach of the first round so far, plus he's hurt. What are the Twinkees thinking? You can't tell me this guy would not have been there a couple of rounds down the road. This has to be a budgetary pick, with two first-rounders, there must have been birds chirping in the Twins war room, CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP.

On a side note this is now beginning to look like an NFL draft with two University of Miami (The-U) players picked so far.

Yankees are on the clock....

28. YANKEES - Gerrit Cole RHP from Luthean HS (CA) huge power arm, 100+ MPH with signability concerns (Boras client) at 6-3,200 he projects as a huge power pitcher down the road.

Indians are on the clock...

29. INDIANS - Lonnie Chisenall 6-1,200 SS with character issues (burglary charge) from Pitt(NC) CC via Univ. of South Carolina. Might be the second biggst surprise in the round. He could have been available to them later.

30. RED SOX - Casey Kelly SS/RHP Sarasota HS 6-3,195 one of the premier athletes in the prep ranks. QB prospect with Tennessee. Raw as a pitcher anbd the bat is the big question mark as a SS, but a premium pick here for the Sox. Son of ex-major leaguer Pat Kelly.
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That concludes the first round. The compensation round begins in about 15 minutes.

Surprises/Prospects still on the board:

Tim Melville RHP Holt HS (MO)
Shooter Hunt RHP Tulane
Zach Collier OF Chino Hills HS (CA)
Brett DeVall LHP Niceville HS (FL)
Alex Mayer RHP Greensburg HS (IN)
Conor Gillespie 3B Wichita State
Jake Odrizzi RHP Highland HS (IL)
Tanner Scheppers RHP Fresno State
Isaac Galloway OF Los Oros HS (CA)
Roger Kieschnick OF Texas Tech
Adrian Nieto C American Heritage HS (FL)
Jordan Danks OF Texas
Ross Seaton RHP Second Baptist HS (TX)
Daniel Webb RHP Heath HS (KY)
Chris Carpenter RHP Kent State
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31. TWINS - Shooter Hunt, RHP Tulane
32. BREWERS - Jacob Odirizzi, RHP Highland HS (IL)
33. METS - Bradley Holt RHP UNC-Wilimigton
34. PHILLIES - Zach Collier OF Chino Hills HS (CA)
35. BREWERS - Evan Frederickson LHP Univ. San Francisco
36. ROYALS - Michael Montgomery LHP Hart HS (CA)
37. GIANTS - Connor Gillespie 3B Wichita State (YEAH!!!)
38. ASTROS - Jordan Lyles RHP Hartsville HS (SC)
39. CARDINALS - Michael Lynn RHP Univ Mississippi
40. BRAVES - Brett DeVall LHP Niceville HS (FL)
41. CUBS - Ryan Flaherty SS Vanderbilt
42. PADRES - Jeff Decker OF Sunrise Mountain HS (AZ)
43. ARIZONA - Wade Miley LHP SE Louisiana
44. YANKEES - Jeremy Bleich LHP Stanford U
45. RED SOX - Brian Price RHP Rice University
46. PADRES - John Forsythe 3B Univ. Arkansas Fayetteville

That concludes the First Round and the Compensation Round.

I like the Giants first two picks, this might have been the approach they should have been taking in the last couple of years, Posey and Gillespie could help the big club relatively quickly.

THIS IS WHY THE NFL DOESN'T HAVE A "STEROID PROBLEM"

I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying.

Clearly, the NFL does a better job of "whitewashing" or "cleaning it's dirty laundry" than any other major sport.

No problem here sports fans, nothing to look at. Move along, man. Move along.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3427526

Convicted steroids dealer who gave names to NFL found dead
ESPN.com news services

Updated: June 5, 2008, 1:57 PM ET

PLANO, Texas -- A convicted steroids dealer who recently met with NFL security officials and gave them names of players he said bought steroids from him has been found dead in his home.

Just after midnight on Thursday, Plano police made a welfare check and found 35-year-old David Jacobs and 30-year-old Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell dead. Both had been shot.

Officer Rick McDonald, a police spokesman, said the officers were making a welfare check after relatives of Earhart-Savell expressed concern about her whereabouts.

He says Plano detectives aren't releasing information about whether the deaths were a double homicide or a murder-suicide, whether a weapon was found near the bodies, or any other details.

Men in ski masks and jackets marked "police" were seen entering the home late Thursday morning, according to the Dallas Morning News.

MLB DRAFT UPDATE - RAYS TO PICK GRIFFIN

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting this morning that Tim Beckham SS from Griffin HS (GA) will be selected with Rays first pick.

Beckham is 6-0, 188 SS who hit .500 this season. He is regarded by scouts as a five-tool prospect with great athleticism. He fits in well with the Rays organizational philosophy of drafting high-ceiling high school players with lots of upside and letting them develop.

RAYS ARE ON THE CLOCK - MLB DRAFT PREVIEW

The Rays, hopefully for the last time in a long time, hold the first pick in the MLB Draft tomorrow. The latest buzz has them focusing their attentions on FSU C Buster Posey and Griffin HS (GA) SS Tim Beckham with the choice.

Pedro Alvarez 3B-1B from Vanderbilt should be the second pick to Pittsburgh regardless of who the Rays select. He appears to be the bat most ready to produce on the major league level, something the Pirates desperately need.

After that University of Georgia SS Gordon Beckham and collegiate pitchers Aaron Crow RHP University of Missouri and Brian Matusz LHP from University of San Diego appear to be the most coveted players.

1ST ROUND DRAFT ORDER
1. TB
2. PIT
3. KC
4. BAL
5. SF
6. FLA
7. CIN
8. CWS
9. WAS
10. HOU
11. TEX
12. OAK
13. STL
14. MIN
15. LAD
16. MIL
17. TOR
18. NYM (Type A Comp pick for Tom Glavine)
19. CHC
20. SEA
21. DET
22. NYM
23. SD
24. PHI
25. COL
26. ARI
27. MIN (Type A Comp Pick for Torri Hunter)
28. NYY
29. CLE
30. BOS

SUPPLEMENTAL FIRST ROUND PICKS:
31. MIN (Torri Hunter)
32. MIL (Francisco Cordero)
33. NYM (Glavine)
34. PHI (Aaron Rowand)
35. MIL (Scott Linebrink)
36. KC (Daid Riske)
37. SF (Pedro Feliz)
38. HOU (Trevor Miller
39. STL (Troy Percival)
40. ATL (Ron Mahay)
41. CHC (Jason Kendal)
42. SD (Doug Brocail)
43. ARI (Livan Hernandez)
44. NYY (Luis Vizcaino)
45. BOS (Eric Gagne)
46. SD (Mike Cameron)

CHICAGO MAKES THE FINAL FOUR FOR 2016 OLYMPICS

Congratulations to Chicago for making the final cut along with Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. Now the real heavy lifting of winning an Olympic bid begins.

Maybe it's the cynic in me, but why when I read an article with the title "IOC official says 'sign of goodwill' could help Chicago's Olympic bid" do I think that the term 'sign of goodwill' is a euphemism for "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!"

I guess you have to read the entire article, but I'll highlight the excerpts (confirmation bias??) that lead me in that direction.

It is funny how the International grand-poo bahs appear to awarding of the Games as a thinly-veiled negotiating tool in order to extort more money from the USOC.

This is also IMO at the heart of the matter as to why baseball and softball are being bounced from the Games. If you can't send your professional athletes, which will bring your corporate sponsors and their mega-bucks to the coffers, than don't bother showing up.

To say that the real reason those sports are being bounced has to do with PED testing is absurd. How many women's softball players tested positive at any of the previous Games? How many sports with a much longer and richer history of higher levels of PED use in the Games (like track and field and weightlifting) continue to be Olympic sports. The answer is because if you shut down those sports, you shut down the Olympics in total. And then where will these money-grubbing whores look for work?

It's all about money and control. And who has it, and who wants it.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-us-olympic-revenue-share-jun05,0,1006451.story?page=1&track=rss

IOC official says 'sign of goodwill' could help Chicago's Olympic bid
By Philip Hersh | Tribune staff reporter
2:29 AM CDT, June 4, 2008
ATHENS

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said Wednesday a ``sign of goodwill'' from the U.S. Olympic Committee in an ongoing revenue dispute can help Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

``A clear indication the USOC is willing to find a solution and not refusing a solution could be very good for Chicago,'' Rogge told the Tribune. ``It would not have a negative impact [if there were no such sign], but this sign could have a positive impact.''

The dispute likely will have little effect on Chicago's expected selection as a finalist. The impact would be when the 110 IOC members vote Oct. 2, 2009, to choose the 2016 host.

Speaking after a Wednesday morning meeting between the IOC executive board and international Summer Olympic sports federation leaders who roundly criticized the USOC Tuesday, Rogge said the USOC has made a written proposal that could constitute that goodwill ``but it must be refined.''

Dividing the issue into three parts – a ``games cost'' contribution, a short-term solution, and a long-term solution – Rogge made unconditional the need for the USOC to begin paying its share of games cost, which covers things like doping control and expenses for judges and officials. Under terms of a longstanding contract with the IOC, the USOC is the only national Olympic committee (NOC) exempt from that payment.

``It is not morally acceptable the USOC does not take part in games costs like the other NOCs,'' Rogge added in the interview with the Tribune.

Rogge said the short-term solution would involve a contribution to the NOCs and the international sports federations. IOC member Denis Oswald, president of the Association of Summer Olympic Sports Federations (ASOIF), said Wednesday the USOC proposal on that matter is ``totally unacceptable'' because it leaves the USOC to decide how the funds would be allocated.

IOC member Hein Verbruggen of the Netherlands, ASOIF vice-president, had heated up the war of words over the United States' portion of Olympic revenues Tuesday, and the escalation of rhetoric could burn Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games.

Verbruggen called the USOC's share an ``immoral amount of money compared to what other people get.''

Verbruggen denied that recent attempts by him and Oswald to push for renegotiating the long-standing deal were related to the Chicago bid.

Verbruggen blamed Ueberroth for having linked the financial issue to Chicago's Olympic bid and lambasted Ueberroth for threatening to take the matter to the IOC ethics committee.

``Who do they think they are?'' Verbruggen said, referring to the USOC.

It seems apparent, however, that Oswald and Verbruggen are using the Chicago bid as leverage to pressure for USOC concessions. After raising the issue at an April IOC meeting in Beijing, they took it to the IOC executive board Wednesday.

``The timing of the public statements is peculiar, in that it seems to be prior to every bid-related decision,'' Ctvrtlik said.

``It is reflecting very badly on the USOC,'' said ASOIF director Andrew Ryan. ``It would be depressing if Chicago turns out to be the best bid to see it damaged by this ongoing discussion.''

In an open-ended contract begun 20 years ago and renegotiated in 1996, the USOC receives 12.75 percent of U.S. broadcast rights and 20 percent of the IOC's global sponsorship revenues. In the current Olympic cycle (2005 through 2008), that amounts to about $300 million, or 50 percent of the operating budget for the USOC, which gets no government financing, unlike nearly all the world's other national Olympic committees.

When those terms were agreed upon, nearly all the IOC's revenue came from U.S. sources. Those U.S. sources still provide about 62 percent of the revenues, according to people familiar with the accounting.

``When almost two-thirds of the revenue comes from one territory, it would seem counterproductive to do anything that would jeopardize those revenues,'' Ctvrtlik said.

The USOC winds up with more money from TV and sponsorship revenue than the IOC allocation to the other 204 national Olympic committees combined.

``I don't understand how you can justify that the rest of the world has to pay for the training of American athletes, and the richest country in the world pays nothing,'' Verbruggen said. ``Are we out of our minds?''

``No one wants to take all the money from the Americans tomorrow,'' Verbruggen said. ``They need to find new sources of revenue.''
--------------------------------------------
Below is an interesting link called GamesBids.com that handicaps the odds of each potential sites eventually winning the coveted Olympic bid.

Very interesting. Currently, Chicago has a slight lead over Tokyo and Rio.

I have to say in all the analysis Chicago almost has to prevail for two reasons:

1) Madrid is hurt by London having the 2012 Games as Tokyo is by Beijing having the 2008 Games in the rotation argument. Rio carries the burden of being the first South American site that would host. They may be hurt by security and/or facilities issues.

2) If ever there were two organizations that were made for each other as far as history and tradition of corruption, sleazy politics, graft and back-room deal making it would seem to be the IOC and Chicago politicians.

GO CHICAGO!!!!

http://www.gamesbids.com/english/content/bidx2016.shtml

BidIndex SUMMER 2016
CITY INDEX
Chicago CHI 05/29 60.73
Madrid MAD 05/29 59.50
Rio de Janeiro RIO 05/29 59.90
Tokyo TKY 05/29 60.66

What is BidIndex?
BidIndex is a mathematical model developed by GamesBids.com that when applied to an Olympic Bid, produces a number that can be used to rate a bid relative to past successful bids - and possibly gauge its potential success. The model was developed by observing historical trends and results of previous bids. BidIndex numbers can be theoretically used to compare competing bids and the relative strength of bids held in different years (e.g. to compare Paris 2008 with Paris 2012). A higher BidIndex indicates a greater chance of being elected.

BidIndex was reviewed in the March 2004 edition of Significance Magazine, a publication by the Royal Statistical Society.

Why BidIndex?
It has been observed in the past the IOC members do not vote based on the quality of the bid alone and often results are unpredictable. GamesBids.com wanted to find a way to compare Olympic Bids and normalize the results. BidIndex takes bid quality into account, but also evaluates other important factors such as Geopolitics, IOC politics, public support and other things considered to have an effect on the IOC voters. These results will help our readers gain an understanding into the relative strengths of the bids.

Does BidIndex work?
While no one can guarantee the results of an election, BidIndex will tell you which bids have more of the qualities of successful bids from the past. A high BidIndex number does not necessarily indicate a high quality bid, but a bid similar to other successful bids. When the model is applied to the 2008 bid, these results were obtained based on information a day before the vote:

BONDS TO THE SAWKS??

FROM THE SPORTS LAW BLOG:
http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2008/06/will-red-sox-sign-barry-bonds.html

Will the Red Sox Sign Barry Bonds?

With David Ortiz out at least a month with a wrist injury, there is speculation that the defending World Series Champions Boston Red Sox might consider signing the still-unsigned Barry Bonds to be the team's designated hitter.

If the move happens, it would almost certainly signal that the Bonds collusion conspiracy--that MLB teams tacitly agreed to not sign Bonds this season--was untrue.
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“If the move happens, it would almost certainly signal that the Bonds collusion conspiracy--that MLB teams tacitly agreed to not sign Bonds this season--was untrue.”

Even better, take the counter argument. If the move does NOT happen, does that then not provide at the minimum, prima facie evidence that the collusion conspiracy theory WAS true? Can’t have it both ways my friends.

The Yankees need LH power hitting help badly and sign Ben Broussard??? Are you kidding me?

The Tigers and Mariners would rather see their pre-season playoff hopes go down the drain then sign B-POPE??

The Rays and the A's would rather see their surprising chances to make the playoffs this year melt in the summer heat than pad their roster?

Not sure who the front-runner is anymore but this leaves the following teams with both the baseball need and the tactical reason to sign Bonds:

Red Sox
Yankees
Rays
A’s
Tigers
Mariners

And nobody has signed him yet? When has that ever happened in baseball history, when a proven player is available and multiple teams with a reason to sign the guy and yet he still went unsigned?

If the Sawks are in such a dire position that they would consider THE MOVE, then doesn't that at least require that the Yankees go into their "I'll take Charlie Weaver to block mode"?

Further, you could almost make the same argument about the Angels if the A's were a serious suitor. And if the Cardinals stay within shouting distance of the Cubs or within serious range of a wild-card spot, why wouldn't Tony LaRussa go back to Cardinals management with a personnel requisition form with BLB's name on it?

YOU MAKE THE CALL - WAS THIS UMP SET UP??

The way I see it, you see the catcher initially put his glove up towards the path the ball took, i.e. he recognizes it as a fastball. Then you see an exaggerated dive down and away, as if to block a phantom curve ball. This supposedly provides the cover for the explanation, "I got crossed up". A pretty bad job of acting by the catcher. And given the details of the game leading up to that point, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude that pitcher and catcher pulled the old "fiver" on the home plate umpire.

If the Georgia High School Association doesn't take some sort of action against the kids or the school, they are as gutless as the players. Although, if the two kids are seniors and theoretically this would be their last game played for the school, you wonder what they could do, other than sanction the coach and/or the school.

That's baseball.
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FROM THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION:

http://www.ajc.com/highschool/content/sports/highschool/stories/2008/06/02/wildpitch_0602.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Georgia High School Baseball
Pitch that struck ump prompts apology, probe
Stephens Co. coach says bizarre incident in AAA final was not intentional

By TODD HOLCOMB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/02/08

Stephens County principal David Friend apologized Monday to the Georgia High School Association for an incident in the Class AAA baseball championship series Saturday in which Stephens County catcher Matt Hill ducked and allowed a pitch from Cody Martin to strike an umpire in the face mask.

"[The tape] looks bad, and most people who look at it come away with that conclusion," Friend said. "But there have been whacky things that have happened in baseball and high schools, and all I'm going to conclude is that it does need to be investigated. If we're found to be at fault, we'll effectively deal with the situation."

Friend said he interviewed his baseball coaches Monday and concluded they were not to blame. Friend said he had not finished talking with players.

But Stephens County coach Mark Gosnell said it was a mixup between his catcher and pitcher.

"Matt said he had a curveball, and Cody said it was a fastball," Gosnell said. "[Hill and Martin] have been as honest as anyone since I've known them."

The incident occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning with Cartersville leading 9-1 in a game it won 13-1. It was the third and deciding game of the three-game series.

Stephens County shortstop Ethan Martin, the brother of the pitcher and projected as a possible first-round pick in the major league draft Thursday, was called out on strikes for the final out of the previous inning. He was the ninth consecutive Stephens County batter to strike out, and he argued with the home-plate umpire afterward, throwing his batting helmet.

In the bottom of the inning, Cartersville's second batter, Taylor Hightower, was facing an 0-1 count when Hill, the catcher, ducked and dropped to his knees as Cody Martin's pitch approached.

The ball bounced off the face mask of the umpire, Jeff Scott, who was not injured, and rolled toward third base.

A video of the pitch was posted on AJC.com Sunday on Kurt Aschermann's "Hardball" high school baseball blog.

Scott Singer, hired by Cartersville to tape and do play-by-play of the game, was behind home plate during the pitch. He said the Martin brothers had complained of calls before the pitch hit the umpire.

"Those two, the pitcher and his brother, the entire game had been riding the umpire about balls and strikes, and [Ethan Martin] got rung up in the top of the fourth, so [perhaps] that was payback in the bottom of the fourth," Singer said. "I don't know what was going through their heads, but when you see a catcher go to his right, it's like 'Good God!'"

Terry Martin, the father of Ethan and Cody Martin, a junior, said he was advised not to allow his sons talk to the Journal-Constitution. He would not elaborate. Hill, a senior who has signed to play at Gordon College in Barnesville, could not be reached.

GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin acknowledged Friend's apology Monday and said the association will act when Stephens County's investigation is complete. Swearngin said the GHSA associate director Dennis Payne attended the game and would have initiated a probe if Stephens County had not called first.

"My main concern is that we had a great season, and it's unfortunate that one pitch has become the focal point, instead of what the team accomplished," Friend said. "It doesn't look good from what I've seen, but at the same time, sometimes you have lapses in judgment, and a community and a high school and a baseball program should not be judged by one pitch."