Scenes from last night's Tribe game. The weather and StubHub gave rise to a last-minute decision to attend the Indians 11-2 thumping of the White Sox.

Beautiful night for a game.

Asdrubal Cabrera knocked in five runs.

Harold Baines was coaching first for the Sox last night. I was waiting for a bus at the Federal Building several years ago as Harold was making his way down East 6th for a game.

Me: "Hey, Harold. Don't hit us too hard tonight."

Baines (smiling): "4-for-4 with 4 RBIs."

Jeanmar Gomez is 5-0 for the Tribe since his last callup.

Can't we bunt on this guy?

Fukudome is tired. It's September.

Joe Smith doing an imitation of my contorted body following the Foo Fighters.

Carlos Santana, looking prepared.

Two Indians pitchers I didn't even know were on the team finished up last night.

First, Putnam.

Then Kluber.

Meal of Links

Roger Ebert fixes Netflix for them. Even he thinks streaming is the way to go.

Rick Perry. This year's Fred Thompson. Lazy candidate.

America's best burgers. With love for B Spot.

Hypocrisy and the death penalty. A thoughtful read.

"The Office" returned last night. Here is a profile of Mindy Kaling.

Exercise Yard

I absolutely loved Marvelous Marvin Hagler. The history of the Hagler-Leonard fight. After the defeat, Hagler never fought again.

Hagler-Minter (with the bottles)



Visitor

40 Across: Seven-time N.L. batting champ (6 letters) Answer: Musial

OK, everyone can relax, as the Browns beat the Colts today. Sort of another yawner today. The good thing was the defense was only allowing Colt field goals until they gave up a TD with very little time left. They also got two turnovers, one when Reggie Wayne fell, allowing Usama Young to get a cheap interception. And Jabaal Sheard sacked Kerry Collins, picking up a fumble.

Again, not a whole lot happened either way here. The Colts were under 200 total yards until late. The Browns threw the ball 32 times and ran 34 making a lot of people pleased with the playcalling. Too many short passes, but they live to see another day.

Browns win, 27-19.

Meal of Links

Look at the size of those cans!

Not normally associated with recycling, but these are the size of the receptacles that Cleveland is using as part of its Sustainability 2019 Program. These cans were delivered to our expansion area (ward) this past Thursday. The black one is for garbage and it holds 95 gallons. On a weekly basis, I'd be lucky to fill two bags worth in the winter, without any yard waste. The blue one is 65 gallons for recycling. That looks like a one per month for me to even get close to maybe a third full. Maybe I should have ordered the smaller ones. But the things you can recycle! The cardboard toilet paper roll, for instance. Sheesh. First time I've had to recycle in the city for a long time.

Keith Law hated "Moneyball". Paul DePodesta (Jonah Hill's charecter) didn't want his name in the movie.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking. Still, a dreadful experience for many.

Exercise Yard

I was a bit perplexed to find that Floyd Mayweather actually beat Victor Ortiz by a KO. Hasn't had many of those lately. But it was the way he won.

Ortiz does a diving headbutt into Mayweather in the corner. The ref breaks them apart, rightfully penalizing Ortiz. As they get back to the center of the ring, Ortiz tries to apologize and give Floyd a hug. Floyd looks like he's going to go into a full embrace, and with a move straight from the WWE, notices the ref is not looking, Mayweather then decides to hit Ortiz with a slappy left to the face, then a huge right to the chin of the defenseless Ortiz. KO! The ref didn't appear to indicate that time had been restored after the headbutt, but awarded Floyd the win anyhow. Uh-oh. Get the conspiracy theories ready.

Pretty cheap, borderline legal, but it stands as a KO. Leading to this exchange between Mayweather and HBO's Larry Merchant.

Mayweather: "HBO needs to fire you; you don't know shit about boxing."

Merchant: "I wish I was 50 years younger and I would kick your ass."

God Bless Larry Merchant



Visitor

None, on a sunny Browns Sunday.

A pet peeve of mine, regarding the Browns, is the interminable "Reading of the Schedule". In this exercise, fans look at the schedule and determine the Browns record. This season, the Browns have what is perceived as a soft schedule. Therefore, some were predicting lofty heights of 9 and 10-win seasons. I stuck with 4, hoping for 6. After today's loss to the Bengals, do you really think the Browns can get to those higher totals. Keep in mind, it's a rookie head coach with a slow defense.

Where do you begin with today's mess?

Penalties. At one point, in the first quarter, the Browns had as many penalties as plays. Time to start running laps again.

Colt McCoy had only 5.3 yards/attempt. Welcome to the West Coast Offense. That included a 56 and a 34-yarder, BTW. The other 38 attempts netted 123 yards. I've said this a million times. This offense looks great when you move the chains. If not, it's boring as hell. Rating was 70.3.

The defense, slow as it is, held the Bengals run game in check for a time. Until the Bengals actually got some field position with Bruce Gradkowski at the helm for his third series. From that point forward, the Bengals ran the ball 14 times.

Killer instinct? The Browns did virtually nothing to extend their lead in the second half.

If fan favorite, Evan Moore, is that great, where is he when the game is on the line?

Punt game was terrible.

Didn't get much from Peyton Hillis today.

Browns did not get much blocking help from the fullback, Owen Marecic, and the right tackle, Hicks.

Next week, it's off to Indy to face the Peyton Manningless Colts. They got crushed today. But you are never as bad as you may have looked in a game like that.

Browns lose today in a mostly boring game with a godawful result. Bengals win, 27-17.

Meal of Links

First responders are not invited to main 9/11 cermony. Plus, there are still the healthcare issues.

Updates on the 9/11 ceremonies. In NYC, Presidents Bush and Obama appeared together.

An underreported 9/11 hero. The female pilot who had orders to bring down Flight 93. Kamikaze-style.

Exercise Yard

There was another heavyweight title bout yesterday. Once again, a Klitschko was involved. Once again, it sucked. This time, it was Vitali over Tomas Adamek. A yawner.

Visitor

None, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

A few thoughts...

Rick Perry and the "Ponzi Scheme" line about Social Security caught fire today.

Get used to it. ESPN has Monday Night Football for 10 more years. Hello, cable rate increase. Plus more Berman.

Interesting item about Carlos Carrasco's Tommy John surgery. Geez, they couldn't wait to get Jake Westbrook tossing on a one-year timetable. Carrasco? 12 to 18 months.

Jeff Tweedy Covers Black Eyed Peas



President Obama talks tough. Now that's the guy I voted for.

Buddy Holly would have been 75 this week.

"Well..All Right"/Buddy Holly



Meal of Links

Are you ready for some football? The broadcast maps are up! Somwhere Navin Johnson is dancing. Looks like it's Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots for the Browns.

I know he's bad, but today's Kevin O'Brien column was downright awful. Using semantics to deny the existence of a middle class is astoundingly stupid. Deconstructed here.

This is low. A mentally disabled guy got swindled out of a bunch of Superman memorabilia.

"Shaun Of The Dead". Incredibly funny.

Kate is told “Reality TV is not a career" by Jon Gosselin. Amen, brother...wait...WTF?

Missed last night's debate? Here are the Republican candidates in one sentence.

It's happened. Schweddy Balls Ice Cream! An instant classic from Ben & Jerry's.

Exercise Yard

The Arturo Gatti murder case will be reopened. Cyril Wecht says the original cause of death by suicide is fiction.

Visitor

17 Across: Former quarterback Peete (6 letters) Answer: Rodney

While wondering whatever became of Robert Benigni...

I'm listening to the Tribe game. Tom Hamilton is describing what sounds like an earthquake. I don't feel a thing. Apparently, the East Coast was in a panic. Or wanted a free day on a nice summer afternoon.

Of course, it was near a nuclear power plant. Fuck.

Meal of Links

Jerry Lieber died yesterday. How would you like to have your name attached to that songbook? Think of the Elvis hits, the Coasters hits and on and on. Lieber and Stoller also produced "Stuck In The Middle With You". This is my favorite Lieber and Stoller tune:

"Spanish Harlem"/Ben E. King



Nickolas Ashford died yesterday, as well. He, and his wife, Valerie Simpson wrote many Motown hits. Listen to Marvin Gaye just kill on this Ashford and Simpson record.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"/Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell



The odd death of Arturo Gatti. Next week, a P.I. gives his findings. Never bought the suicide for one moment.

15 arcade games we miss. They are all there. Circus never makes these lists, but damn, I ruled that game.

Art of the Title with the classic, "Catch Me If You Can". One of the best title sequences ever.

10 songs ruined by advertising. "Saved by Zero" not on the list? Bah.

"Snakes On A Plane" is 5 years old. Only made $34 million at the box office.

The Rock plus Bruckheimer equals...'80s Wrestling Show! Dust off Ron Garvin running up those stairs.

Speaking of earthquakes. What's up with Haiti?

Versus is getting more NFL on its network. Mike Florio has a Friday at 6 show, with Darren Rovell following. Now, NFL Films is producing "Turning Point". This looks like old-style NFL Films stuff, Thursdays at 10.

Exercise Yard

Pat Summitt has early onset dementia. At age 59. Fairly obvious she can't coach much longer. But damn, that's an early diagnosis.

Visitor

43 Down: Hairy TV cousin (3 letters) Answer: Itt

I must confess, today's Klitschko-Haye fight was an abomination. This was wrong on so many levels from one of the strangest ring entrances by both fighters (featuring cameos by Lennox Lewis and George Foreman) to an apparent lack of security ringside. Plus, this was held at an outdoor stadium in Hamburg where patrons only 10 rows back were getting rained on. All sides should be glad there was no controversy or this could have ended badly for lots of people.

One more thing, the ring entrances were so tardy, HBO comes on at 4:45 local time and the opening bell sounds at about 5:27. Lamps kept blaming German TV. Anyhow, once the fight started, Roy Jones insanely insisted Haye's strategy was to beat Klitschko with one punch and it didn't matter when it came. Larry Merchant, around Round 5, said that may be true, but Haye was wasting his time. God bless Larry Merchant! Harold Lederman with, "Haye bobs, he weaves, he ducks, he moves. But he doesn't throw any punches." It was that bad.

For Haye didn't do anything. He had a habit of ducking around Klitschko's knees and Klitschko would oblige him by helping him to the mat. This happened about 5 times, like bad wrestling, before Klitschko had a point deducted for pushing. It continued later a few more times, and Haye even made a feeble attempt to steal another point. Finally, late in the fight, the ref, fed up like everyone else, gave Haye a standing-8 to stop him from doing it.

I wish I could describe any action. But it was like that movie title, give me "Something, Anything", and until a bit of a flurry in Round 12, there was nothing.

The disappointment of this fight is endless. I have to believe HBO will go back to avoiding the heavyweights. After the fight, Haye blamed a broken toe, suffered three weeks ago, as an excuse, and didn't want to drop out. You know, for the fans. Last time I looked, you don't throw punches with your feet.

Each guy got paid between $15 and $20 million for the bout. Haye should get down on his knees and thank his favorite deity for that check. For the "Hayemaker" should retire before he's known as the "Paytaker".

This one will leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth for quite a while. Or, maybe not, as the heavyweights will continue to be ignored.

Meal of Links

Kutcher vs. Village Voice seems to have more fight than the boxing match. Advertisers are leaving.

The Top 100 Products on Amazon. I actually have that OXO Can Opener and the OXO Tongs. Those tongs are great for the grill. Also have the "iPad Blender", but it's not an iPad. It's a Blendtec. Love that thing. Got an insane deal on it earlier this year.

NYPD blows up 5,000 lbs. of illegal fireworks...

Happy Birthday, America!



It was sort of tragic to see Spike Lee in attendance at the NBA Draft. He hasn't made a feature film in thre years, because he can't get funding.

Exercise Yard

The Tour started today. Two major pileups. The booed Alberto Contador is way back already. He'll be the story, if he catches up.

Visitor

15 Across: "The Defense Never Rests' co-author (10 letters) Answer: F. Lee Bailey

So, what are you going to watch this weekend? Hopefully, not much, so you can enjoy the weekend outdoors. But, if you are inside, here are some hints.

Here are this weekend's TV Marathons. My Dad will be psyched for that "Martin" marathon. And a very theme-worthy "How The States Got Their Shapes".

Klitschko vs. Haye is tomorrow. Like the old days, HBO has this one live at 4:45. Has potential to revive the heavyweights.

The Tour returns. I confess, I'm an Andy Schleck guy.

The closing arguments in the Tot Mom Trial are on Sunday. A quiz is included.

Alan Sepinwall makes a case for "Treme". That's a 90-minute closer on Sunday.

Close it out with a sold-out Indians-Yankees game on the 4th.

Meal of Links

A rerun of Fireworks suck.

Really loud movies. "Shoot the glass."

Work hard, feel poor. Explained here.

What's this? I may have missed Bash "Treme" Week.

Exercise Yard

First USC. Then Ohio State. Now Oregon.

Visitor

56 Across: Super bowl party array (6 letters) Answer: Salsas

I really hate being ill, even if it's for only a short while. But I picked up a bit of a cold over the weekend, as I guess I was running around as if it was 80 degrees instead of the 62 it actually was.

Yesterday, I had a hell of a time as the day wore on. Battling pretty hard until mid-afternoon, when I started getting the chills, along with some non-stop sneezing. Knocked me out pretty good and then I got to play a lame-o when I went home. Signified by my cable going out with 18 seconds left in regulation during the Miami-Boston game. Do I crawl and grab the cable box for a manual reboot? No, I turn on XM and get a score from ESPN radio.

You always have to be resourceful.

So, is it starve a cold or feed a fever? WebMD says never starve.

Meal of Links

Clear the decks, start checking off the bucket list. The world ends on May 21. Boy, if you're not raptured or subsequently saved, it's gonna really suck around here.

Gus Johnson lands on Fox. I'm not sold on him being permanently removed from March Madness coverage. Especially with Turner involved. Clearly, their influence got Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller NCAA gigs this year and Kevin Harlan has been doing double duty for a while. But I'd love to see Gus get a Fox NFL playoff game soon.

More on the Derby winner, Animal Kingdom. And those lying trainers.

Google Music has arrived. Just in time for the apocalypse.

"Party At Ground Zero"/Fishbone



That's why there is an Internet. Things Tracy Jordan said on Season 5 of "30 Rock".

Bible? Yes. All other books? No.

Gary Coleman is dead. Has been for a year. That doesn't mean he's buried.

You're watching a favorite TV show. In this episode, the characters go on a game show. "Odd Couple"? On "Password"? Yes, sir! Plus "Sanford and Son" go "The Gong Show".

Michael Bolton Is Funny



The center of population since 1790 in the United States. Go west, young man.

Painful stats on Americans and their cars.

Hitch is losing his voice. Strange, but every time I read him, I actually hear his voice saying those words. Just picked up a National Magazine Award, as well. Of course, he can still find time to neuter Noam Chomsky.

Exercise Yard

Dan Rafael from ESPN has a nice wrapup on the Pacquiao-Mosley fight from Saturday. It's a shame these things cost $54.95 on the PPV. I mean who pays for these, especially when you hear the 39-year old Mosley say, "I wasn't going to take those kinds of risks. I was looking to land my shot." Which means, "I stayed away from Pacquiao for 12 rounds and got my $5 million."

It's tough to put any blame on Manny, but he hasn't knocked anyone out since Ricky Hatton. And that fight was two years ago! Since then, he's carried Cotto, Clottey, Margarito and now Mosley for 12 rounds. Now with the Mayweather fight seemingly not going to happen until both these guys are in their forties, Manny is starting to run out of opponents. It looks like Marquez will be next, because they can sell the fight to the public. After that, who knows?

BTW, Pacquiao-Mosley's $8,882,600 gate was the 14th best in Nevada history. It shows the public still loves Manny, regardless of who he fights. Showtime has the replay this weekend.

Looking ahead, what other fight holds any interest? I see Haye and Klitschko are starting to knock around a bit for their heavyweight fight. That's July 2nd on a crowded holiday weekend, so we'll see what audience that will attract. Haye talks a good game, so it'll get interesting as we get closer. HBO will have that live during the late afternoon on July 2.

Visitor

63 Across: Singer with Crosby and Stills (4 letters) Answer: Nash

"Chicago"/Graham Nash

Elizabeth Taylor died today. Uh...those eyes. She gets the Turner marathon on April 10.

Meal of Links

Paul Reiser is back on NBC. But do they really want it to be a hit? Doesn't meet their age requirements.

The best journalism want ad ever. Great stuff. "We have all kinds of corruption, violence and scumbaggery."

Corey Feldman's jacket from "Dream A Little Dream" was stolen. I guess he still wears it.

Medical marijuana sales are now at $1.7 billion. Only $200 million behind Viagra.

If Trebek Did Football Highlights



Cartoon Network announces its new series. What? New productions of Bugs and Daffy? They better not be despicable.

Music from 1981. Rick James at his best. Plus two albums I've worn out. Elvis Costello with "Trust" and "Sandinista!" by The Clash.

Exercise Yard

This essay contains some of the best boxing writing you'll read for a while. We get Virginia Woolf, Gatti-Ward and Castillo-Corrales. Also video of Round 9 of Gatti-Ward and Round 10 of Castillo-Corrales. Long form writing at its finest.

Ditsractions at college basketball games. New this year: Giant cardboard heads.

That reminds me. Here are are your Sweet Sixteen winners.

Thursday:

San Diego State
Florida
Duke
Wisconsin

Friday:

North Carolina (I had Washington)
Kansas
Kentucky
Florida State (I had Purdue)

Visitor

46 Across: Slugger Ramirez (5 letters) Answer: Manny

Well, I think everyone got the best of both worlds for the Super Bowl as it wound up Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Both games today should really not have been as close as they turned out. Green Bay started failing to convert several third and shorts and allowed Chicago to hang around way too long. Even with a gift interception for a TD, the Packers allowed the Bears to get right back in it.

As for the Steelers, that game should have been over at the half. The Jets failure to score after a lengthy 4th quarter drive destroyed any chance they had, even after they got a quick safety as a followup. I actually gained much respect for the Jets for not folding at the half. The Steelers made way too many mistakes with the ball in the second half to keep the Jets in it.

The Super Bowl got a terrific matchup with about as many angles as the press needs for the buildup to the game.

Meal of Links

I took advantage of the late NFL starts today to see "The Fighter". It's the well-documented story of the boxer Micky Ward and his crack-addicted trainer, Dick Eklund, who is also his brother. Yeah, it's a boxing movie, so I had to see it.

The boxing sequences almost bordered on lame here. Really nothing memorable. You get an over-the-top performance from Melissa Leo as Ward's mother, who also served as his business manager for a time. Basically Ward was the family corporation and the movie details how his career got better when he got better management, meaning Leo had to take a backseat.

Christian Bale as Eklund is the gem here, as always. Like the young DeNiro, he immerses himself in any character he plays. Gets the crack addict persona down, with almost as much weight loss as he had for "The Machinist". You cannot believe this is the same guy that plays the Dark Knight. Mark Wahlberg as Ward is kinda so-so. I thought he didn't come close to demonstrating how tough of a fighter Ward was. And Amy Adams gets a sassy role for a change.

I expected better here. Ward himself says over the closing credits that he was glad the filming of the movie was finally over, as if he was tired of reliving his past. It's a decent enough tale, but somehow the movie went off the tracks just enough to not put it into the must-see category. Curiously, the movie ignores Ward's greatest triumphs a a boxer, the Ward-Gatti Trilogy. With the strange circumstances of his death, maybe that will be detailed in the Arturo Gatti Story.

Jack LaLanne finally unplugged his juicer. He was 96 and quite a fascinating individual.

Now we know the reason (well, 4.6 million of 'em) Baby Doc went back to Haiti. Straight cash, homey.

Exercise Yard

Yesterday, a pro bowler shot 100 in a televised match. It was the lowest score ever by a professional on TV. His opponent? He shot a 299.

Visitor

None, on a really cold Sunday.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

The Classic.

"The Christmas Song"/Nat King Cole



Meal of Links

Fun facts to know and tell. About Christmas.

Preserving the theatrical window. Movie chains do not want the home market opened earlier.

Le Monde picks Julian Assange as "Man of the Year". I don't know French, but I figured it out.

Can you believe the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld" was not going to air in December. Until one man aired a grievance. It was on last night.

All about "Point Break". Now that was an Ohio State quarterback, one Johnny Utah.

Exercise Yard

"The Fighter". And the future of the sports movie.

Visitor

58 Down: "The X-Files" gp. (4 letters) Answer: SETI

The Browns lost a tough one today to the, and I can't believe I'm saying this, the first place Jacksonville Jaguars. The last time the Browns were in Jacksonville, they won a game no one thought they could win. Today, was a winnable game and I'm kinda miffed they lost.

What did we learn today?

Defense gave up 367 yards today. Could have been worse, because they got 6 turnovers. 24 first downs against them, which means Jacksonville was moving the ball fairly easily.

And yet, they still gave up a bad play, the MJD screen pass for 75 yards late. That had some pretty bad tackling when Sheldon Brown opted to tackle the ball, instead of Jones-Drew.

Colt McCoy got lucky at times, but still avoided the really bad turnover. Got sacked six times today, too. And the final two-minute drill was fairly inept. Always spike it on first down, dude.

Contrast in rush defenses today. The Jaguars kept Peyton Hillis in check, as he only had 48 yards, most of that in the first half.

The Browns couldn't stop the run today. 145 yards for Jacksonville.

The sub returner for Josh Cribbs was horrible.

Good game from Abe Elam today, probably his best as a Brown. Recovered a fumble for a TD.

Brian Daboll, the Browns O.C., probably gets the heat this week. Twice in the third quarter, the Browns got two turnovers in excellent field position. Once on the Jaguars 48, the other on the Jaguars 19. Both times, runs were called on first AND second down. The first time, the combined runs gained 4 yards. The second, they lost a yard. The results were a punt and a field goal. For the quarter, the Browns ran 9 plays and gained ZERO yards.

This happened once more in the 4th quarter, after another Jacksonville turnover at the Jaguars 35. Two Hillis runs gained 2 yards. Hence, Phil Dawson missed a 51-yard FG which is not a gimme. Getting turnovers is one thing, doing something with them is a completely different exercise in which the Browns failed today. And getting those turnovers in great field position has to result in more than 3 points.

In a headscratcher, the Jags win, 24-20.

Meal of Links

Look who voted to censor the Internet. There are some name here that I thought would know better.

Facebook wants to become your home page. And eventually take over the world. BTW, Path allows you to only have a much more manageable 50 friends.

The TSA is a mess, isn't it? We'll have to see what happens during these big travel days soon.

Can Arab-Americans save Detroit? Looks like they might.

Sarah Palin on bears and wolves. This isn't new news, by any means. Let Audubon explain.

Six cars that will save General Motors. I still think the Volt will fail. Too costly.

Exercise Yard

No question that boxing can spit you out when you are no longer needed. Look at Kelly Pavlik since he started getting hurt. Here is a look at another former champ, Iran Barkley.

Visitor

None, on a nice Browns Sunday.

While tooling around the Internets the other day, I came upon this fall release on a bookshelf. Has there ever been a more appropriate title than "Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death and John Madden's Oakland Raiders".

Of course, we know Snake is Ken Stabler. Dr. Death is Skip Thomas and Foo is Phil Villapiano. Villapiano got his nickname because some player couldn't pronounce "Phil" and it kept coming out as "Foo". I'm sure it'll all be in there. Jack Tatum as the "Assassin", Chuck Noll saying that George Atkinson was a "criminal element who should be kicked out of the league." I'm sure they will bring up stickum, Raiders linemen greasing their jerseys, Ray Guy and his overinflated footballs.

One of my favorite Raider stories from back then is John Madden goes into the bathroom and he sees Ted Hendricks. Hendricks is known to most NFL fans as "The Mad Stork", but his Raider nickname was "Kick'em in the Head Ted". Hah! Anyhow, Madden sees Hendricks throwing a ten-dollar bill into a toilet. Madden asks him what the hell is he doing and Hendricks says, "You don't think I'm goin' down there for only a quarter, do ya?"

If you ever get a chance to see any of those NFL Films that feature the Raiders from that era, they are the most entertaining of the lot. They are the only team that had their own theme song.

The Raiders: Autumn Wind, Theme and the Holy Roller



I cannot wait for this one.

Meal of Links

I saw "Salt" today. I didn't know that the Regal had been converted to one of those cooling centers for seniors. They could have called me "Sonny" out there. Anyhow, "Salt" was decent enough. The small semblance of a plot is easy to figure out. But we get Jolie running. A lot. Jolie handy with a gun. A lot. See, she was a CIA agent. But is she a Russian agent? It appears to be the case.

How could they not track those lips while they are chasing her? Maybe because she's blond, then dark-haired, then wearing an expensive hat and coat on the Staten Island Ferry. Huh? But the action, when we get it, is top-notch. Did I mention Jolie running? She is jumping from vehicle to vehicle during a chase. Then we get a cool attempted killing at a state funeral, which will make you think twice about delivering a eulogy. A ridiculous view of White House security, which is beyond bad, for the sake of the movie, of course. I'd like to know who voted for the President in this movie. But we get Jolie kicking people, shooting people, and then culminating with one of the best screen deaths I've seen in a while. That death shows how flexible Jolie can be. This is definitely matinee/borderline full fare material.

My Dad and I had dinner at Bucci's Brick Oven, because I had a coupon that was about to expire. Hadn't been there in a while, but the margherita pizza was outstanding and I think I have two extra meals out of it.

Bernie Sanders says no to oligarchy. "The 400 richest families in America, who saw their wealth increase by some $400 billion during the Bush years, have now accumulated $1.27 trillion in wealth."

Look out. The theme to Hawaii Five-O will be everywhere.

All about "American History X". I happened to catch some of this about a month ago and Edward Norton is still shockingly great in this role.

Mindful of I-71 through town. Take a look at freeways and the decline of Saint Louis.

Cap-and-trade is dead. For now.

Kings of Leon get crapped on in Saint Louis. Literally. Wow, two items from Saint Louis in one day.

How to be an active listener. I try, I really try, to listen to what other people say. I think I'm good at it.

Has it really come to this? Rent A Friend.

The Latest Fixed Fight



"He's not even a canine!" It's like wrestling.

Here is one mean traffic cop. Drive carefully.

This guy really likes his In-N-Out Burger. BTW, the GM of Whitey's had his burger recipe in the PD last month and it was really good. I recommend that one.

Sharron Angle RUNS AWAY From The Press



Tight schedule, my ass.

Hopefully, you were able to share in some of the rain yesterday. The Big Picture takes on stormy skies.

Exercise Yard

Break up the Tribe! Going into today's play, the Indians (in Wedge-like manner) have finally caught the Kansas City Royals in the standings. You know, those Royals. The team that leads the major leagues in hitting.

Joe Pos puts his finger on, despite the hitting, what is wrong with the Royals. And why don't the Indians try and grab Kila Ka’aihue from their minor league roster?

Visitor

1 Across: Co-star of TV's "Chuck" (11 letters) Answer: Adam Baldwin

I don't really want to talk about the Bruins. They only lost a Game 7, in a series they were leading, 3-0.

The Preakness wasn't that great either.

So, with the World Cup getting closer, time to catch up on soccer.

The EPL concluded play with Chelsea as champs. Today, they handled Portsmouth in the venerable FA Cup to conclude the English season and complete a rare double. Didier Drogba, straight from the cover of Vanity Fair, nailed the gamewinner on a very nice free kick.

Drogba Free Kick



The two things I took away from the match: The pitch at Wembley was awfully spotty and rightly criticized. And Prince William is losing his hair!

As for next year's EPL. Those relegated included Burnley, Hull City and Portsmouth. Moving up are returnees Newcastle and West Brom. Cardiff City and Blackpool play next Saturday for the final Premier League slot.

Tottenham gets the all-important fourth place and joins Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in next year's Champions League.

So, what's next? Fox has moved the Champions league Final, Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich from FX to the big network. That airs next Saturday at 2:00. Look for TMZ to be pre-empted.

The first World Cup match? Coming soon on June 11.

Meal of Links

The 50 Greatest Samples of Hip-Hop. You get the originals and their modern counterparts. Yes, even David McCallum got sampled on an all-timer by Dr. Dre. And that's only #40.

Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson have a new project. "Music For Dogs"!

Do you realize Kate Bush only toured once? Never came to America.

"Law and Order" (the original) finally gets cancelled. Other versions are still on, though.

Exercise Yard

You know, you sit down for a night of boxing on HBO and nothing can deflate you more than hearing these two words: Paulie Malignaggi. And then I find out that Lennox Lewis isn't calling any more fights on "Boxing After Dark" and this was the first broadcast without him. He wasn't the greatest, but definitely better than George Foreman.

Back to Malignaggi. I just can't stand the guy. Never thought he was any good. Only has 5 KO's, but yet, HBO keeps promoting him as someone I should take seriously. But I can't. My ears perked up, however, when I realized he was in a match at 140 lbs. with Amir Khan. Khan is very popular in the UK, and this was his first fight in the US.

Remember, boxing is the art of making your opponent participate in his own ass whipping. And Malignaggi obliged Khan by not moving. Stood right in front of him and ate leather for 11 rounds until the ref realized something his corner didn't. He was getting his ass handed to him. Then a funny thing happened. I started to not feel sorry for the "Future Legend" Malignaggi, but I realized he didn't have any quit in him. And, really, that's all you can ask from a fighter.

Amir Khan wins on a stoppage in the 11th. He was tossing a shutout at the time.

Visitor

38 Across: He played Will Scarlet in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (15 letters) Answer: Christian Slater

Maybe the Indians can play Chicago every game. meanwhile, Shin-Soo Choo is the only Indian doing anything on offense. Choo has 4 of the 9 homers, and the Indians have scored 45 runs and he has knocked in 12. Team ERA is 3.68.

Let's see how they do against non-White Sox opponents.

Meal of Links

The Dead Weather at Coachella. With video.

About that volcanic ash. It's not even the biggest volcano in Iceland. Holy magma, Batman!

Did you know every actor on "Lost" is exactly the same height? I've never seen the show, but I think that's incredible.

The trustworthiness of facial hair. Ranges from "Very Trustworthy" (Full Beard) to "Disastrous" (The Hitler).

March Madness probably heads to CBS and Turner. Not bad for Turner, as that would allow them heavy promotion for the upcoming NBA playoffs. Games would be on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, effectively ending the hassle of not seeing the game you want in your market. For example, we always get any Ohio or Big Ten schools.

I saw an interview with the CEO of Spirit Airlines, the airline that is now going to charge for carry-on baggage. In my opinion, the guy sounded like a tool. He kept going back to the idea that people had choices, but what if everyone chooses a different airline than his? Anyhow, other airlines aren't thinking about charging.

Exercise Yard

I fear it may be near the end for Kelly Pavlik. Strange fight last night, in that his opponent, Sergio Martinez was just too quick for him. Martinez was on the bike and won the first 4 rounds easily. Then, Pavlik seemingly figured him out and dominated the middle rounds.

But a cut, and I mean a gusher, appeared on Pavlik's right eye at the start of the 9th round and that was all she wrote. The corner couldn't stop the bleeding and Pavlik was a bloody mess until the fight was over. Not even that close as Martinez got the decision.

Looks like Pavlik has to make the move to 168, because there just aren't any paydays at 160. Gotta bet that Paul Williams fight is soon, I'd say.

Visitor

None, on a cloudy Sunday.

Kind of an OK Final Four this evening. That Butler-Michigan State game got pretty ugly in the second half. But I've seen Butler play that game countless times. Sometimes against Cleveland State, the score would barely move for as much as 8 or 9 minutes. Those are painful to watch, because Butler, more often than not, comes out on top. Geez, they've only lost 14 games in three years.

On the other hand, I thought Duke-West Virginia would be a better game. But Duke arrived, probably better than advertised. Statistically, this Duke team rates as one of their best. They controlled the tempo, picking up WVU defensively in the backcourt. Shot the ball really well, including 12 threes. And they hit the boards mercilessly. I mean WVU couldn't even bring out the 1-3-1 zone because Duke, with their height, would just go over the top of it. The second half was all Duke. You can argue they didn't deserve a number one seed or that they had the easiest path to Indy, but they still had to produce.

Hard to see Duke losing on Monday.

Meal of Links

Do they track "Cash Cab" on this thing? BTW, I saw the host of that show on the Golf Channel's "The Haney Project" with Ray Romano.

Easter Egg Hunt becomes "CSI: Des Moines".

The Gus Johnson Soundboard! "He's in shape" is the enduring one from this March Madness, although a good "Ha Ha!" is always nice to hear.

Exercise Yard

I just watched the Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins fight from our friends, the Chinese. Words cannot describe how horrid it was. How appropriate I saw Rabbit Punches on Easter weekend.

Visitor

6 Down: First name at Notre Dame (3 letters) Answer: Ara

So, I'm at Giant Eagle this morning and I realize I forgot my list. So, I'm standing by the place where the weekly circulars reside, scanning one before I start my shopping.

All of a sudden I hear a voice say, "Do you always block the aisle like this?". Now, mind you, I thought this was uttered by someone I might have known, because I thought to myself, WTF? But I look up and I have no idea who this person is, besides "Annoying Customer".

Then he repeated what he said, and I realized he may have a speech impediment or be a bit off mentally. So I told him, "Yeah, I do this every week when I come here." and I moved my cart slightly.

Jeezy creezy, these things happen to me all the time. Admittedly, I lean towards zero tolerance sometimes...uh...more often than not...a lot, but not "Excuse me." or "Sir, your cart?" or something similar.

"I got a threshold, Jules. I got a threshold for the abuse that I will take. Now, right now, I'm a fuckin' race car, right, and you got me in the red. And I'm just sayin', I'm just sayin' that it's fuckin' dangerous to have a race car in the fuckin' red. That's all. I could blow."

Meal of Links

Pictures of early 20th century British drunks. Lots of hats.

The FreeCreditReport.com is (gulp!) French Canadian. Therefore, it's not him who is doing the singing. I'm guessing it's Martha Dash.

What life would be like married to a porn star. Lots of free time, I bet.

Exercise Yard

Joe Calzaghe has snorted cocaine. Uh-oh.

Visitor

None, on a rainy Sunday.

If I see or read one more reference to "corned beef" as "corn beef", I may harm someone. Seriously.

Anyhow, with Brady Quinn shuffled off to Denver, the Browns went out and signed Jake Delhomme. I kinda like the guy. In between his two best years, Carolina always had injury problems and they seemed to claw their way to respectability each year. Until last year.

Not worried about year two of that deal, as it probably won't happen due to labor strife. One overlooked item is regardless of how bad Delhomme was last year, and he was bad, he still had a better QB rating than the two guys we are dumping. And every year in Carolina, until last season, his rating was above 80.

This is a test to see if Mike Holmgren truly is the QB Whisperer. He may feel Delhomme can still make the throws, and that he can correct his recent penchant for making those throws to the other team. 30 of his career 94 INTs have come in the last two seasons.

Last season, Delhomme had three really bad games. A terrible opener against the Eagles, a game that ended his season with the Jets, and a Buffalo loss in which he threw for 325 with 3 interceptions. But he was not a total failure, as there was a close road game with the Saints, a road win at Arizona and both games against Atlanta where he was pretty good.

My guess is Delhomme will be a bridge to whoever that next guy is. He'll give us what a veteran should give. The ability to make some plays, hopefully keep the stupid ones to a minimum (and in our division, that may be asking a lot), and some leadership.

One thing we do know is Delhomme will make a lot of cash money in 2010. $12 million from Carolina to leave and $7 million from the Browns to play.

Meal of Links

"Hello, Prius!", now where did you go with your sudden acceleration? Investigators are having trouble duplicating the latest incident.

The discoverer of the PSA test for prostate cancer says, "Not so fast, my friend.". Even he thinks the test is overused.

Pink Floyd was in the news this week. Reunion? Hah! They won a court case against EMI preventing Pink Floyd songs from being downloaded as singles. Something about the artistic value of a whole album.

Hitch rewrites The Ten Commandments.

Country music as a subject in the movies. Lots of 'em.

I always liked Blue Oyster Cult and since I heard this song yesterday, it will now stick in your head. "...Books by blameless and by the dead. King in yellow, the Queen in red..."

"E.T.I"/Blue Oyster Cult



Exercise Yard

I saw the last 4 rounds of the Pacquiao-Clottey fight last night. Our friends, the Chinese, didn't have a feed or one I could find, so I found one from the UK. Didn't miss much. Pacquiao dominated for 12 rounds and was not really in any serious trouble. Most impressive was 50,000 in attendance at Jerry's World.

Let's see if Pacquiao meets Mayweather later this year.

Visitor

None, on a cloudy Selection Sunday.

It was 20 years ago this week that Buster Douglas KO'ed Mike Tyson. I recall the exact spot where I heard the news. I was in Puerta Vallarta on a trip from work and, earlier in the day, we actually thought about watching the fight at some bar. We decided not to do it.

So, after a late dinner and some drinks, several of us were in the lobby of our hotel around 3:00 in the morning. All of a sudden, some Canadians appeared and tried to convince us that Douglas had won. I was pretty skeptical that they were trying to put one over on us, and they were pretty convincing. But still...

This was pre-Internet and barely cable days. But it was obvious by the next morning that something big had happened. Could not wait until I saw the replay when I got home. It remains the most stunning sports result in my lifetime.

BTW, Nelson Mandela was released from prison on the same day.

Meal of Links

The war in Afghanistan? It's heating up.

The Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver. In pictures. Well, they already killed a luger. The "Tour of Canada" was nice, I guess. Something about the phrase "welcome poles" reminds me of Peter Griffin saying the word, "penis". Steve Nash with a torch. I was happy to see Anne Murray was still alive. The Great One with THE torch, of course. kd lang with a great version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". When does curling start?

Craig Ferguson talks about "The Late Late Show". He has a budget smaller than Carson Daly's show.

What happened to chicks in '90s rock like Liz Phair? I still find interviews with Liz Phair pretty compelling.

I can't say enough good things about "Archer" on FX. This week's great joke was a boat named "Chum Guzzler". It's on Thursdays at 10.

Exercise Yard

This afternoon, Cleveland State played its biggest game of the year at home (hey, almost 4700 showed up), as the dreaded Butler Bulldogs came to town. Butler has remained a Top 20 team most of the year and came into the game at 22-4 and 15-0 in the Horizon League. CSU was riding a 6-game winning streak and was 9-4 in the conference.

My Dad and I arrived early to get a knit cap. Silly us, it wasn't a CSU cap but a Cleveland Clinic cap. Did they advertise that? I'm not sure.

As for the game, CSU decided on this day to come up with a dud. Although the game was 29-27 Butler, at the half, the signs were there that it was going to be a long game for the Vikings. They shot poorly and were getting absolutely hammered on the boards. Adjusting after the half, Butler started going inside a lot more and CSU had no answers defensively. Last three games, Butler has been winning by a combined one point at the half, and ended up winning each game by a combined 36 points. That's the definition of adjusting.

Stat sheet says it all. CSU shot 37% for the game, and hit on only 1 of 15 three-pointers. They were outrebounded (gulp!) 46-20. Too bad, because they caused 17 Butler turnovers and held them to 41% shooting. In a game never in doubt after halftime, CSU loses, 70-59.

Visitor

35 Down: "Suspicion" Oscar winner, 1941 (8 letters) Answer: Fontaine

Kind of a weird Sunday again this week. No Browns game today and since I am passing on Monday night's game, I don't have to witness anything in person regarding the Browns for a while. Then tomorrow, I have an off-day, so I can watch Cleveland State play some bizarro world 11:30 a.m. game.

But I did learn some things today:

Robitussin-on-the Go: What a great idea for the addicted.

GEICO commercial: I've given up on the "I'm a pothole" ad.

Al Michaels hates fireworks!: He wanted to go off on indoor fireworks.

Cincinnati Bengals; The second Ravens game won me over. And with their upcoming schedule, they are in.

Cleveland Browns: Weird day in the NFL. Bad teams won some games or almost won. An omen?

Colts-Patriots: What a bungle by Belichick. Punt the ball!

Meal of Links

The Onion with yet another classic. Could not stop laughing at that one.

She blinded me with science. And hit me with technology.

Can a convict get anything he or she wants for their last meal? 24 tacos seems a bit much.

Lt. Bookman soles another case. Can't stand ya.

Exercise Yard

Manny Pacquiao delivered another gem of a fight in beating Miguel Cotto. The promoters love him because he gets the PPV viewers. The fans love him because he is always coming forward. Plus, he now has won belts in 7 different weight classes.

If he fights Floyd Mayweather, they break the bank.

Visitor

None, on a not-too-exciting Sunday.