Don Feder

Don Feder has written a couple of good articles recently. The first one is called The Forgotten American, about the anonymous American who doesn't say much but is part of the backbone of the Country and the Second one is about Amnesty and how name-calling is being used to silence debate on that bill. Go to www.donfeder.com for all of the articles.

Next we have the esteemed Fred Mitchell and Bob Foltman telling us that Bettman thinks that despite falling attendance and refusal to air home games on television, that Chicago is a terrific hockey market. Maybe in Rosemont and the areas in which the Wolves fan base is located. However, enthusiasm for the NHL has declined rapidly in the last five years or so. It's time for new leadership, in Chicago and in the NHL office.

good book

For people who want to know why some people change their political views, let me recommend Bernard Goldberg's new Book, Crazies to the Left of Me and Wimps to the Right of Me. It's very good and eye-opening and shows that what passed for liberalism or Democratic thinking 50 years ago is considered to be old-fashioned or conservative.

The problem with sports media and sports today

By Joshua Normand (a.k.a. Josh in Rogers Park)

May 2007

There are a lot of problems with professional sports today. We can talk about the numerous NFL players being arrested or alleged to have done something wrong. If we look at baseball, we are coming off of the new steroid testing, which implies that many baseball players used steroids from approximately 1994-2003, if not earlier. The NBA has an urban image and no longer appeals to the average middle-aged white male (or middle-upper class male, regardless of skin color). Hockey is run by a NBA stooge who stubbornly canceled a season because of his self-righteous attitude on a salary cap, which he and his owners were mostly at fault for.

The bottom line is that professional sports for the average fan are not accessible. All of the important games are on late at night, or priced higher than normal games are. Every playoff game starts no earlier than 830 pm eastern time and ends around midnight, which makes it impossible for the average fan to stay up and watch the conclusion of the World Series, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals. Only the Super Bowl is immune because it�s played on a Sunday evening and it has to end at 10:00 pm or so eastern time because there�s a special TV program on after the Super Bowl.

Every sports media journalist (or talk show host) is complicit to a certain degree with this. Very few people (Phil Mushnick of the New York Post being a notable exception) criticize the commissioners of these sports for putting playoff games out of the reach of the average sports fan.

After the horrendous attack on our country six years ago, one would have thought that the entertainment world would have learned a lesson or two about greed and avarice. Maybe one or two small changes would have been made that would have been token gestures to the common fan. Not the case. Perhaps the sports people are telling us that we aren�t wanted anymore. We are too smart and too stable for their shenanigans. Maybe theater and music are more appropriate entertainment outlets for us. At least a play that starts at 8 pm doesn�t have rain delays, 40 minute halftime shows, and other silliness.


Too much time is spent on nonsense such as women's sports, inclusiveness and other social experimentation at the expense of real problems. We don't have time for nonsense after 9/11. Political correctness is more than a silly fadd, it can harm people.

On a better note, I want to wish everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day. Let's remember that we're in a great country, despite its shortcomings and that many people fought and died to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.

TV stuff and neighborhood happenings

1) Last night I saw the final 2 episodes of 24 on Fox. It was good, for the most part. Though I am not the most avid watcher of 24, I have paid more attention in the last month.
After 24, I saw the Fox News at Nine. They did an expose on the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) and what they were attempting to plot on a certain presidential candidate. While this is unfortunate, I feel that the "hate groups" are not as powerful compared to some of the Hamas/Hezbollah cells that are in our midst. The radical Muslim groups can do more damage than the KKK or their split-off groups can.

Moreover, as a conservative (politically) I feel compelled to point out that these folks do NOT speak for us, nor be used as an excuse to marginalize people such as Jim Oberweis (former gubernatorial candidate).
Mr. Oberweis has taken a tough stand on illegal immigration and isn't loved by the Judy Topinka wing of the Republican Party in Illinois. So what happens is people say, hey if you take a tough stand against certain ethnic groups, you're similar to the KKK and other hate groups. Not right, but perception becomes reality in many cases.
As one author put it, the hate groups don't seek to promote the individual, but rather lump people into groups, along ancient tribal divisions.

2) On a sad note, someone that I know had a tragedy happen to them recently, and during the Holiday of Shavuot (Festival of Weeks) I will try to learn some Mishnayot (Chapters of the Oral Law) in memory of the person who perished.

3) I heard that in West Rogers Park, we have someone who claims to be a charity collector, but has foisted himself upon some of the women in our community. I have not seen this first hand, but for those who know this situation better than I do, be warned and let others know.

teacher's pets, etc.

Sports:

The San Antonio Spurs are the teacher's pet of the NBA. They do things "right" and they play in a "red" or less urban state. Tim Duncan is the guy who the league office wants to sell to casual fans in more rural areas. Same with the Detroit Red Wings, they're Bettman's pet student.

If he can't sell casual hockey fans on the New York Rangers, then the Wings are the next best thing.

Jewish stuff: Thanks to Gil Student of http://hirhurim.blogspot.com I received a preview of his new book and a chapter on the dilemma a defense lawyer faces. It is quite interesting.

If any Chicago Black Hawks fans know of their advertisers, let me know.

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup, Hockey's Championship will take place around Memorial Day. Unfortunately, in Chicago, it merits little or no coverage because the Black Hawks are so bad and unwatchable. There should be a campaign to have Dollar Bill Wirtz sell the team to someone who wants to win.

Recently, I read in the paper that the Blackhawks hired some assistant head coach, who was an interim coach in Florida. Why the heck anyone wants a coach like that is beyond me.

What they need to do is raid the front office of the Red Wings, Ducks, Devils or Senators (even Predators) and get some people from winning organizations who care about winning. I suggest all Hawk fans watch a video I recently saw on Mark Messier. It's available from www.prohockeydvd.com. I think it's less than 15 bucks. Pride in winning and doing your best is non-existent on this team.


At least we have the Chicago Wolves, an AHL farm team for the Atlanta Thrashers. The Wolves will be starting the Calder Cup Western Conference championship on Friday against the Hamilton Bulldogs, Montreal's farm team.

In the meantime, I hope Ottawa wins and that Anaheim can beat Detroit.

Out O'Reilly and Scarborough

As a conservative, I feel that we must ban or "out" Bill O'Reilly aka the Leprechaun and Joe Scarborough. Scarborough is a fraudulent Republican who kissed up to Hillary Clinton this week on MSNBC.

another thing, I think that sports fans in the Midwest and West should try to avoid ESPN. ESPN dislikes non-Eastern teams.

Go Senators and Ducks

The Senators won 4-3 in double overtime on Saturday night to take a 2-0 lead against the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 3 is tonight in Ottawa at the Scotiabank Place. Anaheim won last night, which is good for those hockey fans who don't bleed red and white or live in Michigan.

Good job by the Bulls staving off elimination against the Pistons and a nice win in Oakland for the Jazz last night. Cubs and Mariners won, Sox lost to the lowly Royals.

Mariner fans, we're a game or two out of first and King Felix is pitching on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, during last night's ESPN Sunday night game, we had to listen to commentary about Curt Schilling's anti-Bonds comments (Bosox propaganda) and then to Shulman and Campbell project when the Rocket will pitch for the Bronx Bummers. I think there's a rule at the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network that they must mention once per telecast the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Braves or Phillies.

Senators!!!!!!!!!!!!

Senators rock, they won last night in Buffalo 5-2. Three goals in the third did it for the team in Red in Canada's Capital. Hopefully, Spezza and Alfredsson will play like Gretzky and Messier did in the 80's and 1994.

www.ottawasenators.com

www.sensnation.com

Go Red, eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

things that I have thought about

Well, I have stuff on my mind.

1) Someone came up to me over the weekend and proposed to do a low-key singles event at a big shul which I won't mention until if and when this event happens. So today, I sent him a word document with all of the singles that I know of in our neighborhood of Rogers Park and even a few Lakeview and Skokie people. Lincolnwood is a nice community, but a family community, as is Skokie, though there are older singles in Skokie.

2) Although the Israel Day walk was nice, I think that it would be better if we walked as a large community like in New York. I saw pictures from their Israel Salute Day and it was impressive.

3) Next Wednesday is Yom Yerushalayim or Jerusalem Reunification Day. Unlike Yom Ha'Atzmaut, this is a day that belongs primarily to the Religious community, or more specifically, the Religious Zionist community. I will be checking with some Israeli bloggers or the guy who runs hirhurim.blogspot.com, which I have linked on my blog, about the sources for this day and who celebrates it the most.

4) It's too bad that the Fort Dix Six story was largely ignored by the MSM and even "conservative" news media, including Fox News and Newsmax. O'Reilly (aka the Leprechaun) was deferential in his interview yesterday with a recent convert to Islam. This should disqualify him from any "membership" in conservative causes, whatever his beefs are with Michael Savage, Hugh Hewitt and other bloggers.

If the mainstream conservative media and other mainstream media would talk about the Fort Dix Six and other "insensitive" stories, then Savage would be less interesting. However, I like Savage, Precisely because he covers these topics and weaves in historical parallels that the other guys don't. He fills a vacuum.
One host who is great on these topics, is ironically, enough, Savage's competitor, Mark Levin, who I listen to late at night on WLS. His website is www.marklevinshow.com.

Movie etc.

Last night I saw a movie with a friend of mine, called Kickin' It Old Skool. It's about a kid from the 80's who has an accident and is in a coma for 20 years and is a teenager in a 30 year old body. Long story short, he gets together with his old buddies who are struggling for the most part with their lives and they enter a contest for breakdancing (blast from the past) and win.
If you're a fan of the 80's and its fads, then it's a cute movie. It won't set records for gross receipts or win Oscars, but that's cool with me.

The nerdy kid is really good. The other star is the love interest who's on Access Hollywood.

Now to sports

I will focus on the NHL as the NBA is not as appealing to me, if you've read previous posts, you know why.

Eastern Conference Championship
Buffalo Sabres-Ottawa Senators

I like Ottawa in 6. They're overdue for at least a conference title if not a Stanley Cup. Emery is a good goaltender and they have enough offense to win. Buffalo is EXPECTED to win. Ottawa is like the Colts.

Western Conference Championship

Detroit Red Wings-Anaheim Ducks
My heart says Anaheim. I hate Detroit teams and the city. However, Anaheim needs to have great goal tending in order to win. Their offense is good, but not as good as Detroit's. Detroit in 6.

General Hockey thoughts

1) Can Bettman NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is incompetent and fails to promote hockey Nationally. Versus is a terrible choice for a television network to promote hockey. Choose TNT or USA Network. More people get that than Versus.

2) When the Seattle Sonics move to Oklahoma, there will be a void in the winter at Key Arena. I suggest that Seattle steal either the Chicago Black Hawks or the Columbus Blue Jackets. It would put another team in the Northwest division and reduce travel for the 3 Canadian teams (Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton).

3) Nashville and San Jose need new coaches for gagging in the playoffs. I suggest they raid the Red Wings organization for a coach. I don't like the Red Wings but they win every darn year so they must be doing something right.

4) As long as the Black Hawks are here, they need to get a star from somewhere in a trade. Maybe package a few guys and send them to Nashville for Kariya.

5) I think Jaromir Jagr is a B-Level hockey star. Good player, but not "great enough" to elevate his team in a big spot, like Mark Messier. If he was really good, the Rangers would have forced Buffalo into a Game 7.

sports musings

1) By mid June Barry Bonds will break (I use that term loosely) Hank Aaron's record for home runs in a career and Craig Biggio will be at 3,000 hits or within 10-15 hits of that mark. Maybe Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Rod) will have hit homer #500.

The big buzz in baseball is that Roger Clemens is back and going to pitch for the Yankees, possibly in the beginning of June.

NHL playoffs will interest me more because I like Buffalo and Ottawa and if I am lucky, the Sharks will come back from a 3-2 deficit starting tonight in San Jose.

Cubs are on a roll (hip hip hooray), let's see what they do against better teams like the Phillies and Mets and Brewers.

weekend happenings

1) Tomorrow is the Israel Solidarity Day walk in Rogers Park. After that is a ceremony commemorating the Meldatho of my great aunt and then is a Barbecue in Evanston sponsored by Kollel Torah Mitzion.

www.torahmitzion.org

2) The weather here is strange. It's been in the 50's and 60's and then between Monday and Wednesday it will reach 85.

3) Great win for the Utah Jazz tonight in game 7 in Houston against the Rockets. So much for Van Grumpy's big spot coaching and his two superstars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.

By the way, any Raptor fans want to convince me that Sam Mitchell is a better coach than Jerry Sloan? Slaon knows how to win games, period. A low-key Bill Belichick.


Good win for the Ottawa Senators tonight in New Jersey. They will get Buffalo in the East finals unless New York wins the next two. Bad loss for the Sharks in Detroit. I don't think that the Sharks will win the series.

Canuck fans

For canuck fans, www.canucksandbeyond.com


I hope they win, but think that their offense isn't a championship level offense and expect the Ducks to win.

Good for Orange County, bad for the Northwest and Canada.

more hockey blogs

www.behindthejersey.com, www.sharkspage.com

Go Sharks and Senators!!! Don't want the Rangers and Red Wings.

Political Blogs,

www.benjaminshapiro.com www.michellemalkin.com, www.teriobrien.com,

sports thoughts

1) Denver lost to San Antonio last night and their season is over. This stinks for two reasons:

1) Carmelo Anthony is a more attractive superstar than Duncan is.
2) I hate the Spurs as they are the least attractive good team to watch in the last 25 years. Plus they're from Texas and Texans are conceited people.

George Karl should be dismissed by Monday as he is a failure as a head coach. If he can't get Melo and AI to win a playoff series, then the Nuggets should find someone else to coach these guys.

2) Good win by Ottawa, bad loss for the Sharks to the Ancient Red Wings.


I hope to see either the Senators or Sharks in the Finals. Sorry Chaviva, the Devils are boring and don't score enough goals.



Jewish note:

May 6th is Israel Solidarity Day in Chicago. May 15th at night in Skokie is the Yom Yerushalayim celebration, See www.rzc.us for more information or the Likutei Peshatim of last week or this week (Chicago residents only).

Non-Jewish stuff

Finally the NBA writers got it right. Brandon Roy, former Washington Husky and current Portland Trail Blazer, was named Rookie of the Year.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aunf0qqEIxLpbNpuJGVpdgY5nYcB?slug=ap-nba-rookieofyear&prov=ap&type=lgns

It's too bad these writers couldn't reward Jerry Sloan with Coach of the Year and have to get PC and reward someone who had a poor track record and had a good year.

Even if the Jazz stumbled down the stretch, they exceeded expectations. They couldn't have gotten past the number three seed and would have gotten to 55 wins at most.

Also, for ABC TV, I suggest that they replace Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck with Don Imus and Bernard McGuirk.


Good job out of the Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers for winning last night.

I like the Senators and Sharks to meet in the NHL Stanley Cup finals. It would be good for America and Canada.

Jewish centric post

Well, on Sunday, in Chicago is Israel Solidarity Day. There are walks for Israel in 6 to 8 parts of the Chicagoland area. I will be walking in Rogers Park. Others will be walking in Lakeview/Lincoln Park, Highland Park, Hyde Park (home of the Man-God Barack Obama).
Anyway, this is a good thing for Israel and the JUF (Jewish United Fund). Coincidentally, Sunday is Lag BaOmer, or the 33rd day of the Omer. On the 33rd day of the Omer, Rabbi Akiva's students stopped dying because of a punishment that G-d inflicted upon them for not showing proper respect (or Kavod) to each other. There are bonfires in Israel, particularly in Meron.

On May 15 or 16, in two weeks, there's another important day on the Religious Zionist calendar. It's called Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Re-Unification Day. That's the day when the Jews re-took control of Jerusalem and the Western Wall.

Consult with the following blogs for more information on these topics.

http://yeranenyaakov.blogspot.com and http://hirhurim.blogspot.com