Rocket Supposedly Tests Clean

Team Rocket has gone public with the New York Times and is now claiming that Rocket's name is not on the infamous 2003 list of players who failed the MLB drug testing for steroids. Team Rocket attorney, Rusty Hardin -- note, never let this man be my attorney -- states that they received the results from the testing lab in 2008, and provided those results to the Congressional committee investigating Rocket shortly before the hearings.

The committee has acknowledged receiving the results, but did not confirm what the results were actually were. When asked why he didn't mention this earlier, Hardin said he didn't think it would matter.

The funny thing, reading this story, is that it appears that Hardin didn't actually provide the results to the New York Times. The Times quotes Hardin as to what the test results supposedly say, but it seems to me that if Hardin had actually provided them with the test results, then the reporters would have actually quoted those so-called results. Which they didn't.

So as always, Hardin opens his mouth widely, but fails to actually back up his statements. Second, the so-called steroid result in 2003 means nothing, as they weren't testing for HGH. So just let me say that I'll believe Hardin when he actually provides the hard evidence.

Sex Sells -- Fourth of July Edition

I bet you were expecting me to use that Jessica Simpson in a flag bikini photo, weren't you? I figured I'd go with Tom Brady's Baby Mama instead.

UPDATED (5:15): Former Oiler QB Steve McNair Shot and Killed

News reports out of Nashville this afternoon are stating that former Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens QB Steve McNair was shot and killed today. I'm sure there'll be more information on this to come.

UPDATE: McNair was killed in what appears to be a double homicide. He was shot in the head. An unidentified female was also slain.

UPDATE (5:15): The Nashville police and the Tennessee Titans are officially confirming the death of McNair and the unknown woman, whose identity has not yet been released.

James Cagney Was More Than Just A Gangster

It is the Fourth of July, and I really should post something halfway patriotic. So I'm going to post this clip from an old favorite movie of mine, which just happens to be one of the classic musicals -- classic films -- of all time. It's James Cagney as George M. Cohan performing "Give My Regards To Broadway," in the biographical musical about Cohan, Yankee Doodle Dandy.



I would have posted Cagney doing "Yankee Doodle Dandy," but I couldn't find a good clip of it.

That's Not My Definition of Good Stuff

So, Cecil Cooper, how's that whole six-man rotation thing working out for you? As I said before, it makes no sense going to a six-man rotation when four of the starters wouldn't make a majority of the rotations for the other teams in MLB. But what do I know?

The Astros lost to the San Francisco Giants 13-0 last night. The Giants are one of the lowest scoring teams in baseball. But Felipe Paulino was battered for nine hits, nine runs (eight earned) in only two innings. On Pauliono's performance, manager Cooper told the Chron that "Felipe's stuff was as good as it was last time....He just didn't have good location."

Maybe it's just me, but I see good stuff including both speed, and location. And if he doesn't have the location this game that he had the last game, then his stuff wasn't as good as last time. And, it seems to me, if you don't have good location, then you don't have good stuff.

But like I said, what do I know?

I Ain't No Fortunate Son

Happy Independence Day everybody. And as you should know by now, I have to be a little different. So instead of getting the day off with some sappy patriotic song, I thought I would go with a favorite rock song of mine, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son." Only this version, instead of CCR backing up John Fogerty, it's Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Sex Sells -- The Wannabe VP Edition

I'm getting a bit serious with today's edition of Sex Sells, because I want to use it to pose a question. This is one of a series [fixed] of photos of Sarah Palin in Runners World magazine (photography by Brian Adams). Now notice how the American flag is treated in this photo. Now imagine that Michelle Obama was posing for such a feature, and the flag was used like this. Now imagine the uproar that we'd be hearing on the Fox News Channel, and Rush Limbaugh, etc. Which leads to the question: why aren't I hearing any uproar about this improper use and display of the flag from these same sources about Ms. Palin?

Just A Click, Or Two, Or Three

Just a reminder. Don't be afraid to click on the ads. You'll be helping me out. And you'll be helping me to pay my bills so that I can keep cranking out all of this marvelous content. And you don't want me going all pledge drive on you now, do you?

Are The Texas Rangers About To Go Under?

Here's some interesting baseball news from up Metroplex way, but it appears that the Texas Rangers have had to borrow money from Major League Baseball in order to meet it's payroll. Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Rangers recently borrowed $15 million from MLB to meet payroll obligations.

While MLB hasn't assumed control of the team -- like what the NHL claims happened when it loaned money to the Phoenix Coyotes -- it is assumed that should the team attempt to add payroll come the trading deadline, that MLB will have a say in whether that happens -- kind of like what happened when MLB was running the Montreal Expos.

There's been some major financial problems with the Rangers this year, and the problems have been so serious that owner Tom Hicks has announced that he's selling a controlling interest in the ball club. And earlier this year, Hicks purposefully defaulted on loans for money that was used to purchase the Rangers and the Dallas Stars.

D'Ya Get It Now?

I was in the mood for loud and bombastic this morning. And when I'm in the mood for loud and bombastic, this song always pops into my mind. So here's Oasis with "D'You Know What I Mean?"


Oasis - D'you Know What I Mean? (Official Music Video) - The most amazing home videos are here