November 2007

NFL Network screws us all

If my pictures or constant posts on football didn’t give it away, it’s obvious that I consume the NFL (or more like the NFL consumes me).  I wear my Broncos colors every Sunday, and over the years have 4 different jerseys.  I spend a hefty amount of money for season tickets, and spend even more money tailgating and getting various Broncos items to  show my fan pride.  I even just put a Broncos license plate on my car last month.  On Sundays I live and breath the NFL and gladly accept whatever they put in front of me.  Despite all of that, there’s no way I can get with them on this NFL Network debacle.

I’m sorry but I can’t relate to the battle between the multi-billion-dollar NFL and the multi-billion-dollar Cable Companies to see who can squeeze the other one for more money.  I’m on the NFL email lists at least twice over, and over the last few months I’ve received various emails from them asking me to lobby the FCC demanding to force cable companies to accept the NFL network – as if it’s some noble cause.

Look, I’m all for government advocacy and democratic participation, but fighting for the NFL Network is one of the least worthwhile causes in this country.  Do your own dirty work NFL.  Don’t pretend that you’re an innocent victim.  They’ve attempted to create leverage by putting these live games on their network, and now coincidently one game happens to be a marquee matchup and now a great deal of NFL fans won’t be able to see the game.  To make matters worse, the NFL responds by giving people a half-assed solution by offering updates on-line.

I realize that the NFL is a business, but can the NFL do any more to spit in the faces of their fans, the consumers of their product.  They’re straddling the line between creating a high demand and breeding resentment amongst your fans – the very people who’ve brought you the success you’ve enjoyed.

HBO to make movie on Bond’s ‘Roids

This story came through my RSS feeds this afternoon, from ESPN:

“HBO Films is planning to turn a best selling book about Barry Bonds’ alleged steroid use and the federal government’s wide-ranging probe into performance enhancing drug use in sports into a movie, one of the book’s authors said Thursday …  Much of the book was based on secret grand jury testimony of Bonds and other famous athletes leaked to them by Troy Ellerman, a disbarred attorney sentenced to 2½ years in prison for denying under oath he was the reporters’ source. The book recounts how Bonds allegedly began using steroids in 1999 after becoming jealous of Mark McGwire setting Major League Baseball’s single season home run mark the previous season.”

michael_clarke_duncan I wonder who they’re going to get to play Barry Bonds.  Maybe by they can get Michael Clarke Duncan to play post-1999 Barry. 

In all seriousness though, I “read” (audiobook) Game of Shadows a few months ago, and what they compiled on this guy is pretty compelling.  I wasn’t a fan of Bonds to begin with, but what was in that book removed any doubt in my mind.  The book isn’t solely about Bonds, but also about the BALCO lab and their dealings with other athletes.  With the recent Marion Jones news, everything they alleged in that book was validated.

I’m anxious to see what a movie adaptation will be like, you know it won’t be a hack-job with HBO on board. It’ll be interesting to see how people react to not only the length Bonds and other athletes go to cheat, but also how Bonds treated the people around him.  If you’re looking for more light on the Bonds issue, you should definitely check out the Game of Shadows book, and then the movie when it comes out.

Been lying low (recovering) for the last few days

Sorry that it’s been a week since my last post.  With the Thanksgiving 4-day weekend I spent the holiday traveling to Durango with Bethany.  I had a really fun time and ate some really awesome food.  Unfortunately things took a turn for the worse when I came down with the flu and had one of the worst days (heath-wise) I’ve ever had in my life.  I realize many of us want to shed the holiday pounds after Thanksgiving, but this wasn’t the way I was planning on discarding my weekend meals.

I’m on the mend now, trying to get better. Bethany is about 3 days ahead of me on this illness and I’m watching her flu-like symptoms turn into cold-like symptoms.  I’m hoping to avoid that fate, but right now it seems inevitable.  Right now I’d just be happy to do away with this virtual vice that’s inflicting pressure in my head.  Hopefully another good night’s worth of sleep will help with that.

Holiday Lights Update – the public speaks

I know I’ve been hitting on this topic quite a bit lately, but with this going on in my back yard I can’t help but comment.  Bethany clued me in on this latest story on the latest developments and the current version of the Holiday Lights policy.  Apparently the policy has evolved to now include input from City Council members, as well as from public input.  In the new policy, the “white lights only” has now expanded to allow colored lights and Christmas tree displays on the outside of buildings.

Apparently the spokesperson from the task force objects to people outside of the task force offering input. 

From the Coloradoan:

“My primary concern is that the (hybrid) recommendation includes aspects that were neither in the original policy nor the task force recommendation,” task force spokesman Seth Anthony said. “I am concerned that some of the things were not thought all the way through and carefully (vetted) like the task force recommendations were.”

Awwww, is the ACLU guy upset that the public can’t be circumvented in the vocal minority’s attempt to promote their own agenda?

Anthony, who acknowledged the task force recommendations may not be directly in line with what a majority of the community favors, said the city’s hybrid policy risks being too restrictive, not inclusive, by its wording.

I do find myself agreeing with Anthony in one part: I think the modified indoor-building policies, which state that only secular decorations may be used is too limiting.  My hope is that at the meeting tonight they’ll defer back to the “manager’s discretion” indoor policy, while maintaining an expansive outdoor policy.  Should be an interesting meeting tonight.

More on the FC Holiday Lights Issue

Follow up on the Holiday Lights news – glad to see that common sense still is present here in Fort Collins:

From Slapstick Politics:

“Fort Collins is becoming more like the imbecilic borough of Boulder than many would like to admit, where social agendas substitute for common sense”–Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden

Looks like some Fort Collins City Council members are coming out of the woodwork and proclaiming they will vote this down when it goes to the Council for a vote. The best part is that Sheriff Alderden is staging a bit of a protest, inviting Fort Collins citizens to come decorate the Christmas Tree on the lawn of their office.

Here’s the money quote:

“There’s such a thing as religious tolerance, but you can be tolerant without excluding the majority, and that seems to be the road we’re heading down,” Alderden said. “We respect people of other faiths and religions. We respect other people’s right to have their opinions, but don’t ask Christians to hide their faith.”

Amen.