Choose Life

The SEVEN
September 17th, 2011

I. Enter Sandman

Chances are that at some point before the end of the regular season, the New York Yankees will win one more game during which Mariano Rivera will earn a save, officially making him the best closer ever…which he already is, but currently tied for first place on the all-time saves list with 601.

From an historical standpoint, it's fitting that the last MLB player to ever wear number 42 will go down as the greatest of all time at what he does, probably putting the saves record away for good when he retires. With that said - speaking of number 42 - a recent Sporting News piece indicated that the St. Louis Cardinals' Lance Berkman believes that baseball records should be divided into two categories: pre-Jackie Robinson and post-Jackie Robinson, based on the incomplete level of competition faced by players prior to 1947.

Couldn't agree with Lance more.

II. Sleepwalking

Who was that player dressed in the Serena Williams suit in the U.S. Open final versus Samantha Stosur? I almost couldn't believe it was Serena, the way she was dominated by Stosur…and I admit I don't watch tennis every week or every tournament, but I can't remember the last time I saw her lose to someone not named Williams. Probably wouldn't have made a difference or the difference, but she shouldn't have had that point taken away…they need to revisit that rule.

III. Stopping By

I must also admit I more or less ease my way into the NFL season. When I was a kid I used to sit down one night each August and make my predictions for the forthcoming NFL season - which included forecasting the records of every team in every division. Now for various reasons, which include the crazy proliferation of sports available on TV, I basically am a general follower until the conclusion of the World Series…but I will be checking out the Eagles-Falcons matchup Sunday night. I know it's been a while since almost every kid seemed to have the Michael Vick Falcons poster in his room…but still, there has to be satisfaction in beating a former team, especially one that made no effort to bring you back.

IV. Don't Sleep On…

So when the Series is over I'd be free to get fully into football…but then my beloved NBA season begins - or is supposed to begin. I guess if there is any good news about the lockout, it would be that exhibition games featuring NBA stars are popping up around the country, the latest of which being announced for September 25th in Philadelphia at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania…which is one of the great arenas to watch a basketball game!

Team Philly, led by Hakim Warrick, will take on Team Melo, featuring Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul. Warrick says that his Philly all-stars are looking forward to proving to Carmelo that the best ballers come out of Philly.

Has anyone heard of New York?

V. Stony The Road We Trod

Troy Davis is still facing an execution date in Georgia, despite evidence which at the very least would seem to cry out for re-evaluation of his predicament. Please visit the NAACP (www.naacp.org) to see what you can do to try to avert this possible miscarriage of justice.

VI. God Of Our Silent Tears

I'm sitting in The Spot in Newark, N.J. as I write this, wearing not the jeans sported by several other patrons, but a jacket and tie, as I just attended a funeral of a fine young college senior who died after a basketball game at his college. Sadly enough, there was another funeral taking place at the same time in our town, this one for yet another 21-year-old young man who was recently shot to death.

The word is that this young man was not the target of the killers…but what that means is that someone else was. What that means is that they - like so many others - have failed to study history, have failed to realize that our forefathers…in the not too distant past, for that matter…fought off dogs, water hoses, billy clubs, police, the Klan and the courts; all so that we could be able to enjoy some of that which we can in 2011…and now we are shooting and killing each other. Those knuckleheads are able to hang up their hoods…we are doing their jobs for them.

VII. Unbelievable

It may have been the same night, at the same time, that this young man was shot when Tea Partiers - the somewhat homogenized versions, in my opinion, of the southern lynch mobs- cheered at their debate when Texas Governor Rick Perry indicated no remorse at the possibility that innocent people had been put to death among the upwards of two hundred that have been executed under his watch. They vocally endorsed the idea of an uninsured individual being left to die as opposed to having the government pick up the cost of his care.

And these are the people the entire Republican field of candidates is falling all over?

Are You Ready For Some Football?

The SEVEN
September 7th, 2011

I. Back To Work

On Labor Day, a day set aside as a holiday to commemorate the efforts of the American worker, many people had the day off to spend with family, attend parades, eat some barbeque, and just generally have a good time. I myself did much of that myself, and I hope that you enjoyed yourself as well. But in the case of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker - whose union-busting and anti-labor policies have resulted in two of his Republican state senators being recalled, with a similar recall movement for him possibly on the docket - I hope he did not enjoy it as much. Quite frankly, he did not deserve a day off on this day celebrating workers…so my earnest hope is that he spent the entire day in the office.

II. New Work

Belated Happy Birthday wishes to a young man embarking on a new career, that of broadcasting Rutgers football games. That young man is Eric LeGrand, the former Rutgers football player who is in the midst of an amazing recovery from an injury that paralyzed him last October. What's also amazing - whether you attribute it to "fate," a "higher power," or God - is that Eric's inspiring recovery and life is touching and will touch more people now than he probably ever would have on the field. You can visit the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund at scarletknights.com/believe.

And another belated Happy Birthday to a brilliant and talented individual, Rogette Harris, who is seeking new work as well…she is a candidate for Dauphin County Register of Wills & Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the Harrisburg, PA area. You may not know her name now, but I can almost guarantee that you will before long. Check her out at www.voterogette.com.

III. Unemployed and All Non Void

Since the unemployment numbers did not fall in the last month, and all of these polls show people are really concerned about jobs, when President Obama decided he wanted to address a joint session of Congress about jobs, you would think that that would be welcomed…you wouldn't think that Speaker John Boehner would ask the president to postpone it until the next night (which just happens to be the NFL opening night), would you? Sometimes…well, just about all the time…I think the Republicans couldn't care less about jobs - except for Joe Biden's and Barack Obama's.

IV. Are You Ready For Some Football?

I was somewhat surprised recently to find that the most valuable sports franchise on the planet, according to Forbes, is Manchester United, the soccer powerhouse in Britain. Kinda took me back to my first job, as a camp counselor, where one of the campers was from the U.K. and continually asked which football (soccer) teams I liked. So as not to seem like I knew nothing about any of them…which I didn't…I learned to say I liked the ones he liked.

Man U beat out the two teams I would have bet on to be in the number one position, the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys…but the NFL was well represented in the Top 10, specifically the NFC East, which had the Cowboys at number three, the Washington Redskins at number four, and the New York Giants at number eight.

V. Kickoff

As you prepare to watch the first weekend of NFL action, you may want to have a bunch of projections and predictions in front of you - but you won't get them here. All I will say that if you want to know who to expect to see in the Super Bowl…well by that time in February, the fans in Philly might be getting tired of Broad Street parades.

VI. Redemption

S&H green stamps are gone, but there may be a story of redemption - and green - that surrounds the teams I see to be in the Super Bowl this year; in other words, I'm predicting the Eagles' Super Bowl opponents to be the New York Jets.

Both teams have star players that have recently missed two seasons due to imprisonment. My thought is that the addition of Plaxico Burress will be what puts the Jets over the top in the AFC. In Philly, Michael Vick has been rewarded with a six-year, $100 million dollar contract, of which I am only too happy - but I would offer the Birds the following advice: don't make him into a pocket quarterback. Let Vick be Vick.

VII. It's Like A Jungle Sometimes…

As was said in Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message," makes me wonder how I keep from going under…Just learned that there is an execution date in Georgia for Troy Davis, despite all of the statements from witnesses recanting their testimony, which does nothing but create questions about his guilt.

Please visit www.naacp.org, as soon as you can, where you can join with the NAACP in an effort to save Davis' life.