What is the Difference?

You tell me. What's the difference between these two statements?

"The process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event -- like a new Pearl Harbor."
-Neoconservative think tank "The Project for a New American Century." This quote was the one trumpeted by multiple media outlets as proof that George W. Bush and his fellow NeoCons were behind 9/11 and wanted start a new era of American imperialism and hegemony.


“Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste. They are opportunities to do big things.”
-Rahm Emanuel, Obama Chief of Staff. Taken from the story "Obama Weighs Quick Undoing of Bush Policy" by Jeff Zeleny, originally published in the New York Times Nov. 9, 2008.


I am not raising this point to defend the Republicans or anything like that, but why was one quote reported heavily and as proof that Republicans are the harbingers of the apocalypse while the other was buried in the news? Why does the media, to this day, defend Emanuel's comments? I know both comments were probably taken out of context, as both comments were probably not intended to come off in that manner but why does the media feel one quote is appropriate and the other not?

Pinch Me......I'm Still Not Sure if this is Real

All I have to say is.....GETCHA POPCORN READY!!!

Ok, I know this is a media blog, but I just HAVE to comment on my beloved Buffalo Bills' signing of(insert media's disparaging adjective here) WR Terrell Owens, formerly of the Cowboys, Eagles and 49ers. First of all, if you're not a Bills fan, you have no idea how refreshing and exhilarating this is. The team has not made the playoffs since 2000, and since then, the team has been little more than a punchline to the point where they are never mentioned in the media without the tag of "only loser of four consecutive Super Bowls."

With one signing, the team has made itself relevant again. Sure, you will hear the media relentlessly ripping this move because of T.O.'s mercurial personality and his history of driving wedges into locker rooms. However, the Bills only signed him to a one-year-deal, so if he is a pest, then you put him on injured reserve. More than likely, though, he will be on his best behavior for one reason: next year's contract. He will be a choir boy this year to show other teams he is not a cancer, and he will have a solid on-field impact because he will be trying to show teams that he still has something left in the tank.

Next, for a franchise who is struggling with its bottom line, this is a genius move. The financial situation in Buffalo is so dire that the team is playing several preseason and regular season games in Toronto to garner more revenue. However, bringing in someone like T.O. will sell more season and single game tickets, jersey sales will skyrocket and there will undoubtedly be more national TV appearances for the Bills. This paragraph is reason enough to bring him in, but the fact remains that the guy can still play, and at a high level at that.

This brings us to the football aspect of the deal. Lee Evans is entrenched as the team's #1 receiver. (His recently signed contract that pays him almost $10 million a year ensures that). So, that means the team wants T.O. to be the #2; a big possession receiver that will take attention away from Evans, who has struggled without a true talent on the other side to take away double teams. I'm guessing that he will put up numbers this year along the lines of 40 catches, 600 yards and 5 TDs. If that's not enough for your #2 receiver, then I do not know what sport you are watching.

So let the media bitch and complain about the signing. They will continue to pump out nasty stories about the man (some of which I'll admit, is warranted) but that's just because they are always looking to portray the story in a way that will sell the most papers and bring in the highest viewer ratings. For a team with its back up against the wall, there was no better move that could have been made. Hell, two days ago they were offering Laveranues Coles nearly $30 million! But just try to look past the media's bullshit as they shamelessly pursue the "juiciest" aspects of the story, and you will see that this is a low risk, high reward, intelligent move for a team wallowing in desperation financially and competitively.

UPDATE: I just found this quote from Bills starting strong safety Donte Whitner. Sounds like Mr. Whitner knows the truth and sees through the bullshit:

"I'm not a concerned about that at all...a lot of public perception is through the media. A lot of stuff is about ratings and how many newspapers you can sell. I've learned a long time ago not to judge people by public perceptions, but by your personal relationship with them."

I'm Gonna Need a Disclaimer for My Disclaimer

I apologize for the delays. I know I wrote a disclaimer in my initial posting for situations just liken this one, but regardless, I still hate to have this dead space. I will be posting again soon- hopefully tonight, at the latest, tomorrow.

Until then, read this incredible article from the New York Times about the use of statistics in basketball. I know it's not really related to anything on here, but it is a fantastic read from a fantastic writer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

The Apogee of the American Media

So here we are, just a few days removed from Sports Illustrated breaking the story about Alex Rodriguez and steroids. As a Yankees fan, it pains me to hear about yet another member of my beloved squad getting outed for P.E.D.s. However, as a member of the media and as a longtime media observer, I find it beautiful. Not because I am one of the so-called "baseball purists" who is happy to see the game getting cleaned up. Hell, let them pump their bodies full of drugs; it's not harming my psyche and I'm not the one who will have mouse testicles in 14 years. No, it's because we get to see the American media at its absolute "finest."

First of all, let's examine how this thing got started. The players gave urine samples several years ago under the auspices that all results will be confidential, as they were performing a study to see if a steroid problem existed in the sport. The results of those tests, in which 104 players tested positive, were subsequently confiscated by the federal government as part of the BALCO raid. So, what this means is that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT leaked the results to the media.

In what was probably payment for information, an attempt to get press, or simply a government employee trying to further personal goals, the fact is that the government injected itself (yet again in the Steroids issue) into the American media, using it as their own handy P.R. firm and the sad part is that the media continues to eat it up blindly. That in itself is abhorrent.

Next, we have the manner in which the media carried out this full-scale war on Rodriguez's name and image. For days now he has been vilified by every press outlet, not to mention the beating he has taken from those N.Y.C. tabloids that fancy themselves newspapers ever since he signed with the Yanks. The constant squawking about him ruining the image of the game and talk about banning him from Cooperstown, etc., has seemed to have an interesting influence on the American people. The people have turned on him just like those in the media and can you blame them? When you are being told on every TV channel and every radio station and every web site that A-Rod is a scumbag, you might start believing it too, if you did not know the guy personally.

Now, the public outcry has MLB Commissioner Bud Selig telling the press he will consider suspending A-Rod and maybe even erasing his stats. Really? Forget about all the other guys who were named in the Mitchell Report, forget about the guys in the BALCO case, hell, forget about the other 103 guys that tested positive with A-Rod in the same round of testing. Just single out A-Rod. Take out all of your embarrassment for being ignorant of the enlarged heads and jersey-shredding biceps when your eyes got misty when you saw Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa do the stomach punch handshake when Big Mac belted number 62 back in '98. Blame A-Rod for the fact that you gushed incessantly about baseball being saved by a clean star breaking a tainted one's (Bonds')records while you attributed guys like Brady Anderson hitting 50 jacks after never hitting more than 20 to more tightly-wound baseballs, smaller parks and the dilution of pitching talent.

No, they will not admit they were fooled. Instead, we all have to suffer through lessons of morality and decency from pundits who feel that they have the authority to pass judgment on a man they have only watched on T.V. just because they wield the golden sword.

In one fell swoop, the strangulation of American society continues. We don't ask why A-Rod may have taken the drugs; we don't ask why the media is only reporting about him and not the other 103; we don't ask why this is so bad yet it was ok for pitchers in the old days to throw spitballs or for Ty Cobb to slide in spikes high while screaming racial epithets. No, we listen to the media tell us that those guys just cared about winning and played hard. Well, didn't A-Rod just want to perform well to help his team win? Did he not play as hard when he was hitting .310/45/120?

So, when you see the continuing, incessant coverage of this story, just remember that whatever they tell you, it isn't about protecting the purity of the game or about being ethical. That excuse has been played out for years. It is about a group of people that are enraged about being deceived but are lucky enough to have something that disseminates their thoughts and ideas to millions of people. Block out the noise from this one, and you just may see that some ballplayer sticking needles in his butt may actually not be a defining moment in our nation's history. Just maybe.

Hold On, It's Coming...

Sorry to all of my loyal followers (well, sorry to all two of you) for the lack of postings so far. I'm gonna take a big leap of faith and guess that not posting is not a good way to kick off a blog, but things have been quite busy around here the last couple days since my original post. I will have something for you all either tonight or tomorrow afternoon by the latest.

Until then, sit tight.

Hello, My Name Is...

Hey. My name is Justin and I'm getting the ball rolling here with my first post. I live in D.C. and write for a community newspaper in Northern Virginia. I am what I like to to refer to as a redshirt senior at a University in the District. It's been a long process. Don't ask. Oh, you aren't? Good.

Anyways, this blog honestly will just be mostly about my thoughts on the topics of the day, whether it's politics, sports, etc. (When I say "topics of the day," I realize it infers that I will update this daily. Since you don't know me, let's just call that optimistic. But whatever, it's quality, not quantity right??)

So right about now, you're thinking "Why should I give a shit about what this guy has to say?" Believe me, I don't blame you. There is so much noise emanating from so many different platforms that they're sounding kind of like the grownups in Charlie Brown. But what I have to offer is the voice that I feel is lacking in the chaotic and mostly unreasonable media. The voice that just yearns for political correctness and this new-age, sad-sack, feel-bad-for-yourself-and-hope-someone-else-covers-my-ass culture that is strangling our society to fall by the wayside.

Don't worry. This will not end up being a soapbox for my biased political views. That is what I am revolting against! Come back here if you are seeking a filter. As someone who works inside the very thing we are fighting against, I can help sort out the bullshit and give you a logical medium for an illogical media.




P.S. By the way, I know it's taboo in my profession, but i loathe to edit or proofread my work. I type as my mind goes, so if there are typos or things that may seem off (grammatically or structurally), deal. If the content seems off, however, comment on the post and i'll be more than happy to discuss or debate or just listen what you have to say.