HHammerhead's Blog

Mods, are we allowing Spam?  Church in a bar?  C'mon....  I want folks to go to my church too.  Should I advertise the services here? 

I've seen a few comments/blogs on the board already and I'm surprised at most of what I'm seeing.   All of the recent news coverage on this event has been coverage of protesters making the trip to Jena to join others in protest of the trials taking place.  A majority of the blogs here seem to be from those disgruntled at the attention that the case is getting.

It occurs to me that we have two guilty parties here.  We have a group of white students that are guilty of uttering racial slurs and taunting at least, and guilty of intimidation and threats at worst.  I don't know the specifics of the situation nor the exact events that led to the beating.   Someone else mentioned that there were three months between the threats and the beatings.  At any rate, the group of black students appear to be guilty of assault and battery, maiming by mob, and perhaps even attempted murder if the beating went to that extent.   Was the white kid that was beaten part of the group that was taunting? 

There are two significant questions here.  Are the crimes committed by party A (the white students) being investigated and prosecuted?   Are the crimes committed by party B (the black students) being investigated and prosecuted?

It appears that the crimes of white students are not equal to those of the black students.  The utterance of words, even veiled threats do not merit physical violence.  We have a system to address wrongdoing.  We've seen how the radical Muslim world reacts when Muhammad is portrayed in a cartoon.  You don't swat a fly with a sledgehammer.  The black students should have gone to the appropriate authorities instead of taking matters into their own hands.  The deep south in general, and Louisiana specifically, is a different world, I know that.  They still should have spoken with their mouths not with their fists.

The guilt or innocence of one case does not hinge on the guilt or innocence of the other.  Both parties can be guilty and prosecuted separately.  Why are so many rushing to claim the innocence of the Jena 6?  If any of the white students had been discliplined for their racist taunts and threats, would we now be hearing cries of racism?  Maybe the white students were disciplined.  I don't know.  It seems to me that the disclipine for hate speech would be less severe than the discipline for assault and battery, maiming by mob or attempted murder.  

Call it what you will.  It looks like two crimes were committed in Jena, Louisiana.  Justice should be served on all sides.

Is there a way that we can consolidate the Vick Blogs into a thread?  I like reading everyone's opinion, but there are numerous blogs about Michael Vick, many saying the same thing.  Can we encourage folks to respond to other people's posts rather than starting their own, or am I missing the point somewhere?   I guess I'm expecting this to be more like a message board. 
Speaking of that, there's a few good conversations over there, but it could use some more activity.  If you're reading this, click on "message board".  See you over there!

Teams have swapped players and now we know who plans to be a contender and who's given up until next year.  Here are the winners and losers as I see it:
Winners:
The Boston Red Sox:  Yes, I picked them as my World Series winner.  They continue to make all of the right moves.  They've solidified their bullpen by adding Eric Gagne.  Opposing teams now have to face DelCarmen, Okijima, Gagne and Papelbon after the starter leaves the game.  Sometimes the best trades are the deals you don't do.  In this case, the smart move was leaving the team chemistry alone, keeping Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis in the lineup and resisting the urge to chase Mark Teixiera.  The BoSox are in good shape.
The Atlanta Braves: They chased Teixiera and end up a winner.  They needed the extra bat, and now the middle of their line-up with Jones, Jones and Teixiera looks awfully intimidating.  They gave up an awfully good catching prospect in Ja Saltalamacchia (scrabble anyone?) but they have Brian McCann who will be behind home plate for many years to come.  Atlanta got Octavio Dotel from the Royals as well, which beefs up their bullpen.  Dotel was a Norfolk Tide once upon a time, and I've been impressed with him for a long time.
The Losers:
Anaheim:  Call the the Los Angeles Angels, California Angels, what have you.  They didn't DO ANYTHING!  They have a bunch of good young players and prospects (Brandon Wood for instance), but if they're going to win this year they needed a guy like Teixiera.   Rob Quinlan and Casey Kotchman are holding down the first base job admirably, but Tex would make a huge difference in that line up.  The last time I checked, the Angels were in the number two media market in the country.  Or are they in Orange County?
Minnesota: They are steps away from contending in the crowded AL Central.  The Tigers and Indians would surely make it an uphill battle.  But they deal away second baseman Luis Castillo and do nothing to reload for a pennant run?  Johan Santana is mad, and I wouldn't want that if I were the owner or GM of the Twins.  This team could implode if Santana leaves as a free agent after next year. 
LA Dodgers: The Dodgers needed a little more pop in their lineup and got nothing.  They are now going to have to depend on pitching the rest of the way, and since their closer Takashi Saito and starter Randy Wolf have suffered injuries recently, dependability will be a question mark for their staff. 
The Jury's Out:
NY Yankees: They aquired Wilson Betemit.  That's infield depth.  Considering the Yankees history of acquiring top name talent via trade and free agency, I have to wonder if the Yankees really think they can win it this year.  They are relying on aging position players (Matsui,  Damon, Giambi) and older pitchers (Clemens, Mussina).   These cats aren't getting any younger.
(please make sure that paragraphs are intact when this is posted - Thanks!)

I've been watching the coverage of the Michael Vick fiasco, and thought I'd add this thought as a separate post rather than tagging onto someone else's rant.  The involvement of PETA in the Michael Vick dogfighting mess is not surprising.  PETA will seize the opportunity.  At least they're dependable. 
Going to PETA for an opinion on dogfighting is like going to Al Sharpton for an opinion about racism.  You know what the answer's going to be before you ask the question.  I guess it works well for the media.  You want to show the pro- and con- sides of the story.  The media knows they'll get an interesting objection from the PETA folks.

I am a big baseball fan, but I have to confess.  I love football too.  Many of my friends are Fantasy Football junkies.  I've tried, but I'm too connected to baseball to get into football that way.  I love football for the sake of the game itself.  I've had teams that I like more than others, and on any Sunday afternoon from September through January I find myself gravitating toward watching particular teams as they fight it out on the field. 
I guess perhaps my days as a fantasy baseball nut have rubbed off on my football viewing.  I still have a favorite baseball team, but when you're a fantasy player you find yourself rooting for players instead of a team.  For football, I don't have player interests to worry about, but there's a distinct pleasure to be had from appreciating the talent on the field, having a preference, but not having your hopes set on one team winning over another. 
I'm a huge sports fan, and maybe my heart can't take any more emotional investment in an NFL team.  College sports... that's a different story.  My alma mater is the University of Memphis.  I'm a Hampton Roads native, so that makes my Memphis allegiances even more interesting.  I've got brothers that graduated from Virginia Tech and Virginia, and I'm a local, so I'm keenly aware of ACC and Big East rivalries. Memphis is in the heart of SEC country, so I'm aware of SEC rivalries as well.  The Memphis Tigers are exceptionally competitive in Conference USA, so I'm into those match ups also.   Sports coverage in the Mid-South spilled over into the Big 12 region, so Missouri, OK, Texas and others hold interest for me too. 
College Fantasy Football would put me over the top.  I love the NFL, but a college rivalry will keep me glued to my seat! 
We're entering one of my favorite times of the year.  Baseball is heating up for the pennant races and preseason football is starting up.  September brings it to a peak.  Should I feel guilty about wanting to watch sports from Noon on Saturday until bedtime Sunday night?  It's a good thing there are no leaves to rake yet!

Now that the All-Star game is over, we're officially halfway through the MLB season. The Yankees have almost played their way out of it, Seattle is surprisingly in it, and what the heck happened to the Cincinnati Reds? I knew they weren't going to contend, but who thought they'd be this bad? Here are my picks for the playoffs. We'll see how well I did come October.

AL East: The Yankees won't kick it into gear no matter how many free agents they sign. They don't have the pitching and can't catch the Red Sox. Toronto is treading water while Baltimore and Tampa Bay are already planning for next year.

AL Central: Detroit and Cleveland have made it an interesting race. The biggest question in my mind is whether or not Cleveland knows how to finish as a winner. Detroit was a surprise last year. They won't be a surprise this year. Detroit wins the division, while Cleveland plays for the wild card. The Twins are the team to look out for. Johan Santana and Torii Hunter could carry this team to the playoffs. Minnesota will need strong contributions from Boof Bonser, Scott Baker and Matt Garza in order to contend. The White Sox are in too deep of a hole, while the Royals are playing for another #1 overall pick.

AL West: Anaheim seems to be in control but where did the Mariners come from? Hargrove steps down and the Mariners keep on winning. Oakland is a great second half team, but you have to wonder how many more rabbits they have in their hat. Texas... better luck next year.

NL East: The Mets. Pedro's coming back, Alou will come off of the DL. The Mets have managed to win with three outfielders out injured. The Phillies can't stave off their 10,000th loss forever and Andruw Jones is the poster child for "Why Can't the Braves Win It This Year?" The Braves will fade. The Marlins keep contending on the cheap, but they're not close this year. Look for Dontrelle Willis to be dealt away while he still has value. Cashman, don't the Yankees need another starter? The Nationals.... Do I need to comment?

NL Central: The Brewers have made this an interesting race. Yes, the Cardinals won this division by barely topping .500 last year. .500 won't win it this year. While the Cubs, are still in striking distance and you can't count the Cardinals out as long as they have Pujols, the kids Milwaukee may just pull this thing out. The Pirates, Astros and Reds are already out of contention. Look for the Pirates to make some serious noise in 2008.

NL West: Last year this was a division that no one wanted to win. The Padres finally backed their way into the title last year, then summarily exited the playoffs. This year will be different. The Padres own the best record in the NL at this point (by a whisker), and the Dodgers are in hot pursuit. The Diamondbacks and Rockies are contending as well. The Giants decrepit lineup seems to be the only one that can't keep up here. Something tells me that the Dodgers won't let the Padres win by default this year.

Playoff picks:

AL: Red Sox, Tigers, Mariners, Indians The Red Sox will finish the season with the best record in baseball and roll through the playoffs. They'll knock out the wild card Indians in the opening round, while the Tigers' experience (thanks, Gary Sheffield) will overcome the Mariners' pluckiness. The Red Sox will be too much for the Tigers in the ALCS. RED SOX in 7 games.

NL: Mets, Brewers, Dodgers, Padres The Mets will distance themselves from the AL East pack in September. The Brewers suprising season continues. The Padres pitching only takes them so far before they surrender first place in the NL West to the Dodgers. Mets beat the Padres, Dodgers drop the inexperienced Brewers. The Mets manage to win games in Dodger Stadium in the NLCS. METS in 6 games.

World Series: Pedro faces the Red Sox in a twisted revival of the "Who's Your Daddy" series of 2004. Pedro Martinez is now a Met and goes to Fenway to win a World Series for New York. I'm not voting for Pedro. RED SOX in 6 games.

You heard it here first!