Bottom of the Bird Cage 5/8
It’s the 128th day of the year.
It was on May 8, 1945 that the world celebrated VE-Day, Victory in Europe as combat in World War II ended in Europe.
And it was on May 8, 1884 in the town of Lamar, Missouri that the world welcomed Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States. The man from Independence served for just over seven years in the White House (1945-53). He always had plenty to say and here are some of my favorite quotes from Truman:
- - I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
- - A politician is a man who understands government, and it takes a politician to run a government. A statesman is a politician who’s been dead 10 or 15 years.
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- (On Richard Nixon) “He’s one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.
- (On why he fired General Douglas MacArthur: I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president. That’s the answer to that. I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that’s not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.
And my favorite, written in a letter to Time magazine critic Paul Hume who panned a performance by Harry’s daughter Margaret: “I have read your lousy review of Margaret’s concert. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are an eight ulcer man on a four ulcer job … Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes and perhaps a supporter below.”
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Linebacker Larry Foote’s determination to leave the Steelers was unusual. Normally, players fight to stay with them. That holds true for a number of Steelers as they enter the final year of their contracts looking for new ones.
“I’m just speaking from my knowledge of being around here and that this is a great place to be,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “You have great owners who care about you, a great family atmosphere here in the locker room, so it’s a great place for a player like myself who was drafted here.”
Like other teammates who have one year left on their contracts, Keisel prefers to sign an extension before the 2009 season and remain right where he is. That wasn’t the case with Foote, who pushed his way out of the last year of his contract when the Steelers released him Monday. The previous time the Steelers publicly acknowledged acceding to such a wish came in 1994, when they traded unhappy tight end Adrian Cooper to the Minnesota Vikings for draft picks in the third and sixth rounds. (Cooper, a stockbroker, went to federal prison in 2006 to serve more than six years for securities fraud.)
Unlike Cooper, Foote was not unhappy with his contract or with the Steelers but believed he would lose his starting job to Lawrence Timmons and wanted to start anew at age 29 somewhere else. Foote had a year left on his contract at almost $2.9 million. The Steelers announced through a statement by Kevin Colbert that they released Foote in a salary cap move.
Foote’s yearning to be free was among the motives players used as they fought for free agency in the 1980s. Good players stuck behind other good ones wanted to have the option of signing with another team so they could play regularly. They were accorded that right when free agency became part of the collective agreement in 1993.
But while players fought bitterly for free agency, including a strike in 1987, many players today do not want to become free agents. The system may grant them that right, but it does not mean they must be happy when it happens.
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While this story focuses on the Steelers, it’s a good overall look at what happens with players in free agency around the league. I can remember talking about this with Kevin Ross years ago. Free agency became available in the 1993 season and when his contract was up, Ross left the Chiefs for more money, signing with Atlanta before the 1994 season. He always regretted that decision and eventually came back and ended his career with the Chiefs with five games during the 1997 season. Sometimes the only thing greener on the other side is the paycheck.
From Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan:
The four commissioners have seen the future of professional sports, and it isn’t us. That’s U-S as in us, as in United States.
The Wall Street Journal brought the commissioners - in descending order of regalness, Roger Goodell of the NFL, Bud Selig of Major League Baseball, David Stern of the NBA, and Gary Bettman of the NHL - together yesterday for a panel discussion billed as “The Future of Sports.” Two things stuck out: The three others fear and admire Goodell and his massively popular league the way the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers regard LeBron James. And the key to combating the NFL for revenue is to mine foreign markets for every possible yen, yuan and euro.
Stern talked more about China than a bride setting up her wedding registry. The NBA has three offices in the world’s most highly populated nation. Soon, there will be more hits on NBA.com from China than from people in the United States. Basketball was popular in China as far back as 1936, when an otherwise closed Chinese society was represented by a team in the first Olympic basketball tournament.
“All of our sports are global in some way,” Stern said. “The opportunity is astounding.”
If you wondered why there have been stories in the last month about the NFL playing the Super Bowl in London, then read this story and you’ll see why. Compared with the other major sports, the NFL is behind in transferring its brand around the world. Years ago, they had their sights set on China and even had a pre-season game scheduled there that should have been played last year. It never came off and that’s the last we’ve heard of the NFL and China. Americans own some of the biggest soccer properties in Europe, so it’s only a matter of time before some European has the jack to buy an NFL team, say some oil billionaire from the Middle East. The times, they are a changing …
From FOXSports.com columnist Alex Marvez:
To the 256 players selected in last weekend’s NFL draft:
Whoop-de-do.
Sure, it’s a tremendous achievement. But as so many of your predecessors have proven, just getting picked doesn’t automatically guarantee pro success. It takes more than talent to make it here. Sometimes, a rookie can do himself in for reasons that are completely preventable.
So everyone from Mr. Stafford to Mr. Irrelevant should listen up. Here are the seven deadly NFL sins that you want to avoid and some examples of the players who have committed them:
A good piece with examples of the character defects that sometimes sink the best of potential football players and leaves teams wiping draft mud off their face. There are some familiar draft busts like Ryan Leaf and Tony Mandrich. Enjoy and hope your favorite team doesn’t have any players to add to this list.
Alex Marvez needed to add one other category to his advice for rookies, at minimum - stress management;
(Justin Medlock comes to mind.) Perhaps a mantra of
“OHM RARA OHM MAHATMA OHM”, practiced daily…
Reminds me of the old Bill Cosby comedy routine in the 1960’s about a guy so self-conscious that when he saw the football players in a huddle he thought they were talking about him.
Would you trade Bowe staight up for Boldin?
I doubt Arizona would make that trade, they would want something else along with it…
We could use them BOTH.
I think Bowe can become a dominating receiver in this league. He needs to cut down on his drops, though. I’m hoping Haley can push him to become better. He’s had some experience in that department.
Happy VE day especially to all the Vets that may have served in that War Thanks! Also Semper Fi to all the Devil Dogs. Happy B-Day Truman someone who carried the Office of President with respect and demanded that the Office get the respect it deserved.
citk good question, I would not, I think Bowe has more up side. Bolden has proven to be a money hungry Drama Queen. Not to take from anything he does on the field as he is one of the top WR’s. I would welcome him in addition to Bowe if KC wanted to pay him but would rather have Bowe than Bolden. I also think we are actually better at WR than most fans think. As most of us have identified our weakest link has been the O-Line. I do think it has been upgraded but not enough even though I think B.Richardson with proper training will be a solid tackle.
“Would you trade Bowe staight up for Boldin?”
- can’t speak for Bob (I was taught to respect my elders.) Then again, as he is my junior & I’m not averse to answering but shant allow my own biases any to inject themselves, Homer Simpson instead - DOH!”
I dunno… Haley might though, perhaps because he already knows Anquan will kowtow & suffer him nee checkpoint’s invective, appears - you cannot have enough bending at the waist nee genuflecting, you understand.
Too, by all reports - which would number none to date courtesy the double-naught super-secret Big Chief ’searchme’ - the vocality factor candidate Dwayne ‘Don’t Call Me Gene- or even Pitney’ Bowe is pending further review at this ‘checkpoint’ in time. This in contrast to the ‘vocal stylings’ of Brian Waters, who, at least according to a ‘mole’ with BBQ stains aface, prefers more dulcet tones of welcome - sans RSVP, (MSG accepted.)
Your mission Dwayne - should you decide to accept it - is to grovel. As always, should you or any team member be not in lock-step, Executive Level III Security will disavow any knowledge of your existence and assist you out of the cassel - er, donjon.
This blog will self-destruct in 5 seconds…good luck chattel. Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick. . .
Semper Fi Tex