Thursday in my Google Reader

I use Google Reader for almost all of my web reading. I highly recommend it as a big time saver. Lots of good stuff in there today......

-Today is the day for the local news' much hyped Ben Roethlisberger sit down interviews. And I know when I want the tough questions asked, I bring Bob Pompeani or Sally Wiggin in. These interviews are definitely a good start for Ben in his public image rehab quest though as really nothing can go wrong.

-Did Pete Rose cork his bat at the end of his career? Deadspin has a very detailed story explaining that he may very well have. Just another example of the long held thinking in baseball that if "you aren't cheating, you aren't playing"....And yes, Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

-The Big 10/Pac 10 power struggle officially starts. Nebraska is going to the Big 10 and Colorado to the Pac 10 as of tomorrow. Can't say I would have predicted a Big 12 collapse before a Big East collapse. And all this restructuring has to be leading to a playoff, right?

-Should MLB have a separate draft of international talent? Fangraphs thinks so. I am all for it as well. Currently, any players outside of the US or Puerto Rico are subject to international free agency at the age of 16. This leads to bidding wars and identity issues that don't happen with the regular draft. Its just one big free for all.

-Speaking of the Draft, here are short profiles (a sentence or two with stats where available) on all 50 Pirate selections. Hint, there are a lot of pitchers. Especially right handed ones out of high school.

-A quick update on a couple former Buccos....Ian Snell is close to at least losing his starting job (for the second time this year) after giving up 8 runs in 1 and 2/3 last night, if not being released altogether. Nate McLouth left the game for Atlanta last night after a nasty collision in the outfield. And he continues to chug along with a .176 average. Dejan can't be happy.

-On the eve of the World Cup, Deadspin (via The Spoiler) has the 11 dirtiest players in the tournament.

-The Big Lead posted their 5 greatest moments in Saved by the Bell history yesterday. Amazingly, I had just referenced the #1 moment on their list in a comment to Anthony here. Great stuff, even though this wouldn't be my top 5. How about something from the Rod Belding episode (2 Beldings in one Building, one of who is balding...)? Or the Friends Forever one? Or anything involving Zack calling timeout and freezing time? What a great and ridiculous show. I could, and probably will at some point, do a whole post on the show...

-And Finally, Marian Hossa gets his Stanley Cup. Good for him. Jeremy Roenick was apparently so happy he started crying on air. Hilarious.

Mid Week Thoughts....

Some of the things crossing my mind on this fine Wednesday evening....

-Neil Walker is off to a great start in his first week back in the majors. A game winning homer will do that. So far, he has put the attitude problems I ripped him for a couple weeks ago behind him and done what you were always told he was capable of (but he didn't do in the minors until 2010). Great to see and I hope he keeps it up. 

-Was it just me or did Ben Roethlisberger look to be about 25 lbs lighter than he normally is this time of year when he reported to OTAs yesterday? Did he start his yearly pre-training camp mma-esque weight cut down early? Or is he finally hanging out somewhere other than the bar in the offseason (like the treadmill)? Based on how things have gone so far, I am pretty convinced Lord Goddell will ultimately reduce his suspension to 4 games. Which brings him back just in time for the Browns.

-If you listen to 93.7 The Fan here in Pittsburgh, you have in the last couple days surely heard about the off the wall Allegheny County Councilman who is urging Pittsburghers to root for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals. And if you don't listen to the station, just turn it on for a couple minutes and someone will mention the story. I promise. Its part of their every twenty minutes update somehow. Both yesterday and today, Seibel and Starkey would not stop laughing and carrying on about how dumb this guy is. They replayed their interview with him yesterday first thing today and then took calls about it. How is that anywhere near compelling radio? Yikes.

-Speaking of dumb things that have somehow become part of the news, how about the Pens testing of the toilets at the Consol Energy Center? Are local news outlet that hurting for stories these days? Actually, they are probably just taking any chance they get to make bad toilet/flush puns. Cause those are funny.

-I caught up on the TV show Flash Forward over the last couple of days. It was a good show but I wouldn't recommend making time for it if as it has a cliffhanger first season ending. That would normally be fine, but the show was cancelled. 

-Finally, the Pirates are in a rain delay right now. There has to be a better option than the programming they put on during rain delays. I usually change the channel, but still have seen the Mazeroski show they have on right now numerous times. And if it isn't this Mazeroski show, its "Inside Pirates Baseball" which is on about 15 times over the weekend anyway. Would it be so crazy to just keep it with the announcers and talk about the team, MLB, maybe even interview a guy a or two?

Demons OUT!

The healing has apparently begun.

Roger Goodell has given Ben Roethlisberger permission to rejoin team activities next week.

Since Goodell found the need to wait until today to clear Ben, I'm just wondering...

• Was Ben too dangerous to return to team activities this week? Come on.
• Is there any doubt that Goodell is ordering these evaluations just to make it look like he's doing his due diligence? (seriously--unless the tests showed a MASSIVE brain injury, there was no way Rog could keep Ben from the team)
• Goodell has every intention of reducing Ben's suspension to 4 games, doesn't he?
• Where's the Players Union in all of this?
• Roger Goodell is a hypocrite. He hurriedly destroyed the Spygate tapes when Bill Belichick was accused of cheating yet he's been painstakingly deliberate with his decisions regarding Roethlisberger. What are Goodell's true standards for investigating something?

Ben's a creep, but suspending someone who hasn't been charged with a crime is risky business. The Steelers are the ones who should've suspended Ben, not Goodell. After all, the NFL teams don't constitute a single entity...

I think Ben's a creepy dude. I'm beginning to think Roger Goodell is, too. Nice recommendation, Danny boy.

Par For The Course: Arnie and Mummum

If Phil Mickelson tries to be like Arnold Palmer as this article indicates, then it's harder to accept the rumor that he's a phony. Mickelson's ability to recognize a perfect role model suggests that he probably has a decent head on his shoulders. Time will tell.

But this post isn't about Phil Mickelson. It's about Arnold Palmer.

Look, I don't know if the rumor about Arnold telling off Ben Roethlisberger is true. (Although, where there's smoke...) If it's true, however, it would be just one of many great stories about Arnold Palmer.

Here's another...

My wife's Grandmother was a lifelong golf fan and specifically a Palmer fan. Two years ago, right around Christmas, she turned 101 1/2 years old (she was old enough to be Palmer's mother!). It was significant for many reasons, but mainly because my wife's family recognizes half-birthdays. No, seriously.

To recognize her half-birthday and Christmas, I asked my brother to get in touch with one of Palmer's associates for an autographed photo to give to "Mummum." Three weeks later--in time for Christmas--I received the photo you see before you.

The photo hung in the living room of Mummum's tiny 1 bedroom apartment in Turtle Creek until the day she passed away.

When their playing days are over, you might remember John Daly as a drunk and Tiger Woods as a serial adulterer. And maybe Phil Mickelson will be remembered as a phony after all.

But I get to remember Arnold Palmer as the guy who made a Great-Great Grandmother's eyes light up on her last Christmas. Arnold Palmer, her favorite golfer, had recognized her half-birthday.

Bookcases and Links

A week and a half ago I ordered a bookcase. It came on Thursday (way before it was supposed to and with free shipping, so far so good) and I was all prepared to put it together and rearrange my basement room accordingly this afternoon.....I then open the box and see there are no instructions, no way to attach the various pieces together and neither of the two legs. Awesome and about as frustrating as listening to Anthony or Jim try to justify their ridiculous arguments.

I just emailed the company asking the missing parts be shipped out, and won't throw them under the bus yet. Its possible that stuff fell out of the box during the UPS process as they definitely weren't careful with the box. It was somewhat busted open at the one end.

So, instead of spending my afternoon building, I present to you some random links:

-Deadspin and Mondesi's House comment about the Ben Roethlisberger Sports Illustrated article and the media in general. I wanted to write something about this subject (mainly the revelation that KDKA withheld a Ben story more than once) but these guys sum up my opinion better than I could.

-Fangraphs sees some good signs from the Pirates offense. If only they could avoid having two guys tagged out at third base on one play...

-According to Empty Netters, Guerin should be back tonight and may replace Ponikarovsky. NHL trade that has worked out worse...Devils getting Kovalchuk or the Penguins getting Ponikarovsky?

-The always classy New England Patriots disappoint some middle school kids. I think someone should be suspended under the personal conduct policy.

-And America's Finest News Source has a different take on the Buccos and how to deal with the struggles.

Rooney Is As Rooney Does

A recent comment by U.S. Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) about Ben Roethlisberger has some Pittsburghers wondering: Why didn't Tom just take the highroad and keep his mouth shut like his Uncle Dan would've?

Silly yinzers. They're not as different as you think.

Do you remember when Dan was worried about Alan Faneca's health? Say what?

Or, how about the time he defended James Harrison after Harrison was accused of slapping the mother of his child?

After Superbowl 43, did you remember to immediately thank Obama, too? Huh?

Now, it sounds like Dan thinks Ben should be more like Charlie Batch. Better get behind on your taxes, then, Ben.

When it comes to popping off at the mouth, I think Tom emulates Dan Rooney pretty well, actually.

UN-believable

(okay, we were bound to get political eventually...)

At least one country is willing to call a spade a spade. (HINT: it's the one with the best hockey players in the world)

The United Nations (UN) has elected Iran to a UN panel that aims to promote women's rights.

No, that's not a link to The Onion.

Iran is, just so you know, the same country that stones women to death for things like committing adultery.

This would be the equivalent of appointing James Harrison, Santonio Holmes, Cedrick Wilson, and Ben Roethlisberger to the executive board of "Women Against Domestic Violence."

Hey Bird, why do liberals love the UN again?

Sid vs. Ben

Here's a pretty good article by Eric Adelson of Yahoo! Sports.

To summarize: Sidney Crosby is a class act, and Ben Roethlisberger is a punk.

One of my best friends, "Snakes," works at Mario's on the Southside. If you don't believe what you just read in the article, stop in at Mario's and ask him about it.

Tell him "Touchdown" sent you.

If he rolls his eyes, please make fun of his hair.