Not all who wander are lost...

 
THEY MUST BE EXPERTS IN EVERYTHING...

This piece in today's Washington Post by Jackson Diehl reminded me of something I have always felt was odd about the Bush administration. Or perhaps, it might be better to say that it is odd about the American public.

Prior to September 11, 2001, George W. Bush was happily on his way to becoming one of the most isolationist presidents in a generation. He had pulled the U.S. out of agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and showed little sign of having any interest in the rest of the world. I always figured his disdain for global thought was a product of his life path. It was reported that he had only traveled abroad only once or twice prior to his ascension to the White House. For a man born to that kind of opportunity and wealth, I always thought that pathetic.

Then planes started slamming into buildings.

Suddenly, this man who knew nothing about international politics and diplomacy was entrusted by the American people to lead them on a triumphant global crusade against the "evil-doers". Given the circumstances, I suppose that was a natural reaction for a scared public. However, what always surprised me was the fact that Bush never really changed any key players in his administration in order to complete the task. Overnight, all the isolationist policymakers he had brought on at the outset of his presidency were supposed to become experts at global structure and diplomacy?

It always seemed to me that some new faces should have been brought on board to lend the type of international policy expertise that was being ignored prior to the terrorist attacks. The administration's failure to do so can be seen in the strain on international relations America is suffering through today.
posted by Sean McMahon at 7:53 PM

 
PLEASE GO KOBE...

So Kobe Bryant is talking like he may want to leave the Lakers after next season and take his game to another team. Please Kobe... GO! Go to another team. I'm begging you!

Nothing makes me laugh harder than when pro athletes get tired of sharing the sppotlight with a fellow superstar and decide to go to a new team where they can be "The Man". Kobe hs won three rings and is set to win at least a few more if he stays in L.A. How stupid would someone have to be to leave Shaq. Kobe would have absolutely zero titles if he wasn't paired with Shaq. And yet sharing the glory seems to make him want to leave.

This kind of scenario reminds me so much of Tracy McGrady a couple of years ago when he left Toronto. He didn't want split the headalines with Vince Carter. so off McGrady went to Orlando where he is The Man and scores whenever he pleases. Surel, his game has blossomed, but no one can prove that his game wouldn't have soared had he stayed with the Raptors.

So go Kobe. Be like McGrady. Leave the Lakers. Go somewhere where you can have the ball to yourself, shoot whenever you want, and win absolutely zero championships.
posted by Sean McMahon at 3:21 PM

 
NBA DRAFT...

A draft in any sport is like finding a good pub in a new strange city. Some might be inviting, some might seem a popular spot, but you only know if you made the right choice if you remember the name a good time for years to come.

When it comes to evaluating talent, the NBA has what is easily the most complex draft. College guys, high schoolers, international players... there's lots of guessing, without really knowing.

That being said, everyone tries to profess to know who will be an Amare Stoudmire, and who will be a Yinka Dare.

I put players into four categories:

1. Stars: Players who will not only play, but start in the NBA for the next 7-10 years. No matter what team they are on.
2. Pros: These guys might have one or two good seasons, but they will likely spend 3-6 years in the league, never really crossing the canyon to stardom.
3. Mistakes: Players could be a mistake for one of two reasons. Either they made a mistake by entering the draft, or teams made mistakes by choosing them too high. Keep in mind that some quality players will fall into this category simply because they came out too early and blew the chance to really blossom pre-NBA (See: Corey Maggette)
4. Who?: I don't know a thing about the guy. This is mostly international players, but at least I'll admit that I know very little about who will or won't be the next Dirk Nowitski.

So without further ado, here is the BiteyTheShark pre-draft guessing game...


Stars

1. King James - Even if he isn't the next Jordan, he'll be a stud for years to come.
2. Carmelo Anthony - Unlike some people, I don't think Anthony will be anything close to a franchise guy, but he will make a positive impact on any team.
3. Dwayne Wade - This guy just has an attractive quality that makes me think he will be a scorer of the Michael Redd variety for a long, long time.
4. Michael Sweetney - This guy is this year's Drew Gooden/Amare Stoudmire. I see him landing somewhere and just working like no one expects. Working to make himself a winner.


Pros

1. Kirk Hinrich - Will be drafted WAAAY too high. Solid fundamentals to stay in the league, but doesn't do anything well enough to be a star.
2. Jarvis Hayes - I really like the little things he does.
3. Nick Collison - See: Raef La Frentz, Scot Pollard
4. Reese Gaines - Versatility is his key.
5. Luke Ridnour - Can you say Steve Kerr
6. Brian Cook - Size is nice. Will spend 10 years hammering down low for 10 and 10 a night.


Mistake

1. T.J. Ford - Too high for a guy who can't defend taller guards and can't really stretch the defense with his shooting.
2. Chris Bosh - Too young. Money makes the jump logical, but he could be on the Jermaine O'Neal development time-table, so does the team that drafts him really get to reap the reward?
3. Chris Kaman - Quick... name the last big man to come from small school and have an impact on the league? 'Nuf said
4. Josh Howard - Never been to impressed. Sure, ACC Player of the Year, but what other starts played in the ACC last year?


Sleepers

1. Sweetney - If not for the hype that will surround King James, I'd pick Sweetney as next season's rookie of the year.
2. Marcus Banks - Will get a chance to slide into a quality team and could surprise people by making the most of it. Tony Parker anyone?
posted by Sean McMahon at 1:52 PM

 
DAYTIME TELEVISION GEMS...

One of the beauties/pitfalls of beginning my sweet new job is that I will be working from home. It's beautiful because I will have more time to spend writing, the pitfall is that I will likely subject myself to excrutiatingly painful hours of daytime television. The first of a new series of "Daytime Television Gems" just ran on CNN.

In hyping one of their plentiful War with Iraq recap specials, the script for the commercial went something like...

Anonymous Correspondent: "There were explosions, which we learned were rocket-propelled grenades. Then there was gunfire!"

Ominous Voiceover Voice: "The war in Iraq... CNN was there!"

CNN was there during the police action in Iraq??? Really? I never would have figured that out. Why didn't they ever broadcast anything about the fighting?
posted by Sean McMahon at 12:36 PM

 
WORDS I NEVER THOUGHT I'D HEAR...

"An American rock star fresh of a return from entertaining U.S. troops... in Iraq. Join me this afternoon when I talk with Kid Rock."

- CNN's Wolf Blitzer

Props to Kid for entertaining the troops... but he and Wolf Blitzer chatting one-on-one??? I'll put the over-under for "uncomfortable pauses" by Blitzer at a solid 50.
posted by Sean McMahon at 12:29 PM

 
BLAIR WORRIES...

Tony Blair, a personal favorite of BiteyTheShark, certainly didn't need this.
posted by Sean McMahon at 2:42 PM

 
WHAT WMD'S???

Hold on just a second. How come the Bush administration is only now being called to the carpet for the bogus Saddam-Niger-Uranium documents. The media seems to be questioning everyone involved... CIA and Tenet, DoD and Rumsfeld, Powell and State, and of course, Bush and Cheney. The real focus should be centered on the media.

Check out this article. Pay particular attention to the dateline. The international community knew the Iraq-African uranium connection was bogus BEFORE the war! Obviously, the story got some small mention, but why wasn't it huge news in America then? Why didn't people question the administration about its crappy intelligence before the bombs started falling? Could it be that the war was a media gold mine? Could it be that the jouranalists were already embedded, so there was now point in following up on a story that might delay the train to a cable news rating bonanza?

The popular idea being floated now is that the hawks had decided on toppling Saddam and simply worked backward from that conclusion to find evidence to support their cause. The administration misled the country into war. It was wrong and should certainly be considered an impeachable offense. However, having a bit of a journalistic background, I find it more disheartening to know that the media, the "fourth branch", did the same thing. The media concluded that we were going to war, then worked backward from that conclusion, only hyping stories that sped us down the path.
posted by Sean McMahon at 11:02 AM

 
STANLEY CUP FINALS...

I don't watch regular-season NHL hockey. But when the playoffs roll around, I get into it. The past two games I have been so blessed. I got home asregulation ended for Game 3. After a shower and some grub, I flipped the game back on in overtime. 5 seconds later... goal... Ducks win.

Last night, I flip on Game 4 a few seconds into OT.... 2 seconds later... goal... Ducks win.

Seriously, why do I even watch regulation.
posted by Sean McMahon at 10:55 PM

 
OLYMPIC BOMBER...

I'm damn glad that wacko from the Atlanta Olympics has finally been caught. That being said, should the FBI really hang a feather in its cap for some beat cop nabbing this guy while he was dumpster-diving?
posted by Sean McMahon at 10:49 PM

 
O'REILLY VS. FRANKEN...

Don't ask me why I was watching, but I actually saw the C-SPAN session Sunday that featured Bill O'Reilly and Al Franken at a book publishing convention in L.A. Talk about an absolute ass-kicking! If you haven't seen the whole session, find it and watch it. The whole time, all I could think of was the old 80's movie Can't Buy Me Love. Remember the scene at the end when the jock/popular guy is about to bash Patrick Dempsey's character Ronnie Way in the skull with his baseball bat at the lunch tables. Slowly, the crowd turns against the jock/popular guy and he is rendered impotent by the public outcry to just quit his bullying. That is what happened to O'Reilly, and he couldn't handle it.

I used to be a fan of the O'Reilly Factor. I read O'Reilly's first book and actually thought it was a pretty good read. He's seems to have gotten more and more obnoxious the past few years, so I hardly watch. Nevertheless, Sunday was Must See TV. The Factor is O'Reilly's bully pulpit. He seemed to think that Book TV was the same. Not only did he crash and burn, but he hit the ground whining.

Like the Trent Lott deal a few months back, this thing looks like it is about to take on a life of its own 4 or 5 days after the event. If it does, that will be a good thing. Like the jock/popular guy in Can't Buy Me Love, O'Reilly just needed the right time and place to receive his undressing.
posted by Sean McMahon at 10:47 PM