I know I am old, but is there really anyone who knows Kris Kristofferson primarily as an actor? He was a good actor and a great screen presence, but he was was one of the best songwriters ever and a great interpreter of his songs. Also, a mensch's mensch.
Younger Gen X (not me, I'm a 1967 original recipe Gen Xer) and younger folks may only know him from the Blade movies, sadly. And they've seen the picture of him from A Star is Born, although they've likely never seen it. Growing up in a household that listened to a lot of country and 60s rock, I was always familiar with his music, from songwriting to performing. A great one
My first exposure to Kris Kristofferson was seeing the movie Convoy as a kid, he made quite the impression. Then I knew hm from the Blade movies. I only discovered he was a legendary musician when I started broadening my musical horizons in my early/mid 20's. Great presence indeed.
I know Kris Kristofferson from the songs Me And Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin version) and Sunday Morning Coming Down (Johnny Cash version), two songs Kristofferson wrote. The songs are two of my favorite songs that came out when I was a teenager. Those songs are absolutely beautiful. They both captured the Zeitgeist of the late sixties, and dealt poignantly with feelings associated with abandonment and loss. And Me And Bobby McGee dealt with the need to grab what’s beautiful in life while you can: “Feeling good was easy now when he sang the blues, and feeling good was good enough for me.” I hitchhiked from Cape Cod to Chicago in the early 70s so I could relate to “Bobby thumbed a diesel down just afore it rained; it rode us all the way to New Orleans.”
When I saw the Trib editorial crying foul over the debate, I had to roll my eyes. It’s one thing to be conservative, but that’s not an excuse for being obtuse. Or for carrying water for an unrepentant liar like Trump.
You know, the funny thing is watching the Tribune fall all over themselves trying to find the rare occasions Trump makes sense and tell the truth, which I guess is their version of being fair. Let me ask this. If I rob 100 banks, and then give back the money to one and apologize, does that make everything okay?
Eric, I have never been very good at ESP. That means I can't really read into the minds of either MAGAs or media members. But my take on things ever since 1-6-21 is that MAGAs don't care what he says. Yes, I know many journalists have built them into a froth over the pronouncements of Trump. But it's old news. Either MAGAs have convinced themselves that it's old lies by the liberal media. Or they have convinced themselves(or been convinced by Fox News and other conservative outlets) that his sins are not as dangerous as a Harris presidency. The real question, to me, is what kind of people are we that we think that one man, an amoral deranged crook, is so important to our democracy and our well being. Let's also look down the road. If Trump is elected, what does that mean for the future of the office. There has been, never in the history of our country, been anyone like Trump. The residents of the White House have included a few sinister individuals. But never has there been anyone like Trump who has been so open about his shortcomings. Does this mean the public is free- morally, not legally- to elect anyone they want, no matter how bad, as long as it suits their greedy desires? But I think news about him is so dated that journalists may no longer get having the effect on things that one might think.
The only saving grace is that if the worst happens & that fat traitor does win, he won't live long, as his extremely fat body is close to falling apart & all that's left in his head is decomposing sawdust, which means we would then get the single most inexperienced VP becoming president, the lying liar Vance!
Interesting thought. I admit to knowing al.ost nothing about Vance before he was announced as Trump's choice for VP. Now why was that? Did his experience reflect Trump's? Did they have some kind of meeting where Vance said "Yes sir, Revered Leader!! Anything you say is the greatest thing I've ever heard and I worship you because of it.!"? Maybe I'll need to go back and look at the life and times of JD Vance. What I have heard so far is not encouraging. Why is he depending on social media lies about Haitians in his own state to make pronouncements? He couldn't simply get on the phone, call the mayor, and ask "What's going on with the Haitians?" Either he's a niwit or doesn't care about the facts as long as he's on the same page as his Revered Leader.
I wasn't aware of that. It's okay to lie to make a point? About who? Haitians aren't the issue- at least not the ones in Springfield. The problems of immigration? Most of the as stated my MAGA Nazis aren't true. So what problems is he referring to? Scum is too polite!
The recent Wisconsin "press conference" demonstrated that Agent Orange is toppling over into senility. Vice President Harris "Wants to keep children trapped in family government." Really? "They come from the Congo in the Africa. Many people from the Congo. I don't know what that is, but they come out of jails in the Congo." Er ....
This means that, if there are enough morons and greedheads to elect Trump in November he will be even more of a useful idiot to Putin, Musk, the Heritage Foundation (which spawned Project 2025), and the rest of national and international bad actors eager to exploit the USA.
If Trump is elected with Vance as his VP (with a Cabinet stacked with Project 2025 acolytes), I'm betting that VP Vance invokes the 25th Amendment by the end of February 2025, with the Cabinet voting overwhelmingly in support of removing Trump. Trump will be unceremoniously dumped, publicly branded as mentally unstable, and shamed unmercifully in front of his diehard MAGA-worshippers; Trump and his followers won't know what hit them. Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and their tech bros (and big business) will then have what they've dreamed about for years:
A "strong" (now immune from criminal charges) Executive who is a true believer, and who is 100 times smarter than Trump. If Trump is elected, I weep for our posterity.
I actually had to laugh at your comments, sad as they are. Wouldn't it be ironic? Burger Boy and JD spend half the campaign blasting Biden for senility. Trump blasts Harris for being crazy and dumb. Vance is chosen primarily for fidelity to Trump's dementia. Then he turns around and outsts his idol. It would be worth seeing if we didn't have to first elect Burger Boy.
Thank you Judge Blakely for asking such a necessary question of gang leader & murderer Hoover's foolish shyster that simple question. I'm betting she shit a brick when he asked that, as she never expected a judge to not fall under her spell & just let him out of prison, to murder some more!
I agree. She blurted out - every murder by the gang. Then realized that was a bad answer for her client. Then froze over her remaining choices - only those he is convicted of; only those he did personally, only those he personally ordered. I am sure she will settle on only those he was convicted of, since she won't want him to incriminate himself or to be asked to testify in other trials. It must be very rewarding to advocate for unrepentant murders.
Another good question would be when he gave up leadership in the gang.
You’d be surprised how rewarding it is to advocate for someone whom the self-righteous and politically connected look down on and hate. To make others see the humanity in a person who has become a caricature, used by many to assure themselves that they are one of the good guys.
They probably wouldn’t. Being a criminal defense attorney is not a good job for people pleasers or milquetoasts. Or for folks who need the good feelings of the police or the politically connected. But when it’s your ass in the docket, you will be glad to have a good criminal defense attorney advocating for you.
Joanie, if I'm ever busted, I want you as my attorney. There is some truth in what you say. There are some very self righteous people among the upper crust. And there are more than a few that care less about justice than making political points. Unfortunately, there are also many bad people in the world that deserve exactly what they get, if not more. What do you know about Fort's history and his gang activities? Don't forget that no one gets to Fort's position in an organization like Gangster Deciples without pulling some really nasty stuff of his own. Justice for Fort? What do his victims and their families get? Dr. Frankenstein was a fictional character. We can't yet bring people back to life. Sorry- it might not exactly be the Judeo-Christian way to feel. But Fort has not earned clemency- no matter how many self righteous idiots run the government.
My favorite group and favorite “coffee spoons” reference. Saw them three times in 2018-2019, twice at Old Town School of Folk Music. God Shuffled His Feet tour…
I'm as dismayed as you are about the flood of sports book advertising permeating television et al. It's worse than the political ads that usually pummel us during election season (hooray for not being a swing state and having few if any close House or Senate races this cycle!), because, unlike election season, gambling season will never end. So I was surprised at my gut reaction to your Pete Rose poll, having felt all along that his exclusion from the Hall of Fame because of his gambling was not only justified but necessary. This morning, my gut disagreed. It told me that cheaters should be kept out of the Hall, especially those whose cheating enhances their own stats, the very measure of eligibility for enshrinement there, but pointed out that Rose DID NOT CHEAT; he simply broke a rule. His banning served instead as a warning: don't make sports gambling look acceptable, because of its corrosive effect on individuals, families, and society, and the sport played by the gambler in question? But only the last of those really mattered, or Michael Jordan would have been in the same pariah's club as Rose and all those known and suspected doping cheats who've been denied post-career glory. As you point out, the sports books are incredibly corrosive, far more than Rose ever was. So I voted to let him in. And any owner who wants funding for new stadiums can go to the sports books to get their funding. No citizen should ever again pay a dime of tax money to pay for one.
I also selected to let Rose into the Hall of Fame now that he's passed away. It does seem hypocritical for MLB to suggest his gambling was a heresy to be shunned while they now wholeheartedly embrace online sports gambling. They made their point decades ago.
But Joan, you do not need coffee to become articulate.
Besides your excellent points, I thought of the 2017 Astros and their highly organized sign stealing cheating which greatly helped them win the World Series
Slap on the wrists, but the team retained the World Series championship, which was the focus on why they cheated.
Rose had a gambling problem but never cheated in regard to game performance. The Astros were an organized bunch of cheaters with direct intent to change game performance by cheating many times over.
Rose was a Hall-of-Fame talented player, but those who say, “His gambling didn’t matter because he bet on his own team,” miss a couple of key points: 1) it’s impossible to believe anything he says because of the many times he changed his story to suit himself, and 2) anyone betting on their own team still has plenty of ways to affect game outcomes— run differentials, betting different amounts (or nothing) for some games.
But MLB and Rose deserve each other now as they both have embraced unearned riches that bankrupt families. I had to intervene when I noticed online betting costs piling up for my college-aged son. The one thing that should have “stayed in Vegas” is now everywhere, including the pockets of folks who easily get hooked.
Steve - I believe that the MLB investigation at the time confirmed that Rose only bet on his team to win. As such, there was absolutely no reason he would not have played all out to win as he always did. I see that as moral worlds apart from players who bet on their team to lose, and then sabotage their team.
I will ALWAYS pile on to a statement that says billionaire sports franchise owners should pay for their own damn stadia. Taxpayer-funded facilities have always been a boondoggle; and team owners must have been sniggering about it for generations - knowing that their taxpaying fan bases are a bunch of maroons!
As a past U of C student (and, wisely, dropout), I can attest that the school's Maroons aren't likely to be the ones you meant--but it was fun to imagine them instead of the morons you likely intended. (Which is not to say that many Maroons, including myself, haven't also been morons, just that the latter are more numerous than the former.)
I did, along with Mighty Mouse, Merrie Melodies, etc.: which reveals my age well enough to explain how I could have forgotten Bugs using "maroon" that way. Ouch!
It seems like since Trump began the attacks against the "fake" media, thev've fallen all over themselves to be "fair" to him no matter what he says. No matter how egregious or potentially dangerous the ongoing lies and insults, somehow he's always the victim. And the news media enables that persona.
The Internet has all but demolished "The Fourth Estate" journalism. Traditional media powerhouses are struggling to survive competing against the myriad of free online outlets and have resorted to sensationalist click-bait content, to which Trump is a godsend. They are too happy to ride the wake of outrage he creates daily. On top of that, he constantly threatens any outlet that criticizes him and they are all very easily intimidated and never push back. We are seeing a repeat of 2016 and it's even worse now.
If you don't like sports, you are missing a whole world of easygoing conversations with complete strangers. — @Punished_Stu
This is so true! My autistic and developmental disabled son LOVES sports and talking about sports, which opens him up to conversations - something very hard for him otherwise. He always wears something related to one or more sports teams. People will comment and it starts a conversation my child would otherwise not have. To see this kid (ok, young adult) who didn't even talk for several years having a back-and-forth conversation is an absolute delight. He works in a hospital and sports is how he relates to a lot of the patients. I worried it was too much sports talk but I'm advised that he is well-loved by patients and co-workers alike.
Is there time before the election to make a t-shirt with your phrase: "If you're not alarmed, you're not paying attention." 100% cotton, extra large, please.
I completely agree that "The Rate" is perfectly fine and the Sox do not need another new ballpark. I actually prefer attending games at "The Rate" over Wrigley (I know, I know - my family hates when I say this). It's clean, more comfortable seats, better views of the field from the "cheap seats," more women's bathrooms, and they sell Coke products (I really hate Pepsi). Really, The Rate has better food overall. You can park right by The Rate which is more important to me as a suburbanite than having restaurants or other attractions within walking distance of the park.
Wrigley switched from Pepsi to Coke a few years ago.
I went to "The Rate" a couple of times this year, after a long hiatus. One thing I had forgotten is that at a day game, there is very little shade available.
Good to know about Coke @ Wrigley- that's been one of my reasons to avoid Cubs games with my family! The lack of shade is why I won't sit in the bleachers at Wrigley - so much sunburn. I do appreciate Wrigley's history, but I can see my Tigers more often at The Rate, LOL. It's hard to be a Michigan girl in a Chicago sports world. Tigers did play at Wrigley this year - my BIL even came from Detroit for that one. I would have gone if I didn't have a crazy time at work then.
Tigers had back to back series at Wrigley and The Rate in August; I was at one game of each series. The folks behind me at Wrigley said they were also going to see them at The Rate.
Congrats to the Tigers; they had a great finish to the regular season. Kind of sad that their winning coincided with when Javy Báez got hurt... he was an exciting ballplayer in his Cubs days.
The companies who run the gambling enterprises claim the average bet is four dollars. It would mean that if one person bets seven dollars, someone else bets one dollar. The gambling companies spend huge amounts of money on advertising. Don’t the gamblers realize their chances of winning over the long run are minuscule. When I listen to sports talk radio, not only are there frequent sports gambling ads, there are whole hours-long shows sponsored by gambling companies that talk about the spread and encourage betting. Also, I’m upset that many radio sports talk hosts that I’ve listened to for years and find intelligent, witty, and seem to be moral people that I can respect – they are doing commercials for gambling companies. On the selfish side of things, the gamblers are contributing to the tax base more than I am.
The $4 average bet is the usual statistical 'fact' that is used to lie. Each individual transaction may be small, but it is likely that the user is making multiple bets on the same event. This is the behavior that is promoted in the ads - bet on many different events and outcomes throughout the event.
OddsAssist did a study that showed the median bettin 'unit' is $50 and the average is $172.
I used to play poker, count cards at blackjack and looked into betting on football. I am very well aware of long term prospects of making or losing money. From my poker days I also have first hand knowledge of what it feels like to bet irrationally. I have also spoke with and heard interviews with people to gamble with a clear negative expected value. My take on it is that many gamblers understand full well that they will lose in the long run. But the the addiction to the action keeps them playing. I heard and interview with a woman who played slots. She did not enjoy it, but she could not stop herself. She said that she is glad when she runs out of money because it means she can go home.
It is a sad state. IMO regulators should mandate a "do not play" list where anyone could put themselves on it and they would automatically be banned from any online gambling site. That would give the addicts a way to stop - at least in that channel. IMO it would mitigate some of the tragedy.
$4 is probably the median bet, not the mean bet. both can be called 'average', as a measure of central tendency. if i'm correct, the mean bet is way higher than $4.
Great Atlantic article, but we really have to acknowledge as a society that no other outcome was possible by making gambling ubiquitous and easy. I always rooted for no Chicago casino despite the alleged potential economic gains, even after they opened the one in Hammond. Let people go to Indiana to ruin their lives. But in addition, I'm horrified by the celebrities--including more minor Chicago personalities--making money off this misery through advertising. I find it heartbreaking that one of my favorite WXRT people fronts for a gambling operation in XRT ads.
While I appreciate Dan Pfeiffer's suggestions on "How to Convince Your Friends to Vote for Kamala Harris," using 'middle class tax cuts' as the main reason is a bit like saying "I'd rather live in a house than on the street because I need a place to hang my artwork." I just can't bring myself to do any such "convincing" without throwing up mid-speech...
i couldn't have said it better, marc. to me the choice is btwn an economic incompetent [whose 'sidekick' is a dimwitted small-time liar] and a demented psycho big-time liar [whose sidekick is a very intelligent, morally unhinged, cagy liar].
I know I am old, but is there really anyone who knows Kris Kristofferson primarily as an actor? He was a good actor and a great screen presence, but he was was one of the best songwriters ever and a great interpreter of his songs. Also, a mensch's mensch.
Younger Gen X (not me, I'm a 1967 original recipe Gen Xer) and younger folks may only know him from the Blade movies, sadly. And they've seen the picture of him from A Star is Born, although they've likely never seen it. Growing up in a household that listened to a lot of country and 60s rock, I was always familiar with his music, from songwriting to performing. A great one
My first exposure to Kris Kristofferson was seeing the movie Convoy as a kid, he made quite the impression. Then I knew hm from the Blade movies. I only discovered he was a legendary musician when I started broadening my musical horizons in my early/mid 20's. Great presence indeed.
He was a great bad guy in the wonderful John Sayles film, Lone Star (1996).
I know Kris Kristofferson from the songs Me And Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin version) and Sunday Morning Coming Down (Johnny Cash version), two songs Kristofferson wrote. The songs are two of my favorite songs that came out when I was a teenager. Those songs are absolutely beautiful. They both captured the Zeitgeist of the late sixties, and dealt poignantly with feelings associated with abandonment and loss. And Me And Bobby McGee dealt with the need to grab what’s beautiful in life while you can: “Feeling good was easy now when he sang the blues, and feeling good was good enough for me.” I hitchhiked from Cape Cod to Chicago in the early 70s so I could relate to “Bobby thumbed a diesel down just afore it rained; it rode us all the way to New Orleans.”
When I saw the Trib editorial crying foul over the debate, I had to roll my eyes. It’s one thing to be conservative, but that’s not an excuse for being obtuse. Or for carrying water for an unrepentant liar like Trump.
“Catching my drift... or am I being obtuse?”
Best Stephen King adaptation ever…
You know, the funny thing is watching the Tribune fall all over themselves trying to find the rare occasions Trump makes sense and tell the truth, which I guess is their version of being fair. Let me ask this. If I rob 100 banks, and then give back the money to one and apologize, does that make everything okay?
Eric, I have never been very good at ESP. That means I can't really read into the minds of either MAGAs or media members. But my take on things ever since 1-6-21 is that MAGAs don't care what he says. Yes, I know many journalists have built them into a froth over the pronouncements of Trump. But it's old news. Either MAGAs have convinced themselves that it's old lies by the liberal media. Or they have convinced themselves(or been convinced by Fox News and other conservative outlets) that his sins are not as dangerous as a Harris presidency. The real question, to me, is what kind of people are we that we think that one man, an amoral deranged crook, is so important to our democracy and our well being. Let's also look down the road. If Trump is elected, what does that mean for the future of the office. There has been, never in the history of our country, been anyone like Trump. The residents of the White House have included a few sinister individuals. But never has there been anyone like Trump who has been so open about his shortcomings. Does this mean the public is free- morally, not legally- to elect anyone they want, no matter how bad, as long as it suits their greedy desires? But I think news about him is so dated that journalists may no longer get having the effect on things that one might think.
The only saving grace is that if the worst happens & that fat traitor does win, he won't live long, as his extremely fat body is close to falling apart & all that's left in his head is decomposing sawdust, which means we would then get the single most inexperienced VP becoming president, the lying liar Vance!
Yes, if we still have a democracy. Actually, I don't think he'll come close to winning if it's an honest election.
Interesting thought. I admit to knowing al.ost nothing about Vance before he was announced as Trump's choice for VP. Now why was that? Did his experience reflect Trump's? Did they have some kind of meeting where Vance said "Yes sir, Revered Leader!! Anything you say is the greatest thing I've ever heard and I worship you because of it.!"? Maybe I'll need to go back and look at the life and times of JD Vance. What I have heard so far is not encouraging. Why is he depending on social media lies about Haitians in his own state to make pronouncements? He couldn't simply get on the phone, call the mayor, and ask "What's going on with the Haitians?" Either he's a niwit or doesn't care about the facts as long as he's on the same page as his Revered Leader.
He did get on the phone and the local folks told him it was false, but he didn't care and went ahead anyway.
Said it was ok to lie if it made voters aware of the "problems of immigration."
He is scum. Fascist scum.
I wasn't aware of that. It's okay to lie to make a point? About who? Haitians aren't the issue- at least not the ones in Springfield. The problems of immigration? Most of the as stated my MAGA Nazis aren't true. So what problems is he referring to? Scum is too polite!
The recent Wisconsin "press conference" demonstrated that Agent Orange is toppling over into senility. Vice President Harris "Wants to keep children trapped in family government." Really? "They come from the Congo in the Africa. Many people from the Congo. I don't know what that is, but they come out of jails in the Congo." Er ....
This means that, if there are enough morons and greedheads to elect Trump in November he will be even more of a useful idiot to Putin, Musk, the Heritage Foundation (which spawned Project 2025), and the rest of national and international bad actors eager to exploit the USA.
If Trump is elected with Vance as his VP (with a Cabinet stacked with Project 2025 acolytes), I'm betting that VP Vance invokes the 25th Amendment by the end of February 2025, with the Cabinet voting overwhelmingly in support of removing Trump. Trump will be unceremoniously dumped, publicly branded as mentally unstable, and shamed unmercifully in front of his diehard MAGA-worshippers; Trump and his followers won't know what hit them. Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and their tech bros (and big business) will then have what they've dreamed about for years:
A "strong" (now immune from criminal charges) Executive who is a true believer, and who is 100 times smarter than Trump. If Trump is elected, I weep for our posterity.
I actually had to laugh at your comments, sad as they are. Wouldn't it be ironic? Burger Boy and JD spend half the campaign blasting Biden for senility. Trump blasts Harris for being crazy and dumb. Vance is chosen primarily for fidelity to Trump's dementia. Then he turns around and outsts his idol. It would be worth seeing if we didn't have to first elect Burger Boy.
Thank you Judge Blakely for asking such a necessary question of gang leader & murderer Hoover's foolish shyster that simple question. I'm betting she shit a brick when he asked that, as she never expected a judge to not fall under her spell & just let him out of prison, to murder some more!
I agree. She blurted out - every murder by the gang. Then realized that was a bad answer for her client. Then froze over her remaining choices - only those he is convicted of; only those he did personally, only those he personally ordered. I am sure she will settle on only those he was convicted of, since she won't want him to incriminate himself or to be asked to testify in other trials. It must be very rewarding to advocate for unrepentant murders.
Another good question would be when he gave up leadership in the gang.
You’d be surprised how rewarding it is to advocate for someone whom the self-righteous and politically connected look down on and hate. To make others see the humanity in a person who has become a caricature, used by many to assure themselves that they are one of the good guys.
I’m not sure the families of his victims would all agree with you.
They probably wouldn’t. Being a criminal defense attorney is not a good job for people pleasers or milquetoasts. Or for folks who need the good feelings of the police or the politically connected. But when it’s your ass in the docket, you will be glad to have a good criminal defense attorney advocating for you.
Joanie, if I'm ever busted, I want you as my attorney. There is some truth in what you say. There are some very self righteous people among the upper crust. And there are more than a few that care less about justice than making political points. Unfortunately, there are also many bad people in the world that deserve exactly what they get, if not more. What do you know about Fort's history and his gang activities? Don't forget that no one gets to Fort's position in an organization like Gangster Deciples without pulling some really nasty stuff of his own. Justice for Fort? What do his victims and their families get? Dr. Frankenstein was a fictional character. We can't yet bring people back to life. Sorry- it might not exactly be the Judeo-Christian way to feel. But Fort has not earned clemency- no matter how many self righteous idiots run the government.
Pardon me. I said Fort when I meant, Hoover. But same points.
Re: coffee filters.
That reflection reminds of an old axiom, back when office workers went to the office.
The day you start, they give you a box of staples, among other office supplies. When you run out of staples, it's time to move on.
My favorite group and favorite “coffee spoons” reference. Saw them three times in 2018-2019, twice at Old Town School of Folk Music. God Shuffled His Feet tour…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W0YeGv5xHUU
I'm as dismayed as you are about the flood of sports book advertising permeating television et al. It's worse than the political ads that usually pummel us during election season (hooray for not being a swing state and having few if any close House or Senate races this cycle!), because, unlike election season, gambling season will never end. So I was surprised at my gut reaction to your Pete Rose poll, having felt all along that his exclusion from the Hall of Fame because of his gambling was not only justified but necessary. This morning, my gut disagreed. It told me that cheaters should be kept out of the Hall, especially those whose cheating enhances their own stats, the very measure of eligibility for enshrinement there, but pointed out that Rose DID NOT CHEAT; he simply broke a rule. His banning served instead as a warning: don't make sports gambling look acceptable, because of its corrosive effect on individuals, families, and society, and the sport played by the gambler in question? But only the last of those really mattered, or Michael Jordan would have been in the same pariah's club as Rose and all those known and suspected doping cheats who've been denied post-career glory. As you point out, the sports books are incredibly corrosive, far more than Rose ever was. So I voted to let him in. And any owner who wants funding for new stadiums can go to the sports books to get their funding. No citizen should ever again pay a dime of tax money to pay for one.
Dang, I get long-winded before I've had my coffee!
Well said, though.
I also selected to let Rose into the Hall of Fame now that he's passed away. It does seem hypocritical for MLB to suggest his gambling was a heresy to be shunned while they now wholeheartedly embrace online sports gambling. They made their point decades ago.
But Joan, you do not need coffee to become articulate.
Besides your excellent points, I thought of the 2017 Astros and their highly organized sign stealing cheating which greatly helped them win the World Series
Slap on the wrists, but the team retained the World Series championship, which was the focus on why they cheated.
Rose had a gambling problem but never cheated in regard to game performance. The Astros were an organized bunch of cheaters with direct intent to change game performance by cheating many times over.
So yeah put Charlie Hustle in the Hall.
Rose was a Hall-of-Fame talented player, but those who say, “His gambling didn’t matter because he bet on his own team,” miss a couple of key points: 1) it’s impossible to believe anything he says because of the many times he changed his story to suit himself, and 2) anyone betting on their own team still has plenty of ways to affect game outcomes— run differentials, betting different amounts (or nothing) for some games.
But MLB and Rose deserve each other now as they both have embraced unearned riches that bankrupt families. I had to intervene when I noticed online betting costs piling up for my college-aged son. The one thing that should have “stayed in Vegas” is now everywhere, including the pockets of folks who easily get hooked.
Steve - I believe that the MLB investigation at the time confirmed that Rose only bet on his team to win. As such, there was absolutely no reason he would not have played all out to win as he always did. I see that as moral worlds apart from players who bet on their team to lose, and then sabotage their team.
I will ALWAYS pile on to a statement that says billionaire sports franchise owners should pay for their own damn stadia. Taxpayer-funded facilities have always been a boondoggle; and team owners must have been sniggering about it for generations - knowing that their taxpaying fan bases are a bunch of maroons!
As a past U of C student (and, wisely, dropout), I can attest that the school's Maroons aren't likely to be the ones you meant--but it was fun to imagine them instead of the morons you likely intended. (Which is not to say that many Maroons, including myself, haven't also been morons, just that the latter are more numerous than the former.)
No, I meant maroon (uncapitalized). (You must not have grown up watching Saturday AM Looney Tunes cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, as I did . . . . )
I did!😂
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hxGgnI6kCrs
Thanks for the memory boost!
I did, along with Mighty Mouse, Merrie Melodies, etc.: which reveals my age well enough to explain how I could have forgotten Bugs using "maroon" that way. Ouch!
It seems like since Trump began the attacks against the "fake" media, thev've fallen all over themselves to be "fair" to him no matter what he says. No matter how egregious or potentially dangerous the ongoing lies and insults, somehow he's always the victim. And the news media enables that persona.
The Internet has all but demolished "The Fourth Estate" journalism. Traditional media powerhouses are struggling to survive competing against the myriad of free online outlets and have resorted to sensationalist click-bait content, to which Trump is a godsend. They are too happy to ride the wake of outrage he creates daily. On top of that, he constantly threatens any outlet that criticizes him and they are all very easily intimidated and never push back. We are seeing a repeat of 2016 and it's even worse now.
I admire your humility. John Qass had you under consideration for September Moutza —loosing to the mayor, you’ve remained silent with equanimity.
Please pick yourself up and compete in October.
Jack is a common nickname for those of us named John, and a fitting one for the braying John Kass...
How have I never thought of this?!
I've been calling him that for years, especially on twitter after his more obnoxious opinion pieces in the Trib.
If you don't like sports, you are missing a whole world of easygoing conversations with complete strangers. — @Punished_Stu
This is so true! My autistic and developmental disabled son LOVES sports and talking about sports, which opens him up to conversations - something very hard for him otherwise. He always wears something related to one or more sports teams. People will comment and it starts a conversation my child would otherwise not have. To see this kid (ok, young adult) who didn't even talk for several years having a back-and-forth conversation is an absolute delight. He works in a hospital and sports is how he relates to a lot of the patients. I worried it was too much sports talk but I'm advised that he is well-loved by patients and co-workers alike.
Is there time before the election to make a t-shirt with your phrase: "If you're not alarmed, you're not paying attention." 100% cotton, extra large, please.
I completely agree that "The Rate" is perfectly fine and the Sox do not need another new ballpark. I actually prefer attending games at "The Rate" over Wrigley (I know, I know - my family hates when I say this). It's clean, more comfortable seats, better views of the field from the "cheap seats," more women's bathrooms, and they sell Coke products (I really hate Pepsi). Really, The Rate has better food overall. You can park right by The Rate which is more important to me as a suburbanite than having restaurants or other attractions within walking distance of the park.
Wrigley switched from Pepsi to Coke a few years ago.
I went to "The Rate" a couple of times this year, after a long hiatus. One thing I had forgotten is that at a day game, there is very little shade available.
Good to know about Coke @ Wrigley- that's been one of my reasons to avoid Cubs games with my family! The lack of shade is why I won't sit in the bleachers at Wrigley - so much sunburn. I do appreciate Wrigley's history, but I can see my Tigers more often at The Rate, LOL. It's hard to be a Michigan girl in a Chicago sports world. Tigers did play at Wrigley this year - my BIL even came from Detroit for that one. I would have gone if I didn't have a crazy time at work then.
Tigers had back to back series at Wrigley and The Rate in August; I was at one game of each series. The folks behind me at Wrigley said they were also going to see them at The Rate.
Congrats to the Tigers; they had a great finish to the regular season. Kind of sad that their winning coincided with when Javy Báez got hurt... he was an exciting ballplayer in his Cubs days.
Lovin' my Tigers this year! (And the Lions' recent resurgence. Dan Campbell is the Man!)
The companies who run the gambling enterprises claim the average bet is four dollars. It would mean that if one person bets seven dollars, someone else bets one dollar. The gambling companies spend huge amounts of money on advertising. Don’t the gamblers realize their chances of winning over the long run are minuscule. When I listen to sports talk radio, not only are there frequent sports gambling ads, there are whole hours-long shows sponsored by gambling companies that talk about the spread and encourage betting. Also, I’m upset that many radio sports talk hosts that I’ve listened to for years and find intelligent, witty, and seem to be moral people that I can respect – they are doing commercials for gambling companies. On the selfish side of things, the gamblers are contributing to the tax base more than I am.
The $4 average bet is the usual statistical 'fact' that is used to lie. Each individual transaction may be small, but it is likely that the user is making multiple bets on the same event. This is the behavior that is promoted in the ads - bet on many different events and outcomes throughout the event.
OddsAssist did a study that showed the median bettin 'unit' is $50 and the average is $172.
https://oddsassist.com/sports-betting/resources/sports-betting-statistics/#:~:text=According%20to%20an%20Odds%20Assist%20study,%20the%20average%20betting%20unit
Makes more sense.
I used to play poker, count cards at blackjack and looked into betting on football. I am very well aware of long term prospects of making or losing money. From my poker days I also have first hand knowledge of what it feels like to bet irrationally. I have also spoke with and heard interviews with people to gamble with a clear negative expected value. My take on it is that many gamblers understand full well that they will lose in the long run. But the the addiction to the action keeps them playing. I heard and interview with a woman who played slots. She did not enjoy it, but she could not stop herself. She said that she is glad when she runs out of money because it means she can go home.
It is a sad state. IMO regulators should mandate a "do not play" list where anyone could put themselves on it and they would automatically be banned from any online gambling site. That would give the addicts a way to stop - at least in that channel. IMO it would mitigate some of the tragedy.
$4 is probably the median bet, not the mean bet. both can be called 'average', as a measure of central tendency. if i'm correct, the mean bet is way higher than $4.
Great Atlantic article, but we really have to acknowledge as a society that no other outcome was possible by making gambling ubiquitous and easy. I always rooted for no Chicago casino despite the alleged potential economic gains, even after they opened the one in Hammond. Let people go to Indiana to ruin their lives. But in addition, I'm horrified by the celebrities--including more minor Chicago personalities--making money off this misery through advertising. I find it heartbreaking that one of my favorite WXRT people fronts for a gambling operation in XRT ads.
While I appreciate Dan Pfeiffer's suggestions on "How to Convince Your Friends to Vote for Kamala Harris," using 'middle class tax cuts' as the main reason is a bit like saying "I'd rather live in a house than on the street because I need a place to hang my artwork." I just can't bring myself to do any such "convincing" without throwing up mid-speech...
I will not vote for Trump for many reasons. But I despair that the Harris/Walz ticket is the alternative.
Why do you despair over that?
i couldn't have said it better, marc. to me the choice is btwn an economic incompetent [whose 'sidekick' is a dimwitted small-time liar] and a demented psycho big-time liar [whose sidekick is a very intelligent, morally unhinged, cagy liar].
that's the best the 2-party system has to offer?
there's a lot to despair here.
You'll "be switched"? By gum?
Daggnabbit! you beat me to it!