Bits & pieces

Since I haven't had much of a chance lately to post some of the favorite things I've read this week, I'm including them all in this post.

In the NFL, from a Sept. 14 article in the Washington Post:

Rams President John Shaw told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that one of the team's executives would be disciplined for leaving a threatening phone message on the voice mail of one of the newspaper's columnists.

After columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote that Coach Mike Martz deserved support instead of back-stabbing from members of the club's front office, Samir Suleiman, the Rams' director of football administration, reportedly left a message for Miklasz in which he said to "tell your source that I'm not a back-stabber. I'm a . . . throat-slasher, and he'll know the difference before it's all said and done."

Subtle. Dumbass, did you think that leaving a message on a reporter's voicemail was a good idea?

Shaw declined to tell the paper what disciplinary action would be taken.

Hmm...I'm guessing a slap on the wrist? Little to nothing? Wouldn't surprise me.

Talk about karma- I can't believe this happened so FAST!

This week can't end soon enough for Atlanta Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis.

Working in a one-on-one drill in practice, Mathis landed awkwardly on his left knee and tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. The ninth-year veteran also sustained damage to another part of his knee and hamstring.

The injuries are considered career-threatening for Mathis, who turns 32 in April.

'Nuff said.

From a Sept. 14 Post article about the Nats-Mets game:

Meanwhile, in the Nationals dugout, several players appeared to be hit with something from the crowd. Several players turned back toward the crowd, but it did not appear any fan was ejected.

Why am I not surprised? Maybe because Mets fans are among the most obnoxious and klassiest out there? And none of the fans were tossed out of the park for throwing stuff at the players- that sets a fine example. No matter what, I would NEVER throw stuff at the opposing team. Somehow, I suspect that the Sept. 24th and 25th games that Fred and I are attending (with a non-vulgar Mets fan, incidentally) will be similar to the July 4th game, where we were heckled and mooned by the loudest and most obscene Mets fans on Earth. (Well, we didn't moon back, but certainly did our share of heckling after that.) Oh boy. Can't wait!

Boswell is, yet again, a god:

Next Tuesday, Barry Bonds will come to Washington and, for the first time since last December's revelations about "the clear" and "the cream," the San Francisco Giants slugger will face a crowd in a potentially hostile ballpark: RFK Stadium. Will Bonds need to borrow Rafael Palmeiro's earplugs?

Right now I'm not planning on going to any of the Giants games, but if I do, you better believe I'm loudly booing every time Bonds steps up to the plate. What a fraud. I hope the RFK crowd treats him with the derision he deserves.

It gets better:

This week in Frisco, Bonds got a free pass from hometown fans. Although, when he took the field for the first time this season on Tuesday, he didn't warm up by playing catch with a teammate. Instead, he brought a child with leukemia onto the field with him as 1) a generous gesture of compassion or 2) a human shield so nobody could boo him without insulting the kid. If Bonds jogs to left field in RFK surrounded by a phalanx of homeless hurricane survivors, don't be surprised.

Bonds is absolutely despicable. You KNOW why he had that kid out there with him, and it wasn't because of #1.

Luckily, I'm not the only one who feels that way. I'm glad someone else will be there to do my job:

Arlington, Va.: Mr. Bos -
I have a 41-game package, and my seats are just a couple rows up in left field. Will you consider me a failure as a fan if I don't mercilessly remind Barry Bonds what a disgusting human being he is at both the Tuesday and Thursday games? (I'm hoping you say "yes," just so I'll have an excuse to be obnoxious.)

Boz also had some great comments in today's discussion:

Tom Boswell: Pat Gillick said to me, years ago, when he was O's general manager, "You are watching the destruction of a great franchise."
Pretty unusual for somebody to say that while he is still the GM!
Somebody should make up "Free The Oriole 25" T-shirts.

I'm not an O's fan, but I sure do agree with that. It must be torture to be stuck under the Angelos regime, both for the players and the fans.

Also from Mr. Boswell:

Tuesday is a fan referendum. But a vocal one. It is NOT an opportunity to throw things at players __unless you want to go to jail. Let me say that throwing anything at a defenseless athlete is certainly at least as bad as being cheating in a sport.

Hear that, Mets fans? Even if your "security" guards are too bereft in their duties to do their jobs, you shouldn't be throwing stuff. That's just wrong and certainly doesn't endear you to the team or its fans. I sure won't be cutting Mets fans any slack in a couple of weeks.

And the best for last, from a story about the third Nats game in NY:

Veterans forced rookies to don dresses and even, in the case of Tony Blanco, a leather mini-skirt. Everyone smiled.

I'm sure they did more than smile. Can you imagine Zimmerman in a dress? Awww! If only I had Phil's skilz with Photoshop and The Google or whatever he uses, I'm sure I could produce a pic of Tony Blanco in a leather mini. Oh well.