John Adams

I have never used ni**er in anger or to put someone down. Never. But I don't understand the power that some black people decide to give to the word where merely saying it (not in anger or hate but say, just saying it in repeating this news story) is some sort of capital crime. It's amazing to me that anyone would give someone that much power over them. In high school, we were having a talk about hate speech in class one day and I brought up the n-word, actually saying the word and using it as an example. Later, a black kid in my class told some of my friends that I was racist.

I've never been a huge Beckerman fan (on this team) but he earned his way onto a bench spot. Diskerud might also be on the bench for the reason you say--Bradley is the most important player on the USMNT IMO--but Diskerud's earned a spot on the team. Regarding that Donavon play, there was contact on that play and it could have been called. But he (the poster) wasn't even talking about that play. He was talking about some other that I don't remember.

Embarrassing the Congressman is not the route to success. That's my PPP way of being but out here in the real world, I know that won't work. We might win this skirmish but then our non-profit creates an enemy. Not worth it. Funny thing to whoever suggested that we just drown out the negative voices. You're right of course. The pro-park people outnumber the jagoffs at least 5-1. But that's the problem: People (politicians) are afraid of the loudmouths. If this politician does nothing, then it's status quo. No one is really that upset with him. If he takes a stand and pisses off some big mouthed losers, they will get vocal about this and a million other things so the pols get afraid and shift the burden on to someone like me (and our soccer club) to figure out how to basically convince everyone. Then he will show up for the photo op. I already went through one of these neighborhood park things and that's exactly how the first one (much smaller) went. I got the "convince the neighborhood and I'll back you" speech. I convinced the neighborhood then he came in and patted his back when we opened the park. It was fine but it's really quite a sleazefest. And honestly, this guy is a nobody who is going nowhere but even in our tinly little township, all the commissioners have to suck his dong just to do simple brainer things like creating more greenspace at no cost to taxpayers.

I could show you email strings where the local State Congresscritter (I live just outside his district so I don't even get the pleasure of voting against him) told me that if I could convince the 2 d-bag neighbors, he'd be 100% behind it. And the local township people whose support I really need won't move without the State Congressdick's approval even though they are all 100% for it. They are afraid to go against him and the party (Dems in this district). So I figured, as DC Tom admires the move, if Obama could make a beer summit work, maybe I should try it. I live 2 blocks from these people and I invite them out to a local bar for wings and a beer. One guy says that I can't buy him off and he doesn't want a park. Tells me never to contact him again. OK. The other guy doesn't respond. So I call the no-response guy and he sounds like he hasn't left his house in 40 years, wheezing and spitting into the phone "I don't want no kids making noise" is his quote. He then went back to gnawing on his dead mother's femur. The guy's completely nucking futs but he's loud and annoying. His neighbors all hate him because he's a packrat. But there it is. I haven't given up but it's truly mind-boggling. There are no concerns about it becoming a drug or homeless haven. We literally want to take an old parking lot and building that the township now owns and cannot get rid of (it's now owned this lot for 17 years) and turn it into green space. Nothing crazy. We will do the work although we have requested a price break on the value of the land and are willing to share the land with the local parks commission but we will do all the work to prepare and maintain it. None of that part of the plan has any objection to it. It's just the neighbors issue. That's the big project. The smaller one: lighting a field until 8pm is 100x more contentious. The 3 neighbors on that one say that we are trying to turn their local park into a stadium and they have rallied behind that cry. Meanwhile, there's no seating and we just want practice space on fall evenings.

The amount of whining people do in their communities is unreal. I am working a million different angles to get more green space at parking lots and rundown schools for playing fields that thousands of local kids in my community could use. The township cost is negligible--we have the money pretty much in order. But the second one resident complains about having kids yelling while they are playing soccer at 11am on a Saturday, all the politicians pu$$y out and won't back the plan. I only wish this was true but the politicians refuse to take even the most obvious stands if there's one vocal complainer, ie, douchenozzle. And that's the unlit fields. To get lights installed that would have automatic shutoffs at 8pm--again so kids could practice from 6-8 at night--would take an act of god. Because god forbid there be a lit field from 6-8pm in the Fall that would affect 6 houses. And by affect, I mean that they would look out on a lit field, not that the lights would shine into their house.

If Weiner had just run after losing a Congressional election, he would not be doing this well. He is despicable. Not because of what he did--that's just bad judgment and his own little fetish--but because he thinks he's still entitled to hold office after getting caught doing it. Go away and do something else in your career. Take this as a rock bottom and go get a job with a charity. Rehab your political life in a decade.

I did not think that was a foul where Donovan was flying through the air. Landon made an awkward outstretched leap at a ball and there was contact between him and the defender. No foul and I was relieved he wasn't hurt because he fell really awkwardly. The handball had no intent. It was a ball behind the defenders back that nicked his wrist. They could have called it but it was not that bad. The best thing to say about the ref: Nothing he did was outcome determinitive. He let them play for the most part. Beckerman as backup sounds right. Diskerud looked better than Holden to me all tournament but still sad for Holden--tough break. Hopefully it's not as bad as all prelim reports indicate.

This is Mike's time of year. As always, awesome and we thank you. No one does a better job of this.

Disagree completely. Panama played fine except for the little bit of chippiness with Eddie Johnson towards the end. Panama played the perfect game. They packed in their defense and hoped for counter. Until the US started making those extra overlapping runs and working the ball wide, it looked like it was headed for a 0-0 tie. The US had 80% possession in the first half and didn't generate one chance. How Eddie Johnson missed that shot off the Shea pass is beyond me. Shea played himself right off the national team and will likely be back in MLS before long, which is the right place for him. His footwork is horrible and he just happens to be a big athlete. Donovan (obviously), Beckerman (not a huge fan but played well), Diskerud all made their case for the WC team.

Why? Because 11 minutes of action in a a football game is somehow relevant? Baseball's 18 minutes of action consists of men standing around hoping something happens while the pitcher does the "work" of throwing the ball usually not more than 100 times, with giant breaks between each throw. Anyways, probably around 8-10 million is where the WS will bottom out is my guess. I can't believe it could ever get lower but who knows. It's cool that you like it. Just on the long wane is all.

Down down down...http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wstv.shtml You baseball guys are funny. So sensitive to the facts. Baseball games are great places to hang out. The 18 minutes of action in the average game doesn't distract you from talking to friends and eating. Baseball is popular in Korea? Is that supposed to help you in some way? If it does, good job. Point for you. Korean baseball is probably amazing.

Relax stuckincincy. I feel bad when I look at the messes that are Detroit and Buffalo too. Baseball was once king--sad to see it in such a state of decline. It's never coming back but I do wonder when it will bottom out. At some point the popularity should stabilize, right?

Bradley and Dempsey are better. I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of Donovan haters and he's putting on a clinic, albiet against some lesser competition but 3 goals and 5 assists in the last two games. WTF? They are not yet good enough as a possession team--as I said above, they need 2-3 Michael Bradleys. Their attack often comes on the counter. I am a huge fan of what's happened, of course, and the US team is in that nice tier of teams after the top group. If the US can hold that spot around 18-22 for a few years and not fall off when the current stars leave, that will be big. The MLS's popularity growth is helping a ton. The top MLS players now get more looks from the EU leagues and kids are getting to see more quality soccer. Soccer also now has TV traction here.

Your questions ponder a Utopian world. The burden on the Libertarian these days is shaking that conversation and getting to something more practical. If at my core, I think that people need less government intervention in our lives, I'd like to see the government shrunk down towards that goal. Can we shut down public schools tomorrow? No, but maybe start with a voucher system. Can we stop all welfare on a dime? No, but we can decrease it and tie it to work. Can we legalize every drug tomorrow? (Probably.) No, but we can tackle something between the failed War on Drugs and heroin sold off the shelf at the local 7-11. And on and on. The trouble is that no current party does anything substantial to shrink government control and spending. It's all about growth--the only argument the parties engage in is where to grow. The arm-chair libertarian is often a Randian idealist with no use for middle ground. This person is not practical--the Libertarians need to find some people who are fundamentally sound but who propose practical solutions.

Right. These guys have a problem, and the problem is us.

Trayvon Martin, like baseball, is only popular here, the Carribean, and inexplicably, Japan. I feel badly for baseball. It used to be huge. I wonder if it hadn't been wrecked by scandal, would it still be popular? Not talking just the plummeting TV ratings but also among kids. Is the nationwide decline due to the game or how badly the pros treated the game--or both? When I was in the Dominican Republic in March, I was happy for baseball. My Spanish is so-so but I could talk baseball with any local. It was really fun to go through all the Dominican players who had played for the Phillies--any time I started doing that, people's faces would brighten and they'd get excited. (None of that last paragraph is cynical--I really had fun talking baseball in the DR.)

There's a thread about soccer on OTW for a B roster US team. Meanwhile the only baseball news being discussed around here is about Aaron Rodgers's salary bet. Yankees Orioles a few weeks ago in Prime time barely beat the international soccer game before it that was not in prime time. You'd think baseball would find a bottom in its drop to a fourth tier sport but not yet. Still working its way down.

Lance is in the Mark McGuire club. Soaked up the spotlight and adoration while lying. Denied until there was no more denying that could be done. Braun no doubt wanted to join their club but he got busted sooner.

He's not fresh. Just a new name.

Who would put up with even a hint of such insanity. Next.

Baseball is the rust belt of sports so that's an apt comparison.

There's a baseball forum? Hahahahaha. I'll have to look that up. Found it. I see. It's like the consumer and fitness forums. Dead zones.

The American political class knows no shame and the electorate refuses to actually shame them. Weiner and Spitzer need to put their energy into something where trust isn't an operative word. I don't even really care what he's done. Go live his life and have a blast. But don't run for office.

The Donavon haters must be having a hard time of it eh? He's the best player on this team by a mile and that was before yesterday's match. It looks like the US is starting to put some distance between them and the also-rans. That's what they need to do. To make the next step, they need a lot better players. Their current style--longball counterattack--is easy for a real team to stop. They have not proven that they can string together good sequences of passes in the midfield and dominate possession (they need 3 more Michael Bradleys). When they can start doing that, they will be reaching a real turning point. Still, happy to see the team growing into a perennial WC qualifier and at least have a chance of an upset of a better team here or there.

I'm outraged more that they called JayZ's Magna Carta a "stumble." !@#$ you Rolling Stone. Tsemarev won't be buying 5 copies for his mother.