Mmmmmm, fried chicken

I didn't watch the majority of the Saints/Falcons game, like most of America, but I did catch Arthur Blank talking with the MNF crew. Well, no, I didn't catch that either. I muted the TV while he was on because I didn't want to hear 10 minutes of him answering questions about Vick. But apparently Blank said something that may or may not have been bad.

“If Michael makes a mistake and eats fried chicken and French fries every day, he could come out weighing 250 pounds and he won’t be able to play football.”

I know exactly what you're thinking. They have fried chicken and French fries in federal prison? Man, it doesn't sound so bad after all. Maybe I'll get on that international mail fraud scheme right now.

But in reality, some people are already talking about whether or not Blank's comment was a Fuzzy Zoeller style moment. I'll let you decide that. I'm going to run to KFC.

-WCK

Schilling on Bonds = Slander

I'm not sure how many other people heard Curt Schilling's recent comments on the radio about Barry Bonds as reported on ESPN, but they were truly remarkable... yes, remarkable in how Schilling seems intent on being as absolutely slanderous as one can be to another person. Schilling erroneously stated that Bonds admitted to cheating on his taxes, cheating on his wife, and cheating on the game of baseball, none of which Bonds actually admitted to. Say what you will about the debate on Barry Bonds, and both sides clearly have reason, but to get on a radio show, pass yourself off as an expert on baseball-related issues and then make false claims about what other baseball players have and have not admitted to is not just reprehensible, it is a "home-run" lawsuit if Bonds wanted to sue Schilling for slander (shoot, if Bonds does decide to sue I think they should just chalk up home-run #746 right then). Unless Schilling is privileged to inside-information, and I'm guessing he's not, Bonds has not actually admitted any of those things. So way to take the high-ground, Curt... you're a real pillar of society.

I think it is also important to look at Barry Bonds and Schilling's comments in the light of recent reports on the percentage of students that cheat in school (see 56% of MBA's in the LAST YEAR and 46% of other students according to a report in the Toronto Star) and an MSNBC report that 22% of people have cheated on their CURRENT significant other. I know we place high expectations on our public figures, but the fact is that they are only human. Is it not possible that what many people hate about Barry Bonds is that he is a reflection of their own faults and frailties? We'd rather hear about Babe Ruth who grew up in an orphanage and was universally loved or Hank Aaron who was so consistent, worked so hard, and did so much to help people get over the fact that there was a color barrier in baseball just a few years before he started playing.

Maybe Schilling needs to look in a mirror because apparently a high percentage of Americans have acted similarly to Bonds in a number of respects, but I don't know a lot of people who get on national radio and fabricate others' statements in such a malicious manner... or maybe someone should just send Schilling the definition of the word "irony"....

-dwyermaker