A Heads Up War Stragedy

You and I are enemies and you've got my forces under seige. I'm fortified in my impregnable fort on Alcatraz island and your attacking me from the pier 39 shoreline. Your forces outnumber mine by 36,000 men, but my position in the bay is strong. We've both taken prisoners of each others captured men.

After weeks of attacking and losing many men you decide to try a stragedy that will dampen the spirits of my remaining fighting force. You take fifty of my men you've captured, chop off their heads, strap their headless bodies to makeshift wooden crosses and float them over to the Alcatraz beachfront for my remaining men to see.

You're confident this act of butchery will send a message of defeat to my remaing men.

I decide the only way to combat your psychological warfare's effects on my men is to return butchery with butchery. I order the chopping off of a hundred prisoners (captured soldiers of yours) heads. I have my men then place these heads in our cannons and fire them at your positions on pier 39.

When your fighting men realize that the exploding debris raining down on them at pier 39 is not cannon ball fodder, but head chunks of captured comrades, it is they whose morale is defeated.

Eventually, my allies arrive to help finish off your army and the threat is gone.

Well, some story isn't it? Guess what? It actually happened. Not here in the bay area but on the island of Malta back in 1565. Imagine being shot at with a cannon loaded with the head of your army buddy. It is said that the heads exploded usually on impact but some landed in one piece and were recognizabe.

Now THAT my friend, is War.

Vince Young in Silver and Black? Could Happen.

Is it possible? Could Vince Young be in a Raiders uniform come next season? Word is that if Al gets his way Young would be more than welcome to try on a Raiders jersey, with a low scoring wonderlick test and all. If for nothing else Vince might want to see if the colors Black and Silver suit his playing persona.

The world I got was that Vince Young did interview with the Raiders personnel at the Combine this weekend, Al was not there. The Raiders were the first to interview him. Going into the draft at pick no. 7 in the first round makes our chances a possiblity. And I think we need a Vince Young, don't you?

Below is are excerpts from an article in the Chronicle about the Raiders and Vince Young. click on link for full story:

Sunday, February 26, 2006 (SF Chronicle)
Raiders must decide about Collins in a hurry
Nancy Gay

If Collins gets the expected hook, the Raiders probably will be on
the lookout for a so-called "transitional" quarterback -- a free agent such
as Daunte Culpepper, Steve McNair or somebody comparable -- to run the
show until second-year quarterback Andrew Walter is ready to handle the
load.

But there is this development to consider:
Two teams got a jump on Texas quarterback Vince Young on Thursday night, the first opportunity anyone had to get an interview with the playmaking star of the Longhorns' national championship team. One of them was the Raiders.

With the seventh overall pick, the Raiders have a decent crack at Young, a phenomenal talent, great team leader and physical specimen with a quirky sidearm throwing motion and a very inflated opinion of himself.

So for the Raiders, Young is a possibility. Could he adjust his run-first playing style to fit the Raiders' preferred vertical game? "You have to. You never know what might happen," Young said during a 20-minute media session on Friday. Then he reversed field. "(But) the coach might change it around to revolve around the quarterback." Well, maybe. And could he see himself playing for Davis? "It doesn't matter who I play for. I have great character and respect coaches a whole lot," said Young, who apparently does not really know who Davis is at this point. "They've been through it more than I've been through it, so you have to respect what they say is going on." Whether Young is a little confused or not, back in his scouting bunker in Alameda, Davis had to like the sound of that.

Sucking America Dry

I've been waiting to use this pic for just the right scary occasion. Well today, I read an article that educated me as well as drove home the scary notion that America is not being run by Americans. The threat to America is not the West Nile Virus or Avian Bird Flu, those are mere pest control issues compared to the real threat. No, the real threat are Global Corporations and those bloodsucking politicians who do their bidding. These corporations are only interested in their capital gains. As stated in the article;

"Free Trade is all about allowing corporations to move capital wherever they please, without regard to the labor, human rights, environmental and - yes - security consequences of those moves."

With the United Arab Emirates (Dubai Ports World) deal coming to light, the vampires at home and abroad are being flushed out of their dark caverns and getting exposed to the thing they fear most, illumination. To illuminate and expose immoral beings who hide behind darkness is the mission statement of good men conquering evil.

I leave you to read, ponder and let sink in the importance of this hot national issue. There are times when us sports fans must set aside our athletic passions and get seriously involved in the politics of our country, before we wake up and find vampire marks on the necks of all our elected officials.


Free-trading away America's security
David Sirota
Friday, February 24, 2006

AT FIRST glance, it seems strange that President Bush threatened to use the first veto of his presidency to defend the right of the United Arab Emirates to manage six major U.S. ports.
It was certainly an extraordinary move. Bush, who bills himself as "tough" on terrorism, went to bat for the United Arab Emirates against the wishes of his own security experts and his own Republican colleagues in Congress, who noted that the Emirates has known ties to the Sept. 11 terrorists and Osama bin Laden. Why?
As an explanation, Bush publicly pointed to the merits of foreign investment. Foreign investment, of course, can be positive when it fuels the domestic economy but when it comes to America's ports, the extra security precaution of mandating American ownership and control far outweigh the economic benefits of foreign investment by a country such as the United Arab Emirates.
In 1999, Emirates officials were happily commiserating with bin Laden in Afghanistan. According to the Sept. 11 commission, these officials also provided "one of the Taliban's only travel and financial outlets to the outside world." This, at the same time as the Emirates rejected U.S. requests to crack down on terrorist financing. Today, the State Department's Web site about the Emirates notes the serious anti-American threats there.
So again, why? Because this is about far more than just one deal with one company or one country.
The Bush administration is unquestionably the most corporate-controlled administration in recent history, which means the White House doesn't sound the alarm unless corporate America is sounding the alarm. The veto threat is about preserving the rules of so-called "free trade" that big business relies on to maximize profit and that guide America's global economic policy.
Right now, the White House is putting the finishing touches on one of these free-trade agreements with the Emirates. If security concerns overturn the port deal -- and Dubai Ports World has offered to delay the takeover because of such concerns -- the free-trade accord and a subsequent Mideast regional trade pact will be jeopardized.
Free trade is all about allowing corporations to move capital wherever they please, without regard to the labor, human rights, environmental and -- yes -- security consequences of those moves. Nixing the Emirates port-security deal could set a new precedent, whereby our government would include security precautions in its trade policy and more aggressively regulate commerce based on those precautions.
That shift would create a new standard that could impede the as-yet uninhibited quest for profits. Put another way, trade policy would become not quite as free as big Business would like. Such a precedent would have global implications.
Suddenly, the public might want Congress to re-evaluate corporate subsidies with an eye to security. We might see a push, for instance, to rescind the billions in taxpayer-backed loans Congress provided last year to Westinghouse to build nuclear power facilities in China. The public might demand stricter security standards governing technology transfers and ownership privileges in future trade accords. Again, these moves are basic steps to protect our country -- but they would get in the way of companies who have eyes only for the bottom line.
This is why the president threatened his veto. His reflexes are trained to defend the corporate interests that bankrolled his political career. These are the same reflexes detailed in a September Government Accountability Office report chastising the Bush administration for employing overly narrow definitions of national security to expedite questionable transactions such as the Emirates port deal. Though President Bush won't admit this is what motivates his behavior, others are admitting it on his behalf.
Take Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Days ago he said of the Emirates deal, "We have to balance the paramount urgency of security against the fact that we still want to have a robust global trading system." He's technically right, of course -- we do have to balance those needs. But coming from him, the comments were telling. Could the Bush administration's skewed priorities be any more visible?
Similarly, the New York Times this week quoted a corporate consultant who says that Congress' concerns about the port security deal are "totally illogical." Why? Because, he says, "The location of the headquarters of a company in the age of globalism is irrelevant." This is free-trade fundamentalism. Companies, of course, can't be blamed for being governed by it -- they are in the business of making money, nothing else. But there is a clear danger to America when free-trade fundamentalism becomes government policy, as it has become today.
In recent years, this fundamentalism convinced politicians to ink trade deals with Mexico that discarded labor and environmental standards. It convinced politicians to agree to accords with China that wave off basic human rights. Now, perhaps most incredibly, it convinced a supposedly "tough-on-terrorism" president to brandish his veto pen in defense of a policy that threatens America's national security. That fundamentalism may make the president's big donors happy, but it needlessly endangers our country in the post-Sept. 11 world.
David Sirota is the author of the upcoming "Hostile Takeover" (Crown Publishers, May 2005) and co-chair of the Progressive Legislative Action Network (www.progressivestates.org), a research and advocacy organization supporting state lawmakers.

To End All Wars

I chose to watch one of my favorite prisoner of war movies rather than watch Jerry Rice dance to the stars. This movie, based on a true story, is advertised as a continuation of Bridge on the River Kwai. I think it's better. Though Bridge on the River Kwai was good, the most memorable thing about it I remember is the tune whistled by the prisoners. In "To End All Wars" Kiefer Sutherland, along with a number of British actors, brings to life the suffering and survival of Allied soldiers in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during WWII. There are scenes that leave a lasting impression.

Any movie that opens up with men digging their own graves has to be good. Don't worry, that bit of information won't ruin it for you. It just sets you up for what follows, trust me.

In one scene, made so believable by the worn out look of the prisoners and the melancholy musical score, a prisoner (pictured below right) who before the war was a literary professor at Oxford, begins reciting these famous lines from Shakespeare's Hamlet:

To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?

In this even more famous soliloquy, Hamlet, with the burden of avenging his father's death, thinks that perhaps it is better commit suicide, except that there is no knowledge of what comes next. Thus, although death ought to be embraced, it should not be deliberately pursued.(from Hamlet's TO BE OR NOT TO BE)

Organ Donor

Now what's the first feeling you get when you read this title? Does it sort of give a shiver up your back and butterflies in your stomach? Scares the hell out of you doesn't it? When I see those two words together "Organ" and "Donor" my legs get kind of shaky and my insides get a bit squirmish. Why? Not because of the fear of having vital organs ripped out of me after death then bound for some desperately rich transplant recipient at the top of the waiting list. My fear is the thought of hospitals supplementing their incomes by botching surgeries and then stealing organs for transplant use, that thought just creeps me out. I know what your thinking, he's got an overactive imagination. Well, maybe I do and maybe I have reasons for having those far out thoughts. Wanna know what my reasons are for such thoughts? Money, plain and simple.

A liver transplant averages about $300,000.00. That's enough for the surgeon, the coroner and the coverup. Kidney transplants (one kidney) bring in about $100,000.00, plus $12,000.00 in follow-up care annually. They're all in it for the money, and if you don't believe that just look at the cost for medical insurance.

What makes the profits so enticing and mouthwatering is that the parts are FREE. There's no overhead, so to speak. Currently people in the United States are not allowed to sell theirs or any else's body parts or organs.

There's been this big legislative battle about whether to legalize the selling of one's organs either while living (a person can live with just one kidney) or posthumously with money going to the donor's person of choice. The fears of allowing this are many and even scarier than my imagined butchering by a hospital.

Imagine that a law has just gone into effect that allows any person to contract the sale of any part of his or her body at whatever price he chooses to a hospital or insurance company. Bob decides to sell his liver to a hospital. He gets the money up-front, $25,000.00 and chooses to give-up his Liver upon his death. Somewhere in a computer is a list with Bob's name showing that he's consented to a liver donation and has been paid. Somewhere there's a hacker that steals that list and sells it to the highest bidder. That bidder is most likely a desperate man with lots of money to offer and he ain't offering a cent to Bob. Instead he's offering it to the person who can assassinate Bob without damaging his liver and making it look like death by accident, suicide or natural causes. Only the fourth cause of death, homicide, would bring suspicion to the case and probable cause for nullifying the contract. In the meantime Bob is dead, his liver is being prepped for transplant to the body of the highest bidder that paid handsomely for it and everyone involved from the hacker to the assassin has been paid for their services. Bob gets a burial plot and the highest bidder gets extended life. And it was all because of the money. No hard feelings Bob, just business.

The beauty of the business is that it stimulates employment and financial growth in the economy, addresses the problem of overpopulation and homelessness, encourages living healthier lives as written in donor contracts (donors who abuse their bodies will be terminated after three strikes). The rich will get richer and the poor will get dead quicker. What we'd have is a world where finding a finger in a bowl of chili would be like hitting the lottery instead of conspiracy to extort. Think today's DMV Donor program isn't tracking body parts when auto accidents occur? Well, in this new donor program DMV would probably become a bigger player in tracking and collecting body parts. And if by chance some mistake was made and your organs were transplanted upon your untimely death in error; no litigation needed, you're already dead, you're family will receive reimbursement for the organ(s) at market value at time of death plus free burial. Everyone alive is happily paid and anyone dead is.......dead and noncompliant.

So that's my sick and twisted view of Organ Donation. Here's a link with an article that threw my overactive imagination into overdrive: How to Solve the Organ Donation Shortage.

And here's a link to the National Transplant Society for those readers who have less imagination and better faith in the current system than I.

You can also thank this book I just started reading entitled "Donor" by Frank M. Robinson. It's a fictional novel, I think.

NBA All-Star Weekend

New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson flies over former Atlanta Braves guard Spud Webb during the slam dunk contest at NBA All-Star Saturday Night in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006. (AP Photo/LM Otero)


Who Cares that the Eastern All-Stars beat the Western All-Stars 122-120 today. 5 foot 8 Nate Robinson is still soaring high after winning the slam dunk competition in fashion yesterday. Just ask former slam dunk winner Spud Webb.

Robinson's Slam was the prettiest thing seen at the NBA All-Star weekend activities. Well, maybe Eva Longoria had me with my jaw dropped there for a minute, but Robinson definitely brought down the house with his performance. For another small guy to win the slam dunk competition shows that the game is still about heart.

Okay Nate, you are clear to come down to earth now. All-Star weekend is over in Houston. Mission Accomplished.

Cold Wet and Spiritual atop Mt. Tamalpais

Picture of Mt. Tamalpais on warmer days, by Carol Satriani.

Some Saturdays when living in a city you just wanna escape it all. Well, today was one of those Saturdays for me. The San Francisco weather was wet and cold with a wind chill making it feel like Chicago-West. Thoughts of staying indoors and watching NBA All-Star activities and College Basketball almost won me over, but a call from a fun lady friend was inviting enough to weather the outdoor conditions.

After a wakeup coffee and bagel at Noah's, it was while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge that I started having second thoughts. The tourists walking the bridge were looking like frost bitten Eskimos in their down coats and fur lined gloves. If you've never seen a family of four, their shoulders hunched to their ears as they walk packed together as tightly as a pair of snowdogs at a pitstop, then you haven't felt the pity of witnessing that cold westerly wind whipping off the Pacific ocean and smacking humans silly. I shuddered with the thought of the car breaking down and having to walk the bridge in such conditions. Fortunately, my fate was tied into what lay ahead on this journey to conquer a mountain.

Through winding roads and rolling fog we made our way up Mt. Tamalpais. Nearing the top we began seeing many travelers along the road enjoying the wet roadside snow. We dogdged our vehicle through the crossfire of a group snow fight and found a parking spot, destination reached. The Outside temperature had dropped as low as 38 degrees, cold for California Bay Area.

Reaching our mountain top destination and getting out of the car was a spiritual experience. The cool cold and crisp mountain air fills your lungs like a succulent mentholated cough drop as you inhale. You feel a bit lightheaded from the high altitude as you sway while looking up at the falling snow flurries. The smell is a mixture of pine and wet wood. You feel at one with the mountain and all it's environment. The patches of blue sky that peak through the silver fog make you feel as if God is peaking down through a microscope at you personally. The shining bronze of the winter stripped trees give a romantic look to the setting. One area was full of trees covered in a limy moss green as if astroturf were sprayed over it creating a green monster resembled effect.

Once out of the car you take a few steps before your body begs to retreat back to the warmth of your vehicle. But the beauty of the mountain and the peace of its silence keeps you immobile and breathless. I've never been much of a hiker or outdoorsman as in Grizzly Addams type outdoorsman, but I know the pull that the beauty of nature can have on a person and it had us both in its grasp.

The beauty of Mt. Tamalpais, no matter how cold and wet, brings out the warmth of those human beings that can appreciate Gods World. You realize your just another animal given the privilege of enjoying such a wonder that is Earth. Mt. Tamalpais has a personality all its own and it welcomes travelers to come and break bread with it anytime. The mountain understands that those escaping from the lowlands are in search or in need of something special and it doesn't disappoint. I suppose mountaineers who climb mountains as a hobby are driven by that special thing, that special pull that a mountain has on their soul.

We stayed awhile, took pictures and took in the forest-like surroundings feeling welcome and warm inside though our faces and fingers were numb to the bone. Thinking back I now understand why those tourists walking across the cold and windy Golden Gate Bridge chose to brave the conditions and make the walk; they wanted to see something that God made and take that feeling home in their hearts with them. Man makes roads, bridges and structures not so much for traveling on them and praising their construction, but for transporting us to a place where we can view God's creation unimpeded by our daily distractions.

$1 million bounty on cartoonist(s) who drew the Prophet Mohammed

Need a quick Million? Well all you gotta do is identify, capture and possibly kill a certain Danish artist or artists who pissed off devoted muslims with depictions of Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) in a cartoon. (click for full article)

One of the cartoons drawn was of Mohammed (Peace Be Uponn Him) wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb. How insensitive and childish can any artists be? And to think that the newspaper editors went with printing the blasphemous cartoons. Shame on them. Now of course they want to hide behind their Freedom of the press. France, with their uppity attitude, decided to reprint the cartoons again, after all the controversy and protests of late. That's just down right taunting if you ask me. What ever happened to morals and good judgement in journalism? Oops, I forgot, we haven't gotten to the point of responsible reporting yet. It's obvious that the journalistic world feels they've done nothing wrong. Here's what Blicher Bjerregaard, president of the Danish Journalist Union and spokesman for the cartoonists, had to say:

"It is totally absurd what is happening. The cartoonists just did their job and they did nothing illegal," he said.

Well Blicher B., I hate to tell you this but it's not a question of legality, but a question of right and wrong. It was wrong and unfortunately for your cartoonists, those who they pissed off don't play by your rules. Maybe Blicher needs to watch a few viewings of Scarface to get a better understanding of the word respect and what some will do to earn it.


Myself, I don't need that kind of blood money that badly, but I'm betting that someone, somewhere has already began plotting to collect the bounty. Kind of reminds me of that old Sam Peckinpah movie "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)." That title says it all really. Warren Oates stars as an American piano player stuck in rural Mexico. He hears about a large bounty on the head of Alfredo Garcia, a man who impregnated a wealthy landowner's daughter. He hits the road with his girlfriend (Isela Vega), but his trip soon turns into a murderous and nightmarishly personal odyssey. Oates winds up driving around with the head in a burlap bag swarming with flies, and talking to it (referring to it as "Al") as if it were the only soul in the world he can trust.

I wouldn't put it past the Danish artists' co-workers to at least consider turning them in for say half the money. Money like that brings out the cold heartedness of many a criminal. We do know one thing for sure, the coward cartoonists hiding behind freedom of the press will not be drawing any more blasphemous depictions of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) or any other religious figures that command respect no time soon.

So you still need a quick Million? Bring Me The Head Of .........

Welcome Back Coach Art Shell

Art Shell has never coached the Raiders in Oakland. Back in his Raiders coaching days they played in the L.A. Coliseum. So with the announcement of the new ticket pricing and purchasing system, do I pay more to get an up close and personal viewing of Art Shell roaming the Raiders sidelines? Or should I pay more for my same seat in section 322 where I've witnessed the highs and lows of past seasons? Some of my section 322 family may try looking for greener pastures via closer seating, but those of us who'll decide to stay put will have one thing to look forward to come next season; watching a Raider Legend/Hall of Famer coach our Raiders back to greatness.

Welcome Back to the Silver and Black Coach Art Shell!

Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers

Dropped balls and bad calls cost the Seattle Seahawks a Superbowl Championship. I give full credit to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning Superbowl XL. They found a way to win on a day when they weren't at their best. The Seattle Seahawks played a better game but were not able to take advantage of the opportunites given them. Ben Rothlisburger's third down and 20+ pass completion to Hines Ward (Superbowl XL MVP) was a deciding factor in the game.

Matt Hasslebeck played an MVP type game right up until his interception throw in the fourth quarter. That was a turning point in the game giving the Steelers a chance to run time off the clock while ahead by two scores.

Willie Parker's 75-yard touchdown run from scrimmage in the opening drive of the second half was a momentum switcher. The run was a superbowl record surpassing Raiders running back Marcus Allen's 74-yard run in Superbowl XVII against the Washington Redskins.

I believe Bill Cowher outcoached Mike Holmgren in the second half of the game. Bill Cowher created ways to get his offense into the endzone while Mike Holmgren wasn't as successful. Again, I question some of the calls that went against the Seattle Seahawks but their receivers did not step up to make plays when needed. They dropped passes at crucial times during the game.

Big Plays for Pittsburgh won them the game. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.

Congratulations Pittsburgh Steelers on winning Superbowl XL.

Final Score
Steelers 21
Seahawks 10

Raiderlegend's Superbowl XL Pick

One day until Superbowl XL. Through all the breakdowns, analysis and comparisons of the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers these past two weeks, nobody can convincingly argue why one team is better and should win the game. Everyone has an opinion but it seems all agree that it's anyones game.

The two deciding factors I've been hearing and agree with that will determine the winner are Quarterback play and Defense, which has been the theme for winning throughout the playoffs this season.

The X factor is the Offensive Line. If any team can get their running game going against the tough opposing defense, that could decide the outcome of the game.

I heard a radio interview with Hall of Famer Bubba Smith yesterday on KNBR680. Bubba, slow in speech yet still sharp in his analysis of football, said something I haven't heard anyone else point out. Bubba said that Pittsburgh hasn't seen an offensive line like Seattle's all season. Bubba pointed out that the Indianapolis Colts offensive line was good, however their offensive philosophy of passing first to set up the run allowed Pittsburgh to blitz often and drop their linebackers back into coverage. If I recall, the Indianapolis offense began clicking when Edgerrin James started getting the ball more. Seattle, with MVP RB Shaun Alexander, runs to setup the pass and their QB Hassleback has been very successful spreading the ball around to different receivers. If Mike Holmgren can win with running the ball he'll run it ninety-five percent of the time but since later in the season and into the playoffs Holmgren has shown more confidence in allowing his quarterback to throw the ball on plays that he'd traditionally call a running play.

For Pittsburgh to win they need Ben Rothlisburger to have a solid, mistake free game against a legitimate defense. Pittsburgh must get their playmaker Randal-EL involved in the game giving him a chance to make a big play. The Pittsburgh special teams could possibly save the day for them.

So that brings us to my pick.

As much as I want to see Jerome "The Bus" Bettis go out winning it all in his hometown with family and friends present, I'm picking the Seattle Seahawks to win Superbowl XL. The Pittsburh Steelers are a great organization from top to bottom, their fans are second best in the league to us Raiders fans and they're a blue collar team. But I believe that the Seahawk offense will put more points on the board than the Pittsburgh offense, thus establishing what is called in football a Win.

There is one other factor I had to figure in in making my decision; the one week bye between the championship games and the Superbowl is Pittsburgh's first in this years playoffs while Seattle had one in the first week of the wildcard round coming back to beat a tough Washington Redskins defense. How will the bye affect the Steelers, whose last bye was in week four of the regular season? And can the Seahawks defense capitalize early off an out-of-synch and/or cold Steelers offense?

This is why we watch the games!
Seahawks 28
Steelers 20

Jerry Rice Dancing Arguments

My good friend Deanguelo, a former Professional Dancer that could jump, kick and twirl with the best in his day, has commented on why Jerry Rice should be "Dancing with The Stars."

Deanguelo's Comments:
Jerry Rice is proving the "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" myth invalid. He's also having "fun" without the fear of further damaging his body. He will be forever lauded for his accomplishments, which cannot be disputed or overshadowed, unless he commits (or is accused of) murder.

Believe he can do anything. Believe You can do anything. Believe we can all do anything we wish to, as long as we do it for good, and in earnest. As for the power of 13 ... I was 13 on the day Jerry was born, on the 13th of October, which is my Father's birthday also, and my Mother was born in the 13th year.

Believe in Jerry Rice, because he believes in himself. And he will be remembered with all of the greatness that you admire . . .


My rebuttal comments to my former friend Deanguelo:

Well,

And just when did you become the expert on Jerry Rice? I know you're a former Professional Dancer and all, and you see Jerry's attempts at dancing as an extension of his greatness, but Mr. Deanguelo.........Stick to what you know....Dancing.

Jerry Rice is a football player, the greatest wide receiver that ever caught a football. He doesn't have to prove anything to anybody, least of all some phony judges on a primetime tv show. If Jerry wants to dance he should take his faithful and beautiful wife Jackie and rumba his way around the world. But to go on a dance competition tv show and make himself look like anything but the greatest receiver of all time is an embarassment to himself and football fans across the globe. It's like putting a saddle on a pig, the only reason anyone wants to see a pig with a saddle on its back is to laugh and joke about the oddity of it all. What'll we have next, Hilary Clinton in the Miss America Competition? I'm sure with a facelift, tummy tuck, breast job and calf-reduction she'll knock'em dead.

I have nothing against dancing competitions. And I have nothing against any celebrity, whether he be an athlete, musician, politician or actor, taking up dancing once they've retired from their profession. But when you've been the best in your profession and people are inspired by your accomplishments, don't belittle those accomplishments by saying that a few dance lessons and competitions were harder than the 18 years of participating in a profession that requires more of the human body than almost any other activity. And if you're going to dance because you wanna just have some fun then say just that. But don't go saying that this is your new proving grounds for greatness and compare it to football. I wonder how much they're paying Jerry to say and do the things he's doing on the show? He sold out if you ask me. He doesn't need the money, he doesn't need the fame and he doesn't need the exercise yet, so what is it? Why the dancing?

Maybe just to piss off loyal sports fans like myself off. I'll never except Jerry Rice on television selling himself out for a chance at dancing greatness. Never. I say we take a few dancers and put them on the football field as a receiver with some professional NFL players during a real game and judge how well they survive the punishment of being hit while trying to catch a football. We'll call the show DANCERS SEEING STARS.