- Can anyone explain to me why the Super Bowl is fast becoming the domain of the wealthy? Other than saying that they can afford to buy whatever they want and money talks, of course. I’m asking why the NFL is making it so that only the uber-rich can reasonably afford to attend their sport’s biggest game. Yes, I understand that the league is a business and the owners of its teams want to rake in as much money as possible, but could we please draw a line somewhere? Preferably, that line would have come before the official price of Super Bowl tickets reached $1,000, which they will for the first time for this upcoming Super Bowl. The greedy bastards at the NFL offices confirmed Thursday that 25 percent of the tickets for the Feb. 1 game in Tampa will be priced at $1,000. And no, I don’t put much stock in the hollow gesture of
pricing 1,000 tickets at Raymond James Stadium by $200 to $500, supposedly for the common fan. First off, those seats are so far away from the field that you need a high-powered telescope to follow the action. Second, 1,000 seats out of more than 70,000 isnt nearly enough. But I guess you could see this coming, what with tickets for last year's game in Glendale, Ariz., between the New England Patriots and New York Giants priced at $700 and $900, up from $600 and $700 the year before. Adding to that misery, At last year's game, the average price of tickets on StubHub for ducats was $4,300. Quite a departure from ticket prices for the first Super Bowl, played at the Los Angeles Coliseum 43 years ago, which were $6, $10 and $12. Inflation and greed took them over the $100 mark in 1988 and they’ve increased regularly since. But hey, maybe pool some money with your buddies, buy one tickets, split it four ways and you can each watch one quarter of the game….if you can find a way to exit and enter with the same ticket, that is…..
- Gotta say, I am not feeling too good about your security right about now, France. Having hackers access your president’s bank account does not say good things about your ability to keep law and order within your borders (or cyber-borders). Government spokesman Luc Chatel admitted that an investigation is underway and insists the incident “proves that this system of checking (bank accounts) via the Internet isn't infallible.” You needed someone to hack Nikolas Sarkozy’s bank account to learn that online banking isn’t infallible? Dude, your average American soccer mom who does online banking each week could have told you that. That’s something you should have known and thus put in an extra level of security or two, given whose personal assets and data you are supposed to be protecting. It’s being reported that that thieves seized Sarkozy's bank account information and stole small sums of money from him. In predictable and true French fashion, Sarkozy’s bank account surrendered the funds at the first hint of danger. Sarkozy reported the theft last month, but so far the responsible parties haven't been found. But nice of French Cabinet spokesman Chatel to label them says “swindlers” who have broken into the personal bank account of Sarkozy. Swindlers? Dude, we’re in the 21st century now. Swindlers went out right around the time derby hats and handlebar mustaches lost their popularity. Get with it, Frenchies, and start protecting your president’s assets better…….
- It appears that the ladies (and moviegoers in general) still love Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg's action flick “Max Payne” debuted with $18 million to beat down avid conspiracy theorist and druggie Oliver Stone's biography of our un-esteemed leader W. In fact, “W.” actually ran fourth, opening with $10.6 million and finishing behind certified piece of crap “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” (No. 2 with $11.2 million) and the chick flick "The Secret Life of Bees" (No. 3 with $11.1 million). Honestly, I’m bummed that W. finished so low in the rankings, because any film ripping the worst leader in the history of the free world is cool with me. Yes, it’s a film all about W., but he’s not making any money from the film and it’s critical of him. The movie stars Josh Brolin as W., and averaged a solid but unremarkable $5,197 a theater. It only started shooting in May, with a five-month turnaround time a very tight production schedule by Hollywood standards. So here’s how the top 10 shook down, top to bottom: 1) "Max Payne," $18 million, 2) "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," $11.2 million, 3) "The Secret Life of Bees," $11.1 million, 4) "W.," $10.6 million, 5) "Eagle Eye," $7.3 million, 6) "Body of Lies," $6.9 million, 7) "Quarantine," $6.3 million, 8) "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," $3.9 million, 9) "Sex Drive," $3.6 million, 10) "Nights in Rodanthe," $2.7 million. An inspiring top 10? No, but there are a few good ones in there, so overall not a terrible weekend at the movies……
- Here is a sad story, to be sure. Last season, University of North Carolina-Asheville basketball player Kenny George received a lot of notoriety because at 7-foot-7, he was college basketball's tallest player and averaged 12.4 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs. He was the Big South's defensive player of the year and he led his team to a school record 23 wins. Unfortunately, this offseason, specifically the past few weeks, have been very, very difficult for a guy who is, by all accounts, a solid guy. It was confirmed this week that George had part of his right foot amputated three weeks ago as the result of George's battle with MRSA, a difficult to treat and sometimes life-threatening antibiotic-resistant staph infection. The infection came in August after George returned to his Chicago home from Pete Newell's Big Man Camp in Las Vegas with an infection in his foot. Immediately, doctors suggested that George see a specialist. He's been hospitalized in Iowa since then, the source said, enduring several surgeries and even battling for his life at one point. Even three weeks removed from the amputation, he's expected to remain in the hospital for at least another month.
His coach, Eddie Biedenbach, declined to comment about the specifics but said he expects George to return to campus next semester and complete his degree in mass communications. “This is a terrible setback for his basketball life but there is so much more to him than basketball,'” Biedenbach said. Agreed, coach. This is a really sad turn of events for a young guy with so much promise, but hopefully George will find a way to remain involved with basketball if he chooses and is successful with whatever he does outside of the game. Best wishes for a full recovery, Kenny, thoughts and prayers…..
- Everybody hop on board….the domestic abuse train? Sadly, it’s true that 1970s TV icon Don Cornelius, the former host of “Soul Train,” was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence Saturday. Police were called to his Hollywood Hills home Friday after someone reported a domestic dispute and Cornelius was taken to jail. There, he was booked for investigation of felony domestic violence and released on $50,000 bail. The judge also ordered him to appear in court next month. At this point, police aren’t saying whom Cornelius was suspected of assaulting. This is not cool if it is true, because this is a guy who started "Soul Train" in 1970 to showcase black music and culture, and now he’s turning into the next Ike Turner? For God’s sake, Cornelius, you introduced television audiences to legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White. Shake yourself and stop smacking around you lady friends, bro. Your creation spawned a franchise that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest. Even though you stepped down as "Soul Train" host in 1993, you remain an icon of black culture in America and seeing you getting your butt hauled off to jail and your mug shot taken isn’t good for anyone, my man….
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