tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388172030189623072024-03-13T21:20:00.130-04:00Unbridled InquiryThe ranting of an opinionated college student, sports fan, music lover, and dedicated Libertarian.Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-3304434929789918252009-07-17T10:16:00.003-04:002009-07-17T10:34:18.049-04:00Bob Gibson > MSM<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've mentioned my thoughts </span></span><a href="http://unbridledinquiry.blogspot.com/2009/05/vote-for-manny.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on the lame moralistic postition most of the mainstream sports media has taken on the steroid issue, and now I've seen that </span></span><a href="http://bases.newsvine.com/_news/2009/07/15/3027905-quote-of-the-day-bob-gibson-re-steroids?category=sports"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hall of Famer Bob Gibson has put my thoughts into words</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> better than I ever could have myself (hat tip to Shysterball):</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><blockquote></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Guys have always been cheating. Period. It just takes a little different form today. I'm just glad they didn't have steroids when I was playing. I don't know what I would have done. It's very difficult to go out and perform when you know the guy next to you is taking steroids or some kind of drug to make you perform better and not do it yourself, to let this guy get an edge on you . . .</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. . . I don't know that I really criticize the guys. Whoever the first guy is that started it, that's the guy I criticize. The rest of the guys just followed suit. I don't think its OK. I'm not sanctioning it, but I understand why it happens.</span></span></p></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; ">Bob Gibson just became one of my favorite Hall of Famers.</span></p><div><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-42652341657736041002009-07-02T17:20:00.010-04:002009-07-09T00:12:22.664-04:00Time to Get Serious on Sano<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The </span></span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/06/the-international-signing-period.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">international signing period</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> begins today, and now we get to find out how serious the O's were about their interest in Dominican infielder Miguel Angel Sano. The teams rumored to be at the front of the line for Sano continue to be Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Baltimore, with the Pirates reportedly </span></span><a href="http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/default.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">already making their first offer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Sano is expected to command something in the neighborhood of $3MM, which may work in the Orioles' favor as the Pirates and Twins are notoriously stingy clubs. If Pittsburgh balks at Sano's initial demands, the O's may have an opportunity to snag him. Now that the signing period has officially begun, it will be interesting to see the O's actual level of interest after publicly admitting being impressed by the prospect.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Update 7/7/09: The picture continues to get clearer on where Sano will land. </span></span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/07/miguel-angel-sano-rumors-monday.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MLBTR relays reports from ESPN's Jorge Arangure</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that the Twins have all but fallen out of contention, leaving the Pirates and Orioles as the most likely suitors. The Orioles, however, </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/jorgearangure/status/2506458401"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">see Sano as a "late-first-round talent"</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, making them unlikely to offer the Dominican his rumored $4MM asking price. </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/jorgearangure/status/2507147216"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Arangure also speculates</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that the defection of Cuban prospect Aroldis Chapman, who is likely to command a signing bonus over $30MM, makes any last minute offers for Sano unlikely. The thinking here is that the Pirates remain in the lead to sign him. You can bet nothing significant will happen until </span></span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4271392&name=arangure_jorge_jr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the investigation into Sano's age</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by MLB is resolved.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Update II 7/8/09: The O's are reportedly </span></span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/07/os-could-offer-sano-a-deal-soon.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">close to making an official offer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to Sano. Interestingly, the offer is </span></span><a href="http://masnsports.com/2009/07/os-still-interested-in-sano.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">rumored to be</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for a larger bonus than they gave first round pick </span></span><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090627&content_id=5564700&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal&partnerId=rss_bal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Matt Hobgood</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. If this is true, an offer more than Matt Hobgood's $2.42MM would likely challenge that of Pittsburgh, who's international signing bonus budget is </span></span><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090701&content_id=5649994&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">just $2MM</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></i></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-555384717583621352009-06-28T12:03:00.004-04:002009-07-02T17:48:43.608-04:00Bergesen, Reimold, Trembley<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Want to pass along </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-underrated-brad-bergesen"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this FanGraphs article</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on the "underrated" Brad Bergesen. Bergy has been something of a surprise because of his 89 mph fastball and lack of a swing-and-miss pitch, but his efficiency at getting ground balls has lead to a 3.76 ERA in 12 starts. The most notable part of the article: </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">However, the strikeout obsession has led to a lot of missed evaluations on groundball specialists, and Bergesen is proving to be exactly that. Pitch F/x shows that his fastball has similar amounts of vertical movement to some guy named </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1303&position=P" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Roy Halladay</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, so we shouldn’t be terribly surprised that Bergesen has a 54% groundball rate through his first twelve major league starts.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If Bergesen can keep piling on wins and keep that ERA under 4.00, he could be in the running for rookie of the year come September. His biggest competition may be fellow Oriole Nolan Reimold, who smashed his ninth home run last night and now sports a line of .293/.374/.553 in 123 at-bats. Reimold's success has lead to me pulling my hair out about twice a week when Dave Trembley inexplicably has him on the bench. This has been a growing concern for me throughout the season, as Trembley seems to want to get guys playing time like he's a Little League manager. The MASN talking-heads feed this stupidity by saying things like "getting guys at-bats." Well excuse me, but I couldn't care less how many at-bats Ty Wigginton or Oscar Salazar get. Put the lineup out there that gives you the best chance to win every night, with the occasional day off as needed. Rookie status shouldn't matter either, especially in Reimold's case, as he clearly doesn't need to be "eased" into MLB pitching with one of the best triple slash lines on the team. The guy is 25 years old and spent around 1200 at-bats in the minor leagues. He's either ready or he isn't. Then again, nothing Trembley does surprises me these days after </span></span><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=290625128"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">he batted Ty Wigginton cleanup</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. That's Ty Wigginton, he of the .261/.304/.389 line. Guys slugging .389 don't belong in your lineup, much less in the 4 hole. Hopefully Dave cuts that stuff out when the cavalry from the minors comes and this team starts to be relevant again, or MacPhail should find another manager.</span></span></span><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Update: Bergesen made those FanGraphs guys look pretty smart, as a day after their article on him he shut down the Red Sox to the tune of 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.</span></span></i></span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-58416228827545325572009-06-25T13:39:00.005-04:002009-06-25T18:42:01.704-04:00Philandering Phail<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrbAk1TADyoK_8BNXevi26dBMu8bCkgt5K3shg15OGGq7geo5kAEkr6tQFrVfEsPR-2RrJzqCmHNadPVTl5dhj7IsOqBz0VJHecBZWBN_s2ytDAhru0iHih3cQECgFYQgVEeRbvxH-Y8/s1600-h/mark_sanford_president_2012_tshirt-p235453805586585065qmbd_400.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrbAk1TADyoK_8BNXevi26dBMu8bCkgt5K3shg15OGGq7geo5kAEkr6tQFrVfEsPR-2RrJzqCmHNadPVTl5dhj7IsOqBz0VJHecBZWBN_s2ytDAhru0iHih3cQECgFYQgVEeRbvxH-Y8/s200/mark_sanford_president_2012_tshirt-p235453805586585065qmbd_400.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351341784420013890" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just when you thought the blog was going exclusively to sports topics, I can't help but chuckle </span></span><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090625/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_governor_where"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">at this Mark Sanford business</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. At first I was angry at the possibility that Governor Sanford used taxpayer resources for his adulterous trip to Argentina, but the more that comes out about this story the more humorous it is to me.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am a registered Republican, but I have no personal stake in the success of the party. I'm not getting as worked-up, therefore, </span></span><a href="http://michellemalkin.com/2009/06/24/bastard/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">as many movement conservatives</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I think a lot of the outrage from the Right comes from </span></span><a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e87e39f2-6112-11de-aa12-00144feabdc0.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">their hope that he would challenge Obama in 2012</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, a hope which Sanford has now destroyed. Do I think he is an asshole for lying and deceiving his wife and children? Yes. But come down from the moral high ground for just a minute and read the facts of this story again and see if you can resist cracking a smile. Here, I'll summarize them for you:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Mark Sanford is (was) governor of South Carolina.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Mark Sanford was unavailable to the media or colleagues for five days, with an explanation from his staff that he was "writing" or "hiking on the Appalachian trail." </span></span><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jJjV71Q0LNUACQ7n5hoiOwO2gshgD991RT2O0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When asked by the AP</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> if they had had any contact whatsoever with Sanford, his staff replied "no." The media and fellow elected officials openly questioned his absence. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. After being spotted at Atlanta airport, </span></span><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=applacian%20trail%20to%20atl"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">which is roughly 275 miles from the Appalachian Trail</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Sanford was confronted by </span></span><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/25/746533/-Maddow:-E-mails-may-have-forced-Sanfords-hand"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a reporter who had a hunch at his whereabouts</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> after being sent alleged </span></span><a href="http://www.thestate.com/sanford/story/839350.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">emails between Sanford and the woman</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> from an anonymous source. Sanford claimed to the reporter that he had suddenly changed his mind about hiking and went to Argentina instead to "enjoy the coast," apparently telling no one including his staff or family where he was going. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. After the encounter, the newspaper contacted Sanford's office about the emails, leading to a confession from Sanford...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Wait for it...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Mark Sanford, the Governor of South Carolina, secretly traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">five</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">days</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> where he gallivanted with an Argentinian mistress with whom he had had an extended affair. Emails between the two lovers have been made public.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I can hear Seth Meyers on SNL now: Really Mark Sanford? Really? You thought, as a governor, you could disappear to South America for five days to cheat on your wife and no one would notice? Really? In a time when many people keep the world abreast of their minute to minute activities via "tweets" and status updates you thought you could just, you know, fly down to Argentina for almost a week and get away with it? And then when you're caught red-handed at the airport your excuse is something like "well, I meant to go hiking, but I, err, decided to enjoy the Argentine coast instead." Oh, and didn't you cite "moral legitimacy" when you voted for President Clinton's impeachment as a member of the House?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some people are </span></span><a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/story/798524.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">calling</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for Sanford to step down. Uh, yeah?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Update: </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-sanford26-2009jun26,0,5034948.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It turns out</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Sanford did visit his mistress during official state business during an economic trip to Argentina. That isn't so funny.</span></i></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-54598512512486352912009-06-20T10:26:00.003-04:002009-06-20T11:00:08.989-04:00Brandon Marshall Redux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-AmJfOCvjsAHiZubVPupBn4qOmJO_8eahvuL3JG74haP5MNGklNFmkX3vdaZh-A5HRy_QM0Fui4ZwIPHalQl608ZvdCypzcSFX6wQ73EvAqhWBb-D6K2J13mgeVr9rxkRAFM0PrC-Z4/s1600-h/Football+Receiver.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-AmJfOCvjsAHiZubVPupBn4qOmJO_8eahvuL3JG74haP5MNGklNFmkX3vdaZh-A5HRy_QM0Fui4ZwIPHalQl608ZvdCypzcSFX6wQ73EvAqhWBb-D6K2J13mgeVr9rxkRAFM0PrC-Z4/s320/Football+Receiver.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349423662428425666" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />The Sun posted a </span></span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-marshall0616,0,870414.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">timeline of Brandon Marshall's off the field history</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. The link speaks for itself, but notice there are thirteen notable incidents for a player entering his fourth NFL season.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Read that timeline and ask yourself if you want the Ravens to trade their 2010 1st round choice (probably more) to acquire him and then commit $9 million a year to extend his contract.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-4104800689038388742009-06-16T18:27:00.005-04:002009-06-16T19:07:48.388-04:00I'd Rather Have T.O.<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-ravens616,0,2680146.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is word from the Baltimore Sun's Jamison Hensley</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that the Ravens are "doing their homework" on disgruntled Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, but have not made contact with his agent. That should be some pretty easy and short-lived homework given Marshall's criminal record, which includes four arrests since 2004. ESPN's Outside the Lines </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4A756xTC0s"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">has detailed his multiple counts of domestic battery</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Marshall has also been </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Marshall#Legal_trouble"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">charged with assaulting a police officer and DUI.</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Depending on the results of his pending battery charges, the NFL may suspend Marshall under their personal conduct policy.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With the rumored price for Marshall being 1st and 3rd round draft choices, this seems like an obvious "no thanks" situation for Ozzie Newsome. There's no doubting Marshall's talent, as </span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=9705"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">he's had over 100 catches his last two seasons</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but he would contradict coach Harbaugh's focus on character and accountability from Ravens players. Actually, with Marshall's record, it doesn't matter who the coach is. He's just a bad guy. Lastly, wouldn't 1st and 3rd round picks be better spent on Anquan Boldin? I just can't see this one happening.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-40251960936317302772009-06-16T14:50:00.003-04:002009-06-16T15:27:47.112-04:00Apparently You Can Drive Drunk and Kill a Guy and Only Get 30 Days In Jail<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Browns WR Donte' Stallworth was </span></span><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-stallworth-pedestriankilled&prov=ap&type=lgns"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on Tuesday. I don't have any long-winded thoughts on this other than to say that Donte' Stallworth is a scumbag and the way our judicial system works just brings me down. I've seen </span></span><a href="http://norml.org/index.cfm?wtm_view=&Group_ID=4566"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">longer jail time for possession of marijuana</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. The arrangement allows Stallworth to continue his NFL career uninterrupted. The only way I would allow that if I was the judge would be if I forced him to fork over 90% of his game checks to the Reyes family until the end of his career. At the very least I would make him sign over that $4.5 million roster bonus he got from the Browns the night before the crash.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hope he can stay healthy enough to be on the field for Ray Lewis or Terrell Suggs to put him on his back.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-60497635234034119512009-06-13T14:57:00.004-04:002009-06-13T23:49:32.242-04:00Yankees Enter Sano Sweepstakes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wrote </span></span><a href="http://unbridledinquiry.blogspot.com/2009/06/os-workout-dominican-phenom-sano.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> about a week ago that the O's were considering Dominican phenom Miguel Angel Sano. The Pirates, Indians, and Twins are also known to be interested, with Pittsburgh rumored to be the frontrunner to land the 16-year-old infielder. The Pirates are </span></span><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09137/970744-63.stm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">apparently preparing an offer as high as $4 million</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I took the O's interest in Sano as a sign that MacPhail is serious about upgrading the team's presence in the area, but only if they are going to make him a serious offer. What may be considered a serious offer may have just gotten more complicated, as MLBTR reports via ESPN's Jorge Arangure that </span></span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/06/yankees-thinking-sano.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Yankees are now interested in Sano</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Arangure claimed via Twitter however that the Yankees are not willing to go as high as $4 million if that is indeed the price. Excuse me if I reserve judgment on what the Bombers are willing to spend on </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/introducing-miguel-angel-sano/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a prospect as highly regarded as Sano</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. If the Pirates end up out-spending NYY to land him, that chill you'll feel will be </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Freezes-Over-Eagles/dp/B000000OU0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hell freezing over</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Update: </span></span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-osnotes0613,0,3100973.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The O's are holding a three-day workout for Sano</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> June 22-24 that will be attended by director of international scouting John Stockstill. Jeff Zrebiec reports that the team is showing "significant" interest in Sano.</span></span></i></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-76743200822946793592009-06-12T15:49:00.002-04:002009-06-12T15:57:56.330-04:00Broadcaster Bullshit<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wanted to pass along </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/baseball-events-isolated-and-guaranteed/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this FanGraphs article</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that perfectly articulates my thoughts on 99% of MLB commentary. It's frustrating because baseball is a sport brimming with useful statistics that really make the game interesting, and most of them are completely ignored by broadcasters. Sadly our own Buck Martinez and Gary Thorne are perfect examples of this, making going to the games (and the mute button) all the more valuable.</span></span>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-77414158564650212532009-06-12T14:03:00.003-04:002009-06-12T14:36:57.149-04:00O's Game Tonight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zaxH4TmCslbUP1FGxbS0wCIPuuaw0nm_wWFxVEmep32IFJUVLJEed2lQqEUHuiDfWLtEMzFBlaWuD_EKaUG1w9XZXxiV0sTsoLTJUjriThv-6Y8kqBDkFk8gg9NClDdGZxLhzKnHNbU/s1600-h/floppy_hat_180x150.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zaxH4TmCslbUP1FGxbS0wCIPuuaw0nm_wWFxVEmep32IFJUVLJEed2lQqEUHuiDfWLtEMzFBlaWuD_EKaUG1w9XZXxiV0sTsoLTJUjriThv-6Y8kqBDkFk8gg9NClDdGZxLhzKnHNbU/s320/floppy_hat_180x150.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346510531482126850" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well the </span></span><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290611019"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lakers won a thrilling game 4</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to take a 3-1 series lead and </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=663004361&v=feed&story_fbid=92019592076"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">we sold our house today</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, so needless to say I'm in a pretty good mood. It's also a beautiful day for baseball, and I'll be at Camden Yards tonight to see the </span></span><a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=290612101"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">O's take on the Braves</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I'm looking forward to this game more than most as tonight is floppy hat night (it's reversible!) and I'll get a look at the </span></span><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192604-let-the-tommy-hanson-era-begin"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">much hyped</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Tommy Hanson for Atlanta. Jason Berken goes for Birds, pitting rookie against rookie. Berken got shelled in his last start, lasting just 3.1 innings and allowing 9 earned in the loss. Berken will try to rebound against Chipper Jones and the Braves, who have won 7 of their last 8 against the O's.</span></span>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-84084596752129468312009-06-07T23:23:00.005-04:002009-06-08T02:02:05.831-04:00Good God Get the O's Away from the West Coast.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpHTBvUNmv0y_TekiUUO_dp-jj7mMxlN07-xFUV9yXpUYnGrmILUOAmB6KE-JJGE3XftEm1Mzh6mdWo3MjSnCYwYQgIvx_Nvv43YgmH3ssDUItYy6R-8S_MjfFC7CvBrBHQZDjjcrqBQ/s1600-h/milkcarton.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpHTBvUNmv0y_TekiUUO_dp-jj7mMxlN07-xFUV9yXpUYnGrmILUOAmB6KE-JJGE3XftEm1Mzh6mdWo3MjSnCYwYQgIvx_Nvv43YgmH3ssDUItYy6R-8S_MjfFC7CvBrBHQZDjjcrqBQ/s320/milkcarton.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344832257111659154" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><a href="http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090605&content_id=5164950&vkey=recap&fext=null&c_id=bal" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Orioles were swept by the A's over the weekend</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, completing an ugly west coast road trip with a 1-5 record while getting outscored 22-10. Deconstructing the Oakland series:</span></span></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Good</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Despite getting thoroughly handled at every point in the series (the O's didn't hold a lead for a single inning), there are some positives to dig out the wreckage.</span></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nolan Reimold continues to hit.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While Matt Wieters is struggling at the plate to start his major league career, fellow rookie Reimold has hit the ground running. Reimold had 2 hits including a 3-run HR in one start and two pinch hit appearances in the series. In his first 72 major league at-bats, the left fielder has hit .280/.325/.556 with 6 home runs. The OBP is low, but figures to improve </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3441&position=OF"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">given his strong OBP numbers in AA and AAA</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. The encouraging aspect of Reimold's start is the power, homering once every 12 at-bats and compiling the third best SLG on the team behind Luke Scott (.672) and Adam Jones (.597). It's a small sample size but a promising start nonetheless from the 25-year-old outfielder.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The bullpen was lights out.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mark Hendrickson, Matt Albers, Alberto Castillo, Brian Bass, David Hernandez, Danys Baez, George Sherrill, and Jim Johnson allowed a combined 3 earned runs in 18.1 innings. All three of those runs were allowed by Hendrickson on a 3 run HR by Matt Holliday on Friday. Take out Hendrickson's 3.1 inning appearance, and the bullpen tossed 15 innings of scoreless baseball. It should be noted that </span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/aggregate?sort=avg&split=0&group=9&season=2009&seasonType=2&statType=batting&type=reg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the A's have the 28th worst team batting average in MLB</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but the bullpen's performance is encouraging nonetheless, especially given the precarious position they were put in by the starters as is detailed later in this post.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Bad</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The offense.</span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The offense mustered 20 hits in 100 at-bats for a pathetic .200 BA in the series. Two of the games were against rookie starters. Luke Scott, Adam Jones, and Nolan Reimold were the only bats that even remotely showed up. The offense scored 5 runs in 3 games. Perhaps most disturbing was the lineup's lack of patience, as the team walked a total of 3 times in the series. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Three. </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The 2009 Orioles are not a playoff team, or a great team, or even a good team. The one thing they are supposed to be able to do, however, is score runs, with some all-star caliber hitters in the lineup. You wouldn't know that from watching them the last week.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Ugly</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The starting pitching.</span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Starters Jeremy Guthrie, Jason Berken, and Rich Hill threw a combined 4.2 innings and allowed 18 earned runs in the series. 4.2 innings, 18 ER. No one is going to confuse this rotation with the 1971 version (four 20-game winners). Still, against an Oakland team with a collective .242 BA and playing in one of the most favorable parks to pitchers in the majors, the performances are alarming. It's especially disappointing coming from Guthrie, who is supposed to be team's rock in the rotation, and Hill, who has easily the best stuff of the five starters. Hill was coming off a start in Seattle in which he had pitched 7+ shutout innings. Guthrie's start ballooned his ERA to 5.61, which is going to be a sticking point to potential trade partners if MacPhail ever gets serious about moving him. As a rookie who is not considered a prospect, Berken's performance can be more easily ignored. It's weekends like this that make the arrivals of the Big Three of Tillman, Matusz, and Arietta all the more tantalizing. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hopefully coming home is the best medicine for the O's, who host Seattle, Atlanta, and the NY Mets in the next ten days.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-84728952931522350892009-06-07T19:09:00.004-04:002009-06-07T20:01:24.504-04:00O's Workout Dominican Phenom Sano<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is word from the Baltimore Sun's Jeff </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Zrebiec</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that </span></span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-short606,0,5429145.story?track=rss"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Orioles worked out 16-year-old shortstop Miguel Angel </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sano</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> at their baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sano</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is reportedly garnering interest from a number of other clubs, with the Pittsburgh Pirates as the most enthusiastic </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">suitor</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is yet another subtle indication that the Andy </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MacPhail</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> era is a marked change from the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">modus</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">operandi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of the various regimes that have overseen more than a decade of losing baseball in Baltimore. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MacPhail</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> has made it a priority to improve the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">O's</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> dreadful international scouting department, both in Asia and Latin America. We have already begun to see the fruits of the former, as Japanese native </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=9227&position=P"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Koji</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Uehara</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> has been one of the club's most reliable starters on a staff filled with kids and upstarts. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sano</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> could be the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">O's</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> first major step forward in Latin America.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-78645295121307147782009-06-05T15:49:00.005-04:002009-06-05T16:09:23.547-04:00Walker Released<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Orioles </span></span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/06/orioles-to-release-jamie-walker.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">released lefty reliever Jamie Walker today</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and this was an obvious move. Walker is paid to do one thing: get left-handed hitters out. Check out what lefties are hitting against him so far this season: .458/.462/1.042 for a whopping 1.502 OPS. Yikes. Many days Andy MacPhail's job is hard, </span></span><a href="http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090505&content_id=4568590&c_id=bal&vkey=news_bal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">like deciding what to with Felix Pie</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but sometimes the answers are </span></span><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?n1=walkeja01&year=2009&t=p#plato"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">just that easy</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The benefit of Walker's release, other than getting an ineffective pitcher off the roster, is that it makes it easier to keep the likes of Berken, Hernandez, and Bergesen in the big leagues where they belong.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-70484591003979717502009-06-05T15:29:00.005-04:002009-06-05T15:47:53.980-04:00MacPhail on the Draft<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The June 9 MLB Draft is quickly approaching, and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><a href="http://www.masnsports.com/" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Steve Melewski</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> over at MASN had an </span></span><a href="http://masnsports.com/2009/06/andy-macphail-on-the-draft.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">interesting interview with Andy MacPhail</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on that topic. Probably the most important thing to take from the interview was MacPhail's assertion that the O's will continue to ignore MLB's asinine slot recommendations for rookie bonuses. Just remember if the O's listened to MLB on draft bonuses, neither top prospect Brian Matusz or Matt Wieters would be Orioles today. With the 5th pick this year the O's have a shot at </span></span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlbdraft/player?id=18849&draftyear=2009"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">right-hander Aaron Crow</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, who was actually the 9th pick of Washington in last year's draft but failed to sign with the management-challenged Nationals. Crow is attractive because he promises to move quickly through the minors and could join Matusz, Tillman, and Arietta in the majors in 2010. </span></span></span>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-1507835266608524192009-06-05T14:56:00.006-04:002009-06-05T16:31:33.816-04:00Guthrie on the Move?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The O's are apparently </span></span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/06/rosenthal-on-guthrie-rangers-glaus.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">entertaining the idea of moving Jeremy Guthrie</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (hat tip to MLBTR), which is interesting for a couple reasons:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Guthrie's value is a little inflated because his salary this season is just $650K, which makes him more attractive to budget-conscious contenders (the Brewers, Reds, Rays, and Twins come to mind). </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. While he is technically the O's staff ace, his future place in the rotation is a bit more murky. In a good rotation he really slots in more as a 4th-5th starter, and as the O's young arms continue to bubble to the surface, he becomes more and more expendable.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My initial reaction to the possibility of trading Guthrie was "no way," if only because he has been the O's lone dependable starter for about two seasons now. A closer look reveals that his value may never be higher to the O's, at a time when his arbitration numbers will continue to increase and he approaches free agency. I think the haul for Guthrie, given what he really is, could be a pleasant surprise. Considering Philadelphia's pitching woes, MacPhail should have Phil's GM Ruben Amaro on speed dial.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">From the same article there is word that Danys Baez is more likely to be traded. Personally I think Baez is fool's gold, but he has reestablished some value by having a </span></span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=367&position=P"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">decent start to the season</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-41008951035198381872009-05-29T13:47:00.003-04:002009-05-29T13:55:15.354-04:00Wieters Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll be tweeting from Camden Yards tonight with game updates and commentary on Matt Wieters' at-bats. I'll probably take a few low-quality mobile pictures as well. Really am stoked to see this guy play, even if it's just one game and means nothing in the big picture. I'm equally excited to see another rookie, LF Nolan Reimold, </span></span><a href="http://www.myvalleysports.com/content/headlines/story/Nolan-Reimold-Hits-a-HR-In-3rd-Straight-Game/XnDGtU0Ywka6PedhtcokGA.cspx?rss=1713"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">who has homered in three straight games</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As Baltimore Sun sports writer Jamison Hensley points out, </span></span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-sp.flacco29may29,0,2787235.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wieters can only hope to have a debut as successful as a former rookie for another Baltimore sports team</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-76280678336870694332009-05-28T16:14:00.008-04:002009-05-28T18:17:54.774-04:00Vote for Manny!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXM0avN3jAkd1NuJ-jrgMPBrPM1LPBQVab5C8k9uSX7pErC5rIiVl-8Ll6ZO3HngtPOVIDq18xu-NnscrUC_L_Jt4ll3nmPnauhZu7asffeJikRYh6yTn5rt6DFbTskJkdNV_OGjnAd8/s1600-h/all-star.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXM0avN3jAkd1NuJ-jrgMPBrPM1LPBQVab5C8k9uSX7pErC5rIiVl-8Ll6ZO3HngtPOVIDq18xu-NnscrUC_L_Jt4ll3nmPnauhZu7asffeJikRYh6yTn5rt6DFbTskJkdNV_OGjnAd8/s400/all-star.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340979057701924898" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is easily the longest break I've taken from posting anything here, but as summer drags on and I still can't find a job, I guess this is one way I can busy myself in the meantime.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Voting for the MLB All-Star game has begun, and there's been some </span></span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers-fyi27,0,6892751.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hooplah</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> over how many votes Manny Ramirez has garnered despite his </span></span><a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9547972/Manny-suspended-50-games-for-positive-PED-test"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">50 game suspension for testing positive for PEDs.</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> He currently has the fourth most votes among NL outfielders. Ramirez's suspension is due to end ten games before the All-Star game, and his presence in the game would not techincally violate any MLB rules, as players are chosen for the game based only on fan voting. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let me just say I hope he gets voted in, if only to stick it to Bud Selig and MLB who never fail to amaze me with how they conduct business, especially in regard to PEDs. Instead of going into a long-winded explanation about why I feel this way, I'll simply say this: I have always felt the moralistic view of steroids promoted by MLB and the media is a complete farce, to say nothing of the fact that the public's view of steroids and how they effect players </span></span><a href="http://www.reason.com/news/show/28645.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tends to be far from the reality</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Also, baseball "purists" tend to forget that it is the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All-Star</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> game, and the fans have the right to see whoeever they want play in it. I encourage you to visit the </span></span><a href="http://voteformanny.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vote For Manny</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> website for a more comprehensive reason why some of us baseball fans are hoping he gets voted into the game.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My All-Star votes tend to be a combination of the best players and the guys I'd most like to see in the game, usually Orioles, and yes, I voted for Manny, as you can see above. You can vote for Manny and all your other favorite players </span></span><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/ballot_reg.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-9463895927263020212008-12-03T14:05:00.011-05:002009-07-08T01:46:11.176-04:00Best Guitarists<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I tend to surround myself with other music lovers, many of whom share my preference for guitar-centered classic and alternative rock bands. The debate invariably surfaces among us about who the greatest guitarists of all time are, and the subject tends to bring some strong opinions to the table. I've had the argument so many times now that I think it's time to publish my definitive personal list for the five greatest guitarists who ever lived so that maybe I can stop repeating myself. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The criteria for making my list includes a combination of the following:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Technical skill</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Quality of music (this is biased, but an unavoidable one. Hey, it's MY list)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Emotion (kind of subjective, but refer to reasoning above)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Influence on other musicians </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Stage presence</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And now, on to the list:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jimi</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Hendrix</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Jimi</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Hendrix Experience, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, Band of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gypsys</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Curtis Knight and the Squires, solo)</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UsgHyauIUZY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UsgHyauIUZY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The man is a legend, and for good reason. His </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">technical</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> skill was off the charts; he could play guitar with his teeth about as well as anyone could play guitar period (see video). He introduced or refined a number of techniques to the electric guitar that have become staples since his time, especially the effects of distortion and feedback. He is revered in the guitar world for his complete lack of fear in trying new things, and his courage lead to the development of amplifier and pedal techniques that are still heavily used today. The quality of his music was similarly incredible; Bob Dylan may have created "All Along the Watchtower," but Hendrix perfected it, and songs like "Voodoo Child," "Fire," "Purple Haze," and "Machine Gun" deserve every bit of popularity they have acquired. Some of Hendrix's solos are boiling over with emotion, especially the anti-war "Machine Gun." It seems cliche, but few guitarists become "one" with their guitars quite like Hendrix did. His expertise had huge ripple effects; his influence casts perhaps the widest net of anyone on this list, with influences in blues, hard rock, heavy metal, and funk. Bands such as The Who and Cream, among many others, have </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">specifically</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> referenced Hendrix as </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">inspiration</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for their music. As far as stage presence is concerned, few in any genre of music approach him (Freddie Mercury and Robert Plant come to mind). His performance at Woodstock speaks for itself, and his "Live at Fillmore East" album remains in my opinion one of the best live albums ever recorded. Given my criterion for greatness in "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">guitaritry</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">," Hendrix is an easy choice for number one, as he incredible in every category.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Eric Clapton</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Yardbirds</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Cream, Derek and the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Dominos</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, solo)</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D2sfelvHAlU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D2sfelvHAlU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Often times the debate boils down to Hendrix and Clapton, and there is certainly an argument to be made for </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Slowhand</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> being the best ever (or at least having the coolest nickname). His </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">technical</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> skill is strong, for proof of that just listen to "Layla" or "Crossroads" and prepare to be amazed by what he can do with a guitar. The quality of his music may be even stronger than Hendrix, the man has sold a gazillion albums for a reason, and what might be most impressive is his ability to churn out hits from multiple genres on one album. Clapton's strongest attribute is emotion; some of his songs are just dripping with feeling (watch him play "Tears in Heaven," a ballad about the death of his young son, and try to come up with an artist who injects more emotion into his music. Good luck.). As far as influence goes, the man is a blues legend, and he has effected </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">psychedelic</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> rock, blues-rock, and pop music in similar ways. When Clapton performs, even in </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">collaboration</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> with other bands or artists, his guitar nearly always dominates the stage, and some of his deeper blues songs can send shivers up your spine. Another plus for Clapton is how highly regarded he is among other rock legends; he has played with </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Jimi</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Hendrix, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Allman</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Brothers Band, among others. It also shouldn't go unsaid that Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three different times, once with The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Yardbirds</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, once with Cream, and once as a solo performer.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Jimmy Page</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Yardbirds</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, Led Zeppelin, Page and Plant, The Black </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Crowes</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/93ubRaUm2J0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/93ubRaUm2J0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(note: that's a young Eric Clapton who joins Page in the middle, he's the one with the cigarette)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stairway to Heaven, anybody? Yeah, Jimmy Page could shred with the best of them. His </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">technical</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> skill is rivaled only by Hendrix; he made the double-necked guitar famous (which is very difficult to play), sometimes played with a violin bow, and was one of the first to use the "tapping" technique, which is one of my favorite guitar effects. I don't have to say much for the quality of his music, the guy was in Led Zeppelin for </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">cryin'</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> out loud. He certainly had emotion in his music, maybe not to the level of Clapton or Hendrix, but it's certainly there to be heard. His influence on other musicians is off the charts. This </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Wikipedia</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> entry probably does his influence the most justice: </span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allmusic" title="Allmusic" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Allmusic</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> states that "just about every rock guitarist from the late '60s/early '70s to the present day has been influenced by Page's work with Led Zeppelin".</span></span><sup id="cite_ref-allmusicpage_0-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Page#cite_note-allmusicpage-0" title="" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">[</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">]</span></span></span></a></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> For example, his sped up, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">downstroke</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> guitar riff in "</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_Breakdown" title="Communication Breakdown" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Communication</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Breakdown</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">" is cited as guitarist </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Ramone" title="Johnny Ramone" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Johnny </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ramone</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">'s inspiration for his punk-defining, strictly </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">downstroke</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> guitar strumming, while Page's landmark </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_solo" title="Guitar solo" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">guitar solo</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> from the song "</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbreaker_(Led_Zeppelin_song)" title="Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heartbreaker</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">" has been credited by </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Van_Halen" title="Eddie Van Halen" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Eddie Van </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Halen</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> as the inspiration for his two-hand </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapping" title="Tapping" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tapping</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> technique after he saw Led Zeppelin perform in 1971. Page's solo in the famous epic "</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairway_to_Heaven" title="Stairway to Heaven" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stairway to Heaven</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">" has been voted by readers of various guitar magazines, including </span></span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_World" title="Guitar World" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Guitar World</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span></span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Guitar" title="Total Guitar" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Total Guitar</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, as the greatest guitar solo of all time, and he was named 'Guitarist of the Year' five years straight during the 1970s by </span></span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creem" title="Creem" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Creem</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> magazine."</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> As far as stage presence goes, Robert Plant may have been the face of Led Zeppelin, but Page was its heart and soul, and his solos are legendary. Basically, Jimmy Page is just the man.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Eddie Van Halen</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Van Halen)</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z_lwocmL9dQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z_lwocmL9dQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I consider that video above to be one of the greatest solo guitar performances ever, even though parts of it are repetitive and annoying. The finger tapping technique he uses in "Eruption" (above) and "316" is to me one of the coolest sounds anyone has produced from a guitar ever. While he didn't discover the finger tapping effect, he ran the farthest with it, and it is the reason I give him high marks for technichal skill as a guitarist. If you doubt his abilities, just take a gander at the above video around 4:50, 7:10 (!!), and 9:50. Quality of music is O.K., as a band Van Halen was able to put out some pretty good stuff (Panama, Hot for Teacher, You Really Got Me), but would probably be ranked 5/5 of the major bands on this list. Van Halen isn't known for emotional music, but I would contend his connection with his guitar during a solo is one of the more emotional things you're going to see on a stage, especially if you appreciate musical ability. Van Halen popularlized the finger-tapping technique, which is probably the longest reach of his influence, but he was also a model for an entire generation of rock artists. Wiki: </span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Edward Van Halen's approach to the guitar involves several distinctive components. His innovative use of two-handed </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapping" title="Tapping" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tapping</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, natural and artificial </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonics" title="Harmonics" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">harmonics</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, vibrato, and tremolo picking, combined with his rhythmic sensibility and melodic approach, have influenced an entire generation of guitarists...Though rarely discussed, one of the most distinctive aspects of Van Halen's sound was Eddie Van Halen's tuning of the guitar. Before Van Halen, most distorted, metal-oriented rock consciously avoided the use of the </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_third" title="Major third" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">major third</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> interval in </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_chord" title="Guitar chord" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">guitar chords</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, creating instead the signature </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_chord" title="Power chord" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">power chord</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of the genre."</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Van Halen has incredible stage presence, with the ability to silence crowds during his awesome solos. He is often overlooked because Van Halen was only an above average band, so he was unable to produce some of the singles that have made the guys above him on this list rock icons. Behind the band's relative mediocrity, however, lies an incredbily gifted guitarist.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. David Gilmour</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Pink Floyd)</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-_XtXqtN7Q&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-_XtXqtN7Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Speaking of great guitar solos, how about David Gilmour in "Comfortably Numb" and "Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2"? Few will call Gilmour's guitar skill prowess into question. Like Clapton, Gilmour's roots are in the blues, and he has a wide range of skills. He even played bass on some Pink Floyd songs. Gilmour gets four stars for his quality of music, as Pink Floyd produced some incredible records and still sells millions of copies of their albums. With Gilmour at guitar, Floyd's music can be mesmerizing; sometimes their six minute tracks seem to go by instantly because you're so into the song. Floyd's music is also teeming with emotion, largely because of Gilmour's guitar, as this is the criteria where his blues background comes into play. Great blues artists have the ability to convey feeling and meaning, and Gilmour is no exception. In the influence category, they could teach classes on Pink Floyd alone as far as setting a standard for a genre, Gilmour himself even has two "tribute guitars" designed after him. Finally, Gilmour was very good at showcasing his talents on stage. His solos are electrifying, and he makes them look almost effortless.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Honorable mentions:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band), Slash (Guns N' Roses), Brian May (Queen), Neal Schon (Journey), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Les Claypool (Primus), Buckethead, Don Felder/Joe Walsh (Eagles), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds), Frank Zappa, Angus Young (AC/DC), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-88595607221153586732008-11-29T11:39:00.002-05:002008-11-29T19:09:34.952-05:00Quantam of Solace<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">The night I saw </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Quantam of Solace</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">, the latest installment of the James Bond series, two of the three people I was with were pushing us to see </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Transporter 3</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"> instead. I had heard the bad reviews from friends and other critics alike, but my thought process was: "It's Bond, how bad can it be? The last one was great, I'm sure this one will be fine." Then I saw the movie.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">We should have seen Transporter 3.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">My criticism of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Casino Royale</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"> had been its lack of familiarity with the rest of the Bond franchise; the departure from the traditional looking Bond, the conspicuous absence of reoccurring characters like "Q" and Moneypenny, and the shrunken role of gadgets (especially in regard to Bond's car). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Casino Royale</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"> was able to overcome those defencencies with a strong plot, a good performance by Daniel Craig as Bond, and some exciting action scenes. The 2006 film gave some interesting background on the Bond character, from his beginnings as the raw and newly promoted 00 to the superagent Commander Bond. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Quantam of Solace</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">, however, offered no reprisal to the disappointing turn away from traditional Bond. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the movie were its action scenes; they moved so fast and used so many cuts that it was difficult to process what was going on. The action scenes reminded me of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">The Bourne Ultimatum</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">, which won an Academy Award for its film editing. The difference between the two is that while </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Ultimatum</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"> was fast paced, and modern, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Quantam's</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"> action scenes were frantic and unwatchable. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">The plot also left much to be desired. Like the action, it was far too difficult to follow to be enjoyed. The villain was lame, especially by Bond standards (seriously: Goldfinger, Dr. No, Mayday, Jaws...Dominic Greene?). One of the few bright spots of the film was the Bond girl Camille, played by the stunngingly beautiful Olga Kurylenko, but her performance and beauty were wasted. There wasn't even a love scene between her and Bond, which is quite a feat for a series that has made its name on the chemistry of Bond and his leading ladies. There was next to zero effort to flush out Kurylenko's character with background or history; indeed, the deepest look we get into Camille is the depths of her cleavage. This is another area where </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Quantam </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">fell far short of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Casino Royale</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">, where the Vesper Lynd character had depth and substance.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">As a huge fan of the series overall, I am usually easily entertained by Bond movies. They don't have to do much to hold my attention. Even some of the Pierce Brosnan clinkers like Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day I enjoyed. This was the first Bond movie I have ever seen (and I've seen them all) where I was ready to walk out halfway through.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-17529370939100145112008-08-05T09:31:00.004-04:002008-08-05T09:36:58.074-04:00Vacation<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm on my annual trip to Duck, North Carolina with a close friend, and will not return until August 9th. I am planning a post shortly after my return with my opinion on the Brett Favre fiasco, a subject which I am beginning to build a strong opinion on.</span><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anyone who hasn't visited this stretch of the Outer Banks should give it a try one summer. This is my third year in the Duck/Corolla area, and it is truly a great place to take a relaxing vacation with family and friends.</span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-74580199393672286742008-07-17T14:32:00.003-04:002008-07-23T00:15:09.208-04:00Fad or Revolution? Looking Back on Ron Paul's Bid for the Presidency<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While Congressman Paul's presidential campaign had been winding down for some time, he officially called it quits on June 12, 2008, contributing the remainder of his campaign finances to a new lobbying group called "Campaign for Liberty." This was Paul's second serious run at the presidency, with his first ending in relative obscurity as a Libertarian candidate in 1988. As a self-identifying Libertarian I supported Dr. Paul during the primary process, an effort which proved to be difficult to maintain commitment to as the campaign failed to pick up meaningful momentum, receiving oblique and somewhat patronizing coverage by the mainstream media. Most of Dr. Paul's press revolved around his fundraising success, which was indeed noteworthy considering his lack of relative support in the polls and delegate counts. Despite his status as a cult hero among independent conservatives and Libertarians, Paul revealed himself in the campaign to have a handful of glaring faults that contributed to his inability to get a foothold in the primary process. Unfortunately he did not possess the necessary social and aesthetic qualities to glaze over these shortcomings (ala Barack Obama).</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nothing made me cringe more during Dr. Paul's public appearances than when he would, with admirable vigor, proclaim the United States' complicity in the threat it faces abroad from Islam. This was a position that obviously did not endear him to the mainstream of the Republican Party, as it was that very part of his party he was indicting in the Iraq fiasco. He blamed the FOXNews crowd and its constituents as troublemakers in a conflict he insisted the United States had no role while downplaying the significance of Islam as a catalyst, even going so far as to lay the blame for Islamic terrorism at the doorstep of the U.S. for its overreaching foreign policy. Paul's inability to articulate a coherent foreign policy, other than asserting that the Iraq war and just about every war previous since WWII has been "unconstitutional," was clearly a weakness in his campaign. His naivety on the subject of Islamic terrorism seemed to amount to nothing more than a stubborn refusal to recognize that there are people out there with some pretty ridiculous ideas about the world who mean to do us harm. While Paul was right to recognize that Iraq was a war of choice with a questionable beginning, he fails to notice that had Bush not chosen to invade we still would be facing a determined enemy of Muslim maniacs. Even if Bush and the neocons are guilty of exploiting the threat, there is no denying the presence of a considerable foreign danger.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">While Paul's positions on terrorism served to keep him safely tucked into the fray of the Republican Party, his weaknesses as a politician kept him from being taken seriously by a general audience as well. Dr. Paul is a well below average TV debater; even his fellow debaters on the stage seemed to be befuddled by his questions and answers. Unlike the insufferable media darlings Clinton, Obama, and McCain, the Congressman is no social butterfly, and makes no sacrifices of his principles to score cheap points with the media (Obama: see campaign finance et al., McCain: see ethanol et al.). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">But I am not so foolish as to think that if Dr. Paul was indeed a gifted politician and orator that he would be a contender in any primary or general election. It is of course the content of Paul's message that is his roadblock to prominence, a message that seems to travel further and further from influence as the party and the country continue to move to the left. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">His classic Republican positions on spending, social programs, immigration, and foreign policy fall more or less on deaf ears as the party continues to be ruled by "movement" conservatives. While McCain and Obama will bicker endlessly until November about who is more an agent of change, Dr. Paul will retreat again into the shadows of a fading ideological camp of the Republican Party. While he has likely made his last foray into national politics, this old style Republican hopes that Paul's name appears on the ballot, so that me and others like me may (quietly) voice our opposition to the direction of the party. And as we stubbornly refuse to fall in line with the mainstream, we will wait patiently for the next articulate voice of the true conservative message.</span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-7969976425204504662008-07-16T16:31:00.002-04:002008-07-16T16:48:14.778-04:00UI is Under Construction...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">The blog is undergoing yet another facelift, hopefully the last one as I settle on a permanent look for the outlet of my thoughts. The bird's eye view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards may seem strange as a title picture, but it will seem less unusual as I expand the scope of the blog beyond political jibjab (not that I need an excuse to feature the most beautiful stadium in baseball in my title section). UI will soon begin to include book, music, and movie reviews, and some of my many opinions on professional sports. I'm hoping this expansion in topics will result in more frequent posting by me, since I should be motivated to write more often as more of my interests will fall under the purview of the blog.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; ">I've been grateful to those few who have read my writing, and fewer still, to those who have taken the time to make comments and offer criticism. I hope the introduction of new topics to the blog will encourage more opinions to be heard in the comments section. Thanks to those who have emailed me in support of the blog; I would probably do it anyway if no one read it but it is nice to know that my thoughts are being absorbed by at least some people. As always, I welcome comments, questions, and suggestions as to the new style of Unbridled Inquiry. Thanks.</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">Matt J.</span></span></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-9755123326490561802008-06-20T22:39:00.001-04:002008-06-20T03:25:50.497-04:00Judicial Junk: Modern Jurisprudence in the Supreme Court<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The United States Supreme Court is truly one of the unique establishments of our government. Of the three branches as outlined by the Constitution, it is the only one whose members are not elected by public vote. American voters have no direct say in the men and women whose job it is to interpret the most far reaching law of the land. Supreme Court justices are provided with just about the most job security anyone will find anywhere, especially in government; their tenures can only be ended by voluntary retirement, impeachment (to which only Associate Justice Samuel Chase has been subject to in the Court's history, in 1805, and he was acquitted), or death. At first glance, this would seem to be antithetical to a democracy, but the framers of the Constitution, in all their brilliance, reconciled this supposed inconsistency with two ingenious safety devices. Firstly, nominees to the Supreme Court are chosen solely by presidents, who are of course popularly elected. The second device is precisely what makes these choices nominees, in that in order for them to become Supreme Court justices, they must be approved by the Senate (in one unfortunate mistake, the framers did not specify what constituted Senate approval). The framers must have recognized that the citizenry could lend its input to the Judicial branch through its votes in the Executive and the Legislative. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While it is not included in the text of the Constitution, it was quickly established after its ratification in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Marbury v. Madison </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(1803) that the mandate of the Supreme Court is to be the chief arbiter of the Constitution. As one of the earliest and most defining decisions of the court, this interpretation of the its duties became the widely accepted responsibility of the court. This makes perfect sense, for as Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in the opinion of the court in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Marbury</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If then the courts are to regard the constitution; and the constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature; the constitution, and not such ordinary act, must govern the case to which they both apply. Those then who controvert the principle that the constitution is to be considered, in court, as a paramount law, are reduced to the necessity of maintaining that courts must close their eyes on the constitution, and see only the law [e.g., the statute or treaty]. This doctrine would subvert the very foundation of all written constitutions.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This defined role of the Supreme Court, known as judicial review, is a third and critical safeguard for the relative undemocratic nature of the Supreme Court. Admittedly, this doctrine is not found in the original text of the Constitution, but it has been established for so long, and for so long was the operative method of the court, that it has become woven into the fabric of our judicial system. You would be hard pressed to find a more unchallenged example of stare decisis (precedent) in the court's history. As unelected officials, these justices do not have power to make laws, rather, to interpret the existing laws as outlined in the Constitution. They are bound by the foundational laws of the Constitution which cannot be challenged or disputed unless by amendment, a process in which the Supreme Court plays no role. Critics will say that this requires justices to have a nearly supernatural ability to discern some underlying meaning, or original intent, of the text itself and apply it to a wide range of cases that go beyond the scope of the Constitution. They will also say that this requires judges to strike down all laws violating the Constitution despite the consequences of their ruling. Thinking of this sort widely expands the power of the Supreme Court, and is the source of the famous "legislating from the bench" approach to jurisprudence. How can we reconcile this with the indirect nature of how the court's members are chosen, and still purport to be a democracy? How can we expect accountability to the law from nine people whose tenure is without public review, barring the exceedingly rare case of impeachment? We cannot, on both counts. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am not so radical as Clarence Thomas. I do not expect Supreme Court justices to make guesses on exactly the mindset of the framers when they put quill to parchment, and then apply them to the modern and complex cases that come before the court today. I believe there will be good and bad arguments as to the interpretation of the Constitution that will scale with evidence, reasonableness, and logic. There is a reasonable argument to be made, for example, that parts of the Constitution establish a right to privacy, specifically the Ninth Amendment. Arguments such as those made by Sandra Day O'Connor in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grutter v. Bollinger</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, regarding the University of Michigan's use of racial preference in its law school admissions, clearly draw not even tenuous support from the Constitution, and in the case of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grutter</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, are even contradictory to it. It seems to me that any mechanism that lends preference to one person over another solely on the basis of race is in clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, especially as it has historically been interpreted by the court. Also in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grutter</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, O'Connor seemingly put an expiration date on the ruling: "We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer by necessary to further the interest approved today." Is this a Supreme Court justice talking, or a legislator? Is she interpreting the law, or making it up based on what Justice O'Connor deems society needs? If it is the latter, isn't that the responsibility of the legislature, and not the Supreme Court? Perhaps the most salient question is this: If the use of racial preference in Michigan's admissions will be unconstitutional in 25 years (I'd love to know where she got 25 years, by the way), why is it constitutional now? How do future societal changes, whatever they may be, change anything about what the Constitution says on the matter? The answer is simple: she isn't making her ruling based on any real interpretation of the Constitution. This is distinctly different from arguments for rights to privacy, because right or wrong, many privacy rights advocates draw their logic from the words of the Constitution. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sadly, O'Connor's jurisprudence is not unusual among her fellow Supreme Court justices or in the lower courts. "Activist" judges such as these draw their ruling inspiration from politics, personal values, and other illegitimate forms of evaluating cases. Even the champions of originalism, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, are not impervious to the temptation to obfuscate their mandate as Supreme Court justices (see: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bush v. Gore</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">). Where does this leave us with our judicial system? The Supreme Court confirmation process is manifestly broken, as nominees are largely able to tread water just enough to be confirmed with little real investigation as to their jurisprudence. It also emphasizes the importance of the upcoming election, for that is where the people have the most power to influence their Supreme Court. With John Paul Stevens at 88, Ruth Bader Ginsburg at 75, Antonin Scalia at 72, and Anthony Kennedy at 71, the next president will almost surely have an opportunity (or three) to nominate someone to the Supreme Court. The question voters must ask themselves is simple: which candidate is more likely to nominate judges who will honor their mandate as arbiters of the Constitution, and not agents of social change? If you believe in the importance and influence of the Supreme Court, this question will significantly guide your choice in November.<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-62088509517921639682008-06-09T10:53:00.007-04:002008-06-09T16:56:34.712-04:00When Myth Becomes Law: The Prohibition of Marijuana (Part 2/3)<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Anyone with some familiarity of World War II history will recognize Hitler's "the bigger the lie" concept, and while eons less sinister, it is similar to how marijuana has come to be so terribly misunderstood. Cannabis is one of those sad examples of where legislation is not based on the evidence, indeed, it seems the foundations of marijuana law are based on just about anything except an objective perception of the facts. It is useful to investigate the source of marijuana prohibition, its history, and its motives.</span> <div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Prior to the 1900s, not only were there no laws prohibiting the use of cannabis, it was a staple commodity in the United States, highlighting its many uses and functions. Chief of these functions was hemp, which was used to make rope, clothing, and sails. In the late 1800s, cannabis was used more frequently in medicines, and was available at pharmacies without restriction. At the turn of the century, however, cannabis regulation began to pop up in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maine, California, Texas, and Indiana. Also at this time, cannabis was being referred to more commonly as "Indian hemp," referring to traditions in some Native American tribes that used the psychological effects of cannabis as a spiritual aid. As more Native Americans were assimilated into the U.S., coupled with an increase in immigration from Mexico, where recreational use of cannabis was far more widespread (introducing the term "marijuana" for the first time), more Americans became aware of the use of cannabis as a drug. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />In response to the increasing opium problem China, the United States sponsored the International Opium Convention in 1912, which was the first international initiative to control drug trade. The Convention became exponentially more significant when it was incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles (ending World War I). The Convention's original agreement made no mention of cannabis. In 1925, however, as scrutiny of "marijuana" and "Indian hemp" increased, the United States together with Egypt and China, signed a revised agreement prohibiting hashish to be traded among countries that had outlawed its use (Completely speculation on my part, but the rise of terms like "marijuana" and "Indian hemp" to describe what had always been known as cannabis seems to be indicative of a racist component of these prohibitions. I would imagine associating hashish with Indians and using the Spanish word for cannabis would be powerful propaganda tools at a time where prejudice toward these two groups flourished in the United States). As cannabis had yet to be federally outlawed in the U.S. and its importation was still allowed in the form of hemp, its prohibition had yet to reach its zenith. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">As the influence of the federal government grew, so did the prohibitions of cannabis. The Uniform State Narcotics Act of 1932 established a standard of drug trafficking enforcement that gave the states power to more strictly police illicit trade of banned substances. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics strongly encouraged all state governments to adopt the law. By this time, almost all of the states had som<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxzB59Www09Xa9RLAM2CG-jDzrASOV-oA5AMuB_c60VjLFqDNRqkWW374b0KCb6x6wE2AuoTXEEZ4PH9TcF0pWRvahje_vbZMq6KKmmo1iSQGGAcwtrRU-wz0P7QYcXNt9HWuVy0Z-2g/s1600-h/Killerdrug.jpg"></a>e kind of cannabis reg<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrF2ftC-l8yXuZkszhBVibJtmrp8tYMzTm8dEyFwuR6zpJM870-Vckvan_ScPr2q8DhEdNANPsZtUt0_SyDNXE1DrQDm5TbZZEMUmRzpZo_Nra4gck9SLxap8TbQpcewkT2asAOwJqcg/s1600-h/Killerdrug.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209919520011108738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrF2ftC-l8yXuZkszhBVibJtmrp8tYMzTm8dEyFwuR6zpJM870-Vckvan_ScPr2q8DhEdNANPsZtUt0_SyDNXE1DrQDm5TbZZEMUmRzpZo_Nra4gck9SLxap8TbQpcewkT2asAOwJqcg/s400/Killerdrug.jpg" border="0" /></a>ulation for non-medicinal use. For the first time, there was federal and multiple state collaboration in policing cannabis trade for recreational use. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) and its head, Harry J. Anslinger, are the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler of my original analogy, respectively. Anslinger used the FBN to spread propaganda about the dangers of marijuana use, and myths about marijuana exploded into the public consciousness. Anslinger claimed marijuana caused people to commit violent crime, act overtly sexual, and overall irrational. Through the FBN, Anslinger organized the production of propaganda films (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM_vLk1I6G4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM_vLk1I6G4</a>), radio advertisement, and print advertisement (pictured), that echoed his message. Theories about Anslinger's motives abound, but it is clear his motivation had much to do with the 21st Amendment, repealing the prohibition of alcohol, that had been established in the 18th Amendment (and we should note how much of an unmitigated disaster the prohibition of alcohol was). Anslinger, previous to his leadership of the FBN, was the Assistant Prohibition Commissioner in the Bureau of Prohibition, which was charged solely with enforcing the prohibition of alcohol. When this group was dissolved, many of Anslinger's employees and friends were left unemployed, and the infrastructure that had been in place for alcohol prohibition was left abandoned. Some believe Anslinger filled the void by implicating marijuana as a drug dangerous to public health. Other historians believe Anslinger was misled by racially driven and inaccurate studies of cannabis use at the time, which claimed to be of scientific origin. Whatever the reason, Anslinger had begun a cycle of ignorance that continues to be felt to this day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />If Anslinger is the Adolf Hitler of our sad story, William Randolph Hearst is the Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. Hearst, who was the most powerful media mogul of the time (perhaps akin today to Rupert Murdoch, but even more influential), used his newspapers to propagate the myths permeating society about marijuana. It should be noted that any coordination or cooperation between Anslinger and Hearst's efforts are tenuous, although some strange coincidences exist. I invite you to investigate these further at your own pleasure. Nevertheless, Hearst was an agent in the dissemination of lies about marijuana that would eventually lead to its full prohibition and in the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act and its later cousin, the Controlled Substances Act. Hearst was known to have significant financial interest in the timber industry, which controlled the production of paper. This industry was threatened by the discovery in 1916 that hemp could be used to make paper that was "favorable over that made of pulp wood." As hemp was readily available and relatively easy to produce, it posed a potentially significant problem for the timber industry. The problem would never manifest itself, however, as the Marihuana Tax Act and its related laws would ensure in 1937, as Hearst's publications continued to criticize marijuana. Interestingly, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who was in strong opposition to the Marihuana Tax Act, started the LaGuardia Commission, investigating the fantastical claims against cannabis that were becoming entrenched in public opinion. Prepared by the New York Academy of Medicine in 1944, the LaGuardia Commission systematically contradicted claims that smoking marijuana results in insanity, deteriorates physical and mental health, assists in criminal behavior and juvenile delinquency, is physically addictive, and is a "gateway" drug to more dangerous drugs. Despite this scientific study, no changes were made to national policy, a reoccurring theme in subsequent studies on the subject that found similar results, such as the Nixon Administration's National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />As time went on, no self corrections were made in either public opinion or federal legislation. The damage had been done. Soon, mandatory sentencing guidelines were passed in the 1950s, repealed, and then reestablished in the 1980s. The fractured agencies that had previously enforced drug laws were combined in 1973 into the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In 1975, the Supreme Court ruled that it was "not cruel or unusual for Ohio to sentence someone to 20 years for having or selling marijuana." In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional for the federal government to ban marijuana, even medicinal use, under their interpretation of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. What a sad state of affairs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;">The third and final section of this three part piece on marijuana in the United States will focus on the economic consequences of marijuana prohibition.</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"></span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Sources:</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><a href="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/people/anslinger/traffic/appendix1.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/people/anslinger/traffic/appendix1.htm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/t10a.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/t10a.htm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/e1960/learyvus.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/e1960/learyvus.htm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/170.html#170.3"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/170.html#170.3</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/library-e/history-e.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/library-e/history-e.htm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20050503135942/www.sfbg.com/News/35/36/legis.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://web.archive.org/web/20050503135942/www.sfbg.com/News/35/36/legis.html</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.deamuseum.org/dea_history_book/1970_1975.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.deamuseum.org/dea_history_book/1970_1975.htm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/history/1985-1990.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/history/1985-1990.html</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/pop/StatePrograms.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/pop/StatePrograms.htm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1975-12/1975-12-01-NBC-5.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1975-12/1975-12-01-NBC-5.html</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-438817203018962307.post-89821408240740871332008-06-06T12:18:00.026-04:002008-06-07T02:00:52.115-04:00Defying Reason: The Prohibition of Marijuana (Part 1/3)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://shop.grasscity.com/images/articles/marijuana-mar-com-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://shop.grasscity.com/images/articles/marijuana-mar-com-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This will be the first of a three part look into marijuana policy in the United States. As I have made my way in the world as a young adult, especially in my experiences at college, I have interacted with heavy and casual marijuana users. I was initially surprised when I noticed a pattern developing in conversation with these people: they suffer little or no adverse physical affects from smoking, do not consider themselves addicted to it, and consider the use of alcohol and tobacco to be more dangerous to their health. My first reaction was to dismiss this as "pot-heads" rationalizing their use of illicit drugs. Marijuana, after all, is illegal in all its forms in the United States, with the exception of those few states that have decriminalized its medicinal use as prescribed by a physician. The illegality of cannabis and its stigmatization in the public eye had lead me to assume, to this point in my life, that it is a dangerous drug to public health that should remain steadfastly prohibited. As I have looked into the subject more deeply, however, I have come to believe that the prohibition of marijuana is one of the most illogical domestic policies currently active in the United States.</span><div><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">What reason does the government have for actively prohibiting the use of drugs? Clearly the first answer would be in the interest of public health and safety. This case is easily made for drugs of abuse such as LSD, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, PCP, etc. These are substances that carry serious short and long term health consequences. All of them carry great risk for overdose leading to death, and in the case of heroin, cocaine, and similar drugs, there is a risk of physical dependence and addiction. As a Libertarian I have philosophical objections to prohibiting free citizens from doing anything in the privacy of their own home, but I do not deny the practicality of prohibiting drugs of this sort. The problem, however, is that none of these dangerous characteristics can be attributed to cannabis.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">In reaction to a more open attitude toward cannabis in the 1960s, President Nixon in 1972 started the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, expecting its findings to support the long standing prohibition of the drug. The Commission's report, however, drew some damning conclusions for U.S. marijuana policy: </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">"Marijuana's relative potential for harm for the vast majority of individual users and its actual impact on society does not justify a social policy designed to seek out and firmly punish those who use it. This judgment is based on prevalent use patterns, on behavior exhibited by the vast majority of users and on our interpretations of existing medical and scientific data. This position is also consistent with the estimate by law enforcement personnel that the elimination of use is unattainable."</span><br /><div align="right"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Washington, D.C.: National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, 1972.</span></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />The Nixon Administration promptly swept the Commission's findings under the rug, and no federal policy changes were made as a result. Sixteen years later, there was still no credible evidence that smoking marijuana poses imminent health risks, as the Drug Enforcement Administration's Law Judge, Francis Young, concluded:<br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">"In strict medical terms, marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating ten raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."</span></div><div align="right"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;">U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, 1988.<br /><br /></span></em></div><div align="right"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"></span></em></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">So, unlike almost all other illicit drugs, there is no known lethal dosage of cannabis. This in and of itself should be an indictment of public policy toward marijuana. However, studies have also concluded that cannabis has no physically addictive properties. In fact, less than 1% of Americans use cannabis on a daily basis (United States Department of Health and Services, 2002). Also differing from most other illegal drugs, cannabis has little or no adverse effects on a developing fetus (Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education). As far as its long term effects, marijuana smoke does contain some irritants and carcinogens that can be damaging to the lungs with heavy use, however the lack of dependence on cannabis results in more moderate use that does little cumulative long-term damage. Furthermore, studies measuring cognitive impairment and brain deterioration have failed to identify marijuana as a cause of these effects (Ali, S.F., et al. "Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior").<br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">The evidence overwhelmingly supports the determination that the use of cannabis, especially responsible moderate use, has no debilitating or dangerous physical or cognitive effects, long-term or otherwise. There is no lethal dose, there is no risk for physical dependence, and the long-term effects are minimal outside of daily and excessive use. It is reasonable to conclude, upon some research into reputable sources, that cannabis should be decriminalized on its own merits. Where the prohibition of cannabis really becomes absurd is when it is compared to other, <em>legal</em>, substances. Concerns about the health of American citizens are red herrings in this debate, as the legality of alcohol and cigarettes attests. The fact that people are being thrown in jail for nonviolent marijuana offenses, while alcohol remains a staple commodity, is a travesty almost beyond description. By any standard one wishes to apply, alcohol is the more dangerous substance. Its lethal dose is rather easily achieved, and its role in causing car accidents is beyond dispute. Alcohol's tendency to relieve people of their inhibitions leads to violence, unplanned pregnancy, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and spousal abuse. Alcohol is well known to be addictive, and its prolonged use can result in devastating neurological impairments, liver cancer, heart disease, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, prostate cancer, stroke, and even breast cancer (Center for Disease Control, 2001). The consumption of alcohol by pregnant women is known to be extremely toxic to a developing fetus, resulting in fetal alcohol syndrome, premature birth, low birth weight, and growth retardation. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) alcohol use directly resulted in the known deaths of 75,766 people in the U.S. alone in 2001, a number that only increases with each passing year.<br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Nicotine and cigarettes also do not hold up in comparison to marijuana. Countless scientific studies attest to the highly addictive properties of nicotine, resulting in its physical dependence. According to the CDC, in 2004 81.3% of smokers smoked daily, and of these, 28.4% smoked 5-14 cigarettes per day (</span><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5444a2.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5444a2.htm</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">). The consequences of this behavior is well-documented. The CDC estimates that about 438,000 people die each year from smoking tobacco. Cigarettes are attributed to lung cancer, heart disease, arterial diseases, emphysema, chronic airway obstruction, lip and esophagus cancers, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer, and leukemia, also according to the CDC. In fact, adverse reactions and misuse of over the counter drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen, account for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that since 1995, vending machines have killed 37 people in the United States, and resulted in 113 hospitalized injuries. The CPSC now requires vending machine manufacturers to provide warning labels for all public machines. Marijuana kills no one. It seems that almost everything human beings do; driving cars, flying in airplanes, cooking, walking down the steps, playing golf, is more dangerous than smoking marijuana in the privacy of one's own home.</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Where does all of this leave us in regard to marijuana laws in the United States? On the federal level, marijuana remains a "Schedule 1" drug, a category reserved for highly addictive, dangerous drugs with no approved medical use. By contrast, cocaine and some amphetamines are "Schedule 2" drugs, which are legal under certain conditions and are stringently regulated. To this day, people are still recieving life sentences, without the possibility of parole, for growing, selling, distributing, buying and possessing certain quantities of what is, in fact, a natural occurring plant. Cancer patients and paraplegics have been sentenced to years in prison for using marijuana in a medicinal context (a practice which has significant support among many doctors and researchers). Owners of garden supply stores have been given similar sentences because their customers were caught growing marijuana. Are there no bounds to the irrationality that can dictate our laws and the way in which we govern ourselves? The fact that we have allowed policies of this sort to continue for almost a 100 years borders on collective masochism. The government, nor anyone else for that matter, has any legitimate right to dictate what I will and won't do that does not infringe on the civil liberties of other people<em>, especially</em> in the case of marijuana, which has no discernible health risks that call for its prohibition.<br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"><em>Part 2 of this 3 part piece on U.S. marijuana legislation will focus on the common myths associated with cannabis. Part 3 will center around the economic consequences of our marijuana laws.<br /><br /></em></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sources:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">From the CDC:</span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/cig_smoking_mort.htm"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/cig_smoking_mort.htm</span></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5444a2.htm"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5444a2.htm</span></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5337a2.htm"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5337a2.htm</span></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">From the CPSC:</span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/PRHTML96/96011.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/PRHTML96/96011.html</span></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">From the American College of Physicians:</span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.acponline.org/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.acponline.org/</span></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Other sources were cited directly in-text.</span></div></div>Matt J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13287601527480172821noreply@blogger.com5