"Having a holiday weekend without a family member felt like putting on a sweater that had an extra arm." Pamela Ribon
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
From one court to another
Last month, Banshee Blog reported on the wild brawl that broke out on November 19, 2004. The brawl took place at the end of the Pacers-Pistons basketball game in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This incident was unique because it included both players and fans.
(AFP/Getty Images)
The NBA acted quickly and handed out serious suspensions to the players involved. But the repercussions do not end there. Today, Oakland County prosecutors announced that criminal charges will be filed against both players and fans. Five Indiana Pacers, including all-stars Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal, are now facing misdemeanor assault charges. Several fans were also charged with assault, including Detroit Piston Ben Wallace's brother. One fan named Bryant Jackson was also charged with a felony for throwing a chair into the melee.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Overall, I am quite pleased with the way this incident has been handled by both the NBA and prosecutors. I am not a big proponent of bringing the judicial system onto fields of play. I do not think that the occasional cheap shot between players should be treated as a criminal event even though that same action would rise to the level of an assault if it occurred a sidewalk. However, this incident involved fans. That is whole different matter. In this situation, you are no longer dealing with individuals who have all chosen to engage in an activity with a foreseeable level of violence.
(AFP/Getty Images)
The NBA acted quickly and handed out serious suspensions to the players involved. But the repercussions do not end there. Today, Oakland County prosecutors announced that criminal charges will be filed against both players and fans. Five Indiana Pacers, including all-stars Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal, are now facing misdemeanor assault charges. Several fans were also charged with assault, including Detroit Piston Ben Wallace's brother. One fan named Bryant Jackson was also charged with a felony for throwing a chair into the melee.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Overall, I am quite pleased with the way this incident has been handled by both the NBA and prosecutors. I am not a big proponent of bringing the judicial system onto fields of play. I do not think that the occasional cheap shot between players should be treated as a criminal event even though that same action would rise to the level of an assault if it occurred a sidewalk. However, this incident involved fans. That is whole different matter. In this situation, you are no longer dealing with individuals who have all chosen to engage in an activity with a foreseeable level of violence.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Quote of the Day 12/7/04 Pearl Harbor Day
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
If Banshee ruled the world
If Wild Banshee ruled the world, one of the very first things that I would do is create a playoff system for Division I college football. That's right, it's that time of year again. The time of year where the powers that be throw a mishmash of bowls together and then pretend that they have determined a champion.
This year, there are four undefeated and untied teams in major college football. The BCS has chosen Oklahoma to play USC in the Orange Bowl to determine the national champion. Meanwhile, the undefeated Auburn Tigers will play Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. The remaining undefeated team will play the Pitt Panthers in the Fiesta Bowl. Quite possibly, there will be three undefeated teams remaining when the dust settles, and the winner of the Orange Bowl will be arbitrarily declared the champ.
But, as the great Teddy Roosevelt said, "It is not the critic that counts." I am a firm believer in the idea that if you are going to criticize something then you had better have a proposal of your own. Well, I layed out my proposal in detail in a post from last January. Here is an excerpt from that post:
For a more detailed explanation of the pros and cons of this system, please see my post from last January.
If the Banshee Playoff was in place, this year's New Year's Day match-ups would be as follows:
Fiesta: Texas (10-1) vs. Utah (11-0)
Sugar: Pitt (8-3) vs. Auburn (12-0)
Orange: Virginia Tech (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (12-0)
Rose: Michigan (9-2) vs. USC (12-0)
This would allow all four undefeated team to advance into Week 2 and settle this championship on the field. One can only dream of a day when such things are possible.
This year, there are four undefeated and untied teams in major college football. The BCS has chosen Oklahoma to play USC in the Orange Bowl to determine the national champion. Meanwhile, the undefeated Auburn Tigers will play Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. The remaining undefeated team will play the Pitt Panthers in the Fiesta Bowl. Quite possibly, there will be three undefeated teams remaining when the dust settles, and the winner of the Orange Bowl will be arbitrarily declared the champ.
But, as the great Teddy Roosevelt said, "It is not the critic that counts." I am a firm believer in the idea that if you are going to criticize something then you had better have a proposal of your own. Well, I layed out my proposal in detail in a post from last January. Here is an excerpt from that post:
So here's the idea: All the non-BCS bowls would remain unchanged. They will
remain just as insignificant and yet just as fascinating as they currently are.
For the current BCS bowls, we'll have a little bit of throwback. Restore the old
conference ties. Let the PAC 10 champ play the Big 10 champ in the Rose Bowl.
The Sugar Bowl would get the SEC champ and the Big East champ (or a an at-large
if the Big East loses its legitimacy). The Orange Bowl would get the Big 12
champ and the ACC champ .... The Fiesta Bowl would go back to its roots and get two at-large teams (see Jan 2, 1987 when the Fiesta secured its position on the national stage). The at-large berths would be given to the teams with the highest BCS ratings.These BCS games should all be played on New Years weekend as they are now. The next week would have two neutral site games pitting the bowl game winners against each other. The week after that a College Super Bowl. What could be better than that?
For a more detailed explanation of the pros and cons of this system, please see my post from last January.
If the Banshee Playoff was in place, this year's New Year's Day match-ups would be as follows:
Fiesta: Texas (10-1) vs. Utah (11-0)
Sugar: Pitt (8-3) vs. Auburn (12-0)
Orange: Virginia Tech (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (12-0)
Rose: Michigan (9-2) vs. USC (12-0)
This would allow all four undefeated team to advance into Week 2 and settle this championship on the field. One can only dream of a day when such things are possible.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Quote of the Day 12/6/04
"If you knew anything about food, you'd know that fats and oils are the vehicles through which flavor travels. .... That's why a wise and a loving God created them in the first place." Reese on Malcolm in the Middle
We Want to Help
America - what a country!
Be proud fellow citizens as you see how our country has come to the aid of the suffering victims of the tsunami. Not only are we sending money but we are also sending manpower. And we expect nothing in return. The world wanted us to help in a big way and we have.
But also be proud fellow citizens when you see how our country has come to the aid of the suffering people in Iraq. Almost twice as many people died as a result of the violence of Saddam as did from the violence of the tsunami. We sent not only money but also manpower. And we expect nothing in return. But the world ridicules and reviles us.
Be proud fellow citizens as you see how our country has come to the aid of the suffering victims of the tsunami. Not only are we sending money but we are also sending manpower. And we expect nothing in return. The world wanted us to help in a big way and we have.
But also be proud fellow citizens when you see how our country has come to the aid of the suffering people in Iraq. Almost twice as many people died as a result of the violence of Saddam as did from the violence of the tsunami. We sent not only money but also manpower. And we expect nothing in return. But the world ridicules and reviles us.
Reality TV of Worth?
I’m not really a fan of reality TV. It seems to always highlight the worst in people, i.e. our obsession with appearance, our greed, our lust, our lack of self-control and on and on and on. However, I recently accidentally came across the show “Extreme Home Makeovers” Sunday night on ABC.
This show has the usual odd decorators and carpenters but it also has an unusual purpose. It highlights a deserving family who needs better housing. The families have been chosen for a variety of reasons. Some have children with disabilities, some are recently widowed, some have shown exceptional kindness to other people. Now I’ll admit this show has its sappy moments and it does seem unbelievable that an entire house can be built in one week. But what makes this show worth watching is that it highlights giving rather than getting. Not only that, but it exposes the audience to people who are living truly real lives – lives filled with hard work, joy, commitment and many other attributes that are rarely seen on TV.
If you’d like to know more about the show or the families that have received new homes check out http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/show.html
This show has the usual odd decorators and carpenters but it also has an unusual purpose. It highlights a deserving family who needs better housing. The families have been chosen for a variety of reasons. Some have children with disabilities, some are recently widowed, some have shown exceptional kindness to other people. Now I’ll admit this show has its sappy moments and it does seem unbelievable that an entire house can be built in one week. But what makes this show worth watching is that it highlights giving rather than getting. Not only that, but it exposes the audience to people who are living truly real lives – lives filled with hard work, joy, commitment and many other attributes that are rarely seen on TV.
If you’d like to know more about the show or the families that have received new homes check out http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/show.html
Letters from Home
People my age (don’t ask) can remember wearing silver POW (prisoner of war) bracelets during the Vietnam War. Fortunately, the war in Iraq has been so successful that those kinds of remembrances are not necessary. However a new type of bracelet can now be worn to show your support of our active service men and women.
A young officer back from Iraq has started a program through his university that allows people to “adopt” a soldier and become their pen pal. When anyone signs up for the program a red bracelet is sent to be worn by those supporting the soldiers in this way.
It is hard to imagine what a letter of support from someone “back home” means to those deployed overseas but this is a great way to find out. Learn more about how you can be involved at http://www.mville.edu/news/NEWS_nov04_mysoldier.HTML.
A young officer back from Iraq has started a program through his university that allows people to “adopt” a soldier and become their pen pal. When anyone signs up for the program a red bracelet is sent to be worn by those supporting the soldiers in this way.
It is hard to imagine what a letter of support from someone “back home” means to those deployed overseas but this is a great way to find out. Learn more about how you can be involved at http://www.mville.edu/news/NEWS_nov04_mysoldier.HTML.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Quote of the Day 12/5/04
"Do your duty in all things. You could not do more. You would not wish to do less." General Robert E. Lee
Christmas contributions
Last week, Banshee Blog announced that it is seeking information about holiday traditions that are near and dear to Banshee Blog readers. I intend to post this collection on Banshee Blog on December 18, 2004.
So far, Wild Banshee has received only one submission. So, I am renewing my call for contributions. If you or your family has a special activity or food or anything that you look forward to each year, please consider passing it along to Wild Banshee. Same thing goes for holiday traditions from your childhood that are no more. There are not narrow guidelines for this activity.
I look forward to checking my inbox in the days to come.
So far, Wild Banshee has received only one submission. So, I am renewing my call for contributions. If you or your family has a special activity or food or anything that you look forward to each year, please consider passing it along to Wild Banshee. Same thing goes for holiday traditions from your childhood that are no more. There are not narrow guidelines for this activity.
I look forward to checking my inbox in the days to come.
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