Still have more to spout off about. Let's get this party started. The National Anthem. I wish they would just make one good recording of it done in the traditional manner and play it at every event. Why does every single performance have to be slightly different. I have heard it done as a country tune, a rap song, jazz version, instrumental only. It has been done by Boyz 2 Men, Rosanne Barr (The Worst Ever), Trisha Yearwood, shall I go on? Even my very favorite singer ever, Huey Lewis, screws it up when he says "pwoff" instead of "proof" through the night. I cringe every time he gets to that point and I love Huey and da boys. Drop the breaks also with "Take me out to the ball game" and also with "America the Beuatiful." Enough is enough is too much. I want to come to see a game -- that’s all. Even those half-time shams at the Super Bowl can go. WE are running out of old farts to trot out there. The game IS THE focus, not the schtik around it.

Why all the hoopla surrounding the games? Television. Television owns and controls everything. There are so many different productions and so many different channels that now the commentators suck. See if you can disagree with me. Wasn't it better watching Monday Night Football with Howard Cosell, Dandy Don Meredith, and Frank Gifford? What about college football with Keith Jackson? This Week in Baseball with Mel Allen? Less was better. And now with television controlling the schedule the NBA playoffs last two months. If you are lucky enough to have a competitive game one on Monday, you might get game two on Friday. By then, I just don't give a flying rats ass anymore. Play games one and two back to back. Then fly out and play three, four and five; then fly back for six and seven. Over in a week. PERIOD! What, these $20,000,000 athletes are not in good enough shape to "work" two hours a day, and be ready 20 hours later to did it again. If not, shoot them and get new ones that are.

While on the subject of basketball, play your best five people. I am so damn tired of hearing of a one (point guard) a two (shooting guard) a three (small forward) a four (power forward) and a five (center). Play your best five athletes and let them run loose. It works on the playground and it works in college (remember the NCAA team with Moncrief, Delph, and Brewer who were 6 foot 4 and shorter and played the Center and forward positions). The Golden State Warriors are a mess. Start: Ellis, Jackson, Maggette, Crawford, and whoever can walk at game time and let your ponies run!!! Shoot, shoot, and shoot. Then, when you are on defense, steal the ball and run some more.

More NBA trash ... tattoos. If I were the commissioner of the NBA (besides being ungodly rich) I would make them wear long pants and long sleeve turtlenecks to hide those ugly things. Come on. You are trying to get middle America to pay your salaries…does all of middle America sport black ink covering their arms and legs and necks? If we have to abide by dress codes and crap in the workplace -- these losers can too. I am tired of the baggy shorts past their knees and the gangsta tattoos that mean nothing. Hell, even Kobe Bryant looks like a street thug now. David Stern introduced a dress code when they are not on the court -- now let's have them look like human beings on the court. Come on Stern, earn your gazillion dollars we are paying you.

I'll end this rant with Baseball. What the hell ever happened to the doubleheader? Remember when Ernie Banks said "let’s play three" and meant it. You are PLAYING A GAME for your fans. We already shell out nearly a $1,000 per game for parking, seats, and food to see you overpaid poor excuse for an athlete hit a buck fifty. We will never see a .400 hitter in my lifetime again, we will never see a 30 game winner again…so we do we pay so much more for so much less? While we are at it ... contraction. Each year, when a team finishes dead last -- do away with that team. That gives every team incentive to win games ... right? Besides ... no more Washington Nationals or Pittsburgh Pirates, or other teams that no one comes to see anyway. The few good players on bad teams move to other teams, making them better. Eventually we have good teams, and good competition and full stadiums ... hey that sounds like the good old days. Did I remember to mention that I hate Barry Bonds?