MLB Buckle Down

Bowing down to Hollywood, DC, and a few other groups is not something that should happen. But MLB is doing it. A week ago, a law passed in Georgia in regards to voting. From what I gathered, photo ID is required. A ban on giving out food and water and one absentee ballot in each county. The absentee stuff, I would be a little bothered, but the other two, I don't see the issue. Unfortunately, others do and pressure mounted to move the All-Star game out of Atlanta. On Friday, the league did that.

Very obviously, Atlanta is hugely disappointed. I don't know if Hollywood will fully go with their plan, but they are looking to boycott the state in terms of filming movies and other projects. What I think complicates things is ESPN doing an interview with President Joe Biden and his thoughts on it. He didn't force MLB to move it, but the network can be an influencer. Basically, we're back to where they were in 2016-17 when ratings tanked on several programs because of politics.

But here's the thing. The Associated Press lately has had polls about having ID. Both sides of the political spectrum are in favor of it at over 50 percent. That's a shocker. Unless I'm missing something, shouldn't celebrities and sports leagues want to reduce voter fraud? Make sure that their vote counted and other factors? And the cost of a photo ID isn't even expensive.  I'm struggling to see where this is voter suppression and targeting specific groups of people. The only thing I would not agree with is the absentee voting being in one part of a county. Two or three would have sufficed per county.

Unfortunately, MLB is buckling down to pressure. I think a lot of has to do with sponsorships. You can make the case of Washington going after them if they wanted to. Right now, there are some senators that are looking to remove an antitrust exemption the league has had since 1922. There is no win win situation at all. Rob Manfred keeps putting himself in the crosshairs as he has for the last year and a half. Honestly, I don't think anyone is looking at the details of this bill. Feels like a lot of outrage over nothing. Very disappointed at baseball. But money and power are the only things that matter in regards to corporate companies.

Quit Crying, Political Sides!

If there's one thing to think of when hearing about news, it's this. Don't believe every word a newsperson or guest says. The last week has been anything but mundane. However, it also starts showing just how dreadful liberals can get.

Might as well start with the Pam Bondi incident down in Florida. As reported all over the Internet, people harassed her constantly as she was at a movie theater. All because she was a Republican who sided with President Trump on immigration. Even with protection from cops, it was turmoil and chaos.  Then of course, there's the Red Hen incident involving Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She and her group were refused service and owner Stephanie Wilkinson went on to say she would do that again. Wilkinson is within her rights to refuse anyone service, but because of the hate for Trump, that's a bad move. I get it, but I have a feeling this will either bite them badly or drive more business for a short time.

Of course, we have to mention Maxine Waters, the politician out of California. Any normal person would just show disgust. Not her. Instead, she wants people to keep harassing Republicans. Personally, I think she's only looking to create controversy. No way is this going to help her or any Democrat. When both sides are criticizing her and that she can't handle questions about her speech, it's says more about her and her character than it does others.

Then again, you got the Hollywood stars crying foul at the immigration thing and now the travel ban still being in effect. Now, I'm all for wanting to see some people get out of war torn or high tension areas. However, there's still quite a bit of people who come in illegally. We can't just let everyone in. And quite honestly, I don't buy into the Hollywood stars feeling bad. It seems like phony stuff to get upset about and that their way of life is threatened. If they actually gave a damn, they would be doing stuff all the time instead of waiting until the elections to start "caring."

No matter what, both sides are at each others throats. And usually, it's the liberals with the loud mouths and the conservatives with the loud reactions. When does it stop? After Trump stops being President in two to six years? Can't we figure out a way to all get along?

There's no easy solution, and I'm not sure if there is anything to fix this mess.

Unworthy Oscars

Sunday's Oscar nomination show happened and the awards were given. It's ratings are the real story however. Just over 26 million watched, and there are many reasons why this is a huge low for ABC. Ultimately it comes down to all the stuff that has happened the last few years that has built up into this steep decline.

First is politics. Personally, I think Hollywood is still not over Donald Trump being president. It's been over a fucking year since he was elected. When does it stop? When is it time to let it go and get over it? Add in diversity (which could be a little better), all this MeToo crap and all this sexual harassment stuff, something has to give. At some point, false accusations are going to get tiring, ruining it for the few that actually were harassed. Also, if some people did better films, surely they would be nominated for their roles. The quality of a movie is not just judged by the overall film, but the stars that actually commit to it, cinematography, and a few other elements.

Obviously, length of time as news websites have talked about as well as the Internet. It's not a surprise that ratings take hits on prime time networks due to cable (which even that struggles as well) and people going in on the Internet. Websites are cashing in on people watching via whatever they have on them like a tablet. For something like the Oscars, not everybody wants to stay up until 11 or midnight to see every award given. That's a given in today's world.

The one that piques my interest a little bit is what gets nominated. At this point, it seems more like an invitation for independent or artsy stuff that either is a surprise hit or barely does well but gets nominated for awards and might win one. Think about it. Do people really care about Slumdog Millionaire now these days? No. Those kind of films get a few years exposure and then die off without getting reruns. The same will apply to stuff like The Big Sick and Mudbound. People are more interested in comic book films, live action remakes and sequels. Last year was no different. That doesn't mean they are giving up on original films because there are still some that were a big deal like Split and Baby Driver. Right now, Black Panther is doing very well and because of Logan getting some nods, maybe pressure might be put on Academy people to put in the mix for certain categories. Artsy and independent films are still an important factor, but you can't just rely on those and expect viewers to tune in just to see those win instead of others.

There's probably other factors into this, but something will change. It will come down to how people anticipate 2019's Oscars. If it's anything like the last few years, it could dip below 25 million viewers if there is no change to how ABC does things. The same can be said for the Hollywood celebrities. I don't know if it will come down to things crumbling before them or some huge enforced rules. Whatever happens will dictate the future of this awards ceremony.

Why I Don't Feel Bad For Most Women Accusers

I know when I do this blog, I'm not going to win everybody over. Nobody does. My main focus has been video games, TV, film, and sports. It's not easy trying to get these done a few times a week. This might be the easiest to talk since these are honest thoughts for this. Time Magazine considered their Person of the Year to be The Silence Breakers, women who have gone on to say they were sexually harassed by men. I find it to be a crock of shit, and a bad black eye.

It goes back a few months ago to the Harvey Weinstein incident, which might be one of the very few things that I'll actually believe. It wouldn't surprise me if he did rape and harass women. And I've played the game L.A. Noire, where there's a case of a producer trying to kill and rape a 15 year old at the beginning of it. Then came the floodgates, which increased following the Me Too hashtag created by washed up star Alyssa Milano. Now a lot of women are saying they got sexually harassed. Even the people you wouldn't think is ridiculous such as Dustin Hoffman and Charlie Sheen, the latter accused of raping the late Corey Haim back around 1985/86.

I've had a hard time believing anything since hearing the story of Brian Banks, the football player who got exonerated a few years ago for a rape crime he didn't commit. Losing five years of his to jail because of some idiot woman cost him a chance at college football and even the NFL. The other story in my head is reporter Erin Andrews. I've never liked her. She is one of the most useless sideline people who fits the stereotype of dumb, blonde, and a body of a model. I think she's stupid, and I didn't buy into her sob story a couple years ago. Back in 2007 when she was at ESPN, a peeper supposedly filmed her naked (it was hard to know if it was Andrews due to how the video looked) Personally, I think she underestimated her popularity. Most people aren't going to watch her for her reporting. Someone with a body like hers, big breasts, wardrobe, and hair color is going to lead to some having stalkers.

Sidetrack aside, the media is going to give sympathy to a woman. They get more coverage and platforms to speak on while the man gets nothing. The idea of innocent until proven guilty is a joke. If an incident didn't happen, it doesn't matter. A guy's life is finished and he can't go back to the same everyday routine because of the false accusations. With the big name people, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because there's actual harassment that goes on that doesn't wind up being heard on NBC or CBS or any network. I view it as women mostly wanting either 15 minutes of fame, or quick money because of it escalating since Weinstein. As I said, it's a bad black eye, and it makes actual harassment cases go unnoticed where something actually did happen and it wasn't a get rich quick scheme.

Until then, I'm just going to be a non-believer in most of these stories. I'm more inclined to believe the local papers than I would what is said in Hollywood. And a number of women need to be held accountable for their actions.

The shock of death, Part 1

When I mean by the title of this blog, I don't mean something like an electric chair or being electrocuted. I'm talking about when someone dies suddenly and you're left in utter disbelief that it actually happened. So what is the deal? This past Saturday, Hollywood actor Bill Paxton passed away from complications following heart surgery at the age of 61. It's weird noticing that a few days prior, I saw a scene of him on the CBS show, Training Day, and then seeing he died a few days later.

While 61 is not young, it's not really old, either. The thing is Paxton's passing is similar to what happened to comedian Rodney Dangerfield in 2004. Although much older at 82, Dangerfield went for heart surgery and died from complications. I'm no expert on medical knowledge, but the impression I get is this. As you get older, your heart starts to get weaker. There are certain things that you can't do compared to 30 to 50 years earlier. I think surgery is a lot more harder for someone at the ages of people like Paxton and Dangerfield. You don't know how that body is going to react.

That being said, people grow up watching certain films and have that big shock of finding out someone died. It's not just them. It's also people who worked with the person that passed. Considering the work Paxton did for over 30 years, there was a love for this guy throughout the people that worked for him. Was it shocking? Yes. This actor should have lasted another 15 to 25 years.

With that in mind, there are some people who should have stayed alive today. In Hollywood, I think Phil Hartman, who was murdered in May 1998, would have lasted another 30 to 35 years. That was during a dark period for Saturday Night Live, losing alumni Chris Farley six months earlier and then Hartman. Still, it's one of those things that is shocking to this day. A lot of people talk about musicians as well. There's that group that make it to the age of 27 and something bad happens to where they wind up on a coroners' table. You look at some of the names like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse and you are just bewildered by the fact they are gone. They were on top of the world with their songs and bands, it makes no sense to go off to a different path and resort to taking drugs or committing suicide.

With sports, I don't think anything will ever top the death of baseball player Thurman Munson in a plane crash in 1979. When you think dark moments for any sports, this takes the cake. Munson was one of the biggest names for not only Major League Baseball, but also the New York Yankees. He and a handful of others were bringing success back to a team that struggled for a decade before making it to three straight World Series appearances, winning two of them. He was a tough cookie and he was capable of getting hits and playing well behind the plate as a catcher. When it comes to shocking deaths in a sport, it comes mostly when the player is currently playing or in the early stages of retirement.

Sticking with baseball, this past September saw the death of Jose Fernandez, a star pitcher for the Miami Marlins. He was on a boat that crashed and ultimately killed him and two others. It was something that you couldn't believe would happen. Those tears were real when Don Mattingly spoke at the press conference discussing Fernandez. I wish it was the only time this ever happened, but it happened in 1993 with Steve Olin and Tim Crews. The Cleveland Indians were hopeful on bringing in some good pitching to help out their starters. One night, they were on a boat along with former Met Bobby Ojeda. They crashed into a pier and died from their injuries. Ojeda survived, but didn't do much in the very late stages of his career. These were guys in these two examples that were a big deal to the sport and put in the effort to play well as anybody else in the league.

Still, it can happen to anybody. A prime example is Nick Adenhart. A young prospect for the Los Angeles Angels in 2009, he started his first game of the year in decent fashion following a lackluster 2008 season where he only appeared in a few games and was in the minors for most of the year. After that game, he never pitched again as he was killed by a drunk driver when it hit the car he was in. It took not only his life, but two others. The drunk driver had prior incidents involving alcohol, and today serves a 50 plus year sentence on six felonies including murder and drunk driving. Ultimately, the guy got what he deserved and, personally, should rot in prison. But that doesn't dampen the shock and pain that happened to Adenhart. It was a life gone too soon. Who knows what could have happened. The Angels could have had a great pitcher for a good seven to ten years.

This blog has got me thinking about some of the stuff that happened in other sports, it would be too much for one blog itself. Stop by Thursday for part 2 where I look at some shocking deaths in other sports like basketball.