Their Causes Differ, Their Hopes Diverge & Their Dreams Couldn’t Be More Dissimilar

As the New York Jets premiere supporter, Ira Lieberfarb is opinionated and passionate. While fans comprehend his enthusiasm, pompous provincialists abhor it.

During a recent interaction, this was obvious.
[Chase Bank: Queens, New York]

[Ira Lieberfarb and Colin Flynn are each completing deposit slips, when Lieberfarb observes a button Flynn is wearing]

Ira Lieberfarb: Edward M. Kennedy…

Colin Flynn: He gave me this button in 1962. Now that Teddy’s passed, I think national healthcare may be impossible.

Ira Lieberfarb: I know how you feel.

Colin Flynn: You’re a liberal?

Ira Lieberfarb: No… I mean the hopelessness. I felt that when Broadway Joe opened Bachelor’s Three.
Colin Flynn: Are you comparing the uninsured’s suffering to somewhere I used to drink?

Ira Lieberfarb: Are you ignoring our suffering? We made the AFL and since he opened that bar, we’ve never won again. The Pittsburgh Steelers, with their disgusting fans and players, have won six and we haven’t won any.

Colin Flynn: America has one hundred and fifty uninsured people per physician. If the millionaires who built your stadium would wake up, we could solve that problem.

Ira Lieberfarb: The Meadowlands seats 2,265 people for every year since our Super Bowl appearance. If the millionaires who sit in Congress would regulate the NFL, we could solve that problem.

Colin Flynn: Ted Kennedy’s cause was healthcare and you’re using it as a punch line.

Ira Lieberfarb: The New York Jets are my cause and Fireman Ed uses me as a punch line.
Colin Flynn: America’s uninsured exceeds our sixty-five and over population, our African-American population, and our Hispanic population. Can you equate football with that?

Ira Lieberfarb: Since we won a conference championship, the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series twice. Can you understand that pain?

Colin Flynn: The uninsured exceeds Iraq’s population. The Jets could have chosen a quarterback. Instead, you picked Richard Todd, Ken O’Brien, Chad Pennington, and Browning Nagle.

Ira Lieberfarb: Senator Kennedy opposed Iraq and he could have had healthcare…

Colin Flynn: How?

Ira Lieberfarb: Richard Nixon.

Colin Flynn: Senator Kennedy succeeded without him. The State Children’s Health Insurance Plan has benefited thousands.

Ira Lieberfarb: If one of those children grows up as a Patriots or Steelers fan, how does that benefit anyone?
Contributors: Platinum Smalls & Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge

Press Conference Transcript: The Pitcher Has No Policy

On Thursday, Curt Schilling said, “Running would be fun…a run would be a lot of fun because pretty much anybody that you're fighting against in office right now doesn't really have much of a leg to stand on right now. There's nobody you can go up against that you couldn't probably drag out a laundry list of stuff and say, 'Listen, this person's already proven that they're status quo, that they're business as usual, and we need anything but in every way shape and form moving forward.”

Assessing Schilling’s announcement news conference, he should employ several policy advisors.
Curt Schilling: “It is the glory and the greatness of our tradition to speak for those who have no voice, to remember those who are forgotten, to respond to the frustrations and fulfill the aspirations of all Americans seeking a better life in a better land. Senator Edward Kennedy said those words and while I disagree with the rest of his convention speech, I agree that I could speak for those with no voice, those who are forgotten, those who aspire and are frustrated. Therefore, I am announcing an exploratory committee, as a precursor to my United States Senate candidacy. I am aware Massachusetts has had only thirteen Republican Senators. However, the Boston Red Sox had only twenty-three playoff victories in eighty-seven years before I arrived. With that, I will take your questions.

Assistant: When Curt calls on you, please state your name and affiliation.

Question: Foon Rhee, Boston Globe. Curt, Senator Kennedy’s signature issue was healthcare. Can you tell us how you will approach health care if elected?
Schilling: As a pitcher and professional athlete, I’ve dealt with several injuries. Everyone remembers the bloody sock, but I also had a tendon injury and several other minor ailments. Senator Kennedy was in two serious accidents, but sitting behind a desk, occasionally standing to speak does not inflict the stress that thirty-plus starts a year will. Given this experience, I feel I can speak with authority about healthcare.

Question: Mike Barnacle, MSNBC. What are your thoughts on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act? Do you feel it has worked? Would you have voted for the legislation?
Schilling: No it has not and no I would not have. In twenty years, I pitched for five organizations, each of whom managed to sell out their stadiums on a consistent basis. Obviously, salaries are a significant aspect of baseball, salaries must be paid, and therefore owners must put fans in the seats. You cannot stimulate the economy until you must entice people to spend money in a similar fashion.

Question: Matt Margolis, HUB Politics. What is your environmental policy? How would you characterize yourself as an environmentalist?
Schilling: I would not. However, I understand the environment’s role in our economy. I had the privilege of pitching in Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and Wrigley Field. I know that if those fields weren’t well maintained, teams couldn’t play and revenue would have been lost. We will maintain those standards when I am elected.
Question: Carl Cameron, Fox News. In 2004 and 2008, you campaigned for President Bush and Senator McCain. Would you align yourself with them on tax policy also?
Schilling: Yeah. I talked about stimulating the economy and that won’t happen until people are spending money. People need money to afford tickets or video games or start a blog based business and the Senate must help get that money into their hands. I will propose another 3.8% tax cut, which I hope President Obama will sign.

Question: Jim VandeHei, Politico. You mentioned blog based businesses. You write a blog and utilize that blog within your business. How will you encourage more Americans to start small businesses and will blogs be included in your strategy?
Schilling: Jim, I feel technology is the greatest asset we have. In twenty years, we’ve transitioned from video tape to digital film, both of which I used to amass 3,116 strikeouts in my career. Technology will be a centerpiece of my initiative to help create more small businesses and I will talk about that at my blog, 38 pitches.

Question: Dana Bash, CNN. Senator Kennedy was instrumental in the passage of No Child Left Behind, which has endured its share of criticism. Can you talk about the legislation and if you would have voted for it?
Schilling: I wouldn’t have. Public education is important, but you don’t need a four year degree to succeed. I attended junior college, many of my teammates attended high school only, and our success far exceeded our education. I feel that education isn’t half as important as what is done with spare time, for instance, we need to increase the number of athletic programs. We need increase the number of writing programs, commensurate with blogs, children should learn at a younger age how to form opinions and put them on the internet. Education is not the Mendoza line it once was.
Question: David Freddoso, National Review. General Stanley McChrystal said the situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and demands a revised implementation strategy, commitment and resolve, and increased unity of effort. Would you support additional troops?
Schilling: Yes I would. When you are in an impossible situation, similar to the 2004 ALCS, you do whatever you can to prevail. The Yankees had us down 3-0. We altered our approaches, both as hitters and pitchers, and we won. If General McChrystal feels more troops will win Afghanistan, we provide more troops. You can win without making a deadline deal, but your odds improve when you make one.

Contributor: Platinum Smalls

Chad Ocho Cinco’s Child Please Commentaries

Chad Johnson: I’m dominating Twitter. I’m dominating U Stream. And now, since America needs a voice of reason, the voice of Ocho Cinco, I’ve decided to impart my wisdom through Child Please commentaries. I know all y’all watching every week and no one misses Hard Knocks and I shouldn’t have to explain this to you, but for those who cant flip their channel past T.O. and his friends Drama and Mama, child please is a nice way of telling someone that they mindless if they think Champ Bailey can cover the Black Mexican… Champ cover me? Child Please.”
CP Commentary One: Senator Ted Kennedy died this week and Republicans screaming that his death will be used… Used? CHILD PLEASE. Death won’t inspire healthcare… Isn’t the whole point of healthcare to prevent death? President Obama gets healthcare when he writes a bill and gets Ocho Cinco to explain that when you get sick, someone’s there for you, just like Coach Lewis is there for me.
CP Commentary Two: Did ESPN forget Ocho Cinco kicked a point? Brett Favre, Brett Favre… I knew 24/7 was comin’ up, but I thought it was about boxing… All the talk, the talk, talk, talk, talk, talk is Brett split the locker room… Some with Sage Rosenfels, Some with Tarvaris Jackson… CHILD PLEASE… If Sage Rose or Tar Jacked could win a Super Bowl, could win a purple vs. white scrimmage, you think their coach, what’s his name, Bald Coachless, would have begged?
CP Commentary Three: Late today, the Broncos, that team who traded Jay Cutler, who hired a personal assistant as head coach, they suspended Brandon Marshall. I can’t say nothing… Brandon bitched… Brandon complained… Brandon whined… Ocho Cinco never does any of those things and he especially don’t smack around a chica like she a DB I’m gonna dust on Sunday… People like Brandon, get a big CHILD PLEASE!
CP Commentary Four: Florida International won’t play in a tournament unless they play Ohio State and not North Carolina. CHILD PLEASE. What they gonna do, sit home and listen to Coach Thomas instruct them on the finer points of Stephon Marbury… And seriously, how can Florida International dictate anything to anyone? They won thirteen games… Zeke sexually harassed more Knicks employees in one month… FU, FIU, FUI, whatever, need to play who they told…
Chad Johnson: Until next time, this is Eighty-five, aka Ocho Cinco, aka the Black Mexican saying in Chad You Must Trust… Peace!

Contributor: Platinum Smalls

Franchise Fiction & The Truth

Recently, Rick Pitino has endured cynicism and slander. While his actions invited this, Pitino excoriated reporters and requested a response opportunity. Pitino will declare his indignation and I’ll respond.
Rick Pitino: What I don't understand is why you keep fostering this behavior. On a day where Ted Kennedy died, we broke into the news here in Louisville with Karen Sypher audio tapes with a detective, which had already been put out. That's a sad commentary on us… Enough is enough and everybody is tired of it. We need to get on with the important things in life like the economy and really crucial things in life like basketball. I'm asking all fans that if this is on the news anymore, and you're a fan of anything we've accomplished, to just change the channel. And if the newspapers want to write about it, then just read something else, wait for the trial and the truth will come out. This is blackmail. I was told seven months ago that if I fought it, my life would be pure hell. I went home to comfort my wife because it has been pure hell for her and my family.

Platinum Smalls: Rick, you imposter slut. Ted Kennedy is dead, but your scandal is very much alive and that’s why Fox 41 broke into their news and I’m elated they did. Enough is never enough and no one is tired of this and what’s a sad commentary is you… You renounced your moral authority when that cardinal in your pants took flight, so don’t lecture reporters on what they should cover. Don’t lecture reporters on what’s important. Reporters are not yours. You’re the reason you’re living pure hell right now and your right to dictate anything ended when you asked Karen Sypher on top a table or the bar?

Contributor: Platinum Smalls

And I’m Googling

Senator Edward Kennedy
As Culture Popped stated, Senator Kennedy was an iconic triumpherant’s conclusive act. He was a democratic icon. He was an unabashed liberal. Yet, his advocacy was not adversarial. His compassion was not political. Paraphrasing his words, “Senator Kennedy need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to stop it…”

Contributor: Platinum Smalls

Today’s Entrance Music

Generation

On Wednesday, Senator Edward Kennedy passed away. Senator Kennedy’s generation had no fear. They challenged convention. They required answers. They built a world that we can be proud of.

Contributor: Platinum Smalls