Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., the architect of “borking,” is as iconic an inquisitor as the Senate Judiciary Committee has. His presence is also the most ironic. He’s the only member to be thrown out of law school (for cheating.) How many nominees would have loved to have thrown that one back at him as he postured for his nightly news sound bite during Supreme Court nominee hearings?
Barnum & Bailey & Hip Hop?
The venerable Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is now ringless. Change, of course, is a constant, and it’s never good business to ignore demographic – and technological – updates. But elephants doing tricks to hip hop? Shouldn’t PETA be weighing in on this one?
Farris’ Apology
Finally, after all the smug preening and all the “Ferris Buelleresque” attaboys from the media, something sensible has come out of that Baghdad misadventure experienced by 16-year-old Farris Hassan of Fort Lauderdale. He finally apologized to those owed one the most: the U.S. military. He had to be transported out of Iraq over land, which was more than an inconvenient expense. Since everything that moves militarily in Iraq is a target, soldiers risked their lives to secure his.
They ought to garnish his allowance too.
Columbia Keeps Giving Back
By virtue of being around for a century, the Columbia Restaurant has impacted this area as few enterprises could or ever will. Even through the toughest of urban renewal times, the Columbia continued to anchor Ybor City and keep Tampa on the map.
Now Columbia president and co-owner Richard Gonzmart has upped the ante on impact. As part of its centennial celebration, the Columbia will donate $1 million – or $100,000 per decade – to local charities, including half to the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute.That affects a lot of folks who have never had Columbia-prepared paella or rice and beans.
“We’re thankful we’re here,” explained Gonzmart.
No, thank YOU.
Ronda Losing Her Groove?
Those who love or loathe Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms would agree on this much: She’s not your stereotypical, all-things-to-all-constituencies politician. What you see – and what you hear – is what you get. She minces no words. Big N, little w. On anything. Until now.
When asked at a recent Florida Coalition To Protect Marriage news conference if she will be a candidate for Tom Lee’s District 10 state Senate seat, she was uncharacteristically non-committal. “I don’t know if I am or not,” she coyly told the Tribune, sounding not unlike, alas, any traditional candidate enjoying the speculation.
That Owens Rumor
There are rumors and then there are rumors. Terrell Owens to the Bucs? What next? Joe Redner’s gay?
“Brokebackward”
“Brokeback Mountain,” many movie critics contend, is – at its core – nothing more than a traditional love story with a contemporary twist.
OK, then the NBA is nothing more than peach basket hoops with a contemporary twist.
Palmeiro’s Lame Mantra
Does anyone pay any attention anymore to anything that Rafael “I have never taken steroids. Period.” Palmeiro says about his positive steroid test last season? He still suspects the B-12 vitamin he received from Baltimore teammate Miguel Tejada. “I’m going to take the responsibility, me being careless and taking something (not) knowing if it was clean
Holiday Football Feasting Yields Some Leftovers
Out with the eggnog, in with the green tea. The overindulgence season is over. And once again, it included too much football after again vowing to cherry pick only the games that were really, really worth watching.
These leftovers:
*Orange Bowl: An endurance test even for this hard core Penn State alum. The game that wouldn’t end. In regulation. In overtime. In a second overtime. A Penn State offense that looked like it hadn’t played in more than seven weeks. A barrage of penalties. An onslaught of commercials and network promos. An inanely interminable half time. An exhibition of awful place kicking.
Unfortunately, someone had to lose more than sleep. It was the gracious Bobby, not the grumpy JoePa.
Speaking of college football’s legendary elder statesmen, enough on the ongoing endgame about who will ultimately have more victories among Division 1-A coaches. Bowden, 76, still has 359; Paterno, 79, now has 354.
It shouldn’t be ignored that Bowden is the beneficiary of 31 wins while coaching Howard College (now Samford University). For the record, that means that a Paterno win against, say, Florida State counts as much as Bowden wins against Maryville and Millsaps.
*Outback Bowl: “Urban Renewal” is more than a cliché now. But Iowa got hosed.
*Meineke Car Care Bowl: May Santa soon grant Jim Leavitt’s fondest wish. A quarterback.
*Rose Bowl: In a game with the unprecedented inclusion of two Heisman Trophy winners, it was Texas’ Vince Young who was a man among boys.
“Swagger” Worth Misplacing
Please, no more commentators telling us that such-and-such player or so-and-so team has its “swagger” back. “Swagger,” as we’ve seen all too often, is a synonym for arrogance. Can’t individuals and teams simply relocate their confidence borne of good play? Isn’t “swagger” a quality well worth misplacing?