The Zionist Conspiracy |
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A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews. 
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Sunday, April 30, 2006
Post-Draft Disorder I had high hopes for the NFL draft, and have a feeling of disappointment now that it's over. Sure, the Jets significantly upgraded their offensive line. But they didn't significantly upgrade any other position, and passed on talented players who could have solidified running back and wide receiver. Maybe 2nd round pick Kellen Clemens is the QB of the future, maybe not. The third round picks left much to be desired. Unless D'Brickashaw Ferguson is another Jonathan Ogden or Orlando Pace, the Jets will regret not going with Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler with their first pick, and probably could have traded down, added another pick, and still selected Leinart or Cutler. Then, they could have picked tackle Winston Justice in the second round. Justice fell to #38 because offensive lineman aren't usually drafted so high. There was still lots of talent available in the third round, where the Jets reached for Anthony Schlegel and Eric Smith. Both Schlegel and Smith are good people who may become good players, but both would almost certainly have been available in the fourth round and beyond. Eric Mangini stated today that the Jets want character guys. I'm all for character, but ability is pretty important too. Plenty of players have fallen far in drafts due to questions about character, and then excelled and been good teammates, if not quite choir boys. Laveranues Coles and Jason Ferguson were among the Jets drafted by Bill Parcells who fell significantly due to purported character issues. Day Two Draft Thoughts [Note: My full analysis of the Jets offseason, including their free agent signings, their player cuts, and their draft, will be posted in the near future.] The Jets picked up this morning where they left off last night, reaching for a player who would have lasted longer when they selected Missouri QB Brad Smith. Smith likely will try to convert to wide receiver, and is a tremendous athlete, but most draft experts saw him as a later round pick or a player who would go undrafted. I like the Jets other fourth round pick, the one obtained as compensation for Herm Edwards. The Jets selected running back Leon Washington. Washington stands less than 5'8 and has had injury problems, but he's strong and speedy. He sort of reminds me of Leon Johnson, who was a solid player for the Jets in 1997 and 1998 before blowing out his knee on opening week of the 1999 season. The Washington pick could mean that the Jets will release Derrick Blaylock, who received a large contract last offseason, and hardly touched the ball before sustaining a season ending injury. In the fifth round, the Jets picked tight end Jason Pociask, another player who many projected as a 7th rounder, or an undrafted free agent. Pociask doesn't have much when it comes to receiving skills, but he's a solid blocker, and could be used as a second tight end in short yardage running situations, in which the Jets have struggled. It will be interesting to see whether Pociask's arrival will mean the departure of Doug Jolley, another 2005 offseason acquisition by ex-GM Terry Bradway. The Jets went back to defense in the sixth and seventh rounds, with cornerback Drew Coleman and defensive tackle Titus Adams. Coleman has good speed, but little else. Adams has had success as a run defender, and could play nose tackle in run situations. My guess is that Adams is more likely to make the 2006 roster than Coleman. It's hard to get too excited or upset about second day picks. That said, Smith has upside but is a project and was drafted too high, while Coleman is a longshot to make the team. Washington, Pociask and Adams will all have a chance to become contributors. Saturday, April 29, 2006
Day One Draft Thoughts Day one of the draft has just ended with the Jets selection of Eric Smith. Here are my quick thoughts. A full analysis will be posted on Monday, after the full draft is completed: The Jets did a terrific job in the first round. D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold will be the team's long-term fixtures at left tackle and center, and Ferguson should be ready to start in 2006. The second round strategy was risky. First, the Jets traded down, sending the #35 pick to Washington for the #53 pick, a late 6th rounder, and the Skins' second rounder next year. While I can live with this trade, the Jets did pass on a number of very talented players who were available at #35, such as Chad Jackson, Winston Justice and LenDale White. Then, the Jets moved up from #53 to #49. To do so, they gave up the 6th rounder they had just received from Washington and their seventh rounder. Giving up two extra picks - even late rounders - just to move up four spots seems to be too much. With the #49 pick, the Jets selected QB Kellen Clemens. Clemens is a bit small, and wasn't expected to be drafted until the 3rd round. I can live with the pick, but it's a risky one, since talented players remained available. Ultimately, is Clemens the Jets starting QB of the future? Is he a significant upgrade over Patrick Ramsey and Brooks Bollinger? It will likely be a few years before we have any idea. If it turns out the answer is no, this pick will haunt the Jets. I absolutely hate what the Jets did in the third round. First, they traded down five spots from #71 to #76, but only got a mid-7th rounder in return. They then picked linebacker Anthony Schlegel, who was projected as a fifth rounder and almost certainly would have been available later on. Then, with the #97 pick, the Jets chose Smith. Not only do the Jets have little need for more help at safety, Smith himself expressed doubt that he'd be drafted at all, with most projecting him as a 7th rounder. (See the article linked to Smith's name, above.) The Jets have a history of falling in love with certain players and picking them way too high, and appear to have done so with Schlegel and Smith. Overall, while I'm pleased with the immediate improvement to the Jets offensive line as a result of their first round picks, I have doubts about their second round maneuvers, and see their two third round picks as reaches. The bottom line is that the Jets have many needs, but haven't really seriously addressed any other than offensive line. In the long-term, the big question will be whether the Jets were right to pass on Matt Leinart in favor of Ferguson. The Jets could have drafted Leinart, Mangold and tackle Winston Justice with their first three picks, instead of Ferguson, Mangold and Clemens. Will Ferguson be a much better tackle than Justice? Will Clemens be nearly as good a QB as Leinart? When this draft is evaluated years from now, those will be the questions to ask. Friday, April 28, 2006
JD Will Be Missed The other day, MSG Network was replaying a "classic" Rangers game from the 1986 playoffs. The first thing I noticed was that Phil Esposito was the announcer. The next season, Esposito became Rangers GM, and was replaced in the broadcast booth by former Rangers goalie John Davidson. Since then, JD has been a Rangers fixture, becoming not only an announcer but the voice of the franchise. Now that former MSG executive Dave Checketts is among a group purchasing the St. Louis Blues, Davidson is expected to join the Blues as president and/or GM. If that is the case, tomorrow will be the last time Davidson announces a Rangers game. Change is a part of life, but after 20 seasons, it's hard to imagine the Rangers without JD. Limelight The following lyrics are from a song called 'Limelight' by the Alan Parsons Project. (Only the song's relevant lyrics appear below.) Whoever can explain the significance of this song will win a prize to be named later. I can see the glow of a distant sun I can feel it inside Maybe this day could be the one I can hear the roar of a distant crowd They are waiting for me Calling my name Shouting out loud Holding on isn't always easy I ain't gonna change my mind Limelight you were all I ever wanted Since it all began Limelight shining on me Telling the world who I am Limelight don't let me slip right through your fingers There's a long way to fall Maybe the role's not easy, maybe the prize is small After all the years of waiting, I'm gonna show them all Jets Draft Preview So much contradictory information has been emanating about the Jets that it is useless to speculate who they will draft. One report says the Jets want Mario Williams, another that they want D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Some claim that the Jets have no interest in Matt Leinart, others say that the Jets are quietly hoping that Leinart is not picked by the Titans at #3 so that they can select him fourth. There are those who believe the Jets will trade down a few spots to get another pick, and target A.J. Hawk or Vernon Davis. One report claims the Jets want to package their #29 and #35 picks for the Ravens pick at #13 to pick Jay Cutler if he is available. If the Jets keep the #29 and #35 picks, there are plenty of possibilities: a second tier quarterback, a running pack like Lendale White or Laurence Maroney, linebackers Bobby Carpenter or DeMeco Ryans, or offensive line help in the form of Nick Mangold, Max Jean-Gilles or Marcus McNeil. Wasting time on mock drafts is silly. Instead, just enjoy the long shabbos day tomorrow, and then turn on ESPN to find out who the Jets picked (the draft will probably still only be in the second round when shabbos ends), whether the Rangers season is over, and if the Nets evened their series at 2-2 or are in a 3-1 hole. Thursday, April 27, 2006
Talmud Study and "At Risk" Teens Clearly, there are many reasons why teens (and others) rebel against their community's norms. I believe that one reason why some teens from observant Jewish families rebel is the antiquated Jewish studies curriculum. With a dual curriculum, it's not atypical for high school students to spend six days a week in school, with some school days lasting more than 12 hours. Further, in boys' yeshivas, there is an overwhelming focus on Talmud study, specifically gemara study. Some kids like to learn gemara and are able to learn gemara. Some don't really like it, but are able to learn and do so because that's what is being taught and tested. Others are intelligent but find gemara extremely boring and abstract. Then there are those who try to learn gemara, but lack the intellectual acumen. In a typical class, it's probably fair to say that more than half of the kids do not fall into the category of those who like to, and can, learn gemara. So hours upon hours of Jewish study are devoted almost exclusively to an area of study that most are not best suited for. Sages and rabbinic leaders throughout history spent lots of time studying Tenach, Jewish thought and halacha, but little attention is paid to those things in most boys schools. Bottom line: If you don't love learning gemara, you better get used to it anyway, because it's the only game in town. In the adult world, Torah study is certainly meritorious and an essential part of life, but there are lots of options for study beyond gemara. Furthermore, one can be a respected member of the community even if he is not a great Talmudic scholar. But for kids, if you can't learn gemara, you're going to be a failure when it comes to the "Hebrew" part of your curriculum. It cannot be good for the psyche of many Orthodox Jewish kids to know that whatever their intentions, and regardless of how sincerely they may pray or act charitably toward others, if gemara is not their strength, they are a failure. Will yeshivas ever learn that while gemara is vital and may be the best area of focus for the elite, many of their "weaker" students would have great enthusiasm for, and success studying other things, and that devotion of 95 percent of the Hebrew curriculum to gemara is inconsistent with the concept of chanoch l'naar al pi darcho - to educate each child according to his own way? Frum and "At Risk" A few days ago, Elster had a long post about "at-risk" teens from Orthodox families. (The term "at-risk" is the most common term used within the community, not Elster's.) As Elster correctly points out, there are many reasons why teens may have problems, and each problem - and potential solution - must be evaluated on an individual level. I believe one of the biggest mistakes made within the frum community is to view (and often relate to) all "at-risk" kids the same. A high school student in a charedi school who cuts class, goes to movies, and hangs out with members of the opposite gender is clearly violating his or her school's standards - and can legitimately be disciplined by the school - but is not necessarily actually "at-risk" until, too often, the school overreacts with disproportionate sanctions. On the other hand, while the community should not completely shun anyone (except under the most extreme and rare circumstances), sometimes there can be too much tolerance. There have to be minimal standards and red lines beyond which people cannot cross. For example, I believe that teens from frum families, who, say, make it their point to hang out on shabbos smoking cigarettes or marijuana in a public area do deserve to be made to understand that their rebelliousness is not tolerable. While an open door policy for these kids should be maintained, sometimes the concept of "unconditional love" is confused with unconditional acceptance for any behavior, no matter how antithetical to halacha. Disappointing But Memorable I was hopeful but not optimistic about the Rangers' prospects last night. Sensing - correctly - that the pre-game atmosphere might be more enjoyable than the game itself, I arrived early at the Garden and was in my seat by around 6:30. The crowd was loud when Jaromir Jagr participated in the pre-game skate and warmup. There was tension while the player scratches were announced, and the fans went wild when number 68 was not among them. The game itself was terrible, but what I will remember about last night was the sense at Madison Square Garden that if the Rangers had any chance of winning and salvaging their until recently fantastic season, the fans would have to will them to victory. Unlike the players, the fans did their part. We were loud and excited, and remained supportive even after the Rangers fell behind 2-0. For the second straight game, defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh was the goat. Last night, Ozolinsh was responsible for the Devils' first goal, just 68 seconds into the game. New York loves athletes who perform well, and rips apart those who fail. That's part of the business, but I still felt some sympathy for Ozolinsh when he was loudly booed every time he touched the puck. As the game went on, it appeared to affect his play, making him especially tentative. In this regard, I think the fans acted foolishly. Ozolinsh is far from the only Ranger playing poorly. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist hasn't been the same since the Olympics, Petr Prucha largely disappeared as a scoring threat after his pre-Olympics knee injury, Petr Sykora has failed to convert on chance after chance, and it seems as though every rebound and loose puck near the Devils net has been retrieved by a Devil, and every Devils odd man rush results in a goal. With Game 4 on shabbos, it's likely that I've seen the Rangers for the last time in 2005-06. It's too soon to offer a perspective on the season as a whole, but if there's one immediate disappointment I have, it's that once the season was well underway, the Rangers largely ignored their young players in the minors. Despite the team's needs at forward and defense, players like Jarkko Immonen and Thomas Pock played briefly but never really were given a chance to step in and seriously contribute, and the Rangers are now paying the price, with their offense and defense both in disarray. Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Shehechayanu for the Rangers? With G-d's help, I have obtained one ticket to tonight's Rangers game. I just bought the seat on Ticketmaster for $105. I know I said some bad things about the Rangers a couple of nights ago, and I'll probably say worse things tonight. But a Rangers fan I am, and I was not going to miss the Rangers first playoff game at Madison Square Garden in nine years. Should I recite the Shehechayanu prayer? ("Blessed G-d, the King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us, to reach this occasion.") Let's go Rangers! MJ Rosenberg Moves Up From Al Jazeerah I thought that the Israel Policy Forum's MJ Rosenberg only submits columns to his friends over at Al Jazeerah, so was surprised to see his column last week in The Jerusalem Post. Rosenberg took the position that those who oppose additional unilateral concessions are actually anti-Israel, because "it is one thing to promote policies that will help Israel achieve peace and security. It is quite another to promote war." Obviously, Rosenberg's analysis is absurd. Israeli concessions have promoted neither peace nor security but led to a terror war, and those who oppose those concessions clearly believe that they will move Israel ever further from peace and security and cause inevitable war, with Israel weakened. In yesterday's Jerusalem Post, Lenny Ben-David - who unlike Rosenberg actually lives in Israel (in Gush Etzion, which Rosenberg presumably wants to be ceded for a second time to the Arabs) - strongly took Rosenberg to task. Ben-David mentions that his oldest child "recovered from a terrorist attack six years ago without any physical scars," that his four sons fought in IDF combat units, with one in active duty today. He says that friends and their children have been murdered in terror attacks. Attacking Rosenberg's "appeasement" policies," Ben-David writes: Sitting in suburban Washington, you have become a spokesperson for the "Appeasement Lobby," calling for Israeli concessions while sanctimoniously wrapping your misinformation in images of Israel's military cemeteries and the Holocaust. Amazingly, instead of conceding that Ben-David does indeed live in Israel and that it's the prerogative of Israelis to decide how to best achieve peace and security, and expressing respectful disagreement with Ben-David's political views, Rosenberg responds harshly in a letter to the editor today, calling Ben-David "profoundly un-Zionist." Rosenberg then arrogantly signs his letter from "Jerusalem (David Citadel Hotel)", as though writing from a fancy hotel on King David Street paid for by the Israel Policy Forum gives him the right to refer to a former American Jew who made aliyah and sent four sons into combat units in such a derogatory manner. Now that Rosenberg has had his moment in The Jerusalem Post, we await his next Israel bashing column over at Al Jazeerah. Yankees Cap At the home of my in-laws on the last days of Passover, someone put a Yankees cap on my son when he was taken out in the sun. When I objected, and asked that the cap be removed and replaced with a less offensive one, there was general agreement that my request was ridiculous. Fortunately, a Jets hat was quickly located, and peace was temporarily restored. Thanks, Ticketmaster Last Tuesday, I was fortunate enough to score tickets via Ticketmaster to the Rangers' second and third home game of this series. Following the Rangers' loss Tuesday night, that meant that the tickets were for Games 4 and 6. Alas, Game 4 is this shabbos afternoon. Game 6 is scheduled for next Tuesday, but the way things are going, won't be played. My Game 6 tickets arrived in the mail last Thursday. On Friday, I reached a deal on Craigslist to trade my tickets to Game 4 for tickets to tonight's game. Alas, my tickets to Game 4 have still not arrived. So not only am I unable to trade them for tonight's game, I can't even sell them to recoup the money I paid. Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Holocaust Today is Yom Hashoah, which seems an appropriate time for my first substantive post about the Holocaust. (I did post last year about the question of marking Yom Hashoah.) Not only have I not posted about the Holocaust, I cannot remember ever reading a post on any Jblog about the Holocaust. These days, younger Jews seem preoccupied with other concerns, such as getting by in their day-to-day life, and dealing with contemporary Jewish problems, such as terror against Israelis and throughout the world, and sharp increases in anti-Semitism in Europe, especially France. I think there is also a bit of a sense that most Americans do not want to hear about the Holocaust. More than ten years ago, a law school classmate of mine reacted with incredulity when I told him that I would not buy a German car, and that I tried to avoid anything related to Europe altogether. His response was that "it's been 50 years. It's time to forgive." As insensitive as that response was, I think it's representative of the viewpoint of many (and probably most) non-Jews. It is also almost impossible to contemplate the enormity of the Holocaust. Next week, on Yom Hazikaron, Israel's memorial day, the approximately 21,000 soldiers and civilians who have been killed by Israel's enemies will be remembered. During the Holocaust, many more than 21,000 Jews were killed in a typical week. The idea that six million Jews were murdered and European Jewry just about destroyed remains beyond comprehension. The only way to really contemplate the Holocaust is by focusing on each community and village that was destroyed, on each family that was wiped out, on each individual who was murdered by the Nazis. When I think about the Holocaust, I mainly do so from the perspective of my family. I'm sure that's not unique. While my father's parents' families were ravaged by the Holocaust, I generally think of what transpired to my mother's family. My mother's grandfather was a respected rabbi. When the Nazis invaded his village, they publicly shaved off his beard, brought him up to a roof and shot him dead. Later, fleeing Belgium for France were my mother's grandmother and her four children - their age ranged from their 20's to low 30's - including my mother's mother (along with her husband, my mother's father), her aunt and uncle and their son, and an unmarried aunt and uncle. Both my mother's unmarried uncle and unmarried aunt were killed in an air raid in which my mother's mother was wounded. I am named after my mother's uncle, whose legs were blown off by the bombardment and asked his mother for water during his final moments. Later, in 1943, the surviving members of my mother's family were forced to flee France for Italy. By then, my mother's mother was pregnant with her first child, and a Catholic priest arranged for refuge for the family in villages around Cuneo, Italy. The men were with the partisans fighting the Nazis and fascists, with the women and children hidden elsewhere. My mother was born in late February 1944. Six weeks later, on the seventh night of Passover, her father came down from the mountains where he hid with the partisans to visit her. He didn't make it. Instead, he was spotted and shot in the head and murdered. He was around 30 years old. By the 1950's, the surviving members of my mother's family had moved to Manhattan. One day, a woman called a Jewish radio program asking for information about my mother's father, leaving her contact information. It turns out that she was his sister, the sole survivor from my mother's father's family. Everyone else - their parents and all of the other siblings and their children - and even uncles, aunts and cousins - were all murdered. A few years ago, upon launch of the Yad Yashem website, my mother learned who was killed in Treblinka, who in Auschwitz. My mother remains a bit of a celebrity in Cuneo, Italy, where the baby born in hiding during World War II was for decades a legend. In the summer of 2001, my parents decided to visit Cuneo. Along with my siblings, they went to the home in which my mother was born - the midwife still alive and obviously now elderly. The visit was covered in the local newspaper. When my parents informed us of the plan for the trip to Cuneo, the rest of my family reacted by looking forward to the visit. I reacted by buying a plane ticket to Israel and declaring that I would not be joining them in Cuneo, or otherwise visiting Europe. Nearly five years later, I'm not sure if my decision was right or wrong, motivated by stubbornness or by principle. I did have a nice time in Israel, which had no tourism due to the terror war that had been commenced by Yasser Arafat the prior year. Each year on Purim, most of my mother's extended family joins in my parents' home. There is some irony in that, as both my father's father and my mother's mother died on Purim, so both my parents have yahrtzeit on that happy day in the Jewish year. My mother's aunt and uncle used to be a fixture at the Purim gatherings, but her aunt died in late 1992, while her uncle died four days before Purim in 2003. Now, most of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren come over. Even with lots of children, everyone fits rather comfortably in my parents' home, which is on the first floor of a two-family house, a sobering reminder of those who were murdered and the generations of families that do not exist because of the Holocaust. Monday, April 24, 2006
The Awful New York Rangers This is what we Rangers fans have waited nine long years for? I am writing at 8:40 P.M., just after the end of the second period. For those fortunate enough to have not seen the horrific performance by the Rangers at the end of the period, you missed the Rangers doing absolutely nothing with a 5 on 3 advantage for two full minutes, and then giving up a shorthanded goal with six seconds to go in the period to give the Devils a 3-0 lead. Obviously the Rangers are suffering from the injury to Jaromir Jagr, but they appear to have used that as an excuse to not even show up. For most of the 2005-06 season, the Rangers were a pleasure to watch. Now they are unwatchable. I'm not even going to bother watching the third period. Instead, my son will get his wish, and I'll play the Barney video. Sure, Baby Bop is annoying, but not nearly as annoying as watching pro athletes let the season go down the drain. Darfur For years, the slavery and murder by Islamic fanatics in Sudan were issues highlighted primarily by hawkish pro-Israel Jews. Today, the leading voices about the mass murder occurring in Darfur, Sudan are liberal Jewish organizations. Anything that raises public consciousness of the human rights atrocities in Sudan is a good thing. Unfortunately, however, if those speaking out about the situation there continue to be very disproportionately Jewish, little progress is likely to be made. That of course does not mean that Jews should not condemn both what is happening there and the world's ineffective response. It simply means that a solution - or even an alleviation - of the situation in Sudan will have to come from elsewhere. Eight Comments On A Fundamental Miscarriage Of Justice 1. When it comes to the Jonathan Pollard affair, Pollard, the United States and Israel have all acted reprehensibly and deserve strong criticism for their behavior and actions. Pollard long ago paid the price for his crime. The U.S. and Israel have not taken responsibility for their wrongful actions. 2. There are some American Jews who still offer rationalizations for Pollard's spying for Israel. They shouldn't. It should be clear that an American intelligence analyst with access to classified information cannot pass that information on to a foreign country. Pollard deserved to be punished for his spying for Israel, even if it was motivated by Zionist ideals that are in themselves seen as highly valued and laudable. 3. Pollard cooperated with the U.S. government. Indeed, the government affirmed that Pollard's cooperation was "of considerable value" and agreed to recognize such cooperation at sentencing. Instead, the government submitted a scathing memorandum by Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger accusing Pollard of treason, a crime with which Pollard was not charged, and which in any event only applies to spying for enemy nations. Pollard received a life sentence with a recommendation against parole. 4. Congressman Anthony Weiner and others who have seen Pollard's classified file have stated that nothing in the file justifies a life sentence. Weiner explained: "There's nothing in the Weinberger memo that speaks to Jonathan's spying for anyone else - which is one of the things that many of our opponents have thrown up as a canard: that he spied for China or for whomever else - that's not in there." Even Weinberger later stated that Pollard was not of much significance. When asked why Pollard did not appear in his memoirs, Weinberger said: "The Pollard matter was comparatively minor. It was made far bigger than its actual importance." 5. In his opinion on Pollard's appeal, D.C. Circuit Judge Stephen Williams said that "the government's breach of the plea agreement was a fundamental miscarriage of justice" and found that "Pollard's sentence should be vacated and the case remanded for resentencing." However, the appellate court ruled 2-1 against vacating Pollard's sentence. 6. During the negotiations between Israel and the PA at Wye in 1998, Prime Minister Netanyahu requested that President Clinton agree to clemency for Pollard. According to both Netanyahu and Natan Sharansky (who also participated in the Wye talks), Clinton agreed but reneged at the last minute only after Israel committed to cede 13 percent of Judea and Samaria to the PA. Later, Clinton agreed to consider the possibility of granting clemency to Pollard. Instead, at the request of Prime Minister Barak, he pardoned Barak's friend, Marc Rich. 7. As for Israel, its behavior toward Pollard was a disgrace. Israel denied Pollard asylum at its U.S. embassy, instead claiming for years that Pollard's actions were not on behalf of Israel but were "a rogue operation." For 13 years, Israel continued to maintain this farce. Only in 1998 did Prime Minister Netanyahu concede that Pollard spied for Israel, and openly request his release. Prime Ministers Barak and Sharon did little but pay lip service to the idea of Pollard's release. 8. Most ironically, the Prime Minister at the time of Pollard's arrest - Shimon Peres - and Pollard's Mossad handler - Rafi Eitan of the new Gil retirees party - will both have leading roles as cabinet ministers in the new Israeli government. Since Pollard's arrest 21 years ago, Peres has won a Noble Peace Prize and been feted by the international community, while Eitan has made millions in business ventures in Cuba. Are A Thousand Posts Enough? A couple of months ago, upon noticing that I had posted something like 935 times, I began to consider the idea of blogging until I reached 1000 posts, and to then close this blog. I've previously mentioned that I don't think the quality of my recent posts is as high as I'd like, and that I feel that I've already covered most of the issues I want to cover and said most of what I have to say. Perhaps more importantly, I just don't have the same desire to blog that I once had. With many eager new bloggers out there, I don't want to continue blogging out of inertia. This is my one-thousandth post. I've decided for now not to close this blog, for two reasons. First, there are a few topics that I've never mentioned on this blog that I feel should be posted about before shutting down. Second, I don't want to retire and then, like many others, come back a week or a month later when I discover that I want to resume blogging. However, I will almost certainly post less. The topics that haven't been mentioned are Jonathan Pollard, Darfur and the Holocaust. I don't really have much unique or profound to say about any of them, which is why they haven't come up until now, but they're important enough to warrant brief coverage. I'll probably post about them in the next week. Sunday, April 23, 2006
Israeli Media's Vilification of Netanyahu After years of vilifying Binyamin Netanyahu for everything from the failure of Oslo to Israel's social problems, some in the Israeli media are now admitting that, well, Bibi was really quite effective. After a long feature appeared in Haaretz earlier this month that portrayed Netanyahu positively, the current issue of The Jerusalem Report includes a pro-Netanyahu column from none other than Shlomo Maital. As Maital states, "I have been severely critical of Bibinomics because it aggravated poverty. But in fairness, it is time to praise Bibi." Not only does Maital praise Netanyahu, he praises him in such an effusive manner as to completely undermine the credibility of his past scathing criticism. Maital credits Netanyahu for privatizing government-owned entities, for slashing government spending, and cutting the budget deficit in half. He notes that Israel's GDP in 2005 had growth of 5.2 percent, tops in the Western world. Maital credits Netanyahu for the creation of 200,000 new jobs and a sharp drop in unemployment. But what about Maital's past criticism of Bibinomics because it aggravated poverty? Now, Maital has come to the conclusion that "No pain, no gain" and that "sometimes short-term pain is needed - structural reforms that always hurt some groups - to achieve long-term competitiveness and gain for all." In light of Netanyahu's political fall, Maital worryingly asks, "what Israeli politician will ever again have the guts to implement tough, painful measures that Israel's economy needs?" In light of his newfound conviction that Netanyahu's economic policies were right after all, Maital's past attacks on those same policies should be seen for what they are: Nothing more than personally and politically motivated vitriol that had nothing to do with economics. Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Memories of Shea Taking the 7 train to Shea Stadium for the first time in a new season isn't quite the source of excitement that it used to be for me. When I was young, just getting on the red 7 line was a thrill. My anticipation grew as the train traveled above ground through Queens, until finally, the euphoric first sighting of Shea - first from a distance - would appear. I'd hurry through the subway exits into the Shea complex and toward the gate, and then rush to my seats to catch an early glimpse of the field. Then I'd wait for 'Meet The Mets' to be played and for the game to start. Last night was a very pleasant, breezy evening, except at Shea, where the howling winds made it uncomfortably chilly. 'Meet The Mets' was officially replaced last night by a terrible thuggish-sounding song (if it can be called a song) called 'Our Team, Our Time.' I know now that Shea is outdated and not particularly fan friendly, and that soon enough it will be gone forever. And yet, as I watched Pedro Martinez's 200th win over the Braves in an exciting and close game among a relatively large and loud April crowd, I couldn't help but think about all of the times I've been to Shea Stadium. I've lost count, but have almost certainly been to well over 100 Mets games there. I remember my first game, Jacket Day, on June 15, 1980. We sat a few rows from the field right by third base, in expensive $6 seats. The Mets were shut out. The most exciting moment came when the opposing team (I think it was the Giants) hit a home run, but I was buying a soda when that happened. Interesting that in those days, a seven year old boy could go by himself to buy a soda. Then there was my first Jets game, on October 16, 1981. It was chol hamoed succos, against the Bills. The Jets dominated. My enduring memories of that game are a long touchdown catch and run by Bobby Jones, and my father meeting, during halftime, an African American man sitting in our section who had been his student at Hunter College. Six Sundays later, my father walked into my fourth grade class and told the rebbi that he was taking me to a football game. We watched the Jets crush the then hapless Colts. Later, there was Strawberry Sunday in April 1984, when the Mets honored their rising star by giving out free Carvel strawberry sundaes. There was Dwight Gooden in '85, and Labor Day in '86 when the Mets unveiled their rather bad 'Lets Go Mets' video and Sid Fernandez had something like 12 strikeouts. I can't help but remember all those Sundays in the late 80's, when instead of going to yeshiva, I'd meet a friend and go to Shea. We were there even before batting practice. Funny thing is that the Mets lost every one of those games. There was the division clincher in '88, Mike Piazza's second game as a Met in '98, and Piazza's ninth inning game-winning homer off Trevor Hoffman in 1999. Though I now live nearby, I'm not able to make it to Shea as often as I used to. Perhaps I'll be there another ten or fifteen times before its demolition. When it ends what will be its 45 year run as the home of the Mets, many memories will endure. Monday, April 17, 2006
Worst Jets Draft Picks As long as we're on the subject of top ten sports lists, with the NFL draft coming up soon and the Jets holding many picks, this seems to be a good time to recall some of the worst picks in Jets history. For purposes of this list, only drafts between 1980 and 2005 are eligible. Following is a list of the Jets worst second round draft picks: 10. Glenn Dennison, 1984 9. Browning Nagle, 1991 8. Coleman Rudolph, 1993 7. Jon McGraw, 2002 6. Ryan Yarborough, 1994 5. Dorian Boose, 1998 4. Terry Williams, 1988 3. Alex Van Dyke, 1995 2. Rick Terry, 1997 1. Reggie Rembert, 1990 Following are the Jets worst first round draft picks: 10. Ken O'Brien, 1993 9. Bryan Thomas, 2002 8. Johnny Mitchell, 1992 7. Roger Vick, 1987 6. Dave Cadigan, 1988 5. Kyle Brady, 1995 4. Mike Haight, 1986 3. Ron Faurot, 1984 2. Blair Thomas, 1990 1. Johnny "Lam" Jones, 1980 Unfortunately, Lam Jones is seriously ill with incurable cancer. We wish him the best. I realize that some will quibble with my inclusion of the drafting of Ken O'Brien. After all, despite having no pass protection, O'Brien was a pretty good quarterback for a late first round pick. Still, despite being intent on drafting a quarterback, the Jets passed on Dan Marino. The O'Brien pick therefore is included, albeit at a respectable number 10. Also, while Dewayne Robertson appears well on his way to achieving a high slot in the dubious list of worst draft picks, he gets one more season to prove that trading up for him and picking him fourth in 2003 was not Terry Bradway's worst move as Jets GM. Keith Hernandez's Place in History Gil Student in a post in Hirhurim takes issue with an article in "Baseball Today" whereby Murray Chass claims that Keith Hernandez was not really a baseball gadol as has been claimed many times by many of his students. Gil goes on to refute every point made by Mr. Chass, which is all well and good but frankly I'm tired of all the bashing of the Mex from the Bronx. I don't know if Murray Chass is a Yankees fan or not but it doesn't matter. If he minimizes the Mex's greatness in any way he might as well be. KH was one of the ten biggest sporting influences of the last millennium in my view. The top ten in my view were: 1. Babe Ruth 2. Michael Jordan 3. Wayne Gretzky 4. Jim Brown 5. Willie Mays 6. Wilt Chamberlain 7. Ted Williams 8. Hank Aaron 9. Gordie Howe 10. Keith Hernandez One can debate if there were others. There probably are some I did not list who were as great as or greater than those I listed. Two immediately come to mind: Jim Thorpe in his generation and Joe Montana in mine. I had my reasons for choosing these ten, but even if one expands the list to include these two as well as others, the list isn't going to be that long. Was Keith Hernandez the greatest home run hitter of our time? I don't know but homers alone are not what makes a player a Gadol (although it can be as it was with Hank Aaron). One has to look at the totality of the individual and what it is he contributed to the sporting world, and even the entire world. There were few like him (if any) who were as brilliant, encompassed so much knowledge, both baseball and history, and had so much influence. His knowledge of opposing hitters had few peers. Even Don Mattingly who was known to have won many Gold Gloves said that the Mex knew how to play a bunt better than he did. The fact that the Yankees fans refuse to recognize this does not make this any less true. But it does prove how myopic and politicized Yankees fans are. Tuesday, April 11, 2006
JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen Today's New York Times has a report about the selection of Arnold Eisen as the new chancellor of the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary. In the report, Eisen is quoted as saying that he supports rabbinical ordination of gay and lesbians. He says that his opinion on the matter comes from "just knowing gay and lesbian people, friends, students, co-workers; and the sense that Judaism has always adapted itself to fit changing circumstances." In other words, the new chancellor of JTS supports gay and lesbian ordination, but doesn't even purport to offer a halachic basis for that kind of radical change. Some have compared JTS's selection of Eisen to YU's selection of Richard Joel as its president. But while Joel may be to the left of YU's roshei yeshiva, he is clearly an observant Jew. Eisen is not ordained as a rabbi, but it would be interesting to know how religiously observant he is. Does he go to shul every shabbos? Does he put up on tefilin in the morning, and daven three times (or even once or twice) each day? Does he drive to the supermarket on shabbos? Does he keep kashrus in some form? In other words, does Eisen observe Judaism according to the stated standards of the Conservative movement? NFL Draft Preview The Jets have three of the first 35 picks in this year's NFL draft. I'd like to see them come up with three players from the following list: No. 4 pick: QB Matt Leinart, QB Vince Young, OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, DE Mario Williams. No. 29 pick and No. 35 picks: C Nick Mangold, RB LenDale White, LB Bobby Carpenter, DE Mathias Kiwanuka, OG Max Jean-Gilles, OT Marcus McNeil. I'm especially intrigued by White, whose stock has apparently fallen significantly as a result of a mediocre performance at the scouting combines. The importance of the combines is vastly exaggerated, and I believe that White would be an excellent heir apparent to Curtis Martin. Indeed, Martin has himself strongly endorsed White. Monday, April 10, 2006
Whiny Associates Who else has very little patience for the constant complaining of associates at big law firms? Many overly pampered and overly paid young adults working at large law firms complain constantly that (1) they work way too hard and (2) they hate their work. I'm not necessarily talking about all law firm associates here. The ones who fall into the whiny associates category tend to be people who (1) went to law school because they couldn't think of anything else to do; (2) have no chance of making partner; and (3) still cannot think of anything to do other than be a miserable lawyer. The truth, of course, is that if one hates what he or she does, he or she should immediately find something else to do. The problem for the whiny associates is that they seem to think that because they did well on the LSATs, got into an elite law school, and have been making lots of money, they should be entitled to do something else that would be interesting, stimulating, of value, and also pay lots of money. These whiny associates seem to think that being willing to accept a job that would pay them, say, $150,000 instead of $180,000 proves that money is hardly an issue for them, and they would willingly be poverty stricken if only someone would offer them a chance to do something else. Of course, the reason these whiny associates stay in the jobs they hate is because they like the excessive pay check they receive every two weeks. They certainly can't be blamed for that, but they are oblivious to the fact that they have made a decision to accept money over job satisfaction, and should accept the pluses and minuses of their decision without complaining. I know the whiny associates well because I was once one of them. Over a $30 steak or an $8 beer, I'd lament my supposed troubles with another unhappy lawyer. Around six years ago, I was put in my place. One night, prior to maariv at the West Side Kollel, a friend who I went to law school with told me he had quit his law firm and was leaving law. This was shortly before the recession and the stock market crash, so I asked him where he was headed. A venture capital fund? A consulting firm? I had to wait until services ended for his answer: He would be teaching, and entering a PhD program. Thursday, April 06, 2006
Human Progress A year ago today, on April 6, 2005, I was in court for an important motion in a case that I am litigating. Today, April 6, 2006, I am preparing an appeal from the decision on that same motion. (As I sometimes say, when I win, it's because of my insightful and creative legal arguments, and when I lose, it's because the Judge made the wrong decision.) Where would the world be without lawyers? Elster's Waffles Elster, a blogger and a commenter on this and other sites, is a nice guy with a bit of knowledge about sports. My gripe with Elster is that he changes his mind more often than Larry Brown changes the Knicks' rotation, and never acknowledges having changed his mind. One day Elster loves Herm Edwards, the next day he hates him. One day, ex-Jets GM Terry Bradway did a fantastic job constructing the team, a week later he destroyed the team. Elster even criticized my criticism of the Mets acquisition of Jorge Julio in exchange for Kris Benson, wondering whether I did not like Julio because he is Hispanic. No, Elster, I didn't like Julio because he has pitched terribly for years. Julio's ineptitude was on full display during the 10th inning of last night's Met bullpen meltdown, when he gave up 5 runs and couldn't finish the inning. In his latest post, Elster, writing about the Rangers, states: Can the Rangers make a serious run in the post season? That's debatable. Usually, one line teams can be shut down. And honestly, I don't see how anyone is taking Ottowa in a seven game series. That team is stacked. Never mind that in February, a time when the Rangers were actually doing slightly worse in the standings than they are now, when I wrote that Ottawa was one team the Rangers could not defeat in the playoffs, Elster expressed disagreement with me, writing, in part: "I previously felt that Ottowas was the finest team in the league - and they crushed the Rangers earlier in the season. However, while I do not think the Rangers are the best team in the East, I am begining to understand that they have at least a shot at beating any [team in the East.] You need a great goalie (check) solid defense and back checking (check) and someone who can put the puck in the net (check) to win in the playoffs. Granted, I'd take Ottowa over the rangers in a 7 game series right now, but that doesn't mean the rangers CANNOT beat them in 7." We'll forgive Elster's refusal to use Blogger's spell-checker. But how to explain his flip-flops? Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Pro-Israel Hollywood Jew. Really. Natalie Portman is a very rare creature, a Jewish star who actually expresses support for Israel. She even says that Israel's current situation is "an issue of survival." Hasn't she heard from her co-stars, directors and producers that Israel is an illegitimate, colonialist occupier whose counterterrorism activities are actually war crimes? Apparently not. As Ynet reports: Portman said in a recent interview that she has become more pro-active in defense of Israel, which she considers home. Kris, Anna and the Media I'm on record as being strongly opposed to the awful Mets trade of Kris Benson to Baltimore for Jorge Julio. Some believe - with good reason - that the motivation for the trade is that the Mets front office didn't like the antics of Benson's flamboyant and outspoken wife, model Anna Benson. My interest is in wins and losses, not what a player's wife says or does. Over the last week, however, I couldn't help but notice the negative coverage toward Anna Benson after she filed for divorce, and then quickly rescinded her divorce petition. Apparently Anna Benson sought a divorce after learning that Kris Benson had cheated on her with a friend of hers. She was ridiculed in the mainstream sports media then, and is the subject of further ridicule for having withdrawn the divorce petition. In the real world, a woman whose husband was unfaithful would not be ridiculed either for wanting a divorce, or for seeking to reconcile. Is the media spin of the Benson situation just its typical coddling of pro athletes? Playoffs Last night, the Rangers finally qualified for a playoff berth for the first time since the 96-97 season, while the Nets clinched their fourth Atlantic Division title in five season. Amidst the excitement, forgotten has been that this season is the first time since 1993-94 that both the Rangers and the Nets are in the playoffs in the same year. And we know what happened in 93-94. (For those who don't, that has been the Rangers' only Stanley Cup championship season since 1939-40.) Neither the Rangers nor the Nets will be favored to make it to the Finals, but with the Nets having won 13 games in a row and the Rangers exceeding expectations throughout the season, the playoffs are sure to be a time of angst, tension and - hopefully - a little euphoria. Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Will Be Back To those who have expressed concern, this blog will not become an all-Jets site, even if sometimes it seems as though it is. My previous post was, as some inferred, simply in honor of the day it was posted. Alas, with Pesach approaching, work and home obligations are even more pressing than usual. I don't know whether I'll be able to post prior to Pesach, and blogging will be light over the next couple of weeks. Saturday, April 01, 2006
The Mangini Conspiracy I started this blog almost three years ago, when there were very few observant Jewish bloggers. These days there are probably hundreds. This site is anything but unique, and offers little that is original. I have therefore decided, effective immediately, to terminate The Zionist Conspiracy. I very much appreciate all those who visited this blog over the last 35 months. The good news is that I'm not completely leaving the blogosphere. Instead, this site will now focus exclusively on the New York Jets, specifically, the trials and tribulations of the troubled life of one very frustrated fan of the Jets. Welcome to The Mangini Conspiracy. Hope you stick around. | "
