A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
The View

The top of Louis Armstrong Stadium at the US Open provides - at least to this Mets fan - a beautiful view of Shea Stadium and Citi Field side by side, from a distance of around half a mile.

Alas, I did not have a camera with me yesterday. Too bad, because I most likely won't make it back to the Open this year, and when I return next year, only Citi Field will exist.
posted on 8/29/2008

 
On Obama

I did not vote in 2000 or in 2004, and do not intend to vote in this election. This post is not an endorsement of either presidential candidate.

The historic nature of Obama's candidacy should be recognized by his supporters and detractors alike - and also by those who are undecided or whom will not vote for either candidate.

This is a country that enslaved people because of their skin color, that enforced segregation based upon the notion of "separate but equal" and that refused to allow many of its best athletes to play in its best sports leagues.

Obviously a lot of progress was made well prior to Obama's ascendance. African-Americans have increasingly risen to prominence in the army, in the business world, in politics, and in sports - as managers, coaches and GMs.

And on the other hand, with or without an Obama presidency, there will still be racial issues that will not be resolved and will not disappear. There will still be too much racially-based job discrimination and de facto neighborhood segregation, and day-to-day slights will persist. Too many young urban African-Americans will still mostly know whites based on their interactions with local police officers.

But Obama - his bi-racial family, his academic achievements at Columbia and Harvard, his election to the Senate, and finally his nomination for the presidency - symbolize and represent the most significant indications of this country's progression from its shameful past toward the ideals expressed in its Constitution.
posted on 8/29/2008

 
On McCain-Palin

My first reaction - around two hours ago - to reports that John McCain has selected Sarah Palin as his running mate was negative. In particular, how can the 72 year old McCain continue to argue that Barack Obama lacks experience now that his VP candidate is significantly less experienced than Obama?

I also am skeptical that Palin will be very popular with very many Hillary Clinton supporters, in light of her staunchly conservative views.

Nevertheless, McCain's other options were pretty lousy, so perhaps Palin is not such a bad choice. She offers something very different from the array of boring white men who were McCain's other options, is a real "Washington outsider", and is reportedly very popular in Alaska.

This also makes the race more interesting.

Joe Lieberman would have been a lousy choice for McCain's VP candidate. Worse, in the event McCain were to win, would be Lieberman as Secretary of State.

As the great Sidney Zion wrote when Lieberman was Al Gore's VP nominee, Lieberman would require a full-time chiropractor in the State Department, as he'd be bending over backwards to show his loyalty is not to Israel.
posted on 8/29/2008

 
Goodbye Loge

I have a bad feeling that Mike Hampton circa 1999 is going to appear for tonight's Mets vs. Braves game - complete with an extra base hit off Pedro Martinez.

I will be sitting in the loge section, behind home plate just to the first base side.



Since the mid-80s, the loge behind home has been my favorite place to sit. Close to the field, but better sight lines than field level.

When I joined Elster, MoC and MoC's older son for a game a few months ago, I was sure to mention this at least twice every half-inning.

This may well be the last time I sit in the loge. I expect to come to Shea once or twice more during the regular season.
posted on 8/21/2008

 
The FFL Draft

Since a number of members of our fantasy football league have weighed in on last Saturday night's draft, I figured I'd post some observations from my perspective.

I usually enjoy the pre-draft banter, but with my younger son sick was late to log on. Then, at around 10:04 - eleven minutes before the draft started - I checked my e-mail to ensure in my capacity as league manager that nobody was having any trouble logging on. Alas, Jewboy had e-mailed me with that problem. We spoke on the phone, with JB finally joining the draft just after his turn to pick 6th came.

I picked eighth and last in the first round, and was pleased that Steven Jackson was still available. I had ranked Jackson 5th overall.

The second and third rounds were unusual, with lots of quarterbacks and wide receivers selected, but very few running backs. By the time I picked at #24 at the end of the 3rd round, all of the elite quarterbacks were gone and seven WRs had been taken. Passing up some other solid WRs to stick with my ranking of the best available players, I selected Clinton Portis and #24 and Reggie Bush at #25, giving me three strong running backs in a league in which two can play.

As usual, I kicked off the drafting of defensive players when I picked Patrick Willis in the 6th round. I had Willis and David Harris ranked almost equally as the top defensive player, but went with Willis because I had hoped that Harris might still be available when I next picked at #56, at the end of round 7. But MoC astutely made Harris the second defender taken when his turn came in round 6.

I did not pick a quarterback until Matt Hasselback in round 8 and did not pick a number 2 wide receiver until round 11. I was pleased that Brandon Marshall fell to the 12th round. When he returns from his suspension, Marshall should be a solid number 2 WR.

I had hoped to snag Marvin Harrison in round 13, but MoC picked him up early in thar round. As soon as MoC made his pick, my computer started going haywire. The result was that Marcus Trufant - whom I had pre-ranked as among my top DBs - was automatically selected when my time ran out while my screen was frozen. I did not want Trufant there because he and Bob Sanders, my previously selected DB, have the same bye week. But for now he'll be a decent option at DB.

My computer froze again in round 18, resulting in Donald Lee being drafted for me. I did not want Lee and did want Zach Thomas, so subsequently waived Lee and picked up Thomas. I was surprised that Thomas - always among the top LBs prior to his injury riddled 2007 season - went undrafted.

Overall, I was pleased with my draft. A few questionable picks aside, I also felt that my competition knew what they were doing and also drafted well.
posted on 8/21/2008

 
Mike And The Mad Dog

Terrible job by WFAN not allowing departing host Chris Russo to do one last farewell show following his Thursday night departure from the station after more than 20 years.

I remember Russo back when he was on WMCA and Francesa back when he was subbing for Jim Lampley, and am one of the few who preferred the duo separately.

Early in his FAN career, Russo memorably went nuts when the Jets drafted Jeff Lageman in 1989. Francesa provided insightful sports analysis and a thorough knowledge of college and pro sports (with the exception of hockey). In FAN's early days, those qualities were a rarity.

Russo and Francesa guest-hosted for Pete Franklin in 1989 and also sparred on Imus In The Morning. Their debate about Don Mattingly vs. Will Clark was particularly entertaining and ultimately led to their pairing when Franklin was let go.

Nevertheless, while entertaining, I believe that their immediate success inflated their egos to the detriment of their show - at least for those of us who preferred serious sports talk.

During my tenure as a yeshiva boy/credentialed sports journalist, I regularly came across various members of the sports media. I'd often see Francesa in the Madison Square Garden press room, and saw him and Russo together at some Mets and Yankees games in the press box. I recall shyly schmoozing a bit with other FAN hosts like Steve Levy and Howie Rose, but Russo and Francesa had this aura of superiority about them, as if they were the kings. Perhaps that was just my perception. But they really were the kings - and they knew it.

While I wasn't always a big fan, I regularly listened to Mike and The Mad Dog from its inception in 1989 until October 1997, when I started working. Since then I've listened very occasionally.

So it's been a long time since I really listened to the show, and I won't really miss something that I haven't listened to in more than a decade.

My reaction instead is sort of nostalgic, for a time in my life before billable hours, for a time when I was a phone call away from free entrance to almost any game.

Mike And The Mad Dog was on for a very long time, and Russo has been with FAN for a little longer. New York sports talk won't be the same. Nor will WFAN, whose shameful refusal to do a farewell show was a small-minded and short-sighted dissing not only of Russo, but much worse, of their most loyal listeners.
posted on 8/18/2008

 
Brigitte Gabriel and The Times

I was taken aback on shabbos morning to see The New York Times Magazine matter-of-factly refer to Brigitte Gabriel as a "radical Islamophobe."

Gabriel, a Lebanese-American, is a staunchly pro-Israel Christian woman whose family suffered at the hands of Lebanese Islamic fanatics. To be sure, she is provocative, but what basis does the Times have to call her a "radical Islamophobe"?

The bottom line: When someone from the Arab world supports Israel and bashes radical Islam, they are an Islamophobe - and their stance is so unbelievable that they are asked - as Gabriel was in the Times interview - whether they work for the CIA.

In sharp contrast, when a Jew - especially an Israeli - supports the Arabs and bashes the Jewish religion, the Times finds them to be a progressive, humanitarian role model.

Indeed, not too long ago, a Jewish law professor with an obsession about legal systems based on Islamic law bashed observant Jews and the Jewish law they practice. The same Times Magazine gave him a front page feature to rant about those terrible Orthodox Jews who - much worse than suicide bombing or hijacking planes - never wished him a formal mazel tov in his high school's newsletter after his marriage to a non-Jewish woman.
posted on 8/18/2008

 
The Favre Hype

Some more thoughts about Brett Favre and the Jets:

1. As jetsphan correctly stated at the outset, the trade is a strong statement of no-confidence in Kellen Clemens.

The Jets clearly hoped Clemens would beat out Chad Pennington as their starting QB. Actually, even a tie would have sufficed.

The Jets would have traded or released Pennington during the offseason, but there was no veteran free agent QB as good as Pennington.

With camp underway, it was clear that Pennington was going to beat out Clemens. The Jets did not want Chad to be their starter, which is why they pounced when Favre became available.

2. The failure of Clemens to develop reflects poorly on GM Mike Tannenbaum, who drafted Clemens in the second round in 2006 after passing on Matt Leinart in round one to select D'Brickishaw Ferguson. Ferguson has been mediocre, while third round pick Anthony Schlegel did not even make the team last year.

If Leinart becomes a star and Ferguson again is repeatedly beaten by defensive ends, the 2006 draft will be a disaster for the Jets.

3. I may be alone among Jets fans, but I do not like the trade. Favre is almost 39, has to learn the offense in a very short time and takes up a ton of cap space with his $12 million salary.

4. The Jets paid a higher price for Favre than most appreciate. 2nd and 3rd round picks have to sign long-term contracts for relatively little money, and giving them up for a short-term fix of Brett Favre is foolish.

Favre makes the Jets wildcard contenders, but they already were wildcard contenders. It's very unlikely that he could lead the Jets past teams like the Patriots, Colts or Chargers in the playoffs.

The goal of any sports franchise should be to win a championship. I don't believe the Favre trade moves the Jets toward that goal.

5. Rather, I believe the trade has a lot to do with PSLs. Even if the excitement proves to be short-lived, having Favre on board in 2008 will make it easier for the Jets to convince fans to shell out thousands of dollars per season ticket.
posted on 8/11/2008

 
Birthright Shabbos

I've heard it said about both Joe DiMaggio and Michael Jordan that they played every game with the awareness that some of the fans in the stands would see them play in person only that one time.

I thought about this while at the Western Wall my first Friday night in Israel.

On that night, the Kotel was packed with participants in some of Birthright Israel's programs.

Many of these people were college students, whom, at least by appearance and observation, were pretty far from traditional religious observance.

It occurred to me that for many of them, this would be their only real exposure to shabbos and traditional Judaism.

During kabbalas shabbos, various Shlomo Carlebach niggunim were sung, and as they became more comfortable, more and more of those on Birthright joined in the singing and dancing as the davening went along. After kabbalas shabbos, a large group of Birthrighters began singing "Am Yisroel Chai" to Carlebach's tune again and again. It seemed that they did not want kabbalas shabbos to end and for the unfamiliar (to them) maariv service to start.

For some, Birthright becomes a transformative experience, leading to aliyah, or becoming more observant, or involvement in Jewish communal activities or pro-Israel advocacy.

Most go home and their lives are pretty much the same. But it is probably not unreasonable to believe that their feelings toward Israel and toward traditional Judaism are impacted at least a little in a positive way.
posted on 8/07/2008

 
Israel Trip - Ten Highlights

1. El Al cancelled my departing flight.

2. El Al cancelled my return flight.

3. At JFK, El Al claims there is no ticket for my 3 1/2 year old son and that he cannot fly. The e-ticket I show them does not persuade them otherwise. The female supervisor agrees that there is no way he can fly - it would be a major security breach, she explains.

This continues for more than an hour.

Who am I to question El Al's famed security system?

Finally, shortly before boarding, a man appears and agrees to type some codes into a computer that will allow us to fly.

4. After leaving the gate, the departing flight is delayed on the ground for four hours because of a malfunction on the airplane just ahead of us.

5. I had purchased a voucher for dinner at Cup 'O Joe, a nice cafe at the intersection of King David, Keren Hayesod, and Jabotinsky Streets - the location of the recent bulldozer attack.

Around halfway through our enjoyable meal, we were advised that the cafe would not honor the voucher.

Since I was not going to pay twice for the same meal, I had no choice but to leave in a fairly embarrassing fashion with much of my meal on the table.

Subsequently, I was told that the restaurant apologized and that a check would be sent to me to refund the voucher.

Alas, the check will be in shekels.

6. I suddenly got extremely sick last Thursday night. Shigella, salmonella - something like that. Since I paid a lot of money to go to Israel, I didn't really take care of myself since and am using my remaining energy on this post.

7. I stepped on a rusty nail on Sunday night, which penetrated deep into my right foot. Last night, I got a tetnus shot. My right shoulder is killing me today.

8. Our taxi driver showed up 30 minutes late yesterday morning. Then at Ben Gurion Airport, for the second straight year, our babysitter's suitcases are closely examined with all of their contents spread all over the place.

Finally, she is given security clearance by El Al and we head to the check-in counter.

There, I am informed that there is no ticket for my 1 1/2 year old son.

Just 15 minutes later we are given boarding passes and sent to security.

9. The woman at security looks at our passports and looks at us. She asks me if our babysitter was with us at all times in Israel. When I respond that she did go out on her own a bit, the security woman starts frantically screaming into her walkie-talkie, "chamushim, chamushim."

Yep, our babysitter was once again identified as a likely terrorist.

Around five minutes later, the "chamushim" come, ask us a few questions, and thank us for our time.

The security woman was not done. She ordered my wife to remove her hat.

Since even Tel Aviv is not Rockland County prison, my wife declined and we somehow made it to the gate for a relatively uneventful return flight.

10. At JFK, my second suitcase arrived. I walked over to put it on the cart, and slipped on the floor, which was full of water. I broke the fall with my right elbow and my knees.

Fortunately (at least for today), I am a lefty.
posted on 8/06/2008