Monday Moaning

Well, there are going to be some changes happening with the Cleveland Indians...After a week or so of Indians President/former GM, Mark Shapiro telling all of the media he wasn't going anywhere...As I write this post, the final details are being hammered out that will see Shapiro leave, and take the role of President for the Toronto Blue Jays...

Blue Jays president Paul Beeston is retiring...Beeston was the 'Jays first employee in 1976...Shapiro has been with the Indians since 1992, and was the GM from 2001-2010...Then he was promoted to President...Shapiro is highly respected in the baseball world for his eye for talent, and how he has managed a tight budget over the years...Shapiro is also on MLB's competition committee...He also oversaw the recent renovation to Progressive Field...The Blue Jays are planning on some major changes to the Rogers Centre...These plans may have helped to make the job attractive to Shapiro, as well as Shapiro attractive to the Jays...

Toronto made a huge splash at the trade deadline...And now are making a splash upstairs...

Personally, I wasn't much of a Shapiro fan...He held onto former Manager Eric Wedge too long...He traded Cliff Lee after winning the Cy Young, a year before he had to for a handful of players...Only one who is left and just panning out this year in Carrasco...He traded C.C. Sabathia after his Cy Young, for a slug Matt LaPorta (an elite prospect) and got Michael Brantley as a throw in...Brantley clearly has panned out well, but he was called a throw in...Sounds like dumb luck...Enough dumb luck to make people forget that LaPorta was a "can't miss player"...He traded Victor Martinez a year before he had to, for squat...

The best move he made was getting out of the GM role...Chris Antonetti has done well as GM...I'm not sure how much of the hiring of Terry Francona falls on Shapiro, but I'll put that up there as his second best move...

Speaking of Francona, there has already been fear that he would use his opt-out clause to possibly follow Shapiro to Toronto...Francona has already come out and said that he has no intention of doing something like that...Who knows, that could be just more bullshit, that we normally get in sports...Although, I have a lot more respect for Francona, and would trust his word more then Shapiro...


-Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta just threw this season 6th no-hitter, striking out 12...I hadn't looked at Arrieta as an ace, but he clearly has become the Cubs ace, and not Jon Lester...The guy was a inconsistent pitcher with good stuff, while with the Orioles, and now he has put it all together...Only problem for the Cubs, which is the same problem the Pirates have been having...Both these teams have been playing incredible baseball, and they can't catch the St. Louis Cardinals,(best record in baseball) who keep plugging along no matter who gets injured...Which has got to be about half their team now...So I guess Washington can't really fall back on the injury excuse anymore...


-While I was writing this post, and checking twitter, I was feeling ready to puke in my soup, as so many people are on social media talking about the MTV Video Music Awards...Which apparently are mostly about female pop stars trying see who can look like the biggest whore...And how can they have a Video Music Awards show, when MTV hasn't shown a music video in 15 fucking years...My God this world sucks!


-I'm getting warmed up for Football season...I laughed when I saw Illinois FIRED their head football coach 8 days before the season begins...I've got 7 games picked out for this first week of college football to help you gamblers out...I'll be posting that Wednesday night so you're ready for those Thursday games...And then I did  my fantasy football draft...I didn't want to play...Because I hate the NFL, and am doing what I can to avoid their shit...But Sully made me, so I said screw it...I'll win this bitch...Here's what NFL.com thought of my draft...

Suck it fellas!


-I'll close with this...As a Notre Dame fan, I really like reading THIS...I was always a Tom Zbikowski, but had no idea his life after football went this way...He down a hole, but is finding redemption...He didn't waste all of his NFL money...And he didn't waste all of his money from his undefeated boxing career...But he still needs the adrenaline...And he wants to do something important...He's a Chicago Firefighter now...His father Ed said...

"Now, he doesn’t have 80,000 people cheering for him and 30 million people watching him. It’s easy to be a hero when people are watching you, but to be a hero when nobody’s watching you and it’s 2 o’clock in the morning and you get a call?

“If you took his greatest knockout or the greatest game he has ever played, none of that will save a person’s life. You can score 100 touchdowns, and that won’t compare to saving someone’s life.’’

And Zbikowski isn't done there...He has more goals...Click that link for good read...

Have a week...

A Little Spanking Taking You Into the Weekend

Since Monday's post lacked it's normal vibe, and didn't get into things I planned on getting into, I figure, why not end the week with what I normally start it with...But if you missed Monday Moaning, check it out...The mainstream media ignoring decades of sexual child abuse in the U.S. Swimming program, has to stop...And I will continue to beat on this story until all these evil bastards are in jail, or killed for their crimes...

That said, let's talk about the sale of the Cleveland Browns...Jimmy Haslam, a minority owner of the Steelers dropped a billion dollars to buy the Browns from Randy Lerner...To which I say, Thank God!

I was talking about this with my one brother at a family event...He's the genius brother, who does nothing with his brains and 3 degrees...He's also mentally unstable, especially when talking sports...(And you people thought I was nuts)...So I say how I'm thrilled the Browns have a new owner, and that Lerner is finally gone...He flies off the handle, saying how he's so sick of Cleveland fans blaming owners...I brought up Lerner taking $80 million of Browns revenue, and dumping it into his stupid English Soccer team...He went off saying, "It's his money, he can do whatever the fuck he wants with it!"...And I replied, that doesn't mean Browns fans have to be happy about it...Just last year, Lerner was asking for tax-payers to pay for repairs on the stadium...Umm, fuck you, we built it...If you want upgrades and repairs, you do it!

Lerner made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Football...That's why he gave fatty Holmgren a $10 million a year contract, to run the entire thing...Lerner didn't even go to the Owner's meetings...Fatty did...My brother brought up Lerner having to still be paying four different head coaches and thing like that probably lead him to releasing control...Hey, fuck him...He hired them, and fired them...That's not our fault...Lerner was horrible, for the NFL, The Browns, and Cleveland...Christ he spent 95% of his time in New York or England...My Brother also bitched about how he was "probably sick of getting bashed in the media"...Hey, that's what happens when you own a sports team...And that's what happens when you religiously shit on the media...

Lerner out of the picture is great...And Haslam saying he's going to do things right, and how he learned them from the Steelers, is awesome...Browns fans may not like that, but the Steelers have a pretty damn good track record...

Then this week coach Pat Shurmur named Brandon Wheeden the starting QB...Well, I would hope so...They spent a 1st round pick on him, and he's 28, his career is half over already...Get him out there...It's been reported that the news made Colt McCoy very sad...I'm sure his father will get in front of a camera and bitch about this...But shit, look at Colt...I think he's still dizzy from the hit he took from James Harrison last season...And McCoy family, while you're down about this, just remember that little Colt didn't make a pass longer then 15 yards last year...Kid has a fucking rag arm!

But that's not all...The Browns #1 pick this year, Trent Richardson spent Thursday having an arthroscopic knee surgery...It's being called "Routine" and they are hoping he'll be ready for the opener...It already feels like it's going to be a long year...

Oh, and then there is the report that star corner back, Joe Haden failed a routine drug test during the off-season, testing positive for Adderall, which is often used by people suffering from attention deficit disorder, and narcolepsy...Adderall is on the NFL's banned substance list...But there are reports that it was prescribed by a doctor, and they may help get Haden out of a possible suspension...

Now, to the other sports team, who's owner my brother supports...the Cleveland Indians...After the All-star break, the Tribe started to slide...And as the trade deadline approached, and passed, the Indians did nothing...Actually they traded a minor league knuckle-baller to the Red Sox for a minor league OF...A left-handed OF...Even though this team has desperately needed a right-handed bat for 3 years...So instead of doing something that could maybe give the team a boost, the front office threw in the towel, and it has shown on the field...The Tribe has looked like a steaming pile of shit...

And yes, most fans blame ownership for not putting money into the team...I blame Mark Shapiro first, because this ass-hat has just made some horrible fucking trades, and desperately thinks he can do some kind of Billy Beane magic trick...Guess what Mark, you can't! But I also blame Mr. Dolan...This guy always says he's going to kick in the money, when the team is ready...Well this team had shown some guts through the first half, and he didn't do shit!

My knucklehead brother, again feels the fans have no right to bash this dick...Fuck my brother, and fuck Dolan...My brother actually said, "If I had to put up with this shit, I'd move the team."....So I said, "Okay, find a city that is going to build a stadium for you, because Dolan sure as hell won't spend a dime, and he won't want an old stadium...Oh, and a city that is actually big enough, with a strong enough economy, to support another major sports franchise...Doesn't sound that easy, does it?" All he came back with was, "Well, I'd really have to look into it." Genius my fucking ass!

My brother is one of those twats that bitches about fans not filling the seats, so why should Dolan spend money, yet the last time he actually put his ass in one of those empty seats was when I got tickets for myself, and my brothers to take our dad to a game on his birthday, 3 years ago...Yeah, my brother reminds me of a certain gash!

I need a laugh after this ranting...And hell, why not use a laugh, that can also be used as a warning for some of the language I use...




Have a great weekend!

Later, The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

Welcome again to Monday...Since Spring Training is getting underway, there has been a lot of blogs being posted about Baseball again...People are getting geared up for Baseball season...Me, I'm having trouble...One reason, Hockey season is going strong, the trade deadline is approaching, and teams are making their push towards the Playoffs...

The second reason I'm not fired up about Baseball...I live in Cleveland! We like snow with our Opening Day, and I'm sick of snow, as I look out the window, and see more falling...But even more than that...The Indians sucked last year...And guess what, they're going to suck this year too...This off-season, the big acquisition was signing aging infielder, Orlando Cabrera...Yeah, he's a decent guy to have on the roster, but this team already has 5 middle infielders...You see, GM Mark Shapiro is obsessed with utility players...Well a team full of those guys doesn't cut it...

Then there is the pitching staff...All young...All potential...Fausto Carmona is the "Ace" of the staff...He's got some good stuff, but he's young, and has had a tendency to be wild...After that it is a pack of unproven guys, that we've been told have lots of potential...Year after year this franchise has had loads of potential, and just when a number of those guys are reaching that potential, they are traded away...

Now most people in this town blame ownership, and say he's cheap...The few defenders will point out how he isn't cheap, that the Tribe overpaid Travis Hafner, and Jake Westbrook, and signed a worn out Kerry Wood...So then I guess he's stupid...Actually yes...Larry Dolan is stupid, because he has put all his trust and faith into GM/President Mark Shapiro, and he has done with his money, whatever Shapiro told him to do...So maybe stupid and cheap! Either way, the Indians won't be a good, competitive team, until Mark Shapiro is gone!

And the Indians brass is wondering why they're having trouble selling Season Ticket plans...Well, for the same reason the Cavaliers are having trouble selling tickets, and Season Tickets...The economy sucks, and it really sucks here...So if you put a shitty product out there, people aren't going to pay big money for it...Listen, if I want to go see Triple-A Baseball, I can go do it a lot cheaper then going to an Indians game!

As for the Cavs...Now I haven't gone to a NBA game since high school, and I don't plan on doing now...So you can imagine my joy when I got a cold call from the Cavaliers, trying to sell a special offer on tickets...EAT A DICK! I didn't pay to see them when "The King" was here, why the fuck would I start making myself suffer now?

Didn't I mention Hockey before? Yes I did...Hey did you know Sunday was "Hockey Day in America"? I'll assume most people didn't...Just us Hockey geeks...This was a little thing the NHL cooked up to get people fired up for Hockey...A bunch of feel-good stories about pond hockey, and this American hockey great and that American hockey great...Two televised games in the afternoon, and then finish the day off with "The Heritage Classic" in Calgary...Flames vs. Canadiens...

The NHL is hoping this will give them a boost...That's fine, and it may have today, but I think the NHL needs to start to except what it is...I believe Bill Burr put best when he said, "Hockey is a rogue sport." ...The NHL continues to reach out and try to grab the casual fan...Change rules to try and push scoring, and open the game up for the "stars"...Now sometimes you do land a casual fan...Everything does...But if you fuck with things too much, you start to turnoff your base...Hockey people love hockey, and they'll watch junior, and minor league, and college...I watch College Hockey every week...There's always something to fill the void...

So I'm asking the NHL, to except what you are...You'll never be the NFL, the NBA, or MLB...That's okay...Don't play to the lowest common denominator...Be what you are, and your fans will always support you...Also hope for the NFL and NBA to have serious labor issues, that shut them down next season...They may give Hockey another nice boost...As long as the NHL doesn't have another lockout!

Before I go, lets get a laugh in here...Saturday night Patrice O'Neal had a comedy special on Comedy Central...It was hilarious...Here's a taste of Patrice's brand of Humor...




One last thing...Last week, some people didn't like the tone of Monday Moaning...Not that it was very different from what it is each week...But some didn't like the 'hate' vibe it had...So each week, I'm going to make sure I put something in my post, that I love...

I love good music...I heard this version of this song driving home from work Saturday night...It was the first time it had been played on Cleveland radio in 20 years, and it was great...One of my favorites, Van Morrison, doing a great Bob Dylan song...




Have a week...

Later, The Beeze.

The Beeze's Hump Day Hits/ Skull F**ks

Well it's time for another volume of the Hump Day Hits...This post is normally about sports, for the most part...The last couple weeks I haven't paid much attention to sports, but I spent a good deal of time yesterday getting back in the swing of things...So here goes...

First, Brett Favre is at it again...Rumors started flying yesterday that he was retiring, again...FOX Sports jumped on it...ESPN of course confirmed it...They never give credit to who ever beat them to the punch...Then they went Brett Favre crazy all day...Eventually they pulled back a little, when no one actually heard anything from Favre...I thought the media was playing this stupid card again...But Favre's silence up to this point has me now thinking this is him playing his yearly game of 'Look at me!' He has neither confirmed or denied his retirement...Year after year he has held his team and their plans hostage, and they let him keep doing it...Well Vikings now you get what you deserve...I can't believe there are still people out there who love this guy...He's is without a doubt a first ballot, Skull F*ck Hall of Famer...


While I was away, the Cleveland Indians traded away some players...They traded 3rd Baseman Jhonny Peralta to Detroit for a prospect...They traded Kerry Wood, his huge salary, and his huge ERA to the Yankees...The contract they gave him was so bad they actually gave the Yankees a couple million just to get him out of town...In return they got the infamous "Player to be named later"...They also traded Austin Kearns to the Yankees for "the player o be named later"...Both Kearns and and Wood are not guys that will put the Yankees over the top...They didn't really need them...They also added Lance Berkman at the deadline...I swear to God, I think the Yankees sometimes make moves, just to make moves...Just to say, 'look at us, we get who ever, when ever, just cause.'

The Indians also traded pitcher Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals...I always liked him, he's a good pitcher..So I'm happy to see him with a contender...But sadly, again the Indians had to give up money to unload his contract, and got very little in return...GM Mark Shapiro is a joke...The rest of the league must love to see him coming...You know, with the way things have been going around here, some one has to pay...Shapiro, your taking a load...Here's a good old fashioned Skull F*ck just for you...


In the Hockey world, the Boston Bruins are looking to unload some salary...They've been trying to move Goalie Tim Thomas and his $5 Million dollar cap hit, but there are no takers so far...That has them looking into moving Center Marc Savard, but they want a quality return for Savard...Either some one to jump right into the lineup or high draft picks...If I was in their shoes, I'd hang onto Savard, even if they can't move Thomas...

And now for the always Important Hump Day Question...On this fine Hump Day which of these naughty school girls would you most like to hump?

A.



B.


C.


As always, Read and Respond...

Later, The Beeze.

Witness...Me Laughing

HAHAHAHA! Wait, this guy does it better...



That's right I'm a Clevelander, happy about the Cavaliers losing last night to the Celtics...I think I've made my loyalty clear lately, and it isn't to LeBron and The Cavaliers...Way to come out looking like the MVP last night...Douche-bag! Yeah I said it! Hey, "King James" why don't you go out to another restaurant, order an expensive steak, cooked well done, ask for ketchup, then ask the server to cut it for you, and finish the night by leaving a shitty tip!

Hey Cavs' fans...How does it feel to think that last night's performance could be LeBron's last one at "The Q"? Looks like the ECONOMY in Cleveland will be hitting the crapper some more....Again I laugh!

I know it drives some people crazy that I have become the anti-Clevelander...Tough shit! It doesn't matter where we live, or where we were born...It matters that we were born with freewill...A wonderful gift that lets us make choices in our life...The biggest choice I made as to be a realist, and not walk through life with blinders on...I'm willing to see the crap!

I also chose to cheer for teams from different cities...There is no law that says I must cheer for my hometown teams...I cheer for teams I like...I fell in love with hockey and the New York Rangers when I was very young...I had no idea the misery I was in for...I cheered for the Browns until they left...I tried to after the fake Browns arrived, but my God that has been a disgrace...I cheered for the Cubs when I was a kid...Why? Because WGN, afternoon Baseball, and Ryne Sandberg! I gave the Indians love too, but Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge sucked the life out of that team, and I moved onto the Red Sox...Why? The wife, and the city is awesome...

I won't sit here blindly believing everything some dope politician tells me...Nor will I do it for some asshole owner, and his idiot GM...Since I mentioned them...In the past few years, the Indians traded away C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, and Victor Martinez...The tribe got a couple below average outfielders...A horrible catcher...Some average pitchers...And some minor league junk...Martinez and Lee both still had another year on their contracts, but management felt this was the best they could get...Shapiro told the Red Sox he wanted Buchholz...The Sox said NO! Shapiro said okay...Same thing with the Phillies when he moved Lee...He wanted X ,Y & Z, and they said A, B, & Z...Shapiro took it...Why would I blindly follow this bitch anywhere...Now the Indians have starting lineup that has 3 players hitting .300 or above...The rest below .260...Go Screw!

Yes, I'm a Clevelander...Yes, I'm a sports fan...I'm just not a Cleveland sports fan...And I'm not that big of a fan of Cleveland...At this point angry Clevlanders like to tell me to leave...I would love to! For God's sake I have found myself daydreaming about living in Rochester, New York, and stalking Lilly from the Brother Wease Show! But right now, life requires me to live here...

With that said, I laugh again, as I say Go Celtics!

Now let's close on a positive note...Here are three women I would have sex with...How about you!?!

Later, The Beeze.

Baseball Has Lost a Fan....

Baseball may not give a damn, but I'm done...I'm tapping out...My Father taught me about the game when I was young...My Mom was my Tee-Ball Coach, and we kicked ass...So many of us have so many fond memories of Baseball and are youth....

Of the sports I love...And I love Hockey the most...But Baseball was the first...And you never forget your first...But I can't do it anymore...The bad memories, and bad feelings have finally overtaken the good memories, and those special moments...I'll never forget listening to Len Barker's perfect game on the front porch with my Dad, and neighbors, and people passing bye, stopped and listened with us...

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I'll never forget watching Ryne Sandberg play, and realizing...I want to play like him...

I could go on all day about the good memories...But the more I watch, listen, and read about Baseball...The more I feel like all that was good with the game is gone...Steroids and a juiced ball may have saved Baseball when Sosa, McGwire, and Brady Anderson were hitting everything out of the park...But then when Barry Bonds was hopped up on the 'roids, everyone got up on their high horse...Then people wanted to clean up the sport...Too little, too late douche bags...

Then, asshole, Rafael Palmeiro waves his finger and denies ever using any P E Ds...A couple months later...Positive test for Palmeiro...And there has been a slow, steady, trickle of names of players who have tested positive...

Big Sloppi David Ortiz got outed today...Another guy who has denied it in the past, and sat on his high horse...Screw you Ortiz...Go find you buddy Man Ram and compare who's balls have gotten smaller....

Then there is the business side of Baseball...The game desperately needs a salary cap...The the Palyers Union is stronger then the Teamsters ever were...And they'll fight it until the end...This has smaller market teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates constantly trading off their best players, because they can't afford to keep them around...

The bad economy hasn't helped the smaller market teams either...But this week, my hometown team...The Cleveland Indians not only admitted defeat on this season...Which , they were done a couple months ago...But they also gave up on next season...

For the second year in a row, they traded a Cy Young Award winning pitcher...Cliff Lee was sent to the Phillies yesterday for 4 minor league prospects...Mark Shapiro loves his prospects...Funny thing is...He never drafts "top prospects"...He has to keep trading the teams best players to get "top prospects"....One of these stellar prospects from the Phillies is a 18 year old single-A flame throwing pitcher...Who by the way is on the Disabled List with a sore arm...Nice move douche...I'm willing to bet he doesn't step on a Major League field...

Then there is the "slick fielding" Shortstop Shapiro had to have...He's coming off of a knee surgery...

The Indians did get a highly rated catcher...Which is good, because Kelly Shoppach sucks ass, and the buzz going around town, and everywhere else is...That teh Tribe will be trading Victor Martinez next...One of the best hitters in the game, with another year left on his contract...'But let's dump that salary and get some more prospect, because we'd rather continuesly rebuild, instead of actually competing.'

Good luck selling tickets assholes...You're gonna dump all these salaries and still lose money...Why? Because people aren't gonna support a shitty team...And they really aren't gonna come out to watch crap when they're struggling to pay their bills...I'm willing to bet that this franchise will be up for sale within five years....

Hey Shapiro...Do me a favor...While your trading all your best palyers away...Why don't you trade that overrated douche Grady Sizemore...Then I want have to see those stupid twats with their "Grady's Ladies" shirts anymore...

I gave up on the Indians when they traded Ryan Garko...Now the more that I look at things...I'm done with Major League Baseball...

With everything that's gone on...This is the only baseball player I want to see for awhile...

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Later, The Beeze.

Goodbye Garko

The Cleveland Indians traded 1st baseman Ryan Garko tonight...He was dealt to the The Giants for single-A left-handed pitcher Scott Barnes...The never-ending rebuilding process continues...

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Now the Tribe is going to bring Andy Marte up...The often traded...Often sent down to the minors...Often cleared waivers, can't miss prospect, who has done nothing but miss...But now he's finally putting it together in Triple-A this year...So lets move the guy that lead the team in RBI the last two seasons....

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That's right, Garko lead the Indians in RBI the last two seasons...Pretty surprising since it seems manager Eric Wedge is always looking for a reason not to play him...

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Garko was drafted as a catcher...But the brass felt solid with Victor Martinez about to take that role...They had Garko learn third base in the minors....Then first base...And while his bat got him on the big-league roster...He continued to work on his defense, becoming a solid 1st baseman...Then this year they said 'Go learn the outfield, so we can get you more time.' Which was just stupid...But stupid seems to be a serious problem in the Indians organization....

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The Tribe has talent...Yet they keep rebuilding...What needs to be rebuilt is the front office, and the coaching staff...

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I hope Garko does well, and I hope the Indians regret trading him away...

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I'm done with the Tribe...At least until they get rid of Shapiro and Wedge....

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Good Luck Garko!

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Later, the Beeze