GET OUT OF MY FACE!
"Get out of my face, that's all I ask," Happy Yankee Randy Johnson to cameraman Vinny Everett.

On his way to his Yankee physical this morning, Johnson pushed aside a television camera as he walked down Madison Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets.

"No cameras," Johnson whinged as though he thought his appearance in New York would be an anonymous one. "Don't get in my face. I don't care who you are, don't get in my face."

After Everett said he was "just taking a picture," Johnson shouted, "Don't get in my face and don't talk back to me, all right?" Johnson and Laveroni then continued walking.

Don't talk back to me?? Who is this freak?

And whilst we're at it, how does someone "get in the face" of a 6 foot 10 inch man? You'd have to reckon his face is pretty high up from the ground, rather difficult to get a camera in it unless the cameraman was 6 foot 9 or taller.

It's a lovely beginning. Whilst the Mets celebrate new hope and renewed optimism, The Unit is stalking the streets like Godzilla for the Yankees, bullying cameramen and acting basically, like, what do you call it? A prick.

Don't talk back to me? Wow, what an ego.

He'll be a perfect compliment to the other prick in the rotation, Kevin Brown and now the Yankees can live with the demons that come with unbridled greed, win-at-all costs-even-though-you-lose franchise mentalities and well, being the Evil Empire. At least in Johnson and Brown, the Yankees now have their poster children for evil.

Pity Joe Torre who has to try and build a clubhouse chemistry out of this junkyard of egos and ill temper. That's not even counting the multi-million dollar uselessness of their steroid-adled first baseman, Jason Giambi.

At least Jeter's been busy. His new squeeze gives Yankees fans a reason to come to Yankee Stadium: none other than the spicy Stacy Lynn Spierer.

Let's rejoice! It will be fun to watch this ship of fools and doom slowly disintegrate over the course of a season.

*****

I love this story from the Chicago Trib recounted by Randy Moss' agent, Keith Kreiter:

Kreiter took Moss to a Bulls game in the spring of '98. He got him a courtside seat at the United Center and arranged to have Moss meet Michael Jordan after the game.

Moss sat politely through the Bulls game, taking pictures like any other attentive fan. Afterward, Moss and Kreiter waited outside the locker room. When a Bulls representative came out to the hallway and said:

"It's going to be about five minutes," Moss turned to Kreiter and said,
"Come on, dog, let's get outta here. It's been a long day and I can't do
this."

When Kreiter reminded Moss that most fans would sleep outside overnight for the chance to meet Jordan, Moss replied:

"Man, when I blow up in the league, Jordan will be coming after ME."

And reading more on Moss, I came across this gem I'd never heard before about another Viking: John Randle used to lift his leg after sacking a quarterback and pretending to urinate on the fallen player. Now THAT is funny. These Minnesota stars sure have a gamey sense of humour. Must be the long winters.

*****

Odd tidbits from the NBA Brawl Fest:

With reference to getting out of Detroit following the game, Pacers center David Harrison said "On the bus out of there, they told us to keep our heads down."
Wow. Harrison is 7 feet tall. That's a long way to keep a head down, but weirder still - can you imagine a bus load of millionaires having to keep their heads down out of fear? Fear the Fans. Gotta love it.

It also was revealed that Pistons center Ben Wallace fingered his brother David as
one of the fans involved in the fights, which led to his being charged. Make of that what you will.

via Ron Rapoport of the Chicago Sun.

*****

Questions:

IS Willie Randolph the luckiest of the new managers?

WILL Peyton Manning be destined to be the Dan Marino of his generation; great numbers except those numbers counting World Championships at zero?

WHY does Marty Schottenheimer cower so predictably from the postseason (5-12 in the playoffs despite a very respectable reputation as a good coach)?

HOW MANY Cds has Ron Artest sold since his suspension and DOES it surpass Shaq's CD sales?

WHO is the most interesting Randy, Randy Moss or Randy Johnson?

*****

Kudos to Mark Cuban. On his blog, (how many owners of professional sports franchises have blogs?) Blog Maverick, Cuban, who voted for Bush, writes:

"IMHO, the best way to make a statement to our politicians that it’s time stop spending money we don’t have is to make a bold statement. The President announcing that he is cancelling or scaling back inauguration parties (yes, i think it’s ok to pay the obligations that are already in place to those planning and supporting the parties) because we have reached a point where have to watch every penny we spend, as a country and as individuals, is one way. I think it could have been the best way, to get the country and the world’s attention for this message. It would have led every media outlet and sent the message loud and clear. When the President sends a clear message that we can’t spend money we don’t have, I believe enough people to make a difference will listen and follow the Presidents lead. That was the goal of the first post.

The fact that the inauguration party costs were more than the amount of money that was committed to the Tsunami victims at the time I wrote the post created the opportunity to make the message louder and clearer. We are shifting dollars from a celebration to an important obligation."

*****

Lastly, good news for the homeless in Jacksonville.

(ripped directly off the AP wire):

A month before thousands of fans arrive in Jacksonville for the Super Bowl, a county judge ruled the city's ban on drinking alcohol in public is unconstitutional.

Duval County Judge Charles Cofer ruled Monday that police cannot enforce
Jacksonville's ordinance because it is selectively enforced and gives too much authority to the mayor to make exemptions.

The decision is the result of a challenge to the arrest of three homeless men charged with drinking beer in the city's Treaty Oak Park, located in an area where Super Bowl fans will be allowed to drink.

Finally, the Super Bowl is good for something.