Tube City Almanac

February 24, 2008

We Come to Play

Category: Cartoons, Wild World of Sports || By



Until Saturday, only 12 schools in the WPIAL had ever won football and basketball championships in the same year.

The Serra Catholic boys' varsity made it a "baker's dozen."

It's the first basketball title ever for the city's Catholic high school, and comes just three months after Serra won its first football title in a quarter century ... and Serra quarterback T.J. Heatherington led the charge for the basketball team, too, scoring 28 points on the way to the Eagles' 76-61 victory over Wilkinsburg.

It's a sweet victory for long-suffering Serra fans, but especially for Coach Bob "Skeeter" Rozanski, who twice before led the boys' team to the WPIAL title game (in 1982 and 1991) only to see victory snatched away.

Congratulations, fellas! (Gee whiz ... is it too much to ask for a hat trick?)

. . .

From the National Desk: Ralph Nader, find a Corvair and drive it over a cliff.

Seriously. No one cares that you want to run for president again.

On the other hand, you've done a marvelous job of making people forget any of the good things you did in the 1960s and '70s, Ralph.

If this is a cry for attention, you could have just gotten a talk show like everyone else.

. . .

He Said It: "President Bush says he hopes Castro's exit will lead to a truly free Cuba. John McCain is hoping for new economic opportunities. And Barack Obama is looking for a new mentor.

"Castro's brother Raul is now expected to become president, but Hillary Clinton is claiming she has the support of most of the Cuban superdelegates."

-- Jake Novak, "Radio NewYork International with Johnny Lightning," WBCQ






Your Comments are Welcome!

Congratulations to Serra High School!

Early in his career, James Fallows, a national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine, worked for Ralph Nader. Fallows recently wrote that Nader was funny, warm, brilliant-seeming, likeable, admirable, encouraging, relentless, and caring — an indication of why so many people are loyal to Mr. Nader.

Fallows continues about Nader: “That he stayed in the race in 2000 was tragedy. That he came back in 2004 was unfortunate; his entry in 2008 is farce.”

http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/ralph_nader_tragedy_to_farce.php

I agree with Fallows. The frustrating thing is that on many points, I also agree with Ralph Nader.

Add Jake Novak to the list of people who are easier to caricature than to characterize using civil language. Another member of that list is U.S. Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA), who claimed on Bill Maher’s television program that Senator Barack Obama refuses to say the pledge of allegiance to the American flag. Representative Kingston, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, helps decide how our federal tax money is spent. His website bio touts his “down to earth style and common sense approach to issues … (he is) known as an effective communicator.”

A notable Castro quote comes from David Letterman: “Experts believe that now that Fidel has resigned, he will either be succeeded by his brother Raul, or by his idiot son, Fidel W. Castro.”
Strisi - February 25, 2008



All interesting stuff, Strisi.

I should have provide some context about Jake Novak — he does a series of one-liners (a la Don Rickles or Henny Youngman) on Johnny’s show on Sunday nights. I’m sure he doesn’t actually think Obama is a communist.

And even though I happen to like Obama, I thought it was a funny line.

He zinged the Republicans, too. I forgot about this line until I looked at Jake’s website:

“Former President Bush endorsed John McCain on Monday, citing their common experience as Republicans, Navy pilots, and Poligrip users.”

You can check out Jake’s website here: http://jakejakeny.blogspot.com/
Webmaster - February 25, 2008



Thanks for the additional link and the context. Somone recently remarked that the 3 prevailing political views in America are liberal, conservative, and comedy. I’ve watched Fox News, CNN, and others practice journalism that’s closer to Monty Python than Edward R. Murrow. Maybe the true humorists should sue.
Strisi - February 25, 2008



You’ve probably heard Tom Lehrer’s supposed comment that “satire died when Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Some days, the headlines are the funniest thing I see.
Webmaster - February 25, 2008



I’m looking for a literal grand slam. As noted by a sports writer at The Daily News, no team has won WPIAL football, basketball and baseball titles in the same year and Serra also has potential on the diamond. (The PIHL, of course, is not under the auspices of the WPIAL. Still, that also means no one has won football, basketball, baseball and hockey titles in the same year, either.)
does it matter? - February 26, 2008



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