Steve J. Rogers

Edited for accuracy. He still has a job for the same reason Screaming A. Smith has a job -- they're very loud and very opinionated. Never mind whether their opinions are worth anything or not. [Dukie V]Well you can say "Oh that Vitale, he's such a Duke homer" all you want. But let me tell you something, NOBODY runs a program that produces so many shinning examples of how an athlete SHOULD be than Coach K and Duke Basketball. They are trained to do things the right way, the say the right things, and act like professional men. Hey if every program was run as well as Coach K's, then the NBA wouldn't be in the mess they are in with the gangster rap lifestyle and all the other nonsense. Duke produces not just athletes, but men! [/Dukie V]

When was this? In his TN days? But see, that goes to my greater point about Vitale, he only sees what is reported on the mainstream press, he doesn't pay attention to scuttlebutt and issues that appear in the news for like one cycle and then vanish (I.e. Manning's harrasment case, or ARod's escapades (not just this year's) or Wood's forays into ahole dom (caddy throwing people off the course, his refusal to go back to Harmon, ect) so in his eyes they are still perfect human beings and not flawed humans who just happen to have a good machine of PR professionals working for them. Thats when things get dangerous in the whole "role model" argument, especially when media jock sniffers like Vitale harp on how much these guys should be the ones kids should "look up to." So when something really does happen you are setting up people who worship these guys, because they are told that these are the "anti-(insert athlete behaving badly)" so when it turns out that, oh say, Mariano Rivera (yeah I know I've been down that road, just the first one that came to mind, probably Kobe Bryant is a better example) just might be guilty of negligent homicide because he wanted to fry dogs that wandered onto his property, then you are left with those fans that you said "Look up to this guy, he does things the right way" and you now have to explain that they are flawed humans like the rest of us

Nope, Shaumburgh again. Speaking of health code violations, did go out to Crystal Lake to a dive called "Cuckoo's Nest" I decided not to sample the food based on knowledge that the bartender (another friend of my cousin's) was also the cook that night and she, well, isn't the best of cooks!

During my trip to Chicago I ate at these two places, Ginos (I forget where it was but it just outside of Chicago) for some Deep Dish pizza, it does appear that they are the Sbarros of Chicago, only better quailty food and more of a restaurant than Sbarros. Probably on the level of Unos or TGIFs. And in Rosemont I stopped by Pancakes, Eggcetera for some breakfast. I gather being right around the corner from a bunch of hotels makes it a popular place as it was quite busy when I walked in. I'd give both a good review, just seeing if anyone here knew about them.

Dear Gino's East of Chicago, After enjoying a classic Chicago Style Deep Dish couple of weeks ago I just have this to say: PLEASE COME TO THE NEW YORK CITY AREA! Thank you, Steve Rogers Seriously, I think Unos is the only Chicago based pizza joint that is in the NYC area. Speaking of mid-west eateries, also ate at a Red Robins. Tasty, but they are not in New York, a couple out in New Jersey though.

And I said "might be" because even though a Vitale is probably closer to them than the average fan, there is no way Vitale really knows the real Woods, Jeter, ARod, Manning, Brady, ect. Chances are they may really be as good as their public image, but you never know unless you are a real friend of theirs.

Me neither, but I'm lumping the Mannings in with the same type of athletes who get all the "Gee, they have a good head on their shoulders" pub from the national media based on their being accessible to the media. This despite the fact that they give out canned "modern athlete PC speak" (see Jordan, Michael for the start of this kind of handling of the media) and really don't show much of a personality (aside from apperances on Saturday Night Live) and only give reporters only what they (the athlete) want to say, not what the reporter is really looking for. So is it the guy is a good, cooperative guy, or is he doing what his (or her) publicist/agent/personal manager want him/her to say? (see Rodriguez, Alex) You'd think after so many years in the business, and so many years of putting out an image of his own that Vitale would know all about that and not just accept an athlete based on public apperances.

Actually the Gino's East we ate at was in Schaumburg.

Dick Vitale. Is there a bigger jock sniffer on ESPN than this guy? Unless something really, really bad happens or the guy is a well known POS to the mainstream he will always remark about what a great guy the athlete is. When in reality the guy might be a world class jerk (Jeter, ARod, Woods, the Mannings, Brady, ect), but media wankers like Dickie V only know what their publicists want them to see and therefore someone like Dick Vitale thinks someone is a good guy as opposed to the "jerks" in the sports world until they are involved in something henious like Kobe's rape trial. More importantly, how is Vitale on Mike & Mike every week doing general sports when he barely knows much beyond the Yankees and college hoops?

HA! Sorry about that, I was thinking Sbarros because I was responding about them in the NYC pizza joint thread. Yeah, no F'N comparison. Well there is, its like comparing Shea Stadium and Flushing Meadows to Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville! We didn't drive, we took mostly public transportation. Which reminds me, WHAT THE HELL was up with the L that weekend? (August 1st through the 4th) Let me put it this way, cars driving along on the highway were PASSING the train from O'Hare down to Chicago! A friend of my cousin drove us from Cumberland to the Gino's East. It may have been the Des Plaines one, it was in a strip mall so there you go. Did not notice the first Mickey D's though. As a pop-culture junkie I would have gotten a kick out of that. Maybe next time. Hell we may rent a car if the darn CTA is as slow as it was!

Geez, are there any pitching records NOT owned by him and Nolan Ryan? By the way, had a staunch anti-baseball guy make an argument that the notion that any of the greats of past eras that generally still get mentioned as greats of all time, (Ruth, Cobb, Walter Johnson, Young, ect) would do as well today (or somewhat) as they did in their era is quite silly. I guess if one considers that you'd get laughed at if you try to make a case that a basketball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, ect player from, even 40 years ago would do well in today's game.

Bobby Jenks tied the MLB record with 41 straight hitters retired! Set by Jim Barr of the Giants in the 70s. Thats 13 and 2/3rds innings of perfect baseball so far. Anyone know the streak for retired hitters without giving up a hit? I assume its still Johnny Vander Meer's 57 (or plus, how far in the third game did he get before giving up a hit?

Like the Stone Cold Austin character, there really wasn't much they could have done in terms of "retooling" the gimmick that got The Rock over in the first place. And unlike Austin, the character goes well "playing both sides" if you will. Unlike Austin where a major change in his philosophy (joining up with the authority) had to be done in order to get his heel character over. You can see "The Rock" being both the lone wolf as a face and the guy with an entourage in either The Nation or The Corporation. Even if it meant someone was above him (The McMahons) They would have had to tried really, really hard at getting the character back to the "We don't care about you anymore" heat to get the character changed.

I think its also the lack of too much of a wait at a place like Sbarros and they also offer other "popular" italian dishes (spagehtti & meatballs, lasagna, ect). Granted most places the wait isn't that long and you can get your order to go, but Sbarros is pretty much a McDonalds/conveyor belt type of store that is designed for a quick bite to eat. Plus, yeah I think it is more of a tourist crowd, or those who failed to do what nwoChrisnwo did and ask around about choices. Generally you see a familliar name and you gravitate towards it.

I'm now aware, I googled it and found them in other places. No clue why they don't appear to have an official website. Had a good Southern Style Eggs Benedict and coffee. Probably a lot better than the McDonalds that was just up the block from them!

Was in a Chicago 7-11 and picked up a bag of Jay's Chips and from the name and the slogan "Can't Stop Eating Them" I thought it seemed AWFULLY familliar to Lay's and "Betcha can't eat just one" but after wikipedia-ing and going to their website it does seem that Jay's came first and the name came about due to the negative connotations post Pearl Harbor of the name Japps. It wouldn't be untill the 1950s that Lay's went national. That had me wondering about how many food company knockoffs are actually out there. I'm not talking about the generic store brand or America's Choice but are actual food brand names meant to confuse the consumer into buying their inferior product.

I can't seem to find that function. Thanks Steve

The funny thing about that, I was on an Office forum once, and in the episode thread someone had asked if that particular Sbarros would now get a spike in popularity. I responded "Uh, could you tell exactly WHERE that Sbarros was from the shot in the show?" Basically that was the joke. Michael went to a joint that is just as ubiquitos in Manhattan as Starbucks or McDonalds is. BTW, anyone have any opinion of Famous Famiglia? They have a chain in New York and in the suburbs, and are also in Yankee Stadium now. Had it a couple of times, wasn't that impressed.

I have one hell of an I QUIT! story I'd been working summers for my town's recreation department for several years as a tennis court attendant and occasional basketball hallway attendant (in a local elementary school) and so after a solid 6 years of that I get an offer to work a 9-5 job for a financial institution. Now, this was happening in early October so the tennis season was pretty much winding down, but I was still on the schedule, especially the upcoming Columbus Day Weekend, and my first day was that Monday (not a federal national holiday so the stock market is open). I call my boss, the day I'm pretty much officially hired, from the office space I'm about to be working in, and essentially explain that my services would no longer be required by the recreation department, even that coming weekend! The guy was (well still is I should say) a good guy and understood. I mean I was paid as a part-timer anyway and with the season wrapping up (plus I was in good standing as an employee) I pretty much could give them no-day notice with my intention. I do have a journalistic "let go" story. About a year earlier, 2000, I was a part-time stringer for a local daily newspaper doing HS football games and they did seem to like my work. Well let me put it this way, I am still waiting for the call to go back to work for the 2001 football season! Eh, part of the business, apparently they wanted to keep those jobs in-house rather than bring in freelancing stringers. Ah well, what can you do.

Maybe they were doing research on whomever wrestled on that particular Velocity.

Same here, nothing labeled "sad" on the national ESPN Radio 6pm update. corpse could have meant "Mets" because the Mets did play a game while the Yanks are off and Marlon Anderson was put on the breavment list this evening.

Its Clemens suspension I think. He got 5 games and Torre got 1. How is that "sad?"

Read Ball Four sometime. Guys ate greenies like candy back in those days. Getting on Hank for trying them once (allegedly) is a little silly IMO. I was going to say that as well. While they are dangerous, and highly destructive when taken for prolonged periods and in mass quanities, (not to mention illegal narcotics) there is no similarity between them and steroids. Greenies, speed, whatever you want to call them are a much more potent form of caffeine and something to take to improve your awarness and keep you sharp during the long season. Thats why entertainers took them as well because they were doing over 200 shows a year, and sometimes doubling up certain dates. So there is no equating them with someone trying to improve their skills or gain muscle mass with the use of steriods or HGH.

??? I'd buy someone like Reggie Jackson being on something, but where is the proof here? I'm not seeing much difference other than the filling out going from 20 to 40 often brings. If you are talking amphetamines and the like, I really can't see how trying to stay awake and focused game after game equates with taking something that will give you a competitive edge in terms of increased skills and power.

Hold it right there Sparky. Don't just lump what Aaron and Maris went through with what Bonds went through as just being under different circumstances. Bonds brought this all on himself; this isn't a bunch of old Ruth/Yankee fans refusing to acknowledge that a lesser player could break Ruth's mark, and this isn't someone going through racial torment, which included death threats. Lets not act like this is anyway similar just because Bonds was persecuted in a similar fashion.