Three Blogs in One

I haven’t been posting as regularly as I should and several issues have popped up since I last wrote so let me combine a few blogs so I can get caught up.

Canseco Speaks

Admitted steroids user Jose Canseco has been doing the rounds since Sunday, appearing on “60 Minutes” not once, but twice. He’s also had an eye-opening interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI where he not only made several contradictions to his book, but also said if he had a son and he wanted to take steroids, he would not stop him. During the interview, Canseco did not show any remorse for taking steroids nor did he feel they were illegal. In fact, he said they helped him become a world class athlete.

In his interview on “60 Minutes”, Canseco said in some cases, people could take steroids. While his allegations about certain players must be taken seriously, the way he makes his allegations is very dangerous. During his Tuesday interview on WEEI, Canseco made reference to Nolan Ryan saying that if he could throw a 95+ mile an hour fast ball at age 40, then it must be the product of steroids. The man is an idiot.

Apparently Canseco’s book, “Juiced” is doing well, but kids should stay away from it because it does not condemn the use of steroids. Canseco’s mouth could be his undoing.

No NHL

As a hockey fan, I’m very sad about the cancellation of the 2004-2005 season. But I’m in the minority. Commissioner Gary Bettman’s announcement about the failed negotiations was a study in how a man has little regard for the fans.

This is all about money. The owners want to keep as much money as possible, wanting to be saved from themselves after spending so much. This about the players wanting to keep the status quo, not realizing that the game has too few revenue streams. This is about a Commissioner who expanded the game into markets that have no regard for hockey and allowed a once beautiful game to become a train wreck.

But because not enough fans care about hockey, the news about the NHL’s cancellation was covered more than last year’s Stanley Cup finals.

The issue of a salary cap is important because it is a way for the league to survive. And the NHL’s horrible television contracts with NBC and ESPN leaves the league with little money to play with. It is sad to see because since Bettman became Commissioner in 1994, the NHL has done so much to shoot itself in the foot.

“24” and “The O.C.”

This season of “24” continues to go like blockbusters. The storyline of the nuclear threat has my eyes glued to my TV every Monday night. I happened to talk to Executive Producer Evan Katz on the 24 fan phone that many fans have called. I told him that this was the best season yet and he appreciated my remarks. This week, we’re at a head where the head of a sleeper cell, Navi Araz has had to take his son, Behrooz as hostage. In addition, six nuclear plants are on the verge of meltdown and CTU agent Jack Bauer has to find the override to stop a catastrophe.

This Monday’s episode has a shooting and one character will die. Having read the spoilers, I know which one, but if you don’t want to know, I won’t post it here, but you can also e-mail me if you want to find out. There have been just a few scenes that have slowed the show down, but they are not enough to put a damper on the season.

And we want to know what will become of the kiss between Alex and Marissa. The problem is that Alex is leaving after a few more episodes so I hope this isn’t going to a ratings stunt by creator Josh Schwartz. Olivia Wilde has done a great job in playing Alex and a lesbian kiss is nothing new for Mischa Barton as she was in a lesbian kiss with Evan Rachael Wood in the long, but not forgotten “Once and Again”.

We’ll see where it goes.

And that is the blog for today.