Cranky Chickie

Markieb
Jeez, so much to complain about, not the least of which is having to watch the President bumble his way through a State of the Union address.  Guh.  Sit down people and let him finish his freaking speech.

The folks at typepad are still trying to figure out what the deal is with my blog.  If you are using Mozilla Firefox as your browser, you shouldn’t have any trouble commenting.  Another suggestion thrown my way is if you’re using any other browser, to make sure that you’re using the newest version.

Now, I’m not convinced that this is the real issue.  When I log in on IE, I can comment on other blogs, just not my own.  Ditto for some other folks who have tested it.  So typepad still has some work to do.  (The needing your IP address to get you on a white list isn’t necessary, but thanks to those of you who sent yours along.)

This business with MLB and Direct TV is another issue that annoys the he11 out of me.  Granted, I’m in the correct viewing market for my team, but I’ve purchased the Extra Innings package from Comcast for three seasons now because I love baseball.  Last year, I went to sleep many a night to the sounds of Vin Scully calling Dodgers games.  I watched every game that Bronson Arroyo pitched for the Reds (okay, some of them I did while flipping from Sox games).  I watched as many Yankees games as I could get in.  I love baseball and I want to watch as much of it as possible.  I happily paid whatever was asked of me to do so.  Not this time.  I enjoy my cable and have no issues with my cable company.  None that are major enough to switch to Direct TV for four televisions, that’s for damn sure.

With all due respect to people like our own Mark Newman who sing the praises of MLB.tv and Direct TV, I’m not paying for MLB.tv so I can watch baseball on my computer.  And I don’t see all the people losing Extra Innings going that route.  Once again, MLB shows the fans how very little they regard us.  Time and again people tell me about ‘the evils’ of MLB.  And, admittedly, I’ve done little in the way of protest.  Sure, I won’t purchase items from the MLB store, but I WAS paying for that Extra Innings package – and I pay for the space here on MLBLogs.  I also buy tickets to ballgames through the Red Sox (most of the time, on occasion I go the ‘other’ route).  So who am I to complain, right?  I keep bending over and letting MLB have their way with me so why should I complain now when, truly, this new issue doesn’t affect me?

I guess I’m just a hypocrite – and I’m happy to wear the title if that’s the case.  I have many friends who aren’t in the New England area and rely on the Extra Innings package to see their team play.  More people DON’T  have Direct TV than DO and that isn’t going to change with this monopoly being perpetrated by MLB.  I suppose one day I’ll have the fortitude to stop buying tickets to ball games and cancel my account here at MLBLogs.  That time hasn’t come just yet, but that won’t stop me from pointing out the ‘evils’ of MLB.  I might love the game, but I hate the entity that runs it.

Changing gears, here’s a quote from Jay Payton this week in the Boston Globe, on being excited about being back in the AL East (with the Baltimore Orioles):

"…I also get to reunite with Kevin Millar, and I think we’re all pretty excited around here about going up against the two Evil Empires: Boston and New York."

This is the guy who picked a fight with Terry Francona, probably the toughest guy in MLB to pick a fight with, just so he could get himself booted from the team.  And he thinks that Millar will share his view of the Red Sox?  Somehow, I don’t think so.  For cryin’ out loud, Kevin Millar still talks about how much he misses Boston.  Good luck to the Orioles with this guy.  Good player, big jerk. 

Man, there has to be something I can write about that doesn’t make me want to poke an eye out.

Okay, this is the best I can do right now:  Mark Bellhorn signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds and has been invited to training camp as a non-roster invitee.  Here’s hoping he makes the big-league roster in some capacity.  Regardless of that unfortunate moment when he wore pinstripes, this kid is one of the 25 and was a BIG part of the 2004 championship.  I wish him nothing but good fortune. (And just think of the HAIR!  Between Bellhorn and Arroyo, the Reds will be hairy noon and night!)  Good luck, Mark!

President is over and my eyes aren’t bleeding.  Good news all around, eh?

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