Friday, September 29, 2006
Me and the News
So in the midst of the Terrell Owens story the other day the topic of the way news covers events etc etc came up. A poster basically thinks all news just tries to get people in a frenzy and as such has a huge mistrust and disdain for the news business in general. I can't disagree that the news media does this for some stories but i've always loved following the news and coverage of interesting events......
I remember as a little tyke i'd stay up and watch the local news. Well, it wasn't totally local. It seemed that I gravitated towards Buffalo's WGRZ. I grew up watching Rich Kellman doing the news, Ed Kilgore on sports and Barry Lillis doing the weather. At that time WGRZ was pretty good at covering the news and had a professional sheen to it despite being in the rust belt that is Western New York. I also watched WKBW and enjoyed the fine anchoring job of Irv Weinstein.
The CBS affiliate had THE best local anchor team and one of the most stable news teams i've ever seen. Carol Jasen and Bob Koop were the lead anchors for WIVB-TV from 1982 to 1992. They made a hell of a great team. Those in local news today should try to find tape of those two working together because they were professional yet warm and engaging personalities. Jacquie Walker and Rich Newberg joined in 1983 according to the info I have here and they were mainstays at WIVB for a LOONG time. In fact, Walker and Newberg amazingly still work for the station. Walker anchors the 5, 6 and 11 newscast while Newberg is the senior correspondent. It seems to me this station is one of the most loyal and tradition minded affiliates in the US. (but this is from very limited exposure)
Among other long timers:
Don Postles, (since '93)
Mylous Hairston, (joined in '90 as an anchor and has worked himself up to anchor of the weekend newscasts)
Don Paul (meteorologist, joined in 1984 and defected to WGRZ from '88-'91, has been with WIVB ever since)
Mike Cejka (meteorologist, joined in '83! and is currently the morning and lunchtime weather man)
So as you can see I grew up with a very experienced and well worked set of broadcasters. The Buffalo news scene has gone to the crapper since the late 1990s IMO tho. This can be attributed to a lot of things such as Buffalo being one of most depressed cities and general areas in the US these days. Still, there are some fine people working today so it's not like it's a total bust.
**********************************************************************************
As I grew up I became more in tune with the political side of news coverage. I watched a lot of CNN and I remember as early as 1988, my handicapping the presidential elections. One thing that doesn't get talked about a lot is that these people that work in news are just like me. They want to know what's going on in the world, they want to impart knowledge and at the same time to make those in power accountable for their actions. In the last 10-15 years hard news has taken a hit in favor of info-tainment which I find to be disgraceful. I don't think one can really cover the issues of the day with a clear bias one way or the other. (FOX news on the right and MSNBC on the left, CNN is center/left depending on the issue) It only serves to devalue the information given to the viewer. I mean, if you watch something that's mostly fitting your point of view then you're always going to hate other news sources because they're "biased" when the news you're watching is just as biased as anything else.
In a modern internet age one needs to read, listen and watch as much different sources of news coverage in order to get a clear picture of events. Unfortunately, many people don't have the time nor the willingness to do so. So to feeq (the poster who showed disdain for all media) and others I will provide a list of worthwhile and in many ways throwback news presentations that you should watch.
The Newshour with Jim Lehrer: This is news for the thinking person. I love it a lot for the simple fact that there is little to no hyperbole, subjects are dealt with in a timely manner and more often then not you'll hear from both sides of an issue. In an era where they give you information overload with a crawl on the bottom of the screen and talking heads talking all the time it's no wonder people feel jaded about the news business. The Newshour does a great job of taking issues in perspective and giving the issues of the day some serious discussion.
Anderson Cooper 360: Yes I know, AC 360 isn't exactly the most balanced news source. Anderson Cooper is the modern day version of Geraldo Rivera. The man just loves to make himself the center of attention. The show is obviously a mix of him wanting to do good in the world and a massive ego trip. So far, so bad right? Wrong, the show has evolved a lot since it first started. What started out as Anderson Cooper anchoring most of the show has become more of a shared role with John Roberts. I find that whenever Roberts is anchoring the show he does so in a very calm and dignified manner, conducts his interviews rather well and generally sticks to the harder news topics. In fact, I believe i've seen numbers that indicate the show has done better with Roberts at the helm. The actual news content of the show runs the gamut from speculation to muckraking in the best sense of the word with the "keeping them honest" segments. Overall, even though the show veers to the left at times it's generally a well done and well researched program.
Lou Dobbs Tonight: Oh boy...what can I say about Lou? At least he's consistently against MOST politicians. You can't call him left wing because he's the classic free market capitalist. His show isn't news per se. It's more of an opinion based newscast. There IS an agenda with the show but Lou doesn't hide it. He fights for America's borders, the middle class and for economic freedom in America. He generally holds great disdain for the Bush administrations handling of the war and the economy and generally he makes salient and common sense points. I've often heard from people that Lou Dobbs should actually run for president! I have to admit that would be very interesting because he just wouldn't fit with the parties in America today. So, while his show isn't news but more opinion it challenges the viewer to think things through and come up with their own conclusions. I rather like his take no prisoners approach to things and as long as he's true to himself then I don't mind it.
So those are three different news shows that takes wildly divergent takes on what is news, how to report it and the pace in which they do it in. Do these shows whip people up into a frenzy? Not really, there are times when Dobbs will stick to one issue and get some traction on it but mostly it's the same bunch of people watching the show. Do they misinform with badly reported stories? Hard to say, some of AC360 falls within the range of speculation so some things aren't totally concrete but most of the time they get their facts straight. Last but not least these shows all share one thing in common. They all want to be able to impart information and knowledge to the people and let them decide for themselves.
That's the truest way of doing the news.
I remember as a little tyke i'd stay up and watch the local news. Well, it wasn't totally local. It seemed that I gravitated towards Buffalo's WGRZ. I grew up watching Rich Kellman doing the news, Ed Kilgore on sports and Barry Lillis doing the weather. At that time WGRZ was pretty good at covering the news and had a professional sheen to it despite being in the rust belt that is Western New York. I also watched WKBW and enjoyed the fine anchoring job of Irv Weinstein.
The CBS affiliate had THE best local anchor team and one of the most stable news teams i've ever seen. Carol Jasen and Bob Koop were the lead anchors for WIVB-TV from 1982 to 1992. They made a hell of a great team. Those in local news today should try to find tape of those two working together because they were professional yet warm and engaging personalities. Jacquie Walker and Rich Newberg joined in 1983 according to the info I have here and they were mainstays at WIVB for a LOONG time. In fact, Walker and Newberg amazingly still work for the station. Walker anchors the 5, 6 and 11 newscast while Newberg is the senior correspondent. It seems to me this station is one of the most loyal and tradition minded affiliates in the US. (but this is from very limited exposure)
Among other long timers:
Don Postles, (since '93)
Mylous Hairston, (joined in '90 as an anchor and has worked himself up to anchor of the weekend newscasts)
Don Paul (meteorologist, joined in 1984 and defected to WGRZ from '88-'91, has been with WIVB ever since)
Mike Cejka (meteorologist, joined in '83! and is currently the morning and lunchtime weather man)
So as you can see I grew up with a very experienced and well worked set of broadcasters. The Buffalo news scene has gone to the crapper since the late 1990s IMO tho. This can be attributed to a lot of things such as Buffalo being one of most depressed cities and general areas in the US these days. Still, there are some fine people working today so it's not like it's a total bust.
**********************************************************************************
As I grew up I became more in tune with the political side of news coverage. I watched a lot of CNN and I remember as early as 1988, my handicapping the presidential elections. One thing that doesn't get talked about a lot is that these people that work in news are just like me. They want to know what's going on in the world, they want to impart knowledge and at the same time to make those in power accountable for their actions. In the last 10-15 years hard news has taken a hit in favor of info-tainment which I find to be disgraceful. I don't think one can really cover the issues of the day with a clear bias one way or the other. (FOX news on the right and MSNBC on the left, CNN is center/left depending on the issue) It only serves to devalue the information given to the viewer. I mean, if you watch something that's mostly fitting your point of view then you're always going to hate other news sources because they're "biased" when the news you're watching is just as biased as anything else.
In a modern internet age one needs to read, listen and watch as much different sources of news coverage in order to get a clear picture of events. Unfortunately, many people don't have the time nor the willingness to do so. So to feeq (the poster who showed disdain for all media) and others I will provide a list of worthwhile and in many ways throwback news presentations that you should watch.
The Newshour with Jim Lehrer: This is news for the thinking person. I love it a lot for the simple fact that there is little to no hyperbole, subjects are dealt with in a timely manner and more often then not you'll hear from both sides of an issue. In an era where they give you information overload with a crawl on the bottom of the screen and talking heads talking all the time it's no wonder people feel jaded about the news business. The Newshour does a great job of taking issues in perspective and giving the issues of the day some serious discussion.
Anderson Cooper 360: Yes I know, AC 360 isn't exactly the most balanced news source. Anderson Cooper is the modern day version of Geraldo Rivera. The man just loves to make himself the center of attention. The show is obviously a mix of him wanting to do good in the world and a massive ego trip. So far, so bad right? Wrong, the show has evolved a lot since it first started. What started out as Anderson Cooper anchoring most of the show has become more of a shared role with John Roberts. I find that whenever Roberts is anchoring the show he does so in a very calm and dignified manner, conducts his interviews rather well and generally sticks to the harder news topics. In fact, I believe i've seen numbers that indicate the show has done better with Roberts at the helm. The actual news content of the show runs the gamut from speculation to muckraking in the best sense of the word with the "keeping them honest" segments. Overall, even though the show veers to the left at times it's generally a well done and well researched program.
Lou Dobbs Tonight: Oh boy...what can I say about Lou? At least he's consistently against MOST politicians. You can't call him left wing because he's the classic free market capitalist. His show isn't news per se. It's more of an opinion based newscast. There IS an agenda with the show but Lou doesn't hide it. He fights for America's borders, the middle class and for economic freedom in America. He generally holds great disdain for the Bush administrations handling of the war and the economy and generally he makes salient and common sense points. I've often heard from people that Lou Dobbs should actually run for president! I have to admit that would be very interesting because he just wouldn't fit with the parties in America today. So, while his show isn't news but more opinion it challenges the viewer to think things through and come up with their own conclusions. I rather like his take no prisoners approach to things and as long as he's true to himself then I don't mind it.
So those are three different news shows that takes wildly divergent takes on what is news, how to report it and the pace in which they do it in. Do these shows whip people up into a frenzy? Not really, there are times when Dobbs will stick to one issue and get some traction on it but mostly it's the same bunch of people watching the show. Do they misinform with badly reported stories? Hard to say, some of AC360 falls within the range of speculation so some things aren't totally concrete but most of the time they get their facts straight. Last but not least these shows all share one thing in common. They all want to be able to impart information and knowledge to the people and let them decide for themselves.
That's the truest way of doing the news.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Monday Review: The Ugly American
Since I have so much material (movies, comics, books etc etc) I have decided to make Monday an official review day. That is, I'll be reviewing something of one kind or another every Monday.
The first edition of Monday Review will focus on the 1963 film The Ugly American starring Marlon Brando. Here's a plot summary from IMDB:
Whew! That about sums up the movie right there. Needless to say this was a VERY interesting film. It is loosely based on the book of the same title by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. The film is particular interesting because it is a precursor to what actually happened in Vietnam. It shows quite clearly the misguided and wrongheaded thinking of the "domino theory" that communism would just sweep across the world if left unchecked.
Marlon Brando gives one of his best acting performances ever in the film. The first half of the film has many great dialogue scenes that pulls the viewer into the situation and truly captures the mood and feelings of the characters. I especially liked Brando's cool, calm and collected acting in the senate confirmation hearing scene. He answered the questions with an ease and sense of humour that is disarming and quite charming.
Another great dialogue scene is MacWhite visiting his old friend Deong the evening after he and his wife are met by rioters who nearly kill them when they arrive in Sarkhan. Deong proves to be a great host and friend to MacWhite. In the end tho, Deong admits that he sent out the rioters. He tells MacWhite that he didn't mean it to go out of hand and that it is to protest the building of Freedom Road. MacWhite is visibly disturbed and leaves, only to come back later that night as the two friends start to drift apart due to political reasons.
MacWhite can't believe that Deong would be against America after all that the US has done for that country by providing food, medical supplies, and helping to build a road that would provide jobs and better economic opportunities. Deong counters this by telling MacWhite that the Sarkhanese don't want the road because they know that it'll be used for military purposes by the US and that it will only lead to problems between them and the communist controled north. MacWhite denies this but Deong demands that if the road is not for military purposes then Sarkhanese Prime Minister Kwen Sai should make it publicly known that the road is for all of Sarkhan and won't be used by the Americans. Deong also adds that Sarkhan is tired of being ruled by the iron fist of this American backed dictator.
Macwhite then flies off the handle accusing Deong of being a communist and insists that the road will be built. This is the crux of the whole film This one misunderstanding leads to many more misjudgements on MacWhite's part that leads to a Vietnam-like escalation of Civil War. All throughout the film you see MacWhite's geniunely well intended motives blow up in his face which in the end causes heartache not only to himself but to everyone in Sarkhan.
You truly see why Brando is one of the best actors of all time when you watch this movie as you watch him go about his business and utters every word with true sincerity. The film is considered uneven by many critics however I think it's a great study in character and how one's steadfast belief in certain views can lead to unintended consequences. The film also serves as a fictionalized account of what then current American Policy was leading to in Vietnam and for that, this film should be required viewing for viewers of this generation. Policies and views should not be so rigid that it leads to war and unintended consequences. People and Politicians should be able to gleam some insight from the other side because what we may view as "evil' may not be viewed that way by our enemies.
Overall I give the film *** out of 5.
The first edition of Monday Review will focus on the 1963 film The Ugly American starring Marlon Brando. Here's a plot summary from IMDB:
An intelligent, articulate scholar, Harrison MacWhite, survives a hostile Senate confirmation hearing at the hands of conservatives to become ambassador to Sarkan, a southeast Asian country where civil war threatens a tense peace. Despite his knowledge, once he's there, MacWhite sees only a dichotomy between the U.S. and Communism. He can't accept that anti-American sentiment might be a longing for self-determination and nationalism. So, he breaks from his friend Deong, a local opposition leader, ignores a foreman's advice about slowing the building of a road, and tries to muscle ahead. What price must the country and his friends pay for him to get some sense?
Whew! That about sums up the movie right there. Needless to say this was a VERY interesting film. It is loosely based on the book of the same title by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. The film is particular interesting because it is a precursor to what actually happened in Vietnam. It shows quite clearly the misguided and wrongheaded thinking of the "domino theory" that communism would just sweep across the world if left unchecked.
Marlon Brando gives one of his best acting performances ever in the film. The first half of the film has many great dialogue scenes that pulls the viewer into the situation and truly captures the mood and feelings of the characters. I especially liked Brando's cool, calm and collected acting in the senate confirmation hearing scene. He answered the questions with an ease and sense of humour that is disarming and quite charming.
Another great dialogue scene is MacWhite visiting his old friend Deong the evening after he and his wife are met by rioters who nearly kill them when they arrive in Sarkhan. Deong proves to be a great host and friend to MacWhite. In the end tho, Deong admits that he sent out the rioters. He tells MacWhite that he didn't mean it to go out of hand and that it is to protest the building of Freedom Road. MacWhite is visibly disturbed and leaves, only to come back later that night as the two friends start to drift apart due to political reasons.
MacWhite can't believe that Deong would be against America after all that the US has done for that country by providing food, medical supplies, and helping to build a road that would provide jobs and better economic opportunities. Deong counters this by telling MacWhite that the Sarkhanese don't want the road because they know that it'll be used for military purposes by the US and that it will only lead to problems between them and the communist controled north. MacWhite denies this but Deong demands that if the road is not for military purposes then Sarkhanese Prime Minister Kwen Sai should make it publicly known that the road is for all of Sarkhan and won't be used by the Americans. Deong also adds that Sarkhan is tired of being ruled by the iron fist of this American backed dictator.
Macwhite then flies off the handle accusing Deong of being a communist and insists that the road will be built. This is the crux of the whole film This one misunderstanding leads to many more misjudgements on MacWhite's part that leads to a Vietnam-like escalation of Civil War. All throughout the film you see MacWhite's geniunely well intended motives blow up in his face which in the end causes heartache not only to himself but to everyone in Sarkhan.
You truly see why Brando is one of the best actors of all time when you watch this movie as you watch him go about his business and utters every word with true sincerity. The film is considered uneven by many critics however I think it's a great study in character and how one's steadfast belief in certain views can lead to unintended consequences. The film also serves as a fictionalized account of what then current American Policy was leading to in Vietnam and for that, this film should be required viewing for viewers of this generation. Policies and views should not be so rigid that it leads to war and unintended consequences. People and Politicians should be able to gleam some insight from the other side because what we may view as "evil' may not be viewed that way by our enemies.
Overall I give the film *** out of 5.
Friday, September 22, 2006
The Top 50 CFL Players of All Time
Yesterday I found out that the CFL and TSN are going to reveal the top 50 CFL'ers of all time during Grey Cup Week. This is going to be HUGE. In fact, this is something that should've been done years ago. It's better late then never though as some of the long time experts have died in recent years. Luckily for us some of them are still around but it would've been nice if the panel of experts could've included the late Jim "Shakey" Hunt and Pat Marsden. Those guys have over a hundred years of experience combined when it comes to CFL football.
Nonetheless the panel of experts are a good cross-section of former players, columnists, and broadcasters. Below I'll be giving my personal all-time roster. I'll be limiting my picks to 3 QBs, 4 receivers, 2 or 3 RBs, 5 O and D linemen, 2 LB and DBs and 2 or more special teamers.
QBs
Doug Flutie: He only played 8 years in the CFL but man did he put up some eye popping numbers! He could pass, run and use his speed to evade tacklers. He used his size to his advantage in the wide open Canadian field by almost always rolling out of the pocket. He's the only player in CFL history to win the Outstanding Player award 6 times! He was the definition of "franchise QB" as he was successful everywhere he went.
Damon Allen: The all-time leading passer in pro football history is my back up QB. The main reason is that while he was very good for a very long time he was just a model of consistency. He was never viewed as THE quarterback. In many ways his accomplishments can be viewed as a matter of playing for so long and being so good. Still, he was/is the prototypical CFL QB. He had a solid arm, could run when he had to and displayed sound football smarts over the years.
Ron Lancaster: The Little General as he was known is more then just a great head coach. He was a great QB and the face of Saskatchewan football for 16 years. Lancaster is second all-time on the career list with 3,384 pass completions, 6,233 pass attempts and 50,535 yards passing and is 2nd in all-time TDs with 333. A mark that was surpassed by Damon Allen in 2003.
receivers
Darren Flutie: The younger brother of Doug is my number 1 receiver. He was a hell of a receiver as he was the go-to guy in tough situations. He made some great catches in his career. If my memory isn't failing me I believe he caught the TD that more or less clinched the game for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the '99 Grey Cup. Flutie is tied for first all-time in most 1000 yard receiving seasons, (tied with Allen Pitts) regular season receptions with 2972 and most playoff receptions with 185.
Milt Stegall: This guy is just amazing. He's in his 12th season in the CFL and he's got a knack for making highlight reel catches at the most critical times. If he can be compared to someone in NFL lore I would say that he's got the amazing grace of Lynn Swann but with the stature among receivers of a Jerry Rice. (although he doesn't own the record books like he does) Stegall is knocking on the door to a tremendous achievement. Right now he stands at 135 TDs for his career only 2 behind the overall career TD record of ALL TIME. Yes you read that right, He is very close to being the most prolific touchdown scorer in CFL history, meaning he will be greater then any offensive player in league history in that regard.
Other records by Stegall include
Don Narcisse: The prototypical CFL receiver at only 5'9 and 170 pounds Narcisse was one of the many weapons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders offense in the late 80s/early 90s. Most of the passes he caught were short passes which meant he had to use his feet to gain the extra yardage. He was quite capable of getting the 1st down in tough situations. Although most of his records have been shattered over the years he's still remembered as one of the craftier players in the league's history.
Ray Elgaard: I only saw the tail end of his career so I'm not the most educated when it comes to his greatness but he retired as the leader in all-time receptions and receiving yards. (830/13,198) He also had 8 seasons with 1000 or more yards. What I do know is this, he was a steady player with great hands and rarely dropped a pass. He was Mr. Dependable in the clutch.
RBs
Mike Pringle: He is mentioned along with George Reed (oh well just let that one out of the bag) as the greatest RB in CFL history as he holds or is tied for just about every significant record for a RB. He finished his career with 16,425 yards rushing, 20,254 total yards from scrimmage and with 137 TDs. (that mark is tied with George Reed) All these are CFL records with the latter record about to be broken this year.
Pringle in only his 3rd season became the starting RB for the Baltimore Stallions in 1994 after only being a barely used talent for the Edmonton Eskimos and Sacramento Gold Miners. He paid huge dividends in the role tho as he ran for an incredible 1,972 yards, scoring 13 TDs and amazingly enough took kickoffs by returning the ball 38 times for 814 yards!
The true measure of Pringle's greatness didn't come until 1998 at the age of 31 where he did the unthinkable. Mike Pringle became the first and only CFL RB to rush for over 2000 yards. (2065) In a league where passing is dominant, Pringle did the almost unthinkable. IMO and in the opinion of many CFL fans we won't see a feat like that for a VERY long time.
George Reed: A tough and hard hitting RB who was hugely successful in the CFL. From what I've heard about his style he was in the mold of an Earl Campbell. I know this is very little to say about a legend but as I've stated off the top the CFL should've done this kind of thing years ago and quite frankly the CFL has neglected its proud history for many years.
OL (I won't say much just mention their names. If I have a comment I'll make it)
Chris Walby: A tough and tenacious center for the Blue Bombers. He was a guy that had a defensive mentality on the field and was quite popular with his teammates. Today he attempts a poor man's Madden in the booth when calling CFL games.
Dan Ferrone: played on wildly varying Argos teams in terms of success but he was a main constant. I believe he's still the head of the CFLPA these days.
Rod Connop: was a link to the Dynasty Years of the Eskimos and bridged his way to the more or less current Eskimos culture.
Roger Aldag: Gritty, anchor of the Saskatchewan Roughriders O-line during the 1980s.
Al Wilson
DL (same as above)
Junior Ah You: He played for some great Montreal ballclubs in the 1970s. He was the cornerstone of one of the bigger front fours of the era and was known for his speed in getting to the RB.
Jearld Baylis: I remember this guy for being able to put pressure on the QB and having some good speed and agility for his size.
Jim Corrigal: Argo legend; played in the 1970s
Angelo Mosca: The heart and soul of the Hamilton Ti-Cats for so many years. He was Canada's answer to Dick Butkus as he would almost always play hurt but he was rewarded with 5 Grey Cup victories in his career. One of the enduring images in CFL history is of him holding the cup high in the air with a nasty smile on his face.
Joe Montford: His best years were spent in Hamilton and he's regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in CFL history. He's a 4 time CFL sack leader and was one of the speediest guys on the defensive side of the ball. It's a shame that his career has seemingly ended so badly as he was recently cut by the Edmonton Eskimos.
LBs
Willie Pless: Another guy I grew up watching. This guy was one hard hitting SOB! His career was just amazingly great. He was an All-Canadian 11 times, 12 time Division all-star and was outstanding defensive player of the year 5 times.
Dan Kepley: One of the key defensive players during the Eskimos glory years. He was the leader of the defensive unit for that team and deserves a lot of credit for their success on the defensive side of the ball.
DBs
Less Browne: Probably the greatest DB in CFL history. He holds the all-pro record for most INTs with 87 and interception return yards with 1,508.
Garney Henley: One of the true legends of the game. Henley left the game with 59 INTs and 900 yards on interception returns. Amazingly at age 36 he was switched to flanker and won the most outstanding player award!
Special Teams
Henry "Gizmo" Williams: This guy was a human highlight reel. He was a bundle of energy and one couldn't help but feel that through his style of play. He was primarily a punt and kick return specialist in his career but boy did he make the most out of it! Williams got the nickname from Reggie White when he was playing for the USFL's Memphis Showboats for his shiftiness on the field. Gizmo set 20 CFL records in his career and still holds the records for most yardage on KR and PR. He also still holds the record for most TDs on returns with 31. Gizmo is known for his signature flip after scoring a TD. His most famous TD would have to be the 115 yard missed FG return in the 1987 Grey Cup.
Kicker
Dave Cutler: Would you believe that he started his career at age 16? Yap, that's the truth and he became one of the most prolific kickers in CFL history. He was another key member of those great Eskimos teams in the 70s and early 80s.
punter
Bob Cameron: Old reliable bob was a fixture in Winnipeg for 23 years. Cameron is the leader in all time punting yards with an eye popping 134,301 yards. Cameron is also the CFL's iron man having played in 324 consecutive games in his career.
Nonetheless the panel of experts are a good cross-section of former players, columnists, and broadcasters. Below I'll be giving my personal all-time roster. I'll be limiting my picks to 3 QBs, 4 receivers, 2 or 3 RBs, 5 O and D linemen, 2 LB and DBs and 2 or more special teamers.
QBs
Doug Flutie: He only played 8 years in the CFL but man did he put up some eye popping numbers! He could pass, run and use his speed to evade tacklers. He used his size to his advantage in the wide open Canadian field by almost always rolling out of the pocket. He's the only player in CFL history to win the Outstanding Player award 6 times! He was the definition of "franchise QB" as he was successful everywhere he went.
Damon Allen: The all-time leading passer in pro football history is my back up QB. The main reason is that while he was very good for a very long time he was just a model of consistency. He was never viewed as THE quarterback. In many ways his accomplishments can be viewed as a matter of playing for so long and being so good. Still, he was/is the prototypical CFL QB. He had a solid arm, could run when he had to and displayed sound football smarts over the years.
Ron Lancaster: The Little General as he was known is more then just a great head coach. He was a great QB and the face of Saskatchewan football for 16 years. Lancaster is second all-time on the career list with 3,384 pass completions, 6,233 pass attempts and 50,535 yards passing and is 2nd in all-time TDs with 333. A mark that was surpassed by Damon Allen in 2003.
receivers
Darren Flutie: The younger brother of Doug is my number 1 receiver. He was a hell of a receiver as he was the go-to guy in tough situations. He made some great catches in his career. If my memory isn't failing me I believe he caught the TD that more or less clinched the game for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the '99 Grey Cup. Flutie is tied for first all-time in most 1000 yard receiving seasons, (tied with Allen Pitts) regular season receptions with 2972 and most playoff receptions with 185.
Milt Stegall: This guy is just amazing. He's in his 12th season in the CFL and he's got a knack for making highlight reel catches at the most critical times. If he can be compared to someone in NFL lore I would say that he's got the amazing grace of Lynn Swann but with the stature among receivers of a Jerry Rice. (although he doesn't own the record books like he does) Stegall is knocking on the door to a tremendous achievement. Right now he stands at 135 TDs for his career only 2 behind the overall career TD record of ALL TIME. Yes you read that right, He is very close to being the most prolific touchdown scorer in CFL history, meaning he will be greater then any offensive player in league history in that regard.
Other records by Stegall include
- Most TD receptions in a career (132)
- Most TDs in a season (23) in 2002
- Most Yards Per Catch in a season 26.5 in 1998
- Most yards by a Bombers receiver 12,333 and growing
Don Narcisse: The prototypical CFL receiver at only 5'9 and 170 pounds Narcisse was one of the many weapons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders offense in the late 80s/early 90s. Most of the passes he caught were short passes which meant he had to use his feet to gain the extra yardage. He was quite capable of getting the 1st down in tough situations. Although most of his records have been shattered over the years he's still remembered as one of the craftier players in the league's history.
Ray Elgaard: I only saw the tail end of his career so I'm not the most educated when it comes to his greatness but he retired as the leader in all-time receptions and receiving yards. (830/13,198) He also had 8 seasons with 1000 or more yards. What I do know is this, he was a steady player with great hands and rarely dropped a pass. He was Mr. Dependable in the clutch.
RBs
Mike Pringle: He is mentioned along with George Reed (oh well just let that one out of the bag) as the greatest RB in CFL history as he holds or is tied for just about every significant record for a RB. He finished his career with 16,425 yards rushing, 20,254 total yards from scrimmage and with 137 TDs. (that mark is tied with George Reed) All these are CFL records with the latter record about to be broken this year.
Pringle in only his 3rd season became the starting RB for the Baltimore Stallions in 1994 after only being a barely used talent for the Edmonton Eskimos and Sacramento Gold Miners. He paid huge dividends in the role tho as he ran for an incredible 1,972 yards, scoring 13 TDs and amazingly enough took kickoffs by returning the ball 38 times for 814 yards!
The true measure of Pringle's greatness didn't come until 1998 at the age of 31 where he did the unthinkable. Mike Pringle became the first and only CFL RB to rush for over 2000 yards. (2065) In a league where passing is dominant, Pringle did the almost unthinkable. IMO and in the opinion of many CFL fans we won't see a feat like that for a VERY long time.
George Reed: A tough and hard hitting RB who was hugely successful in the CFL. From what I've heard about his style he was in the mold of an Earl Campbell. I know this is very little to say about a legend but as I've stated off the top the CFL should've done this kind of thing years ago and quite frankly the CFL has neglected its proud history for many years.
OL (I won't say much just mention their names. If I have a comment I'll make it)
Chris Walby: A tough and tenacious center for the Blue Bombers. He was a guy that had a defensive mentality on the field and was quite popular with his teammates. Today he attempts a poor man's Madden in the booth when calling CFL games.
Dan Ferrone: played on wildly varying Argos teams in terms of success but he was a main constant. I believe he's still the head of the CFLPA these days.
Rod Connop: was a link to the Dynasty Years of the Eskimos and bridged his way to the more or less current Eskimos culture.
Roger Aldag: Gritty, anchor of the Saskatchewan Roughriders O-line during the 1980s.
Al Wilson
DL (same as above)
Junior Ah You: He played for some great Montreal ballclubs in the 1970s. He was the cornerstone of one of the bigger front fours of the era and was known for his speed in getting to the RB.
Jearld Baylis: I remember this guy for being able to put pressure on the QB and having some good speed and agility for his size.
Jim Corrigal: Argo legend; played in the 1970s
Angelo Mosca: The heart and soul of the Hamilton Ti-Cats for so many years. He was Canada's answer to Dick Butkus as he would almost always play hurt but he was rewarded with 5 Grey Cup victories in his career. One of the enduring images in CFL history is of him holding the cup high in the air with a nasty smile on his face.
Joe Montford: His best years were spent in Hamilton and he's regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in CFL history. He's a 4 time CFL sack leader and was one of the speediest guys on the defensive side of the ball. It's a shame that his career has seemingly ended so badly as he was recently cut by the Edmonton Eskimos.
LBs
Willie Pless: Another guy I grew up watching. This guy was one hard hitting SOB! His career was just amazingly great. He was an All-Canadian 11 times, 12 time Division all-star and was outstanding defensive player of the year 5 times.
Dan Kepley: One of the key defensive players during the Eskimos glory years. He was the leader of the defensive unit for that team and deserves a lot of credit for their success on the defensive side of the ball.
DBs
Less Browne: Probably the greatest DB in CFL history. He holds the all-pro record for most INTs with 87 and interception return yards with 1,508.
Garney Henley: One of the true legends of the game. Henley left the game with 59 INTs and 900 yards on interception returns. Amazingly at age 36 he was switched to flanker and won the most outstanding player award!
Special Teams
Henry "Gizmo" Williams: This guy was a human highlight reel. He was a bundle of energy and one couldn't help but feel that through his style of play. He was primarily a punt and kick return specialist in his career but boy did he make the most out of it! Williams got the nickname from Reggie White when he was playing for the USFL's Memphis Showboats for his shiftiness on the field. Gizmo set 20 CFL records in his career and still holds the records for most yardage on KR and PR. He also still holds the record for most TDs on returns with 31. Gizmo is known for his signature flip after scoring a TD. His most famous TD would have to be the 115 yard missed FG return in the 1987 Grey Cup.
Kicker
Dave Cutler: Would you believe that he started his career at age 16? Yap, that's the truth and he became one of the most prolific kickers in CFL history. He was another key member of those great Eskimos teams in the 70s and early 80s.
punter
Bob Cameron: Old reliable bob was a fixture in Winnipeg for 23 years. Cameron is the leader in all time punting yards with an eye popping 134,301 yards. Cameron is also the CFL's iron man having played in 324 consecutive games in his career.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
NFL vs. CFL: what does a Canadian yard equal to?
At OS one of the pet arguments that comes up is the disparity between the CFL and NFL To some posters the CFL is nothing more but a fancy offensive driven league that is a bastardization of football. That is a fallacy on the face of it since the game as we know it in Canada is much older then the American game. If anything the American brand of football is the bastardization. Now i'm one of the few that defend the CFL. We defenders won't say it's better but it's definitely a different game which emphasizes different things then the NFL does.
Anyways the latest round of talks came up after Damon Allen became the all-time leading passer in pro football history. a poster asked what would Allen's yard translate to in the NFL and so I decided to look at the '05 stats of both leagues and the passing in both to see just how different they are and how much a "canadian yard" would equal to an American one. Interestlingly there is a difference but not to the extent that I thought there would be.
Ok then here are the passing yardage of the top 9 QBs last year in the CFL compared to the top 9 in the NFL. Keep in mind the CFL has an 18 game schedule so the numbers will be a little inflated.
CFL
Anthony Calvillo 5556 yards 34/19 (TD/INT)
Ricky Ray 5510 yards 25/24
Damon Allen 5082 yards 33/15
Kerry Joseph 4466 yards 25/23
Henry Burris 4290 yards 23/12
Kevin Glenn 3571 yards 27/17
Dave Dickenson 3338 yards 21/5
Danny McManus 2544 yards 11/18
Marcus Crandell 2295 yards 12/11
NFL
Tom Brady 4110 yards 26/14
Trent Green 4014 yards 17/10
Brett Favre 3881 yards 20/29
Carson Palmer 3836 yards 32/12
Eli Manning 3762 yards 24/17
Kerry Collins 3759 yards 20/12
Peyton Manning 3747 yards 28/10
Drew Bledsoe 3639 yards 23/17
Drew Brees 3576 yards 24/15
OK well the yardage compares pretty well in terms of how they bunch together. I believe the last two guys in the CFL list didn't play full seasons.
Let's dig a little deeper and look at the attempts by each QB and divide them by the number of games (18 vs 16) and see if there's a tangible difference in terms of reliance on the pass.
ATT. by CFL'ers
661= 36.8 atts per game
715= 39.8 atts per game
549= 30.5 atts per game
537= 29.9 atts per game
435= 24.2 atts per game
403= 22.4 atts per game
342= 19 atts per game
364= 20.3 atts per game
351= 19.5 atts per game
ATT. by NFL'ers
530= 33.1 atts per game
507= 31.7 atts per game
607= 37.9 atts per game
509= 31.8 atts per game
557= 34.8 atts per game
565= 35.3 atts per game
453= 28.3 atts per game
499= 31.1 atts per game
500= 31.2 atts per game
Hmm don't know what to make of the numbers. It seems for all the difference in the style of the CFL and NFL the passing numbers aren't that wildly different despite the two leagues having radically different rules appications and such.
It's interesting tho, to see how Ricky Ray and the Eskimos just tore up the stat sheet with the passing. The only one who comes statistically close to him in terms of passing attempts per game is Brett Favre who played on a crummy Green Bay team and basically HAD to pass to keep his team in games. Kerry Collins also comes within earshot but again he played on a pretty crummy Oakland team, then again Oakland has always been a pass oriented offense through the years so that's not TOO surprising.
BTW I know some of these QBs didn't play full schedules so the attempts per game calculation will be a little skewed but it skews both ways so it isn't THAT bad.
Anyways the latest round of talks came up after Damon Allen became the all-time leading passer in pro football history. a poster asked what would Allen's yard translate to in the NFL and so I decided to look at the '05 stats of both leagues and the passing in both to see just how different they are and how much a "canadian yard" would equal to an American one. Interestlingly there is a difference but not to the extent that I thought there would be.
Ok then here are the passing yardage of the top 9 QBs last year in the CFL compared to the top 9 in the NFL. Keep in mind the CFL has an 18 game schedule so the numbers will be a little inflated.
CFL
Anthony Calvillo 5556 yards 34/19 (TD/INT)
Ricky Ray 5510 yards 25/24
Damon Allen 5082 yards 33/15
Kerry Joseph 4466 yards 25/23
Henry Burris 4290 yards 23/12
Kevin Glenn 3571 yards 27/17
Dave Dickenson 3338 yards 21/5
Danny McManus 2544 yards 11/18
Marcus Crandell 2295 yards 12/11
NFL
Tom Brady 4110 yards 26/14
Trent Green 4014 yards 17/10
Brett Favre 3881 yards 20/29
Carson Palmer 3836 yards 32/12
Eli Manning 3762 yards 24/17
Kerry Collins 3759 yards 20/12
Peyton Manning 3747 yards 28/10
Drew Bledsoe 3639 yards 23/17
Drew Brees 3576 yards 24/15
OK well the yardage compares pretty well in terms of how they bunch together. I believe the last two guys in the CFL list didn't play full seasons.
Let's dig a little deeper and look at the attempts by each QB and divide them by the number of games (18 vs 16) and see if there's a tangible difference in terms of reliance on the pass.
ATT. by CFL'ers
661= 36.8 atts per game
715= 39.8 atts per game
549= 30.5 atts per game
537= 29.9 atts per game
435= 24.2 atts per game
403= 22.4 atts per game
342= 19 atts per game
364= 20.3 atts per game
351= 19.5 atts per game
ATT. by NFL'ers
530= 33.1 atts per game
507= 31.7 atts per game
607= 37.9 atts per game
509= 31.8 atts per game
557= 34.8 atts per game
565= 35.3 atts per game
453= 28.3 atts per game
499= 31.1 atts per game
500= 31.2 atts per game
Hmm don't know what to make of the numbers. It seems for all the difference in the style of the CFL and NFL the passing numbers aren't that wildly different despite the two leagues having radically different rules appications and such.
It's interesting tho, to see how Ricky Ray and the Eskimos just tore up the stat sheet with the passing. The only one who comes statistically close to him in terms of passing attempts per game is Brett Favre who played on a crummy Green Bay team and basically HAD to pass to keep his team in games. Kerry Collins also comes within earshot but again he played on a pretty crummy Oakland team, then again Oakland has always been a pass oriented offense through the years so that's not TOO surprising.
BTW I know some of these QBs didn't play full schedules so the attempts per game calculation will be a little skewed but it skews both ways so it isn't THAT bad.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
A 9/11 rebuttal
Yesterday on OS (for new readers look on the left in my links section you have to sign up to access the forums tho) someone made a very tasteless post about the politics, people and surrounding patriotism in the face of the 9/11 tragedy. Unfortunately political posts are not allowed at OS and this person's comments were deleted. I had intended to do a direct rebuttal but the comments were erased when I woke up this morning so it's going to have to be a more general conversation.
First of all let me say that i'm not American so my views of American life and social mores may be a bit skewed but I read, watch and listen to enough material that I think I have a pretty damn good idea of the character of the people and the nation. I question the character of the elites but I know in my heart of hearts that the vast majority of Americans are good people of strong character. I would never question them as I know far too many Americans in real life and through the internet. They are just like me, maybe a little more patriotic, a bit more ignorant (maybe that's not the right word but Americans generally say and jump into situations without thinking of future consequences too much so sorry if that kinda offends as it's not meant to be) and more often then not have a far greater sense of adventure and wanting to discover.
I'm going to address the part of the unnamed person's post that I remember the most, basically this person disrespected the singing of "God Bless America" and the whole patriotism bit. While I will agree that it does come across as very egocentric at times there are still ocassions when it's very much valid to do so. These ocassions would be the 9/11 anniversary, Memorial Day and Independence Day. The unnamed poster is allegedly Canadian and when I read his/her complaint on "God Bless America" I had to laugh because for close to 4 centuries the British and their subjects have been singing "God Save the King/Queen"! Unlike the US, that song is actually the national anthem of Great Britain so under this person's naive thinking the British are even more snooty and egotistical then America. :D
Now with the frivolous stuff out of the way we must get deadly serious. The person also claimed that the "terrorists hate freedom and democracy" statement is propaganda on politicians parts. I will agree that it can and has been used from time to time in the last 5 years in that manner but the general tenet of that statement is true, very true. In many ways that statement is not even adequate as it goes far beyond an ideological struggle. Nowadays President Bush has tried to frame the terrorists as religious fascists but it goes beyond that. What we view as militant and extremist islam is actually in the ascendant. If you look at it, most sources will tell you that Islam has over 1.3 BILLION members and according to Howard Bloom there are upwards of 70% of people in the Islamic faith that have views similar in vein of that of the terrorists. That's a staggering number no matter how you slice it.
Now this boils down to my main argument posited by Bloom and others such as Jerome Corsi that this isn't just some ideological battle but one with far reaching implications. If one were to dig into the Koran deeply and read up on Mohammed's teachings you'll see that a main goal of Islam is to convert EVERYONE to that religion. How can this be accomplished? Simply by dehumanizing others to the point that they no longer are deemed to be human. The enemies are infidels and they must be wiped out until they become muslims. In many ways the Islamic faith is one that was birthed through the concept of war to achieve heavenly goals. Now before anyone thinks i'm some bigot or ignorant person I will readily acknowledge that there are strong faith teachings of love and respect in Islam and that my personal religion (Christianity) isn't exactly the nicest religion in the world (just look at the Crusades) but the Islamic faith has a virulent strain of fundamentalist thought these days that needs to be rooted out.
People ask, "why do they hate us" and frankly the answer can be very complicated. I will boil it down to the nuts and bolts of it tho. You see, The Islamic faith for a very long time had the most sophisicated, learned and politically powerful empire in world history. A lot of what we have in the way of antiquity are translations from the Muslim world. It was these people that pushed the young movement of science forward. Of course as the Roman Empire started to grow and the adoption of Christianity came along it was only a matter of time before the encroaching Islamic empire would be attacked by Christianity. This of course led to the famous Crusades and as the centuries came to pass the once bright burning light of Muslim thought and ingenuity started to erode until the end of World War I when the last bastion of the empire was finally destroyed.
This long and tumultous fall from grace created a virulent strain of fundamentalist Islamic faith. The seeds of modern "Jihad" were beginning to form. The faith had become so self loathing and resentful towards the West that it went beyond hating freedom and democracy. They hated the very idea of western thought. Some people where shocked over the Islamic Revolution in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini but for those who studied what was going on within Islam, it was a logical conclusion to the "persecution" of the West and the Shah of Iran. Khomeini gave the Muslim world a strong and almost too rigid interpretation of the Islamic faith. He and the Revolution created the terrorists that haunt us today.
It is true that Iran is one of the youngest countries demographically and thus the vast majority of the population doesn't have the virulent hatred of the west but in other muslim countries the hatred of America has been passed upon from generation to generation. The hatred of western ideals has grown stronger because of American "occupation" in Iraq and for decades America and Israel has been vilified for stopping the aims of Palestinians and other groups of that ilk.
In short, it's a vicious cycle. Osama Bin Laden just raised the bar with the attack on the World Trade Center and for those who think this will be a relatively quick struggle with Terror then you've got another thing coming. One of the doctrines of fundamental Islam is that they wait...and wait...and wait. They'll be so patient and then strike again. This will be a multi-generational struggle. The west has never thought of warfare in those terms but we will have to. This conflict will be very much like the 100 years war where there were hot spots then a cooling down period and then another hot spot erupting and cooling down again. it didn't help that George W. Bush went into Iraq and created the chaos there as a Saddam led Iraq right now would be a buffer between Iran and Israel. It would be a buffer against those in Iran who are streaming into Iraq and trying to create a fundamentalist Islamic Republic.
In the end, 9/11 wasn't some crazy one off situation. It was the trigger for what will be a long and drawn out war between ideology and religion.
First of all let me say that i'm not American so my views of American life and social mores may be a bit skewed but I read, watch and listen to enough material that I think I have a pretty damn good idea of the character of the people and the nation. I question the character of the elites but I know in my heart of hearts that the vast majority of Americans are good people of strong character. I would never question them as I know far too many Americans in real life and through the internet. They are just like me, maybe a little more patriotic, a bit more ignorant (maybe that's not the right word but Americans generally say and jump into situations without thinking of future consequences too much so sorry if that kinda offends as it's not meant to be) and more often then not have a far greater sense of adventure and wanting to discover.
I'm going to address the part of the unnamed person's post that I remember the most, basically this person disrespected the singing of "God Bless America" and the whole patriotism bit. While I will agree that it does come across as very egocentric at times there are still ocassions when it's very much valid to do so. These ocassions would be the 9/11 anniversary, Memorial Day and Independence Day. The unnamed poster is allegedly Canadian and when I read his/her complaint on "God Bless America" I had to laugh because for close to 4 centuries the British and their subjects have been singing "God Save the King/Queen"! Unlike the US, that song is actually the national anthem of Great Britain so under this person's naive thinking the British are even more snooty and egotistical then America. :D
Now with the frivolous stuff out of the way we must get deadly serious. The person also claimed that the "terrorists hate freedom and democracy" statement is propaganda on politicians parts. I will agree that it can and has been used from time to time in the last 5 years in that manner but the general tenet of that statement is true, very true. In many ways that statement is not even adequate as it goes far beyond an ideological struggle. Nowadays President Bush has tried to frame the terrorists as religious fascists but it goes beyond that. What we view as militant and extremist islam is actually in the ascendant. If you look at it, most sources will tell you that Islam has over 1.3 BILLION members and according to Howard Bloom there are upwards of 70% of people in the Islamic faith that have views similar in vein of that of the terrorists. That's a staggering number no matter how you slice it.
Now this boils down to my main argument posited by Bloom and others such as Jerome Corsi that this isn't just some ideological battle but one with far reaching implications. If one were to dig into the Koran deeply and read up on Mohammed's teachings you'll see that a main goal of Islam is to convert EVERYONE to that religion. How can this be accomplished? Simply by dehumanizing others to the point that they no longer are deemed to be human. The enemies are infidels and they must be wiped out until they become muslims. In many ways the Islamic faith is one that was birthed through the concept of war to achieve heavenly goals. Now before anyone thinks i'm some bigot or ignorant person I will readily acknowledge that there are strong faith teachings of love and respect in Islam and that my personal religion (Christianity) isn't exactly the nicest religion in the world (just look at the Crusades) but the Islamic faith has a virulent strain of fundamentalist thought these days that needs to be rooted out.
People ask, "why do they hate us" and frankly the answer can be very complicated. I will boil it down to the nuts and bolts of it tho. You see, The Islamic faith for a very long time had the most sophisicated, learned and politically powerful empire in world history. A lot of what we have in the way of antiquity are translations from the Muslim world. It was these people that pushed the young movement of science forward. Of course as the Roman Empire started to grow and the adoption of Christianity came along it was only a matter of time before the encroaching Islamic empire would be attacked by Christianity. This of course led to the famous Crusades and as the centuries came to pass the once bright burning light of Muslim thought and ingenuity started to erode until the end of World War I when the last bastion of the empire was finally destroyed.
This long and tumultous fall from grace created a virulent strain of fundamentalist Islamic faith. The seeds of modern "Jihad" were beginning to form. The faith had become so self loathing and resentful towards the West that it went beyond hating freedom and democracy. They hated the very idea of western thought. Some people where shocked over the Islamic Revolution in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini but for those who studied what was going on within Islam, it was a logical conclusion to the "persecution" of the West and the Shah of Iran. Khomeini gave the Muslim world a strong and almost too rigid interpretation of the Islamic faith. He and the Revolution created the terrorists that haunt us today.
It is true that Iran is one of the youngest countries demographically and thus the vast majority of the population doesn't have the virulent hatred of the west but in other muslim countries the hatred of America has been passed upon from generation to generation. The hatred of western ideals has grown stronger because of American "occupation" in Iraq and for decades America and Israel has been vilified for stopping the aims of Palestinians and other groups of that ilk.
In short, it's a vicious cycle. Osama Bin Laden just raised the bar with the attack on the World Trade Center and for those who think this will be a relatively quick struggle with Terror then you've got another thing coming. One of the doctrines of fundamental Islam is that they wait...and wait...and wait. They'll be so patient and then strike again. This will be a multi-generational struggle. The west has never thought of warfare in those terms but we will have to. This conflict will be very much like the 100 years war where there were hot spots then a cooling down period and then another hot spot erupting and cooling down again. it didn't help that George W. Bush went into Iraq and created the chaos there as a Saddam led Iraq right now would be a buffer between Iran and Israel. It would be a buffer against those in Iran who are streaming into Iraq and trying to create a fundamentalist Islamic Republic.
In the end, 9/11 wasn't some crazy one off situation. It was the trigger for what will be a long and drawn out war between ideology and religion.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Let us not forget
Never Forget 9/11/01
"Freedom is never more then one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our chldren and our children's children what it once was like in the United States where men were free."
- Ronald Reagan
"These Individuals are tyrants, and so they hate democracy. They are bigots, zealots, and persecutors, and so they hate America's freedom, tolerance and respect for all people. The terrorists of Sept. 11th live and flourish in darkness. They can not survive in the liberating and inspirational sunlight of American freedom and democracy."
- Ted Olson
United States Solicitor General
Thursday, September 07, 2006
The Future of Propaganda
A while ago there was a furor over the Iranian President starting up a blog. I checked out said blog and checked it out just minutes ago. It seems he hasn't updated since his first post which is somewhat disappointing considering all the media attention that it has garnered. This has made me think deeply about propaganda and the future of such tactics in the technologically driven world we live in.
It would be very hard in some ways to use the internet as a tool to sway those who live in said totalitarian state but it would be an amazing tool in getting the message out to the world. Let's use Mr. Ahmadinejad as an example. As we're all aware Iran isn't backing down from their nuclear program. Iran claims that the program is being used for peaceful means by supplying a power source for the Iranian population. In recent days Mr. Ahmadinejad has pointed out (to some) the inherent unfairness of the US and France having nuclear programs while Iran is having to fight just to build a nuclear energy infrastructure.
This is where a blog can come in handy.
A blog can be used as an informal way for Mr. Ahmadinejad to get his point across by presenting his case in easy to understand and sympathetic language. People who are generally moderate in term will always be willing to listen to the other side if they present themselves in a humble way. Let's face it, the strategy of proclaiming the US as unfair bullies and demanding a debate with President Bush isn't going to make friends any time soon.
Mr. Ahmadinejad started his blog on the right foot tho with details of his youth and life as a young man in Iran. It's this kind of saccharine and sunny type of story telling that can open the window to the personal man. It's a lot harder to vilify someone when they're willing to open up and talk about their life experiences and their point of view.
This is what I would like to call "soft peddling propaganda". There may be kernels of truth to what is being said but for the most part the language and attitude is so sunny and rosy that one can't help but be swayed to at least listen to the arguments of the propagandist. In some ways you see a form of this in official government documentation in western countries. Sure, it's not very informal but more often then not you'll get a white washed version of events rather then the cold hard facts unless there's mitigating circumstances. (mostly in regards to tragedies such as 9/11 and Katrina)
Then there's the kind of propaganda using blogs that could be downright scary. When I first heard about Ahmadinejad's blog the first thought that came to mind was "what if the Nazis had today's telecommunications technology?" You have to acknowledge that for better or for worse it was Josef Goebbels, Adolf Hitler and to a lesser extent Alfred Rosenberg that created the basis of modern propaganda. Just about every propaganda technique today has its roots in what the Nazis did in the 20s through the 40s. Now imagine these guys with the power of the internet in their hands. You would see a far more robust recruitment of people outside of Germany to follow the movement through state sponsored websites, news sites, blogs and scientific sites. You would probably see the Nuremburg Rallies on official state run sites every year. Goebbels would almost assuredly have a blog where he could spout off on the issues of the day with a Nazi bent to it. Last but not least, I'm almost positive that Hitler would have himself a personal site. If you think Mein Kampf was the worst example of a political tract then can you imagine him typing out political proclamations online?!
Then again, we've never seen any country try this, not even the Chinese who aren't exactly as democratic as some people like to think. So maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but the technology is there and as long as it's there then there's going to be people who will try to exploit it for their own means. The blogosphere is rich with diverse opinions and the blurring of the lines between entertainment and news can easily lead to internet based propaganda without anyone really catching on unless it's made extremely blatant.
Oh well, that's just food for thought.
It would be very hard in some ways to use the internet as a tool to sway those who live in said totalitarian state but it would be an amazing tool in getting the message out to the world. Let's use Mr. Ahmadinejad as an example. As we're all aware Iran isn't backing down from their nuclear program. Iran claims that the program is being used for peaceful means by supplying a power source for the Iranian population. In recent days Mr. Ahmadinejad has pointed out (to some) the inherent unfairness of the US and France having nuclear programs while Iran is having to fight just to build a nuclear energy infrastructure.
This is where a blog can come in handy.
A blog can be used as an informal way for Mr. Ahmadinejad to get his point across by presenting his case in easy to understand and sympathetic language. People who are generally moderate in term will always be willing to listen to the other side if they present themselves in a humble way. Let's face it, the strategy of proclaiming the US as unfair bullies and demanding a debate with President Bush isn't going to make friends any time soon.
Mr. Ahmadinejad started his blog on the right foot tho with details of his youth and life as a young man in Iran. It's this kind of saccharine and sunny type of story telling that can open the window to the personal man. It's a lot harder to vilify someone when they're willing to open up and talk about their life experiences and their point of view.
This is what I would like to call "soft peddling propaganda". There may be kernels of truth to what is being said but for the most part the language and attitude is so sunny and rosy that one can't help but be swayed to at least listen to the arguments of the propagandist. In some ways you see a form of this in official government documentation in western countries. Sure, it's not very informal but more often then not you'll get a white washed version of events rather then the cold hard facts unless there's mitigating circumstances. (mostly in regards to tragedies such as 9/11 and Katrina)
Then there's the kind of propaganda using blogs that could be downright scary. When I first heard about Ahmadinejad's blog the first thought that came to mind was "what if the Nazis had today's telecommunications technology?" You have to acknowledge that for better or for worse it was Josef Goebbels, Adolf Hitler and to a lesser extent Alfred Rosenberg that created the basis of modern propaganda. Just about every propaganda technique today has its roots in what the Nazis did in the 20s through the 40s. Now imagine these guys with the power of the internet in their hands. You would see a far more robust recruitment of people outside of Germany to follow the movement through state sponsored websites, news sites, blogs and scientific sites. You would probably see the Nuremburg Rallies on official state run sites every year. Goebbels would almost assuredly have a blog where he could spout off on the issues of the day with a Nazi bent to it. Last but not least, I'm almost positive that Hitler would have himself a personal site. If you think Mein Kampf was the worst example of a political tract then can you imagine him typing out political proclamations online?!
Then again, we've never seen any country try this, not even the Chinese who aren't exactly as democratic as some people like to think. So maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but the technology is there and as long as it's there then there's going to be people who will try to exploit it for their own means. The blogosphere is rich with diverse opinions and the blurring of the lines between entertainment and news can easily lead to internet based propaganda without anyone really catching on unless it's made extremely blatant.
Oh well, that's just food for thought.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Labour Day Weekend Wrap-Up
So I'm gonna scattershoot some stuff from over the long weekend:
- Can someone give Chan Gailey and his offensive co-ordinator some balls? I mean I don't know too much about the college game except I'm a fan of Notre Dame and I generally like the enthusiasm of the college game over the pro game but my God these two guys must be complete dunderheads. Calvin Johnson is a BEAST! Yet, they hardly have the ball thrown to him in the 2nd half. It's like they're hellbent on winning despite having one of the most gifted WRs to come out in YEARS. I sat there in total awe of this guy making great catches and being a great playmaker. Let's hope for GT fans' sakes that Gailey and Nix actually decide to you know, THROW TO THEIR GO-TO RECEIVER!!! I know I sound frustrated and I shouldn't because ND barely scraped by but as a fan of football I can't help but notice such blatant stupidity.
- I see the rumours were true about ABC sports being basically thrown away in favour of everything being run by ESPN. In some ways I felt pangs of sadness. Sure, Fox is still riding high and CBS is doing good for itself with the NFL but it really strikes me as sad that the idea of prime time sports being run by an over the air network seems to be dead. I'm pretty sure that Roone Arledge is rolling over in his grave now as the once great ABC sports division has vanished into the ether.
- As for the broadcasters, they were pretty good. I can't believe I'm saying this but Brent Musberger wasn't that bad. He called the game down the middle, knew how to involve his analysts and generally kept the flow going. I did have to laugh at his look tho. As is common in live sports broadcasting you'll get a few minutes of the guys in the booth. Herbstreit and Davie looked as one would think they should but Musberger was wearing a short sleeve work shirt. The man looked like a complete anachronism as he looked like a working class guy from the 1950s!
- In news that I'm sure no one in America has heard we now have a new all-time leading passer in professional football history. Last night Damon Allen of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts broke Warren Moon's pro football record. As some might be aware of, Allen is the brother of NFL HOF'er Marcus Allen. Damon has achieved this mark through consistency as he was never really viewed as the best QB in the league in his career. He just kept piling up the yards and playing remarkably well for a man his age. I guess critics of the CFL would laugh that an old guy is still one of the better QBs in the league but I like to think that he's just been gifted with great skill and consistency over the years. Interestingly enough, Allen's mark didn't come on a long bomb or anything like that but rather it came on a shovel pass that resulted in a Touchdown.
- This of course leads us to the big debate (well to Canadians I guess) Should Damon Allen go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? He's certainly a lock to go into the CFL Hall but the people at Canton like to think of their Hall as the Mecca of pro football and so on that basis I think Allen deserves to go in. Of course that'll never happen because he never played a down in the NFL and like it or not NFL beat writers are ignorant to anything that happens north of the border with the possible exception being SI's Peter King who has always made positive remarks about the CFL.
- Last but not least, I have to end this on a sad note as many of us now know the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is dead. At least he died doing what he loved and quite frankly he was a great ambassador to conservatism and animal protection. He was truly a unique personality. The world has truly lost a great man.
- Can someone give Chan Gailey and his offensive co-ordinator some balls? I mean I don't know too much about the college game except I'm a fan of Notre Dame and I generally like the enthusiasm of the college game over the pro game but my God these two guys must be complete dunderheads. Calvin Johnson is a BEAST! Yet, they hardly have the ball thrown to him in the 2nd half. It's like they're hellbent on winning despite having one of the most gifted WRs to come out in YEARS. I sat there in total awe of this guy making great catches and being a great playmaker. Let's hope for GT fans' sakes that Gailey and Nix actually decide to you know, THROW TO THEIR GO-TO RECEIVER!!! I know I sound frustrated and I shouldn't because ND barely scraped by but as a fan of football I can't help but notice such blatant stupidity.
- I see the rumours were true about ABC sports being basically thrown away in favour of everything being run by ESPN. In some ways I felt pangs of sadness. Sure, Fox is still riding high and CBS is doing good for itself with the NFL but it really strikes me as sad that the idea of prime time sports being run by an over the air network seems to be dead. I'm pretty sure that Roone Arledge is rolling over in his grave now as the once great ABC sports division has vanished into the ether.
- As for the broadcasters, they were pretty good. I can't believe I'm saying this but Brent Musberger wasn't that bad. He called the game down the middle, knew how to involve his analysts and generally kept the flow going. I did have to laugh at his look tho. As is common in live sports broadcasting you'll get a few minutes of the guys in the booth. Herbstreit and Davie looked as one would think they should but Musberger was wearing a short sleeve work shirt. The man looked like a complete anachronism as he looked like a working class guy from the 1950s!
- In news that I'm sure no one in America has heard we now have a new all-time leading passer in professional football history. Last night Damon Allen of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts broke Warren Moon's pro football record. As some might be aware of, Allen is the brother of NFL HOF'er Marcus Allen. Damon has achieved this mark through consistency as he was never really viewed as the best QB in the league in his career. He just kept piling up the yards and playing remarkably well for a man his age. I guess critics of the CFL would laugh that an old guy is still one of the better QBs in the league but I like to think that he's just been gifted with great skill and consistency over the years. Interestingly enough, Allen's mark didn't come on a long bomb or anything like that but rather it came on a shovel pass that resulted in a Touchdown.
- This of course leads us to the big debate (well to Canadians I guess) Should Damon Allen go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? He's certainly a lock to go into the CFL Hall but the people at Canton like to think of their Hall as the Mecca of pro football and so on that basis I think Allen deserves to go in. Of course that'll never happen because he never played a down in the NFL and like it or not NFL beat writers are ignorant to anything that happens north of the border with the possible exception being SI's Peter King who has always made positive remarks about the CFL.
- Last but not least, I have to end this on a sad note as many of us now know the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is dead. At least he died doing what he loved and quite frankly he was a great ambassador to conservatism and animal protection. He was truly a unique personality. The world has truly lost a great man.
