Cheers and Jeers: Mirage Edition

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Melon vodka
• 2 oz Pineapple juice
• 1 oz Lemon juice
• 1 oz Strawberry juice

Do you have to be a man of the people in order to be a man for the people? Excusing the basic sex biased question but heart of the question is rather important: Can you truly cover an issue if you yourself are devoid of experiencing it. Norman Chad (no seriously) identifies the elephant in the living room for sports editors. As he so eloquently put it: "In particular, the sports editors themselves are distinctly men of non-color. In fact, there might not be a less diversified group of paunchy, balding, middle-aged white guys anywhere in America…Frankly, you've got a better chance of becoming a sports editor if you are a pink carnation than if you are black and female." A recent study put the number of black sports editors at four, out of 305. That's about one percent for you math buffs. That means that college football is more diverse than sports editors (at least on the race dimension). Heck the coaches in the SEC are a more diverse bunch. Yes those sending out reporters to cover the news of the day, those with the final word on which articles get published and which do not, have less diversity than the conference formerly of Jim Crowe. Which leads me back to my original question….how well can the newspapers cover sporting news if they themselves are neither a reflection of the sports world or the general populace? None too well if you ask me….

Cheers: To World Cup. Its been a great run for World Cup. Hey even Bill Simmons got into the watching. World Cup has been mesmerizing between the rhythmic constant action, underlying historical/political subplots, and the high level of play. France v. Italy in the finals. After that we have to wait till 2010 in South Africa.

Jeers: A.J. Pierzynski. Oh another Chicago White Sox in the All-Star game? Then I'm for sure going to turn in because nothing says enjoyment like watching the White Sox. (For the record watching the White Sox on the enjoyment o'meter is slightly above dealing with health insurance and slightly below listening to a Shaq rap album.

Jeers: To the Cleveland Indians. Yes they are in a race…but it's for most disappointing team in baseball.

Jeers: To the Ultimate Football Depth chart. Its like the "Where's Waldo of stupidity". Chargers better depth than the Bears? Favre over Eli? Frye as the worst QB in the league? See how many you can find…

Cheers: 26 Days till the Maine Lobster Festival. Apparently it's a festival in Maine with Lobsters according to their website. Plus they have Budweiser Clydesdale (either marching in a parade or making balloon animals I'm uncertain which). Seems like a great time to me!