Lattanzi Land

Top Fifteen NFL QB's Of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 00:43:00 +0000

Several years ago, I did on this blog a list of the top ten NFL quarterbacks of all time. In light of many events taking place in the last few years, the time has arrived to edit and even expand the list. It is now a top fifteen list. Enjoy!

15) Dave Krieg (Seahawks) - This guy has never gotten enough credit for the stellar career he had in an NFL hellhole like Seattle in its AFC West days. Hall of Fame resume, especially in a day and age of power-running. 100+ more TD passes in his career than Troy Aikman and had one season of 30+ TD passes. Most impressively, in a 13 month span, he handed John Elway and Dan Marino their first career post-season losses, and Jim Plunkett his final post-season loss. Why the Hall of Fame committee continues to overlook such signature wins is beyond me!

14) Aaron Rodgers (Packers) - His ability to crush the Dallas Cowboys' hopes by overturning touchdowns via replay, keeping their pass rush at bay for an eternity, and winning the Super Bowl on their home field lands him on this list. Also of note is his ability to summon divine intervention when he needs to throw improbably long passes on the final plays of games. Danica Patrick keeps him from being higher, because the Lord and His Mother are not impressed. However, he is redeemed in part because he wears the right facemask.

13) Trey Burton (Eagles) - he is the highest rated passer in NFL postseason history, and threw what could be arguably the most consequential TD in NFL history. Judge for yourself:

12) Eli Manning (Giants) - A genuine hero in the annals of football, having slayed the forces of evil not once, but TWICE. A true model for everyone else to follow. His sheer will to ensure footballs stayed glued to helmets and toes stayed inbounds is an awe-inspiring sight no one should forget. Cementing his legacy on this list is his ability to get people to talk about him even as the same forces of evil got slaughtered by a much better set of good guys.

11) Joe Montana (49ers) – He won four Super Bowls and was on the all-time lists for statistics. He doesn’t get higher up on the list for ~~three~~ four reasons – a) He should have won SIX Super Bowls but like the complete wimp he was, he got knocked out of a bunch of playoff games; b) he was a ‘system QB’ in the purest sense (i.e. he was a robot built by Bill Walsh, but not a durable one – see above), c) he didn’t even have the common courtesy to remain standing for the signature play of his career, and d) all the Skechers commercials he did make him look like a child molester.

10) Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) – Like Montana, he also won four Super Bowls; unlike Montana, he gets remembered by John Facenda in all the NFL Films specials, which makes him much cooler. Bradshaw also has a better singing voice; his duet with Paul McCartney is one of the most moving memories of my life. Finally, he didn’t destruct when a stiff breeze blew over him like Montana. However, he doesn’t rate higher because his success was due to a sheet of steel, a ballet dancer, and of all things, an Italian army.

9) Kenny Stabler (Raiders) – Stabler is on the list for his proximity to so many miracles in his career, whether for or against him. Fastest ever to 100 wins at the time and a holds a Super Bowl victory. What bumps him up is having to put up with John Madden as his head coach for much of his career: “Now, Ken, if we are going to be successful, you are going to have to complete passes and throw touchdowns.”

8) Len Dawson (Chiefs) – one of the greatest AFL quarterbacks of all time, and a Super Bowl victor as well. His ring counts for one and a half (which is one and a half more than Dan Marino, by the way), because he won as an AFL QB and because of the big gambling scandal that threatened to break out. Not every man can play under that strain. Spygate? Pfft. Big deal. Some cameras in practice, who cares? We are talking about GAMBLIN’, man! The most eeeeevil thing that can happen in sports. Just ask Pete Rose. Or Art Schlicter. And Len Dawson won with that over his head. That’s how you become one of the greats!

7) Troy Aikman (Cowboys) – No quarterback in history was as good as Aikman in taking the ball through the center’s legs and…handing it off to the most prolific running back in history. A true leader! No one could delegate authority like Troy Aikman, and it goes to show that you don’t have to do it all yourself. One of the great field generals of all time. Like Patton, Aikman never had to actually fire a cannon or a gun to succeed in leading one of the greatest armies of his era.

6) Joe Namath (Jets) – Only once in the history did anyone guarantee victory on camera against a behemoth of a favorite in an NFL-AFL World Championship Game and succeed. Hence, Joe Willie Namath. Also provided one of the signature shots of ABC Sports for some time. Put that along with some epic pantyhose ads, a Simpsons appearance, and a blog named after his most embarrassing drunken moment, there is no possible way that he couldn’t crack the top three.

5) Jeff Hostetler (Giants) – First, no one can ever argue with a 112.0 passer rating in a postseason career. Secondly, who else has a cool nickname like ‘Hoss’? Just think of the possibilities. Thirdly, Hostetler has the distinction of beginning the complete and utter disintegration of the NFL franchise formerly known as the Buffalo Bills in what is the single greatest Super Bowl of all time, bar none. Guys like Aikman are mere beneficiaries of the truly groundbreaking moments for which Hostetler was responsible. A true American hero! Also think of the inspiration he provided for the defeat of the forces of evil in the most recent installment of the Big Game! His favorite target in college is the father of the Eagles' fifth wide receiver. That's some weird stuff. The truth is out there...

4) Trent Dilfer (Ravens) – Super Bowl champion. Yes, hard to believe, isn’t it? But before you chuckle, remember some things about Dilfer. a) He was so good that the Ravens were able to win games despite not scoring a single offensive touchdown for a month. b) He was also such a great leader that the Ravens allowed the fewest points in modern NFL history. c) He never lost a game as the starter in that great Raven season. Don’t forget also, that he made many appearances on ESPN’s SportsNation, which is still the most important show on the World Wide Leader In Sports. How many appearances has Dan Marino made on SportsNation?

3) Jim Plunkett (Raiders) – Two-time Super Bowl champion and has the amazing distinction of being the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to defeat the Eagles in the Super Bowl AND the final winning QB to have John Facenda narrate his victory. He was also so good that TV networks used film of him playing when they show career highlights of other quarterbacks. If that isn’t incredible, I don’t know what is!

2) Nick Foles (Eagles) - First, he holds the NFL record for greatest TD-Int ratio in a season, as well as the single-game record for most touchdown passes. He also owns the highest post-season passer rating in league history for a QB. And those are just the warm-ups.

Now, scroll up and observe arguably the most consequential touchdown in the history of the National. Football. League. In slaying the forces of evil, Foles showed he could in fact do what the queen of the forces of evil said couldn't be done. Contrast that to the leader of the forces of evil:

He is also responsible for dialing up his own number in the aforementioned consequential touchdown. You now understand why the play is so important - one of the greatest QB's ever threw to another while being inspired by a third. That epic combination led to slaying the forces of evil. Foles was also so great that he single-handedly kept an entire city from burning down through his awesome ability and took ownership of the forces of evil.

1) Bob Griese (Dolphins) – Only completely undefeated season ever. No one can ever top this. Are there any questions?

Honorable Mentions - Brett Favre and Jim McMahon, for they too have helped slay the forces of evil.

Reflection on St. Joseph and Fatherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 16:43:00 +0000

Growing up in a Catholic family and in a Catholic environment, St. Joseph was always an afterthought. Yeah, he was Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly (or foster) father, as I had been taught, as well as the third person of the Holy Family. And every Catholic school kid remembers putting “J.M.J.” at the top of each paper, but there was no doubt which “J” stood for “Joseph.”

Getting into theology as a course of study, I began to look a little closer at St. Joseph and what he was entrusted to do: model himself as a sacrifice for the greater good of the Holy Family. Everything was geared around raising the Son of God in the flesh and being the provider for him and his Most Blessed Mother. He exhibited much fear with discovering Mary’s pregnancy, but he eventually overcame that. The undertaking of the great responsibility came at the expense of his own pursuits and desires, and provides for us a model of doing for those who are at their most helpless, a point Jesus made toward the end of his public ministry (Matthew 25).

I’m sure that some Catholics look at Joseph as a good (or even great) man for some of the reasons above. I’m also sure that for most, their experience regarding him is limited to the Christmas play and the Nativity scenes under the tree. For much of my life, that was me as well.

And then she happened…

One Day Old

“She” being our beloved daughter, Gabriella, whom we adopted in 2012. A long-standing prayer was answered, we finally had our child, and much of the pain and bitterness of many years subsided (although, believe me, we are never going to forget it). We couldn't have adopted her without the love, prayers, and support of so many friends and family members. She’s almost three now, growing like a weed, and always has a mouthful to say. Quite frankly, life is much better with her, warts and all, than it ever would have been without her.

So, the question becomes: what does that have to do with St. Joseph?

The answer lies in my affinity for the great (and silent) saint; he, too, adopted a Child, and made Him his own son. Joseph raised Jesus as if He were his own flesh and blood, taught him and helped formulate the man he would become. Gabbie is not our flesh and blood, but she was an angel delivered unto us (part of the rationale for her name). From Day One through the present, we have proudly watched her grow while we eat together, laugh, play, get frustrated, watch TV, and pray together (yes, we even have a routine for the praying).

On the Road At One Year Old!

People tell me how lucky she is that she has us for parents. That’s not entirely true: we are the lucky ones. Or more to the point (as my grandmother reminded me on the phone last week), we are blessed to have her. I don’t know what the future holds or whether there will be any other children, but there is no doubt that if she is the only one, she is truly a blessing from above.

St. Joseph had the most difficult task of all time: being the most (by far) inferior member of the Holy Family. He had a perfect wife and a perfect Son, and it was his responsibility to lead, protect, and provide. Whenever I am getting frustrated in my own failings as the man of the family, I look to what he had to do and the circumstances in which he was and remind myself that whatever my issues are, they can’t possibly be that difficult to overcome. Every father should look to St. Joseph as a model of dedication and paternal love, but as an adoptive father, I particularly identify with him in ways that most other men do not.

(Pretend) Driving Daddy's Car

As cool as Father’s Day in June is, I regard March 19th as the real Father’s Day, and in some countries (such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal), it is Father’s Day. Its proximity to the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) also makes for a nice bonding and combination between Father and Mother while reminding us of the greatest model of all in the realm of the domicile: The Holy Family.

St. Joseph is a hero, a model, and an inspiration of what I can be, and what I should strive to be, especially as a dad. I only hope that I can achieve even a modicum of what he demonstrated in his faithfulness to God and Family.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray For Us.

St. Joseph, Pray For Us.

Lattanzi Land 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 17:50:00 +0000

Every year the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) has the opportunity to put retired or deceased players into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. The rules for election require that a player needs to be named on seventy-five percent of all submitted ballots. He can remain on the ballot if he does not gain election for up to fifteen years, provided that the player has received at least five percent of the ballots. I have written about changing this process but this is the system we have.

I have done ballots for the past three years (2011, 2012, 2013); no, I don't possess a BBWAA ballot, but this is how I would vote if I did.

There are thirty-six men on the ballot this year, and we have never seen this kind of jam-packed potential Hall of Fame class. At least, if the idiot gatekeepers who make up a large amount of the BBWAA writer-voters actually did their jobs without passion or prejudice. There is a plethora of returning members of the ballot - one only needs five percent to remain on the ballot (as stated in the preface), although that did not seem to be enough to keep good players like Bernie Williams and Kenny Lofton on it, to the eternal shame of the BBWAA voters. Thus, there are nineteen new names on the ballot, and they range from laughable to worthy of consideration to what-are-you-thinking-NOT-voting-for-that-guy?

As always, I divide my ballot here at Lattanzi Land into four categories:

1) HELL-No.
2) No
3) Borderline No
4) Yes

If you are looking for stats - GO HERE - this is the Baseball-Reference complete Hall of Fame Ballot, complete with the breakdown of numbers for each player on it. There are also links to each player's page. When I mention stats, I use the numbers from Baseball-Reference. The ballot begins after the jump.

Lattanzi Land 2013 Hall Of Fame Ballot

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 04:50:00 +0000

I have done ballots for the past two years (2011 and 2012); no, I don't possess a BBWAA ballot, but this is how I would vote if I did.

This is an interesting year for Hall of Fame voting. There are thirty-seven players on the ballot, and thanks to the rules of the self-appointed gatekeepers of the Hall of Fame, each voter can only submit a ballot with up to ten names on it, regardless of who is actually worthy. Thirteen of the thirty-seven are returning to the ballot from last year, so there are twenty-four new names on the list.

As I have done in the past, I divide my ballot here at Lattanzi Land into four categories:

1) HELL-No.

2) No

3) Borderline No

4) Yes

Microcosms And Looking The Other Way...

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:05:00 +0000

Photo from the LA Times

Junior Seau is dead.

The former great linebacker for San Diego (and others) was found dead in his home of what is being called a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest (link via PFT). He was forty-three years old.

This is a tragedy. Unfortunately, we are on the cusp of a large trend, especially if it comes out that Seau made reference to head injuries in his alleged suicide note. If concussions play a role in this tragedy (and others), I think eventually the NFL will be shelling out millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars to former players in damages.

There will be no immediate impact on the NFL because of this, because people will rationalize it away and claim that this is an isolated incident. I can guarantee one group of people that is paying attention though - parents of boys under the age of 14. That's when you'll start seeing the impact (an unfortunate term to use, I must say). Football will always be around, but one (and by 'one', I mean myself) has to wonder when it will be softened up to the point that it is no longer recognizable as the inherently violent sport we have come to know and love in our society - just out of fear of being sued back to the Stone Age. Give it around twenty years, so sometime between 2030 and 2035, the NFL as we know will cease to exist.

That's my call. I will keep it here for posterity's sake.

Now, getting back to the rationalizing and claiming of isolated incidents, there has been some remarks on Twitter (I am @The_Tonz) that have wondered why people look the other way and ignore the concussion issue in the NFL but scream bloody murder about steroid and PED (performance-enhancing drug) use in Major League Baseball.

Part of it simply the tyranny of low expectations. We know the NFL is ultimately a Neanderthal league that plays to the lowest common denominator, and likewise we treat it as such. Professional football is a bunch of oversize freaks who tackle each other and hit each other as hard as possible while grabbing random body parts that may or may not be allowed by the rule book. It appeals to our most base thoughts and feelings and as much as people are divided by the use of war analogies in football, this one holds up - the first rule of war is bloodshed, and it is the same in football, although substitute injuries instead of death. However, we shall see how long that remains purely analogous and begins to run parallel.

Baseball is an intellectual game and is held to a much higher standard in this regard. It was once regarded as the 'every-man' sport, although there are as many freakish athletes in MLB now as there are in other sports. However, the romanticized aspects are still heavily present in baseball and this sense of history and the legends of 'purity' (although there's no such thing) still weigh deeply in the minds of many.

In one sense, I appreciate that higher standard. The students that I call out for their misbehavior sometimes get upset with me, but eventually they get it when I tell them that I expect better from them. If I truly didn't care, then I wouldn't say anything. But I do care, and as such, I feel an obligation to hold them to some kind of standard. Now, the so-called 'gatekeepers' of baseball are often very misguided, but I will say that their hearts are in the right place and they have good intentions. Yes, I am well aware about roads to hell and all that crap...

It just strikes me that many NFL ~~fans~~ sycophants know deep down they are watching pieces of meat, and they just don't care. And I can accept that. However, the shrieks of outrage from the same people over these deaths and stuff like the Saints' bounties are just a little over the top and quite frankly, very very disingenuous. People only started caring about these things when it looked like their precious NFL might be taking a few knees to the family jewels and they wondered whether it would be able to get back up. So far it has, but those same people have cause to be concerned.

These injuries and the aftermath (suicides or disability or lack of memory) may all seem as if they are isolated, but they are all also symptomatic of a larger systemic condition. Times are changing, and the NFL may not be able to outrun the series of challenges. Baseball has had a more realistic view on these things, and thus have been able to deal with them; the NFL has been blind-sided by these things and are in a much weaker position than a) people think and b) they themselves are letting on.

Twenty years from now. Just watch.

Levels Of Sports Misconceptions...

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:58:00 +0000

Only these leagues count!

In a conversation with Dustin last night, we got to talking about misconceptions in the sports world; by this we mean the idea of certain events that have taken place that have been inflated beyond their particular significance either by the media or through legend.

However, as the conversation went on, we determined that not all misconceptions are equal. Some are much more egregious than others, and so we came up with a ladder system to determine to which level the particular misconceptions belong. There are five levels, with increasingly bigger misconceptions than the previous one. Here, I shall go through the levels, beginning with the lowest ones and moving on up. The significance of the events also generally increases as we move up the ladder, but not always. It is noteworthy to mention that very few of these events have taken place in the era of the internet, and it should be somewhat obvious as to why.

Competition Is Good...

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:52:00 +0000

...except when it isn't, according to the Montgomery County Superintendent of Schools, Joshua Starr.

Elementary is doing this pretty well, but we need to have it more in middle and high schools," Starr said. "We need to convince folks out there that competition might not be the most important thing for our kids."

What is the most important thing, then? It's one thing to say we put an overemphasis on competition to the detriment of other things, but it's another thing to say this:

"I'm a little concerned about the level of competition that exists these days," he said. "There's something in the American value system where we value competition over collaboration and cooperation, and if you look at how problems are actually solved in the world, many more are actually solved through cooperation and joint teamwork."

That's just a bunch of malarkey. Cooperation and teamwork are all fine and dandy, but if there is no competition, the reasons for, ahem, TEAMWORK (and all of the implications that go along with the use of the term teamwork) simply vanish. Competition implies a standard of some sort, and without said standards, it's a little harder to get things done. Another problem is that Montgomery County doesn't rank their students anyway. It's hard to compete when there is no system that allows for it.

I'll probably be in the minority in saying this, but the lack of emphasis on competition is a bit insidious. Part of the larger problem in society, in my opinion, is that a whole generation has been brought up not knowing how to lose and how to fail. I see it in a lot of the kids I have worked with, I see it in my own peer group, and I see it in the people who are out 'protesting' in New York, DC, and assorted other places. Life is, for good or ill, one gigantic competition. There are winners and losers in all aspects of life, with death being the great equalizer to that end.

I have always said that the most valuable lesson my parents ever taught me was how to lose. When I was a kid, I never was just allowed to win, and if I did win, it was because I earned it, not because Mom and Dad threw the game against me. Thus when I do lose or something bad happens, I don't just go into a hole or a funk for a long stretch of time. Perseverance has been lost, because self-esteem has become the highest value instead of some semblance of self-reliance.

The world isn't necessarily built for failure, but no one is guaranteed success either. The faster we learn this the better off we are. I don't like the ever-increasing creep of not keeping score, participation trophies in lieu of actual awards, and a requirement that everyone receive something for their effort. Why? So we don't hurt feelings. The problem is that kids always know the score (even in my T-ball league in the 80's when we didn't keep score, we always knew who had won and lost), participation trophies cheapen the events, and mere effort is not enough to get a reward. It would like reward someone who burned a house down because he didn't intend to do it. We don't pat people on the head for good intentions (paving roads to hell and all that), and we shouldn't reward effort for its own sake.

So what's next? Are we going to play high school football games 'just for fun'? Are colleges just going to let anyone in who has a high school diploma, which may have been given out rather than earned? Actually, come to think of it, the whole attitude of taking away competition reeks of the whole notion of good intentions.

Or are we going to start rewarding people just for having good intentions too?

(Pardon my extreme pessimism on the subject...)

The 2011 Phillies - Autopsy Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:51:00 +0000

I have given myself exactly 12 hours to sleep and ponder the big question - what now? This isn't like 2007 when the Phillies were just happy to be there after a miracle comeback. It also doesn't feel the same as losses from 2009 (World Series) and 2010 (NLCS), especially now, given that the team is a year older and it looks as if Ryan Howard will be missing substantial time with a potentially torn left Achilles tendon. I am going to do this in the form of The Good, The Bad, and The ~~Ugly~~ Don't Overreact...

The Good

1) 102 wins - most in franchise history and a truly remarkable season to follow from start to finish. Lots of great comebacks and the sheer domination of winning five consecutive division titles. It is dynastic, even if the final result isn't the desired one.

2) The starting pitching - there were ups and downs, but this was still one of the best rotations assembled in recent history. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels were a feared trio and will be so again next season. Halladay was simply brilliant throughout; Lee had two historically dominant months, and Hamels was at his absolute best. Roy Oswalt upon return pitched well and Vance Worley was somewhat of a revelation. With everyone at full strength, this rotation will carry the team next season.

3) Ryan Madson - I think he completely shut down the conversation as to whether he possesses the non-existent entity known as the 'Closer's Mentality'. He may have thrown his final pitch with the Phillies last night, as he is a free agent and a Scott Boras client.

4) Shane Victorino - led the team in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and had hit over .300 for most of the season until his September slump. One of the team's MVP's for the season

5) Chase Utley - he didn't return until late May, but his presence paid instant dividends for the Phillies as they started scoring a lot more runs and received a spark that they just didn't have when they had to trot out Wilson Valdez in the lineup every single day. Utley is still the Phillies best all-around player and hopefully he will be able to play a full season in a healthy fashion.

The Bad

1) Ryan Howard's Contract - the injury on the final out of the 2011 Phillies' season brought into sharper focus the folly of Ruben Amaro's contact extension to Ryan Howard that doesn't actually begin until 2012. The five year, $125 million contract begins in Howard's age 32 season and with a potentially torn Achilles tendon, the whole 2012 season may be thrown down the toilet. He is regressing and has looked downright lost at the plate. He can still carry the team at times, but not at a clip of an average of $25 million per season. This one is on Rube, not the Big Piece.

2) Front Office Decisions - the Phillies' front office has some major decisions due this offseason. Jimmy Rollins is a free agent, and so is Ryan Madson. Roy Oswalt needs to have his option reviewed. Cole Hamels has one year of arbitration left before he hits free agency. Raul Ibanez is set to walk and needs replacing. The movable parts of the bullpen need a major overhaul. History says that the Phillies FO is in no way like the Eagles' FO. The Eagles in the past 12-15 years have always seemed to have a finger on when it was time to bring a guy on and time to let go. Ruben Amaro and co. need to build that particular sense, but given some of the personnel decisions and contracts handed out, this seems unlikely.

3) Third Base - when the Phillies signed Placido Polanco to a three year deal prior to the 2010 season, I was horrified and thought he should only have gotten two years plus a third year option. Polanco hit around .400 in the month of April (.398 to be exact), but then went on to hit around .240 for the rest of the season. The younger Polanco was your quintessential number two hitter - get on base, make contact, and so forth. Now, he is a complete liability, and it shined forth in the last few months of the season and the Cardinals series. Do they eat his 2012 salary and get a replacement, or do they live on a prayer?

The ~~Ugly~~ Don't Overreact

1) Early Playoff Exit - yes, it is frustrating, angering, infuriating, and a host of other negatives to watch the team scuffle as it couldn't close out a Wild-Card St. Louis team. HOWEVER, these kinds of things are going to happen in a short playoff series. Losing three out of five during the season may turn a couple of heads, but will never cause the sheer panic that ensues when a team loses three of five during the ~~playoffs~~ postseason. Small sample sizes abound, hence the epitaph on the tombstone above.

2) Carlos Ruiz - he had a forgettable series at the plate and behind it. His role on the team overall cannot be overstated, though. The notion of the small sample size occurs here too - slumps happen. Just ask Mike Schmidt about the 1983 World Series (he went 1-20). Prior to this year, he had a career postseason OBP of .412. Not too shabby.

3) Hunter Pence - I wasn't a big fan of the trade that brought him to Philadelphia, but once it became clear that the die was cast, I started rooting for him to succeed enthusiastically. He also had a forgettable series - no extra base hits, just four singles. Like Ruiz, slumps happen, and unless there are structural issues (like Polanco), slumps will give way to hot streaks. Pence will be around for at least two more years, so he will most likely have the opportunity to make up for it in the future.

Unfortunately, it has all come to an end, in an ugly fashion. But there is still much to which we can look forward. Next season will bring its excitement and the roller-coaster ride known as the baseball season. The Phillies are still the team to beat in the National League East, and so long as the pitching holds up, they will be right back here next season playing in the Division Series.

Hope Springs Eternal.

If anyone has any further Good, Bad, or Don't Overreact, put them in the comment thread or email me.

A Reflection On Last Night...

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:53:00 +0000

There is no doubt that last night was arguably the greatest single day in MLB's regular season history.

And I missed the first half of it.

Actually, I didn't miss it so much as I watched them in a foreign land. Wednesday nights are bowling nights for me and as such, there is one television set near our lanes. At first, we had the Boston-Baltimore game on (since it was local and on MASN), but then my father remembered that the Phillies were playing on ESPN2, so we got the channel switched and watched the Philly-Atlanta game for a few innings, while following along with Tampa-New York, Baltimore-Boston, and St. Louis-Houston.

The Cardinals game was over almost as soon as it began - 5-0 after one inning? Seriously? So with everyone tied, the Braves would have to win to keep up with the Cardinals and force the one-game playoff for the NL Wild Card. By the time I left the bowling alley, it was the top of the seventh inning in Atlanta and the Braves were leading the Phillies 3-2. The Cardinals were cruising, and so were the Yankees, who had at that point a 7-0 lead on Tampa while Boston was holding on to a slim 3-2 lead in Baltimore.

After driving home in a massive thunderstorm where I could barely see the road at 9:20 PM, the Orioles and Red Sox were in a rain delay, the Cardinals and Yankees were still rolling, and the Braves still had the 3-2 lead with their ace closer Craig Kimbrel coming in to save it for Atlanta and force what looked like a winner-take-all playoff game in St. Louis the following night....

PSA For Hurricane Irene

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:53:00 +0000

In a timely fashion, I have come up with a Public Service Announcement to warn our friends in the Mid-Atlantic region and New England about the impending doom of Hurricane Irene. Enclosed are some tips about what to do when a Hurricane comes through, since I, you know, have had lots of experience in that area....

Top Ten NFL QB's Of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Nick has written up a list of the top quarterbacks in NFL history (Part I – Part II) and reading through it, I started thinking how much I disagree with it and thus should come up with my own list of top ten quarterbacks. So without further ado, here is the Lattanzi Land Top Ten NFL Quarterbacks of All Time.

10) Joe Montana (49ers) – He won four Super Bowls and was on the all-time lists for statistics. He doesn’t get higher up on the list for ~~three~~ four reasons – a) He should have won SIX Super Bowls but like the complete wimp he was, he got knocked out of a bunch of playoff games; b) he was a ‘system QB’ in the purest sense (i.e. he was a robot built by Bill Walsh, but not a durable one – see above), c) he didn’t even have the common courtesy to remain standing for the signature play of his career, and d) those Skechers commercials make him look like a child molester.

9) Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) – Like Montana, he also won four Super Bowls; unlike Montana, he gets remembered by John Facenda in all the NFL Films specials, which makes him much cooler. Bradshaw also has a better singing voice; his duet with Paul McCartney is one of the most moving memories of my life. Finally, he didn’t destruct when a stiff breeze blew over him like Montana. However, he doesn’t rate higher because his success was due to a sheet of steel, a ballet dancer, and of all things, an Italian army.

8) Kenny Stabler (Raiders) – Stabler is on the list for his proximity to so many miracles in his career, whether for or against him. Fastest ever to 100 wins at the time and a holds a Super Bowl victory. What bumps him up is having to put up with John Madden as his head coach for much of his career: “Now, Ken, if we are going to be successful, you are going to have to complete passes and throw touchdowns.”

7) Len Dawson (Chiefs) – one of the greatest AFL quarterbacks of all time, and a Super Bowl victor as well. His ring counts for one and a half (which is one and a half more than Dan Marino, by the way), because he won as an AFL QB and because of the big gambling scandal that threatened to break out. Not every man can play under that strain. Spygate? Pfft. Big deal. Some cameras in practice, who cares? We are talking about GAMBLIN’, man! The most eeeeevil thing that can happen in sports. Just ask Pete Rose. Or Art Schlicter. And Len Dawson won with that over his head. That’s how you become one of the greats!

6) Troy Aikman (Cowboys) – No quarterback in history was as good as Aikman in taking the ball through the center’s legs and…handing it off to the most prolific running back in history. A true leader! No one could delegate authority like Troy Aikman, and it goes to show that you don’t have to do it all yourself. One of the great field generals of all time. Like Patton, Aikman never had to actually fire a cannon or a gun to succeed in leading one of the greatest armies of his era.

5) Jim Plunkett (Raiders) – Two-time Super Bowl champion and has the amazing distinction of being the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to defeat the Eagles in the Super Bowl*. He was also so good that TV networks use film of him playing when they show career highlights of other quarterbacks. If that isn’t incredible, I don’t know what is!

4) Jeff Hostetler (Giants) – First, no one can ever argue with a 112.0 passer rating in a postseason career. Secondly, who else has a cool nickname like ‘Hoss’? Just think of the possibilities. Thirdly, Hostetler has the distinction of beginning the complete and utter disintegration of the NFL franchise formerly known as the Buffalo Bills in what is the single greatest Super Bowl of all time, bar none. Guys like Aikman are mere beneficiaries of the truly groundbreaking moments for which Hostetler was responsible. A true American hero!

3) Joe Namath (Jets) – Only once in the history did anyone guarantee victory on camera against a behemoth of a favorite in an NFL-AFL World Championship Game and succeed. Hence, Joe Willie Namath. Also provided on of the signature shots of ABC Sports for some time. Put that along with some epic pantyhose ads, a Simpsons appearance, and a blog named after his most embarrassing drunken moment, there is no possible way that he couldn’t crack the top three.

2) Trent Dilfer (Ravens) – Super Bowl champion. Yes, hard to believe, isn’t it? But before you chuckle, remember some things about Dilfer. a) He was so good that the Ravens were able to win games despite not scoring a single offensive touchdown for a month. b) He was also such a great leader that the Ravens allowed the fewest points in modern NFL history. c) He never lost a game as the starter in that great Raven season. Don’t forget also, that he makes appearances on ESPN’s SportsNation, which is the most important show on the World Wide Leader In Sports. How many appearances has Dan Marino made on SportsNation?

1) Bob Griese (Dolphins) – Only completely undefeated season ever. No one can ever top this. Are there any questions?

*Some will say Tom Brady should be on the list of QB’s who have beaten the Eagles, but since the Patriots were filthy rotten criminals and cheaters, that game never happened and thus Plunkett remains the only QB to ever beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Phillies In "Hitter's Counts"

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:14:00 +0000

This was originally published at The Good Phight. -- J.L.

Something we have been kicking around during the game threads has been the Phillies’ approach at the plate, especially with regard to getting ahead in the count, namely 3-0 and 3-1. Our eyes tell us there is something off about certain hitters and how they hit once they get to those particular counts, but it is hard to ascertain precise numbers. This is an attempt to get a feel for where the Phillie hitters stand in those situations. How the numbers are to be interpreted, I am not sure at this point; without doing this for every team we aren’t going to know what would be considered ‘average' at this point in time.

A note about the methodology in compiling – I was not interested in how they hit in a specific count; you can look that kind of stuff up at B-R and Retrosheet. What I wanted to see was what the results would be ONCE a hitter got to the deep so-called “hitter’s counts”. There are two charts – one for 3-0 counts and one for 3-1 counts. There is a bit of overlap, considering that many hitters are taking a strike on the 3-0 count. If that happened, then it has been counted on both charts.

Graduation Bingo

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:10:00 +0000

It's that time of the year! It's graduation season. Dustin, being the journalist, has to cover many graduations, so he and I came up with this particular graduation bingo card - he came up with the meat of the spaces, I designed and edited. It's meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, so enjoy and see how close it is to the real thing whenever you attend a school's ~~graduation~~ commencement exercises. Maybe for next year, we can mix it up a little, but without further ado, here is Graduation Bingo! Click to embiggen....

Top Ten Metallica Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:39:00 +0000

I'll be completely honest - to try and make a list of the ten best Metallica songs is damn near an impossible task, so what I have here is a list of my top ten favorite songs, along with the requisite explanation. Any other Metallica fans are certainly welcome to put their favorites in the comment threads or tell me which ones you can't believe I neglected. Enjoy! -- J.L.

We begin with the honorable mentions - there are five honorable mentions; it was fairly difficult to make this list as it was, considering that they have made nine original studio albums, a live double album, a double album of covers, and countless other live performances and imports.

HM #5 - Hero of the Day (Load)

HM #4-2 - The Unforgiven (Metallica), The Unforgiven II (ReLoad), The Unforgiven III (Death Magnetic)

I don't know, I guess I am just partial to these songs. I like the structure, although II is a mirror of I and III. It is interesting that each sequel is just a little longer than the previous one.

HM #1 - The Four Horsemen (Kill 'Em All)

Great thrash metal. The rhythm beats sound like the galloping of horses and the lyrics are downright scary, even though they get basic facts about the four horses and their riders wrong (Theology/Bible nerd alert!).

Anyway, with the honorable mentions aside, let's move to the Lattanzi Land List of Ten Favorite Metallica Songs after the jump...

Annoying Facebook Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:58:00 +0000

The following is a list of (in my opinion) annoying Facebook trends. I am, or have been, guilty of a couple of these myself, so I don’t exempt myself. It just goes to show that I have been sucked into the belly of these beasts as well.

1) Profile pictures other than of yourself – it’s great that people love their children, their pets, their pet causes, or a cartoon, but it is essentially a form of dishonesty to put a picture of something or someone else as a profile picture. The exception is if you are in the picture with your child – that’s ok.

2) Meme posts – you know the ones: “if you support (fill in the blank) and want to show that you have more guts than (person X), repost this”, etc. etc. Slactivism at its finest. It doesn’t actually accomplish anything even as it gives people an alleged sense of ‘doing something’.

3) Public Displays of Affection – wishing a spouse or significant other anniversaries and birthdays are ok. Anything else, not ok. It reminds me of the episode of the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry and his girlfriend keep doing the baby talk ('Schmoopie' is the term, I believe, they used). It is sickening in person, and not a whole lot better on the internet.

4) Opportunity for amateur psychologists – Facebook status updates are the wrong spots for people to bare their souls, if only for the reason that people who think they are therapists in training come out and offer ‘advice’ that may or may not help in any fashion. They also have the effect of turning people off who would normally be sympathetic and of causing more problems than they solve.

5) People making their entire routines known – this is a Twitter function as well. I. Just. Don’t. Care. Times of changing diapers, cleaning up after yourself, or using the toilet are things I don’t need or want to know. Voyeurism is best left to those who frequent unseemly pornographic websites.

6) Location indicators – I don’t have a problem with these (such as FourSquare), per se, but they have extremely ominous implications and I believe they will ultimately do more harm than good. I guess this is partially an extension of number five.

7) The use of fake relationships – it is quite odd to see teens and young adults ‘married’ to their best friends of the same sex, but as Dustin reminds me, it is a way to hide their real significant other. It says a lot if you don’t have the cojones to actually reveal who your boyfriend or girlfriend actually is. If you don’t actually have a significant other and are doing this, then you are just a complete poseur.

8) Having more than 500 ‘friends’ – most individuals don’t even know five-hundred people personally, never mind to have five-hundred actual friends. People can only normally keep up with a maximum of about 150-200 people. Having more than that just becomes, to a large degree, a dick-waving contest.

And a bonus one (from Dustin)…

9) People who say Facebook is terrible and they will never stoop down and join that crap; then after four years they join it and are on it frequently.

I am searching for a comeback….

Still searching…

Ok, I got one now…

Touché.

A Look At The Levels Of Losing

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:41:00 +0000

Brilliant Author;
Gigantic Dork

I was rummaging around ESPN’s Page 2 archives and I came upon one of my favorite articles from the days of old – Bill Simmons’ “Levels of Losing”, in which he describes thirteen different levels of losses, because as we well know, not all losses are created equally. For example, to a baseball team, a loss on April 15th pales in comparison to a playoff or World Series loss.

Simmons gave his own personal reflection about each level based on his Boston fandom, and I thought, you know what, I am going to do the same, but with Philadelphia sports. Most of the following are Philadelphia sports losses, but there are a couple here in which the teams of Philadelphia actually inflicted the loss – although that is not exactly something that is common.

I will give Simmons’ definition, then my example. If you want his examples, follow the link above…

Level 13 – The Princeton Principle

Definition: When a Cinderella team hangs tough against a heavy favorite, but the favorite somehow prevails in the end (like Princeton almost toppling Georgetown in the '89 NCAAs) ... this one stings because you had low expectations, but those gritty underdogs raised your hopes ... also works for boxing, especially in situations like Balboa-Creed I ("He doesn't know it's a damn show! He thinks it's a damn fight!") ... the moment that always sucks you in: in college hoops, when they show shots of the bench scrubs leaping up and down and hugging each other during the "These guys won't go away!" portion of the game, before the collapse at the end.

I can’t think of too many examples of this, precisely because there hasn’t been too many times in which a Philly team could be considered a ‘Cinderella’ in any meaningful sense. However, I will open up the floor for comments and suggestions regarding this one.

Why Family Guy Is An Inferior Television Show

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 01:11:00 +0000

Every year for about the past five, my students express shock and chagrin at my answer to their question about whether I watch the television show Family Guy. My response to them usually entails something along the lines of saying how much I dislike the show, how disjointed it is, and how moronic it is, and how it is generally inferior to similarly-themed show such as The Simpsons, South Park, and even Futurama and King of the Hill. The questioning students will then mutter something to the effect of 'you just don't understand it, Mr. Lattanzi.' To the contrary, I understand just a little too well, which is part of the reason I don't care for it. Allow me to elaborate...

Before I begin the criticism, let me concede this - Family Guy is a very popular show; it has lasted a long time in its two incarnations. Obviously, that's not just because someone high up in the Fox Television Network has been threatened. I will also confess that I watched it and enjoyed a couple of episodes in the first incarnation of the series, but that's about the end of it.

My first criticism begins with the writing of the show - there seems to be too much borrowing from other shows, and there is no real coherent plot to many episodes. The characters are extremely static, and while that is a hallmark of any cartoon series, none of the characters in Family Guy have any redeeming qualities, as my brother reminds me often. I am not expecting continuity, as very few situation comedies have it, but I would expect something that sort of ties together and presses with a major point. Instead, what you have with Family Guy is something that appeals to an ADD generation.

The second criticism has to do with the over-reliance on cutaways and flashbacks. This is an extension in part of the first criticism, but it becomes a sort of drug for the show. It is a copout from having to write a completely coherent episode from a plot standpoint. The writers on Family Guy just don't take enough time to develop anything - once again it comes back to assuming the audience has ADD.

The third and final criticism is based in the overkill of cultural references. I don't mind them in and of themselves, but the thing that bothers me more than anything else is the notion that somehow just because we get the reference it means we should find it funny. I would consider myself well-versed in television, movie, and music culture of the past 40-50 years, but not every reference made to something that happened on All In the Family or Star Wars is inherently funny.

One reason a show like The Simpsons is superior and funnier is precisely because they can take a cultural reference and do something intelligent with it - it's not a one-shot Johnny type appearance that is never further developed. Witness episodes such as "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" - it plays up the Beatles and in general the British Invasion throughout the whole episode, but does so in an intelligent and complete way. There is a continuity within the episode, unlike Family Guy episodes which jump from reference to reference to reference with no rhyme or reason as to why.

Overall, if only one of these aspects were a problem, then the show would be better off than it is now. However, since all three of these are a problem, the show suffers as a result. Again, it is extremely popular, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good show. Titanic was the highest grossing film of all time, but that's just because a lot of teenage girls thought Leonardo DiCaprio was cute in 1998, not because the film had anything to offer. Likewise, Family Guy is popular, but not necessarily because it has anything to offer. It has a lot of dick and fart jokes.

No wonder the teens like it.

What To Do: A Final Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 01:22:00 +0000

All through today, I spent time covering the various aspects of abortion, its background, and how people tend to rationalize such a grotesque act. All of that being said, the question becomes: what can we do?

It has been suggested that overturning Roe v. Wade would stop everything. That is not true. It would indeed be a good first step, but keep in mind that it would return the issue to where it was on January 21, 1973 - with each individual state. Through the late 1960's and early 1970's, four states had allowed abortion-on-demand (New York, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii) and the other forty-six had restrictions of varying degrees, including thirty that had complete bans.

Simply banning abortion likewise won't solve the problem that we have - as having almost any law would attest. There is a much deeper cultural and spiritual problem that needs to be solved. Pope John Paul II called it the 'Culture of Death'. We need to dig deeper into some of the issues which include...

1) The decoupling of sex from procreation

2) The rabidly libertine attitudes of our modern society

3) The overarching selfishness we exhibit

4) The devaluing of human life in all stages

5) The lack of recognition of a higher purpose in life

Some of these are related to one another; others stand alone. Together, however, they form a perfect storm that has fueled the mentality and culture that has enabled close to fifty million unborn children in this country to be wantonly killed over the past thirty-eight years. It is going to take time to reverse, because the mentality didn't just show up overnight, but it has to be done, and the pace needs to be picked up.

We also need to help the women who have been affected by their decision. We need to pray for them and listen to their stories. While many had reasons for getting an abortion that are labeled selfish, many also had major regrets in having done so. I believe that a lot of women were sold a bill of goods in regard to the procedure and were led to believe that abortion would be a panacea. Experience would go on to show otherwise in many cases.

It all seems a bit overwhelming, but I think we can get there. We have to get there, or else there will be none of us left. That's the kind of future that is chilling to think about.

Lord, have mercy on us all.

Abortion As Birth Control

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:02:00 +0000

The most infuriating aspect of abortion is the fact that it tends to be used as a form of birth control. Close to 92% of all abortions are done for this particular reason (according to the Guttmacher Institute via InfoPlease). The 'exceptions' spoken of earlier, especially rape and incest, account for less than one percent of all abortions (13,000 out of about 1.32 million). Health exceptions account for just over six percent.

There are myriad other solutions that are inherently better than killing your unborn child, including abstinence. Yes, not having sex is actually a pretty good way to avoid this problem in the first place. Shocker, isn't it! Giving up the child for adoption is another avenue.

Too often, the reasons for aborting one's children are entirely selfish in nature. 11% reported having an abortion because it would 'disrupt education or job'. 8% said because they simply wanted no more children. 26% said it was because they wanted to 'postpone childbearing'. 21% said it was because they couldn't afford a child. 14% cited 'relationship issues', and 12% said they were 'too young to have children'. Apparently, they were old enough to have sex, though.

What these numbers tell me is that people want the physical pleasure of sexuality but not the consequences of said sexuality. Unfortunately for too many people, sex has been decoupled from procreation. In a way, it's related to the no-fault divorce mentality = if it doesn't work out, I can always....

The 'Personally Opposed' Canard

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0000

This is another one we hear quite often - "I am personally opposed to abortion, but there shouldn't be a law restricting it."

Really.

Just as a mental exercise here - let's substitute anything that is considered a historical crime or evil and see how it sounds. You can try substituting rape, slavery, murder, robbery, kidnapping, and so forth.

How did that work out? If you are opposed to something, you aren't going to just sit passively by and whistle away while more of that particular action occurs. If you are in favor of it, you are in favor of it, end of story. Mario Cuomo was the one who first put this sort of sophistry into action in a speech at Notre Dame in 1984. Such an attitude led to such vapid statements as 'stop legislating morality!', which ignores the irony that all law is legislated morality.

The notion of being 'personally opposed' then led to the mantra about abortion being 'safe, legal, and rare' - something that Bill Clinton chanted many times on the stump. Well, some stories in the past few days have especially put the 'safe' and 'rare' parts to rest...

1) 41% of all pregnancies in New York City are aborted. Forty-one percent. Nothing 'rare' about that by any stretch of the imagination.

2) Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia abortionist, was arrested and indicted for killing already-delivered babies and contributing to the deaths of some of the women. This is what people screamed would happen if they didn't legalize abortion back in the early 1970's. Illegal and unsafe indeed.

The Exceptions

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:03:00 +0000

Quite often, you will hear a politician or some other public figure state that he is opposed to abortion 'except for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother'. These people are often lauded as being part of the 'middle-ground' or perhaps as part of a 'compromise' position.

I disagree.

I oppose all abortion, no matter what. Yes, this includes the so-called 'exceptions' listed above. Will some consider this 'extreme'? No doubt. But I like to think of it as being consistent. Why should some murder be elevated the level of acceptability and not others?

How many times have we heard that children should not be punished for the sins of the father? How is an unborn child any different? Why should the unborn suffer because of what his father and/or mother did? We bray on and on about the innocent in our justice system, but neglect those who are the ultimate innocents. Those children did absolutely nothing wrong.

Don't misunderstand, though. I am completely sympathetic to the hardships that come with horrific crimes such as rape and incest. That child, though, is still a creature made in the image and likeness of God and thus should have a chance at life, even if his mother doesn't want to raise him due to the psychological reminder. The right thing to is give the child up for adoption and let that child have a chance to live.

The 'health of the mother exception' is an interesting one, but too often people have it fall into a false dichotomy, that is, an either/or proposition. It's one thing to treat the condition or disease and the baby happens to be killed (principle of double effect); it's another to directly abort the child in order to treat the mother's condition. However, people who support this would be more likely just to ditch the baby. No, there should be a good-faith attempt to save both mother and child.

The Use of the Word 'Choice'

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:16:00 +0000

The term 'choice' is one of the most loaded and emotive terms to be found in our society, especially once the prefix 'pro' is placed in front of it. Who can be against 'choice', right? How can we deprive people of their 'choice' or their 'right to choose'?

The reason the term is loaded is because it raises the question - choose what, exactly? If one were to take a poll asking if they were in favor of 'choice', I'd be willing to bet he gets a lot of people to answer in the affirmative. Once he explains what is meant by that delightful euphemism - I would also bet the support for 'choice' would drop precipitously.

The truth is this - everyone likes choice - we all like having the ability to choose what clothes we wear, what food we eat, who our friends are, where we worship, if we worship, where we go to school, and so on. Choice is also a fundamental aspect of our existence as moral beings - everything we do involves choice. We can choose to do the right or wrong thing, such as robbing the bank, lying to our parents, using drugs or killing an unborn child in-utero. Murder of all sorts is a choice.

The 'choice' to kill an unborn child can be made, but that choice shouldn't be given a free pass under the law. It shouldn't be given a pass of consequences; robbing the bank, lying, and doing drugs don't escape consequences.

What's also interesting is the fact that the biggest proponents of unrestricted 'choice' (including Planned Parenthood and NOW) get all bent out of shape if women exercise their 'choice' not to have an abortion and instead have the child. The reaction from those parties exposes the hypocrisy regarding usage of the term and further demonstrates that 'choice' is not a two-way street.

Previous Posts

Abortion - Not Just A Single Issue
January 22, 1973 - An Infamous Day

Abortion - Not Just A Single Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:10:00 +0000

I have to confess, I alternate between being amused and getting aggravated with people who accuse others of being 'single-issue minded' when it comes to abortion, especially in the political arena. I hate to break it to the accusers, but if there was ever an issue, this is it. Society cannot function freely in any meaningful sense if the most vulnerable of such a society are not protected.

The unborn fit that description better than anyone. The 'viability' argument has lost a lot of its steam, and so has the 'blob of tissue' argument, especially in light of medical and scientific advances in the past twenty years. Ultrasounds and the development of other technology can detect a heart beat as early as six weeks. To say that the being in-utero isn't a unique creature with his own beating heart and genetic code is to wantonly deny and ignore the advances being made.

Likewise, another source of amusement and/or aggravation is the caricature by supporters of abortion of those opposed as not 'caring for them after the children are born'. I have yet to actually see evidence of anyone who is opposed to abortion to actively say 'as long as the child is born, then he's on his own!' Actually, the source of the caricature comes from the fact that many of those who are against abortion also tend to have problems with the government being the nanny, day-care provider, and restaurateur.

As shocking as this may be to hear for some...it's actually the parents' duty to take care of their children. There are plenty of private institutions that can and will provide assistance to those who seek it.

January 22, 1973 - An Infamous Day

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:55:00 +0000

Thirty-eight years ago today, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a 7-2 decision in the case of Roe v. Wade that struck down all state and local restrictions on access to abortion. The opinion written by Justice Harry Blackmun cited the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a means of protecting 'privacy' and thus any attempt to restrict the practice would be extremely difficult.

The decision in Roe v. Wade established 'viability' as the point up to which abortion could be performed without any kind of restrictions, which was said at the time to be up to 24-28 weeks into gestation. Ever since, abortion has been deemed as a 'fundamental right' on par with free speech, the right to a speedy trial, and the right against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Actually, come to think of it, the 'right' to abortion supersedes any of those above rights, since there are movements to stifle free speech, to allow searches without warrants, and to ban all firearms. Abortion has become a sacred cow for some individuals and they have the Supreme Court to thank for that.

In the decision, there were two dissents, Justice Byron White and Justice (and future Chief Justice) William Rehnquist. There was a companion case to Roe released on the very same day - Doe v. Bolton, where White made his starkest comments against the decision to allow unrestricted abortion:

I find nothing in the language or history of the Constitution to support the Court's judgment. The Court simply fashions and announces a new constitutional right for pregnant mothers and, with scarcely any reason or authority for its action, invests that right with sufficient substance to override most existing state abortion statutes.

He's right, even a cursory reading of the 14th Amendment says absolutely nothing about the 'right' to terminate a pregnancy. Even the most ardent supporters of abortion have admitted that Blackmun's opinion falls way short of what good constitutional law and interpretation ought to be. Others said that they should have built up abortion consensus through the political process rather than through an overreaching federal court system.

No matter what, the outcome has allowed a great moral evil to continue nearly unchecked for almost forty years now. Today, I will be writing several pieces outlining my thoughts on abortion, the movements concerning it (pro and con) and what can be done to slow it done and eventually eliminate it.

Idiotic Announcer Terminology, Part V

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Lattanzi) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 01:30:00 +0000

For the start of the playoffs, we are presenting the following series of terms that football announcers use that need to be revised or completely eliminated, for various reasons. These are football commentator clichés that are annoying or overused, at least in our opinion. You are, of course, free to disagree, or add your own annoying commentator clichés.

Part I -- Part II -- Part III -- Part IV

“Football” as an adjective or noun – okay, let’s clarify of what we are speaking: this is when announcers and commentators throw around the word football (pardon the pun) constantly. I’ll give an example – “In order to win this football game, the Indianapolis Colts are going to have to protect the football and run the football. When they beat the Tennessee Titans, they will show they are the superior football team.”

Okay...deep breath. When you are on a show like, say, ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown – we know you are talking about the sport of football. I seriously doubt anyone thinks the Colts and Titans are playing tennis, volleyball, or golf against each other. And we know the Colts are a “football” team. No one seriously thinks they are a baseball or hockey team. Also, it’s okay to just say “ball”. Again, we know you are discussing football; it just opens you up to ridicule to say “football” over and over again. What, did we think they had to protect the basketball or, maybe it was the hockey puck. After all, in order to win the cricket game, the Indianapolis Colts are going to have to protect the polo ball and run the volleyball. When they beat the Tennessee Titans, they will show they are the superior bowling team. Is this an overreaction? Nah.

Thanks for reading this series. Enjoy the games this weekend. --J.L.