Thursday, March 4^th, Ben Rothlisberger, resident man about town, was at it again.  This time, in a small town in Georgia, Rothlisberger got his club on.  The problem is, he’s being accused of forcing his club on someone else.

Rothlisberger has retained high powered legal council to defend him in allegations by a 20 year old college woman who has accused Rothlisberger of sexual assault.  According to reports, he is fully cooperating with the police investigation.

Whether he did or he didn’t, Rothlisberger’s innate ability to place himself in bad situations continues.  Very visible in public throughout his career in Pittsburgh, Rothlisberger can regularly be found boozing it up at any number of bars in the area.  Some reports have suggested he’s not as accommodating as an autograph seeker would have you believe, allegedly trying to skip out on a hefty barb bill every now and then.  Fame and success at a young age can mold anyone’s psyche into that of an ego maniac, and Rothlisberger has a reason for bullet-proof arrogance, having just turned 28 and already achieved the pinnacle in his sport twice. 

 After nearly killing himself for riding his motorcycle without a helmet, and then becoming a windshield pancake, Rothlisberger initially appeared defiant when asked if he would ever ride again without a helmet.  The seemingly false accusation last July by a woman in Tahoe accusing Rothlisberger of raping her now appears to have some unfortunate weight (sort of ;like that girl in ‘Precious”, but not that excessive).  However, Rothlisberger has maintained his innocence, so maybe he’s just a victim.   Maybe women see him as a quick way to get rich in a settlement.  Either way, he’s the fool for continuing to get blasted in public (See photos) and allow himself to be a target.  Then again, maybe where there’s Rothlisberger, there’s tube steak.

I can hear the pick-up line now.  “Hey Baby….wanna see my bacon double Rothlisberger?  It’s all beef.”

Feel free to insert your favorite Rothlisberger pick-up line below.

How do you know its time to get it on? When the big hand meets the little hand.

The shock value is over, at least for now. Short of video footage coming out of Tiger Woods dressed as the Gimp from Pulp Fiction and Rush Limbaugh playing the role of Zed, most of us are now just numb to the philandering charges. The bigger question is how many other athletes are on pins and needles?

Indeed, if the world’s most dominant and recognizable athlete, largely portrayed as infallible in every sense, is brought down to the bottom of the low-character well, certainly no one else is immune. Unconfirmed reports suggest that since the Woods story broke November 28th, florists across America haven’t been able to keep flowers in stock. How many women on the side now see a big pay check staring them in their slutty face, particularly in this bad economy? How many other voice mails are out there? How many videos? How many love letters and emails? How much “hush money” is being paid out (Even that wasn’t enough for Tiger Woods)? And just how many big time athletes watch the Woods saga, knowing their own reputation and family’s well-being is teetering on the brink of collapse?

Once the king of endorsements, the endorsements that follow are not exactly what he had built his life on to this point.

Lakers forward Ron Artest called Woods, “The perfect role model for me and my sons for longer than anyone I have known”

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis said, “If he could keep that a secret and aint nobody came out and told on him, hey, congratulate him”

What’s more is that they have said these things amidst a perhaps larger controversy coming out with regard to Tiger using per enhancing drugs. Victor Conte, infamous steroid provider turned canary, and one of the two main men to bring down so many athletes and ruin the credibility of Major League Baseball, has suggested that Tiger Woods has used performance enhancing drugs.  “Wonder why Tiger has had such a strong libido? Could it be the same reason he gained 30 lbs of muscle? Is there possibly a connection?” Not that I place a great deal of confidence in the character of Victor Conti, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned from both Conte and Jose Canseco, its that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

And sure, it’s easy to point the finger at Tiger. Maybe because he’s the only golfer that appears to be in any kind of shape. You have your Craig Stadler’s stomach physiques; Phil Mickelson’s man-boobs followers, and the rest of the tour being of an awkwardly gangly and lanky build. Though not a hulk like Barry Bonds morphed into, Woods is definitely larger and noticeably more muscular than when he first hit the tour, and his detractors will surely call for an investigation.

If there is any evidence of Woods using performance enhancing drugs, that would almost certainly blow the infidelity stories out of the water. There is no athlete now, nor has there ever been, bigger than their sport. There has never been a sport that needed an athlete more than the athlete needed it. Woods is that athlete, having transcended the sports popularity generationally, racially, and globally. Well on his way to shatter the sport’s greatest achievements of total major victories, how many of those would be called into question were someone to hang on to an old needle, or have his signature on a prescription for HGH?

We may just be at the ti[p of the iceberg.  Stay tuned.

"Come on, bend over just a little further...that's it..."

With the exhaustive coverage of what is easily the most compelling story in sports this year, we searched for a different approach (pun intended) on this story.  Staff writer Dr. Kevin Creagh was able to meet with someone who’s perspective on this story, and life in general, is at the very least different…

I sat and waited in my worn out leather bar stool in a dark, shady tavern in Inglewood, California.  The nervousness of a possible drive-by shooting or random stabbing took a backseat to the mounting excitement of the arrival of one of NOTESPN’s most loyal fans.  Juan Escalante had agreed to come out of hiding and allow me to interview him regarding his opinion on our latest sports soap opera…..Tiger Woods. As he entered the bar, he seemed to be yelling obscenities at a passing ice cream truck.  His jeans were burro dung stained and he carried with him a brown paper bag containing a half-eaten chalupa and two empty chocodile wrappers.  The following is my journey into the mind of this NOTESPN legend.

CREAGH: Great to meet you, Juan.  I hope your travels were smooth and relaxing.

ESCALANTE:  My neck hurts….and someone threw a shoe at me on Slauson.

CREAGH:  What was your initial reaction to the recent turmoil surrounding Tiger Woods?

ESCALANTE:   At first, I wondered if all the details had been revealed…because it didn’t sound at all like something he would get mixed up in.  My uncle Enrique had his fair share of domestic disputes, but that was mainly because his wife was a no-good whore.  We “took care” of that situation.

CREAGH:  I see.  Have you ever personally been hit in the face with a golf club?

ESCALANTE:  Not in the face.  About ten years ago, I worked as an assistant greens keeper at La Paz Municipal…on my third day, the pro shop manager caught me urinating into a sand trap…he hit me in the lower back with a 9-iron.  I still haven’t gotten my paycheck from those Baja jerkoffs.

The Most Majestic of its Kind

I became uncomfortable and paused for a moment, trying to stay on track.  Escalante had me reeling for a moment, and definitely felt like he would gladly welcome me into his home one second –which legend has it is a chain of huts scattered throughout the Southern Hemisphere in various countries-and would stab me the next. I decided to error on the side of caution, and continue to treat him with a slight respect that bordered on fear.

CREAGH:  So, Juan, what do you think about Woods admittedly committing acts that could be considered adulterous?

ESCALANTE:  I’m guessing there are certain things that Elin just won’t do for him anymore….at the beginning, she most likely gave him free reign sexually.  He would probably just lower his golf pants and she would drop whatever she was doing and start  giving him what he likes to call “the pitching wedge”.

CREAGH:  So, you’re saying it’s possible she might have started neglecting him sexually?

ESCALANTE:  Either that, or the constant nagging finally hit a breaking point….he would get home from making a million dollars from four days of work…and she would immediately start in on him…”Tiger, how come the dishes aren’t done?  Tiger, you haven’t taken the trash out!  Tiger, you care more about that burro than you do our family!”  Maybe I happen to love my burro, you tortilla factory working bitch!

Escalante declared with such a fervor that he leapt out of his bar stool, and I thought he was leaving.  However, he composed himself, sat back down, and continued.

ESCALANTE: I mean, Tiger would just think to himself, “I’m friggen Tiger Woods!  I don’t need this!”

CREAGH:  I’m sure you prepared for this interview by studying the details of this story.  Did you find it at all odd that his wife broke out the back window of his car in a claimed attempt to rescue him, while the logical window to break would have been the driver’s side window?

ESCALANTE:  When I heard this, I knew we hadn’t received the whole story.  If this event was a burrito, at this point, we had only gotten the tortilla….and maybe a few green chilies.  Women usually only break windows for two reasons; Their husband is cheating on them, or…wait, that’s only one reason.

CREAGH:  Well, as it stands now, more than nine women have now come forward claiming they have had relations with Tiger.  Do you think they are telling the truth?  If so, does this make his image any worse in your eyes?

ESCALANTE:  90 percent of women are lying 40 percent of the time…I’m not so good at math, but that means about 5 or 6 of them are telling the truth.  As far as his image, he hits a little ball with a stick for a living.  Why would I care what he does?  Am I supposed to be shocked that he’s swinging his driver into nine women?  Maybe at least with THIS driver, he might actually be able to put it in the fairway.

Juan chuckled at his own quip, however “lowest common denominator” it may have been.  Constantly on the move, he somehow manages to stay in seclusion throughout his travels, hiding in plain sight.  Part of the deal for him meeting me was that I buy hima bag of chicklets and more than a few drinks, and he didn’t hesitate.  If there is one thing this man is an expert in, it’s tequila.  For whatever hole this place we currently in was, it had some primo agave, and Juan quickly ordered up a shot of Rey Sol Anejo.  The shot was $35, and I had to find out what a $35 shot of tequila tasted like, so I had one with him.  It didn’t disappoint.  Juan savored the flavor before he went back to drinking his Modelo Negro, and picked up the small ramikin of home made salsa and shot it.  I watched him show no sign of remorse for his lack of etiquette, which made me appreciate him that much more.  But I had to get back to the interview.    

CREAGH:  One of Tigers’ voice mails allegedly says, “I’m going to wear you out”.  Have you ever left naughty voice mails for a woman?

ESCALANTE:  In a way, you could say yes.  I used to scratch pornographic stick figures into agave leaves and leave them on the doorstep of this girl named Rosario.  Her father found them and broke my tailbone with a shovel……I don’t regret it.  She was so cute and innocent…I love a girl with braces…….on her legs.

CREAGH:  So, do you think Elan will forgive him?

ESCALANTE:  My friend, she was a nanny in Sweden before she met him…everything in her life right now is because of him.  She would be swinging on a pole right now in Stockholm just to pay for a rat-infested studio apartment if it weren’t for him.  As far I’m concerned, she should be thankful to have shoes on her large Scandinavian feet.  Yes, she should forgive him….I think she will, since he is giving her a rather large amount of money to stay.

CREAGH:  Let’s turn to golf.  How do you think the gallery will treat him in his first few tournaments next year?

ESCALANTE:  Newsflash to the feminized world……nobody cares.  Anybody who boycotts or scoffs at this man is a genuine douche bag.  Everybody loves him because of his ability to get it in the hole….now everybody hates him for his ability to get it in the hole.  Please, my compadres, make up your minds.  Enjoy the great golf and shut your flan holes!

CREAGH:  You certainly do carry around a lot of passion….or anger….or both.  Is there anything you’d like to say to Tiger?  There is no doubt he will be reading this.

ESCALANTE:  Yes.  Tiger!  Cut your losses.  Get rid of her….famous men should never be married.  There are too many temptations out there…..trust me.  I was once quite famous down in Santiago, Chile.  My fame originated from my appearance on “Chile’s Got Talent”.  I was the actual creator of the dance style “pop and lock”….only then, I called it “Juan and lock”.  Long story short, I married, cheated on her with a Bolivian dress maker….lost everything.  Anyway, Tiger, if you need more advice, meet me down in Quito, Ecuador on Christmas Eve….I’ll be the guy selling corn dogs on the boardwalk.

CREAGH:  On a personal note, is there anything else you’d like to get off your chest about this subject….or any subject for that matter?  This is your chance to show the fans a little more about the innards of Juan Escalante.

ESCALANTE:  Why, of course.  Does anybody have any good deals on boat rides to South Africa?  I’m trying to get there for the World Cup….you know, to cheer for Mexico.  Problem is, I only have about twelve dollars right now.

CREAGH:  Alright, thanks for your time, Juan.  You are clearly too drunk to continue.  It was a pleasure meeting you.

ESCALANTE:  Do I get my chicklets now?

I handed the bag of chicklets over to Juan and he stumbled towards the old wooden door and tripped over the doorjam on his way out.  When I left a few minutes later, he was laying in the curb singing the theme to “Greatest American Hero”……”Look at what’s happened to me…..I can’t believe it myself”….and so on.  I have never been around someone so happy to be a worthless piece of garbage.  It made me wonder if perhaps Juan has the secret to life hidden somewhere in one of his dirty pockets. A man with nothing, who thinks he has everything.  Maybe we should all work a lot harder in channeling our “inner-Juan”. Something to consider.

In a perfect UFC Dana White World the best fighters in the world would never get injured and they would fight each other in the best of the best fights each and every month.  Now back to reality.  Everything in the UFC going wrong aside, TUF Season 10 Heavyweights has totally imploded.  Banking on Kimbo Slice and a heated matchup between coaches Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson to battle it out in the finale has pretty much come up short.  Watching the episodes this season and the buildup of Rashad and Rampage is just so deflating, since the majority of us found out that this fight was not going to happen months ago.  Rampage is more worried about playing Mr. T in the latest release of The A Team.

So let’s talk about Kimbo Slice (See our original article “The Ulimate Fraud?”).  The Brawler/Badass whose only entrance into the UFC was supposed to be through winning the Ultimate Fighter reality show.  But now, through multiple chances/excuses to continue to “sell” him to a fan base that continues to grow disenfranchised, he only has to be on the show and be half-way charismatic to now get a UFC contract, something White had all but promised wouldn’t happen. So far, since Slice has been on the show, he showed his lighter side so I guess he has fulfilled his requirements.  That fulfillment has landed him a spot in the TUF Finale this Saturday against the once dark horse badass Houston Alexander.  Now it’s clear something stinks worse than Slice’s jock strap about TUF.  There is nothing about this show anymore that says you need to win to become the next UFC phenom.

Kimbo was pinned to the ground by beer-bellied Roy Nelson and lost and now he has a shot against a one time up-and-comer in the UFC, Houston Alexander? Come on Dana!!! Keep in mind Houston Alexander was once a big-time- hyped, fast-handed brawler that was a couple you tube videos and a beard away from being UFC’s version of Kimbo 2 years ago. That was until Houston decided he should start using his Arlovski-esque jaw to block all his punches for him. Now he’s back and he’s going to take on Kimbo Slice in this Saturday’s TUF Finale. Good Luck Dana and  Kimbo, because you’re gonna need it. UFC’s next TUF season?????? Dana White by be looking to change it to the American Idol Format to make it more interesting. Ryan and Simon… get ready.

"If I'm being honest, that Rear Naked Choke Was HORRIBLE!"

More sexy time?  This time with another baseball all star?  Forget the half naked paintings Alex Rodriguez had made of himself as a centaur…this is far more erotic.  Especially when you consider the girlfriend, and what could come of it.

According to AP, Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore sent partially nude photos of himself, taken with his own cell phone in front of a mirror, to his girlfriend, former playboy Playmate Brittany Binger.  Apparently, someone stole the photos off the email and posted them on the internet, where they have spread faster than a scorching case of herpes.

The next contestant in our poll

The Cleveland plain dealer is reporting that MLB has contacted these sites, issuing cease and desist letters to remove the photos.

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/12/grady_sizemore_making_progress.html

We haven’t had this brand of controversy in a few weeks, since it went public that former Ms. California Carrie Prejean went “hand-solo” on her own sex tape, which she sent to her boyfriend.

For the thoroughly depraved, which surely includes us, one can only imagine where we can go from here.  Maybe adult film producer Miles Long will contact both Sizemore and Prejean about starring in a video with each other, which surely would be the highest grossing recorded coitus since Lardashian’s sister got plowed by that version of a poor man’s R. Kelly, minus the urination. The mind wanders with ideas of what the title of the next film could be.

I have come up with these two so far.  “More Size in her Pre-Jeans”, and “The Size of Prejean”.

"The Gays? Please. Ask me about the DP!"

Please.  That’s okay.  Really…hold your applause.  You’re too kind.

But we invite you to leave your ideas for the movie title below.

"If you are wise, you will avoid a kick to the groin at all costs"

UPDATE:11/30

Stemming from an incident in which she threatened a lineswoman on September 12th, the International Tennis Federation Grand Slam Committee punished Serena Williams today by handing down a fine of $175,000, but can be reduced to $82,500 for good behavior on her 2 year probationary period.  This is the heaviest fine ever levied by the ITF, so to celebrate, we decided to re-hash the original story.  We wanted to call it, “An Ode to Ham Hocks”.  However, we went with a more appropriate title.

Original Story

In yet another display of poor sportsmanship by an athlete, Serena Williams is the latest to exhibit a childish temper tantrum.  This time, however, it cost her the match.  Finally, in some perverted form of justice, the athlete actually loses the competition in which their outburst takes place.

Athletics are certainly not a foreign realm for Divas.  Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Manny Ramirez, Kobe Bryant, Eli Manning (the list could seemingly go on forever) has all exhibited their fair share of attention-seeking martyrdom.  After generally being bored with the Williams’ sisters’ dominance over the last decade (It seems as if it’s Venus and Serena and then the field) womens’ tennis had a great story at this U.S. Open.  Up and coming American Melanie Oudin, 17, fought her way into the quarterfinals, and was the youngest woman since Williams herself, then 19, to do so.  However, instead of relishing that great story, it was quickly extinguished by the tale of Williams’s embarrassing outburst.  As with the aforementioned athletes, Williams is charming and likeable when things are going well, and a petulant child when things aren’t going her way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Perhaps most disturbing is Williams’s lack of remorse in the press conference after the match.  Williams attempted to justify her outburst by saying her temper was “much worse” in the past, and that she didn’t threaten the line judge.  Too bad she was caught on tape saying, “I swear to God I’m going to take this (naughty word) ball and shove it down your (same naughty word) throat, you hear that? I swear to God.”

If that wasn’t a threat, it certainly wasn’t an invitation to dinner and drinks after the match.  However, as opposed to a ball being shoved down my throat, what I would be more concerned about is a full front groinal assault at the hands, or should I say legs, of Williams.  To quote Tim Meadows’s character Leon Phelps in his movie The Ladies Man, “It looks like somebody stole two fine hams and shoved them down the back of your dress.”  Except in Williams’s case, it looks like someone used the whole pig. With that fully developed lower body and hind quarters, including those “ham hocks”, a swift kick to the nether region would be far more fearsome, and I would all but welcome the ingestion of a tennis ball, considering the alternative.

UPDATE: 9/17

Serena Williams, after givin the opportunity to apologize at her press conference and failing to do so, has now issued an apology.  However, one has to question the motivation.  As stated, she had the floor to do so, and all she did was make excuses.  She now issues an apology, seemingly only after tons of bad press.  Maybe she spoke to Kanye West, who seemed to issue an obligatory apology only after his Diva maneuver on the same day.

What are we most thankful for?  It’s hard to pinpoint one thing.  But surely, one item that’s on the list is the following…

Virtually every country makes it….from the mega-producing corporations like Anheuser-Busch to a guy named Bruce making it in his bathtub, we live in a world in which beer can be found on almost every street corner.  A beverage that was once illegal in this fine country, now finds its way to every home and restaurant from sea to shining sea.  Beer is often used as a tool, even a symbol, to allow us to loosen up and enjoy life for the wonderful blessing it truly is.  We all remember Betty at the company Christmas party having a few glasses and then treating us all to an “R-rated” version of the Macarena. The truth is beer makes us smile a little bigger, laugh a little harder, and pee in your buddy’s bathtub when you just can’t wait any longer.  It makes a cold day warmer, and a hot day cooler.  Not to mention, it makes us all a little more attractive.  It’s gotten you into the pants of girls who would ordinarily look right through you as if you were made of glass.  For some of you, it’s brought a child…or a bonding experience with a sworn enemy…and it never seems to fail in making a manufactured cheeseburger taste like filet mignon.

We've actually had them all

Let’s not forget sports….my first time stepping in Yankee Stadium, what did I do?  Dog and a beer.  Watching Monday Night Football with friends…beer.  Why is that guy in the top row of Staples Center having the time of his life?…beer.  Any way you want to cut it, sports and beer go hand in hand. Whether you’re an import guy who enjoys a nice, thick Guinness…or you just enjoy a frosty Bud for its familiar taste…the enhancing qualities of this sweet sports nectar can make the dullest Super Bowl party seem like a Caribbean Cruise.

It's True

This time of year, every Sunday we are treated to a bombardment of beer commercials…they are all directed to the average American Joe.  They all have subtle implications of sex….and generally paint the American male as an idiotic half-wit. We all feign laughter…and carry on with our day.  Isn’t that cute?  Perhaps it’s time we American males fight back and tell these beer companies we will no longer stand for this inaccurate portrayal!!!  We would….except we don’t care.  We drink the beer for the beer.  In fact, go grab one right now….seriously, tell your wife I said it was alright.  It’s time we had a toast!

“To sports fans…to the Pirates, Mariners, Ducks and Islanders…..to the Saints, Dolphins, Suns and Timberwolves….to Phil Mickelson, Michael Phelps and Manchester United!  Whichever sport or team you love…it’s you, the fan, who prays for victory and screams in disgust….you boo, curse and jump with glee…through the highs and lows, at the end of the day, we’re all the same.  We have beer….raise your glasses.  To beer.”

Now drink up, you losers…..and don’t stop there. Keep drinking and offer up your own toast below in the comment section. I believe I know a few of you faithful readers very well…and I’m looking forward to your toasts.

Come to the Cabaret!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen…Presenting: Liza Minnelli!!! Yes, she has gotten her enormous arse out of the wheel chair and made an appearance at the Washed Up Broadway Star Awards.

Just Kidding.  That’s former-sure-fire-hall-of-famer-before-he-did-steroids, Sammy Sosa, making an appearance at the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Celebration in Las Vegas on November 4th.  When questioned about his shockingly white skin, he casually explained it away, stating that it is just a moisturizing cream he uses to make his skin soft, and sometimes lightens it.

Lightens it?  I didn’t know moisturizing cream was supposed to remove pigment.

And if indeed, it only affected where he applied, which would be his face, I do have to confess, I’ve never so badly wanted to see a man with his shirt off.  He better just hope he never forgets this side effect, and accidentally uses it as a lubricant when he’s aroused, his lady isn’t around, and he feels the sudden urge to play “Commander One-Hander”.

Senora Juggs and the corpse of Rudolph Valentino

If he is going for a look, maybe it’s the cracked-out tranny.  Better yet, perhaps it’s something more in vogue…so maybe he’s going for the Vampire-chique.  After all, you can’t turn on the TV anymore without some malnourished waif-male with fake fangs biting into some hot girl’s neck, only to have every other hot girl you know in real life think that the bleached skinned waif male is the studliest guy since Rodney Villanueva, or dare I say, Lorenzo Lamas (Recall, if you will, the great television series Renegade…He, and his mullet, were the SH$T!!!). And while there’s no denying the plowability of his wife on his arm with the enormous cans, I just wonder if she has a thing for Robert Pattinson.

So, who-or what-else does he look like?  We’d love to hear your comments below.

I happen to do some very in-depth research on this fine female specimen.  The boring bio info includes the following…and then we’ll get to the good stuff.  Her full name is Elizabeth Ann Lambert….born 12-29-88…Lancaster, California…5’8”…and she is a junior defender for UNM.  Wonderful.  She also loves tacos….um….does she?  Apparently, she loves to camp as well…..oh, my lord!  Wouldn’t that be a treat?  Don’t burn the coffee or accidentally put out the fire…you’re liable to get kicked in the shins…or worse!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hey, Wanna Puck Around?

Sure, hockey’s popularity is no where near what it was before the lockout and after the NHL lost ESPN’s television contract.  But in many arenas around the country, fan involvement and attempt to appeal to as many people as possible is growing.  One way is with cheer leader/promo girls, glammed up, tanned, wearing really tight spandex and showing some skin.

I’ve been to many a hockey game, where scantily clad cheer leader types skate the ice during timeouts, bend over and scrape up the excess shavings with snow shovels.  Then later, they run through the stands doing promotions and contests, getting the fans involved.  Its fun for the whole family, unless you’re the wife of the guy that just won the autographed puck, and is being subsequently posed with by two girls that may work at Olympic Gardens in Las Vegas on the weekends.

In other instances, the half-naked promo-girl/cheerleaders run by shooting t-shirts from a potato gun into the crowd, and as the husband couldn’t help but take a gander at them, his wife said, “Don’t even think about it.” Other times, I’ve seen a man actually shoo the girls away, or even act appalled at their activities and wardrobe, if only to save face with his wife.  But I’ll give you 100-1 odds that he locked and loaded the mental image of those hotties on his cerebral hard drive, only to use it later to go home and make himself “go blind”.

Case in point, the link below (if the click doesn’t work, copy and paste it in your browser):

http://stars.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=711&id=47463

While you can enjoy the visuals, the music is even more filled with eroticism.  It reminds me of a movie I saw once.  There was a knock on the door, and a scantily clad woman of about 22 answers, only to find a plumber eating a sandwich.  The plumber is played by Ron Jeremy.  She immediately asked him if he has the pipe to fix her drain, to which he responds, “After you finish my sausage and meat balls”.  “I’m not really hungry”, the girl exclaims.  Jeremy tosses his sandwich over his shoulder, unzips his 1-piece coveralls and says, “I wasn’t talking about my sandwich”. The synthesized music only builds from here, and you can imagine what happens next.

Back to reality for a moment.  Is this really any different from cheer leaders in the NFL?  The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders don’t seem to acquire a whole lot of contempt…at least not that you ever hear about. Perhaps it’s the proximity and the interaction with the fans.  There are no boundaries or barriers any longer here.  With NFL cheerleaders, they are a good 60 feet away from the first section of the railing, and that’s when they aren’t close and watching the game.

Here, during intermissions, the girls are running into the stands, taking pictures with fans and promoting their team.  And yes, that includes some touching.  However innocent the intent of the young ladies just doing their jobs- and it most certainly is innocent- the recruiting of more fans via way of the “flesh trade” is definitely up for debate.  The people on the conservative side of the argument will say that this is not supportive of the “family environment” a hockey game should embody.

While we respect the family that will go out and watch the greatest spectator sport in the world as a family outing, we say anyone who thought throwing the fam in the minivan and going out to the rink where you can subject your wife and kids to grown men bludgeoning each other with sticks, pucks, and fists, probably ought to have their idea of “family entertainment” re-examined.

So let the beautiful girls frolic.  Let them wear revealing clothing, and wield the almighty snow shovel.  Let the players pummel each other, lose teeth, and buy each other a beer after the fact.  We’re still going to keep coming out to the games.  And if some gratuitous violence and flesh are the only way you’ll get out there, then we support that.  Hopefully wifey and junior won’t mind, and even come around and understand that its just entertainment and an attempt at fan recruitment.  And if you can’t convince wifey, then we’re confident that you can convince junior.