FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!!!

In light of yesterday (Black Friday 2008) and the incidents that lay the cloud of shame on the holidays. First at 5am in Valley Stream Long Island (Not far from where Joey Butafuco once lived and nailed teen agers) a Wal-mart security guard was trampled to death.

Then later in the day two women in a Cali-forn-yah Toys-R-Us (Sorry I can not reverse the R!) got in a loud vocal argument over a item. This came to a end when one women pulled a sidearm (handgun) on the other and shot a round into the person she disagreed with.

Talk about real life Jingle all the way!

The Wal_mart in East Stroudsburg, PA had a bomb scare around mid-day Friday. When police and fire crews arrived to evacuate the store customers argued with the emergency personal. "We've beeen on line for so long. Let us finish our shopping first!" In light of the recent terror attacks in India some were willing to risk their lives for a HD TV, and argyle socks. Wow, that is Freedom baby!

Bernie O'Hare of Lehigh Valley Ramblings (my favorite blogger out there, and I don't say that to kiss ass. I check it every single day regardless of what state I may be in. If I can get on line I go to his blog. http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com It is also linked on the right.) He put up a post that he will celebrate Festivus this year due to the economic times. Telling all he made a donation in their name to the Human Fund.

For the last three years I have made and mailed Festivus cards to friends and family. Some may have though I hit my head one too many times. But I'm Irish so I have 2 inches of dense skull covering my brian. Thats why I wear a 7 and 7/8 fitted hat!


But O'Hare only helps win the debate. Bill O'Reilly can scream about the "War on Christmas", the real enemy is Capitralism Bill O's best bud. Greed has driven us out of our fucking skulls. Like a bad Troma flick, or a Chase Utley line drive between your eyes. Our skulls have been beaten about for years by Corporate America, making material items as important as love, peace, and happiness. I know my life is better with a ove glove, RC Hummer, O'Reilly Factor "Holiday Balls", over priced susage, the Homer Simpson Chia head(More hair than Homer), and the fucking clapper!

Give me, give me, give me, give me, I want, I want, I want!!!!! The general population of this nation has become a spoiled fucking tot!

I'll stick with Festivus for the rest of us! "There had to be a better way!"

And it doubles as Eddie Vedder's birthday! Some real Irony in that for any Pearl Jam fan!

CALGARY STAMPEDERS WIN THE GREY CUP!

Before the second largest crown in Grey Cup history. The Calgary Stampeders win their sixth Grey Cup. In front of over 66,000 fans in Montreal. Calgary pulled off the upset before a mostly Montreal crowd.

The Mounties are brining the Grey Cup to be presented to Calgary as I write this blog post.



CALGARY STAMPEDERS 22
MONTREAL ALOUETTES 13
FINAL

Calgary Stampeders win the 96th Grey Cup, and first since 2001.

GREY CUP TODAY!!!

For those who wish to check out the CFL 96th Grey Cup, here is where you can.

TV:
VERSUS network (the same hard to find network that has NHL, and Division 2 football)
Starts 5:30PM EST (listed until 9:30 PM est)

SAT RADIO:
SIRIUS Ch. 130
Starts 6PM EST

Who are the Calgary Stampeders,eh?

Yesterday I told you about the franchise from Montreal in great detail. Tonight I give you the Calgary Stampeders.

The Stampeders take their name from the world famous Calgary Stampede. A Rodeo and festival that takes place every July. The event started in 1886 and is billed as “The greatest outdoor show on Earth”.


EARLY YEARS:
The CFL team officially became named the Calgary Stampeders in 1945. (From 1935 to 1944 they were the "Bronks")The Stampeders have won the Grey cup five times. The first came in 1948, Calgary would become the first and still ONLY CFL franchise to have a undefeated season. Many teams have come close but like the Miami Dolphins in the NFL, no CFL team has completed the feat either.




WOODY STRODE
The 1948 team also had a team member of notoriety. Woody Strode. Who was one of two black players to break the NFL color barrier in 1946 with the Rams. Strode was also a successful professional wrestler and actor. He appeared in films from 1941 until 1995.

Some of his films include the Ten Commandments,Pork Chop Hill, two Tarzan films, Spartacus (he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in that film),he narrated “Black rodeo” a 1972 documentary, and what many rank as one of the ten worst films of all time “CHE!”. That film had Jack Palance from City Slickers as Fidel Castro!



THE FLUTIE YEARS: 1992 - 1995



1992 the miracle kid himself Doug Flutie, led the Stampeders to their third ever Grey Cup win. Flutie would spend most of his years in the CFL with Calgary, but would win two more Grey Cups with Toronto in his finall years in the league.



Flutie was replaced during the 1995 season due to injury. His replacement a then unknown kid Jeff Garcia, would explode. In his second start for Calgary while Flutie was injured, Garcia set a franchise record 546 passing yards and 6 touch downs. Flutie would come back late in the season and started in place of Garcia in the Grey Cup. Flutie and Calgary lost. It began the first of many QB controversies of Garcia’s career.

Jeff Garcia became the starter in 1996 after Flutie left for the Argos. 1998 Garcia led his Stampeders to the Grey Cup capped with a win, and Grey Cup MVP. That would send him on to bigger and better things, like having TO claim you are gay. Landing a hot trophy wife. And having a franchise actually pick Donavan McNabb over you! Yo Donovan how does OT work again? How was that clock in Jacksonville as well? Ok so I thought Garcia should have been given the job in Philly.




The Stampeders fans are some of the most loyal, and wild in all of the CFL. While famous fans include Shania Twain. My favorite has to be all the drunk hosers who choose to streak the games. Typical Canadians with their 7% alc. beer. I could see Homer J. Simpson at a CFL game.

GREY CUP in AMERICA MEDIA

For those who wish to check out the CFL 96th Grey Cup, here is where you can.

TV:
VERSUS network (the same hard to find network that has NHL, and Division 2 football)
Starts 5:30PM EST (listed until 9:30 PM est)

SAT RADIO:
SIRIUS Ch. 130
Starts 6PM EST

Are you Hosers ready for some football, eh!?!

Well this Sunday will mark a nearly century old tradition to our north. While us hosers here in the states watch the New York Jets and Brett Farve. Those peace loving, higher alcohol drinking, naked sporting event streaking Canadians enjoy THEIR version of Football.


Back on December 4th, 1909 then Governor General of Canada, Lord Earl Grey donated what became the “Grey Cup”. A tradition much like the Stanley Cup began. The early days the Grey Cup was battled for between the best Collegiate and Pro clubs. (Many early clubs like the NFL for Pro were more like todays corporate softball teams)


On that December in 1909 at Rosedale Field in Toronto the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, lost to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 26-6. A new tradition was born in the great white north,eh. The University of Toronto would win the first three Grey Cups. The “Pros” did not win until Hamilton Alerts won. The Alerts were members of the Canadian Rugby union. The game was a mutant of rugby, but by the return of the Grey cup after WWI it would be more like American football. With many obvious differences.


During the 1920’s the Amateur teams would vanish from the Grey Cup meetings for the “Canadian Rugby” champions. The sanctioning body would not become the “Canadian Football League” until several Rugby organizations merged in the 1950’s. However the Rugby rules had vanished decades early.



Some of the amateur teams that appeared in the Grey Cup included the Toronto Rowing Club (0-1), Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club(0-2), the winnings' team University of Toronto(4-2), and the teams with a perfect Grey cup record Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (AAA)(1-0), and Queen’s University(3-0). Queen’s would be the last school champions in 1924, while University of Toronto would be the last appearance of a College.


Amateur clubs would also win in 1931 (Montreal AAA), 1942 Toronto Royal Canadian Air Force Hurricanes, and 1944 the Montreal HMCS Donnacona (Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship, a unit of the Canadian Naval Reserve.) would be the final non professional club to win the Grey Cup.



While the Grey Cup started in 1909, this will be only the 96th Grey Cup. No game was held 1916 through 1918 due to WWI. 1919 saw no game due to a rule dispute with the Canadian Rugby Union and the International Rugby Board. Apparently the forward pass was at issue. Thus the game would become Football as North America knows it.



The game has long been played on a field 110 yards long not 100 yards like in America. 100 yards are for pussies. The field is wider in Canada as well at 65 yards across, because shorter is for pussies! They have 12 men on the field not 11 like the AMerican outdoor version because, less men is for pussies! The goal posts still are in front of the Canadian end-zone because, moving it out of the players way is for pussies! And of-course the ball is larger in the CFL because little balls,.... are for pussies! The CFL for years in the 1990’s sold shirts that said “CFL, Our balls are bigger!” Hence the macho jokes.



Also you have just three downs not four to move ten yards for a first down. The clock rarely stops, and they have the three minute warning not the two minute warning of the NFL, or 1 minute warning of the AFL.



Many names famous to us hosers who watch the NFL have won a Grey Cup. While we may re-call a few years ago Rickey Williams was a member of the Toronto Argonauts that team did not go to the championship with the then banned NFL player. However Toronto does have a pair of famous Grey Cup MVPs for us down here. The 1991 MVP was Raghib “rocket” Ismail (who passed being drafted by the Raiders for the CFL), and 1996 and 1997 Toronto’s Doug Flutie would be MVP. Flutie also won the 1992 award with the Calgary Stampeders.


Other NFL bound MVP’s include 1980 & 1982’s Offensive MVP Warren Moon (from 1974-1990 they awarded a Offensive and defensive MVP award). Current Green Bay QB coach Tom Clements won it for 1976. And current NFL QB Jeff Garcia was the 1998 MVP for the Calgary Stampeders.



This year the Calgary Stampeders go to Montreal (the neutral site that was picked in advance.) where they will face the Montreal Alouettes who won the East to play on their home turf. The Alouette name comes from a old song “Alouette” about a lark bird. Considered a symbol of Quebecois (native born residents of Quebec ). T

The team started as the “Baltimore Colts” to Canadian TV viewers in 1994. The first CFL team in America they played in Baltimore. In America they had to be called the “Baltimore CFLers”. They would win the 1994 Grey Cup becoming the first Non-Canadian team to do so. In 1995 they returned as the “Baltimore Stallions” and would win the Grey Cup again.



However days before the 1995 Grey Cup Art Modell announced he would move the Browns to Baltimore. While all the other CFL teams in America were in financial ruin. Baltimore had great ticket sales, and TV viewers in charm city. But the writing was on the wall. The team moved to Montreal and took back the old Alouette name much like a few years later would happen in Cleveland Ohio for the Browns. The Baltimore Franchise also appeared on a episode of the NBC drama “Homicide: Life on the Streets” in 1995. They were called the “Colts” in the episode.



The next few days I will post more CFL/Grey Cup info along with more videos. Below is the CFL highlights of the divisional Championship games that decided the teams for the 96th Grey Cup.

Corgi Community on President Bush

Well I have been rarely posting this week. I still have yet to post my thoughts on the racist verbal attacks at Lehigh post election day. Not to mention all the posts Obama has appointed so far.

And for alternate football fans, I will preview this years Grey Cup.(Candaian Football)

In the meantime check out this Corgi when the name "George Bush" is spoken.

I guess along with most humans, Bush is a unpopular name among the Corgis as well. I'm not sure what he did. Maybe they think Barney is a spoiled little bastard. Or maybe Bush has made it more difficult to herd soccer balls in ones backyard.

No matter here you go, enjoy.


Find more videos like this on MyCorgi.com

On that note....

It is hard to say much on politics post Obama's victory. It was nice to see America has come a rather long way to 2008. And sure a long way to go as the first four years will show.

But let's not dwell on the thought of crazy white power groups attempts to cause mayhem.

Instead let's look into why the NL is better than AL.

In the NL you have pinch hitters for the pitcher spot. Guys like Matt Stairs can come out and with one swing make history off the bench.

In the AL over the hill has beens play as a DH. they usually have 25- 35 Homeruns, maybe 100 RBIs, and are lucky to hit .275.

So is it any wonder this guy was the most exciting thing the Skydome has seen since Joe Carter and Mitch Williams 1993?

Election Day 2008 in Tobyhanna, PA

I was wrong thank god that Coolbaugh three would be a disaster. As you will see in my report it was due in very large part to the Obama camp working extra hard.

Chase Utley's Blue Card Baseball

I love all 4 channels in Philly were live with no delay.




WORLD PHUCKING CHAMPIONS!