If you are a regular reader of these rants, you know that I hold the PETA people in rather low esteem. There is another organization that I find to be equally annoying because of their pompous and pontificatorial pronouncements – which always seem to come during sweeps months for radio and TV ratings. That organization is the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Fundamentally, I think CSPI and local TV stations – and to a lesser degree the networks – have a rancid symbiosis going on. CSPI has its own hidden agendas; radio and TV stations need shocking exposés during sweeps periods; CSPI needs publicity to promote their hidden agendas; you connect the dots. Normally, CSPI will yell about high fat content in foods being bad for you or that some additive in some product is manufactured by a process that pollutes the environment causing the nose hairs in Andean mammals to shrivel up thereby… It isn't science; it is only remotely in the public interest. But now they want colleges to stop beer advertising because campus drinking is such a problem.

Hello! Here's the headline CSPI and the stations would not dare use. College kids drink beer. Everyone would read/hear that and shrug. They do; they have; they will; next item. And so CSPI links the alcohol ads to college sports and wants that stopped and the “science” they offer is that the NCAA basketball tournament had 939 beer ads last year, which is “more than the Super Bowl, World Series, College Football Bowl Games, and Monday Night Football combined.” Are you impressed? You should not be.

There were 63 games in the NCAA basketball tournament.

At most, there were 51 games of the other varieties.

But they don't present their “scientific findings” to reveal that there were more beer ads in these 63 games than there were in those 51 other games because that would make them look silly. And they don't bother to tell you that lots of college kids watch those other things where they are not calling for the cancellation of beer ads - - yet. Whenever the Center for Science in the Public Interest is the source of a news story, be very careful in analyzing what they say because usually it is more publicity whoring than it is science.

As the aggrieved and sanctimonious Big East Conference completes its predatory expansion – another headline you won't be reading any time soon – and it incorporates Marquette and DePaul, that puts two venues into the Big East in the Central Time Zone. Where is the outrage that was generated over the geographical silliness of the ACC when it wanted to include Syracuse?

For the last couple of years, I have taken every shot that I could at Vin Baker for being fat and out of shape and eating his way out of his career. I did not know at the time that he was also boozing his way out of his career. Now that he had been through detox and is in recovery, he could easily be the comeback story of the year in the NBA. Baker is playing back near his All-Star form; he has lost what looks to be at least 50 lbs, and his level of play may be the reason that the Celtics were willing to trade Antoine Walker to the Mavs.

Tampa Bay Bucs OT, Kenyatta Walker, had his “luxury SUV” robbed while it was outside a restaurant. Taken from the vehicle were jewelry and stereo equipment worth $72,000. Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle had the following comment:

“Police are looking for a man wearing green tights and armed with a bow and arrow.”

I have to tell you that I am not a “memorabilia person”. I do not have any “things” that might be considered to fall in that category. I have no “issues” with memorabilia collectors; I'm just not one of them and so I don't understand the motivations that put huge values on certain items. But I do understand how the so-called “Bartman Ball” could be valuable. Not to a Cubs' fan, but to a Cardinals' fan or a White Sox fan. Still, with the opening bid at $5K, that would be about $4,950 more than I would be willing to offer as my top bid.

Chuck Wepner was known as “The Bayonne Bleeder” during his boxing career. His fight with Muhammad Ali was purportedly the basis of Sylvester Stallone's first Rocky film. That was released in 1976. Now, 27 years later, Wepner is suing Stallone claiming that Stallone promised to reward Wepner for his inspirational role in creating that movie and has not done so. Wepner wants $15M; that's a whole lot of inspiration.

Here is a pop quiz. Put your books on the floor and your calculators away.

What is the difference between Rasho Nesterovic, Darko Milicic and Zarko Cabarkapa?

Hint: They are not impressionist painters; they are not pasta dishes, and they are not the nebulae to which the Xygork people migrated.

Kevin Johnson was out of work for less than 24 hours. He was signed by the Jaguars to replace JJ Stokes who may have finally worn out his “potential upside” label. At 2-7 for the year, Jacksonville needs help on the field and in the stands. Recently they played to a crowd that was about 25,000 under capacity. If you count in no-shows, there were probably at least 30,000 vacant seats. This is a franchise that is less than 10 years old and the bloom is off the rose already.

In the Vikings' three consecutive losses – after a 6-0 start – their defense has given up more than 450 yards in each of the losses to the Giants, Packers and Chargers. Those kinds of numbers will turn a 6-0 team into a 6-9 team if they are not stopped. Minnesota's stats have plunged to make them #31 in the league in total defense. Assume for a minute that the team can make some adjustments to handle the physical issues on the field such as coverage and tackling and all that kind of stuff. Here is what to look for if you are wondering if the Vikes are going to unravel. Check out the team on the sidelines and look to see if there is a re-emergence of the “Spoiled Brat/Petulant Child/It's Not My Fault Syndrome”. That was the tone and tenor of the Vikings' sidelines over the past several seasons but it seemed to have been stifled earlier this year. If it re-emerges, the team will go into the dumpster and not be seen in January. If it re-emerges, there could be some juicy wagering opportunities…

Oh, in case you are wondering what team is below the Vikings in the defensive statistics at the moment, it is indeed the Atlanta Falcons with their vaunted “G-string Secondary” that still does not cover very well.

Finally, McDaniel College in Westminster MD is known as the Green Terror. I wonder if that is also the name that students give to the meat entrée in the cafeteria on Wednesday nights?

But don't get me wrong, I love sports...

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