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Jan. 12, 2007 1. But does she watch 24? During a recent press conference, Reuters television feed picked up some off-the-air comments by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Rice admitted that she loved the folks over at Fox News, lending credence to the accusations that the network’s “Fair and Balanced” mantra is anything but. Dr. Rice did redeem herself, however, when she said that Harry Smith, one of the hosts of CBS’s morning program, The Early Show, was a decent man and expressed that she’d grant him an interview if he asked for it. I might not like Dr. Rice’s politics, but I think she’s a cool person. Any woman who likes football, especially one who considers being the NFL’s commissioner as a dream job, is worth her weight in gold. 2. And we care…why? David Beckham is coming to the United States , having signed a monster deal to play for the L.A. Galaxy of Major League Soccer. It would have been a bigger story if Beckham had signed to kick for the Dallas Cowboys next season. There are a lot of folks who like soccer in this country, but it still ranks below ice hockey in popularity. Figure that within three years, the Galaxy will be broke because of Beckham, and they’ll either fold or wind up moving to Europe , where soccer (or, as they refer to it, football) is truly king. 3. Yeah, we’ll need at least 90,000 of them… The Democratic National Committee recently announced that it would hold its 2008 convention in Denver . That means that they have a year and a half to plan the most important part of the convention, the balloon drop after the presidential nominee’s speech, and make sure they get it right. The balloon-drop debacle at the FleetCenter in Boston , during the 2004 Democratic convention, still gets lots of play across the Internet. It was a funny moment, to be sure, but I’m hoping that it doesn’t get repeated next year. It doesn’t bode well going into the presidential campaign season. 4. Forget the lighthouse, let’s go shopping! Never mind that North Carolina boasts such wonderful attractions as the Blue Ridge Parkway, Biltmore House, and the Outer Banks. For the last four years, the state’s most popular tourist spot is a shopping mall--specifically, Concord Mills. A huge mall which features anchor stores like Bass Pro Shops, Books-A-Million and Circuit City , as well as a 22-screen multiplex, Concord Mills is located near Lowe’s Motor Speedway, at the southern edge of Concord , seat of Cabarrus County and a suburb of Charlotte . Not only does Concord Mills benefit from its proximity to the race track, and the thousands of people it draws during race weeks in May and October, it also draws people from across the region the rest of the year who want to find good deals. 5. Open the door and let ‘em in! The Pro Football Hall of Fame has selected the 17 finalists for consideration for the 2007 class. The finalists include 14 modern-era players, two players selected by the Senior Committee, and former commissioner Paul Tagliabue. I’ve made the case on several occasions that punter Ray Guy and wide receiver Art Monk deserve enshrinement in Canton , and I’ll stand by my contention that these two great players have been slighted too many times. Assuming a maximum class of six people, here’s who should be joining Guy and Monk in the 2007 Hall-of-Fame class: Bruce Matthews—Offensive Lineman, Houston/Tennessee Oilers and Tennessee Titans, 1983-2001. A nine-time All Pro and named to 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, Matthews played 296 games in his career, more than any position player in league history. Though he played predominantly at guard, he played at every offensive line position, and usually handled long snaps on special teams. Paul Tagliabue—Commissioner, 1989-2006. Under Tagliabue’s watch, the NFL did not endure a work stoppage (something the three other major sports faced at some point). The league also expanded into Charlotte and Jacksonville , put new teams in Cleveland and Houston, and supported construction projects on 20 new stadiums. Equally impressive, Tagliabue presided over a smooth change in the playing ball, from the F1000 ball used since 1970 back to the old Duke pattern used prior to the AFL-NFL merger. (Eat your heart out, David Stern.) Derrick Thomas—Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs, 1989-1999. The late Derrick Thomas is among the all-time leaders in quarterback sacks (126.5 in his career, good for fourth), including an NFL-record seven sacks in a game against Seattle . He also scored four touchdowns on fumble returns in his career and was responsible for three safeties. Thurman Thomas—Running Back, Buffalo Bills (1988-1999) and Miami Dolphins (2000). One of the anchors of Buffalo’s successful teams in the 1990’s, Thurman Thomas is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage four consecutive years, and is one of only four running backs to gain at least 1,000 yards rushing from scrimmage for eight consecutive years. He helped lead the Bills to an astonishing four consecutive Super Bowls during his career. 6. There’s hope for me yet… King World recently announced that two of the top-rated syndicated programs in America have been renewed through the 2011-2012 season. Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have been gold mines for both King World, their distributor, and Sony Pictures Television, the company that produces both shows. I tried out for Jeopardy! at a contestant search in Atlanta a decade ago. I also know a number of people who have been on the show, including Georgia Tech alumnus Scott Gillispie, who won the Jeopardy! College Championship in 1991. There’s still time for me to get on the show and win a pile of money, just so long as Alex Trebek remains in good health. 7. Goodbye, Farewell, and…Hey, there’s Leslie Nielsen! I was twelve when the final episode of the hit TV series M*A*S*H went off the air. It wasn’t until some time later that I realized the importance of “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen”, and that I was an idiot for not catching it the first time. TV Land’s recent M*A*S*H marathon gave me the opportunity to catch what will forever be the highest-rated single episode of a regular TV series. I am, however, proud to admit that I was one of the three people in the country watching NBC’s attempt to counter-program against M*A*S*H --The Night The Bridge Fell Down, a cheesy made-for-TV disaster movie produced by the late great Irwin Allen. And considering the body of comedic work that made Leslie Nielsen a household name, it’s a shame that his more dramatic work, especially in the theatrical spectacle The Poseidon Adventure has been largely forgotten. 8. Speaking of goodbyes… A certain columnist whose identity will not be revealed has entreated me to continue writing for Useless Knowledge. I told said columnist that, since I had already put into print my desire to leave, that it would serve no one to rescind that decision. I want to reiterate that my decision to leave the site has nothing to do with any single columnist here. No one is forcing me away; I’m doing this on my own accord. But I have to agree with some of the recent sentiments here, that some good writers have been chased away and others will follow suit. It is my hope that those of you who read us regularly do not care for juvenile name-calling, half-baked rebuttals, or tiresome tit-for-tat. I hope you care to read thoughtful, timely and thought-provoking opinions on issues that shape our world today. My hope is that our writers will share their opinions intelligently and back them up with solid facts, when applicable. As I’ve found out over the years, the people who read us know bull@#$! when they see it. We’re not just writing for ourselves here. As a bonus, I can tell you all exactly what my final column will be. It’ll be the preview of Super Bowl XLI, during the last week of January. I promise that I’ll treat you, the reader, with the respect and dignity you deserve with that column, and every other column that I write from here out. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written over 100 articles for Useless Knowledge. He has also written the unpublished novels Now Batting..., Santa's Sleigh Is Missing and The Writer's Nightmare. He works as a business analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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