I love it when a liberal becomes a complete hypocrite – insisting that his right to free speech and an audience trumps everyone else’s right to raise a voice in opposition.

There is such a thing as bad publicity after all.

Creators of "Jerry Springer - The Opera," the musical that sparked outrage among conservative Christians when shown on British television, say protests and lobbying have dented ticket sales for a tour in what they call a blow to freedom of speech.

The outcry, which culminated in more than 60,000 people complaining to the British Broadcasting Corporation when it aired the profanity-laden show last year, has also undermined plans to take the award-winning musical to Broadway.

"Despite having a show which has won all the best musical awards and critical praise, I would say that it looks to me like (lobby group) Christian Voice are winning the audience battle," said Jon Thoday, the show's producer.

So it seems that the threat to free speech here is the speech of Christians calling the show blasphemous and profane – a description that most would argue fits the show.

Sorry, Mr. Thoday, but the peaceful speech of your opponents is not a threat to free speech – it is the ultimate triumph of free speech.

Posted by: Greg at 01:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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He’s moved to the Middle East, and now he’s wearing a abaya – will this guy ever stop the move into Bizarro-World?

MANAMA, Bahrain — Pop star Michael Jackson was spotted shopping in a Bahrain mall today, hiding his face behind a veil and donning a black robe traditionally worn by women in the Gulf.

He was with three children, apparently his own, who also had their faces covered by dark scarves. An unidentified woman accompanied them.

The pop star, who seems to be settling in the Persian Gulf, was seen leaving Marina Mall in the Bahrain capital, holding a child by the hand. On the way out a back door, he shook hands with security guards.

The woman — also dressed in the black robe called an abaya, jeans and a scarf that partially covered her face — had the two other children. All three children were wrapped in black scarves and wore yellow shirts and sweatpants or khakis without robes.

Since his June acquittal on child molestation charges in California, Jackson has made several trips to Bahrain as a guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the son of Bahrain's king. He reportedly was negotiating a position as a consultant with a Bahrain-based company that plans to set up theme parks and music academies in the Middle East.

On the mall outing, Jackson wore an abaya, pants, a white shirt and men's shoes. His head and face were wrapped in a black veil and he also wore black gloves.

The veil, abaya and gloves were of a style typically worn by conservative Bahraini women.

Uhhhhhhh…. Yeah.

Posted by: Greg at 03:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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He’s moved to the Middle East, and now he’s wearing a abaya – will this guy ever stop the move into Bizarro-World?

MANAMA, Bahrain — Pop star Michael Jackson was spotted shopping in a Bahrain mall today, hiding his face behind a veil and donning a black robe traditionally worn by women in the Gulf.

He was with three children, apparently his own, who also had their faces covered by dark scarves. An unidentified woman accompanied them.

The pop star, who seems to be settling in the Persian Gulf, was seen leaving Marina Mall in the Bahrain capital, holding a child by the hand. On the way out a back door, he shook hands with security guards.

The woman — also dressed in the black robe called an abaya, jeans and a scarf that partially covered her face — had the two other children. All three children were wrapped in black scarves and wore yellow shirts and sweatpants or khakis without robes.

Since his June acquittal on child molestation charges in California, Jackson has made several trips to Bahrain as a guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the son of Bahrain's king. He reportedly was negotiating a position as a consultant with a Bahrain-based company that plans to set up theme parks and music academies in the Middle East.

On the mall outing, Jackson wore an abaya, pants, a white shirt and men's shoes. His head and face were wrapped in a black veil and he also wore black gloves.

The veil, abaya and gloves were of a style typically worn by conservative Bahraini women.

UhhhhhhhÂ…. Yeah.

Posted by: Greg at 03:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In a move that has set the sports world -- especially here in Houston -- buzzing, University of Texas quarterback Vince Young has announced that he is skipping his senior season and going pro.

Texas junior quarterback Vince Young will enter the NFL draft and forgo his final year of college.

Young made the announcement official this afternoon at a press conference in Austin. A close family friend told the Chronicle of the decision earlier today.

"I wanna thank God for being in the position I'm in today ... I was ready to move on to the next level ... Hard work has paid off a whole lot," Young said this afternoon while thanking his family, his pastor and Texas coach Mack Brown.

Young thanked Brown "for all the things you have done for me ... on and off the field." Young said Brown made him a better man.

"He has the blessing of God, the pastor and his family," said Yolanda Lezine, Young's godmother and the family media's spokeswoman told the Chronicle earlier today. "It's his decision. Everybody is going to support him a 110 percent."

In a statement, Brown said he met with Young and his family this morning and fully supports Young's decision.

``We love Vince and appreciate all the great things he's done for the University of Texas on and off the field,'' Brown said. ``We'll miss him, but want him to do as well in the NFL as he did in college.''

There are a lot of Longhorn fans bemoaning this move right now, because there are questions about who will take over for Young (30-2 during his time at UT) at quarterback.

But here in Houston, there is an even bigger question.

Young's hometown Houston Texans have the first pick. Young said it would be wonderful to play in Houston, but realizes he could wind up somewhere else.

One those possibilities is Tennessee, which has the third pick. Young counts Titans quarterback Steve McNair among his close friends. He said McNair told him "go with your heart" in making his decision.

Let me tell you -- this Houston Texans season ticketholder would love to see Young play here, but I wonder if this would be the best place for Young, who grew up in a tougher part of Houston. One of my former students was drafted in the third round a few years ago, and I was relieved that he went to a team up north. After all, I knew some of the guys he was friends with as a kid, and I didn't want them around him as hangers-on. I feel something similar about Vince, who beat my team school's team in an epic battle a few years ago.

Besides, what Houston really needs is D'Brickashaw Ferguson from UVa, the top offensive lineman in the draft, to shore up a weak offensive line. Vince young's decision makes it possible for us to trade down a little furhter and get a little more between now and draft day.

Still, it would be one hell of a fantasy to have Vince Young scrambling around the way he did at the Rose Bowl.

Posted by: Greg at 02:05 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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(UPDATED 1/6/06 -- SCROLL DOWN)

Michael Vick is the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. His little brother Marcus is the quarterback of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Hopefully the school will have the integrity to make Marcus the FORMER quarterback of the Hokies.

Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick may face disciplinary action yet again in the wake of actions in MondayÂ’s Gator Bowl that athletic director Jim Weaver called unsportsmanlike and unacceptable.

Late in the first half against Louisville, Vick looked down, paused and stomped on the back of the knee of Elvis Dumervil — the Cardinals’ national Defensive Player of the Year.

Hokies quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers yelled at Vick during the game and was critical of his actions in interviews with the media afterward. With a day to review the play, Weaver weighed in.

“The unsportsmanlike conduct of quarterback Marcus Vick ... is unacceptable behavior and contrary to the Hokies Respect Campaign,” Weaver said in a written release. “Such on-field action is not reflective of Virginia Tech football nor of the values we hold at Virginia Tech. I and my colleagues in central administration are embarrassed, and this athletic administration will not condone such acts of unsportsmanlike conduct. We will review and assess this incident further and deal with it accordingly.”

Marcus has hardly been a model of decorum during his college career.

During his stay in Blacksburg, the junior has appeared in court for charges that include reckless driving, possession of marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. HeÂ’s had to perform community service, attend drug counseling and forfeit his driverÂ’s license for eight months.

He’s a convicted criminal — purportedly rehabilitated — but also Virginia Tech’s All-ACC quarterback. He rallied the Hokies to a comeback Gator Bowl victory to cap a fine season. But it came a year after he served a semester-long suspension from school that cost him the entire 2004 season for prior indiscretions.

Taking into account the school’s comments in 2004 when he was suspended, along with Weaver’s statement Tuesday, Vick’s future with the team is uncertain. The day in August of 2004 when Vick was suspended, Tech president Charles Steger said that if Vick returned to the school and team, it would be a “last-chance opportunity.”

Steger added, “If there is any more trouble, his Virginia Tech career is effectively ended.”

His blanket statement did not indicate whether on-field infractions were included.

Not that the school has held him to that high of a standard thus far this year.

What is clear is that Vick has fallen short of his stated goal from that day. “I will work hard to improve myself as a person,” he said then. “I want to bring pride to the Hokies. I want to bring pride to the Vick name.”

But there wasn’t much pride in his apology earlier this season for flipping off fans in the West Virginia stands. Nor was there much glory in being called “a no-character individual” by Dumervil after the latest game and drawing reviews like the one from Rogers.

The time has come for officials at Virginia Tech to act. Dump Marcus Vick from the team, Yank his scholarship, and tell him he has until sundown to get out of Blacksburg.

UPDATE -- 1/6/06: Much to their credit, Virginia Tech has thrown Vick off the team.

Virginia Tech on Friday kicked embattled quarterback Marcus Vick off the football team, citing the cumulative effects of numerous legal transgressions and his unsportsmanlike conduct in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl.

The announcement from university president Charles Steger came on the same day that coach Frank Beamer met with Vick and his mother in their Hampton Roads home, the school said in a new release. Beamer informed them of the decision during the meeting.

Vick, who already was on a short string after being suspended from school in 2004 for several legal problems, came under new and intense scrutiny this week after he was caught on tape stomping on the left calf of an opponent during the Gator Bowl.

No flag was called on the play, but Vick did not help himself by claiming it was accidental, even though the frequently shown replay betrayed that claim. He further hurt his cause by claiming to have apologized to Louisville All-American defensive end Elvis Dumervil for the incident, but Dumervil said no such apology ever was offered.

Then, on Friday, even more legal trouble for the junior surfaced when it was revealed that he had been stopped for speeding and driving on a suspended license in Hampton on Dec. 17, Cpl. James West said. His license had been taken away in August 2004 when he was cited for reckless driving and marijuana possession in New Kent.

That means that Marcus Vick has three choices.

Vick said before the Hokies' 35-24 comeback victory in the Gator Bowl that he planned to return for his senior season with the Hokies. Now, his choices are to declare for the NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline, transfer to a Division I-AA school so he can play next season or transfer to a Division I-A school and sit out a year.

NFL teams with any class have only one choice -- refuse to draft him (that means he will probably end up as an Oakland Raider, since they condone lawlessness and rule breaking).

His antics may have seriously harmed his NFL prospects.

One NFL general manager, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Vick hasn't entered the draft, said the quarterback's draft prospects would depend on how he looks in pre-draft workouts and how he answers teams' questions about his past off-field troubles.

NFL teams will be worried about Vick's off-field problems, the general manager said, but might take a chance on drafting him because of his obvious skill. The general manager said his early guess is that Vick would be a mid- to late-round selection in the seven-round draft, but he pointed out that one team willing to take a risk can change that forecast.

I offer only two words to any pro team thingking about spending a draft pick on this guy -- Lawrence Phillips.

UPDATE -- 1/7/06: Well, Vick's initial plan of action is to go pro.

Friday night, Vick told The Virginian-Pilot that he would turn professional.

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll just move on to the next level, baby” he said when spotted at a Virginia Beach restaurant.

Asked if that meant he would enter the NFL draft, he said, “Yeah, definitely.”

I hope you get picked last and earn the title of "Mr. Irrelevant", baby.

LINK TO: Southern Appeal

Posted by: Greg at 11:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In a stunning comeback led by junior quarterback Vince Young, the Texas Longhorns snapped the 34-game winning streak of the USC Trojans and seized the title of National Champions!

PASADENA, Calif. -- Thirty six years in waiting. Texas won tonight's Rose Bowl and the national championship in a spectacular 41-38 comeback win over USC.

Quarterback Vince Young was the difference-maker, scoring the winning touchdown in the dying seconds en route to a 200-yard rushing performance. With nineteen seconds on the clock, Young made a 9-yard dash count and added the two-play for good measure to seal the win.

Earlier, the Trojans gained some breathing room with 6:42 left in the game when quarterback Matt Leinart hooked up with Dwayne Jarrett on a 22-yard play for a 38-26 lead, but the Longhorns responded immediately with a 17-yard rushing touchdown from Vince Young with 4:03 remaining.

Just look at the stats put up by Vince Young, whose effort tonight makes you question why the Heisman Trophy went to USC running back Reggie Bush (with his fellow Trojan, QB Matt Leinart) rather than the Longhorn quarterback, who finished third in the balloting.

Texas Passing

Young

C/ATT -- 30/40

YDS -- 267

TD -- 0

INT -- 0

Texas Rushing
Young
CAR -- 20
YDS -- 200
TD -- 3
LG -- 45

I'm not surprised by the outcome, having seen Vince Young do something like this once before, in 2001, to a team that everyone said was better than his. His performance was amazing.

One of the most incredible high school football games of all-time was played last Friday at the Houston Astrodome. Houston Madison with their All-American quarterback Vince Young met Galena Park North Shore, the No. 1 5A team in Texas and the No. 5 team in the country by USA TODAY.

North Shore scored 58 points and had 605 yards of total offense, but lost to Young and his Madison team by an amazing 61-58 score. Madison managed "only" 530 yards of total offense. Both teams came into the 5A quarterfinals with perfect 12-0 records.

Young, as expected, was brilliant, and he combined with Courtney Lewis (5-10, 180, 4.4) to overwhelm the overmatched Mustangs defense. The Madison quarterback completed 13 of 20 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns and added another 192 yards rushing with three more scores. Lewis scored five touchdowns and also rushed for 129 yards."

That night I left the Astrodome in tears, having watched young men for whom I cared deeply lose a hard-fought game. Tonight my tears are tears of joy at seeing Vince Young lead a team to victory.

Hook 'Em, Horns!

Posted by: Greg at 05:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Looks like Reggie Bush will be plying his trade here in Space City, as the Houston Texans dropped their 14th game of the season to San Francisco.

The Texans had so much to lose if they won their season finale. They nearly did it anyway.

Instead, the San Francisco 49ers salvaged some pride in their own miserable season — and the Texans got on the clock for the NFL draft in April.

Mike Adams lateraled his second interception to Ben Emanuel for a 35-yard return in overtime, Joe Nedney kicked a 33-yard field goal with 3:52 left and the 49ers earned their first consecutive victories in more than two years with a 20-17 victory Sunday.

But after one last loss, fans of the Texans (2-14) might have felt like the real winners: Their franchise clinched the top pick. Houston now has the chance to choose Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy-winning tailback from USC who's widely expected to enter the draft.

"Whatever happens in this game, it won't have any effect on me," Bush said in Los Angeles, where he's preparing for Wednesday's Rose Bowl against Texas. "Obviously it will just (affect) who gets the first pick in the NFL draft. ... Like I said from Day 1, I won't be worried about it until after the season."

My wife and I spent much of the game speculating about possible trades of draft picks. After all, Domanick Davis is a good RB, and the receiver corps is acceptable. We need an offensive lineman -- and Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson would fit the bill nicely, but probably shouldn't go in the first spot.

And sources close to the Texans are reporting that the long-expected firing of Dom Capers will happen tomorrow. But there is a surprise.

Coach Dom Capers' firing has been a foregone conclusion for weeks, but a highly placed team official said today that general manager Charley Casserly will return to the Texans and remain in charge of the personnel department. Capers' firing will be made official Monday morning and announced at an afternoon news conference at Reliant Stadium.

Speculation is swirling around possible head coaches for the Texans.

The Texans are expected to interview, among others, Washington assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams, Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, Buffalo defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and possibly New York Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis.

The Texans also are expected to interview one or two college head coaches with NFL experience.

I've also heard Wade Phillips mentioned, which would go over well with Houstonfans. After all, his dad was the Oiler's coach for years.

Posted by: Greg at 03:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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