IT'S GETTING TO BE A LOT LIKE HANNA BARBERA ANYMORE

What is going on? And I'm not even talking about politics. Oh, that's strange for sure. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that just stated 1/20/09. Inaguration day. I assume the driver was looking forward to it. With the candidates I've seen, not much is scarier to me.

Nope, I'm talking sports. Number one--Greg Ogden. A 19 year-old. Drafted number one by the Trailblazers. They play in Portland. Oregon, not Maine, I believe. No, I'm sure. I'm not as sure if their team name is one or two words. That's how out of it they are. But they drafted a guy that was going to bring them immediate success. Oh, yeah, he had microfracture surgery on a knee after signing a huge guaranteed contract. He's out for the year. How about that draft lottery? Is that on the up and up? I have questions about it. Don't forget the cheating, gambling NBA ref.

Number two--Bill Belichek. A genius, we're told. Three Super Bowl titles, I think. For the New England Patriots. They play somewhere called Foxborough. It's in Massachuettes. He cheated. He got caught videotaping a defensive coach for the Jets as he was sending in signals. Remember, in the NFL, the quarterback has a head receiver in his helmet for communication with the coach. Belichek , in an apology no less, claimed they never used the stolen information in any current game. He was fined. A half million dollars. The team was fined half of that. They lose a first rounder in next year's draft. They already had an extra one anyway(s). But that was the penalty. No forfeiture of the game. No suspension. For refusing to submit to drug tests, players have been suspended 4 games. For fights at bars or clubs, the same. Some player named Pac-Man was suspended for the whole season; I forgot what he did, but he didn't cheat. He did apologize, but his was more sincere than Belichek who never even said he was sorry to the Jets. Oh well, he can afford the financail hit. And he does have some Super Bowl wins, however tarnished they may be now. But the Commisssioner is no better than the last one.

Number three--the Sox and Cubs. One plays in Boston, the other in Chi-town. Until 2004, neither had won a World Series since 1918. One still hasn't; not since 1908. Yup, nearly 100 years. So that team, the Cubs spent over $400 million dollars to try to win it this season. The Red Sox spent $50 million in the off season just to negotiate with a Japanese pitcher. They got him. For another $100 million plus. And they have the audacity to call the Yankees the "evil empire" for excessive spending. I see lots of Cub and Red Sox hats. But neither will be on my head when the playoffs begin.

Finally, yes I know this entry is long, but I have such loyal readers. This one's not about the sports world. It's about Britney. It has been reported that she took son Sean to the dentist. It seems his year and a half (perhaps) old teeth weren't white enough. She requested he whiten them. He declined.

Bananas--you bet!