JUNE 29, 2011
BRUCE A. BRENNAN BLOG FROM THE WORLD AND MY MIND
The news as I see it and the views as I want them.
June 29 is … Camera Day
Below is a snapshot of the Dodgers finances.
In a column posted on Tuesday, I mentioned the Dodgers Bankruptcy filing on Monday. I did a little research to determine who the potential losers are other than Major League Baseball. In the Bankruptcy filing document, the debtor (Dodgers) listed creditors. I am sure this will be amended at least one time. Those listed as being owed money include:
NAME AMOUNT OWED
1. Manny Ramirez, a former player $20,992,086.00
2. Andruw Jones, a former player $11,075,000.00
3. Chicago White Sox $ 3,500,000.00
4. Juan Pierre, a former player $ 3,050,000.00
5. Marquis Grissom, player no longer in baseball $ 2,719,146.00
6. Bank of America, credit card debt $ 316,243.00
7. KABC – AM Radio $ 273,321.00
8. City of Los Angeles, Taxes $ 240,563.00
9. Vincent E. Scully, (Vin Scully) announcer $ 152,778.00
Manny Ramirez is out of baseball; Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre are playing for other teams; Marquis Grissom has not played for the Dodgers since 2002.
The complete schedule of creditors lists 40 entities including the current roster of players. This is the type of information MLB does not want floating around on the internet or accessible by other players and the union. It is out there now. MLB will long remember the day they let the McCourts into the ownership club. They took a storied franchise and ruined it. They may also take away money from the other owners while MLB recovers from this pair of keystone cops. If they miss a pay date, players will flee this franchise like the Titanic. It could be decades to rebuild player trust, fan trust and respect from other owners.
Clearly the McCourts did not get a check mark on their report cards saying they play well with others.
On Monday, the United States Supreme Court got one right. The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from former detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq who wanted to sue defense contractors over claims of abuse.
The justices turned aside the appeal Monday from Iraqis who said they or their relatives were abused by interrogators employed by two firms, CACI International Inc. and Titan Corp. A divided federal appeals court had dismissed the lawsuits. The firms provided interrogators or interpreters to assist U.S. military guards at the prison that served as the backdrop for pictures of grinning U.S. soldiers posing with detainees, some naked, being held on leashes or in painful and sexually humiliating positions. Military investigators later concluded that much of the abuse happened in late 2003 – when CACI and Titan's interrogators were at the prison.
Michelle Bachmann manages to make a major misstatement within hours of announcing she was running for President. She confused John Wayne with John Wayne Gacy. Not exactly the same guy or same all-American image. In Waterloo, Iowa on the eve of her official presidential campaign announcement, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told Fox News that she has "the spirit" of John Wayne.
The presidential hopeful, who was born and grew up in Waterloo as a child before moving to Minnesota, said, "Well, what I want them to know is just like, John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa. That's the kind of spirit that I have, too."
The Washington Times points out one slight problem with the Tea Party favorite's remarks: The John Wayne with roots in Waterloo is John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer who was executed by lethal injection in 1994 after being convicted of 33 murders in Illinois.
John Wayne, the late movie star, director and producer, was born in Winterset, Iowa, but appears to have no specific connection to Waterloo.
Bachmann's reference to Wayne in the Hawkeye State does not appear to be an isolated incident. In the latest edition of Newsmax magazine, the conservative congresswoman says in an exclusive interview, "We're seeing the nation move into decline. I'm not willing to do that. I'm not satisfied. I grew up with John Wayne’s America. I was proud that you grew up in John Wayne’s America: Proud to be an American, thrilled to be a patriot."
The Washington Times reports that Bachmann's camp addressed her remarks to Fox News in a statement saying, "John Wayne is from Iowa, his parents lived in Waterloo." CNN reports, "But according to the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, the actor's parents did live in the city at one point." This will not be the first clarification from the Bachmann camp nor the most serious correction/clarification.
Just a couple of thoughts I had and you should too.
BRUCE A. BRENNAN
DEKALB, IL 60115
COPYRIGHT 2011
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Book Titles:
Holmes the Ripper
A Revengeful Mix of Short Fiction
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
