I'm All Thumbs

Given the overwhelming reaction to last week's post (side note: actually it was really just whelming, but not overly so), I decided to prepare the second installment in my "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" series (side note: any similarity to Stephen Colbert, a/k/a "Ace," and his "tip of the cap/wag of the finger" is purely coincidental. None of us are 1/100 as funny as him (so, in the aggregate, we are still not 1/25 as funny as him)). Here goes:

Thumbs Down go to . . . the New York Mets. I still think the Mets will make the playoffs, but ever since I gave them a Thumbs Up nine days ago, they have looked about as capable as Terri Schiavo in the field (side note: too soon?), while getting hit worse than the opposing father-pitcher that year Open Bar was still in 7-8's. Hopefully the sting of a "Thumbs Down" from the editorial staff at Wheeeeeeeee's Luke? will have the opposite effect of the now inexplicable "Thumbs Up" that the Mets were awarded just a few days ago. Hope springs eternal.

Thumbs Up go to . . . . my buddy Garth. Garth Lagerway (GULC, '04) will be named general manager of MLS club Real Salt Lake later today. Kudos, Garth, now I have three reasons to visit Salt Lake City (low alcohol content beer and the opportunity to marry a 16 year-old being the other two).

Ok, fine, four reasons to visit Utah.

Thumbs Down go to . . . . the NYPD. Sorry guys, I'm a staunch supporter, but denying the President of Iran's request to lay a wreath at Ground Zero smacks of Rudy Giuliani-style diplomacy. Was there really no way to make this happen while at the same time ensuring everyone's security? I know he's supposed to be a psycho and all, but maybe it's time for a different approach to dealing with lunatics who run countries that start with the letters I-R-A . . .

Ahmadinejad giving Wheeeeeeeee's Luke? a hearty "Thumbs Up" at the 3d Annual Iranian Cultural Ministry's "Top 10 Blogs" Luncheon. Thanks, Mahmoud, but we still won't tolerate a nuclear Iran! ;)

Thumbs Up go to . . . Marc Ecko. I don't know the first thing about his fashion designing (though I assume he is somewhere between "so now" and "fabulous"), but this guy bought Barry Bonds' 756th home run and has decided to let the public vote on what he should do with it (bestow it to the hall of fame, burn an asterisk into it, or blast it into space). I've linked to my preference below (just because the record is tarnished doesn't mean the ball isn't a part of baseball history . . . so it belongs in Cooperstown). This is the real power of the Internet.

Thumbs Down go to . . . the Giants, and especially coach Tom Coughlin. I know they are only 0-2, but the Giants defense looks awful, and the offense has been 50/50 (one impressive game, one not so much). The Giants don't have a brutal schedule, but there also aren't too many gimmes on the horizon. Washington and Philly have both played better than we have in the first two weeks . . . could 0-4 be upon us before 10/1? The Giants' struggles are worthy of their own post -- and if no one beats me to it, I'll try to do one in the next few days. Suffice it to say for now that if a coach is brought in for the sole purpose of being a disciplinarian, a "no nonsense" guy, then I can forgive him not being a great X's and O's type coach, but it is inexcusable that the Giants are consistently getting called for stupid penalties, especially the 15-yarders. More to follow.