4 Killed, Blink-182 Member In Critical After Plane Crash

Four people were killed and former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and celebrity DJ AM were left in critical condition after their Learjet crashed in South Carolina. You can read the full report here.

The House that Ruth Built and the House that George Kill't

I'm not one of those people who wish the Yankees would never leave Yankee Stadium, but I am one who will be extraordinarily sad when it is torn down. The probability of man tears will be high that day.

While I wish the Yanks could continue playing in a modern ballpark where a trip to the men's room doesn't require a background in spelunking, I also wish the heritage of the old stadium could be preserved as is. And yes, I know how terribly impractical and expensive that would be. But isn't that what the Yankees specialize in these days?

This week's FCNP Picking Splinters takes a look at the final days of Yankee Stadium and why the team missing the postseason may be an unfit ending for the stadium's lifespan, but an entirely appropriate beginning to a new era marked exclusively by high prices - both for the seats and the players.

In the column I discuss the fate of the blue collar Yankee fan and how he/she is being marginalized by the process of moving to the new field. I'm sure the Yankees would counter by saying that there will be inexpensive seats available. In fact, I think I found some already.

This is a digital view of seats offered in the new stadium. Check out the sweet seats in the back part of Section 239, as reported on by New York Magazine. So, does this make the new stadium The House that Ruth Would Not Have Been Seen In From The Left Field Bleachers? Eh, whatever. It's not like anyone hits home runs to right field in Yankee stadium anyway ... Oh, wait a minute ...

Will I still be a Yankee fan after the move? Yes. Am I bitter that prices are rising exponentially? Yes. Is it a business? Yes. But all good businesses realize that pricing out your best customers -- in this case die-hard middle-class fans -- is a lousy strategy for long term economic success.

With New York's big businesses taking it on the chin, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are some empty seats near the field if prices don't drop in a few years. The Nationals were impacted severely by campaign finance reform legislation that reduced the number of tickets bought by and for congressional offices. Something similar could happen in New York, though obviously New York is a much, much bigger market and even struggling firms still have deep pockets for discretionary spending.

Yost Is Toast; No More Action for Jackson ... (and for a time, Arenas)

I meant to post this the other day, but didn't have time. Sorry about the lack of posts. Sometimes actual work derails me and it's tough to get something coherent posted up here. I'll do better this weekend.

Biggest headline of the week thus far is the firing of Milwaukee Brewers Manager Ned Yost ... while his team was tied for the NL wild card lead. For those scoring at home, that makes it FireNedYost.com: 1 - Ned Yost: 0.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the latest any manager has been fired in a season and the first time he's actually been in position to make the postseason when it happened.

The Brewers had been struggling lately and watching their once-comfortable lead for the Wild Card disappear. Brewers brass clearly thought something needed to be done and this was their solution. The immediate reaction is definitely, "wow!" and that it's illogical given that they were on track to make the postseason when the axe dropped. But think about it this way: Say Yost, a prickly clubhouse personality, really had lost the team. Consider also that his moves are often questionable: Such as bringing in a left-handed pitching specialist from the bullpen to then intentionally walk the left-handed hitting Ryan Howard and pitch to the right-handed Pat Burrell in Milwaukee's recent series against Philadelphia.

If the team is struggling, a manager isn't particularly popular with the players and his coaching decisions are suspect, why keep him around? How much does that continuity actually help you if your team keeps losing? It didn't work for the Mets in 2007. They kept Willie Randolph, their collapse continued and they missed the playoffs, only to cut Willie early in 2008. When they get rid of him, they get a huge bounce and start playing like contenders again. So the question really becomes, "Why wait?"

Tough break for Yost, but perhaps not as strange a move as we all first thought.

***

At the start of the football season I noted that while the Vikings (and several pundits) thought they could win the NFC North this season and even compete for a Super Bowl, QB Tarvaris Jackson didn't have me convinced he could lead the offense.

Apparently I'm not the only one. Vikes' boss Brad Childress benched the QB yesterday in favor of the partially fossilized Gus Frerotte, thereby maintaining the continuity of superfluous r's under center.

While I always like to jab older QBs a little bit, it's the right move. The Vikings want to win now and Jackson is clearly not ready. I can't believe no one saw this from his work last season. How could they not have addressed this in the offseason? Or were they actually planning their season around having Brett Favre at QB? Hmm.

ESPN blogger Kevin Seifert thinks this benching jeopardizes Childress's reputation as a molder of quarterbacks. I think that assumes the decision was his in the first place. The guys at the top of the organization cannot be happy about dumping a ton of money into the team this offseason only to watch the team lose its first two games.

***

In news that's about as shocking as finding gambling in a casino, Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas will miss time due to his knee injury. This after signing his $111 million contract in July.

For the record, I like Gilbert. How can you not as a writer? The guy is a character. He even has his own blog. And when he's healthy, he's a heck of a basketball player. But he's been a continual injury risk and now the team locked him in for over $100 mill. Does no one learn the lessons of Allan Houston? I hope things turn out alright for Gilbert, because he's much more fun on the court than off, but I'm still raising my eyebrows at the signing. With the NBA organized in such a way that the smallest roster gaffe can cost you a decade — see: Knicks, New York — this news could be what dooms the Wiz.

Big Ten Burial

Last night I slashed my wrists with a rusty fork ... Oh, wait ... no I didn't, I just watched "Saturday Night Live." Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. I always admire that cast because when skits tank it's pretty hard to endure. I don't know if I'd be able to do that every week and make it funny. But I do know that after watching bland episodes like last night's, I have no desire to stay up (or stay in) and watch it for the rest of the season.

Sooooooo ... the Big Ten ... word is that the biggest obstacle to a playoff system is from Big Ten commish, Jim Delany. Is there any wonder why that obstacle exists after his top team from 2008, Ohio State, gets its pants beaten off by USC? Ever since Ohio State upset a Miami team pre-destined for the national championship in 2003, the Big Ten has held a place as the second-best football conference in the nation behind the SEC. Sometimes it may have been true, but we'll never know because they seldom get to prove that on the field before the bowl games. Big Ten's record in bowl games since 2003? 3-7. Time to rethink the Big Ten's status. Differ with that opinion? Then they're going to have to prove it to me on the field, because right now the Big Ten is the biggest reason I think the BCS is broken.

Secretly surprising ... No. 17 Penn State hasn't played anyone on their level yet this year, but they have totally trucked every other squad they've taken the field against. So far they've beaten Coastal Carolina (66-10), Oregon State (45-14) and Syracuse (55-13). Nice run thus far and they have some serious weapons.

They should next eradicate Temple. The Illinois defense, which couldn't even slow a similar offensive scheme from Missouri shouldn't pose a challenge either. Bold prediction: If Penn State tops Ohio State, date, they'll play in a BCS game ... BUT it will not be for the BCS championship. Ohio State stained the Big Ten's rep too bad by getting smacked in Southern Cal last night. Without a non-conference foe against whom the Lions can prove their worth, they'll spend the early new year lamenting a lost opportunity to play for the national championship. Maybe Joe Pa should have added some substance to that slate of non-conference cupcakes.

Last night ESPN.com exclaimed "Maryland's Relentless Defense Stifles No. 23 Cal."

Interesting headline, considering that "relentless" defense sure seemed to relent when it allowed 21 points in the fourth quarter. Look, it's a good win for Maryland, but let's not blow it out of proportion. The Terps, who lost to Middle Tennessee, and nearly lost to D-IAA Delaware week one, almost allowed a likely jet-lagged team from the west coast to come back on them. Forget Cal's ranking, because we all know how accurate early season rankings are ... cough, cough, Michigan 2007, cough ... this helps the ACC's abysmal track record, but it doesn't eliminate the whole conference from critcism. Cal hasn't beaten a halfway decent non-conference team on the road since 2003 when the Bears beat Illinois 34-31.