Since when does something someone else says automatically mean you endorse it? Since when do you have to agree with everything an authority figure believes in order to respect him? Since when does a stupid statement another person makes reflect on you? All of us have friends and relatives who have beliefs different than our own. Think of all the elders, teachers, preachers, and role models you know. Do you agree with each and every thing that they all say? Of course not, but that doesn't... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - Should someone lose their job and career for saying the wrong thing? Is it right that years of unblemished service be wiped out by a single off hand comment? The answer is... it depends. Last Friday, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman said young pro golfers trying to catch up to Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley." Naturally this comment sparked outrage since Tiger Woods is part African American. The anger further intensified as Tilghman was allowed to appear on... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - The media circus surrounding Roger Clemens' congressional testimony isn't shedding much light on who is lying and who is telling the truth. However, it is exposing the crystal clear hypocricy of baseball. The surprising champion of truth in all this may end up ironically being Jose Canseco. Canseco cashed in on confessing his steroid use. He wasn't going to the hall of fame anyway so he might as well make some money off the scandal. While Canseco delighted in pointing his... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - The Daily Show is always brilliant. Tonight they were especially inspired. They notched up their commentary on media responsibility showing anchor after anchor crowing on and on about outbursts and meltdowns on the presidential campaign trail. The anchors suggested Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney "lost it" on reporters. Jon Stewart then, in a way only he could, showed what really happened. Both men were calm and rational. Both discussed their point of views in a controlled... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - Add Heath Ledger to the list of young Hollywood stars who died too young. His mysterious end at the age of 28 in a New York apartment, naked with a bottle of sleeping pills nearby, has all the ingredients of a posthumous legend in the making. Like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe before him, an early tragic death of an up and coming star has a way of immortalizing and exaggerating a personality, talent and accomplishments. It is unclear how Ledger died, but whatever the eventual... Read Full Story
The world says goodbye to one of the few true legends of the silver screen. Charlton Heston was far more than a movie star. In the era of big epic films, Heston was an even bigger epic presence. He commanded the screen and your attention through the sheer power of his acting. Thousands upon thousands of extras could be buzzing around a scene but it was Heston who everyone zeroed in on. He was that kind of man. I had the privilege of meeting Charlton Heston in December 1995. The Northwestern... Read Full Story
If there was ever any doubt that there's a link between genetics and the remote control... I have the proof. It's a universally known fact that men need to control the remote. It's programmed into their DNA. When man first stood upright he headed straight for the couch to sit on his ass and use his newly opposable thumb to channel surf. Various heretics out there might cluelessly claim this is a cultural behavior. Silly them. Today I watched my just past kindergarten son walk into a room... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - Suspending TV talent for off hand remarks seems to be in vogue these days. Now it's ESPN's Dana Jacobson who is on the hot seat. The co-host of "First Take" on ESPN2 is reportedly serving a one-week suspension for comments made at a January 11 roast of ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. Jacobsen is said to have made vulgar comments about Notre Dame as a joke. Jacobson is a Michigan graduate who often kids Notre Dame alumnus Golic about the rivalry between... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - As Roger Clemens awaits his February 13th meeting with U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he ponders the seemingly impossible task of clearing his name. The seven time Cy Young Award winner and, until recently, shoe in for the Hall of Fame, was named in the Mitchell Report as a user of steroids. The apparent source of the allegation is a sole trainer who claim he injected Clemens years ago. Clemens vehemently denies the allegation. He is doing what he... Read Full Story
Kent Ninomiya - The two month old Writers Guild of America strike threatens to change every aspect of our media. That includes TV, movies, Internet, and much more. All indications are that both sides are digging in for a long fight. The union would not give exemptions for awards shows like Peoples Choice and Golden Globes. They promise to take a hard line on the Academy Awards next month as well. The studios aren't blinking. They have canceled dozens of writers' contracts suggesting they are... Read Full Story
