Attention: Philadelphia

Bill Simmons of ESPN recently wrote about a relatively unknown event in sports fandom: the buying binge. (Last item in this article.)

When your favorite team wins a championship, you feel the need to celebrate. It's very easy to either go down to the mall, if the team is in your area, or visit an on-line spot, if it isn't, and go shopping. The longer the wait has been for a championship, the more you want to buy. Simmons pulled eight t-shirts out of his closet that related to the 2004 Boston Red Sox.

I've been there. You see, my name is Budd, and I am a championship shopaholic.

Syracuse had never won a basketball title before doing so in 2003, and my credit card was ready. Official CBS video of the Final Four? Check. Syracuse's DVD review of the season? Check. Final Four sweatshirt? Check. Final Four gym bag and program? Yup and yup. Championship golf shirt when visiting the bookstore? Who could resist? You know those special magazines Sports Illustrated produces for champions? Always wanted to buy one of those, so I did.

A year and a half later, the Red Sox finally won a championship after 86 years. I wasn't a fan for all 86 years, but for a big part of it. The damage was considerable: the official World Series video, the local NESN DVD, the DVD of the ring ceremony the next spring, a program from the World Series, an ALCS t-shirt, a championship sweatshirt, a mug, and the commemorative book from the Boston Globe. Yes, there was another SI commemorative issue. Then someone gave me a clock with "World Series Champions 2004" on the face, and a World Series hat. I got the yearbook in the spring too.

Then four years later, as in last week, I saw a DVD version of HBO's "Curse of the Bambino," which I had seen in 2005, on sale at Big Lots for $3. That one always gets me weepy, especially when they show the sign in the parade that says "our parents and g-parents thank you." Sold.

I was much better in 2007. I won friendly wagers for a sweatshirt and t-shirt from Boulder, Colo., friends when the Rockies lost to the Red Sox in the Series. OK, there was a golf shirt and a yearbook and a DVD (but only one), and I got a glass for Christmas. But the financial rubble wasn't too extensive.

So Phillies' fans, I know what you are feeling. Philadelphia hadn't won a World Series since 1980, and the city hadn't won any sort of title in a quarter-century. Please -- remember that your 401K plan is now a 301K plan. Hold down your spending to only, oh, 12 or 14 items. You'll thank me ... not today, not tomorrow, not next month, but maybe by 2012.

Jobs by the dozens

Who says unemployment is up in America right now? There's one profession that seems to be growing exponentially.

Political strategist.

They are just about everywhere.

Turn on one of the all-news stations, particularly during the day, and you'll find a couple of them (they seem to come in pairs). One for McCain, one for Obama. They spout their respective party lines, go back and forth for five minutes or so, and then are sent to where political strategists go when they aren't on TV. Personally, I think they just switch channels for their next engagement, one station after another.

The two questions that comes to mind are:

1. Do these guys have any background or references? There's never any listing of their qualifications. (Note: This does not include the Bob Shrums or Karl Roves of the world, who actually have worked for Presidential candidates.) Did they ever do more than make phone calls for the Town Council candidates of Hulett, Wyoming? (Assuming Hulett has one.)

2. Do these guys ever say anything interesting? Either Obama's got it all locked up, or McCain is closing fast. Their fax machines must be humming with stuff from the campaign headquarters.

I suppose MSNBC, CNN and FNC have to show something during the day besides the candidates' speeches -- which, by the way, consists of roughtly the same material day after day, hour after hour (although it is fun to count up the number of false charges that Gov. Palin seems to make in a given speech) -- and this kills part of the time.

But, jeez, what are these media outlets going to do on ... Wednesday?!?

Incident at a bookstore

The other day I was visiting one of the area's Barnes and Noble stores, hanging around a display about the upcoming Presidential election. I'd lie and say I stopped briefly on my way to the philosophy department or Greek history section, but you know better.

Anyway, two men in their early 20's passed by the display. One stopped at the display and noticed a biography of Sarah Palin that was there.

"Hey, it's the hockey mom," one of them said. Then after a pause, he said with equal parts sarcasm and disgust, "I've never known a hockey mom to spend $150-thousand on her clothes." His friend chuckled and agreed with him as they moved on.

Governor, based on that incident I'd say it's going to tough for you to shake that image off for a while.

Here's to tolerance...

We'll see if this Friday night article from the Associated Press gets much play:

Terrorist strikes on four American cities. Russia rolling into Eastern Europe. Israel hit by a nuclear bomb. Gay marriage in every state. The end of the Boy Scouts. All are plausible scenarios if Democrat Barack Obama is elected president, according to a new addition to the campaign conversation called "Letter from 2012 in Obama's America," produced by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family Action.

The imagined look into the future is part of an escalation in rhetoric from Christian right activists who are trying to paint Obama in the worst possible terms as the campaign heads into the final stretch and polls show the Democrat ahead.

Although hard-edge attacks are common late in campaigns, the tenor of the strikes against Obama illustrate just how worried conservative Christian activists are about what should happen to their causes and influence if Democrats seize control of both Congress and the White House.

"It looks like, walks like, talks like and smells like desperation to me," said the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Houston, an Obama supporter who backed President Bush in the past two elections. The Methodist pastor called the 2012 letter "false and ridiculous." He said it showed that some Christian conservative leaders fear that Obama's faith-based appeals to voters are working.

The story goes on to say:

But the tone this election year is sharper than usual and the volume has turned up as Nov. 4 nears.

Steve Strang, publisher of Charisma magazine, a Pentecostal publication, titled one of his recent weekly e-mails to readers, "Life As We Know It Will End If Obama is Elected."

Strang said gay rights and abortion rights would be strengthened in an Obama administration, taxes would rise and "people who hate Christianity will be emboldened to attack our freedoms."

Separately, a group called the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission has posted a series of videos on its site and on YouTube called "7 Reasons Barack Obama is not a Christian."

The commission accuses Obama of "subtle diabolical deceit" in saying he is Christian, while he believes that people can be saved through other faiths.

Focus on the Family Action is legally separated (but obviously connected) from Focus on the Family, Rev. James Dodson's group. Dr. Dodson, you might remember, urged prayers for heavy rain during Barack Obama's convention acceptance speech in Denver. Sean Hannity once said on air that it was "an honor" to talk to Dr. Dodson in an interview.

The Elmira Express

A movie about someone who moved to Elmira as a child and then went to Syracuse University? What, did someone film my life story?

Not quite. "The Express" is about football great Ernie Davis, and any comparison between the two of us would stop if anyone remembers my feeble attempts to play football. But it certainly was a must-see for me under the circumstances.

It was indeed funny to see scenes filmed at Syracuse, especially ones with the old stadium drawn in my computers. The campus sure looked good, though, as did the clipping of the Syracuse Daily Orange. I don't think any scenes were actually filmed in Elmira. I did, however, get a kick out of the point when the movie's author used the real name of the sports editor of the Elmira newspaper (Al Mallette) in a scene set in that town.

The movie is based on a nine-year-old book called "Ernie Davis : The Elmira Express." I read it a few years ago and remember thinking that it had more typographical errors than any professionally published book I had ever seen. (I hope the new edition, put out for the movie, did some cleaning.) When I heard about the plans for a movie, I wonder where the story would go. After all, Davis was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, but died before he could ever play a down in the National Football League. No chance at a happy ending there.

"The Express" concentrates on Davis' sophomore season, when Syracuse won the national championship. He wins over his teammates with his talent and decency as the victories pile up on the field. The centerpiece is the Cotton Bowl against Texas, and Davis battles racial prejudice in emerging victorious. That feels like the emotional highpoint, but the movie still has 20 minutes left. So it's not "Brian's Song" or "Hoosiers."

Still, it's a pretty exciting movie. Directors seem to love football movies, if only to show hard hits in slow motion from three angles. Davis seemed to get the ball on every play and run for at least a first down, but that's Hollywood. Dennis Quaid (as coach Ben Schwartzwalder) and Rob Brown (as Davis) are fine in the lead roles, and some of the dialogue is smart and snappy.

Sports fans always get picky about their films; it's easy to forget that it's not a documentary. Still, it's easy to point out that a game in which Syracuse plays at West Virginia and confronts the racist fans down there was in real life played in Syracuse. The Redskins are shown to want to trade Davis to the Browns because owner George Preston Marshall supposedly didn't want a black player on his roster. Well, Davis was traded to Cleveland for Bobby Mitchell, the first African American in Redskins' history and a future Hall of Famer in his own right.

Oh well. "The Express" still has some lessons to teach about the era that we should remember today, and Davis should never be forgotten. You could do far worse on a chilly fall day for entertainment, particularly if you are a football fan.

Summer's over

There is something sad about the end of your favorite baseball team's season.

Spring training marks the annual renewal of life, summer features warm days and good times, and fall seems compressed as we try to get everything done before the first snow, at least in the Northeast.

So it goes for the Red Sox fans, whose season ended Sunday night with a loss in Game Seven to the Tampa Bay Rays, those 1969 Mets impersonators. Fittingly, the high temperature Tuesday in Buffalo is scheduled to be in the low 40's, which isn't exactly baseball weather. Ever hit a baseball in cold weather? It's like a swarm of bees attacking your hands; it left me close to tears once, and it was warmer than that.

Boston's season raises an interesting question. In an age when you only hear chants of "we're number one," can you have a satisfying sports season when your team doesn't win it all? I'd like to think so, but it's tough ... and that's particularly true after a couple of instances of ultimate success, like the Red Sox have had lately.

It wasn't a great year in Red Sox Nation, but it was a pretty good one. The team's young talent continued to develop, ensuring a good future. Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jon Lester look like stars. Boston made the playoffs despite a sideshow involving Manny Ramirez, who might have been useful in a Game Seven but the team probably wouldn't have gotten there with the distraction he represents. The Red Sox gave it all they had, beating a good Angels team and avoiding elimination for as long as possible in spite of a lineup that looked spent at time because of injuries. Mike Lowell would have been helpful in the playoffs, while Josh Beckett and David Ortiz were obviously hurting.

But the offseason brings time for contemplation, and it's easy to wonder about how some old friends will fare. Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek and Mike Timlin were all big parts of the 2004 team, and all are facing serious questions about their baseball futures. If they all depart for one reason or another (not to say that they will, but they might), that would leave Ortiz as the only full-time player left from the magical 2004 season. Time waits for no one, particularly in baseball.

The offseason is also a time for action, as the team tries to readjust and get better for 2009. Trades? Free agents? Who knows? We only know that the Red Sox have resources and are willing to use them creatively. It's easy to feel much better about next year's baseball in Boston than in, say, Pittsburgh.

In the meantime, the New York Yankees haven't played baseball in three weeks. This was better.

For those in Minnesota...

You might remember the scary video of the scary people filing into a McCain rally a couple of posts ago.

One of them may be in Congress.

Chris Matthews of MSNBC recently interviewed Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Here's a transcript of how the interview ended:

MR. MATTHEWS: How many Congress people, members of Congress, do you think are in that anti-American crowd you described? How many Congress people do you serve with? I mean, it's 435 members of Congress.

REP. BACHMANN: Right now --

MR. MATTHEWS: How many are anti-American in the Congress right now that you serve with?

REP. BACHMANN: You'd have to ask them, Chris. I'm focusing on Barack Obama and the people that he's been associating with. And I'm very worried about --

MR. MATTHEWS: But do you suspect that a lot of people you serve with --

REP. BACHMANN: -- their anti-American nature.

MR. MATTHEWS: Well, he's a United States senator from Illinois. He's one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in the Congress of the United States do you think are anti- American? You've already suspected Barack Obama. Is he alone, or are there others? How many do you suspect of your colleagues as being anti-American?

REP. BACHMANN: What I would say -- what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.

The complete interview can be found here. It would be interesting to know what the Congresswoman's definition of "pro-America" is.

FOOTNOTE: Since this was written, Bachmann's opponent received $700,000 in three days in campaign contributions. The Congresswoman is also the target of a censure petition, in which the rolls have gone past 50,000.