Salon's Kaufman argues Serena Williams as Sports Person of the Year Award.

Since I know that Lance Armstrong was not even the best cyclist last year, I won't get into a debate about Lance vs. Serena. I won't even argue how to define sportsman or sportswoman vs. athlete, which I feel are different. Lets get to the really stupid statement.

.....he won one race in a sport so obscure that most Americans can't even name another of its events, and so limited that its skill set can be described thusly: pedaling fast and not falling over.

Uhh,.. well no. That is not really correct on several points.

Obscure events? To most Americans, yes. I suppose most Europeans could not many many football teams other than the Dallas Cowboys. I think most people in the world knows who the US Postal Teams is now. At least in Europe.

Lance not only has to pedal fast and not fall over to win a grand tour he needs to be able to pedal fast for long periods of time, up mountains, down mountains at 60+ miles an hour into really nasty curves on them, by himself, with a team, and with a peloton. Physically, he has to train to be able climb, time trial, and even sprint. Most great riders cannot become great grand tour riders because their body cannot take the abuse for three weeks.

Mentally there is a lot going on also. As a team leader he has to instruct his team on how to race. He has to be a race general. (You don't think Michael Vick just tells everybody to run around until they are open, do you?) There is much strategy in a grand tour; for the whole race, for each stage, for each mountain climb. Strategy will change as teams attack, or riders withdraw.

Saying the skill set needed to win the Tour is being able to pedaling fast and not falling over is like saying that the only skill set needed to win a major tennis tournament is to run fast and hit a yellow ball over net. It is asinine.

Of course I would never really take any column or article from Salon on sports seriously. I don't think watching TV and knowing how to type is all that is needed in the skill set to be a sports reporter or columnist.

Update: And of course Kaufman is getting flamed, but I have a feeling that is what he was hoping for.

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Bill O'Reilly in battle with ex-homosexual minister.

I really do not care about O'Reilly, but have a more important issue this brings up. Why can't the religious right forgive Bill Clinton for getting a blow job when they have forgiven Stephen Bennett for giving them? I'm not saying there is anything wrong with either, but the religious right normally seems to like heterosexuals better than homosexuals. Hmmmm.

I do like the ex-gay minister accusing O'Reilly of being a "homosexualist."

Who is his dentist?

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The first step is to admit you have a problem.

Via South Knox Bubba a hilarious video clip.

"......and I am a blogger"

Real player version.

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Perdue continues to back away from flag referendum.

Well he said he wants it, and sooner as opposed to later, but he has no timetable for it. Of course, the referendum would be non-binding, which translates "doesn't really mean anything."

Cathy Cox, Democratic Secretary of State, points out that a constitutional amendment would be required to hold a referendum. Upon hearing that, Perdue thrust his hands in his pockets, said "durn," and kicked at the dirt, "well, I guess we can't have one."

G. Greene, blogging on the new blog Political State Report points out that a 1993 opinion letter from a former state attorney declares that:

"a statewide referendum would be an abdication of the exclusive authority of the General Assembly to enact laws."

Who wrote that opinion letter? Michael Bowers, a Republican advisor to Perdue during his campaign. Certainly Bowers would have pointed out that opinion while Perdue was campaigning on the promise of a referendum? Maybe?

"Double durn!"

It is pretty amazing the Michael Bowers has suddenly appeared in my blog twice in two days. I can't remember hearing his name for years and years.

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