This past week one of my wife's friends asked me if I could hook up with Steelers tickets.
After I stopped laughing, I politely told her I do not get tickets to games and if she really wanted to go, log on to stubhub.com.
I logged on myself and wondered what Yankees playoff tickets are going for. I swear in the name of Tony Lazzeri that someone on stubhub is selling a pair of prime seats to Game 1 of the ALCS at Yankees stadium for the price of $65,000 per ticket.
In case you don't believe me, here's the link.
Only in New York City.
And now, on to this week's questions.
From: Tim.
Comments: In the wake of President Obama calling Kanye West a "jackass," has there ever been an athlete you interviewed that made you say, "Hey, that guy really is a jackass?"
Answer: Well Tim that is always a tough question to answer. I can only go on my personal experience during my career to determine those chosen few who have reached "jackass" status.
Wrestler Chris Jericho - I am a very big wrestling fan so I was bitterly disappointed to discover what a complete jerk Jericho was after meeting him for the first time.
He came into a radio station I was working at to promote his metal band, Fozzy. I introduced myself and told him that I was a big fan. That turned out to be a big mistake on my part. Jericho totally cuts me off and orders me to NOT call him Chris, but to only refer to him as Mongoose McQueen.
Needless to say, I stopped being a Jericho fan after that ugly display.
Mark McGwire - I remember back in 1997 when he was still with the A's and I had to deal with McGwire during a series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. He came across as the rudest, most sour and unapproachable person I have ever met.
Bill Belichick - There are few things more painful for a sports reporter than trying to get a decent quote out of Belichick. The man acts like every question you ask him is going to result in the removal of one of his kidneys.
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From: Kyle
Comments: Hey Jim, what do you think about the hit that Phaneuf landed on Okposo? From what I have seen, it doesn't look all that different from the Downie hit on McAmmond two years ago.
I don't see why the NHL has two sets of rules; one for the stars and one for everyone else. Pronger got eight games for stomping on a leg while Chris Simon got 30 for his foot stomp.
Answer: Hi Kyle, love the question.
I watched the video of both hits a number of times and about the only difference I can see is that Downie had already left his feet just before impact with McAmmond's head. Phaneuf left his feet after making contact with Okposo.
Like you, I am constantly amazed that the NHL doesn't really hide the fact they have two sets of rules when it comes to law and order. If you're a grinder and do something bad, you will get punished severely. If you're a star and do something bad, you usually get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. To be honest with you Kyle, I highly doubt that will ever change.
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Dale
Comments: Dear Jim, do you know what Darius Kasparaitis will be dressing up as for Halloween?
Regards, Dale.
Answer: Wow Dale, cool question. It's funny you should ask, because about four or five years ago, I was in the Rangers dressing room after the game-day skate and I got into a great conversation with Kasparatis about mid-14th century Eastern European politics.
It turns out Darius is a walking encyclopedia on the subject.
In fact, Darius told me his dream was to dress up as Vytautas the Great, the revered Lithuanian leader of the early 1400s. Darius was hoping to re-enact Vytautas the Great's role in Lithuania's war against Teutonic order. I guess that's how Kaspairitis likes to celebrate Halloween.
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From: DJ from Parts Unknown
Comments: Hey Jim, I need your help. My birthday is coming up soon and I want to buy myself a nice gift. I also want to hide it somewhere so I will be surprised. Any thoughts?
Answer: Hi DJ, thanks for the question. First off, don't buy yourself a box of steaks. The smell of rotting meat with make you gag.
Second, don't buy yourself a puppy or a kitten; the smell of urine and feces will stink up your apartment. Bottom line is that you should never buy yourself meat or a small animal and then hide it until a later date. That will only lead to a disaster. The best thing you can do is buy yourself a cool watch.
I never met a guy who didn't like a good watch. As far was where to hide it, I would go with the bottom of the laundry hamper.
As you're taking out the clothes, you would see the box and go "what the heck is this?"
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From: Carl
Comments: Where was your first job in this business?
Answer: Hi Carl. In fact, I remember my first job very well. I was a disk jockey hosting the over-night show at CKBB AM in Barrie, Ontario. No word of a lie, I made just over $10,000 dollars my first year in the business.
Barrie is in the heart of the snow belt in central Ontario and we would get some wicked storms. When the snow got really bad, I would have to put on Hotel California from the Eagles, prop open the side door with a garbage can, and then shovel the snow out of our transmitter satellite dish.
So any time you heard Hotel California around 3 a.m. on a snowy winter's night in Barrie, you know what I was doing.
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From: Norm
Comments: If the "Main Man" for the Silver and Black was to step aside, who would replace him? Thanks.<
Answer: Hi Norm, the entire Raider Nation appreciates your question.
I know who it won't be, Matt Millen. I would tell either Bill Polian or Ozzie Newsome that I would be willing to pay them whatever they would want to take over the Raiders. The problem is that when Al Davis finally does move on, there will likely be a change in ownership. At that point, who knows what direction they will go in?
Whomever they hire, the Raiders have to go out and attempt to hire the best and brightest minds in the NFL. I am such a desperate and long suffering Raiders fan, that I got excited watching the NFL Network the other day because they replayed Jeff Jaeger's game winning 47-yard field goal in overtime as the Silver and Black beat the hated Broncos back in January of 1994.
Hey, when a man is desperate, he'll do just about anything.
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At the risk of sounding like Don Corleone, I would like to wish my Godson Robert a happy birthday this week. An amazing piano player and music major at the University of Toronto, my man Robert turns 22 this week.
