Roger Ebert wanted people to believe he attempted a mea culpa today by writing that he was “probably too quick to tweet” about Ryan Dunn’s death, which Ebert insinuated yesterday was because Dunn was drinking and driving.  Ebert tweeted yesterday,

“Friends don’t let jackasses drink and drive.”

Yeah, just one thing.  The toxicology report won’t be made public for 4-6 weeks, so, as I said yesterday, Ebert is just assuming that Dunn was drunk while driving since he was at a bar prior to the accident; Ebert doesn’t actually know if Dunn was drunk, and Ebert’s not actually sorry.  (more…)

I just noticed on this picture of the Ryan Dunn crash site that was posted in a UK Daily Mail article that there are two sets of skid marks in the left lane next to where Dunn went off the road:

Gee, I hope Dunn wasn’t being chased or something like that.  Maybe he was trying to escape somebody and was trying to exit off the ramp on the right-hand side there and lost control of his car.  If so, then someone is guilty of a hit-and-run type situation.

Related:

Roger Ebert: As caustic as a hotdog

Roger Ebert’s “apology” no apology at all

Hearing the news today about Jackass star Ryan Dunn’s untimely passing was distressing enough, but then I read that one of our own Chicagoans, film critic Roger Ebert, dissed Ryan Dunn and his fellow Jackass compadres mere hours after Dunn had died.  Ebert tweeted,

“Friends don’t let jackasses drink and drive.”

It would have been tasteless enough that Ebert was disrespecting the memory of someone who had just died, but Ebert did so while assuming Dunn had been drinking and driving.  (more…)

Update: Vancouver fans rioted in the streets after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup and were shut out in Game 7!

Congrats to the Boston Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals after a shut-out of Vancouver, proving that sportsmanship trumps goonery every time! (And shame on Vancouver fans for booing during the presenting of the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy.  You all are such poor losers.  As ever, real classy Vancouver.  Your behavior has convinced me to never visit your city.)

A special congrats to Tim Thomas too for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy for his stellar performance during the playoffs.  Outstanding!

I just came across this site on the net:

http://doesalexburrowsbiteandpullhair.com/

By the way, the unequivocal answer is

YES!!!!

Related:

Alex Burrows’ Number Called by Refs

Man Up Burrows!

Stay Classy Vancouver!

Alex Burrows Pulls Duncan Keith’s Hair Like a Little Girl!!!

So, I was waiting for the Cubs game against the Phillies this afternoon and there was a rain delay. Bummer. In the interim Fox played a video of Ryan Dempster impersonating Harry Caray. In the first video, “Harry” gives the Cubs starting line-up. In the second video, “Harry” congratulates Derek Jeter on what is soon expected to be his 3,000th hit. Bwahahahahahaha! Good job Ryan! It’s like Harry was really there! I sure do miss Harry, so I guess this is the next best thing. (more…)

In last night’s Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, once again Canucks Alex Burrows provoked Bruins Milan Lucic.  Burrows feigned tripping over Lucic’s stick during a neutral zone face-off and Lucic about burst a blood vessel trying to point out Burrows’ embellishment to the zebras.  Yet inexplicably, Lucic was called for “tripping” instead of just Burrows being called for unsportsmanlike conduct (i.e. “diving”).  (more…)

While I love Canada, Canadians, and of course hockey (and Strange Brew, which is the funniest movie ever), I have to send this one out to Vancouver.  This is what you get for having that fossil you call a singer butcher the American national anthem every year. So disrespectful!

Related:

Stay Classy Vancouver!

God help me I love a passionate athlete.  One who cares deeply about the game and isn’t just collecting a paycheck or is bloated on his own sense of self-importance.  That’s why for years now I have loved Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano.  He isn’t just a passionate baseball player, he’s a passionate guy, and I have always admired how hard he takes it when the Cubs play poorly.  The poor guy must be on horse tranquilizers by now.

The latest to-do over Zambrano is because of these comments about a game against the St. Louis Cardinals wherein pitcher Carlos Marmol allowed a Ryan Theriot base hit and an Albert Pujols home run:

“The problem wasn’t Pujols,” Zambrano said. “The problem was [Theriot's] at-bat. We should have known better than this. We are playing like a Triple-A team. This is embarrassing. Embarrassing for the team and the owners. Embarrassing for the fans. Embarrassing, that’s the word for this team.”

“We should know that Ryan Theriot is not a good fastball hitter,” Zambrano yelled after turning in the direction of Marmol’s then-vacated locker. “We should know that as a team. We should play better here. We stink. That’s all I’ve got to say.”  (more…)

It’s amazing that I have had to keep shouting the same thing — “Stay in the net!” — over and over at the TV during this hockey season when even veteran goalies like Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller, and Chris Osgood have been drawn off and out beyond the crease.  Inevitably once they’re drawn out they are scored on moments later as they realize their error too late.

This seems like the kind of mistake a rookie goalie might make, and yet in tonight’s game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Bruins and Canucks, the game was lost when Bruins’ veteran goaltender, 37-year old Tim Thomas, was drawn to one side of the net, and then out well beyond the crease, and was scored on to end the game mere seconds into sudden-death overtime.  Ouch, you know that one had to hurt.  Not to add salt to the wound by playing Monday-morning quarterback, but I am scratching my head at how in the world a vet like Thomas could have made such a rookie mistake…???….