Just when you thought the forthcoming goverment economic stimulus seems to be above the board, digging into the funds finds a pretty ridiculous earmark. According to the Detroit development blog MODEL D, a full $3.8 million in the congressional spending bill will go directly to the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, a group dedicated entirely to making sure they don’t tear down Tiger Stadium, even though it’s not used as a stadium.

($4M of your tax dollars to preserve this. What about Shea Stadium?)

There’s a raging debate about whether part of the government’s massive economic stimulus package should be used to help save stadium projects aimed at giving teams a new home. The theory is that those construction projects will provide good jobs and resuscitate business in oft underused areas. All of that’s valid for stadiums that will be built. But this is a money for a stadium that’s already been built, and left, by its team. And that team isn’t coming back any time soon.

Read more…

Our friend from the North, Canada, is celebrating birthday #141 today. In honor of that, watch this very cool, brand-new video celebrating the CFL.

I know, “very cool” and “CFL” don’t usually go together, but that vid is an exception. It’s part of an ad campaign llaunched today called “This is Our League.” Interesting slogan. Wonder if the NFL invasion into Toronto has something to do with it, eh?

The blog MIKE RESPONTS has the strange case of the longtime Boise State football and basketball announcer Paul Schneider getting blown out - and adds another chapter in the astonishing fall from broadcasting grace by Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton.

(Best wig EVAR)

Schneider was let go after his Boise radio station lost the rights to broadcast the games. His designated replacement at the new station rightsholder, a young Boise buck named Dave Koehn, left before broadcasting a single game for the Univ. of Virginia gig (Game 1 - UVA vs. USC!).

Then the story gets weird: Read more…