(no subject)

I noticed something interesting in regard to censoring on the radio today. Songs from Green Day's American Idiot are in pretty heavy rotation right now (and with good reason; if you have not heard the CD, go buy it now. This entry will be here when you get back), and our local alternative rock station, WCYY, has been playing three of them.

"American Idiot" has this pair of lines in it: "Well, maybe I am the faggot America/I'm not a part of a redneck agenda." "Holiday" has this: "Bang bang goes the broken glass and/Kill all the fags that don't agree." Much to my amazement when I first heard them play "Holiday" the other day, they left the second line intact, "fags" and all. However, when I heard "American Idiot" today, they bleeped the first syllable of "faggot." I can't say I understand it. "Fags" is okay, but "faggot" isn't? What, exactly, is the difference? I know context likely doesn't come into play, but if it did, it wouldn't really matter, since both songs use the word satirically. If anything, the "Holiday" usage is a bit more harsh. So what's up?

In other news, you non-baseball types may skip the rest.

Today's Herald has an article about how Jason Varitek refuses to sign copies of the infamous image of him shoving his mitt into A-Rod's face. (Heh, and I went so long without mentioning A-Rod, too.) (By the way, an Image Google for "Varitek A-Rod" brings up about a zillion different copies of that picture, which just goes to show how iconic and well-remembered it is. I love that the photographer had the presence of mind to snap the camera at that moment, but is lost to history. Ah, well. It also brings up this one, which is less famous, but hilarious.) I can't offer any quotes, because I didn't buy the paper and the article is subscribers-only on the website, but Varitek's reasoning is, essentially, that what happened happened and he doesn't want it to seem as though he condones it or is especially proud of his actions. He also mentions that his kids refer to it as Daddy fighting, which he doesn't like one bit. Usually I don't care much about anything involving children I am not related to, but aww. (I bet Tek's the kind of loser who takes his kids to school and shit before he starts working out. You're not gonna win anything with that kind of attitude, mister! Except, oh, wait.) This is example number quizillion and three of how classy our boys are.

(Also: An entire article? Slow news day much?)

Today - along with being manderspander's twenty-first birthday, so go spam her with pictures of beer or something *g* - is the first spring training game between the Red Sox and the Yankees. And not that this means anything? But the Yankees haven't won a single spring training game yet. I'm just saying. In no way do I bring that up in any context intended to tempt the fates. Just wanted to make that clear.

So this means articles in both papers about The Rivalry, loaded with quotes from Yankees on how No, We Do Not Suck, Shut Up. The Herald has already gotten face time today, so I'll use the Globe's article. Better quotes anyway.

Only a few actual Yankee players will be in the game, so I guess we'll just have to wait till April eleventh to give A-Rod the booing he deserves. Which is as it should be. And this, by the way, is the second year in the row where I am eagerly awaiting hear the Fenway crowd boo the shit out of the Princess, and the first year where he actually has it coming. A-Rod is aware of this (well, not of me personally, but you know what I mean): "I'm sure it's not going to change. It's not like last year I got standing ovations." HA. Wait, did A-Rod say something that was funny on purpose and did not make me want to poke him in the eye? Yikes.

Jason Giambi, who will be playing tonight, looks forward enthusiastically to more shouts of "BAAAAALLLLLCOOOOOOO" and "Who's your dealer?" (which got thrown at Sheffield during the ALCS last year, but only 'cos Giambi didn't play): "I won't hear anything I haven't heard before, or called myself." Which I know is supposed to be all with the continuing theme of Giambi Is So Sorry For Things His Lawyers Do Not Permit Him To Specify *CoughCough*SteroidUse*CoughCough*, but it really just gives me this great mental imagine of Giambi going "BAAAAALLLLLCOOOOO" in a mirror.

From Jeter, who doesn't mention getting booed by Sox fans because he is miles over it by now: "Now it's more of a rivalry, because to have a rivalry you've got to have the other side win, too. Now they have what we want. Now it's truly a rivalry." And as much as the "they are finally worthy" tone of this bugs, he kind of has a point. Also, way to put a positive spin on things. Besides, later in the article he says, "It seems like they're the only team we play. But I don't mind it. I like playing those guys. I have a lot of respect for those guys." So I guess it wasn't "they are finally worthy" so much as - okay, I've been trying to think of a phrase more clever than "Yankee arrogance," but if the shoe fits. And it so does.

Oh my god, look! Jeter finally has company in the Yankees Whose Heads Are Not In Their Asses department! It's Mariano Rivera: "'Losing isn't easy,' said the ex-Sox closer. 'I'm the first person who hates it. But you've got to give the Red Sox credit. What they did was phenomenal, winning their last eight games. I think everyone in both clubhouses was thinking, "How could this happen? How did this happen?"'" (AHH QUOTATION MARK OVERLOAD. I like how the Globe wants us to think that he used to play for the Sox, but according to my genius detectoring skills [Google again], he's only ever been with the Yankees. WTF?) 'Bout time, Rivera. Derek was getting lonely, being class-having all by himself.

That's about it, unless you care about how badly Tanyon Sturtze seems to need therapy after the ALCS. Yeah, me neither.

Edit: aloha_moira has gently pointed out that I lose at reading the newspaper, and that the "ex-Sox closer" in question is Tom Gordon, not Rivera. Which makes more sense, as Gordon did in fact used to play for the Red Sox. There's a book and everything.

And since that's the case, it doesn't count as the YWHANITA department, as Gordon is tainted with Sox-ness. So, sorry, Derek, you're still on your own.