Tillman's brother lashes out at soldiers who shot Pat

The former Arizona State University and Arizona Cardinals football star died in Afghanistan in April 2004. The military initially said Tillman was killed by enemy fire in a fight with terrorists, but later said he died from friendly fire. Richard Tillman, Pat's younger brother, recently discussed the tragedy on 'Real Time with Bill Maher'.


Link: YouTube via KTAR

David Price vs. The Fans

On Monday night, after a loss by the Tampa Bay Rays in a game which would have clinched them a post-season spot, David Price and Evan Longoria spoke out against Rays fans and the lack of attendance at games.

Price tweeted:

"Had a chance to clinch a post season spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in the stands....embarrassing." | @DAVIDprice14

Although he later apologized for his comment with another tweet:

"If I offended anyone I apologize I did not think it was gonna turn into this..." | @DAVIDprice14

Then teammate Longoria talked about Tampa Bay Rays attendance to the media, saying:

"We've been playing great baseball all year. Since I've been here in [2006], the fans have wanted a good baseball team. They've wanted to watch a contender," Longoria told reporters. "And for us to play good baseball for three years now, and for us to be in a spot to clinch again and go to the playoffs, we're all confused as to why it's only 15,000 to 20,000 in the building." | ESPN

The internet was divided as to who was right in the this situation. Most said it's a bad way of doing business to call your customers out and many also stated reasons why attendance was probably so low.

Here are a couple of quotes from some of the better articles taking the fans side:

Folks who run a business -- any business -- put a product up for sale, and would-be patrons have the right to decide whether they want to buy the product. Nobody is obligated to buy the product, just as the Rays are not obligated to commit to staying in St. Petersburg forever. | ESPN

Like Florida, Philadelphia suffers from 12% unemployment right now, and they've sold out hundreds of games in a row. Well, yeah. But that team has also played baseball in that town for a 127 years, the population of Philadelphia is seriously from Philly, and the park is both beautiful and accessible. It's a gross understatement to say that those things matter, and it's an unfair simplification of things to slam Rays fans for failing to support their team. | HardballTalk

Then on Tuesday afternoon, Craig Calcaterra reposted a brilliant comment from one of his readers. Steven Luck created the Jonah Keri* Memorial "Stop Making Fun of Rays Fans" Index using the formula:

[Average Home Attendance]*81/(([Metro Area Population]/[Number of Teams in Metro Area])*(1-[Metro Area Unemployment Rate]))

Using this formula, he got these as his top five fans in baseball:

Milwaukee 1.948
San Francisco 1.568
St. Louis 1.304
Colorado 1.243
Minnesota 1.057

The bottom five were:

Texas 0.419
Washington 0.357
Toronto 0.323
Florida 0.307
NY Mets 0.306

Tampa Bay finishes in ninth place. So if you believe his results, and I think they look pretty good, the Rays don't have it as bad as two-thirds of the teams in the league.

Finally, Tuesday afternoon, in response to all the criticism, the Rays announced that they would be giving away 20,000 free tickets to the game on Wednesday.

The team will provide the tickets in what is an unusual offer for a pro sports team. Asked how many of the 20,000 they expect to be claimed, Silverman said: "The fact that you're asking that question speaks to the challenges that we face. We don't know, and we'll see tomorrow. I'm hopeful that we'll have a packed house." | St. Petersburg Times via @AmyKNelson

I think this is a pretty good PR move, but I'm most happy that 20,000 people that might not have a chance to go to a baseball game will have the chance. It's moves like this that will help the Rays build a fan base into the next generation of baseball fans and hopefully attendance problems will soon be a thing of the past.

-Matt


*Note that Jonah Keri isn't dead.

Sources:
Rays only baking up trouble - Buster Olney | ESPN
Rays attendance is not about fan apathy. It's a structural thing. - Craig Calcaterra | HardballTalk
Introducing the "Stop Making Fun of Rays Fans" Index - Craig Calcaterra | HardballTalk
Rays to give away 20,000 free tickets Wednesday | St. Petersburg Times via @AmyKNelson

Follow On Twitter:
Craig Calcaterra | @craigcalcaterra
Steven Luck | @PestiEsti
Jonah Keri | @jonahkeri
Buster Olney | @Buster_ESPN
Amy K. Nelson | @AmyKNelson

El Guincho - "Bombay" (NSFW)

The new video "Bombay" by El Guincho (aka Pablo Díaz-Reixa) is being presented as a trailer for a movie on IFC.com. The video is a random psychedelic trip, but really cool and has an early 80's vibe to it. Even though the song is in Spanish, it's catchy.

NSFW, unless you work somewhere where it's cool to watch a video with a ton of naked female breasts.


Lyrics:

Te miro desde arriba por si todo se termina
quiero que me recuerdes como las primeras veces
hay algo que no atino a saber por que no camina
que sera lo que no me deja ver lo que tengo enfrente?

Translated (Google Translate):

I look from above as if all is completed
I want you to remember me as the first times
there is something you miss to know why not walks
that it will not let me see what I have in front?

I'm not sure if there's really going to be a movie or not, but this video is cool enough to make me want to keep an eye out for it.

Catch him tonight at Mercury Lounge with Lemonade and DJ Cool Places Sound System.

Link: IFC via Pitchfork

See also:
Bombay the Movie
El Guincho - The Mercury Lounge - New York - NY - Sep 28, 2010

Elmo Responds to Katy Perry Controversy on Sesame Street

Link: YouTube

Favre Apparently Undecided If He Will Return To Vikings This Season

MINNEAPOLIS—ESPN analyst John Clayton reported Monday that, after throwing four interceptions and just one touchdown in the first two games of the 2010-2011 football season, Brett Favre is still undecided about whether he will return to the Minnesota Vikings. "His lack of presence in either game shows that he has not yet committed to a yes or a no answer, though it would appear that he is leaning toward no," Clayton said on SportsCenter, adding that three veteran Vikings players traveled to Favre's locker last Sunday and begged him to return to the team during halftime of the week-two loss to the Dolphins. "With a cumulative QB rating of 56.1, his heart clearly isn't in it. Maybe he's sending a message to Vikings brass that he's ready to call it a career." Following his television appearance, Clayton reportedly received a text message from Favre, who said he would make a decision about returning when he is ready.

Via: The Onion

Watch Katy Perry's Video Pulled From Sesame Street

Here is the Katy Perry (featuring Elmo) "Hot N Cold" video that Sesame Street decided earlier in the week wasn't fit for airing because of her amazing cleavage revealing outfit.


Here is the official statement from Sesame Street:

"Sesame Street has a long history of working with celebrities across all genres, including athletes, actors, musicians and artists. Sesame Street has always been written on two levels, for the child and adult. We use parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show because we know that a child learns best when co-viewing with a parent or care-giver. We also value our viewer’s opinions and particularly those of parents. In light of the feedback we’ve received on the Katy Perry music video which was released on You Tube only, we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of Sesame Street, which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on You Tube and on katyperry.com." [via Variety]

The video was also pulled from the Sesame Street tumblr blog. (link)

Check her out tonight on the season premier of Saturday Night Live.

-Matt


Link:
Katy Perry sings "Hot N Cold" with Elmo on Sesame Street! | YouTube

See also:
Katy Perry Proves too Hot for 'Sesame Street' | Rolling Stone
Katy Perry: Too Sexy for 'Sesame Street'? | SPIN
Katy Perry video pulled from 'Sesame Street,' but was that necessary? | Variety
Katy Perry - "Hot n Cold" | MTV (Original Song)

Bonus Katy Perry hotness:
Katy Perry - "California Gurls" | MTV

Here We Go Magic perform "Collector" on a Brooklyn rooftop

Link: Pitchfork

Support the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

For the third time since I've lived in NY I'll be walking in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes on Sunday, October 3, 2010. My friend Jordan has a brother with Type 1 diabetes, so this cause is especially important to me. Last year I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my family and friends with their donations, so I thought I'd send a message out again asking for support, even if just a few dollars. A link to my donation page is below.

Also, if you'd like to join us for the walk, let me know. It's always a fun time and great excuse to hang out downtown and to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Thanks for your support!

-Matt


Link: Matt Maison's Fundraising Page | JDRF

Brooklyn Tornado (Autotuned)

It was only a matter of time...


Link: YouTube

See also: Brooklyn Bronado | mattmaison

Dude You Have No Quran

Link: YouTube via Boing Boing

Brooklyn Bronado

Soon to be the next autotuned meme...


Link: YouTube

See also: Double Rainbow Song | mattmaison

Sesame Street on Tumblr

New and classic Sesame Street clips posted daily.


Link: sesamestreet.tumblr.com via kottke.org

Also, follow Sesame Street on twitter @sesamestreet.

-Matt

Wait for it...

Link: YouTube via Boing Boing

Surfer Blood – "Floating Vibes"

Link: Stereogum

Download the mp3 HERE (via culturebully).

See also: Surfer Blood | mattmaison

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"

Link: MTV

See also: Vampire Weekend | mattmaison

Quest for Fire (1981): Opening Scene

Link: YouTube

Via: @herewegomagic

Your Weapon for the Zombie Apocalypse

Via: Geeks Are Sexy!

Deer on the Loose

Link: Current

Football Season: Viral Video Film School

Link: Current

An Unlikely Hero: The Marine who found two WTC survivors

Only 12 survivors were pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center after the towers fell on Sept. 11, despite intense rescue efforts. Two of the last three to be located and saved were Port Authority police officers. They were not discovered by a heroic firefighter, or a rescue worker, or a cop. They were discovered by Dave Karnes.

Karnes hadn't been near the World Trade Center. He wasn't even in New York when the planes hit the towers. He was in Wilton, Conn., working in his job as a senior accountant with Deloitte Touche. When the second plane hit, Karnes told his colleagues, "We're at war." He had spent 23 years in the Marine Corps infantry and felt it was his duty to help. Karnes told his boss he might not see him for a while.

Read the full article here: Slate Magazine

MGMT, Quit Making Weird Videos: Music Intervention

Link: Current

Street Fighter X Tekken Debut Trailer

Link: YouTube

See also: Street Fighter X Tekken Gameplay
(Feat. Nina Williams, Jin Kazama, Ryu, and Chun-Li)

Kitten Plays Duck Hunt

Link: YouTube via Geeks Are Sexy!

Arcade Fire - "Ready to Start"

Link: Stereogum

8.4 Million New Yorkers Suddenly Realize New York City A Horrible Place To Live

At 4:32 p.m. Tuesday, every single resident of New York City decided to evacuate the famed metropolis, having realizing it was nothing more than a massive, trash-ridden hellhole that slowly sucks the life out of every one of its inhabitants.

...Other incidents that prompted citizens to pick up and leave included the sight of garbage bags stacked 5 feet high on the sidewalk; the realization that being alone among millions of anonymous people is actually quite horrifying; a blaring siren that droned on and fucking on; muddy, refuse-filled puddles that have inexplicably not dried in three years; the thought of growing into a person whose meanness and cynicism is cloaked in a kind of holier-than-thou brand of sarcasm that the rest of the world finds nauseating; and all the goddamn people.

Link: The Onion

Jersey Circus

Jersey Shore quotes put to Family Circus cartoons.


Link: Jersey Circus