Abercrombie no fan of "Jersey Shore"

Apparently, I"m not the only one who despises MTV's reality show "Jersey Shore." So does Abercrombie & Fitch.

AP Photo
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino

On Tuesday, the Ohio-based clothing retail giant released a statement saying that it is concerned that having cast memeber Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino wear its clothing could cause "significant damage" to the company's image.

The company is so adamant about the situation (no pun intended) that it has offered what it says is a "substantial payment" to Sorrentino and the show's producers so he'll wear something else. The company says the offer will be extended to other members of the cast.

MTV, however, isn't buying A&F's stance.

"It's a clever PR stunt and we'd love to work with them on other ways they can leverage 'Jersey Shore' to reach the largest youth audience on television," MTV said in a statement.

That's gotta hurt

I don't know how much pain this guy was in, but it had to be pretty bad to consider self-surgery.

According to the Associated Press, a Glendale, Calif., man was in such pain from a hernia that he stuck a butter knife in his belly in an attempt at self-surgery.
After 911 was called, the man was placed on psychiatric hold in a hospital.

Here is the AP story:
GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California man stuck a butter knife into his belly in a failed bid at self-surgery to remove a painful hernia, police said Tuesday.
The wife of the 63-year-old Glendale man called 911 on Sunday night and told the emergency operator her husband was using a knife to remove a protruding hernia, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
"She said he had impaled himself with a knife," Lorenz said.
Officers found the man naked on a patio lounge chair outside his apartment with a 6-inch butter knife sticking out of his stomach.
The man's wife told officers that her husband was upset about the hernia and wanted to take it out.
While waiting for paramedics, the sergeant said, the man pulled out the knife and stuffed a cigarette he was smoking into the bleeding, open wound.
"What he was thinking, I don't know. I don't know if he was cauterizing it (the wound)," Lorenz said.
The man wasn't screaming or showing any signs of pain, the sergeant said.
Based on his actions and statements from the wife, Lorenz said the man was placed on psychiatric hold and taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
Because he's on psychiatric hold for up to 72 hours under the state Welfare and Institutions Code, Lorenz said the man's name and condition cannot be released.
"You just never know what to expect," said Lorenz, who has been on the police force for 29 years. "I've seen self-mutilation, but not a maneuver like this."

Sherwood Schwartz, R.I.P.

Yes, I'll admit it, I am a fan of "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island." So it was sad to hear Tuesday about the passing of Sherwood Schwartz, who created both of the classic TV shows.

Florence Henderson, left, and Dawn Wells, who starred in
"The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island" respectively, kiss
show creator Sherwood Schwartz when he received a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.
AP Photo

Yeah, the shows are corny and yes, I still laugh at every episode. And I think I  watched every re-incarnation of "The Brady Bunch" that came along since the initial show ended in 1974.

Not only did Schwartz create and produce the two shows, but he also wrote the theme songs that are hard to get out of anyone's head.

In an Associated Press story on his death, here's what Schwartz said about his shows relying on cheap laughs:

"I think writers have become hypnotized by the number of jokes on the page at the expense of character," Schwartz said in a 2000 Associated Press interview.

"When you say the name Gilligan, you know who that is. If a show is good, if it's written well, you should be able to erase the names of the characters saying the lines and still be able to know who said it. If you can't do that, the show will fail."

Thanks, Sherwood, for giving us TV fans years of laughter that will live on forever.

Kruk going into Phillies Hall of Fame

The Phillies announced after the first game of  today's doubleheader with Florida that former first baseman/outfielder John Kruk will be inducted into the team's Wall of Fame in August.

Kruk played for the Phillies from June 1989, when he was acquired from San Diego, through 1994. In 1993, when the team went to the World Series, Kruk hit .316 with 14 HRs, 85 RBI and 100 runs scored.

He played 744 games with the Phillies and had a .309 batting average, 62 HRs and 390 RBI, and 403 runs scored. Kruk was an All-Star from 1991-1993.

Kruk is now an analyst on ESPN.

Overzealous dad banned from Little League field

Here's another lousy example of parental sportsmanship that I discovered on the Associated Press wire today:

A father in Michigan became irate at a Saginaw-area Little League game last week after finding out his son didn't make the league's all-star team. According to the report, the man got angry with a coach and was using the F-word. Police said the dad was involved in a minor assault with another parent before they arrived.

No arrests were made, but the irate dad was issued a trespass warning by police and told he'd be arrested if he returned to the Little League fields.

The league is for 7- and 8-year-olds.

That's what's great about baseball

AP Photo
Phillies infielder Wilson Valdez was the winning pitcher
in Wednesday night's 19-inning marathon win over
the Cincinnati Reds.

I stayed awake Wednesday night/Thursday morning to watch the Phillies' 5-4, 19-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

While I'm feeling the effects of that decision today, it was worth it. It's games like that one that make baseball the great sport that it is.

First, there's no time limit. In basketball, if your team is down 5 points with 10 seconds left, the clock will tick to 0:00 and you lose. In baseball, your team could be trailing by runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the last inning, but your chance to win doesn't end with the sound of a buzzer.

And when baseball games last as long as that Phillies game did, you never know what you might see. Last year, Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt ended up in left field for a few innings in a 16-inning lost to Houston. On Wednesday night, playing 3rd base in the 19th inning was starting catcher Carlos Ruiz. The winning pitcher in the 19-inning marathon? None other than Phillies infielder Wilson Valdez, who started the game at second base.

Valdez became the first position player to start a game in the field and be the winning pitcher since 1921, when a guy named Babe Ruth did it. And that's probably the only time you'll see Wilson Valdez and Babe Ruth mentioned in the same sentence.

Unfortunately for the players, today's game was scheduled for 1 p.m., less than 12 hours after Wednesday's game ended. Phillies' shortstop Jimmy Rollins, third baseman Placido Polanco and Ruiz were not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game. And manager Charlie Manuel has to be hoping that starting pitcher Cliff Lee can pitch deep into the game, since the bullpen is wore out from the 19-inning marathon.

Randy "Macho Man" Savage dies

Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

Back in the mid-1980s, I followed pro wrestling. I was in my early 20s, so I guess that's an excuse.
One of the more popular wrestlers back in the day was Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Well, the Macho Man died this morning in a car accident in Florida. He was 58.
His real name was Randy Poffo, and in the early 1970s, he played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. You can check out his stats here.
Here is the story from The Associated Press:
Randy "Macho Man" Savage, the professional wrestler known for his raspy voice, the sunglasses and bandanas he wore in the ring and the young woman named Miss Elizabeth who often accompanied him, died in a car crash Friday in Florida. He was 58.
 A Florida Highway Patrol crash report said the former wrestler — whose legal name was Randy Mario Poffo — was driving a Jeep Wrangler when he lost control in Pinellas County around 9:25 a.m. The Jeep veered over the raised concrete median divider, crossed over the eastbound lanes and collided head-on with a tree.
Police said he may have suffered a "medical event" before the accident, but the report did not elaborate, and it said officials would need to perform an autopsy to know for sure.
The report said a woman in the vehicle, identified as Barbara Poffo, suffered minor injuries. A statement from Stamford, Conn.-based World Wrestling Entertainment said the passenger was the wrestler's wife.
"Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans," the statement said.
Savage was a charismatic wrestler made famous for his "Macho Man" nickname and his "Oooh Yeah!" catchphrase. He was a champion in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation, and later Ted Turner's now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.
Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships.
"Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn," WWE said.
Savage defined the larger-than-life personalities of the 1980s World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). He wore sequined robes bejeweled with "Macho Man" on the back, rainbow colored cowboy hats and oversized sunglasses, part of a unique look that helped build the WWF into a mainstream phenomenon.
For most of his career, his valet, Miss Elizabeth, was by his side. Elizabeth Hulette was his real-life wife. They later divorced, and Hulette died in 2003 — one of the many performers in the sport to die young.
The WWF made Savage their champion after a win over Ted DiBiase in the main event at WrestleMania in 1988.
Savage had not appeared for a major wrestling organization since 2004 when he performed for Total Nonstop Action.
He was both at times the most popular and most hated wrestler in entertainment. His flying elbow off the top rope was mimicked by basement and backyard wrestlers everywhere. Savage made good use of his deep, raspy voice as a corporate pitchman as well, for years ordering Slim Jim fans to "Snap into it!"
He's most known his legendary rivalries with Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. Wrestlers took to Twitter to let fans know Savage won't be forgotten.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hailed Savage as one of his childhood inspirations and heroes, while Mick "Cactus Jack" Foley called Savage "one of my favorite performers."
Hogan said he and Savage had just started talking again after 10 years.
"He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him," Hogan wrote.