While it’s one of the big four sports, baseball fans have gotten a pretty raw deal when it comes to video games. For the last three years, there hasn’t been a triple-A multi-platform baseball game. Since 2K let their MLB license expire, the only triple-A baseball game has been Sony’s MLB: The Show series. Over the last couple of years, Major League Baseball has taken it upon themselves to try to fill the gap in the market by publishing their own multi-platform baseball game with a revival of the classic baseball franchise RBI Baseball.
MLB
Sunday Link-Off: You Link or You Die
Okay, today’s linkdump is a little late because I had a busy day yesterday. I had no idea that curling once a year was that hard on your quads. I do DDP Yoga and do a lot of squats and leg exercises with that but it doesn’t help me much today. So I’m not sure if we’re lucky that the post is late or if it’s up at all since movement is exceptionally difficult.
Anyway, it’s Sunday so it’s time for the links. Since Game of Thrones is back tonight (YES!), here’s Emilia Clarke.
Darren Sharper was an NFL star. Now, he’s a convicted serial rapist. (At least that’s what I think you call someone who pleas out.) The problem is that he could have been stopped years before he was. How did the investigation fail so badly? (Pro Publica)
Ron Paul might be the internet’s favourite Paul but Rand is trying to catch up. He has a pretty smart stance on the War on Drugs. (The Hill)
While this story about a female teacher having sex with a student and getting a sweetheart plea deal is interesting and all, the real important part is talking about the double-standards with regards to sex with minors. (IJ Review)
Sunday Link-Off: Dropping the Ball
It’s been a while since I’ve done a sports focused linkdump. Over the last couple of years, we’ve kind of transitioned from being a sports and pop culture blog to a pop culture and sports website. Okay, it’s almost the same thing but we’re doing more video game and entertainment posts than sports posts. It’s nice to go back to our roots every now and then.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that we’re starting off the links with a picture of a woman because Google Image Search is still the best friend of this blog. Here’s Yara Khmidan.
Not surprisingly, while Rob Ford was in rehab, the Toronto Police were looking to see if the crack videos could form the basis of criminal charges against the Mayor. (The Globe and Mail)
With the Conservative Speaker of the House of Commons seemingly playing favourites to help his party, it’s time for him to resign and let someone competent take the role. (The Chronicle Herald)
You see, Forbes, when you’re a respected publication and you hand over your website to anyone looking to make a quick buck by democratizing writing as if it’s bloody WordPress, stuff like this happens. A community contributor wrote a piece called “Drunk Female Guests Are the Gravest Threat To Fraternities.” It went over quite well. (New York Daily News)
Sunday Link-Off: A Fresh Take
Happy Mothers’ Day to all the mothers reading today. Given our demographics (mostly male, generally under 35 and without children), I somehow doubt that any are reading but it’s nice to get the greeting out there.
With that out of the way, let’s get the links underway. Here’s Miranda Kerr. I think that’s an appropriate choice for the day.
People who follow international news have heard the name Boko Haram for years. Why are they only now becoming a big deal. (Mother Jones)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is reportedly showing the signs of being drunk on power. (That’s the opposite of how Rob Ford is often found drunk.) He’s reportedly stopped taking advice. (Toronto Star)
The Globe and Mail is trying to negotiate with its union to get journalists to write advertorials. It’s bad enough when I’m covering the video games beat that half of the content is advertorial (to a degree). For a reputable, respected newspaper to want legitimate journalists to do it is reprehensible if you ask me. (The Albatross)
Wednesday Link-Off: Eat, Sleep, Break the Streak
Well, if you were looking for something to watch on Sunday night, you probably did fairly well for yourself. Between Game of Thrones and WrestleMania 30, it was a pretty backed night of TV. While we don’t have any GoT links, there are WrestleMania ones today.
So let’s kickoff this post with Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer.
TV has changed a lot over the last 40-some years since All in the Family changed everything. (The New Yorker)
The Weldon Library crypto code has been cracked and all of UWO was safe. (Toronto Star)
The “Democratic Reform Minister” who is trying to undermine democracy in Canada attacked the Chief Electoral Officer because he’s trying to protect democracy. The Cons have to be run out of power before they consolidate power and instill themselves as a legal dictatorship. (National Post)
Wednesday Link-Off: A Media Dynasty
Middle of the week links time. No time to waste so let’s get to the links. Since I just finished working on my review of Remember Me, here’s French model Constance Jablonski.
You know why you shouldn’t name anything after sharks? Because the puns are too easy when you jump the shark. Right, Discovery Channel. (Discover Magazine)
The family dynasty at the Washington Post is done now that the paper has been sold to Amazon.com boss Jeffrey Bezos. (Washington Post)
And the sale of the Post to a dot-commer like Bezos should help with innovation in the traditional media without compromising the paper’s journalistic credibility. (The New Republic)
Sunday Link-Off: Wonderful Easter Time
You know, there aren’t many (maybe any) songs about Easter. What if Sir Paul McCartney did an Easter song? Would he do Wonderful Easter Time as the logical follow-up to Wonderful Christmastime? Anyway, let’s kick off this not even slightly Easter themed post with Irina Shayk.
Writer Jay Caspian Kang looks back at last year’s shooting at Oikos University and examines the effect that it had on various parties involved. (New York Times)
Nick D’Alosio just made $30 million by selling a story summarizing app to Yahoo. His Summly app condenses articles down to four “need-to-know” lines using a licensed algorithm to do so. Not only is the app apparently not that good, D’Alosio’s reputation in the tech community isn’t that great. (Gawker)
Meagan Marie is a community manager for Crystal Dynamics. She’s one of the seemingly few women working in a video games industry that’s often fairly regarded as sexist or misogynistic. When she wrote about some of the moronic and misogynistic things one so-called member of the gaming media said at PAX East, she heard from the rather unsavoury corners of the interweb. But she’s absolutely right in what she says and all gamers should read her blog post about it. (Meagan Marie)
Sunday Link-Off: Sports Bucks
If you thought there was a lot to read on the blog last week, wait until you see we have what we have in store for this week. We have a review of the Mass Effect 3 Omega DLC, a look at the top Canadian racing driver prospects and our annual look at the Spike Video Game Awards and none of those are short posts. It’ll be a good week if you like long reads. Anyway, let’s kick off the links with Canadian model Michea Crawford.
Conservative commentator S.E. Cupp says that it’s time Republicans stop worrying about ridiculous pledges they make to earn endorsements and worry about the electorate and being accountable to the voters. (New York Daily News) By the way, if you read the comments, you can see the Tea Partiers take issue with her common sense point of view in this column.
Forbes again released their list of the value of NHL franchises. The problem is that they seem to be making up the revenue numbers used for valuation and ignoring the fact that there’s a lockout. (mc79hockey)
You shouldn’t need any help figuring out why you should have Notre Dame football. If you do need help, here’s a Hater’s Guide to Notre Dame. (Deadspin)
After the jump, David Stern is drunk on his own power, the return of Iron Chef isn’t as successful as hoped and a modern Santa Claus Conquers The Martians. Continue reading
Sunday Link-Off: Having A Laugh
Well, last week was interesting for me. It’s not everyday that former TV game show host Chuck Woolery calls me stupid. Apparently I’m stupid for not agreeing with him that Mitt was actually joking when he said airplane windows should be able to roll down. If Mitt’s wife having to make an emergency landing because of smoke in the cabin is what Mitt and Chuck consider funny, they’d make a perfect writing team for a CBS sitcom. Anyway, let’s troll the Tea Party again with Miranda Kerr. The Republicans don’t have women that look this good.
Samuel L. Jackson has a message for everyone who isn’t concerned about the Presidential election because they think Obama will be handily re-elected: WAKE THE FUCK UP! (WTFU 2012)
The Republican’s think one year’s tax return is enough for Mitt Romney to release. However, it’s not about prying into his personal life. It’s about finding out what bias’ Romney might harbour in making policies which might help his personal finances. (The National Memo)
The GOP hates the Affordable Car Act even though it was based off the health care reform that Mitt Romney passed in Massachusetts as governor. In order to keep the support of the GOP, Romney keeps flip-flopping on whether or not he likes Obamacare or hates it. (Talking Points Memo)
After the jump, Todd Akin continues to try to lose his Senate election, baseball’s most biased announcers and two epic Gangnam Style parodies. Continue reading
The Humanoids: Say What You Mean
The most dangerous thing these days seems to be words. Thanks to the 24-hour news cycle and social media, if you’re famous, your words will live on forever. Anything controversial or contradictory you say will spread like wildfire throughout the Twitterverse and blogosphere. Just ask Ozzie Guillen. Continue reading
The Lowdown 