Left Coast Sports Babe

From Washington D.C. Where residents are dealing with road closures, crowds, and many other inconveniences. On the brighter side, due to the inaugural and hotel situation, the 8-31 NBA Wizards have left on a road trip.

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President-elect Obama arrived today – January 17 – in D.C. – on a special railway car on an Amtrak train. Say what you want about his politics… the guy is smart. As in building 3 days of “give” into the system when travelling by Amtrak.

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The train trip was designed to evoke memories of President Lincoln’s train trip from Springfield to the nation’s capital in 1861. Although that trip took 12 days. 12 days?!!! Didn’t realize Amtrak was even runnihg then.

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In his inauguaral President-elect Obama in trying to evoke memories of President Lincoln. And he is really working hard on the bi-partisanism. In fact, Obama particularly singled out Senator John McCain for sharing his first hand memories of Lincoln’s inaugural.

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The train trip was uneventful, so it appears to have been a good idea. Apparently one other option Obama considered was cruising to D.C. on US Air.

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In semi-seriousness, with the economy down and retail suffering, perhaps a solution, brand anything and everything with Obama’s picture on it. Everything from t-shirts to beanie hats to Metro subway cards seems to be flying off the shelves

Vice president Dick Cheney said that “no one saw the financial crisis coming.” 

Is he kidding?  Plenty of people saw the financial crisis coming.  Now, the Arizona Cardinals against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL title game?   No one saw THAT coming.

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With the Pittsburgh Steelers being the only home team to win this weekend, will the headline on the playoff story read “Kings of the Road?”

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So Tim Tebow, who has already won a Heisman and a national championship,  will nonetheless bypass the NFL draft and return for his senior year.    College football fans were shocked, not only is Tebow still putting the college experience over quick millions, he didn’t even announce his decision by talking about himself in the third person. 

Though a more cynical read might be that he was scared about being drafted by the Detroit Lions.

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President Bush said on Fox News Sunday that he didn’t bail out the Republican party by leaving Iraq.   Republicans now just hope that it’s not too late to bail out the party by him leaving the White House.

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President Bush apparently doesn’t spend a lot of time watching serious movies.  When someone asked him what he thought of the Golden Globe winner “Slumdog Millionaire” he responded, “Well, it seems to be a good year for movies about cute dogs and puppies.”

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Or

President Bush just isn’t that up on current movies…when he was asked what he thought of the movie “Slumdog Millionaire,” he said he hoped to see it after he leaves the White House, and figured it would be a great sequel to “Beverly Hills Chihuahua.”

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England’s Prince Harry found himself having to apologize again after making some stupid racist comments.   Well,  it does go to show that these days the United States is not the only country in the world embarrassed by the youngest son of a dynasty. 

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Last week a man with sixteen guns as he drove to Los Angeles International Airport.  In his defense, Plaxico Burris said he just was flying home after a weekend of  clubbing.

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Los Angeles police were shocked when they stopped a man with sixteen guns and ammunition trying to enter the airport.  Normally Angelinos only take that kind of arsenal on the freeway.

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And Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh, still with an unsigned but negotiated contract extension, is rumored to be considering an NFL position.

Harbaugh is responding to the rumors with evasions, vague answers, and basically not saying anything of substance. Yeah, maybe he is ready to be an NFL coach.

In the latest episode of the Senate soap opera… today it looks like Roland Burris will finally be allowed to take over Barack Obama’s seat.

And not that it excuses Blagojevich, but the 71 year old Burris does appear to be an honest,  reasonable and competent man.

Which gives me an actual chance to quote T.S. Eliot, who might well have been writing about the Illinois Governor when he wrote – 

 “The last temptation is the greatest treason, to do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

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One reason we know that Blagojevich wouldn’t have tried to sell the seat to Burris.  He would have had to offer him a senior discount.

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A Washington hotel is offering a Lincoln bicentennial package that offers guests a chance to sleep in a “Lincoln” bedroom,  including historic memorabilia and a replica of the President’s rocking chair.  The room has been designed to be as accurate as possible, with special help from the first-hand remembrances of John McCain.

George W. Bush said to Barack Obama after their “five presidents” lunch that “we all want you to succeed.”  And of course, for President Bush’s part, he has done his best to set the bar as low as possible.

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All those thousands of shoes dumped on a Miami highway have been shipped to the poverty and conflict ravaged nation of Haiti. President Bush has questioned the shipment. With all those potential insurgents, he thinks its a bad idea to arm them.

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The best of times, worst of times – early 2009 version.   Earlier this week in college basketball the Boston College Eagles knocked off the previously unbeaten and number-one ranked North Carolina Tarheels. 

Tonight, Boston College lost to Harvard.  Yes, that Harvard.

Potential headline?  “The Eagles have  Crash Landed.”

Laura Bush has just inked a multi-million dollar book deal with Scribner.  President Bush says for that much money he’ll read one too.

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Laura Bush’s book will apparently be an “intimate account” of what really went on in the White House.  President Bush is looking forward to reading it, so he can find out too.

And former President George Herbert Walker Bush said he wanted to see his son Jeb become President?  He couldn’t have thought of this sooner, as in before the 2000 Republican primary and the subsequent Presidential election?

Chad Pennington has just won the NFL comeback player for the second time.  In addition, Magic Mountain has just renamed a roller coaster in his honor.

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If Pennington and the Dolphins make the Super Bowl, will the National Anthem be sung by Cher?

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Oregon State beat Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl 3-0.    Yes, that is correct, 3-0.      The Bowl trophy will apparently now be remade to resemble a smaller version of the Stanley Cup.

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Bill and Hillary Clinton will be dropping the crystal ball in Times Square New Year’s eve.      The organizers had originally thought to have it thrown to them, but for some reason last week rescinded Brett Favre’s invitation.

From Bill Littlejohn:

Charles Barkley, who’s also had issues with gambling, has now been arrested for DUI.  This is what’s known as  pulling a “Daly Double”