October 24, 2005
Almost Famous
I had an odd experience Friday afternoon. There was a message on my answering machine from Minneapolis Star Tribune gossip columnist C.J., who apparently had her interest piqued by the A.J. Pierzynski photos I linked to in Friday's Link-O-Rama entry. She asked me to call her back, saying she wanted to confirm if the photos of a man doing jello shots with various women were, in fact, of Pierzynski.
I didn't call her back, mostly because I have absolutely nothing to do with the pictures beyond linking to them here. In fact, I purposely didn't comment much on the link. Plus, me being quoted in the gossip column of a newspaper I've been criticizing here lately for a lack of quality content seemed sort of silly and hypocritical.
Anyway, C.J. and her column went on without my involvement (shocking, I know). Here's some of what she wrote about the pictures in yesterday's Star Tribune:
Type "A.J." and/or "Pierzynski" and "jello shots" into some search engines and up come photos of some party animals, one of whom looks a whoooole lot like the former Twin now with the World Series' Chicago White Sox.
[...]
There's "A.J." hamming it up with a Jell-O shot in his left hand; "Mel," with her right arm twined through his left arm and her right index finger in her mouth, presumably tasting the topping in her left hand. There's also a photo of "A.J." with his tongue hanging out, while "Melz" leans in on his left.
[...]
"Oh, that's definitely A.J. Pierzynski," said Dave Rogge. "I've seen him several times in person. I know that's him." Rogge, webmaster for a health care consulting company, called my attention to the photos that are apparently being enjoyed by bloggers in the Twin Cities and elsewhere.
I don't really have a problem with C.J. writing about the pictures, but I'd just like to point out how much more attention the Minneapolis Star Tribune gave this "story" than this lowly blog did. I devoted 24 words to it Friday, while the Star Tribune devoted 375 words to it yesterday. Take from that what you want, but as someone who has had an ass-full of blog-bashing by members of the mainstream media, I found it interesting.
Speaking of blogs, apparently AaronGleeman.com is worth $70,002.96. To whom it is worth that much and how exactly that figure was derived is beyond me, but I'll take it. Also, The Hardball Times is worth even more, at $180,088.26. All of which means I am suddenly fairly wealthy in the fantasy world where people are paying thousands of dollars for websites I run. I plan to spend my pretend money on lots of pretend luxuries, like really expensive imaginary cars, invisible flat-screen TVs, and vacations to places that don't exist.
Today's Picks (128-110, +$1,820):
Chicago (Garland) +165 over Houston (Oswalt)
Wednesday's Picks:
Chicago (Garcia) -130 over Houston (Backe)
