Our 200th show. I’m not sure that’s a big deal. 250 seems bigger, right? And 500. So we  save the bells and whistles for another day (actually, go listen to 199 if you haven’t yet).

Today is an odd show, though. We react to some of the soccer news from yesterday, including ESPN’s plan to send as many people as possible to South Africa for the World Cup. After posting my suggestions at the Sporting Blog, ESPN responded with a “hey, reach out to us before you slam us” note. Which was warranted and I deserved. The fact is, I was challenging ESPN to help make soccer relevant in this country. And independent of my (and many others) challenge, ESPN is doing just that. So kudos to them.

That was yesterday. The big story today seems to be the feet of Yao Ming. Well, specifically the broken foot of the 7’6” center that could keep him out all of next year, and perhaps indefinitely. Could surgery help? It probably can’t hurt any more at this point if they are thinking the break is career threatening. So Yao could be back in a few months or a few years or never. We’ll have to wait and see.

There is a larger issue here...pun intended. Big men seem to be rather brittle. Sure there are players who are giants and maintain long and mostly healthy careers (most think Shaq’s injuries have always been middle-of-the-season-is-so-boring related). But several big men, including Yao and Greg Oden among many others, seem too big for their bones. Could they be carrying too much weight for their knees, legs and feet to carry and that, in addition to the stress of running and jumping, is what’s causing their careers to be shortened? It seems to be the case. It’s sad that we might be looking at a time where the bigger you are, the shorter your career will be.

Court Report:

Bernie Madoff got 150 years. We discuss if that’s fair. Personally, I think they should figure out a way to keep him alive the entire time, perhaps in a medically induced coma where he can still feel pain. He deserves to suffer that long. Lucky bastard will probably die within the next six months, or as Nick suggests, will be put in a medium security white-collar country club prison.

I hope he burns in hell.

We also talk about some people who’ve said, ‘it’s just money’ and say that people who commit murder get far less time than Madoff. What he did is tantamount to murder. People lost everything. People have killed themselves because they’ve lost everything. To me, that’s murder. Not to mention the fact that, in some respect, ruining people’s lives can be worse than killing them.

Nick thinks the biggest issue is that he asked people to trust him. He brings up the good point that it’s not like Madoff went into a bank and stole money, not knowing whose it was and where it was coming from. He went to actual people, asked for their trust, and stole their lives away.

I hope he burns in hell.

Culture Pop:

Nick hasn’t been around since 400 celebrities died, so he gets a chance to talk about the passing of Michael Jackson. And he’s angry. It’s hard to do his anger justice in print, but if you want to listen to someone whip it out and urinate on the legacy of an icon, listen to this segment. And Nick’s not wrong in his assessment of the situation --more taking to task all the people who are so upset about Jacko’s death, not the actual death. Jackson hasn’t been a positive member of the popular culture in nearly 20 years. It’s just been a bit much.

I’m not sure I agree with everything Nick says, but there is no questioning his conviction for this. It’s worth the listen. We also touch on a man who is much more relevant in today’s pop culture world -- Billy Mays. How long are we going to see his commercials for? Five years? More? And is it a tribute, or is it weird, like he’s pitching Mighty Putty from the grave now?

Baseball Talk:

Kevin Kaduk is a communist. At least that’s what I try to convince you after reading his blog post against shaving creme pies. They are a part of baseball! I know ‘Duk is trying to be funny, but he’s not the only one ripping the old celebratory gesture. And can you think of anything better (I fail miserably at that) because if you can’t, shut up. It’s fun. Sure it’s done far too often, but would you want to be the first guy who has a big walk off hit, gets an interview with the local affiliate and DOESN’T get a pie in the face?

No, you’d feel like a loser.

Let the guys have their fun. And yes, let’s hope they get more creative. (Note: the shaving gel as silly string is always my favorite, and we do agree that if you’re going to do it, don’t cop out and use a towel. Get a real pie pan, or something round. Maybe a catcher’s mitt or something).

Thanks for sticking with us for the last 200 shows. We hope you enjoy what’s to come.