Man in the Hat media

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista is what we call a power hitter. What else would you call a guy who currently has 72 homeruns over two season up to this point. In 2010 he hit 54 moonshots, and this year currently has 18 homeruns in 38 games. But before the 2010 season, dating back to 2006 when he was in Pittsburgh, Bautista had homerun totals of 0 (2005), 16 (2006), 15 (2007) and 13 (2009). The question is: How does a player who hits homeruns in the mid teens, balloon his total in the 50s. The obvious speculation is performance enhancing drugs. But Bautista has passed all his drug tests up to this point. Maybe he has found a very good masking agent. Could it be though, that Bautista did it the right way: Got in the weight room, worked on his swing technique and mechanics, and has just hit his "prime" at the plate? Looking at pictures, Bautista hasn't bulked up as much as players that have used steroids (Alex Rodgriguez, Barry Bonds). For now, we will have to...

Sports-entertainment mega power ESPN has a lock on the sports market. Deals with the Southeastern Conference, NBA, NFL, MLB have helped make the company billions of dollars. Now, ESPN has added the newly formed PAC-12. ESPN/PAC-12 signed a 12-year contract that begins in 2012-2013. This is all great news for the PAC-12...but for ESPN, this could turn out to be a lemon deal. Besides the money, the PAC-12 will get the chance for more publicity off the deal. And while this pretty much locks down the LA market, and will add viewers in Utah and Colorado, I'm not sure ESPN made the smartest deal. The question is, how are they going to get the east coast ratings. PAC-12 games typically don't air on the East Coast until 10 or 11 at night, if not later. ESPN signing may move up a few game times, but I don't expect people in the South and Northeast to come clamoring to the TV to watch the Arizona/Colorado football game. This will be great for basketball, but football, which is king a...

Mark it down as a date in American history. On May 1, 2011 President Barack Obama announced to the world that a team of Navy Seals went into Pakistan and killed FBI Most Wanted Usama bin Ladin. This was later proven by reported facial recognitions, multiple DNA tests and eye witnesses. Many media outlets, American mostly, declared this a triumphant day for America and its "War on Terror." Indeed, they are right. For 10 years, the American government has been looking for bin Ladin, and when the intelligence came in that he was open for an attack, President Obama took the risk and sent in the Seals. But here is where my patriotism turned to cynicism. "The world is a safer place now that bin Ladin is dead" In the long run, I'm not so sure, but I'm leaning to yes. More people will rise to take his place. They probably won't be as "influential" as bin Ladin. But in the short term, I disagree. Here is my example: When police take in leaders of street...