Now the Cardinals have a possible outbreak. Sounds like their game today has been scrapped.
Which means the Twins have now been exposed.
MLB postponements this week:
Phillies: 7 games
Marlins: 7 games
*Yankees: 4 games
*Orioles: 4 games
Blue Jays: 3 games
Nationals: 3 games
Cardinals: 1 game
Brewers: 1 game
(*Yankees and Orioles remained in action by playing two games vs. each other.)
Harvey Updyke, the Alabama fan who killed famous trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner, died at 71 of natural causes and a number of complications.
The MLB season is now officially at risk -- TWENTY-ONE positive tests for the Marlins now -- only two, so far, for the Cardinals.
Manfred is painting this squarely at the feet of the players and the players' union.
Free Agent: Antonio Brown's suspension has come down -- only EIGHT GAMES FOR ALL OF THAT??!?!?!?!?? The bidding should've started at a two-year full ban from the league!!!
Detroit Lions: Jayron Kearse, three games for a DUI/handguns arrest.
The Pac-12 has unveiled a 10-game conference-only football season. WHY??
Controversy in the European League of Legends broadcast situation. NEOM, a government-owned Saudi company in the "Agenda 2030" situation, was partnering with the LEC for the broadcast of European matches and tournaments -- until the fans revolted and the partnership has been severed.
GenCon Online is this weekend.
As is the Social Distancing Spectacular -- this year's Mario Marathon.
NBA restart was tonight -- deemed the largest protest in the history of sports. The Lakers beat the Clippers in the second game, a preview of what many believe the Western Conference Finals will be, by two points.
Joe Kelly suspension watch -- Dodgers are 2-0 since the announcement -- 6-3 over the DBacks tonight.
The SEC has decided to play college football this year -- 10 games, conference only.
Doubleheaders will be 7 inning games each in MLB.
If the college football season takes place, only one captain will be brought out for each team for the coin toss.
Olbermann, to wit the only thing I disagree with is whether we haven't already hit material collapse on the schedule, especially if the design is to coronate the fucking Yankees in Rob Manfred's image:
#Thurbercast No. 85 includes readings from an ancient text called “the oath of office,” the realization that baseball is just two teams away from schedule collapse, and Thurber’s epic story named for a Red Barber baseball catchphrase: “The Catbird Seat”https://t.co/lloTupQStT
Watch out for this story: Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs has nailed MLB for keeping the team together in the locker room in Cincinnati for eight hours trying to get a game in.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Joe Kelly, 8 games for doing exactly what every other fanbase in the nation other than the Red Sox fans and Astros fans wanted.
If you want any indication that Rob Manfred has an active conspiracy and a severe vendetta against the LA Dodgers, here you fucking go.
I'm reminded of that one ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game in Fenway against A-Roid's Yankees, and the pitcher threw four inside pitches on the first at-bat, plunking A-Roid on the fourth -- I don't even think he got suspended.
This whole sign-stealing thing was an open "FUCK THE DODGERS" motif and a rigged pair of championships for #HoustonStrong in one case and against the Dodgers in both.
Any other solution is folly.
Or just suspend the rest of the country for 8 games as well, Manfred.
To show not only it CAN WORK, but what is required for the future of sports: The NBA and NBPA have announced NO positive tests for the coronavirus from July 20-28 in the bubble. Games start again tomorrow.
Phillies now being held out til at least Friday. Marlins into next week.
The ACC has scheduled an 11-game college football season -- Notre Dame is in conference this year.
Damian Williams of the Chiefs is one of the latest to opt out of the NFL season due to the virus.
Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield, convicted yesterday of rape, faces life in prison. The Super Bowl XXIX champion was also convicted in the BALCO raids.
Grand Rapids, MI School District -- online-only for the entire first quarter of next school year (October 21).
Yesterday, the NFL officially called off the 2020 pre-season.
Four more Miami Marlins have been reported as positive for the virus, making over half the team now. And we're still playing... why? Because just HAVE TO have the Revenge Series in Houston tonight???
Currently no Philadelphia positives. Let's see if that completes the proposed incubation period. It's only 3-5 days at this point.
CES 2021 is online-only, a devastating hit to the Las Vegas convention economy.
The Tropicana Hotel is for sale.
Dont'a Hightower and Patrick Chung of the Patriots have added their names to the opt-out list. Witn Brandon Bolden also planning to announce soon, that's six Patriots opting out so far.
Andre Smith and De'Anthony Thomas of the Ravens have joined them.
According to ESPN, eighteen NFL players have already opted out.
The Marlins' season is officially "on pause". Probably a step toward just removing them, because even if they start next Monday (which would still be a number of days too soon), they'd play 57 games in 56 days.
And there's the first BIG ONE of Dodgers/Astros: Dodgers' Joe Kelly puts one right on the back of Alex Bregman. Thought he might've just thrown it behind him for Ball Four, but there's the first shot.
And now the benches have cleared...
Olbermann before it completely explodes in Houston tonight:
#Thurbercast No. 85 featuring an artifact of Donald Barr and my high school newspaper, the passing of CNN’s first president Reese Schonfeld, baseball’s disaster and Thurber’s epic story of the perils of travel “There’s No Place Like Home.”https://t.co/UCx3QoFWOC
Well, they decided to play Monday night and
to underplay the reality that half the damn Marlins have now tested
positive for COVID-19.
I guess it's left for sane people such
as myself to show how bad of a fucking idea this is...
Because, as of right now, you really
only have four options if you're MLB:
Number One:
You could go ahead and let the Marlins
take the field as is with asymptomatic players and fill in fewer
blanks.
I don't think I need to say how bad of
an idea this is. Keith Olbermann has already given a nightmare
scenario in which he has mapped out the possibility that the entire
American and National League Eastern divisions will be infected by
the virus as early as a week from tomorrow.
If the situation is as bad as I think,
six teams could already be infected and two more go down tomorrow or
Wednesday, depending on when they try to have the Marlins play again:
The Marlins directly
The Phillies through the Marlins
The exposure which led to the
Marlins' infection apparently happened in travel to and from Atlanta
for the Summer Camp series with the Braves, so they're exposed
probably
Which would expose the Mets, who
they played this weekend
Which would expose the Red Sox,
who the Mets played tonight
And the Braves would then have
exposed the Rays, who THEY played tonight
And that doesn't count the two
teams in holding patterns: The Orioles (Miami) and Yankees
(Phillies)
So it's clear that anything short of a
two-week quarantine for both the Phillies and the Marlins at minimum,
and probably more, would be useless here.
But then what?
Number Two:
You would be forced to field an
entirely new Marlins team (and possibly Phillies as well) from the
rest of the 60-man mega-roster plus the full-league “taxi squad”
some believe is now stationed in Nashville, awaiting orders.
This has numerous problems. One
being travel on all ends, two being getting anything approximating a
“team” together for one or both franchises, three basically being
what happens if this becomes four or five different franchises over
the course of time?
Number Three, and probably the only
scenario which could allow play to continue:
The Marlins are removed from the league
and tiebreaker/seeding/schedule considerations adjusted for the
purposes of the remaining teams in the East.
This has happened in both the NWSL
and MLS tournaments, and, given this is about a ten-week season and
you NEED two-week quarantine for a situation like this, you, at least
IMODO, have no option but to remove teams with outbreaks from the
season if you wish to have any hope of playing the season.
But the only correct solution is Number
Four:
Cancel the entire MLB season now
and regroup.
There are, however, two EXISTENTIAL
problems with this situation.
Within MLB:
You are staring, in the face, a 2022
players' strike during the new CBA negotiations, if they even bother
to negotiate.
And if you cancel this year, you all
but doom any play in any travel league (which see the second part of
this) until there's a workable vaccine – and that's if you can find
one.
That probably means little to no play
next year, then the CBA runs out, and then God only knows...
I do think that one of the major
reasons that Manfred is not doing the right thing is money on his own
end, because, if he does the right thing, there is really no
guarantee when OR IF Major League Baseball can or will take the field
again!!!
And part of that also dovetails into
the other part of this.
Outside MLB:
It is rapidly being shown that the
bubbles that the NBA, NHL, MLS, and NWSL are using are working –
and even the limited bubble NASCAR is using is also seeming to hold.
But the reality of Monday's situation
seems to indicate that sports which cannot operate inside such a
controlled bubble are not going to be able to proceed until when (OR
IF) a vaccine is found.
That means not only no MLB, it means no
pro nor college football – much less the high schools, etc.
That probably seals the deal on the
future of the American sports society as you've known it the last
30-60 years.
There has already been discussion that
ESPN does not have a “Plan B” if the NFL and college football go
down – part of the reason has been revealed in the last few days,
as ESPN has literally $1,000,000,000 in advertising for the football
season that it will lose if the seasons are cancelled.
This probably kills ESPN.
Then you have a lot of the other sports
networks, including the regional ones often reliant on baseball to
fill a lot of the time on their schedules.
In short, Monday's revelations probably
will change the way sports are not only played, but broadcast,
forever – and not in ways people are going to like.
Universal Studios theme parks on both coasts have cancelled the annual Halloween Horror Nights month of night openings/horror-themed events in October.
The coronavirus positives have called off the Marlins season opener. TWELVE players and two coaches have now tested positive. Season's over people -- I know they may try to make it just the Marlins season, but I think it's now clear. Turn out the lights...
Anyone who now believes football can be held at ANY LEVEL this year (or at any point before a vaccine) is FUCKING FOOLING THEMSELVES.
Now Trump's National Security Advisor has tested positive. And the Piece of the Ultimate Shit still hasn't??
Olbermann is doing a special report morning situation from home about the MLB coronavirus situation. Philadelphia, who played Miami this weekend, is now almost forced to cancel their game (and probably more) against the Yankees tonight. If I can get it to work once he finishes it, I'll post it here.
Olbermann, in reposting the video, had this ominous note for all of us: "We aren't the dominant life form on the planet right now."
Now this might be another of those fake death Twitter rumors: But people are watching for news on coronavirus victim Herman Cain, thinking he may have succumbed to the virus. If he did, word is he caught it at a Trump rally earlier in the month!
MLB owners: 12:30 PM Eastern scheduled call. But this is probably going to be far different than they had planned!
Max Kellerman has stated the nation should throw in the towel on the NFL: No chance the season finishes. I don't even think there's a chance the season STARTS!!!
Kyrie Irving will pay opting-out WNBA players $1.5 million of his own salary in support of their decisions.
To show what is probably going to be required for sports to go forward at all for the next two years: The NHL conducted 4,256 tests of more than 800 players in the week of formal training camps July 18-25: ZERO POSITIVES IN THE BUBBLE.
And Rob Manfred is a fucking idiot. Full speed ahead!!!
And tonight's regular Olbermann, with more COVID MLB outbreak talk:
#Thurbercast No. 84 with “The Figgerin’ Of Aunt Wilma” plus the baseball disaster and the simple reality that because of the Miami Marlins, the entirety of the AL/NL East could be infected by next Tuesday, and 8 of the 10 teams by this Friday.https://t.co/7ywbZJPHip
Colorado's Tim Collins has said goodbye for the season after today's debacle.
Eric Sugarman, who is supposed to be the Infection Control Officer for the Vikings this year, has the virus himself.
And the Giants' DeAndre Baker and Seattle's Quinton Dunbar have both been placed on the Commissioner's List for provisional suspension for criminal investigations pending. Each faces four counts of armed robbery, Baker additionally four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Here's how the Royals beat the Indians 3-2 in 10 yesterday.
They get the Manfred Runner On Second.
Sac bunt.
Sac fly.
Walk.
Thrown Out Stealing.
NO official at-bats in the entire sequence!
An update from MaxPreps, including a quite good map on the situation, indicates the following for high school football this Fall:
Hawaii still has all interscholastic activities on the suspended list.
Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont, DC, and Southern California will not play football until 2021.
Oregon, Arizona, Wisconsin, New York, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, the two largest public school divisions in Texas, and Texas' private schools will operate on delayed schedules of some form in 2020, as of last Friday. (A delay is also asserted for Alaska, but nothing is official there yet.)
Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire have not determined anything yet.
All other states, plus the four smallest public school divisions in Texas and schools in Northern California, plan to try to have their seasons as normal, though many states will not have state championships this year.
So 5 states, southern California and DC are going to 2021.
9 states plus parts of Texas will delay.
9 states haven't announced a thing yet.
Which leaves 25 states, northern California, and parts of Texas demanding a regular start.
Early major injury: Justin Verlander is done for the year two weeks (earlier reports had him out the year) with an elbow injury.
Mike Ditka has told all anthem protesters to leave his fucking country. Some of us would LIKE TO, but can't, you fat fuck...
Today was the last day of the English Premier League, and the big-money teams win again as Manchester United pips Leicester City out to the Europa League and takes their Champions' League spot.
And now we've lost Olivia de Havilland this weekend. What the fuck, world???
And here's MLB Uh-Oh Number Two: FOUR members of the Miami Marlins, including Jose Urena, who was supposed to starting-pitch today's game, have tested positive for the coronavirus. This isn't going to work, people!
Through the first three-game series with Seattle: Houston Bean Count: 3. Two Saturday, one today. (Houston won 2 of 3)
Two championships in American pro sports today: The Boston Cannons won the one-week Major League LaCrosse championship for the season.
And the Houston Dash won the women's soccer tournament of the NWSL. That was the NWSL season for this year.
Olbermann did get tonight's Thurbercast out, and also talks of the Marlins and their outbreak:
#Thurbercast No. 83 includes his epic medicine cabinet disaster story “Nine Needles,” why the Miami Marlins’ COVID outbreak could be the beginning of the end of the baseball season, and my saga of when fabled WNEW morning man Ted Brown wanted to kill me.https://t.co/T4CuYJMMcQ
Part of the NFL's protocol is that players will forfeit all their pay if they take part in any "high-risk" activities away from team facilities.
Six NFL players, including two veterans, have been placed on a new COVID-19 reserve list for exposure to the virus. Teams can't say they tested positive, and can put players on the list if it is believed they have been exposed.
The Marlins have delayed their return to Florida for their home opener.
Rio de Janeiro has already cancelled it's world-famous New Year's Eve Carnival due to the virus.
Ah, baseball in 2020... Where a balls and strikes ejection requires an argument at social distancing plus masks for both manager and umpire.
The Atlantic has quoted two infectious disease experts to state that there already appears to be an outbreak of the virus on the Florida Marlins. Ship's sinking fast!
I need to go back to bed. We've not only lost Regis Philbin, but a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green. And it's still about seven hours to go in the day.
One of the first WNBA games of the season, and both teams walked off the floor during the National Anthem.
Oklahoma is moving it's season opening college football game up a week to August 29th. Good fucking luck.
Olbermann did an abbreviated Thurbercast tonight to talk about how he's feeling, etc. -- then deleted the original by mistake. Dammit.
The MLS Is Back Tournament has made it to the knockout stage. Orlando defeated Montreal. Philadelphia defeated New England.
Several WNBA players are wearing the name of Breonna Taylor (one of the main police deaths people are protesting) on their jerseys.
Chris Jericho's 16th Saturday Night Special:
Lee Westwood is skipping the PGA Championship, noting that the United States isn't taking the virus seriously. He's right!!!
And the first major problem with the new season: Matt Davidson of the Reds has tested positive for the coronavirus today -- he played Opening Day yesterday. UH OH!!
Juan Soto scratched for the Reds, the Braves scratched two catchers with symptoms, but no positive test.
Motorist in Dallas has opened fire on protesters there, protesting Federal involvement in trying to quash an increasingly-sticky protest situation nationwide.
The European Speedrunners Association has begun their 2020 main Summer marathon -- at home of course. Main event is tomorrow on their Twitch channel, as another "Break The Record" event will give a $2,500 cash prize to the winner of a fastest-run-in-14-hours event with seven players on Doom Eternal, with a $1,000 cash bonus if that player breaks the recognized World Record with no major glitches -- and if no player breaks the world record, then the current record-holder ("Xiae" of the United States, 1:09.40.110) wins the bonus cash.
Another night of tear gas in Portland. Seems to be the epicenter of it all right now -- and if something is not done to try to get calm, then the alt-Right will get their wish and you will see troops in there.
For the first time in the history of the event, the virus has caused the cancellation of the world-famous Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii.
Washington State University has cancelled ALL on-campus classes for the Fall. All work will now be online.
Two staff members and an athlete at Michigan State University have tested positive, so, to be sure, they are going to quarantine the entire football camp.
It appears as if the fall-back plan of Buffalo has at least mostly won the Blue Jays until the season at which Canada can allow them back. Announced today, just five days before the first "home game", that the majority of home games will be played in Buffalo.
Zion Williamson has returned to the Pelicans and will have to begin a minimum four-day quarantine under NBA policies. First seeding game is the 30th, but he's been away from the team for so long, he may not be able to play that much. New Orleans is 3 1/2 games out of the 8 seed, tied for the #9.
The first NFL opt-out: Kansas City's Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is out for the season -- opting to continue work as an orderly.
Injurious force and sonic weapons have apparently been authorized to fell a protest in St. Charles, Missouri along Interstate 70 tonight.
... and they're talking about expanding playoffs to 16 now. They aren't getting there. No chance in Hell. I give it about three weeks.
Well, they're more than talking about it now -- THEY'RE DOING IT! (Same thing I said above.)
Antonio Brown wants the probes ended so he can play... IN WHAT FUCKING DECADE???!!?!?
The Jets' owner is now in hot water for racist comments he made as Ambassador to the UK, while he was trying to get the British Open to play some year at one of Trump's UK golf courses. Can we just fucking fold the Jets and be done with it?
First pre-return NBA scrimmage was last night. Play resumes July 31.
If you want an idea of how close we are (finally and thankfully) to the end of the NCAA and college sports as we know it: The University of Wisconsin has announced that -- EVEN IF COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS PLAYED -- they're still going to lose $100,000,000 this year on their athletic department. Na, na, na, na...
I'm seeing reports indicating the loss would be if no football, but I know I saw one report say the loss was even if football was played.
And Dan Snyder will call the Washington football team -- "The Washington Football Team". That's a middle finger, ladies and gentlemen. From one of the worst owners in the history of American sports.
The coaching staff of the Houston Rockets will coach this season with masks on.
In something right out of the last (actual non-"Creed" series) "Rocky" film, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. will fight an eight-round exhibition boxing match in September. Oh... my... God...
Uh oh... Olbermann has "flu-like symptoms" and a frog in his throat. So the Thurbercasts are off for a while. Let's HOPE it's only that...
And rain has taken over the East Coast and might put an end to the season's first MLB game. 4-1 Yankees in Washington, top 6.
And, in a moment Republicans will guffaw at for years, Dr. Fauci threw out the first pitch of the season. Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust a bit outside, tried for the corner and missed....
By about 20 feet.
The game in New York was not resumed. Yankees 4 - Nationals 1 is the final.
And the National League favorite also won big too -- 8-1 Dodgers over Giants in the second opening game.
And it sounds like ESPN was the main payout for the expanded playoffs: Seven of the first-round series will air somewhere on ESPN networks.
In one of the more offbeat effects of the coronavirus, Cornell has waived a traditional must-pass-to-graduate swimming test for the entire next school year. It's a tradition going back over a century. And would've ensured I would never graduate from the place.
A day after it appeared the Toronto Blue Jays had a plan for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania turns them away -- and there's only now a week left before they either must have a stadium or probably play a road schedule for their entire season.
Today was the day for Wigan Athletic. Relegation day or do they stay up?
They go down. A 1-1 draw with Fulham and the crooked bet CASHES.
Update on yesterday's list: Oregon will delay all Fall sports until at least September 23rd -- and will not play football at all in the Fall unless they can start practices for a modified season by September 28th.
Mike Trout WILL play in the 2020 MLB season.
Mookie Betts has, sources say, agreed to a contract for a decade with the Dodgers at a Manfred-hurl-inducing $365,000,000.
Maxpreps.com has a list of the current status of all 50 states for high school sports this Fall. Relevant decisions made so far: (With any states not listed awaiting word from the health authorities, adamnant they will try normal schedule, and/or still to make a decision...)
Arizona: School year start pushed back to at least August 17th -- football, etc., will be delayed accordingly (FB first game was to be Aug. 20th.)
California: Announced yesterday. All sports off until January. However, the Northern Section will break from the CIF this year and try to play the Fall seasons as scheduled. We'll see about that -- the very fact California has made this decision is indicative of very real concern it might be December or January before any real in-person instruction can take place!
DC: All sports cancelled until 2021. Winter sports begin in January, Fall sports in February.
Florida: Task force (by a narrow margin) appears to be ready to postpone Fall sports about a month, so far...
Georgia: Football delayed two weeks. All other Fall sports start on time. Full seasons planned.
Hawaii: All sports activities suspended on a rolling basis. Continuing evaluations, indefinite duration.
Louisiana: Strong dispute between at least one state senator, who wants the California/DC model, and the LHSAA sanctioning body, who says "We need high school sports." Why?
Mississippi: Delayed Fall sports two weeks.
Nevada: The top national high-school volleyball tournament has been cancelled. No other plans are known at this time.
New Jersey: Six-game football season to start October 1.
New Mexico: Cancelled until at least January.
New York: At least a one-month postponement, all state Fall championships cancelled this year. Contingency plans not unlike the CIF's are already in place in case they are needed.
South Carolina: Beginning of practice moved back three weeks. Football cut to a seven-game schedule.
Tennessee: Indeterminate delay will cut into the Fall sports season. Still TBD how long, at least August 29 for first practices, meaning probably at least a six-week delay.
Texas: Has scrapped at least a month of Fall sports (practices Sept. 8, games Sept. 28).
Virginia: Still in flux on just how, but they have confirmed both a delay in the start of sports in the Fall and that football will not happen in the Fall under any circumstances. Three possibilities appear to be in line: 1) See California, DC, and New Mexico 2) Switch the Spring and Fall seasons 3) Play low-contact social-distanced sports like golf and cross-country in the Fall.
Washington: And
West Virginia: About a month delay in both states.
So, by my look, that's three states, one Section of a fourth, and DC which have already at least postponed high-school football (California Southern, DC, Hawaii, New Mexico, Virginia).
Jeremy Roenick is a fucking idiot. He has, in fact, sued NBC Sports for discriminating against him for being STRAIGHT!!! Because of sexual harassment laws, he actually has the audacity to claim that, if he were gay, he would be able to make sexual comments about the women he works with without creating a hostile work environment. Roenick was fired from NBC for making sexual comments about his wife and, I assume, a family friend swimming in bikinis with him on a hockey podcast.
The NFL has now offered the players, to answer their concerns, the complete cancellation of the entire 2020 pre-season. They're fooling themselves, but they need to try to force the issue to get Foobaw Nation America to believe there will be a season this year. (Pro-tip: Nope.)
The SWAC has become the first Division I (FCS) conference to move it's football season to Spring -- seven-game season after an eight-game training period, no season at all if the coronavirus is not under control by January.
Jeff Franceour, broadcaster for the Braves, announces he's positive for the coronavirus.
As has Todd Kalas from the Astros. Both are asymptomatic.
The Blue Jays will play in Pittsburgh this season.
The world soccer player of the year awards, The Ballon d'Or, will not take place for the first time in the history of the awards. Kinda due to the coronavirus -- more, rather than the safety of holding the event, the infeasibility of world soccer this year.
Mark Cuban had an exchange today about the National Anthem with a Rethuglipig talk show host in Texas, after telling Senator Ted Cruz he wouldn't mind if Cruz didn't attend NBA games over the National Anthem/BLM situations. Cuban asked talk show host Mark Davis that, after stating the "National Anthem Police" are out of control, to ask why the Anthem isn't played at their place of work. Cuban has changed his stance since 2017, saying he has learned a lot in the last three years about the situation.
At least the Giants and Jets will not be holding their training camps, in any way, open to the public. The bigger announcement, though, is that they support that large gatherings cannot take place at Met Life Stadium until further notice -- meaning that either the Giants and Jets will play fanless this year if at all, they play elsewhere, or they don't play.
Congratulations. It appears as if Trumpiepoo has another step toward isolationism! The Bahamas has added their name to the list of countries who will not accept US tourists. One of the reasons I think this response by Trump is intentional -- he would not mind if the rest of the world built a wall to keep us away from them!!!
The NHL has announced that only two people have tested positive for the coronavirus since camps opened. Gee, you think that the games eventually being played in Canada might have anything to do with an actual response??
The Toronto Blue Jays need to find a place to play by the 29th. They're talking to other teams to share ballparks.
The NBA has announced all tests since July 13th in the bubble have come back negative.
State of California CIF high school federation has called off all Fall sports, and will try to play them in a January-March format. The sections of the state will determine the length of the season (California is so big, it has at least two sectional sanctioning bodies -- actual state championships in California are, in fact, quite rare). Winter and spring sports will go on in a spring season, but it appears multi-sport athletes may be forced to choose.
According to The Nature Boy, Ric Flair's wife has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The ICC, the world body of cricket, has shelved this year's T20 (one day, 20 overs to a side) World Cup. They'll wait at least a year.
Rookies report Tuesday, and many NFL players are SCREAMING for proper protocols.
Jack Nicklaus and his wife revealed they tested positive for the coronavirus right about at my Day 1 here. Had to deal with a small cough and sore throat for Jack while quarantining about five weeks, but both are fine now. What is it going to fucking take to get it through to you FUCKING COVIDIOTS that this shit is serious???!?!?
They got the dates for NFL camp reporting: Rookies next Tuesday, quarterbacks and injured players Thursday, a week from Tuesday for everybody else. Oh, this isn't going to end badly.
The Wigan Athletic saga has hit the second-to-final round of the Championship.
To review:
As of the beginning of this round, three teams were competing for one safety spot in the second-tier Championship: Luton Town and Hull City are both naturally on 45 points.
Wigan Athletic, however, face a 12-point penalty for what is probably an intentional administration by their new owners to attempt to get them relegated, if not eventually destroyed! This also places them on 45 points, but they have a significant goal difference advantage over the other two teams for the one safety spot.
Wigan Athletic drew Charlton Athletic 2-2.
Luton Town and Hull City played today, and Luton Town won 1-0, and now THEY are a safe team at 48 points.
So here is the current relegation situation in the Championship, with three teams to be relegated:
Barnsley play Nottingham Forest tomorrow, and must win to have any chance of staying up.
The five teams in the relegation zone for three drops are:
Barnsley (43 points, last on the table, game in hand, -22 goal differential), who must not only get a win home to Nottingham Forest tomorrow, but then must get at a win against a Brentford side who need at least a draw Wednesday night to have a chance at automatic promotion. The line is now at 48 points, so they need all six (and a Wigan loss Wednesday night -- a draw puts Wigan Athletic ahead on GD tiebreaker).
Hull City (45 points, -27 goal differential) are in trouble. They need a win and a Wigan draw or loss and that Barnsley does not win twice. Otherwise, they go down. And they have to win at Cardiff City, who need at least a draw to make the third-promotion 3-6 playoff.
Wigan Athletic (46 points with the penalty, +1 goal differential). OUT at this point with the two 48s. Home to Fulham, who has faint aspirations of automatic promotion. Must beat Fulham (which would put them ahead of Barnsley to begin with) and then one of Charlton and Luton must lose.
Luton Town and Charlton Athletic (both 48 points, Charlton -11 GD, Luton Town -29). A Barnsley draw or loss to Nottingham Forest makes both safe, but if Barnsley wins, then an unlikely second win against Brentford would endanger both if Wigan also win to get to 49. Then Luton Town must win or are relegated, Charlton Town would only need a draw -- a loss would relegate them.
Onward, starting with some big MLB news which might scuttle the 2020 season:
The Canadian government, according to AP, has DENIED all requests that the Toronto Blue Jays play in Toronto this year. (The provincial government had approved it.) If the Blue Jays play this season, it will have to be elsewhere (word is now Dundedin, Florida (!!!!) with Buffalo now ruled out), with the first "home game" on the 29th!
Despite breaking the phone two minutes to story time #Thurbercast No. 80 made it with “The Funniest Man You Ever Saw” and “How To See A Bad Play” along with why I did not become an Actor!https://t.co/AK0q1MZa33
The Speed Gamers with a weekend of Mario this weekend for St. Jude on their Twitch channel.
Billy Corgan has attempted to clarify and dispel the rumors of the end of his National Wrestling Alliance project. Corgan admits everything is on hold until things are safe, but insists the NWA will return when (more IF) things are safe to do so, and feels it's irresponsible to do otherwise.
Gregory Polanco of the Pirates has tested positive for the coronavirus. And teams are supposed to travel for camp games starting tomorrow...
The signing of Yasiel Puig to play in Atlanta this year has been revoked -- he also has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California has closed in-person education in most of the state of California until the virus clears -- 30 counties, with three more about to be added.
Ah, a "Karma, Biotch!" moment... Bryson DeChambeau went OB twice and took a third penalty on a way to a 10 on the 15th hole of his second round at the Memorial today. So pissed, his caddy tried to block cameras from videoing DeChambeau walking the hole. He will, as a result, miss the cut this weekend. Roid rage????
About a 30-minute outage happened this afternoon to backbone Internet DNS service Cloudflare. It appears, from reports, that this was due to a four-terabyte DDoS attack on the service about 2:25 PM Pacific time. About 3 or so, it appears to have rectified.
Cloudflare states that it was a router connectivity problem.
(I can't believe I have to do this all again. I got all the way about 70% through this thing, then two keystrokes and the whole thing went ZOT. Also, WARNING: VERY VERY LONG. This is a COVID-19 Longform, not unlike the Hart/Benoit ones, of a subject of personal interest.)
In 2020, ITV, the British network which used to air "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", created and aired a three-part dramatic event, Quiz, as the third re-telling of the largest Quiz Show scandal since the rigged United States quiz events of the late 1950's: The attempt by Army Major Charles Ingram, his wife Diana, friend and fellow WWTBAM superfan Tecwyn Whittock, and at least two other parties (one willing, one not) to swindle the show out of the top 1,000,000 pound prize.
Even 19 years later, the Ingrams (who I believe are complete liars and lied in every answer in a 2003 20/20 episode on the incident) still are trying to get the money through court. Information in this is not only from a newly-posted YouTube video from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in Britain, but the best recollections I have of the 20/20 US and "Major Fraud" UK documentaries.
For reference, here is the YouTube video. Times will reference this video, though it has significant commentary, several intermissions, some editing, etc. (And, unlike many videos I have posted here, I don't think this one is coming down anytime soon!!!)
The date is September 9th, 2001. Charles Ingram has just won his Fastest Finger First to finally get in the Hot Seat on the British version of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire".
Why do I say "finally"? Because the Ingrams were part of a "superfan" group of Millionaire fans who followed the show religiously (given the Ingrams, I think I can, with my qualifications, deem they were stalkers of the show). Charles and Diana appeared on a couples' version and didn't qualify. Diana's brother, Adam Pollock, won 32,000 pounds. So did Diana, much to her grave disappointment, she revealed to Tarrant over drinks afterward. And the video reveals two failed attempts (unclear if the couples' one was one) by Charles -- meaning this is either at least the fifth Ingram appearance on the show or the SIXTH!!!
The first incident has largely disappeared into the ether, and happened during the September 9th taping.
I forget if this was a relative or an associate of Charles', but security was repeatedly having to deal with a man in the audience-overflow era attempting to use his cellphone during the taping.
Whoever it was, it didn't appear that what he did helped if that was the intent. The "dim but nice" Major (as host Chris Tarrant referred to him) limped his way through seven questions, leaving only one lifeline left, a 50/50, by the time the horn went off to end the show.
September 10th, 2001 was a day which would live in game show infamy.
Whittock was another of the "superfans", and, when Diana found out Whittock had made the show, she congratulated him...
... and then prosecutors claim, they hatched their plot.
There was little regard for Charles among the staff. Many, as I have for a long time, questioned his qualifications for Private, much less Major, in any Army. Some on the production staff, according to an unofficial Wikia account, called him no less than "unintelligent". No one thought he would even reach the 32,000 mark of his wife or her brother.
If anything, through another part of that account, he appears to be high-functioning, if flawed. He apparently is a Mensa genius (applied for and got in!) with an engineering degree!
And when he comes out for Night Two, he claims a new counterattack strategy! Completely baffling everybody, it's Game On...
... in more ways than one!
Question 8 for 8,000 pounds: (Starts at 10:44)
Second husband of Jackie Kennedy. First impression was Aristotle Onassis, which gets a noted cough at 11:14.
The defense at the criminal trial stated there were nearly 200 incidents picked up by various microphones of coughing and blustering during Charles' second-night play.
The prosecution picked up out 19 what they referred to as Particular Coughs which they deemed signals, all but two by Whittock. This was the first one of his.
Charles then goes into a sub-strategy (which the producers and sound engineer pick up on as "odd" immediately, the latter immediately telling all associates to "listen out" from that point because Charles Ingram is acting erratically in the Hot Seat). Charles is round-robining the answers, reading each one out, and, it is alleged, waiting for a cough from Whittock on the correct answer.
Charles has, more recently, claimed that some of what he was doing was for "good television". (Not unlike the producers' directions to rigged contestants during the American 1950's scandals!!!!)
A second Particular Cough at 12:00, and Charles declares and wins 8,000 pounds.
Question 9 for 16,000 pounds: (Starts at 12:30)
Not a long one here, except to note one curious thing: Charles faces eight questions tonight. This is the ONLY QUESTION in which he both knew the answer and did not receive any assistance from Whittock or anyone else.
Question 10 for 32,000 pounds: (Starts at 14:37) The first of two major Snoking Guns. At the end of the night, the more minor of the two, believe it or not!
Who had a hit UK Album with "Born To Do It", released in 2000?
A: Coldplay
B: Toploader
C: A1
D: Craig David
This is such a flagrant act that the video, during what would be the commercial between declaration and the 32,000 pound win, takes FOUR MINUTES to show what happened -- as well as another interruption when it does in the first place.
Basically, they'd found a hole in BOTH Charles' knowledge and Whittock's. A prosecution witness would note (as stated in the intermission) that, even though many people would get this question, there would be those who would not.
(I agree. I'm not the first person to think that, even with my advancing age, I still have enough trivia knowledge to run the table on a 15-question stack. In fact, I did once when Disney's California Adventure had the Millionaire "Play It" show in Anaheim. Too bad it was in the audience and not in one of my three Hot Seat attempts, never getting more than one question right in the third and final tier! Damn "Phone a Complete Stranger!!" But a lot of pop culture, especially recent, escapes me!)
(More famously, just before John Carpenter became the first player worldwide to complete a stack in November of 2001, there was a $500,000 question on the US version on Pokemon which about any eight year-old could've answered -- but the contestant couldn't!)
Charles' strategies and sub-strategies got NOTHING from Whittock, so he used the 50/50 he had left to eliminate Coldplay and Toploader at about 16:08.
He then somehow fixates on A1, given no guidance from Whittock.
A1 is the incorrect remaining answer. Charles picks it and declares, the game is over and he goes home a Thousandaire.
And he's never heard of Craig David.
Approximately 20 seconds later (at which point the video completely goes into intermission at the first Smoking Gun), we find out Diana has!!! SHE does a Particular Cough at 16:58 after Charles mentions Craig David and Tarrant apprises Charles of the game situation. She's sitting in the dedicated supporter's seat directly behind the contestant about two rows from the top of the audience.
You occasionally see this supporter from time to time, but, for security purposes, a camera is ALWAYS on this person, and she goes for broke after looking down at Whittock for help (which the prosecution claims she does many more times!!!) and, receiving none, does a Particular Cough of her own when her husband mentions Craig David!
But he still wants to go for A1. He round-robins the two, getting another Particular Cough at 18:53.
It gets as far as declaring for Final Answer for A1, but he then does something crazy.
He first says no, and then he PIVOTS to Craig David completely (otherwise) inexplicably!!!
Tarrant has lost the plot, so has the audience in the studio -- the audience at home never got the chance, because the episodes were pulled when it was clear Charles had cheated!
He then basically says his first impressions are 80% wrong when he guesses. (Noting he stated he didn't know the first question, and his first impression got the cough, and the second question that night was the only one he definitely KNEW! Keep this in mind, it is important!!)
He then declares for Craig David at 19:58 -- and, as the show usually does for dramatic effect (though, in this case, it probably would've done so on an emergency basis anyway!!), Tarrant sends the show to a Cliffhanger Commercial.
At that point, TAPING IS STOPPED.
The entire deliberation over the question is played back, a number of times. And it is Diana they are looking at, because what Charles Ingram has just done to win 32,000 pounds is not only inexplicable, not only unheard of in game shows (in fact, many shows -- like Gene Rayburn would say in "Match Game" -- say that if you have conviction on your first impression, you should go for it), but it made no other sense than to think it was a foul.
The problem was: They'd only heard one cough from Whittock (and, really, live, had no idea as to the extent or manner of his involvement!!). As such, they had to play on and award, for now, the 32,000 pounds.
The video notes that Ingram's claim is that he was able to pick up an audible gasp from the audience when he was about to declare on A1, hence the pivot.
(This is NOT completely implausible. Going back to my experiences in Anaheim, I, on one of my trips, had won my way into the Hot Seat on the first of two games in a show. After I played all the way through, and after I filled out all the relevant releases and paperwork, I was led back toward the stage so I could properly exit at the end of the show. This happened just as the second game was ended with an incorrect guess which I knew the correct answer to -- and that the player was incorrect. I gulped at that (those microphones are no joke, people!!), but only AFTER "Final Answer" had been declared. But the host picked it up, and noted to the audience I probably knew the answer! (Since it had no bearing on the game, I was not penalized.))
Edited out of the video is Tarrant's complete incredulity that this silly dolt actually made it to the amount of money both his wife and her brother had won on the show. He would say, in all the interviews, that he was laser-focused on his duties and heard none of the coughing.
This would appear to be quite puzzling. Tecwyn Whittock is in what is referred to as "Seat #3" in the Fastest Finger qualifying circle, the seat directly behind the Hot Seat in which Charles now sits. He'd have been 15 feet, 20 tops, from Tarrant.
However, in a 2020 "This Morning" interview, Tarrant finally admitted that there was one point in this run that he pretty much knew Charles Ingram was cheating. I'll let you know when we get there.
Question 11 for 64,000 pounds: (Starts at 21:53) Even though, to the point of first seeing this game on the 20/20 special in the States, I had never heard of the "Gentlemen vs. Players' match, I pretty much had it correctly as Cricket because, had it been Lawn Tennis, it probably would've had to do with the All-England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, and I'd have heard of it. And polo... Well, now much of a separation between the "gentlemen" and "players" on that sport...
His first instinct: Cricket.
Whittock with the Particular Cough at 22:34 -- Charles goes on to explain about cigarette cards he had heard of the match from.
So why does he then go into his round-robin sub-strategy 100 seconds later??? Unless he needs another confirming Particular Cough from Whittock (which he gets at 24:17). He then declares and wins 64,000 pounds.
(For the record, all remaining Particular Coughs are from Whittock. Only on the 32,000 pound question was Diana directly involved.)
Question 12 for 125,000 pounds: (Starts at 25:00)
The 1533 painting "The Ambassadors", and Charles has claim that he has seen the painting, and has personally 50/50'd down to Rembrandt and (Hans) Holbein (The Younger). (All hail secondary research for fun!!)
First impression (AGAIN!), Holbein, Particular Cough at 25:55.
NOTE: This is the fifth question of the night. The three he has needed assistance on without claiming his first guesses are wrong 80% of the time, all Particular Coughs and correct.
A brief aside notes the defense contended the prosecution had unduly raised the volume on Tecwyn's sound track so the jury could hear him more obviously. The fact is, the 20/20 people on ABC when they showed this for the first time actually said that the Tecwyn track had been altered upward so the jury (and 20/20 kept it so the home audience) could more easily pick out the Particular Coughs. So in this, the defense may well have been correct!
The video contends another Particular Cough around 26:40 or so, but that was 12 seconds after Charles had last mentioned Holbein -- not the normal pattern of that or any other question of Whittock's signals.
DEFINITE one at 27:43, though -- declares and wins the 125,000 pounds.
Question 13 for 250,000 pounds: (Starts at 28:30)
Where another Fastest Finger contestant becomes an unwilling accomplice.
Whittock is not 100% sure that an Anthony Eden is a hat. So he has a sidebar with the contestant in Seat #2. I believe the name was mentioned in the 20/20 thing many years ago, but I forgot the person's name -- and, really, it's not important except for two things:
1) Each contestant has his own sound track which is recorded for security purposes by the production at the Fastest Finger chairs. Whittock and the contestant in Seat #2 had the sidebar very quietly and it could NOT be generally heard, but the personal sound tracks picked it up!
2) Once the other contestant confirmed an Anthony Eden was a hat (and then said "Jesus, I wish I was up there..."), Whittock was finally able to give a Particular Cough after a few seconds of, AGAIN, Charles' first impression (fourth time in six questions!!!) at 29:09.
Over the course of 25 seconds of Charles talking about a hat, he gets THREE Particular Coughs from Whittock.
Declares and wins a quarter of a million pounds.
Question 14 for 500,000 pounds: (Starts at 30:00)
And if there's one question you watch all the way through, you make it this one. It is the MAIN Smoking Gun in the entire enterprise, and the crux of the case which eventually doomed the Ingrams and Whittock.
Baron Haussman is best known for his planning of which city?
A: Rome
B: Paris
C: Berlin
D: Athens
The old saying goes: "Pride goeth before the fall."
The dunderhead in the Hot Seat forgot his signals and the entire process of his plan on this question, and doomed himself to a fraud conviction as a result.
First impression: Berlin. Nothing,
For only the second time in six questions (not counting the one he did know), Charles gets no confirmation on his first hunch. And then he runs into trouble, because only once so far this night was his first impression wrong (the other Smoking Gun at 32,000!!).
And much like that other Smoking Gun at 32,000 -- though he claims he's not sure, he is WRONG on Berlin!!! And this drop is 218,000 pounds if he declares wrong!
Whittock knows the answer and is waiting for Charles to say it!
At 31:22, Whittock finally has heard enough of this talk of Berlin and decides to literally blow the lot. He gives a cough, but (and you hear this clearly on the boosted audio) CLEARLY whispers "NO!" As I said above, those mikes are no joke in studios like that, and it doesn't take much to register and be heard.
At this point, they can indisputably stop production and toss the Ingrams and Whittock. It's clear to anyone who heard that exchange that a massive cheat is happening here.
Diana is quickly caught looking to her left, in the general direction of Whittock, shortly after.
Charles then decides to round-robin and gets a Particular Cough immediately on Paris at 32:10.
Which causes a pivot!!!
Diana is caught looking to her left a second time, apparently in the general direction of Whittock.
Charles still is thinking Berlin.
AND THEN PIVOTS HARD TO PARIS!!! Confirming cough at 33:15 as the video says he is literally stopped mid-sentence, and declares he's going to play it...
Another confirming Particular Cough at 34:06 (the third on this question, and a "No!", and possibly something else too -- I don't know if they edited it out of this video... But on this question, probably before Whittock shot the lights out with the "No!", he blew his nose. Otherwise innocuous for someone who apparently had a blustery cough in the studio, but prosecutors believe (with experience on the subject) that, since every plan has an All-Stop, meaning "Get the Hell out of there!!!", this was Whittock's!!! Whittock was calling for Charles to walk before he declares Berlin.).
Declares and then pivots and wins the half-million...
The taping is still continuing, by the way. We have not had a commercial break since the 32,000 reveal.
Just before we get to the final question, I need to bring two things to the forefront:
Remember when I told you that Chris Tarrant finally admitted that there was a point in the game that he was certain he was sitting across from a cheat and a scam? It's right here. At 35:10, as is his obligation, especially at this point, Tarrant gives the game situation to Ingram: He does not have to play the final question, and he has (ostensibly, though by now it's clear the cheat will be exposed and the money forfeited) five hundred thousand British pounds Sterling. A correct answer makes him the third Brit to win the million (which would be done 11 days later!). A wrong answer drops 468,000 pounds (which I do not believe ever happened on the UK version and only happened on the US version on the final contestant of the Tenth Anniversary prime-time specials!). Tarrant noted on the 2020 interview that every contestant to that point (and probably since!) knew the gravity of that drop. Even though it is clear that Charles Ingram is at least play-acting a lot of nerves heading into question 15, it was clear those nerves had NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH the 468,000 pound possible loss (he even LAUGHS AT the concept of losing that much money at 36:32!!) -- and it was at THAT POINT he knew Charles was a cheat and a scam.
I made reference earlier to Whittock's position in Seat #3 of the Fastest Finger circle. In Seat #10, which was behind Tarrant and closest to the camera, was Larry Whitehurst, another qualifier. Whitehurst knew of the scam. He had picked up on the patterns and was certain as to that if he knew the answer to the last question, and so did Whittock, that he could pinpoint to the exact second as to when Whittock would signal the correct answer to Ingram.
Question 15 for One Million Pounds: (Starts at 35:53) If not the most infamous question in world game show history, it's top three.
The number one followed by one hundred zeroes is known by what name?
A: Googol
B: Megatron
C: Gigabit
D: Nanomole
Being a math major, I know the answer immediately.
More importantly to the story, so did Whittock.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, apparently: So did Whitehurst!! So, as he said in the 20/20 interview, he was waiting for the exact moment Major Charles Ingram would first utter the world "Googol", the correct answer, and then wait for Tecwyn Whittock to cough.
Charles is completely non-plussed by the situation, completely and deliberately unaware that he is one wrong step from dropping 468,000 pounds, probably a decade of salary!
This I did not know until this video: Whittock, AGAIN, is checking with one of his neighboring contestants. This time, I don't know which one. But apparently, at least three of the Fastest Finger circle know the correct answer to this question, while the oaf in the Hot Seat, who has cheated his way to 500,000 pounds SIX TIMES OVER, has absolutely no clue what county he is in right now!
He first mentions Nanomole -- obviously getting nothing from Whittock.
And hence he starts the round-robin. But stops halfway and actually considers walking away.
But if he heard the same thing which was picked up from Whittock on the last question, there's no way he could now, because it no longer matters!
He may claim he had never heard of a "googol", but at 38:10, the Particular Cough from Whittock is finally heard.
Whitehurst says: "Boom. Gotcha!"
While they're talking it up on-stage, Diana is now looking to her right for some reason. Has Whitehurst tried to tip the producers off that something is up?
Another confirming Particular Cough at 38:50.
And at 39:15, an exasperated Tarrant tries to remind Charles he could lose 468,000 pounds and gets laughed at for it! AGAIN!!
By the time Charles gets through all this, he has tied Tarrant, the entire studio, and the entire production in an almost-literal Gordian Knot!!!
Another Particular Cough at 40:33.
Six seconds later, to the shock of everyone, he's going to play.
Tarrant even has to caution Charles not to look around at this point.
41:29, THE FINAL PARTICULAR COUGH, and he declares at 41:36. He immediately pleads them not to break.
For about a trillion different reasons, they're going to break.
---
On-stage: "No discussions please! Tremendous amount of money at stake!!"
Off-stage, it is a literal riot. Taping is STOPPED AGAIN. And, this time, no less than the head of Celador Productions, the production company behind "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" at the time, is contacted to stop the production and have all relevant parties detained and arrested.
Naturally, and correctly, he asks why. And the answer from the producers is the strong suspicion that Charles Ingram has cheated, and that, if he is allowed to get away with it, he has just become the third millionaire on the show.
Unfortunately, the use of the word "suspicion", no matter how strong the suspicion is, is enough to dissuade the head of the company from taking immediate action. Stating, probably correctly, that if the suspicion was incorrect, the show could be seen itself as a fraud, and would go off the air. So the order was given to complete taping and it would be dealt with afterward.
There is a significant stop-down -- and Whitehurst is questioned at the trial with the same question I would've asked him: If he was THAT CERTAIN something had occurred, why did he not go to the producers?
Whitehurst, and I'm sad to say he was wrong here, felt his non-celebration of the victory was a sufficient signal that something was wrong and that the Ingrams were cheats and scam artists.
That is the extent of the intermission, and the denuouement occurs, Charles Ingram is demmed the third millionaire with the final correct answer of googol.
-----------------------------------
If you've gotten this far, thank you. I have a little bit more of the story and then some questions (the latter of which will probably never be truly answered).
The first thing that happens is something the sound engineer was calling for back at 8,000 pounds. Concealed as a "security measure for all high winners", Charles Ingram is completely searched for pagers or any other signalling devices which might've aided him. None are found.
The next thing is something which is used against the Ingrams' at trial. A short time after the search, Charles and Diana Ingram are alone in a Green Room at the studio, and are heard screaming so loudly that it is clear to everyone a large-scale FIGHT has broken out.
Why?
Because it's clear that even Diana knows they've been found out because they went too far. (Which see the time the camera actually caught Diana looking to the RIGHT -- either at Whitehurst, who knew of the fraud, or the production staff!!!)
There was some speculation, at the trial, that had Charles stopped as late as 125,000 pounds, they probably get away with that!
One of the great nuances of the UK Millionaire is the checks given to the contestants on camera are REAL and CASHABLE. So it did not take long for the production to contact the Ingrams and state openly that there was "irregularities" being investigated and that payment on the check was going to be stopped.
The episodes were scheduled to air on the 15th and 18th of September, 2001 -- they never were.
Eventually, the Ingrams' and Whittock were all arrested.
Unlike the United States, there is no singular law regarding cheating on game shows.
The law on which the Ingrams and Whittock had to be charged with was what is called UK Theft Act 1968. "Procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception"
The fact that the Ingrams were given the actual check that night (and Whittock as well, who won the next Hot Seat space and won 8,000 pounds) was the only real offense they could charge them with. Ingrams were fined 15000 pounds plus costs, Whittock 10000 plus costs.
Later in 2003, the Ingrams were charged with insurance fraud, and that cost Charles his place in the Army.
=========================
OK, if you've made it all the way, congratulations. That's all the "story" part.
Needless to say, I do have a number of questions -- none of which I ever will believe will get an acceptable answer:
I have to ask the question again that was asked of Whitehurst: It should have been clear to anyone near the production that something was being declared amiss. In fact, to me, I do have the question of why Whitehurst didn't risk everything at that point and force taping stopped and declare the man a cheat publicly, especially because he was certain of the fact at the time!!!
How could taping have gotten that far? You had the incident the first night backstage with the associate/relative and the cell phone. Things were declared somewhat suspicious immediately in night two. You then have to stop tape at 32,000 -- have a clear "No!" at 500,000 -- and then at least one Fastest Finger contestant who should've spoken up by the million, and the best you can tell the production company's head is you have suspicion???
Is there even a direct law against cheating on a game show in the UK? Apparently, the answer is no. Had the real check not been given that night, chances are... What could you have charged them with?
To make a point of contrast in closing: My understanding of the laws in the USA would've stopped all production on that show at 32,000 pounds. Under 47 USC 509, a "reasonable belief" is sufficient to stop all production, and to require all production be stopped.
And then, to me, a blunt question which I believe is obvious and never has been asked of any of the Ingrams, but I believe damn well should be: What the Hell did you need that money for?
Her brother won 32K, She won 32K, they had made no less than 5, if not 6 or more, appearances on the show.
There was a reason they wanted and damn well probably felt they NEEDED that kind of money, especially given the insurance fraud in 2003.
Ingram was convicted of assaulting a 13 year-old boy who was taunting him in 2006.
As for the Ingrams today: They are still locked in court proceedings attempting to appeal and win their million pounds. Diana is a jewelry maker and sales-woman. Charles apparently assists his wife.
Both felt Quiz did a very good job in representing them.
Please, COVID-19, get this fucking NFL season cancelled already!
I know it'll all but certainly spell riots in this country because they won't get the violence they bloodlust for.
But when Myles Garrett literally goes from banned from the sport for Assault With A Deadly Weapon on the field to THE LARGEST CONTRACT AN NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER HAS EVER RECEIVED ($125M/5 years, $50M guaranteed with the dotted line, another $50M guaranteed over the life of the contract...), there's only one real message I think that can send.
That this incident last year significantly INCREASED his value to the NFL and we're going to see it more and more this season, should there be one.
The NASCAR COVID-19 Invitational was held last night -- the annual All-Star Race was moved to Bristol (with all the chaos Bristol can muster) for this year. Chase Elliott won the race, but the news was the crowd there.
20-30K people attended the race. Oh... Shit....
And apparently IndyCar let about 10000 into a road race in Wisconsin.
Less than 48 hours after President Dump hallowed right-wing hack Chuck Woolery (seriously, even listening to him talk about game shows, it's clear this guy is bitter AND gone), Woolery has pulled his Twitter account -- word being his son has come down with the virus. Oh, doesn't it ALWAYS seem to happen this way with that nasty thing...
I thought I edited this already upon finding last night's Thurbercast. Thought Olbermann had talked of there being a problem last night, but it was with the Twitter Verified system, so here is the Thurbercast from last night:
#Thurbercast No. 79 proceeded just as @verified utterly failed. “I Break Everything I Touch” (the only choice for the day) was followed by fables “The Wolf Who Went Places,” “The Clothes Moth and The Luna Moth,” and “The Bears and The Monkeys.”https://t.co/2zZoRvZ1gp
As I've largely speculated... Latest word now is that Billy Corgan's NWA relaunch is now over. One too many incidents plus the virus equals...
The SEC is now in deep discussions to save it's college football season, at least for the moment... Just wait til camps start and the cases spike again...
Sports Illustrated has an ongoing series on a ministry/cult which has swallowed former Packers NFL'er Kabeer Gbaja/Biamila. This is Part 2.
You've gotta read this, people. This is deep shit. The "Straitway Truth Ministry", an Old Testament God Church on northern Tennessee. And a lot of it also seems to have roots in deep Republican/Conservative modern thought:
“As a female there, you don’t matter,” Esther [someone trying to leave the ministry, name changed for protection] says. “I grew up learning
to hate myself and learning how to be basically a man’s b----. But men
are taught they are Yah[weh]’s gift to earth.”
Sounds awfully fucking familiar.
San Francisco joins Los Angeles and San Diego in starting the 2020-21 school year remotely.
However, Orange County officials in California are going to try normal opening, no masks, no social distancing. They want somebody to die down there.
Famed horse trainer Bob Baffert has had himself and his horses banned from Oaklawn Park for the first 15 days of August in the meet -- two testing positive for illegal drugs. He is appealing.
Luis Fernando Tena, the head coach of Liga MX side Chivas, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Big East Conference is apparently the next conference to go conference-only -- and they for all Fall sports.
In contrast to the reports I've given just above on Orange County, California, both the Anaheim and Santa Ana School Districts will NOT follow the Orange County vote to reopen and will go online only to start the Fall.
The Washington Nationals are not clear if they will be able to start the season in their home park, and are looking at Florida alternatives. Really, you think you're having a season this year, especially at home parks, MLB???
Eric Bledsoe of the Milwaukee Bucks has tested positive for the coronavirus -- but did not make the trip yet to Orlando. He reports he is asymptomatic.
Washington owner Dan Snyder is accused of sexual harassment by 15 former female employees...
One of the caddies (at present, unnamed) has tested positive for the coronavirus at the Memorial Tournament -- the 9th PGA positive between players and caddies.
The mayor of Philadelphia has banned all large public gatherings into 2021. Hence, it has been confirmed both the Eagles and Phillies will go fanless for any games played in Philadelphia this season.
The Basketball Tournament, the million-dollar winner-take-all tournament, successfully completed last night with the Golden Eagles, a Marquette alumni team, winning the million over Sideline Cancer in the final. The Marquette team was the runner-up last year. The million is split where each player and the coach get $90,000 -- the general manager of the team gets $80,000.
Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings is the fourth member of the team to test positive for the virus.
James Harden of the Rockets just showed up in the bubble and has to go through the quarantine process.
Joe Smith of the Astros has opted out of playing this MLB season.
FIFA has announced the World Cup for 2022 will be a November-December affair -- first match November 21, Grand Final December 18.
The MLBotball All-Star Game was last night: Won by the American League 7-4 after going out to a 6-0 lead. The virtual MVP car went to D.J. Lemahieu of the Yankees.
Minor-league All-Star Games today on the channel, some minor-league and major-league action starts tomorrow to start the "second half".
A hacking scheme has nailed accounts including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Apple, Uber, etc., claiming to be giving out Bitcoin. Oh for the love of...
Mike Bloomberg, Jeff Bezos, Barack Obama have also had their Twitters hacked by people claiming they will give out Bitcoin.
Elena Delle Donne has told The Players' Digest she appears to be down to two choices: Risk her life or forfeit her paycheck.
The St. Louis Cardinals will need to find someone new for the booth: Tim McCarver has opted out of the 2020 season himself and will not call any games for the Cardinals this year.
Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, positive for the coronavirus and quarantining at home.
And if you Covidiots haven't figured out yet how serious this shit is: The Tournament of Roses Committee has, IN JULY, already cancelled the 2021 Rose Parade!
About a week ago, I made reference to a situation in the English Championship that I found on Twitter, being sent to Brian Tuohy.
It references what would've been a mid-table Championship side, Wigan Athletic. "Mark", apparently from Sierra Leone, sent Tuohy this thread, surrounding the current situation engulfing Wigan Athletic.
Not to disparage his work, but to basically give an idea of the situation:
2018: Wigan Athletic is sold to a Hong Kong-based gambling syndicate, International Entertainment Corporation, owned by professional poker player Stanley Choi.
June 2020, during the coronavirus shutdown: The team is sold from IEC to the Next Leader Fund, a Cayman Islands operation founded by Choi and financed through a loan.
The former loaned the latter 28 million pounds for the sale, at payments of 100,000 pounds a week -- payments no one felt Wigan could make. Choi is now officially playing both sides of this.
Why? Because when Choi THEN sold Wigan on June 24 to Au Yeung Wai Kay, a Chinese group -- within a month, the director of the company, former Hong Kong soccer player Szeto Man Chun (who paid 17 million pounds for the right to make this decision), decides to place them in administration.
This leads to an automatic 12-point deduction in the Championship standings for Wigan Athletic. If they would've been relegated from the Championship, then they start League One with -12. If, however, they are not, the 12 is applied this year and then relegation is given.
Here's why:
Well, here’s why... This is a video of the head of the English Football League, Richard Parry, stating he’s heard a rumour that there was a big bet placed on Wigan’s relegation in the Philippines. Remember the past owner was a professional gambler who owned a string of casinos? pic.twitter.com/uW3PTkrOAL
A major bet in the Philippines for Wigan to go down, and, given that money, that had to be a deeply underground bet.
On February 1, 2020, Wigan had won only 7 of it's first 30 Championship contests, drawing 8 for 29 points overall. That would've placed them in relegation at the time.
Since that point, however, in 13 matches, they've won 7 and drawn 4.
Why is this important? Because, with the 12 point deduction, Wigan would be last in the Championship, demoted to League One.
They play relegation-challenged Hull City at home today. Hull City, as of the start of play, would only stay up in League One because of the shenanigans of IEC and NLF and the like.
Wigan scored SEVEN first-half goals for a 7-0 advantage as of now.
Should that result hold, Wigan will replace Hull as the last safe team, even with the 12 points deducted, and that is with, in 14 matches, them gaining 28 points.
And it held, final was 8-0.
The other two relegation sides: Luton Town is home to lower-mid-table Queens Park Rangers later this morning PDT. Barnley is at league leaders Leeds United Thursday. A win for Leeds United all but guarantees their promotion to the English Premier League
But Luton Town is 1-0 up on QPR at halftime on a penalty. They win, and Wigan Athletic are back in the drop.
But QPR gets the equalizer for a 1-1 draw, leaving Luton Town, Wigan Athletic, and Hull City all on 45 points. Wigan Athletic has an insurmountable goal difference advantage.
Some good news for the NBA: Out of 322 tests inside the "Orlando Bubble", only two came back positive for the coronavirus, and both had already been quarantined.
Richaun Holmes of the Sacramento Kings is an idiot. He's been re-quarantined because he LEFT THE BUBBLE to get take-out food.
Elena Delle Donne has actually attempted to opt out of the WNBA season, a request she says has been DENIED!!! She has Lyme Disease. Hello, sabotage...
The Athletic Director of Navy has said that, even if it is the only college football game played this season, he would still like to see the Army-Navy game played.
The 2020 running of the Chicago Marathon is now cancelled.
Jordan Hicks of the St. Louis Cardinals will not play this season -- pre-existing health conditions.
The Houston Rockets' Bruno Cabcolo has also been forced back into NBA quarantine. Part of the process is that you literally cannot leave your hotel room for a period of time, and he broke that.
Jamel Herring cannot catch a break. Twice now, he has been put in the main event for the WBO Junior Lightweight Championship on an ESPN Top Rank card in the Vegas bubble. Herring has now, for the second time (and after he cut weight to make the number at 130), tested positive for the coronavirus. He had a negative test in between to get to today, but is, for the second time, positive. Top Rank will now move the window out to six weeks after a positive test - the fight was originally scheduled for 12 days ago.
Eleven of the approximately 90 MLB umpires have opted out of this season.
Multiple tips of violations of the NBA protocol have been sent in to the hotline the NBA has set up for the process.
Not a good week for CJ Perry, WWE Superstar Lana. Perry announced, earlier in the week, her mother was in hospital, unable to breathe, with asthma complications. The next couple of days, she announced both her parents have tested positive for the coronavirus. Both are recovering, with some struggles. Now her husband, former WWE Superstar FKA Rusev announced on his gaming stream today that HE has tested positive for the virus, after losing his senses of taste and smell. He's in good spirits, though.
In a move surprising absolutely nobody, and all but purports a move to the top club teams migrating to a single Superleague in Europe (if and when we get a vaccine), Manchester City's two-year Financial Fair Play ban has been overturned.
MLB: The Show 20 has made it to the All-Star Break, so Botball is doing a Home Run Derby tonight, the All-Star Game tomorrow, several minor-league all-star games during the break, and a tournament in the game of a lot of the broadcasters who've been calling games on the Botball channel.
The standings at the break:
AL East: Yankees 5 1/2 up on the Rays. 60-35 now third-best in the AL.
AL Central: Twins still have the best record in the AL at 62-36, tied with the White Sox on number of games over .500, Indians 1 1/2 back.
AL West: Oakland 4 up on the CanBangers, as the Astros go hot into the break to get to 5 over .500.
White Sox and Indians are the Wildcards.
Twins #1 AL, Yankees #2, Oakland #3
NL East: Nationals 3 1/2 up on the Braves.
NL Central: Cubs have the best record in baseball at 62-34. Reds are 20 over .500 for the first WC, but still 4 back.
NL West: Heard some surmise Madison Bumgartner could win the NL Botball Cy Young for the DBacks, as their pitching has carried them over the streaky Dodgers. DBacks 3 up on the Dodgers.
Reds and Braves the Wildcards.
Cubs #1, Nationals #2, DBacks #3.
Russell Westbrook of the Rockets tested positive for the coronavirus. These later positives are more important, the closer we get to a supposed restart.
The Patriot League has cancelled all Fall sports.
The NFL has unveiled a face shield to try to combat the virus as much as it can. Not going to be a season this year -- no chance.
Latest MLB word is that Toronto may be forced to move their team, for this year, to Buffalo. (SI)
Paris-St. Germain tried a 5,000 fan exhibition match yesterday.
The Los Angeles Unified School District will not start the new school year with in-person classes.
Nor will San Diego.
And as a result, Gavin Newsom has reverted the entire state back to the initial phase of reopening. With a new "Shelter in Place" to follow soon, probably...
More sexual misconduct in video games fallout: Ubisoft basically has the entire corporate structure of the company accused on one level or another, and it's cost the studio both it's creative head and it's Canadian head. When are people going to get the idea that this IS "gamer bro" and video gaming in a nutshell and start taking a look at a wind-down of the whole damn thing?
New Japan Pro Wrestling held it's two cards with 1/3 capacity at Osaka Jo-Hall. The winner of the New Japan Cup and NEW IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion is EVIL.
A longtime USA Gymnastics coach was arrested in Vegas... for exactly what you'd expect. Fucking and diddling kids in his charge.
19 days before the NBA season restarts, full practices are on in the Orlando bubble.
The Patriots have apparently settled their disputes with Antonio Brown. Why'd that fucking piece of shit get a dime from anybody?
Just cancel the damn tournament already.. Toronto and DC United will not play today in the MLS Is Back tournament -- it is the second time the match has been pushed back. One positive test and one inconclusive.
Parma in Serie A also has a positive coronavirus case.
Wilfred Zaha has been targeted with racist social media from an opposing fan, and that fan has been arrested. As disgusting as that all is, it's not THAT unusual...
... until you find out the fan is TWELVE!!!
And now it sounds as if all junior-college football will be spring this year -- the NJCAA is planning to move all football to spring.
Several Montreal Canadiens have tested positive for the coronavirus.
In a story which SHOULD get it's own post, but I'm too damn tired tonight: Washington is changing it's NFL nickname tomorrow.
Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers (and his kids) tested positive for the coronavirus at some time in the past -- Jansen never considered opting out of the season, and states he is healthy and ready to go now.
"Common sense" is going to put Olbermann on the sidelines a few nights on his Thurbercast.
And the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, THE Major League of College Football, has officially sounded the alarm on having a 2020 season at all.
Another cancelled Houston Astros workout. Opening Day is now just 12 days away.
Aroldis Chapman, the closer for the Yankees, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
So has Kansas City's Cam Gallagher -- much to his surprise, and he played a scrimmage with the team yesterday.
Amitabh Bachchan, the host of India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", "Kaun Banega Crorepati", has tested positive for the coronavirus and admitted to a hospital in India. Amitabh was slated to be the host of KBC in the Academy Award-winning "Slumdog Millionaire", but the Bollywood mega-star refused the role, saying it could cause confusion, since the show in the movie was corrupt. His son Abhishek has also tested positive.
He has urged all close to him to get tested on his Twitter upon his admittance.
Reports early Sunday morning now have his wife and daughter also testing positive.
Olbermann:
#Thurbercast No. 78 from earlier tonight with two under-covered baseball stories that explain why you can’t play sports during a pandemic. Then Thurber’s “The Day The Dam Broke” plus three of his amazing fables. https://t.co/pKHBiNmuxw
And Chris Jericho with his Saturday Night Special:
The Palace at Auburn Hills, former home of the Pistons, was imploded today.
ESPN NBA superanalyst Adrian Wojnarowski has been suspended indefinitely from the network without pay for a profane political blast against Missouri Senator Josh Hawley.
According to Bleacher Report, Hawley tweeted: "If @NBA is going to put social cause statements on uniforms, why not
“Support our Troops” or “Back the Blue”? Or given how much $$ @nba makes
in #China, how about “Free Hong Kong”! Today I wrote to Adam Silver to
ask for answers."
And: "Don’t criticize #China or express support for law enforcement to @espn.
It makes them real mad @Outkick"
