The New York Yankees are being forced to defend the gratuitious moment honoring their former principal owner George Steinbrenner. The plaque, at seven feet wide and over one quarter ton in weight, dwarfs those of the more famous Yankee players erected in famed Monument Park behind the center field wall, a tradition carried over into the new Yankee Stadium

“We think the monument is a tribute to the man The Boss was, larger than life. His spirit is encompassed by that monument, and there was no intention to make it bigger than the others just for the sake of doing it,” team president Randy Levine told the Daily News before Tuesday night’s game against the Rays. “We just felt that it was The Boss, the greatest owner in sports. He built (the new) Yankee Stadium. He did so much for so many people. And he made the Yankee brand a worldwide one and took it to heights that never have been reached.

“It was not made bigger in an attempt to have it be larger than the others. We just wanted to represent the spirit of George Steinbrenner.”

We didn’t make it bigger to make it…uh, bigger! We just wanted to make it bigger!

“Mr. Steinbrenner always was so proud of Monument Park and now it’s as if he’s overseeing the other monuments and plaques and the tradition that reside there,” [senior VP of marketing Debbie]Tymon said. –NY Daily News.

That’s ridiculous on so many levels. Steinbrenner was probably one of the worst owners in sports. How many owners were banned from their sport twice AND convicted of a felony. And nearly all of the great things that happened for that team in the 2000s were set in motion while he was cast away from the team. The YES Network? Totally fell into his lap.

The guy was a narcissist f*ck that terrorized everyone that worked for him, and didn’t win a damn thing until he was suspended long enough for the organization to build a team without him. That memorial is indefensible. Indefensible. Of all the great tradition that team has–all of its legendary players and championships–that’s the crown jewel in Monument Park? Disgusting. It makes me wish that we could bury that bastard a second time.

What happens when you ask Burnsy to give you the Weekend Picks? You get baseball. Pure, unadulterated baseball. Mixed in with some sexy women, of course. But mainly it’s all about the return from the All-Star break and having to deal with the dreaded boredom of Wednesday, July 14, or as I like to call it – The Day That Sports Dies. No offense to ESPN, but the ESPYs blow and are in no way even an alternative to coed topless heavyweight windsurfing. Go Fightin’ Manboobs!

On to the sexy picks (Winners in bold):

CARDINALS over Dodgers: It’s been a NL Central-centric week here at With Leather, what with the controversy of Joey Votto’s dickishness and Carlos Zambrano’s vacation in Batsh*tsburgh, so why not highlight the best of the NL Central? What’s that? Cincinnati is in first place? Haha, good one, Jay.

ROCKIES over Reds: There, that takes care of that.

After the jump, more picks and the best clips of Seinfeld’s Steinbrenner…

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Famous wackadoo Bill “Spaceman” Lee and his brilliantly white teeth didn’t disappoint in the least bit when he was interrupted while shooting a round of probably very wacky golf to answer questions about his former nemesis, the former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. He blathers on about how his Irish heritage ensures that he holds grudges even after a man is set in his coffin, and how he used to have nightmares about Steinbrenner coming into his hotel room through the window of his windowless hotel room. Do they even have windowless hotel rooms in America? He’s probably talking about his psychiatric ward.

Anyway, I’d tell you more about the video but I keep losing my train of thought as I fixate on his absolutely breathtaking set of teeth. I don’t know how he can go outside with those babies, I’d spend my days smiling at my bathroom mirror. Read the rest of this entry »

When George Steinbrenner passed away yesterday, I expected to see a fair share of Boston fans rejoice, albeit insensitively, with the attitude of “Ding dong, the witch is dead.” That ended up not being the case, for the most part, and the majority of the media and sports fans in general have given an iconic figure a considerable level of respect in the wake of his massive heart attack. Thank goodness nobody is using this as a way to beg for attention.

Just kidding. Inexplicably wealthy and even more inexplicably employed radio host Rush Limbaugh offered his own tribute to the Boss yesterday, and instead of simply praising Steinbrenner as an undeniable business genius, buttons were pushed. And because people still somehow tune in to listen to this guy struggle to breathe between words, the most boring day of the sports year is being cluttered with an argument about race.

From yesterday’s Rush Limbaugh Show transcript:

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Legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning after suffering a major heart attack. Love him or hate him, the man was among the most important to the game of baseball in the sport’s history. Equal parts narcissistic and brilliant, Steinbrenner and his checkbook have been the definition of polarity for decades. If anything, he was an incredible character, someone who couldn’t be created by the greatest fiction authors. Tonight’s All-Star Game will indeed have a little extra weight to it now.

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With the door seemingly closed on the George Steinbrenner Era, it seems appropriate for a review of the Tampa shipbuilder’s time at the helm of baseball’s most storied team. George: The Poor Little Rich Boy Who Built The Yankee Empire promises “an exciting and compelling story well told,” and by and large, it delievers. And this is coming from a guy that would have celebrated in the streets had Al-Qaeda decided to crash a couple of planes into Yankee Stadium in April, in a manner of speaking.

Golenbeck’s well-researched book chronicles Steinbrenner’s days as a spoiled little ass growing up in Cleveland, his antics in the Air Force and as an assistant football coach, and ultimately his forays into sports ownership. Steinbrenner’s dickish ways were first on display as owner of the Cleveland Pipers of the old ABL, but would assume a more prominent stage in 1973, when he would lead a group of investors to buy the New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million, a paltry sum when one considers what the landmark franchise is worth today.

The meat of the book begins here, as Golenbeck chronicles Steinbrenner’s relentless tormenting of players, managers, and front office staff alike. The Billy Martin saga, The Dave Winfield contract, and his two suspensions from Major League Baseball are laid out–by the people that were there–in a way that may shatter your image of the guy that was so lovably parodied on “Seinfeld.” Golenbeck’s subject is nowhere near lovable, and the evidence might blow your mind. Read the rest of this entry »