Hotel Mount Pleasant

Sports, Politics, Religion & Violence, Green Bay Packers-Style

First, in the world of sports intermingling with politics:

Guliani has NO hope of winning the primary in Wisconsin (not that our vote will matter much, since it’s not until Februrary 19th) if news of this gets out: he refused to sign a Packers hat at a campaign event in Florida. The fan was upset, but Rudy held his ground - apparently he still thinks people in NYC like him and will get him the nomination.

And, senators from WI and NY are wagering about the outcome of this weekend’s NFC Championship game. The stakes? A cheesecake from Junior’s if the Giants lose, and a block of Wisconsin cheese if the Packers lose. Make sure to check out the comments on the article - my favorite is “To the Post-Crescent Headline Writer:”

Possible alternative headlines:
Schumer and Kohl Make Asses of Themselves.
Schumer and Kohl Make Asses of Themselves…and us.
Schumer and Kohl Waste Taxpayer Time and Money.
2 Dopes Try to Out-Dumb Each Other.
Politicians Spar in Cheesy Fight.
Politicians Pander to Fan Bases with Cheesy Bet.

The mayors of the cities - Michael Bloomberg and Jim Schmitt, have made a similar bet.

In other news, Packers fans (and people who hate Packers fans) go CRAZY during last weekend’s game:

According to the Portage Daily Register -

Matthew Kowald, 36, of Pardeeville is facing two felony charges in Columbia County Circuit Court, accused of forcing his 7-year-old son to wear a Packers jersey while they watched Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game.

Kowald was expected to appear in court today on charges of causing mental harm to a child and false imprisonment. He also is charged with domestic disorderly conduct.According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department, the boy wouldn’t wear the Packers jersey so Kowald bound him with tape for about an hour and taped the jersey to him.

And according to the Lakeland (Fl.) Register -

A former Wisconsin man who ran a tavern in Lakeland, Fla., was beaten to death after a dispute with another customer as they watched Saturday’s game.

Richard Oaks, who ran the Par 33 Lounge, got into an argument during the game with his friend and neighbor, Alan Pierce. Oaks hit Pierce over the head with a beer bottle.While at the hospital getting 13 stitches to close a head wound, Pierce called his 17-year-old daughter at home and told her what had happened.

According to police, the girl and four friends — two 17-year-old boys, a 19-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man — went to Oaks’ home to exact revenge. They are accused of breaking in and beating Oaks to death.

Oaks was a Packers fan and painted the bar’s exterior in green and gold, according to the Tampa Tribune. “He was wearing his Packer jersey” on Saturday, Oaks’ wife, Stephanie, told the Tampa newspaper.

Apparently God, or at least a couple of nuns, are backing the Pack on Sunday.

Following her successful contribution to the Packers’ success in the Divisional game, Sister Marie Tobin has been asked to return to Lambeau for this weekend’s game against the Cowboys. She’ll be at midfield for the coin toss, after winning an essay contest to earn the honor of staring down Matt Hasselbeck on the 50 yard line. She’s a lifelong Packers fan:

The last game she attended with her father was the Ice Bowl. I know, everyone claims they were at that game, but she’s a nun so I believe her.

“This game was a challenge. I was stuffed, long habit and full garb, into a sleeping bag up to my nose, and almost bunny-hopped over the bleachers on the last play,” she says in her entertaining entry that beat out some 5,000 other hopefuls. It helps that she used to teach English in school.

“If the game had lasted any longer, my fingers would have been permanently stuck to my rosary beads.”

You can find more entertaining tidbits about Marie (including the present former coach Mike Sherman gave to her and the other ladies of the Lord) in the full text of the article.

And finally, a local Fox affiliate in Green Bay has tries to ruffle Eli Manning’s feathers…by preventing him from watching “Seinfeld” reruns.

WLUK carries reruns of “Seinfeld,” including at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

“That’s exactly when Eli will be relaxing in his downtown Appleton hotel room getting ready for Sunday’s game,” WLUK says in a release.The station has pulled the program.

“Why give comfort to the enemy?” said Jay Zollar, general manager. “Green Bay Packers fans do not want any of the New York Giants to get a good night’s sleep, and Fox 11 will do its part.” [You can vview *hilarious* announcement of the decision, in video, here.]

It’s up to viewers to vote for the substitute for the time slot. The choices:

A rerun of Monday’s “Inside the Huddle with Donald Driver;” an episode of “M*A*S*H”; an infomercial, “The Good Feet Store,” featuring retired running back Emmitt Smith; and a Vince Lombardi special, “God, Family and the Green Bay Packers.”

If you want to weigh in on the poll, you can vote at www.fox11online.com.