We Choose Our Master

By: Michael Rivera

We are the esoteric collusions,

secretly leading the lost with enigmatic allusions;

which preach the prophesie's context of myriad conclusion. 

We do this to counter all other syncopated illusions,

that smack an leave illicit contusions, 

all conspiring with devious delusions 

of grandeur's greed, we fight with our musical fusion.

So couterfeit all acts of selfish inhibition,

all marked and tarred with despondent cynicism;

just take some peace from our Infamous rendition,

of why we stay Unknown to socially-constructed cataclysms.

Give it no if, ands, or buts of our defiant diction,

its do or die, fall short of our own inescable pessimism. 

For the choice is yours to make everyday,

Which, like a lot of us, we decided to do or what to say.

Let us lead the blind and walk with the stray,

even though we see not the plans, but the narrow-ridgid way; 

we do this for each other, I solemnly pray.

Ichiro to the Yankees: How Long Will it Last?

By: Michael Rivera
The LBCC Commuter
Video Editor/Writer

From last to first, Ichiro Suzuki's trade to the Yankees puts him in the biggest spotlight of his life. Sorry, Mariner fans; you’ll see him on the other side.

The Mariners dealt Ichiro out to the Big Apple for right-handed pitchers D.J. Mitchell and  Danny Farquhar. According to Sports Illustrated, Ichiro came in to relieve an ailing Nick Swisher, who missed five games on a strained hip flexor. Upon Swisher’s return, first baseman Mark Teixeira went down with inflammation to his left wrist. With the addition of Ichiro, Swisher was able to cover first base for the Yankees.

Indeed, Ichiro was a great pick up; since the Mariners are honoring a $4.75 million on his $18 million contract for this year and the fact that he is in the last year of his deal. Short to say, Ichiro (who is now 38 years-old) won’t be seeing double-digit money on his next contract.

Ichiro will be competing with Swisher over the next year’s free agency bids for outfielders. Swisher (who is 31) has more guaranteed years left in the league and Ichiro playing sub-par to his career standards (hitting .260 BA, career .322 BA). With GM Bill Cashman looking to shorten up a $195+ million salary for the 2012 season, we could be seeing Ichiro in the pinstripes for a while.

Here’s how the two scenarios can play out: Yankees sign Nick Swisher or Ichiro, because keeping both of them would not be cost effective. Keeping Swisher means dishing out a lot of money. This could result in getting rid of others or limiting more free agency moves. The Yankees have been relatively quiet on that front.

Now, keeping Ichiro has its perks. Yeah, you have to let Swisher go, but his contract will be going up into the $20 million a year category, if he plays his cards right. Ichiro maybe gets a 3 year deal (at the longest) and finishes his career in New York. Swisher is going to want some security with the Yankees and a couple opt-outs on his contract during that time. It’s all about looking at the numbers; who in their right mind would give Ichiro more money than Swisher?

The Yankees have the money to keep both players, no doubt. But how can you keep a guy like Ichiro from splitting time with Andruw Jones or Raul Ibanez? If you keep Ichiro, you got to deal off Ibanez or Jones. The problem with that is Ibanez and Jones are both $3.5 million on Ichiro’s $18 million this year alone. There is no way you’re keeping Curtis Granderson out of the lineup with the big bat he has. Ichiro is the smallest hitter on a team full of home runs waiting in the wings. Keeping Swisher is a smarter option, but Ichiro is cheaper by far.

Yes, Ichiro may be playing in the Big Apple, but for how long? Only time will tell, but for now enjoy the spotlight, Ichiro. You deserve it.

Crucifying JoePa

Joe Paterno, esteemed coach at Penn State,
now lives forever as a pariah. 

By: Michael Rivera
The LBCC Commuter
Video Editor/Writer

ESPN.com reports “$60 million sanction, a four-year postseason ban and reduction of 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period.” Also, the longtime coach and Penn State demigod, Joe Paterno, is slowly being removed from the legends and lore of the esteemed college’s history. Not only that, but the university will lose all scholarships for athletes over the next four years. The punishment all over one man’s cover up.

“I now believe that, contrary to its original intention, coach Paterno’s statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our university and beyond,” Penn State President Rodney Erickson said.

Yes, Paterno should have gotten rid of Sandusky as soon as the information was leaked to him. Joe Pa never molested any children, plain and simple. Look, they took away all the guy’s wins, they’re currently going through Penn State and burning every single iota of anything dealing with Paterno. It’s a witch hunt that should be focusing on the former president of Penn State (who Paterno told and started the cover up) and Sandusky.

I think its so interesting how JoePa is now considered this evil man who doesn’t mean anything but dirt to most people. According to Aaryn Belfer of sdcitybeat.com, “Paterno revealed a crevasse-sized character flaw that ultimately undermined and negated everything he’d professed to believe in during his lifetime.”

Jeff Sandusky's terror has ended, after
14 years of sexual deviancy toward children.

I think that Roland Martin has got it on the most precise criticism: “But Paterno didn’t break NCAA rules in covering up for his buddy Sandusky, and allowing the coach a clear field to wreak havoc on the lives of numerous young men. What Paterno did break was the moral code that every man and woman should abide by.” Paterno turned against everything he stood for and that will be remembered. But, regardless of his ill-intent, you cannot deny the impact he has made.

All of this column doesn’t matter other than this paragraph right here: The real victims of Penn State are the athletes. These guys worked so hard to make it to one of the best college football teams in America, and most of them cannot play because of scholarship losses. Those alumni, who were part of the JoePa Dynasty, also live in shame because their hard work was taken away by a couple men, who were more worried about appearances than the disgusting atrocities that Sandusky committed. Those people will now suffer for something completely out of their hands, just so Penn State and the NCAA can fix everything on a PR note.

Joe Paterno, regardless of his recent misdoings, was an inspiration to many of the students and athletes at Penn State. Now, I’m not going to sit here and condone what he did at all. I will say you can take away every resemblance of Paterno on the campus, yet you cannot take away the good works that he did throughout his career at Penn State. You cannot take away the blood, sweat and tears he poured over his football team to create the respect they used to have. You cannot take away  the motivation that he gave to every single student or athlete he came into contact with. Repugnant as it may be, JoePa’s legacy will continue to stink up Penn State for years to come.