Another day, another update on Dan Snyder’s Cheerleader Car Wash Sweepstakes. Another chance to run that fab/yucky photo from Snyder’s WTEM promotion, the one that’s sucked in some of the most brilliant minds in new media to our humble comments section.

Seems Snyder doesn’t really care who he jumps in bed with these days. His partner in the contest, which forces Redskins cheerleaders to put down their pom poms and pick up sponges and go service his radio station’s 25-54 year old male demo, was a sponge company called SpongeTech Delivery Systems, Inc.

Well, just as the cheerleader pride giveaway was heating up, Snyder’s ally gets nailed for all sorts of alleged shadiness by federal regulators: The Securities and Exchange Commission suspended trading on SpongeTech stock this week because of sketchy reports and non-filings of required documents.

(AFTER THE JUMP: SpongeTech’s the Six Flags of the sudsy set? SpongeTech’s so messed up it makes Snyder look like a fab businessman? Are Redskins cheerleaders being punished? Is WJFK punishing WTEM in the ratings? Can Mike Wise punish Tony Kornheiser? Is Anacostia/Eastern the Good Counsel/DeMatha of crumminess?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: Could Car Wash Contest Be Snyder Punishing Redskins Cheerleaders for Promoting Rival WJFK?” »

There’s trouble in maroon-and-black-and-yellow land. The mood is so toxic that even a nice plea to help out Chief Zee, the headdress-wearing longtime unofficial mascot of the Redskins and among the nicest, naivest, old-school mega-racists you’d ever meet, turned real ugly real fast.

Somebody posted a notice on Dan Snyder’s message board, Extremeskins, alerting fans that a fundraiser will be thrown in Arlington next week to help pay medical bills for Chief Zee (real name Zema Williams).

Time was, such a post in these friendly confines would elicit nothing more controversial than “How much does he need?” But these days, even wins are booed. So the thread immediately disintegrated into an interrogation of the original poster, with some folks wondering why Williams needs another fundraiser—”He can afford season tickets, but not medical bills?” huffed the poster brianm23—and others asking why give money to a guy Chief Zee’s age, since he should have all his health care covered by those socialist programs, Medicare and Medicaid.

(AFTER THE JUMP: That blogger called Chief Zee WHAT? Would Justice Scalia cringe at Chief Zee’s costume? WJFK’s crushing WTEM? It’s a good time to unaffiliated with Dan Snyder? The last Guaranteed Win Night of 2009?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: Could Chief Zee Sway Supreme Court Case?” »

Today’s Washington Post has a special pro football insert headlined “NFL ‘09.”

The most interesting reading in the 14-page pullout comes in one of its few advertisements. Main Line Animal Rescue, a Philadelphia group that apparently specializes in saving “Bully Breeds” of dogs, bought space in the section.

The ad copy, placed alongside a photo of what I assume is a pit bull:

Attention Football Fans: Philadelphia is playing Washington on October 26.

Every time Michael Vick is tackled during the game, Main Line Animal Rescue will donate 5 bags of dog food to your local animal shelter.

“Because there are no second chances on an empty stomach.”

Consider volunteering at your local shelter on the day of the game. Spend some time walking, or brushing, or bathing, or hugging a homeless Pit Bull.

Not exactly the bounty on players’ heads that led to the famous “Body Bag Game” between the Skins and Eagles in 1990, but, still.

My sense is the outrage against Vick has waned so much and so fast that by the time the Eagles get to DC, there’ll be a lot more talk about the wildcat offense than dog killing.

(By the way: The other ads in the Post’s football section are: four small spots for imported car dealers, one for a job fair, and a half-pager, the biggest in the section) announcing a blowout chain saw sale. Men! Men! Men!)

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(AFTER THE JUMP: Wilbon already blames Snyder for lousy season? Kornheiser speaks no Snyder? Unseld whupped Yao’s dad? The Asian Bias™ in golf affects White House visit? The Nats Countdown to 100 Losses starts now? Pedro Martinez already has more wins than most Nats?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: And If You Break Michael Vick’s Leg, We’ll Throw in a Chew Toy!” »

Jake Tapper is an illustrious alum of Washington City Paper. He was a writing machine when he worked here. Now he works as White House correspondent for ABC News. He recently said in an interview, “I am at heart a print reporter, and I think that that’s where [my blogging jones] comes from.”

Tony Kornheiser is an illustrious alum of the Washington Post. Before taking the paper’s buyout, he’d written thousands upon thousands of columns and stories. Now he’s a highly paid
ESPN personality. He said on the occasion of taking the Post’s early retirement offer: “All I ever wanted to be was a newspaper writer. This other stuff is great, but I don’t care about it. In my mind that’s what it says on the headstone, it says ‘newspaper guy.’ ”

OK, so fellows: If you really are in your minds and hearts really print guys, get the hell off of TV. Go back to print, full-time–no makeup, no takes, no standups, no set, no big-time six-figure paydays. Just go back to the newspapers, fellows. ‘Cause it’s got to be killing you not to be doing what your hearts say you should be doing. C’mon now, quit these sweet gigs and get back to writing 10-inch stories.

Tony Kornheiser has been a lot of things, including a big baby, a rich man, and a skilled columnist.

Monday night, he tried on his provocateur hat, telling his Monday Night Football audience that the Dallas Cowboys had surpassed the New York Yankees in world domination/sports tradition.

Absurd.

One great thing about sports is that there are such things as records. Numbers. Stats. And they all point to the Yanks on this one, Tony. Good thing I never bothered to buy cable.

Just in case you missed it—or specifically if one of Kornheiser’s research assistants, Googling for material, missed it—I’m pretty sure my boss called Tony Kornheiser a “wimp” on Kojo today. You can listen to the offending quote here. (I can’t; I don’t have RealAudio.)