What's Eating Paul?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

We saw the press conference on SNY last night. When Paul said how he and his wife talk every day, I started cracking up - I think that he got his lines from the writers of the film "America's Sweethearts."

That said, Yancy is absolutely correct - why is this getting so much coverage? Is it such a shocker that a baseball player may have been unfaithful to his wife?

[Willets Point]

Well you know, Clinton got a blowjob and that led to declining morality across the US, a destablized mideast, Sept. 11th, rising gas prices, the popularity of reality TV, the hyperactivity of beagles, and Zidane's headbutt.

Now I'm not sure of the formulae, but you'd have to take away that LoDuca is a less influential public figure but add that he performed a graver immoral sex act to see what calamities will follow.

[Guest KC]

Good to see that you're finally coming around to blaming Clinton for stuff.

[Willets Point]

You have to think that in some way LoDuca's infidelity can be traced to Clinton. There are just wheels within wheels.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

]Is it his wife's soft-porn background?

Of course it is. Sonia is the new Anna, whose trade to Baltimore obviously disappointed the tabloiders and illustrated to them what they missed last year.

Related: I saw an episode of the "Tabloid Wars" documentary series this week, which follows various Daily News editorial staffers: Good stuff!

[Guest cooby]

Enough already. Leave 'em alone

[Guest KC]

The Clintons or the Lo Ducas?

(j/k)

[Guest silverdsl]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: Is it such a shocker that a baseball player may have been unfaithful to his wife?

It absolutely shouldn't be since how unfortunately common it is. But this has a lot of elements that the Post can play up - sexy wife, the gambling angle, "teen" lover, even though she's not a minor, etc... It's a sad commentary on what some people are interested in but it sells papers.

[Guest KC]

I'm surprised no one ran a story like "Where's Sam Champion? The Post-
Piazza Years"

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I dunno. They've hit upon at least some of the same weird fascination that makes the Wifey Watch thread such fun for me, only they're applying what they do (investigating, exploiting, snapping photos, making funny headlines) to it. I also think there's something to the idea that athletes -- young rich and successful -- have a secret weakness that might/could prevent them from getting whatever they want in any arena, and if you're cheating on your wife and infant daughter with a teenager, maybe you should get called on it.

Do you guys know any 34-year-olds scoring with 19-y.o.'s? Who fail to telkl them they're married and have kids? I'd call that guy a loser.

I've never seen it but there's a hugely popular show in England called "Footballer's Wives" which indicates to me that Wifey Watching is a worldwide phenomenon.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Don't give another dime to The Post until they show you the plan.

[Guest old original jb]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Again Lo Duca is on the covers of both the Daily News and the Post. The News' headline is "I LOVE MY WIFE" and the Post says that Paul had a "tryst" with a teenager. I don't quite understand why this is getting so much attention....

I'll repeat what I said on the MOFO: the main difference between the News and the Post is that the News reporters are told to wait until after they arrive at work to start drinking.

[Frayed Knot]

Journalistically, The Post actually looks "better" so far in this mini-war. They at least got ahold of the divorce filing first before doing the predictable thing and playing up the infidelity angle and splashing the babe all over the front page.
The DN, on the other hand, went with the gambling story as their "scoop" which was backed up by absolutely nothing aside from 3rd hand rumors from un-named sources.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

The Daily News also did some horrible photoshopping of a photo of Joe Leiberman in today's print edition. (It was on page six of my copy, it's Leiberman kissing his wife. He has two foreheads, two noses, and weird butterfly-shaped lips.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Piazza, getting standing O when approaching the plate: Damn, this is great. They ever cheer like that for you, Paul?

Lo Duca: Well, you know, they cheer pretty hard for a team running away with the division. Burying the Braves and all.

Piazza: keeping the old seat warm.

Lo Duca: Yeah, they filled in the old hole where all your throws used to skip.

Piazza: Damn, the press has been hard on you the last couple of days.

Lo Duca: You know the New York tabloids.

Piazza: They're turning you into Eric Roberts in Star 80.

Lo Duca: I haven't had to hold an "I'm not gay" press conference yet.

Piazza: Ouch. Truce?

Lo Duca: Whatever. Get in the box, Metal Dude.

[A Boy Named Seo]

It's getting so much attention because a lot of people really love hearing about shit like this. More than just a simple divorce filing, Lo Duca cheated on his wife with a young girl he allegedly met at "18 and over" night, and he lied to his wifey, who also happens to be his baby momma.

JD was right on everything he said and it does scream loser (I've been waiting on 'Footballers Wives' in my Blockbuster queue for a couple of months - I can't wait to see it). This is the kinda thing, though, that reminds me that as much as I love Cliff Floyd's quotes, Carlos Delgado's integrity, and everything about David Wright, I still don't want to know anything about the Mets personal lives because I probably won't like them anymore.

[MFS62]

She has quite a resume:
High School cutie
Hooters waitress
Featured on the Hooters calendar
Playboy pinup (do they still use that term?) - twice
Role in soft porn movie
Wife of millionaire

To use the wording seen on resumes, she has held positions of "increasing importance".

Later

[Guest cooby]

Mom and Pop still consider her the girl next door

[Guest Edgy DC]

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something, something I can use
People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry

Well, I could've been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear, give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em all around

We got the bubbleheaded bleach-blonde, comes on at 5
She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye
It's interesting when people die, give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet?
You know the boys in the newsroom got a running bet
Get the widow on the set, we need dirty laundry

You don't really need to find out what's going on
You don't really want to know just how far it's gone
Just leave well enough alone, keep your dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're stiff, kick 'em all around

Dirty little secrets, dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie
Love to cut you down to size, we love dirty laundry

We can do the innuendo, we can dance and sing
When it's said and done, we haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king, give us dirty laundry

[Guest KC]

I can't pretend to imagine what it's like to be married to a playboy model,
own race horses, live out of a suitcase half the year and have young ladies
throw themselves on me at hotel bars, and get to play the game for mil-
lions that we all grew up loving - so I ain't gonna pass judgement or anything.
By the more believable accounts, he's dealing with it like a man and the having
it splashed all over the front pages for what seems like three days now is ridiculous.

I don't completely understand why they threw him under the bus to this extent,
and I wonder aloud if someone, like say Jorge Posada, were in the same boat that
I think it would have been handled differently.

[nymr83]

]Well you know, Clinton got a blowjob and that led to declining morality across the US, a destablized mideast, Sept. 11th, rising gas prices, the popularity of reality TV, the hyperactivity of beagles, and Zidane's headbutt.

reality television is HIS fault? i'm gonna get that guy!

[Willets Point]

KC wrote: I don't completely understand why they threw him under the bus to this extent, and I wonder aloud if someone, like say Jorge Posada, were in the same boat that I think it would have been handled differently.

He's Captain Redass. He can handle a little razzin'.

SC=100

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

What's really strange is that before all this, I'd bet that 80% of the readers didn't know who Paul Lo Duca was. This would all be a little easier to understand if Lo Duca was more famous. I would think that people would think, "So, a baseball player I never heard of is getting an amicable divorce from a model that I never heard of? And I'm supposed to care about this?"

The whole Christie Brinkley story seems very similar. (I'm not sure, because I haven't been reading any of the articles, but some of the details slip into my head through osmosis.) But at least Christie Brinkley is more well known than Paul Lo Duca.

Now, if Lo Duca had previously been married to Billy Joel, THEN you'd have something!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Gregg Jefferies got the worst of both worlds. At the beginning of his career, he doesn't drink, doesn't go out partying wtih his teammates, and h'es an aloof little prick.

Along the way, he picks oup the party bug, and by the end of his career he's chick-harassing dope fiend.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

KC wrote: I don't completely understand why they threw him under the bus to this extent, and I wonder aloud if someone, like say Jorge Posada, were in the same boat that I think it would have been handled differently.

Good point. You'd think that LoDuca electrified some kid in his swimming pool or something from all of this coverage.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Yancy Street Gang on Tuesday morning wrote: Yesterday Paul was on the cover of the Post with the news of his infidelity and divorce. Today he's on the cover of the News with allegations that he may have a gambling problem. Tomorrow? I predict he'll be on the cover of Newsday with a story saying that he electocutes kids and dogs in his swimming pool.

What's that standard line about similarity scores?

I think Paul had better start painting churches in Panama.