S onewall and the great bigot debate

I've posted before about the use of the word bigot. I've always said that while people may agree with your point of view that doesn't make them a bigot, what does lead to bigotry is the way that you over expound the difference using non-factual, inaccurate arguments or even over-egg the debate.

Yesterday was the Stonewall awards and as is traditional there is the bigot of the year award. Hardly surprisingly Cardinal Keith O'Brien who won it spoke out against the award, but so too the recipient of the politician of the year, the Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. Now the Cardinal had compared equal marriage to slavery (though not in the correct historical context), called it a grotesque subversion of a universally [huh? hardly universal] accepted human right and declared a war on gay [sic] marriage. All of which I personally think fit into the dictionary definition of bigot:

big·ot  (bgt)
n.

One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

Definition from The Free Dictionary 

Even if the Scottish First Minister and Miss Davidson disagree with me on the issue of whether LGBT organisations should be pointing out bigotry, or whether the Cardinal met those criteria. Sadly many of us in the LGBT community face bigotry everywhere we go. Here in Northern Ireland we can face if from our elected and elevated politicians (one of whom was shortlisted for the award the Cardinal won)

Personally I'd love there to be no need for Stonewall to award a Bigot of the Year award. As I said before I don't mind a debate on LGBT rights, I don't mind people having a reasoned debate to oppose things. But when I hear that being in love with a human being of the same sex is equivalent to beastiality. Or that what two consenting adults get up to is the same as pedophiles. Or that LGBT people seeking equality is just like the Nazis denying it to groups (including the LGBT one), then there clearly are bigots out there.

However, one nominee I want to see for next year's Stonewall awars is the audience at last night's awards who booed Miss Davidson. They are bigots and we should not shy away from calling them thus.

Updated with predictoins: Sports Personality of the Year 2011

This evening the shortlist for the SPOTY are being unveiled on BBC's The One Show. Once Gary Linekar announces who they will I shall be listing their reasons for the nomination and their chances IMHO of how they will do.

Mo Farrah was, for me, actually a surprising omission from the 2010 short list when he won double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at the European Championships. This year at the world he won gold in 5000m after achieving a silver in the 10,000m. He also won gold in the European Indoor 5000m this year. For a distance runner to keep winning this is an outstanding achievement.

Andrew Strauss the England Cricket captain who in the winter became only the third England captain to have lead the team to victory in the Ashes both Home and Away in the winter tour. The team made innings of over 500 in four of the test. In the first test there 517-1 (Strauss being the man out stumped for the first time in a test for 100) came too late in the day. But the 644 in the last test was an England record on Australian soil. Although he did make his 19th Test Century and his 6000th test run it wasn't his greatest personal series.

Dai Greene the Welsh hurdler like Mo Farrah was absent from last year's list. He'd won the 400m hurdles both in the European and Commonwealth championships. So this year to top it he won the Worlds, pulling through on a strong field in the home straight. He's also earlier in the year won a time of 45.82 in Birmingham which is second only to Kriss Akabushi in the UK record books.

Rory McIlroy the young Northern Irish golfer looked set to lead the Master from start to finish before shanking his tees shot on the 10th having led for 3½ rounds. Having shot the worse losing round for a leader in the Masters he then in the next Major the U.S. Open led from the start again. He went into the final day already holding several records. This time he didn't add that of choker as he scored the lowest aggregate score by some 4 shots in U.S. Open history. In the P.G.A. he hurt his wrist playing against a tree trunk, but played on. However, in his next four tournaments he was always in the top 3. He won the Shanghai Masters the richest tournament in the world and ends the year World Number 2 behind another of those shortlisted.

Andy Murray the Scot started the year with his second Grand Slam final, but lost the final to Novak Djoković. He was beaten in the semi-final of the other three Slams. But in the Autumn had an good swing winning four out of five tournaments in the run up to the World Tour Finals, overtaking Roger Federer to World Number 3 on the way. But he was forced to retire hurt from the London season ender and Rog jumped over him again.

Alastair Cook in the very successful tour of Australia managed to become the second highest ever England run scorer in a series with 766 (only Wally Hammond 80 years earlier scored more in a series), including 3 centuries. His 235 not out in the first test (his first test double century) at the Gabba beat the record of Don Bradman. He was man of the series in Australia. He took over the One Day International captaincy for the summer. He secured a 3-2 series win over Sri Lanka, and he again was man of the series. In the test series against India he came within 6 runs of his first test triple century.


Darren Clarke the second Northern Irish golfer in the shortlist. The elder statesman of Northern Irish golf. Who was most famous for his 2007 emotional return to competitive golf after the death of his wife Heather. Nobody was talking about Darren as an Open hopeful. His compatriots Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell were being talked about. He hadn't made the top ten of any major since 2001. However, after his 20th Attempt he finally won the Claret jug and for the first time since 1910 a country other than the USA had won back to back Majors.

Amir Khan last December just before SPOTY Amir defended his Light Welterweight title for a third time. This year saw firstly a defence against the Irishman Paul McCloskey who had been unbeaten in 22 fights but it was another defence for Amir after a TKO in the 6th. His only other fight of the year was against the IBF champion Zab Judah in an unification bout. In the 5th Amir landed a knockout blow to the belt and walked away with the two belts. He'll be fighting American Lamont Paterson on 10 December before SPOTY takes place.

Mark Cavendish the Manx sprinter was on this list last year. This year he wore the leader's jersey in the Giro d'Italia for one stage, having won the first stage and two others. He also won the Olympic trial event the London Surrey Classic and two stages on the Tour of Britian, leading for the first two days and on points for the first three. But of course the reason he is nomiated is as the first British man to win the Green Jersey of the Tour de France with yet another five stages and also the World Championships in Denmark. Meaning next year when he isn't leading on points he'll be in the rainbow jersey, the first Brit since 1965.

Luke Donald secured the PGA money list title, currently also leads the European Tour Money list and is the world number one ahead of two other UK golfers. In February he won the Accenture Match Play Title beaten the eventual world number one in the final. He also reached the final of the Volve World Match Play Championship a win would have made him world number one, but after 14 straight match play wins he lost. However, when he beat Lee Westwood in a play-off for the European PGA title he overtook him to be world number one. In all he won four titles in the year.

So this year's list contains No women!!, three golfers (two of whom are Northern Irish, two cricketers, two athletes (a long distance runner and a hurdler) a cyclist, a boxer, an a tennis player. Two Northern Irish, a Scot, a Welshman, a Manxman and five Englishmen.

So who is going to win?

I'm ruling out Strauss as he isn't even the best Cricketer in the list and the same applies to Darren although it was good for him to win the Open, he is only the third best golfer in Northern Ireland and third best in this list, although a big personality. I'm also going to rule out Andy Murray again this year, although he is winning titles he is not world number one, nor won a major title which everyone else left is.

When it comes to the athletes there is pure gold, ok Mo has one silver. But to have run almost ½ of a marathon with the 5000m heats he for me has the slight edge, not that Dai Greene's acheivements have not been outstanding.

The two remaining golfers are Mr Consistent in Donald against the man who has had us on the edge of our seats so often this season in McIlroy. They may well by number one and two in the world but it is the way that have dealt with expectations this year. Rory has led 7 rounds of the Majors this year won one and had 5 other top three finishes, Luke has carried on strongest in match play events but also has was a play-off while Rory has lost a couple. Objectively I'd like to say that Luke edges this contest, but it seems that everyone loves Rory's story, the comeback from the Master's to the US Open. However, with three golfers in the mix that vote may be split too much for any of them to win.

Amir Khan is trying to be the fifth boxer to win the title, following Cooper (twice) McGuigan, Lewis and Calzaghe. He has picked up a second belt this year and been dominant in all his games since he was last considered. In some years he may well have stood a chance but there are others who will certainly beat him; one of the golfers, one of the athletes deserve to, but there is no split boxing vote and last time a boxer won another Ricky Hatton came third.

However, I think the real contest is between Alastair Cook and Mark Cavendish. The last time a Brit won the World Cycling Road Race Championships he also took SPOTY and that was without winning much of note that year. But in a sport like cycling at which Britain has excelled in recent years Cavendish has risen to the very top this year. Cook similarly has shun in a year in which those who play his sport have been reasonably successful, we'll forget the limited overs matches in Australia.

The same argument can be made about both that they wouldn't win without their team. But Cook certainly has to be the one to face each ball he faces and there have been a lot of them this year, and Cav wouldn't have teams working so flat out for him, controlling grand tours or the GB guys the World Championship if they didn't know that he could put in the acceleration that would defeat anyone else in the world. Indeed there were times that Cavendish's team lead outs didn't go as planned and he still won, including the World Champs.

That is why my top three this year is:

• 3 Rory McIlroy
• 2 Alastair Cook
• 1 Mark Cavendish

Humbled, yet thanks for reading and voting

I'm was very humbled this morning when I read the Total Politics Top 35 Lib Dem Blogs. Considering I parked my personal blogging (ok not very well but the output was down) from early November until May for the Yes! to Fairer Votes Campaign I didn't really blog hard hitting stuff the whole year. Therefore to find myself up two places on last year behind only Lib Dem Voice, Jonathan Calder (with Lord Bonkers) and Lindsay and Reevesey (deceased) is shocking and humbling all at the same time.

I may have been  reduced in output over the last year (423 Sept 2010 to Aug 2011 compared to 885 for the same period the year before) but I clearly have written enough of my usual hard punching stuff in that time to make you continue to appreciate it. So thank you one and all.

With our late colleague Andrew Reeves behind Caron in this list, yet he appeared at 7 in the Scottish list, it is clear that she is de facto a Top 10 Scottish Blogger and should display that badge on her blog as well. Sorry to Andrew Page for that dropping him down one spot but as he has taken over my number 7 spot in the Lib Dems I'm sure he'll not object with a top 10 finish. Indeed 5 of the top 10 lib Dems would have had the words Scottish Liberal Democrat on their membership cards, which is braw!

 The top five together one last  (and first) time

Realised that there was this picture

l-r: Andrew Reeves, Helen Duffett (Lib Dem Voice), me, Caron, 

Mark Pack (LDV), Jonathan Calder (Liberal England)

1 (1) Lib Dem Voice
2 (3) Caron’s Musings
3 (6) Liberal England
4 (10) Andrew Reeve’s Running Blog
5 (7) Stephen’s Liberal Journal
6 (5) Mark Pack
=7 (4) Liberal Vision
=7 (-) A Scottish Liberal
9 (18) Cllr Fraser Macpherson
10 (2) Mark Reckons
=11 (17) Peter Black AM
=11 (-) The Potter Blogger
13 (36) Spider Plant Land
14 (-) Jack of Kent
15 (23) Birkdale Focus
16 (8) Jennie Rigg
17 (-) Nick Thornsby’s Blog
18 (11) Cicero’s Songs
19 (-) Olly Grender
20 (-) A View From Ham Common
21 (15) Millennium Dome , Elephant
22 (-) View From The Hills
23 (-) A Brief History of Liberty
=24 (-) Eric Avebury
=24 (14) Lynne Featherstone
26 (-) Liberal Burblings
27 (16) A Lanson Boy
28 (73) Jonathan Fryer
29 (26) Lib Dem Child
=30 (71) David May
=30 (-) The Rambles of Neil Monnery
32 (-) Too Liberal
33 (-) Ginger Liberal of Medway
34 (-) Solution Focused Politics
=35 (33) Liberal Bureaucracy
=35 (46) Virtually Naked 

Update this page at Total Politics has since been taken down. Another anomoly spotted is the fact that Andrew Page is ahead of Fraser Macpherson's  blog on this list but behind him in the Scottish list. It may be that the lack of Scottish Labour and Scottish Unionist Conservative Alligned with David Cameron's Party Blogs in the Scottish list has not thrown up this issue, until the Lib Dems noticed an issue. Lib Dems making a change in Total Politics Government too.

Update 2 the Full top 100 has now been posted and I appear to also be at number 78 with Liberal Democrats of Northern Ireland.

Update 3 I've also noticed that I also blog on the 57th ranked Labour Blog as part of the Mars Hill Blog team.

Vote Andrew Reeves 1

Yeah it is that time of year where I have to decide whether I should be upfront and blatant of like Uriah Heep and ever so humble. This year for the Total Politics Blog Awards I have have no such qualms.

GIVE YOUR NUMBER ONE TO

Andrew Reeves

Yeah I've lost a great friend and the world has lost a great blogger. Many of my readers will probably also have been readers of Andrew's blog either because you follow me since I'm a fellow Lib Dem, spent time in Scotland or are a fellow politico. If you did you should also have been aware of Andrew Reeves' blog. If not Caron has a good summation of what he covered over the last year until his untimely death in early June. As she says "Andrew wrote punchy, pugnacious posts which made their point with all the subtlety of a pneumatic drill." The most fitting tribute I could have for him is to finish behind him for the first time in the Total Politics Blog Rankings.

So follow the link the survey you have to fill in at least 5 blogs for your vote to count but you can vote for 10. Just remember.

Andrew Reeves' Running Blog 1

Of course as you have to vote for at least 4 more a preference for me would be appreciated.

Response about Sports Women of the Year's Absence

My dear friend Jennie had pointed me in the direction of Pink Stinks' blogpost about the lack of women on the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year show last month. Being a helpful male 'feminist' I added in the comments some of the notable female athletes who somehow failed to make the remembrance slot in the show. Of course I went further than this and wrote to the BBC on the 19 December:

Where were the women?

Apart from Jessica Ennis and Amy Williams making up 20% of the shortlist for SPoTY, and the occasional female presenter of the awards, plus of course Sue Barker there was a distinct lack of female sport's representation on this year's show.

Apart from a 40 second slot entitled Girl Power there was very little about the successes of female athletes in a wide range of sports apart from the two aforementioned. There was also a lack of any women in the list of sport greats to be remembered.

What of:

• Audrey Collins OBE died 14 February English Cricketer and Administrator. She appeared in one test before WWII but was Secretary and then Chairman of the Women’s Cricket Association from 1984-94. She was one of the first ten women members of the Mayrlebone Cricket Club when it lifted its male only policy in 1999. The day after her death the English team on tour in India wore black arm bands and both teams observed a minutes silence in her honour. 
• Janet Simpson died 14 March who won a bronze medal at the 1964 Olympics with Mary Rand, Daphne Arden and Dorothy Hyman in the 4 x 100m. She also won a European gold in 1969 in the 4 x 400m setting a world record of 3.30.8 with Rosemary Stirling, Pat Lowe and Lillian Board. 
• Or Audrey Williamson (29 April) athlete and silver medalist in the last London Olympics in 1948 over 200m. 

Their exclusion and lack of women's sport representation is general is a shame to the BBC.

I got a reply on the 3 January.

Dear Mr Glenn

Thanks for contacting us regarding BBC One’s ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ broadcast on 19 December.

I understand you feel that there was a lack of female representation on the programme, and that sportswomen weren’t sufficiently acknowledged.

In programmes such as this we strive to commend as many different sportspeople as possible; male and female, however due to time constraints it’s not always possible to accommodate for everyone’s tastes.

I can assure you we value female sport as much as male sporting events, however, as I'm sure you can appreciate; a difficult decision has to be made by the BBC on the amount of time available to mention or acknowledge athletes. The choices we make will not be appreciated by all sections of our audience.

Nevertheless, I’d like to assure you that I’ve registered your concerns on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's circulated to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, programme makers, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.


Kind Regards

Shona McCullough
BBC Complaints

Do I think that the BBC made a difficult decision to exclude so much female sport from the SPoTY awards? No they took the easy decision and went for what was 'commercially' viable. The same as they do when sport is shown on their channel along with anything else.

Yes at Wimbledon we do get women shown playing, as with athletics but some of of female sports people perform at the highest level, are world champions, yet are not given the same coverage as men. Sometimes the women are competing at a higher level than the men, yet the reflection of SPoTY is that is a area of misogynistic thinking. Even the 40 second clip title I'd mentioned showed that, pity they got a woman to signature the response.

It's not good enough BBC, adding me to the log is not good enough*. The sportswomen I know personal, or watch compete need better representation than this. The BBC is as much their BBC as it is my BBC. Better shape up, SPoTY needs women, and my heart is set on you, to do better next year you. You're the BBC, won't you listen to me.....shakes out of a Grease singalong.

* I have too many contacts inside the BBC, past and present, that say this is just something that gets skimmed.

Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Read Me Now I'm 65

Ok I know the Beatles song is 64, and no I haven't slipped in a few extra birthdays. But hey best I could do because somebody should have given me a slightly higher ranking. Yes I'm looking at you (only joking). Thank you everyone who voted for me in the Total Politics Poll.

Total Politics have announced numbers 51-100 in their poll today and I'm delighted to say that my good friend Caron is not to be seen on that list. Why? Because she was convinced she wouldn't be in the top 50 so this morning I put all the lists thus far into a spreadsheet and proved that I was right and she was wrong.

I personally would love her to be number 42. Then I will certainly have to get my Towel out to celebrate.

However. It is quite tight with three Lib Dems in the 60s Liberal England is at number 62, I'm at 65 hence the title of this post and Jennie Rigg is at 68 (she may be wishing she were one place lower for a jokey title).

Doctor Packula is just ahead of us lot at 57 and Liberal Vision just ahead of him at 58. Meaning that there are 8 Lib Dem in the top 70. Sara Bedford's blog Always Win When You're Singing is in there too at 94 and Andrew Reeves the remaining blog from the Top Ten Lib Dems was at 105 in yesterday's list.

As for the Scots:

53 Cute Greek Baby
61 Bright Green Scotland
65 Me
73 Two Doctors
74 Subrosa
80 Malc in the Burgh
96 Alex Massie

Worryingly though with Slugger O'Toole only being at number 100 (down 49 on last year) I am in essence the top Northern Irish blogger.

Scottish Success in the Top 75

Earlier this evening Total Politics announced the top 75 Liberal Democrat blogs from a poll of over 2,200 blog readers. There was some good news for the Scottish Blogosphere.

First up the top woman is one of the Scots as Caron is at number 3. Little did I know when she first asked me 'How do I start a blog?' that she would climb to this height, only Lib Dem Voice and Mark Reckons.

She is not alone in the top ten this year. As with Scottish list I take her number 7 and Andrew Reeves is number 10 a climb of 9. Our top Councillor Fraser Macpherson from Dundee also in the top 20 at 18 up 13 luckily for him. So that is 20% of the people who can use this button are Scots.

Elsewhere however there are other Scots. Our general election candidate for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock James Taylor with his Liberal Thought blog is the one I'm envious of with his number 42 spot a new entry. He was omitted off the Scottish list but should have been another in the Scottish top 50. Liberal Youth Scotland climb 3 to 54, Edinburgh Cllr Paul Edie enters in the 69 position*, while Montrose Cllr David May is at 72, Aberdeen Cllr Ian Yuill is at 73 and former Angus candidate candidate Sanjay Samani brings up the rear at number 75.

That is ten of the top 75 hailing from north of the border. A very real sound of gunfire from up here, a real strengthening from 5 years ago when I was one of the few Scottish voices in the Lib Dem blogosphere.

Although I've also just heard that Mícheál has just submitted his blog to Ryan at Lib Dem blogs, so seeing as he's spurred on by the friendly competition I may not be the top Lib Dem blogger in Northern Ireland this time next year, just as for the last two years I haven't been top in West Lothian despite being second in Scotland.

But thank you for everyone who voted for me and all the other bloggers on this list. I now also know that if I'd been elected I would now be in the top 10 MPs blogs as well, ho hum. Of course last year I came 11th, 11th and then 101st overall. With two 7ths under my belt this year wouldn't it be strange if I was 77th overall.

* You didn't think I'd avoid double entendre there did you?

I'm In Seventh Heaven

It is indeed that time of year again. Total politics are currently in the middle of announcing the list of the Top Political Blogs for 2010.

Today it was the turn of one of the categories for which I am eligible that of the Top Scottish blog. For the past two years I have actually finished in eleventh place in Scotland on both occasions. This year however I am into the top ten at number 7, the spot held last year by my dear friend Caron, she has climbed to number 4. My spot for the last 2 years was so nearly taken by another Lib Dem Andrew Reeves is however only at number 12, journalist Alex Massie assumes the Stephen Glenn position.

Other Lib Dems in the list include Cllr Fraser Macpherson climbing 10 to 18 and Liberal Youth Scotland a new entry at 34. Another blog from Linlithgow and East Falkirk is that of Love & Garbage in at number 44.

Here is the top 10 political blogs in Scotland for 2010 (last year's position in brackets):

1 (1) Tom Harris MP
2 (3) Underdogs Bite Upwards
3 (2) SNP Tactical Voting
4 (7) Caron's Musings
5 (4) Mr Eugenides
6 Bright Green Scotland
7 (11) Stephen's Liberal Journal
8 (5) Two Doctors
9 Subrosa
10 (6) Malc in the Burgh

You can view the top 50 at the Total Politics site.

Of course heaven knows what nation/region list I'll qualify for next year.

The Fosters* Edinburgh Comedy Awards Shortlistees

The five names of the shortlisted comedians for the 2010 Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Awards have been announces. They are (clockwise from top left):

• Sarah Millican - who was the 2008 Best Newcomer
  
• Bo Burnham - who started doing his comedic songs on YouTube (he's only turned 20 in the last week)
  
• Greg Davies - Who plays Mr Gilbert, head of sixth form, in the Inbetweeners
  
• Josie Long - won the BBC Young Comedy Award at the tender age of 17
  
• Russel Kane - who recently pointed out there were too many Russel's in comedy

Here's a little glimpse of each of them in action.













* Others lagers (and for that matter real ales) are also available.

NFL Hall or Fame Inductees 2010

Each year on the eve of the Superbowl the NFL announce new inductees into the Hall of Fame. They can be players, coaches or media personalities within the game. So here is the class of 2010. It includes a winner of Superbowl XXX and the Defensive Co-ordinator who tried to stop him. The only two non-kickers to score 1000 points in their careers, the leading wide receiver. A man most associated with the team making their Superbowl debut tomorrow.

Emmitt Smith

Running Back
Dallas Cowboys 1990-2002
Arizona Cardinals 2003-4

The final of 'The Triplets' (after Troy Aikman 2006 and Michael Irvin 2007) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is All Time career leader in rushing yards 18,355 and Rushing TDs 164, plus having a the All Time record of 100+ yard rushing games 78, as well as attempts 4,409 . In 1993 he became the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player in one season.

Of course the Triplet have three Superbowl Rings XXVII, XXVIII, XXX.

He also holds a number of post-season records. ncluding rushing touchdowns (19), consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (9) and 100-yard rushing games (7). His 1,586 yards rushing is also top on the NFL postseason chart, and he shares the total playoff touchdown mark of 21 with Thurman Thomas. He is also one of only 5 NFL players to have amassed over 10,000 rushing yards and 400 receptions.

When he annouced his retirement from the Cardinals he was given a one day no pay contract back in Texas so he coud retire a Cowboy.

Jerry Rice

Wide Receiver
San Francisco 49ers 1985-2000
Oakland Raiders 2001-2004
Seattle Seahawks 2004
Denver Broncos 2005 (Off season and practise squad only)

Jerry was always going to be an automatic first year eligible inductee when the time game for him to end his career (like Emmitt above). Even after his 16 years with San Francisco. He holds all the major wide receiver records too numerous to list here. As well as the all time leader in the NFL in touchdowns 208. Only in his last 2 seasons with the 49ers did he fail to reach 1000 yards when he was fit to suit up for every one of the 16 games.

He won three Superbowls XXIII, XXIV, XXIX. Was selected to the Pro-Bowl in 13 seasons, name first team All-Pro on 11 occasions.

He was a legend in his own career.
1,549 receptions
22,895 yards

Russ Grimm

Guard
Washington Redskins 1981-91

Grimm was one of the famous Redskins' 'Hogs' offensive line from the late 80s to 90s before it lost it's supremacy to the massive men of divisional rivals the Cowboys. But the hogs were deemed one of the best front fives of all time. He led the Skins to the Superbowl 4 times and picked up rings on three occasions. XVII (1983), XXII (1988), XXVI (1992).

Upon retirement he started coaching at Washington. Through to 96 and Tight end coach, then to 2000 as the offensive line coach. In 2000 he moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers as Offensive Line coach and picked up a 4th ring in 2005. In 2007 he moved to the Arizona Cardinals as assistant head coach and offensive line team coach.

Rickey Jackson

Linebacker
New Orleans Saints 1981-93
San Francisco 49ers 1994-5

In the year that the Saint's finally make the big show their all time career sack leader (with 123) is a worthy inductee in the Hall of Fame. In six different seasons he recorded 10 or more sacks. His final career stats are 136 (8 unofficial in the 1981 strike season), 8 interceptions which he returned for 68 yards. He also recovered 29 fumbles, at the time of his retirement this was the second most.

When he moved to the 49ers in 1994 he got the the Superbowl and lifted the ring, he may be hoping his beloved Saints all do the same tomorrow.

His #57 shirt has been retired by the Saints.

Dick Le Beau

Corner Back/Free Saftey
Detroit Lions 1957-72

Coach
Philadelphia (special teams) 1973-5
Green Bay Packers (defensive back field) 1976-9
Cincinnatti Bengals (defensive back field) 1980-3
(defensive co-ordinator) 1984-91
Pittsburgh Steelers (defensive back field) 1992-4
(defensive co-ordinator) 1995-6
Cincinnatti Bengals (defensive co-ordinator/assistant head coach) 1997-2000
(head coach) 2000-2002
Buffalo Bills (assitant head coach) 2003
Pittsburgh Steelers (defensive co-ordinator) 2004-present

As a player he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns but was cut before the season but the Lions swooped on his as a free agent. In his 14 seasons he was a leading interceptor in the back field. 62 career interceptions (7th all time) for 762 return yards and 3 touchdowns, and holds the NFL record for consecutive game appearances for a cornerback with 171. He also recovered 9 fumbles, returning them for 53 yards and a touchdown. It is for his playing career that he is inducted.

As a coach five time he has been involved in winning AFC Championships (1981, 1988, 1995, 2005, 2008), in the latter two he added the next game winning Superbowls XL and XLIII.

Floyd Little

Running Back
Denver Broncos 1967-75

In what was the first combined NFL-NFL draft he was the 6th pick for the AFL Broncos, the first time a first round draft pick had signed for an AFL side. From 1968-73 he led the NFL in rushing. He retired as the 7th leading career rusher with 6,323 years and 54 touchdowns. In 1970 he led the AFC with 901 yards, but the following year was the first AFC 1000 yarder with 1,133 leading the entire league.

He was the smallest back to lead the league in rushing since before World War II but was also versatile in that he was the only player to return punts for Touch Down in both 1967 and 68.

His #44 shirt was the first to be retired at the Broncos, and he finally joins the 6 rushers who were ahead of him in career yards when he retired.

John Randle

Defensive Tackle
Minnesota Vikings 1990-2000
Seattle Seahawks 2001-3

Originally undrafted before being picked up by the Viks at training camp. IN 1993 appeared in his first of 7 Pro-Bowls after 11.5 sacks, he reached double digit sacks in a season on 8 separate occasions including a career-high and league leading 15.5 in 1997. He had sacked future hall of famer Brett Farve more than any other player.

When he retired his career 137.5 sacks ranks him 5th in the all time list. This was the second year he was eligible for induction.

More Gallant Than We Recognise

There could be a lot more recognition of bravery of our troops in Afghanistan than is currently the case. But currently the chests of our brave men and women in the field are being kept emptier than their commanding officers would like by over 50%.

The issue is a Whitehall quota system that restricts the number of medals to a certain number per tour based on the number of troops in each brigade deployed. Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan says:

"The way the quota is used at the moment is very strict, the rules are very inflexible. Commanding officers are lucky to get a 50% strike rate for their medal recommendations due to the conservative nature of senior officers who sit in London and decide these things."

For example in every six months:

• Only two or three Distinguished Service Orders for outstanding combat leadership are now usually awarded to officers in each brigade.
• No more than 19 Military Crosses for bravery in each period.
• Just two Distinguished Flying Crosses for bravery in the air have been awarded.
• The only Victoria Cross awarded in Afghanistan was awarded posthumously to Para Corporal Bryan Budd who was killed in August 2006.

The same ratio was allowed for troops in the first Gulf War but the actual conflict lasted a matter of days. In Afghanistan there is year round bravery since 2003 a period that is longer than either World War, with all the troops deployed constantly on full alert.

One senior officer back in London defended the process saying:

"The fear is we will end up like the Americans and people will get a medal for putting their boots on in the morning.

"We study recommendations very carefully and always err on the side of caution."

But Colonel Kemp counters that by saying:

"Medals are good for morale. They encourage people to go that extra mile. The army is too precious.

"The opinions of regimental commanding officers and brigade commanders on the front line should carry more importance than at the moment."

So even our awards for gallantry are tied up in red tape over the individual merit of each action. What may have earned a medal in another conflict is not maybe not enough if that quota has to be factored in.

End of Nearlyhood

When the Total Politics poll of political blogs was announced in September of last year I jokingly started to refer to myself as a nearly blogger. The term "The Stephen Glenn Position" was coined and reused by many for that position just outside a chart. Because there were ten published positions for the Scottish Blogs and the Liberal Democrats, I was eleventh in both (for Scotland that was a on-mover).There was the top 100 blogs overall, and my name wasn't on that list but at the very top of the 101-200 blogs. Even the other day Mark Thompson issued a list of the top 20 Lib Dem Twitterers by followers, and you guessed it, I was 21st.

Therefore I'm quite pleased (and shocked) to find I am actually not just on a list but on the podium in the first of the Scottish Round Up Scot Blog categories that was announced today. In the Top Politicians' Blogs for Parliamentarians, Councillors or aspirant PPCs I come in at number three, behind Anne 'Ingygal' McLaughlin MSP and Callum Cashley SNP PPC for Edinburgh North and Leith.

More surprisingly the three of us are all ahead of Tom Harris MP who was the top Parliamentarian, top politician and top Labour blog in the Total Politics poll.

I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who voted and to Duncan for running the awards plus counting the votes. Imagine a bottle of champagne is being sprayed liberally from my step on that podium.

UPDATE: Joy of joy, day of listings. After, as mentioned above, failing to make the Lib Dem list of Twitterati I'm in at number 5 on the Scottish Politico Twitterers, which is only 3rd best Lib Dem.

Eight is the BAFTA Number

Nick Hornby's British film adaptation of journalist Lynn Barber's memoir An Education, alongside director James Cameron's Sci-Fi Avatar and his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow's direction of Iraq drama The Hurt Locker are going head to head with eight nominations apiece in the BAFTA film nominations. South African sci-fi District 9 gets seven with Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and recession era drama Up In the Air get six apiece.

Avatar has already won the Golden Globe for best film drama while The Hurt Locker won the Screen Critics award, so a good British film thrown into the mix for the British Academy of Film and Television Awards really heats up this category.

All three go head to head to head in only two categories though:

• Best Film (along with Precious and Up in the Air)
• Best Director Lone Scherfig for An Education plus Neill Blomlamp for District 9 and Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

None can do a clean sweep of the 4 major prizes Film, Direction, Acting as none are listed in both acting categories.

Jeremy Renner gets a nod for best leading actor for The Hurt Locker with Jeff Bridges Crazy Heart, George Clooney Up In the Air, Colin Firth A Single Man and Andy Serkis Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Carey Milligan is up in the actress category for An Education against Saoirse Ronan The Lovely Bones, Gabourey Sidibe Precious, Meryl Streep Julie & Julia and Audrey Taytou Coco Before Chanel.

An Education's Alfred Molina is up in the best supporting actor category facing Alec Baldwin It's Complicated, Christian McKay Me And Orson Wells, Stanley Tucci The Lovely Bones and Christoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds. Supporting actress is either nowhere or up in the air put will be precious all the same as Anne-Marie Duff and Kirstin Scott Thomas both for Nowhere Boy, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick both for Up in the Air along with Mo'Nique for Precious make up the short list.

For Cinematography Avatar and The Hurt Locker face competition from District 9, Inglorious Basterds and The Road. For editing they face District 9, Inglorious Basterds and Up In the Air. For sound there two again face off along side District 9, Star Trek and Up and in special visual effects replace Up with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

An Education is also up for outstanding British film, adapted screenplay, costume design, make-up & hair. Avatar is in the running for music and production design while The Hurt Locker also features in the original screenplay shortlist.

Drumroll Please....Announcing the Scotblog Awards

Duncan announced them last night on Scottish Round Up and then also posted about them on his blog, as have James and everyone's favourite Greek Baby.

What I hear you cry? Well keep you suspenders on. As many of us in Scotland are wisely keeping off the roads unless absolutely necessarily we'll all undoubtedly have some free time over the next few days to think, reminisce and think back over the last year. While your at it what have been the best blogs of that period.

As Duncan says:

"With the end of the year comes mild nostalgia, endless navel gazing and jumped-up awards ceremonies. In the past couple of months one or two people suggested to me that there should be an end-of-year Scottish Roundup awards ceremony. After canvassing opinions among some other bloggers, most agreed that it was a good idea.

"So here they are: the Scotblogs awards.

"I had originally planned on running this throughout December. But I have been quite busy so it has been pushed back to January. I figured that if it’s good enough for the Oscars to be held in March and the Mercury Music Prize to be held in September, holding the Scotblogs awards in January would be just fine!

"I should point out that the Scotblogs awards will not just be about patting each other on the back (though no doubt that will form a part of it). But primarily it is intended as a celebration of Scottish blogging as a whole, and a way to promote new and under-appreciated blogs."

He wants you're nominations (or you own opt out) in by 13 January, but is also looking for any suggestions of how to structure said awards. Having recently, while back home in Northern Ireland had a drink with some of the Slugger O'Toole mob who run a Northern Irish equivalent, which is quite an event. And being in the crush in Old Harry's Bar in August for the Lib Dem BOTYs I'm sure the Scots will come up with something to match them both eventually.

Rumours are that Tom Harris is going to be providing a red carpet for the occasion. However, after his generous outlay of a round at the August bloggers meet up it may end up only being a swatch of carpet.

Stonewall Hero a Humble Man of God

I'm quite sure that Scott Rennie the minister of Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen wouldn't consider himself a hero, he is far too humble a man to do that. In fact I have very little doubt that he would merely consider this year merely one of trying to do the job he wants to do and fulfil the calling that he has.

However, at the Stonewall awards last night Scott won the hero of the year award. You may well recall how early this year his calling to his present charge caused some controversy at the General Assembly, Westboro Baptist Church members were even threatening to turn up to protest outside the meeting to decide his future. Liberal Youth Scotland arranged a counter demo to show support for Scott which has the the bigger attendance despite less notice. But Scott was no doubt most happy with finally being allowed to take up his new post and get on with looking after his flock.

Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone didn't win the Parliamentarian of the year award for her work but I know her work on things like the Equality Bill and lifting the blanket blood ban will not cease. It's not about awards for either of them but getting on with work. Lynne did however lose out to Ben Bradshow the first openly gay cabinet minister.

There was also the award that nobody wants to win the bigot of the year award shared between two people. Father John Owen who has said on BBC's The Big Question that the majority of child abuse was carried out by gay men. The other recipient was Jan Moir for her ill timed, ill aimed, ill informed and vindictive piece not just on Stephen Gately but gay men and the lifestyle in general. A rather late comer to the voting as it was already under way when she wrote her poisoned pen piece.

Other awards went to:

Broadcast of the Year - Corrective Rape in South Africa

Entertainer of the Year - Boyzone (accepted by Stephen Gately's husband Andrew Cowles who said thanks for all the support in recent weeks)

Journalist of the year - Johann Hari and Joan Bakewell

Publication of the Year - g3

Writer of the Year - Sarah Waters

Community Group of the Year - Allsorts youth project

My Speech At #ldconf

Yeah you may have watched all the BBC Parliament converage and wondered just where was my speech. Well I did have a couple of speaker cards in for debates, but I never got called.

Mark Valladares however does have the historic footage of my only speech made in Bournemouth this year. As Millennium says it is actually me (mostly) not being Mr Slugger O'Toole.

Nearly One Of the Best Blogs Thrice

Well I now have the complete set. This blog is now official nearly one of the best blogs.

After coming 11th in Scotland, then 11th Lib Dem, this morning I complete the set of being a nearly blog by being 101st in the Overall Total Politics Tops Blogs List 2009. Never in the history of political blogger has one blog come so close, so often to being in the lists that everyone decides to copy and paste. Yes folks one spot away from fame on all three counts.

Thank you everyone for reading and voting to make this minor mathematical miracle come to pass. Congratulations to the 10 Lib Dem and Scottish Blogs that did make it into in the top 100, well done all 19 of you. Yes, the maths is correct Caron was in both lists.

Indeed I'm also proud of the fact that Caron has be shortlisted for Lib Dem Blog of the year, also announced this morning. Also Cllr Fraser MacPherson and Willie Rennie MP are representing Scotland in the Best Blog by an Elected Representative category. Jo Swinon's tweeting may have made the 3rd page of Soctland on Sunday at the weekend but it has also earned her a place in the Best use of blogging/social networking/e-campaigning by a Lib Dem category. I'm sort of represented in a very small percentage in the fact that Northern Irish blog Slugger O'Toole to which I contribute and insiders outside looking perspective from time to time make the best non-Lib Dem Blog category.

I know that a few of my readers said they were nominating me for those awards, so thank you, even though I did not make any of the shortlists. Also thanks for all the vote in the Total Politics poll I went up in every category bar the Scottish where I stayed at 11th. I hope you have had an educational, inspirational and thought provoking year reading this blog, and even the odd laugh. I'll do my best to ensure that you continue to do so over the coming year.

P.S. Oh and look out for my piece on the Scottish Blogosphere in the book.

Bridesmaid Again

As this is a new month I've been very busy getting month ending stats complied the day after doing all the week ending one. So I only got to glance at the Total Politics Top 75 Lib Dem Blogs at 10:46, despite knowing they would be appearing at 9 a.m.

As people usually tend to have a habit of only listing the top 10 if they bother doing a list I have yet again found myself in the position of maid of honour, chief bridesmaid at number Eleven. What I do find surprising in that Caron is also in the same position in both this and the Scottish lists: in her case seventh.

I'm just hoping I'm not 101st in the overall poll.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my position, especially as I didn't go out hawking votes so thank you to all the lovely people who voted for me and my ramblings, rantings and views. It is a climb in the right direction and just behind former Lib Dem Blog of the Year winners Alix Mortimer and James Graham, ahead of our IT Czar Lynne Featherstone who takes my spot from last year. Indeed well done to Charlotte for getting above LDV, and Costigan and Mark for their good showings, they all gathered votes off me. But to be eleventh....TWICE!!!!

But as Caron says the Lib Dem Voice Blog of the Year Awards are still open to nominations until Friday 4th September. Don't let the fact that I am going to be at the awards for the first time ever, despite blogging since before their inception and never being nominated sway your nominations in any way. You're far too liberal a bunch to let that affect you. Aren't you?

Here is the full top 75.

1. (-) Charlotte Gore
2. (1) LibDem Voice
3. (-) Himmelgarten Cafe
4. (3) Norfolk Blogger
5. (-) Mark Reckons
6. (-) Liberal Vision
7. (44) Caron’s Musings
8. (5) Liberal England
9. (2) People’s Republic of Mortimer
10. (4) Quaequam Blog
11. (15) Stephen’s Linlithgow Journal
12. (18) Jennie Rigg
13. (11) Cicero’s Songs
14. (7) Millennium Dome Elephant
15. (6) Lynne Featherstone MP
16. (-) Dude the Dog
17. (8) Peter Black AM
18. (9) Love & Liberty
19. (-) Andrew Reeves
20. (39) Irfan Ahmed
21. (24) 474 Votes to Win
22. (-) Always Win When You’re Singing
23. (-) Freedom Central
24. (14) Jock Coats
25. (42) Sound of Gunfire
26. (-) Willie Rennie MP
27. (-) Freedom & Whisky
28. (-) LibDem Blogs
29. (-) Hagley Road to Ladywood
30. (-) Paula Keaveney
31. (28) Fraser Macpherson
32. (26) Jonathan Fryer
33. (-) Chris Davies MEP
34. (-) Agent Orange
35. (-) Liberal Bureaucracy
36. (-) Mark Pack
37. (-) Pink Dog
38. (-) Liberal Revolution
39. (-) Birkdale Focus
40. (-) John Hemming MP
41. (32) Anything Caron Can Do
42. (45) Disgruntled Radical
43. (-) Wit & Wisdom
44. (-) Duncan Borrowman
45. (-) Nick Clegg MP
46. (-) Nigel Ashton
47. (-) Social Liberal Forum
48. (-) Steve Webb MP
49. (-) The Speaker
50. (-) Belsize LibDems
51. (21) Hug a Hoodie
52. (23) Orange by Name
53. (37) Anders Hanson
54. (-) John Barrett MP
55. (-) Katy Gordon
56. (-) Max Atkinson
57. (-) Liberal Youth Scotland
58. (-) Moments of Clarity
59. (-) Adrian Sanders MP
60. (29) A Lanson Boy
61. (38) Eric Avebury
62. (47) Gavin’s Gaily Gigest
64. (-) Liberal Dose
65. (-) Mary Reid
66. (-) ALDC
63. (43) Antony Hook
67. (22) Jo Christie-Smith
68. (16) Lindylooz Muse
69. (-) Swindon South Liberal Democrats
70. (-) Niles’s Blog
71. (13) Neil Stockley
72. (-) LibCync
73. (-) What You Can Get Away With
74. (-) Wouldn’t it be Scarier
75. (-) Richard Allan

Kind Words Lighten Up a Dreegh Monday?

There are many variations on how to spell dreegh, (dreigh, driegh, dreich) but however you want to spell it up here in Edinburgh and West Lothian is has been a very dreary day.

However it was lightened by a couple of favourite Lib Dem bloggers saying nice words about me and the blog what I write*. As many political bloggers know the recess is also awards session. We have voted in the Total Politics Poll and now those of us of a liberal democratic persuasion are largely at it again the BOTYs are upon us.

As I've already blogged about the rules, categories and what to do I won't labour the point, but this morning on my trip to work I was lifted by the kind words of two fellow bloggers as they mused over the awards.

Peter Black AM won last years BOTY for an elected representative. But in summing up the field for the top gong the Lib Dem Blog of the Year he said:

"The question as to who is going to win the prize of Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year is already the subject of much speculation on the blogosphere and on Twitter. There is consensus that three bloggers in particular are in the running. These are Charlotte
Gore, Mark Reckons and Costigan Quist. However there are many more excellent Liberal Democrat blogs out there including Liberal England, Sara Bedford, Stephen Glenn, Jenny Rigg and Jane Watkinson to name but a few. It is a crowded field of exceeding high quality and I have no idea who might win. Though I nominated Charlotte Gore just because she dropped so many hints all over the place."

Ok I'm in the second trance of blogs listed by the esteemed Assembly Member, though to be perfectly fair I expect that to get unto the short list alongside the highlighted three will be the most that many a Lib Dem blog can hope for this year.

Although not from reading Nich Starling our Norfolk Blogger, his comments made me both well up and smile at the same time.

"Last year I wrote in Iain Dale's guide to political blogging that I felt the awards were too self congratulatory, rather too on message, and the judges rather self selecting in that the same people and the same "friends" get chosen every time. Those of you from the provinces (and I use that term loosely) and who don't get to conference really don't matter. Yes, I am sure I'll get comments decrying my views, but I would add that it would me hypocritical for me to seek votes or feign interest in these awards given my published views.

"For my money, Stephen Glenn writes the best Lib Dem blog at the moment so perhaps he will get some credit for his good writing."

Yeah I did a double take, looking for hidden links to other bloggers, but no there were none. Nich singled me out, just like he did last year when it was his turn to write for Iain Dale and the Total Politics Guide. Having quoted me he then said:

"The Lib Dems need more blogs like this for the rest of the British political
blogosphere to sit up and take note."

So I'm clearly still doing it right in Nich's eyes.

Thanks to both. Though I think I may just have to settle for short listing in the blog categories, I've been around too long to count as new, nor been elected to anything.....yet. However, there may be hope for one of by blog post in the category of Best Blog Post of the Year. So I'd better get on with picking out the cream.

*Apologies to the late, great Ernie Wise for procuring one of his catch phrases.

My Best Blog Posts - Fit the First: According to the Golden Dozen

Since 1 September last year there have been 692 posts on this blog, this will make it 693, all are therefore eligible for the Lib Dem blog of the Year Blog Post of the Year. Not all of them are worthy for consideration I will humbly hasten to add, but as Charlotte has tagged the lot of us* to pick out our own gems for consideration I'm going to present the following selection box.

First of all there are the ones that actually made the Golden Dozen, which means you've liked them once before, in the last 11 months.

Why I Still Need to Go to Church GD #116 - A very personal look at the whole Christian and sexuality question in light of the opposition from some quarters to the ordination of Scott Rennie as the Minister of Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen. Personally I think is my best post of the year, at least on first thoughts.

SNP 'A Bit Naughty' in 2007 Election - Mason GD #126 - Following a comment from the Glasgow East by election winner John Mason a look at just how naughty the SNP tacticians were in the 2007 Holyrood elections.

Sorry Irfan You've Lost All Respect GD #122 - Proof that I can make the Golden Dozen on hits and at Number 2. When Irfan sort of came out for a female candidate based soley on her religion and not looking at the policies for which she stood.

Impartiality or BBC Ineptitude GD #101 - A look at the BCC's mistaken prioroites over the Isreali attacks on Gaza earlier this year.

Has 42 Days Extended 40 Years Without Abortion? GD #88 - When the DUP voted with the Government over 42 day detention without trial, just what was on the table?

Now I'm going to have to shift through the ones that didn't make the Golden Dozen either because it was an exceptionally fine week, or there was some news event dominating all your attention. But for a little teaser I'll leave you with one that one Nat blogger thought was acerbic and witty all at once and although it was heavily anti-SNP she linked to it anyway.

Abusive Converation with apologies to the Bard, the one from Stratford not Ayrshire.

*Stephen Tall has since also made this the LDV Weekend Meme.