Beer Of The Week (Vol XXVII)

Another edition of Beer of the Week brought to you by the gut volk at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits who can help put the fest into your October. And by "brought to you" we mean they supplied the beer. Can't be too careful about such disclosures nowadays.

While they're not as bad as seasonal clothing (good luck finding a winter jacket in February), seasonal beers do not exactly track with the way the seasons are traditionally defined on the calendar. So even though it's only early October, you can expect to see start seeing fewer and fewer Oktoberfest beers available for sale. They'll still be on the shelves for a few more weeks, but even though the leaves have yet to raked and the pumpkins yet to be carved, we're already close to the end of the fall beer season.

So this week will be the last official Oktoberfest beer reviewed. Next week, we'll try to sneak in one more fall selection before taking a couple of weeks off until we enter the most wonderful time of the beer year: winter. Can't hardly wait.

This week's beer comes from Chippewa Fall, Wisconsin, a community no doubt still reeling from Monday night's Packer defeat at the hands of their cross border rivals now lead by their former savior. It's going to take a lot of Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest to numb that pain.

Simple brown bottle. Standard pattern Leinie label with a fall lake scene framed by autumn leaves. A Bavarian hat on the label provides a nice touch as does the white and blue checkered bottle cap.

Beer Style: Oktoberfest Marzen

Alcohol by Volume: 5.1%

COLOR (0-2): Deep amber. 2

AROMA (0-2): Light toasted malt. Not a lot there. 1

HEAD (0-2): Off-white color, full. 2

TASTE (0-5): Slightly sweet malt flavor with light hops. Medium body. 3

AFTERTASTE (0-2): Smooth, but not much follow through. 1

OVERALL (0-6): A workable if unremarkable Oktoberfest offering. Drinkable with decent flavors. Very much in the middle of the Marzen pack. 3

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 12

Here's a quick rating summary of all Oktoberfest beers reviewed here this year and previously:

Full Sail Oktoberfest 14

Paulaner Oktoberfest 14

Surly Fest 14

Bell's Oktoberfest 13

Capital Brewing Oktoberfest 13

Flying Dog Dogtoberfest 13

Summit Oktoberfest 13

Sam Adam's Oktoberfest 13

Saranac Oktoberfest 12

Tabernash Oktoberfest 12

Schell's Oktoberfest 11

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest 10

Beck's Oktoberfest 9

Hofbrau Munchen Oktoberfest 9

Portland Brewing Uncle Otto Oktoberfest 8

He's Had A Few

After watching the depressing and all-too-predictable outcome of the Twins-Yanks game last night, I caught Peter Berg's Kings Ransom on ESPN ('cause I just haven't watched enough sports lately). It's part of their "30 for 30" documentary film series to celebrate the channel's anniversary. Since I love sports and documentaries, the series sounds very appealing. When the topic involves hockey, it's must-see television.

"Kings Ransom" is the story behind the story of the Wayne Gretzky trade from Edmonton to L.A.:

On August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen. The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their fourth Stanley Cup victory in five years, signed a deal that sent Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian national treasure and the greatest hockey player ever to play the game, to the Los Angeles Kings in a multi-player, multi-million dollar deal. As bewildered Oiler fans struggled to make sense of the unthinkable, fans in Los Angeles were rushing to purchase season tickets at a rate so fast it overwhelmed the Kings box office. Overnight, a franchise largely overlooked in its 21-year existence was suddenly playing to sellout crowds and standing ovations, and a league often relegated to "little brother" status exploded from 21 teams to 30 in less than a decade. Acclaimed director Peter Berg presents the captivating story of the trade that knocked the wind out of an entire country, and placed a star-studded city right at the humble feet of a 27-year-old kid, known simply as "The Great One."

Hockey fans who were old enough to remember the trade recall how shocking it was at the point. I had forgotten that Gretzky was right in the prime of his career at the time. He enjoyed so much success at Edmonton that you assume his peak years were spent playing there, yet he became a King at a mere twenty-seven.

The film explores the important role the Oilers played in the life of the people Edmonton (compared to that of the Packers in Green Bay and also described as a "religion"). They were the only game in town and their success elevated the team and its players to a revered status. Being the best of the best and the best hockey player in the world at that time, made Gretzky a living legend. At the time, it was hard to understand the impact that the trade had on the community, but the the film shows how devastating it was.

The fans in Edmonton found plenty of targets to direct their ire at. The main villain was Oilers owner Peter Pocklington, who was burned in effigy in protests and had death threats after the trade. Janet Jones--who married Gretzky right before the trade--also came in for abuse as the Hollywood harlot who had stolen the city's favorite. While there was some bitterness toward Gretzky, most fans did not blame him. And when he returned to Edmonton in a Kings jersey early in the 1988 season, he received a warm welcome from the home crowd.

Interestingly, one person who played a significant part in the drama that wasn't obvious at the time was Gretzky's father. Before the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals, he warned Wayne that he better accept the fact that he was going to be sold to the highest bidder at some point soon. His attitude seemed to have helped harden Gretzky's heart and make him more willing to agree to the trade.

I've never heard Gretzky talk much about the trade previously. In "Kings Ransom" he opens up quite a bit and helps us understand how the wheels were set in motion and why it was so hard to stop them once they were. It's only sports, but in some ways the story has elements of a Greek tragedy to it. You get the feeling that many of the principle players--with the exceptions of the two team owners--had misgivings about what was taking place, but felt powerless to stop it as if it was fated to be.

There's a profound sense of regret that hangs over the film. Even though Gretzky himself assures us that if he had to do it all over again he would not change anything, it feels like he's still trying to convince himself of that. While on the driving range, Berg asks Gretzky how many Stanley Cups he won in Edmonton.

Four.

And how many in L.A.?

None.

How many more could you have won had you stayed in Edmonton?

Gretzky hits a shot, takes a deep breathe, and speculates, "I don't know, maybe four more."

Berg asks, "Do you ever think about that?"

Gretzky answers immediately, "All the time."

Whisky A Go Go

Events conspire to once again prove that I have no timing.

St. Paul Scotch and Whisky Fest:

St. Paul Scotch & Whisky Fest 2009 is our 2nd annual whisky fest located on the property of The Happy Gnome.

This is North America largest whisky fest by number of whiskies (over 300) and attendees (2500 tickets available). St. Paul Scotch & Whisky Fest is for the enthusiast of all levels and areas of interests. We will have a separated area where brand managers and distillers will sample a couple of their whiskies and attendees can sit in at no additional charge. There are four classes available being taught by educators from Cellar's Wine and Spirits. And, of course over 300 whiskies to sample.

Ticket price will only be $10, drink tickets will be available for sale for tastes of whisky. You choose what you want to sample.

No Bands. Sorry JB. No Beer. Sorry Nihilist. No Flavored Vodka. Sorry Crazy Uke.

Just Whisky, For Whisky Folks.

On Saturday October 24th in the year of 2009 may the Islay people rub elbows with the Bourbon folks and much rejoicing abound as the St. Paul Scotch & Whisky Fest bagpipes sound at 12 noon.

Sigh. A shame that I won't be able to be among those folks and all that wonderful whisky.

Green Pee Soup

Tim e-mails with a story that is too strange to possibly have been made up. Airline goes green by asking passengers to use the toilet before boarding:

A Japanese airline has started asking passengers to go to the toilet before boarding in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) claims that empty bladders mean lighter passengers, a lighter aircraft and thus lower fuel use.

Airline staff will be present at boarding gates in terminals to ask passengers waiting to fly to relieve themselves before boarding, The Independent reported.

What's next, bladder scans as we go down the jetway to make sure we've complied? A mandatory pre-boarding enema to make sure our systems are all cleaned out? The Onion can't compete with reality.

It Is Better To Live

No rest on the recently wicked Minnesota sports scene as the Twins open their ALDS playoff tonight at Yankee Stadium. On paper the Twins as currently constituted have no business being on the same field as the Yankees. And given their team's past playoff futility against the Bronx Bombers, Twins fans will likely once again have to witness their team's season come to end at the hands of New York. But, what the hell? No one expected the Twins to get here and at this point it's best to simply sit back and enjoy this improbable and almost unimaginable ride.

Last's night's classic contest was another reminder that when it comes to high drama and suspense, nothing in sport is quite like a baseball playoff game. Yes, a hockey playoff game that goes into overtime--especially if it's the deciding one--has you on the edge of your seat (or barstool) with nerves on end and stomach churning. And the intensity and tension during that overtime is unmatched. But in a great baseball playoff game--like last night's--you have many such moments of tension and drama that start with the first pitch. Yesterday's game lasted four hours and thirty-seven minutes yet it kept you riveted to the screen for the entirety. With all the ups and downs and emotional swings from certain doom to unbridled elation, merely watching the game was a draining experience. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to play in it.

With the Twins not-quite-ready-to-let-go-just-quite-yet Metrodome farewell fling and the Favre fanfare blotting out the local sports sky, the Wild's snappy third period comeback from a three goal deficit in the home opener against hated Anaheim last night has received scant attention. Even here in the State of Hockey it's a tough time to be playing third fiddle on the Twin Cities sports scene with the Twins and Vikings. About the only consolation that the Wild can take is that at least they're not at the bottom of the local professional sports barrel. Save your true pity for the woeful Wolves.

UPDATE: As much as I respect his political commentary at Power Line, I have to respond to Paul Mirengoff's Let the playoffs begin post thusly: Bite me. So sorry that the Twins might spoil your plans for a "decent" and "respectable" playoffs and World Series.

The beauty of the playoffs is that once you get in your regular season counts for naught (other than home field obviously). Like all sports, baseball has had its share of teams that barely made the post-season dance yet went on to achieve ultimate success. Conversely, teams with great regular season success have come up short when it counts. And it's not necessarily true that series between teams with excellent regular season numbers will necessarily be better than series that feature teams with less than stellar regular season stats. Often the "dream" matchups end up being busts while the less anticipated series produce the most drama.

Now That's What I Call Praying

In this era of apparently ascendant secular, libertine, and Democrat party values, it is easy for those dedicated to pro life positions to get discouraged. Even formerly trusted, bedrock institutions like Notre Dame have gone wobbly. I'm sure many have begun to doubt the potential for turning back this tide. Maybe started to wonder whether continued dissent from the dominant cultural mindset is worth effort and personal cost.

The prayer below was handed out on a small yellow card after Mass in Stillwater on Sunday. I find it spot-on in its tone and themes and especially effective in inspiring an essential ingredient for improbable victory, the will to succeed.

For Faith

Lord, give me faith ... faith in the pro-life cause. Let me believe that this is the most important issue of our time. Let me believe that with Your help we will succeed. Let me remember that faith can move even the mountains of legislative intrigues, unjust courts, and the growing selfishness of American society.

Give me faith in myself. Let me believe even my small efforts to save Your children are important. Help me never to apologize for my convictions, but rather to be happy to share with others my belief in the sanctity of all human life.

Give me faith in You. You are the author of all life. You know and love every human being. How You must weep for Your children who die and for Your other children who kill them! Help me to believe the power of Your grace will eventually triumph over every obstacle.

Amen.

Amen indeed. It even inspires a little elevation to boot.

Cursory Googling on the text show it popping up elsewhere in a limited fashion. No indication of the source or author though. That's just as well.

Free On Board

There's no shortage of travails and troubles in this world that would seem worthy of fixing. Thankfully, we no longer have to concern ourselves with one of the more worrisome among them as the U.S. government is finally cracking down on gift giving to bloggers (WSJ-sub req):

The government wants to make it a little harder for bloggers to shill products online for fun and profit.

New guidelines released by the Federal Trade Commission say bloggers must disclose any money or freebies they receive in exchange for writing product reviews, a fast-growing and loosely regulated way for companies to market everything from diapers to movies. The move is an effort to apply the same rules that already cover broadcast stations, newspapers and magazines to the Wild West marketplace of the World Wide Web.

High time for such a step say I. For too long I have been at the mercy of these devious bloggers pitching snake oil and other products that they had received for free, but were not subject to government sanction for failing to disclose. Finally, I can rest easy knowing the boys in D.C. are on the watch.

Wait a second. Fraters Libertas is a blog, isn't it? And therefore we as individuals would be considered bloggers. Kinda puts things in a different light, doesn't it?

This sort of government interference is unacceptable. We shall not stand idly by while our precious freedoms are encroached upon once again. Aggressive action is required to counter this effort and civil disobedience may be in order. The FTC will have to pry these gifts from our cold dead hands!

Bloggers and others who are paid or give freebies to promote products online will be required to offer some sort of written disclosure for readers, the FTC said, or face possible fines of as much as $11,000 per violation.

Ahem, ahem. Well now, since we are all upright, law-abiding citizens of the republic we of course shall abide by such rules from this point forward. When Saint Paul's forthcoming series of posts on the wonders of male enhancement comes out, you can be sure that full disclosure will be made available.

However, there are still those who are skeptical:

Ed Morrissey, a conservative blogger, questioned how far the FTC's rules would extend. "If I get a free tube of toothpaste in the mail and say nice things about it on Twitter, Facebook, or in a PTA meeting, do I have to disclose it as a freebie or pay the $11,000 fine the FTC imposes?" he wrote. "What kind of disclosure can one fit into a 140-character Twitter message, anyway?"

Clearly Ed is in the back pocket of Big Toothpaste and anything he posts in the future about cavity fighting, whitening, and minty freshness should be taken with a grain of salt.

While we're on the subject of disclosure, I should point out that I don't pay for the beers featured in the Beer of the Week series. They are provided courtesy of Glen Lake Wine and Spirits, something that should be pretty obvious. Lest you think that I'm taking advantage of their good graces let me assure you that I rarely walk out of the liquor store without at least two or three other items in hand that I have paid for. Remember, there is no such thing as free beer.

Yesterday's WSJ carried an interesting--and somewhat related--piece on how many internet critics are anything but critical when it comes to their reviews (sub req):

One of the Web's little secrets is that when consumers write online reviews, they tend to leave positive ratings: The average grade for things online is about 4.3 stars out of five.

Mr. Luster is part of a movement on the Web that's taking aim at 4.3, a figure reported as the average by companies like Bazaarvoice Inc., which provides review software used by nearly 600sites. Amazon.com Inc. says its average is similar.

Many companies have noticed serious grade inflation. Google Inc.'s YouTube says the videos on its site average 4.6 stars, because viewers use five-star ratings to "give props" to video makers. Buzzillions.com, which aggregates reviews from 3,000 sites, has tracked millions of reviews and has spotted particular exuberance for products such as printer paper (average: 4.4 stars), boots (4.4) and dog food (4.7).

It's unfortunate that so many online reviews have become essentially meaningless. I notice this a lot at Amazon where almost every book seems to rate at least four or four-and-a-half stars. It's become so bad that when I see a product with an average of four, I wonder what's wrong with it.

After reading about this proliferation of overly positive feedback online, I was curious to see how the Fraters Beer Ratings stack up. I consider myself to be a tough, but fair critic and wanted to see if the data supported that. With a possible high score of nineteen, the average for the three-hundred-and-eighty-five beers reviewed so far is 12.17. That's comparably far less generous than the averages cited in the story and seems to indicate that I'm not lowering my expectations for what good looks like when it comes to beer.

Normal Distribution

After a weekend spent taking in a lot of sports on television and in anticipation of further viewing over the course of the next two days, I've come up with the following observation:

On average, almost any "normal" regular season NFL football game is more compelling and interesting to watch than any "normal" regular season MLB contest. However, when the two sports are played at the peak of their meaning and importance, most of the time a baseball game will be more compelling and contain more drama than the football game.

Watching the Twins close out their season over the last week was better than watching any Viking games in some years (including last year's playoff game). Conversely watching the Vikings in weeks one, two, or three this year was better than watching the Twins in April, May, or June.

Obviously it's difficult to compare the sports directly because of the vast difference in number of games played. But the fact that any given NFL game will provide at least decent watchable partially helps explain the league's popularity. Yesterday, I caught parts of the Bears-Lions, Ravens-Pats, and Broncos-Cowboys and followed each with interest. And I don't play fantasy football or bet on games. I doubt if I would spent any amount of time watching early season baseball games not involving the Twins.

But I will watch as much of the MLB playoffs as possible. Because baseball at its best and most important is unbeatable to watch. That's probably partly because the gap between your average regular season baseball and your meaningful late or post-season games is huge.

Not so much so for football. While there's a significant quality viewing difference between the regular season and the playoffs, it's not as substantive or striking as with baseball. And even at its worst, regular season football is still pretty good.

Discriminating Tastes

Those at the top end of the income brackets tend to use their wealth to enjoy the finer things in life. Homes, cars, food, drink, and--as this piece in today's WSJ notes--even sports:

If you think of most hockey fans as beer-swilling blue-collar McKenzie brothers, the dim-witted Canadians of SCTV fame, think again. Visitors to the NHL's Web site have higher incomes than visitors to the other major professional sports leagues' sites.

Marketing-research firm comScore analyzed online traffic to nhl.com, nba.com, nfl.com and mlb.com in the U.S., and found that more than half the puckheads had household incomes of at least $75,000. About 36% came from households making six-figure sums or higher. Baseball ranked second with 32.7 percent of its web-browsing fans in the $100,000 or more bracket, followed by football with 28.3 percent. Nba.com, by contrast, had only 27.7% of its users among the top-earning households, giving it the least-affluent fan base.

Someone Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Don't know if you've heard the news, but apparently there's some sort of special strain of influenza making the rounds this season. Goes by the innocuous name "H1N1" which sounds more like one of Luke Skywalker's droids than a deadly pandemic. It doesn't exactly convey the sense of fear and dread that the "Black Death" did.

In order to stop the spread of this flu flavor of the month, we're supposed to take the following precautions:

1. Wash and sanitize your hands often

2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with your hands

3. Cough and/or sneeze into the crook of your elbow (some call this maneuver the "Dracula cough," I think it's more like "prepare for impact")

4. If you do get sick, stay home so you don't infect others

How am I so wise in the ways of flu prevention you ask? Oh I don't know, perhaps because I've relentlessly hammered over the head with messages on it for the last month. You can't turn on a TV or open a newspaper without some health expert scolding you about washing your hands and proper coughing technique. It's even worse at work.

I'm not sure if my employer's behavior is unusual, but they're pretty much in full on flu panic mode. I can't even count how many memos we've received on flu prevention, the latest appearing in my inbox less than an hour ago. There are signs plastered all over the building reminding us how important it is to wash our hands and not come in if we get sick. You can't walk ten feet in our building without coming across a hand sanitizer dispensing station. If they had their way, I think they'd like to pump sanitizing fluid through the sprinkler system and douse us every hour or so just to make sure we're properly disinfected at all times.

This week they handed out laminated cards to attach to our security badges. One side contains "Daily Screening Questions" and asks:

"Do you have any of the following symptoms?"

Fever 100.5 F or above
Cough
Sore Throat
Difficulty breathing
Runny or Stuffy Nose
Joint & Muscle Aches
Chills & Sweats
Extreme Fatigue
Headache

It then says:

If YES to 2 or more symptoms, please see other side.

If NO, report to work.

When you flip the card it tells you NOT to come to work, contact your supervisor, and don't come in until you are symptom free for 24 hours.

First of all, that list of symptoms is awfully subjective. On any given day during flu season it's not hard to imagine a lot of people saying that they had two of those symptoms. Those of us with young kids have accumulated sleep debts that rival the US government's fiscal obligations. Am I extremely fatigued today or just normally fatigued? When a fifty-something coworker near me first saw the list he joked, "Great. I'm never coming to work again."

Second, and more importantly, exactly when was it that we became children and the company our Mommy? I understand why businesses are so concerned about H1N1 and appreciate how disruptive it could prove to be. But can't we manage our way through this without being treated as if we're incapable of determining whether we're healthy enough to work on our own? Do we really need laminated cards with DAILY screening questions and constant reminders about washing our hands, coughing in our sleeves, and wearing a jacket when we go outside? Okay, I made that last one up, but the way we appear to be headed I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.

We're adults. We now know what to do. None of these precautions are rocket science and most of them are common sense practices that we would likely be following anyway. Now, just step back and let us get on with our work. I'm all for an ounce of prevention, but a healthy dose of prudence is also called for.

Beer Of The Week (Vol XXVI)

Another edition of Beer of the Week brought to you by the fine folks at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits who remind you that a glass a day keeps the doctor away. No wonder Atomizer is such a vision of health.

What do you think of when someone mentions Vermont? In the past, the name might have brought forth images of Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, the battle of Saratoga, skiing, and maple syrup. Today, you're more likely to think about Howard Dean, Ben and Jerry's, and gay marriage. The relentless march of progress, eh?

But one think you probably don't think about--I know I didn't--was beer. While the New England area is renowned for brewing--Sam Adam's, Shipyard, and Smuttynose come immediately to mind--Vermont isn't a state that I associate with beer. Turns out though that the list of Vermont breweries is actually fairly impressive:

* Harpoon Brewery - Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, largest plant in Windsor, Vermont
* Long Trail Brewing Company - Bridgewater, Vermont
* Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, Vermont
* Otter Creek Brewing - Middlebury, Vermont
* Rock Art Brewery - Morrisville, Vermont
* Switchback Brewery - Burlington, Vermont
* Trout River Brewing - Lyndonville, Vermont

Other than Harpoon--which I've enjoyed on trips to Boston--I hadn't had a chance to try any of these Vermont beers. Until Glen Lake Wine & Spirits recently added Magic Hat Brewing's Number Nine Not Quite Pale Ale to their roster of beer.

Standard brown bottle. The funky orange & red label has a pronounced psychedelic feel to it. The design has a sort of ying/yang thing going for it too. I'm a bit of a beer bottle cap collector and Magic Hat's is nicely done (don't stare at too long or you'll become HYP-NO-TIZED). Judging from the look of the label and the vibe from the company's web site, Magic Hat fancies itself part of the counter-culture, which these days is more mainstream than anti anything. What else would you expect from Vermont?

Beer Style: Pale ale (or is it?)

Alcohol by Volume: 4.6%

COLOR (0-2): Golden and a little cloudy. 2

AROMA (0-2): Strong apricot scent. 2

HEAD (0-2): Bright white and full. Good lacing. 2

TASTE (0-5): More apricot flavors with some nice hops to provide balance. Refreshing and crisp. 3

AFTERTASTE (0-2): Light with some lingering bitterness. 1

OVERALL (0-6): Usually I am not a big fan of fruit flavored beers, but for some reason this works for me. It's not overly sweet or tart and is very drinkable. This is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's the type of beer that you'll either like or hate. There's not going to be a lot of middle ground here. Put me down on the like side. 4

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 14

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Fresh off yesterday's post on sports writers inappropriately injecting politics into their coverage of the athletic world, I came across yet another example just this morning. It wasn't strictly political per se, but it serves to reveal the mind set of many in the field.

Whilst on the way to work, I was listening to the Steve Czaban Show on Fox Sports Radio (carried locally by AM690 The Score). As is customary on Thursdays, he was joined by Gregg "The Love Saw" Doyel from CBSSports.com.

They were discussing the Tim Tebow situation--his injury and whether he should play against LSU or not. Someone mentioned that because of the concussion he had suffered he was restricted from watching TV or reading while at home recuperating.

Doyle cracked, "Well, Tebow was homeschooled so we're not really sure if he can actually read of not."

Oh, I get it. He's one of those stoopid homeschool kids, right? We all know that they don't learn anything from their whacko parents who hold this bizarre view that they shouldn't trust government to be responsible for their children's education.

The reality is that while there isn't a lot of hard and fast data on the subject, homeschooled children at least equal and sometimes outperform their public (or private) school peers in just about every measurable area of academic achievement. If Doyel wanted to be more accurate with his little reading joke he should have used it in regard to a college athlete from an inner city high school in a place like Chicago. On average, I'd say the chance of someone from that educational background not being able to read would be far higher than with a homeschooler.

But that could very well mean that the athlete in question was black. Can you imagine Doyel making the same crack in that scenario or the firestorm that would likely ensue if he did? Didn't think so.

In addition to being white and therefore open to barbs about his educational upbringing, Tim Tebow also happens to be a devout and rather public Christian. That makes him an even juicer target for the cynical sports writer set. After questioning whether Tebow could read, Doyel then went on to remark that maybe he had recently had the eleventh through fifteenth Commandments revealed to him and was studying up on them (or something to that effect).

Oh, I get it. He's one of those dopey Christians who still believes in all that silly man in the sky nonsense. Let's all mock and ridicule his beliefs and values.

This time let's say that the college athlete in question was a Muslim. Can you EVER--in your WILDEST DREAMS--imagine Doyel cracking wise about said athlete receiving revelation about additional suras to the Koran? Not a chance.

Because that would really be striking out against the mainstream and would require real courage. Mocking homeschooled Christians is risk free and easy. Heck, just about anybody can do it. Even sports writers.

UPDATE-- Vox e-mails to point out that there is in fact significant data to support the idea that homeschooled kids do better than their peers:

Good post today. However, the data from a very large study of more than eleven thousand has been collected and the results indicate that homeschooled students blow away both public and private-schooled students. Means in the 80th percentile, versus 50 for the public schools.

Here's a link to the study he mentions. Some interesting findings:

* Homeschool parents have more formal education than parents in the general population; 66.3% of the fathers and 62.5% of the mothers had a college degree (i.e., bachelor's degree) or a higher educational attainment. In 2007, 29.5% of all adult males nationwide ages 25 and over had finished college and 28.0% of females had done so.

* Homeschool student achievement test scores are exceptionally high. The mean scores for every subtest (which are at least the 80th percentile) are well above those of public school students.