On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Francis Cianfrocca to discuss the the top stories in politics, the marketplace and sports for 2011.

We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.

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Newt Gingrich on Entitlement Reform, the Federal Reserve and the Eurozone
Jon Huntsman Talks About Entitlement Reform, China and the EPA
Is This the Beginning of the End for the Euro?
NFL, players announce new 10-year labor agreement
NBA players, owners ratify collective bargaining agreement
Tebow Mania: Special On ABC, Tebowing Students Suspended

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The entire Coffee and Markets family wishes you a merry Christmas and happy new year. We will return to the airwaves on January 2, 2012.

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Hammerman is behaving like a different kind of “RINO,” a Rabbi In Name Only. Writing in this week’s issue of the progressive New York Jewish Week, Hammerman has displayed bigotry unworthy of the pulpit. (His article has since been pulled from the website. If you still wish to read the rabbi’s original post, you can check out the cached version here.)

Hammerman admits he has a Tim Tebow problem:

A poster boy of the Christian right, Tebow steadfastly thanks Jesus after every game and, while in college, often inscribed biblical messages on his eye paint. Homeschooled in Florida, this child of missionaries turned down his selection as a Playboy All American because it was, well, Playboy. His trademark prayerful touchdown celebration (imagine Rodin’s “Thinker” on bended knee, or your grandfather davening Tachanun with a football) has become a verb.

Funny — whenever something really special happens in my life I pause and say a Jewish prayer.

The prayer translates to:

Blessed are you, our God, who rules the universe, granting us life, sustaining us and enabling us to reach this day.

I wonder if that would scare the rabbi? If not, than it’s clear that Tim Tebow scares him solely because he is Christian.

As if to gain sympathy from his progressive audience, the rabbi mentions that there is a YouTube video that makes fun of the fact that Tebow’s mom was sick during her pregnancy with him and she refused to abort her son despite doctor’s recommendation.

Now tiny Tim has grown and is on track to possibly appear in this season’s Super Bowl–on the field–and that is what scares me.

In this country, nothing, not even God, is more popular than football. Even in the wake of a summer long labor dispute, 23 of the 25 most watched TV programs this fall have been NFL games. When you combine the religion that is football with the religion that is religion, the mix can be dangerously flammable.

Really now–we are taught that God is everywhere, so why can’t He be on a football field (and why can’t He play for my Jets)? And what exactly does the rabbi mean by “flammable?” Observant people will start riots when talking football and religion? How ignorant and biased can the rabbi be? I have discussed football in shul over some whiskey after Shabbos services, and I can promise you there has never been a flammable situation (OK–there was that one time when one of the kids dropped a Havdalah candle during services, but that was scarcely anything to worry about).

Next Sunday, the Broncos host the New England Patriots in a game coveted so much by the networks that NBC and CBS sparred in unprecedented fashion over who would get to broadcast it. And why not? While the Patriots are adored by their fans (myself included), to many nationwide they are regarded as the Sons of Darkness, with their perfectly coiffed Hollywood quarterback and their brilliant – one might say diabolical – hoodie-clad coach. And, oh yes, the most identifiably Jewish owner in sports. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Bob Kraft are all upstanding citizens, moral exemplars in their home communities, but in this Oberammergau of the Rockies, they are playing the role of Pilate.

What does the religion of the Patriots’ owner have to do with anything?  No one would have ever come up with the silly idea that this was some sort of Good Friday passion play until the rabbi brought it up. It is beyond ignorant. Besides, Hammerman writes for the NEW YORK Jewish Week. The Patriots are the enemy (and Belichick is a deserter who has proven to be a cheater, also).

People are always looking for signs of God’s beneficence, and a victory by the Orange Crush over the blue-clad Patriots, from the bluest of blue states, will give fodder to a Christian revivalism that has already turned the Republican presidential race into a pander-thon to social conservatives, rekindling memories of those cultural icons of the ‘80s, the Moral Majority and “Hee Haw.”

Rabbis are supposed to unify their congregations, and preach tolerance of other opinions. In the picture above, Hammerman is preaching at a tolerance for Muslims rally. Why wont he display the same tolerance for Christians or other people who disagree with his progressive stances? Maybe he should step back and think for a moment. Many Orthodox Jewish synagogues preach the same socially conservative beliefs as those he disparages, and many in the Conservative movement–of which he is a member–also share some of those beliefs (like me, for example).

The culture wars are alive and well, and, if the current climate in Washington is any indicator, the motors are being revved up for what will undoubtedly be the most cantankerous Presidential campaign ever. When supposedly well-educated candidates publicly question overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change and evolution and then gain electoral traction by fabricating conspiracies about a war on Christmas, these are not rational times.

There is a line in the Torah that says: “It [the Torah] is Not in Heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12). It has been interpreted, according to rabbinic tradition, to mean that even though the Torah was sent from God, we are able to question and interpret it according to certain guidelines. The Talmud, one of the central books of Jewish law, is a series of arguments between learned people about what is the correct law.

Now, if the not-in-Heaven Torah and Jewish law in general are made up of differing arguments between scholars, how can Hammerman put down people who question a scientific theory that, the last time I checked, was not a sacred part of the Jewish canon?

Into the middle of it all rides Tebow. Absolutely confident that God is on his side, he comes across as a humbler version of the biblical Joseph, who, in this week’s Torah portion, audaciously lays claim to being the Chosen One, and then goes out and proves it. Tebow’s sanctimonious God-talk has led even pious peers like Kurt Warner to suggest that he cool it. Joseph could have used the same coaching.

Tebow believes that God is on his side in life–not in football!  And if the rabbi would examine his prayer books instead of his progressive politics, he would realize that Judaism teaches the exact same thing:

I admire much of what Tebow stands for. His mom’s decision to risk her own life rather than abort her fetus flies against my own – and Judaism’s values, [Please don't pretend you speak for all Judaism--because you are wrong!]– but neither am I pro-choice in all cases. His story is so improbable that if he were to win it all, a part of me would be wondering whether there is a Purpose behind it, just as I saw a divine hand in the equally unbelievable Red Sox victory of 2004. And it makes me wonder whether other Jews, the ones who don’t happen to have advanced degrees in religion and a few decades of rabbinic experience, might be even more seduced by this unfolding drama. Will legions of Southern Baptist missionaries hit the college campuses the very next day, spreading this new gospel of Tim? Already there is a “Jews for Tebow” Facebook page.

First of all, the Red Sox victory in 2004 had nothing to do with God. But the 1969 and 1996 Mets, as well as the Jets’ win in Super Bowl III, were clearly divinely inspired.

Tebow used to wear eye black citing Ephesians 2:8-10, which states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith (in Jesus).” His avenue to salvation is not available to those Jews who wish to remain Jewish.

So? That is his belief, just as we believe that when the Moshiach (Messiah) comes to the Temple in Jerusalem when it is rebuilt, we will celebrate the Festivals as they did 2000-plus years ago. No Gentiles partaking of the Pascal lamb, but that doesn’t really matter because we also believe that “on that day the Lord will be one and His name one.” Does that mean Christians should be afraid of me? I don’t think so.

Unlike some other blue-staters, I do not fear people of faith. I fear people of certainty. The worldwide struggle going on right now is not between good and evil, but between certainty and doubt. It cuts across denominational lines: Progressive and Modern Orthodox Jews lie on one side of the divide, joining mainline Christians and moderate Muslims; and those on the other side are also Jews, Christians and Muslims; the people of certainty.

Of course it is between good and evil, rabbi. Progressives like you think that man should be dependent on government. Progressives preach against God because the government does not like competition. Progressives hate nothing more than when people wear their faith on their sleeves–if they are conservatives or share conservative beliefs.

Tim Tebow is an example for all–Jew, Muslim and Christian. Jews are taught that everything that God gives us is a blessing. Tebow is a living example of that. One of the first prayers Jews are supposed to make in the morning is thanking the Lord for making us wash our hands. Now, if we can thank God for commanding us to wash our hands, what is wrong with thanking God for scoring a touchdown in the NFL?

For me, only one thing is certain. On Sunday, I’ll be praying for the Patriots.

It is strange that Hammerman’s column in the Jewish Week is called “on one foot”–an homage to an old story about the great sage, Rabbi Hillel.

Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai were the two great scholars of their time, yet they were diametrically opposed in their approach. Hillel was known for his kindness, his gentleness, and his concern for humanity. Rabbi Shammai was an engineer, known for the strictness of his views. Throughout the Talmud, it is Rabbi Hillel’s approach that wins the argument.

The Talmud tells of a Gentile who came to Shammai saying that he would convert to Judaism if Shammai could teach him the whole Torah in the time that he could stand on one foot. Shammai drove him away with a builder’s measuring stick!  So that same non-Jew went to Rabbi Hillel, who said: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it.” And the Gentile did.

If the entire Torah, what we call the Etz Chaim–the Tree of Life–can be condensed into “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor,” maybe that principle is important enough for Rabbi Hammerman to remember when he talks about observant Christians like Tim Tebow.

Sorry, rabbi, but as a New Yorker and a Jets fan I will be rooting for the Broncos. I will also be praying that you remember what you were taught in the seminary about religious tolerance.

Now if the Broncos play the Jets in the NFL Playoffs, Mr. Tebow, I will have to apologize in advance–I will be praying you lose.

Here’s a quick lesson in how he thinks:

First, Obama is a Socialist who believes in the redistribution of wealth. He hates those who have worked hard and earned money — unless they give him massive campaign contributions.

Second, he’s a union hack, who will do anything for unions, even break the law and violate the Constitution — at least for those unions that give him massive campaign contributions. Don’t believe me? Ask the shareholders and banks that loaned billions to GM and Chrysler, only to see their ownership and legal contracts erased by Obama in order to hand ownership to the unions that destroyed the automakers in the first place.

Third, like a true Socialist, Obama believes government has the solution to every problem, and that solution is more government and higher taxes, combined with a prescription of social justice and affirmative action.

Based on his lifetime body of work, here is how I predict Obama will settle the NFL labor crisis:

Like ”Cap and Trade,” Obama will produce scientists to declare that football is a dangerous sport threatening the health and welfare of the players. He’ll then pass “Helmet and Trade” legislation putting government in control of football — setting salaries for players, prices for fans, and giving new powers to the NFL players union.

Never letting a serious crisis go to waste, Obama will then pass legislation called “NFLCare” that demands that the NFL pay for the lifetime pension and healthcare of the players, paid for with massive new taxes on the NFL and its fans. The doctors who treat the NFL players will have caps placed on their fees. Of course this will lead to shortages of doctors and rationing, so eventually NFL Limb Panels will be set up to decide who gets a new knee, or shoulder, or hip. These decisions will be based on years of player life expectancy remaining, or the size of contributions to the Obama campaign.

He’ll then decide what income is “fair” and what is “greedy,” placing wage controls on players. Obama will say, “There is no longer a need for million dollar salaries. After all, just like government union employees, I’m going to guarantee NFL players — even the failed ones — pensions of $100K per year for life and free healthcare. We’ll call it ’NFL Tenure.’ It’s like a government job — a guaranteed job for life, without any performance necessary.”

Like American businesses, players will react to lower wages and higher taxes by leaving the USA to play football in Canada and Europe, destroying the NFL. Obama, of course, will blame the “greedy NFL owners” for sending American jobs offshore and pass a huge tariff on each player leaving the USA.

Then, Obama will state proudly, “We’ve got to spread the wealth around” and pass ”NFL Financial Reform,” requiring ninety-five percent of revenues be redistributed to employees, vendors, peanut salesmen, ticket takers, security, and parking lot attendants. A peanut vendor will be seen crying and telling a reporter, “I’ll never have to worry about paying rent or putting gas in my car ever again.”

But, Obama is just getting started. Fifty percent ownership of NFL teams will be turned over to the Players Union, just as in the case of GM and Chrysler. Obama will state, “The working man needs a stake in his own future.” This legislation will also demand teams have a minority owner in their ownership group and 50% of all NFL contracts be awarded to minority owned businesses. Not losing the opportunity for a teachable moment, Obama will say, “The NFL must reflect the diversity of America. It is time for the ownership, players, and contractors to reflect social justice. To get this party started correctly, I have fired Commissioner Goodall and appointed Reverend Al Sharpton as Commissioner of the NFL.”

Next he’ll pass rules limiting work hours for players and declare off-season workouts as “overtime.” The White House will set up a Toll Free (800) number for players to call the Bar Association, one of Obama’s leading contributors, who will provide lawyers free of charge to sue NFL teams within hours of a reported violation.

Finally, various new taxes will be imposed including “draft taxes,” “trade taxes,” and a “championship tax” (doubling taxes on Playoff teams; tripling on the Super Bowl winner). He’ll impose VAT taxes on everything bought at the games and a “wealthy fan confiscation tax” for prime, sideline seats. Skyboxes, of course, will be seized for the use of government officials, bureaucrats, politicians, and Obama campaign contributors.

At this point NFL owners will plead insolvency and threaten bankruptcy. Obama will ask “So, what’s in it for me?” Understanding EXACTLY what he means the owners will make massive campaign contributions to Obama and receive billion dollar bailouts from the U.S. Treasury as part of his next “stimulus” package.

Problem solved. NFL Strike/lockout averted. Obama has done it again. How did business survive before Obama?

On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Josh Zerkle to discuss the business of the NFL’s dispute with their player’s union. Then Pejman Yousefzadeh discusses Senator Ensign’s decision to not seek re-election.

We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.

Related Links:

Josh Zerkle’s With Leather
Greed is good in NFL labor talks
The Rise and Fall of John Ensign

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While Weingarten says all the right things and uses all the necessary poll-tested phrases, she really wants to maintain the status quo.  No tenure reform.  No need to judge teachers by any measure other than seniority.

But in an interview with Newsweek, she made this curious statement, in response to Bill Gates saying, “We need to measure what they do, and then have incentives for the other teachers to learn those things:”

“Football teams do this all the time,” Weingarten responded. “They look at the tape after every game. Sometimes they do it during the game. They’re constantly deconstructing what is working and what isn’t working. And they’re jettisoning what isn’t working and building up on what is working, and doing it in a team-like approach.”

That’s correct – they do. It’s too bad that public education does not operate more like the NFL.

Here’s an idea. Let’s have the NEA and AFT become the owners of a new NFL franchise. For a lack of a better name, we’ll call the new team the Thugs.

Players on the Thugs’ roster would receive tenure after two years, like they do in New York City Public Schools.

They can play on the Thugs as long as they’d like, regardless of their skill level.  And players would be judged not for their ability to score touchdowns or sack quarterbacks, but the number of years they’ve been in the NFL.

Over time, the Thugs’ roster would be filled with 50- and 60-year old players, raking in the big bucks while losing game after game.

Does anyone believe that the hypothetical Thugs, with their incredible job security, would be competitive with the teams that compensate players based on their performance and frequently alter their rosters to maintain an edge?

It would be wonderful if public education would operate more like the NFL, where you get paid for results and released for incompetence. Maybe then American K-12 students would receive the instruction they truly deserve.

How about this…?

Let’s Get Retarded
This song was remixed for The Black Eyed Peas’ fifth studio album The E.N.D. as “Let’s Get Re-Started. “Retarded” is considered a derogatory term for the mentally impaired, making the song unsuitable for play on some radio stations and at sports games. In 2004 the song’s lyrics were edited and “Let’s Get It Started” found its way onto radio airwaves, movie soundtracks, and video games.

Sure, the lyrics were changed later so The Black Eyed Peas could make more money off the song, but “retarded” was their original concept. But hey, this isn’t divisive, right Rog?

Soon the U.S. Supreme Court will hear an important anti-trust case to decide to what extent the NFL can conduct itself as a single entity in negotiating certain agreements or if it must operate as 32 individual entities.

I don’t have a problem with the Sherman Anti-Trust act. It prevents companies from doing things like charging a penny for a gallon of milk in a certain territory, driving out all competitors, then raising the price of milk to a million dollars. (Muwhahahahaha!!!!!)

However, the Act has also made me lose interest in professional sports. You can interpret the Act to prevent Ron Cey, Davy Lopes, Steve Garvey and Steve Sax from being forced to stay in the same infield together forever all you want, but it still made baseball a lot worse for me at least.

It helped make millionaire ball players into potential billionaires, and there are a lot of lower tier ball players that went from lower middle class to millionaire; but I’m more concerned about the irritating sight of Garvey in a Padre uniform, or Eric Dickerson playing for the Colts.

There are decent arguments on both sides of this issue and the New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees laid out the NFL player’s view recently in Washington Post. His points fall flat with me however. I’m not concerned about whether a hat maker gets to make NFL hats or if they have to make hats for someone else. I fail to see how I benefit if NFL players get to drive up their salaries through this kind of competition and play for different teams every couple years if they choose.

Free and unfettered competition is always a compelling argument but it hasn’t made these sports better. I know the arguments. I took all the anti-trust classes in law school, somehow I got published in the field, but the truth is that the Act’s application to sports has made sports worse.

What has the fan gained from all this free agency? Spoiled players with guns, bad tattoos, bling, steroids, and high ticket prices? Is this what they we’re fighting for? I’m glad the court is taking a second look at this. My free advice to the players is that before they gain sympathy by griping about the Sherman Act, they will need to clean up their own act. oooooh. Sick burn!