Storm in a teacup or...

So there's been a bit of a fuss over some comments left on an answerphone by Jonathan Ross & Russell Brand last week.

Ok what they did was juvenile and could be seen as insulting, but surely a closer look at some of the main facts are needed. Firstly, the show was pre-recorded and played out with a producer in the control room putting the music and news etc in.

Now I'm no expert on radio, but wouldn't there have been some method of cutting the "offending" material out when it was being broadcast? Also wouldn't it have been an idea for senior production staff to have a listen to the show before it went out? This is Russell Brand for crying out loud, not a man known for not causing offence (he was fired from MTV for turning up on 12/9/01 dressed as Osama Bin Laden).

Yes the 2 of them should apologise for leaving the messages in the 1st place, but surely to pay for the prank with their jobs is taking things a little too far? The Daily Mail wants them sacked and will probably research their respective family tree's to find a hint of "Johnny Foreigner" in there so they can be "sent back to where they came from". But that's the good old middle english way of doing things! If anyone should face serious consequences for this, then it should be the BBC management (probably a middling layer) who decided not to make the usual checks on pre-recorded material that the Corporation is supposed to carry out.

The other thing is, knowing his reputation, he probably has had her and seeing as she's one of The Satanic Sluts burlesque outfit, there's a chance that a fair few people will also be able to say "hey Manuel, I cracked one off over your granddaughter!"

Whose voice is it anyway

So Led Zeppelin are going to tour with a different singer, seeing as Robert Plant doesn't want to take part in it. Good for him I say, but surely without the trademark voice they're going to be a bit lacking. Just like "Thin Lizzy" & "Queen" have been of late. However there's a few options for who they can replace him with...

Chris Cornell - Made his career by trying to sound like RP and even spent most of the late 80's and early 90's trying out the long curled, bare chested screamer look - 1/2 favourite

David Coverdale - Hair: check, open shirt: check, Sexist lyrics: check, made a career of being a 2nd division Plantalike: check. Only thing stopping him would be that he'd want to appear on Loose Women again to plug the tour! - 10,000 (screaming middle aged housewives)/1

Sebastian Bach - Claims to be asked to join just about every band going, said that he was the 1st choice for Velvet Revolver and probably has auditioned to be in Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and probably The Wiggles as well - 5/1 outsider

Gene Simmons - Not actually to get on stage with them, but to buy up the rights to the name and launch a local version of the band in every country going with all the members wearing facemasks of the classic line up and will claim the songs are relevant and it doesn't matter who plays them as long as they look vaguely similar - $50,000/1 investment

Terry Reid - He was the original 1st choice for the singers job when the band was first put together, but turned it down thinking he was capable of better things and was about to support The Stones on the infamous 1969 tour that ended in Altamont, not even famous enough to be the Pete Best of stadium rock! - 200 (album sales since then)/1

Juande Ramos - Well he needs a job! He'll be good for getting the European leg of the tour underway, but will probably learn a set of Boyzone songs and have to be replaced by Joe Kinnear or Harry Redknapp at the interval of the 1st gig - 2(points from 8 games)/1

Rick Astley - Well he's popular again and hardly out of the media these days, so it'd be a popular choice on YouTube! - 2/1 2nd favourite

Dirty Harry....

On Friday Pompey boss Harry Redknapp was preparing his team for their home game against Fulham. By Saturday morning he was Spurs Manager. So what pursuaded much revered manager Harry Redknapp to quit Portsmouth after 4 successful years and pick up the mantle of a team who had picked up just 2 points all season and looked more disjointed than Ernie Wise's wig? To most people the answer would be simple. Cash. Lots of cash. But if you recall in January, Harry was approached for the vacant Newcastle post and he turned that down, even though I'm sure Newcastle owner Ashley would have thrown the cash at him. Now, although there was sense in that move, only a fool would step into the Tynside spotlight (oh eh sorry Joe) it does beg the question "why Spurs?" and "why now?" - My feeling is simple. It's "app Landan way", he has a soft spot for Spurs and let's face it, with Ramos blowing £60 million quid like you or I would blow out birthday candles, Harry will look forward to using his Del Boy tactics in the market and unearth some gems (Stan Collimore need not apply) - and the Spurs board will enjoy closing that wallet a little bit more now Harry's in town!

So, Harry is in Portsmouth to pick up his freedom of the City on Tuesday with what now surely must be a cross between an emotional farewell and a bitter goodbye - What price of freedom? You can guarentee there won't be any from the press...

BE afraid, be very afraid...

2 chancers, 1 blog, no hope!

Not that we're going out to destroy "the great and the good" (we'll let them do that for themselves!) but we're here to inform about it...

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