Immediate and tardy-by-a-day thanks to FFFP's webmaster, Ian McLaughlin, who worked good and hard to create this blog. It ain't easy, but Ian got it done. As he's done with the entire site. He attacks it the same way his fave NASCAR driver, Tony Stewart, does it -- with aplomb, daring and no real cares about whose fender he dents as passes them by.

Today's other Gold Star Recipient is Neil DeMause, co-author of Field of Schemes, THE book on the idiocy of public spending for sports stadia. Better still, Neil goes at it everyday, with updates at his website (http://www.fieldofschemes.com) of stadium battles across the country.

His op-ed in yesterday's Newsday really rips noted sports economist Andrew Zimbalist a new one. (http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpdem253818062may25,0,1553261.story). Zimbalist used to be a standup guy who looked at stadiums from a pure, emotionally distanced economic perspective. Then he was hired by Bruce Ratner to write a report supporting Ratner's project.

It's not because FFFP disagrees with Zimbalist's contentions that everyone will make money and live happily every after once Ratner's project rises high above the rest of Brooklyn. Rather, we take exception to his foregoing his independence, casting his objectivity into serious doubt, and using weak, speculative and easily manipulated numbers to make Ratner's case.

Get yourself over to the deMause op-ed. Neil was able to pick through Zimbalist's report and show how it actually does Ratner a disservice.

Just like Ratner's doing Brooklyn a disservice.