Any chance this is the real life 'Splash' and Steinbrenner has turned into a mermaid and those close to him are trying to keep this secret from the authorities?

Damn, I wish they hadn't taken down that Clemens / Steinbrenner "I wanna PITCH!!" YouTube that was floating around a few years ago. That may have been the funniest YouTube of all time.

That may have been the funniest YouTube of all time.

This may be the most weird YouTube rap act of recent time.

The end of the line is often very unpleasant. Old age ain't for sissies.

It's almost as if this is some 2009 version of Weekend at Bernie's... Just stay in FL, then, if there's going to be this much hoo-ha coming to NY; it's a bit ridiculous.

does anyone else get the feeling Steinbrenner is suffering from Alzheimer's? I'm trying to think of what would be so debilitating that they would want to keep him away from the camera

does anyone else get the feeling Steinbrenner is suffering from Alzheimer's?

That has definitely crossed my mind as well.

Too bad Preisler wasn't one of the writers stuck in the hallway during lockdown. Then we would find out it was all one guards fault.


The end of the line is often very unpleasant. Old age ain't for sissies.

Tell me about it. For the first time in my life I am actually glad I'll be dead by 55. I told the story before but there was a WWII reunion a couple of weeks back and those people looked horrible. Parts of their bodies were barely hanging on and one guy stood up in the middle of the dining room and puked out his breakfast and then calmly paid the bill and left.

does anyone else get the feeling Steinbrenner is suffering from Alzheimer's?

The fact that he has that disease has been reported in the MSM. The New York Post (March 29, 2009): "Steinbrenner suffers from Alzheimer's now, which has largely tamed the lion and put this book into the past tense."

My own mother, who is 87, has Alzheimer's. It's frightening (yet kind of interesting) in the way it just gets a little worse every day or two. So for someone who hasn't seen her for a few months is often unaware how far her cognitive level has dropped. A few years ago she was still able to drive. (I think, looking back on it, she had minor symptoms going back 10 years ago.) Now she can't figure out how to run appliances like a washing machine or microwave. Also, people with Alzheimer's lose their vocabulary. So just communicating their limited thoughts is a struggle. And that gets worse.

Alzheimer's is also supposed to be physically deteriorating. However, I've met very few 87 year olds in nearly as good a physical condition as my mom. And that makes me wonder how long she will live with this. She comes from long-lived people, but no one in her direct line, AFAIK, ever had any kind of dementia, let alone Alzheimer's. (My mom had an aunt who was nutty in her last years. I don't know what her diagnosis was.) My guess is she will go on physically for at least another 10 years. I don't remember her ever having a cold, let alone any serious illnesses. But mentally, at the rate she is going, she will be "gone" in a few more years.

and one guy stood up in the middle of the dining room and puked out his breakfast and then calmly paid the bill and left.

...that part actually sounds kind of cool.

one guy stood up in the middle of the dining room and puked out his breakfast and then calmly paid the bill and left.

Shouldn't it have been on the house? Besides the floor I mean.

My mother died at 79 two years ago. Until she was about 75, her mental facilities were fine, but she lost her memory in the last few years. One day in the hospital, near the very end, she looked at me with no recognition in her eyes, and asked me where I lived, and if I was married. It was, perhaps, the saddest moment of my life.

####, vortex. That's sad as hell.

and one guy stood up in the middle of the dining room and puked out his breakfast and then calmly paid the bill and left.

...that part actually sounds kind of cool.

I'm not as articulate as Rich Rifkin, but trust me: If it was your mother, you would think otherwise and you should consider taking your black suit to the cleaners because you would probably be hosting a not-so-happy party in the near future.

Phil Mushnick of the NY Post took time out of his TV-bashing a few years ago to strongly imply that Steinbrenner has Alzheimer's. He wasn't really contradicted.

The end of the line is often very unpleasant. Old age ain't for sissies.

Indeed. My dad went to his 55th high school reunion a few weeks ago -- he said most of the Class of '54 were in wheelchairs.

It's almost as if this is some 2009 version of Weekend at Bernie's

Except the key plot point of Weekend at Bernie's is that they wanted people to see Bernie so they'd think he was still alive, and in this case they're going out of they way to prevent people from seeing Steinbrenner. But other than that: The same!

Just stay in FL, then, if there's going to be this much hoo-ha coming to NY; it's a bit ridiculous.

Yeah, Steinbrenner should probably pass up what may be his last chance to see the team he spent his life building win a World Series because the logistics involved in him doing so without a bunch of people gawking at him seem ridiculous to ... some random guy who doesn't have anything to do with anything. Makes sense to me.

Or, maybe -- just maybe -- we should try to avoid telling other people how to spend their final days.

Yeah, Steinbrenner should probably pass up what may be his last chance to see the team he spent his life building win a World Series because the logistics involved in him doing so without a bunch of people gawking at him seem ridiculous to ... some random guy who doesn't have anything to do with anything. Makes sense to me.

Or, maybe -- just maybe -- we should try to avoid telling other people how to spend their final days.

Sure, if Steinbrenner had a ####### clue what is going on.

I deal with Alzheimer's clients almost daily (I drive a paratransit van), and I have one little lady who asks me the same three questions everytime she rides with me:

1. Are you taking me to 51 W. 63rd St?
2. Is that Ebbets Field?
3. Do we have to take the Expressway?

The correct answers are:
1. We don't have a 63rd St.
2. That's not Ebbets Field. That's the Citrus Bowl.
3. It's not the Expressway, it's I-4.

My answers are:
1. Yes, Ma'am.
2. Yes, Ma'am.
3. Yes, Ma'am.

My answers are:
1. Yes, Ma'am.
2. Yes, Ma'am.
3. Yes, Ma'am.


When my grandmother was in the early-moderate stages of Alzheimer's, I remember a lot of conversations she had with my grandfather that should not have been funny, but were, simply because my grandfather was completely unable to give a correct answer or explain the current state of affair. When my grandfather would get too frustrated, he'd convince her that she wanted a shot of Jaegermeister.

Eventually, my grandmother lost the ability to speak English. My spoken German is absolutely terrible (I can read and write much better), so the extent of my conversational German is to calm down an Alzheimer's patient.

When I was in high school, my maternal grandparents moved in with us. My grandfather, who was 88 at the time, had worked in a cotton mill for 53 years and by then had developed Alzheimer's. At least once a day, he would amble around our living room and go through the motions of operating whatever machinery he once worked back at the mill, even making comments to "co-workers" on occasion. I was 17 at the time, and it was one of the strangest things I'd ever seen.

Eventually, my grandmother lost the ability to speak English. My spoken German is absolutely terrible (I can read and write much better), so the extent of my conversational German is to calm down an Alzheimer's patient.

It's surprising what the patient's remember and don't remember. One of my passangers can't remember where he lives, and when you get him to his apartment building, he can't remember which floor he lives on (his wife meets him in the lobby). However, if he ever offers to play you dominoes for money, just hand him your wallet and walk away; it's less humilating.

I don't see anything wrong with Steinbrenner's family trying to shield him from the jackals in the press who would almost certainly shout questions at him if they got within earshot. It's his team, he's entitled to attend even if that disrupts the private press elevator for a few minutes.

maybe -- just maybe -- we should try to avoid telling other people how to spend their final days.

But what if someone wants to spend their final days telling other people how to spend their final days? WHAT THEN?!?

It's his team, he's entitled to attend even if that disrupts the private press elevator for a few minutes.

Steinbrenner has always told elevators what to do. And if they disobey, he punches the shit out of them.

It's his team, he's entitled to attend even if that disrupts the private press elevator for a few minutes.

There are a number of people in the sports media with a sense of entitlement strong enough to make Paris Hilton shake her head in dismay (I'm not referring to Miller, he's always seemed like a good guy).

That's one reason why Posnanski finally starting to get serious recognition is so awesome. There are a lot of sportswriters that can turn a pretty phrase, but Poz is smart enough to know what he doesn't know and what he doesn't know, he makes an earnest attempt to find out.

It's surprising what the patient's remember and don't remember. One of my passangers can't remember where he lives, and when you get him to his apartment building, he can't remember which floor he lives on (his wife meets him in the lobby). However, if he ever offers to play you dominoes for money, just hand him your wallet and walk away; it's less humilating.

My experiences indicate that long-term memory is the last to go; if he learned dominoes as a child or young man, then he'd retain that longer than his current address.

After my relatives hit 90, they would forget most of the family except for their brothers, sisters and parents. I would happily answer to "pop" or a brother's name if they wanted to talk. If it kept them happy, why correct them?

I was really happy my grandfather went quickly as it would have been really hard to see him deteriorate mentally. I mean, he was 96 when he died and his memory was crappy by that point, but his ability to reason and converse never went. When he went (simultaneous metastatic prostate cancer/septicemia/pneumonia/heart failure), I was happy he was still with it enough right at the end to be annoyed at all the attention from his well-wishers and that he could have no more beer.

My grandfather had Alzheimer's. He eventually forgot my mom and even my grandmother, though from time to time something would jog his memory and he'd remember them. My grandmother actually passed away first, her mind was fine but she was overall in pretty poor health herself. My mom said that when she explained to him that his wife had died he did seem to understand but after that he seemed to pretty much give up and really sank into a fog; he died just a few months later.

It is sad to see a once robust and unstoppable man decline to nothing.

I do believe he has Alzheimer's, as well. My grandmother had it near the end, truly horrible way to spend your last years. She had to be reminded about which grandchild came from which of her children (although she did remember our names, with the exception of the two youngest, who she mixed up), couldn't remember how old anybody was, how to make change... and those were the more benign things that happened. She also became extremely vulnerable to scams and calls for money that she didn't have anymore. Truly a tragic way to go.

I don't see anything wrong with Steinbrenner's family trying to shield him from the jackals in the press who would almost certainly shout questions at him if they got within earshot. It's his team, he's entitled to attend even if that disrupts the private press elevator for a few minutes.

I think the bigger threat would be photography. If the team has said they don't want him shown on tv, I think it's safe to assume he's a drooling mess. And the NY papers would definitely run those pictures.

I think the bigger threat would be photography. If the team has said they don't want him shown on tv, I think it's safe to assume he's a drooling mess.

Steinbrenner spit the bit.

I've never encountered Alzheimer's in my immediate family, thank god. The great-aunt who more or less raised me was sharp as a tack until the day she died at 93, & my parents didn't live long enough to run any risk of the disease (father died at age 34 from a heart attack, mother a day before her 57th birthday from colon cancer ... & yes, I *am* counting on an earlyish death myself & in fact have structured my existence accordingly).

In that regard (& others, now that I have co-workers who are having to deal with aged parents in sharp physical decline), I count myself incredibly fortunate.

Gonfalon Bubble, you will rot in hell

(& I'm pissed as hell that I didn't think of that line)

I think it's safe to assume he's a drooling mess.

Which I suppose makes him, on the off chance he lives that long, the frontrunner for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, assuming Reagan & the most recent Bush are any indication of those dangerous lunatics' (not to mention the imbecile electorate's/outlaw Supreme Court's) tastes.

I care so little about George Steinbrenner that I should have resisted the urge to make a bad movie reference. [smacks self] Mental note: do not ever again give two shits about George Steinbrenner, nor waste your time commenting on him.

This may be the most weird YouTube rap act of recent time.

I'll throw a challenger out there:

MDA Senior Management Rap

My experiences indicate that long-term memory is the last to go; if he learned dominoes as a child or young man, then he'd retain that longer than his current address.

That's true with my mom. She can enjoy things in the present, but has zero retention of them. My brother, sister and I took her out to a nice lunch recently, and she enjoyed herself, though can't really participate too much in the conversation. But then a couple of days later, she asked me if I had any brothers or sisters, and she had no memory of that lunch we just had. But she can still recall some events from her childhood, and her childhood memories of her sister (who died of cancer) and her brother (who is perfectly healthy at 85) are stronger than any memories she has of my father (long dead) or me or my siblings or even her own interesting life after age 18 or so. It's kind of like (a TV version of) amnesia.

An interesting question with an Alzheimer's patient are the end-of-life issues. My mom has a living will, made out maybe 20 years ago, which directs no feeding tubes, no artificial respiration, etc., to keep her alive. But what happens when she can no longer feed herself, clean herself and has no idea of anything which is going on? The answer, I suppose, is round-the-clock convalescent care until she dies. But would anyone in his right mind prefer that course?

A personality trait of my mom's which I inherited is personal frugality -- the abhorence of wasting money or resources. She's always been a generous person. But she never had fancy tastes of any kind and would never throw away anything which someone might value, even if it was no longer of use to her. I would guess that she would not want to live in a convalescent hospital in a mentally vegetative state, in part because she wouldn't want the money it will cost wasted on her. But we never really talked about that. (My brother and sister and I have and agree that would probably be her attitude.) Regardless of her feelings or the family's feelings, I don't see that we have any choice (and maybe, ethically, we should not have any choice). Once a person needs to have round-the-clock convalescent care, you just have to put them in a hospital of that sort. I would imagine if you didn't, and your relative died due to your negligence, you would be held accountable. And surely, unless you have the time, patience, money and skills to take care of someone 24 hours a day like that, the patient would die from your negligence. So in cases like this, you hope it is a quick demise at the end. But there are stories of Alzheimer's patients -- especially those who get the disease quite young -- living 20 years in a convalescent hospital with no cognitive function. And unlike say someone dying from pancreatic cancer who can tell his doctor he wants to OD on barbiturates and a willing doctor will (secretly) help him, there is no way an Alzheimer's patient can make that kind of a call.

From a public policy perspective, I wonder if the amount of money it takes (or, if you will, wastes) to care for Alzheimer's patients will ever become a serious concern, as people live longer and longer, and those who might have died from cancer or heart disease in their early 70s or before survive those diseases, but go on to get dementia at 85 or 90.

Some very poignant, first hand family experiences - I too remember well my grandparents in similar circumstances, and worry about my folks who're are now pushing 80.

My answers are:
1. Yes, Ma'am.
2. Yes, Ma'am.
3. Yes, Ma'am.

You, Sir, are a saint. I hope that some day she will see Ebbets Field again.

I find myself irritated when my 80 year old father complains to me twice in the same day about my 74 year old mother asking him the same question twice. These Alzheimer stories scare the hell out of me more than any horror movie ever could.

One of my father's oldest friends developed early-onset Alzheimer's: he's in his mid-60s, with two college-age daughters, and he's already in an assisted-living home. It's truly hard to think of anything more depressing.

If the team has said they don't want him shown on tv, I think it's safe to assume he's a drooling mess. And the NY papers would definitely run those pictures.

The first is probably true, since he was at the first game in April.

As for the second..would they? The NY tabloids danced around Steinbrenner's Alzheimer's for a long, long time. The rumors started in 2004; it's only now that a newspaper has said publicly he has it.

I deal with Alzheimer's clients almost daily (I drive a paratransit van), and I have one little lady who asks me the same three questions everytime she rides with me:
...
2. That's not Ebbets Field. That's the Citrus Bowl.

Is your client Bobby Bowden?

Does anyone really believe that George is the person who answered these questions? Sure sounds pretty coherent for someone who apparently is in the late stages of Alzheimer's.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/steinbrenner_we_ll_win_it_for_the_XNewIC4s5PFYPNHVVJ4LtN

I used to volunteer at an Alzheimer's facility. After a couple of months, I had to stop. It was just too depressing, and I couldn't take it anymore.

I used to volunteer at an Alzheimer's facility. After a couple of months, I had to stop. It was just too depressing, and I couldn't take it anymore.

No shame there. I can deal with them pretty effectively because I only get them for short stretches, maybe an hour tops on longer trips. People who work at Alzheimer's facilities for full shifts are perhaps the most patient people on earth, with the possible exception of Pirate fans.

People who work at Alzheimer's facilities for full shifts are perhaps the most patient people on earth, with the possible exception of Pirate fans.

Considering Vlad is a Pirates' fan, I guess there's no doubt about whom is more patient.

I used to volunteer at an Alzheimer's facility. After a couple of months, I had to stop. It was just too depressing, and I couldn't take it anymore.

This entire thread is rather depressing.