A gift he never got to give...

Last night in Arlington, TX a fan, a father, a fireman died trying to do something that just about everyone who goes to a ballpark in America tries to do... catch a ball and take home a piece of the game.

I remember the first time I went to Tiger's Stadium with my Dad. I wanted to take my glove even though my Dad explained that I wouldn't need it since we were sitting under the overhang of the upper deck. I wanted to catch a foul ball, a thrown ball, I didn't care how I got it, but I knew I wanted it! I even remember saying "you never know Dad!" He said "you're right! Why don't you bring it?" The only use that glove got that day, was as a pillow on the arm rest for the ride back home from Detroit. I will never forget that day!

Shannon Stone's son will never forget yesterday either... but not for a good reason. He watched his father die at a baseball game.

I am sure that Josh Hamilton will never forget yesterday either. He was the player who flipped the foul ball up into the stands towards Stone. Something ballplayers do hundreds of times in a season. I am sure Hamilton thought nothing of tossing that ball up towards the seats at the time... now, I am sure he will never forget the way it felt to throw that particular ball.

Fans everywhere go to the ballpark to watch a game, but deep down everybody wants to take home a 5-1/4 ounce ball made out of cork, rubber and tightly wrapped in leather.... that was used in THAT game. Not just for the memorabilia but for the story that they will share with their child for the rest of their lives. People holding babies or beers, people sitting in the front row at field level or the 3rd row from the last in the upper deck, they all are watching and waiting and hoping.. but none of them think that they could die trying!

I never knew Mr. Stone but I can tell you in that moment when Josh Hamilton turned and tossed the ball towards him, I am sure he felt that joy and happiness that everyone feels when they realize they will actually be able to have a small piece of the game. To be able to catch the ball, turn and hand it to your child is a feeling that every American father wants to have one day. I know I do.

I can't imagine the anguish that Mr. Stone's son felt when he saw his father fall over the railing. I can't imagine the worry that Mr. Stone had when he was being taken out of the park, asking the EMT's to make sure that his son was ok. I just can't imagine... not without hurting in my heart.

It's all because of the fact that I can personally relate to the whole situation, both the attempt and then the worry about your child's safety... I think most fathers in America can.

It's a sad and tragic day in all of sports...

#STSW

Is the human factor in sports a good thing anymore?

Nowadays there is video review in the NFL and the MLB, even tennis has computer verification of where a ball lands near the line. There is an element in sports that  is what many feel is the best thing about sports... the "human element". Referees and Umpires who make the calls in every game, the players who make the mental mistakes contribute to the "reality" of sports. The only authentic reality show on TV anymore.

But are there aspects of the human side of sports that can be better?

Doug Fister after allowing a 3 ball walk.

On Saturday, July 2nd, during the Padres-Mariners game an umpiring mistake allowed a walk on a 2-2 pitch. That's right.. a 3 ball walk. The walk actually wound up being the winning run so the human mistake changed the entire game. The score board operator was the originator of the mistake showing a 3-2 count when it was actually a 2-2 count. But the count on the field of play is supposed to be held by the home plate umpire. The scoreboard is not supposed to play a  part.

When you think about it, EVERYBODY should have known what the count was! The pitcher, the catcher, the team manager, the ENTIRE umpiring crew... they ALL should have known what the count was. No one knew what the count was and the Mariners lost the game because of it.

Is it a good thing that this happened? Yes, it absolutely is! If only to prove that that the game is a game played by and officiated by... humans! If the game becomes too automated and computers or video become too integrated, the game loses it's humanity, charm, honesty, and integrity. The human aspect of ANY sport makes the sport attractive because as fans (humans also) we can relate. We have all made mistakes and bad decisions and we know what it's like to be in those shoes. It also gives us something to be frustrated about with the game. A bad call or a mistake by a player ultimately makes the sport or game more appealing and popular because we then talk about it and complain about it and then we watch more.

What is also important to remember is that the players and umpires are being watched by future players and umpires. That's right, kids are watching. Kids are like big sponges, the soak it ALL up, everything!

Jon Rauch loses his shirt and his temper after being ejected.

In a game that was also played on Saturday between the Blue Jays and the Phillies, Toronto pitcher John Rauch was unhappy with the call of two pitches that ultimately became a walk. On the next pitch the run scored. As he was walking by the home plate umpire Rauch made the comment that it was too bad that the umpire couldn't have an ERA because that run was his. Rauch was ejected. Rauch had to be restrained and the altercation became so violent that he lost his uniform shirt and threw his hat down in disgust and anger. He was ejected from the game, not for arguing balls and strikes but for disrespect.

In a game Sunday, Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves was unhappy with the called strike 2 and 3 in the 9th inning. Although he didn't argue at the plate, he did say some things in a post game interview that even he admitted he could be fined for. He didn't care if he was fined and he said so.

Kobe Bryant was fined earlier this year for an offensive comment he made toward a referee. It happens in all of sports!

Behaving disrespectfully towards the officials will never help your cause, not as a ball player or in life. If you have a smart mouth, you will get fined or ejected, just as much as if you have a smart mouth towards a police officer will get you locked up. A young man who was forced to testify in the Casey Anthony trial flipped the bird to one of the prosecuting attorneys. The Judge immediately had him removed and gave him 6 days in jail. There is a consequence for every action!

Athletes in any sport have an obligation to show respect towards the officials. Not because they need to keep from being fined or ejected or penalized... but because the officials are the authority at that moment.

Athletes need to set the example. Having a smart mouth or behaving badly towards an official will result in a penalty of some sort. Be a professional and act like a man, not a 14 year old who didn't get his way!

There was a time, not long ago, when players in major sports acted like gentlemen. That time is sadly over!

Promotional Spot for Saturday's (6/25) show!

Here's what you can look forward to on Saturday! http://www.upload-mp3.com/files/299720_yht1n/STSW%20Show%20Promo%200002.mp3


Keep spinning it!

Is it the media or has C.C. Sabathia just had enough?

In a time where the Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry is starting to get stale... C.C. Sabathia may have stirred it up again last night. Was it REALLY C.C. though.. or was it the media?

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett had already hit Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez last night when Sabathia plunked David Ortiz in the leg. It was the first time that Big Papi has been hit by a pitch thrown by a Yankee... EVER. 162 games, including the Pedro Martinez era when he seemed to target Yankees with a sniper rifle.

David Ortiz walks down to first base after being hit by a
 Sabathia pitch. - Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The plunking came in the last game of a series that the Red Sox would ultimately sweep the Yankees, but the controversy started in the first game when, Ortiz, after smacking a home run, did a little spin move and flipped his bat towards the Yankees dugout. What followed the flip was a virtual call to arms by the New York Sports Yappers. Michael Kay, for one, spent the majority of his ESPN Radio show the following day going on and on about how the Yankees should have retaliated. They had been shown up and they did not respond. Previously in the same game, John Lester had hit two Yankees, including taking slugger Mark Teixeira out of the game with a bone bruise on his right leg. Kay complained and came up with scenarios where Ortiz should be drilled for the "show up" in that night's game by A.J. Burnett. It was an interesting debate but Kay stretched into something far bigger than what it was. Yanks Manager, Joe Girardi was the only team member that mentioned it after the game and all that he said that he "didn't care for it". What else could he say? That it was just Big Papi being Big Papi? Of course not, as the skipper you have to stand up for your team but was Joe sending a message to Burnett? If it was a message, Burnett didn't get it because he didn't drill Ortiz.

David Ortiz, amongst the MLB players anyways, may be the most "well-liked" player in all of baseball. That's probably why he has never been thrown at by a Yankee before. Yet, he was hit last night by Sabathia.

Did the media drum this up? Ortiz seems to think so. In a post game interview in the visitors locker room he said the following: "It's going to be just Papi talking, and if you don't like it, just get the (bleep) out of here, I want to thank you guys -- not all of you, most of you -- for the stuff today. I finally got hit (by the Yankees). I hope you're happy. I'm done."

Has the rivalry fizzled out so much that the media took this opportunity to try and stir up a fervor? Did C.C. Sabathia just say "enough is enough"???

The Red Sox break of the nearly a century old "curse" by winning the World Series took the wind out of the rivalry. There is a real sense of it being gone in a way. A rivalry that many call the "biggest in ALL of sports." I disagree by the way, there's a little rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State that trumps every rivalry I know of, but that's another debate for another day. The excitement of a Red Sox - Yankees just isn't there anymore. The media still tries to force feed us with the hype and promotion of their broadcasts... but that IS their job.

I agree with Ortiz in a way, but on the other hand I am kind of glad in a way that a pitcher took matters into his own hands. There seems to be a trend where the payback and retribution has been taken out of the game. That's what I grew up watching, if you hit one of ours, we will hit two of yours. It was just part of the game. Of course, just like Michael Kay said MANY times on Wednesday, "I am in no way advocating throwing at some one's head, just drill him in the ribs."

Time will tell if this plunking is the catalyst of the often heated rivalry being restored. We all know that Kay and the rest of the talkers in the media will do their best to keep it relevant.

#STSW

Competitive to the core!

Yesterday I was the player/coach of "The Killer Bees". We were a quickly put together team that practiced once before the 6 on 6 Touch football Tournament at The Meadowlands Stadium which is where the NY Jets and NY Giants call their home field. It's a great charity event that raises money for the Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey which is a great cause and a great organization. I was first invited to play last year and had a great time. It's a very fun day.

Last year, while we had a decent team, we were knocked out by losing twice to the same team. The team that beat us eventually won the division so we took solace in that fact. There were many divisions; church league, police and fire league, organized league (teams that were in other leagues) and "first timers" league which was for teams that had never played together and were playing together for the event only. That was us.

Our first game yesterday was at 8:30 am and I arrived at 7:30 to warm up and stretch. I did stretches and jogged around and was ready to go. My team-mates did the same.

Our first opponents CRUSHED us by 6 touchdowns. After the game I was chatting with the captain of their team and he admitted to me that there were two players on his team that were currently starting football players on NCAA Division 2 teams. Really!?!?  No wonder we were beaten so badly! No wonder these kids ran like the wind and jumped like gazelles!

I walked over to the lady with the clip board and asked about the possibility of a mistake by the organizers mixing up the divisions. She responded with "well, there weren't really enough teams this year to divide them up so there is only one division." I knew then and there that our day would be a short one. How is that fair? We were a bunch people who just came out to have fun and try and win against teams like us... but we would never actually play a team like us!

In the first game 3 of our 8 team members had injuries. Since we HAD to have 6 players on the field one of them had to play hurt. That was me. I tweaked my hamstring and could only run at half speed. I also banged up my knee on a play were I was the intended receiver and the ball was intercepted by one of the opponents players who I am pretty sure is a starting corner back at The University of Maryland. I slammed my knee into the artificial turf. It hurt.

We sat and waited for our next game. I didn't sit. I paced up and down the sidelines and tried to keep my hamstring stretched and loose. My knee began to swell.

The second game of our day started and we were playing a team of guys who looked like they had all played before. They had custom shirts with their team name on the front and what I can only imagine was their nicknames on the back. I switched to the "center" position because of the shorter routes (everyone is an eligible receiver). I could only run about half speed but at 6' 6" and 270 lbs, I am a big target. We lost the coin toss but during the first series we intercepted the ball on the 2 yard line and took over.

On our first offensive play of the game, I hiked the ball and took off on my route. I ran about 6 yards when the gentleman that was covering me gave me a shove and knocked me off balance and I went down. I complained to the ref but got nowhere. But he knew that I wasn't happy about it.

On the second play, pretty much the same scenario happened except I got only about 2 steps off the line of scrimmage. I should note that this is a CHARITY, TOUCH football tournament. The first rule in the book says "there will be NO CONTACT other than with two hands above the waist to make the player with the ball "down". I yelled at the ref who was closest to me asking "when did the rules change so that you can knock people down?" He responded with "I didn't see it." I asked "who should I talk to then?"  I admit that I was in a bad mood because of the other situations with the divisions and the injuries. But come on! A receiver should able to run his route without being knocked down.

I snapped the ball for the 3rd down and headed out on my pass route. Before I left the line I decided that I was going to stand my ground and not allow myself to get knocked down. Since the refs were letting that kind of thing go, why go down? It effectively takes me out of the play. When I was about 8 yards off the line I was hit square in the chest. My hands were both down and I dug into the turf with my cleats and held my ground. I was pushed off my route a step but kept my feet under me. I turned around and looked for the ball and saw the head ref throw up TWO flags. The pass was completed for a gain of 12 yards and we got the first down. After the play was over the head ref yelled for me and the guy who hit me to be front and center. I walked over and he very authoritatively warned us both that if he saw a hit like that again he was going to throw us both out of the game. I smirked and shook my head. He said "what is so funny?" I said "I have been telling that you are missing the call and then when I get hit and don't go down you warn me?" I turned and walked away. He said "if you smart mouth me one more time I will throw you out for that too!" I said "taking this charity football thing a little serious aren't we?"  He responded with "you wanna go home now?" I just shook my head in amaizement and went back in the huddle. Paid proffesional at a charity event! Thanks doctor!

We lost that game by one point. During the post game handshakes the guy who hit me said "you hit me and you know it!" I pulled up my shirt and showed him the two, very distinct, red hand prints he had left and said "really jerk-off? do you have a set like these?" His face turned bright red and he walked away.

I admit that I am competitive... I am VERY competitive! I always play to when. ALWAYS! I hate losing! I know that it was for charity and I probably could have been more "easy going" about the day but it should have been fair. I can only imagine that a less competitive team would be dissallusioned and not come back after the day we had yesterday. It wasn't fair, but we will be back and we will be better... and we will win!

I think next year I will coach the team and yell at the ref from the sidelines, when necessary of course. I can assure you, my dear readers, that I will not be wearing a sweater vest!

STSW

Running out of options...

At the ripe old age of 38, I look back on my life and marvel at how remarkably dumb some of the decisions I have made were. I won't go into any detail, those are my lessons and my journey, I am no celebrity and don't care to be, so hopefully, they will remain in my memory. I know that my parents have probably tried hard to forget them, but good or bad, they are there for my benefit.

Tate Forcier

On the subject of questionable moves, I turn to Tate Forcier. This morning, rivals.com reported that 3 months after signing financial aid paperwork with the University of Miami, Tate has informed them that he, in fact, will not be attending "The U".

What happened Tate? Did somebody get a hold of your transcripts from Michigan? Apparently, when Tate decided that he knew that he wouldn't be attending Michigan for the 2011 school year, he stopped going to class.. or stopped doing classwork or stopped striving to get good grades... in any case, he quit. He decided that since he knew that he wouldn't be playing football, he didn't need to bother with class. He gave up.

This leads to my next question. Did Tate go to Michigan to get a Degree of some sort or did he go there to play football, to start at quarterback, to get noticed by pro scouts and then apply for the NFL Draft? Then when he realized that, at best, he would always be a back up to Denard Robinson at Michigan, he quit focusing on being a good student... I don't know what happened, I am not in his head. But I have to ask when did you give up on the school Tate? When did you give up on your on education? Did you think that another school, a football program I should say, that has had a history of being a traditionally "drop back and pass" program would be your ticket to the NFL? What is the focus here? Aren't these kids playing football in exchange for an education? That's why many people play football at Michigan. Many people who come from "football families" JUST LIKE THE FORCIERS play football at any school.. to get educated for the real world. We all know that the NFL is NOT the real world, recent events included!

Not many of the kids who play college sports go on to the pros.. the fact is, the percentages are VERY low.

Jarrett Irons

I remember when I was younger, every season I picked my favorite football player at Michigan and followed him. One year it was Anthony Carter, one year it was somebody else, but one season it was Jarrett Irons. A 6' 1" 230 lbs Linebacker from Texas. He came from a football family too, his father and grandfather both played in the NFL. Did he go off to the NFL? Actually he went un-drafted and signed with the Arizona Cardinals who cut him during training camp... boggles my mind to this day but that's another story. Did Jarrett go to another team and try to make it there? No, he went back to Ann Arbor and did his graduate studies.

My point is that, unlike Tate, Jarrett was able to go on to a career outside of football BECAUSE he was able to focus on school and studies. Does Tate have that option anymore? I doubt it. I am not sure what Tate will do next but his options are very limited because of his choices, there's a huge consequence.

STSW

How Twitter is affecting sports...

Immediately following the death of Osama Bin Laden, The World's Public Enemy #1, in the middle of all the celebrating on TV in the news, Rashard Mendenhall made some odd comments on his twitter account. They were so controversial that the Pittsburgh Steelers had to "distance" themselves from him and Champion, a sports apparel company whom Mendenhall endorsed, fired him.

Other athletes have had some hard lessons learned due to what they have said on Twitter as well. We could talk all day about the dumb things that people say, athletes or not.

The fact of the matter is, high profile athletes should be VERY careful what they say on a all access, public forum. Anyone can read the tweets from anywhere in the world. Journalists quote athletes and politicians from their twitter accounts more and more these days.

Imagine if there was a twitter when Babe Ruth played... IMAGINE the things he would say! I am sure the Yankees would be "distancing" themselves all day long...  The Tigers would surely have to fire Ty Cobb for his Twitter comments if he played today and had a Twitter account.

People feel like they are "closer" to the athletes the watch on TV because the get to read the micro-blogs of these people. Honestly... That's exactly why I started a twitter account. I followed everyone from Reggie Bush to many of the Owners and General Managers of teams because I thought I was going to get the "inside scoop" on things. Well, Owners and GMs are smart enough to not tweet insider info and many athletes are too dumb to know when to stop typing. Sometimes 140 characters is more than enough for people to realize just how dumb you are.

An interesting note... Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.. no twitter accounts! Surprised? I'm not! They are smarter than that!

Really Kobe? Do you believe your own line of Baloney Sandwich?

Kobe's having a hard time with the Mavericks... actually he's not the one with the problem...

The Lakers lost last night and in typical fashion it had everything to do with Kobe. He had the game winning shot and missed... The Lakers lost 96-94. He probably won't agree with me, in fact I know he wouldn't, he stated in a post game interview that "it had nothing to do with me". Let's look at the stats... shall we?


Gary A. Vasquez/ US Presswire

Kobe played for 35 minutes, scored 36 points (which is a LOT), 5 defensive rebounds (5 total) , 1 steal and 0 assists.

Now, I am not an NBA analyst and I will probably never work for ESPN as one but... how can you be considered one of the sports best players if you don't A) play defense in a playoff game or B) pass the ball to players who also shoot?

When I was a kid, I was coached to pass first if you could and ONLY shoot the ball if you had no option to pass. We passed a lot.. and we won a lot too. The other thing we were coached to do was play defense. We practiced defense 5 times as much as the offense... and we won a lot too.

Kobe is often compared to Michael Jordan... I am not sure why, Michael was an AMAZING player on defense as well as offense during both regular season games as well as the playoffs. If he was off his offensive game, he played harder on defense. And he passed the ball... a lot! 

There are other players on the team that can shoot the ball... if they actually had a chance at touching it.

Why do analysts call Kobe "amazing" or "best" player of our time if he is only the "best shooting player" of our time? He's obviously not the best defensive player of our time or the best passer of our time. He's certainly not the League MVP.... it's already been leaked that Derek Rose of the Bulls will be named that shortly.

Kobe is a good player.. I would go so far as to say that he is a great player.... he was pretty far from great last night.

do you understand the words that are coming out of YOUR mouth???

Suzyn Waldman - NYDaily News Photo

During a recent CBS/Yankees radio broadcast, Suzyn Waldman, who has made NUMEROUS on air mistakes in the past, ran down that day's NL schedule noting that "old friend, Ian Kennedy (ex-Yankee)" was starting for Arizona, and "old friend Dustin Moseley (ex-Yankee)" was starting for the Padres. Really Suzyn? Are they "old-friends? Did you use to have a steak with them on home game days at Smith & Wollensky's for lunch? Did you have a beer with them at the pub and share a post game re-cap? Did you attend their kids birthday parties? Are they really old friends or are they JUST former Yankees.  Delusional!

What is also delusional is that moments later, Adam Dunn, signed by the White Sox after playing for three NL teams (Reds, Nationals, Diamondbacks), was batting when Waldman said Dunn's mighty batting slump is directly attributable to having switched leagues. WOW Suzyn! You figured it out... no... actually you figured out bubkiss.

Switching leagues nowadays doesn't mean ANYTHING to hitters. It hasn't for years. They have gone up against most of the other leagues pitchers in inter league play. The MLB has become, almost, a singular league. The fact that she had just named two ex-Yankees pitchers who that night were starting in the NL seemed lost on her.They not only switched leagues, but BOTH were starting!

How about Russell Martin's terrific start with the Yankees after arriving from the Dodgers Suzyn? You called that game for CBS right? He went 1 for 3, scored 2 runs (which means he obviously walked) and stole 3rd base. He had no problem making the transition from the NL to the AL. Is he some special phenom? No, he really isn't.

Making the switch from the NL to the AL or going from the AL to the NL is really not the"big difference" Suzyn so "expertly" pointed out that it is.

Sports Broadcasters REALLY need to get it together!

mistakes turn into deception...



Micahel Kay



Mike Francesa

       

The other night I was waiting to leave to a PTA meeting and I was watching the first inning of the Yankees - White Sox game on the YES Network. The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network owned by the Yankees broadcasts regular home and away season games not on a "major" network.

Here's the set up - top of the first inning; the White Sox's Alexei Ramirez was on first, two out, a 1-2 pitch to Paul Konerko. The next pitch from Ivan Nova was taken for ball two. But with Ramirez running, catcher Gustavo Molina threw him out to end the half inning.

I was happy to see the young catcher showing off his arm and nabbing the base runner to end the inning.

The YES Network's Michael Kay (who also has a radio show on ESPN during the afternoon drive) who was calling the game didn't see it the way I did. As the tag was applied at 2nd base he bellowed

that the inning had just ended on "A strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play!"

Ehhhh.... what? 4 outs? I immediately rewound the DVR and played it back to check.. I honestly thought that I may have not been paying attention. No, I was right, Kay was mistaken. I then showed the mistake to my wife and we both had a little chuckle. I am recently unemployed and I made the statement to her that I could call a game better than that. She said I was being picky.

I continued watching to see if he would correct himself... wasted time.. he didn't. I was sure Kay would soon be straightened out on this and then try to make it right (there ARE producers and people helping him right?). But in the top of the second, Kay first said: "Nova faced the minimum three in the first because of a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play." WHAT? Then, apparently not surprised to see Konerko again at bat, Kay plainly added: "Here's Konerko."

I couldn't believe what I was watching... this is the MLBs most expensive EVERYTHING team. As a fan you pay top dollar to go to Yankee Stadium, to eat at Yankee Stadium, to drink at Yankee Stadium. Whenever I go, I ALWAYS "pre-game". They have one of the highest, if not highest salaries.... point is EVERYTHING is top-o-the-line in Yankeeland. Should the professionals BE professional.

The YES Network broadcasts an "encore" presentation of each days game at 1 am and at 10 am the following day. Since I am free, I tuned in at 10 am to see how the Network would handle the "mis-hap".

Kay's call about the strike-out/throw-out double play to close the top of the first was absent. It was edited out, simply clipped as if it had never been spoken, never heard. Are we as fans assumed to be oblivious? Maybe we are just supposed to sit there and be faceless idiots in a semi-hypnotized state and just ignore the obvious.

And then the top of the second, which began with Kay still making a mess of the top of the first, was removed from the telecast... I sat there in amazement that the entire half-inning was cut from the second telecast! The top of the second, with the White Sox's slugging All Star, Konerko, leading off, simply didn't exist, it just never happened. It was completely obvious to me that this move was to protect Kay and Co., rather than serve its subscription audience, YES simply eliminated the entire half-inning. The bottom of the first was followed by the bottom of the second.

Listen, I understand this is not the Kennedy assassination but I am still going to cry "COVER UP"...  Why not just make it right? Why not admit imperfection? Nobody is perfect, everybody makes mistakes? Why try and hide it or pretend like it never happened?

I did some digging on YES because I wanted to see if there was a pattern. After about five or six minutes of searching the WEB, on a website called BobsBlitz.com, I found a recently posted short video/audio clip from Mike Francesa's (formerly of Mike and the Mad Dog) WFAN/YES (radio AND TV) simulcast. I must state that I USED to listen to Mike and the Mad Dog but I stopped after I realized that there was an overpowering undertone of the ol' "I know more than you" coming over the airwaves. Now this clip that I found is a clip that so fully captures another cover up but also struck me as dishonest, arrogant, and "I want you to know that I know-it-all." I had to share this with my readers.

A caller, "Bob from Connecticut," on April 6 asked who was hit with the blown save in the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Twins the day before, Rafael Soriano or David Robertson.

"Soriano," Francesa authoritatively replied. "The last run that scored was Soriano's."

Bob from Connecticut then began to talk about something else, when Francesa is seen looking down, inspecting something off-camera in front of him on his desk, which is where he commonly spreads daily newspapers.

And newspaper box scores that day told that Robertson was hit with the blown save.

Seconds later, Francesa interrupted the caller to say it just came to him "it was Robertson's blown save!
 I was just doing it in my head," Francesa explained, "the blown save is Robertson's, I was just doing the inning in my head; the blown save is Robertson's."

LIAR!!!! LIAAAAAAAAAAR!

DUDE! You are ON TV TOO!!!! Why not just say "Sorry Bob from Connecticut, I was wrong, I just double checked the paper and it wasn't Soriano, it was Robertson, my bad!"  Will you be less of a radio personality if you admit a mistake? Will your fans respect you less? I mean, it's not like you knew about wrongdoing and covered it up and denied that it never happened to the authorities! (Shameless stab at Jim Tressel).

You made a mistake about who blew the save from a game you were probably supposed to be watching the night before. I mean, if you are being paid to talk about a game... shouldn't you WATCH the game??? Maybe "Dancing with the Stars" was on that night and you never got around to watching the tape... You COULD admit that too, it COULD make you seem more like a "normal" or "common" person. Maybe your fans would relate to you better.... what do I know?

These radio and TV sports guys have been told that they are experts for so long that they believe that they are the authority on the subjects that they talk about... They are pretty far from authority.

Something has to change! Just because there is a microphone in front of your face, it doesn't make you an expert!

#STSW


 

when I was a kid...

I remember watching college football religiously. It was like a drug almost. Saturday afternoons and evenings in the fall, it's what we did... it's what I do now with my family... the cycle continues.

It's very different now though. It's different for many reasons, one is that my step-son is a big Ohio State fan. It creates a lot of tension in our house and my wife has to step in from time to time and threaten both of us with loss of privileges. She usually sides with me but it's only because she like me better. (kidding of course)

A major reason that it's different now is that college football players seem to be more in the spotlight than just on Saturdays for good reasons and bad. just this morning the Lansing State Journal reported that Michigan State junior defensive end Corey Freeman is suspended from Saturday's spring game at Spartan Stadium after he was ticketed Monday for driving with a suspended license, a misdemeanor, and not disclosing to an officer that he was carrying a concealed weapon, a civil infraction.

This on top of the sentencing of players resulting from a bar fight in Aspen, CO and MSU is having a rough year before the season even starts. But it's not just MSU, many college football teams are embarrassed but the "off-the-field" incidents of players.

But who's to blame? Is it the responsibility of the coaches to monitor their players more closely? Is it the players who need to step up and behave better? What are the parents responsibility in all of this?

From birth, parents need to raise their kids in such a way to respect authority, follow the rules and laws of the land and be upstanding citizens. Collectively, the parents, coaches, administrators and the alumni mentors are all responsible to check in on student athletes and help them through their college experience but ultimately it's the players themselves who need to take responsibility for their behavior. It's the law, you're a grown up when you turn 18. This is college but it's also the real world. You are representing not only your family but the University that is giving you an education MANY times in exchange for your performance on the field of play. Appreciate the gift that was given to you and be the student athlete that your school can be proud of.

The ol' carrot on the end of a stick routine...

I have been reading many articles of late on the courts ruling to end the lockout and how the players are to be allowed back to train, workout, and practice.

One of the tid-bits of information was that some players are eligible to receive a bonus for attending practices.

REALLY guys? You get a bonus if you show up at practice? Isn't that like if you work in management and your company has production meetings or coordination meetings. These meetings are for preparing for tasks or coordinating projects. It's almost EXACTLY like practice is for football players. It's not really enjoyable but you are supposed to be there to get ready for the upcoming project or task. That way you and your co-workers will be as effective as possible so that the company succeeds. Do you know how many companies would laugh at their employees if the asked for a bonus in return for attending these meetings? ALL OF THEM!!!

Practice should be required attendance. Whoever the agents are that got these "bonus clauses" written into their clients contracts, they are miracle workers! The team reps that allowed these contracts to be signed with the "practice" bonus inside are the biggest morons on the planet.

A player showing up at practice should be requirement no matter where he plays! That's his or her job, to prep for the games and be as ready as possible. I have no idea who these players are that need incentive to practice with their team but the fact that this exists is really and truly ridiculous!

MAN UP guys, go to practice, be better than you were yesterday and be prepared.... don't be a dirt bag who needs a carrot at the end of a long pole to get out of bed and go to work.... THIS IS YOUR JOB! You picked to do this as your career!

This makes me insane!

My experience at Citi Field...

A couple of days ago I purchased two tickets to see the Mets host the Astros yesterday evening. I am not a Mets fan nor am I an Astros fan. I am not even a National League fan! My stepson is a HUGE Mets fan however and there's no school this week so I thought it would give us some "quality time" and so we went.

I bought the tickets on the Official Mets Website mets.com. There was a special family promotion advertised where if you sit in a certain section you would get a $12 concession stand credit. Just present your ticket to the food attendant and they will treat it like it was cash. When you click on the section on the stadium map, it appears that the seats are field level behind the center fielder. Aside from being so far from home plate it seemed like a great deal!

We arrived at the ballpark at 6 pm and caught the last half of the visitors batting practice. Around 15 minutes before the first pitch, my stepson and I decided that we were going to get our food. The tickets that we picked up at the ticket office were apparently NOT the $12 dollar credit type of tickets that  I was lead to believe they were.

I had the printed receipt from my online purchase and when I attempted to plead my case to the supervisor at the concession stand, the server, who had been EXTREMELY rude to me as soon as I stepped forward to place my hot dog order, said "Put that paper away! That ain't nothing! You probably made that on your computer at home!" I said "Actually, I printed it straight off of mets.com, it's kind of official." She replied with "that don't mean nothing!" I said "obviously it doesn't mean much at this counter!" I wrote down her name and the name of the supervisor. The attendant said "oh, you gunna go write an email or something?" I said no, I am actually going to walk down to the office of the Director of Fan Services and tell him about what I have experienced here." She said "Oh, well are you going to pay for these hot dogs?" I said "These hot dogs that have been sitting here for 20 minutes while you have been telling me how you can't help me? No, I think I will go to another counter and buy hot ones, thanks though!"

My stepson who was in shock at the way we were treated said "are we really going to see that guy? The game is about to start!" "No" I replied, "we are going to buy hot hot dogs and let American Express fight it tomorrow."

I was so angry at the way I was treated by the staff there that I had a hard time enjoying the game. The Mets played a lot better than I thought they would. 3 homers and 3 doubles and they won 9-1.

The Mets manager got tossed after one out in the top of the first inning for arguing with the homeplate umpire over something he didn't agree with. I know how he felt in a way. We both just wanted the people in charge to do the right thing and they didn't. At least he was validated by the replay on the enormous LED screen looming behind center field. At least I didn't have to watch the game on TV like he did.

Lesson learned, next time I go to Citi Field I will spend the extra money and sit in better seats and bring my own food or pregame in the drive-thru of my favorite franchise.

Should the MLB be able to "take control of a team"???

The LA Dodgers are apparently trying to look more needy than the Mets.

The teams owner, involved in a nasty divorce (Jamie McCourt filed for divorce after 30 years of marriage in October 2009, one week after her husband fired her as the team's chief executive. Frank McCourt accused Jamie of having an affair with her bodyguard-driver and performing poorly at work), has allowed the finances and operations of management of the team to become so bad tat Bud Selig has decided that enough is enough. He told the owner, Frank McCourt on Wednesday (yesterday) he will appoint a trustee to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the club. This could be the basis of a soap opera or a another bad drama on FOX.

                                               Frank McCourt, Bud Selig, Jamie McCourt in
                                               photo NOT taken yesterday.

In an interesting twist, McCourt is preparing to sue MLB, a baseball executive familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because McCourt had not made any statements.
"I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the club," Selig said in a statement.

It's a conflict of interest for MLB to take over ownership of the team just as much as it would be for the US Government to take over control of the banks of America. You can't be the boss and run a team in the League... unless you're talking Fantasy Baseball... but that's a little different isn't it?

Remember the story of the sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees? What if the commisioner back then decided that the owner of the Red Sox was running his team into the ground... oh wait, that's right... he was! The Red Sox turned out ok... sorta, I mean if you compare them to the Blue Jays or something. (not a fan)

I guess Joe Torre (who currently serves as MLB Executive Vice-President of Operations) told Bud Selig what things are like in LA... he would know first hand wouldn't he? This stinks! Can you smell it? I think Torre should just buy a team instead of acquiring one in a hostile take-over.

Bud should force a sale like he did to Marge Schott (not that I agreed with that either but..). He shouldn't take over a team with a trustee... nothing good can come of that! It's a sad day for baseball no matter what happens!

It's wrong in just about every way I can think of.

Do you smell that or is it just my nose?

I understand that this may be conceived as a bashing because of my loyalties to The Maize and Blue but even if I was an Alabama fan (not that there's anything wrong with that) I would still say the EXACT same things that I am about to now.

I just read an interesting article on Jim Tressel and the costly investigation surrounding the sale or barter of items that were given to players and the alleged cover up.

In the AP article there is a sort of timeline of events that occurred and I would like to touch on them.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Tuesday (yesterday) that the $250,000 fine levied against coach Jim Tressel for violating NCAA rules may not even cover the cost of the investigation.
"It'll probably eat up the whole $250 [thousand]," Smith said. "I'm not sure. We haven't done any projections."

That's a lot of money to figure out what happened... is it fair to the University to not have done a projection? Why wouldn't you go figure out the logistics? Why WOULDN'T you figure out if the end justifies the means??? Why kind of business man doesn't do the simple things to find out if it's too costly to investigate something like that instead of taking another direction?

The article said this as well: "Smith would not say how much the investigation into Tressel's NCAA troubles would cost, although the university has hired two what he called "expensive" companies to help. He said Ohio State may have to make up the difference by dipping into the money the Buckeyes made from their appearance in the Sugar Bowl. "It's a nightmare," he said."

Wait, wait.... what? The money that the Buckeyes made from the Sugar Bowl? Can they do that? Isn't that $288,876 supposed to go to scholarships and/or used to benefit the program? I can't imagine that the NCAA would allow that money to be used for an investigation...

The article went on to say "In an interview with The Associated Press, Smith said Tressel was supposed to apologize in March at a news conference on the situation but failed to do so, and that only after meeting with Smith did the coach finally say he was sorry in a public forum."

REALLY? So you can be insubordinate if you are Jim Tressel and get away with it because why? Because you won a LOT of games in your tenure? Because you won a bunch of games against Michigan? Maybe!

At a news conference following the announcement of the fines and suspension, Ohio State president Gordon Gee joked that he had not considered firing Tressel, adding, "I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me."

WOW.... talk about power! Who's running the ship down there in Columbus? Is Tressel so revered that the President of the University can joke that *wink wink* he's not going anywhere no matter what he did!?!?

Yesterday, Smith said he regretted that the hurried news conference did not go better and said there were a number of things he wished he had done differently.

Yeah... I bet he does!

I recently was "collateral damage" in something that was politically motivated and I wound up unemployed as a result of it. This "thing" just smells like politics to me.... it has the same "aura" to me! 

This whole thing stinks! Is the NCAA involved with damage control with Ohio State? Is Ohio State trying to smooth out things in the public opinion department? Everytime I read something about this I feel like the public is not being told everything that should be public knowledge... Is it just me???

Mallett's confession...

Today, nationalfootballauthority.com reported that former Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett admitted to experimenting with drugs during his team interviews at the NFL combine. The article quoted Pro Football Weekly stating:

"One GM said Mallett was the first quarterback ever to admit his drug usage to him in interviews, and his willingness to be honest about his past and acknowledge issues is viewed as a positive.

Concerns about his history of use could impact his draft position, though. Although Mallett did not produce an official positive test at Arkansas, he has been arrested for public intoxication and carries a reputation as a "big party guy," per sources who have interviewed him.

How much teams believe he has matured will weigh into his draft status. "I would not take him at any point," one executive not in need of a quarterback said. He still figures to be drafted in the second round."

Ok... let's just hold on a second... was there any mention as to when Ryan did this "experimenting"? Was he 13 yrs old or was it last Tuesday? Has he made mistakes recently? Yes, we know that that in March of 2009 he pled guilty to public intoxication.

His former coach Bobby Petrino came to his aid stating Mallett never tested positive for drugs while playing for the Razorbacks.

"I don't know where all of [it] came from," Petrino said. "All I can judge is how he did for us. He did a great job for us. He was a guy you love having in your program, not only as a great player, but he represented our program great."

I am all about second chances... I have used a few in my life... I have learned from my mistakes. Mallett should not be hurt in the draft by these recent admissions.... his honesty and candor should be valued for what they are.

Off-the-field behavior factors in to teams decision far more than it used too... Too many teams have been embarassed by the illegalities of their players... and coaches to not have this be a factor. Players are investments. Would you buy a house if you knew that the 40 yr old builder had been convicted of assault when he was 18 yrs old?

I am not an NFL team owner and I can't say, with any clout, that it doesn't matter what Ryan did in his past. I think that I could look past his past and draft him where he should be drafted. I would keep my eyes open to his behavior after I drafted him though... just like I keep an eye on all of my investments... my house, my car, my retirement plan... I want to make sure that hey perform for the money I am spending.

Ryan's past should stay in his past, but if he doesn't learn from it.... well then, shame on him. He should know better! If he falters in his path he will not only embarrass his future team but himself.

Ryan Mallett would be a great investment for a team that needs a QB with a cannon of an arm!

Are the Tigers as bad as they are letting on?

This weekend the Detroit Tigers split a four game series with The Oakland A's in California. They dropped the last game 5-1.

The Tigers' record so far is 7-9 which is not "terrible", they have showed some shades of brilliance already. In the first game they shut out the A's 3-0 and in the second game won 8-4... They CAN beat the A's, they have had some great games so far... they have had more lousy games but... you see where I am going.

Currently they are 26th overall in ERA which is terrible, they are 15th overall in runs which tells us two things... pitching and defense, which is what wins games, is not good at all.... while offense, which is what sells tickets, is not bad but could be a lot better. Frankly speaking... the Tigers have a lot of work to do. Granted, the Tigers faced Oakland's top 2 pitchers in the four game set but still... During a pregame session with reporters Sunday morning, Leyland -- without being asked -- said, "We've got to get our offense going."

Manager, Jim Leyland has some serious things to deal with! Victor Martinez will not be catching tonight in Seattle (groin) but may DH. Magglio Ordonez may need to rest his ankle again tonight. Austin Jackson MUST start producing in the lead off position. The biggest project they have that needs to turn around is situational hitting. They reached a startling low in Oakland.

                                               Miguel Cabrera walks away from the
                                               plate after striking out in the ninth inning
                                               Sunday. Cabrera went 0-for-4 with two
                                               strikeouts. / BEN MARGOT/Associated Press


In Seattle, they will NOT be facing Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez or Michael Pineda who was very impressive in winning his first two games. They WILL be facing Jason Vargas, who is win-less this season but tough, in tonight's game and tomorrow night they will face Doug Fister who is trying to make a name for himself and has an axe to grind in general.

The Tigers can use Seattle to build their confidence and start the upswing of their season... I think they will. I think they have a team that will do great things this year. Will they win a pennant? Maybe... maybe not, but they could! They have a strong team when it's firing on all cylinders!

Prediction: Tigers win series 2-1

12 over on a par 4? ..... Really?

Yesterday at the Texas Open Kevin Na shot a 16 on a par 4... Excuse me while I go dust off my clubs, apparently I am good enough to play on the PGA tour!

I know everybody has a bad day once in a while but that's TERRIBLE!!! "One bad hole can basically shoot you out of the tournament," Na said. "That's what I just did."  Yeah... I guess so!

The last time I hit that poorly I was 12 yrs old... pretty sure... yep.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Kevin Na drops his club after taking the third of four drives off the ninth tee Sunday at the Texas Open.

Why do pro golfers let their clubs go after they hit a bad shot? That's the third or fourth time I have seen that recently! What happened to golf course etiquette? Is that just so everyone knows without any doubt that you are a jerk?  My Grandfather, who taught me course etiquette like it was a University class, would have a lot to say about that!

Hey golf! you better clean up your act or you are going the same place as the NBA! Headed right to my "unwatchable list"!!!


Stay tuned.... I will be back with more after these messages...

Some thoughts on morals in sports... and the media

I am sure that EVERYONE will have something to say about this topic.. because I am sure that everyone has an opinion... especially the females about my first topic. I invite one and all to leave a comment.

I read an article last night in Esquire Magazine about how it's time for Tiger Woods to redeem himself and it's time, as fans of sports, to allow him to. The article talked about how Tiger was just another athlete who was banging lots of women. It compared him to Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley and talked about how society loves to delve into the juicy stories of sports figures and their sins because it makes them more "human". It also used Michael Vick as an example of how even though he committed "noxious" crimes and did time in prison for it... he "redeemed" himself in the game last season against the Redskins when he performed amazingly and put up "inhuman" stats. (Not that I personally couldn't have done very well as a QB against the lowly Redskins.) The article also used the example of Rex Ryan and his alleged 'foot fetish' and how the tabloids and papers ate up the story and made into this big "thing". There were lots of references to athletes and the media and the stories of the past year and throughout history. I am not a college English Professor, but in my humble opinion it was one of the worst articles I have ever read. I couldn't figure out the point of it when I finished. I guess if Tiger wins a Tournament this year, we are supposed to be in awe of him again.

After I read the effort and realized that it was twenty minutes of my life that I will never get back, I started thinking about Tiger and his situation. Here's a guy who, from a very young age, was pushed by his Dad to excel at sport that he showed an interest and a talent in. Every waking moment of everyday was spent practicing, playing, and honing his skill set so that when he was old enough, he could go onto greatness. Which he did. What did he give up though? When he was 16 yrs old and at the driving range while the kids he was growing up with were off being "kids", what was he missing out on? A lot! Coming of age in America means a lot of things today for kids. The first kiss, the first time experimenting with sex, or smoking, or drinking, going to parties and hanging out with friends. Did Tiger get to do any of these things when he was growing up? I have no idea. I can see how, once he had money and free time... what he did can happen. I am not saying it's right, I am just saying I can see how a guy, who never had time to do those things when he was a kid, would wind up doing those things when he was rich and famous.

Now, my Dad never pushed me to excel at anything in particular. My Dad encouraged me to take an interest in what I was interested in and then encouraged me to practice and be good at it. I had lots of free time to go out and, what I call "experiment" with things. My Dad would call it "getting in trouble." Bottom line is, at my age now, I know what those things are like and most of those things I don't do now. I am not saying that I am a better man than Tiger. I don't judge, that's not my job. My job is to be a good husband and father. I practice every day to be better at it than I was the day before.

The point of this story is... Has Tiger committed sins? Yes, he has admitted to wrongdoing. He lost his family because of it. Has it affected his golf game? Obviously so. Will he ever intimidate on the golf course again? Maybe. Will he ever "redeem" himself by having an amazing week on a golf course and winning an Open? How can he? Is that possible? Where is the line between real life and entertainment. That's what sports REALLY is... it's ENTERTAINMENT. Maybe we should ask Tiger's ex-wife if redemption is possible by excelling at a sport. I think I know the answer she would give.

Now.... switching from the course to the court...

Night before last, Kobe Bryant was whistled for an offensive foul away from the ball. I saw the highlight on Sportscenter the following day and if I was the Ref.. I probably would have blown the whistle too. Now, I have NO IDEA what happened in the minutes preceding the call. I don't know if the Ref was having an "off" night as far as officiating goes. I don't know if Kobe was in a bad mood. What followed the call was a HORRENDOUS display of behavior by a professional athlete. Kobe complained all the way back up the court and earned a Technical Foul for his actions and/or what he said. Then Kobe went to the bench had another little tantrum, sat down, threw his towel on the floor like a four year old and shouted at the Ref and called him a "faggot".  It was loud enough for the Ref to hear where he was standing and probably loud enough for the fans behind the bench to hear as well. The following day, the NBA fined him $100,000.00

Personally I think he should have been ejected from the game and suspended from a large number of games next season (the season ended for most teams yesterday). I also think he should take some "sensitivity training" and the LA Lakers should also issue some form of punishment. My 14 yr old stepson feels that Kobe should be kicked off the team. I know that if a professional in a field like Real Estate or Education called his co-worker or his supervisor the same name... he would probably lose his job.

Why is a slap on the wrist all that was handed down? What would his Mother say? who knows..

What happened to professionalism in sports? Why is this behavior basically tolerated? Questions that need to be answered.

Sure, blame it on the coach...

Yesterday in the top of the first inning with one out in Detroit, Texas Rangers slugger, Josh Hamilton was on 3rd base when a pop foul ball was caught in front of the Tigers dugout. The Texas Ranger's 3rd base coach noticed that nobody was covering home plate and told his player to go.

I have been watching Major League Baseball for a little over thirty years and I have NEVER seen a sacrifice that was caught in FRONT of the runner in the infield.... NEVER!

Josh left 3rd when the ball was caught and slid head first into home as the Tigers catcher Victor Martinez (a member of my fantasy team by the way) tagged him out.

That's is not the story... the story is that Josh fractured a bone in his upper right arm. Now... because of a dumb decision, he will miss the next six to eight weeks.

In a post game interview, Josh stated that the call to send him home, made by the 3rd base coach was a "stupid play".  "The whole time I was watching the play and I was listening. I was like, 'Dude, I don't want to go. Something is going to happen.' But I listened to my coach and I went."
Um... excuse me.. Dude, who's brain is Josh's body attached to? How do you blame your coach for YOUR injury? If you didn't want to go, why did you go??? I hate to sound like my Mom but, if he told you to jump off a cliff... would you do that too?

Josh is bitter and I COMPLETELY understand that.... but Josh, YOU left third! You decided to be as aggressive as your coach! You decided to break one of the biggest rules of base running which is not to make the 3rd out of an inning at or from 3rd base!

I feel bad about the injury to one of the games' best hitters but what's even MORE pathetic and sad is the public blaming by Josh of his coach for the injury.  This is a man's game... be one!

                                                   Special to the S-T/Louis DeLuca

A couple things now that I am back....

This will catch me up-to-date with everything that I let myself get behind on....

March Madness was madness again this year. Are you like me? Did you turn in your brackets and THEN watch UCONN and wish like I did that I had picked them to win it all? I am not going to lie, I thought SDSU could win it all after what I saw them do in the beginning of the year but we all know what happened... After the 3rd round I was pretty much done.  Anyways...

I know that I stated in a previous post that I had become alienated from the NBA.... it was pretty much dead to me. The actions of the players in Detroit recently this year had pretty much pushed me back to where I was after I had allowed it to grow back on me... The post season is starting shortly and I am back in tune with what's going on. I will be following on Sportscenter and the Internet though I can't bring myself to watch an actual game... and I don't think that I can explain why.... I need to go think about that and see if I can come up with a reason.  Although I am not sure it requires an explanation.

Now... baseball...

At the time of this writing the Detroit Tigers are 3 and 7... not good but I am not going to give up on them... how could you? If you are a faithful fan and you saw what they did in the off-season to bolster the team... you know that the have the potential... they just need to bring it!

The New York Yankees are doing a little better at 5 and 4 going into tonight's game with Baltimore... I love the confidence and swagger of Nick Swisher... who doesn't? He 's just so happy to be where he is and playing this game on the BIGGEST stage. This morning on a local sports talk radio show he said
“I feel great. I think that it’s very early. It’s early in the season and we’re still trying to gel to together as a lineup. … We’re just getting ready to take off. We ran into a buzzsaw there in Boston, they were playing really good baseball, and it’s nice to come back on this homestand.”
Really Nick? You think the Red Sox were playing really good baseball? They are 2 and 8... actually the ONLY two games they ave won were against the Yankees... what does that say?  I mean... it's baseball so... "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???" I have no idea... it could mean nothing.... it probably does mean nothing.

In Fantasy land.... I am the Commissioner of a head-to-head fantasy baseball league and a couple of the losing managers were complaining after the first week about the scoring stats and how hitting has more weight than pitching... ehhh sorry Charlies... but you should have looked at that BEFORE the season started... not 10 games in after you lose. Don't be bitter... go figure out how to win and stop complaining!

I am also in a "points accumulation" league. I am flirting with first place... today I am in fourth but yesterday I was in 1st place in the morning. That's just me bragging a little.

Saturday is Michigan Football's "Spring Game".... I wish I had the Big Ten Network so I could watch but... I guess I will have to do without... either that or I need to win the lotto on Tuesday night so I can fly to Ann Arbor so I could watch... I am sure it's going to be good!

Have a great afternoon all!

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Hey sports fans...

I have to apologize to my faithful readers for my absence. I have been thru a gauntlet of hypocrisy, sabotage, backstabbing, corruption, and narcissism at now my "former" place of employment. That's why I have not been posting... for that I am sorry that you have been the collateral damage... but justice will be done. I will just leave it at that for now while the investigation is ongoing.

I am currently working on a posting regarding the college basketball tourneys, the pro basketball post season AND the current baseball geography... it's been an interesting few weeks and I have a lot to say.

Stay tuned.... I will be back after these messages.

Chimming in on the Fab Five Doc

I have been a little busy with fantasy baseball and March Madness brackets and even a little work. I did want to throw up a post and voice my feelings about the aftermath that resulted after the Fab Five Documentary that aired this past Sunday night.

In the movie Jalen Rose made some comments about the way he viewed Duke and members of that team, at that time, specifically Grant Hill and Christian Laettner. Rose stated that as a 19-year-old he “hated” Duke, he felt as if they only recruited “Uncle Tom” black players like Grant Hill who came from a more affluent two parent house hold, the opposite of the broken single parent upbringing Jalen was accustomed too. Hill would eventually write an open letter to the New York Times addressing the comments as “pathetic” and displaying not only his intelligence but also his love for his family and loyalty for Duke University.

Thanks Mr. Hill but let’s take the emotion out of it for a second and look at this a little more clearly.

Jalen was speaking in the documentary on behalf of a young, immature 19-year-old Rose. As to whether or not Jalen still feels that way is up for debate, but I can honestly say I understood and identified with his mindset as I often shared the same sentiments growing up in a very modest household and when I faced an opponent on the schoolyard basketball court or open gym games or WHEREVER I was playing. I would mentally convince myself that I had a valid reason to have a disdain for this individual and as a result would often fail to have any respect for the individual or the team. But as one grows older you develop and understanding that, for one, it’s not that kid’s fault that their foundation laid was affluent. Also, that doesn’t mean that they can’t compete with the “tough black kids of the inner city.” As for Grant Hill I can understand his need to defend his family name and University but I found it interesting that he pointed out that Jalen reached out to him prior to the release of the documentary to issue an apology and that he also stated that he was a “fan and friend” of the Fab 5. So what’s the point in this dialogue? Not much although it was healthy and much needed. For years blacks have been divided on issues of class and skin tone. While the thought of it alone may be pathetic the truth is just that. I understand where both Jalen and Grant stand but I didn’t think that a constant back and forth through the media is needed. When the two spoke prior to the documentary that should have been all that needed to be done.

Then, there’s the WHAT IFS…? Society is full of Monday Morning Quarter Backs that’s NEVER thrown a pass. As a result of the documentary  many questions were posed in sports talk radio. Anything from, “does Chris Webber have a gag order Kevin?” Has the Fab 5 forced him out the “circle”? Enough with the foolishness people, let me ask you a question…What If…We could rewind time? What if the FAB 5 didn’t wear baggy shorts? What if they played the game the “right” way and never talked trash? What if they responded to EVERY piece of Hate Mail they received, they way Grant Hill responded to Jalen Rose? Hmmmm. What if CWebb chose to go to Duke over Michigan? What if Coach Steve Fischer didn’t have the cahonies to start five freshmen, when decade’s earlier freshmen weren’t eligible to play? What if Chris Webber didn’t call a TIMEOUT? What If? The world is full of those questions but the reality is that it did happen. The FAB 5 did wear baggy shorts and The University and Nike amongst others capitalized off their trend setting ways. Webber did choose Michigan where he teamed up with a childhood friend in Jalen Rose. The biggest what if has always been “What If Chris didn’t call that Timeout?” What if the Michigan Wolverines defeated North Carolina or What if Webber never called that timeout and was known as Champions as opposed to trendsetters…The answer is simple. There’d be no 2-hour documentary for ESPN to air. And if all those things never happened you wouldn’t be sitting in front of your computer trying to answer all the "What Ifs" that face you in your every day walk of life. Remember this, in Sports and in Life there’s nothing wrong with calling a Timeout, we all need time to reflect and make the proper adjustments in order to succeed at this game called life. So stop asking so many questions and start seeking more answers.

Ok.... So I was wrong, it's definetly not the first time!

It's a dark day for the NFL. It's a dark day for sports.

The NFL owners have refused to show the NFLPA their books for the last ten years and the players have "de-certified" their union so that they can file a lawsuit against the owners. At 5 pm today, they basically said "see you in court!"

This is TERRIBLE! Not just because I was wrong about there not being a lockout. Its terrible because NOBODY wins now.... well maybe the lawyers win. The biggest losers in all of this is the fans!

The NFL is the biggest, most popular sport in America and the owners are trying to squeeze out more! Greedy GREEDY GREEDY!!!!

They won't show their books to the players because they don't want them to know exactly how much they are taking in.

Then there's the issue of the 9 + BILLION dollars that they can't figure out how to divie up.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of your fans are going thru the hardest times of their lives and these guys are arguing and debating about more money than most people are able to comprehend.

I personally have no CLUE what 9 billion dollars is. I cannot fathom it. My wife has been out of work for 23 months. I was laid off and out of work for 3 months this year. The fact that people like us, fans of the NFL like us, have to sit here and watch this FUBAR cluster F is appalling!

These guys are so far out of touch with reality, from what it's really like to have to re-do your finances JUST to get by and to have to get underwear and socks for Christmas so that your kids can have decent presents...not GREAT presents but something to open up on Christmas morning. They have NO clue whatsoever! It's really pathetic and sad that we may only have college football to look forward to. I mean, I LOVE college football but COME ON!!! REALLY GUYS? you can't figure this out?

In basketball, March Madness is almost here! The excitement is brewing! It takes me back to when I was a kid, back to when I was the same age as the players. Back to the Fab Five at Michigan. THOSE were the days! I lived to watch and play basketball back then. Black socks and black shoes! The best!

This Sunday ESPN will be premiering a documentary about the best freshman class ever recruited. I am really looking forward to it. Not just because I am a Michigan fan, but because I am a basketball fan. Those five guys had the most fun I have ever seen a team have while they were playing together.

It was "us against the world" and they were the best at what they did.

I will also be watching the current team. A bunch of scrappy players who are full of heart and love playing the game. Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Are you watching NFL and NFLPA??? Maybe you could learn something... Maybe.

Go Blue!

Conversations, negotiations, and extensions.... OH MY!

The NFL and the NFLPA announced that they are extending the negotiations thru March 11th.

This is great for all parties. It seems that the Armageddon scenario may be averted after all. Not that I ever doubted that there will be football next season.

Professional football is just way too popular in America for a lock-out to happen. Players, owners, hot dog vendors... everyone would lose face with the millions of Americans who live for Sunday afternoons in the fall and...this game. Never mind all of the advertisers, broadcasters, memorabilia producers and retailers. This cash cow is just WAY too big to have any kind of "work stoppage," missed games, annoyed and disgruntled fans. Football is too big of an industry. Ask the MLB what that feels likes! I bet you a dollar it would tell the NFL to man-up and get this deal done before any type of fallout happens.

On the other hand, if this all went South and there were missed games and ANY type of money loss, the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association Executive Director, DeMaurice Smith would have their "legacy" tarnished with being unable to resolve the issues....

So now... we sit and wait. They have another week to work things out, or... announce a 3rd extension. Hang in there readers... we WILL get there.

In the MLB, spring training is going well. I personally have been impressed with how the Tigers have been playing. 6-4 is a good record for where we are so far.

Are you ready for March Madness? No? Well you better get on the horse there cowboy because it's coming! Quick too! Selection Sunday is 7 days away. Some very interesting things are happening in the Big Ten. Iowa beat Purdue yesterday and that's a big problem for the Boilermakers as it may knock them out of a one seed. Michigan beat MSU yesterday and that could get the Wolverines in the back door to the Big Dance. Strap on your seat belts fans, it's going to be Madness this year... again.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Honor Code in college... is it a good thing?

A very good basketball player was dismissed from his team for what the University has stated was not criminal.

He's not a bench warmer, he is the BEST player on the team. They dismissed the best player on the team days before the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. BYU dismissed Brandon Davies on Tuesday night after they were made aware if the violation. Apparently they are still debating whether Brandon will dismissed from school altogether.

Part of the University's Honor Code reads like this:

• Be Honest
• Live a chaste and virtuous life
• Obey the law and all campus policies
• Use clean language
• Respect others
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
• Participate regularly in church services
• Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
• Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code

Now, I think this is a pretty stringent code. There's not much wiggle room here.

A lot of talk radio shows were all up in arms today about this issue. Ranting and going on and on about how the Code is too harsh and the "college experience" gets missed at this school. That it's an unfair set of rules.

I disagree. I disagree completely. The Code is the Code. It's the rules that ALL students at BYU live by. Brandon knew the rules and he broke the rules. When you break the rules you suffer the consequences. That's how life is.

It's a hard lesson for Brandon AND for the entire BYU men's basketball team. The coach... everybody involved.

This is the choice he made. Choose the action, choose the consequence... it's really that simple.

I don't blame BYU for dismissing him from the team. It's their rules and they have every right to enforce them. In fact, if they let Brandon slide because he is a star athlete, it would be FAR worse!