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!