Hello once again to everyone.
Since my last posting, the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to make Oklahoma forfeit all of its wins from the 2005 season for having illegal players on its team. Now, I know all of you are out there, saying "But wait a second, didn't Oklahoma dismiss both players once the news had come out about their actions?" Well, sure they did. In fact, Oklahoma went so far as to impose a probation on its own program, in an effort to gain some sort on leniency from the usually heavy handed NCAA. Let's look at the whole story in a nutshell. Two players (QB Rhett Bomar and OL J.D. Quinn) were supposedly working at a car dealership in Oklahoma City. The problem here is that not only were they not working, they were getting paid for not working. A third player, walk-on Jermaine Hardison, was also dismissed from the team in all of this. Now, if you're a walk-on, why can't you have a job? The NCAA isn't paying your way through school, so who really cares? But, I get off track here. The three players were dismissed from the team, and the NCAA said that being paid for not working was flat out wrong. Yeah, and I saw the NCAA react swiftly in the wake of former OU player Brian Bosworth's tell-all book about being paid to watch an oil well, while sitting on the hood of a brand new Corvette.
My problem with all of this has many angles. First, OU opened that season by losing, at home, to mighty TCU. How much worse does it have to get for a BCS team to lose what basically amounts to a revenue game for TCU, and in their own home stadium? Second, during OU's national title run of a few seasons ago, when OU was making boatloads of cash for the NCAA, the Sooners could have come right out on national TV and said they were paying players, and the NCAA would have turned a blind eye to everything except the bank account. All that mattered then was that OU was making them money. Third, and here's a real kicker here, the interim chairman of the NCAA Division 1 committee on Infractions is none other than Paul Dee. You all remember him, right? He's the Athletic Director at good old Miami, the school well-known for its penchant for flaunting the rulebook. In other words, Paul Dee is the proverbial pot, and OU is the proverbial kettle in this scenario. Dee's committee cited OU for "failing to monitor" the players of its program. Want to know how much Dee and his staff "monitored" his players at Miami? Talk to a friend of mine about officiating the Cotton Bowl game between Miami and Texas in Jan. 1992. He'll be more than happy to tell you about how Miami "strictly" monitored its players. Fourth, and I will always refer to this incident in some way when bashing the NCAA, where were they when Kimberly Dunbar stole money from Notre Dame's athletic fund, and planned a trip for her and a Notre Dame football player? Or, where were they when it came out that Notre Dame football players were living in an off-campus condo being paid for by a Notre Dame booster? I'll tell you where they were. They were out squashing the smaller programs, like Utah's basketball program. You all remember that one incident, where former coach Rick Majerus bought a player a deli sandwich. This was right after he had to tell the kid his father had passed away, and slightly before he had to put him on a plane to go home. Or, when Majerus bought a kid a bagel when the kid had found out that his brother had recently attempted suicide. Places like Utah are where the REAL criminals are. Not in Los Angeles, where it has since been revealed that former USC tailback Reggie Bush and his family had a house paid for by a potential agent in San Diego, all while Bush was still a member of the Trojans. Did anything happen? No, because USC is still making the NCAA a pile of money, and why kill the golden goose? Not in Columbus, Ohio, where former QB Troy Smith admitted that he accepted $500, and all he had to do was sit out two games, probably against the likes of Northeast South Dakota State and Saint Mary's School for Girls. Don't give me Maurice Clarett in this case, either. He was a head case waiting to happen, and he lived up to expectations, probably the only time he will ever accomplish that feat. But even in his case, the NCAA didn't step in and lay down any penalty. All of it was done by the school itself.
Which brings me back to the OU situation. If they had already self-imposed penalties on them, why did the NCAA feel the need to pile on even more? I mean, if this is how they are going to act, where's the incentive for programs that are found to be less than legal, to impose penalties on themselves? By saying this, in no way, shape, or form should it be construed that Iam an OU fan. I'm not. In fact, my school, Clemson, sent OU legend Barry Switzer into retirement. Well, that and his QB showing up on the cover of Sports Illustrated in prison orange. Again, I digress. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there's no clean program in this country. No program can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it follows the NCAA rulebook to the letter. Show me a program that can say that, and I'll show you a program that has never won a game. What this action does, at the end of the day, is help out the Big 12 conference, as a whole. It means that Dennis Franchione in College Station, Bill Callahan in Lincoln, and Mark Mangino in Lawrence can all now say that they beat OU in 2005, and add one more win to their resume. And let's face it, if that's the only way you can lay claim to a win, I'd be embarrassed to show up at the post-game press conference. While OU plans to appeal this decision, it sounds to me like the NCAA has already made its mind up. All that an appeal can do at this point is drag out the possibility that the NCAA might change its mind, which we all know won't happen any time soon. NCAA President Myles Brand and his cronies will spend a few days patting each other on the back, congratulating themselves on another job well done. All the while, they'll still maintain that the NCAA football player can't endure two more weeks added to the football season for a playoff, but the basketball player can be sent to all parts of the country, because CBS is paying the NCAA a billion dollars to let that happen. He who has the gold, makes the rules.
Till next time..............
Patrick
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
On The Sauce Or Not, NBA vs. NFL, Signed Contracts
Hello once again.
It has come to my attention that a certain major league baseball star might be on to something, or in this case, just plain ON something. I mean, Not many, if any, guys his age are doing what he's doing. It takes a lot to defy Father Time, and while some athletes might be able to hold him off for a few years, very few, if any, actually beat him. Look at the facts. The man we all thought as a sports immortal was proven to be less than that when he tried to come back with the Wizards. How many people in baseball today over the age of forty are either on the DL, or are sidelined with some sort of injury? So, in light of these facts, I can only come to one conclusion:
Roger Clemens is on some kind of sauce.
I won't say the other "s" word here. We all know what I'm talking about. Now, while some of you are getting ready to e-mail me back and bombard me with all kinds of hate mail, consider the facts. In his early years with Boston, he was a lights out pitcher. He had double digit wins from 1986 to 1992. But, in 1993, he falls below .500 with a mark of 11-14, then it gets worse. He starts to show signs of wear and tear, and it's the prime reason Boston chose not to re-sign him. That, and former GM Dan Duquette was an absolute jerk. But really, look at the numbers. He has some mediocre seasons at the end of his Boston career before going to Toronto in 1997. There, he experiences a reniassance of sorts, winning over 20 games a season his two seasons there. Wait a minute......didn't Jose Canseco once play in Toronto? But, as Clemens got deeper into his career, his numbers either improved or stayed the same. He didn't experience a decline as we see in most aging major league players. Former Arizona Diamondback pitcher Jason Grimsley told anyone who'd listen that Clemens was on the sauce, but we all laughed it off. Clemens himself said he was going to sue Grimsley for slander, but so far, no such suit has been filed. Hmmmm. Everyone that was named in Canseco's book said they would also sue. Again, no suits have been filed. And, for the record, everyone who Canseco named in the book has turned out to be a user to some degree. Now, am I saying this because I hate Clemens? Certainly not. I loved it that he threw a piece of a bat at Mike Piazza. I loved it that he also beaned Piazza with some high heat. I like Clemens, and can certainly appreciate the fact that he's won 350 career games. After Greg Maddux and soon-to-be 300 game winner Tom Glavine, we won't see another pitcher approach this win total for some time. All I'm saying is that there's more here than meets the eye. Call me whatever you want, but the facts still remain. Clemens hasn't experienced a slowdown into his 40's, and there's a good reason for that. The sauce is good for whatever ails you.
To the NBA, where the draft was held last week, and already, the top two picks have signed, and they are in summer league basketball with their respective clubs. And, while some may see this as no big deal, the NFL draft was held in April, and only three guys have signed a contract, and one of those is the last pick in the draft, Mr. Irrelavent. Why does the NFL continue to accept this as status quo? If I'm an NFL owner, I get my picks under contract as soon as I can so I can start making plans for the upcoming season. Too often, we see a high NFL draft pick holdout of training camp, only to see a can't-miss type player look foolish once the season starts. Is it really that difficult to sign an NFL draft pick? I mean, pick up the phone, set up a meeting, go over some numbers, etc. It could certainly drag on throughout a weekend, but it shouldn't take nearly this long to get some of these guys signed. Don't gve me the argument of "Well, they just want to see how much money the other guy is getting". Baloney! That kind of infomation will get out in its due time, and if the player is worth a darn to begin with, he'll still get the fat contract before its all said and done. Come on, NFL GM's, start getting this done. We're two and a half weeks from trining camp, and this hould have been done long ago. It's probably the only area that the NBA beats the NFL.
Speaking of the NBA, have you heard all about the trade rumors flying about? I mean, this player is going here, that player is going there.....oh, wait a minute. Some of the players mentioned have started saying that they don't want to go to a particular place to play. Well, let me let all of them in on a secret: YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT! At the end of the day, you'll go to wherever has your contract, and you'll like it. I'm more than tired of all of the NBA players dictating what GM's can do. If you get traded, you get traded, period, end of story. Just deal with it. I mean, you're still playing a game for more money than you'll ever spend in a lifetime, with the exception of Latrell Spreewell. Remember when he turned down 14.5 million because, and these are his words "I have a family to feed. That ain't enough". Again, you signed the deal, now live up to it.
That's about it for today. I won't go into Bonds making the All-Star team on an obvious ballot box stuff in San Francisco. Besides, I don't want to give him too much space here. I'll just say that I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th, and thank you all for your support.
Till next time...........
Patrick
It has come to my attention that a certain major league baseball star might be on to something, or in this case, just plain ON something. I mean, Not many, if any, guys his age are doing what he's doing. It takes a lot to defy Father Time, and while some athletes might be able to hold him off for a few years, very few, if any, actually beat him. Look at the facts. The man we all thought as a sports immortal was proven to be less than that when he tried to come back with the Wizards. How many people in baseball today over the age of forty are either on the DL, or are sidelined with some sort of injury? So, in light of these facts, I can only come to one conclusion:
Roger Clemens is on some kind of sauce.
I won't say the other "s" word here. We all know what I'm talking about. Now, while some of you are getting ready to e-mail me back and bombard me with all kinds of hate mail, consider the facts. In his early years with Boston, he was a lights out pitcher. He had double digit wins from 1986 to 1992. But, in 1993, he falls below .500 with a mark of 11-14, then it gets worse. He starts to show signs of wear and tear, and it's the prime reason Boston chose not to re-sign him. That, and former GM Dan Duquette was an absolute jerk. But really, look at the numbers. He has some mediocre seasons at the end of his Boston career before going to Toronto in 1997. There, he experiences a reniassance of sorts, winning over 20 games a season his two seasons there. Wait a minute......didn't Jose Canseco once play in Toronto? But, as Clemens got deeper into his career, his numbers either improved or stayed the same. He didn't experience a decline as we see in most aging major league players. Former Arizona Diamondback pitcher Jason Grimsley told anyone who'd listen that Clemens was on the sauce, but we all laughed it off. Clemens himself said he was going to sue Grimsley for slander, but so far, no such suit has been filed. Hmmmm. Everyone that was named in Canseco's book said they would also sue. Again, no suits have been filed. And, for the record, everyone who Canseco named in the book has turned out to be a user to some degree. Now, am I saying this because I hate Clemens? Certainly not. I loved it that he threw a piece of a bat at Mike Piazza. I loved it that he also beaned Piazza with some high heat. I like Clemens, and can certainly appreciate the fact that he's won 350 career games. After Greg Maddux and soon-to-be 300 game winner Tom Glavine, we won't see another pitcher approach this win total for some time. All I'm saying is that there's more here than meets the eye. Call me whatever you want, but the facts still remain. Clemens hasn't experienced a slowdown into his 40's, and there's a good reason for that. The sauce is good for whatever ails you.
To the NBA, where the draft was held last week, and already, the top two picks have signed, and they are in summer league basketball with their respective clubs. And, while some may see this as no big deal, the NFL draft was held in April, and only three guys have signed a contract, and one of those is the last pick in the draft, Mr. Irrelavent. Why does the NFL continue to accept this as status quo? If I'm an NFL owner, I get my picks under contract as soon as I can so I can start making plans for the upcoming season. Too often, we see a high NFL draft pick holdout of training camp, only to see a can't-miss type player look foolish once the season starts. Is it really that difficult to sign an NFL draft pick? I mean, pick up the phone, set up a meeting, go over some numbers, etc. It could certainly drag on throughout a weekend, but it shouldn't take nearly this long to get some of these guys signed. Don't gve me the argument of "Well, they just want to see how much money the other guy is getting". Baloney! That kind of infomation will get out in its due time, and if the player is worth a darn to begin with, he'll still get the fat contract before its all said and done. Come on, NFL GM's, start getting this done. We're two and a half weeks from trining camp, and this hould have been done long ago. It's probably the only area that the NBA beats the NFL.
Speaking of the NBA, have you heard all about the trade rumors flying about? I mean, this player is going here, that player is going there.....oh, wait a minute. Some of the players mentioned have started saying that they don't want to go to a particular place to play. Well, let me let all of them in on a secret: YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT! At the end of the day, you'll go to wherever has your contract, and you'll like it. I'm more than tired of all of the NBA players dictating what GM's can do. If you get traded, you get traded, period, end of story. Just deal with it. I mean, you're still playing a game for more money than you'll ever spend in a lifetime, with the exception of Latrell Spreewell. Remember when he turned down 14.5 million because, and these are his words "I have a family to feed. That ain't enough". Again, you signed the deal, now live up to it.
That's about it for today. I won't go into Bonds making the All-Star team on an obvious ballot box stuff in San Francisco. Besides, I don't want to give him too much space here. I'll just say that I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th, and thank you all for your support.
Till next time...........
Patrick
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Can we stop it already?
Hello once again to everyone. Now that the greeting is out of the way, let me just say this:
I can't stand Kobe Bryant.
There, I said it. I'm not ashamed of it, but someone had to get it out there, and I volunteered. Before we pile on, let's take a look at the wys in which we, or at least I, detest this NBA "superstar". One, upon being drafted out of Lower Merion High School in 1996, his quote was "I don't want to go play for Charlotte. I only want to play for the L.A. Lakers". To that, I would have said "Then, enjoy college, cause we own your rights. Oh, that's right, you can't go to college, since you already signed with an agent. Enjoy the European leagues." First off, blame Hornet management for placating him with a trade, and all they got out of him was Vlade (Flop-ay) Divac. Second, he makes it to the All-Star game shortly after arriving on the NBA scene, and during play, waves off some of his more established NBA veterans so he can act like he's on a playground court. Well, upon seeing this, a man wearing number 23 for the Eastern All-Stars entered the game, and proceeded to smoke young Kobe every time down the court. Third, and this is really a sticking point, he wins his third NBA championship in a row, and complains because he's not the focal point of the team. I'm sorry, but do you think Jack Haley or Will Perdue ever complained that they weren't the focal point on their championship teams? No! They just sat back and admired the shine of their rings. But, everyone knows how the story played out.....Shaq got traded to Miami, Miami won a title, the Lakers were left with squat, and now Kobe is complaining again. I mean, enough already. Kobe created the mess he's in now by complaining about Shaq. Now, Kobe says he wants to be traded to a "winner". First of all, there's not too much chance of a trade in this case, unless a lot of teams get involved. There's too much money for it all to match between just two teams. But, Jerry Buss needs to tell Kobe that Jerry Buss owns the Lakers, not Kobe Bryant. This whole "I want to play for the Lakers, I don't want to play with Shaq, I want a trade, I want, I want, I want" act is so old now, it's pathetic. I mean, I want a million dollars, but I don't see Brinks backing the truck up to my driveway. I keep waiting for someone to slap the 2 x 4 of reality across Kobe's forehead. In a way, head coach Phil Jackson did it in his book about the Lakers, "The Last Season". In it, he takes every opportunity to rip Kobe for his selfish attitude. Maybe that's why I like the book as much as I do. But, we all know who would get the door first, and for a time, he did. Jackson left the team for a while, despite being the owner's daughter's boyfriend. His replacement, Rudy Tomjanovich, lasted 41 games in Lakerland before quitting because he was tired of being a baby-sitter for this spoiled brat. Jackson seems to be the only person that can control him to a certain degree. So, to Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, I say this: Trade him. For the good of the league, and for the health of my sanity, please trade him. I don't know how much more of him I can really take.
Let me also say this.........
Would everyone PLEASE stop saying Tiger lost the US Open Sunday.
OK, he was in the final group. OK, he was all expected to win the contest (I still can't call it a tournament). So when he didn't win, everyone is now shocked. To them, I say this: Let it go, already! He was playing the same "tough" course everyone else was. What do you expect, that the USGA would let Tiger play a different course? So, he came up short on Sunday in a major. Big, stinking deal! Can we please just give credit to the winner, Mr. Angel Cabrera? OK, so he was chain-smoking up the back part of the tournament. OK, so he wasn't the most in-shape athlete. Big deal! At the end of the day, he was under par in two of the four rounds, and he ended up with the best score. That's it, period, end of story. So Tiger Woods didn't win the US Open. Big deal. Like Kobe, are we supposed to hand him everything on a silver platter just because he's Tiger Woods? If Woods really wanted to win the thing, here's a tip for him: Feel free to make some more birdies! Can't we all just deal with it, and move on?
Some more "Can we stop it already" items up for consideration.......
Can we stop banging on Hendrick Motorsports for signing Dale Earnhardt, Jr? Everyone else had the same opportunity to sign Junior, and Hendrick stepped up and did it. Like the New York Yankees, Hendrick goes out and signs what he feels is the best talent. He has the money, he does with it what he wants. Don't hate Hendrick for stepping up to the plate on ths one.
Can we stop declaring Tony Romo as the second coming of Troy Aikman? Romo wants a re-worked contract after only eleven games, and a botched extra point atempt. Hey Tony, Aikman got his respect by actually performing well in the playoffs. Fumbling a snap doesn't get you a raise, for crying out loud!
And finally, can we all stop banging on the San Antonio Spurs? Four titles in nine seasons, deal with it. The Mavs should have one, but they have no killer instinct, and let the Heat back in the door. So, even though the Spurs don't resonate with everyone, we should just dismiss them? I'm not a big-time Spurs fan, but four titles in nine seasons is borderline dynasty. Deal with it. They manage their team right, they manage the salary cap right, and they have a proven plan in place. The proof is in the championships, and they now have four. Again......deal with it.
That's about it for now.
Till next time..........
Patrick
I can't stand Kobe Bryant.
There, I said it. I'm not ashamed of it, but someone had to get it out there, and I volunteered. Before we pile on, let's take a look at the wys in which we, or at least I, detest this NBA "superstar". One, upon being drafted out of Lower Merion High School in 1996, his quote was "I don't want to go play for Charlotte. I only want to play for the L.A. Lakers". To that, I would have said "Then, enjoy college, cause we own your rights. Oh, that's right, you can't go to college, since you already signed with an agent. Enjoy the European leagues." First off, blame Hornet management for placating him with a trade, and all they got out of him was Vlade (Flop-ay) Divac. Second, he makes it to the All-Star game shortly after arriving on the NBA scene, and during play, waves off some of his more established NBA veterans so he can act like he's on a playground court. Well, upon seeing this, a man wearing number 23 for the Eastern All-Stars entered the game, and proceeded to smoke young Kobe every time down the court. Third, and this is really a sticking point, he wins his third NBA championship in a row, and complains because he's not the focal point of the team. I'm sorry, but do you think Jack Haley or Will Perdue ever complained that they weren't the focal point on their championship teams? No! They just sat back and admired the shine of their rings. But, everyone knows how the story played out.....Shaq got traded to Miami, Miami won a title, the Lakers were left with squat, and now Kobe is complaining again. I mean, enough already. Kobe created the mess he's in now by complaining about Shaq. Now, Kobe says he wants to be traded to a "winner". First of all, there's not too much chance of a trade in this case, unless a lot of teams get involved. There's too much money for it all to match between just two teams. But, Jerry Buss needs to tell Kobe that Jerry Buss owns the Lakers, not Kobe Bryant. This whole "I want to play for the Lakers, I don't want to play with Shaq, I want a trade, I want, I want, I want" act is so old now, it's pathetic. I mean, I want a million dollars, but I don't see Brinks backing the truck up to my driveway. I keep waiting for someone to slap the 2 x 4 of reality across Kobe's forehead. In a way, head coach Phil Jackson did it in his book about the Lakers, "The Last Season". In it, he takes every opportunity to rip Kobe for his selfish attitude. Maybe that's why I like the book as much as I do. But, we all know who would get the door first, and for a time, he did. Jackson left the team for a while, despite being the owner's daughter's boyfriend. His replacement, Rudy Tomjanovich, lasted 41 games in Lakerland before quitting because he was tired of being a baby-sitter for this spoiled brat. Jackson seems to be the only person that can control him to a certain degree. So, to Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, I say this: Trade him. For the good of the league, and for the health of my sanity, please trade him. I don't know how much more of him I can really take.
Let me also say this.........
Would everyone PLEASE stop saying Tiger lost the US Open Sunday.
OK, he was in the final group. OK, he was all expected to win the contest (I still can't call it a tournament). So when he didn't win, everyone is now shocked. To them, I say this: Let it go, already! He was playing the same "tough" course everyone else was. What do you expect, that the USGA would let Tiger play a different course? So, he came up short on Sunday in a major. Big, stinking deal! Can we please just give credit to the winner, Mr. Angel Cabrera? OK, so he was chain-smoking up the back part of the tournament. OK, so he wasn't the most in-shape athlete. Big deal! At the end of the day, he was under par in two of the four rounds, and he ended up with the best score. That's it, period, end of story. So Tiger Woods didn't win the US Open. Big deal. Like Kobe, are we supposed to hand him everything on a silver platter just because he's Tiger Woods? If Woods really wanted to win the thing, here's a tip for him: Feel free to make some more birdies! Can't we all just deal with it, and move on?
Some more "Can we stop it already" items up for consideration.......
Can we stop banging on Hendrick Motorsports for signing Dale Earnhardt, Jr? Everyone else had the same opportunity to sign Junior, and Hendrick stepped up and did it. Like the New York Yankees, Hendrick goes out and signs what he feels is the best talent. He has the money, he does with it what he wants. Don't hate Hendrick for stepping up to the plate on ths one.
Can we stop declaring Tony Romo as the second coming of Troy Aikman? Romo wants a re-worked contract after only eleven games, and a botched extra point atempt. Hey Tony, Aikman got his respect by actually performing well in the playoffs. Fumbling a snap doesn't get you a raise, for crying out loud!
And finally, can we all stop banging on the San Antonio Spurs? Four titles in nine seasons, deal with it. The Mavs should have one, but they have no killer instinct, and let the Heat back in the door. So, even though the Spurs don't resonate with everyone, we should just dismiss them? I'm not a big-time Spurs fan, but four titles in nine seasons is borderline dynasty. Deal with it. They manage their team right, they manage the salary cap right, and they have a proven plan in place. The proof is in the championships, and they now have four. Again......deal with it.
That's about it for now.
Till next time..........
Patrick
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Sheffield/MLB, Donovan's reverse
Hello once again.
OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but people get fired nowadays for saying racist things over the airwaves and in print, right? I mean, former Atlanta Brave John Rocker was raked over the coals for his comments to Sports Illustrated some years ago, and Don Imus was fired from his longtime post when he referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as a bunch of "nappy headed ho's". OK, so with those two things in mind as the framework or the standard by which we view things in a hyper-sensitive world, why hasn't anybody called for Detroit Tigers DH Gary Sheffield's head recently? You all remember him. He's played with seven teams in his major league career, he's linked to being a training partner with Barry Bonds when all of the steroid questions came about. This is a guy that also said he was the best player on every team he's been on. OK, let me stop that train right here. Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Tony Gwynn. Those are three of the players he's played with before, and believe me, he's not even in the discussion when it comes to those guys. OK, back to my original gripe here. Sheffield said in a recent interview with GQ magazine that he has a theory why there are fewer black players in baseball today. He said, and I quote" I called it years ago. You'll see black faces, but there ain't no English coming out. It's about being able to tell the Latin players what to do, being able to control them". He went on to say "You can't control us" and "These are things my race demands". Again, stop right there. Imus gets fired for saying something off-color, but Sheffield walks away from this incident? Now, granted, it would be hard to fire a professional baseball player, but nobody seems to mind that Sheffield said any of this. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say I haven't noticed the decline of black players from baseball. I have, along with everyone else. But, with the way baseball markets itself in comparison to basketball and football, it's no wonder kids today aren't tuning in. And, with the continued rise of corporate America, it's hard to find a decent baseball field for kids to play on. They've all been bought up all in the name of property development. Baseball used to rely on the fact that it was a father-son game. And for a while, that was true. But, somewhere along the way, those sons grew up, and started getting into football and basketball, not to mention Mixed Martial Arts. The NFL had constantly adjusted its marketing program to fit in with most, if not all, of their fan base. The NBA latched on to Michael Jordan in 1984, and they continue to ride the wave of marketing success from his era. Both of these sports know what it takes to bring in new business. Baseball, however, does not. Now, don't get me wrong. Baseball knows how to make a buck. Just look at any park today, and try to find an empty spot on an outfield wall. Even Wrigley Field sold ad space on the ivy-covered wall. But football and basketball have adjusted to meet the demands of a newer generation, and baseball has stood firm. As such, baseball is paying for it with a lack of participants. Don't believe me? Look at a top college anywhere in the country, and take their top 20 athletes. Chances are, only one or two of them will be a baseball player. Baseball needs new blood in its leadership ranks to re-energize its product, or it will continue to languish behind football and basketball. But, what do you expect when you have a used car salesman for a commissioner?
To Orlando, where former Florida Gator coach, soon-to-be-renamed Florida Gator coach Billy Donovan had reportedly backed out of a deal to coach the Orlando Magic. He was all smiles at his news conference Friday. He said all the right things. But, on a subsequent return trip to Gainesville, he had second thoughts. I saw this coming a mile away. I even called a friend and asked, during the news conference, why Donovan would ever consider leaving Gainesville? He's won two national titles, he is in a position to tell the players what to do, and how to do it, and he'll never have to pay for a meal in the city. Don't believe me? Go to Gainesville, watch Coach Donovan walk in to an eatery, and watch how many people fight to pick up his check. But, Donovan looked to be all set to give the NBA a try. Now, a few names come to mind here, like Jerry Tarkanian, Rick Pitino (OK, he did well at New York, but he stunk in Boston), PJ Carlesimo, John Calipari, Lon Kruger (former Gator coach before Donovan), Mike Mongtomery, and Tim Floyd. All were successful college coaches. All stunk in the NBA when they learned one thing right away: The inmates run the asylum that is the NBA. You think a pro team is going to side with a coach over a top tier player? Think again. NBA coaches have no real authority. If they did, Rasheed Wallace wouldn't have an NBA job. Donovan was all set to inherit a decent roster, with Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson to build around. They are also going to have some money under the cap to use in free agency. Apparently, it's not enough to lure Donovan away from Gainesville. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're saying right now "Well, Pat, he signed a contract. He's bound to the Magic, right?" No. At this level of athletics, contracts don't mean much, as far as coaches go. They're allowed to come and go as they please. The conventional theory is that Donovan wanted away from a football school. Let's face it, we're talking about a team that won it all, and they only sold out two games last season. The football team drew over 45,000 for spring practice. Not a game, not Tennessee coming to town, not Florida State, not Georgia, but a practice. Some say Donovan wanted out of the football program's shadow. Good luck with that. But, when you get right down to it, I have the real reason Donovan wants to remain in Gainesville. It's Mrs. Donovan. Look, don't tell me it's a money thing. When you're making 3.5 million, plus endorsement deals and a radio/TV show contract, what's another 2 million, really? Besides, Donovan has no idea what his checkbook looks like. He's a coach, not a financial guy. All that stuff is being handled by the wife. Want proof? Go find Florida football coach Urban Meyer, and ask him how much is in his checking account. He'll have no idea, because that's the wife's job. Donovan is the same way. He's a 12-16 hour a day coach who couldn't care less what's in the account. All he's thinking about is a gameplan for the next opponent. Had he truly committed to the NBA job, all he'd have to do is go to Orlando, smile for the cameras, maybe do a Disney parade, and go to work. Mrs. Donovan would be in charge of planning the move, picking a new house in Orlando, setting the kids up in new schools, etc., and so forth. She didn't want to do it, and I don't blame her. Moving day is a pain, and at one time or another, we've all been there. So, at the end of the day, take a look at this issue for what it really is: Coach Donovan was fired up to go, Mrs. Donovan hit the brakes. And I, for one, applaud her for doing so. I kind of like Donovan, though I detest the Gators, and I would have hated to see Donovan go to the NBA and get shredded like other college coaches have done.
Before I close, and staying on the NBA, what's really going through their minds? I mean, they have a great Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where LeBron James finally gets to the championship round, and they have everyone fired up about that game. But then, the news comes that the Finals won't start for another five days, and even then, it won't tip-onn till 9 o'clock Eastern. Not good enough, NBA. I might have tuned in had the Finals started soon after that Game 6, but now, who knows? Maybe the Braves will be on TV. Maybe NFL Live will be on, and it's drawing ratings so good right now, ESPN is showing it two times a day. Or, maybe I'll just go play some golf. Strike while the iron is hot, NBA. You'll keep more of an audience.
Till next time.....
Patrick
OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but people get fired nowadays for saying racist things over the airwaves and in print, right? I mean, former Atlanta Brave John Rocker was raked over the coals for his comments to Sports Illustrated some years ago, and Don Imus was fired from his longtime post when he referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as a bunch of "nappy headed ho's". OK, so with those two things in mind as the framework or the standard by which we view things in a hyper-sensitive world, why hasn't anybody called for Detroit Tigers DH Gary Sheffield's head recently? You all remember him. He's played with seven teams in his major league career, he's linked to being a training partner with Barry Bonds when all of the steroid questions came about. This is a guy that also said he was the best player on every team he's been on. OK, let me stop that train right here. Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Tony Gwynn. Those are three of the players he's played with before, and believe me, he's not even in the discussion when it comes to those guys. OK, back to my original gripe here. Sheffield said in a recent interview with GQ magazine that he has a theory why there are fewer black players in baseball today. He said, and I quote" I called it years ago. You'll see black faces, but there ain't no English coming out. It's about being able to tell the Latin players what to do, being able to control them". He went on to say "You can't control us" and "These are things my race demands". Again, stop right there. Imus gets fired for saying something off-color, but Sheffield walks away from this incident? Now, granted, it would be hard to fire a professional baseball player, but nobody seems to mind that Sheffield said any of this. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say I haven't noticed the decline of black players from baseball. I have, along with everyone else. But, with the way baseball markets itself in comparison to basketball and football, it's no wonder kids today aren't tuning in. And, with the continued rise of corporate America, it's hard to find a decent baseball field for kids to play on. They've all been bought up all in the name of property development. Baseball used to rely on the fact that it was a father-son game. And for a while, that was true. But, somewhere along the way, those sons grew up, and started getting into football and basketball, not to mention Mixed Martial Arts. The NFL had constantly adjusted its marketing program to fit in with most, if not all, of their fan base. The NBA latched on to Michael Jordan in 1984, and they continue to ride the wave of marketing success from his era. Both of these sports know what it takes to bring in new business. Baseball, however, does not. Now, don't get me wrong. Baseball knows how to make a buck. Just look at any park today, and try to find an empty spot on an outfield wall. Even Wrigley Field sold ad space on the ivy-covered wall. But football and basketball have adjusted to meet the demands of a newer generation, and baseball has stood firm. As such, baseball is paying for it with a lack of participants. Don't believe me? Look at a top college anywhere in the country, and take their top 20 athletes. Chances are, only one or two of them will be a baseball player. Baseball needs new blood in its leadership ranks to re-energize its product, or it will continue to languish behind football and basketball. But, what do you expect when you have a used car salesman for a commissioner?
To Orlando, where former Florida Gator coach, soon-to-be-renamed Florida Gator coach Billy Donovan had reportedly backed out of a deal to coach the Orlando Magic. He was all smiles at his news conference Friday. He said all the right things. But, on a subsequent return trip to Gainesville, he had second thoughts. I saw this coming a mile away. I even called a friend and asked, during the news conference, why Donovan would ever consider leaving Gainesville? He's won two national titles, he is in a position to tell the players what to do, and how to do it, and he'll never have to pay for a meal in the city. Don't believe me? Go to Gainesville, watch Coach Donovan walk in to an eatery, and watch how many people fight to pick up his check. But, Donovan looked to be all set to give the NBA a try. Now, a few names come to mind here, like Jerry Tarkanian, Rick Pitino (OK, he did well at New York, but he stunk in Boston), PJ Carlesimo, John Calipari, Lon Kruger (former Gator coach before Donovan), Mike Mongtomery, and Tim Floyd. All were successful college coaches. All stunk in the NBA when they learned one thing right away: The inmates run the asylum that is the NBA. You think a pro team is going to side with a coach over a top tier player? Think again. NBA coaches have no real authority. If they did, Rasheed Wallace wouldn't have an NBA job. Donovan was all set to inherit a decent roster, with Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson to build around. They are also going to have some money under the cap to use in free agency. Apparently, it's not enough to lure Donovan away from Gainesville. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're saying right now "Well, Pat, he signed a contract. He's bound to the Magic, right?" No. At this level of athletics, contracts don't mean much, as far as coaches go. They're allowed to come and go as they please. The conventional theory is that Donovan wanted away from a football school. Let's face it, we're talking about a team that won it all, and they only sold out two games last season. The football team drew over 45,000 for spring practice. Not a game, not Tennessee coming to town, not Florida State, not Georgia, but a practice. Some say Donovan wanted out of the football program's shadow. Good luck with that. But, when you get right down to it, I have the real reason Donovan wants to remain in Gainesville. It's Mrs. Donovan. Look, don't tell me it's a money thing. When you're making 3.5 million, plus endorsement deals and a radio/TV show contract, what's another 2 million, really? Besides, Donovan has no idea what his checkbook looks like. He's a coach, not a financial guy. All that stuff is being handled by the wife. Want proof? Go find Florida football coach Urban Meyer, and ask him how much is in his checking account. He'll have no idea, because that's the wife's job. Donovan is the same way. He's a 12-16 hour a day coach who couldn't care less what's in the account. All he's thinking about is a gameplan for the next opponent. Had he truly committed to the NBA job, all he'd have to do is go to Orlando, smile for the cameras, maybe do a Disney parade, and go to work. Mrs. Donovan would be in charge of planning the move, picking a new house in Orlando, setting the kids up in new schools, etc., and so forth. She didn't want to do it, and I don't blame her. Moving day is a pain, and at one time or another, we've all been there. So, at the end of the day, take a look at this issue for what it really is: Coach Donovan was fired up to go, Mrs. Donovan hit the brakes. And I, for one, applaud her for doing so. I kind of like Donovan, though I detest the Gators, and I would have hated to see Donovan go to the NBA and get shredded like other college coaches have done.
Before I close, and staying on the NBA, what's really going through their minds? I mean, they have a great Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where LeBron James finally gets to the championship round, and they have everyone fired up about that game. But then, the news comes that the Finals won't start for another five days, and even then, it won't tip-onn till 9 o'clock Eastern. Not good enough, NBA. I might have tuned in had the Finals started soon after that Game 6, but now, who knows? Maybe the Braves will be on TV. Maybe NFL Live will be on, and it's drawing ratings so good right now, ESPN is showing it two times a day. Or, maybe I'll just go play some golf. Strike while the iron is hot, NBA. You'll keep more of an audience.
Till next time.....
Patrick
Friday, June 01, 2007
This time, it's personal
Hello once again.
First, I want to say that in this post, I'm really going to let fly. I'm saying this now because some people might not like what I'm going to say, but, like I said before, things like that get said in this forum. So, with that in mind, here we go.
It's been said that many people in life don't know the pain of losing a child. It's also been said that we might not know first-hand the experience of being involved in a drunk driving accident. Well, guess what? I qualify on both accounts, so here goes. I know in my last post I ripped Josh Hancock's father for filing his lawsuit. If you're new to the program, the short version goes like this: Pitcher for the Cardinals goes out, gets drunk, drives, kills himself. If you need the backstory or longer version, I invite you to look at some of the more recent posts in this blog. Now, this lawsuit is exactly the reason the courts are flodded in this country. Why is it that when something happens, we're all now conditioned to find fault somewhere, and sue them? Why is it, that a 29 year old pitcher that gets himself killed in a drunk driving accident wasn't put into rehab or dealt with in some way or fashion before this incident? Looking at this more closely reveals things that haven't really been brought to light. Like the fact that he (Hancock) overslept, and missed the start of a game almost a week prior to this incident. Or, the fact that he was involved in another accident that was swept under the rug before this incident. Or, even the fact that Hancock was well-known for being a guy who could close 'em down with the best of them, and I'm not talking about big league hitters. Why then are we not assigning some sort of blame to the support network of Hancock? I mean, where were his friends when he needed someone to take the keys? Where was his family when he exhibited this sort of self-destructive behavior? And, where was Josh Hancock's judgement to realize he was too impaired to operate a vehicle? Sad to say, we'll never know the answers to any of these questions. But, to assign blame to the wrong parties is absolutely absurd. It's not the tow truck driver's fault for doing his job. He was called out to assist a motorist. It's not the stranded motorist's fault. Cars stall where they stall, and one cannot predict where that may or may not be. It's not the bars fault. Their job is to serve drinks, period. Bartenders are usually running at a fast pace, and they usually keep that pace up for most of the night. And, being that the bar is owned by a former Cardinal player, now Cardinal broadcaster, why then isn't the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team being sued as well? I really don't get it, and if someone out there does, try to argue with me on this one. I guarantee I'll win. Accountability means taking responsibility for one's actions. Nobody forced Josh Hancock to do what he did. And, at the end of the day, nobody else is responsible for anything that occurred on that night but Josh Hancock himself. This lawsuit, as most are nowadays, is ridiculous, plain and simple.
If there are any more Michael Vick fans out there after all that has gone down regarding him in recent weeks, then I really feel for you. If you are still on the fence regarding the whole Vick-dog fighting issue, I invite you to read this week's Sports Illustrated which has a brutal tale of the events that occurred at Vick's property. Here's hoping that the prosecutors in this case will get the evidence they need to shut this operation down, and take everyone associated with it down as well. I won't go into details about the article, since it's quite graphic. But, let's just say that the Falcons, if they are smart, are looking into getting out of the deal with Vick. Now, will someone else come along and pick him up should the Falcons get rid of him? Of course they will. It's the nature of professional sports. But, if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell boots him out of the league, then that's a horse of a different color. He could always play for the Edmonton Eskimos, I guess. This case gets more disgusting by the day, and as more evidence comes up, it seemingly adds another nail in the coffin of Michael Vick. Will we get to that point? Hard to say. Like I said before, read the article for yourself. It's brutal. After that, if you have any Vick memorabilia, throw it away. It's trash, just like Vick is.
That's about it. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.
Till next time........
Patrick
First, I want to say that in this post, I'm really going to let fly. I'm saying this now because some people might not like what I'm going to say, but, like I said before, things like that get said in this forum. So, with that in mind, here we go.
It's been said that many people in life don't know the pain of losing a child. It's also been said that we might not know first-hand the experience of being involved in a drunk driving accident. Well, guess what? I qualify on both accounts, so here goes. I know in my last post I ripped Josh Hancock's father for filing his lawsuit. If you're new to the program, the short version goes like this: Pitcher for the Cardinals goes out, gets drunk, drives, kills himself. If you need the backstory or longer version, I invite you to look at some of the more recent posts in this blog. Now, this lawsuit is exactly the reason the courts are flodded in this country. Why is it that when something happens, we're all now conditioned to find fault somewhere, and sue them? Why is it, that a 29 year old pitcher that gets himself killed in a drunk driving accident wasn't put into rehab or dealt with in some way or fashion before this incident? Looking at this more closely reveals things that haven't really been brought to light. Like the fact that he (Hancock) overslept, and missed the start of a game almost a week prior to this incident. Or, the fact that he was involved in another accident that was swept under the rug before this incident. Or, even the fact that Hancock was well-known for being a guy who could close 'em down with the best of them, and I'm not talking about big league hitters. Why then are we not assigning some sort of blame to the support network of Hancock? I mean, where were his friends when he needed someone to take the keys? Where was his family when he exhibited this sort of self-destructive behavior? And, where was Josh Hancock's judgement to realize he was too impaired to operate a vehicle? Sad to say, we'll never know the answers to any of these questions. But, to assign blame to the wrong parties is absolutely absurd. It's not the tow truck driver's fault for doing his job. He was called out to assist a motorist. It's not the stranded motorist's fault. Cars stall where they stall, and one cannot predict where that may or may not be. It's not the bars fault. Their job is to serve drinks, period. Bartenders are usually running at a fast pace, and they usually keep that pace up for most of the night. And, being that the bar is owned by a former Cardinal player, now Cardinal broadcaster, why then isn't the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team being sued as well? I really don't get it, and if someone out there does, try to argue with me on this one. I guarantee I'll win. Accountability means taking responsibility for one's actions. Nobody forced Josh Hancock to do what he did. And, at the end of the day, nobody else is responsible for anything that occurred on that night but Josh Hancock himself. This lawsuit, as most are nowadays, is ridiculous, plain and simple.
If there are any more Michael Vick fans out there after all that has gone down regarding him in recent weeks, then I really feel for you. If you are still on the fence regarding the whole Vick-dog fighting issue, I invite you to read this week's Sports Illustrated which has a brutal tale of the events that occurred at Vick's property. Here's hoping that the prosecutors in this case will get the evidence they need to shut this operation down, and take everyone associated with it down as well. I won't go into details about the article, since it's quite graphic. But, let's just say that the Falcons, if they are smart, are looking into getting out of the deal with Vick. Now, will someone else come along and pick him up should the Falcons get rid of him? Of course they will. It's the nature of professional sports. But, if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell boots him out of the league, then that's a horse of a different color. He could always play for the Edmonton Eskimos, I guess. This case gets more disgusting by the day, and as more evidence comes up, it seemingly adds another nail in the coffin of Michael Vick. Will we get to that point? Hard to say. Like I said before, read the article for yourself. It's brutal. After that, if you have any Vick memorabilia, throw it away. It's trash, just like Vick is.
That's about it. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.
Till next time........
Patrick
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Here we go again......
Welcome to another edition of "Are You Kidding Me?". I mean, seriously people.......what has gone on in the world of sports that has everyone saying some of the displayed behavior is acceptable? Before I address any of that, I would like you to know where some of the backlog in the court system comes from.
Remember last time we talked, I spoke of Josh Hancock. He was tragically killed in a car accident in St. Louis, and while that's bad enough, he was legally drunk at the time. Now, put aside all I said, for the moment, about his culpability in the whole incident. It now comes out of St. Louis that Josh Hancock's father has filed suit against the bar that was serving Hancock. Nothing like assigning blame on something other than a grown man. The suit not only names the bar that was serving Hancock, but the tow truck driver, the towing company, and the individual whose car had broken down. I'll pause for a moment while you all collect your thoughts. At first, I thought this was a joke, but sadly, it is not. We can sue everyone in the world when something goes wrong, and it still won't bring a loved one back. As I said before, none of the aforementioned people killed Josh Hancock. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock......plain and simple. This lawsuit, hopefully, will be thrown out for a lack of merit.
Now, I'd like everyone to recall a time when Charles Barkley, then of the Philadelphia 76ers, came out on national TV and said the following words "I am not a role model". Remember the uproar that caused? People were like "Oh, well, he's a professional athlete. He should be a role model for all of our children". I said it then, and I'll say it now.....it's not Barkley's responsibility to raise other people's children. He was just being honest, and that's all he's been for his entire career, both on the court and off. Look back at the athletes as a whole from that timeframe. We never heard anything negative about Gretzky, Jordan, Elway, Kelly, or Smith. They went out and played hard. Now, some people made a big deal over Jordan losing a lot of money at an Atlantic City casino one evening, but guess what....he's a grown man, it's his money. Deal with it. Look at some of the more modern athletes. We never hear anything negative about Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, or to a smaller extent, DeWayne Wade. Those guys go out, play hard, and come back to do it all over again for their teams' next game. But, like I said in the last posting, that doesn't sell papers, and it doesn't spike TV ratings. Oh sure, people will make mention of Jeter being a night owl, and in New York, that's real easy to do. But again, its never affected his team, he's a grown man, and we should all be so lucky. Deal with it. Now, though, comes today's athlete. These are the ones who come into their respective leagues with a sense of entitlement, like it's their birthright to play professional sports. We've got guys throwing thousands of dollars at strip clubs in Vegas, causing enough of a riot to where someone ended up paralyzed. We've got guys keeping enough weapons and ammo in their homes that the military is considering making it an adjunct arsenal. Never mind the fact the owner is on probation for a weapons violation. And, the big kicker....we have a franchise player who is being looked at hard for running a dog fighting ring out of a home he owned in Virginia. Now, the last three guys I mentioned.....THAT'S making ratings. Stuff like that will sell newspapers, and it will get the talk radio people all worked up. Two of the three have been addressed. Adam "Pac-Man" Jones (throwing money at the club) has been suspended for the entire 2007 season by the NFL, a verdict he is appealing. But, before he could meet with the NFL commissioner, he's spotted at a New York strip club, doing roughly the same thing that got him into trouble. I can't make that one up, people. You don't find "I just don't get it" like that every day. It comes from years of bad decision making. In the second case, the owner of the weapons (Chicago Bears DT Tank Johnson) was a guest of the state of Illinios for a period of sixty days. He still has to meet with the NFL, but conventional wisdom says that he'll serve a suspension that's less than that of Adam Jones. After all, Johnson served time for his crime. But now, let's jump head-on into the final one, and that's the case of Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick. First, let's read off his laundry list. One, he almost caused an incident at a Miami airport by refusing to give up a water bottle before boarding. The bottle was surrendered, and subsequently found to have a secret compartment in the bottom. Miami-Dade police all said it smelled like marijuana, but tests were inconclusive. And, the security tapes from the whole episode were mysteriously erased. Second, he blows off meeting with Congress. That's right. Vick was supposed to meet with Congress on funding for after-school programs for America's youth. But, instead, he makes a lame excuse about oversleeping, missing an alarm,,,,,whatever! You're a grown man! Accept the responsibility. And, finally, the incident that has the Falcons, as an organization, holding their collective breath. Vick owned a home in Virginia that was found to have malnourished dogs, dog fighting items, blood-soaked towels and rags, andchains tied to car axles buried in the backyard. Dog fighting, the act that is a felony in most, if not all states, is the act that could bring the Falcon organization to their knees. They've invested over 100 million in Vick, and he rewards them with this. They've traded their top backup, Matt Schaub, to Houston, and have Joey Harrington in the wings. I predict Harrington will be the starter by Week 8. The more Vick hopes this will go away, the more comes out to tie him to this. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is beyond upset, he's downright ticked off. And he has every right to be. He's bent over backwards to accomodate Vick, and now, he has the proverbial egg on his face. Trading Vick is out of the question. Who would want to take on the contract? You can't really bench him, because who pays huge money to a back-up? Some Vick apologists are saying "Oh, this isn't him. It's his cousin". Rationalizing it doesn't make it right, but to Vick fans, it'll soothe their consciense a bit. Others will say "Well, it's just not in him to make bad decisions like this". Come on, people. This is a guy whose brother was dismissed from Virginia Tech for a history of bad decisions. Do I really need to bring up Marcus Vick stomping on the leg of then-Louisville DT Elvis Dumervill's leg in the Gator Bowl? It's time, for us, as a sports loving society, to re-claim the world of sports. Stop supporting these morons and their idiotic behavior. Will it make a dent on the surface? Probably not. But, how far do we have to go before the pendulum swings back to the side it once was on.....when we looked at our pro athletes and weren't ashamed to wear their jerseys? And, before you say this is just a case of boys will be boys, do me a favor. Go tell that to the guy in Vegas who was paralyzed from bad decision making. Go tell that to the dogs that the state of Virginia has had to put to sleep, or the other dogs that the Virginia ASPCA is trying to re-nourish due to their lack of care. If you can look those people and animals in the eye and rationalize the behavior.......have your head examined, or visit a priest. I'm done with it, plain and simple.
Till next time.....
Patrick
Remember last time we talked, I spoke of Josh Hancock. He was tragically killed in a car accident in St. Louis, and while that's bad enough, he was legally drunk at the time. Now, put aside all I said, for the moment, about his culpability in the whole incident. It now comes out of St. Louis that Josh Hancock's father has filed suit against the bar that was serving Hancock. Nothing like assigning blame on something other than a grown man. The suit not only names the bar that was serving Hancock, but the tow truck driver, the towing company, and the individual whose car had broken down. I'll pause for a moment while you all collect your thoughts. At first, I thought this was a joke, but sadly, it is not. We can sue everyone in the world when something goes wrong, and it still won't bring a loved one back. As I said before, none of the aforementioned people killed Josh Hancock. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock......plain and simple. This lawsuit, hopefully, will be thrown out for a lack of merit.
Now, I'd like everyone to recall a time when Charles Barkley, then of the Philadelphia 76ers, came out on national TV and said the following words "I am not a role model". Remember the uproar that caused? People were like "Oh, well, he's a professional athlete. He should be a role model for all of our children". I said it then, and I'll say it now.....it's not Barkley's responsibility to raise other people's children. He was just being honest, and that's all he's been for his entire career, both on the court and off. Look back at the athletes as a whole from that timeframe. We never heard anything negative about Gretzky, Jordan, Elway, Kelly, or Smith. They went out and played hard. Now, some people made a big deal over Jordan losing a lot of money at an Atlantic City casino one evening, but guess what....he's a grown man, it's his money. Deal with it. Look at some of the more modern athletes. We never hear anything negative about Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, or to a smaller extent, DeWayne Wade. Those guys go out, play hard, and come back to do it all over again for their teams' next game. But, like I said in the last posting, that doesn't sell papers, and it doesn't spike TV ratings. Oh sure, people will make mention of Jeter being a night owl, and in New York, that's real easy to do. But again, its never affected his team, he's a grown man, and we should all be so lucky. Deal with it. Now, though, comes today's athlete. These are the ones who come into their respective leagues with a sense of entitlement, like it's their birthright to play professional sports. We've got guys throwing thousands of dollars at strip clubs in Vegas, causing enough of a riot to where someone ended up paralyzed. We've got guys keeping enough weapons and ammo in their homes that the military is considering making it an adjunct arsenal. Never mind the fact the owner is on probation for a weapons violation. And, the big kicker....we have a franchise player who is being looked at hard for running a dog fighting ring out of a home he owned in Virginia. Now, the last three guys I mentioned.....THAT'S making ratings. Stuff like that will sell newspapers, and it will get the talk radio people all worked up. Two of the three have been addressed. Adam "Pac-Man" Jones (throwing money at the club) has been suspended for the entire 2007 season by the NFL, a verdict he is appealing. But, before he could meet with the NFL commissioner, he's spotted at a New York strip club, doing roughly the same thing that got him into trouble. I can't make that one up, people. You don't find "I just don't get it" like that every day. It comes from years of bad decision making. In the second case, the owner of the weapons (Chicago Bears DT Tank Johnson) was a guest of the state of Illinios for a period of sixty days. He still has to meet with the NFL, but conventional wisdom says that he'll serve a suspension that's less than that of Adam Jones. After all, Johnson served time for his crime. But now, let's jump head-on into the final one, and that's the case of Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick. First, let's read off his laundry list. One, he almost caused an incident at a Miami airport by refusing to give up a water bottle before boarding. The bottle was surrendered, and subsequently found to have a secret compartment in the bottom. Miami-Dade police all said it smelled like marijuana, but tests were inconclusive. And, the security tapes from the whole episode were mysteriously erased. Second, he blows off meeting with Congress. That's right. Vick was supposed to meet with Congress on funding for after-school programs for America's youth. But, instead, he makes a lame excuse about oversleeping, missing an alarm,,,,,whatever! You're a grown man! Accept the responsibility. And, finally, the incident that has the Falcons, as an organization, holding their collective breath. Vick owned a home in Virginia that was found to have malnourished dogs, dog fighting items, blood-soaked towels and rags, andchains tied to car axles buried in the backyard. Dog fighting, the act that is a felony in most, if not all states, is the act that could bring the Falcon organization to their knees. They've invested over 100 million in Vick, and he rewards them with this. They've traded their top backup, Matt Schaub, to Houston, and have Joey Harrington in the wings. I predict Harrington will be the starter by Week 8. The more Vick hopes this will go away, the more comes out to tie him to this. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is beyond upset, he's downright ticked off. And he has every right to be. He's bent over backwards to accomodate Vick, and now, he has the proverbial egg on his face. Trading Vick is out of the question. Who would want to take on the contract? You can't really bench him, because who pays huge money to a back-up? Some Vick apologists are saying "Oh, this isn't him. It's his cousin". Rationalizing it doesn't make it right, but to Vick fans, it'll soothe their consciense a bit. Others will say "Well, it's just not in him to make bad decisions like this". Come on, people. This is a guy whose brother was dismissed from Virginia Tech for a history of bad decisions. Do I really need to bring up Marcus Vick stomping on the leg of then-Louisville DT Elvis Dumervill's leg in the Gator Bowl? It's time, for us, as a sports loving society, to re-claim the world of sports. Stop supporting these morons and their idiotic behavior. Will it make a dent on the surface? Probably not. But, how far do we have to go before the pendulum swings back to the side it once was on.....when we looked at our pro athletes and weren't ashamed to wear their jerseys? And, before you say this is just a case of boys will be boys, do me a favor. Go tell that to the guy in Vegas who was paralyzed from bad decision making. Go tell that to the dogs that the state of Virginia has had to put to sleep, or the other dogs that the Virginia ASPCA is trying to re-nourish due to their lack of care. If you can look those people and animals in the eye and rationalize the behavior.......have your head examined, or visit a priest. I'm done with it, plain and simple.
Till next time.....
Patrick
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
It's sad when it happens, but are we blaming the wrong thing?
Hello once again. You know, I've been thinking long and hard about a subject in sports today. During this time, I went from one side to another, to another. I even brought up this topic with my friends and colleagues. And, after a lot of discussion and consideration, here is my final thought on the topic: Josh Hancock killed himself. Not beer, not marijuana, not anything else. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock. Let me give some of you a back-story here. Josh Hancock, former relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was killed almost two weeks ago when he was involved in an accident on the highway in St. Louis. According to sources, he was on the phone, speeding, and had a blood-alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit in Missouri. In the car was a stash of marijuana. Now, when I first heard all of this, I wondered out loud: Isn't this a case of the media just piling on? But, after looking at it from all angles, I figured this out. It's a bit like the news media following the shootings at Virginia Tech. We all agree that the event itself is reprehensible beyond belief. We all agree that it was a senseless act. But, at the end of the day, when the shooter's tape reached the news media, all bets were off. Today's media is all about sensationalism, and whoever got that tape out first got the ratings. News media companies are, after all, a business, and their goal is to make money. What makes money? Controversy. It's why every media outlet, for almost a week, ran the tape and pictures of the shooter. Now, by saying all of this, in no way am I condoning what the shooter did, or what the news companies did. But, the paralell here is this: Once there was some zip to the Josh Hancock story, it was everywhere. It was bad enough that he was killed in a car accident, but now add to it that he was on the phone, legally drunk, and had marijuana in his possession, now that's front page material. Now, in the reactionary society we live in, we're seeing where some teams in Major League Baseball are banning alcohol from the clubhouse, with St. Louis taking the lead. OK, then why didn't they take this step in spring training, when their manager, Tony LaRussa was found alseep at the wheel at a stoplight? He wa over the legal limit then, but I never heard anything about banning alcohol from clubhouses. And, if we're going to start banning alcohol from the clubhouses, then when do all the alcohol advertising signs come down? I mean, if St. Louis is going to really take the lead here, let's see them remove all of the Budweiser signs from around Busch Stadium. Better than that, let's see them completely stop the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages from their games. That will never happen, of course, because of the revenues that alcohol brings in. At most parks, one beer goes for seven to eight dollars per cup. Now, clubs think it's more than OK for us, as average fans, to come in and buy beer from the National Anthem to the 7th inning stretch, and then go drive home. They have the cash in their pocket, and he have a hangover in the morning. But for clubs to then turn around and tell their milti-million dollar, pampered employees they can't have a beer after a game? Good luck enforcing that one. The fact that someone died while driving drunk is not an indictment on beer.....it's an indictment on the person. At what point do reason and accountability come into play? At what point does a 29 year old man realize he's had too much to dring, and therefore, should seek alternate methods of transportation? Let's assign blame where it really needs to be, people. It's not the spoon that makes people fat. The teacher is not the reason some kids do poorly in school. And, it's not the beer that killed Josh Hancock. Josh Hancock killed Josh Hancock.
That's all I have for now. Thanks again.
Till next time.......
Patrick
That's all I have for now. Thanks again.
Till next time.......
Patrick
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Baseball, Final Four, NASCAR......what a bore!!!
First off, let me start off by saying that I am in no way bored by baseball or this year's Final Four. NASCAR, we'll address that later.
Did anyone catch that moron Pete Rose on the Tonight Show? If not, let me paraphrase what he said. First off, Jay Leno asked hom, point blank, "Do you gamble anymore?" His reaction was priceless! He stuttered, stammered, then finally got out some feeble response, but it was like keeping a chunk of kryptonite around Superman. Then, Rose went on to claim he, at one time, was bigger than Elvis. Let me just say this: The Graceland estate makes 40 million a year, Rose bets the dog track in South Florida......who's bigger? Then he went on to say that he bet on his team every night. I know I was younger back then, but does anyone remember when he steadfastly denied that he ever bet on baseball, despite all of the evidence in front of him? He also went on to say that his gambling problem made him more of a human. OK, I'll need clarification on this one. More human? Come on.......I could come up with something a little better than that. He was on ESPN Radio recently, saying that if we were allowed back in baseball, he would get hired, strictly because he'd be a draw at the gate. Always thinking of ways to maximize the cash flow, that Pete is. I said it a long time ago, and I'm saying it now. Pete Rose doesn't deserve to be reinstated into baseball just because he's now admitting what we all knew years ago. I hated the fact he was allowed on the field prior to a World Series game in 1999. I also hated the fact that people crushed then-NBC reporter Jim Gray for grilling Rose about his gambling. Turns out Gray was on the right track, doesn't it? If we're going to reinstate someone, then reinstate Shoeless Joe. He was proven, in a court of law, not to have been on the take, along with his other 1919 Black Sox teammates, but Judge Landis banished them anyway, citing the "best interests of the game" clause. Keep Rose out of the Hall, please. He doesn't deserve it.....period. Was his accomplishment of breaking Ty Cobb's record something to see? Sure it was. But, when it comes out that, during the course of that game, you were changing jerseys once an inning to maximize the income potential, and that the bat used to break said record was sold to pay off gambling debts, then that should tell you what kind of degenerate we're talking about. I don't even think there should be some kind of plaque recognizing his accomplishment. Actually, there is a plaque about him on every clubhouse door. It says "Gambling on the game is subject to a lifetime ban from baseball". Take a clubhouse tour one time. You'll see what I'm talking about. Keep Rose out of the Hall. He'd just bring down good guys like Brett, Yount, Molitor, Gwynn, Ripken, Ryan, and Fisk.
So, I took a call the other day from a friend, who said he wanted to see more Yankees coverage in this website posting. Well, how's this? George Stienbrenner had named an heir-apparent to his Yankee throne a couple of years ago. Steve Swindall, Steinbrenner's son-in-law, was hand-picked by the Boss to succeed him when he finally steps down. Well, a monkey wrench got tossed into those plans. Turns out that Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, has filed for divorce from Swindall. Boy, talk about having the keys to the kingdom snatched away from you. The Boss can't fire Swindall altogether, though. Swindall remains a minority owner of the club. Boy, you have to hand it to those New Yorkers. They sure can put on a great soap opera.
To the Final Four, where Florida thumped Ohio State for its second championship in as many years. What made it a little more interesting is that these two schools met for the football championship, where Florida manhandled the Buckeyes. But, it's at that point where the basketball story becomes a secondary topic. Both of these schools are football schools. When someone first mentions either Florida or Ohio State, what do you think of? Football related things. Spurrier. Meyer. Wuerffel. Emmitt Smith. The Swamp. Or, in the case of Ohio State.....Hayes. George. Katzenmoyer (remember him?). The Horseshoe. Dotting the I. Troy Smith. All of these are football related things, people, and nothing is going to change that about either school. Florida coach Billy Donovan is supposedly going to meet with Kentucky officials about the job in Lexington. Two consecutive national titles, and he's still a distant third in Gainesville, behind the upcoming defense of their football championship and spring practice. And, while I'm on this subject, much has been made about Florida winning both the football and basketball championships. A little too much if you ask me. I mean, didn't Texas win both the football and baseball championships in one calendar year? They were even in line for the basketball championship that year as well. Yet, somehow, that gets brushed under the rug. Why? Because the baseball championship is awarded around the time we're all talking NFL training camp, and getting ready for two-a-days. Give credit to the Gators.....they hold two titles right now. They aren't the first to do it. Probably won't be the last.
To NASCAR, where way too much credence is being given to this boxy looking Car of Tomorrow. They recently used this car at Bristol and Martinsville, and, for my money, it stinks. This is a car that will be fully implemented in to NASCAR in the near future, and by then, we'll all sit back and remember the good racing days, where stock cars looked like cars, and not some Indy car knockoff. And, did anyone see who was on this development team for this atrocity? None other than Brett Bodine. You remember him.....the guy who used to drive the #26 Quaker State Buick for Kenny Bernstien Racing, who won his only race because he was a lap down at North Wilkesboro, and everyone else had to pit, handing him the race. Most other times, you could find him at the back of the field, up in the wall, or in the garage area once the green flag dropped. So, with this "stellar" career resume under his belt, how did he get involved in such an indeavour? Why is it, that the people who get trounced at something are the ones saying that things have to change (see also: McCain, John, 2000 Republican Presidential nominee)? One of the biggest things driving this change is safety, and I don't have an issue with that. But, I think with the addition of SAFER barriers, restrictor plates, and HANS devices, racing was already much safer. At the end of the day, it's called racing for a reason. Whoever is the fastest wins. If you can't go fast enough, or if you feel you can't compete, get out of the business. There's a reason (and this pains me to say more than you'll ever know) that Hendrick Motorsports is so successful. They spend whatever it takes to be at the top of their game. If teams can't compete with that, then so be it. Get out of the sport. But, for a loser like Bodine to come in and say he car needs to be redesigned, that's just plain sour grapes. I mean, what does he do now on race days? He drives the pace car, and was in danger of going a lap down to the field just this past Sunday! NASCAR should have just looked at his career totals. Then, they would have known what I've said all along: For some reason, the great teams are penalized by the sorry teams. For those about to make the argument that some of the lesser teams can't attract big-boy sponsors, yeah. There's a reason for that, and it just goes to prove my point. Show you're a winner, get the big dollars. Show you can't keep a car going straight, struggle to make the field each week. Scrap the Car of Tomorrow, please NASCAR. It really is a bad idea.
Well, there you have it. Baseball is now in full swing, no pun intended. The NFL is getting ready for its draft and mini-camps. The playoffs will soon start for both the NBA and NHL. It's a great time to be a sports fan. Take care.
Till next time......
Patrick
Did anyone catch that moron Pete Rose on the Tonight Show? If not, let me paraphrase what he said. First off, Jay Leno asked hom, point blank, "Do you gamble anymore?" His reaction was priceless! He stuttered, stammered, then finally got out some feeble response, but it was like keeping a chunk of kryptonite around Superman. Then, Rose went on to claim he, at one time, was bigger than Elvis. Let me just say this: The Graceland estate makes 40 million a year, Rose bets the dog track in South Florida......who's bigger? Then he went on to say that he bet on his team every night. I know I was younger back then, but does anyone remember when he steadfastly denied that he ever bet on baseball, despite all of the evidence in front of him? He also went on to say that his gambling problem made him more of a human. OK, I'll need clarification on this one. More human? Come on.......I could come up with something a little better than that. He was on ESPN Radio recently, saying that if we were allowed back in baseball, he would get hired, strictly because he'd be a draw at the gate. Always thinking of ways to maximize the cash flow, that Pete is. I said it a long time ago, and I'm saying it now. Pete Rose doesn't deserve to be reinstated into baseball just because he's now admitting what we all knew years ago. I hated the fact he was allowed on the field prior to a World Series game in 1999. I also hated the fact that people crushed then-NBC reporter Jim Gray for grilling Rose about his gambling. Turns out Gray was on the right track, doesn't it? If we're going to reinstate someone, then reinstate Shoeless Joe. He was proven, in a court of law, not to have been on the take, along with his other 1919 Black Sox teammates, but Judge Landis banished them anyway, citing the "best interests of the game" clause. Keep Rose out of the Hall, please. He doesn't deserve it.....period. Was his accomplishment of breaking Ty Cobb's record something to see? Sure it was. But, when it comes out that, during the course of that game, you were changing jerseys once an inning to maximize the income potential, and that the bat used to break said record was sold to pay off gambling debts, then that should tell you what kind of degenerate we're talking about. I don't even think there should be some kind of plaque recognizing his accomplishment. Actually, there is a plaque about him on every clubhouse door. It says "Gambling on the game is subject to a lifetime ban from baseball". Take a clubhouse tour one time. You'll see what I'm talking about. Keep Rose out of the Hall. He'd just bring down good guys like Brett, Yount, Molitor, Gwynn, Ripken, Ryan, and Fisk.
So, I took a call the other day from a friend, who said he wanted to see more Yankees coverage in this website posting. Well, how's this? George Stienbrenner had named an heir-apparent to his Yankee throne a couple of years ago. Steve Swindall, Steinbrenner's son-in-law, was hand-picked by the Boss to succeed him when he finally steps down. Well, a monkey wrench got tossed into those plans. Turns out that Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, has filed for divorce from Swindall. Boy, talk about having the keys to the kingdom snatched away from you. The Boss can't fire Swindall altogether, though. Swindall remains a minority owner of the club. Boy, you have to hand it to those New Yorkers. They sure can put on a great soap opera.
To the Final Four, where Florida thumped Ohio State for its second championship in as many years. What made it a little more interesting is that these two schools met for the football championship, where Florida manhandled the Buckeyes. But, it's at that point where the basketball story becomes a secondary topic. Both of these schools are football schools. When someone first mentions either Florida or Ohio State, what do you think of? Football related things. Spurrier. Meyer. Wuerffel. Emmitt Smith. The Swamp. Or, in the case of Ohio State.....Hayes. George. Katzenmoyer (remember him?). The Horseshoe. Dotting the I. Troy Smith. All of these are football related things, people, and nothing is going to change that about either school. Florida coach Billy Donovan is supposedly going to meet with Kentucky officials about the job in Lexington. Two consecutive national titles, and he's still a distant third in Gainesville, behind the upcoming defense of their football championship and spring practice. And, while I'm on this subject, much has been made about Florida winning both the football and basketball championships. A little too much if you ask me. I mean, didn't Texas win both the football and baseball championships in one calendar year? They were even in line for the basketball championship that year as well. Yet, somehow, that gets brushed under the rug. Why? Because the baseball championship is awarded around the time we're all talking NFL training camp, and getting ready for two-a-days. Give credit to the Gators.....they hold two titles right now. They aren't the first to do it. Probably won't be the last.
To NASCAR, where way too much credence is being given to this boxy looking Car of Tomorrow. They recently used this car at Bristol and Martinsville, and, for my money, it stinks. This is a car that will be fully implemented in to NASCAR in the near future, and by then, we'll all sit back and remember the good racing days, where stock cars looked like cars, and not some Indy car knockoff. And, did anyone see who was on this development team for this atrocity? None other than Brett Bodine. You remember him.....the guy who used to drive the #26 Quaker State Buick for Kenny Bernstien Racing, who won his only race because he was a lap down at North Wilkesboro, and everyone else had to pit, handing him the race. Most other times, you could find him at the back of the field, up in the wall, or in the garage area once the green flag dropped. So, with this "stellar" career resume under his belt, how did he get involved in such an indeavour? Why is it, that the people who get trounced at something are the ones saying that things have to change (see also: McCain, John, 2000 Republican Presidential nominee)? One of the biggest things driving this change is safety, and I don't have an issue with that. But, I think with the addition of SAFER barriers, restrictor plates, and HANS devices, racing was already much safer. At the end of the day, it's called racing for a reason. Whoever is the fastest wins. If you can't go fast enough, or if you feel you can't compete, get out of the business. There's a reason (and this pains me to say more than you'll ever know) that Hendrick Motorsports is so successful. They spend whatever it takes to be at the top of their game. If teams can't compete with that, then so be it. Get out of the sport. But, for a loser like Bodine to come in and say he car needs to be redesigned, that's just plain sour grapes. I mean, what does he do now on race days? He drives the pace car, and was in danger of going a lap down to the field just this past Sunday! NASCAR should have just looked at his career totals. Then, they would have known what I've said all along: For some reason, the great teams are penalized by the sorry teams. For those about to make the argument that some of the lesser teams can't attract big-boy sponsors, yeah. There's a reason for that, and it just goes to prove my point. Show you're a winner, get the big dollars. Show you can't keep a car going straight, struggle to make the field each week. Scrap the Car of Tomorrow, please NASCAR. It really is a bad idea.
Well, there you have it. Baseball is now in full swing, no pun intended. The NFL is getting ready for its draft and mini-camps. The playoffs will soon start for both the NBA and NHL. It's a great time to be a sports fan. Take care.
Till next time......
Patrick
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
I'm back.....Thanks for your patience
Well, it's good to be back. Sorry I've been away for all this time. With our weekend show done with for the season, I now have more time to devote to the blog, which really couldn't come at a better time. I say this, because, as everyone knows, the Madness is finally upon us. And it is within that light, I'd like to bring out a few things that are really bugging me about this tournament.
One, and we go through this one every year: Who got snubbed, who got in that shouldn't be in, etc., etc, etc. Syracuse will cry to anyone who will listen that they should be in. Listen to any interview with their coach, and he sounds like a sports information dude on a three-day Red Bull trip. He can quote strength of schedule, who won where, why his team should be in, and why his team is better than some teams that actually got in. But, press him on one key issue, and he goes into Fred Astaire mode. `Ask him about his big non-conference road game, and I swear to you, he'll bring up Canisius. I'll pause here to let everyone's jaw return to its original upright position. He uses Canisius as his big road game, even though it was played in Buffalo. OK, road games in college aren't like road games in high school, Coach. Then, keep pressing him about his choice of scheduling, and he'll finally say that things "just didn't work out". Well, guess what: Syracuse didn't work out either, and they'll miss the NCAA Tournament. Bravo to the committee for their stance on that.
Two, now, I'll shame the committee for leaving out the Drexel Dragons. That's right, I'm defending Drexel. They did all they had to do. They went on the road to play tough teams. They went into Syracuse and got a win. They went into Creighton (tournament team), and got a win. They went into Villanova (tournament team), and got a win. So, they did everything asked of them by the committee, and still got left out in the cold. I guess that fourth place finish in the Colonial Athletic Conference had something to do with it. So, one can say that the little guy got hosed again. However, the committee is, for all intents and purposes, putting on a TV event. The tournament will take up some prime time slots, knocking some pretty big shows off of CBS for a few weeks. They don't want something that's not going to get ratings. Everyone says they love the underdog, but the ratings say otherwise. I'm not saying it's a fair decision, I'm saying that if the NCAA and CBS are business partners in this venture, then don't look for Cinderella on any kind of prime viewing slot.
Three, and I told everyone this one long before it ever came to pass. Clemson does not deserve a spot in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT-Not Invited Tournament). Yes, they were 17-0 at one point, but when the schedule includes mostly teams from the Southern Conference, then that's really nothing to be bragging about. Clemson does not committ to basketball, period. It's why Rick Barnes left, it's why Larry Shyatt was able to stay as long as he did, and it's why they are not relavent in ACC talk when it comes to baketball season. And this is all coming from someone who went to school there. In 1990, Tate George hit an improbable shot to knock Clemson out of the tournament. That team had Elden Campbell and Dale Davis. The TIgers haven't had any team that could even come close to that team. Heck, they even lost to Elon College just last season in a game that was supposed to be a tune-up for the ACC season. I can just imagine the Elon people now: Wow, let's see, we went on the road to Littlejohn Coliseum, beat a school from a major conference, and asked for a check on the way out the door. Sounds like a winner to me. This season, Clemson had too many excuses and not enough wins when it counted. They blame a clock error for a loss at Duke. Do you really think, as a visiting team to Cameron Indoor, that you're going to get sympathy? The very next game, they forget to score in the last six and a half minutes of the game to lose to Virginia. Feel free to put the ball in the bucket any time, boys. After that, they just mail it in. Want more proof? OK, try this: Why would a senior point guard, in his conference tournament, knowing that his team has to have that game to even be considered for an NCAA bid, committ a backcourt violation in the closing seconds? Don't give me the argument that the refs blew the call. I saw the play, and no, there wasn't a foul.....it was an all ball block. But, the bottom line is this: Clemson should have never let Florida State be that close to begin with. Clemson basketball will always be synonymous with mediocrity, and sometimes, even that is giving them too much credit.
Bottom line for everyone complaining how they didn't get in the tournament: Win some more games. Toughen your schedule. Playing the Nevada Culinary Institute will no longer count as a good win. And, while we're on the subject, consider this for all the teams that are going to the NIT: Since the NCAA now owns the NIT, did anyone really think they were going to fill it with teams that had no real compelling stroyline? Again, business decisions trump everything else, and the NCAA is protecting its investment.
Baseball is right around the corner, and for the life of me, I'm still trying to figure out why the Braves still have Mike Hampton. I'm also trying to figure out how A-Rod is still with the Yankees. Nobody comes out in the press in New York, rips Derek Jeter, and keeps their spot in the Yankee lineup. Jeter brought championships to the Yanks, A-Rod has brought nothing but problems. I've actually met the guy before, for about thirty seconds in the Rangers locker room. Remember that saying about first impressions? It's all true. He's a bonafide, certified, stuck-on-himself jerk. I'm also trying to figure out why San Francisco re-signed Barry Bonds. I know it's all about the home run chase, but even if he breaks the record, does anyone really think he'll be recognized as the true home run king?
Well, that's about it for now. I'll do a better job of posting since I now have more time. Hopefully, we'll have a website for the weekend show coming this summer. With all this talk about basketball and baseball, just remember this: Spring practice is right around the corner, then it will be on to the 7-on-7 season. After a short break, it will be time for 2-a-days once again. Gotta love the sports calendar, don't you? Till next time................
Patrick
One, and we go through this one every year: Who got snubbed, who got in that shouldn't be in, etc., etc, etc. Syracuse will cry to anyone who will listen that they should be in. Listen to any interview with their coach, and he sounds like a sports information dude on a three-day Red Bull trip. He can quote strength of schedule, who won where, why his team should be in, and why his team is better than some teams that actually got in. But, press him on one key issue, and he goes into Fred Astaire mode. `Ask him about his big non-conference road game, and I swear to you, he'll bring up Canisius. I'll pause here to let everyone's jaw return to its original upright position. He uses Canisius as his big road game, even though it was played in Buffalo. OK, road games in college aren't like road games in high school, Coach. Then, keep pressing him about his choice of scheduling, and he'll finally say that things "just didn't work out". Well, guess what: Syracuse didn't work out either, and they'll miss the NCAA Tournament. Bravo to the committee for their stance on that.
Two, now, I'll shame the committee for leaving out the Drexel Dragons. That's right, I'm defending Drexel. They did all they had to do. They went on the road to play tough teams. They went into Syracuse and got a win. They went into Creighton (tournament team), and got a win. They went into Villanova (tournament team), and got a win. So, they did everything asked of them by the committee, and still got left out in the cold. I guess that fourth place finish in the Colonial Athletic Conference had something to do with it. So, one can say that the little guy got hosed again. However, the committee is, for all intents and purposes, putting on a TV event. The tournament will take up some prime time slots, knocking some pretty big shows off of CBS for a few weeks. They don't want something that's not going to get ratings. Everyone says they love the underdog, but the ratings say otherwise. I'm not saying it's a fair decision, I'm saying that if the NCAA and CBS are business partners in this venture, then don't look for Cinderella on any kind of prime viewing slot.
Three, and I told everyone this one long before it ever came to pass. Clemson does not deserve a spot in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT-Not Invited Tournament). Yes, they were 17-0 at one point, but when the schedule includes mostly teams from the Southern Conference, then that's really nothing to be bragging about. Clemson does not committ to basketball, period. It's why Rick Barnes left, it's why Larry Shyatt was able to stay as long as he did, and it's why they are not relavent in ACC talk when it comes to baketball season. And this is all coming from someone who went to school there. In 1990, Tate George hit an improbable shot to knock Clemson out of the tournament. That team had Elden Campbell and Dale Davis. The TIgers haven't had any team that could even come close to that team. Heck, they even lost to Elon College just last season in a game that was supposed to be a tune-up for the ACC season. I can just imagine the Elon people now: Wow, let's see, we went on the road to Littlejohn Coliseum, beat a school from a major conference, and asked for a check on the way out the door. Sounds like a winner to me. This season, Clemson had too many excuses and not enough wins when it counted. They blame a clock error for a loss at Duke. Do you really think, as a visiting team to Cameron Indoor, that you're going to get sympathy? The very next game, they forget to score in the last six and a half minutes of the game to lose to Virginia. Feel free to put the ball in the bucket any time, boys. After that, they just mail it in. Want more proof? OK, try this: Why would a senior point guard, in his conference tournament, knowing that his team has to have that game to even be considered for an NCAA bid, committ a backcourt violation in the closing seconds? Don't give me the argument that the refs blew the call. I saw the play, and no, there wasn't a foul.....it was an all ball block. But, the bottom line is this: Clemson should have never let Florida State be that close to begin with. Clemson basketball will always be synonymous with mediocrity, and sometimes, even that is giving them too much credit.
Bottom line for everyone complaining how they didn't get in the tournament: Win some more games. Toughen your schedule. Playing the Nevada Culinary Institute will no longer count as a good win. And, while we're on the subject, consider this for all the teams that are going to the NIT: Since the NCAA now owns the NIT, did anyone really think they were going to fill it with teams that had no real compelling stroyline? Again, business decisions trump everything else, and the NCAA is protecting its investment.
Baseball is right around the corner, and for the life of me, I'm still trying to figure out why the Braves still have Mike Hampton. I'm also trying to figure out how A-Rod is still with the Yankees. Nobody comes out in the press in New York, rips Derek Jeter, and keeps their spot in the Yankee lineup. Jeter brought championships to the Yanks, A-Rod has brought nothing but problems. I've actually met the guy before, for about thirty seconds in the Rangers locker room. Remember that saying about first impressions? It's all true. He's a bonafide, certified, stuck-on-himself jerk. I'm also trying to figure out why San Francisco re-signed Barry Bonds. I know it's all about the home run chase, but even if he breaks the record, does anyone really think he'll be recognized as the true home run king?
Well, that's about it for now. I'll do a better job of posting since I now have more time. Hopefully, we'll have a website for the weekend show coming this summer. With all this talk about basketball and baseball, just remember this: Spring practice is right around the corner, then it will be on to the 7-on-7 season. After a short break, it will be time for 2-a-days once again. Gotta love the sports calendar, don't you? Till next time................
Patrick
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