It seems other sports felt left out, so they're getting involved, too.
College football
Iowa (Annie-O's favorite team) lost it's bid to the 'Final Four' and it's undefeated season in a loss to Michigan State. Stanford won big so Janice Hough should be very happy.
So now it's up to the selection committee to irritate at least three teams by not including them in the playoffs. The other Bowl game participants should be announced in a few days , too. That's when I go to work.
The It's-Just-Wrong Dept
Color man description: "He's got to go vertical there." Translation: He should have passed.
College Basketball
Syracuse lost big. Sure, the scoreboard said 79-72, but the Orange were out of it after 4 minutes. Every game, their outside shooting gets worse and worse. I think they called two timeouts to see if the balls were over-inflated. Unfortunately, they weren't.
Michigan State beat up on little Binghamton College, a small school in the southern tier of New York State. The final score was 76-33. I think MSU played two coaches and a fan for the final 10 minutes.
Louisville 111, Grand Canyon 63. Grand Canyon's defense was so bad, Louisville scored 6 points before the opening tip. The final score was this close only because three Cardinals changed uniforms to play for the Antelopes in the 2nd half. Is Louisville's home court really called KFC YUM! Center? Come on. Are the two locker rooms called 'Wings' and 'Thighs?'
It's-Just-Wrong Dept.
"He sang the nylon song." Trans: He scored.
Baseball
The 'One Dumb Owner' ranks are swelling. The SF Giants have signed Jeff Samardzija for 5 years at $90 million per year. Jeff's not completely pleased since he didn't reach the $100 million mark.The San Fran newspapers can't be too happy either. No matter how they spell Jeff's last name, it will still look misspelled.
We have a winner. If you thought David Price's $31 million per year was outrageous, check this out. Zack Greinke (32 yrs old) will be paid $34.3 million for 6 years. Since he averages 32 starts a year, it means he will make more than one million dollars every time he starts a game. That's about $11,000 per pitch.
Okay, who's next?
Buster Olney has finished his ranking of the top ten players at each position (all MBL), based on input from players and evaluators. Catcher evaluations include all aspects of catching (including preparation) and hitting. The Yanks Brian McCann was ranked #9. Interestingly enough, Toronto's Russell Martin (former Yank) was #3 and Francisco Cervelli (again, a former Yank) was #4. Maybe 'interesting' isn't the right word.
Pro Football
It's Sunday and pro football day around the country where we watch some 1200 athletes try to avoid a concussion. Which reminds me of one suggestion I read a while ago about how to avoid serious injuries on the field: Make it illegal to wear helmets. Obviously, it will never happen, but think about it.
I don't often say this [although Annie-O says I should], but I was wrong about Dickson's "Bottom Ten" being over with. A computer glitch prevented me from seeing it.
1. UCF (0-12): Any player who signs a letter of
intent with UCF must undergo concussion protocol.
3. Eastern Michigan (1-11): Midway through this
season the Eastern Michigan Eagle mascot flew south for the winter.
5. North Texas (1-11): I’m trying to confirm
the North Texas quarterback missed the last game after phoning in and claiming
he had a dentist appointment.
The Syracuse football team earned Honorable Mention this week.
Next week: The final standings
***THEY SAID IT***
"Wednesday night, an 8-year-old boy heading to a CenturyLink Center
restroom at halftime was invited to join the Creighton basketball
huddle. Heck, with the typical lines for CenturyLink Center restrooms,
he had time to play the second half." -- Brad Dickson
"To honor Steve Nash’s induction into the Phoenix Suns’ Ring of Honor, Suns
players wore socks with Steve Nash’s face on them. Can’t wait to see what the
Red Sox come up with for Curt Schilling Induction Day" -- Dwight Perry
"NFL’s cunning plan of removing one Brady target per week until he has no one
left to throw to finally pays off" -- Fark,com
"Kobe Bryant has announced that he will retire after this season. I wonder how much collectors will pay for his last “air ball” -- TC Chong
"Zack Greinke signed a 6 year, $206 million deal with the…. Arizona
Diamondbacks? Well, maybe Greinke figured he would do better without all
that post-season pressure." -- Janice Hough
"Timofey Mozgov, the Cavaliers’ Russian center, shot 0 for 3 in his only
scoreless outing of the season against the Wizards last Tuesday.In other words, nothing but nyet." -- Dwight Perry
" Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was demoted to third string after a
“party video” of him surfaced on YouTube. My reaction: good thing there
was no YouTube when Paul Hornung, Joe Namath and Jim McMahon played." -- Brad Dickson
"Outfielder Nori Aoki says he signed with the Mariners to win a World Series. That’s like going to the moon for water." -- Chris Hill via facebook
"BBC News reports Bertie has fought off all challengers to earn the title of world’s fastest tortoise. Anyone else just think of the NFC East?" -- RJ Currie
CP-
Sunday, December 06, 2015
Friday, December 04, 2015
CASHMAN MAY BE RIGHT
Die-hard Yankee fans (like me) feel bad when the dreaded Boston Red Sox pull off a coup like signing a true ace (D. Price) to a contract. We wish that Brian Cashman would go out and sign a couple of big names, too. But he won't, and why? Because the Yanks are beginning to have a farm system with some potentially great players. We saw two of them this year make significant contributions and we were told that there are two more that could make a big splash this year - Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez.
In the Arizona fall league, the Yanks have another power pitcher learning his trade that has superstar potential. His name is Domingo Acevedo. He's 21 years old, 6 foot 7 inches tall and throws 100 MPH. Even his teammates are stunned watching him pitch.
So Brian, don't sign players that require you to give up draft picks. We want to see more of these kids. So thank you Sabathia, Tex, A-Rod and Beltran. We appreciate what you've done in the past but lets see some players approaching their prime instead of those past it.
The effect of David Price's contract
Does a pitcher who lost 13 games last year with an ERA of 4.96 and a WHIP of 1.30, warrant a $100 million contract? Well that's what Jeff Samardzija is supposedly asking for. In 8 years, he's won a total of 47 games. I like his potential and he is only 30 years old, so 3 years @ $8 million a year would be okay. Beyond that....
Around the horn
If you look at just the score, Syracuse lost a tough game in overtime Wednesday night to Wisconsin. The true story is that Wisconsin exposed some very bad weaknesses of the Orange. They were out rebounded so badly, I don't even want to tell you the numbers. They missed 9 of 20 free throws and they shot horribly. Boeheim was right; when they shoot well, they can beat anybody. When they don't, they currently have no other aspect of the game to fall back on.
Rodgers to Rodgers touchdown wins the game for the Packers last night. The game should have ended when Aaron Rodgers was sacked by Devin Taylor, but...he grabbed Rodger's face mask and the Packers got a free play even though the clock said the game was over. 61 yards later, it was. The longest game winning touchdown in NFL history.
Buster Olney is ranking the top ten players at each position. So far, he's gone thru starters, relievers, first base, 2nd base, 3rd base, SS and left field. Dellin Betances was the #4 reliever and Brett Gardner, the #8 left fielder. Doesn't look too good for New York.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Understand that Zack Greinke is choosing between competing offers from the SF Giants and LA Dodgers. Now, it’s a big decision. But regarding a bidding war that comes down to money -once you have $200 million, even with California tax rates, can’t you buy anything you ever wanted? And feed your family to boot?" -- Janice Hough
" Tiger Woods does not know when he will return after his latest back surgery. Eldrick’s back may eventually heal, but that “Nike logo 9 iron” brand will be forever embedded in his backside." -- Tony Chong
" On the way to Arrowhead Stadium, the Buffalo Bills' team bus broke down. Normally when this happens it's in New England after Tom Brady and Belichick let the air out of the tires." -- Brad Dickson
"Headline in the Detroit Free Press: B1G awards: Michigan’s Jake Butt named Tight End of the Year." -- Dwight Perry
" Reuters reports an Indiana Labrador shot its owner in the foot. Not to be outdone, New Orleans claims a team of Pelicans keep shooting themselves in their own feet" -- RJ Currie
"The next "Star Wars" film takes place so far into the future that the Golden State Warriors have lost a game." -- Brad Dickson
"A miracle has occurred, the 76ers won a game and are now 1-18. Since they play in the NBA’s Eastern Conference that means Philadelphia should be right in the playoff hunt." -- Janice Hough
CP-
In the Arizona fall league, the Yanks have another power pitcher learning his trade that has superstar potential. His name is Domingo Acevedo. He's 21 years old, 6 foot 7 inches tall and throws 100 MPH. Even his teammates are stunned watching him pitch.
So Brian, don't sign players that require you to give up draft picks. We want to see more of these kids. So thank you Sabathia, Tex, A-Rod and Beltran. We appreciate what you've done in the past but lets see some players approaching their prime instead of those past it.
The effect of David Price's contract
Does a pitcher who lost 13 games last year with an ERA of 4.96 and a WHIP of 1.30, warrant a $100 million contract? Well that's what Jeff Samardzija is supposedly asking for. In 8 years, he's won a total of 47 games. I like his potential and he is only 30 years old, so 3 years @ $8 million a year would be okay. Beyond that....
Around the horn
If you look at just the score, Syracuse lost a tough game in overtime Wednesday night to Wisconsin. The true story is that Wisconsin exposed some very bad weaknesses of the Orange. They were out rebounded so badly, I don't even want to tell you the numbers. They missed 9 of 20 free throws and they shot horribly. Boeheim was right; when they shoot well, they can beat anybody. When they don't, they currently have no other aspect of the game to fall back on.
Rodgers to Rodgers touchdown wins the game for the Packers last night. The game should have ended when Aaron Rodgers was sacked by Devin Taylor, but...he grabbed Rodger's face mask and the Packers got a free play even though the clock said the game was over. 61 yards later, it was. The longest game winning touchdown in NFL history.
Buster Olney is ranking the top ten players at each position. So far, he's gone thru starters, relievers, first base, 2nd base, 3rd base, SS and left field. Dellin Betances was the #4 reliever and Brett Gardner, the #8 left fielder. Doesn't look too good for New York.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Understand that Zack Greinke is choosing between competing offers from the SF Giants and LA Dodgers. Now, it’s a big decision. But regarding a bidding war that comes down to money -once you have $200 million, even with California tax rates, can’t you buy anything you ever wanted? And feed your family to boot?" -- Janice Hough
" Tiger Woods does not know when he will return after his latest back surgery. Eldrick’s back may eventually heal, but that “Nike logo 9 iron” brand will be forever embedded in his backside." -- Tony Chong
" On the way to Arrowhead Stadium, the Buffalo Bills' team bus broke down. Normally when this happens it's in New England after Tom Brady and Belichick let the air out of the tires." -- Brad Dickson
"Headline in the Detroit Free Press: B1G awards: Michigan’s Jake Butt named Tight End of the Year." -- Dwight Perry
" Reuters reports an Indiana Labrador shot its owner in the foot. Not to be outdone, New Orleans claims a team of Pelicans keep shooting themselves in their own feet" -- RJ Currie
"The next "Star Wars" film takes place so far into the future that the Golden State Warriors have lost a game." -- Brad Dickson
"A miracle has occurred, the 76ers won a game and are now 1-18. Since they play in the NBA’s Eastern Conference that means Philadelphia should be right in the playoff hunt." -- Janice Hough
"Russia has handed marathon runner Maria Konovalova a two-year ban for
using performance-enhancing drugs. Coincidence? The last time she raced, she lapped the field five
times." -- Dwight Perry
"Too bad that tonight’s NFL game wasn’t a playoff affair, otherwise it would be
forever remembered as “The Motown Miracle”. -- TC Chong
"Scientists analysed over 2000 singers and songs to find the most
feel-good song ever sung. Not under consideration: the Carl Lewis
rendition of the Star Spangled Banner." -- RJ Currie
CP-
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
ONE DUMB OWNER
Scott Boras must be in Uber-agent heaven. The Boston Red Sox signed David Price to a seven-year deal worth $217 million. That's $31 million a year. It doesn't matter who Price's agent is, this deal raises the bar for all the other free agent pitchers that are available. There's Wei-Yin Chen, Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke and Scott Kasmir to name a few. They were all going to get big money anyway but now they'll be asking super big money. It's one thing to pay a position player to a long term deal for big dollars. Even at 40 years old, A-Rod is still productive. Okay, maybe not $27 million productive, but productive. How's that compare to CC Sabathia? Pitchers are much too fragile for these types of contracts. Maybe this will work out for Boston, but it's been proven that you can't buy a pennant. Seven players - Hanley Ramirez, Pedro Sandoval, David Ortiz, Clay Bucholz, Dustin Pedroia, Rick Porcello and Craig Kimbrel - will cost the Sox $98 million alone. And three of them are pitchers.
But let's not forget, the Yankees have the same problem: Five players (Teixeira, Sabathia, Ellsbury, Tanaka and Alex Rodriguez) will make more than $110 million combined next season.
The Red Sox have also signed one of the Yankees more productive players from last year: Chris Young. The Sox already have 6 outfielders on their roster and this just adds to the log jam.
So the Silly Season is off and running and the Winter Meetings don't even start for another five days.
**The Orioles have traded for Mark Trumbo who can hit home runs but needs a daily introduction to his glove. His on-base percentage is extremely low, too. The O's first baseman last year, Chris Davis is a similar player - home runs but not much else. Davis is a free agent who figures to cash in on his 47 homers last year, so Trumbo is a hedge against the loss of Davis.
**The Indians signed a contract with Joba Chamberlain. They have promised him that there will be no midges in the stadium next year. I guess if you wait long enough, items will show up in a contract that you wouldn't believe.
**The San Diego Padres have unveiled new uniforms for 2016. It won't help; they'll still be recognized.
**David Price is now one of FOUR players making $30 million or more a year. Some evaluators think that Zack Greinke may be the fifth. They believe he may get $165 million over 5 years - $33 million a year.
It appears that the "Bottom Ten" item that Brad Dickson publishes every week is gone until next year. Too bad. It was always good for some of the best lines I've read all year.
Phil Mushnick, columnist for the NY Post, hates when football analysts fracture the English language with "colorful" terms for standard plays. This what he terms, " When I nod my head, you hit it." Here are a few of his favorites (?):
"lost his eye-discipline" (Translation: He lost the ball)
"He has arm-talent." (He can throw hard)
"willing to run downhill" (he tries to gain yards)
"not put the ball on the ground" (Don't fumble)
"has had some off-the-field issues" (He was arrested)
"He found a receiver in space" ( he was open)
I believe there are 80 bowl games this year. I'm sure there will be some interesting names involved. I will keep you informed.
***THEY SAID IT***
"According to a study, the Buffalo Bills have the drunkest fans in the NFL. You think there’s a lot of competition for that Super Bowl trophy." -- Brad Dickson
" LeBron James is saying now that he regrets that he didn’t meet Kobe Bryant in the NBA finals. Well, yeah, who wouldn’t want to have played Kobe’s Lakers lately in the NBA finals." -- Janice Hough
" Browns coach Mike Pettine suggested a successful NFL QB needs to make sacrifices, which Johnny Manziel doesn’t understand. I’ll say. If Manziel was a kamikaze pilot, he’d already have flown 39 round trips." -- RJ Currie
"Imagine Johnny Manziel, sitting there, taking classes for three years at Texas A&M. Yeah, neither can I." -- Phil Mushnick
"So let me get this straight, the NFL rules say SOMEONE has to win the NFC East? -- Janice Hough
CP-
But let's not forget, the Yankees have the same problem: Five players (Teixeira, Sabathia, Ellsbury, Tanaka and Alex Rodriguez) will make more than $110 million combined next season.
The Red Sox have also signed one of the Yankees more productive players from last year: Chris Young. The Sox already have 6 outfielders on their roster and this just adds to the log jam.
So the Silly Season is off and running and the Winter Meetings don't even start for another five days.
**The Orioles have traded for Mark Trumbo who can hit home runs but needs a daily introduction to his glove. His on-base percentage is extremely low, too. The O's first baseman last year, Chris Davis is a similar player - home runs but not much else. Davis is a free agent who figures to cash in on his 47 homers last year, so Trumbo is a hedge against the loss of Davis.
**The Indians signed a contract with Joba Chamberlain. They have promised him that there will be no midges in the stadium next year. I guess if you wait long enough, items will show up in a contract that you wouldn't believe.
**The San Diego Padres have unveiled new uniforms for 2016. It won't help; they'll still be recognized.
**David Price is now one of FOUR players making $30 million or more a year. Some evaluators think that Zack Greinke may be the fifth. They believe he may get $165 million over 5 years - $33 million a year.
It appears that the "Bottom Ten" item that Brad Dickson publishes every week is gone until next year. Too bad. It was always good for some of the best lines I've read all year.
Phil Mushnick, columnist for the NY Post, hates when football analysts fracture the English language with "colorful" terms for standard plays. This what he terms, " When I nod my head, you hit it." Here are a few of his favorites (?):
"lost his eye-discipline" (Translation: He lost the ball)
"He has arm-talent." (He can throw hard)
"willing to run downhill" (he tries to gain yards)
"not put the ball on the ground" (Don't fumble)
"has had some off-the-field issues" (He was arrested)
"He found a receiver in space" ( he was open)
I believe there are 80 bowl games this year. I'm sure there will be some interesting names involved. I will keep you informed.
***THEY SAID IT***
"According to a study, the Buffalo Bills have the drunkest fans in the NFL. You think there’s a lot of competition for that Super Bowl trophy." -- Brad Dickson
" LeBron James is saying now that he regrets that he didn’t meet Kobe Bryant in the NBA finals. Well, yeah, who wouldn’t want to have played Kobe’s Lakers lately in the NBA finals." -- Janice Hough
" Browns coach Mike Pettine suggested a successful NFL QB needs to make sacrifices, which Johnny Manziel doesn’t understand. I’ll say. If Manziel was a kamikaze pilot, he’d already have flown 39 round trips." -- RJ Currie
"Imagine Johnny Manziel, sitting there, taking classes for three years at Texas A&M. Yeah, neither can I." -- Phil Mushnick
"Cowboys
QB Tony Romo is out for the season after breaking his collarbone for the second
time in nine weeks. In
other words, he has a snap count of two." -- Dwight Perry
"Russia suspended one of its own women distance runners for performance enhancing drugs. For the Russians to do this, she must have had PEDs oozing from her ears." -- Brad Dickson"So let me get this straight, the NFL rules say SOMEONE has to win the NFC East? -- Janice Hough
"Buffalo’s team bus broke down en route to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday,
laying claim to the NFL’s first stalled drive of the
day. The Bills, simply out of habit, emerged from the bus in punt
formation." -- Dwight Perry
"Ex-Yankee great Derek Jeter retired with 260 major league home runs. Or 261 if you include getting engaged to SI Swimsuit Issue cover girl Hannah Davis." -- RJ CurrieCP-
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Just for Chad
"I'd say that it's hard to believe that he would take these positions, but his history makes you realize that this is nothing unusual for him."
Of course it's not unusual. Anything and everything Roger says or does in relation to the NFL, excuse me, THE National Football League, has been certified, approved and in the sole best interests of his employers, the owners of NFL, excuse me, THE National Football League, teams.
Roger, the individual, is irrelevant, replaceable, obedient, loyal and willing to hold any position when instructed to do so by ownership, even when the position flies in the face of logic, science, ethics, morality...
Blaming Roger easily dismisses Kraft, Jones, Pegula, Irsay, Snide(r) and the rest of the pack from scrutiny.
Make fun of the straw man. Slay the Judas goat. Remain stupid.
And according to 'Mr. America's Team', " Who doesn't like watching an almost human pinochio use his lying nose to check 32 prostrates?"
Of course it's not unusual. Anything and everything Roger says or does in relation to the NFL, excuse me, THE National Football League, has been certified, approved and in the sole best interests of his employers, the owners of NFL, excuse me, THE National Football League, teams.
Roger, the individual, is irrelevant, replaceable, obedient, loyal and willing to hold any position when instructed to do so by ownership, even when the position flies in the face of logic, science, ethics, morality...
Blaming Roger easily dismisses Kraft, Jones, Pegula, Irsay, Snide(r) and the rest of the pack from scrutiny.
Make fun of the straw man. Slay the Judas goat. Remain stupid.
And according to 'Mr. America's Team', " Who doesn't like watching an almost human pinochio use his lying nose to check 32 prostrates?"
Friday, November 27, 2015
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Haven't posted in a while, I've been busy (doing what I don't know). Lotsa things happening in the world of sports, so lets take them one at a time:
Yankees make a big move
No, wait, they didn't. Unless you consider the acquisition of Aaron Hicks, a fourth outfielder, a big move. For him, they had to give up John Ryan Murphy. I like Murphy, but the Yanks have what they consider to be a plethora of good catchers.
Of course, as usual during the "Silly Season," New York is listed as a potential landing spot for every major free agent. They probably won't make any kind of big move for two reasons: 1) they're still trying to pare their payroll because of the big contracts they're locked into for players no one would be willing to take off their hands. 2) Other than a starting pitcher, they have no position for any major free agent that's available. In fact, we may see a couple long time Yankees moved - Bret Gardner and/or Adam Warren. There is also a remote possibility that Rookie sensation Greg Bird may be packaged and sent somewhere, but they would have to be overwhelmed to move him.
Rumors abound at the Winter Meetings
This is normal and a few signings or trades do take place, but it usually takes one big name to sign to open the logjam and set the market. The Meetings don't start for another nine days, so I doubt there will be any major moves until then. Normally the agents try to play clubs off against each other to get the biggest contracts. This is called the "Scott Boras Gambit," because he figures that if he waits long enough, some team will panic and offer some outrageous sum. Unfortunately, this usually works.
By the way, Boras still insists that Jose Fernandez will have some kind of pitch count ceiling next season, regardless of what the Marlins say.
There is parity in the NFL
Outside of five or six teams, no one has a really good record. In fact, the Indianapolis Colts (AFC South) ans The NY Giants (NFC North) lead their divisions with 5 and 5 records. We could have a few teams in the playoffs with records of .500 or below. This isn't parity, it's mediocrity.
Sad news
The family of the recently deceased Frank Gifford allowed the medical community to examine his brain and they discovered CTE, (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a brain disease linked directly to brain trauma. thought by many to be caused by trauma resulting from concussions. Further tests are forthcoming. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has acknowledged the situation which is quite a change from his previous stances: CTE doesn't exist. - It isn't caused by concussions. - There are no concussions in football. I'd say that it's hard to believe that he would take these positions, but his history makes you realize that this is nothing unusual for him.
College Basketball
The Syracuse Orange basketball team plays for the championship of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas this afternoon. They're are only 5 games into the season, but the Orange do look like they have some talent. Surprising? Yes, a little. Boeheim explains it this way: "When we hit our shots, we win. When we don't, we could lose to anybody." I better write that down.
College Football
There are 12 teams in D-1 football with one loss or less and at least 9 wins, with 2 teams at 11-0. So when the CFP selection committee finally chooses the four teams that will play for the championship, there will be at least eight other teams screaming foul. This should be lotsa fun.
Wisconsin Badger fans pelted their own cheerleaders with snowballs, driving them off the field. Sometimes the cheerleaders are the most entertaining thing on the field, but when your team is 8-3, how can you be bored with the game?
Brad Dickson' Bottom Ten
2. Eastern Michigan (1-10): The Eagles used the bye week to prepare to lose really good to Central Michigan Friday.
3. Kansas (0-11): KU fell to West Virginia 49-0. The Mountaineers had three 100-yard rushers. Four if you count the dean of the College of Agriculture.
4. Wyoming (1-10): Well, things could be worse in Laramie — no wait, they couldn’t.
Just for Vod
To my limited knowledge, Lebron James did nothing to upset me this week. I guess the uniform issue has been resolved (in all likelihood in King James' favor).
In spite of my dislike of the NBA, I could watch highlights of Steph Curry all day.
Temper, temper
Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd has been suspended for one game without pay for aggressively pursuing and confronting a game official, slapping the ball out of his hands and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection. Now THAT would be entertaining.
***THEY SAID IT***
"National Geographic picked Winnipeg as one of the world’s Top 20 Best Trips of 2016. Unless you’re looking for professional football." -- RJ Currie
"During a timeout in a game vs. the Lakers, a Golden State fan hit a free throw, a mid-range jumper and a half-court shot. The Lakers are now being out-shot by Golden State fans." -- Brad Dickson
"There is a glut — as in 40 — of college bowl games this season: “The only reason to watch the majority of those bowl games is if you are in a hospital bed with an IV-drip and sensors to monitor your vital signs and you cannot reach the remote to change the channel and the nurses are busy." -- Jack Finarelli, The Sports Curmudgeon
"This Thanksgiving, President Obama may pardon a turkey, the Cowboys and the Eagles" -- TC Chong
" The Saints fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan after three seasons. He wasn’t even there long enough to get a haircut." -- Brad Dickson
"76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor apparently knocked a guy out in a street fight in Boston last night. Of course Okafor should know better. But hey, it might be the only win he can remember this year." -- Janice Hough
"Color blind viewers said they couldn’t decipher the difference between the all red and all green uniforms worn on last Thurs night’s NFL Bills/Jets game. “Why didn’t I think of that?” said Broncos QB Peyton Manning after he threw four interceptions on Sunday." -- TC Chong
"To persons who use my mythical football predictions for gambling purposes. If stupidity were an Olympic event, you would be Mark Spitz." -- Jack Finarelli
"The Saints have surrendered an NFL-worst 424 yards and 31.5 points per game. I thought ‘defensive indifference’ occurred only in baseball." -- TC Chong
"President Obama pardoned the White House turkeys named Honest and Abe. Someone called "Hey Honest!" and the only one in Washington D.C. to turn around was the turkey." -- Brad Dickson
"Floyd Mayweather expressed sympathy for Ronda Rousey by saying “A true champion can take a loss and bounce back.” The guy was 49-0. How would he know?" -- RJ Currie
CP-
Yankees make a big move
No, wait, they didn't. Unless you consider the acquisition of Aaron Hicks, a fourth outfielder, a big move. For him, they had to give up John Ryan Murphy. I like Murphy, but the Yanks have what they consider to be a plethora of good catchers.
Of course, as usual during the "Silly Season," New York is listed as a potential landing spot for every major free agent. They probably won't make any kind of big move for two reasons: 1) they're still trying to pare their payroll because of the big contracts they're locked into for players no one would be willing to take off their hands. 2) Other than a starting pitcher, they have no position for any major free agent that's available. In fact, we may see a couple long time Yankees moved - Bret Gardner and/or Adam Warren. There is also a remote possibility that Rookie sensation Greg Bird may be packaged and sent somewhere, but they would have to be overwhelmed to move him.
Rumors abound at the Winter Meetings
This is normal and a few signings or trades do take place, but it usually takes one big name to sign to open the logjam and set the market. The Meetings don't start for another nine days, so I doubt there will be any major moves until then. Normally the agents try to play clubs off against each other to get the biggest contracts. This is called the "Scott Boras Gambit," because he figures that if he waits long enough, some team will panic and offer some outrageous sum. Unfortunately, this usually works.
By the way, Boras still insists that Jose Fernandez will have some kind of pitch count ceiling next season, regardless of what the Marlins say.
There is parity in the NFL
Outside of five or six teams, no one has a really good record. In fact, the Indianapolis Colts (AFC South) ans The NY Giants (NFC North) lead their divisions with 5 and 5 records. We could have a few teams in the playoffs with records of .500 or below. This isn't parity, it's mediocrity.
Sad news
The family of the recently deceased Frank Gifford allowed the medical community to examine his brain and they discovered CTE, (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a brain disease linked directly to brain trauma. thought by many to be caused by trauma resulting from concussions. Further tests are forthcoming. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has acknowledged the situation which is quite a change from his previous stances: CTE doesn't exist. - It isn't caused by concussions. - There are no concussions in football. I'd say that it's hard to believe that he would take these positions, but his history makes you realize that this is nothing unusual for him.
College Basketball
The Syracuse Orange basketball team plays for the championship of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas this afternoon. They're are only 5 games into the season, but the Orange do look like they have some talent. Surprising? Yes, a little. Boeheim explains it this way: "When we hit our shots, we win. When we don't, we could lose to anybody." I better write that down.
College Football
There are 12 teams in D-1 football with one loss or less and at least 9 wins, with 2 teams at 11-0. So when the CFP selection committee finally chooses the four teams that will play for the championship, there will be at least eight other teams screaming foul. This should be lotsa fun.
Wisconsin Badger fans pelted their own cheerleaders with snowballs, driving them off the field. Sometimes the cheerleaders are the most entertaining thing on the field, but when your team is 8-3, how can you be bored with the game?
Brad Dickson' Bottom Ten
2. Eastern Michigan (1-10): The Eagles used the bye week to prepare to lose really good to Central Michigan Friday.
3. Kansas (0-11): KU fell to West Virginia 49-0. The Mountaineers had three 100-yard rushers. Four if you count the dean of the College of Agriculture.
4. Wyoming (1-10): Well, things could be worse in Laramie — no wait, they couldn’t.
Just for Vod
To my limited knowledge, Lebron James did nothing to upset me this week. I guess the uniform issue has been resolved (in all likelihood in King James' favor).
In spite of my dislike of the NBA, I could watch highlights of Steph Curry all day.
Temper, temper
Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd has been suspended for one game without pay for aggressively pursuing and confronting a game official, slapping the ball out of his hands and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection. Now THAT would be entertaining.
***THEY SAID IT***
"National Geographic picked Winnipeg as one of the world’s Top 20 Best Trips of 2016. Unless you’re looking for professional football." -- RJ Currie
"During a timeout in a game vs. the Lakers, a Golden State fan hit a free throw, a mid-range jumper and a half-court shot. The Lakers are now being out-shot by Golden State fans." -- Brad Dickson
"I could’ve scored 80 tonight,” said the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant after
scoring four points on 1-for-14 shooting in a 34-point loss to the Warriors
Tuesday night. “It wouldn’t have made a damn
difference.” Though it would’ve been fun watching him take the 280 shots he would’ve
needed to do it." -- Dwight Perry
"There is a glut — as in 40 — of college bowl games this season: “The only reason to watch the majority of those bowl games is if you are in a hospital bed with an IV-drip and sensors to monitor your vital signs and you cannot reach the remote to change the channel and the nurses are busy." -- Jack Finarelli, The Sports Curmudgeon
"This Thanksgiving, President Obama may pardon a turkey, the Cowboys and the Eagles" -- TC Chong
" The Saints fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan after three seasons. He wasn’t even there long enough to get a haircut." -- Brad Dickson
"76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor apparently knocked a guy out in a street fight in Boston last night. Of course Okafor should know better. But hey, it might be the only win he can remember this year." -- Janice Hough
"Color blind viewers said they couldn’t decipher the difference between the all red and all green uniforms worn on last Thurs night’s NFL Bills/Jets game. “Why didn’t I think of that?” said Broncos QB Peyton Manning after he threw four interceptions on Sunday." -- TC Chong
"Agent Scott Boras told the Miami Marlins that his client, pitcher Jose
Fernandez, needs to be placed on an innings limit. Boras somehow neglected to mention imposing a corresponding pay limit, of
course." -- Dwight Perry
"To persons who use my mythical football predictions for gambling purposes. If stupidity were an Olympic event, you would be Mark Spitz." -- Jack Finarelli
"The Saints have surrendered an NFL-worst 424 yards and 31.5 points per game. I thought ‘defensive indifference’ occurred only in baseball." -- TC Chong
"President Obama pardoned the White House turkeys named Honest and Abe. Someone called "Hey Honest!" and the only one in Washington D.C. to turn around was the turkey." -- Brad Dickson
"Floyd Mayweather expressed sympathy for Ronda Rousey by saying “A true champion can take a loss and bounce back.” The guy was 49-0. How would he know?" -- RJ Currie
CP-
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Who's In Charge - Part III
No, the ‘lesson’ for or from the best player in the league isn’t, “Do whatever you want.” The lesson from LeBron was his shirt was too tight. The lesson from the Cavaliers’ ownership is that they are smart enough and have egos small enough to admit a smart, informed, influential person into their decision making group - even though, oh my god, he’s a player!
The lesson from C. Picasner is that he will take a minor “incident”, that is LeBron James ripping the seams on the sleeves of an overly tight T-shirt style basketball jersey to allow more freedom of movement and turning that into a rationale for denigrating an extraordinary talent, teammate and successful businessman.
Why?
Not sure given his proclamation that, “I have no interest in professional basketball.” Taking him at his word, apparently, then, his only interest was in ripping James.
Monday, November 16, 2015
WHO'S IN CHARGE - PART II
Vod is right. LeBron is a great player who can do it all. There isn't a team in the NBA who wouldn't want him to play for them. So I guess the message is, if you're the best in your sport, you can do whatever you want. The rules are for everybody else. Of course, this is the league where the rule against hanging on the rim is never enforced, where walking is never called, they never heard of palming the ball and offensive calls don't exist. So start playing 'shirts and skins' for all I care.
Which is why I have no interest in professional basketball.
The management of the Miami Marlins has decided that THEY are in charge of their baseball team. Scott Boras has gotten involved with the way the Marlins are handling their best pitcher, Jose Fernandez. He wants some kind of innings limit placed on him, to "protect" him. Marlins president, David Sampson, has told the media that they are in contact with the team doctor concerning the welfare of Fernandez, and he has no intention of talking to or listening to Boras' opinion on the subject. They will do what's best for the team and Fernandez. He also said if Boras is so enlightened on the care of pitchers and running a team, he should go out and buy his own team and then he will discover exactly what's involved with running a franchise. No love lost here.
Just my opinion:
There will be a discussion at the Winter Meetings in December about the use of replay. It seems that replay has spawned a use that no one thought about when it was instituted, especially when it's used to check on runners popping up after sliding into a bag and coming off the bag for a millisecond. This is when the talk runs to the so-called "spirit of the rule," which is as slippery a slope as I've ever heard. I have no particular love for Joe Torre, but he's made a good point here.
"I always thought baseball was such a simple game to play," Torre said with a grin. "Before replay, we accepted the imperfections of our game. And now since replay, we're impatient with a play that may be missed."
Another point: is it possible that umpires have become less careful (?) about their calls, since replay will correct any mistakes they make and no one berates them because they got it wrong?
Also to be discussed is giving the umpires leeway to allow the proper number of bases a runner can advance after fan interference, correction of calls with replay, etc. This should have been corrected years ago. Back in the 50s & 60s, the number of bases allowed was at the discretion of the umpires. I was not aware that they had changed it.
Individual awards for this past season:
The Gold Glove awards were announced this week. Eric Hosmer of the Royals won it for first basemen. He's a terrific fielder, but I have to say that you could line up all 30 first basemen and I take Mark Teixeira without even looking at the other candidates every time. The man is a vacuum at first base and I hope he was overlooked because he missed over 50 games because of injury. And you're right, I'm prejudiced.
Brian McCann won the Silver Slugger award for catcher. He led AL catchers in homers and RBIs, but not in other categories, so I'm not sure exactly what determines the winners here.
Tanking
Every year, there is talk about certain pro basketball teams "tanking" (losing on purpose) in order to get a higher position in the draft. You never hear about it in baseball, but isn't that exactly what teams do all the time when they trade off their best players for future draft picks, stripping the team and insuring a terrible season? That's what the Atlanta Braves are doing right now and what analysts think Cincinnati will start doing soon. The idea is that you stock your farm system with a lot of good young prospects and be able to produce a powerhouse team in 2 or 3 years that will be a contender for a while. Oh, and the players will be a lot cheaper too, but that's not the reason (wink-wink).
My favorite placard on College Game Day: "Couldn't think of anything"
Brad Dickson's Bottom Ten:
1. UCF (0-10): The Knights didn’t play this week. Either that, or school officials were too embarrassed to report the score.
6. Charlotte (2-8): The 49ers’ season reaches its nadir with a loss to UTSA. Can we check to see if Charlotte’s two wins this season were over accredited programs and not intramural teams?
7. North Texas (1-9): The Mean Green lost 24-0 to Tennessee. Desperate to not run up the score in the fourth quarter, the Vols played some people who were tailgating next to the stadium.
10. UCF (0-10): UCF is having a season so miserable it merits a second mention in this week’s Bottom 10.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Sacramento has passed a law that will see sleeping or snoring people kicked off public transportation. So much for taking a bus from Kings games" -- RJ Currie
"A 12-carat Blue Moon diamond sold at auction for $48.5 million: “OK, what’d Kobe Bryant do this time?" -- Ian Hamilton
"Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson endorsed Donald Trump. Tyson joins Trump’s biggest group of supporters: “People Who Have Been Hit in the Head a Lot." -- Conan O'Brien
"Bartolo Colon is so old, when he walks into the dugout he asks; ‘Now why did I come in here?" -- Alex Kaseberg
"Danica Patrick told USA Today she’d rather be called pretty than sexy. Fair enough; at least she doesn't have to worry about being called champion." -- RJ Currie
"We have good outside shooters. Unfortunately, we play our games indoors." -- Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell
"Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says Dez Bryant should have handled Thursday’s tirade directed at the media differently. but “I believe that 100 percent of our guys do things the right way about 98 percent of the time.” Did they legalize marijuana in Dallas and not tell us?" -- Janice Hough
CP-
Which is why I have no interest in professional basketball.
The management of the Miami Marlins has decided that THEY are in charge of their baseball team. Scott Boras has gotten involved with the way the Marlins are handling their best pitcher, Jose Fernandez. He wants some kind of innings limit placed on him, to "protect" him. Marlins president, David Sampson, has told the media that they are in contact with the team doctor concerning the welfare of Fernandez, and he has no intention of talking to or listening to Boras' opinion on the subject. They will do what's best for the team and Fernandez. He also said if Boras is so enlightened on the care of pitchers and running a team, he should go out and buy his own team and then he will discover exactly what's involved with running a franchise. No love lost here.
Just my opinion:
There will be a discussion at the Winter Meetings in December about the use of replay. It seems that replay has spawned a use that no one thought about when it was instituted, especially when it's used to check on runners popping up after sliding into a bag and coming off the bag for a millisecond. This is when the talk runs to the so-called "spirit of the rule," which is as slippery a slope as I've ever heard. I have no particular love for Joe Torre, but he's made a good point here.
"I always thought baseball was such a simple game to play," Torre said with a grin. "Before replay, we accepted the imperfections of our game. And now since replay, we're impatient with a play that may be missed."
Another point: is it possible that umpires have become less careful (?) about their calls, since replay will correct any mistakes they make and no one berates them because they got it wrong?
Also to be discussed is giving the umpires leeway to allow the proper number of bases a runner can advance after fan interference, correction of calls with replay, etc. This should have been corrected years ago. Back in the 50s & 60s, the number of bases allowed was at the discretion of the umpires. I was not aware that they had changed it.
Individual awards for this past season:
The Gold Glove awards were announced this week. Eric Hosmer of the Royals won it for first basemen. He's a terrific fielder, but I have to say that you could line up all 30 first basemen and I take Mark Teixeira without even looking at the other candidates every time. The man is a vacuum at first base and I hope he was overlooked because he missed over 50 games because of injury. And you're right, I'm prejudiced.
Brian McCann won the Silver Slugger award for catcher. He led AL catchers in homers and RBIs, but not in other categories, so I'm not sure exactly what determines the winners here.
Tanking
Every year, there is talk about certain pro basketball teams "tanking" (losing on purpose) in order to get a higher position in the draft. You never hear about it in baseball, but isn't that exactly what teams do all the time when they trade off their best players for future draft picks, stripping the team and insuring a terrible season? That's what the Atlanta Braves are doing right now and what analysts think Cincinnati will start doing soon. The idea is that you stock your farm system with a lot of good young prospects and be able to produce a powerhouse team in 2 or 3 years that will be a contender for a while. Oh, and the players will be a lot cheaper too, but that's not the reason (wink-wink).
My favorite placard on College Game Day: "Couldn't think of anything"
Brad Dickson's Bottom Ten:
1. UCF (0-10): The Knights didn’t play this week. Either that, or school officials were too embarrassed to report the score.
6. Charlotte (2-8): The 49ers’ season reaches its nadir with a loss to UTSA. Can we check to see if Charlotte’s two wins this season were over accredited programs and not intramural teams?
7. North Texas (1-9): The Mean Green lost 24-0 to Tennessee. Desperate to not run up the score in the fourth quarter, the Vols played some people who were tailgating next to the stadium.
10. UCF (0-10): UCF is having a season so miserable it merits a second mention in this week’s Bottom 10.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Sacramento has passed a law that will see sleeping or snoring people kicked off public transportation. So much for taking a bus from Kings games" -- RJ Currie
"Officials called the Gonzaga-Pitt season
opener in Japan at halftime due to a slippery playing
surface. In other words, they scheduled two
basketball teams — and a hockey game broke out." -- Dwight Perry
" A Baltimore Ravens fan mourned the team’s record earlier this season by eating six purple crayons. I’m just glad he didn’t resort to something dumb." -- Brad Dickson "A 12-carat Blue Moon diamond sold at auction for $48.5 million: “OK, what’d Kobe Bryant do this time?" -- Ian Hamilton
"Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson endorsed Donald Trump. Tyson joins Trump’s biggest group of supporters: “People Who Have Been Hit in the Head a Lot." -- Conan O'Brien
"Bartolo Colon is so old, when he walks into the dugout he asks; ‘Now why did I come in here?" -- Alex Kaseberg
"Danica Patrick told USA Today she’d rather be called pretty than sexy. Fair enough; at least she doesn't have to worry about being called champion." -- RJ Currie
"We have good outside shooters. Unfortunately, we play our games indoors." -- Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell
"Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says Dez Bryant should have handled Thursday’s tirade directed at the media differently. but “I believe that 100 percent of our guys do things the right way about 98 percent of the time.” Did they legalize marijuana in Dallas and not tell us?" -- Janice Hough
CP-
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Only God Can Make a River, but Only Man Can make It Burn
Chad asked, “Who’s in charge here?” in his LeBron James mini-rant. Thank your favorite deity it is the most basketball-knowledgeable person in Cleveland and, arguably, currently the best player in the NBA.
LeBron's on-court skills are on display for all to see and appreciate. Less visible but more significant is the level of respect he receives from his peers. Not only is he recognized as a force of nature on the court but as an extraordinary teammate in the locker room and, off the court, a great ambassador of the game and Cleveland.
Cleveland ownership and fans recognize what a powerful force James is in enticing other high quality players to come to Cleveland, aka The City of Light, The City of Magic - Home to the Cuyahoga River that inspired the line, Only God can make a river but only man can make it burn.
I’m sure Knick fans, among oh so many others, would love to have LeBron as the answer to “Who’s in charge here?”
Sunday, November 08, 2015
BYE BYE BASEBALL, HELLO...WHAT?
This is that lull in the sports world (for me at least), when I have to watch sports that don't really interest me. Things like college football and pro basketball. Oh sure, there is a lot of athleticism involved and I do end up watching some of them and even enjoy a good portion. I'll start to get interested in pro football a little - the NY Giants at least - until they're out of it, then, well, there's always movies.
There was an interesting highlight on ESPN this morning, Arkanasas Coach Bret Bielema's post-game interview after his unranked Arkansas team upset #19 Ole Miss in as exciting a finish as you'll ever want to see. So was the interview.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/arkansas-coach-excited-hopping-wife-win-article-1.2427303
We watched some college football the other day and Annie-O asked me who I was rooting for. I just shrugged and she said, "Me neither. It's kind of a relief to just watch and NOT get emotionally involved, isn't it?" She was right. It was nice to be able to think, "Good hit," followed by "Nice defensive play," for the same situation. And my opinion of the strategies were much more dispassionate than when I tell Annie-O that "Joe Girardi's parents were never married."
Now it's time for The Silly Season, when all the baseball rumors surface, some though-provoking, some realistic, most wishful thinking, but in the long run...all Silly. We can discuss these as they surface. In the meantime:
The world of the professional athlete
What do you do if you don't like your teams uniform? You could complain, - probably won't help - or you could lobby to be traded to someplace with a "cooler" uniform. Unless you're LeBron James, or should I say, King James? He decided he didn't like the sleeves on the Cavaliers uniform, so he tore them off. In the middle of the game against the Knicks. I also read the he initially approved the uniform (I can't believe I just wrote that) before Cleveland dared change it. Now I believe we will see sleeveless uniforms in Cleveland from now on. Who's in charge here? (As if I didn't know.)
Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy goes whippy on the sideline, shoving a coach and yelling at teammates, during the game. Worth a suspension in my book, but in owner Jerry Jones' book. Much worse is the fact that pictures finally showed up about Hardy's domestic-violence incident from 2014. Hardy allegedly began hitting his girlfriend Nicole Holder, throwing her into a bathtub, dragging her on the ground, and later slamming her onto the couch with the guns, then choking her. Jones did nothing about all this, calling Hardy "...one of the real leaders." That big blank space here was while I was getting up off the floor. The Players Union was no better, getting the original 10 game suspension reduced to 4 games. Somehow Hardy got the Domestic Violence charges expunged, and after all, he is "a real leader."
Fame is fleeting (not a Yogi-ism ) as some baseball players found out this past World Series. Nobody could get out Daniel Murphy of the Mets earlier in the playoffs, but during the World Series, you'd have to say he was less than ordinary. The jokes have already started ["Daniel Murphy went Halloweening and did well, but then he began dropping all his candy"]
Yoenis Cespedes hit like Babe Ruth during the Mets stretch run, winning games with his bat and with his glove. Then the World Series began and he played like Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In retrospect, he was hurt during the series. I don't think free agency is going to be as big a payday as these two guys were expecting.
Which brings up another point. Met Manager Terry Collins was so bad managing during the Series, that I almost began to appreciate Joe Girardi. Almost. He let Cespedes hit after he fouled a pitch off his knee. The guy couldn't walk, let alone run. He could have hit the ball off the left field wall and still been thrown out at first. Where's the upside of the that decision? He let Matt Harvey talk him into letting him go out for the ninth inning of a shut-out in a game the Mets absolutely had to win. Okay, maybe that had some value, but when Harvey couldn't find the plate with the first hitter, he let him stay in again and the rest is history. Well, Collins did get the team to the World Series so now the Mets have to keep him.
I never realized this. No baseball player has ever accepted the 'qualifying offer' that teams can offer potential free agents.Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. Let's see what happens this year.
An article on line this week revealed how Tom Brady spends his millions. Why did that need a whole article? Have you seen a picture of his wife?
***THEY SAID IT***
"Cincinnati is 8-0. Who’d a thunk the Bengals would lead the NFL in any category but arrests?" -- Janice Hough
"On Miami’s eight-lateral kickoff return to beat Duke, every Hurricane player who counted all the laterals received three credits in math." -- Brad Dickson
"How did the San Antonio Spurs manage to sign All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge: “I was there. I was involved. I spoke. I begged. I got on my knees. I offered my children. Things like that." -- Coach Gregg Popovich
" Who’s announced more GM recalls in Detroit this century — the auto maker or the NFL team?" -- Dwight Perry
"Ex-Louisville assistant basketball coach, Andre McGee, allegedly paid for stripper parties on campus for freshmen and recruits. Nobody noticed because they were busy at stripper parties for sophomores, juniors and seniors." -- RJ Currie
"Ohio residents voted down a referendum to legalize marijuana. Which means there is still no legal way to enjoy a Cleveland Browns game." -- James Corden, CBS
"The Fox broadcast booth for the World Series included Pete Rose and Alex Rodriguez. Which raises the question: How’d they miss John Rocker?" -- Brad Dickson
"Speaking of drinking, has anyone noticed the color of Denver coach Gary Kubiak’s hair? I wonder how many bottles of Grecian Formula he drinks in a day?" -- TC Chong
"In recalling his role in one scene in the 1967 film “The Dirty Dozen”: “Got it in one take. I didn’t want to hit that concrete too many times.” -- Former Brown great, Jim Brown
" Does anyone doubt that if Greg Hardy had a real job instead of playing for the NFL, that he’d be in jail now?" -- Janice Hough
"Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter reportedly has said “he doesn’t feel he is out of his job.” No surprise. He probably doesn’t feel he is out of his mind either." -- RJ Currie
"The Chinese Communist Party has banned golf, excessive drinking and adultery. In that order, I assume?" -- Brad Dickson
"The folks voting in the college football polls are pulling their votes out of their ears. The polls mean nothing; the voters do not know which team is the #9 team in the country any more than a politician knows truth from falsehood." -- The Sports Curmudgen
CP-
There was an interesting highlight on ESPN this morning, Arkanasas Coach Bret Bielema's post-game interview after his unranked Arkansas team upset #19 Ole Miss in as exciting a finish as you'll ever want to see. So was the interview.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/arkansas-coach-excited-hopping-wife-win-article-1.2427303
We watched some college football the other day and Annie-O asked me who I was rooting for. I just shrugged and she said, "Me neither. It's kind of a relief to just watch and NOT get emotionally involved, isn't it?" She was right. It was nice to be able to think, "Good hit," followed by "Nice defensive play," for the same situation. And my opinion of the strategies were much more dispassionate than when I tell Annie-O that "Joe Girardi's parents were never married."
Now it's time for The Silly Season, when all the baseball rumors surface, some though-provoking, some realistic, most wishful thinking, but in the long run...all Silly. We can discuss these as they surface. In the meantime:
The world of the professional athlete
What do you do if you don't like your teams uniform? You could complain, - probably won't help - or you could lobby to be traded to someplace with a "cooler" uniform. Unless you're LeBron James, or should I say, King James? He decided he didn't like the sleeves on the Cavaliers uniform, so he tore them off. In the middle of the game against the Knicks. I also read the he initially approved the uniform (I can't believe I just wrote that) before Cleveland dared change it. Now I believe we will see sleeveless uniforms in Cleveland from now on. Who's in charge here? (As if I didn't know.)
Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy goes whippy on the sideline, shoving a coach and yelling at teammates, during the game. Worth a suspension in my book, but in owner Jerry Jones' book. Much worse is the fact that pictures finally showed up about Hardy's domestic-violence incident from 2014. Hardy allegedly began hitting his girlfriend Nicole Holder, throwing her into a bathtub, dragging her on the ground, and later slamming her onto the couch with the guns, then choking her. Jones did nothing about all this, calling Hardy "...one of the real leaders." That big blank space here was while I was getting up off the floor. The Players Union was no better, getting the original 10 game suspension reduced to 4 games. Somehow Hardy got the Domestic Violence charges expunged, and after all, he is "a real leader."
Fame is fleeting (not a Yogi-ism ) as some baseball players found out this past World Series. Nobody could get out Daniel Murphy of the Mets earlier in the playoffs, but during the World Series, you'd have to say he was less than ordinary. The jokes have already started ["Daniel Murphy went Halloweening and did well, but then he began dropping all his candy"]
Yoenis Cespedes hit like Babe Ruth during the Mets stretch run, winning games with his bat and with his glove. Then the World Series began and he played like Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In retrospect, he was hurt during the series. I don't think free agency is going to be as big a payday as these two guys were expecting.
Which brings up another point. Met Manager Terry Collins was so bad managing during the Series, that I almost began to appreciate Joe Girardi. Almost. He let Cespedes hit after he fouled a pitch off his knee. The guy couldn't walk, let alone run. He could have hit the ball off the left field wall and still been thrown out at first. Where's the upside of the that decision? He let Matt Harvey talk him into letting him go out for the ninth inning of a shut-out in a game the Mets absolutely had to win. Okay, maybe that had some value, but when Harvey couldn't find the plate with the first hitter, he let him stay in again and the rest is history. Well, Collins did get the team to the World Series so now the Mets have to keep him.
I never realized this. No baseball player has ever accepted the 'qualifying offer' that teams can offer potential free agents.Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. Let's see what happens this year.
An article on line this week revealed how Tom Brady spends his millions. Why did that need a whole article? Have you seen a picture of his wife?
***THEY SAID IT***
"Cincinnati is 8-0. Who’d a thunk the Bengals would lead the NFL in any category but arrests?" -- Janice Hough
"On Miami’s eight-lateral kickoff return to beat Duke, every Hurricane player who counted all the laterals received three credits in math." -- Brad Dickson
"How did the San Antonio Spurs manage to sign All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge: “I was there. I was involved. I spoke. I begged. I got on my knees. I offered my children. Things like that." -- Coach Gregg Popovich
" Who’s announced more GM recalls in Detroit this century — the auto maker or the NFL team?" -- Dwight Perry
"Ex-Louisville assistant basketball coach, Andre McGee, allegedly paid for stripper parties on campus for freshmen and recruits. Nobody noticed because they were busy at stripper parties for sophomores, juniors and seniors." -- RJ Currie
"Ohio residents voted down a referendum to legalize marijuana. Which means there is still no legal way to enjoy a Cleveland Browns game." -- James Corden, CBS
"The Fox broadcast booth for the World Series included Pete Rose and Alex Rodriguez. Which raises the question: How’d they miss John Rocker?" -- Brad Dickson
"Speaking of drinking, has anyone noticed the color of Denver coach Gary Kubiak’s hair? I wonder how many bottles of Grecian Formula he drinks in a day?" -- TC Chong
"In recalling his role in one scene in the 1967 film “The Dirty Dozen”: “Got it in one take. I didn’t want to hit that concrete too many times.” -- Former Brown great, Jim Brown
" Does anyone doubt that if Greg Hardy had a real job instead of playing for the NFL, that he’d be in jail now?" -- Janice Hough
"Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter reportedly has said “he doesn’t feel he is out of his job.” No surprise. He probably doesn’t feel he is out of his mind either." -- RJ Currie
"The Chinese Communist Party has banned golf, excessive drinking and adultery. In that order, I assume?" -- Brad Dickson
"The folks voting in the college football polls are pulling their votes out of their ears. The polls mean nothing; the voters do not know which team is the #9 team in the country any more than a politician knows truth from falsehood." -- The Sports Curmudgen
CP-
Friday, November 06, 2015
A Four-Season Sport in the Finger Lakes
Many people regard golf, if at all, as the mindless pursuit of knocking a little ball into a slightly larger hole cut into manicured short grass somewhere up yonder. Theirs is not a wholly inaccurate, although simple, definition of the game. The error is the inclusion of ‘mindless’.
Golf requires the full engagement of the mind to best identify the results you want to achieve and all of the elements required to reach those results; and then the real fun begins, executing the shot.
Golfs inherent beauty is in the personal engagement, performed outdoors and always alone, even if playing in a group There are no teammates to pick you up when you fail, no umpires or referees other than yourself to call fouls and the varying physical conditions each successive shot presents guarantees constant challenge.
Most mornings, Laura, my wife, goes to the gym. I head to the course to walk at least nine holes every day.
November in the Finger Lakes is one of my favorite times to play. When temps are in the high 40s to mid 50s, the wind blowing a little harder and when any given day might include a mix of sun, clouds, rain and snow, you never have to worry about tee times, slow play or greens left pock marked by irresponsible players. Play at whatever pace you like .Take the time to enjoy the wild fall skies and landscapes that still retain fall color.
The fair weather players were out this week with temps in the 70s. November, thankfully, returns on Sunday sending the faint of heart back inside . There are still a few hardy people who understand that golf is best played out of doors, where there is weather. You know, that stuff you encounter when you walk the dog.
Bob the Golfer, Tony and Smoker Jim, MowerMan and Norm will play until the real ‘end of season’. All that it takes to enjoy golf as a four season sport is the right gear and a keen sense of humor.
A little madness helps.
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
Shake Your Booty
I'm with Tony Korhheiser on 'Pardon the Interruption', "If it weren't for gambling the NFL would be box lacrosse."
It's a business that destroys its employees, redistributes billions to elite owners through public financing of play palaces, subverts the mission of American colleges and universities greedy for football money by using them as developmental leagues and feeds the notion of 'Empire' by linking every 'game' to the support of an expeditionary military, among its many other socially redeeming qualities
Outside of that, and its tax exempt status, the NFL is a wholesome organization making wonderful contributions to the well-being of people everywhere, including providing gainful employment for an unusual number of domestic abusers and gun-toting posses.
It is, however, compelling, violent theater, perfectly designed for television and the 21st century edition of the Roman Coliseum.
Tailgate parties and shots of screaming, heavily costumed fans remind me of Mel Gibson's movie 'Braveheart' when the highlanders turn their backs, bend over, raise their kilts and wiggle their asses at the occupying English forces - while Al Michaels and Chris Hollingsworth (by far the best NFL broadcast team) do an insightful play-by-play call and diagram ass wiggling so all can understand and appreciate its many intricacies - while millions of 'football fans' are checking the status of their fantasy team players.
Now that's entertainment!
And in baseball...
The Mets defense was once again exposed as horrible but, just maybe, all those calling for Terry Collins' head at the beginning of the season were on to something. Collins' performance in game five will be a proud member of the Boneheaded Managers Ring of Honor for, well, forever.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Yoenis Cespedes fouled a ball off of his kneecap. Collins allowed him to continue the at bat without requiring Cespedes to demonstrate that he could walk, no less run. Cespedes weakly fouled out to stifle a rally that might have staved off elimination and then had to be assisted off the field. Was the Mets bench so weak that Collins had no better option than a one-legged batter?
My Mom always said, "Two wrongs don't make a right." If Collins' Mom told him, he clearly forgot, sending Matt Harvey, who had already thrown over 100 pitches, out to start the 9th with the Amazin's up 2-0. A tired Harvey, who had begged Collins to give him the 9th, walked the leadoff batter who promptly stole second. After Eric Hosmer blasted a run scoring double Collins brought in his closer, Familia, but it was too late. The Royals comeback and eventual win was on.
If nothing else, the role of a manager is to give his team the best opportunity to win. Every closer in baseball is most comfortable and most effective when they can start a clean 9th inning. Collins knew that but his heart overruled his head in both the Cespedes and Harvey cases.
The 2015 World Series ended in five games.
Monday, November 02, 2015
I'M BAAAACK!
My wife and editor asked the other day why I hadn't written in a while. "I couldn't think of anything to say," I said. She just stared at me. "So how come I can't get you to shut up around the house," she replied. Okay, here's goes.
Baseball is over.
It was a great run, but the Mets didn't really look like they belonged in the Series against the Royals. They won one game when the Kansas City pitchers just didn't have it, giving the Mets a sliver of hope. It turned out to be just a cruel joke. When KC put the pressure on, the Mets gave in. Playoff hero Daniel Murphy became the World Series goat, hitting just .150 with no homers and no RBIs, plus committing two crucial errors.
Kansas City won it all with a team that was very good at every aspect of the game without being exceptional at any one of them. They hit, they fielded, they pitched, they played defense and they even ran the bases beautifully. Not just a few of the players, ALL of them. And they did it without the use of their big bopper, Kendry Morales, for three of the games, because the National League is still living in the '60's.
Blessed quiet now.
No more Joe Buck, who tries to dramatize everything. He waits till the ball is in the stands before declaring it a home run. Meanwhile the outfielder gave up on it almost immediately and after some 50+ years of watching baseball, I can usually tell when the batter hits it if it's gone. Not Joe. He tries to build the suspense until he's forced to admit it was a homer.
I don't think Harold Reynolds has stopped talking yet. Why do these ex-athletes feel they have to inundate us with useless information until we beg them to stop? Alex Rodriquez was no better. His discourses on hitting techniques were lengthy, technical and boring. I don't think 90% of major league hitters had any idea what he was talking about.
Who is Tom Verducci? I can't remember anything he said. Turns out, he's a writer for Sports Illustrated. He should have written out his opinions and given it to Harold Reynolds to read. That may have shut both of them up. Of course that would also mean more Joe Buck. I just can't win.
Duh!
Duh! Duh! Duh! During one at bat last night, Harold Reynolds actually said, "A one-one count. THIS is the pitch I'm waiting for. The pitcher will either throw a strike or a ball and the batter could take it or hit it." Is there an alternative to this? Is there a viewer out there that needs to be told this? Is Fox actually paying you to say this, Harold?
They say that the people in the stands were lucky enough to get tickets to the game. Not to get to see a WS game live, but so they don't have to listen to this dribble. Beer vendors had more pertinent information: "Ice Cold Beer Here!!!"
My Sunday morning favorite time.
I like The Sports Reporters on ESPN. Four sports reporters discussing any important issues in the world of sports. John Saunders moderates (and sometimes, referees) three rotating, opinionated reporters from various fields. I get a kick out of Mike Lupica NY Daily News (for the time being), who bullies the other panel members with his forceful opinion on any subject. Bob Ryan, Boston Globe, is the only one who will stand up to him. Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, has this quiet demeanor that makes his sly humor a surprise. There are others, but these are my favorites.
Sometimes I agree with their stance, sometimes not. John Saunders doesn't usually express a strong opinion on any subject, but he did yesterday.
20 year-old Ohio State quarterback, J.T. Barrett, was suspended for one game after being arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired. Under-age drinking is a big no-no, but compounded by driving at the same time made it a very, very bad thing, since it also put other people at serious risk. OSU coach, Urban Meyer, had just written a book titled "Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season." Most of the Sports Reporters thought the punishment was far too lenient, given the seriousness of the act. Not Saunders. He said that increasing the punishment to four games, the consensus of the other three panelists, wouldn't have any stronger effect on Barrett or any other college student in terms of being a deterrent. So Barrett will miss ONE game, against a relatively weak Minnesota team, making him available against rivals Michigan and Michigan State, of course. So I guess the message is: underage drinking and drinking and driving is bad but not so bad that you want to hurt OSU's National Championship chances. So this is Urban Meyer's "..Lesson in Leadership..."
Brad Dickson's Bottom Ten
3.) Massachusetts (1-7): Thanks for playing the 2015 season, UMass, please enjoy these lovely parting gifts.
4.) Louisiana-Monroe (1-7): Lost to Louisiana-Lafayette in The-Battle-of-Teams-In-Louisiana-That-You’ve-Never-Heard-Of.
6.) Texas San Antonio (1-7): Desperate-for-something-to-celebrate Roadrunners fans tore down the goal posts after the team almost made a first down Saturday.
7.) Charlotte (2-6): The 49ers can blame the record this season on youth. The team’s median age is 3.7 years younger than the Taiwanese Little League World Series team.
It's not what you know...
...it's not even who you know. It's where you are. The New York football Giants are in first place in the NFC East with a stellar record of 4-4. They've out-scored their opponents by a whopping 7 points. Normally, when your quarterback completes 40 passes, throws for 7 touchdowns with no interceptions, you would expect a win. However, 49 points was not enough to win a game against New Orleans. The final score: 52-49. With the right schedule, they could back into a playoff spot. Yeah, a season to be proud of.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Georgia mascot Uga IX is retiring. It was like a cold slap in the face when Uga IX realized that, unlike all those champion racehorses, he will not be put out to stud." -- Brad Dickson
"The World Series is playing out after two games exactly like Yogi said, “Good pitching stops good hitting, and vice versa”. -- Tony Chong
"You have to assume that members of the One-Column Headline Writers Guild will walk out en masse if this Thai teen ever reaches the LPGA Tour: Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong." -- Dwight Perry
"Within an ocean of posters waved at ESPN’sCollege Game Day’s cameras in Philly, Saturday, was one that captured it all. It read, “This Is A Poster.”" -- Phil Mushnick
"Matt Harvey made $614,000 from the Mets this year, while Jacob deGrom made $556,000. Together they almost equal the 2015 Mets salary of Bobby Bonilla — $1,193,000." -- Janice Hough
"The Detroit Lions are 1-5. The only time they’re even money to win is during the coin toss." -- Alan Ray
"Omaha is ranked the third best city for trick or treating.We would be ranked first, but me handing out slices of Spam dropped the city two spots." -- Brad Dickson
"According to the Elias Sports Bureau stats dept, those fourth quarter collapses by the Seahawks recently may be scored “defensive indifference”. -- Tony Chong
"Fox had a 7-minute video-feed outage during Game 1 of the World Series. How come there’s never technical difficulties showing the commercials?" -- Gary Bachman
"Bartolo Colon became the oldest pitcher to lose a World Series game this week at age 42. MLB are still checking to see if he is the fattest." -- Tony Chong
"Firefighters had to rescue a Barnsley FC supporter who fell asleep on a toilet at halftime and woke up — seven hours later — locked inside an empty stadium. The fan, who said he’d had “a few beers,” lost his hat, shoes and cellphone while he was passed out." -- Dwight Perry
"Had to love Fox analysis before World Series Game Five “This is a must win for the NY Mets.” Ya think? Bad news for baseball fans – no more games until 2016. Good news for baseball fans, no more Joe Buck until 2016." -- Janice Hough
"Wake Forest defeated Boston College in football, 3-0. There was one injury. The play-by-play guy hit his head on the mic after falling asleep during a two-yard run in the fourth quarter." -- Brad Dickson
CP-
Baseball is over.
It was a great run, but the Mets didn't really look like they belonged in the Series against the Royals. They won one game when the Kansas City pitchers just didn't have it, giving the Mets a sliver of hope. It turned out to be just a cruel joke. When KC put the pressure on, the Mets gave in. Playoff hero Daniel Murphy became the World Series goat, hitting just .150 with no homers and no RBIs, plus committing two crucial errors.
Kansas City won it all with a team that was very good at every aspect of the game without being exceptional at any one of them. They hit, they fielded, they pitched, they played defense and they even ran the bases beautifully. Not just a few of the players, ALL of them. And they did it without the use of their big bopper, Kendry Morales, for three of the games, because the National League is still living in the '60's.
Blessed quiet now.
No more Joe Buck, who tries to dramatize everything. He waits till the ball is in the stands before declaring it a home run. Meanwhile the outfielder gave up on it almost immediately and after some 50+ years of watching baseball, I can usually tell when the batter hits it if it's gone. Not Joe. He tries to build the suspense until he's forced to admit it was a homer.
I don't think Harold Reynolds has stopped talking yet. Why do these ex-athletes feel they have to inundate us with useless information until we beg them to stop? Alex Rodriquez was no better. His discourses on hitting techniques were lengthy, technical and boring. I don't think 90% of major league hitters had any idea what he was talking about.
Who is Tom Verducci? I can't remember anything he said. Turns out, he's a writer for Sports Illustrated. He should have written out his opinions and given it to Harold Reynolds to read. That may have shut both of them up. Of course that would also mean more Joe Buck. I just can't win.
Duh!
Duh! Duh! Duh! During one at bat last night, Harold Reynolds actually said, "A one-one count. THIS is the pitch I'm waiting for. The pitcher will either throw a strike or a ball and the batter could take it or hit it." Is there an alternative to this? Is there a viewer out there that needs to be told this? Is Fox actually paying you to say this, Harold?
They say that the people in the stands were lucky enough to get tickets to the game. Not to get to see a WS game live, but so they don't have to listen to this dribble. Beer vendors had more pertinent information: "Ice Cold Beer Here!!!"
My Sunday morning favorite time.
I like The Sports Reporters on ESPN. Four sports reporters discussing any important issues in the world of sports. John Saunders moderates (and sometimes, referees) three rotating, opinionated reporters from various fields. I get a kick out of Mike Lupica NY Daily News (for the time being), who bullies the other panel members with his forceful opinion on any subject. Bob Ryan, Boston Globe, is the only one who will stand up to him. Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, has this quiet demeanor that makes his sly humor a surprise. There are others, but these are my favorites.
Sometimes I agree with their stance, sometimes not. John Saunders doesn't usually express a strong opinion on any subject, but he did yesterday.
20 year-old Ohio State quarterback, J.T. Barrett, was suspended for one game after being arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired. Under-age drinking is a big no-no, but compounded by driving at the same time made it a very, very bad thing, since it also put other people at serious risk. OSU coach, Urban Meyer, had just written a book titled "Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season." Most of the Sports Reporters thought the punishment was far too lenient, given the seriousness of the act. Not Saunders. He said that increasing the punishment to four games, the consensus of the other three panelists, wouldn't have any stronger effect on Barrett or any other college student in terms of being a deterrent. So Barrett will miss ONE game, against a relatively weak Minnesota team, making him available against rivals Michigan and Michigan State, of course. So I guess the message is: underage drinking and drinking and driving is bad but not so bad that you want to hurt OSU's National Championship chances. So this is Urban Meyer's "..Lesson in Leadership..."
Brad Dickson's Bottom Ten
3.) Massachusetts (1-7): Thanks for playing the 2015 season, UMass, please enjoy these lovely parting gifts.
4.) Louisiana-Monroe (1-7): Lost to Louisiana-Lafayette in The-Battle-of-Teams-In-Louisiana-That-You’ve-Never-Heard-Of.
6.) Texas San Antonio (1-7): Desperate-for-something-to-celebrate Roadrunners fans tore down the goal posts after the team almost made a first down Saturday.
7.) Charlotte (2-6): The 49ers can blame the record this season on youth. The team’s median age is 3.7 years younger than the Taiwanese Little League World Series team.
It's not what you know...
...it's not even who you know. It's where you are. The New York football Giants are in first place in the NFC East with a stellar record of 4-4. They've out-scored their opponents by a whopping 7 points. Normally, when your quarterback completes 40 passes, throws for 7 touchdowns with no interceptions, you would expect a win. However, 49 points was not enough to win a game against New Orleans. The final score: 52-49. With the right schedule, they could back into a playoff spot. Yeah, a season to be proud of.
***THEY SAID IT***
"Georgia mascot Uga IX is retiring. It was like a cold slap in the face when Uga IX realized that, unlike all those champion racehorses, he will not be put out to stud." -- Brad Dickson
"The World Series is playing out after two games exactly like Yogi said, “Good pitching stops good hitting, and vice versa”. -- Tony Chong
"You have to assume that members of the One-Column Headline Writers Guild will walk out en masse if this Thai teen ever reaches the LPGA Tour: Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong." -- Dwight Perry
"Within an ocean of posters waved at ESPN’sCollege Game Day’s cameras in Philly, Saturday, was one that captured it all. It read, “This Is A Poster.”" -- Phil Mushnick
"Matt Harvey made $614,000 from the Mets this year, while Jacob deGrom made $556,000. Together they almost equal the 2015 Mets salary of Bobby Bonilla — $1,193,000." -- Janice Hough
"The Detroit Lions are 1-5. The only time they’re even money to win is during the coin toss." -- Alan Ray
"Omaha is ranked the third best city for trick or treating.We would be ranked first, but me handing out slices of Spam dropped the city two spots." -- Brad Dickson
"According to the Elias Sports Bureau stats dept, those fourth quarter collapses by the Seahawks recently may be scored “defensive indifference”. -- Tony Chong
"Fox had a 7-minute video-feed outage during Game 1 of the World Series. How come there’s never technical difficulties showing the commercials?" -- Gary Bachman
"Bartolo Colon became the oldest pitcher to lose a World Series game this week at age 42. MLB are still checking to see if he is the fattest." -- Tony Chong
"Firefighters had to rescue a Barnsley FC supporter who fell asleep on a toilet at halftime and woke up — seven hours later — locked inside an empty stadium. The fan, who said he’d had “a few beers,” lost his hat, shoes and cellphone while he was passed out." -- Dwight Perry
"Had to love Fox analysis before World Series Game Five “This is a must win for the NY Mets.” Ya think? Bad news for baseball fans – no more games until 2016. Good news for baseball fans, no more Joe Buck until 2016." -- Janice Hough
"Wake Forest defeated Boston College in football, 3-0. There was one injury. The play-by-play guy hit his head on the mic after falling asleep during a two-yard run in the fourth quarter." -- Brad Dickson
CP-
In case you haven’t noticed…
NFL football stinks.
With 7/16ths of the season completed, only the 1) richly deserved hated, much maligned lying, cheating and locker-room-bugging Patriots, 2) the so-what-who-cares Cincinnati (really, Cincincinnati?) Bengals and, 3) the oxygen-starved Denver Broncos (although good Colorado weed does wonders to enhance your viewing experience) provide a product that might justify spending some of your limited time on earth worth viewing - and then only if the weather is bad enough to keep you housebound.
The AFC South is Hot-Pokers-in the-Eye Bad, so bad that the 3-4 Colts are the division leaders.
The NFC, at first blush, appears marginally better. While no division leader has a losing record, the NY Giants, hobbling along at 4-4 after giving up 7 TD passes to Drew Brees and over 600 yards of total offense to the up until yesterday anemic Saints, have a 1/2 game lead in the NFC East over the offensively-named team in the nations capital.
The NFC North leading Packers look pretty good at 6-2 until you notice their 6 wins came against teams that are a combined 17-29. Nice schedule if you can get it.
The NFC South Carolina Panthers look good at 6-0, albeit against opposition that is a combined 19-26.
In the West, only the Cardinals are worth a look, but no one outside of Arizona can name either the city or stadium where they play.
Keep watching, my friends, you are likely to see at least one guy on your fantasy team carried off the field strapped to a stretcher, and stay bamboozled.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
ESPN - A Home for EverySinglePompousNincompoop
ESPN and its parent company Disney have done more to bring the notion of “Lamestream Media” to fruition than a reality-challenged Sarah Palin and the professional liars at FoxNews(?) combined.
ESPN (EverySinglePompousNincompoop) has killed the distinctive sports and pop culture website, Grantland.
While promising to continue its support of innovative sports journalism after firing Grantland’s interesting and opinionated founder, Bill Simmons, ESPN doubled-down on its commitment to promoting the stupid, inane and pointless screechers Skip Bayless, Steven A. Smith, Curt Schilling and their ilk.
Bob Silverman wrote, “Grantland is gone for good, subsumed by the needs of click-hungry advertisers, who tend to blanche at any take on the day’s events that might offend or would even tiptoe outside the box of standard-brand sports recap pabulum.”
“Not that I’m alleging that any sports commish leaned on ESPN and told it to shut this thing down, but this is what happens when you spend billions for the rights to broadcast the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, and the World Cup.”
“ESPN’s going to ride or die with Stick to Sports, a dismissive shorthand for anyone who might suggest a connection between the sports world and economics or politics or any social, racial or gender issues, that sports journalism is not just boxscores and harrumphing about Tom Brady’s “egacy.”
“But in ESPN’s mind, that’s the winning formula.”
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Could You Repeat That?
“BAWK!
“BAWK, BAWK, BAWK!”
- Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino explaining why he will not attend the ACC Media Day and is sending two new transfers in his absence.
Slick suits, shiny shoes and a million dollar salary won’t buy you an ethical D1 college basketball coach. Given the histories of Boeheim, Brown, Calipari, Pitino and so many others, it guarantees quite the opposite.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Baseball Takes A Day Off... House Should Have, Too
Thinking about Benghazi…
The attack on the temporary U.S. mission and a nearby CIA annex Libya during the early morning hours of September 11, 2012 has fueled a political firestorm directed at then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In early 2016, a new action movie, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, will only stoke the flames as a highly complex and nuanced, lethal geopolitical crisis will be explained by the team that gave you the "Transformers" films. What could possibly go wrong with that?
Meanwhile, GOP Senator Bob Inhofe claims that this relatively small terror attack in Eastern Libya is one of the greatest cover-ups in U.S. history. Really? Worse than Reagan and his minions hiding the sale of 120 I-Hawk surface-to-air missiles and 1,000 TOW anti-tank missiles to the Ayatollahs in Iran in exchange for hostages held by the terror group Hezbollah, then funneling the profits from that sale illegally to Nicaraguan contra guerillas behind Congress’s back? Some people need to read a book.
Former-Vice President Dick (I Got More Deferments Than You Chicken Hawk) Cheney overstated the significance of the attack as “One of Worst Incidents I Can Recall in My Career.” I guess he forgot about 9/11 (2,996 dead), the Iraq War (4,886 dead), the Afghan War (2,326 dead and counting), the Oklahoma City (168 dead) and Beirut Barracks (243 dead) bombings, and the Pan Am flight 103 bombing (270 dead). That’s almost 11,000 Americans killed… plus the four in Benghazi.
And after an 11-hour grilling of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by the House Select GOP Kangaroo Court, top Kangaroo Trey Gowdy could not offer one piece of new ‘evidence’ that was not available from the previous eleven inquiries. Good job, Trey!
Thursday, October 22, 2015
It was a great day for baseball in North America everybody...
The Blue Jays won Game 5 at home to extend the ALCS and The NY Mets closed out the Cubs in a 4-0 sweep.
The Joe Buck / Harold Reynolds Royals v. Jays broadcast was World Series quality, on point and professionally delivered, providing just the right mix of analysis and excitement, particularly over the last three innings. Great job.
After satirizing doily waving in a recent post, the scene inside the Toronto ball park pulled off towel twirling exquisitely. When the camera was pulled back the stands were a blizzard of North Country white.
In Chicago, the Mets scored four in the first and two in the second to put an early end to Cubs.
It’s a shame that a few Mets fans (actually, only my still-to-become-aware nephew and one or two of his Mets fanboy pals) aren’t interested in ‘Tradition’. Otherwise, Daniel Murphy’s record setting home run - Absolutely Amazing! - could become part of a Mets tradition that dates back to their 1969 World Series Championship team when they became truly “Amazin’ “, for all the right reasons.
Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and Cal Ripken, Jr., please, don’t do another game together.
Sleep well my friends and stay thirsty (for men over 40, cranberry juice).
Played 18 today. That was also Amazin'. (I waved a golf towel after every shot.)
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