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11.29.2003
The Rich Get....Poorer?: The economics of pro sports can be mind-boggling at times. While major league baseball owners continue to claim that they're one step away from financial ruin because of player's salaries, it doesn't stop them splashing out huge sums of money for top-line players. Case in point: the Boston Red Sox, losers of a heart-breaking series to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs, traded three pitchers and the ever-popular Player To Be Named Later to the Arizona Diamondbacks for the rights to Curt Schilling. Schilling will make $12 million in 2004, with bumps up the pay scale afterwards, for a total of four years.
For the Diamondbacks, this was mainly a cost-cutting move, helping to lower their $94 million payroll. There's also the fact that Schilling is 37 years old and thus on the possible downside of his career. Theo Epstein, the Red Sox' hot young general manager was very happy to have landed Schilling, believing that he is one of the components that will allow the Red Sox to win their first World Series since 1918. Schilling will be the #2 man in the BoSox rotation, behind Pedro Martinez. It could be a move that helps the Red Sox reach the Promised Land of a World Series win or it could be a huge waste of money. Stay tuned.
11.28.2003
Turkey Day: We hope all of our readers in the United States had a nice Thanksgiving. We ate too much, as usual, and, as usual, watched the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys play football. The Lions shocked the Green Bay Packers 22-14 to put a big dent in the Packers playoff hopes. Down in Dallas, the Miami Dolphins routed the Boys 40-21 to round off the Thanksgiving Day games.
Royalty: The way some pro athletes act, you'd think they thought they were royalty. The Miami Dolphins Adewale Oguhleye really is royalty. Though born and raised in the United States, his uncle is the King of a town/region in Nigeria. Oguhleye is the next in line to the throne. How many athletes can say they'll be King some day?
11.27.2003
For everyone in our American audience, Happy Thanksgiving!
11.26.2003
The Sexist Pigs at Fox: Fox is pandering to its heterosexual male audience with its Thanksgiving NFL pregame show featuring "The making of a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader."
Fox suit Scott Ackerson denies this is a blatant grab for viewers, telling USA Today: "The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are the most famous cheerleaders in the world. This isn't a hard-core football audience we are going to. We thought it would be interesting to show what young women go through to become a Cowboys cheerleader. In our first couple of years, a segment on what the Cowboys cheerleaders did out of uniform was our second-highest-rated show in history." Yeah, right, though if they really showed them out of uniform, the ratings would go through the roof.
We are raising this issue to make a point?Outsports and those in the gay sports audience are sometimes accused of liking sports just for the eye candy, and are asked to justify ourselves. Yet, a major network can show soft porn like the Cowboys cheerleaders on a national holiday and few blink an eye. It?s the double standard that bothers us.
11.25.2003
Bro vs. Bro: A bit of NHL history was made Monday when Mathieu Biron (pictured) of the Florida Panthers scored a goal against his brother Martin Biron, the Buffalo Sabres? goalie. It was the first time in 23 years that an NHL player scored against his brother. Phil Esposito of the New York Rangers did it on Nov. 5, 1980, against brother Tony.
?The Esposito brothers probably have been fighting for the last 23 years,'' Martin Biron said. ?We'll probably be fighting for the next 23 years, my brother and I.''
Mourning Retires:New Jersey Nets center Alonzo Mourning ended his comeback attempt because his kidney disease has worsened to the point where he needs a transplant. Mourning sat out the 2002 season because of the disease.
A doctor said that it was medically unsafe for Mourning, a 12-year veteran, to continue to play. "I don't think any of our players understood the type of risk that he was taking," Nets coach Byrin Scott told the New York Times. "I'm just happy that he's OK, hoping that he'll get better. You stayed hopeful every time you saw him. He'd come to practice and put in an unbelievable day of work. I miss his heart. I miss his courage. I miss his enthusiasm. I miss his intensity. I just miss him as a person. I had a lot of respect for Zo before I met him, playing against him, coaching against him. And I have much more respect now.?
11.24.2003
Glory in England: England has gone crazy in celebrating its national team?s stunning 20-17 extra time win over Australia this weekend in the final of the Rugby World Cup in Sydney; one newspaper said public celebrations would last through Christmas. It is the first time a team from the Northern Hemisphere won the event and experts are calling it a win for the ages.
England?s star was Jonny Wilkinson, who had earlier the tournament disclosed an interesting way he used to focus near the goal, according to the Daily Mirror. Wilkinson said ?that he pictured an imaginary woman behind the goalposts and focused on trying to hit her.? The English even gave the imaginary woman a name?Doris.
The English certainly know how to celebrate, with the team reportedly having gone on a ?15-hour celebration bender? after the win.
A Tie Is the Perfect Ending: There was a great display of sportsmanship in South Africa at the end of the President?s Cup golf event between the U.S. and an international team.
As darkness fell, Tiger Woods of the U.S. and Ernie Els of the internationals were still tied after the third playoff hole with the series tied at 17 matches apiece. That?s when U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus stepped in and offered to call it a tie and share the cup; International captain Gary Player agreed. Under the rules, the U.S. could have kept the cup since it is defending champion but a gracious Nicklaus said ?I have never seen two teams that played harder or played better. I did not find a team that deserved to lose.''
NFL Week 12: Sunday was another wild day in the NFL that saw eight games come down to the wire. Check out our weekly look at all the doings in the league.
11.22.2003
Soccer Phenom: While football--soccer to Americans--will never the popular sport in this country that it is in virtually the rest of the world, at least the United States are starting to produce some world class players. For example, an American, Tim Howard, plays goalkeeper for the most popular sports team in the world, Manchester United of England's Premiership. There are Americans scattered throughout Europe on teams and, of course, the MLS continues its slow growth curve. A 14-year old new to the scene might be one of those players that transcend their sports such as Wayne Gretzky or Tiger Woods.
Freddie Adu was born in Ghana. He moved to the United States when he was young and his skills as a soccer player already have people in the know breaking out the dictionary for new superlatives. On Tuesday, he spurned offers from Manchester United and Chelsea to sign a six-year deal with his local club, D.C. United. What makes the deal interesting is that United have singed a player who is a high-school senior (because of skipping grades and accelerated classes) and, by the time the 2006 World Cup rolls around, could be a 17-year old player for the United States national team. Adu is much more physically developed than most 14-year olds and there have been whispers of a Little League-type scandal of a player being older than his birth certificate. By all reports, he really is 14, so if he lives up to the hype, avoids injuries and avoids the pitfalls of pro sports, he could help the United States better their impressive showing the 2002 World Cup. Since soccer is such a cult sport in this country, he won't have the overwhelming hype of the NBA's LeBron James to contend with. And, in typical fashion, Nike has already snapped him up for an endorsement deal. So when is D.C. United in Los Angeles next?
11.21.2003
It's Going To Be Cold: We hope our readers that are fans of the National Hockey League don't faint because we're finally giving their sport a mention, but this story is interesting. On Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers, five time Stanley Cup champions, play the Montreal Canadians, 24 time champion. So what, right? What makes this game special is that it will be played outside. In Canada. In the winter.
Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium was built to host the 1978 Commonwealth Games and is currently the home of the CFL's Edmonton Eskimo. On Saturday, a hockey arena will be placed on the field for an All-Star between teams of former Oilers and Canadians players, the NHL regular season game to follow. As of now, the weather is expected to be very, very cold: anywhere from -4 F to 14 above F (-10 to -20 C). There's also a 30% chance of snow flurries. There are all sorts of precautions being taken to keep the players warm, everything from heated benches to extending the glass panels across the bench areas so that the subsequent enclosure can be heated. That's great, but for the fans sitting in the upper deck of the 59,000 seat +/- stadium, the game figures to be an endurance test. Unfortunately, the game will only be on TV in the U.S. via the NHL Center Ice package. And how will those people in the upper be able to keep track of the puck anyway?
11.20.2003
28 and 28: LeBron James, the terrific Cleveland Cavaliers rookie, scored 28 points Wednesday against the Washington Wizards. But it still wasn?t enough to stop the Cavs from losing their 28th straight road game and all six Cleveland has played away from home this year. Cleveland is 4-1 at home.
A Brown Is Stabbed: It?s not been a good year for Cleveland Browns running back William Green. He is sitting out four games for violating the NFL substance abuse policy. He was also suspended a game by the team for detrimental conduct. And now his fianc￩e, Asia Gray, is in jail after allegedly stabbing him during a domestic dispute. Green was stabbed under the left shoulder blade during a fight. He is expected to recover but it?s hard to say when his career will.
11.19.2003
Keyshawn Walks the Plank: Keyshawn Johnson won?t have any damn balls thrown his way this season after he was unceremoniously dumped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson, the NFL team?s third-leading receiver this season, was deactivated, meaning he won?t be allowed to play or practice with the team (but he will still get his full salary).
Johnson and head coach Jon Gruden never got along, with the receiver wanting more passes and the coach upset that his player never bought into his system despite winning a Super Bowl last season. Johnson has put his house in Tampa up for sale and had let it be known he didn?t plan on being around in 2004. The move was a clear sign that Gruden is in charge and that no player is expendable. With the Bucs a disappointing 4-6, except more players to be out the door at season?s end.
11.18.2003
BCS Idiocy: College football is a great sport save for one major flaw?the stupid system it uses to decide a champion. In no other sport in the world does a computer decide who gets to play for a championship, as is the case in Div. 1-A college football. Under the Bowl Championship Series, polls by writers and coaches along with computer rankings determine which two teams play for the title.
We saw how stupid the system is again Monday when the latest rankings came out. Unbeaten Oklahoma is on top (no real argument there), but the new No. 2 team is now Ohio State, which won its last game in overtime without scoring an offensive touchdown when its opponent missed an easy field goal. The Buckeyes passed USC, ranked No. 2 in both polls and a 45-0 winner over woeful Arizona. The Trojans somehow dropped from third to fifth in the New York Times computer rankings, and Texas jumped to third. Florida, with three losses, is ranked No. 4 in the Times? poll. Let?s see?USC has one loss, by three points in overtime. Texas has two losses, including a 52-point drubbing by Oklahoma. Only a computer could determine the Longhorns are better than the Trojans.
But even Ohio State is not safe at No. 2, even if it wins at Michigan. USC could win its last two games and pass the Buckeyes if teams that USC beat this season also win (a lot of the system is based on strength of schedule). A true eight- or 16-team playoff is needed but by all indications will not be happening soon. We need to CTRL/ALT/Delete the current system as soon as possible.
11.17.2003
Federer Dominates: Andy Roddick finishes the 2003 men's tennis season ranked No. 1, but he looked anything but in getting beaten in straight sets by Roger Federer in the semifinals of the ATP Masters Cup in Houston.
Federer then routed Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to win $1.52 million and finish No. 2 in the world. Federer had also dominated Roddick in the Wimbledon semifinals, prompting the American to say: "He kicked my ass then, and he kicked my ass tonight." And that's a mighty fine ass to kick. .
NFL Week 11: Sunday was another wild day in the NFL that saw the last of the unbeatens fall. Check out our weekly look at all the doings in the league.
11.15.2003
Bulletin Board Fodder: In the NFL, if someone pisses you off, you can usually settle that score by hitting them really hard on a subsequent play. So, we're baffled why players shoot their mouths off and almost invite a crunching tackle/hit from a player on the opposing team.
Last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice guaranteed a victory for his team over the Carolina Panthers. It didn't work out that way as the defending Super Bowl champs lost 27-24. It seems that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson didn't glean the lesson from Rice's comments. Earlier this week he brashly predicted a victory for the 4-5 Bengals, easily the worst NFL team of the last decade, against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Maybe he was fired up after signed a new 5 year, $26 million contract, but, when given a chance to tone down his statement, Johnson declined. Given that he is a cousin of motor-mouth Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson, it's not a surprise that he didn't back down but we'll be watching on Sunday to see how Johnson performs and which Chiefs defensive back gets the first good hit in on him. A friend of ours has Chad Johnson in his fantasy league so he'll be hoping for a big game from him, even if Chiefs fans don't.
11.14.2003
Juicers Beware: As an addendum to our post of November 7th regarding steroids, Major League Baseball announced the findings of their steroids testing. As part of the last labor agreement, the players agreed to random testing. If 5% or more of the tests came back positive, the players would agree to random testing during the following season, with sanctions. According to sources, 5-7% of the random samples came back with a positive, so the policy kicks in with the 2004 season.
Players will be tested randomly and if they are caught using a banned substance, they will be named, suspended and fined, with the punishments increasing with each positive test. Former players Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti had claimed that steroid usage among baseball players was high, but there was no way to being to verify their claims. Starting next season, there will be a better handle on how extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs are. If someone shows up in spring having gained 20 pounds of muscle over the winter, they will probably not be able to claim that it was an "intense winter workout program" that was responsible and not be laughed at. While Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were breaking home run records left and right, there were whispers that it was the steroids that were responsible; while baseball's policy is weak compared to other major professional sports, the 2004 season testing is a step in the right direction in determining whether those whispers were correct or not.
11.13.2003
The Dumbest List in Sports: The Associated Press released its preseason basketball All-America Team - the dumbest list in all of sports.
How can anyone be an All-American before playing a single minute of basketball? The total combined points for all of the players on the list: zero. The total combined rebounds for every center on the list: ZERO.
You might as well put George_Vikingfan and Joe in Philly on the list - they've played just as well this season as anyone who actually made the list.
11.12.2003
Clijsters Ends WTA Season with a Win: Kim Clijsters won the season-ending WTA Championships by beating openly lesbian Amelie Mauresmo, 6-2, 6-0, in the finals Monday night. Clijsters is the first player since Stefi Graf in 1996 to successfully defend her WTA Championship title.
Clijsters has played her last match of the season, saying that she will skip the Fed Cup later this month. The Fed Cup is a post-season tournament featuring teams made up of players from the same country. Clijsters was set to play for Belgium in their semifinal match against the United States. However, Clijsters has said that she is not interested in playing a tournament in what is supposed to be her recovery period.
Amelie Mauresmo was named this week to Out magazine's Out 100 as one of the Top 100 gay and lesbian people who had an impact in the last year. Mauresmo will finish the season ranked #4 in the world; Clijsters will be #2; Justin Henin-Hardenne, who lost to Mauresmo in the semifinals of the WTA Championships, will finish #1.
11.11.2003
Eagles in a Comeback: After the first two weeks of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles were written off having lost to Tampa Bay and New England - both at home. Last night, they continued their strong season turnaround by knocking off the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, 17-14.
The winning score came in the form of a touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to Todd Pinkston with just 27 seconds left in the game.
The loss keeps the Eagles (6-3) one game behind the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead. The Packers are left wondering what if, after having watched division-leader Minnesota lose on Sunday; Green Bay (4-5), sporting an un-Packer-like 2-3 record at home, remains two games behind the Vikings for the NFC North crown.
Green Bay running back Ahman Green amassed 224 total yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
11.10.2003
Clearing Up: The race for college football?s national championship is a lot clearer after three Top 10 teams?Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech?lost on Saturday. Each team now has two losses, making it virtually impossible for them to make the championship game. Unbeaten Oklahoma will be guaranteed one spot if it wins its final games. USC has the inside track in the race for the other spot, with LSU and Ohio State in position should the Trojans stumble.
Winslow Apologizes: University of Miami receiver Kellen Winslow Jr. made an ass of himself Saturday following his team?s loss to Tennessee and Sunday he apologized. In the post-game locker room, Winslow went after the officials and after Tennessee players he accused of trying to injure him.
?It's war,'' Winslow said. ?They're out there to kill you, so I'm out there to kill them. We don't care about anybody but this U. They're going after my legs. I'm going to come right back at them. I'm a ... soldier.''
In a statement released through the university Sunday, Winslow apologized. ?After speaking with the press, I immediately regretted my comments and felt embarrassed for my family, my team, the University of Miami, our fans, alumni and myself,'' Winslow said. ``What I have learned from this experience is to take my triumphs and failures in stride. ? As for my reference to being a soldier in a war, I meant no disrespect to the men and women who have served, or are currently serving, in the armed forces. I cannot begin to imagine the magnitude of war or its consequences.'' Let?s hope he learns that football is a game compared to what soldiers go through.
NFL Week 10: Sunday was another wild day in the NFL. Check out our weekly look at all the doings in the league.
11.8.2003
Meet Coach No:With a win Saturday, John Gagliardi, 77, of St. John?s University in Minnesota would become the winningest college football coach of all time with 409, passing Grambling?s Eddie Robinson. He has succeeded with methods that would seem quaint and offbeat, except that they work. For example, the New York Times, highlighted some of his more unconventional methods. Such as no whistles. "I don't like to have someone raise his voice to me, and I believe it's the same for the players," Gagliardi said. "A whistle is like raising your voice. The players can get my drift with normal tones."
In addition, he insists his players call him by his first name (?They know I'm the coach"); prohibits tackling during practice (?We assume they'll get to do enough tackling in the game"); has no playbook, no spring practice, no trash talk allowed and calls off practice in extreme cold, heat or rain. A Fort Wort Star-Telegram story mentions an unusual practice drill. ?A sunny September day might call for the ?beautiful day drill? - everybody on their backs, look at the sky and yell, ?It's a beautiful day.? "
Gagliardi is no pushover and says he wants to win as much as the next coach. He does have things in perspective, however. ?The game ought to be fun. It's not supposed to be hard labor. It's football."
Gagliardi?s philosophy of treating the players the way he would wanted to be treated is refreshing in an era of whistle-toting dictators who prowl most sidelines.
Note: St. John's won on Saturday to give Gagliardi the record.
11.7.2003
Coach Hits Player: The Indiana Hooiser's former men's basketball coach, Bobby Knight, was accused of physically abusing a player, Neil Reed, during a practice. Though the situation at IU was complicated, the incident served as a catalyst in forcing Knight to leave the university. On Thursday, another men's hoops coach was out of job for getting physical with a player. Kentucky State fired Winston Bennett after he and player Ricky Green exchanged blows in practice. Bennett released a statement which said, in part, that a heated arguement ended up in punches and that he regretted and was remorseful what happened.
Steroid Probe Continues: Sprinter Tim Montgomery is "The World's Fastest Man" because he is the current record holder in the 100 meter dash. He was in the news on Thursday for far less happier reasons. Montgomery testified before a grand jury in San Francisco on Thursday that is probing the BALCO Lab, which has been accused of providing athletes with banned substances and tax evasion. So far this week, three track athletes have testified and dozens of other athletes across the sports spectrum have been subpoenaed. An attorney for one of the athletes, Douglas Schwartz, emphasized that testifying/being subpoenaed does not mean that person is a target in the probe. At the heart of the inquiry is the designer steroid THG but since the Food & Drug Administration declared the substance banned only last month, Mr. Schwartz claims that any use prior to that was legal. This case figures to get far messier as time goes on.
11.6.2003
All Hype, Very Little Action: In the 1980's, there were few greater rivalries in American sports than the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics. At the heart of the rivalry was the competition between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Besides trying to find "the new Michael Jordan", the NBA hype-masters have long tried to find the new "Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird". On Wednesday, the latest attempt was unveiled.
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers has come in to the NBA on an unprecedented wave of publicity. Carmelo Anthony arrived in the NBA rather anonymously by comparison, going to the hapless Denver Nuggets. Their teams met in Cleveland and, frankly, any rivalry these two players might have is purely wishful thinking at this point. James only scored 7 points in the game, but did a good job of rebounding, grabbing 11 boards. Anthony scored a respectable 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. "I'm glad it's over" was Carmelo Anthony's response to reporters after the game. Considering that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have started the season 0-4, they have more important things to worry about any press-hyped rivalries.
Death in Arizona: We just saw this item on the wire services and we're shocked. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson was brutally murdered in Mesa, Arizona on Wednesday, the victim of an apparent carjacking. Stenson played 37 games for the Reds this season, his first in the majors. He was in Arizona playing in the Winter Instructional League to further hone his skills.
Details are sketchy but it seems he was shot and then run over by the assailant. A man is in custody but his family and the team are in shock. He's not the first major leaguer to be murdered; the California Angels excellent outfield Lyman Bostock was killed in a drive-by shooting in Gary, Indiana in 1978. Our condolences to his loved ones and members of the Reds organization.
11.5.2003
Andy Roddick's Reality: Tennis player Andy Roddick is definitely a favorite with gay fans, both for his looks and his top-ranked playing skills. Craig Shepherd, producer of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, is expected to pitch an idea to various television networks of a reality series featuring Roddick called "The Tour". Cameras would follow him during next year's ATP tour and the footage will then be crafted in to a series. The camera's will have access to every aspect of his life--with one exception: "I've given 'The Tour' producers total access ... except my bedroom -- sorry, I have to draw the line somewhere!" That's disappointing!
NFL, 24/7: The National Football League is easily the most popular sport in America. There seems to be an insatiable desire on the part of fans for info on the league and its players, especially since Fantasy leagues have taken off. The league decided to fill that niche by launching The NFL Channel. The highly respected NFL Films will be providing a bulk of the programming for the new venture, which will not carry live regular season games. The problem? It's only available to the roughly 11.9 million subscribers to DirectTV.
We did like what we've seen so far. They have given video cameras to a bunch of NFL players to produce diaries. Tony Gonzalez of the Chiefs was up first on Tuesday and he did a cute report. The was even some tension when backup tight end Jason Dunn appeared legitimately pissed, shoved his hand in front of the camera and told Gonzalez to turn it off; it was cool that this wasn't edited out.
11.4.2003
Scandal in Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City, Utah wanted the 2002 Winter Olympics to be hosted in their city and the surrounding areas. They really, really wanted it. Perhaps they wanted it too much.
On Monday, the corruption trial of Tom Welch and Dave Johnson continued, with the first of 80 (!!) scheduled witnesses called to the stand. The two lynchpins of the Salt Lake City bid face 15 felony charges including racketeering and fraud. If convicted, they could get sentences ranging from four to 75 years in prison. What's interesting about this story is that the two men don't really dispute the facts in the case. They tacitly admit that they greased the palms of the people who dole out the prized bids. What makes this case interesting is that the two men are claiming that they only did what everyone does when they try to obtain the coveted nod from International Olympic Committee when the IOC decides what city gets the summer/winter Olympics: bribe the committee and pamper them.
The case before the court includes such gems as the SLC committee providing scholarships to the Cameroonian delegate's children; large sums of money being thrown around, lavish spending on hotels and champagne, assistants to the big shots selling them out for a pittance of money, the bigwigs buying watches that cost more than an average workers yearly salary and so on. The two men are hoping that by tainting the whole selection process, by painting it as hopelessly corrupt and venal, that they will avoid big jail time.
To be honest, anyone that thinks that the way the selection processes for major athletic competitions work is the embodiment of vitue is hopelessly naive; the whole process is about graft and corruption. We'll be following this story to see if the small-timers can escape jail time. Frankly, we doubt it, as the IOC will want to make an example of the two relatively small-timers in Salt Lake City to show that the IOC can't be bought.
11.3.2003
Just Shut Up. Please?: ESPN's Sunday Night Football is a good concept. After a day of switching back and forth between as many as nine games on the Dish, it's nice to be able to focus on one contest. The NFL throws ESPN a bone and usually gives them a good matchup, i.e. today's Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings game. There's just one major flaw with Sunday Night Football: the announcing crew.
Play-by-play man Mike Patrick and color guys Joe Theisman and Paul Maguire are, in our opinion, awful. They talk incessantly, laugh uproariously at completely lame jokes and generally clutter up the audio track of the telecast. The worst thing though is that they come armed with a few "story lines" that they run in to the ground during the course of the game. Tonight it was "Randy Moss is great" (he is) and "Brett Favre is the greatest quarterback ever" (highly debatable). So, no matter what the situation or how the game is playing out, the three stick to the script. While saying "ESPN is about hype" is simply stating the obvious, these three take it to a whole new level. And next week? It'll be two different players that get the ESPN relentless hype treatment. What a delight it is to listen to the wily pro's Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf work a game.
Money, Money, Money: In the "The Rich are different from you and me" file, we note that going in to next week's final stop on the PGA golf tour, The Open, Tiger Woods trails Vijay Singh by $768,494 in the race to see who leads the money list for this year. If by some miracle Woods should overtake Singh, he'll have won a record fifth money title in a row. The money list is important to people other than the player's accountants; the Top 125 players get to automatically play on the PGA tour next year. But, considering that Vijay Singh has won $7,345,907 this year, maybe parents should consider "Pro golfer" as a viable career choice for their kids.
11.2.2003
Correction: In the entry from yesterday, we mentioned that the Los Angeles Clippers' Elton Brand broke his foot during the hapless NBA team's opening game. It turns out that he broke it in practice and played on it during the Clippers opening game. That is one tough player to be able to do that. The Clippers lost to Seattle's Sonics 109-100, so it was all in vain.
BCS Clarity: While we are somewhat opposed to the Bowl Championship Series format that decides who is crowned the nation's top college football team--we'd prefer a playoff format be the deciding factor, not computer geeks as it is now--games on Saturday offered a chance to see what teams have a realistic chance to finish in the top two, thus guaranteeing who will meet in the championship game in January. The formula's that are used to decide those two teams are far too complicated to detail in so small a space as this, but at this point in the college football season, the Oklahoma Sooners have to be happy.
By humiliating their cross-state rivals Oklahoma State 52-9, the team from Norman, OK solidified their claim to the number one slot because the team in the number two slot, the Miami Hurricanes, suffered a potentially fatal 31-7 loss to Virginia Tech. We say "potentially fatal" because both the #3 BCS ranked Florida State, with a 37-0 drubbing of the unranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and USC (that's Southern Cal, not South Carolina), with a convincing 43-16 rout of #8 BCS ranked Washington State, can legitimately claim to be valid candidates for the coveted #2 slot. There's still plenty of games left to be played, but at this point, the storied Oklahoma program looks to be in the drivers seat for at least one of the slots in the BCS championship game.
11.1.2003
The Curse, NBA Style: During the recent baseball playoffs, much was made of supposed curses that have prevented the Boston Red Sex (the "Babe Ruth Curse") and the Chicago Cubs (the "Goat Curse") from winning the World Series since ca. WWI. The National Basketball Association's team with a curse hanging over it undoubtedly the Los Angeles Clippers. Starting life as the Buffalo Braves, the team had some success before the owners screwed things up. The team moved to San Diego in 1978, and after sinking to the point of drawing crowds of less than 5,000, in 1981 the real curse descended upon them: real estate mogul Donald Sterling bought the team and moved them to Los Angeles.
Easily one of the worst owners in the history of professional sports, Sterling has meddled with personnel decisions, refused to pay promising young players salaries that would keep them with the team and so on. The Clippers seemed to have turned the corner a few years, moving in to the Staples Center and gathering a promising collection of players. All that promise is in shambles as most of those promising players left after contract disputes. After signing the excellent Elton Brand to a six-year, $82 million contract in the offseason, The Curse struck again during the Clippers first game of the new season when Brand broke his foot. He'll be out 4-6 weeks and, as a Clippers executive said off the record, "Without Brand, we're probably the worst team in the league".
Fine: After last Sunday's 26-6 win over Denver, Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick unleashed a classic tirade against the instant replay used to decide calls in the games. Furious with two calls that went against his team, he declared that he could no longer "do the company line" and blasted the use of replays. On Thursday, he paid for an outburst a week earlier against Cincinnati by being fined $15,000. Ouch.
10.31.2003
More Labor Unrest?: Major league baseball seems to have a knack for doing the wrong thing. The list is too extensive to go in to here, but the latest rumblings could have serious repercussions.
Major leaguers have until November 9th to file for free agency. As of tonight, well over a hundred players have already filed. Unlike last year's slim pickings, there's some excellent players available this time around (Vladimir Gurrero, Miguel Tejada, Andy Pettite among others). The reason this might be important is that the player's union is making noises about filing a collusion grievance against the owners, claiming that the owners are banding together to keep salaries down. Since last year's crop of free agents were fairly unremarkable, the owners could claim that the low salaries offered were justified. That wouldn't be a credible claim this year.
This affects the labor situation in baseball as one of the shadows looming over the labor negotiations of recent years has been the rulings in the mid-80's that owners had colluded to keep salaries down. The owners were fined $280 million dollars and told to behave. With a labor shutdown avoided at the last moment during the 2002 season, there has been an uneasy truce between labor and management since. If the players union sues the owners over collusion, what little good will that has been accrued will be wiped out.
10.30.2003
Great Debut for James: The Cleveland Cavaliers lost, but 18-year-old rookie LeBron James was great in his NBA debut. James had 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in the Cavs 106-92 loss at Sacramento, one of the toughest places to play in the league. ?It was the first I've seen of him, and I was real impressed. He's the real deal,'' Sacramento center Vlade Divac said. James has come into the league with more hype than anyone since Michael Jordan and he will be under a microscope in every game. So far he?s saying the right things. ``I'm just going to try to do the best I can,'' James said after his debut.
10.29.2003
Gay Drama on ESPN: It was drama queen night on ESPN, as the network ran an episode of its fictional pro football show ?Playmakers? with a gay storyline.
?Playmakers? is a pretty lame show, a soap opera without the devilish fun found in the best of them. It?s way too preachy and every plot line is a downer. These guys are millionaire pro athletes?they should be having at least a little fun. But Tuesday?s gay-themed episode at least brought the issue of sexuality and sports to millions.
The basic plot: All-Pro receiver Guerwitz is outed in front of the team by his jilted ex-boyfriend David after deciding to marry a woman to quash gay rumors. Upstanding Coach Mike George stands by his player and the locker room is split. Guerwitz finally comes out to team, sounding more like the president of the Human Rights Campaign than a wide receiver. Evil homophobic owner Wilbanks blackmails Guerwitz to get him off the team. Players preach their positions more than converse and all sides of the issue are explored: An openly gay player will be a distraction, especially in the shower; teammates will be out to get him; let he without sin cast the first stone, blah, blah, blah. Throw in a few ?bullshits? and some rear nudity and it made for a somewhat engrossing mish-mash. There?s even a Mike Piazza-like moment when quarterback Derek McConnell comes out to the media as straight.
Despite the episode?s myriad flaws, it was ultimately gay-positive (despite the downer ending), showing those against Guerwitz to be unsavory hypocrites and coming to the conclusion that all that should matter to a team is how a player performs on the field, not whom he sleeps with off it. We can only hope that one day we see this as a reality and not just fiction. For those that missed it, the show is repeated throughout the week on ESPN and ESPN2.
Jim Buzinski
10.28.2003
Miami Beats San Diego in Arizona: The Miami Dolphins beat the San Diego Chargers, 26-10, in one of the weirdest Monday Night Football settings ever. Deadly wildfires in San Diego County forced the NFL to move the game to Phoenix, 300 miles away. Tickets were distributed free and all 73,000 were handed out; the crowd was larger than any that has seen the hometown Cardinals play this year. Five Cardinal players worked ticket lines, soliciting donations for fire victims.
The game itself was a bore, with the Dolphins defense dominating the inept Chargers. New Miami QB Brian Griese threw three touchdown passes, but wasn?t asked to do a whole lot. In contrast, San Diego QB Drew Brees was awful, throwing three interceptions. All in all, it was a night the Chargers would rather forget.
10.27.2003
Biggest Fish in the Sea: Congratulations to the Florida Marlins for beating the New York Yankees in six games to win the World Series. Pitcher Josh Beckett, 23, was superb in tossing a five-hit shutout to win the deciding game at Yankee Stadium. He looked as relaxed as if he was pitching in a spring training game.
Despite some purists insisting that this was an interesting Series, most of the country thought otherwise. The event ranked as the third-lowest rated ever. It?s easy to see why: Florida has no national profile or stars, and people are sick of seeing the Yankees. The good news is that, unlike when they won it all in 1997, the Marlins will not dismantle the team in the offseason. This will give fans in South Florida a chance to form an attachment to a young, exciting team that deserved its title.
Wild One Down South: Perhaps the most amazing game played all weekend was down in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where Tennessee beat Alabama, 51-43, in the five-overtime college football thriller. The Vols won it on a Casey Clausen 1-yard run, then had to sweat out a last drive by the Crimson Tide. "This game will go down as a Tennessee-Alabama classic," Tennessee linebacker Robert Peace said. "I'm just glad we were on the right side." .
NFL Week 8: Sunday was another wild day in the NFL. Check out our weekly look at all the doings in the league.
10.25.2003
Riley Calls It Quits: Pat Riley shocked the pro basketball world by announcing as head coach of the Miami Heat, just days before the season opener. Riley, who will remain as team president, will be replaced by assistant Stan Van Gundy.
Riley?s Heat team has missed the playoffs the past two seasons, but he said losing wasn?t the reason for his leaving. It's not about me today. It really isn't," Riley said. "It's about the Heat and all those season ticket-holders that have bought seats and sponsors that are starting to come out now because of Caron Butler, Dwyane Wade, Lamar Odom and the possibilities of those guys. It isn't because of me. It's time to do this."
Riley won four title as coach of the ?80s Showtime Lakers, but his New York Knicks and Heat teams of the 1990s were known more for their defense and played a boring, plodding style.
10.24.2003
Marlins Take Lead: When the baseball playoffs began, few casual fans took the Florida Marlins seriously. All the talk was about the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Giants, Braves or Athletics. Florida was an afterthought.
But the New York Yankees are finding out what baseball people have known all year?the Fish can play. The Marlins beat the Yankees, 6-4, in Game 5 of the World Series to take a 3-2 lead. The Yankees rallied for two runs in the ninth but watched as a potential Bernie Williams? two-run home run became a long out instead.
The Series heads back to New York and the Marlins would be well advised to wrap it up in Game 6. No visiting team has won a Game 7 World Series game since 1979, going 0-7 (including the last two years).
