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4.30.2007
The Moss trade. It was absolutely hysterical to hear all of the Patriot-hating NFL commentators and writers say how, by acquiring Randy Moss, the Patriots were selling their soul, sealing their doom, and that they were obviously desperate. As Jim wrote to me on Sunday: "Good. One more reason to hate New England." I understand it. Fans of all the rest of the teams just saw the best team in the NFL just get considerably better. One guy called them the "New England Yankees." The difference is that New England has not made a habit of bringing in top talent, and have long been way under the salary cap. I hardly think they should be vilified for finally wanting some top-tier acquisitions.
For years, New England has made the most of its players, and they have been hailed for taking mediocre talent and turning them into Super Bowl winners. When the Patriots acquired the likes of Corey Dillon and Bryan Cox, deemed "problems" by other people, some scratched their heads. But those two players played their hearts out for the Patriots and were never distractions. Randy Moss wanted to come to the Patriots, and it is only for the Patriots he was willing to restructure his lucrative contract. Before he even arrived in Foxboro, he was already acting like a Patriot. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Whiny Quinn. It was so bogus to hear people during the draft say how sorry they were for Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, as though he somehow "deserved" to be drafted earlier than the 22nd pick. But reality was, he wasn't. The Browns told him on Friday they wouldn't be taking him with the third pick. Few teams worked him out more than the Miami Dolphins, and they passed him up with the ninth pick. With all of his talking and bravado in the weeks leading up to the draft, his refusal to take part in certain aspects of the combine, he has acted like a spoiled little brat, and he clearly didn't convince these teams that he was worth a high pick. It was great to see him eat some humble pie on Saturday. And when he came on the stage chewing gum, and then sat down for an interview with ESPN while chewing gum, I lost what little respect I had for him. Totally classless.
I also heard a couple people say how sorry they were that he lost money because he got drafted out of the top 10, meaning his first contract won't be as high. Oh, cry me a river. He'll get probably a three-year, $10 million contract and a $5 million signing bonus, on top of probably the other $10 million in endorsement deals he'll make in the next three years. Forgive me if I don't feel sorry for some 23-year-old who will make $25 million before he's 26 for playing a game he loves. Gay guys want to fawn over him because he's an attractive white guy. If he was black, we wouldn't be listening to any of this "poor Brady" nonsense. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
The champs are done. The defending NBA champion Miami Heat got the boot from the playoffs in the first round, losing 92-79 in game four against the Chicago Bulls at home. Yep, facing elimination the defending champs lost by 13 at home. Lame lame lame. It reminds me of Shaq's early career in Orlando and Los Angeles, when his team went 0-fer in the series that saw his exit for several straight years.
A few hours later, the Golden State Warriors stunned the Dallas Mavericks, 103-99, to take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series. If the Mavs lose, it will be the first time since 1957 that both finalists from the previous season lost in the first round of the playoffs. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Barkley rules: The best thing about the NBA playoffs on TV is the TNT studio crew led by Charles Barkley. He was hysterical after the Mavs lost Game 4 to Golden State. Wearing a Mavs jersey, Barkley, who had picked Dallas in 5, said, while slumped on the set, "The Bay Area sucks. ... I would rather live on Alcatraz than San Francisco or Oakland." --Jim Buzinski
4.28.2007
Penner > Daniels fallout: A day after the story broke that Los Angeles Times sports writer Mike Penner would soon become Christine Daniels, it's been fascinating to read the reaction at various places.
I'm a big blog whore, checking in on at least 50 of 'em a day, mostly about sports, gay issues and politics. OK, and opera and classical music, but that needn't detain us here. The reaction of sports blogs like Deadspin has been somewhat predictible: sniggering jokes about "peeners and vagoos" mixed in with "so what"? The gay blogs are kind of funny, because in the main, they don't really know about sports, so they don't really "get" the subtleties involved in what's going on. The political blogs have been a bit of a disappointment, combining the frat boy sneering of some place like Fark with some really hideous comments about transgendered people.
I've never met Mike Penner, though I know Billy Witz, quoted in the story, through Jim B. I've loved Penner's writing for years --he's really sharp about the sports media especially-- and that's obviously not going to change. Woah! I'm watching the Canucks v. Ducks game right now and a fight's broken out. A linesman inserted himself between the two players and just got rocked with a couple of punches. Damn! 1-1 in the second..... Anywho, as a cliched comment about the Penner > Daniels situation goes, Mike Penner has real balls to announce what he did in the sports pages and needless to say, he has the full support of us here at Outsports.
A Reminder: By the time you read this, you'll already be parked in front of your TV or computer, sweating anxiously in anticipation, but remember, the NFL draft is this weekend. Try not to get flooded with hype. I think I'll spend the weekend reading opera blogs..... --Jim Allen
4.27.2007
I'm so bored with the NBA: The headline should be sung to the tune of the great Clash song, I'm So Bored With The U.S.A.. Seriously, I just can't excited about the NBA playoffs. At all. Sure, it's getting blanket coverage on almost all cable systems (for the opposite, see: the NHL), but even with nothing on the moron machine tonight, I couldn't be bothered to tune in the Phoenix Suns v. Los Angeles Lakers tilt.
Part of it is that though I love basketball as a sport --when my knees were decent, I loved playing point guard in pickup games-- the NBA version bores me to tears. Too much individualism, way too many "clear out one side of the court while someone goes one-on-one" plays and most of all, a team gets a rebound, makes two passes and a guy jacks it up from 30 feet. Zzzzzzzz.
A perfect example is my favorite NBA team, the Lakers. It's feast or famine depending on what Kobe Bryant does, and Thursday night, he had "it". His 45 points lead the Lakers to a 95-86 win over the Suns, delaying the inevitable of the Suns advancing. The Detroit Pistons swatted aside the Orlando Magic 93-77 and will probably complete the series sweep on Saturday, not that anyone will be watching because every sports fan in America (and probably everywhere in the world too) will be tuned in to the NFL draft, given that it's the greatest event on the American sports calendar. For the record, the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 81-67 to keep alive in their series; they're now down 2-1.
On the other hand...: For some reason this year, I'm really pumped up about the Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite my beloved Vancouver Canucks getting crushed by the hideous Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks, 5-1 in their opening game on Wednesday, I was glad to watch the last period of the Ottawa Senators v. New Jersey Devils games on VS. Yes, that makes me one of about 47 people who are watching the games on that sad-sack channel (something like only 60% of homes get it here in Los Angeles, in the second largest market in the country).
What a cracking good game the Sens v. Devils was, what I saw of it after coming home from work that is. Ottawa totally schooled the still quite gorgeous Martin Brodeur of New Jersey for four goals in the first period to take a 4-0 lead, but the Devils whittled the score down to 4-3 after two periods. A goal by Wade Redden 43 seconds in to the third period essentially settled the game but the Devils never gave up. I simply love ice hockey as a sport and think that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and whoever else in the league made the disastrous decision to leave ESPN, even if they'd have had reduced terms if they'd stayed, should be fired. Go Canucks! --Jim Allen
4.26.2007
Goodell laws down the law. Again. It's starting to become crystal clear the kind of administration NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will levy on the league. It's not aristocracy, not even oligarchy. It's tyranny. After suspending two players who have not been found guilty of anything, one of whom was suspended for an entire season and has to beg for reinstatement, Goodell is wielding his power to get what he wants from teams. It seems the commish is upset that someone blabbed about Calvin Johnson admitting in a scouting interview that he had tried marijuana. That doesn't go well with the clean-as-a-whistle image Goodell is trying to force on his new minions, and Goodell knows that Johnson will be a high-profile player this weekend and in the coming months, so he's threatening the gas chamber for anyone else who blabs.
Come back, Paul Tagliabue! Your successor has your desire for a stronger, better league, but he has none of your tact or grace. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Hype, hype, hype. Yesterday, the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs were headed to embarrassing first-round exits in the NBA playoffs after both lost game 1 at home. Now, after winning game two, they're both headed to the Conference finals. The headline on ESPN.com this morning: "Lone Star Rising." Elsewhere, the Mavericks won, putting the pause on the panic button that loomed after one loss, "and they didn't even need Dirk."
The constant overreaction to whatever happened last night is a hallmark of mass media (be it sports or politics) in this country. How many times have I already heard that it's time for the New York Yankees to panic because they're four games back with 140 games to go, and they've been missing some of their biggest stars in the lineup (some of whom will be returning this weekend)? At least four.
On CNNSI.com, a columnist (I won't even do him the service of mentioning his name, since thats why he made the statement in the first place) is claiming that "there is not a bigger event on the U.S. sports landscape than the NFL Draft. And that includes the Super Bowl." His genius theory is because every American (yes, EVERY American) talks about the NFL draft for three months, but they only talk about the Super Bowl for two weeks. Words do not exist to describe the idiocy of that statement. An entire six-month regular season and a one-month playoff are played, all building up to the World Series, NBA Championship and Stanley Cup. No matter how hard Mel Kiper tries, the draft isn't even on the radar screen of "big" sporting events. But, this columnist got us to mention his column, so he accomplished his goal. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.25.2007
New York City Council bans aluminum bats; baseballs next. The latest sign that the apocalypse is near comes out of New York City. The City Council there voted 41-4 to override a mayoral veto of a bill that will ban, as of this September, aluminum bats from any high school baseball games. The 41 misguided councilmembers who voted to take aluminum bats out of kids' hands did so because of some theory that aluminum bats make baseballs move faster, making it tougher for defensive players to get out of their way. That's right it is a theory that has never been proven. The council decided that the unfounded theory was more important than 30 years of playing with aluminum bats.
"I don't think it's the city's business to regulate that," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wisely said when he vetoed the bill. Unfortunately, to the city council, everything is their business. The city council is now famously headed by out lesbian Christine Quinn (D-Chelsea).
What's the big deal? College baseball is played with aluminum bats. If you were a coach and you had to choose between recruiting a kid whose been playing with the same equipment for 10 years, or who has been swinging with a different bat, which would you choose?
According to the New York Times, a coalition of aluminum bat makers, coaches and others calling themselves "Don't Take My Bat Away" will seek a federal injunction to stop the implementation of the bill. Let's hope the judges have a little more sense than a bunch of ridiculous career politicians.
What's next? Your guess is as good as mine. The baseballs themselves are far more dangerous than softballs; plan on seeing the city council introduce a bill to force boys to play softball instead of that "deadly" sport of baseball. How about cushions on the boards in hockey? Flag football will replace tackle football. I mean, we have to make sports safe, right? -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.24.2007
Halberstam: A great one taken away in his prime. One of the greatest sports writers in America's short history has suddenly taken away Monday when David Halberstam was killed in a car crash in Menlo Park, Calif., the Associated Press is reporting. He was 73.
Halberstam is best-known for his novels about politics and sports, and he was widely recognized as a master of both genres. He won a Pulitizer Prize in the '60s for his reporting on the Vietnam War for the New York Times. He also wrote books about Michael Jordan, Bill Walton and the 1949 Yankees-Red Sox pennant race. At the time of his death, he was headed to an interview with NFL Hall of Famer quarterback Y.A. Tittle for his upcoming book The Game, about the 1958 NFL Championship between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, considered one of the greatest football games fo all time.
I will most remember him for The Education of a Coach, an intimate portrayal of Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Halberstam had a way of getting Belichick to open up about his personal and professional life, his thought processes and his mind. The book isn't just a Xs and Os book about football; it's one very intelligent person's perception of one brilliant man's philosophy of coaching and strategy. I have incorporated some of the lessons learned in that book into various aspects of my own life, and they have paid dividends.
Halberstam will be missed by sports nuts, politicos, and inquisitive minds. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Landis still guilty. When disgraced Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for banned substances last summer, he went on a whirlwind tour of his own claiming he was innocent. According to French newspaper L'Equipe, he has even more explaining to do. Seven backup samples have all tested positive for a synthetic steroid, virtually sealing his eternal reputation as the Ben Johnson of the cycling world.
No doubt other cyclists take banned substances to illegally improve their performance. But Landis' anointing as the next coming of Lance Armstrong, and his vociferous self-defense last summer, made him the poster child for doping in the sport. I should say the secondary poster child; Amstrong has the top prize all locked up. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.23.2007
Romo is gay for pay: While we still don't have an openly gay active NFL player, there is one former Super Bowl champion who will be "gay for pay" in an upcoming movie. Former Denver Bronco (and Oakland Raider) Bill Romanowski, known now as much for his doping as he is for his stellar, hard-hitting NFL career, will play a gay cowboy in the comedy "Weiners," starring a bunch of nobodies . . . and Jenny McCarthy. It's directed by Farrelly brothers protege Mark Steilen.
According to Yahoo! Movies, the synopsis of the movie: "Three friends, in their mid-20's, travel cross country in a weinermobile to kick a talk show host's ass for assisting in the break-up of one of their friends who appeared on the show."
No word yet on Romanowski's onscreen interaction with the weiners.
Thanks to Ross Forman for the lead. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Quick playoff hits: The Golden State Warriors have won six straight games against the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks, taking game 1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference series. Until this weekend, it had been 13 years since Golden State was in the NBA playoffs. All the talking heads will be atwitter today about the possibility of the Warriors sending the Mavs packing early; don't count on it.
The NHL has come down hard on the Calgary Flames, suspending goalie Jamie McLennan for five games, fining coach Jim Playfair (maybe the most ironic name in sports) $25,000, and fining the team $100,000 for repeated illegal use of the stick during their 5-1 game five loss to the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings. Detroit finished off Calgary Sunday night in double overtime.
Tonight, the first round of the NHL playoffs will conclude as the No. 6 Dallas Stars visit the No. 3 Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately, because it's on the network Versus (and yes, we understand this is the first many of you have even heard of the network,) about 12 people will actually see the game. Any Game 7 in hockey is a great thing to watch, and it's a shame that more people won't get to see this one. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.21.2007
David James rules: I've seen English football goalie David James play ever since he entered the Premiership in 1992 with the Red Shite, Liverpool FC. His nickname has long been Calamity James for his propensity for letting in awful goals at crucial junctures. Now James has done something really cool: via Friend Of Outsports Towleroad comes a link to a David James penned that asks a very simple question: "Will a gay footballer ever come out of the comfort zone?".
It's a terrific piece, but probably my favorite part is when James writes "A senior executive in football said to me he wished all the gay footballers would come out so we could just get on with it". Right you are, Mr. Senior Executive. What's kind of sad is how easy it is to stereotype athletes: "Down the years I could easily have been accused of being gay. I was a bit different - I modelled for Giorgio Armani, sparking rumours over which designers wanted to get into my pants; I practised yoga; I read, I paint". *Gasp* An athlete who reads! Yikes! What is this damn world coming to? As they say on the political blogs I read when wanting to point a great link: read the whole thing. David James, I've now forgiven you for playing for The Evil Empire, Liverpool FC.
Hockey rules: Cyd's item about the NHL the other day was really sad for me to read. What a great sport hockey is! All the other business related nonsense like the league's crap TV deal melt away when watching a fantastic game like the Detroit Red Wings v. Calgary Flames one I watched last night. There was one sequence that encapsulates why I love hockey: the Flames were on the power play and patiently moved the puck around. The Red Wings defenders stayed in their defensive box and the Flames kept moving the puck around. All of a sudden, a Red Wing defender lost track of his mark, the puck was whipped in to him (hottie Daymond Langkow), Langkow one timed his shot and Wings goalie Dominic Hasek had no chance to stop what turned out to be the game winning goal in the Flames vital 3-2 win that tied the series at 2-2. Just awesome. --Jim Allen
4.20.2007
Choking dog Clippers: Happy 4/20 to everyone out there. One of the fascinating things to me about sports is observing how players and teams react to
pressure. Our case study this week is the Los Angeles Clippers. Going in to their game Sunday against the Sacramento "Cow Town"
Kings, the Clippers desperately needed a win to stay in their playoff race with the Golden State Warriors. So what did they do? They
didn't bother showing up.
Falling behind by as much as 23 points in the second quarter, it was bizarre watching the game at
home. The Clippers seemed to have reverted to the usual mindset for this rueful franchise, i.e. "We're 29 games out of a playoff spot,
let's just play out the string". There was no urgency, no one taking charge, it was pitiful to watch.
On the other hand, the
Warriors played their bollocks off down the stretch, winning 9 of their last 10 games. Congratulations to the Warriors, who made the
playoffs for the first time since 1994. Their joy figures to be short lived however, as they face the favorites to win the NBA title this year,
the Dallas Mavericks, in the first round.
Pot hypocrisy: Lead by the sorry spectacle of the Cincinnati Bengals making more headlines off the field for their player's legal troubles than their performance on it, the National Football League (aka the No Fun League) has taken a hardline stance against off-field criminal activity. Teams will be fined and there will be other consequences for the sadly routine DUI's, spousal abuse charges and gunplay that blight modern pro sports. This week, however, several athletes who are expected to be high draft picks got tarred with what I'll call the Ricky Williams Brush.
At the meat market known as the NFL Scouting Combine, players are given a battery of personality tests. They are routinely asked if they've smoked marijuana. Gaines Adams, Calvin Johnson and Amobi Okoye were either upfront or dumb enough, take your pick, to have admitted to smoking the Demon Weed. Fine, that should be an internal NFL/Combine (which is run by an ostensibly outside company, but which is really just an arm of the NFL) thing right? Nah, these days, information is almost impossible to keep a lid and now those three players are scrambling to explain their answers, how it will affect their draft status etc.
Where I feel the hypocrisy comes in is that NFL is taking a new zero tolerance policy but still only tests for "street drugs" (i.e not steroids) on a "oh crap, he was busted" basis, it's not a regular part of drug testing. One player personnel person says that they know that up to 50% of incoming players have puffed but "we don't want to be the police. That's the job of law enforcement". How convenient, eh? Of course, in varying degrees, smoking chronic is illegal in most places in the United States and if the NFL was going to be consistent, they'd immediately bar Adams, Johnson and Okoye and force them in to rehab or some such PR bullshit. I wish the U.S. would grow up about marijuana use, but then I wish the Anaheim Angels didn't suck so far this season too. --Jim Allen
4.19.2007
The playoffs started? The most surprising thing about hearing that the New York Rangers swept the Atlanta Thrashers in their first-round playoff series was just that the NHL playoffs had started, but that we were four games in already. I watched PTI yesterday, and they didn't have a mention of hockey that I can remember. CNNSI.com has barely mentioned the playoffs on their front page. Because of a dumb TV deal, I haven't seen any hockey on the TV except for a few shots on SportsCenter. Little did I realize that those shots for the last week have been of playoff games.
It's sad to see what has happened to the NHL. Ten to 15 years ago -- heck, even five years ago -- there was some communal buzz about it. Now it plays seventh fiddle to the NBA, NFL, MLB, tennis, golf and NASCAR; and even Major League Soccer is creeping up on it. They should have just let the league die with the strike a couple years ago. For all intents and purposes, it did.
A no-hitter in Chi-town: Mark buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter on Wednesday, facing the minimum 27 batters. He missed a perfect game when he walked Sammy Sosa in the 5th inning, but he got him out at first base soon after. It was the first White Sox no-hitter in 16 years, which says more about how crappy the White Sox have been than anything else.
Any no-hitter is a strong accomplishment. But I have to imagine he's thinking about that walk of Sosa. To get that close to a perfect game and have it ruined by a guy whom your cross-town kinda-rivals let go is kind of poetic. -Cyd Zeigler jr
4.18.2007
Outsports podcast coming soon: Jim and I have for a long time talked about doing a podcast. Well, it's finally happening. It could show up as early as tonight, or as late as next month, depending on my ability to figure out some coding we need. More info coming soon.
David Wright angling for king status: While my preference is Sean Lamont (any athlete with that body who will let photographers and videographers shoot him in the nude gets my vote), New York Mets third baseman David Wright is doing his best at the plate to take the title of King of the Hardwood. Wright tied the franchise record for consecutive games with a hit at 24 with his 1-for-5 effort against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday night. He's behind the eight-ball in the King of the Hardwood contest, though, down 61-39, which proves the old addage: Foreskin sells. -Cyd Zeigler jr
4.17.2007
Dark day in Blacksburg: It's hard, on days like this, to get distracted by anything other than the lone incident at the forefront of everyone's mind. A disturbed human being ravaged the campus of Virginia Tech on Monday, killing at least 33 people including himself and injuring dozens more in what is being called the deadliest shooting massacre in United States history. It is a sad day.
What can drive a person to do what this young man did? What can each of us do to prevent these kinds of things from happening in the future? Two very difficult questions. Events like this, they can come from romantic rejection, unrealized expectations, or losing a bet on a football game. The impetus for actions like this are as irrational as the actions themselves.
Thirty-two people woke up Monday morning ready to start another day, attend class, maybe take a stroll after the passing storm. Because of the actions of an insane person, every one of them is now dead. I can't imagine living through a day like the students and faculty at Virginia Tech had to live through. For the fact that this kind of incident is so foreign to us, when it happens in other places around the world with more regularity, all Americans are blessed.
Right now, I wish the gunman was alive, so we could put him to death. That is, of course, a sentiment similar to the one that drove him to do what he did in the first place. Our culture breeds vengeance. Movies glorify it. Sports thrive off of it. Wars are fought because of it. Unfortunately, some people take it way, way too far. I understand all of this intellectually, but I can't help but feel somehow cheated that this man didn't lose his life -- at the wrong end of a firing squad -- the way he ended the lives of 32 other people. That deep feeling doesn't make what he did right, and I don't think it makes me wrong. I guess it makes us all so very human. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.16.2007
Spurrier says no to Confederate flag: A debate has been raging recently centering around the flying of the Confederate flag at the statehouse in South Carolina. The state's history is steeped in the good and the bad of the Confederacy; and people have lined up on both sides of the debate.
Over the weekend, the debate took on new meaning as South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier vocally opposed the flying of the flag.
"My opinion is we don'tneed the Confederate flag at our Capitol," he told the Associated Press. "I don't really know anybody that wants it there, but I guess there are a lot of South Carolinians that do want it there."
His opinion is more about the success of his football team than any principle. He has lost some black recruits who have opted to go to schools in states that don't fly the Confederate flag in government areas. If the flag goes, he argues, some of those top recruits will decide to go to South Carolina.
It's the free market at its best. If the State of South Carolina wants to fly the flag, then so be it. But, there will be consequences. When they play Tennessee or Florida in football and basketball and other sports, they'll have to match up against players who said no to their school because of a flag. Now the people of South Carolina have a choice to make: Fly a flag at the statehouse, or contend in the SEC. Decisions, decisions. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
The Jackie Robinson Story. I must say, I did get a little caught up in Jackie Robinson Day yesterday, locked up in my house as the heavens drenched the city. YES, the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, showed The Jackie Robinson Story yesterday, as part of its "Yogi and a Movie" series. Yep, you guessed it: Yogi Berra offers commentary on baseball during commercial breaks.
It's a 1950 movie about Robinson's struggle to play Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, it's just a mess. A terrible movie. The fact that Robinson plays himself isn't the worst part by a long shot. Every scene consists of: Some thug doesn't like Robinson; Robinson refuses to fight him; Branch Rickey, the Dodgers owner, comes in and saves the day. His first season lasts a whopping five minutes of the film, and you're supposed to care in the penultimate scene that the Dodgers are going to win the pennant. Such a great man deserved a better movie than that. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.14.2007
Jackie Robinson Day: On Sunday, baseball will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the integration of the major leagues by Jackie Robinson with a plethora of events. One of them is players wearing Robinson's jersey number 42 for the day. One who won't is African-American left fielder of my beloved Angels, Garrett Anderson. His reason? "It wasn't my idea, and I'm not the type of person to jump on the bandwagon because someone else is doing something. If I did it just because someone else was doing it, it would seem kind of empty to me". Um.....er.....well, the mind boggles at a statement like that. I believe Beavis and Butt-head had the right word for it though: dumbass.
One of the side notes of the Robinson celebrations is that it took another 13 years (!!) for the rest of baseball to have a black player on every team. There were only 16 teams in those pre-expansion days, and when the Boston Red Sox finally woke up to reality (i.e. they realized that their racism was losing them ballgames) by having the wonderfully named Pumpsie Green make an appearance on July 21, 1959, the shameful era of segregation in major league baseball was over.
One of the great pastimes of sports fans is speculating how players from decades past would fare today. It's a hard thing to quantify, though, because baseball didn't integrate until 1947, the NBA in 1950-51. The NFL has a complicated racial history, as it was integrated at its founding in 1922, adopted a no-blacks policy in 1933, which lasted until 1946. Without African-American participation in those sports --though to be fair, the NBA and NFL were blips on the sports radar compared to baseball until the 1950's-- it's a skewed argument. From all I've read about him, I'm convinced that if the great Negro League catcher Josh Gray had a) been given a chance in his prime and b) hadn't died at the still-young age of 35 the year Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, he'd be remembered as one of the all-time greats. *sigh* --Jim Allen
4.13.2007
Goodbye, Drew: There was some sad news for Jim B. and me today --I'm sure Cyd was dancing around his apartment in joy-- when Drew Bledsoe announced his retirement from the NFL. Jim B. and I love classic pocket passers and while it's very true that Bledsoe resembled a statue at times, causing numerous sacks, he could really throw the ball. Oh, and he was sexy as hell. Our favorite story of Bledsoe is from early in his career when his mom was cleaning out his car and a bunch of $40,000 paychecks came out of the sun
visor. It's too bad that Drew will probably be best remembered as the man that Tom Brady replaced, but he made a ton of money, is in pretty good health for an NFL quarterback and is leaving on his own terms.
Good riddance: To the surprise of probably only about three people, radio "personality" Don Imus was canned by CBS for his lame remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team on Thursday. He'd already been let go by MSNBC, but frankly, it's appalling to me that it took so long for him to get fired
after decades of racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments. My dad loved listening to him when we lived in New Jersey in the early 70's and I couldn't stand his brand of "humor" as a 14 year old; as a 48 year old, I'm glad to see him go. All those poor politicians and media whores who overlooked his scummy comments over the years, where ever will they go to pimp their latest book or project now? The poor dears!
Stanley Cup playoffs start: I love hockey, but man oh man, the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's all the doofus players doing that pathetic "let's all not shave until we're eliminated to show team solidarity" thing, but by the time one team lifts the Cup, it will be June. Add in a really sad TV deal on VS. and it's sometimes hard to follow the sport. However, as a longtime Vancouver Canucks fan, it was nice to see them win their first game last night. In *four* overtimes, 5-4 against the Dallas Stars. That's crazy; for a team to win the Cup, they have to win four best-of-seven series and they played the equivalent of two games + another period in their first game. Penalty shoot outs like in soccer, anyone? Hahaha, only kidding. Go Canucks! --Jim Allen
4.12.2007
Justice is served. After Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton waved the flag of racism, after the American media convicted three Duke lacrosse players without a trial, after Duke fired a head coach, after all of that, the attorney general for the State of North Carolina dismissed all charges against the Duke lacrosse players, saying that all evidence points to their innocence.
In case you missed it, here's some of what A. G. Roy Cooper said:
"The result of our review and investigation shows clearly that there is insufficient evidence to proceed on any of the charges. Today we are filing notices of dismissal for all charges against Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans.
"The result is that these cases are over, and no more criminal proceedings will occur.
"We believe that these cases were the result of a tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations. Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges."
This was such a disheartening case. The D.A. who brought the case, the woman who brought the charge, and the hateful black leaders who spewed venom and lies about those boys should all be tried and held accountable. The reputations of three young men with promising futures, a university with a strong history, and a sport that is more American than apple pie were tarnished by the hateful politics of black leaders who were using the lies of a single exotic dancer for their own political agenda. Unfortunately, so much of the American media just went along with it. I'm proud to say that we at Outsports smelled foul play from the very beginning.
On another note of justice served, MSNBC has decided to pull their simulcast of Don Imus' radio show. This had nothing to do with what was "right," but what was a good business decision. The show's two largest sponsors have both pulled their financial support of the show, as have many others. MSNBC isn't silencing someone's right to say what they want or caving to the P.C. police; if they were interested in getting rid of hate, they'd drop Keith Olbermann. Instead, they're making a good business decision; despite good ratings, when a show loses it's sponsors, it's time to abandon ship. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.11.2007
Imus and Al play incident to the hilt. The media has been atwitter for the last week over Don Imus calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos." And it all seems to me to be just another publicity stunt for everyone involved. I mean, when something overshadows the paternity test of Anna Nicole Smith's baby, you know everyone wants a piece of the pie.
Imus has been around in the media for decades. He knows what he's doing. When he says the women's national championship game was "jigaboos versus the wannabes" and calls the players on one team "nappy-headed hos," it's despicable and degrading, and he knows exactly what he's doing. There's an old adage in public relations: Any publicity is good publicity. Imus sank into ratings oblivion years ago as younger, smarter radio personalities like Howard Stern and Sean Hannity took to the airwaves. Now, thanks to his comment, he's the talk of the country and ratings are up. Don't think for a second that that mop-headed ratings ho didn't know what he was doing.
Then you have Al Sharpton, who has certainly gotten himself plenty of publicity out of this whole thing. Let's not forget that Sharpton himself has been called on the carpet for saying terribly racist things, and has even incited violence against Jews that led to the murder of at least one person. And that's not to mention the whole Tawana Brawley affair. But few know how to play the race card better than Sharpton, so he's loving every minute of this.
Personally, I think the worst part of Imus' comment wasn't the "nappy-headed" part, but calling these women "hos." The Black rap culture created and glorified the term; to have it thrown back at them really was low. And there really isn't a place for calling female basketball players "hos," no matter what their hairstyle is.
Imus has been suspended for his comments, as well he should: It's good business practice. When someone steps over the line (and Imus did step over the line), they should be held accountable if the consumers demand it. In those two weeks, Imus will be meeting with the women he offended; I'm sure we'll hear plenty about that when it happens.
It was humorous for me to see the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association chime in today with their assessment of the situation. It had nothing to do with lesbians, gays or journalists . . . but it was a chance for them to get some free press out of it. Hell, everyone else is; why shouldn't they. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.10.2007
Openly gay race car driver Evan Darling: Steve Rothaus of the Miami Herald, a good friend of Outsports, has written the first major piece on openly gay professional race car driver Evan Darling of Ft. Lauderdale. He's been mostly an amateur racer but is taking the plunge into the pros, and will hit the Grand-Am Koni Challenge in Miami this weekend.
Rothaus asked me last week why race car drivers have such macho personas. I personally don't think it's the race car drivers that do. Those guys are the faces, the pretty boys of racing. The macho persona of the sport comes from the mechanics and the intricate work done with engines and the underbellies of the cars. My guess is there are plenty of guys like Darling. Rumors have certainly flown around for years about one or two of them. It's great to see one of them, who has been living gay for years, take the plunge. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
256 pages of Tony Dungy's bullshit: Get ready for the next round of the Tony Dungy politics parade. Over the weekend, Jim pointed me to my next birthday present: Tony Dungy's new memoir, set for release in July, titled Quiet Strength: The principles, practices and priorities of winning life.
According to the Indianapolis Star, the book is going to be a whole heck of a lot more of Tony Dungy's religion and politics.
"The biggest lesson I learned was that God's hand is not only in the victories, but in the disappointments as well," Dungy told the Star. "It is my prayer that reading my story will cause people to stop and examine what's really important in life."
Make no mistake, kids. Dungy is the newest, brightest poster child for the religious zealots who want to keep gay people from any rights or recognition. And Dungy will be using his book, his prayers, and his religion to beat us down.
Go Colts! -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.9.2007
The Masters, Final Day: It's fascinating to me to watch how narratives in sports play out. For example, for years it was "Peyton Manning chokes in big games". The golf version might be something like: "If Tiger Woods is close going in to the final round of a major, he's got a good chance of winning". There's some truth to that, but I sense a new narrative starting to form around Woods: "If he's not leading going in to the final round, he's out of luck as he can only win when he's leading".
On an absolutely picture postcard day in Georgia, Zach Johnson, with one career win to date, managed to sink three birdies on the back nine to hold off Tiger Woods, Rory Sabbatini and Retief Goosen to win the 2007 Masters. What a strange tournament this was! The course just kicked everyone's butt and I like it that way. I *like* seeing these guys sweat to make par, to not drive second shots in to vast water hazards and so on. On Sunday, Woods actually lead after he sank a birdie on the second hole, but he kind of fell apart after that, including a bizarre moment on the 11th hole when he bent the club he was using to get out of a tight spot after it collided with a tree.
Mr. Johnson, who I swear could be the actor Joaquin Rivers double, won because of a simple formula: don't make major mistakes. There was actually a dogfight among four players as they headed in to the back nine, but all except Zach Johnson didn't get it done: first round leader Justin Rose made birdie on six of nine holes at one point, hit a horrible tee shot on 17 and ended up double-bogeying, ending his chance; third round leader Stuart Appleby got off to a nightmare start, double bogeying the opening hole and when he double bogeyed on 12 too that was that--those 2 double bogeys account for the four shots behind he finished. What a cruel game golf can be.
As a result, Zach Johnson gets the tacky green jacket that Masters winners get to wear and a slew of perks that accrue to the winner. So, one major down and three to go. Next up: the U.S. Open in mid-June at Oakmont CC in Oakmont, PA. --Jim Allen
4.7.2007
The Masters, Day 2: When it comes to men's golf, I only watch the four major tournaments on television. I follow it on the Internets, however, as a casual fan and so one of my favorite things when watching the majors is: which obscure duffer is going to be leading after two rounds before imploding on Saturday and Sunday?
Sure enough, after two rounds of 2007 Masters in Augusta, Georgia, we have atop the leaderboard Brett Wetterich and Tim Clark. In a sport that relies a lot on its top players to create excitement among non-obsessives, it's funny to see how the "Lead after two rounds, end the tournament tied for 47th" thing holds true. Mr. Wetterich has one PGA tour win, the Byron Nelson in 2006, while Clark has none. Note to parents with young sons: buy them golf clubs, now. Even though he has just one win since turning pro in 1994, Brett Wetterich has won $4,938,920 on tour, an average of about $379,000 a year (!!). Damn, I'm totally in the wrong business.....
Speaking of major players, Tiger Woods had another frustrating day but the Augusta National course is kicking everyone's butt, so at 3 over, he's only five strokes behind the co-leaders. Expect him to play better in the next two days. Phil Mickelson almost certainly will not be repeating as Masters champion because although he's only seven strokes off the lead, he's not shown that he's a comeback-type player. I like Vijay Singh's chances and...oh hell, I just jinxed him, totally. Mr. Singh is only two strokes behind and his experince in majors, including winning the 2000 Masters, should be a big plus. First round leader Justin Rose faded a bit, shooting +3 to fall to 2 behind. Lots of golf etc.
Friday is also cut day and some big names will be packing their clubs and heading home. 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, 2005 Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco and Ernie Els are among the notables not making the grade. I didn't have a chance to watch much TV coverage on Friday, so I'm not sure about fashion crimes, but I'm certain there were some, I just know it. Bring on the weekend! --Jim Allen
4.6.2007
The Masters, Day 1: As is standard, going in to this years Masters tournament in August, Georgia, there were the usual suspects being picked to win. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Da.....what? Henrik Stenson? I don't know where the buzz about the gorgeous Swede came from, but there it is.
In truth, the big story is the course itself. Since last years tournament, won by Phil Mickelson, the men --no advance on the women-at-The-Masters thing-- they've added 500 yards to the course. Add in dry, windy weather and it was a tough course to play on Thursday.
Still, these are the best players in the worlds, as PGA ads never tire of reminding us, and some wheat and chaff got separated. The aforementioned Mickelson had a miserable day, shooting a +4 76, his worst first round at Augusta in ten years. Singh fared better, with a one over par round, which has him tied with a gaggle of players for 15th. In that gaggle is Woods, whose putter let him down a bit.
Your leader after one round is Englishman (via South Africa) Justin Rose, who didn't bogey a hole all day. Rose is familiar with his name being top of the leaderboard, having lead after two rounds three years ago before fading. "That's exciting to go bogey-free on any course on any day. But first round at Augusta on a day where obviously the scores are pretty high makes it a very pleasing round. Yeah, one that I'm very happy with, for sure". Plenty o' golf to go, however.
I watched the repeat coverage on USA during the evening, and boy were there some fashion crimes on the links! Retief Goosen looked like a....a....well, I can't think of analogy to his bright orange shirt and hat. Brett Quigley wore pants that were so lime green, they'd have been garish at a disco in the late 70's. I'm very much in favor of the muted earth tone shirts and slacks that most players favor these days --plaid seems to be out of favor too-- but it is nice to see some eye-searing colors out there once in a while.
Sad: On a sadder note, former NFL wide receiver Darryl Stingley passed away at the age of 55. Stingley was rendered a quadriplegic in 1978 while playing for the New England Patriots. The Oakland Raiders Jack Tatum hit Stingley with a vicious, but clean, hit that left the promising wide receiver with a compressed spinal cord and two broken vertebrae. The NFL changed the rules on contact after his injury, but too late to be of any good to Darryl Stingley. Rest in peace. --Jim Allen
4.5.2007
Worse to be anti-gay than gay: Former NBA player and now-former-CBA coach Micheal Ray Richardson is learning the hard way: Times they are a-changin'.
For years, the idea has been pushed forward that a gay player can't come out because he might lose his job or endorsement deals. On the contrary, there is example after example over the last few years of gay athletes coming out while active (though not at the pro team level) and being embraced. In Sheryl Swoopes' case, she actually picked up an endorsement deal.
Now, people are losing their jobs because they're anti-gay. Tim Hardaway severely harmed his relationship with the NBA after saying he hates gay people. He also lost his job with the Continental Basketball Association. Now, the CBA's Albany Patroons have declined to renew Richardson's coaching contract after his insensitive remarks that were dubbed anti-gay and anti-Semitic.
He's labeled the rest of his life as anti-Semitic, and he's not," Richardson's attorney John Aretakis said, according to the Associated Press. "He's got two kids who are being raised Jewish. He's got an ex-wife he has a good relationship with who is Jewish."
Of course, no claim that he's somehow pro-gay.
I have no idea what the guy thinks of gays or Jews, but his comments about Jews, and his calling a heckler a 'faggot' last week were, in our culture, inexcusable and certainly reason for the CBA to take whatever action it deemed necessary. And if Richardson's career suffers for his own personal remarks, maybe it will be a lesson that, like the black-balling of Tim Hardaway, more black athletes will take to heart. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.4.2007
23 down, 2,407 to go. Two days into the regular season, Major League Baseball has completed a whopping 23 of the 2,430 games that make up every season. Part of the season is already shaping up just as it's supposed to: The New York Yankees are already winning their division, and the Boston Red Sox are already a full game behind.
However, at 2-0 in the NL, the Florida Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers are running away with the league. And since the first 23 games mean so much, those Mets fans already making playoff plans should be nervous.
In all seriousness, with the coming of baseball and daylight savings time comes the first glimpse of summer. Nothing could sound better as a cold, windy, wet storm sweeps across the Midwest set to hit the East Coast Wednesday. Just in time for a rain-out.
Rutgers runs out of gas. Rutgers came up one game short in the women's NCAA basketball tournament as the Scarlet Knights were turned aside by the Lady Volunteers of Tennesse, 59-46, in the national championship game. Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, took home her seventh national championship. The win re-asserted Tennessee as the top women's basketball program in the country, and one of the to sports programs in the country. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.3.2007
Championship Monday rant: Monday night was a thrilling conclusion to the ISU World Figure Skating Championships on ESPN. Japan's Miki Ando barely edged out her countrywoman Mao Asada for the world championship, posting a score of 195.09, only .64 better than Asada. American Kimmie Meissner finished out of medal contention in fourth place.
Oh yeah, there was some basketball game on CBS, too. I tuned in for about 10 minutes of it, but I couldn't help but be distracted. It seemed to be a lot of bad shot selection by Ohio State and mundane zone defense by Florida. Ho-hum. I could yap about Florida's football and basketball titles and back-to-back blah blah blah. Instead....
Thank heavens the college basketball season is over and I won't have to write about it any more. I have really gotten tired of it. It is so much nonsense, so much hype, so much whining, and so much bad officiating. The referees decide the outcome of basketball like no other sport, and it's the worst at the collegiate level. At least with the NBA, you've got the best of the best duking it out for the title. In college basketball, when people aren't talking about who the latest "Cinderella" story is, they're complaining because they don't have a "George Mason" to cheer for. College basketball today is a who's-who of players who weren't good enough to go to the NBA. Monday night should have seen Lebron James leading Ohio State to a title. Ho-hum. By the way, who was this dumbass player from Florida holding up the Dominican Republic flag as he accepts the United States National Championship trophy? Oh brother.
On to better things.
Speaking of back-to-back, Sunday night I recorded two episodes of the Discovery Channel's Planet Earth. Incredible. You gotta see it. The battle between the polar bear and the walrus was 10 times better than any glimpse I got of Joaquim Noah. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.2.2007
Phelps wins 7th: The most amazing sports accomplishment in the world this week had to be swimmer Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals at the world championships in Melbourne and setting five world records. He was denied a chance at a record eight golds when Ian Crocker jumped in the pool too early during a preliminary race for the men's 4x400 IM relay. The U.S. team, which would have been heavily favored to win, was disqualified.
A lesbian holiday: It was Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs, the lesbian circuit event built around the LPGA event in town, the Kraft Nabisco tournament. The New York Times ran an article highlighting the growing popularity and how the LPGA for the first time reached out to the parties in town after ignoring them for years. "It's a lesbian rite of passage," said Julie Bolcer, the news director of Go!, a national lesbian magazine. "This year I find that the amount of attention that is being paid, the sponsorships that are behind it, it's almost palpable. If one were going to go to the Dinah, this is the year to do it."
The story covered familiar territory, but I did enjoy this one bit of information from Joie Pompilio, a brand manager for Finlandia vodka, the largest sponsor of one of the big circuit events. "They're loyal consumers and they're really open to trying new and creative cocktails," she said of gay and lesbian consumer. And since Finlandia also sponsors the men's White party, a gay circuit event that takes place in Palm Springs in April, Ms. Pompilio is able to do some armchair market research, the story said. Her conclusion? "The women drink 40% more than the guys." I would be curious as to why the gals would outdrink the guys -- can some circuit types enlighten me? As for the tournament itself, it was won by Morgan Pressel. At 18, she is the youngest person to win an LPGA major.
Final Fours: The lineup is set -- Ohio State vs. Florida for the men's college basketball title Monday, and Rutgers vs. Tennessee for the women Tuesday. The men's final has about zero appeal to me, which doesn't surprise me since this is the worst NCAA tourney I can recall. Both Saturday semifinals were bland affairs with nary a spark of excitement or drama. A close, exciting final would be welcome after three weeks of mostly lackluster basketball. I'll take Ohio State 72-Florida 63. On the women's side, Rutgers is many people's sentimental choice as coach C. Vivian Stringer tries for her first title in 25 years of coaching. Since I have seen neither team play, I won't hazard a guess. --Jim Buzinski
3.31.2007
No bullying: Astute readers of this feature know that Jim B., Cyd and I have a real problem with hazing. Add in the homophobia and misogyny that's often a part of those lame-ass rituals and it's something that we implacably oppose. This week the Michigan legislature took a small step in the right direction. Bills back by governor Jennifer Granholm would require Michigan schools to adopt anti-bully and anti-harassment policies.
What's of interest in terms of Outsports is that sexual orientation would be added to the laundry list of protected categories. Predictably, religious conservatives are having a fit, seeing it as a sinister plot by us homa-sechs-yuls to lure kids in to this abomination of a lifestyle (I sure wasn't lured, I jumped in with eyes wide open). Or something like that, it's all so nutso, it's hard to parse what they're on about. The bills face an uncertain fate in the Republican controlled state Senate, but it's a good sign that they've gotten this far.
That's Ms. Umpire to you: A minor milestone was reached in the area of women in sports this week when Ria Cortesio umpired a spring training game between the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. There's never been a female major league umpire working a regular season game before, of course, and Pam Postema was the last woman to do a spring training game, back in 1989. What's different this time is that Cortesio actually in on track to make the big leagues.
"She's good. She's breaking down barriers and she's persistent and she makes all the right calls and that's what they are supposed to do. I just couldn't imagine being in her shoes" said Cubs second baseman Ryan Theriot.
Ms. Cortesio currently umps in AA ball; according to Cortesio, once a slot opens up in AAA, it's hers. That's significant because she then begin to be evaluated by major league supervisors. It's a hard life for an umpire--Ria Cortesio is in her ninth year of umpiring, and if she has what it takes, it could easily take another five years or more before she gets a shot at being abused by major league fans for missing calls. There's still many steps to go before she'd even be considered for a few regular season games as a fill-in ump, but she's determined to do it. "Absolute best-case scenario, we're looking at 2009 to get a couple of games". --Jim Allen
3.30.2007
Title IX debated, again: It's offically known as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (United States). It's a piece of legislation that declares that "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance". Title IX covers all educational activities, but for our purposes, we'll focus on the sports aspect.
Tied in to the women's Final Four this weekend in Cleveland, Title IX will get an intellectual going-over in a symposium about the controversial provision. Title IX has had a profound effect on men's and women's sports in college and it's one of those minefield topics that uses statistics like blunt instruments.
Pro-Title IX advocates point to a raft of stats that show the law is working as it was intended; women's sports have blossomed in the years since 1972; who even heard of women's Final Four in 1972 outside of hardcore women's basketball circles. Anti- forces use statistics that point to a relative decrease in men's participation in college athletics. As the famous saying by Mark Twain goes "There are three types of lies - lies, damn lies and statistics".
While both sides are batting statistics back and forth like a badminton shuttlecock, the one thing that bugs me is that the main men's complaint, that men's sports are dropped to satisfy Title IX, is undeniable. What my gripe with that complaint is boils down to two things. First, nowhere, as you can see, does Title IX mandate *how* its requirements are met.
That leads me to my second gripe, that since that is the case, I'd really like an anti-Title IX person to explain to me how they never seem to acknowledge that one of the reasons men's sports get cut for budgetary reasons is because football (an exclusively male sport in terms of official NCAA championships) and men's basketball are like monetary black holes in athletics departments across the country, sucking up vast resources, which don't really get evenly distributed back in to the athletics department budget. Until that issue is fully addressed, I think there will be a stalemate in both pro- and anti- positions. --Jim Allen
3.29.2007
Teammates' intimacy: There was an interesting post on the London Guardian website about the reticence of modern athletes to show affection to teammates. The jumping off point was an Outsports article by Eric Anderson on how oldtime jocks had no problem hugging or embracing their mates. Anderson reviewed the book "Picturing Men," which had several great images of oldtime athletes bonding in team photos. "I'm not the only one to have noticed the tendency our sporting great-grandfathers had for a degree of male intimacy which these days would automatically be taken as evidence that a chap" is gay, Guardian writer Steven Wells says. He is talking not about spontaneous on-field celebrations -- where it is still permissible to embrace and even kiss a teammate -- but in how jocks relate off the field. "Modern professional sports are so crippled by homophobia that the only times players can show physical affection is when celebrating," he says.
Wells recounts an incident that happened to him a few years ago: "I reported on the gay football [soccer] world cup in South London. I was introduced to some American players, one of whom took my proffered hand, pulled me close and kissed me aggressively on the lips. It was an obviously political gesture, devoid of eroticism, intimacy, comradeship or friendliness. I was startled. And then saddened, not by the kiss -- that was kind of cool (if a little scratchy). But by the fact that in the 21st century, a man kissing another man is a political issue." Wells concludes on this note: "We've made terrific advances with regards to sexuality in the last 50 years or so. But looking at the photographic evidence, it seems we might have lost something as well."
His point is well taken. As gays have become very visible and accepted, any public display of same-sex affection is seen as being "gay," and not simply two men (or women, though that is much more accepted) bonding. I am as guilty as the next person in looking for "evidence" in pictures of two jocks kissing or hugging. For me, it's the hope that some of these guys are gay and might one day come out. For others less accepting, it's a way to mock such jocks and imagining them as being lovers (calling someone a faggot is still the ultimate sports putdown. Just ask Joey Porter).
Wells also points to a fascinating English website "that endeavors to collect same-sex romantic/erotic stories about football [soccer] player and/or personalities." On the site are dozens of photos like the one above (with Steven Gerrard hugging Michael Owen) that show soccer players kissing or embracing. They are even indexed by name, making it obvious that teammates love to touch Michael Owen (Check out this one.) The fictional stories imagining various soccer stars getting it on are even given ratings similar to movies, and most are NC-17 (I would not read these at work). --Jim Buzinski
3.28.2007
Thorpe still not gay: New flash -- for about the 10th time, retired Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe has announced he's not gay."I became a gay icon when I was 15, which was a little bit weird. When I was 17, everyone had started that speculation about me," Thorpe told the Australian Good Weekend magazine. "I don't have a problem with being a gay icon. It's not a big deal to me. But I think the gay speculation, along with when I was accused of taking drugs in 2000, was an attempt to pull me down from the top. Some people think it's an insult to say, 'Oh I think he's gay,' but I don't take it that way. I'm not gay. I'm lucky that within myself I don't care enough to get worried or upset over it."
Excuse me while I yawn. I think Thorpe's gay icon days are over and people have moved on to someone else. I'll just take him at his word that he is not gay. But if he changes his mind, then I'll care again.
Phelps is the man: American Michael Phelps set a world record in the 200-meter freestyle at the FINA world swimming championships in Melbourne, Australia. I watched the race on Fox Sports (which is airing a two-hour block each day) and was amazed at how easy Phelps makes it look. He has this underwater dolphin kick that makes him look more fish than man (I know a dolphin's a mammal, but you get my point). He is a phenomenal athlete and the crowd was buzzing as he set the record. Even a swimming novice like myself could tell he was outclassing the field. Check out this awesome image of Phelps in the meet from Getty Images that shows his wingspan and amazing back. Michael Phelps the person has always seemed a bit uninteresting, but the swimmer is transcendent.
Phelps shattered the 200 free mark set by Thorpe in 2001, a record that many said was almost unbreakable. Thorpe's mark was 1 minute, 44.06 seconds, and Phelps beat it with a 1.43.86. "I thought this 200 freestyle record by Ian would last for 10, maybe 20 years," said Pieter van den Hoogenband of Holland, who won the silver but finished 2.42 seconds behind Phelps, a mile in elite swim terms. "I will say," Phelps said, "everything was pretty close to perfect in that race." Phelps has already won two gold medals and had six races to go. "He is a heavy favorite to win gold in all but the 100 butterfly, in which his American teammate Ian Crocker holds the world record," the New York Times says.
And Phelps really knows how to celebrate. "Took two Ambien and I passed out," he said Wednesday (Australian time). "When I woke up this morning, I had 26 text messages from people I went to high school with, people from back home. ... Everyone was just firing texts away."--Jim Buzinski
3.27.2007
Sports fans and gay jocks: Another survey is out that suggests sports fans would not care much if their favorite athlete was gay. A poll by Witeck-Combs and Harris found that of 72% of "heterosexual adults say they would not change their feelings toward a 'favorite' male professional athlete if the athlete revealed he is gay." A similar survey done in 2002 found the number for the same question at 66%, and both surveys are in line with others done by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
On another question, the survey found that 72% think other fans would have a less favorable opinion of a gay athlete. This is down from 80% in 2002. I've always found the responses to these two questions odd. They either suggest an "I'm tolerant but my neighbor is not" attitude, or one that says respondents are answering based on what they think is the publicly accepted answer ("I would be uncomfortable, but I'll say I wouldn't be.") I think the bigger issue to a team sport athlete coming out would be the acceptance of his peers, since they are the people the jock most closely identifies with. A majority of players in pro baseball, football, basketball and hockey would welcome an openly gay teammate, a Sports Illustrated survey in 2006 found -- 57% in the NFL, 60% in the NBA, 61% in baseball and 80% in the NHL.
Ultimately, I think most fans would get over the shock of having openly gay players on their team pretty quickly. After the initial news value wore off, I think the player would be judged on his performance and personality. This is why I think the fan element is less important to the issue than the reaction in the locker room.
Win and you're out: We now have two college basketball coaches who have been fired despite their teams making the NCAA men's tourney. Stan Heath of Arkansas was fired Monday, a week after the same fate befell Larry Reynolds of Long Beach State. That's a great example to show to the alleged "student athletes" at a school who played hard for their coaches -- what they think doesn't matter. Had either guy been sacked because his players did poorly academically, I might applaud. But in both cases the school administration wanted to go in another direction. --Jim Buzinski
3.26.2007
Peyton on SNL: The times I tune in "Saturday Night Live" remind me why those become fewer and fewer each year -- the show stinks and it has been a long time since it was consistently funny. So I tuned in this week to see how Peyton Manning would do as guest host and was not disappointed; SNL is still as lame as always and Manning played down to its level.
There was one reasonably funny bit the entire show, a spoof of the United Way NFL ads that showed Manning verbally abusing kids he was trying to teach football, finishing up with him showing them how to pick a lock on car. One reason the skit worked was that it was taped, meaning they likely did several takes before getting it right. The live skits showed weak writing, mistimed comic performances and (in what is SNL's biggest flaw), went on way too long. Manning was made up like one of the Persian freaks from the movie "300," bald head and all, and the gag went one about as long as the movie. It was also the only time we saw Manning shirtless, and let's just say that when it comes to having a bod, he's no Brady Quinn.
Final Four set: Heading into the NCAA men's Final Four next weekend we have two No. 1 seeds (Florida and Ohio State) and two No. 2's (UCLA and Georgetown). There is little doubt that all four teams are deserving but also little doubt that this has been the most lackluster tourney I can recall. There have been some good games, but overall the tournament has lacked pizzazz or memorable moments. It seems as if all the games these past four days saw one team go up by double digits, and the other rally back to make it close or win. Nothing distinguished the games, players or performances.
What an ending: To see an example of what's been missing in the Division I tourney, check out the amazing ending to the Division II tourney between defending champion Winona and Barton (watch the CBS clip.) In short, Barton came back from a 74-67 deficit with 39 seconds left to win on a steal and a layup at the buzzer. Barton's Anthony Atkinson scored 10 points in that stretch to snap Winona's 57-game winning streak. --Jim Buzinski
3.24.2007
Sweet 16, Day 2: Our friend J.P. is a big fan of teams from Tennessee. Going in to Friday's Sweet 16 games in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, it was kind of a mixed bag, rooting-wise. On Thursday, Memphis won and Tennessee choked, big time. Friday was the big one for J.P., with Vanderbilt playing Georgetown. Alas for our friend, another Tennessee-based team lost a heartbreaker, as the Hoyas used a Jeff Green shot with 2.5 seconds left to beat the Commodores 66-65. Ouch.
I'm generally a West Coast version of J.P., rooting for teams from California, just because. I just can't do it with USC, however. So imagine my horror when I tune in the USC-North Carolina game to find USC romping at the half 42-33. "Uh oh, Coach Roy is going to cry tonight", I thought, but once again, superior talent overwhelmed an upstart team as the Tar Heels not only erased that nine point deficit, they padded it by ten to end up cruising, 74-64. Hahaha, USC, you're a football school, not a basketball school.
My brackets going in to Friday were a disaster, so to retain some dignity, I needed the Florida Gators (who I picked to win it all) to win against the plucky Butler Bulldogs of Indianapolis. At one point early, the Bulldogs had a nine point lead, using physical play to neutralize the much bigger Gators. Sports, however, is a pretty unsentimental thing, however, and Florida eventually wore down Butler to win 65-57. Whew!
One of the features of March Madness is watching people who don't follow college basketball during the regular season getting all fired about a team. Case in point: my boss, an Oregon alumni. I thought the Pac 10 was going to do its usual choke job in the tournament, giving East coast-bias champion Billy Packer something to crow about. However, with UCLA still alive, Oregon represented for the Pac 10, using 33 points from 5'6" (!!) Tajuan Porter to book a spot in the Elite Eight as the Ducks beat the UNLV Runnin' Rebels pretty handily, 76-72. Excellent! My boss will be in a good mood on Monday.
So, it comes down to the final eight teams in games on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, two #1 regional seeds (Ohio State and Kansas) take on the #2 seed in their respective regions (Memphis and UCLA), while Sunday sees almost a repeat of that scenario with #1 seed North Carolina taking on #2 Georgetown. Only #3 Oregon taking on #1 seed Florida spoils the symmetry. It's been kind of a predictable tourney so far, but I like how the presumed best teams are playing this late. --Jim Allen
