I held off writing this week because I wanted to see what would transpire in the NFL on Sunday. New England was going to play in the snow and wind while Miami got to host a terrible Baltimore team. Two perfect season were on the line, with the Patriots going for 14-0 and Miami looking like they would hit 0-14. It was a good news/bad news kind of day sadly. New England won, but so did the Dolphins, ruining the best shot for a team to go 0-16, something we all badly needed to see Miami accomplish.
Sure, call me jealous or bitter because the Dolphins had the "Perfect Season" back in 1972. You know what? I really don't give a crap about that team. I'm sick to death of Don Shulas smug look and shit eating grin when a 13-0 team finally drops one or Mercury Morris and the rest of the team jumping in front of cameras reminding everyone is sight that "We did it first." They keep saying that the 72 season is not their identity and yet players like Nick Buoniconti, Bob Greise and Dick Anderson routinely get together to drink some champagne when the last undefeated team finally loses. When Indianapolis was approaching history several years back every time I turned on a pre-game show there was some 72 Dolphins player trying to hide his smirk when asked if he wants to see another team equal their mark. After the Chargers ended the Colts run it is rumored they were sent a case of Crystal, courtesy some 72 Dolphins teammates.
Hell, just look at what happened today. With the Dolphins just three losses away from achieving perfection in both directions, the 1972 was paraded out to the sidelines just like in 1985. Ah 1985, I always think fondly of that Monday night football game between the Bears and the Dolphins. Mostly because Shula keeps trying to keep up the illusion that it was only a few on the 72 team they brought down for the game to see if Miami could stop Chicago. Shula acts like it was a few buddies sitting on a couch in a luxury box when in reality it was half the frigging team being paraded out onto the sidelines in both an attempt to spark the home team to a win and to stick it in everyones face, yet again, about their "magical run to glory".
Players from the team insist they are not a bunch of bitter old men and would "put another seat on the mountain top" or "let them park next to us" if another team when undefeated, but even that rings false. Just watch any interview after a hot team loses, they're practically celebrating on camera. It's sickening really. Even when they seem sincere, it's always a back-handed comment, reminding that team if they go perfect that the 1972 Dolphins were there first. Last week Dolphins players were openly rooting for the Steelers to end New Englands run, telling anyone who'd listen how badly they wanted Pittsburgh to win.
So is it any surprise how so much of the country has gotten behind the New England Patriots? even hardcore fans who despise the Pats get on the radio, television and the internet and cheer on New England for one reason, they hate the 72 Dolphins. They hate the arrogance, the pompous attitude smug looks. Fans would gladly celebrate the 72 team if the player themselves would give everyone else a chance. Instead they pop the corks, go on television pat themselves on the back and remind the world how important they are. Bad news fellas, the rest of the world doesn't care anymore.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Vicarious Violence
If you haven't had a chance to see the footage of a AAA hockey brawl involving two teams of eight year old kids from Guelph Ontario, watch this first http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t9kbgnV89U Naturally this has garnered a lot of attention in Canada and other hockey markets in North America, and as usual fingers are being pointed at the NHL. Blaming professional hockey players, or pro athletes in general, for the actions of minor league players is becoming commonplace, even trendy. Frankly, that's not just wrong, it's blatantly ignoring a major issue that has surrounded kids sports for years, parents and coaches encouraging intimidation and even violence.
With four Philadelphia Flyers suspended in two months and Todd Bertuzzis attack on Steve Moore being re-played endlessly to try and prove their point, groups of all shapes and sizes continue to heap the blame for rising incidents on and off the ice. Don Cherry constantly has his good name dragged through the mud by parents groups and other un-informed pinheads who think he encourages kids to beat each other to a pulp(ignoring the fact that it was Cherry who spearheaded campaigns for mandatory safety equipment like face cages and neck guards for minor hockey players and often uses his weekly Coaches Corner segment to show young players how to properly check a player without hurting them). Meanwhile the real culprits for this type of sickening behavior continue to be ignored.
I speak of course of parents and the coaches they hire to teach their children to play the game. As the video clearly shows, while the fight on the ice was disturbing, it was the coaches who sent the kids over the boards and the parents who continued to throw punches long after the players had been removed and the game called. This is not isolated folks, this happens every week at rinks, fields and ball parks across the continent. From little league coaches instructing pitchers to throw at players to soccer coaches teaching illegal tackles and diving, this is far too common for me to stomach. And for all the dirty work that goes on during the games, the real muck belongs to the parents.
The parents, after all, are the ones who sign the kids up, fork over the money and buy the equipment. They have control when it comes to the coach and how he teaches the kids. And ultimately they have control over whether or not their child remains with the team. And since birds of a feather flock together, it's never really surprising to find more fights in the stands then in the games.
Here's one of my favorites. In July of 2000, at a minor hockey practice in Reading Massachusetts, Thomas Junta and Michael Costin, both 40 years old, got into an altercation over rough play at the practice. It escalated to blows, with Costin allegedly throwing the first punch. It ended with Junta knocking the smaller Costin to the ground, punching him out then slamming his head into the floor in front of several children, including Costins son. Costin never regained consciousness and died the next day. Junta was convicted and sentenced to six to ten years for involuntary manslaughter.
And this is not strictly limited to kids leagues. Back when I was in high school one of our rival schools banned parents from attending sporting events after several fights broke out in the stands. And have we forgotten David Frost, the disgraced former coach and agent currently charged with numerous accounts of sexual misconduct? Frost was legendary for using violence to intimidate opponents while coaching the Quinton Hawks in Junior A hockey in Ontario during the 19990's. Parents were willingly turned a blind eye to Frosts behavior because the team was winning, despite the stomach churning way he controlled the team and the tactics he used.
I am as disgusted my minor league violence as much as the next guy, but if we want to stop this scourge on kids sports we need to stop looking at the highest levels. Some sports casters have tried the "imitation" argument, and it's crap. Go watch some minor hockey, the kids aren't thinking drop the gloves, they just want to go out and have fun. They're smiling, laughing, enjoying playing a game they love with their friends with their parents nearby. Turning the game into a recreation of Slap Shot is the farthest thing from their minds. Hell, I doubt they even know what that movie is about.
It's time coaches and the parents accepted their roles in incidents like this, because they are the chief antagonists. Parents who encourage this kind of action or disrupt the game should be barred from all games. Coaches who teach this style should be suspended for life. This is a child's game, and if we have to ban parents from watching, so be it. Our kids will better off.
With four Philadelphia Flyers suspended in two months and Todd Bertuzzis attack on Steve Moore being re-played endlessly to try and prove their point, groups of all shapes and sizes continue to heap the blame for rising incidents on and off the ice. Don Cherry constantly has his good name dragged through the mud by parents groups and other un-informed pinheads who think he encourages kids to beat each other to a pulp(ignoring the fact that it was Cherry who spearheaded campaigns for mandatory safety equipment like face cages and neck guards for minor hockey players and often uses his weekly Coaches Corner segment to show young players how to properly check a player without hurting them). Meanwhile the real culprits for this type of sickening behavior continue to be ignored.
I speak of course of parents and the coaches they hire to teach their children to play the game. As the video clearly shows, while the fight on the ice was disturbing, it was the coaches who sent the kids over the boards and the parents who continued to throw punches long after the players had been removed and the game called. This is not isolated folks, this happens every week at rinks, fields and ball parks across the continent. From little league coaches instructing pitchers to throw at players to soccer coaches teaching illegal tackles and diving, this is far too common for me to stomach. And for all the dirty work that goes on during the games, the real muck belongs to the parents.
The parents, after all, are the ones who sign the kids up, fork over the money and buy the equipment. They have control when it comes to the coach and how he teaches the kids. And ultimately they have control over whether or not their child remains with the team. And since birds of a feather flock together, it's never really surprising to find more fights in the stands then in the games.
Here's one of my favorites. In July of 2000, at a minor hockey practice in Reading Massachusetts, Thomas Junta and Michael Costin, both 40 years old, got into an altercation over rough play at the practice. It escalated to blows, with Costin allegedly throwing the first punch. It ended with Junta knocking the smaller Costin to the ground, punching him out then slamming his head into the floor in front of several children, including Costins son. Costin never regained consciousness and died the next day. Junta was convicted and sentenced to six to ten years for involuntary manslaughter.
And this is not strictly limited to kids leagues. Back when I was in high school one of our rival schools banned parents from attending sporting events after several fights broke out in the stands. And have we forgotten David Frost, the disgraced former coach and agent currently charged with numerous accounts of sexual misconduct? Frost was legendary for using violence to intimidate opponents while coaching the Quinton Hawks in Junior A hockey in Ontario during the 19990's. Parents were willingly turned a blind eye to Frosts behavior because the team was winning, despite the stomach churning way he controlled the team and the tactics he used.
I am as disgusted my minor league violence as much as the next guy, but if we want to stop this scourge on kids sports we need to stop looking at the highest levels. Some sports casters have tried the "imitation" argument, and it's crap. Go watch some minor hockey, the kids aren't thinking drop the gloves, they just want to go out and have fun. They're smiling, laughing, enjoying playing a game they love with their friends with their parents nearby. Turning the game into a recreation of Slap Shot is the farthest thing from their minds. Hell, I doubt they even know what that movie is about.
It's time coaches and the parents accepted their roles in incidents like this, because they are the chief antagonists. Parents who encourage this kind of action or disrupt the game should be barred from all games. Coaches who teach this style should be suspended for life. This is a child's game, and if we have to ban parents from watching, so be it. Our kids will better off.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The High Crime of Mediocrity
It was bound to happen eventually. Despite consecutive trips to the NBA Finals earlier this decade and dominance of the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, the New Jersey Nets did almost nothing to improve the team and build a foundation. Don't let the play of guy's like Richard Jefferson fool you, the Nets are in a heap of trouble, and they have no one to blame but themselves. They had the opportunity to become one of the best teams in the NBA, but instead they fooled themselves into thinking the team was good enough.
Now sometimes numbers do lie, take for example their 49-33 record of two years ago. Sure that looks impressive, but consider their Divisional rivals, the Celtics 33-49, Raptors 27 55, 76ers 38-44 and Knicks 23-59. For years the Atlantic was often referred to as the Titanic Division, with the team that finished at or just above .500 taking the crown and playoff seed. This joke of a "winning season" is the the crux of New Jerseys current problem. For far too long the organization took a playoff spot for granted. Worse, a small measure of post-season success following their Finals runs convinced the front office that they could keep it up indefinitely. Naturally, they were dead wrong.
Just look at who they brought in to be their new offensive weapon a few years ago. None other than Vince Carter. Now Carters skills cannot be denied, but his drive and motivation certainly can. Carter drives to the net, dunks the ball, gets circus lay-ups and alley-oops all day long, in the regular season. In the post season he turns into a perimeter man, and the closer the game gets, the farther from the hoop you find him. His averages look good until you realize many of his biggest games came when he didn't have to do much to score. And let's not forget his long-documented attitude problem(jaking shots while with the Raptors anyone?)
So there were the Nets two seasons ago, seemingly content to be middling along with a barely perceptible winning percentage, only hitting 50 wins once in the last 6 years, and repeatedly being demolished early in the playoffs. Of course it didn't matter, that Division title by the Celtics in '05 was a fluke brought on by injuries. That Division held no real competition. Oh sweet irony how I do love thee, for as the Nets kept spinning their wheels other teams were re-tooling and re-arming.
Last year the Raptors stumbled out of the gate to start the season, then started winning, clawed up over .500 and stayed there. The Nets managed a 41-41 record and defeated Toronto in the first round but the message was clear, the young Canadian team was for real and only going to get better. Then this past summer the Celtics made their move and picked up Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, tore out of the gate with an 8-0 record and haven't looked back. The Raptors slipped a bit again, but fought back into contention even earlier then last year. Meanwhile the Nets sit at 5-7, have one of the worst offenses in the NBA, can't beat a team with a winning record and in the middle of a five game losing streak(stop me if you've heard this before) Vince Carter injured his ankle. In the meantime, the man who took over for Carter in Toronto, Chris Bosh, has quietly become one of the NBA's top power forwards and Boston is being lead by the Three Headed Monster of Garnett, Allen and Pierce.
So here we sit, with trade rumors swirling around Jason Kidd, who has allegedly spoken out about Nets management, and questions surrounding the direction of the team. It has suddenly become apparent that the Nets could very easily miss the post-season, and not just for this season but for an extended period of time. Even with young talent Sean Williams emerging, you have to wonder about this team. Is Vince turning back into Wince Carter? Can Richard Jefferson produce consistently rather then in spurts? All the things that seemed to benefit the Nets when the Atlantic was God awful have been exposed as false and with two emerging power houses right next door the Nets now have a lot of ground to make up, and it appears no time to do it in.
Now sometimes numbers do lie, take for example their 49-33 record of two years ago. Sure that looks impressive, but consider their Divisional rivals, the Celtics 33-49, Raptors 27 55, 76ers 38-44 and Knicks 23-59. For years the Atlantic was often referred to as the Titanic Division, with the team that finished at or just above .500 taking the crown and playoff seed. This joke of a "winning season" is the the crux of New Jerseys current problem. For far too long the organization took a playoff spot for granted. Worse, a small measure of post-season success following their Finals runs convinced the front office that they could keep it up indefinitely. Naturally, they were dead wrong.
Just look at who they brought in to be their new offensive weapon a few years ago. None other than Vince Carter. Now Carters skills cannot be denied, but his drive and motivation certainly can. Carter drives to the net, dunks the ball, gets circus lay-ups and alley-oops all day long, in the regular season. In the post season he turns into a perimeter man, and the closer the game gets, the farther from the hoop you find him. His averages look good until you realize many of his biggest games came when he didn't have to do much to score. And let's not forget his long-documented attitude problem(jaking shots while with the Raptors anyone?)
So there were the Nets two seasons ago, seemingly content to be middling along with a barely perceptible winning percentage, only hitting 50 wins once in the last 6 years, and repeatedly being demolished early in the playoffs. Of course it didn't matter, that Division title by the Celtics in '05 was a fluke brought on by injuries. That Division held no real competition. Oh sweet irony how I do love thee, for as the Nets kept spinning their wheels other teams were re-tooling and re-arming.
Last year the Raptors stumbled out of the gate to start the season, then started winning, clawed up over .500 and stayed there. The Nets managed a 41-41 record and defeated Toronto in the first round but the message was clear, the young Canadian team was for real and only going to get better. Then this past summer the Celtics made their move and picked up Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, tore out of the gate with an 8-0 record and haven't looked back. The Raptors slipped a bit again, but fought back into contention even earlier then last year. Meanwhile the Nets sit at 5-7, have one of the worst offenses in the NBA, can't beat a team with a winning record and in the middle of a five game losing streak(stop me if you've heard this before) Vince Carter injured his ankle. In the meantime, the man who took over for Carter in Toronto, Chris Bosh, has quietly become one of the NBA's top power forwards and Boston is being lead by the Three Headed Monster of Garnett, Allen and Pierce.
So here we sit, with trade rumors swirling around Jason Kidd, who has allegedly spoken out about Nets management, and questions surrounding the direction of the team. It has suddenly become apparent that the Nets could very easily miss the post-season, and not just for this season but for an extended period of time. Even with young talent Sean Williams emerging, you have to wonder about this team. Is Vince turning back into Wince Carter? Can Richard Jefferson produce consistently rather then in spurts? All the things that seemed to benefit the Nets when the Atlantic was God awful have been exposed as false and with two emerging power houses right next door the Nets now have a lot of ground to make up, and it appears no time to do it in.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
The Measure of a Man
The Boston Red Sox hadn't even finished putting the Colorado Rockies to bed and Alex Rodriguez was already stealing the spotlight. Game 4 wasn't even in the books and Scott Boras was announcing that Rodriguez had decided to opt out of the remainder of his 252 million dollar contract and go to free agency. No sooner had that hit the headlines when A-Rods asking price made the rounds, ten years and 350 million dollars. Keep in mind Rodriguez is 32, meaning he would be in his early forties when the contract finished but still making 35 million per year. No one sure who exactly is willing to shell out that kind of money for Rodriguez' services but that hasn't stopped the players union from already crying foul.
The MLB Players Union made a statement Thursday saying "Over the past few days, press reports coming out of the general managers' meetings relating to the sharing of information between clubs as to their plans regarding players potentially raise serious questions concerning the fairness and integrity of the free-agent market." Concluding with this "Such questions are amplified by reports stating that the commissioner is attempting to influence the market for at least one player." That player of course being Alex Rodriguez. The union believes that collusion is occurring between the teams and Bud Selig to keep A-Rods contract down, and Donald Fehr hasn't been shy about saying so.
Now I'll stand by the union on just about anything, after all it is their sweat and blood making the money, but this is just ridiculous. If anyone is working to keep Rodriguez' contract down, it is Alex himself. Just look at the three biggest deals made last year. Barry Zito, Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano each signing massive deals worth over 120 million each and none of them will ever be mistaken of A-Rod. It's obvious teams have no problem shelling out huge deals for players, but even the filthy rich owners in baseball have their limits. The size and length of the contract demands of Rodriguez will be the determining factors when he signs on with a new team, assuming he even does switch jerseys.
So far the only team to have made contact with Boras has been the New York Mets. C'mon, the Mets? Don't insult me Alex, we all know there is no way in hell you're moving to Shea Stadium. What's in it for you there? An old pitching staff, a group of players who range from good potential to past their primes, and few in between and the same crushing media. Sure the Mets are the bumbling younger brother of the Yankees, but don't think for one second the murderous New York media wouldn't love to taunt Rodriguez' futile efforts to make the Mets legit. Every Mets loss would end up taking second stage to every Yankees win if it meant twisting the knife even more, and don't think A-Rod doesn't know this.
Of course the usual stories about the Red Sox are also surfacing, but let's get real here, why would Boston want to rock the apple cart? They still have Ortiz and Manny, Varitek isn't going anywhere same with Youkilis, Pedrioa and Ellsbury. The Red Sox still have one of the best batting line-ups in baseball and with Schilling back they also have a formidable pitching rotation. The simple truth is the Red Sox don't need Rodriguez and the rumors are meaningless. The Angels have also been mentioned, but that story along with the Mets lends to another possibility that many are over-looking, that Rodriguez isn't going anywhere at all.
Think about it. The three teams that are said to be looking at him are the three biggest rivals the Yankees have. The cross town Mets, the divisional opponent Red Sox and the regular and post-season nemesis Angels. Does anyone seriously think that the Yankees are going to let that happen? Let's not forget the incredible egos at play when it comes to the Steinbrenners. These are the guys who like to call themselves the Tampa Bay Mafia. They spend money like it's going out of style and it's usually on the biggest name they can get their hands on. Of course the three teams being mentioned are the Yankees biggest rivals, how else is Scott Boras going to convince the Yanks to fork over all the dough he's asking for? Has everyone forgot Kobe Bryants threat to sign with the Clippers a few years back?
In the end I don't see Rodriguez going anywhere. The contract is to big, to long and to unyielding for any team outside of the Yankees to take on. Sure we all know how much money some owners have, but few of those owners identify themselves by their pro sports team, they just like the status symbol of having one. Let's also keep in mind that A-Rod is on pace to shatter the home run record, and do we seriously think the Yankees are going to let that pass them by?
The MLB Players Union made a statement Thursday saying "Over the past few days, press reports coming out of the general managers' meetings relating to the sharing of information between clubs as to their plans regarding players potentially raise serious questions concerning the fairness and integrity of the free-agent market." Concluding with this "Such questions are amplified by reports stating that the commissioner is attempting to influence the market for at least one player." That player of course being Alex Rodriguez. The union believes that collusion is occurring between the teams and Bud Selig to keep A-Rods contract down, and Donald Fehr hasn't been shy about saying so.
Now I'll stand by the union on just about anything, after all it is their sweat and blood making the money, but this is just ridiculous. If anyone is working to keep Rodriguez' contract down, it is Alex himself. Just look at the three biggest deals made last year. Barry Zito, Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano each signing massive deals worth over 120 million each and none of them will ever be mistaken of A-Rod. It's obvious teams have no problem shelling out huge deals for players, but even the filthy rich owners in baseball have their limits. The size and length of the contract demands of Rodriguez will be the determining factors when he signs on with a new team, assuming he even does switch jerseys.
So far the only team to have made contact with Boras has been the New York Mets. C'mon, the Mets? Don't insult me Alex, we all know there is no way in hell you're moving to Shea Stadium. What's in it for you there? An old pitching staff, a group of players who range from good potential to past their primes, and few in between and the same crushing media. Sure the Mets are the bumbling younger brother of the Yankees, but don't think for one second the murderous New York media wouldn't love to taunt Rodriguez' futile efforts to make the Mets legit. Every Mets loss would end up taking second stage to every Yankees win if it meant twisting the knife even more, and don't think A-Rod doesn't know this.
Of course the usual stories about the Red Sox are also surfacing, but let's get real here, why would Boston want to rock the apple cart? They still have Ortiz and Manny, Varitek isn't going anywhere same with Youkilis, Pedrioa and Ellsbury. The Red Sox still have one of the best batting line-ups in baseball and with Schilling back they also have a formidable pitching rotation. The simple truth is the Red Sox don't need Rodriguez and the rumors are meaningless. The Angels have also been mentioned, but that story along with the Mets lends to another possibility that many are over-looking, that Rodriguez isn't going anywhere at all.
Think about it. The three teams that are said to be looking at him are the three biggest rivals the Yankees have. The cross town Mets, the divisional opponent Red Sox and the regular and post-season nemesis Angels. Does anyone seriously think that the Yankees are going to let that happen? Let's not forget the incredible egos at play when it comes to the Steinbrenners. These are the guys who like to call themselves the Tampa Bay Mafia. They spend money like it's going out of style and it's usually on the biggest name they can get their hands on. Of course the three teams being mentioned are the Yankees biggest rivals, how else is Scott Boras going to convince the Yanks to fork over all the dough he's asking for? Has everyone forgot Kobe Bryants threat to sign with the Clippers a few years back?
In the end I don't see Rodriguez going anywhere. The contract is to big, to long and to unyielding for any team outside of the Yankees to take on. Sure we all know how much money some owners have, but few of those owners identify themselves by their pro sports team, they just like the status symbol of having one. Let's also keep in mind that A-Rod is on pace to shatter the home run record, and do we seriously think the Yankees are going to let that pass them by?
Monday, October 29, 2007
In Case You Didn't Notice
Did anyone else see that little blurb in the paper last week about 6 NBA officials being disciplined for gambling infractions? Thought not. Hell I almost missed and oddly enough I can no longer find the link to the article on FARK.com(although CBC.ca still has an article on it). The NBA has said it is in not way related to the Tim Donaghy investigation and the are all separate. OK, so why won't you tell us who they are and how they were punished? The six remain anonymous, as do the exact substance of the rules they broke. Where did they go, what did they bet on? Did they dig themselves into a hole? Do they owe the wrong people money? All are legitimate questions and none have been answered. Hell I haven't even seen an official statement from David Stern on the matter.
As I stated in an earlier entry regarding Donaghy, it's obvious Stern is trying to hide a few things. He waited until the summer to drop the Donaghy story and now he very quietly drops this bombshell during the baseball playoffs and the middle of the NFL season. There wasn't even an press release, just a source telling the New York Daily News what had transpired. I find myself thinking back to Sterns calling Donaghy a "single, rogue official" and saying oh really? Well at last count the NBA had a sixty man referee staff, meaning at last one tenth of them broke the rules.
Something tells me the infractions of these six officials go farther back then the summer. With the massive fallout from the game fixing scandal I highly doubt these men decided to hit Vegas during the summer thinking nothing bad could happen. It is also interesting that we do not even know how these six were caught. Did someone see them hitting the Strip, or were they tipped off? After all, Donaghy did set himself up with a lawyer that specializes in cutting deals for information, and it was reported he was preparing to name other officials on similar gambling offenses. The question was asked often and early when the scandal broke, is Tim Donaghy just the tip of the iceberg?
So here we stand now with the NBA very quietly trying to punish six more officials for breaking the rules and gambling(whether the establishments are legal or not). If not for a source within the front offices we wouldn't even know about it. What does this tell us then? Simple, that the problem is larger then Stern let on. If it wasn't he wouldn't be trying to pull a David Copperfield by using the World Series and the NFL as a puff of smoke and flash of light while he drops six men through a trap door hidden by a bunch of show girls. If the problem of officials gambling is minimal why the secrecy? One would assume he'd be out in public saying "Look what I have done". Hell, with Roger Goodell playing Wyatt Earp in the NFL you'd think he'd follow Gary Bettmans lead and jump on those coat tails.
Obviously this is merely speculation, as we have no hard facts at this point, but it doesn't take Woodward and Bernstein to put the facts together. Stern told us Donaghy was isolated. Donaghy got himself a smart lawyer who knows how to cut deals. Nothing happened all summer, then six referees are called to the carpet far from the public eye. One or two I could understand, but six all at once? That doesn't tell me there were individual investigations, that tells me someone talked. Maybe it was Donaghy, or maybe it was another referee trying to dodge a bullet. Whatever the truth is, Stern had better come forward and tell us, because I'm not going to have my intelligence insulted by this man any more.
As I stated in an earlier entry regarding Donaghy, it's obvious Stern is trying to hide a few things. He waited until the summer to drop the Donaghy story and now he very quietly drops this bombshell during the baseball playoffs and the middle of the NFL season. There wasn't even an press release, just a source telling the New York Daily News what had transpired. I find myself thinking back to Sterns calling Donaghy a "single, rogue official" and saying oh really? Well at last count the NBA had a sixty man referee staff, meaning at last one tenth of them broke the rules.
Something tells me the infractions of these six officials go farther back then the summer. With the massive fallout from the game fixing scandal I highly doubt these men decided to hit Vegas during the summer thinking nothing bad could happen. It is also interesting that we do not even know how these six were caught. Did someone see them hitting the Strip, or were they tipped off? After all, Donaghy did set himself up with a lawyer that specializes in cutting deals for information, and it was reported he was preparing to name other officials on similar gambling offenses. The question was asked often and early when the scandal broke, is Tim Donaghy just the tip of the iceberg?
So here we stand now with the NBA very quietly trying to punish six more officials for breaking the rules and gambling(whether the establishments are legal or not). If not for a source within the front offices we wouldn't even know about it. What does this tell us then? Simple, that the problem is larger then Stern let on. If it wasn't he wouldn't be trying to pull a David Copperfield by using the World Series and the NFL as a puff of smoke and flash of light while he drops six men through a trap door hidden by a bunch of show girls. If the problem of officials gambling is minimal why the secrecy? One would assume he'd be out in public saying "Look what I have done". Hell, with Roger Goodell playing Wyatt Earp in the NFL you'd think he'd follow Gary Bettmans lead and jump on those coat tails.
Obviously this is merely speculation, as we have no hard facts at this point, but it doesn't take Woodward and Bernstein to put the facts together. Stern told us Donaghy was isolated. Donaghy got himself a smart lawyer who knows how to cut deals. Nothing happened all summer, then six referees are called to the carpet far from the public eye. One or two I could understand, but six all at once? That doesn't tell me there were individual investigations, that tells me someone talked. Maybe it was Donaghy, or maybe it was another referee trying to dodge a bullet. Whatever the truth is, Stern had better come forward and tell us, because I'm not going to have my intelligence insulted by this man any more.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Uncle Jasons Cabin
To be clear, I'm not calling Jason Whitlock an Uncle Tom, I won't go that far because it's not true. No, Whitlock is not cow towing to white America with his recent, scathing article directed and Blacks in the NFL. In fact Whitlock has more often then not stood up for Black athletes. But his latest article blaming "hip hop culture" and "hip hop athletes" for leaving a tarnished legacy in the NFL has left a very bad taste in my mouth. The article does not expose Whitlock as a corporate yes man to white America, but as a man who has chosen to ignore some very sad truths in the United States and other parts of the world and some very positive truths about the men he's pointed his finger at.
Whitlock begins by pointing out the number of non African Americans on the starting rosters of both the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots with 23 whites and the Colts with 24. The inference is clear, they have more white players then other teams and are more successful. Funny how Whitlock ignores the simple fact that the key players for both teams are mostly black. Outside of Manning, Brady and Bruschi, the major components of both teams are men like Moss, Harrisson, Freeney, Maroney, Samuel and Wayne. Yes the rosters for both teams are nearly half white, but the majority of the players carrying the load are black, some with corn rows, dreads, tattoo's and big cars and it certainly isn't have an effect on the teams success.
Jason continues to heap blame on "hip hop athletes" and predict that in the future rosters will be nearly half white on all teams because of the actions of players like Vick, Jones, Johnson and Owens. Claiming that the NFL will stop using such athletes because they are not bankable, Whitlock then attempts to show his compassionate side by pointing out how America has failed young men like this. Once again, Whitlock is being very selective in the facts he is presenting.
Take Pac Man Jones, a favorite target for writers and talk show hosts. He is currently serving a year long suspension as well as criminal charges and civil litigation stemming from a strip club shooting in Las Vegas earlier this year. If these charges prove to be correct, then Jones will be, and should be, facing jail time. Whitlock uses Jones to paint the picture of an arrogant, defiant man who is selfish and doesn't play by the rules. really now? Well the Pac Man Jones I've read about also donated a chunk of his signing bonuses to a charity that helps families of firefighters and other emergency workers. After a car crash killed a player on the Pearl Cohn High School football team and injured another, Jones visited the school to offer encouragement as well as donating money to local police and firefighter departments for new uniforms.
So how about Terrel Owens and Chad Johnson? Obviously these are two easy targets because of their notorious show boating and camera mugging. The diamond earrings, gold grills on the teeth, antics in front of the cameras, they're easy targets. But does that have anything to do with "hip hop culture"? No, those two are merely egomaniacs who love the spotlight. Always have, always will. Got nothing to do with some lifestyle people like to label, that's just who they are.
While we're on the subject of lifestyles, let's take a closer look at this "urban" and "thug culture" label that keeps getting thrown around. Whitlock uses the term "hip hop athletes" to brand those he blames for making the NFL look bad, but once again ignores certain facts. Do a disproportional amount of Blacks in America look and act a certain way? Well, yes. But why they do is what Whitlock ignores, and by doing so sinks his own theory.
Let's face it, if you're a Black in America the deck is already stacked against you. You are more likely to be born into poverty or low income. You are more likely to live in an area with high crime and substance abuse. You are less likely to graduate from college or even high school(with public schools in your area crumbling and over crowded). You're also less likely to land a job. A Profesor from MIT and one from the University of Chicago sent out identical pairs of resumes to 1250 job advertisements in both cities. One group had more white sounding names like Fred and Betty, the other with names like Tyrone and Tamika. The white sounding names received 50 percent more return calls. British hip hop artist Tricky once said "Of course my heroes growing up were gangsters and drug dealers. They were the only people in my neighborhood with any money." Who would have guessed Bristol mirrored Detroit and LA so well.
Whitlock also points the finger at rap music, saying it rebels against the world for no other reason then to simply be rebellious. While there are some rappers who flaunt a certain approach to life to sell CDs, artists like Dr. Dre, Ice-T, Public Enemy, Grand Master Flash and KRS-One, seen as the Godfathers of rap, aren't dropping rhymes to glorify their experience growing up, but rather to let the world know that there are entire communities of Black people who live in constant poverty with the threat of violent death around every corner. Public Enemy and NWA's debut albums read like open letters to the USA telling everyone the plight of inner city people. That tradition continues with rappers like Jay-Z and Fifty Cent reminding everyone that the gang violence and hustler lifestyle still exists regardless of what Washington might tell you.
The point is that while Whitlock acknowledges there are problems in America for Blacks, he still chooses to label the athletes he views as trouble makers and jam them all together under one banner for all to see. Instead of looking at each one individually he lumps them into one category, puts a name to it then serves it up to the masses saying "Here's your problem. Get rid of them and all will be well again." Whitlock isn't being a race traitor, he's just being ignorant. He's not sucking up to his "white masters", he's just choosing to turn a blind eye and take the easy way. To matters even worse, articles like this one give yet another false hook for the more ignorant members of our society to hang their pointy hats on.
Writers Note
A few days after writing this I saw the interview of Chad Johnson by Keyshawn Johnson. After watching Chad's responses Keyshawns questions and near-accusations I have revised my opinion of 85. I no longer think he's an egomaniac, I think he's a very passionate football player who wants to win and has no interest in showboating during a losing season. You can count me in as one of Chad's supporters.
Whitlock begins by pointing out the number of non African Americans on the starting rosters of both the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots with 23 whites and the Colts with 24. The inference is clear, they have more white players then other teams and are more successful. Funny how Whitlock ignores the simple fact that the key players for both teams are mostly black. Outside of Manning, Brady and Bruschi, the major components of both teams are men like Moss, Harrisson, Freeney, Maroney, Samuel and Wayne. Yes the rosters for both teams are nearly half white, but the majority of the players carrying the load are black, some with corn rows, dreads, tattoo's and big cars and it certainly isn't have an effect on the teams success.
Jason continues to heap blame on "hip hop athletes" and predict that in the future rosters will be nearly half white on all teams because of the actions of players like Vick, Jones, Johnson and Owens. Claiming that the NFL will stop using such athletes because they are not bankable, Whitlock then attempts to show his compassionate side by pointing out how America has failed young men like this. Once again, Whitlock is being very selective in the facts he is presenting.
Take Pac Man Jones, a favorite target for writers and talk show hosts. He is currently serving a year long suspension as well as criminal charges and civil litigation stemming from a strip club shooting in Las Vegas earlier this year. If these charges prove to be correct, then Jones will be, and should be, facing jail time. Whitlock uses Jones to paint the picture of an arrogant, defiant man who is selfish and doesn't play by the rules. really now? Well the Pac Man Jones I've read about also donated a chunk of his signing bonuses to a charity that helps families of firefighters and other emergency workers. After a car crash killed a player on the Pearl Cohn High School football team and injured another, Jones visited the school to offer encouragement as well as donating money to local police and firefighter departments for new uniforms.
So how about Terrel Owens and Chad Johnson? Obviously these are two easy targets because of their notorious show boating and camera mugging. The diamond earrings, gold grills on the teeth, antics in front of the cameras, they're easy targets. But does that have anything to do with "hip hop culture"? No, those two are merely egomaniacs who love the spotlight. Always have, always will. Got nothing to do with some lifestyle people like to label, that's just who they are.
While we're on the subject of lifestyles, let's take a closer look at this "urban" and "thug culture" label that keeps getting thrown around. Whitlock uses the term "hip hop athletes" to brand those he blames for making the NFL look bad, but once again ignores certain facts. Do a disproportional amount of Blacks in America look and act a certain way? Well, yes. But why they do is what Whitlock ignores, and by doing so sinks his own theory.
Let's face it, if you're a Black in America the deck is already stacked against you. You are more likely to be born into poverty or low income. You are more likely to live in an area with high crime and substance abuse. You are less likely to graduate from college or even high school(with public schools in your area crumbling and over crowded). You're also less likely to land a job. A Profesor from MIT and one from the University of Chicago sent out identical pairs of resumes to 1250 job advertisements in both cities. One group had more white sounding names like Fred and Betty, the other with names like Tyrone and Tamika. The white sounding names received 50 percent more return calls. British hip hop artist Tricky once said "Of course my heroes growing up were gangsters and drug dealers. They were the only people in my neighborhood with any money." Who would have guessed Bristol mirrored Detroit and LA so well.
Whitlock also points the finger at rap music, saying it rebels against the world for no other reason then to simply be rebellious. While there are some rappers who flaunt a certain approach to life to sell CDs, artists like Dr. Dre, Ice-T, Public Enemy, Grand Master Flash and KRS-One, seen as the Godfathers of rap, aren't dropping rhymes to glorify their experience growing up, but rather to let the world know that there are entire communities of Black people who live in constant poverty with the threat of violent death around every corner. Public Enemy and NWA's debut albums read like open letters to the USA telling everyone the plight of inner city people. That tradition continues with rappers like Jay-Z and Fifty Cent reminding everyone that the gang violence and hustler lifestyle still exists regardless of what Washington might tell you.
The point is that while Whitlock acknowledges there are problems in America for Blacks, he still chooses to label the athletes he views as trouble makers and jam them all together under one banner for all to see. Instead of looking at each one individually he lumps them into one category, puts a name to it then serves it up to the masses saying "Here's your problem. Get rid of them and all will be well again." Whitlock isn't being a race traitor, he's just being ignorant. He's not sucking up to his "white masters", he's just choosing to turn a blind eye and take the easy way. To matters even worse, articles like this one give yet another false hook for the more ignorant members of our society to hang their pointy hats on.
Writers Note
A few days after writing this I saw the interview of Chad Johnson by Keyshawn Johnson. After watching Chad's responses Keyshawns questions and near-accusations I have revised my opinion of 85. I no longer think he's an egomaniac, I think he's a very passionate football player who wants to win and has no interest in showboating during a losing season. You can count me in as one of Chad's supporters.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The Bronx Should Burn Real Good
Anyone who's read my previous entries knows I harbor a rather special hatred for the Yankees. Mind you, this is not directed at the franchise. I have a healthy respect for the pin strippers and their history. No, this near blinding rage is directed more at the way George Steinbrenner has chosen to run the team in the last seven years. Years of flushing young talent in favor of older, high priced mercenaries has finally caught up with New York, but believe it or not, this is good for the organization.
After nearly a decade of spending to solve their problems, the Yankees now find themselves in an interesting quandary. Their best player, Alex Rodriguez, can opt out of his contract. Scrap iron catcher Jorge Posada has made it clear he will leave if Joe Torre is not brought back to manage the team. Ace closer Mariano Rivera has echoed those sentiments, while the future of Mike Mussina remains in question. Moose is under contract for another season, but his lack luster performance this year makes you wonder if the Yankees will want to keep him around while Roger Clemens has pitched his last game with the team.
To further complicate matters, the Yankees have promised young fire baller Joba Chamberlain that he will join the starting rotation next year, leaving a massive hole in New Yorks bullpen. Let's face it, outside of Chamberlain, Rivera and occasionally Vizcaino, New Yorks relievers have hovered somewhere between bad to atrocious. And should Rivera leave, to whom will they turn to shut the door?
Thing is, all is not lost in New York. All that is needed is a change of attitude. In the 1990s the Yankees were the dominant team, returning to the glory days of old. Now just how did they get there? Simple really. After a lousy decade in the 1980s New York saw what other teams were doing. The dominant teams of the 80s and early 90s were Oakland, Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Those teams had gotten to the top by smart drafting, patient development of talent and making the occasional big trade or free agent signing. The Yankees saw this and new it was time to go back to the basics. This led to New Yorks re-birth in the 1990s, with four World Series wins in five years built on the backs of players like Jeter, Williams, Rivera and Posada. They were the team to beat by 2000, but then things changed.
Starting in 2001 the Yankees began to spend unheard of amounts of money. Starting with the 7 year, 120 million dollar contract for Jason Giambi New York began their current habit of excessive spending in an effort to win another title. Following Giambi, New York spent amounts of 50 million plus on players like Hideki Matsui and Garry Sheffeild. However, none of this translated into a World Series win. But instead of looking inward, the Yankees once again went outside the organization. Alex Rodriguez , Johny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth, all brought in to put the Yankees over the top. All have not.
To make matters worse, the arch-rival Boston Red Sox have been making strides to put themselves ahead of New York. Oddly enough, Boston has mimicked the Yankees to a degree, but in a completely different fashion. While the Yankees focused on veterans, Boston went young. New Yorks last major trade for a pitcher was acquiring creaky, not mention cranky, Randy Johnson. Boston went after regular season work horse and post season fiend Josh Beckett. This past season New York spent nearly 20 million bringing back Roger Clemens, who promptly put up some of the worst numbers of his career. Boston spent 100 million on a pitcher, but it was for 27 year old Daisuke Matsuzaka who, despite a slightly shaky year, has shown the ability to pitch long into games and still over-power batters.
And so now we have todays current situation. Napoleon Steinapart has made it clear Joe Torre will not be returning, several key players are not happy and their MVP may decide to go elsewhere. But this is all correctable. New York has the ability to get back to their roots and once again become a dominant team. Instead of spending money on bats, they need to once again focus on scouting. Rather then bringing up young pitchers and throwing them to the wolves, New York must patiently wait for their young arms to fully develop. Hughes and Chamberlain could be 20 game winners, but only if the Yankees take their time. They have good young fielders like Cabrera and Cano, now they need to go out and find more. If Steinbrenner can check his ego for a few years his team will once again be the model franchise. Sadly it doesn't appear that he will, and as a baseball fan I shake my head.
After nearly a decade of spending to solve their problems, the Yankees now find themselves in an interesting quandary. Their best player, Alex Rodriguez, can opt out of his contract. Scrap iron catcher Jorge Posada has made it clear he will leave if Joe Torre is not brought back to manage the team. Ace closer Mariano Rivera has echoed those sentiments, while the future of Mike Mussina remains in question. Moose is under contract for another season, but his lack luster performance this year makes you wonder if the Yankees will want to keep him around while Roger Clemens has pitched his last game with the team.
To further complicate matters, the Yankees have promised young fire baller Joba Chamberlain that he will join the starting rotation next year, leaving a massive hole in New Yorks bullpen. Let's face it, outside of Chamberlain, Rivera and occasionally Vizcaino, New Yorks relievers have hovered somewhere between bad to atrocious. And should Rivera leave, to whom will they turn to shut the door?
Thing is, all is not lost in New York. All that is needed is a change of attitude. In the 1990s the Yankees were the dominant team, returning to the glory days of old. Now just how did they get there? Simple really. After a lousy decade in the 1980s New York saw what other teams were doing. The dominant teams of the 80s and early 90s were Oakland, Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Those teams had gotten to the top by smart drafting, patient development of talent and making the occasional big trade or free agent signing. The Yankees saw this and new it was time to go back to the basics. This led to New Yorks re-birth in the 1990s, with four World Series wins in five years built on the backs of players like Jeter, Williams, Rivera and Posada. They were the team to beat by 2000, but then things changed.
Starting in 2001 the Yankees began to spend unheard of amounts of money. Starting with the 7 year, 120 million dollar contract for Jason Giambi New York began their current habit of excessive spending in an effort to win another title. Following Giambi, New York spent amounts of 50 million plus on players like Hideki Matsui and Garry Sheffeild. However, none of this translated into a World Series win. But instead of looking inward, the Yankees once again went outside the organization. Alex Rodriguez , Johny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth, all brought in to put the Yankees over the top. All have not.
To make matters worse, the arch-rival Boston Red Sox have been making strides to put themselves ahead of New York. Oddly enough, Boston has mimicked the Yankees to a degree, but in a completely different fashion. While the Yankees focused on veterans, Boston went young. New Yorks last major trade for a pitcher was acquiring creaky, not mention cranky, Randy Johnson. Boston went after regular season work horse and post season fiend Josh Beckett. This past season New York spent nearly 20 million bringing back Roger Clemens, who promptly put up some of the worst numbers of his career. Boston spent 100 million on a pitcher, but it was for 27 year old Daisuke Matsuzaka who, despite a slightly shaky year, has shown the ability to pitch long into games and still over-power batters.
And so now we have todays current situation. Napoleon Steinapart has made it clear Joe Torre will not be returning, several key players are not happy and their MVP may decide to go elsewhere. But this is all correctable. New York has the ability to get back to their roots and once again become a dominant team. Instead of spending money on bats, they need to once again focus on scouting. Rather then bringing up young pitchers and throwing them to the wolves, New York must patiently wait for their young arms to fully develop. Hughes and Chamberlain could be 20 game winners, but only if the Yankees take their time. They have good young fielders like Cabrera and Cano, now they need to go out and find more. If Steinbrenner can check his ego for a few years his team will once again be the model franchise. Sadly it doesn't appear that he will, and as a baseball fan I shake my head.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Blowhard Burke Returns
Question, where is the most dangerous place to be in hockey? Is it coming around the net when Steve Downie is feeling peevish? Fifty feet from the play when Cam Janssen is on the ice? Coming across the blue line with your head down during a Dion Phaneuf shift? Answer, none. It's between Brina Burke and a camera. Burke ego is the stuff of legend in the NHL. His post-game rants and interviews are constantly re-played on television and radio and it seems every year he has at least one major blow-up in front of the press. I really don't care what he says or how he acts, I just hit mute and wait for the next story, but this past week he stepped over the line, not just of common courtesy but intellect.
Look, we all know the story of Dustin Penner. A tough, in your face winger originally drafted by Anaheim and signed as a restricted free agent by the Edmonton Oilers this summer. Oilers GM Kevin Lowe over-paid for Penner, but then you always will for restricted free agents. Prior to that, Lowe had signed Buffalo restricted agent Thomas Vanek to a 50 million dollar offer sheet which the Sabers had been forced to match. Burke and Darcy Regheir cried foul. Maybe they should read the CBA again. Teams are allowed to offer contracts to restricted free agents after July 1 should the players team not sign them. To compensate, the signing team must give up draft picks(anywhere from a 2nd round pick to 3 first round and a handful of mid-rounders) depending on the size of the contract.
So, up against the cap and unsure of the future of several key players, Brian Burke was forced to decline matching the offer sheet and was rewarded with a first round pick and two mid-round picks from the Oilers. Burke responded by saying he would make good use of the picks seeing how the Oilers had not finished very high in the standings recently and likely wouldn't again this season. That was fine, but what happened earlier this week is not.
During an interview on TSNs pre-season show Burke was asked if would be talking to Lowe this year. He said no, then went on one of his patented tirades. Blasting Lowe for his contract offers to restricted free agents Burke said "If I had dragged my team into the sewer like him I wouldn't be throwing a grenade at 29 other GMs right now." He went on to call Lowe a "moron" and that his off-season moves were "the acts of a man desperate to keep his job." Burke, pull your fat head out of your bloated ass and stop listening to your own press conferences. Lowe did what he thought was best for his team, and he did it within the rules. Prior to that offer, the Philadelphia Flyers had signed Canucks forward Ryan Kesler. And who could forget New Yorks signing of Joe Sacik, or Carolinas offer to Sergie Fedorov?
What really irritates me about Burkes comments is the plain and simple fact that Brian is using his recent Stanley Cup win to belittle another man and a franchise that has struggled to stay competitive. Worse still, Burkes own track record isn't paved in gold. Hell, his victory last spring with the Ducks had nothing to do with his skills as a General Manager. In fact, it had nothing to do with him at all.
Outside of Head Coach Randy Carlyle, none of the key players of the Ducks were there because of Burke. The young players like Perry, Penner, MacDonald and Guigere were already with the team when Burke took over in 2005. Top prospect Ryan Getzlaf fell into their laps with the second overall pick in the 2006 post lock-out draft. HoF defenseman Scott Neidermeyer was coming to Anaheim regardless. He wanted to win with his brother Rob, so all Burke had to do was not trade Scotts younger brother. Teemu Selanne wanted back in Anaheim because he was comfortable with the team he had enjoyed some success with earlier in his career. Then uber-defenseman Chris Pronger gave them another gift. Demanding a trade from Edmonton, he put Anaheim and Toronto on his short list. With the Leafs not willing to give up young players and draft picks, Pronger fell right into Burkes lap.
You want the ultimate example of how a team run by Brian Burke works? Look no further then his last employer, the Vancouver Canucks. Burke did help get the Canucks back to respectability, but never got them over the hump. In fact, the Canucks only saw the second round of the playoffs once. Burke stuck with goalie Dan Cloutier despite his inability to win big games, signed players to huge contracts after only one or two successful seasons and outside of the Sedin twins, never drafted a bona fide star player despite favorable draft positioning. He never made the big trade to push the team over the top and wasted draft picks on players like Kesler, RJ Umberger and Cory Schneider when players like Brad Boyes, Niklas Kronwall and Cory Perry were available.
The Canucks under Burke were never contenders. Stuck with only one scoring line, a suspect goalie and iffy defense they became easy pickings in the post-season for teams like Detroit and Calgary. Kevin Lowes Oilers haven't fared much better, but they went to a Cup final a year ago, and Lowe has ensured a large crop of good young players are available to the Oilers in the coming years, while Burke left the Canucks with nothing but bloated contracts and a bare cupboard in the AHL.
Lowe made the offers this summer because he could. After making several shrewd trades, notably the Marc-Andre Bergeron and Ryan Smith deals to Long Island, Lowe picked up extra first and second round draft picks and several top prospects. He used the draft picks to add depth to several positions, then used that depth to address immediate needs. Knowing he could spare some picks in the coming years, he made the offers to Vanek and then Penner because they could help his team right away and the Oilers had the depth to absorb draft losses for a season or two. If Burke was half as smart as he thinks, he would have realized what a brilliant move it was on Lowes part. Point of fact, NBA GMs do the same thing every year, it's part of life under a cap. And those 29 other GMs Burke alluded to all agreed to the same CBA that Lowe did, so it's too damn late to start complaining now.
Maybe if Burke had signed his players before free agency began he wouldn't have had to give up Penner. Maybe Buffalo should have done the same with Vanek. Maybe they should stop bitching because Kevin Lowe is ahead of his time and start looking at ways they can successfully poach talent from competitors next summer. Because you can bet your last dollar other General Managers are.
Look, we all know the story of Dustin Penner. A tough, in your face winger originally drafted by Anaheim and signed as a restricted free agent by the Edmonton Oilers this summer. Oilers GM Kevin Lowe over-paid for Penner, but then you always will for restricted free agents. Prior to that, Lowe had signed Buffalo restricted agent Thomas Vanek to a 50 million dollar offer sheet which the Sabers had been forced to match. Burke and Darcy Regheir cried foul. Maybe they should read the CBA again. Teams are allowed to offer contracts to restricted free agents after July 1 should the players team not sign them. To compensate, the signing team must give up draft picks(anywhere from a 2nd round pick to 3 first round and a handful of mid-rounders) depending on the size of the contract.
So, up against the cap and unsure of the future of several key players, Brian Burke was forced to decline matching the offer sheet and was rewarded with a first round pick and two mid-round picks from the Oilers. Burke responded by saying he would make good use of the picks seeing how the Oilers had not finished very high in the standings recently and likely wouldn't again this season. That was fine, but what happened earlier this week is not.
During an interview on TSNs pre-season show Burke was asked if would be talking to Lowe this year. He said no, then went on one of his patented tirades. Blasting Lowe for his contract offers to restricted free agents Burke said "If I had dragged my team into the sewer like him I wouldn't be throwing a grenade at 29 other GMs right now." He went on to call Lowe a "moron" and that his off-season moves were "the acts of a man desperate to keep his job." Burke, pull your fat head out of your bloated ass and stop listening to your own press conferences. Lowe did what he thought was best for his team, and he did it within the rules. Prior to that offer, the Philadelphia Flyers had signed Canucks forward Ryan Kesler. And who could forget New Yorks signing of Joe Sacik, or Carolinas offer to Sergie Fedorov?
What really irritates me about Burkes comments is the plain and simple fact that Brian is using his recent Stanley Cup win to belittle another man and a franchise that has struggled to stay competitive. Worse still, Burkes own track record isn't paved in gold. Hell, his victory last spring with the Ducks had nothing to do with his skills as a General Manager. In fact, it had nothing to do with him at all.
Outside of Head Coach Randy Carlyle, none of the key players of the Ducks were there because of Burke. The young players like Perry, Penner, MacDonald and Guigere were already with the team when Burke took over in 2005. Top prospect Ryan Getzlaf fell into their laps with the second overall pick in the 2006 post lock-out draft. HoF defenseman Scott Neidermeyer was coming to Anaheim regardless. He wanted to win with his brother Rob, so all Burke had to do was not trade Scotts younger brother. Teemu Selanne wanted back in Anaheim because he was comfortable with the team he had enjoyed some success with earlier in his career. Then uber-defenseman Chris Pronger gave them another gift. Demanding a trade from Edmonton, he put Anaheim and Toronto on his short list. With the Leafs not willing to give up young players and draft picks, Pronger fell right into Burkes lap.
You want the ultimate example of how a team run by Brian Burke works? Look no further then his last employer, the Vancouver Canucks. Burke did help get the Canucks back to respectability, but never got them over the hump. In fact, the Canucks only saw the second round of the playoffs once. Burke stuck with goalie Dan Cloutier despite his inability to win big games, signed players to huge contracts after only one or two successful seasons and outside of the Sedin twins, never drafted a bona fide star player despite favorable draft positioning. He never made the big trade to push the team over the top and wasted draft picks on players like Kesler, RJ Umberger and Cory Schneider when players like Brad Boyes, Niklas Kronwall and Cory Perry were available.
The Canucks under Burke were never contenders. Stuck with only one scoring line, a suspect goalie and iffy defense they became easy pickings in the post-season for teams like Detroit and Calgary. Kevin Lowes Oilers haven't fared much better, but they went to a Cup final a year ago, and Lowe has ensured a large crop of good young players are available to the Oilers in the coming years, while Burke left the Canucks with nothing but bloated contracts and a bare cupboard in the AHL.
Lowe made the offers this summer because he could. After making several shrewd trades, notably the Marc-Andre Bergeron and Ryan Smith deals to Long Island, Lowe picked up extra first and second round draft picks and several top prospects. He used the draft picks to add depth to several positions, then used that depth to address immediate needs. Knowing he could spare some picks in the coming years, he made the offers to Vanek and then Penner because they could help his team right away and the Oilers had the depth to absorb draft losses for a season or two. If Burke was half as smart as he thinks, he would have realized what a brilliant move it was on Lowes part. Point of fact, NBA GMs do the same thing every year, it's part of life under a cap. And those 29 other GMs Burke alluded to all agreed to the same CBA that Lowe did, so it's too damn late to start complaining now.
Maybe if Burke had signed his players before free agency began he wouldn't have had to give up Penner. Maybe Buffalo should have done the same with Vanek. Maybe they should stop bitching because Kevin Lowe is ahead of his time and start looking at ways they can successfully poach talent from competitors next summer. Because you can bet your last dollar other General Managers are.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Dolla Bill Y'All
They say you shouldn't speak ill of the dead. Well I don't know who "they" are so too bad, I'm going to anyway. Last week Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz died, he was buried this past weekend. It's a nice touch if you ask me, because the regular season is about to start and the farther the Hawks put Wirtz behind them, the better. No hockey team in Chicago has been this talented since 1992, and with Wirtz now gone it's almost a guarantee that the young core of this squad will stay intact.
Look, this entry is not going to be sugarcoated. I know first hand what kind of ruin a bad owner can do to a franchise, lord knows I've seen it done to enough of my favorite teams. Wirtz took over an original six team and made it a laughing stock. In 2004 it was named the worst franchise in all of sports. Wirtz did everything short of sitting atop the United Center with a sniper rifle to keep fans away, the man did nothing for the team he owned for over forty years. His penny pinching and ineptitude lead to the creation of such websites as wirtzsucks and killbillwirtz by fans outraged at what he did to their team.
Look, I can go back all the way to the 1960s with this one, but instead I'll focus on the last twenty years because frankly it was the last two decades that the franchise really went to hell. From closing Chicago Stadium to some of the most lop-sided trades ever made, the last two decades under Wirtz were some of the darkest days in a hockey teams history this side of Harrold Ballard.
It all starts with Chicago Stadium. One of hockeys great palaces, it featured incredible sight lines, a close, intimate atmosphere and one of the most raucous crowds you'll ever see. To top it all off, it was home to the fabled 3,663 pipe Barton organ. Don Cherry once said words cannot describe the feeling you'd get when the crowd would roar and the organ would be played. Sure it was an old building with plumbing and ice problems, but the fans didn't care. Players loved being in it, with it's trap-door entrance to the rink and long, dark tunnels, it gave you an incredible experience. Then it was all gone.
In 1994 it was replaced with the United Center. It was a new and more modern building, certainly with better facilities, but nothing more. There was no atmosphere, no feeling to the building. The fabled pipe organ was left behind and ultimately lost in the old Stadiums demolition(although the console still exists in Phil Maloofs Las Vegas home), and nothing of the old building was brought over. Sure the banners were still there, but what did it matter? To the fans it was just another all purpose building. In the decade that followed both the Montreal Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens would close, but both franchises made efforts to keep the intimate and traditional feel of the old buildings alive. To add insult to injury, the Gardens and the Forum still stand, while Chicago Stadium was demolished.
Following the move, Wirtz continued to kick at the franchise he owned. Despite going to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992, Wirtz refused to spend money to augment the team. As a result, the Hawks remained stuck in neutral while other franchises moved forward. His refusal to match salaries with other teams lead to friction with many of his best players, all of whom would ultimately leave. He would go on to earn the title of "3rd Greediest Owner in Sports" by ESPN. Throughout the 1990s Wirtz' approach to his team lead to the departures of Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios, all of whom had been integral parts of Chicago's success earlier that decade. Both Chelios and Belfour would go on to capture the Stanley Cup(in Chelios' case, with hated rivals the Detroit Red Wings), while the players received in return for Roenick would be absolute busts.
Even after all that, Wirtz continued to damage the team. With fans staying away in droves due to the poor performance of the team, Wirtz stopped broadcasting games locally, instead having fans pay to see the games on TV. Coupled with the sudden massive spike in ticket prices, Wirtz almost guaranteed the true fans would stay away. As the team spiraled, things just kept getting worse. Pat Foley, the voice of the Blackhawks for 25 years, was suddenly and inexplicably let go, an unforgivable act to many fans. And while the Hawks suffered, the city's AHL team, the Wolves, was enjoying huge success. The Wolves took to using the slogan "We play hockey the the old fashioned way, we actually win" and hired Foley shortly after his dismissal.
The Blackhawks have not made the playoffs since 2002. They haven't won a playoff series since the mid-90s. The team hasn't won more then 31 games in a season in five years. Despite obtaining a vast amount of high draft picks, it is only recently with the arrival of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane(along with trade acquisition Martin Havlat that the Hawks look like are on the verge of recapturing what had once been a vast young talent pool. Perhaps the death of Wirtz so close to the start of the new season can be taken as a sign that a new era has begun for the old franchise. I hope so. They deserve it.
Look, this entry is not going to be sugarcoated. I know first hand what kind of ruin a bad owner can do to a franchise, lord knows I've seen it done to enough of my favorite teams. Wirtz took over an original six team and made it a laughing stock. In 2004 it was named the worst franchise in all of sports. Wirtz did everything short of sitting atop the United Center with a sniper rifle to keep fans away, the man did nothing for the team he owned for over forty years. His penny pinching and ineptitude lead to the creation of such websites as wirtzsucks and killbillwirtz by fans outraged at what he did to their team.
Look, I can go back all the way to the 1960s with this one, but instead I'll focus on the last twenty years because frankly it was the last two decades that the franchise really went to hell. From closing Chicago Stadium to some of the most lop-sided trades ever made, the last two decades under Wirtz were some of the darkest days in a hockey teams history this side of Harrold Ballard.
It all starts with Chicago Stadium. One of hockeys great palaces, it featured incredible sight lines, a close, intimate atmosphere and one of the most raucous crowds you'll ever see. To top it all off, it was home to the fabled 3,663 pipe Barton organ. Don Cherry once said words cannot describe the feeling you'd get when the crowd would roar and the organ would be played. Sure it was an old building with plumbing and ice problems, but the fans didn't care. Players loved being in it, with it's trap-door entrance to the rink and long, dark tunnels, it gave you an incredible experience. Then it was all gone.
In 1994 it was replaced with the United Center. It was a new and more modern building, certainly with better facilities, but nothing more. There was no atmosphere, no feeling to the building. The fabled pipe organ was left behind and ultimately lost in the old Stadiums demolition(although the console still exists in Phil Maloofs Las Vegas home), and nothing of the old building was brought over. Sure the banners were still there, but what did it matter? To the fans it was just another all purpose building. In the decade that followed both the Montreal Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens would close, but both franchises made efforts to keep the intimate and traditional feel of the old buildings alive. To add insult to injury, the Gardens and the Forum still stand, while Chicago Stadium was demolished.
Following the move, Wirtz continued to kick at the franchise he owned. Despite going to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992, Wirtz refused to spend money to augment the team. As a result, the Hawks remained stuck in neutral while other franchises moved forward. His refusal to match salaries with other teams lead to friction with many of his best players, all of whom would ultimately leave. He would go on to earn the title of "3rd Greediest Owner in Sports" by ESPN. Throughout the 1990s Wirtz' approach to his team lead to the departures of Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios, all of whom had been integral parts of Chicago's success earlier that decade. Both Chelios and Belfour would go on to capture the Stanley Cup(in Chelios' case, with hated rivals the Detroit Red Wings), while the players received in return for Roenick would be absolute busts.
Even after all that, Wirtz continued to damage the team. With fans staying away in droves due to the poor performance of the team, Wirtz stopped broadcasting games locally, instead having fans pay to see the games on TV. Coupled with the sudden massive spike in ticket prices, Wirtz almost guaranteed the true fans would stay away. As the team spiraled, things just kept getting worse. Pat Foley, the voice of the Blackhawks for 25 years, was suddenly and inexplicably let go, an unforgivable act to many fans. And while the Hawks suffered, the city's AHL team, the Wolves, was enjoying huge success. The Wolves took to using the slogan "We play hockey the the old fashioned way, we actually win" and hired Foley shortly after his dismissal.
The Blackhawks have not made the playoffs since 2002. They haven't won a playoff series since the mid-90s. The team hasn't won more then 31 games in a season in five years. Despite obtaining a vast amount of high draft picks, it is only recently with the arrival of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane(along with trade acquisition Martin Havlat that the Hawks look like are on the verge of recapturing what had once been a vast young talent pool. Perhaps the death of Wirtz so close to the start of the new season can be taken as a sign that a new era has begun for the old franchise. I hope so. They deserve it.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Black or White, Shut Your Bloody Mouth
I've had it with Donovan McNabb. I think he is one of the finest pure talents in the NFL, with a great arm, terrific accuracy and nearly unparalleled mobility, but I've had enough. I watched this man lead his team to incredible success in both NCAA football and the NFL, but this is it. Donovan McNabb is fully qualified to speak on the situation of black Quarterbacks in the NFL, but sadly his thoughts are mis-placed. McNabb is a highly criticized player, but contrary to his opinion, being black has little to do with it.
The first and most glaring issue facing McNabb is not his skin color, it's the city he plays in. Philadelphia is unquestionably the toughest town to play football in. The fans are loud and they crazy(show me another stadium with a freaking jail in it) and the media is merciless. the print media, TV and radio sports shows take an almost perverse pleasure in tearing it's own players to pieces. With McNabb being selected second overall in the 1999 draft, he may as well have tattooed a giant bulls-eye on his back and chest.
Thing is, McNabb proved a lot of his critics wrong, leading the Eagles to three consecutive NFC Championship games, and then on to SuperBowl Thirty-Nine. And with the exception of that tip to the big game, he did it with limited help from an obviously inferior receiving corps. He walked into Lambeau Field in 2003 and bitch slapped the Packers(4th and 26 anyone?) en route to his third straight NFC title game. He came within a completion of tying, if not winning, the Superbowl. But that was three years ago, since then McNabb has been nothing to write home about.
It is the last two years of his career that are the focal points for his critics now. Mind you, McNabb has had several injuries and surgeries(and his favorite target running Terrel Owens himself out of town), but even when healthy he has not been very effective. The reason McNabb is savaged so often in Philly these days is because both fans and media alike want to know if McNabb will ever lead the Eagles back to the playoffs and another shot at the Lombardi Trophy. And these days there is little to give them optimism.
The biggest problem I have with McNabb is the timing of his interview with Bryant Gumbel. It wasn't after the week one loss, or the week two beat down. It was back in August, before the season had even started. Worse still, the two white quarterbacks he named are easily amongst the most heavily critiqued in the game.
Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning. According to McNabb they are not has heavily criticized as black quarterbacks. Suuuuuure they aren't. Was any QB in the game more dumped on then Manning prior to his Superbowl win? Carson Palmer had a team built around him and many in Cincinnati want to know when the goods are coming home. The most widely smacked on QB today isn't black, it's a white, cardiac inducing pivot named Rex Grossman. The butt of most jokes is Joey Harrington. It's true there aren't many black quarterbacks, but one of the most highly praised QB's is Vince Young. Jamarcus Aldridge went first over all in the draft. Is the media or the coaches supposed to somehow defend a lead-footed pylon like Byron Leftwitch? It can't be done.
You want a prime example of how being black isn't as big an issue as some make it out to be? How about Kurt Warner? A Superbowl champ and league MVP. A man who through for over 40 touch downs in a season, and two 4,000 yard seasons, but run out of town the second his arm went in the tank. Warner was the poster boy one year and a back-up in Arizona the next.
It's true there are still some meat heads in the league, media and the stands that have a problem with black quarterbacks, but to say it's a major reason for criticism is ludicrous in this day in age. Warren Moon is in the Hall of Fame. Mike Vick(pre dog fighting) was the face of the NFL. Jamarcus Aldridge just signed a 60 million plus entry level contract. The reasons quarterbacks are heavily scrutinized these has less to do with black and white and more to do with the green they're costing the team.
The first and most glaring issue facing McNabb is not his skin color, it's the city he plays in. Philadelphia is unquestionably the toughest town to play football in. The fans are loud and they crazy(show me another stadium with a freaking jail in it) and the media is merciless. the print media, TV and radio sports shows take an almost perverse pleasure in tearing it's own players to pieces. With McNabb being selected second overall in the 1999 draft, he may as well have tattooed a giant bulls-eye on his back and chest.
Thing is, McNabb proved a lot of his critics wrong, leading the Eagles to three consecutive NFC Championship games, and then on to SuperBowl Thirty-Nine. And with the exception of that tip to the big game, he did it with limited help from an obviously inferior receiving corps. He walked into Lambeau Field in 2003 and bitch slapped the Packers(4th and 26 anyone?) en route to his third straight NFC title game. He came within a completion of tying, if not winning, the Superbowl. But that was three years ago, since then McNabb has been nothing to write home about.
It is the last two years of his career that are the focal points for his critics now. Mind you, McNabb has had several injuries and surgeries(and his favorite target running Terrel Owens himself out of town), but even when healthy he has not been very effective. The reason McNabb is savaged so often in Philly these days is because both fans and media alike want to know if McNabb will ever lead the Eagles back to the playoffs and another shot at the Lombardi Trophy. And these days there is little to give them optimism.
The biggest problem I have with McNabb is the timing of his interview with Bryant Gumbel. It wasn't after the week one loss, or the week two beat down. It was back in August, before the season had even started. Worse still, the two white quarterbacks he named are easily amongst the most heavily critiqued in the game.
Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning. According to McNabb they are not has heavily criticized as black quarterbacks. Suuuuuure they aren't. Was any QB in the game more dumped on then Manning prior to his Superbowl win? Carson Palmer had a team built around him and many in Cincinnati want to know when the goods are coming home. The most widely smacked on QB today isn't black, it's a white, cardiac inducing pivot named Rex Grossman. The butt of most jokes is Joey Harrington. It's true there aren't many black quarterbacks, but one of the most highly praised QB's is Vince Young. Jamarcus Aldridge went first over all in the draft. Is the media or the coaches supposed to somehow defend a lead-footed pylon like Byron Leftwitch? It can't be done.
You want a prime example of how being black isn't as big an issue as some make it out to be? How about Kurt Warner? A Superbowl champ and league MVP. A man who through for over 40 touch downs in a season, and two 4,000 yard seasons, but run out of town the second his arm went in the tank. Warner was the poster boy one year and a back-up in Arizona the next.
It's true there are still some meat heads in the league, media and the stands that have a problem with black quarterbacks, but to say it's a major reason for criticism is ludicrous in this day in age. Warren Moon is in the Hall of Fame. Mike Vick(pre dog fighting) was the face of the NFL. Jamarcus Aldridge just signed a 60 million plus entry level contract. The reasons quarterbacks are heavily scrutinized these has less to do with black and white and more to do with the green they're costing the team.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Cheaters Never Prosper *wink wink* * nudge nudge*
Sorry for the delay. Had a wedding to attend this weekend. You want to see a party stick about a hundred Irish and Spanish into a dance hall with an open bar. Anyway, on to this weeks rant...
So Bill Belichik got caught using a camera to steal signals from the New York Jets. One question, so freaking what? OK, so he used recording devices, you wanna tell me why that's such a big deal? Maybe you could also try to explain to me how this somehow taints his Superbowl legacy? That the sports media would make such a huge deal over this and attempt to paint a scarlet letter on Belichik's hoodie while ignoring the actions of other teams shows just how slow a month it's been for news.
Every team cheats. It's a fact of life in the sporting world. Every team tries to steal signals, be it in football, baseball, or any major sport. Every team tries to get an edge somehow. Any great face-off man in the NHL is bending the rules just as all great baseball managers try to read the signs being flashed to a pitcher. The idea that the sport is being played within the rules is laughable. For Ladanian Tomlinson to burst out laughing when he said the Patriots live by the motto "If you're not cheating you're not trying" shows us just that. The true humor in Tomlinson's giggle fest is that he knows that given the opportunity, the Chargers would do the same thing as many times as they could.
It's funny how the NFL allows what it calls "advanced scouting" by teams, where assistants and scouts go to opposing teams practices and watch their play-calling and formations(for weeks if they want to), but this is somehow a violation of an expressly written rule. That a team cannot focus a camera on a coach during a game yet the coordinators, head coaches and assistant coaches all have a dedicated television broadcast camera on them at all times is a ludicrous situation to create. These days head coaches now cover their mouths with play sheets while talking to the QB and coordinators have second stringers holding towels up to cover the hand signals because of the sheer volume of cameras in a stadium every Sunday. The message seems to be cheat, but don't get caught.
Look at baseball. At least once a year some team gets warned about the positioning of a camera in or around the dugouts, yet the only actions I've ever seen taken are to throw a towel over it, or have its angle changed. No team that I know of has been fined or punished for it, heck the Toronto Blue Jays once had a camera perched just over the centerfield wall and pointed straight at the catcher and no fuss was made once they took it down. The answer to any hockeys teams poor face-off performance is to start cheating more, be it lifting sticks, pushing the opposing center or a false start to get your counter-part thrown out and replaced with a winger. And let's not even start with soccer, I don't have the stomach for it.
Look, I'm not defending this in any way. I'd rather see the games played out based on the merit and talents of the players involved, but that's a pipe dream. But then, so is the idea that the Patriots legacy in this decade is somehow dirtied. It's a fruitless debate really. Belichik's success in the post season is simple to understand. While other teams were doing the interviews and hitting the town, the Patriots were studying hours of video, learning a teams plays, their tendencies, formations, tactics. Belichik and his staff had two weeks to break down their opponents and that's what they did. They didn't need to steal signals because by the time the game started the Patriots new their opponents inside and out.
Tomlinson and others can yell all they want that the Patriots were cheating when they defeated them, fact is they didn't need to. Sure they were last week, and probably in previous games. Heck, it's probably been going on for years. But then, it's also been going on with other teams in every other sport and in the NFL. The Patriots are just an easy and convenient target. I the NFL wants to stop this sort of thing, then take the cameras off the sidelines. Take the recording devices off the coaches and coodinators. Actually, that won't stop anything really. Teams are going to try and find an edge, the least the NFL could do is stop acting like it didn;t know it was such a problem.
So Bill Belichik got caught using a camera to steal signals from the New York Jets. One question, so freaking what? OK, so he used recording devices, you wanna tell me why that's such a big deal? Maybe you could also try to explain to me how this somehow taints his Superbowl legacy? That the sports media would make such a huge deal over this and attempt to paint a scarlet letter on Belichik's hoodie while ignoring the actions of other teams shows just how slow a month it's been for news.
Every team cheats. It's a fact of life in the sporting world. Every team tries to steal signals, be it in football, baseball, or any major sport. Every team tries to get an edge somehow. Any great face-off man in the NHL is bending the rules just as all great baseball managers try to read the signs being flashed to a pitcher. The idea that the sport is being played within the rules is laughable. For Ladanian Tomlinson to burst out laughing when he said the Patriots live by the motto "If you're not cheating you're not trying" shows us just that. The true humor in Tomlinson's giggle fest is that he knows that given the opportunity, the Chargers would do the same thing as many times as they could.
It's funny how the NFL allows what it calls "advanced scouting" by teams, where assistants and scouts go to opposing teams practices and watch their play-calling and formations(for weeks if they want to), but this is somehow a violation of an expressly written rule. That a team cannot focus a camera on a coach during a game yet the coordinators, head coaches and assistant coaches all have a dedicated television broadcast camera on them at all times is a ludicrous situation to create. These days head coaches now cover their mouths with play sheets while talking to the QB and coordinators have second stringers holding towels up to cover the hand signals because of the sheer volume of cameras in a stadium every Sunday. The message seems to be cheat, but don't get caught.
Look at baseball. At least once a year some team gets warned about the positioning of a camera in or around the dugouts, yet the only actions I've ever seen taken are to throw a towel over it, or have its angle changed. No team that I know of has been fined or punished for it, heck the Toronto Blue Jays once had a camera perched just over the centerfield wall and pointed straight at the catcher and no fuss was made once they took it down. The answer to any hockeys teams poor face-off performance is to start cheating more, be it lifting sticks, pushing the opposing center or a false start to get your counter-part thrown out and replaced with a winger. And let's not even start with soccer, I don't have the stomach for it.
Look, I'm not defending this in any way. I'd rather see the games played out based on the merit and talents of the players involved, but that's a pipe dream. But then, so is the idea that the Patriots legacy in this decade is somehow dirtied. It's a fruitless debate really. Belichik's success in the post season is simple to understand. While other teams were doing the interviews and hitting the town, the Patriots were studying hours of video, learning a teams plays, their tendencies, formations, tactics. Belichik and his staff had two weeks to break down their opponents and that's what they did. They didn't need to steal signals because by the time the game started the Patriots new their opponents inside and out.
Tomlinson and others can yell all they want that the Patriots were cheating when they defeated them, fact is they didn't need to. Sure they were last week, and probably in previous games. Heck, it's probably been going on for years. But then, it's also been going on with other teams in every other sport and in the NFL. The Patriots are just an easy and convenient target. I the NFL wants to stop this sort of thing, then take the cameras off the sidelines. Take the recording devices off the coaches and coodinators. Actually, that won't stop anything really. Teams are going to try and find an edge, the least the NFL could do is stop acting like it didn;t know it was such a problem.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Will the Real Peyton Manning Please Stand up?
With the start of football season this week I now get to partake in one of a least favorite pastimes, trying to find a channel on a Sunday afternoon that doesn't have a half dozen commercials featuring Peyton Manning. This is no slap in the face to Mannings acting abilities, he obviously possesses talent that is vastly superior to most on television(not to mention the cast he had to work with on SNL), my problem is the image we get of Manning.
The Peyton Manning that you see in commercials and SNL is a very carefully constructed personality designed to be appealing to as many people as possible. The cheesy mustache while selling wireless updates, the guy slapping movers on the back and telling them everyone has bad days now and again, "Cut that meat!!!", the Manning family cooking together, all done to give Peyton the image of the everyday guy who just happens to play football. Thing is, he isn't.
The Peyton Manning stupidly grinning beside some guy in a cubicle while selling fantasy football isn't the real deal. In order to see the real Peyton Manning you have to find game tapes the NFL would rather you didn't know about. Those would be the ones showing what Manning is like on the field and, by extent, what he is truly like as a person.
That would be the Peyton Manning who rolls his eyes when a kicker misses a forty-five yard field goal, who shrugs his shoulders or throws his hands up when a receiver drops or misses a pass. The Peyton Manning who walks off the field shaking his head when a pass is missed in the end-zone, even if the intended target is in double coverage. The Peyton Manning who threw his offensive line under the bus after the loss to Pittsburgh two years ago despite the fact it was his own predictable and repetitive play calling that allowed the Stealers defense to run roughshod over them. That's the real Peyton Manning and I'd have a lot less trouble with the guy if he just came clean on it.
Athletes are not always nice guys. In fact a lot of the greatest players ever have been complete jackholes. Ty Cobb was a racist slob, Reggie Jackson an arrogant prick while Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe were lumberjacks with their sticks. Michael Jordan was an condescending taskmaster with his fellow players and the less said about Emmit Smiths massive ego the better. Thing is, none of those guy's ever tried to hide it. That's who they were and they were not about to apologize for it.
I understand that at it's core the NFL is just one giant marketing machine, the Suberbowl takes second stage to the half-time show these days, and Manning is their golden boy(particularly with Vick out of the picture now), but enough already. You're a winner now Manning. You have a ring, the single season TD record, a career that will eclipse every QB record imaginable by the time you retire. Drop the act and just come clean. I don't have a problem if you're a jerk, odds are that's how you got to where you are right now just like most superstar athletes. Who cares if you're more Mark Messier then Joe Sacik? Both are still going to the Hall of Fame regardless of their personalities. Hell, I'll respect you a lot more on the field and off if you stopped insulting my intelligence by pretending to be someone you're not.
The Peyton Manning that you see in commercials and SNL is a very carefully constructed personality designed to be appealing to as many people as possible. The cheesy mustache while selling wireless updates, the guy slapping movers on the back and telling them everyone has bad days now and again, "Cut that meat!!!", the Manning family cooking together, all done to give Peyton the image of the everyday guy who just happens to play football. Thing is, he isn't.
The Peyton Manning stupidly grinning beside some guy in a cubicle while selling fantasy football isn't the real deal. In order to see the real Peyton Manning you have to find game tapes the NFL would rather you didn't know about. Those would be the ones showing what Manning is like on the field and, by extent, what he is truly like as a person.
That would be the Peyton Manning who rolls his eyes when a kicker misses a forty-five yard field goal, who shrugs his shoulders or throws his hands up when a receiver drops or misses a pass. The Peyton Manning who walks off the field shaking his head when a pass is missed in the end-zone, even if the intended target is in double coverage. The Peyton Manning who threw his offensive line under the bus after the loss to Pittsburgh two years ago despite the fact it was his own predictable and repetitive play calling that allowed the Stealers defense to run roughshod over them. That's the real Peyton Manning and I'd have a lot less trouble with the guy if he just came clean on it.
Athletes are not always nice guys. In fact a lot of the greatest players ever have been complete jackholes. Ty Cobb was a racist slob, Reggie Jackson an arrogant prick while Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe were lumberjacks with their sticks. Michael Jordan was an condescending taskmaster with his fellow players and the less said about Emmit Smiths massive ego the better. Thing is, none of those guy's ever tried to hide it. That's who they were and they were not about to apologize for it.
I understand that at it's core the NFL is just one giant marketing machine, the Suberbowl takes second stage to the half-time show these days, and Manning is their golden boy(particularly with Vick out of the picture now), but enough already. You're a winner now Manning. You have a ring, the single season TD record, a career that will eclipse every QB record imaginable by the time you retire. Drop the act and just come clean. I don't have a problem if you're a jerk, odds are that's how you got to where you are right now just like most superstar athletes. Who cares if you're more Mark Messier then Joe Sacik? Both are still going to the Hall of Fame regardless of their personalities. Hell, I'll respect you a lot more on the field and off if you stopped insulting my intelligence by pretending to be someone you're not.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
One of These Things is Not Like the Other....
Mark Bell has no business playing hockey this year. He should be in jail. He should be serving his sentence for his DUI and hit and run one year ago this weekend. He's not though. Instead he gets to play this season, collect his 2 million dollar salary and serve his time(which will be anywhere between 4-6 months) after hockey is done. Great, just great. No sooner does Roger Gooddell put his foot down and say "enough is enough" then Garry Bettman drags the NHL down another level.
Let's look at this case. Last year Mark Bell was involved in a two car accident over the Labour Day weekend. He rear-ended a truck and left the forty year old driver with head injuries and cuts to his face. Bell left the scene and was shortly arrested in the general area. He was given a breathalyser and blew a .15, the legal limit being .08. He was booked on DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. One year later he plead no contest to the charges and had the felony dropped to a misdemeanor.
While I have no problem with the plea bargain, I take issue with Bettman allowing Bell to play this season. The precedent set by the NFL regarding Mike Vick and Pacman Jones should have been enough to put some balls on Canada's favorite midget, but it didn't. Instead Bettman is going to keep the status quo and allow a man who broke the law back on the ice. Way to go Garry. You keep that game honest my man.
Let's go back a few years and re-visit the sad and brutal story of Steve Moore. Moore was one of a few hundred players in the NHL, not a whole lot of talent but good speed and some jam in his game. He played a hard nosed style that earned him around 10 minutes a game and a few hundred thousand dollars a year. A lot of players(Kent Manderville is a great example), have carved out long and prosperous careers like that. I don't know if Moore could have, but we'll never know now.
Thanks to Todd Bertuzzis famous attack on Moore, the young man will never play again. As a result of Bertuzzis sucker punch he was formally charged with and plead guilty to assault. He was suspended by the NHL following the on ice attack for what amounted to 13 regular season games and 7 playoff games. The following season was the lock out, and on August 8, 2005 Bertuzzi was re-instated into the NHL. Moore was still in re-hab for three fractured vertebrae. the NHL cited the following reasons why Betuzzi was allowed back in.
Basically, while the hockey world was talking about the Great One, Bettman slipped a tiny press release around announcing Bertuzzi was back in the NHL, deliberately using the biggest announcement of the summer to slip that mortar shell in the back door. It was painfully obvious that Bettman had done so to insure minimal press devoted to the story, meaning he knew what he was doing would set people off.
Remember the public outcry over the attack? The View of all TV shows devoted almost a week to it. For the first time since the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994 ESPN and FOXSports were leading their updates with NHL talk. Bettman knew full well what would happen if he had announced Bertuzzis return on any other date, so he waited and use Gretzky to avoid the problem.
And now it's happening again. Bettman is allowing a criminal to play to game and make his money when Mark Bell should be in a California jail cell. He's silently issuing a statement that tells players they can do what they like, he'll let them back in. Hell, he'll even let them serve their sentences whenever they feel like it. Bell is by no means a star player like Bertuzzi once was, but the example is still the same. If sports leagues want their players to stop embarrassing the sport, then they need to stop allowing those very players to break the law and still collect a check. If athletes are just like you and me, then it's high time they started going to jail like we do.
Let's look at this case. Last year Mark Bell was involved in a two car accident over the Labour Day weekend. He rear-ended a truck and left the forty year old driver with head injuries and cuts to his face. Bell left the scene and was shortly arrested in the general area. He was given a breathalyser and blew a .15, the legal limit being .08. He was booked on DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. One year later he plead no contest to the charges and had the felony dropped to a misdemeanor.
While I have no problem with the plea bargain, I take issue with Bettman allowing Bell to play this season. The precedent set by the NFL regarding Mike Vick and Pacman Jones should have been enough to put some balls on Canada's favorite midget, but it didn't. Instead Bettman is going to keep the status quo and allow a man who broke the law back on the ice. Way to go Garry. You keep that game honest my man.
Let's go back a few years and re-visit the sad and brutal story of Steve Moore. Moore was one of a few hundred players in the NHL, not a whole lot of talent but good speed and some jam in his game. He played a hard nosed style that earned him around 10 minutes a game and a few hundred thousand dollars a year. A lot of players(Kent Manderville is a great example), have carved out long and prosperous careers like that. I don't know if Moore could have, but we'll never know now.
Thanks to Todd Bertuzzis famous attack on Moore, the young man will never play again. As a result of Bertuzzis sucker punch he was formally charged with and plead guilty to assault. He was suspended by the NHL following the on ice attack for what amounted to 13 regular season games and 7 playoff games. The following season was the lock out, and on August 8, 2005 Bertuzzi was re-instated into the NHL. Moore was still in re-hab for three fractured vertebrae. the NHL cited the following reasons why Betuzzi was allowed back in.
- Bertuzzi serving a suspension of 20 games, tied for 4th longest in NHL history (13 regular season games, 7 playoff games)
- Bertuzzi's repeated attempts to apologize to Mr. Moore personally
- Bertuzzi's forfeited salary ($501,926.39 USD)
- Lost endorsements (approximately $350,000.00 USD)
- Significant uncertainty, anxiety, stress and emotional pain caused to Bertuzzi's family
- The commissioner's belief that Bertuzzi was genuinely remorseful and apologetic for his actions
Basically, while the hockey world was talking about the Great One, Bettman slipped a tiny press release around announcing Bertuzzi was back in the NHL, deliberately using the biggest announcement of the summer to slip that mortar shell in the back door. It was painfully obvious that Bettman had done so to insure minimal press devoted to the story, meaning he knew what he was doing would set people off.
Remember the public outcry over the attack? The View of all TV shows devoted almost a week to it. For the first time since the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994 ESPN and FOXSports were leading their updates with NHL talk. Bettman knew full well what would happen if he had announced Bertuzzis return on any other date, so he waited and use Gretzky to avoid the problem.
And now it's happening again. Bettman is allowing a criminal to play to game and make his money when Mark Bell should be in a California jail cell. He's silently issuing a statement that tells players they can do what they like, he'll let them back in. Hell, he'll even let them serve their sentences whenever they feel like it. Bell is by no means a star player like Bertuzzi once was, but the example is still the same. If sports leagues want their players to stop embarrassing the sport, then they need to stop allowing those very players to break the law and still collect a check. If athletes are just like you and me, then it's high time they started going to jail like we do.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
It's Not About Race
OK, I've had it. All of you, shut the f@ck up right now. All you clowns who have been filling talk radio with your garbage about how the Mike Vick case is racial, how you won't watch the NFL because it puts dogs ahead of black men, how sports talk hosts are racist because they spent weeks talking about and even cracking on the disgraced Falcons QB. I'm sick of hearing from the NAACP, Stephan Marbury, Jamie Foxx and anyone else who wants to waste my time trying to explain the reasons behind Vicks charges or why the NFL should let him back in. Mick Vick killed dogs, viscously. He beat and tortured them to death with his buddies if they failed to live up to whatever depraved standards dog fighters have. Go away and stop bothering me.
I'll admit I've indulged myself watching Vick career fall apart in the last two weeks, but not because he's a successful, wealthy and famous black athlete, but because he's a criminal who thought he was above the law. He was participating in dog fighting as early as 2001, in his parents garage for Christs sake! This is the highest paid football player in history, believe me, it has more to do with that then the colour of his skin. And despite what some race baiters might tell you, the NFL is coming down on Vick because of the former, not the latter.
Get real people. Vick is a marketers glass slipper, a fantasy football geeks wet dream and a fans wish fulfilled rolled up into one. He's athletic, exiting, handsome, modern and hip. He can throw touchdowns, run for hundreds of yards in a season, pass for thousands and isn't afraid to take a hit. He listens to popular music, dresses like a new-age Tony Montana and drives cars most men can't even afford to dream about. He is everything the NFL wants to sell to it's fans of every age and racial persuasion. It is no stretch to say Vick has been the face of the NFL for years, because he has been. In another era(mainly Paul Tagliabues) Vick would have been pardoned for his sins almost before he committed them because of his enormous money making abilities.
But this is a new time for the NFL. Roger Goodell has seen to much for his taste and made it clear he will not stand for it. I still take issue with Goodell for not trying to get Tagliabue to stiffen up and start cracking the whip, but at least he's made it clear under his watch things are going to change. No, the Vick arrest, plea bargain and suspension has nothing to do with race, so stop bringing it up.
You want racial issues? Fine, go read Anthony Prior's book The Slave Side of Sunday and learn of how coaches treat Black players, particularly those from the south. Get the inside story of players getting benched for talking to white women or missing Bible class(Bible class?), or how Black players are called "boy" and "Jemima". Those are racial issues the NFL needs to address. Those are problems that need to be brought into the public eye and dealt with, severely in my opinion. Those are also actions that relate to the game and the league itself. What Vick did relates to him and his friends, not the NFL, not the owners and certainly not the colour of his skin.
And for the last time, this is not a cultural thing. This is not some "ghetto reputation" bull-sh@t. Dog fighting has been around for decades. Hell, the KKK used to hold dog fights to raise money and somehow I doubt Vick is in anyway associated with those cross burning illiterates. This was about thrills and gambling, nothing more. Believe me, if this had been Tom Brady or the Manning brothers I'd be on my roof dancing an Irish jig along with every sports writer talk show host in America because they could finally say that no one in sport is untouchable(and have something to yammer about for months on end without any prompting).
Vick is going to jail because of dog fighting. He's going to lose potentially hundreds of millions of dollars because of it. His football career is in all probability over due to his actions. And those actions alone are the reason why. Not his skin colour, background or old neighbourhood. So shut up, I;m getting tired of turning my radio down every five minutes because one of you morons wants to try and make this a racial debate.
I'll admit I've indulged myself watching Vick career fall apart in the last two weeks, but not because he's a successful, wealthy and famous black athlete, but because he's a criminal who thought he was above the law. He was participating in dog fighting as early as 2001, in his parents garage for Christs sake! This is the highest paid football player in history, believe me, it has more to do with that then the colour of his skin. And despite what some race baiters might tell you, the NFL is coming down on Vick because of the former, not the latter.
Get real people. Vick is a marketers glass slipper, a fantasy football geeks wet dream and a fans wish fulfilled rolled up into one. He's athletic, exiting, handsome, modern and hip. He can throw touchdowns, run for hundreds of yards in a season, pass for thousands and isn't afraid to take a hit. He listens to popular music, dresses like a new-age Tony Montana and drives cars most men can't even afford to dream about. He is everything the NFL wants to sell to it's fans of every age and racial persuasion. It is no stretch to say Vick has been the face of the NFL for years, because he has been. In another era(mainly Paul Tagliabues) Vick would have been pardoned for his sins almost before he committed them because of his enormous money making abilities.
But this is a new time for the NFL. Roger Goodell has seen to much for his taste and made it clear he will not stand for it. I still take issue with Goodell for not trying to get Tagliabue to stiffen up and start cracking the whip, but at least he's made it clear under his watch things are going to change. No, the Vick arrest, plea bargain and suspension has nothing to do with race, so stop bringing it up.
You want racial issues? Fine, go read Anthony Prior's book The Slave Side of Sunday and learn of how coaches treat Black players, particularly those from the south. Get the inside story of players getting benched for talking to white women or missing Bible class(Bible class?), or how Black players are called "boy" and "Jemima". Those are racial issues the NFL needs to address. Those are problems that need to be brought into the public eye and dealt with, severely in my opinion. Those are also actions that relate to the game and the league itself. What Vick did relates to him and his friends, not the NFL, not the owners and certainly not the colour of his skin.
And for the last time, this is not a cultural thing. This is not some "ghetto reputation" bull-sh@t. Dog fighting has been around for decades. Hell, the KKK used to hold dog fights to raise money and somehow I doubt Vick is in anyway associated with those cross burning illiterates. This was about thrills and gambling, nothing more. Believe me, if this had been Tom Brady or the Manning brothers I'd be on my roof dancing an Irish jig along with every sports writer talk show host in America because they could finally say that no one in sport is untouchable(and have something to yammer about for months on end without any prompting).
Vick is going to jail because of dog fighting. He's going to lose potentially hundreds of millions of dollars because of it. His football career is in all probability over due to his actions. And those actions alone are the reason why. Not his skin colour, background or old neighbourhood. So shut up, I;m getting tired of turning my radio down every five minutes because one of you morons wants to try and make this a racial debate.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
I Go Away for Two Weeks.....
Sheesh, I go camping for two weeks and the whole damn sports world goes to hell. OK, granted that's nothing new. One sport or another tends to hit the lower levels of Hades on a yearly basis these days, but never have I seen so many serious problems pop up in so many different sports in such a short amount of time. Barroid Bonds get the home run record, Jason Giamboid comes clean and only gets slap on the wrist, Mike Vicks so-called friends bail en masse and start coughing up information, Rick Tochett gets four years of probation for his part in a gambling scheme and now Tim Donaghy is reportedly getting ready to name as many as 20 other NBA officials involved in gambling, both legal and illegal. I could spend a month on just those alone, but I'll spare you and just roll it up into one giant bitch session.
Let's start with the juicers. Bonds hit 756, Guess what? Nobody outside of the Bay gives a crap. There's your record Barry, put down your ever enlarging helmet and unnecessarily massive elbow pad and go away. I'm glad I don't have children because I'd hate for them to look up to you. And now Jason Giambi has come clean and explained all those needle marks on his ass. So what does he get? What does the new and improved Bud Selig do? Nothing. Jack squat. All Giamboid had to do was talk to a hand-picked politician(and former member and MLBs Board of Governors) and fork out less then 1% of his yearly contract to some local youth charities and that makes everything hunky-dory again. What a great message to send. We'll hit minor leaguers and marginal big leaguers with 50 or 100 game suspension, but the former MVP only has to open his wallet. I wish I could hit the heights of hypocrisy that Selig does, the view must be spectacular.
And then good old Vick gets to watch his so-called buddies go crawling to the Feds and start giving up the goods. No sooner then that, and the Feds are waving a deal under Vicks nose and hinting if he doesn't take it they'll really hit him hard. No sooner does he turn it down then Abracadabra!! up pop the reports that not only was Vick betting tens of thousands on the dog fighting matches but he also on hand and participated in the killing of dogs that lost. I don't know if these reports are true, but one thing is certain, even if he takes a deal now, he'll never play in the NFL again. Herpes, water bottle, dog killing. What are three things Micheal Vick will be remembered for.
To go along with Vicks increasing troubles on Friday, Rick Tochett plead guilty to several counts involving an illegal gambling ring that included a New Jersey police officer and several members of a Philadelphia crime family. Tochett received a total of four years probation as part of his plea agreement and has been suspended indefinitely from his job as Assistant Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. There has been no word on whether or not Tochett will be fired or permanently banned from the NHL, but frankly it should be the latter. Bettman needs to do some good during his tenure, and ensuring that hockey will never have a Pete Rose in it's ranks will go a long way to ensuring the integrity of the sport. The fact that Tochett is so closely linked with Wayne Gretzky makes it all the more important to show that no one is above the law in the NHL.
So now we come at last to what everyone has been waiting for. Tim Donaghy is apparently ready to start naming names, a lot of them. MSNBC and ESPN are reporting that the disgraced official is in talks with prosecutors to name as many as 20 other officials who are involved with gambling at some level, both legal and illegal. That would account for roughly one third of the NBAs referees. It would also cast a serious cloud over the legitimacy of countless regular season and playoff games over the past few years. Yeah Stern, that was just one "rogue, isolated criminal" in your ranks. If you thought the post-game shows over the last few years were bad, just wait until the other shoe drops and a few more whistle boys end up in the slammer. If I wasn't such a big Chris Bosh and Steve Nash fan I wouldn't even watch next season. In fact, outside of Raptors and Suns games, I won't. Man, what I wouldn't give for a good Little League parents brawl right now.
Let's start with the juicers. Bonds hit 756, Guess what? Nobody outside of the Bay gives a crap. There's your record Barry, put down your ever enlarging helmet and unnecessarily massive elbow pad and go away. I'm glad I don't have children because I'd hate for them to look up to you. And now Jason Giambi has come clean and explained all those needle marks on his ass. So what does he get? What does the new and improved Bud Selig do? Nothing. Jack squat. All Giamboid had to do was talk to a hand-picked politician(and former member and MLBs Board of Governors) and fork out less then 1% of his yearly contract to some local youth charities and that makes everything hunky-dory again. What a great message to send. We'll hit minor leaguers and marginal big leaguers with 50 or 100 game suspension, but the former MVP only has to open his wallet. I wish I could hit the heights of hypocrisy that Selig does, the view must be spectacular.
And then good old Vick gets to watch his so-called buddies go crawling to the Feds and start giving up the goods. No sooner then that, and the Feds are waving a deal under Vicks nose and hinting if he doesn't take it they'll really hit him hard. No sooner does he turn it down then Abracadabra!! up pop the reports that not only was Vick betting tens of thousands on the dog fighting matches but he also on hand and participated in the killing of dogs that lost. I don't know if these reports are true, but one thing is certain, even if he takes a deal now, he'll never play in the NFL again. Herpes, water bottle, dog killing. What are three things Micheal Vick will be remembered for.
To go along with Vicks increasing troubles on Friday, Rick Tochett plead guilty to several counts involving an illegal gambling ring that included a New Jersey police officer and several members of a Philadelphia crime family. Tochett received a total of four years probation as part of his plea agreement and has been suspended indefinitely from his job as Assistant Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. There has been no word on whether or not Tochett will be fired or permanently banned from the NHL, but frankly it should be the latter. Bettman needs to do some good during his tenure, and ensuring that hockey will never have a Pete Rose in it's ranks will go a long way to ensuring the integrity of the sport. The fact that Tochett is so closely linked with Wayne Gretzky makes it all the more important to show that no one is above the law in the NHL.
So now we come at last to what everyone has been waiting for. Tim Donaghy is apparently ready to start naming names, a lot of them. MSNBC and ESPN are reporting that the disgraced official is in talks with prosecutors to name as many as 20 other officials who are involved with gambling at some level, both legal and illegal. That would account for roughly one third of the NBAs referees. It would also cast a serious cloud over the legitimacy of countless regular season and playoff games over the past few years. Yeah Stern, that was just one "rogue, isolated criminal" in your ranks. If you thought the post-game shows over the last few years were bad, just wait until the other shoe drops and a few more whistle boys end up in the slammer. If I wasn't such a big Chris Bosh and Steve Nash fan I wouldn't even watch next season. In fact, outside of Raptors and Suns games, I won't. Man, what I wouldn't give for a good Little League parents brawl right now.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Now Stern Feels Betrayed?
I'll admit it, I got a lot of guilty pleasure watching David Stern stumble and fumble his way through that press conference. For years I've been watching that aloof little midget glib his way through interview after interview with that same smug, self-important look on his face It's always been the same, the reporters knowing nothing and Stern having all the answers. Time and again he would take the podium and act like everyone around him was over-reacting or that there was nothing to fear, because Stern was going to make everything OK again. I'd like to see that arrogant, Mussolini style pose now.
Let's review a few factoids and reports here. Tim Donaghy is currently being investigated by the FBI for illegal gambling and fixing basketball games over the last two years. The FBI investigation may include members of organized crime from whom Donaghy allegedly took orders from. During that time the NBA has warned him numerous times about problems in his personal life. Stern also insists they knew about the Federal investigation as much as five months ago. Ooooookay, quick question here Davy, if you knew he was fixing games, why let him continue? Stern contends he didn't want to hamper the investigation. I contend he's a moron.
Consider the following. One of his most senior referees was altering the outcomes of games both in the regular season and potentially the playoffs, had already been warned about off-court issues in his personal life and had been investigated by the NBA on allegations he was frequenting Vegas casinos even before the FBI supposedly told the NBA what they were doing. Even so, Stern allowed Donaghy to continue officiating into the post-season, including several pivotal games.
Donaghy was on the floor for the Raptors/Nets Game 6, where New Jersey won by 1 point, and were awarded more free throws, with Chris Bosh, Mo Peterson and Anthony Parker nearly fouling out for Toronto. A week later he at the Suns/Spurs Game 3, where over 60 free throws were awarded, 36 of them going to the Spurs. The previous game, which Phoenix won by twenty, saw only 35 free throws given out. In a series that was already suspect with Ginobli flopping like a soccer player and Bruce Bowen doing everything short of beating Steve Nash over the head with a chair, Stern let a man under Federal investigation on the floor in what everyone considered the Finals for that year.
To make matters worse, Sterns attempt to prop up the NBA's internal security only made him look worse. Boasting investigators that had worked for the FBI, CIA, Secret Service and Homeland Security, video review teams that look at every call and independent financial auditors Stern vowed this was an isolated case, one man slipping through the cracks. Thing is, even if Donaghy is the exception, which I doubt, the NBA still has egg on it's face. As stated earlier, Donaghy had been involved with incidents with his neighbors, been allegedly seen in Vegas casinos, been suspended from playoff games in 2006 and warned he was about to lose his job should he not straighten up. This man was red flagged for two years but somehow they missed a Federal crime? The man handed out more technical fouls( an even more potent tool these days with Stern making it easier to T up players) then any other ref but that didn't raise any concerns? He was allegedly betting tens of thousands of dollars on games but the much-hyped financial auditors couldn't figure it out? Even the Vegas sports books were starting to catch on that something was going on when Donaghy officiated games, but Stern insists he only recently found out.
This is, in my own small opinion, a flat out lie. Either Sterns teams are the biggest collections of Inspector Clouseaus in history or he was willing to ignore the problem. As the NBA's Commissioner it's his job to know what's going on, especially when it comes to the referees he's been almost violently defending for years as legitimate and un-biased. Yet even when he found out he let Donaghy hang around despite the fact the investigators were going back two years in their search for evidence and had informed Stern that low level mafia members were involved.
Despipte all this, Stern says Donaghy is alone, a "rogue official". Of course, that sounds plausible. Actually it doesn't, just ask Michael Franzese, a former member of the Colombo family in New York City. Franzese was on the Jim Rome Show earlier this week and admitted on air he had gotten refs to influence the outcome of basketball games during his days as the mobs top earner. The fact is officials who gamble on sports(in Donaghys case it is believed he fell into dept betting on football) will almost always do so with bookies to avoid prying eyes makes it all the more simple for the mob to put the fix in. Donaghy reportedly racked up tens of thousands of dollars in dept in NFL games and had to pay it back, one way or another.
To make matters worse for Stern, Donaghy has reportedly hired a lawyer who specializes in cutting deals based on information his clients posses, and in Donaghys case, it is supposedly names of other officials who have been fixing games. Receiving death threats in the mail, Donaghy is now under surveillance by the local Sheriffs Department. Stern obviously waited until the middle of summer to drop this into the medias lap hoping it would go away before the season started, but his ignorance(deliberate or not) to the whole story could lead to a crushing blow to the sport. TV ratings are down, fans are become more embittered each year and now their worst fears have been made reality. The games weren't on the level. They weren't called down the middle. The ref(refs?) really did have it in for their team. And like it or not, this problem begins and ends with David Sterns and his arrogance, and in this case fained obliviousness, to the one unforgivable crime in sports. An un-even playing field.
Let's review a few factoids and reports here. Tim Donaghy is currently being investigated by the FBI for illegal gambling and fixing basketball games over the last two years. The FBI investigation may include members of organized crime from whom Donaghy allegedly took orders from. During that time the NBA has warned him numerous times about problems in his personal life. Stern also insists they knew about the Federal investigation as much as five months ago. Ooooookay, quick question here Davy, if you knew he was fixing games, why let him continue? Stern contends he didn't want to hamper the investigation. I contend he's a moron.
Consider the following. One of his most senior referees was altering the outcomes of games both in the regular season and potentially the playoffs, had already been warned about off-court issues in his personal life and had been investigated by the NBA on allegations he was frequenting Vegas casinos even before the FBI supposedly told the NBA what they were doing. Even so, Stern allowed Donaghy to continue officiating into the post-season, including several pivotal games.
Donaghy was on the floor for the Raptors/Nets Game 6, where New Jersey won by 1 point, and were awarded more free throws, with Chris Bosh, Mo Peterson and Anthony Parker nearly fouling out for Toronto. A week later he at the Suns/Spurs Game 3, where over 60 free throws were awarded, 36 of them going to the Spurs. The previous game, which Phoenix won by twenty, saw only 35 free throws given out. In a series that was already suspect with Ginobli flopping like a soccer player and Bruce Bowen doing everything short of beating Steve Nash over the head with a chair, Stern let a man under Federal investigation on the floor in what everyone considered the Finals for that year.
To make matters worse, Sterns attempt to prop up the NBA's internal security only made him look worse. Boasting investigators that had worked for the FBI, CIA, Secret Service and Homeland Security, video review teams that look at every call and independent financial auditors Stern vowed this was an isolated case, one man slipping through the cracks. Thing is, even if Donaghy is the exception, which I doubt, the NBA still has egg on it's face. As stated earlier, Donaghy had been involved with incidents with his neighbors, been allegedly seen in Vegas casinos, been suspended from playoff games in 2006 and warned he was about to lose his job should he not straighten up. This man was red flagged for two years but somehow they missed a Federal crime? The man handed out more technical fouls( an even more potent tool these days with Stern making it easier to T up players) then any other ref but that didn't raise any concerns? He was allegedly betting tens of thousands of dollars on games but the much-hyped financial auditors couldn't figure it out? Even the Vegas sports books were starting to catch on that something was going on when Donaghy officiated games, but Stern insists he only recently found out.
This is, in my own small opinion, a flat out lie. Either Sterns teams are the biggest collections of Inspector Clouseaus in history or he was willing to ignore the problem. As the NBA's Commissioner it's his job to know what's going on, especially when it comes to the referees he's been almost violently defending for years as legitimate and un-biased. Yet even when he found out he let Donaghy hang around despite the fact the investigators were going back two years in their search for evidence and had informed Stern that low level mafia members were involved.
Despipte all this, Stern says Donaghy is alone, a "rogue official". Of course, that sounds plausible. Actually it doesn't, just ask Michael Franzese, a former member of the Colombo family in New York City. Franzese was on the Jim Rome Show earlier this week and admitted on air he had gotten refs to influence the outcome of basketball games during his days as the mobs top earner. The fact is officials who gamble on sports(in Donaghys case it is believed he fell into dept betting on football) will almost always do so with bookies to avoid prying eyes makes it all the more simple for the mob to put the fix in. Donaghy reportedly racked up tens of thousands of dollars in dept in NFL games and had to pay it back, one way or another.
To make matters worse for Stern, Donaghy has reportedly hired a lawyer who specializes in cutting deals based on information his clients posses, and in Donaghys case, it is supposedly names of other officials who have been fixing games. Receiving death threats in the mail, Donaghy is now under surveillance by the local Sheriffs Department. Stern obviously waited until the middle of summer to drop this into the medias lap hoping it would go away before the season started, but his ignorance(deliberate or not) to the whole story could lead to a crushing blow to the sport. TV ratings are down, fans are become more embittered each year and now their worst fears have been made reality. The games weren't on the level. They weren't called down the middle. The ref(refs?) really did have it in for their team. And like it or not, this problem begins and ends with David Sterns and his arrogance, and in this case fained obliviousness, to the one unforgivable crime in sports. An un-even playing field.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Back Peddling as Fast as They Can
OK, sorry I'm late this week, had some household repairs to tend to all weekend. I'm also going to apologize for bringing up Michael Vick. Frankly we've all heard enough of Vick this week, so instead of dwelling on him, I'm going to use my weekly soapbox to talk about the reaction of the fans and more importantly, the head honchos of the NFL. I'm surprised Roger Goodell isn't out of breath every time he's interviewed lately with all the back peddling he's had to do. Granted to root of all this isn't Goodells fault, but he shouldn't act so shocked that something as heinous as a dog fighting ring would be associated with an NFL player. There's a reason it's often referred to as the National Felon League, which is the focus of my rant this week.
First off, just do a web search with the title "NFL criminal" and see how many web sites you find. From All Criminal Teams(http://www.thephatphree.com/features.asp?StoryID=850&SectionID=2&LayoutT), to web sites tracking players and their crimes(http://profootballtalk.com/), one thing is perfectly clear, the NFL not only drafts and breeds criminals, it pays them quite handsomely. For years it has been willing to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of players off the field, so long as they showed up on Sunday and played. Deals have even been worked out with local courts to allow players to serve their sentences after the regular season should their jail time interfere with playing time.
Under Paul Taggliabue players were literally getting away with murder(check out Leonard Littles criminal record if you don't believe me) and still getting to play and collect their paychecks. Teams forgave any number of criminal acts, from cocaine trafficking(see Jamal Lewis), to frequent abuse of that very product(Michael Irvin), you can be forgiven just about anything so long as you can keep playing. Now the second highest paid player in NFL history and one of it's biggest marketing weapons is charged with conspiracy counts relating to dog fighting and suddenly everyone seems shocked.
Get this straight, a person with the money and fame of a Michael Vick doesn't get involved(allegedly) with something as despicable as dog fighting unless he A) Doesn't think he'll get caught, or B)Thinks/Knows he won't be severely punished if he is. You don't develop either mentality unless something within the league itself is culturing it, whether directly or indirectly through indifference. And the NFL has for years done both by allowing players to get away with crimes while continuing to draft and sign players with checkered pasts. It has often been joked that should the NFL stop drafting players with criminal records the entire first round could get washed out.
After all this, it's infuriating to see Roger Goodell now stand in the spotlight and say "Enough is enough". Sure the roots of the problem weren't planted during his watch, but he is the representative of the owners and as such represents their own faults. By suddenly turning around and handing out a harsh suspension to Pac-Man Jones(although he still gets to attend training camp) and helping to lobby Vick to take a leave of absence until the charges are cleared up smacks of hypocrisy and spin. Would Tank Johnson have been released by the Bears had Goodell not suspended Jones? Doubtful when you look at the players who currently play in the NFL. Johnson was a lamb tossed up by Bears ownership to try and give the impression they are in line with the Commissioners new hard-line stance when they have been a part of the problem all along.
First off, just do a web search with the title "NFL criminal" and see how many web sites you find. From All Criminal Teams(http://www.thephatphree.com/features.asp?StoryID=850&SectionID=2&LayoutT), to web sites tracking players and their crimes(http://profootballtalk.com/), one thing is perfectly clear, the NFL not only drafts and breeds criminals, it pays them quite handsomely. For years it has been willing to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of players off the field, so long as they showed up on Sunday and played. Deals have even been worked out with local courts to allow players to serve their sentences after the regular season should their jail time interfere with playing time.
Under Paul Taggliabue players were literally getting away with murder(check out Leonard Littles criminal record if you don't believe me) and still getting to play and collect their paychecks. Teams forgave any number of criminal acts, from cocaine trafficking(see Jamal Lewis), to frequent abuse of that very product(Michael Irvin), you can be forgiven just about anything so long as you can keep playing. Now the second highest paid player in NFL history and one of it's biggest marketing weapons is charged with conspiracy counts relating to dog fighting and suddenly everyone seems shocked.
Get this straight, a person with the money and fame of a Michael Vick doesn't get involved(allegedly) with something as despicable as dog fighting unless he A) Doesn't think he'll get caught, or B)Thinks/Knows he won't be severely punished if he is. You don't develop either mentality unless something within the league itself is culturing it, whether directly or indirectly through indifference. And the NFL has for years done both by allowing players to get away with crimes while continuing to draft and sign players with checkered pasts. It has often been joked that should the NFL stop drafting players with criminal records the entire first round could get washed out.
After all this, it's infuriating to see Roger Goodell now stand in the spotlight and say "Enough is enough". Sure the roots of the problem weren't planted during his watch, but he is the representative of the owners and as such represents their own faults. By suddenly turning around and handing out a harsh suspension to Pac-Man Jones(although he still gets to attend training camp) and helping to lobby Vick to take a leave of absence until the charges are cleared up smacks of hypocrisy and spin. Would Tank Johnson have been released by the Bears had Goodell not suspended Jones? Doubtful when you look at the players who currently play in the NFL. Johnson was a lamb tossed up by Bears ownership to try and give the impression they are in line with the Commissioners new hard-line stance when they have been a part of the problem all along.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The March of the Domes Moves North
I borrow the title of this weeks entry from sports author Dave Zirins newest book "Welcome to the Terrordome". If you've never heard of him, pick up that book and his first publication "What's My Name Fool?", they're well worth the read. "Terrordome" opens with a chapter about sports teams getting the city and state to pay for sports stadiums that cost hundreds of millions of dollars(most notably the Superdome in New Orleans that cost the public 500 million that could have gone to schools, clinics or perhaps levees) and how billionaire owners continue to use the publics money to get free accommodations while gouging their fans with high ticket and concession prices. Sadly, this practice is now heading north.
This week the city of Montreal, Quebec approved its share in the financing of a 30 million dollar expansion of McGill University's Percival Molson Stadium, home the the CFLs Montreal Alouetes. Team President Larry Smith announced Wednesday that he would also begin requesting funding approval from both the Province of Quebec and the federal government. All this to add, drum roll please, 5000 seats to the stadium. Say what now?
Since when does it cost thirty million dollars to add 5000 seats? Unless these chairs are Laz-E Boy recliners with a built in beer fridge I don't see how the numbers work out. OK, that's a lie, I do see how the numbers work out, problem is it isn't in the way team owner Robert Wetenhall says. No, this deal smacks of a long standing tradition in Montreal and it's amazing the public isn't outraged.
Thirty years ago the fair city of Montreal bore witness to one of the greatest swindles ever. I speak of course of Olympic Stadium, the Big O which to this day still stands(barely) as a monument to spending excess, corporate graft, political kick-backs and bureaucratic corruption. Three decades after it's last piece of shoddy concrete was put in place the residents of Montreal are still paying for that collapsing eye-sore, a 1 billion dollar piece of ruble that will likely never see it's century mark. Now of course Percival Molson Park will not be another Big O, but this whole deal stinks of the same problems that turned Olympic Stadium from a crown jewel to a toilet bowl floater.
Does it really take 30 million to install 5000 seats? Hell no, let's look at this seriously. Some money will obviously go to installing more seating, but let's get real. Most of that money is going towards luxury boxes, plain and simple. Big, fancy seating for Quebec politicians, Quebec Hydro executives, local and provincial money men and of course, the local politicians who approved the spending of tax payers money so Wetenhall can pocket an estimated 2.5 million in extra revenues annually, on top of any cash that may(and very well will) go "missing" during the upgrades. Wetenhall insists this in necessary to keep the team in Montreal past 2010. Gee, where have we heard this before?
Look, the stadium is the smallest in the CFL and does need a face lift. More seats would mean more fans and better revenues, but this much? That the Alouettes would dare petition both the Province and the Federal government for additional cash speaks to how far owners have gone past the line of decency. That money is not theirs, and it never should be. If a team builds a new stadium and wants a break on property taxes, that's one thing, but no franchise has the right to take money out of the publics pockets so the owners don't have to spend any of their own dime.
The city of Montreal made a grave error in giving in to Wetenhall, the Province of Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper must correct it by refusing any funding for the team. The CFL is a small league unique to Canada, but it has no more right to ask for local and federal money then the NFL or MLB. Canadians often pride themselves in saying "We're not Americans", and we'd damn well better remember that before we start closing libraries and cutting services to accommodate a football team.
This week the city of Montreal, Quebec approved its share in the financing of a 30 million dollar expansion of McGill University's Percival Molson Stadium, home the the CFLs Montreal Alouetes. Team President Larry Smith announced Wednesday that he would also begin requesting funding approval from both the Province of Quebec and the federal government. All this to add, drum roll please, 5000 seats to the stadium. Say what now?
Since when does it cost thirty million dollars to add 5000 seats? Unless these chairs are Laz-E Boy recliners with a built in beer fridge I don't see how the numbers work out. OK, that's a lie, I do see how the numbers work out, problem is it isn't in the way team owner Robert Wetenhall says. No, this deal smacks of a long standing tradition in Montreal and it's amazing the public isn't outraged.
Thirty years ago the fair city of Montreal bore witness to one of the greatest swindles ever. I speak of course of Olympic Stadium, the Big O which to this day still stands(barely) as a monument to spending excess, corporate graft, political kick-backs and bureaucratic corruption. Three decades after it's last piece of shoddy concrete was put in place the residents of Montreal are still paying for that collapsing eye-sore, a 1 billion dollar piece of ruble that will likely never see it's century mark. Now of course Percival Molson Park will not be another Big O, but this whole deal stinks of the same problems that turned Olympic Stadium from a crown jewel to a toilet bowl floater.
Does it really take 30 million to install 5000 seats? Hell no, let's look at this seriously. Some money will obviously go to installing more seating, but let's get real. Most of that money is going towards luxury boxes, plain and simple. Big, fancy seating for Quebec politicians, Quebec Hydro executives, local and provincial money men and of course, the local politicians who approved the spending of tax payers money so Wetenhall can pocket an estimated 2.5 million in extra revenues annually, on top of any cash that may(and very well will) go "missing" during the upgrades. Wetenhall insists this in necessary to keep the team in Montreal past 2010. Gee, where have we heard this before?
Look, the stadium is the smallest in the CFL and does need a face lift. More seats would mean more fans and better revenues, but this much? That the Alouettes would dare petition both the Province and the Federal government for additional cash speaks to how far owners have gone past the line of decency. That money is not theirs, and it never should be. If a team builds a new stadium and wants a break on property taxes, that's one thing, but no franchise has the right to take money out of the publics pockets so the owners don't have to spend any of their own dime.
The city of Montreal made a grave error in giving in to Wetenhall, the Province of Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper must correct it by refusing any funding for the team. The CFL is a small league unique to Canada, but it has no more right to ask for local and federal money then the NFL or MLB. Canadians often pride themselves in saying "We're not Americans", and we'd damn well better remember that before we start closing libraries and cutting services to accommodate a football team.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
They Never Learn
Well it's been almost a full week of free agency in the NHL and one thing is painfully clear, the owners still haven't learned a damn thing. They lost a year of hockey, did irreparable damage to the sports credibility and popularity in the United States, lost a large chunk of their fan base in the markets they had set up south of the Mason Dixon Line and implemented a low salary cap designed to curb the spending of large markets teams like Toronto, New York and Detroit and for what? For nothing.
Two years after starting off with a hard cap at 39 million the NHL raised the cap to 50 million. A league that had told everyone that would listen it was hemorrhaging money and could not support huge salaries anymore has suddenly begun to turn a profit despite no national television contract and limited exposure outside of the core markets. Yet last week the owners got together and somehow figured that raising the cap 11 million dollars in two years despite no new revenue streams is good business.
Actually, there is a new revenue stream in the NHL, just not the type Garry Bettman would have you believe. Part of the CBA is it's so-called revenue sharing system. I say so-called because in reality, it isn't. It is, in fact, something more akin of MLBs luxury tax, only in this case teams are punished for making money, not spending it. Yeah, you heard me.
Wrap this around your head. The CBA states that the teams that turn the most profit must give a percentage of it to the teams that are losing money. As a result, successful teams like the Maple Leafs and Red Wings not only risk losing players to free agency each year, but also cover the expense of their contracts should a team like Florida, Columbus or Atlanta sign the player. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, the Nashville Predators receive somewhere between 4-6 million per year from the Toronto Maple Leafs, ensuring that the Predators can re-sign players despite not being able to truly afford them. The Edmonton Oilers are turning a good profit each year, but have to hand the money over to teams that are robbing them of talent.
As a result of this phony revenue sharing system owners in the United States continue to raise the salary cap knowing full well they don't have to cover all the expenses anymore. It's been an incredible black comedy lately with small market teams complaining about the spending habits of New York, Colorado and Detroit in the recent free agent frenzy. These are the same owners and GMs who voted to raise the cap yet again and allow the bigger markets to start out-spending their rivals yet again.
Perhaps even more damaging then the return of the 50 million dollar contract in the stipulation that the minimum spending level must also rise with the cap. The spending floor in the NHL currently sits at 34 million. This seems only fair, as it keeps teams from gutting payrolls then leeching off the bigger markets, but keep in mind prior to the lock out several teams like Columbus, Minnesota, Atlanta and Florida had self-imposed spending limits tanging between 25 to 30 million. Even then those teams lost money, and now they are forced to spend more.
This is an enormous mess in the making but no one seems to be noticing. Just as it was when owners began forking out 8 to 10 million dollar contracts at the turn of the century, this practice of spending money teams don't have while forcing others continuously raise their payrolls, the whole time stealing money from the markets that turn a profit, will drive the NHLs finances into ruin. Money that does not exist is being spent while profits that aren't even their own are being added to the books by teams and owners who just a few years ago canceled a season on the premise that they were going broke. And just think, Bettman is a certified accountant.
Two years after starting off with a hard cap at 39 million the NHL raised the cap to 50 million. A league that had told everyone that would listen it was hemorrhaging money and could not support huge salaries anymore has suddenly begun to turn a profit despite no national television contract and limited exposure outside of the core markets. Yet last week the owners got together and somehow figured that raising the cap 11 million dollars in two years despite no new revenue streams is good business.
Actually, there is a new revenue stream in the NHL, just not the type Garry Bettman would have you believe. Part of the CBA is it's so-called revenue sharing system. I say so-called because in reality, it isn't. It is, in fact, something more akin of MLBs luxury tax, only in this case teams are punished for making money, not spending it. Yeah, you heard me.
Wrap this around your head. The CBA states that the teams that turn the most profit must give a percentage of it to the teams that are losing money. As a result, successful teams like the Maple Leafs and Red Wings not only risk losing players to free agency each year, but also cover the expense of their contracts should a team like Florida, Columbus or Atlanta sign the player. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, the Nashville Predators receive somewhere between 4-6 million per year from the Toronto Maple Leafs, ensuring that the Predators can re-sign players despite not being able to truly afford them. The Edmonton Oilers are turning a good profit each year, but have to hand the money over to teams that are robbing them of talent.
As a result of this phony revenue sharing system owners in the United States continue to raise the salary cap knowing full well they don't have to cover all the expenses anymore. It's been an incredible black comedy lately with small market teams complaining about the spending habits of New York, Colorado and Detroit in the recent free agent frenzy. These are the same owners and GMs who voted to raise the cap yet again and allow the bigger markets to start out-spending their rivals yet again.
Perhaps even more damaging then the return of the 50 million dollar contract in the stipulation that the minimum spending level must also rise with the cap. The spending floor in the NHL currently sits at 34 million. This seems only fair, as it keeps teams from gutting payrolls then leeching off the bigger markets, but keep in mind prior to the lock out several teams like Columbus, Minnesota, Atlanta and Florida had self-imposed spending limits tanging between 25 to 30 million. Even then those teams lost money, and now they are forced to spend more.
This is an enormous mess in the making but no one seems to be noticing. Just as it was when owners began forking out 8 to 10 million dollar contracts at the turn of the century, this practice of spending money teams don't have while forcing others continuously raise their payrolls, the whole time stealing money from the markets that turn a profit, will drive the NHLs finances into ruin. Money that does not exist is being spent while profits that aren't even their own are being added to the books by teams and owners who just a few years ago canceled a season on the premise that they were going broke. And just think, Bettman is a certified accountant.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Drawing Back the Curtain
The term pro wrestling brings up a myriad of images. To some a pageant of athletic skill and drama. Others view it as the lowest common denominator on television. Some see it as a mild distraction from everyday life. The sport in itself can be a collection of all those things, but the true nature of pro wrestling is not shown in the ring or during backstage interviews and promos. It is in the locker room and behind the scenes. The lives of the men and women who participate in pro wrestling are as varied and complex as the business itself.
In this past week pro wrestling has been in the media spotlight across North America with the death of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and son Daniel. The circumstances surrounding the strange and terrifying acts that took place in the Benoit household in suburban Atlanta are not unique to wrestlers but it is perhaps the most extreme example of the damage that pro wrestling can do to a person.
Wrestlers themselves are an incredible contradiction. They are imposing physical specimens, yet are often self-conscious about their looks and body size. They have towering egos, even arrogance but can be so insecure they can become addicted to drugs like steroids for fear of not fitting a specific body mold. Their persona in the ring is often swaggering and boastful while in the locker rooms and in the real world they can be timid, broken and even self destructive. I would like to extend my most sincere thanks to former wrestler Glen Kulka for his candid and often eye opening interview about the show that goes on behind the curtain in a profession that, in Glen words, is like no other.
Being a pro wrestler isn't easy. The life is one of constant travel and work. There is no off season for wrestlers, only the days in between shows, which can be anywhere from two to as many as five per week. Family life is hard to maintain as the job takes you across the country and even over seas. When Glen made his attempt to break into wrestling, he saw first hand how hard it is.
"When I started I had no idea what it was like. There were guys in there with me who had been in the business for years and grown up around people in it who knew what they were in for, but I didn't." Glen told me in a phone interview. Things on the road are not made any easier by what goes on behind the scenes. Despite what some may tell you, life in the locker room is no Fraternity House.
"It's every man for himself. There were more fights in the locker room then there were in the ring on most nights. There were friendships, but it was mostly cliques and a lot of them were about money, the guy's who had it and the guys who wanted it. There is a lot more conflict in the locker room then people realize." Perfectly understandable when you have a room full of Alpha males all looking for their next paycheck, but certainly not a healthy work environment. It is, however, part of a business that breeds heavy competitiveness, which leads to some of wrestlings biggest problems, substance abuse.
The fact is wrestlers simply cannot avoid the travel, work and injuries wrestling brings upon them. It is hard to avoid substance abuse, be it alcohol, steroids or pain killers because of the rigors the in-ring demands put a wrestlers body through. While steroids and other performance enhancing drugs get the headlines, pain killers are perhaps just as widespread.
"It was accepted to a degree." Kulka told me. "More often then not the attitude was 'That's his thing, it's none of my damn business'. It was sort of an understanding that that sort of thing was going to happen." Glens view on the matter is interesting because when he made his attempt to get into wrestling the sport itself was at an interesting crossroads. Back then some getting hit in the head with a chair or smashed through a table was often the high-light of the nights main event. Today, however, those actions take place in almost every match.
"I can't see how the problem couldn't have gotten worse. The risk of injury and the short length of a wrestlers career means you have to work as often as possible, most times through injuries." was Glen response to my query on the state of todays wrestling shows and the more extreme nature of the stunts being performed. This grueling and unrelenting pain that wrestlers put themselves through every night is also the reason why the life expectancy for wrestlers is shockingly low.
Since 1985 ninety-seven former and current wrestlers under the age of sixty have passed away. Many of those deaths have been attributed to the lifestyle wrestling demands of it's performers. While there is no hard evidence or conclusive studies performed to show precisely how much the profession played a role in their deaths, the fact that so many have died(roughly sixty of those who have died in the last twenty years were under the age of fifty) is a disturbing statistic.
There have been stories and rumors about wrestlers even organizing death pools and placing bets over who they think would die in the coming year. "I never saw it in an organized fashion" Glen told me. "But you certainly would see guy's commenting or joking about other wrestlers. You'd see some big name wrestler walk into the bathroom and shoot himself full of steroids ten minutes before a match because he was so insecure about his body image, you couldn't help but make a joke about how much longer you think he has left to live. You'd see guy's talking and joking about who they just saw stick a needle into themselves all the time." That grown men would develop such a casual and morbid sense of humor about the life expectancy of their co-workers tells you a lot about how harsh things are for them.
The WWE has been adamant about it's steroids testing policy. It has an independent company that does blood and urine tests randomly and wrestlers have been suspended over the last few years for failing tests. This came up as a result of the untimely death of Eddie Guerrero and I applaud Vince MacMahon for his efforts to clean up his company. Glen views on the subject offer a different perspective.
"I don't think the public needs to know what kind of test wrestlers fail. They do need to know there is a problem and that the promotions are doing their best to clean it up. The fans need to understand what steroids do and the drugs effect on the future health of those who use it. Wrestling companies need to focus on repeat offenders and give more education on the substances and there effects on the body. The difficulty is competitiveness breeds problems and with the egos and cliques back stage it's hard for guys to stay clean."
All of those issues are further compounded by the internal conflicts wrestlers find in themselves. Many times the man you see on camera is not the man back stage. Wrestlers have a variety of problems, some minor, some deep-rooted and harmful. I asked Glen if he ever thought wrestling promotions would start to employ psychiatrists or have wrestlers see one every now and again, he didn't think it would ever happen.
"It would open up a Pandora's Box. They know they have employees, potentially lots of them, with issues that they'd rather not know about. It would be to risky for the public eye to get a view of just how many f*cked up people are in the business. It would have an effect on profits, and that's what the business boils down to, money."
So does pro wrestling need a union? "Not a union, no." was Glens answer "But they do a Players Association or something to that effect. Someone to represent the wrestlers and bring their need and problems to ownerships attention and get something done about them."
Perhaps if wrestling promotions had taken the initiative and started something like that years ago more men and women involved in the business would be alive today. I'm not saying it would have prevented the horrors that took place at the Benoit home this past weekend, I'm not that naive. What I am saying is that if wrestlers had more protection, both from the business and at times themselves, their post-wrestling lives and sometimes untimely deaths would stop being talk show fodder.
In this past week pro wrestling has been in the media spotlight across North America with the death of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and son Daniel. The circumstances surrounding the strange and terrifying acts that took place in the Benoit household in suburban Atlanta are not unique to wrestlers but it is perhaps the most extreme example of the damage that pro wrestling can do to a person.
Wrestlers themselves are an incredible contradiction. They are imposing physical specimens, yet are often self-conscious about their looks and body size. They have towering egos, even arrogance but can be so insecure they can become addicted to drugs like steroids for fear of not fitting a specific body mold. Their persona in the ring is often swaggering and boastful while in the locker rooms and in the real world they can be timid, broken and even self destructive. I would like to extend my most sincere thanks to former wrestler Glen Kulka for his candid and often eye opening interview about the show that goes on behind the curtain in a profession that, in Glen words, is like no other.
Being a pro wrestler isn't easy. The life is one of constant travel and work. There is no off season for wrestlers, only the days in between shows, which can be anywhere from two to as many as five per week. Family life is hard to maintain as the job takes you across the country and even over seas. When Glen made his attempt to break into wrestling, he saw first hand how hard it is.
"When I started I had no idea what it was like. There were guys in there with me who had been in the business for years and grown up around people in it who knew what they were in for, but I didn't." Glen told me in a phone interview. Things on the road are not made any easier by what goes on behind the scenes. Despite what some may tell you, life in the locker room is no Fraternity House.
"It's every man for himself. There were more fights in the locker room then there were in the ring on most nights. There were friendships, but it was mostly cliques and a lot of them were about money, the guy's who had it and the guys who wanted it. There is a lot more conflict in the locker room then people realize." Perfectly understandable when you have a room full of Alpha males all looking for their next paycheck, but certainly not a healthy work environment. It is, however, part of a business that breeds heavy competitiveness, which leads to some of wrestlings biggest problems, substance abuse.
The fact is wrestlers simply cannot avoid the travel, work and injuries wrestling brings upon them. It is hard to avoid substance abuse, be it alcohol, steroids or pain killers because of the rigors the in-ring demands put a wrestlers body through. While steroids and other performance enhancing drugs get the headlines, pain killers are perhaps just as widespread.
"It was accepted to a degree." Kulka told me. "More often then not the attitude was 'That's his thing, it's none of my damn business'. It was sort of an understanding that that sort of thing was going to happen." Glens view on the matter is interesting because when he made his attempt to get into wrestling the sport itself was at an interesting crossroads. Back then some getting hit in the head with a chair or smashed through a table was often the high-light of the nights main event. Today, however, those actions take place in almost every match.
"I can't see how the problem couldn't have gotten worse. The risk of injury and the short length of a wrestlers career means you have to work as often as possible, most times through injuries." was Glen response to my query on the state of todays wrestling shows and the more extreme nature of the stunts being performed. This grueling and unrelenting pain that wrestlers put themselves through every night is also the reason why the life expectancy for wrestlers is shockingly low.
Since 1985 ninety-seven former and current wrestlers under the age of sixty have passed away. Many of those deaths have been attributed to the lifestyle wrestling demands of it's performers. While there is no hard evidence or conclusive studies performed to show precisely how much the profession played a role in their deaths, the fact that so many have died(roughly sixty of those who have died in the last twenty years were under the age of fifty) is a disturbing statistic.
There have been stories and rumors about wrestlers even organizing death pools and placing bets over who they think would die in the coming year. "I never saw it in an organized fashion" Glen told me. "But you certainly would see guy's commenting or joking about other wrestlers. You'd see some big name wrestler walk into the bathroom and shoot himself full of steroids ten minutes before a match because he was so insecure about his body image, you couldn't help but make a joke about how much longer you think he has left to live. You'd see guy's talking and joking about who they just saw stick a needle into themselves all the time." That grown men would develop such a casual and morbid sense of humor about the life expectancy of their co-workers tells you a lot about how harsh things are for them.
The WWE has been adamant about it's steroids testing policy. It has an independent company that does blood and urine tests randomly and wrestlers have been suspended over the last few years for failing tests. This came up as a result of the untimely death of Eddie Guerrero and I applaud Vince MacMahon for his efforts to clean up his company. Glen views on the subject offer a different perspective.
"I don't think the public needs to know what kind of test wrestlers fail. They do need to know there is a problem and that the promotions are doing their best to clean it up. The fans need to understand what steroids do and the drugs effect on the future health of those who use it. Wrestling companies need to focus on repeat offenders and give more education on the substances and there effects on the body. The difficulty is competitiveness breeds problems and with the egos and cliques back stage it's hard for guys to stay clean."
All of those issues are further compounded by the internal conflicts wrestlers find in themselves. Many times the man you see on camera is not the man back stage. Wrestlers have a variety of problems, some minor, some deep-rooted and harmful. I asked Glen if he ever thought wrestling promotions would start to employ psychiatrists or have wrestlers see one every now and again, he didn't think it would ever happen.
"It would open up a Pandora's Box. They know they have employees, potentially lots of them, with issues that they'd rather not know about. It would be to risky for the public eye to get a view of just how many f*cked up people are in the business. It would have an effect on profits, and that's what the business boils down to, money."
So does pro wrestling need a union? "Not a union, no." was Glens answer "But they do a Players Association or something to that effect. Someone to represent the wrestlers and bring their need and problems to ownerships attention and get something done about them."
Perhaps if wrestling promotions had taken the initiative and started something like that years ago more men and women involved in the business would be alive today. I'm not saying it would have prevented the horrors that took place at the Benoit home this past weekend, I'm not that naive. What I am saying is that if wrestlers had more protection, both from the business and at times themselves, their post-wrestling lives and sometimes untimely deaths would stop being talk show fodder.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
An Open Letter to Yankee Fan: They Still Suck
Get used to it. This is the culmination of years of over-spending and trading away young talent. Instead of building from within like they did in the 1990s, todays Yankees try to spend their way to a championship and this season is the end result. Limping out of the gates in April, the Bronx Bums haven't recovered and never will, at least not this season.
Just look at this past month. They started almost thirteen games back of the division leading Red Sox, won fifteen of seventeen at one point but never got any closer then eight games back and the Bo-Sox haven't even been playing their best baseball yet. To make matters worse, even that impressive winning streak is almost meaningless when you look at who they played.
They started a streak of winning eight of nine with a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Take Jason Bay out of that line-up and it qualifies as a AAA squad. Next up were the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team with a winning record but made up of young and relatively inexperienced players. Follow that up with a series against a Mets team that has been just as horrible as their cross town rivals. If that wasn't enough, they played all nine of those games within the cozy confines of Yankee stadium, where home field advantage takes on a whole new meaning.
Seriously, they played three weak National League teams, lost only one game and still couldn't gain any meaningful ground. Need further proof of how bad this years pin strippers are? Check out that sweep by the Colorado Rockies. Not only did they lose to a team with a vastly smaller pay-roll and talent pool, but they were held to five runs in three games inside that launching pad known as Coors Field. The last time New York played there they ran up forty-one runs in three games. Worse, their three big guns, Pettite, Mussina and Clemens, were the starters. Clemens only lasted four and a third innings and Pettite gave up two clutch home runs late in the game.
Perhaps even more telling is the bats. Alex Rodriguez started the season off putting up MLB 2K type numbers but has cooled off. His average and production are still incredible, but he's not driving in runs or hitting the longs ball with any of the consistency he did at the beginning of the season. Jorge Posada was the league leader in batting average, but has since come back to earth, Bobby Abreu is forty points under career batting average, as is Johnny Damon. Jeter has been his old self, but he can't carry the team.
This weekend the Yankees get to play the San Fransisco Giants, another soft team for them to feast on. They'll likely sweep the series, but what does that matter? After all this they won't be any closer to Boston and the real trouble will start sooner then some New York fans think. Next month they face the Twins the Angels in back to back series. They also face the Blue Jays in a four game series. The rest of July is relatively easy, but August 6 to the 30 they face Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit, Anaheim, Detroit again then Boston.
Fact is the Yankees have enjoyed a rather light schedule until now and still managed to stink it up. At this rate their season will be over before the summer is out, and frankly it couldn't have happened to a more deserving team.
Just look at this past month. They started almost thirteen games back of the division leading Red Sox, won fifteen of seventeen at one point but never got any closer then eight games back and the Bo-Sox haven't even been playing their best baseball yet. To make matters worse, even that impressive winning streak is almost meaningless when you look at who they played.
They started a streak of winning eight of nine with a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Take Jason Bay out of that line-up and it qualifies as a AAA squad. Next up were the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team with a winning record but made up of young and relatively inexperienced players. Follow that up with a series against a Mets team that has been just as horrible as their cross town rivals. If that wasn't enough, they played all nine of those games within the cozy confines of Yankee stadium, where home field advantage takes on a whole new meaning.
Seriously, they played three weak National League teams, lost only one game and still couldn't gain any meaningful ground. Need further proof of how bad this years pin strippers are? Check out that sweep by the Colorado Rockies. Not only did they lose to a team with a vastly smaller pay-roll and talent pool, but they were held to five runs in three games inside that launching pad known as Coors Field. The last time New York played there they ran up forty-one runs in three games. Worse, their three big guns, Pettite, Mussina and Clemens, were the starters. Clemens only lasted four and a third innings and Pettite gave up two clutch home runs late in the game.
Perhaps even more telling is the bats. Alex Rodriguez started the season off putting up MLB 2K type numbers but has cooled off. His average and production are still incredible, but he's not driving in runs or hitting the longs ball with any of the consistency he did at the beginning of the season. Jorge Posada was the league leader in batting average, but has since come back to earth, Bobby Abreu is forty points under career batting average, as is Johnny Damon. Jeter has been his old self, but he can't carry the team.
This weekend the Yankees get to play the San Fransisco Giants, another soft team for them to feast on. They'll likely sweep the series, but what does that matter? After all this they won't be any closer to Boston and the real trouble will start sooner then some New York fans think. Next month they face the Twins the Angels in back to back series. They also face the Blue Jays in a four game series. The rest of July is relatively easy, but August 6 to the 30 they face Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit, Anaheim, Detroit again then Boston.
Fact is the Yankees have enjoyed a rather light schedule until now and still managed to stink it up. At this rate their season will be over before the summer is out, and frankly it couldn't have happened to a more deserving team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
