Fresh off of their attempt to swindle celebrity boxing, the Cansecos are back at it again. This time, twins Jose and Ozzie Canseco have been hired as player/coaches for the Yuma Scorpions of the independant North American League. The North American League formed from the merger of three other independant leagues - the Golden, Northern, and United Leagues.
Interestingly enough, Jose Canseco had previously played for Long Beach Armada of the now-defunct Golden League in 2006. He was then sued by that team after he leaft the club, and the Armada were awarded a quarter million dollars in a judgment against Canseco. This prior 'issue' during his tenure with Long Beach did not affect their plans to bring Jose on board, according to team management.
Jose will serve as manager, while Ozzie will be serving as the bench coach/hitting instructor for the Scorpions. In a way, it's sad that a team figured that the answer to their problems would be to bring on the Cansecos. After all, the only thing positive Jose has done since bouncing a home run ball off his dome is end the steroid era in baseball as a side effect from his attempt to get revenge on an establishment that he felt blackballed by.
This also stops the one thing that could have been an ongoing promotion for the team - which Canseco is really managing? There could have been interactive polls, ballots in the crowd, and the suspence of finding out which Canseco ignored your autograph request sometime around the fifth inning. Will they swap uniforms periodically? Will syringes become a vital part of the 'workout regime'? Will Jose/Ozzie fight some random 'Q' list celebrity before the game? In fact, could a Jose/Ozzie celebrity boxing match occur before game? This needs to happen!!!
While the Yuma Scorpions are thinking that the Cansecos will be able to reach out to the Latin community, the true value here is unintentional comedy. Anytime Jose Canseco can be involved in anything means that a train wreck is about to occur, and it will be epically hysterical. In fact, Jose and Ozzie should give up on baseball. Professional wrestling NEEDS these guys.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Shameless Self-Promotion Time
As some of you hopefully know, your favorite sports writer does have a podcast. So, when you are finished listening to whoever they are, why not download the sports podcast that my friend Mike Gauthier and I do? Episode Three will be up soon, but you can find us on iTunes by looking for The Mad Sportsmen. Best part of it is - it's free! So, take a listen, and hopefully enjoy.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Different Eras of Baseball
With Manny Ramirez failing a second drug test, and subsequently retiring from baseball, there has been a lot of discussion as to how this will affect his Hall of Fame candidacy. In all likelihood, the BBWAA will climb upon their moral high ground, and refuse to vote him in, claiming that his admission would somehow cheapen and demean the Hall itself. Ramirez, and Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and others, will fall into the same purgatory that Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro find themselves in - not enough votes to get in, and too many to fall off the ballot.
This stance is entirely hypocritical. Because the manner of cheating was an injectable substance, this is considered to be taboo and enough to immediately dismiss the candidate from the Hall? Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton made their careers off of cheating with the spitball and scuff ball respectively. In fact, Perry wrote a book called 'Me and the Spitter', which came out in 1974 - during the middle of his playing career! Yet, both pitchers managed to gain entry into the Hall. Why the double standard?
The steroid era was nothing more than another age in the history of baseball. Until Jackie Robinson broke into the Major Leagues in 1947, there had not been a black major league player since the 1880's. Does this mean that Cy Young, Ty Cobb, and Babe Ruth were not as great as they are considered to be? They did not have to face Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and the other stars of the Negro Leagues. But that does not matter - they were amongst the best of their era and competition.
During World War 2, quite a number of major league players were fighting in the war overseas. As such, a number of players had their career years during that time frame due to an overall decrease in the talent on the field. Hal Newhouser, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, had his best three years from 1944 to 1946, when the players were just starting to come back to baseball. Yet, he made the Hall of Fame. The lack of talent then was not held against him.
In the 1960's through the 1980's, quite a number of players were hopped up on 'greenies', cocaine, and other various substances. In fact, baseball lore has it where Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter while on acid. The voters have not held the drugs of that era against those playing during that time frame. In fact, prior to their ban in 2006, it was estimated that between 50% to 80% of baseball players were using greenies, yet it was an open secret in Major League Baseball. No one cared. The use of amphetamines has not affected anyone from reaching the Hall either.
So why the uproar over steroids when the other eras had their own issues? Yes, steroids can give an advantage to players, but how much of an advantage is it when roughly 50% of the league is on them? At this point, everyone that played during the mid to late 1990's through present is under a cloud of suspicion, even if there is absolutely nothing tying them to steroid use. Look at Jeff Bagwell, who should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. However, since quite a number of writers think he was on steroids, despite a lack of any proof or any rumors that he was, he only received 41.7% of the vote.
The steroid era is simply another stage in the evolution of the game, and should be treated as such. Players like Ramirez, Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, and Palmeiro should be judged based on what they accomplished DURING THE ERA THEY PLAYED IN. After all, Manny Alexander was busted for steroids, and they obviously did not turn him into a Hall of Fame caliber player.
These players should be looked at in context of when they played. Aside from their statistics, there should be no other criteria.
This stance is entirely hypocritical. Because the manner of cheating was an injectable substance, this is considered to be taboo and enough to immediately dismiss the candidate from the Hall? Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton made their careers off of cheating with the spitball and scuff ball respectively. In fact, Perry wrote a book called 'Me and the Spitter', which came out in 1974 - during the middle of his playing career! Yet, both pitchers managed to gain entry into the Hall. Why the double standard?
The steroid era was nothing more than another age in the history of baseball. Until Jackie Robinson broke into the Major Leagues in 1947, there had not been a black major league player since the 1880's. Does this mean that Cy Young, Ty Cobb, and Babe Ruth were not as great as they are considered to be? They did not have to face Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and the other stars of the Negro Leagues. But that does not matter - they were amongst the best of their era and competition.
During World War 2, quite a number of major league players were fighting in the war overseas. As such, a number of players had their career years during that time frame due to an overall decrease in the talent on the field. Hal Newhouser, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, had his best three years from 1944 to 1946, when the players were just starting to come back to baseball. Yet, he made the Hall of Fame. The lack of talent then was not held against him.
In the 1960's through the 1980's, quite a number of players were hopped up on 'greenies', cocaine, and other various substances. In fact, baseball lore has it where Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter while on acid. The voters have not held the drugs of that era against those playing during that time frame. In fact, prior to their ban in 2006, it was estimated that between 50% to 80% of baseball players were using greenies, yet it was an open secret in Major League Baseball. No one cared. The use of amphetamines has not affected anyone from reaching the Hall either.
So why the uproar over steroids when the other eras had their own issues? Yes, steroids can give an advantage to players, but how much of an advantage is it when roughly 50% of the league is on them? At this point, everyone that played during the mid to late 1990's through present is under a cloud of suspicion, even if there is absolutely nothing tying them to steroid use. Look at Jeff Bagwell, who should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. However, since quite a number of writers think he was on steroids, despite a lack of any proof or any rumors that he was, he only received 41.7% of the vote.
The steroid era is simply another stage in the evolution of the game, and should be treated as such. Players like Ramirez, Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, and Palmeiro should be judged based on what they accomplished DURING THE ERA THEY PLAYED IN. After all, Manny Alexander was busted for steroids, and they obviously did not turn him into a Hall of Fame caliber player.
These players should be looked at in context of when they played. Aside from their statistics, there should be no other criteria.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Ohhhhh Manny!
Some people have a gift in life. For Anton Chekhov, his writing was his gift. For Grant Wood, painting was his gift. Johnny Cash gave us the gift of music. Manny Ramirez has the gift of being able to hit a baseball. And it's a good thing he has that gift, because he is too stupid to do anything otherwise. To prove that he is truly an idiot savant with a bat, he has become the first player in the major leagues to face suspension twice under the Major League Baseball drug testing system.
Rather than deal with the 100 game suspension that he faces, Ramirez has decided to retire from baseball. In a statement from the MLB, "Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed." Way to walk away from taking responsibility, Manny! You have done the athletic equivalent of quitting before you could be fired for either gross negligence or a serious ethics violation.
Now that Manny will have all this free time, maybe he will now be able to deal with other personal problems. After all, his first suspension under the MLB substance abuse policy was for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, a women's fertility drug. So, now that he's no longer subject to testing for 'performance enhancers' Manny should be able to use Viagra. Remember how Rafael Palmeiro used to be the spokesperson for that drug? Remember for Palmeiro got busted for 'performance enhancers'? I see the connection there.
Or, perhaps the reason why he was using a women's fertility drug had a deeper meaning. Maybe Manny secretly wanted to be a woman. Maybe Manny had dreams of dressing like RuPaul when going to bat. Maybe this latest violation is simply due to increased levels of estrogen in his system, which is being used to kickstart his transformation. But then again, this would require Manny to be able to concentrate on something for longer than ten seconds. After all, he does have the attention span of a four year old on coke at a petting zoo. Or it would require Manny to think. He continues to prove that breathing is a natural reaction.
It takes a special kind of stupid to be caught under any sports PED testing guidelines. It takes a truly epic lack of intellect to be caught twice. Or, perhaps it was an amazing amount of apathy. Maybe Manny just didn't care if he got caught or not, and continued to do what he felt like. Either way, it's too bad. Ramirez had one of the classic swings in baseball, and may have been a Hall of Fame caliber player without the PED's. Now, his legacy is tarnished, and the Hall of Fame is probably as far away from Manny as a textbook on quantum physics.
So, farewell Manny. Yours should be a cautionary tale for other major leaguers on why it's important to be able to do something other than hit a baseball. It's also important to be able to think.
Rather than deal with the 100 game suspension that he faces, Ramirez has decided to retire from baseball. In a statement from the MLB, "Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed." Way to walk away from taking responsibility, Manny! You have done the athletic equivalent of quitting before you could be fired for either gross negligence or a serious ethics violation.
Now that Manny will have all this free time, maybe he will now be able to deal with other personal problems. After all, his first suspension under the MLB substance abuse policy was for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, a women's fertility drug. So, now that he's no longer subject to testing for 'performance enhancers' Manny should be able to use Viagra. Remember how Rafael Palmeiro used to be the spokesperson for that drug? Remember for Palmeiro got busted for 'performance enhancers'? I see the connection there.
Or, perhaps the reason why he was using a women's fertility drug had a deeper meaning. Maybe Manny secretly wanted to be a woman. Maybe Manny had dreams of dressing like RuPaul when going to bat. Maybe this latest violation is simply due to increased levels of estrogen in his system, which is being used to kickstart his transformation. But then again, this would require Manny to be able to concentrate on something for longer than ten seconds. After all, he does have the attention span of a four year old on coke at a petting zoo. Or it would require Manny to think. He continues to prove that breathing is a natural reaction.
It takes a special kind of stupid to be caught under any sports PED testing guidelines. It takes a truly epic lack of intellect to be caught twice. Or, perhaps it was an amazing amount of apathy. Maybe Manny just didn't care if he got caught or not, and continued to do what he felt like. Either way, it's too bad. Ramirez had one of the classic swings in baseball, and may have been a Hall of Fame caliber player without the PED's. Now, his legacy is tarnished, and the Hall of Fame is probably as far away from Manny as a textbook on quantum physics.
So, farewell Manny. Yours should be a cautionary tale for other major leaguers on why it's important to be able to do something other than hit a baseball. It's also important to be able to think.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Red Sox and Rays - Out Of Playoff Contention?
It is still very early in the baseball season, with the first week just being concluded. However, there are still two teams that have yet to taste victory. One is the Tampa Bay Rays, which may not be much of a surprise given the talent they lost this offseason. The second is the Boston Red Sox, which is shocking considering how most experts predicted them to win the World Series.
For the Red Sox or the Rays to win the World Series after this start would truly be historic. The worst start for a team to still make the playoffs is 0-5, by the 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1995 Cincinnati Reds. Both the Red Sox and Rays find themselves at 0-6 presently.
Now does this mean that both teams are already out of playoff attention? Not at all. If either of these teams lost six games in a row in the middle of the season, analysts would be paying much less attention. However, this is at the start of the year, where the accumulating losses are more obvious, especially when both teams have been swept by teams that were expected to be terrible (the Rays by Baltimore, the Sox by Cleveland).
The Rays have become just the second team to go from having the best record in the American League to 0-5, joining the 1905 Red Sox. They have been horrendous on offense, becoming the fourth team since 1919 to score one or fewer runs in five of their first six games. The Rays rank dead last in baseball in runs (7), batting average (.136), on base percentage (.218), and slugging (.260). The Sox, meanwhile, are 29th in batting average (.190) and 26th in runs (16). The biggest issue for Boston, even more than their offense, has been their pitching. They rank dead last in ERA (8.33), 29th in WHiP (1.68), had not had a quality start until today.
So, are both teams out of it already? In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." But the odds are certainly stacked against both clubs after the first week.
For the Red Sox or the Rays to win the World Series after this start would truly be historic. The worst start for a team to still make the playoffs is 0-5, by the 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1995 Cincinnati Reds. Both the Red Sox and Rays find themselves at 0-6 presently.
Now does this mean that both teams are already out of playoff attention? Not at all. If either of these teams lost six games in a row in the middle of the season, analysts would be paying much less attention. However, this is at the start of the year, where the accumulating losses are more obvious, especially when both teams have been swept by teams that were expected to be terrible (the Rays by Baltimore, the Sox by Cleveland).
The Rays have become just the second team to go from having the best record in the American League to 0-5, joining the 1905 Red Sox. They have been horrendous on offense, becoming the fourth team since 1919 to score one or fewer runs in five of their first six games. The Rays rank dead last in baseball in runs (7), batting average (.136), on base percentage (.218), and slugging (.260). The Sox, meanwhile, are 29th in batting average (.190) and 26th in runs (16). The biggest issue for Boston, even more than their offense, has been their pitching. They rank dead last in ERA (8.33), 29th in WHiP (1.68), had not had a quality start until today.
So, are both teams out of it already? In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." But the odds are certainly stacked against both clubs after the first week.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Is Josh Beckett Done?
Last night, in his first start of the season, Josh Beckett gave up five hits and four walks over five innings against the Cleveland Indians. beckett also struck out four Indians hitters. However, over his five innings of work, he threw 106 pitches, for an average of 21.2 per inning.
The first time through the lineup, he managed to get eight of the first nine batters out, relying more on a changeup than he ever had before. After the first time facing him, the Indians adjusted, and Beckett was only able to get eight of the next fifteen batters out. The Indians stayed patient, and waited for Beckett to make mistakes.
Normally, such a difference in approach could be explained by a pitcher trying to keep batters off balance. Yet, there are several underlying issues here. First, Beckett has never really thrown a changeup much at all previously, yet alone at a rate of roughly 25% of his pitches. Second, Beckett's fastball was averaging approximately 91 MPH, down 5 MPH from where it had been previously. Third, he was awful last season and during spring training. And fourth, he is coming back from a back injury.
Watching him last night, he appeared to be someone rehabbing a shoulder or an arm injury. Considering that no one was truly positive if Beckett really had a back injury last year, it is possible that the arm was really the issue. If that is the case, Beckett's mysterious loss of velocity would be easier to explain. In fact, his start last night looked extremely similar to when Pedro martinez came back from his arm injury. Pedro got shelled in his first start, yet managed to finish the year with a 20-4 record with a 2.26 ERA. Incidentally, both had this happen during the season they both turned 30.
The difference is that Pedro had the mental capacity to know how to be effective without throwing fastballs past everyone else. He was still as confident as ever, daring the opposition to beat him. Beckett, however, looked timid, and was trying to hit corners. This is not what he has done to be successful before, and he needs to go back to daring the opposition to beat him. He needs to channel his inner Pedro.
If Beckett is not able to adapt, then he may very well be finished as a decent starter in baseball. Perhaps he could still be effective in a relief role, but who pays $17million per year to a set up pitcher? Not even the Yankees do that. Beckett needs to adjust how he pitches, or hope that the loss in velocity was an aberrition. Otherwise, his career may be just about over.
The first time through the lineup, he managed to get eight of the first nine batters out, relying more on a changeup than he ever had before. After the first time facing him, the Indians adjusted, and Beckett was only able to get eight of the next fifteen batters out. The Indians stayed patient, and waited for Beckett to make mistakes.
Normally, such a difference in approach could be explained by a pitcher trying to keep batters off balance. Yet, there are several underlying issues here. First, Beckett has never really thrown a changeup much at all previously, yet alone at a rate of roughly 25% of his pitches. Second, Beckett's fastball was averaging approximately 91 MPH, down 5 MPH from where it had been previously. Third, he was awful last season and during spring training. And fourth, he is coming back from a back injury.
Watching him last night, he appeared to be someone rehabbing a shoulder or an arm injury. Considering that no one was truly positive if Beckett really had a back injury last year, it is possible that the arm was really the issue. If that is the case, Beckett's mysterious loss of velocity would be easier to explain. In fact, his start last night looked extremely similar to when Pedro martinez came back from his arm injury. Pedro got shelled in his first start, yet managed to finish the year with a 20-4 record with a 2.26 ERA. Incidentally, both had this happen during the season they both turned 30.
The difference is that Pedro had the mental capacity to know how to be effective without throwing fastballs past everyone else. He was still as confident as ever, daring the opposition to beat him. Beckett, however, looked timid, and was trying to hit corners. This is not what he has done to be successful before, and he needs to go back to daring the opposition to beat him. He needs to channel his inner Pedro.
If Beckett is not able to adapt, then he may very well be finished as a decent starter in baseball. Perhaps he could still be effective in a relief role, but who pays $17million per year to a set up pitcher? Not even the Yankees do that. Beckett needs to adjust how he pitches, or hope that the loss in velocity was an aberrition. Otherwise, his career may be just about over.
Chasing Saves
It is one of the cardinal rules in fantasy baseball - Thou Shalt Not Chase Saves. It is just as easy to find a pitcher who will get 30 saves in the later rounds of most drafts as it is to take a closer early. In fact, more often than not, several closers will lose their jobs during the season, and their replacements will be found on the waiver wire. Everyone seems to recognize this.
And yet, such logic is lost in Major League Baseball. Teams are constantly overwhelmed by a high total in the saves category, while ignoring the horrific peripheral statistics. Case in point - the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Fernando Rodney, who just lost his spot as closer, was signed to a two year, $11 million dollar contract after the 2009 season. As the closer for Detroit that year, he had 37 saves, good for sixth in the American League that year. That was enough for the Angels to overlook other statistics that would indicate that Rodney really did not have that good of a season, specifically his 1.467 WHiP, his 1.49 K/BB ratio, his 4.40 ERA (which was good for an ERA+ of 104), and his WAR of 0.5 (barely above replacement level). But he got 37 saves!!!!
This is not the first time the Angels have done this. After the 2008 season, they signed Brian Fuentes to a two year, $17.5 million dollar contract. While Fuentes had a much better year than Rodney in his free agent season, the big number that stands out is his 30 saves. He did provide a solid 2009 for the Angels, leading the American League in saves, but lost his job in 2010 and was traded to the Minnesota Twins for a 26 year old minor league pitcher who has never been above AA. Not exactly a great return on investment.
Meanwhile, teams such as the Atlanta Braes and Oakland A's handle the closer position differently. They cycle different pitchers in, and do not spend a lot of money to fill that role. Since 1991, the following pitchers have led Atlanta in saves: Juan Berenguer (1991), Alejandro Pena (1992), Mike Stanton (1993), Greg McMichael (1994), Mark Wohlers (1995-1997), Kerry Ligtenberg (1998), John Rocker (1999-2001), John Smoltz (2002-2004), Chris Reitsma (2005), Bob Wickman (2006, 2007), Mike Gonzalez (2008), Rafael Soriano (2009), and Billy Wagner (2010). All were quite effective for the Braves, and were not nearly the financial investment of the 'top' closers in baseball.
Oakland, since Eckersley left, have had the following pitchers lead their team in saves: Billy Taylor (1996-1999), Jason Isringhausen (2000, 2001), Billy Koch (2002), Keith Foulke (2003), Octovio Dotel (2004), Huston Street (2005, 2006, 2008), Alan Embree (2007), and Andrew Bailey (2009, 2010). While the A's do not have the same level of turnover as the Braves, they still share the same philosophy - do not spend money on closers.
Closers can be found if teams know what to look at when it comes to a pitcher's statistics. Saves is the last thing the front office should be looking at.
And yet, such logic is lost in Major League Baseball. Teams are constantly overwhelmed by a high total in the saves category, while ignoring the horrific peripheral statistics. Case in point - the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Fernando Rodney, who just lost his spot as closer, was signed to a two year, $11 million dollar contract after the 2009 season. As the closer for Detroit that year, he had 37 saves, good for sixth in the American League that year. That was enough for the Angels to overlook other statistics that would indicate that Rodney really did not have that good of a season, specifically his 1.467 WHiP, his 1.49 K/BB ratio, his 4.40 ERA (which was good for an ERA+ of 104), and his WAR of 0.5 (barely above replacement level). But he got 37 saves!!!!
This is not the first time the Angels have done this. After the 2008 season, they signed Brian Fuentes to a two year, $17.5 million dollar contract. While Fuentes had a much better year than Rodney in his free agent season, the big number that stands out is his 30 saves. He did provide a solid 2009 for the Angels, leading the American League in saves, but lost his job in 2010 and was traded to the Minnesota Twins for a 26 year old minor league pitcher who has never been above AA. Not exactly a great return on investment.
Meanwhile, teams such as the Atlanta Braes and Oakland A's handle the closer position differently. They cycle different pitchers in, and do not spend a lot of money to fill that role. Since 1991, the following pitchers have led Atlanta in saves: Juan Berenguer (1991), Alejandro Pena (1992), Mike Stanton (1993), Greg McMichael (1994), Mark Wohlers (1995-1997), Kerry Ligtenberg (1998), John Rocker (1999-2001), John Smoltz (2002-2004), Chris Reitsma (2005), Bob Wickman (2006, 2007), Mike Gonzalez (2008), Rafael Soriano (2009), and Billy Wagner (2010). All were quite effective for the Braves, and were not nearly the financial investment of the 'top' closers in baseball.
Oakland, since Eckersley left, have had the following pitchers lead their team in saves: Billy Taylor (1996-1999), Jason Isringhausen (2000, 2001), Billy Koch (2002), Keith Foulke (2003), Octovio Dotel (2004), Huston Street (2005, 2006, 2008), Alan Embree (2007), and Andrew Bailey (2009, 2010). While the A's do not have the same level of turnover as the Braves, they still share the same philosophy - do not spend money on closers.
Closers can be found if teams know what to look at when it comes to a pitcher's statistics. Saves is the last thing the front office should be looking at.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Grand Theft Vrabel
This lockout must really be hitting the players hard.
At 5:30 am yesterday morning, Mike Vrabel of the Kansas City Chiefs was arrested for the theft of eight bottles of beer from a deli in the Beltarra Casino Resort and Spa. Vrabel was released later that morning after posting a $600 bond. In a statement released through his agent, he claimed that "It was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and I take full responsibility for the miscommunication." He also stated that "I feel comfortable that after talking with the appropriate parties, we will resolve this matter."
Now, things at casinos are expensive. We all get that. But the players must really be on some hard times if they have to resort to swiping booze from a deli instead of paying for it. Perhaps this is why the owners locked out the players in the first place - they knew that even the most vocal of them would not be able to go a month without turning to criminal activities to survive.
Of course, there may be a second explanation for all of this - that Vrabel was framed. Keep in mind that he did play for the New England Patriots. Also, this casino is in Indiana, home of the Colts. Who's to say that some unscrupulous casino employee, who also happens to be a Colts fan, didn't slip those beers into Vrabel's room and then call casino security? I guess getting Vrabel arrested makes up for 2001 through 2007 to them. Although, if the Colts had been playing that late into January, would the universe have had the joy of Peyton Manning chanting 'Cut that meat'?
In all seriousness, Vrabel is by all accounts a class act and a stand-up person. Chances are, this truly is just a misunderstanding, and it will be resolved soon.
At 5:30 am yesterday morning, Mike Vrabel of the Kansas City Chiefs was arrested for the theft of eight bottles of beer from a deli in the Beltarra Casino Resort and Spa. Vrabel was released later that morning after posting a $600 bond. In a statement released through his agent, he claimed that "It was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and I take full responsibility for the miscommunication." He also stated that "I feel comfortable that after talking with the appropriate parties, we will resolve this matter."
Now, things at casinos are expensive. We all get that. But the players must really be on some hard times if they have to resort to swiping booze from a deli instead of paying for it. Perhaps this is why the owners locked out the players in the first place - they knew that even the most vocal of them would not be able to go a month without turning to criminal activities to survive.
Of course, there may be a second explanation for all of this - that Vrabel was framed. Keep in mind that he did play for the New England Patriots. Also, this casino is in Indiana, home of the Colts. Who's to say that some unscrupulous casino employee, who also happens to be a Colts fan, didn't slip those beers into Vrabel's room and then call casino security? I guess getting Vrabel arrested makes up for 2001 through 2007 to them. Although, if the Colts had been playing that late into January, would the universe have had the joy of Peyton Manning chanting 'Cut that meat'?
In all seriousness, Vrabel is by all accounts a class act and a stand-up person. Chances are, this truly is just a misunderstanding, and it will be resolved soon.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Holy Aesop, John Madden's Still Alive!!!
After watching John Madden painfully attempt to be a sports broadcaster over the past few years before he drove his bus off into the sunset, it seemed that the universe had left him behind. Madden had become a caricature of himself, almost like the doddering old uncle that still thinks he is as sharp as he had been twenty years ago. While everyone else saw the decline, Madden never seemed cognisant of his depreciated skills.
Yet, Madden has just displayed a sign that he may be more on top of things than everyone had thought. While he appeared as though he was completely unaware that Eisenhower was no longer in the White House, let alone that football was not being played with leather helmets and quarterbacks may as well be wearing skirts for how often flags fly if someone sneezes near them, maybe his brain was in hibernation mode.
Showing a grasp on the reality of football, Madden has demanded, and gotten, a couple of significant changes in the Madden 2012 game. First, concussions are going to be treated as serious injuries. "Concussions are such a big thing, it has to be a big thing in the video game," Madden told The New York Times in a telephone interview. "It starts with young kids -- they start in video games. I think the osmosis is if you get a concussion, that's a serious thing and you shouldn't play. Or leading with the head that you want to eliminate. We want that message to be strong." To further this message, the announcers, Cris Collinsworth and Gus Johnson, will explain the severity and danger of a concussion when it is announced that the player will not return to the game.
Next, Madden 2012 will feature a greater emphasis on proper tackling. Helmet to helmet hits and head first tackling are going to be excluded, in an effort to make the game more of a tool to learn the proper way to play football for younger kids. The executive producer for Madden 2012, Phil Frazier, said that while it is not intended as a public service announcement, it is a means to educate younger kids to the dangers of concussions.
Good for Madden. More often than not, sports video games to not treat injuries with enough seriousness. Knowing that he still has enough left on the stick to realize that such things need to be paid attention to is a good thing for the video game industry, and for sports in general. Now if only the NFL meant it when they say they are trying to promote player safety, instead of just paying it lip service.
Yet, Madden has just displayed a sign that he may be more on top of things than everyone had thought. While he appeared as though he was completely unaware that Eisenhower was no longer in the White House, let alone that football was not being played with leather helmets and quarterbacks may as well be wearing skirts for how often flags fly if someone sneezes near them, maybe his brain was in hibernation mode.
Showing a grasp on the reality of football, Madden has demanded, and gotten, a couple of significant changes in the Madden 2012 game. First, concussions are going to be treated as serious injuries. "Concussions are such a big thing, it has to be a big thing in the video game," Madden told The New York Times in a telephone interview. "It starts with young kids -- they start in video games. I think the osmosis is if you get a concussion, that's a serious thing and you shouldn't play. Or leading with the head that you want to eliminate. We want that message to be strong." To further this message, the announcers, Cris Collinsworth and Gus Johnson, will explain the severity and danger of a concussion when it is announced that the player will not return to the game.
Next, Madden 2012 will feature a greater emphasis on proper tackling. Helmet to helmet hits and head first tackling are going to be excluded, in an effort to make the game more of a tool to learn the proper way to play football for younger kids. The executive producer for Madden 2012, Phil Frazier, said that while it is not intended as a public service announcement, it is a means to educate younger kids to the dangers of concussions.
Good for Madden. More often than not, sports video games to not treat injuries with enough seriousness. Knowing that he still has enough left on the stick to realize that such things need to be paid attention to is a good thing for the video game industry, and for sports in general. Now if only the NFL meant it when they say they are trying to promote player safety, instead of just paying it lip service.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
It's Still Early
In this culture of instant analysis and overreaction, society has a tendency to have kneejerk reactions to daily events. With a sport that is almost daily, such as baseball, these reactions can be fairly entertaining at times, and at other times pathetic. As of the time that this is being written, teams have played only one of two games, yet people will still react as though it is game 160.
For instance, a quick look at the standings shows that the Royals, Orioles, Mariners, and Pirates all have better records than the Red Sox. Does this mean that the Sox are destined to have a terrible year while those four teams contend for a pennant? No. It means that the Sox lost their opener, while the Orioles, Mariners, and Pirates won theirs. The Royals have split their first two games against the Angels. Yet, after that defeat, Sox fans are, in a fashion typical to our society, reacting as if it is the end of the world. So, as a public service, the following message is being broadcast here on this blog: IT'S ONE GAME!!!! It's not the end of the world. If the Sox are under .500 after July, then feel free to panic.
To further prove this point, look at some performances thus far. Albert Pujols has grounded into three double plays and does not have a hit. Jon Lester gave up three home runs in a game for the first time in his career. He also did not strike out a batter for the first time since 2008. Brett Myers, who has a career mark of 7.46 K's/9, also did not strike out a batter in his start. On the other side of the coin, J.P. Arencibia is leading the American League in batting average (.750), home runs (2), and RBI (5). John Buck and Neil Walker lead the National League in RBI with four. Ramon Hernandez leads baseball in batting average, hitting .800 presently.
Does any of this mean that Pujols and Lester are going to have terrible seasons? Do these statistics mean that Arencibia is going to win the Triple Crown? Is Neil Walker going to keep up his 648 RBI pace? The answer is a resounding NO.
Early season baseball is great for seeing unlikely people at the top of leaderboards and for seeing surprising starts. But remember, everything evens out. There is a reason why Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's, maintains that the first two months are for evaluation - because nothing is proven yet. Baseball is about patience. Stay patient with your team and favorite players, and enjoy the season. If they are performing terribly around June/July, then it's time to panic.
For instance, a quick look at the standings shows that the Royals, Orioles, Mariners, and Pirates all have better records than the Red Sox. Does this mean that the Sox are destined to have a terrible year while those four teams contend for a pennant? No. It means that the Sox lost their opener, while the Orioles, Mariners, and Pirates won theirs. The Royals have split their first two games against the Angels. Yet, after that defeat, Sox fans are, in a fashion typical to our society, reacting as if it is the end of the world. So, as a public service, the following message is being broadcast here on this blog: IT'S ONE GAME!!!! It's not the end of the world. If the Sox are under .500 after July, then feel free to panic.
To further prove this point, look at some performances thus far. Albert Pujols has grounded into three double plays and does not have a hit. Jon Lester gave up three home runs in a game for the first time in his career. He also did not strike out a batter for the first time since 2008. Brett Myers, who has a career mark of 7.46 K's/9, also did not strike out a batter in his start. On the other side of the coin, J.P. Arencibia is leading the American League in batting average (.750), home runs (2), and RBI (5). John Buck and Neil Walker lead the National League in RBI with four. Ramon Hernandez leads baseball in batting average, hitting .800 presently.
Does any of this mean that Pujols and Lester are going to have terrible seasons? Do these statistics mean that Arencibia is going to win the Triple Crown? Is Neil Walker going to keep up his 648 RBI pace? The answer is a resounding NO.
Early season baseball is great for seeing unlikely people at the top of leaderboards and for seeing surprising starts. But remember, everything evens out. There is a reason why Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's, maintains that the first two months are for evaluation - because nothing is proven yet. Baseball is about patience. Stay patient with your team and favorite players, and enjoy the season. If they are performing terribly around June/July, then it's time to panic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)