Brian France and NASCAR Need A Wake-Up Call

Do you know the expression "Jumping The Shark"? You know the episode of Happy Days where the Fonz decides to water ski and he jumps over the shark? You could never take that show seriously again and you always thought of that episode. Well, that is where NASCAR has gone since Matt Kenseth let his anger overrule good sense and intentionally wrecked Joey Logano. It has been thought that the NFL was the king of arbitrary rules since last season. I submit that is the dunderheads the run NASCAR. They have no clue and will arbitrarily enforce rules.

Let's start in Martinsville. Kenseth crushes Logano into a SAFER barrier and Logano can no longer continue.  NASCAR parks Kenseth for the rest of the race and decides on a 2 race suspension and a 6 month probation. Let's say something right here. I have no problem with the suspension. In fact, I would have made it the final 3 races of the year. The probation is longer that I thought it should be, but it is OK. Probation was reduced to the end of 2015 on appeal. So the reason that Kenseth was suspended for that amount of time is something that Brian France stated in the defense of the penalty given out:

"Going back to Richmond, we made it very clear that anybody in the industry, any driver or participant who intentionally tries to alter the outcome of events or championships, that that crosses a different line than a racing problem between two drivers," France said.

Go back and read that again. Any driver or participant who intentionally tries to alter the outcome of events or championships. Well, Matt Kenseth definitely did that. So, he and NASCAR are fine on that account. But what about the Danica Patrick badly performed takeout of David Gilliland? She was fined and points taken away. She was intentionally trying to alter the outcome of the event. She was causing a caution that should not have been. Do you know if things would have shaken out differently if she had not caused that caution? No you do not. Because maybe Jeff Gordon has a tire that blows 2 laps later. Every caution has an impact on the Chase and on the participants in the race. So why isn't NASCAR parking her ass on the bench just like Kenseth? Because then you would have drivers suspended each and every week.

Why would you have racers suspended each and every week? Because those racers who decide to dump a competitor intentionally should face the exact same penalty as Kenseth did. And we know that each and every racer out on a NASCAR track has a t one time or another wrecked a competitor because of anger. The regular season determines who is in the Chase and you cannot win the Chase without qualifying for it. With a straight face, how can you say that someone being taken out in Week 4 of the season doesn't impact the Chase? So let's say that Matt Kenseth takes out Eric Almirola during a race in Atlanta intentionally with 5 laps to go and they are going for the race win. NASCAR will not suspend the driver. Why? According to Brian France, that is just smart racing. That is wrong. Matt Kenseth has intentionally altered the outcome of an event and the chance for Almirola to advance to the Chase. But then you turn off some of your audience because their favorite driver is out of at least one race. And if you decide to suspend a fan favorite, then what is the business backlash if he is out at the same time you have suspended another top name? I understand that $$$ drives the sport, but let's get this straight.

And speaking of $$$, NASCAR will take this action and make money off of it. You don't think so? Then you don't remember Edwards taking out Keselowski at Atlanta. I saw that wreck this year in an advertisement for the NASCAR race in Atlanta. Wrecking each other is a part of the sport that is intriguing to people, whether it is deliberate or not. And what will bring in more $$$, according to NASCAR, it is a controversy about why the accident happened. NASCAR will allow footage of this wreck between Logano and Kenseth to permeate the airwaves in ads and NASCAR themselves will show this wreck in various instances, not just for news worthy things. 

So if what Mr. France states is a reason for Kenseth's suspension is true, then why isn't NASCAR investigating Kurt Busch's claim that Brad Keselowski intentionally wrecked Matt Kenseth before the Logano incident? It had an effect on the Chase because Kurt Busch was taken out during the wreck. Where is the questions to the #2 driver? I don't think that has been done. And has NASCAR talked to Busch after the claims? The wreck affected the chance of Kurt Busch to win the NASCAR title. Because the sanctioning body doesn't care. Oh, a tie rod came loose and that caused the wreck. Really? How do you know that? Kenseth says that his tire went flat and he couldn't turn. Maybe that is true. Did NASCAR investigate that? Probably not, because they parked him immediately after the wreck. I'm not saying that Kenseth wasn't lying, but if he says something, why don't you believe him but you do another racer in the exact same position?

In conclusion, NASCAR has always had their favorites and agendas. We knew about that in the 80's, 90's, and 2000's. After the Boys, have at it proclamation, fans were hoping that would be set aside. Well, with this incident, we know that the sanctioning body at the very least is incompetent, and probably hoping that controversy will bring back viewers and fans to the sport. The Kevin Harvick wrecking somebody at the start to get him into the next round of the Chase didn't bring them the controversy that they wanted, but they think that this might. The agendas are in full force, at least to me they are. And until they are put back on the back burner, the sanctioning body can kiss my lily white a**.

Hey! NASCAR Drivers! Do Something Or Shut Up!

After the Coke Zero 400, I read and heard driver's comments about the Austin Dillon accident. In case you didn't know, his car was hit, and violently flipped into the catch fence where the fence did it's job of keeping the car on the track and minimum debris going into the grandstand. And for some reason, there were some comments that stuck in my craw. It wasn't about how they all are thankful that Austin wasn't severely hurt. It wasn't about how they were saying that they might have needed to race on Monday during the day. Nope, it was the pot shots that they took at NASCAR and the supposed lack of safety that NASCAR has for their competitors.

Here is Ryan Newman in an interview with USA Today:

“NASCAR got what they wanted, That’s the end of it. Cars getting airborne, unsafe drivers, same old stuff. They just don’t listen.”

Asked whether Dillon’s wreck might effect change, Newman referenced the death of RCR driver Dale Earnhardt on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

“They’ve had several events since then,” Newman said. “They just don’t pay attention to safety. Simple as that.”

Funny about that. NASCAR has improved their safety edicts tremendously from that dark day in 2001. And if you don't believe they have, then you to can be a stupid asshole like Ryan Newman.

Here is Joey Logano and his stance:

“There isn’t much good to say about what happened here tonight,” said reigning Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano, who was caught in multiple crashes Monday. “It is a product of the racing here."

“I just heard (Dillon) up in the catch fence, and motors were flying out of cars. That isn’t the first time that has happened here and it is just dumb that we allow it to happen more than once.”

Hey Joey, you just continue to make sure that you are being done being walked on, and take your shots with your car towards others you think wronged you.

Kyle Busch has stated that he wants all grass eliminated that are adjacent from racing surfaces. Many drivers have stated that they want SAFER barriers at all tracks and on all walls at every track. They are all squawking at safety and what they want done. Great. NASCAR can pass all the safety ideas they want, but it all comes down to the 43 drivers in the cars not being complete and utter asshats. And you know that isn't going to happen.

I should not have to go into the history of the drivers. They have all wrecked one another on purpose. At the Superspeedways, the sanctioning body has tried to slow the cars down and the drivers bitched about not going fast enough. They tried to make it where the cars worked in tandems and they didn't like that. We have gone back to the pack racing and they bitch about that. They wreck each other with moves that shouldn't be attempted and they blame NASCAR. If you are NASCAR officials, you just have to listen to them and shake your head. I am still waiting for Newman, Busch, Harvick, Logano, Allmendinger, or any other driver out there to go public with their solution on how to make NASCAR safer for them. You know, the drivers get paid more than enough for finishing in the Top 20 in points, they should each contribute 5% of their earnings for the year and hire a think tank that does nothing but think of ways that they could make NASCAR racing safer.


What I am trying to say is that if you don't like how the safety of NASCAR is, you privileged drivers, then do something about it or shut the fuck up. You fucks are the major reason that your fellow drivers get hurt. I didn't see any one of those drivers at 1:40 AM on July 6th deciding that they didn't want to be in the draft and fighting for the win. I didn't see or hear the crew chiefs of those drivers telling them to get out of the draft to make sure that the drivers did not get hurt. No, they want the win, they want the glory, and the spoils. And when it doesn't go their way and one of them decides to punt the person in front of them (Kevin Harvick), there are consequences to their actions. And the lemming drivers will always bash NASCAR instead of their fellow drivers when it comes down to it. Why? Because that driver might decide to dump their ass in a future race into the wall. There again, the drivers are their own worst enemy.

The reason that Austin Dillon walked away is the safety improvements that NASCAR has done to the cars and the tracks doing upgrades to their tracks in the name of safety. He is lucky to not have any broken bones. And yet, drivers are arguing that NASCAR has not done enough. When you decide to spin a car at 200 MPH on asphalt, the car should be basically destroyed due to the laws of physics. But yet, these drivers think that it should be like getting hit with a soft pillow. NASCAR has tried to keep the car on it's wheels, but they do not control the laws of physics. No one does. And when you decide to make a car travelling at high speed go where it meets resistance, sometimes things don't go as planned. Who is responsible for that? It isn't NASCAR as an organization.

Until the drivers decide not to race like a raped ape and actually use their heads, these things will keep happening. There have been 2 NASCAR deaths on the track in the past decade. Carlos Pardo and John Blewitt III. And while we mourn their deaths in the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series, we all understand that there are risks when driving race cars. The drivers need to remember that and work with NASCAR on solutions not just whining and not doing a damn thing to help protect themselves.

Beer League Red Sox

Sharing my little screed from FB on here.  My friends on here who know me know that the following is not the whining of a spoiled sports fan but that of a frustrated old school baseball fan who just wants to see good fundamental play.

You know, I'm really starting to get sick and tired of this men's league softball team masquerading as major leaguers in Red Sox uniforms. I may have a rant in me. It's bad enough that we don't have a single professional hitter on the roster (and those who know me know what that means), and haven't produced one in the farm system for years. Pappi trying to pull every pitch for a HR last night with 2 runners on in a one-run game. Fat guys who can't turn a friggin ball down the line into a double (Sandoval). Even Xander, who obviously slid too early and got thrown out at second --THROWN OUT AT 2ND ON A FRIGGIN BALL OFF THE CENTER FIELD WALL -- but how the hell was that even possibly close with his half decent speed?  I'll always love the Sox but I'm sick and tired of bad fundamental baseball. And you know, the pitching's been pretty darn good lately and it's an affront to all things holy that this lineup can't score any runs. Return to the top...it's like a vicious cycle. Let's just watch fastballs down the middle while we try to run up the pitch count sitting back on the bench. Rant over for now.

This after their anemic offensive output of late and bad fundamentals, including seemingly everyone trying to pull every pitch for a HR.  The straw that broke here was the 2nd inning of tonight's game, watching back to back hitters get thrown out at second base on easy doubles.  Get defensive plays but it shouldn't have been possible to throw them out.

So Much For That Idea

I may skip this year's race. The Fox Sports Go app doesn't recognize my cable provider, and half the TV coverage is overnight. #LM24

— The Hun†ress (@RJOuttaSoCal) June 10, 2015

I was going to write this nice blog post about watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but as you can see in the above tweet that may not happen this year. But in the event you're interested in one of the world's most prestigious sports car races, the following TV schedule is where you can watch all the action. All times are Eastern Standard Time:

8:30am - 11:45am Fox Sports 2
7:00pm - 8:00pm   Fox Sports 1
11:00pm - 12:30am Fox Sports 2
3:30am - 7:30am Fox Sports 1
7:30am - 9:00am Fox Sports 2
9:00am - 9:30am Fox Sports 1

You can also watch the entire race on the Fox Sports Go app, but if you're like me and have Cox Communications as your cable provider, the stupid app won't recognize your provider and you can't "unlock" the event.

UPDATE 10:38am PST: It turns out the Fire TV app is the one that doesn't work, but the Fox Sports Go app for the Kindle Fire tablets detected my cable provider and work fine. It would be nice to stream the race on the big screen, though.

Giving Up? Maybe

Zeb beat me to the punch earlier this evening, but I sent him the link to this Sports Illustrated article via Twitter because this has been weighing on my mind for quite some time. Like the ex-NFL fan who penned that article, I'm feeling anything but love for a league I grew up following. The difference in my case is I'm mad at the league in general.

I'm tired of NFL teams extorting cash-strapped cities for public funding for new stadiums that do not provide a good return for the city's investment in the project over its lifetime. The San Diego Chargers have been doing this since 2002, and it's amazing how they want a stadium that will cost nearly a half billion more than the one Jerry Jones had built for his Dallas Cowboys. I don't know where the money is going to come from when the city doesn't have the money to pay their police officers a decent wage or maintain its infrastructure.

I'm tired of the NFL having a set of rules for one team, and another set for the other thirty-one. The fact Commissioner Roger Goodell is good friends with Robert Kraft is troublesome at best, and a conflict of interest in certain league matters at worst. I cannot trust him to deliver the same punishment to a Patriots player that he would to a player from another team when he's known to kick up his heels at Kraft's retreat in The Hamptons.

I'm tired of NFL players doing stupid things to get in trouble, and then having their attorney and/or sports agents offer the lamest excuses since the last time a kid told their teacher their dog ate their homework. You didn't mean to kill that Yorkie when you kicked it? You couldn't stay away for more than two days from the woman who had a restraining order put on you? You're full of it. Man up and take responsibility for your bad behavior.

I'm tired of players getting second, third and fourth chances after multiple accusations of domestic violence. I don't care if they're "innocent". Just because the woman decided not to press charges doesn't mean something didn't happen. Why as a society do we tolerate this behavior from athletes when in our everyday lives we report these incidents to the police?

I'm tired of players entering the NFL, sign their multi million dollar contracts and do not take their jobs seriously. You worked hard your entire teenage and college years to get the chance of a lifetime to fulfill your dream. Instead of doing what it takes to prepare yourself for a long career you're doing stupid things like getting caught leaving a Las Vegas bathroom with a rolled up dollar bill, testing positive for drugs at the NFL Combine when the NFL only tests you one time a year, or hold out into the regular season for a contract you'll never live up to. I don't care if this is how things work. I'm tired of NFL rookies trying to be celebrities first and football players second.

Last year, I nearly stopped participating in this blog's annual football picks for these very same reasons. This time around, I'm going to do it. I'm fed up with how the NFL does business, how they treat their fans, and how they don't have the integrity they used to when Pete Rozelle was the Commissioner. Paul Tagliabue was a downgrade, but Goodell is a disaster unless you're one of 32 billionaires that have profited greatly at the league's expense.

I know there are people out there who will say I'll be back, but don't be too sure about that. I walked away from auto racing for a year and a half in the mid-90s after too many drivers were getting killed or severely injured from head and neck injuries. I only returned after NASCAR and F1 made satisfactory changes that helped save the lives of many drivers going forward. 

I walked away from the WWE when too many wrestlers were paying the ultimate price by abusing their bodies with drugs and alcohol to numb the pain from abusing their bodies in the ring. I have not watched a WWE program since Chris Benoit's death, and I have no future plans to do so. Too many wrestlers died young for my entertainment, and things have not changed since I did my own "heel turn" many years ago.

A Homer's Perspective: Wisconsin In The Final Four

For the first time since 2000, the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team has made it to the 2014 NCAA Final Four by beating the University of Arizona 64-63 in overtime. I'm not going to rehash the game -- you may have watched it yourself on TV or read about it in the news, and I can't do the game justice compared to the professionals. However, I will give you a little bit of my perspective.

As a kid growing up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, I was about eight years old when the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a kid out of UCLA named Lew Alcindor; and with Oscar Robertson's arrival, they teamed up in 1971 to give the Bucks its only NBA championship. You got to remember that this was at least five years after Vince Lombardi left the Packers, and Bart Starr wasn't winning us any football championships. In 1975, Kareem was traded to the Lakers, and the Buck have been basically cursed ever since.

So now you have the Bucks stinking up the NBA, the Packers fouling up the NFL until 1992, the Wisconsin Badgers football team didn't get respectable until Barry Alvarez's arrival in 1990, and it was still awhile until the Brewers actually were competitive when teaming Yount and Molitor together in the late 70's. Notice, I haven't even mentioned college basketball because we had Al McGuire coaching at Marquette.

The then Marquette Warriors were a thing of beauty to watch. They consistently had 20-game win seasons (a high number back then), and they were always invited to the tournaments, winning the NIT championship in 1970 and making the NCAA Final Four in 1974 and winning Marquette's only NCAA national championship in 1977.

So what does this have to do with the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2014 Final Four? I'm a homer and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I only am interested in teams from Wisconsin. What also makes this Badger basketball team a little bit more special for me is that I'm rooting for Sam Dekker because he is from my hometown. Reading the Sheboygan Press every day, I saw the articles of how he was a high school phenom and was overjoyed to see that he stayed in the state to play his collegiate career. He's only a sophomore right now, and I'm hoping he helps his team to a couple more of these before the graduates.

Michael Sam, the NFL, Tim Tebow

I'm a little confused about this question about sexuality and religion in sports.  My comments below may sound disjointed and somewhat unrelated, but let me get them out and perhaps our subsequent discussion will make my thoughts clearer.

 

First, let me tell a quick story about a friend that I hope puts my perspective on homosexuality in context.  I grew up in Washington, DC--a very liberal and cosmopolitan town.  One of my best friends in high school was this Adonis-looking dude who had these freaky blue eyes that compelled women to throw "coochie" at him like Frisbees!  I left for college and in the summer, I came home and sought him out (with our gang) to hang out.  His mom told me that "Steven" didn't live there anymore, and that he now lived in the Dupont Circle area (where I grew up).  I had never heard his parents call him "Steven," he was always "Steve."  We went to the address and this tall, lanky, flaming gay guy said he wasn't home, but at a party up the street.  It was noon'ish on a summer Saturday, so we didn't know what that meant.  We left and planned to catch up with him later.  As we walked, we heard loud music, so we followed it to a raging block party where there were hundreds of people dancing in the streets, eating, drinking, and just having a great time.  We "snuck" in, snagged some eats and a few beers and tried to blend in.  One of my friends nudged me and pointed to a cluster of hulking, 200+, 6-foot(+) guys who were playing grab ass with each other (I smirked...).  Then someone pointed out a similar pod of females doing the same thing.  It suddenly hit us that we were in the middle of a "gay pride" rally and block party!  Whatever!  (It didn't matter to us--although, as friends, we never talked about gays because while never feeling the need to openly express it, none of us felt threatened by gays.)  Then I saw my friend, Steve, through the crowd--and he saw me, and he saw me see him!  But he turned and walked away, disappearing in the mass of people.  I never saw him again.  I learned a few years later that he died of AIDS.  I was mad at Steve for a long time because it seemed he assumed that I did care that he was gay, when in fact, I could care less.

 

I think no more of gays than I do of any "studly," heterosexual, single guy who is "gettin' it" every night!  What you do in your bedroom, and who you marry, in your business, not mine! 

 

But lately, it seems that everyone is either coming out as gay, or being gay has suddenly become a national concern.  I'm 56 years old and I've always known that a significantly large population of the world don't think the way I think, or like the same foods I like, or wear the same clothes I wear.  To me, being gay or straight, is about love and sex:  who you care about (your mate), and who you screw (not "how" you screw--that's something else entirely). 

 

When I was in the Marine Corps, it went without saying (although it was said often) that homosexuality was anathema to the Corps--but so was the barracks thief!  My first 4 years in the Marine Corps, I was an MP, and I can't count how many times I would bust people screwing under the trees, behind the bleachers, in cars, or sneaking their partners in the barracks, only to be busted by others in the barracks--hating and jealous because they weren't getting any!  I once apprehended a female who snuck in her boyfriend in the female barracks and they did the nasty in a cubicle, shielded only by 6-foot walls.  The other women, standing on chairs and footlockers watched as they got it on, then dimed her out to the Duty NCO when they finished.   Gays (suspected or real) were never arrested--they were simply "outed" and they just disappeared--silently, never to be heard from again.  But a barracks thief?  That was a real, powerful threat to unit cohesion.  The barracks went into upheaval whenever you found out that the guy next to you was stealing from you, or stealing from the chow hall, or doggin' it on duty, because suddenly you didn't know who to trust.  You started looking at your best friend--your "battle buddy"--with a jaundiced eye because you didn't trust leaving your wallet in your pants when you showered.  I don't recall anyone freaking out when there was a suspicion of someone being gay.  I don't think anyone slept or showered in fear of being raped by a gay Marine.  To my knowledge, it has never happed and never will.

 

Nowadays, we have people (especially and particularly celebrities) outing themselves.  I can understand that they don't want to live a lie (although I can never understand why they should have to).  But now comes Michael Sam and he revelation that he's gay.  The first thing I said was, "So what?!?"  From a business perspective (and we all know the NCAA is a business), the only thing that matters is the bottom line, and in the NFL, or any professional sports league, the "bottom line" is the bottom line!  I can't imagine how it would matter to the owners or the team as long as Sam knocks the living shit out of the guy on the other side of the ball, as long as he makes the sacks, causes and/or recovers fumbles, or prevents runners from advancing the ball.

 

That brings me to Tim Tebow.  I have a feeling the NFL is going to embrace Sam for his athleticism, and they will superficially embrace (by ignoring) his sexuality (which they should).  So, I ask:  what's the controversy?  What's everyone talking about?  I doubt the man will go around raping his teammates or little kids.  But what was this thing about Tim Tebow?  I seem to recall he was a stellar player for Florida, winning the Heisman Trophy, I think?  But suddenly he couldn't bust a grape in the NFL?  Once Denver signed Manning, Tebow wasn't "good enough," and certainly not "good" at all to the Jets or New England.  But why?  Was it the "Tebowing?"  What it the religious messages in the eye paint?  What was it about Tebow and God that made the NFL regurgitate?  Perhaps it was some religious prejudice?  Can't be that because the NFL players make this huge end-of-game deal with kneeling at the 50-yard line to pray.  What's this deal about Sam and his sexuality?  Will it distract from the absolutely pointlessness of having half-naked cheerleaders?  Will it conflict with the alcoholic, whore mongering image of professional athletes, and rock stars, and movie stars?  As I write this, I'm listening to a 106.7 WFAN sportscaster extoll the virtues of Derek Jeter and all of his female superstar conquests off the field.  So what?  Why does he care?  I'm confused over what frightens the NFL (or America) more--flaming gays or religious nuts?  In the end, the only thing that matters is whether the ball got across the line.  Just ask Lawrence Taylor--he's in the Hall of Fame after numerous arrests, child neglect, drug abuse, wife beating....all that matters is the bottom line, right?  Well, don't tell that to Tebow, and Sam better hope he slays them at the combines!

The BBWAA needs to figure out the Hall of Fame Voting Process

The process of voting people into the MLB Hall of Fame has become worse than an absolute joke. We had a voter give his vote to deadspin.com, we had voters decide that they would not vote for anyone that was in their first year of eligibility, we had voters decide that they knew who had used PEDs and who hadn't, we had voters say that they weren't voting for anybody in the performance enhancing era, and we had voters who voted for Hideo Nomo. Let's start arguing against what this voting has become.

But before we do that, let's congratulate what the BBWAA did right. All three men that were voted into the hall of fame should have been. Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas all were good enough and put up the statistics to be Hall of Famers. Glavine was a 305 Game winner, 2 Cy Youngs and was an All-Star 10 times. Maddux was even more spectacular with his stats. 355 Wins, 4 Cy Youngs and 18 Gold Gloves. Thomas was a Back-to-back MVP of tha AL and blasted 521 Home Runs. OK, since we have that good out of the way, let's start talking about the bad.

Blow It All Up

I’m happy I have a well rounded sports fan’s life. If I did nothing else than follow the NHL I’d be looking for a tall bridge (Coronado? Laurel Street?) to jump off of soon.

The Leafs are in free fall. Coach Randy Carlyle (along with General Manager Dave Nonis) rid the team of talented support players over the summer, and the ones that remain for the most part have tuned him out. The team is badly underachieving, and on most nights are outshot by a near 2-to-1 ratio.

Changes need to be made, but Carlyle isn’t the only one that needs to go. Nonis and the rest of the half dozen general managers the Leafs employ have to walk the plank, too. Consider the following:

• The Leafs have had little to no cap space to work with this season. When injuries hit the team hard at center, Nonis had no other options but to recall players that either were not ready for the NHL (Trevor Smith) or were no longer NHL caliber (Jerred Smithson) to fill the void.
• Nonis signed David Clarkson to a seven-year contract, which would have been a great signing if he didn’t give him a contract that will pay him $7 million a year in his mid-thirties. If the season ended today, Clarkson would have been paid $562,500 per point for 2013-14.
• RFAs Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson had to accept lesser contracts this season due to Nonis’s cap mismanagement.
• Nonis gave Dion Phaneuf a seven-year contract extension that will pay him more than what Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith will earn during that same time period.
• Nonis gave Tyler Bozak a lengthy extension, which is troubling since he’s the first line center by default. He’s a second-line center at best.
• Nonis jettisoned Clarke MacArthur, who is flourishing with the rival Ottawa Senators.
• Any prospect the Leafs have that’s worth anything is already in the Leafs lineup. All you have in the minors are warm bodies.

This team needs a change, but firing Carlyle isn’t enough. They need change at the top. Fire Carlyle. Fire Nonis. Fire the rest of the GMs in the fancy suites that have damaged this team for the rest of this decade.

History

Not a photoshop. 

When it comes to history being made in sports, you can often see it coming. The Stanley Cup Finals. The World Series. The Super Bowl. Almost any playoffs. I'd include golf, but we all know it's not really a sport. With the aformentioned events, you know it will be history of some sort. That doesn't always make it special. That brings us to Sunday Night Football this past Sunday. After the first three Patriots offensive possessions (and they were indeed, offensive) each ended with them coughing up the ball, history did seem to be taking place. A smackdown of historic proportion was in progress. The culmination of injuries to the Pats, Peyton Manning's monster season continuing and a few good bounces made it look like the reality of this season was setting in. This team, battered, bruised and delving deep into the roster, was hitting the wall. Somehow, they still managed to find a way to win. By halftime, my heart sunk. it was 24-0. The team left the field to a chorus of boos, which they earned. The mood was such that you were seeing statistics like this:

Not good. 

Some people changed the channel, some went to bed. At that point, Eeoyre had nothing on me. Still, the Patriots are my team. I watch. Maybe, I think, they can score a touchdown or two and it won't look so bad on the score sheet by the end of the game. Deep inside me, the thought was there. I tried to not even think it, as not to jinx it, as if that would make a difference. Had I really turned into one of those guys?

I kept watching because it was half over and I thought... maybe. Just maybe they can put up a fight and come back. Wouldn't that be something? All of those fans that left early because it was a blowout, the ones who'll lie and claim they stayed the whole time if they did come back and win. They'd miss a chance at history. Don't get me wrong, it's one game. It doesn't mean much of anything, except it does. If these guys can take the kind of beating they did in the first half and come out and turn it around, that means something. It means they have all of those cliches you hear at the press conferences about character and leadership and resilience. Doesn't matter, can't happen. Won't happen. Probably won't happen. Wouldn't it be amazing, though, if it did?

It did. No other way to explain this. 

We all know now that is exactly what happened. They came out of the locker room after halftime and played incredibly. One play at a time, they strung together offensive drives, scoring 21 points in the third quarter alone. Took the lead, won in overtime. 73 minutes and 4 seconds of football later, there it was. History. The biggest comeback in New England Patriots history. I had doubts that they'd even win before the game started. I was never so glad to be wrong.

This is why you never leave a game early. I never have and I never will. You don't know what could happen, and unless you are watching, you'll miss it. Watching the highlights instead, it's just not the same. Sure, you'll see what happened, but you won't feel like this:

I'm not even sure what this is, to be honest. 

Blog Challenge: Cincy Defeats Packers

This is paying my due to Zeb for accepting his “Gut Feeling” challenge that the Cincinnati Bengals would defeat my Green Bay Packers on September 22. It’s taken me this long to actually sit down and write it because I think I was too angry, disappointed, or shocked by that game.

As a recap, before Aaron Rodgers took the field, the Bengals led 14-0. Then the Bengals decided to make a game of it by coughing up the ball on four straight possessions, but the Packers only had a 16-14 lead at half-time. The Packers scored two offensive touchdowns to begin the third quarter to go up 30-14, and then promptly took their foot off the gas. Give Cincy the benefit of never quit playing because they scored two TDs to close to 30-27 when the fateful fourth down fumble by Jonathan Franklin was scooped up by Terence Newman who ran 58 yards for the winning TD. I really felt the momentum change when Marvin Jones had that 22 yard reception and Cincy got an additional 15 yards on the personal foul on Tramon Williams. Just plain fricking stupid.

Heroes: There were no heroes on the Packers side. The entire Bengals team should get the award for their never quit attitude representative of their coach Marvin Lewis.

Goats: In no particular order with no particular value of blame, there’s many goats on the Packers. Starting with Jeremy Ross – thank God they released him on Monday after the game, should have made him walk back from Cincy. His fumble (second of this short season) of a kick-off at the 2 allowed Cincy to go up 14-0. Aaron Rodgers – looked like a rookie. Two interceptions, leading his receivers to get walloped over the middle (Finley), and having passes knocked down repeatedly is especially disappointing after throwing for 480 yards against Washington. Offensive line – you guys gave up another 4 sacks making it 10 in only three games. The thought of having Seneca Wallace as your backup QB ought to make you play better.  Mike McCarthy – you had only two running backs active for the game and had them both go out with injuries. That’s a roll of the dice that came up craps. Jonathan Franklin – yeah, you were almost THE hero of the game by coming off the bench and rushing for 103 yards; but that fumble cost us the game.

Injuries are killing us again. Was it GB’s first possession when Jermichael Finley went out due to a concussion? James Starks left in the second quarter with a twisted knee and looked to be on pace to rush for over 100 yards for a second straight week. Jonathan Franklin left after injuring his foot/ankle but returned on the Packer’s last possession but was ineffective trying to pass block. And Clay Matthews didn’t play in the second half after tweaking a thigh muscle that plagued him previously. He was pretty disruptive in sacking Andy Dalton and even forced BenJarvis Green-Ellis to fumble. His injury really started GB’s downslide in the second half. Thank God Green Bay has an early bye this week in hopes of getting well.

Well, you can’t win them all; but this one hurt because it was given away.

COLLEGE SPORTS AND MONEY (Part 1)

At the risk of repeating myself (and boring you in the process--again), here's how I'd solve the NCAA's "pay-'em-to-play" problem:

    1.  I would dissolve all college sports scholarships.

    2.  I'd allow all colleges to "hire" their athletes and treat them as paid employees. 

    3.  There would be no academic or scholastic requirement for this position; their classification would be "employee-athlete" vice "student-athlete."

    4.  The schools would only "pay" the athletes a sufficient sum as a stipend; the schools would house and feed these employees on campus, as part of their compensation package, but to keep them on campus for the purpose of training, practice, and managing their conduct during the season.

    5.  The employee-athlete would play for four (4) years only.  This is purely for athletic, mental, and physical development in preparation for a potential professional career.

    6.  Any potential residual income that could be earned by the employee-athlete in the form of merchandizing, paid speeches, honorariums, sponsorship, would be due and owing to the employee-athlete, but shared by the school (50/50) and held in interest-bearing trust.

    7.  After four years, the contract between the employee-athlete and the school terminates, automatically.  Any potential revenue directly related to the on-field/court/rink exploits of the employee-athlete after the 4-year term, belongs to the athlete (100%). 

    8.  All money, held in trust, will remain in an interest-earning account and will be used to fund a full college education if the athlete is unable to obtain a professional sports contract, and wishes to pursue a degree-bearing education.  Otherwise, all money is due and payable to the athlete immediately upon termination of the contract.

    9.  If, at that time, the athlete is good enough to turn professional, off he goes--God bless him.

    10.  After two years, the athlete no longer has any viable prospects for a professional contract, and he now wishes to pursue a legitimate college education, the money held in trust will be used to fund that education.  If the athlete's total in-trust account assets are less than one half (1/2) of the total cost of four year's worth of tuition, room, board, books, and fees for the schools for which he was engaged as an employee-athlete, then school will fund 1/2 of the total cost of a four-year education, with the athlete funding 1/2 through whatever sources are available to him (personal assets, scholarships, grants, loans, etc.).

He Said It: Mikhail Grabovski

"I play in the [expletive] Russian KHL, I make lots of [expletive] points and what's going to happen? He make me [expletive] play on the fourth line and he put me in the playoffs on the fourth line and third line again," Grabovski spewed. "Yeah, I don't score goals. I need to work more about that. I know that. But if you feel support from your coach [you'll find success]. I don't feel any support from this [expletive] idiot." – Mikhail Grabovski, July 4, 2013, per Jonas Siegel, TSN.

I don’t blame Grabbo for burning his bridges on his way out of Toronto. Even in the dark times of this franchise’s history he always gave it his all and never backed down from larger opponents. He deserved a better fate than to play third and fourth-line minutes for a coach that doesn’t seem to know how to get the most out of all of his players.

Remember Joffrey Lupul in Anaheim? That scenario is playing itself out again with Grabovski, and now Leafs Nation is left wondering if general manager Dave Nonis is really this stupid or is he being held captive in the bowels of the Air Canada Centre while head coach Randy Carlyle calls the shots.

It was merely a coincidence that I had started drinking at 9am this morning when news leaked that the Leafs were using a non-compliance buyout to shed Grabbo’s $27.5 million contract, which had four more years to run. Presumably, this gives the Leafs more cap space to make a run at more than one free agent. It can be argued that this is the dumbest move that Nonis has made since he took over for Brian Burke, but let’s withhold judgment until tomorrow. If Nonis signs Stephen Weiss, David Clarkson and/or Rob Scuderi, then I’m okay with this move. Anything less, including paying Tyler Bozak the equivalent of 8 million tins of Kiwi shoe polish over the next eight years to masquerade as a top-six center, and there will be lots of furious anger from Leafs Nation this coming weekend.

I’m sad to see Grabbo go. Part of me wishes he’d sign with a division rival like the Detroit Red Wings just to make Carlyle’s life a living hell a handful of times a year. But whomever signs him will be getting a great second-line center that can score 20-30 a year if he’s given more ice time than the ice girls. Hopefully he’ll find a team that will appreciate his talents more than Carlyle ever did.

Bad Things Happen When You’re On The Cover & A Bold Prediction

Many of you may not be aware of it, but there is such a thing as The Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx. It’s not an urban legend. It’s a fact that several high profile athletes have had bad luck occur to them once they’ve been given the cover treatment. Consider some of the eerie things that occurred after athletes were featured on an SI cover, with publication dates included:

• January 31, 1955 – skier Jill Kinmont was paralyzed from the chest down after a near-fatal accident that occurred the same week she appeared on the cover.
• February 13, 1961 – figure skater Laurence Owen, as well as the rest of the U.S. Figure Skating Team, perished in a plane crash near Brussels, Belgium two days later.
• June 7, 1971 – racers Al Unser and Peter Revson were both featured on the SI cover. Unser was hampered by retirements during subsequent races that season. Revson was killed while practicing for the 1974 South African Grand Prix.
• July 30, 1984 – Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert suffered a turf toe injury that ended his career.
• June 20, 1988 – boxer Michael Spinks appeared on the cover with the caption “Don’t Count Me Out”. Thanks to a Mike Tyson punch, the referee did exactly that in ninety-one seconds after the opening bell of their fight. Spinks never fought again.
• December 6, 2000 – racers Dale Earnhardt and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared the cover. Dale was killed two months later on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
• September 2008 – Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was on the cover of the NFL Season Preview issue. During the team’s season opener, Brady was lost for the season with a serious knee injury.
• October 15, 2011 – NASCAR racer Jimmie Johnson had an accident at Charlotte Motor Speedway later that month that ultimately stopped his championship winning streak at five years in a row.
• February 17, 2012 – Knicks guard Jeremy Lin’s team had their six-game winning streak snapped by the New Orleans Hornets, at the time the second-worst team in the NBA.
• February 23, 2012 – Lin, after making his second straight cover appearance, went 1 for 11 in a loss against the Miami Heat. The next month he tore the meniscus in his left knee and underwent season ending surgery.
• May 15, 2013 – Grizzlies guard Mike Conley Jr. and his team were swept by the San Antonio Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals.
• June 10, 2013 – The Spurs “Big 3” of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker appear on this week’s cover.

I know HESPN (that H is for the 30 minutes of coverage ESPN devotes to the Miami Heat during SportsCenter every night) wants the Spurs to lose, but SI has to give my team another obstacle to overcome? I know everyone hates the Spurs, but this is ridiculous.

I’m crossing my fingers Michael Jordan and his 49 SI cover appearances weren’t an aberration.

PREDICTION: Spurs win their fifth NBA championship in six games.

Washington Capitals: We Mourn For Thee

A few weeks ago I was riding high.  Not so much on the fact that the Capitals were on the way to sealing the deal (the "deal" being the Southeast Division) against the Jets, but that we had defeated the dreaded Bears from Boston.  You might think I was taking pleasure in giving the business to our favorite "Maine-iac," or perhaps my good friend Matt from "Bah-sten."  No, I was especially thrilled to be able to harass the crap out of my neighbor, Christian--a 10-year old kid.  Christian is a conflicted little child--he constantly wears a Detroit Red Wings tee shirt while rooting loudly for the Bruins.  Every time he sees me, it's all about the Washington "Crapitals!"  So, for the 27 April game, I bet Master Christian $1 and when we beat Boston 3-2 in OT, like I child, I ran outside and made Christian cough up my buck!!  But I gave him a chance to win it back by betting him $2 that the Bruins would lose in the playoffs, and that the Caps would win.

I haven't seen Christian in a week, I have his $2, but I think he's waiting to ambush me (...I gotta watch my back!)

However, it was during that April 27th game that Zeb and I traded texts and twits and emails over how horribly Zeb felt the zebras called the game.  From my perspective, I thought they were all good calls--Zeb felt they were inconsistent and untimely.  I didn't (couldn't, wouldn't) see his point then, but I think I do now.

In his summary blog of the first round of the playoffs, Brent wrote:  "The Capitals were robbed by the officials with the Rangers having a two-to-one ratio of Power Plays.  Even though the Rangers PP looked horrible, having to kill off a penalty can cause problems with your own team.  Caps fans have every reason to be upset at the NHL and it's officials."

I couldn't agree more.  I'm not going to grouse, bitch, moan, groan, or complain--I want to believe the refs are human and make mistakes.  But I readily admit that there is something to be said for consistency in officiating.  In the picture to the left, you clearly see nine (9) Rangers on the ice, and on this very play, the refs did call a penalty for too many men on the ice---ON WASHINGTON!!!!  No, I'm not kidding and this is not hyperbole.  They gave the Rangers the PP and the Caps went on to lose Game 3 and the rest is, well, history.

As for the Caps' season, I'm not bitter, just bitterly disappointed that the Caps do, in fact, seem to have "choke-itis."  But I am nonetheless proud of my team and I remain a loyal homer.  The Washington Capitals are a 39-year old NHL expansion team; they've made the playoffs 24 of those 39 seasons (61%).  Eight times they won the division.  Ten times they advanced past the first round; only twice did they make it into the semi's, and just once to the Stanley Cup where they were trounced by the high flying Red Wings.

Oh well...I guess it's time, once again, to sing the Washington, DC, Unified Sports Team Fight Song: 

       (...ahem...) 

"I know all there is to know about the crying game; I've had my share of the crying game..."

HAIL TO THE WASHINGTON #@*!*%

Here’s my view on this “Redskins” controversy.

First, I’m torn because I absolutely agree that the term “redskin” is pejorative.  To use the analogy, I wouldn’t want to support a professional team named the “Washington Sambos.”  However, there’s a reality to this story that’s not being talked about much. 

First, I think there is a degree of disingenuousness and hypocrisy by Native Americans, and by other American “minorities,” particularly by African Americans.  I have no doubt that over time—as soon as the first “pale face” spoke the words “red skin”—that it became a slur against Native Americans.  I wonder…when Native Americans first learned English, was the term “white man” used innocuously, or did it soon have a “racial” bite?  I’ll bet that in those early days of American colonialism and settling the “wild, wild west,” calling Native American Indians “redskins” didn’t exactly have the same context (at first) as when American culture referred to Asians as “yellow,” or Hispanics as “brown,” or how in the antebellum South, “blacks” was used equally negative to describe Americans of African descent.  But it is a fact that many Native American Indian tribes used face paint for many purposes—religious, celebrations, and in war.  Many cultures around the world use body paint for similar reasons, but early American settlers in the west, who first encountered hostile Indian tribes, would naturally (in ignorance or fear) refer to their painted attackers as “red-skinned.”  Is that were the word comes from?  Did that quickly become a slur in the lexicon of the white man?  Of course.  I’m not trying to argue that Native Americans brought this on themselves, I’m just saying the term has a basis in historical fact.  And while it definitely falls squarely in the same class as “nigger,” “kike,” “chink,” “slope,” “spick,” “honky,” “cracker,” or any other racial slur, I see “redskin” a little differently.

Second, I bristle at my African American friends who join the argument against the Washington Redskins logo, while justifying the proliferation of the word “nigga” as a term of endearment.  And don’t feed me this bullshit that “nigga” is DIFFERENT from “nigger.”  Some Blacks wholly embrace the term “nigga,” and the entertainment industry has made its use extremely profitable for both hip hop artists, and their white producers, agents, and sponsors.  I won’t even go into how much Hollywood enriches itself by the financial exploitation of all of these terms SOLELY for their pejorative connotation!

(Quick quiz:  Do you know what an “apple” is?  It’s a Native American slur used against other Native Americans to describe a person who’s “red” on the outside, but “white” on the inside.  Hmmmm…)

When the NCAA declared that all member schools had to change their mascots and team names that evoked these racially divisive terms (“Chiefs,” “Redmen,” “Braves,” “Warriors,” “Illini,” etc.), they gave a pass to Notre Dame (the “Irish”) and especially to the Florida State “Seminoles,” who still proudly (and legally) display their painted-face Indian head logo.  The Seminole Nation is split on this topic—Oklahoma Seminoles hate it, while Florida Seminoles profit from it!  Yes, the word “redskin” is bad, but what’s to be said of 30,000 Atlanta Braves “fans” when they break out into that incessant tomahawk chop thing—are they as racist as Dan Schneider and his 90K singing fans when the team scores a touchdown?

When the Redskins moved from Boston (the “Boston Braves”), the wife of the owner (George Preston Marshall) wrote the lyrics to its now iconic fight song:

Hail to the Redskins!

Hail Victory!
Braves on the Warpath!
Fight for old D.C.!
Run or pass and score -- we want a lot more!
Beat 'em, Swamp 'em,
Touchdown! -- Let the points soar!
Fight on, fight on 'Til you have won
Sons of Wash-ing-ton. Rah!, Rah!, Rah!

Hail to the Redskins!
Hail Victory!
Braves on the Warpath!
Fight for old D.C.!

But the original lyrics were (in CAPS):

Hail to the Redskins!

Hail Victory!

Braves on the Warpath!

Fight for old DIXIE!

Run or pass and score -- we want a lot more!

SCALP 'EM, SWAMP 'EM -- WE WILL TAKE 'EM BIG SCORE

READ 'EM, WEEP 'EM, TOUCHDOWN - WE WANT HEAP MORE

Fight on, Fight on -- 'Till you have won

Sons of Wash-ing-ton. Rah!, Rah!, Rah!

Hail to the Redskins!
Hail Victory!
Braves on the Warpath!
Fight for old DIXIE!

Did she write those words to openly demean Indians?  Did she use the term “redskin” in the same (racist) context as if the team were named the “Washington Sambos?”

Hail to the Sambos!

Hail Victory!

Coons on the Warpath!

Fight for old Dixie!

Run or pass and score -- we want a lot more!

Shuffle on a-long then mop the den floor.

Slave on, Slave on ‘till you are done

Shiftless, la-zy bums!  Rah!, Rah!, Rah!

What sense does that make?  None, and I argue that while the term “redskin” is certainly offensive (then and now), to argue that the Washington Redskins football club IS racist and the organization’s intent is to perpetuate racism, is just a plainly stupid argument.  (I mean, when was the last time, outside of Hollywood, that you heard anyone, ever, seriously refer to a Native American as a “redskin” in that context?  In 1938, it was just a mascot and had no more cultural meaning to the team than a “pirate” meant to Oakland or Pittsburgh.  But today, 2013, it’s a business—BIG business (take a look at how much money the NCAA makes on the sale of school logos).  The Redskin logo means billions in revenue to Dan Schneider, NBC, FedEx, and Landover, MD, just as that blood-thirsty, murderous pirate means jobs (and profits) to Oakland and Pittsburg.  Sure, Dan Schneider could have said he’d never change the name without capitalizing the word “never,” but by saying it that way, he’s putting all of us on notice that he’s not going to be pushed around, and from a business perspective I don’t blame him for the stance he’s taken.  (I think you’re a crappy owner, Danny, but I’m on your side on this issue!)  If the Redskins change their name, will I continue to support the team—hail to the...(uh, hell to the yeah)!  But I disagree with this particular “PC” snit.  The argument is out of context and is being personalized. 

And I’ll say this--I’ll bet you cash money that while they’re pissed off over this “redskin” thing, there are probably more than a few Native American Indians who bop their heads and sing along (openly) to Kanye’s hook:  “Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger, but she ain't messin' with no broke niggas!”

I’m just sayin’.  Okay:  Flame on!

A Miracle Has Happened!

 

The Toronto Maple Leafs Have Qualified For The Playoffs. This is the 1st time in 10 years. Hey R.J., I envy you. At least your hockey team is in the playoffs. Mine, well there is always next year.

A Beautiful Minnesota Timberwolves Video

We need to see more of Crunch, the T-Wolves mascot. 

The Tweaked Realignment Plan For The NHL

Well, it is a small tweak for the realignment plan that the NHLPA wasn't happy about.  Here are the 4 Conferences:

"Eastern Side"
Conference 1
Carolina
Columbus
New Jersey
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington

Conference 2
Boston
Buffalo
Detroit
Florida
Montreal
Ottawa
Tampa Bay
Toronto

"Western Side"
Conference 3
Chicago
Colorado
Dallas
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis
Winnipeg

Conference 4
Anaheim
Calgary
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

The Western side was easy to figure out.  The only way that the Eastern Side makes any sense is if the NHL has decided to make those in Conference 2 travel a little bit more than necessary.  I want Columbus to have natural rivals in Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Toronto in their Conference.  And nothing says hostility more than those natural geographic neighbors of Tampa Bay and Montreal.  This plan needs more tweaking.

A Long 2013 Season For Houston Astros Fans

Coming off a 55 win season in 2012, the Houston Astros have continued their rebuilding plan this offseason and have continued to stockpile prospects in the minor leagues.  As one baseball writer has said, the Astros have a roster that looks like a Triple-A roster.  That is true and the fact that we are moving from the NL Central which has no clear-cut frontrunner to the AL West which looks like it could be the toughest division in MLB is not doing Houston any favors.  As a life-long Astros fan, the past couple of years have been tough.  This year might be the toughest for Astros fans.  If we win 55 games this season, then I will consider the campaign a success.