We love college basketball here at ASD. In fact, it was one of the bonding tenants of Catfish and my's friendship in the rolling plains of North Carolina. We enjoy discussing and debating everything and anything college basketball. Growing up in ACC country less than 100 miles (as the crow flies) from Tobacco Road, college basketball dominated the local sports landscape. It's a passion we still follow to this day.
Yesterday, the ACC held its basketball media day in Charlotte. Their location was the the Renaissance Suites Hotel, which means literally nothing to a lot of people. he hotel, however, sits across from the former site of the Charlotte Coliseum which has a special place in Charlotte sports and college basketball lore. Yet I digress.
A vote was held for the preseason poll by the ACC media as is tradition. Duke, which figures to be the prohibitive favorite in the conference and a contender to repeat for the title, received just about all of the first place votes. Now we certianly know preseason polls are rearely worth the brainpower it takes to tabulate the votes, but it is always a good piece of fodder for discussion. Here are how the votes turned out:
1. Duke (61) 743; 2. Virginia Tech 632; 3. North Carolina (1) 622; 4. N.C. State 526; 5. Florida State 496; 6. Maryland 432; 7. Clemson 335; 8. Miami 305; 9. Georgia Tech 274; 10. Boston College 173; 11. Virginia 164; 12. Wake Forest 134.
Now who could be that lone person who had Carolina finishing first in the ACC? I'm sure if I really strain my noodle I might be able to come up with a few possibilities. By the way, does anyone know where Catfish was yesterday? Hmmmm, curious. Curious indeed.
It's Duke, then everyone else [Charlotte Observer]
Thursday, October 21
The Un-Unanimous #1
Friday, September 17
Why YOU Mad?
Tom Brady drew the attention of a lot of people this week because of his comments on Patriot fans leaving the game early during their week 1 win over Cincinnati. My question is why? Who would get upset over his disappointment in fans leaving early? Some have questioned Tom's motivation for calling out his own fans and even giving the slightest hint that another team's fans would be superior to his own. Brady said that the Jets fans would not pick up and leave if the game was secured. Now if you look at the video you can see Brady has a half smirk on his face while delivering this thought to reporters. While many will see this as Tom being an arrogant, smug bastard (and they may be right) I take a different point of view.
Brady had been on a meteoric rise from 2001 to 2005. He won titles, dated hot famous women, and did horrible Stetson cologne ads. Do money and fame change who you are as a person? That may be too philosophical a debate to settle on a sports blog that has four readers. Perhaps they enhance negative characteristics, or maybe they don't change the person at all, they were just selfish and greedy (read: people) to begin with. There are those that think Brady has changed and every comment he makes while eliciting an emotion is him being a prick and acting as if he is too self-important to judged by normal men.
My opinion is this: Brady lost faith in people somewhere along the way. I can't pinpoint the date and time but I think it was around the time that TMZ video of Tom came out with the "errand boy" chant. Then the Boston media, one of the more disgusting examples of bitter journalism with the absence of integrity, writes crap like this and you wonder why Tom is not all warm and fuzzy with the media. Ever since he won 3 of 4 Super Bowls nothing will be good enough for the media machine who only became more emboldened after the Celtics and Red Sox took titles of their own. Now winning a title is the only true outcome for a season and if it fails, the retribution ranges from harsh to ridiculous. The media wants Brady to be the golden boy while they run to their keyboards and slam him for who his wife is, what he does in the offseason, and his haircut.
The New England fans have been equally two-faced. Perhaps they forgot just how hard it is to win a Super Bowl. Lions, Browns, Falcons, Chargers, Vikings, Bills, Bengals, Eagles, Titans, Seahawks, Panthers, and Cardinals fans could let them know. The sense of entitlement has seeped into the entire fanbase. Fans are quick to just point to the "rrrrrrrrrings" argument instead of making salient points about the team. Robert Kraft deserves credit for building a great stadium and turning the Patriots into a brand, but something is missing in the stands now. The most spirited fans are choosing to stay home. Why deal with traffic, parking, concessions and high ticket prices when you can catch the game from all the angles at home? That leaves the stands mostly filled with people that are there to be catered to, entertained as they clap from their seats. Living and dying with each play and watching all the way through the 4th quarter to fully gain perspective on how good the team will be this season was not on the menu for a lot of them. They just wanted to go home. That's fine and that is their right, but don't be upset when the quarterback calls you out for it. Definitely don't try to profess your infinite fandom later in the season or during playoff time.
That was Tom's point and that's why it made sense and that is why people got offended. No one likes to be called out. Everyone else piling on this are just Brady-haters of which there are a lot and I don't blame them. Celebrating like a viable clean energy solution had been discovered when Brady had his knee injury is going a little too far but I understand why people don't like him. There is a lot of not like about the guy if he doesn't play for your team. I believe Brady says these things now not because he has become a different person but because he sees the hypocrisy out there and enjoys calling people on it. He may do it because of his high self-confidence (arrogance if you like) but he knows it will push people's buttons and he does not care about backlash. He got backlash when he was on his best behavior with the media, when he tried to keep his private life private. Tom realized haters were gonna hate, and he might as well keep them hatin'.
Monday, August 2
Mocking Media Guide Muck-Ups
It's time to gear up for college football. Media days have come, August is upon us, and it is now appropos to mock your rivals (even moreso than usual). According to this tweet, FSU misprinted the name of Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle whom they featured for his academic acheivements.
This is high comedy, almost as gut-busting as the Seminoles yuge logo on their field last year that spoke of acamedics and integrity after the academic fraud scandal that rocked their athletic department the year before. This typographical error reminded me of a photographical error made by the University of Florida in the summer of 2003 when a Crocodile graced the cover of their media guide instead of their Gator namesake. I love the statement from the Florida spokesman on that: "We asked for an alligator, we paid for an alligator and unfortunately we did not get an alligator."
Minor details that have nothing to do with play on the field? Yes, but it never hurts to poke fun at the two in-state schools who still call you "thugs" because they are uninventive despite the fact they have more arrests and a poorer academic record than you recently.
Wednesday, July 28
Old Lady Behind Erin Andrews Will Look Into Your Soul and Rip It Out
Erin Andrews was in Washington in support of stricter laws on stalking. This hardly even qualifies for sports news, but she almost won Dancing with the Stars! Is this really a necessary undertaking? Maybe. I've never been the victim of stalking and I would think it is a desperate and disgusting act unless you keep it on Facebook where it belongs.
What intrigues me most about this video is the little old lady behind Andrews. Seriously, watch the video with no sound and you can almost hear her thoughts inside your head. Who is she? What sort of mystic powers does she posses? Is she casting a spell on all of us? In summation: stalking is bad and lazy eyes are creepy.
Erin Andrews Went to DC and Hopefully Changed Some People’s Minds About Stalking [TBL]
Thursday, July 1
Library of Congress, Here We Come
It only took us years, but you can now follow the Amphibious Sports Duo on Twitter HERE. Since the Library of Congress has decided to archive all tweets since 2006 and beyond, we look forward to making our mark in history. In the centuries to come, as we are inevitably conquered by a race of alien beings who posses a high intelligence than we posses, we hope as they search the remnants of humanity, they come across one of our tweets about the ridiculousness of the 2010 NBA Free Agent signings. So follow us, request that we follow you, or whatever else you can do with this thing.
Saturday, June 12
The AP: Hypocritical Arbiters or Just USC Fans?
With the release of the NCAA's investigation the USC Trojans are poised to lose their 2004 BCS National Title, but not their AP title. AP Sports editor Terry Taylor, stated that the title will stand, "The poll is intended to measure on-field performance. If teams are allowed to play, they're allowed to be ranked and USC certainly played in 2004." This decision comes just a month after the AP decided awards weren't about on-field performance. Who reigns as AP award winners remains largely insignificant to most, who aren't USC fans, but has the AP declared itself the arbiter of rules without telling anyone? There in lies the true significance of their latest decision.
"The poll is intended to measure on-field performance. If teams are allowed to play, they're allowed to be ranked and USC certainly played in 2004."
Let's talk on-field performance: 87 Tackles, 5 Sacks, 4 Interceptions, and 2 Forced Fumbles.
That was Brian Cushing's on-filed production during his rookie year with the Houston Texans. Three months after receiving his Rookie of the Year award from the AP it was announced that he would be suspended the first four games of next season. The AP decided a re-vote was in order. Ms. Taylor justified it by saying, "I think there's a heightened awareness out there. I think there's less tolerance, you know, for PEDs, for steroids, for anything that could, in some way, be considered a performance enhancer."
USC cheated, perhaps not chemically, but they cheated. Is the AP not as sanctimonious or do they not believe that run of the mill paying student-athletes is as damning as PEDs? This decision places a new value system on "degrees" of cheating with Ms. Taylor as the un-appointed judge and jury. Degrees of cheating is not a new concept, but until now no media institution had deemed itself worthy to rate these infractions. The AP chose to acknowledge the NFL's rules but ignore the NCAA's all on the basis of what? Timeliness? Part of the impetus for a re-vote was Cushing's admission that he had tested positive. So because USC repeatedly failed to cooperate, they're rewarded instead of punished by the AP. I wish bill collectors had the same policy.
During a time when the amount of media outlets with access continues to dwindle, the AP stood out as one without a stake in broadcast rights. Now, however, the AP has apparently decided it's no longer good enough to report facts and break stories, they are now in a position to decide which rules should be followed. As a consumer we can only hope that they don't abandon reporting on stories such as student athletes getting paid, because they've clearly decided it's not nearly as troubling as PED use. Congratulations Ms. Taylor, your name is once again being discussed. It certainly seems like that may be even more important to her than being consistent or the AP's credibility.
Thursday, May 27
The Inevitable NCAA Blame Game
I'm not trying to rail against Whitlock personally, I read his stuff from time to time but his most recent article on the ticket scandal at KU brought me over the edge. I think it represents a lot the problem in college athletics, where the problems are being pointed to the NCAA and not the problems at hand. Until the American sporting community cleans up its own mess these issues will continually crop up. Are you willing to completely rethink how we treat sports in this country? I don't think so. You want your college football on Saturday, NFL on Sunday, and your basketball pool to get you some extra coin.
I really was planning to come to TBL today to just joke around and not enter any serious discussions. I have tomorrow off and looking forward to a 4 day Memorial Weekend, but this shit pisses me off. Whitlock goes for the LCD by attacking the NCAA. We should get rid of it? Yes, fantastic idea. I suppose we will simply move to the honor system. He makes Lew Perkins out to be a scapegoat but his article is based on using the NCAA as a scapegoat for a bunch of crooked administrators earning money on the side by hawking tickets. He points to the AAU problems in basketball but that is a youth basketball problem, one that the NCAA was way late into the game trying to control and still cannot feasibly with the power it wields.
I am not lifting the NCAA up as a paragon of virtue, but to criticize the organization for not doing what its membership(who has direct control over it) is cleary not in favor of is an armchair move. What drives sports in America today? $$$$$$, and that’s whether its amateur or not. Hell, 12 and 13 year old softball travel leagues are based off parents shelling out the cash in hopes their daughter can get a free(as in no fucking cost to them) ride to a college.
Money and human nature are at the crux of these problems, not the NCAA. You want to dissolve it? Go right ahead, but see how that tailgate beer tastes in your mouth when you know the starting QB for your school takes 3 credits worth of online classes, gets access to free cars, lives in a mansion and takes cash under the table for a host of seedy undertakings.
The popular phrase is hate the player not the game, well Whitlock just said he hates the janitor with the keys to the gym.
NCAA breeds a culture of corruption [KC Star]
Ticket Scanal Rocks KU [Yahoo]
Thursday, April 15
Bobcats Ready For Their Close-Up
When Orlando begins its playoff push against Charlotte, many people will be getting their first look at the Bobcats. There is the chance that they encountered the Bobs while watching their favorite team on their local network, but for the most part the team is unknown. Even many so-called experts and analysts cannot truly break down this team, because they don't watch them that often or at all. The biggest mention Charlotte got this year is when MJ bought the team, the on the court business remains a mystery. Could the average NBA fan tell you anything about all-star Gerald Wallace? Doubtful. The one nugget they might recall is his disapointing performance in the slam dunk competition.
I have no illusions, the Bobcats are a small market team with a short and not so illustrious history, but that does not excuse the league's failure to get the populous more familiar with them. Television is not the only medium in which the Bobcats were put in the corner, but it is a compelling example.
First, let's take a look at the NBA on TNT. Home to arguably the best studio show in sports, TNT knows how to bring the NBA to the masses. According to their list of games this season, here are how the numbers break down.
53 total games
Cavs - 9 games
Lakers - 9 games
Celtics - 9 games
Nuggets - 9 games
Bulls - 9 games
Magic - 9 games
Heat - 8 games
Suns - 7 games
Spurs - 6 games
Blazers - 5 games
Mavs - 4 games
Jazz - 4 games
Hornets - 3 games
Clippers - 2 games
Warriors - 2 games
76ers - 1 game
Hawks - 1 game
Wizards - 1 game
Grizzlies - 1 game
Next, we have the ABC/ESPN schedule.
90 total games
Lakers - 16
Celtics - 16
Cavs - 15
Magic - 14
Nuggets - 13
Spurs - 13
Suns - 11
Blazers - 10
Mavs - 9
Hawks - 9
Jazz - 8
Heat - 7
Hornets - 6
Bulls - 5
Thunder- 4
Warriors - 4
Clippers - 4
Bucks - 3
Knicks - 3
Pistons - 2
Rockets - 1
Grizzlies - 1
Kings - 1
The big market, high profile teams get about 17% of the airtime. No argument there, they are the moneymakers. With LBJ, Kobe, Melo, Dwight, and the big 3 you have a chance to bring in the viewers. After that the wealth is spread pretty evenly amongst the mid-market, playoff contending teams and the teams that don't win but are exciting to watch (looking at you Golden State). The Bobcats were projected by some to make the playoffs, but yet they were not even put on the big show when they played one of the big market teams. This is odd considering that playing one of the big teams is usually the only chance for the little guys to get on the national scene. Furthermore, the Bobs always play the Lakers and Celtics tough. In fact, they play a lot of the big boys tough. This year against the Celtics, Lakers, Cavs, Magic, and Nuggets they are 6-9. It is why many are suggesting that while the Magic should win the series against Charlotte, it will not be a cakewalk. They also have a semi-rivalry with Atlanta, which while more prevalant in football, has the same I-85 implications in the NBA.
If the Kings, Pistons, Rockets, and Wizards got at least one bone thrown to them this year, why were the Bobcats denied? The only other teams that did not get a national broadcast game were the Raptors, Pacers, Nets, and T-Wolves. None of those teams are playoff bound.
It seems like a bit of sour grapes for a team that came into this year with the goal of ridding itself of its bad reputation, but if the NBA wants to expand its product around the world, why not make sure all its teams are visible to its national audience?
The Bobcats will play in Orlando 5:30 this Sunday on TNT. It will be the first time in over a year they will have a national broadcast. They earned this and the best way for them to get onto the TV in the future will be to make a great showing in this series. If they do, I don't think basketball fans will complain about seeing Larry Brown's boys once or twice a year and at the expense of the Clippers or Pistons.
Tuesday, March 9
The State of Sports In The Newspaper Business
It is becoming a common occurrence. Newspaper writer lashes out at other sources of media in response to his own dying medium. There are sports journalists from the old school that refuse to hold new forms of media on the same ground. They believe they hold a greater position in sports than any of their contemporaries. What they fail to realize or accept is that in this day and age, everyone who cares to know has the access to game scores, stats, and breaking news that they thought only they were privileged to attain. Their "inside the locker room" analysis can now be trumped by more truthful banter from a player or coach's twitter account.
When I thought about this situation one metaphor came into my head, the Rite of Spring from Fantasia. Granted I did not know the name was Rite of Spring or that Igor Stravinsky was the composer, but I remember the piece from Fantasia. The parallel I draw is to the last movement of the piece, where the Earth has changed and the dinosaurs are slowly going extinct. They struggling to find nourishment, get stuck in tar pits, and eventually collapse onto the sand as the hot sun beats down on them. The last we see of these beings who once ruled the world are them marching in procession into a distant and cold future. Once they are gone only the memory of their bones remain as the world begins to change ever more violently and becomes more cold and remote.
The same way that these old writers have been left with a dwindling sports section, stuck in the tar pits of newspapers refusing to recognize the relevance of online reporting and blogs(even if they write online). Their only refuge is to lash out harshly against this new world in which they cannot survive and deem it a turn for the worse when in reality it is simply the way of the world, the flow of time that has ended their era.
Monday, August 10
The Steel Trap Of The Internet Age
I would much prefer to begin the week here at ASD talking about the great action from UFC 101 over the weekend particularly Anderson Silva treating Forrest Griffin like a kid brother or the races heating up in baseball (except in the AL East). However, since the story was broken by Deadspin about Rangers outfielder and apparent poster boy for born-again redemption Josh Hamilton falling out of sobriety in January, something that has been in my mind since starting the blog and has grown ever since needs to be said. Forgive the meandering of thoughts and length but I am writing this without notes and off the top of my head so the end result may be different than intended but the point will hopefully remain clear and you will take time to read this and reflect on it in your own mind.
Let me begin by saying this is not a personal attack on Hamilton. If anything I am supportive of his situation. Like many in the sports world I watched with admiration and hope when seeing Hamilton's story of coming back from the depths of depression and drug addiction to make the majors. It was hard not to pull for the guy after hearing from his loved ones, himself, and his wife. If people who follow sports had not heard the Hamilton story in full years ago, they certainly became familiar after last year's home run derby. Everyone knew his story, used it as inspiration, and even used it to make some profit (hey this is America after all). It was a story everyone could get behind; the religiously devout pointed to Hamilton's faith as the cornerstone to his successful turnaround, his "Special Assignment coach" with the Rangers Johnny Narron was the guiding light as Josh traversed the mire of temptation on the road in MLB, Josh's wife has stood by him no matter what, and overall we love the underdog/redemption story in this country do we not (unless it involves killing a lot of dogs)?
The bad taste left in my mouth from this story is not that Hamilton made a mistake at a bar in Tempe, it is how things have changed and what makes my feel even more ill is that I cannot completely take the moral high ground and argue it is all for the worse. If anything, Hamilton should be commended for not denying that he made a mistake and immediately releasing a statement and later holding a press conference addressing the situation. This issue is not really about Josh, who has something inherently dangerous within him in the form of addiction and being a now famous athlete is constantly surrounded by pitfalls. The issue is us, and how do we handle what we are, what we've become and reconcile where we have been.
Hamilton's exposed night of debauchery was at first brushed off by the mainstream media, but after the photos were confirmed, they picked up the story. TWWL at first refused to give Deadspin credit for the photos (I don't know if they have now) but other media outlets have. Once again sports blogs take the heat for reporting on true events and Deadspin has definitely heard from detractors. The same issue arose when the Erin Andrews story came about. While Catfish and I both believe Deadspin was irresponsible about posting the website the video originated from and then giving wafer-thin apologies afterward, the same question came into AJ Daulerio's head that would have come into any of ours about these issues: this is the reality of professional sports in the 21st century and if I do not post this somebody will won't they?
While the main goal of the huge sites like Deadspin are to generate hits the question becomes much easier to answer and crusty old sportswriters who write for internet sites but ironically criticize it constantly felt it was there obligation to waddle onto the soapbox and rail against the grammatically-challenged and inherently "evil" blogs which are leading society into a pit of moral degradation and corruption. I find the old nay-saying writers more objectionable because of their two-faced nature. The new age of sports coverage has either bolstered the careers of these talking heads or wiped them off the news presses and moved them online, yet they still cannot accept the truth.
Excuse the digression, back to the task at hand. I do not believe the internet has given birth to this desire within sports fans to know every detail about an athlete's infidelities, drunken escapades, and legal issues. The desire was always there, we just never had a medium like the internet (thanks Al Gore!) that could give us the instant information and seedy details. Let's take a look at Mickey Mantle, one of the most, if not the most, beloved athletes of his time. For the baby boomers, Mantle was a world-class hero, a god among men and rightfully so. Here he was, the leader of the Yankees, a man who played the game with a boy's passion and could belt one over the wall at anytime. However, Mickey struggled early on from alcohol addiction and many believe it contributed to health problems he suffered in his career. Many of the fans knew this or had heard rumors during his playing days or in the years following his retirement. However, Mantle is still to this day seen as a role-model and hero to thousands if not millions of people.
In Mantle's time the media access was quite different. The press could be as unrelenting as they are today but there were no twitter updates, internet blogs, or camera phones. In fact, most of the writers traveled with the team and became friendly with the ballplayers if not good friends. Maybe it was these limitations that allowed Mickey to rise in stardom while his demons surrounded him and the public cheered on. Years later in an amazing Sports Illustrated story which you can read here thanks to greatness that is the SI Vault, Mantle's alcoholism was brought to the center of attention. In the movie 61* which chronicled the home run chase of 1961 of Roger Maris and Mantle, Mickey's off the field problems were addressed in sometimes strong detail. The film also gives a good idea of the pressure the press put on Maris which were no different from today's standards but again with different technology.
This begs the question and issue that runs through my mind: Would Mantle have been able to achieve the greatness and inspiration to others he had in his era if he played the game today? The simple answer seems to be no. These issues used to be kept confidential or swept under the rug but now they are a matter of public record. People like to say that sports are "more than just a game" and the coverage lately has certainly held true to that statement. Besides the baseball races into August and football starting up, we are inundated by stories about athletes shooting themselves in their leg, getting sued by hotel employees for sexual assault, and a myriad of other issues which have nothing to do with the "game".
One thing that no rational person can deny is that we cannot go back to the way things were. For better or worse, sports is big business which has led to the media coverage being big business. We will have to live without heroes as we knew them. I do not think there will ever be another Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or even Michael Jordan now that we are privy to the lives of athletes as we are now. The popularity will continue to be there, but the mythic quality of their feats will become common knowledge, even if that knowledge is based on a murky vision of the person and rumors of their escapades. Now that David Ortiz has been lumped into a positive test, people will never look at his historic 2004 post-season performance the same. Albert Pujols is loosely seen as the one shining beacon of hope for not using PEDs but there will never be absolute trust. MJ was king while he played but since he has been become merely a brand of himself and it is not above the internet to post a picture of him enjoying himself in Cabo. LeBron would be most people's choice but the microscope is simply magnified too high; look no further than the ridiculous clamor that arose from him getting "dunked on".
Now we are now facing the closing of a gap of humanization of our athletes while the profits they generate for themselves and others continue to widen. I admire most athletes we have in our sports, but I doubt I can ever trust one again to be something above what we all are as people. Perhaps this is the best case scenario for us all because it is the truth or maybe the realm of sports was better off in the days when athletes were a symbol of the virtues we aspired to. It is certainly a problem that will persist in my head as we move forward through this century of sports.
Sunday, August 9
The SEC: Your Tax Dollars at Work
The Big Lead has detailed the SEC's "extremely restrictive new media policies" that states the Conference owns everything and even forbids fans from taking photos in the stadiums. To boot, fans are not supposed to share accounts or descriptions of the events. The first rule of the SEC, we don't talk about the SEC.
Is the SEC going to be policing sports bars looking for guys relaying tales of watching Tebow's wobbly jump pass? Will they attempt to drop the hammer on sports radio stations that discuss the game the following Monday? Could criticizing Tebow's game play land lowly bloggers like ourselves in the conference's new Gulag labor camps? The restrictions carry over to practices and press conferences, which would greatly restrict local stations ability to replay Les Miles' "Have a Good Day" presser or The Speech by Tebow. We could all probably do without seeing Tebow's speech once a week throughtout this season, but these policies exclude ESPN and CBS, so there will still plenty of time to memorize the most eloquent speech of the last 40 years.
All jokes aside, these restrictions on local coverage and fan activities should be struck down. With the exception of Vanderbilt, all of the SEC institutions are public. Tax payers have for years shelled out money to build these programs into the powerhouse conference that recently signed the largest TV contract ever for college athletics. These same taxpayers pony up to get into the games and have done so long before ESPN was even founded. The conference has grown because of the rabid following of their local constituents and these new policies serve only as a big F U to the people whose devotion built the SEC into the best in the land.
As public universities, the rules are (or should be) different. Not only are the schools beholden to the boosters, but also to the state. While the SEC scrapes and claws for every cent they can get, the universities gladly accept tax dollars annually for improvements to sports facilities in a time when many states are dealing with budget shortfalls. Allowing the local media outlets to use game footage does not impede the SEC's ability to make money, but this new policy could prove devastating to local sports media outlets, entities that are already struggling in a more streamlined global media marketplace. As Gordon Gecko famously said, "Greed is good," but at the heart of the SEC is eleven universities that are publicly funded and local lawmakers should be demanding that media outlets in their states be exempt from this policy. The schools and the conference owe it to the people that have funded this league from the beginning.
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
Weekend Recap
No need to recap the U.S. Open. It's not over yet. This morning Ricky Barnes will attempt to hold off the other players charging toward him including Tiger and Phil. [Update: He didn't, but the guy he was playing with did.]
You can follow the coverage live on your computer though thanks to the genius of the internets. [NBC Sports]
Former QB at the U and Miami-area steakhouse owner Bernie Kosar has filed for bankruptcy. He blames the economy, others his foolish spreadthrift ways. All I'm wondering is why the hell his ex-wife Babette deserves $3 million. [Miami Herald]
The U.S. Soccer team pulled one completely out of their backside by advancing to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup. [Rumors and Rants]
The Wimbledon preview this year begins and ends with Roger Federer. It is extremely dissapointing that Nadal had to withdraw because of injury which really only leaves two compelling stories on the men's side: Federer going for the record 15th Grand Slam title and Andy Murray becoming the latest hope for the Brits. [SI.com]
Hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day, unless you hate your father or can't stand your kids. [HHR]
Warren Sapp says the youngins don't listen to the old folk nowadays. Insert lawn joke here. [PFT]
Sabathia hurts his bicep as the Yanks fall to the Marlins 6-5. The Fish took the series from the Yanks at Landshark Stadium. It was like 2003 all over again. [Sporting News]
Jason Campbell speaks with dolphins. We have to get him and Darren Dalton together. [DC Sports Bog]
Thursday, April 30
Baltimore Sun Dropping Staff During Games
Catfish has elaborated on the state of the sports media much more eloquently than I ever could so I will not be throwing any two cents into this story, but once I read it I had to share. From The Big Lead:
"Tough times in the newspaper biz. Two writers for the Baltimore Sun in the press box here got the news — by phone during the game — that they had been laid off in the latest round of cost-cutting. Stay classy, Baltimore Sun management.) (UPDATE: Make that three reporters and a photographer axed by the Sun during the game.)"
There is a certain reality that newspapers and many other businesses must face in times such as these, but if you are going to let people go you should do it in a dignified manner.
The Baltimore Sun is Absolutely Heartless, and Tim Wheatley is a Gutless Sports Editor [TBL] Continue reading...
Wednesday, April 22
Whitlock was Right and We're Better For It
He was widely criticized at the time, but now just months later the B.J. Raji drug test fiasco has broken out, and what Whitlock asked for is being delivered (by the same blog he ripped and others). Deadspin took aim at both SI and NFLDraftBible.com (you earn no link) for refusing to acknowledge their inaccurate reports. TBL and even Yahoo! have also called SI's postings to the carpet and SI correctly apologized.
TBL's initial response to Whitlock's demand was, "As for policing blogs, we'll pass. Someone else can take on the unenviable task of assessing the blottings of bloggers, many of whom do this for little or no pay, and have little or no journalism training. We'll keep our focus on the professionals." Hopefully, that stand will continue to soften, not because all bloggers need to be pointing fingers at each other, but in a case where an inaccurate story (particularly involving anonymous sources) impacts a person's life and reputation like the Raji story, bloggers should not turn a blind eye to these transgressions., Continue reading...
Tuesday, April 21
When Ignorance Speaks
Yesterday, a local radio host insulted a sport that 99% of the general population does not even remotely think about. He contested that rowing is not a sport because you "sit on your ass and go backwards." Now, many members of talk radio and especially this particular one are prone to make statements without any knowledge of the subject because they feel they are important enough to have the opinion off the top of their heads be heard by the masses. I happen to fall into that 1%. I was a rower in college and coached both high school and college rowing for two years after that so I took it personal when this windbag insulted the sport that means so much to me.
I thought immediately I would make this post about my feelings about rowing. Perhaps enlighten whoever came across this our blog to how much dedication it took to be a rower, how close I was with guys that I rowed with or coached, or how despite being an ignored sport rowers are some of the best athletes in the world. I could have gone on and on, it would have perhaps been our longest post ever. But then I thought that was the wrong way to go about it. Those stories deserve to be told; the story of Lance Armstrong attempting to take up rowing in Austin, Texas to stay in shape but quitting soon after because he thought it was too difficult. But they cannot be told in a tone of one attempting to prove to some shithead with a microphone that has no concept of what athletic competition is about because he will never know what it takes and probably does not care. He does not care about a member of the 2004 gold medal team in the men's eight that was a firefighter who was there at ground zero and had nightmares with only the drive of winning an Olympic gold medal fueling him. So I will not digress into that.
Rowing has its place in the world and it is very small and only for a people willing to put themselves through it. I used to take insults on the sport a lot more seriously, like when I was reading Bill Simmons years ago and he took a shot a rowers. Now here is a guy that screams Boston favoritism and in virtually every post alludes to his beloved beantown yet he puts down a sport that in that town is one of the few places in the country it is valued. I wrote him what was assuredly too lengthy an email about why I thought he was wrong to make that comment. Surprisingly I never heard back. The point is that it is no use trying to defend something most people have never experienced. I know, my old rowing buddies know, but others never will and I cannot hold that against them. Unless they act like jackasses about it, like our friend.
So when this jackass of a radio host or others like him voice their opinion I have to let it slide. Besides, this guy spouts off a slew of idiotic things everyday so it is not like it is out of the norm for him. I am not going to say I will boycott the show because it is the only show on locally at that time and I like to listen to sports radio when I workout in the afternoons. He loves to cover golf and I believe even played it in college and also loves buttering up to NASCAR(sitting on your ass and moving forward?) people he has on his show. Well let's take a look at a few examples:
Top-level rowing athletes:
Top-level Golfer:
Top-level NACAR driver:
A horrible spectator sport it is, a largley ignored sport it is, a misunderstood sport it is but still a sport. If you enjoy reading, I recommend The Amateurs by David Halberstam. It gives you a glimpse into the world of rowing and is a very captivating and easy read.
Friday, April 17
In Defense of Stephen A. Smith
TBL reported yesterday that Stephen A. Smith's contract will be up shortly at ESPN. Today, Stephen A.'s official website confirms that he will no longer be at ESPN after May 1st. Smith has become yesterday's news, but at his peak he was one of the most visible and lampooned media members on the internet. His 'in your face' style and the annual heckling at the NBA draft made him an easy target for everyone, including ESPN's own Scott Van Pelt.
Many people may celebrate the departure of Smith from the WWL, but much of cheering is a result of his overexposure in such a short period of time. When he made the transition from "just another writer" to his over the top antics, he was primarily covering the NBA. To this day, listening to Smith discuss the L remains enjoyable, because you can hear the passion in his voice. With other sports, it was always a tad forced and not backed up by years of rabid following. Had he remained solely an NBA analyst, Smith could have excelled at the Leader. Whatever the reason, ESPN's decision to make him their first all medium all-star was a mistake. Never fully appreciated for what he was saying because of how he was saying it, here's to wishing Stephen A. good luck on his next venture, hopefully it will be NBA-centric, because few people in today's mainstream media have the same passion and knowledge as Mr. Smith.
Friday, April 3
The Evolution of the Press in Sports
In the most bountiful age of information, the citizen sports fans of this country face an unprecedented age of censorship in the media. With the death of newspapers across the country, the primary media outlets are run by mega-corporations that are billion dollar “stock holders” in the very leagues they are expected to report on. Freedom of the press was intended to protect the people even at the cost of dragging the government through the mud, but in today's society that has flipped to protecting the power brokers at the expense of the individuals. The forefathers did not place restrictions on the press, because finding the line between use and abuse was too difficult, but now the media imposes that very line on itself. For this discussion, sports cannot be just considered an escapist activity, but rather a business no different than any other on Wall Street. Sports reporting may not be as important as government oversight, but it is not difficult to see the same sin of commission that Jon Stewart recently accused CNBC of having in regards to the market collapse, in the coverage of all the major sports leagues.
In today's landscape of sports media, the only outlet with the means and the mettle to go after stories of consequence is Yahoo!. Having a company whose name ends in an exclamation point, being the only investigative entity and more importantly having only one such entity, cannot be a positive. Outside the Lines, a show that should be the 60 Minutes of ESPN, has been reduced to virtual irrelevance because of the stories they cover, the time slot, and the lack of cross-promotion (a first for ESPN). They cover controversial historic topics, but almost none that could upset any of the power brokers their network depends on for programming, ratings, and advertising dollars. While Yahoo! uncovers cheating at a major college basketball power, the only pseudo-relevant story OTL covers is bus safety of Division One programs. Even when ESPN decides to target a story of consequence it benefits the owners of the various leagues. ESPN's investigative show, E:60 was short-lived (although expected to return) and its primary contribution was the story of baseball players from Latin America lying about their age, again to the advantage of the establishment. The amount of coverage Bills wide receiver, Terrell Owens, warrants weekly far outweighs the networks entire coverage of the hijacking of the Supersonics franchise by Clay Bennett and David Stern (with the notable exception of one writer). ESPN pioneered this type of sports journalism that publicly chastises every misstep by the players and coaches while ignoring the transgressions of the permanent tenants of the establishment. Elgin Baylor's lawsuit accusing Clippers owner Donald Sterling of, “embracing a vision of a Southern plantation-type structure" for his NBA franchise (LAT) garnered little attention from the network other than to acknowledge that it occurred. Similarly, the network eagerly reports on Alex Rodriguez's every move, but turns a blind eye to much of the Yankee organization's fraudulent activities in building their new stadium. Taking a look back at all of the various work stoppages over the last two decades, the Players Association reps have always taken the biggest publicity hits, with the possible exception of Bud Selig, but Donald Fehr's not looked upon with any reverence either and Selig's negative image is more tied to other failings. NBA commissioner David Stern was nearly deified for his dealings with the players in 1999, despite his salary cap facing some serious critics in this new economic climate. By protecting the establishment, these networks have abandoned a basic tenant of their responsibility in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Perhaps no story better illustrates this point than the issue of steroids in baseball. Use of anabolic steroids had been a part of the NFL and Olympic landscape for years before The Steroids Era began in baseball, but due to a collective public naivety and the willingness of the sports media to ignore the signs, the public was fooled into believing we were watching some of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game, instead of frauds. Baseball needed to come back following the work stoppage in 1994 and the writers who covered it needed to prove their relevance once again to their employers who were footing the bill for their travels. Following his 50 homerun outburst the previous season, Sports Illustrated did a story about Brady Anderson and his immense upper arms “with veins that look like swollen rivers running across them in every direction.” On the very next page, was a special report on steroids use, but how did they justify a sudden increase in production from a player that did not change his swing, stance or approach? A juiced ball and poor pitching. Anderson has been the focus of suspicion in years following the acknowledgement of the steroids era, but never tested positive and this is not to suggest he did. Yet when his sudden power surge is a mere flip of a magazine page away from a poll of athletes that stated nearly 100% of athletes asked said they would take a performance-enhancing substance if they knew they would not be caught and would win it is hard to comprehend how some of the nation's best sports writers failed to make the leap in logic that players in a league that guaranteed they would not be caught, would be noble enough to forgo that option. A year later, SI would give us the Sportsmen of the Year, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, under the auspices that they, “treated the nation to a home run race that was as refreshing as a day at the beach.” That summer was magical, but like most magic tricks it was illusion. In 2001, with Barry Bonds chasing Mark McGwire's record, there was more discussion of intentional walks than performance enhancers, despite the unprecedented increase in power by a player towards the end of his career. Perhaps most telling is that Bonds has been featured on SI's cover five times since the steroids scandal broke, but only three times prior. Bonds breaking of McGwire's record did not even warrant a cover and his pursuit only one, after McGwire was featured five times in 1998. Had the homerun chase lost its luster? The nightly cut-ins and must see TV that were Bonds's at-bats that season would argue otherwise, so what reason would they have to ignore such a monumental achievement, unless they thought something was not on the straight and narrow. If that was the case, they chose to ignore it instead of reporting it. With steroid accusations flying around and the 1996 Summer Olympics being referred to jokingly as the "Growth Hormone Games", the media chose to ignore the usage (or possibility of usage) in baseball, because it was in their best interest, even at the expense of the sports integrity and the public's wallet.
Balancing between reporting the news and protecting their investments is undoubtedly difficult. If they are too harsh, they will not be in a position to renew those deals, and if they are too soft they abandon the basic tenant of the press as a whole, to protect the people. ESPN acknowledges it has a fine line to walk, but far too often they're fearful to even tread near the line for fear of upsetting the balance. The power networks are willing to be critical of daily events in leagues, but are unwilling to pursue the larger issues. Unless Roger Goddell or David Stern were to pile up a body count, there is minimal chance of any whistle-blowing on the very networks that profit from their leagues. ESPN allows their website writers and radio hosts to be far more critical of these leagues, but always under the glaring light of internal censorship. A media outlet that censors itself for the protection of the establishment at the expense of the truth should no longer be considered a news outlet. Perhaps the network now needs the same “sports entertainment” title that professional wrestling carries, because it is impossible to be completely forthright while protecting the establishment and your own company's long-term viability. Their addition of an ombudsman points to the conflicts of interest that their organization now faces. I do not blame ESPN for the change, they are the industry standard, they have many conflicting interests and do a fair job of balancing them, but it is time to acknowledge that they cannot be the police that the press is relied upon to be.
"From forty years' experience of the wretched guess-work of the newspapers of what is not done in open daylight, and of their falsehood even as to that, I rarely think them worth reading, and almost never worth notice."
That was how Thomas Jefferson described the press in a correspondence with James Monroe. The same press he fought to protect, despite his visceral disdain for them. The irony of his opinion is that today, it represents many in the "mainstream media's" opinion of bloggers and internet writers. The one free voice in this current landscape to write and it is shunned by the very people who are constitutionally protected to be free of censor. Many sports organizations refuse to allow “internet based media” access to press passes or players, instead preferring to only dole them out to their business partners. This is not to suggest that any “Johnny Come Lately” with a blogger or wordpress account should have free reign, but some of the representation should be from dedicated outlets without direct ties to the league being covered. If taxpayers are going to be asked to foot the bill for new arenas, if citizens are being depended upon to support the organizations, if people are being laid off as the leagues sign monstrous television deals, the people also deserve competent, unfiltered coverage. The mainstream media has abandoned that post in pursuit of higher profits and left it to the anti-establishment, living in their mom's basement with the inability to pay their bills, demanding credit for their work crowd or as Thomas Jefferson might call them, The Press.
Wednesday, March 25
Newspaper Cutbacks Hit Close to Home
The Charlotte Observer has announced 82 job cuts and pay cuts for the rest of the staff. Unfortunately, many of those affected work in the newsroom. The vicious cycle facing newspapers is simple to understand, but hard to stop. In today's media environment, they receive reduced advertising leading to fewer employs leading to lower quality which results in... lower advertising (and subscriptions). This announcement comes just one week after the Raleigh News and Observer announced cuts of their own. In just seven days, two of North Carolina's largest newspapers have had their workforce reduced by fifteen and eleven percent, respectively.
While we've had fun with the local fishwrap before, I love newspapers. There's something special about having all the box scores on one page and that's something the current landscape of the internet doesn't allow. With most of the TV stations tied directly into the leagues they're supposed to be covering, newspapers should have filled the role (now being filled by Yahoo!) of being the watch dog. Sadly, most haven't and many have also failed miserably in making the transition to the internet for various reasons. Newspapers are important and while their medium may be changing, the people of this country should be better served by having them around. I for one, and hoping for many more great pieces out of the Observer, like this one by Rick Bonnell about Raymond Felton.
Monday, March 23
Bigotry is a Far Cry from Immaturity
No line can better sum up an article written on Thursday for The New Republic. A Duke graduate, Seyward Darby, asserts that "there is a nasty strain of bigotry emanating" from anti-Duke fans because of the repeated references to their players being gay. Ms. Darby adds a few concessions, but with all the conviction of someone who begins a sentence with, "No offense, but..."
To help make Ms. Darby's case, the famous picture of a sign reading, "JJ is Redickulous" next to a Maryland fan holding a smaller sign that read, "-ly gay" is used, but she brackets her arguments with passages from Will Blythe's book about the Carolina-Duke rivalry, which suggests that she's aiming full on at Tar Heel fans for gay bashing.
To strengthen her case she points to Wikipedia entries being tweaked to suggest homosexuality and YouTube comments. Carolina fans are routinely criticized for being the "old, wine and cheese" crowd, and yet now we're launching a massive online movement to promote the homosexuality of Duke players? As for using YouTube comments as a barometer of a fan base, that's no different than judging everyone on Wall Street by the actions of Bernie Madoff, or judging young African-American entertainers on the actions of Chris Brown. It's not accurate and borderline irresponsible.
Ms. Darby identifies several usernames that have ties to Carolina, but neglects to do so when pointing out that there's a YouTube video called "Tyler Hansbrough is Faggy". Nor does she point out that Roy Williams, Dean Smith's, and Tyler Hansbrough's Wikipedia entries are also the focus of frequent vandalism. Recently, Coach Williams's entry was asserting, "He is a gay man who has sexual relations with his players."
Much of what is going on is juvenile, crude and unfortunate, but that's a far cry from bigotry. Duke fans themselves are not immune to throwing the gay barb. When referee Dick Paparo would officiate games in Cameron Indoor, if he made a call the fans didn't agree with, he would be hit with chants of "You Suck, Dick!" Is this just clever word play or homophobic? I would argue it's immature, clever wordplay. When former NBA player John Amaechi announced he was gay, it was a Duke player, Shavlik Randolph, who had this to say, "As long as you don't bring your gayness on me I'm fine. As far as business-wise, I'm sure I could play with him. But I think it would create a little awkwardness in the locker room." Which is more damning, YouTube comments or your student body and a player making these remarks?
The Cameron Crazies are not above treading on the line of decency. When a former Maryland player was alleged to have sexually abused a fellow student, fans threw panties and jeered him. Is making a mockery of sexual assault acceptable and observing that Greg Paulus has been dunked on repeatedly in his career, resulting in several crotches in his face, so far removed?
When fellow TNR writer, Jason Zengerle, responded to Ms. Darby's article he points to the bigger issue:
The homophobic Duke haters aren't necessarily taunting Duke players as whiny wimps; they're just taunting them just as they would their friends. Let me explain: the presence of so many white players on Duke's team creates the somewhat unusual dynamic of white fans taunting white athletes. As a result, this white-on-white shit-talking frequently takes the form of the shit-talking that goes on between the white taunters and their white friends--which, if you've recently spent much time with a certain class of white guys between the ages of 15 and 40, you know is a pretty homophobic form of shit-talking.
While it may seem that Duke is the target, it has nothing to do with the name on the chest, it's the color of the skin. These insults were not hurled at Grant Hill or Gerald Henderson, just as Kyle Singler would never be forced to endure monkey noises as some African-American high school players recently did in California. Christian Laettner never had bananas hurled at him like Patrick Ewing. Greg Paulus's intelligence has never been questioned, unlike JR Reid, who was the focus of "JR can't read" chants, by the Cameron Crazies. These are examples of true bigotry amongst basketball fans, a category which the majority of the remarks Ms. Darby references do not.
I'm not defending these "homophobic" remarks, but rather suggesting they're a cultural problem, not a problem in a rival fan base. In the vernaculars of many young men, "gay" is used as a synonym for lame for example, "Man, he's so gay when he flops." and "fag" often gets used in place of other crude words such as bitch or pussy. Their usage is immature and may not be socially acceptable in most circles, but rarely are tied to hatred or dislike of homosexuals. As it relates to Ms. Darby's point, Duke players and fans are just as guilty and to refuse to acknowledge that while using such a powerful word as bigotry (particularly in the South)is inexcusable by both Ms. Darby and The New Republic. Continue reading...
