Last night the Washington Nationals made Bryce Harper the number one overall pick, but he's not without his critics. He's got his fair share of red flags most associated with his attitude. His defenders argued that his talent was too much to pass up and that he'll mature with time. So why is Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins not being extended the courtesy as we head toward the NBA draft? Cousins was not ejected from a game the way Harper was in the Junior College World Series, but his "knucklehead" status has him dropping down the boards despite handling a hostile situation in Mississippi State quite well. Harper's supposed to be an all-world talent, Cousins likely the 2nd pick talent. I understand that, but Cousins is only two years older than Harper and while Harper has been in position to showcase his talents, Cousins played in a guard dominated situation at Kentucky. Looking forward to the NBA draft, I'd be hard pressed to pass on a big man that has the skill set of Cousins, pretty much anything you could want minus blocks, should be picked below Evan Turner. It should also be noted that Turner was more of a hot head as freshman, ironically enough and his skill set is more easily attained by teams than Cousins. Unless a GM is convinced that Turner will be special, he better be certain that Cousins will not mature with age the way people say Harper will, otherwise that GM will regret it.
Tuesday, June 8
Two Knucklehead Draft Picks: Two Different Perceptions
Monday, June 7
NBA Officiating: Changes Should Be Made
With another Finals game dotted with questionable foul calls, it's time for Commissioner Stern to consider an unprecedented shift in policy. Basketball places demands on its officials largely unmatched by other sports, but the biggest issue lies with the inconsistency that plagues the NBA more than other sports. While many have dismissed former referee Tim Donaghy's claims about games being fixed, his regular appearances on Dan Patrick's national radio show illustrates that to some the questions and possibilities still percolate. David Stern has attempted to close ranks, declaring Donaghy a "rogue official" but with lingering doubts, confused fans, and most importantly perplexed players and coaches he and the League would be best served to consider a new course of action.
Much of the interactions between the sports leagues and their officials is shrouded in secrecy. For most leagues, it has not caused any issues, but while criticism in other leagues is almost exclusively limited to focusing on the officials themselves (think Phil Luckett and Joe West), but when NBA officials mess up people view it as a sign of a larger issue or conspiracy.
A possible solution to this recurring issue would be transparency. Allow the fans, media, and teams behind the curtain. Daily correspondence between the league and officials could be made available online. Tweaks to the points of emphasis even within a series should be known by all interested parties. The League would not have to make known individual critiques towards specific officials, but at the end of the year a performance review would be. Now if Yao Ming gets called for moving screens midway through a series it's not a conspiracy it's a known criticism that the NBA has made the officials aware of. As long as the officiating mirrored the communications, it would provide all parties explanations that currently are lacking.
NBA officiating remains plagued by several problems including the re-enforcing of flopping (both physical and verbal) as a way to induce a call, the increased physicality of the game and an aging core of officials. The best solution for the sport would be to address these issues, but allowing outsiders a peek behind the curtain, in such a way that would not embarrass the refs, would certainly be a step in the right direction.
Kid Fails At Catching, Gets Rewarded
Is it inappropriate to make fun of a crying kid? Definitely but that will not stop my rant. Last night, during the Cardinals-Brewers game, Albert Pujols blasted a home run that struck a boy in the chest. Since MLB are video Nazis, I can only share the link HERE. The boy seemed to be knocked back, then he began sobbing a little bit. All was made right though as he ended up with a bat and posed for pictures from his father's cell phone with his prize.
I'm all for the kids, even though I generally do not like being around them. However, this display is a typical PR moment for the Cards and a weakinging of manhood at the same time. A few things to notice in this video; first, the kid has brought a glove, a big one mind you, to the ballpark for the very slight chance the ball finds its way to him during the courses of the game. Secondly, the kid is sitting in the front row of the outfield and Albert Pujols is at bat, your glove should be at the ready. Now I don't blame the kid for crying, a hard hit baseball stings, especially to a soft mushy nonadalescent frame, but this should be his introduction to the tough facts of life. [Daydreams about Lisa Weltchel for 5 mins] So he should take the bad, his bad fail of not catching this ball. This kid needs to learn in life sometimes you drop the ball and when you do someone else picks it up and you have to live with it. I can't tell from the video if the kid got to keep the ball, he has it for awhile in the video even though the fan next to his dad picked it up after Faily McGee missed it. The video then shows him giving it back to his father. His dad should have just looked at him and said "You're killing me Smalls!"
But no, instead we have to not only tend to his wounds, but placate him with an item of sports memorabilia. Not many can say they have an autographed Albert Pujols bat, even Jor Morgan if you listen to the audio from the video. Congratulations son, and when you grow up and get that profound sense of entitlement when you try out for a team, go for a job, seek employment, cheat on your taxes, beat your wife, and commit any one of countless felonies, remember this moment when your inability to make a play brought on sweet reward.
Some of the credit/blame goes to Pujols, who went to watch his replay in the video room. [Uh, anyone else think it is weird that dude gets to go watch a replay of his at-bat in the middle of the game?] Yet most of it falls with the kid and his parents making a big production. I really hope the guy who rightfully picked up the home run shot came away with something. One last note, check out Mom in the video once she realizes her kid has suffered no permanent damage, thanks for being a good sport and going to the game lady, hope you enjoyed staring at your cell phone for 3 hours.
Pujols gives his bat to kid after hitting him with home run ball [FoxSports Midwest]
Is Coach Calipari the Anti-Wooden?
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. -John WoodenThis is not intended as a full comparison, just in terms of public perception. Coach Wooden unfortunately passed away over the weekend, and is remembered, correctly, as being not only a tremendous coach, but also a tremendous man. He was a man who valued winning and teaching, but a man who also turned a blind eye at various points during his life. Contrast the way Coach Wooden is perceived and the way Coach Cal is perceived and it night and day.
After both coaches left schools, their teams were placed on probation. Last week, Calipari and his wife donated $1 million to a charitable organization in Memphis and within minutes the internet was alive with jokes and snide remarks about why he would be donating. While Coach Calipari may operate in greys area from time to time, he's never given the benefit of the doubt. Not by the media or the public. When Terrence Jones de-committed from Washington people (myself included) assumed Calipari had done something underhanded. He remained quiet and only after Jones committed did he tell his side of the story. His version stands in stark contrast to the assumptions made by many, but also made perfect sense.
Then he (Jones) called about an hour later and said ‘Cal, I made a mistake. I don’t know what I was doing.’ That is when the thing went like ‘You what?’ So we talked to him and said that we are going to do whatever you want. I am holding your scholarship. At one point I said, ‘Look, if you want to go to Washington then go to Washington, and if you want to come with us, come with us. Just make a decision so that we can all move on.’ (WKYT)Perhaps a victim of the time, people are constantly looking to attach scandal to Calipari, but many of those same people sought to deflect any criticism of Coach Wooden. He was voted the best coach of the century, while Cal is regarded by some as ruining college basketball. No one would argue that college basketball would be better off without Coach Wooden as a part of its history, but a great many already have argued that way against Coach Cal. I've long been a critic of Calipari, but I'm also quite certain that if Coach Wooden was having his success in today's day and age, procuring top recruits from across the country (without some of them ever stepping foot on campus), that he too, would have jealous detractors crying foul. Continue reading...
Conference Expansion: Taking the Next Step
Again this week talk of conference expansion has sprung up through out the internet. Boise State to the Mountain West. Who wins the Texas raffle? Who do they have to take in addition? Will Notre Dame finally bite the bullet and join the 21st century? All of these recurring questions are yet to be answered, but several things have become clear, most notably: Cash Rules Everything Around Me. With the ever expanding world of college athletics on the doorstep of yet another evolution (or de-evolution) the powers have proven they do not care about the fans or more importantly the student-athletes. Increased travel? Who cares? A diluted product? If it brings in more money, so be it. The idea that conferences can put out an increasingly unbalanced product that erodes rivalries and deprives fans of marquee matchups will continue to produce larger revenue is flawed. Eventually, their will have to be a truly seismic shift in college sports to continue increasing revenues? Why not skip this era of bloated conferences and jump to the biggest money grab in American Sports history. Beyond the break lies just that possibility.
In the SEC they currently use a 5-2-1 format for their football scheduling. This means a team plays their five division opponents plus one permanent non-division opponent and then two rotating non-division opponents. With this system the biggest of the big dogs Florida and Alabama play four out of every ten years. As sports fans we've been fortunate enough to get them in the SEC championship the last two seasons, because if not the last two national champions would not have met. If the SEC expands, these matchups would likely grow even more rare. The same case be can be made for many marquee matchups that don't serve as primary rivals (OSU-Michigan would be preserved... right? right?!?!) if conferences continue to expand. The increased load of a conference schedule would also likely have a negative impact on already meager non-conference scheduling. That's why I choose now to present my idea to not only make the schools more money, but to also provide the fans with a better experience.
My idea? The League of Extraordinary Teams!
What is it? A collection of the 40 best college athletics programs broken into five divisions. Each division would operate as a regional mini-conference. It would represent a return to the Pac-8, Big-8 eras where rivalries were at their apex. Schools would be selected not solely based on the success of their football teams (although in some cases they might), but on the overall success of their athletics programs. The LXT would be creating a year round cable network that would showcase many of these programs. So who makes up the LXT?
South: Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Kansas, Oklahoma St, and pick one: Missouri, Arkansas, Texas AM, Baylor, and Tex. Tech
North: Ohio St, Michigan, Wisconsin, ND (they have to accept or relinquish all relevance), Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana
East: UNC, Duke, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and pick two: Miami, FSU, Clemson, GT, and SCar
West: UCLA, USC, Stanford, Oregon, Arizona, and pick three: Washington, Arizona St, Oregon St and Cal
North East: UConn, Cuse, Penn St, UVa, VT, Pitt, and pick two: Maryland, WVU, Rutgers, and BC
Don't get caught up on who made the list and who didn't. It's a rough hack and with college sports being as political as they are concessions would have to be made (Texas wants Baylor in? They're in, sorry somebody else). What these teams represent, however, are the very best in both college football, college basketball as well as many other non-revenue sports such as baseball, volleyball, wrestling, etc. Having dominance through out the sports year would allow the LXT to start a cable network similar to the Big Ten, but with a nationwide following and a ton more star power.
Fantasizing about a nationwide sports conference is fun, but why could it happen? Money. Currently the NFL sets the bar for TV contracts, not only because football is king, but also because the teams negotiate as one. People often regard the NFL as the gold standard in American Sports at this time, but the NFL's reach pales in comparison to that of college football, so if
the biggest and best decided to join forces, not only could they provide one season's worth of games, but four. The LXT network could be like the Big 10 network times 1000 in terms of content. Regional contracts could still be signed and networks would be lining up (similar to the NFL) to get a piece of the premiere college sports conference.
With all of the teams playing under one conference banner, the League would have nationwide reach and all money would be kept "in house" and distributed amongst the schools. Currently NFL schedule release day is the only one in American Sports that has become a big deal. With the LXT, the schedule makers could ensure that marquee games are staggered and release day would become a bigger phenomenon than NFL release day. How many prime time games does my school get? Who are the inter-division games? Every fan base would be buzzing. Just as the NFL works to maximize it's feature games the LXT could do the same. Four games every Thursday at two start times. Saturday's would feature a staggering number of games, but the marquee games would also be staggered so as to avoid conflicting. Week after week would feature various must see LXT games in primetime.
At the end of the regular season, the five division champions as well as the top seven non-division winners would compete to crown one LXT champion. The format would be similar to the BCS playoff proposed here previously. Of course, the LXT no longer needs the BCS skimming money off the top. Even more money kept in house.
Looking ahead to college basketball, the Christmas tournaments could be entirely LXT events ripe with desirable inter-division matchups. The return of mandatory home and homes within each division would restore some of the lost luster of rivalries and individual division tournaments would feed into a small LXT Elite Eight style tournament.
A move such as this would be unprecedented, but so would the financial gain for the schools. It would change the landscape forever, but the product would be better. As it stands, the landscape is changing, but not maximizing the money earned or the product on the field/court. Both the fans and the schools would win. every would win, except for of course the other division one schools, but when there's money to be made that doesn't matter. The schools are already proving that on their own.
Saturday, June 5
Time Is A Motion Of Inevitability
Discussions of Sam Gilbert can wait for another day. The sports world has lost one of its icons of leadership. RIP Coach Wooden.
Friday, June 4
It's A Friday Update
What a week it has been. Catfish and I are still standing. We are still chasing that gold in the grave that is a lucrative sports career, both in our own unique way. So what better metaphor than my favorite Western standoff of all time. I would like to claim to represent Clint in this scene, but Cat is taller than me. No I am Tuco, the crafty and squat outlaw gunning for gold. Our third counterpart is the sports hemisphere, represented by the deceptive Angel Eyes. The three of us are at an epic standstill and only through progress will we shoot ourselves to glory and the precious coin.
What I am failing to say is that while Catfish and I are working hard on our real life projects, we still are committed to making this blog a reservoir for our thoughts and musings. We do not have the means to be an up to the second sports newsblogs, but hey, twitter is just a tweet away. We are here to offer our dynamic perspective on what we praise and abhor in the sporting world which we care about so deeply.
So while our compadre TBL deservedly cashed in on his hard work this week, we will continue to churn out our work little by little. Cat is mastering the airwaves, I am learning the intricacies of collegiate athletics, and this blog remains a refuge for our philosophizing. So by all means keep checking back, and subscribe so you can get our content when it comes around. Thanks for reading our good, bad, and the ugly. There are two kinds of people in the world my friend, those that have guns and those who dig. Right now we are still digging.
Thursday, June 3
A Perfect Game Ruined: Take Pandora's Box and Shove It
Pandora's box must be trending well on Google or at least amongst baseball fans and sports talk radio hosts. After last night's near perfect game, people are coming out of the woodwork to demand the call be overturned by the Commish or insisting the call stand. Despite the fact that football, basketball and hockey all have successfully implemented better instant replay systems there's been no large scale public outcry to overturn the immaculate reception, to remove Brett Hull's skate in the crease goal, or to nullify Trent Tucker's buzzer beater. So why in the name of the ghost of Joe Nuxhall are people acting like reversing the blown call at first base to properly award a perfect game would cause anarchy? Perhaps because they don't know as much baseball history as they think they do.
On May 26 1959, Harvey Haddix took the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Milwaukee Braves. After throwing what is regarded by many as the greatest game, an error in the 13th inning broke up Haddix's bid for perfect game. 12 straight perfect innings, 36 up 36 down, all for naught. Perhaps the most famous non-perfect game in baseball history until now, Haddix's name barely rings a bell for most baseball fans.
Quite a few will learn about him for the first time today, but not for the reasons discussed here as this isn't about Haddix's performance. It's about Major League Officials. The game ended after Milwaukee's Joe Adcock hit a ball over the fence with two men on. Hank Aaron was on first and mistakenly thought the ball had bounced over the fence for a ground rule double. Aaron touched second and headed to the dugout assuming that the game had ended. Once he realized his error and tried to return to rounding the bases Adcock had already touched third. The umpires conferred and determined Adcock was out, but Aaron's run would count.
Today people are asking for Jim Joyce's blown call at first to be overturned and they are meeting resistance from people arguing that Pandora's box will be opened, the human element is a part of the game and shouldn't be tampered with, the fear of a bad precedent and countless references to the 1985 World Series. If Bud Selig were to overrule the call he would not be changing the outcome of the game, but what he would be overruling the umpire on the field and taking a hit away from a batter.
So what does Harvey Haddix's game have to do with this? Well, the day after the game MLB officials decided that Adcock's hit was a double because of the baserunning error and took Hank Aaron's run off the board. The new final: 1-0. Here it is on Baseball Reference. That's Pandora's box. Oh, but it was 50 years ago and somehow baseball has managed to not turn into anarchy - outside of the NL East. So 51 years ago MLB officials decided to overrule the umpires on the field, take away a run, but not impact the ultimate outcome of the game. It also cost Joe Adcock a home run and a RBI. Yet, if Jason Donald's hit is taken away to correctly restore a perfect game that will be the bad precedent and the opening of Pandora's box? No, the bad precedent was set in 1991 when the Committee for Statistical Accuracy in Baseball led by then-Commish Fay Vincent decided not to award Haddix a perfect game.
The irony of the slippery slope, Pandora's Box crowd is that they claim to come at the discussion from the angle of being true baseball fans and historians. Not knowing about Henry Haddix is one thing, but regardless of what Bud Selig does here, it will be no pine tar incident, an incident that every baseball fan is familiar with and actually involved the Commissioner overruling the umpires and disregarding a rule. That's a serious precedent. Bud wouldn't be setting any precedent, he'd be setting the record books straight.
SI.com 50 years ago Harvey Haddix... (very good read)
Cal Coxswain Provides A Voice On And Off The Water
An inspirational rowing story is all I need to grab my attention. Jill Costello, the coxswain for the Cal women's team is battling stave IV lung cancer. This article from the San Francisco Chronicle has the details about her upbeat attitude, desire to compete with her team despite the illness, and her proactive approach to battling the disease. There is an interesting point in the article by John Crumpacker (that name can't be real can it?) about how lung cancer research does not get a lot of funding because it has the negative association with smokers. Costello and 25 percent of women are nonsmokers who have the disease.
Most people think coxswain's just sit at the front of the boat and yell "stroke". I cannot tell you how much this quaint explanation bothers rowers, let alone coxswains. As Costello's coach put it "A cox is part psychologist, part coach, part cheerleader, part drill sergeant. A good cox can have a positive effect. A cox is more of a cerebral athlete."
Best wishes to Costello and although this article came before Cal competed in the NCAA Rowing Championships and they came up short, the story is a great read. We always hear about a person's courageous battle with cancer, but Costello is an example of a person determined to make the battle count.
Full speed ahead for Cal cox [SFGate]
The One-hit Shutout That Will Live In Infamy
If umpire Jim Joyce had not blown the call at first base Armando Galarraga would have recorded the third perfect game in a month. That means 1/7th of perfect games in MLB history would have been performed in that time. Unfortunately Joyce, as he put hit, "kicked the shit out of it". Joyce has apologized and said all the right things, as has Galarraga and Jim Leyland, but the fact remains history was ruined. This does not affect the standings or the pennant race because the Tigers still won but what about the next time it does? Selig will make some bumbling statement I'm sure and baseball will continue with only replaying home run calls and doing so in an extremely inefficient manner (sending all the umps under the stadium instead of having a replay official upstairs). This has nothing to do with tradition or the human element, it has to do with making a correct call and the means to do everything in your power to make it.
