Growing up there was always that one kid you hated playing a sports video game with. You would pop in NHL ’94 and that kid wanted to be the Eastern Conference. Correction, he had to be the Eastern Conference All Stars. You would usually choose the Pittsburgh Penguins because c’mon, they had Lemieux, Jagr, Francis and Stevens. Okay there was a desire to be the Blackhawks to use the overall power of Jeremy Roenick.
While playing as the Penguins versus the clones of Mario and Jaromir, the kid had the audacity to keep playing the most undisciplined hockey. Always checking your Penguins after each whistle, taking slap shots from the blue line, numerous offside penalties, in a nutshell just sucking the fun out of NHL ’94.
What’s the point of this? As we approach the Winter Games in Vancouver the NHL will form their Dream Teams and suck the fun out of international hockey.
Obviously the suits from the individual countries and the equipment makers love this as it allows the ability to market already highly market players, logos and games. Nike will want you to buy their Sidney Crosby jersey over your Penguins Reebok jersey. Better yet get some official Team Canada socks. All over Canada on ponds and public rinks kids will be guarding their legs with not just Jofa, Easton and CCM but also the flag of the leg, Team Canada socks.
I myself have no problem with this repackaging but the games itself suffer along with the spirit of the Olympic Games.
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Miracle on Ice. Twenty college kids were able to overthrow the mighty international dynasty of The USSR. The Penguins beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars. David slays Goliath.
The Nagano Games unveiled the Dream Team, the powerful countries (Canada, U.S.A., Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia) were able to arm themselves to the teeth with established NHL veterans and young superstars to annihilate second tier countries. Japan was fortunate enough to make a solid showing in those games. However, that has yet to be seen in future Olympics.
Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks voices his criticism of the Dream Teams at the end of Miracle, summing up that the wonder and mystery of an upset is unlikely. His opinion is true.
The 1994 Olympics showcased that. Canada was looking to win the gold against a Sweden team most Americans and Canadians had little knowledge of. Canada’s Corey Hirsch was looking to keep the shootout still tied until future NHL star Peter Forsberg deked and scored. His goal, viewed from an overhead shot became a stamp in Sweden and became an iconic image in Olympic hockey (second only to the celebration at Lake Placid). Then it was up to Canadian star Paul Kariya who would be stopped sealing it for Sweden. Those natural images are lost when Olympic veterans such as Nick Lidstrom and Marty Brodeur are featured.
As the NHL’s best square off it’s sad to think about how amazing and wide open the tournament would be if it showcased the best from the juniors and national teams comprised of teenagers looking to get that chance to show scouts all over the world what they have to offer. These aren’t throw away games in Prague or Stockholm against kids destined for second or third tier European leagues. No, these are the Olympic Games where the next fifty goal scorer or Vezina trophy winner will be found.
While jersey sales for little known left wingers playing junior hockey in Alberta won’t sell in America or team photos of the Slovakian national team void of any current All-Stars would be minimal, the spirit of the Olympics would be intact. The Russian dynasty was comprised of players who did not have the chance to defect and play NHL hockey, so they merely became mercenaries of the ice. They created the Summit Series and the Canada Cup to beat heavily publicized Canadian All-Star teams and brawled against NHL teams to prove that amateurs were just as skilled.
As the Olympics get underway next month and NBC airs Team USA’s match up against another set of NHL All-Stars think about the possibility of an unknown from St. Cloud taking the face-off or even a highly touted prospect from Rochester between the pipes. Both players or rather all players looking for that glowing scouting report and a chance to draw high on the NHL draft and achieve the true dream. A dream of playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. It seems more meaningful than seeing the same team assembled to win a third or fourth gold medal.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Losing The Dream Team
Growing up there was always that one kid you hated playing a sports video game with. You would pop in NHL ’94 and that kid wanted to be the Eastern Conference. Correction, he had to be the Eastern Conference All Stars. You would usually choose the Pittsburgh Penguins because c’mon, they had Lemieux, Jagr, Francis and Stevens. Okay there was a desire to be the Blackhawks to use the overall power of Jeremy Roenick.
While playing as the Penguins versus the clones of Mario and Jaromir, the kid had the audacity to keep playing the most undisciplined hockey. Always checking your Penguins after each whistle, taking slap shots from the blue line, numerous offside penalties, in a nutshell just sucking the fun out of NHL ’94.
What’s the point of this? As we approach the Winter Games in Vancouver the NHL will form their Dream Teams and suck the fun out of international hockey.
Obviously the suits from the individual countries and the equipment makers love this as it allows the ability to market already highly market players, logos and games. Nike will want you to buy their Sidney Crosby jersey over your Penguins Reebok jersey. Better yet get some official Team Canada socks. All over Canada on ponds and public rinks kids will be guarding their legs with not just Jofa, Easton and CCM but also the flag of the leg, Team Canada socks.
I myself have no problem with this repackaging but the games itself suffer along with the spirit of the Olympic Games.
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Miracle on Ice. Twenty college kids were able to overthrow the mighty international dynasty of The USSR. The Penguins beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars. David slays Goliath.
The Nagano Games unveiled the Dream Team, the powerful countries (Canada, U.S.A., Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia) were able to arm themselves to the teeth with established NHL veterans and young superstars to annihilate second tier countries. Japan was fortunate enough to make a solid showing in those games. However, that has yet to be seen in future Olympics.
Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks voices his criticism of the Dream Teams at the end of Miracle, summing up that the wonder and mystery of an upset is unlikely. His opinion is true.
The 1994 Olympics showcased that. Canada was looking to win the gold against a Sweden team most Americans and Canadians had little knowledge of. Canada’s Corey Hirsch was looking to keep the shootout still tied until future NHL star Peter Forsberg deked and scored. His goal, viewed from an overhead shot became a stamp in Sweden and became an iconic image in Olympic hockey (second only to the celebration at Lake Placid). Then it was up to Canadian star Paul Kariya who would be stopped sealing it for Sweden. Those natural images are lost when Olympic veterans such as Nick Lidstrom and Marty Brodeur are featured.
As the NHL’s best square off it’s sad to think about how amazing and wide open the tournament would be if it showcased the best from the juniors and national teams comprised of teenagers looking to get that chance to show scouts all over the world what they have to offer. These aren’t throw away games in Prague or Stockholm against kids destined for second or third tier European leagues. No, these are the Olympic Games where the next fifty goal scorer or Vezina trophy winner will be found.
While jersey sales for little known left wingers playing junior hockey in Alberta won’t sell in America or team photos of the Slovakian national team void of any current All-Stars would be minimal, the spirit of the Olympics would be intact. The Russian dynasty was comprised of players who did not have the chance to defect and play NHL hockey, so they merely became mercenaries of the ice. They created the Summit Series and the Canada Cup to beat heavily publicized Canadian All-Star teams and brawled against NHL teams to prove that amateurs were just as skilled.
As the Olympics get underway next month and NBC airs Team USA’s match up against another set of NHL All-Stars think about the possibility of an unknown from St. Cloud taking the face-off or even a highly touted prospect from Rochester between the pipes. Both players or rather all players looking for that glowing scouting report and a chance to draw high on the NHL draft and achieve the true dream. A dream of playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. It seems more meaningful than seeing the same team assembled to win a third or fourth gold medal.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
While playing as the Penguins versus the clones of Mario and Jaromir, the kid had the audacity to keep playing the most undisciplined hockey. Always checking your Penguins after each whistle, taking slap shots from the blue line, numerous offside penalties, in a nutshell just sucking the fun out of NHL ’94.
What’s the point of this? As we approach the Winter Games in Vancouver the NHL will form their Dream Teams and suck the fun out of international hockey.
Obviously the suits from the individual countries and the equipment makers love this as it allows the ability to market already highly market players, logos and games. Nike will want you to buy their Sidney Crosby jersey over your Penguins Reebok jersey. Better yet get some official Team Canada socks. All over Canada on ponds and public rinks kids will be guarding their legs with not just Jofa, Easton and CCM but also the flag of the leg, Team Canada socks.
I myself have no problem with this repackaging but the games itself suffer along with the spirit of the Olympic Games.
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Miracle on Ice. Twenty college kids were able to overthrow the mighty international dynasty of The USSR. The Penguins beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars. David slays Goliath.
The Nagano Games unveiled the Dream Team, the powerful countries (Canada, U.S.A., Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia) were able to arm themselves to the teeth with established NHL veterans and young superstars to annihilate second tier countries. Japan was fortunate enough to make a solid showing in those games. However, that has yet to be seen in future Olympics.
Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks voices his criticism of the Dream Teams at the end of Miracle, summing up that the wonder and mystery of an upset is unlikely. His opinion is true.
The 1994 Olympics showcased that. Canada was looking to win the gold against a Sweden team most Americans and Canadians had little knowledge of. Canada’s Corey Hirsch was looking to keep the shootout still tied until future NHL star Peter Forsberg deked and scored. His goal, viewed from an overhead shot became a stamp in Sweden and became an iconic image in Olympic hockey (second only to the celebration at Lake Placid). Then it was up to Canadian star Paul Kariya who would be stopped sealing it for Sweden. Those natural images are lost when Olympic veterans such as Nick Lidstrom and Marty Brodeur are featured.
As the NHL’s best square off it’s sad to think about how amazing and wide open the tournament would be if it showcased the best from the juniors and national teams comprised of teenagers looking to get that chance to show scouts all over the world what they have to offer. These aren’t throw away games in Prague or Stockholm against kids destined for second or third tier European leagues. No, these are the Olympic Games where the next fifty goal scorer or Vezina trophy winner will be found.
While jersey sales for little known left wingers playing junior hockey in Alberta won’t sell in America or team photos of the Slovakian national team void of any current All-Stars would be minimal, the spirit of the Olympics would be intact. The Russian dynasty was comprised of players who did not have the chance to defect and play NHL hockey, so they merely became mercenaries of the ice. They created the Summit Series and the Canada Cup to beat heavily publicized Canadian All-Star teams and brawled against NHL teams to prove that amateurs were just as skilled.
As the Olympics get underway next month and NBC airs Team USA’s match up against another set of NHL All-Stars think about the possibility of an unknown from St. Cloud taking the face-off or even a highly touted prospect from Rochester between the pipes. Both players or rather all players looking for that glowing scouting report and a chance to draw high on the NHL draft and achieve the true dream. A dream of playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. It seems more meaningful than seeing the same team assembled to win a third or fourth gold medal.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Friday, January 1, 2010
Keeping the Winter Classic... well, Classic
As the Bruins skated to a dramatic overtime win against the Flyers the suits from the NHL must still be beaming with the satisfaction of the Winter Classic. In a holiday tradition that is the best P.R. piece for the league, well, apart from the large silver chalice handed out in June, the league cannot go wrong. Or can it.
You can have too much of a good thing and believe Gary Bettman will find a way to ruin the feel and high magnitude of the Winter Classic. In fact he is already finding a way to dilute the event. He has mentioned that there should be a game in Canada and one in America. Let's take a moment to break that down.
First let's look at how many teams are in each country. Canada has a limited pool of teams that could compete. Canada has six teams, a number drastically dwarfed by the 24 teams that reside in the Union. This obviously brings up the discussion of how many times can we make a Senators-Leafs match up seem so special. The answer is it doesn't.
Having two Winter Classics will siphon the magic and excitement of a glorious event. Only one game needs to be played. Let's not see the game become college football. That's right, it would become the bowl season of hockey. With more bowl games being added to the NCAA postseason schedule the less the games feel special, important, exclusive.
The NHL needs to keep it to one game. But more importantly the league needs to make it a Winter Classic in the surest sense. Southern teams cannot be involved, they just cannot live up to the idea. When I think of Winter Classic, a melting rink in Phoenix or Anaheim is not how I envisioned it.
To go along with the teams being allowed to play, natural rivalry or historically based match ups must be taken into account. Having a Leafs-Canadiens match up is what the Winter Classic is all about. It's a showcase of the best franchises in the NHL's history. This is particularly true since the NHL has the weakest network deal where NBC barely shows game prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You need the best historical franchises to build up viewership in main markets or use it to promote new young stars (like Crosby in the Buffalo Winter Classic).
If the NHL really wanted to use it as a showcase of the game and heritage of hockey they need to use history to their advantage. When they league had the Heritage Classic in Edmonton CBC broadcast the Mega-Stars game. You cannot miss the appeal of a game pitting The Great One, Guy LaFluer and Mark Messier.
I would have loved watching a matinee of a Bruins-Flyers alumni game. Hextall in net against Moog. John LeClair rushing inside on Ray Bourque. Maybe dust off a brawl between some Bullies and some lunch pail gang players. Now imagine if that happened every year, seeing players of yesteryear dust off the axe and blades to spend one more afternoon acting as a child.
The Winter Classic needs to feel like a classic. Let's keep it one game. Let's keep it in the ice and cold and let's keep it a showcase of the heritage and history of hockey. Most importantly let us tap into the feeling of child like wonder and an outdoor game.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
You can have too much of a good thing and believe Gary Bettman will find a way to ruin the feel and high magnitude of the Winter Classic. In fact he is already finding a way to dilute the event. He has mentioned that there should be a game in Canada and one in America. Let's take a moment to break that down.
First let's look at how many teams are in each country. Canada has a limited pool of teams that could compete. Canada has six teams, a number drastically dwarfed by the 24 teams that reside in the Union. This obviously brings up the discussion of how many times can we make a Senators-Leafs match up seem so special. The answer is it doesn't.
Having two Winter Classics will siphon the magic and excitement of a glorious event. Only one game needs to be played. Let's not see the game become college football. That's right, it would become the bowl season of hockey. With more bowl games being added to the NCAA postseason schedule the less the games feel special, important, exclusive.
The NHL needs to keep it to one game. But more importantly the league needs to make it a Winter Classic in the surest sense. Southern teams cannot be involved, they just cannot live up to the idea. When I think of Winter Classic, a melting rink in Phoenix or Anaheim is not how I envisioned it.
To go along with the teams being allowed to play, natural rivalry or historically based match ups must be taken into account. Having a Leafs-Canadiens match up is what the Winter Classic is all about. It's a showcase of the best franchises in the NHL's history. This is particularly true since the NHL has the weakest network deal where NBC barely shows game prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You need the best historical franchises to build up viewership in main markets or use it to promote new young stars (like Crosby in the Buffalo Winter Classic).
If the NHL really wanted to use it as a showcase of the game and heritage of hockey they need to use history to their advantage. When they league had the Heritage Classic in Edmonton CBC broadcast the Mega-Stars game. You cannot miss the appeal of a game pitting The Great One, Guy LaFluer and Mark Messier.
I would have loved watching a matinee of a Bruins-Flyers alumni game. Hextall in net against Moog. John LeClair rushing inside on Ray Bourque. Maybe dust off a brawl between some Bullies and some lunch pail gang players. Now imagine if that happened every year, seeing players of yesteryear dust off the axe and blades to spend one more afternoon acting as a child.
The Winter Classic needs to feel like a classic. Let's keep it one game. Let's keep it in the ice and cold and let's keep it a showcase of the heritage and history of hockey. Most importantly let us tap into the feeling of child like wonder and an outdoor game.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Chase Utley HAS TO BE MVP!!!
As we near the end of this ho-hum World Series, marred more by long, cold November nights, Joe Girardi mound visits and the absence of Ryan Howard, one thing needs to be done... the naming of Chase Utley as the 2009 World Series MVP.
Even if the Yankees win Game 6 and claim their 27th title, the MVP has to be Utley's. He has been the only player who has shown up in every game and made an impact. Yankee fans have suggested Alex Rodriguez, but his hitting has been so uneven it would be a travesty to the game to give him the new car and award.
Arod is definitely shedding his "can't perform in the postseason" image, but the numbers are just not there.
His numbers in the World Series:
4-18, .222 BA, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 7 K
His hits have been power hits, doubles and a homer, but his high strikeout numbers and a pitiful average for a middle of the lineup hitter is just not justified. It's already bad enough Teixeira is looking like Willie Stargell in the 1971 Series against Baltimore but A-Rod is a one man crew.
The other Yankee candidate was A.J. Burnett but he decided to become Burnett of old and Joe Girardi learned that Burnett can't work on three days rest. It's not like it's Bob Gibson going against the 1967 Red Sox.
On the Phillies side is Chase Utley, the man who tied the record for most homeruns in the World Series and those homeruns have just been Yankee killers. The three run shot in Game 5 took a Yankees team looking to ride an early 1st lead to victory. It also signified the wheels coming off the Burnett bus. After hitting Shane Victorino on the bunt attempt, the home run (on the first pitch to Utley no less) just shut his game down for the night.
Utley, the only bat alive on the Fighting Phils has been a wrecking ball.
Utley's stats:
6-18, .333 BA, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, SB
The guy is picking up for Ryan Howard who is hitting .158 with 12 K's. Shane Victorino, last years stand out player in the postseason is hitting .167.
While Bobby Richardson won the MVP in 1960, a losing player winning the MVP would not be unheard of, not even in just a baseball setting. The Conn Smythe Trophy, though awarded to the best player during the Stanley Cup Playoffs (not just the Finals) has been given to a player on the losing team five times. Though even then the stand out player in the Stanley Cup is usually the best player in the Finals.
Granted if the Yankees lose tonight and the tomorrow resulting in a Philadelphia repeat every writer will have chosen Chase Utley by then because he probably hit another homerun again. Though if the Yanks pull it out, Mr. Utley deserves a little more consideration than some pinstriped players.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
NBA: Let The Better Market... er.... Team Win
Deadspin posted some excerpts of Tim Donaghy's book that was going to be published before the NBA threatened to sue. Luckily for the world wanting to know the truth on NBA basketball and all those angry Sacremento Kings fans, the truth is out.
Donaghy not only mentions his own gambling addiction but also talks about how it was prevalent around the league.
To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn't have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees' locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal. We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice — he didn't have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour.
Though the most damning offense mentioned in the book was not about Donaghy, but about the NBA and how it dictated "encouraged" outcomes to games.
The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.
In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls — calls that would have benefited the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.
"If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that's down in the series, nobody's going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7," Bavetta stated.
It's easy to understand the context of when this occurred. The NBA's image was in the toilet, with the league trying to find the next Michael Jordan. The Lakers looked like they were the team of the future; Kobe Bryant, a hot young player with some many weapons and of course Shaq, the 21st Century's premier post player. Bigger and stronger than Wilt and Kareem.
Of course the tainted referee goes on to mention that this game was not the only one where the NBA wanted a different outcome. Also, it's not the only time the messenger, in an officials uniform, was Dick Bavetta.
Though in fairness to Bavetta, there were other officials painted as "company men" for the Association. Not to mention that certain refs had relationships with coaches and vendettas against certain players and teams.
Again it's understood that the game was in a transition from Jordan to the Holy Trinity of LeBron/Wade/Kobe focus it has now. The league was battling an image of a streetball mentality where players were brawling on the court, smoking grass off the court and creating a very rough urban appearance the league could not market to networks TV exects and key demographic households.
Though at the same time, if the NBA was so worried about it's image why force match ups? Would a Finals match up that featured the Kings really have damaged the ratings?
The Kings were the one seed with Divac, Bibby, Christie and Webber hitting their prime. Granted the endorsements were in favor of Kobe (Adidas) and Shaq (everything in the world). A Kings win could have bumped up their exposure value for not only more potential endorsements and publicity for a new NBA market but also create a long lasting rivalry with the Lakers, a true California rival.
For the NBA this revelation paints a picture that is comparable to the Black Sox Scandal on 1919. The fact that league officials and referees were in cooperation to manipulate and rig the outcome of games and series to promote larger and more profitable markets is not only damning to the fans who pay for these games but to the owners of the teams. Essentially the NBA hates every market except for L.A., New York, Boston, Chicago and Dallas. Those are some of your largest markets out there. Milwaukee, Orlando, Portland, Toronto can just go away. No one needs them.
The NBA threatened the lawsuit on the publishers saying that the aforementioned statements by Donaghy are untrue. Now the league has hired someone to look into the officiating problems, just as the refs are ending their holdout. If the NBA wants to avoid a Selig-Steroids debate that could easily linger with the league for seasons, they might as well admit it.
That brings up the point of whether everything he said is true. If the NBA had never had those problems then they could easily assassinate Donaghy's character, claiming that he was just a former employee with an beef. Though with all the incidents and all the names dropped, say what you will about Donaghy's character because it looks like he is speaking the truth.
I remember one of my classes in college, a sports management class. The question was, "What elements comprise of a game?" One of them is an undetermined outcome. If the NBA has a policy like they do for the 2002 Western Conference Finals, then is it really a game?
Deadspin Link
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Bud should ban post-season champaigne celebrations
I'm a big fan of tradition in sports. Whether it be growing beards for the playoffs, throwing back the opposition's home run ball or having the Lions and Cowboys play on Thanksgiving, i like it. But there are some traditions that become, say, outdated. So, when the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim poured champaigne over Nick Adenhart's jersey to celebrate a playoff birth, they weren't being ironic or mocking, they were covering their teammate in champagne just like they would if he was still there, as is the tradition. Instead of questioning the Angles players (as many have done), it's the champagne celebration we should take a harder look at.
Seems there has always been a relationship between alcohol and professional sports. Beer and a hot dog, right. But, as we take a closer look at the connection, it goes far beyond beer and a dog. The tradition of celebrating with champagne pushes the message that celebrations have to include alcohol. When you win, you drink. Sure, Adenhart's family was OK with the celebration. Sure, players gave money to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, but when it came down to it, they kept the path of the status quo. You know, Donte Stallworth was celebrating his new contract the night he hit and killed Mario Reyes.
We shouldn't only point the finger at the Angles. After clinching, after the first and second playoff rounds and after the World Series, whoever wins will celebrate with champaigne. If Bud Selig is paying attention to anything other than weather radar this post-season, he will ban alcohol during post-game celebrations. If not for any other reason, Bud should place the ban out of respect for Adenhart's family or for Cardinal Josh Hancock, who was killed in a drunk driving accident in 2007. Or, how about because the alcohol problem in professional sports has become (or probably always was, right Mickey?) epidemic.
The problem with alcohol and professional sports isn't just with players, it's with fans and advertisers too. I'm sure tailgating is a blast, but thousands getting sloshed before a game does little for fan safety, especially after the game. Meger attempts to limit drunkeness like stopping the sale of alcohol after the third quarter are pointless if fans have been drinking since 9 a.m. And, you are telling me the NFL couldn't restrict the content of alcohol commercials? Maybe show ads that don't feature Average Joe football fan getting lap dances from super models because he has a Coors Light in his hand?
Professional sports should, but realistically won't, reform it's policies when it comes to alcohol. Bud Selig could, but won't, set a precedent. As long as it's still $10 a beer and Coors pays $10 million to advertise, no one will.
Seems there has always been a relationship between alcohol and professional sports. Beer and a hot dog, right. But, as we take a closer look at the connection, it goes far beyond beer and a dog. The tradition of celebrating with champagne pushes the message that celebrations have to include alcohol. When you win, you drink. Sure, Adenhart's family was OK with the celebration. Sure, players gave money to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, but when it came down to it, they kept the path of the status quo. You know, Donte Stallworth was celebrating his new contract the night he hit and killed Mario Reyes.
We shouldn't only point the finger at the Angles. After clinching, after the first and second playoff rounds and after the World Series, whoever wins will celebrate with champaigne. If Bud Selig is paying attention to anything other than weather radar this post-season, he will ban alcohol during post-game celebrations. If not for any other reason, Bud should place the ban out of respect for Adenhart's family or for Cardinal Josh Hancock, who was killed in a drunk driving accident in 2007. Or, how about because the alcohol problem in professional sports has become (or probably always was, right Mickey?) epidemic.
The problem with alcohol and professional sports isn't just with players, it's with fans and advertisers too. I'm sure tailgating is a blast, but thousands getting sloshed before a game does little for fan safety, especially after the game. Meger attempts to limit drunkeness like stopping the sale of alcohol after the third quarter are pointless if fans have been drinking since 9 a.m. And, you are telling me the NFL couldn't restrict the content of alcohol commercials? Maybe show ads that don't feature Average Joe football fan getting lap dances from super models because he has a Coors Light in his hand?
Professional sports should, but realistically won't, reform it's policies when it comes to alcohol. Bud Selig could, but won't, set a precedent. As long as it's still $10 a beer and Coors pays $10 million to advertise, no one will.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Say it ain't so, Stan
A few weeks before the International League season began, I had the pleasure of meeting Rochester Red Wings manager Stan Cliburn. If you've met him, you know a few things: he's a baseball man. It's not just his religion, it's his ethnicity. Baseball isn't a second language, it's the only language. Stan might as well have been pulled straight from Bull Durham, minus the "one day at a time" speech, that's just not his style. Stan's style is honest, hard-working, old school.
Spending a few minutes with Stan, I couldn't help but think he could have been in the dugout in any era. Connie Mack, Sparky Anderson or Leo Durocher, you can easilly picture him managing in the 1890s or 1990s. What makes Stan a transcendent-type figure isn't just his baseball saavy, it's his ability to spin a great yarn (or in English, tell a story). Trust me, Stan tells the best.
Stan still has a tape of the radio broadcast of his first home run in the major leagues (one of only two he hit). But, as Stan told us, his motives for hanging onto the tape were more than just for the keepsake. Years later, the pitcher who gave up the bomb was working as a pitching coach for a club in the same league as Stan. When the two teams played, Stan played the tape over the stadium loud speaker. To which the pitching coach yelled, "Oh, shut that off."
If you are a baseball guy, you are a Stan Cliburn guy. If you are a baseball city, you are a Cliburn city. And Rochester is a Cliburn city. Though he has a Southern drawl like Dr. Phil and can be a crude as Larry the Cable Guy, Stan's blue collar attitude, honesty and effort to make a connection to fans made him the guy to root for in Rochester.
Unfortunately, we now have to talk past-tense about Cliburn in Rochester. After a sub-.500 finish, the Rochester Red Wings decided to let Stan go after four seasons as manager. It wasn't the below average finish that got Stan canned, it was a season full of behind the scenes drama stemming from the decision to demote Stan's twin brother Stu from Red Wings pitching coach to the same position at double-A affiliate New Britain.
"I must have rubbed somebody the wrong way," Stan said. Likely so, but off-field issues or not, the city of Rochester and the Red Wings organization was lucky to have Stan Cliburn at the helm.
Spending a few minutes with Stan, I couldn't help but think he could have been in the dugout in any era. Connie Mack, Sparky Anderson or Leo Durocher, you can easilly picture him managing in the 1890s or 1990s. What makes Stan a transcendent-type figure isn't just his baseball saavy, it's his ability to spin a great yarn (or in English, tell a story). Trust me, Stan tells the best.
Stan still has a tape of the radio broadcast of his first home run in the major leagues (one of only two he hit). But, as Stan told us, his motives for hanging onto the tape were more than just for the keepsake. Years later, the pitcher who gave up the bomb was working as a pitching coach for a club in the same league as Stan. When the two teams played, Stan played the tape over the stadium loud speaker. To which the pitching coach yelled, "Oh, shut that off."
If you are a baseball guy, you are a Stan Cliburn guy. If you are a baseball city, you are a Cliburn city. And Rochester is a Cliburn city. Though he has a Southern drawl like Dr. Phil and can be a crude as Larry the Cable Guy, Stan's blue collar attitude, honesty and effort to make a connection to fans made him the guy to root for in Rochester.
Unfortunately, we now have to talk past-tense about Cliburn in Rochester. After a sub-.500 finish, the Rochester Red Wings decided to let Stan go after four seasons as manager. It wasn't the below average finish that got Stan canned, it was a season full of behind the scenes drama stemming from the decision to demote Stan's twin brother Stu from Red Wings pitching coach to the same position at double-A affiliate New Britain.
"I must have rubbed somebody the wrong way," Stan said. Likely so, but off-field issues or not, the city of Rochester and the Red Wings organization was lucky to have Stan Cliburn at the helm.
Monday, September 14, 2009
What could have been for Serena
After columnist Jason Whitlock bashed Serena Williams's booty earlier this year, he endured a downpour of flack. Feminists acted as if he'd spit on Susan B. Anthony and fellow columnists kicked it into attack mode like Whitlock was an extra and they were Steven Segal. Yes, they were harsh on Whitlock, but it wasn't his backside bashing of Serena that was bothersome, it was that Whitlock misdiagnosed Serena's problem.
In his column, Whitlock said Serena could be the Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan of her sport. This is true, but what's holding her back isn't her bottom, it's her top. Get your mind out of the gutter, I mean her brain. Her attitude. The unwavering cockyness and arrogance that cost her the U.S. Open.
During Saturday's match against Kim Clijsters, Serena threw a temper tantrum that made John McEnroe look tame. It made Dennis Green's famous "they are who we thought they were" speech look somber. After being hit with a foul, Serena looked at the line judge and said, "If I could, I would take this ball and stuff it down your throat." Of course, her quote is minus the explatives. After she went wacky, Serena was immediately penalized a point for her tirade. The point turned out to be match point and Serena was eliminated.
Serena's insincere, public-relations-company-written, day-later response said it was the competition, the heat of passion that caused her to go bizerk. OK, I could see it if this was the first example of Serena actling like she's the prodigal princess of the court, but it isn't. Before the Italian Open, Serena pronounced herself No. 1 in the world, though Dinara Safina held that title. "We all know who the real No. 1 is," Serena said. "Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world."
Before we delve into the shear arrogance of her statement, we have to ask: would Tiger Woods say that? Would Tiger threaten to bash an official's brains in with a four iron? Can you picture Tiger leaning back in his chair with a sly smile saying "screw Vijay, screw Phil, I'm No. 1."
Serena's actions Saturday and her comments about Safina prove she respects no one. She doesn't respect the game, her competitors, it's officials or her fans. She could care less about young female athletes. She scoffs at those who work their entire lives toward the pinnacle moment of facing her like they are trash she must kick aside in order to maintain her super stardom. And when she loses, she couldn't have been outplayed, no no, just ask her. When the press inquired about who she feared most, she said "probably myself. I always beat myself."
Well, I can't help but agree with her. But she doesn't beat herself with unforced errors, she beats herself by acting like an over-privlidged little leaguer whose dad coaches the team. She beats herself by trying to be Meghan Fox and not Serena Williams. During the same press conference that she announced she was better than everyone, she also said she wanted to get into more off-court activities, though she is already into fashion and acting. Maybe that's where she belongs.
The sad part is that women's sports need a Tiger Woods. They need a hero who rises above all competition with grace. Women's sports need Serena Williams to show strength and humility instead of pompusness and self-importance. Especially young black female athletes. If Serena wasn't so busy designing jean skirts, she'd realize that she could introduce a new generation of young black girls to tennis the way Tiger Woods introduced black youth to golf.
One can only hope a fine and possible suspension opens Serena's eyes to the bigger picture. If so, she could see her relevance as an athlete can go far beyond winning a bunch of tournamants. But, at age 27, she's past the point of maturation and growing nearer to the the point of being surpassed. And when that day comes, when we are given time to reflect, we will look back and say "if only." If only Serena Williams could have gotten over herself, she could have been great.
In his column, Whitlock said Serena could be the Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan of her sport. This is true, but what's holding her back isn't her bottom, it's her top. Get your mind out of the gutter, I mean her brain. Her attitude. The unwavering cockyness and arrogance that cost her the U.S. Open.
During Saturday's match against Kim Clijsters, Serena threw a temper tantrum that made John McEnroe look tame. It made Dennis Green's famous "they are who we thought they were" speech look somber. After being hit with a foul, Serena looked at the line judge and said, "If I could, I would take this ball and stuff it down your throat." Of course, her quote is minus the explatives. After she went wacky, Serena was immediately penalized a point for her tirade. The point turned out to be match point and Serena was eliminated.
Serena's insincere, public-relations-company-written, day-later response said it was the competition, the heat of passion that caused her to go bizerk. OK, I could see it if this was the first example of Serena actling like she's the prodigal princess of the court, but it isn't. Before the Italian Open, Serena pronounced herself No. 1 in the world, though Dinara Safina held that title. "We all know who the real No. 1 is," Serena said. "Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world."
Before we delve into the shear arrogance of her statement, we have to ask: would Tiger Woods say that? Would Tiger threaten to bash an official's brains in with a four iron? Can you picture Tiger leaning back in his chair with a sly smile saying "screw Vijay, screw Phil, I'm No. 1."
Serena's actions Saturday and her comments about Safina prove she respects no one. She doesn't respect the game, her competitors, it's officials or her fans. She could care less about young female athletes. She scoffs at those who work their entire lives toward the pinnacle moment of facing her like they are trash she must kick aside in order to maintain her super stardom. And when she loses, she couldn't have been outplayed, no no, just ask her. When the press inquired about who she feared most, she said "probably myself. I always beat myself."
Well, I can't help but agree with her. But she doesn't beat herself with unforced errors, she beats herself by acting like an over-privlidged little leaguer whose dad coaches the team. She beats herself by trying to be Meghan Fox and not Serena Williams. During the same press conference that she announced she was better than everyone, she also said she wanted to get into more off-court activities, though she is already into fashion and acting. Maybe that's where she belongs.
The sad part is that women's sports need a Tiger Woods. They need a hero who rises above all competition with grace. Women's sports need Serena Williams to show strength and humility instead of pompusness and self-importance. Especially young black female athletes. If Serena wasn't so busy designing jean skirts, she'd realize that she could introduce a new generation of young black girls to tennis the way Tiger Woods introduced black youth to golf.
One can only hope a fine and possible suspension opens Serena's eyes to the bigger picture. If so, she could see her relevance as an athlete can go far beyond winning a bunch of tournamants. But, at age 27, she's past the point of maturation and growing nearer to the the point of being surpassed. And when that day comes, when we are given time to reflect, we will look back and say "if only." If only Serena Williams could have gotten over herself, she could have been great.
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