If Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini's idea of living up to his nickname "Man-Genius" was trying to pull one over on the Vikings by playing Guess My Quarterback, then he might think Reggie Jackson was called "Mr. October" because Reg enjoyed the many changing colors of the leaves.
Trying to fool an NFL coaching staff by playing mind-warp with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson is like trying to stump NASA with a sudoku puzzle. Sure, Childress may resemble George Castanza, but I can't exactly see him starting a fake charity, calling in a bomb threat, or pushing old ladies down in a panic over the QB switch-a-roo.
By the way Genius, Childress is so confidant in his game plan, he decided to share it with me: hand off to Adrain Peterson 30 times, blitz 20 and after the Vikings are up by 35 at half, rest the starters.
While in the process of playing David Copperfield with his starting QBs, Mangini must have fogotten that his team runs, catches and blocks like The Little Giants and is as tough on D as a soggy pizza box. If Adrian Peterson runs for 200-plus with 3 TDs, does it really matter who the opposing QB is?
Through trickery, Mangini must still be trying to impress his old boss Belichick. But Bill's moves make a little more sense: taping the other team, that was genius (and illegal, but you have to give him points for innovation.) Putting Brady on the injury list week after week, then taking him off when he was actually injured, OK I can see it. Even having Matt Cassel punt last season, very clever. You have to think Belichick is snickering under his hoodie at his former minion.
By the way, we aren't exactly talking about Young and Montana here, Genius. This pre-season, Anderson and Quinn made Couch and Holcomb look like Len Dawson and Bart Starr. The Browns aren't debating whether Koufax or Drysdale should start game one. Maybe, in the interest of getting Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford, Mangini should start third-stringer Brett Ratliff. Remember how Marlon Brando's character in On The Waterfront regretted taking dives? Well, taking dives might be the only way for the Browns to eventually become a contendaaa.
You have to feel for Brady Quinn. He gets drafted 10 spots lower than expected, has to sit and watch a nobody put together a Pro-Bowl season, then when finally he gets his shot, he's got Five-Hour-drops Edwards and a tight end as mentally stable as Britney Spears. Then he gets hurt. Now he's forced to battle for the prize of leading a team predicted to win two games led by a coach who seems to thinks he's a Jedi.... Maybe Quinn should have joined his Notre Dame pal Jeff Samardzija and played baseball.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
'Roid Rumors Must Go
When we talk about major league candidates for performance enhanced cheating, we have pretty set criteria. We profile a cheater. We put on our George Mitchell hats, pull up stat sheets and start investigating, looking for a glitch, blip or bump in the numbers. Compare age to production. Compare rookie height and weight to current. And if we are really good, we eyeball hat size from our recliner. You can see, our investigations are thorough. And when finished, we work diligently to prove to everyone we know that so-and-so is “a user” or “on the list.”
Some easy examples of how our Woodward-and-Bernstein-like digging illustrate: Barry Bonds goes from hitting 34 home runs at age 34 to hitting 73 at 36. Roger Clemens had an earned run average of 4.60 at age 36, at age 42 it was 1.87. Red flag! The user begins to slip on production, then has a wild resurgence defying nature. Gotcha cheater.
That being said, there is a current ballplayer who fits the profile and should be - but isn’t being - vehemently accused of being a cheater. That player is Derek Jeter. Derek Sanderson Cheater. The Syringe Captain. What? I can’t accuse Derek Jeter of being a steroid user? Why not? Look at the numbers: age 35, batting average .334 home runs 17 slugging percentage .482 stolen bases 23. In 2009, his average is at it’s highest point since ‘06, home runs highest since ‘05, slugging highest since ‘06 and steals highest since ‘06.
For the Yankee lead-off juicer, pop outs are now home runs, ground outs are worm-burners and each steal leaves a trail of smoke on the base paths. Could this explosion by an elder be because of health? No. Could it be hard work, perseverance? No. Steroids, that’s it.
OK, accusing Derek Jeter of using steroids sounds completely ridiculous -and it is, but his 2009 performance doesn’t match a normal statistical curve. Funny thing is Albert Pujols’s, thus far, does. Yet every time Fat Al hits a home run, somebody whispers or tweets or blogs that Pujols is juicing. The chant continued in the last week’s Sports Illustrated where Pujols’s name was dropped in comparison to what Usain Bolt should expect as far as ‘roid questioning. The “Pujols on steroids” mantra keeps coming up no matter how far Albert goes to make clear he’s clean. He even said he’d give back every dime to St. Louis if he ever tested positive.
Pujols is 29-years old. Isn’t 29 about the prime of every pro-athlete’s career? So far, things are going according to nature, he’s hit 42 home runs and is batting .320. Career highs are 49 and .359 in those categories. With less than a month to go, Pujols is 31 home runs behind Bonds’ record. He’s 80 percentage points from .400 and a good 70-plus RBI from Hack Wilson. His numbers are human, the only thing that is super-human is his consistency.
But, perhaps the most consistent player ever Hank Aaron put up similar numbers averaging 37 home runs and 113 RBI per 162 games over 20-plus years. Hammering Hank suffered through constant racism, Pujols will always be barraged with ‘roid rumors.
We’ve gotten to the point where we’re condemning anyone and everyone for the actions of a few. It’s the sports equivalent of putting the Japanese in internment camps or dubbing every Middle Eastern person a terrorist. Of course, he isn’t the only victim of accusation - Raul Ibanez was hit with rumors after a hot first half, but Pujols is on the wrong end of more digs than Osama Bin Laden.
At this point, Pujols is the victim of high school antics. He’s like the innocent cheerleader that all the other girls say sleeps around. Because there’s so much good to say about him (he even won the Roberto Clemente award) some seem to need that “yeah, but.” Yeah, I know she can do a triple back flip and stick the landing. I know she raises money for sick puppies, but, did you know she’s a slut?
I understand the hearts of baseball fans have been broken time and time again, Big Papi's news may have hurt the most (because regardless of those going "I knew it! I knew it! You didn't, shut up) and I get that it becomes a fool-me-once type of situation, but if anyone can heal the wounds, it's Albert Pujols. The man looks into the camera and says, "I respect the game too much to cheat." He doesn't smerk like A-rod. He doesn't scream like Bonds. He stares at us as if even the thought of cheating makes him physically ill. Hearing Pujols speak could make Joseph Stalin feel guilty for thinking anything negative.
The reality is that until any evidence surfaces, we must assume innocence because, well, what else can we do? Unfounded accusations get you as far in journalism as fantasy football does toward being a tailback. Thing is, even John Dowd can’t go into the clubhouse, trainers room or follow players home. We have the choice between marveling at Pujols the way people did at Aaron or being cynical. Call me naïve, but for now, I’m choosing a state of awe.
Some easy examples of how our Woodward-and-Bernstein-like digging illustrate: Barry Bonds goes from hitting 34 home runs at age 34 to hitting 73 at 36. Roger Clemens had an earned run average of 4.60 at age 36, at age 42 it was 1.87. Red flag! The user begins to slip on production, then has a wild resurgence defying nature. Gotcha cheater.
That being said, there is a current ballplayer who fits the profile and should be - but isn’t being - vehemently accused of being a cheater. That player is Derek Jeter. Derek Sanderson Cheater. The Syringe Captain. What? I can’t accuse Derek Jeter of being a steroid user? Why not? Look at the numbers: age 35, batting average .334 home runs 17 slugging percentage .482 stolen bases 23. In 2009, his average is at it’s highest point since ‘06, home runs highest since ‘05, slugging highest since ‘06 and steals highest since ‘06.
For the Yankee lead-off juicer, pop outs are now home runs, ground outs are worm-burners and each steal leaves a trail of smoke on the base paths. Could this explosion by an elder be because of health? No. Could it be hard work, perseverance? No. Steroids, that’s it.
OK, accusing Derek Jeter of using steroids sounds completely ridiculous -and it is, but his 2009 performance doesn’t match a normal statistical curve. Funny thing is Albert Pujols’s, thus far, does. Yet every time Fat Al hits a home run, somebody whispers or tweets or blogs that Pujols is juicing. The chant continued in the last week’s Sports Illustrated where Pujols’s name was dropped in comparison to what Usain Bolt should expect as far as ‘roid questioning. The “Pujols on steroids” mantra keeps coming up no matter how far Albert goes to make clear he’s clean. He even said he’d give back every dime to St. Louis if he ever tested positive.
Pujols is 29-years old. Isn’t 29 about the prime of every pro-athlete’s career? So far, things are going according to nature, he’s hit 42 home runs and is batting .320. Career highs are 49 and .359 in those categories. With less than a month to go, Pujols is 31 home runs behind Bonds’ record. He’s 80 percentage points from .400 and a good 70-plus RBI from Hack Wilson. His numbers are human, the only thing that is super-human is his consistency.
But, perhaps the most consistent player ever Hank Aaron put up similar numbers averaging 37 home runs and 113 RBI per 162 games over 20-plus years. Hammering Hank suffered through constant racism, Pujols will always be barraged with ‘roid rumors.
We’ve gotten to the point where we’re condemning anyone and everyone for the actions of a few. It’s the sports equivalent of putting the Japanese in internment camps or dubbing every Middle Eastern person a terrorist. Of course, he isn’t the only victim of accusation - Raul Ibanez was hit with rumors after a hot first half, but Pujols is on the wrong end of more digs than Osama Bin Laden.
At this point, Pujols is the victim of high school antics. He’s like the innocent cheerleader that all the other girls say sleeps around. Because there’s so much good to say about him (he even won the Roberto Clemente award) some seem to need that “yeah, but.” Yeah, I know she can do a triple back flip and stick the landing. I know she raises money for sick puppies, but, did you know she’s a slut?
I understand the hearts of baseball fans have been broken time and time again, Big Papi's news may have hurt the most (because regardless of those going "I knew it! I knew it! You didn't, shut up) and I get that it becomes a fool-me-once type of situation, but if anyone can heal the wounds, it's Albert Pujols. The man looks into the camera and says, "I respect the game too much to cheat." He doesn't smerk like A-rod. He doesn't scream like Bonds. He stares at us as if even the thought of cheating makes him physically ill. Hearing Pujols speak could make Joseph Stalin feel guilty for thinking anything negative.
The reality is that until any evidence surfaces, we must assume innocence because, well, what else can we do? Unfounded accusations get you as far in journalism as fantasy football does toward being a tailback. Thing is, even John Dowd can’t go into the clubhouse, trainers room or follow players home. We have the choice between marveling at Pujols the way people did at Aaron or being cynical. Call me naïve, but for now, I’m choosing a state of awe.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Nice guys finish last, huh Plax
Watching Plaxico Burress's ESPN interview was pretty tough, you know, I mean, you know what I'm sayin, you know? Sorry. He ended by saying (minus the you know's) "I'm human, I'm not an animal." True, and some are feeling the heart-string-tug, but when it comes to compassion Plax, I'm all out. Put it this way:
I'm not a bad person. I always put my cart back at the grocery store to make it easier on the workers. I don't park in handicap spots or fire lanes. If I find $20 on the ground, I look around for it's owner for a reasonable amount of time before pocketing it. And, if someone is coming toward my elevator, I hold it for them regardless of age, race, scent or gerth. You see, I'm not a bad person.
But, the other day I got a parking ticket. It was stupid of me, really. The meter clearly read "one hour parking" yet I tried to get away with two. Nailed! And because I broke the law, the fine was promptly paid and my debt to society erased. So, if I - a generally good guy - have to pay for breaking rules which maintain order, then why are so many people crying about Plaxico Burress getting two years in prison for carrying an illegal weapon?
My car blocked the parking space. Plax shot himself. Feeling bad about blocking the space isn't enough punishment and neither is Plex's flesh wound. I might have inconvienced someone, Plax might have killed someone. Sure the punishment seems harsh (that's why Tony Soprano lives in New Jersey) heck, I thought the $75 fine for the extra hour was like being hit with an anvil for tapping the glass at the pet store.
However, if there's a law that says I should get my brains bashed in for disturbing the fish, then maybe I won't bother them. Just like if New York City has notoriously tough gun laws, maybe I don't stuff one in my jeans before heading to da' club. Though I suppose that's touching on Burress stupidity, which stands out like a pair of zuba pants. How does anyone believe being a friendly-faced rock brain is a reason to receive a pardon?
Nobody pardoned Dante Stallworth and I'm sure he's swell. Stallworth's crime was without malice, too. All Dante wanted to do was get hammered, not hammer an innocent man with his vehicle. Drunk driving isn't that much different from bringing a loaded gun in public yet outcry for Stallworth's release is non-existant. Stallworth didn't get an exclusive ESPN interview.
If one of Vick's dogs bit him in the leg ending his season, would we say that was punishment enough? How about if Tonya Harding swung, missed and took out her own knee? Really, who else were Straw and Howe hurting other than themselves by blowing coke? I guess every pro-athlete should be pardoned as long as they are "good people" and only hurt themselves.
I'm per-Plaxed. Houston Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon said he felt sorry for Plax. "I hear those of you that say, 'What if he had accidentally shot somebody else?' Well, we can't go on the what-ifs, only on what happened." Really? Aren't all laws based on what-ifs? If I drive 95 in a 30, there's a fair chance I don't kill anyone, but the law says driving that fast severely increases the chance I will. The law assumes the question: "what if someone is backing out or a child is chasing after a ball?" Just like carrying a loaded gun increases the chance of killing someone and presumably asks "what if it went off in the direction of a crowd?"
Solomon also said if Plax shot himself in Texas, we'd all be laughing not locking him up. No doubt, and if I hit golf balls on the moon, I'd outdrive Tiger Woods every time. Or better put, if I dropped my gum on the street in Japan, I'd be in the slammer for longer than Plax. Knowing this, I'd eat Mentos.
Plax is not an animal. He's a felon. You may think the law is stupid, you may think he's a good guy (though I've noticed no one has questioned Plax leaving his pregnant wife and son at home while he's clubbing) bottom line is he broke the law and there is no reason to demand his release or even feel sorry for anyone but his wife and son. Come see us again in two years, Plax.
I'm not a bad person. I always put my cart back at the grocery store to make it easier on the workers. I don't park in handicap spots or fire lanes. If I find $20 on the ground, I look around for it's owner for a reasonable amount of time before pocketing it. And, if someone is coming toward my elevator, I hold it for them regardless of age, race, scent or gerth. You see, I'm not a bad person.
But, the other day I got a parking ticket. It was stupid of me, really. The meter clearly read "one hour parking" yet I tried to get away with two. Nailed! And because I broke the law, the fine was promptly paid and my debt to society erased. So, if I - a generally good guy - have to pay for breaking rules which maintain order, then why are so many people crying about Plaxico Burress getting two years in prison for carrying an illegal weapon?
My car blocked the parking space. Plax shot himself. Feeling bad about blocking the space isn't enough punishment and neither is Plex's flesh wound. I might have inconvienced someone, Plax might have killed someone. Sure the punishment seems harsh (that's why Tony Soprano lives in New Jersey) heck, I thought the $75 fine for the extra hour was like being hit with an anvil for tapping the glass at the pet store.
However, if there's a law that says I should get my brains bashed in for disturbing the fish, then maybe I won't bother them. Just like if New York City has notoriously tough gun laws, maybe I don't stuff one in my jeans before heading to da' club. Though I suppose that's touching on Burress stupidity, which stands out like a pair of zuba pants. How does anyone believe being a friendly-faced rock brain is a reason to receive a pardon?
Nobody pardoned Dante Stallworth and I'm sure he's swell. Stallworth's crime was without malice, too. All Dante wanted to do was get hammered, not hammer an innocent man with his vehicle. Drunk driving isn't that much different from bringing a loaded gun in public yet outcry for Stallworth's release is non-existant. Stallworth didn't get an exclusive ESPN interview.
If one of Vick's dogs bit him in the leg ending his season, would we say that was punishment enough? How about if Tonya Harding swung, missed and took out her own knee? Really, who else were Straw and Howe hurting other than themselves by blowing coke? I guess every pro-athlete should be pardoned as long as they are "good people" and only hurt themselves.
I'm per-Plaxed. Houston Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon said he felt sorry for Plax. "I hear those of you that say, 'What if he had accidentally shot somebody else?' Well, we can't go on the what-ifs, only on what happened." Really? Aren't all laws based on what-ifs? If I drive 95 in a 30, there's a fair chance I don't kill anyone, but the law says driving that fast severely increases the chance I will. The law assumes the question: "what if someone is backing out or a child is chasing after a ball?" Just like carrying a loaded gun increases the chance of killing someone and presumably asks "what if it went off in the direction of a crowd?"
Solomon also said if Plax shot himself in Texas, we'd all be laughing not locking him up. No doubt, and if I hit golf balls on the moon, I'd outdrive Tiger Woods every time. Or better put, if I dropped my gum on the street in Japan, I'd be in the slammer for longer than Plax. Knowing this, I'd eat Mentos.
Plax is not an animal. He's a felon. You may think the law is stupid, you may think he's a good guy (though I've noticed no one has questioned Plax leaving his pregnant wife and son at home while he's clubbing) bottom line is he broke the law and there is no reason to demand his release or even feel sorry for anyone but his wife and son. Come see us again in two years, Plax.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Say It Ain't So Papi
The endless obsession with roids is back. A list of players testing positive for PED dropped David Ortiz’s name along with Manny Ramirez’s. Ramirez is coming back from a 50 game suspension so this call didn’t prompt the same outcry as Ortiz.
Looking at twitter feeds and facebook status updates, a lot of people, particularly in the Rochester area are in a joyous cheer for the announcement. The calls were filled with Pro-Yankee attitude:
“Manny and Papi, looks like someone has two tainted rings!!!”
“Ha, I knew it, how could Ortiz go from a nobody in Minn and then become a power hitter in Boston”
Home bias aside, this is just a sad sight for baseball. This game is at its peak as each season this century we have been treated to a wide open game, free of dynasties and boring games. Many young big names are entering The Show and new heroes are developing. The mere mention of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game showcases that. Two teams (Boston and Chicago) breaking painful championship droughts have reenergized the greatest game. But we see this world where people are excited to see new big names be dropped as “dopers”.
It’s sad because children watch baseball games, collect baseball cards and ask parents for jerseys of their heroes. Then to have these heroes torn down, ironically as many youngsters grew up admiring players such as Pete Rose and Mickey Mantle, two men who were far from perfect humans.
One of the greatest things about covering a college summer baseball team is the ability to get inside the game and ask current players, some with the possibility to be drafted their thoughts.
Yesterday as the Geneva Red Wings were looking for win to clinch a playoff spot, I asked players about the steroid issue and Ortiz’s dilemma.
One player, an infielder, said that the need to drop big names in the game is horrible. “It’s so hard to understand the situation a player is in,” said the infielder. “Some of these guys come from Puerto Rico with nothing and the ability to make a million dollars here and send it home. A million in these countries is double its worth here.”
Even the use of steroids is not out of the question if you think of it hypothetically. If you were a minor leaguer and you just needed a little push and one of it was steroids, would you take it? The responses are amazing.
A relief pitcher said, “If I was losing something on my fastball or I needed something for my change, I would take it if I didn’t get caught.”
“You can take the stuff but you still have to hit the ball!” Barked one outfielder, who has hit some homers this season.
That’s one thing overlooked by most people. Baseball is an extremely hard game to be great at. The game has not seen a .400 hitter in over sixty years. The best hitters hover around a .300 average lifetime. It’s great to have a 20 game hitting streak, it’s amazing at 30 games and anything beyond that is unreal. Home run hitters have only hit the dinger in 8 straight games and that’s a very lucky few.
A first baseman for the Red Wings takes cuts off a tee, and then takes batting practice after games and every day at 10:00 in the morning. He’s only had thirty at bats and no home runs. Not to sell this player short but even if he took steroids, would he still be able to hit bombs without the extra cuts he takes everyday?
When you talk to some journalists, especially sports writers, one thing to ask them is, “did you play baseball growing up?” After they answer that question yes or no, and if they say yes, ask them, “how far did you get?” Chances are most of them never played past little league.
See some sports writers become amazing at writing and with words because they were awful athletes growing up. They either had no skill, no ambition to practice for hours on end or were not well liked. As soon as they were done with the game, they develop this, “if I can’t play then I’ll write and write MY WAY! If you have a problem with that tough!” I knew guys like this in college. These guys are always biting and short on players’ reasons for failure in their articles and columns.
That’s when there is a new confession from Jose Canseco or the Mitchell Report (the biggest waste of time and tax payer money) comes out these writers are dying to get their two cents. These guys take their failure as a child and poor relations with someone and make it personal like sharks in the water. They smell blood so they know its dinnertime.
As a fan of baseball, that’s the only bias I will give, it pains me to see this desire to find out who is on steroids. The public wants to know so badly. They feel they “need” to know, like it’s a fourth estate issue. Professional baseball players are in the business of the game. The more home runs they hit or the more wins they tally the more money they are paid. It’s simple as that.
I wanted to be a sports journalist for one reason, I love the game. I love them all, no matter what the sport. One of man’s greatest achievements was the four minute mile. The human body is an amazing thing and its ability to throw 100 MPH or leap up a ten foot wall or steal 100 bases is a thing of beauty. We need to move past the steroids. It’s something the league has dealt with. These players were using it before it was banned. Let bygones be bygones and let Ortiz, Manny, Barry, Roger and A-Rod go.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Looking at twitter feeds and facebook status updates, a lot of people, particularly in the Rochester area are in a joyous cheer for the announcement. The calls were filled with Pro-Yankee attitude:
“Manny and Papi, looks like someone has two tainted rings!!!”
“Ha, I knew it, how could Ortiz go from a nobody in Minn and then become a power hitter in Boston”
Home bias aside, this is just a sad sight for baseball. This game is at its peak as each season this century we have been treated to a wide open game, free of dynasties and boring games. Many young big names are entering The Show and new heroes are developing. The mere mention of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game showcases that. Two teams (Boston and Chicago) breaking painful championship droughts have reenergized the greatest game. But we see this world where people are excited to see new big names be dropped as “dopers”.
It’s sad because children watch baseball games, collect baseball cards and ask parents for jerseys of their heroes. Then to have these heroes torn down, ironically as many youngsters grew up admiring players such as Pete Rose and Mickey Mantle, two men who were far from perfect humans.
One of the greatest things about covering a college summer baseball team is the ability to get inside the game and ask current players, some with the possibility to be drafted their thoughts.
Yesterday as the Geneva Red Wings were looking for win to clinch a playoff spot, I asked players about the steroid issue and Ortiz’s dilemma.
One player, an infielder, said that the need to drop big names in the game is horrible. “It’s so hard to understand the situation a player is in,” said the infielder. “Some of these guys come from Puerto Rico with nothing and the ability to make a million dollars here and send it home. A million in these countries is double its worth here.”
Even the use of steroids is not out of the question if you think of it hypothetically. If you were a minor leaguer and you just needed a little push and one of it was steroids, would you take it? The responses are amazing.
A relief pitcher said, “If I was losing something on my fastball or I needed something for my change, I would take it if I didn’t get caught.”
“You can take the stuff but you still have to hit the ball!” Barked one outfielder, who has hit some homers this season.
That’s one thing overlooked by most people. Baseball is an extremely hard game to be great at. The game has not seen a .400 hitter in over sixty years. The best hitters hover around a .300 average lifetime. It’s great to have a 20 game hitting streak, it’s amazing at 30 games and anything beyond that is unreal. Home run hitters have only hit the dinger in 8 straight games and that’s a very lucky few.
A first baseman for the Red Wings takes cuts off a tee, and then takes batting practice after games and every day at 10:00 in the morning. He’s only had thirty at bats and no home runs. Not to sell this player short but even if he took steroids, would he still be able to hit bombs without the extra cuts he takes everyday?
When you talk to some journalists, especially sports writers, one thing to ask them is, “did you play baseball growing up?” After they answer that question yes or no, and if they say yes, ask them, “how far did you get?” Chances are most of them never played past little league.
See some sports writers become amazing at writing and with words because they were awful athletes growing up. They either had no skill, no ambition to practice for hours on end or were not well liked. As soon as they were done with the game, they develop this, “if I can’t play then I’ll write and write MY WAY! If you have a problem with that tough!” I knew guys like this in college. These guys are always biting and short on players’ reasons for failure in their articles and columns.
That’s when there is a new confession from Jose Canseco or the Mitchell Report (the biggest waste of time and tax payer money) comes out these writers are dying to get their two cents. These guys take their failure as a child and poor relations with someone and make it personal like sharks in the water. They smell blood so they know its dinnertime.
As a fan of baseball, that’s the only bias I will give, it pains me to see this desire to find out who is on steroids. The public wants to know so badly. They feel they “need” to know, like it’s a fourth estate issue. Professional baseball players are in the business of the game. The more home runs they hit or the more wins they tally the more money they are paid. It’s simple as that.
I wanted to be a sports journalist for one reason, I love the game. I love them all, no matter what the sport. One of man’s greatest achievements was the four minute mile. The human body is an amazing thing and its ability to throw 100 MPH or leap up a ten foot wall or steal 100 bases is a thing of beauty. We need to move past the steroids. It’s something the league has dealt with. These players were using it before it was banned. Let bygones be bygones and let Ortiz, Manny, Barry, Roger and A-Rod go.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A Tale of Two Quarterbacks
It was the worst of times. That’s just sugar coating this. The NFL is asking two big questions:
Will Brett Favre sign with Minnesota Vikings?
- OR -
Will any NFL Team sign Michael Vick?
While that sounds like a Choose Your Own Adventure page jump, it’s just one never ending discussion piece before the 2009 season. Let’s break it down.
Brett Favre has an issue with letting go of being a professional football player. Retirement is not in his DNA, I guess. So after calling the bluff of Green Bay and them saying, yeah we’re good with Aaron Rodgers, he takes the circus to New York. There he gets a coach fired and a team divided, not too mention getting his team eliminated from the post season. Now he wants to take the Rolling Stones… er…. I mean the Brett Favre Farewell Tour with Jethro Tull to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
After serving his time in Federal Prison, Michael Vick has to serve his remorse requirement, which is an issue I have already taken up here, to get back into a league where some teams have strictly said no to a rehabbed QB. His passing ability was weak but his dynamic playmaking put asses in the seats and sold a ton of NFL jerseys. Though should a team give him a chance in camp?
For Favre it’s this non-stop will he or won’t he. For those new to football they did this for several seasons on Cheers with first Shelly Long then Kirstie Alley. The final count was no, Sam never married them.
Back in 2003, I remember Steve Yzerman talking about retirement as The Hockey News talked about his dropping point totals. Yzerman, a very strong, leadership based player said, that he didn’t want to stop playing hockey until he released it all from his system. He hung around past the lockout for another season until finally hanging up the ax.
Favre suffered from a strong start to a let down season. He posted a great final season with Green Bay where I would not be surprised if he didn’t want to leave on the note that an interception he threw in the Playoffs ended his career. At this rate though his career will end like many ballplayers, with a traveling road show of un-important games that people will have overshadowed by his inability to let go. Of course Elway did it best by retiring after his second Super Bowl win.
Now he is looking to sign with Minnesota to keep up this sideshow. People will show up, but how many to actually see football rather than a 40 yr old man trying to play with guys old enough to be his kids?
I am starting to feel for Michael Vick. He has paid his time and got the stiffest sentence for any high profile athlete. Post Jack Johnson of course, but there’s no Jim Crow racist in this case. All the animal rights activists, who I doubt watch the sport that refers to its ball as a pigskin, are calling for Vick’s banishment from the league. Being banned from football for an off the field offense of dog fighting is ludicrous. Others have been brought up on murder charges and received not even a suspension. Not to take away from dogs, but humans being killed is not a minor misdemeanor here.
Take into account that Michael Vick, the man and the property is ruined. He has lost everything from his house to his ability to sell jerseys and autographs. This man is in bankruptcy court and all he wants is a chance. Is this not America? We applauded when Doc Gooden, a long time drug user who had a problem, threw a no-hitter. People still claim that Pete Rose is a saint even though he was a known gambler and horrible to his own family (consult Hustle by Michael Sokolove). But yet we can’t let Michael Vick back in the league?
If I were a team, why not sign Michael Vick? Have you seen the starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days? They are awful. Kerry Collins and Kurt Warner had “good” seasons!
It’s a double edge sword here. When do you start shutting down the one guy trying to keep father time from pushing him off the field? At the same time, why are we trying to deny a man, paid all debts to society, a second chance? We let a President cheat on his wife and call him a great man but a guy who start a dog fighting league a horrible man? Let’s remember that to err is to human and to keep Vick out of the NFL is to be someone holding a grudge.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Will Brett Favre sign with Minnesota Vikings?
- OR -
Will any NFL Team sign Michael Vick?
While that sounds like a Choose Your Own Adventure page jump, it’s just one never ending discussion piece before the 2009 season. Let’s break it down.
Brett Favre has an issue with letting go of being a professional football player. Retirement is not in his DNA, I guess. So after calling the bluff of Green Bay and them saying, yeah we’re good with Aaron Rodgers, he takes the circus to New York. There he gets a coach fired and a team divided, not too mention getting his team eliminated from the post season. Now he wants to take the Rolling Stones… er…. I mean the Brett Favre Farewell Tour with Jethro Tull to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
After serving his time in Federal Prison, Michael Vick has to serve his remorse requirement, which is an issue I have already taken up here, to get back into a league where some teams have strictly said no to a rehabbed QB. His passing ability was weak but his dynamic playmaking put asses in the seats and sold a ton of NFL jerseys. Though should a team give him a chance in camp?
For Favre it’s this non-stop will he or won’t he. For those new to football they did this for several seasons on Cheers with first Shelly Long then Kirstie Alley. The final count was no, Sam never married them.
Back in 2003, I remember Steve Yzerman talking about retirement as The Hockey News talked about his dropping point totals. Yzerman, a very strong, leadership based player said, that he didn’t want to stop playing hockey until he released it all from his system. He hung around past the lockout for another season until finally hanging up the ax.
Favre suffered from a strong start to a let down season. He posted a great final season with Green Bay where I would not be surprised if he didn’t want to leave on the note that an interception he threw in the Playoffs ended his career. At this rate though his career will end like many ballplayers, with a traveling road show of un-important games that people will have overshadowed by his inability to let go. Of course Elway did it best by retiring after his second Super Bowl win.
Now he is looking to sign with Minnesota to keep up this sideshow. People will show up, but how many to actually see football rather than a 40 yr old man trying to play with guys old enough to be his kids?
I am starting to feel for Michael Vick. He has paid his time and got the stiffest sentence for any high profile athlete. Post Jack Johnson of course, but there’s no Jim Crow racist in this case. All the animal rights activists, who I doubt watch the sport that refers to its ball as a pigskin, are calling for Vick’s banishment from the league. Being banned from football for an off the field offense of dog fighting is ludicrous. Others have been brought up on murder charges and received not even a suspension. Not to take away from dogs, but humans being killed is not a minor misdemeanor here.
Take into account that Michael Vick, the man and the property is ruined. He has lost everything from his house to his ability to sell jerseys and autographs. This man is in bankruptcy court and all he wants is a chance. Is this not America? We applauded when Doc Gooden, a long time drug user who had a problem, threw a no-hitter. People still claim that Pete Rose is a saint even though he was a known gambler and horrible to his own family (consult Hustle by Michael Sokolove). But yet we can’t let Michael Vick back in the league?
If I were a team, why not sign Michael Vick? Have you seen the starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days? They are awful. Kerry Collins and Kurt Warner had “good” seasons!
It’s a double edge sword here. When do you start shutting down the one guy trying to keep father time from pushing him off the field? At the same time, why are we trying to deny a man, paid all debts to society, a second chance? We let a President cheat on his wife and call him a great man but a guy who start a dog fighting league a horrible man? Let’s remember that to err is to human and to keep Vick out of the NFL is to be someone holding a grudge.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
America's Real Team
For the past thirty years the Dallas Cowboys have been tagged America’s team. At one point in the 90’s the Atlanta Braves picked up that moniker. The Yankees have always been a symbol of American sports.
I’m here to tell you that none of these teams can be called America’s Team. They just can’t. There has to be someone though, right? There is, but just not the Cowboys, the Braves or Yankees.
The Dallas Cowboys were great in the 1970’s, were awful in the 1980’s and had glimpses of power in the 1990’s. Now, they are merely a team more notable for their playoff departures, criminal record free agents and pop star romances. On field, they lack the consistent victories and championships to show for it.
The Braves cannot keep the title after failing to make the playoffs for a few years. The pitching staffs of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz have given away due to free agency and retirement.
Even the “greatest franchise in the history of sports”, the New York Yankees, have no business in being classified America’s Team. For as many fans who don the interlocking NY hat, there are about ten others who despise the team. A nation of fans always harp on their greed and desire to be know as the best, despite not winning a championship since 2000. The Steroids Era has unearthed many of their top talents and combined with an ownership group that reeks of all that foreigners detest about America, tops it off.
The United States of America is changing. Changing in a more subtle way than what our parents did in the 1960’s. There are no draft card burnings or wearing paisley suits to weddings on a beach in California. We’re an expressive nation now. We wear what we feel and promote individualism.
The Yankees return to a 1950’s, play it by the book and by the company letterhead style. Players from the A’s shave off their beards and cut their hair into a buzz cut. When the Yanks take the field, they wear corporate pin stripes which seem more like a suit rather than the summer flannels. Before you know it, Derek Jeter will hand out business cards with an extension to be reach and they will have corporate outings which is Nantucket dress and if Nick Swisher is not wearing light blue flat front khakis from Vineyard Vines, then he will be traded to Boston or “some other” team that would tolerate that non sense.
Simply put the team is not fun. Watching a game on YES is like watching C-SPAN for three hours. All these mission statements and focus on the past traditions of a team that is losing its strength in the league, despite following the real American Team in the AL East.
I said it, Boston is America’s Team. Blue and White is too corporate. Throw some red in their and you have life. Sew a Captain’s C on the catcher and you have an identity. Derek “The Captain” Jeter reads off personal statements from management. When Varitek speaks it’s coming from his mouth. Youkilis can go bald and no one asks him to grow out a hair style or chop off the goatee. There is a reason this team has won two World Series this decade… THEY ARE LOOSE! This is what America is. The Red Sox express themselves and that includes the manager, Terry Francona. Francona in interviews is free flowing and does things his way. Girardi went from being that guy who was leading a Marlins team his way to running a 25 man daycare in New York. The Bronx Zoo just got themselves a new janitor.
When the Red Sox upset the Yankees in 2004, it was because the team filled with Manny’s, Pedro’s and Papi’s took it one day at a time. They had nothing to lose but the next game. The Yankees had to play in the name of tradition and honor of the “beloved pinstripes”.
The main components were there in 2007, trailing the Indians. The Red Sox were loose, letting their hair flow and their reliever doing Riverdance. They took a young, anxious Cleveland team to seven games and then just dissected them.
America loves the underdog. We beat the British, made a constitution and gave Rocky the Oscar! The Red Sox are the underdog. They were drowned by a Curse, by a city of over analytical sportswriters and not too mention so many bad pitching staffs in the 1990’s. They rose up and beat it, and they will keep beating it.
The verdict is out and the decision is this; the Boston Red Sox are America’s Team. You try winning the World Series after having to comeback from a 3-0 or 3-1 deficit.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
I’m here to tell you that none of these teams can be called America’s Team. They just can’t. There has to be someone though, right? There is, but just not the Cowboys, the Braves or Yankees.
The Dallas Cowboys were great in the 1970’s, were awful in the 1980’s and had glimpses of power in the 1990’s. Now, they are merely a team more notable for their playoff departures, criminal record free agents and pop star romances. On field, they lack the consistent victories and championships to show for it.
The Braves cannot keep the title after failing to make the playoffs for a few years. The pitching staffs of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz have given away due to free agency and retirement.
Even the “greatest franchise in the history of sports”, the New York Yankees, have no business in being classified America’s Team. For as many fans who don the interlocking NY hat, there are about ten others who despise the team. A nation of fans always harp on their greed and desire to be know as the best, despite not winning a championship since 2000. The Steroids Era has unearthed many of their top talents and combined with an ownership group that reeks of all that foreigners detest about America, tops it off.
The United States of America is changing. Changing in a more subtle way than what our parents did in the 1960’s. There are no draft card burnings or wearing paisley suits to weddings on a beach in California. We’re an expressive nation now. We wear what we feel and promote individualism.
The Yankees return to a 1950’s, play it by the book and by the company letterhead style. Players from the A’s shave off their beards and cut their hair into a buzz cut. When the Yanks take the field, they wear corporate pin stripes which seem more like a suit rather than the summer flannels. Before you know it, Derek Jeter will hand out business cards with an extension to be reach and they will have corporate outings which is Nantucket dress and if Nick Swisher is not wearing light blue flat front khakis from Vineyard Vines, then he will be traded to Boston or “some other” team that would tolerate that non sense.
Simply put the team is not fun. Watching a game on YES is like watching C-SPAN for three hours. All these mission statements and focus on the past traditions of a team that is losing its strength in the league, despite following the real American Team in the AL East.
I said it, Boston is America’s Team. Blue and White is too corporate. Throw some red in their and you have life. Sew a Captain’s C on the catcher and you have an identity. Derek “The Captain” Jeter reads off personal statements from management. When Varitek speaks it’s coming from his mouth. Youkilis can go bald and no one asks him to grow out a hair style or chop off the goatee. There is a reason this team has won two World Series this decade… THEY ARE LOOSE! This is what America is. The Red Sox express themselves and that includes the manager, Terry Francona. Francona in interviews is free flowing and does things his way. Girardi went from being that guy who was leading a Marlins team his way to running a 25 man daycare in New York. The Bronx Zoo just got themselves a new janitor.
When the Red Sox upset the Yankees in 2004, it was because the team filled with Manny’s, Pedro’s and Papi’s took it one day at a time. They had nothing to lose but the next game. The Yankees had to play in the name of tradition and honor of the “beloved pinstripes”.
The main components were there in 2007, trailing the Indians. The Red Sox were loose, letting their hair flow and their reliever doing Riverdance. They took a young, anxious Cleveland team to seven games and then just dissected them.
America loves the underdog. We beat the British, made a constitution and gave Rocky the Oscar! The Red Sox are the underdog. They were drowned by a Curse, by a city of over analytical sportswriters and not too mention so many bad pitching staffs in the 1990’s. They rose up and beat it, and they will keep beating it.
The verdict is out and the decision is this; the Boston Red Sox are America’s Team. You try winning the World Series after having to comeback from a 3-0 or 3-1 deficit.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Steve McNair shot and killed
While the NFL contemplates the future for players such as Donte Stallworth and Plaxico Burress, both of whom have drawn criticism from many sports writers as the problem with the modern athlete, it's troubling to see a story about Steve McNair. The former Titans quarterback was gunned down in Nashville today, leaving behind a strong work ethic that teammates cherished and an attitude towards winning.
It seems as this sad incident might escalate in it's dourness as he was killed with a woman who was not his wife. While I'm not trying to say it would have been better if he was killed with his wife, I hope it doesn't bring up a more sketchy situation. At the time of this posting the police have not found any solid evidence explaining the whole situation.
This incident brings up the point of how in sports, athletes live two lives. The first life is the glory and the story of their play on the field. It is the winning drives, the highlight reel plays and the appearance of the championship athlete they are. The second life is sometimes filled with a dark secret and intrigue and things most fans never want to see.
Plaxico Burress was one of the Giants most important play makers on their Super Bowl winning team. Off the field, we saw a man who shows up to night clubs with a loaded gun hanging from his sweatpants.
Pete Rose, as one of the most famous cases, was known as the greatest competitor and one of baseballs greatest players. Rose played nearly every position, played like it was his last game and played to win. Rose however, is a very dark and noted by people in the book, Hustle, as a very slimy and untrustworthy man. He insulted his daughter for not being beautiful, he hung out with gamblers and people who sold steroids and worst thing was he bet on sports, including baseball. As many hoped the "rumors" weren't true, they were and people finally got to see the true Peter Edward Rose. Granted while people still think he is worthy of induction into Cooperstown, the baseball fans can feel betrayed by his years of denying what was the truth.
It brings us back to the main point of the story and what police are going to look into on the case of Steve McNair. Why was he killed?
The man was idolized by an entire community and by teammates.
"If you were going to draw a football player, the physical part, the mental part, everything about being a professional, he is your guy," former Ravens and Titans teammate Samari Rolle said. "I can't even wrap my arms around it. It is a sad, sad day. The world lost a great man today."
For a man who still owns the record for most passing yards and total offense for a I-AA school, the man named Air McNair had gained everything since then. He was a four time Pro Bowl player, not to mention coming within a yard of sending the Super Bowl to overtime. He did all of this while playing through tremendous pain from injuries scattered throughout his career.
"On the field, there isn't player that was as tough as him, especially at the quarterback position," the Ravens' Derrick Mason said. "What I have seen him play through on the field, and what he dealt with during the week to get ready for a game, I have never known a better teammate."
You hate to see that happen to anyone, especially for people my age, since we grew up watching guys like McNair play. I remember watching that Super Bowl, just willing Dyson had the extra yard. Then I remember the Titans lost to the eventual champions, the Ravens the next season.
Hopefully, time will tell a stronger ending, one of a man who was killed in a more elegant light, though that seems like a tall order given that no person ever wants to be murdered as their dream death. Baseball tells us of legendary myths such as a child questioning Joe Jackson after the 1919 World Series, "say it ain't so Joe?" In this situation, I hope that the murder with this woman is taken and proven in a better context, but as of now all I can say is... "say it ain't so Steve?"
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
It seems as this sad incident might escalate in it's dourness as he was killed with a woman who was not his wife. While I'm not trying to say it would have been better if he was killed with his wife, I hope it doesn't bring up a more sketchy situation. At the time of this posting the police have not found any solid evidence explaining the whole situation.
This incident brings up the point of how in sports, athletes live two lives. The first life is the glory and the story of their play on the field. It is the winning drives, the highlight reel plays and the appearance of the championship athlete they are. The second life is sometimes filled with a dark secret and intrigue and things most fans never want to see.
Plaxico Burress was one of the Giants most important play makers on their Super Bowl winning team. Off the field, we saw a man who shows up to night clubs with a loaded gun hanging from his sweatpants.
Pete Rose, as one of the most famous cases, was known as the greatest competitor and one of baseballs greatest players. Rose played nearly every position, played like it was his last game and played to win. Rose however, is a very dark and noted by people in the book, Hustle, as a very slimy and untrustworthy man. He insulted his daughter for not being beautiful, he hung out with gamblers and people who sold steroids and worst thing was he bet on sports, including baseball. As many hoped the "rumors" weren't true, they were and people finally got to see the true Peter Edward Rose. Granted while people still think he is worthy of induction into Cooperstown, the baseball fans can feel betrayed by his years of denying what was the truth.
It brings us back to the main point of the story and what police are going to look into on the case of Steve McNair. Why was he killed?
The man was idolized by an entire community and by teammates.
"If you were going to draw a football player, the physical part, the mental part, everything about being a professional, he is your guy," former Ravens and Titans teammate Samari Rolle said. "I can't even wrap my arms around it. It is a sad, sad day. The world lost a great man today."
For a man who still owns the record for most passing yards and total offense for a I-AA school, the man named Air McNair had gained everything since then. He was a four time Pro Bowl player, not to mention coming within a yard of sending the Super Bowl to overtime. He did all of this while playing through tremendous pain from injuries scattered throughout his career.
"On the field, there isn't player that was as tough as him, especially at the quarterback position," the Ravens' Derrick Mason said. "What I have seen him play through on the field, and what he dealt with during the week to get ready for a game, I have never known a better teammate."
You hate to see that happen to anyone, especially for people my age, since we grew up watching guys like McNair play. I remember watching that Super Bowl, just willing Dyson had the extra yard. Then I remember the Titans lost to the eventual champions, the Ravens the next season.
Hopefully, time will tell a stronger ending, one of a man who was killed in a more elegant light, though that seems like a tall order given that no person ever wants to be murdered as their dream death. Baseball tells us of legendary myths such as a child questioning Joe Jackson after the 1919 World Series, "say it ain't so Joe?" In this situation, I hope that the murder with this woman is taken and proven in a better context, but as of now all I can say is... "say it ain't so Steve?"
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
"What are you a Commie?"
I am quite American and I have the background to prove it. As the saying goes, I was born in the Midwest, where the real Americans live. I traveled through the ranks of Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and earned my Eagle rank. I drive American cars, always under the belief that not only are they the best but to also support our economy. I hate it when Americans burn our flag in protest. When the national anthem is played I always put my hand over my heart, even if I'm wearing a cap (which I set on my seat). Though I hate the playing of God Bless America during baseball games. My co-poster, Matt was ripped for that on the John DiTullio Show last week for saying that and you can't blame him for that position.
We live in a post-9/11 world. If you don't wear your patriotism on your sleeve, your an ungrateful America. Forget about Nixon/McCarthy and the blacklist, it's all about overflowing your pride for America. That song is just another problem with professional sports these days.
Televised games are killing the fan base for the national game.
"The game is too slow."
"It's boring!"
Baseball games would not be as boring if they didn't have about a million commercials jammed in along with rein statements of citizenship during the latter stages of the contest.
It's one thing to have the playing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh, that's a quick song that the pitcher can warm up to. A pitcher throwing during "God Bless" would be hung by the stadium rafters. Overly patriotic fans holding bats posing as torches and rakes would charge the mound.
Getting in the zone is key in any sport. A lack of focus or a sojourn from that especially during the 8th inning could lead to a win or a loss. That statement is true on all levels be it high school, college and the pros. I even asked players on the summer college team I announce and getting into the mindset is crucial to success.
We sing our national anthem at the beginning of the game. That's how it works in the Olympics, you only hear your anthem when you win, no other song is played. Every stadium has an American flag. Baseball is our country's national pastime. As Americans we need to understand that not all of us need to keep reminding of the public for the world we live in after a terrorist attack. We jumped on our future President for not wearing a silly lapel pin.
People argue that the song should be sung because of our boys in the Middle East. That's all fine and dandy, but you go to any baseball game and the jumbo-tron always shows photos of local soldiers doing their part. We hand out ribbons to "support our troops" to be placed on car doors. At churches, at least in Catholic churches they mention prayers for soldiers who belong to the Parrish.
If we remove this one song, will that truly diminish our patriotism. I can certainly believe we can do without it and here's why.
Baseball is not only a national pastime, but also a billion dollar business. Players' careers are the basis of the game and they need to perform at top levels to not only try to beat records and win titles but also to help keep the game at the highest level possible. Are we willing to damage that just so that every single fan and player stand at forced attention to a song, being sung on the basis that if you don't play it, you're un-American?
Don't past judgement on the stance against the song and just remember that we still play our national anthem at the start of a game.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
We live in a post-9/11 world. If you don't wear your patriotism on your sleeve, your an ungrateful America. Forget about Nixon/McCarthy and the blacklist, it's all about overflowing your pride for America. That song is just another problem with professional sports these days.
Televised games are killing the fan base for the national game.
"The game is too slow."
"It's boring!"
Baseball games would not be as boring if they didn't have about a million commercials jammed in along with rein statements of citizenship during the latter stages of the contest.
It's one thing to have the playing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh, that's a quick song that the pitcher can warm up to. A pitcher throwing during "God Bless" would be hung by the stadium rafters. Overly patriotic fans holding bats posing as torches and rakes would charge the mound.
Getting in the zone is key in any sport. A lack of focus or a sojourn from that especially during the 8th inning could lead to a win or a loss. That statement is true on all levels be it high school, college and the pros. I even asked players on the summer college team I announce and getting into the mindset is crucial to success.
We sing our national anthem at the beginning of the game. That's how it works in the Olympics, you only hear your anthem when you win, no other song is played. Every stadium has an American flag. Baseball is our country's national pastime. As Americans we need to understand that not all of us need to keep reminding of the public for the world we live in after a terrorist attack. We jumped on our future President for not wearing a silly lapel pin.
People argue that the song should be sung because of our boys in the Middle East. That's all fine and dandy, but you go to any baseball game and the jumbo-tron always shows photos of local soldiers doing their part. We hand out ribbons to "support our troops" to be placed on car doors. At churches, at least in Catholic churches they mention prayers for soldiers who belong to the Parrish.
If we remove this one song, will that truly diminish our patriotism. I can certainly believe we can do without it and here's why.
Baseball is not only a national pastime, but also a billion dollar business. Players' careers are the basis of the game and they need to perform at top levels to not only try to beat records and win titles but also to help keep the game at the highest level possible. Are we willing to damage that just so that every single fan and player stand at forced attention to a song, being sung on the basis that if you don't play it, you're un-American?
Don't past judgement on the stance against the song and just remember that we still play our national anthem at the start of a game.
ROC SPORTS NET 2009
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