Shame on them

A Miami Marlins pitcher pitched 7 and 2/3 innings of no hit ball (as in 4 outs to go) in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He was cruising along quite nicely. Then out came manager Don Mattingly. The starter had to go because his pitch count was up to 116.

So since when do you yank a guy when he's 4 outs away from throwing a no-hitter? Maybe he would have got it. and maybe not. Are we to believe another 20-30 pitches would have caused this guy's arm to fall off? Bring on the reliever, who not only blew the no-hitter but surrendered 3 runs.

Shame on Mattingly. No wonder he got broomed as the manager in LA-LA land. Besides, he was a first baseman when he played for the Yankees. What the hell did he ever know about pitching? You don't take a guy out that's closing in on a no-hitter, regardless of the pitch count -- unless he WANTS to come out for whatever reason.

The Charlotte Hornets had their shot. After winning a road game against the Miami Heat to take a 3-2 series lead, all the Carolina boys had to do was hold serve at home in Game 6 to move on in the playoffs. But they blew it. With the series now tied 3-3 and the deciding Game 7 in Miami in a couple days, their chances of advancing look slim indeed. Shame on them for not seizing the opportunity when it was there.

Shame on the media for their treatment of former Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil that was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. So he smoked some weed a couple years ago in college. And admitted to asking for -- and receiving a few bucks to help his mother pay her electric bill.

Here's the thing. The dude was bluntly honest at his initial press conference. He owned all of it. Yes, it happened, he said. But now the vultures want to pile on because he -- horrrors! -- told the truth? He should be commended, not vilified. Such a scenario drives the witch hunters crazy. They always want to fan the flames looking for another "sensational" story to pursue -- real or fabricated/embellished. Tunsil pretty much put out the fire by openly admitting what everybody else already knew anyway.

And get real. How many college kids never smoked dope? Or star "student-athletes" got a few bucks under the table to help them along? It's as common as a politician evading a question. Or a Kardashian posting another butt video. Or the Detroit Lions falling short of making the Super Bowl. This stuff happens all the time, year after year. Who's kidding who?

Detroit Tiger pitcher Justin Verlander has a lot of nerve. After a player on another team got busted for PED use and suspended for 80 games, JV thinks the punishment wasn't harsh enough.

Hey, isn't Verlander a member of the Players Union? Isn't the whole premise behind unions to show solidarity with one's brothers and sisters against the evil empire of management? And isn't this the same guy that's been making $20+ million a year in recent times while turning in mediocre seasons? The same guy that's been rolling in the hay with Kate Upton?

All of that could probably be overlooked, but one thing cannot. Verlander is the guy responsible for foisting his gawd-awful breakfast cereal -- Fastball Flakes -- on the public for a few more bucks he obviously didn't need. Ever tried that stuff? If not, here's a tip. Don't. I did once, yuck, and put the rest of the box out back in a bowl. Even the squirrels and chipmunks wouldn't eat it. But I did keep the empty box as a sort of reminder. It sits on a shelf with other memorabilia. Every time I glance at it and see JV's mug and the name Fastball Flakes, it just sort of makes sense. If there was ever a fastball flake.....

But Verlander thinks his union brothers should be hammered even harder for trying to scam the system, while at the same time he tried to peddle starving vulture food on Tiger fans to pad his own already bulging bank accounts even further? Really?

Shame on him.

On another note, we have the Presidential wannabes slugging it out. Most of them shamelessly slime the others while ignoring the skeletons in their own closets. The one that seems to be telling the truth, ala Laremy Tunsil above, is the one that is coming under the most fire.

Shame on us.