It's possible this year, but maybe not likely. It seems Mary Morlan (Mo) Isom intends to be a walk-on for the storied LSU football team, in hopes of landing a roster spot as a place kicker.
A little background. Ms. Isom attended Lassiter High, in Marietta, Ga., where she graduated with a 4.06 GPA. That in itself is amazing. I always thought 4.0 was as good as it gets. Maybe they give bonus points in Marietta for something or other. Beats me. Then on to LSU, where she was a stand out goalie for their soccer team. On top of that, she was homecoming Queen. Whip-smart, poised, beautiful, and a starter for a major college athletic team for 4 years? Does it get any better than that for a young lady?
Maybe, and maybe not. Though she technically has one year of "eligibility" left in her collegiate athletic career, her chances of making the men's football team would appear to be slim, at best. May it have something to do with stereo-typing, a "man's" game, and all-around macho BS? Of course. Only a fool would think otherwise. It's there, and probably always will be. Without getting into the particulars of locker room and/or shower situations, it's probably a fair statement to say this might pose difficulties on a few different levels.
Mo Isom has proven she has a great leg, having kicked a 51 yard field goal, evidently in some sort of practice.
But let's not forget the other kicker that's already there and will be coming back. While extra points after touchdowns are considered semi-automatic, this guy has quite a leg himself, and was accurate to the tune of 89% of his field goal attempts last year. Make of that what you will, but a lot of NFL kickers can't boast that percentage.
Yes, injuries happen and given the ridiculous number of scholarships that major college football programs routinely hand out, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to think Mo Isom should be given a fair shot at making the team as a back-up kicker.
But as the story unfolds, I can't help but be disappointed. Mo Isom, her mom, friends, and countless others have portrayed her as potentially breaking new ground in the South East Conference (SEC), when it comes to heretofore major male athletic programs.
Dammit, and here I thought they might be talking about actually, gasp, graduating.
And Ms. Isom proudly proclaims she hasn't kissed, or been kissed by, a guy for the last year? Hmm. Glad to hear she's getting her kicks elsewhere -- I think.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Peyton Manning and the ripple effect
Having been released by the Colts, Manning's now a free agent. Peyton stated at his "good-bye Indy" press conference that he will be playing elsewhere in the fall. There can be little doubt that Manning and his agent are looking at different teams, how he might "fit", their competitiveness, and, of course, the money. Yet, it goes way beyond where he might land. More about that later.
Obviously, with his recent neck surgeries still somewhat of an unknown factor, it's a safe bet to say any team interested in him would want their own doctors to have a very close look at how he has mended. Also, just because a player is medically cleared to play doesn't necessarily mean they still aren't fragile and more susceptible to another injury. Witness Sidney Crosby in the NHL, a super star in his own right, and what has happened to him.
Even assuming Manning is fully healed, his mere presence as a free agent, especially at this time, poses some very interesting possibilities. Consider: All the rest of the free agents on other NFL teams aren't truly free and able to negotiate with other teams until about a week from now. Though doubtful, if Manning and his agent come to terms with another team in the next few days, this could definitely impact where some of these players might want to go -- or CAN go, given the salary cap structure, and what chunk of it Peyton is likely to command. Yet that would only involve one team.
Conversely, Manning can hold out as long as he wants before making a decision. If I'm amongst the brain trust of any of the other NFL clubs right now, I'm praying Peyton decides something before the NFL draft, due to take place April 26-28. If he's still "out there" come draft time, it would pose a major problem for some teams, particularly those that are still interested in obtaining his services.
Let's say a team needed to fill a hole at offensive tackle or maybe linebacker with their first draft pick. Without Peyton, that's what they would do. But if they landed Peyton as a free agent, a hot-shot wide receiver to compliment him would probably start looking pretty good. So what do they do? Even if Peyton had already signed elsewhere, THAT team would likely change their draft board as well. If they were previously looking for perhaps a corner back, and assuming they already had a decent receiver corps, their priority would likely become taking the best offensive tackle available, to protect Peyton. Over his career, Manning has been a lot of things, but a mobile and/or running QB is not one of them. He's likely always been the slowest person on the field, and that includes coaches and cheerleaders. Throw in his age, and possible lingering fragility from his neck ordeal, and if Peyton doesn't have a stout "pocket" to stand in, make his reads, and then throw, that could get ugly in a hurry. For that matter, even during his career with the Colts, he always seemed to have "all day" back in the pocket. Look left, look center, look right, look left again, all the while having a case of the "happy feet" that can't run, then throw. While he was busy racking up the stats and stardom, probably the most under appreciated guys in the history of the NFL were his offensive linemen, giving him that much time. If he'd have been on some other teams, where after the snap, it was a-thousand-one, a-thousand two, a-thous -- BAM -- things might have turned out quite differently.
So where will he go? Lots of teams will be interested, but for different reasons. Clubs like Miami, Washington, Arizona, and KC, where the QB position is unsettled, to say the least, would love to have him. Even the Jets, but I can't see Manning and Rex Ryan working out so hot. Thing is, Manning certainly knows he's probably only got a couple good years left in him, and would want to go someplace where the team is oh-so-close to being Super Bowl caliber, and he could put them over the top. In my opinion, those clubs don't qualify.
Recently, a commenter suggested Denver. Put Tebow on the shelf for a couple years where he could learn from Manning and even John Elway. I respectfully disagree on two fronts. One, despite Denver's late surge last year, and even knocking off the Steelers in the playoffs, I don't think they're all that close to being Super Bowl caliber where Manning would make the difference. Second, Tebow is what Tebow is, and a couple years of watching and learning isn't likely to change that. While his fortitude, perseverance, toughness, and all-around being a genuinely good man are things to be highly admired -- a top-flight NFL quarterback he will never be. In my opinion.
The Houston Texans are young, coming on, have a great defense, and will likely be a power to be reckoned with in the next few years. But would they bench Matt Schaub for Peyton? Maybe. Yet where would that put their "cap" situation with the draft coming up? That could get complicated.
How about the 49ers? In head coach Jim Harbaugh's amazing rookie season -- he had them knocking on the door of the Super Bowl. Many have considered their QB, Alex Smith, to be an underachiever. Would Peyton fit out there? Could he get along with Jim Harbaugh, the guy he displaced as the Indianapolis Colts starting QB way back in 1998? Who knows, but if that worked out, San Fran could be very dangerous for a couple years.
No pun intended, but Peyton getting released from the Colts at this time puts a whole lot of balls in the air, for a whole lot of different people.
Where they will eventually come down is anybody's guess, but I'm pretty sure of a couple things.
Speculation will run rampant, and eventually most will be proven wrong.
And the other?
We'll all know in September, when they lace them up and get it on for real.
Obviously, with his recent neck surgeries still somewhat of an unknown factor, it's a safe bet to say any team interested in him would want their own doctors to have a very close look at how he has mended. Also, just because a player is medically cleared to play doesn't necessarily mean they still aren't fragile and more susceptible to another injury. Witness Sidney Crosby in the NHL, a super star in his own right, and what has happened to him.
Even assuming Manning is fully healed, his mere presence as a free agent, especially at this time, poses some very interesting possibilities. Consider: All the rest of the free agents on other NFL teams aren't truly free and able to negotiate with other teams until about a week from now. Though doubtful, if Manning and his agent come to terms with another team in the next few days, this could definitely impact where some of these players might want to go -- or CAN go, given the salary cap structure, and what chunk of it Peyton is likely to command. Yet that would only involve one team.
Conversely, Manning can hold out as long as he wants before making a decision. If I'm amongst the brain trust of any of the other NFL clubs right now, I'm praying Peyton decides something before the NFL draft, due to take place April 26-28. If he's still "out there" come draft time, it would pose a major problem for some teams, particularly those that are still interested in obtaining his services.
Let's say a team needed to fill a hole at offensive tackle or maybe linebacker with their first draft pick. Without Peyton, that's what they would do. But if they landed Peyton as a free agent, a hot-shot wide receiver to compliment him would probably start looking pretty good. So what do they do? Even if Peyton had already signed elsewhere, THAT team would likely change their draft board as well. If they were previously looking for perhaps a corner back, and assuming they already had a decent receiver corps, their priority would likely become taking the best offensive tackle available, to protect Peyton. Over his career, Manning has been a lot of things, but a mobile and/or running QB is not one of them. He's likely always been the slowest person on the field, and that includes coaches and cheerleaders. Throw in his age, and possible lingering fragility from his neck ordeal, and if Peyton doesn't have a stout "pocket" to stand in, make his reads, and then throw, that could get ugly in a hurry. For that matter, even during his career with the Colts, he always seemed to have "all day" back in the pocket. Look left, look center, look right, look left again, all the while having a case of the "happy feet" that can't run, then throw. While he was busy racking up the stats and stardom, probably the most under appreciated guys in the history of the NFL were his offensive linemen, giving him that much time. If he'd have been on some other teams, where after the snap, it was a-thousand-one, a-thousand two, a-thous -- BAM -- things might have turned out quite differently.
So where will he go? Lots of teams will be interested, but for different reasons. Clubs like Miami, Washington, Arizona, and KC, where the QB position is unsettled, to say the least, would love to have him. Even the Jets, but I can't see Manning and Rex Ryan working out so hot. Thing is, Manning certainly knows he's probably only got a couple good years left in him, and would want to go someplace where the team is oh-so-close to being Super Bowl caliber, and he could put them over the top. In my opinion, those clubs don't qualify.
Recently, a commenter suggested Denver. Put Tebow on the shelf for a couple years where he could learn from Manning and even John Elway. I respectfully disagree on two fronts. One, despite Denver's late surge last year, and even knocking off the Steelers in the playoffs, I don't think they're all that close to being Super Bowl caliber where Manning would make the difference. Second, Tebow is what Tebow is, and a couple years of watching and learning isn't likely to change that. While his fortitude, perseverance, toughness, and all-around being a genuinely good man are things to be highly admired -- a top-flight NFL quarterback he will never be. In my opinion.
The Houston Texans are young, coming on, have a great defense, and will likely be a power to be reckoned with in the next few years. But would they bench Matt Schaub for Peyton? Maybe. Yet where would that put their "cap" situation with the draft coming up? That could get complicated.
How about the 49ers? In head coach Jim Harbaugh's amazing rookie season -- he had them knocking on the door of the Super Bowl. Many have considered their QB, Alex Smith, to be an underachiever. Would Peyton fit out there? Could he get along with Jim Harbaugh, the guy he displaced as the Indianapolis Colts starting QB way back in 1998? Who knows, but if that worked out, San Fran could be very dangerous for a couple years.
No pun intended, but Peyton getting released from the Colts at this time puts a whole lot of balls in the air, for a whole lot of different people.
Where they will eventually come down is anybody's guess, but I'm pretty sure of a couple things.
Speculation will run rampant, and eventually most will be proven wrong.
And the other?
We'll all know in September, when they lace them up and get it on for real.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Peyton Manning gets the boot?
It seems so. Before a press conference that will happen in a few hours, it appears Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has decided to part ways with Manning. A big surprise? It shouldn't be.
Even the players understand and will tell you the NFL is a business which, in the end, is based on talent, performance, competition, and financial realities. The good players get more money. Those that don't measure up are gone. Every year, every team will have many new faces, while some of the old ones go away. I can't say for sure if age discrimination is alive and well in the NFL, but if a younger guy is as good or better than an older guy, and has a lesser salary, I'm pretty sure I know which one will get the nod from management, and which will be shown the door. It's one of the harsh realities of the sport. Nothing personal.
Peyton Manning appears to have been caught up in such a situation, and perhaps deservedly so. Yes, he's been an All-World quarterback for many years in Indianapolis, regular season NFL MVP, Super Bowl winner, MVP there as well, and his career passing statistics rank amongst the best of all time.
But he's also going to be 36 years old in a couple weeks, has had 3 recent neck surgeries which caused him to miss the entire 2011 season, and there's no guarantee he'll ever be able to withstand the pounding an NFL QB normally gets during the course of a single game, let alone a season.
Much has been made of the $28 million "roster bonus" Peyton was due in a couple days, to stay with the Colts. But that doesn't tell the whole story. On top of that, Manning would have collected a "signing" bonus of $4 million, a salary of $7.4 million, and a "miscellaneous" bonus, whatever that is, of $5.6 million. Total cost to owner Jim Irsay? $45 million dollars, for one season -- whether he can play or not.
Even in the world of ridiculous professional athlete salaries and the billionaires that own the teams, I dare say $45 million isn't exactly a minor detail that will go unnoticed. With Andrew Luck, the hot-shot QB from Stanford, likely to be taken by the Colts with their #1 pick in the upcoming draft, Irsay said he finally decided to change quarterbacks and the financial considerations with Manning didn't enter into it.
To which I say -- who do you think you're kidding, Jimbo? Of course that amount of money entered into it, especially for a guy past his prime that may or may not ever be able to play again. Why not just say so? People would understand it was a prudent business decision. Luck may be the next Manning, or he might be the next Ryan Leaf. Either way, the Colts are in rebuilding mode, have to take the kid, and hope for the best.
Some would say Irsay "owes" it to Peyton. Hogwash. While Manning may have been the "face" of the franchise for many years, Irsay has paid him an obcene amount of money over those same years to do his job. He doesn't owe him anything. Loyalty? Well, OK, but if you buy into that, then how do you explain free agents that made their name with one team only to jump to another for more money?
Besides, Irsay doesn't really have that much money. At a mere estimated $1.4 billion net worth, he only checks in at 879th on the world's billionaire list. Having inherited his father Robert's lucrative heating and ventilation empire, maybe he's not doing so well amongst the 1 percenters these days.
Then again, Forbes ranks him #312 in their Top 400. That's not bad. I doubt if I'm in the Top 312 in my own subdivision. But I've watched neighbors come and go. They've bought, they've rented, they've sold, they've been foreclosed on or lost their homes to taxes, and still I remain with my killer yorkies ever vigilant for those that may dare to trespass.
Like Irsay -- it was a pleasure knowing them, and I hope they stay in touch -- but it didn't work out.
And I sure as hell didn't give them $45 million dollars to tide them over, just in case they needed it.
Even the players understand and will tell you the NFL is a business which, in the end, is based on talent, performance, competition, and financial realities. The good players get more money. Those that don't measure up are gone. Every year, every team will have many new faces, while some of the old ones go away. I can't say for sure if age discrimination is alive and well in the NFL, but if a younger guy is as good or better than an older guy, and has a lesser salary, I'm pretty sure I know which one will get the nod from management, and which will be shown the door. It's one of the harsh realities of the sport. Nothing personal.
Peyton Manning appears to have been caught up in such a situation, and perhaps deservedly so. Yes, he's been an All-World quarterback for many years in Indianapolis, regular season NFL MVP, Super Bowl winner, MVP there as well, and his career passing statistics rank amongst the best of all time.
But he's also going to be 36 years old in a couple weeks, has had 3 recent neck surgeries which caused him to miss the entire 2011 season, and there's no guarantee he'll ever be able to withstand the pounding an NFL QB normally gets during the course of a single game, let alone a season.
Much has been made of the $28 million "roster bonus" Peyton was due in a couple days, to stay with the Colts. But that doesn't tell the whole story. On top of that, Manning would have collected a "signing" bonus of $4 million, a salary of $7.4 million, and a "miscellaneous" bonus, whatever that is, of $5.6 million. Total cost to owner Jim Irsay? $45 million dollars, for one season -- whether he can play or not.
Even in the world of ridiculous professional athlete salaries and the billionaires that own the teams, I dare say $45 million isn't exactly a minor detail that will go unnoticed. With Andrew Luck, the hot-shot QB from Stanford, likely to be taken by the Colts with their #1 pick in the upcoming draft, Irsay said he finally decided to change quarterbacks and the financial considerations with Manning didn't enter into it.
To which I say -- who do you think you're kidding, Jimbo? Of course that amount of money entered into it, especially for a guy past his prime that may or may not ever be able to play again. Why not just say so? People would understand it was a prudent business decision. Luck may be the next Manning, or he might be the next Ryan Leaf. Either way, the Colts are in rebuilding mode, have to take the kid, and hope for the best.
Some would say Irsay "owes" it to Peyton. Hogwash. While Manning may have been the "face" of the franchise for many years, Irsay has paid him an obcene amount of money over those same years to do his job. He doesn't owe him anything. Loyalty? Well, OK, but if you buy into that, then how do you explain free agents that made their name with one team only to jump to another for more money?
Besides, Irsay doesn't really have that much money. At a mere estimated $1.4 billion net worth, he only checks in at 879th on the world's billionaire list. Having inherited his father Robert's lucrative heating and ventilation empire, maybe he's not doing so well amongst the 1 percenters these days.
Then again, Forbes ranks him #312 in their Top 400. That's not bad. I doubt if I'm in the Top 312 in my own subdivision. But I've watched neighbors come and go. They've bought, they've rented, they've sold, they've been foreclosed on or lost their homes to taxes, and still I remain with my killer yorkies ever vigilant for those that may dare to trespass.
Like Irsay -- it was a pleasure knowing them, and I hope they stay in touch -- but it didn't work out.
And I sure as hell didn't give them $45 million dollars to tide them over, just in case they needed it.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Boston Red Sox sex scandal
Let me see if I have this right. Some former Red Sox clubhouse manager has been accused by several former bat boys (now men) of molesting them.
Most of the incidents supposedly took place in Florida at the Sox' spring training facility, but some might have actually taken place in Fenway Park. Well, OK. As a sick story might go -- I get it so far.
Then the wheels come off. Donald Fitzpatrick, the accused, was employed by the Red Sox from 1971-1991. No one has accused Fitzpatrick of any wrong-doing after 1991, 21 years ago. Whether or not he actually molested those young men is unknown, but the statute of limitations on any and all of those possible crimes has long since expired.
And just one more small detail. Fitzpatrick's been dead since 2005. Yet, 7 years later, these former bat boys are coming out of the woodwork seeking millions in damages from the Red Sox. Well, good luck prosecuting Fitzpatrick, let alone affording him his rights to a defense.
Think that's crazy? It gets worse. Two of the recent accusers apparently claim Fitzpatrick molested them when they were working for the Baltimore Orioles, in their OWN clubhouse, again, over 20 years ago. No pun intended, but it would take a lot of balls to walk into the opposing team's clubhouse and start sexually abusing batboys. If the batboys were there, the players, the coaches, the trainers, and even the manager couldn't have been far away. How could he have pulled that off without being seen?
This is where it gets really insane. The current owners of the Red Sox bought the club in 2002, a full 11 years after the last incident supposedly occurred. Now people want to hold THEM responsible for what a dead guy might have done over a decade before they came on the scene?
Don't get me wrong. I consider serial child molesting one of the worst crimes imaginable and, as far as I'm concerned, they can take people proven to have done such a thing and have them drawn and quartered in the public square. Indeed, if that really happened to those young boys back then, I have the utmost sympathy for them and hope they can somehow get past that nightmare to go on and live long, fruitful lives.
But something doesn't smell right. Where the hell have they been for 21 years? That means most of these guys are likely 30ish nowadays.
I'm no lawyer, but I just can't see how the current owners of the Red Sox could possibly owe anybody anything regarding these allegations.
As a comparison, in a similar time frame, I bought my house in 1992. If people were to start saying a since deceased serial killer lived here before me, and the authorities began digging up skeletons in my back yard -- would I be held responsible, and have to pay exorbitant sums of money to their surviving relatives?
Of course not.
So what's the difference?
This is crazy.
Most of the incidents supposedly took place in Florida at the Sox' spring training facility, but some might have actually taken place in Fenway Park. Well, OK. As a sick story might go -- I get it so far.
Then the wheels come off. Donald Fitzpatrick, the accused, was employed by the Red Sox from 1971-1991. No one has accused Fitzpatrick of any wrong-doing after 1991, 21 years ago. Whether or not he actually molested those young men is unknown, but the statute of limitations on any and all of those possible crimes has long since expired.
And just one more small detail. Fitzpatrick's been dead since 2005. Yet, 7 years later, these former bat boys are coming out of the woodwork seeking millions in damages from the Red Sox. Well, good luck prosecuting Fitzpatrick, let alone affording him his rights to a defense.
Think that's crazy? It gets worse. Two of the recent accusers apparently claim Fitzpatrick molested them when they were working for the Baltimore Orioles, in their OWN clubhouse, again, over 20 years ago. No pun intended, but it would take a lot of balls to walk into the opposing team's clubhouse and start sexually abusing batboys. If the batboys were there, the players, the coaches, the trainers, and even the manager couldn't have been far away. How could he have pulled that off without being seen?
This is where it gets really insane. The current owners of the Red Sox bought the club in 2002, a full 11 years after the last incident supposedly occurred. Now people want to hold THEM responsible for what a dead guy might have done over a decade before they came on the scene?
Don't get me wrong. I consider serial child molesting one of the worst crimes imaginable and, as far as I'm concerned, they can take people proven to have done such a thing and have them drawn and quartered in the public square. Indeed, if that really happened to those young boys back then, I have the utmost sympathy for them and hope they can somehow get past that nightmare to go on and live long, fruitful lives.
But something doesn't smell right. Where the hell have they been for 21 years? That means most of these guys are likely 30ish nowadays.
I'm no lawyer, but I just can't see how the current owners of the Red Sox could possibly owe anybody anything regarding these allegations.
As a comparison, in a similar time frame, I bought my house in 1992. If people were to start saying a since deceased serial killer lived here before me, and the authorities began digging up skeletons in my back yard -- would I be held responsible, and have to pay exorbitant sums of money to their surviving relatives?
Of course not.
So what's the difference?
This is crazy.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Ndamukong Suh and NASCAR?
Now that one took me by surprise. I tuned in to watch the Sprint Cup race in Phoenix only to see Ndamukong Suh, the stomper himself, as the Grand Marshal of the race? Really? The dude's from Portland, went to college at Nebraska, and now plays for the Detroit Lions. He's a defensive tackle. You know, get into 3-point stance, run into behemoth offensive linemen when ball is snapped, tackle running back if he has ball, and attempt to flatten quarterback on passing plays. Pretty simple.
He probably knows as much about NASCAR as I do about the finer points of mud wrestling. Now he's dancing with a microphone in his hand, on national TV, while telling the gentlemen (guess this race wasn't on Danica's schedule) to "start their engines"? How in the hell did he score THAT gig?
Beats me, but I wish I'd have had his agent, one Roosevelt Barnes, with me when I originally signed up to write this blog. I might be making millions now, like the sports editor I report to.
But that would be greedy. I would have settled for a mere all-expenses paid trip to Phoenix to just WATCH the race. Is that too much to ask?
If you see this Roosevelt -- call me. Forget about 10%. I'll give you 50%. Make the deal.
He probably knows as much about NASCAR as I do about the finer points of mud wrestling. Now he's dancing with a microphone in his hand, on national TV, while telling the gentlemen (guess this race wasn't on Danica's schedule) to "start their engines"? How in the hell did he score THAT gig?
Beats me, but I wish I'd have had his agent, one Roosevelt Barnes, with me when I originally signed up to write this blog. I might be making millions now, like the sports editor I report to.
But that would be greedy. I would have settled for a mere all-expenses paid trip to Phoenix to just WATCH the race. Is that too much to ask?
If you see this Roosevelt -- call me. Forget about 10%. I'll give you 50%. Make the deal.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Quick hits
Allegations have arisen that the New Orleans Saints had a "bounty" program, where defensive players could pick up some extra cash if they knocked out, or caused an opposing player to be carted off. That doesn't make sense. Isn't "Bounty" supposed to be the "quicker picker-upper?"
Tigerwatch: After one round at the Honda classic -- 7 strokes behind. After 2 rounds -- 8 strokes back. For his faithful followers, that's good news and bad news. The good news is he made the cut. The bad news is he hasn't started to putt on Sunday yet. Idle thought -- remember how his late father supposedly threw every distraction imaginable at Eldrick when he was a boy swinging a club, so he would learn to block it all out? Forget the swing changes. To improve his putting game, he should go to a putt-putt course. If he can "master" the windmills while a thousand screaming kids are running around -- then he'll be ready for Augusta. And what better place to get accustomed to "fast" greens? Put a piece of felt on top of concrete, and it doesn't get any faster than that.
Ndamukong Suh thinks he's a leader. My only question would be -- of what? I suppose there have been exceptions to the rule, like King Tut, other Egyptian pharaohs, and that new guy over in North Korea, becoming leaders when they were still quite immature -- but these days it's probably a good idea to become a man first. Just a thought.
Remember not long ago when goalie Jimmy Howard of the Red Wings was the hottest thing going, with Ty Conklin as the backup, and Joey MacDonald was buried down on the farm in Grand Rapids? Then Howard suffered a broken finger, Conklin seemed like he couldn't keep a basketball from going in the net behind him, and Joey got a shot, no pun intended. Now Conklin's in nowhere land, Howard's been losing, and Old MacDonald coming up from the farm is a sensation. E-I-E-I-O. Tricky business, being a goalie in Detroit.
Dwayne Wade broke Kobe Bryant's nose with a hard foul a few days ago in Miami. Kobe's tough to figure out. He'll whine and cry about the slightest contact on the court, and usually get the call from the refs, but yet he always seems to play through real injuries. Now there's a rematch between the 2 teams in LA. Payback time? Could get interesting.
Tigerwatch: After one round at the Honda classic -- 7 strokes behind. After 2 rounds -- 8 strokes back. For his faithful followers, that's good news and bad news. The good news is he made the cut. The bad news is he hasn't started to putt on Sunday yet. Idle thought -- remember how his late father supposedly threw every distraction imaginable at Eldrick when he was a boy swinging a club, so he would learn to block it all out? Forget the swing changes. To improve his putting game, he should go to a putt-putt course. If he can "master" the windmills while a thousand screaming kids are running around -- then he'll be ready for Augusta. And what better place to get accustomed to "fast" greens? Put a piece of felt on top of concrete, and it doesn't get any faster than that.
Ndamukong Suh thinks he's a leader. My only question would be -- of what? I suppose there have been exceptions to the rule, like King Tut, other Egyptian pharaohs, and that new guy over in North Korea, becoming leaders when they were still quite immature -- but these days it's probably a good idea to become a man first. Just a thought.
Remember not long ago when goalie Jimmy Howard of the Red Wings was the hottest thing going, with Ty Conklin as the backup, and Joey MacDonald was buried down on the farm in Grand Rapids? Then Howard suffered a broken finger, Conklin seemed like he couldn't keep a basketball from going in the net behind him, and Joey got a shot, no pun intended. Now Conklin's in nowhere land, Howard's been losing, and Old MacDonald coming up from the farm is a sensation. E-I-E-I-O. Tricky business, being a goalie in Detroit.
Dwayne Wade broke Kobe Bryant's nose with a hard foul a few days ago in Miami. Kobe's tough to figure out. He'll whine and cry about the slightest contact on the court, and usually get the call from the refs, but yet he always seems to play through real injuries. Now there's a rematch between the 2 teams in LA. Payback time? Could get interesting.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Danica, sexy, and the Princess
During a press conference, Danica Patrick said she wanted the reporters to come up with another word for her besides "sexy". It seems a TV news guy in San Diego obliged her, though probably not exactly what she had in mind. "I can come up with another word for her. It starts with a B, and it's not beautiful", he stated. That little jewel earned him a 2-week suspension without pay. That was out of line. He's since apologized, of course but, like they say, it's pretty tough to unring a bell.
Getting back to Danica herself, it becomes hard to figure out just what she wants. Certainly, she's a world famous race car driver, and wants to excel at her profession, like any other athlete would. Few would question she's also a very attractive woman in a male dominated sport.
By Danica's own words, she doesn't want to be referred to as "sexy" when she's wearing her race suit. Well OK. But then again, when she's doing all those TV ad spots for various products, looking really hot in quite different outfits, she likely doesn't want people to think of her as a race car driver. Is this an "eat your cake and have it too" scenario? Some would think so, but I disagree.
As a beautiful woman that just happens to be a race car driver, or vice versa, she should be able to have it both ways. BUT -- she also needs to come to grips with the facts that a high percentage of race fans are men, and an overwhelmingly majority of those drawn to beautiful women also possess that pesky Y chromosome. If Danica thinks all of her male fans should be able to differentiate between her racing and her looks, like apples and oranges, she's kidding herself. It may not be right, but the lines will be blurred, and that's just the way it is.
Recently, I received a communication from a lady that goes by the screen name Princess. Perhaps she put it best --
This time, Danica, honey, suck it up.
You are attractive, fit and yes sexy, so use it to your advantage. We
all know you can drive that car, but do you think if you were male and
was in the middle of the pack, anyone would care. NOT!! Sex sells
honey, and if you have to put up with a bit of what you think is trash
talk, then do it. These guys will make you millions.
Far be it from me to argue with royalty.
Getting back to Danica herself, it becomes hard to figure out just what she wants. Certainly, she's a world famous race car driver, and wants to excel at her profession, like any other athlete would. Few would question she's also a very attractive woman in a male dominated sport.
By Danica's own words, she doesn't want to be referred to as "sexy" when she's wearing her race suit. Well OK. But then again, when she's doing all those TV ad spots for various products, looking really hot in quite different outfits, she likely doesn't want people to think of her as a race car driver. Is this an "eat your cake and have it too" scenario? Some would think so, but I disagree.
As a beautiful woman that just happens to be a race car driver, or vice versa, she should be able to have it both ways. BUT -- she also needs to come to grips with the facts that a high percentage of race fans are men, and an overwhelmingly majority of those drawn to beautiful women also possess that pesky Y chromosome. If Danica thinks all of her male fans should be able to differentiate between her racing and her looks, like apples and oranges, she's kidding herself. It may not be right, but the lines will be blurred, and that's just the way it is.
Recently, I received a communication from a lady that goes by the screen name Princess. Perhaps she put it best --
This time, Danica, honey, suck it up.
You are attractive, fit and yes sexy, so use it to your advantage. We
all know you can drive that car, but do you think if you were male and
was in the middle of the pack, anyone would care. NOT!! Sex sells
honey, and if you have to put up with a bit of what you think is trash
talk, then do it. These guys will make you millions.
Far be it from me to argue with royalty.
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