Yeah, I know. Enough with ranting about Major League Baseball's suspensions for alleged PED users. Move on already. I get that but, A-Rod's appeal notwithstanding, now that the dust is beginning to clear, a few questions remain.
One of those slapped with a 50 game suspension as a first time drug policy offender was Jordan Norberto, formerly a pitcher for the Oakland A's. By formerly I mean he was released by the A's on May 8th of this year. No other club has picked him up in the meanwhile, so Norberto hasn't played a Major League game in 3 months. That's about as free as a free agent gets.
Question: Even though he isn't on a Major League roster, is Norberto's 50 game suspension currently ticking down as the games go by? Or if another club signs him some time in the future, will the suspension begin then? Beats me.
Same thing with Alex Rodriguez. He was given a 211 game suspension, obviously designed to keep him off the field until the 2015 season. But A-Rod is allowed to keep playing pending the outcome of his appeal. Knowledgable baseball sources say arbitrator Fredric Horowitz likely won't issue his final ruling until November or December. In other words, A-Rod will be able to finish this season with the NY Yankees.
Question: If Rodriguez's suspension is ultimately upheld by Horowitz, which is the equivalent of a Supreme Court ruling -- no more appeals allowed by either side -- then how does the original 211 game suspension play out? Would it start on opening day next year and last a couple months into the 2015 season? Or would A-Rod get credit for "time served" this year, even though he never served it while continuing to draw his ridiculous salary, to boot? Beats me.
Looking at the bigger picture, yours truly is still at a loss trying to understand why MLB imposed a suspension over 4 times longer on A-Rod than they did the others.
Question: Do you think if MLB had given Rodriguez the same 50 game suspension as all the others, he might have accepted it, and all the bound to get messy appeal stuff could have been avoided? Beats me.
Moral of the story. Methinks MLB went overboard in their vendetta against Rodriguez. Now they've opened up a Pandora's box. What will come out of it remains to be seen. Had they exercised a bit of restraint and common sense, what will likely happen in the future regarding A-Rod and possibly a precedent setting case could very well have been avoided.
If Bud Selig and Co. prevail, that's one thing. If they lose -- God help them. The inmates might very well wind up running the asylum again, like they did a generation ago.
And I suspect that would not be a good thing for baseball.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
A-Rod's suspension travesty. The kangaroo court has ruled.
There's so many things wrong with how the whole Alex Rodriguez scenario has played out that's it's hard to know where to start. But let's take a look at it anyway.
In case you haven't noticed, it seems nowadays the majority of lemmings that readily believe anything they read, or see/hear on TV or the internet, with the media being the biggest culprits by fanning the flames, wants to be a "witness for the prosecution". Nevermind trivial stuff like having hard evidence of wrong-doing, many just can't seem to wait to join a lynch mob. Keep piling on the innuendos, embellishment, and allegations long enough, and next thing you know the masses will swallow it -- hook, line, and sinker. He must be guilty. Get the rope, pick out a big tree, and we're gonna have ourselves a hangin'. Yee-ha.
But that doesn't make it right. Consider.....
Many are now saying Major League Baseball came down so hard on A-Rod because he denied ever using performance enhancing drugs, ala Lance Armstrong. That's just a flat-out lie. In 2009, of his own free will and accord, Rodriguez admitted using PEDs when he was with the Texas Rangers, but stopped using them circa 2003. After his voluntary mea culpa in 2009, MLB sat pat and took no action. Nothing happened. Rodriguez played on.
In the interim, few would doubt A-Rod has been "tested" often, but never turned up a positive sample. Sure, the same could be said for Lance Armstrong, but continually testing negative hardly goes to proof of substance abuse. That's absurd. Only a kangaroo court that had already reached a verdict before any evidence was presented could jump to such a conclusion.
And that's just it. There was no court. Just allegations made and a sentence handed down. Excuse me, but didn't we leave out a big step here? You know, like that pesky little thing called a trial, where both sides have to put their cards on the table, and a supposedly impartial judge or jury deliberates before rendering a verdict?
MLB issued an official statement saying A-Rod's punishment was for his use and possession of various substances over a period of years. Really? Well gee, he told them that 4 years ago. And it's been a decade since he claimed he stopped with, so far, no evidence shown to contradict him. Perhaps the players' union would be wise to include some form of a statute of limitations in the next collective bargaining agreement. Right now, it appears MLB can go back as many years as they feel like to punish someone at their whim.
It gets worse. The hypesters would have us believe Rodriguez "obstructed" MLB's investigation. Translation? If someone accused of a crime exercises their right to remain silent, they will be labelled "uncooperative". Let the piling on begin. If they advise others to do the same, then they're some sort of evil conspirators that are "obstructing justice". The feeding frenzy will be on. All to often, the original presumption of innocence until proven guilty gets chucked out the window in the process. They've even gone so far as to insinuate Rodriguez was recruiting others to takes PEDs. In other words, he was a "pusher". Excuse me, but somehow I find that hard to believe.
But few seem to notice -- or care. And that's a scary thought. Yeah, it's easy to lay back and pile on out of ignorance when it's happening to somebody else -- but I dare say one would see it from a whole different perspective if it was happening to them, or a loved one. Especially if they were innocent.
This is not say A-Rod is innocent. What he's done or not since 2003 is unknown to yours truly. Likely to anyone reading this, as well. You may think you know -- but if you're honest with yourself -- deep down you know you really don't.
I've heard the talking heads say MLB has paper trails and mountains of evidence against Rodriguez but, ironically, never heard MLB make that same claim. Maybe they do, and maybe they don't.
Thing is, A-Rod can continue playing because he's appealing his suspension. The first step will be to Commissioner Bud Selig and MLB itself, which will likely be a slam-dunk affirmation of the original sentence.
But eventually, if Rodriguez sticks to his guns, this whole mess will wind up in front of an arbitrator. Like a real court. At that point, MLB will have to show their supposed mountain of evidence. It will be put up or shut up time. Selig and his henchmen better hope they have the goods beyond a reasonable doubt, or the entire state of Wisconsin won't be able to supply the eggs that will be thrown in their face.
The vast majority of the other players on MLB's hit-list accepted their 50 game suspensions as first time drug policy violators. One could surmise that rather than fight it, and risk the further fury of MLB in the future, they just want to get it over with. Take the whupping, go away for a while and, most importantly, fall off the radar screen of the media vultures. Come back next year with a clean slate. It makes perfectly good sense.
Yet A-Rod poses a unique case. If he rolled over and accepted the suspension, he'd be pushing 40 before he was allowed back on the field, and would have been away from that level of competition for a year and a half. Whatever skills he stills possesses likely would have eroded away to next to nothing by that time -- the considerable money the Yankees still owe him be damned.
Two things. Obviously, Rodriguez wants to play -- now. And second, why not fight? At this point he really has nothing to lose.
Instead of all the rumors, suspicions, and heresay that we're being bombarded with -- here's a novel idea. Have everybody put their cards on the table and let the chips fall where they may. By appealing his suspension, basically this is all A-Rod is asking. He got convicted and sentenced without a trial and wants an open and fair hearing. Seems fair enough to me.
The horde of armchair prosecutors will get over it -- eventually. They will no doubt find a slew of other fish to gut and fry along the way in their minds -- even if they've never dropped a line in the water.
Though I must admit they're world class when it comes to baiting hooks.
In case you haven't noticed, it seems nowadays the majority of lemmings that readily believe anything they read, or see/hear on TV or the internet, with the media being the biggest culprits by fanning the flames, wants to be a "witness for the prosecution". Nevermind trivial stuff like having hard evidence of wrong-doing, many just can't seem to wait to join a lynch mob. Keep piling on the innuendos, embellishment, and allegations long enough, and next thing you know the masses will swallow it -- hook, line, and sinker. He must be guilty. Get the rope, pick out a big tree, and we're gonna have ourselves a hangin'. Yee-ha.
But that doesn't make it right. Consider.....
Many are now saying Major League Baseball came down so hard on A-Rod because he denied ever using performance enhancing drugs, ala Lance Armstrong. That's just a flat-out lie. In 2009, of his own free will and accord, Rodriguez admitted using PEDs when he was with the Texas Rangers, but stopped using them circa 2003. After his voluntary mea culpa in 2009, MLB sat pat and took no action. Nothing happened. Rodriguez played on.
In the interim, few would doubt A-Rod has been "tested" often, but never turned up a positive sample. Sure, the same could be said for Lance Armstrong, but continually testing negative hardly goes to proof of substance abuse. That's absurd. Only a kangaroo court that had already reached a verdict before any evidence was presented could jump to such a conclusion.
And that's just it. There was no court. Just allegations made and a sentence handed down. Excuse me, but didn't we leave out a big step here? You know, like that pesky little thing called a trial, where both sides have to put their cards on the table, and a supposedly impartial judge or jury deliberates before rendering a verdict?
MLB issued an official statement saying A-Rod's punishment was for his use and possession of various substances over a period of years. Really? Well gee, he told them that 4 years ago. And it's been a decade since he claimed he stopped with, so far, no evidence shown to contradict him. Perhaps the players' union would be wise to include some form of a statute of limitations in the next collective bargaining agreement. Right now, it appears MLB can go back as many years as they feel like to punish someone at their whim.
It gets worse. The hypesters would have us believe Rodriguez "obstructed" MLB's investigation. Translation? If someone accused of a crime exercises their right to remain silent, they will be labelled "uncooperative". Let the piling on begin. If they advise others to do the same, then they're some sort of evil conspirators that are "obstructing justice". The feeding frenzy will be on. All to often, the original presumption of innocence until proven guilty gets chucked out the window in the process. They've even gone so far as to insinuate Rodriguez was recruiting others to takes PEDs. In other words, he was a "pusher". Excuse me, but somehow I find that hard to believe.
But few seem to notice -- or care. And that's a scary thought. Yeah, it's easy to lay back and pile on out of ignorance when it's happening to somebody else -- but I dare say one would see it from a whole different perspective if it was happening to them, or a loved one. Especially if they were innocent.
This is not say A-Rod is innocent. What he's done or not since 2003 is unknown to yours truly. Likely to anyone reading this, as well. You may think you know -- but if you're honest with yourself -- deep down you know you really don't.
I've heard the talking heads say MLB has paper trails and mountains of evidence against Rodriguez but, ironically, never heard MLB make that same claim. Maybe they do, and maybe they don't.
Thing is, A-Rod can continue playing because he's appealing his suspension. The first step will be to Commissioner Bud Selig and MLB itself, which will likely be a slam-dunk affirmation of the original sentence.
But eventually, if Rodriguez sticks to his guns, this whole mess will wind up in front of an arbitrator. Like a real court. At that point, MLB will have to show their supposed mountain of evidence. It will be put up or shut up time. Selig and his henchmen better hope they have the goods beyond a reasonable doubt, or the entire state of Wisconsin won't be able to supply the eggs that will be thrown in their face.
The vast majority of the other players on MLB's hit-list accepted their 50 game suspensions as first time drug policy violators. One could surmise that rather than fight it, and risk the further fury of MLB in the future, they just want to get it over with. Take the whupping, go away for a while and, most importantly, fall off the radar screen of the media vultures. Come back next year with a clean slate. It makes perfectly good sense.
Yet A-Rod poses a unique case. If he rolled over and accepted the suspension, he'd be pushing 40 before he was allowed back on the field, and would have been away from that level of competition for a year and a half. Whatever skills he stills possesses likely would have eroded away to next to nothing by that time -- the considerable money the Yankees still owe him be damned.
Two things. Obviously, Rodriguez wants to play -- now. And second, why not fight? At this point he really has nothing to lose.
Instead of all the rumors, suspicions, and heresay that we're being bombarded with -- here's a novel idea. Have everybody put their cards on the table and let the chips fall where they may. By appealing his suspension, basically this is all A-Rod is asking. He got convicted and sentenced without a trial and wants an open and fair hearing. Seems fair enough to me.
The horde of armchair prosecutors will get over it -- eventually. They will no doubt find a slew of other fish to gut and fry along the way in their minds -- even if they've never dropped a line in the water.
Though I must admit they're world class when it comes to baiting hooks.
Johnny Manziel and the Raven
First things first. Here's a shout-out to a certain lady that has recently checked out my lunacy in this forum. She's known as the Raven and hails from North Carolina -- not far from Charlotte. Serious NASCAR country. Always did have a thing for southern girls. They get my motor red-lining every time I hear their drawl. What a fine upstanding southern belle like the Raven could possibly find interesting in my rants would seem to be a mystery. But it is hoped yours truly can hold her interest for a while longer. Perhaps even nevermore. And feel free to quoth me on that. Besides, she promised me lunch. Hold the grits, please. I suspect even the deep, dark Edgar Allan Poe would have cowered when confronted with a bowl of that stuff.
Now Texas A&M quarterback, and last year's Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel is front and center in the sports news. Evidently, for all the wrong reasons.
Well, let's see. He tweeted something negative about his school a while back. My answer? Who cares? This is America. He can pretty well say whatever he wants. And besides, those who live and die by tweets issued by others should really consider getting a life.
Johnny Football pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of being involved in a bar fight a few years ago. Answer? This is a big deal? When I was his age, it was the rare exception NOT to get into a scuffle once in a while.
Manziel left the Manning quarterback camp early. So what? It's not like he deserted and went over to the other side while in the military. Peyton and Eli may very well be field generals on the gridiron, but I'm pretty sure they don't have the power and wherewithal to confine someone within one of their camps. Manziel could come. He did. He could go. He did, when he felt like it. This is a big deal?
Ah, but now the talking heads are all a-twitter over Manziel possibly making money over autographing football paraphernalia. The dreaded NCAA infraction committee is looking into it. Early unsubstantiated reports (sound familiar?) have it that Manziel might have agreed to a 5-figure deal with a shady character to provide his John Hancocks. Well, that shouldn't be too hard to check out. Unless he's got a whole lot of Ben Franklin's stuffed in a coffee can or buried in his back yard, one would think bank records would quickly tell the story.
Here's what people tend to forget. Manziel comes from a rather well-to-do family. Do they hand out penalties for that these days too? A while back, the media made a big deal over Manziel sitting courtside at an NBA playoff game. Some of those idiots still do. If they'd have looked a little deeper before their usual hatchet jobs, they'd have discovered his parents provided him with the ticket. Maybe his parents should be water-boarded for having the financial means to give their son a present.
Yours truly has no idea where this whole latest investigation will go, but one thing strikes me as odd.
Why would Manziel put his college career in jeopardy, and likely fall far down the NFL draft boards next year, when a 5-figure payout would seem to be chump change to his family in the first place?
Something is wrong with this picture. And I think it just might be the media propaganda.
Now Texas A&M quarterback, and last year's Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel is front and center in the sports news. Evidently, for all the wrong reasons.
Well, let's see. He tweeted something negative about his school a while back. My answer? Who cares? This is America. He can pretty well say whatever he wants. And besides, those who live and die by tweets issued by others should really consider getting a life.
Johnny Football pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of being involved in a bar fight a few years ago. Answer? This is a big deal? When I was his age, it was the rare exception NOT to get into a scuffle once in a while.
Manziel left the Manning quarterback camp early. So what? It's not like he deserted and went over to the other side while in the military. Peyton and Eli may very well be field generals on the gridiron, but I'm pretty sure they don't have the power and wherewithal to confine someone within one of their camps. Manziel could come. He did. He could go. He did, when he felt like it. This is a big deal?
Ah, but now the talking heads are all a-twitter over Manziel possibly making money over autographing football paraphernalia. The dreaded NCAA infraction committee is looking into it. Early unsubstantiated reports (sound familiar?) have it that Manziel might have agreed to a 5-figure deal with a shady character to provide his John Hancocks. Well, that shouldn't be too hard to check out. Unless he's got a whole lot of Ben Franklin's stuffed in a coffee can or buried in his back yard, one would think bank records would quickly tell the story.
Here's what people tend to forget. Manziel comes from a rather well-to-do family. Do they hand out penalties for that these days too? A while back, the media made a big deal over Manziel sitting courtside at an NBA playoff game. Some of those idiots still do. If they'd have looked a little deeper before their usual hatchet jobs, they'd have discovered his parents provided him with the ticket. Maybe his parents should be water-boarded for having the financial means to give their son a present.
Yours truly has no idea where this whole latest investigation will go, but one thing strikes me as odd.
Why would Manziel put his college career in jeopardy, and likely fall far down the NFL draft boards next year, when a 5-figure payout would seem to be chump change to his family in the first place?
Something is wrong with this picture. And I think it just might be the media propaganda.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Grass, MLB, and A-Rod
So why is it that -- I can pay big bucks for a bag of Grade A guaranteed-to-grow in sun or shade grass seed, spread it in even more high dollar bags of Mircle-Gro topsoil, including covering it with the recommended 1/4 inch, and lovingly water it every day -- and no grass grows. But when wind-blown lawn clippings find their way into the vegetable garden, every last one of those suckers seems to take root and sprout up overnight like Jack's beanstalk? I dunno. Sometimes Mother Nature can be a real bi---, well, you know.
Enough with Bud Selig and Major League Baseball rattling their sabers and threatening this and that for the guys on their PED hit-list. It's been months now. Whatever incriminating evidence they may or may not have isn't going to change. Do something or shut up.
Thing is, they HAVE to do something. After all the hype, which they've likely generated themselves with various "leaks" through "anonymous sources", and the ensuing media circus, there's no way MLB can back down. They're in way too deep. Right or wrong, legally, contractually, or collective bargainly with the players' union, they have no choice but to keep their heads lowered and charge. Anything less than that would strip Bud Selig of whatever shred of credibility he may or may not have ever had amongst the masses. So SOMETHING has to happen. I just wish they'd quit with their ivory tower circle jerk and get on with it already.
At that, it's also been reported many of the players on MLB's list have already agreed to accept 50 game suspensions and not contest them. That's their choice. But nobody would doubt Alex Rodriguez headlines the marquis. He's their current poster child, and they want to make an example of him. The latest anonymous sources say MLB is going to slap A-Rod with a 214 game suspension. An arbitrary number picked out of a hat? Hardly. That just so happens to be how many games are left in this (Yankee) season combined with the 162 in 2014. So Rodriguez would be done until the 2015 campaign when he'd be approaching 40 years old.
Just one problem. It seems A-Rod doesn't want to roll over and play dead. After trying to negotiate a settlement with MLB, presumably for a much lesser penalty, talks broke down. Now both sides are digging in. MLB has the might of it's office and virtually unlimited financial resources to wage such a war. Rodriguez has 3 high-falootin legal firms in his own corner. A serious team of some mighty shrewd and likely cutthroat legal-eagles are raring to go.
This could get ugly.
They say something will likely happen in a couple days.
Yeah? Well the guy who sold me that grass seed keeps telling me the same thing.
Come to think of it -- he looked a lot like Bud Selig.
Hmmm.
Enough with Bud Selig and Major League Baseball rattling their sabers and threatening this and that for the guys on their PED hit-list. It's been months now. Whatever incriminating evidence they may or may not have isn't going to change. Do something or shut up.
Thing is, they HAVE to do something. After all the hype, which they've likely generated themselves with various "leaks" through "anonymous sources", and the ensuing media circus, there's no way MLB can back down. They're in way too deep. Right or wrong, legally, contractually, or collective bargainly with the players' union, they have no choice but to keep their heads lowered and charge. Anything less than that would strip Bud Selig of whatever shred of credibility he may or may not have ever had amongst the masses. So SOMETHING has to happen. I just wish they'd quit with their ivory tower circle jerk and get on with it already.
At that, it's also been reported many of the players on MLB's list have already agreed to accept 50 game suspensions and not contest them. That's their choice. But nobody would doubt Alex Rodriguez headlines the marquis. He's their current poster child, and they want to make an example of him. The latest anonymous sources say MLB is going to slap A-Rod with a 214 game suspension. An arbitrary number picked out of a hat? Hardly. That just so happens to be how many games are left in this (Yankee) season combined with the 162 in 2014. So Rodriguez would be done until the 2015 campaign when he'd be approaching 40 years old.
Just one problem. It seems A-Rod doesn't want to roll over and play dead. After trying to negotiate a settlement with MLB, presumably for a much lesser penalty, talks broke down. Now both sides are digging in. MLB has the might of it's office and virtually unlimited financial resources to wage such a war. Rodriguez has 3 high-falootin legal firms in his own corner. A serious team of some mighty shrewd and likely cutthroat legal-eagles are raring to go.
This could get ugly.
They say something will likely happen in a couple days.
Yeah? Well the guy who sold me that grass seed keeps telling me the same thing.
Come to think of it -- he looked a lot like Bud Selig.
Hmmm.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Tiger Woods and Castro
Wow. It appears some guy named Castro just got a life sentence without possibility of parole -- plus 1000 years. So if I have this right -- after he dies in his cell, his remains have to stay in that cell for another 1000 years before they can be buried? That sounds a bit over the top -- not to mention creepy.
All hail Eldrick. He just tied the course record with a 61 in the second round of the Exploding Tires, ahem, Bridgestone National PGA tournament. For whatever reason, Tiger Woods seems to own this particular course. He's already won the same tournament 7 times before. And now he's tearing it up again. Assuming Tiger doesn't experience yet another of his recent colossal week-end meltdowns -- he should easily cruise home to victory at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Ah yes. One can only imagine how proud the late, great tire tycoon Harvey Firestone would be to have Tiger Woods as his champion once again on the course named after him.
Speaking of Tigers, I never knew Detroit Tiger ace pitcher Max Scherzer had one brown eye and one blue one. That must be a little spooky for an eagle-eyed batter to look at standing out on the mound.
You know how dogs have those "night eyes", where by day their irises are almost black, but under the moonlight reveal a different color? I have two male yorkies. At night, one's eyes are bright yellow, and the other's are blood red. How that came to be, I have no idea. But I do know the one with the yellow eyes is pretty mellow, while his counterpart is an agitator. He's always trying to stir the pot, in one way or the other.
So I suspect if Tiger manager Jim Leyland's eyes were to be closely examined, they would glow like embers as well. No wonder the reporters shine such bright lights on him.
And no matter what, I hope they continue to keep a tight leash on the Marlboro Man when a full moon is out. The way that facial hair of his seems to come and go so quickly reminds me of Lon Chaney in the old classic wolfman movies.
Leyland going on a rampage and ripping and tearing at the umpires is one thing.
But if he somehow breaks loose and runs totally amok, the last thing I need is to find Leyland in my back yard howling at a full moon.
One agitator with red eyes is quite enough, thank you.
All hail Eldrick. He just tied the course record with a 61 in the second round of the Exploding Tires, ahem, Bridgestone National PGA tournament. For whatever reason, Tiger Woods seems to own this particular course. He's already won the same tournament 7 times before. And now he's tearing it up again. Assuming Tiger doesn't experience yet another of his recent colossal week-end meltdowns -- he should easily cruise home to victory at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Ah yes. One can only imagine how proud the late, great tire tycoon Harvey Firestone would be to have Tiger Woods as his champion once again on the course named after him.
Speaking of Tigers, I never knew Detroit Tiger ace pitcher Max Scherzer had one brown eye and one blue one. That must be a little spooky for an eagle-eyed batter to look at standing out on the mound.
You know how dogs have those "night eyes", where by day their irises are almost black, but under the moonlight reveal a different color? I have two male yorkies. At night, one's eyes are bright yellow, and the other's are blood red. How that came to be, I have no idea. But I do know the one with the yellow eyes is pretty mellow, while his counterpart is an agitator. He's always trying to stir the pot, in one way or the other.
So I suspect if Tiger manager Jim Leyland's eyes were to be closely examined, they would glow like embers as well. No wonder the reporters shine such bright lights on him.
And no matter what, I hope they continue to keep a tight leash on the Marlboro Man when a full moon is out. The way that facial hair of his seems to come and go so quickly reminds me of Lon Chaney in the old classic wolfman movies.
Leyland going on a rampage and ripping and tearing at the umpires is one thing.
But if he somehow breaks loose and runs totally amok, the last thing I need is to find Leyland in my back yard howling at a full moon.
One agitator with red eyes is quite enough, thank you.
The Alex Rodriguez dilemma
According to most available sources (those being the usual gang of anonymous, not authorized to officially speak, but familiar with the goings-on, sound familiar?) Alex Rodriguez appears to be faced with a dilemma.
If such "reliable" sources can be believed, Major League Baseball is threatening A-Rod with a liftime ban, ala Pete Rose, if Rodriguez fights whatever punishment/suspension MLB is about to slap him with over his ties to the now defunct Biogenesis "anti-aging" (see PEDs) clinic in Florida. Those same sources seem to think a rather lengthy suspension, perhaps 200 games, is what MLB is considering.
So just for kicks, put yourself in A-Rod's shoes. What would you do? Once a super-star, you've recently turned 38 years old and are fully aware your production on the field has been in serious decline for the last several years. But the Yankees still owe you about $100 million in guaranteed money as long as you don't flat-out quit.
If your're looking at a roughly 200 game suspension scenario, you realize that will wipe out the rest of this season, likely all of 2014, and you'll be pushing 40 before you can put on the Yankee pinstripes again. In the meantime, a couple years away from the game are likely to erase whatever skills you still have left. In other words, even accepting such a suspension is likely akin to kissing your baseball career goodbye anyway, though you'd still be able to collect mega-bucks from the Yankees for a few more years -- not that you need it -- because you're already incredibly wealthy.
Right now, it appears Bud Selig and his henchmen are giving you a choice. If you resist, a death sentence will be imposed and carried out immediately. If you accept their arbitrary punishment, in effect you'll still be getting a death sentence on your baseball career, but it will take a couple more years as you twist in the wind and see your name, career stats, and reputation shredded by the media. Tick, tick, tick. What to do indeed?
Incredibly, there's a clause in the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players' union that forbids either of them from disclosing the details as to why a player was suspended for "violating" the drug policy. Translation? Whatever happens, it will be like one of those secret courts that have been semi-outed in recent years. Nobody will ever know the whys and wherefores, it's just a done deal. Case closed. I can understand this from MLB's standpoint, but what kind of players' union in their right mind would ever sign on to such a thing? Aren't they supposed to represent these guys? Demand full (public) disclosure of conclusive evidence before allowing one of their own to be convicted and punished? What the hell is going on here?
Given those choices, if I'm Alex Rodriguez I stand firm and fight. At this point there's really nothing to lose. Stare down MLB and see if they indeed follow through on their threat of a lifetime ban.
If they do, there's certainly no shortage of shrewd attorneys that will be chomping at the bit to take on such a case in real courts. For that matter, despite his considerable wealth, it likely wouldn't cost A-Rod a dime for such legal prowess. Such a case would have the potential of rocking MLB like it's never been rocked before. Yes, it would no doubt take years to wind it's way through the judicial system, up to and including the Supreme Court, but such a ruling, if favorable, could well be in the billions of dollars. Tell me some very smart attorneys wouldn't take that on a commission basis, and I'll tell you you're wrong. They'd be all over it.
Thing is, if it came to real courts, all this secretive nonsense would quickly go out the window. Everybody would have to show their hand. Depositions under oath would be taken and the discovery process, full disclosure, and all of that would kick in. And then people would be forced to testify and be cross-examined. All the evidence, or lack thereof, would eventually be laid bare for the world to see. Can you imagine how messy that might get?
So yeah, if I'm A-Rod, I look MLB in the eye and say "no deal". There's no criminal charges in play and I've already got enough money to last me 10 lifetimes in the lap of luxury. I would further tell them that if you attempt to end my career, you just opened a Pandora's box and I hope you're ready for whatever pops out. Because whatever it is, it ain't gonna be pretty.
It will be interesting to see which choice Alex Rodriguez decides to make. Even more interesting if the immovable object winds up meeting the irresistible force. Something's got to give.
We'll see.....
If such "reliable" sources can be believed, Major League Baseball is threatening A-Rod with a liftime ban, ala Pete Rose, if Rodriguez fights whatever punishment/suspension MLB is about to slap him with over his ties to the now defunct Biogenesis "anti-aging" (see PEDs) clinic in Florida. Those same sources seem to think a rather lengthy suspension, perhaps 200 games, is what MLB is considering.
So just for kicks, put yourself in A-Rod's shoes. What would you do? Once a super-star, you've recently turned 38 years old and are fully aware your production on the field has been in serious decline for the last several years. But the Yankees still owe you about $100 million in guaranteed money as long as you don't flat-out quit.
If your're looking at a roughly 200 game suspension scenario, you realize that will wipe out the rest of this season, likely all of 2014, and you'll be pushing 40 before you can put on the Yankee pinstripes again. In the meantime, a couple years away from the game are likely to erase whatever skills you still have left. In other words, even accepting such a suspension is likely akin to kissing your baseball career goodbye anyway, though you'd still be able to collect mega-bucks from the Yankees for a few more years -- not that you need it -- because you're already incredibly wealthy.
Right now, it appears Bud Selig and his henchmen are giving you a choice. If you resist, a death sentence will be imposed and carried out immediately. If you accept their arbitrary punishment, in effect you'll still be getting a death sentence on your baseball career, but it will take a couple more years as you twist in the wind and see your name, career stats, and reputation shredded by the media. Tick, tick, tick. What to do indeed?
Incredibly, there's a clause in the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players' union that forbids either of them from disclosing the details as to why a player was suspended for "violating" the drug policy. Translation? Whatever happens, it will be like one of those secret courts that have been semi-outed in recent years. Nobody will ever know the whys and wherefores, it's just a done deal. Case closed. I can understand this from MLB's standpoint, but what kind of players' union in their right mind would ever sign on to such a thing? Aren't they supposed to represent these guys? Demand full (public) disclosure of conclusive evidence before allowing one of their own to be convicted and punished? What the hell is going on here?
Given those choices, if I'm Alex Rodriguez I stand firm and fight. At this point there's really nothing to lose. Stare down MLB and see if they indeed follow through on their threat of a lifetime ban.
If they do, there's certainly no shortage of shrewd attorneys that will be chomping at the bit to take on such a case in real courts. For that matter, despite his considerable wealth, it likely wouldn't cost A-Rod a dime for such legal prowess. Such a case would have the potential of rocking MLB like it's never been rocked before. Yes, it would no doubt take years to wind it's way through the judicial system, up to and including the Supreme Court, but such a ruling, if favorable, could well be in the billions of dollars. Tell me some very smart attorneys wouldn't take that on a commission basis, and I'll tell you you're wrong. They'd be all over it.
Thing is, if it came to real courts, all this secretive nonsense would quickly go out the window. Everybody would have to show their hand. Depositions under oath would be taken and the discovery process, full disclosure, and all of that would kick in. And then people would be forced to testify and be cross-examined. All the evidence, or lack thereof, would eventually be laid bare for the world to see. Can you imagine how messy that might get?
So yeah, if I'm A-Rod, I look MLB in the eye and say "no deal". There's no criminal charges in play and I've already got enough money to last me 10 lifetimes in the lap of luxury. I would further tell them that if you attempt to end my career, you just opened a Pandora's box and I hope you're ready for whatever pops out. Because whatever it is, it ain't gonna be pretty.
It will be interesting to see which choice Alex Rodriguez decides to make. Even more interesting if the immovable object winds up meeting the irresistible force. Something's got to give.
We'll see.....
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Riley Cooper. Here we go again
Sadly, Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver Riley Cooper appears to be the latest to unwittingly cross into the dark side of the politically correct spectrum. During some sort of confrontation with a security guard at a public event, Cooper uttered a racial slur.
In and of itself, of course, this would not normally be a big deal. After all, who would seriously doubt a wide variety of such "slurs" continue to be spoken millions of times every day, in every town or rural area across the country by peoples of different stripes? Let's not kid ourselves. It happens. Always has and likely always will. Sure, there are many who have strived to abolish such words and phrases, but all they've really accomplished is to drive them "underground" and, at that, only for those the biased language police deem culpable in such offenses. In other words, some people can say certain things -- and others can't.
In Cooper's case, there's no denying it. His rant was captured on video/audio, which was posted on-line and quickly went viral. He said/did it. Yours truly, who continues to disdain social networking sites as being somewhat akin to STDs, sans the thrill of victory, has only seen the censored version of the clip on TV. Yet it's probably not a stretch to assume Cooper used the dreaded "n" word. Oops.
Without getting into the on-going hypocrisy of who is OK with uttering such words, and who is not, Cooper quickly found himself under serious fire. The media pounced. Talking heads had fresh meat to carve up. And, oh my, such folks couldn't wait to cast their dragnet as far and wide as they could, hunting down and eliciting sound bytes from those they thought may have been offended by what Cooper said. Anything to hype a story.
So what did Riley Cooper do? He quickly confronted the hoard of cameras and reporters, and owned up to his indiscretion. He apologized to the Eagle organization, his coaches, his teammates, Philly fans, and anybody else that he may have offended. Cooper went on to say that while he had been drinking, that was no excuse for the words that had came out of his mouth. He appeared deeply regretful, and promised it would never happen again.
Yet, that didn't seem to be good enough for some. Hugh Douglas, a former player that's been out of the NFL for almost a decade, said Cooper, a white guy, only apologized because he got caught. As circumstances would have it, Mr. Douglas just happens to be black. Imagine that.
However, in a twisted sense, Douglas' comment may have some merit. Of course Cooper was only forced to apologize because he got caught, and the episode exploded into a media circus. Had Cooper been one of the millions of anonymous people of ALL stripes uttering such "slurs" everyday across the country, this would not have been newsworthy. Nobody would have noticed, hence no apology required.
Then again, one is left to wonder what people like Douglas expect out of Cooper. The man stepped up and owned his misdeed, apologized, and was further fined an undisclosed amount by the Eagles.
So what else could Cooper do? Deny he ever said it? That wouldn't work. Stay silent? In this day and age, that doesn't appear to be an option either. Thrust out his chest, say the same words, and defiantly proclaim, "How do you like me now, Hugh?". Good luck with that.
In the end, Shakespeare had it right. In the whole scheme of things, it's all much ado about nothing.
In and of itself, of course, this would not normally be a big deal. After all, who would seriously doubt a wide variety of such "slurs" continue to be spoken millions of times every day, in every town or rural area across the country by peoples of different stripes? Let's not kid ourselves. It happens. Always has and likely always will. Sure, there are many who have strived to abolish such words and phrases, but all they've really accomplished is to drive them "underground" and, at that, only for those the biased language police deem culpable in such offenses. In other words, some people can say certain things -- and others can't.
In Cooper's case, there's no denying it. His rant was captured on video/audio, which was posted on-line and quickly went viral. He said/did it. Yours truly, who continues to disdain social networking sites as being somewhat akin to STDs, sans the thrill of victory, has only seen the censored version of the clip on TV. Yet it's probably not a stretch to assume Cooper used the dreaded "n" word. Oops.
Without getting into the on-going hypocrisy of who is OK with uttering such words, and who is not, Cooper quickly found himself under serious fire. The media pounced. Talking heads had fresh meat to carve up. And, oh my, such folks couldn't wait to cast their dragnet as far and wide as they could, hunting down and eliciting sound bytes from those they thought may have been offended by what Cooper said. Anything to hype a story.
So what did Riley Cooper do? He quickly confronted the hoard of cameras and reporters, and owned up to his indiscretion. He apologized to the Eagle organization, his coaches, his teammates, Philly fans, and anybody else that he may have offended. Cooper went on to say that while he had been drinking, that was no excuse for the words that had came out of his mouth. He appeared deeply regretful, and promised it would never happen again.
Yet, that didn't seem to be good enough for some. Hugh Douglas, a former player that's been out of the NFL for almost a decade, said Cooper, a white guy, only apologized because he got caught. As circumstances would have it, Mr. Douglas just happens to be black. Imagine that.
However, in a twisted sense, Douglas' comment may have some merit. Of course Cooper was only forced to apologize because he got caught, and the episode exploded into a media circus. Had Cooper been one of the millions of anonymous people of ALL stripes uttering such "slurs" everyday across the country, this would not have been newsworthy. Nobody would have noticed, hence no apology required.
Then again, one is left to wonder what people like Douglas expect out of Cooper. The man stepped up and owned his misdeed, apologized, and was further fined an undisclosed amount by the Eagles.
So what else could Cooper do? Deny he ever said it? That wouldn't work. Stay silent? In this day and age, that doesn't appear to be an option either. Thrust out his chest, say the same words, and defiantly proclaim, "How do you like me now, Hugh?". Good luck with that.
In the end, Shakespeare had it right. In the whole scheme of things, it's all much ado about nothing.
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