Idle thought: I wonder if the Detroit Lions and their NFL brethren have to sign up for Obamacare like most everybody else? Lord knows, NFL players rack up some serious medical bills here and there.
Like the almighty Prez (the one in the oval office -- not Roger Goodell) once said -- if you like your team, you can keep your team -- or something like that. Maybe on some level he was referring to Detroit Lions fans.
And what would happen if Lions fans spent hours, days, weeks, forever on-line trying to sign up for tickets, only to find out the only seats available were in Chicago, Minnesota, or Green Bay -- when da Bears, Vikes, and Packers were playing a team OTHER than the Lions? That could get ugly.
At that, it appears the Lions have certainly been blessed this year with an Affordable Care Act custom made for them.
When their schedule was first released before the season even started -- it appeared to be somewhat formidable. But look at how it's turned out.
Who would have thought the Steelers, NY Giants, and Baltimore Ravens would be as bad as they are? Though they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Lions lucked-up and beat the Cowboys in the last minute of their game. They finally broke their jinx in DC, but the Skins have gone downhill since RGIII trashed his knee last year. Yes, they lost a close one in Arizona and got trashed in Green Bay -- but the Lions always get thumped in Cheeserland. Throw in the usual couple patsies like Cleveland and Tampa Bay, and things could hardly have worked out better for the Honolulu blue and silver.
They've even lucked out in their own division. The Vikings have turned out to be even worse than expected, and the Lions travel to Soldier Field in Chicago this weekend to face off with da Bears. This has never been an easy place to play for the Lions, and Chicago starting QB Jay Cutler is trying to come back early from a groin injury. Advantage Lions.
The only really good team they have left on their schedule is the Packers. But the Lions get them at home on Thanksgiving, and the Pack will likely still be without the services of all-world QB Aaron Rodgers, who recently suffered a broken collar bone.
The Lions fans that would pooh-pooh such a thing -- saying that injuries happen to every team -- might want to consider where their team would be if their former "china doll" QB Matthew Stafford was to get broken again. It could happen. And trust me -- the guys in the other uniforms would like nothing better than to put Matthew back into the shop for more repairs.
The Lions are currently 5-3, tied with the Bears and Packers atop the NFC central division. But the rest of the schedule, for one unlikely reason after another, seems to heavily favor Detroit. Going into the season, even the Lions themselves probably would have thought a 10-6 record would be outstanding. Now, that mark not only appears reachable, but they could well do even better. 11-5, 12-4 aren't out of the question either.
Then again, neither is 8-8 or 7-9 if things go horribly wrong. If Stafford, Megatron receiver Calvin Johnson, and running back Reggie Bush all went down in Chicago due to injuries, the Lions would be in big trouble in a hurry. Unlikely, but possible. Ya never know. And c'mon. It IS the Lions. Never underestimate the power of Murphy's law when it comes to that team.
But given everything that has fallen in the Lions' favor so far, let's assume a reasonable outcome and say they win the NFC central division with a record of 10-6.
The Lions might (gasp) host their first playoff game in over 20 years. The crowd at Ford Field would be insane with excitement -- at least until they got back home and the reality of ramen noodles and tuna fish for the next month set in after they realized how much money they'd blown for 3 hours worth of entertainment. You think prices are too high now? Wait until a playoff game. It will get worse -- a lot worse.
But here's the bottom line. Even if the best reasonable scenario plays itself out -- and the Lions host and win a home playoff game -- that's as far as they go.
Because coming up next will likely be a team like San Fran, New Orleans, or even the Packers with a healthy Aaron Rodgers. And does any Lion fan really think their team wouldn't get blasted by the Seattle Seahawks?
Note to Lions fans. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, but don't get too caught up in the hype. You'll hear it from the Lion coaches, the players, and surely their koolaided local media that could spin a round steak into filet mignon -- and continue to do so. Remember -- they get in for free to sit in the press box. You don't, and I think I already mentioned ramen noodles.
The Lions are already better than they were last year, which isn't saying a whole lot -- but let's not get carried away.
No. Repeat NO, they are not going to the Super Bowl this year, much less winning it.
Because while they may have a couple outstanding players -- as an overall team they're nowhere near good enough. They have too many weaknesses that will be exposed when the pressure ratchets up under playoff competition and the other team is just flat-out better across the board.
Maybe next year. Hmmm. When it comes to the Detroit Lions, it seems I've been hearing that for a LOOOOOONG time.
Some things just aren't meant to be.
Kind of like yours truly trying to figure out this on-line health care thing. Do I really have to go to Afghanistan for a flu shot? That doesn't seem right.....
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
The case for Ohio State
Growing up in Michigan, yours truly had no love lost for the Ohio State Buckeyes -- to say the least. But as I've gotten older, I sometimes look back and wonder how and why such allegiances and/or dislikes come about. After all, I never went to Michigan or Michigan State, and Ohio State never did anything bad to me personally. In fact, many moons ago, I hooked up with this OSU coed in the back of a van in the infield of the Indianapolis speedway while the 500 was going on around us for our own few high-speed laps -- but I'm getting a little off track here, no pun intended.
Yet trying to be objective these days, OSU football seems to be getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment. In no particular order, consider the following:
Before the 2013 season even started, OSU was ranked #2 behind only Alabama.
Depending on which poll one wants to look back at --
Oregon was #4.
Stanford #9.
Florida State #10.
Baylor -- unranked.
I omit some teams because they've already fallen far out of national contention, but include the above as they currently relate to Ohio State.
Oregon just got beat by Stanford for their first loss. But about a month ago Stanford was defeated by unranked Utah. There are already whispers that Stanford, ranked #5 going into the Oregon game, may leap-frog OSU in the ratings.
With a very impressive first two months of the season, undefeated Baylor had climbed all the way up to #6 in the current ratings, and they just blistered #10 Oklahoma. It was mentioned that the Waco boys might jump over OSU as well. Perhaps the Branch Davidians shall rise again. Just kidding.
Florida State has already surpassed OSU in the polls. They're currently #2.
In the meantime, what has Ohio State done? Remain undefeated.
Sure, arguments could be made about strength of schedule, point differentials, and the like. Last time out the 'Noles trashed arch-rival and then ranked #7 Miami 41-14. A couple weeks earlier they obliterated then #3 ranked Clemson on the road to the tune of 51-14. This is very impressive stuff.
In the last two games, OSU beat Penn State 63-14, and Purdue 56-0. Granted, the competition wasn't as stiff as what FSU faced, but what are the Buckeyes to do? Shouldn't a combined score of 119-14 over two games be good enough to at least hold your own in the rankings?
Let's take it one step further and talk about what happened -- and didn't happen last year. As we all know, Alabama went on to win the national championship. But they were a 1-loss team, having been beaten earlier in their own backyard by Texas A&M, with Johnny "football" Manzeil leading the Aggies. The Crimson Tide had their way with undefeated Notre Dame in the championship game. Best team won -- no doubt about it.
But here's the kicker. Ohio State was bowl ineligible last year after the tattoo-gate fiasco of the year before under former coach Jim Tressel's watch. Under new coach Urban Meyer, they went undefeated in 2012. So if OSU hadn't been under NCAA sanctions, Alabama, with a loss on their record, would have never even got to play in the championship game. It would have been the undefeated Buckeyes facing off against the undefeated Fighting Irish.
For that matter, since Urban Meyer arrived on the scene in Columbus, that team has yet to be beaten -- by anybody. Yes, they've won a game here by only a touchdown, or a game there by 10 points, but they're still undefeated under Meyer's watch.
Given their remaining schedule, they'll likely wallop lowly Illinois and Indiana, then waltz into Michigan (who was obviously overrated at #8 in the preseason rankings, but has fallen faster than Congress in the polls) to easily dispatch the Maize and Blue.
Michigan State, with their #1 ranked defense, likely awaits them in the Big 10 championship game. Methinks the Sparties may be stout of heart, but they won't be able to withstand the onslaught the Buckeyes will bring for the whole game. Toughness is one thing, but most times flat-out talent across the board will trump it.
So even if Ohio State runs the table, and remains undefeated for two whole years -- there's still a very good chance they won't get to play for the national championship.
Everybody seems to be trying to find ways to deny them the opportunity. And let's face it -- like them or not -- OSU isn't exactly Northeast Podunk U. They've been a football powerhouse for many decades, and might well be the best team in the country right now.
Old allegiances or not -- if they indeed run the table -- I, for one, think they will have earned their shot.
They started out #2, and keep winning every week. Other teams leap-frogging them is just wrong.
And who wouldn't want to see a showdown between Urban Meyer and Nick Saban for all the marbles?
Yet trying to be objective these days, OSU football seems to be getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment. In no particular order, consider the following:
Before the 2013 season even started, OSU was ranked #2 behind only Alabama.
Depending on which poll one wants to look back at --
Oregon was #4.
Stanford #9.
Florida State #10.
Baylor -- unranked.
I omit some teams because they've already fallen far out of national contention, but include the above as they currently relate to Ohio State.
Oregon just got beat by Stanford for their first loss. But about a month ago Stanford was defeated by unranked Utah. There are already whispers that Stanford, ranked #5 going into the Oregon game, may leap-frog OSU in the ratings.
With a very impressive first two months of the season, undefeated Baylor had climbed all the way up to #6 in the current ratings, and they just blistered #10 Oklahoma. It was mentioned that the Waco boys might jump over OSU as well. Perhaps the Branch Davidians shall rise again. Just kidding.
Florida State has already surpassed OSU in the polls. They're currently #2.
In the meantime, what has Ohio State done? Remain undefeated.
Sure, arguments could be made about strength of schedule, point differentials, and the like. Last time out the 'Noles trashed arch-rival and then ranked #7 Miami 41-14. A couple weeks earlier they obliterated then #3 ranked Clemson on the road to the tune of 51-14. This is very impressive stuff.
In the last two games, OSU beat Penn State 63-14, and Purdue 56-0. Granted, the competition wasn't as stiff as what FSU faced, but what are the Buckeyes to do? Shouldn't a combined score of 119-14 over two games be good enough to at least hold your own in the rankings?
Let's take it one step further and talk about what happened -- and didn't happen last year. As we all know, Alabama went on to win the national championship. But they were a 1-loss team, having been beaten earlier in their own backyard by Texas A&M, with Johnny "football" Manzeil leading the Aggies. The Crimson Tide had their way with undefeated Notre Dame in the championship game. Best team won -- no doubt about it.
But here's the kicker. Ohio State was bowl ineligible last year after the tattoo-gate fiasco of the year before under former coach Jim Tressel's watch. Under new coach Urban Meyer, they went undefeated in 2012. So if OSU hadn't been under NCAA sanctions, Alabama, with a loss on their record, would have never even got to play in the championship game. It would have been the undefeated Buckeyes facing off against the undefeated Fighting Irish.
For that matter, since Urban Meyer arrived on the scene in Columbus, that team has yet to be beaten -- by anybody. Yes, they've won a game here by only a touchdown, or a game there by 10 points, but they're still undefeated under Meyer's watch.
Given their remaining schedule, they'll likely wallop lowly Illinois and Indiana, then waltz into Michigan (who was obviously overrated at #8 in the preseason rankings, but has fallen faster than Congress in the polls) to easily dispatch the Maize and Blue.
Michigan State, with their #1 ranked defense, likely awaits them in the Big 10 championship game. Methinks the Sparties may be stout of heart, but they won't be able to withstand the onslaught the Buckeyes will bring for the whole game. Toughness is one thing, but most times flat-out talent across the board will trump it.
So even if Ohio State runs the table, and remains undefeated for two whole years -- there's still a very good chance they won't get to play for the national championship.
Everybody seems to be trying to find ways to deny them the opportunity. And let's face it -- like them or not -- OSU isn't exactly Northeast Podunk U. They've been a football powerhouse for many decades, and might well be the best team in the country right now.
Old allegiances or not -- if they indeed run the table -- I, for one, think they will have earned their shot.
They started out #2, and keep winning every week. Other teams leap-frogging them is just wrong.
And who wouldn't want to see a showdown between Urban Meyer and Nick Saban for all the marbles?
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
More leftover rants
Yours truly has never smoked crack. For that matter, to my knowledge, I've never been in the same room with someone who was participating -- so I don't even know what it smells like. Most people who know me would likely agree I'm dumb enough already. I don't need to cook what few functional brain cells I still have remaining. Not so, the Mayor of Toronto -- one Rob Ford. He finally admitted to smoking crack, which was quite a startling revelation, the damning video evidence notwithstanding. But at least he offered up a good reason. This only happened because he was in another of his drunken stupors. So Toronto natives can rest a bit easier now, knowing their fearless leader had things under control all along. Whew. That was a close one.
Why is it that football is the only game where the on-field referee will turn on his microphone and announce to the audience in attendance, and those watching on TV, what has just occurred on such things as penalties, rules involved, and plays being reviewed? The refs in basketball and hockey don't do that, nor do the umps in baseball. We're left trying to decipher a bunch of hand signals and jaws flapping up and down. And c'mon -- it's no big secret that oftentimes these folks indeed have microphones on them. We've seen proof of it. Months, sometimes years after the fact, some TV station will air the audio of an on-ice/court/field conversation. It's all recorded. But when it's "live", we're not allowed to hear it. That doesn't seem right.
In an Adidas commercial, Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose says they can take away the money, and take away the lifestyle, but in the end basketball will always remain. Apparently, he's inferring he would play just for his love of the game. Well, OK then. Hey Derrick, tear up your multi-bazillion dollar contract and resign with the Bulls for the league minimum, which you will donate to worthy charities. Until then -- shut up and enjoy your free fancy tennis shoes. Who do you think you're kidding?
Clicked over to CNN for a second and heard an interesting conversation on the pros and cons of nuclear power. One of the main concerns is how we dispose of the highly radioactive nuclear waste. Evidently we put it in barrels and bury it deep within super-thick concrete bunkers, hoping they never spring a leak. Some "expert" said this stuff takes 35,000 years, or roughly 7 times as long as recorded human history on our planet to decompose. That's a very long time.
But there was a better way. Remember all those since moth-balled reusable space shuttles like Columbia, Discovery, and Endeavor? They had a giant cargo bay that opened up with a huge robotic arm to take things out of it and put them in space. Like the Hubbell telescope, and probably a few thousand spy satellites. All that needed to be done was load the spent nuclear fuel into those cargo bays, have the robot pluck it out -- and give it a gentle nudge towards the sun, which is a huge nuclear fireball itself. Gravity and physics would take care of the rest and our nuclear waste problem would have been solved.
Back to sports. During telecasts of various games, I wonder if the folks in Japan and South Korea are bombarded with GM, Ford, and Chrysler car commercials like Americans are with Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai ads? Somehow I seriously doubt that, and I don't like it one bit.
OK, I feel better now having got those rants off my chest. And speaking of crack, I think I left the slider open a bit and haven't seen my yorkies in a while. Better go check. I'm pretty sure they're not capable of building a nuclear power plant in the backyard, but they know what to do with their waste.
And they do their jobs for the minimum salary too while going barefoot. Can you hear me now, Derrick?
Why is it that football is the only game where the on-field referee will turn on his microphone and announce to the audience in attendance, and those watching on TV, what has just occurred on such things as penalties, rules involved, and plays being reviewed? The refs in basketball and hockey don't do that, nor do the umps in baseball. We're left trying to decipher a bunch of hand signals and jaws flapping up and down. And c'mon -- it's no big secret that oftentimes these folks indeed have microphones on them. We've seen proof of it. Months, sometimes years after the fact, some TV station will air the audio of an on-ice/court/field conversation. It's all recorded. But when it's "live", we're not allowed to hear it. That doesn't seem right.
In an Adidas commercial, Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose says they can take away the money, and take away the lifestyle, but in the end basketball will always remain. Apparently, he's inferring he would play just for his love of the game. Well, OK then. Hey Derrick, tear up your multi-bazillion dollar contract and resign with the Bulls for the league minimum, which you will donate to worthy charities. Until then -- shut up and enjoy your free fancy tennis shoes. Who do you think you're kidding?
Clicked over to CNN for a second and heard an interesting conversation on the pros and cons of nuclear power. One of the main concerns is how we dispose of the highly radioactive nuclear waste. Evidently we put it in barrels and bury it deep within super-thick concrete bunkers, hoping they never spring a leak. Some "expert" said this stuff takes 35,000 years, or roughly 7 times as long as recorded human history on our planet to decompose. That's a very long time.
But there was a better way. Remember all those since moth-balled reusable space shuttles like Columbia, Discovery, and Endeavor? They had a giant cargo bay that opened up with a huge robotic arm to take things out of it and put them in space. Like the Hubbell telescope, and probably a few thousand spy satellites. All that needed to be done was load the spent nuclear fuel into those cargo bays, have the robot pluck it out -- and give it a gentle nudge towards the sun, which is a huge nuclear fireball itself. Gravity and physics would take care of the rest and our nuclear waste problem would have been solved.
Back to sports. During telecasts of various games, I wonder if the folks in Japan and South Korea are bombarded with GM, Ford, and Chrysler car commercials like Americans are with Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai ads? Somehow I seriously doubt that, and I don't like it one bit.
OK, I feel better now having got those rants off my chest. And speaking of crack, I think I left the slider open a bit and haven't seen my yorkies in a while. Better go check. I'm pretty sure they're not capable of building a nuclear power plant in the backyard, but they know what to do with their waste.
And they do their jobs for the minimum salary too while going barefoot. Can you hear me now, Derrick?
Richie Incognito. Hang on.....
Miami Dolphins' offensive guard Richie Incognito has certainly been in the sports news lately. Further, he's been suspended indefinitely by the team while they, the NFL, the players union, and the usual horde of scribes and talking heads continue to dig deeper into exactly what happened between Incognito and offensive tackle teammate Jonathan Martin.
Several days ago, Martin took a leave of absence from the Dolphins, apparently because he felt threatened/bullied/intimidated by Incognito. Indeed, an electronic communication from Incognito to Martin, which has gone "viral", includes several expletives, something about slapping Martin's mother, and even the dreaded "N" word itself.
Quick physical stats on the two.
Incognito is 6-3, about 320 pounds, and 30 years old.
Martin is 6-5, about 310 pounds, and will turn 24 next month.
We're not talking about a Hulk Hogan vs Barney Fife scenario here.
These are both very big dudes.
In a perfect world, it shouldn't matter what color either of them are, but we all know this world is far from perfect and such biases continue to raise their ugly heads in certain quarters. It just so happens that Incognito is caucasian and Martin is an African American.
Per the current norm, the allegations and innuendos were quick to fly. Incognito's a racist, a bigot, a bully, etc. In their ever-vigilant quest for the next juicy story, scandal, etc., most of the media was quick to pounce on Incognito. Given he has a checkered past, it's quite understandable they would draw conclusions and start firing away. Tar and feather the bum and run him out of town -- or at least the NFL. And that may yet happen. It's the typical knee-jerk reaction we have seen so many times over the recent years before all the facts are in. Everybody's an arm-chair prosecutor these days.
But hang on. Something else seems to be emerging. Some former NFL players, and even members of the current Dolphins, are coming to Incognito's defense. And guess what? They're black. Surprise.
I think I can state with a reasonable degree of certainty that not too many people reading this post have ever been privy to what really goes on behind the scenes in an NFL locker room. Certainly not yours truly. Only the players really know. Not coaches, not owners, not the fans, and surely not the media, although they would typically have you believe otherwise. How the players interact privately amongst themselves is a domain known only to them. Could it be that many words and actions that mainstream society has come to abhor are not only commonplace in some NFL locker rooms -- but are accepted amongst the team as being just another part of the brotherhood ? The honest answer is -- we don't know.
Back to Incognito and Martin. Incognito is a 9 year NFL veteran while Martin is basically a rookie. Historically in the NFL, rookies have been subjected to a hazing process by their older teammates. Carry pads, bring donuts to meetings, chase phantom free turkeys just prior to Thanksgiving, perhaps pick up a dinner tab for the vets, etc. This is nothing new.
The operative questions would seem to be -- when does it become too much, and where should the line be drawn? Is shaving a rookie's head out of bounds? Should a cap be placed on a dinner tab? More to the current Incognito/Martin snafu, should the language police have the final say over internal team communications that get leaked to the public?
It should be noted that, so far, the usual gang of suspects that typically swoop in to further fan the flames when an "offender" and a "victim" are different colors (you know who they are) have yet to make an appearance. Indeed, the NFL and players' unions themselves are taking a wait and see attitude.
Unlikely as it seemed when the story first began to break, there are now even NFL players questioning Jonathan Martin's behavior more than that of Richie Incognito's. There are those that seem to think Martin "wimped out" when he walked way from the team because he felt "intimidated".
Yours truly has no idea how one intimidates a guys that stands 6-5 and weighs 310 lbs, especially a teammate when there's a whole locker room full of other big tough guys looking on -- but unless your name's Corleone and an "offer you can't refuse" comes into play -- it just doesn't seem logical. And I'm pretty sure Don Vito hasn't been around for a while.
For that matter, nobody seemed to know anything about this whole mess until Martin took his hike from the Dolphins and the voice mail, text, whatever, from Incognito was brought to light.
So what have we learned from all this so far? A few things. The media will continue to jump head first with guns blazing into any story they think can be sensationalized. Whatever truth may eventually come out down the road doesn't matter. It's all about NOW. Though they may be proven wrong later when all the facts have finally come in -- you'll seldom, if ever, see them look back over their shoulders and apologize for wrongfully trashing somebody. By then, they're on to their next hot scoop. I recently read a sports columnist say he would not vote for Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz ever being elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, because Big Papi was once "implicated" in the whole "performing enhancing drugs" baseball scandal a while back. Nevermind that Ortiz, and others, were eventually exonerated from such baseless allegations -- much less found guilty -- the attitude remains. It's akin to someone being accused of child molesting. Even if the accused can prove they were 100 miles away if and when it occurred, they will be forevever tainted. He/she must have done SOMETHING wrong. Though they were totally innocent, people will always look upon them with a suspicious eye. A sorry state of affairs indeed -- not to mention totally unfair. But that's where we seem to find ourselves these days.
Along the same line, there will always be the hordes of lemmings that believe anything they hear or read from the media. Most times this involves bad things, because "feel good" stories aren't nearly as popular.
So how will this all play out with Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin? Is Incognito a racist bigot that has gone way over the line even by NFL locker room standareds? Or is Martin just a big mama's boy that wimped out when it came to the harsh realities of what goes on behind the scenes in the NFL? Hard to say, but it's a good thing that the people who will ultimately make such judgments are taking their time before jumping to any conclusions.
Yours truly thinks this story has a few more chapters that have already been written but, like any good novel, it's usually a good idea to read it one page at a time as it unfolds to fully grasp it.
This whole scenario may turn out to be a big deal, or much ado about nothing. How about we let it play itself out before we decide how it's supposed to end?
Is that asking too much?
One thing is for sure, though.
Mr. Incognito is anything but these days.............
Several days ago, Martin took a leave of absence from the Dolphins, apparently because he felt threatened/bullied/intimidated by Incognito. Indeed, an electronic communication from Incognito to Martin, which has gone "viral", includes several expletives, something about slapping Martin's mother, and even the dreaded "N" word itself.
Quick physical stats on the two.
Incognito is 6-3, about 320 pounds, and 30 years old.
Martin is 6-5, about 310 pounds, and will turn 24 next month.
We're not talking about a Hulk Hogan vs Barney Fife scenario here.
These are both very big dudes.
In a perfect world, it shouldn't matter what color either of them are, but we all know this world is far from perfect and such biases continue to raise their ugly heads in certain quarters. It just so happens that Incognito is caucasian and Martin is an African American.
Per the current norm, the allegations and innuendos were quick to fly. Incognito's a racist, a bigot, a bully, etc. In their ever-vigilant quest for the next juicy story, scandal, etc., most of the media was quick to pounce on Incognito. Given he has a checkered past, it's quite understandable they would draw conclusions and start firing away. Tar and feather the bum and run him out of town -- or at least the NFL. And that may yet happen. It's the typical knee-jerk reaction we have seen so many times over the recent years before all the facts are in. Everybody's an arm-chair prosecutor these days.
But hang on. Something else seems to be emerging. Some former NFL players, and even members of the current Dolphins, are coming to Incognito's defense. And guess what? They're black. Surprise.
I think I can state with a reasonable degree of certainty that not too many people reading this post have ever been privy to what really goes on behind the scenes in an NFL locker room. Certainly not yours truly. Only the players really know. Not coaches, not owners, not the fans, and surely not the media, although they would typically have you believe otherwise. How the players interact privately amongst themselves is a domain known only to them. Could it be that many words and actions that mainstream society has come to abhor are not only commonplace in some NFL locker rooms -- but are accepted amongst the team as being just another part of the brotherhood ? The honest answer is -- we don't know.
Back to Incognito and Martin. Incognito is a 9 year NFL veteran while Martin is basically a rookie. Historically in the NFL, rookies have been subjected to a hazing process by their older teammates. Carry pads, bring donuts to meetings, chase phantom free turkeys just prior to Thanksgiving, perhaps pick up a dinner tab for the vets, etc. This is nothing new.
The operative questions would seem to be -- when does it become too much, and where should the line be drawn? Is shaving a rookie's head out of bounds? Should a cap be placed on a dinner tab? More to the current Incognito/Martin snafu, should the language police have the final say over internal team communications that get leaked to the public?
It should be noted that, so far, the usual gang of suspects that typically swoop in to further fan the flames when an "offender" and a "victim" are different colors (you know who they are) have yet to make an appearance. Indeed, the NFL and players' unions themselves are taking a wait and see attitude.
Unlikely as it seemed when the story first began to break, there are now even NFL players questioning Jonathan Martin's behavior more than that of Richie Incognito's. There are those that seem to think Martin "wimped out" when he walked way from the team because he felt "intimidated".
Yours truly has no idea how one intimidates a guys that stands 6-5 and weighs 310 lbs, especially a teammate when there's a whole locker room full of other big tough guys looking on -- but unless your name's Corleone and an "offer you can't refuse" comes into play -- it just doesn't seem logical. And I'm pretty sure Don Vito hasn't been around for a while.
For that matter, nobody seemed to know anything about this whole mess until Martin took his hike from the Dolphins and the voice mail, text, whatever, from Incognito was brought to light.
So what have we learned from all this so far? A few things. The media will continue to jump head first with guns blazing into any story they think can be sensationalized. Whatever truth may eventually come out down the road doesn't matter. It's all about NOW. Though they may be proven wrong later when all the facts have finally come in -- you'll seldom, if ever, see them look back over their shoulders and apologize for wrongfully trashing somebody. By then, they're on to their next hot scoop. I recently read a sports columnist say he would not vote for Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz ever being elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, because Big Papi was once "implicated" in the whole "performing enhancing drugs" baseball scandal a while back. Nevermind that Ortiz, and others, were eventually exonerated from such baseless allegations -- much less found guilty -- the attitude remains. It's akin to someone being accused of child molesting. Even if the accused can prove they were 100 miles away if and when it occurred, they will be forevever tainted. He/she must have done SOMETHING wrong. Though they were totally innocent, people will always look upon them with a suspicious eye. A sorry state of affairs indeed -- not to mention totally unfair. But that's where we seem to find ourselves these days.
Along the same line, there will always be the hordes of lemmings that believe anything they hear or read from the media. Most times this involves bad things, because "feel good" stories aren't nearly as popular.
So how will this all play out with Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin? Is Incognito a racist bigot that has gone way over the line even by NFL locker room standareds? Or is Martin just a big mama's boy that wimped out when it came to the harsh realities of what goes on behind the scenes in the NFL? Hard to say, but it's a good thing that the people who will ultimately make such judgments are taking their time before jumping to any conclusions.
Yours truly thinks this story has a few more chapters that have already been written but, like any good novel, it's usually a good idea to read it one page at a time as it unfolds to fully grasp it.
This whole scenario may turn out to be a big deal, or much ado about nothing. How about we let it play itself out before we decide how it's supposed to end?
Is that asking too much?
One thing is for sure, though.
Mr. Incognito is anything but these days.............
Sunday, November 3, 2013
How Jim Leyland meets his Maker?
Yours truly has been a subscriber to Mad magazine for over 40 years. Still am, and proud of it. I imagine those piles of back issues I've saved and stored away over the decades would fetch a handsome price if I were to advertise them on eBay or the like. But I just can't make myself do it. Everybody has their loyalties, and one of mine is to the "usual gang of idiots" at Mad. Lord knows how much they've made me laugh over the years with their brilliant, if irreverent satire. Some things just aren't meant to be for sale. Priceless.
Why do I mention this? Because Mad has a regular feature in their mag that I'm going to swipe for the purpose of this article. They'll pick out somebody quite well known and, in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, handicap the various ways they envision that particular person might die. It's all in good fun, of course.
So with apologies to my heroes at Mad, I offer the following:
Celebrity cause-of-death betting odds.
Jim Leyland.
Defective Marlboro flares up, setting moustache on fire, which spreads to hair, which leads to head being engulfed in flames.............. 4:1
Returns to Miami (Little Cuba) to relive his only World Series championship and is last seen on a banana boat headed back south with Ozzie Guillen at the helm...............8:1
Falls off float during Detroit's Thanksgiving day parade and is trampled by high school marching bands...............15:1
After so many near misses with umpires -- bulging jugular veins finally rupture during heated rhubarb with a waitress at Denny's...............20:1
Skull breaks in half while trying to actually smile during Hall of Fame induction ceremony..........35:1
Has glorious, but fatal orgasm after winning Dancing With the Stars.............50 million:1
Why do I mention this? Because Mad has a regular feature in their mag that I'm going to swipe for the purpose of this article. They'll pick out somebody quite well known and, in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, handicap the various ways they envision that particular person might die. It's all in good fun, of course.
So with apologies to my heroes at Mad, I offer the following:
Celebrity cause-of-death betting odds.
Jim Leyland.
Defective Marlboro flares up, setting moustache on fire, which spreads to hair, which leads to head being engulfed in flames.............. 4:1
Returns to Miami (Little Cuba) to relive his only World Series championship and is last seen on a banana boat headed back south with Ozzie Guillen at the helm...............8:1
Falls off float during Detroit's Thanksgiving day parade and is trampled by high school marching bands...............15:1
After so many near misses with umpires -- bulging jugular veins finally rupture during heated rhubarb with a waitress at Denny's...............20:1
Skull breaks in half while trying to actually smile during Hall of Fame induction ceremony..........35:1
Has glorious, but fatal orgasm after winning Dancing With the Stars.............50 million:1
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Michigan/Michigan State
Now that's what I call a good old-fashioned ass-whupping. No, yours truly isn't a State fan. If anything, I've mostly rooted for the Blue over the years, though I don't know why. No one in my family ever went to UM, but somehow it worked out that way.
But a whuppin is a whuppin, and that's exactly what the Spartans did to the Wolverines. The wore their blue butts out -- all day. Given how the game went -- the final score of 29-6 seemed to be about right.
Oh my, "little brother" has grown up to become quite a brute indeed.
MSU had the #1 ranked defense in the country going in, and they certainly had it on display when UM showed up in East Lansing.
Michigan had -48 rushing yards? As in negative 48? For the whole game? Really? That's likely some kind of record. But combine their entire running game, hotshot QB Devin Gardner and all, getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage -- with 7 QB sacks to boot -- and that's what happens. Michigan's offensive line looked like the cavalry trying to defend against a charging Panzer division. In any battle of tanks versus horses -- I'll take the tanks every time.
MSU isn't noted for having a high octane offense, but they put up 400 total yards. Certainly respectable. On the other hand, UM managed a grand total of only 170. Again -- all day. Doing the math, and subtracting the -48 yards rushing, UM passed for 218 yards. In and of itself, that's not too shabby.
Thing is, prior to this game, UM's offense had been somewhat of a juggernaut. The fewest points they'd scored all year in a game was 24 against lowly UConn. They even put up a whopping 63 in their previous game against Indiana.
This time out, they got a grand total of 6, which required two rather long field goals. Other than that, the Green defense was busy taking the Blue offense to the woodshed. Did I mention all day?
Sorry, Brady Hoke, but you only get so many Akrons, Central Michigans, UConns and Indianas on your schedule. And Notre Dame ain't all that this year. Eventually, you have to play somebody good. The Spartans aren't national championship caliber, but they're the real deal when it comes to the level of Big 10 (actually 12) competition.
Given the beatdown Michigan just took, you just know the chants of "little sister" have already started in Spartieland directed at their currently rather "blue" cross state rivals, in more ways than one.
Hey, to the victors go the spoils, including bragging rights, and MSU earned it fair and square with a thorough trouncing of UM.
But you know what? In the whole scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter much. First, MSU will likely earn to the right to be trounced themselves by the behemoths in Columbus (Ohio State) in the Big 10 championship game.
Then they, along with their now little sisters in Ann Arbor, will both trot off to second-tier bowl games in January. Rah, rah, strike up the marching bands, and cha-ching.
The big boys like Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and Ohio State will pay them no heed as they slug it out for what's really important. Little brothers indeed.
But on this day, MSU shined and good for them.
Idle thought: With most of the former polluting automobile factories having packed up and moved elsewhere, and MSU throttling UM, perhaps Michigan will become a "greener" state after all.
But don't mention that to the folks in Ann Arbor.
I'm pretty sure they wouldn't approve.
But a whuppin is a whuppin, and that's exactly what the Spartans did to the Wolverines. The wore their blue butts out -- all day. Given how the game went -- the final score of 29-6 seemed to be about right.
Oh my, "little brother" has grown up to become quite a brute indeed.
MSU had the #1 ranked defense in the country going in, and they certainly had it on display when UM showed up in East Lansing.
Michigan had -48 rushing yards? As in negative 48? For the whole game? Really? That's likely some kind of record. But combine their entire running game, hotshot QB Devin Gardner and all, getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage -- with 7 QB sacks to boot -- and that's what happens. Michigan's offensive line looked like the cavalry trying to defend against a charging Panzer division. In any battle of tanks versus horses -- I'll take the tanks every time.
MSU isn't noted for having a high octane offense, but they put up 400 total yards. Certainly respectable. On the other hand, UM managed a grand total of only 170. Again -- all day. Doing the math, and subtracting the -48 yards rushing, UM passed for 218 yards. In and of itself, that's not too shabby.
Thing is, prior to this game, UM's offense had been somewhat of a juggernaut. The fewest points they'd scored all year in a game was 24 against lowly UConn. They even put up a whopping 63 in their previous game against Indiana.
This time out, they got a grand total of 6, which required two rather long field goals. Other than that, the Green defense was busy taking the Blue offense to the woodshed. Did I mention all day?
Sorry, Brady Hoke, but you only get so many Akrons, Central Michigans, UConns and Indianas on your schedule. And Notre Dame ain't all that this year. Eventually, you have to play somebody good. The Spartans aren't national championship caliber, but they're the real deal when it comes to the level of Big 10 (actually 12) competition.
Given the beatdown Michigan just took, you just know the chants of "little sister" have already started in Spartieland directed at their currently rather "blue" cross state rivals, in more ways than one.
Hey, to the victors go the spoils, including bragging rights, and MSU earned it fair and square with a thorough trouncing of UM.
But you know what? In the whole scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter much. First, MSU will likely earn to the right to be trounced themselves by the behemoths in Columbus (Ohio State) in the Big 10 championship game.
Then they, along with their now little sisters in Ann Arbor, will both trot off to second-tier bowl games in January. Rah, rah, strike up the marching bands, and cha-ching.
The big boys like Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and Ohio State will pay them no heed as they slug it out for what's really important. Little brothers indeed.
But on this day, MSU shined and good for them.
Idle thought: With most of the former polluting automobile factories having packed up and moved elsewhere, and MSU throttling UM, perhaps Michigan will become a "greener" state after all.
But don't mention that to the folks in Ann Arbor.
I'm pretty sure they wouldn't approve.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Detroit Tigers. A hard look
Now that the Detroit Tigers have long since cleaned out their lockers and gone back home to wherever they live in the off-season, perhaps an objective look at that team is in order. Sure, the team itself, the local fans, and their kool-aided scribes will currently view the glass as being half-full, if not overflowing, but yours truly suspects that glass might be emptier than they think. Here's a look at the flip side.
While the Tigers were expected to run away with the AL Central crown -- in the end -- they edged out the Cleveland Indians by only one game in the standings. The final regular season records for the AL leaders....
Boston. 97-65.
Oakland. 96-66.
Detroit. 93-69.
Cleveland. 92-70.
So despite all the Motown hype about having the best starting pitching staff and a regular murderer's row batting line-up, over the course of the full season the Tigers finished with merely the 3rd best record in their league, with those pesky Indians nipping at their heels until the last day.
Looking back, the Oakland A's took the Tigers to the limit in the ALDS before Detroit finally won the deciding game. Given their regular season records, that could actually have been perceived as a mild upset.
Of course the Bosox would oust the Tigers in the ALCS. Former manager Jim Leyland was quoted as saying he thought his team "let one get away". Perhaps, but Boston played in a stronger division all year, and still wound up 4 games better than the Tigers in the regular season. Based on their records, it could certainly be logically argued that the best team won and advanced to the World Series.
Most of the Tiger faithful likely expect their team to once again make a charge for the World Series in 2014 -- and maybe even win it. But there's a whole lot of reasons why the odds are against them. Consider....
The Tigers still don't have a regular left fielder. They've platooned a variety of players at that position, but nobody has stepped up to nail it down. Andy Dirks, Don Kelly, minor league prospect Nick Castellanos? Another named Matt Tuiasosopo was just released. So who knows?
Center fielder Austin Jackson can't seem to stay healthy.
Right fielder Torii Hunter will be 39 years old next July. Make of that what you will.
They have Alex Avila and a couple maybes at the catcher position. Avila himself isn't particularly notable defensively, and he batted .227. Plus, he seems to have a penchant for getting dinged-up in various ways.
The Tigers have slick-fielding, but weak-hitting Jose Iglesias at shorstop.
First baseman Prince Fielder just turned in another of his post-season swoons, that seem to be the norm for him.
The big man himself, Miguel Cabrera, will be coming off groin surgery. Will he return to being his usual terror at the bat -- or might the after effects of such an injury linger -- either physically or mentally? Nobody knows.
And here's the wild card. Who's going to be their next manager, and how well will he mesh with the players?
Obviously, Terry Francona did a bang-up job in Cleveland during his first year there. But brand new managers are a crap shoot. Witness just one year ago (the 2012 season) when Bobby Valentine tried his hand managing the Red Sox. Besides finishing last, the players damn near mutinied against him. Enter John Farrell this year and presto, they became world champions.
Many still consider Justin Verlander to be the ace of their starting pitching staff. But coming off a Cy Young award winning season, the fastball flakes man went a journeymanesque 13-12. I don't want to hear about lack of run support. Over the course of a full 162 game season, 13-12 is what it is. Average. Will he be better next year? Probably.
But fellow starter Max Scherzer went an insane 21-3. Nobody could have foreseen that coming. He's good, but nowhere near THAT good. Will he duplicate it next year? Highly doubtful.
The Tigers' front office has their problems too. Throw in trying to sign or re-sign free agents, other guys eligible for arbitration that will likely get huge raises, and an existing payroll that isn't exactly salary-cap friendly -- and Prez/GM Dave Dombrowski can likely look forward to a few migraines as well. Tough job, working for an absentee owner pizza man. Personally, for the reasons listed above, I think the Tigers will be in worse shape next year than they were this year.
Nonetheless, the wise guys in Vegas see it quite differently, and far be it from yours truly to argue with those folks. I've seen Lake Mead on a few occasions, but I'd really rather not wind up at the bottom of it wearing cement overshoes for the next million years or so. Like Dirty Harry once said, a man's got to know his limitations.
They have the Tigers pegged as the second most likely to win the 2014 World Series, at 9:1 odds. Right behind them at 10:1 are Boston to repeat, St. Louis and the Washington Nationals. Wait a minute. The Nats? Washington, as in DC? Really? Wow, it must be an election year or something.
The LA Dodgers are the favorites at 7:1. Hey, scoff if you will, but Earvin Johnson recently bought into that team, and everything he touches seems to turn to gold. It's like he's magic or something.
Ah, who cares anyway? Between the NASCAR chase winding down, the NBA, the NHL, the second half of the NFL season (with all their various glorious playoffs), March college hoop madness, golf and tennis majors, the Daytona and Indy 500's, and a whole lot of other stuff that will happen before baseball gets relevant again -- I think we'll get along just fine.
But as of now, yours truly still doesn't think the Tigers will be going to the World Series next year.
Shhh. The wise guys might be listening. And I have plans to go back out there in the spring.
While the Tigers were expected to run away with the AL Central crown -- in the end -- they edged out the Cleveland Indians by only one game in the standings. The final regular season records for the AL leaders....
Boston. 97-65.
Oakland. 96-66.
Detroit. 93-69.
Cleveland. 92-70.
So despite all the Motown hype about having the best starting pitching staff and a regular murderer's row batting line-up, over the course of the full season the Tigers finished with merely the 3rd best record in their league, with those pesky Indians nipping at their heels until the last day.
Looking back, the Oakland A's took the Tigers to the limit in the ALDS before Detroit finally won the deciding game. Given their regular season records, that could actually have been perceived as a mild upset.
Of course the Bosox would oust the Tigers in the ALCS. Former manager Jim Leyland was quoted as saying he thought his team "let one get away". Perhaps, but Boston played in a stronger division all year, and still wound up 4 games better than the Tigers in the regular season. Based on their records, it could certainly be logically argued that the best team won and advanced to the World Series.
Most of the Tiger faithful likely expect their team to once again make a charge for the World Series in 2014 -- and maybe even win it. But there's a whole lot of reasons why the odds are against them. Consider....
The Tigers still don't have a regular left fielder. They've platooned a variety of players at that position, but nobody has stepped up to nail it down. Andy Dirks, Don Kelly, minor league prospect Nick Castellanos? Another named Matt Tuiasosopo was just released. So who knows?
Center fielder Austin Jackson can't seem to stay healthy.
Right fielder Torii Hunter will be 39 years old next July. Make of that what you will.
They have Alex Avila and a couple maybes at the catcher position. Avila himself isn't particularly notable defensively, and he batted .227. Plus, he seems to have a penchant for getting dinged-up in various ways.
The Tigers have slick-fielding, but weak-hitting Jose Iglesias at shorstop.
First baseman Prince Fielder just turned in another of his post-season swoons, that seem to be the norm for him.
The big man himself, Miguel Cabrera, will be coming off groin surgery. Will he return to being his usual terror at the bat -- or might the after effects of such an injury linger -- either physically or mentally? Nobody knows.
And here's the wild card. Who's going to be their next manager, and how well will he mesh with the players?
Obviously, Terry Francona did a bang-up job in Cleveland during his first year there. But brand new managers are a crap shoot. Witness just one year ago (the 2012 season) when Bobby Valentine tried his hand managing the Red Sox. Besides finishing last, the players damn near mutinied against him. Enter John Farrell this year and presto, they became world champions.
Many still consider Justin Verlander to be the ace of their starting pitching staff. But coming off a Cy Young award winning season, the fastball flakes man went a journeymanesque 13-12. I don't want to hear about lack of run support. Over the course of a full 162 game season, 13-12 is what it is. Average. Will he be better next year? Probably.
But fellow starter Max Scherzer went an insane 21-3. Nobody could have foreseen that coming. He's good, but nowhere near THAT good. Will he duplicate it next year? Highly doubtful.
The Tigers' front office has their problems too. Throw in trying to sign or re-sign free agents, other guys eligible for arbitration that will likely get huge raises, and an existing payroll that isn't exactly salary-cap friendly -- and Prez/GM Dave Dombrowski can likely look forward to a few migraines as well. Tough job, working for an absentee owner pizza man. Personally, for the reasons listed above, I think the Tigers will be in worse shape next year than they were this year.
Nonetheless, the wise guys in Vegas see it quite differently, and far be it from yours truly to argue with those folks. I've seen Lake Mead on a few occasions, but I'd really rather not wind up at the bottom of it wearing cement overshoes for the next million years or so. Like Dirty Harry once said, a man's got to know his limitations.
They have the Tigers pegged as the second most likely to win the 2014 World Series, at 9:1 odds. Right behind them at 10:1 are Boston to repeat, St. Louis and the Washington Nationals. Wait a minute. The Nats? Washington, as in DC? Really? Wow, it must be an election year or something.
The LA Dodgers are the favorites at 7:1. Hey, scoff if you will, but Earvin Johnson recently bought into that team, and everything he touches seems to turn to gold. It's like he's magic or something.
Ah, who cares anyway? Between the NASCAR chase winding down, the NBA, the NHL, the second half of the NFL season (with all their various glorious playoffs), March college hoop madness, golf and tennis majors, the Daytona and Indy 500's, and a whole lot of other stuff that will happen before baseball gets relevant again -- I think we'll get along just fine.
But as of now, yours truly still doesn't think the Tigers will be going to the World Series next year.
Shhh. The wise guys might be listening. And I have plans to go back out there in the spring.
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